FRIENDS OF MELBOURNE PARISH CHURCH NEWSLETTER, JANUARY 2026

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The Vicar of Melbourne Benefice and Melbourne Rectory

Last year’s newsletter began with the good news that our campaign to keep the Rectory as part of our family of church buildings had been successful. The even better news at the start of 2026 is that the renovated building is now occupied, our new Vicar of Melbourne Benefice having taken up residence last October. The Rev. Rosemary Donovan joined us from her previous parish in Epsom, along with her husband, Craig, and her two King Charles spaniels, Shadow and Shelby. The Diocese did an excellent job on the Rectory (as it will continue to be called) and it is now a building worthy of the name ‘home’. Rosemary has joined our Exec Committee and we look forward to working with her on improving our facilities and increasing our outreach.

The clock is now ticking on the Diocese’s planned 5-year review of the Rectory’s future and The Friends will continue to take a keen interest in the situation

Roddy Lott

As many of you will already know, Roddy Lott passed away on New Year’s Day. Roddy was a full and very active member of the Friends Executive for many years and was always the first to put her hand up when a job needed doing or help was required. Amongst many other things, she looked after the cards we give to welcome newlyweds and baptism families to the church, offered bed and breakfast to visiting musicians and was a smiling face at the ticket desk for arrivals at our events. Her energy and enthusiasm will be greatly missed.

Membership

Our membership numbers are in fairly good shape, with individual and family member numbers more or less the same as last year at around 220. We did lose a Corporate Member when they swapped to Business membership but still happily ended 2025 with the same number of  Corporate Members (four) when Melbourne Sales and Lets joined us. We do not take for granted the support given to The Friends by all our members in whatever category and we will continue to try and grow our numbers in response to changing demographics. If anyone out there has any ideas about potential business members, let us know! A full list of our Business and Corporate Members is given at the end of this newsletter.

Finance

It was reported at the AGM last October that our balance at the bank was £27,562. We know this is a large amount and that we are in the business of spending money not saving it. We are aware, however, that the discussions going on between the PCC and the Diocese will eventually result in considerable expenditure on heating, insulation, electricals and lighting and that the obligatory, five-yearly detailed inspection of the building is to take place shortly. We are ready to support projects in line with our charitable aims when and where we can, and when asked. In the meantime, we are providing a relatively small amount of funding for a display screen in the Honner Room in Church House as a more up to date answer to the white board and flip chart (one of our aims is to encourage and improve engagement with the wider community). We will keep you informed of any major projects we support as they arise.

Events in 2025

We entered 2025 somewhat nervously as we knew that it would be a very busy year and that we would have to dovetail our activities with those being organised by the church as part of its 900 years’ celebration. It turns out we need not have worried as the year was a great success, with all the events carefully coordinated, well-attended and greatly appreciated. The footfall through the church was impressive, with many of the visitors never having never set foot in the building before. 

The Friends met the cost of the highly entertaining speaker at the medieval banquet organised by the 900 Committee and sold 900 merchandise at Friends’ events, including the beer specially brewed by the Spirit Vaults to celebrate the anniversary (there is some of the amber nectar remaining, so let us know if you would like to buy some at £5 per bottle).

Our first event was in May when Margaret Gildea gave us a brilliantly conceived talk entitled “Who murdered the Princes in the Tower - A Whodunnit” . Margaret entertainingly picked apart a web of Yorkist and Lancastrian intrigue suffused with a heavy dollop of Tudor revisionism to introduce the four suspects to a packed audience, who were then asked to present their verdict. No case to answer? Richard III, Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort, Duke of Buckingham? The collective finger was pointed at…Lady Margaret. Very apt.

In June, William Bates gave us an absolutely fascinating talk on the Victorian restoration of the church, telling us how money became the dominant factor and how the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, paid a visit to raise funds. It was a revealing insight into people's then attitudes to a building, which they eventually improved in spite of disagreements and difficulties. The work was planned by the renowned and prolific architect George Gilbert Scott, championed by the influential Lady Palmerstone (wife of the Prime Minister) and project managed by the formidable Rev. Joseph Deans (vicar from 183l to 1888) – a tale of overspend and ambition in Victorian Melbourne. William’s described how hundreds of decaying bodies were dug disinterred from beneath the old, uneven floor and were re-buried in the churchyard, then later in the town cemetery.

In September, as part of the Melbourne Festival Fringe, Graham Oppenheimer brought five, extremely talented young musicians (‘Stars of the Future’) from London and beyond to deliver an evening of exquisite chamber music by Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. 

The concert was appreciated by audience and performers alike and the young musicians have asked to visit again next year and have already selected their programme.

In October, our big screen was set up under the tower to show the classic silent film ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, with musical accompaniment by Minima. The beautifully lit church provided a dramatic backdrop for the horror, pathos and romance of the story.

Our final event was ‘A Jazz Christmas Carol’ with Alan Barnes in early December, taking a rollocking musical excursion through Dickens’ famous tale.  The packed audience braved a decidedly chilly evening but was thankfully warmed by some great musicianship, comedy and mulled wine. We have decided, however, not to plan any more December concerts until we have a new heating system worthy of the name.

We are very grateful for the sponsorship kindly provided by East Midlands Airport and Alan Staley Building Contractors Limited, without whom we would not be able to put on events of this quality. Alan Staley’s support has been particularly generous and his longstanding support as a Corporate Member of the Friends is greatly appreciated.

Rosemary and Craig cutting a celebratory cake at the ‘installation’

Events planned for 2026

We already have some events lined up and are working on others.

Already firmed up is auctioneer and TV personality Charles Hanson, who will return on Wednesday 27 May to give us another afternoon of entertaining valuation advice. Graham Oppenheimer brings the young musicians back just after Melbourne Festival on Thursday 24 September and the Bryan Corbett Jazz Quartet is booked in for Friday 16 October. We are awaiting a date for the return of local historian, William Bates and are exploring other ideas and suggestions. We will be in touch again soon with the full programme.

In the meantime, thank you for your support.