It has not been an easy few months.

CATHEDRAL NOTES Dear Friends (March - May 2015) It has not been an easy few months. Good news has been hard to find and, even allowing for the tendency of the media always to focus on death and destruction, there has been no shortage of supply. The ever more appalling atrocities carried out under the banner of ISIS or Boko Haram, the deepening crisis in the Ukraine, the ravages of the Ebola crisis it can seem at times that the world is descending into darkness and terror. Closer to home scarcely a day seems to pass without some historic case of abuse coming to light and no area of our common life, and certainly not the church, is exempt from the painful scrutiny on that ugly reality. We read in Genesis the wonderful account of creation with the repeated assertion: And God saw that it was good yet it hardly seems that way. No wonder Stephen Fry can speak of God as an evil, capricious, monstrous maniac. For those of us who love God and who know themselves beloved by God, such words can be hurtful. Indeed many Christians have expressed outrage at these intemperate remarks. Giles Fraser in a recent article sidesteps the knee jerk response: I don t believe in the God that Stephen Fry doesn t believe in either. I would certainly go along with that, and yet the point that Fry makes obviously touches on a deep nerve in people s perceptions about God. Not even death can separate us from His love. The argument goes that if God is omnipotent, then the fact there is so much chaos and evil in the world means that either, God doesn t care, or deliberately inflicts pain upon his people. Neither scenario is particularly reassuring or appealing. The other option it is argued is that God isn t omnipotent after all (and is therefore pointless) or doesn t exist. QED say the atheists. Of course this reasoning represents a fundamental misunderstanding about the way Christians, at least, see God. For us God is most fully seen in the person of Jesus who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant and was born in human form. This truth the Incarnation is at the very heart of our understanding about the way God works with us it s what we ve been celebrating in the Christmas and Epiphany season and its implications for our understanding of God become clear as we enter Lent and come to Easter. Here is one who identifies totally with our human

condition. This is not an arbitrary, capricious, distant God, but One who elects to share in the full experience of our humanity literally in the blood, sweat and tears; the love and joy and hope and in so doing sanctifies the joys and redeems the hurts and brings us at last back home to him. If this is not how it is if Stephen Fry and the atheists are right then what is our humanity about? Is it just about brief moments of pleasure, dodging pain for as long as we can? Is it the idea that we must eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die? All well and good for those whose lives are relatively comfortable perhaps; hard and inexplicable for the millions of those for whom life is so often nasty, brutish and short. As we enter into Lent we might do well to reflect deeply on how we experience, and what we expect of God. We may be surprised to find not a judgmental deity on the mountain top, but a hungry man in the wilderness resisting the temptation to work wonders; a dying man on a cross, sharing in the consequences of man s inhumanity to man and a stranger on the shore inviting his friends to breakfast and demonstrating that nothing in all creation, not even death can separate us from His Love. May that be the God we come close to this Lent. Christopher Dalliston Dean of Newcastle THE MEANING OF LENT To lend is out, Polonius decreed; Mark Antony requested ears be lent; But Lenten Time we very rarely heed, If sacrifice is what is really meant. To give oneself for others is no fun; What s in it there for me? we tend to ask. This Heaven seems to need some way to run; Can t God find us a slightly easier task? Jane Austen called to dance its own reward, And we should see our sacrifice as that, As well as sheer excitement, never bored, With speed of tiger, cheetah, even cat! Lent seems long, bare, and empty to our eyes; But after Lent there waits for us the Prize. Keith Minton

ELECTORAL ROLL REVISION The revision will be carried out between 29th March and 12th April 2015. A copy of the existing Roll will be available for inspection at the Chapter Office from 10.00am until 4.00pm on each weekday commencing Monday 16th March until Friday 27th March, also at the West End of the Cathedral from 8.30am until 11.30am and 5.30pm until 7.00pm on Sunday 15th, 22nd and 29th March 2015. Members of the Cathedral Congregation are welcome to check their entry in the existing Roll and advise of any errors or omissions and address changes to Malcolm Davis before 29th March. may obtain an application form from the Chapter Office or any Churchwarden. Attention is drawn to the qualifying conditions. Completed forms should be returned to:- Malcolm Davis, Electoral Roll Officer c/o Cathedral House, 42/44 Mosley Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1DF. The revised Electoral Roll can be viewed at Cathedral House from 10.00am until 4.00pm weekedays from Monday 13th April until Friday 24th April, also at the West End of the Cathedral from 8.30am until 11.30am and 5.30pm until 7.00pm on Sunday12th, 19th & 26th April 2015. Those wishing to apply for enrolment Flower Fellowship Calendar Tuesday 31 March Talk by Professor John Derry Marie Antoinette Tuesday 28 April Spring Workshop with Mrs Kath Gibson Tuesday 26 May Open meeting with Mrs Carl Brunton Surprises 10.00am for 10.30am. Everyone welcome.

THANK YOU A huge thank you to all our customers and members of the congregation who have donated books and money. We have raised 400, which we have donated to the Newcastle West End Foodbank. Operated from the Venerable Bede Church on the West Road, Newcastle, the Foodbank has been doing some amazing work supporting people who, for whatever reason, have found themselves needing help. The day before their closure for Christmas the Food Bank provided food for 1,057 individuals. This was as many as would normally be fed in a week during the winter months. They anticipate the numbers will continue to grow as money is diverted from food to fuel. Some of the stories from people being helped and supported by the Foodbank: Joe is an ex-serviceman who was returned to civilian life after two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Joe suffers from battle stress, sleeps little and attempted suicide three times last year. He is supported by an Army Veterans psychologist and came to us because his benefit package was not adequate to cover his needs. Joe was tearful, as was his wife, as he explained his problems to us. Now Joe comes with renewed confidence, a smile and is no longer in a constant state of despair. For someone who has given so much in the service of his country Joe surely deserves something better as a reward!

Julie is forty-seven. She has had a period of ill health following an ectopic pregnancy which resulted in alopecia and depression. Falling into debt with the power company Julie s meter key has been re-programmed to give her 5 credit for every 17 she pays. Julie s situation has been made considerably worse by being judged as no longer entitled to sickness benefit and returned to the ranks of a job seeker as her mental health, depression and suicidal conditions are considered to be imaginary. Of course it takes six weeks to change the benefit provision, six weeks in which Julie has no money whatsoever. Julie has been referred to her GP and is now stable on new medication and no longer suicidal. As her disposable income is little more that 30 per week, Mandy chooses to spend her time in one bedroom of her small flat, staying in a sleeping bag most of the day and only heating with a small fan heater for an hour or two per day. She cannot afford to use the cooker and manages only by boiling a kettle. We have been giving food items which require hot water only, or can be eaten cold. Tom is a rarity in the world of alcoholism, he has a Crasbo - Criminal Anti-Social Order - and is banned from the borough of Blyth. At thirty four he has spent more than half of his adult life in prison and now lives in a local bail hostel. Tom has managed to stay sober for the past six weeks and will start work as a food bank volunteer this week, something he has set his sights on and is determined to do well as a first stage in his rehabilitation back into the world of work. Tom hopes that if this is successful he will be allowed to have some regular contact with his two children. These stories are examples of how easy it is to slip into a crisis where you cannot afford food. Thanks to your generosity food banks will be able to help thousands more people like them; thank you. Sheila Cavanagh Head of Catering These stories are examples of how easy it is to slip into a crisis where you cannot afford food. If you wish to donate any items of food to the West End Food Bank they may be taken to the Venerable Bede Church, West Road on Mondays or Thursdays between 10:00am and 12 noon or 2:00pm and 4.00pm. The list of items that are required is below. Soup Pasta sauces Cereals Rice/pasta Tinned meat/fish Tinned fruit /vegetables Jam Tinned sponge pudding Tinned rice pudding Biscuits/snack bars Instant mash potato Cartons of fruit juice Sugar (500g) Milk (UHT/powdered) Tea bags/instant coffee

CRIB TALK I know that many folk were thrilled to see the new crib set at the Cathedral this last Christmas. It is, I believe, a very beautiful and unique set of carvings that we will treasure for many years to come. It is, of course, also a very gracious retirement gift from Bishop Martin and Marlene. Some of you may also like to hear a little about how the crib set was chosen and where it came from. Over the last few years Bishop Martin and Marlene organised three diocesan pilgrimages to the Holy Land. During our first visit I had the wonderful experience of finding again an old Palestinian friend that I had met many years ago. She lived in Bethlehem and worked at the University. She introduced us to an old friend of hers called Jack Giacaman. Jack owns an olive wood factory and some olive wood shops in Bethlehem. One is on Milk Grotto Street, which many of us visited including Bishop Martin and Marlene. Jack entertained us with Turkish coffee and a wonderful trip around his factory including a time on the roof top from where we saw the most magnificent vistas of the Judaean countryside including, rather ominously, miles and miles of the recently erected security wall. We went back to see Jack each time we visited and he is very proud of the Bishop s visits, in true Palestinian style. Jack s family came to the Holy Land about six hundred years ago. Jack s father started working as a carver of olive wood in 1925 and now Jack with his brothers and sisters have an olive wood factory, a mother of pearl workshop and two souvenir shops

is exactly what Bishop Martin and Marlene did and, after many emails, photos, and telephone calls the crib set was created. Now we can treasure it each Christmastide. A precious gift to celebrate the Whartons long and loving ministry among us and a touch point with Bethlehem and a faithful Christian artisan who lives out his life in that holy place day by day. including the one on Milk Grotto Street in Bethlehem. When Bishop Martin and Marlene decided that they wanted to present the Cathedral with a crib set the best person we could think of commissioning one from was our friend Jack. So that Give thanks for Martin and Marlene and pray for the Giacamans and indeed all the faithful folk of the land of the Holy One. Geoff Miller Archdeacon of Northumberland LAY CANONRIES Some time ago, Bishop Martin suggested that the Cathedral s Lay Canons should have named Canonries in the same way that the Residentiary and Honorary Canons do. Members of Chapter, and others, considered a wide range of people who have made a notable contribution to the life of Newcastle and the region. The intention was that the names chosen should represent contributions to as many areas of life as possible education, industry and commerce, science, politics and social service. The task of choosing 12 (the number of Lay Canons) was not easy. After a good deal of discussion, Chapter has chosen the names given below. They have been allocated to the current Lay Canons, and to the new Lay Canons who will be installed at Evensong on 8th March. Allan Dame Eleanor Allan DoB: unknown. Died 1708 Educationalist

Eleanor Allan founded her schools, for 40 poor boys and 20 poor girls, in 1705. The first schools are believed to have been sited near St Nicholas Church. The Dame Allan s Schools are now in Fenham. Armstrong Lord William Armstrong 1810-1900 Industrialist, scientist and philanthropist William Armstrong founded the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing concern on Tyneside. In collaboration with an architect, Armstrong built Cragside in Northumberland, the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. Armstrong gave Jesmond Dene to the people of Newcastle in 1882, as well as Armstrong Bridge and Armstrong Park nearby. What became the University of Newcastle was founded by Armstrong in 1871 as the College of Physical Science. He gave a substantial sum towards the building of the city s Hancock Natural History Museum. In 1894 he bought and restored Bamburgh Castle. Astell Mary Astell 1666-1731 Feminist Mary Astell was born in Newcastle. Her advocacy of equal educational opportunities for women earned her the title the first English feminist. First published in 1694, her Serious Proposal to the Ladies for the Advancement of their True and Greatest Interest presented a plan for an all-female college where women could pursue a life of the mind. Astell founded a charity school for girls in Chelsea. Bewick Thomas Bewick 1753-1828 Engraver, artist and author Thomas Bewick s career began when he was apprenticed to an engraver in Newcastle. Early in his career he took on all kinds of work, including engraving cutlery, making wood blocks for advertisements and illustrating children s books. He is best known for his A History of British Birds, which is still admired today, mainly for its wood engravings. Butler Josephine Butler 1828-1906 Social reformer Born in Milfield, Northumberland, Josephine Butler was especially concerned with the welfare of prostitutes. She led the long campaign for the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts both in Britain and overseas from 1869 to 1886, because the acts imprisoned young women who were suspected of being prostitutes. Butler is considered to have devised many of the strategies which were subsequently used by the suffragettes. In 2005, the University of Durham honoured her by naming Josephine Butler College after her.

Collingwood Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood 1748-1810 Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood was born in Newcastle and educated at The Royal Grammar School. He was greatly admired as a naval officer of the first order. Collingwood and Nelson enjoyed a close friendship. Collingwood was Nelson s second-incommand at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and he took over command of the British fleet after Nelson s death. They lie side by side in St Paul s Cathedral in London. A fine monument to Collingwood can be seen at the west end of St Nicholas Cathedral. Darling Grace Darling 1815-1842 Altruist Grace Darling was a lighthouse keeper s daughter. She is famed for participating in the rescue of survivors from the Forfarshire off the Northumberland coast in 1838. Her deed was committed to verse by Wordsworth in his 1843 poem Grace Darling. A stone monument to her was erected in St Cuthbert s Chapel on Great Farne Island in 1848, and at Bamburgh there is a museum dedicated to her and to the seafaring life of the region. A RNLI lifeboat at Seahouses bears the name Grace Darling. Dobson John Dobson 1787-1865 Architect John Dobson became the most noted architect in the north of England. During his career he designed more than 50 churches (including the Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Barras Bridge, Newcastle) and 100 private houses. He is best known for designing Newcastle Central Station and for his work with Richard Grainger in developing the centre of Newcastle in a neoclassical style. Grey Charles, Earl Grey 1764-1845 Politician Charles Grey, who was born at Fallodon, Northumberland, was elected MP for Northumberland in 1886, at the age of 22. He was a member of the Whig Party and one of the foremost parliamentary orators of his generation. He supported Catholic Emancipation. He was Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834 and was among the architects of the Reform Act of 1832. His administration also secured the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. A monument to Grey stands at the top of Grey Street in Newcastle.

Hedley Ralph Hedley 1848-1913 Woodcarver and artist Ralph Hedley was a realist painter, woodcarver and illustrator, best known for his paintings portraying scenes of everyday life in the north east of England. After his apprenticeship in a carving workshop in Newcastle, Hedley established his own woodcarving business. Between 1882 and 1889, Hedley and his workshop carved the Choir and Rood Screen in St Nicholas Cathedral. Other carvings can be seen in St Andrew s Church, Newcastle. Hedley was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, and had more than 50 of his paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1879 and 1904. The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle holds one of the largest collections of Hedley s work. Stephenson George Stephenson 1781-1848 Engineer George Stephenson, with his work on the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, paved the way for the railway engineers who followed him (including his son Robert). Their skill enabled Britain to lead the world in the development of railways, which acted as a stimulus to the Industrial Revolution by facilitating the transport of raw materials and manufactured goods. Stephenson was farsighted in realizing that the individual lines being built would eventually be joined together, and would need to have the same gauge. The Standard Gauge used throughout much of the rest of the world is due to him. Born in Wylam, there is a monument to Stephenson near Newcastle Central Station. Thornton Roger Thornton DoB: unknown. Died: 1430 Benefactor Roger Thornton was a self-made man who arrived in Newcastle penniless. He became a speculator in lead mines. He was elected Mayor of Newcastle 9 times, and also represented Newcastle in parliament. Thornton was well known for his generosity to the poor people of Newcastle; he built a hospital for poor people in the Sandhill. His monumental brass in St Nicholas Cathedral is one of the finest in the country.

ORGAN DYSFUNCTION The Cathedral is home to a fine fourmanual organ, built by T C Lewis. It has been rebuilt several times since its initial installation, notably by Harrison & Harrison and Nicholson & Co. By Holy Week 2013 the organ had become so unreliable it was a hindrance to the Worship and Liturgy of the Cathedral. The decision was made to take it out of action. Whilst a medium term solution could be found, the Cathedral became home to temporary electronic organs which were situated in the Quire as of Easter 2013. During 2014 the Cathedral commissioned Phoenix Organs UK to build a custom 4 manual organ. After hours of construction the organ arrived in the Cathedral mid-february 2015, and is situated in the organ loft. The Cathedral maintains high standards in all aspects of its musical life. It is, therefore, committed to housing a fine pipe organ in the future. Fundraising for this substantial project will begin once Phase 2 (the restructuring of the Nave, St Margaret s Chapel, and cleaning of the stonework) of the Cathedral Development is complete. For information on the Cathedral Development please visit the Cathedral website. James Norrey Assistant Director of Music

NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL CHOIRS ASSOCIATION "The Choirs Association did a great job fundraising in the run up to Christmas and has more activities planned for the rest of the year. We look forward to having your support at these events." Michael Stoddart, Chair of the NCCA. We participated in a number of fundraising activities across the festive season singing at the Living North Christmas Fair, the Daily Telegraph evenings at Fenwicks, at Newcastle Airport, Monument Metro station and in Sainsbury and raised just over 1400 which will go towards the planned Choir tour to Paris in October half term. Our bespoke choir hooded tops continue to be available to purchase, in a range of colours, sporting the cathedral logo on the front and Friend of Newcastle Cathedral Choirs on the back, with the option to have your name included too. Retailing at 24 for adult sizes and 18 for junior sizes. Sponsor a Chorister Where words fail, music speaks we were delighted to welcome the Duchess of Northumberland and Anthony Sargent, from The Sage Gateshead, to launch our Sponsor a Chorister campaign in November. With coverage on Look North and in The Chronicle, we raised awareness of this sponsorship opportunity and are delighted to have a number of sponsors already signed up. Please do consider helping us in this way. Both individual and corporate sponsors will be given the rare opportunity to be tutored by a professional musician and join the Cathedral Choir in concert. The choir enriches the life of the cathedral and its worship, but to the choristers who fill the front row of the choir stalls, it brings much more a unique musical education and life skills at an early age. Help us keep alive the tradition of child choristerships. With your support we can bring enormous benefits to the lives of talented young people. We are currently planning our Summer School for Singers, to be held during the last week of August, so please keep an eye out for more details of this coming soon.

We are very fortunate that Sunlight Dry Cleaners (a well-known laundry and drycleaning service throughout the North East) responded to our request for help in laundering our Choristers robes, so our vestments now look their best at all times. NCCA Events coming up We organise a number of social and fundraising events across the year. Coming up: Curry & Quiz Evening Saturday 6 June 2015, 6pm 9pm In The Lantern Café Tickets will be available after Easter. The NCCA s purpose is to safeguard and promote the musical heritage of our Cathedral. We aim to do this by raising the public profile of the choirs, aiding the development of the choirs as a cohesive social group, raising funds to support the choirs activities and encouraging the integration of the choirs and their activities within the whole Cathedral community. Choristers, parents of choristers, Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars have automatic membership, but anyone from the wider community who shares in the aims of the Association is very welcome to join. We hold regular meetings for all members throughout the year for the discussion and exchange of information. family, friends, the community, the congregation and others connected to the choirs of St Nicholas Cathedral. Whether you dedicate time, money or ideas, we will always be grateful for any support you can give us. Have you thought about joining the Choirs Association? NCCA is dedicated to supporting music in the Cathedral and beyond, thus helping to ensure that its tradition is maintained and developed for the future. By joining the NCCA, you are making a valuable contribution to this important work. In recent years the NCCA has assisted in a number of different ways: By providing funds to support choir tours to Paris and Winchester, for the purchase of new vestments and in the production of the acclaimed Girls Choir CD. By providing time and effort to support recruitment and social activities. For further information about joining, Sponsor a Chorister, NCCA hoodies, or anything else please visit www. stnicholascathedral.co.uk or contact Amy Leach (music@stnicholascathedral.co.uk or 0191 232 1939). Marion Peutherer Vice Chair, Cathedral Choirs Association To achieve our objectives we rely on

When I was a little girl Sunday mornings meant one thing - Church. I got up, got dressed in my smartest clothes, and my Grandad would drive me and my little brother to St Simon s Church in South Shields. Ten years later I started university, and Sunday mornings found me on my knees once again - this time stocking shelves in a record shop. There simply wasn t time for me to shoehorn Church into my schedule. I worked three jobs whilst I studied, and free time was a rare, precious thing to be handled with care. I wish someone had told me that this was exactly when I needed Church most. Sacred Space, Night Church at St Nicholas, is an open space for people seeking God. It is a place of stillness, spirituality, welcome and hospitality. On Friday 3 April, Good Friday, St Nicholas Cathedral will open its doors from 8pm until midnight for whoever wishes to enter. [St Nicholas Cathedral is] at the heart of an area where the night time economy is particularly vibrant, said Father Kevin, Canon for Liturgy. It is such a shame that the Cathedral stands locked up when there are so many people around. Having the doors open will hopefully encourage people in and they will feel welcome. The idea came about when Christopher Dalliston, Dean of Newcastle, became inspired by stories of the Natkirken at Copenhagen Cathedral. I first heard of Night Church as an event happening in Copenhagen Cathedral, said Chris. Over the past decade it has grown to become a congregation and a community within its own right, with a dedicated pastor responsible for its development and for the care of those associated with it. We hope to offer a space for spiritual exploration that is very different from our usual weekly worship and hope we might reach out to a constituency who are searching for spiritual meaning may be younger people but also others who are on a journey of faith. If you would like to volunteer, find out more, or cheer us on, drop us an email at sacredspace@stnicholascathedral.co.uk. Robyn Frame Communications Officer

MARCH 3 Valerie Wilson 5 Fergus Donnelly (Priest) Adam Moralee 7 John Arkless 10 Bill Hornsby Joe Robson 11 Elsie Leatherland 12 Peter Jowett 13 John Marrs Irene Knox 14 Winifred Carrotte 15 Edith Farmer Tom Chipchase 16 Marjorie Barnes 18 Nancy Borkwood 19 Sophia Robson Dorothy Strange 20 Katherine Jane Bell Sheila Hornsby 21 David Blake Mary Aitken 22 Brian Hackett 23 William Hinckley (Priest) 25 Edgar Jacob (Bishop) Robert Taylor 28 Herbert Wild (Bishop) Gordon Carrotte Doris Davis YEAR S MIND APRIL 1 Margot Lowe 4 Tom Worth Stephanie Spafford 5 Norman Straton (Bishop) 6 Dorothea Rosemary Nicod 7 Elizabeth Thomlinson Shirley Hunt 8 Peter Sarah Alan Maude (Priest) 9 Clive Chipchase 13 William Quinn 14 Ethel Goodwin 17 Mary Taylor 18 Roberta Robson 21 Neville Gordon Scott 25 Charlie Mudie 26 May Ross 28 Moira Picken 29 Christopher Spafford (Priest) 30 Bernard Garman (Priest) MAY 2 Betty Robertson 3 Olga Williams 6 Graham Revett (Priest) 7 Edith Mary Marrs 8 Anthony Douglas Duncan (Priest) 11 Tom Emmett (Priest) 12 Kenneth Boddy (Priest) 16 John Todd 19 John Jones (Priest) 24 Paul Bardgett Ethel Macleod 29 Arthur Lloyd (Bishop) Kenneth Cox 30 Andrew Wilson (Priest)

Open 8.30am 3.00pm Monday - Friday Serving a range of home-made food including breakfasts, lunches, light bites, cakes and scones The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas St Nicholas Square Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1PF t: 0191 232 1939 e: office@stnicholascathedral.co.uk w: www.stnicholascathedral.co.uk