St Mary’s Woodford Parish Magazine Volume 10 number 1
www.stmaryswoodford.org.uk
Fire at St Mary’s - fifty years ago
Spring 2019
Welcome At St Mary’s we offer worship in a variety of styles. On a typical Sunday there is the quiet 8am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer or Common Worship), then at 10am the livelier Sung Eucharist, and at 6.30pm the more reflective Sung Evensong. We vary this pattern from time to time, with the occasional Service of the Word in the morning, and with Compline or Taizéstyle worship in the evening. These different kinds of worship suit different people at different times in their lives. ‘It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one, or utterly like; for at all times they have been divers, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God’s Word.’ So says the 34th of the Church of England’s 39 Articles. Recently we were privileged to host the first in a series of special services in yet another style, such as some members of our church and partner churches have been asking for recently, with a worship band and songs written in the last few decades. There was good attendance from our church and from St Gabriel’s, and some very positive reactions from young and old. The next one in the series will be held on 21st July at St Gabriel’s – all welcome! Good worship honours God for all that God has done for us; it reminds us who he is and who we are; it comforts and challenges us; and it transforms us into the people God wants us to be. May our worship at St Mary’s always do these things!
Revd Canon Ian Tarrant, email: rector@stmaryswoodford.org.uk The cover photos by Chris Whitfield show St Mary’s after the fire, and the Hall in use as a temporary church during the rebuilding. See pages 14 to 19. 2
Parish Register Funerals 11th January - Paul Deudney 31st January - Edith Browne 18th February - Brian Dyer 26th February - Isabel Sharkey
What’s that in the church foyer? We are collecting non-perishable food for the Redbridge Foodbank. The collection box is now in the church foyer every Sunday.
You may have noticed a screen with a constantly changing display, visible through the window between the church office and the foyer. This is a trial of a way to inform everyone coming into our building about coming events. At present the sensor which switches it on detects any motion in the office, and keeps the display live until eight minutes after the last person has left. Ideally the screen and its sensor would be out in the foyer, so that the display would be active when anybody comes through the front door, but at present there is no power socket we can use. The current display can always be seen on our website - select ‘about us’ and then ‘coming soon’. 3
Life at St Mary’s Bingo evening on 2nd February raised funds for Marie Curie & Macmillan Nurses
Farewell to Moyra moving to Yorkshire
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Race Night on 23rd February raised funds for St Mary’s
Some of our members did a course in food hygiene
The band at our special service on 3rd March
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Life at St Mary’s Waterproofing the Hall The summer edition of the magazine showed on its front cover the work going on then to replace the tiles on the north slope of the Pankhurst Hall roof. The Hall Trustees (who are all church members) were pleased to see further work continue through the autumn, and completed in November. Having the scaffolding in place allowed us to inspect the brickwork at the west gable end of the Pankhurst Hall (the end of the building furthest from the High Road), and it was discovered that the mortar between the bricks had been significantly eroded over the 114 years since it was built. In some places a probe could pass right through into the roof space. So
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this became an urgent priority, and we had the scaffolding extended so that this area could be completely repointed. The scaffolding also gave Barry Mingay, our handyman at the Hall, the opportunity to repair and repaint the circular window in that wall.
Jamil the consultant, Barry the handyman, Martin the Trustee, and Ronnie the roofer
The next major item was the flat roof over the stage, where a new layer of timber was put in place, covered with a resilient waterproof membrane. The skylight over the stage was replaced, and the brick parapets around this area were rebuilt. Finally, the crumbling brick parapet at one end of the kitchen roof was rebuilt. All this cost ÂŁ80,283 which came from the fundraising events organised by the Trustees over the last few years, donations received from church members and the local communities, and grants from the Veolia Environmental Trust, the Pilgrim Trust, the Allchurches Trust, and the diocesan London Over the Border fund. The Trustees have further plans in hand to make the Hall fit for another century of use by church and community. Ian Tarrant 7
Life at St Mary’s Building for the future In September 2012, a PCC awayday reflecting on the new diocesan initiative called Transforming Presence, called for a review of how we might develop our church building in the future, so that we as a church community could make a greater impact on Woodford at large. One of the aspirations was that the church would be a community resource, ‘open all hours’. A Vision for buildings working group was set up, comprising John Goldsmith, John Sainsbury, Ayotomi Daramola, Elaine Rigelsford and myself. After four meetings, the group submitted a report to the January 2014 PCC meeting, with a number of options for consideration: A: building a new chapel to the side of the existing chapel, so that the present chapel could become a welcoming ground-floor multi-purpose space; B: redesigning part of the main church worship space to be a chapel midweek, again freeing the existing chapel space to be used in other ways; C: building a link between the church and the Memorial Hall, making a space which could serve both church members and Hall users, and uniting the two institutions; D: creating a small paved plaza in front of the church, with seating, a direct approach to the church, and possibly a children’s play feature; E: creating a large window from the Gwinnell Room looking into church; F: creating a glazed internal balcony at 8
the east end of the worship space, accessible from the landing and the Gwinnell Room. A number of minor projects, such as double-glazing the Gwinnell Room, and carpeting the chapel, were also considered. The PCC considered the major options over several meetings in 2014, and made a decision in January 2015: (a) to prioritise the plaza proposal in the short term; (b) to pursue the link proposal in the long term. Progress was slow in 2015, not least because of the theft of the safe and its contents in January; the refurbishment of the organ in the autumn, and replacement of the boiler
in December. It proved difficult to get costings for the plaza scheme. In November 2016 the PCC appointed a working group to move the project forward, with a bigger vision which included widening and lighting the church drive, restoring many of the decaying memorials in the churchyard, moving the World War 1 memorial plaque to the front of the church, and adding a WW2 memorial plaque. The hope was to get funding for this from the Heritage Lottery Fund, through the advice of the consultants Spires Heritage, as we had done for the refurbishment at the Hall in 2015. The centenary of the end of WW1 would have been a feature in a programme of community heritage events linked to the capital works. However, the response of the Heritage Lottery Fund to our outline proposal in 2017 was negative. They wanted more detailed costings for the work on the memorials, less expenditure on building work compared with spending on the heritage programme.
The memorials in need of repair have now been photographed with a view to getting quotes. However, without giving up on the thought of getting a grant from HLF, the PCC resolved in January 2018 to widen the drive first and improve its lighting, as a separate project, before approaching HLF again. We thought that we could pay for this using legacy funds currently in the bank. This was put on hold in March 2018, because of anxiety that we might need that money to repair the big wall on our western boundary, which was thought to be at risk of collapse onto our neighbour’s property. By the autumn of 2018 we had established that the wall was safe, and we were able to seek the advice of our official church architect, who has now drawn up plans for the widening and lighting of the drive, which we will be able to share in the next magazine. If all goes well, we will get estimates for this work, and approval from the Diocese, in time for the work to take place in the summer of 2019. We are still a long way from realising the aspiration voiced more than six years ago. The journey has been slow and frustrating, but we hope to see something concrete (literally!) this year. Ian Tarrant
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Life at St Mary’s responded to an appeal for someone to play chess with a former resident and Stephanie Deudney’s mother, Audrey, is a current resident . I lead about six services a year and ‘Where are you taking them?’ asked visit before each and, in addition to the Jane O’Regan as she helped me load Christingles, I take in Palm Crosses on two boxes of Christingles into my car. Palm Sunday. I robe for the services as ‘Churchfields Nursing Home’, I some felt they were getting short shrift replied, ‘they love them’. Indeed they otherwise; indeed some of the residents do, as they love the visit of our Guides to sing carols before Christmas which do not place me when I am in mufti! Janet Roberts was my companion they have done for many years. The relationship of St Mary’s with when I first visited, Louise Park and the late Audrey Barclay have been Churchfields began in the mid staunch supporters of the services and ‘noughties’ as a result of a request Peter Wall has recently joined us, his from the Nursing Home for a service for their residents. Originally, it was an fine male voice contributing much to our singing. ecumenical undertaking by St Anne The time and thought given by so Line, Derby Road Methodist Church many people over the years is much and ourselves but, since Eleanor appreciated by the residents, the staff Jackson left the Methodist circuit, it and myself. has fallen to St Mary’s to conduct the services, although priests and ministers from other churches visit members of Rowena Rudkin their own flock and Chris Winward takes Communion in to members of our parish. Those members have included Norah Guppy, Dennis Blowes, Joe Hollingsworth and, on a temporary basis, Megan Wylie Smith, Deirdre Lake and Jim Swallow, Philip’s brother who died recently. However, Philip had been a frequent supporter at the services I lead long before Jim was there. Georgina Green
Churchfields Nursing Home
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Life at St Mary’s alternative group. We have neither the personnel nor the experience to run such Following our recent parish forum, I a group which RVC started thinking about one of the main has. However, if we topics discussed - how we connect with were to provide them people who are not church members. with the support they need we can Some years ago I was introduced by the influence and make a more telling wonderful Margaret Campbell to contribution to peoples lives in a more Redbridge Voluntary Care and soon positive way. realised that the group was an active St Mary’s has a fine history of example of how volunteers can be a supporting and being an active part of real help for those who find it difficult community based groups. Our outreach getting around. may be better served by continuing to Helping the elderly and infirm with strengthen these rather than setting up hospital visits, mentoring, or being a our own initiatives. Let us both be duty officer all contribute to what the stronger together! group achieves, continually outPlease speak to me if you would you punching its weight. Driving the like to help in one of the roles that I am elderly or disabled to health sure we have to offer. appointments, being odd job people, or being on telephone call as a duty Brian Ray officer, dealing with clerical matters are all part of its regular itinerary. The prestigious Queens Award for Voluntary Care was richly deserved. We also make new friends with many of our clients and look forward to meeting up with them if they need regular help. Some times they will ask where we come from and I can Redbridge Voluntary Care is a good then tell them about St Mary’s. Today as the group matures in age, neighbour scheme started in 1973 it is looking for helpers as Duty offering help to any resident of the Officers and Car Drivers for hospital/ London Borough of Redbridge. surgery visits etc. It is very well run. I Registered Charity No. 278495 firmly believe for us to have a meaningful impact in this area we need www.redbridgevoluntarycare.co.uk to support it rather than set up any
Redbridge Voluntary Care
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Life at St Mary’s
Sharing good news The second part of our Parish Forum in January was an opportunity to reflect on how we share the good news of the Christian faith with those around us. From the days of the church in Acts, the faith has spread by believers telling the people they meet, what they believe and what it means for them. Not in a way that puts people down, but in a way that lifts people up. Sharing our faith is like one hungry beggar telling another where to find free bread. Some people are gifted to be evangelists - called to be proactive in sharing the good news. You might say, that’s not me, I’m not called to do that. But we are all called to be witnesses, responding to the spoken and unspoken questions of others. Each of us has their own story of faith. Test yourself with a clock: in three minutes, could you tell somebody else why you call yourself a Christian, and why you are in church on a Sunday when you could be somewhere else?
We can listen
We live in a very diverse society now ideas and people from all over the world surround us with a mosaic of different cultural and philosophical attitudes. We can’t generalise. We have to listen Think about the people you know. Where do they stand on religious/spiritual matters? What are the big issues in their lives? Encourage your contacts to talk 12
about themselves. (OK, some don’t need much encouragement!) Listen carefully, and show that you have heard them. Ask God to show you what their real needs are.
We can share
If we love our neighbour, our sharing will be thoughtful, responding to their need for love, joy or hope. If we love our neighbour, our sharing will be honest, reflecting our own experience of God’s love, and his church, however messy or muddled that might be. Any of these approaches can help: 1) telling your own story; 2) re-telling a relevant Bible story such as the prodigal son; 3) talking about the message in your favourite hymn; 4) address an evident need: eg - the guilty need forgiveness - the sad need hope - the aimless need purpose See the practice questions opposite discuss them with a Christian friend, or in your home group.
We can invite
A good conversation may lead somewhere; ‘Come and see!’ said one disciple to another. To what will you invite people? - to spend more time with you so that you can talk more? - to meet a Christian friend who might share their own experience? - to a church social event? - to a church service? Your invitation could be the next step in their spiritual journey. Ian Tarrant
Your new next door neighbour, who moved in last week, says: ‘I saw you go out on Sunday morning, did you go to church?’ How will you answer?
A friend notices that you are wearing a cross. They ask you whether it is just for show, or does it mean something to you? How will you answer?
A work colleague confides in you that their life is a mess because of all the affairs that they have had. Now they feel guilty and ashamed. They ask whether it is possible to be forgiven by God. How will you answer?
Your cousin is chatting on the phone, anxious about Brexit, climate change and terrorism. They find it difficult to get to sleep at night, for worrying about the state of the world. What will you say to them?
The young man behind the counter at your newsagents tells you that he is very interested in spirituality. He wants to know something about Christian prayer. What will you tell him?
An old friend was recently betrayed by their spouse, who left them and moved in with somebody else. They are feeling very depressed, and see no point in life. They ask, ‘What hope do you have in your life?’ How will you answer? 13
Fifty years on
St Mary’s fire 1969 and its aftermath Shortly before Evensong on Sunday, February 9th, 1969, the Rector’s wife remarked to her husband, ‘Somebody seems to be burning leaves in the churchyard.’ As there was snow on the ground, this was rather surprising. The Rector went to investigate, and saw to his horror that the church was engulfed in smoke and flames. It transpired that at least four separate fires had been kindled inside the building, the one that caused most damage being in a cupboard under the organ loft. By the time the firemen and salvage teams had finished working, only the four walls
and the tower were left standing. The identity of the arsonist was never discovered. In the days that followed the disaster, such tremendous efforts were made by the Rector, wardens and members of St Mary’s that on the Sunday after, the Memorial Hall was furnished as the church had been, and a large congregation gathered for the Eucharist. During the next three years, services took place as usual, on weekdays in a small room designated a chapel, on Sundays in the main hall. Weddings and funerals had to be
St Mary’s Church before the fire, in about 1960 14
A memory from Chris Whitfield
Unidentified newspaper 14th February 1969
transferred to St Mary’s Wanstead, but all the regular church activities were kept up, including bellringing, as the tower was undamaged. The Rector wrote later: ‘We have found that the real church – that is, the people dedicated to God’s service – has not been destroyed.’ Some of those parishioners whose dauntless spirit kept them calm and carrying on are still part of our church family today. Two of them, and one who now lives elsewhere but is still very much a friend of St Mary’s, have recorded their memories for this edition of the magazine. Roberta Flynn
A warden’s wife
One Sunday afternoon when a neighbour called over the fence that there was smoke appearing to come from the Church, we could have had no idea of the years ahead which would involve the members of St Mary’s with such a lot of work. David, my husband, rushed off down the road to find that the Church was, in fact, alight. After a while, with no news (this was pre-mobile phones), I left the children with a neighbour and also hurried down the road. The congregation was arriving for Evensong and had started to remove hymn books and anything else movable. The fire had been started under the organ near the front of the Church but with the arrival of the fire 15
Fifty years on evening the Memorial Hall was transformed from public hall to parish church with stacking chairs put out, the altar put into place with altar cloths, candlesticks, books etc. Sunday evening everything was taken out to enable the hall to be used for the following week. Many hands made light work but it was relentless: three years also of fundraising. So many people came up with brilliant ideas which were carried forward with huge enthusiasm, sweeping husbands, wives and children into the task. From the churchwardens’ wives point of view ‘churchwarden’ was a full time job. Any phone calls would inevitably get the reply ‘I think he’s down at The west wall after the fire the Church’. Behind it all was also the brigade it was obvious that the planning for the new St Mary’s. This fire had taken hold. All we could do would need a book in itself to detail was to watch helplessly and after a the discussions which resulted in the time I went home. form and function which has worked It was some while before David so well. came back. He and David Wright were The new building was rededicated churchwardens at this time with Bob on 3rd June 1972. The Church was Birchnall as the Rector. The packed and as the sound of the immediate job for the three of them magnificent new organ filled the light was to organise an alternative place for and open space, it felt very good worship for which the Memorial Hall indeed. was brought into use. Every Saturday Eileen Ward 16
St Mary’s interior during rebuilding
evening when Peter Marshall, one time priest-in-charge of St Philip and This is an attempt to recall my St James let himself in. I switched off memories and impressions of the fire. the saw and greeted Peter, I was the Convener of the Rebuilding ‘You look a bit hot and bothered Committee which met regularly for mate.’ what seemed a very long time at our ‘There’s been a big fire at St Mary’s.’ house. My wife a well loved and ‘Much damage?’ respected GP much involved with ‘Gutted.’ St Mary’s was allowed to serve By next available daylight, like a refreshments, coffee or tea and home true paparazzo I was clambering round made goodies. the ruins, camera in hand. She was not eligible to serve on the A fire blackened ruin in a snowy committee, she was after all only a landscape, gaping holes in the roof, woman, good enough to trust with yawning spaces where doorways once your life… but not with planning a stood, buckled leaded windows, church! shattered stained glass, ashy heaps of I was at my workbench that wintry once familiar things. Click, click click,
Photos and plans
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task; there were some tender egos to placate. P & J had been a warm lively friendly congregation and were not much enamoured with the idea of leaving their church. Bob made no secret of his dislike of the back door approach to St Mary’s at that time. He also disliked the altar under the East Window: too remote. The numerous pillars in the nave while supporting the roof did nothing for the sight lines or acoustics. He arranged to bring the altar forward to be where the present back rows of pews stand, it was better but not enough. The fire solved all that. Truthfully, the fire had done us a favour. I quietly hoped the Memorial Hall complex might spontaneously combust and then we could do some radical thinking. I had recently gutted and St Mary’s during rebuilding remodelled our surgery premises, a it was irresistible. The slides are still very satisfactory exercise, maybe the around. The Wanstead and Woodford fever was still on me. Many months Guardian had plenty of copy that were to pass before claims were settled week. and the Rebuilding Committee had We had a newish very sociable and come to a decision. Would facing west popular Rector, known to everyone as matter? Should we be worshipping the Bob. He had united the two benefices, organ? Where were the loos going? ‘P & J’ with St Mary’s, a far from easy Could we afford a lift? No. Would the 18
Interior of St Mary’s before rebuilding
bishop like some office space? Answer, yes, but he never went there. I am sure God looked on with a wry smile at times. In the end we got very much what Bob wanted, an altar, sometime stage in the round, a remarkable tracker organ, a prominently placed choir, Bob was very keen about the music and general presentation. His faithful sacristan Sybil who had followed him from his last parish, a power behind the throne had everyone in spotless dazzling white. There were numerous highly trained acolytes, the stage was set. Chris Whitfield
Full the next Sunday
The first I heard of the fire was when my parents rang after they had been to church for Evensong. I lived in Leytonstone at that time and had been to the morning service. The very next Sunday was Church Parade and the Guides turned out in force. The Memorial Hall was full when we got there so we were not able to sit together as we normally did but the sides men managed to find spaces for us in twos and threes around the ‘church’. Janet Collins We welcome other contributions about the fire to be printed in a future addition of the magazine and to supplement the Church Archives. 19
Book Review Four books for Lent Lent with New Daylight published by Bible Reading Fellowship: ISBN: 978 0 85746 7881 Rediscovering who we are as God's people. A special Lent edition of New Daylight created for use by individuals and groups. £2.99
Bible Reflections for older people January-April 2019, published by Bible Reading Fellowship ISBN: 978 0 85746 6174 (Pilgrim aspirations, Strength in weakness, Beautiful hindsight, Walking in shadow) Written by older people for older people, these reflections are designed to bring hope, assurance and sustenance, reminding the reader of the presence and love of God. Each edition contains 40 Bible reflections and prayers to use and revisit as often as is needed. £4.99 ( larger font than New Daylight series)
Pilgrim Journeys: 40 Days of Reflections on The Lord’s Prayer by Steven Croft, published by Church House Publishing. £2.99 ISBN: 978 1 781 40 118 20
Pilgrim Journeys: 40 Days of Reflections on The Beatitudes by Steven Croft, published by Church House Publishing. £2.99 ISBN: 978 1 78140 1170 All these titles are currently available at Church House Bookshop, 31 Great Smith Street, London SWIP 3BN www.chbookshop.co.uk
Christianity in action Leading a Christian Life We must also take care to balance the practical aspects of leading a Christian life with our spiritual obligation to put worship and prayer at the heart of who we are and what we do. We must avoid the trap of becoming so involved in the ministry of service to others, in tasks that involve ‘doing’, that we forget simply that of ‘being’ of dwelling in Christ, reminding ourselves of his love and sharing that love with others. The challenge facing churches and Christian communities are complex and demanding - a simple formula will not provide the solution. But if we hold in our hearts the basic principles then we will grow, both as individuals and as communities. We may not grow in numbers - external circumstances beyond our control may prevent that - but we will grow in faith, in confidence and in love. Such demonstrations of Christ-filled living will surely provide a light in the midst of the darkness of contemporary society that will be a source of comfort for many. Sally Welch in ‘New Daylight’
Dreading Christmas? Whilst listening to a Radio 2 programme on December 22nd, I heard a listener phone in to say that for a variety of reasons, she was dreading Christmas, and could people offer suggestions as to how she might cheer herself up, over Christmas. There was an instant response, with some thirty or so suggestions as to how she could enjoy Christmas. Most of the ideas were excellent, but I was saddened to hear that not one listener suggested that she went anywhere near a church. Should we being doing more, to tell people what we offer at Christmas? Or should we offering more - and better? Jane O’Regan
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Quiz Who or what are we? We are all part of the Christian story and we all begin with “K”.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
In the Lord’s Prayer we pray ‘Thy k__________ come’. I am the youth worker at St. Mary’s. My name is Becca K________. In October 2018 K______, David, Wendy and Judy visited our church partners at the Church of the Good Shepherd in K______. K_______, Judy, David and Wendy flew to Jomo K________ airport. We are the 11th and 12th books of the Bible. In the Anglican church communicants usually receive the elements in both k_____. People often kneel on us when praying. I am the Greek for ‘Lord have mercy’ and am often used in services. In 1929 I wrote the hymn which begins ‘For the healing of the nations, Lord we pray with one accord’. I am Fred K______. Adam and Eve were told not to eat from the tree of k__________ of good and evil. I am the place where Lesley and others cook. I was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. My name is John K____. I am the Swiss theologian who wrote the book Christ sein (On being a Christian). My name is Hans K______. In Isaiah we are told that the leopard will lie down with the k_____. I am an Irish saint known as the founder and first abbot of Glendalough Abbey in County Wicklow. In the commandments Christians are told ‘Thou shalt not k_____’. Answers: page 30
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Spirituality Two prayers by Lancelot Andrewes Glory to you, O Lord our God, Your love calls us to be your people. By sharing our many and diverse gifts we share in your mission. We ask you, Lord, to shape us into a community of faith. Nourish us by your word and sacraments that we may grow into the image of Jesus. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, heal us that we, in turn, may heal the wounded. Form us to be instruments of love, justice, and peace in our land, and send us to proclaim your saving work. RENEW us, Lord, that we may renew the face of the earth. Amen.
I hand over to your care, Lord, my soul and body, my prayers and my hopes, my health and my work, my life and my death, my parents and my family, my friends and my neighbours, my country and all people. Today and always. Amen. Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626) was born in Barking and was a bishop and scholar who held high positions in the Church of England during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. He supervised the translation of the Authorized Version of the Bible.
Some Brownies and Guides at St Mary’s from yesteryear. Does anyone recognise them?
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History Saint Faith’s Chapel I regularly spend time in the 13th century Chapel of Saint Faith, reserved for silent prayer, in Westminster Abbey and gaze up at a wall painting of the saint facing out, the grid iron on which she was tortured by her side. Over the years I have grown close to Saint Faith, silently asking her to intercede for me in times of trouble and also thanking her for helping my own faith grow and stay strong. I knew I would visit her relics in Conques Abbey in the Auvergne countryside one day; a couple of years ago my dream came true. Although established on one of the old pilgrim routes to Santiago, Conques is off the beaten track: a steep, medieval village dominated by a 14th century abbey. The relics, now housed in an adjacent museum in the cloisters, are priceless, having survived both the Revolution and the Nazi Occupation. They were brought to Conques in 866, probably for safe-keeping when the Normans began to invade the area where Saint Faith had lived and died centuries before. And there they have remained. Saint Faith, or Sainte Foy, was born in Agen, now in Aquitaine, around the year 290. Her wet-nurse, a Christian, was a great influence, and she grew up learning about the Gospels and helping poor, marginalised Christians who were being persecuted. She was later baptised with the name Faith. When Diocletian became Emperor a new wave of persecutions took place but Faith refused to back down and return to worshipping pagan gods. At the age 24
of 13 she was flogged and ordered to be burned alive on a metal grill. A noisy crowd prevented this happening so Faith and other Christians, including her sister Alberte, were imprisoned. Refusing to renounce their faith, they were subsequently beheaded in 303. The Abbey at Conques has images of Saint Faith carved in the tympanum and choir stalls, and also painted on frescoes. Devotion to Saint Faith spread through France, to Spain and from there to Colombia, Mexico and throughout the New World. A window in Chartres Cathedral contains her image and the cathedral at Santiago has a chapel in honour of Santa Fe. Penny Freeston
South Woodford roads named after Lord Derby’s ministers I recently came across a reproduction of a painting by James Scott on the Internet, showing the Cabinet Council deciding on the expedition to Abyssinia in 1868. The group portrait includes Lord Derby and portraits of Buckingham, Disraeli, GathorneHardy, Carnarvon, Cranbourne, Chelmsford, Northcote, Peel, Walpole, Malmesbury, Manners, Mayo, Pakington and Stanley. How many of these names are familiar to you as street names following the development of the Woodford Hall Estate close to St Mary’s from around this date? For the names of the South Woodford names and information about Lord Derby see page 30. Penny Freeston
A Church Warden goes the extra mile About twenty five years ago the Nativity figures were being set under the altar. Not by me. Fairly late that day I received a telephone call from the Rector, Bob Birchnall: ‘First thing tomorrow you are going to Ghent. The baby was dropped and
Ghent
has lost its head.We must have a new baby tomorrow.’ He went on to tell me the company in Ghent that made babies - as well as Marys and Josephs. So at crack of dawn I got a train to Harwich (no Eurostar then) and a ferry to Hook of Holland and then a further train to Ghent - fortunately a city I knew reasonably well. The company were expecting me and had the baby well wrapped up but in a box - not a manger. Well pleased I returned to Hook for an overnight crossing to Harwich. But I had not reckoned with Customs Officers. What is in your box? A baby? (This followed my unadvised admission.) Open the box at once!! And so all the careful wrappings had to come off until the baby was revealed in its naked beauty. With the ferry about to leave I parcelled it/him up as best I could and slept from Hook to Harwich - where everything had to come off again to prove my word. With the London train ready to leave I boarded it as the doors were closing and arrived at St Mary's to hand my charge over and see it/him installed in an altar manger. Of course all I am doing here is recording a normal duty of a St Mary’s Churchwarden. Philip Swallow 25
Spirituality
Hope
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Thomas Norton & Thomas Sackville (1536-1608) Hope springs eternal.
Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
However long the night, the dawn will break. Where there’s life, there’s hope.
African Proverb - Hausa Tribe
Theocritus (c.270 BC)
Very seldom will a person give up on himself. He continues to have hope because he knows he has the capacity for change. Yet people are very quick to give up on friends, and especially on their spouses, to declare them hopeless, and either to walk away or do nothing more than resign themselves to a bad situation. Eric Bentley Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. Desmond Tutu Only in the darkness can you see the stars. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for
Martin Luther King Jr. Hebrews 11:1
Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.
Robert H. Schuller
When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope. Pittacus Lore
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Hope is a beautiful thing. It gives us peace and strength, and keeps us going when all seems lost. Accepting what you cannot change doesn’t mean you have given up on hope. It just means you have to focus your hope on more humanly tangible and attainable goals. Julie Donner Andersen Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. Vaclav Havel The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope. Samuel Johnson If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. Chinese proverb Extreme hopes are born of extreme misery John Milton Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them. Vincent McNabb And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in thee.
Psalm 39
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Family
focus The All Age service on 20th January For this All-Age Service of the Word, with the wedding at Cana as its theme, we experimented again with the approach of offering different activities in different parts of the building for the middle section of the service: Biblical reflection, prayer writing. water tasting, hat making, cake decorating, and making collages for the display board. Thanks to Jane Begley for helping to set up the activities!
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Seekers share what they have learnt about Noah in their lesson.
What kind of lighting did Noah have on the ark? Floodlighting!
Who introduced salted meat to the Navy? Noah - he took Ham with him on the ark. 29
History Peel to lead the protectionist faction of the Conservative party over the Repeal of the Corn Laws. In a period of some considerable in The roads are: Derby, Buckingham, fighting within the Conservative Party Carnarvon, Chelmsford, Peel, Walpole, he was to become Prime Minister three Malmesbury and Stanley. times, albeit briefly. The 1867 Reform Act was passed under his Premiership. Lord Derby was, and still is, the Who was Lord Derby? longest serving leader of the Conservative (or any other British ) Lord Derby was a 19th century prime political party: twenty two years. minister but these days his name does One of his ancestors, Thomas not ring as loudly as such as Peel, Stanley, the 1st Lord of Derby, Palmerston, Disraeli and Gladstone. switched sides during the Battle of So who was he? Bosworth, significantly affecting the He was a significant political figure outcome of that battle. The battle being and a notable orator during the middle won, Lord Derby placed the crown of of the 19th century. In 1833 as slain King Richard III upon the head of Colonial Secretary he was responsible Henry Tudor, known to us as Henry for the emancipation of West Indian VII and founder of the Tudor dynasty. slaves. He then left the Whig party. He and his supporters served in Peel’s Peter Wall second ministry before breaking with
Lord Derby cabinet street names (from page 25)
Quiz Answers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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kingdom Kemal Karen, Kenya Karen, Kenyatta Kings 1 and Kings 2 kinds knees or kneelers
8 kyrie eleison 9 Kaan 10 knowledge 11 kitchen 12 Knox 13 Kung 14 kid 15 Kevin 16 kill
Obituary Paul Deudney 5th June 1944 - 21st Dec 2018
books, repair manuals and maps were all of much greater interest to him than books of fiction. He had a great love of music, particularly Gilbert & Sullivan, classical and choral and he sang here in the choir, along with Steph, for over thirty years. Paul had been a committed Christian since his boyhood and an active church member for most of his adult life. He was a server at St John’s for over fifty years and he also served in a different way on the PCC there. At times he acted as hall secretary and manager, but often willingly put his practical gifts to use in maintaining the fabric of the church. Paul was essentially a quiet man but, deep down, quite emotional. He was much touched by words of prayer, by certain music and certain words in hymns and in choral works. One of his favourite pieces was Rutter’s The Lord bless you and keep you which the large choir sang at the service. In character Paul was sensitive, kind and thoughtful and a great support to Steph throughout their long and happy marriage especially when, ten years ago, she was being treated for a serious illness. So it was that we gave thanks to God for Paul: a quiet man, a practically gifted man, a deeply loving man and a man of faith which faith has transported him into God’s eternal kingdom.
On the 11th January, Paul’s family and many friends gathered together in church to celebrate his life. Paul was born and educated in Leytonstone, left school aged 16 and began a lifetime’s career putting his practical gifts to use in the electrical trade - both in the service and retail side. Indeed, some of us remember him sometimes working in D. C. Leake’s shop in the High Road. Paul met Stephanie, who was to become the love of his life, at his brother’s wedding at St John’s in Leytonstone where Paul had worshipped since his childhood, and they too were married there in 1977 with the reception in the parish hall with a banquet provided by the people of St John’s and St Mary’s where Steph was a member - and both church choirs sang at the service. They soon moved into their first and only home in Roding Lane South where they have lived ever since. Paul loved to drive so they spent many happy times together travelling to all parts of the British Isles and they were members of the National Trust and National Heritage. They also travelled on the continent and Paul particularly loved to drive and walk in the mountains. He enjoyed reading too. Bearing in Chris Winward mind his practical abilities, history
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A big thank you
to everyone submitting contributions and photographs to this edition Please keep them coming, as without them we wouldn’t have a parish magazine. Articles, prayers, book reviews, favourite music, recipes, gardening tips etc. We would love some children’s drawings as well: the choice is yours! Email directly using a subject heading to: magazine@stmaryswoodford.org.uk or pass to Penny Freeston who will type up your handwritten copy. Our next copy date is 29th April 2019 Magazine team: Penny Freeston, Cheryl Corney, Ian Tarrant, Sam McCarthy, Peter Wall. 32