The Bishop of London has now instructed that, as well as public worship being suspended, all churches in the Diocese of London must now be closed and streaming of services suspended. Chelsea Old Church will therefore, sadly, be closed until further notice. The office can still be contacted on office@chelseaoldchurch.org.uk or 020 7795 1019 The Vicar can be contacted on office@chelseaoldchurch.org.uk or 020 7352 5627 Thought for the Week from the Reverend Canon David Reindorp, Vicar of Chelsea Old Church 29 March 2020 Dear All The Archbishops have made a tough call and have asked that no services be streamed from churches. So this comes from my home. The readings today could not be more apposite. God is talking to Ezekiel: ”Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say our bones are dried up and our hope is lost. We are cut off completely.” This last is true, but our bones are not dried up and our hope is not lost. The Gospel reading is about the raising of Lazarus. That reminds us that our Easter journey is about victory over the grave. The raising of Lazarus clearly astonished the onlookers and terrified the Pharisees who must have reported it to the Roman authorities. Because we know the whole story, the raising of Lazarus doesn’t surprise us. Our whole Christian hope is bond up with the Resurrection and that we are the Body of Christ here on earth is a result of that Resurrection. Our churches are closed. That is a sadness and a deprivation. But the Church is more than buildings, however beloved ours is. We can still pray and worship in our own homes and in our hearts. This is a time to love our neighbours as we are commanded. Through the miracles of modern communication, we can keep in touch with all. This week I rang my old nanny. In my mind she is ageless though she will be 80 this year. She said she had never nannied such a gifted and beautiful child (if you believe that you will believe anything!) These are serious times. We face an external and unknown enemy which literally seeps into our lives and the anxiety creeps into all our hearts. It is a time for trust in God and each other. We are the Resurrection people. God bless you all and stay safe. P.S. I was amused to overhear my youngest son, who is with me, talking to his sister who is expecting a baby in the next fortnight. She is in isolation. She was saying how difficult it was to keep a two-year old amused
My son said: “You think you have it tough? I’ve got Dad!” You can also view a video of Mattins and another of Communion recorded at Chelsea Old Church on 22nd. March. -0-0-0- There are a range of Christian resources available and the link below lists digital streaming, tv and radio programmes, blogs and other resources. https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0- William Drake Limited have completed installation of the new organ.  for information on the organ -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-  Recently donated to the Church, a book of 25 sermons, starting in 1954, preached in Chelsea Old Church in honour of Thomas More, on the anniversary of his birth. Preachers ranged from the Archbishop of Canterbury, through Professors of Theology and Ecclesiastical History to Bishops and Deans. Church Garden The Church gardens and gardeners won these competitions in 2018 1st Chelsea Gardens Guild Churches Summer Competition 1st Kensington Gardeners Club Churches 1st Brighter Kensington and Chelsea Scheme Bronze medal in class 10, the London Garden Society 0-0-0-0-0-0 Received recently from the Prior Studios photos of a couple of drawings by William Orpen, one of them below.  Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, KBE, RA, RHA (27 November 1878 – 29 September 1931) was an Irish artist who worked mainly in London. Orpen was a fine draughtsman and a popular, commercially successful, painter of portraits for the well-to-do in Edwardian society. During the First World War, he was the most prolific of the official artists sent by Britain to the Western Front. (Source: Wikipedia) -0-0-0- Received an article dated 1922, shown below, when a medieval stained glass window was discovered when cement and building rubble was removed that covered a window between the Vestry and Lawrence Chapel. Francis Eeles, renowned stained glass expert, identified the window as made between 1320-1340, the oldest window in London apart from Westminster Abbey. The window was sent to the V&A Museum with a plan to eventually restore it to Chelsea Old Church. If the window returned before WWII when the Church was bombed it may have been destroyed, however enquiries were made to V&A to see whether they have records of the window's fate, yes, they returned it in 1922.  So probably destroyed in 1941. But research at British and Kensington Library and stained glass experts revealed that the Chelsea Society had paid for transferring the window to the crypt at St Lukes' in 1939 for safekeeping. An original search at Chelsea Old Church had not found the window but a more 'in depth' study had found the window sandwiched inside a broken 19th C window in the Tower clock room. The window was now in 4 main parts, pictured below, plus many smaller pieces of glass.     The top two were Maurice Drake restorations, the third the 1320 medieval window which is still curved having been folded within another longer window. The fourth the remains of the wording added in 1922. The inscription at the bottom says: To the glory of God and in memory of the unknown saints who for centuries have worshipped Him in this place. This window was uncovered on St Bartholomew day 1922 was recreated 1923. The 14th century glass of this window was originally in the western light of the eastern most window in the north wall of the Lawrence Chapel opposite blocked by the Lawrence Chapel and Colvile monuments After CCC years the glass was found behind layers of plaster in August 1922. All of the window is now at Canterbury Cathedral stained glass studio for conservation advice and awaits the raising of funds to complete the project by displaying it in it's original window in the Lawrence Chapel. In the Churchyard - June
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| A New Church Organ at Chelsea Old Church The organ plays a crucial part in the life of the church, used every Sunday and frequently during the week for funerals, memorials, baptisms and weddings. The organ removed in January 2019 was built in 1957, replaced the instrument lost when the church was bombed. Like the church itself, the organs of Chelsea Old Church have a long and interesting history. Most notable amongst these was an organ by the famous builder of the day, Renatus Harris, which is believed to have stood in the church from 1712-1723. The early removal of this instrument (for unknown reasons) prevented its eventual destruction had it remained up until 1941, and parts of it are believed still to be in existence in a church in Devon.  Invitations to tender were sent to a shortlist of organ builders and the result was the Devon-based organ builders William Drake built the organ. We are delighted that William Drake Limited have completed installation of the new organ, compressed into a 1min 23 sec stop frame video here It was heard for the first time at Mattins on Sunday 22nd. September 2019. To see the Dedication and Celebration of The New Pipe Organ programme click here, which took place on 21st November. The new organ is a fine new instrument that will not only serve the needs of the parish, but also play a part in the wider musical life of Chelsea. https://sites.google.com/site/chelseaoldchurch2/organ -0- The Clock at Chelsea Old Church The Edmund Howard clock, 1761, formerly at Chelsea Old Church, but where is it now? The present clock, made by Dents, who built Big Ben, was installed in 1950's. It was assumed the 1761 clock was destroyed during the 1941 raid, but a horologist has found a film of the clock alive and well at Dent's workshops and can be seen from 1 minute 59 seconds to 2 minutes 10 seconds in the Pathe film here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpoVTvvAT6U which was filmed at Dents in 1959. So the search is on for the Howard clock. -0- Dacre Monument Conservation and restoration work started on 28th January by conservators Granville and Burbidge and was completed 7th March 2014. The work was funded by the Dacre family in memory of the 27th Baroness Dacre.   Obelisk before during and after  mouldings before and after  Skull, wings and hourglass before and after  The dog at the feet of Lady Dacre removed to measure up for a new right front leg and reattach the left leg. -0- Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, attended a friend's wedding at the weekend, having just returned home after their whirlwind stay in New York. The royal couple were guests at the ceremony, which took place at Chelsea Old Church near the River Thames. The occasion may well have been a trip down memory lane for the Duchess, as the church is situated on the very same road as the Middleton's London home, where Kate shared a flat with Pippa in the years she lived in the capital after graduating from St Andrews. Kate, who is currently five months pregnant with her and William's second child, looked elegant in a floor-length black lace gown with full-length lace sleeves, most likely the same one by designer Diane Von Furstenberg that she opted to wear to the star-studded Royal Variety Performance last month. For the wedding, the Duchess accessorised with a small sparkling black clutch and black heels, wrapping up against the chill with a red tartan scarf that was draped over her shoulders. She wore her brunette locks loose over her shoulders. Courtesy Hello Magazine |
