Members of Hethersett Methodist Church will this year be celebrating the 25th anniversary of a scheme that changed the church from an old fashioned building into a bright modern one.

Members of Hethersett Methodist Church will this year be celebrating the 25th anniversary of a scheme that changed the church from an old fashioned building into a bright modern one.

Operation New Look was launched in 1982 and transformed the church at a cost of £70,000 - a considerable sum of money in those days. Work on the transformation started towards the end of 1982 and on March 19, 1983, a special ceremony took place with David Richardson laying a stone in memory of his parents and Herbert Thrower and Sian Evans also laying stones to represent the older and younger members of the congregation.

The formal re-opening and dedication of the church took place on October 22, 1983 and was performed by Paul Bartlett Lang, vice-president of the Methodist Conference. The village's Methodist Minister at the time, the Rev Brian Dann, also took part and will return to the village on October 19 this year to lead a special morning service anniversary praise.

A number of other celebration events are being discussed and a special New Look Anniversary section has been opened on the church's website at www.hethersettmethodistchurch.org.uk/newlook.htm