From the vicar...

A belated Happy New Year to all our readers. Whether you receive this in your inbox or your postbox, I’m hope you are finding The Gander to be a lively and informative way to keep in touch with the St John’s community. I’m enormously grateful to all our contributors this month, you are in for a treat!

We cover wellbeing: with Anne Coates’ article about the rollout of the Covid vaccine and participating in a vaccine trial; Sue O’Neill’s timely article on health - both physical and psychological; my own musings on art and faith; and Tayo Olatunde's description of reading the whole Bible in one year - clearly a very rewarding experience, and a challenge we might all like to consider.

A couple of years ago we supported Deep Roots in one of our special collections in church, and it is interesting to hear more about their work. I especially loved our profile of Silbert Crichlow, and it has been delightful to welcome him to our online services. Do get in touch with us if you’d like to join online, but are not sure how to make it work.

As I write, the UK has sadly announced that over 100,000 people have died from the coronavirus. Each one of those numbers is a person with a story and a value beyond measure. Each one leaves friends and family in the devastation and isolation of grief, and healthcare staff with a burden of trauma. As the church, we hold one another, and all who suffer, in our prayers, and hold on to the hope we find in our shared faith: that no-one is forgotten, no-one is beyond the compass of God’s love. As I read this edition, I utter a prayer of thanks for our community of friendship and faith, and hold on to the hope that one day we will be gathered together again.

Revd Gill O'Neill

News from St John's
Revd Raymond Baudon: Congratulations to Raymond, who has been appointed Assistant Director of Ordinands & Deputy Director of Vocations in Southwark Diocese. He will be based at Trinity House and his last Sunday at St John's will be Easter Sunday (4 April). Thanks To Raymond for everything he has brought to St John's over the past three years. We will find a way to say a proper goodbye to him before he leaves!

Services: As the lockdown continues, the church remains closed to the public and services will carry on being held on Zoom. If you would like details of how to access Morning Prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and the Sunday Mass, please contact the Office. For a trial period, the Sunday Mass will also be broadcast on our Youtube channel.

We would love to welcome more people to take part in the services, as readers, responders or by contributing music. If you would like to volunteer, please contact one of the clergy.

Look out for details about services for Lent and Easter, which will be shared by email soon.

Jerusalem-Southwark Covenant Agreement: The Archbishop in Jerusalem, The Most Revd Suheil Dawani, and the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, signed the Jerusalem-Southwark Covenant Agreement, formally linking both Dioceses on 21 January.

The link formalises a long-standing relationship. Read more about it on the Diocese website.
 

Bert Holmshaw: We were sorry to hear that Albert (Bert) Holmshaw died peacefully on 11 January, aged 96.

He shared some of his memories of the Second World War, including the D-Day landings, in an article published in the November 2020 issue of The Gander.

Bert regularly attended the Lunch Club and Coffee Morning up until recently. The photos show him recently, with his medals, and in uniform during the War.

Get Connected: The continuing lockdown means it is easy to feel lonely or isolated, but many of us find keeping in touch online really helps. The purpose of the Get Connected Scheme is to help those without access to the internet to get online, by helping with the initial costs of arranging a broadband connection, if appropriate, and/ or lending an inexpensive tablet which is set up to be easy to use. They will then be able to connect to Goose Green Coffee Morning, our services, emails, etc. Step by step instructions have been produced to help borrowers access the internet and emails, as it is of course not possible to help in person.

We are at the trial stage of the scheme; one tablet is being tried out at present and we would like to find one or two more people who would like to test out the scheme for us. Please contact Raymond Baudon or Sue O’Neill if you or someone you know would like to be part of our trial, or if you would be interested in helping with the scheme.

 

Coffee morning

Art session: Coffee Morning held its first art session on 16 December, which was well attended with 22 people taking part. The session was run by The Arts Factory who helped everything run smoothly, despite the postal service being less than reliable for distributing kits to participants’ homes!

Some lovely art was produced and there has been some really positive feedback about the session.

We have another art activity planned for 10 February, this time looking at still life drawing in charcoal.

All materials will be provided. Please contact sue.oneill@virgin.net, including your name and address, if you would like to take part.
 

Future activities: During December we also had Christmas Coffee Morning, which included a quiz and a game of charades, and was a nice way to start feeling Christmassy. Our first stakeholders’ meeting also took place, which came up with lots of good ideas for activities and ways to make it easier for people to join in with Coffee Morning. More talks by guest speakers are being arranged and we will be holding book and film groups.

Film and book discussions: The film ‘North by Northwest’ was the topic for discussion on 27 January and our first book group will be discussing Booker Prize winner Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo on 24 February (see preview below).

Coffee Morning meets every Wednesday at 11:30 until 1. You can drop in any time even if just to say a quick hello. Activities generally start at noon. Email office@stjohnseastdulwich.org if you would like know more or to be sent the Zoom link.
 

Rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines
By Anne Coates

“Look at those veins! I love those veins!” I was sitting in the research unit in King's College Hospital, awaiting my second dose of either the Novovax vaccine or a placebo. My lovely nurse, Noah, laughed. “Sorry Anne, let me introduce you to Vanessa the Vampire.”

Vanessa (not her real name) had turned up the music and was dancing around. It was the most social interaction I’d had in months. (And just in case you were wondering she was vaccinating me at the top of my arm not in my veins!)

I had been contacted in October 2020, with an invitation to take part in the third phase of a trial of a vaccine, Norovax. I had two screenings by phone with nurses and was given a mountain of paperwork to read. I went ahead quite happily until the night before my first appointment at King’s Clinical Trial Facility when suddenly the doubts set in and my usual insomnia was in overdrive. However by the next day reason prevailed and I went off to King's where a special research unit is set up.

You are allocated a specialist nurse to talk you through the procedure before being interviewed by a doctor, mainly about your past and current health, which was followed by a physical examination. Temperature, blood pressure and oxygen levels were all monitored before and after the “jab” and bloods were taken. The worst part on the first appointment was having a COVID test although the nurse on the second appointment managed it much better.

I had no reaction at all. Participants were given a device to monitor any reactions plus three tests kits in case you had COVID symptoms. Just in case you needed them we were also given a ruler (to measure any reaction at the vaccination site) and a thermometer (pictured). Fortunately I haven’t needed to use any of these. Nor have I had to contact the medical team on the 24-hour helpline. I had a follow-up appointment in January and the next one is in February. I won’t know if I’ve had the vaccine or placebo until the trial finishes and everyone will be “unblinded”. Those who have had the placebo will be given the vaccine. Based on nothing scientific at all, I think I’ve had the vaccine. When I find out it was the placebo you can all smile knowingly at me and my so-called intuition.

COVID vaccinations in Southwark
It’s wonderful to see that our Bishop Karowei (who initially trained and worked as a doctor before being ordained) has had his vaccine as have many in our congregation. Among them, Elizabeth Stanton has received the two doses at the excellent Tessa Jowell Health Centre where she found the whole process was carried out safely and professionally. Irma Bell received her first one while she was having one of her regular dialysis sessions and Jenny Gammon, as clinically vulnerable, received her first one at Guys Hospital.

“There was a voicemail from the GP surgery on my mobile which I'd missed to book an appointment at Guys via their 'online portal'. I did and got one the following day plus the date for my follow up!" says Jenny. “All the staff were cheerful and very helpful and I felt very sorry for them. It was freezing in that tent! No after effects except perhaps feeling a bit tired for a couple of evenings afterward but it's difficult to know whether this was due to the vaccination or sheer boredom.” 

Lots of health professionals are now taking part in the massive NHS vaccination programme and it’s great to know that our own Louise Pollard is involved in this at the Lewisham Hospital where friend of St John’s Father Stanley Njoka, chaplain at the hospital, had his vaccine.

If you have any concerns about having the vaccine, please discuss this with your GP or a health professional. There is so much misinformation about the vaccines to frighten and worry people. Please be assured the vaccines are safe and remember without vaccines we’d still be prey to so many terrible diseases from polio to rubella. See below if you’d like any further information.
 
Community Health Ambassador
As many of you may know I signed up to become a Community Health Ambassador for Southwark. As such I have access to all sorts of information that may make your life easier – from mental health help for adults and young people to food banks. If you would like to find about any issues for yourself or someone you are concerned about, do contact me in strict confidence on 020 8693 7482 or email me a.coates1@btinternet.com If I don’t have the answer, I can put you in touch with someone who does.

 

Keeping well in lockdown
By Sue O'Neill

It seems clear the present lockdown is going to continue for some time to come, so it seems important to find ways to keep ourselves well.The stay at home message means we may need to think of ways to exercise and keep well within our own home, especially if living on a busy road or sharing a communal entrance with many neighbours. Here are some suggestions and advice to help keep you well during lockdown.

Exercise
Keeping fit indoors may feel a challenge if you normally enjoy long walks or jogs but now find your local streets and parks too crowded. There are a host of resources online to help including:

• The NHS Fitness Studio is a mine of exercise ideas, including a wake-up workout, strength and resistance exercises and even belly dancing.
• East Dulwich Leisure Centre has made available the Everyone on Demand on-line fitness package. This may be included in some Eyeryone Active members benefits or it can be purchased for £9.99 a month. It includes numerous fitness classes ranging from the full on sounding “Bodypump” and “Sh’Bam”, to yoga and dance, and also to an NHS approved app, Exi, which produces tailored individual exercise programmes which are suitable for everyone including those suffering from chronic diseases.  
• Push Studios have a library of fitness videos to use for your exercise. There are videos on Dancefit and Silver Yoga in their community section, or there are others available to rent in their library, including pilates, yoga and dance.

The NHS Live Well pages recommend that adults are physically active every day, that any activity is better than none and the more the better. For adults over 65 the advice is the same, except that light activity can also be considered helpful. The guideline given for all adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (e.g brisk walking, dancing) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (e.g. jogging or aerobics). Strengthening exercises are also recommended at least 2 days a week.
 
In a world where access to the internet is increasingly taken for granted, the NHS pages helpfully include printable content of a whole host of strengthening exercises. You can see links to these at the bottom of this page. Do get in touch with sue.oneill@virgin.net if you do not have access to the internet and would like these strengthening exercises sent to you.
 
The British Heart Foundation suggests ways to spend less time sitting down, including taking screen breaks and standing up to work. Research has shown that those who spend long periods sitting down are more prone to heart and circulatory diseases and also diabetes.
 
Healthy mind
Another benefit of keeping active is that it can help our mind to keep well too. Adjusting to life under lockdown can be difficult. There is general advice we are  all aware of, such as keeping in touch with others, talking about how we are feeling with people we trust, avoiding excessive watching of the news and trying to keep doing activities we enjoy or learn new ones if we don’t have regular hobbies we can do in lockdown. See more here. The NHS also has a helpful quiz which produces a mind plan of tips and advice.

Working from home
You may have been working from home for many months as a result of the pandemic. This can produce its own issues at the best of times, such as feelings of isolation or difficulty making boundaries between home and work. Headspace has good advice about keeping your working and home areas distinct, even if it just amounts to clearing your kitchen table at the end of your working day. See here. Headspace also produces a range of content to help with all sorts of issues like stress, anxiety, sleep problems, etc. Their subscription service includes guided meditations and exercises.
 
Children
Things are especially tough for those working from home who have children to care for or to home school. Some of the advice online seems unrealistic, and doesn’t allow for parenting being a non-stop activity in many families, rather than something you can do now and then when needed. This must be especially true for pre-school children or larger families, although all sorts of other factors may also make things more difficult, such as special educational needs or even just individual personalities.
 
Some of the best bits of advice gleaned online may still be easier said than done:

• Speak to your employer about flexible or different hours so that you can take time out to be with your children. Make sure you know about family friendly policies that can help spread the load. 
• When your children need you, take time off and return to your tasks later. Give yourself permission to take care of your family and don't feel guilty for doing so. 
• Whilst it's important to have routine and structure, be prepared to adapt and be flexible to suit your family needs. 
• Parents should share the workload of home-schooling and child-care where possible. 

I imagine people are having to make difficult daily choices on what to do and how to cope, and it is perhaps most important to have faith in what you are doing under these very hard circumstances.
 

Art and the language of faith
By Revd Gill O'Neill
 

Whenever I visit an art gallery, and I suspect I am not alone in this, I notice that it often elicits in me the same kind of sensibility and awareness I experience when I visit a cathedral or beautiful church. I’m conscious that I am in a space that has been set aside for a particular kind of perceptive experience; a very present and immediate awareness of things above and beyond the commonplace.

Art is often a reaching after truth and meaning, a sculpting and shaping of matter in a way that touches deep questions about our shared human experience. As such, I, along with many others, have found art to be a wonderful theological resource and friend. Art can embody and express theological ideas, and be a kind of visual language. Moreover, art can connect the mind and the heart in ways that the purely intellectual cannot.

Our experience of worship, especially the kind of worship to which we are used at St John’s, which embraces the experience of the senses, is all about making that heart-mind connection: helping those things we know in our heads, that we are each beloved of God, for example, to be understood in our hearts, and in our very being.

Mother and Child installation
This is why I love to engage with art and artists in mission and ministry, and it is why, in the midst of the pandemic, and in this very restricted time, I was keen that we should try to make some kind of public art, as a gift to our neighbourhood, and in keeping with the phenomenon of street art around East Dulwich.

We would ordinarily welcome hundreds of people into church at Christmas. Without that possibility, what might we do instead? I pondered this question with friend and artist, Sara Mark, earlier last year, who came up with endless possibilities, eventually whittling down to the idea of a contemporary icon of the Virgin and Child.

The “Mother and Child” icon is a video installation created by Sara, with filmmaker Julian Civiero. Funded by the All Churches Trust, and back-projected in the porch of St John’s, the icon is inspired by the painted wooden icons venerated in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

The ancient custom of ‘writing’ icons dates from 3rd century AD Byzantium and they are considered to be a form of prayer rather than art; each colour and composition has a spiritual significance. Icons depicting the saints, biblical stories and The Virgin Mary and Jesus are often given a red border, symbolising life-giving energy or eternal life.

The two poses included in the video are: the Virgin Hodegetria: ‘the Virgin who shows the Way,’ and the Virgin Eleousa: ‘the Virgin of Tenderness.’ The video is an invitation to contemplate God's coming in a body to be amongst us at Christmas, so as to show the whole world the way of tender love and peace.

A member of the community emailed to say: "The installation at the church is powerful and mesmerising. I can see that art really helps us to reflect on our faith and it is wonderful to see the church lit up and projecting that image of hope in these dark times. I stood in front of the image thinking of how much we had missed out on this year but also of what is to come if we can just hold on to hope. My friend, who is Jewish, thought it was beautiful; she said she “got it”. I wouldn’t know what that meant to her but I do think the installation is a gentle and beautiful way for the church to bear witness in the world.” You can see a short film about the installation here.

Advent Art study course
Another arts-based initiative was the Advent Art Study course we offered in December. A pilot course, put together by members of the theology department at King's College London, it used the online resource, the Visual Commentary on Scripture, and explored how artists have told the stories of the characters of Advent: the patriarchs, the prophets, John the Baptist and Mary.

In this painting by Pieter Bruegel, called The Sermon of St John the Baptist, painted in 1566, you can spot the Baptist, almost hidden in the crowd. His left arm points towards Jesus, similarly concealed, and only identifiable by his almost radiant robe. An anachronistic audience receive his message, and who knows if it finds a welcome? We see a mesmerised crowd, though some are distracted, leading us to wonder what might distract us from hearing the message of John, and what, if anything, might we want to do about those distractions?

At a time when we can visit neither churches nor art galleries, that we can engage with the arts outdoors and online is a gift. I would encourage anyone to spend a little time with a “biblical” painting or sculpture online, and try to hear what it is saying to you, what questions arise in your heart, what truth it touches. I hope we will be able to offer another Art course in future, an opportunity to look afresh at our enduring biblical stories in these unsettling times.

Do take a look at the Visual Commentary on Scripture.

The Bible in one year
By Tayo Olatunde

For years I have always maintained a list of self-improvement tasks I wanted to accomplish. At the top of that list was to read the whole Bible; verse for verse, chapter by chapter. I’m pleased to say that at the fouth attempt and with the help of The Bible App and Nicky Gumbel’s “The Bible in One Year” plan I accomplished this in 2020.

On the surface it seemed that with a little discipline it would be a straightforward feat. How wrong was I?! It took far more discipline than I envisaged. It is no surprise it took four attempts to accomplish. But then again, perhaps I am not as disciplined as most.

Embarking on a one-year biblical journey of knowing God and of his love revealed through Jesus required me to dedicate at least 30 minutes everyday for 365 days to reading and praying over the verses and chapters from Psalms, Proverbs, the Old and New Testaments, as well as a devotional by Nicky which routinely provided a fresh and inspiring reflection on the day’s verses. Each day’s reading closed with the verse of the day and a somewhat light-hearted summation of the readings by Pippa (Nicky’s wife). I personally found these summations a helpful reminder that Christianity is not all about doom and gloom and eternal damnation for sinners.

With the fast-paced world we live in, initially, finding 30 minutes early in the morning just seemed difficult. I started the journey on 1 January 2020, not knowing that we would be heading into a global pandemic and a series of lockdowns.

By the time the first lockdown came I was well over two months into the plan. The routine I had begun had become a habit - laying credence to the notion that on average it takes 66 days for a routine to become a habit.

To get into this habit I had to first decide that the Bible app would be the first thing I opened on my phone in the morning; as opposed to my emails, responding to messages from friends/family in different time-zones, checking my social media feed or other time-chomping mundane things I would do on the phone during what I termed my “early morning me time”.

Over time it became easier to form this habit, to the point where it was no longer an arduous task. It became the perfect “tonic” to start the day, and at times the perfect “glass of wine” to wind down before going to bed.

In a year like no other it was no mere coincidence that 2020 would be that year that I would finally achieve this goal. I found that devoting time to reading the Bible every single day and meditating/praying over verses gave me an outlet needed to navigate the range of changing emotions brought on by the lockdown. I often found some of the verses speaking to the occasion of the moment.

Embarking on this journey has been a rewarding, enlightening and a spiritually uplifting one.

Deep Roots in Uganda
An update on a charity we recently supported at St John's

Deep Roots is an interdenominational organisation promoting Christian discipleship among the youth in the Kasese District in Uganda. We supported the work of this ministry through a special collection in 2019.

Through the use of culturally relevant teaching materials, developed locally, and through the local media, Deep Roots trains and equips volunteer youth leaders and young people to live out their Christian commitment in a meaningful and transformative way.

Covid-19 lockdown began in Uganda on 31 March 2020. Education establishments, churches, other places of worship, businesses (except supermarkets, outdoor markets, petrol stations and other essential services) were closed. All public transport including motorbike taxis and the use of private vehicles were banned. Policing was harsh and resulted in injury and some deaths. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19, Deep Roots has had to adapt what it does to support young people. The work has adopted a three-pronged approach: youth discipleship, leadership development and radio broadcasting.

Once President Museveni lifted transport restrictions on 21 July, the team were able to get to the studio to start recording and thereafter the workshop programmes began to be broadcast, generating questions from listeners. With an increased emphasis on radio broadcasting Deep Roots branched out with broadcasts on another radio station, Ngeya Radio (with a reach of 4 million), in addition to Radio Messiah, on different days of the week. By December the team were able to broadcast a Christmas message on both stations.

Tensions associated with the Presidential election in January and ongoing challenges caused by Covid-19 mean that 2021 has started with further uncertainty for the team in Uganda. The radio work is established  and is being strengthened with guest speakers. The Deep Roots team want to thank St John’s for our ongoing prayers and wanted to let us know that they are holding us in prayer saying: "At a time of uncertainty for us all and our world, we are reminded of the certainty we have in Christ who fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham (Hebrews 6: 19-20 - Amplified Version): This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it] - a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells], where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."
 

Profile: Silbert Crichlow
In this month’s profile, Silbert Crichlow talks about growing up in Barbados, becoming bus driver of the year and volunteering at Live Aid and the London Olympics

When and why did you start coming to St John's?
I was brought up in Barbados and attended the Anglican church in our area. It had a school similar to St Johns. I attended that school, before moving onto the Secondary School. Both my parents were Church of England followers.

I cannot remember the year I started attending St John’s but always wanted to continue in the Anglican Church. I found that St Johns has that friendly and warm feeling when you enter. I used to attend St John’s occasionally due to my work (shift work) and since my retirement I can attend more often. Both my daughters were christened at St John’s. The vicar at the time was Father Gordon.

I like the friendliness of the people at the church and the flourishing choir.

What things have you done at St John's?
The main things I have done are being a sidesperson and operating the sound system.

How long have you lived in the area and where did you live before?
I have lived at my current address in East Dulwich for 39 years. Previously I lived in Queens Road, Peckham.

In Barbados I used to work at the private office of the Mayor and MP in the city of Bridgetown. He was the Grandfather of the present Prime Minister of Barbados (Mia Amor Mottley). This involved the selling of land, collecting rent and plans to be taken to the Government Ministerial Office for assessment.

Most of my friends were leaving the Island either going to America or coming to the UK. I always wondered what the other side of the world was like. My family have a record of travelling; my Aunts were in New York USA, and my Uncle was in Buenos Aires South America. I decided to come to the UK in 1961. I like holidays and cruises, but am grounded due to the pandemic.

Which other countries do you have family members in?
I have relatives in Barbados but all my siblings live in Canada.

What jobs have you done during your career?
I was a bus driver for London Transport. The routes I worked on during my career were 70, 202, 177, 188, 36, 163, 184, 108, 12, 436, 179, 186, 228, 192, 176, 94, 343 and 171. I was tested on all the latest models from time to time.

Whilst there I joined a computer course and after I retired, I attended Southwark College and gained my City and Guilds and ECDL certificate.

In 2003 I was voted Bus Driver of the Year. I was the only winner out of 2000 drivers. I went to City Hall to receive my award which was presented by the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. The award also included a weekend in Barcelona all-inclusive for two.

I was voted Bus Driver of the Year for number of reasons including always being smartly dressed in full uniform, not taking sick leave, good attendance and punctuality, being accident free, and having no public complaints.  

What other things have you done while in London and what were they like?
On Saturday 13 July 1985, I took part in LiveAid, arranged by Bob Geldof, ferrying people to and from the concert at Wembley Stadium. In 2012 I was a Games Maker volunteer for the Olympics. I was stationed at Greenwich Park where the Dressage took place.

You've been a regular attender at the Zoom Mass recently. What do you like about it?
We have to thank God for modern technology. Although we are in lockdown, we are still able to have Mass and communicate with our fellow worshippers. I like that with Zoom we still have a sense of closeness.

I found it easy to join the Zoom Mass. I would advise anyone to learn the basics of using a computer as most things are computerised these days.
 

Obituaries: Canon David Palmer and the Very Revd James Atwell
By Christine Camplin

The Church Times recently published obituaries of two former curates from St John’s who died last December, a few days apart.
 
Canon David Henry Palmer (1933-2020) was curate from 1958 to 1962 when Canon Eric Rolt was the Vicar. He left East Dulwich for All Saints, Peterborough, and then moved to Holy Trinity, Northampton. Between 1974 and 1979 David held chaplaincies at Ankara and Rome, and was Canon of Malta Cathedral 1979-1984.

In 1984 he returned to the UK, and parishes at Brighton and Teddington. In 1996 he was received into the Roman Catholic Church and later that year, at the age of 63, was ordained as a Catholic priest - his fourth ordination having been ordained as a deacon and priest in the Church of England and a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. David Palmer died in Isleworth on 22 December 2020, aged 87.
 
The Very Reverend James Edgar Atwell (1946-2020) passed away at his home in Cambridge on 12 December following a short illness. James attended Ripon College Cuddesdon (as have many of St John’s clergy) and was ordained by Mervyn Stockwood in 1970. In 1974 James became curate at Great St Mary’s, Cambridge and Chaplain at Jesus College, Cambridge. From Cambridge he was Vicar of St Lawrence, Towcester and then Provost, and subsequently Dean of St Edmundsbury on 19 November 2000. He was Dean of Winchester Cathedral from 25 March 2006 until his retirement on 14 July 2016.
 
James Atwell’s legacy in the parish lasted for many years after he left. In the summer of 1972, when Martin Coombs was the Vicar, he started the first annual ‘Children’s Week’.
 
“Children’s Week . . . has been in recent years the main way in which St John's has broken through directly to the community beyond itself. Every year up to 200 local children who might not otherwise go on holiday, or who have a special need, have a week of outings and activities. The programme changes but has always included a day at the seaside, usually the safe and uncrowded Minnis Bay. Other popular venues include a farm for the younger children, a sports centre for the older and Windsor Safari Park or Chessington Zoo. Until 1989 the week ended with a Carnival Procession and Fair on Goose Green on Saturday and a Carnival Mass in church on Sunday. Since then, the programme has varied, with in 1991 a concluding afternoon party in the church, with gospel choir. Some years parties of children have also been taken away for a week in the country. From the beginning the Carnival and Fair were the main source of funding for Children's Week, as well as a happy community event for the neighbourhood” (Mary Boast, St John’s East Dulwich: Church and Parish (1991)).
 
In James Atwell’s own words:

"Have you ever read about expeditions to the North Pole or up Mount Everest and wondered what motivates people to take such things on? All of those who dared to take on a Carnival Dance, a Children’s Week for 200 children and the Carnival, all in eight days, showed both the same stamina and the same insanity. Monday, July 30, saw two hundred eager children waiting to battle their way into church for the start of the holiday week. One of the highlights was the outing to Littlehampton. Different children went on four different days. The day started with a launch trip then off for a time on the beach. After a visit to the fair the day ended with a bumper tea given by ladies of Littlehampton. Other activities included visits to Chessington Zoo and Circus and also to the London Museum. At home some very good art work was produced - shapely mice, long-eared rabbits, paintings, models and the children’s centre-piece for the Carnival - Noah's Ark.

Carnival Day came. And so did the Whitbread Shires, Tate & Lyle‘s Steam Engine, three bands, a steam organ. Several thousand people turned out to see the procession off and enjoy the side-shows (on Goose Green). What a contrast on Sunday morning to be relaxed in church - thanking God for a marvellous time. Reaching out to others is the point in life where we draw closest to God, and therefore where life is at its richest. The Children’s Week captured that experience in a small way, hopefully the Carnival may have carried that same spirit out into the community"
(James Atwell, curate, 1970-74, now vicar of Towcester, St John’s Magazine September 1973).
 
Children’s Week became a charitable trust in 1986 and received considerable help from charitable foundations. It was finally wound up in 1996.
 
I wonder how many children from the local area came to St John’s during the time it was running?
 
 

Book review: The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
This novel, the third in the trilogy starting with Wolf Hall, continues the story of Thomas Cromwell. It also tells the story of Henry VIII and events in this part of the 16th Century, as seen through Cromwell’s eyes. As with the earlier novels, this direct and detailed telling of this story makes you feel as though you have a window in to the lives of Cromwell, Henry VIII and the other main characters. The cast of characters and Author’s Note in the introduction make clear where characters have been invented, and it is obvious that day-to-day actions and conversations have been imagined. At first, I kept reminding myself the trilogy blurs history with fiction, but I soon stopped thinking about where the boundary lay and just followed where the text led.

There are a great number of characters in this novel and I admit I found it impossible to keep up with them all. Even the cast of characters in the introduction did not help, as I gave up having to refer to it every few sentences! I was happy that some characters’ actions just created a sense of what was happening and I did not worry too much about absolutely all the individual players. The Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk gave me particular trouble, plus the Earl of Surrey, especially because they were sometimes interchanged with their actual names! But the majority of the main characters are wonderfully drawn so we feel we know them; the bland Jane Seymour, Cromwell’s rough diamond servant Christophe, his slightly lacklustre son Gregory.

The characters are portrayed with warmth, even Thomas Cromwell’s shady past and machine-like efficiency do not count against him. We go with him on all his dealings, sometimes almost feeling tired for him. He feels like an ordinary man in some ways; taking the mickey out of colleagues, fancying women he meets, suppressing rage with colleagues he doesn’t like and his awareness of the fine line between fulfilling his responsibilities and exceeding his remit. But the events he is involved in are so violent that you feel you can’t quite trust this likable persona or the rationalisations he makes to himself. Henry is magnanimous, cultured and warm, but also terrifying in coldly wielding his rule.

Much of the narrative concerns life at court. The descriptions of how Henry VIII lived are fascinating, as are the impressions of society at that time. Although so much of life at court is the preserve of that time and place, it still feels reminiscent of lives today - in the work place, in families, in wider society: who is in, who is out, who has power, who is popular, who has rival claims to authority. But there is an underlying menace one feels both from the earlier events of the trilogy and because so many of the characters are at heart driven by a desire to keep alive.

My historical knowledge is somewhat sketchy, but even those who know all these events must find themselves propelled through this book wanting to know how the facts play out. The language always feels spare and crisp and contributes to the sense of pace.

I am struck by how very human the events are; how Henry’s need to produce a son and heir, his authority and desires, plus the ambitions of those around him, coupled with the wider tensions in Europe and common poor health, came together to make those times so fractured and dramatic. That the stories are so different to our lives, but at the same time somehow similar, makes The Mirror and the Light and the whole trilogy an enthralling read. 

Review by Sue O'Neill