Did you have a good summer? Are you glad its September? There’s an air of excitement I always think in the autumn, in spite of the shorter days and the browning leaves. Everyone’s back, school’s starting again and there’s Harvest to look forward to:-
Harvest Thanksgiving this year is on 25th September and will be celebrated with an All Age Eucharist at 10.30, followed by a Harvest Lunch in the Crypt. There’s a list for you to sign if you’re hoping to come and another to offer food and drink. Out in the country during August I was conscious of their harvest, of fields being cut, crops gathered and a most elaborate Harvest Home at a village close to where we were staying – a Friday morning service followed by lunch, afternoon entertainments including fancy dress and a small fair and drinking far into the night [we heard people going home!] It’s so different in towns and visitors sometimes wonder why we bother – what is our harvest? For me, it’s an acknowledgement of the seasonal changes that I wouldn’t want to lose sight of, even if I can buy strawberries in December and carrots in June from the local supermarket. And we have to give thanks sometime during the year, for all God’s gifts to us, whatever they may be. So why not at Harvest? The question What have we harvested during the year? needn’t refer to fruits of the earth only, what about the fruits of the spirit?
But I wouldn’t want you not to bring in the fruits of a town harvest. Tinned and packaged food and toiletries are most welcome by the people to whom we take our offerings. The Parochial School and Church Row Nursery will have their harvest gatherings here around that time too. The children always give most generously and, in the case of the Nursery, always in decorated boxes that they’ve clearly spent much time, effort and glue on making.
During the week after the Harvest we’ll be asking for help to take the offerings to the Simon Community in Malden Road – and you can read more about the work of Simon further on in this magazine.
Drama
The Hampstead Players are back from a successful tour. They performed a specially compiled anthology Shakespeare’s Kings in France place of Julius Caesar, which was well-received [and who knows, perhaps it’ll appear here sometime] and Antic Disposition, having performed The Shakespeare Revue in France, Oxford and Bury St Edmonds, have one more performance, at UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, on 30th September. More about this elsewhere in the magazine. I was fortune to see the final dress rehearsal and highly recommend the show to you. Perhaps a parish outing could be arranged?
The actual performance of Julius Caesar, a dramatic reading in church only 10 days after the tube bombings, was a most moving tribute to David’s skill as a producer – Diana Raymond reviews it.
Music
The Friends of the Music have 3 pages of events – not all in September but taking an overview of the autumn which will be musically busy – the one to note this month is Father Stephen’s talk at Burgh House on 21st September. Robin Saikia reviewed the Junior Choir Prom in June but the performance was just too close to the magazine deadline so we’ve held it till now. A good way to welcome them back for the new term.
Lectures at St Paul’s: Mother Sarah will be taking a parish group to these two events on Global Poverty – see page 7 for details.
The Building
I hope you’ve all noticed how much cleaner the church floors are looking. You did, didn’t you? The new floor cleaning machine is earning its keep and I’m happy to teach anyone to use it!
I have been asked what happened to the plans for the disabled person’s toilet – well, they haven’t been shelved but the sudden closure of Glendinning’s, who have handled all our building work for many years, has necessitated our looking for a replacement. It’s important that we get the right firm and have been meeting with the architect and several representatives over the summer. Hopefully a successful resolution will mean building work can begin in the not too distant future.
September
Judy East