http://www.westburyparkchurch.org.uk A busy, friendly family church in North West Bristol Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:00:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.westburyparkchurch.org.uk/2009/06/50-years-on/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Muriel & Walter Wakeham Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:00:54 +0000 http://www.westburyparkchurch.org.uk/?p=46#comment-64 My husband and I are celebrating our Golden Wedding anniversary at Harbertonford Village Hall. We were married at St. Peters, Harbertonford, on Boxing Day and Rev. Walton officiated and Nigel played the organ for us. I thought at the time he was only 15 years of age so probably one of his first official engagements. They both came to our wedding reception in the Village Hall and I recall that when the best man read the cards and came across one which was slightly risque, Rev. Walton called out quite loudly 'the Vicar is very broad minded'. I was disappointed with the photographer at the time because he didn't get photographs of many of our guests, the Vicar and Nigel included. I was hoping Nigel might be able to turn out a photo of himself at that age together with his father - who knows he might have a photographic record of their time at Harbeton Vicarage. If so I would be pleased to make a contribution. I was really pleased to read the above of his work in the Church. My husband and I are celebrating our Golden Wedding anniversary at Harbertonford Village Hall. We were married at St. Peters, Harbertonford, on Boxing Day and Rev. Walton officiated and Nigel played the organ for us. I thought at the time he was only 15 years of age so probably one of his first official engagements. They both came to our wedding reception in the Village Hall and I recall that when the best man read the cards and came across one which was slightly risque, Rev. Walton called out quite loudly ‘the Vicar is very broad minded’. I was disappointed with the photographer at the time because he didn’t get photographs of many of our guests, the Vicar and Nigel included. I was hoping Nigel might be able to turn out a photo of himself at that age together with his father – who knows he might have a photographic record of their time at Harbeton Vicarage. If so I would be pleased to make a contribution.
I was really pleased to read the above of his work in the Church.

]]> http://www.westburyparkchurch.org.uk/2009/05/st-albans-on-songs-of-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Diana Wilson Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:46:54 +0000 http://www.westburyparkchurch.org.uk/?p=31#comment-34 I left Bristol years ago and now live in Taunton, but I have always had very happy memories of St Albans. It was the first church I attended as a child - long ago,during the war - and I was a pupil at Westbury Park so I was looking forward to last evening's Songs of Praise. What a disappointment! I'm not sure how much influence you have over what is broadcast but my husband and I agreed that this really was one of the worst we have seen. We have no objection to jazz and the group were quite good (although it was a pity they hadn't bothered to polish their instruments) and we enjoy gospel choirs, but we felt the combination of jazz with a rather elderly congregation trying to emulate this type of music didn't work and was quite frankly rather embarrassing. And it would have been nice if the Vicar could at least have put in an appearance if only for a blessing at the end. As it was, one might just as well have been in any hall anywhere attending a concert, not an act of worship. In fact, I felt that while seeing familiar parts of Bristol was quite interesting there was very little about St Albans and your place in the local community or about individual members of your congregation which would have helped to make the programme a little more personal. It was, I felt, a wasted opportunity. Having said all this, I would still like to send my best wishes to St Albans Diana Wilson I left Bristol years ago and now live in Taunton, but I have always had very happy memories of St Albans. It was the first church I attended as a child – long ago,during the war – and I was a pupil at Westbury Park so I was looking forward to last evening’s Songs of Praise. What a disappointment! I’m not sure how much influence you have over what is broadcast but my husband and I agreed that this really was one of the worst we have seen.
We have no objection to jazz and the group were quite good (although it was a pity they hadn’t bothered to polish their instruments) and we enjoy gospel choirs, but we felt the combination of jazz with a rather elderly congregation trying to emulate this type of music didn’t work and was quite frankly rather embarrassing. And it would have been nice if the Vicar could at least have put in an appearance if only for a blessing at the end. As it was, one might just as well have been in any hall anywhere attending a concert, not an act of worship. In fact, I felt that while seeing familiar parts of Bristol was quite interesting there was very little about St Albans and your place in the local community or about individual members of your congregation which would have helped to make the programme a little more personal. It was, I felt, a wasted opportunity.
Having said all this, I would still like to send my best wishes to St Albans
Diana Wilson

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