1892
The Haberdasher’s Company give land and £85,000 for a Church.
First vicar puts up the temporary “tin church”.
1893
The permanent Church is dedicated on 10 October.
1900
The Church Hall is built.
1913
Church is damaged by fire (alleged to be the work of the suffragette movement but there is no evidence for this). Publicity led to successful appeal to rebuild.
1914
The rebuilding is finished.
1933
The High Altar and Lady Chapel are refurbished.
1939
An aumbry for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament is added to the North Wall of the Chancel.
1940
A fire bomb destroys the roof and pews on 9 September, the first night of the blitz.
The Church moves into Aske’s School Dining Hall as the Church Hall is used for the crew operating the RAF Barrage Balloon in the park. Less than a month later the School Dining Hall is hit and destroyed and the church moves to the School’s main Hall.
1945
The RAF move out, the school returns and the church moves back into the Church Hall.
1950
The rebuilding and refurbishment of the Church is complete and it is rededicated on 29 June.
1954
A new East Window is installed and dedicated in June.
The Church is restored to a plan left by previous vicar, Fr. W.H.J. Fenton.
1955
Vicar Alan Auckland
1960
St Peter’s Chapel is made in the North Transept and dedicated in February. The organ is restored with a new console on the right of the nave.
1965
Large part of the church grounds is bought by the South Bank Housing Association to build the houses in St Catherine’s Drive. The Church Hall is demolished and the Choir Vestry extended to act as a hall
1968
A public meeting held at Samuel Pepys School (later renamed Hatcham Wood and then Telegraph Hill) elects a steering committee for the Telegraph Hill Neighbourhood Council. In November, Charles Jervis, headmaster of Samuel Pepys School is elected first Chair, with Lyn Moss, a member of St Catherine’s congregation as Vice Chair.
1968-1972
The Centre and Library are built and the Church redesigned to make up for the loss of space. While the work is in progress the congregation worship at the Methodist Church on Kitto Rd, now the House of Bread. The congregation is able to return to the Church for Midnight Mass at Christmas.
1972
The Centre was opened in 1972 by Bishop Trevor Huddleston the anti-apartheid campaigner, and Glenda Jackson the actor and social campaigner.
1972-1989
The Telegraph Hill Neighbourhood Council runs the Centre in partnership with the Church, (vicar Richard Bird) concentrating on youth work and work with the elderly, funded by grants from Lewisham Council and income from lettings.
1988
Vicar, Malcolm Torry
1989
Grants to the Centre are cut by Lewisham Borough Council and the Telegraph Hill Neighbourhood Council withdraws.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) sets up a sub-committee, the Centre Management Committee, to run the Centre. The upper floors of the centre are let to the Carr Gomm Housing Association and the money used to replace the lost grants from Lewisham.
1993
The first Telegraph Hill Arts Festival is held, based in the Church and Centre, with a community performance by members of the congregation and local children as its heart.
1996
Vicar, Francis Makambwe
Lewisham Borough Council closes the Library and Child Clinic and plans to sell the building.
The Library Space is leased to Carr Gomm as a day centre for residents.
Local artists begin a campaign to buy the Library space for community use. It is agreed by the Centre and the PCC that as the Church is the freeholder of the Centre, it should buy the Library to use as community space.
1997
Lewisham Borough Council withdraws all its funding from the Centre but delays the cuts by six months after an appeal.
1998
The LBL Youth Club and the Lunch Club close
1999
The Council agrees to sell the Library space back to the Church for £80,000.
The Haberdashers Company makes a grant of £50,000 to the Church towards the purchase.
The rest of the money comes from the Church Urban Fund and the Diocese of Southwark.
2000
The Church buys back the Library, completing the purchase in June.
An agreement is entered into with Carr Gomm that it will continue to be used as a residents’ club but that it will also house a community café, open to all, and used as a base for a catering skills training course for adults with special needs. The Café Orange opens in May 1999.
2001
The income from the office and Café Orange spaces is redistributed by the Church. The Centre’s income is to be reduced by £4000.
2007
LBL ends Youth Club provision
2009
Carr Gomm ends their Lease on the 1st and 2nd floors and Cafe Orange
Askes School takes over Cafe Orange for their Sixth Form canteen and common room; Cafe Fed is born
The PCC converts flat 2 back to residential use
2010
The PCC lets out the 1st & 2nd floors as Artist’s studios
Lunch Ladies Thursday’s Fish & Chips Club is expanded by 50% and keeps on growing
Lighthouse Social Club starts a bi-weekly lunch club for adults
Bold Vision is formed and creates The Hill Station cafe in the former library car park
2011
Vicar Sheridan James
Parlour Group is formed and Craft Collective is founded
Working with local parents and Somerville Adventure Playground, the Telegraph Hill Youth Club re-opens after being closed for five years.
2012
Bumps Babies & Toddle On weekly pre-school drop-in session run by parents starts
2013
The Hat Making class is re-born.
St James’, who were building new houses in Jerningham Road, provide a new toilet for the Craft room.
2015
Mind Body and Spirit becomes Branching Out, an umbrella body mainly for activities for older people
2016
New Slogan: Greener – Safer – Smarter – financial appeal to help funding
2017
New building development goals and three new part time staff, Centre manager, Facilities Coordinator and Centre Administrator to help achieve them. New boiler.
2018-2019
Safety work on fire equipment, gas, electricity; work to improve the appearance of the centre and communication with the community
2020...
Safety work on fire equipment, gas, electricity; work to improve the appearance of the centre and communication with the community
2020
Covid pandemic occurs, during which time the activities are supported by the Centre Team to move online.
2021
The Centre reopens its doors with Covid restrictions in place and slowly begins to build back its numbers
2022
On the 7th October 2022, Telegraph Hill Centre Celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a party to recognise those who have made Telegraph Hill Centre what it is today.
Read more about our history in detail or view our FAQs.