The Swinging Sixties were over and the seventies quickly seemed to turn into a decade of discontent. On the national stage we faced economic crisis, the Cod War, strikes, 3-day working weeks, rising unemployment along with rising inflation. Whilst the world was in recession, terrorist groups and hi-jackings dominated the international scene.

On the parish front however the 70's seem to be the boom years, certainly in terms of numbers attending. In 1972 the Children's Service was changed to CPAS Family Worship to accommodate the changing needs and balance of the congregation attending.

Over the previous 5 years the work of the parish had grown with extensions to BRI, Park Lee and the opening of Everton School, Longshaw House HFE and the Kaleidoscope Youth Centre.

With the chaplaincy of BRI making up half of John Astill's job we certainly needed and made full use of our curate, Dudley Powell and our parish worker, Norma Robson.

A church recipe book was launched along with a "Purchase a Pinta Paint" scheme to raise money for the redecoration of church in time for 70th anniversary. In the event it was June 1972 before the interior decoration was completed as necessary repairs to church fabric were required first.

Dudley and Jenny Powell together with new daughter Ruth left us for the parish of Rodbourne Cheney in Wiltshire in October 1971. Campaigner Craftsmen Jean Atkinson, Edith Gessner and Cressida Sutcliffe became the first clansmen to gain the movements highest achievement award, the Campaigner Crown. Jean went on to gain a 2nd crown which was presented to her at the Diamond Jubilee Display in the Royal Albert Hall in London. It was at this event that Miriam Tong - youngest daughter of our 6th vicar Peter Tong - gave a solo rendition of the Campaigner Hymn.

In 1972 a Young Wives Group was formed. A winter of power cuts followed and our new curate Roger Hale arrived with his family.

The Boys Brigade, forever active, celebrated that movement's 90th anniversary with a sponsored wheel barrow push raising £40 in the process. Proving they also had brains as well as brawn the Boys Brigade quiz team Stephen Martin, Glen Munroe and Philip Bell reached the semi-final of radio Blackburn's Top Team Competition. Glen and Philip would later take to the skies to become pilots for the RAF. Ronnie and Edna Wright left us in 1974 to become wardens of Felden Hall the Boys Brigade national training centre in Hertfordshire where Ronnie also took on area responsibilities.

Brenda Parkinson continued to pursue her service to the church as she began to train as a deaconess. The year was one of coming and going of assistant staff. Norma left us in august to continue her work in London, Barbara Hicks came as her replacement in October and in December Roger Hale announced his move to Burnley. The Hales left us in Jan '75 to work alongside the Bishop of Burnley who was the only serving English Bishop who was also an active parish priest.

The Sept 1975 edition of the magazine carried the announcement of the death at 88 of our first vicar John Maddock. A Thanksgiving service for his life was held and attended by surviving members of his family.

Kevin Logan and family joined us in 1975 and the youth work once again took off quite literally. First to Italy for a holiday with a purpose, to convert the Italian Riviera, then to jump out of aeroplanes, the latter not as a consequence of what happened in Italy or as the only wat home again I hasten to add - no this was for charity. Then there was a sponsored paint of the hall toilets, sponsored silence and yes they managed it. Along the way they adopted and sponsored a little boy in Haiti through Tear fund. Not forgetting the mission to children and young people in which they were heavily involved. Couch Potatoes -no chance.

Numbers burgeoned, the anniversary procession topped 400 and the electoral roll 300. Youth work was booming. Those were the years of pathfinders numbering 70, campaigners 250 the largest clan in England.

In fact at Sunday school the was no breathing space anywhere, all available space was stuffed with children and young people being taught the gospel, to say nothing of the full to overflowing adult classes. Despite these large numbers plus 30% increase in weekly giving, financially the church was in difficulty. The decision to dispense with the services of the parish worker was reluctantly made. Barbara left us in Oct 1977 having gained a position in the Bradford Diocese.

Every year summer camps were well attended by Pathfinders, Boys Brigade and Campaigners and Alf Hadwin's ghost stories at Junior BB camp seem to have become legendary. Then there was that bastion of English tradition, no not football - cricket. For many years the church boasted a thriving cricket team, this proved a place of great friendship and support for many.

There were weekly and monthly organisations for men and women, there was fund raising with annual Sales of Work and the avid support for missionary work. All this went on year by year, decade by decade. Then there were the car rambles for those who became affectionately known as Harold's army with it's war cry of "hoggy, hoggy, hoggy."

In 1978 Harry Bailey was presented with the Bishop of Blackburn's 40 year award of RSCM which is presented to those who have sung in, or trained a choir or played the organ in excess of 40 years.

Rob Coke became our next curate in 1979 and the young people's fellowship stopped jumping out of aeroplanes (much to the relief of quite a few) but continued to develop their spiritual wings.

After much deliberation and heartsearching the final decision to disband Boys Brigade was made in October 1979. This was a hard time for many who had given much of their time and energy to the BB. The boys clans of Campaigners were dedicated on October 14th of the same year. In 1980 the youngest section of Campaigners, Eagles was begun under the leadership of Susan Swainbank and a faithful band of helpers.

Assistant staff were added to the leadership team with the arrival in 1978 of the headmaster of QEGS, Philip Johnson already a Reader and in 1980 the Rev. Brian Underwood became honorary curate.