September already – Back to School – Harvest – if it’s autumn winter must be only just over the horizon. There’s an urgency about September, isn’t there? Suddenly we start ‘thinking ahead’, ‘making plans’, the lazy days of summer are almost over and it’s time to be energetic, like the squirrels it’s time to set ourselves up for winter. Bible Study dates are in the dairy, Holy Hamsters starts again on 10th – and whilst it’s the right season for apple-picking – see the Loyds invitation on page 24, you may need to take a deep breath before reading about Christmas boxes for Operation Christmas Child on the same page!
An exciting new project for September is our series of Lunchtime concerts to be held on Wednesdays [omitting the first Wednesday]. Do check the details further on in this issue and make a note in your diary. The first one is an organ recital by our own David Moore.
Also in September we have a Memorial concert for Geoffrey Dancer. Geoffrey, who died earlier in the year, gave many recitals here as well as looking after our pianos so it’s fitting that this musical tribute should be held here.
The churchyard
The Lottery Project is well under way – we’ve already had a Bumble Bee Workshop, which Katherine attended and writes about on page 21, and there are Bat and Tree events to look forward to – and the churchyard working parties have come under the umbrella of Honia Bor, the project officer, who will be guiding our gardening to maintain a balance between conservation and tidiness. Remember how shocked we were when Camden cut the shrubs at the front of the church so ruthlessly a few months ago? They have been amply vindicated since: the hydrangea responded with a magnificent show and all the others are recovering too – and the light and space has allowed snowberries to grow in abundance. There are plans to do some new planting at the front of the church [though I’m promised the aforementioned hydrangea will be spared] and in the Columbarium. We hope that work on the hard landscaping will begin soon too – resurfacing paths and repairing walls. The pattern of paths in the churchyard is very well established – it shows up in many old plans. In John Rocque’s map of 1746 the footprint of the old church is shown and the smaller churchyard then existing but in 1755 the new church was augmented by an enlarged graveyard through the acquisition of a stretch of land to the south [the gift of John Maryon, Lord of the Manor and, coincidentally [or possibly not?] a relative of Revd Langhorne Warren, Vicar at the time]. From then on, we assume, it had the system of paths we see today.
I find it hard to believe that it’s finally actually all happening so keep your fingers crossed that it doesn’t have to be delayed till Spring – there’s a question mark over whether Autumn is the best time to start the work.
The Crypt
Regular updates through the summer have kept us informed about the work and we’re all eager for the grand unveiling – peering in through the windows it just looks a mess so it’ll be doubly exciting to see what’s been done. Plans are fine up to a point but I think we’ll all be surprised when we see it ‘for real’. A new kitchen! A disabled toilet! Tidier storage space! No clutter! I’m assured anything left lying about will be removed by the ‘clutter police’ – ruthlessly so I’m told. But as with any major building project things can take longer than expected and we don’t, so far, have a completion date. Watch this space!
The month culminates in Harvest Thanksgiving on 27th September. Gifts of food and toiletries will be given to the Simon Community as usual, for distribution to the homeless and there will be a Harvest lunch after the Parish Eucharist. More details of all these will be on the pewsheets this month [including, of course, packing all the gifts up and getting them down to Kentish Town].
September
Judy East