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Restoration
Bethesda through to final - now for four days of voting - this week.... | |
|  | | The Bethesda Chapel: Through to the final... |
| | The Bethesda Chapel has won through to the grand final of the BBC's Restoration programme, taking 43% of the vote.
Now we must all vote again THIS WEEK.. in order to win the final |
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:: See Also » | BBC Restoration
The official web pages of the BBC Restoration programme
The Bethesda Chapel
Discover more about the Bethesda Chapel's history.
Bethesda in 360°
Take an exclusive look at the interior of the Bethesda Chapel as it is today with our 360° panoramic images
Historic Chapels Trust
The Trust is the present owner of the Bethesda
The BBC is not responsible for the content of other sites |
:: Facts » | On an average weekend, more people visit historic buildings in the UK than go to football matches.
There are 17,000 historic buildings and monuments in the UK at risk. |
| | Speaking last month, Griff Rhys Jones revealed that the nation had chosen the Bethesda Chapel in Stoke-on-Trent to be the sixth building to go through to the grand final of the BBC Restoration series - after it won over 43% of the votes cast in the Midlands regional heat. What we have to do....
The telephone vote line opens Thursday September 11th and runs 24 hours a day until 10pm on Sunday 14th
Bethesda votes MUST go in on one line only
09010 775 006
(calls cost 30p)
The announcement of the final winner will be made live on BBC2 at 10.10pm on Sunday
Click here to eMail this page to a friend |
In the sixth programme of the ten-part series, Griff had called on viewers to choose between Bethesda Chapel and two other buildings – Cromford Mill in Derbyshire and Newman Brothers Coffin Works in Birmingham. More than 3 million viewers watched this episode, in which Bethesda was declared the Midlands regional winner.
It's a big thank-you to everyone out there who voted for the Beth, as the chapel now has a real chance of being saved... but it's not over yet.
The final takes place this Sunday (14th September) in a programme on BBC2 running from 9pm to 10pm - but voting starts much earlier!
On Sunday 14th September, the Beth will be up against the other winners of the various Restoration programmes, and it'll need your help again to ensure it wins the money that'll restore it to its former glory.
Why should it be saved?
The Bethesda Chapel is one of the largest and most handsome nonconformist chapels in the country.
Two brothers, known as the "Radical Saints", built the Chapel in 1819 which regularly packed in more than 2,500 worshippers and became the central place of worship of the New Connexion.
Dwindling congregations forced its closure on 29th December 1985 and, today, its most frequent visitors are vandals, pigeons and rats.
It is a symbol of the rich heritage of Stoke-on-Trent and of Methodism itself that doesn't deserve to be lost to the country.
Click here to read more about the history of the Bethesda Chapel.
Reaction to the news
On hearing the Bethesda's progress to the final, Anne Jenkins, who's the Heritage Lottery Fund Regional Manager for the West Midlands said:
 Bethesda Chapel is a magnificent example of Methodist architecture.
We are very excited it has reached the Restoration final and hope the people of the Midlands come out and support the Chapel now.
The Heritage Lottery Fund is committed to helping as many people as possible celebrate and enjoy their heritage, so have set aside £3 million for The Restoration Fund to help restore the winner to its former glory.  | Anne Jenkins
Heritage Lottery Fund Regional Manager for the West Midlands |
The owners of Stoke-on-Trent's Bethesda Chapel, the Historic Chapels Trust, have thanked everyone who voted for the building to get it into the final of the BBC's Restoration programme.
Now, the Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Mike Wolfe, is urging people to vote to save the Bethesda Chapel in the final of BBC's Restoration programme on Sunday 14th September.
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