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York Minster to Commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the South Transept Fire
Published: on 17th June 2009 by Kendal Chalk in Minster News
The 9th July 2009 will mark 25 years since the fire in 1984 which destroyed the South Transept Roof. To mark this occasion, York Minster is holding a service at 12.30 on 9th July to commemorate the anniversary and celebrate the Minster’s survival and restoration.
The Dean and Chapter would like to invite anyone who witnessed the fire or who was involved with the four year restoration of the Minster, and anyone who was moved or touched by those events, to come along to the service on July 9th. The service is open at all, and anyone who remembers the fire or the restoration work is welcome to attend. Crew members from the Red Watch Acomb fire station who helped to put out the fire will attend the service, as well as the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Also attending the service will be at least three of the six winners of a Blue Peter competition run in 1986, which gave children the opportunity to design six of the bosses on the new South Transept roof. York Minster sent out an appeal about the competition winners and so far have made contact with four of them, however it is hoped that more will come forward before the service.
After the service, there will be a ‘bring your own lunch’ picnic in the Chapter House or Dean’s Park as weather permits, and a chance for people to have an informal ‘show and tell’ of any portable memorabilia or photographs they may have of the fire or the four year restoration period.
There will also be an exhibition in the Chapter House Vestibule from the beginning of July throughout summer, looking at how the fire happened and how much skill and craftsmanship was involved in restoring the Minster to its former glory. The exhibition will focus on how the fire touched people and affected their lives. York Minster would like to invite anyone who has any photographs or memories and stories about the fire or restoration of the Minster to submit them to be part of the display. You can do this by emailing Kendal Chalk on kendalc@yorkminster.org or by visiting the ‘My Minster Memories’ section of the York Minster website: http://www.yorkminster.org/minster-memories/