Come
on in.... Make yourself at home
Readings
for Sundays in August
Saints,
Commemorations and Feast Days in August
A
Note from the Under Parlour Maid.
Albinoni
String Orchestra Concert : 10th June
Progressive
Supper : 24th June
Jeans
Honey and Coriander Salmon
Royal
Marsden Charity Concert : 1st July
This is none but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven said Jacob at Bethel as he awoke from his dream. What was this house of God? Was it a luxuriously decorated building, full of priceless treasures? Was it a place set apart, a place different from everything around it? No, for Jacob the house of God was not a place of escape but was very much part of the world. The house of God is any place where God invites us in, where God touches our lives. God isnt locked up in a building, but is out there in the world, in our daily lives, in our hearts.
But because we are human beings we need some way of showing our love for God, and our wonder at the mystery that is God. So we have built churches, buildings where we can give of our best to God in terms of craftsmanship, artistic explorations, music, emotions; buildings that help us to learn about God and enter more deeply into God. We need places where we can celebrate, places where we can cry, places where we can meet each other and share the important things in our lives.
In a sense the church building really is Gods house, because God is our host of endless generosity and hospitality and God invites us all in, rich or poor, old or young, successful or unsuccessful to share in joy and in the feast that is set out before us. We are all welcome around Gods table.
But God is the sort of host who asks the guests to get involved too. The guests at this party are invited to act as hosts for others, to invite new guests in to share the feast, to make them welcome, to pour wine and break bread for them. Take some and pass it on. The church is called to be like God, to throw open the doors and invite everyone in.
One of the ways that we try to do that at St Marys is to invite people to share the wonder of our building, its history and sense the tens of thousands of people who must have worshipped there over the centuries. This year weve been invited to be part of the Open House London weekend on September the 16th and 17th. Together with many other gems of London, some hidden, others more public, were going to invite people to spend time in the church. Were going to let them know about the building old and new, what has happened in it in the past, and what goes on in it now. You can read more about this elsewhere in the magazine.
Throwing a party, offering hospitality to others, means getting ready and tidying the house. So on Saturday August 26th were going to invite people to spend some time cleaning part of the church perhaps the bit that gets on their nerves most. Were going to battle with cobwebs, scrub stone and polish wood, to make the house of God as beautiful as we can our offering to God and also as a sign of our welcome to our visitors. It will also be a chance to get to know people in a (very) different way. Who knows what conversations will be struck up over the feather dusters!
One of the marks of the church is its welcome to strangers; may we do all that we can to welcome them with open and sincere hearts and polished brass too!
Justine
Whats on in August? |
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|
SUN |
6 |
TRINITY 8 The Transfiguration Celebrants: Revd Andrew Roland from All Saints, Hackbridge Fr Raymond Hockley from the College of St Barnabus |
8.00 am 9.30 am |
|
Tue |
8 |
Magazine Panel meets at 35 Vanguard Way |
11.00 am |
|
Sat |
12 |
Mothers Union Wave of Prayer at Pam Vernons home |
11.20 to 11.40 am |
|
SUN |
13 |
TRINITY 9 Baptism |
11.30 am |
|
Wed |
16 |
MU Corporate Eucharist Parish Away-Day to Charlwood St Marys Guild members will join the outing |
10.00 am |
|
SUN |
20 |
TRINITY 10 Baptism |
11.30 am |
|
Sat |
26 |
Church Cleaning Day |
9.00 am to 2.30 pm |
|
SUN |
27 |
TRINITY 11 |
|
|
Mon |
28 |
Bank Holiday Monday Church and Tower Open |
From 11.30 am |
|
Tue |
29 |
Social Committee meets at 2 Caraway Place |
8.00 pm |
Saturday, 2 September: Families Back to School Party, 2.00-4.00 pm
Sunday, 3 September: The 9.30 am service will be conducted by Bishop Nick and will see the Induction and Installation of Justine as Rector. This will also be our Patronal Festival. The service will be followed by the BBQ originally planned for the end of July as we thought it would be a fun way to celebrate these special services. There will be no 8.00 am Eucharist in the morning .
Sunday, 10 September: Sunday School re-starts.
Saturday, 16 September: London Bridges Walk.
Saturday/Sunday, 16/17 September: Open House
Sunday, 17 September: The Selah Choir from Korea will be performing at Sts Church at 6.30 pm. Those who attended the Churches Together Concert at St. Elphege's will have experienced them already. As well as singing they gave a rousing performance on an assortment of percussion instruments. If you missed them on that occasion, here is a second chance.
Saturday, 30 September: Harvest Supper followed by Hands & Concert.
Sunday, 1 October: Harvest Festival
Every Sunday we pray for people living and working in two or three roads in the parish. The roads in August will be:
Sunday 6 August
Aldwick Road and Lavington Road
Sunday 13 August
Salcott Road and Cedars Road
Sunday 20 August
Riverside Mews and Bridle Path
Sunday 27 August
Garrett Close
Sunday, 6 August, The
Transfiguration
Daniel 7 : 9-10, 13-14
2 Peter 1 : 16-19
Luke 9 : 28b-36
Sunday, 13 August, Trinity 9
1 Kings 19 : 4-8
Ephesians 4 : 25-5 : 2
John 6 : 35, 41-51
Sunday, 20 August, Trinity 10
Proverbs 9 : 1-6
Ephesians 5 : 15-20
John 6 : 51-58
Sunday, 27 August, Trinity 11
Joshua 24 : 1-2a, 14-18
Ephesians 6 : 10-20
John 6 : 56-69
Fri 4 John-Baptiste Vianney, Cur dArs, Spiritual Guide, 642
Sat 5 Oswald, King of Northumbria, Martyr, 642
Sun 6 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD
Mon 7 John Mason Neale, Priest, Hymn Writer, 1866
Tue 8 Dominic, Priest, Founder of the Order of Preachers, 1221
Wed 9 Mary Sumner, founder of The Mothers Union, 1921
Thu 10 Laurence, Deacon at Rome, Martyr, 258
Fri 11 Clare of Assisi, founder of the Minoresses (Poor Clares), 1253
John Henry Newman, Priest, Tractarian, 1890
Mon 14 Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr, 1941
Thu 24 BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE
Mon 28 Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Teacher, 430
Tue 29 The Beheading of John the Baptist
Wed 30 John Bunyan, Spiritual Writer, 1688
Thu 31 Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 651
16 & 17 September 2006
The Open House organisation works throughout the year in partnership with architects, designers, property owners, artists and the building industry, as well as schools, youth and community groups.
It has three main objectives:
- promoting a better understanding of architecture and the public environment across all sections of the community
- Developing resources which help build knowledge
- Encouraging everyone to identify with and take pride in their city's wealth of architecture through free access to great buildings
St Marys involvement is part of the last objective. We will be open on Saturday 16 September from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm and on Sunday 17 July from 12.00 to 5.00 pm, providing tours of the building, highlighting its history and its place in the community. We will be offering refreshments throughout the day on both days.
Its a great opportunity for us to introduce our wonderful building and history to a wide range of people from across London and beyond. We will feature in the Open House London publicity material and on their website www.londonopenhouse.org as well as doing work more locally.
If you can help at all on either of the days, whether as a guide or perhaps helping with refreshments, then Pat or Justine would love to hear from you.
PS Sutton Council is joining the Open House Weekend this year so in addition to over 600 buildings, new and old, across London that you could visit free of charge, you will find these rather more local buildings open too....
- the award-winning BedZed complex in Hackbridge,
- Carshalton House Water Tower
- Little Holland House
- the Brookes Lawley Building in the Institute of Cancer Research, Carshalton
And Suttons Heritage Buildings - Honeywood and Whitehall - will be open as normal
There are a lot of things happening at St Marys over the next month or so, and it seems as if the spiders have decided that they want to be part of the fun too, building themselves many beautiful webs, as well as the sunlight showing us some of the grubbier parts of the church.
It would be great if as many people as possible could spend an hour (or two or even three) at any time between 9am and 2.30 pm on Saturday 26th August helping to clean the church from top to bottom. Although it gets dusted, vacuumed and the brasses polished regularly (and a huge thanks to those of you involved in this Forth Bridge-like task), we dont spend a huge amount of time evicting our less welcome tenants and polishing the more obscure nooks and crannies, and potentially discovering long lost items of treasure.
We thought that rather than taking this all too seriously, we should try to attack the project with a bit of team spirit, and all work at it together as far as possible. Of course, edible incentives always help
in these matters, and to encourage you, we will provide lunch on 26th.
If you can help, please see Pat the Chief Parlour Maid - who will let you know what sort of jobs we have in mind. Please note that no previous experience of dusting, hoovering or polishing is required. Enthusiasm and a willingness to wield a feather duster are whats required. and remember too, other peoples housework is always easier than your own.
Justine
11 June Luca Joseph Michael Pacitti
Holly Iris Jenny Kember
9 July Max David Halsey
20 May Paul Pavey and Lucy Anne Barnes
1 July Russell Fairbrass and Katy Julia Brown
8 July Mark Alun Scott Anthony and Kristina Jane Beadle
21 July William James Gundry Ritchie and Deborah Williams
11 April Eric Leslie Jones, age 92
11 April Doreen Pearl Lammond, age 81
18 April Elizabeth Ivy Kite, age 91
20 April Frederick Arthur Sowan, age 91
17 May Hilda Charlotte Brereton, age 94
23 May Janet Lillian Morris, age 94
6 June Eileen Gertrude Adams, age 87
14 June Bob Gray, age 86
10 July Joyce Ruth Sheldrake, age 82
11 July David John McRae, age 74
1919-2006
Bob Gray came to live in Wallington in 1955, with his wife Louie and his two year old daughter, Judith. Diana, his younger daughter, was born soon afterwards. The family were regular attendees at St Marys and Bob and Louie together led one of the sidesmens teams. Bob remained a familiar figure in church on Sunday mornings and at social events until his recent move to the South Coast, walking down from Queenswood Avenue when he could no longer drive and even when his bad leg was obviously painful.
Bob was born in North London in 1919, a Victory baby after the First World War. When the Second World War broke out he was old enough to be called up and spent the entire war years with the Royal Army Pay Corps in Palestine and Egypt. He thought he was lucky (though he occasionally seemed regretful that his extreme short-sightedness had kept him from being nearer the front line) as he had many opportunities for the travel which nurtured his growing skills in photography and sketching.
Bobs professional life, after his apprenticeship with Chippendales, took him to the furnishing section of the Metropolitan Police where one of his responsibilities had been the full kitting out of Hendon Police College. When he retired in 1982 Bob was the Metropolitan Polices Senior Furnishing Officer.
Outside interests were wide and varied, and kept him well occupied to the end of his life. His photography was given full rein during the interesting holidays he and Louie enjoyed together, and entertaining friends with illustrated accounts of their travels. Bob listened to music as a regular visitor to the Fairfield Halls and to the concerts of the local Recorded Music Society. Above all he enjoyed his garden and his allotment. His blackcurrants were legendary - pounds of them arriving in church to be sold for church funds, augmenting Bobs already generous giving.
Bob was proud of his friends and kept in touch with many people from his past. But it was his family of whom he was especially proud, his daughter, his grandsons and particularly Louie. He was proud of her record as a member of one of the teams in the Intelligence Service intercepting enemy signals, as well as of all her gifts and talents. When Louie became ill he patiently and faithfully cared for her at home for as long as he possibly could. It was not until they had celebrated their Golden Wedding that Bob would even consider letting someone else relieve him of this increasingly heavy task.
St Marys will miss this kind, quiet, unassuming and gentle man. May he rest in peace.
Have you ever wondered why we do what we do in church?
Have you ever wondered why the clergy, readers and choir wear what they wear? Then this could be for you....
Announcing
Growing through Worship
a five week course thinking about how we worship, why, and what it means to us!
Wednesday mornings: 10.30 12.00, beginning 20 September
Monday evenings: 8 .00 9.30, beginning 25 September.
No experience or expertise needed, this is just a chance to explore and ask all the questions you have always wanted to. Sign up at the back of church, or contact Justine
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Never test the depth of the water with both feet
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This is the theme we shall be exploring in a new series of poetry groups, beginning on Thursday, 14 September at 7.00 pm in the Church Centre. Meetings will then be held on the second Thursday
in the month through the autumn.
We shall consider how writers (poets, novelists and playwrights such as Shakespeare) use landscape for different purposes, adopting very different approaches. The September evening is entitled This Green and Pleasant Land when we shall ask to what extent poets have presented a truthful or idealised version of the English landscape and whether our Englishness relies upon our holding on to a certain perception of and nostalgia for rural England. It also wonders what part the city plays in our collective imagination.
As ever, it is hoped that some hands on analysis of poems in small groups will form part of our overall enjoyment of reading together the work of some of our best writers. No previous experience is required and all are welcome.
For each session a charge of 3 per person will be made to cover the cost of photocopying and refreshments plus a donation towards church funds. I look forward to seeing you.
Jackie Egerton
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Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead.
Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow.
Do not walk beside me for the path is narrow.
In fact, just leave me alone!
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16th August 2006
Charlwood - for those who first heard about it on the news a couple of weeks ago as hitting a record-breaking temperature in Britain - is in the south of Surrey near Gatwick Airport (and just inside the Diocese of Southwark).
When the airport was enlarged the noise and the new runway drove people away from the nearby village of Lowfield Heath and by the 1980s only the windmill and the church remained. The windmill was rescued and moved to a field about 2away in Charlwood. This is a post mill rebuilt by a faithful band of local people with help from local businesses and craftsmen, a firm of wheelwrights and grants from charities including the Lottery. The building work was completed in 1990 and the new sails turned in the wind.
The name Charlwood means the wood of the ceorls (freemen). The village has many timber-framed houses built about 1400 and the north aisle of StChurch, is dated 1080, while the south aisle was added in the late 13th Century with a grand window and murals painted on the plaster walls while still wet. They can be seen today telling the story of St Margaret of Antioch.
Our outing will leave Wallington at 10.15 am by car (there will be room for those wanting a lift) and will reach Charlwood about 11.15 am when we will visit the church. There will be a pub lunch (I am off to sample the local hostelries when this article goes to the editor; hard, but somebody has to do it!) followed by a visit to the mill. Local people will be greeting us at the church and the mill to show us around.
There is a list under the tower in church for those wishing to come to sign, or please phone me on 020 8647 9102
Heather
June and July saw a
positive flurry of events in and around Sts. If you didnt make it to any (or
all!) of them, this is what you missed ...
Sue Ardley, fixer extraordinaire, once again brought the Albinoni String Orchestra to our church so that, at one and the same time, we could listen to some of the string orchestra repertoire and also help a worthy cause. This time the worthy cause was Friends of the Elderly a body who, as the name suggests, help to care for the elderly: preserving their dignity; befriending them and caring for them. Ian Butterworth, the conductor, was able to share with the audience his admiration for the work of Friends of the Elderly, since his own mother had been a resident of one of their establishments.
At the end of the concert as she was thanking the conductor, the orchestra and the harpist for their time (freely given) and effort Justine made mention of the fact that this concert had given the audience the opportunity to hear some of the "little known gems" of the string orchestra repertoire.
For those who thought that English music begins and ends with Purcell and Elgar there was food for thought in the choice of four of the six items in the concert. English late baroque music, much influenced by Handel, was represented by the Newcastle composer Charles Avison and his Concerto in E minor. The orchestra let us hear its full-bodied sound and a range of dynamics and the last movement in particular bowled along energetically.
Mr. Butterworth then gave us a welcome, illustrated introduction to the Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus. The piece is based on folk tunes that Vaughan Williams collected in the early part of the twentieth century and then subsequently sumptuously harmonised and arranged. The audience (in its role as congregation) would have recognised the tune as Kingsfold which is often sung to the words; "I heard the voice of Jesus say,..."
Then to complete the first half there was the Suite in F by Parry. During this work the violas, cellos and double bass showed how sonorously they could play and the jolly last movement was played with vigour and enthusiasm by all.
The interval food and drinks deserve praise as well. I can particularly recommend the fairy cakes with icing and chocolate nibs. Our thanks to those who worked behind the scenes to produce the spread and serve it.
The second half began with a piece I find it difficult to imagine why Classic FM does not play. The harpist, Stephen Lewis, first of all gave us a quick introduction to the harp and its history. The instrument itself had occasioned much interest from people returning from the food in the Centre, placed as it was for this piece, in the central aisle. The piece, Aria in a Classical Style for Harp and Strings, was a rich, flowing melody arranged in some very entrancing sonorities. Generally contemplative and tranquil the piece allowed the orchestra particularly to show the audience the meaning of legato.
The Fugue in A minor by Bach was a brave choice for a concert played in a church used, as we are, to hearing such pieces played with the advantage? of the full range of organ sounds and voicing.
The final piece, the Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten, was the best known and the orchestra revelled in its familiarity and the conductor needed to consult his score much less frequently in this piece. The orchestra reserved its very best playing for this piece. The ensemble, which was given a severe test by the Playful Pizzicato, and the intonation were excellent and the characterisation of the different movements was very clear. The quality of this early work shone through and made a delightful end to a most enjoyable concert.
The concert raised 500, which was divided between Friends of the Elderly and church funds.
Kevin Winstone
Our progressive supper this year was, as usual, a great success. If youve never joined us and dont know what it is, it goes like this starters in one house stroll on ...main course in another stroll on... desserts in the third house stroll on ... and so to coffee in the last. In fact all the eateries are within very easy walking distance of each other, but you can drive if you want. For several years now its been carefully planned that we finish up in a house where we can enjoy the music and firework display emanating from the Concert in the Park event held on the same day. Our own great finale to a most enjoyable evening. Why not join us next year?
Many thanks are due to our hosts and hostesses for providing such lovely food and, in response to many requests, here are the recipes for two of the popular dishes featured that night ..
Ingredients: 2 salmon steaks
2 small or 1 medium courgette
1 medium carrot
and for the sauce, mix together in a small bowl:
2 tblspns orange juice (Sainsburys, Asdas etc)
2 tblspns concentrated lemon juice
2 tblspns clear honey
1 tblspn olive oil
1 heaped tspn chopped coriander (2, if using fresh)
1 level tspn ground coriander
tspn ground ginger
Skin and cube the salmon steaks. Put some oil in a wok, or large pan, and cook the salmon gently for a few minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Thinly slice the courgette and the carrot.
Cook them in the pan until softened. Return the salmon to the pan and add the sauce. Bring to the boil, then lower heat and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve with rice or couscous and/or salad (or anything of your choice!)
Serves two, but can easily be adjusted for any number of people (using basic mathematical skills!)
Ingredients 70g unsalted butter
185g caster sugar
lemon zest of one large lemon (or use lime zest and juice)
80mls lemon juice
3 eggs, separated
30g self raising flour
185ml milk
Icing sugar to dust
Cream or ice cream to serve
Preheat the oven to 180oc (Gas Mark 4). Melt 10g of the butter and use to grease a 1.25ltr ovenproof ceramic dish.
Beat the remaining butter, the sugar and grated zest together in a bowl until the mixture is light and creamy. Gradually add the egg yolks, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour and milk alternately to make a smooth but runny batter. Stir in the lemon juice (don't worry if the batter looks as if it has curdled).
Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form and with a large metal spoon fold a third of the whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to over-mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared dish and place in a large roasting tin. Pour enough hot water into the tin to come one third of the way up the side of the dish and bake for 55 minutes, or until the top of the pudding is golden, risen and firm to the touch. Leave for 5 minutes before serving. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or home-made vanilla ice cream
It was so graceful, balletic almost. That was how Guy described the hand bell ringers contribution to the wonderful concert in aid of the Royal Marsden Hospital , Sutton. Neither of us had really heard or seen hand bell ringing in practice before, and we were both amazed by its complexity and in particular the degree of teamwork involved. As the melody wove around the parts, you really got a sense of interdependence and the way that one mistake could so easily throw the whole piece. Luckily, that didnt seem to be an issue for the St Marys band.
The concert was in honour of Stewart Kimber, who led the hand bell ringers at Sts, and who received treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital. The aim was to honour Stewarts memory and his legacy and also to raise money for the hospital. Financially the concert was a great success, raising over 1,000. Musically, I think it achieved its aims as well.
For both Guy and myself, the concert was full of surprises things we hadnt seen or heard before. In addition to the revelation of the hand bells, the Sutton Percussion Group or representatives from it were amazing. They brought home to me the musicality of percussion instruments when you give them a chance to be heard on their own, and we were certainly treated to some virtuoso performances. I might have been somewhat wary of a percussion group before, but no longer. Thank you to Chris Kimber for breaking down my prejudices and for all the arrangements of pieces to make them suitable for this possibly neglected section of the orchestra.
The Collingwood School choir treated us to wonderful performances too. We listened to works ranging from Disney to Carl Jenkins, and we heard confident and polished solo performances from very young singers. Tamasine Kimber kept the choir under control, but allowed their youthful enthusiasm to shine through, keeping them smiling and even dancing towards the end of a hot, sticky evening.
As well as these large group contributions, the variety was maintained with various solo and small group items. These covered the whole range of musical styles from Pam Akhurst assuring us, in the song by Flanders and Swann, that she was tone deaf (not sure I believe her though!), a mystery performer (aka Paul Bransome) wowing us with Nessun Dorma by Puccini, songs from a Miss Saigon and Girl Crazy and renditions of various Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky. And lets not leave out the St Mary Swingle Singers, or Ian and Kevins interesting recipe courtesy of British Rail.
Thanks to everyone who shared their talents with us, inspiring us and opening our ears to new musical possibilities. And a huge thank you to Jean Kimber, whose marshalling of talent, catering and delicate negotiations made the whole evening possible. Guy and I look forward to more discoveries in the years to come.
Justine
Very many thanks to
everyone who took part in, or supported in any way, the concert for the Marsden. A cheque for 1,056.65 was sent to the hospital
and we have received a letter of thanks and a certificate, both of which will
be prominently displayed.
Jean Kimber
Sunday, 9 July: Assorted members of SMYLE, having accosted members of the morning congregation to persuade them to sponsor their ducks early, sit under the lych gate throughout the afternoon, ready to waylay passing members of the public and induce them to sponsor a duck too.
Oh no, it's raining!... Five hours and three members of the public later a despondent group of SMYLErs meet in the Centre but are encouraged by Justine's positive attitude. BUT, there's still so much to do - and we're making this up as we go along! The next 2 hours are spent using our neatest handwriting to produce signs ready to nail to the (as yet, unbought) posts.
Monday, 10 July: Our Priest-in-Charge led the charge into local schools with lots of extra Duck Day leaflets, hot off the press (well, photocopier actually). Thank you, Justine! Meanwhile, IKEA was scoured for yellow material suitable for making ducks and Croydon for a duck pattern. The former came up trumps with a soft yellow blanket going cheap (not quack?) but Croydon proved to be a duck pattern-free zone until the kind lady in Turtle's suggested the library. Delighted to find that it is not necessary to be resident in Croydon to join and also that the library is open on a Monday, Pam was soon the proud possessor of a duck pattern (well, chicken actually, but close!).
Hazel's mum had been volunteered by her daughter to make the ducks for Chuck-a-Duck and she bravely set about her task. Thank you, Caris!
Tuesday, 11 July: Pam was supposed to meet a man in the park at 9 am but she was stood up could she come on Wednesday instead? So, off to B&Q instead to get wood for making signposts. She was pleased to find that eight 8ft posts can be carried in a small car so long as it has a sun roof. In the evening there was much sawing of posts in the graveyard, interspersed with appeals to the choir parents to sponsor a duck when they arrived to collect their offspring, and then Jane led the expedition to Makro to buy ingredients for goody bags and drinks for the drinks stall. Thanks, Jane!
Wednesday, 12 July: Bright and early, Pam confidently approached a man standing at the bridge the agreed meeting place. Hello, are you Ian? A suspicious stare and an answer in the negative led to a few uncomfortable moments as she waited for the real Ian, from the parks department, to arrive.... Luckily, he was only a few minutes late and soon the Duck Day site had been walked and the position chosen for the 5-a-side football pitch agreed. Two more young men arrived with their line-painting equipment and the site was duly approved by them. (It was like one of those How many sopranos does it take to change a light bulb? jokes.) However, there was a bonus to this meeting: permission was granted to hang a big advertisement on the park railings. The down side to that was that we would have to make the sign first!
So, off to B&Q again. Please note, an 8' x 3' wooden board can be carried in a small car so long as the back will open flat and the rear seats fold down new uses for the car being discovered every day! Luckily the weather was warm and sunny (thank you, God!) so the two coats of white paint were dry before Wednesday evening saw SMYLE in the churchyard again, practising their signwriting. As night descended and some members had to leave, Jane, Katie and Pam thanked the Lord for the floodlighting and finished the painting just before 10 pm.
Thursday, 13 July: By 7.20 am some of SMYLE were back at church ready to drill holes in the board, carry it along the road and fix it to the railings in time for the morning rush hour. We didn't mind the quacks from the white van men they were reading our sign!
Thursday evening was spent assigning jobs to the various volunteers and keeping an eye out for the pizza delivery man. This army marches on its stomach.
Friday, 14 July: We had arranged that this was to be a day of rest except for those who had agreed to take the ducks for a practice swim at 9 am. Lottie and Rachael selected the guinea pigs (can you have guinea ducks?) and 100 plucky ducks took to the water and were successfully retrieved. It was a relief to find that they all knew how to swim and that passing dogs did not run off with them. We left them upstairs in the Centre to dry out and tell the others of their adventure.
Saturday, 15 July: 12 noon in the Centre and Stephanie's computer and printer were working overtime as prizes were allocated to competitions and donors lists, volunteers lists, price lists and timetables of events were made. The eggs had to be counted into the jar (Oh no! Someone asked Steph a question and she had to start again. 243, 244, 245, ........), the lucky bags had to be packed with sweets and toys, the equipment allocated to each stall and laid out ready for the morning and the signs attached to posts.
Just as the the mess was at its height, a knight in shining armour came to our rescue as Jack arrived. His skill and dexterity soon had recalcitrant posts tamed, a rickety easel mended and wobbly cardboard signs reinforced. By 7 pm all was as ready as could be. Off home for an early night, ready for a 9 am start on Duck Day.
And the rest, as they say, is history. Duck Day dawned bright and sunny. Willing volunteers ferried equipment from the Centre to the park, gazebos mushroomed on the banks of the Wandle, signposts were erected and soon it was time to start. A momentary panic ensued when some vital paperwork was mislaid - the duck race sponsor forms- and then we really began to enjoy ourselves and we hope you did too.
Duck Day was finally here!
The weather so bright and so clear.
Smiles on all faces,
The ducks got their races,
Look out for the repeat next year
We had learnt a lot along the way and we hope to be able to put the experiences to good use in the future. We discovered how kind and generous are our neighbours in the community as well as in the congregation and we did lots of things we didn't know we could.
Thank you to all who came to enjoy the day and to all whose contribution made it enjoyable. The money raised (726.34) will enable Bag Books to buy materials in bulk to make more multi-sensory books for children with severe learning difficulties.
Thank you for helping SMYLE to put a smile on the face of a child.
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And the winning limerick from Pat Kingsbury was:
My favourite duck hurt
his bill
Which
made him feel terribly ill
So he went to the
Quack
Who soon sent him back
With a scrip for a big
yellow pill
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On 26 January, 2004, St Marys Parochial Church Council unanimously passed a resolution to apply for a Faculty (ie permission from the Diocesan authorities) to provide a garden of remembrance for the pouring of ashes.
Permission from the Diocese was duly received to set aside an area beside the north/south path in the churchyard and for it to be demarked with a low box hedge.
And so, on 10 June 2006 after much careful measuring and marking out, the little box bushes (called Green Balloon) were duly planted as the beginning of that hedge. Very many thanks are due to Chris, Derek, Heather, Jack, Kevin and Mike who laboured through the heat of the day to do this.
Green Balloon is one of many, many cultivars of box - or as it is also known, boxwood - which we could choose from. Like all boxes it is hardy, tolerant of most weather and soil conditions and potentially very long-lived. Being both useful and ornamental, box was at one time more widely grown than now. Its wood was much in demand, particularly for boxes and for instruments, both musical and navigational. Its timber is close grained and heavy (twice as hard as oak) and particularly useful because it does not warp. Ornamentally, it looks good in containers and lends itself well to topiary - which may be why box in all its attractive modern forms seems to be beginning to make an overdue comeback in our gardens.
Pat Kingsbury
In the Parish Magazine of January 1897, the following announcement was printed:
On Thursday afternoon, December 10th, a meeting was held at Riverside, by kind permission of Mrs Rostron, to inaugurate a branch of the Mothers Union in the parish.
Mrs Jelf, the Lady secretary, kindly came and addressed the meeting. Nearly 100 mothers were present, in spite of the bad weather and were entertained to tea by Mrs Rostron at the close of the meeting.
Mrs Rostron will be very pleased to see anyone who may wish to join the Mothers Union, or who wish for information.
There has been a branch of the MU in the parish for over 100 years, so when it was threatened with closure this year due to the lack of anyone available to take on the leadership of the branch, I felt that I could not let this happen and offered to fill the vacancy. Happily, we have a new Treasurer in Carol Cairns, and Sylvia James, who has been the MU Secretary since February 2001 has promised to set up the programme for 2006/7, but she will step down in March 2007. We are all so grateful to Sylvia for all the hard work she has undertaken on behalf of the MU, and for doubling up as our Chair of the Committee over the past few months.
The branch will now meet at 7.30 pm on the first Thursday of the month in the Church Centre - but please note the first meeting after the summer break on Thursday, 7 September, will be at Carole Cairns for an At Home evening.
The MU Corporate Eucharist will continue to be held at 10 am on the third Wednesday of the month in the Carew Chapel, followed by tea and coffee in the Centre afterwards.
What is the Mothers Union? It is a world-wide Anglican organisation whose Purpose is to be concerned with all aspects of Christian family life. The MU was founded in 1876 by Mary Sumner. When her first child was born she was overwhelmed by what she saw as the awesome responsibility of parents, not only in caring for their childs physical well-being, but also for their spiritual nurture and growth. The Aim is the advancement of the Christian religion in the sphere of marriage and family life. Members hold conferences and training sessions, including marriage preparation, in their branches and dioceses. The Society offers spiritual support and development to all. In many ways the members give practical support to young families both within the church and the wider community, eg running crches, mother and toddler groups and parenting courses.
Members not only give very generously to fund workers and projects in many parts of the Anglican community, but they pray daily through a wave of prayer for fellow members round the world.
Any proposed legislation affecting the family is discussed and comments passed to the relevant government committee. There is active monitoring of all forms of the media.
As a voluntary organisation, the Mothers Union offers friendship, care and unconditional love to thousands of women and men throughout the world, a lifeline for many families. It is a praying, teaching and caring society.
Membership is open to both men and women who have been baptised and who support the MUS Purpose and Aim.
I shall be delighted to hear from anyone who is interested in joining the Sts branch of the Mothers Union.
Jenifer Davison
As our meeting in July took place on one of the hottest days of the year our opening reading (from 2 Corinthians 1) advised us to make cool, steadfast decisions; we prayed that this might be so.
The PCC commended the Families Group for the newly appointed play area at the rear of the North Aisle and was pleased to note that, thanks to Derek Whiting and Peter Clarke, the external light over the South Porch was no longer a danger to those entering and leaving by that way. The initial planting of box trees marking the boundary of the new Garden of Remembrance will be supplemented by others when the current hot weather has abated. Meanwhile, Justine, Pat and Ian will visit a church in Limpsfield to see how they manage their Garden.
PCC members were made aware of an exchange of emails concerning the council's neglected lych gate (the one across the road from ours). As it stands, the lych gate is an eyesore and members of the public believe that it belongs to us. Thanks were expressed to Dee Hyatt for taking up the cudgels on our behalf.
Recent efforts to make the parish more visible in the community were commended at the meeting. The Albinoni concert, the Ringers' concert and Duck Day had all attracted a variety of participants and audiences and the organisers were praised. We learned that there will be another chance for St's to open its doors to the public in September when it is to be part of the Open House London Weekend. But, just as one has a good clean before visitors arrive, so we must do the same with our church. Justine invited everyone to pick a favourite dirty spot in the church(!) and, having informed either Justine or Pat, to come ready to clean it on either Saturday 26th or Monday 28th August.
We welcomed a proposal to have some prayers in the Eucharist service seasonally adjusted and presented in booklets whose covers will match the liturgical colour for that season. The PCC also agreed that we should consider the introduction of a Family Service and, in order to involve the whole parish in this discussion, that there should be a Saturday morning meeting in September at which an adviser from the diocese could be present. It was felt, as part of our affirmation of our current practice of admitting baptised children to Holy Communion, that we should work hard to ensure that our Sunday school, family services and adult course, Growing in Faith, could all be cited as examples of good practice.
There were two items concerning re-ordering. The Carew Chapel is in an experimental stage at the moment. The DAC have made suggestions which will be considered and sample seating will arrive soon for a trial period. The second re-ordering concerned the parish boundaries but were to be resolved by both PCCs (ours and Holy Trinity's) requesting that the site of Holy Trinity School should be regarded as part of Holy Trinity parish and that the piece of road outside St Mary's Court as well as the Court itself should be recognised as part of the parish of St Mary's, Beddington.
We examined a proposal for the funding of an Organ Scholar and, agreeing in principle to the proposals, asked the Standing Committee plus the Choirmaster and an extra representative from the choir to work out the details. It was noted that sometimes readers are either not aware or not present when it is their turn and might need reminding. New readers are to be encouraged to join the rota. There will be no expectation of perfection; training can be given and all are invited to share their God-given talent in this way.
The PCC looks forward to our next big parish event, Justine's installation as Rector on Sunday, 3rd September.
Pam Akhurst - Secretary
to the PCC
When Columbus started out, he didnt know where he was going. When he got there, he didnt know where he was. When he got back, he didnt know where he had been. And he did it all on other peoples money. Cant help thinking that Columbus reminds me of some teenagers who go on family holidays
Owing to the fact the last magazine was a double copy and it was rather full, Twenty Years Ago was omitted, so this is catch-up time!
June
The Boys Brigade had held an Open Night in Rectory Lane Hall. There had been a guest appearance of the Bagpipes & Drums of the 5th Croydon Company. The band consisted of nine pipers, four side-drums and a bass drum. There was a Drum Major in full regalia and the band, equipped with kilts provided by the Gordon Highlanders, put on a remarkable display which, in the confined space of the hall, had nearly raised the roof!
An Article entitled The Phoenix Rises, detailed some of the activities of the year-old new SMYF. Chris Kimber had arranged two Night Hikes (ask him about the carpet of snails); there had been a trip to London and to the local Fire Station; several members had accompanied Nick Kimber on his birthday outing to the cinema; Aidan Richardson had organised a lively disco in the West Wing (remember that?) and the energetic had been swimming and ice-skating. (Come on, SMYLE, tell us more about what you do)
The Bishop of Kingston had provided a letter for inclusion and there was an article by Rabbi Lionel Blue, which had been reprinted from the Universe - very ecumenical.
July/August
Mary Tapp reported it was going to be All-change for the Mothers Union. Several committee stalwarts were giving up their posts, mainly for family reasons and fresh blood was being sought.
Stewart Kimber had led a 16-strong party on a gentle ramble in the Dorking area. Short-cuts that werent had eventually found them their lunch place and then the heavens had opened! Two ill-prepared maidens had found the age of chivalry wasnt quite dead, when they were rescued by the Kimber brothers, who gallantly donated their rainwear.
The Boys Brigade had taken 25 lads from 1st Beddington to the London Display at the Royal Albert Hall. Together with parents, helpers and friends they had enjoyed watching displays of gymnastics, pipe and drum bands, a Gospel group and a wide selection of competitive games.
They had also held a sponsored walk round the wilds of Chipstead, Gatton Park Estate and surrounding countryside. The barbecue and ice cream at David Sleggs home had obviously been gratefully received.
The Guides and Brownies had been camping, Heather Cosgrove had been counting the Christian Aid collection (637.39) and a frustrated writer had got lost on a Treasure Hunt. The scribe had obviously been too embarrassed to sign their name!
Jean Kimber
Tuesday, 23 May
St Marys, Beddington
The opening prayers were said by Justine after which she welcomed members and the speakers to St Marys and gave a brief overview of the parish. The main speakers were Mark Tomlinson, Minister at St Helier Community Church and representative on the Sutton Faith Forum, and Lal Hussein, a Muslim, Liberal Democrat Councillor and a former Mayor of Sutton.
The theme of the talks was issues affecting Christians and Muslims and the aim of the Sutton Faith Forum not to homogenise faiths but to increase understanding between different faith traditions. Mark explained that following the 7/7 bombings in London, Christians and Muslims worked together to ensure that mindless thugs did not attack Muslims in the borough. Members of the Forum did not want to remove the distinctiveness of each faith but to increase understanding and respect. The Forum had good robust debates and it is not all plain sailing between them. After the cartoons incident, they considered whether they could produce a statement from the Faith and Belief Forum. The local council is open to the Forum and is keen to hear what people are saying about what issues and concerns they have.
Lal Hussein then spoke. He has lived in Sutton for 42 years and is a member of the Faith and Belief Forum. He began inter-faith dialogue many years ago. He pointed out that our goal is the same but that our journeys are different. He said that in Islam there are 72 different sects, and many prophets they all believe in. Lal said he had been to a large number of Christian churches; he has invited a neighbouring church to join their Friday prayers and it went very well. He said that he was not at the Synod to preach Islam but to encourage discussion. Two and a half per cent of a Muslims income must go to charity. A question was asked about Fatwa with regard to Salmon Rushdie and the cartoonists. Lal said that the Holy Prophet preached tolerance and forgiveness.
Both Mark and Lal emphasised that the aim was not to convert or score points off one another, but to build more understanding while keeping the distinctiveness of each belief or faith. With regard to the indoctrination of young people, Lal said that the majority of Muslims did not agree with this. Asked if British Muslims had any specific policy with regard to the Israeli/Palestinian issue, he said that they did not, as without being too specific, they stood behind freedom, justice and righteousness. He pointed out that the Alif-Aleph Union of Muslims and Jews was more political than religious. With regard to local communities, Lal said that Muslims in Sutton run a Toddler and Parents Group for Muslims and others; and a youth group which is open to all - Muslims, Jews, Christians and those of no particular faith - and there is no religious teaching in these groups. Mark and Lal finished by saying that it was hoped than an inter-faith exhibition will be held in Sutton next year.
The next Deanery meeting will be held at St Pauls, Roundshaw on Thursday, 19. The theme will be Best Practices where it is hoped that a short presentation will be given by each member parish. All are welcome to attend.
Jenifer Davison - Deanery
Synod Representative
Tue 1 The safety of all travelling this summer holiday
Wed 2 Workers in the holiday industry
Thu 3 Farmers and fishermen, for an abundant harvest
Fri 4 Spiritual directors and counsellors
Sat 5 All suffering from hunger and poverty
Sun 6 Thanksgiving for the Transfiguration of our Lord
Mon 7 Church musicians and hymn writers
Tue 8 Readers Summer Course at Selwyn College (6-11 August)
Wed 9 Thanksgiving for the founding of the Mothers Union
Thu 10 Social workers, carers and home helps
Fri 11 Poor Clare communities and their ministry of prayer
Sat 12 The unloved, neglected and the abused
Sun 13 That we may all use our talents in the service of others
Mon 14 All who risk their lives to save others
Tue 15 That there may be good role models for the young to follow
Wed 16 Those whose work is hard or tedious
Thu 17 The emancipation of women throughout the world
Fri 18 The protection of the rain forests
Sat 19 All who live in areas deprived of beauty
Sun 20 That we may walk in Gods way and do His will
Mon 21 Those preparing for confirmation this autumn
Tue 22 All who strive to protect our environment and wildlife
Wed 23 Artists, architects and town planners
Thu 24 All who encourage and build up others
Fri 25 The Greenbelt Festival (25-28 August)
Sat 26 Actors, singers and dancers
Sun 27 For grace to overcome our weaknesses
Mon 28 Thanksgiving for the life and teaching of Augustine of Hippo
Tue 29 Prisoners of conscience and Amnesty International
Wed 30 All who are facing danger, violence or oppression
Thu 31 Our Link Dioceses in Zimbabwe