Lacey Green Church
From Lacey Green History
click Flower Festival in 1980s photos for all the photos
click 2015 Exhibition of Wedding Dresses held in the church
click 2015 Visitors to the Wedding Dresses Exhibition
click RAF Local Residents. Part of 2018 centenary exhibition in the church.
Built as a consequence of Princes Risborough Enclosures of 1823, as a Chapel of Ease for the church of Princes Risborough. It was consecrated in 1825, for baptisms and burials. In 1851 it was consecrated for marriages as well.
1980 Gift of £9,300 given by Mrs Waite (click Arthur & Joyce Waite for their life story) to re-roof the church in Arthur's memory.
Hallmark May 1983 Concert review by Madeline Cleaver
An audience of more than 100 was in St. John's Church on 7th May for a choral and orchestral concert. The orchestra was made up of local musicians and students from the Bulmershe College of Further Education, with Alan Roberts, organist at St. John's, on harpsichord. The choirs were: the St. John's Church Choir, the Local Community Choir and the Bulmershe Madrigal Choir.
Each choir sang as a group and the Community and Bulmershe Choirs joined for a performance of Vivaldi'’s "Gloria", with soloists Shirley Wort and Zanthe Sturt, Sopranos and Graham Vocking, Alto. The soloist in the Viavldi ‘Cello Concerto in E Minor was Philippa Neale.
The audience was appreciative of every item and the solist in the Concerto was warmly applauded for her sensitive, adept performance. Some sixty voices produced a suitable climax to an enjoyable evening of music. Julia Beaumont conducted the Church Choir and Denis Gilbert the Bulmershe Madrigal Choir. Will McBurnie conducted very ably the Community Choir, the Concerto and the “Gloria".
Before then there will be more "Music at St. John's” when the Horsenden Singers will be performing a programme of early and modern music and John White, A.R.C.O. will be playing music by J.S. Bach, Haydn, Viern, etc. This will be at 8 p.m. on Saturday IIth June, after which refreshments will be served. Proceeds to go to the Church Fabric Fund. There is a great deal of work to be done to the church building and we must raise money to meet the cost.
Hallmark Februay 1988. A letter to the Editor was published from Prof. M.S.P. Eastman and Mollie Ward, Churchwardens of St. John's Church, as follows :- "We ave read your last editorial with interest and some concern. You refer to the "old, dark coloured pews" as oing on the bonfire. We think it is important that we set the record straight. These pews were in fact sold at a nominal sum of £10 each resulting in a welcome and much appreciated contributon of £210 towards the costof replacements. Many of the old pews are now to be found in private gardens in the parish and in the school. We think it necessary for this to be known as wedo not wish the purchasers to feel tha their contributions are being "written off".
Hallmark August 1988. "Songs of Praise"
Since the first yearly "Songs of Praise" held in St. John's Church in 1986 the four churches in the Parish have been able to unite in an informal service.
This is the great thing, we are able to join in as one Church - one Fellowship - to sing praises together.
This years service was held at the Methodist Church, being the 250th Anniversary of John Wesley's conversion and the 200th Anniversary of the death of his younger brother the great hymn writer Charles Wesley.
To those who worked so hard in providing the refreshments, and for the beautiful floral arrangements that adorned the Church. Our grateful thanks.
The collection in aid of the MacMillan Nurses Fund raised £71.55. (Charity Events for other events.)
Hallmark December 1988. Vicar of Lacey Green. Her Majesty the Queen, with the advice of her Privy Councillor, made an order that with effect from 1st November 1988 a Group Ministry shall be estabished for the benefice of Monks Risborough, the benefice of Princes Risborough with Ilmer and the benefice of Lacey Green in the Diocese of Oxford. This means that into the foreseeable future a priest is assured for our parish.
Churchwardens Mollie Ward and John Tate offer congratulations to Raymond Maynard on his translation from Priest-in-Charge to Vicar of Lacey Green.
Hallmark September 1989. Musings on Previous Church Activities by Madeline Cleaver
It was lovely to read in the last issue of someone taking an interest in the churchyard and being prepared to work hard in it, like Dick Williams has been doing.
Before him we had Ted Mines - not that other people were and are not doing work there sometimes - but he was the one who spent a great deal of his spare time for many years in the churchyard. Ted used to go down after a hard day at work as well as weekends and if it was hot and he went hard at it as he used to, I used to wonder about his blood pressure!
My husband, Bill, put in much work over many years too, and was mistaken for the Sexton by a newcomer. It takes time, but there is satisfaction in it and it can be peaceful there. Bill was able to go several days in a week and spend hours because of the type of duties he used to do as a meteorologist. No doubt people thought he didn't go to work at all, seeing him around so much when probably he had just come off a night duty or was going on one that night or it was a day off because he would be working at the weekend.
When we first came here to live it has to be admitted the churchyard did look uncared for, although Harry Barefoot still cut the hedge and did some jobs, old and bent as he was. He also used to put Bill right about what he should be doing! (Well, these 'boys' aren't what they were!). A contractor used to come and cut the grass where it was accessible to their machines and then just leave it. It was not very pleasant, to rake up grass and find a dog had been there. The year before the 150th Anniversary of the church was when more began to be done and when Bill first became involved, that was 1974. Other people might go down occasionally to do some cutting of grass but it is regularly working several days a week which makes such a difference and not just cutting in the obvious areas – pruning, cutting back on brambles and weeds and all sorts of things in less obvious places, clearing up rubbish and old wreaths and flowers – the broken glass from continual use of glass jars and vases which the frost broke. Bill bought a Mountfield motor mower and the contractor's work was discontinued and other mowers were bought eventually, although some took their own.
In the run up to the Festival more and more people became involved and there were at least two choir working parties organised by Julia Beaumont, we even had a barbecue at one, to encourage the children. I can remember sausage being so well cooked I broke a tooth on it! We also did more cleaning and clearing out in the church, particularly in the balcony, and that included painting the porch walls. Even some gravestones were scrubbed and I well remember the blisters from continual clipping round graves. There is nothing like a festival for concentrating the mind and efforts on something! By then there was a cleaning rota, before that it was mainly the Vicar's wife who did the cleaning inside the church at the time, that included sometimes scrubbing the stone floor near the doors. For someone brought up in a home where there were servants, Mrs. Houghton was amazing in what she took on. She also cleaned a great deal of the brass and always mowed her own bit of the churchyard, as well as coping with the old and inconvenient Vicarage where she had brought up a big family; she did much of the work in the very large garden too. What a good thing that all that has changed now. As organiser for the church flowers, she filled in many weeks when there was no-one on the list; it was just as well others eventually took over some of these jobs and more people became involved in the church. The Festival always seemed the turning point. The choir was reformed for that and was very successful in the Festival services and after; it makes such a difference to a service to have a good choir leading it and it helped bring in people. It was Julia Beaumont who started the choir and ran it for ten years and was very active in organising the social side of choir activities too, as well as other things in the village. I hope she will have happy memories of that when she leaves the village as she will be doing to live abroad. It was Julia and others who came here at the same time as we did with some older members who generated the interest and enthusiasm which resulted in the stewardship scheme, the growing congregations and schemes for raising money for the restoration and repairs which were always needed.
I was much involved with Julia in training and running the choir and it took some commitment. Julia's husband, Mike, was often home late in the evening and she would have to take Julian, at 3 and 4 years old, while my younger son, Jeffrey, had to be in the choir and stay for the adult practice after, whether he wanted to or no Bill worked unsocial hours and our other boy would be coming home at a different time so Julia and I found life complicated. Julia, as an anaesthetist also worked part time and was often called out at night and with using her home for social events, she was very committed. Children left the area or became very busy with secondary school work, went off to college or whatever, but we always had a fair-sized choir.
Restoration work has continued at the church, new people work in the churchyard, there is still a choir with some original members, but what Julia did make a foundation and I hope it will be remembered.
Editor's Note. Dare I, as a non-churchgoer, as one who cowardly admits to being a Baptist before going onto the operating table, offer a rider to this?
Why not? When I visited the church on Village Day I was struck by its spick and span appearance, and since that day I have heard so many people say "what a beautifully kept church" that is a credit to everyone concerned.
Churches, and all village organisations generally, have high and low troughs. Madeline and Bill Cleaver came to this village in 1971 at a time when the church was in a low, and with others set about putting it on a high, and they are to be congratulated for that, but I am sure they would admit that there have been other high periods, after all the church has been here since 1825. There must be many old inhabitants and people buried in the now beautifully kept churchyard who worked their fingers to the bone for the church, we mustn't forget them.
In my school days in the 30's at the Speen C of E School I vividly remember the Thursday mornings when the Rev. Eric Steward drummed into us "church dogma" that clashed with my Baptist Sunday School upbringing. I vaguely remember that the vicar was a good musician, and with our head mistress, Miss Hopton, at that time the church had a very good choir.
Hallmark October 1990. Extract from the Editor's Diary - "The new vicar inaugurated a pram service on Tuesday mornings.
Hallmark November 1990. Church News by The Rev. Peter Hale
Most Tuesday mornings sees a growing number of prams wending their way into the churchyard and church with mothers and toddlers coming to share in a very informal activity of action songs and stories. As the weeks have passed since this was started it is obvious to us that this is filling a need and is much appreciated by the young mothers who come along.
Every Thursday evening at 6.15 pm a group of older children meets in church, at the moment about 14 of them, called Explorers. Bible-based, this is meant to be fun and includes games, activity sheets and model-making and is thoroughly enjoyed by those who come along to it.
Each Sunday morning at 10 am Junior Church meets in the church at the same time as Parish Eucharist and children of all ages are welcome to come along and share in teaching at their own level, before joining their parents for a blessing at the altar.
More recently a group of teenagers – 11 – met after Evensong on Sunday evening in the Vicarage and they are to continue meeting on the first Sunday of every month in the Vicarage. Other teenagers would be welcome to come along and join them.
Such is the Outreach activity taking shape at St. John's, a Ministry of serving the community and we are encouraged by the response so far. Here is the facility – do use it!
Hallmark September 1995. Peter Hale
Peter Lathom Hale, Vicar of St John's Church, Lacey Green, formally retired on 30th September 1995 after 39 years in the Ministry. Peter was born in 1930 in Croydon and came to us in June 1990, where he combined his ministerial duties with the exacting role of Chairman of Governors of both Lacey Green and Speen village schools.
He was ordained in Lincoln in 1956 and his very active career commenced as a curate in Scunthorpe. This was followed by a term in Gibraltar, as precentor. On Peter's return, he was appointed vicar at St Adeans, Cleethorpes, where he met and married Elizabeth; then a spell as Chaplain at a Public School in Kidderminster. The next appointment took him to Crowthorne for 10 years – and he was appointed Rural Dean of Sonning. Thence to Cookham and, finally, to St John's, Lacey Green.
Peter and Elizabeth are blessed with one son Francis.
We are sad to lose Peter but grateful for the few years he has spent with us. We wish both Peter and Elizabeth a long and happy retirement, in the knowledge that they have both contributed much to our community.
Hallmark March 1996. Report by Father Richard
Following recommendation by the Bishop of Buckingham, an - initial meeting with the Wardens and then with the Parochial Church Council, our new Priest-in-Charge has been chosen. He is the Reverend Richard Caink, at present vicar of St Paul and St Mary the Virgin, Wooburn. His formal acceptance was sent to the Bishop and the Licensing Service will be in St John's Church at 7.30 pm on 11th July 1996.
Richard Caink and his wife are looking forward very much to coming to this parish and may look forward with confidence to a warm welcome. Reproduced below is Richard Caink's open letter of introduction to the parish, recently published in the parish magazine – "Viewpoint"
“Dear People of Lacey Green, Loosiey Row and Speen,
Having been invited by Colin, Bishop of Buckingham, to become your new priest-in-charge, I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to write something about myself in Viewpoint.
Actually, writing autobiographically is not my style but as I am sure Confucius would have said (even if he didn’t) “Who better qualified?"
What a joy if was meeting the wardens and the church council members. When interviewing’ me, they showed much gentleness. I had supposed they would demand a cleric under 40 years but with over 30 years experience – not to mention 2.4 children, a double Oxbridge First and a dazzling reputation as preacher, teacher, singer and pastor who has never been known to have had a day's illness or ask for time off! Actually | do have 2 (adult) children and 2.5 grandchildren and am in my 60th year.
Having lived for a decade in the depths of Wooburn's Wye Valley, upon seeing the high ground of your Ridge, my first reaction was "Oh boy, at last | might get decent FM Radio 3 reception!" My second reaction was to quail at the size of the vicarage lawn. I shall need those beguilingly attractive parish pubs to slake my thirst after a mowing session. My final reaction was to drink in the beauty of your parish and to wonder why God had been so good to give me the chance to live and work in such a lovely place.
Jenny, my wife, and | truly look forward to becoming ever better acquainted with as many of you as possible in order that we might together grow to love one another in holiness.
Hallmark August 2020. Welcome Back to St Johns Church
By Pat Rushmere
We had our first service on Tuesday 14th July at 9:30am and the first Sunday service will be held on the 19th July at 10:00am.
We are operating under the Diocesan guidelines and therefore there will only be these 2 services each week as the Church has to be sanitized between services or alternatively, we have to leave a 72 hours gap between services.
No singing is permitted and face masks should be worn. Social distancing is 2m and hand sanitizers will be available. A disposable service sheet will be handed out at each service as prayer books cannot be used. You can of course bring your own if you wish.
Holy Communion will take place in a different format but. advice will be given on the procedure on the day.
The Pewsheet will continue to be distributed by email and the Zoom service will continue for the foreseeable future, but at a later time of 11:00am.
Both Schools have had services in Church this week. St John’s School leavers had their service on the 16th July and Speen School on 17th July. There were approximately 45 leavers from St John’s School - as always, some sadness but many happy memories!
Hallmark February 2021. St. John's Church by Pat Rushmore. Like most others, we have had a very uncertain time since the last issue of Hallmark. Whilst the church was open, services continued as usual and in addition we had zoom services on Sundays at 11 am as many people felt safer, or indeed needed to shield. The Zoom service still has good numbers and we have seen some new faces, and some people who have returned to Church, during these services.
Christmas services were a challenge as the number of congregation were limited and the Church had to be sanitised between services. Nevertheless, on Christmas Eve we had a zoomed service which was led from the Church and other places (two live donkeys included), a zoomed Carol Service with lessons being read from different homes and all the services included the excellent singing from the Mole family. The music and singing were fantastic!
On Christmas morning a service was held in the Church and this service was zoomed to those who could not attend.
Now of course, as we are in lockdown once more, we are back to Zoom services only at 10am on Sundays and 9.30am on Tuesdays.
The Church is also open for Private Prayer on two days during the week (Tuesday morning from 10am to 10.30am and Thursday evening from 7pm to 7.30pm). If you would like to join in the Zoom services you can contact Canon Tony or one of the Churchwardens for details. You will be most welcome
The pictures were taken in the Church at Christmas - not our usual display but the important things were there! Here is hoping that in 2021 life will return to normal.
Hallmark June 2020. The Church of Saint John The Evangelist —A Brief History. By Tony Bundock Did you know that five years from now the Church of St. John the Evangelist which serves the Parish of Lacey Green, Loosley Row and Speen, will be 200 years old?
It was built during the period from May 1823 to May 1825, originally as a Chapel of Ease attached to the Parish Church of St. Mary’s, Princes Risborough, and constructed in traditional Chiltern flint. The Church was consecrated by the Right Reverend George Pelham, Bishop of Lincoln, at a morning service on 3rd July 1825 in the sixth year of the reign of the then young Queen Victoria.
The preacher was the Archdeacon of Bedford, the Venerable Henry Kay Bonney. There was also an evening service that day at which the preacher was the Reverend Richard London, Prebendary of St. Paul’s Cathedral; and a service at which 19 baptisms took place!
Victorian Anglicans, whether from the Evangelical or Catholic tradition, actively engaged in a campaign to restore the Church of England to the heart of national life. Something like a third of our Church buildings were constructed in the 19th Century and St. John’s can therefore be said to have been part of this major national initiative.
The Victorians, and notably the Church, also sought to promote education for the wider population with many church schools being built including St. John’s School in Lacey Green, dating from 1842, and Speen School dating back to 1874.
St. John’s Church was originally configured as a simple cruciform building consisting only of the present nave and two transepts. Extensive alterations took place in 1871 when the polygonal chancel was added with its very fine painted ceiling. Two galleries were removed as being considered to be “obstructing the architectural proportions of the church”, The pulpit was also added at this time.
In 1993, the floor was renewed with a time capsule being placed underneath; the floor tiles were made in Staffordshire. In 1994, the west gallery was converted into the Upper Room which is used for meetings, social gatherings, and children’s activities.
The south transept was first set up in 1927 as what is now the Lady Chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, having previously contained inward facing pews. By 1980 “the chapel and its furnishings had fallen into some disrepair”. Since then the Lady Chapel has been completely redecorated and refurnished with chairs made locally in Stokenchurch.
The pipe organ at St. John’s is a 1792 example of the work of the well-known 18th Century organ builder Samuel Green, who was also responsible for the 1783 organ in High Wycombe Parish Church, and the 1790 organ in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.
In 1944, a bequest was received from a Lacey Green resident, Mrs. Carter of “Gracefield”, and this provided the opportunity for major works to the organ which was at the time in poor condition. These works were Carried out by Kingsgate Davidson of London. The renovation works to the organ which have recently been proposed involve a degree of restoration of the organ partially to its original Georgian condition.
The original pews were of stained pine with raked backs and one of these pews remains in situ at the back of the church. The present light oak pews were acquired from a school chapel in London.
The pastoral area of the Parish of Lacey Green, Loosely Row & Speen was formed in August 1851, out of part of the Parish of Princes Risborough. St. John’s continued to be known as a Parochial Chapel until 1868 when it officially became a Parish Church under the direction of the Bishop of Oxford.
At the same time, the title of the minister-in-charge was changed from Perpetual Curate to Vicar. In 1998 the Risborough Team Ministry came into existence and comprises the Parishes of Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, and Bledlow; together with St. John’s, Lacey Green, Loosley Row & Speen. The Team Ministry exists to promote across the wider benefice the following aims:
- Mutual support
- Collaboration in Christian training and development
- Joint ventures in worship and mission
- Clergy and other ministerial cover.
More detailed information about St. John’s Church can be found on our website: www.stjohnschurchlaceygreen.co.uk