| |
 |
 |
|
| Comment on this report, or find other reports. |
|
| Our Mystery Worshippers are volunteers who warm church pews for us around the world. If you'd like to become a Mystery Worshipper, start here. |
|
| Find out how to reproduce this report in your church magazine or website. |
|
|
| 2200: St Nicholas,
Tadmarton, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire, England |
|
Photo:
Geoff Pick
|
|
Mystery
Worshipper: Blanik.
The church:
St Nicholas, Tadmarton, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire, England.
Denomination:
Church
of England, Diocese
of Oxford.
The building:
A small sleepy village church. Their car park is set amongst
trees in what appears to be either an old orchard or someone's
garden! The building, of which some remnants of the original
features remain, is Norman and dates from the 12th century.
The characteristics of various other styles, as well as puzzling
features such as stairways to nowhere, can be seen in renovations
done over the centuries. The tower, added in the 13th century,
features a peal of six bells. According to the parish bulletin,
thieves recently made off with some lead from the church roof,
but the roof has since been repaired.
The church:
They regularly sponsor an "open morning" featuring
raffles, cake competitions, and craft stalls, and where visitors
are invited to "have a go" at bell ringing or playing
the organ, or to look up their family history in the parish
register. During Lent they hold discussion meetings in parishioners'
homes and sponsor fund-raising luncheons, the proceeds of which
are given to charity. Each year they hold a traditional clypping
service, where parishioners encircle the church, holding hands
and passing a prayer of thanksgiving around the circle.
The neighbourhood:
Tadmarton is a picture perfect typical English village. The
village's one public house, the Lampet Arms, sits directly opposite
the church. The nearby town of Banbury is home to Tadmarton
Products Ltd, one of the UK's largest wholesale suppliers of
quality meat and fresh and frozen food to butchers, caterers,
and retailers.
The cast:
The Revd John Tattershall, vicar.
The date & time:
Sunday, 4 June 2011, 10.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Holy Communion.
How full was the building?
Bulging. This really surprised me. I had expected three old
ladies and a dog. It is, after all, just a small village church
in sleepytown!
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Fantastic welcome. I was handed a service sheet, hymn book,
and an A4 piece of paper with the psalm for the day.
Was your pew comfortable?
Average standard issue church pew, which did have a quite nice
cushion on.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Busy. Lots of people mingling. The choir were busy robing at
the back of the church in the rear pews.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"We start the service by singing hymn number..."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Hymns Old and New, New Anglican Version, and a printed
order of service. The Holy Bible, New International Version,
was used for the readings.
What musical instruments were played?
Organ, not very loud but well played. The choir were a full
SATB ensemble, fully robed, and their singing easily drowned
out the organ. And oh yes, the choir danced too!
Did anything distract you?
On the way in, I noticed some really nice looking cakes on the
tea stand. I could smell them all through the service. A nice
distraction!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Slightly high of middle of the road, but very welcoming. It
flowed well. The hymns were a mix of modern ones and traditional.
The Gloria was sung (and sung well). During the communion, the
choir went to the back of the church and sang "God be in
my head." I haven't heard that one in a long time, and
it was really nicely sung. The youngish choir director seemed
to keep them all together.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
11 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
3 – Monotone! I switched off after 30 seconds and was left
admiring a rather nice large painting on the church wall.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
Sorry, but I really did not pay attention.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The choir – simply superb. Such a large choir –
about 25, I guess, and in such a small village! It was really
nice to see a robed choir who were well balanced and had all
age groups in. Also the coffee – really good coffee. And
the cakes – more about the cakes later!
And which part was like
being in... er... the other place?
The sermon. This was the only downside to the service. I simply
was not inspired by the sermon – sorry! I have no idea
how a vicar who led the service so well and put such passion
into the prayers suddenly changed when it came to preaching.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
Everyone mingled, and several people came up and said hello.
I wasn't allowed out of the door until I had eaten at least
three cakes. O happy prisoner!
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
Fresh coffee, and cakes to die for. There were some scrummy
coconut cakes, some homemade shortbread that melted in your
mouth, and some others that I didn't get to try. I was just
up visiting friends in the area but would almost move the 200
miles just for the cakes!
How would you feel about
making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – I was pleasantly surprised to find such a lively church
in such a small village. But oh, the preaching!
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes. There was a really nice balance to the service.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The choir's rendering of "God be in my head." Really
reflective during the communion. |
|
|
|
 |
|
| We rely on voluntary donations to stay online. If you're a regular visitor to Ship of Fools, please consider supporting us. |
|
 |
|
| The Mystery Pilgrim |
|
| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
|
 |
|
| London churches |
|
| Read reports from 70 London churches, visited by a small army of Mystery Worshippers on one single Sunday. Read here. |
| |
|
|
|
|
