Holiday in Hampstead 2021
Yet again this was a huge success! It was very well attended and much enjoyed by all. The talks and presentations were greatly appreciated, coffee and biscuits went down well and the lunches were, as usual, delicious. A big vote of thanks to all who made this possible for their hard work. These are some of the things I remember-
Day 1 – John Willmer compiled and with his team read a series of wonderful Homecomings, including the Parable of the Prodigal Son and Mole and Rat’s return to Mole’s home in the Wind in the Willows.
Frances Spalding talked of John Betjeman’s and John Piper’s contributions to the Shell Guides describing the changing face of England. They posed the question “what to do?” about the heartbreak of changing the architecture of small towns with old architecture being replaced by housing estates.
Edward Humphreys talked nostalgically of the history of trams in London- particularly of those in the poorer areas, where tram fares were one third cheaper than bus fares. The first electric trams started in London in 1904, disappearing in 1952.
Day 2. –Stephen Clarke gave a hilarious account of his “disastrous” national service in the ranks, as with an Oxford scholarship, he felt and was seen as too intellectual to be an officer.
Tulip Siddiq MP gave a fascinating talk about her life as an MP. The most difficult thing about being an MP was selection. Her father’s recovery from a stroke made her a strong supporter of the NHS. In the Labour party she said that values were more important to her than policies
Stephen Tucker, warmly welcomed back by all his old friends, treated us to a wonderful collection of the origins, characters and historic recordings of Verdi’s Rigoletto, including a recording by Caruso.
Day 3-Sheena Ginnings gave a very moving account of her personal visits to some of the holy places in Israel and Palestine, and the spiritual value of silence and our personal experiences at these sites.
“Tea at the Ritz” at Henderson Court was a huge success. The sun came out, it was well attended, there were lots of wonderful cakes and Jeremy playing Beatles songs on his guitar- some 90 year olds even got up to dance!
Day 4- Wonderful readings on “Somewhere Else” compiled by Moragh Gee and read by her team. Two especially will stick in my mind – “The Selfish Giant” by Oscar Wilde and “How Long, O Lord?” by Keith Waterhouse, about building Noah’s Ark – with a twist!
Rupert Berryman’s talk on Wind Power emphasised the importance and limitations of offshore Wind Power – its huge cost and technical difficulties. Only a small contributor to our energy needs, we will remain very dependent on other sources.
Jeremy Fletcher pointed to the connection of the Memorial Painting after Filippo Lippi, hanging in the Clergy Vestry, with the Medici family, painted to identify members of the family with the saints to illustrate the divine justification of their authority.
Whilst the Vicarage Garden tea was rained off, a delicious tea was served in the Parish Rooms.
Day 5 – Gardeners’ Question Time with Jenny Bunn and Pen Linell produced many useful hints and tips for gardeners. Always water in the morning as evening watering encourages slugs – and never grow hostas!
Alex Bunn, a prison doctor, told us to remember those in prison. 30% of prisoners had been abused as children. The average reading age of prisoners is that of a 12 year old and reoffending is high and a major problem.
Graham Dunn – our new curate talked amusingly of his journey to Hampstead via various interesting jobs, including Vodaphone, until he became a mature student at Westcott House. Graham is particularly interested in Social Justice and the role of Christians in the work place.
