St Mary the Blessed Virgin Parish Magazine June 2026

More in this magazine

• June 2026St Mary's Parish Magazine No. 1377
• Who's Who at St Mary'sVicar Assistant Priest
• Page 3From the Reader's desk... From the Editor's Desk
• From the Reader's DeskTime is moving on and soon we will reach the longest day in the year. Our weather has been a bit of everything so far, very hot weather for the end of May and for children on holiday from school, followed by heavy rain the following week and variable temperatures in between. We can see the effects on our parks and gardens, the need for water followed by too much water, the effects of climate change on our world. We pray for forgiveness for the damage that has been done to our world and give thanks to all those who make changes however small to their lifestyle to help to counteract that damage and leave creation in a better condition for those who follow.
• Page 5Recently, I have been told twice how welcoming our church is to visitors and those starting to attend our church more regularly so many thanks for doing this and continuing to do so as we move forward If you are planning time away with family and friends or exploring our local area, do give thanks for the beauty of our creation and be sure to take your rubbish home with you.
• From the Editor's DeskAs Lindsay says in her piece, time is moving on. In my younger days or more correctly, my school days, the days leading up to the school summer holidays dragged by. Now as I am older CORONA
• The Moon is Like a Balloon, My Love(sung to the tune of the carol 'I Saw Three Ships come sailing in, On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day') The moon is like a balloon, my love
• From The Parish Registers8th May 29th May
• Prayer ListIn the absence of the weekly “Pews news”, a prayer list has been created and you are kindly asked to hold the following in your Thoughts and Prayers. We especially pray for ;-
• Daily Bible Readings and PrayersJune 2026 Silence and stillness, times for reflection and meditation, and a moment within each day to offer our prayers and concerns to God for ourselves, our community and our world are vital if we are to sustain our busy and active lives. Try to find space at the same time each day to be with God by yourself, just for five or ten minutes. You might like to follow this simple daily routine:
• Sunday 21 June The third Sunday after TrinityO Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given a hearty desire to pray, may by thy mighty aid be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sunday 28 June
• The First Sunday after TrinitySun 7 Hosea 5.15 – 6.6
• Thu 25Fri 26 Sat 27
• Page 14A SAINTLY DISCOVERY! Soon after arriving at St. Mary's almost twenty years ago, I began running to the vicarage on a Thursday, to share in Morning Prayer at 8.30, and have carried on doing so, whenever I could, until Debbie left. By then there was no more running as we met via Zoom! We followed the Lectionary for Bible readings, Psalms and Prayers, and note which Saint's day is being observed. Some died a very long time ago, so I decided to find which was the first saint recorded in the Lectionary.
• Page 15authority responsible for lighthouses and lightships. Clement's Feast Day in the West, is 23rd November, a day later in the East.
• Page 16An unforgettable day at Abbey Road. As an active member of Rock Choir, I attend a weekly Thursday morning session at Christ Church, Purley with my neighbour Cherrill. We sing from Ilam until 12.30 every week except in school holidays. There are between 60 and 70 members, divided into base, lower alto (me), upper alto and soprano (Cherrill). Our leader Valerie teaches several other choirs locally and in London. Rock Choir is a national 'institution' and every choir across the country will be singing the same songs. So, when I go off to Devon for my week's holiday, I can go with my sister-in-law to her choir session.
• Page 17Sadly we were not allowed to take photos on the famous zebra crossing because of the traffic accidents on the busy road. However, it was a truly wonderful experience for us Rockies, never to be forgotten. NB. The Abbey Road Studios first opened in 1931 with Sir Edward Elgar conducting 'Land of Hope and Glory' attended by major celebrities of the day. Since then, anyone who is anyone has recorded there, orchestras and Rock bands alike. Today theme tunes for films are still being recorded there and it has continued to develop technically. It is in constant use by people from all over the world.
• Page 18We will guide you every step of the way, offering you support, care and reassurance at a time when you need it most... Chapels of Rest for all Religious Denominations • Specialists in Worldwide Repatriation Services • All Memorial & Stone Work Carried Out
• PROFESSIONALS IN HOME PAINTINGOUR PORTFOLIO O @GOULDDFLTD
• Blood donationsEarly on in 2025 I managed to achieve 100 blood donations for the NHS. Because of this the Blood and Transplant people aim to recognise all such people by holding a Donor Recognition Ceremony and I was duly invited on Friday 27th March to the Millenium Gloucester Hotel in South Kensington for the occasion. I was able to take a guest so my son Matthew came with me, having benefitted from a blood transfusion when he was so seriously ill with heart problems. The event was in the afternoon and we duly arrived at the hotel before 2.00pm to join the great queue of people before we went in and again queued for our goodie bags. These contained a certificate, medal and badge. We then participated in the refreshments of sandwiches and tea/coffee. We then sat down and waited for the event to begin. We estimated there were about 200 people present. The host for the afternoon was the Regional Community Engagement Manager, Beth Cross, who proceeded to introduce the speakers. The first person who spoke of how his family had benefitted was a father whose baby daughter had been diagnosed with two rare forms of cancer and had needed blood transfusions. They had helped prolong her life briefly but sadly she died as the cancer was not operable. The second person to speak was a young lady who had suffered from Sickle Cell disease and needed regular blood transfusions to help combat the pain of this disease. She spoke with biblical references to the parable of Jesus and the woman touching his clothes and being healed and of how she had been helped to live her life with less pain and worry about Sickle Cell. The third person to speak was someone who had received a heart transplant and was obviously very grateful for that.
• Page 21It was good to be recognised but I realised that's not why I give my blood - I've been doing it over the years with the thought that many of my nearest and dearest couldn't give blood for whatever reason and as I could, what was stopping me – it really doesn't hurt and it's a chance to sit down for about an hour! I also thought about how the system has changed since I first started giving my blood and it's so much quicker now that there is an appointment system. If you are interested in giving your blood you could ask me about it or go to the website - blood.co.uk
• SPRING PARK SHIRLEY BOWLS CLUB CAPUTURED IN MINIATURELike any club or organisation Spring Park Shirley Bowls Club attracts members from a wide and diverse range of skilled and professional backgrounds. Whilst most of our members are no longer working, we are able and indeed more than happy to accommodate members who are still in full or part time employment with our Wednesday evening, Saturday morning and first Sunday in the month sessions. In addition to their lawn bowling our members have a variety of other interests and past times. Ranging from other sports (golf, badminton, table tennis etc), gardening, a season ticket to watch the local (or in some cases not so local) football team, singing in a choir, volunteering with local community and charity groups or giving guided walks around London.
• Page 23Alternatively, if you want to experience the real thing, we are open every weekday afternoon 2pm-5pm, Wednesday evenings 6.30pm- 8.00pm, Saturday mornings 10am-12pm and on the first Sunday every month 2pm -5pm. Beginners are very welcome and all equipment is supplied as is coaching. If you would like to know more, please contact Chris on 07518059127, email [email protected] or visit www.springparkshirleybowlingclub.co.uk. Anthony Bouler
• Pyjama Sunday871 165
• Selsdon & District Funeral ServiceYour Local Funeral Director Independent and Licensed Funeral Directors Extensive Range of Memorials
• Page 26Following on from Christopher Parker's recent articles about the English language.... As you read this story see how many hidden words and phrases you can find relating to English as a language, including grammar, spelling and punctuation. Some are obvious, like ‘consonant' and 'colon,' but others are less easy to find as they are hidden in other words while others sound correct but aren't spelt as they should be. I think you'll be surprised. There are over 50 to find. Good luck. An 'English' Marriage
• Page 27your figure of speech that I would like to predicate my life to you." So he gets himself into an indicative mood and says, "It would be appreciated by me if you would be married to me." "Are you being passive aggressive?" she asks interrogatively.
• Page 28The Manor of Addington, Part 8: The Leigh Family's Decline, by Dr. Christopher J. Parker Following on from Parts 6 & 7 about the ascendancy of the Leigh family, it was almost inevitable that at some stage there would be a decline in their fortunes, if not monetarily, certainly in their influence. In Part 8 I will address this decline. My principal sources are www.british- history.ac.uk, specifically, 'Parishes: Addington', in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4, ed. H E Malden (London, 1912), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol4/pp164- 168 [accessed 5 January 2025]; Daniel Lysons, 'Addington', in The Environs of London: Volume I, County of Surrey (London, 1792), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-environs/voll/ppl -10 [accessed 21 February 2025]; 'Addington's ancient church has a place in nation's history', David Morgan, Inside Croydon, Posted on January 24, 2021 https://insidecroydon.com/2021/01/24/addingtonsancient-church-has-a-place-in-nations-history/ [accessed 17 February 2025]; https://ancestors.familysearch.org; https://www.wikitree.com; https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org; 'Saint Mary the Blessed Virgin, Addington, A Walk Around the Church 2024', text based on an earlier version by Pat Tongue (2000), revised and illustrated by Edward Forman (2020), with advice from Croydon Borough archivist Lindsay Ould, St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Addington; Gower, G., Notices of the Family of Leigh of Addington (London: Wyman, 1878); Warren, F., Addington, A History (Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 1984); and https://gw.geneanet.org/. However, other sources were examined.
• Page 29that Woolley had an obsession with gambling, and may be this was Francis' way of preventing his son squandering the family inheritance. Unfortunately, Woolley died on the 28 December 1644, 15 days later [41 days if you believe some sources). Indeed, had Woolley not have married and had no issue, the estate would have probably gone to his half -brother William. However, it is a matter of record that Woolley married Elizabeth Hare on 20 February 1638, who was a daughter of Sir John Hare of Stow Bardolph, and after the death of Woolley, she remarried a Sir John Lowther of Lowther. Fortunately, Woolley and Elizabeth had started a family, and they had had three children: John, who had died young; Jane, who married a Sir John Lowther, a Knight of Shire for Cumberland; and Thomas, who was the eldest son and his heir. Curiously, in some genealogies the aforementioned Sir John Lowther married Elizabeth Leigh following the death of her first husband, Francis! However, multiple Lowthers named John existed in the same generation, which is the root of the confusion. Sir Thomas Leigh (1639-77), baptised on 4 November 1639, was just 5 years old when his grandfather and father died. As a minor he could not formally be the Lord of the Manor until he came of age. One assumes that either his mother or his half-brother acted as his guardian and trustee. Not much has been recorded about him other than that he married Hannah Rolfe, the daughter and heir of Anthony Rolfe of Tuttington. However, at age 21, at the coronation of Charles II in 1661, according to his tenure, Thomas made a mess of pottage called Diligrout and brought it to the king at his table as he was ordered by the court of claims. The king accepted the service, but did not taste of it. Apparently, Thomas was knighted on the same day and entered into his inheritance. Thomas' youngest son, also called Thomas, died after falling from a horse. It seems alcohol may have been a contributing factor. Thomas' second son, called Woolley, born 1664, aged 40, married Mary, daughter of Mr Hunt of Hevingham, Norfolk. Thomas (Jnr.) died there in 1715. Thomas and Mary had one son, also Thomas, and two daughters, Mary and Anne. Thomas, their grandfather died in 1677, and was succeeded by his son John.
• Page 30and Catherine had produced an heir on 23 February 1681, which they also named John. Sir John Leigh died sometime between 2 September 1690 (the date of his will) and 17 March 1692, when his will was proved, and was succeeded by his son. However, his son was just 10 and the will stipulated that a Christopher Smith, of Clifford's Inn, London, was appointed guardian, because the testator was anxious that the manors and estates should remain within the family, even if the present heir should die without issue. In this case, his property should revert to his brother, Wolley Leigh, with the remainder to Sir Francis Leigh of Tring, Hertfordshire. They had a common ancestor in Sir Francis Leigh of Addington, who had married twice. Sir John Leigh was a child of the first marriage, and Sir Francis Leigh of Tring had descended from the other. However, John and Catherine's son, John, did make it to maturity under the care of his mother and the guardianship of the aforementioned Christopher Smith. Indeed, after the death of John, Catherine appears to have married Christopher Smith and later a William Walsham. Sir John Leigh (1681-1737) of Addington and later of Bromley was born on 23 February 1681. He married on 21 March 1699 Elizabeth Lennard, daughter of Sir Stephen Lennard, who resided at Wickham Court down the road in West Wickham. On St. George's Day 1702 (23 April), John presented the ubiquitous 'dilligrout' to Queen Anne on her coronation, as required by the terms of the tenure of the manor. John and Elizabeth had three children: Francis (1702-1731, who died unmarried) and Elizabeth Katherine (born 1704, but died in 1705). The birth of their third child, Dorothy, in 1707, ended in tragedy with the death of both mother and child. They were buried together at Addington on the 25 April 1707.
• Page 31the day. Sir John became dependant on Vade, not only as his medical attendant, but as one of his property management advisers. Vade was aware that Sir John was the last surviving male representative of the Addington branch of the Leigh family. It seems Sir John trusted him implicitly, and Vade persuaded Sir John, a sickly 55-year-old, to marry Vade's teenaged daughter, Elizabeth. On 16 May 1733, the ceremony went ahead and was recorded in the Fleet registers for legal but clandestine weddings, presided over by a Fleet parson. A Fleet parson was a disreputable clergyman who performed clandestine, irregular marriages in or around the Fleet Prison in London during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Fleet Prison was a London debtor's prison, founded in 1197, rebuilt several times, and notorious for its corruption and chaotic internal life. Fleet Prison was located in what is now the City of London, on the eastern bank of the (now-culverted) River Fleet, roughly where Farringdon Street meets Ludgate Hill, just south of Holborn Viaduct, and immediately north of Ludgate Circus. If you stand on Farringdon Street today, opposite the junction with Fleet Place, you are essentially on the footprint of the old prison. It held debtors, bankrupts, people imprisoned for contempt of court, and their families (who often lived with them). It was a profit-mak- ing institution: prisoners had to pay for food, lodging, and even fees for entering or leaving the prison. The area around it was known as the 'Rules of the Fleet' a semi-lawless district where debtors who could pay for the privilege lived outside the prison walls but still under its jurisdiction. It became a centre for clandestine marriages, and clergy often disgraced, unbeneficed, or imprisoned for debt — performed them. The Marriage Duty Act of 1695 penalised clergy who married couples without banns or licence. But clergy in the Fleet were unbeneficed (not holding a parish living), outside normal ecclesiastical jurisdiction, often imprisoned for debt, and therefore beyond the reach of church discipline. This legal loophole meant they could not be prosecuted effectively, so clandestine marriage business boomed. A Fleet marriage was a clandestine or irregular marriage performed inside the prison, in the prison chapel, in chambers or in taverns and marriage houses in the surrounding "Rules of the Fleet”. These marriages were legal (because they were performed by ordained clergy), cheap, quick, anonymous and required no banns, no licence, and no parental consent. By the 1740s, over half of all marriages in London were Fleet marriages. Only with the
• Page 32Marriage Act of 1753 (Hardwicke's Act) was the practice finally suppressed. John and Elizabeth's wedding was a private-some might say secret— affair. The ceremony took place in the private house of a Mr Keighton of Long Lane, London. This was almost certainly the Long Lane, Southwark (SEI), located near Bermondsey, which runs east-west between Borough High Street and Tower Bridge Road, close to Bermondsey Street, Guy's Hospital, and Borough Station, and known for having elegant 18th-centu- ry homes built in the early 1730s. The only people present were the couple, William Vade, Mr Douglas and the officiating priest. Despite the clandestine nature of the wedding, there seemed to be no legal irregularity in the marriage, for the couple returned to Addington to live in the manor house, along with William Vade and Elizabeth's sister. The event caused much gossip and concern amongst the local inhabitants, for many of them in the village were dependant on the 'big house' for their livelihood, and they were naturally worried about their future. However, life slipped back into its usual pattern until Elizabeth, the young bride, died on 27 January 1736. With Sir John not having any living descendants, it was obvious that when Sir John himself died there would be a change of administration. You will recall that Sir John's father's will stated that in the event of his son John not having any issue, the assets would revert to Sir John's father's brother, Wolley Leigh, with the remainder to Sir Francis Leigh of Tring, Hertfordshire. If that happened, any plans that William Vade had to gain control of the estates through his daughter's marriage to the Lord of the Manor would come to nought. However, Sir John lived for nearly two more years until 16 November 1737, when he died between 9 and 10pm. What happened next is worthy of a novel...
• Page 33A MINI QUIZ - A NONET OF SIMONS! When Frank and I were on a tour of holy and interesting sites in and around Durham, our guide was a retired member of the cathedral staff. Daily he shared his knowledge of places and people, (some would call it 'gossip') but one evening, as we began the return journey to the student rooms that we were borrowing, he said, "Right, it's your turn to work. The New Testament mentions nine men called Simon. Let me know before the evening Prayer time how many you can find.
• An 'English' Marriage (Answers)A consonant walks into a bar and sits down next to a vowelly girl. "She introduces herself as Phenicia. "Hi Phen" he says. "I'll alphabet you've never been here before."
• Page 35hope won't turn out to be a sentence fragment. Then the minister diagrams that sentence and says, “I now pronouns you consonant and vowel."
• MOTHERSUNION families Christian care for St Mary's Mothers' Union
• Page 37Mary Sumner Prayer. 1876. O, Lord let me touch as many lives as possible for thee; and every life I touch, do thou by thy spirit quicken, wether through the word I speak, the prayer I breathe, or the life I live. Amen.
• Page 38Many of you know that Peter Wilson, Lynn and Neil Clark and I travelled to Rome and Assisi in March this year on the Diocesan Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage was organised by McCabe Travel and was offered to both Anglican and Roman Catholic Dioceses in Southwark. There were 50 pilgrims in our group and we were led by Bishop Christopher, Bishop Paul Hendricks, Auxillary Bishop for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark Anglican Cathedral and Canon Michael Branch, Dean of St George's Roman Catholic Cathedral. About a month before we were due to go we were invited to Southwark RC Cathedral to meet others who were going as and get an overview of our accommodation and itinerary. One thing that I was pleased about was the opportunity for both Anglican Eucharists and Roman Catholic Masses during our trip and the ability to receive reserved bread from our priests where we would not be able to participate in the Catholic Masses in this way. When it was an Anglican mass, one of the Roman Catholic priests preached and our Anglican Clergy preached at the Catholic
• Page 39our first day we were given headsets and receivers which allowed us to hear our guide, Georgio who acted as our tour guide to many of the churches and other venues we visited. Our itinerary was very full, on the first morning we had breakfast at 7am and the coach left at 8am, we visited the churches of St John Lateran, St Mary Maggiore (where we saw the tomb of Pope Francis), drove past the Coliseum and Roman Forum and visited the Pantheon all before lunch at a local restaurant then a visit to the Anglican Centre in Rome where we were welcomed by Bishop Anthony Ball and celebrated our first Anglican Eucharist. After this we walked around Rome, stopping regularly for our Roman Catholic Priests who want to visit the many clerical clothing shops on the way and visited the Piazza Navona.
• Page 40We also had to pack that evening as we were leaving Rome the following day to drive to Assisi After breakfast at 6.30, we loaded our cases onto the coach and drove back into Rome for one more time to celebrate a private Catholic Mass in the crypt of the Basilica. It was a memorable moment to hear Mark Oakley, the Dean of Southwark preaching about St Peter just a few steps from the Chapel where St Peter's relics are kept.
• Page 41which we saw in the same town. There were many young people visiting. Assisi at the time of our visit who seemed to relate to this young boy. On our last day, Sunday, we had a free morning so could breakfast at a more reasonable time and explore Assisi on our own or in small groups. I walked up with two other readers and we browsed in the shops and sat in the square enjoying a cup of coffee and people watching. One thing that had disappointed me was the food, particularly in the Rome Hotel and the lack of variety for those of us who don't eat meat. I was able to find a small restaurant down a little alley that could provide me with a plate of truffle pasta and a chilled glass of wine which I savoured in the spring sunshine. In the afternoon, we were taken by minibus to the church of San Damiano where we celebrated our last Catholic Mass together and Bishop Rosemarie who was a fellow pilgrim preached on International Women's Day. After exploring the buildings where Francis had a vision to 'repair God's church', our minibuses took us up to the Hermitage on the slopes of Mount Subasio, the caves that Francis retreated to to reflect on his faith and purpose and walked through the woods where there are many sculptures expressing the saint and his life.
• Page 4242 Photo I - Pope Leo at the weekly papal audience
• Page 43A Nonet of Simons - Answers. Photo 3 - Basilica of St Francis in Assisi
• ADDINGTONBISHOPS WALK ROYAL