Sue Binks and our church

Alastair Stewart, Churchwarden, writes:

“We have been uniquely blessed to have had Susan Binks as our Vicar since 2018 and before that as Curate training with Andrew de Smet. We will miss her enormously; her care and obvious love for Nunnington and all who live here. Godspeed her and Chris to their new life surrounded by grandchildren and we let her know that there is always a place in our hearts for her here any time she returns to visit us. She has been very supportive of our endeavours to improve the church in rehanging the bells, under pew heaters, and current plans for the windows and stonework.

“In the church there is a photograph of the Rev William Collins, Rector of Nunnington Church from 1879 for 44 years. He is standing by the porch, with one of the windows behind him, clearly showing as glazed with plain glass. During the 1883/4 restoration which he oversaw, these windows were changed to frosted glass in small diamond shaped quarries, which was the fashion of the day. For some time, we have wanted to change these back to the original, and having generously received recently, three legacies, from Dr Allenby, whose family lived in the village, Mildred Tate, whose husband Geoff farmed at Highfield, and Enid Marshall, former Church Warden, it seemed a suitable basis from which to raise the balance of the cost. Martin Johnson & Co. (York) quoted over £16000 +VAT. At this point, our church architect became involved, and suggested we should replace several stone jambs in the window frames, also at considerable cost, and fix a dislodged scroll holding up the Preston Monument in the Chancel. This raised the total required to around £30,000 +VAT.

“We are able to reclaim VAT through a scheme called The Listed Places of Worship Scheme (the church is Grade 1 Listed). We approached several Charities and Trusts for grants, and have been well supported by Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, The Sir John Priestman Foundation, Churchcare Pilgrim Trust, the Diocesan Minor Repair and Improvement Grant (MRIG), and not least the Parish Council, chaired by Steven Rooke, who has been very supportive, and gifted an amount on behalf of the village. We are enormously grateful to them all, and to Iain Thew, who helped hugely with the many applications.

“The stonework has been completed, and the Windows and Monument works should be finished during October.

“We have also had to raise funds from our own resources, and many of the village took part in the Cricket Match in July, organised by Andy Pope and we received the proceeds of that day, plus, a dying Holly Tree in the churchyard was felled a year ago, and the timber from that was collected by Steve McKnight and has been logged and will be delivered on application in large bags on a first come first served basis for £60. Please pay the Church Treasurer at Helme Cottage, before delivery. We thank Steve and Tom for the work and the Estate, James Clive, for allowing them to do it for us.

“For interest, the 1883/4 Restoration cost £2593, about £280,000+VAT now.”

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