TRULY MAGNIFICENT

On Saturday, at the Ilford Hospital Chapel, we had a truly wonderful concert entitled “Aspects of Love” given by opera star Deborah Aloba. Deborah trained at Roehampton gaining a BA Honours in Music and also studied at Goldsmith University. Deborah has performed at recitals in Italy, Germany, the USA and the UK as well as starring in operatic roles including Carman, Delilah, Azucena, Amneris, Dido, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Dorabella, She has performed in various oratorios including The Messiah, St. Matthew’s Passion and Faure’s Requiem. She has taught singing for the last 15 years and is working with children with special needs and behavioural difficulties and is studying to become a Music Therapist.

Deborah was accompanied by accomplished pianist Anne Reece who is currently Head of Instrumental Music at Surbiton High School for Girls.

The varied programme was introduced by Vivyan Ellacott who, until 2010, was General Manager and Artistic Director of the Kenneth Moore Theatre where was responsible for producing 28 operas,130 musicals and numerous plays and pantomimes. Vivyan gave a wonder introduction to each piece.

With its barrel roof the acoustics in the Chapel are suburb and Deborah used them to their fullest advantage. It was a truly magnificent concert and we are pleased that Deborah will be appearing again in another recital in the Spring on a date to arranged

A MATTER OF LITTLE INTEREST!

For ages and ages, since the start of the recession, banks and building societies have paid miniscule amounts of interest to savers, despite the fact that when they lend that money they charge considerably higher amounts to the borrower.Many mortgage lenders now add what they call a product or arrangement fee and this is often part of a scheme to reduce, by a small amount the interest charged. It seems to me that this is just another way of increasing profitability. I gather that some of these institutions won’t refund the fee if the mortgage doesn’t proceed.There is no doubt that the banks and building societies are raking in money from their clients but not paying it to their savers. It is high time that steps were taken to regulate banks and building societies. It sticks in my throat that millions are paid to their staff in bonuses (mainly in the banking world) yet the return to the saver is so paltry.

THE NEW BISHOP OF WHITBY

It has been announced today that the new Bishop of Whitby is to be Father Phillip North. Father Phillip is well known to many readers of this blog –  for a period he was the Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Please keep Father Phillip in your prayers as he prepares to take up his new responsibilities.

DEMOTED HOUSING MANAGER IN COURT OVER GAY MARRIAGE COMMENTS. WHO'S NEXT?

FROM AN EMAIL FROM COALITION FOR MARRIAGE

Today a housing manager, Adrian Smith, is in court trying to recover his lost earnings because his employer demoted him and slashed his salary by 40 per cent …all because he said on Facebook that gay weddings in churches would be “an equality too far”.

Mr Smith made his comment on his personal Facebook page, outside of work time. His page was not visible to the general public. Only his chosen friends, and their friends, could see it. That included some of his work colleagues.

His bosses at Trafford Housing Trust in Manchester charged him with gross misconduct. The only reason he didn’t get fired was that he had been such a good employee over many years.

The press later found out that Trafford Housing Trust took action against Mr Smith because it was, in part, worried that it might lose a gay rights charter award if it didn’t take a tough line.

He has spent a great deal of time trying to reason with his bosses, but he has exhausted the internal appeals procedure and they have refused to see sense. Now a County Court judge will have to decide whether the Trust acted unlawfully.

Even Peter Tatchell, one of the chief activists pushing for marriage to be redefined, says Mr Smith has been harshly treated and should be reinstated.

Mr Smith’s case is the kind of injustice that I believe will happen more often if the Government goes ahead and redefines marriage. Supporters of traditional marriage will be punished in the workplace, particularly in the public sector. It’s wrong for someone’s career to be damaged just because they voice support for traditional marriage.

The serious implications for civil liberty don’t end there. The widespread impact has been outlined in a legal opinion, written by a top human rights lawyer Aidan O’Neill QC. You can download and read a one-page summary of it here.

All of this shows that the Government’s plans to rewrite marriage are divisive, illiberal, far-reaching and should be dropped.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Hart
Campaign Director
Coalition for Marriage

FREE TRAVEL FOR 60+

If you are over 60 and live in London you are eligible for an Oyster Card which will provide free travel on the tube, bus and railway which is in the area covered by Transport for London.

You will need to provide:

• A colour digital photo
• An active email address
• Proof of identification and address
• £10 fee

You will not be eligible if you:

• Have, or are eligible for, an older or disabled persons Freedom Pass
• Have a Veterans Oyster photocard
• Are under 60
• Don't live in a London borough

Free travel on Transport for London (TfL) services for all Londoners when they reach 60 years old will be restored from 1 November when the 60+ London Oyster photocard scheme goes live.

The new scheme fulfils the Mayor Boris Johnson's pledge to bridge the gap for older Londoners since the age of eligibility for the London Council's Freedom Pass was raised by the Government.

To find out more click here

NEW SECRETARY OF FORWARD IN FAITH

After 19 years as Director of Forward in Faith Stephen Parkinson is to retire and is to be succeeded by Dr Colin Podmore, who is currently the Clerk to the General Synod of the Church of England. In a Statement Bishop Jonathan Baker F-in-F Chairman said:”It is thanks to the tireless work of Stephen Parkinson that Forward in Faith has been able to make such an impact on the life of the Church of England. As its Director, he has played a pivotal role in building Forward in Faith into the distinctive and dynamic organisation that it is today. It is a tribute to Stephen’s achievement that we have been able to attract so distinguished a successor.’

‘Colin Podmore will bring to the role a wealth of experience at senior level in the Church of England. He is passionate about the faith and order of the catholic Church as received by the Church of England and has long been committed to the visible unity of the one Church of Jesus Christ,’ Bishop Jonathan added.

Dr Lindsay Newcombe, Vice-Chairman of FiF, said: ‘Forward in Faith gives hope and confidence to the many young Anglicans of orthodox faith who need a structure in the Church of England within which they can thrive and share their faith with others. Colin is well equipped to support us in making that vision a reality.’

Colin Podmore, a Cornishman, read history at Keble College, Oxford, and trained as a teacher at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He taught German at S. Michael’s Church of England High School in Chorley, Lancashire, before returning to Keble to research for his Oxford DPhil in church history. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. His publications include Aspects of Anglican Identity (2005) and articles on Anglican ecclesiology. On the staff of the General Synod from 1988, he was successively Deputy Secretary of the Council for Christian Unity, Secretary of the House of Clergy, Secretary of the Liturgical Commission, and Secretary of the Dioceses Commission. He was also secretary of groups that reviewed the processes for choosing diocesan bishops and making senior church appointments and oversaw the publication of the Common Worship liturgy. As well as being Clerk to the Synod, Colin is also the Director of the Central Secretariat of the Archbishops' Council and Director of Ecumenical Relations.

FORWARD IN FAITH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

 

 

To hear the various reports of the National Assembly click here