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One of ‘Churches Together in Shirley’
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Worship in November
2 NOV
10.30 AM
HOLY COMMUNION
6.00 PM
AT ADDINGTON
9 NOV
10.30 AM
REMEMBRANCE
16 NOV
10.30 AM
6.00 PM
REV JANE CASSIDY
REV JANE CASSIDY
MRS MARGARET KING
UNITED SERVICE
23 NOV
10.30
30 NOV
10.30 AM
LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS
6.00 PM
HOLY COMMUNION
AM
BENNIE HARMS
REVD JANE CASSIDY
The morning service starts with Gathering Time at 10.15 am:
organ/piano music, informal singing or recorded music.
A crèche is sometimes available in the lounge staffed by two members
of the congregation. In addition, there are bags with small toys and
books available at the back of the church for any families to use.
Sunday Morning Club is held during the morning service and provides
young people with a chance to explore the Bible, as well as with a wide
range of activities.
Thursday
Friday
6.15 pm
8.00 pm
7.30pm
Brownies (during term time)
Guild
Choir practice
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This month our Minister’s Letter is written by Revd Jane Cassidy
After a
wonderful
summer here
we are in the dank dark days of
Autumn and in November as the
nights get shorter we turn to
thoughts of mortality and death.
There’s All Souls and All Saints
days when we think of the dearly
departed and Remembrance Day
and Remembrance Sunday. This
year Advent Sunday also falls in
November and the lectionary
turns our thoughts to things apocalyptic – the end not just of individuals but of the created world.
It all sounds pretty depressing, a
month of doom and gloom.
And yet all these times of remembering happen within a Christian
framework. This year particularly
Remembrance Sunday takes on
additional significance, being the
centenary year of the start of “The
War to End All Wars” and in
churches we acknowledge
before God that war stems from
human sinfulness. In the context
of Remembrance Sunday, thanksgiving for deliverance from an
enemy leaves no room for the kind
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of false patriotism that imagines
our own country can do no wrong.
Remembrance Sunday does not
allow us to demonise past and
present enemies so as to deny
their right to exist. Wherever
there is national violence, the
objective must be that today’s
enemy will become tomorrow’s
friend.
Many of you have visited the
poppy installation at the Tower of
London “Blood Swept Lands and
Seas of Red”. It seems to me that
in a visual form it too holds that
tension between horror and hope.
Seen from a distance it is
enormous and covers most of the
moat, but walk among it and you
realize the beauty of each one of
the 888,246 poppies, one for
every British fatality. An
unstoppable flow yet each one so
breakable. At the end of the
exhibition the poppies will be
dispatched to those who have
purchased them and will go all
over the world so lads from
humble homes who had hardly
stepped beyond their villages in
1914 will be honoured and
remembered across a globe that is
so much smaller a hundred years
later.
As we stand yet again on the brink
of a fearful international conflict
those tensions of our life and faith
are still with us: peace and righteousness, mercy and justice. We
struggle to get it right but as we
remember our loved ones, the saints
of the Christian Church and those
who have fallen in so many wars, let
us also remember that our faith is
based on Jesus who preached peace
and reconciliation, who walked
through the valley of the shadow of
death and who rose again to show
that beyond suffering and hatred lay
a bright new morning.
THE ‘SILENT NIGHT’ OF
WORLD WAR ONE
CROYDON CHURCHES
PRESENT…
Carols in the Stadium Remembering the Christmas
truce
Tuesday 9th December 2014 at 7pm - 8:15pm
Crystal Palace Football Club, Selhurst Park Stadium
(Use Entrance E1 - Holmesdale Road Stand) Whitehorse Lane,
London SE25 6PU
FREE ENTRY Limited places - Register at
silentnightcpfc.eventbrite.co.uk
FEATURING...
Croydon Citadel Salvation Army Band; CPFC Manager Neil
Warnock; Croydon Seventh Day Adventist Gospel Choir;
Crystal Palace Historians; Archbishop Tenison’s SchoolChoir; Prince Philip Kiril of Prussia -great-great grandson
of Kaiser Wilhelm II … plus other special guests
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DIARY FOR NOVEMBER
SAT
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ST JOHN’S CHRISTMAS TREE WORKSHOP @ SMC 2.00 – 4.30 PM
THUR
6
COMMUNITY FRIENDSHIP CLUB @CHRISTCHURCH 2.00 – 3.30 PM
BROWNIES 6.15 PM
GUILD 8.00 PM
SAT
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CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL WORKSHOP 2.00 – 4.00 PM
SHIRLEY COMMUNITY AND CHARITY CHRISTMAS
FAIR – SHIRLEY
PARISH HALL 11.00 AM – 4.00 PM
SUN
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KICK LONDON FOOTBALL ACADEMY 3.00 – 4.30 PM
AFTERNOON CLUB (TEENAGERS) 7.00 – 8.30 PM
FLOATING SHELTER OPENS AT SHIRLEY METHODIST
THUR
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BROWNIES 6.15 PM
GUILD 8.00 PM
SUN
16
FLOATING SHELTER
THUR
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COMMUNITY FRIENDSHIP CLUB @CHRISTCHURCH 2.00 – 3.30 PM
BROWNIES 6.15 PM
GUILD 8.00 PM
SUN
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BUFFET LUNCH AT XIN CHINESE RESTAURANT (OPPOSITE SHIRLEY
LIBRARY) AFTER MORNING WORSHIP.
Sign up in the welcome area.
WORSHIP LEADERS COURSE 2.00 – 4.30 PM @ NORBURY MC
FLOATING SHELTER
WED
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?UP FOR ANYONE OVER 16, TO DEEPEN FELLOWSHIP
@ IKEA RESTAURANT 7.30 PM
THUR
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FRI
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BROWNIES 6.15 PM
GUILD 8.00 PM
ST JOHN’S CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
SAT
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SUNDAY 30
ST JOHN’S CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
JOHN RUSKIN CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT @ ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI 7.30
ST JOHN’S CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
FLOATING SHELTER
All activities are at Shirley unless stated otherwise
FOR THE DIARY : District Youth Board - Sunday 7th December 2.45pm,
Westminster Central Hall
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Family news
Elizabeth Smart writes:
At our Sunday morning service on
5th October we were delighted to
welcome Nicola and Owen
Brandt and their children Samuel
Patrick and Angus George (Kate
and Graham Marsden’s family)
who had travelled from Dee Why
near Sydney, Australia. Samuel
and Angus were both baptised
and welcomed into the church
family at Shirley.
Peggy and Maurice Graham have
shared their family news this
month and we give thanks for the
safe arrival of Elise, their fifth
great granddaughter.
Jose Riddiough has also given
thanks for the birth of her great
grandson Joseph Peter Fred –
brother for Henry. We send our
love and prayers to Joseph’s
parents David and Laura.
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The church family was saddened
and shocked to hear that Ruth
Anstey died suddenly on 1st
October at Hall Grange. We
gathered to celebrate her life on
13th October and to give thanks
for her Christian witness to so
many people worldwide. Ruth
transferred her membership from
Herne Hill in February 2013 when
she came to live at Hall Grange
and has taken an active interest in
the life of Hall Grange and Shirley
Methodist Church. Just a year
ago when we introduced a new
Pastoral Scheme at Shirley
Methodist, Ruth became a Pastoral Link and attended a Safeguarding Workshop so that she
was properly equipped for taking
on this role. Earlier this year she
attended a Seminar which was
entitled “Valuing Older People”
which was arranged by the
Croydon Circuit. Rev Dr Keith
Albans, MHA Director of Chaplaincy and Spirituality helped us
to look at some of the issues of
ageing and what we as a Church
could do to enhance the lives of
the older members of our Church
and local community and Ruth
took a very active part in the
discussion that followed. Her
interest, not just locally, but in the
world around her and in the
people she met daily, was so
sincere and greatly valued by
those she spoke and listened to.
We will all miss Ruth’s presence
and remember her with such
fondness.
We remember in prayer Daniel
Richardson, his wife Melissa and
his parents, Harvey and Carol, as
Daniel’s treatment continues and
we hold the medical staff also in
our prayers.
We hold in prayer Sheila Howard
and Dilys Gloin, both in Mayday
Hospital, together with Simon
Tayler, Maureen Hunt, Pearl
Spittle, Joy and Tony Cane, Enis
Hanks, John and Margaret King,
Helen Harvey, Jose Riddiough,
Joy and Derek Funnell, Irene
Owens, Margaret Wilmshurst,
Sue and Bill Gale, Essie Green,
Richard Dutton, Gwen Cole and
her family, Alex and Glenna
Fullick, Adele and Ron Sluce.
We also remember those who are
unable to come to worship at this
time – Peggy Bridger, Kathleen
Brickwood, Jean Cooper, Anita
Graham, Margaret Lloyd, June
Main, Joan Miller, Brian Reed,
Dorothy Winter and Christopher
Land.
We also hold in prayer the staff
and residents of Hall Grange.
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A tribute to Ruth Anstey
follows
MARY RUTH ANSTEY
1921 - 2014
Ruth Anstey, who died on
October 1st, just two weeks short
of her 93rd birthday, had been
worshipping with us at SMC since
she moved into Hall Grange two
years ago.
took care of them and was keen
on their well-being. Our Bishop
Paul’s aunt, Christy, who was a
student at that time, had a health
issue and Ruth took action to
send the girl to the Christian
Medical College, Vellore for
immediate treatment. Such
personal care and love by Ruth is
fondly remembered by everyone
who came across her.
During the funeral a message was
read out from Revd A Suresh
She was instrumental in upgradKumar, of the Trichy Tanjore
Diocese and we reproduce part of ing the Boys’ Elementary School
in Dharapuram into a High
it here:
School. She was an excellent
(Ruth Anstey) ...was a wonderful English teacher and her book was
person who came to our diocese prescribed as a text book for the
in the year 1945 … She took up state schools.
the prestigious post of Principal
of the Methodist Girls’ High
School, which was started by the
Methodist Missionary Society in
the year 1905.
Her period at the school was the
‘Golden Period in the history of
the school and its contribution to
the uplift of women in society.
Those were the days when girls’
education was not the priority
among families. The rising costs
and insecure social setting for girl Ruth kept contact with our
children to leave their homes diocese throughout her life. She
met our Bishop whenever he
were the main reasons.
visited the UK and she spoke to all
Ruth became Amma (mother) to the leaders of our diocese at
many young girls. She always regular intervals.
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The diocese honoured her by
naming a hall in the Methodist
Girls’ School at Trichy after her and
by giving her name to a newly built
block at CSI Girls' School,
Dharapuram.
Mary Ruth Anstey was a great
personality and her memory will be
cherished by all the 60,000 plus
Christians of our diocese. We pray
for all those who mourn her
departure and we thank and praise
the Lord for her life in our diocese.
HALL GRANGE APPEAL
Hall Grange have launched a local
community Appeal seeking to raise
£40,000 to help with their rebuild.
They are specifically looking for
funding to develop a Foyer which
will be used as a venue for
community activities and provide
facilities for the local area.
This sounds like a great way to
foster links with neighbours and
put Hall Grange at the heart of its
local community.
Please consider whether you could
organise a fund-raising event - or
give a direct donation.
FOOD AND
FELLOWSHIP
Are you finding it hard to
hear the service?
We have a Loop
induction System in
church which works
with compatible
hearing-aids and should be
effective anywhere in the church
worship area but in practice, the
signal will be strongest around
the four sides where the wire
loop is positioned so why not try
sitting at the back or side and
see if it is easier to hear!
COME ALONG TO XIN
CHINESE RESTAURANT
(opp SHIRLEY LIBRARY)
AT 12.30 ON SUNDAY
23rd NOVEMBER TO ENJOY A
BUFFET LUNCH AND
FRIENDLY CONVERSATION!
SIGN UP IN THE WELCOME
AREA.
You don't need to
use chopsticks!
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Community
Friendship Club
Croydon
Philharmonic
Choir
This month’s dates are:
November 6th and 20th.
You are invited to come
along to Christ Church for
tea, cake and a chat. There
are puzzles, magazines,
board games, newspapers
and snooker tables,etc
100th Birthday Concert
Handel's Messiah
with
London Mozart players
Guest singers and soloists
Fairfield Halls
Saturday December 6th
7.30 pm
Tickets: £20/£18
£10 for under 16s
on line at
www.fairfield.org.uk
or ring: 07903 011477
All are welcome and don’t
forget to bring along a
friend. For further details
contact Claire Peacock on:
c.jubb@tiscali.co.uk
AND HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS…..
With our TV screens and newspapers so full of dreadful news stories, the
editors were delighted to receive the following GOOD NEWS story from one of
our readers.
Rain, followed by a loud thunder crack sent me scuttling into the doorway of a car sales showroom in Addiscombe recently. A young man
appeared from the back of the shop, beamed at my bedraggled state
and said, “Madam, can I offer you a cup of tea or coffee or a cold drink?”
“I’m sorry, I’m only sheltering, not coming to buy a car,” I replied. He
disappeared - coming back a minute later with a comfortable chair,
which he helped me into. “Stay as long as you wish,” he smiled.
I felt warmed by the kindness of this modern ‘Good Samaritan’!
If you have any GOOD NEWS stories - do send them in!
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Who do you Think You Are?
Recently, Margaret King’s granddaughter, Emily Wooden, did a piece
of research about her great-great Uncle, Edwin Raymond (Ray)
Bowden who was a professional football player before the Second
World War (in the days when £12.00 was considered a good wage for
the players!) Raymond played for Arsenal and Newcastle, captained
Newcastle and is often said to be the best Cornish footballer of all
time!
Emily interviewed her great Uncle Paul (Raymond’s son) and her
Grandma, Margaret, for her research into family history. With her
permission, we reproduce her interview with Margaret here .
Perhaps this could be the first in an occasional series of SMC’s very
own “Who do You Think You Are?”? If you have an interesting
ancestor, do send in your own story!
Edwin Raymond (Ray) Bowden (1909 – 1998)
by Emily Wooden
Questions about Raymond Bowden with my
Nanna (Margaret King)
1. How did you know him? He was my Uncle –
my mother’s youngest brother.
2. When was he born? He was born on 13th
September, 1909.
3. Where did he live? He was born in Looe and
for the rest of his life he lived in Plymouth.
4. How long did he play football? 14 years as a professional football
player, up to the beginning of World War II.
5. Did he play any other sport? Yes, he played table tennis with me
for fun and he also played golf.
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6. What did he do when he finished playing football? He worked
in a Sports Shop set up for him by his brother and sister (my
Mum). The shop was called Raymond Bowden’s Sports Shop.
7. Did he like modern football? Not a lot. He didn’t like the way
they are paid so much. He lived a simple life.
8. Did he marry and have children? Yes, he married Vera and they
had one son called Paul Raymond Bowden.
9. How old was he when he died? He was 89.
10. Do you have any special memories of him? He was a man,
interested in other people. He was also very kind.
Arsenal wins the FA Cup at Wembley in 1936.
Ray is on the left.
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8,000 people a day with health
care.
Christian Aid News
We are grateful to everyone who
provided cakes and supported the
Charity Christmas Card Sale held
on 11th October.
£320 - 85p was raised for Christian
Aid from the sale of cards, refreshments and home-made cakes and
marmalade.
The following day, the Brownies
ran the stall after Morning Service,
selling their delicious cakes.
Thank you, Brownies!
On 26th October, we welcomed
Mr David Pollendine, a Christian
Aid Co-ordinator for this area, to
speak to us at Morning Service.
Besides working on many longterm projects, Christian Aid responds to Emergency Appeals.
One of these is in Gaza, where we
know from our television screens
there is wide-spread destruction
to land and homes. Hospitals and
shelters are overwhelmed by the
masses of people in need of urgent
help. With a local partner, Christian Aid is managing to operate
two mobile clinics and is providing
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More than 215,000 people have
now fled their homes, with many
forced to sleep in doorways and
stairwells, without access to
water, food or electricity. Another
partner will be providing access to
clean drinking water to 20,000
people every day. Workers take
huge risks to give mattresses and
hygiene kits to homeless folk
forced into the streets by continuing bombings and missile attacks.
….And this is just one of the many
areas world-wide where the very
poor suffer. Sometimes the scale
of the results of conflict seem
impossibly overwhelming. So
many are in dire need. How can
our contributions help?
The following piece of writing
discovered in a little booklet
entitled, “Who Cares?”, helped
me to make sense of what our
money supports:
As an old man walked along the
beach at dawn, he noticed a
young man ahead of him picking
up starfish and flinging them into
the sea. Catching up with the
youth, he asked him why he was
doing this. The answer was that
the stranded starfish would die in
the morning sun.
“But the beach goes on for miles
and miles and there are millions of
starfish. How can your effort
make any difference?”
The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it safely
into the waves.
“It makes a difference to THAT
one,” he said.
Christian Aid and Ebola
Our newspapers and TV screens
are full of news about the horror
of EBOLA and the dreadful
conditions of sufferers in West
Africa particularly. The following
account is adapted from the
Christian Aid website: and outlines
the work being done in Sierra
Leone, one of the worst affected
countries.
Thank you for your giving. With
your continued help, we CAN
make a difference.
Jean Beecher
For the Christian Aid Committee
In response to the Ebola outbreak
in Sierra Leone, we're targeting 3.8
million people across the country
with potentially life-saving advice
on how to avoid contracting the
deadly disease. In addition we're
providing vital disinfectant and
medical kits.
So far more than 200,000 pairs of
disposable gloves have been
distributed to medical teams
across nine districts.
In addition, our partners provided
more than 360 kg of powdered
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chlorine – with the potential to
produce 11,600 gallons of diluted
liquid chlorine – to disinfect health
centres and for hand-washing by
medical teams.
Our partners have also trained
900 community health
volunteers
to conduct
door-todoor awareness-raising
with key messages on how to prevent Ebola transmission. They
then rolled out the training to a
further 9,000 volunteers, enabling
them to reach nearly 50,000
households across the country.
A community health volunteer,
trained by one of our partners in
Sierra Leone, uses a megaphone to
give health messages on how to
prevent the spread of Ebola
One of the partners through
which Christian Aid is working is the Methodist Church
of Sierra Leone (MCSL).
The Guild in November
Thursday 6th November
Devotional Evening
with Rev Peter Clarke
Thursday 13th November
First World Poems
read by members
Thursday 20th November
Members Evening
A pleasant evening of musical
items.
Thursday 27th November
The Queen Victoria Seaman`s
Rest: The Seamen's Mission of
the Methodist Church
Meetings are in the church
Lounge and begin at 8.00 pm
We welcome all members of
the church family to join us,
with a cup of tea and chat to
end our evening together.
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Musical Notes
by Paul Davies
The October lunchtime concert
was very well received by an
audience of 100 or so people. All
of the pianists from Trinity School
played very well and, as always,
demonstrated what an abundance of talent we have just a
stone's throw away from the
church. One or two people have
mentioned to me that the piano
sounds rather loud and I think this
may be due to the fact that when
they play in larger venues artists
have to project their sound into a
much greater volume of space
and are not used to performing in
the more "intimate" ambience
afforded by the church. I shall try
to draw the attention of pianists
to this in future.
Trinity School are going to hold
something of a music festival both
in their own concert hall and the
church during November.
On Wednesday 5 November at
7.00 pm the top piano students in
the school are giving a recital in
the Trinity Concert Hall and on
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Friday 14 November at 1.15 pm
some of the A level music
students will be performing in the
church. As usual we shall lay on
tea and coffee etc. and concertgoers will be able to bring their
own lunch. On Thursday 20
November at 6.00 pm another
group of A level students will
perform at an early evening
concert in the church. Both
these latter concerts will feature
performances on various
instruments.
I am very happy that Trinity
School are giving us the opportunity to host these concerts which
will, I hope, continue to bring the
activities of the Church and the
School to the notice of more local
residents. If the foregoing is not
enough, the end of term Trinity
Gala Concert will be held in the
School Concert Hall on Thursday
27 November at 7.00pm. We
have attended several of these
concerts where various groups,
both vocal and instrumental,
perform everything from jazz
through to classical. The concert
ends with everyone who can play
a musical instrument from the
youngest to the oldest participating in a grand finale! Great
entertainment.
Admission to all of these events
is free.
Our next lunchtime concert on
Thursday 6
November at
1.15 pm will be
given by our
friends Melanie
Mehta, Richard Hill and Martin
Sharpe and will have a Remembrance theme. As well as vocal
items there will also be an
appropriate poem or two. Since
this year is the 100th anniversary
of the outbreak of the 1914-18
war, we felt that our November
programme should pay tribute to
those who made the ultimate
sacrifice in horrific conditions.
Last but far from least, Tau Wey
will be performing Beethoven's
Piano Concerto No 5 (Emperor)
at St Stephen's Church,
Gloucester Road, London on
Saturday 15 November 2014,
with the London Beethoven
Project conducted by
Christopher Atkinson.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony
(choral) will also be featured in
the programme. The concert
starts at 7.30 pm and tickets are
£10. I do not have details as to
how tickets can be obtained at
the present time but if anyone
interested in attending this event
cares to contact me I will do my
best to get hold of some.
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Synod News Autumn 2014
London District Synod meets
twice a year at Westminster
Central Hall. The most recent
meeting heard various encouraging messages relating to young
people.
Ÿ Brian Smith has been appointed as the District Youth and
Children's Co-ordinator.
Ÿ There are two One Programme
Participants in the region:
Georgia Al Hassan (daughter of
Felicity, previously a Downsview member) and James Pegg
(working with Messy Church).
Ÿ Young adults have been
successfully recruited to the
annual Methodist Conference,
held in July. Their voices
brought a freshness much
appreciated. [Speak to Revd
Eleanor or Revd Peter for more
details.]
Ÿ Training for worship leaders
and local preachers will be
changing next year into a
progressive set of eight
modules each requiring 60
study hours. The first four
modules will accredit all as
worship leaders and the
second four modules local
preachers only.
Lindsey Macfarlane
Lindsey@croydonmeth.org
Irene Owens from Hall Grange shares a memory of WWI:
My father was shot below the knee when he was in ‘No Man’s Land’
in the First World War. He dragged his leg back to the British Lines
and fortunately his friend, Mr Summers, was on the look out for him.
He was a stretcher-bearer. Daddy was nursed in attics and other
places as there was not enough room in the hospitals. They wanted
to take his leg off but he said, “I’m not losing my leg!” He had boots
made for him - army boots built up as one leg was now shorter than
the other. He came back to Britain and was told to go and
recuperate and stay with a Mrs Ash in Salcombe, South Devon. She
was the wife of the local postman, who got 21 shillings a week
wages. Those were the days!!
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION’S FIELD OF
REMEMBRANCE
The official opening of the Field of
Remembrance at Westminster Abbey will take
place on Thursday 6th November at 11.00 am.
when you are invited to join a 2 minute silence
outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.
The Field will then be open for visitors
from 9.00 am - 4.00 pm daily until 16th November.
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13.00 Lunch
13.45 Local story feature
Imagine church
- for those who don’t
‘do church’
Saturday 15th November
9.45 for 10.00 -16.00
14.00 Seminars
Choose from a selection of
seminars and workshops.
15.15 Session 3
Where next?
16.00 Ends
Programme
There is no charge for the day but
donations are welcome.
Sessions 1-3 feature interactive
learning with presentations,
interviews, stories, activities and
questions.
Refreshments and lunch are
provided. Please let us know
dietary requirements with your
booking.
Venue: All Saints Hall
Onslow Gardens
Sanderstead
Surrey
CR2 9AB
09.45 Registration and
Refreshments
10.00 Welcome and worship
10.15 Session 1
What is happening and why it is
important: how fresh expressions are changing the landscape.
11.35 Break
11.50 Session 2 Values and how
fresh expressions are developing
and can develop in your context
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Booking details
For more information or to book:
Angie Cookson
angie@springfieldchurch.org.uk
The first thing we had to do was
let people know the jumble sale
was happening.
Fluffy Owl gave us a sign telling
people when it was, where it was and at what time.
We put it up on the noticeboard in the garden
outside the church hall (where we have Brownie
meetings).
At the next Brownie meeting we needed our coats
and trainers as we split into two groups and went
down two different roads each to put leaflets in
letterboxes of all the houses.
This week at Brownies we sorted out the bags of stuff
people had given for the jumble sale. I like to be
organised so we put the things into different categories like shoes, toys, linen, crockery, garden and
clothes. Then we put it all on tables ready for the sale.
I hope they sell lots of it to raise money!
Thank you very much from all of us at SMC to all the
Brownies and of course to Karen and Julie. We really
appreciated your help and the way Fluffy Owl
masterminded the Jumble Sale!
STOP PRESS!!! Watch out for the Brownies
selling knitted creations after the Remembrance Service on
November 9th! Come early - these goods are popular!
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J o h n R u s k in C h o r a l S o c ie ty
f o l l o w u s o n t w i t t e r @ j o h n r u s k in c h o r a l
o r fin d u s o n fa c e b o o k
P o w e r & G lo r y
S c h u b e r t – K y r ie in D M in o r D .3 1
B r a h m s – L o v e S o n g W a lt ze s O p .5 2
M o za r t – P ia n o C o n c e r t o N o .2 0 K .4 6 6
M o za r t – V e n i S a n c t e S p ir it u s K .4 7
S c h u b e r t – T h e S o n g o f M ir ia m O p .1 3 6
J u lia O ’C o n n o r – S o p r a n o
C la r a M u r n ig – P ia n o
R u s k in S in fo n ia
A d r ia n C o n n e ll – C o n d u c t o r
29 N ovem b er 2014
S t F r a n c is o f A s s is i C h u rc h
R a v e n s w o o d A v e n u e , W e s t W ic k h a m 7 .3 0 p m
Programme
for
November:
November 13th: Sir Roger
Gifford (former Lord Mayor
of London)
Lord Revd Dr Leslie
Griffiths discusses Values November 20th: Princess
in Public Life with a
Badiya of Jordan Interfaith
different public figure
Relations and Human Rights
each week…
Advocate
12.45-
1.15pm at Wesley's Chapel,
November 27th:
EC1Y 1AU
Chris Bryant MP
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DEMELZA HOSPICE CARE FOR CHILDREN
Coffee
morning
FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER
10.00 – 1.00
at CAROL’S
5 ORCHARD RISE CR0 7QZ
(020 8777 6553)
PROFESSIONAL NAIL FILE & POLISH
ONLY £5.00
(BRING OWN POLISH IF DESIRED)
SELECTION OF CHRISTMAS ITEMS INCLUDING
CARDS, PAPER & GIFTS
TEAS & COFFEES
CRUMPETS/TEACAKES ETC
CAPPUCCINOS
BRING A FRIEND OR TWO!
AND GET A HEAD START ON YOUR
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING !!
23
on 90 Years of Boys Brigade
The Downsview Boys’
Brigade is now a nonagenarian company with a
wonderful history involving sixteen Downsview
Chaplains.
It descends from the 1st Croydon Company formed
at West Croydon Methodist Church in London Road
started by J.K. Baker in 1908. The company moved
to Norbury Methodist Church in 1915 and was
named the 56th South London under the captaincy of A.D. Horn a
former 1st Croydon officer. He took with him other members including
Charlie Jones and Mr. West, a pipe band enthusiast from Dr Barnardo’s
Homes who formed a small band at Norbury in 1917. Senior boy members
included Vic Hinks and Doug Moore.
During the 1914/18 war the 56th was supplied with khaki uniform and
dummy rifles for training, by order of the Home Office (some BB
contingents actually served in France). The 56th closed down in 1922 and
some of its members moved to Moffat Road United Methodist Church in
1923 to form a new company, the 84th London. Walter Longstaff was
appointed Captain and the Rev. Willis Bryars its Chaplain and in October
1924 V.C. Hinks started the junior Boy Reserves and immediately began to
rebuild the Pipe Band.
Doug Moore wanted to remain in Norbury and started a detachment at
Semley Road Baptist Church in 1927 which eventually became the 11th
East Surrey Company. Meanwhile Charlie Jones started Ambulance and
Drill training with Vic Barnett, Frank Lacy and other Moffat Road members
attracting the local boys with great success.
In 1927 that the East Surrey Battalion was formed with the BB & BLB
companies joining together and our 84th London becoming the 5th East
Surrey Company. In 1930 Moffat Road Church was sold and Downsview
became the new HQ on the new America’s Estate. In 1932 V.C. Hinks took
over the captaincy from W.H. Longstaff, who became the Battalion
President.
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By then Mr Hinks’s stepson Harold Smith
was helping to run the Pipe band and
Frank Hastings was the successful Sports
Officer, before and after the war years of
1939/45. The original 1st Croydon
Captain, J K Baker, had returned from the
USA on retirement and became War time
acting Captain for V.C. Hinks who was
called up for Civil Defence duties. Mr
Baker also formed an Old Boys
Association when at least five company
members lost their lives on active service.
The Junior Life Boy Team was run by Mr
Stan Fenwick and Miss Grace Mingay and
after the war, in 1952, it was restarted
by Dennis Finch, a former Life Boy and his fiancée Ann from the GLB. It was
also at this time that Alan and Kenneth Finch, with John Bond, were writing
and staging pantomimes. In 1958 Dennis took over from V.C. Hinks as
Captain. In 1965 the London Boroughs formed new boundaries and the
East Surrey Battalion was renamed Croydon. In the 1960s Downsview
formed a BB detachment at West Norwood Methodist Church which
became the 78th London Coy under Mr Nicholson.
In 1964 Harold Smith, after 32 years service retired and John Shone took
over as Pipe Major for the next 20 years. His successor, Ian Fleming, led the
way for another 22 years. In 2006 our present Pipe Major, Jon Tickle, took
over, having joined the Company as an Anchor Boy. In 2008 the Girls’
Brigade were invited to join the Band Ranks.
In 1976 a former Life Boy, Chris Whyman, became Company Captain after
Dennis Finch had been appointed Battalion President. Christopher had the
distinction of being the only Drill Officer to have led his Company to four
consecutive London Daily Telegraph Shield wins at the old drill in fours and
new drill in threes in 1970. He was also the only company officer to serve
on the Brigade HQ Executive before moving to USA. In 1983 he was
succeeded by Jeff Cackett, who in turn handed over as Captain to Geoff
Noon in 1986. After 19 years in 2005 Geoff moved to Hull with his Leader
wife Leslie, who had been ordained as a Methodist Minister.
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Other ministers who once served as Leaders
in our Company are Revs Jeffrey Fenwick,
Patrick Mcluskey, John Lines MBE, Ian Worrall
and Janice Whyman. Among other members
we can boast about are a London Fire Brigade
Chief, a London Police Superintendent and
two town mayors.
Over the past 90 years the Company has held 54 camps, over 50
pantomimes or stage shows, awarded 65 Kings or Queens Badges and 10
D of E Gold awards. Our present Company is being led by Terry Fuller
(Company Section) Paul Willson with Alan Cooke (Juniors) and Alan Mills
(Anchor Boys).
A wonderful history of achievement of our Downsview Boys’ Brigade!
Dennis Finch
Sunday Morning Club News
During the morning service on 12th October
the congregation the amazing results of the
Table Renovation project were displayed, i.e.
a table which had not been touched by Sunday
Morning Club and one of the renovated tables.
Some nine tables have been ‘transformed’ and
certificates were awarded to all SMC members
involved in the project.
We are pleased to welcome Simon back to our Sunday Morning sessions,
and on 19th October, from his wheelchair, he talked about seeing things
differently. Access into and around buildings has taken on a new
meaning for him, not only personally but as an architect too.
Our meetings in November will have a practical focus; firstly creating
items for entry to the Talents Festival next year and later preparing
Sunday Morning Club’s theme for St John’s Christmas Tree Festival.
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Layworker's Lending
by Lindsey Macfarlane
The Harvest season is one of my
favourites: richly coloured, tasty
food to think about as we thank
God for all the world shares with
us. This year I joined in an
especially blessed October time at
Downsview Church as their Boys'
Brigade thanked God for 90 years
of the 5th Croydon Company.
Sausage and mash sustained over
140 guests as many memories of
happy friendships and life-changing experiences were talked over.
Whilst the potatoes cooked at
Downsview and the sausages at
Parchmore what many were
unaware of however, was that the
apple crumble planned to be
baked at South Norwood was
being outsourced to those
gathered for coffee morning! The
gas had not been turned on from
the refit of a new boiler and within
minutes of this being realised willing hands were at the ready also
delivering the puddings back to
Downsview exactly when needed.
This blessing of Circuit fellowship
was also fundamental to the
necessary amounts of crockery and
cutlery etc being available for the
celebration. When I appeared at
Shirley Methodist Church I was
greeted by a voice declaring "No,
Lindsey, you may not borrow anything else! Do we have anything
left you may want?" In humorous
27
way the Bookings Secretary and I
acknowledged how
good it was that,
where help is needed, it could always
be given.
The 90th celebration
day began in worship and ended with
the 'old boys' taking
over the drum and
bagpipe band to
acknowledge the
years through which it had been
sustained. They played very well,
even surprising themselves.
Dennis Finch had provided lots of
photos and posters to explain
some of the heritage of the company also for all to enjoy. Clearly
explained were its origins in the
1st Croydon Company, begun at
West Croydon Methodist Church,
and how the band had been
formed after a move to Norbury
Methodist Church. It seemed that
the sharing amongst the Circuit
had been a recurring theme!
If you know of boys who do not
currently socialise out of school,
please let them know about Boys'
Brigade on Thursdays at Downsview, Scouts on Tuesdays at Christ
Church or Wednesdays at Addington, or Kick London Football Academy at Shirley. The fun and
friendship shared at these groups
is something to be very thankful
for.
Youth focused Activities and Worship Leaders Course - Part 3:
23rd November, 2 - 4.30pm,
Future Events
Norbury Methodist Church,
Safeguarding Officers Meeting - all welcome
Wednesday 4th November, 7.30pm,
Shirley Methodist [date change from Croydon Christian Youthworkers
Forum - Monday 24th November,
22nd October]
7.30pm, New Life Christian Centre
Circuit Film Night - Sunday 9th
November, 7.00pm, venue to be ?UP - Wednesday 26th November,
confirmed [date change from 7th 17th December, IKEA Restaurant for anyone over 16, to deepen
November]
fellowship
Kick London Football Academy Sundays 9th November,
14th December, 11th January,
3 - 4.30pm, Spring Park field when
dry or Shirley Methodist Church in
poor weather
District Youth Board - Sunday 7th
December 2.45pm, Westminster
Central Hall
Lindsey Macfarlane
Youth Development Officer
Sunday Afternoon Club - Sunday 9th Lindsey@croydonmeth.org
November, 14th December, 7.00 - 020 8653 2424
8.30pm, @ Shirley Methodist
Church, a discussion group for all
teenagers
Lay Work Management Group Thursday 13th November, 8pm, 31
Southern Avenue
3 Generate - 14th - 16th November
AM:PM - Tuesday 18th November,
16th December, 3.30 - 5pm at
Addington Methodist Church a messy church for families, all
welcome
Café Worship - Saturday 22nd
November 5pm, Christ Church
28
Although the Talents Festival Day is not until
7th March next year and creative entries
(such as poems, writing, handicrafts,
photography, drawings and paintings etc) are
not due to be finished until mid-January,
I would like to know which classes you plan
to enter by the middle of November.
Remember there are performing classes too
(including singing/playing music, poetry and
Bible reading) at the Festival.
There are Festival syllabuses and individual entry forms in a box in
the Welcome Area. With 114 classes to enter there is something
for everyone! Be part of next year’s Festival – you won’t regret it!
ENTRY FORMS - Closing date for entry forms for all classes
to be given to me no later than Sunday 16th November 2014.
FINISHED ENTRIES – Creative Classes entries are due in
no later than Sunday 18th January 2015.
TALENTS FESTIVAL DAY
Saturday 7th March 2015
Please do ask if you have any queries about any aspect
of the Talents Festival.
Jenny Crook
(Talents Festival Co-ordinator for Shirley)
29
The next editor will be Jenny Crook
Articles for the December/January issue should be
submitted by 20th November. This edition will be
available on Sunday 30th November.
Articles can be placed in the box in the Welcome area, or sent to:
Kate Marsden 8 Edgewood Green, Shirley (8654 0872);
kate.marsden@tesco.net
or Jenny Crook 29 Bingham Rd, Addiscombe (8406 1342);
jenny.crook@blueyonder.co.uk
or Margaret Chan 31 Ashburton Rd, Addiscombe (8406 0088);
clockie68@gmail.com
The photos on our website are updated every now & then; if you have any you
would like included please let Kate Marsden know (see contact details above).
This monthly magazine can also be read via the website - enabling those who
have moved away to keep in touch and save the cost of stamps!
www.shirleymeth.org.uk
STOP PRESS!!!! The website has now had more than 3,500 ‘hits’!
Shirley Neighbourhood Care Shopping Bus to Tesco
Dates in November: Weds 5th and 19th
RETURN FARE: £5.00
The bus will pick you up from your home and return you there.
A volunteer escort will be on hand, to help you on and off the bus,
and help carry shopping to your home.
The minibus is adapted for wheelchairs.
Please indicate your mobility when booking.
Early booking is recommended!
Please call: Shirley Neighbourhood Care Office
on 020 8662 9599 to book your seat.
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Shirley Methodist Church
one of ‘Churches Together in Shirley’
As followers of Jesus Christ, our mission is:
to honour God by our daily living as individuals
and our corporate life as a church
to offer God worship which is both lively and
dignified
to offer welcome and care to all, regardless of
age, status, gender, ethnicity, social class, sexual
orientation, ability or disability
to stimulate one another to grow in our faith
and develop our discipleship
to work with our fellow-Christians in Shirley to
serve our neighbours and share with others our
experience of God’s love
www.shirleymeth.org
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