Fulneck, Yorkshire - Aug 2026
Easter and Pentecost are a distant memory as 2026 moves ahead at pace, mid-Summer Day almost within reach.
Fulneck Congregation celebrated Easter in time-honoured fashion – an early morning service in God’s Acre, followed by breakfast in the Boys Brigade HQ before a return to Church at 10.30am. Once again, it was lovely to welcome some younger faces to our Easter services. All were brought up attending Fulneck – both Church and School – but now live too far away to be regular attenders.
Talking of younger people, on the Saturday immediately before Holy Week, Church member, Kwame Bailey celebrated his 18th birthday with a party at the Comenius Centre theatre. With around 70 guests, it was a lively evening with dancing quite literally ‘to the midnight hour’. Among the throng on the dance floor was Kwame’s cousin, chart topping musician, author and guest curator of this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Corinne Bailey-Rae.
April also saw the reopening of Fulneck Museum for another summer season. The Deputy Lord Mayors of Leeds, Councillors Carol and Barry Anderson officially opened the museum in April. They both showed great interest in many of the exhibits. This year there’s an art exhibition of work by our artist in residence, Bruce Newton. Bruce, a retired painter and decorator has lived in the Settlement for 20 years and, over that time, has completed a portfolio of work focusing on Fulneck.
Back in Church, Fulneck is something of an outlier in marking Ascension Day. Often over-looked, it’s an important day in the Church calendar. It also provides an all too rare opportunity for an evening service which, to my mind, is a wonderfully contemplative time of day, worshipping as the shadows lengthen and the bustle of the day is done.
May is a busy month in the life of the Church. The Sisters’ Festival took place on the 10th; guest preacher was Sr Gillian Taylor. This was closely followed by our Church’s anniversary Sunday on 17th May, former Fulneck School Principal Trevor Kernohan leading the service.
In the same month, thanks to the generosity of the Comenius Foundation – a fund originally established to support pupils at Fulneck School – Church benefited from a wonderful new carpet and pew runners. The Foundation has also given funds to the museum for building work and to the Drama Group, the latter using the money to upgrade lighting to meet current theatre standards.
The Drama Group ended their 2025/2026 season with a world premiere – a production written and directed by one of its members, William Lindley. ‘The Suspicions of Ernest Strange’ played to full houses and received much positive feedback.
Fulneck School Alumni will be welcoming around 100 guests to its Summer Reunion. Whilst tours of the School buildings can no longer take place, former pupils will still be able to walk the delightful School grounds, look at archive photos in the West Hall and visit the Church, Museum and Theatre. Over 100 responded to the invite.
Looking a little further ahead, into the summer months, one of our regular Church organists, the internationally renowned Lee Ward, is reintroducing regular monthly organ recitals.
Br Dave Robbins
