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If you would like to download a copy of the
2011 newsletter in .pdf format, click
here
Annual Newsletter 2011
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Right: The Chapel in the snow by Jeremy Henry
NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS
The new gates have been installed and are a great improvement on the
rather unexceptional wooden gate. They are wider, thus allowing easier
vehicular access for disabled visitors to the Chapel. They were more
expensive than the original costing as matching the finials proved
impossible. New castings had to be made, which we now own, so the
replacement of any damaged ones in the future will be a simple matter.
The new gates and finials
 
Routine maintenance work has been undertaken during
the last year. A building of this age and fragility requires a
considerable amount of ongoing work and we are proud to say that as a
local group, thanks to the support we get from you all, we have been
able to cover the percentage of costs not available from the English
Heritage Maintenance Grant and to pay the day to day expenses of running
the Chapel. We hope to be able to tell you next year that we are
actually self-supporting.
One very exciting project is the placing of the archival material,
collected diligently and painstakingly over the years by David Holmes,
onto a computer programme which will allow access to the records. Simon
Weeks and Anne Thomas have undertaken this work and we all look forward
to viewing the results in due course.
Visitors to the Chapel sometimes ask if they can support the Chapel by
joining the ‘friends’. We do not have an official group of friends for
Walpole alone, but please consider joining the subscribing friends of
the Historic Chapels Trust. The HCT is an acquirer of last resort and
now owns 20 chapels including Walpole Old Chapel for which there was no
reasonable alternative use. The subscribing friends form an important
part of the support for that work. If however you live fairly locally
and would like to be involved in the running of Walpole Old Chapel by,
for instance, Chapel-sitting on a Saturday afternoon or two during the
season, do please contact the secretary.
I think it only fair to say that our adventuring into Saturday afternoon
events was not a great success. We are very grateful to Michael Cole and
Peter Purvis for speaking to a very small but appreciative audience. The
Quaker Meetings for Worship were appreciated and will continue next
season. Poetry thrives at Walpole; the Grey Hen Press came for a second
visit and a visit by the Halesworth Café Poets has now become an
enjoyable annual event. A first for the Chapel was the recording by
James Knox Whittet, triple winner of the Crabbe Memorial Prize, reading
his own work accompanied by Colin Tait playing traditional Scottish
music. They will be performing in the Chapel on the 29th of May 2011 at
3.30. Not to be missed!
The preacher at our Annual Ecumenical Service was the Rev Alan Ashton
who’s homely, humorous and wise words were inspirational.
Our old friends from the Waveney Valley Brass Ensemble not only played
for our annual Songs of Praise but, as 2010 marked ten years of their
visits to the Chapel (that’s what I mean by ‘old’), were kind enough to
play a benefit concert for us early last season.
An approach from a splendid group of West Gallery singers from the Wye
Valley, The Village Quire, resulted in one of the highlights of the
season when they performed a combination of music and story reflecting
life in our village churches and chapels in bygone days. This included
readings from Thomas Hardy, Parson James Woodforde, Laurie Lee and
Francis Kilvert, and the really good news is that they are returning
this year.
The Carols & Readings were certainly the coldest ever, but it didn’t
spoil the atmosphere, in fact it probably added to it.
THE 2011 PROGRAMME
We will be opening for longer this season; on Saturday afternoons from
the 30th of April until the 24th of September between 2.00 and 4.30 p.m.
The season opens with a service when the Revd Peter Lemmon will speak,
giving us all an opportunity to hear a not uncontroversial preacher who
will explore the relevance of what a rediscovery of the words and work
of John Wesley have for us today.
There is a pretty full programme of events planned for visited the area
last year are returning to the Chapel for a this season including drama,
poetry, music and art. An exhibition of art work inspired by the Chapel
and organised by the Halesworth Gallery will take place over the August
Bank Holiday. The project will celebrate the atmosphere and design of
the building, both inside and out. The response from the artists
involved will include paintings, drawings and 3-D works and will form a
three week exhibition in the Gallery from July 30th to August 17th,
moving to the Chapel over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Neil Lanham has been touring Suffolk with his narrative Ruby and her
Horses for some time now and this is to be the last season, so come
along and see this acclaimed presentation of rural life between the wars
– it will be your last chance.
Poets love the old Chapel so there is plenty of poetry too. What is
more, to our delight, the Village Quire who visited the area last year
are returning to the Chapel for a performance and a workshop. The
preacher at our annual service will be Rev Andrew Kleissner from
Christchurch, Tacket Street in Ipswich and the organ will be played by
Tony Percival, who is the music director at Tacket Street. Of course,
don’t miss our rousing Songs of Praise accompanied again by the Waveney
Valley Brass Ensemble.
9 April 10am–Singing Workshop Angels Descend with Songs Again
30 April 3.30pm–Opening Service with Revd Dr P Lemmon Wesley for Today
29 May 3.30pm– Dark Islands Launch of CD recorded at the Chapel by James
Knox Whittet with traditional Scots Music
18 June 6.30pm–Poetry readings from Oversteps poets.
26 June 3pm–Annual Ecumenical Service led by the Rev Bill Mahood.
Preacher Rev Andrew Kleissner.
24 July 3pm–Poetry readings from The Shoestring Press poets.
14 August 5pm–Annual visit by Halesworth Café Poets
26–29th August 11am to 4.30pm daily– Multimedia exhibition inspired by
the chapel, with Halesworth Gallery
4 September 3pm–Grey Hen Press readings from their new anthology Get Me
Out of Here – poems for trying circumstances
10 September 9am–5pm SHCT Bike Ride & Heritage Open Day
11 September 11am–4pm–Heritage Open Day
18 September 3pm–Songs of Praise with Waveney Valley Brass Ensemble
23 September 7.30pm–Ruby and Her Horses
30 October 10am – workshop with The Village Quire and at 2.30 they
present their new program entitled High Days & Holidays Along The Welsh
Border Marches
17 December 3pm–Carols & Readings for Christmas
In addition Quaker meetings will be held on the first Sunday of each
month at 10.30, from May to September.
OPENING TIMES & CONTACT DETAILS
We will now open on Saturday afternoons from 2.00 to 4.30 from 30 April
until 24 September.
For all further information please contact the secretary to the Friends
of Walpole Old Chapel, Christina van Melzen, on 01986 798 308 or
chrisvanmelzen@btopenworld.com
Walpole Old Chapel is in the care of the Historic Chapels Trust, St
George’s German Lutheran Church, 55 Alie Street London E1 8EB 020 7481
0533. www.hct.org.uk.
(President Sir Hugh Rossi Chairman Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP Director Dr
Jennifer M Freeman)
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