CH22. Small brass plate on altar frontal
The Altar Frontal / was given in memory / pf a dear Husband, Father and Grandad / JOHN CHARLES DELVES.
Altar frontal installed in 2003 and dedicated to the memory of John Delves, late husband of our dear Peggy.
John and Peggy met when John was a scout master and Peggy was a senior girl guide. They lived in neighbouring villages in Worcestershire. John was an electrician and they moved to this area due to John’s work. After John passed away, Peggy wanted something in church dedicated to his memory, and a new altar frontal was decided upon. A brass plaque with John’s name is on the altar rail.
The designer of the altar frontal was Juliet Hemingray who first trained as an Art and Design teacher in Derby in the 1970’s. She was unsuccessful in securing a teaching post and spent the next few years mending clothes and making curtains, etc. It was in 1980 that a clergy friend approached her to design an embroidered stole that could be worn at children’s services which expressed the Gospel in a lively and colourful way. Inevitably the business began to grow as her skills became recognised. The back room of Juliet’s Victorian house was soon bursting at the seams and customers were enthralled by the array of colours in such a small area. Her Aladdin’s cave has now transferred to an equally bright setting of an old Victorian railway bonded warehouse. Over the years she has been commissioned to produce 1000’s upon 1000’s of stoles, altar frontals, banners, copes, mitres, chasubles and other religious regalia.
The altar frontal at St John’s is certainly a wonderful visual aid. The rich oranges and reds combined with threads of gold sparkle in the light, and combined with the image of our risen Lord in the stained glass window above, makes any visit to the sanctuary a unique worshipful experience.
Christine Bartlett