URGENT REPAIRS ARE BEING CARRIED OUT TO THE CHURCH FROM 2^ND JUNE 2008 FOR W HICH FUNDS ARE REQUIRED. FOR INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO CHURCH REPAIRS APPEAL

Services and Church Events for the current period

Sunday 28th September

Trinity 19 - Harvest

Services and Readings

8 am Holy Communion President : Revd Pam McKellen

Sidesmen: Eric Blanks and Graham Talboys

11 am Holy Communion

Celebrant and Preacher: Revd Pam McKellen

Sidesmen: Jean Deller and David Price

Reader Jean Deller

Psalm 65

Welcomer: Sally Rickett

Server & Chalice: Sue Scott and Stephen Ewens

Coffee: Loran Holloway and Sally Mulholland

6 pm Evening Service for Harvest Led by: Revd Pam McKellen

Sidesmen: Sue Dumas(Reader) Psalm 124

Readings: Ezekiel 37.15 – 28 (p.765) 1 John 2.22 – 29 (p. 222

Please remember in your prayers

The sick: Andrew Crabbe, Sue Kiff, Melvin Summersbee, Morgan Thomas, Dick Usherwood, Shirley White, Peter Wooldridge and Bob Yeates;

and, in our year’s mind: Barbara Ackrill, Philip Chivers, Edward Churchill, Georgina Seymour, Lucy Seymour, Cliff Manifold, Richard Meade, Walter Turner, Gordon Stebbings, James Stewart and Sarah Portsmouth;

also our Mission Prayer: Thank God that this has been another good year for SIFT's medical work on Ometepe (Nicaragua) - the number of patients being treated has gone up. Please ask God for wisdom regarding extending this work to other primary health.

Dates for your Diary

Saturday 15^th November – the postponed Real Tennis Evening at the Real Tennis Court, 7pm, tickets £15 to include canapés and a glass of wine. A chance to hear an explanation of the game from Chris Ronaldson, former World Champion, watch a match and have a go

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR ST. JAMES

While we are unable to use the Church Sunday 8^th June onwards, Services will be held as follows:-

8 am Holy Communion – Church Room

11 am Holy Communion and All Age Services – School Hall

6 pm Evensong/ Iona Service/ Songs of Praise – Church Room

The Children and YPs will meet in their usual places

Coffee will be served in the Church Room

No Church cleaning will be needed

Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals – We are unable to hold services in the Churxh from 2^nd June onwards but Weddings will generally be held in Sunningwell, Baptisms will be held either in Sunningwell, probably at 1 pm or during the 11am service in the school hall, Radley Funerals will usually be held in Sunningwell Church and burials in Radley Graveyard.

Imagine... The Beatles!

Imagine... The Beatles Concert Saturday 18th October New Theatre, Radley College. 7pm Cash Bar, 8pm Concert & Auction Tickets £15.

Tickets are nearly sold out. If you still want to go, please ring Emma urgently (01235 550885) to reserve tickets. Please pay if you have already booked. Tickets will be distributed in the coming week or left at the village shop if ordered from there.

Do you have any jobs that need doing?

From mid-September there will once again be the chance to call upon the services of a small group of Radley College boys, who are available for gardening/delivering/moving and other straightforward tasks that need doing around the village.If you have a job that you think they could cope with, please contact Paul Gamble - tel. 543187 or via e-mail at pwg@radley.org.uk

SATURDAY MORNING PRAYERS

Saturday morning prayers 8.45-9.15am. Church room ALL WELCOME - you don't need to commit to every week, and you don't need to pray out loud; you can just sit quietly if you prefer. Please come and enhance the prayer life of our church!! Contact for more information: Yvonne 01865 557829.

Discussion groupS

Discussion group dates Autumn 2008

Martha Young 8pm Tues 30th Sept at 99 Pebble Hill, Radley, 01865 423 382

Pam McKellen 9.30 am Thursday 2nd Oct at the Church Room Radley 01235 554 739

Joanna Birkett 8pm Thurs 9^th Oct at Ann & Steven Ewens’, Park Farm, Kennington Road,

01235 520 824. Joanna’s phone 01865 739744

Tony Rogerson 8pm Tues 30th Sept at 35 Lower Radley 01235 532 860

OLD CHURCH PEWS

The old pews will be removed from the church on Tuesday 30th September. They will be available for collection from the afternoon of that day.

Please collect as soon as possible from the gravel outside the West door of the church. Any that have not been collected by 5pm on Saturday 4th

October will be disposed of. There is a list of who has reserved which (numbered) pew on the notice board in the church porch. If you would like one of the pews not already spoken for, please contact Neil Scott on 01235 530540. Please be aware that the pews have been damaged by wood boring insects, and should be treated by a timber preservation specialist if they are to be taken indoors. Donations should be made by cheque payable to

Radley PCC - and can be gift aided.

Investiture of Chris Gasson as Radley Clerk of the Green Cloth

At 3.30p.m. on Sunday, 5th October, 2008 in The Mansion, Radley College with a Medieval Fanfare and refreshments ALL ARE WELCOME

THE OXFORDSHIRE BEFRIENDING NETWORK

Volunteers supporting people with life threatening or terminal illness Would you like to make a difference in 2008? If you can offer 2-3 hours a week to befriend someone living in your area, please contact us. We offer full free training, expenses and ongoing support. Next training beginning 21st October 2008 .For further information and an application form, please contact; The Oxfordshire Befriending Network East Oxford Community Centre Princes Street, Oxford OX4 1DD tel: 01865-791781 enquiries@ oxonbefriending.net

NEWSLETTERS

If you have an item of news for the Newsheet, please make sure that you get information to Clive Rickett (clive.rickett@ict.ox.ac.uk or 01235 535954) and Emma Moore (e31 moore@dsl.pipex.com or 01235 550885) by Wednesday for the following Sunday.

CHOOSE A HYMN

Please tell David Beckett (01235 520520) if you would like to choose a hymn for a church service. A donation of £1 (or more!!) to the Choir Funds for each hymn chosen would be welcomed.

RADLEY CHURCH AND PARISH – A BRIEF HISTORY

Copies of this booklet published by the Radley History Club are available at the back of the Church. Please put your donation of £1 (or more) in the wall safe.

RADLEY VILLAGE WEBSITE.

Radley’s own website is now live, giving you instant information about what’s happening in Radley. It covers the various clubs and amenities in Radley and includes a calendar of future events and a photographic tour of the parish. It also gives practical information about dustbin days, buses, etc. and tells you about the work of the Parish Council.

HOMEPAGE

FUTURE SERVICES

To be completed later.

HOMEPAGE

Names and Telephone Numbers

Parish Telephone Numbers (Code 01235 except where otherwise stated)

Vicar Revd Pam McKellen. 554739

Licensed Lay Minister Martha Young 01865 423382

Retired Minister Revd Tony Rogerson 532860

Churchwarden Margaret Norgett 527557

Churchwarden Neil Scott 530540

Organist and Choirmaster David Beckett 520520

Treasurer David Handscomb 523732

Secretary to the PCC Linda Caldicott 527728 e-mail linda.caldicott@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Organiser of Sunday Club Katie North 532203

Organiser of Lunch Club Dot Hewlett 531082

Organisers of Friday Club Gill Dean 543086

Joanna Birkett 01865 739744 e-mail joanna@birkett.fsworld.co.uk

Women’s Fellowship Heather Rogerson 550214

Meeting Point Martha Young 01865 423382

Weekly Newsletter Clive Rickett (clive.rickett@ict.ox.ac.uk or 01235 535954 and Emma Moore (e31moore@dsl,pipex.com) or 01235 550885

Website Stanley Baker 530402 e-mail SBaker9785@aol.com

The Parochial Church Council for 2007/8

Incumbent Revd Pam McKellen

Licensed Lay Minister Martha Young.

Wardens Margaret Norgett and Neil Scott.

Lay Representatives to the Deanery Synod Joanna Birkett, and Rosemary Hardwick.

Elected Members David Beckett, Ruth Wagner, David Handscomb (Treasurer), Paul Gamble, Yvonne Milward, David Price, Liz Turner, Margaret Lovell, Linda Caldicott, Katie North, Revd Tony Rogerson, Denis Standen.

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TIMES OF SERVICES AND WEEKLY MEETINGS

SUNDAY

8 am Holy Communion (BCP)

11 am Family Worship (usually Holy Communion (NEW SERVICE) though 1^st Sunday of the month an All Age service). (Sunday Club meets at the same time at 11 am).

(Every Sunday morning after the 11 am Service many of the congregation go round to the Church Room for a chat over a cup of coffee. Everyone is very welcome and it is hoped that any visitors and newcomers would find the twenty minutes or so well spent).

5 pm Evensong (BCP) (On every third Sunday, Sung Evensong will be replaced by Choral Evensong, supported by the Choir, and on every fifth Sunday by Songs of Praise).

THURSDAY EVENING

Bellringing Practice

FRIDAY

Choir Practice: 7.10 to 8.30 pm - Junior Choir. 7.30 to 8.30 pm - Full Choir

HOMEPAGE

CHURCH REPAIRS APPEAL

The Village always needed the Church

Today the Church needs the Village

April 2008

Dear Radley Villager

The final payment will be 23 months after the first one.
Bank details: NatWest Bank (Abingdon branch)

Account name: Radley Parochial Church Council
Sort code: 60-01-01

Account number: 61595136

Signed-----------------------------------------------------------------

CHURCH REPAIRS – UPDATE MAY 18^TH 2008

During the last week or so our Architect, Robert Montgomery put together papers that went to Church House for agreement by the DAC on Monday 13^th May. These mainly concerned the floor. They were agreed and now Robert is asking firms to tender for the work.

Floor

The entire floor in the nave and the south transept will be levelled. We have to keep the original good stone in its present position because:

• Much of it is too fragile to be moved without sustaining significant damage

• Some of it is memorial stones that mustn't be removed.

This means that the replacement stone will be used to fill the gaps. It will not be the same but the architect assures us that it will be good and look beautiful. (As soon as we know what stone they are likely to use, we will get samples.)

Organ

This will be removed in the fortnight following 1^st June and some of it stored locally and the rest taken to Bishop's workplace for repair. We still do not know the extent of any damage. It will be reinstated at the end of the work.

Seating

Thanks for comments about the sample pew and chairs. As they will be custom made for us details need to be finalised. We will order a combination of pews and chairs so there will be chairs at the front and pews behind (from the second pillar back) to give flexibility. We are very conscious that we need to provide the maximum seating possible and are working on this.

The design of the chair back and pew ends will be 'ours' and we will explore a St James' shell (which seems to be the most popular idea).

Pews

These will be the exact lengths and widths we request, and will be the same depth as the chairs. They will have 'our' design on the ends. We have noted the following points: The seat of the pew needs to be a couple of inches deeper The book 'slots' need to be easily cleanable The shelf for the kneelers needs to be deeper

Chairs

We have noted the following points: The book 'slots' need to be easily cleanable

Concern expressed about the life and look of the padded seats (although the company assures us that they wear well and can be replaced as necessary!). As soon as these details can be worked through we will get visuals.

Some people have asked about the cost of a chair. This is £150. Pews are very significantly morel

Old Pews

A lot of people have asked about the old pews. Each of them may be purchased. We want to do this in the fairest way possible so each pew has now been numbered and you are asked to sign on the list if you would be interested in buying it. If more than one person is interested in a particular pew, still sign, and we will find a fair way of allocating them.

8^th June onwards 8am 11am 6pm

Services will be held as follows:

Holy Communion Church Room

Holy Communion and All age services School Hall

Evensong/lona service/Songs of praise Ch. Room The Children and YP's will meet in their usual places Coffee will be served in the Church Room Choir practices will be held in the church Room No Church cleaning required!

Fundraising

So far (13^th May), we have received £50,000 as a result of generous responses to our church and parish letters. We have been promised a grant of £10,000 from the Oxford Historic Churches Trust. A year or so ago we were given a legacy that will be allocated to this project (£18k) so our current total stands at about £80,000. This is amazing. Thank you! We need to keep on going: our target is £180,000 and it's the latter part that is always more difficult! We have a long way to go in a short time!

PS One or two interesting events are planned - more news very shortly.

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RADLEY CHURCH

Radley Church, dedicated to the apostle St. James the Great, stands on the site of an earlier Norman building, which is said to have burnt down in about 1290. The consecration cross, which is now set in the sill of one of the west windows but was originally near the chancel arch, carries the inscription N.S.M. It is assumed that these initials refer to the bishop who performed the consecration ceremony, N. Sarum, who would then be Nicolas Longspee, Bishop of Salisbury (Sarum) from 1292 to 1297. The restoration of 1902 uncovered a Norman corbel on the north-east side of the chancel arch, which suggests that some features of the original building were retained in the later one. The earliest part of the present structure was thought to be the south transept, considered to be “untouched work of the beginning of the fourteenth century”. In this transept are the remains of the original piscina. The massive timber columns and the arcade along the south aisle are thought to be original. The north aisle and transept were destroyed by Cromwellian troops in 1643. A positive relic of the Civil War is the pulpit canopy, given in 1653 by William Lenthall, Speaker of the House of Commons, and believed to be the canopy over the chair at Westminster from which Lenthall was dragged by Cromwell’s troops at the end of the Long Parliament. The altar is said to be ancient and may even be the original Norman one, but it was refaced in about 1790. The font, on the other hand, is Norman. It lay buried for many years in a shed at the farm opposite the church and was discovered and restored in 1840. Near the altar, on the south side of the sanctuary, is the marble and alabaster monument, sculpted by Nicholas Stone, to Sir William Stonhouse, the first baronet, and his son John, both of whom died in 1632. Several officers and troopers were killed during the Civil War skirmish of 1643 (see above) and the panelled altar tomb in the churchyard is said to be of this date.

The heraldic stained glass was presented by Sir George Bowyer in or about 1840 and was either made or restored by Thomas Willement (1786-1871), noted heraldic artrist and stained glass maker. The subjects represented are:-