St Nicholas, Greve d'Azette
On Sunday 1 May 1927 the congregation of St Nicholas Church officially celebrated the first services in their new building. The church of St Nicholas started life as a small mission church run by Rev Lawrence Blackmur Lee, a curate from St Luke's Church, who led meetings in a working man's club room situated in the garden of what is now the Girl Guide Headquarters at Greve d'Azette.
The popularity of the mission was such that it very soon outgrew the building and Mr Lee, who had previously run a successful mission church in the Canadian copper mining town of Phoenix, was instrumental in obtaining a piece of land on which to build a new church for his congregation. St Nicholas Church was dedicated by the Bishop of Southampton on 30 April 1927 and held its first services the next day. After the death of Mr Lee in 1942, the Parish Church assumed responsibility for St Nicholas and the Rector still leads services today.
The church flourished in its new building and a church hall was added to accommodate an ever expanding Sunday School, as well as being available for other church related activities. Sadly times change and the Sunday School, at one time considered to be among the largest in the Island, closed some years ago, and just a few photographs of those times remain.
St Nicholas developed a strong link with Brig-y-don children's home, particularly during the years of the German occupation, when Matron would walk her charges, some with severe disabilities, to St Nicholas for Sunday services. There was a scout troop at Brig-y-don which was responsible for forming a cub pack at St Nicholas - which later went on to become the 2nd Greve d'Azette Troop. The troop still meets today in their own hall at Rue de Pres.
