John Edward Cooper’s Notes
Saturday 7th January 1967
1967 The diary that I kept for part of 1966 also had pages for January 1967. In the space for Saturday 7th Janaury 1967 I wrote: Went [to the] Williams[es’ in] M[an]c[hester]: On how this came about, cf. Mrs. Williams’ letter to me, Friday 30th December 1966: Thank you for your letter and card.… If you could come for the weekend after New Year which is the 7th of January that will be fine with us. I take it that the three of you are coming, and we are all looking forward to seeing you. You don’t need to write back if everything is O.K. as I will expect you for tea on the 7th. Trust you all have a weekend of blessing, as we renew fellowship together.It is clear from what is written below (much of it being based on Chris’s recollections) that of “the three” Chris was there. I have no recollection of whether Peter joined us, and assume he didn’t. I went with Chris, then, to stay at the Williamses’ in Manchester. It was on this visit that we first met the girls’ boyfriends: Hazel’s boyfriend Jeff; and Pam’s flashy-suited, immaculately hairstyled boyfriend Keith Benson with the bleating laugh (“Yes, Mrs. Williams, a-a-a-a-a-a-a!”). As well as being unconventional (“Pentecostally”-speaking) in his dress and appearance, i.e. ultra-modern, as opposed to the five-year time-lag typical of many “Pentis” at that time, he was at variance with “Pentecostal” norms in his speech; none of your “God-bless-you-brothers” for him. I even wondered if he was saved! (“No, Mrs. Williams, a-a-a-a-a-a-a!”) Pastor Williams, however, didn’t have any such doubts about him. That laughing, joking exterior wasn’t the real him—oh, no! “A man of many parts is our Keith!” Great praise indeed for this over-confident newcomer to the Williams fold, we might have thought! Heap big crush[1] on Pam—This, despite the fact that I was going out with Audrey at the time! [1] See Crushes.Sunday 8th January 1967 |
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