Parish
of Mickleham: News - November 2008
updated 30 Nov 2008
The Rectory, Mickleham for December 2008/January 2009 Dear friends As I was about to settle down to write this letter, my eye was drawn to a news item informing me that ‘Royal Mail has broken with 40 years of tradition and is offering its customers a choice between religious and secular stamps this Christmas.’ What intrigued me was not so much the break with tradition, but the choices offered by the two sets of stamps. The religious stamps are classical paintings of Madonna and Child, while the secular are leering images from Pantomime characters. Both sets of stamps firmly relegate this coming Christmas season either to the past, or to light hearted entertainment; perhaps a realistic reflection of how many people now see the birth of Jesus. My hope is that Christmas 2008 will provide us with the opportunity to reflect on the event that gave rise to this time of celebration, not to put a damper on events, but rather to increase our awareness of the potential significance of the Nativity. The birth of the Son of God as one of us, into a world of huge social divide and great cruelty, is a signpost to mankind of how things can change when people begin to live as much for others as for themselves. Deepening economic recession can either draw out the ‘look after Number One, and to heck with everyone else’ mentality, or it can challenge us to put our own good fortune into some proper perspective, when we compare our situation with that of millions like those in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other similar circumstances. The wonder of the Nativity is its simplicity, not its grandeur. Our celebrations of this event are not necessarily diminished by reduced budgets, rather they can be enhanced by our willingness to share what we do have with others. Meanwhile there are plenty of opportunities to join in the celebrations of this season. We shall, once more, be carolling the drinkers of both the Stepping Stones pub and The Running Horses on Friday 19th December. On Sunday 21st December at 6.30 p.m. there is the traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Angela and I would like you all to join us for mulled wine and mince pies at the Rectory after this service. Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. sees the return, by popular demand, of the Nativity at the Bethlem barn in Westhumble. The details of other Christmas services are to be found in the Christmas Card which I trust you will all receive. I trust you will all enjoy a peaceful
Christmas and fulfilling New Year. My main points of involvement with the parish have been through the creation of the United Benefice and during the handover between Barbara Steadman-Allen and David Ireland. Apart from this the two parishes have worked closely together over marriage preparation and been mutually supportive on other occasions. I have been pleased to chair the Annual Meetings and PCCs on occasions as well as take part in leading worship at Mickleham and Westhumble. I mention all this only to give some idea of the incumbent’s role in holding overall responsibility for the United Benefice. The process of appointing my successor will mean consultation with both the Parochial Church Councils of Leatherhead and Mickleham as well as the Covenanting Partnership Churches in Leatherhead: The Methodist and United Reformed Churches. These together make for a Local Ecumenical Partnership in Leatherhead. Representatives of each parish and the Partnership will then engage in the actual appointment procedure under the direction of the Bishop who makes the final appointment. Hopefully a new incumbent will be able to take up office sometime next year. During the interregnum the responsibility for the parish lies with the churchwardens and Rural Dean, who is Robert Jenkins the Vicar of Cobham. I am very grateful to David and all those people in Mickleham who have supported and helped me since the United Benefice was created. Thank you. With good wishes, Very best wishes go to David for a long and happy retirement. Parish Notes including items of ongoing interest Sunday Club welcomed some new members this term and has had a successful few weeks learning about forgiveness, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, the lost sheep and other stories. As part of the programme we first made spirals to remind us continually to forgive as God forgives us, and later on we made lion masks and sheep. On Remembrance Sunday the children made their own wreath with handmade poppies which they then presented at the war memorial in the church yard. Only a few more weeks of term left and we have much more fun planned for Sunday mornings with our 3- to-7 year olds not least our Christmas Party which will be on Sunday 14th December in the village h all. The children will remain in the hall and not go into church that day. They need plenty of time for all the party games! January begins with a visit to the
pantomime and much more fun on Sunday mornings into the
New Year. Golden Oldies Monday 15th December and Monday 26th January at The Rectory, 3pm. Newcomers welcome. Transport can be arranged if needed Children’s Nativity Play
and Crib Service at the Bethlem Barn,
Westhumble, 4pm Christmas Eve. Because space is limited,
admission will be by ticket only. St Michael’s Crew We have had a busy term with the Seniors this autumn – a walk up the downs, ten pin bowling, pasta making, sleepover at Mary Huggins. The highlights must be the pasta making evening and the sleepover. Pasta Making: The girls came up with the idea of having a pasta cooking evening. So on their own initiative, they planned what they were going to make and brought all the necessary ingredients with them. This was mainly led by Lara Wadsworth. What a fun evening it turned out to be. Lara was so well organised – having each recipe printed out on a sheet of A4 paper meant that everyone was given a recipe to follow, so all were fully involved in the evening. There must have been at least 10 sheets of paper flying around the kitchen. The main objective was to have a pasta evening. This involved making the pasta before a dish such as lasagne or ravioli could actually be made. It was a great experience for all the leaders because I don’t think any of us had ever made pasta before, so we were being taught by a 15-year-old what to do! Even though the youngsters turned up half an hour before the start time of Crew in order to complete all the recipes, time was against us. In the end we had to concentrate on the six dishes that were already started. We decided that to start anything else at 9 o’clock was being a bit optimistic since we had to be out of the hall at 9.30! We eventually sat down to eat at around 9.15. However it was well worth the wait – all the dishes (lasagne, ravioli, gnocchi, starters and tiramisu) were delicious – even the parents who had arrived, tucked into the sumptuous feast prepared by the Seniors St Michael’s Crew. I don’t believe that anything was left at the end, other than an extremely messy kitchen! We would like to say a big thank you to Lara and the rest of the Crew for being so prepared, knowledgeable and for organising the evening themselves. Sleepover at Mary’s: On the evening of 7th November five Crew members and the leaders turned up at Mary Huggins’ house in Capel, complete with blow-up mattresses, sleeping bags, duvets and pillows etc. After arriving and catching up generally, Jonathan valiantly tried to teach us all how to play Perudo, Unfortunately it was Friday night and I think everyone’s brain was just too tired to play. We therefore had dinner which consisted of numerous pizzas, followed by ice cream and some scrumptious butterscotch toffee made by Polly and her mother. Nothing much was said while this was being eaten (much too enjoyable and chewy to attempt anything else!). We then played Connect 4 and Uno before the youngsters retired to the other end of the room to continue chatting to each other. We won’t mention what the girls did to Ollie but we have photographs!! Well done, Ollie, for being such a good sport. After some fab chocolate brownies and a cup of hot chocolate, everyone grabbed a space on the floor and made their beds. Bedtime was supposedly 12.30 a.m. but they didn’t actually stop talking until around 3 a.m. (believe me I was there)! Some of us were up at 7.15 a.m. discussing various the various topics of the day. Needless to say the youngsters woke up somewhat later(!), just in time for breakfast, which consisted of left- over pizzas(!) and bacon sandwiches. We were joined by the parents and the vicar at 9.30. We would like to say a big thank you to Mary for once again allowing us to invade her house and for organising this, now annual, event. If you would like to have as much fun as our current Senior Crew do, please join us. Contact numbers and dates are shown below with dates for next term. Sarah Blake St Michael's Crew Timetable and
forthcoming events We now run 3 sessions: juniors every
week, inters and seniors alternate weeks. Just so that
you can all write this down in your diaries, here are the
dates for next term, beginning on Friday 9th January: Please also note that we have our end
of season Christmas Party on 5th December from 6 to 7.30
p.m. All the Crew members are welcome, plus family if
they would like. This is also a great opportunity for
anyone who is thinking of joining us to come along and
meet everyone. We would be delighted to see you. St Michael’s Community Nursery The autumn term is always a busy term, what with Halloween, Bonfire, and Christmas to name just the main ones; it is certainly a fun packed term. The Nursery has had a great time bringing all these events alive for the children. Before we broke up for half term, we held a ‘Spooky Week’. This involved many fun activities, including making Halloween pictures, ghost stories (age group friendly!) and, my favourite, broomstick riding. Hilary bought in a besom and the children had lots of fun running around the garden ‘flying’ on the broomstick. Straight after half term, it was Bonfire week. This week was truly fantastic. Firstly the children built their own bonfire and roasted marshmallows on it. It was straight out of Swallows and Amazons. All the children absolutely loved it. What was great was that the children collected the logs for the fire and worked together to roll them to the bonfire place, it was proper teamwork! Essential skills for today’s world! The children did lots of art and crafts that focused on fireworks and bonfire, include charcoal drawings and brightly coloured firework pictures. Bonfire week culminated in the staff dressing up in period costume of the Guy Fawkes era and acting out the story of Guy Fawkes. I think the staff had just as much fun as the children. To introduce the children to Remembrance, they took a trip down to the village church to see the War Memorial with the names of all the men who died in the war. Hilary and her team had the challenging task of making such young minds understand the significance of such an event. When this article comes out, the nursery will be getting ready for all the Christmas celebrations. This year the Christmas play will be ‘Whoopsey Daisy Fairy’, the performance will be on Tuesday 16th December. It sounds as if it will be very funny. All are welcome. On the last day of term the children will have their own Christmas party and if they are very good Father Christmas may pay a visit! Pandora Fleming Smith BAG 2 SCHOOL In aid of St Michael’s School and Community Nursery, Wednesday 17th December. Please fill black bin bags with any unwanted clothes, shoes, soft toys, towels, bedding, belts, handbags etc. and bring your bags to the village hall car park before 9.30 a.m. on the day.
from
the Nov 2008 magazine from the Nov 2008
magazine The weekend of 13th/14th September was very busy for Elizabeth and myself. On Saturday we celebrated with family and our oldest friends in the Garden Room at Denbies Vineyard – and the weather was kind to us. Several of our guests said to me that the careful way that the table plan had been constructed – we changed places at half time – was a matter of congratulation. I thought of the hours Elizabeth had spent drafting, and redrafting, the list until she felt that all those who had a connection with another guest had been given a chance for reminiscence together. I was reminded of the notebooks we still have about the original wedding in which Elizabeth’s mother had, in similar fashion, planned the details of the reception. Perhaps, I mused, this ability is hereditary and my mother-in-law’s character lives on in her daughter. On the Sunday, David Ireland mentioned our celebration at the 10am service at Mickleham and the choir (which included both of us) sang an anthem of our choice (The Lord bless you and keep you by John Rutter). This is a joy for part-singers, because every part has a line of great beauty – the bass having a descending line of semi-tones and tones followed by a contra-puntal section which suits my voice. David preached on forgiveness (important for a successful marriage) and left me with the thought that if we close our minds to the forgiveness of others we also close our minds to forgiveness by God. Then to Westhumble Chapel for 11.30 Matins when David preached again on the same subject but left me with an entirely different thought. When we forgive others, we are delivering the forgiveness of God to the person who we are forgiving. So the philosophical truth is this. God (whether you see him as an old gentleman with a beard, or a philosophical principle or a psychological source of strength) inspires A to forgive B who has offended A; B is encouraged to forgive C who has offended B, and in that way God’s forgiveness has been delivered to B though the agency of A. All this seems a long way from my mother-in-law. But just as she lives on through the agency of her daughter Elizabeth, so God’s forgiveness lives on through our agency when we forgive somebody who has offended us. Barry Moughton from the Nov 2008
magazine from the Nov 2008
magazine So far we have had two
meetings with over 30 keen needlewomen and men
participating. In September we chose which of Elizabeth
Watson’s lovely designs to work on, collected
canvas, frame and wools, and the novices were shown how
to set started. Since then the subject of the kneelers
seems to crop up in most conversations whenever ‘two
or three are gathered together’ in the village.
There was another meeting in October when some late
starters collected their kits and everyone had the chance
to discuss problems. If you would like to help, there is
still plenty of time to join us. Please get in touch with
R Spence on 01372 377201. from the Nov 2008
magazine Bishop Ian, Bishop of Dorking, presided at the service of thanksgiving and dedication at St Michael’s in the morning. He reminded us that, whatever our current financial woes, there are many others whose troubles make ours pale into insignificance. Among the hymns was one with words written specially for the occasion by our resident poet Stanley Lovell. The choir sang Bruckner’s motet Locus iste, which as organist Barry Williams (standing in for Robert Leach, celebrating a family marriage elsewhere) reminded us, was in fact very difficult, notwithstanding its inclusion in The Oxford Book of Easy Anthems! We hope we did it justice. In the evening, a packed audience in the church was treated to A Musical Evening in Celebration, expertly and enthusiastically organised by Tracy Kennington and Juliet Hornby. St Michael’s School Year 3 Choir began proceedings by encouraging us … To Teach the World to Sing. What followed was a real feast of musical talent and virtuosity, with performances of works ranging from Pergolesi to Irving Berlin. The piano was put through its paces, by (among others) Ursula Perks, who once more amazed us with her youthful talent and great poise in playing a set of Beethoven variations. Emily Heuvel’s crystal voice gave way to Fiona Harrison’s lyrical and dexterous guitar playing. Jenny Eum (flute) and Adam Stanworth (piano), from Box Hill School, performed a lilting Caplet waltz. Suzie Wood showed us what an accomplished clarinettist she is becoming. Jazz pianist J P Sutcliffe reminded us of the versatility of the piano in playing a number by The Police aka Sting. The ladies of the Kennington and Lowes families starred in many of the performances. Georgie K’s rendition of Honeysuckle Rose, accompanied by J P, was one of the highlights of the evening. Sophia L showed us the full vocal range of the clarinet in playing a movement from Spohr’s clarinet concerto, and then turned her talented hands to Albeniz, on the piano. Clare K gave a stunning performance of an Andalucian Romance by Sarastre on her magnificent 17th century violin. Tracy played a Chopin Mazurka, demonstrating the piano’s rich tones. Juliet sang Schubert’s Ode to the Piano, and, accompanied by Tracy, brought the concert to a close with a witty performance of Berlin’s I love a piano. A splendid concert – we look forward to many more to come. Richard Siberry from the Nov 2008
magazine It is difficult not to come to the conclusion that this is the attitude of our Government which, after entering into two dubious wars, seems not too keen to reveal the true price, not just in money, but in the physical and mental destruction that the conflicts are costing. According to reports on 21st September, the Ministry of Defence is covering the true cost of the war in Afghanistan by hiding away soldiers who have been injured there. The MOD always avers that it is defending soldiers from ‘media intrusion’. The Press believe this to be a shabby lie. They say we are told when soldiers are killed, but not when they have lost arms and legs or have face or brain injuries. Our army medical teams are now so good that many of the wounded, who would have died a few years ago now survive, but need long-term care. Many young soldiers return home physically uninjured but gradually their mental anguish, torments and psychological injuries become manifest. This is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Those affected cannot adjust to normal life because of the scars to their minds. When they leave the army they often seek solace in drink or drugs. Therefore many end up in prison or homeless on the streets of our major cities. At the moment one in ten of those living rough on the streets of London are ex-servicemen. The number of them ending up in prison is rising. They have done their duty for our country and would now seem to be disposable. It is a drain on the Exchequer to deal with these young men and it is an embarrassment to the Government to acknowledge the extent of the problem. As we deal with life’s difficulties we must not pass by but stop, think and reflect on the terrible price these young men and women have paid while serving their and our country. They could be seen as the forgotten ones. However these soldiers are not forgotten by most good people or by the Royal British Legion. Buying poppies is not to remember only those who fell in the two World Wars but also those who have died since 1945. Perhaps most important at the moment are those who are the casualties of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of ex-servicemen and their dependants, who seek help from the Legion, increases each year, so that the need for even greater generosity from the general public grows. Theodore Roosevelt wrote: ‘a man who is good enough to shed blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards’. Well, whether this happens at the moment to our forces is debatable. However the generosity of the people of Mickleham and Westhumble has consistently been praiseworthy and as always the Royal British Legion is most grateful. So as the season of Remembrance comes around once again we shall wear our poppies with pride. Robert Bowley from the Nov 2008
magazine With the beauty of autumn fully upon us, the children have been involved in learning what happens at this time of year, which has included going on nature treks, acting out ‘going on a bear hunt’, collecting leaves and conkers. With all the beautiful colours around at this time of year it has been a perfect opportunity to teach children their colours in a really fun way. Hilary has made sure that all children see what wildlife we have here in Mickleham. So far this term, a little mouse nest has been found in the shed and a newt was found under a log in the garden (see photo). It is great to see children handling and learning about our wildlife. We are so lucky in Mickleham to have such a wealth of nature on our doorstep and it is great to see it is being made full use of. With the celebration of Harvest, the children took part in making their own bread. Each child made a little bread loaf, which they took home. I do not know how they made it but it was delicious! They also made a large bread loaf in the shape of wheat so they understood what bread is made from. The children visited our local church to see the Harvest decorations and to teach them the significance of Harvest. Despite all these activities, there has still been time to learn the shapes: square, circle, rectangle and triangle, and to be introduced to letters. Finally, as you may know a
group of mothers runs the Nursery, and we are always
looking for new committee members, so if you are
interested in joining us please speak to a member of
staff. It is a great way to be actively involved in your
child’s education as well as having some fun with
the other mothers. from the October 2008 magazine The history of the chapel is shrouded in mystery. It lies on the boundary between the manors of Polesden and Westhumble but which one owned it is unclear. Likewise, the founder, the foundation date and its ultimate fate are all unknown. With this dearth of hard facts to go on, I decided to ask some different questions. Firstly, what was going on in the wider world during this period, which would have influenced the building of chapels; secondly, what would our chapel have looked like: and finally what was its fate? Apart from a few perambulations, I have used Ronnie Shepperd’s books on Mickleham and Westhumble and Early Medieval Surrey by John Blair, which is very good indeed. Firstly then, a very brief summary of the development of churches in Surrey. By the middle of the 8th century most of the English kingdoms had started to establish minster churches which in turn administered networks of parochiae covering up to around 15 of our modern parishes. Before 700 AD, Surrey, which was then something of an economic backwater, had minsters at Chertsey, Farnham, Woking and Bermondsey. In the 10th century these were joined by Godstone, Kingston and Croydon and in the 11th by Leatherhead, Guildford, Godalming and Southwark. The most developed areas in this period were along the Thames and in the strip of good agricultural land along the dip slope of the Downs (you can still get a sense of the regular spacing of these Saxon settlements as you drive along the A246 from Leatherhead to Guildford). The Weald to the south was very sparsely populated and Mickleham and Dorking would have been at the very edge of the ‘developed’ world. By the start of the 11th century, strong kings and improved governance had lead to a significant increase in prosperity. The shire counties as we know them today had been set out and property rights and the rule of law enabled the accumulation of wealth. One of the ways in which the newly emerging local aristocracy were able to display their status was in the founding of local churches, including St Michael’s, a small part of which is Saxon. The Norman invasion of 1066, while removing the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy almost entirely, actually enhanced the process of church-building. The Normans' feudal structure produced a network of manorial holdings, most of which would initially have had a local landowner keen to impress the local peasantry with his importance - and what better way to do this than to found a church? In 1086, Domesday Book lists 61 churches in Surrey and by 1200 this had increased to around 130. In addition to new churches, existing ones were rebuilt or enhanced. Both St Michael’s and Westhumble Chapel fall into this period. The nave and tower of St Michael’s were built around 1140 and the chancel added in 1180. Westhumble Chapel probably dates from around 1150. At this time the whole area was owned by the De Micklem family, so rather than building the chapel to enhance family status, we can assume that it was founded to serve the spiritual needs of the villagers who would have been cut off from Mickleham when the Mole flooded. The process of constructing chapels to serve local communities was replicated across Surrey. The effect of this foundation of churches and chapels under lay ownership was the decay of the minster system and a loss of central ecclesiastical control. While the establishment of churches and chapels was undoubtedly driven by spiritual motives, the churches were able to control a large part of the financial resources of a community through tithes. The reimposition of ecclesiastical authority from around 1100 was brought about through the growth of the monasteries, as the barons and the lower aristocracy endowed monasteries with parts of their estate. This ranged from small grants of land up to entire manors, and rights to church tithes and even churches themselves. In this way, the manor of Polesden was granted to Merton Priory in 1203 and that of Westhumble to Reigate Priory in 1253, and our chapel would have gone to one of them. Between 1087 and 1180, Merton acquired 14 churches around Surrey, with Southwark Priory gaining a further 12 and Lewes seven. Chertsey minster had retained most of north-west Surrey as its estate, while the Bishop of Winchester held all the land around Farnham. So by the end of the 12th century, most of Surrey’s churches were safely back within the fold. This allowed the churches to be peeled away from manorial structure, resulting in the parishes we still have today. So what would Westhumble chapel have looked like in its prime? Fortunately there are several surviving churches from this period with roughly similar dimensions (about 5m x 15m) which give us a good idea of its probable appearance. One of the earliest is Farleigh, founded around 1083 and located on the downs south of Croydon. Closer to us is Wisley, another single aisle church founded in the mid 12th century. Both still have many of their original features and even amidst the bustle of 21st century Surrey, retain an air of detached tranquillity. Lastly, why did our chapel fall into ruin? The fate of chapels across Surrey is a matter of considerable conjecture; John Blair’s book lists around 30 chapels in Surrey known to have been founded between 1087 and 1291, but he thinks that a significantly larger number will simply have disappeared without trace. Our chapel’s demise might have resulted from the imposition of parochial control mentioned above under which the burials, baptisms and the collection of tithes were only allowed at parish churches, thus diminishing a chapel’s status. (The discovery of human remains near the chapel during the 1937 excavation suggests that burials had been performed at one time, but later disallowed). Another reason could have been a fall in population – there is evidence of occupation in the fields near the chapel, but at some point habitation is this location came to an end. Derrick – apologies for the rather slow response. I hope this is useful and you are not too disappointed by the lack of hard facts. Chris Budleigh from the October 2008 magazine It is for the service element that we
need your help. If you personally have a ‘need’
or know someone who does, we would love to hear from you.
The ‘need’ might be: If you would like a sixth former from
the school to come and help you with your need, we would
love to hear from you. Either ring the school and leave a
message for A Hobbs or speak to David Ireland. from the September 2008 magazine
from the September 2008 magazine I trawled the internet, visited Dorking library and phoned numerous friends. Thankfully a eureka moment came and I remembered something that I did at my son’s school fête, 25 years ago. JELLYFISH BALLOONS. I set about making a prototype to refresh my memory. What exactly did I need? The balloon was the easy part. I also needed two eyes and lips. It is interesting what comes up in Google when you type in ‘luscious lips’. Having resourced the parts it was amazing how it all came together with double sided sticky tape. The day of the fête arrived and along with my helpers, my husband Eric and daughter Kate, we ferried all the bits to the rectory garden to our allocated spot opposite the entrance gate. The fête opened; I heard the music from the North Wood Morris Men and immediately abandoned my stall leaving my two helpers to hold the fort. The Morris Men were excellent and helped set the mood for the rest of the afternoon. I had my photograph taken with the bear. By this time ‘little customers’ started to visit our stall and the fun really began. The children were very creative. The standard Jellyfish went out of the window. We had a Dracula Jellyfish with blood, fangs and evil eyes, a Barbie Jellyfish, all glam, pink and lipstick to a multi-eyed, multi-lipped ‘monster’. What fun. It was great. We ended up making about 80 jellyfish and it was worth the effort to see so many smiling faces. We all took time out from the stall to enjoy a Pimms, a few slices of excellent cake, the country dancing and all the other fun activities on offer. Being our first Mickleham fête we were impressed as to how good it was. Everyone worked so hard and all the stalls were buzzing with activity. I even wona lovely hanging basket in the raffle. It was a wonderful day. Mary Flint Ailsa’s Stall When the day of the Village Fête finally came, I was awake really early because I was so excited. We still had macaroons to finish and lots of wrapping to do and labels to fix on. Luckily I didn’t have to do all of this by myself as I had my friend Anabelle Davis come and help me so it was lots of fun. We got to the Rectory early and set up our stall. It took a while to place all the sweets in the right places but then we felt ready. It looked like a lot of sweets and I was wondering whether we’d sell many and how much money we could raise for safe drinking water for villages in Africa. It started slowly but we ended up selling out all our homemade macaroons, rocky road, treacle toffee, fudge, lollipops and nougat. I want to thank everyone who bought our sweets. You helped to raise a total of £177.60 which will pay for everything needed to have safe water for 125 people in Africa plus a solar powered pump and filter which can be used in a very remote area and also three additional water filters. I am very grateful to David Ireland for making announcements at the fête to get people to come and see my sweets. Thank you to the two people who gave me big donations, that made it very exciting as well as raising more than I ever thought we could. I think the fête was really fun and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Ailsa McNaughton ... a resounding success! from the September 2008 magazine On the last day of term the Nursery held a ‘Pirates and Princesses’ leavers party. All the leavers dressed up, we had lots of beautiful princesses and handsome pirates. You could tell we were in the 21st century as some of the little girls dressed as pirates too - equality! (We had no boys dressed as princesses.) The nursery staff kept them entertained all morning with lots of fun-themed games. When their mummies & daddies picked them up they all put on a fantastic little show, singing special ‘pirate’ and ‘princess’ songs. Each child was given a ‘goodbye’ bag filled with lots of great presents, including books, pencil case for big school, games, sweets and a photo of them with all their friends. It was a very impressive send off. There were lots of smiles and a few tears (only by the mums, of course.) We also said a very emotional goodbye to Ali Bullen, our nursery manager. The nursery committee, staff and old friends held an end of term dinner for her. We had lots of fun and a few glasses of wine! We will all miss Ali and we wish her all the best. When this article comes out we will be
just about to start our autumn term. The children that
were the younger ones last term will now be the ‘old
hands’ at the nursery and we will be welcoming many
new starters, including our new Nursery Manager, Hillary
Bud. We hope everyone has a great autumn term. from the Jul/Aug 2008 magazine from the Jul/Aug 2008 magazine On the morning of Friday 6th June,
three men arrived at the church and very expertly brought
the long-awaited piano into the church. There was a
slightly tense moment when they couldn’t get it on
to the wheeled ‘A’ frame easily, with all of us
knowing that we had to be out of the church pronto
because there were two services scheduled for the day.
What seemed like an age was really only a few minutes and
then there it was, looking as if it has always been
there. The piano is beautiful and we owe a huge thank you
to the Frasers for such a generous gift. I can’t
wait to open the lid and let the sound of the piano fill
the entire church. Sorry I am getting carried away! It
really will enhance the musical life of our parish and
various musical events will take place from September.
How exciting! from the June 2008 magazine Reports were received on the Fabric, Furnishing and Ornaments of the Parish Church and the Chapel of Ease (this was mostly about the current redecoration and refurbishment works and the vestry plans) and on the proceedings of Leatherhead Deanery Synod and of the PCC. Reports of other church-related groups, including Sunday Club, the Crew youth groups and St Michael’s School were circulated. The Treasurer’s report is given in full below. Elections were made to the PCC and of Sidesmen, and David Ireland ended by giving his review as Parish Priest. Elizabeth Moughton from the June 2008 magazine The Buildings Committee will doubtless report in more detail on these projects. Total expenditure on restoration and refurbishment works in 2007 was £38,666. Our expenditure in 2008 will greatly exceed this, and if all projects are completed, will virtually exhaust our Restoration and Repairs Fund – such is the cost of maintaining, and enhancing the facilities and beauty, of our lovely church. It is, however, from our General Fund that we have to pay for parish expenses such as the ever-increasing parish share which the PCC has to contribute towards diocesan funds (to pay for the costs of ministry within, and the administration of, the diocese), clergy expenses, upkeep of services, organist’s fees, and day-to-day running costs of the church, and from which we finance our outward giving. Thanks to further increases in regular giving and collections (enhanced by tax recoveries), the success of fund-raising activities such as the Harvest Supper Barn Dance and the Christmas Raffle, and the continuing popularity of St. Michael’s as a wedding venue, our General Fund receipts in 2007 totalled £64,731, against expenditure of £61,547 – a surplus of £3,184. However, we must all be aware that expenses are likely to increase significantly in 2008: parish share alone will increase by more than £4,300, from £29,490 in 2007 to £33,793 in 2008, accounting for over half of budgeted General Fund expenditure. Stewardship and fund-raising remain as important as ever, despite our good fortune in being able to finance our various buildings projects from our Restoration and Repairs Fund. Our outward giving for 2007 totalled some £4,332, including a (second) special donation of £1,000 to St Michael’s School, USPG Easter boxes (£400), Christingle collection for the Children’s Society (£433), and carols in pubs and Crib Service collections for Haydon Hall in India totalling £560. We made donations to a number of other charities, including the Church Housing Trust, Princess Alice Hospice, and the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf (for the work of the Anglican Church in Baghdad). The £5,072 figure in the accounts includes some cheques written in 2007 in respect of donations from our 2006 budget. Overall, our accounts for 2007 show an
excess of receipts over expenditure of £198,907, and our
year-end balances totalled £249,919 (largely accounted
for, respectively, by the surplus on our Restoration and
Repairs Fund, and the balance on our CBF Deposit
Account). from the June 2008 magazine Magazine finances are sound. The 6% increase in advertising charges resulted in the loss of very few ads, and the advertising revenue now covers printing costs. Many thanks to Kate Warren for all her help with the advertising and to Mary Banfield for her diligent work on the accounts. In the autumn we completed the archiving and now have three complete sets of all magazines produced since October 1984. One set of eleven box files has been placed in the newly-built Mickleham Archive cupboard at the National Trust’s Warren Farm Barns. Our next task is cataloguing the magazine contents. Again I must thank all those who help with the magazine distribution , including Mary Venning and Sue Timms who count the magazine into bags. Geoff Knight who had distributed the Mickleham bags for many years, retired in April – many thanks for all your help, Geoff. I am extremely grateful to David Kennington for taking on this task and to Mark Day and Ray Wilson who also help with the distribution of the bags. Thankfully the delivery team is unchanged. Again, many thanks to them, especially for arranging their own substitutes for when they go away. And last, but not least, a big thank you to Sayda and Brian Cole who organise the mailing list. Sue Tatham Editor Extra special thanks must also go to
Sue, who works so hard to keep the magazine on the road.
She encourages all the volunteers; she makes sure that
all events are reported and sends her chief photographer
(Ben) out to take paparazzi photos in all weathers. The
whole community benefits from the availability of such an
informative magazine, and we are all grateful to her for
this. Thanks, too, to all contributors, regular and
irregular, who help to make the magazine a good read. from the June 2008 magazine Well, what a wonderful job that must have been, running the King’s sweetshop. Of course, all that time ago, things would have been very different to what they are today. Snickers would have been called Marathons, Starbursts would have been Opal Fruits. There would even have been Spangles. I decided to dig a little deeper… Peter Delahay would have worked in the court of Charles II who reigned from 1660 to 1685. The court was nothing if not lavish, comprising around 350 officers each with his (very rarely her) own area of responsibility, plus a huge supporting retinue who did the actual work. A large part of this team was involved with eating and drinking and the following extract from a recent book on court officers of the period give some idea of the various roles: ‘The work of cooking for the court was performed by a series of master cooks, yeomen, grooms and children, supported by menial servants such as turnbroaches, pankeepers and scourers. Next in importance came the cellar, headed by a gentleman and responsible for keeping the monarch’s wines. The buttery stored and delivered liquors other than wine. The poultry was responsible for providing fruit, greens, butter and eggs for the royal tables. The acatry procured meat, fish, bacon and other goods and delivered them to the larder, where they were stored prior to delivery to the kitchens. The scalding house prepared fowl for dressing by the cooks. The bakehouse baked the court’s bread and delivered it to the pantry. The confectionery prepared fruit desserts, the pastry bakemeats, pies and tarts. The spicery delivered spices, candles and goods supplied by the grocer and oilman. The ewry and laundry were responsible for the royal table linen (the former for provision and storage, the latter for cleaning), the scullery for royal plate and pewter. The woodyard provided the court’s fuel.’ So our Peter Delahay was responsible for getting fruit desserts onto the royal table. He gradually worked his way up, starting as Groom of the Confectionery in 1668, becoming Second Yeoman of Confectionery two years later and First Yeoman in 1678. The fact that there were three levels of officer responsible for preparing fruit desserts gives us a clue as to just how padded out with hangers-on the court must have been. Delahay was a man of substance in his own right, to the extent that he had a street named in London after him. Delahay Street was slightly north of where Bow Street now runs. (Probably not quite as salubrious as this part of the West End is today – the next street along was called Thieving Alley). So what linked Peter Delahay to
Mickleham? There is a clue a few feet further along the
aisle in the next floor slab – that of James Tooth.
Now, Delahay had married Joanna Tooth at St Martin’s
in the Fields in 1668, when she was about 28 and he was a
widower of 48. The Tooths (I really want to write Teeth
here) were a prominent Mickleham family and I came across
the following deed of surrender dated 2 December 1682. So a few interesting points here. The manor of Mickleham was split into two parts – Littleburgh around where the village is now and High Ashurst up on the hill. We know more or less where ‘Swansworth’ is, so the seven acres must have been in the same area. And maybe this James Tooth, buried beneath the aisle in 1719 aged 74, was Joanna’s brother? Joanna and Peter had five daughters who seem to have done well for themselves; Mary, who married Sir John St. Aubin of Clowance, Cornwall; Martha; Lady Elizabeth Glanville; Judith, who married a John Langley; and Eleanor, who married Thomas Morice. (Something here for the extreme genealogists amongst you). So we can assume that after many years
of ensuring that His Majesties’ apple turnovers and
rhubarb crumbles were just right, Peter Delahay retired
to the countryside to spend his twilight years in the
bosom of his wife’s family. I am sure the puddings
were awfully good. from the May 2008 magazine In 1880 Sabine Baring-Gould inherited the 3,000 acre family estate of Lewtrenchard and became the ‘Squarson’, that is Squire and Parson of that parish in 1881. Stories of his eccentricity record that, while he was at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex, he was known to have taught his pupils with a tame bat on his shoulder. When he was 34 years old and curate of Horbury in Yorkshire, he met an untutored 16-year-old mill girl, Grace Taylor, whom he sent away to be educated. On her return two years later he then married her. They were wed for 48 years and had 15 children. At a children’s party one day he asked a young child: ‘Whose little girl are you?’. Bursting into tears the girl sobbed; ‘I’m yours, Daddy’. It is said that this extraordinary liaison with his wife inspired his friend George Benard Shaw to write Pygmalion which subsequently was turned into the musical My Fair Lady. John Betjeman was moved to write of him: ‘What curate in an industrial parish in the North today would dare to single out a mill girl and have her sent to a place where she could learn to speak in an educated style and then marry her’. Sabine Baring-Gould was a prolific writer and was said to be the tenth most popular novelist of his day. At one point in his life there were more books listed under his name in the British Museum Library than any other English writer. He is credited with 211 publications excluding any magazine articles. He also taught himself Icelandic and translated Norse sagas into English. In 1881 he began a mission to collect the folksongs of Devon and Cornwall before the old people, who were believed to be the principal carriers, were dead. He was to become one of the pioneers of the folksong revival. Subsequent distinguished followers of this cause were Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Sabine Baring-Gould wrote Onward Christian Soldiers while he was at Horbury in Yorkshire and was amazed at its popularity. He was said to have dashed the words off in no more than 10 minutes as an occasional piece for the procession of school children from his parish church to another church nearby. The hymn was originally entitled Hymn for Procession with Cross and Banners. In popular culture Onward Christian Soldiers has been sung during the films Mrs Miniver, M.A.S.H., Taps, Striptease, Major Barbara and A Canterbury Tale and amazingly in the T.V. series Little House on the Prairie, The Simpsons and Dad’s Army. The music for Onward Christian
Soldiers was originally for Sullivan’s piece
entitled the Festival of Te Deum, which was the
first name for his 1872 composition Te Deum Laudamus
written to celebrate the recovery of Albert Edward (later
King Edward VII) from typhoid fever. Our editor has
informed me that the opening phrase of Onward
Christian Soldiers is a recurring theme in the work.
Some of you will have been lucky enough to have heard it
at the Leith Hill Musical Festival on 11th April. Indeed
it was a fanfare which accompanied by the stirring words
of Sabine Baring-Gould’s Onward Christian
Soldier that heralded the advent of the Edwardian
Age. from the May 2008 magazine The proposed extension will house an accessible toilet and a small room for clergy. The lobby between the two also gives access to the choir vestry which will become one room with the removal of the present very thick dividing wall. Besides providing accommodation for the choir and storage cupboards this new room would provide accommodation for various small group activities. The outside wall of the proposed extension will be of flint to match the existing east wall. The height of the new single story vestry will preserve the light to the lancet window in the north wall of the chancel and the window over the altar in the Norbury Chapel. Details of the planning application can be viewed at the Council offices at Pippbrook or on its website: www.mole-valley.gov.uk The planning reference number for this application is MO/2008/0461. You can comment on any current
application by letter to MVDC, through the website or by
email: planning@molevalley.gov.uk from the May 2008 magazine How old are the bosses? - The Domesday Book (1086) records the presence of a church in Mickleham. Possibly this was a timber structure built by Anglo-Saxon Christians before the Conquest. The age of the present stone building is not clear. Some historians suggest that the oldest part, the north tower, dates from c1140, but Robinson [see below] argues that ‘the building was erected about the time of the Conquest or perhaps a few years earlier’. It would seem that very few structural changes were made to the building until the early 19th century. With the population expanding and everyone in a village expected to go to church, the need for additional seating became evident. Initially building more pews and extending the gallery was planned, but a closer examination of the building revealed that the north wall was in a dangerous state and the roof and the other walls were nearly as bad. In 1822, the architect PF Robinson was engaged to undertake the design and supervision of the restoration/reconstruction. In 1824, when the work was completed, Robinson published a book entitled An attempt to ascertain the age of the church of Mickleham, Surrey with remarks on the architecture of that building. This volume included a wonderful collection of his line drawings of details of the church after it was restored. The 1823 renovation included raising the roof in order to accommodate a gallery over the south aisle. The ceiling of the nave in Robinson’s drawings looks just as it does today. However it seems that the design and the bosses are much older. Robinson writes: The inside of the ancient roof was boarded and divided into panels by moulded ribs, with bosses at each intersection. In constructing the new roof the same style of finishing has been preserved. The whole of the wood work throughout the church is painted in imitation of dark oak, in two shades, the mouldings being darker than the flat surfaces. The bosses in the ceiling are gilt, and the effect when the sun shines is extremely rich. It may be observed that the voice of the minister is heard particularly well in all parts of the church in consequence of this boarding. One of the plates in Robinson’s
book shows line drawings of six of the Antient [sic]
carved oak bosses in the ceiling. During the present
project the craftsmen who restored the bosses reported
that only one – that of a Tudor rose – was
carved wood, the others are moulded plaster. When were
these replaced? from the April 2008 magazine Soon after work started, rot was found in the wood under the choir stalls on the organ side of the chancel. When the boards and joists were removed two tombstones were revealed. Their inscriptions are obscured at the edges by concrete. The picture [in the paper magazine] on the left shows the position of the stones (the organ is top left). The stone nearest the altar is that of John Bonwicke and his wife Dorothea. The incumbent board on the wall at the back of the church confirms that John Bonwicke was Rector of Mickleham from 1669 to 1698. The other stone is that of Thomas Traps, whose mother had been a ‘Stedolfe’. According to Ronnie Shepperd’s history of Mickleham, the Stydolph family dominated the parish in the 16th and 17th centuries and for a time owned all three manors of Mickleham, Westhumble and Norbury. More research is needed to establish the dates for Thomas Traps. It is most likely that these stones were concreted in and boarded over during the 1872 reconstructions when the present organ was installed in the chancel. from the March 2008 magazine At the moment, HM Revenue and Customs sends 28p tax back for every pound donated under Gift Aid. That figure is about to go down to 25p. For that reason all who make regular charitable donations are urged to consider raising their level of giving to compensate. The change may sound small, but where budgets run into hundreds of thousands of pounds the impact could potentially be enormous on churches and other charities. As a result dioceses up and down England are making sure regular Gift Aid donors are made aware of its likely impact so that we can all avoid the kind of shortfalls in planned giving which can bring excellent work to a standstill. For example, a regular gift of £5 will need to rise by 12p to £5.12. A £20 gift will need to go up to £20.48 to keep pace. To extrapolate this upwards is to start to understand the level of possible impact. If you have any queries about Gift Aid donations to St Michael’s Church, please consult Richard Siberry or Frank Warren. from the March 2008 magazine Much anger was expressed about the proposed post office closure which, it was widely felt, would be a serious loss to the community and a threat to the viability of Mickleham’s only shop. The proposed alternative (Leatherhead or Dorking Offices) were regarded as quite unsatisfactory, and not just for those who were old or infirm. All who share this view are urged to write in protest, before 10th March as described alongside by Ben Tatham. Letters of support have been sent by MP Sir Paul Beresford and District Councillor Ben Tatham, and of course by this Parish Council. If enough people write letters of support for our post office (including residents of Westhumble - as well as those who live or work in Mickleham), this was thought to offer the best chance of its reprieve. The meeting then discussed at length a planning application from an unnamed (‘confidential’) representative of Animarcas S.A. (believed to be a Panamanian entity), c/o Cherkley Court, for the proposed demolition of all ten allegedly ‘poor quality dwellings’ (the charming Mickleham Downs stables) and their replacement by 10 new houses 26% bigger than before and with added car parking. It was widely felt that this proposal was completely unacceptable for many reasons. (One was that access was planned to be via Byttom Hill rather than - as now - off the A24 at Mickleham Drive, 700 metres south of the Givons Grove roundabout; the next day I was told this was an error in the application which would be amended to reflect existing arrangements). There were far too many issues to discuss in detail and it was agreed that a further meeting of concerned local residents should be held within the next few days. Details of Planning Application MO/2008/0183 are available at Pippbrook and on the MVDC website. If you oppose this application, you should write before 6th March, quoting the above reference number, to: Planning Department, Mole Valley District Council, Pippbrook, Dorking RH4 1SJ (or email: planning@molevalley.gov.uk). The formal meeting of the Parish Council followed. The PC agreed to write a further letter opposing the proposed closure of the post office. The PC also shared the concerns which had been expressed regarding the proposals for Mickleham Downs, and strongly opposed them, but would defer writing to MVDC until the meeting of residents had taken place. Other matters discussed included:
repairs to the bus stop seat; repairs to the Rec gate;
replacement of the Rec picnic table; the proposed new
signage at Burford Bridge Hotel (the PC feels it is far
too intrusive); and parish finances (which remain sound).
The meeting ended at 10.15 p.m!). from the March 2008 magazine An uninformative leaflet about this is
available at Mickleham post office. 10th March is the
last date for the receipt of comments so PLEASE WRITE to I suggest that you do both just in case your letter is lost in the post! The only reason given for proposing to close the Mickleham branch is that it is slightly less than 3 miles from the post offices in Leatherhead and Dorking. Post Office Ltd has a target for 95% of the population to be less than three miles from a post office branch. The existence of one step up to enter
the shop at Mickleham also seems to count against it.
Post Office Ltd has not presented any business case to
justify the closure. Both the number and the
persuasiveness of the letters are important. Points which
you might like to consider mentioning include: I am sure that you can think of other
convincing points. Many people will be aware that in 1995
a number of local people came together to form Mickleham
Village Shop Ltd and raised the money to buy half the
freehold of Roses Stores including the living
accommodation. This is let at a low rental to the owners
(Serena and Gary) of the other half who run the shop and
post office. Closure of the post office will damage the
viability of the shop and will put at risk this community
effort to maintain the village facilities. Christmas Collections 120 years
ago No less that thirty-one of our village children have, this winter, taken “Robin Dinner” collecting-papers from house-to-house, and it is gratifying to know that the kind-hearted efforts of the young folks have been very successful. They raised altogether £6 15s.8d. This sum was made up of nearly three hundred separate contributions, and thus illustrates the truth of an old Scotch proverb, “ Mony a mickle makes a muckle”. The cost of a Robin Dinner being 6d. per head, it follows that 270 more or less destitute boys and girls, in London or some other large town, will be treated to a good dinner of roast beef and plum pudding, and will be pleasantly entertained with music, magic lantern, etc., etc. “Robin” returns hearty thanks to his kind friends in Mickleham. Church Improvements On
Tuesday 5th February we began a three-month project to
almost completely redecorate the interior of the church.
The programme includes: This work is going to create a good deal of mess and will require extensive scaffolding. There will inevitably be disruption to normal church activities. From 5th February the main activity will be in the nave, gallery and Norbury Chapel. Scaffolding will be erected along the nave and while there will be access to the pews there will inevitably be some inconvenience during services. There will also be some minor disruption in the chancel while work to remedy the damp is completed. This phase will be completed no later than Palm Sunday. After Easter the main activity will move to the chancel. There will be scaffolding around the walls and across the chancel arch. During the week the chancel will be closed off by plastic sheeting but at weekends there will be limited access from the vestry to the nave. The pulpit and lectern should be accessible though with some difficulty but the organ will be out of action. The altar and piano will be relocated to the foot of the chancel steps for 10am services. The 8am services will probably be taken in the Norbury Chapel. Sunday services from 5th February to
9th March will be affected by scaffolding in the nave.
From 30th March to 27th April when the chancel is closed,
the disruption will be more noticeable and there will be
a sense of holding services in a building site. However
none of this will detract from the quality of worship. Photos of the church for our website No doubt some lucky folk will be getting a super duper new camera for Christmas. Why not take some photos (landscape format) so that these can be used on the parish website: www.leatherheadweb.org.uk/mickleham . Contact website editor Frank Haslam via the website for more details. Helping Hands FORMERLY GOOD
NEIGHBOURS - A service for all residents of Mickleham and
Westhumble A Concert for Remembrance Sunday Rather like buying a book, if the first words grab you. And so it was, on the first strike of six o’clock, on Sunday 11th November, Director of Music, Juliet Hornby took the stand, raised her right hand and there was instant hush in a packed St. Michael’s Church. A single note on the organ sounded and the first chord from the many voices, a perfectly pitched, pianissimo D Minor ‘Requiem…’ told us that we were in for a musical treat. The choirs of the Church, Box Hill School and Mickleham Choral Society combined to make over 80 singers occupying every nook and cranny of the chancel, stalls and pulpit. Dressed in black and white, slashed with red poppies, they engaged every ear with their faultless performance of Monsieur Fauré’s much loved creation. Martin Cox gave a magnificent interpretation of Libera Me; Pie Jesu - normally sung by a boy - interpreted by Natalie Mackworth-Praed, was pure, vibrant and plaintive, just as the composer intended. The choir’s rendering of this enduring version of the Eucharist was a compelling and moving act of remembrance. The first half of this annual music feast ended all too soon. Our interval chatter was brought to an abrupt halt by Barbara Steadman-Allen’s clarion trumpet call: The Last Post. A varied programme of light and shade, soft and forte, instrumental and choral, followed, to fascinate and engage all tastes. Cathy Fisher and Tracy Kennington duetted us delightfully through Purcell’s Sound the Trumpet . To the joy of all fans of Arthur Sullivan, the choir gave a majestic performance of his Te Deum Laudamus. The combination of the genius of Dorking’s composer son, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the gentle voices of the sopranos and altos of the choir, brought great emotional impact to his Dirge for Fidele. Noah Rho and Vincent Hsu, of the younger generation, presented us with an ethereal, unaccompanied violin duet: John Stanley’s Sicillianna and Allegro. One of my first introductions to classical music, Debussy’s Golliwog’s Cakewalk, was amusingly and skilfully interpreted by accomplished young pianist Nanami Koyanagi. The nine voices making up the ensemble from the Choral Society, who so wowed the judges at The Leith Hill Music Festival, repeated their lovely performance of Stanford’s Heraclitus. One sometimes has to make allowances when the very young perform but not when Ursula Perks takes her seat at the grand piano, as we discovered last year, when she was only 9. Beautiful, blond locks falling over the soft violet of her long dress, her poise, confidence and technical mastery of Mozart’s Andante and Rondo K545 were amazing; a concert pianist in the making! My first memory of Clare Kennington was when she auditioned for St Michael’s choir, aged 7. With her back to the piano, I asked her which of two notes I played was the higher. Without hesitation she said ‘The E flat’. Even at that tender age she had perfect pitch. What is it about Clare and the violin? The sound they make together reminds one of falling in love. The choir seated and standing behind her as she began John Williams Theme from Schindler’s List, made a tableau of rapt concentration. Her soulful, lingering, low notes, especially, evoked poignant memories of the human tragedies depicted in that film. The world of today’s popular music may think it has a handle on the theme of love but it cannot hold a candle to Brahms’ arrangement of the traditional Love Farewell. Georgina Kennington and Neil Mackay made it a real love song backed by gentle, hummed harmonies from the choir. Their Hamisha Asar by Flory Jagoda, an exciting recollection of Spanish children going from house to house with many different fruits, had us tapping our toes as if to a Paso Doble on Strictly Come Dancing. The cascading notes of Juliet Hornby’s sumptuous arrangement of Bridge Over Trouble Water, with gorgeous soprano solos from Georgina, Natalie and Emily brought the concert to a magnificent crescendo. Geoffrey Harvey’s organ playing was, as always, beyond peer. The piano accompaniments were in the ultra skilful hands of Linda Chang. And it was difficult to believe that the programme could have been so delicately and aptly designed by one so young as Anna Darnell. Juliet Hornby’s magic weaves all
through this event, from the fascination of her running
commentary, to the way in which her elegant hands coax
such enchanting music from what is in reality a scratch
choir. As David Ireland put it: ’It is astonishing
that so small a village has such a wealth of musical
talent and that it can all congregate under one roof, at
least once a year, in remembrance of those who gave so
much that we might survive in freedom and peace’. from the November 2007 Mickleham magazine
I doubt if we will ever see such wording on a tomb
ever again. from the November 2007 Mickleham magazine from the November Mickleham magazine There will be scope for many more musical functions involving a wider village community. There will be the possibility of hiring out the venue for concerts and thereby generating additional income for the church. The provision of a concert quality grand piano will reflect the wide musical talent we have in the parish which I think is quite special (I might be biased) for our size. There is also the potential for establishing an even greater musical tradition for our community. Because of the extensive repairs and refurbishment work to the interior fabric of St Michael’s scheduled for this autumn and winter, we will not instal the piano until these are complete. The aim is to have the piano in place by May 2008. There is talk that we would celebrate its arrival by having a Mickleham Music Festival with many different events throughout the summer season. As you can imagine, I am so excited by this and can see a whole musical life opening up. David Ireland will be shooing me out! I feel that so many opportunities for all sorts of performing will be possible from choirs to pupils’ recitals to soloists coming from the outside. Of course this is going to cost money. The price of a piano of the professional performing standard we require is between £6,000 and £7,000. The choice of instrument will depend on how well it will tolerate the cold conditions; older re-conditioned pianos will not do. Extremes of heat and damp can crack a piano’s wooden soundboard. The more modern Yamaha and Kawaii pianos have a fantastic reputation for being great pianos for studios, churches etc. Many local churches such as St Paul’s and St Martin’s in Dorking do have grand pianos, which are well looked after and well used. Our new instrument will be positioned at the front of the church on the right and when it is not in use it will be covered and locked. If you would like to make a donation, whatever amount, towards this exciting venture please contact me on 01372 362309 or R Spence on 01372 377201 for more information. T Kennington The Marriage of David and
Angela Afterwards everyone went to the Rectory for a celebratory drink, or two, and delicious nibbles before leaving David and Angela in peace with their families and guests. It had been a very jolly occasion and we all wish David and Angela much happiness. Upon leaving the Rectory garden we discovered that Old London Road was totally gridlocked, with all A24 traffic being re-directed through the village due to an accident. Many of us retired to The Running Horses to wait until the road cleared an hour or so later ... from the
June 2007 magazine Rose Spence nobly combined her many duties as parish administrator with those of churchwarden last year when Ron Morton moved to Wales. We are most grateful to her for all she does for St Michael’s and the whole parish. Fortunately for us Rose is continuing as parish administrator. We welcome our two new churchwardens: Jenny Hudlass and Jack Richardson. Val McLean and Tim Mathieson have retired from the Parochial Church Council (PCC): There are now 13 members: John Banfield, Jenny Hudlass, Elizabeth Moughton, Carolann Patterson, Stephanie Randall, Jack Richardson, Richard Siberry, Rose Spence, Geoffrey Suckling, Frank Warren, Amanda Wadsworth, Simon Ward and Becky Weaver. Farewell to Tim and Tristan We bid Godspeed to Tim Mathieson and son Tristan who have gone to Shanghai for three years. They have both been active members of our church family and we shall miss them. However, Tim has promised an occasional ‘letter from Shanghai’ for the parish magazine – watch this space. Reports from the Annual
Parochial Church Meeting A sub committee of the PCC has
developed a detailed programme of work for the next few
years the main elements of which are listed below. Repairs to the external stonework of the Church have been completed. The possible extension to the Church is under discussion with the Diocese and it will be some considerable time before we make much progress. The other projects are in various stages of detailed planning. We are grateful to all those who help in looking after both Church and Chapel in particular Mick Hallet and Tony Holland for their work in and around the Chapel and to Kate Warren for the beautiful display of naturalised flowers in the overflow churchyard. Rose Spence, John Banfield Parish Finances - Extract from the Treasurer’s Report - In 2006, we continued to build on the firm foundations laid in 2005 as a result, in particular, of the very positive and encouraging response of the Parish to the stewardship appeal. 2006 was the first full year following that appeal. Planned giving increased by about 24% over the 2005 figure and tax recovered on regular giving and gift aid-envelopes almost doubled. We have agreed to commit about 5% of our income from these sources to outward giving. Taking all the above into account, we have more than achieved our initial objective of ensuring that at least the Parish Share is covered by planned giving and collections at services. In 2006 we covered also the other expenses of worship and mission from these sources and from other ‘unrestricted donations’. Fund raising remains very important, both from a financial perspective, as it continues to make (at least) a major contribution to regular ‘church running expenses’ (insurance, utilities bills, churchyard maintenance, etc.), and because of the community spirit it engenders, helping to promote our goal of putting the Church at the heart of our community here in Mickleham and Westhumble. Our outward giving for 2006 included a special donation to St Michael’s School and a number of charities, including the Church Housing Trust, the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf (for the work of the Anglican Church in Baghdad), and Haydon Hall in India. At year end the balance in our restoration and repairs fund, boosted by a £5,000 donation and recovered tax, was £28,810, and overall, our accounts for 2006 showed an excess of receipts over expenditure of £15,488, and our bank balances at the year end stood at £51,102. In January 2007, we received an
exceptionally generous donation of £200,000 towards our
restoration and repairs fund, from the Ranmore Trust,
which was founded and 100% financed by Geoffrey Suckling.
This puts us in the happy position of being able to move
forward with confidence in carrying out whatever projects
are ultimately approved by the PCC and the Diocese (and,
so far as necessary, the Planning Authorities). We are
immensely grateful for this donation. from the June 2007 magazine from the May 2007 magazine We have learned that printing costs will go up in April (the first increase since we started having the magazine printed professionally). We shall be increasing the cost of advertisements to keep pace with this. |