Julian Fellowes at HBS Literary Society

Photos by Richard Wakefield

The Vicar in conversation with Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes at the Henrietta Barnett School Literary Society on Thursday 29 April.

Sunday afternoon visit to the National Gallery April 2010

After celebrating the centenary of the laying of the foundation stones a group of us headed off to the National Gallery for a visit led by Lucrezia Walker.



We met in the Sainsbury Wing



and began by paying our respects to our patron Jude (right) painted by Ugolino de Nerio in about 1324-5.



Then we turned around to look at the oldest painting in the Gallery, The Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Scenes of the Nativity and the Lives of the Saints by Margarito of Arezzo of about 1260.

Then on to the Pistoia Santa Trinità Altarpiece by Francesco Pesellino from 1455-60,


which was next to Saint George and the Dragon by Paolo Uccello, about 1470.



Then we had tea.

St Jude's Centenary

This Sunday marks the centenary of the laying of the foundation stones of St Jude's on St Mark's Day, 25 April 1910. The foundation stone of the Lady Chapel was laid by the Earl of Crewe (at the time Secretary of State for the Colonies) with the words "In the faith of Jesus Christ we place this foundation stone in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Amen" using a silver trowel presented to him by Lady Byron on behalf of the Church Building Committee. The service was taken by the vicar designate, the Reverend Basil Bourchier. The Bishop of Dover (Archdeacon of Canterbury) was the preacher. The clergy and choir, together with the choirs of St Mary's Hendon and All Saints' Childs Hill processed from the Institute to the Church site.

The second stone was laid by the Hon. W.F.D. Smith (later Viscount Hambleden and the grandson of W.H.Smith the newsagent and stationer) with a trowel presented by Viscountess Trafalgar. The stones were designed by Eric Gill and a 'time capsule' bottle was placed under each containing a copy of the Times and other documents.

The Lady Chapel was dedicated and opened for worship on St Jude's Day, 28 October 1910, as work continued on the building of the main body of the church.

On 7 May next year we will celebrate the consecration of the Church and the creation of the parish.

The Suburb by William Ratcliffe

'Hampstead Garden Suburb from Willifield Way' (with St Jude's in the background) circa 1914 by William Ratcliffe (1870-1955) now in Tate Britain.

Hampstead Garden Opera

St Jude's Choir member Lucy Roberts is performing in Hampstead Garden Opera's production of The Clemency of Titus at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate Village, starting next Thursday and running to May 2.

Attingham Trust visit

We welcomed visitors to the Vicarage and Church on the afternoon of Low Sunday from the Attingham Trust 'London House Course' led by Gavin Stamp and accompanied by HGS Trust architect David Davidson.

The participants were looking at the development of the London house from the Renaissance to the present beginning in the medieval period at the Abbot’s House in Westminster then exploring they 18th century through Spitalfields, Brick Lane and the East End before moving on to the aristocratic grandeur of St James’s. The course culminated in Hampstead Garden Suburb representing the 20th century.

Tea was served by our Sunday opening team and was clearly much appreciated.

General Election: Multi-faith hustings

Wednesday 21st April 8.00-10.00pm (Doors open at 7.45pm)

Alyth Gardens Synagogue is holding the hustings jointly with Churches Together in Golders Green and Finchley. Among more general questions we will especially encourage the candidates to answer questions concerning faith community issues, local, national and global.

All of the candidates for the Finchley and Golders Green Parliamentary seat, Cllrs. Mike Freer, Alison Moore and Laura Edge, respectively standing for the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal-Democrats are attending and we will be inviting all other candidates who declare once the election is called. In 2005 only 1000 votes separated Rudi Vis MP from the next highest polling candidate so ours is an important contest in the 2010 election.

Priority on the evening will be given to questions for the candidates submitted in advance to Click to contact Gillian Lee in the Synagogue Office (gillian@alyth.org.uk)

Rabbi Mark Goldsmith will be chairing the hustings.

There is no cost for admission and great Alyth hospitality is assured!

Visit to the National Gallery 25 April 2010

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Sinners and Saints:

Slashings and Shootings

A behind-the-scenes look at the Nation’s paintings

St Jude’s Visit to the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square

Sunday 25 April 2010

Meet at 3pm in the Sainsbury Wing foyer.

ALL WELCOME

Suggested donation £10 for the Central Heating Fund.

Easter at the V and A

Christian Community Views on Objects in the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum

From April to September 2006, seven advisory groups were held with different faith community groups. The aim of these was to consult with the communities to whom the V&A collections were relevant and see what reactions the members of the advisory groups had about the items. The participants were asked to select from groups of pictures of V&A objects and prioritise which items struck them most. These could be for personal reasons or how important they were from a cultural or faith point of view, artistically or whether they still had relevance to their lives today.

Greek Ceremony of Washing Feet outside the Court of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

'I chose the foot washing at the Holy Sepulchre. I've been there a few times, not to the foot washing but to the Holy Sepulchre, so I know it quite well as a building. If a site can be holy in Christianity - which is a disputed question - this is probably the holiest one, being the site of Calvary and the tomb, and therefore Good Friday and the Resurrection are events associated with that. The size of the crowd has a great impact but it also raised for me the question of the future of the Christian community in the Holy Land because it is under considerable threat. I also liked the people hanging off walls (and that kind of thing) but my favourite thing is what appears to be a row of Turkish soldiers in the front. What the Turkish soldiers appear to be doing is protecting the Bishops from the junior clergy - that appeals to me particularly.'

'I also chose Veronica's Veil; the colour leapt out at me. The narrative is the Way of the Cross and Veronica gives her veil or handkerchief in the old-fashioned sense to Jesus, to wipe his face of sweat and blood as he carries the cross. The image of his face is imprinted on it when it is returned to Veronica. The name Veronica, of course, means true image. I think it is very important because it is the prototype of all Christian art and justifies Christian art. Christian art needed to be justified in light of the commandment against making images but if Christ himself made the first image by giving his on Veronica's cloth then that justified it in practical terms and in theological terms.

Christian art is justified because of Christ himself as the incarnation: through his incarnation, Christ is the image of the unseen God and therefore images become a legitimate way of portraying divine matters telling of sacred stories in Christianity. So in that sense, it is the most fundamental of all Christian images. And she is seen in many churches as one of the Stations of the Cross; she is seen in my own church, so is familiar that way.'

Revd Alan Walker

Proms at St Jude's 2010

Sir Willard White and Clare Teal

ARTISTS of international reputation will be performing in aid of charity at this year’s annual Proms at St Jude’s music festival. The event runs from June 19 to 27 and is the 18th Proms to take place . . . Read on at . . .

Easter Day