I’ve been drawing a few cartoons for the Church Times blog. Today’s is ‘The Church is empty’ for my post Is the church in decline?. At the weekend I did one called ‘Episcopal oversight’ for a post entitled An unwarranted invasion?

The best way to get all of my Church Times blog cartoons is to subscribe to the feed. If that makes no sense please ask and I’ll answer questions about how it works.

Posted by Dave at 2:22 pm on May 8, 2008 and filed under Cartooning, Religion, Church Times blog.

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Church Times Letters

This week’s Church Times has several letters that relate to my news item from last week’s paper, ‘Former SPCK shops to be auctioned‘. An extract from the letter from Mrs Margery Roberts about the Westminster premises (click through for the whole thing):

This bookshop is leased by the Society of the Faith to the SPCK. Some months ago, we were asked to consider an assignment of that lease to St Stephen the Great (SSG). We made considerable efforts to obtain appropriate and satisfactory information about SSG’s finances and management structure, but, in the end, our trustees had to consider the proposed assignment without any reassuring material. They turned down the application, and the SPCK then decided to surrender the lease on the break date provided for in the lease, which happens to be this May.

Mrs Roberts says that my report ‘may have been misleading’, but I’m not quite sure what she means by this. I said in the report that “The Westminster bookshop at Faith House was closed on 11 April”, but I didn’t go into any further detail apart from a sentence or two about the rare books side of things.

Shops are withdrawn from auction

The four shops due to be auctioned by Colliers CRE in London on 13 May have been withdrawn from the auction (Thomas mentioned this in the comments last week). I understand that the shops have been withdrawn because there are covenants in the deeds which restrict the use of the buildings in some way. The shops, in Bradford, Canterbury, Exeter, and York are apparently still for sale.

Posted by Dave at 10:04 am on May 7, 2008 and filed under Save the SPCK, Religion.

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If you can stand to read my self-centred ramblings there is an interview with me on the Wesley Owen website. You can find it by clicking links on this page (Click cartoon, then link that says ‘Click here for Dave Walker interview’) or you can go to it directly here but without the rest of the page (I’d link directly but there are frames). A cartoon of mine is appearing there on a monthly basis.

Posted by Dave at 12:34 pm on May 6, 2008 and filed under Cartooning, Religion.

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The Anglican Journal is the independent national Newspaper of the Anglican Church of Canada.

From the latest issue: Cartoonist’s role at meeting of bishops a bit sketchy.

Posted by Dave at 2:24 pm on May 4, 2008 and filed under Cartooning, Anglican goings-on, Religion, Lambeth 08.

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I’ll post this up on the site tomorrow in a high res downloady version. Unless anyone asks me not to.

Posted by Dave at 10:40 pm on April 30, 2008 and filed under Cartoons, Church, Religion.

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Church Times: Former SPCK shops to be auctioned

Update: Guide prices for the four shops for sale have now been posted on the Colliers CRE site.

14 North Parade Bradford Guide Price: £150,000
7 St Peter’s Street Canterbury Guide Price: £520,000
1-2 Catherine Street, Cathedral Yard Exeter Guide Price: £500,000
28 Goodramgate York Guide Price: £320,000

Posted by Dave at 11:17 pm on April 24, 2008 and filed under Save the SPCK, Religion.

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I notice that the webpage for one of the projects I have been working on is now up: What am I Doing Here? - A Beginner’s Guide to Church by Hilary Brand. It is published by Church House Publishing.

I’d tell you more, but I’ve a train to catch.

Posted by Dave at 11:04 am on April 24, 2008 and filed under Books, Religion.

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Some people have commented that it is a bit quiet on this site apart from bookshop-related posts. This is just a reminder to say that I’m continuing to post things over at the Church Times blog on at least a daily basis (except at weekends, when it might be a little less). My most recent posts over there:

• Archbishop posts Lambeth video
• Zimbabwean Christians call for a World Day of Prayer on Sunday
• Counter extremist think tank launched
• The Pentecost Festival
• Choral singing is good for you

You can keep up to date via the feed, which is here.

Posted by Dave at 5:50 pm on April 23, 2008 and filed under Religion, Church Times blog.

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PRESS RELEASE - for immediate release.

ST PAULS is delighted to announce they are to open a shop in York.

The shop at 5 King’s Square, in the heart of the shopping centre of York, is a short walk from York Minster and the Shrine of St Margaret Clitherow on the famous Shambles.

Covering 2,000+ square feet, it will stock a full range of books, devotional articles, church furnishings, vestments, Christian cards, gifts, audio/visual material etc..

It will also contain a second-hand religious book department - itself a new venture for ST PAULS.

The shop will open in September and will be a valuable addition to their shops in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Hinsley Hall and Athlone (Ireland).

This will make ST PAULS the largest chain of Catholic bookshops in the country.

Stephen Moseling, Operations Co-ordinator for ST PAULS said:

“At this time of change and uncertainty within the Christian publishing and retail trades, with shops from various denominations closing, it is very exciting for us at ST PAULS to be opening a shop in York. Over the past 18 months many Christian publishers have expressed concerns about the future of Christian retail, but with the opening of our shop in York my hope is that we can reassure them, and the public, that ST PAULS is determined to keep a Christian presence on the High Street. As in all our shops, we will be at the service of Christians of all denominations and we ask for their support and prayers at this exciting time.”

ST PAULS is an activity of the Society of St Paul, a worldwide religious congregation of priests and brothers whose apostolate is to proclaim the Gospel through the various means of communication. See www.stpauls.it

Further information may be obtained from Stephen Moseling at the above address or via email stephen (at) stpauls.org.uk

Links:

St Pauls UK
Società San Paolo

Posted by Dave at 2:40 pm on April 23, 2008 and filed under Save the SPCK, Religion, Christian bookshops.

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A gathering of former SPCK bookshop staff is being organised. It will be at 2 pm on Wednesday 14th May at The Bear public house, 71 High Street, Esher, London, Surrey, KT10 9RQ. This is a 5 to 10 minute walk from Sandown Park where the Christian Resources Exhibition will be taking place. Publishers reps are welcome to come and say hello. Some members of the press have been invited, but there is no compulsion to speak to them.

Phelim McIntyre, a regular contributor to the comments here, is organising it and I believe still has some free CRE tickets. You can e-mail him on phelimmcintyre (at) hotmail.com - I’m sure he will respond to questions left in the comments as well.

I’m planning to be there. As an aside - please note that the telephone number that I have posted on this site is no longer working. The answerphone still works, but I can’t get the messages. It isn’t anything to do with the fact I have lost the phone or anything embarrassing like that.

Posted by Dave at 10:46 am on April 23, 2008 and filed under Festivals and Exhibitions, Save the SPCK.

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Bradford, Canterbury, Exeter and York to close

Four SPCK shop buildings owned by St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust are up for sale:

Bradford
Canterbury
Exeter
York

These were gifted to SSG by SPCK on 31 October 2006 along with fixtures and fittings and stock. The net book value given to the properties in the 2007 SPCK Annual Report was £1.665 million.

The shops will be sold at auction in London by Colliers CRE on 13th May 2008.

I have been told that SSG also hold the freehold to the Truro shop, but I need clarification on that point. If so it will be the only shop building still owned by SSG if and when the sales of the other properties go through.

The other shops are all rented or, in the case of 6 shops, owned by SPCK but subject to a 7 year covenant. Details of the status of the various shops can be found here.

News reports:

• The Bookseller: SSG to sell four shops

Cardiff
On a happier note - there are plans to open a new shop in place of the former SPCK in Cardiff. Details here.

London
I can confirm that the London shop at Faith House, Tufton Street, Westminster closed on 11th April 2008. This post on the subject has been updated with pictures.

To find all of the SPCK/SSG posts on this site see the Save the SPCK category.

Posted by Dave at 10:01 am on April 21, 2008 and filed under Save the SPCK, Religion.

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I couldn’t find this online anywhere, so I’ve posted it below. The press people sent it to me, so I’m assuming they’d like it to be seen. It is an article by Rob Frost, who sadly died in November 2007.

The Pentecost Festival is taking place in London from the 9th to the 11th of May 2008. See my post on the Church Times blog for more information.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by Dave at 8:49 am on April 21, 2008 and filed under Festivals and Exhibitions, Religion.

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