Marston News: PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT NICHOLAS
Below is the text from the Marston news published December 19710. This publication was the fore-runner of the Marston Times.
I DO LIKE A LIE IN ON A SUNDAY
Yes, and so do I. I manage an extra half an hour on a Sunday when the service is at 8 am, whereas during most weekdays it is at 7.15 am.
But for some people even 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning is too early, It's asking too much of people. Is it?
If this is the main time when Christians come together round the Lord's table.
If this is the time when we can pray together for the parish, the Church, the world.
If this is the time when God's Word is proclaimed to us and we receive His grace.
Then surely its worth bestirring ourselves, making the extra effort to be 'in the Lord's House, on the Lord's Day, at the Lord's Service'. Someone was heard to say at a recent Confirmation Service "I'll
bet its a long time since they've seen the Church as full as this." The person who told me this said: "I wanted to tell them: 'That's not true'."
Certainly on Sunday mornings at 10 am the Church is full with a complete cross-section of the parish - lively youngsters and elderly folk; technicians and teachers; builders and dons.
A Vicar once put up a beautiful sign outside his Church He instructed the artist to leave two letters out of the word Church A lapsed Church member was quick to notice this and asked the Vicar if he'd noticed the omission: "U R" missing, said the Vicar, "and we need you and you need us".
A Happy New Year to you and your Family.
Paul N. Rimmer
In the centre or on the fringe
For centuries St. Nicholas Church has been physically the centre of the old village, by virtue of the building, and until the advent of the Welfare State in the forefront of local social concern.
It is still recognised by many as important for christenings, weddings and funerals, but thought totally irrelevant for 'between times'. We feel strongly that the Church is still very relevant for the
'between times' of the seventies, and to that end have launched this newspaper. It is a new venture for the Church and is aimed as a two-way platform for news and ideas to flow, from the church to the community, and indeed more particularly from the community to the church. In this way, perhaps, the new village of Old Marston will be aware of the Church, now physically on the
fringe, and do something to bring it back into the social centre of village life.
We invite comment on articles and especially ideas on what the community of Marston expect from St. Nicholas in 1971.
Please address your letters to: R.M. Sharp,
2 Hill Top Cottages,
Elsfield, Oxford.
CHILDREN AND GIVING
by Mrs Bette Jones
Young, active people at St Nicholas C.P. School in Old Marston have been raising money and bringing happiness to the community for a variety of
causes and events in many different ways.
As the school term closed for the Christmas holidays last Friday, Mr. Peter Jones, the Headmaster, said: "Although we have appealed all term for funds for the School Swimming Pool, the children have looked beyond themselves to the needs of others both here and overseas. On their own initiative, with the help of the teachers, they have undertaken some inspiring and imaginative projects. My staff and I are very proud of their achievements."
Mrs. Annette Chadwick, who teaches a class of lower juniors aged from 7-9 years recently took a party of 16 children to sing Carols and Songs to patients in the Radcliffe Infirmary. They entertained patients in Rowley, Alexandra and Leopold (Children's) Wards with Songs accompanying themselves on Glockenspiels and Xylophones Children in Mrs. Bonnie Johnston's class of Upper Juniors were very concerned about the fate of the East Pakistan people after seeing a Panorama programme on Television about the disastrous cyclone and the tragedy it had brought. They decided to raise funds for the East Pakistan Disaster Fund. As enthusiasm spread like wild-fire throughout the school, Mrs. Johnston gathered together a party of young carollers from the Juniors who went to sing in Marston and raised E5 4s. ld. The children in Mrs Johnston's class also baked a Gingerbread House which was raffled to the parents and raised £2 15s. Od. for the Disaster Fund.
The Magpie television programme's appeal for funds for a teaching machine for handicapped children
will benefit by £25. This is the sum raised by children in
Mrs. Marjorie Hensel's class. Their inventiveness in fundraising ranged from 'Guessing the Scarecrows Name' and 'How many
Peas in the Jar', to selling sweets and cakes they had made themselves. Earlier in the term two of the children raised 15/- for the Royal Naval Lifeboat Fund by making flags and selling them. They even built their own model of a lifeboat to illustrate their appeal.
During the whole of this year the Children throughout the school have managed to raise. £100 to buy an Oxygen Machine for Spina Bifida Children and next term ten children will be going to the Radcliffe Infirmary to see the machine in operation.
To end these activities all the decorations made by the Infants have been taken to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital, and those from the Junior department have gone to the Alexandra Ward of the Radcliffe Infirmary.
M.R.A. Meeting
The Marston Residents' Association is to hold a General Meeting at 7.45 pm on Monday, January 11th in St. Nicholas County Primary School. Mr George Hine of Raymund Road tells us that all residents of Old Marston are invited to attend this meeting. A report on the work of the Association will be given and a new committee elected. There will be an opportunity for residents to ask questions. After the conclusion of the business side, there will be an interval for tea and biscuits followed by a programme of colour slides illustrating memorable holidays taken in such contrasting places as California and the Orkney and Shetland Islands. In addition residents may like to bring one or two of their own holiday 35 mm. colour transparencies. A prize will be awarded for the one judged best.
CONFIRMATION—Time for a change?
On 1st December 1970, 40 young people were confirmed in St. Nicholas Church by the Bishop of Dorchester. This is probably a record for St. Nicholas, but taking the country as a whole, the confirmation rate has fallen by one-third in the last six years. The present pattern of initiation in the Christian faith is perhaps not as effective today as it was in earlier years. Its steady progression from infant baptism, through Catechism to Confirmation and first Communion was well suited to a static society, most of whose members accepted the Church and its teaching as a part of the fabric of existence.
Now things have changed. People change their jobs more frequently, moving their homes into different communities. Families are split and it becomes difficult for people to feel any real loyalty to one particular place. Under these conditions, the Church's position is much less secure than it used to be, with only a minority professing the Christian faith.
Should the present pattern of confirmation be changed? This is one of the many important subjects being discussed in the Oxford Diocese right now. One item that has found favour is that children should be permitted to become communicants at an early age, say seven, and be confirmed later at 17 or 18. This would perhaps
make the Parish Communion Service at St. Nicholas at 10 am every Sunday more meaningful to parents and children. What do you think? Your opinions are important!
RESIDENTS OBJECT
Ten residents of Old Marston are signing a holding objection asking the County Education Committee to delay its decision on increasing the number of places at Peers School, Littlemore. At present.
the school takes 120 children between the ages of 14 and 16 from Marston, but when the building is extended in 1971/2 this number will be raised to 300. The feeling of those who signed the petition is that the extensions should be made to the Harlow School. This would mean that time and expense were saved in transport and that the children would be able to join in extra-curricular activities more easily.
On the other hand, the Harlow School is not sufficiently
equipped with staff or
facilities to teach up to 0-level standard, and for this reason most parents would prefer their children to go to Littlemore. In addition, the long-term situation is confused by the raising of the school-leaving age to 16, due to take effect in 1972 and by the fact that there is a continuing
uncertainty about the incorporation of Marston into the City. In this event the whole education system in Marston would need to be modified to fit in with that of Oxford.
Cannon's Farm
Cannon's Farm, in Elsfield Road, Old Marston, will shortly be inhabited again after ten years of neglect. The old farmhouse, also known as The Elms, is being converted into two dwellings, but retaining the original exterior.
Interesting features of the building, which dates from the late 17th or early 18th century, include the eastern end which appears to have been used as a dairy, and decorative and internal structural features such as beams and cornices. The Victorian porch over the front entrance is also noteworthy.
Because of these features and especially because of its position in relation to the other buildings in this part of Marston, Cannon's
Farm, which had been listed as a historic building many years ago, was in 1968 made the object of a preservation order by the County Council. This was contested by the owner but upheld by a Ministry enquiry in February of last year. As a result of this, the
character of the old farmhouse together with the two yews monkey-puzzle and walnut tree is being kept. As a footnote, readers may be interested to know the origin of the name Cannon's Farm. The
Cannons were an old Marston family of the nineteenth century. John Cannon was a Church warden and the Cannon gravestones form part of the path to the north door of the Church.
