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FAITH MATTERS
The Parish Magazine of St.
Faith, Havant with St. Nicholas, Langstone
SEPTEMBER 2003 (Internet Edition) |
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From the Rector
You may be aware of a recent radio
programme that has selected the nation’s favourite
buildings. Polls of this kind are not unusual, but this
one, has I hear, veered away from the usual hot spots,
and focussed upon less well-known, but still beloved
local sites. I should imagine that such a poll in Havant
would feature St Faith’s as most people’s number one,
but like the buildings in the other list it does not
receive regular income from sources outside the
congregation to maintain it. This is not to say that
help is not available, because it could be. It is not to
say, either, that there is not enormous goodwill locally
for St Faith’s, because there most certainly is. But it
is definitely the case that, like so many other churches
and places of historical interest, maintaining the
treasures of our national heritage is a major concern.
One person, responding to the recent Stewardship
campaign, asked why we must be in the business of
maintaining old churches and at the same time
safeguarding an increasing hierarchy of the Church of
England. It seems that there are two things that must be
said to this. Firstly that while there is a case for
strong leadership and good management there is also a
need to recognise that the future of the church appears
to be bound up with a setting free of the people of the
church from excessive clerical authority. Having said
that, most people seem to want the church to give a
clear and decisive lead until, that is, it flies in the
face of their opinions! Presumably a balance is required
between leadership and encouraging the laity to play its
part. My second reaction is to say that recently I have
been re-introduced to Celtic Theology and Spirituality.
These Celts used to have a far greater reverence for the
created order and emphasised the Genesis expression that
man was created in the image of God. Applying this
generally, the Celtic church held that all creation is
essentially good, and so saying that humanity is also
created good (opposing Augustine’s view of original sin)
and that the presence of God is very close in and around
us through nature itself. I mention this here for two
reasons, firstly that the extension of these views
implies that the Church is not the only means of God’s
grace – an idea clearly popular in contemporary society
– a view emphasised by the Celtic church that often met
in the open air under High Crosses. And this then is the
relevance here – perhaps a real engagement with God must
be an encounter in nature. If so the use of our
beautiful church building for worship needs to be
complemented with open-air services – (an idea that is
possibly more appealing in the summer than the winter).
Does this sound like an argument for somehow utilising
the space to the south of the church in the Churchyard?
It seems a shame to have that area underused and
sometimes abused. At the Town Fair we had to be very
careful as to what part could be utilised for fear of
legal action in the case of an accident. It seems to me
that we are constantly seeking ways to more accurately
represent the life of God in who and what we are as a
church. These questions along with the Vision process
offer to some a sense of optimism while to others a
feeling of confusion. Undoubtedly there is insecurity in
any struggle for growth and a search for
self-expression, but this is not to say that God does
not delight in our seeking. May God bless you as we
bless His Holy Name.
Fr. David
The Church
If you want to have the church
like the kind of church you like.
It's useless to scatter abuse, or
to start a non church going strike.
Take stock of yourself, and think
for a bit of the ill or the good you
can do.
It's a knock at yourself when you
knock the church.
It isn't the church you're knocking
it's you.
Anon
Dear Auntie Faith,
Having looked after the children all
the week, I look forward to my husband’s help at the
weekend. However, he has recently taken up golf and is
out all day Saturday and Sunday. What can I do?
Tired Mother
of Ten
Dear Tired Mother of Ten ,
My first reaction was to tell you to
burn his clubs, but unless you want to be a tired mother
of eleven, I would encourage the golf.
About The Parish
Last month we read about the
FitzWygram family, this month it is the turn of the
Longcrofts who have an unequalled record of service to
Havant. This service dates from 1742, when the Longcroft
family moved to Havant from Portsmouth on the marriage
of Mary Longcroft, only daughter of Thomas Longcroft of
Portsea, to John Moody, who had inherited Havant Manor
in 1728 from his father, Isaac Moody. Mary's brother,
Thomas Longcroft and his wife also moved to Havant. They
had ten children, the first of whom, George Moody
Longcroft, was baptised in St Faith's in 1752. Not to be
undone by his father, George produced 12 children, seven
sons and five daughters. As Jenny Sagrott pointed out to
me, not one of his sons survived George. Instead, he was
succeeded by his nephew, Charles Beare Longcroft, son of
George's brother, Charles Henry Longcroft, who lived in
Romsey, where he is buried in the Abbey. The generations
of Longcrofts continued throughout the 19th Century and
the family finally ended their connection with Havant,
with the death of Charles Edward Beare Longcroft, who
had succeeded his father in 1929. In more than two
hundred years, the family served Havant in many
capacities. George Moody Longcroft and his brother,
Thomas Franklin Longcroft were solicitors, practising in
partnership for many years in Havant. In fact, five
generations of the family were solicitors in Havant.
Charles John Longcroft was Clerk to the Justices, to the
Boards of Guardians, to the Local Board of Health and
was Coroner for the County. Many of the family served
the poor in the area, notably Helen Penelope, known as "Budla",
who went round Havant on a "well-laden" bicycle
dispensing food to families in need, before and after
the First World War. The family also gave Havant an
amenity which we enjoy to this day because Edward
Longcroft, youngest son of Charles John Longcroft, was
largely responsible, with Thorburn Stallard, for
providing Havant Park as a place of recreation and peace
for the community. He also gave unstinted support to
Havant Hospital, which is where we leave the Longcrofts
and turn to someone who was a physiotherapist at this
hospital. This lady has worked alongside Jenny Sagrott
to clean and beautify this church and to improve the
facilities in the Hall by cleaning the kitchen and
toilets. She can be seen in the Church and Hall serving
refreshments after Services and is always present at
social events. She is a long-serving member of the PCC
and is Secretary to the Mission for Seafarers. If this
is not enough, she also cleans the Church silver with
another stalwart of St Faith's, Audrey Currie. This
lovely lady is of course Peggy Sparks to whom we owe a
great debt of gratitude.
Roger Bryant
What Makes a Bishop?
Following Fr. David’s explanation of
Bishops, Priests and Deacons in the August magazine, I
was reminded of an amusing, anonymous poem which
appeared in several Parish magazines in Yorkshire some
years ago. However, in order to appreciate it fully, a
little knowledge of Bishops is essential! A Diocese is
presided over by the Diocesan Bishop, who is, of course,
‘The Boss’! In most dioceses, he will have one or more
assistant bishops to help him. In some cases these are
given a title from a town or area, in which case, he is
known as ‘ The Suffragan Bishop of A… ‘ (or ‘Suffering
Bishop’ as someone once put it!) I was admitted to the
Office of Reader in 1950 for the parish of Beverley
Minster, in the Diocese of York. The Diocesan Bishop was
of course the Archbishop of York, then the Most Rev.
Cyril Garbett. In 1956 he was succeeded by Michael
Ramsey, at whose enthronement in York Minster I was
present, robed, with other Readers. York had three
Suffragans, of Hull, of Whitby and of Selby. The latter,
in the 1950s, had formerly been Vicar of the parish
where I was born, and had baptised me. More recently, I
lived in Harrogate and taught in the nearby town of
Knaresborough. This was in the Diocese of Ripon, whose
assistant bishop was known as the Suffragan Bishop of
Knaresborough. So now for the poem:
‘FLAGGED DOWN’
The Suffragan Bishop of Knaresborough
a whimsical story retails
How he preached, on a festal occasion,
in the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales.
The Suffragan Bishop of Knaresborough,
as into the vestry he passed
Saw the flag of the parish was flying,
but merely half way up the mast.
The Suffragan Bishop of Knaresborough
enquired, as a courteous guest,
"The half-masted flag seems to tell me
that someone has passed to his rest?"
The veteran sexton of Summatdale,
approaching his ninety and three,
Regarded the questioning Bishop, and
grunted, "Yond’s oop for thee!"
"For t’Suffrance Bishop of
Knaresborough, an’theer it’s bahn to stop;
But if tha’d been t’PROPER Bishop,
we’d a runned blessed flag oop to t’top!"
Trevor Hopkinson
Coffee Morning – Bob & Ally would
like to say thank you all who support our coffee morning
on 13th August in aid of St. Faith’s Church
restoration funds which made £140.00.
Bob & Ally Wilson
Old Benny and The Orphans School
It is not easy for us to imagine a
time when the children of the poor were not educated
but, as we have seen with the story of John Pounds, it
was left to the charity of individuals to start the
first schools. There is no better example of this than
the Portsea Beneficial School. On the night of the 9
December 1754, eight men met at a public house called "Shakespear
Head", named after the owner John Shakespear who was one
of the eight. They drew up a "Rules and Articles"
agreement, under which they formed a "Beneficial
Society". Four stewards were appointed who collected a
shilling each month from members which was kept in a
chest with five locks! This money was then used for
paying sick, funeral and widow benefits. The following
year, six members, chosen by a lottery, were each
allowed to chose a boy (sorry, ladies!) to have free
education from a local schoolteacher. This was soon
increased to 12 and then to 18. In 1780, a Mr Edward
Craft left money "for the schooling of as many boys as
the interest will allow to read, write and Arithmetick
(sic) to fit them for Trades and my Will is that these
Boys be first chosen from poor Widows children And if
not enough of them then to be filled up with poor
Artificers Children all to be of the parish of Portsea".
So started "Old Benny". The first school was in Old Rope
Walk, Portsea which is now Kent Street. Astonishingly,
by 1837 the school had 280 boys and (wait for it,
ladies!) 136 girls. The small teaching staff adopted
something called the "Madras" system, so called because
it was first used in India, whereby older children were
taught and then passed on their knowledge to younger
children. Nowadays, we call it cascade training and it
is widely used by large organisations. However the
Madras system only lasted a few years. "Old Benny"
prospered for many years. Perhaps its most famous pupil
became Sir Henry Ayres, KC. MG., one time Premier of
Australia, after whom Ayres Rock is named. I wonder
whether Mike and Marian Dodsworth have seen it on their
annual travels in that great country, or indeed Canon
Derek Brown or Molly Griffiths, who both lived in
Australia for several years? The Beneficial Society,
recognising that there was no place for "Old Benny" in
the new State education scheme, closed down in 1933,
with the school itself closing in 1938. Another
remarkable school opened in St George's Square in 1834
with just 27 children. Ten years later, this had
increased to 312 children and the school had moved twice
into larger premises, first to Lion Terrace and then to
St Michael's Road. This was the Royal Seamen and Marines
Orphan Home and (take note ladies) it started as a home
for orphan girls, with boys only attending daily. The
children were fed, clothed and educated and the school
prospered until the 1894 Education Act, when it closed
to the boys. Other schools which made an important
contribution to educating the poor in Portsea were the
Seamen, Marines' and Fishermen's School in Ordnance Row
and the Union Schools, founded in 1846 under the Poor
Law for inmates of workhouses. When we hear criticism of
schools today, it does no harm to consider how far we
have come since those eight men had their fateful
meeting in that public house.
Roger Bryant
Georgie Black
A new name appears on our "Who's Who"
with the arrival on 1 September of Georgie Black, as our
Parish Office Administrator. Several of us already know
Georgie in her capacity as Deanery Secretary and, when
Father David first arrived, she gave us valuable advice
about setting up our Parish Office. Georgie lives in
Horndean, and, in addition to working for us and the
Rural Dean, will continue to work in the Parish Office
of St Francis, Leigh Park, where she has been for three
years. She will be working for us 8 hours weekly,
manning the Parish Office in Church House on Monday and
Friday mornings (opening hours of 9.00 am to 12.00
noon). We are very fortunate to have someone so
experienced and talented joining the Parish.
RHB
St. Faith’s Art Group
At the time of writing this notice
our group is busily engaged in planning and putting
together our exhibition for the Town Fair on 30th
August. Our first tutorial for the autumn session will
be on Tuesday morning 9th September
when we will be joined by local Emsworth artist Mrs
Pamela Hazell whose "workshop" will be on the subject of
"portraits". Visitors to this event would be most
welcome.
D Bowley
Food For Thought
The News carried out a survey of
500 15-year-olds in Portsmouth, Fareham, Havant, Gosport
and Waterlooville and published the results in the
newspaper on Monday 4 August.
The findings showed, inter alia, that
when questioned "Do you go to Church?" 36 said
yes, 452 said no and there was no response from 12.
In response to "Do you believe in God?" 120
said yes, 356 said no and there was no response from 24.
Church Commissioners’ Financial
Results in 2002
In a dreadful year for stock markets
the Commissioners achieved a total return of –9.3%. This
was much better than the average of –13.9% for UK
pension funds. Over the long run, whether annual returns
are better or worse than the average makes a big
difference to how much money we can produce for the
Church. Our property holdings, which make up a higher
share of our assets than for most funds, did well. Once
again this lessened the impact of the continuing stock
market slump. Total assets stood at £3.5 billion at the
end of 2002 – some £160 million higher than if we had
achieved only average results in the year. Over the last
ten years our returns have been more than 3% better each
year than the average for comparable funds. Stock
markets are still weak at present. But our current view
is that equities should remain the largest share of the
fund as we judge that they offer the best prospects over
the long term.
Spending in 2002. The
Commissioners’ fund provides money for a range of
purposes; all clergy pensions earned before 1998 – the
Pensions Measure allows us to spend some capital on
these – and other support for the Church’s work
especially in areas of need. In total we spent around
£165 millions in 2002. Our actuaries update their advice
on our fund every year to help us gauge how much we can
safely plan to spend in future. The latest update
confirms that, thanks partly to relatively good
performance in 2002, current assumptions are still sound
and our spending plans for 2002-04 remain on track. We
know this assurance is important for dioceses’ financial
plans.
Targeting the Commissioners’ Support.
We try to spend our money in ways that will do most
good. The parish mission fund, which began in 2002,
offered new flexibility in the use of £10 million of our
support for parish ministry in 2002-04. Some dioceses
are using this money for parish evangelism to build new
congregations and churches. Some plan to attract new
funds from other sources. In November the General Synod
agreed we should take steps to refocus the almost £5
million we pay towards individual clergy stipends, and
around £3 million in clergy retirement housing costs, on
support for parish ministry where today’s needs are
greatest.
Value for money. Getting the best
out of our assets is vital. 2002 was the first full year
of our new letting policy for some of the London housing
estates. The public service employers we are now working
with have no shortage of workers – nurses, teachers,
classroom assistants, for example – who need to live
locally and wish us to house them. Market lettings too
have been steady. Work to repair and improve the
properties has started on two estates and is going well.
We have cut our running costs by 30% in real terms in
the last 10 years. Over 2002-04 we and the Archbishops’
Council will hold costs at 2001 levels. In July many
Synod members supported taking a fresh look at the work
of bishops’ legal officers, which we help to fund, again
with the aim of making the best use of resources. We
carried out a review, talking to people close to this
work, and have now made recommendations.
The Reverend Canon Douglas Caiger RIP
We have received the following letter
from Mrs Betty Caiger following the message of sympathy
we sent from the Parish:
I, and the whole family, thank you
for your kind message of sympathy and appreciation on
the death of Douglas. It is a great comfort to know that
you and many others are giving your support at this time
of sad loss, and are remembering with fondness and
thanks the many wonderful moments from his life and
ministry. Thank you so very much for writing. St Faith's
Church had a very special place in Douglas's heart and
he was so happy to help out when needed. My thanks to
you all.
Betty Caiger
Annual Church
Outing – Wisley RHS - click here
Summer Serenade |
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The talents of our
organist, Judith Williams and her sister Margaret
Stainsby entertained an audience of around fifty on the
evening of Saturday 2nd August in St. Faith’s
Church. The first half of their programme consisted of
Mozart’s Exsultate jubilate and Schubert songs sung by
Margaret, with Judith playing an Intermezzo by Brahms on
the piano and then singing four short pieces. As it was
a beautifully warm summer evening, the audience gathered
outside the west door of the church at the interval for
wine and bites. For the second half of the programme
Margaret sang pieces from Britten and Flanders and Swan,
and Judith played Chorale Preludes by Bach on the organ.
The talented sisters changed their roles throughout the
evening – when one was singing the other was playing. It
was a very entertaining evening, and £259.15 was raised
for the Restoration Fund. |
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Junior Choir |
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Judith Williams has very kindly
agreed that the photographs of our Junior Choir, who
sang at her daughter’s wedding at Arundel Cathedral on
21st June 2003, can be published in the
magazine.
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The young boys and
girls in our choir are a credit to St. Faith’s and to
Judith. We should all be very proud of them. I am sure
everyone will agree that it is a pleasure to hear their
sweet voices every Sunday morning. |
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Reflections of a Golden Day (in
1979)
Chris and Anne are married – I keep
repeating to myself – Chris and Anne are married – was
it really three weeks ago? All the preparation – over
and all cleared away … but what a gloriously happy day
it was – the weather warm, with a breeze, we could use
the garden. Anne went to the hairdressers whilst John,
Maureen and I prepared the tables set with white sheets
– arranging the salads – turkey, ham, sausage rolls, the
lettuce gleaming, crisp – and the tomatoes shaped as
water lilies – the slender white spring onions boiled
eggs – crisps, cheeses with dishes of various pickles –
sideboard full of trifles – chocolate gateaux cream –
the round table set by the big window – with just the
cake – two tier, white with pink roses. When Anne
returned her hair was taken back, upswept in a nest of
curls, her fringe swept low and curved back – rather
like curtains, she was dubious about the style, said she
looked like Sandie Shaw! We didn’t feel like much lunch,
John and Anne had a bacon sandwich – Chris, Nick and I –
nothing. How we all managed to wash and be ready I shall
never know. Anne’s parents and sisters arrived around
2pm … I remember thinking as her sisters and Beth went
upstairs to Anne’s room to help her and by their
presence show their love and support – what a close bond
a family can be to each other, not only at sad times,
but also at the joyous times. We all left for St. John’s
(in Forton, Gosport) at 3.15pm leaving Anne and
her father – I wonder what their feelings and thoughts
were? – For it is the time when father and daughter are
closest together – when he will relinquish his
protection and caring to another … What were my thoughts
as I took my place in our much loved church? Happy that
our Parish Priest (Fr. Munro) who had been such a
source of comfort and strength over twenty years was to
conduct the service, and that also to make it even more
memorable, Mary Kilgour was going to sing. As the organ
thundered out, "Love Divine, all loves excelling"
to see Chris take his place – Russell by his side – then
Anne, tall, slender in her lovely gown of white lace –
her shoulders gleaming pale and cream – carrying a
simple spray of red rose buds, a rose twined in her hair
– through the service Mary sang in her beautiful voice,
filling the great redbrick Victorian church – "The
Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want…" I like to think
that in the Church with us – others unseen were present
– loved ones – whose love surrounded them both – and
ending the service, the haunting "God be in my head
and in my understanding … God be at my end and at my
beginning" – the personal words from Father Munro to
Chris and Anne – the Signing the Register – the
triumphant walk back down the aisle – the innumerable
photographs. Happy faces of brothers, sisters, friends –
then back to the house … toasts, speeches, champagne
corks popping; John’s brother singing in the garden at
dusk – "Girls were made to love and kiss…" Winnie
with her clever monologues. A Golden Wonderful Day –
three weeks ago … July 28th (1979) at
3.45pm after thirty-one years, we gained John and I, a
gay humorous loving daughter.
PeggyBradey
From the Editor
How have you all been coping with the
hot weather? Has it been too hot for you? It certainly
has been lovely if you haven’t had to go to work, or get
stuck in a traffic jam, or be on a train. It’s also been
great, getting out the summer holiday clothes and being
able to wear them in the UK for a longish period of
time. Anglicans have been in the news over the last
two months. First there was the furore over the
appointment to the post of Bishop of Reading of the
"gay" priest, Canon Jeffrey John, who was forced to step
down, and then there was the first openly "gay" Anglican
bishop, the Reverend Gene Robinson, to be elected in the
Episcopal Church in New Hampshire, USA. The Archbishop
of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has warned of
"difficult days" and "will have a significant impact on
the Church worldwide" (The map below shows the Anglican
Church Membership Worldwide). What are your views on the
appointment of "gay" bishops? Another topic raised
by Fr. David is ‘Communion before Confirmation’. What
are your views on this? Both these topics should give
rise to healthy discussions, so please let me have your
views – if you don’t want your name published you can
remain anonymous - so don’t be put off from writing.
Remember that you can see the pictures published in the
magazine in full colour on our web-site – just click on
"magazine" from the "Welcome page".
Colin Carter
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