Friends,
I wonder if our name helps make us the person we are. Would I be the same person if I were called Torquil or George or Brendan? As it happens there are Williams on both sides of my family, Willie, Bill and Will, so almost by default I have always been known as William.
Friends,
The Lionesses, England’s Women’s Football team have booked their place in a World Cup Final. It is a great achievement and following on from their winning of the European Championships last year, they continue to change attitudes, making a significant impact on their sport and wider society. The final between England and Spain at Stadium Australia on Sunday will be shown live on BBC One, with kick off at 11am BST, thus presenting some church members with a dilemma. Worth noting that both Sunday Service and World Cup Final can be watched at alternative times… https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/live-stream and https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66521251
Friends,
Two contrasting sporting farewells have occupied the media in recent days. (Apologies to those whose pulses are not quickened by events on either the green swards of Test Match cricket grounds, or the more distant pitches of the current Women’s Soccer World Cup.) On the former, Stuart Broad declared he was playing his final Test Match for England – a full house to witness the decider of a dramatic Ashes Series (England v Australia.) He duly hit his last ball as a batsman for six, and then, as a bowler, took the final two Aussie wickets to lead England to victory. It was about as perfect an end as you could dream up.
SAVE THE DATE: Congregational Away Day, Saturday 30th September 2023: Towards a Positive Shared Future for St Columba’s, Pont Street
Friends,
Plans for our upcoming Congregational Away Day on Saturday 30th September are coming together. The day will be led by Revd Russell McLarty & Dr Magdalen Lambkin, both volunteer practitioners with Place for Hope https://www.placeforhope.org.uk/
Friends,
While on leave recently I spent a very enjoyable afternoon at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. I am amazed at the imagination and the technical skill of those who created the show gardens and was especially drawn to “The Oregon Garden”, inspired by the beauty of America’s West Coast.
Friends,
It was a privilege to conduct worship at Chelsea Methodist Church last Sunday. There has been a Methodist church on that site since 1903 but like St. Columba’s it took a direct hit in 1941 and was subsequently rebuilt. Someone described it to me as “The Tardis Church” – much bigger inside than it looks on the outside. In fact, it is now the only church with a door on King’s Road but behind that narrow entrance are a variety of rooms, including a beautiful sanctuary and I am very grateful to the congregation for their warm welcome.
It is ten years since Dunblane’s finest, Andy Murray won the Wimbledon men’s tennis championship. Prior to that triumph in 2013 his tournament record in SW19 was: 2008, quarter final; 2009, 2010 & 2011, semi-final; 2012, runner up. On the Sunday morning of the final in 2012 I recall a church member telling us that his mother had told him he shouldn’t waste time watching the final, as “Murray will never win!” On that occasion, her low expectations were met. Happily, a year later, Murray defied the odds and clinched the title. It took a long time, was seemingly beyond his grasp, but it did come.
Many of you will be familiar with the tale of Greyfriars Bobby, Scotland’s most loyal hound. Less familiar is the story of Hachiko – born one hundred years ago in Japan – and currently enjoying anniversary celebrations.
Friends,
It always seems to me that one of the many arguments for the existence of St. Columba’s is that as long as Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, the established Church of Scotland should be represented in the capital of the United Kingdom.
Friends,
One piece of St Columba’s history often proves attention-catching for some of our visitors – though perhaps some finding it less “fascinating.” We are built on a cricket ground. In a week of high cricketing drama – yes that does exist – it seems appropriate to remind ourselves of our foundations. (I am indebted to Session Clerk, Charlotte Bradford, for the following detail.)
Friends,
On Wednesday 14th June, seven members of St. Columba’s representing the Benevolence Committee and the Napier Fund visited the offices of the charity Veterans Aid, situated in Victoria Square, a delightful location hidden away near Victoria Station. The charity was founded in 1932 by Mrs Gwen Huggins, whose husband, an officer in the Seaforth Highlanders, was Adjutant at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea from 1932-35. Moved by the sight of men who had served their country sleeping rough on the streets of the capital at the height of the Great Depression, she resolved to do something about it. By all accounts she was a formidable woman and in 2023 all Veterans Aid activities still revolve around helping ex-servicemen and women in crisis. Ninety-one years later the charity has played a significant part nationally in the reduction and eradication of homelessness among veterans by offering immediate and practical help.
Friends,
Earlier this week our elders met in the Lower Hall. For once they were not wrestling with the demands of a Kirk Session agenda but gathering for an evening, strictly social, to welcome our ten newest elders. To aid the “getting to know you” intention, we prepared a “Guess the Elder” Quiz. In advance, a variety of elders had submitted a piece of information about themselves which “no one else would know.” So, the task was to try and identify some of the following:
Friends,
When I lived in Dundee it was known as “Bin City” because we had so many different bins for our recycling and I conscientiously sorted out, glass, plastic and paper, etc on the appropriate dates. In contrast in Hammersmith and Fulham all our recycling goes in the one bag which is collected every Friday morning. It really is much easier, but I was puzzled that all our recycling was thrown in together until our friendly bin man explained that a very sophisticated machine sorts it all out and is able to differentiate between glass, plastic, paper, tin and so on. He even invited me to the depot to see it in action, but I haven’t done that yet.
Friends,
One of my hobbies is family history and researching one branch of the family tree I was puzzled to discover that one ancestor of mine seemed to have a later date of birth on one document than on another. A professional genealogist pointed out to me that until the state old age pension was introduced in 1908 most people simply didn’t think about their birthday. It was only when they had to prove their age in order to be eligible for the princely sum of 5 shillings per week that birthdays acquired real significance for the majority of the population.
Friends,
After he retired as a hospital consultant a friend of mine worked for a while as GP on Ascension Island, the remote British territory in the South Atlantic, located almost eqidistant between the coast of Africa and South America and with a population of 806. The island was first spotted by the Portuguese sailor Joao da Nova on Ascension Day 1501, the day 40 days after Easter when Christians traditionally celebrate the return of the risen Christ to his heavenly father.
Friends,
The photos above give a small taste of Coronation week. On the left, St Columba’s member, Ian Aitchison, one year shy of his century, enjoying the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. (Readers of Hello Magazine can further enjoy pictures of Ian chatting to Queen Camilla.) Meanwhile, on the right, evidence of a very happy gathering on Sunday in the Lower Hall, for the Coronation “Street Party” Lunch. Attendees were treated to delicious eats and a lovely, relaxed and enjoyable company. We are very grateful to all those involved in planning, preparing, sharing, and clearing a truly memorable event.