Bishop Tells St Paul's Protesters To Leave

The Bishop of London has said it is time for anti-capitalist protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral to leave.

It is 11 days since the 'Occupy' campaigners set up their tents and forced the cathedral to shut, costing it thousands of pounds a day in lost revenue.

“The time has come for the protesters to leave, before the camp's presence threatens to eclipse entirely the issues that it was set up to address.”
The Rt. Rev'd Dr.Richard Chartres (pictured), the third most senior cleric in the Church of England, said in a statement: "This demonstration has undoubtedly raised a number of very important questions.

"The St Paul's Institute has itself focused on the issue of executive pay and I am involved in ongoing discussions with City leaders about improving shareholder influence on excessive remuneration.

"Nevertheless, the time has come for the protesters to leave, before the camp's presence threatens to eclipse entirely the issues that it was set up to address."

His comments came as the protest organisers denied suggestions that 90% of the tents are being left unoccupied overnight.

In a statement, Occupy London Stock Exchange said: "This is simply not the case. We try to keep vacancy to a minimum and operate a sign in/sign out system to help ensure this happens.

"When someone knows they will not be staying overnight, they offer their tent to someone else.

"We are ordinary people with jobs and families. We are occupying in order to register our objection to being shut out of the political process.

"The fact that we are camping out here shows how seriously we take our right to participate and be heard."

Police used infra-red imaging to establish how many of the tents were being slept in at night.

St Paul's is losing an estimated £20K a day after being forced to close over health and safety concerns about the camp on its doorstep.

Businesses in the area have also been suffering but the demonstrators say they have no intention of leaving for some time.

Article courtesy of ANANOVA and www.policeoracle.com

PIANO RECITAL BY MILA GRIMES

On Sunday afternoon I attended the second piano concert in my local Church of St. Mary The Blessed Virgin, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, performed by an accomplished concert pianist who happens to be our Director of Music and Organist, Mrs. Mila Grimes. She is Russian by birth and married to an Englishman.

A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon included Handel's Passacaille and Courante. Mozart's Fantasie in D minor, Turkish March and Sonata in C 1. Allegro 2. Andante and 3. Allegretto. Tchakovsky's Au coin du feu. Perce-neige and La Chasse. Daquin's Le Coucou. Liszt's Consolation in D flat. Saint-Saens Le Cygne. Schubert's Impromtu in A flat. Chopin's Nocturne in E flat. Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee and finally Arndt: Nola.

Mila gave a wonderful performance and the programme was so diffrent to her first concert in October. The depth, range and variety of her selections was a sheer joy to experience. The acoustics of St. Mary's Church added significantly to the sound of her beautiful piano. Such a hugely talented pianist of whom we are very proud. Thank you Mila.

Mila gave her services free of charge in order to help raise funds to maintain and complete our historic church organ. It was given to the church by William Henry Osmond in 1879 and has served the parish well for 130 years.

William Osmond was the only son of James Osmond, who became a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria, Australia, and died in 1849. His memorial, which was also presented by his son, in on the east wall of St. Mary's outer south aisle. William Osmond went on to make his fortune in Australia before returning to his roots in Plympton.

The organ was built by Lewis and Co of Brixton, London, and by Hele & Co of Exeter, at a cost of nearly £1,000 - a huge sum in 1879. The organ is regularly maintained by Hele & Co of Saltash, Cornwall.

It has two manuals (keyboards) - the swell and the great - and also a third which has never been connected to pipes and has therefore remained silent since 1879. The pedal board and swell have electronic action and the great has tracker action.

In December 1950, £185 was donated by a parishioner to clean and overhaul the organ. The repairs were completed in May 1951.

In November 1954, the organ had a lucky escape when the church was badly flooded. If the water had risen another three inches, the organ would have been ruined.

It was again cleaned and tuned in July 1976 and in July 1979, there was a flower festival to celebrate the organ's centenary.

In 1985, the organ acquired a new bench in memory of Harry Hansford, a chorister for more than 40 years, who left a legacy for this gift in his will.

Now it is time for the organ to be cleaned and overhauled once again, and a special St. Mary's Organ Fund has been set up and contributions are sought towards the cost of this necessary work.

As well as repairs and maintenance, it would be superb if enough money was donated for the third, silent manual to be connected to its pipes. The space for these pipes is still empty and has been waiting to be filled for 130 years.

If you have any connections with our beloved church or simply feel you would like to help in its maintenance or refurbishment please let me know by e-mail and I will put you in touch with a member of our Clergy or the Hon. Treasurer of our Parochial Church Council.

In 2011 we will be celebrating our Septuacentennial (700th) Anniversary of the dedication of St. Mary's Church and it would be a wonderful achievement if we could mark the occasion by restoring the organ to its former glory for future generations to enjoy. So if you were baptised, confirmed, married, or served as a chorister, altar server, bellringer, sidesperson, or have relatives buried in our churchyard, etc. etc. why not help us achieve our objective by contributing to this project. Any help, however great or small, will be thankfully received and faithfully applied. You will also be helping us to preserve a valuable piece of English heritage.

Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Devon

On Saturday 22nd November I had the blessing and sheer joy of visiting St. Mary's Abbey, better known at Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Devon. Although I have been a visitor many times before it never ceases to inspire and uplift me. I was attending a quiet day and Holy Eucharist in the adjacent St. Cuthbert's Conference Centre.

Buckfast Abbey is a Benedictine monastery on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. It is visited by almost half a million people every year. Visitors experience a marvellous tranquil atmosphere as well as the rare opportunity to encounter a Roman Catholic monastic community.

The first Abbey was founded in 1018 and absorbed into the Cistercian order in 1147. It grew throughout the Middle Ages until its closure in 1539 by King Henry VIII. The buildings were converted or allowed to fall into ruin, but in 1882 a group of Benedictine monks, exiled from France, settled at Buckfast and eventually set about rebuilding the Abbey. It now seems incredible that a team of no more than six monks completed the work in 30 years, especially as only one - Brother Peter - had any experience as a builder. This feat was made possible by their unshakeable determination to build a lasting symbol of monastic heritage and a living community dedicated to following the Benedictine Rule.

Today Buckfast Abbey is the only English medieval monastery to have been restored and used again for its original purpose. The monks at St. Mary's Abbey pray and work in the exact spot and in the same ways that their predecessors did nearly a thousand years ago. They follow the guidelines that were set down by their founder, St. Benedict, in the fifth century, and they continue to support themselves through a variety of means, including the traditional monastic occupations of beekeeping, land management, wine production and hospitality.

Although, understandably, the monastic enclosure is private visitors to the Abbey are welcome in the church, its beautiful grounds and outer buildings. If you ever find yourself in Devon whether on business or vacation I can truly recommend a visit to Buckfast Abbey where you will find peace and quiet in a spiritually uplifting environment. You cannot fail to leave without experiencing a close encounter with the Holy Spirit.

The High Altar at Buckfast Abbey. Since its foundation in 1018 Buckfast Abbey has experienced times of peace and turbulence, of grandeur, ruin and finally restoration to what it is today.

This huge magnificent stained-glass window of the Last Supper, dominating the Blessed Sacrement Chapel which was added in the late 1960's at the east end of the Abbey Church, was created by the late Father Charles Norris. He trained at the Royal College of Art and developed a modern style of stained glass by using thick tiles of glass, which were chipped to shape and set in concrete or epoxy resins. Over the last 50 years, the monks of Buckfast Abbey have designed and produced windows for over 150 churches, as well as many private commissions. One notable recent commission was a window for a memorial in New York to the firemen killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11th 2001.

PIANO CONCERT

This is my local Anglican parish church of St. Mary The Blessed Virgin, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, U.K. where I am an altar server.

As a child I was in the choir before leaving to embark on my police career. In my retirement I am extremely happy to be back in my spiritual home and serving God to the best of my ability. The church was dedicated in 1311 and we will therefore be celebrating our Septuacentennial (700th) Anniversary in 3 years time. A planning group has already started work to formulate a programme of events to mark this momentous occasion.

Last night I attended a piano concert in the church performed by an accomplished concert pianist who happens to be our Director of Music and Organist, Mrs. Mila Grimes. She is Russian by birth and married to an Englishman. A thoroughly enjoyable evening included music by Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C minor. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Bagatelle in E flat and Fur Elise. Schubert's Impromptu in E flat. Tchaikovsky's Snowdrop. Chopin's Polonaise in A, followed by his Waltz in C sharp minor. Debussy's Clair de Lune. Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu. Liszt's Consolation in D flat and concluding with a wonderful performance of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C sharp minor.

A truly memorable evening by a truly outstanding pianist performed in a truly beautiful church. Mila gave her services free of charge in order to raise much needed funds to maintain and improve our historic organ which was given to the church by William Henry Osmond in 1879 and has served the parish well for almost 130 years. It was built by Lewis and Co of Brixton, London, and by Hele and Co of Exeter, at a cost of nearly £1,000 - a huge sum in 1879.

St. Thomas of Canterbury Dodbrooke Parish Church, Kingsbridge, Devon.

On Tuesday 1st. July I attended a special Guild Office and Benediction of my Chapter of the Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary held at St. Thomas of Canterbury Parish Church, Dodbrooke, Kingsbridge, Devon. Our Chaplain, Fr.Brian Lay officiated and the Rector, Prebendary Tony Kyriakides-Yeldham, gave an inspiring homilly. There are several fine specimens of stained glass windows in this lovely medieval church but as a Freemason I was intrigued to find one known as The Mason's Window. At the top it has God's all-seeing eye. Below that the celestial and terrestial globes. The middle of the left panel depicts the mason's working tools. The bottom of the centre panel depicts the craftman's square and compasses and the centre of the right hand panel depicts the Volume of the Sacred Law and the Triangle. All highly significant to any Freemason and the established basis of our Fraternity and Order. A beautiful church and I can but recommend a visit if ever you holiday in the South Hams area of Devon.

Funding for historic places of worship

I recently signed an online petition to our Prime Minister calling upon the government to increase funding to help preserve our ancient churches. The petition read as follows:-

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to arrange for the cost of repairs to C of E church buildings to be reimbursed to help preserve our archeological & historic heritage for the future."

Details of Petition:

"Churches are a valuable part of our heritage and a major tourist attraction, yet the funding of repairs is left to the parish in which the building is situated. Thus the cost of maintaining a national asset is left to the minority. This is grossly unfair and should be rectified."

The Prime Minister has now responded to the petition and here is his response:-

The Government is committed to the preservation of our historic churches and faith buildings, in view of their contribution to the heritage of this country and the vital community services often undertaken by those associated with churches and faith groups. There is a substantial package of support, both directly, and through sponsored bodies and Lottery schemes which averages around £60 million each year.

Over 8,500 faith buildings have benefited under the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which has made grants totalling over £54 million since 2001. The scheme was extended in the 2006 Budget to cover further elements of expenditure on church repairs, including professional fees and repairs to some fixtures and fittings. One thousand buildings have benefited from grants made under the joint English Heritage/Heritage Lottery Fund repair scheme, which has this year paid out nearly £25 million. The Churches Conservation Trust also cares for 340 churches that are no longer required for worship, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport funds the Trust with £3 million each year.

Any decisions on the level and nature of future Government funding for church buildings will need to be taken as part of the ongoing Comprehensive Spending Review, and Government spending plans for the 2008 to 2011 period will be made public later in the year.

Medieval Law but a Modern Problem

The Anglican Church of

St. Mary the Blessed Virgin
Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, UK.
Dedicated 1311.AD.

Chancel Repair Liability

This posting will be of most interest to bloggers residing in England and Wales. Recently, an acquaintance of mine, put his house in the Plympton district of Plymouth up for sale. A purchaser was found and conveyancing procedures were implemented. To his astonishment he received a letter from the purchaser's solicitors stating that search results revealed that the plot of land upon which his property stands is situated within a parish which continues to have a potential chancel repair liability. The solicitor's letter stated the property is located in a parish where there is a medieval church (Plympton St. Maurice) and legal opinion considered the liability to be very real in this regard. He was thus required to purchase a chancel liability indemnity policy of insurance at his own expense of £162.70 before the sale could proceed. This relates to the adjoining parish to my own at Plympton St. Mary.

The gentleman concerned made local enquiries and established that this was 'no wind up' and that others had experienced similar claims. There is anecdotal evidence that a lady in Market Road, Plympton, claimed she had been held responsible under medieval tithe laws for the repair liabilities of the west door of my local church at St. Mary's, Plympton, and a farmer living on the edge of Dartmoor National Park had, allegedly, discovered he was liable for repairs to the roof of nearby Yelverton Parish Church , Devon!

I was fascinated by this story and researched it on the internet and sure enough I found that chancel repair liability hit the headlines in 2000 with the High Court decision in the case of Aston Cantlow v Wallbank where Mr. & Mrs. Wallbank were ordered to pay more than £95,000 towards the repairs of the chancel of the local church. They appealed and it was allowed. However, the House of Lords overturned the Appeal Court's decision in 2003, finding that chancel repair liability was indeed enforceable. The repair costs escalated in the interim and the final blow came on 5th February this year when the High Court assessed the claim at a final figure of more than £200,000. In addition, Mr. & Mrs. Wallbank are facing legal costs of more than £100,000.

It seems that much of this problem has come to light as a result of legislation which has resulted in the computerisation of land registry records of title deeds in England and Wales which has identified ancient tithes dating back to the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. Chancel repair liability can affect land within any parish with a church dating from before the Reformation, so it affects both rural and urban areas. Under the Chancel Repairs Act 1932, it is the parochial church council (PCC) which has the right to enforce chancel repair liability. The liability runs with the land and the landowner is liable whether it knows about the liability or not. It only affects freehold land.

The Law Commission recommended in 1985 that it was not appropriate in our modern society and, further, it should be abolished after 10 years but to date no government has brought forward draft legislation to deal with this. However, The Land Registration Act 2002 (Transitional Provisions) (No.2) Order 2003 preserves the status of chancel repair liability as an overriding interest for a period of ten years beginning on 13th October 2003 (The date when the Act came into force).

I am grateful to Frances Richards, a professional development lawyer who, writing in the Property Law Journal, claims the liability will continue to bind existing owners but after the end of the ten year period of liability will only bind new owners of registered land if it is protected by an entry in the register. This will put chancel repair liability on broadly the same footing as comparable rights, such as payments in lieu of tithe, Crown rights and manorial rights.

In response to the land registration developments, the Church of England is claimed to be actively seeking to register chancel repair liability before the 2013 deadline. As trustees, PCCs have a duty to protect their assets and diocesan authorities are apparently supporting them in considering registration where appropriate. So buyers and sellers beware! Is there an ancient chancel repair liability attached to your little piece of freehold land? Check your title deeds now or else the PCC may present you with a nasty surprise one day soon! The insurance companies are selling 25 year indemnity policies at very high premiums but the churches are receiving none of the proceeds.

Pressure for the abolition of chancel repair liability is mounting. In October 2006 the Law Society made a submission to the government calling for the abolition of liability accompanied by appropriate financial contributions to historic churches, and in December it launched a campaign asking individual members to endorse its proposals. It remains to be seen whether, and if so when, this campaign will bear fruit, but in the meantime chancel repair liability is a problem which property lawyers and their clients cannot afford to ignore.

A service called ChancelCheck provided by Chancel Liability Services Ltd now offers a low-cost screening report to identify if your plot of land is within historic parish boundaries where liability may still exist. Their website can be found at http://www.clsl.co.uk/

SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN - Why England's churches need our help

I have just read a brilliant article in the autumn edition of Countryside Voice, the magazine for members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, written by Simon Thurley, the CEO of English Heritage. He explains what needs to be done to give our country's churches a future. Simon writes that churches are very much a recognised part of the English countryside, and the intricacy and individual character of each one is celebrated by congregations and visitors alike. But as repair bills mount and communities fade, we must fight to stop them disappearing from the skyline. I can relate to his sentiments as my local church will be 700 years old in 2011 and it is a never ending battle to preserve its fabric and structure for future generations. We are currently endeavouring to raise £10,000 to repair a leaking roof. According to Simon there are 14,500 listed places of worship throughout England, the majority of which are parish churches. Each one has a story to tell of past times and a history of our heritage which is both precious and priceless. Desperate needs require desperate measures. Sheepy Magna in Leicestershire, for example, was threatened with a massive church repair bill and the closure of its village shop and post office. By turning the church vestry into a post office they were able to save two important village services while restoring the church to its traditional position at the centre of the community. Now that is novel! Research by English Heritage, which involved a number of places of worship across the country, has identified that £925 million needs to be spent on essential repairs to listed churches over the next five years - 60% more than is spent now. Declining congregations do not have the ability to cope in raising this sort of money despite their best efforts. Grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund help some but by no means enough. Simon Thurley says churches touch so many lives, be it through christenings, marriages, funerals, services or even secular events. With so much social history and heritage at stake, now is the time to rebuild the crumbling walls and dilapidated spires and ensure that this vital feature of England's countryside does not disappear from the skyline. Even non-believers are known to value the history and heritage of these ancient buildings and feel a sense of community ownership which they would not wish to see disappear by neglect. "Inspired!" is an English Heritage-led campaign designed to draw attention to the many issues threatening the survival of England's historic places of worship. It seeks, amongst other things, to obtain more Government funding to address the immediate needs and to start the debate on the future of church buildings. I have posted this item on my blog journal to encourage that debate. For more information about the campaign please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk