1960s: No mission was impossible for the Rev John Tudor

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A packed service at the Queen's Hall Methodist Mission, Derby, with John Tudor preaching in the 1960s

Methodist minister John Tudor with his wife, Cynthia, and children, Peter and Helen, in the Manse Garden, Crich Avenue, Littleover, in 1971

IF you lived in Derby during the 1960s, then you will almost certainly remember the effervescent Reverend John Tudor. For more than a decade, while he was Superintendent Minister at the Queen’s Hall Methodist Mission in London Road, hardly a day would go by that he wasn’t quoted or pictured in the local newspapers.

He became a friend to thousands, had an opinion about everything, a smile for everyone, a joke for any occasion and achieved the unbelievable – packed congregations with standing room only at most of his church services.

He came for three years and stayed for 11 at the invitation of the mission – much to the relief of Derby people.

When he finally bid them farewell in 1971, he had served the longest superintendency the mission had known.

He had been involved with local business, sport, charities, hospitals, churches of other denominations; in fact, no public function was felt to be complete without his presence.

He was an unstuffy clergyman who could tell a good story, enjoy a joke and share people’s problems and successes with equal enthusiasm.

Nothing was too much trouble, which perhaps explains why, when he eventually left Derby to go to work with a congregation in Coventry, the farewell services were full of people who felt they were losing someone who had been as close as family and as caring as a friend.

Even today, more than 30 years later, it is not uncommon to hear people say: “Whatever happened to John Tudor? Is he still with us?”

Bygones has discovered that he is 75 years old, very much still with us and living happily in retirement in Brighton.

He was thrilled and quite shocked to learn that Derby people still remember him.

“Goodness me, that’s a very long time ago. Do people really remember us? I haven’t forgotten Derby. It was like an adopted home to me and where our children were born. I loved the place and the people were wonderful.”

In fact, Derby folk will get a chance to hear and chat to John again next May, for he has been invited back to Derby to preach at the Methodist Mission’s annual celebrations to be held at the Queen’s Hall.

“The invitation was very welcome. I really can’t wait to get back,” he said.

It will be a particularly memorable day for him for, besides meeting up with many old friends again, he is following in the footsteps of his father, the Rev C Leonard Tudor who preached at a similar anniversary service in 1965.

Leonard Tudor had been minister at the Kedleston Street Methodist Church in the 1920s and left Derby to serve in Northampton. John’s sister was born here.

John, himself, was brought to Derby to help revive the London Road Mission. The area was subject to clearance and the congregations were inevitably dropping in numbers. Within three months, things began to change as news of the lively young minister at the Queen’s Hall spread.

Asked what he remembered about the place, he said he felt he had lived in Derby during a very important time in its post-war development.

“It was a time of exciting developments. Carriage and Wagon was still there, International Combustion was big and we had Cloughie and his team. I was chaplain to Derby County and Roy Mac (former Rams captain) used to read the lessons.

“I remember opening an extension at Crown Derby. We were very much involved with industry, so we always remember the terrible Rolls-Royce crash.

“I remember the hospitals were wonderful, particularly the Children’s in North Street – is it still there? – where our daughter had wonderful treatment after being born with a dislocated hip. Then there was the DRI and the Derwent Hospital at Breadsall, all excellent places.”

During his time in Derby, John Tudor became involved with the American Methodist Church and made several visits to Fort Worth, Texas, where he was delighted to be made an honorary Texan and a Freeman of the City of Forth Worth. He still keeps in touch with many of his American friends and they exchange regular visits.

He came to Derby, he says, after “a lovely ministry” near Blackpool where the church, again, was usually packed.

“We were sent to Derby in the autumn of 1960 to try to achieve similar results and with the warning that, if we didn’t, then the Queen’s Hall might close before Christmas. Fortunately, that did not happen and, very soon, we found people began to return.”

He and his wife, Cynthia, returned to Derby three years ago when the Young Wives’ Group at the Mission invited them to share the 40th birthday celebration of the group they had set up.

John lived here when Derby still had a busy wholesale cattle market and farmers would come into town each week. Many became his friends.

He also befriended a number of villains, whom he met while visiting the cells at Full Street Police Station, which he was sorry to hear no longer existed, and became friendly with many policemen, particularly those who were part of the Derby Borough Police Choir, which often sang in the mission.

The Tudors left Derby to go help an ailing church in Coventry. Later, John preached at the Central Methodist Mission in London until the couple moved to Brighton where they now live in retirement.

The south coast town is home to many show business personalities and, not surprisingly, they soon became friendly with many of them who helped John promote Methodism in the area.

“Good worship is good theatre and we always felt we had to put on the very best possible show. I believe you must always offer the best you can. People soon became more interested,” he said.

One of his greatest pals was the devout Christian comedy actress, Thora Hird. He spoke about her when she was the “victim” on TV’s This is Your Life programme, conducted her private funeral and attended the Westminster Abbey memorial service.

“She used to advertise Stannah stair lifts for the elderly on television and we often joked and laughed about it. I used to pull her leg that one day she would be stuck forever on that staircase. Now she has finally gone to the top of it.”

Time for the Tudors has also moved on. As well as their daughter, Helen, and son, Peter, they now have two grandsons.

The anniversary celebrations at the Queen’s Hall Mission. where John will preach, will take place on May 13 and 14 next year.

Among the many things John Tudor achieved at the Queen’s Hall were:

the overseeing of a huge modernisation and re-building scheme;

the setting up of the Family Church concept which had tremendous results;

the introduction of a new approach in worship, mingling traditionally accepted ideas with new ones from Britain and American Methodist sources;

the building up of mid-week life of the mission, with more than 650 people meeting every week on the premises;

the encouragement of religious drama productions and presentation of a Passion Play each Good Friday;

undertaking student work;

increasing the mission’s social work;

encouraging businessmen to share in the various mission projects to help people and good causes.

In addition, he was also chaplain to Derby Mayor Alderman Mrs Mack, chaplain to Derwent Hospital and a member of the Central Missions Committee in London.

His influence was even felt on the airwaves as he encouraged the BBC to broadcast Methodist services on radio and television, as well as taking recordings for a new religious programme.

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