The long-awaited second book
by SNU honorary president Eric Hatton (pictured below) is published this week,
writes
Sue Farrow.
A History of
Stourbridge National Spiritualist Church tells the story of what many
regard as Spiritualism's most successful church, through the eyes of a man who
has been at its heart for almost seven decades.
Eric first visited
the church in 1947, following the death of his much-loved brother. While there,
he received astonishingly accurate evidence of his brother's survival from a
young Gordon Higginson, who would quickly become one of the world's most highly
regarded mediums. That evidence quite literally changed the course of Eric's
life and marked the start of an association with the church that continues to
this day.
Eric, whose health
has been far from good in recent months, told me: "I have long thought it
important for the history of the church to be recorded, and I wanted to
complete the task whilst my memory is still reasonably good, and of course
before the time comes for me to join my beloved wife Heather in the spirit
world. I'm delighted that the book has now been published."
The book contains a
full history of this vibrant West Midlands church, and along the way sets out
numerous personal recollections of events which have taken place there - some
quite dramatic, some funny. Read about the extraordinary discovery of a 60-ft
deep well, accidentally unearthed during major building works at the church. Or
the bride who was forced to walk the plank in order to make it to her
wedding!
Over the
years, the church has undergone three major building extension programmes, in
order to accommodate its ever-growing congregation. These are described in some
detail and offer heart-warming glimpses into the way the various Stourbridge
religious communities have pulled together and helped each other in times of
need.
 | |
| SNU honorary president Eric Hatton | |
As Eric
writes of the church's second building programme, in 1976: "The building of the
extension necessarily caused a lot of disruption to the church premises and for
a time it was impossible for us to hold our regular services. So we approached
the local Unitarian church to ask if they would allow us to use their building
for our Sunday evening divine service. I knew their secretary, Mrs Brown, and
she agreed to discuss the possibility with the church elders and trustees, who
readily agreed that we could use their premises until our building extension
was completed. They generously placed no restrictions whatsoever on the
philosophy or demonstrations of mediumship that were to take place."
The book's release
also marks an important event in Spiritualist publishing, since it is the first
to be published under the original ‘Psychic Press' imprint for many years.
A History of
Stourbridge National Spiritualist Church is available direct from
Trevene Highfield, 4 Field Mews, Netherton, Dudley, West Midlands DY2 9NN, priced at £7.99 plus postage
and packing (£1.60 UK, £3.50 Europe, £4.50 rest of the world).
Please make cheques
payable to ‘Stourbridge Spiritualist Church'. It can also be obtained
from www.amazon.co.uk
All proceeds from
sales of the book will go directly to Stourbridge church.
•
Eric Hatton's
autobiography, ‘Taking up the Challenge', published in 2010, is
available from www.amazon.co.uk priced at £10.50.
