From the Rector - Back to Routine?

Many families look to September as the time in the year for re-establishing routine.  Here at St. Faith’s the sense of a new school year launches us into many new initiatives.  It will be the first year of our association with Warblington School that we shall be able to use the St. Faith’s Town Fair on Saturday 11^th to showcase the exceptional work executed by students in the Art and Design Department which first ‘wowed’ parents and guests in early July.

Just one week later we welcome our new diocesan bishop the Right Reverend Christopher Rogers at a service of Inauguration at St. Thomas’ Cathedral whilst being equally thrilled by the Licensing at the cathedral the following Saturday (25^th )of Sandra Haggan to her Reader ministry among us.

The next day (26^th) Sandra will preach her inaugural sermon as Reader on ‘Back to Church’ Sunday which provides an opportunity to members of St. Faith’s personally to invite friends and neighbours to come along to either morning or afternoon worship.  At 5.00pm we shall hold a Harvest Festival Service that ‘returners’ or newcomers to church might choose to come to as an alternative to that morning’s Parish Eucharist.  The Harvest Festival Service at 5.00pm will be followed by a Harvest Supper.

By that time we shall also have started a six week trial, beginning on 19^th September, that builds upon the very positive experience of celebrating Holy Communion ‘in the round’ last Pentecost.  The PCC will be able to review the experience at its October meeting.  This time a nave altar will be located just in front of the westward tower pillars making the nave the room in which the Eucharist is celebrated.  This will give us the sense of togetherness enjoyed back in June but retain an eastward facing congregation and a westward facing choir and sanctuary.  The morning’s sermon will be delivered by our new bishop via visually projected DVD which is a further reason for hearing God’s word and breaking bread together that morning all in one space.  Parishioners will be able to chat about their first impressions of this arrangement over the ‘Hymns and Pimm’s’ event at 6.30pm that same evening.

And if a glass of Pimm’s isn’t enough to bring you back to church on a Sunday evening then we shall also be tempting you with an opportunity to see the full exhibition of Portsmouth University’s architect interns whose consultation work with us during July will be on show.  The imaginative four options that they produced can be enjoyed by parishioners who were unable to join us on July 19^th.

So remember September at St. Faith’s not so much for its return to routine but as the beginning of a year that will progress our mission led by an expanding ministry team.  This will not only include the pastoral team who offer supportive visits to those confined at home, alongside our Readers and Reader-in-Training, Mike Fluck, but will be significantly added to in July of next year when we welcome a new assistant curate to the parish who will serve in their first year as an ordained Deacon.  We will be announcing this person to the congregation during September too!

The developments required to expand the mission at St. Faith’s make the notion of ‘getting back to a routine’ somewhat redundant.  That is why in next month’s magazine you will see the church Services section at the back supplemented with a calendar that will plot the major services and events for the remainder of the year and onwards into 2011.

Peter Jones

From the Editor

Do you have a memory of yesteryear?  If you have and you would like to tell readers about them like Beatrice has then please send them to me.

After the quiet Sundays in August with no choir, this month will be livelier with a Stewardship Sunday on the 12^th, hymns & Pimms on the 19^th and a back to church Sunday and Harvest Festival on the 26^th.  Also, the 19^th will be the start of a six week trial with a nave altar – see the Rector’s article – so your views will be most welcome.  Please let me have your thoughts and share them with other parishioners  There are changes to the services on 3^rd October so please note them

It is also our Town Fair on the 11^th and most of the income comes from the grand draw so please sell as many tickets as you can.

I have set up a page on Facebook for St. Faith’s Church, so for those who like this kind of thing type in www.facebook.com/stfaiths on your browser where you should find it.

Colin Carter

Havant Town Fair

10am – 3pm Saturday 11 September 2010

Fun for all the family!        Lots of Stalls       Grand Draw          Bottle Tombola

BBQ & Refreshments – sponsored by Waitrose

Donations gratefully received – please telephone

023 9249 2129 (Parish Office) or 023 9248 3485 (Rector)

Proceeds in aid of St. Faith’s Church, Havant

& St. Nicholas Chapel, Langstone

Restoration & Redevelopment Appeal

The “Few”

The 15 September is Battle of Britain day when we remember the sacrifices of our airmen in defeating the German Luftwaffe thereby preventing Hitler’s planned invasion across the Straits of Dover 70 years ago.  There is a plaque on the south wall of St. Faith’s Church in memory of one of our Battle of Britain pilots, Hugh Elliott, who as many of you know was a Churchwarden in this church.  The battle started on 8 August 1940 when the Luftwaffe started a series of massed daylight raids.  On 12 August, just before noon, 150 bombers attacked Portsmouth and this was followed up the following day with a further massed attack.  More was to follow.  At 5.00pm on the 15 August, between three and four hundred bombers attacked the city causing huge damage and many civilian casualties.  In the booklet published about the Battle of Britain in 1941 by the Ministry of Information, the following was stated.  “Whether these objectives (Portsmouth and Portland) were too tough for him or whether he thought that the four heavy attacks on them had accomplished his object, he turned away to other targets.” 

The battle officially ended on 31 October.  The Luftwaffe lost 2,375 aircraft destroyed but at a cost of 375 RAF pilots killed and 358 wounded.  All will be familiar with Winston Churchill’s tribute to the “Few” but do you know the full tribute?  “The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen, who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of world war by their prowess and by their devotion.  Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Roger Bryant

Memories of Yesteryear

Mr. Hostler started making and selling toffee apples from his front room.  By the time I started to work for him he had graduated to two factories in the Portsmouth area.  The one I worked in, between 1945 and 1955 overlooked Pitt Street.

Whilst the war was still on and during the time of sugar rationing Mr. Hostler kept us busy as cleaners and decorators in the factory rather than laying any of us off.

I started as a labeller and moved on to pulling the mixture for the humbug machine, feeding it in and breaking the shaped humbugs into individual sweets.

After the war the factory had sugar and glucose and expanded its range of sweets.  We started to make Southsea rock and rock for all the seaside resorts along the south coast.  To make sticks of rock you start with a giant stick of rock about a foot in diameter with the letters running all the way through; it was hand rolled and pulled out to make thinner and thinner sticks until it reached the required diameter.  The rock had to be rolled constantly even after it had reached the right thickness to stop it sinking into a flat lump and we could only stop when it had cooled enough to become solid.

There was another machine for stamping out pear drops and eventually one for wrapping individual sweets.  The toffee was made on huge oiled slabs, with someone constantly moving the boiling mixture until it had cooled and reached the right consistency to be cut and shaped.

In the winter the factory was a cosy warm place to work, but in the summer it was baking hot; we were given a ten-minute tea break in the morning and again in the afternoon and an hour for lunch.  Mr. Hostler was a good man to work for and I only left when I started my family as you did in those days.

Beatrice Mockford

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Under European law, we are required to pay VAT on vital repair and maintenance work on listed places of worship in the United Kingdom including our own St Faith’s.  However, for many years there has been legislation called “Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme” under which churches could claim back the VAT paid from our own government.  However, in our current national financial situation, this grant scheme is under threat of being scrapped, possibly by March 2011.  Around £110 million is spent annually on the upkeep of churches, most of which is raised by local congregations.  Parishioners will wish to know that around the country representations are being made to Members of Parliament and petitions are being raised calling on the Government to continue this Grant Scheme.

Church House

The PCC meeting on 19 July reported that the Diocesan Surveyor would be visiting the parish to assess the suitability of repairing Church House.  I knew that Pallant House, as it was known in 1919, was purchased by the PCC for a Men's Club.  The Rector at that time, Harold N Rodgers, said "an old property, Pallant House, standing in a good garden, centrally and conveniently situated, was bought and the house altered and fitted up at considerable cost as a Men's Club".  As it was old in 1919, I decided to look at its history before then.

My thanks to Ann Griffiths who guided me to a "Havant Houses" file in the Havant Museum that shows the first recorded occupants of Pallant House as Stevens and Longcroft Solicitors in 1828.  The solicitors moved out into West Street and the 1841 Census shows the occupant as Christopher Stevens who died in 1843.  In 1847 a Miss Charlotte Mountain lived there until her death in 1860.  The 1891 Census shows the occupants being the Roffey family - Sir James Roffey died in 1912 and Lady Emma Roffey died in 1914.  It was then acquired by St. Faith's Church in 1919.

So the house is over 182 years old – no wonder there are costly repairs required!  It will be interesting to read the Diocesan Surveyor’s report.

Colin Carter

 “Norkie”

Anne Plater has given me a wonderful little booklet about St Nicholas Chapel.  It has this to say about one of the legends of St. Faith’s who I was privileged to know towards the end of her life.  The book tells us that Miss Doris Norkett, known to all including Father Brown, as “Norkie”, was born in Pook Lane in 1905.  It goes on to say that “Norkie” ran a Sunday school in the 1920s with about 20 pupils, who came from what is described as a tightly-knit community in Langstone High Street.  Apparently, “Norkie” would arrive with her bicycle laden with materials and the children would spend Sunday morning singing hymns, listening to Bible stories, drawing pictures and making models.

My memories of “Norkie” are in the time of Father Brown.  He introduced her to me as “God’s Housekeeper”.  She regularly cleaned the church almost daily and, like our Jenny, took a pride in keeping it spotless.  She continued to work way beyond her allotted “three score and ten”.  When she finally retired, she still attended church very regularly.  Father Brown had his own “meals on wheels” service to rival the WVS.  He would deliver soup and eats to a number of elderly parishioners including “Norkie”.

There is a lady in this parish who could tell the readers of “Faith Matters” far more about “Norkie” than me because she was a member of her Sunday school.  She also has an interesting story to tell of how “Norkie” finished up in the luggage rack of a train arriving at Havant from London.  I wonder if our Editor, Colin, could persuade her to tell us what really happened on that eventful train journey.

Roger Bryant

(Here is her response! – Ed)

I was a teacher in “Norkie’s” Infant Sunday School for several years from 1935 with 15 children under 5-years in my class - years I thoroughly enjoyed.  Later I was “volunteered” to move to teach in the Senior School during the war years.

During this time before the war we were members of St. Faith’s Church Communicants Guild (male & female) who organised outings on Bank holidays.  On the way home from London one Easter Monday we put “Norkie” on one luggage rack of an ordinary carriage (not a Pullman in those days) and Eddie Freestone on the opposite rack.  Roger is not quite right as we did get them down before we ran into Havant Station!

“Norkie” was a super Sunday school teacher and loved by all the children.  While one of her teachers, I would sometimes go to St. Nicholas at Langstone to take the Sunday school there.

I, and all the other teachers, would always do anything to help “Norkie”, who with many years of looking after her elderly mother, including pushing her about in an old fashioned “Bath Chair” gave her life in working for St. Faith’s.

Audrey Currie

St. Faith’s & Dynamo Youth Theatre

For some time, St Faith’s and Dynamo have been discussing a long term hiring agreement for Dynamo to be the primary hirer of the church hall.  This arrangement would have benefits to both sides – for Dynamo, it would give a stable base from which to expand the membership and to provide facilities that they cannot obtain in their present base at The Spring; for St Faith’s, it will increase the revenues for the hall while still retaining the ownership and access to the same amount of hiring time currently used.  Dynamo also plan to make changes to the building which will improve facilities for both them, the church and the other hirers.  At this time, there is acceptance of the general terms offered by the church, subject to detailed agreement and ratification by the PCC.  The trustees and management committee of Dynamo have approved these terms and written to the negotiating team saying that subject to the detail being agreed, Dynamo intends to proceed.

Both sides met in mid August (after “Faith Matters” went to press) to cover the “fine print” before both sides see a final and full agreement prior to signatures.  Unfortunately, a piece in Dynamo’s latest newsletter said that the agreement was completed giving the impression of a done deal.  Tony Goodbody, the Chair of Dynamo, has apologised that this piece jumped the gun and a corrected version has been e-mailed to their mailing list.

Church Shop – Now Open

The Church Shop re-opened on Tuesday 31 August and we are again able to accept your donations of clean saleable clothes, bric-a-brac and small pieces of furniture.  We would also appreciate your spare small and medium size plastic bags, rubber bands, the type the postmen drop, also pins.  Above all we need more helpers in order to keep the shop going.  So far this year we have banked £8,254 which has taken a lot of hard work by a small group of dedicated helpers.  Thank you all so very much.

Sheila Warlow

Reg and Victoria – Richards nickname is Reg as his initials are   R. E. G. Smith, which caused a bit of confusion for Father Peter at our service of thanksgiving on 7 August 2010 when Victoria spoke about Reg!  We have known each other since Victoria walked past Richards, five doors down the road from where she lived, as she was taking a break from her GCSE revision.  There he was, just moved in, repairing his 50cc moped, bringing a great deal more interest to the neighbourhood road than there had been previously.  Funnily Victoria’s mum had always said she would meet someone who lived round the corner, which she used to huff at but….

Our service was a wonderful part of our celebration for our 25^th wedding anniversary.  In amongst a busy day of parties it gave us a period of relative calm in which we could reflect.  We were joined by close friends and family and a few friends from the St. Faith’s congregation.  Everyone sang the hymns with great gusto and the few members of the choir not on holiday sang a beautiful anthem, accompanied by our guest organist Ben Lewis-Smith.  Richard read a passage from the bible and Victoria had a few tears as she read her own words.  It was a very relaxed service with some laughter and a bit of banter with Father Peter.  It was moving to be sat at the front of the church, close to our family and friends, and to feel their support during the service.

 Later in the evening many friends and family enjoyed a party at the Spring in Havant.  Our guests, including many of Emma and Holly’s friends, enjoyed a fabulous evening playing black jack and roulette with pretend money, dancing and enjoying the chocolate fountain.

The Smiths

That afternoon we left for Split which was crowded for a festival.  Most of our fellow passengers went for the tour around the Palace which we had visited last year but we toured the myriad of stalls in the market.  That evening we were treated to a spectacular firework display.  Next day we made the long passage to Hvar where we berthed alongside the town square.  On visiting the Church we saw the flower arrangers busy preparing impressive displays for a ceremony to come which gladdened Rosemary's heart.

On the penultimate day we left early for “one of the most beautiful islands in the world”; Mljet.  This is a wooded island encircling two salty lakes entailing a longish walk to the second lake where we embarked in a small boat and were taken to an island on which was a former monastery.  All very attractive.  On return we dropped behind the rest of our party and it was touching that the two deckhands were watching to help us across the several similar craft to which the VAPOR rafted up.  Next morning we were away heading back to our berth in the Dubrovnik harbour.  We had been round this splendid city before but took the opportunity to complete our circuit of the southern walls.  All very impressive.  The next day our coach took us to the airport for our flight back to the much improved Gatwick.  It was a week well spent in the loveliest surroundings.

Peter Thomas

Chorister Badge Awards – Red Badge

In the April and May issues of “Faith Matters” 2010, the various singing and theoretical requirements of the RSCM Light Blue ribbon and Dark Blue ribbon were explained.  This article deals with the challenges faced when starting out on the Red Badge level.

All theoretical requirements are now studied in greater depth.  To the notes already known is added the demi-semiquaver and its rest.  Notes that are higher or lower than the stave are written on extra small lines called ledger lines, and these have to be learnt in both treble and bass clefs.  Dotted notes and rests are revised and extended and key signatures – in both major and relative minors – now include up to five sharps and five flats.  A wider variety of Italian words that tell singers how to perform the music now have to be learnt.  The two different sorts of time – simple and compound time – always confuse choristers at first, but with clapping games, aural work, practice cards and repetition, eventually the penny drops and “Oh!  Now I get it”, is music to the trainer’s ears!  At this level the following time signatures should be understood:

The aural and singing requirements at this level are quite extensive.  Choristers have to be able to recognise, sing and name all three notes of both major and minor triads.  They have to be able to identify major, minor and perfect intervals when played, recognise them in music, and be able to sing them too.  Besides singing ascending and descending major and minor scales in various keys, they now have to be able to sing major and minor arpeggios and be able to name the notes that they have sung.  When a chord is played, choristers have to sing and name any note in that chord.  Sight singing is still important at this stage and, when faced with an unfamiliar piece of music, choristers have to explain the time signature and identify the key signature (and its relative minor).  The pitch of any note in the first chord has to be identified.  This unseen choral piece can be in simple or compound time and in any key up to, and including, five sharps and flats.  It can include dotted notes, rests and tied notes, and will contain various Italian terms that the choristers have to observe in their singing.  Good tone and diction are important, as is breathing in appropriate places.  Choristers have to explain the difference between choral and solo singing and, in order to be awarded their red badge, have to sing a solo either in a concert or in a service.

In the repertoire section, singers have to know who wrote the music and when, who wrote the text and when and the source of the words.  Dates of birth and death of both composer and librettist and the century they lived in have to be given.  Choristers have to surmise if the music was written for a special event or time of the year and if it was commissioned.  They also have to say how the composer matches the mood of the words and reflects this in the music.

The choir routine section is equally important as all the above and records whether choristers are committed, reliable and punctual, whether they lead by example and are willing to help younger members without any fuss. 

The red badge level is a big “ask” for any choir member to undertake, and awarding the ribbon at the 9.30 Sunday morning service is an important part of their choir membership and the result of some very hard work.

Sylvia Willey – Organist & Choir Director