Leamington Boys' Mission

[rueverdun]

Hello - I'm an expat living in Cambridgeshire. Does anyone have any information/memories about the Leamington Boys' Mission? It was founded in 18?? by a philanthropist called James Taylor. It occupied the catholic church in George Street when the new church was built in Dormer Place. My father took over as Superintendant on the death of Alec Pears in the early 1960s. Attendances declined through the 60s, particularly as many 'slum' streets were relocated to Lillington. Helpers included Percy Naish, Charlie Kings (who was an ex- nurseryman of Newbold Terrace) and Arthur 'Cheese' Collins (who ran a grocer shop in Regent Street. At its peak, the Mission would pull in 30 or 40 lads on a Sunday night, but it declined to the point where it was it was redesignated as the Leamington Youth Mission, to include girls, but the decline was terminal. There was an annual prizegiving, based on attendance, and I'm sure one of the guest speakers was someone from 'The Archers' - Norman Painting, perhaps? Any feedback will be gratefully received -

David Prestidge