There are two venues and dates for the Swearing-In of our new Churchwardens which PCC members are also invited to attend: these are either Wednesday, 7 May at St John's, Shirley, at 8.00 pm, or Wednesday, 21 May at The Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches, at 8.00 pm.

The church and tower will be open on both the Bank Holiday Mondays in May - the 5th and the 26th.

At 6.30 pm on Sunday, 11 May, there will be a joint service held at St Paul's, Roundshaw to mark the beginning of Christian Aid Week. There will be no Evensong at St Mary's on that day.

Buy your tickets now for an Evening of Nostalgia on Saturday, 24 May - full details here.

Ascension Day on Thursday, 29 May will be celebrated with a Choral Eucharist at 7.30 pm.

Advance warning that there is a meeting for all those who regularly lead our Sunday intercessions in church on Tuesday, 3 June at 8.00 pm. Please be there, not only to think about what we are actually doing when we lead people's prayers, but to practice using the microphone!

There is a diocesan Vocations Day at the cathedral on Saturday, 14 June, running from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, led by the bishops of Southwark and Kingston and by Janice Price, director of training in the diocese of Worcester. This is for all those who want to look at their own gifts and the ways in which they might be used in a wide variety of service within the life of the church. There is a fee of £3 for the day. Diana Harries has further information and booking forms, which must be returned to the address given on them by 31 May.

Our thanks to Fiona Mackley for all her work as our Children's Society representative. Fiona is now standing down and Emma Thompson has kindly agreed to take on the role.

Saints in May

Fri 2 Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, 373

Wed 14 Matthias the Apostle

Mon 19 Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, restorer of monastic life, 988

Tue 20 Alcuin of York, deacon, Abbot of Tours, 804

Mon 26 Augustine, first Bishop of Canterbury, 605

Sat 31 Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth

What’s On In May?

Thu	1	MU&OG. Handbell Ringing - a talk by Sandra Winter. Church Centre.	8.00 pm
Fri	2	Social Committee meets at 2 Caraway Place	8.00 pm
Sun	4	EASTER 3
		Commissioning of new PCC at Eucharist	9.30 am
Mon	5	Bank Holiday. Church and Tower open	11 am - 5 pm
Tue	6	Parents and Toddlers group meet in Church	10.00 am
		Magazine Panel meets at 35 Vanguard Way	6.30 pm
		Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Wed	7	St Mary's Guild meets at St Mary's Court - Mr Weatherley will give a talk on 'Stained Glass'	2.30 pm
		Swearing-in of Churchwardens at St John's Church, Shirley	8.00 pm
Thu	8	Consecration of the new Bishop of Croydon at St Paul's Cathedral	11.00 am
		Deanery Synod meets at St Dunstan's, Cheam	8.00 pm
Sat	10	Coffee Morning in aid of Tower & Bells Fund will be hosted by Pam Aylemore at 135 Desmesne Road	from 10.00 am
SUN	11	EASTER 4
		Carew Manor Open Day
		United Service for Christian Aid Week at St Paul's, Roundshaw. (No Evensong at St Mary's)	6.30 pm
Tue	13	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Wed	14	Eucharist to be held at St Mary's Court	10.00 am
Thu	15	MU&OG. Church Centre. Speaker to be advised	8.00 pm
SUN	18	EASTER 5
		Finance Committee meets at The Rectory	8.00 pm
Mon	19	Eucharist	7.30 pm
		PCC meets. Church Centre	8.00 pm
Tue	20	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Wed	21	MU Corporate Eucharist	10.00 am
		Churches Together AGM at St Paul's, Roundshaw	7.45 pm
		Swearing-in of Churchwardens at The Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches.	8.00 pm
Sat	24	An evening of 'Nostalgia' in aid of the Tower & Bells Fund.	7.30 pm
SUN	25	EASTER 6
Mon	26	Bank Holiday. Church and Tower open	11 am - 5 pm
Tue	27	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Thu	29	ASCENSION DAY
		Choral Eucharist	7.30 pm
Sat	31	Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth Eucharist	9.00 am

From the registers

Funerals

Mar 26 Doris Louise Young, aged 91,

of Avonlea, Rectory Lane.

Mar 28 Desiré Bruno Solari, aged 83.

of 25 Northway.

Music at St Mary's

“'If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it.'”

Although Orsino was pining for Olivia, this sentiment captures the effect of the Choir Concert given in place of Evensong on Sunday, 6 April.

The St Mary's choir was augmented by a choir from Worthing, led by their organist, Mr Neil Turner. The theme of the music was, of course, the solemnity of Lent, and the opening chorus - 'Ave, Verum Corpus' by the Elizabethan composer William Byrd - was perfect in sentiment and execution. This was followed by 'Ah, holy Jesu' by Johann Crüger. Then we heard the wonderful Choral Prelude by J S Bach, followed by the thoroughly English pieces, 'Wash me thoroughly' by S S Wesley, and the ever-loved 'God so loved the world' by Stainer. Another J S Bach, 'Christus, der uns selig macht', and the beautiful 'Christus factus est' by Anton Bruckner.

All of these pieces were excellently rendered, and the quality of the singing would not have disgraced a cathedral choir.

And then the Rutter Requiem. How lucky we are to live in an age when first-class church music is still being composed; this piece as recently as 1985. Like all great music, its depth and intensity mean that it has to be heard several times before the full beauty reveals itself. I am in this fortunate position, so every moment was a delight. The whole choir rose to the challenge, and reached its height with James Pedrick's singing of 'Pie Jesu', and the 'Lux Aeterna' by Harrison Benson. We are very lucky to have trebles with such fine voices, prepared to use their talent to the enchantment of us all.

I must, of course, pay tribute to Andrew Wilson, our choirmaster, without whose energy and expertise none of this would have come about. I am pleased to note that, as the choir processed back down the aisle, the whole audience broke into spontaneous applause. A well-deserved tribute to the hard work, dedication and sheer quality of all those who took part.

On behalf of all those who were there, THANK YOU.

Harold Hore

Stand and Deliver

Is there a modern Dick Turpin in the making? Michael Chilcott is planning to ride from London to York to raise money for our Tower and Bells Project. How he plans to relieve people of their money on the way, remains to be seen!

Mike and his bike will leave Southwark Cathedral on Saturday, 3 May. He will head north to St Paul’s Cathedral and St Alban’s Abbey. During the week he will visit Peterborough Cathedral, Southwell Minster and Lincoln Cathedral. His journey will take him across the Humber Bridge and on to his final destination of York Minster.

To help Mike collect his money by legal means, you are invited to sponsor him for this marathon 250-mile trip. He is aiming to get himself sponsored for £1,000 before he sets off north. If you wish to encourage him along his way, please contact Kath Chilcott in church, or by ringing 020 8686 2272, or at 21 Goldaming Avenue.

Jean Kimber

Advance Notice

St Mary’s ringers are holding a parish concert for funds on 9 August .

If you have a talent for entertaining that we may not know about, please sidle up to a ringer offer yourself.

Note - there may be an audition!!

May Day

If the arrival of May makes you feel a bit giddy and irrepressible, you are not alone. May was the month when the ancient pagans used to get up to all sorts! The Romans held their festival to honour the mother-goddess Maia, goddess of nature and growth. (May is named after her.) The early Celts celebrated the feast of Beltane, in honour of the sun god, Beli.

For centuries in 'Olde England' the people went mad in May. After the hardship of winter, and hunger of early Spring, May was a time of indulgence and unbridled merriment. One Philip Stubbes, writing in 1583, was scandalised: "for what kissing and bussing, what smooching and slabbering one of another, is not practised?"

Henry VIII went 'maying' on many occasions. Then folk would stay out all night in the dark rain-warm thickets, and return in the morning for dancing on the green around the Maypole, archery, vaulting, wrestling, and that evening, bonfires.

The Protestant reformers took a strong stand against May Day - and in 1644 Christmas and May Day were abolished together. Many Maypoles came down - only to go up again at the Restoration, when the first May Day of King Charles's reign was "the happiest Mayday that hath been many a year in England", according to Pepys. A truly enormous Maypole went up that year in London - 134 feet high, right where the church of St Mary lies near Westminster. It was the highest Maypole in history, but it disappeared in the interests of science: in 1717 Sir Isaac Newton took it away to support the most modern and powerful telescope in the world.

May Day to most people today brings vague folk memories of a young Queen of the May decorated with garlands and streamers and flowers, a Maypole to weave, Morris dancing, and the intricacies of well dressing at Tissington in Derbyshire.

May Day is a medley of natural themes such as sunrise, the advent of summer, growth in nature, and - since 1833 - Robert Owen's vision of a millennium in the future, beginning on May Day, when there would be no more poverty, injustice or cruelty, but harmony and friendship. This is why, in modern times, May Day has become Labour Day, which honours the dignity of workers. And until recently, in communist countries May Day processions were in honour of the achievement of Marxism.

There has never been a Christian content to May Day, but nevertheless there is the well known 6 am service on the top of Magdalen Tower at Oxford where a choir sings in the dawn of May Day.

An old May carol includes the lines:

                  The life of man is but a span,
                  - it flourishes like a flower
                  We are here today, and gone tomorrow
                  - we are dead within an hour.

There is something of a sadness about it, both in words and tune, as about all purely sensuous joy. For May Day is not Easter, and the joys it has known have always been earth-bound and fleeting.

Christian Aid Week 11-17 May

Christian Aid Week 2003 celebrates people who are changing the world. Some are from the developing world, others are supporters in the UK and Ireland. But all have a common goal - to challenge the causes and effects of poverty and to help change the world for good.

One person who features in the publicity is Roy Ellis, whose wife was the Minister of Wallington Methodist Church and who moved to Street in Somerset three years ago. Roy was a very active campaigner for Christian Aid, organising street collections and support for the Trade Justice Campaign. Some of you will remember him, I am sure.

So I am again asking for house to house collectors for Christian Aid Week. I know people do not relish the task, but without our efforts Christian Aid would not be able to support projects in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Jamaica and Palestinian territories.

Please make a note of two dates in Christian Aid Week. First the Christian Aid Week Service for all churches in Beddington and Wallington at St Paul's Church, Roundshaw at 6.30 pm on Sunday, 11 May. Also 'The Event' on Saturday, 17 May at Wallington Methodist Church hall from 10 am to 2 pm. There will be tea and coffee and various stalls, so if you are shopping in Wallington on the 17th, please call in and see what is on offer.

Thanking you in anticipation of your support.

Eileen England

Daily prayer topics in May

Thu 1 Thanksgiving for the life and witness of the Apostles

Fri 2 All teachers of the Christian Faith

Sat 3 Theological schools, seminaries and colleges

Sun 4 Commissioning of our new PCC

Mon 5 Christian education in parish churches

Tue 6 Our Bible Study Group

Wed 7 Give thanks for Sunday School teachers

Thu 8 Nicholas Bains, being consecrated as Bishop today at St Paul's Cathedral

Fri 9 All seeking Holy Orders

Sat 10 All who seek a deeper knowledge of Christ and the Christian Faith

Sun 11 Give thanks for the Anglican Church of Korea

Mon 12 Anglican schools, teachers and pupils

Tue 13 All involved in the recruitment and training of clergy

Wed 14 All called to positions of authority in the Church

Thu 15 All in Religious Orders

Fri 16 The work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission

Sat 17 All bishops, priests and deacons

Sun 18 Give thanks for the Church of the Province of Uganda

Mon 19 Our PCC as it meets for the first time tonight

Tue 20 MU Festival Services tonight and tomorrow

Wed 21 Churchwardens being sworn-in tonight

Thu 22 Our work with children and young people

Fri 23 Our care for the elderly and infirm

Sat 24 The Methodist Church

Sun 25 The Anglican Communion

Mon 26 Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Tue 27 The Anglican Communion Secretary General and staff

Wed 28 The Anglican Consultative Council

Thu 29 The Anglican Observer to the United Nations and staff

Fri 30 All concerned with social justice and reform

Sat 31 The courage to carry Christ within us and present Him wherever we go

Readings for Sundays and Festivals in May

Sun 18 May Easter 5

Acts 8: 26-40 (page 557)

1 John 4: 7-21 (page 559)

John 15: 1-8 (page 560)

Sun 25 May Easter 6

Acts 10: 44-48 (page 561)

1 John 5: 1-6 (page 562)

John 15: 9-17 (page 563)

Sun 4 May Easter 3

Acts 3: 12-19 (page 551)

1 John 3: 1-7 (page 552)

Luke 24: 36b-48 (page 553)

Sun 11 May Easter 4

Acts 4: 5-12 (page 554)

1 John 3: 16-24 (page 555)

John 10: 11-18 (page 556)

Thu 29 May Ascension Day

Acts 1: 1-11 (page 240)

Ephesians 1: 15-23 (page 243)

Luke 24: 44-53 (page 244)

Music at Evensong in May

Sunday 4 May

Canticles: Brewer in D

Anthem: Blessed Be The God and Father - Wesley

Sunday 11 May

No Evensong at St Mary's

Sunday 18 May

Canticles: Arnold in A

Anthem: O Taste and See - Sir John Goss

Sunday 25 May

Canticles: Stanford in C

Anthem: O Thou The Central Orb – Wood

First Aid

Following the success of a Basic First Aid session last October, it is hoped there will be sufficient interest to arrange another in the near future. The two-hour session would take place in the Centre and is ideal for beginners but also invaluable as a refresher course.

Please let me or Pat Kingsbury know if you would like to take up this opportunity, there is a small charge to cover expenses but it is well worthwhile and could lead to the saving of a life.

June Allen

The Other AGM

The Friends of Beddington Park and The Grange held their first AGM on 19 March. Dee Hyatt was elected Chairman and the committee now includes a Plant Person (Pam Aylmore) and a Dog Warden (Heather Beardmore), as well as all the usual officers.

The Friends of the Parks are pleased that they are getting noticed. The minutes of the AGM record a commendable list of achievements and plans for continuing involvement in park matters. These include lobbying the council to get the boating lake bridge repairs done - this should be completed by last summer - and volunteering to help plant bulbs for next spring. They will also keep us informed about progress of the children's play area and the proposed Beddington Park Cycle Scheme.

Membership of the Friends costs £10 for families, or £6 for individuals. Subscriptions are payable by cheque to 'Friends of Beddington and Grange Parks', and should be sent c/o The Treasurer, Roy Scott, 38 Rectory Lane, Wallington SM6 8DX.