Tue Mar 10 02:00:31 2009 | Laurence Burns | --@--
My father Henry Burns was born in Shakespeare Road in 1912 and attended St Paul's Church School. He passed the matriculation exam for progress to a grammar school but his parents could not afford to send him (next to youngest of an 8 children family) His father was a colour man for house painters, mixing the lead paints in their backyard and a previous professional soldier of the Boer and First Wars. His mother was an ardent suporter of this Church and its Mothers Union: she donated the font wooden lid (is it still there ?) in grateful thanks for her husband's safe return to the family. A strong, Church supporting woman. Their combined grave was at the rear of St Paul's Church; it was there about thirty years ago when I took both my parents to revisit for they themselves were also married in the Church in the 1930s. On that visit I made several photos of them within the interior which they thought had changed little; tattered campaign flags hung like spiders webs, a marvellous wooden screen made a secret space of the altar. All the wooden pews were there and sunlight backlit my mother standing at the balcony edge looking down. We met a nice man there, a church warden I think but I cannot remember his name but he knew of the Burns family of the past. They were hard times then after the First War and my father told of being given soup handouts from the nearby monastery, and also a nunnery back door (much to his mother's annoyance and shame !) He also cleaned boots at the nearby public St Paul's School and other vital jobs for family support bracketed around his own school day. As a boy my father always had accidents, greatly caused by his worst one when he lost his right eye on iron railing spikes falling on them from a tree on the bend at Shakespeare Road (they're stil there..). At the Church School itself he climbed up on the roof and came down to punishment! I would like to think he is in one of the handwritten diary entries of the headmaster Mr Winny detailed above by Bill Bullock ! Nevertheless he made a good and honest life for himself and his own family, was presented to our Queen and her husband and later received the BEM for public and War service. My mother died before him and he in 2006, 94.
I intend to visit the Church again, for both my family sake and to see your good works of renewal: Wilberforce was a special person.
Laurence Burns
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Sat Jan 17 21:49:48 2009 | imogen wong | --@--
great website!!!!!!! very useful for information about what's on! when does youth group start?
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Fri Sep 19 01:42:11 2008 | Scarlett | --@--
Amazing virtual tour. I work finding locations for films so information like this is much appreciated. Next time I need a church i'm coming to you! Wishing you luck with the restoration - Scarlett.
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Mon Sep 1 16:00:02 2008 | Jenny Marks | --@--
I was a member of St Paul's choir from 1979 until 1992 when I got married and moved away from Mill Hill.
Have not been back for many years until last Friday (29th August). Was disappointed to find the church premises locked, but was able to see some of the fantastic restoration work.
It brought back some really happy memories of times with the choir, especially singing at Beaulieu. Some names I remember (mainly from the senior choir) are Catherine and Lucy Dalgleish twins, Pauline Pescod, Teggie Curl, Bill, Eddie Clarke, Mike Ebsworth. Heartfelt wishes to any of you still singing!
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Thu Jul 31 16:06:30 2008 | your namepat and tom stuart | --@--
part of the St Pauls congregation until we moved to Hertfordshire in 1998. Great to be able to visit the Church via the internet. Wonderful memories of both son and daughter members of the scout and guide company and Pat a Brownie Guider for many years. Memories also of the youth club we led alongside Valerie and David Dewing and Janet Cherryman. Many of the members now well into their 50's. We remember St Paul's Church in our prayers and treasure the good memories we have.
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Thu Nov 29 21:10:39 2007 | Schulmeiss Monika | --@--
Lady Sophia Raffles - an unknown women. I visited Mill Hill last month. The grave of Lady Sophia is situated near to St.Paul's Chapel on Ridgeway. A book about the life of Lady Sophia Raffles was my impression. Susanne Knecht (swiss writer) was giving identity to Lady Sophia. Sorry, I,m an austrian, my english isn't perfect. Please may You are looking for the anknown Lady, she was great.
Thank so much to the man of the libriary and the gay of the gasestation next to flower st. for help. I was lost sometimes. Yours sincerely monika
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Sat May 26 16:25:33 2007 | Jeanne McClung | --@--
I live in Missouri USA. I just saw the movie "Amazing Grace." Although I knew the name, Wilberforce, I didn't know his story. It gives me great incentive to know more about this tremendous man that God so wonderfully used. An aside: I was born on March 25!
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Thu May 10 17:37:03 2007 | Christopher J H Wagstaff | --@--
From the Ven. Christopher J H Wagstaff.
I was delighted to find your web site and to learn of all the work being understaken at St Paul's. The whole project is truely inspirational and it is wonderful to know the Churh is so alive and outward looking. As a retired archdeacon I can apprieciate the tremendous amount of work involved in getting such a project off the ground, getting permission from the DAC, English Heritage and raising so much money.
I last visited St Paul's on 3rd July 1983 when I preached at the 150th Anniversary Service and Jeremy Harold, the Vicar, gave me John Pollock's biography of Wilberforce.
I grew up in Mill Hill, and my father, Garry, was Church Warden from 1949 to 1965. My mother, Kathleen, was enrolling member of the Mother's Union for many years. Harold Wood was Vicar during my formative years and was a marvellous preacher and pastor.
I am not surprised the building needed restoring! Over the years thousands of pounds have been spent on the structure, eliminating deathwatch beetle in the roof, rising damp etc. I spent part of a summer holiday in the 1950's taking wheel-barrow loads of ash out of the crypt; the old man who stoked the boiler under the church in the 1940's used to dump all the ash there rather than take it outside to put in the dustbin! Imagine my surprise when I discovered a tomb in amongst the ash in one of the bays !
I have so many happy memories of St Paul's and I have a painting (similar to the one at the head of your website) given to my father, H M Wagstaff when he moved from Highwood Hill, hanging in my study.
All the best with the restoration. My sister, Barbara and I will be sponsoring an organ pipe in memory of our parents.
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Wed May 2 13:06:10 2007 | Staziker Jones (Cardiff Design Agency) | --@--
I wish you the best of luck on your organ and restoration appeals:
http://www.stazikerjones.co.uk
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Sun Oct 15 14:14:00 2006 | Bill Bullock | --@--
My Great Grandfather Albert Edward Winny was headmaster of St Pauls Church School for about 20 years around 1900 - 1920. I called in to the school one afternoon about 20 years ago and a very kind lady who might have been the headmistress or possibly the secretary was fascinated enough to get down the old school diaries from a high cupboard and we found all his handwritten entries in it. His wife, my Great Grandmother died while he was in post there and some time later he remarried to I believe, one of the teachers. He had quite a large family and aparently none of the children liked the new step mother. Anyway I understand they all left home for distant parts at the earliest opportunity. They lived in Birkbeck Road Mill Hill, but when He died, his wife moved to a house in the then classier Lawrence Street.
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Thu Sep 21 21:25:52 2006 | Jennifer Metcalfe | --@--
I found your excellent website while looking for information about the church and school, which I attended from 1947 - 1954. I am still searching to find more information about the history of the school.
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Fri Mar 3 00:07:18 2006 | your name chris wong | your email address --@--
Pleased to see a guestbook up and running. Great addition to the website
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Tue Feb 21 23:15:55 2006 | kerry | --@--
First time visitor, very nice
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