The vicar of a London church that burnt down in Maida Vale spoke of being ‘defiant’ as she continues to host church services and other events outside.
St Mark’s Church in St John’s Wood, northwest London, was destroyed in a fire on January 26.
The whole of the two-storey building in Hamilton Terrace was alight and although no one was injured, the building suffered immensely as a result.
But instead of deciding to shut up shop and shift the congregation to another nearby church, Rev Kate Harrison had other ideas.
The vicar instead took Sunday services out to the garden and spoke to Metro.co.uk ahead of their latest monthly comedy night – Have I Got Pews For You.
‘A day or two after the fire happened,’ she began, ‘I had other churches contacting me saying, “Your congregation can come to us on Sunday”.
‘But I said, “No, the congregation staying here, they need to be here and we need to be carrying on – it was a complete no brainer, that we had to do it.’
The fighting spirit came to their latest comedy night which was hosted at nearby St Mary & All Souls Kilburn on Tuesday, February 7.
Rev Harrison describes herself as a ‘real comedy nerd’ and enlisted the help of comedian and PR worker Vix Leyton after meeting behind the bar of a festival.
The comedy nights have been going since 2021 and included acts such as Marcus Brigstoke, Sooz Kempner and Jordan Gray, who is apparently desperate to return.
And Rev Harrison hopes to bring them into the garden as the weather warms up.
We will be holding our service at 10.30am outside , please wrap up warm and bring a candle.
The building might be broken, but St Mark’s is well and truly alive. Thanks be to God. Mother Kate,
Vicar, St Markâs Hamilton Terrace London, NW8 9UT— St Mark’s NW8 (@StMark_HT) January 27, 2023
She enlisted the help of comedian and PR worker Vix Leyton – who hosts the nights – after meeting behind the bar of a festival.
Other ideas in the works in the run-up to summer include Pimms and Hymns nights – which sound delightful.
Commenting on the unconventional offerings from a place of worship, Rev Harrison says: ‘I’m quite confident it’s what Jesus would have done.
‘We know that he liked a drink, he turned gallons of water into wine, some of the things he says in the Bible, I think he’s saying with a bit of a glint in his eye.
‘He was human, so these are the sorts of things I’m pretty sure he would have gone for!’
Well who are we to argue with that?
The repairs, estimated to take around four years, could also allow for some much-needed upgrades for the Grade 2* listed building.
But these will need to be fundraised as the current insurance won’t give way to any renovations.
Rev Harrison said: ‘We are insured, and the insurance will look after as much as they’re able, but the only things that they can do, are keeping it to how it was before.
‘The insurance won’t put in ramped access, or anything like that because they can’t, it’s just not within their remit.
‘That’s what the sorts of things that we’ve got to fundraise for and keeping us going in the next four years, which is the estimate being given to get the building back and up and running again.’
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