John Edward Cooper’s Notes

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]

• 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)

• 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)