FORMER Sunday school teachers and helpers are being invited to a special celebration next month.

Knutsford Methodist Church on Princess Street is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

To commemorate the anniversary the church will be holding a children’s celebration on Sunday, March 22.

It is hoped to invite as many former Sunday School teachers and helpers as possible to join the congregation on the day.

There will be an exhibition looking back over the years and a special anniversary cake, alongside celebratory activities for the current children in ‘Young Church’ - formerly the Sunday School.

The church would be interested in any old photographs or memories relating to the Sunday school so they can be included in the exhibition.

If Guardian readers have anything to contribute they can hand them to the church office or email office@kmc.org.uk.

Peter Freeman, the Children’s and Families’ Worker at Knutsford Methodist Church, said: “It will be great to thank the teachers, some now in their 80s, for their contributions in teaching children about Christian values over the years."

The church was built to replace the old chapel in the Old Market Place.

The adjacent schoolrooms were completed in March 1865, and the children all paraded from the old chapel to the new on March 19th that year to start Sunday School classes in their new building.

At that time there were classes in the morning and the afternoon and most children attended both.

A copy of the 1868 Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School Rule Book for Knutsford is currently held at Chester Record Office and contains a wealth of rules for pupils and teachers.

These are a selection of the rules: “That no scholars be allowed to come to school while afflicted with any infectious diseases.”

“That no scholars be allowed to bring to the school any infant children, or playthings, or anything to eat during school hours.”

“That every scholar be required to leave in a quiet and orderly manner, and proceed home without loitering.”

“That scholars observe good conduct out of school as well as in it; to speak the truth; to avoid quarrels; never to use bad words or call ill names; to avoid bad company; to be obedient to parents and kind to everyone.”

“That no teacher be allowed to beat or publicly admonish any of the scholars, for misbehavior, or for breaking any of the rules.”

“That each teacher observe and report to the superintendent the good or ill behavior of the scholars, that they may be publicly reproved or commended, as may appear proper, and for the good of the school.”

Regular attendance was expected and church visitors checked up on children who were absent.

A log still exists, naming absentees and the reasons given for their absences, which varied from ‘sickness’ to ‘no clothes to come in’ to ‘gone into service’.