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A Christmas Celebration
I
t’s a cold, damp miserable
night and I am on my way
to the annual Christmas
Celebration in aid of the
Brain Tumour Research
Campaign at the 900 year
old All Saints in Fulham.
When I see the beautifully lit
church and tower, I get a
sense of how medieval
travellers must have felt
when they reached a
sanctuary at the end of a
long and arduous journey.
…not that mine was either
long or arduous!
Inside the church was warm
and welcoming and I can
honestly say that, in all the not
inconsiderable years of my life,
I have never seen a church so
full.
The Brain Tumour Research
Campaign was established by
Wendy Fulcher following the
loss of her beloved John – her
soulmate, business partner
and husband – from a
All Saints lit up at night.
R to L: Julian Glover and Lorraine Chase enjoying the carols.
malignant brain tumour. So far
over £3,200,000 has been
raised to fund desperately
needed research into a
condition that affects children
and adults alike.
One amazing fundraiser is the
Christmas Celebration, a joyous
mixture of readings, carols and
anthems followed by bubbles
and canapés. The readers were
Jill Baker, Isla Blair, Lorraine
Chase, Julian Glover, Eric
After the service everyone
stayed on to catch up with old
friends and enjoy the plentiful
food and bubbles. The
hospitality really was generous.
But what else would you except
from Wendy Fulcher.
The vision of the campaign is
to raise public awareness of
the urgent need for brain
tumour research; to lead a
fundraising campaign to
support research into, and
treatment of, brain tumours
and to assist the emergence of
a multi-disciplinary Brain
Tumour Research Centre of
Excellence, based at Charing
Cross Hospital in London.
The church was full, standing room only!
Knowles, Lesley Manville, and
Patrick Melville. They read a
variety of pieces – none too
long or too short but just right.
Isla Blair gives a reading.
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The choir of All Saints,
accompanied by the organ, a
harpist and a brass band,
helped the enthusiastic
congregation through hymns
and sang the anthems in a way
which made the hairs on the
back of my neck stand on end.
I was also fortunate to sit next
to a chap with a lovely tenor
voice.
I shall certainly go to this
glorious occasion next year.
LIN KENNEDY
The choir processing.
THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK
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