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Bedford Tree Festival opens in grand style
The 20th Bedford Christmas Tree Festival was launched this morning with
the Bedford Pipe Band marching into St Paul's church, filled with
Christmas Trees . Widow Twanky brought out the Panto theme with her
tricks and stories to the delight of school children who had just
entertained visitors with traditional Christmas carols. 'Oh no it isn't'
they cried out. 'Oh , yes it is', the Dame replied.
Helen Nellis, Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, who opened the Festival
said: 'It is always a pleasure to be in this beautiful town centre
church. To see it filled with so many trees decorated by a host of
community groups, charities, schools and businesses is a real joy and
prepares us for the Christmas season."
"Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends work tirelessly throughout the year
to provide extra facilities and equipment for our hospital". She added
"St Paul's historic building has its own ongoing maintenance costs not
least the additional heating bills this winter. It is fitting that the
Festival income should be shared with this church at the heart of our
community."
The Festival is open daily until Sunday 5th December, 10-5 (10-4
Sunday). Don't miss this chance to see how decorators have excelled with
the panto theme and to vote for your favourite tree and children can
have fun in the competition to spot Panto characters hidden among the
trees. Entry: £3.00. Under 16 free.
There are still a few tickets left for the Festival Concert by Minerva
Piano Trio playing Mozart, Vivaldi, Ravel and Stravinsky on Friday 3
December 7.30 pm. Tickets are priced £17.50 and available from
www.peoplesfundraising.com/concert-tickets
Further details 01234 340163 at
www.facebook.com/bedfordchristmastreefestival
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Tree Festival celebrates 20 years
This year is the 20th anniversary of one of Bedford's biggest Christmas
attractions, the Christmas Tree Festival at St Paul's church, run
jointly by the church and Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends.
It has become established as a firm favourite for many, who start
their Christmas by visiting the historic and beautiful St Paul's Church
lit by trees, decorated by local community groups, schools and firms.
Jayne Beard Associates are kindly sponsoring the festival again in
memory of Jayne Beard who was a former Chairman of the Bedford Hospitals
Charity. This year's theme is "It’s Panto".
The festival runs this year from Wednesday 1 December to Sunday 5
December 2021 and is open Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and on
Sunday 12noon-4pm. Admission is £3 for adults and free for children
under 16.
Choirs feature daily and this year there will be returning visits
from The Bedford Rock Choir, Music for Memory, Hammers Community Choir,
Sharnbrook Community Choir and others.
The annual concert will be held on Friday 3rd December at 7.30pm with
the 'Minerva Piano Trio' performing pieces by Ravel, Stravinsky, Mozart
& Vivaldi. Tickets are priced £17.50 and can be purchased by calling
01234 783181 or via the website
www.peoplesfundraising.com/concert-tickets.
If you wish to join the list of choirs or decorate a tree, please email
Margaret Oakley (Chairman) on
mboakley@hotmail.co.uk |
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Charles Whitbread launches major appeal for St Paul's tower, clock
and bells
Thursday 28th October saw the launch of a major appeal at St Paul's,
Bedford to restore the tower fabric, overhaul the obsolete clock drive
and chiming mechanisms, refurbish the historic ringing room, and rehang
its 12 bells.
The clock and bells installation are in urgent need of restoration to
prevent them from falling silent.
The current bells are among the finest sounding in the country, and have
been pivotal to the development of change ringing in Bedfordshire dating
back to the 1600s. Ringers have travelled from far and wide to ring at
St Paul's. The ringing chamber is adorned with boards recording historic
peals rung for national, civic, and church events.
The clock, originally installed in 1811, is the largest church clock in
North Beds and is one of the earliest surviving public clocks of its
type.
Charles Whitbread, Appeal Chairman, whose family at Southill Park have a
long association with St Paul's, addressed a reception at St Paul's and
said:
"This is a unique opportunity to overhaul the tower, clock, ringing
chamber, and the bells so that their familiar sounds can ring across
Bedford for a further 100 years or more. I hope that our appeal today
will be supported by the people of Bedfordshire as generously as their
forebears supported the last major appeal of this kind in 1896, and we
can leave a similarly impressive legacy for the town".
£500,000 is the estimated cost for the project. A very generous grant of
£200,000 has kick started the appeal but Mr Whitbread urged guests to be
generous and to spread the word so that many more people will support
this exciting project.
Chris Pickford, Past Master of St Paul's Company of Ringers and an
acknowledged expert on clocks and bells, gave an illuminating
presentation on the history of those at St Paul's, showing the cracked
frames supporting the bells and the dangerous conditions of access,
highlighting the need for this restoration.
The evening concluded with a recital of Change Ringing on Handbells with
their pleasing sequences of rhythmical sounds.
The project leader, Stephen Stanford who has led major bell hanging and
restoration projects both locally and further afield, said:
"Our aim is to undertake the highest quality and most complete
restoration possible, consistent with St Paul's status as a Major Parish
Church."
Guests at the evening's launch included Cllr Jane Walker, Speaker of
Bedford Borough Council, Deputy Lieutenants and former High Sheriffs,
representatives of various funding Trusts, numerous bell ringers from
across the county and beyond as well as members of St Paul's. Cllr Jane
said:
"The people of Bedford are fortunate to have these exceptionally fine
bells and clock marking time on this historic church, at the very heart
of the town centre. I urge them to support this project so that
generations of ringers can learn to enjoy the value of bell ringing".
The evening was hosted jointly by St Paul's PCC (Church Council), The
Dorothy Porter Trust and The Friends of St Paul's who also provided the
refreshments.Steve Stanford who is leading the Bells, Tower and Clock
Appeal at St Paul's,
talks here to local BBC Radio on the reason for the appeal and the
importance of the tower, clock and bells for Bedford.
For donations to this project or to sponsor the refurbishment of a bell
or clock face, please contact Claire Price, Appeal Secretary at
www.bedfordclockandbells.com (Email
clockandbells@stpaulschurchbedford.org.uk)
or send a cheque to The Treasurer, St Paul's church, Bedford MK40 1SQ.
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Tower, clock and bells appeal
St Paul’s bells have rung out over the town since before the Reformation
not only for religious services and festivals but also for many national
and civic occasions. The current ring of 12 bells was cast by John
Taylor of Loughborough mostly in 1896/7 and is amongst the finest
sounding in the country, being one of the earliest examples of true
harmonic tuning. The bells and ringers at St Pauls have been pivotal to
the development and advancement of the art of change ringing in the
county since its inception in the early 1600s. The walls of the ringing
chamber are adorned by many boards recording peals rung to commemorate
national and Church events and the notable ringing achievements of the
Bedford band.
Some of the tower fabric is now in a poor state of repair, and the bell
installation and clock are deteriorating and in urgent need of
restoration to prevent them from falling silent. The bells have become
increasingly difficult to manage, and are thus less frequently rung. The
heaviest eight bells hang in an oak frame at the weakest point of the
tower, supported on a pine sub-frame that is badly cracked, resting on
stone corbels that are shifting. The lightest four bells are hung high
in the base of the spire, increasing the potential for the tower to
move. The bells weigh over 7 tonnes in total and exert forces of almost
30 tonnes on the frame and tower when rung. The clock auto winding and
chiming mechanisms are no longer serviceable and the drive shaft and
gears to the hands are worn. Additionally, the external clock dials and
hands are in need of restoration.
In 2019, encouraged by the Dorothy H Porter Trust, a requirements
specification was prepared and quotations sought for a full restoration
of the tower, clock and bells. Various consultations took place with an
independent structural engineer, the church architect, and the DAC, and
proposals were obtained from the leading firms of bell-hangers and clock
engineers. The total cost of the project to restore the tower
infrastructure, along with the clock and bells, and put them in good
order is estimated at around £500,000.
An event, hosted by The Friends of St Paul’s was held in the Church on
the evening of Thursday 28th October to launch the fund-raising appeal.
Currently an appeal brochure,
web site,
and other social media presence is being established that will provide
additional information about the history of the tower, clock, and bells;
also details of the appeal and its progress including how to donate and
provide support to the scheme. Please check back regularly for updates.
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Tuesday lunchtime concerts set to return
St Paul's church, Bedford launches a new series of lunch time concerts with a
piano and organ recital by Paul Edwards on Tuesday 21 September, 1.00 pm.
Paul's programme will include Bach, Haydn, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Gershwin,
as well as 16th and 20th century pieces by lesser-known English composers.The
recital is free with a retiring collection (suggested £5) in aid of church
funds.
Other programmes in this new free autumn lunchtime concert series will include
Soprano and Tenor solo singing, recitals of Flute, Cello and Piano. Details to
follow.
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Bedfordshire orchestra comes to St Paul's in October
The first evening performance in St Paul's for over 18 months is
scheduled to take place on Saturday October 16th, when the church will
host a chamber orchestra from the Bedfordshire Orchestra Society.
The concert will be their first live performance since lockdown. The
chamber orchestra will play a mixed programme showing a full range of
instrumentation, with pieces to include Elgar’s Shed Music, Petite
Symphony by Gounod and Brahms’ Serenade No. 2.
Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased via the ticketing
website
Eventbrite. Further information on the concert can also be found on the
Bedford Sinfonia's
website.
The programme starts at 7.30pm with doors open from 6.45pm. All proceeds
from ticket sales will go to support St Paul’s and it's vital role in
Bedford and beyond.
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Solidarity for Refugee Week at St Paul's
St Paul's will be hosting a small installation of creative pieces by
local schools and community groups on the theme of 'Solidarity' as part
of Refugee Week, a UK-wide festival (2),14th to 19th of June. Creative
pieces will also reflect the lived experience of those seeking asylum
who tell their powerful stories of struggle and hope. Relevant
organisations are also welcome to display information about their work.
Members of the public are invited to take a quiet and reflective walk
around the church to view the installations, open 12.00-2.00 daily.
Fr. Luke Larner, assistant curate at St Paul’s, said:
"St Paul's church, with its history of opening its doors to
individuals from across the world from all walks of life, is ideally
suited to host these displays and to be a point of reference for those
seeking to be informed."
Throughout the week St Paul's will be running an online campaign
including short interviews to hear more about the work many
organisations are doing to support people. Videos will be available on
Facebook,
instagram and
St
Paul’s YouTube channel
Organisations partnered include:
BRASS (Bedford Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support)
Yarl’s Wood Befrienders
Migrants Organise
Local schools
Local art groups
Soul Food Poetry
Strict COVID precautions will be followed at St Paul's in its large and
well-ventilated space.
Earlier this year, Fr. Luke took part in a campaign among other local
faith and community leaders to raise questions about controversial plans
to house 200 people seeking asylum on a temporary site adjacent to
Yarl’s Wood IRC. Concerns were raised about the suitability of the site
and the potential impact on the wellbeing of the proposed occupants. The
plans have now been scrapped, and the site dismantled, with questions
being raised about the process and the significant expenditure on the
project.
Notes:
Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions,
creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
Founded in 1998 and held every year around World Refugee Day on the 20
June, Refugee Week is also a growing global movement. This year's theme
is ' We cannot walk alone'. Through a programme of arts, cultural,
sports and educational events alongside media and creative campaigns,
Refugee Week enables people from different backgrounds to connect as
well as encouraging understanding of why people are displaced, and the
challenges they face when seeking safety. See
www.refugeeweek.org.uk.
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St Paul's Church is awarded 'Major Parish Church' statusSt
Paul's church in the centre of Bedford is celebrating its award as a
Major Parish Church and being granted membership of the Major Churches
Network, in recognition of its importance to the town.
The Major Churches Network is a body set up by the Church of England
which comprises 350 of the largest and most significant churches across
England which are not cathedrals but fulfil many of the same functions
within their communities and includes some of the best loved places of
worship around the UK.
There are strict qualifying criteria to become a member such as being a
building of exceptional significance (often Grade I listed), being open
daily to visitors, to have a role which goes beyond a normal parish
church by fulfilling an important civic and cultural role and by making
an economic contribution to their local area.
St Paul's qualifies in all categories - it is the biggest religious
building in the St Albans Diocese after St Albans Cathedral, the civic
and county church of Bedfordshire, and it plays host to events and
concerts throughout the year. For the past year the new Bedford Visitor
Information Centre - which replaced the old Tourist Information when it
closed - has also been based inside the main body of the church.
Canon Fr Kevin Goss, Vicar of St Paul's said: "We are delighted to
have received this recognition and to have been officially designated a
member of the Major Churches Network. We welcome thousands of visitors
every year and would hope this affiliation will boost the church's
profile further, and in doing do attract more visitors into Bedford."
St Paul's is already a member of
Cathedrals Plus, a body that promotes
cathedrals, abbeys, shrines and major churches which already receive
large numbers of visitors. The church is well-known locally for hosting
the annual Christmas Tree Festival in conjunction with Bedford Hospitals
Charity, attracting around 5000 visitors over the five day event.
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