ST VINCENT’S Church will go back to its roots to celebrate 150 years since it was created by holding a service at Knutsford Little Theatre.

The congregation of the church, which is now based in Tatton Street, started in what is now the auditorium of the Little Theatre in Queen Street, in 1866.

The building remained a parish church until 1927 when they moved around the corner to the present building.

The Queen Street building then remained in use by the church as its school until, in 1946, volunteers from the US Army helped to build a stage from old ammunition boxes and Knutsford Amateur Dramatic Society put on the first production in what was to become Knutsford Little Theatre.

“I think there is one of the members of the church now that remembers the theatre when it was the church,” said Geoff Crook, chairman of Knutsford Little Theatre.

“Father John Joyce got in touch with us to see if it was possible to come along and have a service in the church, and I said ‘of course it is’.

“The stage used to be the altar and the altar stone is still underneath there. I have crawled under there, and there it is- still at the back of the stage.”

To celebrate 150 years since the church was founded a special mass is to be held in the theatre on Saturday, October 15 just after 11am.

Geoff said that he was initially contacted by Father John with a general enquiry about hiring the theatre for the event but the committee ‘unanimously agreed’ that the church should be allowed to use the theatre without charge.

Anyone interested in attending the special mass should contact Father John at St Vincent's Church on 01565 633040.