Open Door—August 2020 Page1

Open Door

T H E O C C A S I O N A L M A G A Z I N E O F S T M A R Y - A T - F I N C H L E Y

August 2020

St Mary’s is Open for Business!

Sunday, July 5th 2020 was a momentous day; the Church building

was open for the first public worship since March. An enormous

Thank You and Well Done to everyone in the St Mary’s community

who enabled us to continue to ‘meet’ and worship virtually

throughout the lockdown.

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And so say all of us……... The Rt Revd the Bishop of Edmonton 27 Thurlow Road London NW3 5PP Dear Bishop Rob, I am a member of the congregation at St.Mary-at-Finchley Parish Church and I am writing to you because I have been so impressed by the quality of the services that we have experienced during the coronavirus lockdown. It is difficult to imagine the time and energy that the clergy have devoted to the preparation and delivery of so many different services, not to mention their mastery of the technology involved in incorporating voices and images of preachers, readers and intercessors, plus the music, choir anthems, etc. I must admit that, like so many others, I could not believe that the services dur-ing Holy Week and Easter might not be rather disappointing, they weren't. It was hard to understand how Philip and Rich-ard managed to invoke such an atmos-phere of awe and wonder from their home studys, so much so that I forgot that I wasn't actually in church. We do realise how fortunate we are, at St. Mary's, to be blessed with such out-standing clergy, but I feel that, during this difficult time, they have sur-passed themselves. Yours sincerely, Sally Martin (Mrs.)

In praise of the Week of Accompanied Prayer,

March 1 to 7, 2020

Inspired predictive planning from our Rector and Curate in

deciding to substitute this summer’s proposed “Retreat to

Ely” with “A week of accompanied prayer”.

Sounded just my “cup of tea”, all the benefits of a weekend

of spiritual refreshment with uplifting company, minus the

tedium of travel and expense of overnight accommodation. I

signed up expectantly and was not disappointed.

The first gathering, in a relaxed circle in church on Sunday

March 1, afforded a cosy and informal introduction to the

week’s activities . We separated into small groups to share

our reasons for signing up and what we hoped to gain.

Easy for me to explain. I had loved Philip’s well-planned

weekend retreats, especially to the much favoured Ely, but

had been forced to miss the last two. One on my doorstep

was too good to miss.

Each person was randomly assigned one of the five “prayer

companions” matching our own preferred day and time

throughout the week, with a

communal gathering at the

weekend for an informal feed-

back and bring-and-share tea

party.

The partnering was undoubtedly

chosen carefully and prayerfully.

Mine was Bekki, an Anglican

priest and during the first appre-

hensive chat, we rapidly estab-

lished a fine rapport, recognising,

to our delight, a familiar accent.

We both hailed from the Black

Country and our accents grew

stronger with each session, as

did our spiritual connection.

I know others on the course also

felt warmly supported and en-

couraged by their “prayer partners”, evidenced at the week-

end’s feedback. We were invited to bring an item to express

what the week had meant to us. Mine was a large sparkly red

heart!

A leaflet distributed as we enjoyed afternoon tea suggested

prayerful ideas and scriptures for moving on from this special

experience.

It was entitled: “Tools for the Journey Ahead”. Prophetic

messages again. Two weeks later we went into Corona Crisis

Lockdown! Those spiritual “tools” came in very handy for the

long and anxious journey ahead.

Lynn Radnedge

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Kenyalyn’s Inspiring Art Work I am humbled to share this art with you which I have loved creating. This piece of art combines two colours that are scientifically proven to calm people down and release endorphins. In the centre of the painting, there is a BLM (Black Lives Matter) symbol. I painted on the canvas with blue, green and white then embroi-dered the BLM sign on it once the painting had dried. I hope the cool colours bring some calm in the midst of all the hurtful things happening around us. Taking this in to account, I hoped to spread awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement whilst keeping people calm so that they can try and understand it more. This art can be anything you choose it to be and I hope a sign of hope, peace, love, tolerance and compassion. 1 Corinthians 13 4-5 -'' Love is patient, Love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily an-gered, it keeps no record of wrongs.'' By Kenyalyn

St Francis’ Prayer for Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy; O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen Many people, if asked for a prayer of St Francis, would choose this one. In fact, it is not by St Francis but comes from an unknown French source and was first recorded around 1913. Whatever the origins, this calming prayer echoes Kenyalyn’s beautiful words and her wish for hope, peace, love, tolerance and compas-

sion.

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On Dog Walking During Lockdown

Sunlight on the water, The path beneath our feet, Birdsong louder than before, The people that we meet.

Stand aside for others, This rule we must obey, For distancing is vital To keep Covid at bay,

Lockdown poem

Emotion recollected in tranquility

is the essence of poetry,

according to Wordsworth.

My lockdown poem is more

tranquility recollected in emotion.

Staying peacefully indoors

except for Fursby, Tillingham and Nigel –

shorthand for our morning walks: (left towards Fursby Avenue, right towards

Tillingham Way or over the railway towards Ravensdale Avenue, home to Nigel Wildish).

Watching a play at the National Theatre without travelling to the South Bank. Working through the CDs on my shelf

(I don’t remember this – it’s lovely, but why on earth did I get that?).

Having things delivered instead of shopping. Doing the Christian Studies course online. Honing my hair-cutting skills.

Hearing birds singing.

Looking out of the window and noticing when acorns begin to form.

They do that every year, but I’ve never stopped to look.

Will I remember to look next year?

Clare Fletcher

We ourselves are careful, Our dogs are everywhere, For rules and regulations

They simply do not care. Cyclists and joggers Are often careful too,

But some go by far too close They do not have a clue. Green spaces are for sharing, As we are all aware,

Everyone deserves respect! Let's show the world we care. Sally Martin

RETURNING FROM LOCKDOWN TO CHURCH How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul has a desire and longing to enter the courts of the Lord: My heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. The sparrow has found her a house And the swallow a nest where she may lay her young: At your altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they who dwell in your house: They will always be praising you. Day and night my thoughts Are yearning towards the beauty of his temple In ‘swallow-flights of song’. For in his courts Time is transfigured, opened out and ample, It touches on eternity. I stay Awhile within this church, its simple Furnishings, and storied windows say More to me of heaven than the pale Abstractions of theology. A day Spent in an empty church has been as full Of goodness as an age elsewhere. I feel Its peace refresh me like a holy well. Psalm 84 (first three verses) Malcolm Guite (last four verses). Malcolm Guite is an English poet, singer-songwriter, Angli-can priest, and academic. This poem appeared in, and is reproduced from, the Church Times.

Lockdown

On the following pages you will find a selection of

contributions all with the theme of the lockdown. As

slowly we begin our path back to a ‘normal’ life, it is

very interesting to read of people’s feelings,

thoughts and descriptions of their way of life during

this most difficult of times.

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An Ode to Coronavirus The New Year came.

We were filled with hope

and we planned our holidays too.

Then Corona came and it all went wrong

and we weren’t sure what to do.

We sorted our cupboards and checked our fridge

to see what we had in store

and looked at deliveries existing and new

to see if we could get more.

The boxes arrived with the fruit and the veg

in plentiful quantities too.

We looked at some recipes not used before.

We knew we had to make do.

Then lockdown came and we weren’t allowed out

except for our daily walk

and essential jobs and the hospital trips

about which we needed to talk.

We worked from home and the children did too

with Google classroom and Zoom.

The restaurants all closed and the swimming pools too

and so did the pubs.

All gloom!

We walked the streets and we walked the parks

on our daily permitted strolls.

Two metres apart and avoiding the bikes

and the children pushing their dolls.

The WhatsApps pinged and the pictures arrived

and the videos, songs and rhymes.

We FaceTimed and Skyped and conferenced on

Zoom

in increasing technology times.

At 5 pm the minister and the scientists too,

they did the nation address.

Then Thursdays came and at 8 o’clock

we clapped for the NHS.

And the rainbows at the windows displayed

and the children’s art work too

and the busker playing on the corner of the street

were an uplifting sight to view.

The dictionary grew and new words came in

with ‘self isolation’ for some

and ‘shielding’ and ‘social distancing’.

Were there some more to come?

We tried to work but not all of us could

So the ‘furlough’ scheme came our way,

To pay for our keep and to help us survive

with money created each day.

The letters were added. The R number came

to show what the virus was doing.

Then the trio of letters with the PPE,

but now what was the meaning?

It used to stand just for politics,

philosophy and economics too.

Now it’s morphed to a type of clothing

to protect workers in all they do.

We watched the curve as it started to rise

with the R number greater than one,

Then it reached the peak and it flattened out

to show that the growth was done.

Our Captain Tom, he did walk his garden

one hundred times round and round

and one hundred and fifty thousand cards

from the public were later found.

Then lockdown eased and we drove our cars

To a favourite picnic place.

We met up with a friend, but only just one

and we weren’t allowed to embrace.

Now we are wondering what will come next

with suggestions coming in fast.

The schools will reopen but how many chil-

dren

Will get to go back at last?

The shops will reopen in stages next month

but what of the cafes and pubs?

Will the churches welcome us in for some

prayers

and what of the gyms and sports clubs?

Will two metres apart be one metre soon

and then reduce to none?

So, we relive our lives, meet up with our

friends

and know with Corona, we’ve won!

Yeah!

JUNE NASH

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Green and Fair Gillian

Remembering with love the vibrant, funny and crea-tive Gillian Lunn, one of the first to volunteer for the Green and Fair Group set up in 2009.

Gillian was always bursting with ideas to help us create a fair trade and eco-friendly church and churchyard and was often accompanied by husband George at the Sunday coffee time meetings.

Our annual “Clipping the Church” ceremony, an an-cient tradition for parishioners to express love of their church, was one of her suggestions. So too was the “Beating the Bounds” custom (walking the boundaries of the parish).

Keen walker George devised the route (which lasted a few hours), suggesting various stopping points along the way with prayers and nuggets of local his-tory. Non-walking committee members prepared a sumptuous fairtrade tea to welcome the weary travellers “home”.

Gillian and George were generous supporters of our regular fairtrade stalls and also the “offbeat” events we staged to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight, always dressed in costumes to match the theme.

A lifelong member of St. M’s, where she and George were married 64 years ago, Gillian taught in Sunday School and, as a skilled pianist, was a popular ac-companist for services and events. She and George could always provide fascinating exhibits for dis-plays from their collection of memorabilia through the decades.

They were also Friends of Windsor Open Space and Stephens House and, until illness took its toll, in-dulged their love of Shakespeare as volunteer stew-ards at The Globe Theatre in Southwark.

As soon as we are able, Green and Fair will honour our much-loved supporter with a new rosemary bush in the church grounds, recalling Ophelia’s mes-sage from Hamlet: “There’s rosemary, that’s for re-membrance. Pray, remember, love.” A sumptuous tea party will follow - all fairtrade of course!

Lynn Radnedge

More to life than books?

A student is alarmed by a surprise visit from his family, because he is in the middle of trying to cover up a murder. A young woman in post-war Britain is intrigued by the anthropologist who moves in next door, but everyone thinks she just wants to marry the vicar. A dying clergyman con-siders his blessings against a background of dark family secrets centred on the US Civil War. These were the first three books from St Mary’s new book group. We meet every other month to read and reflect on great Christian novels; the plan is to read something quite different each time. The group originally began as this year’s Lent course—which was such a long time ago that our first meetings actually took place in per-son! So far we’ve read Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Pun-ishment, Barbara Pym’s Excellent Women, and Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead (the three books mentioned above). Yet, as different as they certainly are, it strikes me that they all have something in common. They all say something about grace, about God’s action in our lives, in which he reveals his bless-ings, and loving kindness, and himself. And all three suggest that grace might come from—or at least, through—other people: [Spoilers ahead!] In Crime & Punishment, Raskolnikov the student does a terrible thing and suffers psychologically from it, yet is never driv-en to despair (as is another character), perhaps due to the loving presence of his family and friends; especially the pious prostitute Sonya, who ultimately follows Raskolnikov into exile where he converts to Christianity. Nothing quite so dramatic happens in Excellent Women, where the narrator often muses on her drab and austere lot. Yet at the end of the novel, it is hinted (and explicitly revealed in later books!) that what seems a bit more drudgery—compiling an anthropologist’s book index—is really an unexpected move into a more exciting life. Finally, Gilead, narrated by a Congregationalist minister, is most explicit about grace: the narra-tor, who married late in life, finds this unex-pected gift shines a new and gladsome light on

his life, present and past. Yet, more subtly,

Open Door—August 2020 Page7

grace is also seen when a local ne’er-do-well re-turns to Gilead and accidentally exposes the town’s uneasy indifference to racism.

I hope this has been an interesting taster for the sort of things we discuss at the book group! Even if you are not able to join us for our meetings (currently on Zoom) you might still find it inter-esting to read our bi-monthly book choice—and we’d always like to hear what you think about them!

The book group next meets on Tuesday 29th Sep-tember at 7.30pm to discuss Nigerian author Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart (1958). For Zoom log-in details, or for more infor-mation, contact Richard(richard@richardmagrath.com) Richard Magrath

St Mary’s Book Group I’ve always loved books and reading. Once read and

enjoyed, a book becomes an old friend, to be revisit-

ed and enjoyed again over the years. However, since

sitting my A ‘level English Literature (about a hundred

years ago now), I haven’t examined or discussed any

texts in depth. Sadly, I’ve also become a bit set in my

ways when it comes to choosing books; Dickens, Aus-

ten, Trollope, biographies, history, and the very oc-

casional modern text. So, I decided to join this year’s

Lent book course group and read Dostoyevsky’s

Crime and Punishment. And, no, of course I’d never

read any Dostoyevsky before. Way outside my com-

fort zone.

What had I been missing? Although I wouldn’t say

the book was an easy read, I thoroughly enjoyed it;

the descriptions of the poverty and deprivation in St

Petersburg were horrendously and horribly true to

life yet there were passages which seemed almost

(but not quite) light-hearted. Certainly, I didn’t find it

all doom and gloom, which is a very strange thing to

say about such a serious work.

As we were in lockdown, the group met on Zoom.

Richard, our Curate, led the group very ably assisted

by Kayleigh. Their love and knowledge of literature

was evident. Richard proposed themes for discussion

as a group which had not occurred to me whilst I was

reading the book, so the sessions were thought pro-

voking as I realised just how much had slipped below

my radar!

From Dostoyevsky we moved to Barbara Pym’s Excel-

lent Women, a quite different style of book and much

easier to read. Next, we read Gilead by Marilynne Rob-

inson, again a very different book. I must confess I

struggled to read this (sorry, Richard) but the point is I

read something I would never have chosen to read left

to my own devices.

The next book will introduce me to an author I haven’t

come across before: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall

Apart. I’m looking forward to reading it. Do contact

Richard, our Curate, if you’re interested in joining the

group.

Karen Malyali

A Limerick To the Sellises, Anne and Mark, Thank you! To Zach, Leo, Caitlin and Drew.

What fine family singers, ‘Sound of Music’ dead ringers, The Von Trapp family ain’t got nothin’ on you! Andrew Fisher

Written on the occasion of the Sellis family recording flawlessly the whole of the Thorne Mass. Members of the adult choir are gradually going to add their voices to this

recording and the whole process will take several weeks to complete. This is in addition to the Sellis recording of the Sanger setting which they recorded in April. No wonder Andrew felt moved to write a limerick to mark the occa-sion.

Open Door—August 2020 Page8

Recipe Corner Vatapá Brazilian cuisine varies greatly by region, reflecting the mix of native and immigrant populations: cassava

or manioc, guaraná, açaí, cumaru, cashew and tucupi used by Indigenous people; wheat-based food, wine, vegetables and dairy products introduced by European immigrants (primarily from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland and Switzerland); dishes originally made with what was left over to African-origin slaves until 1888; rice, poultry and eggs brought by the Japanese in the 20th century. Typically Brazilian food includes:

Rice, beans and meat e.g. beef, pork, chicken etc. Feijoada (dark beans, pork and sausages, rice, orange and kale) is a typical dish across Brazil origi-

nating from African slaves who used left over from their master household Salgadinhos (savoury finger food) such as coxinha, empadinha, quibe, risólis and pastel

Docinhos (sweet finger food) such as brigadeiro, beijinho quindim and cajuzinho Pão-de-queijo (cheese buns) Corn-made cural and pamonha Churrasco (barbecue) made at home or in Rodízios (eat-as-you-wish restaurants)

Stews, typically served with rice like bacalhoada (dried cod), vatapá and moqueca (seafood)

Vatapá is a stew from Bahia, a state in the Northeastern region of Brazil, influenced by indigenous, Portu-

guese, French and Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries, and African communities. I hope our congregation enjoys it. Ingredients:

0.5kg prawns (no shell, head and tail)

2 onions (medium size) 2 tomatoes (large size) 1 tin of coconut milk 8 tablespoons of palm oil 1 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 cup of chives, finely chopped 1 large baguette 5 cups of water 2 red peppers

salt and chilli oil based on individual taste Method:

Heat 3 tablespoons of palm oil in a medium saucepan. Tip in the prawns and cook for a 3 mins. Then, add onions, tomatoes, parsley, chives and peppers and stir until soft. Turn off the heat and set

aside. Cut the baguette into small chunks. In a food processor or blender, blitz the baguette chunks with the

water. Pour the baguette mixture into a large saucepan and bring it to boil, continuously stirring.

Add the remaining palm oil, the prawns and cooked vegetables, continuously stirring. Season with salt and chilli oil as you wish. Finally, stir in the coconut milk and turn off the heat. Serve with cooked rice.

Denia Katsuda

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Reflections from the supper at Emmaus One of the most moving, comforting and human narratives from 1st century Israel in the Gospels is when Je-sus, shortly after His Resurrection, appears to two disciples travelling along the road from Jerusalem to Em-maus, explaining that the Messiah's sufferings are foretold by Moses and the prophets, but without His being recognised until the disciples' eyes are eventually opened during supper at Emmaus when Jesus takes, bless-es, breaks and distributes bread. Yet Jesus does not then physically share the meal with them, for He vanishes when both of the disciples recognise Him. This instance of the ancient recognition story, which is recounted only by Luke, signifies the return of Jesus, portrays the divine in the ordinary human situation, and confers a distinctive Lucan emphasis which combines the appearance of Jesus with a meal and with prophecy (Luke 24).

The 19th century British hymnwriter Henry Francis Lyte is directly inspired by the Emmaus story and its scrip-tural words 'Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent' (Luke 24.29) when embarking on his composition of the Victorian hymn 'Abide with me: fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens: Lord with me abide'. Whilst Lyte gives the Emmaus story a more personal sense of urgency by varying 'us' to 'me', nevertheless the phrase 'Abide with' - alongside the full Lucan text which serves as the hymn's subtitle in the hymnbook 'Hymns Ancient and Modern' - dwells as a continuing reminder of the original circumstances, bringing together the initial state of mind of the disciples as dispirited yet kind and hospitable, the late even-ing, and the risen Christ who is at first unrecognised yet wonderfully present. The hymnic metaphor is extend-ed in the light of eternity, as eventide becomes not just the evening time but also the evening tide - 'Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away' - whilst emphasising that in God's sight the passing of a thousand years is no more than yesterday or than a watch in the night. The hymn thus articulates deep and mysterious truths about human nature by contrasting the hope of heaven against the brevity of life and the vulnerability of humankind. Other 19th century hymnological echoes of the Em-maus story include John Keble's hymn 'Sun of my soul, Thou Saviour dear, It is not night if Thou be near', Vin-cent Tymms's hymn 'Let evening twilight turn to dawn', and Ashcroft Noble's hymn 'Lord Jesus, in the days of old, Two walked with Thee in waning light'.

The 16th/17th century Italian proto-realist artist Caravag-gio graphically captures a glimpse of the moment during the supper at Emmaus on that same evening when Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples in the breaking of the bread. The characteristic manner in which He blesses the supper unveils to them that this is their newly-risen Lord, come back to them from the dead, and their sudden astonishment is breathtakingly portrayed. Caravaggio's image of the risen Christ is that of a young man, unbeard-ed (perhaps influenced by Leonardo da Vinci) and undra-matic, possessing an element of unpretentiousness which allows the drama to be inherent in the event. Christ is depicted as serene and remote, or in another form or likeness as briefly described in Mark's Gospel (Mark

16.12), having transcended the agonies leading up to and during His Crucifixion as well as the problems of mortal life. Amidst the rich dark tones and the enveloping shadows, His face is flooded in a clear light which falls from the left (Caravaggio's customary source of light), whilst the innkeeper standing close by looks on, baffled and uncomprehending, as his shadow bypasses Christ and falls instead on the rear wall of the room. The vivid reaction of the disciples at their moment of recognition of Christ is spontaneous. The disciple seated on the right of the picture makes the more dramatic gesture, with both his outstretched arms echoing the Crucifixion, whilst his dramatically foreshortened left arm seems to stretch straight out towards the viewer. The disciple seated on the left of the picture has an equally sudden reaction but is contrastingly more re-strained. Meanwhile the basket of fruit, subtly past its best and teeteringly balanced on the edge of the sup-per table towards the viewer, symbolises the significance of Christ's apparition, declaring that nothing is left of humankind's transient earthly securities if death has lost its absoluteness. The autumnal fruits are also cho-sen for their symbolism, even though the Resurrection is a springtime event, with the pomegranate as the crown of thorns, the apples and figs as original sin, and the grapes as the Eucharistic blood of Christ. The heightened emotional content and persuasive realism of such Baroque painting serve to endow scriptural truth with a masterfully beautiful and palpable artistic energy.

John Larkin John Larkin

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Continued from page 12

sang in St Mary’s choir before becoming a Temple choris-ter when he went to City of London Boys School. Bethan, our daughter, moved to North London Collegiate, which Jestyn’s mother had attended. We are most proud of our two children who have given back to us more than we deserve. We have witnessed great changes in worship during our lifetime with the move away from Matins as the main Sunday morning service to the Eucharist. As a person, whose work is with words, Jestyn particularly loves the wonderful language of the Book of Common Prayer and the King James authorised version of The Bible, as indeed do we both. We experience the beauty of holiness when we enter the sacred nature of worship in the concentrated ascetism of the 8am communion service. St Mary’s has been our spiritual home for 49 years and we love the feeling of entering a building where people have prayed for generations. We have been fortunate in the ministry of so many priests. We particularly remem-ber Father Povey, a retired priest, whose stay was brief, but whose empathy during Valerie’s illness was memora-ble. Reading the lesson at the Sunday morning service, winding the church clock, helping to raise funds for the restoration of the organ through the History project and belonging to the Luncheon Club are some of the practical contributions we have made to the flourishing of St Mary’s. Our interests are varied. Valerie’s favourite book is ‘The Story of Art’ by Ernst Gombrich and the three ‘B’s, Bach Beethoven and Brahms top the composers list. I love the writings of Evelyn Waugh but, of course, my favourite play is ‘King Lear’ especially when it was performed by Paul Scofield. Valerie’s favourite is ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ by Brian Friel. Children, my garden and music make me happy but I am saddened by children who live their lives in poverty and sickness. Jestyn is cheered by sailing, the sea and spring, but feels keenly the loss of lifelong friends with whom he has built up trust and an irreplaceable rapport. Intolerance and injustice make us both cross. My most treasured possession is my bicycle and Va-lerie’s her piano. This article is based on the weekly back page interview in the Church Times. The final question is always ‘who would you choose to be locked in the church with?’ As well as wishing to continue their life together, Jestyn replied ‘Shakespeare, of course, I would have so much to ask him’. Valerie would like to be with Angela Hewitt the exception-ally gifted Canadian pianist best known for her Bach inter-pretations.

Gladys Vendy

Getting to know next door

This time last year, how well did you know your neighbours? Around one in five of us have since admitted that we

had never even spoken to them.

What a difference a pandemic makes. Now twice as many of us have talked to our neighbours in the past week as compared with last year. A further one in three of us have also done something to help a neighbour. This works out to 33 million people having talked to a neighbour in the past week, and 15 million of them even helping one during

lockdown.

Seven in 10 of us also said that people in our area are now more likely to stop for a chat, and three quarters of us want their new-found friendliness to

continue.

The survey was commissioned for the Big Lunch, a National Lottery-supported initiative from the Eden Pro-

ject.

From Parish Pump August 2020

Solution to Word Puzzle page 10

There are at least 100 words to be found.

The nine-letter word is SAINTLIKE

With thanks to John Larkin

Open Door—August 2020 Page12

Interview with Valerie and Jestyn Phillips

Valerie and Jestyn on their wedding day August 1964 Valerie and Jestyn I have asked to interview you because in a recent conversation with you I real-ised that you have had, and still have, very inter-esting lives and that you have been worshipping at St Mary’s church since the 1970’s. Our early lives were very similar, as we discov-ered later. Valerie was born and baptised in Pe-terborough and I was born in Ashford, Kent. Both our families were practising Anglicans and we were well-versed in traditional prayers at an early age. Growing up without our fathers we both went to boarding school. At the age of nine I began to attend the Royal Soldiers’ Daughters’ School in Hampstead. We regularly attended Hampstead Parish Church, where I first experienced what it meant to be a Christian. Jestyn, whose father died when he was only two years old, was sent away to school at the age of six. However, we both consider our mothers to have been exceptional people who had a great influence on our lives. Jestyn’s moth-er, who always attended church and said the Lord’s Prayer with him at bedtime, was some-thing of a blue stocking and lived to be 97. My boarding school didn’t keep girls over six-teen. I went to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospi-tal, which had a Christian foundation, to train as a nurse. It was in my work in hospitals that I found God. The matron, Miss Nancy Palmer, who was a

devout Christian, proved to be the greatest influ-ence on my life. I continued with my nursing career. I became a midwife, worked in community health and be-came a health visitor in Barnet and Finchley. I am most proud that at the age of 47 I achieved the Health Visitor Diploma from the University of North London. I went to Queen’s University in Belfast, where my brother-in-law had been, and read physics. My first and only job in that field was working for two years at the Metal Box Company, then one of the largest companies in the country, supplying nearly all our food packaging especially tins, ex-cept for a few made by Heinz. I attended an even-ing course at the City Literary Institute to explore my interest in acting. Yes, I had done some acting at university. My mother had studied classics and was, looking back on it, amazingly sympathetic to my sudden change of course, going from a secure career to a much chancier one. She was always very sup-portive. Getting an exhibition scholarship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) gave me the chance to act professional-ly. My very first audition before I had left got me a part in ‘Oh what a lovely war’ directed by Joan Littlewood. This meant that our honeymoon had to be postponed! We first met at the Six Bells Jazz Club in Chelsea and married in 1964 in Hampstead Parish Church. We lived with Jestyn’s mother in Totteridge for ten months and as he had a sister in Hadley Wood, we decided to settle in the area. We bought our first flat in Thyra Grove ,North Finch-ley. We belonged to Christ Church, North Finchley, to which we could walk, for six years. The church was very active and dynamic and we were very involved with a range of activities such as Young Wives and the Just Married groups, teaching in the Sunday School and something called ‘Parish Education’ which took up most of Sunday morn-ing. The church was very supportive of Valerie when she was very seriously ill. We moved to Dollis Park in 1971. Our priest at Christ Church generously said that we should attend our nearest church, which was St Mary’s. Our children were born in 1969 and 1975 and attended St Mary’s School. Vaughan, our son,