Author Archives: Monty Erskine

College of St Barnabas has record breaking year at CRE

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The College of St Barnabas received an all time record number of visitors during CRE 2013 at Sandown Park. In previous years the College expected to meet some 400 people during the four days of the exhibition. This year they received almost 500 visitors to the stand.

“We have been delighted with the response this year,” commented the Warden, Fr Howard Such. “We have not only seen more people, but made better and more informed contacts than ever before. This shows the benefit of committing to the exhibition over a period of time. As well as exhibiting at Birmingham in October, we shall certainly be back at Sandown next year for more!”

Among those who visited the College stand were authors Adrian Plass and John Cox (seen here with his twin brother Paul) and Larry Bush, who is Chairman of the Giving Committee at Hexham Abbey who regularly support the work of the College, as well as being a fellow exhibitor as a director of Traidcraft.

CRE 2

Nursing Room

Extra facility for respite care now available

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The College is especially well placed to provide short- or medium-term respite care. 

We also welcome carers who wish to stay at the College along with patients, and those who may prefer to take “time out” in a prayerful atmosphere while their loved one receives alternative care at home.It is a place of quietness and spiritual peace which provides the ideal setting for care during convalescence after illness or surgery.

The College has single rooms available for this purpose, all offering en suite facilities.

Visitors are always welcome, subject to clinical needs.

If you would like to explore this possibility further, please telephone or click here to email the Warden to discuss your needs.

John Stott

John Stott

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John Stott

John Stott

(Died 27 July 2011)

The author of over fifty books on the Christian faith and former Rector of All Souls’, Langham Place, John Stott came to live at the College in 2007. He received many visitors from around the world whose lives he had touched during a truly international ministry. He was founder-director of the London Contemporary Institute for Christian Theology of which he became President in 1986 until his retirement in 1991.

It was the privilege of the College of St Barnabas to be John’s home for the last four years of his earthly life. During that time he became a friend to many here and an inspiration to all. He described his move to the College as part of “God’s good provision” for him, and confessed himself thankful for the opportunity to live as part of this community.

In his last book, “The Radical Disciple”, written during his time here, John speaks warmly of the College as “a rich Christian community of worship and fellowship, a context congenial to thinking and writing.

John generously supported the College’s fundraising with much letter-writing and many introductions. Please join in responding to his request to help us by making a donation in his memory.

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The Bishop, the Dean, the Puppets and the Rats

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The Bishop, the Dean, the Puppets and the Rats

Bishop of Southwark

The Bishop of Southwark

Distinguished guests encouraged hundreds of visitors to attend the College Festival centred around St Barnabas’s Day.

The Bishop of Southwark preached at the Festival Evensong on Thursday 9th June, which was followed by the annual Garden Party. The marquee came to the rescue in unpredictable weather enabling the Bishop to continue mingling with residents, families and friends over tea.

Dean of St Paul's

The Dean of St Paul’s

On Friday 10th June over a hundred diners joined residents of the College for Pimms on the lawns before sitting down to a five course banquet. Between courses of the meal, College Patron Mr Peter Ainsworth took centre stage as an auctioneer, inspiring generous guests to pay over £1000 for the lots on offer. After dinner, the Dean of St Paul’s, Bishop Graham Knowles, kept his audience laughing with anecdotes of his experiences in ministry. He also applauded the work of the College and encouraged his listeners to continue supporting it generously.

Upbeat Puppets

Upbeat Puppets

The Festival Week ended with an Open Afternoon on St Barnabas’s Day itself, 11th June, when more visitors than ever came from miles around for tours of the College. Peter and Diane Hellyer of Upbeat Puppets gave two performances with a huge range of characters ‘singing’ Christian songs. To complete the day, live jazz was provided throughout the afternoon by the ‘Rats’ – the highly popular Royal Ascot Trio.

The "RATs"The "RATs"

The “RATs”The “RATs”

The Rats will be back playing again at next year’s Open Afternoon, Saturday 9th June 2012.

The guest speaker at the Festival Dinner on Friday 8th June 2012 will be writer and humorist, Adrian Plass. To email your reservation for tickets to the Dinner, click here.

MP Opens Refurbished Rooms

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MP Opens Refurbished Rooms

residents

Meeting Residents Over Coffee

MP for East Surrey, Sam Gyimah, visited the College on 20th May to open formally the refurbished care rooms.

After coffee, Mr Gyimah formally opened the newly appointed rooms, cutting a ceremonial ribbon at the entrance to this part of the College.Mr Gyimah enjoyed lunch and spent time meeting Residents over coffee. He was clearly impressed by the wide diversity of ministries with which Residents have been involved. “The College is full of fascinating people who have accomplished remarkable things,” he said.

Cutting the Ribbon

Cutting the ribbon with (l-r) the Warden, the Matron and the Chairman

“The work has been beautifully done,” he enthused, “and the refurbished rooms are wonderfully light and airy.”

He went on to unveil a commemorative plaque and toured the College, learning more about its history, seeing and the restoration work in the historic chapel.

The renovation of the four residential care rooms formed part of Phase 1 of the Development

Unveiling The Plaque

Unveiling The Plaque

Project which was completed earlier this year (to read more, click here).

College Successes Shown at CRE – 13 May 2011

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College Successes Shown at CRE

The College Stand at the Christian Resources Exhibition was alive with the successes of the past year.

13 .5.2011 crowds arriving at sandown park

Crowds arriving at sandown park

13.5.2011 main exhibition hall

The main exhibition

13.5.2011 mandy briars with the warden drwing the winner of the prize draw

Warden awarding prize.

Hundreds of visitors were inspired by the news about Dame Judi Dench’s photography (see more here) and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s support for the Development Project (to read more of this story, click here).

Even better news was the completion of Phase 1 ‘On Time and On Budget‘ and also that work is now under way to save the stonework of the great Kempe window in the Chapel and to restore the reredos and panels of the altar (click here for more information).

One visitor, Mr Chapman of Camberley, had special cause to celebrate when Mandy Briars, the Event and Operations Manager of the Exhibition, drew his name as the winner of a bottle of champagne and a box of handmade chocolates!

The Warden and his team will again exhibit the work of the College at the 2012 Christian Resources Exhibition. To register a request with the College for complimentary tickets, click here. We look forward to seeing you.

Chapel Restoration Under Way

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With the first Phase of the development project successfully completed, work has begun on the restoration of the Chapel, thanks to the success of last summer’s appeal.

 

03.05.2011 chapel restoration. sancury beforeThe sanctuary before restoration .. Work began when the reredos was removed from the chapel to the studios of the conservators where it can be restored while the other work continues on site. 

The beautiful Pre-Raphaelite paintings in the front of the altar (see right) were also de-mounted and they, too, will undergo painstaking cleaning before they are replaced when the sanctuary is restored.

 

With the fine art safely removed, it was then necessary to protect the remaining panelling and the altar itself, so a temporary inner wooden wall was constructed. Scaffolding could then be erected inside as well as out.

 

This will enable urgently needed repairs to the stonework of the great window by C. E. Kempe (left). Like all his work, it bears his famous ‘signature’ mark of a small wheatsheaf in the corner. If the work had not begun soon, it would have been necessary to remove the window altogether. As it is, the glass will remain in place while the exterior is re-pointed and new steel bars are inserted to support the leadwork. On the inside, layers of flaking paint are being carefully removed from the stone mullions before they are repaired and restored.

 .. The sanctuary during restorationThe sanctuary during restoration
The great window by C E KempeThe great window by C E Kempe One of the angels from the front of the altar One of the angels from the front of the alta

 

 

 

 

College Patron Dies

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College Patron Dies

It was with great sadness that the College learnt of the death of Lord Pilkington of Oxenford.

Lord Pilkington

Lord Pilkington

Canon Peter Pilkington, who had been a Patron of the College since 2007, died on 14 February. He generously agreed to become a Patron as he already knew of our work and wanted to help make it as widely known as possible.

He was particularly attracted by the fact that, from its earliest days, the College has been home to many who have worked in missionary service in Africa and elsewhere. He himself joined the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa before returning to train for ordination at Westcott House.

Lord Pilkington (second from right) at the 2009 reception

Lord Pilkington (second from right) at the 2009 reception

 

As well as visiting the College, Lord Pilkington was an enthusiastic presence at a reception held at the House of Commons in 2009. Sadly, after this his health did not permit him to visit us again, although we remained grateful for his continuing prayers.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his family, and our gratitude for his commitment to the College at the end of his life.

X May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

To read more about Lord Pilkington’s last engagement with the College, click here.

On time On Budget

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On Time and On Budget

Thanks to the generosity of the many donors who were inspired by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s appeal, and the support of trusts and other sources, Phase 1 of the College Development Project is complete.

01.02.2011 on time on budget room
One of the refurbished rooms

Four Residential Care rooms have been beautifully refurbished and now provide the highest levels of comfort. The contractors were asked to have the project ready to hand over on 1st February and the first Resident moved into one of the rooms of 31st January!

Existing windows have been double glazed, three new windows have been installed and massive amounts of insulation have been incorporated into the ceilings. There is even a facility to draw hot air out of the en suite bathrooms, dry it and deodorise it, and then re-circulate it to keep the corridors warm.

01.02.2011 on time on budget exterior
The restored exterior 

There has been as much care lavished on the exterior. The oldest part of the Central Block has a new roof which, as well as being sound again, looks as good as it must have done when this part of the College was first built in 1900.

At the same time, the chance was taken to complete the other high level repairs that were needed.

“It’s great to see the scaffolding down and the College looking wonderful again,” commented one resident. “The new rooms are a joy to live in – warm, comfortable, light and spacious.”