News and Diary

THE FRIENDS OF ST GREGORY’S MINSTER KIRKDALE

News and Activities

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CURRENT NEWS

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FRIENDS' WEEKEND 2021

We here quote the Chairman's September Newsletter to Friends with slight modifications:

As you will know the Friends’ Weekend was held on 11^th and 12^th of September, in a controlled form, as dictated by You-Know-What.  I append for your interest and information a record of both days. 

The 32^nd AGM was held at 2.30pm on Saturday 11^th September, and all attendees followed Pandemic regulations and precautions. One Trustee was due to stand down, namely Mr Gordon Mellor, who did not seek re-election, but wished instead to retire.  Gordon was thanked for his outstanding and unstinting support throughout very many years, and was wished many years of happy retirement.  As no applications for Trusteeship had been received, leaving a vacancy, the number of Trustees was reduced to nine (see list below). 

The Chairman’s report covered May 2020 – May 2021, in the hope that the usual dates for the Friends’ Weekend would resume next year.  In fact this has been booked for the dates of Saturday 7^th and Sunday 8^th May 2022; it is hoped that the usual format of Refreshments and Luncheon may be organised!  The Chairman referred to the fact that there should be exciting news for the next AGM, arising from events happening now.  The Treasurer’s report followed, and the Election of an Honorary Auditor was proposed and seconded.   

The AGM was closed at 3pm, and after a short interval, Professor Sid Bradley gave a talk (in place of the postponed Kirkdale Lecture) entitled From Kirkdale's ‘Cloud of Witnesses’: Four Cameos.  He concentrated on four historically significant persons from different centuries, whose actions affected the Minster to a considerable degree.  They were two named vicars or curates of St Gregory's Minster, both apparently Augustinian canons of Newburgh Priory, from the 14th and the 15th century; and Henry Danvers (Lord Danby) who bequeathed St Gregory's Minster and its tithes to the University of Oxford in support of his 'Physicke Garden' (now the Botanic Garden - this year celebrating its 400th anniversary); and his mother, Lady Elizabeth Danvers, a daughter of the prestigious and powerful Neville family, who preceded him as Patron of St Gregory's Minster. Both mother and son lived in the tumultuous years of the 17th century. This was most interesting; the audience listened in rapt attention to the end, after which there was great applause, and a Vote of Thanks from Gordon Mellors.

The Friends’ Sunday brought the usual Choral Eucharist; Fr Anthony Pritchett was both Celebrant and Guest Preacher.  The Litany of Commemoration of Founders and Benefactors (revised this year to include the names of newly discovered medieval priests of St Gregory’s Minster, Dominus Alan de Kilham and Dominus Robert de Welburn) was very movingly read by Professor Bradley and Mrs Catherine Thorn.  The Choir, under the direction of John Hastie, sang extracts from Haydn’s Mass in F (Jugendemesse), and Lloyds “The Call” and Wesley’s “Lead Me Lord”.  Because of the Pandemic, the traditional Friends' Sunday Luncheon was not organised by the Trustees, but it is hoped that this will be reinstated next year.

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