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Recollections of Burford Meeting House
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From someone who's moved away. . . . . . . . . . . |
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Amongst the many I have two very clear memories from my time as a member of Burford Meeting.
One is from a period of very low membership in the 1960s when Meeting for Worship was held in the upper room to save heating costs. One particularly cold First Day in winter, Roger Warner and I were the only ones present but, with a small electric fire and still wearing overcoats and scarves, we worshipped together, without ministry, deeply feeling the presence of the Spirit.
The other is from a later period of fuller membership in the late 70s and early 80s. After a full, deeply centred Meeting for Worship everyone felt uplifted and joyous. In his exuberance, John Dudderidge, then in his late 70s, did several pull-ups hanging from the inner door-frame and followed this by doing a hand-stand on the lawn.
For me, the spiritual togetherness of Burford Meeting at that time was such that at Meetings for Worship I knew who was not present. I continue to draw on that strength some 40 years later.
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| Teen-age memories. . . . . . . . . . . |
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I first attended Burford meeting in 1969 when I was 13 years old. I do not remember any other young person attending regularly at that time. My mother, father and I came most Sundays but we would occasionally go to Oxford so that I could join other young Friends.
I remember people such as John and Evelyn Dudderidge, Amy and Ron Pinfold, Harold and Margaret Douglas and the Kells, the Warners and many others whom I have not seen since those days.
I became a member at 16 years of age but then my attendance faded over the next two years until I left home at 18. However, one of the first things I did in all the cities I moved to was to look for the Friend’s Meeting and I have done so ever since.
When I returned to Burford Meeting nearly 30 years later I was struck by how little it had changed; apart from no longer hearing the cooing of the pigeons in the garden.
There seemed to be the same table and view and even some familiar people. The warmth of the welcome and the sense of coming home was much stronger than I had expected.
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| An unusual occurence. . . . . . . . |
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One morning at Meeting, all was quiet (not even a tummy rumble) and very reverently, very clearly, a Friend began to sing a hymn; it was a hymn of Praise. . . then one after another of us were moved to join in . . it was a joyously, spiritual time of sharing ministry and gentle togetherness such that it still has the power to warm my heart. |
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| An unexpected visitor. . . . . . . . . |
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I remember one spring Sunday morning, with the sunlight streaming through the open Meeting House door, a robin hopping into the Meeting room from the garden, and over the course of a few minutes hopping completely around the inside of the circle of worshipping Friends, stopping here and there to tilt its head inquisitively at each of us, and chirping away, before hopping out again into the garden. What
glorious ministry that was!
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| Another kind of song . . . . . . . . . . |
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And I remember one morning in early summer with the door wide open and a blackbird in the garden sang its heart out throughout the time of our Meeting for Worship. We all just sat and listened, awe-struck until when it finished Don acknowledged that we had no need for spoken ministry having had that full-throated song of worship.
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| A visitor's view. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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The Meeting House is unobtrusive and fits well with the surrounding buildings; it is not apparent that this is a place of worship.
Entering through a wrought iron gate into a medium sized garden, which begins to set the ambience of the whole space. A garden room in the far corner helps to create a country garden effect.
Through a large old door into a room set out very democratically, with no centre of attention, equally distributed. A very simple room, with no lavish ornamentation. A place of composure, peace, reflection, and a sense of being a true place of worship.
Up some stairs to a balcony, was this for the ladies attending the meeting I wondered? I was assured this was not the case.
Into a room in the roof, a nice shaped room framed by the roof line, a space for more secular gatherings.
More than a building in the middle of Burford which must be a great comfort to those who gather there.
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