St Luke's Church, in Ferryhill, has withstood many changes in its 150 year history, but retains its warmth as well as its characters.

IF not exactly a turbulent priest, for that is now a clich, our old friend the Vicar of Ferryhill may be said - a succession of clerical high-ups have probably said it - to be a man of firm opinions. Thus it was something of a surprise at the start of St Luke's 150th anniversary celebrations last Friday to hear the Rev Keith Lumsdon announce that he was doing as the diocese directed.

Though the gaffers believed the parish church to have been consecrated on September 23, 1853, Keith's own researches suggested that the ceremony had been three days earlier. He'd bowed to their authority.

"You heard that," said the Archdeacon of Durham, rising jocularly in the opposite stall to the height of his 6ft 4in authority.

"Yes, but I think they were wrong," said Keith, adding that he expected such unaccustomed canonical obedience to be recorded in his file.

The archdeacon nodded, venerably.

Ferryhill's been there since Anglo-Saxon days, 14th century records noting 40 shilling fines for playing football and 40 pence for drawing a knife, and was still an agricultural village when St Luke's replaced an earlier church built in 1829.

In 1887, there were said to be "village hall, nine public houses and a few cottages" and it remained pretty rustic - pretty, rustic - until 1902, when they sank Dean and Chapter pit.

By 1938, it employed 2,000 men, had yielded 20 million tons of coal and was surrounded by a town of 11,000 people with slates by the front door to indicate what time the caller should knock the poor colliers from their dreams.

"In future years, the further development of Ferryhill as a mining and business centre is more or less assured as the collieries have a long expectation of life and will provide employment for many years to come," wrote the author of St Luke's centenary brochure.

Her faith was misplaced. Dean and Chapter closed in 1966, Mainsforth Colliery two years later. The mid-Durham town - locals still call it Ferryhill Village - grows steadily, nonetheless.

"Despite all that's happened, it's still a vibrant place," said Keith Lumsdon, Vicar since 1988 - when he had hair and is said thereabouts to have resembled a dog collared Jimmy Nail - and a friend since his courting days in Shildon, getting on 20 years before that.

(We reminded Mrs Lumsdon that she is the only woman alive of whom the column has ever been frightened. "Cheeky beggar," said Ann, "you were frightened of my mother as well.")

Keith's predecessor from 1895-1940 had been the affectionately remembered Canon Thomas Lomax, son of Lord Lomax, who at his own expense, established mission churches in outlying communities like Dean Bank, Ferryhill Station, East Howle and The Broom and who looked rather like one of those visiting village hall lecturers so popular in the Just William books.

East Howle is now a barn, Broom a chapel of rest, Ferryhill Station demolished. Six of the area's Methodist chapels, and the Salvation Army, have also disappeared.

St Luke's confidently remains, a hugely friendly church with an attractive and much used parish centre attached and a bar buffered between one and t'other. Seventeen people had been confirmed the previous Sunday; others were inquiring about it already.

The night was rainy; the church 200 yards from the bus and the column smelling like a wet dog. "Eeeh, isn't it awful," they chorused, at once forgetting the month of sun days which so suddenly had ended.

The church was well filled, like Ferryhill Club on housey night, though a group of visiting Germans had failed to make it up the A1 in time.

Through Keith, a fluent German speaker, St Luke's has established strong twinning links with German churches.

Stephen Conway, the archdeacon, wore an archidiaconal sort of a jacket - they don't have gaiters any more - and spoke of life as a dance. An intended amorosa, he said, had once compared his own dancing to an elderly stork walking through the mud.

The cake was cut by 89-year-old Elsie Brunskill, getting along fine after breaking a hip three months ago and still (to some consternation) driving a car.

A parishioner for more than 50 years, she still attends services at least twice a week. "There's a togetherness about this church. I always feel I'm part of it and Keith cares for us all very well," she said.

Very many years ago, it transpired, Mrs Brunskill had also taught the column at Bishop Auckland Grammar School. "It must have been English you were good at," she mused.

Service over, buffet and exhibition awaiting, the Vicar announced that the service on the actual anniversary - September 23, so he'd been told - would be led by the Bishop of Jarrow.

As they had in 1853, robed clergy would process from the 16th century Manor House, now a pub, 300 yards away.

Jamie Corrigan, executive officer of Ferryhill Town Council, made a note on the back of his hand. "Clean up the path," it said.

The exhibition was outstanding, Ferryhill vividly remembered, the buffet delicious. The dear old Vicar even got the beers in.

It had been a very happy night: of that there was no argument whatever.

* A booklet written to mark the 150th anniversary, updated by the Vicar from the centenary brochure, is available for £2 (plus £1 postage) from the Rev Keith Lumsdon, St Luke's Vicarage, Ferryhill, Co Durham DL17 8LT.