St John's Parish Magazine

3. - 1 -

4. - 2 -
PETER D HANNABY
Painter & Decorator
Interior and Exterior work
Undertaken
For competitive quotations
Please call
Mobile: 07765 250092
Home: 01442 288956
MAGAZINE ADVERTISING COSTS
Why not use this parish magazine to advertise your business. There
are eleven issues per year with double issue in December/January.
Charges are: Full Page £115 per annum
Half Page £80 per annum
Quarter Page £60 per annum
For part year charges are pro rata of the annual rate rounded up to
the nearest whole pound (e.g. 1 month/issue full page 115/12 =
9.58 rounded up = £10 charge)
To discuss your requirements or for further information, please
contact Sally Bates, 01442 266912 or 07792 768236
or email: magazine@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk

5. - 3 -
THE VICAR’S LETTER
Dear Friends,
I attended recently a Conference for Rural Deans at which
our Diocesan Bishop gave the opening Bible Study. He
focused on Hebrews 11 and 12 and the encouragement
offered to live by faith. At the heart of his exegesis was the commendation
to lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, running the race
before us with perseverance, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of
our faith and the question “What does this look like to us as we emerge
‘hopefully’ out from this pandemic?”
Our thoughts instantly turned to what prevents us (namely those things
that cling so closely) from moving forward as Deaneries and Parishes. We
presented many obstacles: lack of confidence in returning to church; finan-
cial instability and deficit budgets; drained motivation; volunteer shortages;
new habits; Church structures. To which Bishop Alan encouraged us to look
afresh at the long list of biblical figures mentioned in the passage and
observe how they overcame great adversity when – and only when – they
were routed in the life of God. These great figures of former generations
(David, Samson, Moses) are part of the great cloud of witnesses that
surround and encourage us in our common task, who point us to Jesus the
way, the truth, and the life – the one who gives and fills life with his fullness
and abundance.
At the end of his Bible Study Bishop Alan added: ‘The Church is not always
good news, BUT God is! As we trust in him, let us therefore lay aside (or
work to overcome) these obstacles, and become good news to our Church-
es and communities; confident that all things are possible for God.’
The pandemic is not over but we are in a different place to where we were
a year ago. Society is once again opening-up as legal restrictions are with-
drawn. And although we have been ‘back’ as a church for some time, the
time has now come for us to start looking to the future with renewed hope
and optimism. It’s time for us to recover the lost – both those whom we
have not been able to remain in contact with during the pandemic and the
joy that has been sucked out of daily and corporate living.

6. - 4 -
As we journey through Lent this month, we are traditionally not very joyful
so that our celebrations of the resurrection maybe even more joyful in
comparison. This year, I would like to encourage us to return to a place of
joy in Christ. Perhaps you might like to join our Lent Course The Joy of the
Gospel as a way of reconnecting with the pioneer and perfecter of our
faith? If you have not returned to church yet, perhaps this Lent and Easter
is the time to return?
As always, I send you my prayers and best wishes as we emerge from this
pandemic.
When the angel told Mary she would give birth to God’s Son
(Annunciation, 25 March)
Almighty, loving Father,
Thank you for the month of March, the month of Spring, the month when
hopes are high and new things seem possible, when even coming through
the pandemic seems possible.
This month we remember the day that the angel told Mary that she would
bear your Son – how could that have seemed possible to her?
Help us to trust you as she did. Whatever we may face, help us to have
peace and confidence, knowing, as she did, that nothing is impossible with
you.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen
By Daphne Kitching

7. - 5 -
PARISH DIARY FOR MARCH 2022
Enquiries regarding baptisms weddings or marriage blessings are
always welcome.
Please contact the Vicar.
Morning Prayer is said Daily at St John’s at 9.00am.
You are most welcome to join the clergy in prayer.
Evening Prayer is said privately for the life of the Parish unless details are below.
St John’s is open daily 9.30am-5.00pm for private prayer
(10.30am-5.00pm on Saturdays)
The Parish Eucharist and worship resources will continue to be recorded and
made available at www.stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk/live-streamed-service
Tue 1 Shrove Tuesday
9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
4.00-5.30pm Pancake Party St John’s Hall
7.30pm Cocktails and Pancakes St John’s Hall
Wed 2 Ash Wednesday
10.00am BCP Holy Communion with imposition of Ashes
followed by coffee St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
8.00pm Parish Eucharist with imposition of Ashes
St John’s
This service will be live-streamed
Fri 4 7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sun 6 First Sunday of Lent
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
This service will be live-streamed instead of the All
Age Eucharist.
10.00am All-Age Eucharist with Junior Choir
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis’
11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's
12noon Holy Baptism St John’s
Mon 7 11.30am Mountbatten Lodge Holy Communion
Mountbatten Lodge
7.30pm Holy Communion St John’s
8.00pm Lent Course: Session 1 St John’s
7.45pm Together on Monday Club St John’s Hall
Wildlife Trust - Speaker: John Myers

8. - 6 -
Tue 8 9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
8.00pm Church Meeting: Communications Committee
Zoom
Wed 9 10.00am BCP Holy Communion followed by coffee
St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
Thu 10 9.30am Holy Communion St Stephen’s
10.00am Lent Course: Session 1 St Stephen’s
Fri 11 5.30pm Junior Choir St John’s Hall
7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sun 13 Second Sunday of Lent
Gade Valley Harriers Marathon Training
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis'
11.30am Holy Communion St Stephen's
3.00-5.00pm Messy Church St John’s
Mon 14 9.30am Boxmoor Primary School Y2 visit St John’s
7.30pm Holy Communion St John’s
8.00pm Lent Course: Session 2 St John’s
Tue 15 9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
8.00pm PCC Meeting St John’s Hall
Wed 16 10.00am Holy Communion followed by coffee
St John’s
3.30pm Friendship Tea St John’s
4.00pm Baptism Preparation St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
Thu 17 St Patrick
8am-4pm Dacorum Music School Music Making Day
St John’s
9.30am Holy Communion St Stephen’s
10.00am Lent Course: Session 2 St Stephen’s
Fri 18 7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sat 19 St Joseph of Nazareth

9. - 7 -
Sun 20 Third Sunday of Lent
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis'
11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's
12noon Holy Baptism St John’s
6.30pm Choral Evensong St John’s
Mon 21 7.30pm Holy Communion St John’s
8.00pm Lent Course: Session 3 St John’s
7.45pm Together on Monday Club St John’s Hall
Air Ambulance
Tues 22 9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
Wed 23 10.00am Holy Communion followed by coffee
St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
8.00pm Church Meeting: Fundraising Committee Zoom
Thu 24 9.30am Holy Communion St Stephen’s
10.00am Lent Course: Session 3 St Stephen’s
Fri 25 The Annunciation
5.30pm Junior Choir St John’s Hall
7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sat 26 7.30pm Camerata Chamber Orchestra Concert
St John’s
Sun 27 Mothering Sunday
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
This service will be live-streamed instead of the All
Age Eucharist.
10.00am All-Age Eucharist with Junior Choir St John’s
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis'
11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's
5.30 pm MASJ Spring Concert see page 14 St. John’s
Mon 28 7.30pm Holy Communion St John’s
8.00pm Lent Course: Session 4 St John’s
Tue 29 9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
8.00pm Church Meeting: Finance Committee Zoom
Wed 30 10.00am Holy Communion followed by coffee St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
Thu 31 9.30am Holy Communion St Stephen’s
10.00am Lent Course: Session 4 St Stephen’s

10. - 8 -
Lent
Traditionally Lent is a time to reflect on one’s discipleship in Christ and how our
relationship with him might be strengthened or renewed. To that end, we often
either give-up something we particularly like, or take on a Spiritual Discipline like
reading an entire Gospel or committing to a certain time of Prayer every day.
Have you decided what you might like to do this year? This year we are reading St
Luke’s Gospel during our Sunday worship – perhaps you might like to read
through his entire Gospel? It’s not long and written specifically as an orderly
account of Jesus’ life and show his divine nature.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party: for Children and Adults
As we emerge from our latest restrictions and before we begin our Lenten disci-
plines there will be on Tuesday 1 March our annual Pancake Party for under 12s
in St John’s Hall and Church, starting at 4pm. This will comprise of pancake races
and quizzes, as well as the opportunity to eat pancakes
We will also be holding a Social Event in the evening in the Hall for adults.
7.30pm onwards for Pancakes and cocktails. I hope many will be able to join us
for this happy occasion on the eve of entering into the Lenten season of peni-
tence. Covid-secure practices will be in place.
More details in due course via the Newsletter.
Lent Course 2022: The Joy of the Gospel
The Lent course we are offering this year is rather different from those we have
held in the past. It promises to be both exciting and uplifting. The author, Dr
Paula Gooder, is a well-respected theologian who nevertheless presents her ma-
terial in a way that is accessible to everyone. The Joy of the Gospel course is no
exception. It is based on Pope Francis’ sensitively written call to the entire church
(in all its denominations) to proclaim the gospel to the world. The document man-
ages to capture something profound about the joy that comes from proclaiming
the gospel and to find the words to express this enthusiastic vision afresh.
The six-session course enables individuals and groups to rediscover the joy of
encountering the good news of Jesus and the transformation that is possible
when we communicate that good news in the world today.
Sessions will be held on Monday evenings at St John’s and Thursday mornings at
St Stephen’s. Please see the Newsletter for more information. This could be what
we as a Church need to help us recover and grow with joy are we emerge from
this pandemic.

11. - 9 -
Messy Lent
Plans are underway to resume our Messy Church with Messy Lent on Sunday 13
March, 3.00–5.00pm in St John’s Church and Hall. This is ideal for children and
young families and will involve craft, games, stories, worship, food, and fun.
Please spread the word.
Mothering Sunday
On Sunday 27 March we shall once again give thanks to God for our mothers –
whether living or departed. During the All Age Parade Eucharist Service the
Junior Choir will lead the singing, posies will be distributed, and prayers of
thanksgiving will be offered.
Holy Week and Easter
Details of all our Services during Holy Week and Easter will be published this
month. When they are available please would you help distribute our Easter
Card to the Parish so as to publicise how we are celebrating the resurrection of
Jesus. This is the most important Festival for Christians and I urge you to make
your Communion on Easter Day as The Church celebrates afresh the resurrection
of Jesus Christ and the new life he brings. If you are going away for Easter please
make it a priority to find out the Service times at your nearest church. If you
have not yet returned to church in person I encourage you to return for Easter.
You may find it beneficial to come to one (or more) of the Services during Holy
Week as we travel with Christ towards his death and resurrection, and explore
through prayer, readings, and meditation the sacrificial cost of Christ’s love for
us all. You will be most welcome.
Palm Sunday: Procession of Palms
In the last couple of years (pre-Covid) we have processed from Boxmoor Play
House (our former Church Hall) to St John’s Church to re-enact Christ’s entry into
Jerusalem. The Liturgy will begin at 10.00am arriving into Church about
15minutes later. I hope as many as possible will be able to participate in this
public expression of our faith. If you do not feel able to walk this route we look
forward to joining you in Church. It was a very powerful public witness last year
with both the circus and running club meeting on the same day.
Palm Sunday: Stainer’s Crucifixion
As we enter into the most holy week of the Church’s year you are invited to
enter more deeply into the Passion of Christ through this musical work by John
Stainer. This well-known musical devotion will be performed by our choir and
friends with guest soloists. I hope you will find it helpful.

12. - 10 -
Maundy Thursday: symbolism and volunteers
On this solemn evening when we recall Christ’s last supper with his disciples, his
betrayal, arrest, and abandoning, we will also recall Christ’s gift of the Holy
Eucharist and his command to love one another. During the Holy Eucharist we will
wash 12 people’s feet in a re-enactment of Christ’s act of loving service to his
disciples and friends. If you would like to have your feet washed please let me
know.
The Eucharist will be followed by a Watch in the Lady Chapel before the Blessed
Sacrament until 10.30pm as we pray with Christ that we may not fall into tempta-
tion, and try to stay awake one hour recalling Christ’s words to his disciples in the
Garden of Gethsemane.
Good Friday – All Age Stations of the Cross
On Good Friday morning, at 9.30am, we shall once again be joining forces with
our neighbours at St Mary and St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Boxmoor to
hold an ecumenical All Age Stations of the Cross. The service will start in St Mary
and St Joseph’s Church and then we shall walk along the moor to St John’s
observing the Stations of the Cross as we go. Please encourage children of all ages
to come along to publically witness to the faith on Good Friday. Do please
encourage any young people you know to join this pilgrimage.
Good Friday – Walk of Witness in Hemel Town Centre
As in previous years, Churches Together in Hemel Hempstead are organising the
annual walk of witness into the town centre. I am awaiting details but I know
something is in the pipeline.
Live Streaming update
Over the last month, to varying degrees, we have managed to live-stream the
Parish Eucharist from St John’s. The internet connection – although temperamen-
tal – has worked. Work is currently being completed to finalise the project includ-
ing work on our Streaming Policy and Permissions for Children. Within this, we
have created some ‘Safe zones’ where you will not be shown on camera. Thank
you for sticking with us whist these teething-issues have been ironed out.
APCM
Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting this year will be held on Sunday 24 April
2022 – immediately following a combined Parish Eucharist at 10.00am. This is
your Parish. You have a voice. During the meeting we shall seek to elect 9 mem-
bers of the congregation to the PCC, (re)elect our Churchwardens, elect deputy-
Churchwardens, and ratify the ministry of all who help as sidespeople. Please give
some thought between now and then as to whether you could help shape the
future of the Parish by serving on the PCC or as a Parish Officer. Cont’d….

13. - 11 -
The term of office is usually 3 years. Reports will be posted on our Website with
some hard copies available at the back of our churches for those who prefer hard-
copy.
Electoral Roll
The Roll will once again be open for amendments. It is interesting to note that
many of our regular worshipping community are currently not on the Roll. Please
consider adding yourself, or amending your details if they have changed, so that
the Roll can give as accurate an account of our worshipping community as possi-
ble.

14. - 12 -
The many ways you can support Rennie Grove’s local hos-
picecareservices
Every day and night of the year, Rennie Grove’s Hospice at
Home service is available to visit local people at home,
providing essential nursing care and the support needed to
keep patients out of hospital and surrounded by the people
and things that matter to them most. There are plenty of easy ways you can help Rennie
Grovetocontinueprovidingthis importantcommunityservice,fromsupportingthecharity
whenyoudoyourweeklyshop,tosigningupasavolunteer,oreventacklingan‘ultraevent’
liketheJurassicCoastChallengetoraisevitalfunds.
ChooseRennieGroveasyourCo-oplocalcause
If you shop in your local Co-op, you might already be familiar with its member-
ship scheme. Co-op members can choose their preferred local cause online, then,
when they buy selected Co-op products, the member receives 2p from every £1
spent into their membership account, and the Co-op donates the same amount
to the member’s chosen local cause.
You can choose Rennie Grove as your Co-op local cause either through the mem-
bership tab on your Co-op app or by visiting their website here: https://
membership.coop.co.uk/causes/59627
Couldyouchangeliveslocally?
Rennie Grove is recruiting to its Supporting Hands scheme, a volunteer-led ser-
vice providing companionship, respite and practical help for patients and families
in their own homes. Matched with a family and providing between 2 and 4 hours
of support each week, volunteers might help with anything from light housework
to dog walking, collecting prescriptions or simply having a chat or a game of cards
with a patient while their carer pops to the shops or catches up on sleep.
Alison Raynor, Supporting Hands Coordinator, explains: “Families can be exhaust-
ed and desperate for respite support. You don’t need any prior experience; you
just need to be a good listener with the time and motivation to make a differ-
ence.”
Interested? Call Alison on 01442 507348 to find out more about joining the team.
Planning a personal challenge for 2022?
Why not take on an ultra-walking challenge with a view this spring? Rennie
Grove’s Jurassic Coast Challenge takes place on 14-15 May and the London 2
Brighton Challenge on 28-29 May.
Visit www.renniegrove.org/individualchallenges for the charity’s full portfolio of
ultra events or contact events@renniegrove.org for help planning your own.

15. - 13 -
Camerata Concert at 7.30pm on Saturday 26th
March 2022
The Camerata Chamber Orchestra, directed by Philippa Burch, will be coming to
St John’s Church Boxmoor at 7.30pm on Saturday 26th
March to perform a
number of works including Mozart Horn Concerto no 3 in Eb major KV477. We
are very excited to welcome our soloist Joseph Longstaff to perform with us. He
was a finalist in the 2020 Young Musician of the Year Competition and is studying
at the Royal Academy of Music. However, as part of the Erasmus exchange
programme he is studying this year in Weimar with Jorg Bruckner.
The Camerata Chamber Orchestra aim to raise money for churches and charities
and consist of about 20 players from around Hertfordshire. This concert will
raise money for St John’s Church Boxmoor. Entry is free with a voluntary contri-
bution towards the church at the end. Refreshments will be served at the
interval.
Programme
Rossini - Ov Signor Bruschino
Vaughan Williams - 2 Hymn Tune preludes
Mozart horn concerto no 3 in Eb major soloist Joseph Longstaff
Interval
Vivaldi RV 114 – in C major for strings
Haydn Symphony No 8 - Le Soir
Joseph Longstaff – Horn
Joseph Longstaff is an ABRSM scholar at the Royal
Academy of Music, studying Richard Watkins and Mike
Thompson, though he is currently studying with Jörg Brückner at the Hochschule
für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar, as part of the Erasmus exchange programme. In
December 2021, Joseph reached the last 6 in the audition for the Karajan Acade-
my and was invited to audition again without reapplication (no one was awarded
a place). In June, he premièred After Lindisfarne by Nicola LeFanu, as part of the
“200 pieces” celebration for the founding of the Royal Academy of Music, and in
March 2020, Joseph reached the brass final of the BBC Young Musician competi-
tion. He attended the Purcell School of music, where he was a winner of the
Wigmore Hall solo competition, and was awarded the Sir Charles Mackerras
Scholarship. At Purcell, his teachers were David Pyatt, Beth Randall and Sue
Dent. Joseph was a member of the National Youth Orchestra for four years, and
also attended the Junior Royal Academy of Music for two years, where he won
the senior brass prize.

16. - 14 -
Spring Concert
Sunday 27 March at 5.30 pm
The planned Glittering New Year Concert unfortunately had to be post-
poned, but instead a Spring Concert of Light Music, aimed at all the
family, will be presented at St John's Church in Boxmoor by Music at St
John’s on March 27th 2022 at 5.30 pm given by the St John's orchestral
Ensemble, conducted by Keith Beniston. An added attraction is that tea
and cakes and will be served before the concert, from 4 pm in the Hall!
The programme will feature a host of light and accessible music with
more than a hint of the Vienna of the Strauss family. A key item will be
the graceful and energetic Trumpet Concerto in E Flat by Haydn, played by
David Marley, a regular member of the ensemble. The concert will also
dip into the world of musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof and Camelot
(with baritone Thomas Isherwood).
A variety of other items will include The Emperor Waltz (Strauss), the
original Onedin Line theme (Adagio from Spartacus by Khachaturian), The
Radetzky March (Strauss), Farnon’s Westminster Waltz and Overture to
The White Horse Inn (Stolz).
It may no longer be New Year, but this is a glittering programme never-
theless, and it is no longer so cold and wintery, so put the date and time
in your diary and come along.
Tickets are £15 for adults and £5 for children under 16 and can be
reserved online via Ticket Source: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/music-at-st
-johns
Further details available on the MASJ website: https://www.masj.org.uk/

17. - 15 -

18. - 16 -
HALLS FOR HIRE
ST JOHN’S HALL - Well equipped hall suitable for use by special interest
groups, clubs and societies. Ideal for family parties and special occasions.
Please contact Hall Bookings Secretary on 07939 226977 or email:
hallbookings@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk for further information and availabil-
ity.
ST STEPHEN’S HALL, CHAULDEN - (opposite Tudor Rose) - Sunny Hall with
tiled floor suitable for dancing and exercise groups as well as being ideal for
children’s parties. Please contact Jean on 01442 257023 for further
information and availability.
ST FRANCIS HALL, HAMMERFIELD - Well equipped hall suitable for use by
special interest groups, clubs and societies. Ideal for family parties and
special occasions. Please contact Hall Bookings Secretary by email: stfran-
cishallbookings@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk for further information and
availability. More urgent queries can be handled by leaving a message on Paul
Davies mobile phone: 07802 442908
Grace of Love
The God of life to encompass thee,
Loving Christ encompass lovingly,
The Holy Ghost encompasser be
Cherishing, aid, enfolding to send
To defend.
The Three be about thy head to stand,
And the Three be about thy breast,
The Three about thy body at hand
For each day, for each night of rest,
The Trinity compassing strong
Thy life long.
From Poems of the Western Highlanders

19. - 17 -
Please Note: St. John's Church PCC cannot accept any responsibility for goods or services

20. - 18 -

21. - 19 -

22. - 20 -
Ashes
The River Ouse begins its life east of Boroughbridge, meanders its way
through much of Yorkshire before flowing into the City of York. It jour-
neys south for some thirty miles before merging with the River Trent to
form the large tidal estuary of the Humber. From there, it flows into the
North Sea, on towards the Atlantic Ocean and then finally into the single
global ocean that makes up 70% of the world’s surface. And somewhere
in that vast body of water, no doubt in many places rather than one
alone, drift the ashes of my aunt.
Anne’s death three years ago was the first time I had ever been involved
in the gruelling slog of work that follows someone’s passing. One
decision especially seemed to grip us: we knew she’d want cremation
and a cardboard coffin, but we had no idea what she’d want done with
her ashes.
Until 1960, only about one in three people in Britain chose cremation
and people rarely asked to have their ashes scattered. Now the rate is
nearer four in five and people ask to be scattered all over the place. Staff
at the Jane Austen House Museum in Hampshire have found piles of
human ashes sprinkled around the grounds; Disneyland struggles to stop
people scattering them while on rides.
Scattering ashes is legal almost anywhere in the UK if you get the permis-
sion of the landowner. You can also scatter them on water, as long as
your proposed site is more than 1km upstream of any abstraction of
water. So how do you decide where to lay someone to rest when it could
be virtually anywhere? A crematorium plot or a football pitch? A river or
a mountain top?
We found ourselves trying to distil the essence of who Anne was: not
what she did, nor even how she lived, but what mattered to her. She was
an environmentalist ahead of her time and had been vegan for as long as
I could remember. She loved beauty, but found it less in people than in
nature. She could be sharp and impatient, yet always treated the envi-
ronment with respect. Cont’d…..

23. - 21 -
She adored her garden, which ran steeply downhill towards the banks of
the Ouse and which the river occasionally flooded. That same river flowed
past the crematorium, regularly flooding a wooded corner of the grounds.
And so we chose to scatter her ashes in that corner, sure in the
knowledge that in time, her ashes would drift along the Ouse and on, and
on again.
Occasionally I wonder where I want my own ashes to lay, but I am not
actually sure that it’s my decision to make. If Anne had told us, I and my
brothers would have never spent hours trying to grasp the essence of
who she was and what choices she would make and, in the process, cele-
brate her life while yet come to terms with its loss. Despite appearances
to the contrary, ashes are for the living and not the dead.
Rosie Akeroyd
FRIENDSHIP TEA
At our February Friendship Tea at St John's Boxmoor we celebrated with
Dorothy her 98th birthday. We also thought about St Valentine and three
of our guests, including Dorothy, shared their stories of love and mar-
riage. These monthly occasions are delightful with a warm welcome to a
splendid afternoon tea and an opportunity to share friendship and fellow-
ship. Full details can be found in the monthly magazine and on the web-
site of St John Boxmoor.
Dorothy would like to personally thank Friendship Teas for the wonderful
afternoon they gave her for celebrating her Birthday.

24. - 22 -
'Music Percentage Club Update’
Congratulations to the winners of the January Music
Percentage Club draws:
Job Rombout 1st £15
Garth Bridgwood 2nd £8
Noel James 3rd £4
If you know of someone who would be interested in joining the Music
Percentage Club and supporting Music at St John’s in this way there are
forms in church or please contact Mark Harbour on 01582 841019 or see
him in church. Mark Harbour - on behalf of MASJ
BOOK REVIEW
Victorian Stained Glass
by Trevor Yorke, Shire Publications, £8.99
This beautifully illustrated guide will introduce
you to the world of Victorian stained glass.
Victorian stained glass is often magnificent,
and can still be found in countless British
churches, municipal buildings and homes. It is
often glowing with colour, with designs influ-
enced by the Gothic Revival, the Arts and
Crafts Movement, and even the Art Nouveau,
as a new century dawned. Its famous designers
include A.W.N. Pugin, and Pre-Raphaelites
William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones.
Trevor Yorke, a historian, tells how Victorian craftsmen re-learned the lost
medieval art of colouring, painting, and assembling stained glass windows.
But also, as this was an age of industry of how windows became templat-
ed, and mass produced.

25. - 23 -
APRIL 2022 - PRICE 60p
Please note the deadline for articles for the April 2022 edition of the magazine is
Sunday, 6th March.
You can e-mail direct to magazine@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk or leave articles in
magazine pigeonhole or deliver direct to 27 Beechfield Road. Please note any
articles sent by email should be in A5 format (MS Word or MS Publisher
preferred). Thank you. Sally Bates, Editor, Tel No. 266912 or Mobile 07792
768236.
PLEASE NOTE
Website for St John’s Boxmoor is:
www.stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk
E-mail: office@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk
Website for Music at St John’s is http://masj.org.uk
Facebook Page: St Johns Church, Boxmoor
NEWSLETTER: If you would like to receive a copy of the weekly Newsletter by
e-mail, please contact Alan Munford - alan.munford@btinternet.com with your
e-mail address and he will arrange to send it to you.
Please send any items for inclusion in the Newsletter to the Parish Office at the
email address: newsletter@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk
SUBSCRIPTION TO MAGAZINE
If you would like to receive a copy of St John’s Parish Magazine on a regular
monthly basis, please email alan.munford@btinternet.com or telephone him on
01442 242543 or complete your details below and return tear-off slip to:
Mr. Alan Munford, 16 St Nicholas Mount, Hemel Hempstead HP1 2BB
Name…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
...........................................................................................................................
Contact Telephone Number ………………………………………………………………………...

26. - 24 -

27. - 25 -
CANON HAMILTON WINDOW
Shortly after the arrival of The Reverend Alfred Richings as Vicar in 1865
he initiated the project to build a new church at Boxmoor on the site of
the existing chapel of ease. The new Chancel was completed in 1868, but
it took a further three years of fund raising before work could begin on
the construction of the new Nave. Finally, on 7 April 1874 the new St
John’s Church was consecrated, which reminds us that in two years’ time
we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary. In the late 1960s following
The Reverend Derek Jackson’s appointment as Vicar further work was
undertaken to update the Chancel and the Lady Chapel. This culminated
in the dedication of the Canon Hamilton Window by Canon Gordon
Ireson, Canon Missioner of the Diocese of St Albans, 50 years ago on 5
March 1972. It is the newest stained glass window in the church.
The subject is St John the Evangelist, after whom the church is named. In
the window St John is seated, pointing to the open Gospel, while above
him is his emblem of an eagle with outstretched wings. Rays of blue, lilac
and yellow are descending from the head of the window and fall onto the
open book lying on a lectern. The right hand of the saint gestures to the
open Gospel with dark grey pages outlined in pale yellow. St John sits in
a high backed chair.
The window was put into an existing window opening where the window
showing Jesus blessing the children, now in the north wall of the sanctu-
ary, had originally been placed until 1908. Then the space had been
covered with blue material to form the background to the altar which
was placed here.
The window was executed by Joseph A. Nuttgens ARCA whose studio was
in High Wycombe. It is made of thick slab glass set in four panels. Mr
Nuttgens explained to a PCC meeting on 18 November 1969 the tech-
niques used to construct such a window:
“The glass is supplied in slabs one inch thick and approximately 8” x 12”,
it is scored with a conventional glass cutter and then broken and chipped
into the desired shapes with a special hammer. Cont’d….

28. - 26 -
The pieces of glass are then set into a synthetic resin filled with sand,
each section cast separately and the resin sets. After being cleaned the
panels are ready to be fixed into position. Slab glass has limitations, as it
cannot be fixed in a Kiln and therefore cannot be painted, nor can it be
cut into intricate shapes. Emphasis is on brilliance of colour and bold-
ness and simplicity of design.”
The stone tablet under the window states: This window in memory of
Canon Crewe Chetwode Hamilton beloved Vicar of Boxmoor 1927-1962
was given by his family and friends.
Canon Hamilton, descended from the Irish branch of the family, was
born in 1886, educated at University College, Oxford, and ordained in
1913. Among his early appointments was Chaplain to the Forces 1917-
1920 and Chaplain to the Bishop of Egypt 1921-1924. He was curate to
The Reverend Dick Sheppard at St Martins-in-the-Fields, London, for two
years before becoming the Vicar of Boxmoor. Between 1940 and 1945
he was Rural Dean of Berkhamsted (in the days before Hemel Hemp-
stead became a separate deanery), an Honorary Canon of St Albans from
1948 to 1968 and Chaplain to the West Herts Hospital. He played cricket
for the Diocesan clergy team and Hemel Hempstead Cricket Team. His
younger brother, Eric, born in 1890 was Suffragan Bishop of Shrewsbury,
before being appointed Dean of Windsor in 1944. (He conducted the
Funeral of King George VI in St George’s Chapel 70 years ago on 15 Feb-
ruary 1952). Both men resigned their appointments in the same year,
1962. Canon Hamilton and his wife, Margaret, retired to live in
Berkhamsted before moving to Woking in 1968 to be near their son, Dr.
Guy Hamilton and his family. Crewe Hamilton died on 8 February 1969.
A memorial service was held at St John’s on Saturday 22 February and
conducted by the Vicar, The Reverend Derek Jackson and the Rural
Dean, The Reverend J. B. E. Hughes, Rector of Northchurch. After the
service his ashes were buried in the Garden of Remembrance by the
Bishop of St Albans.
The Nuttgens firm of father and son have made nearly 200 stained glass
windows which can be found in many part of the world. In this country,
as well as St John’s, Boxmoor they range from St John’s Church, Farley

29. - 27 -
Hill, Luton, to the parish churches at Windsor, Soham and Lampne. Over-
seas their windows are to be seen in St Matthew’s Church, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, Victoria Cathedral, Vancouver Island, Canada and St John’s
Cathedral, Hong Kong. In the 1980s they undertook a private commission
for the late Linda McCartney for her Sussex home.
At “The Countdown to Christmas Fayre” in November and in the ensuing
weeks raffle tickets have been available for a painting of the Canon Hamil-
ton Window by artist, Graham Cutts, who is a member of St John’s
congregation. The draw is to take place this month. The window’s dedi-
cation on 5 March 1972 was held on a Sunday, so 50 years later on the
first Sunday in March a lucky winner will become the owner of a really
lovely and valuable painting of the window.
Graham Gibbs
Photo by kind permission of
Sally-Anne Bates

30. - 28 -
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING ON SUNDAY 16 JANUARY 2022
The PCC met in St John’s Hall on Sunday 16 January 2022, following the
service at St John’s, chaired by the Vicar. He felt that there was some post
-Christmas exhaustion among many in the congregation. This Christmas
had certainly been much better than last, with careful planning paying off.
The choir had been fantastic, and the carol service with the music ensem-
ble had been well received. Good worship had been achieved.
The meeting was briefed on the new streaming equipment which had
been brought into use over Christmas. Installation was not yet complete
nor had any training taken place. Unexpected problems had been experi-
enced due to insufficient internet bandwidth when streaming live. There
was discussion about whether the equipment had been brought into use
prematurely, whether a public relations opportunity might have been
missed by having no publicity around its launch, and what the extra cost
to put right the problems might be. The Vicar responded that it had been
crucial to be able to live stream the Christmas services, as recording them
separately was not possible, and this had been their focus.
Progress on the new parish Mission Action Plan was considered. We were
proceeding confidently toward the “new normal”. Work was in hand to
devise a policy to create an income stream from the new equipment.
Drafting a pandemic contingency plan was under way. It was hoped to use
a recent bequest to help launch and fund a Youth Club. Thought was
being given to the future of the choir. The junior choir was growing and
thriving. Work was in hand to hold a Lent course this year. Research was
underway to best address our ecological goal.
Chris Angell drew attention to the budget for 2022 and the figures on
2021 available to end-November. The headline was an expected deficit of
£17,000 for St John’s & St Stephen’s and of £3,000 for St Francis’. The
parish had over £20,000 in hand to see us through the first quarter of
2022 when fundraising was minimal. He proposed a break-even 2022
budget achieved by a highly ambitious target of £17,000 for fundraising.
The meeting passed the budget unanimously.

31. - 29 -
The altered choir stalls at St John’s had been in place and in use over
Christmas. The high desk alteration would be done in the Spring. The
Easter Appeal would be for a defibrillator at St John’s and the Churchward-
ens were working on its costs and positioning. The parish Buddy Scheme
was being reviewed to put it on a voluntary basis. The Church of England
had introduced a new system of safeguarding training which all members
of the PCC would have to go through. A preliminary discussion took place
on the lack of volunteers to mount the Christmas Tree Festival in 2021,
and the implications for 2022. St John’s lightening conductors had been
inspected. It was agreed to seek a small donation from all the congrega-
tion towards the cost of a lilac tree to be planted to mark the Queen’s
Jubilee.
No action had recently been taken over the St John’s parking project. The
part of the project reliant on renting out spaces to commuters might not
now be viable because of people working from home, although there is
still a demand for residential parking.
Reports were received from PCC Committees, daughter churches, the
Deanery Synod, and the wider church in Hemel Hempstead.
This is necessarily a summary of the meeting, but if anyone on the Parish
electoral roll would like to see the full minutes of this PCC meeting, then
the PCC Secretary would be glad to provide them.
Richard Lyne
PCC Secretary
01442 260998
pccsecretary@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk

32. - 30 -
at St John’s
in the month of January 2022
HOLY BAPTISM
No baptisms took place in January
HOLY MATRIMONY
No weddings took place in January
FUNERAL & MEMORIAL SERVICES
12 January Vera Edith Jessie Trustram Anchor Lane
18 January Ruby Alice Branson St Paul’s Road
24 January Mary Elizabeth Jerram Northridge Way
May these souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy
of God, rest in peace.
BURIAL OF ASHES
26 January Elisabeth Ann Dorer Adeyfield

33. - 31 -

34. - 32 -

35. - 33 -
SMILE-LINES
Less calories
A minister took his young daughter to the grocery store with him. In addi-
tion to the healthful items on the carefully prepared shopping list, they
returned with a box of sugar-laden biscuits. The minister noticed the glare
of his wife and quickly said, “It’s okay, this box of biscuits has one-third
fewer calories than usual.”
“And why is that?” she asked.
“Because we ate a third of them on the way home,” he replied.
Daily prayer
Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.

36. Produced and printed by the Parish of Boxmoor