Offered by Beryl Dowsett who now cleans the chancel area and says: “I hasten to add that I have never considered sweeping the organ loft etc., and the thought of cleaning on a Wednesday morning with the requirement to ‘finish before 10 a.m.’ is a bridge too far.”
“1986 – Cleaning Choir Stalls, Hampstead Parish Church of St. John
Brooms, dust-pans and brushes may be found either in Vestry hall cupboards or in Flower Room. Cleaner is expected to bring own dusters and Antiqwax. A couple of bottle-brushes are useful, one tea-pot spout size for wood-work.
Begin at the left or Decanal side, in case the organ is needed. Always enquire about the time of a Saturday wedding.
Sweep vestry passage and behind organ to steps. If time and energy, sweep steps down to side chapel floor and round corner of chancel steps. Dust ledges and tops.
Sweep organ loft etc. Dust Apostle and plinth, replacing two broken off sections. The scaffolders * laid about them a bit, and the cleaner may not have helped.
Dust along top of stall to Apostle east end. Leave Choir Master’s music where it is.
Every two weeks sweep Choir stall floors. For this the hassocks must be placed on (dusted) seats after a rub with a clean dry duster. Never bang or sweep hassocks. This is wearing for the hassocks and for the cleaner, and spreads the dust in every direction. The hassocks should be attended to every week. Dust, grass or mud, though not often as we have a very careful congregation, need to be removed. Now, no chewing-gum is to be found under book rests in the stalls, but very occasionally money. (A sign of the times.) This should be handed to the Vicar or to Mr. Hill **.
Sweep stalls towards altar, dust ledges under book shelves, replace hassocks in a soldierly row. This perhaps encourages people not to kick them under the seats. Well, a bit.
Cleaning wood-work. This is a dangerous occupation and involves occasional use of a slightly damp cloth or bottle-brush, both sizes. Grey dust left by building operations I am told is likely to remain for years, but the bottle-brushes help if used with extreme care. The wood is old and dry and so are the veneers. Working a little Antiqwax into mouldings and carvings might do good. Do not leave unpolished because of handholds – but this is obvious.
If polishing stalls back-rests the same applies. Antiqwax on the back of a dress or jacket would not be popular.
Two front stalls facing chancel floor have quite a lot of ledges and mouldings. The veneers should sometimes have a wax polish. A broom should be taken along the junction with the floor after sweeping in from the centre of the chancel floor.
Do not touch clergy books under clergy stalls book rests; nor polish the book rest too enthusiastically, because of the angle – this might cause the books to slide onto the choir stall floor.
Chancel steps, parquet behind Swedish iron-work railings, and the railings. The floor below (parquet) should be swept and wiped with a damp cloth, then given a rub over. Polishing would be unwise. Iron-work on both sides should be cleaned with the larger bottle-brush (with care). It’s easy to get a finger stuck in the coils and volutes if it’s wrapped in a duster. The brush can get into the junctions and tops very easily and this method uses less time. There’s still the backs of the choir stalls, left and right. Left, behind the pulpit and at the back of the Apostle, where the electrical work was necessary – wires and switches indicate. The same on the right or Cantoris Side, where the iron railings end. The hand-rail along the railings should be attended to, if necessary with a damp cloth and a little polish.
You will know by now that the Lady Chapel is not in use. Remember Wednesdays and if that is your only morning for cleaning, finish before 10 a.m. To get at the Apostles on that side, or the other, it is necessary if you are small to stand on the stall seats. This can cause surprise. Lastly, sweep down chancel steps and along base. Gather up any heaps of dust or bits of paper you may have left anywhere and your dusters, brushes etc. Leave until last the stall book rests and give a good polish. The three Beasts and the Angel Gabriel need a chapter to themselves and I think they need a good wash to clear them of grey dust.
During work, visitors should be given a cordial welcome. Tramps, if offered a broom to help usually hurry away.
Mary Knox
* The church had recently been rewired and redecorated
**The Verger at the time – though he’d want me to spell it ‘Virger’
Who sweeps a room as for thy sake……
Mary Knox