Hearing the Service
St John’s has an Induction Loop System so if you have a hearing aid, please switch it to the ’T’ setting.
Epiphany Carols
14th January 2018, 6pm
This evening is our carol service for Epiphany. Robert, Nicky and the choir have prepared another treat to conclude our seasonal celebrations marking the events of the Epiphany season. The service features music by Humperdinck, Wagner, Bach, Housman, Darion, Stanford & Morricone. Fizz and Epiphany cake follow. A great way to beat the post-Christmas blues!
Silent Film
Following the rapturous reception of The Passion of Joan of Arc and Nosferatu, the next film to be shown will be The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Sunday evening, 21st January 2018, 6.30pm. Tickets are £7 in advance, £10 on the door.
St John’s Late
Our Sunday evening services resume on 28th January. Please note the times of services as they do fluctuate until the Lent series begins on 5th March.
28th January, 6.30pm Jazz mass
4th February, 8pm Compline (preceded by supper at 7pm)
11th February, 6.30pm Choral Evensong
Help Robin Get to Church
Robin Plummer lives in Cato Street and needs help getting to and from church. Would you be willing to help him? There is a rota and you would be expected to help Robin approximately one Sunday per month. Robin is particularly fond of riding in fast cars although he is also very happy to walk to church.
Children’s Community Choir
Thursdays, 4.10pm
The Children’s Community Choir is open for children 6 years old and above, sessions will be 30 minutes long and children will sing different genres of music. If you are interested in bringing your children along, please let Robert or Antonio know.
CULTURE VULTURE VENTURES
Culture Vultures Venture: The Postal Museum
A New Year treat on Tuesday January 16th when we visit the very popular, recently opened Postal Museum at Phoenix Place, Mount Pleasant, WC1X ODA. Our self-guided visit includes tickets to ride on one of London’s hidden gems: the underground mail train route and surprising stories from what is in fact the first social network! Before our visit we enjoy a 2 course set lunch at the nearby Sicilian restaurant Luce E Limone, 91-93 Grays Inn Road WC1X 8TX. Our exhibition visit is not timed, but our train departs at 2.35pm, so we will meet at the restaurant at 12.15pm to give us plenty of time to enjoy lunch. Nearest tubes Chancery Lane and Farringdon. Total cost £36 (tea/coffee extra) but places are limited. Payment to Margaret Legg (cheques preferred) to secure your place.
Culture Vultures Attend
the Queen’s Chapel, Marlborough Rd. and the Chapel Royal, St James’ Palace
Saturday 24th February
The Serjeant of the Vestry, Jon Simpson, has very kindly agreed to give Culture Vultures a private tour of these chapels on Saturday February 24th at 10.30am - a great privilege and treat! The plate is sumptuous, as are the Van Dyke’s in the Upper Room at the Queen’s Chapel. The visit will last approx. 1.5 hours, after which we will adjourn for lunch nearby (details later). Numbers are limited. Cost £40 which includes lunch and a donation to Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal. Cheques preferred, payable to Margaret Legg. We have to be security cleared beforehand, so please let me have your full name, postal and email addresses, and the number of your current passport or photocard Driving Licence – whichever you will bring with you on the day. Meet under the St James’ Palace clock at the bottom (southern) end of St James’ St. at 10.15am.
Culture Vultures go to the Opera
10th March 2018
Former Choral Scholar (2015-16) soprano Soraya Mafi has landed the role of Tytania in English National Opera’s production by Robert Carson of Benjamin Britten’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, based on Shakespeare’s popular comedy. Britten’s opera follows the consequences of a falling-out between the fairy-king Oberon and his queen, Tytania. Mistaken identities, confused lovers and alarming transformations are the result! We have tickets in the front of the Upper Circle at the London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4ES for the 7.30pm performance on Saturday 10th March 2018 and will enjoy a 3 course supper beforehand and during the interval (drinks, tea/coffee extra). Meet in the Coliseum’s American Bar Restaurant at 5.30pm. Tickets all in £70. Payment to Margaret will secure your place. Cheques preferred.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
LORD MAYOR’S CORNER
After a busy festive season, we are having a long awaited break this week. We return to a full diary on 22nd January. Keep up with me on Twitter @LM_Westminster
St James & St John School Gate Gossip
We’ve completed the first full week of school after the Christmas break and it feels as if this half-term will be as busy as the last one ended. Luckily, our focus value for this half-term is Perseverance. While we obviously keep a laser-focus on class-room teaching, there is a flush of activities to complement the theory: Across all year groups there already have or will be numerous trips, of which some of the highlights are: Science Museum, Urban Studies Centre and Transport Museum. For the music lovers among our children, we have a piano performance at St. James’s Church, a jazz concert at the Lancaster Hall Hotel and a trip to the Royal Academy of Music. With such interesting and fun trips planned, most of us can proudly say that it’s great to be back.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
St James and St John School
This is our school; a school with a proud history and an aspirational future. St. James & St. John School provides both academic and personal development for every child, underpinned by Christian values. To quote Ofsted: "This is a good school. It is strongly supported by parents and carers. The strong provision for development of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities ensures that pupils are kind to new arrivals and respect one another's values. Progress in English and mathematics is good and this reflects the good teaching and curriculum."
Under Five’s Playgroups
An international playgroup aimed at Russian speakers meets in St John’s on Wednesdays at 10am. Other playgroups meet on Wednesdays at 3.45pm and Thursdays at 10am. Suggested donation for all groups: £2. Information about the playgroups can be found at www.HPPplaygroup.weebly.com and www.HPPrussian.weebly.com for the Russian speaking playgroup.
