Category Archives: St Mark’s Church

The June Magazine is here

The sun is out and so is the June magazine! This month’s magazine is packed full of news and events about our parish which isn’t confined to the villages we serve locally – lovely though they all are! Being online has allowed us to reach out far further and welcome people who can’t be with us physically.

Take the flower festival for instance. Among the 300+ entries were ones from friends of the parish from around the country. Take a look at some of the entries in the magazine and, of course, online.

There’s news of upcoming events – Father’s Day’s an important one as is the fete on July 3 – new classes, new rooms, a new business, our new youth hub, the new mayor and North Farnham councillor, along with lots more including Kitty Milroy and her media-starring murals, prayer, Jeremy Hunt, appeals for help, schools news, the Church Cat and more.

Enjoy reading and enjoy the sun.

Download the magazine here:

Support the Kitty Murals!

Following Kitty Milroy’s exposure in the national news, people have been asking us how we can carry on supporting the murals and give Kitty the recognition she deserves.

We need to ensure that they are protected and preserved for generations to come and also spread the news about her and her extraordinary talent. So, we are fundraising for the ongoing conservation and to pay for the roof which has had to be mended to keep the murals safe from the elements.

We’ve set up a fundraising page here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/st-marks-church

Please do give to it and help us keep Kitty’s murals in fine shape for posterity.

Kitty Milroy hits the headlines

The Kitty Milroy Murals at St Mark’s have made the national news, following a visit by Sky News reporter Shingi Mararike.

The murals, which are undergoing restoration at the moment, have been recognised as being of national importance in the development of mural art and the work of a considerable, but so far unacknowledged, talent.

Watch the video here:

https://news.sky.com/video/who-was-the-artist-known-as-kitty-milroy-12307871

And read the article here:

https://news.sky.com/story/surrey-church-restoring-murals-of-national-significance-by-unheralded-artist-kitty-milroy-12307572

Christian Aid Week

As it is Christian Aid week 9-15th May. The Franham Clergy have joined together to create an online Christian Aid Week Service:

We cannot collect door to door for Christian Aid so here is the clickable link for online giving for Christian Aid Week 2021:

https://giving.tapsimple.org/online/christian-aid/christian-aid-week-2021-bf4b3

The May magazine is here

Our May magazine is out now, a bumper edition this month with information about the elections for Surrey County Council members and the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner. Please read their statements and please vote; if we don’t bother to have a say we can hardly complain about the people who are elected.

There is information too about events going on this month including our Farnham Flower Festival (online again, of course) which is being sponsored by our favourite florist Florescence, and plans for the fete in July. Please get involved in both. There is news about new rooms to hire, an article on grief, information about taking part in Christian Aid Week and much more, plus, of course, lots of great adverts with services, offers and classes.

Download it here:

Celebrate St George’s Day with Mayors and Music

We will be celebrating St George’s Day on Sunday, April 25, at both St John’s and St George’s, with visits from two mayors, the Army Cadets and members of Alder Valley  Brass.

Cllr Alan Earwaker, Deputy Mayor of Farnham, and cadets from Surrey Army Cadet Force – Farnham Unit – will join the congregation at St George’s, at 10am for a family-friendly day service including drama and flags. One of the cadets will raise the flag in the churchyard and part of the service will be outside so that the congregation can sing and plant St George’s Day flags.

St John’s will be welcoming the Cllr Penny Marriott, Mayor of Waverley, and some Scouts, who will raise the flag, for a service at 9.30pm. Again this will be suitable for all ages and there will be singing outside and the planting of St George flags. Members of Alder Valley Brass will playing before the service and for the part of the service that will be outdoors.

Over at St Mark’s, the congregation will be celebrating St Mark’s Day from 11am with an emphasis on creativity. Bring along with you something to be creative with – your favourite pens and pencils, clay, paints – whatever you would like.

Everyone is welcome at the services which are Covid-secure. Masks must be worn in the churches.

Work begins on restoring the Kitty Milroy murals

The first stage of restoring the murals at St Mark’s Church has begun.

The murals, which are of significant national importance in the development of 20th-century mural painting, are being stabilised and cleaned by the internationally renowned mural conservationists Stephen Rickerby and Lisa Shekede. They were painted between 1911 and 1920 by local woman Eleanor Catherine Wallace Milroy (‘Kitty’) using other local people as models.

The murals blend influences from European Symbolist painting and the Arts and Crafts Movement and were featured in a recent talk by art historian, lecturer and author Olive Maggs for the Arts and Crafts Movement in Surrey. Comparisons have been made with pictures in The Watts Chapel and it is known that Mary Watts visited the area.

Stephen Rickerby and Lisa Shekede will be in the church for the next 10 weeks in order to complete this stage of the restoration.

Churches open for prayer and reflection

Following the death of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on Friday morning (April 9), the three churches in the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale will all be open this week from Monday to Friday for people to come in and light a candle, pray or just sit quietly. There will also be black ribbons available to tie in the churchyards as a sign of mourning and reflection.

The churches are St George’s, Badshot Lea, GU9 9LD; St John’s, Hale Road, GU9 9RP (park in the layby near Daniele Sicilian Restaurant); and St Mark’s, Alma Lane, GU9 0LT.

Because of Covid-19 we are unable to have a physical Book of Condolence but if you wish to sign one, there is an online one here: https://www.churchofengland.org/remembering-his-royal-highness-prince-philip

You can also do so by scanning the QR code here:

A copy of the QR code will be available in the churches.

If you need support or further information, contact admin@badshotleaandhale.org or call 07842761919.

Picture of Prince Philip copyright: Press Association

Prince Philip 1921-2021

Our sincere condolences and prayers are with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family, as they mourn the loss of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.

There will be services at all the churches this Sunday: 9.30am at St John’s, Hale Road; 10am at St George’s, Badshot Lea; and 11am at St Mark’s, Alma Lane.

There will be an opportunity to light a candle and tie a black ribbon in the churchyard afterwards.

The churches will also be open next week for private prayer and lighting candles.

Because of Covid-19 we are unable to have a physical Book of Condolence but if you wish to sign one, there is an online one here: https://www.churchofengland.org/remembering-his-royal-highness-prince-philip

You can also do so by scanning the QR code here:

If you need support or further information, contact admin@badshotleaandhale.org or call 07842761919.

Picture of Prince Philip copyright: The Press Association

The April Magazine is out

Our April magazine is out now, full of Easter hope, news, plans and offers by our wonderful, loyal advertisers.

Inside, along with the joy of Easter, you will find information on our plans for growth and how we want to serve our community better, you’ll find encouraging news about vaccinations, courses about faith, a ‘cycle ride’ from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise money for the church and for research into dementia, a piece about Pamela who has led the choir at St John’s for the past decade, and much more. (Miaow! Don’t forget me – the Church Cat).

Please read, share, respond, contribute. Let’s tell more people about all that this parish has to offer. And if you’d like a printed copy, let us know.

You can find the magazine here:

The cover price of the magazine is £10 for the year which pays for the editorial costs. We would be grateful if those accessing it online would pay £1 an issue. You can pay by clicking on the button below: