Newcastle Friends Meeting House. Photo: John Hall
Quakers in Newcastle are moving out of their Meeting House and into an old masonic hall, but they’re taking their front door with them, the city’s Evening Chronicle has reported.
Despite having up to 90 people attending Meeting for Worship, Quakers in Newcastle decided that their Meeting House was too large and have bought the former masonic hall as it is much smaller. Newcastle Friends moved into their current Meeting House in Jesmond in 1961, bringing their front door from their old property in Pilgrim Street. The
John Eversley, of the Newcastle Quakers, told the Evening Chronicle: “We are not certain how old the door is but we believe it is over 100 years. It moved to Jesmond from Pilgrim Street so we thought it should come with us again.â€
The masonic lodge had been on the market for around £750,000 and the Quakers are now paying Koru Property Services around £400,000 on renovating the property.
The lodge included a bar and a snooker room. It is not reported whether these rooms will stay in the new Quaker Meeting House, but two extensions are being demolished and efforts are being taken to reuse and recycle building materials.
As well as the door, Newcastle Friends brought the benches with them from the Pilgrim Street meeting house which had been compulsorily purchased by the Council.
Are they intending to take the benches with them to the masonic hall, does anyone know?