Michael, who went on to become Bishop of Aston and then Bishop of Southwell, first came to Bermondsey to be the warden of the Cambridge University Mission (as the Salmon Youth Centre was then known).
In 1967 he was asked by the Bishop to move from CUM to St James, and to bring with him his group of young enthusiastic CUM-worshippers.
St James Church had been closed for seven years, but soon the new vicar and new congregation, got to work on restoring the dilapidated building and growing the congregation.
Here at St James we are planning to celebrate that 50th anniversary of the re-opening of the building and Michael's institution as vicar on Sunday 24th September (the Sunday closest to the day Michael was officially made vicar). That commemoration will be all the more poignant in the light of today's news.
The last time Michael and Veronica visited St James was for the opening of Dickens Whinney House, which was built on part of the site of the old vicarage, and named after Michael himself (he was the great great grandson of Charles Dickens). Here are some pictures of that memorable day:
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| Michael & Veronica, with the late Barry Albin-Dyer |
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| Bishop Michael Ipgrave perusing the other Bishop Michael's book about his time in Bermondsey |
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| Outside Dickens Whinney House |
We are very sad to hear of Michael Whinney's Death. He did a lot for Bermondsey in his time as vicar and kept in touch with their friends always.
ReplyDeleteWhen did Mike ( Whinney) take charge of the CUM, and did he marry Veronica in St James's church defore its decline.?
ReplyDeleteI could write a book on Mike, when he and Veronica lived in a flat near Mill pond rd with Southwark park at the rea of his flat , he once allowed me and a girlfriend to stay over because I couldn't get her home, ( couch and the girl in another room), he bought me football boots, £ 1. 50, my mum couldn't afford them, my dad had died of cancer- Mike was , to me like a father and to lots of other kids in the club, Will Spencer was also a smashing ( tough) man, god bless them.
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