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Farewell Fr. Michael

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Farewell Fr. Michael No. 62, June 2007 Published by the Jericho Community Association – www.jerichocentre.org.uk Farewell Fr. Michael Vicar retires vindicated after Father Michael has has played an traumatic final year important part in May 2 saw the end of an era in Jericho with community life in the retirement, on his 70th birthday, of Jericho. One of his regular tasks the Vicar of St Barnabas, Father Michael has been to draw Wright. Father Michael served in Jericho the raffle at the for 27 years, not just as a parish priest, but Jericho Street Fair. as a leader for the whole community who This year’s fair is helped establish the Jericho Community on June 9, and as Association. usual there are lots His efforts to reach out to everyone of valuable prizes. were evident from his first posting in the 1960s to a parish in Willesden Green where he worked with a large Caribbean immigrant community. ties such as badminton and some meetings. different officer launched the prosecution Intrigued by this experience, he asked But it was very run-down. They arranged that put Father Michael’s life on hold. “To for a posting by a Church missionary so- for it to be renovated by the Council and it be honest”, he says, “knowing that noth- ciety and went to the Bahamas where he was reopened in its present form in 1984 ing had happened, I previously hadn’t worked from 1968-72. He then returned – still owned by the Church but leased via taken the issue too seriously. Now I had to England to work in the parish of St. the Council to the Jericho Community As- no choice”. Stephen’s in Lewisham. sociation for a peppercorn rent. At the trial in London, the prosecu- In 1980 he arrived in Jericho as Vicar of Father Michael also became a local tion’s case soon began to fall apart. The St. Barnabas, whose living is in the gift of magistrate, though he always avoided tak- accuser regularly changed his story and Keble College. As before, he soon engaged ing on cases involving Jericho residents. wrongly described both Father Michael in community activities. One major contri- For a number of years he was chair of and the location of the alleged assault. bution was his alliance with our then local the Community Association and subse- Other altar boys from that time rallied to councillor, the redoubtable Olive Gibbs, quently remained a key member. Lately, testify in Father Michael’s defence. On to make better use of the Church Institute as one of the trustees of the Institute, he March 27, the jury took just a couple of building in Canal Street. At that point the also played a central part in the decision to hours to dismiss all the charges. It subse- building was being used for sports activi- contribute the proceeds of the sale of the quently emerged that the accuser had pre- current building towards the construction viously made allegations of assault against North Oxford of a new centre on part of the canalside several other people. PROPERTY SERVICES development site. Over the years, Father Fortunately, the case was resolved in Michael has also been involved in major time for Father Michael to return to his building works at the Church, notably the duties to conduct the Easter services for Property letting restoration of the tower and ‘bells’, and the last time. He still faces a bill of many the laying of a new floor. thousands of pounds for his defence. Al- & management After all this activity he might have though he should be compensated for most been looking forward to a peaceful tran- of this, he has yet to find out by how much. Specialising in Jericho sition to retirement. Instead in December “I would”, he says, “like to thank the very 2006, he found himself under arrest. A many Jericho residents who rallied to my Established 17 years man, now aged 40, had accused him of support at a very difficult time”. sexually assaulting him when he was an His first retirement task, he says, will be 47 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AD altar boy at St. Stephen’s. The accusations to refurbish the house he has now moved Tel: 311745 www.oxfordlet.com had first been made in 2000 but were not to in Headington. So far, a new vicar has pursued by the police. Then last year a yet to be appointed. June 2007 – Jericho Echo – 1 Street Fair 2007 Waiting for Spring This year’s Jericho Street Fair will be held on Saturday June 9 from 12 noon until pring Residential, the company that 4.30 p.m. There will also be bands playing Shas bought the canalside development live music outside the Bookbinders until 9 site from British Waterways has yet to put p.m. This promises to be the biggest street in a planning application. In February they fair ever with a wide variety of stalls and made an initial presentation to the people entertainment. With so much going on, the of Jericho at the Community Centre. This Community Association is usually short- gave only a very general water-colour im- handed at critical moments We would be pression of what they proposed. But even very grateful therefore if people could vol- at this level of detail few people were im- Spring’s depiction of its development unteer to help for an hour or two on the pressed by a rather unexciting offering. day. No experience needed. Please contact Spring is using the same architects who Spring conceded this demand at the outset Sue Pead at 557902 or email: prepared the ill-fated Bellway plans. and in May exchanged contracts with the [email protected] The main obstacle at present is the Community Association to sell a plot for need to replace facilities that had been £1, subject to both parties getting planning provided by the Jericho boatyard. The permission. The JCA has now started ap- Public Inquiry in 2005 made it clear that plying for grants for the additional funds it these had to be provided in an ‘equally ac- needs, including to the National Lottery. cessible and suitable location’. Jericho’s The only alternative to Spring at present land-based residents are also keen that the is being coordinated by Peter Strong, of site should have some boating character to St. Bernard’s Road. He envisages a much maintain the community’s long historical more imaginative use of the land, reflect- association with the canal. ing the Church’s associations with Venice, Spring has been discussing with the and Jericho’s with John Ruskin. He has the boaters the different options. One solu- support of the Ruskin Society and some tion could be a small repair operation in respected architects, but has yet to identify Jericho for working on boats in the water, a source of funds to buy a site for which supplemented with a larger one elsewhere, Spring reputedly paid around £4 million. Lulu Taylor, of Great Clarendon Street possibly at Yarnton, where boats could be When Spring does make a planning ap- selling food at last year’s fair. taken out of the water. plication, the Community Association will The other requirement from the Plan- organize a public meeting at the Church to ning Inspectors had been to offer some land discuss the development. At the Street Fair, Celebrity trash on the site for building a new community residents will also have an opportunity to For some reason, Jericho’s travails with the centre. This issue has now been resolved. make suggestions about the new centre. new recycling scheme have attracted the attention of the national media, with vis- its from BBC1 and the News of the World. Lively Community Association AGM Channel 4’s Dispatches programme also weighed in, asking people to put their two he Jericho Community Association held by our community beat officer PC Steve weeks-worth of non-recyclable rubbish in Tits AGM at St. Barnabas School on April Gibbens, and an update on the Canalside a yellow bin so that they could see how 19. This included a presentation on the redevelopment plans. Sue Pead reported much there was. A bin too far for some proposed redevelopment of the Radcliffe on a very successful year in running the residents. Meanwhile the Council has sent Infirmary site. On the whole, people Community Centre. The JCA president, Jan 129 warning letters to people in Jericho seemed very impressed by an attractive Needle, also paid a warm tribute to Father who are blocking the pavements all week looking, university-based development. Michael – or the ‘padre’ as she calls him. with their wheelie-bins, bags and boxes. This will also provide the site for a new George Taylor had stepped down Jericho Health Centre with much better as Chair during the year to concentrate facilities. on fundraising for the new centre, to be Capstone Councillor Jean Fooks was present with replaced by Vice-chair Charlotte Christie. a Council officer to answer questions on The meeting chose next year’s officers: Archway the new recycling scheme. Residents had a Chair, Charlotte Christie (Canal Street); Office supplies series of worries, including a resurgence of Secretary, Jenny Mann (Victor Street). The Fax-Photocopiers-Cordless Phones rats as a result of the fortnightly collection, committee members are: Phoebe Brookes the flimsiness of the purple bags and what (Cranham Street); Paul Cullen (Richmond Answerphones-Computer Accessories to do about people who park their wheelie- Road); Paul Hornby (Walton Crescent); • Friendly, helpful service bins permanently on the pavement.
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