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NOVEMBER 2020 1 2 MISSION A community seeking to live well with God, gathered around Jesus Christ in prayer and fellowship, and committed to welcome, worship and witness. The Church Office Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6AL 01756 710238 [email protected] The Rector The Rectory, Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 [email protected] Website www.boltonpriory.church The Tower of Bolton Priory is open for private prayer from 09.00 to 17.00 every day. Everyone is most welcome to come and say a prayer and light a candle. Access is restricted to the Tower, and we ask that no more than one individual or family group enters at one time. At the Sunday 10.30 Morning Service, attendance is limited. Please telephone 01756 710238 if you would like to attend. WEDDINGS and FUNERALS : By arrangement via the Church Office. 3 4 Issue Number 476 NOTE FROM THE RETIRING WARDEN TO THE PCC November 2020 There are far fewer opportunities these days to communicate From Revd Nicholas Mercer amongst ourselves, so I thought I would take this opportunity to explain to the PCC the background to my recent resignation as November is the month of Remembrance: Churchwarden for Bolton Priory. On the first Sunday we remember our Saints on All Saints Day as well Many people will remember that back in April 2019, I told the PCC as those who have departed this life on the feast of All Souls. This is that I would like to stand down, having served for eight years and followed by Remembrance Sunday when we remember those who through two interregna. However, I felt that I should continue for died in two World Wars and conflicts that have sadly blighted our one more year, in order to provide continuity as Nicholas settled country ever since. himself in as our new Rector. I therefore fully expected to be able to stand aside at the APCM in April 2020. My own family is probably similar to many others both in this parish As we know, that APCM could not take place, and so I found myself, and around the country. My Grandfather joined a Yorkshire Infantry somewhat involuntarily, serving my tenth year as Churchwarden! I Regiment to fight against Germany in 1914. He was just eighteen could have waited until a postponed APCM, currently scheduled for years old and responded to the call to arms after the violation of November, but we are all aware that public gatherings in these times Belgium neutrality agreed in the Treaty of London 1839. Along with are very much hostages to fortune. Submitting my resignation at this other members of my family from Leeds and Hull, all those of fighting time allowed me to take control of events, as well as allowing others age responded to a similar call to arms in 1939 when Germany again to step into that role in my place. In that context, I would like to wish violated International Law by invading Poland. As the former Rector Susan Barker all the best as our acting Churchwarden. of the Falkland Islands, I was daily aware of the just basis for the Writing to you also gives me the opportunity to place on record my grateful thanks to Matt Hey. Matt and I have been Churchwardens Falklands War after the Argentinian invasion in 1982. together for over nine years, have seen a great deal, and been This country should be proud of standing up for International Law through many trials, tribulations and successes together. Clearly we throughout the past century and rightly honour those who have are very different people, but, as the ‘Ying and Yang’ of Bolton sacrificed their lives in defence of freedom. We honour them on Priory, have complemented each other’s skills perfectly and have Remembrance Sunday. However, as the Archbishops and Bishops been, I believe, an extremely effective team together. Many thanks, have rightly pointed out in their recent letter to the Government ‘If Matt, for all your friendship and support. laws can [now] be ‘legally’ broken, on what foundations does our My resignation does not mean that I am disappearing from the democracy stand?’ Priory scene. I am the final link in the weekly chain that produces our online services, and I continue to run the website and the Facebook As we stand and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice page. As and whenever possible, I will still be singing in the choir, this month on Remembrance Sunday perhaps it would be worth and as soon as we can restart the programme, I will again be remembering, at the same time, what they made their sacrifice for. responsible for Priory concerts. As one door closes, another opens... Many thanks to you all. Nicholas Paul Middleton 5 6 THE PRIORY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM This will now take place at 12 noon on Sunday 22 November in Bolton We recently visited the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Abbey Village Hall. Staffordshire. It first opened to the public in 2001 as the UK’s year- There are vacancies for two Churchwardens, elected annually, four round centre for Remembrance. It contains more than 370 memorials Deanery Synod representatives and five vacancies for the PCC. Sandra for military and civilian organisations and associations, together with Stubbs, the PCC Secretary, will be in the Tower on 08, 15, and 22 tributes to individuals. November with the appropriate forms for anyone who wishes to fill We were surprised by the sheer size of the site. It encompasses over one of these posts. Proposers and seconders will also need to sign the 150 acres of formal gardens, wildflower meadows and maturing forms. woodland. Whilst it is still a young arboretum, 30,000 trees have been Please come equipped with your own pen. planted, including all of the British native species as well as a number Sandra will be able to answer any queries on those dates and can also of specimen and foreign varieties which have been symbolically be contacted on 01943 463332 if you need any further information. chosen to represent the stories they tell. The accounts and AGM documents will also be available for collection There were several connections to Yorkshire, including monuments to on those Sundays. These reports can also be found online the Green Howards and The Prince www.boltonpriory.church or by emailing the Church Office of Wales’ Own Regiment of [email protected] . Alternatively you can send an A4 self Yorkshire. addressed envelope with a stamp to the value of £1.15. If you wish to be included on the Electoral Roll before the AGM, which enables you to vote and attend the meeting, please contact: Rosemarie Fisher the Electoral Roll Officer, 01943 607486 or [email protected] as soon as possible. She can then post or email you the form to complete and return. The roll will be closed for any changes or additions by close of business on Sunday, 08 November. THE PARISH OFFICE The Parish Administrator, Margaret Cody, is now working from the Parish Office and no longer from her home. Therefore the office telephone number is 01756 710238. The email remains the same. The Office is open until 15.00 on Mondays and Fridays and until 12 noon on Wednesdays. If you wish to visit masks must be worn and hands sanitised. I found the children’s memorial MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING particularly moving, a garden with A cheque for £1,299.70 has been sent by Bolton Abbey to Macmillan white planting. At its centre was a for their Coffee Morning. I cannot thank you all enough for the tree dedicated to Anne Frank. The support you have given. We have surpassed last year’s exceptional blossom on this tree is cut off as total. I am now worrying about next year!! soon as it flowers in remembrance that Anne herself was not allowed Margaret Cody, Church Office, 01756 710238 to bloom. Val Middleton 7 8 9 10 PAINTERS OF THE PRIORY PART 1 His last visit was in 1834. He painted this picture which Bolton Priory has stood for nearly 900 years but it wasn't until the was published in a book of 18th Century, when travel became more widely available, that this poems by Samuel Rogers, area, and the Priory in particular, became so popular with the artists particularly for the poem and poets of the day. ‘The Boy of Egremont’. This The most famous painter of our landscape was Joseph Mallord famous work was about the William Turner who first visited Bolton Abbey on a visit to Yorkshire in son of Alice de Romille, Lady 1797 but had the of Skipton Castle and the opportunity only to founder of the Priory. Her make a very quick son was allegedly drowned sketch while his coach at the Strid. changed horses at Turner's friend and companion was Thomas Girtin. He and Turner Bolton Bridge. He were born within weeks of each other in 1775 and within a stone’s was so struck by the throw of one another in London. He accompanied Turner on several beauty of the place sketching tours to Yorkshire and stayed with him at Farnley Hall. that he returned the During this time he too produced a number of beautiful paintings, following year to engravings and sketches of Bolton Priory. paint this lovely watercolour in 1798. Important support for Turner's work came from Walter Ramsden Fawkes, a Yorkshire landowner and Whig Member of Parliament for York who became a close friend and avid collector of Turner's work.