St Margaret's Church Magazine November 2020 - January 2021
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St Margaret’s Church Magazine November 2020 - January 2021 What’s inside? Who’s who Music with Thames Philharmonic Editor’s letter St Margaret’s in pictures Volunteering at St Margaret’s And in other news… Brutus Green writes Sharing stories – Sheila Innes, Church Diary October 2020 – January 2021 Alexander Hart, Jo Beadsley, Music at St Margaret’s Becky and Alastair Benn, Florence Mabo, Children and Young People Helen Speedy, Mark Steward Christmas with Traidcraft Bishop of London visits Twyford Trust Meet Mike Harrison Poem from Granard Remembering Delphine Power Back page poem: St Margaret Art Competition Star Silver – Carl Sandburg St Margaret and the Dragon – Ben Speedy
WHO’S WHO AT SCHEDULE FOR 2020 – 21
ST MARGARET’S Edition
Autumn 2020
deadline
Sept 27
Publication
Nov 8
VICAR
New Year Jan 10 Feb 21
The Revd Dr Brutus Green
020 8355 2373
CHURCHWARDENS Cover and additional photography:
Hilary Belden 07946 871095 Ben Speedy
Andrew Gairdner 020 8788 7953
Mike Harrison 07767767049 THE EDITORIAL GROUP WRITES TO
Ben Speedy 07890 61114 ALL OUR READERS
LAY READER The publication schedule for the coming
Anne East months is above. Your questions, ideas
ASSISTING PRIEST and contributions are what make the
Revd Pauline Jenkins magazine successful. Please feel free to
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC speak, write or email to us. Emails are
Nick Miller below.
TREASURER
We look forward to hearing from you
Tony Hawksley
SUNDAY SCHOOL all!
Bryony Gough, Ben Speedy
Jo de Wardener
CHURCH OFFICE
Parish Administrator
Helen Hargreaves From the Registers:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
020 8789 5932 Good news:
office@stmargaretsputney.org
Baptisms and marriages will soon
WEBSITE
www.stmargaretsputney.org
resume.
In Memoriam
MEET THE MAGAZINE TEAM
Hilary Belden Gordon Winter
020 8788 0889
hilarybelden@clara.co.uk Bill Barrett
School Governor
Churchwarden, chalice assistant, Delphine Power
Magazine editor
Joanne Stone Ann Fell
Fulham FC from the
020 8876 4583 Putney embankment
Joanne.stone@btinternet.com
Design & Media committee
Val Howdle is our Writer Emeritus – one of
the founders, and the first features writer,
of this magazine.
Your Editor writes…
Autumn - and it’s hard to believe this year is speeding by so
fast now, when in the early weeks of April and May, time
seemed almost to stand still. Most of us lost our usual markers
of work, meetings, family meals and celebrations, major
sporting events, concerts and the rest –
where did Wimbledon, The Olympics,
The Three Choirs Festival, the RA Summer Exhibition, my
family’s UK visit, and so much more disappear to? As the joke
said, when we put the clocks back, ‘the last thing we need in
2020 is an extra hour of it.’
After all that mayhem, there have been all sorts of ‘firsts’
including, especially, our first service back in church and our first live music. A few
more firsts appear through the magazine. You will all have yours – making us relish
the ‘normal’, the everyday, after this not-yet-over interruption.
People have shared their stories with us in this magazine – and I hope you enjoy
them. So much remained untold while we were all hidden away – this is what some
of our friends have been up to. Thank you to all of them what they are sharing here.
Nick, with Brutus and Rhiannon, has brought back music to us all, and the wider
Putney community. Our very best of good wishes to him and Harriet, when they
(eventually) get married.
Where would we be without the creativity and inventiveness of Rhiannon – think
music, Art Competition and so much else – or of Brutus – worship and preaching,
streaming, volunteer-organising and so much that quietly gets done, or of Oberon –
the green elf dancing through our days. Where would we be without Helen
Hargreaves?
Christmas this year is full of unknowns – as it was for
that original family – but, like them, we will have a
holy celebration of that birth.
You will find the outline plans and hopes here in the
Diary and the Live Advent Calendar, the Christmas
Fair (well, maybe!) and the Christmas Trees. St
Nicholas may pay us a visit and parts of the Messiah
will be heard ….. there will be Midnight Mass and
Christmas Day rejoicing.
And then we reach 2021: ‘what’s to come is still unsure’ as the poet said, but our
deepest security is in the love that tiny baby brings to the world.
Every blessing for the coming months – Hilary
Dear Friends, November is the season of remembrance. From All Saints Day on the first, where the Church remembers its faithful, to All Souls’, where we remember personally those whom we love and see no more (and what an All Souls’ it was this year), to Remembrance Sunday, with the nation’s remembrance of those who have given their lives in service, November looks back. Remembrance is core to our faith as the centre of the Church’s worship in the Eucharist is to obey the command of Christ to eat and drink in remembrance of him. Remembrance is also key to our self-understanding, knowing who we are in faith, in nation, in family. This has most significance in times of difficulty. Knowing that as a church, a nation, a family we have come through hardship before, can give us strength in our own struggles, and remind us we are never alone. At the end of November, though, the Church shifts to Advent. In Advent we look forward to the return of Christ, and specifically to the Four Last Things: Death, judgement, heaven and hell. In a sense this month encapsulates the Christian journey, from the recollection of who we are to our eternal destiny in Christ. It’s certainly difficult at the present to escape thoughts of mortality, and concerns over those we love. The world is abounding with neologisms which have already become clichés: the ‘new-normal’, ‘Covid-secure’, ‘lock-down’ – all trying to convey a sense of security that few feel. The impact of this past year has not yet been absorbed, but few will have escaped the grinding relentless assault upon their wellbeing and mental health. As always, it’s those with little in this world who are worst effected, and this winter St Margaret’s will focus on bringing food to the hungry, company to the isolated and joy to the struggling. Partnering with local charities, we will be running a food delivery service, locally and with Glass Door for those affected by homelessness, and putting together Christmas hampers for struggling households in Roehampton. But we also need to keep up our morale and support one another. No doubt this journey through pandemic has more twists and turns to come. Services, concerts, events will come and go. We will do everything we can to keep the spirit of Christmas alive, pray for one another and support one another across the community. Please do stay in touch, get involved where you can, stay healthy and keep the faith. Brutus
What is happening now during Covid-19?
Heavenly Father,
you are near to all who call on you;
bless, comfort and protect all our loved ones;
and keep our hearts and bodies strong
to worship you and serve our neighbours.
Amen.
Ø We will be delighted to welcome back everyone
who would like to come into church, once this is
possible again. Please see the Magazine
Diary page for details of all our services.
Ø Our worship is continuing online on the
St Margaret’s Facebook page. Previous services can also be
found there. The Vicar’s sermons are on the church website:
www.stmargaretsputney.org
Ø On the Facebook page you will also find
live-streamed Morning and Evening Prayer
Ø The Vicar can be contacted on 07771 548254 or
vicar@stmargaretsputney.org
Ø The Parish Office is open during normal working hours
Monday-Thursday: 020 8789 5932
The Church is open for private prayer
Monday–Thursday, and usually Friday, during office hours
Contact details for the Churchwardens:
Hilary Belden 07946 871095 hilarybelden@clara.co.uk
Andrew Gairdner 07971 975672 andrew@gairdner.co.uk
Mike Harrison 07767 767049
michael@michael-harrison.com
Ben Speedy 07890 611141 benspeedy@gmail.com
Preparing for the Pet Service – part of September Creation Month
Contents
Who’s Who and ‘from the registers’ St Margaret Art Competition
Editor’s letter Music with Thames Philharmonic
Volunteering St Margaret’s in pictures
Brutus Green writes And in other news…
Covid-19 and our Church Sharing Stories – Alexander Hart, Helen
Contents Speedy, Sheila Innes, Jo Beadsley,
Church Diary Florence Mabo, Mark Thomson
Music at St Margaret’s Bishop of London Visits Twyford Trust
Children and Young People Poem from Granard
Christmas with Traidcraft Back page poem – Star Silver – Carl
Meet Mike Harrison Sandburg
Remembering Delphine Power
Traidcraft Stall
See full page inside for
more information
Contactless ordering and payment!
Orders come in a few days. All profits to St Margaret’s £££
Making your mark -
Thank you, Mark
Steward
Mark is such a good friend and
makes so many contributions to
our worship and our lives that it
would be hard to list everything!
And it would embarrass him…he
might never speak to your editor again.
Mark has been churchwarden through a period of major change, as we said
goodbye to Ann Brodie and – a year later, welcomed Brutus. Mark was one of the
interviewing team and could tell you a story about a magpie in that connection.
As he did with Ann, Mark has given Brutus the solid support that any Vicar needs,
both in worship and in many practical ways.
Recently, the Bishop of London described to a group of students how, when she
was Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral, the team of stone masons told her
about their daily work on the cathedral fabric. They explained the ‘mason’s
marks’: a mason would put his mark on a stone, even though he knew no one
would ever see it: it was – and still is - a way of saying ‘I have a part in this as a
craftsman’.
St Margaret’s has many wood ‘mason’s marks’ made by
Mark. Thanks to him, among many projects large and
small, our worship has been transformed by the dais for
the altar. When the altar is moved, a cross is visible in
the wooden floor.
Mark was presented with a beautiful glass tankard at
the APCM when he stepped down as churchwarden in
September. He comments, ‘I would just like to say it’s been an
honour and a privilege to serve you, the community of St
Margaret’s Church.’
Thank you, Mark, so much, from all at St Margaret’s. Enjoy
this pause from extra responsibilities! We will all be seeing
you around with Chloe and Geraldine (and sometimes
George.) The Stewards after the Glass Door sleep-out
Church Diary November 2020-
January 2021
All our services are streamed through the St Margaret’s Church Facebook page.
Please see our website www.stmargaretsputney.org for details of how to find the
streaming, previous services and some fun music sessions.
hope we will all be able to be back in church (with Covid-secure safety
measures). Meanwhile, we can all watch from home.
Sunday
8 am Holy Communion (from church and live-streamed)
10 am Holy Communion (from church and live-streamed)
All other mornings
9.15 Morning Prayer: contemporary language (live-streamed)
Evenings
5 pm Mon-Fri Evening Prayer – traditional language (from church and
live-streamed)
(In November no services will be able to be attended in church)
The daily services, Morning and Evening Prayer, can be found on the Church
of England free app: Daily Prayer. This can be set to your choice of
contemporary or traditional language and style of service. The app opens
automatically at the right day and time of day.
If you miss a service at the time it is live streamed, you can find the video again later on
our website or Facebook page and listen then.
Concert programme – see Music page.
Diary of special services and Christmas – see next page
Special Services and Sunday Concerts
10 am Holy Communion – All Age
November 1 All Saints service – come dressed as a saint!
6 pm Commemoration for All Souls –
with English Requiem: composer
Louis Mander
10 am Holy Communion, with laying
November 8 Remembrance of wreaths, Last Post, Two minutes’
Sunday silence
6 pm Evensong
December 5 Saturday
Quiet afternoon 2 – 4.30 pm Advent reflections
December 6 Sunday 6pm Eleanor Minney,
Sunday Concert mezzo-soprano
December 13 Carol Service See Noticeboard for Service Times
December 20 Advent Assemble between 5 and 6 pm –
Calendar walk details below!
Recital 6 pm Messiah excerpts and
Christmas favourites
Christingle See Noticeboard for Service Times
December 24 Midnight Mass 11.30 pm
8.45 Holy Communion
December 25 Christmas Day 10am Festival Communion
December 27 St Stephen 8 am and 10 am Holy Communion
January 1 2021 New Year’s Day Bank Holiday
January 24 Week of Prayer 6 pm St Margaret’s Joint celebration
for Christian service of all the Churches Together
Unity in Putney and RoehamptonTake part in our Living Advent Calendar!
Shine lights and joy from your homes into the
streets round St Margaret’s….
This year we are putting on a St Margaret’s
Living Advent Calendar. Twenty-four
parishioners’ windows will be illuminated with a
festive scene with one being ‘opened’ daily from
1st December to 24th December, all culminating in
a socially-distanced parish walk to see the full
display!
December 20th:
5 – 6pm The walk will start
with mulled wine or hot
chocolate on arrival in the church garden, and will be
punctuated with top ups and festive treats along the
way.
There will be an observation competition for the
children, and an alternative driving route for those that
require.
Where: Starting at St Margaret’s Church Garden
When: Sunday 20th December, arrive between 5pm-6pm
If you would like to create one of the 24 decorated windows (and you live in the
parish and have a window visible from the street) or would like to help serve drinks
or coordinate the walk, please speak to Becky Knee (becky.knee@outlook.com)
AND Don’t forget to order your Divine or Real Advent chocolate
calendar (dark or milk) from the Traidcraft stall: give Hilary a ring or
email to make sure you have one. She will happily deliver them on her
daily walk!Music at St
Margaret’s,
Autumn/Winter
Catalogue 2020
The Choir It has been really wonderful to have the parish choir back singing in our
services in recent months, before the present tactical hiatus. I’m so grateful to all the
singers who volunteer week by week to help keep our musical life thriving.
And the Cantors The choir will (we hope) continue to meet every week and, nearer
Christmas, be able to sing during the 10am Eucharist, supported by our rota of marvellous
cantors who bring different solo items each week to further augment our musical offering.
Louis Mander’s English Requiem A major highlight of this term has been 1st
November’s world premiere of the Louis Mander English Requiem, which we’d been
rehearsing intensively over the past few weeks - with soprano and baritone soloists,
string orchestra and chorus, it was a moving musical treat fitting for the poignant
occasion that is our All Souls’ Day Eucharist.
Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday will see our Act of Remembrance at
10.45 in the church garden, with trumpet (big thanks to Andrew Lennox on trumpet), the
two minutes’ silence and the laying of a wreath.
Weekly recital programme This is suspended for November but we
hope to resume it in December. Something for everyone! This new series continues
from strength to strength so far and is already booked up into May 2021 - thank you to all
who support our ambition of helping musicians as we can. Do come along, and bring a
friend!
Christmas music There will be various other Festive Excitements, not least a
concert of excerpts from Handel’s Messiah on 20th December by the Champagne Quartet,
and a Christmas Concert by opera duo Belle Voci (finalists from TV’s The Voice) in mid-
December.
The finer details of Christmas remain a little uncertain, but we are likely to need to run
multiple versions of the Carol Service on the weekend of 13th December, and
potentially also on 24th December in order to get everyone in. It’s sort of an
exciting problem to have!
Nick Miller – Director of MusicSmall groups at St
Margaret's will resume as soon as we can.
Sharing in Bible study, reading, prayer,
good food and fellowship are all part
of the small group experience. Do
contact the group leader if you would
like to come along and try out a group.
DAYTIME GROUP
WEDNESDAYS 11 am
Holy Communion in church
followed by coffee, tea and chat.
EVENING GROUPS
TUESDAYS 10 am Bible Study group
Venue: Huntingfield Road
Weekly, led by Janice Paine (8785 2174)
FORTNIGHTLY AND MONTHLY GROUPS
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER GROUP The group meets the first Monday of the month
Monthly – first Monday of month 10am at 10am for an hour's silence, meeting for the
present in church which worked well on Oct 5th.
The contemplative prayer group is longstanding Those who feel able take it in turns to introduce a
but has had a changeable history. It was started theme for contemplation, broken into 3 parts of
by Rachel Benson whose mother was in a group 20 minutes. At the end we say the grace. Our next
led by Evelyn Underhill. meeting is 2 November 10am, and we are happy
for others to join. Please speak to Mette or Marie
We have met in various people's homes, latterly
for more information or call the office.
mostly in Elizabeth Worth's flat. With Elizabeth's
Contact: Marie Evans 8789 6727
death and lockdown the group had been in
abeyance but we are hoping to revive it.
OTHER GROUPS
GARDEN IMPROVEMENTS!
We’re currently looking at how to
improve our churchyard in appearance,
accessibility and for education. Speak to
the vicar if you’d like to be involved.St Margaret’s
Creche
Sunday School
Inbetweenz
Sunday School had reopened but is
suspended for November. We hope to
resume in December.
Children and young people fully
participate in Sunday mornings, with weekly Sunday School and regular
all-age services to energise and encourage their spiritual growth.
New members are always welcome. Parents of regular attenders are asked to
volunteer on the Sunday School rota and will need to be DBS checked – we can
help with this process. Please speak to Ben or Bryony (see below)
All activities will take place in the Church Hall or church garden unless otherwise
stated. Organisers can be contacted through the St Margaret’s Church Office
020 8789 5932 or www.stmargaretsputney.org
including participating in main services
Sundays
and Sunday School programmes.
Creche (ages 0-3) Helen Hargreaves Mondays
Geraldine Steward 5th Putney Brownies 6.15pm to 7.45pm
This meets at 10am in the upper hall where Caitlin Hargreaves
there is play space for babies on the move
cpa.hargreaves@gmail.com
and toddlers.
5th Putney Guides 7.30pm to 9pm
Babies and children of any age are Jill Johnson
welcome to stay in church for the service jilllenevejohnson@hotmail.com
if families prefer to do this. At the
moment, families need to bring any toys
Tuesdays
or paper and crayons with them. We hope to restart our Tuesday
playgroup when the current restrictions
Sunday school (ages 3-8) end. This is what will happen when we
do!
Bryony Gough, Ben Speedy Little Maggie’s Playgroup 10am – 12pm
Jo de Wardener
A variety of activities, based on the ‘Roots ‘ In church: free, with refreshments Contact
programme, including painting and the Parish Office or just turn up!
making, Bible stories and Christian songs. Although aimed at pre-schoolers, older
We start in church and then rejoin the main siblings are welcome. Come and play with
service at Communion. great toys and sing songs!
Inbetweenz (ages 9-12) Jo Beadsley,
If you have any queries, have any
Helen Speedy toys/baby equipment to donate, or would
The group is being offered varied activities like to help set up or help with refreshments
through the coming months, - please contact Helen Hargreaves in the
Church Office
14Christmas with
Traidcraft
Pick up the new catalogue from
the church office or look online!
There are lots of gorgeous things
from Christmas cards to
chocolate and coffee, ‘reusable rice-husk
cups’, handmade tree decorations, toys, socks,
tasty fairtrade food, beautiful recycled and
sustainable gifts (even handwash and toilet rolls)…
Everything you buy benefits small producers in
different parts of the world and in the UK.
15% from every purchase you make, through
our St Margaret’s Stall, goes straight to St
Margaret’s.
Ordering is easy:
Ø just email Hilary (or write a note or phone her) with the
details of what you want to buy.
Ø Orders come in a few days.
Ø You can pick your order up from church on a Sunday
Ø Pay by card or cash when you collect your items – or do a
bank transfer (ask her for details)
Advent Calendars
Real Advent Calendars £3.99 milk,
Divine chocolate Calendars £4.99 dark or milk
hilarybelden@clara.co.uk 07946 871095
15Meet Mike Harrison – new churchwarden
Hello to you all.
I was delighted to be asked to
become one of your
Churchwardens, and am very
much looking forward to
supporting Brutus, the team
and all of you at St Margaret’s.
We live, literally, around the
corner from the church, just a
ten minute stroll away (or a
five minute march if we’re
running late!). Many of you will
know, at least by sight, my wife
Jenny, who teaches at the
Beehive Nursery based in the
Church Hall next door.
We have three grown-up
children: our two daughters
Joanna and Rachel can
sometimes be spotted at the
6pm Sunday Recitals; our son
Patrick lives and works in Dubai.
We moved to Putney twenty-three years ago - which makes us mere parvenus by
Putney standards. But like almost everyone who is lucky enough to find themselves
in Putney, there’s something about the place that gets inside you in a good way. It
was fair to say, though, that until this year, our knowledge of Putney and the
surrounding area was limited to the places where we had friends, shopped or went
out.
This has certainly changed since COVID struck: helping deliver much-needed food
and medicine as part of Brutus’s crisis-response team has taken Jenny and me to
corners of the borough that we had never had reason to visit. It has been a sobering
and thought-provoking experience to see the privations endured by so many people
locally - and their fortitude in the face of these challenges.
Hilary asked me to write a brief bio so here goes: I spent thirty years in the Global
financial markets, based mainly in London but with stints living abroad in Europe. A
few years ago I decided that thirty years of getting up at the same time as a dairy
farmer was enough. I spent a year learning Russian full-time (I’m an unapologetic
16Russophile) and then set about learning to write fiction. I’ve just had my first novel
published. It’s a fast-paced geopolitical thriller called ’The Pale Tiger’. There’s a
summary of it up on Amazon if anyone would like to take a look.
Jenny and I are very much looking forward to getting to know more of you in the
months to come.
WHAT IS 'THE PALE TIGER'? A myth? An almost-forgotten sheet of A4
gathering dust in the vaults beneath Beijing? Or a ruthlessly audacious
plan to wreak deadly revenge on America with breath-taking historical
symmetry? From the steaming jungles of Hong Kong to the hard-edged
clamour of New York and the Autumn chill of the grey streets of
London….
Buy from Waterstones or your nearest independent book shop! (or
Amazon if you must) And Mike will conduct a book-signing specially for
you!
Martin Calderbank - priest
Martin has completed his ministerial, training and was finally ordained priest on
October 17th. It is traditional for newly-ordained priests to celebrate Mass – Holy
Communion – three times immediately after this. The first time is in their own church
– in Martin’s case, St Stephen’s Barnes. The third is a Requiem Mass and Brutus
agreed with Martin to celebrate this at St Margaret’s on Wednesday October 21.
For all who came, it was an absolute joy to share this special time with Martin and
Louise. Annie, Clara and Maria are far afield, so we didn’t see them. Martin had
asked for the names of people to remember. Of course Ann Fell, Elizabeth Worth and
other friends who had recently died, were recalled – but so were Janina Hime and
Marilyn Golding, Leonard Lewis and Christine Johnson and
many more.
Louise shared out these tiny – and delicious – cakes to mark
the occasion.
Martin takes with him all our warmest good wishes for a
journey that we have shared during the many years he and
Louise were here with their daughters, born in Putney and
baptised at St Margaret’s.
Every blessing, Martin and Louise, for the future.
17Remembering Delphine Power (1927-2020) Remembered by her daughters, Fiona and Caroline Delphine’s was a long, healthy life, full of fun and adventure and lived to the max, always with a smile on her face. Delphine’s parents met rather romantically in Switzerland. Her father, Jack, was a Scotsman and her mother Isabel, an Australian who was on an extended tour of Europe with her father. Jack pursued her around Europe and it resulted in a marriage proposal a few months later. Delphine was born in Gosforth, Newcastle where her father was MP for Consett, County Durham. The family, including Delphine’s younger brother John, moved to London in 1935 where Delphine attended Croydon High School. The war broke out during a family holiday to Bognor Regis and Delphine and John were evacuated to friends in the north of England, to Barnsley, for the remainder of the war. After school, she read History at the London School of Economics and joined the John Lewis Partnership in 1947 where she was a loyal and much valued employee on and off for the next 44 years. In 1951 she moved to Switzerland to teach in a school near Montreux where she developed her love of skiing and ice-skated on the frozen hockey pitches. She travelled extensively around Europe before moving back to London a few years later. She had a successful career moving up through the ranks at John Lewis – heading up the Ladybird brand before becoming a buyer for young fashions, then moving to Head of Personnel and ending her career as Head of Intelligence. She spent her leisure time skiing, sailing, singing with St Paul’s Knightsbridge and Scottish dancing, where she met Roger. They married in 1968 and had 2 daughters, Fiona and Caroline, and have remained in the Roehampton/Putney area ever since. She was actively involved with WIDFAS (The Arts Society, Wimbledon) , a loyal supporter of Putney Music and a long- term member of Hurlingham, and of course parishioner of St Margaret’s where she very much enjoyed helping with the church flowers. She left John Lewis in 1991 and was lucky enough to spend the next 30 years travelling the world and enjoying her retirement. She made a huge effort to 18
visit Fiona and Caroline wherever they were living – Hong Kong, Singapore,
Australia, Chamonix and America - as well as her brother John and his
family in New Zealand. Worth mentioning are her trips to Nepal (where she
enjoyed her 70th birthday in a tent in the Annapurna Sanctuary) and the wilds
of Patagonia (where she spent her 80th birthday) and the fact that we
managed to celebrate her 90th birthday with her on three different
continents.
In later life, she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, book clubs,
ballet stretch and tennis and pursuing her love of all things musical and her
fascination with history, which included visiting the battlefields of France
where she laid a wreath in honour of her father.
Delphine sadly passed away after a short and, thankfully, pain-free illness
on 20 July 2020, on the very day of her 52nd wedding anniversary, leaving
behind her husband Roger, who was her loyal companion through life’s
journey, her loving daughters, Fiona and Caroline, and her beloved young
grandchildren Georgia (11), Jake (9), Jack (9) and Finn (8). We all miss her zest
for life, her love and unswerving loyalty, her kindness, support and
enthusiasm for all things new.
Firsts in a changing world….
When Elinor Rolfe-Johnson, soprano, sang in her recital at St
Margaret’s on Sunday October 25, she told us, ‘It’s my first time
singing with an audience since March.’
Your editor’s first journey since
March, by train or tube, on August
21– she’s normally a ‘frequent flyer’ on TFL
What, for you, has been a ‘take a deep breath’ first in the last few weeks?
19St Margaret and
the Dragon
Our very beautiful St Margaret was
once, in the early 4th Century, a
young woman fighting off the evil
advances of a powerful ruler. He
wanted to seduce her and get her to
give up her Christian faith. Tradition
has it that she was swallowed by a
dragon – the devil – and then, that her
cross so irritated his stomach, that he
spewed her up again.
Somehow this made her the patron saint of childbirth. In the end the evil ruler killed her but –
though there are a number of remarkable St Margarets – and ours is a legendary figure
rather than a historical figure, like Queen Margaret of Scotland - she has continued to
inspire Churches and artists to the present day. In 9th century England, when her story was
becoming more widely known here, more than 200 churches were dedicated to her. She was
one of the saints who spoke to Joan of Arc.
Google maps will show you churches all over the western side
of the UK dedicated to ‘St Margaret of Antioch’ now.
Her story – a lively young Christian, attacked by an evil
dragon, and escaping from him with her Cross - has some
excellent resonances with life at the moment. For St
Margaret’s Day, Rhiannon inspired an Art Festival on the
theme of St M.. Our cover is one of the winning designs. St Margaret’s Day itself was overcast
and then, briefly, very wet – but our railings were adorned with laminated artworks, and
inside the church were 3D versions. We had a fine service and then we had cake!
Rhiannon – and some other
rather damp friends.
Brutus cutting one of the celebration cakes for
the day – creations of Florence and Hilary.
Speedy Family – creators of several
memorable images of St M and her dragon.
20Gil Whyman’s figure of St Margaret
There was also a knitted (or crocheted)
dragon and a lego dragon.
Cathy (11) wrote a poem from the points
of view of St M’s father, the Prince (or
Ruler), the Dragon and Margaret herself.
St M was
modelled
in clay
and her
story
told in a
digital image.
It was a superb display and a great way of greeting all our
neighbours with the good news of St Margaret’s Day and our open church. Thank you,
Rhiannon and all competitors!
St Margaret turns up in all
sorts of places. Here she is in the Victoria
and Albert Museum in a painting dating from the
13C – look hard for St M herself! And in a statue
dating from the mid 16C.
And here is an Edwardian
(early 20C) St Margaret in
Hereford Cathedral.
Look out for her –
and her dragon, of
course, when you next visit
a museum or a church.
21Music returns to St Margaret’s
As many people will remember appreciatively, we were building up a programme of
regular concerts with, among others, the Thames Philharmonic Choir, Recordare
and the Royal Academy of Music.
C-19 has interrupted this, bringing extraordinary anxiety and hardship to performers
and artists, and to all our artistic institutions – whether local – like the Dover House
Singers – or national – like the Royal Albert Hall, the V&A Museum, The Wigmore
Hall, the Globe or the Royal Exchange, Manchester.
What a delight, therefore, for Brutus and St Margaret’s to be able to host the event
described here for the Thames Philharmonic Choir and Harry Bradford.
From: jackie.morgan5@btinternet.com [mailto:jackie.morgan5@btinternet.com]
Sent: 09 July 2020 16:22
To: hilarybelden@clara.co.uk
Cc: Wendy Gairdner
Subject: Thames Philharmonic Choir's Virtual Evensong
Dear Hilary Wendy Gairdner has given me your email address - I look after the publicity for Thames
Philharmonic Choir and was wondering if you would be able to pass the following on to the Editor of
the Parish Newsletter…..
Revd Brutus Green leads Thames Philharmonic's Virtual Choral Evensong
Thames Philharmonic Choir concluded the Summer term on Tuesday with
Choral Evensong on Zoom, led by the Revd Dr Brutus Green, Vicar of St
Margaret's Putney, from the church choir stalls. The service opened with an
organ voluntary pre-recorded by James Orford from the organ at Chelsea Old
Church. The choral music, led by Music Director Harry Bradford, included
Balfour Gardiner's Evening Hymn, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in C
by Stanford and the hymn Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven. Various
Choir members read prayers and lessons and Harry and James sang the
responses. To play us out, James returned to the organ with Bach's Fuga
Sopra il Magnificat BMV 733.
At the end of July, TPC was due to have spent a weekend in residence at Lichfield Cathedral – part of
an annual tradition of cathedral residencies. Our choral evensong served as a reminder of these
occasions. During Lockdown, we have held regular virtual rehearsals of up to 50 people. We've
worked with rehearsal tracks for each work created by Harry, with piano accompaniment provided
by James, and individual parts sung by other professional musicians, all working remotely. Choir
members agree it's been an extraordinary experience: wonderful to see other Choir members each
week but very different singing on your own without the voices of others, and very different from a
live performance in concert venues, churches and cathedrals.
You can also read our blog about the experience of singing virtually over these strange months:
www.thamesphilchoir.org.uk/post/singing-alone-all-together
22St Margaret’s in pictures (and rain) Record
breaking
Sleeping out for GlassDoor
rainfall
Author: Press
Whose idea was it, anyway, for
Office
to sleep out on October 2 ?
October
14:51 (UTC+1) on
Our intrepid reporter,
Jo Beadsley, reports:
Saturday 3 October
Hi Hilary - I did it! my tent leaked, 2020 is now the
the two sleeping bags were wettest day in the
drenched, I didn’t sleep a wink as UK in records
the rain and wind were so loud,
dating back to
1891.We received
and because actually it’s very
enough rainfall in a
hard to sleep: you’re conscious of single day to fill
how vulnerable you are. And this morning I got to come home, Loch Ness .
have a hot shower to wash off the dirt and warm up, I got to wash
my clothes/ sleeping bags and dry out the tent, I got to get into a The first half of
warm bed and sleep; the homeless people out in the elements last October (1-13th)
night do not have those luxuries. It’s times like this when I am has been very wet
reminded how lucky I am. across the UK.
Early provisional
statistics show
England has
already received
87% of its monthly
average rainfall,
with the south east
and central
southern England
having reaching
110% of average
The camping gang assembles (though Becky and Alastair were by October 13th
just passing by) Compline was celebrated.
The Vicar and Nick
camped under the
trees - and, at 3 am,
Gazebo-gate: the
Gazebo collapsed, to
shrieks of horror from
Helen Dunn and Mike
Harrison who were
drenched as it fell in…
23At 5 am they all had breakfast and some had an extra bit of sleep to recover – well
done, Stewards for having a family camp-out!
Chloe snoozes
The faithful Freddie (Gairdner) and
George (Steward) protected the
campers.
Helen Hargreaves, queen of St Margaret’s
Glass Door, organised breakfast. (the
flowers are for Sunday…)
Nick played a quiet tune
or two (The Water Music?
Or some stormy
Wagner?)
Was it worth it?
They raised
nearly £9000 for Glass Door – and they all
survived.
Thank you to everyone who sponsored our team!
This was a London-wide sleep-out (or in) for
Glass Door – we hope they all raised lots of money.
And in other news…..
September 6
The Vicar, Rhiannon and Oberon emerged
from quarantine and we all enjoyed the
service and the sunshine.
Freddie and Andrew at the Creation service
24September 20 – Creation Sunday, celebrating our
pets (mostly our dogs at the service – cats are too busy, hamsters too sleepy,
and tortoises too slow-moving to come along…)
And then, before we knew it, it was Harvest!
Harvest
Festival
October
4
25Brutus sang ‘the animals went in two by
two’ – and was attacked from behind by a
well-known opera singer with a series of
soft
toys : a
sheep
here
and
later a
snake!
Jake
enjoyed
the
fun…
The Beehive Nursery enjoyed their Harvest
Festival celebration too….
All the food and cash donations went to the Wandsworth Foodbank.
Sunday Evening Concerts
A few glimpses of some of the delights we have had. Richard Coles on
‘Saturday Live’ on October 24 said he had tears in his eyes when, only a few
days ago, he heard live music again for the first time in six months. I was the
same – but in July. We have been so blessed at St Margaret’s by the
determination of our wonderful team to bring back live music as quickly as
possible: through the cantors in our worship – Rhiannon the first of them -
and the concerts on Sunday evenings. Fittingly, Nick gave the first Sunday
recital with a programme of organ music.
The concerts have been
well attended and are
fulfilling our mission to
26support young musicians at this exceptionally difficult time for them all;
entrance is free and people are generous in their donations, knowing exactly
who will benefit. The receipts go straight to our visiting performers.
Edward Woodhouse, our
cantor one Sunday, came
back for an evening recital
a few weeks later. Oberon
and ZZ joined the post-
recital celebration.
Mateusz Rettner gave a joyful, passionate piano
recital and your editor – arriving early to set up
with ‘track and trace’ and keys - was treated to a
first hearing as he ran through his programme. It
drew in at least one passer-by for the concert itself.
The series will, we hope, soon run into the New Year – check
our diary for which Sunday evenings are concerts and which
are Choral Evensong and other evening services.
Thank you, Nick, Brutus, and Rhiannon for the exceptional
music experiences we are having.
Streaming these concerts has made them a shared
experience for many more than can come to church. Here, Brutus operates the
system, within its new case, created by Mark Steward. Thank you, Mark, for
all the skill involved in building this.
What else has been happening?
There are times when the
back of church feels like an
episode from ‘Rev’ if you
remember that series. At
least what is going on here,
is quiet!
Mike Harrison and – if you look hard – Brutus are
putting up the new notice board on the Lane – there is
new signage everywhere to admire. Thank you, Laura
for your design inspiration.
27Creation Sunday
flowers – with our thanks to
Deborah and the team.
Glass Door supporters
postponed their sale
and tea room at St M’s
from THAT Saturday to the following
one – which was cool and damp but
not pouring. Here is a familiar person
running the tea room and some other
familiar faces supporting her and
the visiting stall holders.
A free-range green elf ran merrily
about, and Mark Steward arrived to
create the ‘stable’ or waiting area for
Beehive parents – many uses for it in
the next months!
28And in other news….
Two years ago already? Remember this?
December 8 2018
More happy
celebrations to
come!
The tap-dancing,
swan-lake aspiring
Oberon (oh no – he
has to be a banker
or a lawyer!) is
already showing us
his talents.
Silver sends all her Newssheet readers her greetings.
When she went for her annual check up at the vet in Kington
(two doors, one labelled ‘Pets’ and the other ‘Farmers’ – which
always strikes her ‘owner’ as a category error – apologies for
the hidden pun) she was pleased to be greeted by this sign:
particularly as everyone was masked and her ‘owner’ –
actually her staff – had to wait outside.
Masks
We thought this captured every parent’s – or
grandparent’s – nightmare.
29And did someone say there was a discussion in progress about pews? Hereford Cathedral ‘normally’ has pews – here are the socially-distanced chairs they are currently using. Slightly alarmed, your editor found herself seated on a lone chair two metres away from anyone else…! Of course, St Gargoyle’s has also addressed the issue. The PCC has discussed the possibilities at its most recent meeting; a non-binding question – for, against or neutral - was put at the APCM; and investigations are going on into possible chairs. But nothing further will happen without a full consultation. In the meantime, pews have been rearranged so as to accommodate the most people possible, allowing for family groups, individuals and social distancing, for big events like the Carol Service. We were 80 – including all adults, priest, organist etc, and 23 children – at Harvest. We hope we can manage between 98 and 167 (including choir and all) with the present layout. Please talk to one of the churchwardens or to Brutus if you would like to express a view or put a question about pews and chairs. 30
Sharing Stories
Dropping off the shopping – then moving
away – not able to have a hug
Sheila Innes (photo pre-Covid!)
Well, what a
strange few
months this
has been –
emotions up
and down, and
loneliness
although I am
lucky to have
family close
by.
The hard part
was them
dropping the
shopping off at
the door and moving away – not being able to have a hug.
Soup deliveries, online services, Zoom Coffee, were a
Godsend, and then… visitors being able to sit on a
chair I had in the garden…. Eventually my family
bubble – and at last having hugs: a bit tentative at
first but bringing tears to my eyes.
The scariest thing was going to a shop again: masks,
distancing, hand gel… Yes, I am anxious – but small steps…
I now pick my grandson up from school (Oscar, of course – seen
in Isaac’s arms in the picture above) and bring him home – so
Lego and various other toys are all around again, for me to
avoid stepping on!
It’s lovely to be back at Church and seeing our St Margaret’s family again. Who
knows what the future will bring but I think it makes you appreciate what you have.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
He delivered me from all my fears
31
Psalm 34, v 4Our year of Career Change and Covid-19
Edward, Alexander, Zehra, Olivia Alexander Hart
In relation to the last few months, life for me and my family, as with many people
has changed dramatically – not all bad, that is for sure.
I was already in a period of change where I had decided to
embark on a career away from the grand food hall of
Fortnum & Mason as a Tea, Coffee & Confectionery
Merchandiser and enter in to the educational work where I
was undertaking my PGCE (Post-Graduate Certificate in
Education)
With the Corona virus entering into our lives, my placements
came to an abrupt halt although I was still engaged with Roehampton University
with the ‘new technology’ of Zoom and writing my assignments. The first month of
all school closures meant that Zehra and I embarked on primary
school home tutoring. To be honest Zehra initially carried out most
of this duty whilst I continued on with my studies.
However with schools reopening for some years, Zehra went back to Reception and I
then had to take up the reigns of home schooling!!! Having two different ages was
certainly challenging. I tended to concentrate on Olivia being
in Year 3 as Edward was still only at Nursery, however, to
occupy Edward was the new challenge. We decided to give
him cartoon time (educational?) but in Turkish so he could
improve his understanding when he went over to visit his
grandparents in Bodrum, Turkey: this did work.
32Spending more time with the children was certainly a bonus with Edward going from
a ‘mummy’s boy’ to a ‘daddy’s boy’. In August we were then lucky enough to go to
Turkey for nearly 4 weeks, where to be honest, the attitude to the virus seemed
grown up and controlled with people appearing not to be getting into the politics of
wearing a mask! Being away in Turkey was a great break and allowed us all to
unwind and concentrate on the important things in life!
I eventually managed to get qualified as a Teacher. However, embarking on my
new career has been far from straight forward. Many teachers who would have
normally left or moved to other jobs have remained due to the uncertainty of the job
market and so the vacancies which I had hoped for have been few and well
contested. I have had a couple of interviews but currently nothing has come of these.
With the autumn term under way a few maternity cover positions appear to be
coming through and I am also looking into voluntary work to keep my teaching
skills up to date.
Sharing
lockdown with
mountains of
baby clothes,
strollers, cots
and moses
baskets…
Helen Speedy
“Not more baby stuff!” Had you been allowed to or even able to squeeze into our
house during the first three months of lockdown, you would have heard this phrase
regularly exclaimed by Jacob, Carla and Ben.
For three months, our house became a local collection and sorting point for the
baby bank, Little Village, and I have to thank my family for their patience and sense
of humour, as they shared those months of tight lockdown with mountains of baby
clothes, prams, strollers, cots and moses baskets, not to mention breast pumps and
other such paraphernalia.
In March, a week before the lock-down was officially announced, I joined Little
Village to manage a new satellite service in Roehampton. Little Village is like a
foodbank, but for clothes, toys and equipment for babies and children up to the age
of 5.
33We’re a movement of parents committed to
alleviating material poverty in London and our
mission is to build small, warm communities of
families who support one another with dignity and
love, when times are tough. Our vision is that no child
in the capital is without the essential things they
need to thrive and that every parent can play a part
in achieving that.
I was excited to start a new job and to have ditched
the commute to Marylebone for a seven minute walk
to the “office”, but unfortunately, the Children’s
Centre, where I was to be located, closed as
lockdown started, so my original duties were put on hold. Unable to hold volunteer
sessions or to meet with families, Little Village very quickly launched an alternative
“Virtual Village” and since the end of March has been delivering hygiene essentials
and emergency clothing bundles to families across the capital.
To solve the issue of stock and donations, volunteers acted as local donation points
and I volunteered to run a donation point in Roehampton. I was overwhelmed (quite
literally) by the support of families in SW15, who donated huge quantities of quality
clothes and equipment.
The neighbours thought we were having a baby, no - twins, no - triplets, no -they
can’t need that much stuff surely! It was a good job we weren’t able to travel, as
the car became a storage space for buggies and baby baths when the house got too
full. Ben and the children also put up with me disappearing for hours to sort and
bundle clothes, wash travel cots and buggies, check instructions and count up
screws for cots. Looking back, it was a mammoth task, but during the madness of
the total lockdown, it kept me occupied and relatively sane.
It was lovely to interact with new people locally (albeit at a distance) and I learned
a huge amount about the ups and downs of taking donations. I’ll never take
anything sub-standard to the charity shop again, I promise!
Up until now in Roehampton, we have been working with the team at Eastwood
Children’s Centre to distribute nappies and toiletries to families with under 5s, along
with the amazing community food boxes supplied by Rackets Cubed in partnership
with Heathmere School and Regenerate.
However, I’m really looking forward to getting going with the full-scale
operation in Roehampton shortly after October half-term. I’ll be looking for
volunteers to help with sorting clothes and packing boxes for families. We may
be able to take some select donations too, so please don’t hesitate to call me or
email me for a chat if you’re interested in getting involved.
https://littlevillagehq.org (pictures are from the website)
34As an alcoholic I have needed to attend meetings daily during lockdown …. Jo Beadsley Jo and Bryony at the Glass Door sale It is always a pleasure to be asked to put together an article for the church magazine, but it was with some trepidation that I thought about putting together a piece on how alcoholics like myself has been affected during the Coronavirus pandemic and how we have supported one another during these extraordinary times. Until lockdown all of our meetings were face to face, so our first challenge was to move all of our meetings online; members of the fellowship were sharing details with one another, so that our recovery could continue virtually. This has been a great comfort to us although it was not quite the same as seeing each other in person. As an alcoholic I have needed to attend meetings daily during lockdown to listen to others who feel that same way I do, and to keep me grounded through the loss of my job, two bereavements and the daily challenge with my mental health. At this point I do not feel I can talk more about the importance of meetings without explaining how this alcoholic feels and why I need to talk to other alcoholics as frequently as I do. I have an illness that separates me from all of you: it affects my mind and how I view you and my place in the world. I’m acutely sensitive: I feel like I don’t belong anywhere, I’m not good enough, I feel awkward, self-conscious and embarrassed all of the time (and yet I appear to be so confident). What the meetings do is allow us to carry the message of hope to each other, share how we really feel and tell one another how we’ve got through the tough times. I get 35
the courage to keep going by seeing how other people navigate the challenges of
life, without drinking.
We have seen a number of newcomers who have started attending meetings and it’s
been a delight to watch their journeys, getting a few sober days under their belts. It
is a reminder of what it was like when I first started sobriety. It’s also a very
frightening time for them too: they are not drinking, often for the first time in years,
and they are having to cope with the physical and emotional consequences of their
drinking. Likewise we have also seen a lot of alcoholics relapse. The social isolation,
coupled with their mental health illness, has driven them back to a drink. But we
turn no-one away: just like our church all are welcome in this virtual place.
I have the privilege of supporting four remarkable women in recovery, helping them
through the Twelve Step programme, offering them practical support at times of
difficulty or just the gift of listening. It is amazing to watch them change and grow,
with the positive impacts it’s having on their families. I feel very blessed to spend
time with them: they all teach me so much.
We’ve run workshops too for the Medical Students at St George’s, training to be GPs.
In these sessions we run a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous so that they can see
what happens and then we try and answer any questions they have about being an
alcoholic, going to meetings, the effect it has had on our lives, what they can do to
help someone who asks for help. I have really enjoyed being part of this; the
students have been really engaged asking lots of questions and the Tutors are
always grateful to have us talk to them directly about our illness.
Over the last year the Covid pandemic has affected not just peoples’ physical
health, but also their mental health. With those of us who have pre-existing
conditions it has been hard for us too, but I am blessed I have the support of, and I
am able to help, other alcoholics and I have my friends at St Margaret’s who have
stayed in contact throughout this time. Thank you to you all.
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Editor’s note: Jo and I formed a bubble in early June, when she
generously drove me to St George’s and waited while my cut
knee was stitched up. (I had tripped over the mat in the
entrance to the church office of all places, with a carved
wooden angel in one hand and an empty cake box in the
other, neither of which was harmed.)
Roxy, Jazz and Silver would recognise this cat’s scepticism…
36‘To suit or not to suit’…. or…using the window
sill as a desk for video calls.
Our lockdown working experience – Becky and Alastair Benn
Becky’s Perspective
Like many people across the country, since lockdown began in
March this year we have been working from home full time.
When we were first told that we would need to leave site, I
was sure it would only last a few weeks and I would be back,
but seven months have now passed, proving my original
expectations to be very far off the mark.
In the four years we have lived together, we have spent nearly
all of that time with one of us working away from home. In Becky at work in the living room
fact in the first week we moved in together, Alastair found
out he would be spending the foreseeable future based in Zurich. Between us, we
have been lucky to have worked in some interesting places across
the world; Hong Kong, Shanghai, Riyadh, Dakar, Seoul, Dublin, Abu
Dhabi, Sharm El Sheik, Miami, Cleveland, Madison and Edinburgh.
However most of the time has been spent in Hiltons, Marriotts and
Premier Inns across the UK. Before lockdown, I had been working in
Bradford Royal Infirmary for the previous eight months.
Although we have always had days where we have been able to work from home,
we have never worked from home for long continuous time periods, certainly not
together at the same time. Like many others, we do have some logistical challenges
now we both need permanent home ‘offices’. We are lucky enough to have a spare
room where Alastair works, and I work from a table in the living room. For the most
part it works, although when our boiler unexpectedly needed to be replaced a
couple of weeks ago, we ended up both having to work from our bedroom, sitting on
the bed and using the window sill as a desk for video calls, which was less than
productive!
There have of course been some benefits of being at home. I don’t miss the 05:00
alarm on Monday mornings or the suits and heels I’d usually wear. We’ve been able
to have home cooked meals every evening, and we can get all the boring jobs of
washing and shopping deliveries done during the working day.
Our bills for train tickets, Pret a Manger sandwiches and dry
cleaning are currently zero. The biggest bonus has been being
able to spend more time together.
(Editor’s note - and even get married)
I miss my work life though. Although I can work from home, and appreciate how
lucky we are to have jobs where this is possible, I know I am not as effective as I
37would be on site, and there are many things that I just can’t do in the same way.
One of the best bits of my job is being on the wards, speaking with clinical staff, and
helping them with some of their challenges. I also miss the social element of work;
having lunch together, going for dinner and drinks after work, chats on the train. I
find the monotony of being in the same room all the time challenging too. Not only
do I work in the living room, it is also where we eat and where we relax – it can
sometimes feel like there is no escape!
We have been thinking a lot about how we think our working lives may change in the
future. Even in a post-Covid world, it seems unlikely that I will go back to working
away as regularly as I had before. Not travelling has given me the opportunity to
juggle working for Bradford Hospital, the Dubai Ministry of Health and a hospital in
the Netherlands all at the same time, which I could never have managed
beforehand. Although commuting will be a shock to the system initially, I am
hopeful that I will be able to return to seeing my clients face-to-face again soon.
Alastair’s perspective
I have always enjoyed the opportunity to work from
home and was already used to doing it. As Becky says,
we have a desk set-up in the spare room, which has a
second monitor and a speakerphone, so in many ways
I am almost as well equipped to work from home as I
am in the office.
The difficulty I have found is that whereas before I
would work from home perhaps one or two days a
Alastair working in the home office
week (typically Fridays when it was a quieter day
anyway), now working from home is never ending and
relentless. The natural break to the day gifted by the commute (free time where you
could read the paper or listen to a podcast) is gone, making the transition from bed
to work to bed again far less clearly demarcated.
I have also enjoyed the use of technology to support working remotely and I am
pleased that video calls are available so that we can actually see each other, read
those subtler signals and actually feel like you’re part of a team rather than
working just with a computer. However, a day full of video calls (which happens
reasonably often) can be really draining and it feels far more intense than when I
was in meetings in the office. None of the meetings take place on the walk to or in
the coffee shop and in every session you are fully visible on screen at all times
rather than being another face around the meeting room table.
On top of the above, I’m looking forward to the likely working approach when
everything gets back to “normal”. If we can work more flexibly and the focus is more
on output than presenteeism I think it’s a healthier way to work, with more
acceptance and accommodation of life outside of work hopefully becoming the
norm. It’s easy to focus on the negatives when we are facing such difficult times, but
with all change I think there are often positives there too if you look for them.
38You can also read
