The Parish magazine of July/August 2023 Volume LIV No6 stsaviourseastbourne.org.uk £1
2 Church Services All of our services are livestreamed on Facebook Sundays 8.30am Morning Prayer 9.00am Said Mass 10.30am Solemn Mass and Sermon Weekdays 10.30am Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 11.00am Tuesday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed by Mass at 12noon 12noon Friday 10.00am Saturday Major Weekday Festivals Sung Mass as above, unless otherwise indicated on notice boards. The Clergy are happy to bring the Sacrament to the housebound or sick at any hour of the day or night. The Holy Oil is available for those who wish to be anointed and there is a regular opportunity for the Ministry of Healing every third Sunday at the 10.30am Mass. The Sacrament of Reconciliation Confessions by appointment. Hospital visits The Clergy will visit and give communion to those in hospital. Other Services provided by the church For Baptisms, Banns of Marriage, Weddings and Funerals please contact the Vicar. Facebook facebook.com/stsaviourseastbourne Website stsaviourseastbourne.org.uk The church is open from 8.30am each day, but The Book/ Souvenir Shop is currently closed. St Saviour's Church South Street Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 4UT Telephone: 01323 729702 Contents Page From the Vicar 3 Goodbye and God-speed 5 Richard Keeble, our new Assistant Curate 6-7 The Art of St Saviour’s 9 From this… to This, the birth of a new ‘Throne’ 10 Songs of Praise 15 The Events Group 16 100’s Club Draw The Carpet Garden, Arundel 2023 17 A Blast from the Console 18 Concerts for July and August 19 A Few Gardening Tips 20 Kitty 21 Dates for your Diary 22-23 Directory 24 The Parish Magazine is published on the first Sunday of the month. Production: Paul Fella Matter for publication should be submitted to [email protected] Copy deadline is 20th of the month and articles should be no longer than 750 words. News items or reports should be factual and no longer than 500 words. Articles are copyright to the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the author or Editor. The Editor's decision is final regarding content. Disclaimers: The Editor does not necessarily agree with all of the views expressed in this magazine. St Saviour’s Eastbourne, is the parish church of St Saviour and St Peter. The parish and its representatives do not endorse or recommend any of the products or services advertised in this Magazine. Caveat emptor! Cover image: Unattributed
3 My dear friends, When I was younger (and, I suspect, considerably more pretentious, and certainly academically precocious) I used to try to get my dear Nana to engage in theological debate with me. Unsurprisingly, she resisted. Not because she thought that I was some sort of re-incarnation of the ‘Angelic Doctor’, St Thomas Aquinas (with whom, of course, it was folly to debate) but because – for her – there was no room for such debate. You either believed, or you didn’t believe. Period. Questioning was out of the question, so to speak. For Nana, doubt was not part of the Christian lexicon, never mind part of lived experience as a faithful follower of the Gospel. On July 3rd, the Christian Church celebrates the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, known as ‘doubting Thomas’, one of Jesus’ twelve hand-picked disciples. As you will remember, Thomas was not with the other disciples when the risen Lord appeared to them on Easter Day. Because of this, he doubted the reality of the resurrection until he had been able to use his senses, seeing and touching the wounds of Christ. Then, of course, he believed. For Thomas, accepting the reality of the resurrection required proof, and such proof enabled him to emphatically declare, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:26-29). I think that in reality the key to this story is that – more than ‘proof’ in some forensic sense – Thomas really needed a personal encounter with the living Jesus. Without such a personal encounter, things were just too difficult to comprehend for him – in the words of Saint Paul, he looked through a glass, darkly. And can we blame him? Would we have been any different in his circumstances? A central part of his story is the existence of his doubt; undenied “I see through a glass darkly…” (1 Cor 13:12)
4 by Thomas and – significantly – uncriticised by the Lord. Jesus met Thomas where he was; in his doubt. And times do not change. We too are surrounded by wonder and amazement before the confusing puzzles and paradoxes of our lives and of the universe. We are the people Jesus speaks of who “have not yet seen and yet believe”. Or sometimes we perhaps find it all too difficult to believe… we too (priests included) have our times of doubt. So do we fail in some way in our faith when we doubt and question? Of course not. God gave us the great gift of having questioning minds and we would fail God, and ourselves, if we were not to use them. An essential part of beginning to appreciate the depths of the mystery of God comes when we exercise our God-given rationality. “Blind faith” really is no faith. What we should be about is, in the words of St. Anselm, “faith seeking understanding”. Thomas’ experience is deeply human – and so it is our experience. But in it he – and we - touch the mystery of faith; God’s revelation often through ambiguity, mystery and enigma. Doubt and faith are inseparable; they are two sides of the same coin; in fact, they complement one another. We experience this tension in the scriptures, too. Just a few examples: not only in the mystery of the Incarnation in the first chapter of St John’s Gospel; but also in the enigma of Jesus’ Transfiguration on Mount Tabor (which we celebrate in early August); in the cry of dereliction of Christ himself from the cross, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46); and in the ambiguity of Christ’s resurrection as recounted in the Gospel accounts (for example, unrecognised by Mary in the garden and by the disciples on the road to Emmaus). As Valentine Cunningham writes in his book ‘In The Reading Gaol: Postmodernity, Texts and History’ (1994): ‘Silence, puzzle… absence, blankness, stuttering, are as much part of Biblical theology… as their opposites’. And of course they are, because the Bible is the writing of human beings who have, in various ways, experienced divine reality and tried to make sense of it, sometimes resulting in confident proclamation but more often in awed puzzlement. After all, if we can fully explain and fully make sense of the mystery which is God, then God ceases to be a mystery: both as a matter of logic and as a matter of theology. So when we question and when we doubt, let us not be too troubled. Rather, let our prayer be that of the father of the epileptic boy healed by Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief” (Mk 9:23-24). Let us pray that our doubt will draw us into an even deeper personal relationship with the Risen Lord: a relationship we can uniquely obtain by our involvement in his body, the Church, and in our receiving of his sacraments, each of which is a true and personal encounter with the living Lord. Let us pray that with God’s grace he will enable us to live in that exciting place – the realm of the tension between doubt and belief – and use it and own it as a positive way of seeing through the glass darkly, but in the enduring hope of nevertheless ultimately ‘seeing face to face’ (1 Cor 13:12). With my love and prayers, as ever, Fr Mark ‘Silence, puzzle… absence, blankness, stuttering, are as much part of Biblical theology… as their opposites’.
5 At the end of the 10.30am Mass on Sunday 18th June we gave God thanks for Exequiel’s ministry as an altar server, and prayed for God’s blessing on him, his wife Rebecca and their son Cal as they leave us (and Eastbourne and the U.K.) for the United States of America to continue the next chapter of their life together. We will miss each member of the family, all of whom always radiated Christian joy in their wonderful smiles and cheerful outlook. Exequiel sent Fr. Mark an email from the departure lounge at the airport: “Thank you very much for everything, especially for the prayers yesterday. We are now here in Dublin, waiting for our flight to Chicago. We’re hoping to find a good community in church when we reach Iowa, as good as people in St.Saviour’s. You have made our stay in Eastbourne an easy one. God bless.” May God continue to bless them and keep them. GOODBYE AND GOD-SPEED TO EXEQUIEL AND HIS FAMILY
6 The afternoon of 25th June saw a group of clergy and parishioners from St Saviour’s travel to Chichester to be present at the Cathedral for the Ordination as Deacon of Richard Keeble who will serve as Assistant Curate at St Saviour’s. The splendour of the Cathedral served to emphasise the spirituality,dignity and solemnity of the Ordination Ceremony which was very moving not only for the three candidates but also for the congregation. The words of the opening hymn “Christ is made the sure foundation“ set the tone of the service which while traditional in spirit incorporated some more recent music compositions. During the service Pauline Fella read from the New Testament and Keith Metcalfe acted as one of the Offertory Bearers. We pray for Richard that he will have God’s blessing throughout his working life which he has dedicated to serving God who is his Lord and Master. Noel Thompson The ordination of Richard John Keeble Fr Mark with Fr Thomas our previous Assistant Curate, and Fr Richard Keeble, our new Assistant Curate. It is a great blessing to be with you in sunny Eastbourne! Last Sunday proved a very special and memorable day, not least for the kind greetings I received from a number of people from St Saviour’s. My wife Clara and I are excited to meet and get to know you over the coming weeks and months as we settle in to our new home here. Speaking of which, we are especially grateful to the team of volunteers from St Saviour’s who put in time and effort to help prepare our house ahead of the move, and to Paul Fella for plumbing in our washing machine. The difference this made to us was considerable, and I look forward to thanking you all in person. Please do say hello if and when you see me around at church or in the parish. And please pray for me as I begin this new life of ministry, and as I continue to pray for you. With warmest wishes, Fr Richard, Assistant Curate
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8 Flexible, award winning elderly care Care is provided by someone experienced and the same person visits • Companionship Care • Meal Preparation • Shopping • Medication Prompting Housekeeping • Overnight Stays • Laundry • Administration • Appointments • Much More! To find out more about receiving care or working with us in and around 01323 912 303 WE ARE HERE TO HELP or visit our website © 2022 independently owned and operated © seniors helping seniors ® www.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk Eastbourne A very personal commitment A helping hand at home: for seniors, by seniors Seniors Helping Seniors was founded in 1998, to offer older people the chance to stay in their own homes for longer, by providing them with help and care. We are fully committed to the highest standards and to help all seniors in our community to lead dignified and independent lives. As award winning social entrepreneurs we are proud to use profit with purpose to make an important social change. “It is only through the action of caring that we find our true purpose in the world.” KIRAN YOCOM CO-FOUNDER, SENIORS HELPING SENIORS The Seniors Helping Seniors in-home service is the place to call when help or future care planning is needed 01323 912 303 [email protected] www.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk 01323 912 303 [email protected] www.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk Are you looking for help for yourself or a loved one? We can help with: • Companionship • Meal times • Shopping • Transportation • Medical appointments • Hospital discharge • Welcome home and convalescence • Dementia Care • Respite care • Holidays and overnights • Housekeeping and laundry • Maintenance and repairs • Gardening • Pet care • ...and much more ©2022 independently owned and operated ©Seniors Helping Seniors® If you are interested in joining our Walsingham Cell please contact Mary Delves on 735410 A lamp burns for this church in the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham All of our services are open to the public and are also being livestreamed via Facebook.
9 The series based on the Beatitudes has now finished,however there is one more mosaic in the Sanctuary – that of St John the Baptist. Beneath the mosaic engraved in brass are the words ‘There hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist’. This is taken from St Matthew’s Gospel chapter 11 verse 11. Earlier in the chapter Jesus is referring to the prophesy of Malachi where John is preparing the way for the one who is to come which of course is – Jesus himself. Jesus refers to him as the greatest of all the prophets. Yet he goes on to say that even the least person in the kingdom of heaven is ‘greater’ than John the Baptist. St John the Baptist was born some time in the first century BC and died around AD 30. His parents were Zechariah and Elizabeth. (Their names have been mentioned in a previous Aslan article when discussing the mosaic of Elizabeth). St John the Baptist is mentioned in the Gospels of Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The accounts of his life in each of these Gospels differ though only slightly. They all agree that St John the Baptist was arrested however St John does not say why nor what happened after the arrest. St John The Baptist was arrested by King Herod Antipas after criticising the King for divorcing his first wife and marrying the ex-wife of his brother. For that crime and ‘other evils’ he was executed by being beheaded. His body thrown over the city walls collected by his followers and buried. Relics of St John the Baptist are said to rest in various areas across Europe and various parts of the world. I will list them below… Parts of his head: claims are made that it resides in a Mosque in Damascus, the church of San Silvestro in Capita Rome, Amiens Cathedral in France and a museum in Munich Germany The right hand relics: a Monastery in Montenegro, a church in Sienna and his right index finger in a Palace in Istanbul. The left hand: an Armenian Apostolic church in West Bengal India The decapitation cloth: Aachen Cathedral in Germany. (I have been to that Cathedral, but no mention of this relic was obvious, at least not to me). Various bones: Bulgaria, Egypt, NagornoKarabakh and Kansas City Missouri. Lastly, the civic coat-of-arms of the West Yorkshire town of Halifax features the head of St John the Baptist. Legend has it that the etymology of that town’s name rises from Halig (holy) and Fax (hair), claiming that a relic of his head or part thereof once resided in the town. He is remembered on two dates of the Catholic calendar: 24th June his birth and 29th August his execution. Aslan The Art of St Saviour’s
10 FROM THIS TO THIS When I had finished working on a restoration of a statue of the Virgin Mary for St Andrew Norway, Fr Mark asked me whether I had any other projects ‘on the go’. I said that I hadn’t and left it at that (mistake!). A week or so went by and Fr Mark and I were once again in conversation and he slipped in...”how do you fancy making a new ‘Throne’ for the Monstrance?” I was a little surprised as had already gilded the one that Keith and John Burford had made a couple of years ago. The discussion continued and as it transpired it was felt that our church and liturgy deserved something more grand for the ‘special’ occasions during the year when we have benediction. ‘Something along the lines of what they have at Walsingham would be nice” he said. Off I went and had a think and also had a look at the Walsingham ‘throne’ and a few others that I could find, just to see what I would be letting myself in for if I agreed to have ago at undertaking this task. Walsingham Diocesan Museum, Pictures of Monstrance Fidenza, Italy thrones of the sort that Fr Mark referred to were very hard to find and almost all were antiques of considerable value and foreign. The only pictures of the Walsingham one I had or could find were taken from afar.
11 Once I had researched ’the look and feel’ of the object, I scribbled something down on a scrap of paper (as usual) and asked if this was the concept that he had in mind. Broadly speaking it was, so I then took a few measurements and off I went to draw a plan – apart from anything else, I had no idea of what was involved, how I might achieve it and how it might end up. Before I could start my plan, I needed to see what resources were available. I found that I could commission some of the elements I thought I needed, or if I was prepared to compromise a little I could buy some ‘offthe-shelf’. I discovered that most of the UK suppliers of the sort of complex ‘routing’ work I needed, had their goods made either in Hungary or the Far East, so I stopped looking at those supposedly British manufacturers and started a dialogue with some in Hong Kong and mainland China. I found that their prices were extremely reasonable and the manufacturers themselves very helpful. With the plan complete (well sort of) I started building the base. The twin elements were made in Hong Kong (sale or return) – they arrived in two weeks. I showed them to both Fr Mark and Fr Richard and they agreed that the styling was right, so I went ahead and built the base of the unit. Once it was made I brought it down to church and placed it on the altar and a monstrance was brought out to check it for size. It was fine at least for width and breadth. My biggest challenge was then making sure that the height was right – if it was too high it would look out of balance and if it was too short it would impede the placing of the Monstrance during the service. Having worked that out, I had to translate that into the sizing of intricately cut tracery for the canopy and sides. This I checked and double checked and when I was satisfied, I sent the instructions to the manufacturer. The parts arrived in 10 days – far earlier than I anticipated (it’s a long way to China by boat). Once I had them, I bought the rest of the wood required from a local wood yard and set to work creating the main carcass. When complete I had two separate elements that could be placed on top of each other safely. I brought them down to church in their raw state, just to see how they looked and I also cobbled together a third (top) element to see how that would look. I consulted Fr Mark and Fr Richard in church over the scale/size/style and as to whether it needed the third element. We had a discussion
12 about the stability of the piece, if it was not going to be a single unit and it was finally decided that the piece matched the High Altar much better as it was, without the ‘top’ and that it should be made as a single unit. So off I went and finished the assembly and added the necessary ornamental mouldings and re-enforcements to ensure that there would be minimal damage to the structure during handling. I then started the paint job. When the piece had its primer coat and first coat, I once again brought it down to church for another check and this time there was a discussion about the back and the base regarding colour(s) and materials. I suggested some materials and both Fr Mark and Fr Richard had ideas on this. We all felt that red was the right colour, but it was then a matter of which red? I suggested a few with trade colour references and obtained a sample of what I thought the red should be in felt (this was to be for the platform). Everyone agreed that it was the right way to go and the next trick was to find the right fabric for the back. I had suggested silk, but that was going to be both expensive and hard to obtain. However, Fr Richard offered to wander the streets of Brighton and see whether he could find something suitable. I took away the throne and carried on with the painting, a second undercoat (Pugin red) a first coat of gold, then a second and a third.
13 The following week Fr Richard returned with a couple of choices, one of which was an exact match for the felt. So it was decided, but when could we get it? Fr Richard couldn’t get back to Brighton for a couple of weeks, so that was that. However Pauline and I went to Brighton on a day out in the intervening time and it occurred to us that we could buy the fabric, but we had no reference with us at all. Thank goodness for smart phones... we called Fr Richard and he photographed the fabric and its reference and told us the shop where he had seen it. As it was, it was only a matter of a few yards from where we were standing at the time, so we went and bought it. Having obtained the fabric, I could now complete the job. I made a detachable backboard and obtained some medium density foam and set to work upholstering the backboard in this lovely red fabric. Once this was done, I glued down the felt on the base and the job was complete (bar giving it a final coating of wax). I then brought it down to church and tried the finished thing in place. It seemed to fit perfectly with the surroundings and at the same time hold the necessary emphasis for the Monstrance. I was delighted with this project and it was completed much sooner than I thought. As for expense, the material costs were more than covered by a donation to the restoration fund made for my work on the ‘Bronze Calvary’ crucifix near the St Peter Chapel. The only one of these that I found for sale was over £6,000! Paul Fella
14 We need stewards for open church. COULD YOU GIVE two hours a week to welcome visitors? WE ALSO DESPERATELY NEED MORE volunteer cleaners to help clean the church on tuesdays – If you are able to help with either of these, PLEASE See A CHURCH WARDEN, THANK YOU.
15 On the afternoon of Sunday 18th June our augmented choir were joined by our friends from the Lewes, Glynde and Beddingham Brass Band for a fund-raising ‘Songs of Praise’ towards raising money for new brass candle holders for our Choir Stalls. Unusually bad weather (given the previous two days had been almost as hot as I’m used to in the Middle East), combined with the fact that Fathers’ Day was also being celebrated meant that we didn’t have an audience of hundreds – but the 50 or so of us who did attend had a thoroughly enjoyable time, as we worshipped Almighty God both very traditionally (through, for example, the 19th Century classic ‘Praise My Soul the King of Heaven’) but also in a more contemporary manner (with both ‘Make me a channel of your peace’ – apparently the official anthem of the Royal British Legion - and ‘Shine, Jesus, Shine’ by Graham Kendrick). David Horne provided incredibly interesting introductions to the dozen hymns and worship songs. I hadn’t realised that apparently the Passiontide/Holy Week classic ‘My Song is Love Unknown’ was reputedly written on the back of a menu, and that it is suspected that the popular tune to ‘The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ended’ (St. Clement) was written not by the Revd. Clement Scholefield (as is normally attributed) but by his friend Sir Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert & Sullivan fame). Another revelation was that the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, Cosmo Gordon Lang, described St Clement as “a feeble waltz tune” (what is it about these Archbishops??). David also told us that H.M. King George V actually preferred Jerusalem to God save The King as our National Anthem (with the greatest respect to his late Majesty, I’m not so sure about that one…). The Lewes, Glynde and Beddingham Brass Band offered us a number of pieces, including a really enjoyable and rousing medley of hymn tunes composed by Cornish composer Goff Richards (1944-2011) called ‘Hymns of Praise’ which included my all-time favourite hymn, Wesley’s ‘And Can It Be?’, followed by ‘Love Divine’ (Blaenwern), ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’ (Crimond), ‘Shine, Jesus, Shine’, and ‘Praise My Soul’. The brass sounded wonderfully bright, and it was quite a contrast to the deeper resonances of our organ. It was a very thoughtful touch for Paul Collins to have asked them to play Sir Arthur Sullivan’s ‘The Lost Chord’ for me – another personal favourite (and also, I learned, a favourite of Judith Coe, whose birthday it was – she was delighted). We concluded with another favourite of mine – the rousing Sussex by the Sea. Our thanks to Paul Collins, the augmented choir, David Horne and the Lewes, Glynde and Beddingham Brass Band and their Musical Director, Ian Stewart, for such a wonderful act of worship and concert. We look forward to Ian and the gang returning at Christmas for the Gala Concert. If you weren’t able to attend but would like to help towards the cost of the new brass candle holders for our Choir Stalls, please speak to Paul Collins or one of the Churchwardens, who would be happy to accept your donation. Fr. Mark
16 [email protected] www.everlastimprovements.co.uk 0800 112 3544 07833 469 190 EVERLAST IMPROVEMENTS • Design, supply and fitting of double glazing • Design, supply and fitting of kitchens and bathrooms • General building work and decking 100s Club The results for the June Draw were: 1st Prize 28 - John Vernon 2nd Prize 39 - Gill Goff 3rd Prize 18 - Judy Grundy The cost is £3 per month and the prizes will be £50, £25 and £10. There are still numbers available for those of you that want to take part, but as yet haven’t signed up. THE EVENTS GROUP The Events Group needs volenteers in order for the events that we all enjoy to happen. n Are you able to get involved? n There’s no regular commitment n You don’t need special skills (but it’s nice if you have some) Without your help, the few of us that are already signed up will only be able to put on a very limited programme for 2023/24, so please consider joining us! Talk to me , email me, or call me and see how you might be able to contribute. Thank you. Paul Fella E [email protected] M 07379 679741
17 On a lovely sunny day in early June a group of parishioners who were joined by friends let themselves in for a real treat when they visited the Floral Festival at Arundel Cathedral. After a most pleasant coach journey through the beautiful Sussex countryside which was looking lush and green, our first view of Arundel as we arrived was the magical and fairy tale silhouette of the castle against a clear blue cloudless sky. The coach made its way speedily through the town to the cathedral where we alighted.Upon entering the cathedral one was taken aback by the sheer height of the interior and the vista looking toward the high altar with the stained glass windows above. As we progressed along the side aisles we were greeted by numerous floral displays,including those which were in the side chapels. Each display had its own harmonious and distinctive colour theme but with the predominant colours in all the displays being various shades of pinks and blues which were supplemented with red, white, yellow,orange and lime green flowers to create individual colour combinations, all of which were splendidly set off against the off white stone walls of the cathedral. However the highlight of the festival was the floral carpet running the full length of the nave aisle which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the cathedral building which was built in 1873. Upon leaving the cathedral we were able to amble down the hill through the town to the coach park where our coach was waiting to bring us back to Eastbourne. On the return journey there was a stop at Newhaven where we had a late lunch over which we were able to share our impressions of the Festival. Finally a big thank you to Sue Metcalfe who organised such an enjoyable excursion. Noel Thompson ARUNDEL FLORAL FESTIVAL
18 Dry, dry, dry and dry again. I thought we were going to have some rain. Fat lot of good that last bit did, the ground is still absolutely parched and all my bedding plants are looking very sorry for themselves. Well at least the tomatoes and cucumbers are doing all right in the greenhouse! But what of those poor souls up county who have been without water for days? Don’t get me started on the politics of that one. Anyhow, the music this month has been terrific. We’ve had two organ recitals and our ‘Songs of Praise’ fund raiser. The first recital was by local organist, Tim Guntrip who gave us a really excellent programme including the great A minor chorale from César Franck. It was especially good to have him play for us, as he is part of the team that looks after the organ. As you know, this is an area of huge interest to me and I am very grateful for the work that they do. The next recital was by the legend that is Thomas Trotter. He is undoubtedly one of the world’s finest players and it was a huge privilege to have him come and play for us. I consider myself extremely lucky because ,for me he, is a very old friend and he played for Sally and me at our wedding forty years ago (help). But what a concert; a super programme of varying styles and moods. It was especially poignant for me because it was billed as a memorial to my late mother and I was gratified that we had an audience of over eighty. It is very important for people like me to hear players like Thomas, not just for entertainment (which of course it is), but they inspire us to want to be better. I could never aspire to his level of musicianship, but he certainly makes me want to practise more! The performance was enthusiastically received by a very appreciative audience, who were treated to music by Stanford (ideal for our Walker organ), Vaughan-Williams and an astonishing rendition of the overture to Rossini’s ‘Thieving Magpie’, which Thomas arranged himself. I could go on and on about it but I think you get the general idea. One last thing, his explanations were really informative and helpful. Superb!! Then a week later we did have some rain and it just fell typically on the Sunday afternoon. It was such a shame because that was when we had the Songs of Praise with the enhanced choir and the brass band. It was such a lot of fun, but audience numbers were low and we didn’t raise as much as we had hoped, but it was worthwhile and I think that we should do it again. So, moving into July. We have another recital on Monday 3rd; Julian Thomas, who is the director of music at Tonbridge School is making a return visit. He is a lovely player and, if you can, you should come and listen to him. Then, on July 16th, Philip Dyson (international Concert pianist) is coming to play for us. We round the month off on 30th with Irina and Eleanor (piano and violin), they are always so very popular as well as being astounding players… and lots more going on in August! As always, please look out for the publicity in the local press and all the flyers at the back of the church. If you can, please take some away and put them up around the town. It all helps!
19 Sunday 30th July 2.45pm Piano and Violin Recital Eleanor Percy (Violin) and Irina Lyakhovskaya (Piano) Tickets £10 on the door Monday 7th August 1.00pm Organ Recital Anthony Wilson Monday 28th August 1.00pm Piano Recital John Bruzon Sunday 13th August 2.45pm Piano Recital Artur Haftman Tickets £10 on the door Sunday 16th July 2.45pm Piano Recital Phillip Dyson Tickets £10 on the door
20 A Few Gardening Tips for July Annette Smyth This is one of the glory months, when gardens are ablaze with the Ornamental Cherry trees – one of the first to blossom. If the Apple or Pear trees are beginning to open, avoid spraying them with pesticides. Inside many gardens Bluebells or the better bred Scilla abound, in between weary Narcissi who have had their day and are now about ready to have their stems cut off, especially when going into seed production. They will begin to fade, but leave the foliage until it becomes devoid of life – the brown residue is then easily separated and put on the compost heap. When the daffodils have exhausted themselves, cut off the flower heads, let the foliage die off naturally and leave it until it becomes dormant then toss the brown faded leaf stems onto the compost heap. All the bulbs need strength throughout the dormant season. Put some fertiliser from the compost heap around the Rose bushes, so that when they start flowing, they will have lots of buds to start off the season. By the way Lilac flowers live longer if their foliage is removed. Scented Rosemary or Lavender will enhance any flowering bed. Pansies and Violas are ideal companions at the edge of borders; space them roughly about several centimetre apart in rich soil. On the rockery Semper Vivum is a wonderful plant, it only needs some gritty poor quality soil to thrive in sunshine, so try to find a sunny spot. It grows easily and lasts forever – and survives a bit of neglect too. Inside the greenhouse or patio, if possible with plenty of light, the Spider Plant will have thrown out long stems of plantlets. This is the opportunity to grow fresh young plants for family and friends. Fill small pots with a mixture of sand and moist compost to hold each very young plant. Surrounded the mother plant with her babies. This will help them establish their own roots, then in a few weeks time, cut the connecting stems and continue to nurture the new specimens. It’s best to use a rain water spray for greenhouse plants to complete the operation of watering down the floor and windows to help aerate the greenhouse on sunny days. Spike the lawn the lawn with a garden fork if you have moss growing – this will improve drainage. To facilitate walking through the back garden without trampling all over the grass, consider making it more attractive by using your imagination and laying small squares of cobblestone, either directly into concrete base or simply, putting some down here. And perhaps use shaded slabs, or maybe ones of a different colour. Weeds are flowers. They always grow where you don’t want them, however, this time remove them from the vegetable patch and flowering beds. Do this by hand or hoe them while they are easily removed. Before you translate your plans into action, do visit a nursery that provides a wealth of choice. If you happen to be shopping for houseplants, on a cold and windy day, it might be wiser to purchase them from shelves that are on exhibition indoors.
21 Hello Darlings What a fantastic June it has been for weather. It has reminded me of the long summer holidays of childhood last century when it never seemed to rain and we baked day after day. Unfortunately our inept Water Company have already imposed a hosepipe ban despite gallons pouring literally down the drain from burst water mains and leaking stopcock. It’s now taking almost an hour to water all the troughs and hanging baskets in my garden. You can’t say it’s cold in Church anyway. Fr Richard Keeble was ordained Deacon at the Cathedral on June 25th. I was surprised that there were only three candidates and that two were for Eastbourne. (Fr. Mark has explained that most of the candidates were ordained the day before by the Bishop of Horsham. Sunday was for The Society candidates).. Back here at SS the Eastbourne the Symphony Orchestra summer concert took place on a hot sticky evening. A rousing start with Wagner, then Rachmaninov and to end the first half a Harp Concerto (a first in SS I think) played by the winner of the ESO Young Musician Competition. Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet and Sibelius completed the programme. The trip to Arundel for the Flower Festival was a great success. Glorious weather, good grub and an amazingly stress free journey with no traffic delays at all. Lovely to have Sue’s twin and her husband on the coach with us. I had a lovely time with Fr Paul’s wife Hilary as my companion. We managed to eat ice creams without being attacked by seagulls. I’m a great lover of Choral Evensong. It’s part of our heritage that mostly hasn’t been mucked about with. There is an opportunity on Saturday 22nd July to attend the service at Christ Church S. Leonard’s at 6pm. I’m definitely going,perhaps you might join me on the train. 2nd July there is Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe at the Royal Hippodrome and if you love Hollywood Musicals there is a showing of Some Like it Hot (appropriate) at the cinema in Hailsham on Tuesday 4th July. In SS we have an Organ Recital by Julian Thomas on Monday 3rd July at 1pm and on Saturday 29th July at 7pm the Sussex Song Makers and Sussex Players are performing the Vivaldi Gloria and Magnificat plus music by Torelli and Albinoni. Don’t forget to attend Masses on Sunday at either 9am or 10.30 though, and the daily masses during the week. The glassing in of the chapel has started with the temporary removal of the iron grills. The nave lighting scheme is about to get underway and the statue of St Peter is back in position after its restoration work paid for by a generous anonymous benefactor. A different cat is featured this month as we have a new boy on the block. He is currently causing some ripples of excitement with his constant teasing of the old ladies. He’s already been smacked on the nose by Miss P. He’ll learn! All for now. Stay safe. Watch the sun. Chin Chin Kitty xx
22 Sat 1 10.00am Mass Saturday Memorial of the BVM Sun 2 09.00am Mass The 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10.30am Solemn Mass Mon 3 10.30am Mass S. Thomas Ap. Tues 4 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass Feria Wed 5 10.30am Mass Feria Thur 6 10.30am Mass Feria Fri 7 12 noon Mass Feria Sat 8 10.00am Mass Saturday Memorial of the BVM Sun 9 09.00am Mass The 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10.30am Solemn Mass Mon 10 10.30am Mass Feria Tues 11 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass S. Benedict Ab. Wed 12 10.30am Mass Feria 6.30pm Mass pro PCC Thur 13 10.30am Mass Feria Fri 14 12 noon Mass Feria Sat 15 10.00am Mass S. Bonaventure Bp. Dr. Sun 16 09.00am Mass The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10.30am Solemn Mass and Ministry of Healing Mon 17 10.30am Mass Feria Tues 18 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass Feria 7pm Archdeacon’s Visitation and Admission of Churchwardens Wed 19 10.30am Mass Feria Thur 20 10.30am Mass Feria Fri 21 12 noon Mass Feria Sat 22 10.00am Mass S. Mary Magdalen Sun 23 09.00am Mass The 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10.30am Solemn Mass Mon 24 10.30am Mass Feria Tues 25 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass S. James Ap. Wed 26 10.30am Mass Ss. Joachim and Anne Thur 27 10.30am Mass Feria Fri 28 12 noon Mass Feria Sat 29 10.00am Mass Ss. Martha, Mary and Lazarus Sun 30 09.00am Mass The 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10.30am Solemn Mass Mon 31 10.30am Mass S. Ignatius Loyola Pr. Dates for your Diary – July
23 Tues 1 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass S. Alphonsus Liguori Bp. Dr. Wed 2 10.30am Mass Feria Thur 3 10.30am Mass Feria Fri 4 12 noon Mass S. John Vianney Pr. Sat 5 10.00am Mass Saturday Memorial of the BVM Sun 6 09.00am Mass The Transfiguration of the Lord 10.30am Solemn Mass Mon 7 10.30am Mass Feria Tues 8 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass S. Dominic Pr. Wed 9 10.30am Mass S. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross V. M. Thur 10 10.30am Mass S. Laurence Dn. M. Fri 11 12 noon Mass S. Clare V. Sat 12 10.00am Mass Saturday Memorial of the BVM Sun 13 09.00am Mass The Assumption of the BVM (ant.) 10.30am Solemn Mass Mon 14 10.30am Mass S. Maximilian Kolbe Pr. M. Tues 15 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass Feria Wed 16 10.30am Mass Feria Thur 17 10.30am Mass Feria Fri 18 12 noon Mass Feria Sat 19 10.00am Mass Saturday Memorial of the BVM Sun 20 09.00am Mass The 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10.30am Solemn Mass and Ministry of Healing Mon 21 10.30am Mass S. Pius X Tues 22 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass Our Lady, Mother and Queen Wed 23 10.30am Mass Feria Thur 24 10.30am Mass S. Bartholomew Ap. Fri 25 12 noon Mass Feria Sat 26 10.00am Mass Saturday Memorial of the BVM Sun 27 09.00am Mass The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time 10.30am Solemn Mass Mon 28 10.30am Mass S. Augustine Bp. Dr. Tues 29 11.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 12 noon Mass The Beheading of S. John the Baptist Wed 30 10.30am Mass Feria Thur 31 10.30am Mass Feria Dates for your Diary – August
24 THE DIRECTORY Church Officers Telephone Vicar Fr Mark McAulay SSC (Fr Mark’s rest day is a Monday) 01323 722317 The Vicarage Spencer Road Eastbourne BN21 4PA Assistant Curate Fr Richard Keeble c/o Parish Office Hon Associate Clergy Fr Anthony Fiddian-Green MA, Cert Ed 381796 Canon Richard Harper SSC 733927 Canon Robert Fayers SSC 07706 067496 Canon Anthony Delves SSC 893695 Fr David Weaver SSC 07811 145656 Churchwardens Mrs Pauline Fella 656346 Mr Keith Metcalfe 645145 Secretary PCC Dr Simon Thorp 07711 986695 Treasurer and Chair of Finance Mrs Beverley Thorp 07845 713771 Other Officers Director of Music Mr Paul Collins 647969 Parish Hospital Contact Mr Robert Ascott 728892 Mrs Veronica Gottlieb 07801 069991 Car Park Manager / 100 Club Mr Steve Gilbert 469078 Acting Church Hall Manager Mrs Pauline Fella 656346 Safeguarding Officer Mrs Marilyn Benzing 07767 264801 Electoral Roll Officer Mrs Susan Metcalfe 645145 Deanery Synod Mr John Vernon 412061 Librarian Mrs Krystyne Breeze Open Church Mrs Tricia Sneath Flower Arranging Mrs Krystyne Breeze Church Grounds Mrs Lynette Newman, Mr Ross Piper Events Coordinator Mr Paul Fella 07379 679741 Church Cleaning Mrs Judy Grundy, Ms Francesca Fairs, Mrs Judith Coe, Mr Terry Brookes , Mr Richard Mayston Webmaster / Magazine / Publicity Mr Paul Fella 07379 679741 Church Office Answerphone 729702 Church Organisations Book Group Vacancy Reach Out Team Ms Ruth Figgest 729702 Family Support Work Mr Robert Ascott 728892 Chatstop Fr Anthony Fiddian-Green 381796 Lunch for One Mrs Yvonne Dyer 07702 199844 Guild of All Souls Vacant Our Lady of Walsingham / CBS Miss Mary Delves 735410 Mission to Seafarers Mrs Isobel Nugent 725796 Additional Curates Society Vacancy