After a busy weekend featuring two weddings and a baptism as well as the regular Sunday morning service, All Saints Shelley has gone under cover. The scaffolding is up. The alarms are installed. Polythene sheeting drapes the pews. Dame Margaret Tylney, who has been forlornly staring up at the pulpit for over 400 years, sports a rather fetching orange plastic wrap. It matches the organ in the south aisle. The work on the roof has begun at last, and All Saints is braced for action.The tiles on the north nave slope are being replaced and the work will take around 10 weeks. It is being generously funded by The National Churches Trust, The Wolfson Foundation, Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Belstead Ganzoni Charitable Settlement and Alfred Williams Charitable Trust, plus local churchgoers, residents and friends who have contributed enthusiastically to our appeal and fundraising events. Despite cost rises and unexpected extras, the money has been found, and contractors Lodge and Sons have taken up residence.Our services will continue throughout. We are looking forward to welcoming Bishop Martin to a special evensong on 6 November, to celebrate what will hopefully then be Shelley's smart new roof.
Are there any nematodes effective against snails?What do the panel think is the future of bedding plants?What is the best way to get rid of box caterpillar?How and when should you prune philadelphus?If you don't know, you clearly weren't there.On a glorious May Day evening Shelley Church hosted a sell-out Gardeners' Question Time event in aid of the Roof Fund.Advance questions, plus a few extra on the night, were fired at our team of experts by master of ceremonies Jono Benson. The horticultural A-listers on the receiving end were Rupert Eley, Senior RHS Show Judge and proprietor of The Place for Plants at East Bergholt; Sarah Cook, 10 years Head Gardener and Property Manager at Sissinghurst Castle for the National Trust; and Jim Marshall, 27 years Gardens Advisor to the National Trust and Vice Chairman of Plant Heritage.Raffle prizes were generously donated by Sara Eley and Ian Self, and the evening generated over £1,600 in all towards the Roof Fund.Why a Roof Fund? Following its recent five-yearly inspection the north side of All Saints' nave roof, which has had little attention since the 1970's, needs completely renewing. Work is scheduled to start in September and we are well on the way to reaching the total funds needed - but not there yet! Our appeal is still open, so if you would like to contribute, please use the donate button on this website or contact admin@shelleychurch.org.uk.
Pitch your gardening challenges to our distinguished panel, and enjoy a complimentary glass of wineRupert Eley, Senior RHS JudgeSarah Cook, former Head Gardener at Sissinghurst CastleJim Marshall, retired National Trust Gardens AdviserJonathan Benson, ChairmanEmail admin@shelleychurch.org.uk for tickets, £10, and details about submitting your questionsIn aid of the Shelley Church Roof Appeal
Having always supported Shelter’s Christmas Appeal, the initiative at St Mary’s Hadleigh (sister church to All Saints') organizing a sleep-out to raise funds and awareness of their work seemed an ideal opportunity to extend that support. When a nurse teacher in Bristol at the then Avon College of Nursing, the annual September intake of about 150 students raised funds for The Julian Trust in Bristol. Outside London, Bristol has the biggest homelessness problem. This organisation, founded in 1969, has a Night Shelter open from 8pm four nights a week offering a bed, meals, showers, clean clothes and a laundry service. However, at Christmas they have permission from Bristol City Council to be open for the full 24 hours over 7-10 days (depending how the public holidays fell) offering residential support for up to 50 guests, as well as day visitors when they link up with St Mungo’s to explore more long term solutions. Counselling, medical and numerous other facilities are also on offer mostly staffed by volunteers. I used to volunteer over the Christmas Bank Holidays. Each year I gave the new student intake the responsibility of organizing bring and buy sale for the charity. 8 ladies (two octogenarians) and 6 men took up the challenge in the church and we bedded down for the night on 26th January in the unheated, unlit St Mary’s church. I was lent a camping memory mattress, a snuggly Captain Marvel Teddy Fleecy Blanket Hoodie and large heavy fleece blanket. With my hand warmers, woolly socks, thermal long johns, and hot water bottle filled from the available kettle, I was as warm as toast except on trips to the loo when aware of how cold the church was, though soon warmed up when once more under cover. Slept fitfully and Andrew Janas’ breakfast served us on Saturday morning at 7.30am by the team of folk led by MaryLou (she, Claire and others helped us bed down the night before) who came to the church at 6.45am was very much appreciated. On return home, I put the electric blanket on and, after sorting out everything, went to bed and slept until 1pm. Even so, took a couple of days to fully catch up with lost sleep. Do feel that, compared with what the homeless have to deal with when sleeping rough, my experience was more symbolic. Having lived in many areas of England I contacted friends from years back with whom I correspond annually at Christmas with mutual updates, and they were extremely generous in giving sponsorship. Support from Hadleigh and Shelley contacts was overwhelming and a big thank you goes to them. Though would not repeat the process, glad I did it and can only again say a big thank you to sponsors, for the practical support from members of the churches and for the work of Shelter.
