Contractors working on a long-running project to renew water mains running through Hitchin town centre have received a vote of thanks from organisers of the town’s annual Good Friday Walk Of Witness.
The Affinity Water project being managed by utilities experts Amey have been going on in the town for weeks.
And there were fears that the trenches and barriers in Bancroft would cast a shadow over the annual event organised by Churches Together In Hitchin.
But any concerns that the walk would not be able to follow its traditional route from Bancroft Gardens, along Bancroft and into the High Street and Market Place were eased after the Amey team restored the main highway, cleared away the barriers and made everything safe in time for the Easter weekend - although it was a close-run thing.
The contractors will be returning to the town centre after the bank holiday break to complete the work along the length of Hermitage Road, having started in Bedford Road in January and already travelled down the length of Brand Street before turning into Bancroft.
Churches Together secretary John Richardson, welcoming worshippers to the marshalling point in Bancroft Gardens on Friday morning, paid tribute to the hard work of the Amey team to clear the way for the walk.
After a brief address from the organisation’s chair Liz Bundy from Hitchin Christian Centre, the procession led by three giant crosses made its way to Market Place, where live music was led by Harold Liberty and musicians from the New Testament Church of God and Walsworth Road Baptist Church.
The Rev John Hardaker from Christchurch, the Rev Jane Mainwaring from St Mark’s Church and the Rev Phil Jackson from Hitchin Christian Centre all addressed the open-air service that followed, with free hot cross buns distributed by the Churches Together Group and supplied by the town’s Waitrose supermarket.
The next big Churches Together event is Party In The Square on Sunday, May 15, also in Market Place - visit www.cthitchin.org.uk for more details.
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