THE PARISH CHURCH OF STOKE DAMEREL
(ST. ANDREW & ST. LUKE)

Email:   info@stokedamerel.church                                          
www.Stokedamerel.church
www.facebook.com/StokeDamerelChurch

Please note: Stoke Damerel Church does not divulge
personal information to third parties.

Sunday 2 August                9th Sunday after Trinity

  Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms
are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:-
The sick:-
Maureen, Margaret W, Graham, John S, Kathy, Mo, Matt,
Bertie, Morwenna, David J, Margaret B.
The long term sick and infirm:-
Diana, Liz & Keith N, Rob.
The Ministry Team:-
Ruth and Marilyn.

BLESSED SACRAMENT CANDLE

If you would like to have the candle lit for a week
for a particular prayer / thanksgiving /
commemoration, etc., please send a £5 donation to
Debbie Smith, clearly marking your donation as
being for the candle. Details of your intention can
be emailed to:- sarah.lundstrom@virginmedia.com
so that a mention of the commemoration, etc., can
appear in the Sunday Sheet.

SERVICES THIS WEEK
Stoke Damerel Parish Church is a hybrid church
open for public worship and private prayer and all
services will be live streamed.
By attending a live streamed service, you give
implied permission to have your image captured
on CCTV and to be broadcast as participant in the
liturgy.

Watch our livestreamed services
Please follow the link to make your way to our YouTube page: 

 STOKE DAMEREL YOUTUBE CHANNEL  Sunday 2 August        9th Sunday after Trinity
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Sue Nicholas
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Mike Wagstaff

Wednesday 5 August
1000 Said Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Brian Wood

Sunday 9 August        10th Sunday after Trinity
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Trevor Filtness
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Trevor Filtness

WELCOME BACK
To Rev’d Mike Wagstaff. 

SERVICE STREAMING UPDATE
We will continue to record services and upload them
later 'off-site'. You may need to switch from 'LIve'
option to 'Home' or 'Video' option to watch at
https://www.youtube.com/@StokeDamerelChurch/
videos.
Ian G

PASTORAL REORGANISATION
The deadline is TOMORROW if you wish to
submit any comments. The notice on the church
door explains how to make your views known.

MARILYN'S MEMOS

UPDATE ON TELEPHONE RECONNECTION
I was informed on Wednesday by the Utility
Warehouse engineer, working from home in the
Highlands of Scotland, that BT would complete
the reconnection of the telephone / broadband line
during the 5 working days taking us up to Tuesday
evening. The engineer who started the process on
Monday is checking up the allocation of staff for
me.

SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES:
An afternoon with Jane Austen’s music
We got to know Jane Austen a little better with
music from her own collection, along with snippets
of information about the musical thread running
through her life and works. With Regency
Broadwood square piano and Erard harp plus
authentic replica clothing, pianist and historical
interpreter Lisa Timbs, harpist Annemarie Rhys-
Jones and Mezzo Soprano Susan Legg, took us all
back in time to the era of one of Britain’s national
treasures.
Pianist, Lisa Timbs, has been funded by Arts
Council England to research early music
collections, including that owned by Jane Austen
and her female relations. After privileged access
to the original books, she now shares her findings
with audiences around the country by recreating
the music using her 1826 Broadwood square piano
and authentic replica clothing. The audience were
really thrilled with this charming trio of ladies.
Sadly our microphones refused to work and the
pianist had a very quiet voice!


SATURDAY CLEAR UP AND CLEAN UP: 8TH AUGUST
We always have cleaning and
clearing jobs to do. Please bring
gloves for gardening or cleaning.
Particular areas:
• Clear extraneous items stored on top of the
parish centre cupboards and under the
stairs.
• Clear and tidy the boiler room which
should not contain flammable items.
Could we aim to hang up gardening tools
so there is a clear unhindered route through
to the boiler area?
• Kitchen: use dish washer to clean plastic
shelf storage units and stainless-steel areas
which are rusty. (hard work!)
• Organ Loft: inventory of what is stored in
there. Details of projector and screen if
possible.

ADVANCE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sep 19 Devon Historic Churches Open Day
Oct 11 Harvest Thanksgiving Service
Oct 18 St. Luke’s Service
Nov 8 Remembrance Sunday
Nov 13 & 14 Christmas Fair

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN AUGUST
Jack Price, Penny Barnard, Maureen Wilson,
Catherine Gillhespy, Emma Bell, Ann Pitt.

VARIOUS ADMIRALS
Last week when I decided to research and write
about Vice Admiral Thomas Fitzherbert (1727 to
1794), whose ledger stone is in the south aisle of
the church, I did not realise how much information
would be available, although I would really like to
find an image of the man but still have not tracked
one down. However, I have found a slightly clearer
photograph which I took about 20 years ago,
before the new church floor was laid.

One of the thoughts that struck me was that there
seem to be a number of ranks of Admiral, and at
least three associated colours. Fitzherbert attained
two of the levels and three of the colours.
The 17th.century saw the establishment of a
squadron system in the Royal Navy. The fleet was
divided into three parts, each distinguished by a
colour – red, white or blue. The use of coloured
flags was first recorded about 1617 when
squadrons were communicating at sea. The
admiral’s squadron was red, the vice admiral’s
squadron was white, and the rear admiral’s
squadron was blue. In heraldry these colours had
meaning. Red related to valour and military
strength; White signified sincerity and peace; and
blue stood for loyalty and fidelity.
When in battle the colour system of flags helped
co-ordination between squadrons. Distinguishing
flags of red, white, or blue were flown from
mizzen, main, or foremast, and each squadron was
positioned either at the centre of the line (the Red
Squadron), at the ‘van’, or front, (the White
Squadron), or rear guard (the Blue Squadron).
This formalized what had become, in the
Elizabethan era, temporary groupings when lining
up for battle, and allowed tactical manoeuvres and
better co-ordination between squadrons.
By 1688 an order of precedence was established.
Eventually, in the 1860’s, the most senior officer
was the Admiral of the Fleet, followed by Admiral
of the Red, then Admiral of the White, and
Admiral of the Blue. Fifth, sixth and seventh in
seniority were Vice-Admiral of the Red, Vice-
Admiral of the White, and Vice-Admiral of the
Blue. These were followed by Rear Admiral of the
Red, Rear Admiral of the White, and finally, Rear
Admiral of the Blue, which was the lowest of the
ranks of Admiral.
Although Fitzherbert fought in a number of the
battles which formed part of the American War
of Independence, he was not promoted to Rear
Admiral of the Blue until ten years after that war
had finished. Further promotions to Vice Admiral
of the Blue, then White followed shortly before his
death. Although records show that his life ended
when Vice Admiral of the White, information used
when his ledger stone was carved indicated that he
was still at the lowest rank of Vice Admiral.
After the Crimean War of 1856, numbers of Naval
personnel dropped from about 46,000 to about
18,000 and the hierarchy needed to be reduced.
Naval technology had also advanced and steam
was taking over from sail. Together with
advancement in weaponry, battle tactics were
changing dramatically. 9th. July 1864 saw the
abolition of all colour designations and led to the
only senior ranks being Admiral, Vice Admiral
and Rear Admiral. All flags used by the Royal
Navy were now White Ensigns. The Red Ensign is
now used by British merchant and passenger ships.
Initially, the Blue Ensign was reserved for use of
British merchant ship, as long as the master was an
officer of the Royal Naval Reserve and reservists
also formed at last 25% of the crew. Two guns had
to be carried for drill purposes.
By 1866 this requirement had changed twice.
Further alterations were made in 1884, 1903, 1914,
1919, 1923, 1938, 1939, 1947, 1951, and 1952.
Now the Blue Ensign can be used only by certain
merchant vessels and qualifying yacht clubs,
including the Royal Western Yacht Club and the
Royal Plymouth Corinthians Yacht Club, as below.

To add confusion, there was also a Yellow
Admiral, a ‘post-captain’ promoted to rear admiral
as long as he immediately retired without serving
at that rank.
Tony Barnard