The highlight of the year at St Nick’s was the opening of the refurbished Langley Hall on St Nicholas Day, 6 December, 2006.

Bishop Stephen led us in worship in the church, followed by the opening in the hall itself. The Bishop was joined on the podium for the opening ceremony by head-teacher Amanda Phillips (representing Culloden School), Dr Phillip Bennett-Richards (representing the Aberfeldy Practice), centre-manager Sarah Tickner (representing the Aberfeldy Neighbourhood Centre), Cllr Ohid Ahmed & Dr Sheila Fitzpatrick, wife of our MP, (representing the people of the Aberfeldy), and Janet Langley, daughter of the person the Langley Hall was named after, Sid Langley. The opening itself was marked by everyone in the hall letting off a ‘party-popper’, and it was certainly a day of great rejoicing.

The first grants for the hall (£30,714 from the ‘Single Regeneration Budget’ and £14,688 from the ‘European Regional Development Fund’) came through in March ’05. Building-work started in November ’05 and much of ’06 was spent in completing the necessary work. Grateful thanks to John Baker, who did much of the carpentry-work himself, our architect Gordon MacLaren, James Stewart, Michael Mulcahy, and to members of the St Nick’s Council for the enormous amount of work that went into the refurbishment and the preparations for opening.

A few days after the opening, on Sunday 10 December, we had a congregational celebration of St Nicholas Day. In the planning and in the liturgy itself we tried hard to make sure that people took on jobs that they had never done before. The service ended in the street as a sign of our commitment to look outwards in the coming year. We then enjoyed a shared meal in the recently opened hall which was also an opportunity to welcome the Rector back at the end of his sabbatical.

We were very glad that three members of the St Nick’s congregation, Christopher Adams, and Antoinette & Yvonne Amuzu were confirmed at All Saints on 18 June ’06; then in March ’07 Amy and Jack Rudelhoff, Stevie Craddock-Harrington and Sam Atkinson embarked on their confirmation preparations which will continue until June ’07. Our prayers are with them.

Margaret Baker, one of the St Nick’s wardens, completed her training as a Pastoral Assistant and was commissioned on 16 July ’06 by Bishop Stephen. This is a very valuable roll and the hope is that Margaret’s completion of the training will encourage others to think about whether they might like to undertake something similar. Dennis Egbo also participated in the very worthwhile ‘New-Step’ course, and we congratulate him as the regular sessions come to an end.

We were very glad to welcome Fr John, who arrived as curate in the parish, to his first service at St Nick’s on 9 July ’06 and throughout the year the links between the two churches in the parish have been maintained by way of the exchange of members of the staff-team for preaching and the leading of worship in the two churches, through the work of the joint Parish Council and through exchanges of church members. Thank you, as ever, to the Rector, for his guiding hand, to Fr Tom Slater and Michael Keyte for very helpful musical support, to all the members of the staff-team, and church members at All Saints for their prayers and support.

In early 2007 Alice Gabriel set off for pastures new to be closer to her family. Alice was a member of the congregation when St Nick’s first re-opened and a member of the St Nick’s and the Lunch Club Management Committee. We wish her all the very best in her new home.

The Lunch Club continued in good heart throughout the year and increased in size thanks in no small measure to Rita’s cooking and Molly’s able assistance. Tower Hamlets reassuringly also committed themselves to renewing the mainstream-grant for the club not simply for a year, but for the next three years.

Thank you to Andrew Brown (who has also been an excellent and very hard-working council secretary) and to Mike Ludlow for supplying music for us of a consistently high standard. Music at St Nick’s is in good heart and greatly enhances our worship.

On 4 December, 2006 Alf Howard’s funeral took place at St Nick’s and more than a hundred people packed the church to give thanks for Alf’s life, and to offer condolences to his wife Edna (our treasurer) and their three children, Sue, Julie and Jane. The atmosphere and the number of people present on the day were a measure of the affection in which both Alf and Edna are held. Alf had worshipped and worked in St Nick’s over a long period, and we pay tribute to him and his family. 2006 also sadly saw the death of Venetta Aikman of Leven Road. Venetta received communion at home for at least the last decade and was a person of great spirit and life-enhancing good humour. And sadly also the funeral of Dolly Smith, much-loved wife of Richie Smith, who is a regular member of the congregation and grandfather to one of our confirmation candidates. May Alf, Venetta and Dolly rest in peace and rise and glory.

Thank you, as always, to our wardens, Margaret and Joyce, who work very hard - week in, week out and very effectively manage the rotas for us, and to all those who have helped with reading, tea and coffee, being a sidesperson, helping with the Sunday School, sitting on the Parish Council, and – along with our very conscientious caretaker, Monica – with looking after the building.

The new notice-boards aren’t up yet, but they are on order. With the church and the hall now in good order, their arrival will spur us on during the year ahead to use our energy and imagination to help realise the full potential of the hall, and - by the grace of God - to welcome others into the life of the church.
 

Andrew Wilson

April 2007