[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by mab

What a shame that the Church of England has decided to close in stead of repair not just a place of worship but a church and chapal dedicated to the men of ACCRINGTON who gave everything....i for one as a councial tax payer of Hyndburn think in stead of hyndburn councial thinking of spending thousands of pounds on a name change,why not put the money to better use!! and pay for the rewiring repairs and buy the church for ACCRINGTON and let the pals have there home for ever.

I think it's an excellent idea. Why shouldn't this be a council project instead of the whole financial burden falling on the Church of England? If the chapel could be purchased and made non-denominational to belong to the whole of Accrington it would be brilliant.

It has been lovely having a memorial chapel and such a shame to lose it but I do not financially support it because I do not attend St. John's because a) I'm not C of E and b) even if I was I don't live in that parish.

But as a non-denominational memorial chapel for the Pals it would be something of historical heritage for the whole town and most of the people who have praised the name change to Accrington & District have brought up the subject of the Pals. Surely spending money on maintaining a memorial chapel in their honour is doing more for their memory than a token name change for the borough? It could even be promoted as a tasteful tourist attraction which could bring visitors to see it which is more than a disembodied name can do.