146 years after the tower of St Peter’s Church in Cradley was built, a community clock now keeps watch over the communities of Cradley and Cradley Heath. The tower had a space designed for a clock but due to lack of funds, a clock was never added until now.
The story started in 2016 when the clock dial at St Luke’s Church in nearby Cradley Heath was saved from being scrapped after St Luke's Church was demolished following its closure in 2014. The old St Luke’s clock dial has now been installed at St Peter’s Church in Cradley, thanks to community fundraising and grant funders. Skilful clock makers at the Cumbria Clock Company, together with The Platform Hire Centre in Dudley and Chapmans Electrical in Cradley Heath have worked together on the practical installation works over two days.
It has cost just over £14,000 to restore the dial, install it and install chimes on the bells (due to be installed in the next couple oc months). Almost £9,000 of this money has been raised over the last five years through concerts, minute sponsorship, teddy bear parachute jumps off the tower and public donations. To boost funds, grants have been obtained from Dudley Council Community Fund (£3,000) to restore the dial, W A Cadbury Charitable Trust (£1,000), Owen Family Trust (£1,000) and Laslett’s Trust (£1,000) to complete the installation.
Project Co-ordinator, James Brookes, said:
"We are indebted to Robert Chapman of Chapmans Electrical for donating the electrical installation works and Kieron Williams from the Platform Hire Centre for donating the use of the access platform. The project has been a true community project run by members of the community and not just the church. Donations have been received from all over the country and some from the USA!"
"We are most grateful to Stuart Morrison and George Edge from Cumbria Clock Company for their skills in the restoration of the dial and its installation. The whole installation process was caught on film thanks to local film makers Ken Pritchard, Dave Timmins and Mick Hale.
"We are grateful for the continued support of the former congregation of St Luke’s now worshipping at St John’s in Dudley Wood, the Worcestershire and Districts Change Ringing Association, the Midlands Branch of the Cinema Organ Society and Cradley Then and Now History Group. We are also grateful to Drywite Ltd, Sandwell Accountancy Services, H Cope Funeral Directors and Trevor Hickton Funeral Directors for their kind sponsorship of our fundraising concerts."
St Peter's are now extending the opportunity for people to sponsor a minute on the clock dial as they continue to fundraise to fund a new flagpole on the tower which will replace one removed many years ago:
"Just a Minute" - Can you, your family or friends sponsor a minute on the dial and tell us in no more than 100 words why that minute is important to you? It could be the time of your birth, marriage or other occasion or perhaps a memory of a loved one. Perhaps you have a connection with St Luke’s or St Peter’s?
All of the 'Just a Minute' stories will be published in a commemorative book at the end of the project.
Stories and donations can be sent to
Just a Minute Appeal, Parish Office, 32 High Street, Halesowen. B63 3BB
Please include 100 words, name and contact email address or telephone number (in case we need you to select a different minute) along with cash or a cheque for your donation made payable to “Halas PCC St Peter’s Church Cradley” and mark on the back of the cheque “Clock Fund”. It is important that you tell us if your minute is AM or PM.
Please mark your envelope “Just a Minute Appeal”.
For more information and photos of the project visit www.stpeterscradley.org/clock-just-a-minute
