Clergy letter - mortlakeparish.org.uk · we heard the familiar prologue to John’s Gospel and...
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Transcript of Clergy letter - mortlakeparish.org.uk · we heard the familiar prologue to John’s Gospel and...
Clergy letter
For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.”
T. S. Eliot Little Gidding
There are more than 170,000 words in the Oxford English dictionary,
although the average person’s vocabulary is closer to 30,000 words. And
of course the dictionary is regularly updated as obsolete words are
removed and new words added. The most recent revision includes the
noun ‘croggy’ meaning a ride on the
handlebars or crossbar of a bicycle, the
verb ‘fellmonger’ which means to strip wool
from a sheepskin, and the regional noun
‘corporation pop’, which will be familiar to
#many of my fellow northerners as slang for
tap water. I’m not sure that any of these
new additions will feature in a sermon
anytime soon.
But for us as Christians, words matter. God is always speaking. Communication
is intrinsic to God’s very being. In the first account of creation in Genesis,
God speaks the heavens and the earth into existence. Recently at Christmas
we heard the familiar prologue to John’s Gospel and reflected on the paradox
of God’s eternal Word revealed in the form of a wordless baby. As we move
further into 2018, are we open to hearing God speak in ‘another voice’, in
fresh and unexpected ways?
But whilst God is always communicating in new ways, the church is
sometimes accused of being marooned in a communications time warp.
In Eliot’s terms we seem to speak not just the words and language of last
year, but the words and language of the last century. I don’t mean by that
our use of liturgy, modern or traditional, where the poetry often expresses
profound truth far more effectively than prose. But how well do we
communicate the Christian message with those outside our three churches?
When the church and its message are dismissed as irrelevant, is that
negative response a genuine rejection of God, or is it, at least sometimes,
our failure to communicate effectively.
One of my hopes for this still ‘new’ year is that we will begin find that ‘other
voice’ of which Eliot speaks, to communicate more effectively both with our
community and amongst ourselves.
Ann Nickson
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Barnes Green Centre
Church Road
Barnes SW13 9HE
9th Jan: Vicky McGrath
Toys through the ages
16th Jan: Lisa Wilson
Food, Glorious Food
23rd Jan: Afia Bhatti
The Mulberry Centre
30th Jan: Shaun Lamplough
Honey Bees --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6th Feb: Dr Claire Pond
A Good Nights’ Sleep
13th Feb: Robert Woolf
Where are they now?
City of London Features
that have moved!
20th Feb: Jennifer Sturdy
Volunteer English
teacher in rural Kenya
27th Feb: Simon Fowler
Being old in Victorian
Richmond
Coffee from 10.30am
Talks begin at 11.00am
and last approximately 40 mins
All Welcome
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Contents of Interest
Clergy Letter 1 Last year’s words
Islam 3 Sunday evenings in Lent
Planned Giving Campaign 5 Have you sent in your return?
Parkinson’s Disease 8 - 9 Sometimes it feels like …….
Parish Christmas Day Lunch 10 - 11 Around 40 guests
Christmas Angels - 2017 14 - 15 Thank yous
House Groups in the Parish 17 Would you like to join one?
Concert at Christ Church 19 The Barnes Choir
Women’s World Day of Prayer 20 Friday, 2nd March
Flowers for Christmas workshop 21 25 people enjoyed the occasion
Suzy Lamplugh Trust 23 Live Life Safe
What’s on ….
FiSH talks 2
Holocaust Memorial Day recital 4
Quiet Day for start of Lent 6
Ash Wednesday Services 7
Pancake party at St Mary’s 7
CTiMES Service 11
JAN/FEB CALENDAR 12 - 13 Organ Spectacular at All Saints 16
All Saints Concert Series 16
FiSH Sunday – 4 February 18
Friends of Mortlake Ch/yard AGM 22
Musical at Sheen Lane Centre 22
and finally…
Registers 24
Islam looking beyond the stereotypes
Sunday evenings in Lent
at 6.30pm
18 Feb Islam an introduction
Dr Stephen Burge at St Mary’s Mortlake
25 Feb Being a British Muslim
Rashid Ali Laher at Christ Church
East Sheen
4 March How Islamic is Islamic State?
Chris Hewer at St Mary’s Mortlake
11 March Islam, Women, and other things..
Haifaa Khalafallah at All Saints
East Sheen
18 Mar Working with other faiths
Mark Poulson at Christ Church
East Sheen
(venues may change so please read the notice sheet)
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Christmas Day Lunch and Tea
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…Love, love, love that is the soul of genius …
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756 – 1791
Holocaust Memorial Day
Piano recital given by Jacqueline Cole
Works by Mozart, Ullmann, Haydn, Faure,
Chopin
Saturday, 3rd February
at 7.30pm
at Christ Church
On behalf of Safe Passage UK / Legal Routes to Sanctuary
FREE RECITAL WITH RETIRING COLLECTION
Planned Giving Campaign – 2017-18 Supporting Each Other
It has been noted several times over the past year that the finances of the
parish are under strain. A combination of increasing costs and a fall in income
had created a deficit of around £20,000.
This was the background that each of us faced when asked to consider our
financial commitment to the church during the annual planned giving Sunday
in October. The planned giving scheme and its associated tax benefits made
up around three-quarters of the parish’s income in 2016. To close the deficit,
an increase in the amount being pledged through scheme would be necessary.
To achieve this, the planned giving committee decided to take a more direct
approach this year. Instead of asking people to review their giving, a more
direct approach was taken. People were asked, if possible, to increase their
giving. Those not in the scheme were asked to join.
The response has been heartening. Commitments made increased the
amount pledged for 2018 by just under £20,000, closing the deficit. The
planned giving committee wishes to thank all who continue to support the
finances of the parish but especially those who were able to respond by
increasing the amount they give.
Still some have not responded to the request sent by the planned giving
representative in their church. With a new year starting, it could be the
prompt some need to review their giving and send an email to their church
representative. Even letting the representative know you do not intend to
make any changes would be useful. However, it may be possible that some
who have not yet replied could increase their giving and help further stabilise
the parish’s finances.
Stabilisation is good but we should remember this follows difficult choices
made over several years. Giving to missions has been reduced and the parish
no longer supports a youth worker. Any extra money raised above stabilisation
will be used well.
You can contact the planned giving representative in your church at the email
addresses shown below.
For St. Mary’s: Matthew Pass at - [email protected]
For Christ Church: Peter Jones at - [email protected]
For All Saints: Emma Macintyre at - [email protected]
Graeme Forbes at - [email protected]
Ian Bright - Chair of Planned Giving Committee
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ASH WEDNESDAY
14th February, 2018
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of
Lent. It offers the opportunity to take
stock of our lives and to seek God’s
grace to draw closer to him.
It is a day for all Christians to join in
worship with others.
8.00pm Sung Eucharist
at St Mary’s and Christ Church
The Imposition of Ashes will be offered.
(Note – due to All Saints hosting the Glass Door night shelter on a
Wednesday their service will be announced in weekly notices)
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Pancake Party at St Mary’s Tuesday, 13th February
at 6.30pm
with Pancake tossing!
Tickets - £1 adults and 50p children
Brownies and Cubs battle it out with pancake races!
Bring and share supper followed by pancakes and …
the Coggins quiz
Tickets available from Sarah at St Mary’s from Sunday, 28 January,
Or phone: 8392 1467 - email: [email protected]
Sometimes it feels as if you are using someone else’s legs.
There are currently 127,000 people in UK who have
Parkinson’s Disease (Parkinson’s UK). That is expected to
rise to 162,000 by 2020. It is a disease which can be
dramatically life changing but is little understood by the
public. I was diagnosed with it six years ago at the age of
63. After a period of vigorous denial, (I’m too young, I only
shake a little bit don’t I?) there came indisputable
confirmation from a second opinion
(Could you walk down the corridor sir? Now, can you draw a spiral on this
paper? When did you start to lose your sense of smell?, I’m afraid it is……)
Finally, came the slow dawning that I’d better get used to it – shufflin ‘n’ shakin
was to be the new normal for the rest of my life.
Parkinson’s disease does not kill you, it just frustrates your attempt to live the
life you had hoped to live. As Billy Connelly once said, “They told me I’ve got
Parkinson’s. So I said - If it’s Parkinson’s why can’t he keep it for himself.” For a
comedian like Billy, his diagnosis must have been particularly hard to take as
one of the classic symptoms is the so called ‘Parkinson’s mask’ where your
facial expression becomes fixed and you forget how to laugh. Put that together
with the Parkinson’s typically dull monotonous voice and you can tell it’s not a
bundle of fun having the disease.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition for which there is currently
no cure and the cause is unknown. Basically it reduces the brain’s ability to
produce Dopamine; the chemical messenger which generally smooths out the
electrical signals from the brain to the muscles. Its absence in parts of the
body often results in tremor and decreases your ability to fine-tune your
movements. Walking becomes much more difficult as you try to stay in control
of the complex sequence of movements which make up your gait. It doesn’t
stop you walking, but sometimes it feels as if you are using someone else’s
legs.
Since diagnosis, my life has changed in many ways, but not all of them are
negative. I’ve had some fantastic help from the NHS. Queen Mary’s hospital in
Roehampton run classes designed to help you live more comfortably with
Parkinson’s. I’ve had sessions with an occupational therapist (She introduced
me to specially designed spoons and how to set up my lap-top
to avoid typing unwaanted doubble letttters) and individual speech therapy
sessions (You had to reach 90 decibels while sounding ‘Ahh’- I practised
at home in the wardrobe to avoid disturbing the neighbours) .
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They also run exercise classes for Parkinson’s people where they combine
physical challenge with mental activity (Thinking of the names of famous
politicians while throwing and catching balls is incredibly challenging). I’ve
adapted some of these exercises for my early morning work-out. Keeping
fit, of course, is important for all of us, but for people with neurological
disorders, regular exercise improves balance and accuracy of movement
and slows the progression of the disease. It also makes you feel better.
Keeping a regular exercise regime going can mean the difference between
a good life and a drawn out miserable journey towards extinction.
A high point of my week now is the Parkinson’s ballet classes run by the
Rambert Dance Company at their impressive new studios behind the
National Theatre. (I like to say they are ‘ballet’ classes, as it conjures up
bizarre images of shaky people in tutus, but really it’s contemporary dance).
The classes are based on some of the movement in renowned Rambert
productions and adapted especially for Parkinson’s dancers.
There has been a lot of serious research into the positive benefits of
dance in alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson’s, and ‘Dance for
Parkinson’s’ classes are now opening up all over the country.
Having focussed on some of the good news, I don’t want to give the
impression that it is a trivial disease. While my symptoms vary in severity
from hour to hour, they are, so far, mostly manageable. However, I now
meet many sufferers who are in constant discomfort; whose mobility is
severely affected and involuntary movement, on the one hand and
movement ‘freezing’ on the other, make life almost intolerable. For me,
it’s the embarrassment of trying to keep my food on my fork when out to
dinner, or finding a shaky hand has betrayed my raised stress level in
social situations which, in the past, I would have taken in my stride. I also
feel self-conscious when, one moment I may be walking almost normally
and the next (as the Dopamine runs out) I can only shuffle my feet
pathetically along the floor.
These conspicuous symptoms can all too easily lead sufferers to withdraw
gradually from the social world to avoid feelings of awkwardness. I am
fortunate, however, to be blessed by having the support of my remarkable
wife, Jenny and also by membership of a church community founded on
compassion and tolerance of differences. Many people find it difficult to
be open about health issues. My hope is that, in writing of my experience,
I have made more visible the consequences of living with disease and
pointed towards the need for better understanding of all whose mental or
physical condition requires our support and love.
Andy Hughes
9 16
Parish Christmas Day Lunch and Tea at
St Mary’s - 2017
As has been the case for a number of
years now, St Mary’s hosted the Parish
Christmas Day lunch and tea. Around
forty guests came to enjoy themselves,
some under their own steam and others
by the good offices of one of the FiSH
mini busses.
We served drinks to those gathering,
while a small army of helpers
assembled the component parts of Christmas lunch – everything from sprouts
(reactions vary, don’t they?) to turkey (wouldn’t be the same without it) and
pigs in blankets (who could turn one down?). Very soon, the guests were
tucking in; and after serving second helpings there was very little left over. We
had a selection of Christmas puddings and mince pies to offer for dessert,
which we followed with a bit of a pause for digestion and for the waiters and
waitresses to recover their breath a bit.
In the lull in between lunch and the
Queen’s Speech Greg convened a
scratch choir which led guests and
helpers in some carol singing,
before Perry entertained us all with
his guitar. A slight competitive edge
came with the drawing of the raffle,
and then it was time for us to tune
in to Her Majesty’s Christmas
broadcast, along with seven and a
half million others across the
country. In this speech, the Queen encouraged us to treasure our homes and
to be grateful for the warmth, familiarity, and love we find there – along with
the time we share with our loved-ones. There were also a couple of references
to the Royal Family themselves: that Prince Philip has retired from public life at
the age of 96; and that Prince Harry is to marry Meghan Markle later on this
year.
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We then enjoyed Sarah’s Christmas-themed quiz, with just as many
brain-teasers as straight forward questions, before we turned to tea
and Christmas cake. I had never seen sugar-frosted cranberries used
used as edible decoration before; not only did they look wonderfully like
like holly- berries, they were also very tasty. And after tea, the guests
began to make their way home again.
There are two things to say, really,
about the Christmas lunch. The
first is, of course, that offering a
hand of friendship on such a day
to the lonely and marginalized is
probably one of the most Christian
things we do collectively, as a
parish. It is very close to the heart
of faith in action. And the second is to thank all of those who helped in so
many ways, and whose time and exertions came together to make the
Christmas lunch and entertainment pass off so smoothly. A special mention
goes to Sarah and to Greg who kept a watchful eye over the whole of the
proceedings, as well as working very hard themselves. It would not have
happened without you – and I, along with the rest of the parish, am very glad
that it did. Thank you.
Alex Barrow
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Christians Together in Mortlake and
East Sheen (CTiMES)
Service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
at
East Sheen Baptist Church, Temple Sheen Road,
Sunday, 21st January 2018
at 3.30pm
All Welcome
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January Calendar
Tuesday 2nd 6.00pm Julian meeting (silent prayer) at St Mary's
Wednesday 3rd 10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints
Thursday 4th 10.00am Songs and Stories at Christ Church
Saturday 6th 12.30pm Parish Circle Dancing at St Mary’s
Sunday 7th Epiphany
Monday 8th 9.30am Tiddlywinks at St Mary’s
8.00pm Christ Church Consultative at Christ Ch
Wednesday 10th 10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints
Thursday 11th 10.00am Songs and Stories at Christ Church
Friday 12th 2.00pm Mothers’ Union meet at St Mary’s
Saturday 13th 12.15pm Christ Church Glass Door volunteers meet
In Community hall
Sunday 14th 2nd Sunday of Epiphany
Monday 15th Tiddlywinks at St Mary’s
Wednesday 17th 10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints
PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at All Saints
Thursday 18th 10.00am Songs and Stories at Christ Church
Friday 19th 3.00pm Active Retired meeting at All Saints
PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at Christ Church
Community Hall
Saturday 20th Organ Recital at All Saints
Sunday 21st 3rd Sunday of Epiphany
Monday 22nd 9,.30am Tiddlywinks at St Mary’s
Wednesday 24th 10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints
PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at All Saints
Thursday 25th 10.00am Songs and Stories at Christ Church
Friday 26th PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at Christ Church
Community Hall
Sunday 28th 4th Sunday of Epiphany
Monday 29th 9.30am Tiddlywinks at St Mary’s
Wednesday 31st 10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints
PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at All Saints
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February Calendar
Thursday 1st 10.00am Songs and Stories at Christ Church
6.30pm Contemplative Prayer Group meet venue tbc Friday 2
nd PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at Christ Church
Saturday 3rd 12.30pm Parish Circle Dancing at St Mary’s
7.30pm Holocaust Memorial Recital – Christ Church
Sunday 4th 2nd Sunday before Lent
Monday 5th
9.30am Tiddlywinks at St Mary’s Tuesday 6
th 6.00pm Julian meeting (silent prayer) at St Mary's
Wednesday 7th
10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints 6.30pm Mortlake Almshouse Trustees meet – 206 Upper Richmond Road West PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at All Saints Thursday 8
th 10.00am Songs and Stories at Christ Church
Friday 9th PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at Christ Church
Sunday 11th Sunday next before Lent
Tuesday 13th
6.30pm Pancake party at St Mary’s Wednesday 14
th ASH WEDNESDAY
8.00pm Ash Wednesday Services at St Mary’s and Christ Church 12.30pm Lent Lunch at Christ Church Community Hall PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at All Saints Friday 16
th 3.00pm Active Retired meeting at All Saints
PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at Christ Church Community Hall Saturday 17
th 10-2.00pm Quiet Day for Lent – Christ Church
Community Hall
Sunday 18th 1st Sunday of Lent
Monday 19th 9.30am Tiddlywinks at St Mary’s
Wednesday 21st 10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints
PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at All Saints Thursday 22
nd 10.00am Songs and Stories at Christ Church
Friday 23rd PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at Christ Church
Saturday 24th 12 noon Friends of Mortlake Churchyard AGM at
St Mary’s
Sunday 25th 2nd Sunday of Lent
Monday 26th 9.30am Tiddlywinks at St Mary’s
Wednesday 28th 10.00am Songs and Stories at All Saints
PM/AM Glass Door night shelter at All Saints
Christmas Angels 2017
We would like to thank you all hugely for
such generosity in supporting our three local
causes – Refuge, Crossroads Saturday Club
and Richmond Resettlement again at
Christmas.
As a result we have been able to meet their requests to support
many local families, children and young people, who live near to
us but are facing difficult circumstances. We were able to increase
the value of the gift vouchers we gave to all the adults and young
people this year – a total of 49 women at Refuge, 15 adults at
Richmond Resettlement and 30 young people at Crossroads. We
also gave lovely gifts to children ranging from new born babies to
10 year olds - 27 to children at Refuge and 13 to little ones being
support by Richmond Resettlement.
All the staff at these charities were very appreciative of the gifts
And support from the churches in the parish. It means a great
deal to them and to those they are helping. We are hoping to
arrange for a representative from each of the organisations to
come and speak to us briefly at the end of a Sunday service in
the new year about the work they are doing. We are planning for
someone from Refuge to come to All Saints, Crossroads to
Christchurch and Richmond Resettlement to St Mary’s. Look out
for more updates in the pew sheets in church.
There is some remaining money which we will give as a donation
to the registered charities. So once again thank you very much to
everyone in the parish for a wonderful response.
Karen Brown, Sue Urquhart,
Ginny Waterkeyn and Mary Abel.
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A ‘thank you’ letter from Crossroads
Crossroads Saturday
Club Party 2017
We celebrated yet another great year at
the Crossroads Saturday Club!
The Karate instructors prepared those
due to attend their grading sessions the
following day. The young people were
very excited as they knew Santa was due
on his Sleigh that afternoon to bring
them presents. Party food and festive
music made the atmosphere even more
special for them all.
After Karate had finished they all put
their coats on and went outside in
groups to await ‘Santa’s’ arrival. Santa was very jolly and some of the young
people were super excited! One boy screamed ‘I can’t believe Santa is here!’.
Santa gave all the children the vouchers kindly donated by the Churches of
East Sheen and Mortlake along with a Christmas variety pack. They were very
shocked to receive the £15 vouchers and could not wait to show their parents
when they arrived to collect them!
We all really appreciate the kind donation of vouchers and sweets for the young
people at the club. It makes it so special for them, and they really
look forward to receiving the gifts.
THANK YOU TO:
St Mary’s, Christ Church and All Saints.
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House Groups in the Parish
Rowan Williams observes in Being Christian, that the Christian life is a listening
life. Listening to God, listening to one another speaking about God’s word and
hen sharing what we hear as our witness to God.
So imagine sitting in a comfy chair, a cup of coffee at hand, a slice of cake,
and talking with a group of friends around the table. What could be better?
That is in essence what a house group is. The talk is about each other,
about God, how we out our faith, the questions faith poses, the ups and
downs, the uncertainties and the dreams. House groups may probe the
different books of the Bible, take inspiration from poets and painters, learn
about the lives of holy - or nor so holy - people. Most of all our understanding
is enlarged by listening to the others in our groups.
"Refreshing, challenging and enlightening to discuss different perspectives
on spiritual and religious issues in a welcoming and supportive environment
with my fellow Christians” M
“The otherwise rare opportunity to discuss "the big things”. This 'just happens'
in the friendly, cosy gathering over tea and a book that is a house group.” R
“A little window in the month where you can exhale and relax amongst friends,
to explore things that matter without tensing up about it!” K
“stimulating and rewarding and a great opportunity to exchange ideas with
like minded people.” J
There are a number of different house groups meeting across the parish,
taking their names from Celtic saints. Why not get in touch and try one out?
Alban Group 2nd Mondays, 8pm at 84 Temple Sheen Road, convened by
Paul Russenberger - [email protected]
Winifrida Group 2nd Tuesdays, 10.45am at 84 Temple Sheen Road,
convened by Judith Russenberger - [email protected]
Hilda Group 2nd Wednesdays, 11.15am at Christ Church, convened by
David Guest - [email protected]
Ethelburga Group 2nd Wednesdays, 8pm at 103 Richmond Park Road,
convened by Melanie Compton - [email protected]
Cuthbert Group 2nd Thursdays, 10.45am at 84 Temple Sheen Road,
convened by Judith Russenberger
Tydfil Group 2nd Thursdays, 8pm at 84 Temple Sheen Road, convened by
Judith Russenberger
During Lent some of these groups will meet weekly.
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A Celebration
We are celebrating Fr Peter
King’s ministry in this parish as
he marks his seventieth birthday
this year.
At 6.00pm on Sunday 11th
February there will be a Mass of
Thanksgiving at All Saints’,
followed by something to eat and
drink.
Do join us!
18
Concert at Christ Church –
9th December
Christ Church was packed on Saturday evening, 9TH December, for the
Barnes Choir Christmas concert - a joyful rendering of the first three
parts of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. These were interspersed with
audience participation in favourite carols, and some delightful ones
from the Choir, mixing the well-known, including "Ding dong merrily on
high" with our first hearing of "Star of the East" with music by
Russell Hepplewhite (who was in the audience).
The three Bach cantatas performed this evening were written for the
first three days of Christmas and incorporate the Nativity story,
narrated by the Evangelist, arias sung by the four first-class
soloists and choruses sung with great energy by the choir. The
orchestral accompaniment is typically complex and exciting as in the
exuberant part played by trumpets in some of the choruses. It was a
pleasure to hear the choir in such good voice, particularly in the
quieter moments of the beautiful chorales which provide commentary
on the story.
The evening, conducted by the Choir's Musical Director Julian Collings,
was a perfect start to a season of Christmas music, and was very well
received by the large audience.
Alison Wilson
19
Come and join us for a light lunch with musical
entertainment
at St Michael’s Community Centre,
Elm Bank Gardens, Barnes, SW13 ONX
Friday 2nd February - 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Donations to FiSH (suggested £5.00 to cover lunch costs)
St Paul’s Musicians
WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
Friday 2nd March 2018
2 pm at the Baptist Church, Temple Sheen Road ‘All God’s Creation is very good!’
This is an international, ecumenical, prayer movement that invites women,
from a different part of the world each year, to prepare a worship service
through which their hopes and fears for their country may be brought before
the whole world in prayer. This year the service comes from Suriname, on
the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. The service will have been
translated into over 60 languages and 1,000 dialects and will be celebrated
in 170 countries and islands. Here in the British Isles, some 6,000 services
will be taking place!
The theme this year - ‘All God’s Creation is very good!’ – gives us the
opportunity to reflect on what this means to us as individuals and to our world
through the eyes of the women of Suriname. They urge us to cherish God’s
gift of creation and to commit ourselves to caring for God’s world responsibly,
so that we may pass it on, unspoiled, to future generations.
We do hope you will join us for our local service followed by refreshments.
Everyone is very welcome
The Parish Bookstall
The Parish Book Stall will be circulating around the churches just
before Lent. We will be at:
Christ Church - Sunday 4th February St Mary’s - Sunday, 11th February
All Saints - Sunday, 18th February
with a selection of Lent reading and beyond. Do come, have a
browse and buy. Helen Robinson and Deirdre Munro
20
Flowers for Christmas Workshop
On 1st December All Saints Flower Team
hosted a “Flowers for Christmas” workshop
for 25 ladies eager to be shown how to make
beautiful floral arrangements. They were
then invited to have a go themselves and
take home what they had made.
Included at the start was a delicious lunch
which helped to relax those who seemed a little
daunted by the idea of tackling the task ahead.
Bridget Grant further helped to reassure them
with her entertaining and informative
demonstrations that illustrated how with a little bit of knowledge and guidance
from the many flower team helpers, everyone could produce something very
beautiful and individual.
Before long the church was buzzing with chatter and laughter as people
compared arrangements. As a helper it was a joy to see how people
grew in confidence from their first tentative steps.
The workshop ended with tea, coffee, homemade biscuits and mince
pies being consumed while flower team members gave a series of quick
tips and ideas on how to transform the home for Christmas with wreaths
and simple but effective decorations that were cheap and easy to make.
The feedback from the event was incredibly positive with comments such
as ‘amazing value’, ‘excellent food, fantastic ideas delivered with such
good humour and something to take home’ and ‘a fabulous event –
I loved it’ .
This was a great example of All Saints reaching out beyond the immediate
church community and I was pleased to meet and get to know new people
who all share a love of flowers.
Huge thanks go to the Flower Team and many other helpers who made the
day such a success. We would also like to say a big thank you to Savills
UK Ltd, particularly to Michael Randall and the East Sheen Branch for
their kind sponsorship of the printing.
Margaret Davies
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Friends of Mortlake Churchyard AGM
Saturday, 24th February at 12 noon, at St Mary's
followed by a simple lunch and a chance to look at the Churchyard (weather permitting!), and chat.
All welcome
Paul Lamplugh suggested the Suzy Lamplugh Trust as a possible recipient
of support by the parish. The Mission, Peace and Justice Committee had a
number of suggestions and decided to recommend another charity for our
support. But the Committee suggested that an article in Parish Link would
be of interest and would spread awareness of the Trust and its work.
My daughter Suzy was brought up in Sheen, she attended All Saints and
sang in the choir. She was also a member of 6th Mortlake Guide Unit where
she achieved her Queen’s Guide Award.
The charity The Suzy Lamplugh Trust was formed in 1986, shortly after her
disappearance. She was an estate agent aged 26, who went out to meet
a client, named in her diary as ‘Mr Kipper’. Despite an intensive police
search over many years, Suzy was never seen again.
The aim of the charity is to help people of all ages to Live Life Safe. We
help and support people to stay safe from aggression and violence
through the provision of free safety tips, managing the National Stalking
Helpline and delivering community projects.
We developed a discipline for Personal Safety and now teach it as a life
skill, a skill which like road safety, once learnt, lasts for life. Ideally, it
should be learnt from an early age but we aim to help everyone out and
about – you, your children, your grannies, your staff. Suzy herself believed,
as she once said to her mother, who had rebuked her for overdoing things,
that life is for living – but she hadn’t been taught how to live safely.
Personal Safety is now a household expression and every responsible
organisation serving the public has a personal safety policy.
For more information about our work, please email [email protected]
or write to Suzy Lamplugh Trust, The Foundry, 17 - 19 Oval Way, SE11 5RR
or phone - 020 7091 0014.
Paul Lamplugh
23
From the Registers
Baptisms:
10th December: Alexa collins; South Worple Way
17th December: Rex Reeves; Upper Richmond Road West (All Saints)
31st December: Samuel Grimaldi, of Kings Road (St Mary’s)
Funerals:
19th December: Mary Lee Berners-Lee of Sheen Lane
20th December: Nigel Knight of Church Path
24
PARISH LINK
The next edition – covering March and April - will be out in
early March.
If you have any items you would like included please
send to Anne Reeves by weekend of 23rd
February
email: [email protected]
or hard copy to the Parish Office
or speak to Kate Woodhouse (St Mary’s), Prudie Mennell (Christ
Church), Kathy Sheldon (All Saints) or a Churchwarden
