St George the Martyr with St Alphege and St Jude, Southwark

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Friends of ST. GEORGE the MARTYR with ST. ALPHEGE NEWSLETTERS    SPRING 2003 Click here to open this as a PDF File   PAST NEWSLETTERS October 2002 The nights are closing in, the weather has broken up – time to fill up the fuel tank and call in the man to find out why the boiler isn’t working.    St George’s is still standing, though there has been frustratingly little progress on the Restoration Project.  More of that below.   MUSIC The big changes have been ones affecting people.   During the summer it became apparent that Eric Osborne, our organist, had become quite seriously ill.  He had no choice but to resign from all commitments at short notice.   After a time in and out of hospital, he is now at home again, but continues to undergo treatment.   Eric had been Organist at St George’s for about ten years.   He had a great love of the organ in St George’s and claimed it was one of the finest he had ever played.   Our worship has benefited much from his conscientious performance and his readiness to go along with all the things we tried to do – including last-minute adjustments in the middle of the service!   But Eric has been much more than just an organist.   Not only has he been willing to organise groups of singers and to play for carol-singing and old-time sing-a-longs, but also he was responsible for establishing the concert programme, which has become part of the church’s identity.    The Lunchtime Concerts began in 1993.   Since then, three seasons have been arranged each year, bringing a range of talented performers – mostly young people graduating from the London Colleges – to play in our church.   St George’s has a fine acoustic for music, and offers an encouraging showcase to singers and instrumentalists.   Even when we had to abandon the central nave and move into the side aisle, the concerts continued.   All this has come about through a good deal of work by Eric, arranging the programmes, seeing to publicity, and being at the church to admit performers for rehearsal.   In addition to the lunchtime programme, he also arranged for a series of evening recitals, in aid of our Restoration Fund, when that first started.   One consequence of this is that St George’s has become a recognised venue for music, and this has pointed to possible areas of expanded use, after the building is restored.   It has also made people working in the locality more aware of the church, and given us a start in making contact with some of the thousands who travel into the area every weekday.   Arranging concerts was not the only thing that Eric was doing toward the Restoration either.   When we formed the Fund-raising Group, he was asked whether he would agree to act as Treasurer for the fund.   This is he has been doing, with all his usual care and precision, and will not be easily replaced.    His counsel has also been valued on the Parochial Church Council and as a trustee of local Charities.     The suddenness of the crisis in Eric’s health robbed us of a proper opportunity to thank him publicly for all that he has contributed to the life of St George’s over the past 10 years.   It is good to have at least this opportunity to express something of our gratitude.   We continue to hold him in our prayers, and hope that he will recover something of his former health and strength.   COMINGS AND GOINGS   The one piece of good fortune we did have, at time of Eric’s resignation, was being so fortunate in finding a replacement.   Church organists are not easy to come by these days, and I had feared a prolonged period of phoning round, searching for stop-gaps.  As it happened, David Phillips was performing at the last concert in the summer season, and offered to help cover for a week or two.   It was Eric himself who suggested that I ask him about the possibility of his taking over on a long-term basis.   Happily, he agreed to do so.   David is a professional musician and an accomplished organ soloist, who regularly gives concerts, all over the country.   His playing is able to bring the very best out of the historic instrument at St George’s, and emphasises the importance of seeing that conserved along with the church.    David’s appointment has also given us a link with Katherine - who acts as Musical Director for St Barnabus Church, Clapham Common – but who has sung with him at recitals in St George’s.   We also benefited from her coming along, on a Sunday off from her regular duties, to try and get our congregational singing properly into time!   One way and another, good or bad health has made quite a considerable mark this year.   Whilst it has been good to see Kathy Sheen back in action after a difficult year, Matilda Coker, Suzanne Peet and Ivy Cuff are among those who have been battling with long-term health problems.       At the time of writing we are also saying goodbye to Bob and Bridget Parry, who are moving to a new home in Croydon, largely to be closer to the support of family.     Fortunately, among all this change, some continue steadily on – and we had a small celebration, during our Harvest lunch, to mark Jack Hames’ 50 years as a member of St George’s church!   RESTORATION PROJECT   The good news is that the building is still standing and in use.   We had to have emergency electrical works and boiler repairs done last autumn, and we are still restricted to operating in the side aisles – nevertheless, worship and other activities, like the lunchtime concerts still continue.   The bad news is that we have made frustratingly little progress toward getting work started.    The main problem is that the Southwark Planning Officer has made things very difficult for the people who are buying the Halls, and is refusing to recognise the essential link between the two projects.    The truth is that we have no other means of raising the £1 million we still have to find.    If we are not able to realise the full value of the Hall site, then the church could be lost.   If anyone feels moved to write on our behalf – pleading the need for urgent action to save St George’s, then letters can be addressed to the Leader of the Council, Cllr. Nicholas Stanton, at Southwark Town Hall, Peckham Road, London SE5 8UB.   Meanwhile, we continue to work hard to tell the world what we are doing, and to raise funds toward the project.   Much of our effort this year has gone into a series of monthly Open Days at the Church.    Several of these have been combined with a Sale of some sort, and we are currently preparing for an Autumn Fair on October 26th.   We continue to be well supported in the local community, not least by the The Royal Oak in Tabard Street, from where Roxy the dog undertook a sponsored walk on our behalf, raising nearly £400!   ST JUDE’S SCHOOL   Our parish school has been under the spotlight recently, undergoing an Ofsted Inspection at the beginning of the Autumn Term.    It is pleasing to be able to report that this went well, and showed that good progress has been made in addressing problems, and that there is measurable achievement by pupils – especially those who start out from below national average ability at 5 years old.   There are still things to be improved, but mostly these were issues that had already been identified, so there were no nasty surprises.   It is particularly pleasing, for a church school, that the inspectors commented on the good ethos of the school, its caring environment, the equal opportunities offered to all, and the quality of care for those with special needs.   Our congratulations are due to Mrs Lynn Charlton, the Headteacher, and all her hard-working staff.   ACTIVITIES   During August we spent a sticky afternoon, running a stall serving ‘cream teas’, at an event organised by Bankside Open Spaces and called Southwark by the Sea.   There wasn’t a B.O.S.T. event in St George’s Gardens this year, but the former churchyard is looking very splendid now, after all the hard work that has been done to develop the redesign and planting.    Another venture of the Open Spaces trust this year was the publication of a handsome booklet, called In My Backyard, with writing by local people about local parks and gardens.   There is a section on St George Gardens, which includes a poem by the Rector.   (Available from BOST, 5 King James Street, SE1 0RU, price £6.95)   On September 22nd the Metropolitan Society for the Blind Service took place in St George’s Cathedral, North Lambeth, as last year.   The Bishop of Southwark preached, and our members, helped by some ladies from the cathedral, provided the tea, as in previous years.   A busy early Autumn programme was completed with a lively Karaoke Night in the Crypt – arranged by David Pape – and a Parish Lunch after the Harvest Thanksgiving service the following week.   The United Charities of St George the Martyr moved out of their temporary office in the vestry at St Alphege recently, and now have a new base in the offices of Marshall’s Charity.   The space at St Alphege has been taken over for the year by Southwark Active, a project to encourage internet use among the over 50s.   Now we look toward Advent and Christmas.   Evening services continue through this season, including the special Advent Service on December 1st and Carols by Candlelight on December 22nd, all at 6 pm.   When you are making your Christmas present lists, don’t forget that we can still offer St George’s Restoration Project items, as follows –   Royal Doulton mugs                @ £7.00 each + 50p postage Tea-Towels                              @ £2.75 each Pens                                        @ £1.00 each     MARCH NEWSLETTER Mothering Sunday passed already, with winter and spring locked into their mid-March battle. One day there are blue skies, the next we are collecting up plant pots blown into every corner of the garden. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER The service for Mothering Sunday seemed a bit subdued, but only because a number of us had been up till the early hours, helping to clear away after a remarkably successful Jazz Night in the Crypt. Not very Lenten, perhaps, but it was in aid of the Restoration Fund. The idea for this event had been put to the fund-raising group by Frank Taylor, from the Royal Oak. He persuaded the Jazz Pilgrims to donate their talents, and also organised the food, the bar, and several willing helpers. Tickets were reasonably priced, and about a hundred people turned up and enjoyed a very convivial evening. The event will certainly have made a welcome input to the funds, but its value as a community event may have been even greater. People came from all over The Borough and beyond - people you come across in different groups and gatherings, but rarely all in the same place, nor so relaxed together. It has been a bonus of our present difficulties that the Restoration Appeal for St George's has brought us into contact with so many other people in the local area. We have had a compelling reason to go to them and they, on the whole, have been very responsive and generous to us. Congregations sometimes lose sight of the fact that a church building - especially one as prominent as St George's - is important to a lot of people, for a lot of different reasons. They may not regularly attend services, but it still has a meaning for them, and they would feel impoverished if it were lost. OPEN SPACES One local organisation we have had quite a lot to do with recently has been the Bankside Open Spaces Trust. They look after a number of small gardens and playgrounds in the area, including the part of the churchyard now known as St George's Gardens. They are always keen in involve people, and have run events in many of the open spaces. These have provided us with an opportunity to sell Restoration mugs and tea-towels, and talk to people about what we hope to be doing. Unfortunately, they are not always lucky with the weather. Even in July we had to scramble out of Mint Street Park in a cloudburst. January this year was the centenary of the Little Dorrit Park (off Redcross Way). As the parish took an initiative in helping get land set aside for a much needed playground in 1902, we were invited to take part in the opening of its refurbishment. Late January, however, is not an ideal time for open air events - even with hot drinks and baked potatoes. The wind blew and the rain poured down. Most of the programme was abandoned, but there are pictures of the Mayor of Southwark (local Councillor Hilary Wines) and the Rector of St George's, both trying to look a bit Edwardian, robes flying in the gale, umbrellas aloft, saying prayers and cutting ribbons in spite of it all. One of the workers at the Open Spaces Trust has been collecting together pieces written by local people about their various plots. I was asked if I could contribute a poem about St George's Gardens. Standing in the gardens, all on my own on a Saturday afternoon in February, I was struck by how desolate it could still feel, in spite of all the work that has been done. Although the sun was shining, and the crocuses were out, there is an air of sadness that seems to hang about the place. I wrote my piece, and said, when I handed it in, that it had made me feel they would never get the place right without some recognition that it was a graveyard. Maybe it needed some sort of memorial, or a piece of sculpture? Five days later, they were working in the Garden, doing some new planting in the beds at the front, and uncovered a large, intact gravestone. Somehow it had escaped the clearance, when the stones were all stood against the wall (gradually to be broken and lost). Maybe it is a gift that can be used somehow to focus the memory of all those people buried there, whatever we make of the space for a new century. RESTORATION PROJECT On the project itself, the process of selling the Lant Street Halls edges slowly forward. The developers have now made their formal planning application and we all await the outcome of that. We need the planners and councillors to recognise the link between the two projects, and that the space lost at Lant Street will help to fund new replacement facilities at the Church itself. It does, at last, look as if we may be moving closer to getting the release of some funding which will allow us to set the detailed design work in motion. This process is likely to take several months, and if it could be started now, then it could save us quite a lot of time further down the line. Meanwhile, we are hanging on in the building. It has felt that way this winter - what with problems with the boiler, and also needing to get quite a lot of electrical work done, to comply with current safety standards. We didn't want to spend too much on this, as much of the wiring may get taken out when the main work is done. So we have reached a compromise where the obsolete circuits have been taken out of the system, and we have been given temporary lighting for areas we need to use. This means that certain areas are now unlit, making the whole set-up feel even more provisional. WORSHIP Despite all this, our congregation remains in good spirit and our numbers hold up well. We had a lively Christingle service, and are enjoying the new teaching programme about the Eucharist, which happens on four Sundays of each year, with all the congregation dividing into discussion groups in place of a sermon.   Our services for Holy Week will be Palm Sunday - 24th - 10.30 am Parish Eucharist with Procession of Palms 6.00 pm Stations of the Cross, using a newly written sequence of poems. Maundy Thursday -28th - 7.00 pm The Lord's Supper followed by a Vigil of Prayer at St Alphege. Good Friday - 29th - 9.30 am * Liturgy of the Day at St George's, followed by North Southwark Churches Walk of Witness. (* Note Change of time!) Easter Day - 31st - 7.30 am Paschal Ceremonies & Holy Communion followed by parish breakfast in the Crypt. 10.30 am Parish Eucharist. Patronal Festivals always follow soon after Easter for us. We shall keep St Alphege on Saturday 20th with a Mass at 12 noon at Kings Bench Street and refreshments afterward. For St George there will be Holy Communion on Tuesday 23rd at 6.00 pm and then on Saturday 27th there will be Sung Evensong at 3.00 pm followed by tea in the Crypt. Your are warmly invited to join us if you can. The Queen's Golden Jubilee: We are planning to hold an event in conjunction with the United Charities of the Parish of St George the Martyr. On Saturday 1st June there will be a special act of worship, starting at 3 o'clock followed by a tea. Pensioners of the Charity will all be invited, as well as the congregation and everyone else who cares to come. In our straightened circumstances we are, unfortunately, not able to hold this in the Church itself, so it will take place in the Church Halls at Lant Street. (If things go according to plan, it could be one of the last significant events we we hold there.) REGENERATION The gradually transformation of the area continues all around us. The two new blocks of flats behind the church, at the head of Long Lane, are all occupied, but a new wasteland has appeared behind them. The complex of warehouses, filling much of the triangle between Long Lane, Tabard Street and Pilgrimage Street, have all be demolished, with all sorts of new vistas opened up. However, it will not be long before they are filled again. Permission is being sought for a mixed development of offices, homes and a supermarket, with a 26-storey tower in the middle of the site. More troubling for many of the congregation is the ever-increasing restriction on parking around the church. We were given various assurances during the consultation about Red Routes, but these now seem to have gone for nothing. Transport for London are currently trying to take almost the whole of the section of Tabard Street, adjacent to the church, as Bus Stands - in spite of the fact that they rarely use the one they already have. Not only will this make it hard for people who come from a distance, but also we have several members who are not able to use public transport, because of disability. All our pleas for a disabled parking bay continue to be ignored. In addition to this we need somewhere for hearses and wedding limousines to go, not to mention contractors' lorries, once the work begins, and users of the new crypt - which could well include transport for elderly and disabled people - once it is complete. Such a pressing issue has the reconstruction of the whole area become that, after trying to monitor progress through the churches of the local Deanery, we have now set in motion a bigger project. We have brought together a group of church leaders from the 'Central South London' area - roughly within an arc drawn from Vauxhall to Tower Bridge - and have raised funding to commission a study of the effects of all this on the life of churches and faith groups. The project has raised a lot of interest, and funding came quite readily. We have employed someone to spend several months drawing together evidence, and trying to look at the implications over five, ten even twenty years ahead. Her report is due in May, and should help us all with planning a mission strategy for the future. It looks as though a lot of other bodies may also be interested, as no one else has yet tried to bring together quite such a wide sweep of information. RESTORATION FUND MERCHANDISE Don't forget that we continue to offer - · Royal Doulton mugs, with pictures and text about St George's inside and out, rimmed with gold @ £7.00 each + £1.00 post and packing. · Tea Towels, with picture of St George's @ £2.75 each · Restoration Fund Pens @ £1.00 each. We welcome your continuing prayers and support for the parish. 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