Helen Paige

Helen was born near Rye in Sussex in 1932. After her marriage she moved to Malvern where she lived for twenty-five years. The move to Oxford was prompted by Helen’s husband being appointed Professor of Electrical Engineering.

Going to church with her Mother was an ordinary part of Helen’s young life. Here she shares some memories of a Sunday School Anniversary and her first taste of being in the pulpit!

Sunday School Anniversary 1.53′

Helen’s church background helped her adjust to living away from home during the war. Here she shares some memories of being evacuated with her school and hosted by a kindly Methodist who had been recently widowed:

Wartime Evacuation 2.55′

It was during her late teenage years that Helen’s younger sister developed diabetes. This was to have a devastating effect on the whole family.

The Shrunken Jumper 1.59′

After leaving school Helen got a job with the Invalid Children’s Aid Association in London. Her work involved helping to find convalescent places for children who had been ill. They were placed in homes owned by the charity, mainly on the south coast. She would sometimes take the children to these homes herself. These experiences showed her another side of life and London introduced her to another side of Methodism:

Hearing William Sangster preach 1.49′

Helen’s involvement in church life deepened when she had a family of her own. Whilst in Worcester she became active in the local community and trained as a local preacher. In Oxford she began to work for the church as a pastoral assistant with a particular ministry to visit sick and elderly members of the congregation.

In this last extract, Helen shares some thoughts about how her faith sustains and challenges her today, and the importance of sermons and music: