Malvern Priory MagazineThe Parish Church of St. Mary & St. Michael

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JUNE 2017 ISSUE

A WELL-DESERVED RETIREMENTFOR CUSTOS PETER, THE GREAT...

Over the past 16 years since his appointment in 2001, Peter hasmade an immense contribution to the life and work of the Prioryin the role of Custos. Peter has clearly had a real sense of calling,and has faithfully and creatively developed the scope of theministry of Custos well beyond any initial job description! Tomany visitors and Malvern townspeople alike, Peter has been anexcellent ambassador for the Priory—someone who is able torelate to and care for all sorts of different people who come tothe Priory in all sorts of conditions (and not always sober oneseither!). Peter has had a hidden ministry of welcome and care forsome of the more vulnerable visitors, and has exercised a wise aswell as compassionate, firm as well as tender pastoral ministry.

During Peter’s time as Custos, he has also had to be flexible andnot overly ‘precious’ as far as the building is concerned—notleast given the upheavals and disruptions caused by variousbuilding projects over the years. Sometimes Peter’s capacity towear short sleeve shirts in the middle of winter has made the restof us wonder why he does not seem to feel the cold, but evenPeter must have been tested on at least a couple of occasionswhen the Priory boiler chose to pack up just before Christmas!Peter has a real heart for outreach through using the buildingand its story of faith to inspire others, and this has shone throughhis contribution to Lifepath Malvern over the past nine years. 'DJPete’ has willingly thrown himself into Lifepath week and hisorganisational gifts have been vital to ensure the smoothrunning of this major Priory-hosted event.

Peter has been a loyal and supportive colleague with whom ithas been a real delight to work. He has been conscientious andco-operative—a positive team player, as well as an effectiveteam leader—and his sense of humour has helped to keepthings in perspective. He has cheerfully faced the challenges of

this demanding public role, not least having to deal with somerather difficult people and/or stressful situations.

The Young family had made their spiritual home at the Priorybefore Peter was called to serve here as its Custos. Now Peter canenjoy the Priory fellowship again without being on the receivingend of brickbats! Peter has been an outstanding Custos, a solid‘rock’ of a colleague, and a true friend to many, includingourselves. We wish him and Alison a truly blessed retirement, andevery joy as they begin this new chapter of their life together.

John and Mary Barr

Comedian Peter

Thespian Peter - can you find him?

Peter & Alison Silver Wedding Anniversary

Custos Peter

'DJ Pete'

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IN THIS ISSUE

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JUNe 2017

CUSTOS PETER, THEGREAT...

HAPPY RETIREMENT,PETERFROM THE EDITOR

JOHN AND MARY’S LASTSUNDAY AT THE PRIORY

LETTER FROM THE ARCHDEACON OF DUDLEYBIBLE SOCIETY MALVERNACTION GROUP

WHO'S WHOHOME GROUP NEWS

THOUGHT FOR THEMONTH‘ONE’ AT GREAT MALVERNPRIORY

MUCKNELL ABBEY

THE FRIENDS OFMALVERN PRIORY

ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

PRIORY MISERICORDS

JOHN BARR’S LAST WEDDING AT THE PRIORY

FroM The eDITorNow that the good ship THE PRIORY

has been launched off the slipway withthe Captain posted to another vessel, weare entering interesting but thankfullynot choppy waters. (What is it with meand these naval metaphors?) Some of uswill have gone to see John and Maryinducted into their new parishes—ifthat’s the right word—on the 23rd May,and meanwhile the process begins ofadvertising for our new incumbent. Thismonth, however, we have anotherfarewell to make, and a portentousone—Peter Young is retiring after manyyears in the post, having looked after usand the Priory in a magnificent way.How shall we find another? We wish himand Alison a happy retirement andrealise it will be very difficult to findsomeone so dedicated, so enthusiasticand so reliable at all times, to take hisplace.

The AGM in April reminded us of all thegood things we have to celebrate: awonderful number of people turned upand many wanted to be on the PCC. Lotsof activities, lots of services new and old,

and lots of enthusiasm characterises thelife of the Priory. This month we haveLIFEPATH which takes enormousamounts of committed work, and bringsmany communities together. There ismuch to be thankful for, but we have tobe mindful too of the slightly stormierweather ahead—there I go again—inthe shape of dilapidation and problemswith stonework and glass, ancient,beautiful, and in dire need of repair. Wewill have to grit our teeth and prepare toget going on this one.

However, now that Anne Rich is inplace as our new Church Manager, Ihave no doubt all will go smoothly andwell. We will be praying for her in herimportant role, and for all those others,including of course our redoubtableChurchwardens, who will be taking onextra commitments in the next fewmonths. And of course my initialmetaphor is faulty: it is GOD who is ourCaptain, and all we do is in HIS hands.Let us be ‘strong, and of a good courage,for the Lord our God is with us.’

Chris Shepherd

HAPPY RETIREMENT, PETER

SteeplejackPeter

Matthew 16:18 “Now I say to you thatyou are Peter (which means 'rock'), andupon this rock I will build my church”.

I first met Peter Young nine years agowhen I came to the Priory for mywedding rehearsal. I was the awkwardwoman who wanted to move furniture,change where the bride and groom sat,etc., etc. Afterwards I apologised toPeter but he said it was no problem—aslong as people were clear what theywanted and didn’t change their mindsthat was fine. I thought then this was aman after my own heart, the sort of manI could work with—but never imaginedthat a year later I’d be doing just that.

But I was right! He was, and is, the sortof man I can work with very happily. I’vemanaged a fair few staff in my time, butnone better than Peter in terms ofcommitment and sheer hard work.Goodness knows how many hours ofunpaid overtime he’s done in his time atthe Priory, because he has a sense ofduty, of getting the job done andgetting it done properly. And he’s takenon roles not in his job description, likeEvents’ Coordinator. It’s been more thana job, it’s been a ministry. As our former

curate, Peter Edwards, said to me: “I dobelieve Peter has been one of the mostvaluable, and sadly under-appreciated,gifts to the Priory. But then, so often wedon't appreciate something until welose it.” Peter loves this church—not justthe church, the building, but theChurch with a capital C, the Prioryfamily. Ask anyone who knows him;Peter cares.

And he and Alison have been a greatteam, doing a lot of things behind thescenes that I didn’t even realiseneeded doing before I came to workhere. (Have you ever wondered whocuts up the bread for HolyCommunion?).

Peter has indeed been my rock. He’sbeen the source of all knowledge onmatters related to the Priory, ashoulder to cry on, a good team playerand a friend to laugh with. But now it’stime for your well-earned retirement,Peter. So put on the Moody Blues CD,pour a glass of Southern Comfort andsit in front of the TV to watchPortsmouth in the Premier League (inyour dreams!)

Mary Weatherill

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JOHN AND MARY’S LAST SUNDAY AT THE PRIORY10.30am - All Together Worship with Communion • 23rd April 2017, St. George’s Day

A reFLeCTIoNWe arrived very early: it seemed likely that there would be a full church and

this proved to be so, with all ages represented. But, somehow the atmospherewas different from normal even before too many had come. With fifteenminutes to go, people needed to search for a seat; but it was unusual. Therewas very little extraneous chatter—in fact, the church was near silent. Nomusic yet; the Praise Group would not gather for a couple of minutes. Whenthey began (and during distribution of communion), their songs and musicwere reflective, prayerful and frequently in a minor key.

Mary, in her sermon, worked hard to lighten the atmosphere with her‘cloud’ broom visual aid and for a while itworked. By the end of the sermon thethoughtful, reflective mood had returned.

During the distribution of communion therewas, again, a short period of silence before thePraise Group sang. As before the start, thecongregation remained quiet, the normal chattergiving way to silent thoughts and prayers. Thehymns helped to bring about a sense of lookingforward, both for John and Mary and for all of us.‘Guide me…’ at the end set a powerful scene for apresentation and cake-cutting.

It was a service to remember in many ways:certainly not sombre but rather a chance toremember, give thanks and, very quietly, rejoiceas we all sought the Lord’s guidance for the future.

Tony Whalley

handymanPeter

What can one say? He's been there forsuch a long time, it's like he's a rock—ora pillar—of the Priory. (And Petrosmeans rock: 'the rock on which I buildmy church… ‘). He has been reliable,conscientious, devoted to the building,always helpful and willing, and has inevery way been a 'custos'—a guardian orcustodian of our lovely church. He trulycares about it. He once told mehe really loved the job, which is great!What more can one want? 

One thing I appreciate so much is howhe's thought of things before we have,and is so often ahead of us. After myfather's funeral I was a bit distressed anddidn't ask about recordings. When I wentto ask, he just handed me the CDsilently. It had already been done!

Nothing has been too much troubleand he's always been there. Moreover,he has encouraged all kinds of newevents and uses for the Priory, though itmeant more work for him. The Priorywill miss its watchman—may it not'dilapidate' in sorrow.

So thank you loads, Peter,  and mayyou and Alison enjoy a happy andblessed retirement. We hope to see youboth around!'

Chris ShepherdThe whole of the Priory family, and the

wider Malvern community, have valuedand benefited from Peter’s servicewhich has been far over and above theactual duties in his Job Description. Hiswisdom, knowledge and experience willbe difficult to replace. Indeed, we areonly now beginning to realise just howmuch he did! Thank you, Peter—andAlison, for the support you have givenhim.

Peter and Alison have moved toMalvern Link and will be having acomplete break from the Priory until theAutumn to enable the new team tobecome established. We look forward totheir re-joining the Priory family in duecourse—in very different roles.

Jeremy Tudge

AdministratorPeter

Mechanic Peter

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LETTER FROM THE ARCHDEACON OF DUDLEYThe VeNerABLe NIkkI GroArke

On Sunday 11 June, I will have the privilege of preaching at a Service of Thanksgivingfor Women's Ministry in the Cathedral. 2017 is a significant year of anniversaries, anopportunity to remember and celebrate some key moments in the gradual acceptancein the Church of England of the ministry of women in leadership roles:• 50 years since female lay readers were appointed;• 30 years since women deacons were ordained;• 25 years since the vote was taken for women’s ordination to the priesthood in 1992.

In this diocese, of course, the ministry of women has long been welcomed andappreciated wholeheartedly by the vast majority of church members. It is anencouraging environment in which women can flourish and realise their potential,serving in roles which suit their varied gifts, personalities and skills, being who Godmade them to be, in the same way that men can. Hopefully, as the impact of ourKingdom People: Calling Young Disciples project grows, we will similarly see youngpeople and children increasingly playing their part, growing in confidence that what they bring is valued and vital to our shared lifeas God’s people.

I am acutely aware that I am in a senior role in God’s church, as one of a steadily growing number of women, because wise peopleinvested in me, saw my leadership potential, gave me opportunities and trained and mentored me. They picked me up when Istumbled, let me make mistakes and learn from them, and stretched me to do more than I thought I could, trusting that God equipsthe called, rather than calls the equipped. I am especially grateful to those who did that when the church still had questions aboutthe role of women. I think they werefollowing in the footsteps of Jesus!

When Jesus walked on earth, women wereuneducated, not given a legally valid voice,and treated like property. He refused to bowto those cultural stigmas, instead modellinga way of relating to women which wastotally different—radically inclusive, nolimits on their God given destiny orrestrictions on how their gifts could beexercised. It is when women and men, andyoung people and children work togetherthat the church is enabled to be what it iscreated to be, the hope of the world, fullyrepresentative of the body of Christ as weseek together to be Kingdom People.

I hope many from across the Diocese willbe in the Cathedral at 4.00pm on 11 June tocelebrate the ministry of women. I pray too,that each of us will think of young people inwhom we can invest—especially girls, andinvite them to join us, so that we are a trulymulti-generational church encouraging thegifts and contributions of everyone.

Nikki Groarke

BIBLe SoCIeTY MALVerN ACTIoN

GroUPinvites you to an evening with

Actor and Story Teller

DAI WooLrIDGe

Author of ‘The Well Good News ofChristmas’

7.30pmTuesday, 4th July

St Andrew’s Church Centre, Poolbrook

5

Who'S Who IN The PrIorY

Choir-watchers may have noticedFabian and Sebastian in the choir asthey have spent considerable time in it,but may be less familiar with Ulrike andTaj, their parents, and their grandfatherDietrich.

The family have come a long way!Dietrich’s family originated aroundKaliningrad, then Königsberg, fromwhere they were driven in 1945. Hestudied English and History in Mainz,where he continued to work as ateacher until his retirement in 2001.Ulrike similarly studied English andHistory which brought her to Englandin 1998 as an Erasmus student (this is awonderful cross-cultural scheme—EU-funded—which Felicity Young has alsobeen on) and studied at BirminghamUniversity. There, she met Taj and theywere married in 2001 in Gloucester. Thesame year Ulrike’s father moved to livein England.

In June 2003 the family moved fromGloucester to Malvern when Taj beganwork at Qinetiq. It was when they werelooking around for a Youth Choir forFabian that they came across the Priory.It soon looked as though the PrioryJunior Choir would be right for them,

and Fabian joined in 2013 followed bySebastian in 2016. They are faithfulmembers of the choir and Fabian isnow a tenor! Fabian is at The Chase andSebastian at St Joseph’s in NewtownRoad.

Gradually the rest of the family hasbecome comfortable worshipping inthe Priory and felt welcomed and athome. Ulrike and Taj have beeninvaluable providing sustenance andrefreshments on numerous choraloccasions!

What is your relationship with God?Ulrike: Religion is something personal;Dietrich: I was helped by a particularinspirational priest at the school atwhich I worked, who was approachableand inclusive, andformed my faith. Thewhole family have feltaccepted andcomfortable and happyto worship in the Priory.

What are your rolesat the Priory?Hospitality for thechoir—teas andcoffees—and helpingwith Choir Camp! Also

Dietrich is hoping to support withLifepath this year for the first time.Fabian is a tenor now in Priory Singers,and Sebastian in the Children’s choir.

Do you have any favourite hymns?Fabian: I like Alleluia, Alleluia, Hearts toheaven and voices raise (No 194);Sebastian: Colours of Day (No. 27).

Any hobbies and interests? Apartfrom the choirs? Gilbert and Sullivan!(There was a memorable contributionat the Choir Concert earlier this year).Music in general.

It’s good to have the whole familyinvolved at the Priory and we lookforward to many more years with theirhelp, and to seeing what the boys do inthe future!

MEET THE STURMAN FAMILY

GAYNOR-SMITHO W E N & C O.

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Opening Hours: 9.00 – 5.30pm,MON – FRI. Out of hours: Saturdaymornings by appointment

133, Barnards Green Road, Malvern Freephone: 0800 6191837www.gaynor-smith-owen.co.ukinfo@gsolaw.com

WE COVER MOST ASPECTS OF THE LAW

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book “Dethroning Mammon” created a lot of interest and led to quite a few new peoplewanting to join a home group. So we set up a new group for a number of them through Lent. Now that the course is over, somewant to be a continuing Priory Home Group. The Rev Jim Knights has kindly agreed to lead it and Jim and Dorothy have offeredtheir home for the first meeting. They warmly invite others not presently in a group to join them on Thursday, 8th June at 7.30pmto find out about it. Their address is 192 Brook Farm Drive, Malvern, WR14 3SL. Anyone who is interested, please contact Jim on01684 561358 or email: jamesknights@waitrose.com or me on 01886 833376, email: ea_crofton@msn.com

We look forward to hearing from you. Ted Crofton, Home Groups Co-ordinator

hoMe GroUP NeWS

6

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ThoUGhT For The MoNTh

WHOSE LAND IS IT ANYWAY?Bredon Hill looms over the Severn valley. At its foot flows the Avon to mingle its

rainwater of eastern England, at Tewkesbury, with water flowing off the Welsh andShropshire hills. An idyllic scene, until it floods, and one that inspired Piers Plowman somany centuries ago. Enhanced by generations of farmers growing crops and rearinganimals that have fed Plowman and Peer alike year in, year out, along with knight,schoolchild, thief and lawyer, the soil harbours goodness and lends itself to beauty.Beauty that speaks of peace, of plenty, of hope and to some of God.

True, recent generations have slashed it with turnpike, railway and now motorway,whose raucous intervention enables folk to hurry to appointments and hurry backagain. Not all see that as progress but there have been benefits, too. All made possibleby moving soil, the productive soil, the ancient soil, the living soil, so that it no longerproduces food but bears the weight of our urgent need to live faster and to live withcomfort unimagined only two generations ago.

Soil is a store of energy, with many organisms within it making it productive, allowingit to retain moisture, distribute minerals and support the fragile roots of myriads ofplants. How has that come about? What are the things that have made this happen?The geologist, the scientist, will offer an explanation. The farmer and the marketgardener will favour one kind of soil over another according to what it can grow, butthe ultimate answer is that it comes from a truly remarkable phenomenon that beganaeons ago. And what caused that?

The woman of faith, the man of faith, and yes, the child of faith, will say that it is Godwho created and made it possible. But human kind, along with the extraordinary forcesof nature, has taken God’s gift and made it both productive and beautiful. Realisingthat, we must nurture God’s generous gift of the soil. We must tend it withunderstanding, with care, with hope and prayer. And we must all, in these times ofBrexit, volatile prices and denial by some of God’s action, support the people who growfood that we might live. Pray for them, listen to them when we have the chance, andbuy the food which so often they produce, not for profit alone, but for the sheer joy ofdoing it.

Two events this month will help you learn more about farming. “Open FarmSunday” is on 12th June when several local farms open their gates to let the publiccome in and discover how they produce food – www.farmsunday.org. Six farms openwithin ten miles of Malvern. The “Royal Three Counties Show” happens on theMalvern Showground from June 16th to 18th – www.threecounties.co.uk – Tel:01684 584924.

Peter Lawrence

On Saturday 23th September at 6.30pmthe Friends invite you to their inauguralHeritage and Faith Lecture. Katherine Wellswill give an illustrated talk onthe Priory's ‘MagnificatWindow’. This beautifulwindow in the NorthTransept, given to thePriory by Henry VIIbetween 1501-02, depictsscenes from Mary's life andcontains the words from Luke'sgospel where she praises God. The Friendsare planning a very special evening withwine and canapés. More details to follow!Save the date in your diaries.

THE FRIENDS OF MALVERN PRIORY HERITAGE AND FAITH LECTURES

The Friends of Malvern

Priory

MUCKNELLABBEY

It is now seven years sinceAbbot Stuart visited Lunch Boxand talked about the plannedmove of the Community fromBurford to Mucknell Abbey.After much searching, they arenow well settled into their ‘new’home near to the new rail intersection at Norton at Stoulton, near Pershore.Following Abbot Stuart’s inspiring talk at Lunch Box in February a group of 14 ofus went to visit Mucknell Abbey on a windy day in April. Despite the dampdrizzly weather, Abbot Stuart gave us a warm welcome and we admired the360-degree views from the Abbey on a hill.

The derelict farm, which had also been a rich man’s mansion, required aconsiderable amount of building work to be done to provide theaccommodation for the monastic community, rooms for guests, a refectory anda library. A Chapel was designed based on the ancient principle of the nave[navis] or upturned hull of a boat. It is a beautiful space and contains aparticularly beautiful icon behind the altar copied from an original. The buildingwork was strictly supervised by local planning officers; no raising of the roof linewas allowed which meant that many thousand tons of earth/clay had to beremoved to allow the alterations to be done.

The community of monks and nuns now has thirteen members including two‘alongsiders’ and the Bishop of Worcester, the Right Reverend John Inge, is thevisitor. During our visit, we met two members of the Archbishop of Canterbury’snew community of St. Anselm—young people spending a year at LambethPalace as part of a praying community—who were temporarily working atMucknell. It is a contemplative monastic community of nuns and monks livingunder the Rule of St Benedict and part of the Church of England. TheCommunity was founded in 1941 to pray for Christian unity and since theCovenant between the Church of England and the Methodist Church inEngland, one of the members is a Methodist Presbyter. Another visiting memberis a Swedish Lutheran priest.

The Abbey daily timetable starts with Readings at 6.00am and continues withLauds at 7.00am, Terce at 8.45am, Eucharist at 12.00 noon, None at 2.15pm,Vespers at 5.30pm and Compline at 8.30pm. The Abbey is built according toecological principles and includes many sustainable features, not least abiomass boiler for heating and hot water plus harvesting of rainwater fordomestic purposes, and photo-voltaic cells on the roofs to generate electricity.The monks and nuns earn their living and grow their own fruit and vegetables.They are getting some beehives to start to make honey. Jams, chutney and craftsmade at Mucknell are available to buy, with all proceeds supporting the work ofthe Abbey – http://www.mucknellabbey.org.uk/shop/. The blending of incense isone of their specialities using medieval recipes generously given by the formermonks of Elmore Abbey. We saw the ingredients based on gold, frankincenseand myrrh—the recipe is a closely guarded secret! It is exported all over theworld.

The Abbey has a Friends’ Association—a group of people who believe in thevalues affirmed by St Benedict and who wish to support the monastic life atMucknell in whatever way they can: by friendship and prayer; by assisting fromtime to time in the work of the Community in a voluntary capacity; and byhelping with fundraising. Contact Dr Mary Welstead for more details:friends@mucknellabbey.org.uk.

Our visit ended with a welcome cup of tea and we all felt the benefits ofspending time in a very prayerful and peaceful place. Another visit is plannedfor 28th June. Please contact Christine Sutton (christine.sutton6@btinternet.comor 01684 565273) if you are interested in taking part.

Anne Eglington and Roger Sutton

7

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WORCESTER CONCERT CLUB 2017/18 SEASONHuNTINGDON HALL, DEANSWAy, WORCESTER

GENERAL INFORMATION: Non-members are welcome to all events • Single-ticket prices for the main series of afternoon concerts

are £16; Students £5.00 • Members may bring one guest for £14 • Tickets are available from the Box Office on 01905 611427

8 October 2017 at 3.00pm – Dinara Klinton (Piano)Recital includes works by Bach-Busoni, Beethoven and Chopin

12 November 2017 at 3.00pm – Maggini String Quartet(Julian Leaper, Violin l; David Angel, Violin ll; Martin Outram, Viola; Michal Kaznowski, Cello)

Concert includes works by Mozart, Elgar and Schubert

19 November 2017, 10.00am – 4.00pm – CARNIVAL BAND WORKSHOPVenue: Anger Centre, Angel Place, Worcester WR1 3QN

In association with Worcestershire Early Music – Carols and Christmas music rehearsed. All participants invited to sing withthe Carnival Band in Huntingdon Hall on 10 December concert. Visit www.carnivalband.com to book. Only 30 places available

10 December 2017 at 3.00pm – The Carnival Band(Steve Banks – Drums, Percussion, Violin, vocals; Jub Davis – Double bass, vocals; Giles Lewin – Violin, Recorders, Bagpipes,

Shawm, vocals; Steon Vitale – Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Mandolin, vocals; Andy Watts – Shawm, Bagpiper, Bassoon, Melodica, Recorders, Clarinet, vocals)

Joined by the Carnival Choir from the November workshop, The Carnival Band will perform a selection of carols and Christmas music from medieval times onwards

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‘ONE’ AT GREAT MALVERN PRIORYCoMe AND JoIN ThIS YoUTh eVANGeLISM eVeNT IN MALVerN IN JUNe

‘One’ is an evangelistic youth event at Great Malvern Priory on Saturday, 10th June. It is supported by ‘Malvern Youth Link’, anecumenical gathering of local youth groups and youth ministers. The evening follows a week of ‘Spring into Life’ mission at localsecondary schools and aims to be a great celebration of ‘life in all its fullness’ that only Jesus can truly bring. During the afternoon,leading up to ‘One’, a ‘Family Fun Day’ in the Priory grounds will also showcase some great community groups as well as offering awhole host of activities such as a bouncy castle, skate ramps and archery.

‘One’ begins at 7.00pm with games, a DJ, worship and our guest speaker, Phil Knox’ from Youth for Christ. This event is open toyouth groups across the Diocese. Contact Diocesan Youth Officer Simon Hill (shill@cofe-worcester.org.uk) for more information. 

9

ANNUAL PARISH COUNCILMEETING - 26TH APRIL 2017

reVIeWING AND APPoINTING127 people attended the Annual Meeting of Parishioners, perhaps

encouraged by the allure of puddings! Lay Chairman Robin La Fontainewelcomed everyone. Ali Gray read from Psalm 43, noting that the Lord was withus even in times of challenge. John and Mary had been oaks of righteousness,now transplanted by God the Gardener. That left a gap, but there wasopportunity for new growth.

Jeremy Tudge and Ann Oldfield were declared elected as Churchwardens. Robinthanked them for providing the safe hands needed in a vacancy. Jeremy read adeeply appreciative tribute from John Barr—and added his own—to Peter Babb,retiring after six very full years as churchwarden, always supported by Hilary.

The APCM followed. The booklet of reports from the PCC and its subgroupsand representatives was received. Treasurer Andrew Horne presented theaccounts. There was a surplus of £10,000 on a turnover of £310,000. Incomefrom stewardship, collection plate and gift aid had increased significantly.There were increasing needs/opportunities in 2017. Thanks went to all theteam, and to Andrew for his incredible amount of work.

Robin La Fontaine, Ruth Pole and Derek Valentine were declared elected toDeanery Synod. Hilary Babb, Anne Eglington, Andrew Horne, Robert Pearceand Nick Maxfield-Phillips were elected to the PCC. Six Deputy Churchwardensand 44 sidespeople were appointed with gratitude.

PreVIeWING AND ProJeCTING A high spot of the meeting was a conversation between two Ann(e)s: Ann

Oldfield interviewed Anne Rich, soon to be taking up her post as ChurchManager. Through Anne Rich’s animated answers, we appreciated all the morehow her background and experience have prepared her for her new role as thePriory’s first Church Manager.

Robin listed the points of contact for different areas of Priory life during thevacancy. It was good to pause and take time preparing the Parish Profile. InSeptember the PCC would approve this and appoint two representatives forthe interview panel. Advertising would follow in October, with interviews inNovember/December. The new incumbent should be in place three monthslater. Prayer was requested.

The Vision and Leadership (VAL) Group had prepared a draft vision for thePriory: to be a Beacon of Christianity as a Teaching Church and a ReachingChurch; and to be a Resource Centre, sharing with others its spiritual, physicaland community heritage. The aims would be to Restore, Refresh andReconnect. Robin asked for prayer about formulating the vision, and invitedcomments to the VAL Group/PCC.

Ann Oldfield encouraged everyone to view the updated Priory Plan on theChurch website or borrow a copy from the Parish Office. Howard Wellsdescribed the problems of crumbling stonework highlighted in a thoroughsurvey by Sally Strachey Historic Conservation. Three areas of particularconcern were being addressed:

• The south-west buttress together with cracks in the west and east ends;• The North Porch, with decaying and discoloured stonework, and unstable

pinnacles;• The windows and stonework in St Anne’s Chapel.In addition, the Priory Plan Steering Group was considering the provision of

temporary toilets. Around £5 million would be needed to conserve all thestonework and mediaeval glass. The Priory is now on the ‘Heritage at Risk’(HLF) register. HLF grant schemes are being explored. Prayer was requested.

Jeremy Tudge thanked Ali Gray and all the retired clergy and readers for allthat they do. Warm applause followed in appreciation, and the meeting endedin prayer.

Christine Wells, PCC Secretary

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PRIORY MISERICORDS: THE LABOURS OF THE MONTHS - JUNE

Svmer is icumen in, lhude sing ‘cuccu’Groweþ sed, and bloweþ med

and springþ þe wde nu. Sing ‘cuccu’![1]

‘Summer is a-coming in, louder sing ‘cuckoo’

Grows the seed, and blooms the meadow

and springs the wood anew. Sing ‘cuckoo’!

[First verse of the 13th century Englishsong, ‘Sumer Is Icumen In’]

For any gardener, weeds have to bedealt with, and for the medieval farmerreliant on his crops for food it was all themore important that weeds did notoverwhelm his fields. The Priorymisericord which is thought to representJune shows a man busy weeding. Themisericord is easy to see on the front rowof the north side of the church.

In the centre ofthe misericordstands thecarved figure of ahat-less manwearing acotehardie orshort tunic. Hisankle-high bootsend in thefamiliar pointedtoes we saw onthe previousmonth’s figures.The lower part of

his nose and chin have been damagedover the centuries, but he remainsstanding as he has for 500 years,between two large weeds which havegrown almost as high as his waist. Hisweeding tools look unfamiliar to ustoday. In his right hand he holds a forkedstick with which he bends the stem ofthe weed. With his other hand he wieldsan implement which dates back toRoman times known as a falcastrum. Theversion shown here derives from a toolused by French gardeners whichresembled a long-handled billhook butwith a curved, crescent (or croissant)blade[2]. Our figure has it in action,ready to cut through the stem of theoffending plant.

The supporter carvings are the familiarbirds which we saw featured on thesowing misericord in March. Thistime they turn their faces outwards,their claws extended and their wings

open as if preparing to land. Worcester Cathedral’s set of misericords,

with which the Priory’s misericords sharemany characteristics, also contains adepiction of weeding for the month ofJune. There, a team of three weedingfigures stand side by side amongst ears ofcorn while each uses a fork andfalcastrum to cut upwards through theweeds at their feet.

Next time… the long summer dayscontinue and it’s time to get out thescythe…

Katherine Wells

[1] British Library Website http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item100326.html

[2] K. D. White, Agricultural Implements of the RomanWorld (Cambridge 2010) p.93

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Produced by Bertie B Design and Print • diane@bertieb.biz

MAGAzINe CoNTrIBUTIoNSPlease send all contributions for the magazine by email whenever possible to mag@greatmalvernpriory.org.uk with the deadline of the 10th of the previous month atthe latest. Written articles should be clearly marked "Magazine" and placed in the "M" pigeonhole at the back of the Priory. The deadline for these is the 8th of theprevious month. Contributions should be limited to a maximum of 500 words and, where accompanied by relevant photographs, reduced accordingly. Wherephotographs of young people are provided, please confirm that parental permission has been obtained to publish in this magazine. Articles will also be considered forinclusion on the Priory web site - if for any reason this is not acceptable, please mention when submitting articles. Some photographs, especially of young people, maynot be published on the web pages.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from Malvern Priory

LYTTeLToN WeLL (Christian Centre at entrance to Priory)Tel: 01684 573702e-mail: office.info@lytteltonwell.co.uk Enquiries about Priory bookings of the LytteltonRooms should be made at the Priory Parish Office(see contact details)The Well CounsellingTel: 01684 563456

PrIorY PArISh oFFICeChurch Street, Malvern WR14 2AY Church Secretary: Mary WeatherillTel: (01684) 561020 (answerphone) email: office@greatmalvernpriory.org.uk open to Public:Monday 11:00am-12:00 noon; Tuesday 10:00am-12:00 noon; Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 9:30am-1:00pm

GreAT MALVerN PrIorY WeBSITewww.greatmalvernpriory.org.uk Webmaster:webmaster@greatmalvernpriory.org.uk For information on services, events, outreach, peo-ple, history and much more. Members’ section givesaccess to the notice sheet and other informationnot publicly available. Register or Login to access(link at top of all pages except the Home page).

Reed Contemporary Books havepublished a second, cheaper, edition ofGlory, Azure & Gold (The Stained-GlassWindows of Thomas Denny).

The cost is £40 + £6 postage, packingand insurance. Contact Josie Reed on07515 884206 orjosie@reedcontemporarybooks.com.

For your information, the Priory hastwo Denny windows.

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Sandy Williams (of the coffee rota) andRob Slater (Morris Dancer and Magicianof Whitbourne) were married on EasterSaturday, accompanied by Faithful CityMorris before, during and after theservice. Sandy and the bridesmaidsarrived (and left) the church bycampervan. Rob proposed to Sandy liveon stage at a local folk club by pulling aring out of the mouth of a fish. It wasJohn Barr’s last wedding at the Priory,and he said he had never experienced aceremony quite like it before!

Colin Davies

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