Parish of Esher's Newsletter: Edition 22 -
Summer 2021

From the Rectory
 

 

                  

My dear friends,

‘The night has passed and the day lies open before us,

Let us pray with one heart and mind.’

Those words, which are said daily at the beginning of Morning Prayer, have always struck me as a beautiful summons to open our eyes to the potential of each new dawn. And, as we begin to move closer and closer to the light at the end of the long tunnel of this pandemic, they seem particularly apt.

Not, of course, that we are at all forgetful of what we have been through in the dark hours of the ‘night’ which we trust and pray is drawing to a close; but we nevertheless look to the future with prayerful hope and with minds focused on the possibilities that lie ahead.

In fact, if I may move from prayer to poetry, I’m also mindful at this time of the beautiful words of the Irish poet Brendan Kennelly in his verses entitled ‘Begin Again.’ Kennelly, whom I had the pleasure of knowing when I was chaplain at Trinity College in Dublin (he taught in the English Department there) writes with a lyrical lightness of touch about that whisper of promise which we often sense as the days lengthen and the light grows stronger:

Begin again to the summoning birds

to the sight of the light at the window,

begin to the roar of morning traffic

all along Pembroke Road.

Every beginning is a promise

born in light and dying in dark

determination and exaltation of springtime

flowering the way to work.

God knows we need such newly-minted hope to sustain us as we edge towards the ‘new normal.’ Too many people, both locally and globally, are living with the wounds of what they’ve been through – physical and emotional hurts, financial scars, spiritual distress – and it is easy, I know, to be discouraged at the size of the task that awaits us in the coming months and years. There is, after all, so much to do in terms of comforting the suffering, challenging the complacent and working for a more just and equal world. ‘Building back better’ – to use the cliché du jour – will take significant amounts of vision, commitment and determination.

Nevertheless, Kennelly ends his poem with the reminder that there is always more to be said and that discouragement will not have the final word. He draws our attention to that mysterious and unconquerable ultimate reality which enlivens the human spirit and which is the source of our hope:

Though we live in a world that dreams of ending

that always seems about to give in

something that will not acknowledge conclusion

insists that we forever begin.

Darren
 

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A word from your editor

What a joy it was to be back in Christ Church again for a service after months (at times it felt like years) of watching services online. Nothing can replace the feeling of being back in your church with your community around you and receiving the sacrament again, if only in one kind.

And then, double joy, it was a baptism service, the second since the start of lockdown but my first. Though there was one downside ... our esteemed Rector had unfortunately managed to break his elbow whilst out running the previous evening (most people run on their feet Darren!). Determined not to miss such an auspicious moment in the re-opening of our services and his second baptism service in Christ Church, and despite being in a lot of pain, he rose to the occasion ably assisted by Jonathan. 

It was such a lovely service and you could palpably feel the energy and kindliness of the congregation as they welcomed Lucia Elizabeth Bennett into their midst. We may not have been able to sing the hymns but our responses rang out.


           

This may not be the end of our restrictions but, hopefully, this is the start of the beginning of the end and a return to a life more normal.

Usually July is a time of change for the young people in the parish as they look forward to moving schools, leaving home for university, moving up a class and leaving their 'norm' behind. Whilst those things are still happening it is not in the time honoured way with many missing out on rites of passage. We wish them all well and look forward to a new start for everyone in the autumn.

Remember, God is always with us and not just at the beginning of a life's journey like the lovely Lucia's.

Juliet 

PS: The next issue of InSpire, Harvest, will be out towards the end of September. If you have anything that you would like included in this issue please let us know at newsletter@esherparish.org.uk.

Our new Churchwarden
 

Our esteemed Editor, Juliet, has asked me to write on what inspired me to become Churchwarden, and what I hope to achieve during my tenure.
 
I would have to be honest and say I don’t think I was inspired to become Churchwarden, it was more a case of being asked, reflecting for a few days, asking some questions and then going for it! I had been asked twice in the past, but the busyness of secondary school teaching, sometimes even overwhelming, just made me feel I could not give everything to what I consider a key post in the Church. I am however, now approaching a major milestone in my life in that I am retiring from teaching at the end of this academic year. After twenty five years in the job, school and the students I have worked with have been a massive part of my life, so it will be very strange at the beginning of September not to be going back. But it feels like the right time, and I am now moving on to a new chapter in my life where I can dedicate more time to helping out where I can.
 
                        

I have served on the PCC for five years, so have some knowledge of how things work and what goes on in the background to keep our two Churches maintained and running as smoothly as possible. In addition, being a teacher, and prior to that having some time writing patient information leaflets, the ability to communicate effectively has been a skill I have offered and utilised over my years in Christ Church. I am part of the Inspire Newsletter team, I am on the rota for writing and reading the Intercessions, I was responsible for writing the last Parish Profile and with Helen Coulson I presented our last Stewardship Appeal for funds.
 
I would not in any way claim however, that I know it all – far from it. This is going to be a steep learning curve for me, but I am extremely lucky that I am supported by Helen and Sandra. Both have already spent time with me going through how things are done, but I know there will be much more to learn. There are others too who have shown me how to set up items needed for our services – I appreciate their help. In addition, I plan to access any Diocesan advice and training, as appropriate.
 
Without knowledge of the full extent of the role of Churchwarden, it is difficult to be too detailed about what I would like to help us to achieve. I use the word “us” as I don’t ever anticipate I will be working on my own, but rather as a hopefully valuable member of a team who can contribute positively to the day to day running of the Church, and become involved in new projects once we are more able to have the freedom to work with others in our wider community.
 
I see communication and working together as essential in the role of Churchwarden, and I hope that members of the congregation will feel they can communicate their ideas, suggestions and concerns (hopefully not too many of these) to me. I will always try to ensure I make time to listen, act appropriately and work with others to get things done. Equally, part of my role will be to rope in as many volunteers as we can to help keep the Church running, to fundraise and to get any new projects off the ground. So I am hoping to see as many people as possible coming forward to volunteer their time and expertise.
 
In the meantime, please bear with me while I find my feet, I will endeavour to do my best, and any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
 
Jane Tyrrell
 
 

A farewell to Sandra
 

The Annual Parish Church Meeting was held in Christ Church, Esher and by Zoom on Sunday 23^rd of May 2021 and was opened by Darren with prayers and a welcome. 

First on the agenda was the election of the Churchwardens and two nominations were received – Helen Coulson proposed by Janie McCulloch and seconded by Martin Kenyon and Jane Tyrrell proposed by Helen Coulson and seconded by Carol Henderson. These were both duly elected.

After the minutes from last year's meeting were approved the meeting moved on to the Parish annual report. Darren started by giving his own report and paid tribute to all those hard working people in the parish who had done so much for the church. He mentioned in particular:

• The two churchwardens Helen Coulson and Sandra Argent.
• Other members of the PCC.
• John Sandison as parish secretary
• Martin Fuller as parish treasurer.
• The honorary assistant priests: Jonathan Andrew and David Gerrard
• Melanie Williams as parish administrator. Darren described how hard she had worked, especially with the difficulties of working from home. Also the lockdown and frequent amendments of rules meant that she had to change and re-change services and arrangements over and over again.
• Director of Music, Stuart Whatton. He said that we are so fortunate to have such a talented person who created such amazing music.
• Keith Howell-Jones. Darren highlighted that Keith had recorded all the music for the services until July 2020 on his phone - subsequently merged into the sound only services that was all that was available at that time.
• The musicians and organists: Stuart Whatton, Keith Howell-Jones, Diana Johns, and Oliver McFarlane.
• Our youth worker, Dave Whymark.  Dave did so much behind the scenes in organising the youth groups and working with young people at the church schools. Dave’s wife is moving to Doha where she is taking up the position of head of a primary school college there in the autumn and Dave will leave shortly afterwards
• The deputy churchwardens: Andrea Lindow and Will Stevens
• The amazing crew at St George’s West End: their task was particularly difficult as they had to organise the seating for their services. Darren mentioned Peter Bedford, Clare Craigmile, Bridget Williams, Mair Molteno and many others there. The Norwegian community had been welcomed back to St George’s for the first time since this lockdown began.
• Brian Elliott as gift aid officer. Brian has subsequently stepped down and a new person will be taking his place.
• Covid 19 risk assessments - Polly Jordan and Alison Mohamed. Darren spoke movingly about the amazing work that these two had done in carrying out risk assessments, which were constantly changing because of amendments to regulations. For example, they had to assess risks for the choir, Music on the Green, services and the Eucharist  This was made more difficult as there were often three or four different sets of advice from the government, the Church of England, and church music organisations. Not only did they do that but they also worked on safeguarding. Polly and Alison received a well deserved round of applause.
• Alison Mohamed. Alison looked after Noah’s Ark until it was stopped by the lockdown when she stepped down and Darren thanked her very much. 
• The pastoral team: Wendy Tanqueray. Although for much of the time they could not visit people they sent letters which were very much appreciated.
• The occasional preachers: Dave Whymark, Becky Warner, Fiona Owen and John Sandison.
• The fabric chairperson, Hugh Miller, who worked primarily on his own on many different maintenance issues.
• The bell captain, Jennifer Meade and the tower team who had a very restricted year because of the lockdown’s.
• The flower team: Carol Calvert and her team.
• He also thanked Paul who like an angel dropped down from heaven to set up online streaming of services and other events for us.

A presentation was made to John Sandison who stepped down as parish secretary after many years service as churchwarden and secretary. John replied and thanked everybody.

A  presentation of flowers was made to Sandra Argent at the end of her tenure as churchwarden. Darren expressed the parish's thanks for all her hard work and Polly Jordan gave a moving address about Sandra (see article above). All felt that Sandra had done a wonderful job in humility, helpfulness, friendship and love and managed to do all of this whilst juggling her job and parenthood. She had had a particularly difficult time as churchwarden with the departure of one rector, the arrival of another and the death of her beloved co-churchwarden Beverley. She then had to deal with all the implications of Covid.

Helen Coulson suggested that once all restrictions are over there should be a proper celebration for all those who left their various roles during the past two years.

Financial statements
Martin Fuller gave a brief summary of the financial position in 2020. He said that last year income exceeded expenditure because we reined back our expenditure and there were a number of generous bequests. We also obtained a reduction in parish share.

However he said that apart from the bequests our income is not enough to meet our expenditure and that for 2021 to date there is a £15,000 shortfall on general expenditure.

The accounts had been audited by Gordon Manikan and the PCC had already voted for them to be accepted. However the meeting was also asked to accept them and this was agreed, proposed by Martin Fuller and seconded by Will Stevens. Grateful thanks were sent to Gordon Manikan particularly as he worked pro bono.

PCC and Deanery Synod elections.

There are five vacancies on the PCC. There was one nomination for a PCC member being Michael Banks. He was elected proposed by Helen Coulson and seconded by Stuart Whatton.

Deanery Synod. Becky Warner had stepped down and there was therefore a vacancy. Mair Molteno had been nominated proposed by Andrea Lindow and seconded by Bridget Williams.  

At the end of the meeting Sandra Argent and Helen Coulson proposed a vote of thanks to Darren for all the hard work he has done since joining us in March 2020.

However, because of the lockdown which started on the day he joined we have not been able to have a proper celebration for his joining us and it is intended to do this as soon as government regulations allow. Helen said that we have been really blessed that he has worked so tirelessly and Bridget Williams said that she is really proud to have such a person is Rector.

(Editor's note: It looks as if there could be a few parties on the horizon!!)
 

 

We are delighted to welcome the news that a new Headteacher has been appointed to Esher Church School.

Following a thorough recruitment process, Mr Ben Foley will join the learning community for the start of the autumn term. He comes to Esher with a wealth of experience in senior leadership and headteacher positions in primary schools, in both the academy and maintained sector. Most recently he has been working with the Schools Alliance for Excellence, delivering Surrey’s School Improvement Service.



During the All Age service on Sunday 4th July, a tribute was paid to the outgoing acting Headteacher, Caroline McLennan, as she prepares to move to a new post in September. Thanks go to School Governor Sandra and pupil Sam for making the presentation to Caroline.
 

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In sympathy with most other events the covid pandemic provided numerous challenges to Music on the Green.  In addition to the stuttering efforts of the Government advice were the severest restrictions on personal movement and interaction in living memory.

In spite of the total disruption to the original programme it was decided to maintain a presence for MOTG, not only to keep the concept alive but also to provide live music to our loyal audience as best we could. This was largely due to Stuart Whatton, our Director of Music, who was determined to obtain the best performers and overcome the considerable difficulties.

For a certain period the regulations forbad duets, trios, quartets and anything larger severely limiting the list of artistes available. Only soloists need apply!  This is to say nothing of their own concerns over travel and potential mixing.  Likewise, only one person was allowed in church at any one time. This frequently led to a Feydeau farce situation with one door closing as another one opened.

We are indebted to our performers who braved the experience of playing to an empty church and the loneliness of their long distance programme.

With no live audience permitted, modern technology and the YouTube channel were employed to beam our productions to those in need -  even, if initially, the solo violin or piano were playing to an echoing empty church. Whilst this was better than nothing it has to be admitted that the camera work was static and the sound somewhat tinny. 

Production values were also noticeable by their absence, exemplified when Stuart was very formally attired from the waist up but clearly extremely casual below. Even if his dress sense may leave something to be desired, he is certainly to be thanked for maintaining such high standards through these trying times and for devotion to the cause.

We were very fortunate to obtain the services of Paul, a professional producer, who volunteered to come to our aid. With his input, latest cameras and sound equipment the standard of presentation has improved beyond recognition.

As the regulations have eased we have been enraptured by the amazing gifts of our visiting musicians, many of whom have been quite outstanding.  This is all now captured and readily available on our YouTube channel for original or repeated viewing.  A facility we hope to continue, which was not in existence pre-pandemic.

The committee was concerned that without a live audience to fill the baskets for the retiring collection we should soon run short of funds. Accordingly, it has been most gratifying to note that audience numbers have been maintained and often exceeded our best live attendances.  Thanks to their generosity, and to donations via our JustGiving facility, they have enabled MOTG to weather the storm, for which we are most grateful.

Since May we have been delighted to see many of our audience return to Christ Church to enjoy the concerts live. We hope the promised lifting of covid restrictions will see us back to a well attended church for the Autumn programme when, once more, we plan to provide refreshments so that we can all fully appreciate each other’s company in the presence of fine music once more.
 
Michael Banks
 

 
It has been a major disappointment for the whole of the village that there will be no flower show for two years running. This event has always been a major fundraiser for us all – but particularly for St George’s.

Every year we seem to have some major challenge – and this year is no exception. The layers of paint on the outside of the church, which have built up over several years – must now be taken back to the original corrugated iron base, before the building can be completely repainted. We have started to obtain quotes and are horrified by the news that the cost will be in excess of £24,0000. 

While we know that we cannot realistically find the money to pay for this – the work will have to be delayed until we get an opportunity to do some proper fundraising. WATCH THIS SPACE! Meanwhile the front of the church has been washed down- and the gardening team have put all their energy into making the front, the back and the sides of the garden looking gorgeous. We are so grateful for their consistent hard work – please do take a walk around the gardens to admire them and sit for a few moments on one of the benches at the back. It’s very peaceful.

Pet Service  
We had to give last year’s Pet Service a miss – but we are determined to hold our 13^th Pet Service this year. Due to Covid restrictions and distanced seating, we plan to re-locate the service to Christ Church on Sunday 10^th October at 4pm. Christ Church is much bigger, and we can space people and animals at a sensible distance and also use separate doors to enter and exit. There is parking locally and a green opposite – on which to take your doggies for a last minute “comfort break” before the service. Posters and leaflets will be put up nearer the time – but please do also check the website.

Andrea Lindow and Bridget Williams
 

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Christ Church Book Club
 

The Book Club is still going strong, and meeting via Zoom, and since the last InSpire we have read Duncan Hamilton’s book about Neville Cardus entitled The Great Romantic, Never Let Me Go by Nobel prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro - which was followed by ‘The Coldest Case’ by Martin Walker to provide some light relief!

For its next read the Book Group has chosen ‘Normal People’ by Sally Rooney.  Though many will have seen the story serialised on television, the novel gives a deeper insight into the characters and what makes them tick. 

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 10th August, at 4.30 pm.  It is hoped that the easing of restrictions will let us meet in person (probably in the Book Stall corner in church), rather than by Zoom, but new covid guidance may mean that we need to confirm arrangements in due course.  

It would be great to have a few more members of the group so if you are interested please contact the Parish Office for details.

 

 

 

With the weekly offerings gathered and presented during each Sunday service continuing to be difficult to manage, there are now two secure places where you can support the mission and ministry of Esher Parish. The JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/EsherOnlineOffertory or the Esher Parish Give A Little page at https://givealittle.co/campaigns/d9f42eab-78e6-4ce8-880b-215b3f77c260 
or see our website for bank transfer details. 

We know that these are extremely challenging days for many people, and  realise that many are not able to contribute at this time. Please do not feel under pressure to do so. 

Thanks to the generous support of so many at this difficult time, it has been possible to maintain the work and witness of the parish, retain the wonderful paid staff, as well as supporting local groups working with the most vulnerable. 
 
You can also:
 
Shop Online & Fundraise - The website easyfundraising.org.uk turns your everyday online shopping into donations for the Parish, at no cost at all to you. Just visit your favourite retailers through the link: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ pccesher/ - and then shop as normal.
 
Parish Fundraising via Amazon - You can also fundraise for the Parish when you shop with Amazon. Support us by always starting your shopping using the link https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1134847-0

 

The Parish Office continues to be closed but if you need any particular support or would just like to speak with someone please do let us know via the parish office email: office@esherparish.org.uk and answerphone: 01372 462282 - they are checked every day. We are here to help.

If your enquiry is urgent please contact one of our church wardens - Helen Coulson on 07506 701454 or Jane Tyrrell on 07971 698299.

If you have any music or 'Music on the Green' enquiries please contact our Director of Music, Stuart Whatton, on 07816 011621 or at s.m.whatton.01@cantab.net.

Many thanks for your understanding. Take care.

Our excellent Parish Administrator has continued to produce the Sunday Pewsheets with the Readings and Parish updates every weekend since lockdown. They are distributed by email and if you would like to be added to the list please contact the Parish Office through the website.

The website is also the place to go to find details of services of worship delivered to the parish by audio broadcasts. The 10.30 service from Christ Church is broadcast on YouTube Live each Sunday morning, with the video available to watch afterwards – available at: 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsJekPBs9QggNLxKVo3YTQ

If we cannot be together in Christ Church and St George's we can still join together in prayer. 

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                     Youthwork and Chaplaincy in Esher

For my article this month I thought I would do something a little bit different. Normally I would give a summary of the various activities I have been involved with over the last few months, but what I thought I would do this time is focus in on one particular area and give you a more in depth look at one specific area of my ministry: school assemblies.

I am involved in assemblies in both Esher Church school and Esher High school and both present their own unique set of challenges. One thing that they both have in common is that all assemblies during the pandemic have either been pre-recorded or broadcast live into classrooms rather than having the whole school or year groups in together. This has been tough as one of the joys of doing assemblies is being able to interact with the students and get them involved with the presentation.

In Esher Church School the assembly team that consists of Darren, Jonathan and myself have been teaching the children the story of the Bible from the beginning …. and we are currently still in Genesis!

I recently taught the children part of the Jacob story and, at time of writing, I am preparing an assembly on the last part of the story of Joseph. One of the challenges is making a story written such a long time ago, and in a totally different culture, relevant for the children today and all within 10 minutes! For Jacob, we looked at the importance of being truthful and for Joseph we will be looking at how even when things look really bad, God has a plan to turn bad situations good.

In Esher High School, rather than tell Bible stories I generally look at themes and topics instead. Many students identify as atheist and have little interest in faith, God and the Bible. So my challenge is to show them why these things are important even if they don’t believe themselves.

Recently I led an assembly on “spirituality” to encourage the students to look beyond the things they can see and consider whether there is more to life than the physical world. I followed this up with an assembly on the importance of collective worship, looking at why schools are required to have a broadly Christian act of worship each day. Then, just this past week, I was able to collaborate with the youth workers at St. Mary’s in East Molesey to record an assembly around how the Bible can help us when we are going through periods of change in our lives.

The end of an academic year is always a time of transition and it is even more so this year with the uncertainty around how school will even look when they return in September. Each of us shared a brief testimony of times in our lives when change and transition brought stress and anxiety and so I was able to share about my upcoming move to Qatar. I shared with them Psalm 31:15 “My times are in your hands” and spoke about how encouraging it can be to know that God has everything in his control.  

Hopefully all these assemblies will have demonstrated the value of faith not only to individuals but also to the entire school community. I am looking forward to, hopefully, joining all the year groups in Christ Church for their welcome services in September - as long as restrictions are still fully eased.

Please do pray for our school communities that even these brief assemblies will sow seeds in their lives that will bring much fruit in years to come.
 
Thank you!

Dave Whymark
Parish Youth Worker and Chaplain to Esher High School

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                                  Desert Island Hymns

Our Desert Islander this issue is Revd Jonathan Andrew
 
How long have you worshipped at Christ Church?
 
My wife Jackie and I first moved to Esher in 1977 when we bought a house in Hillbrow Road, where we lived for eight years before moving to West End.  On arrival in Esher, we were surprised and delighted to find ourselves next-door-but-one to the curate’s house, then occupied by Revd Robin Sanders who had been a very close friend of ours when Jackie and I were up in Oxford.  We were reading Physics and he was reading Theology.  We naturally adopted Christ Church as our place of worship and have been involved on-and-off ever since.

What is your role at Christ Church?
 
Over the 25 years up to 2002 Jackie and I were involved in most things – at various times we were on all the usual rotas, and we seemed to take it in turns to serve on the PCC.  Jackie helped with all the young people’s activities and sang in the Choir.  I organised the Men’s Group, ensured that we claimed all the Gift Aid that we could, and led some Christian Development courses.  The only job I never did was Churchwarden – my excuse being that business travel commitments meant that I wouldn’t be able to do the job properly.  That escape route ran out in 2000 when I took early retirement from the City, and it has been mischievously suggested that one of the reasons I responded positively to William Allberry’s suggestion that I might explore some form of licenced ministry was that it would disqualify me from becoming Churchwarden for ever!
 
William’s original idea was that I should train as a Lay Reader to support him at Christ Church but, somewhat to his chagrin I suspect, things snowballed and I ended up offering for the priesthood.  Time in training and then a wonderful 15 years as Associate Priest in Hersham meant that my involvement in Christ Church was limited to very occasional support when the parish was in vacancy or the Rector away.
 
I retired from Hersham in 2019.  Priests, of course, never retire completely, but Jackie and I looked forward to a somewhat gentler pace of life supporting whoever was ultimately appointed as Rector of Esher.  This, of course, took longer than anyone hoped, and then Covid struck, which has limited what I have been able to do.  Nevertheless, I have covered a few services when Darren has managed to grab some time away, and I have taken responsibility for our programme of assemblies at Esher Church School – currently on-line, of course, but I’m really looking forward to getting back into school live.  No one was more surprised than I was when working with primary school children turned out to being one of my real passions in Hersham! 
 
As things start to open up, Darren and I will be discussing an appropriate ongoing role for me but, in the meantime, I’m looking forward to presiding at my first wedding and baptism services for far too long!

                        

 
So, what is your first choice of hymn and why have selected it?
 
I’m going to go back to my school days.  In the 1950s and ‘60s schools made no special allowances for children when it came to hymnody - nothing simplified to make it easily digestible and (dare I say it?) bland; no attempt to modernise the language and make it inclusive.  I remember singing George Herbert’s ‘Teach me my God and King’.  I cannot recall what I made of it in the early years, but the rich imagery intrigued me and stimulated my imagination:
 
A man that looks on glass,
on it may stay his eye;
Or, if he pleaseth, through it pass,
And then the heav’n espy.
 
This is the famous stone
that turneth all to gold;
for that which God doth touch and own
cannot for less be told.
 
So where were you at school and how important was music there?
 
I started off at Kenyngton Manor primary school in Sunbury – old-fashioned in its ways even then, but I loved it – I even became Head Boy!  I then moved on to Hampton Grammar (now Hampton School).  The academic side was generally brilliant, and I was lucky that my parents’ house was literally just across the road which meant I could join in with everything going, apart from sport at which I was embarrassingly awful!  I particularly enjoyed being part of the wonderful school choir and found that the church music which was our speciality really spoke to my soul – how could Mozart’s ‘Ave verum corpus’ be anything other than true in the deepest possible sense? 

Your second choice of hymn?
 
Let’s move forward to my time at Oxford.  It was there that my faith ‘crystalised’ as it were.  I was confirmed in our college chapel by the Bishop of Southern Virginia who happened to be in town and, supported by Robin Sanders and other ‘sound’ friends, became a regular worshipper, not only in college chapel (if the chaplain had had a heavy night I might find myself leading Morning Prayer), but also at those temples of the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Pusey House, St Mary Magdalene and St Barnabas.  It was in Oxford that I learned about the beauty of well-ordered worship, and the identity of the Church of England as the continuation of the early undivided in church in our country.  The hymn ‘Firmly I believe and truly’, written by St John Henry Newman, sums it up:
 

And I hold in veneration,
for the love of Him alone,
Holy Church as his creation,
And her teachings as his own.

 
What are you selecting as a third hymn?
 
I’m going to leap forward three decades to my ordination in Guildford Cathedral for my next choice.  Going back to college in one’s fifties for two years of theology, priestcraft and a ragbag of stuff under the general heading of ‘Mission & Ministry’ was pretty challenging.  However, it all came together as, on the ordination day, we sang a modern hymn that for once did speak to me, and indeed still brings a lump to my throat.  It is, of course, ‘I, the Lord of Sea and Sky’ by Dan Schutte.  It’s based on the vision in Isaiah chapter 6 and, of course, 1 Samuel chapter 3:
 
Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard your calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

In true ‘Desert Island’ fashion as well as the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare, you can select one other item to take with you.  What would you like to take?
 
In one way I have had a sheltered life, in that I have never had to prepare my own food.  Some suitable reading matter along the lines of ‘River Cottage meets Bear Grylls’, might enable me to hunt, kill, prepare, cook, eat and survive!
 

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                                      Rest in Peace

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of two stalwarts of our Christ Church community, Mary Teague and Betty Whitney.  They tirelessly gave their time to the Parish and we celebrate their lives with these obituaries that that have been put together from the memories of those who knew them well.

 

                                                Mary Teague 1927 - 2021

In order to do justice to Mary, a lifelong pillar of Christ Church, I have gathered together testaments from various members of our congregation who knew her better than I did, and Ian Talbot who is a close family member. I also had access to an article written by Mary herself, from an old edition of the Newsletter, pre-Inspire!
 
Life for Mary began in West End in 1927, which she described as “truly rural” in those days. The family later moved up to Esher to live in Fews Cottage, opposite Christ Church. Her father was a teacher at the old Esher Church School where Mary was a pupil. She describes how war interrupted their classes, as air raids meant they had to go to the shelters on the green. This is hard to imagine now when we look across to this tranquil area of Esher.
 
Mary subsequently went to college to study Business Studies, shorthand and typing. This led to her first job with the Surrey County Library at the top of Esher High Street, followed by some years at the National Central Library, now the British Library. She describes travelling to London as “a bit irksome” – a typical Mary understatement – so she subsequently moved to work for an engineering firm before finishing her working life in the library at Brooklands College. She found the 16+ age group quite a challenge, as they apparently didn’t take kindly to the rules and regulations of the library.

                           

 
I have no doubt, however, that Mary would have won them round as she had such a wonderful sense of humour, and a real love of children and young people. Several have described how children just loved Mary. She got down to their level and seemed to develop a special bond with them. She was a Lieutenant in the 1^st Esher Guides, where she used her skill to inspire the children. She shared their sense of fun, and her obvious enjoyment and joy in them was returned by their affection for her. My own daughter Kirsty stood next to Mary in the choir for several years, initially as a 7 year old; Mary always took time to make sure Kirsty knew where she was with the music and had a little joke with her, and Kirsty loved Mary.
 
Christ Church was always a part of Mary’s life. She had an extensive knowledge of the Bible, and contributed much to various Fellowship groups through the years. Her father sang Tenor in the choir, with Mary singing Soprano for many years. Music was one of Mary’s great interests and a real source of enjoyment. Mary’s brother Michael was the verger at Christ Church, with Mary assisting quietly in the background. When Michael died (“Silly old fool smoked himself to death” – Mary’s words, not mine!), Mary took on his Sacristan duties. With her comprehensive knowledge of the garments, candles, altar coverings and the communion vessels, Mary’s contributions were invaluable. A previous incumbent said of Mary – “Mary’s quiet nature, utter reliability and unassuming pleasantness…….”
 
But this is not the whole story. Those of us who knew Mary in Christ Church did not have the full picture, as in later life Mary was more reserved. Mention has already been made of her wonderful, wicked sense of humour. This did surface at choir practice every so often, when Mary would pipe up with one of her unexpected witty comments, making us all laugh. This was more evident in her family life, where Ian describes her as the life and soul of the party. She would compile quizzes for them all at Christmas time, even writing a play for Boxing Day. Ian describes how he felt somewhat miffed when given a non-speaking part of a dog – fairly ironic as he went on to have a career in the theatre, with Mary of course taking a great interest in this.
 
Mary also enjoyed many holidays exploring the UK, often with her great friend Pam, apparently entertaining those on the coach with her quick wit. She was a keen photographer, loved playing tennis and had a great interest in sport. This continued when Mary moved into Glendale, as she loved reading her Daily Mail; she and Ian would apparently enjoy picking out potential winners at various race meetings. Ian had also taught Mary to drive, which he describes as “hair raising,” as Mary either drove far too slowly or far too fast, with not a lot in between!

            
 
Jan Sayer and Jill Woolgar arranged a 90^th Birthday Party for Mary, and some of the photos from this happy occasion are included here. Mary thoroughly enjoyed herself, and you can just see her sense of fun in some of her facial expressions!
 
Mary was quite simply a lovely person, who always thought of others first and showed a great loyalty to everyone who knew her. She was so generous in looking after other people, caring for her parents, her Aunt Mab and Ian’s mother Kate, whom she never failed to visit every Sunday after church. Mary had a wonderful sense of humour, a generous spirit and showed great loyalty to her friends. Ian describes how she held the family together, she was undemanding and loved for her never ending kindness and warmth. She will be missed by many.

Jane Tyrrell
                 

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                                  Betty Whitney 1927 - 2021

 

Betty, a long time resident and stalwart of West End, died peacefully in February aged 94.

Sadly, due to COVID restrictions, only her immediate family were able to attend her funeral Service, which was conducted by the Rev Darren McCallig on 23rd March.  In normal times, St George’s would have been overflowing with her many, many friends.

Betty was born, and grew up, in Highgate, North London, and enjoyed a happy childhood with her sister Blanche, who was 15 months her senior.  Both of them attended North London Collegiate School and then went to St Gabriel’s to undertake teacher training.  Very adventurously, Betty and Blanche wished to experience teaching in Australia - a brave decision back then.  Having relatives in Melbourne they simply went to Australia House in London, said they wished to teach in Australia, and within no time, they were on their way!   Betty taught near Melbourne for a year, before returning to England to marry her fiancé Michael.

                    

Betty and Michael initially lived in a house on the Portsmouth Road, before moving into their newly built home at the bottom of Claremont Avenue, where their children Gillian and Michael grew up. There Betty remained until the 2010s before moving briefly to Greenmead in West End and finally to Whitely Village, where she was very happy.


Many of us remember Betty teaching our children over a number of years at the Church of England School in Milbourne Lane.  Being very much a “people person” she continued to take a keen interest in her many pupils long after they had left school and had children of their own.  She was also a superb judge of the children’s entries at the West End Village Show, being scrupulously fair, full of encouragement and enthusiasm.

Betty was a founder member of the Winterdown W.I and willingly lent her support - baking cakes, serving teas at the Village Hall on the day of the Flower Show and proposing the vote of thanks to the Speaker at the monthly meetings.  She was also an avid Bridge player, and a regular participant of the Bridge Club, held monthly in the Village Hall.





St George’s Church was a hugely important part of Betty’s life, where she was a superb Churchwarden for many years and a regular and committed attendee at the 9am Eucharist.  She was on all the rotas - arranging flowers, serving coffee, doing the readings and intercessions, greeting visitors and supporting the clergy.  In between all these roles she somehow found time to be a conscientious and tireless member of the team at the Esher Citizens Advice Bureau.

Some years ago,  in recognition of all that Betty contributed to those in West End and the wider community, and the support and friendship she provided to so many over the years, she was voted Woman of the Year for Esher. What a truly fitting tribute to this kind, generous and caring lady, who is greatly missed by all who knew her.

Andrea Lindow

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                   Revd Canon Christopher Scott 1944 - 2021

We were all saddened to hear recently of the death of Revd Canon Christopher Scott who was Rector of our Parish from 1987 until 1998.
 
Christopher was born in April, 1944, in Henley and was educated at St Edward’s, Oxford, where he twice won the Organ Prize. After leaving school he taught in Raipur, India for nine months before studying Theology at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
 
In 1966 he trained for the priesthood at Cuddesdon Theological College in Oxford. Ordained in 1968, at Canterbury Cathedral by Archbishop Michael Ramsey, his first post was curate at St Edward’s, New Addington, near Croydon. 1971 he became Priest-in-Charge of St George’s, New Addington, also taught regularly in both the local primary and secondary schools.
 
Christopher and Linda were married in 1973 and he took on the role of curate of St Stephen’s, Rochester Row, Westminster, becoming a part-time Chaplain at Westminster Hospital - teaching a student group at Imperial college as well as at a church school.
 
Christopher became Vicar of St Michael’s, Enfield in 1978, before moving to the Guildford diocese in1981 where he took up the post of Vicar at St Lawrence’s, Effingham with Little Bookham. During this period they had their three children David, Michael and Clare.
 
It was in 1987 that Christopher became Rector of Christ Church in Esher. Christopher was closely involved with our schools as Chair of School Governors and was part-time Chaplain at the Princess Alice Hospice. He chaired the Churches Together group in Esher and district and was the Rural Dean for Emly in 1991.
 
During his time in the Guildford Diocese Christopher was a tutor for Post-Ordination Training in and trained two curates in our parish. In 1992 he attended a Rome Summer School, organised by the Anglican Centre in Rome, and later took a four month sabbatical at Tantur in Jerusalem.
 
In 1998 Christopher and his family moved to Bude as Rector of St Michael’s with St Marwenne’s, Marhamchurch and became an Honorary Canon of Truro Cathedral in 2003.
 
He retired in 2008 and used his time to write his book Unknowing and Astonishment, Meditations on Faith for the Long Haul. He loved the arts in general and in particular music, being a talented pianist and organist. Christopher was also a keen watercolour artist and exhibited his work at local exhibitions. He was a devoted grandfather to seven grandchildren.
 
Christopher passed away on 8th April, one day short of his 77^th birthday.
 
 

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                                        Zoom in!

 There are currently two initiatives for those who are not able to attend service in person but would like to maintain contact with their fellow parishioners.  

Zoom Bible Reflection & Prayer - At 9am on Tuesday mornings, there is a time of Bible reflection and prayer. It includes a discussion of the day’s lectionary reading, followed by shared prayer. All are welcome to join this informal Zoom gathering which finishes about 10am.

‘Zoom’ Morning Prayer & Zoffee! - At 9am, every Wednesday, our Rector, Darren, leads a Morning Prayer service on Zoom. Install Zoom (zoom.us) on your computer or device. Zoom prayers will be followed by coffee time (Zoffee!) finishing at 10am. All are welcome to join. 

For the Zoom details for both these please contact the Parish Office (office@esherparish.org.uk ).
 

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