By Martin Edwards BBC News, London

The church is described as "the soul of London"

Scores of people, casual visitor and avid worshipper alike, braved the afternoon rain to enjoy the first concert to be held in the newly revamped hall of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church.

The 18th Century building, first consecrated in 1726, had been closed to the public for five months, to allow major works to begin.

But for some, the wait was almost too much to bear.

"It's just amazing," enthused one man. "I love this place and was getting withdrawal symptoms when it was closed. It's just lovely to see what a fantastic job they've done."

Over the past 18 months, a �36m renewal project has slowly transformed St Martin-in-the-Fields.

More than just a place of worship, the site also contains a Chinese community centre, a homeless centre which helps about 7,000 people each year, and a crypt which houses an award-winning restaurant and gallery.

Rev Nicholas Holtam described the site as the "soul of London."

Writer Bill Bryson is one the many celebrities to pledge his support

"Some people literally come here to sleep," he said. "Others for the wonderful music, some want a bit of space to think about things. Others come because they are bruised and battered by life and want to come and rest."

The restoration has been made partly possible thanks to a �15m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund - the biggest single fund from the Heritage Lottery Fund to a single parish church in the whole country.

The church hall has undergone massive restoration including a renovated ceiling which has seen builders cut through layers of redecoration to reveal the original 18th Century paint and a new floor of Purbeck stone has been laid in the centre aisle.

A new pavilion entrance gives public access to the foyer and the Crypt below.

And entirely new underground facilities, including an expanded cafe in the Crypt which can now house an extra 70 seats and a new Chinese community centre, are just some of the works in progress.

I remember falling for the place and in a moment of giddy excitement offered my support Bill Bryson, writer

"The idea was that of renewal," said church warden Andrew Caspari. "We wanted to take it back to 1726 in some ways by recapturing the original vision of the church but also to make it usable for the 21st Century."

That vision is still being hammered out as congregants and visitors mix with builders and workmen still carrying out work on the site.

Completion is due in the Spring of 2008.

"The workmen are still here and that's just something we have got to put up with," said the Rev Nicholas Holtam. "It's annoying but compared to months ago when half the church was completely bordered off, this is a big leap forward for us and actually it's nice just to be back."

About �4m is still needed to complete the building work. And that is why the church has launched a public appeal to help it along the last home stretch of funding.

Celebrities have shown their support by inscribing 12 x 15cms hand-made clear glass panes, sharing their written or drawn message for the renewal project.

Work on the site is expected to be completed by Spring 2008

Members of the public who make a contribution to the appeal by sponsoring a pane of glass online will have the opportunity to win, in a random draw, a celebrity pane.

The church has built an impressive array of celebrity endorsement for its cause, including Joanna Lumley, JK Rowling, Alan Titchmarsh, Dame Kelly Holmes, Stephen Fry and Gordon Brown.

Another is the well-known author Bill Bryson.

"I don't really have a connection with the place," he admitted. "I first came here when I was a commissioner for English Heritage.