St Nicholas Restoration

Dear Friends

At the beginning of November, the new Bishop of Coventry, Bishop Christopher, will be installed in Coventry Cathedral and for a week in mid-October, he cycled around the Diocese, acquainting himself with some of the parishes and the geography of his new home.

One of the stops he made on his first day of cycling was at St Nicholas church, to look at the devastation left by the fire, and to pray for us as a community. His words of encouragement and hope for the future were heartfelt, and I pass them on to you to encourage all of us as a community.
Do pray for him as he takes up the reigns of the Diocese, with many challenges ahead – he is praying for us.

Not much has happened since I last wrote, and the church lies under its now-mended plastic shroud, awaiting decisions from the many different bodies that will be part of the rebuilding process.

The Structural Engineer has completed a thorough survey of the church ruins, and has sent this to the architect and Quantity Surveyor to begin the work of assessing the costs of reinstatement – a requirement of the Insurance Company.

Alongside this, the Diocese have been discussing reports submitted to them about the significance of the church in our community and our hopes for the future, and an archaeological survey has also been completed. Representatives from English Heritage, the Victorian Society, and the Council for the Care of Churches have all been part of these discussions, and their recommendations and support will mean we can then to move on to the next stage.

Having said this, some of these decisions could take a few months to make, as they have to be done carefully and responsibly, as you would expect.

But the church continues to worship in the Community Hall, for which we are very grateful, and a couple of things coming up need special mention.

Service of Remembrance – November 11th

Over the last three years, we have held a special service in the church on Armistice Day, and this year we plan to do the same, except it will be in the Community Hall.

We are holding our monthly Communion service at 10.30am on November 11th for anyone to come to – it will include an act of Remembrance with the names from the war memorial read, and a time of silence at 11.00am, and the laying of wreaths. Do please join us, and stay for refreshments once the service is finished.

Christmas – Carol Service – December 21st

One of the highlights of the Christmas programme is Carols by Candlelight. Without a church and the physical facility we had there for a candlelit service, we are planning a carol service on December 21st at 6.30pm in the Community Hall. However, we are inviting people to congregate at St Nicholas church at 6.00pm, and walk through the village in a lantern-lit procession, singing carols. Do join us for the procession and service – it promises to be a memorable moment in this year’s celebrations.

With my best wishes,
Rev Martin Green

We can confirm that the RNA male voice choir and Karousel singers have raised a magnificent £1500 for the St Nicholas Restoration Fund !

A huge thanks to everyone involved - it was a superb evening, and a fantastic result !!

THANK YOU !!

Dear Friends

Things at St Nicholas have been relatively quiet over the summer. We have had an archaeological survey completed and I have put a picture below showing part of the original medieval wall that they uncovered. The Victorians seem to have used these ancient walls as the foundations for some of the pillars and walls when they enlarged the church in the 19th century. I am still awaiting the formal report, but it was fascinating to see the team from Warwickshire Museum working.

We are also in the middle of a thorough Structural Survey of the church, assessing the damage to the walls and deciding how much more of the church will need to be dismantled before any building work can be done. There has been a great deal of fracturing since the fire, and it looks like the gables and pillars may need to come down. Again, I am awaiting the report, which should come out in the next few weeks, and we shall know then the scale of the project ahead of us.

Alongside these surveys, we have been working with the architect and insurance company, providing details of what was lost in the fire, and beginning to look ahead to the rebuilding process.
As part of this, we have visited some churches that have been through what we face at the moment, and are taking note of some of the stunning results. It has been a real encouragement to catch a glimpse of the other end of the journey.

Not much more to report, but may I draw your attention to the revised Winter times of opening the churchyard.

New times for opening the Churchyard, from October 1st :
Wed evenings : Closed
Sundays : 2.30 – 3.30pm

From November, we shall be opening the plot on Sunday afternoons only, until the clocks change again in the Spring.

The Harvest Festival will be on Sunday 5th October at 10am at the Community Hall. All are welcome. Please bring Harvest gifts.

Rev Martin Green

We are pleased to annouce another concert in aid of the Restoration Fund.

“Jazz @ The Church” will be held on Friday Ocotber 10th - 7.30pm, at the Radford Road Methodist Church. It will feature:

Straight Ahead Big Band (Jazz, jive, blues and Standards)
Nujazz Septet (Modern Latin)

The tickets will be £7.50 and £5.00 (concession). More details will be available from George Hyder on 01926 313027.

Great news !!

We have just completed the first stage of work at the church, and the building is now secure and protected from the elements.

I have also managed to get confirmation that now that the contractors have left the premises, we may once again allow free access to the churchyard OUTSIDE the fencing compound.

I am so sorry that these last few months have been such a trial for so many of you, but thank you for your patience and understanding. We have had some concrete steps put in, with handrails, to help people climb the bank onto the level churchyard, and to minimize the danger of slipping down the bank if the grass is wet. Please be careful.

We are also able to offer supervised access to the cremation plots – these will have to be limited times only, and those visiting the plots will have to wear protective hats (which we can provide).

The times are as follows, and will be posted on the fencing and on the website.

Sunday afternoons : 2.30 - 4.30pm
Wednesday evenings : 6.30 – 8.00pm

We shall start this on Sunday July 20th

As the church will now be hidden from sight behind its protective sheeting until the rebuilding is complete, the church gathered there to remember, and to thank God for the memories invested in the old building.

I offer the prayer we used below, for those who would like it – it is a prayer for us as a church and a community, as so many of us have shared important parts of our lives here:

Almighty God,
Thank you for the times of joy and celebration we have spent here,
for the times we have met you;
for the times you have touched us and warmed us with you Spirit;
for the times you have healed us and spoken into our hearts.
Lord this is our spiritual home – broken and spoiled
You know how our hearts are broken for our loss – for things and memories that will never be reclaimed. But you are a God who makes all things new.

So we pray for your grace to accept this place we have arrived at today – that we may give to you our treasured memories and special moments, that they may bring you glory. For they stand for the steps we have taken closer to you.

We ask that you would be sufficient for us, and as we leave this place in your hands to be renewed, please continue to lead us step by step. Keep us from standing still in the past, and clinging to the old – and renew us in your way by your precious Spirit.

For we ask this in Jesus name, our Lord and Saviour who died and rose again, and reigns forever.

Amen

Rev Martin Green