Last  Years Events  2008

 

Mhelliah 2008

 

 

The Annual Mhelliah Thanksgiving Service was held on Saturday 4 October 2008 at our usual venue, the Parish Church of St Bartholomew the Less, West Smithfield.  The service this year had many prayers and responses from the Celtic Tradition, and we were welcomed by our President, Stewart Christian, who also read the lesson.  The Rev Ben Rhodes Chaplain of Barts and the London NHS Trust officiated, but the highlight for many of us is when Maisie Sell recites the Lord’s Prayer in Manx, learnt over 70 years ago at Peel Clothworker’s School.  We sang the traditional hymns including the Manx Fishermen’s Evening Hymn and Isle of Man, home beloved with words by J W Gelling. 

 

After singing the Manx National Anthem members made their way to the newly named Park Hotel (but always the Bonnington to us) and were pleased to welcome a new member, Barbara Stott (formerly Reid) and it was lovely to see Heather Qualtrough, whose parents still live in Castletown, and we hadn’t seen for a while.  We all enjoyed the warm buffet of chicken in black bean sauce, pasta, gougons and mixed salads, followed by a variety of gateaux, cheese and biscuits.

 

The guest speaker, The Right Revered Graham Knowles, Dean of St Pauls, and recent Bishop of Sodor and Man entertained us all with his stirring rendition of the Grace in Manx, and gave us a most interesting and amusing account of his tenure as Bishop from the moment the brown envelope dropped through his letterbox!  Required to recite the Grace in the Manx language at his first session in Tynwald, he practised and achieved 7/10 rating from a well known MHK!  His rating had risen to 10/10 by the time he delivered it on Tynwald Day, and we also learned about the best ankle competition for all members in knee britches – which stood the Dean in good stead when he moved to the city of London!

 

Having spent 4-5 years involved with Island affairs the Rt Rev Knowles hoped that one of his legacies would be the continued use of the many keeils and crosses throughout the Island, as places for devotion and prayer.  He told us  feels that the Isle of Man has a unique beauty and tradition as well as a great sphere of influence in the world of finance.  He hoped that the Island would continue to promote itself in the outside world, being, as it is, the “centre of the universe!”

 

There followed the Annual Manx Quiz set by Paul Garbutt who was unable to join us this year, but who sets these quizzes for every Mhelliah, and they are greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all members.  Christine and Terence Brack won 1st prize, which was a beautiful Christmas pudding made by our President.  Recognising the number of raffle prizes as a familiar feature at Manx gatherings, the Dean sportingly assisted Stewart Christian to call out the winning numbers before hastening away to resume his duties at St Pauls.

 

The 2008 Mhelliah closed with a heartfelt rendition of Ellan Vannin – the usual conclusion of events at London Manx Society.                    

 

 Mavis Bell

 

Visit to Geffrye Museum and Charterhouse

 

Stewart, our President, had arranged a splendid day out for members on Saturday 13 September 2008, with a  visit to the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch, followed by a guided tour of Sutton’s Hospital, Charterhouse, near the Barbican.  Geffrye Museum is set in a long line of fine almshouses, surrounded by mature trees and gardens, and it specialises in domestic interiors from the 1600’s for the “middling sort”.  This expression caught the attention of many members, who always thought “middling” to be a typical Manx expression!  In this context, however, middling is the early name for the new middle class population, and we passed through a sequence of rooms for each period, comparing the furniture and décor used by the middling sort from 1600 up to the present day.

 

After the Great Fire of London, the large hall, so much a feature of the Jacobean age, was replaced by a dining room and the parlour, where families gathered and received their guests.  The new Whig Londoners set great store by appearances and wished to demonstrate their new wealth and standing by building huge country houses with large parks and gardens.  The Georgians carefully blended colour and pattern with impeccable taste.  This was in evident contrast to the Victorians who put different patterns on the carpet, dado, curtains, wallpaper and ceiling – all too much for modern taste.

 

The 20th Century rooms were housed in the new modern wing, where we admired the Arts and Crafts style, Art Deco and right through to the 60s G plan furniture – very familiar to those of us who started married life with just these interiors!  The Museum serves excellent light lunches, and afterwards we were pleased to meet the girl working in the shop, who spotted our Manx badges and told us that her Grandfather had been Mr Wilson, well known Principal of King William’s College, for many years.

 

Arriving at Sutton’s Hospital in Charterhouse, we were given a programme for the tour specially printed for the London Manx visit by our Guide, James Thomas, Master of Charterhouse.  He spoke of the ancient site as a place of surprises and we knew that he meant as we passed through narrow doorways into long cloisters, shaded courts and gardens, the Chapter House with its vaulted roof, ending in the Great Chamber, faithfully restored after the 2nd World War.

 

The land was originally acquired in 1314 to bury victims of the Black Death, and shortly after 24 monks of the Carthusian order began to live there, with lay brothers to care for them.  Really they were a community of hermits, and we saw the small feeding hatches where food was deposited for the silent monks in their tiny cells.  Those led out to the Norfolk Cloister, along which they attended the Church services during the day.  Later on, this long cloister was where the Charterhouse School boys played Cloister Football, the equivalent of the Eton Wall game.  In 1534, 16 of the monks were martyred when they refused to recognise Henry VIII as head of the church.  We saw their memorial, in Chapel Court, where damage in World War II revealed the site of the original Priory Church.

 

Thames Sutton built a Tudor house on the site when the monks departed, and Charterhouse School took up residence in 1611.  They moved to Godalming in 1872, after which Merchant Taylor’s School used the site until 1933.  It mentions its connection with education to the present day as part of the University of London and the Medical College of St Barts Hospital.    Boasting a venerable list of royal patrons and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charterhouse is home to around 50 retired single gentlemen of modest means.  They are still referred to as brothers but have no religious or Masonic affiliation.

 

Having been a masculine domain over the centuries it shows no signs of being penetrated by any female influence in the foreseeable future!  We all commentated on how fortunate the brothers are living in this historic, peaceful place, hidden from the busy streets of London.  We had all enjoyed the most interesting day out, which will be remembered for a long time to come.  Sincere thanks to Stewart for giving members such a treat.

 

Mavis Bell

 

Cooish at Enfield, August 10th

 

Those members who had to remain in August to keep the capital going (OK, we couldn’t afford the fare to the Isle of Man) gathered in the garden of our President, Stewart Christian, for a traditional chin-wag and exchange of news on Sunday, August 10th and benefited greatly from Stewart’s interest in cookery. The wise went easy on the preliminary snacks as these were followed by a miscellany of fine dishes – smoked salmon, ham, beef salad, coronation chicken, strawberries, blueberries and cherries, Eton Mess and fine cheeses accompanied by Pimm’s, wines of every shade, beer and a variety of home-made soft drinks. And if this wasn’t enough, we then went on to Stewart’s homemade fruit loaf and tea, the bread made to Stewart’s grandmother’s recipe. The inner man more than satisfied, we then had a personally conducted tour of Stewart’s Manx memorabilia which his friends have dubbed the Manx Museum and Library annexe, with some justification. A memorable outing indeed and the weather held for us throughout.

 

Bryan Corrin.

 

TYNWALD DAY PICNIC 2008

 

 

In spite of dire weather warnings, a cheerful group of London Manx met at Victoria Station on 5 July 2008 clutching picnics and brollies, and boarded the train for Beckenham.  Bryan and Sheila Corrin had kindly offered their house and garden for our Tynwald Picnic, and although it is only a short walk from Beckenham Junction station Bryan had brought the car for less able members.  About 23 members sat in the beautiful garden to the rear of the house, where tables and chairs had been set out by our thoughtful hosts, and drinks were served. 

 

Sheila cooked the kippers in a huge pan which were particularly delicious, and a popular addition to the assorted picnics and contributions we had brought to share.  At one point some lovely strawberry tarts were circulated, made by Sheila, and the final luxury and memorable touch (as far as my husband was concerned) was when our hostess served ice cream cornets to everyone in the garden.

 

The sun flitted in and out of the clouds, some toured the garden and others sat and chatted together - conversation is never in short supply on these occasions!  Of course we indulged in a few old Manx songs and the National Anthem before folk started to leave for home.  Standing outside Bryan and Sheila’s beautiful Victorian house we noticed the date 1864 high on the gable and speculated about who was Prime Minister at that time.  (Bryan was right it was Viscount Palmerston!)  They have lived there for over 30 years and certainly Bryan and Sheila chose a great place in which to bring up their family, and lead their busy professional lives.

 

So we celebrated our National Day in style in beautiful surroundings and thank the Corrins for their generous hospitality.  It was a happy occasion and we even got home without a soaking!

 

Mavis Bell

 

                                                                                                                                 

London Manx Cooish at Merton School on 22nd June 2008

 

 

About 12 people met at London Bridge Station to catch the train to Sidcup at 12.25 pm.  The weather was fine and everyone was in a good mood.  When we arrived at Sidcup station there was a minibus taxi that could carry 8 of us, so the other 4 walked to Merton Court School.

 

Quite a crowd of people awaited us, friends and relatives of Chris & his mother, Mrs Price.  A delicious barbecue was in full swing, with caterers providing a choice of 3 different vats of barbecued food, consisting of rice, pasta, chicken, seafood, etc., with ice cream to follow.

 

Some of us took a walk through the wooded grounds of the school.  There was a raffle with great prizes, raising the sum of £260.00.  Chris had song sheets for us to sing The Manx National Song and Ellan Vannin.  Margaret Brady did the honours, accompanying us on the piano.  She had very kindly brought the London Manx song booklets with her on the train, but unfortunately we did not sing any songs out of them.  Thank you very much for taking the trouble to bring them, Margaret.

 

After lots of chat, a lovely time was had by all.  Mrs Price very kindly arranged lifts to the station for us all.  A very big thank-you to Chris Price and Mrs Price for a wonderful afternoon.

 

Pam Fiddik

 

ANNUAL LUNCH   5th April

 

 

 

 

The well known and popular couple Jack and Pat Corrin were guests of honour at our Annual Lunch in the newly named “Park Inn” (alias the Bonnington Hotel).  It was a return visit to the LMS by our guests, who were both members in 1956, and whilst regretting the absence of long term member Paul Garbutt, were pleased to see Maisie Sell again, and other familiar faces including Rose Fowler, Brian Corrin, Derek Costain and Ivy Kewley. 

 

 

 
 
After the Grace by Preston, everybody enjoyed the meal of mixed melon and citrus fruit cocktail and escalope of turkey, followed by apple and berry pie and ice cream - the only criticism being that our Toast Master had finished his meal before the tardy arrival of the sauce!  Outgoing President Chris Price raised a Toast to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Lord of Man and Margaret Brady used the keyboard for the singing of the Manx National Anthem.  Margaret always plays for us, and also provided the pretty miniature roses for the centre of the tables.

 

In giving the Toast to Land of our Birth, I dipped in the annals of the Society revealing how previous members held their meetings.  Lady Raglan would wear a diamond tiara, and one lady sang to the accompaniment of a military band!  Dramatic productions and Christmas parties for as many as 300, were popular events, as well as Cinderella Balls and blackberry picnics.   We were amused by a poem sent by Tom Lamb of Huntington, that included a list of Manx surnames - “Go to darkest Africa, or even far Japan, he’ll says his name is Kelly, and he’s from the Isle of Man!”

 

Chris Price toasted the Guests, expressing his confidence in the future of the Society in the hands of Sally Newson and her friends, who are our future.  He created a clever analogy with the family car and the moment you have to trust it into the hands of the next generation!  Our guest of honour Jack Corrin CBE said that the last LMS dinner he had attended was as a national serviceman on 5 May 1956.  He had kept the menu from that occasion and was pleased to say that little had changed in customs and procedure, including the translation of the menu into Manx a service now rendered by Brian Stowell.  He had also kept the programmes of the dramatic productions performed by members of the Society, and by Pat in particular, who was at Bedford College, going onto the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama.  The producer was Sam’s mother, Mary Weller, and Jack spoke of his confusion, as he knew that her son’s name was Edward.  Sam explained that his headmaster had used the name “Sam Weller” as used in Dickens, and the nickname had stuck!  We were all intrigued when Jack then produced an old programme for London Manx Diamond Jubilee celebrations, where Pat played in “Arsenic and Old Lace”, there was a recitation by Maisie Sell, and the young Edward Weller played a violin solo!

 

We all enjoyed the joke about the man from Port Erin who arrived in Douglas Station with masses of luggage.  “You’ve got a lot of suitcases there, Finlo” said the Station Master helping him along.  “Yes, I’m off to Australia” he replied “But I’ve got the worst part of the journey over!!”   Jack then recited everybody’s favourite bit of T E Brown, “The beauty of the thing when childer plays” and there would not be a person of Manx descent, who could not recite those verses with him.  Pat then rose and gave us a poem from a collection entitled “Ellan My Chree” by Rose Fowler’s mother Elizabeth Callow.  (Rose has since sent me a copy of these poems which are about all aspects of living on the Island and make wonderful reading).  After a lifetime of public service at the Manx Bar, and as Attorney General, Jack spoke, with pride, of all the Island had achieved during that time.  The finance sector is respected throughout  the world and he had seen many new schools built, new Courts of Justice, the incinerator and sewage works, as well as the new hospital and prison.

 

Members had greatly enjoyed listening to Jack’s speech, and our Treasurer presented them with a cheque for £100 towards Blind Welfare, the charity Jack and Pat Corrin have supported for many years.  Chris Price then handed over the regalia to our new President, Stewart Christian.  Stewart, who lives and works in Enfield, has already proved his knowledge about the Island by winning the quiz at the Mhelliah.  He is an enthusiastic collector of china from the Isle of Man, and with his ready smile and friendly personality, we are confident that the Society will be in good hands!

 

All members responded by bringing more than 50 items for the raffle, and past President Chris Price had worked his magic from many Manx shops and businesses including return tickets on the Steam Packet, vouchers for Marks & Spencer and a meal at the Mount Murray, to name but a few.  Thanks to Chris for his efforts on our behalf, and we wish we knew his secret.

 

It was time for members and guests to join in the singing of Ellan Vannin to bring the proceedings to a close, and to return home in daylight after, what one member described, as one of the happiest London Manx events they had ever attended.     

 

 Mavis Bell

 

 

Annual General Meeting

 

Our A.G.M. was held at Greenwich on 1st March.  We went to Greenwich, where a number of us met beforehand at the National Maritime Museum, and enjoyed lunch there.  Sixteen then gathered for the Meeting at the local Community and Arts Centre.

 

Our Hon. Treasurer reported a financial position very similar to that of the preceding year – i.e. annual expenditure slightly more than income , but very healthy overall.

 

Stewart Christian was elected President to succeed Christopher Price, who remains on our Committee ex-officio as Immediate Past President.  Stewart will be installed as President during the Lunch on 5th April.

 

The other members elected or co-opted to the Committee are  Mavis Bell (Public Relations), Margaret Brady, Pam Fiddik, Rose Fowler, Paul Garbutt, Colin Gill, Preston Glass (Functions), Maron Honeyborne, Brian Kneen (Website), Mary Kneen (Newsletter, Membership, Data Protection), Sally Newson (Young Manx), Sam Weller (Hon. Treasurer).

 

Rose Fowler has kindly accepted appointment as Acting Secretary from 5th April, to enable the Committee either to identify as soon as possible thereafter a new Hon. Secretary (who could then be confirmed at the  

2009 A.G.M.), or to decide how to assign many of the duties to other Committee Members.

 

Terence Brack.

 

 

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