It’s great to have a third-year students from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) at St Mark’s today, filming scenes for a graduation film Hangnail.
Director George (pictured above, centre) is just going through some notes and filming will start soon. Updates to follow.
Each November we remember those who have suffered and died in armed conflicts around the world, and this year we mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a turning point in World War Two, but one which, as in any war, cost many lives.
This year St John’s Church takes centre stage in Farnham’s Remembrance commemorations, when on the evening of Saturday, November 9, from 7.30pm, it becomes the venue for the Farnham Festival of Remembrance, a military and musical spectacular which will pay tribute to the service men and women of the country’s armed forces.
In the presence of the Mayor and with the guidance of the Royal British Legion, the evening will feature a wide range of musical talent, including Farnham Brass Band and the musicians of the TS Swiftsure Sea Cadets Band.
All three of the armed forces will be represented by the Princess of Wales Army Reserve Regiment, Sea Cadets, Army Cadets and Air Cadets, along with the civilian services including the British Red Cross, St John Ambulance, Scouts and Girl Guides as well as some of the local schools.
There will be a parade, a concert and a short service in honour of those who have been injured or lost their lives in the defence of the freedom and liberty of the nation.
Please join us for this spectacular event. Entry is free and donations will be shared between local causes including the parish and the Royal British Legion.
For more information email admin@badshotleaandhale.org
The next collection of clothes, toiletries and other items by the local group Farnham Help for Refugees will take place at St Thomas-on-The Bourne church on Friday, October 4, from 3-7pm.
With winter approaching. the plight of those forced to leave their homes and find refuge in other countries becomes even more serious than it has been. Many arrive in foreign lands with few clothes and possessions and must rely on other people for basics which most of us take for granted – shelter, food, clothes, medicine, toiletries and so on.
Farnham Help for Refugees was set up by a small group of people in response to the dire needs of refugees, both those arriving to this country and those elsewhere in Europe and in the Middle East, and holds regular collections. They work with agencies supporting refugees directly so that they can ensure that they are asking for exactly what is needed.
Here is a list of what is needed at the moment:
Clothing
Warm coats for men, women and children
Adult jumpers, fleeces and hoodies (s,m,l)
Adult jeans, joggers, leggings (s,m,l)
Adult t-shirts (s,m,l)
Children’s winter clothes
Adult and children’s underwear (new only)
Thermal socks (new only)
Hats, scarves and gloves
Bras (new or as new)
Maternity wear
(Please note, all items should be new or as-new and clean please. No dirty or damaged items. No XL or XXL items. No shoes, trainers or boots. No duvets).
Other items
Sleeping bags
Baby items (all items must be unopened)
Nappies (disposable only)
Wipes and nappy cream
Vaseline and Sudocrem
Toiletries (all items must be unopened)
Shampoo
Razors (disposable only)
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Soap and body wash
Roll-on deodorant
Wet wipes
Incontinence pants/pads
Sanitary towels (not tampons)
Washing powder and cleaning products
As it costs £6 per box to send the items, Farnham Help for Refugees welcomes cash donations on the day to help with shipping costs.
Please do not donate items not on the list as they will have to be recycled locally and cannot be sent to refugees.
Contact Farnham Help for Refugees by emailing farnhamhelpforrefugees@gmail.com or via facebook: @farnhamhelpforrefugees
The 175th anniversary celebrations at St John’s Church, Hale, kick off on May 18 and 19 with a flower festival.
Local organisations, artists, schools, churches, charities and other faith groups are all planning their entries to the festival that weekend. Among those preparing displays are the three churches which make up the parish; the Hale Gardening Club; the local Mothers’ Union; the Opportunities Project; the Hale Women’s Institute; the Darby and Joan Club, Farnham Baha’is, Petal & Stem florists, Crown Chain nursery and Rainbow Church (welcoming all who are LGBTI+).
There will be art and craft too and All Hallows School art club are presenting a collage, Badshot Lea Infant School will be displaying floral photography, and there will be contributions from local artists Susie Lidstone, Judith Needham, Penny Fleet and former Surrey Artist of the year Denise Jaques who will bring garden mosaics. Local milliners Mind your Bonce will be providing an elegant touch with hats and flowers.
Among the charities taking part will be Farnham Assist and Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care who will be bringing samples of planting done in the hospice’s Social and Therapeutic Horticulture sessions. Amnesty International will be bringing a display reminding visitors of the plight of political prisoners across the world.
Lesley Crawley said: “St John’s was consecrated in November 1844 and since then has been a much-loved focal point in the village of Hale. We would like everyone to celebrate with us this year, so we are holding a series of events to which all are welcome. One of the first of these is the flower festival in May where, for two days, the church will be overflowing with colourful floral displays and art, and there will be live music and refreshments, including Pimm’s.
“St John’s is everyone’s church and as well as celebrating our anniversary, we are looking forward to the future. We know that our church could be used to serve the community better and we want to know what people would like from us as we look forward to the next stage and discover what God has in store for us all. We have therefore launched a survey for residents and local organisations to complete. You can find it on our website (www.badshotleaandhale.org) or in the church.”
The survey is also available at https://goo.gl/XQQ8qT.
The flower festival will take place from 10am-4pm on Saturday, May 18, and from noon-4pm on Sunday, May 19. Entry is £1 and everyone is welcome!
A Hale woman who was used as a model for one of the murals in St Mark’s Church has found her final resting place back in the village.
Joyce Helen Taman, née Eglington, whose ashes were interred in Hale Cemetery on April 5, was born in 1926, and was the model for the figure of Moon when one part of the murals was renovated and repainted in 1946.
Joyce was the youngest of three children and grew up in Vicarage Lane in Hale. She was educated at Hale School where she excelled at maths, and on leaving at the age of 14 was employed in the accounts department at Kinghams, a grocery distribution warehouse in Farnham’s West Street. She married Alexander Mitchell, a member of the military police based at the prisoner-of-war camp in Crookham village whom she met at a dance.
It is not clear how she was chosen to be the model for Moon, but she was always very proud of what she jokingly called her ‘muriel’. By the 1940s, some of the murals which had been painted by Kitty Milroy between 1911 and 1920 required renovation. A fundraising appeal was launched after Easter 1946 and among the fundraisers was the well-known soprano Joan Coxon who put on a concert which raised more than £13, around £500 in today’s money.
The paintings which needed restoring were to the left of the altar where damp had affected them and local painter Evelyn Caesar carried out the restoration, choosing Joyce to sit for Moon. Next to Moon is ‘Clouds’, a male figure, and his identity is still a mystery, as are the identities of many of the figures whom Kitty Milroy painted.
Moon was identified by two of Joyce’s daughters, Jeannette and Wendy-Rae, who came into the church last year while on a nostalgic trip around the area where they grew up. Joyce and Alexander (Alec) settled in Folly Lane North and brought up four children who attended St Mark’s and two even sang in the choir, beneath the picture of their mother.
In later life Joyce remarried and moved to the Midlands and in January this year died in Bournedale House care home in Birmingham at the age of 92. The family and friends returned to St Mark’s this month to celebrate Joyce’s life and her ashes were interred in the cemetery close to others in her family. At the service to celebrate her life, her son-in-law Roger stood beneath the picture of Joyce as Moon and played Blue Moon on his saxophone, a fitting tribute to a much-loved Hale lady.
If anyone has any information on who ‘Clouds’ might be, or any of the other figures in the murals please let us know. You can contact us here or email news@badshotleaandhale.org
Holy Wednesday – 23rd March
19:30 at St John’s
Maundy Thursday – 24th March
19:30 at St George’s
19:30 at St John’s
Good Friday – 25th March
9:30 Crafts at St Mark’s
9:30 Service at St John’s
10:00 Crafts at St George’s
11:00 Informal service at St Mark’s
14:00 Devotions at St George’s
Easter Eve – 26th March
20:00 at Guildford Cathedral
Easter Day – 27th March
9:30 at St John’s
10:00 at St George’s & Easter Egg Hunt
11:00 at St Mark’s & Easter Egg Hunt
