“This is the place of prayer
here where the inward pointing nails
converge………….”
I’ve used the poem so often in the magazine that if you google it you come up with a reference to our parish website so I won’t print it out in full – there are copies on the altar by the votive candle stand – but I did think, this year as I was doing them, of their author, May Crowther, about whom I know nothing. Crowther, it turns out, is quite a common name on google so no luck there. I have no dates for her, only her name in Jim Cotter’s Prayers at Night, from which I took the poem. If anyone else has heard of her I’d love to know more.
Ted Nugee
Much was said at Ted’s funeral on 9th Jan and at the memorial service in the Temple Church on 4th Feb, more than we could hope to print here, so I’ve chosen Father Stephen’s address and, by request, the email Andrew Nugee read out at the funeral. I have copies of the draft (and slightly fuller) obituary and Jules Sher’s address at the memorial service if you’d like them.
Adopt- a-Grave
Spring is in the air and we rejoice at the new growth, isn’t it lovely to see the buds forming and everything sprouting enthusiastically? “When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush” (Gerard Manley Hopkins – see below). Well, maybe not so much if you’re one of the gardening team trying to keep the churchyard and additional burial ground under control. A certain amount of rampant nature is all very well in its place but by summer we know we’ll have too much of it. So we’re suggesting a new scheme – Adopt a Grave – where volunteers are invited to pick a grave (we have some 2,000 to choose from) and undertake to keep it tidy. This might mean trimming grass or weeding paving, clearing ivy or cutting back brambles. If you’re feeling energetic you could choose one that’s completely overgrown or you could go for something easier.
You could browse one of the websites, Tombwithaview.org.uk or [email protected] and select someone of particular relevance to those projects, look through the tomb trails available at the back of church, or wander round, find a name and look it up on the church website, hampsteadparishchurch.org.uk →history and churchyards →search and read about your chosen family. The gardening group meets on the first Saturday of the month between 10am and noon or you could come at any time that suits you. It would be helpful to know which grave you’ve chosen in case everyone has the same idea – and some of the graves are looked after by families from time to time so we mustn’t interfere with what they’re doing.
Laundry again
It does seem as if a preoccupation with washing takes a disproportionate amount of our time at the moment: following last month’s appeal for someone to take on laundering the altar linen now it’s the turn of the choir to be looking for someone to look after their robes (although if you prefer the idea of altar linen we still need someone for that too). All those sparkling white surplices don’t keep themselves clean – they have to be lovingly washed and ironed (barring accidents about 3 times a year). It’s not a difficult job – they’re all easy to iron but it is probably best done by someone with a car to get them home and back (though it doesn’t have to be YOUR car – do you have a friend who might help?) If you think you could help please speak to me, Elizabeth Beesley or Gill Perrin and we’ll gladly initiate you.
More to do this month than perhaps you might need in Lent and depending on your chosen discipline you may or may not want to frolic through two quiz nights – one for the Junior Choir and the other for the C4WS winter shelters; you might enjoy the Living Book Club or the Tea Service, the Literary Hour or a Lunchtime Concert, Camden Choir singing a range of pieces suitable for the season, or our own choir, led by James Sherlock and featuring Paul Robinson and Martin Oxenham, performing the St Matthew Passion. Details of all these are further on in this issue.
Finally the Voluntary Rate. As I write the letters are yet to be put into envelopes but assuming a successful working party on Saturday 4.500 letters will be awaiting delivery during March. Please see if you could take some – we raised around £6,000 last year – but only with your help!