Aberdeen church without pews for Christmas

The congregation at Midstocket Parish Church of Scotland in Aberdeen were expecting the seats to arrive at the start of December and, after being told their delivery had been held up, hoped they would arrive by yesterday.

Now minister the Rev Sarah Nicol has been told by the company delivering the new seats they won’t arrive in time for the high-point of the church year, Christmas Day.

As part of a refurbishment project which began in January, the new seats for Midstocket were ordered in July. Yesterday, the Rev Nicol, said: “They were aiming to get them here by the first week in December, but unfortunately there was a problem at the factory.”

However, the Rev Nicol said that the lack of seating won’t stop the congregation from celebrating Christmas; instead they will hold their services down the road in the church hall. She said: “We’re not giving up, we’re still going to celebrate Christmas and have our services at the church centre down the road until we get the chairs, with a Christmas Eve service down there.”

The church will also hold an “open day” so visitors can see the renovations.

The minister said: “The whole church has been done up.

“We have a new beautiful garden room with French windows so we can go out on to the patio area for social activities, and a totally new heating system with underfloor heating in the main church sanctuary.

“It’s absolutely beautiful. It was beautiful before, but much darker, now [it] is amazing … so much brighter.”