TBC Press Cuttings Archive

This page holds archived press cuttings
about the work and witness of Teddington Baptist Church.

Nave New World (8 October 2004)
Baptists are building (3 August 2001)
Big top back in Teddington (20 July 2001)
Brazilians show the way to joy (28 Jan 2000)
Behold the Adult Nativity (10 Dec 1999)
A Grown-Up Nativity Play (3 Dec 1999)
Comic Syd may be Little (10 Sept 1999)
Fence comes down (3 Oct 1997)
Baptist Church goes onto the Internet (26 Sept 1997)
Baptists Welcome New Minister (5 Sept 1997)
Church's Internet Service (22 Aug 1997)

 

Nave new world
Church gets modern makeover

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (8 October 2004)

Joining two different eras, a new development at a Teddington Church will help make the building more accessible to all.

Development has been taking place at Teddington Methodist (sic) Church, in Stanley (sic) Road, since February.

"We have buildings dating from two different era, some from the turn of last century and some form the post war period," said minister Richard Littledale. They were linked by a corridor at the front and back. We have chopped out the middle of the buildings and joined them with a contemporary new structure."

The work will provide the church with an atrium, offices, a courtyard and disabled access.

One of our aims was to provide accessibility in the wider sense, both in terms of disabled access and making the building feel as accessible as possible for users," continued Mr Littledale.

The church is used as often as seven days a week by numerous groups and the hope is that with a welcoming building, people will enoy their time there even more. Money for the development was mainly raised by church goers and the building will officially open on November 20. "I think it will make big difference," concluded Mr Littledale. "We will aim not only to have friendly premises but to have friendly staff."

Note: The following week the newspaper published a correction stating that the story had been about Teddington Baptist Church.

 

Baptists are building

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (3 August 2001)

Volunteers and professionals at a Teddington church have transformed a complex of old and underused buildings into a sunny and safe play area for local chldren.

Teddington Baptist Church's millennium project was jointly funded by church members and a generous grant from Hampton Fuel Allotments.

Church Minister Richard Littledale said: "It's important to us that we make the very best use of our premises to meet the requirements of our current work. If that means pulling old buildings down abd starting again - so be it!"

 

Big top back in Teddington

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (20 July 2001)

One hundred children have already been registered for an event which promises to be a lot of fun for all.

After the success of its first year, the Big Top Holiday Club at the Teddington Baptist Church is back for another year of fun, craft, activity and bible storied between July 30th and August 1st.

The club which is jointly run by the Teddington Baptist Church, the Teddington Methodist Church and the Teddington Salvation Army will feature a space theme this year. Each morning the club's three 'alien visitors' will perform various antics with last year's puppet sweethearts Bert and Lucy returning again.

On the Friday Dr Colin Hicks, director general of the British National Space Centre, will present prizes at the club's fancy dress competition.

The club will end with an open-air celebration for all the family on Sunday August 5th on the field of St Mary's and St Peter School. There will also be a barbeque and a bouncy castle.

Richard Colpus a key organiser of the event said: "We were delighted with the town's respnse to last year's club, and this year we are looking for even more."

See The BIG Top website

 

Brazilians show the way to joy

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (28 January 2000)

Instead of backpacking their way round the world, a group of young people from Teddington have come to Teddington Baptist Church to talk about their lives.

The four team-members from Sao Paulo, aged 18 to 21, are half way through a trip that will take them all across Britain.

They will also be spending time at churches in Whitton, Twickenham Green and the Hamptons.

But Robert, Tania, Kalissia, and Elvis have already entertained the senior citizen's club, single's evening, Beaver scouts and church services at Teddington Baptist, Church Road, with their story-telling, sining, and puppet theatre skills.

Team leader, Robert Meikle, 21, said: "We want to tell the story of God's work in our lives."

Stories include a near-brush with death and first hand accounts of astronomic church growth rates, especially with young people.

Richard Littledale, minister of Teddington Baptist Church said: "Missin is a two-way process. We are delighted to play host to these young people and to learn from their faith and enthusiasm".

 

Behold the Adult Nativity

Vicar reworks the traditional Christmas story

Extract from the Richmond and Twickenham Informer (10 Dec 1999); article by Mark Orlovac

A reworking of the traditional nativity is putting adults in the place of children.

A Teddington vicar has defied tradition by rewriting the the story of the birth of Christ from an adult point of view.

Reverend Richard Littledale is also claiming Mary was a teenage mum.

Gone are the false beards and lines like "Lo! Behold, a star over Bethlehem." Instead the audience at Teddington Baptist Church will see adults in everyday dress delivering modern day dialogue.

The 15-minute play will be peformed on Christmas Eve by 10 adults with an age range from 20s to 50s.

An accountant is playing a shepherd, a lecturer is one of the three wise men and Joseph is an assistant bank manager.

Rev Richard Littledale said "I have cherished the idea for quite a few years because I believe it is a potent way of putting the story across."

"I have never seen it anywhere else and it was a challenge to write. As we were approaching the Millennium I thought it was about time I got aroud to doing it."

"The traditional costumes have disappeared to give the play a whole new look."

After studying texts about the birth of Christ, he believes Mary was a teenager.

One prop that remains, however, is a toy doll representing the baby Jesus.

Despite some misgivings about how it would be received, Rev Littledale says that he had no difficulties signing people up to it.

"I think people thought it would be an exact replica of the chldren's nativity," he said.

"The actors involved are all quite excited about it and I think it will be quite a profound experience."

"In the main people are quite intrigued by the idea and they want to know why I am doing it."

The innovative play has not upset members of the congregation who are now looking forward to analysing how their adult counterparts get on.

Rev Littledale added, "The children are not disappointed about not being in it but I think they are looking forward to seeing the adults in action."

"The principal characters were adults and to have adults as actors makes it more relevant."

Admission to the play is free and all are welcome.

 

A grown-up nativity play

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (3 Dec 1999)

The Teddington Baptist Church Christmas programme is promising some treats for the congregation this year, but some of the entertainers have had a bit of difficulty acting their age.

A traditional Christmas Eve nativity play is being staged at the Church Road premises on Christmas Eve [beginning at 6.00 pm].

However, audience members might be forgiven for thinking that the younger generation are getting a bit too big for their boots.

In a move by the church to bring the adult message within the nativity story to the fore, all cast members are going to be adults.

"Firstly, the roots of drama in this country date back to the re-enactment of the great Christian stories in churches and cathedrals," explains the play's director and chiurch minister, Richard Littledale.

"Secondly, although we all love the charm and humour of children's nativity plays, we should not forget that this is not essentially a children's story."

"All the principal characters in the story would have been adults with the possible exception of Mary who may well have been a teenager [and, of course, the baby Jesus]."

"In a very simple way, in keeping with nativity tradition, the play tries to capture some of the adult perceptions of those momentous events."

 

Comic Syd may be Large
but he's Large on belief!
Christian star to give talk

Extract from the Richmond and Twickenham Informer (10 Sept 1999)

After years living the shadow of an overweight sidekick, skinny comedian Syd Little has found a new partner - God.

The smaller half of Seventies comedy duo Little and Large will be in Teddington Baptist Church this Sunday, September 12, to explain his path from joke cracking to Christianity.

The appearance and talk is the first in a series of Sunday Cafés due to be held by the go-ahead church.

Syd and his partner Eddie Large were on our TV screens for more than 14 years. They still top the bill in summer season seaside resorts and have won a clutch of awards between them.

But funnyman' Syd's life has not been without tragedy. His son died because of drugs and he almost lost his daughter in a vicious knife attack. It was during this time that Syd says he found God.

Teddington Baptist Church's minister Richard Littledale said: "A great deal of comedy walks the knife edge of tragedy. Syd's story will make you laugh and cry. This is an evening to entertain and inspire."

 

Fence comes down

Extract from the Richmond and Twickenham Informer (3 Oct 1997)

Worshippers at Teddington Baptist Church have taken steps to move closer to their community.

For many years, an iron railing had separated the church from passers-by.

The railings have now been taken down and a patio has been built and benches installed.

It is hoped that the move will encourage people to find out about the church.

 

Baptist church goes onto the Internet
- and makes new friends

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (26 Sept 1997)

Teddington Baptist Church's Internet website has attracted 'visitors' from across the globe - and recently welcomed its 1,000th visitor.

And the site, which includes photographs of the church, details of its weekly activities, reports on church sporting events and a monthly editorial from the church's minister, scored a big success when someone from New Zealand visited the church - after seeing it on the Internet.

New minister Richard Littledale said: "It was quite amazing, a bolt out of the blue. Hopefully he will be the first of many."

Although some may think it odd that the church embraces new technology so readily, the Rev Littledale says the parish is very open minded.

"When Wycliffe started using the printing press to produce Bibles 400 years ago people accused him of using new-fangled technology. We are proud to stand accused of the same thing," he said.

 

Baptists Welcome New Minister

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (5 Sept 1997)

Rev Richard Littledale, 33, recently moved to Teddington to be ready to take up his new post. He and his family - wife Fiona and children Joseph, aged nine, Jonathan, aged six and three-year-old Luke - have come from Purley where Richard has been the sole minister of Purley Baptist Church for the past two years.

Richard has also worked in Belgium and Hertford, and his CV also shows stints as a supermarket assistant, a ticket atendant at a waterlife park and time spent on an archaeological dig.

He also led a series of Bible studies for Christians working in West End theatres. His three sons have encouraged an interest in football and guinea pigs, to add to his own hobbies of photography and tropical fish.

In the light of his new challenge in Teddington, he said: "I want to help people reach their full potential and encourage people who have never come to church to discover that the Christian message is just as relevant for a new millenium as it has been for the last two."

 

Church's Internet Service

Extract from the Teddington and Hampton Times (22 August 1997)

Teddington Baptist Church, serving the local community for over 100 years, is moving with the times.

The church is set to launch a new Internet information service for Teddington and the Hamptons, starting next month.

The technologically aware church in Church Road has been linked up to the world wide web for over a year, but the new service, to be known as 'Wot?', provides a new database for local internet users.

And users across the world, including former residents, will be able to see what is happening in the area.

Colin Hicks, a church elder said: "Teddington Baptist Church has served the community in a variety of ways such as pre-school groups, scouts, and Teddington Advice Centre, and we are constantly trying to develop new ways of helping people. Wot? will allow us to help today's world in a totally new way."

The service will provide information on events in the Teddington and Hampton area including contact details for clubs, societies and web sites. It will also give easy access to local information and train and plane times.