Winter 2011

Plus:

• Reel issues • WWJD? • Strictly Madeley• What do they think of it so far?• Something old, something new and more...

A free community magazine published by St James and Emmanuel, Didsbury

500and counting

Didsbury’s unique Coffee Concerts have reached an impressive milestone

together

Winter 2011

together

Together is back with a fresh new look.

We want it to be a place where community,business and church meet. You can even suggestarticles for our next issue – just visit us online atstjamesandemmanuel.org/together

In this issue:

2 Smell the coffee, cue the music4 Something old, something new6 WWJD?7 Celebrating marriage8 Making friends and influencing people10 Competition12 What do they think of it so far?14 Spilling the beans16 Strictly Madeley18 Reel issues20 Beattitude

Executive Editor: Nick Bundock. Editor: John Conibear.Articles are written by people who live or work in the parish of St James andEmmanuel. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributorsand are not necessarily the views of the editorial team or the church.

Nick and John would like to thank all those who have worked onTogether over the last few years. While we embark on a new formatand style, the legacy that the previous 65 editions have left is the mostvaluable of platforms for us to build on. In particular, it is right toname Christine Sandiford, longstanding editor, and other members ofthe previous team: Sylvia Bradley, Terry Evans, Pat Jones, MartinLusby, Jon Sandford and Colin Vickerman. We would also like tothank Diana Leitch for her role during the period of transition.

Winter edition, issue 66, published December 2011.© Parish of St James and Emmanuel, Didsbury.

St James and Emmanuel, Parish Office, Parish Centre, 6 Barlow Moor Road,Didsbury, Manchester M20 6TR. Registered Charity 1131669.

Cover image: Manchester-based cellist LiLu, who launched the new season ofCoffee Concerts at Emmanuel in September. See page 2.

Winter 2011

1

It was an imprompturecital in the autumn of1986, staged for some of

the Royal Northern College ofMusic’s postgraduatestudents, that set the stagefor the Didsbury CoffeeConcerts. A well-receivedperformance, word soonspread, and numerous otherstudents began to ask for achance to share theexperience. The result wasthe first Coffee Concert which

took place in Emmanuel on31st January 1987. Who wouldhave thought that nearly 25years later, the series wouldreach its landmark 500thperformance, even before theruby anniversary?

The RNCM attracts talentedstudents from all over theworld with a calling for music,and the work ethic toaccompany it. ExtensiveCollege opening hours arerequired to fit in teaching,rehearsals and practice –from 7 am until late into thenight, seven days a week.Although high qualityteaching and intensivepractice are essential fordeveloping fundamentaltechniques and musicalunderstanding, an equallyvital ingredient for the youngperformer is the opportunityto put those skills intopractice in front of a liveaudience: this can be adaunting and intimidatingexperience for even the mosttalented musician. At thisstage, confidence can be afragile commodity.

Over the years,performance opportunities onSaturday mornings inEmmanuel are increasinglyappreciated and sought afterby so many students who are

keen to play in the ‘lovelychurch with an appreciativeaudience and a fantasticacoustic’. The idea of studentseagerly awaiting an early starton a Saturday seems st range,but that encounter with aknowledgeable, appreciativeand friendly audience is aninvaluable encouragement. A full list of those who haveperformed in the series wouldtake up the rest of this issue,and possibly half the nextone. We shall have to contentourselves with a few who areNearly 25 years

after the firstconcert, theseries reachedits 500thperformance inNovember.

Smell the coffee,cue the musicBryan Fox looks back on nearly 25 years of Coffee Concertswhich have showcased some of the best new talent in music.

2

now household names in the musical world withburgeoning or establishedcareers:

• The saxophonist RobBuckland, who played inthe first concert, is knowninternationally asperformer, teacher andcomposer.

• Sara Fulgoni (October 1987)has sung leading mezzoroles in opera houses allover the world.

• Guitarist Craig Ogden (April1992) was described by BBCMusic Magazine as ‘a worthysuccessor to Julian Bream.’

• Catriona McKay (March2000) is widely in demandas harpist and folkmusician.

• Steven Osborne (March1996) is an award-winningpianist of internationalstanding and one ofBritain’s finest musicians.

• Gary Walker (February1997) appeared as a cellistbut went on to win the 6thLeeds InternationalConductors Competition: henow conducts operas andconcerts all over the world.

• Alexandra Dariescu (May2008) is one of theoutstanding pianists of her generation.

• The Navarra Quartet(February 2003) has wonmany prestigious awardsand has both broadcastand concert engagementsall over the world.

While we hear increasinglygrim warnings aboutdeclining standards and fiscalresponsibility, musicianscontinue to buck the trend.The standard of performancethat they nurture and offer sogenerously is getting betterand better, and what theycreate through their music-

making is simply priceless. As the RNCM motto so rightlyattests: ‘Music enriches all.’

stjamesandemmanuel.org/coffeeconcerts

Bryan can be contacted on 07811 302 143 and via email atbryanjbfox@volpones.freeserve.co.uk

Did you know?Bryan and his friends atthe Cheese Hamlet havecreated a special blendof coffee just for theconcerts – just ask forConcert Blend.

Above and right: Navarra QuartetBelow: Alexandra Dariescu

Photograph courtesy of matthewandrews.co.uk

3

“We live veryclose by but havenever been before– lovely. Thanks.”“Brought backhappy memories

of my own wedding here.”These were just two of themultitude of comments madeby the 800 visitors who camefrom far and near to theWedding Festival in St James’Church on Saturday 10th andSunday 11th September 2011.

The church was buzzing withexcitement and enjoymentthroughout the 11 hours thatit was open to the publicduring those two days.Universally, the commentsfrom those who visited werevery positive and ranged from‘fantastic, wonderful,excellent, interesting, veryimpressive, brill (sic),beautiful, magical’ to ‘somuch hard work. Magnificenteffort.’ A Canadian group

visiting sites whereCoronation Street is filmedwere thrilled.

It is always a challenge tofind a new way of depictingthe long, rich and fascinatinghistory of St James’ Churchand the Parish of St Jamesand Emmanuel, but in a yearwhen there were two, not justone, royal weddings, puttingon a Wedding Festival tomark Didsbury Open DoorsHeritage Weekend seemed avery good idea. The fact thatboth the royals, William andZara, are descended from theMoseley family, who havebeen intimately involved withDidsbury Chapel since the16th century, was an addedincentive. It proved to be theright decision.

Members of thecongregations of both StJames’ and Emmanuel of allages willingly lent clothes,photographs and artifacts tobe put on display, and localpeople who had been marriedat St James’ contributed too.The oldest wedding dress on

Something old,something newFestival organiser Dr Diana Leitch remembers a unique weekin St James’ that helped mark the 775th year of the church.

Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw was married at St James’ in 1939. She wasaccompanied to the festival by Bryan Fox.

4

Phot

ogra

phs

by D

avid

Lei

tch

display dated from 1880 andhad been worn in the USA byChristine Sandiford’s greatgrandmother. BettyAshworth’s beautiful dressand matching headgear madefrom the pale pink satin usedbefore World War II to makeladies’ corsets caused quite astir. Older members of thecongregation had manymoving tales to tell of beingwartime brides and thedifficulty of finding clothes towear and food for thereception. The window ledgeswere used to depict differentWedding Anniversaries withartifacts and photographs.Amazingly, five couples in ourchurch had celebrated their

diamond weddings in the pastyear, so the 60 year windowledge was very full of historicphotos of their weddings andcards from the Queen.

During the weekend, theoldest living person known to have been married at St James’ visited. DameKathleen Ollerenshaw wasmarried there on 6thSeptember 1939 and has justcelebrated her 99th birthday.

The Cullen family,generations of whom have

been married at St James’,held a family reunion over theweekend and lent manyitems of wedding clothingand photographs. Most hadbeen made by their aunt,Lucy Cullen, who was alecturer at Hollins College.

Earlier that week anexcellent Organ Recital ofWedding Music was given bytwo ex-pupils of Didsbury C of E School, Tim Good andPeter Gunstone, both of whombecame Organ Scholars.

It is fair to say that ‘it was a reet good week’ and will beremembered with pleasurefor a long time.

stjamesandemmanuel.org/weddingfestival

Diana is a local and familyhistorian, writing regular articleson heritage for the SouthManchester Reporter.

5

Left to right: Gerard Dillon, Joan Dillon (née Cullen), Alison Cullen, PeterCullen, Kathleen Cullen, Barbara Rhodes, daughter of Marjorie Cullen, andher husband. In front of them the church hand bells which used to be keptby William Oakes, the great grandfather of Jean Larder, whose weddingdress and that of her daughter, Helen Blackburn, were also on display.

Older membershad movingtales of beingwartime brides.

WWJD?

What would Jesus do? Whatwould Jesus do? I’ll tellyou what Jesus would do.

He would drink Lavazza coffee andSan Pellegrino spring water. Hewould listen to Bob Dylan and readAnne Tyler. He would prefer Macsto PCs, Radio 3 to Classic FM andthe Guardian to the Telegraph. Andhe would go out of his way to catcha film starring Monica Bellucci. Butyou must have known all thatalready.

In my student days, a petrol-head friend was prone to saying‘God drives a Ford.’ I can see thelogic in this. Surely the Almighty,who after all has a bit of a thingabout humility, would never drive aMercedes? Think again. In theStates you can see truck-sizedfamily vehicles sporting JesusDrives An SUV bumper stickers.Does he? Would he? WWJD?

Well come on – we’re Christians.We know what Jesus would do. Histeachings in the Gospels show itand his actions prove it. So it isn’thard to know how he would live hislife. (It’s just hard to emulate.) Butwhat about his lifestyle? And here Idon’t just mean his ethical choices;I mean his Lifestyle. What are thetastes, what are the consumerchoices that make him such ahappening kind of person?

It’d be nice to see him in SimplyFood, but somehow, given thecompany he keeps in the gospels,maybe you’d be more likely to findhim down the road, mooching inAldi. And he’s probably a littlemore Primark than GAP. I’d like tothink he would never vote Tory, but

who knows? This is God. His waysare mysterious. And would he begreen? It’d be entertaining if heweren’t, but it’s hard to imaginethat someone so concerned aboutthe fullness of life for everyonewould be anything else.

In the end, though, I like DallasWillard’s slant on Christian living –that it means living my life as ifJesus were me. So I don’t have towear sandals and a beard and Idon’t have to live on sardine pittas,which is great because now youcan see how right I was at the start.Jesus is a Lavazza, San Pellegrino,iMac, Radio 3 kind of guy wholoves Blonde on Blonde and DinnerAt The Homesick Restaurant, andlikes to kick back with a MonicaBellucci flick at the Cornerhouse.

Robert is a novelistand a lecturer inCreative Writing

at MMU.

Robert Graham is confident he knows theanswers to some important questions.

6

Jesus is a Lavazza,San Pellegrino,iMac, Radio 3 kindof guy.

The celebrationwas led by therector, NickBundock, with thechildren and manyof the adults

wearing suitably smart outfitsin keeping with the occasion.Nick spoke of the importanceof the many thousands ofweddings that have takenplace in St James over thecenturies. Once the childrenwho were representing thebride and groom, best man,father of the bride, andbridesmaids had taken theirplaces, he explained themarriage ceremony.

He began by saying that awedding was a publicdeclaration of love, a giftfrom God, the foundation offamily life and a seriousundertaking. He then wentthrough the service, afterassuring the wedding partythat they would not have tosay anything.

When I later spoke to theYear 6 children who wereinvolved, the ‘bride’, Olivia,and Richard the ‘groom’ saidthat they were relieved theydid not have to speak –Richard feared that he could

end up married! Althoughthey had found it scary at firstto be the centre of attention,they were soon caught up inthe ceremony and they werevery impressed by the displayof wedding memorabilia inthe church. William, the‘father of the bride’, had seenthe wedding photographs ofhis parents and grandparentswho were married in St James.

The readings were clearlyspoken by Mary and Thomas,and during the signing of theregister the school choir gavea beautiful rendering of

'Make Me A Channel Of YourPeace'. The congregation leftto a selection of weddingmusic played on the organ,having taken part in a veryhappy occasion.

Sylvia is a governor at Didsbury C of E Primary School.

The ‘bride’ and ‘groom’.

Headteacher Matt Whitehead and Festival organiser Diana Leitch pose asWilliam and Kate.

Celebrating marriageSylvia Bradley reports on Didsbury C of E Primary School’sspecial assembly during St James’ Wedding Festival.

7

Phot

ogra

phs

by D

avid

Lei

tch

Richard fearedthat he couldend up married!

For the last ten years agroup of us have beenmeeting in St James

and Emmanuel parish withthe hope of establishing aL’Arche Community. In earlysummer next year we will seethe fruition of those dreamswhen L’Arche Manchesteropens the doors on its newhouse in Withington.

It has been a long journey. For many years we met as aprayer group: learning moreabout L’Arche; praying for itssuccess and raising moneytowards our goal. Many of thegroup, like myself, had spenttime in L’Arche Communitiesalready, but others wereinspired solely by the storiesthey had heard and the booksthey had read.

L’Arche was founded in the1964 by Jean Vanier. The sonof the Governor General ofCanada, he served for manyyears in the British and RoyalCanadian Navy before leavingto study philosophy and

theology in Paris. Whilst therehe went to a small village inthe forest of Compiegne tovisit what was, by thestandards of the day, a smallinstitute for thirty men withlearning disabilities – called‘Le Val Fleuri’.

Jean often says that, whereashe had been physically andintellectually trained by hisyears in the navy and hisuniversity study, the men in‘Le Val’ touched his heart.They asked, he felt, a verysimple question: ’Will you bemy friend?’ He felt called to‘do something’ but was not

sure what. With greatsimplicity – and not a littlenaivety – (so he says) Jeaninvited two men, Raphael andPhilippe, to leave theirinstitutions and come andjoin him in his own home.Jean named their houseL'Arche (‘the Ark’ in French)and the first L’ArcheCommunity was born.

What has happened sincethen is extraordinary on somany levels. The mostobvious is the way aninternational movement hasgrown from this simplebeginning. Starting with

Making friends andinfluencing peopleKevin Coogan looks back on the journey of faith that has brought Jean Vanier’s L’Arche vision to Manchester.

Left: Jean Vanier.Right: Haley andKaren, membersof L’Arche Ipswich.

8

taking over “Le Val”, L’Archehas grown to more than 130communities in 35 countries.Places that champion therights of people with learningdisabilities to full and fruitfullives, where they are valuedfor who they are not whatthey can or cannot do, whereeveryone is called to grow totheir full potential throughrelationships of mutualrespect and love.

In a more low-key way, thechange in the lives of thosemen in ‘Le Val’ is no lessamazing. Now in theirseventies, many have movedto other houses and othertowns and villages. They havesettled down as they havematured and have becomethe elder statesmen of theircommunities. They have asense of their own role in thestory of L’Arche. Over the

years they have grown inconfidence and self esteem –sure in the knowledge thatthey are valued and loved.

In Manchester in 2011 there’sa bit more legislation thanthere was in those early days.We need to be approved,registered, inspected andthere seem to be a myriad ofhoops to jump through.Slowly but surely though, weare jumping through thosehoops and we are now at thestage of identifying the rightpeople – with and withoutlearning disabilities – to formour first house in Manchester.

Finding the right people is achallenge. Living incommunity can be hard work.

It can bring us face-to-facewith our own failings andfoibles, but can also be aplace of great joy anddiscovery. For the people withlearning disabilities there is aprocess of assessment to gothrough and compatibilitystudies to complete, but onthe whole the invitation isstill the same – let’s try andbe friends and set out on ajourney together.

I am confident that the Spiritis guiding our steps here inManchester and that this isonly the first step on a muchlonger journey.

Kevin is Community Leader atL’Arche Manchester:manchester@larche.org.uk

They asked a very simple question:‘Will you be my friend?’

9

Com

petit

ion

Illustrator and author Lizzie Finlay has drawn a scene from a well-known children’s story, but it needs finishing...

Colour in the drawing andyou’ll have the chance to winan early Christmas present!

The winner will receivea signed copy of Dandylion,

by Lizzie, and will also havetheir workreturned in a nice, smartframe.

Two runners up will receive anest of Lizzie’s favouritechocolate goodies.

To enter, simply photocopythis page [or even carefullypull it out!*] and return it to the Parish Office by 16 December. Mark yourenvelope ‘TogetherCompetition’.

There is no age limit anddon’t forget to write yourname and contact detailsabove the drawing. Thewinning entry, chosen byLizzie and the Togethereditorial team, will bepublished on 23 December atstjamesandemmanuel.orgalong with the runners-up.

Oh – and if you want to knowwhich book the scene is from, theanswer is at the foot of page 20.

10

Name ........................................................................................... Age........................

Telephone/email .........................................................................................................

11

Ali Oxborrow: So Ben, whatdo you think of it so far?

Ben Edson: So far, so good! I feel like I’m still getting toknow everyone, but I imaginethat will last a few moremonths! I’m appreciatingbeing back in the fourcongregations as it meansthat I can see where people fit and learn about thedistinctions of thecongregations. I’m settling in and enjoying myself…I think that I’m still in thehoneymoon period!

Ali: Ditto – so far so good! Inaddition to all you’ve said, it’sgreat to be part of a staffteam that doesn’t take itselftoo seriously. Alongside thework, I so enjoy being able tolaugh together. I’veappreciated the warmth ofwelcome that I’ve receivedand the general friendlinessof people. I have felt verysupported in my ongoingstruggle with migraines and I’m really grateful

for people’s understanding.All bodes well for the future.

Ben: Although we started atroughly the same time, thereare quite a lot of differencesbetween our moves. Myfamily and I have been inManchester and I’ve workedfor the Diocese for ten years;we have just moved threemiles down the road and mywife has continued in her jobat Manchester Art Gallery. We’re really quite settled inthe city.

Ali: Yes, it’s very different forme – it’s all new! I’m settlinginto a new job, a new homeand a new city. I’m learning tojuggle all the demands on mytime and alongside that tocreate a home and life outsideof the job. I think that thesecontinue to be some of thechallenges that I face as I settle into my time here.How about you, what havebeen the challenges?

Ben: Yes, juggling is achallenge! I’ve put down a

12

So,what do theythink of it so far?Having both arrived in the summer, we asked Ben the vicar and Ali the curate how they were settling in. They had a chat...

Ali joined the parish in Julyfrom St John's Nottingham

for a three year curacy.

After an initial degree inEconomics, she qualifiedas a solicitor in 1995 andspent 6 years practicing

Matrimonial law inLeeds, before studying

for a degree in Theologyand Counselling.

Ali felt called to ministry while working

in London.

couple of things – I’m notgoing to be involved with theGreenbelt Arts Festival in thesame way next year and I’mabout to submit my PhD.That will all help, butanother challenge is to makesure that I get to know thebroader community ofDidsbury, not just the churchcommunity! So far thebalance has been OK and I’menjoying getting to know thepeople of Didsbury a bitbetter. Whether in the coffeeshops, the bars or at school,it’s good to make sure thatwe’re engaging with the localcommunity. The church isthere for all of the people inDidsbury – not just thecongregations.

Ali: I love the fact that we area diverse team with differentperspectives and gifts. Withmy background in family lawand counselling, my main

concern is pastoral care. Inthese early stages of my timehere this means my focus ison care for our churchmembers, but I see this as aministry that enables us toengage with the communityaround us. We all live suchdemanding lives and oftenlife throws things at us thatmean we need the love andcare of those around us. I ampassionate about St Jamesand Emmanuel continuing togrow into a genuinecommunity where this type ofcommitted love can be givenand received by those bothinside the church family andin the wider community.

Ben: Yeah, we’re a diversestaff team and that’s goodbecause I think that we needto be a diverse church. We allbring different experiences to

the team and it’s reallyinteresting how thoseexperiences are being used.Previously, in the NorthernQuarter of the city centre, I’vehelped set up an arts caféand alongside that I’veexperimented with differentmodels of church andworship. It’s amazing thatnow in Didsbury I find myselfdirectly drawing from thatexperience as we think aboutour future direction as achurch community. We’redifferent characters, havedifferent experiences and areenergized in different ways.

Ali: I could say more, as I usually can, but sadly ourword count is up!

13

It’s good to be in a place whereyou can laughwith people.

Ben joined the parish in June.He's married to Ruth andthey have two children, Jude and Lily.

He first came to the Diocesein 2001 to work as the city centre missioner. He established a church called Sanctus1 and NexusArt Cafe in the NorthernQuarter.

He was ordained in 2008 andserved his curacy at BrunswickParish Church.

Did you know?The Church of Englandordained 266 women and 298 men in 2009.

Recent parishioners thathave gone on to train forministry include:

• Sian Gasson • Jo McKee• Christine Sandiford • Caroline Throup

The film was Black Gold.This unassuming,award-winning

documentary powerfullydemonstrates how coffeefarmers are right at thebottom of the supply chain.

Huge injustice“There’s one particular scenewhere a crowd of farmers,gathered at a washing stationaround harvest time areasked how much they reckonpeople in the West would payfor a cup of coffee from a highstreet cafe, and they justcouldn’t comprehend it.” GedTyrell, one of the founders oftankcoffee, explains, “We lovecoffee and yet we saw whatamounted to a huge injustice.We decided, some would say

foolishly, to go and see forourselves - see with our owneyes what each farmer wasreally getting for their hardwork and harvest.”

So that’s what they did. Theystumped up for the airlinetickets and went to Ethiopiaand Kenya and metsmalholding farmers, got toknow them, and set aboutfinding out what it’s really liketo make a living from growingcoffee. And the answer was aworld away from mochas,macchiatos and lattes.

Direct trade“We wanted to know whereour coffee was coming from,who was growing it, howmuch they were getting, and

who else was in the supplychain before it got to us.”“Each year we run a large,busy festival café called thetank so the next step seemedquite natural; let’s startbuying the green beans directfrom the farmers, roast themourselves and supply itground or as whole beans topeople who want freshlyroasted, single-origin coffeeto drink at home.”

It’s then they decided to builda website where customerscan order freshly roasted100% Arabica coffee andhave it posted through theirdoor by Royal Mail.

Today, tankcoffee supplieshome customers,independent cafés, officesand businesses with freshlyroasted, speciality coffee

Spilling the beans

14

Inspired by a film, Jez Clark and some friends set up a businessto bring speciality coffee to the UK and give the guys who growit out in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania a fairer deal.

Passionate about our coffee, passionate about ourfarmers.

from Tanzania, Kenya and thebirthplace of coffee, Ethiopia.They’ve also developed atank espresso blend thatapparently possesses a‘powerful, but polite’ kick.

Hand-roasted“We roast the green beansourselves – that way not onlydo we know who the coffeehas come from, but we knowit’s freshly roasted. Our coffeehasn’t been sat on a shelf forweeks or months, and thatmakes a remarkabledifference to the quality and taste.”

“Our roasting machine is fromTurkey and Garth, our masterroaster is from Lancashire,but the two are nowinseparable. We receive anorder online and we processand pack every box by hand.Postage and packing is freeand you don’t need to be athome to receive it; the 400gpacks fit straight throughyour letterbox.”

It’s simple stuff, order online– within a day or two (orsometimes hours) of beingroasted, a box of coffeecomes through your door andlands on your doormat.

Although Ged is keen to pointout, “We’re only small, butwe’re committed to doing asmuch as we can to improvethe lives of the farmers andtheir communities,introducing coffee-lovers tothem and their produce. Wehave a vision born out of ourfaith to make a realdifference.”

A couple of the team areheading out to Ethiopia inmid-November to catch upwith the farmers while it’sharvest and to distributesolar lighting systems(tankcoffee give 10p fromevery box they sell tocommunity projects voted bytheir customers).

Relationships“It’s about transparency.” Gedsays “tankcoffee isn’t really abusiness. It’s more of a family,a network of relationships,starting with the farmer andleading to the coffee drinker.Injustice grows out of

anonymity and we’re nothappy unless we knowexactly the journey yourcoffee has taken to get fromthe cherry to your cup.”

blackgoldmovie.comtankcoffee.comTwitter:@tankcoffee

Spare a thought forthe humble bean

Every single coffeebean faces a longand arduousjourney to make itunscathed to your coffee cup.

Here’s the supply chain:• Coffee plant• Farmer (or co-operative

of farmers)• Coffee Markets• Importer/Exporter• Roaster (that’s us)• Supplier (that’s us too)• Coffee drinker

(it could be you)

15

We want totransform acracking cup ofcoffee into arelationship andget the peoplewho drink it onfirst-name termswith the peoplewho grow it.

The Madeley School OfDancing has a longhistory within Didsbury

and has to this day been verymuch a part of the localcommunity. Vera Madeleywas brought up in Didsbury.She attended Didsbury C of EPrimary School and went toEmmanuel church onSundays. She trained to be a dancer and after aprofessional career returnedto Didsbury to open a danceschool. In 1958 she startedteaching a small number ofpupils in Emmanuel churchhall. The school remainedsmall for a few years as shealso had family priorities at this time.

At first, she taught onlyclassical ballet, but as thenumber of pupils increased,additional styles of tap andmodern stage dance wereoffered. She entered pupilsfor examinations in all ofthese styles. Dance showstook place every two years,always in aid of a charity.Initially these were on thesmall stage in Emmanuelhall. Subsequent shows tookplace on the slightly largerstage of the old St Jameschurch hall on SandhurstRoad, Parrswood High Schooland The Reynold Theatre

UMIST. In addition, the pupilsalways danced at the annualgarden party in the gardensof Emmanuel church.

Vera Madeley’s daughterSally was a pupil at theschool throughout herchildhood. In 1988, aftercompleting a BA (Hons)degree in Dance Theatre atThe Laban Centre forMovement and Dance inLondon, Sally Owensreturned to Didsbury. She joined Vera to teach atthe school, which had grownto well over 100 pupilsranging in age from 3 to 18

Strictly MadeleyThe Madeley School of Dancing has been encouraging theyoung to pirouette and shuffle for over 50 years.

years. Sally enjoyed workingwith her mother, but in 1996her mother sadly died after atwo year battle with cancer.Sally decided to keep theschool going, with herself inthe role of principal, toensure that what Vera hadworked so hard to createwould continue.

In 1999, Lisa Darrington, a former pupil at the schooland a local Didsbury girlherself, joined the school toteach. At this time, JoanneWood also joined the schoolas a teacher.

After many years strugglingto keep warm in winters inthe old hall, Sally, Joanneand Lisa were delighted tomove into St James andEmmanuel’s new ParishCentre in 2007.

Today the school continuesto offer classes in ballet, tapand modern dance and pupilstake examinations with theNATD and RAD. In addition,Street Dance is now taught.The school continues to puton shows every two years and

the proceeds are always forcharity. The most recentcharity supported wasKIDSCAN, based at SalfordUniversity and specialising inresearch into children’scancers.

In 2009, The MadeleySchool Of Dancing celebrated‘50 Years’ with a show atRomiley Forum, Stockport,and this year the schoolproduction took place at theWaterside Arts Centre in Sale.

Throughout this time,classes have continued totake place in the ParishCentre and the majority ofpupils have always beenlocal Didsbury children. It istrue that some pupils todayare children of mothers who

attended the school.Vera Madeley had a caring

nature and wanted childrento enjoy their dancing. Thisethos continues today as allthe teachers are dedicated to providing an excellentenvironment for children to develop, learn and enjoydancing.

Sally Owens would like tothank the church for theircontinuing support and shefeels privileged to have beenable to run her school at theParish Centre, which is a greatfacility in such a primelocation in Didsbury.

Sally can be contacted on 0161 442 5223 and via email atsally.owens@virginmedia.com

17

The teachers are dedicated to providing an excellentenvironment for children todevelop andenjoy dancing.

Left: Dancers from the 2011 show. Above: Vera Madeley.

There are manyexcellent award-winning films that

explore key social andenvironmental issues of theday; sadly, they almost nevermake it into the multiplexesand only occasionally arethey screened in art housecinemas.

Didsbury Film Club wasstarted 2 years ago by a smallgroup at St James andEmmanuel who campaign toraise awareness on these keyissues. In the past we haveorganised activities like theFair Trade Christmas Fair. Thiswas a hugely popular event,but after 5 years of running it,we were keen to trysomething different.

Our aim has been toprovide an opportunity forlocal people to see these filmsand to discuss the issuesraised in an informal andrelaxed atmosphere. For mostfilms we have obtained aspeaker with expertise on theissues who has directedpeople, after the filmshowing, on where to go andwhat to do if they want to findout more or become moreinvolved. Guest speakers have

been from organisations asdiverse as: AmnestyInternational, TransitionManchester, Greenpeace, theBritish Bee Keeper Associationand on one occasion, thefilmmaker himself.

The first film to be screenedwas Age of Stupid, narratedby Pete Postlethwaite, aboutclimate change. We reallydidn’t know if anyone wouldturn up, as the publicityconsisted of merely a fewposters around DidsburyVillage. Putting the film onrequires a licence from thefilmmaker & local authorityand costs around £120, so wehad a need to cover our costs.Fortunately it was asuccessful evening with asizeable audience and theinformal discussionafterwards was verystimulating. There definitelyisn’t a particular type ofperson who comes to ourfilms: the appeal appears tobe quite broad. After someexperimenting we seem tohave found a format thatworks – film screening at 7.30,5 minute break for wine andnibbles, speaker for 5/10minutes and then a 20/30

minute discussion. For me, the experience of

watching a political film in acinema type environment is amoving and powerfulexperience and very differentto watching at home alone. Ihave been genuinely surprisedby how well made the filmsare. Perhaps mostencouraging for me, is howmuch people want to engageand discuss it afterwards.

The most recent film shownwas Budrus which tells thestory of peaceful protests inPalestine against the buildingof the security wall. We choseit because it was a positivestory about the power ofpeaceful resistance. Therewere many different dynamicsto the story: women joined theprotests, followed byinternational supporters andthen even Israeli activists. Oneshocking statement was madeby a female soldier whoduring an interview after ademonstration said, as if itwere the most natural thing in

Reel issuesAngus Cleary shares the vision behind Didsbury Film Club’sscreening of award-winning documentaries.

18

We really didn’tknow if anyonewould turn up.

the world, that Israeli soldierscouldn’t use forceful methodsif International and Israeliactivists were involved,implying that it was perfectlyacceptable to use violentmethods if the activists werepeaceful Palestinian men.

The discussion thisencouraged afterwards was

extremely thought provokingand almost everyone in ouraudience contributed. Wewere anxious about showingthis film, but thought the filmshowed enough balance notto be perceived as anti-Israeli.We wanted a measured andconstructive discussion thatgave us something to reflecton. The comments andfeedback by our diverseaudience suggested that weachieved this.

The next film is No ImpactMan on 11th January, 7.30pmat the Parish Centre, behindEmmanuel, £4.50. It followsthe Manhattan-based Beavanfamily as they abandon their

high consumption 5th Avenuelifestyle and try to live a yearwhile making no net environ-mental impact. Soon thestrain on the family begins to tell…

The film club meets everyother month on the firstWednesday, and the issues wewill be looking at next willinclude how to become more‘green’, the value of a simplelife, and the impact we arehaving on our planet.

stjamesandemmanuel.org/filmclub

For more information, contact Angus atangus.cleary@talktalk.net

19

Perhaps mostencouraging ishow muchpeople want toengage anddiscuss the filmafterwards.

BeBelongingBelievingBecoming

BeattitudeJesus! Is it that time of year

again already? Apparently,British hospitals reported

four broken arms last year aftercracker pulling accidents. Not agood end to your Christmas Dayfestivities, but the schadenfreudedid make me smile, I have toadmit. It put me in mind of achildhood memory of my mumrushing to A&E on Christmas Daywith my sister, who’d pushed sixpeanuts up her nose while myparents were cooking the roast.It’s a story that has entered ourfamily folklore.

Life is singularly unpredictable.One minute everything’s fine andthe next, wham – it’s a trip tohospital and a peanut extraction.

Even things we think would goon and on forever can reach adramatic and unexpectedconclusion. With the currentglobal uncertainty, the debt crisisand the future of the Euro hangingin the balance, we see theunshakable shaken to the core. In the noughties, as I walkedaround Didsbury, it felt like thegood times would never end…

It’s good to get used to theunpredictability of life. As M ScottPeck wrote in The Road LessTravelled, “Life is hard”. But, weneedn’t let this be the last word onthe matter either. One ancientprophet said, “The valley of

trouble will become the door ofhope”.

A friend of mine had been leftterribly hurt after his divorce. But, as he became part of ourcommunity and experiencedsupport, care and friendship, he

actually began to see his very real trouble to be a door of hope. As we approach Christmas, I guess if it is about anything, then it’s about hope – now and for the future.

Even in the pages of thismagazine, from tankcoffee to The Madeley School of Dancing,we see people finding somethingbigger, something calling them tobecome fuller and more alive.Christians call this grace.

Talking of unpredictability, thehapless doctors who dischargedmy sister must have missed thefinal nut. Some four months later,after a bout of intense sneezing, itshot back out into the gloriouslight! Life is unpredictable, but itneedn’t have the last laugh.

Nick Bundock isRector of St James

and Emmanuel

Lizzie’s drawing is from The lion, the witch and the wardrobe, by CS Lewis20

One minuteeverything’s fineand the next, wham – it’s a trip to hospital and apeanut extraction!

On Wednesday 21 December inEmmanuel, BBC Radio 4 will berecording the morning service tobe broadcast on Christmas Day.

Featuring a choir, brass band,carols and stories, the service willbe led by Rev Nick Bundock.

The preacher will be the inspirationalJohn Bell, known tomany BBC Radio 4listeners for hisshared wisdom inThought For The Day.

For more information visitstjamesandemmanuel.org/bbcservice

Wednesday 21 DecemberEmmanuel7.15pm for 7.30pm Please be prompt, spaceis limited and it promisesto be popular.*

*No guarantee of a seat. Service not suitable for children under 10 years old.

Christmas iscoming early

Photograph of John Bell by A Spurr

together...toddler groups, drama groups,youth club, children’s groups,children’s parties, weddingreceptions, dance classes, fitness classes, businessmeetings, parenting courses, concerts, communitymeetings, film clubs...

Services every Sunday at our twochurches, plus activities every day

of the week in our purpose-builtParish Centre and nearby No6...

All year round

If you want to join in or book yourown event, then contact Christine on 0161 446 4150 or atoffice@stjamesandemmanuel.org

For the full picture, visit: stjamesandemmanuel.org

Parish Office, Parish Centre,Emmanuel, 6 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury M20 6TR

Christmas

Registered Charity 1131669

Sunday 18th December Nine Lessons and Carols

6.30pm at St JamesA traditional candlelit service with

mulled wine and mince pies

Christmas Eve, Saturday 24th December

Christingle 3pm and 4.30pm at Emmanuel

A magical candlelit carol service specially for children

Midnight Mass11pm at St James

A thoughtful, candlelit service with traditional carols

Christmas Day, Sunday 25th December

Holy Communion9am St James

A traditional and reflective service

Family Communion10.30 at Emmanuel

An informal, all-age service

Imag

es: B

erna

dette

Del

aney

, iSto

ckph

oto