St Mary's Parish Magazine -
December 2001
The Editor and editorial panel take this opportunity to wish all our
readers a Happy and Holy Christmas
We thank all those who contribute material for the pages of the magazine,
the advertisers who help keep it going, and particularly the wonderful team of
distributors who tramp round in all weathers with door-to-door deliveries.
WHATS ON THIS
MONTH? - December
Readings for
Sundays in January
Daily prayer
topics in December
Revd Patrick Grant at St Michaels is organising
a Christmas Day Lunch between noon and 3.15pm for up to 100 people who might
otherwise be on their own that day. Would you like to join them or do you know
anyone who would? He is also seeking volunteers to help out on the day with
preparations at the hall, transport, cooking (turkey provided) and clearing up
afterwards. If you can help have a word with Pam Vernon (8669 1549).
Revd John Read, Rector of Beddington from 1961
to 1978, is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood
in December. He was ordained by Bishop George Bell in Chichester Cathedral on
St Thomass Day in 1951. He served in St Mary, Eastbourne, St Mark, Horsham, St
Wilfred, Brighton, St Mary, Beddington and lastly in the parishes of Guestling
and Pett, East Sussex. He still keeps busy, particularly at Icklesham, to where
he finally retired.
As the year draws to a close remember theres another
one not far behind. With the annual quiz night scheduled for Saturday February
2, Christmas could be a good time to draw together a team of family and
friends. Arrangements will probably be the same as in past years but more
details next month.
We were delighted to learn that on November 13
the Queen invested Eric Fleet as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in
a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The MBE was awarded to Eric in recognition of
his 65 years voluntary work at the British Home and Hospital for Incurables at
Upper Norwood. It was a very proud moment to shake hands with the Queen of my
country, said Eric, now 92.
There will be no Choral Evensongs during December. Instead,
on Sunday the 2nd at 6.30pm there will be the Advent Carol Service; and on
Sunday the 9th at 6.30pm Churches Together host a joint Advent service at
Wallington Methodist Church. On Sunday the 16th, at 4.00pm, we will hold our
usual Christingle and Toy Service - please bring to that service, if you can, a
toy suitably wrapped and labelled with the age and sex of the child it would be
suitable for. After the service such toys will be taken to a local organisation
that will ensure they go to children who otherwise would not receive presents
this Christmas. There is always a very happy atmosphere around this service -
bring your small children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces (or, if they dont
live nearby, just come anyway and enjoy it!). On Sunday the 23rd, at 6.30pm, there is the
Service of Nine Readings and Carols for Christmas. Finally, on Sunday the 30th, Evening Prayer will be said
at 6.30pm.
On Christmas Eve there will be a Service for
Families beginning at 6.00pm; the Midnight Mass begins at 11.30 pm.
On Christmas morning, instead of a said Eucharist at 8.00am and a sung one at
9.30am, there will be - as has worked very well over the past few years - a
joint Eucharist with familiar carols at 9.00am. New Years Day
will be celebrated with a Eucharist at 7.30pm.
On Saturday January 5 we continue to celebrate
Christmas and the turning of the year with Wassail! - an evening of
poetry and prose in the Church Centre, beginning at 7.30pm. The seasonal
readings on a variety of themes, lighthearted and serious, are chosen and read
by the usual team of Jackie Egerton, Harold Hore, Mary Tapp, Selwyn and Cassie.
In keeping with all such events the evening includes a hot supper and something
to drink. An excellent way to begin the New Year or stave off the
post-Christmas blues, and the perfect antidote to the January sales. Tickets available very soon from members of
the Social Committee - 5 (4 concessions), as the first fund-raiser for the 2002
Shopping List!
The proposed Prayer Group will begin meeting on
Friday December 7. It will meet regularly on the Fridays in December, though possibly
not on the 21st. It will meet in the Carew Chapel, and follow directly on from
the Eucharist at 7.00pm, lasting for half an hour so as to finish at 8.00pm.
Some may wish to attend the Eucharist first, and so come to both events - there
will be just a few moments confusion time at 7.30 to allow some to leave and
others to move into their place.
Most often it will take the form of a brief
meditation, led by one of the members, possibly based on a theme arising out of
the days readings for the Eucharist, and followed by silence and a concluding
formal prayer or two - rather as we have done sometimes during the Eucharist on
the earlier weekday evenings in Holy Week. Less frequently it may be a time of
spoken or silent Intercession on ideas and topics brought and suggested by
members of the group. So far nine people have expressed interest, but there is
of course a warm welcome to everyone who might want to take part to come along
on Friday evenings. The furniture in the Carew Chapel can easily be re-arranged
for a larger number.
After trying this out as an exercise for Advent,
the session on Friday the 28th will then adjourn to the Rectory for a Yuletide
drink and a brief discussion (in the greater warmth) about how to continue and,
if necessary, adapt, in the new year.
Even if you cant be present, please remember
the Group in your own prayers - and please tell Selwyn or Jenifer if there is a
person or a topic you would like us to pray for, either in silence or in words.
Selwyn Tillett
St Marys church is renowned for its music and
on November 10 the ringers introduced a completely new concept with their
Karaoke Night. Sixty people bought tickets but they didnt all turn up. Presumably
they got cold feet at the thought of it, although it had been made clear they
didnt have to sing. One person even said they wouldnt have enjoyed it
- oh yes they would!
Chris Kimber and Tamasine had spent hours
working very hard to produce the backing music. Some people had sent in
requests but others made their choices from the lists circulated round the
tables. Chris had bought a new PA system specially for the occasion and the
ringers had provided some pub-type grub. The scene was set and we ventured into
the unknown.
The Von Tapp family were out in full and
provided great entertainment. Even little Rory delighted us with Bob the
Builder, encouraged by audience participation in the chorus. Young Lydia
made the Rector wish he had a camera when his congregation supplied the actions
to YMCA!
The Handbell Ringers were challenged to see if
they could sing one of the numbers from their recent award-winning
recital and obliged with a passable rendition of Dont cry for me,
Argentina.
The ringers themselves were seen in a new light
too. Mike Morgan and Stan Coleman eventually got their act of Yesterday
together even if at first we thought it would be tomorrow before they did!
We had some really good wannabees - Dusty Springfield,
Celine Dion, Gloria Gaynor and Barry Manilow (the Master of the Ringers as
youve never seen him before) and the experts gave the evening special
class with their good choice of songs from the shows, etc.
The organists classical version of My Way
was impressively hammed and left us hoping for an encore from, maybe, The
Tremeloes but he left early before Mike and Stan could sign up for the choir.
Everyone who came had a really good time - it
was great fun. The ringers rounded off the evening appropriately with the Abba
song, Money, Money, Money and grateful thanks were extended to Chris and
Tamasine for all their hard work in helping to make the evening a success.
We raised 278 with just one disappointment
- the Singing Nun didnt sing!
The PCC has been struggling in finding
replacements for the deceased gas fires in both the Clergy and Choir
Vestries. When it met on November 19 it was grateful that it was not an
exceptionally cold night and that a portable fan heater was adequate for its
needs.
The PCC had chosen what it thought were suitable
replacements for the old gas fires, but when the fitter came to install them he
found they were incompatible with the old flues, and thus dangerous. So it was
back to the drawing board, and, since we understand an equivalent gas fire is
not available anywhere in Europe, investigations are being made as to the
availability of suitable electric heaters. In the meantime, for Selwyns and
the choirs sakes, pray for a mild winter.
It was noted with pleasure that the standard
lamp in the churchyard was now working and providing a good light. Permission
to proceed with a faculty application to refurbish the paths had been received
but the procedure has become rather more complicated. There will thus be more
delay while the necessary paperwork is obtained from the contractor and Sutton
council - a further complication being that there has been a change of
personnel in the Planning Department since the project was first mooted.
The PCC has approved a design for a votive stand
more in keeping with the traditional nature of the church decorations, and has
the added safety advantage in that it can be attached to the wall. Some slight modifications
have been suggested following a site visit by the designer. The final version
of the design will then need to be approved by the Diocesan Advisory Committee.
A representative of the Monumental Brass Society
has inspected the medieval brass knight and the other brasses. We hope his
report will include suggestions as to sources of funding for the proposed
restoration work.
As part of complying with the Disability Audit
Groups recommendations the new running man exit signs are in place, the steps
to the Vestry are more clearly marked and some large-print service books are
available. The provision of some large-print hymn books is being looked into.
On the financial side, the PCC was encouraged by
the news that the shopping list continues to run between three and five weeks
ahead of target. If this situation continues until the end of the year, it
looks as though the Treasurer will be able to pay over a respectable amount to
reduce the capital on our mortgage. She has already handed over the proceeds
of a windfall received as a result of overpayment of VAT on the gas and
electricity bills.
Cassie also reported that the Tower and Bells
Fund stood at 18,387, most of which had been raised by the ringers themselves
from beyond St Marys family and with no obvious detriment to the Shopping
List.
The PCC next meets on Monday January 28 when the
budget for 2002 will be the main item on the agenda. We should also know what
our Fairer Shares assessment will be.
Diana Harries
I dont think many of us would have anticipated
quite the surprise and delight in store for us as we met in the Church Centre
for the recent performance of Lord Arthur Saviles Crime, a social comedy
with a difference in true English (or at any rate Wildean) style.
On stage, all the familiar much-loved English
types assemble, ready to be gently mocked, in the familiar drawing room where they
propose the familiar topics of courtship, marriage, fashion, servants, social
events and funerals. But murder - surely not! But yes . . . as a gullible Lord
Arthur (Selwyn Tillett) falls victim to the unscrupulous and fraudulent
palmist, Mr Podgers (Alan May), the plot thickens and the comedy of situation
is impressively added to that of character and language.
As the casting was so perfect, all the
characters blended as a harmonious group, while yet celebrating their
individuality. We believed in their world and were prepared to suspend our
disbelief, despite one bizarre event succeeding another. Lady Julia Mertons
(Sue Ardley) barely concealed contempt (as all seemed beneath her) contrasted
with the muddleheaded amiability of the Dean of Paddington (Reg Willis), while
the perpetually perplexed Lord Arthur was willingly manipulated by the
redoubtable but scheming Baines the butler (Harold Hore), whose clearly
manifested delight in his ever more intricate murder plans, was something to
behold.
The affairs of men continued to rise and fall,
twist and turn as each character contributed his or her own marvellously
unexpected moment, hindered only by the self-appointed anarchist (Kevin
Winstone), resplendent in black, who reminded us vaguely of Tommy Cooper since
each trick and murder weapon failed miserably, with disastrous results.
Superb use was made of props - the unforgettable
bomb and the magnificent box of chocolates containing the delicious pink one
in the centre, held the audience riveted. The comedy ranged from pure farce to
the profound (the truth is rarely pure and never simple) while we, the
audience, responded to one loaded line after another. And if later, on
reflection, we realised that we may have glimpsed fleetingly, beneath the chink
of bone china, the etiquette and the veneer of civilisation, the darker side of
humanity, this only served to add a sharper edge to Wildes urbane wit.
Finally, my particular admiration must go to the
sheer pace of the performance; one at times found it difficult to believe the
cast was using scripts. Such slickness does not occur by chance but as a result
of dedicated rehearsal and skilful direction (Cassie Tillett) and thus, on
behalf of the whole audience, I should like to express sincere thanks to the
cast for some really wonderful entertainment and to those responsible for the
catering for a lovely meal to round off the occasion.
Jackie Egerton
I was surfing the Web and found the site for St
Marys and would just like to say how good it is.
My parents (John & Margaret) moved to the
parish in 1936 and between then and 1990, when I was the last to leave, the
whole family was involved in some way or another with St Marys. My brothers
(Roger and Stephen), sister (Margaret) and I were all christened, confirmed and
married in St Marys and both our parents are now in the church graveyard. Our
parents were actively involved with St Marys between the 60s and 80s -
churchwarden, PCC, fund raising committee, flower arranging, etc - and I know
that all of we children have fond memories of St Marys. It certainly played a
central part of our lives.
It is so interesting to read the past editions
of the Parish Magazine and yes, there are some people in it whose names I still
recognise. If you were to mention my mothers name - Margaret Powell - to
parishioners such as Mary Tapp, Stewart Kimber, etc, I wonder if they would
remember her? [Yes, for course we do - Ed]
Anyway, congratulations on producing the site
and, rest assured, I will be popping onto it every so often to catch up with
the latest news.
Jane Powell
Nov 17 Stephen Robert Atkin, 24 Chiswick Close
Nov 3 Robert Simmons to Julie Cook, 23 Mellor
Close
Oct 29 Joan Dorothy Hawkes, aged 66, of Bexhill
(formerly of Beddington)
|
Sat |
1 |
Christmas Fair |
11.00am - 3.00pm |
|
Sun |
2 |
ADVENT SUNDAY |
|
|
|
|
Advent Carol Service |
6.30pm |
|
Mon |
3 |
Magazine panel meets, 2 Peaks Hill |
10.00am |
|
|
|
Deanery Synod, St Barnabas, Sutton |
7.45pm |
|
Tue |
4 |
Parents and toddlers meet, Church |
10.00am |
|
|
|
Social Committee meets, 2 Caraway Place |
8.00pm |
|
Wed |
5 |
St Marys Guild Christmas Party, St Marys
Court |
2.30pm |
|
Fri |
7 |
Prayer Group in Church |
7.30pm |
|
Sun |
9 |
SECOND OF ADVENT |
|
|
|
|
Churches Together Advent Service, Wallington
Methodist Church |
6.30pm |
|
Thu |
13 |
Carew Manor School Christmas Service |
10.30am |
|
|
|
MU&OG carol evening. Church Centre |
8.00pm |
|
Fri |
14 |
Prayer Group in Church |
7.30pm |
|
Sun |
16 |
THIRD OF ADVENT |
|
|
|
|
Christingle Service |
4.00pm |
|
Tue |
18 |
Sherwood Park School Christmas Service |
11.00am |
|
Wed |
19 |
MU Corporate Eucharist |
10.00am |
|
Sun |
23 |
FOURTH OF ADVENT |
|
|
|
|
Service of Carols and Lessons |
6.30pm |
|
Mon |
24 |
CHRISTMAS EVE |
|
|
|
|
A Service for Families |
6.00pm |
|
|
|
Midnight Mass |
11.30pm |
|
Tue |
25 |
CHRISTMAS DAY |
|
|
|
|
Eucharist with Carols |
9.00am |
|
Fri |
28 |
Prayer Group in Church |
7.30pm |
|
Sun |
30 |
FIRST OF CHRISTMAS |
|
Sun Jan 6
Epiphany
Isaiah 60: 1-6 (page 38)
Ephesians 3: 1-12 (page 40)
Matthew 2: 1-12 (page 41)
Sun Jan 13
The Baptism of Christ
Isaiah 42: 1-9
Acts 10: 34-43
Matthew 3: 13-17
Sun Jan 20
Epiphany 2
Isaiah 49: 1-7 (page 45)
1 Corinthians 1: 1-9 (page 47)
John 1: 29-42 (page 48)
Sun Jan 27
Epiphany 3
Isaiah 9: 1-14 (page 49)
1 Corinthians 1: 10-18 (page 51)
Matthew 4: 12-23 (page 52)
Mon 3 Francis Xavier, missionary, Apostle of the Indies, 1552
Fri 7 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Teacher of the Faith, 397
Sat 8 Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Fri 14 John of the Cross, poet, Teacher of the Faith, 1591
Wed 26 Stephen, deacon, first martyr
Fri 28 The Holy Innocents
Sat 29 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, martyr, 1170
Sat 1 All those attending our Christmas Fair
Sun 2 Guidance through Advent
Mon 3 Deanery Synod, meeting tonight
Tue 4 Our parents and toddlers group
Wed 5 St Marys Guild
Thu 6 Under-18s involved with drugs
Fri 7 Our planning for 2002
Sat 8 Thanksgiving for the place of Mary in
the Christmas story
Sun 9 Churches Together in Beddington and
Wallington
Mon 10 All those beginning a new career
Tue 11 Families who are separated from each other
Wed 12 Local Townswomens Guilds
Thu 13 Carew Manor School, holding its Christmas
service today
Fri 14 Christian mystics and prophets
Sat 15 Those about to be ordained
Sun 16 The work of the Childrens Society
Mon 17 Local people with housing problems
Tue 18 Sherwood Park School, holding its
Christmas service today
Wed 19 The work of the Mothers Union
Thu 20 All who will maintain essential services
over Christmas
Fri 21 The diocese of Blackburn
Sat 22 The churchs Social Responsibility
advisers
Sun 23 Those attending our special Christmas
services
Mon 24 All who are homeless
Tue 25 Thanksgiving for the birth of Jesus, the
light of the world
Wed 26 Those who live alone
Thu 27 Parents and grandparents
Fri 28 Children who are abused
Sat 29 All who work for the well-being of
children
Sun 30 Thanksgiving for all we have been enabled
to do in the past year
Mon 31 Gods guidance in the year ahead
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