Forty-five retired church workers met as autumn strutted with its gold and rust leaves for one of their regular meetings. By coincidence, the retirees’ gathering at the Stanborough Press on 30 September 2026 fell exactly 60 years after the Press opened for business at its Alma Park factory in Grantham. The move to Grantham followed a devastating fire in January 1964, which destroyed its previous factory at Stanborough Park, Watford.
David Neal, Trans-European Division Ministerial Association Secretary, traced the history of Adventist work in Lincolnshire, including the printing press in Grimsby in the 1880s and the opening of the Ulceby church in 1889. He also reflected on the county’s earlier Separatist movement.
Drawing these stories together through the theme of ‘breaking down walls’, Neal highlighted a shared commitment to faithfulness to the Bible and the gospel of Christ. Just as the Lincolnshire Separatists and the nineteenth-century Adventist pioneers in Britain sought to live out that commitment in their time, so the staff of Stanborough Press use their gifts and talents today to break down barriers and share the good news of Christ through their publications across the UK and Ireland.
One of the highlights of the day was an interview with Vince Goddard, retired pastor and singer/songwriter, who reflected on his time at Newbold College and his extensive evangelistic and community work through the continent of Africa. David West, another retired pastor delivered an entertaining anecdotal slideshow narrating stories of organising Icelandic tours. Music was provided by retired pastor and administrator, Curtis Murphy and food was provided courtesy of the Stanborough Press.
Reflecting on the day together, Paul Tompkins, retired President of the Scottish Mission and co-retirees’ chaplain for the British Union Conference (BUC) said, “We had a wonderful time together, praising, praying and reminiscing about the work. This is such a meaningful ministry.”
Watch historical archive footage ‘A Visit to Stanborough Press 1927’