St Mary Redcliffe Church Parish Magazine, February 2019

St Mary Redcliffe
+ singing the song of faith and justice+
singing the song of faith and justice
Parish parish magazine Magazine
…
febrUARY 2019
ARTICLES EPIPHANIES: REVD KAT CAMPION-SPALL / RINGING IN
THE NEW YEAR: GARETH LAWSON / ADESTE FIDELES: BRYAN ANDERSON
/ BRISTOL AND BISHOPS: JOHN ROGAN // PALESTINE MARATHON: SARAH
TYNDALL / LOCKERBIE ANNIVERSARY: AURIOL BRITTON / TREEFEST: SUE
HARTLEY / NIGHT SHELTER UPDATES / PROJECT 450: RHYS WILLIAMS
Detail of Tree by Bridges for Communities at Treefest 2018. Photo: Rhys Williams
DIARY PCC MEETING: 4 FEBRUARY / CANDLEMAS: 2 FEBRUARY /
FEMINIST THEOLOGY GROUP: 5 FEBRUARY / THEOLOGY BOOK CLUB:
12 FEBRUARY / FAITH PICTURES: 14 FEBRUARY / M R JAMES’ GHOST
STORIES: 23 FEBRUARY

St Mary Redcliffe
With Temple, Bristol & St John the Baptist, Bedminster
vicar
Revd Dan Tyndall — 0117-231 0067
email: dan.tyndall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
associate vicar
Revd Kat Campion-Spall — 0117-231 0070
email: kat.campion-spall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
associate minister
Revd Anthony Everitt
email: anthony.everitt@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
associate clergy
Revd Canon Neville Boundy, Revd Peter Dill
operations manager
Peter Rignall — 0117-231 0073
email: peter.rignall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
admin associate
Pat Terry — 0117-231 0063
email: pat.terry@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
admin assistantS
Ros Houseago — 0117-231 0063; Noelle Gartlan — 0117-231 0060
email: ros.houseago@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk — noelle.gartlan@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
the parish office
12 Colston Parade, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA — 0117-231 0060
email: parish.office@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
church wardens
Richard James — 0117-966 2291
richard@bristolbound.co.uk
Elizabeth Shanahan — 07808 505977
eshanahan21@googlemail.com
vergers
Vergers’ office — 0117-231 0061
Matthew Buckmaster — Head Verger
matthew.buckmaster@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
Paul Thomas — Verger
director of music
Andrew Kirk — 0117-231 0065
andrew.kirk@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
assistant organists
Claire and Graham Alsop
research assistant
Rhys Williams — 0117-231 0068
rhys.williams@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
education officer
Sarah Yates — 0117-231 0072
sarah.yates@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
community development worker
Rachel Varley — 0117-231 0071
rachel.varley@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
community youth worker
David Cousins — 0117-231 0067
david.cousins@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
— Any of the above can be contacted via the parish office
— Visit us at www.stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
vicar's letter
EPIPHANIES
— REVD KAT CAMPION-SPALL
ASSOCIATE VICAR
FEBRUARY IN CHURCH begins with the
feast of the Presentation, also known as
Candlemas. It marks the point 40 days
after Christmas when Jesus was presented in
the Temple, as was the custom at that time,
when sacrifices were offered to give thanks for
the child’s and the mother’s safety through the
dangers of childbirth and the weeks following.
In the Temple, Jesus was greeted by Anna and
Simeon, two prophets who had devoted their
lives to waiting to see God revealed to them.
In 6-week-old Jesus they saw the God they had been waiting for, and
in response Simeon sang what we call the Nunc Dimittis — “Lord, now
lettest thou thy servant depart in peace…” as his life’s hopes, and God’s
promises to him, had been fulfilled through that encounter with a tiny
child. His words to Mary showed an insight into the future of this baby:
“This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to
be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be
revealed — and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
So, as well as a picture of a profound encounter with God incarnate, this
scene gives us an insight into some of the profound moments of human
life: the birth of a child, a life about to end, and that prophetic word to
Mary about what it would cost her to love her son through his untimely
death. This month in church we will be celebrating, in different ways, two
of the new babies born into our congregation in the autumn. We have
also in recent weeks held funerals for those who have died much too
soon. And among our community are those for whom the yearning for a
child is unfulfilled; parents who have outlived their children; those whose
relationships have ended painfully; and those who carry with them the
losses of loved ones who died in their prime or in ripe old age. In the full
spectrum of the grief we carry as a community, we see the risk of loving.

As the month draws to an end, we will be rapidly approaching the start
of Lent. I am delighted that our Lent Appeal Charity this year will be CCS
Adoption, a charity that helps match children longing for a family with
families yearning for children. For both this often comes after a journey
of grief, pain and loss, and so CSS also provide extensive support for
adoptive families for as long as they need it post adoption. When we met
representatives of the charity to explore what a Lent partnership might
look like, they posed a challenging question — “what if you had to give up
your family for Lent?” For those who give up their families this is rarely a
real choice — more often, families are taken away. But this stark reminder
of our need for loving relationships, and the intrinsic risk of loving — that
we could lose the people we love the most and build our lives around —
will be a theme for prayerful exploration during Lent.
But for now we have this picture of God becoming a vulnerable human
being, becoming part of a human family, journeying towards a sudden
and violent death, to show us what it means to love and to be loved.
And inviting us, always, to be part of the family that calls God our Father
and Mother.
Revd Kat Campion-Spall
— Associate Vicar
Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing — 1 February to 6 May 2019
BRISTOL CITY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY is marking the 500th anniversary of
Leonardo da Vinci’s death by displaying 12 of his finest drawings as part of
#Leonardo500 — a national celebration of one of history’s greatest geniuses
A total of 144 of Leonardo’s drawings from The Royal Collection will be on show
at 12 venues across the UK ... to be followed by major displays at The Queen’s
Galleries in Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
The works show the extraordinary scope of the artist’s interests, from painting
and sculpture to engineering, zoology, botany and anatomy ... and are among
the most diverse and accomplished in the history of art [text from website].
For details of the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery exhibition and activities visit —
culture
https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/
whats-on/leonardo-da-vinci/
LENT APPEAL 2019
THIS YEAR’S LENT APPEAL has a strong focus on family, as
we partner with CCS Adoption. They are a Bristol-based
charity, who for 115 years have been finding permanent,
loving families for children who need them, and providing ongoing
support for adoptive families for as long as they need it. You can
find out more about them on their website at ccsadoption.org
As always there will be a host of events as part of the appeal which
you are encouraged to support.
• Sunday 10 February 9.30am: Representatives from CSS will be
speaking at our service and in Sunday School about their work.
• Saturday 9 March 7pm — Voices of Adoption: An event to
launch the appeal with an opportunity to explore the CCS
exhibition in the South Transept and a panel discussion giving
voice to different people involved in the adoption journey.
• Saturday 30 March 1–4pm: CCS Family Fun Day, with Melody
Makers Choir. Come and enjoy music from Melody Makers,
afternoon tea, games, activities and fun for all ages.
• Sunday 31 March 6.30pm: Lent Appeal evening service with a
speaker from CCS.
Sunday School events will include a Secret Cinema, Community
Cooking and Sunday event… look out for more details!
Also look out for the 2019 40 days of Lent booklet to help your
Lenten devotions.
Ways you can get involved...
Run a stall at the Family Fun Day; volunteer at the Voices of Adoption
event; hold a fundraising event at your workplace, school or in your
social group — or how about a coffee morning?
Get planning! Please let Kat know if you’d like to get involved

from the diocese of bristol
This month read a précis of an article currently online at Bristol
Diocese website, and a call for Licensed Lay Ministers...
GOD WITH US: UNDERSTANDING FAITH JOURNEYS
https://www.bristol.anglican.org/news/2018/12/12/understanding-faith-journeys/
THE 2018 FAITH JOURNEYS RESEARCH conducted for the Church
of England explores how people become aware of God’s presence,
are attracted to it, respond to it, and are ultimately transformed by it.
Research shows that everyone’s faith journey is unique, complex, contextual
and influenced by cumulative and intertwining factors in a process occuring
over time. Six common stages of journey are identified (each providing
the basis for the next albeit some may be transposed or omitted), as is the
need for appropriate nurture at each point. Stages are as follows:
1. Context — awareness: As people journey through life their worldview is
shaped by their context: their history; family, friends and communities; home
and environment; activities and interests; media they are exposed to and
consume. Contexts are always changing. Most people are at this stage.
2. Catalyst: Something may stimulate someone to re-shape their worldview;
this may become a catalyst in finding faith. Common catalysts include: crises;
transition points in life; encounters with others and/or church; seasonal events.
3. Initial engagement: initial engagement with the Christian faith may take
many forms but the experience needs to be positive and nurturing; negative
experiences or those that fail to nurture may take a person back to the context
stage and delay engagement with faith for years, or even a lifetime.
4. Ongoing engagement: a period of intentional activity and behavioural
change in which people searching for meaning are attracted by seeing the
love of God in practice. Three main styles of engagement: relational (female
bias: emphasis on building relationships); experiential (as befits individual
context: e.g. going to church; Bible study group); intellectual / rational: (male
bias: often self-motivated with minimal direct influence from others/church).
5. Belief, belonging, commitment: the point at which people are are confident
in their faith, want to belong (or more actively belong) to a Christian community;
feel confident in talking to others about their faith and have a relationship with
God that is sustainable beyond the context of the local church.
6. Transformation: The transformed person becomes an active follower of
Jesus Christ. There is a need to nurture and release people at this stage to
ensure their talents are discerned and used well in the local context and to
preempt any sense of disillusionment or other negative affect.
— For the full article please visit Bristol Diocese online using the link on the page opposite
ARE YOU CALLED TO BE A
LICENSED LAY MINISTER?
LICENSED LAY MINISTRY
(Reader Ministry) is nationally
recognised as a highly significant
ministry for the Church of England
today, and is a vital part of Bristol
Diocese’s strategy for ministry and
mission in the 21st century. It is for
this reason that we invest significant
time, effort and commitment to
developing this ministry, and encouraging
vocations to this specific call.
Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs) are
significant, valuable members of ministry
teams. Some are in full time work, some
retired, some in positions of leadership
within industry, some full-time parents
or carers. All are trained and equipped,
canonically authorised and episcopally
licensed, and freely give their ministry
as people knowing they are called by
God to this vocation.
Licensed Lay Ministry is exercised
in diverse ways — not necessarily
restricted to the congregational life
of the church community — and to
kingdom-wide service and connectedness,
in areas and relationships beyond
intentional Christian gathering. Some
of our LLMs have significant involvement
in mission and outreach, schools
work and witness, offering a ministry
of the word and pastoral responsibility
in opportunities for making connections
both within and outside of the
church beyond the traditional model
of preaching and teaching.
LLMs go through a structured training
programme of theological study (usually
Exploring Christianity) and a Formation
year, where areas of Leadership,
Pastoral Ministry and Preaching and
Leading worship are developed. The
local community is an important part
of the formative journey, and the support
of local learning groups during this
stage is key to individuals growing into
the ministers God is calling them to be.
COULD THIS BE YOUR STORY?
Am I Called to be a Licensed Lay Minister?
will be held on Monday 6 June 2019 at
7.00pm at the Diocesan Office, Hillside
House — come along to find out more.
Please book places using the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/am-icalled-to-be-a-licensed-lay-minister-registration-55269639981

at church development
PROJECT 450 DEVELOPMENTS
— RHYS WILLIAMS
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
P
ROJECT 450 WILL ENTER A SIGNIFICANT NEW PHASE during the
first half of 2019, with the production of a Project 450 masterplan
that will provide the congregation, the community, visitors to St Mary
Redcliffe and statutory stakeholders with a clearer picture of what the
church’s new facilities will look like and do.
The masterplan will be built on the wealth of information that we have
accumulated during the last few years. As previously reported, during
his time the church has commissioned a series of studies and reports
that have:
• catalogued and assigned significance to St Mary Redcliffe’s heritage
assets, allowing the church to build a clearer picture of how it might
display treasures that either are not currently on display or might be
displayed more effectively;
• collected its stories, related these to broad themes, and looked at
how the story of the church might be better presented to church
users;
• analysed the church’s role in the community and looked at how Project
450 can help the organisation better respond to local deprivation
and need;
• evaluated the church’s potential for attracting finance from third
party funding organisations and private individuals;
• looked at the potential form of the church’s new buildings and how
they can respond to organisational needs.
The last of the preparatory studies — the Project 450 business plan — will
look at financial feasibility, organisational capacity and long-term sustainability.
The church has appointed Glevum Consulting, an experienced
heritage business consultancy, to produce the business plan. Since
2002, Glevum has helped secure £70 million of HLF and private donor
funding, and directly helped deliver £40 million of capital projects and
activity plans. Recently the organisation has provided funding and project
management services to Bristol Old Vic to support its successful development
project.The business plan will include the following elements:
• an analysis of the structure and operational characteristics of the
church, including its purpose and aims, its legal status, its membership,
its organisational structure, and the roles of its staff and volunteers;
• an analysis and evaluation of the church’s experience: its achievements
and ability to deliver Project 450. This will also look at the church’s partnership
work with both private and public organisations;
• an overview of the development of Project 450, including commissioned
studies and research, consultation and the budget to date;
• an analysis of Project 450 strategy and aims, outcomes and lifespan,
including how the project relates to the church’s organisational aims
and local, regional and national strategies for regeneration and heritage;
• detailed information on the capital project, the development programme
and critical path, highlighting the church’s heritage USPs (unique selling
points) and the main commercial and community drivers;
• a market appraisal, looking at the current heritage market, the target
market, competition, and a competitive strategy;
• financial modelling, looking at commercial income and expenditure,
including income forecasts and return on investments for all areas of
the business model, integrating the new capital elements of the scheme;
• a review of governance, management, staff and volunteers;
• a detailed risk analysis;
• a monitoring and evaluation strategy;
• an organisational impact and transition analysis.
This work will help to define the scope and scale of parts of the development
that are linked with income-generating activities: for example, the
shop and café. It will also help us to answer the question of whether it
is feasible to rehouse William Hogarth’s altarpiece as part of the project,
by looking at issues such as organisational impact and sustainability.
It is estimated that the business plan will be finalised in around six to
eight weeks, at which point project 450 architects Purcell will use the
information it contains to refine the design and produce the masterplan.

Photo: Rhys Williams
at church learning
Editor’s recommendation: if you would like to discover more about theology
and explore some of its key issues, here are two excellent opportunities to do
so and to engage with some of the subject’s central concerns in meetings that
feature stimulating discussion.
THEOLOGY BOOK CLUB
FEMINIST THEOLOGY GROUP
Hogarth visit
ON Wednesday 23 January a group of around 20 people comprising
members of the congregation and local community visited St Nicholas’
Church in the city centre — current home of Hogarth’s St Mary Redcliffe
altarpiece — to take a look at the paintings.
The visit was part of an initiative by Bristol Museums and St Mary Redcliffe
to raise awareness of Hogarth’s altarpiece, highlighting its importance as
a rare example of large-scale ‘history’ painting in the grand manner by
one of our most important artists, recognising its value in helping to tell
the story of Bristol in the C18th and placing St Mary Redcliffe within this
historical context.
St Nicholas’ has recently reopened as a church plant — an initiative of
the Diocese of Bristol in partnership with Holy Trinity Brompton. However,
while the altarpiece will remain in situ, it will be covered from view in
accordance with the wishes of the new incumbents. Unfortunately, there
will be no ready public access to the work.
Rhys Williams; Research Assistant
Everyone is invited to the
next meeting of the SMR
Theology Book Club, which
will be on Tuesday 12th
February at 8pm at John
Rogan’s house. From March,
meetings will be on the 3rd
Tuesday of the month.
We shall be looking at an
introduction to the thought
of David Bentley Hart, and
considering his article
Christ and Nothing , which I
can send to anyone who is
interested (either in hard
copy or electronically)—
so, although we are a book
club, there will be no need to
buy a book for this occasion.
— Simon Goodman
For more information and for
John’s address please email or
call Simon at:
simon.goodman61@btinternet.com
— mob 07811 141499
New members are welcome
as we start a new book,
Womanist Midrash by Wilda
Gafney. If you are interested
in engaging constructively
with feminist and womanist
approaches to the Bible, you
are very welcome. The book
will last us a year so although
it’s not cheap, it is an investment!
But please contact Kat
if the cost would prevent you
from participating.
The next meeting is Tuesday
5th February at 8pm at Kat’s
house, where we’ll be looking
at the introduction. Meetings
will be on the 2nd Tuesday
of the month from March
onwards.
— Kat Campion-Spall
Please contact Kat for more
information and for her address
(see the front of the magazine
for Kat’s contact details).

at church parish weekend away
SIDMOUTH 2019
BUSY church, busy lives…
how about we stop for a
couple of days? Take some
time to relax together, get
to know each other better,
spend time with God, and
spend time thinking about
who we are and what we
do as a church?
After a wonderful weekend two years ago, we will be returning
to the Sidholme Hotel in Sidmouth on the beautiful Jurassic
Coast in Devon again this year. There will be talks, activities and
worship for all ages, and plenty of time to relax and socialise — the
hotel is a 15-minute walk from the beach and has an indoor swimming
pool and lovely grounds. You can find out more about the hotel on
their website at https://www.christianguild.co.uk/sidholme/
The price for the weekend includes full board from Friday dinner to
Sunday lunch, and depends on the type of room you book —
Prices per adult range from £185 for a superior en-suite room to £108
for a room with shared bathroom. Prices for children are: under 5s free;
age 5–10 pay 25% of adult price; age 11–15 pay 50%; age 16–17 pay 75%.
In addition, there is a charge of £5 per person towards the costs to the
parish of running the weekend. If you’d like to come but are worried
about the cost, please speak to one of the clergy in confidence.
It really is a wonderful opportunity to take some time away together as
a church community — as those who attended in 2017 will testify. So if
you would like to be part of the Parish Weekend 2019 please fill in the
form online at https://forms.churchdesk.com/f/BJfXVdV74 or pick up a
leaflet at the back of church and we will contact you with further details.
soundbites music at redcliffe
SEASONAL MUSIC AND CHOIR NEWS
— ANDREW KIRK
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
MUSIC FOR ADVENT, CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY: I would like to
thank members of the congregation for their kind comments about
the singing during the festive season. It is always a highlight of the choir’s
year. The choristers voted for their favourite carols and it was very interesting
to see the differences between the ones the adults liked best, and
the ones which were the boys’ and girls’ favourites! How lovely are the
messengers (Mendelssohn) and O magnum mysterium (Poulenc) were two
of the most popular.
CHOIR PRESENTATIONS: Three out of our four Head Choristers have
changed since Christmas. In the girls choir, Alice Turvey and Liv Chapman
have now been promoted after Lily Cooper finished her seven years in the
choir. Barnaby Westrup took over from Moses Cardwell in mid-January. We
thank all the choristers and their parents for their hard work and commitment,
especially over the busy Christmas period. We have had some new
boys and girls starting recently which is encouraging but more are needed!
THE CRUCIFIXION — JOHN STAINER: On Saturday 6 April at 4pm the
boys and adults choir of Bath Abbey will join with our choir in a performance
of this popular work. Members of the congregation are warmly
invited to support us — there is lots of opportunity for everyone to sing the
lovely hymns.
GOOD FRIDAY 12–3PM — ST JOHN PASSION BY J S BACH: Former
Bishop of Salisbury, David Stancliffe, is assembling and directing a
period orchestra along with soloists to join our boys and adults choir in
a performance of St John Passion on Good Friday. This will be an excellent
musical challenge and opportunity for our choir who will sing the
opening and closing choruses along with the chorales. There will be more
information forthcoming shortly.
Andrew Kirk

sunday school
A CREATIVE SEASON
— BECKY MACRON
SUNDAY SCHOOL LEADER
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We’ve made a great start to the new term,
welcoming more families to our Children’s Church. We’ve lots of
fun and exciting plans for the year ahead and we hope that you will
be able to join us for some of our events.
Following the Christmas break, we have started our youth group again.
Dan’s “appeal” for more leaders had a great response and I have been
approached by a number of people who would like to be involved. It is
great to bring together a team of people, to share their gifts and talents to
provide our young people with an opportunity to meet and explore their
faith through stories from the bible. Our theme for January and February is
“Strange but True”. We are looking at a variety of stories which are quite…
incredible, including how God made the sun move back in space for one
man — amazing!
Calling all needle felters! It is a delight to announce that Natasheya has
joined the youth club leaders’ team. Natasheya introduced needle felting
to our Sunday School and it is very popular with our children. Natasheya
will be with us on most of our sessions in January and February and will be
working with the young people on a small project to produce a wall hanging
to reflect our learning.
some prayers but to reflect on “how” we pray; there is more than one way
of communicating with God and we need to find the way which works for
us. The past few years we have explored different prayer stations and last
year we focused in particular on the Lord’s Prayer — and the little ones
were taught it in Makaton. This year, we are taking a slightly different
approach — our theme is “prayer experiments”, and we’ll be trialling some
new ideas taken from the book The Little Book of Prayer Experiments by
Miranda Thelfall-Holmes.
We are also extending the invitation to explore prayer with the wider church
and community. We will be hosting our very first “Stay and Pray” after the
service, with Mocktails and Nibbles. I find that when everyone comes
together— that’s when learning is at its best.
During this session we will also be supporting our first charity of the
year —the Amos Trust. Sarah Tyndall * is taking part in the half-marathon
in Bethlehem in March in aid of this charity. Look out for the life size “cut
outs” of Sarah— we are raising the profile of this worthy cause!
Becky Macron
mob: 07387 909343
email: sundayschool@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
* Read about Sarah’s plans in her article on page 18
below: activities in 2018 — photo (detail) courtesy of SMR Sunday School
Youth club takes place on a Sunday afternoon — but at the slightly earlier time
of 4pm. If you would like to know more about Redcliffe Youth Group, please
contact me at sunday.school@redcliffe.co.uk or on my mobile: 07387909343.
At the end of this month, on 27th January, our session will be dedicated
to prayer. I introduced the “prayer day” in my first year as Sunday School
Co-ordinator. It was initially inspired by an event I attended led by Christ
Church Clifton at my daughters’ school. I often say in my role as a teacher
that the task is not just about delivering content — it’s also about equipping
children, as people, with skills so that they can move forward independently.
It is the same with prayer. The purpose of the prayer day is not just to learn

community 2019
WESTMINSTER ABBEY — ‘RINGING IN’ THE NEW YEAR
— GARETH LAWSON; RINGING MASTER, SMR GUILD OF RINGERS
THE ST MARY REDCLIFFE GUILD OF
RINGERS was founded in 1950 and has
in excess of fifty members. The purpose
of the Guild is to ring the bells for Sunday
services and special occasions.
You can imagine my delight when the Guild
received a letter from The Westminster Abbey
Company of Ringers last year inviting us to
ring at Westminster Abbey on New Year’s Day
2019. Westminster Abbey is unique among
abbeys, cathedrals and churches because of
its royal connection — as you can see from
the following details on the Abbey website:
The bells set ‘up’ for ringing
Photo: David Threlfall
“From the moment King Edward the Confessor decided to build his church
at Westminster in the 11th century, the story of the Abbey has been woven
into the history of the British monarchy ... From coronations to weddings
and burials, every British monarch has forged a strong bond with the
Abbey. Two centuries later Henry III built the Abbey church you see today.
Since 1066 every British monarch except two has been crowned at the
Abbey ... Thirty kings and queens are buried at the Abbey, starting with King
Edward the Confessor himself whose magnificent shrine stands just behind
the High Altar. Five monarchs are buried in the royal tombs surrounding his
shrine ... The Abbey has also hosted sixteen royal weddings, including the
marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.”
Members of the St Mary Redcliffe Guild of Ringers before ascending the tower
Photo: Simon Meeds
On New Year’s Day afternoon we were met outside the west front of the
Abbey by the Conductor, Jeremy Pratt, who is in charge of all the ringing
there. He led us into this magnificent building, past security and up a spiral
staircase consisting of 119 steps. We still hadn’t reached our destination, but
a further nine steps and we arrived at the ringing chamber in the north-west

tower. The ringing chamber is not dissimilar to other ringing chambers in
that it has ropes hanging down in a circular formation, and history on the
walls in the form of peal boards. Peal boards usually detail important pieces
of ringing that have taken place; in the case of the Abbey they include royal,
national and Abbey occasions in which over 5,000 different changes or
sequences have been rung, all requiring considerable concentration from
the ringers and taking over three hours to complete without stopping.
Jeremy told us about the Abbey Company of Ringers and the history of the
bells. The current ring of ten bells was cast by Whitechapel bell foundry and
dedicated at a service in 1971 which was attended by HM Queen Elizabeth
II. The largest bell (number 10), called the tenor, weighs 30 hundredweight
(which equates to 1.5 tons or 1,530 kilograms) and is in the key of D.
Photo: Westminster Abbey ringing chamber with
members of the St Mary Redcliffe Guild ringing a
short touch of “Yorkshire Surprise Royal”. Credit:
Kristian Scudamore
During our welcome there
was a service in progress, but
at 1pm Jeremy informed us of
the moment we had all been
eagerly waiting for. I placed
ringers on each of the ten bells
for three short touches each
lasting around ten minutes (a
touch is an edited version of a
given piece of ringing). Most
of us were extremely nervous
but full of joy and excitement
to be ringing the bells at such
a prestigious place of worship.
The final piece of ringing required only ten ringers to remain in the tower.
This was an arranged performance of Bristol Surprise Royal, which the
chosen ringers had practised numerous times to ensure we would be able
to produce the exceptional standard of ringing that would be expected of
us. This required the skill of each ringer (one per bell) swinging the bells
in a controlled manner and with precision in order to produce a metronomic
and rhythmical sound collectively. As the others descended from
the tower we began our performance, known as a ‘quarter peal’, in which
1,280 changes (unique combinations of all ten bells) were rung entirely
from memory without any
visual aid or a break — the
details opposite can be
found on Bellboard, the
website of Ringing World.
The St Mary Redcliffe Guild
of Ringers meets every
Thursday evening to
practice on our glorious
ring of twelve bells — we
ring for two services
every Sunday, as well as
for royal and special
occasions, weddings and
sometimes funerals. If you
would like to know more
about what we do please
see the bell-ringing section
on the church website — or
if you’d like to come and
see us in action, or you
are interested in learning
to ring, then contact the
Parish Office who will put
you in touch.
Gareth Lawson
Ringing Master
SMR Guild of Ringers
Tuesday, 1 January 2019 in 50 minutes
Westminster, Greater London
Collegiate Church of St Peter
Tenor: 30–1–15 in D
1280 Bristol Surprise Royal
1. Elaine Scudamore
2. Molly Waterson
3. Kathy Carter
4. Anna Bayley
5. Phill Butler
6. David Threlfall
7. Matt Dawson (C)
8. Russell Scudamore
9. Philip Pratt
10. Gareth Lawson
Rung by members of the St Mary Redcliffe
Guild of Ringers
Photo: the quarter peal band, clockwise from
front right. Credit: Gareth Lawson, Jeremy Pratt
• For more information about SMR’s bells and Guild of Ringers visit SMR online at:
http://www.stmaryredcliffe.co.uk/bellringing.html
• To find out more about Westminster Abbey’s bells visit the Abbey website at:
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/abbey-bells
• For the mention of SMR’s Guild of Ringers at Bellboard visit:
https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1265231

community campaigns
RUNNING THE PALESTINE “RIGHT TO MOVEMENT” MARATHON
SARAH TYNDALL—
OVER CHRISTMAS, EVERY CANDLE USED
IN THIS CHURCH was lit by a flame that
originated in Bethlehem. The Bethlehem peace light
is carried from the church of the nativity in Manger
Square all the way to St Mary Redcliffe, and in
March this year I am going to travel in the opposite
direction to take part in the Palestine marathon
which begins and ends in Manger Square.
I am running in the Palestine ‘Right to Movement’ marathon
in solidarity with all the warm and courageous people we
met when we visited Palestine in 2015. I am running to
express my anger at the ongoing occupation; my disbelief
that people have been living in refugee camps since 1948;
and my hope for justice for all people living in Palestine
and Israel. I am running as part of the Amos Trust team to
raise awareness of the injustice and to raise money for the
organisations that the Amos Trust partners with in Gaza
and the West Bank.
I will be telling Sunday School a bit more about it on 27th January and
organising an event in February to raise sponsorship. I would welcome
the opportunity to tell you a bit more so please do talk to me or visit
my JUST GIVING page at http://bit.ly/SponsorSarah and read more
about the Amos Trust at www.amostrust
— Sarah Tyndall
THE LOCKERBIE AIR DISASTER: THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY
— THE LONGEST NIGHT; A LOCAL CAMPAIGNER WRITES
— AURIOL BRITTON
ON THE MORNING OF 22ND DECEMBER 1988 I awoke to the
sound of my father talking non-stop about an aeroplane disaster
in Scotland the previous evening. He had appeared as usual with a
cup of tea for my half-sister and me. I was then aged thirteen. From a poor,
farming background in Buckinghamshire, I was home for Christmas from
my special boarding school for visually impaired children with academic
potential. At that time, I was unaware that the Boeing 747 had flown over
Bucks on its journey north-west.
I am prepared to admit that, in common with many people I expect, to me
the Lockerbie Air Disaster was just another bad thing in the news, in the
background, over many years. It is easy to forget (or in my case, not be fully
aware in the first place, given my youthful preoccupations at the time) just
how devastating it was.
My interest in the matter increased around 2010–12, when events did not
come to pass quite as predicted. What was really going on, I wondered. In
autumn 2017 I heard Dr Jim Swire (who lost his daughter in the disaster, and
has striven for 30 years to find out who murdered her, and why) speaking
on the radio, with his characteristic dignity, stating emphatically that the
only person so far convicted was not responsible. “That’s a bold claim,” I
thought. “What makes you say that then?”
I was, at the time, casting around for a topic on which to give a low-key, poorly
attended Spoken English address at the Bristol Speech and Drama Festival.
I generally choose a topic with a significant anniversary in the same year.
The compelling factor in taking on this horrendous case was the unresolved
nature of it, and the fact that if we were ever going to catch anyone else, we
had better hurry up.
Researching it was terrible. It definitely knocked my mind sideways. The
bewildering enormity of it — 4 million pieces of wreckage, the international
complexity, the extent of the evil... I cried then, and I cry still. Sometimes

something happens that seems to have an extra dimension and that leaves
you not the same as you were before — there is a more than usually deep
sense that this must never happen again. I have experienced a similar sentiment
regarding some crimes committed in World War II. I spent quite a lot
of 2018 thinking that perhaps I should have been helping to catch murderers
for the last 15 to 20 years, rather than being a singer, among other things,
and I still wonder.
I was dreading the little talk days in advance (and I’m not normally shy of
getting up and saying something!). If someone had said “here’s a cup of
tea with a slug in it; drink that, and you’ll be let off”, I’d have drunk it. To
make matters worse, my friend and admin helper, who has been brilliant
throughout and who was also speaking (about stone-quarrying) kept saying:
“We need more of an audience”. “Normally we do,” I hissed, “but not today!”
I used the talk as the basis for a longer piece, involving more research and
typing up, which I sent to hundreds of MP’s, dozens of peers, some international
organisations, and journalists. My essay, as it were, sets out what
happened, those thought responsible at the time, trial and appeals, flaws in
the case, and pleads for more to be done, including the setting up of an
international day to remember victims of terror. I would add that if there
is not an organisation whose primary aim is to provide assistance to those
whose lives have been completely disrupted by such violent attacks, then there
should be one. I massively underestimated the amount of work required.
On the anniversary, as well as calling in at church to reflect, I kept two
minutes’ silence at home, at 7:02 in the evening, with candles lit (battery
operated for domestic use). For the nations to keep two minutes’ silence
just before Christmas, when most people are out socialising or shopping,
might seem unrealistic, but a pause in frenetic activity to briefly
rise above concerns about gift choices, card-writing, food preparation and
family feuds, puts one’s own problems in perspective, I found, and could
be worthwhile for everyone, including people of all faiths and none. As
well as being an act of remembrance, it would serve to demonstrate that
all participating nations were committed to the path of peace.
I am hoping to visit Dumfriesshire in 2019, to lay flowers, sign a book of
remembrance, then have a short break in the county. Those of us who
want the area to prosper, for the sake of those living now, might put our
money where our mouths are.
I shall continue researching and campaigning. But apart from my fellow
speaker and one or two other loyal friends, I have had no support in this
campaign. It is one thing to pray publicly for people who seek justice: it
is rather different to be one, I discover. I have written to people in the
Church, including senior figures, about the case, and related things that I
seek (mentioned above) but so far have received neither acknowledgement
nor kind word.
When researching the disaster, I was very moved by how the community in
Lockerbie rallied round: in spite of their shock and bereavements, people
behaved with dignity. Volunteers staffed canteens, day and night, serving
food and hot drinks to police officers, soldiers, social workers and relatives.
Local people washed, dried and ironed every piece of clothing, once it was
no longer of forensic use, so that it could be returned to the families in a
less distressing condition. It being a big dairy-farming area, the water line
having been cut, folk put water in the milk tankers to extinguish the fires.
Children were brought in from the hillside that night, there were families
in the houses, the Christmas decorations would probably have been up...
There was a whistling sound and the impact registered on the Richter scale.
There was an enormous fire. A crater appeared where three homes had
stood, and several other houses were irreparable.
The case is a great weight on my mind and spirit, but justice being the right
thing to seek, I shall bear it, with the help of God. The little town of Lockerbie
is now permanently in my heart, and my overwhelming feeling is to want to
give the town and all those affected a big hug, to give love where once hate
came crashing down with such devastating consequences.
Auriol Britton
Campaigner; the Lockerbie Air Disaster
— Suggested further reading: readers may be interested in
the Guardian newspaper’s coverage of the Lockerbie anniversary at
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/dec/04/lockerbie-the-unheard-voices-review
— Ed

community histories
BRISTOL AND BISHOPS
— REVD CANON JOHN ROGAN
GIVEN THAT BRISTOL WAS THE SECOND CITY OF THE KINGDOM
during much of the Middle Ages, challenged only by Norwich, it
seems surprising that Norwich had a bishopric from 1091, whereas
Bristol had to wait until 1542. The reason lies in that most of the early
bishoprics covered areas that were approximate to the tribal kingdoms
existing before England was unified, to become much the same as it is
today. Bristol was never a tribal centre; it was a busy trading port. It lay
within the Diocese of Worcester, founded in 680, and adjacent to Bath
and Wells, created in 909.
Even though Edward III created Bristol a city and county, there was no
change in ecclesiastical status. That is how it remained until Henry VIII’s
Reformation, when the monasteries were dissolved and the Augustinian
Abbey remained empty, along with many other religious houses. The king
thought at one time that each county should have its own bishoprics but
the idea never matured. Instead he created five bishoprics: Chester and
Peterborough in 1541, then Oxford and Gloucester followed a few months
later by Bristol in 1542. Bristol was a very peculiar diocese because it was
divided into two: there was the city and county, to which the county of
Dorset was added, being taken out of the diocese of Salisbury. The bishop
lived in premises which were part of the old abbey. Blandford Forum
became a second diocesan centre. The bishops visited this odd adjunct
every other year. But because the new bishopric was badly financed they
also held another appointment in commendam, sometimes as a professor
or head of a university college. Bishop Butler was also Dean of St Paul’s
Cathedral. The bishops were expected to attend the House of Lords when
Parliament was sitting so a diocesan bishop was only partially resident in
his diocese. This state of affairs continued until the early 19th century,
when the government decided something had to be done to improve
matters. The improvement, however, did not suit Bristol.
The politicians, citizens and church people were in favour of a restored
independent bishopric. The government would not oppose the move as
long as the necessary funds were found to endow the bishopric. There was
already a programme for building the nave. It had been dismantled in the
later Middle Ages and had never been restored by the time the Abbey was
dissolved. Bristol was known as having the smallest cathedral in England.
That may be true because the cathedral at that time consisted of the
chancel, sanctuary and transepts. The fund-raising for an independent
bishopric went on apace. Even Mr Gladstone made a contribution. By the
later 19th century the necessary money had been raised.
A demarcation dispute followed. There was the hope that the two bishoprics
might be of about the same size but that was not to be. On the other side
of the river was the diocese of Bath and Wells. To this day Long Ashton is
part of this bishopric. The north side between Bristol and Gloucester was
more contentious. One rural deanery was in dispute. Bristol proposed its
inclusion; the Bishop of Gloucester opposed it. Then he changed his mind
and decided it could be included. However, the necessary legislation had
gone through. It was too late for its inclusion.
The Crown moved to appoint the first bishop of the independent see and
chose the Suffragan Bishop of Stepney, George Forrest Browne, who had
been the first Professor of Archeology in the University of Cambridge. His
bust, modelled by the widow of Captain Scott of Antarctica, can be seen in
the Cathedral’s North Chancel aisle.
So Bristol became an independent see with a series of distinguished
bishops, of whom Oliver Tomkins is the best known. Now it is one of the
first bishoprics to have a female bishop. Bristol relishes its independent
position as a significant member of the Anglican Communion, and is regarded
as one of the pioneers of ecumenism.
Revd Canon John Rogan
Notes for interest —“...in commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical
benefice in trust to the custody of a patron. The phrase was originally applied to the
provisional occupation of an ecclesiastical benefice, which was temporarily without an
actual occupant, in contrast to the conferral of a title, in titulum, which was applied to
the regular and unconditional occupation of a benefice.” // The wife of Captain Scott
was Kathleen Scott, Baroness Kennet FRBS, a British sculptor; also the mother of Sir
Peter Scott, painter and ornithologist. Quote & sources from Wikipedia — Ed

community histories
Adeste Fideles
A PERSONAL MEMOIRE
— BRYAN ANDERSON
the top floor of the Choir School, and through a trap door. I think the boys
enjoyed the sight of the be-cassocked gents, slightly red-faced with exertion,
undertaking this perilous operation! We were told that the effect of the
singing from there was, for the congregation, an ethereal experience.
IN HIS VERY INTERESTING AND
INFORMATIVE ARTICLE in the
December 2018–January 2019
edition of the Parish Magazine,
Lester Clements wrote about the
origins of the Christmas Hymn Adeste
Fideles and its association with the
Margaret Chapel in London. The
Chapel in Margaret Street W1 was
the founding church of All Saints in
the same street; the Revd Frederick
Oakeley was the first minister of the
Chapel, and raised funds for the
design (by William Butterfield) and
building of the iconic church, choir
school and vicarage that was, from
the start, considered to be the hotbed
of the Oxford Movement which had brought liturgical ceremony and all
the arts back into the Church’s worship.
It was to the Choir School of All Saints that I came in the 1940’s. The church
buildings were designed around a courtyard, open to the south, with the
church forming the north side, the choir school the west, and the vicarage
the east, so that, from the inception of All Saints, the Choir School and the
music were considered essential.
As Lester explained, Adeste Fideles was, in a sense, in the DNA of the Margaret
Chapel and consequently of All Saints, Margaret Street; there was a tradition
that, before Midnight Mass and the carol service, the choir would sing it (in
Latin, unaccompanied) from a chamber high up on the south wall at the west
end of the nave — the chamber designed to house an echo organ which was
never built — the only access to which was through the boys’ dormitory on
My choirmaster, and the organist of All Saints, was Dr William Lloyd
Webber — not only the father of Andrew and Julian, but a composer
in his own right whose music is coming back into favour. Here at SMR
we have a connection with All Saints in that Garth Benson (our organist
and choirmaster from 1953 to 1968) was previously organist there. As a
teenager, and a server by then, I first met him at the console to pilot him
through the High Mass when he arrived. It was an honour to work with him
here from 1968 to 1980.
+
Bryan Anderson
Image opposite — an early photograph of the Margaret Chapel; the caption reads
“Celebration of Holy Communion on the Feast of Epiphany 1850” (image credit: public
domain). For more information on All Saints Margaret Street, its worship, history and
architecture, see the church’s website at www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk — Ed.
For reference please see below Lester Clements’ article, abridged from prior
sources, published last month under the title “O Come All Ye Faithful”
Nobody is certain who wrote this well-loved Christmas carol but it was originally
a Latin Christmas hymn, Adeste Fideles, that seems to have ‘surfaced’ in English
in the 18th century thanks to John Francis Wade, a Roman Catholic who made his
living copying manuscripts by hand and who knew Latin well. It’s said that around
1750 Wade slipped the hymn into a manuscript he was copying for the English
Roman Catholic College in Lisbon, and that in 1785 it turned up in the Portuguese
Chapel in London, where it became known as the “Portuguese Hymn”, eventually
finding its way to the Margaret Chapel in London’s West End. In the 19th century
the young William Gladstone (eventually Prime Minister) greatly appreciated the
Chapel’s services, finding its congregation “the most devout and happy that I have
ever seen”. Its then minister was Frederick Oakeley (later a convert to Catholicism),
one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, who believed strongly in the power of
religious symbols and fine music, and introduced the hymn to the congregation.
So, from Adeste Fideles and The Portuguese Hymn, the hymn became known — and
loved worldwide — as O Come, All Ye Faithful.

community treefest
TREEFEST: NEWS FROM OUR 5TH SEASON
— SUE HARTLEY, TREEFEST COMMITTEE
OUR FIFTH TREEFEST took place
between 4th and 8th December,
and was a great success. The
event attracted around 4,000 visitors
to the church, who all seemed to enjoy
the spectacular Christmas tree designs
on offer this year — every tree attracted
a number of votes so there was fierce
competition to be chosen as the best tree. In the end the winning tree
was the very innovative creation of Bridges for Communities, our sponsored
charity for 2018. This was closely followed by the very imaginatively
conceived tree from All Trade Property Services comprising a stepladder
and tools as decorations. Well done to everyone for their energy and
commitment: this was probably the best year for creativity that we have
had so far!
This year Treefest also featured a late-night opening, which was devoted
to a Peace Feast , where plates of Syrian food were on offer, and people
of different cultures could sit together and share food and experiences
whilst listening to the soothing music of the Syrian lute. This evening
event was attended by 270 people. Thank you to everyone from Bridges
for Communities and their catering team for organising it so well!
Thanks also to all those who contributed so much over the period: the
vergers, the duty managers and the stewards, the catering team, Andrew
Kirk, and the various musicians who performed. Also thanks to the staff in
the Parish Office who patiently printed out materials for us on a daily basis.
The event was much enjoyed by all and is definitely a highlight of the St
Mary Redcliffe calendar — this year the event raised almost £5,000,
which will be shared between Bridges for Communities and our own SMR
outreach projects. We look forward to receiving even more entries in 2019!
Sue Hartley

have a selection of questions for you to respond to. As mentioned in
last month's edition, broadly speaking these will cover the purpose and
content of the magazine as well as such things as its cost, production
values, frequency of publication, and so on. In the meantime thanks
for your continuing interest, and if you’ve any questions please do get
in touch (see page 35 for my contact details). EV
BRISTOL CHURCHES WINTER NIGHT SHELTER — NEWS AND THANKS
Marcus and Jane Ashman write with news of the charity Christmas card
initiative at SMR in aid of the Night Shelter, and Sarah Yates has an update
on SMR's provision at Faithspace for guests this winter —
CHARITY CHRISTMAS CARD 2018
Photos Treefest 2018: Page 27 — detail of the
winning tree, from Bridges for Communities, the
chosen charity for Treefest 2018. This page top
& bottom left — the runner-up tree & detail, from
All Trade Property Services. Other trees shown
include those from Bristol Arc Animal Rescue Centre,
and Crimestoppers. Photos: Rhys Williams. [Thanks
to Rhys for some great images to choose from; we
regret we’ve insufficient space to show more!]
c0mmunity board notes & mssgs
PARISH MAGAZINE — WATCH THIS SPACE: A reminder that we're
inviting readers to reflect on what they (you!) may or may not value
about the magazine, and to let you know that next month we hope to
FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN SUCCESSION we embarked
on the preparation and sale of a Christmas card in aid
of the Bristol Churches Winter NIght Shelter for the homeless
in Bristol, and in particular to support St Mary Redcliffe’s
involvement in the project.
The sale of the cards realised £860 for the project, and we
are very grateful to all who supported the venture by buying
packs. We were a little late in getting the cards ready for sale
so missed some opportunities that would have enabled us to
increase the amount raised. In all, the initiative would not have
been possible without the artwork of Eleanor Vousden, and we
thank her for all her work in producing the image this year, based
on an aspect of the Stammers windows in the Lady Chapel.
All being well there will be new artwork and cards in aid of
the Night Shelter project again for Christmas 2019 — when
we shall have the cards ready early to allow for over-printing
for both private and business use so that we can maximise the
amount we raise!
— Marcus and Jane Ashman

Sarah is jointly coordinating this year’s BCWNS accommodation for SMR
at Faithspace; she writes —
Geoffrey Robinson —
HAPPY NEW YEAH
poetry
corner
Friday 11 January saw our first session of Bristol Churches
Winter Night Shelter in Redcliffe. We’re running for 6 weeks
every Friday night to Saturday morning. We can accommodate
up to 12 guests, all of whom have been referred to the BCWNS Project
by St Mungo’s — the men stay at other churches on different nights
of the week, and each Friday they come to us at Faithspace.
Ring out the old,
Ring in the new —
Bring out your dead,
Admire the new.
What is forthcoming,
No-one can now,
Just keep on living,
Wait for the blow.
In total we’ve 35 volunteers on our list. We have 10 people to help
each evening: making up the beds, setting the table, laying out
the clothes that have been donated. Each week a team of 2 cooks
a meal, which the guests and volunteers eat together. If the men
wish, the volunteers will chat or play board or card games after the
meal. Four people arrive at 9.30pm for the overnight shift (2 awake
and 2 asleep in turn all night) and then 6 volunteers arrive just
before 7am to make the breakfast, take off the bedding and generally
clear up. Four people are responsible for doing the laundry.
The start of Phase 1 has
gone very smoothly. We
have a lovely group of
guests who really
appreciate the comfort
of a hot meal and a warm
place to stay. They are
starting to form friendships
with each other and
it has been a lovely
atmosphere every night
so far.
The team spirit amongst the volunteers
has been great and everyone’s worked
really hard to give the guests a good
experience. We had 10 men staying the
first week and 11 men the second week,
all happy to be with us and many happy
to chat with the volunteers. Thanks to
everyone who has worked so hard to make
this happen again in Redcliffe — see
the messages opposite from some of
our coordinators and the feedback below
from one of our volunteers:
Thanks to all who helped
out at our second night.
Another successful night,
peaceful and relaxed
... another lovely meal,
some card playing in
the evening and plenty
of banter. Have a great
weekend!
Enjoyed seeing everyone last
night and talking to all our
guests. A great night. Looking
forward to the next one. PERFECT!
Sarah Yates, Joint Co-ordinator
Page 31: image taken from Peter Morgan’s photo for
the cover of the October 2018 magazine; with thanks
Sieze the day,
Beware of the dog,
Caveat emptor,
Go the whole hog.
Best wishes
— for 2019 —
Geoffrey
Live life to the full,
Look death in the face,
Rely on God’s mercy,
His love and His grace.

NEW YEAR WIT...
Carving it up... Fred, a Yorkshireman, dies and his
family request that the words LORD HE WAS THINE
be carved on his tombstone, but unfortunately
things don’t go exactly according to plan and
instead the carving reads LORD HE WAS THIN.
“Mr Stonemason” say the family, “our Fred won’t
like tha’, you’ve gone an’ missed off an E, yer best
put i’ back!” Following week they return to pay
their respects to Fred and check up on the carving.
“Oh nooh!” they exclaim on seeing the new
inscription, which now reads ‘E LORD HE WAS THIN...
Apologies to my Yorkshire friends for this one ... just
something I read (think the story’s true though m’lud)...!
Heard the one about the...? A Monseigneur,
a Vicar and a Rabbi go into a bar: “whiskey on
the rocks please Jimmy”, says the Monseigneur;
“single malt for me James old chap”, says the
Vicar; “but Jakob”, says the Rabbi, ... [cont/..p 94]
diary dates February 4th-March 7th
please note that all entries in the diary are correct at the time of going to print given the
information supplied. please note also that, in addition to the listings below, which vary
in frequency or other details, the following events happen every week in this period —
Tues
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
& Wisdom!
Faithspace Coffee Morning // 10am–12 noon — Faithspace Community
Centre (FCC)
Christian Meditation // 6.15–7.00pm — Parish Office
Jazz in the Undercroft // 7.30–10.00pm
Redcliffe Gardening Group // 10.00am–12.00 noon — Somerset Square
Police Beat Surgery Drop-in // 1.00–2.00pm — FCC
Joys of translation... A high level
Anglo-Norman business conference was in
progress in Normandy with delegates from a
number of countries who listened, attentive
and serious, via simultaneous translation on
headphones, to the many presentations of
the day. Summing up in French at the end,
the conference president extolled the joint
entrepreneurial and cooperative spirit of
both partners, thanked the conference hosts,
and called for a toast to the conference aims
and “la sagesse Normande”— at which point
snorts of laughter erupted from the British
delegation who heard through their
headphones the words “let us celebrate our
aims, thank our hosts, and raise a toast to
Norman Wisdom” !...
Mr Grimsdale help! ... ‘allo ‘allo, “la sagesse
Normande” means Norman wisdom ... btw the
story’s online somewhere official and is in fact...
TRUE (Would I Lie to you?)!!
ANY MORE FOR ANY MORE? I found the above scraps in the attic the other day (not
that we’ve an attic but you know what I mean) and the mag came to mind ... so any
of you, young or old, who read it and have jokes & silly stuff to share feel free to send
‘em in ... anon or personalised ... all’s welcome, within reason ... btw Babel themes esp.
popular in “these fair well-spoken days” (the times they are a-changin’) ... Thanx! :)) EV
4 Pot Luck Lunches // 12:30pm — at the Pickards’
4 Postcard Club // 7.30pm — FCC
4 PCC meeting // 7.30pm — Mercure Hotel
5 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
5 Feminist Theology Group // 8:00pm — at Revd Kat Campion-Spall’s
6 Hymn Singalong // 2.00pm — Rosemary Kingsford — FCC
FEBRUARY
6 Redcliffe Lunch Club // 12.00 noon — Singing from John Pendleton — FCC
6 Redcliffe Film Club // 2.00pm — Kinky Boots — FCC
7 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
7 Organ Recital // 1:15pm — Matthew Redman; Wells
12 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
12 Theology Book Club // 8:00pm — at John Rogan’s; contact Simon Goodman
13 Redcliffe Lunch Club // 12.00 noon — Marie France; harpist — FCC
13 Mothers’ Union // 2.30pm — Communion and AGM
14 Eucharist with prayer for healing // 12:30pm
14 Organ Recital // 1:15pm — Lawrence Caldecote; All Saints Northampton
14 Faith Pictures course // 7:30pm — at the Vicarage
19 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
20 Half Term: No Redcliffe Lunch Club
20 Redcliffe Film Club // 2.00pm — The Fugitive — FCC
21 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
21 Organ Recital // 1:15pm — Mark Swinton; St Mary’s Warwick
22 PCC meeting // 7.30pm — Mercure Hotel
22 Deadline for articles for March magazine // please send to Eleanor Vousden
at editor.mag@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
23 M R James’ Ghost Stories // 7:30pm — in the Undercroft
26 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
27 Redcliffe Lunch Club // 12.00 noon — Gentle exercise with Michelle — FCC
28 Eucharist with prayer for healing // 12:30pm
28 Organ Recital // 1:15pm — Samuel Ali; Royal College of Music
2 Wedding of Christopher Jones and Megan Gibson // Revd Anthony Everitt
4 Pot Luck Lunches // 12:30pm — at the Pickards’
4 Postcard Club // 7.30pm — FCC
MARCH

5 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
5 Feminist Theology Group // 8:00pm — at Revd Kat Campion-Spall’s
6 ASH WEDNESDAY
6 Redcliffe Lunch Club // 12.00 noon — Chair yoga & shoulder massage with
Helen — FCC
6 Hymn Singalong // 2.00pm — Rosemary Kingsford — FCC
6 Redcliffe Film Club // 2.00pm — Amelie — FCC
7 Holy Communion // 12:30pm
7 Organ Recital // 1:15pm — Pavlos Triantaris; Bristol
Parish register & Sunday records Nov ‘18-Jan ‘19
FUNERALS
David Ritchie Sterling
died 8th December 2018, aged 18 years
Lee Michael Sheriton
died 10th December 2018, aged 47 years
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICE ATTENDANCE
4th January 2019
7th January 2019
Date 2018 2 Dec * 9 Dec 16 Dec 23 Dec † 30 Dec
Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child
8.00am 8 - 10 - 6 - 7 - 8 -
9.30am 98 34 92 28 101 23 78 32 66 -
11.15am 14 - 21 - 26 - 18 - 11 -
6.30pm 127 * 3 * 30 - 30 - approx 640 † 20 -
Date 2019 6 Jan 13 Jan ‡ 20 Jan
Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child
8.00am 10 - 8 - 9 -
9.30am 95 26 92 39 109 47
11.15am 26 - 24 - 20 -
6.30pm 48 1 54 ‡ 2 ‡ 32 -
— NB: Attendance figures
refer to congregation
not to clergy, servers, choir
or vergers. Collection figures
refer only to planned giving
and loose collection
* Advent carol service
by candlelight; † Service of 9
lessons & carols by candlelight
‡ Epiphany carol service
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICE COLLECTIONS
Period: 18 November – 20 January 2019
Figures for the above period were not available at time of going to print; they will be added
to the March issue of the magazine.
editor’s note
email: editor.mag@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
THINKING ALOUD... Epiphany, and hope going forward
A Happy New Year to readers one and all!
Next month you should be able to find news of our magazine survey,
and we look forward to your feedback, which you will be able give either
by filling in the feedback forms that will be provided in church as hard
copy or online at the church website.
In this edition special thanks to Gareth Lawson and the SMR Guild of
Ringers for an inspiring and informative piece on ringing in the New Year at
Westminster Abbey (what an accolade!); thanks to Sarah Tyndall and Auriol
Britton for inspiring news of their campaign initiatives; to Bryan Anderson
for his fascinating response to Lester Clements’ article last month; to Canon
John Rogan for his informative piece on Bristol diocese; to Sue Hartley for
her feedback on Treefest 2018 (wonderful!); to all our regular contributors;
and to all at SMR in these pages who, in their various ways this year and
last, have helped Bristol Churches Winter Night Shelter help our neighbours
who’ve nowhere to call home in or out of season.
Meanwhile, there are many interesting things arising from articles in last
year’s editions of the magazine (Dan’s gallery conversation at Bristol City
Museum & Art Gallery, for a start) as well as in the present issue (the 19th
century Oxford Movement has cropped up twice recently; would any of our
readers like to write something about this?). Either way, it seems the Mag
thrives on updates and revisits so, a) do keep an eye out for them, and b)
please carry on the good work of shaping it into the interesting ‘organ’ that
it is and/or the kind of publication you enjoy!
On this note thank you very much to everyone for
sending contributions in by the earlier deadline for this
month’s issue of the magazine — and for the feedback
received for the Christmas issue — and in due course
we’ll look forward to hearing more of your views.
— best wishes, Eleanor
Tel: 0117-9634856 (direct) or 0117-2310060 (Parish Office)
The deadline for the March issue is Friday 22nd February
mediaeval glass SMR

prayers for February Epiphany
groups within the church
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Candlemas —
F ather,
your Christ is acclaimed as the glory of Israel:
look in mercy on your Church, sharing his light — Lord have mercy;
The regular congregation is large, active and involved. If you would like to
join one of the many groups connected with the Church, please contact the
appropriate group leader
Head Server
Dean Barry
0117-9099862
your Christ in the Temple brings judgement on the world:
look in mercy on the nations who long for his justice — Lord have mercy;
your Christ, who was rich, for our sake became poor:
look in mercy on all who are in need
and those who suffer with him — Lord have mercy;
Head Sidesman
PCC Secretary
PCC Treasurer
PCC Safeguarding
Graham Marsh
Keith Donoghue
David Harrowes
Stephen Brooke
01275-832770
0117-9422539
0117-9779823
0117-3311260
your Christ is the one in whom faithful servants find their peace:
look in mercy on the whole Church,
which glories in your salvation — Lord have mercy;
your Christ is the one destined for rejection:
look in mercy on us as we turn towards his passion — Lord have mercy.
PCC Recorder
Sunday School
Faithspace Centre
Lunch Club
c /o Parish Office
Becky Macron
Sarah James
Bobby Bewley
0117-2310060
07443 000420
0117-9258331
0117-9864445
Almighty Father,
you kept faith with Simeon and Anna,
and showed them the infant King.
Give us grace to trust your promises,
and patience to wait for their fulfilment;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
+
— Church of England
Intercession for Candlemas
Lord Jesus Christ, you did not come to the world to be served and thus not
to be admired either, or in that sense worshipped. You yourself were the
way and the life — and you have asked only for imitators. If we have dozed off
into this infatuation, wake us up, rescue us from this error of wanting to admire
or adoringly admire you instead of wanting to follow you and be like you.
— Søren Kierkegaard; Danish philosopher (1813–55)
Intercession for the Feast of Candlemas — https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-andworship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/times-and-seasons/
epiphany // Søren Kierkegaard — from “Practice in Christianity” (1850) in The Essential
Kierkegaard, H & E Hong, Princeton University Press 2000 // Drawing — Kendra Lindegaard
Meditation
Mothers Union
Church Flowers
Coffee Rota
Bell Ringers
Canynges Society
Journey into Science
Magazine Editor
Lewis Semple
Hilda Watts
Mildred Ford
Christine Bush
Gareth Lawson
Pat Terry
Eric Albone
Eleanor Vousden
0117-9255763
01275-543588
0117-9359064
0117-9773023
07798 621834
0117-2310060
0117-9247664
0117-9634856
If you or one of your family are sick or have gone into hospital, please let us
know — contact the Clergy or Vergers as soon as possible.
Please consult the Parish Office before making any arrangements for
baptisms, weddings or funerals.
NB — the opinions voiced in the body of the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor

sunday services
8.00am holy communion
9.30am sung eucharist
with crèche and Sunday School / followed by coffee
11.15am choral mattins
6.30pm sung evensong
weekday services
holy communion
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12.30pm
2nd and 4th Thursdays at 12.30pm with prayers for healing
morning and evening prayer
Monday to Friday at 8.30am and 4.30pm in the Lady Chapel
opening times
weekdays all year round from 8.30am–5.00pm
bank holidays 9.00am–4.00pm, except New Year's Day
Sundays 8.00am–8.00pm
the church is occasionally closed for special events and services
The Arc Café in the Undercroft
serving home-made refreshments all day
opening hours:
Monday to Friday 8.00am–3.00pm
lunch served from 12.00 noon–2.30pm
tel: 0117-929 8658