MEMORIES of a Bible reading marathon held in Wisbech during the 1970s came flooding back this week, as preparations were made for a similar event in Yorkshire. The latest marathon will be held in memory of the late Rev John Jenkins, a previous minister of

MEMORIES of a Bible reading marathon held in Wisbech during the 1970s came flooding back this week, as preparations were made for a similar event in Yorkshire.

The latest marathon will be held in memory of the late Rev John Jenkins, a previous minister of the Castle Square Church in Wisbech.

His widow, Valerie Jenkins, a former teacher at Queen's Boys School in Wisbech, has organised the Bible reading marathon at Saltaire, near Bradford. His granddaughter Hannah Jenkins will also take to the lectern.

The latest event echoes a previous Bible reading marathon at Rev Jenkins' Wisbech church in 1972, when teenagers took up the challenge to raise money for the drama group.

"Those boys, Cliff Humphries, Ian Abbott, Keith Wilby and Martin Brook, will all be in their 50s now," said Mrs Jenkins.

The sponsored Bible reading event at Saltaire United Reformed Church will be held over the bank holiday weekend in memory of Rev Jenkins, who was minister there from 1988 until his death in 1995 at the age of 56.

"We have launched an appeal to raise �1million for repairs to the church, which is 150 years old," said Mrs Jenkins.

The church is considered to be one of the nation's most precious Victorian architectural gems, and is one of only four non-conformist churches in the country with a set of bells.