Pepperpots Magazine of The Friends of Southwell Cathedral – issue 53, Spring 2021 Editor’s Welcome p. 2 Dean’s Column p. 2 Country Sayings and Folklore Out & About p. 3 Charlie Leggatt writes Canon Precentor p. 3 Fairtrade & Eco Church p. 4 Last autumn, as part of the ‘Leaves of Southwell’ project, the Minster’s education The Rt Revd Patrick Harris p. 5 team invited us to share reminiscences for their ‘Memories of Nature’ initiative. Hilary Tinley retires p. 5 Over the years, I have put together a miscellany of country sayings, folklore and related Money Matters p. 6 passages…see more on the pull-out poster inside. Legal & Admin p. 7 Southwell Music Festival – the return! p. 11 Cover images: Lockdown never stops our vergers, who take advantage of Southwell Minster’s Autumn Lecture and Reception p. 11 closure to catch up on cleaning and maintenance inside and out. Editor’s Welcome Charlie Leggatt Putting together the Spring 2020 issue of Finally, I wonder if any reader has come across the prayer below? Pepperpots was a complete rollercoaster. I’ve googled it, but to no avail. At my home church, it is used as the Each time it was ready to go to print, the then preamble to the Grace on the few occasions when our worship is led new Covid-19 crisis threw some spanner in by the laity (the season mentioned changing according to the time the works. A year on and the vaccination of year). I reflected recently upon its reference to those in hospital programme does seem to suggest that there as we continue through the pandemic, as well as its simple message is, at last, a light at the end of the tunnel. of gratitude for all that we have. I’d love to hear if a reader knows The 2020 Festival and Annual General who composed it and when. Meeting had to be cancelled, but we hope this year’s gathering can go ahead on Saturday We remember before God all those who make our journey 12th June (details on the enclosed inserts). However, if you plan to here happy and fulfilled, our families and our friends. come, do please check in advance either via the contact details on We hold in our hearts those who live a long way from us the back cover or, which is much simpler, by letting us have an email and we don’t often see. address so that we can proactively let you know the position. In which We remember before God all those who are sick in body regard, many thanks for the continuing encouraging response to the or in mind, people in hospital, people undergoing difficult news and information emails we have been sending out. To join our treatments; and we remember before God all those who have, contact group, please email: [email protected] for a while, lost those they love and are sad. Your information is stored in accordance with our GDPR policy We remember all prisoners in their isolation and suffering (available on request) and you can of course unsubscribe at any time. throughout the world, especially prisoners of conscience. Postponed as well last year was our Russian Art exhibition, but this We thank God for all His mercies to us: for making our should take place now with the opening day being that of our Festival. lives in this beautiful place, for giving us good food, Many thanks to the Minster team for letting us hang the paintings good homes and good friends. in the south quire aisle and, as ever, our gratitude to the wonderful We thank Him for the countryside in summer and for our vergers for all their help with the preparations. The exhibition runs gardens and fields. We thank Him for the gifts of the spirit, until Thursday 24th June. books and music. We thank Him for our animals who give A third casualty from last year – and indeed from this spring – us such happiness. was the talk on the Canadian artist Tom Thomson; this will take Most of all we thank Him for allowing us to come here each place now on Wednesday 10th November in the Nave. Finger food week in fellowship and worship as we say the Grace together… and wine/soft drink from 6.30pm, talk at 7.15pm. Tickets: £10 for The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and subscribing members £14 for non-Friends. Please register in advance the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. at [email protected] (or by calling 01476 550023) and bring cash or cheque (to The Friends of Southwell Cathedral) Amen on the night. If you paid last year, there is of course no need to do so again. Dean’s Column The Very Revd Nicola Sullivan By the time you open Pepperpots, I hope you I welcome a special focus on the natural world in this edition. ‘Caring are looking forward to greater freedom, for God’s Creation’ is the Church of England’s initiative, aiming for seeing family and friends, socialising, all our churches and buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030 - not an taking a holiday and returning to all that inconsiderable target. This is no longer just a special interest for some makes life enjoyable and fulfilling after a in the Minster but now is mainstream for everyone. We can all make a very difficult few months over the winter. difference in the individual choices we make. Southwell Minster has an We are told the effects of the pandemic extraordinary opportunity as a rural cathedral to take a lead, not least will bring about accelerated change in the as we conclude the Leaves Project and ponder the unique artistry left ‘Great Reset’. How we shop, hold meetings, to us by the stone masons over seven centuries ago in their celebration travel and work are just a few examples, of the beauty, abundance, variety and harmony of God’s creation. and indeed how we worship. Livestreaming, Zoom and Teams are Looking back helps us to look forward with confidence. The Archbishop words we hardly knew a year ago! Yet, we human beings are made of Canterbury recently remarked “One thing is abundantly clear: for relationship, communication and social interaction which the the Church of England has been a bedrock of faith, love, hope and internet can never entirely fulfil. We hope, at very least, to hold compassion in this country for centuries through wars, plagues and the 2021 Friends Festival and AGM ‘in person’ this year and to see pandemics — we still are, and we will go on being just that.” many of you again. The pandemic is also highlighting the crisis in climate change Thank you for being part of Southwell Minster’s future. and forcing us to see how the way we live impacts on the environment. p. 2 Out & About Pauline Rouse writes As Pepperpots goes to press, the country is on the cusp of emerging from the third lockdown period, but the timeframe for the easing of restrictions is not set in stone. However, in the hope we can safely organise an autumn outing, please ‘pre-register’ by letting me have your contact details and I will forward information about any trip as and when the situation becomes clearer. Photos taken by Email: [email protected] Andrew Todd, Head Telephone: 07557 196243 Verger, and his Deputy, Michael Tawn, from high scaffolding in the Chapter House. Canon Precentor With eighteen months under his belt now as Canon Precentor, Richard Frith puts pen to paper (or finger to keypad) for Pepperpots. The story goes that in 1972, the Chinese choral tradition, and had then, as a vicar in Halifax, helped to restart premier Zhou Enlai was asked about the a chorister tradition that had been dormant for a few years. But I had impact of the French Revolution, and he never been part of a cathedral worshipping community. Whereas replied: ‘Too early to say.’ Unfortunately, almost all one’s new colleagues – especially in the music department, the story is not entirely correct: it turns out from the Rector Chori to the choristers – have known the ways of that the ‘revolution’ that was being referred cathedral music from early days. to was not that of 1789, but rather the My first six months were a steep learning curve, including my first (much more recent) Paris student uprisings cathedral Christmas. I began to get used to planning services in ways of 1968. Nevertheless, Zhou Enlai’s saying that required maps and instruction booklets – all done with the expert has entered history as witty evidence of the Chinese nation’s help of wonderful colleagues without whose aid I would have sunk propensity to take the long view of things. without trace. I organised rehearsals for choirs and servers, at which I mention this story because I have often found myself wanting to participants politely went along with the fiction that the run-through respond similarly when asked about how my time here in Southwell was for their benefit rather than mine. By the beginning of Lent, I was is going, how I and my family are settling in, and so forth. I have now looking forward to my first Easter at the Minster with a sense that been Canon Precentor at the Minster for eighteen months – in normal I was beginning to get the hang of it all. times, long enough to get one’s feet under the table and to begin to And then the world changed.