SHORTLANDS PARISH�NEWS St. Mary’s, Shortlands endeavours�to�bring�the�love of�God�into�the�everyday�lives of�the�people�of�Shortlands. thewww.stmarysshortlands.org.ukwww.stmarysshortlands.org.ukwww.stmarysshortlands.org.ukSPAN July 2013June�2013.�Year�33�Number�6 Year 33 Number 7 Moving forwards, shaped by the past The period since I moved into the Vicarage has felt a strange time; a time of limbo in that I have been here yet have had a sense of not being here as I have had no role in church. At times like this it is easy to feel restless and unsettled, particularly when you find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings without your usual landmarks and points of reference. Catching the train into London, it felt very strange looking out the window not recognising where I was, seeing different stations after my familiarity with the route from Liverpool Street, the District and Central lines. The date of my collation service, 15 June, is also the day that the church remembers Evelyn Underhill. She wrote on prayer and Celebrating Rev Morag’s service of Collation: (left to right) Rev Jane Peters, the spiritual life, in particular Christian Rt Rev James Langstaff, Rev Morag Finch, Rev Richard Finch mysticism, in the early twentieth century. Evelyn became known as a retreat director Many of the experiences we have had in our lives make us the and spiritual guide and was much associated with Pleshey, the people we are today. retreat house of Chelmsford Diocese. ‘God is always coming to you in the Sacrament of the It struck me as a nice touch of serendipity that, as I formally Present Moment. Meet and receive Him there with gratitude in leave Chelmsford Diocese to begin my ministry here at that sacrament’ – Evelyn Underhill. Shortlands in Rochester Diocese, there is a link. A date which Rev Morag Finch has significance in one place will from now on have significance to me in another. It feels like a handing over from one chapter in my life to the next one. FRIENDS OF ST. MARY’S, SHORTLANDS I am aware how often in our lives we bring the past with The Friends invite you to a us as we move forward into the future. We constantly move SUMMER SOIREE into the future but at the same time are shaped by our past. Special�Services�&�Eventsin the Church Grounds on Saturday, 13 July from 6.30 to 9 pm Saturday,�15�June4 Play Sax will play at intervals during the evening 3.30pm The�Collation�of�The�Reverend�MoragDress: smart casual Finch Tickets: £3, available from the Church Office - The�Right�Reverend�James�Langstaff, Bring your own picnic. In Church Hall if wet. Bishop�of�Rochester Sunday,�16�JuneSpecial Events and Services 10.30am Family�and�Parade�Service - Reverend�Morag�Finch Sunday 7 July 10.30amFollowed�by�Parish�Picnic�&�Barbecue Family and parade service Sunday,�30�JuneSunday 21 July 10.30am6.30pm Borough�of�Bromley�Civic�Service,�celebratingChoral evensong Guide District Commissioner Helen Last ran the barbeque at the Parish Responses: Sanders Picnic to raise funds for the Girlguiding trip to Peru where she will be one the�year�of�office�of�Councillor�Ernest�Noad, Canticles: Murrill in E of the leaders this summer. She was assisted by a team of Guide and Cub Mayor�of�Bromley�2013��-�2014 Anthem: Let all mortal flesh keep silence (Bairstow). Scout leaders, from left: Gill (Rusty), Helen, Louise, James and Diane. - Reverend�Morag�Finch Hilda HollowayKaren Bigg John Stevens From�the Hilda was Holloway born just off the Old Kent RegistersFrom�the RoadHilda wasand born attended just off school the Old in Ruby Kent The�Heating�Saga�-�the�end? Street.Road and She attended wasIn May a good schoolwe student learned in andRuby of a theIn The�Heating�Saga�-�the�end?death February of 2012 the boiler,A memorial which running service within was eight held weeks. at Registers In February 2012 the boiler, which running within eight weeks. hardStreet. worker. She was a On good Christmas student and Day a heats the water for the central Once the fundraising was Mrs Karen Bigg, Headteacherheats at the water for theSt centralMary’s to celebrateOnce the the fundraising life of was HolyHoly�Baptism Baptism 1938hard atworker. the age of On 21 Christmasshe married Day her heating in all the church buildings, underway we went on to repair the Highfield Junior School: burst.heatingshe had This in allbeen was the a disaster church buildings,asJohn we hadStevens,heatingunderway who system died we went in in May onchurch. toaged repair It took the WeWe�welcome�into�God’s�family:Holy�Baptism welcome into God’s family: husband1938 at the Alfred age whomof 21 she she married had met her at ill for some time. aburst. very coldThis wasFebruary a disaster and March as81 we years. hadlast Thesomeheating service, time system to findand in engineersthe church. funeral that It took had We�welcome�into�God’s�family: thehusband cinema Alfred and shortlywhom she after, had because met at 2627�Jan���Madison�Pankhurst May Delilah Davidge Karen was a highly dedicateda very cold February and Marchwhich last precededsome time it, were to find taken engineers by that had ofthe the cinema war, and the shortly familymoved after, because to the year. After we established that the the necessary skills to repair the 227�Jan���Madison�Pankhurst June Jason�Dunnet Peter Brown year. After we established that the the necessary skills to repair the Tunbridgeof the war, Wells theHeadteacher family area. moved and to she the willboiler be sadly could not be repairedCanon we Dougheaters. Redman. This work has now been Jason�Dunnet boiler could not be repaired we heaters. This work has now been TunbridgeLike most Wellsmissed people area. by Hilda the made school the andimmediately by her started a fundraisingJohn wascompleted known andthrough all the the Church many heaters At�Rest immediately started a fundraising completed and all the Church heaters mostLike of most thingsfriends people during and Hilda the colleagues made war and the inprogramme the Highfield to pay for a newyears boiler. he servedare working. this community This took many as monthsthe AtWe�extend�our�sympathy�to�thoseAt�Rest Rest programme to pay for a new boiler. are working. This took many months wentmost to of work things in during a munitions the war factory and At the same time we looked into because we needed to maintain the Wewho�loved:We�extend�our�sympathy�to�those extend our sympathy to those community. She was a calm,At the kind same and time we lookedreliable, into trustybecause and we friendly needed proprietor to maintain the beforewent to later work moving in a munitions to the Accounts factory the possibility of a temporary heating in the Church Hall for the who28�Jan���Beryl�Baines,�aged�95who�loved: loved: caring person who placedthe children’s possibility of a temporaryof Jollye andheating Wood in Estate the Church Agents Hall at for the Departmentbefore later movingof the GPO. to the Accounts heating solution, but did not Pre-school and other Hall users - so 30�Jan���Hilda�Holloway,�aged�9528�Jan���Beryl�Baines,�aged�95 learning and wellbeing atheating the centre solution, of butShortlands did not Pre-school Station. and other Hall users - so 31 May Marilyn Crawford, aged 65DepartmentHer daughter of the Christine GPO. was born proceed as this was likely to cost as we could only switch off the heating 30�Jan���Hilda�Holloway,�aged�95 all decisions for the school.proceed as this was likely to costBorn as inwe 1931 could at onlyWest switch Dulwich, off the heating in 1947Her daughter and joined Christine in 1953 was by born son much as a new heating system! to carry out repairs during the much as a new heating system! to carry out repairs during the Michael.in 1947 and joinedMrs inBigg 1953 was by a sonpart of theWe Highfield had to cancel theJohn hall andwas evacuatedholidays. during the War, We had to cancel the hall and holidays. Michael.Not contentcommunity with being for ‘just’13 years, a meeting startingroom at lettings andbut movethe familyThe returned final work to wasDulwich completed in meeting room lettings and move The final work was completed in Remembering housewife,Not contentHighfield Hilda with persuaded being Junior ‘just’ School her a theas the Pre-school Deputy to the Scoutin 1945, Hut, whenFebruary. John We left now school have aand much more whichthe Pre-school has electric to the heating. Scout Hut, We efficientFebruary. boiler We now and have all the a muchfan heaters more BerylRemembering Baines husbandhousewife, to takeHeadteacher Hilda on thepersuaded corner in 2000. shop her After taking joined the Royal Navy. He served for thenwhich searched has electric for a heating. new heating We inefficient Church boiler are working and all the (two fan had heaters been ItBeryl wasBaines very fitting that Beryl’s funeral inhusband their to village take on and the they corner worked shop up a headship in Medwaysystemthen for searchedseveral but found forthat a new beforeseven heating weyearsdisconnectedin Churchplus a further are working some five (two yearsin hadthe ago). been wasIt was held very at fitting St. Mary’sthat Beryl’s Shortlands funeral happilyin their together, village seven and they daysa worked week, Marilyn Crawford years, she returned in Septembercouldsystem proceed but found with that this we beforereserve. needed we HeHowever,disconnected was a thefaithful Church some supporter is years a very ago). large evenwas held though at forSt. the Mary’s past Shortlands few years forhappily many together, years enjoying seven days the chatting a week, 2007, initially as Acting Headteacher.tocould remove proceed asbestos with this from we theof needed the boiler RoyalbuildingHowever, Naval and theAssociation when Church the is temperatureever a very large sheeven had though lived nearer for the to past her daughter.