The Westminster Society newsletter
Christmas 2023
It was good to be on Harcourt Hill once again on 11 December 2023 and to be part of the Oxford Brookes University Carol Service in the Westminster Chapel. The service was led by Kate from the OBU multifaith chaplaincy. By the way, the Methodist Church has just advertised for a lay chaplain for Oxford Brookes University to fill the vacancy that arose when Rev Miriam Moul became Superintendent Minister of the Oxford Circuit. The grapevine has it that the university may not after all be vacating Harcourt Hill in summer 2024 and that the Education Department may be expecting to be based there at least another year. Not all rumours are true of course.
For the carol service, Oxford Brookes staff had decorated the chapel with an impressive (and lit) Christmas tree, wreaths and garlands. There were candles and nativity scenes too. There were around 20 OBU students and staff and 40 Ws and friends, so we made a real difference to the occasion (especially the carol singing !) The Westminster Society’s Treasurer, David Gibbs, played the organ, filling the chapel with glorious sounds and lifting the singing.Rare are the occasions when the chapel roof gets raised these days ! Readers at the service included two members of our General Committee - Hon Secretary, Mary Lines, and Tom Dobson who represents OBU’s Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History and is team leader for Our Westminster College Heritage project.
At the end, after wishing each other a Merry Christmas in song, a good many of us, young and old, gathered for a group photo. Then it was time for a mince pie and refreshment in the Glasgow Room where the chat continued, among us Ws and with today’s Brookes students - altogether a very happy occasion! Happy Christmas to all Ws and best wishes for the New Year! from all of us on The Westminster Society General Committee:
Sylvia ♦ Tom ♦ Anne ♦ Linda ♦ Mike ♦ Helen ♦ John ♦ Honor ♦ Liz ♦ Peter S ♦ David ♦ Mary ♦ Peter R
PS: The next Westminster Reunion weekend will take place in May, alongside The Fishes reunion. Please mark May 11th and 12th in your 2024 diary!
More news coming, in the New Year.
Our HSBC Bank account has now closed.
Please go to Join on the Home page if you have not yet set up a new subscription paying the Society’s NatWest account.
Christmas 2023
It was good to be on Harcourt Hill once again on 11 December 2023 and to be part of the Oxford Brookes University Carol Service in the Westminster Chapel. The service was led by Kate from the OBU multifaith chaplaincy. By the way, the Methodist Church has just advertised for a lay chaplain for Oxford Brookes University to fill the vacancy that arose when Rev Miriam Moul became Superintendent Minister of the Oxford Circuit. The grapevine has it that the university may not after all be vacating Harcourt Hill in summer 2024 and that the Education Department may be expecting to be based there at least another year. Not all rumours are true of course.
For the carol service, Oxford Brookes staff had decorated the chapel with an impressive (and lit) Christmas tree, wreaths and garlands. There were candles and nativity scenes too. There were around 20 OBU students and staff and 40 Ws and friends, so we made a real difference to the occasion (especially the carol singing !) The Westminster Society’s Treasurer, David Gibbs, played the organ, filling the chapel with glorious sounds and lifting the singing.Rare are the occasions when the chapel roof gets raised these days ! Readers at the service included two members of our General Committee - Hon Secretary, Mary Lines, and Tom Dobson who represents OBU’s Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History and is team leader for Our Westminster College Heritage project.
At the end, after wishing each other a Merry Christmas in song, a good many of us, young and old, gathered for a group photo. Then it was time for a mince pie and refreshment in the Glasgow Room where the chat continued, among us Ws and with today’s Brookes students - altogether a very happy occasion! Happy Christmas to all Ws and best wishes for the New Year! from all of us on The Westminster Society General Committee:
Sylvia ♦ Tom ♦ Anne ♦ Linda ♦ Mike ♦ Helen ♦ John ♦ Honor ♦ Liz ♦ Peter S ♦ David ♦ Mary ♦ Peter R
PS: The next Westminster Reunion weekend will take place in May, alongside The Fishes reunion. Please mark May 11th and 12th in your 2024 diary!
More news coming, in the New Year.
Our HSBC Bank account has now closed.
Please go to Join on the Home page if you have not yet set up a new subscription paying the Society’s NatWest account.