Autumn 2023 Volume 14 number 3 www.stmaryswoodford.org.uk St Mary’s Woodford Parish Magazine
2 Welcome During the summer the church lectionary has given us plenty of opportunity to ponder how Jesus encourages us to ponder the kingdom of heaven through parables – many about seeds, yeast and other very small things. We’ve observed that we usually can’t recognise the very earliest stages of something new starting to grow from the seed which by definition is sacrificed for the new growth. So often in the most difficult times in life we can’t see the pathway forward – I know that to be true from my own experience and walking with others. And often when things improve and we look back, we can’t see how the change started, other than knowing others were hopefully with us, and God was definitely with us. The grass seed around the newly resurfaced, widened and lit church drive has sprouted wonderfully. We have two new members of our ministry team: Rachel Summers, pioneer curate, to be ordained deacon on 10 September; and Fiona Macaulay who will be with us on placement for much of the next three years during her initial ministerial training for ordination; and it has been good to have Les Crossland on placement with us over the summer. Our new Director of Music, David Bird, begins on 1 September. New ideas and ventures are springing up in all sorts of directions: permission work is underway for solar panels, double glazing and insulation in the 1970s part of the church building; ideas are coming together for allowing the churchyard to be more eco-friendly and more conducive to contemplation; we have an open morning for all ages on 31st August 9am-1pm; Prayers for Wholeness and Healing is moving to a new format and time on Sunday afternoons at 3pm from 3rd September and we hope this will allow more people to attend and be prayed for at the service. Soul Music Night is on 9th September; there will be another free repair cafe and associated stalls on 14th October and plans are already developing for our Christmas Charity Bazaar on 18th November. Front cover: the ‘way in’ to our re-energised drive at St Mary’s (see also page 4) and the back cover for ‘the way out’.
3 For Holiday Club at the end of August, we had a wonderful theme and set of activities planned and volunteers ready but the low level of children’s registrations means we can’t run this with the group sizes we know work so well, which is why we are offering an open morning instead. We’ve discovered that many people are looking for full days of children’s activities (which is more than we can offer) or activities to do with their children, so we are trying out this new approach and will continue to listen and pray about what to offer during school holidays in 2024. New things and growing things often means changing or leaving behind patterns we know well – there may be relief and there may be sadness and it is important we acknowledge these alongside recognising how life is full of change in ways we don’t always notice. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever; always calling us to discover anew the height and breadth and depth of God’s love and the ways we can explore, share and grow in that love in the world and with one another. Revd Dr Elizabeth Lowson Email: [email protected] There is always a copy of the latest parish magazine on the St Mary’s website www.stmaryswoodford.org.uk To contact the parish office [email protected] or tel 020 8505 3000. You are welcome to do this if you have difficulties accessing any of the links given in this magazine You can find it by scrolling down to the ‘Our Publications’ heading. See also Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube:@stmaryswoodford Parish Register For your Prayers: Funerals: 4 July Debra Fowler 1 August Barbara Shave 7 August Michael Ware 15 August Betty Pitcher 31st August Carol Donald Baptisms: 18 June Sebastian Rye Elizabeth Chandler Athalia Patrick Confirmations by Lynne, Bishop of Barking at St Mary’s: 18 June Elizabeth Chandler Robyn Low Athalia Patrick
4 Life at St Mary’s activities where many people volunteer to keep the church running, clean and welcoming. Can some of us choose, or continue to use, different ways to travel to St Mary’s? Bus, walking, biking? And how should we keep access to the drive, and the very limited parking there is, available for those who really need it? PCC will be thinking about all this later in the year, so if you have any ideas about this please let the office know, speak to a Warden or write to the magazine. Maybe you will want to make a pledge to use the car less? If so you can make that public or not as you wish. Viveca Dutt What to do with the Drive see front and back covers We now have a beautifully resurfaced and widened drive at the front of the church. While there was no vehicle access we all had to change the way we came to and got into church. Was there a positive side to this – especially from an environmental point of view? One of our newly adopted eco principles is to limit vehicle use of the drive, so how do we keep access open for those who really need it? And how should we think about how we travel – not just on Sundays, but for midweek services, social gathering, concerts and day to day
5 Life at St Mary’s Vigil for Kenya at St Mary’s Prayers for Wholeness and Healing moves to Sunday mid afternoon From September, there will be a new service mid afternoon on Sunday every couple of months. Prayers for Wholeness and Healing has been held as a weekday service monthly for many decades (known as Prayers for the Sick for most of this time) and instead this is now moving to Sunday at 3pm. The first few services will be on 3rd September, 5th November (with Communion), 7th January, 3rd March (with Communion). We hope that the new date and time will make it easier to attend. Each service will be in the Chapel and open to all who’d like to come. It will last about 30 minutes and will be followed by refreshments. There will be the opportunity for everyone to receive laying on of hands and anointing with holy oil for healing. Sometimes the service will be Communion and sometimes it won’t include Communion but we will mark Communion clearly on the notice sheet, diary and website. We will also remember by name people who have asked us to pray for them – you can add yourself to the list by contacting the office and completing the consent form (see back page for contact details). Those on the list will be prayed for at each Prayers for Wholeness and Healing service and the people who attend will also pray at home by name daily for a section of the prayer list so everyone is prayed for once per week. Praying for those in need is much valued and an expression of our trust in God in whose image we are made, who has redeemed us and who is with us in every moment of our lives. If you have any questions or suggestions about this, please contact the office or Elizabeth Lowson. . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ Mathew 11:28
6 Life at St Mary’s Sebastian Rye’s christening Joining Sebastian’s immediate family are Great Aunty (Gogo) Maidei, Twice Great Aunty (Mbuya) Florence and second cousins Leilani, Lauren and Lupita. Mum Habiba holds Sebastian whilst dad Cameron and older brother Rupert look on, as does Godfather Nithin (on the far right).
7 Life at St Mary’s Pentecost/Ride London: Some of our young people set to cheer on the cyclists with community refreshments for all at hand. Follow those stars: St Mary’s young people at the service on 18th June .
8 Welcome to Rachel Summers Over the past month, some of you may have seen me and my family around St Mary’s. I have just started a curacy based at St Peter-in-the-Forest, with Elizabeth as my training incumbent, and licensed across the MMU. In Chelmsford diocese they ease us in gently with a summer as lay workers; my ordination as deacon will take place in the cathedral on Sunday 10th September, and I would very much value your prayers. My background is in teaching but over the past few years I have been working outdoors with children, young people, and adults delivering forest school sessionsplenty of mud pies, toasted marshmallows, and bug hunting. This has been a lot of fun, and I have so enjoyed creating a space for people of all ages to find a connection with the natural world around them. I have also enjoyed beginning to explore how this relates with the idea of mission as striving to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustaining and renewing the life of the earth. To this end, my ministry will have a ‘pioneer’ flavour- I will be learning the ropes in a traditional church setting, but will also have a major emphasis on exploring how to be the church outside of our four walls, amongst the wider community who may not yet feel themselves to be part of the church. Rachel Summers Rachel in Epping Forest with (in lower picture) husband Father Alex who spent time looking after St Mary’s before our current Rector arrived.
9 Welcome to Rachel Summers For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 2:10
10 Local flora and fauna changes this summer Flora: Better Salvias: especially ‘hot lips’ salvias. Giant hollyhocks—Jane Fone spotted a 7 foot 6 inch one. Roses. Solanum shrubs. Large Agapanthus. Verbena. Good year also for lavender. Flora: Worse Green beans: quite a few observations though with a range of culprits including high winds, squirrels and increase in slugs. Marigolds. Fewer gladioli. Shorter flowering season generally for most flowers. Also comments that many flowers are coming at different times, some earlier, others later than usual. These phenomena are attributed to changing weather patterns in comparison with last year. Fauna: Better Butterflies: lots of observations, especially for Red Admirals (above centre) and Gatekeepers (above left) though Roberta Flynn noted worse for Comma butterflies (above right). More bees. More foxes and more healthy ones, this observation presented as a positive. Fauna: Worse Fewer birds generally. Fewer swifts. More large slugs, quite a few observations about slugs, especially orange ones. One comment was, ‘enormous slugs, the size of beef sausages’. What local changes in flora and fauna have you noticed this summer compared with last summer? We invited choices of ‘one better, one worse’ in each category. Thanks to all those who shared their suggestions, summarised below.
11 The Sunflowers baby and toddler group + Quiz Quiz - Our Local Churches All the churches in this quiz are involved in the Woodford Fellowship of Christian Churches (WFCC) and / or our Mission and Ministry Unit (MMU). 1 We are invited to Lectio Divina here on alternate Thursday mornings. The Wanstead and Woodford Blind Club meets here. 2 This church has an Atrium where tea, coffee, cakes and other refreshments are served. 3 This year our Service of Prayer for Christian Unity took place in this church. 4 This church is Georgian and a grade one listed building. There is compline at 8pm on Wednesday evenings. 5 Boys Brigade meetings take place in this church. People from St Mary’s are among those who enjoy three course lunches there on the second Monday of the month. 6 This church is situated at 56a Chingford Lane. 7 Our Ecumenical Advent Carol Services take place in this church. 8 The Wanstead Village Dog Show was at this church on 11th June this year. 9 The Messiah was sung by All Saints’ Chorus here on 18th March this year. 10 Chinwag Tuesday at The Rising Son Café can be found at this church on Tuesday mornings. 11 This church is a member of the WFCC and our MMU. New toys at St Mary's Sunflowers Baby & Toddler group, which now runs two sessions on Thursday mornings in term time (10-11.30 and 12-1.30) Answers: page 31
12 FOOD ITEMS NEEDED ARE: Tea bags, Tinned fish, Tinned fruit, Rice, Packets of noodles, Vegetarian food items (tins or packets), Cooking oil, Pasta sauce, Long life milk, Long life fruit juice, Jam/spreads, Custard/rice pudding, tinned tomatoes, Biscuits, Shower gel , Treats, Toothpaste, Toilet rolls, ITEMS NOT NEEDED ARE Cereals, Pasta Supporting Foodbanks: more important than ever St Mary’s is a Redbridge Food Bank collection point. Woodford Baptist Church on George Lane is both a collection and distribution point (Distribution 2.30 - 4.30 pm Fridays.) Donate food | Redbridge Foodbank Over 90% of the food distributed by foodbanks in The Trussell Trust network is donated by the public – that’s why your food donations are absolutely vital to our ability to give everyone referred to us a balanced and nutritious three day supply of food. Our shopping list on the right shows the food items that we need right now – all of which should be undamaged/ unopened and before the sell by date. Further information https:// redbridge.foodbank.org.uk/givehelp/donate-food/
13 Whether you are a National Trust Member or not, everyone is welcome to join us at our series of local talks, outings and even holidays. Meetings take place throughout the autumn, winter and spring months at Memorial Hall, South Woodford and All Saints Church Hall, Woodford Wells, IG8 0NH. Come for good company, interesting topics and friendship. Socialise with local people with interest in the work of the National Trust and many other topics. Do come along. Everyone is welcome. Contact Richard Speller on 07774164407 for further details. Clive Boon, National Trust Woodford & District Centre, Publicity Committee member. Local announcements An invitation from the local National Trust Group
14 Dick Walker’s memories of World War II In the first of two instalments Dick Walker gives his childhood memories of World War II My memories of the preparation for the war in Woodford are not that clear, I was just six years old. The first thing was that my grandfather had a surface air raid shelter built in his garden at 53 Abbotsford Gardens by local builder Stokes. He paid for another one in our garden at 17 Forest Approach. They had nine inch reinforced concrete walls and a six foot cube living space inside. There was a corridor entrance providing a blast wall which had a frame on it on which a piece of dampened material could be placed to block gas. We were issued with gas masks. Those for very young children had a red rubber piece sticking out like a nose. My cousin, a baby, had one in which she was placed. The tops of the postboxes were painted with a yellow paint which would detect gas. Other things were done but I do not remember if it was before or after the war started. A hole was dug in the island at the top of Forest Approach. A roughly ten foot cube reinforced concrete box was half sunk into it and then banked up with earth. It was entered by a trap door at the top. This was soon found to be impractical so a door was put in the side with steps down to it and a blast wall to protect it. This was an ARP (Air Raid Precautions) post. The ARP warden was responsible for ensuring all windows were blacked out at night, for going round the street with a rattle if there was a gas attack and for the reporting of bombs and fires in the area. There was a similar post on the island at the other end of Forest Approach which had a large EWS (Emergency Water Supply) tank placed next to it at a later date. This provided water 1939: the ‘Phoney war’ and preparations locally Dick outside the air raid shelter
15 Dick Walker’s memories of World War II for the fireman if the mains were damaged. Fire tenders with no pumps towed two wheel Coventry Climax pumps. An AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service), later NFS (National Fire Service), station was established on land at the end of Fullers Road between the wooden cottages and the workshops of Wells garage. The Singer sewing machine shop on the High Road opposite was taken over as a canteen and rest room. A volunteer force with LDV (London Defence Volunteers) armbands was created, it later became the Home Guard. Harvey Hudson's new showrooms next to the Majestic cinema were taken over for some wartime purpose. Bus windows were covered with a varnished material mesh with a wooden diamond surrounding a clear region in the middle. This was to protect passengers from flying glass. A steel pole with a siren on top was placed next to the blue police box at Gates Corner. The box was surrounded by sand bags to protect it. Car headlamps were covered with a metal disk which had a The brochure for the shelter built by Dick’s grandfather in his garden.
16 Dick Walker’s memories of World War II narrow slit in it and a shade sticking out over the slit. Substantial pig bins were placed on residential street corners to collect food waste to feed pigs. A defence, or at least a delaying line was created through Woodford. A tank trap ditch stretched through the Forest from the junction of Hale End Road and the North Circular Road to the top of Chelmsford Road at Mill Plain. There was a ring of six foot cube concrete tank traps around this junction and around the junction of Churchfields, Chelmsford Road and the High Road. In the road were sets of plugged holes. The plugs could be removed and steel girders placed in the holes so that the road was blocked. On the pavement just north of Broomes the chemist and Chelmsford Road there was an octagonal pill box with a false superstructure all painted to look like a real building. My father was an RAF volunteer and was called up the day before war was declared and travelled to France overnight on the day war was declared. He served with the RAF Wireless Intelligence Service on the French/German border intercepting enemy transmissions, recording them and determining their bearings. In Service life he was a high speed telegraphist. My mother and I had gone to my grandparents in Hastings and we were returning from morning church when the sirens went off telling us war had been declared. In October we returned to Woodford as nothing was happening (The Phoney War). There were two newspaper like magazines, Modern Wonder and Modern World. They were full of photos and articles about mechanical and technical things. There were lots of details of aeroplanes and war materiel (sic). It was all very interesting to a boy of my age. When publication ceased I looked forward to their return ‘when the war was over’. Like so many other anticipated things, peace did not bring their return. ‘Dig for Victory’ allotments were created on Forest land behind the Roses next to Bunces Lane. Possibly this was not in 1939 but certainly before the first air raids. They were fenced off and our neighbour, Mr Pressman, had the first plot in the corner next to Bunces Lane. He dug it two spade spits deep putting the turf in the bottom with the sub soil on top. Richard (Dick) Walker
17 St Mary’s bellringers Young bellringers on Coronation Day in response to the ‘Ring for the King’ initiative. They have been learning by attending practices on Monday evenings. Becky, Hibiki and Arthur with their badges and certificates. Hibiki and Arthur are learning ringing as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award. The young at heart members of St Mary’s regular bellringing team
18 Book review Reverend Richard Coles Murder before Evensong ISBN 978-1-4746=1263=0 A Death in the Parish ISBN 978-1-4746=1267-8 I have recently enjoyed these two books, both of which I borrowed from South Woodford Library. They are gripping stories and the print is above average size. Both are ‘Canon Clement Mysteries’. Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton. He lives with his mother and his two dachshunds. In ‘Murder before Evensong’ there is concern about a plan to install a toilet in the church, but then a murder is discovered at the back of the church….. ‘A Death in the Parish’ is set in the same village a few months later. The parish has been joined with neighbouring parishes, bringing in a lot of unwanted change. Church politics are strained. Daniel is aware that his mother is up to something but does not know what. Then a shocking ritualistic murder takes place in one of the adjoining parishes. Why do so many people like murder mysteries set in or around villages and village churches? Is it something to do with community, characters and mystery? ‘Murder before Evensong’ was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. ‘A Death in the Parish’ has, I noticed, been selected to be among the books offered for sale in Waitrose, South Woodford. Cheryl Corney
19 Reaching out Four from St Mary’s attended a Wednesday evening Taize Service in August at All Hallows by the Tower. During the service we sang six chants, not all familiar to us from our worship at St Mary’s: La tenebre, Exaudi orationem meam, Fiez-vous en lui, Gospodi E, Tu mecum es and Magnificat. Prior to the service we were given a guided tour of the church, rebuilt after the War, and saw a model of Roman London in the crypt and the exposed Saxon arch dating from 675AD when the church was built by the Saxon Abbey of Barking. In 1940 the church was bombed and only the tower and walls remained. Taize services take place at All Hallows by the Tower, Byward Street EC3R FBJ on Wednesdays at 6.0pm . Penny Freeston Taize by the Tower of London Saints United? In 2015 twenty Egyptians and a sub Saharan African were murdered on a seashore of Libya by an Islamist State Terrorist group. Within a week they were pronounced to be saints by the Coptic Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, Tawadoros II. In May 2023 Pope Tawadoros visited Rome, bringing with him relics of these martyrs as a gift for Pope Francis who announced that they, the martyrs, are to be venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. Since the Council of Chalcedon In 451 A.D Catholics and Copts have regarded each other as heretics being unable to agree on the nature of Christ. Is He wholly divine as the Copts believe or divine and human, the belief of the churches in Western Europe and Russia? The twentieth century saw a rapprochement, beginning with the return to Alexandria by Pope Paul VI of some relics of St Mark. Christians have come to realise that what unites us is more important than our points of difference. Pope Francis has said of our enemies; “ before they kill them, they do not ask whether they are Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic or Orthodox”. Rowena Rudkin
20 Mining for gold and copper What does ‘mining’ first bring to mind for you? Possibly, like me, it’s coal mining: dangerous, tough, difficult work with increasing concerns about environmental and health repercussions. What about mining for other minerals such as gold and copper? A recent holiday to the beautifully forested Apuseni mountains in Romania brought that question to the fore. My wife Michele and I stayed at a homestead of a long standing nurse friend and her Romanian husband who had worked briefly at a gold and then a copper mine. Getting minerals out of the ground is but the first step. Extracting the valuable resource from what you have brought up to the surface is a difficult, toxic and expensive process. And yes, you’ve guessed it already, the cheapest way of doing this is the most polluting. In the case of gold that means using cyanide, lots of it. There are ways of dealing with toxic waste but things have gone wrong. In Romania the Certij dam failure in 1971 released cyanide laced residue and resulted in the immediate deaths of 89 people. More recently in the year 2000, the Baie Mare spill released cyanide into a local river, a tributary of the river Danube, an event considered to have been the biggest environmental disaster in Europe since Chernobyl. Gold mining using cyanide in Romania has ceased (for the moment at least). The gold reserves are still there. The immediate area we were staying has the largest known gold deposits in Europe, estimated at 330 tonnes by mining firm Gabriel Resources. Yet extracting the gold without using cyanide has such enormous costs that the only viable option is thought to necessitate open cast mining. Accordingly over a decade ago in a scheme called the Rosia Montana Project, the then Romanian government made a deal with Gabriel Resources to, literally, blow up and remove an area including three mountains to create the biggest open cast mining area in Europe. Following public outrage the Romanian government blocked the project in 2013. There is a court case going on in which Gabriel Resources is seeking 3.3 billion dollars damages from the Romanian government. A small part of the area that would be eradicated were the Rosia Montana project to go ahead.
21 Mining for gold and copper Meanwhile, in close proximity to the Rosia Montana area, copper mining in Romania continues. We are familiar with flooded valleys in the UK to create reservoirs. At first sight, that’s what the photograph to the right seems to typify with its almost submerged church spire, all that is now visible of the village of Geamana. All the villagers, some four hundred families, had to leave. But there’s not just water there. The toxic lake is a decanting basin for a large scale copper extraction process. Copper mining involves numerous chemicals known to affect human health negatively, including mercury, arsenic, lead and asbestos like fibres. These chemicals are included in the World Health Organization's ‘top 10 chemicals of major public health concern’. We watched this sludgy stuff pouring into the lake through a large outflow pipe. The state owned mine, started in communist President Ceaucescu’s time, is still producing significant amounts of copper. Feelings about this sort of mining locally are mixed. The health and environmental ‘downsides’ are known (and worse for other mineral extraction not mentioned here). However the region is poor. Jobs are few. The promise of jobs and compensation is a strong attraction for many; even if, as with the Geamana villagers, promises of new homes and compensation turn out to be illusory. As ever, the question is, ‘where does the wealth go to’? Little All that is still unsubmerged of Geamana village (as at July 2023) goes to benefit the local region and its people. Is it a blessing or a curse for a region to have such mineral resources? I’ll leave that with you to decide. We visited a gold mine as run by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. Over the millennia of mining I am struck that under very different regimes: including the Romans, a Romanian Communist leader and a large foreign company, the ethical factors remain the same. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose*. Peter Wall *The more things change, the more they stay the same’
22 As time goes by mother till long after her death. I do not believe my grand father ever saw her after her admission to a mental hospital. Therefore I reasoned in my childish way, best not to ask questions and when Grandpa was around keep a low profile. During my years in general practice I routinely visited many elderly folk, mostly the immobile and the heart cases, they had much to offer, events in their past, insights and much local gossip. Their unashamed honesty delighted me. It was sad to see some of them lose their mental faculties, not that they realised this. Generally speaking the nice ones got nicer but the cantankerous ones got a sight worse. You may or may not reach old age and having got there have to put up with your lot. Make a Will, get the family in to sort out your funeral, be nice to your eulogist then live as though you are never going to die. One day you will be wrong but you will be right many more times. Chris Whitfield I am told I met my paternal grandfather in 1930. I was only two. He was born in 1847, his recent family had probably fought at Waterloo. 176 years is quite a span for two as yet incomplete life spans. My maternal grandfather I knew a great deal better, a Victorian Aberdonian, born 1859, one time Senior Lecturer in Botany at Edinburgh University. His first born son died of acute nephritis aged 5 following an attack of Scarlet Fever. They had two daughters and his wife developed intractable post puerperal depression and had been ‘put away’ as the expression was. He resigned his lectureship and moved to Dublin to became a school inspector in Ireland. Her name was never mentioned and although I met her on several occasions I never knew she was my grandAcross the generations: thoughts on growing old from Chris Whitfield
23 Queen Victoria: an artist who loved dogs first century Rome that suggests that at least some Romans weren’t as macho as they sometimes seem. Dogs in pictures are not of course uncommon. In the National Gallery, you will immediately think of the Flanders terrier in the Arnolfi Marriage and the faithful hound Gainsborough’s Mr & Mrs Andrews. In religious paintings, a dog symbolises faithfulness but one guesses that the painter (and/or his patron) enjoyed including their faithful friend. And of course, Hogarth enjoyed including tabby cats ... We don’t always treat our animals very well. Think about joining the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals. Their strapline is Putting animals on the agenda of the Church. And visit the exhibition if you get the chance. Philip Petchey Like King Charles III, Queen Victoria was a talented artist. Like Queen Elizabeth she loved dogs. In her sketchbooks is a magical drawing of her first Prime Minister, with Dash, her beloved spaniel sitting on his knee. Lord Melbourne was not quite so at home with dogs as HMQ and the drawing admirably catches him holding Dash at a slight distance at the same time as seeking to humour his monarch. At the exhibition of dog pictures at the Wallace Collection – highly recommended for dog lovers – are a number of the drawings that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert drew of their favourite pets but sadly this one isn’t there. But there is much else to enjoy besides, including some of the famous paintings of Sir Edwin Landseer – the best of which shows Dash again. There is a touching sculpture of two greyhounds, the one nibbling the other’s ear – dating from One of Queen Victoria’s sketches of her beloved Dash
24 You, dear reader, will probably already know that St Mary’s Chamber Music Ensemble focuses primarily on ‘Classical Music’ for their concerts. With the SMCME’s concert on October 28th, we will be going back to look at the origins of ‘classical music’ by presenting a sampling of the works of its two founding fathers: Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Haydn and Mozart are widely accepted as being the joint fathers of the Classical Style and even Beethoven, a huge influence over European music from the late 1700s to well into the 20th century, acknowledged his debt to them both. Haydn and Mozart knew and liked each other and evidently learned from the other’s music, but had Music at St Mary’s quite different lives, and, as the programme title suggests, their music exhibits some quite different characteristics. In the programme we will be able to explore a little what these differences are. We will start with Haydn’s String Quartet Op 76 No 1, which is an almost perfect example of Haydn’s famous wit. We will continue to a piece by Haydn that is almost entirely unknown, his very dramatic cantata of passion and betrayal for Soprano and Piano: Arianne a Naxos. From Mozart we will hear a sampling of his justly famous opera arias, and close with his dramatic but elegant Piano Quartet in G minor. Come and hear the music of these two masters that had such a huge influence over much music that was to come! Saturday October 28th, 7.30 pm. £10. All proceeds go to St Mary’s and the Memorial Hall. John Bradley Haydn's wit & Mozart's grace: The foundations of ‘Classical’ Music Joseph Haydn Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
25 Our new Director of Music, David Bird We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new Director of Music, David Bird, who joins us from the beginning of September. David is a freelance organist by profession, working throughout London and in the surrounding areas. As you will see in his words below, David has had a long association with St Mary’s. Quite apart from having already had a long association with St Mary's, the church has been an important place in my evolution as a musician and, of course, has long held a very special place in my heart. It was when visiting St Mary's as a child that I first heard an organ, played on that occasion by Roger Sayer, and the seed of interest in the instrument was planted. Probably a decade after my first hearing the organ at St Mary's, and during a concert at the church as a teenager at which I was playing the harpsichord, I was reintroduced to the magnificent organ at the church. As I stood beside the organ console, turning pages for the organist during the concert, I determined my future course to become an organist, wanting not only to be able to play the organ myself, but so desirous of being able to play the wonderful early repertoire for the instrument which had been introduced to me, and which was so well suited to the organ at St Mary's. The music in question included works by Francisco Correa de Arauxo, Dieterich Buxtehude, François Couperin, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, and others, all of which I now play and look forward to sharing over time with the congregation. Over the course of many years, I was pleased to practise the organ each week at St Mary's as well as having played for occasional services for several of my predecessors here such that there's very much a sense with my new appointment of returning home to an old friend both in respect of the church and of the organ. I look forward very much to a renewed relationship with the church community as well as being excited to work together with the choir to contribute to the musical and worshiping life of the church. David Bird
26 As St Mary’s is in a period focusing especially on prayer and pilgrimage, I thought I'd share a recent and profound prayer experience. I have written before about my mental health history, and I have recently embarked on therapy for trauma relating to my time in mental hospital. It's a normal part of the therapeutic process for unpleasant emotions and memories to get stirred up. I say this simply to set the context of what follows. After a particularly intense therapy session, the day after I was left feeling shaken and disturbed and I prayed for some time seeking to lessen my distress. As my prayer time went on, I can only say I felt rather than heard the words, ‘Be still, and know that I am God!’. I had come across these words before, but this incident led me to wonder where exactly in the Bible they come from. On finishing my prayer time, I looked up the phrase and found it is from psalm 46:10 (NKJV). I will repeat the psalm in full here: 1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Sharing Prayer Experience 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; A still small voice of calm. There will be circumstances when we all need this. Do we all seek this through prayer? Bryony Bennett shares her thoughts and experience .
27 Sharing Prayer Experience I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah This experience got me wondering about another phrase I had heard before, where it came from and what it meant. The phrase is the ‘still small voice within’. Is this what I experienced? What is meant by that? I searched for the origins of this phrase and to my surprise, this phrase is also Biblical, coming from 1 Kings 19:12 (NKJV). Modern translations have it as ‘the sound of a low whisper’ (ESV), ‘a gentle whisper’ (NIV, NLT), ‘a soft whisper’ (CSB), or ‘the sound of a gentle blowing’ (NASB). But the King James reads thus: 11 Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ Opinions appear to vary as to what the ‘still small voice’ is. Some say it is one's own inner voice. Others say it is one's conscience. Yet others say it is the speaking of the Holy Spirit. I choose to believe it was the latter that told me to ‘be still’ and I take great reassurance from that. Bryony Bennett. The Aga Khan Centre, near Kings Cross station, is a place for education, knowledge, cultural exchange and insight into Muslim civilisations. It opened in 2018.The gardens may be viewed by booking a tour of the Centre online. www.agakhancentre.org.uk
28 Family Focus TOO YOUNG? VOTING At what age should we be allowed to vote? In 1969 the age at which people were allowed to vote in general elections was lowered from 21 to 18. The first general election in the UK where people aged 18 were allowed to vote was in 1970. Those aged 16 are allowed to vote in some countries. Young people aged 16 and 17 were allowed to vote in the independence referendum in Scotland. So what is the age at which people may vote in the Church of England? You are entitled to apply to be on the electoral roll of your parish church if you are aged 16 or over and baptised. You may then vote at the church annual meeting for Members of The Parochial Church Council. If you are 16 years old or over, have been on the electoral roll of your parish for at least six months and are a communicant you may stand for election to your PCC. It would be interesting to hear what our younger members think of this. Is the age the right age in your opinion? Would you like to vote in church and/or to be candidates for the PCC? Cheryl Corney GETTING MARRIED At what age are people allowed to get married? The legal age for marriage in England and Wales has this year been raised to 18. Previously people could marry at 16 or 17 with parental consent. Marriages in Church of England churches have to comply with both civil and church law, so you now have to be at least 18 years of age to marry in church. The Act does not alter the validity of marriages entered into prior to 27th February 2023. At present people aged 16 and 17 can marry in Scotland. What do you think about this? Do you think people should be 18 or older to be allowed to marry?
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30 Memories of nature and of an inspiring writer I grew up close to Epping Forest and was taught by Ken Hoy, a local naturalist and writer, who opened our young eyes to flora, fungi, dragonflies, bullfinches and so much more besides. Autumn leaves underfoot, animal tracking in the snow, spring birdsong in bluebell woods and pond dipping in summer were treasures to be stored, and to be rediscovered later in life. When I stopped teaching full-time I was able to have some time to ‘stand and stare’ and spent more time walking in the forest nearby, digging the garden and taking time much more slowly than I had done for many years. Suddenly I was more aware of the seasons, a robin singing, snowdrops coming into flower: all little joys that became part of me and continued to enrich my being. I spent a lot more time reading, writing and praying. In fact, I still love to pray when I am walking alone, and surrounded by nature. Ronald Blythe, who used to write regularly in ‘The Church Times’, influenced me very much, and I was fortunate to get to know him through the John Clare Society. We used to correspond regularly, and his tiny handwriting in black ink is still wonderfully familiar. He lived off the beaten track in rural Essex, but I realised that so much that he wrote about we have on our very doorstep, if only we have eyes to see. He had a structure to his life, and although he was a busy lay reader at his parish Next to Nature: A Lifetime in the English Countryside by Ronald Blythe, published by John Murray ISBN 9781399804660 church and enjoyed company, he loved solitude more, perhaps, and yet was never lonely. Ronald Blythe (pictured above with Penny) died earlier this year, shortly after his 100th birthday, and leaves a rich legacy behind. Recently I found myself rereading his books and was immediately transported to a slower way of life, a deeper understanding of nature and all things spiritual. An anthology of his writings was published last year. It is a treasure house for finding joy in simplicity and a unique ‘box of delights’. Let his exquisite prose inspire you to enjoy our locality, as it did me, and re-discover its hidden joys. Penny Freeston
31 Quiz Answers (Our local churches page 11) 1 St Anne Line 2 All Saints Woodford Wells 3 St Paul’s, Woodford Bridge 4 St Mary the Virgin, Wanstead 5 Woodford Methodist Church 6 St Andrew’s Church 7 St Thomas of Canterbury 8 Christ Church, Wanstead 9 St Gabriel’s Church, Aldersbrook 10 St Peter in the Forest, Walthamstow 11 St Mary’s, South Woodford Have you thought of contributing to the magazine? Jane Fone, from a perspective of our long standing treasurer, invites you to consider recollections from life at St Mary’s to share your ‘treasure trove’ of experience. She has given various suggestions below. Thanks Jane and see the back cover for information on how let us know your thoughts. St Peter in the Forest Suggestions for contributing to the magazine Flower festivals Journeys of Life Big draw Saturdays Repainting the church interior Church Health Check Awayday Wine Tasting ‘Dali’Appeal (Disability Ability Lift) Millennium Festival Parish Supper with Music Hall ‘Count your blessings’ Send a Cow lunches and big breakfast Race Night (started in 2001) and Food & Fun (started in 2002) The Bazaar (we used to raise £5,000)
32 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: [email protected] or pass to Penny Freeston who will type up your handwritten copy. Our next copy date is 16th October 2023 Magazine team: Elizabeth Lowson, Penny Freeston, Cheryl Corney, Bryony Bennett and Peter Wall.