Friends of St Aidan
WHO:
A group of people for whom St Aidan’s Church and churchyard hold a special place in their hearts. Some will live nearby;
others visit once in a lifetime; for others it is a venue for holidays and renewal year by year. For some it is a place of memories of marriages, baptisms or of loved ones buried in the churchyard.
For all it is a special place with which they would wish to be associated.
WHY:
To help maintain the Church and its churchyard for future generations.
HOW:
Become a Friend of St Aidan’s paying an annual subscription.
Launch of Friends of St Aidan’s
All Saints’ Day dawned gloomy and wet, not an encouraging start for the launch of the Friends of St Aidan’s. However, by lunch time the day turned warm and sunny, and by mid-afternoon several visitors were exploring St Aidan’s and its churchyard.
By three o’clock a good number had assembled for the tour lead by Derek Sharman. He emphasised that he was not an expert on architecture and so we began outside in the sunshine hearing about Bamburgh’s strategic importance in the history of warring tribes in the early years of Northumbrian history. Our attention was then drawn to our surroundings: to Bamburgh Hall’s former existence as an Augustinian Canonry, to the Friary north of Bamburgh and to another Friary dedicated to the care of lepers sited near the present Mizen Head.
Inside the church we were regaled with stories about the Northumbrian saints depicted in the high altar reredos. Of course the beam above the font and the position of shrine to St Aidan were familiar to most of us, though it was good to be reminded of the very special association which exists between this building and its patron saint.
We then adjourned to the north aisle for a glass of wine and nibbles – which doubtless contributed to the good humour of the inaugural meeting of the Friends of St Aidan’s. A small task group was formed to promote and encourage the Friends in our efforts to further the maintenance and appreciation of this wonderful building.
Most of the homes in the parish have received an invitation to be a Friend of St Aidan’s and we have had an encouraging response so far. However , we hope that you will encourage others within the wider circle of your family and friends by talking about the Friends, handing on leaflets and so help us to extend our ‘Friendship’ with increasing membership and support.
Evelyn Elliott (Project Co-ordinator)
Application to be a Friend can be made by downloading this file Friends of St Aidan and filling it it and returning it to the Friends Secretary c/o the Vicarage, The Wynding, Bamburgh NE69 7BN