In 604, St Mellitus was consecrated bishop and sent by St Augustine to be a missionary bishop to the East Saxons with London as his headquarters. We join with the Diocese of London in their special anniversary year, remembering that the City was at the very heart of the original diocese and still plays a very special part in its work from parishes and church buildings going back many centuries. We as Friends are some of the present supporters of this heritage and we rejoice with the Diocese.

The Friends of the City Churches are celebrating this special year on Thursday 13th May with a reception at Glaziers’ Hall, when the principal guest will be our Patron, the present Bishop of London. We are very fortunate that Bishop Richard is so supportive of the work that we do for City churches, in particular our Church Watching, and also fundraising. This is a Friends-only event but our annual subscription only costs £15 and you will know that you are helping us keep our City churches open, used and supported. Please do join us as a member of the Friends and apply for a ticket to the reception. Contact details are at the bottom. Remember, our "Open Office" is still on Thursdays 11am –1pm if you are near St Magnus the Martyr. We also hope to join with City parishes in a Celebration of City Churches in the pilgrimage to St Paul’s Cathedral on 14th July after our AGM.

We have recently dispensed or pledged Grants as part of our on-going commitment to City Churches: ~
£300 - St Giles Cripplegate towards its organ restoration. St Giles, sitting in the midst of the Barbican, whose parish church it is, is renowned for its organ music performance and teaching. Its 1773 organ case came from Hawksmoor’s St Luke Old Street, with casework behind dating from 1684 from St Andrew Holborn.
£1,000 - St Martin Ludgate towards a structural engineers’ survey on the organ loft. Here the 1847 organ is by Theodore Bates of Ludgate Hill, although it originates from a Schmitt instrument of 1684. It seems generations of organists have leant back on the balustrade and weakened it. The organ itself will require a complete re-build and the organ gallery will be extended. A £300,000 appeal has recently been launched by St Martin’s, which covers this, the building fabric and service provision within the local community.
£2,500 pledge to St Mary Woolnoth for repair of the external clock. This clock, which projects into Lombard Street, was made famous by T S Eliot in his 1922 poem The Waste Land.

We continue to seek donations towards our "project of the year". This will support the restoration of the monuments on the North wall of St Mary Aldermary, once again our base church for the City Church Walks in June.

Friends of the City Churches, St Magnus the Martyr, Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6DN tel 020 7626 1555

e-mail      www.london-city-churches.org.uk