Kensington Parish News - Summer 2012

Kensington Parish News The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Special Edition stmaryabbotschurch.org

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Contents

Summer 2012

5 Images of the Queen by St Mary Abbots school pupils 7 Vicar’s Voice - Fr Mark Letters by Barbara Want 10 Our Queen by Robert Hardman 12 St Mary Abbots’ Royal Connections by Jane MacAllan 15 St Philip’s celebrates by Anne Steele 16 Blossom Barrow, In Memoriam by Annabel Freyberg 20 Reopening of Kensington Palace by Eloise Twisk 22 Meeting the Queen by St Mary Abbots school pupils 25 Max Croft sets us a right royal quiz 27 Annual Confirmation service by Fiona Braddock

Would readers wishing to sudmit articles for our next issue AUTUMN 2012 or would like to advertise i n t h e K P N ( a l l p ro c e e d s t o t h e church) please email kensingtonparishnews@googlemail.com

Editors: Fiona Braddock and Olga Pantyukhova. Prontaprint, Kensington.

Distributed free through our three parish churches. Copyright remains the property of the respective authors. Heartfelt thanks, as always, to all our contrbutors.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Special Edition A few words from the editors Welcome to the special Jubilee edition of Kensington Parish News. To celebrate the diamond jubilee this issue of our magazine is packed full of royal news and features. Here and on the front cover pupils from St Mary Abbots school share their images of Queen Elizabeth II.

Front Cover

top, from left:

James Vaughan-Hughes, Rise Chambati Woodhead, Tilly Dunford Wood medle, from left: Katy Pilling, Gabrielle Cann, Lola Stadlen below, from left: Ilaria Michie, Felix Stadlen, Qudsia Salman inside

top right:

Warin Sarakitgoson Anoushka Tavares, Marnie Davies

below left:

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vicar’s voice

Welcome to our new Hon Assistant Priest, Fr Mark Letters Barbara Want has been finding out about the man and his past…

M

ark Letters is standing outside St Mary Abbots talking to a parishioner in Danish. Fluent it sounds too, a legacy of the three years he’s just completed at St Albans, the English Church in Copenhagen.

‘I spoke German, but no Danish when I arrived there,’ he explains, ‘but the Danish government pays for you to attend language classes for three years.’

His arrival at the St Mary Abbots Church flat has been marked buy the non-arrival of some of his belongings. ‘The courier company was so cheap it looked too good to be true. And so it was,’ he laughs. ‘They took some things but simply left the rest.

I seem to have only half my shirts and no underwear!’

Prior to his Scandinavian sojourn Mark spent two years working at the Episcopal Church in Waterloo, but five years away from the UK had left him, ‘missing the country and the culture...you lose your connections,’ so a return was on the cards. He’s always been a non-stipendiary minister, sustained by part-time work as a secondary school teacher.

Ordained in the splendour of Oxford cathedral, one of his first roles was as chaplain at a detention centre for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants outside Oxford – Campsfield House. It seems this work has influenced him deeply.

‘The people who arrived there were mostly

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Vicar’s Voice

V

Regular Worship

ST MARY ABBOTS

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young men from developing countries,’ he explains. ‘They were from families who’d paid for them to go overseas and earn money to send back home. Many were from North Africa. They’d been dropped in the sea [literally] off the coast of Italy or Spain and had made their way to the UK because they spoke English. They then discovered their papers had been forged by the traffickers and they were totally knocked back. They would get very angry, very depressed, sometimes suicidal. My role as chaplain was to listen to those stories and let them take their anger out.

‘One man came up to me and started shouting and swearing at me about how much he hated this country and hated me. It’s so important to allow that anger out. When it had died down the man changed his tack and started talking about his whole life. It turned out he had come here hoping to train as a footballer but ended up in the drug scene.’

Mark was part of a team of chaplains from different denominations. How did the men respond to his Ministry?

‘A lot would come to mass because they nothing to do, but also because they were reeling from shock, and thinking about the most important things in life - what am I here for, what is happening in my life...’

His welcome at SMA has been, ‘really welcoming and really warm. People have been amazingly kind. I feel like a new boys at school but everyone has been so patient.’

He’ll be working three days a week, offering support to Father Gillean and leading services three Sundays out of four. ‘I like the choral tradition of the liturgy and the mix of formality and informality at St Mary Abbots,’ he says.

“People who like the formal liturgy can often be a bit po-faced but it’s not like that here’.

SMA may be a world away from his work at Campsfield House but he’s keen to try and connect with the asylum seeker arena again soon. Let’s hope his shirts and underwear arrive in time...

Sundays 8.00 am Holy Eucharist 9.30 am SUNG EUCHARIST (with Crèche & Sunday Schools) 11.15 am Choral Matins & Sermon 12.30 pm Holy Eucharist 6.30 pm Evensong with Sermon & Holy Eucharist (1st Sunday in month: Taizé Prayer & Holy Eucharist) Mondays 8.30 am Morning Prayer 1.05 pm Sunday on Monday service 5.30 pm Evening Prayer Tuesdays 8.30 am Morning Prayer 9.15 am Informal Holy Eurarist 11.30 am Holy Eucharist (Book of Common Prayer) 5.30 pm Evening Prayer Wednesdays 7.10 am Morning Prayer 7.30 am Holy Eucharist 2.00 pm 3rd Weds in the month: Holy Eucharist with Laying-on of Hands & Anointing 5.30 pm Evening Prayer Thursdays 7.10 am Morning Prayer 9.30 am St Mary Abbots School Eucharist (in term time – all welcome) 5.30 pm Evening Prayer Fridays 7.10 am 7.30 am 5.30 pm

Morning Prayer Holy Communion Evening Prayer

Saturdays 9.40 am Morning Prayer 10.00 am Holy Communion 5.30 pm Evening Prayer On MAJOR FEASTDAYS additional Services also offered: see the Bulletin & Noticeboard.

CHRIST CHURCH Sundays 8.00 am Holy Communion 11.00 am (on 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays in the month & on major Feasts): SUNG EUCHARIST with Sermon (with Sunday School) 11.00 am (on 2nd & 4th Sundays in the month): Sung Matins with Sermon (with Sunday School) ST PHILIP’S Sundays 8.30 am Holy Eucharist 10.30 am SUNG EUCHARIST (with Sunday School) 1st Sundays: all-age service with Eucharist 9.00 pm Night Prayer Monday to Friday 9.10 am Morning Prayer

Parish Directory

Clergy, wardens, vestry and office

THE PARISH !

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Vicar of the Parish The Rev'd Gillean Craig!

Parochial Church Wardens David Banks!!!!!!

Adrian Weale !

Children’s Advocate: Alex Dijkhuis !

Electoral Roll Officer: Sally Bessada !

Parish Administrator: Susan Russell !

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020 7937 6032!

07732 743 228!

020 7937 0765!

07500 607 433!

07733 316 063!

020 7937 2419!

ST MARY ABBOTS Associate Vicar Honorary Priests

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The Rev’d Gareth Wardell The Rev’d Mark Letters The Rev’d Peter Stubbs Deputy Churchwardens for St Mary Abbots Church: Carole-Anne Phillips Thomas Williams Vestry/Virger George MacAllan St Mary Abbots Centre Adam Norton (Manager) Director of Music Mark Uglow Stewardship Secretary James Egert Children on Sunday Valerie Eikelberg Friends of St Mary Abbots David Banks (Chairman) Bellringers Rachel Titmuss (Secretary) Kensington Parish News Fiona Braddock (Editor) Friday Playgroup Cosi Middleton-Roy

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gillean.craig@stmaryabbotschurch.org! dcjb@btinternet.com adrianweale@mac.com! childrensadvocate@stmaryabbotschurch.org! er@stmaryabbotschurch.org! susan.russell@stmaryabbotshurch.org

020 7937 2364 gareth.wardell@stmaryabbotschurch.org 07896 646 878 mark.letters@stmaryabbotschurch.org 020 8868 8296 peter.stubbs@stmaryabbotschurch.org 020 7937 3448 07768 166 422 tw@thomaswilliamsfineart.com 020 7937 5136 george.macallan@stmaryabbotschurch.org 020 7937 8885 adam.norton@stmaryabbotschurch.org music@stmaryabbotschurch.org 07920 591 553 stewardship@stmaryabbotschurch.org children@stmaryabbotschurch.org 07732 743 228 friends@stmaryabbotschurch.org -rt-@live.co.uk kpneditor@stmaryabbotschurch.org 07954 559 905 playgroup@stmaryabbotschurch.org

CHRIST CHURCH

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Associate Vicar with Special Responsibility for Christ Church The Rev’d Mark O’Donoghue 020 7937 2966 Deputy Wardens: Adrian Weale 020 7937 0765 Philip Witheridge 020 7937 5184 Administrator Adele Pye 020 7937 2966 Director of Music Rupert Perkins

mark@christchurchkensington.com adrianweale@mac.com pip@thewitheridges.com admin@christchurchkensington.com

ST PHILIPS

Associate Vicar with Special Responsibility for St Philip The Rev’d David Walsh Non-Stipendiary Ministers The Rev’d Lesley Perry !

The Rev’d Ijeoma Ajibade !!

Deputy Wardens: Anne Steele Callum Stewart Licensed Reader Rupert Steele Administrator Liz Christie Membership Secretary Chris Luxton Director of Music Rebecca Taylor

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020 7603 4420 vicar@specr.org lesley.perry@specr.org ijeoma.ajibade@specr.org wardens@specr.org 07860 579 838 callum.stewart@specr.org 020 8747 1556 rupert@specr.org 020 7938 1367 admin@specr.org 020 7937 4159 chris.luxton@specr.org rebecca.taylor@specr.org

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books

Our Queen Journalist, author and St Mary Abbots regular, Robert Hardman reflects on the reign of Queen Elizabeth ll and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations When future generations come to look back on the extraordinary summer of 2012, one figure will dominate above all else.

There can be no doubt that 2012 is the Year of Queen Elizabeth II. On the night of July 27th, before a global audience of several billion, she will declare that the London Olympics are well and truly open. But before all that kicks off, the capital – and the country - will come to an equally memorable standstill in honour of her Diamond Jubilee.

Olympics come and go but Britain has only seen one Diamond Jubilee. And the mood was very different in 1897 when Queen Victoria marked her 60th anniversary on the Throne. The Queen Empress was so infirm 10 that, when she arrived at St Paul’s Cathedral

for her service of thanksgiving, she declined to climb the steps. The clergy processed outside to her carriage instead.

There is some remarkable early film footage of that occasion in the new Diamond Jubilee exhibition at Kensington Palace.

The Queen dropped in to see it a few weeks ago – and also met pupils from St Mary Abbots as they learned how to make bunting in the palace’s new education centre.

Elizabeth II has travelled farther, known more world leaders and been seen by more people

books

than all her predecessors put together. In the course of her reign, she has visited 135 countries – many of them several times – and been introduced, personally, to some four million people (the equivalent, say, to meeting the entire population of New Zealand).

More than half the countries on earth – from Malaysia to Belarus – did not exist in their present form when she was crowned. In her father’s day, London had just two dozen embassies and High Commissions.

Even in 1960, there were just 70. Today, there are more than 150. To millions of people around the world, she represents continuity on an epic scale.

Having just spent two years inside the royal camp for my new book on the Sovereign, Our Queen, I have talked to her staff past and present, her Prime Ministers and members of her family. And what is remarkable is that she stands at the head of an institution which is busier and more innovative today than it has ever been. That is not normally the way in an organisation run by the same person for the best part of a century.

This is the Monarch who said farewell to the debutantes, invented the walkabout, opened the doors, admitted the cameras and

transformed the Palace culture (and finances) from top to bottom. As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she has been the first reigning Monarch to visit a mosque, a Hindu temple and the Vatican. No Sovereign in history has embraced other faiths like this one.

‘She’s ‘incredible,’ Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, told me during his first interview on the subject of his grandmother. ‘You present a challenge in front of her and she’ll climb it. And I think that to be doing that for sixty years – it’s incredible.’

The central Jubilee weekend should certainly be incredible, too – with a thousand boats on the Thames on June 3rd and a gathering of rock legends at the Palace plus thousands of beacons across the country on June 4th. Finally, on June 5th, the Queen will make her way to St Paul’s Cathedral for her service of thanksgiving, 115 years after her great, great grandmother did the same. It is safe to say that, on this occasion, the clergy will not be required to process into the street.

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St Mary Abbots

St Mary Abbots Church and its Royal Connections Jane MacAllan takes us on a tour of St Mary Abbots’ royal memorabilia

S

t Mary Abbots was the only church for the whole parish of Kensington from its foundation some 1000 years ago until the early nineteenth century. Indeed, it was often referred to as ‘Kensington Church’. In 1689 King William III and Queen Mary II bought a country house, Nottingham House, near the village of Kensington and converted it to provide a royal residence as an alternative to the official palace of Whitehall. Kensington Palace, as it became known, fell within the parish of St Mary Abbots. Since that time the church has maintained close links with its Royal residents.

YY Pulpit

Dated 1697, the pulpit is traditionally thought to have been gifted by King William III who resided in Kensington Palace. Made of oak, it is hexagonal with inlaid panels displaying royal monograms and motifs. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries greater emphasis was placed on preaching rather than on celebration of the Eucharist.

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St Mary Abbots

From far left:

YY Queen Victoria’s Coachman

This simple and elegant wall memorial is quite rare as it was erected at Queen Victoria’s behest for one of her servants.

Mr. William Mason served as a coachman for 18 years. The monument reflects the regard she had for such loyal and faithful service.

YY Princess Louise’s Memorial to her brothers

H.R.H. Princess Louise was a gifted sculptor. Devastated by the death of her beloved brothers, Leopold, Duke of Albany (d. 1884), and Alfred Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe CoburgGotha (d.1890), she sculpted a stone monument of a sorrowful, kneeling angel in their memory. It is signed ‘Louise fecit’.

YY Princess Louise planting the Coronation Tree

During her lifetime H.R.H. Princess Louise was actively involved with the parish. On 9th May 1937 she carried out the ceremonial planting of a tree in the churchyard near the cloisters to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Mary. Local Civic Authorities were in attendance.

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St Mary Abbots

YY The Bishop of Peterborough’s Cathedra

The Rev. The Hon. Edward Carr Glyn, Vicar (1878–97), gave the Duchess of Teck’s children scripture lessons and took them on visits to the poor. He was appointed Chaplain in Ordinary to Queen Victoria in 1884 and Bishop of Peterborough in 1897. His cathedra of carved oak was gifted to the church by his widow.

UUQueen Victoria Diamond Jubilee

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Photo by Argent Archer, Kensington, W. 28 June 1897 Queen Victoria paid a visit to the borough of her birth as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Her carriage stopped outside the church where the Vicar and other dignitaries greeted her. Loyal parishioners cheered enthusiastically. As she drove off the church bells rang and military bands played.

St philip’s

St Philip’s celebrates Anne Steele on Diamond Jubilees, past and present The last time (and only) time this country celebrated a monarch’s diamond jubilee, St Philip’s was 40 years old and serving a new and flourishing area of London built up around the twin transport lines of rail and water.

When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne St Philips was beginning to plan its 100th birthday and raised £7,500 which paid for the repair and redecoration of its fabric, the complete reconditioning of the organ, a new roof, all dry rot removed and the Church Hall repaired and redecorated. At the same time, the surrounding area was undergoing great change –the Cromwell Road extension was being planned and the big Victorian family homes were all being subdivided into flats. Sometimes the pace of life seemed to overcome those running the church. But the then Vicar, Rev Francis Hall said: “The good things in life do not belong to the Past, however many folk persist in saying ‘in my day, of course, things were very different’. So they often were, and often they were worse.”

And so to 2012, the eyes of those involved with St Philips are firmly fixed on the future and our vision to “become a more visible sign of God’s kingdom in our community ”.

There’s a real sense of excitement about this vision in St Philip’s at the moment, despite the unseasonably cool and rainy weather and the recession, which is hitting some local families very hard. We’ll be opening the Church for the Jubilee weekend, holding

our usual services on Sunday 3rd June, but following them with a bring and share lunch (all welcome for a small fee). We have also installed a big TV screen so that anyone can come and watch the River pageant that same afternoon. On Tuesday 5 June the Church will be open again so we can join Big Jubilee Service live from St Paul’s in the morning and St Philip’s bell will join in the national peal, and then to watch the carriage procession and flypast. Come and join us!

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in Memoriam

Blossom Barrow Annabel Freyberg pays tribute to her daughter

Blossom with chinchilla Photographer:

Rachael Smith

A

happy, high-spirited child of this parish, Blossom Barrow was born at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, played in the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens as a toddler, attended Sunday School at St Mary Abbots, and became a pupil at St Mary Abbots School in September 2007 – though she was in hospital for the first few months.

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Although she was only four when diagnosed with cancer, after a year of tough treatment borne touchingly lightly she got on with the serious business of being a child. Friends, school, family, pets, cooking, toys, art, ballet, swimming, riding, gardening, television,

books, computers, clothes, outings, holidays in Cornwall and once to Egypt – so much to do, and so little time. In her case she had four more years, which were brim-filled with joy and activity. Her relish in life was a delight to those who met her, including wonderful teachers and the nurses who supported her in her final year of yet more treatment.

She was nine years old when she died – quite unexpectedly and with a typical lack of hanging around.Yet her stoicism, her refusal to let illness dominate her life, and her refreshingly independent get-up-and-go attitude impressed many far older than her. We list some of the rules that governed her short but treasured life.

in Memoriam

Blossom’s twenty commandments • Do it NOW, whether it’s a thank-you letter, stringing a necklace or making pancakes.

Life is for living not for thinking about.

Besides, you can get so much more done if you start straightaway.

• Don’t worry, it only makes things worse.

• Love your father and mother – even your brothers and sisters if you have them.

• Cross roads only by the zebra crossing.

• Choose the clothes you’re going to wear the night before. Get dressed before you’re told to – and change several times a day if you feel like it.

• Be as friendly as you like to everyone you meet.

• A scooter is a better way to travel than by foot.

• Say sorry immediately after a tantrum.

• Go and see the musical Matilda.

• Pester your parents if you really want

something – a hamster, a visit to the library, ballet lessons; it always works in the end.

• If you have a pet, remember to clean out their hutch. They love being groomed too.

• Go to the Vitamix demonstrations at Whole Foods – they’re brilliant, and so is the soup and ice cream that’s given out.

• Watch The Simpsons at 6pm each day – it’s naughty and fun.

• Never stop asking questions – people can tell you fascinating things.

• Vanilla ice cream is the best – especially Cornish Clotted Cream; my granny’s Mars Bar sauce is nice with it too.

• Make your own birthday, Christmas and Easter cards.

• Try Plants vs Zombies – it’s a cool app on the ipad.

• Be a peacemaker – whisper ‘Shhh’ at whoever’s being ticked off and stop further arguments.

• Draw pictures and write stories about the things that happen to you.

• Always look on the bright side.

From left: Blossom serving at St Mary Abbots, Harvest bag designed by Blossom

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in memoriam

‘My London’ by Blossom Barrow as featured in a school’s exhibition at the RCA for Cancer Research UK

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in memoriam

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Palace

Fit for a Future King The newly transformed Kensington Palace is now open, Eloise Twisk finds out how the £12million, two year project unfolded..

From top left: The New Entrance of Kensington Palace The Queen Statue of Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace Workmen do the finishing touches at the palace 20

It’s a partnership other schools would kill for.

St Mary Abbots has established a formal link with Kensington Palace, meaning regular trips to the Palace for pupils and staff and even, for some, a chance to meet the Queen.

The palace has recently re-opened after a 2 year £12 million pound refurbishment. Outdoors, there’s a grand new entrance from the Round Pond, gorgeous new landscaping and St Mary Abbots’ contribution - a wild flower meadow planted by Year 1 pupils.

(The children were given handfuls of seeds including Betanys, Daisies, Yellow Rattles and Ladies Bedstraw.)

And when the Queen came to the re-opening of the Palace in March, Year Six pupils were there to greet her.

‘We wanted to make the Palace special for our local community, our neighbours.’ explains Natasha Woollard, the Head of Kensington Palace.

palace

‘We’re especially excited to be able to work with St Mary Abbots, which is of course just round the corner from us.

The curators of the Palace admit they’ve tried to throw off the Palace’s old-fashioned image. Curator Deirdre Murphy says, “We had a very unsatisfactory linear route where visitors would buy their ticket in the Red Saloon, not knowing they were there; in the next room they would be given an audio-guide and then they would be pushed from room to room ... until eventually they were spat out the other end into the shop. That was the visitor experience. Now, the new visitor entrance ... enables us to give visitors choice for the very first time.”

The refurbished Palace offers a very different atmosphere. There’s an exhibition of dresses worn by Princess Diana, and a permanent exhibition, Victoria Revealed, which follows Victoria’s life from her days as a baby to her last surviving mourning dress. There are more multimedia exhibits and interactive games, and a new lift provides level access to all floors.

Perhaps best of all, a paying adult can take up to six children for free.

The palace was originally built in 1605 as a private country house, and was bought by King William III and Queen Mary II in 1689.

Princess Diana lived in apartment there until her death in 1997, and her son, Prince William, and the Duchess of Cambridge are due to move to a different apartment when it’s refurbished later this year.

Natasha Woollard says, ‘Our ambition was to open up the Palace’s rich and varied stories to as wide an audience as possible.’ This means a new learning area, the Clore Centre, and dedicated community rooms for local groups to use.

They’re also keen to hear from local residents who’d like to become volunteers.

There’ll be plenty of evidence of St Mary Abbots’ partnership in the coming weeks.

Pupils have helped make jubilee bunting, commemorating Victoria’s 1897 jubilee and, says Natasha, ‘they’re making a triumphal arch out of willow which children are going to decorate with paper flowers, to display at their school jubilee party. ‘We want to welcome students, teachers, parents and governors to use the palace as a source of inspiration, a place to visit and to feel at home.’

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school

An Unforgettable Experience Meeting the Queen!

When St Mary Abbots School pupils went to the official reopening of Kensington Palace they met a special guest. Here they tell us more.

By Zoë Cobb & Tilly Dunford-Wood - Year 6

I

t was the 15th March, when we had the great opportunity to meet the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. We had been invited to attend the Royal Opening of Kensington Palace.

When we first arrived at the park, we were a bit intimidated by the numerous police and the security checks we had to go through. Once we were in the palace, we got taken down to the new learning rooms; we were the first people to use them.

Then we started to make jubilee bunting to go up in the palace’s new exhibition, about past jubilees.

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We went round six different tables to experiment with different art techniques. There were things such as: printing and using advanced machines; beads, ribbons and other fabrics: and stamping. We put a lot of effort into the triangular flags. The anticipation had been building up inside each and every one of us. We had been prepping all

day, when to curtsy or bow, what to call the Queen, was it your Majesty? We were warned numerous times, to remember our manners!

Suddenly, bright lights started flashing in the room next door, the cameras were going wild.

We could only catch glimpses of the Royals.

We all started getting anxiously excited, the Queen had arrived! We were told not to stare, so we continued working on our last tables.

While we were working, Prince Phillip started walking towards us. We turned around, and he was standing right in front of us.

“Where have you come from?” he asked “St Mary Abbots School.”

Zoë answered; amazed that such a person would want to talk to her.

“Won’t all those sequins fall off your flag?” he asked “No, because the glue will dry.” Tilly told him.

He walked away after that to go see what the others were doing.

We are so incredibly grateful that we were given such a surreal experience, the Queen came close enough for us to touch her and Prince Phillip talked to us!

Now we can’t wait to see our bunting on show at Kensington Palace.

school

By Lola Palmer - Year 6

I

t was a normal day. But not like any other.

My mother’s diary had under Thursday 15th March 2012 ‘Lola to meet Royalty!’ I wasn’t so excited, more nervous in fact. If I’m honest with you I think my mother was more inflamed than I was! I was only electrified later. But we have yet to come to that…

As soon as I had strolled through the red doors of school I was rushed upstairs, my lunch-box like an out-of-control aeroplane.

When I had finally wandered into the classroom, after hesitation. Everyone was neatly dressed; girls had their hair scraped back precisely into a ponytail or elegantly brushed down so that there were no knots or tangles and without a stray hair to be seen.

We left as soon as we had done registration, with our yellow high viz jackets on we headed off. Not a long walk there. It was a blissful, sunshiny day. The trees were covering us from the sun’s warm gaze.

We walked through the cobble path of the park. There were banners everywhere with ‘Witness the royal opening of Kensington Palace on the 15th March 2012!’ We were all buzzing with excitement.

I still hadn’t got my head round the fact that I was going to meet The Queen. Gabby (my best friend), was already prepping about what she’d say and do. I rolled my eyes and carried on walking.

After going through a security check and our teachers accompanying - Mr Wallace, our Year 6 teacher, Mrs Thomas, the TA and finally our head teacher, Mrs Doyle.

Later, the moment came we had been escorted into a spacey room, we had aprons on and were changing table every 15 minutes.

We were doing bunting for a display. We made cloth flags, decorated in different designs.

Not one flag was alike. Some tables had paints and some had glitter and sequins.

Thereafter came the moment we had been waiting for. The room filled with nervousness and photographers, excitement and reporters. After a long agonising wait we told to keep working and act normal as Her Majesty the Queen walked in. I thought ‘Okay, I’ll be normal. I hope!’ She strolled by without us knowing. We noticed when the cameras started flashing. My heart was rattling around in my chest.

Beating like I had ran a marathon, Gabby had a smug smile on as the Queen approached our table. “Ah, lovely work there. What school do you go to, dear?” the Queen said.

Gabby opened her mouth, fully capable of saying our school’s name. But I felt like she needed that extra gentle push.

So I said it for her.

“St Mary Abbots School” I raced out.

The Queen smiled and moved on to next table. Gabby and I absolutely freaked out when we left. “We had met the Queen!” we said in excitement. “I am sure she’ll never forget us.” I said.

“I think we will never either!”

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school

By Oskar Stiff - Year 6

O

n the 15th March 2012, the year 6 class (that’s us) of St Mary Abbots, went to Kensington Palace to make jubilee bunting - It was fantastic fun, playing around with the paints, printing screens and bits of spare fabric, but things were about to get a lot more fun!

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After a quick break of juice and biscuits, we resumed our work and continued decorating the jolly triangular strips of fabric. Eventually we were told the words we had all been waiting for; the Queen and Prince Philip were going to be here in 5 minutes!

When they came I was one of the lucky ones to talk to Prince Philip. He asked

what I was doing. I told him that I was printing the bunting with paint. He gave a chuckle and replied that I had got more of it on my hands than the bunting. The children on the table I was on, laughed and I joined in. Imagine hearing a joke from Prince Philip! Pretty cool!

Some of my classmates were able to speak to the Queen but I am still glad to have been able to talk to Prince Philip and be that close to the Queen. Finally we watched as those members of the royal family were driven away from the palace My Grandfather who was an officer in the army has had a few encounters with the Queen when he received medals from her. For this I am very proud of him.

But I have to say that it was certainly an unforgettable experience talking to Prince Philip and making him chuckle!

quiz

Are you a Royal Mastermind?

Max Croft tests our Queenly knowledge.

How will you score?

1. What are the Queen’s middle names?

2. What date is the Queen’s real birthday?

3. The Queen is a keen Scrabble player. If she placed the word ‘queen’ on the board at the start of the game, what’s the most number of points she could score?

8. How many prime ministers have there been during the Queen’s reign?

9. Who composed God Save The Queen?

10. How old was Queen Victoria when she celebrated her diamond jubilee?

11. To the nearest hundred, how many rooms does Buckingham Palace have?

4. What language, other than English, is the Queen fluent in?

5. How many archbishops of Canterbury have there been during the Queen’s reign?

12. Whose portrait is on the opposite side to the Queen’s on a £20 note?

6. Who, or what, are Cider, Berry, Candy and Vulcan?

7. Who designed the Queen’s wedding dress?

ANSWERS to Quiz

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1. Alexandra and Mary; 2. April 21; 3.48; 4. French; 5. 6: Geoffrey Fisher, Michael Ramsey, Donald Coggan, Robert Runcie, George Carey and Rowan Williams; 6.The Queen’s dorgis (half dachshund, half corgi). She also has 5 corgis; 7. Sir Norman Hartnell; 8. 12:Winston Churchill (1951-55), Anthony Eden (1955-59), Harold Macmillan (1959-63), Alec Douglas-Home (1963-64), Harold Wilson (1964-70 & 1974-76), Edward Heath (1970-74), James Callaghan (1976-79), Margaret Thatcher (1979-90), John Major (1990-97),Tony Blair (1997-2007), Gordon Brown (20072010) and David Cameron (2010-present); 9.Thomas Augustine Arne (1710–1778) 10. 78; 11. 800 (775); 12.(The economist Adam Smith)

RAFFETY & WALWYN BRITISH AND CONTINENTAL ANTIQUE CLOCKS AND BAROMETERS Established in Kensington for many years, buying and selling to residents of the Borough and clients worldwide

We have a carefully chosen stock of 17th and 18th century grandfather and bracket clocks as well as barometers and marine chronometers Either come and see our current stock

In a specially recreated period room setting or view our website:

www.raffetyantiqueclocks.com or e-mail us on:

raffety@globalnet.co.uk

Member of the British Antique Dealers’ Association 79 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4BG Telephone: 020 7938 1100 Fax: 020 7938 2519

confirmation

Fiona Braddock reports from the Annual Confirmation Service On a hot night on Thursday 24th May, St Mary Abbots welcomed Bishop Paul Williams to confirm thirty-seven confirmation candidates into the Eucharistic fellowship of Christ’s church. There were a record number of candidates this year from St Mary Abbots, St Philip’s, Christ Church and St Marks. It was a moving and joyful service that touched everyone present.

The candidates were: CARINA ALVA, LARA ARCHER, AVA BRADDOCK, FIONA BRADDOCK, MARCEL BYNOE, SIMONE BYNOE, JUKE CAESAR-SU, SUGARAY

CAMPBELL, PTOLEMY CHICHESTER, GRACE CHOPRA, CAELO DINEEN VANSTONE, TILLY DUNFORD-WOOD, MAYA HALL, SKYE HARRIS, HECTOR HOFFMAN, JESSICA HUGHES, SONJA JOHNSON, LIBERTY JONES, ELENA LINDMARK, JANAYO LUCIMA, LUCIAN MORRISON, KATE O’DONOGHUE, OTIS PALMER, GEORGE PILLING, TRISHA RASSATT, SAM RHODES, JAMES ROGERS, CLAIRE DE ROSE, ANNE SCHLAG, GEORGINA SEAL, JOSEPH SIEGHART, OFELIA TAVARES, OLIVER TAYLOR, DANIEL TOLAND, CHRISTOPHER TOMLINSON, OLIVIA TOMLINSON and DIDO WEALE. Following the Service, the congregation flowed out of the church doors and gathered in the open air for a wine and canapes celebration reception, thanks as always to Alison Steel for putting on such a wonderful spread.

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Campbell Harris is a long-established independent sixth form college situated on Kensington High Street.

We specialise in intensive tuition for GCSE, AS and A2 Levels, so that most of our students can realise their ambition of securing a place at a top UK University. We are small with fewer than 100 students, which results in major benefits, including: ! Small class sizes - usually in the range 2 to 8 ! We can provide almost any combination of subjects ! Dedicated tuition producing excellent exam results ! Campbell Harris is a UKBA Tier 4 High Trusted Sponsor ! 2008-11 A Level results - 49% A*,A,B - 79% A*,A,B,C - 99% A* - E Students have been achieving excellent results here at GCSE and A-level, in an informal but highly professional atmosphere, since it was formed in 1992 by the current Co-Principals, Claire Campbell and Mark Harris. The college offers private tuition for GCSE, AS and A2 subjects, both for the first time student and also those needing to retake an examination to improve their grades.

Although most of our students are in the age range of 15 to 19, we also welcome more mature students who might be coming back to education after a period of work or travel.

Campbell Harris, 185 Kensington High Street London W8 6SH!

Discover Art at

Dove-Studios.com Dove Studios is an oasis of creativity which offers a safe

and nurturing space for children to develop their creativity and skills. We provide scope for

artistic continuity and growth on a short, mid and long term basis.

Dove Studios is a fun learning

environment to complement school.

Dovehouse Street (side entrance) London SW3 6JZ Contact Cornelia on 0777 568 2094 email: info@dove-studios.com

PARISH SCHOOLS

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     

        

   

Mini Picassos Where kids create masterpieces !

Art classes & parties for children aged from 15months—12yrs Mini Picassos, 8 Station Terrace, Kensal Rise, London NW10 5RT Contact us for a free class

Tel: 07903638817

info@minipicassos.co.uk www.minipicassos.co.uk

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For an expert view of the property market in your parish please contact Matthew Harrop or William Tellwright 020 7908 1100 kcs.sales@johndwood.co.uk Kensington Sales & Lettings

www.johndwood.co.uk