THE LION ISSUE 32 JANUARY - MARCH 2016

IN THIS ISSUE: CONCERT REVIEW, A VISIT TO MAYANMAR, BOOK REVIEW,

COOKERY, EVENTS, GARDENING, LIFESTYLE, ARTS & MUSIC

THE LION

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Hosting a horrorPeople of St Mark’sEating OutBook ReviewSt Mark’sA visit to MayanmarConcert ReviewIn the gardensFashionCookery Our Local Arts

Opinions expressed in The Lion are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of St Mark’s Church.

Published by The Lion Editorial Committee, St Mark’s Church, Hamilton Terrace, London, NW8 9UTFront Cover: Snow on MagnoliaThe Editorial team includes Ian Collins (IC), Sally Harrison (SH), Aidan Platten (AP), Esther Platten (EP), Joanna Hayne and Robert Tyerman (RT).

Advertisers are not necessarily endorsed by the Lion.Editorial/Advertising Tel: 020 7328 4373 We always welcome comments and suggestions - please feel free to email thelion@stmarks.me.uk

THE LION ISSUE 32 JANUARY - MARCH 2016

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ST MARK’S HAMILTON TERRACEORGAN RECITALS ’16

www.stmarks . london@St_MarkHT

January 17 Alan MontgomerySt Mark’s Hamilton Terrace

Februar y 14 Col in WalshOrganist Laureate Lincoln Cathedral

March 20 Wil l iam ThomasSt Mark’s HT formerly Lincoln Col lege Oxford

Apr i l 20 Ashley GroteMaster of Music , Norwich Cathedral

May 15 Pat CroweMercer University, Georgia, US

June 12 Phi l ip LambUSA

July 10 Jamie MarkSt Mark’s HT

All recitals are at 4pm and are fol lowed by tea and cake .

St Mark's ChurchHamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood

£10 (£8 concessions) Proceeds towards Music at St Mark’s

Pelenna ValleyMale Voice Choir

7.00pmSaturday, March 5th 2016

A ConcertforSt David’sDay

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Hosting a horror

St. John’s Wood and Maida Vale have a long association with literature and the arts and it is entirely fitting that a new film of the horror/thriller genre is in production using The Warrington Hotel as a backdrop for a sequel to an earlier film set and made in the mid-1970s. A century ago, Maida Vale, where novelist Anthony Powell lived as a child, provided the setting for Whisky Galore author Compton Mackenzie’s Sinister Street, a once scandalous novel f e a tu r i n g kep t women and illegitimacy, while St. John’s Wood boasts the iconic EMI studios and the pedestrian crossing depicted on the album cover of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album, not to mention 1960s record producer Mickie Most’s RAK studio.

Not far from Grove End Road is the home of mid-Victorian painter Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, a member of the “St. John’s Wood clique” and known for his lush classical themes. In late November a fi lm crew took over the r o u n d a b o u t a n d s t r e e t s surrounding the Warrington for two days to film the horror production. A remarkable creation of a typical winter scene, complete with snow, a decorated and illuminated Christmas tree on the roundabout and cars and buses of the 1970s, greeted surprised passers-by, some on their way to work, when filming began early in the morning.

Some photographs here depict the atmosphere. The title of the film and its release date are being kept a closely-guarded secret…

…watch this space.

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PEOPLE OF ST MARKS - ALAN MONTGOMERY

Recent visitors to St Marks will have had the pleasure of hearing our new S e n i o r o r g a n s c h o l a r, A l a n Montgomery. Now in his second year of study at the Royal College of Music, he has been studying the organ for eight years but is currently on a four-year B Mus (Hons), at the end of which he hopes to become a church organist. He is now nineteen.

He originally hails from a small town 40 miles east of San Francisco.‘Horrible!’ he said with a laugh, when I asked him what Vacaville was like.  When pushed he replied “Perhaps!” to my hazarding that the people must have been very nice and very straight. He has been in Britain since A levels, which he took at Lincoln where he was also an organ scholar.

Alan explained his reasons for c o m i n g t o t h e U K : “ T h e opportunities here are unlike anything in the US. The proximity to the rest of the world was a great draw.” After his A levels, he returned briefly to the US for one year to

study the organ at a conservatory in Ohio, an experience which he chose to discontinue. “The location was not ideal, and the people were incredibly closed-minded.” 

He feels much more at home at the Royal College of Music. He starts to say that it is “a typical Conservatoire environment” but  “It is not as competitive as others. There is a chance to get along with people – they are all very kind,” where many conservatoires can be rather  cut-throat.

He currently commutes to Paris for a class once a month with a professor at the church of St-Sulpice. He speaks French, as well as

Spanish and Russian, and identifies closely with France: “I love the culture, the music...” His plan now is to continue in the UK  until graduation, when after a Masters here or in France he hopes to move to the other side of the Channel. 

A confirmed Roman Catholic, he likes the position which organists occupy in French churches.  He expla ined that Cathol ic and Protestant organ traditions have in the past been very different, a l t h o u g h t h e r e i s g r e a t e r convergence these days, especially within the UK. In the meantime he feels at home in London and Ang l i can i sm and i s en joy ing exploring the pubs and his other hobby, cooking at home in South Kensington.

O n e o t h e r l o n g - t e r m extracurricular goal he shared, was his love of flying and his desire to become a pilot – any pilots in the congregation please do get in touch!

JH

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EATING OUT - MEGAN’S - 120 ST JOHN’S WOOD HIGH STREET

M e g a n ’ s , part of a chain which orig inated 1 0 y e a r s ago in the King’s Road, is one of the newer additions to the neighbourhood’s eateries, having opened last year in St. John’s Wood High Street on the site of the former Café Rouge. Jeva, the Lithuanian general manager formerly at the Chelsea restaurant, had taken over, enthusiastically supported by Polish assistant general manager Mateusz, only a few days before a Lion team of three came to dine in December.

Francis, the father of Megan’s owner V i n c e n t , h e l p e d k e e p t h e atmosphere convivial by playing the guitar during the evening, as the Lion diners took their places at one of the round tables in this ground floor establishment, with glass doors, large windows and powder blue walls. Night lights on the tables provided some illumination and there is always music on Fridays and Saturdays.

Megan’s, which can seat 60 people inside and another 15 or so on the pavement terrace outside, offers ‘typical Mediterranean-inspired cuisine’ and all its wines come from Europe. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the restaurant offers two courses for £15 a head and three courses for £18, and on Monday evenings, you can bring your own wine, paying £5 corkage for the privilege.

Steaks are a feature at Megan’s and extra sauces for a main course cost £1.50 each. Water costs £1 a head, of which 20p goes to the St. John’s Hospice in Grove End Road.

This evening, the Lion eaters, having chosen a bottle of 2013 Pez de Rio Spanish red wine at £18.75, which proved ‘very acceptable if a bit peppery’, picked their starters. An enormous helping of Honey and Feta at £5 was ‘absolutely delicious’, while Calamari, roasted with garlic and aoli, also at £5, proved ‘good and crispy, flavoursome with a very light batter’, while Chilli Meatballs at the same price was satisfactory.

Of the main courses, served in trenchermen’s portions on wooden platters, Bavette Steak with garlic butter at £15 turned out to be ‘absolutely as asked for, seared on the outside and red on the inside, is a bit chewy’. Swordfish with charred roasted vegetables went down well at £14.50, though a pinch more salt might have been welcome, while Pan-fried Lemon Sole at £15.50 d e c i d e d l y p a s s e d m u s t e r. Accompaniments came with Skinny Fries and Sauteed Spinach with garlic, at £3.70 each.

By now, the diners were replete, with no room for puddings or coffee. The bill came to £96 with a 12.5% tip for an interesting evening.

Monday - Friday 8am -10pm

Sat 9am - 10pm, Sundays Closed. RT

St. John’s Hospice, part of the Hospital of St. John & St. Elizabeth, continues to run a series of fund raising events to support its vital work. Detailed information may be obtained from Alice on 0207 806 4074, but the programme contains the following highlights:

Pedometer Challenge. It costs £95,000 a week to enable St. John’s to continue its vital work. Therefore the hospice is inviting well-wishers to challenge themselves to walk 95,000 steps within one month. This is just 1.7 miles each day over four weeks to meet the test. St. John’s will provide participants with pedometers to track their progress

and free hospice t-shirts for taking part. No registration fee, simply commit to raising £95.

2. Skydive. 17 April. Take part in a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’ at Salisbury Airfield in Wiltshire, by enjoying an exciting parachute jump and freefall from over 10,000 feet as part of a tandem skydive. Each participant should raise a minimum of £395, which cover the cost of the jump, and pay a deposit of £170.

3. London Marathon. 24 April. Well-wishers are asked to support Team St. John’s for the most iconic running event in the world. If you secured a place in the National

Ballot its not too late to run for St John’s!

4. Venice to Rome Cycle Ride. 3 to 8 May. This six-day trip links Venice and Rome with four days of challenging cycling. The route offers the experience of the Italian countryside before giving the chance to explore Rome on the final day.

The registration fee for this challenge is £149. St. John’s asks for a minimum sponsorship of £1,750.

fundraising@hjje.org.uk

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BOOK REVIEW - THE WALKERS GUIDE TO OUTDOOR CLUES AND SIGNS by TRISTRAM GOOLEY

For those who despise GPS, your salvation is nigh. If you have ever fancied yourself as a latter-day Daniel Boone or Mohican, reading Nature as confidently as a copy of the Metro even as you beat a pioneering track through the wilds of south England’s Sunday afternoon walks, your Bible is at hand: The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs, by Tristan Gooley (Sceptre, 2014, available at Waterstones). If you blundered thus far through life without any idea of how to find the Pole Star or recognise constellations in the night sky, this is the book for you.

The Walker’s Guide is a treasure-trove of tips on natural signs to show you your way, tell you about the terrain, understand the landscape, measure time, tide and distance, track people and animals and decode their lives and languages – and yes, different species do warn each other when they see humans coming. To do so it uses patterns in the position and disposition of the ground, trees, plants, moss and mould, stars, sun, moon, weather, water, snow, sand and creatures of all sizes and descriptions.

It is difficult to choose sample facts from the book to give its flavour because all of it is so delightful. Stinging nettles only grow where there is or have been people, so if you see them in a wood, some human h ab i t a t i on h a s been abandoned there. Examining grass at different levels will tell you which way is south-west and where the wind has been most recently. The author tells you which plants indicate the presence of which minerals in the soil…all the way up to gold, silver and diamonds.Section headings include ‘The six secrets of ivy’. The presence of Red Admira l but terfl ies on your weekend walk is a sign that there is a pub just around the corner. The bark of some trees can be used as sun-cream; of others, a cure for snake-bite or a measure of altitude.

The clues cross-reference each other, so that for the knowing, signs will convey seemingly unrelated information. The direction of a periwinkle’s track combined with the sun’s angle can tell you how long it is since the snail has passed.

Not all clues relate to the natural world: Tristan Gooley’s insights into human behaviour in cities, and why cafes are always on one side of the street, suggest that quite a few marketing departments probably want to talk to him too. Metal detectors may want to know where on a beach jewellery is most likely to collect. He can tell them.

Gooley has written a number of books on nature and natural n av i g a t ion , and ha s pu t h i s knowledge into practice trekking with the Tuareg, Bedouin and Dayak in the desert and Borneo jungles, though most of the information in the book is for use in Britain or comparable northern latitudes. By analogy it could be applied down south.

In addition to appearing on sundry television programmes and writing for most of the main newspapers here and in the US, Gooley is also the only person alive to have both

flown and sailed across the Atlantic solo. He is Trai lfinders’ Vice Chairman as well as a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Geographical Society. He does not say so, but one imagines that his skills are probably sought by the Army.

If many clues could be summarised as ways of finding north, this does not diminish their importance for those walking without maps or points of reference. It also does not begin to do justice to the incredible interest and variety of observations and little plant and animal lives and destinies he has surveyed and recorded.

One of his fascinating asides mentions how, tracking in the Sahara, he came across a patchwork of imprints which proved to be those of tanks, left over from battles fought during the last war. In the desert, where it seldom rains, such traces can last indefinitely, and he reflects that it would probably be possible to reconstruct whole campaigns, time permitting.

Gooley comes across as very likeable and humorous, and though his anecdotes frequently fall into the category of “the time I single-handedly rescued a troop of lost men in a trackless waterless desert night-time sandstorm”, this is perhaps inevitable given the nature of the material. They are none the less enjoyable on that account, and he tells stories of when he got lost in Borneo with no equipment decades ago with equal spirit. The lessons to be drawn are equally clear in both cases.

For anyone whose outdoor clues and signs are usually limited to judging where the nearest fast-food outlet is, from the resulting detritus in the street, but who wishes to make the most of their contact with nature on their next get-away, this book is a must. JH

Published by Sceptre 2014

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WHO’S WHO AT

ST MARK’S HAMILTON TERRACE

VICAR: The Revd Aidan Platten020 7328 4373vicar@stmarks.me.uk

Churchwardens Simon Jackson Kate Pitt

Deputy Churchwardens Ian CollinsSally HarrisonMark TennantRobert Tyerman

Organist & Director of Music Tansy CastledineJunior Choir Director Tom DaggettOrgan Scholars Alan Montgomery, Jamie Mark

St Mark’ Administration

020 7624 4065 stmarksnw8@hotmail.co.uk(Staffed part-time)

Little Lions play group Esther Platten020 7328 4373Tuesdays 10 - 11.30 in term time.

Flowers and Garden Gerlinde Kathuria

HALL HIRE St Mark’s Hall is available for bookings during the week and weekend. For more information please phone or email the office (details above).

ST MARKS CHURCH

It seems that each year passes more quickly than the last and that it was only a moment ago that I wrote something at the beginning of 2015.

Most of us embark on each year with a new sense of promise. Promises to ourselves of the new leaves we wish to turn over - eating less, drinking less, work ing l e s s : our new year ’s resolutions tend to be on the negative side of stopping things. Perhaps there is something to be said for looking at our resolutions a little differently.

Focussing on what we seek to achieve in the months ahead m i g h t o p e n o u r m i n d s t o n e w possibilities and even to new lifestyles. To turn from talk of eating less or cutting back on the booze, to seek ing to be healthier in 2016 than in 2015 might seem like simple spin, but it has a positive effect on our mental well-being. It puts one into a mindset of affirmation and reward rather than avoidance of failure.

How many times have people wished us Happy New Year thus far? And how many times has the line been delivered with a sort of resignation that the world seems to be worse now than when we wished each other the same as we launched into 2015?

It takes so little effort to be cynical; a chuckle can be earned so easily by combining cynicism with a bit a sarcasm and often such humour might provide much needed respite.

It is true that this year doesn’t seem to have started much better than last. Admittedly, there is something artificial about the transition from Old Year’s Night to New Year’s Day. But there is something which each of us should try to cling on to; and that is the hope that a New Year brings.

That hope is something worth investing in, owning and hanging on to. Most of us, caught off-guard, must have a sincere hope in our hearts that 2016 will bring more joy to the world. Life in St John’s Wood and Maida Vale can seem light years removed from the misery of Syria and Iraq. Boats moored at Paddington Basin and puttering along the Canal is a world apart from the rudderless half inflated RIBS washing up on the shores of the Mediterranean sometimes with their

full cargo of life but o f t e n h a v i n g discarded life on the journey.

I t i s n ’ t a s f a r removed as one might imagine. For played out on the w o r l d s t a g e i s something of the discord that is in and around our

own communities.

That people have left our own community to fight as extremists says something about the low level of hope instilled in younger generations growing up here: although, perhaps it says even more about the capability of extremists to communicate their own hope of a reign of terror.

Central to the Christian faith, and echoed in both Judaism and Islam, is the notion of a triangle of faith, hope and love. Faith gives a vision of hope which worked out in love can truly change the world. Of course it doesn’t work in such a linear fashion, but the constant relationship of these three is fuel for heart, brain and soul.

I pray that this year may be a year when you experience and share more than ever a quest for hope in your life and for the world, that you may be surrounded by and surround others with love, and that faith in a world created out of love may grow. AP

Myanmar, the country once known as Burma which stretches from the tropics to the Himalayas between Bangladesh, China and Thailand, is changing fast. No visitor to the one-time British colony, which is emerging from decades of isolation imposed by a Buddhist-backed ruling class military junta, can fail to notice signs of change springing up everywhere among its very friendly people.

Much that is traditional remains, of course, from men wearing sarongs to young people of both sexes and women of all ages sporting Thanakha, sandalwood paste, used as sun cream, in adorning patterns on their cheeks. Farmers cheerfully graze their livestock on the verges of the lightly-used motorway from Yangon, once Rangoon and the country’s biggest city and former capital, to Mandalay, the old royal capital, and the landscape is as festooned with Buddhist pagodas as Suffolk is with church towers.

But everywhere, the opening up of mineral and oil-rich Myanmar, which started two years ago and is accelerating after the election of democratic champion and general’s daughter Aung San Suu Kyi, is evident. A high-speed railway is planned between Yangon, replaced as capital by the junta with a new city called Naypyidaw, and Mandalay, while on the skyline of Yangon itself, almost next to the 2,500-year-old golden Pagoda of Shwedagon,

looms Kentucky chicken king Colonel Sanders, like some inscrutable bearded Buddha.

Schwedagon, holding relics of the Buddha himself and covered with gold and decked with diamonds, is surrounded at the base by accessible shrines, adorned with statues of Buddha and his guardians, most with refreshingly lifelike and realistic expressions, though a shrine’s inner sanctum is usually barred to women. Guides will direct visitors to the shrines representing their days of birth and remind them of the three p i l lars of Buddhism: “mora l i t y, med i t a t ion and donation”, while monks, who can be in it for life or merely spend a few months as monks when they are young, are much in evidence

By contrast, not far away is an upmarket hamburger restaurant, regarded by the city’s elite as the height of sophistication. The law courts, built by the British, are coming down, to be replaced by a hotel, in a building boom, aimed at foreign investment and tourism, that is seeing car show rooms, banks, upmarket apartment blocks and other outlets mushroom and will see many other relics of the British era vanish, too.

Manda l ay, a beaut i f u l c i t y abounding with religious and historic sites, contains the imposing royal palace, which housed Burma’s last king Thibaw before the British deposed him in 1885 and is now partly occupied by the army. His father King Mindon had 40 wives.

Burmese food, often chicken and noodles, can be somewhat sweet. Much of the countryside and parts of the towns are beautiful, as is the country’s unique script and language, while anyone looking for exotic hairstyles will not be disappointed.

Money can be a vexation. There are 1,800 ‘chets’ to the Pound and in parts of Yangon and Mandalay there are ATMs which respond, but one is advised to take dollars, which can cause complications since no bank, shop or local person will accept any which are not almost new, crisp, uncreased and pristine.

Myanmar still has problems, not least hostil ity between the B u d d h i s t s a n d t h e m i n o r i t y M u s l i m R o h i n g y a people. But, if all goes we l l , i t c o u l d b e come a very popular travel destination.

RT

A VISIT TO MYANMAR

ST MARK’S HAMILTON TERRACEThe Revd Aidan Platten020 7328 4373www.stmarks.me.uk

ST JOHN’S WOOD CHURCHThe Revd Dr. Anders Bergquist020 7586 3864www.stjohnswoodchurch.org.uk

ST PAUL’S NORTH MARYLEBONEThe Revd Clare Dowding020 7724 8517www.stpaulschurchcentre.org.ukCATHOLIC CHURCH OF OUR LADYFr.Jeff Steele020 7286 3214www.rcsjw.org.uk

NEW LONDON SYNAGOGUERabbi Jeremy GordonAbbey Road020 7328 1026www.newlondon.org.uk

ST AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH, KILBURNThe Revd Colin Amos020 7328 9301www.saint-augustine.org.uk

ST JOHN’S WOOD SYNAGOGUEGrove End Road020 7286 3838www.shulinthewood.com

ST JOHN’S WOOD RD BAPTIST CHURCHPastor Chris Hawthorne020 7289 5468 www.sjwbc.org.uk

ABBEY ROAD BAPTIST CHURCHThe Revd Ian Batty020 7634 3807www.abbeychurch.org.uk

THE LIBERAL JEWISH SYNAGOGUESenior Rabbi Alexandra Wright020 7286 5181 www.jls.org

REGENT’S PARK MOSQUE020 7725 2213 www.iccuk.org

LOCAL PLACES OF WORSHIP

CONCERTS

What a treat to welcome back world renowned Violinist Nicola Benedetti to St John’s Wood for an evening of glorious music making under the baton of Peter L imonov and the London I n t e r n a t i o n a l C h a m b e r Orchestra.

A large audience gathered at St Mark’s, still be-decked with twinkling Christmas trees, on a d amp J a nua r y even i n g to experience the del ights of Beethoven, Chausson and the lesser-known Polish Romantic composer, Szymanowski. Limonov, demonstrating that men too can multitask, directed the Orchestra masterfully from the keyboard in the Emperor Concerto with sensitivity and flamboyance in equal measure. His back to the audience in no way diminishing his connection, but rather drawing them in more intensely.

The second half of the evening was a non-stop show of violin virtuosity and romantic poetry - Benedetti proving why she is one

of the dominant violinists of her generation.

The aud ience of a l l ages spontaneously rose to its feet to show gratitude to Ms Benedetti and Mr Limonov at the close of what was a fabulous evening - quite a tonic for the post Christmas bulge.

Congratulations St Mark's for an excellent concert. Let’s hope there are more to come!

ST MARK’SHAMILTON TERRACE

CONCERTS

St Mark’s Hamilton Terrace is a friendly and inclusive church in the heart of NW8 and W9 - a focus for worship, community, and music making.

Come and visit us!

www.stmarks.me.uk@ST_MarksHT

Piano Rec i t a lNafis Umerkulova

Schubert 4 impromptus Op. 142Scarlatti Sonata in D Major K 224Scarlatti Sonata in F minor K 466Schubert/Liszt Gretchen am SpinnradeSchubert/Liszt Frulingsglaube Prokofiev Sonata no 2

All ages welcome.

Friday 5 February, 7.30pm

Free entry with retiring collection

W e l c o m e !

In September 2015 Jamie

Mark joined the music

team at St Mark’s as Junior

Organ Scholar. Jamie (17

yrs) is currently studying

at St Georges College,

Weybridge.

COMMUNITY - IN THE GARDENS

Gardens all over London are soggy and confused! I can actually hear the water bubbling around my feet as I step carefully across my lawn. Roses have flowered twice over the winter, Geraniums are still flowering and spring bulbs are prematurely breaking through the ground.

Spring (if that is the season we are entering?!) is a busy time for people caring for gardens and plants: its a time to get on top of weeds before they take hold, repair any winter damage and to sow seeds. If you have a garden it will soon be time to prune roses, compost borders and lift and divide annuals.

Later in the spring, lawns can start to be mown and some shrubs can be planted.

Why don't you make getting out-doors a New Years resolution? We would love to see you in the St Mark’s Gardens on the first Saturday of the month through the Spring to meet other locals who enjoy gardening. You don’t need to know anything about gardening as full instruction will be offered. Equally, if you have any expertise in gardening but are lacking somewhere to exercise it - you

would be welcomed too!

For the Gardening Club: Gerlinde Kathuria 020 7625 6909gkathuria@hotmail.co.uk

FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS

HOLY BAPTISMFlorence Gay, Sebastian Kathuria del

Carpio, Rosie Woodrow, George Woodrow, Jemima Cockerill, Tigris

Murray, Rebecca Hatton, Leon Jones.

CONFIRMATIONS James Box, Ann Press, David Burton, Paul Woodrow, Michael Conway, Philippa Seal,

Rebecca Hatton, Izana Morris, Leon Jones

WEDDINGS & BLESSINGSTania Kathuria & Edward Murray

FUNERALSIan Wybrew Bond, Daphne BroatchBaby Charlie Goldsmith, Lily Peake,

A wedding in 2012

For information about any services

in our beautiful church please

contact the Vicar, Aidan Platten on 020 7328 4373 or email

vicar@stmarks.me.uk

EVENTS & CONCERTS

JAN 10 6pm Epiphany Carols with Procession - Children can dress up!

15 10.30am Bach to Baby

17 4pm Organ Recital - Alan Montgomery22 7pm Burn’s Night Celebration 31 10.30am Festal Eucharist for Candlemas

FEB 5 10.30am Bach to Baby7.30pm Piano Recital - Nafis Umerkulova

7 6pm Canticles and Curry10 8pm Ash Wednesday Eucharist 14 4pm Organ Recital - Colin Walsh

MAR 4 10.30am Bach to Baby5 7pm St David’s Day Concert20 10.30am Palm Sunday Procession

4pm Organ recital - William Thomas

HOLY WEEK - 20 - 27 MARCH - see separate poster

OTHER SERVICES ARE ADVERTISED ON THE NOTICEBOARDS AND WEBSITE

IN STYLE - THE ST MARK’S FASHION EDIT

It’s finally cold and the high street can be heard sighing with relief as people start to buy winter clothes at last! If last years coat makes you depressed you can’t go wrong with sprucing up the wardrobe with a new coat - this season anything goes from Camel to bright red, biker or unstructured trimmed with fake fur, a new coat will make you feel good and cover up anything you might be hiding underneath!

Some people long for a winter uniform and it seems to have evolved this winter as a combination of black trousers, whether it be denim in the day and leather at night and oversized tops - for business combine a crisp white shirt and killer heels; for a touch of geek - a cable knit jumper and loafers; for warmth, a fur trimmed Gillet, and for comfort, a n o v e r s i z e d unstructured jumper. There is a combination out there for all sizes of wallets, so there’s no excuse

ST MARK’S JUNIOR CHOIR

Places available for 2016!

Are you aged between 7 - 14?Do you want to learn to sing and read music, meet new friends and

join a great team?

why not join the Junior Choir?

for more information see the church website: www.stmarks.me.uk

or email Tom Daggett: juniorchoir@stmarks.me.uk

FREE COLLECTION AND DELIVERY

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HANDBAGS AND SHOES

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REPAIR & ALTERATIONS

WWW.LEGENDDRYCLEANERS.CO.UK

YOUR SUPERIOR LOCAL DRYCLEANERS

25% OFF first Order

1A NUGENT TERRACE, MAIDA VALE, LONDON NW8 9QB TEL: 0207 2896379

This discount is not in con-junction with any other promotion

excuse not to be able to achieve your own take on ‘the look’.

If digging around in your cupboards to find old styles re-emerging as 2016 trends is your thing, then look out for nautical-style items, Sheer black fabrics and tiered skirts. Banish the foxes and badgers - this years go-to animal print is butterflies and large floral patterns. While you are rummaging, fire up your soda stream and find a jacket with bold shoulders *shudder*. EP

CLASSIFIED ADS

REVIVE THOSE PRECIOUS OLD PHOTOSLocal  specialist photolab provides expert digital retouching - from a minor crease to full monochrome, sepia or colour restoration. We also offer t r a d i t i o n a l  B & W fi l m d e v e l o p i n g  a n d  p r o f e s s i o n a l hand  enlargements. Darkroom Hire and  Tuition  available at reasonable cost. Contact Keith: 0207 624 2244/45 - k e i t h @ b w b a s e m e n t . c o m  - www.bwbasement.com

M Y - F A I R L A U N D R Y SERVICEQuality dry cleaning, shirt service and general laundry services including new giant 40lb machine. Also alterations & tailoring, service washes. Collection, delivery & s e r v i c e w a s h e s . M o n - F r i 8.30am-6pm. Sat. 9am-4pm. 8 Nugent Terrace, 020 7289 0361.

VOLUNTEERS REQUIREDThe AJR Association of Jewish Refugees have elderly members in your area who are isolated and have no family. They need your help as volunteer befrienders. Tel: Carol Hart 020 8385 3070. www.ajr.org.uk

TV AERIAL & SATELLITETV aerial, Sky and foreign satellite installations and repairs. Extra TV points. Plasma & LCD installations. Please call 020 7289 5694.

IS YOUR HOME LOOKING TIRED?Interior Designer with broad experience can suggest inexpensive & innovative ways for instant improvement.Call to arrange a visit to your home.07957 303 841

REFLEXOLOGY - HOME VISITSRelaxing, restorative treatments from a highly experienced therapist in the comfort of your own home. Specialisms include pre-conception, pregnancy and post-natal reflexology. Contact Jo Mason happyfeet@jomason.net 07443 411 525 www.jomason.net

LOCAL DOG WALKER, NW8 Fully insured dog walker, CRB checked, competitive rates, refs available. For further information please contact Emmanuelle on 0207 289 2991 or 07876 135579.

Holidays 2016 Apartment - Marbella Estepona, Spain, 2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms, Air Cond. Sleeps up to 5, 7 Pools, near beach, Summer £475 pw, up to 10% discount for early booking www.Estepona-Marbella-Flat.rentals07836 313282

EXPERIENCED GARDENERReliable – knowledgeable – committed.Advice on planting schemes & design – 4 season input and maintenance with minimal use of noisy equipment. W9 based.References: American School, St John’s Wood Church. Call James Wigram 020 8960 7264/ 07768 596 091

EXPERIENCED MUSIC TEACHERQua l i fied Pos t g radua te teacher i n p e r fo r m a n c e a n d mu s i c t e a c h i n g . Professional tuition in piano and theory for all ages and abilities. Grade examinations or purely for pleasure. Home visits by arrangement.Tel: 07932 682132.

GARDENERGardening services, Seasonal planting, Maintenance pruning, Call Eric Haynes for estimates: 07957 984155

HOLMES PHARMACY6 Nugent Terrace, London NW8 9QB. Pharmacist available for healthcare advice, medicines use reviews, smoking cessation clinics. Provide weekly dosette box service and free collection and delivery of prescriptions and other related items. Tel: 020 7286 8822.

BABYSITTERTrustworthy, friendly, creative and reliable woman with a sense of humour available for babysitting in the evenings. Professional writer/actress. DBS checked,  References available. 07784 520494kperry@tcd.ie

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R E G U L A R S E RV I C E S

& E V E N T S @ S T M A R K’ S

SUNDAYS

8am Morning Prayer

8.30 Holy Communion

10.30 Parish Eucharist with

Sunday School

6PM Choral Evensong

‘Canticles & Curry’ (1st Sunday

of the month and/or feast days)

TUESDAYS

Little Lions -

Tuesdays during term time:

10 - 11.30am in the Sunday School room (in church) or vicarage garden in good weather!12 noon Eucharist

2 - 3 Coffee Hour - Coffee and

chat

THURSDAYS

7pm Evening Eucharist

P L E A S E J O I N U S AT A N Y

O F T H E S E E V E N T S !

www.stmarks.me.uk

LOCAL HANDYMAN 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE

For all your odd jobs - plastering,

brickwork, electrics, glazing, shelving,

tiling, fencing, sash/ window repairs,

roofing, light removals, waste

clearance, painting and decorating.

CALL NICKY ON 07889 508 089 Local references available

PAINTER & DECORATOR Tradesman with 25 years experience

Interior and Exterior No Job is too small!

Please call Allister on 07759 205899 for a free no obligation quote

PA DonelonPlastering

•Plastering

•Screeding

•Rendering

•Pebble dashing

•25 years’ experienceReferences available

Call 020 8904 8767 /07903 237832

Grove Hall Court, Hall Road, St John’s Wood NW8 9NU

Tel: 020 7289 5638

~OZZIS has been established

for many years with a long standing clientele.

We pride ourselves on havinga happy client base – we offera friendly service in a bright

and welcoming salon.

Styling & ColouringVintage hairstyling a speciality.

Please call for a consultation or pop in for a chat.

~Tel: 020 7289 5638

OZZISHAIR STUDIO

~

~

~ JKL CONSTRUCTION & GROUNDWORKS

FOR ALL YOUR PROPERTY NEEDS

LOFT CONVERSIONS AND EXTENSIONS.

REFURBISHMENT OF FLATS AND HOUSES

• WE HAVE ALL TOP CLASSTRADESMEN •

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PAINTING AND DECORATING

PLUMBERS • CARPENTERSTILERS • ELECTRICIANSPLASTERERS • ROOFERS

All our tradesmen are employed with our

company, we do not employ sub-contractors

ALL WORKS ARE FULLY INSURED AND GUARANTEED

References and viewing

of our past works can

be arranged

Tel: 020 8438 9866 or 07957 409580

R/O 400 Edgware Road, London NW2 6ND

Tom Fleming Woodwork We make and install all types of furniture. Please

see our website for details and call us for a free site visit.

www.tomflemingwoodwork.co.uk tomflemingwoodwork@gmail.com

07879 817661

Enjoy this view of the

church! by the time you

receive the Lion the

t o w e r s h o u l d b e

shrouded in scaffold as

stone masons set to work

repairing lots of damage

from weathering. We hope

that the work will be

completed in July. Ed.

THE VICARAGE BAKER ... ...culinary chaos from the Vicarage kitchen...

At last I have found the real reason to own a slow cooker!

SLOW COOKER FUDGE

275g Sugar100g Golden Syrup270g Clotted Cream1 teaspoom of Vanilla Extract

Place all the ingredients into you slow cooker and mix together.

Put the cooker on low and leave to cook for 4 hours.

Stir the mixture vigorously for 10 minutes and the mixture will gradually thicken.

In a shallow dish place a piece of greaseproof paper. Spoon the mixture onto the paper and

spread around evenly. Bring one end of the paper up folding the mixture onto itself - a bit like rolling a roulade, and push down into a flat shape and the thickness you would like your fudge to be.

Refrigerate for one hour and then cut into pieces and eat!

SPECIAL OFFER!!

(60 min) AROMATHERAPY OIL MASSAGE £45 (60min) DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE £45

(60min) BACK / NECK / SHOULDER £40 (60min) LYMPHATIC MASSAGE £45

(60min) AYURVEDIC OIL MASSAGE £60 (60min) DETOX THERAPY MASSAGE £50

(45min) HANDS & FOOT REFLEXOLOGY £35 (45min) INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE £35

CONTACT@SPAPRANA.CO.UK Telf: 07490 233217 / 0207 486 3597

7 Melcombe Street

Berkeley court pharmacy Lower ground floor London NW1 6AE

TURN ONLINE SHOPPING INTO

DONATIONS FOR ST MARK’S!

That’s right! over 2400 well known retailers will donate a percentage of what

you spend online to St Mark’s when you shop with them, via the fundraising

website easyfundraising.org.uk

How does it work? It’s like a nectar card but instead of points, each purchase

generates a donation. So, instead of going

straight to the retailer’s website, go to easyfundraising first, chose the retailer

you want and start shopping - it’s as simple as that!

www.easyfundraising.org.uk

ST MARK’SHAMILTON TERRACE

LOCAL ARTS - WHATS ON?

Pulitzer prize winning drama Rabbit Hole is on the ma in s t age o f the H a m p s t e a d Theatre unti l

M a r c h 5 t h . C l a i r e S k i n n e r (Outnumbered) and Tom Goodman-Hill (Mr Selfridge) bring David Lindsay-Abaire’s distinctly witty writing alive, following the recent sell-out production of Good People.

If you are looking for a cosier theatre experience, the Cockpit in Marylebone (just off Church St) is once again offering everything from, Shakespeare to W r e s t l i n g , family shows to Jazz in the r o u n d . T h e w e b s i t e i s packed full of i d e a s r i g h t through ’til March.

Always happy to reflect current issues the Ben Uri Gallery on Boundary Road will be hosting an exhibition of work by emigre artists. Works f rom the permanen t col lection wil l s it along side contemporary pieces. The exhibition runs from 17 February - 4 April 2016.

Organ recitals kicked off again at St Mark’s on January 17th - more details can be found on the separate poster in the inside cover of this issue. Up and coming pianist

Nafis Umerkulova will be sharing a programme of works including Scarlatti, Schubert and Liszt on Friday 5th February at 7.30pm Entrance to the recital is free with a retiring collection. All ages are welcome.

If you are willing to travel as far as Baker Street (!) The Royal Academy has an incredible continuous programme of events at all times of the day. From Masterclasses, to recitals and scenes from the great operas, the students of the Royal Academy demonstrate excellence and the future of professional music making in London - we are truly privileged to have it on our doorstep.

www.ram.ac.uk

There’s no need to battle into central London when you live here! With a number of great arts venues around, you are spoilt for choice - here are a few ideas for the next couple of months:

ST MARK’SHAMILTON TERRACE

THE LION ISSUE 32 JANUARY - MARCH 2016

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 20 - 27 MARCH 2016

Sunday 20 Palm Sunday 10.30am Procession and Parish Eucharist 4PM Organ Recital William Thomas

Monday 21 @ St Paul’s North Marylebone: 5.30pm Stations of the Cross with Revd Clare Dowding

Tuesday 22 @ St John’s Wood: 6.30pm Light Supper, followed by Tenebrae by Couperin Wednesday 23 @ St Mark’s, 6.30pm Eucharist, followed by Light Supper, followed by Organ Meditation & Sung Compline

Thursday 24 10.30am Chrism Eucharist at St Paul’s Cathedral 8pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist of the Last Supper

Good Friday 12noon Good Friday Liturgy followed by refreshments

Easter Day 10.30am Parish Eucharist followed by Easter Egg Hunt & Fizz!