Helen and I, along with a number of other parishioners from St Swithun’s, were privileged to attend the service of Thanksgiving for Martin Macpherson on Wednesday in Emsworth. Close to 300 people, many former colleagues from the Royal Navy as well as golfing friends, gathered with this family to listen to moving tributes of his time as a senior Royal Navy officer as well as the love of and for his family.
I managed to catch a few quick words with Gimma after the service and assured her of our love and prayers. Of course, we knew Martin as our treasurer and as one of the key people who, along with Howard Tissiman, drove the car park project through to its successful completion. It is clear that without his sure and steady hand I doubt whether the car park would have been built! I was particularly pleased that I was able to hand over a significant donation from the PCC to the Rowan Hospice, whose teams provided amazing end of life care for Martin. We give thanks for Martin’s life and thanks for the contributions both he and Gimma made over so many years.
One of the things that Martin (and Gimma, for that matter) would be delighted to hear is that, at long last we are in a position to move forward with the roofing repairs at St Swithun’s. All the necessary permits and permissions have been obtained. Contractors are due on site on 19 August.
Here’s the plan we are working towards:
- Sunday 11th August – our last service (joint with St Mary’s) at St Swithun’s.
- Sunday 18th August – church and car park closes to the public.
- Monday 19th August – scaffolding is erected and Heras fencing placed around the church along with remote sensors to deter intruders. Contractor loo on site!
- Tuesday 27th August – complete stripping of the chancel north and south roofs begins.
The scope of the work is to re-felt, re-baton and re-roof the north and south chancel roofs; patch and repair frost damaged tiles on the nave roof and vestry roofs; replace the ridge tiles throughout; clean out, re-fix and re-paint all the guttering; re-fix, weatherproof the tower weatherboards; review and re-tile/repair the tower roof and finally, replace a new stone cross on the east end gable. Phew!
This work will make the roofs secure for the long term whilst still maintaining a cosy home for our common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and serotine (Eptesicus serotinus) bats!
We have a limited window in which to do this work – essentially by the end of October, so conservatively I’m expecting us to be out of the building until Sunday 3rd November. This will be the day of its re-opening and our deferred Harvest Festival at 11.00am. I’m hoping that +David might visit us to bless the stone cross as it is replaced atop of the east end gable.
What will we do in the meantime?
Well, just because the church building is closed, doesn’t mean the church has! We, the people are the church and so we will want and need to continue to meet together throughout this time. To grow and to encourage one another in our journey of faith.
The St Mary’s churchwardens have extended a very warm and generous welcome to us so that we can do this with them – our sister church. In practical terms, we will transfer all planned 8.00am BCP communion from St Swithun’s to St Mary’s on 1st and 3rd Sundays. We are warmly invited to join with our friends at their 10.00am services each week or to worship at St Mary’s Chapel at 3.00pm on 1st and 3rd Sundays. This is not a time for us to vanish or disappear – we need one another so I’m looking forward to growing with and enjoying many of these (enforced) joint services together.
Lots going on, much to give thanks for and good work and progress at St Mary’s with their Cherish Building Project! If you’ve not fed back to the team, please do so – all voices and views are welcome as that vital project continues to take shape.
With every blessing, Revd Paul Bradish