www.oxford.anglican.org October 2016 no 284 thedoor Win a copy of Lighted God in the Life of Bishop The BFG’s hidden home - Playgrounds for Palestine UK - page seven Windows- page five Steven - page 16 page 11 ‘Bridget Jones’ church in the Ride and Stride DESPITE wind and searing rain hundreds of people turned out for the annual Ride and Stride to raise funds for historic churches in the Diocese. And one of the churches highlighted in national publicity was St Lawrence’s, West Wycombe, where the wedding scene in the new Bridget Jones’s Baby movie was filmed. St Lawrence’s is already on the tourist map as it is on West Wycombe Hill, a National Trust park, which features the stately home of the Dashwood Family. Brian Prosser, the treasurer at St Lawrence’s, had previously worked with film production companies before he retired from his work as an insurance broker. He first heard that the film company were interested in the church when he took a call from West Wycombe Park. “They told me they were interested in using the church for the wedding scene. About 20 people turned up, the full production team for Bridget Jones.” Part of the deal meant someone from the church was present every day during the filming, so Brian, his wife and his daughter-in-law watched the whole process. “They completely stripped the church, they took everything out, even the font, but they took photographs of everything and put it all back. The day after they left you would never have known they had been there,” he said. Joshua Harris, of Cohanim Architecture, poses at St Lawrence’s, West Wycombe. Photo: John McAllister “It was jolly interesting. I had to sign a confidentiality statement saying I The film crew also left the flowers, which services. to publicise the event at St Lawrence’s. wouldn’t discuss what was going on. They Brian says must have cost thousands Brian was speaking just a few days after The trusts across the country aim to filmed a couple of different endings for the of pounds, for the church. Brian said the Ride and Stride, which despite the raise funds for repairs to churches and has scene. there were enough to decorate both St bad weather, saw people riding cycles and helped St Lawrence’s with a donation of “They came back two weeks later to Lawrence’s and St Paul’s Church, also in horses and walking around churches across £5,000 towards a £7,000 repair scheme for borrow a pew for a day because one of the West Wycombe. The production company the UK, to raise money for the Historic dry rot. also delayed the filming so that they scenes hadn’t come out very well. They took Churches Trusts. The National Historic Continued on page two... the pew to the studio to re-film it there.” did not disrupt Remembrance Sunday Churches Trust used the Bridget Jones line 2 News ‘Bridget Jones’ church in the Ride and Stride A safari with a difference Continued from page one While not an urgent project, St Lawrence’s is working with Joshua Harrison of Cohanim Architecture to re-build a room that was demolished in the 1960s because it was unsafe. The £50,000 scheme will provide a room for children’s work, as well as providing more space during special events. Across the Diocese, churches were open, many with refreshments, for people taking part in the Ride and Stride. Basil Eastwood, Chair of the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, took part in a peloton of A team of Striders from the Swan team of churches in Buckinghamshire six people, including Bishop Colin, after a damp day’s walking. The full story is online. to cycle around churches for the annual event. “The weather the Buckinghamshire Ride and It was hard but with proper wet Photo: Shutterstock wasn’t what it could have been Stride, said: “Lots of churches weather gear it was okay and most but we all had a good time and were open with refreshments and of the churches had made the there were lots of heritage open effort to provide tea and coffee.” BATS swooping around the nave and chancel in response to ended up rather pleased,” said Evensong vibrations in the summer inspired the churchwarden days. I did cut my ride slightly The Bridget Jones’s Baby Basil. Sponsorship is still coming Wendy Osborn to organise a safari with a difference. in and being counted, but the short in the end as visibility was movie was due to be released in She invited Julie Hopton and Margaret Grimsey of the North event usually raises around getting so poor.” cinemas from 16 September. Bucks Bat Group to lead a Bat Safari. Around 30 people of all ages £130,000 for the Oxfordshire Nina said that in her Deanery Historic Churches Trust. alone there were two long walks, looked at displays and leaflets, children created bat masks while others used the opportunity to explore the ancient church. Julie Nina Newton, from the one of 17 miles and one of 18 Filming in churches can Buckinghamshire Historic miles. “There was one walk that be a great opportunity for talked about bats and their life histories. The audience responded Churches Trust, cycled 58 miles left from Waddesdon at 10am and raising funds and for positive with questions and Julie and Margaret dispelled some of the fears on an Eliptigo – a stand-up bicycle got to its destination at 6.45pm.” publicity, but a Faculty is and superstitions that surround these nocturnal creatures. that works both the legs and the Clive Betteridge, of the needed. Contact the Registry Wendy said: “One highlight of the evening was meeting upper body. Nina said she spent Berkshire Historic Churches on 01865 297211 or your Rose, a rescued noctule bat who sat on Julie’s arm munching 18 hours travelling between Trust, cycled 14 miles and visited Archdeacon. delicately on mealworms. When it was time for us to take a break, churches in the wet weather. several churches. He said: “The refreshments more palatable to the human congregation were Nina, who has been publicising weather put a lot of people off. served - hot chocolate, chewy brownies and fresh coffee.” When it was completely dark, the group went outside and using Vicar sets off on fundraising sabbatical pilgrimage detectors tuned into the chattering world of bats. Julie said: THE Revd Jonathan Meyer, the centre in East Oxford. Jonathan is to chat to the members about “We walked together along a footpath to the lakeside nature Vicar of Ewelme, is walking a said: “It is run by an enthusiastic nothing in particular. Just being reserve nearby, a rich source of food and habitats. Then, as a full sabbatical pilgrimage to Santiago young team with a huge range with people and listening when moon slowly rose above the water, it created a golden pathway de Compostela. of talents and backgrounds. I that is required is paramount.” to where we were standing. The murmur of pipistrelles and The walk, which is just less than pop in from time to time and daubenton bats reached a crescendo of song and we fell silent, enjoy a good lunch. Volunteering 500 miles, is along the medieval To donate go to www. awestruck by the experience. It was breathtaking; an evening of sometimes involves washing up pilgrim route. Jonathan is raising justgiving.com/Jonathan- our lives few of us will forget.” but the most important thing money for the Porch, a drop-in Meyer Super-modern £3.7m community building opens in Burford TWO weeks of celebrations scarier as they realised that they exercise classes, local society marked the opening of Burford’s needed a hall that was going meetings, AGMs and private super-modern £3.7m new to cost £3.7m if it was going to parties. Warwick Hall to the public. serve the church and community David Findlay from Acanthus Currently the biggest for the next 100 years. Clews is the architect responsible church hall building project The church office has moved for the design. The building is in Oxfordshire, the facility to the new hall, which is inkeeping with the Cotswold has taken seven years to come transforming what the church stone of the historic town and to fruition. The two-storey can offer, from a marriage course individual rooms will be named renovation has seen the original to lots of space for children in the after the major benefactors. medieval building near to St John lively Sunday club, to quiet rooms The Greening Room will honour the Baptist Church more than for counselling to a community the late Olive Greening, whose triple in size. It will be used for Christmas lunch. legacy funded a huge amount church and community activities of the scheme. Olive and her and is much-needed as Burford “We want to husband Herbert lived in Burford does not have a town hall or all of their lives and worshipped community centre. tell the story of at St John the Baptist’s. The The planning started back in Gauntlett Room remembers Liz 2009 when, at a church weekend God’s love and Gauntlett, a churchwarden who away, the Rt Revd Paul Williams, died in her mid 40s who left her The opening celebrations at Warwick Hall. Photo: Chris Knight. then Bishop of Kensington, had estate to the project, and Audrey generosity.” love and generosity. challenged the congregation to Tremaine’s legacy is marked with have ‘a big, bold, scary vision that The Warwick Café is open daily The Tremaine Room.