BUSHEY PARISH MAGAZINE - January 2021 - The ...
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BUSHEY PARISH MAGAZINE January 2021 60 pence
God in the Arts
Jesus’s hidden years
The Revd Michael Burgess looks at St Joseph the Carpenter, by Georges
de la Tour. The painting now hangs in the Louvre in Paris.
When St Paul wrote to the Philippians about the birth and humanity
of Jesus, he described it as an emptying and a humbling. Jesus humbled
Himself, Paul said, “and became obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross”. In obedience and love, Jesus followed the will of
His Father through His ministry from baptism to the cross and Easter
beyond.
But what about the period (sometimes called “the hidden years”) that
followed the Holy Family’s return from Egypt? The Gospels tell us of
only one event in the time leading up to adulthood: the pilgrimage to
Jerusalem when Jesus was 12. For the rest of those 30 years, He lived
with Mary and Joseph “growing in wisdom and in divine and human
favour”. Just as He
followed His heavenly
Father’s will in His
ministry, so in these
growing years He followed
the guidance and teaching
of Mary and Joseph.
Georges de la Tour’s
painting St Joseph the
Carpenter highlights one
moment in those years of
growth. “Highlights” is the
right word, because the
painting captures the
strong contrast of light and
darkness. De la Tour lived
from 1593 to 1652 in
Lorraine, in modern-day
France. He was part of a
Franciscan-led revival in
2
that area, and this work from the 1640s captures St Joseph and the
Christ-Child with Franciscan tenderness and insight.
We can see the tools of Joseph’s trade on the ground. He leans over
them, hard at work on a piece of wood. Jesus is sitting by his side, face
lit by the candle illuminating the carpenter’s shop. As well as
contrasting light and dark, there is the contrast of young and old, as
well as the thought that the child learning from the old man is also the
One who can teach us, the One who will grow up to be the Light of
the World. De la Tour was particularly fascinated by light and shadows
cast by a candle or a lantern, a theme that recurs throughout his
works.
As this New Year begins, we can think back to the light from the
Bethlehem manger we celebrated at Christmas. We can look ahead to
the light shining from the adult Jesus through His teaching and healing.
Here in these hidden years, we can celebrate the light of wisdom and
divine favour, as Luke calls it, shining on the face of the child Jesus. We
pray for that light to guide us through this New Year. When the way
ahead may look dark and uncertain, let us pray that God’s light will
make clear the path ahead.
Where the name ‘Jesus’
comes from
The name Jesus is a transliteration
of one that occurs in several
languages. It is of Hebrew origin -
Yehosua, or Joshua. There is also the Hebrew-Aramaic form, Yesua.
Transliterated from Greek it became Iēsoûs and in Latin it was Iesus.
It means “Yahweh (Jehovah) delivers” or “Yahweh rescues” or
“Yahweh is salvation”. No wonder the angel Gabriel in Luke (1:26-33)
told Mary to name her baby Jesus: “because He will save His people
from their sins”.
The Church remembers His naming on January 1 each year.
3
Ministry Team
Rector of the Parish of Bushey:
The Revd Guy Edwards 0208 950 1546
rector@busheyparish.org
Guy’s usual rest-day is Monday (Tuesday when Monday is a Bank Holiday). Please
do not contact him then except in a serious emergency.
Associate Rector: Fr Tim Vickers 01923 464633
with responsibility for St James’s tim.vickers@busheyparish.org
Usual rest-day: Friday
Parish Curate: The Revd Andy Burgess 07539 409959
Usual rest-day: Monday andy.burgess@busheyparish.org
Lay Leader of Worship: Christine Cocks LLW@busheyparish.org
CHURCH WARDENS
wardens@busheyparish.org
Both posts vacant. The Rector takes on the roles temporarily
PARISH ADMINISTRATION
Parish Administrator: Jacqueline Birch 020 8421 8192
Church House, High Street, Bushey office@busheyparish.org
Parish Finance Officer: Sinead English 020 8421 8192
Church House, High Street, Bushey finance@busheyparish.org
PCC Secretary: Martyn Lambert secretary@busheyparish.org
The Parish Office on the first floor of St James’s Church House is open as follows:
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.00am-3.00pm; Wednesdays, 9.00am-2.00pm.
Safeguarding Officer: Fiona Gray 07902 511392
Parish website: www.busheyparish.org
webmaster@busheyparish.org
4
Christingle Service
The Parish of Bushey is holding a
Christingle Service
in St James’s Church on:
Sunday January 31 at 4.30pm
This is the closest Sunday to the Feast of the Presentation of Christ at
the Temple, also known as Candlemas, marking the end of the
Church’s Christmas Season.
For further details, see the Parish website, pew-sheets and social
media nearer the time.
Where to find us online
Parish of Bushey website:
www.busheyparish.org
Parish of Bushey Livestream Facebook page (FB):
https://www.facebook.com/busheyparishlive
YouTube channel
We have a YouTube channel for our services and reflections. Search for "The Parish
of Bushey" and subscribe. It's free.
St James’s FB
www.facebook.com/st.jameschurchbushey
Holy Trinity FB
www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityBushey
St Paul's FB:
https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsBushey/
Dial a Sermon: The Parish has a phone number where people can listen to a
sermon each week: 0208 0162 445. Please pass it on to anyone you know who
does not have internet access.
5
From the Parish Curate
Lessons in discipleship—from a jigsaw
It’s a long time since we were last able to meet at one of the St Paul’s
coffee mornings, but something I look forward to when we can get
together again is observing the dedicated team of puzzlers work their
way through 1,000-piece jigsaws! I seem to remember they were
halfway through a jigsaw that featured every single one of the Beatles’
record covers on it when Covid-19 intervened. All being well, it will
probably be picked up again later this year.
There is something very satisfying about working your way through a
complicated jigsaw. It’s not something you can rush. You need patience,
and there is pleasure in recognising a pattern or finding an obscure piece
that has been evading you. The picture builds up slowly over time, with
lots of wrong moves, and gradually the image becomes complete.
Discipleship – the habit of living our lives in obedience to Christ – is a
bit like this. Sometimes there are big “flashbulb” moments, but usually
we tread on, bit by bit, putting one foot in front of the other.
Particularly in cold winter months like January, our discipleship journey
can seem slow and unexciting. But very slowly, piece by piece, we are
forming our lives after the pattern of our Saviour and, perhaps without
us being aware, we are shining forth Christ into the world.
Similarly, as we learn more from Scripture and discover new bits of
theology, it is important that we try to relate one part of our faith to
the other bits, and see what sort of picture emerges as we contemplate
God. Except that, with theology, we won’t ever complete the puzzle,
but rather find ourselves being taken deeper and deeper into the
mystery of God with every step along the road.
We don’t yet know what 2021 will bring. We have learnt from the last
year not to assume things will go according to plan. But we do know
there will be a lot of rebuilding to do. People have lost so much over
the past year and face very uncertain futures. We should do what we
can to console and comfort those who need it at this time. For many, it
6
will be as though the jigsaw
puzzle has fallen to the floor
and there are many missing
pieces.
It will be an important year
for our Parish as well, as we
continue the restructuring
process that began in
December. Archdeacon Jane
is leading these sessions, and
there will be many
opportunities to discuss and
contribute to the plans. Just as when beginning a jigsaw, we’re not sure
what the final picture will look like yet, but we are praying that God
will guide us and lead us into a sustainable hopeful future. Please do
keep an eye out for updates on this process on our website
(www.busheyparish.org/news) and get in touch with a member of
clergy if you would like to find out more. - Revd Andy Burgess
Open that window!
Here is an easy resolution for the New Year: open your windows at
home for short, sharp bursts of 10-15 minutes each, several times a
day. The government’s public information campaign says that regular
fresh air can cut the risk of Covid-19 transmission by more than 70
per cent.
So either leave a window open
slightly all day or open it fully at
regular intervals, especially if
anyone has come to visit you in
your home. Covid-19 is spread
through the air by droplets and
smaller particles known as
aerosols. They can hang around
for hours and they build up
appreciably over time.
7
8
The conversion of St Paul
January is a month of the beginning of great things!
As well as the naming of the Son of God (which
the Church remembers on January 1), we
celebrate the conversion of the greatest-ever
apostle of the Christian faith on January 25.
Paul, or Saul as he was originally known, was a Jew
born in Tarsus (in modern-day Turkey) and
brought up by the rabbi Gamaliel as a Pharisee, a member of a strict
Jewish sect. As a devout, fanatical Jew, Saul persecuted the Christians
and watched with satisfaction the first Christian martyrdom, the
stoning of Stephen. Then, on his way to the city of Damascus, Saul had
a vision of Christ that stopped him in his tracks. He realised that this
Jesus whom he was persecuting was in fact the Messiah for whom he
had longed.
Saul changed overnight. He was given the new name of Paul and was
transformed into an evangelist for the cause of Christ. He became a
leader in the early Church, where his special calling was as an apostle
to the Gentiles. He wrote epistles (letters) to the young churches that
he founded - and thus, inadvertently, wrote a great part of the New
Testament.
Life as the greatest apostle was hardly full of perks: Paul was stoned,
beaten, mobbed, homeless, hated, imprisoned and finally martyred.
Tradition has it that he was beheaded in Rome during the persecution
ordered by Nero in AD64 and buried where the basilica of St Paul
“outside the walls” now stands. His mighty faith in Christ has kindled
similar belief in many hundreds of millions of people down the
centuries.
St Paul’s Church will be holding its Patronal Eucharist on
Sunday January 24 at 11.15am
Further details nearer the time
9
Becoming a ‘simpler, humbler, bolder Church’
The momentous events of 2020 will have a “profound effect” on the
future of the Church of England and our wider society, the
Archbishops of Canterbury and York say.
In a recent joint address to the General Synod, Justin Welby and
Stephen Cottrell declared that the CoE must adapt and put its trust
in God to become a “simpler, humbler, bolder Church."
It was the first online sitting of the synod following a legal change to
enable it to meet remotely amid the Covid-19 restrictions.
The archbishops explained how the pandemic and its economic
fallout are providing the backdrop to huge social changes, both in the
UK and around the world. They also pointed out that the Black Lives
Matter movement and the report by the independent inquiry into
child sexual abuse (IICSA) have exposed the Church’s own failings
and its need to change.
Archbishop Justin told the synod: “2020 will be a year that registers
in memory and in history. It can be compared with 1929, with 1914,
with 1989.
“We are aware that this is a year in which huge changes are
happening in our society and consequently in the Church. For let us
be clear, there is no possibility of changes in society failing to have a
profound effect on the shape, calling and experience of mission in the
Church.”
Recalling the dramatic events of the past year, he added: “These
crises are not signs of the absence of God, but calls to recognise the
presence of the kingdom and to act in faith and courage, simplifying
our life, focusing on Jesus Christ, looking outwards to the needy and
renewing in our cells our call to wash feet, to serve our society and
to be the Church for England.”
Archbishop Stephen went on to summarise the work of groups set
up to discern how the CoE might respond and change in light of the
recent challenges. He declared: “If we put our trust in God, and if we
10learn to love one another, then I believe we can become a simpler,
humbler, bolder Church, better able to live and share the Gospel of
Jesus Christ."
Giving gifts of hope
When Angie Godsell’s husband died she had an idea, which, she says,
“I couldn’t shake off.”
She explains: “I sadly lost my husband, after a long illness with vascular
dementia, at the end of February. I was looking for a way to
commemorate his life, when I heard about a booklet called Hope in
Uncertain Times.
“I ordered 25 initially, but then was so struck by the presentation and
clear Christian message that I thought it would be brilliant if every
home in the parish I live in could receive a copy.”
She shared her plan with friends “in case it was one of my mad ideas,
and so they could pray about it too.” Angie says she was “really
excited to be able to do something in memory of Ken that has the
potential to give real life to those who receive it”.
She ordered 1,000 copies of the booklet and had labels printed to put
on the inside front cover with a personal message explaining that the
gift was to commemorate Ken, “sharing the message, which was so
central to his life”.
Angie attends St Giles’s Church in Bredon, near Tewkesbury in
Gloucestershire, and has bought the booklets to be delivered in
Bredon and the neighbouring villages of Kinsham, Westmancote and
Bredon’s Norton. People who usually give out Christian Aid envelopes
agreed to help in the distribution.
Copies of Hope in Uncertain Times are available
for £1 each from Hope Together. There are
bulk discounts, so 25-49 copies work out at
50p each and 50 or more copies are 30p each.
Order from www.hopetogether.org.uk/shop
11Hall Hire
The Parish of Bushey has three halls
available for your party, meeting or
function as Covid-19 restrictions
permit. All have kitchen facilities.
St James’s Church House Hall
High Street WD23 1BD
Email churchhouse@busheyparish.org
St Paul’s, John Stobbart Hall
Bushey Hall Road WD23 2EQ
Jill Macey: 07736 680501 or
jillmacey48@gmail.com
Holy Trinity
Bushey Mill Lane WD23 2AS
Gill Onslow 01923 464839
12Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2021
This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25) has
been prepared by the sisters of Grandchamp, an ecumenical monastic
community of Christian women in Switzerland. The week’s theme -
“Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit” - is based on John
15:1-17. It expresses the Grandchamp community’s vocation to prayer,
reconciliation and unity in the Church and the human family.
For 2021, the sisters of Grandchamp are inviting
churches across the world to enter their tradition of
prayer and silence, in turn rooted in the ancient
traditions of the Church catholic. Today the
community has 50 sisters, spanning different
generations, church traditions and countries. In their
diversity they are a living parable of communion.
Each year, Christian Aid provides the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity with “go and do” action points for each
daily reflection, linking into the important work of the charity in the
relief of poverty and advocacy of justice. More at: https://ctbi.org.uk/
go-and-do-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2021/
Combating the scourge of leprosy
World Leprosy Day was initiated in 1954. This year, it will be marked in
England on January 30.
Up to 3 million people worldwide are living with leprosy, a disease that
can separate sufferers from their loved ones for years. Someone is
newly diagnosed with leprosy every two minutes.
The Christian charity Leprosy Mission was founded in 1874 to help
defeat this terrible disease and to transform the lives of its victims.
Nowadays, it is a global network active in 34 countries, collaborating
with the World Health Organisation, national governments and many
other national and local groups. You can help—by praying, making a
donation or even considering working with Leprosy Mission. Visit
https://www.leprosymission.org/get-involved
13Epiphany for today
On January 6 we celebrate Epiphany, when we remember the Magi, the
wise men from the East who followed a star to find the baby Jesus:
“Where is He?” (Matthew 2:1).
At the start of a New Year, amid the concerns about the pandemic, are
we asking the same question? The gifts they offered show us how we
can find Him in the uncertainty of the coming year: “they presented
Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).
The gift of gold reflects the fact that the Magi saw in the baby a king,
destined to rule over us all. In this coming year we need to remember
that Jesus is on the throne, the seat of power and authority in the
whole universe. Will we crown Him king of our lives and dedicate all
that we are and do to Him?
The gift of frankincense shows that the visitors saw not just an
earthly king, but God in human flesh. Incense symbolises the prayers of
God’s people and so this gift reminds us that God is worthy of our
worship and prayer. Will we offer our praise and prayer, as we seek
God to guide us through the uncertainties of this time?
The gift of myrrh indicates that these astrologers saw beyond the
baby’s birth and life to His death, which would secure life for all. Jesus
was offered myrrh on the cross and it was a spice used in His tomb. As
we face the sufferings of this New Year, we can be confident that Jesus
knows and understands our experience. Are we ready to trust Him?
Where do we go from here?
Perhaps this was a question the Wise Men (Magi) asked after seeing the
infant Jesus. They had come from a distant land to Jerusalem. They had
followed a star and expected to see a royal child. Now, in Bethlehem,
they saw things differently. No doubt Mary and Joseph shared with
these men their recent experiences and knew God was with them.
Now the Magi had to have eyes of faith to recognise that this child was
God in the flesh.
On January 6, many churches will celebrate Epiphany. On this day we
14remember the Wise Men bringing their gifts to Jesus. The word
epiphany describes their “revelation” or “insight” that this was no
ordinary baby. Who could they tell? Not King Herod. They had a
dream warning them to avoid him, to go back home another way.
Their return to familiar surroundings was going to be different. They
couldn’t be silent about what they had experienced. Their lives were
now changed. On coming home, they faced new circumstances and
challenges.
Doesn’t this sound a bit familiar to us today? The Covid-19 pandemic
has affected all of us in one way or another. Where do we go from
here? We have celebrated our Lord’s birth, but now we are resuming
our previous activities. The festive break is over and we are returning
to changed, very difficult circumstances.
We go into a New Year that is so different from this time last year.
While we might be downcast with all the upsets around us, there is
one thing that has not changed.
It is almighty God! He is our rock. We can look to Him in this world
of confusion and uncertainty. Perhaps, from now on, we shall be
worshipping and serving Him in different ways. So, with the challenges
that lie ahead, let’s continually seek His guidance.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding…and He will make your paths straight” (Prov3:5-6).
15Herts Musical Memories regretfully announce that
we are temporarily closing our groups. If you are a
group member please keep in contact with us on
020 8950 5757 or email:
admin@hertsmusicalmemories.org.uk
and we will let you know as soon as we are able to
resume normal services. If you are isolated and
need further support at home please call
Herts Help 0300 123 4044.
16Tearfund helping the vulnerable
This past year, with Covid-19 spreading in some of the world’s poorest
communities, the UK Christian relief charity Tearfund has been busier
than ever.
Worldwide, millions of people have been locked down and unable to
work, and thus unable to buy food. Refugees are stranded in crowded
camps with little access to clean water or basic items like soap to
protect themselves against the virus.
Tearfund is working in more than 50 countries and this past year alone
has reached 1.5million people with help of various kinds. It also
installed 1,783 hand-washing stations, distributed 83,476 hygiene kits,
and sent out 271,790 personal hygiene messages.
A Tearfund spokesman says: “We are doing all we can to stand with
the most-vulnerable people at this time. We are adapting our
programmes and finding new ways to safely support people in need.”
17Margaret Sibley (1930-2020), RIP
Margaret Sibley died peacefully on November 4, 2020, in a nursing home in
Scotland, after a short illness. She was a long-standing member of St James’s
Church and at one time secretary of the Parochial Church Council (PCC).
When Kate, wife of former rector Philip Morgan, was reinvigorating the
Bushey Festival, Margaret was among the Festival volunteers for many years.
She was also involved in a swathe of other charities and local groups. Her
secretarial and organisational skills were put to good use in many of them, as
was her knowledge of first aid and home nursing, gained in the Civil Defence
Corps in 1965. This was when her voluntary work began, first in
administration for two (and ultimately six) Abbeyfield Homes in Bushey, a
commitment to the charity that lasted 40 years. She became part of the
managerial team and took on a significant and successful fund-raising project
for the construction of a building within the grounds of one of the homes to
cater for residents with extra needs. At the same time, she was a volunteer
for the Family Planning Association at clinics in Watford and Carpenders
Park. This turned into a paid role that lasted until 1992.
On retirement, there was no let-up. She played a big part in Bushey Museum
and its Friends’ organisation, not only as secretary, but also helping in art
curation, organising the Museum
garden party and developing what
would become the Reveley Lodge
Trust. She was a trustee of the Reveley
Almshouses charity and the Bushey
Manor Field Trust.
Margaret Veronica Sibley was born in
Fishponds, Bristol, on June 13, 1930, to
parents who were both in their second
marriage. With four half-siblings much
older than herself, Margaret grew up
much as an only child. In 1951 she
married John Sibley, whom she had
known since the age of 14.
She would become a trained medical
secretary, but at the time of her
marriage she was working in a
18solicitors' practice. Her intelligence and secretarial skills must have made a
good impression; her employer suggested she consider pursuing a career in
the law. But she did not, her father being against the idea. She was not
especially regretful, perhaps because she found intellectual fulfilment in other
ways. She embraced family life and that remained important to her, always.
The couple first lived in Fishponds, where they started a family, and then in
Churchill, Somerset. In 1963, as a result of John's work, they moved to
Bushey with their three young sons, Jonathan, Nick and Tim.
A devastating blow fell when John was diagnosed with lung cancer and
subsequently died in 1994. With characteristic positivity and consideration
for others, Margaret offered herself as a volunteer driver for Michael Sobell
House at Mount Vernon Hospital, where John had received support. She was
cautioned against it, that it might be too soon, but Margaret disagreed. She
was soon regularly ferrying terminally ill patients back and forth between
home and hospice day-centre. She took the view that, while she was unable to
save them from their illnesses, she could at least make one aspect of their
lives a little easier.
Margaret's kindliness and Christian outlook were apparent in many ways. She
felt an obligation to play a full part in local life. She made time for people and
was a good listener, empathic and non-confrontational. She never had a bad
word to say about anyone and never complained even in the most difficult of
circumstances, describing such things as “a nuisance”. Neither vain nor
materialistic, she preferred simple pleasures such as walking and her passion,
shared with John, for their dogs. Indeed, many people reading this may well
remember Margaret as the elegant lady whose slim figure could often be seen
walking across Bushey Manor Field with her beloved golden retriever Sam.
Recognition for her lifetime of volunteering came in 2010, when Margaret was
honoured with a Civic Award by Hertsmere Borough Council and received
invitations to a garden party at Buckingham Palace and lunch with Prince
Charles at Clarence House. The story goes, and it is typical of her modesty,
that she almost missed the latter as she thought the telephone call was a joke
– until Prince Charles himself came on the line to speak to her. – Lucy Kinna
With acknowledgements to Tim Sibley for some of the above. Further personal
reflections on Margaret by those who knew her can be read in the December 2020
issue of the Bushey Museum Newsletter.
1920
Stories behind the stones
The scholarly cleric who saw
Bushey transformed
The third in our series on notable graves
in St James’s churchyard…
William Falconer (1801-85) was
rector of the Parish of Bushey for an
astonishing 46 years. His name lives
on locally in Falconer Road and
Falconer Hall (built as a Sunday
School from 1888, now the London
Spiritual Centre of the Jain faith
community). He is buried in the
shadow of St James’s Church and a
large stone cross has been erected to
his memory. Here is his story…
William was born at Corston, Somerset, on December 27, 1801, the
first of five sons of the Revd Thomas Falconer and his wife Frances
(née Raitt). He also had a sister, Henrietta, who was three years
older. In February 1815 (the year of Waterloo), William was sent to
Manchester Grammar School, where his father had been educated
before him. There he received a good grounding in Latin and Greek.
From school, William went on to Oriel College, Oxford University,
graduating in 1825 and receiving an MA in 1827. Shortly afterwards he
was elected a Petrean Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, one of four
people chosen out of 40 candidates. He spent the next 12 years
teaching at that college, where he associated with some of the eminent
figures of the day, including members of the Wilberforce family and the
prelate and theologian John Henry Newman.
It was this Exeter College connection that brought William to our
area. Under the old system called advowson, the college held the right
to present a candidate for the benefice of Bushey when that became
vacant; on January 26, 1839, it duly presented William Falconer MA
21as the seventh rector. In the same year, William married Isabella
Jane Douglas, a widow, in St George’s Church, Hanover Square,
London. The couple never had any children together, but Isabella had a
daughter, Adeline, from her previous marriage.
When William came to what we now call the Old Rectory, Bushey
was not much more than a country village of 1,700 people. But in
more than four decades living there, he witnessed many changes and
some were already on the horizon. The London & Birmingham (later
London & North Western) Railway had arrived two years before
William did. In 1841, Bushey & Oxhey railway station opened,
triggering the development of the area that has continued ever since.
Later in William’s incumbency, in 1870-71, he oversaw the restoration
and enlargement of St James’s by the prolific Gothic revival architect
Sir (George) Gilbert Scott, who was responsible for building or
renovating dozens of churches throughout the country. As the pre-
1870 picture below shows, the tower was left largely unchanged.
William also found time to fill the offices of magistrate of the County
of Hertford and Liberty of St Albans and of manager of the Bushey
Church of England School (now Bushey Primary School on Bushey
Heath), while becoming well-known for his translation of Strabo’s
Geography from the ancient Greek.
William’s good friend the Revd John
Pickford describes him thus: “It was almost
impossible to be in his presence and
company without seeing that God had
endowed him with greater gifts, both physical
and mental, than usually fall to the lot of
most men. His presence was fine and
commanding, and his countenance beamed
with intellect. Great were the resources he
had in himself; an excellent Latin and Greek
scholar. But far higher were some
qualifications which he possessed; he was an
22earnest and devout clergyman and the
welfare of his people, especially the poor,
was dear to him. For many years during the
latter part of his life, every day used to
witness him sallying forth on his pastoral
visitations among the poor”. John Pickford
would often take services at St James’s
when William travelled.
Isabella, too, enjoyed travelling and
spent a lot of her married life in Italy. I
found a five-page letter she wrote to
Lord Melbourne (twice British prime
minister between 1834 and 1841)
detailing her trips to Sicily, Pompeii and
Malta. She collected antiques for Melbourne and said she had some
beautiful bronzes to bring back to England. The letter shows she knew
Melbourne well and she wrote that William was back in England.
Isabella died in Italy in1869 and is buried at Cimitero Accatolico, the
English Protestant cemetery in Florence.
Interestingly, Isabella never appears in the British census records
during William’s time in Bushey. Those show him living in the rectory
with the Poplett family (John Poplett was the son of William’s younger
brother Alexander).
After a lingering illness of several months, William died at the rectory
on February 9, 1885. A contemporary record states: “During his
illness prayers were offered for him in dissenting chapels, and many
touching allusions made from their pulpits at his decease”. It shows
the esteem in which he was held by Christians of all denominations.
His will left his personal estate of £6,835 11s. 7d. (about £613,000 at
today’s values) to his brother Alexander. – Jane Batts (local history
researcher)
Many thanks to Ann E White for her encouragement to write the stories behind the stones.
Thank you to HALS for the documentation and research material.
John Pickford - A Departed Hertfordshire Worthy - The Rev. William Falconer, MA.
Published 1894.
23Bushey Parish’s carbon footprint
Have you ever wondered about our carbon footprint here in the
Parish of Bushey and what it means?
Carbon itself is not a problem if we think only of its two structural
forms (allotropes), graphite and diamond. (Actually there are three if
you include the nano-particles known as buckyballs, but that’s another
story.) The trouble arises when carbon in an elemental form, such as
coal, or in a compound, such as oil or gas, is burnt to extract chemical
energy via the forming of new chemical bonds. This process of
combustion releases carbon dioxide (CO2) gas into the atmosphere -
C + O2 -> CO2..
In fact, CO2 has been extremely important to life on Earth, as it forms
a blanket around the planet. Historically, this blanket has maintained an
average surface temperature of about 16oC and without it the average
temperature would be about -18oC, which is rather cold for
winemaking and other essential agricultural production.
However, in the past few decades levels of CO2 in the atmosphere
have risen rapidly due to human activity and the Earth is now warming
up too much; it’s a bit like having a winter duvet in summer! This is
known as the greenhouse gas (GHG) effect, as it works in much the
same way as a greenhouse does.
Short wavelength radiation from the sun passes through our
atmosphere and hits the Earth, where it is absorbed to warm the land
and oceans. Thermal radiation is then released upwards from the
Earth’s surface, as hot air rises.
However, thermal radiation has a
longer wavelength than solar
radiation and it cannot pass through
the CO2 layer. As a result, it is
trapped, warming up the Earth and,
as we (or most of us) know, melting
the ice caps and glaciers.
Unless we are all climate deniers, it
24should be obvious that we must reduce our activities that emit CO2
and plan to offset our emissions as far as possible. Looking at our
Parish gas consumption in 2019, our contribution to CO2 emissions
was 34.04 tonnes split between our five buildings, as the table shows.
Building tCO2 Cost (£)
St James’s 14.02 2,589.19
Church House 6.60 1,355.44
St Paul’s 2.43 453.44
John Stobbart Hall 6.78 1,312.16
Holy Trinity 4.22 691.43
TOTAL 34.04 6,401.66
A tonne (t) is 1,000kg and this amount of CO2 is released in a return
flight from Paris to New York! So the Parish total is equivalent to 34
return transatlantic flights.
What can we do? Obviously use less energy wherever possible, which
also saves us money. In addition, we could seek less-polluting forms of
energy if that is economically viable. For example, we changed
electricity supplier in 2018 for all our buildings to EcoTricity, which
uses only renewable sources to generate. This means there is a zero
carbon footprint from our electricity usage! Only our gas use is now of
concern.
Offsetting our emissions from burning gas to be carbon neutral by
2030 should be our target. We already have many trees in the
churchyard at St James’s and each tree absorbs about 21.8kg of CO2
every year while releasing O2.
Planting saplings would help reduce our carbon footprint by offsetting
more of our CO2 emissions. We could also sponsor programmes in
other parts of the world to help reduce global warming and get credits
to offset our own impact.
We should all think globally and act locally. - Greg Batts
25FRIENDS OF BUSHEY MUSEUM
Subject to government restrictions,
BUSHEY MUSEUM
hopes to be
REOPENING
from Thursday January 7
and thereafter on
Thursdays to Saturdays
11.00am-4.00pm
In any case, visit our website for a virtual tour
www.busheymuseum.org
Bushey Museum & Art Gallery, Rudolph Road WD23 3HW
2627
Memories of Margaret Hotchkiss
Members of St Paul’s congregation offer their tributes to Margaret Hotchkiss,
whose death we reported last month. RIP.
“I will always remember attending Margaret’s Bible Classes, where our
discussions were enriched by her deep understanding and knowledge
of the Bible, in which she renewed my interest. Always concerned
for others, Margaret never made any complaints about her own
difficulties, which she bore with great dignity.” - Jill W
“If there was something she didn’t know the answer to, then it wasn’t
worth knowing about at all!” - Bev and George C
“Margaret was justly proud of her near-photographic memory. You
rarely saw her use a hymn book - she knew all the verses. However, it
did not run to remembering that she had told you a story twice before!
One that illustrated her ironic humour concerned her unwillingly
accompanying a friend to a faith-healing service and, against all her
beliefs, actually going up and standing in the line with her friend.
Margaret had had a painful shoulder and she found it instantly healed.
Her friend, however, was no better!” - Mike Y
“Margaret was a kind and generous person, always ready to help you
with whatever problem you had....and so knowledgeable.” - Ingrid H
“Our first introduction to St Paul’s was through Margaret and Roy’s
baptism preparation classes in 1981 - and we’ve been going to St Paul’s
ever since! Her kindness and stoicism are well-documented, but
Margaret was also unflappable and totally non-judgmental.” - Marion
and Roy G
“I remember Margaret saying that when she and Roy came to Bushey in
the ‘60s, they were Presbyterians, but didn’t fit in with the local church
and so ended up at St Paul’s!” - Martyn L
“I met Margaret through her invitation to the midweek communion
service at St. James’s and the Bible Study she led after the service. I
think I speak for all involved when I say her wise, kind and theologically
correct guidance kept us safe as we travelled through the Bible in the
following years. She was a wonder to know, infinitely interesting and
28superbly intelligent. I will miss her greatly, only
comforted by the knowledge that she sees the
face of God.” - Sue G
“Margaret was a very good listener. Every
Wednesday at our Coffee and Chat mornings,
she had people wanting to talk to her. Many
would head for the nearest chair to her as
soon as they walked through the door. She
used to joke with me that I was her queue controller!” - Jill M
“Throughout the years, despite her health and mobility difficulties, I
never once heard her complain. She was always willing to help out. If
we were making a splash with flower arrangements for a special
occasion, she would choose a vase and oasis, take them home with her
after Sunday Service and return with them ready to be placed in situ.
She will be sorely missed by all at St Paul’s.” - Maureen J
“Margaret originally hailed from Aberdeenshire where the locals speak
a particular dialect called the Doric. She delighted in recalling the
language of her childhood with me (as I also came from Scotland). For
example, ‘loons and quines’ are lads and lassies and ‘Fit like?’ means
‘Hello, how are you?’. She would be delighted to know the Doric has
now been given official language status!” - May T
“Margaret was a kind, calm and gentle lady. Even when she was
confined to a wheelchair she still very much enjoyed being part of the
church community and we recall her bravely sitting in the vestry,
frozen, with a blanket over her knees, selling artwork at the Christmas
Fair - and still smiling!” - Clare, Peter and Richard H
“I recall Margaret as a wise and authoritative member of the
congregation - one who was always willing to lend a compassionate ear
to someone who needed to talk. She was also a mine of information
and anecdotes from her long memory. She (and Roy) have also always
been very hospitable and welcoming. Her willingness to take on
responsible roles in the parish has also been a great gift. She will be
sorely missed as a friend and as a genuine ‘pillar of the community’ of
the Parish of Bushey.” – Christine C
2930
The Children’s Page
31From the Registers
FUNERALS
“Let light perpetual shine on them”
November 12, 2020
Margaret Hotchkiss
December 1, 2020
Olive Ruth Marshall
December 10, 2020
John Robert Burns
INTERMENT OF ASHES
“Ashes to ashes”
November 21, 2020
Jill Bonell
November 22, 2020
Valerie Page
Dora Ferrer
December 20, 2020
Malcolm Culverhouse
*************************
Beware what’s lurking in the water
Every river in England has chemicals in it, a recent waterways survey
has found. Agricultural, industrial and household pollutants now
contaminate all our surface water to some extent. That is a huge
turnaround since 2016, when 97 per cent of surface water was
deemed chemical-free.
New Environment Agency sampling methods reveal that all English
waterways contain so-called PFAS chemicals (substances combining
carbon and fluorine used, for example, in cosmetic and cleaning
products) and mercury (from burning waste and fuel). Overall, only 14
per cent of our rivers merit the description “ecologically good”. That
proportion is one of the worst in Europe, where the overall average of
“good” surface waters is 40 per cent.
Wildlife charities warn that the government’s aim of raising our figure
for “good” water to 75 per cent, contained in its 25-year environment
plan, is now “all but unachievable”.
32St Paul’s Church, WD23 2EQ
Pro-Warden Mrs Marion Golding 07787 538232
Organist Dr Martyn Lambert 01923 221979
Stewardship Officer Mrs Marion Golding 07787 538232
Hall Bookings Jill Macey 07736 680501
jillmacey48@gmail.com
Holy Trinity Church, WD23 2AS
Pro-Warden Mrs Gill Onslow 01923 464839
Rock Solid (Sunday School) To be announced
Organist Various
Stewardship Officer Mrs Gill Onslow 01923 464839
Hall Bookings Mrs Gill Onslow 01923 464839
onslowg@ntlworld.com
Parish Magazine Editorial Team
Please send all items by the 5th of the month preceding publication
to: magazine@busheyparish.org
Mrs Sue Baxter 07793 323571
Mr Michael Groushko 01923 467773
Advertising Liaison: Mrs Ingrid Harris
ingridharris51@gmail.com
Bushey Parish Magazine is published monthly, in hard copy (price 60p) and
free online at www.busheyparish.org under “News”.
33St James’s Church, WD23 1BD
Pro-warden Annie White 020 8386 1135
Bell Ringers Mr Stuart Brant 01923 330999
Tots Praise To be announced
Church Flowers To be announced
Community Outreach To be announced
Finance &
Stewardship Group Ms Felicity Cox 07973 517812
Organist & Choir Mr James Mooney-Dutton jmd@busheyparish.org
Director of Music
(Choir practice Fridays 8.00-9.00pm in church and as announced*)
Parish Breakfast
Team Mrs Catherine Brant 01923 330999
Sacristan To be announced
60+ Monday Club Mrs Caroline Harper 020 8420 4838
(Two Mondays a month in Church House 3.00-5.00pm, Jan & Aug excepted*)
Planned Giving Officer Greg Batts 07799 693284
gregory.n.batts@gmail.com
Church House Hall
bookings * churchhouse@busheyparish.org
* Suspended until further notice
34Introducing our new Ordinand…
I am an Ordinand studying at Westcott
House in Cambridge part-time. It has kindly
been agreed that I may spend two years
within the Parish of Bushey watching,
learning and reflecting with you all and I am
excited about this opportunity. I think it is a
particularly exciting time as we find ourselves
living through a challenging period in history
to consider how, as a church community, we
might be both outward and inward-looking.
I moved to Bushey with my family in August. My husband Chris, who
serves in the RAF, has been posted to Northwood. We have been
married for 16 years and this is our 12th marital home. We have lived in
a diverse range of places including Cyprus and Colorado. This is our first
time living near London and we are looking forward to taking advantage
of the location during our stay here. Previously I was a secondary
religious studies teacher in a state boarding school in Norfolk.
I have four children - Emily (15), Luke (12) and twins Timothy and Sarah
(10). Emily and Luke are away at boarding school in Suffolk during term-
time, but will be home at weekends and holidays. Timothy and Sarah are
at Bushey Primary School. We also have an energetic springer spaniel
called Rosie who takes up the final spare seat in the car!
Over the years I have been involved in a wide range of activities within
churches and on the military bases where we lived. Most recently, I
helped set up and run an activity church on one of those bases and was
a hospital chaplaincy volunteer.
I look forward to getting to know you all soon. – Kat Page
****************************
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct your paths. - Proverbs 3:6
35Services in the Parish of Bushey—January 2021
(LS) denotes service shown live via Bushey Parish Live Stream Services on
Facebook (details, page 5). For the latest information on attendance and
booking at public services, see our website, emails and social media.
Sunday January 3, Epiphany
9.30am: Parish Eucharist with blessing of chalk, St James’s (LS)
Sunday January 10, Baptism of Christ
8.00am: Holy Communion, St James’s (BCP*)
9.30am: Parish Eucharist, St James’s (LS)
11.15am: Holy Communion, St Paul’s
Sunday January 17, Epiphany 2
9.30am: Parish Eucharist, St James’s (LS)
11.15am: Holy Communion, St Paul’s
3.00pm: Holy Communion, Holy Trinity
3.00pm: Forest Church in St James’s Churchyard
5.00pm: Epiphany Carols, St James’s
Sunday January 24, Conversion of St Paul
9.30am: Parish Eucharist, St James’s
11.15am: Patronal Eucharist, St Paul’s (LS)
Sunday January 31, Presentation of Christ at the Temple
9.30am: Parish Eucharist, St James’s (LS)
11.15am: Holy Communion, St Paul’s
4.30pm: Christingle, St James’s (LS)
Midweek Services (online only)
Monday – Friday, 9.00 am Morning Prayer (LS) resuming January 4
Wednesday, 8.00pm, Bushey Devotions (LS)
Thursday 9.30pm, Compline (LS)
*Book of Common Prayer
36You can also read
