Oldham Unitarians
NEWSLETTER
October – December 2008
Dates for your Diary …
Sunday Services 11.00 - 12.00
October
05. Service conducted by Rev Dr David Doel - Plus Harvest Service
12. Service conducted by Tom Grimshaw
19. Service conducted by Derek McAuley
26. Service conducted by No Service - school half term
November
02. Service conducted by Rev Dr David Doe
09. Service conducted by Trevor Clarke
16. Service conducted by Hilary Ellis
23. Service conducted by Mike Cuerden: Anniversary Service (1400-1500)
30. Service conducted by the President of Women's League (Penny Johnson)
December
07. Service conducted by Rev Dr David Doel
14. Service conducted by Vincent McCulley
21. Christmas Service - shared service
28. Service conducted by Julia Clarke
Traidcraft Lunches & Shop, Thursdays 12.00-14.00
Dear Readers and Members,
Welcome to Oldham Unitarians’ latest newsletter.
I write to you as the new president of our chapel having recently taken over from Bob Pounder. I am privileged to be in
this position and will do my best, with the help of our members, to strengthen our presence in Oldham.
Bob is studying to enter the ministry and we feel sure he will make a success of it. Those of us who have worked with him
on chapel committee can testify to the energy he has put into the role of president and the quality of his leadership. On
behalf of all our members I would like to thank Bob for all his hard work, and wish him all the best on his chosen path. We
hope, too, to still see him at chapel, making a valued contribution.
He is not very well at the moment though, and we wish him as speedy a recovery as possible.
Bob saw a clear vision of a future for our chapel, as I do. That future must be shaped by as many of us as possible. At the
moment though, the day to day running of the chapel seems to take up the time and energy of the few of us who are active.
Recently, for example, a hole appeared in the car park. This necessitated a large investment of time by two committee
members, and a lot of chapel money, to put right. Our efforts merely kept us at the status quo and put off any long term
thinking.
There are two vacancies on the committee for anyone who values our chapel and its principles (that's you isn't it?)
and would like to help guide Unitarianism in Oldham into the future. Please contact me, Marian or Cathy if you can help.
Thank you.
Trevor Clarke
Induction of Rev. Jane Barraclough
The induction of the Rev. Jane Barraclough to the pulpit of Cross
Street Chapel Manchester took place on Saturday September 20th
The service was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Ann Peart, chair of the
congregation and the preacher was Rev.Art Lester.
The Rev.Steve Dick, Chief Executive of the General Assembly read
from Science and the Modern World by Alfred North Whitehead.
Roundalay performed pieces by Adrian Barren, Benjamin Britten an
John Harper.
There were no charges to the Minister or the Congregation. The
congregation read together a Covenant to which Jane replied. A we
come was given from the chair of the congregation and chair of the
trustees. Greetings and welcome were given to Jane from the
General Assembly, Manchester District Association, Ministerial
Fellowship, Manchester Christian Leaders, Manchester Inter-Faith
Community and The Provincial Assembly of Lancashire and
Cheshire.
It was a joyous occasion full of hope for the future. Jane was well
supported by her family and friends in addition to her many Unitaria
friends, who all together filled the Chapel.
The service was followed by a splendid buffet.
M.N.
Music Evening
The first music evening of the autumn was held on Friday 19th September
when a varied and interesting programme which included works from Delius,
Parry, Stanford, Quilter, Finzi, and Elgar plus six English Airs was given by
Rachel Gibbon, clarinet and David Butterworth, piano which was very well
received.
It was a most enjoyable evening. The next music event will be on Friday
October 17th when The Saddleworth Recorder Consort will entertain us. If
you have any music loving friends do ask them to come along.
M.N.
Obituary
Early summer saw the death of Mrs Helena (Lena) Thornton, a member of
the old Lord Street Chapel and Sunday School. Born into a Unitarian family
she was a regular worshipper there with her husband Jack and daughter
Irene. She was not known to most of our present members but she was one
of those who kept Unitarianism in Oldham alive during and after the second
world war.
A tailoress by profession she was much appreciated for the beautiful costumes
she made for the principals in the annual pantomimes, such a feature
of the Sunday School. Although she moved to Burnley over fifty years ago
she always retained her interest and affection for the chapel. She came to the
Sales of Work and attended services when she visited her cousin in Oldham.
Her last visit with Irene was to one of our evening dinners, as she
approached her ninetieth birthday.
She always enjoyed reading our Calendar which she relied on to keep her
abreast of all the Chapel news. Every year a sum of money arrived for this
plus as extra contribution to the Flower Fund. In fact the last conversation
Irene had with her was when the Calendar was delivered. She had read it
from cover to cover and then discussed it’s contents.
We greatly appreciated her interest and financial support over so many years.
To Irene and all her family we send our sincere condolences.
M.N.
Heritage Days
The Heritage Days were celebrated at King Edward Street Chapel,
Macclesfield by way of a service entitled “To light a small candle”
which was a history of the Chapel. This I think was written by Eila
Forrester and played out by the congregation. The singers Salli
Ward and John Hartshorn sang some of the history in folk style,
unaccompanied, which was very effective.
The whole evening was very enjoyable and I very much appreciate
the invitation. The Chapel is a Grade 11* listed building. Founded
1672, built 1690, and is well worth a visit.
M.N.
Baptism
The baptism of Caleb Joseph Emrys Potter Williams took place on
Sunday September 14th before a full chapel of family, friends and
chapel members. The day was not without its stresses, as the Pott
Williams family discovered when told that Bob Pounder would be
unable to officiate due to illness.
However, being the resourceful family they are and blessed with a
number of lay preachers in their midst, the service was soon licked
into shape and it was delightful that Caleb’s paternal grandmother
performed the baptism. The whole service was a joy. A barbecue fo
lowed in the afternoon at the Potter Williams home.
Commiserations to Bob who had put in a lot of preparatory work bu
was unable to enjoy his first baptism.
M.N.
"Harvest and Halloween"
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival
known as Samhain. The festival of Samhain is a celebration
of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture,
and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year".
Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient
pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock
for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on
October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary
between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the
dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems
such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals
would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of
slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks
were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the
evil spirits or placate them.
Lynne
Sheep may safely graze......
I took this picture in the village of Zillebeke near Ypres
(Ieper) in Belgium this summer.
The sheep are grazing on the rim of a crater that was created
by the explosion of a mine, in WW1, under what were
then German positions, on Hill 60. The mining activity was
undertaken by Australian and British troops.
Hill 60 got its name, rather unimaginatively, because on
British military maps it was just marked 'hill 60' - being 60
metres above sea level. The hill was created by spoil from
the digging of a railway cutting nearby before the war and
is not really a hill at all!
Most of it is pockmarked and bumpy from shelling and is a
communal grave with unrecovered bodies, allied and
German, lying underneath.
T.C.
Editors Note:
Contributions to the Newsletter are welcome.
Please submit any items for inclusion to:
Trevor Clarke,
5 Sunderland Avenue
Ashton under Lyne OL6 8PF
Email:
Oldham Unitarian Chapel founded in 1813
is open to all who wish to worship
with an open mind,
in a spirit of freedom, reason and tolerance.
We do not all hold the same beliefs, rather each person is encouraged
'to develop his or her faith in a continuing search for truth.'
| President: Mr T. Clarke | |
| Treasurer: Mrs K.M. Pearson | |
| Secretary: Mrs C. Hall |
Unitarian Chapel
Connaught Street / King Street
Oldham
OL8 1 EB
Tel: 0161 620 1810
Lettings Officer: Mrs M. Nuttall – Tel: 0161 287 3371
Registered Charity No. 1111295