Church Micro 9453...Worcester - St Paul Mystery Cache

Welcome to St Paul's Church. St. Paul's is known for its associations with the Rev.G.A.Studdert-Kennedy, a famous preacher, Chaplain to the King, poet and writer. During the First World War, he became famous as a Chaplain and was known as 'Woodbine Willie' for his practice of handing out Woodbine cigarettes along with bibles to troops in the trenches. The cache is not at the above coords.

St. Paul is found at the junction of St. Paul's St. & Spring Gardens, Worcester
The church building was declared redundant by the Church of England on 17 February 1988 and is now leased to the Assemblies of God Church.

The Reverend Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy was the parish vicar at St Paul’s when war broke out in 1914. He became an Army Chaplain, and earned the nickname “Woodbine Willie” because he used to hand out cigarettes to the troops in the trenches of the Western Front.
The plaque on the church was unveiled by Nigel Studdert Kennedy after a special service focusing on Woodbine Willie and the impact he had – not only in the trenches, but also in the parish where he was based.
Studdert Kennedy often used to have dozens of parishioners waiting out his office to speak to him after a service. His desire was to serve the local people, who lived in what was then the poorest part of the city. On one occasion his wife returned home to find Woodbine Willie dismantling their bed in order to give it to lady who was sick and unable to afford proper furniture.

The unveiling ceremony was also attended by local dignitaries, members of the Civic Society and Rev’d Canon Paul Tongue, who has done extensive research into the life and works of Woodbine Willie.

Studdert-Kennedy wrote numerous poems about his experiences in the trenches, which were published after the war. He also became a Personal Chaplain to King George V. He died in 1929.

After the unveiling, Nigel Studdert Kennedy said: “Although Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy was known as a modest man, I think that he would be happy to know that his time at St Paul’s, now marked by this blue plaque, is still remembered in what became his home city.

To find the cache, find Woodbine Willie's Blue Plaque. Take the dates ABCD-EFGH and substitute into the following coordinates: N 52° [A][E].[A+D][C][D+G] W 002° [A][G].[H][C-G][H-D-E]

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