View - Beverley Minster

BEVERLEY MINSTER
M AG A Z I N E
APRIL 2015
|
£1.00
The Parish Magazine of Beverley Minster, All Saints’ Routh, St Paul’s Tickton, St Leonard’s Molescroft and St Peter’s Woodmansey
THOUGHT FOR
THE MONTH
The account in St. Mark’s Gospel is very vivid.
The priests brought Jesus for trial before
Pilate. The crowd had followed and filled the
courtyard.
Pilate realised that Jesus was innocent of any
crime and offered to release him, but the
priests had stirred up their followers to shout
for Barabbas.
When Pilate asked what he should do with
Jesus, they shouted even louder: ‘Crucify Him!’
There must have been many in that courtyard
who would have liked to see Jesus released
but who were too afraid to make their voices
heard.
“The only thing necessary for the
triumph of evil is for good men to
do nothing.”
Dorothy B. Hailstone
THE VIC AR’S
EDITORIAL
J E R E M Y F L E TC H E R
Welcome to the APRIL edition of the Minster Magazine. The cover photo is of
Gareth and Rachael at their wedding - see article below.
Jeremy’s letter now appears as ‘The Vicar’s Blog’ on our website and it is also available electronically for those who receive our free eNewsletter.
Contributors this month are:
Sally George, Lorna Jones, Emily Hoe, Jeremy Fletcher, Marjorie Neaum, Steve Rial,
Paul Hawkins, Barbara Gilman, Jeannie McMillan, Dorothy B. Hailstone, Gareth Atha.
Contributions for the next edition to: julian.neaum@gmail.com
The Magazine Editorial Team have been heartened by the response for more
content - in the form of words and pictures. Please keep it coming so that the
Maga zine in paper form can have a sustainable future.
THE LOVELIEST OF WEDDINGS
On Monday 16 February I went to watch the wedding of Gareth, our curate and
the lovely Rachael. The Minster was full when I arrived, but I managed to get a
seat. What a beautiful dress the bride was wearing with an exquisite flared skirt.
Their married life certainly started off in style as we sang ‘O for a thousand
tongues’. There were not a thousand singing but it sounded like it. We were
all served by clergy, Revd Peter Nelson introduced the ceremony and married
them, Revd David Everett presided at the Holy Communion. (Revd Everett was
from Market Weighton as were many of the guests.) The sermon was preached
by Revd John Allison and Revd Jeremy Fletcher led our prayers. A choir from
Market Weighton sang beautifully during the signing of the Registers. We sang
‘Happy the Home’ and as we sang it I thought how sure I was that theirs would
be a happy home. The final hymn was ‘Love Divine’ and the singing was as
beautiful as any Welsh rendition that I have heard.
You will probably be reading this after April 5,
Easter Sunday, and I’m writing it in March, in
the depths of Lent. The seasons of the year are
such a vital part of our lives, and the seasons of
the Church’s year play their part in helping us
learn more about our faith and the God who
loves us in Jesus Christ by the power of the
Spirit.
As I write I’m gearing up for the spiritual
challenge of Holy Week, and am focussing on
God’s supreme love for us in Jesus Christ’s
suffering and death. I’m getting ready for the
Passion Gospel on Palm Sunday, and the long
recitation of the last hours of Jesus’s life, and
preparing too for Maundy Thursday and Good
Friday with their themes of betrayal, guilt,
failure and sacrifice. But you’ll be reading this
as the church is filled with daffodils and lilies,
and the good news of God raising Jesus from
the dead will be on your lips, with Easter Eggs
to the fore.
The changing of the seasons and the different
themes they carry are a key part of the way
the church calendar teaches us and helps us
to pray. I wouldn’t ordinarily want to focus
on betrayal and injustice, but the events of
Holy Week require me to do so, and that
then enables me to recognise those themes
in contemporary life. As Christians we are
required to seek out injustice and unfairness,
and the story of Holy Week is a profound
reminder. So too is the Easter story, and our
requirement to rejoice with those who rejoice,
to declare that God’s new life is greater than
all the powers which would try to destroy.
Both themes are essential to our Christian
journey, and I hope you valued the Holy Week
journey and are now luxuriating in the Easter
good news.
Minster School
Change and the seasons are a theme of my
pictures this time. Our new chairs have arrived,
and have instantly brightened the Minster. A
Lorna Jones
Part of a host of golden daffodils, prepared by Year 1 for
Mother’s Day
FLOODLIGHTING THE MINSTER - SPONSORS IN APRIL (taken from the Minster website)
Mrs Cooper
Mrs A Roper
Mrs B Dickinson
P & K Horrocks
P Sharp
Miss K Holgate
Mrs R Willoughby
Dr C Rhodes
The Best Family
Mrs V Warner
Mrs J Kirby
12th M.V Harrison
13th Mr & Mrs J Carling
14th Mr D Jack
15th Mr S Tait
16th Mrs J Chetwynd
17th H & N Uebel
18th J & M Ashurst
19th Yorkshire Country Womens’ Association
20th J & M Westoby
Beverley Minster Magazine/2
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
30th
new road has been built, and though we were
not consulted about the name it is a privilege
to know that a road with such good views of
the Minster is called ‘Minster Way’. The eclipse
was a stunning event, and I was amazed to see
I had photographed a bird as it was happening,
flying towards the Minster.
The rather futuristic machine is a drone which
was used to film the Minster from the air: I
hope some of the shots will be available to us
soon. The film is for the promotion of the Tour
de Yorkshire, which will come right past the
Minster on May 2. And the young person in
the castle is enjoying our latest Gruffalo event:
around 200 other joined them in a fantastic
and creative morning.
Every blessing for the Easter season
All the service was incredible, but the thing that made it memorable for me was
the radiant smile on Gareth’s face as he walked down the aisle.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
PAGE
Yorkshire Electricity
Yorkshire Electricity
Yorkshire Electricity
Yorkshire Electricity
Yorkshire Electricity
Yorkshire Electricity
Mrs M Cruikshank
Miss B Webb
FREE
I.R & H.S Usher
Beverley Minster Magazine/3
Jeremy
ON TH E P L A N E
TO M A D E I RA
When she started a second Alpha course that Deena recalled more of
her college chapel experiences and as she learned more about the nature
of God, she realised that despite a lot of personal difficulties throughout
her life, He had been beside her all the time. Opportunities had presented
themselves to her which she would never have sought for herself. In
particular, when - due to local government reorganisation -she was made
redundant from her Youth Tutor post after twenty-two years in the Youth
Service, at the end of her career, she found supply teaching in some of
Hull’s more challenging schools, work with adults with special needs and
lastly, a teaching post with children with profound and multiple learning
difficulties.
D E E N A ’ S S T O RY
Halfway into that Alpha course however came the ultimate test: Deena’s
daughter Helga took her own life. Aged just 34, worn down by more than
five years of terrible back pain and ineffective surgery, life had become
intolerable for her, her job as a dentist extremely difficult to sustain and
she had suffered severe depression. As Helga’s tragic death slowly sank in,
Deena felt as if she were a flower bud on a long stalk, waving to and fro in
the wind, very vulnerable, but being held at the same time, as though God’s
hands were the sepals.
“We pray almost daily that in sharing
your testimony with others, it will one day
be instrumental in bringing someone to a
new found faith in Christ.”
This prayer convinced Deena Sharples that she
should tell her story:
It was summer 2003 when Deena and three
friends boarded the plane for their holiday
in Madeira. The seats were in rows of three.
Deena said she didn’t mind sitting on her
own and made herself comfortable next to
an elderly couple, who turned out to be very
friendly and introduced themselves: Edmund
and Edna, “two Eds are better than one.” They
got chatting during the flight and, because they
both seemed so kind, Deena found herself
telling them about her daughter Helga, who
was in constant pain after sustaining a broken
back in an accident. But not wishing to make
too much of her own concerns, Deena used
the phrase – loosely -‘there but for the grace
of God go I.’ Edmund inquired gently if she
knew God, which rather flummoxed her, as she
had never really thought about God much. He
and Edna told her they were both Christians;
this provoked a lot more conversation and a
lot of questions. They asked if she would like a
little book which might help her to understand
better and Deena said she would: she was
drawn by something special in this couple’s
manner. They exchanged names and addresses
and said their goodbyes as she and her friends
set off, barely giving the encounter a second
thought. However on arriving home, there
amongst the post, as promised, was a packet
from the ‘two Eds’ - a copy of ‘Who is Jesus?’
She read it from cover to cover. The logo on
the book Deena recognised from a banner
hanging on railings round Beverley Minster’s
east end advertising the Alpha course. She rang
up to enquire about it and subsequently met
the curate, Helen Bennett, who encouraged
her to go along, even though the course was
half way through. It was a revelation to her,
both the course content and the kindness of
the others in her group, whose level of support
as she shared her deepest concerns took her
by surprise.
Deena had only recently moved and taken
on a new job teaching autistic children in a
special school. She had quickly got to know
her mostly elderly new neighbours, helping
any as needs arose. This was second nature:
helping others had always been a way of life,
ingrained since earliest childhood, as her
parents – a Jew and a Christian, and a doctor
and nurse respectively - practised their faith
only through social action. Neither of them
ever went to church or synagogue or even
talked about religion at home (although,
unknown to Deena, many years later her
father did become a Christian and both of
them started going to church). They worked
tirelessly in their jobs and off duty, with needy
people in their neighbourhood and with the
WRVS, a Darby and Joan Club and Guide Dogs
for the Blind, involving their two daughters
in everything. Once the family looked after a
blind baby and on another occasion took in a
pet parrot whose owner had to go to hospital.
He provided a lot of amusement, especially
as he would only eat Bird’s Angel Delight and
chips, resolutely refusing the parrot seed which
Deena’s mother bought. Home, in Hessle, was
loving and happy. Deena’s father loved to tell
Beverley Minster Magazine/4
jokes. After his death she discovered rather
poignantly a book of jokes which he had written.
They had no contact with Deena’s maternal
Anglican grandparents, who had cut their
daughter off when she married a Jewish man.
They saw only a little of his family as well: Deena
especially loved her big-hearted, matriarchal
granny and her aunts. At school, Deena - blessed
with a great sense of fun and much less interest
in academic work -was rather rebellious, having
to play second fiddle to her high-achieving
sister. She found religious education lessons
particularly difficult, as she was often picked on
because of her tenuous link with Judaism. It was
preferable to play up and be sent out into the
corridor rather than be the butt of the teacher’s
awkward questions.Yet when Deena went to do
her teacher training at York St. John College, she
enjoyed it and student life so much that she was
drawn to attend chapel every morning to thank
God for being there. It suddenly seemed the
right thing to do and led ultimately to baptism
and confirmation, prior to her getting married
to a fellow student. Sadly, the marriage did not
last and broke up when Deena was pregnant
with her second child, a son Ben. The demands
of life as a single parent and a full time job as a
Youth Tutor were endless. With few childminding
facilities available, kind neighbours often stepped
in. Deena used to wonder how she could ever
pay them back for their help. One, a lady called
Dorothy, became Helga’s godmother and her
assurance that one day Deena would be able to
pay back by helping others has been something
Deena always remembered. Her parents were
supportive, but they were busy and she did not
like to ask them; she tried to protect them from
her pain.
It was one year later when she completed a full Alpha course and became a
Christian. Her life was totally turned around and her new relationship with
God gave her immense comfort and strength, as did also the Minster family.
There had been a time when Deena thought a ‘church family’ sounded
rather ‘corny’, but since joining one, she knows it is a vital means of
supporting one another, practically and spiritually. For the last four years, as
many in the Minster will know, Deena has been a churchwarden. For her, it’s
another God-given opportunity to serve and grow in faith: a position which
she regards as a privilege and which has given rise to countless pastoral
situations. One of these is ‘Food and Fellowship’, born out of a Monday
morning prayer time in St. Katharine’s chapel three years ago, and which
offers people who live on their own a regular time to meet and share a
meal together. Being single has not got Deena down. With her positive
outlook, love of travelling and lively sense of humour, she has very good
friends, both Christians and non- Christians (who no longer comment on
the Songs of Praise CD playing loudly on repeat during trips out in her car
-her sister has even bought a copy!) To Deena, words of hymns are often
inspirational. She finds the most meaningful are: ‘Dear Lord and Father of
mankind, forgive our foolish ways’. Amazed and grateful, she knows the
extent of God’s forgiveness in her life, and truly feels ‘reclothed in her
rightful mind’, free to serve God with ‘a purer life, and in deeper reverence,
praise.’
When Deena gave her life to God, some of the first people she wanted to
tell were the ‘two Eds’, acknowledging their chance meeting as the most
significant of her God-given opportunities. Frustratingly, it took two years
of searching for their address in her new house, but she did find it and
wrote to them straightaway. As soon as Edmund received her letter, he
rang to share his and Edna’s joy. They kept in touch and Deena eventually
managed to visit them last year. It was a very emotional reunion. A little
while afterwards, Deena received an Easter card written in beautiful
copperplate script. It began: “Hope you are keeping well and still enjoying
your faith and trust in Jesus, together with your Christian duties and
fellowship at the Minster.” The prayer which begins this story followed and
the card was signed,
TO MAKE
YOU THINK
WILL OUR PETS BE WITH US
I N H E AV E N ?
This is not a frivolous question. If a person is isolated
and lonely, to lose a beloved pet can be a bereavement
– quite literally. They may worry desperately about
who will care for their pet if they die first. Elderly
people who have a pet for company tend to recover
more quickly from illness or trauma than those who
do not. People’s attachment to their pets is something
that as Christians we need to take very seriously. Is
there anything wrong with loving an animal as deeply
as one might love another human being? Should it be
regarded as an undesirable neurosis? If so, why? Is
such a reaction any more than an irrational gut feeling?
Moreover, the issue raises important questions as to
the role of the animal kingdom in God’s creation. The
Apostle Paul stresses that God’s ultimate aim is the
redemption of all creation, not just human beings.
What are the implications of this for the afterlife?
In the book of Revelation heaven would appear to
be quite heavily populated with animals – though
admittedly not the sort you would want to take for a
walk on a Sunday afternoon. Yet some Christians have
a curious reluctance to envisage any living presence
in heaven other than the Trinity, angelic beings and a
multitude of disembodied ex-humans (will we know
one another?) When I suggested to a Christian friend
that animals might have a place in heaven, she looked
surprised and said “But animals don’t have souls!” as
if that settled the matter. My instinct was to ask her
what exactly she thought a soul was, and why she was
so convinced that you needed one in order to qualify
for heaven. I doubt I would have got a satisfactory
answer to either question. The whole issue is complex.
To complicate it further, I’ll throw in the fact that in
the Genesis story the killing and eating of animals by
humans only occurs after the Fall and the expulsion
from Eden. In the Garden, Adam and Eve were given
the plants to eat. (In fact, human dentition is strongly
suggestive of a vegetarian diet.) However, we are not
discussing vegetarianism here, but the relationship
between humans, animals and the Creator. Any
thoughts?
“With fond memories of our meeting on the plane to Madeira and … all
our love... E&E.”
MN
Beverley Minster Magazine/5
Barbara Gilman
A P R I L I N PA R I S
and saying in a knowing manner, “That means quickly”!
or, ‘Allo, Allo’!
“I love Paris in the Springtime”. A sentiment I share. What could be
more romantic than a walk in the Tuileries Gardens under the blossom,
with the companion of your dreams?
There was one visit I made in the spring of 1971 which exceeded all my
wildest expectations. My ‘companions’ were thirty school children and
several brave staff. The children, aged 9 - 13 years, were drawn from a
social priority school in a particularly under-privileged area.
The children were taught French from nine years old and, previous to
the visit, we had held a ‘French Week’. It was great fun. I had a replica
Madame la Guillotine over my classroom door. A colleague supplied me
with a basket and numerous papier mâché heads. The children were
imbued with revolutionary fervour and could not wait to set foot on
French soil. And so it was that we set off from Luton Airport bound for
Le Bourget.
“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive.
But to be young was very heaven”
(Wordsworth: Prelude)
Everything began to go slightly ‘pear-shaped’ on the flight. None of the
party had flown before; many were sick and all the girls screamed!
The adults were relieved to see the lights of the runway. The children
immediately forgot their panic attacks and excitement set in. As they
left the aircraft they asked, “Are we really in France?” Passing through
‘Arrivals’ and seeing lots of French words confirmed that we were!
Our buoyant mood was soon blighted by Passport Control where
French officials questioned our block passport. After what seemed to
be an eternity, we finally boarded our coach, very late indeed. The driver
hurried the children, saying, “Vite. vite!” I remember a boy turning to me
We had a nightmare journey through Parisien traffic in the early
hours of the morning to reach our accommodation in Montmartre.
The little hotel stood in the corner of a cobbled square. There was
a fountain close by. To our dismay, all was locked and barred and
in darkness. One of our male colleagues hammered on the door
and, eventually, lights appeared, the door opened and the concièrge
stepped out in curlers and dressing gown! The children, seeing a
woman who looked a lot like their grannies, were reassured. She,
however, remonstrated with us for our lateness, and the ‘granny’
image rapidly became Madame la Guillotine! Fortunately, one of our
male colleagues had about his person a bottle of red wine (which
he had been keeping for later!) The peace offering had the desired
effect and we were ushered in - “You must use the back passage”
the concièrge whispered, “so as not to disturb my other guests”!
Despite the lateness of the hour, the children went exploring, up
windy stairs, in and out of cupboard-like loos and, finally, their
rooms. All the rooms had french windows onto little iron balconies.
Immediately children crowded onto them (not much health and
safety at that time!), their faces lit up with great joy. I can still
remember how that first introduction to another world began to
transform the poor and abused into a ‘new creation’.
The rooms were basic but en-suite so showers had to be ‘tried’,
bidets experimented with - “You wash your hands in it”, one girl
explained. When we finally retired for the night the older female
colleague I was sharing with produced a tub of DDT powder, and
proceeded to shake it around the perimeter of the room. “Just in
case”, she said. “Look in your bed”, she continued, “and under it”!
Having conducted this ritual, I got into bed, hoping for some sleep.
But no ---- my colleague was sitting up, hairnet on, fiddling with
some plastic bags. She was a vegetarian and had brought ‘supplies’
which she then offered to me: raisins, nuts, apple and - - you’ve
guessed it - - wet celery!
The following morning we awoke to hear a strange warbling sound.
At first, I thought it was a fire alarm, but it seemed to be coming
from the open window. I hurried over to it and looked out, down
onto an interior courtyard. The lady of the house was busy doing
her washing in an old tub. She was singing! It wasn’t a song that
either of us recognised. At that moment, a terrible scream came
from the direction of the girls’ room. “The barricades have gone
up!” I said to my colleague, and we rushed as one man to the door.
We were greeted by a flock of females, all about their ‘toilette’ and
shouting:- “Miss, Miss, there’s a lad on our balcony!” Sure enough,
there was a boy with his nose pressed up against the glass. He had
climbed down from the balcony above and was intent on viewing
our ladies. It turned out to be the fourteen year-old son of the
house. He was cheeky and mature (in a continental sort of way!)
I gave him ‘short shrift’ and he returned from whence he came. I
then turned to the girls who were still fussing. One girl pointed
to her friend and said:- “She had nowt on, Miss, nowt!” I looked
at them seriously and replied “These things happen in Paris” (!). I
could see that despite their apparent shock, they were not a little
flattered by the attention and were even more intent on making
themselves look ‘delectable’ just in case the young man appeared
again. I think it was about then that I started to feel that our visit
could have the makings of a French farce!
At breakfast, tables were laid out with checked cloths, hot
croissants, fruit, earthenware bowls and coffee. We had rules that
only French was to be spoken at mealtimes unless there was an
emergency. The children were amazed at the bowls and at first,
tried to drink coffee with their spoons. We pointed out that you
drank directly from the bowl, however bad-mannered it might
appear. It was a treat to see them eating, drinking and chatting in
fairly limited French, but all the time growing in confidence, because of
the environment they were in. I could not believe that they were the
same sad, deprived, rather fearful young people we had brought out of a
run-down slum-clearance area.
We had a whacky and wonderful time and enjoyed fabulous spring
sunshine. We packed every conceivable ‘sight’ into that week. We
boarded the Bateau Mouche to go around the Isle de la Cité and
Notre Dame; headed to the top of the Tour Eiffel; climbed the steps to
Sacre Coeur de Montmartre; made friends with artists; took a train to
Versailles; walked down the Champs Elysées eating icecream and crêpes
with jam!
We watched our party blossom into confident, French-speaking human
beings. Good food, sleep, fresh air and, of course, Paris with its brilliant,
vibrant sense of freedom worked that miracle.
On the day before we were due to leave, our menfolk decided they
would go to fetch the packed lunches from the restaurant nearby. They
took a very large oblong box to put the food in. There was a certain
amount of sniggering between them and I felt something was afoot.
Sure enough, as we stood waiting at the front of the hotel, a strange
procession suddenly appeared heading from the restaurant. Having
collected the lunches, the men had donned bérets, and were carrying
the box coffin-like on their shoulders! Old ladies crossed themselves
and men took off their hats! When they arrived, they solemnly put the
box down and saluted it. Needless to say, there was uproar amongst
the rest of us. It was good to see the children almost cry with laughing
and to enjoy that hilarious moment. It was part of the whole French
experience.
So, if I happen to see an old episode of ‘Allo, Allo’ and hear the words:“Listen very carefully. I will say this only once”, I recall our crazy
encounter with the City of Light!
Jeannie McMillan
Beverley Minster Magazine/6
Beverley Minster Magazine/7
T H E L AW O F T H E L A N D
Moses said to the people: Keep these
words…recite them to your children…talk
about them at home.
to get the law ‘inside them’, as one modern
translation puts it. Most people are keen to
be outside, not inside, I guess.
It struck me a while ago that I had got into
my sixth decade without seeing a court
of law in session. Indeed the nearest I’d
got to the formal workings of the law was
accompanying Julia, to whom I’m married,
as she qualified as a solicitor and we did
the thing at the Law Society. While it may
give you some comfort that the Vicar of
the Minster has therefore never been the
subject of criminal proceedings, it was
disturbing to me that I was so practically
ignorant of the daily reality of such a vital
part of the health of our society.
Above all, Moses says, it’s your children
you have to think about. Repeatedly in
the early Hebrew Scriptures, as the new
nation is shaped, the order is given to “tell
your children”, to shape them, to form
their identity, to get them to know that
the developing of their conscience and
morality and ethics and righteousness will
be vital for them and their community.
The commandments, positive and negative,
are there to describe a society, a common
wealth, where consideration is given to the
neighbour, to the stateless, to the refugee
and to the poor; and where political power,
civil authority, military force and financial
riches are bounded and controlled to enable
the flourishing of all. Get that inside your
heads, says Deuteronomy. Get that inside
your children.
So I took myself to the Magistrates Court
round the corner, to watch, as an ordinary
citizen, the public outworking of the legal
process. What to expect? I think I had
some image in my mind of Crown Court,
that wonderful 1970s series, with a packed
public gallery thrilling to the cut and thrust
of legal theatre. This was not the reality I
encountered. While I was warmly welcomed,
it was with some bafflement, and I quickly
became ‘the person who seems to wants
to observe, even though he’s not a relative’.
I understood the bafflement when I found
that the public gallery was a chair just far
enough away from the action not to mix me
up in it. But it was an instructive morning,
even if I did stick out a bit.
In the Hebrew Scriptures the
commandments, statutes and ordinances
which are at the root of our civil and
criminal justice system are accompanied
by both a code of practice and an
encouragement to continuing professional
development. The laws come with a
requirement not to keep them rolled up
in a scroll. Rather they should be lived,
celebrated, savoured, cherished, passed on.
‘Keep these words’, says Moses. ‘Recite
them’. Talk about them in and out of the
house. Like the post-it notes the forgetful
leave all over the house to ensure that car
keys, tickets and glasses are where they
should be, stick these laws everywhere.
The fact that I was met with surprise in my
local court when I wanted to find out more
suggests that not everyone is so desperate
So what do we tell our children? What do
we ‘recite’ to them? This, of course, goes
way beyond the criminal justice system, but
our High Sheriff has reminded us about the
reality of child sexual exploitation. What
is recited to those children, by some, is
that their lives only have worth as they are
submitted to the hostile will of others, as
their weakness is the subject of another’s
power. What we would recite to them is
that each life has worth in itself, and that
each of us has a duty to enable others to
thrive. For some of you that means daily
involvement in curbing abuse, tackling
offenders, taking on barriers in the system,
and helping and healing those who have
been told that they are only there to be
used.You have our support, and our prayers,
as in word and action you recite a message
some of them have never heard.
What do we tell our children? That our
laws, at their best, describe who we are,
and how we can live side by side, how
we can own without stealing and flourish
without oppressing. That starts with
children themselves: the command to ‘play
nicely’ offered to toddlers seems to me to
be a decent evocation of the golden rule
common to all the great faiths: ‘do onto
others as you would have them do to you’.
Beverley Minster Magazine/8
I did once ask my PCC to ‘play nicely’ as I
went on sabbatical, and they did. Almost.
What we tell our children is about how
we treat them: how they are safeguarded,
what defines a good education (let me tell
you there is perhaps no more terrifying
a prospect than being the chair of the
Teaching and Learning Committee of a
school facing an OFSTED in the next eight
weeks). It develops with what messages we
bombard them with about success, beauty,
achievement, worth. I’m not sure that The
Apprentice, or X Factor have exhausted
the range of possibilities there. It continues
with how we shape our society and use our
money, and some of that will need legislation
too. Those who work in tax law may well
be sharpening their pens and doubling the
size of their hard drives as I speak. We
recite good things to our children when we
constantly ask ourselves what is fair.
What will we tell our children? As ever, Jesus
takes the question and reframes it. What will
your children tell you? What will they recite
to you? That you become citizens of heaven,
subject to divine legislation and polity, when
you receive in the way children do. Perhaps
it is those of you who exercise the greatest
power, who can change the course of
people’s lives in an instant, who know most
the need to be humble, as a child is humble.
Jesus says that he will be found in those with
least power and no voice. Treat them well
and you have discovered the divine.
The Legal Service in the Minster affords
the chance to reflect on how our
commandments and statutes and ordinances
enable that to happen. May our legal
professionals know wisdom and power
from God to determine, to judge, to enact.
And may we all find ways of talking about
this, in and out of the house, to our children
and with each other, so that the attendants
at Beverley Magistrates Court may be less
surprised when someone wants to find out
more, for no greater reason than knowing
that how we legislate is how we serve, and
that for Jesus sake. Amen.
From a sermon given at the Legal Service
on 17 February 2015 by the Vicar,
the Revd. Jeremy Fletcher, in the Minster.
What a fruitful season we’re having as Minster
Youth and Children!
Hot off the press is the latest Gruffalo Family
Day, based this time on ‘The Smartest Giant
in Town’ by Julia Donaldson. This last Saturday
(21st March) we welcomed over 200 young
families into the Minster for a special morning
of crafts, games, films, storytelling, play and
refreshments, all courtesy of a brilliant team.
It was exciting, dynamic and overall warmly
welcoming, as was commented by many
families who hadn’t been to any events run by
the Minster before. A great success!
A highlight for me was during storytime where
we all gathered on the carpet in the centre of
the Minster (under the boss) and I read ‘The
Smartest Giant in Town’ over the mic – an
enthusiastic rabble of tiny children gathered to
look at the pictures and get a prime spot next
to ‘the lady with the microphone’, and such an
excited atmosphere took over, it was electric!
Feedback from parents afterwards was about
how spellbound the littlies were in those
moments – a really special morning.Thank you
to those who prayed over the event and came
to help on the day.
We’re planning to run these popular days more
regularly, the next has been booked in June so
watch this space, and please do come and help
out on a craft table if you’re available – all help
is massively appreciated! (See pics for a taster of
the morning!)
and humanity in the lead up to Easter, and
encouraged us to think about love, faith and
generosity in our own day-to-day lives.
Some feedback from parents and grandparents
about the Gruffalo Day:
Exciting update: I’ve been approached by
Beverley Town Council to provide children’s
activities and entertainment for their monthly
Local Produce Markets which will run monthly
from April in Wednesday Market, so keep an
eye out for the dates and for our stall and
come join in the fun/bring some little people
along if you’re free!
“My granddaughter really enjoyed the Gruffalo
Day today – thank you to all involved… it’s things
like this that make a difference from a boring
weekend after school in Beverley!”
“Good on you, [my children] came back buzzing
and told me all about the Giant’s shoes, the buns
they made and lots of other things… you really
made a difference, so personally I say thank you!”
“It was really good, lots of things to do and so
beautifully designed and executed.Well done Em
and Ben!”
“The Minster know how to do kids church – well
done!”
In other news, Damascus Youth Group
have been meeting every Sunday evening
through Lent to study the ‘40 acts’ material
from ‘Stewardship’ (see @40acts on Twitter
or /40acts on Facebook for more details). It’s
taken us through the signs of Jesus’ divinity
Beverley Minster Magazine/9
Coming up: another 24/3 event from Maundy
Thursday to Easter Sunday with various events
happening for our young people. We’re hoping
many of the youngsters who have made so
much progress in coming from the social
‘Emmaus’ group through the exploration
‘Cre:8’ sessions and into the ‘Damascus’
worship and Bible study evenings will come
along and get to experience God in a powerful
way for the first time. Please pray with us
as we minister into these lives, and pray for
energy for the team!
With thanks, and blessings in all you’re doing
at the moment,
Emily Hoe
F RO M T H E A R C H I V E S
I found some interesting photographs
and postcards of the Minster on eBay,
including these 1918 Francis Frith
photographs of the Nave looking East
(top image) and West (middle). As we
are in the midst of new chairs (bottom), I
thought I would include these postcards
as they show the seating arrangement
at that time and I think there are
probably a few of those bench seats
still around. I have not yet come across
any photographs of the seating in the
1940s but there was an exciting addition
in early 1948 when loudspeakers and
microphones were installed.
The suppliers were the Radio Diffusion
Service of Hull who would maintain
and keep everything up to date for £40
per year. Cases had to be provided for
the loudspeakers and the cost of this
was taken care of by the Friends of
the Minster. This happened during the
incumbency of the Reverend Reginald C.
Collwyn Hargreaves who took over from
Reverend Dick in 1947 and stayed until
1958. He had been trained at Cuddesdon
College and showed a great interest in the
services, music and fabric of the Minster
and enhanced the role of the building as
the central church of the East Riding. In
1950 he inaugurated the annual St. John of
Beverley service and the week-long music
festival which for many years followed it.
Concerts and recitals became a feature
of the Minster year with the annual
performance of Handel’s Messiah by the
County Choir as a highlight. (Information
from the book ‘Beverley Minster’ edited by
Rosemary Horrox.)
Prior to Reverend Hargreaves taking up
his post of Vicar at the Minster, Reverend
Frederic P. Bates had been called upon ‘a
second time’ to undertake responsibility
for the charge of the Parish during the
interregnum. Rev. Hargreaves was living
in Springfield Rectory, Chelmsford, with
his wife and 3 daughters and in his ‘letter
from the Vicar-Designate’ dated 19th May,
1947, to the Beverley Minster Messenger
he commented that he was reluctant
to move out of his family home of 18
years to a Vicarage that is an ‘awkward
house’ with nearly every old-fashioned
inconvenience. The Diocesan Surveyor
was authorised to draw up plans for
dividing and altering the house. As it
would take probably six months to
complete the work, a member of the
congregation, a Mrs. Nicholson, offered
her house to the family. ‘Bosworths’ or
Bosworth House on Cartwright Lane was
to be their temporary home.
C U R AT E ’ S C O R N E R
Well, what a month! Life has taken on a
new meaning since February 16th. When
Rachael and I got married, we were
overwhelmed by everyone’s well-wishes,
prayers, and words of wisdom for a happy
and fulfilling marriage. Quite apart from
the fact that there were four ministers
involved in the service, with this much
prayer and support, we have been given
the best start to married life we could
have hoped for. Thank you everybody! It
was wonderful to be able to celebrate
our marriage in Beverley Minster, a place
which is special not only because I serve
here as curate, but because it is a church
where Rachael and I have been made to
feel so welcome, where we have found
friends, and where we are both extremely
happy.
It has seemed that the road to get to here
has been a long one, and one on which
we have had a good many adventures
together over the years.Your continued
prayers for the adventures which still lie
ahead are humbly asked of you all by us
both. I’m pleased to say that Rachael has
now moved into the Curate’s house, and
has really made the house into a home
In January 1948 ‘Beverley Minster
Messenger’ reverted back to its old bigger
quarto format, making it twice the size.
(www.papersizes.org/old-imperial-sizes.
htm.)
Once again the magazine was called
‘Beverley Minster Magazine’. The Vicar
announced in the March 1948 magazine
that Deacon Mr. Walter Beswick would be
joining the staff ‘making four of us for the
work.’ Also on the staff were Reader Rev.
F.P. Bates, of West View, 17 Central Avenue,
Walker Estate and Curate in Charge of
Woodmansey - Rev. F. G. Hansford of 16
Eastgate. Organist and Choirmaster was
Mr. John Long of Cherry Cottage, Cherry
Burton.
(this involved moving her two cats. They
make a great addition to the home and
I’m thrilled to have them there; Nutmeg,
my one year old Dachshund, isn’t!).
After our wedding we honeymooned in
Rome, a place that we have both wanted
to visit for a long time. Occasionally you
can hear people talking of places where
the veil between heaven and earth is
very thin. Rome proved to be one such
place for us; although we both sensed
the spirituality of the city in different
spots (Rachael felt it particularly in the
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Church
of St. Mary the Great), for me it was
in St. Peter’s Square and in the Sistine
Chapel, perhaps showing I’m more of a
reformed Catholic than I thought!) As we
were walking around and seeing the sights
we both commented on how wonderful
it was to be in a place where so many
prayers have been offered up to God. A
place where so many hopes and dreams
had been laid at His feet by his faithful
children who had gathered in that one
city throughout the last two thousand
years. It really is a place where people
are excited abut their faith, where the
Sixty seven years ago in the April 1948
magazine Rev. Hargreaves had been
reading ‘The Times’ and comments on
the Economic Survey for 1948 which
is described as ‘black tidings’. The crisis
amounted to the nation’s lack of money to
buy raw materials from abroad which had
resulted in lack of production for goods
to export and we were ‘up against it’ only
to be saved from unemployment and
disaster if America came to our aid. He
goes on to say that the spirit of greatness
is in us still. ‘God will make us mightier yet
in a new and better way than ever before.
So let us from to-day resolve to think well of
one another and help one another to put our
trust in God.
With all good wishes,
Yours sincerely,
COLLWYN HARGREAVES.’
Sally George
March 2015
Beverley Minster Magazine/10
Beverley Minster Magazine/11
signs of it are on display everywhere; in
restaurants, car dashboards, pinned onto
the lapels of jackets.
It seems funny to say it but being in
a place like that, with such a tangible
spirituality, really seemed to re-charge
our spiritual batteries. It was a little bit
like plugging some of those rechargeable
batteries you can by in Tesco’s into the
wall socket. When I came back, I felt more
excited about prayer, and not just because
of the extremely bumpy flight from Rome
to Amsterdam. It seems like God didn’t
want to miss out on giving Rachael and I
a wedding gift, and this was His gift to us.
This timing of this is brilliant, as we’re all
gearing up for Easter. I have to say that
in all the excitement of preparing for the
wedding, and exploring life anew together
with Rachael since, I have completely
forgotten to give something up for Lent.
Maybe a slice of renewed spirituality isn’t
such a bad thing to offer to God instead,
is it?
Blessings,
Gareth Atha
THE REGISTERS OF BEVERLEY MINSTER
Published APRIL 2015
Baptisms
At St Paul's, Tickton
08 March 2015
Clerestory Clean
James Leonard Spence
The Clerestory is the upper part of the Transept, Nave and
Choir of a large church also containing a series of windows.
Funerals
16 February 2015
16 February 2015
19 February 2015
18 March 2015
MINSTER
MAINTENANCE
Robert Bruce (Bob) Freeman (83)
Ray Wilson (87)
George Broadhead (76)
Sheila Robertson (91)
From February 2015 the information published in The Registers has been
available on our website (in the Resources menu) and those who receive
the free eNewsletter are provided with a direct link to this information.
Steve and a colleague in the past poured self levelling concrete
over the whole of the Clerestory level, as it was just a place
filled with loose stone.
Over the years we noticed it needed a clean, dust from inside
the church and particles from outside have been blown in
through the windows.
We started on the lesser North transept and worked our way
round the choir and into the North transept above the shop.
As there are limited electric points at this level we had to run
cables out for the hoover.
We moved on to the Nave working from the towers back to the
transepts, going on to the lesser South transept then on to the
East end including the area abutting the East window. This area
has rather narrow spiral staircases to climb down and up!
We had to lower the full bags from the hoover down to floor
level, a big thank you to the head verger John Dell for disposing
of them whilst we looked on from above.
Steve Rial, Paul Hawkins
Beverley Minster Parish Centre, 38 Highgate, Beverley, HU17 0DN Telephone: 01482 868540
Email: minster@beverleyminster.org.uk Website: www.beverleyminster.org.uk
Beverley Minster Parish Magazine is published by Beverley Minster Parochial Church Council. Views expressed by contributors
do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial team or the publishers.
Copy date for the MAY edition: Friday 17 April
Editorial Team: Content: Marjorie and Julian Neaum (julian.neaum@gmail.com) design: Mervyn King
(e: kings@three.karoo.co.uk), distribution: John Grimshaw (t: 01482 871370), proof-reading: June Stephenson.
Beverley Minster Magazine/12