March 2026

Hi Neville,

You may or may not remember me (afro style hair and glasses) – but as a kid from Donaldson Street, Anfield brought up in a devoutly atheist – but socialist family, I found faith when 16 and started attending StSaviour Church I became very involved in the ‘After Eight’ (with Brian Lunt, Ken Owen, Mike Thomas etc)  and we used to do stuff together with St Johns and with you at St Georges.

Your honesty, provocative nature, down to earth grasp and understanding of what it really means to follow Jesus was always a great encouragement and challenge to me. To help jog your memory I remember once you invited me and a few others such as Jon Haynes to gate crash one of your services dressed as thugs (easy for us to do! haha) take the congregation by surprise and then lead the prayers!

I married Gill Lane from Hartnup St. We are still together now 68 & 71yrs old, still Christians although we gave up on institutionalised church some years back after some difficult and damaging times with some dodgy theology and dodgy practises peddled by the new minister.

Funnily enough in the 1980s I worked with Annie Spiers when we set up a Community Drug Team in Waterloo and got to know Pete too – they ended up at St Georges. We met up with Annie a few months back!

Anyway I just saw you and your book mentioned in The Post and it reminded me of very cherished times. TBH Gill and I never realised we had it so good with the leaders, integrity, lifestyle, teaching and integrated nature of the faith back in the mid/late 70s in Everton/Anfield. It certainly gave us a solid foundation.

Anyway I just want to thank you and let you know your witness made a difference to me.

Julian