In the normal course of things in the Coltishall Group of Parishes, All Saint's Sunday would be celebrated with Holy Communion at All Saints, Horstead. Not so this year! Horstead Church has yet to open after #Lockdown 1.0. So this year Horstead folk joined the saints across the River Bure at Coltishall for their 11 a.m. service.
Hot footing it from Coltishall, we arrived in Horstead churchyard by 12.15 p.m.. The church sits on a slight rise above the river as it has done for 1000 years or so.
The rusting gates were given in memory of two saintly, pioneering Anglo-Catholic priests of the 19th Century, Lincoln Wainwright and Gamber Lowe. "For all the saints who from their labours rest" there's have been a fair few buried in this churchyard over the years. On this All Saints day with half a mind to All Souls, we were here to pay our respects to family and Church family members who now worship on another shore. Among them
My in-laws, Bob and Kaye
My very first curate when I first came to be Rector of Horstead in the late 1970s - Herman Daniel Speakman - Father Denis to one and all. One time chaplain to the Recruiting Sergeant. He was a man who took his chaplaincy duties seriously rarely missing a visit at luch time! He wore a Cure D'ars hat whenever the weather was inclement.
Peggy and Noel - the organist - Chambers. Peggy would have me point out they were cousins and in no way an item! Noel was faithful, willing to try his hand at the new fangled hymns that young Vicar kept on finding but hankered for the old days when the church had been full and the choir stalls overflowing.
For the patronal festival he'd have "For all the saints" and I'd have, "I sing a song of the saints of God." I expect there's a fenced off bit of the hereafter where they have nothing but the English Hymnal. That'd suit Noel, as well as Vyner Gilbert the former rector and friend of Vaughn Williams who taught Noel to play, not to mention Frs. Denis, Wainwright, Gamber.
We had a happy half hour, walking among the graves with fond memories - Mrs. Grogan and Mrs. Pettit; Nora Lamb and Bubbles who used to babysit for our young kids. Then there was Mrs. Hall, her daughter Nora, a Reader in the Church had been at Coltishall earlier when we talked and remembered the lady who had been her Sunday School teacher.
Marjorie Kerrison, was fiecely pro Horstead and anti-Coltishall! What she would have made of the Horstead folk celebrating All Saints' in Coltishall church, one can only guess On one well remembered occassion, in a 1980s PCC meeting, when the possibility of joining with Coltishall was suggested, her considered opinion was, "Over my dead body!" You knew where you were with Majorie! But, as you can see ,she too worships on another shore!Also among the saints in the Horstead churchyard are a good crop of Salvationists who'd loved me as a Brother-in-Christ. The worship of the Church Triumphant will have some brass instruments and hearty singing that's for sure.
And by the hedge, I found Arthur Wright's stone. Arthur had been the funeral director for Norgates back in the day - a wise and helpful friend as I remember.
Arthur must have planted many of the dead in this churchyard. I hope he'll be there to see them rise from the dead at the end of time.
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