The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at St James’s

Background Shape
Church Window Mask

The Queen reaches the remarkable milestone of 70 years as monarch on Saturday. To mark the occasion St James’s has put together a programme to welcome visitors and invite them to participate in our activity and take a minute to reflect on this momentous occasion.

On the Saturday we will be holding a special version of FEAST, our weekly meal welcoming those currently experiencing homelessness. Baked goods and other offerings will be available – all are welcome and those able to are encouraged to donate in cover the cost of people who cannot. Food will be available from the courtyard between 12 and 4pm and we are delighted that our very own Alison Beck will be leading a jazz trio to accompany those tucking in.

Alongside this we shall be opening a new exhibition by the artist Lolly Batty. Batty has been making artworks that involve the geometric arrangement of stamps on envelopes for the past ten years. She has produced over 500 and a selection of these will be reprinted and shown on two poster boards on Jermyn Street – the site of an official Jubilee Street Party, as well as on postcards that will be available from inside the church. The exhibition highlights the lasting presence of the Queen’s image as a constant in people’s everyday lives over the years and decades.

On the Sunday, the church celebrates the major feast of Pentecost, which marks the arrival of the Holy Spirit to inspire the apostles after the heady events of Holy Week and Easter. The Sunday service will therefore be a celebration of this festival and Mariama will reflect on this in her sermon. Prayers will be said for The Queen on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee in the service too.

Image: Lolly Batty, Philatelic Items, courtesy the artist