Willis, Tom

Tom Willis

The man who made it all possible

1 October 2023Feature Emily Johns and Tom Willis

Emily Johns interviews the curate who made the purchase of the Peace House possible.

Tom Willis was a curate in Hull in 1958 when he inherited £10,000 (worth over £180,000 today), the money that would buy 5 Caledonian Road for Peace News and Housmans Bookshop. PN production worker Emily Johns interviewed reverend Willis at a 50th birthday event for Number 5 in 2009, five years before he passed away.

I was 28 when I inherited the money and I thought: ‘What am I going to do with this money because Jesus…

The man who made it all possible

1 December 2009News Tom Willis and Emily Johns

Tom Willis was a curate in Hull in 1958 when he inherited £10,000, the money that would buy 5 Caledonian Road for Peace News and Housmans Bookshop. Co-editor Emily Johns interviewed him at the 50th birthday event for Number 5.

I was 28 when I inherited the money and I thought: “What am I going to do with this money because Jesus said you can’t serve God and wealth?” I thought: “I’ve got to get rid of it because wealth always destroys you. If you have a lot of money it cuts you off…