St John the Baptist's Church, Liverpool

The church was built between 1867 and 1870, its cost of £25,000 (), being totally met by the wife of Revd J.C. Reade. The architect was George Frederick Bodley. The interior was redecorated in 1910 by Henry Hare to Bodley's design. This was restored in 1968–71 by Stephen Dykes Bower. ==Present day==

The parish continues in the Anglo-Catholic tradition that it was founded. The restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic forced the church to reduce the number of services. St John's hosts a weekly foodbank in the church hall. The church has a Sunday School. St John's began live streaming Mass on Sunday when public worship was suspended in March 2020. ==Architecture==

St John's church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. Exterior The church is built in red and buff stone, which is irregularly banded. There is a ring of eight bells which were cast in 1869 by John Warner & Sons, two service bells and a dumb (practice) bell. The bells have been retuned and rehung in a new bell frame constructed by voluntary labour. They were rung for the first time on Easter Sunday 2003 after a silence of ten years. == Images ==

Nave of St John, Tuebrook.jpg|View along nave to chancel High Altar, St John the Baptist Church, Tuebrook, Liverpool.1013.jpg|High altar and reredos Altar of St John, Tuebrook.jpg|Detail of reredos Roof of St John, Tuebrook.jpg|The ceiling looking west Chapel of the Holy Rood, St John, Tuebrook.jpg|Chapel of the Holy Rood East window, St John, Tuebrook.jpg|East window by William Morris Co. Organ, St John, Tuebrook 1.jpg|The Hill organ St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook - The Rood Screen.jpg|The Rood Screen St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook The Chancel.jpg|The Chancel St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook The Nave.jpg|View of the Nave from the back St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook The Lady Chapel.jpg|The Lady Chapel St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook St John's Chapel.jpg|St John's Chapel St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook The Holy Rood Chapel.jpg|The Holy Rood Chapel St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook Farther Brockman Memorial.jpg|Father Brockman Memorial St John the Baptist Church Tuebrook Canon Frank Samspson.jpg|Stained Glass window dedication to Canon Frank Sampson ==Incumbents==

• 1871–1880 Rev J.C.Reade • 1880–1884 Rev J.Lindsay • 1884–1892 Fr F.H.Chenevix Trench • 1892–1895 Fr P.N. Clark • 1895–1896 Fr H.N.Thompson • 1896–1925 Fr Ralph T.Brockman • 1925–1937 Fr Thomas Brancker • 1937–1946 Fr W.H.Tayler • 1946–1994 Rev Canon Frank Sampson MA • 1994–2010 Rev Dr Canon Paul Nener BM BCh FRCS • 2010 – 2020 Rev Canon Simon J.P. Fisher MA • 2021 - Fr Nicholas Johnson SSC Fr Nicholas Johnson was instituted, collated and installed as vicar on 24 June 2021, the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist. ==Music==

Organists • Claude Ridley 1871–1882 • William Faulkes (organist-composer) 1882 – 1886 • R.Cooper ARCO 1896–1900 • Ernest Welsh ARCO 1900–1903 • Mr Tubb (senior) 1903–1933 • C.F. Holt 1935–1953 • Edward Tubb 1953–1956 • C.F. Holt 1956–1966 • David James (Assistant Organist 1966 then Organist from 1973 to 1982) • Keith Simpson BA (Hons) Dip HE 1982-1996 • David Scott-Thomas 1996-1998 • Clive Arnold 2000–2009 • John Peace BA LRAM ARCO 2009–2017 • Nathaniel Hood BA 2017-2019 • Daniel Mansfield BA(Hons), ARCO, HonFTCSM, MISM 2019- The Organ The fine instrument at St John's was built by William Hill and Son of London, and installed in 1867 and was installed in St John's in time for the consecration in 1871. Hill organs have a distinctive voice, perhaps due to William Hill's study of continental organ styles, characterised by a bright, singing tone, with fiery reeds and brilliant upper work. in 1895, some additions were made: the Bassoon on the Choir organ, and string tone pipes on the Swell organ, installed in a miniature swell box behind the main box. The tubular-pneumatic key and stop actions would also appear to date from 1895. There is evidence that for a certain period, a detached console was installed in the Lady Chapel. However, in 1905, it was decided revert to the original (and current) position within the organ case, possibly due to mechanical problems. Essential re-leathering work was carried out by David Wells Organ Builders of Liverpool between 1991 and 2009. The organ case was designed by G.F. Bodley, who often commissioned work from Hill. The Organ at St. John's is one of the few organs by Hill which remain more or less unaltered, a factor which led to the granting of an Historic Organ Certificate in 2009. ==Vicarage==

The original vicarage, was completed in 1890, was also designed by Bodley. ==Mortuary house==

Also on site is the ruin of a Victorian mortuary house, also designed by Bodley and Grade II listed. It is situated in the north-west angle of the vicarage garden, facing onto Snaefell Avenue. ==Brockman Hall==

South of the main church building is the church hall, previously known as the Brockman Memorial Hall. It is notable for being an early venue for the Beatles Thanks to the research by Gerry Murphy, a Beatles historian and graduate of Liverpool Hope University's Popular Music and Society it can be confirmed that The Beatles played at the Brockman Hall Tuebrook a dozen times in 1961. He also maintains that Brian Epstein discovered them at the Brockman Hall and not at the Cavern as has always been believed. Epstein was identified by several members of the audience who recognised him from Nems music store. The bookings were made by Mona Best, mother of Pete, who decided to follow the lead of other bands who were widening their profile by playing in local Halls. Their first appearance was on 17 February when the band played with Gene Day and the Jango Beats. The audience was 200 strong, drawing teenagers from all over Tuebrook, Stoneycroft and Old Swan. The cost of entry for fans was 3s 6d and doors opened at 8.15 pm. The Beatles were paid £20.00. They played again in March on three occasions and four times in July. Their final appearance was on 31 August. ==See also==