ST George's Free Church of England in Mill Hill, Blackburn, is celebrating 100 years of worship next year.

And it has a whole host of special events planned, including a service that is hoped will be exactly as it was on the day the church first opened in April 1907.

The Sunday School will be 100 years old in July and organisers are planning to get as many former harvest queens together to mark the anniversary.

As the centenary looms, it is also seeking past members of the church, youth club and uniformed groups and looking for pictures of events which have taken place over the years.

St George's was founded by the Rev Henry Sobey and opened its doors in Archibald Street, now St George's Ave, on St George's Day 1907.

He was one of the mortgagors for the plot of land on which it was built, alongside a number of local folk, all with a number of different jobs.

They were James Reason, an insurance agent; Frederick Lowe, a paper mill labourer; William Mason and James Charnley, both spinners; John Harbour, a moulder; John Sutton, a cutterman, mechanic George Scarr, and Albert Eddleston, John Barrett, John Livesey and Robert Knowles, who were all weavers.

After the opening service, the following appeared in the former Blackburn Times on April 27,1907: "St George's Day, which occurred on Tuesday, will be remembered with pleasure by the Free Church of England people of Mill Hill.

"On that day St George's Church was opened for divine service.

"Friends came from all parts of Blackburn, and the success met with surpassed the expectations of both the Minister and his supporters.

"The doors of the Church were opened at 6.45pm, and by 7.15pm the building was full.

"The pastor, the Rev HG Sobey, asked the congregation to join with the choir in singing a hymn, "Sun of my soul" so as to relieve the monotony of waiting.

"The service began at 7.30pm promptly. The hymn, Pleasant are Thy Courts Above' was sung, after which a full Church service was taken.

"The anthem, O taste and see' by Sir John Goss, was excellently rendered, and reflected much credit on the choirmaster (Mr E Tabiner) and the organist (Mr Brooke).

"Mr Sobey, in accordance with the unanimous wish of the people was the preacher. His text was taken from II Chronicles v 13.

"At the close of the service the Te Deum was sung. the collection for the day, including gifts and contributions, amounted to upwards of £85."