Our new vicar and his family the Rev. J. Nicholas Chubb and his wife susan with their children, from left to right, Andrew, Naomi and Sarah. Andrew is hoping to start at university in the autumn and the two girls will be going to Bishop Wand School in September. The family are keen musicians and will be continuing their studies as soon as possible. Work has now started on modernisation of the vicarage, so the summer holidays will be spent to good effect trying to get everything straight.

The Institution and Induction
The Institution by the Bishop of Kensington and the Induction by the Archdeacon of Middlesex of the Rev. John Nicholas Chubb to St. James's, Hampton Hill, took place on Monday 13 July. Toby Jessel MP. and Mrs. Jessel were present, as well as the Mayor and Mayoress of Richmond, and about 300 others, including 60 parishioners from Brixworth, near Northampton, Mr. Chubb's former parish.

The Bishop talked very movingly in his sermon about community and, as the occasion was very near tthe time of the inner city riots, he brought in references to those who feel excluded from communities: the outsiders, the misfits, the lonely. We must re-examine the role of CCG with these comments in mind.

Nicholas Chubb and his wife, Susan, have three children: Andrew, who is starting at university in the autumn, and Sarah and Naomi, who will be going to Bishop Wand School. We greatly hope that they will all be very happy among us.

Source: Hannah Stanton, Community Care News - 1981 September

An air of excitement and expenctancy filled the church on the evening of the institution and induction of our new vicar.

The processional hymn, “Angel voices ever singing,” always makes me want to sing out and gave a sense of majesty to the beginning of the service. I was impressed by the collect, particularly the phrase “and give to your servant, Nicholas, now to be instituted the needful gifts of grace;” how true it is that we all, clergy and laity alike need God’s gifts especially this gift of grace. It is equally important what we do with God’s gift of grace when we receive it. According to the dictionary grace used in the theological terminology means the ‘unmerited favour of God, divine regenerating, inspiring and strengthening influence’. We prayed that Nicholas would have this gift of grace to inspire and strengthen him and from that must surely ensue that he would wish to inspire and strengthen us.

This thought tied up with the Bishop’s illuminating address. He spoke about being a community and because a community is by its very nature a sharing fellowship he stressed that we should not close the doors to outsiders but invite them to share in our lives and make them welcome. Whoever these outsiders are they need strength and inspiration just as much as we committed Christians do - and we must be prepared to accept them. If as the Bishop thought being an outsider, a non-accepted member of a community could be the breeding ground for violence and anti-social behaviour are we not the more committed to prevent this from happening? It was an impressive sermon and I would have liked to have recorded it for times when we feel threatened by and are not to open to outsiders.

The institution was grandiose, but when the Bishop addressed the individual members of the congregation saying “The care of a Parish and its people is a great and sacred trust. I ask for YOU to join with me in prayer for Nicholas, that God may be present in this church and congregation and that God may continue to be made known to the people of this parish,” I felt the solemnity of the occasion and I am sure there were many earnest prayers for us all.

Our Church during my time at St. James has never been without its humour and the unco-operativeness of the bell at one stage brought smiles and laughter to many faces. Not only did Nicholas make promises but we too took our part in promising to “be faithful in reading God’s word, in hearing it proclaimed and in prayer, both public and private. Renewed in Jesus Christ we are all called to love one another and to make this love known to all.”

Do we see this as a challenge, a union and working together of our community and our new vicarage family? Let us then endeavour each one of us to go forward with them in faith, hope and love.

I could not end these thoughts without congratulating and thanking all who were responsible for the service and evening celebrations on the lawn. Monday 13 July will long remain in my mind as in many others as a day to remember and build upon.

Source: Janet Jeffries, The Spire Magazine - 1981 August