Friends of St Edmund's are to celebrate their 'china' anniversary

with a special meal, music and dance in the Parish Hall at Sedgefield  

New lease of life for Sedgefield Nativity figures

Fishburn artist and graphic designer Kevan Stevens has just completed one of his most challenging commissions to date – the restoration of a group of key figures to illustrate the Christmas story at St Edmund’s Church in Sedgefield.

For several months, he has worked to repair, re-model and re-paint the plaster sculptures of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, shepherds, wise men, angels and the animals who stood around the manger. 
They will go on display in the church crib shortly but those who have had a preview of the figures have described them as ‘stunning’.
Churchwarden Brian Mutch said this week that the figures were thought to be around 50 years old and were showing clear signs of their age when it was agreed to have them refurbished. 
Kevan, owner of The Art Room North East Ltd, added: “It was the most unusual commission I’ve ever tackled but I’m delighted to have played a part in conserving a piece of local church history.”
 

Friends of St Edmund’s told    
‘our work will never be done’

Friends of St Edmund’s in Sedgefield have been praised for their ‘great enthusiasm, determination and success’ during the past year in helping to preserve the town’s ancient church.
At their annual meeting this week, the group’s chairman, Ron Eyley, thanked Friends and church supporters for their commitment to several important conservation, awareness-raising and income-generating projects which have been completed in the last financial year including a major new lighting scheme, replastering and redecoration in the South Transept and also the West Gable wall. A start has been made on replastering the North Transept and the Vestry passageway and the group’s website has been completely redesigned and updated.

 “The Friends have done very well in the past 12 months but the work we support is far from over and never will be if we are to ensure that St Edmund’s remains a beacon for generations to come,” said Ron.
Friends work with the Church Council and the Inspired Futures team to help maintain the fabric of the building and to grow the church by making its facilities more readily available for use by local community groups. They also organise visits to places of interest for both the Friends and non-members.

There was special praise for secretary Alison Hodgson, treasurers Nigel and Lynda Clegg, membership secretary Brian Mutch, website designer Kevan Stevens and website administrator Christine Mutch for their hard work during the past year. Ron, Alison, Brian, Nigel and Lynda were all re-elected. Co-secretary Sarah Britton was thanked for her work over the years after submitting her resignation.

The committee of the Friends now has a new member, Jonathan Clegg, who has played a key role as a photographer in helping to produce new marketing materials for St Edmund’s. He joins Trevor Terry, Jimmy Seymour and Anne Eyley who were all re-elected.

Footnote: A major campaign is about to be launched to attract more local companies to become members of the Friends. All businesses in and around the town are to be invited to help support the conservation work at St Edmund’s since a considerable amount of cash will need to be raised in the very near future to enable essential stonework repairs.  Further information is available from Brian Mutch on 01740 622302.

ARCHIVES/PAST EVENTS

Revered Saint appears in Sedgefield Church  

Saint Edmund has made an appearance in Sedgefield’s ancient church. The jolly-looking saint in his mitre, robe and cape features throughout a newly-commissioned, explorer trail booklet for young visitor
 
He suggests how youngsters can find their way around the building and explains words used to describe key parts of the church. There are also several entertaining tasks for visitors to tackle, both inside the church and the churchyard, including an opportunity to design a stained glass window, complete a word-search puzzle and test perception skills in two ‘spot the difference’ pictures
The colourful trail guide is the work of Fishburn artist-designer Kevan Stevens, owner of the Art Room North East Ltd, who recently designed a new church guide and interpretation panels for St Edmund’s.
He will be at St Edmund’s to launch the trail guide on the morning of Saturday, October 21st.
Kevan’s freehand drawings of Saint Edmund, who is depicted with his crosier and Bible, are the result of painstaking research. 
The booklet has already been highly-praised by those who have had a preview including church visitor Natasha Graydon and her eight-year-old son, Isaac, who said this week: “The trail guide is very eye-catching and educational. It provided us with a lot of fun.”

Oh brother!  Lady monks 
at Durham Cathedral . .

Heads turned in Durham Cathedral this week as three Benedictine monks appeared among the eye-catching artefacts in the Open Treasure exhibition – and two of them were clearly members of the fairer sex!
 
The masquerading monks were actually members of the Friends of St Edmund’s Church in Sedgefield and a closer examination revealed them to be Parish Warden Brian Mutch (centre), Christine Mutch (left) and Friends’ Secretary Alison Hodgson(right).
 
The trio were among a group of Friends exploring the story of the ancient building and the people, history and Christian message at the heart of the cathedral’s life and worship.
 
In the former monks’ dormitory, they were able to try out the style of dress worn by the Benedictines centuries ago.  
 
The group had lunch in the Prior’s Hall before enjoying a guided tour of the cathedral and visiting the Open Treasure exhibition.
 
Arrangements were made by Brian and Alison.
 
The Friends make regular visits to local places of interest. The next will be on December 7 when members set off on their annual Christmas shopping trip to York. Full details will follow shortly.
  
Further information is available from Brian Mutch on 01740 622302 or Alison Hodgson on 01740 620912. Do not hesitate to contact them.
The image, where submitted, is free of copyright.

Date:    10 October 2017
Event:   Visit to Durham Cathedral – Open Treasures Exhibition

Chance to see ‘world’s best Anglo-Saxon treasures’

Friends of St Edmund’s Church in Sedgefield and their supporters are being offered an opportunity to see some of the most precious Anglo-Saxon artefacts in the world - now on display as part of Durham Cathedral’s much- praised ‘Open Treasure’ experience.
 
A visit is being arranged for Tuesday, October 10, which includes a buffet lunch in the Cathedral’s Prior’s Hall. A coach will leave Sedgefield Parish Hall at 11.30am that day and return by 5pm.  The cost of £26 per head includes everything.

The exhibition enables a visit to the magnificent fourteenth-century Monks' Dormitory and gives a chance to learn more about the fascinating history of the Cathedral and the spread of Christianity in North-East England through interactive exhibits and activities

It includes access to the state-of-the-art Collections Gallery with its rolling exhibition programme showcasing items from the Cathedral's collections as well as a visit to the Great Kitchen with its famous octagonal ceiling and permanent home of the Treasures of St Cuthbert which include St Cuthbert’s original wooden coffin and pectoral cross alongside Anglo-Saxon artefacts described as ‘some of the best in the world’.

Visitors can also explore the new Pilgrimage and Community Galleries in the Covey.

“It should be a most fascinating visit”, says Alison Hodgson, Secretary of the Friends, this week.

Friends have also given early notice of their annual festive shopping trip to York on Thursday, December 7th.

Anyone interested in either of the visits should contact Alison on 01740 620912 or Membership Secretary Brian Mutch on 01740 622302.

Further information is available from Alison or Brian at the numbers above. Do not hesitate to contact them.

NEWS FROM ST EDMUND'S

Georgian house on the market in Sedgefield  - and you name the price!

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A highly-desirable, detached, three-storey Georgian residence in Sedgefield could soon become the property of a lucky local for whatever price the would-be purchaser wants to pay for it!

The charming bijou house comes complete with a range of quality furniture and will be particularly attractive to potential buyers because there will be no legal fees or council tax to pay.

The property will come on the market very shortly, it will be chain-free, and could be somebody’s pride and joy in time for Christmas.  

Agents handling the deal admit that the rooms are not terribly large but maintain they are generously proportioned since they were only ever designed for . . . a doll.

The house measures 28ins high by 22ins wide and 13ins deep and was assembled by a skilled local cabinet maker.

The current owner has donated the house to St Edmund’s Church who will put proceeds from its sale towards the cost of running the ancient building.

“The children in our family thoroughly enjoyed the doll’s house but we now feel it’s time for some other youngster to share the enjoyment it gave them,” said the donor (who has asked to remain anonymous).

The doll’s house is now on display in the church but arrangements to view it when the church is closed can be made with Parish Warden Brian Mutch on 01740 622302.

It will be sold using the ‘sealed bid’ system with a reserve of £250.  Bids should be sent to Parish Administrator Rachel Stephenson at 3 Ivy Row, Station Road, Sedgefield, TS21 2JT, with the envelope clearly marked ‘Doll’s House’.  Closing date 1 December 2017.

Date:  Tuesday,  22 August 2017
Event:  Rokeby Hall and its treasures

Friends of St. Edmund’s walked in the footsteps of no lesser personalities than the legendary Sir Walter Scott and artist JMW Turner this week when they visited Rokeby Hall and Park, a privately-owned country house near Barnard Castle.  

It was, everyone agreed, a superb day out which began with lunch at the two-storey, award-winning Mainsgill Farm Shop off the A66 and was followed by a guided tour of the hall itself, a fascinating house completed in 1735 and sold to the Morritt family in 1769. It is regarded as a fine example of the Italianate Palladian style (though the external colour of the building in some parts may not be to everyone’s taste).  

Rokeby is now the home of Sir Andrew Morritt and his family and houses a collection of fine needlework pictures by Anne Morritt which date back to the 1700s, a rare surviving ‘print room decorated with 18th century prints, a death mask of Mary, Queen of Scots, and an oil copy of Velasquez’s ‘Toilet of Venus’ (the original is in the National Gallery).

Later, several members walked beside the River Greta to inspect views that attracted Turner and are still popular with artists from a wide area. 

The visit was arranged by Brian Mutch and Alison Hodgson.

Date:   7 September - 10 September 2017
Topic:  Sedgefield Tower trips on Heritage Open Days   

 
For four days in September, local families and visitors to Sedgefield will be able to explore the special features of Saint Edmund’s centuries-old church at times when the building is not normally open to the general public.

And for a lucky few, on three days, there will be a chance to see Sedgefield from the highest point in the town – the top of the church tower, the second highest church tower in County Durham. Only the Cathedral is higher.

The church will be opening its doors as part of a nationwide Heritage Open Days festival from Thursday, September 7, to Saturday, September 9, between 10am and 4pm and on Sunday, September 10, from 11 am to mid-day. 

At noon on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 20 people will be able to enjoy an escorted tour up the tower with parish warden Brian Mutch who says that views from the roof on a fine day are ‘fantastic’.

There is no charge for entry to the church but a £3 donation for climbing to the top of the tower would be welcome.

Since they were launched in 1994, Heritage Open Days have become Britain’s largest and most popular grassroots heritage event. 

Footnote: Volunteers are needed to help as stewards or with the serving of refreshments during the festival and should see Brian Mutch or complete the sheets at the back of the church to show the times they are available.

Donations of savouries, cakes and biscuits would also be welcome.

Date:  Tuesday,  13 June 2017
Event:  Friends visit to Constable Burton

Friends and their friends voted a recent visit to Constable Burton Hall a great success

Date:  
Event:  Visit to Rievaulx Abbey