St Mark’s will be buzzing on Saturday, September 20th, when we hold our Autumn Craft Market, starting at 10am and running until 2pm.
Come and browse the stalls for toys, handknits, cards, jewellery, needlecraft and all manner of gifts. There is live music and a café to meet you friends for a cuppa and eat homemade rolls and cakes.
What’s more, you can see the beautiful Kitty Milroy murals, painted in the early 20th century and restored in 2021. These have been recognised as nationally important in the development of mural art and an exceptional example of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
It’s free to enter and always a lovely atmosphere.
St Mark’s is taking part in the 2025 Heritage Open Days and welcoming people to the church on Friday, September 19th at 11am and Saturday, September 20th at 3pm, to see the Kitty Milroy murals and have all their questions answered by Nick Seversway who is an expert on the subject.
This is an ideal opportunity for anyone who hasn’t yet seen the murals, or would like to find out more, to come along and have a detailed look.
The murals, which are of significant national importance in the development of 20th-century mural painting, were painted between 1911 and 1920 by local woman Eleanor Catherine Wallace Milroy (‘Kitty’) using other local people as models.
The murals are a celebration of faith, seen through the natural world, and include the words ‘O, all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord’ (The Benedicite, a canticle taken from ‘The Song of the Three Holy Children’ from the apocryphal parts of the Book of Daniel) and ‘O give thanks unto the Lord’ (from Psalm 136).
They had deteriorated significantly over the years and in 2021 were restored by internationally renowned mural conservationists Stephen Rickerby and Lisa Shekede.
There is no need to book, so please come along on September 19th or 20th. Refreshments will be served.
Autumn is, just about, here and so is our September magazine. Inside you can find news on upcoming events including our Pride services on September 7th, our Pet service, Craft Market, Harvest Festival, Harvest Supper, a concert from Out of the Shadows and Heritage Open Days. There is spiritual reflection and prayer, reports on events and the Church Cat and the Church Dog vying for your attention.
There are plenty of adverts too so please do use the companies who kindly advertise in our magazine. They enable us to keep going.
St Mark’s will be buzzing next Saturday (21st) when we hold our Autumn Craft Market, starting at 10am and running until 2pm.
Come and browse the stalls for pottery, toys, handknits, cards, jewellery, candles, needlecraft and all manner of gifts. There is live music and a café to meet you friends and eat homemade rolls and cakes.
What’s more, you can see the beautiful Kitty Milroy murals, painted in the early 20th century and restored in 2021. These have been recognised as nationally important in the development of mural art and an exceptional example of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
It’s free to enter and always a lovely atmosphere.
Come to our free Barn Dance this Friday (19th July) at St Mark’s Church, with doors opening at 6pm and dancing beginning at 6.30pm.
Two-thirds of the popular band Cajun Boogaloo will be playing, Kris Lawrence will be calling the dances, and it is suitable for all ages and for both beginners and experts at dancing.
Even if you just want to watch, it’s a great evening out. Bring your own refreshments though there will be tea, coffee and cake for sale. There will also be a raffle.
Come and enjoy an evening of fun, and while you are there, take a look at the Kitty Milroy murals.
Sunday, February 4th was a bittersweet day – a day to reflect with joy and gratitude on all that Lesley and Alan Crawley had given to the parish over the past 12 years, and a day to say a sad farewell to them as they embarked on their retirement.
That morning, St Mark’s Church was full of people from the parish and beyond, some of whom had known Lesley and Alan from the beginning of their ministry in Badshot Lea and Hale in November 2011, others who had met them more recently, but all keen to wish them well in the next stage of their lives.
Among the well-wishers was Rt Rev’d Paul Davies, Bishop of Dorking, who presided at the service and spoke about how blessed the parish had been to have had ‘two for the price of one’ with Lesley and Alan, who have their own different gifts.
Alan, who has the sort of mind that Bishop Paul said he would “give (his) right arm for”, is a tech expert who set up systems to ensure that the large parish with three churches – St Mark’s, St John’s and St George’s – could be run smoothly, while also having “a gentle patience which enables others to flourish”.
The bishop described Lesley as bringing to the parish “remarkable” leadership and having “levels of ambition and energy that are just not normal”. He said “The worse thing you can ever say to her is ‘I just don’t think that’s possible’ because she’ll prove to you that it is.”
Among the projects which Lesley has turned her energy and ambition to have been restoring ‘Emily’ the Edwardian organ and the Kitty Milroy murals – works of national significance – at St Mark’s, transforming the finances so that the parish is sustainable, as well as ministering in a populous community where life is not always easy.
Bishop Paul said: “If you have been incumbent of Badshot Lea and Hale you have credibility. It’s a large parish with a significant population and it has a good deal of suffering it. (Lesley and Alan) have managed ministry in some difficult situations. Some of the suffering has pulled on their heartstrings enormously and yet they have been faithful in season and out, in times of joy and in sorrow.” Bishop Paul described them as, “two priests who are deeply servants”.
You can watch a video of Bishop Paul’s speech here:
Lesley and Alan recalled many of their own favourite stories from the parish, including the little boy who said ‘cheers’ when Lesley raised the communion chalice, the yodelling song at a funeral, the chocolate brioche for communion, the email from Emily Mangles even though she had been dead for years, and the time Alan was found lying in the churchyard (he was checking to see if there was space for a grave). Then there were the two princesses, and the time Special Branch had to be involved when Jeremy Hunt MP was invited to speak at a meeting.
Dave Walter, who has taken on the role of PCC Lay Vice-Chair and is overseeing the operational side of the parish during the vacancy before we have a new incumbent, spoke on behalf of the parish and reiterated Bishop Paul’s feelings that the parish had been “blessed to have got two for one”. He recounted some memories including the time he had responded to a call for the choir and volunteers to join Lesley at one of the new housing estates while they had a Christmas street party with carol singing. “I enjoy singing carols so I went along. To my horror no other singers arrived so Lesley and I were left to lead the community singing.” Another time Lesley duetted was at the Harvest Supper when she and Bob Shatwell launched into Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.
Dave also recounted a baptism at St Mark’s where the baptism party included 15 godparents. “The church was heaving with people, the regulars in two rows at the back and the baptism party filling the rest of the church. Looking at the congregation, Lesley duly filled the chalice generously. When it came time for communion few, if any, of the baptism party took communion and despite the regulars taking a hearty gulp Lesley was left a significant amount of wine to consume. Some of the regulars were convinced that they could see the moment when the alcohol hit her and had to plan how to get her home safely.”
He added: “One of the significant legacies that Lesley and Alan will leave us is the number of the people from the parish who they have encouraged and supported to start their own ministry journey.” This is something that will stand the parish in good stead as we move to the next stage here in Badshot Lea and Hale.
The parish is now ‘in vacancy’ which means that there is no incumbent. The post will be advertised shortly and it is hoped that a new rector will be appointed this summer. We are looking for someone who is inclusive and keen to walk with us as we continue to grow in our faith and commitment to God and to our community.
Come to our free family Barn Dance next Friday -16th – at 6.30pm at St Mark’s, Upper Hale.
There will be music from our resident ceilidh band with caller Kris Lawrence – and a guest appearance from Knickerbocker Glory, Appalachian dancers! There will also be a raffle.
It’s a brilliant evening’s fun for all ages. Even if you can’t dance, come and watch and soak up the atmosphere.
Bring your own refreshments – tea and coffee provided.
And while you are there, have a look at the Kitty Milroy murals.
On New Year’s Eve, join us at St Mark’s at 11am for a Kitty Milroy Matins – a service of morning prayer which Kitty Milroy would have recognised.
Kitty Milroy, the artist who painted the murals in St Mark’s, lived between November 8th, 1885 and November 8th, 1966, and worked on the murals between 1911 and 1920. As a regular churchgoer, she would have been familiar with Matins, or Morning Prayer as it is now usually known. It is a service without communion and is a mixture of prayers, psalms and readings.
The service will include a mix of old and modern language and will include the Benedicite, a hymn of praise on which the murals are based.
Kitty Milroy, the artist responsible for the murals in St Mark’s Church, has been commemorated with a plaque on the ‘Famous Names of Farnham’ wall in Farnham’s town centre.
The plaque was unveiled on September 21st by Cllr Alan Earwaker, Mayor of Farnham; Nick Seversway, who led the work in organising the restoration of the murals and who is an expert on Kitty Milroy; and Rev’d Lesley Crawley.
The plaque now takes its place on Farnham’s ‘wall of fame’, in South Street, celebrating local luminaries, including writer and politician William Cobbett, racing driver Mike Hawthorn and cricketer Graham Thorpe.
Kitty Milroy (pictured below) was born Eleanor Catherine Milroy in 1885 in Newnham, Hampshire, but lived almost all her life in the Farnham area. From 1906 onwards, she enrolled in the Slade School of Art — a renowned centre for innovation in mural art — which had recently opened its doors to female students, and between 1911 and 1920 she created the murals in St Mark’s. between 1911 and 1920. They represent local scenes and Biblical passages and the figures in them were modelled by locals at the time. In 2021 they were restored by conservators Rickerby and Shekede.
Pictured clockwise from top left: Kitty Milroy; members of the parish Arts and Crafts committee at the unveiling – from left: Chriss Green, Nick Seversway, Bob Shatwell, Jean Sanders, Lesley Crawley and Alan Crawley; Kitty’s plaque; apple tree from Kitty’s murals; figures from Kitty’s murals.
Autumn is upon us so it is time for the October magazine.
Inside this month you will find articles on generosity, prayer, Kitty Milroy, our Taize services, verbal self-defence, even a carpet! There are notices about upcoming events, and lovely report on our farewell to Maxine, plus a few words from Maxine herself.
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The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 