Autumn programme: Unveiled programme, exhibition, Quiet Day, and concerts

 

Unveiled is the regular Friday night arts and performance event at St Andrew’s Church, 7.00 – 9.00 pm (11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN). Here's details of our Autumn programme. See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for more information.

Autumn Programme 2025

• 19 September (7.00 pm) - Exhibition viewing evening. See ‘Lily and the Masters’, an exhibition by David Crawford, and hear David speak about his work and also read his poetry. David’s exhibition has a series of colour studies of the Edwardian singer and actress Miss Lily Elsie and versions of some of his favourite paintings by the Old Masters.
• 3 October (7.00 pm) – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a long-established Wickford-based writers group.
• 17 October (7.30 pm) – David Crawford in concert. David is a singer songwriter who is Wickford born and bred. He has been writing and performing songs for over 30 years, but the last few years, in particular, have been very productive. He will be performing new and recent material in this unique acoustic space where his paintings are also on show.
• 31 October (7.00 pm) – Adam Atkinson is the Bishop of Bradwell. Hear him read a selection of his poetry which has been used in public and liturgical settings. A series of sonnets for Lent and Easter were published in ‘Who Do You Say I Am?’ in 2024.
• 14 November (7.30 pm) – Open Mic Night organised with John Rogers. Everybody is welcome to come along and play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
• 5 December (7.30 pm) – Eva Romanakova and Andrew Palmer in concert. Hear Mezzo-Soprano Eva Romanakova and pianist Andrew Palmer perform a wide selection of music including musical theatre, classical, opera, pop, jazz, folk and songs from the movies.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs. See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for fuller information.

Our latest exhibition is 'Lily and the Masters', an exhibition of paintings by David Crawford from 19 September – 19 December 2025 at St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN.

View the exhibition and hear David speak about his work at ‘Unveiled’, the arts & performance evening at St Andrew’s Wickford, Friday 19 September, 7.00 pm.

David is a Wickford based artist and singer songwriter. The works in this exhibition are a selection of paintings completed in the last 3 years. He is exhibiting a series of heightened colour studies of the Edwardian singer and actress Miss Lily Elsie and versions of some of his favourite paintings from Old Masters such as Da Vinci, Vermeer and Caravaggio.

St Andrew’s is usually open: Sat 9am-12.30pm; Sun 9.30am-12 noon; Mon 2-3.45pm; Tue 1-4.30pm; Wed 10am-12 noon; Fri 10am-1pm.

Our last Quiet Day of 2025 is on Saturday 27 September and is about Lancelot Andrewes: Discover the influence and example of Lancelot Andrewes (who lived in Rawreth) who helped define Anglican doctrine, translate the Bible, and shape the liturgy. Led by Revd Jonathan Evens & Revd Steve Lissenden. 

To be held at St Nicholas Rawreth. Reflect in the beautiful and historic surrounds of St Nicholas Rawreth. St Nicholas provides times of quiet and reflection in a beautiful setting. 

Cost: £8.00 per person, including lunch (pay on the day). To book: jonathan.evens@btinternet.com / 07803 562329. Parking available: Village Hall (Rawreth). Nearest station: Battlesbridge (for Rawreth).

We also have concerts at St Andrew's including: TLC Ensemble on Satuday 4 October at 2.30 pm; and Men to Sing on Saturday 6 December at 2.30 pm.

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David Crawford - The Unwritten Story.

Unveiled Spring 2025 programme & 'The Way' exhibition

 

Here's the Spring 2025 programme for Unveiled, our fortnightly Friday night arts and performance event at St Andrew’s Church (7.00 – 9.00 pm, 11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN), plus an exhibition entitled 'The Way' by Steve Whittle:

Spring Programme 2025

• 17 January (7.00 pm) – ‘The Way’ exhibition viewing evening. Meet artist Steve Whittle, see his exhibition & hear him interviewed. This artist, based in Westcliff-onSea based, uses collage to create Stations of the Cross & a range of other scenes, both religious and landscape.
• 31 January (7.00 pm) – ‘Four Essex Trios’. An evening of poems and photographs with Jonathan Evens exploring thin places and sacred spaces in Essex, including Bradwell, Broomfield, Pleshey, and Runwell.
• 14 February (7.00 pm) – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a longestablished Wickford-based writers group.
• 28 February (7.30 pm) – Open Mic Night. Everybody is welcome to come along & play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
• 14 March (7.00 pm) – Simon Law in concert. Simon has fronted the rock bands Fresh Claim, Sea Stone and Intransit, as well as being a founder of Plankton Records and becoming an Anglican Vicar. This will be his final concert for us before retirement.
• 28 March (7.30 pm) – Dave Crawford & friends in concert. Popular local musician, Dave Crawford writes engaging/melodic songs in Americana/ Alt-Rock/IndieFolk. He has performed at the Leigh Folk Festival, Pin Drop Sessions, & Music for Mind together with Kev Butler. This will be Dave’s third concert at Unveiled. We have also enjoyed his powerful vocals & guitar at our Open Mic Nights.
• 11 April (7.30 pm) – Tim Almond in concert. ‘Around the World in 60 Minutes’ featuring songs and stories from Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ecuador and Bangladesh.

See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html and https://basildondeanery.co.uk/index.php/news/ for more information.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs.

Our churches are places to enjoy cultural programmes including concerts and exhibitions as well as being places to see art and architecture.

St Andrews Church in Wickford provides regular art, culture and heritage events and we are looking to develop this further. We think that to do so will benefit the Town by bringing more people to the Town Centre. As part of a Feasibility Study exploring what might be possible that is funded by UKFSP Feasibility Fund, we are asking people locally to share what art, culture and heritage activities they are interested in and what they are looking for. 

We would be very grateful if you could complete the survey and tell others about it. The survey can be found at https://forms.gle/dmPH7uzAafuAqLzDA. We are keen that as many people in and around Wickford complete the survey as possible.

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Dave Crawford - My Last Lullaby.

Unveiled, Exhibition, Parish Study Day & Lent Course

 

Unveiled – a wide range of artist and performers from Essex and wider, including Open Mic nights (come and have a go!).

Unveiled – view our hidden painting by acclaimed artist David Folley, plus a range of other exhibitions.

Spring Programme 2024

• 26 January – Open Mic Night organised with John Rogers. Everybody is welcome to come along and play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
• 9 February – Who Tells Your Story? Who Tells Your Future? View this exhibition and hear the artist Maciej Hoffman speak about his work. ‘I choose themes that pervade everyday life, our constant battle with problems which we inevitably face. But also issues which haunt us for years, shaping our perspective on the world and building us as humans.’
• 23 February – Tryin’ to throw your arms around the world. Jonathan Evens talks about the spirituality of the rock band U2. This talk sets out the main characteristics of U2’s spirituality, examines their roots, makes links between their spirituality and themes in contemporary theology and, considers three reasons why U2’s spirituality has connected with popular culture.
• 8 March – Dave Crawford in concert. Popular local musician, Dave Crawford writes engaging/melodic songs in Americana/Alt-Rock/Indie-Folk. He has performed at the Leigh Folk Festival, Pin Drop Sessions, and Music for Mind together with Kev Butler. He was recently included on The Open Mic Show Album, Vol. 1 from SoSlam. We have enjoyed Dave’s powerful vocals and guitar here when he has performed previously at our Open Mic Nights.
• 22 March – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a long-established Wickford-based writers group.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs. See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for fuller information.

Who Tells Your Story? Who Tells Your Future?
An exhibition of paintings by Maciej Hoffman
23 January – 29 March 2024
St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN

‘I choose themes that pervade everyday life, our constant battle with problems which we inevitably face. But also issues which haunt us for years, shaping our perspective on the world and building us as humans. I try to capture the moments of tension, the climax, and the spark before ignition.’

• Holocaust Memorial Day reflection – 27 January, 3.00 pm.
• Hear Maciej speak about his work at ‘Unveiled’ – the arts & performance evening in St Andrew’s Wickford - Friday 9 February, 7.00 pm.

St Andrew’s is usually open: Sat 9am-12.30pm; Sun 9.30am-12 noon; Mon 2-3.45pm; Tue 1-4.30pm; Wed 10am-12 noon; Fri 10am-1pm. https://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html

Maciej Hoffman was born in Wrocław, Poland in 1964, the son of artist parents, growing up under Poland's communist regime; after studying philosophy at the School of Theology in Wrocław, he graduated in Painting and Sculpture from the Academy of Fine Art in 1992. Becoming fascinated with web art and new graphic technologies, he then worked for 15 years in one of Poland's largest advertising agencies until a watershed moment in 2003, when he returned fulltime to the studio and to oil painting. He moved to England in 2012, in search of new artistic and life opportunities, and continues to paint, teach and exhibit in the UK and abroad.

Here he became involved in leading art workshops for school students, encouraging self-expression through art therapy for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, or coping with mental health issues and trauma. He also contributed artworks to exhibitions dealing with conflict and resolution, including two marking Holocaust Memorial Days in 2012 and 2018 respectively. Maciej Hoffman's work has been exhibited in the UK on numerous occasions, including at Chelmsford Cathedral; Barry Gallery Central; Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK) Gallery and Willesden Gallery (both London), and at the Warwick Art Centre.

‘Painting begins with a spark, an idea, an impulse. Sometimes it seems as though the painting creates itself, intuition guides me during the process … In trivialities as well as in big events I seek contrasts between imagination and reality. Our expectations and our anticipations are never what we finally meet in real life. This constant collision fascinates me. It’s irrelevant whether it’s beauty and ugliness, order or chaos - the point is, how it’s reflected in the mirror of my interpretation … I am moved by people’s stories with all their misfortunes and moments of happiness. It seems like one is always part of the other.’

https://www.maciej-hoffman.com/ https://www.buru.org.uk/record.php?id=1443

Parish Study Day: Becoming a HeartEdge Community
Saturday 27 Janurary, 9:30 a.m. - 2.00 p.m., St Andrew's Wickford

Our PCC recently agreed that the Wickford and Runwell Parish would join the HeartEdge network of churches that are creating new ways of being church in a changing world; churches at the heart of their communities, while being with those on the edge. This half day plus lunch aims to help us all understand more about how HeartEdge works, and will be led by Revd Olivia Maxfield-Coote and our own Revd Jonathan. There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions, and a light lunch will be provided. Please sign up to come using the sign-up sheets at our three churches.

Lent 2024: Exploring the Stations of the Cross

Tuesday evening and Thursday afternoon and evening, starting the week of 19th February

This year the Ministry Team will once again be writing our own Lent Course, which will be looking more deeply into the Stations of the Cross which we use during Holy Week, including images, readings, reflection and prayer. These will be offered on Tuesday evening and Thursday afternoon and evening, depending on numbers, starting the week of 19th February. We also have the opportunity to share these sessions with Christchurch, giving additional days and times. Please think about whether you would like to join or even host a group. Sign up sheets available soon.

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Dave Crawford - Revelations.

Preparing for the unexpected

Here's the sermon I shared this morning at St Mary's Runwell (and which I would also have shared at the Act of Remembrance at the Wickford War Memorial, had it not been raining heavily this morning):

A few weeks ago members of the local writer's group in Wickford, the Ladygate Scribblers, were showcasing their work at an evening of reading in St Andrew's Church. Among the stories and poems we heard, were two recounting stories of those serving in the World Wars. The first involved a lost letter from Jack to his sweetheart when he had been invalided out from the frontline and was returning home. The hopes of both for their future were then cruelly dashed when the ship on which Jack was returning was attacked and sunk. The second involved Stan and his best friend Taffy, both deployed to different ships. Through a set of strange circumstances, they decided to swap deployments and applied to change ships. This was agreed and Taffy went to serve on HMS Hood, which was sunk by The Bismarck in 1941. Stan lived out his life in the knowledge that he was only alive because of Taffy and the decision they had made together.

These two stories reminded me of the fundamental uncertainty of life and the fact that we can't know what is round the corner for us, especially in wartime. We have been recently reminded of that reality, once again, through the current war in Gaza, which began with an attack by Hamas that was wholly unexpected.

Jesus told a story about being as ready as we can for the unexpected (Matthew 25.1-13). His story is the set reading for this Remembrance Sunday. His story was about bridesmaids waiting for a bridegroom to light him to the wedding with their lamps. He was later than expected and some had not brought supplies of oil for their lamps. Those without had to go searching for oil and missed out on the wedding as a result. Those who prepared for the unexpected were ready to meet the bridegroom and go into the wedding.

With this story Jesus is asking us prepared we are for the unexpected? The bridesmaids who were prepared had rehearsed possible scenarios and were ready for those. They also had the right attitude, being ready to wait for the bridegroom’s arrival. As a result, they were able to take part in a wonderful celebration of unity and love. With this story, Jesus is also encouraging us to prepare for the unexpected recognising that we live in a world where conflict is regularly experienced at all levels of society.

While we can't prepare for the exact situation we might face, we can prepare for possible scenarios, prepare mentally and emotionally for difficult events, and practice peace ourselves in order to anticipate a peaceful society. That’s essentially what our armed forces regularly do. In peacetime they go on manoeuvres and take part in exercises in order to be ready for the moment when they are called to go to war while also acting as those who maintain the peace by preventing fresh conflict from developing.

So, while this day is about honouring the dead who laid down the lives that we might be free, it can also be about our preparation for the future. We draw inspiration from those who have gone before and learn from their experiences in order that can be as ready as we can for what will come in the future and even shape that future. The key lesson to learn from past wars is the fundamental necessity of peace. Jesus taught his followers through his stories to anticipate a future where people come together in love to celebrate unity and he calls us to be those who anticipate and practice that future reality in the here and now.

We can also prepare ourselves mentally and emotionally for difficult events by developing an attitude of resilience that can enable us to endure in times of difficulty and challenge. The Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed for his resistance to Hitler on 9 April 1945 in Flossenbürg Concentration Camp, only four weeks before VE Day. He wrote a creed just days before his execution by the Gestapo which exemplifies a resilient attitude:

“I believe that God can and will generate good out of everything, even out of the worst evil. For that, he needs people who allow that everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. I believe that God will give us in each state of emergency as much power of resistance as we need. But he will not give in advance, so that we do not rely on ourselves but on Him alone. Through such faith all anxiety concerning the future should be overcome. I believe that even our mistakes and failings are not in vain, and that it is not more difficult for God to cope with these as with our assumed good deeds. I believe that God is not a timeless fate, but that He waits for and responds to honest prayers and responsible action.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer quoted by Philip Yancey, The Question That Never Goes Away)

These are the words of a man who knew his life was in danger, whose family and country were already suffering under Hitler, the Nazis, and the war machine they had put into action. It was Bonhoeffer’s trust in the redemptive will of God that helped sustain him during the dark months of prison and interrogation, and the final days of his life. With a similar attitude, we may be able to do the same should we need to do so.

So, as we honour today those who laid down the lives that we might be free, let us also prepare for the future by drawing inspiration from those who have gone before, practising God’s peaceful kingdom and developing attitudes of resilience in order that we can be as ready as we can for what will come in the future and, perhaps, even shape that future ourselves. Amen.

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J. Lind - I Don't Know.

Unveiled programme and autumn exhibition

 

The autumn programme of arts and culture events at St Andrew's Wickford (11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN) begins next Friday. Our autumn Unveiled programme is as follows (with the exception of a 7.30 pm start for the Open Mic Night, all begin at 7.00 pm):

• 8 September – Open Mic Night organised with John Rogers. Everybody is welcome to come along and play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
• 22 September – Poetry and Prayer: Hear Jonathan Evens speak about and read poems about prayer and poems that are prayers. Enjoy poems by John Berryman, John Donne, Carol Ann Duffy, George Herbert, Ann Lewin and Mary Oliver among others.
• 6 October – From Hong Kong to Wickford: See the multifaceted pictorial display at St Andrew’s created by Wickford-based composer Ho Wai-On. It features stories of a lifetime of interaction with UK-Hong Kong based artists/people that have resulted in many creative works. Hear Wai-On speak about the exhibition, her career and her creative projects.
• 20 October – An evening with the Ladygate Scribblers. Hear poetry and prose from a long-established Wickford-based writers’ group.
• 3 November – Wickford Heroes: Hear Steve Newman of the Wickford War Memorial Association and author of ‘Wickford Heroes - The Wickford & Runwell Roll of Honour Book’ speak about the War Memorial & some of those from Wickford & Runwell who made the supreme sacrifice in the World Wars.
• 17 November – Rev Simpkins in concert featuring songs from ‘Pissabed Prophet’ – “Melodious, chaotic, gloriously energetic, the fruit of the fevered musical imaginations of Matty Simpkins (Rev Simpkins) and Ben Brown (Dingus Khan, SuperGlu).”
• 1 December – Mission to Seafarers evening including Sea Shanties: The Mission to Seafarers provides help and support to the 1.89 million crewmen and women who face danger every day to keep our global economy afloat. Hear more about their work from Paul Trathen, Port Development Manager. Also enjoy a selection of sea shanties from local singers led by John Rogers.
• 15 December – Film Night: It's a Wonderful Life. The story of dejected and desperate George Bailey, who's spent his whole life in the small town of Bedford Falls, but longs to explore the world. Reaching rock bottom, he starts to believe that everyone in his life would be better off if he had never been born. An angel shows him how important a role he's had in the lives of friends and family.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs. See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for fuller information.

Our autumn exhibition is FROM HONG KONG TO WICKFORD A Multifaceted Pictorial Display with Stories, an exhibition by Ho Wai-On (Ann-Kay) and Friends running from 25 September – 16 December 2023 at St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN.

Dr Ho Wai-On: Surname Ho, known to colleagues as Wai-On. She comes from Hong Kong where the surname is followed by the given name that represents the individual. She has lived in Wickford for about 15 years and is known to locals as Ann-Kay (her childhood name). Before moving to Wickford, she lived in London for more than 30 years.

Best known as a composer and creator/director of combined-art works and projects, this multifaceted pictorial display features her lifetime of interaction with UK and Hong Kong based artists/people that have resulted in many creative works. It also tells the stories of these people and their work.

The Display features the following:

• ‘Acis & Galatea’: Dance-opera directed by Ho Wai-On for the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
• ‘Blessed’ – Stations of the Cross with Beatitude: An offering to St. Andrew's from Ho Wai-On
• Clark Ainsworth (UK-HK): Hong Kong photographs
• Dr Juliet Chenery-Robson (Sunderland): Visual artist
• Ruth Cutler (Ramsgate): Mixed media
• Graham Ekins (Boreham): Hong Kong birds photographs
• Ho Wai-On (Ann-Kay HK-UK): Music videos; combined arts; design and photographs
• Inter-Artes: Performing group formed by Ho Wai-On
• Polly Hope (London): Artist
• Herry Lawford (Stockbridge): Chelsea Flower Show photographs
• Professor Stephen Matthews (UK-HK): Hong Kong birds photographs
• Ben Rector (Wickford): Photographer
• Roy Reed (UK): Photographer
• Martin Singleton (Wickford): UK birds photographs
• Albert Tang (HK-London): Stage/costume/poster/cover design and more
• “THEME HONG KONG“: Project
• Dr David Tong (Sidcup): Poetry
• True Light Old Girls (Ho Wai-On's old school): Choy May-Chu (HK-Taiwan); drawings/paintings; Kitty Kwan (HK-UK-AU-US) photos; Toby Man (HK-US) drawing
• Marcus West (Cardiff): Computer graphics
• Benson Wong (HK-UK-HK): Fashion/textile/jewellery design & digital portraits

N.B., ( ) indicates residency. E.g., (HK-UK-AU-US) = From Hong
Kong, then lived in the UK, Australia, now lives in the US.

Ho Wai-On says: “My memory of life in Hong Kong is about 15 years, which is about the same as I have been living in Wickford. In between, for more than 30 years, I lived mostly in London and went back to Hong Kong from time to time. With UK-based professionals in creative and performing arts, I created and staged performances of works/projects that combine music, dance, drama and visual art across different cultures, sometimes with relevant displays. This multifaceted pictorial display at St. Andrew's Church features stories of my lifetime's interaction with UK-Hong Kong based artists and people and the resulting creative works, and tells you about these people and their work. I hope this might encourage audiences' interest in getting to know more.”

Special opportunities to view the exhibition include:

• Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon Celebration Viewing with Refreshments, Friday 29 September, 7.00 – 9.00 pm: Friday 29 September is the Mid-Autumn Festival (Harvest Moon to the English) - one of the most important festivals celebrated by ethnic Chinese, and also celebrated in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other countries in East and Southeast Asia. People, and especially family members, gather together to eat and to look at the moon at its brightest and roundest in a year. Rod Reed's photos of "Mid-Autumn in London Chinatown", commissioned by Inter-Artes, are featured in the Display.
• ‘Flying Wild – Beautiful Birds and Insects’ talk by Martin Singleton (Wickford Wildlife Society) with exhibition viewing, Monday 2 October, 7.30 pm: Martin Singleton will talk about the creatures found with his photographs which are included in the Display.
• Unveiled exhibition viewing evening, Friday 6 October, 7.00 – 9.00 pm: Meet Ho Wai-On and hear about the exhibition, her career and her creative projects.

Ho Wai-On’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AKLHWO/videos
Ho Wai-On’s Website: www.howaion.co.uk

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Pissabed Prophet - Humber Doucy (Sweet Shadow).