THE P RTAL
February 2017 Page 21
I don ’ t know about you but …
The Basement at Warwick Street has been refurbished and Dr Gill James was there for The Portal to see for herself
have always enjoyed music composed for this time of the Church ’ s calendar . There is something
I about this timing especially since the noise and general angst of Christmas has disappeared . But never fear - it will return sooner than you think . However , this year ( with about 200 others ) I braved the elements ( rainy , cold and miserable and the prospect of a train strike that evening ) to travel to Piccadilly for the Festival of Lessons and Carols organised every year by the Friends of the Ordinariate .
By chance I have never attended this festival . However , this year was a double celebration since , at the end of the lessons and carols , the newly re-furbished basement area was to be blessed by H . E Antonio Mennini , the Apostolic Nuncio . Congratulations are due to everyone who contributed to the service . The choir was its usual excellent self , ably led by Keith Brown ( Director of Music ) and two organists who shared the work ! The servers served unobtrusively and the congregation sang enthusiastically during the hymns . The music was an interesting mix of well-known carols such as ‘ The First Nowell ’ and beautiful anthems such as ‘ Three Kings from Persian lands afar ’.
At the end of the service we were invited to find our way to the basement using a very narrow and twisty set of stairs . They are listed and we couldn ’ t get planning agreement to widen them . However , everyone arrived safely and found somewhere to sit or stand . After the blessing of the hall , people helped themselves to a drink and some food and chatted whilst looking round the hall . As part of the refurbishment , the area was gutted and the bar and kitchen areas have been amalgamated and moved . This kitchen / bar area is quite small , although it is well equipped . The reordering has opened up two linked areas and revealed a small room which has become an office for the parish priest .
At about 1950 , the basement was altered into a parish hall and canteen and , simultaneously , repairs and alterations were carried out to the fabric as a result of war damage . Although the church complex itself was never directly bombed it sustained damage as a result of the bombing of adjacent buildings . Once the repairs were complete the basement hall and canteen were used as a catholic club for young people to meet and make new friends . Such youth clubs were quite popular at that time but they didn ’ t last . Little or no major repair work has been undertaken since that time and the basement area was becoming increasingly shabby and showing its age .
In future , the hall will be known as the Challoner Hall in memory of Bishop Challoner who was the Vicar Apostolic of the London District during the period after the 1745 rising . During the Gordon riots he was targeted by these rioters despite being 90 years of age and probably opposing the Catholic Relief act . He was devoted to keeping the Faith alive for his people although during his lifetime he had to deal with some of them defecting to the Anglican Church !
What next ? The parish priest and I chatted about the future plans . The Companions of Malta are going to set up a breakfast club for the homeless . The Anglo- Portuguese Association will use it for events now the room has been enlarged . The Faith movement and the Mind , Body and Spirit retreats will also return . Thus the work of the church will continue .