John Edward Cooper’s Notes

Home Contents Alphabetical listing Whom I’d like to meet in eternity…

1965, the year that changed my life

What a year 1965 was! For me it was the most important, influential and formative year of all time. It was momentous, marvellous and miraculous. It was my watershed year, forever dividing what went before from what would come after. It was the year I discovered the Divine—or perhaps I should say the year the Divine disclosed itself to me.

Essentially…

One night in January 1965, my friends Peter and Chris, and I, aged 14, ran away from home.[more] “Home” was in Thornton Cleveleys near Blackpool. Chris suffered from epilepsy.[more] We’d seen a TV programme about a church in Manchester that claimed miracles of healing,[more] and were seeking a cure for his fits. After a number of adventures, including being given hospitality by a total stranger,[more] we ended up the next afternoon at the home of one of the pastors who had been on the TV.[more] We should have been in school, of course. Pastor Williams laid his hands on Chris and commanded the “evil spirit of epilepsy” to leave him in the name of Jesus Christ.[more] Whether or not there really was an evil spirit doesn’t matter: Chris never had another fit. And we were convinced straight away that God had done it—we saw no need to wait and see![more]

Background to 1965 (these items are also found in Early Days):

Chris begins to suffer from fits (spring 1961)
Chris Woodhead, September 1961 (September 1961)
Chris goes to Devonshire Road hospital (September 1961)
Chris goes to Newcastle General hospital (September 1961 to February 1962)
Chris Woodhead, February 1962 (February 1962)
“Rag Doll” (perhaps November 1964)
“Sharon” (perhaps Saturday 5th December 1964)
Chris and I watch “Sharon” on TV (Wednesday 9th December 1964)
Chris’s reaction to the programme “Sharon” (Thursday 10th December 1964)
Chris has a fit (perhaps December 1964)

1965 itself:

Chris has another fit (Saturday 9th January 1965)
The adventure begins: 4.15pm–6.20pm, 6.40pm–8.00pm, 9.00pm, 10.30pm–2.30am (Wednesday 13th January 1965)
“By his stripes I am healed” (Thursday 14th January 1965)
The central event of the year!
We return home (Friday 15th January 1965)
We go back to the police station (Saturday 16th January 1965)
The “Wignall Period” (Sundays 17th, 24th and 31st January 1965)
I go back to school (Monday 18th January 1965)
The “mock O-levels” (from Thursday 28th January 1965)
Tom Bennett’s letter (not dated)
Concerning the “Second First Visit” to Manchester (perhaps Monday 1st February 1965)
The “Second First Visit” to Manchester — Day One (Saturday 6th February 1965)
The “Second First Visit” to Manchester — Day Two (Sunday 7th February 1965)
We look up the biblical references to the healing of the epileptic (February 1965)
Further visits to Sharon (February 1965)
“…if Chris is cured.” (February 1965)
Chris sees Dr. Black (February 1965)
Another visit to the Williamses and to Sharon (Saturday 27th February 1965)
My parents and Gooding’s visit Sharon (perhaps Sunday 28th February 1965)
We return home (Monday 1st March 1965)
Our first visit to the Full Gospel Church, Fleetwood (perhaps Sunday 14 March 1965)
The “Abortive Camping Expedition” — Day One (perhaps Saturday 20th March 1965)
The “Abortive Camping Expedition” — Day Two (perhaps Sunday 21st March 1965)
Our second visit to the Full Gospel Church, Fleetwood (perhaps Sunday 28th March 1965)
David Jones (not dated)
My class photograph (April 1965)
Hazel and Pamela visit us (Saturday 15th May 1965)
Poor Peter! (Sunday 16th May 1965)
Hazel and Pam return home (Monday 17th May 1965)
Pamela’s first letter (perhaps Saturday 22nd May 1965)
The “waiting meeting” (perhaps Sunday 23rd May 1965)
A key event for me!
Pamela’s second letter (perhaps Tuesday 25th May 1965)
Pamela’s third letter (perhaps Monday 31st May 1965)
Pamela’s fourth letter (perhaps Wednesday 2nd June 1965)
Chris and I visit Hazel and Pam (Saturday 5th June 1965)
The Day of Pentecost (Sunday 6th June 1965)
The trip to Buxton, and the “one moment of passion” (Monday 7th June 1965)
Pamela’s fifth letter (perhaps Saturday 12th June 1965)
My Mum makes a decision for Christ (Sunday 13th June 1965)
Pamela’s sixth letter (perhaps Wednesday 16th June 1965)
Pamela’s seventh letter (perhaps Thursday 24th June 1965)
Pamela’s eighth letter (perhaps Monday 28th June 1965)
Trevor gets saved (not dated)
Pamela’s ninth letter (perhaps Thursday 1st July 1965)
Pamela’s tenth letter (perhaps Monday 5th July 1965)
Pamela’s eleventh letter (perhaps Friday 9th July 1965)
My Dad goes to the church (perhaps Sunday 11th July 1965)
Pamela’s twelfth letter (perhaps Wednesday 14th July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day One (Saturday 17th July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Two (Sunday 18th July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Three (perhaps Monday 19th July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Four (perhaps Tuesday 20th July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Five (perhaps Wednesday 21st July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Six (Thursday 22nd July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Seven (Friday 23rd July 1965)
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Eight (Saturday 24th July 1965)
Back at church (Sunday 25th July 1965)
A letter from Chris (Monday 26th July 1965)
Letters from Chris and from Pamela (Thursday 29th July 1965)
A letter from Chris (Friday 30th July 1965)
My Dad makes a decision for Christ (Sunday 1st August 1965)
Another letter from Chris (perhaps Tuesday 3rd August 1965)
A postcard from Chris (perhaps Saturday 7th August 1965)
A letter from Pam (perhaps Wednesday 11th August 1965)
Peter and I go to Kirkby-in-Ashfield (mid-August 1965)
Back at the Full Gospel Church, Fleetwood (perhaps Sunday 22nd August 1965)
Letters from the W—s and the Williamses (perhaps Wednesday 25th August 1965)
The death of Mr. Gooding (perhaps September 1965)
Back to school after the summer holidays (Thursday 9th September 1965)
A letter from the Williamses (perhaps Thursday 16th September 1965)
John Nelson Parr (1886–1976) (undated)
Peter Gooding and I “nail our colours to the mast” (undated)
Peter arouses my interest in Audrey Wood (undated)
The Free Trade Hall (undated)
T. L. Osborn (perhaps September 1965)
The Knott End campaign (undated)
We are baptised (Sunday 10th October 1965)
The Knott End campaign begins (perhaps Sunday 24th October 1965)
On the Knott End coach with Audrey (perhaps Wednesday 27th October 1965)
Maureen Smith’s question (perhaps Sunday 31st October 1965)
The Hallowe’en party (Monday 1st November 1965)
Thwarted again by Peter Gooding (Tuesday 2nd November 1965)
Alone at last! (Wednesday 3rd November 1965)
Audrey’s first kiss (Saturday 6th November 1965)
The Knott End campaign: Sunday 7th November 1965
I encourage Audrey to serve the Lord (undated)
My first prayer meeting (undated)
Speech Day (Wednesday 22nd December 1965)
David Jones and David Doyle (December 1965)