The Shepherd, December 2006
BROOKWOOD NEWS, 1
DEATH OF THE BROOKWOOD CEMETERY OWNER
RAMADAN GUNEY, the owner of the greater part of the Brookwood Cemetery, recently died suddenly of a heart attack while visiting his native Cyprus. He was born in 1932 and came to Britain in 1958. A successful businessman, he helped to found and run the first Turkish Cypriot mosque in London, and was deeply involved in much charitable work for the Turkish Cypriot community here. In 1985, three years after our Brotherhood was established, he acquired Brookwood Cemetery, and as John Clarke has noted in the newsletter of the Brookwood Cemetery Society, “The Brookwood Express,” his ownership was initially contentious. However, in later years, he made efforts to restore sections of the cemetery and to prevent large areas from becoming overgrown. In 2004, he hosted the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the cemetery, an event, attended by many prominent dignitaries including Prince Nawab Mohsin Ali Khan, which brought the cemetery to greater prominence in the local community. He is survived by his second wife, Diana, and two sons and four daughters with his first wife, Suheyla, and one son, Hussein, with Diana. His funeral was held at his mosque in London, and his body was laid to rest in a family mausoleum on the far side of the cemetery from our Brotherhood. To pay their respects, Fr Alexis and Fr Niphon from the Brotherhood attended the interment on Friday 10th November.
WEDDING AT BROOKWOOD
ON SUNDAY 6th / 19th November, the wedding of Mark Lincoln and Catherine McKellar was celebrated at Brookwood’s St Edward’s Church, the serving priest being Father Peter Baulk. A choir came from the London Russian Orthodox Church, led by Anna Kobrina, to sing. One very uplifting aspect of the marriage celebration was that family members attended the Liturgy and had prepared to receive the Holy Mysteries on that day, which was so important for the bridal pair. Many Years to Mark and Catherine!
ICON OF MOTHER OF GOD OFFERED FOR BUILDING FUND
ANNIE SHAW, a St Edward’s parishioner and the directress of the Fellowship of Saint Luke has painted and donated an Icon of the Mother of God, the Virgin of Tenderness, 355mm x 280 mm, with gold leaf haloes, to help raise funds for the Monastery Building Appeal. The icon has been executed in traditional Russian style, and can be seen by appointment at the church or here. We are offering the icon by “Dutch Auction.” Bids over £500 accepted, and the Icon will go to the highest bidder. (A similar icon was sold last year in a London gallery for three times this reserve figure). Closing date for bids Orthodox Christmas Day (7th December, 2007 n.s.). All the monies received will go to the Orthodox Monastery Building Fund at Brookwood.
GIFT OF SERVERS’ VESTMENTS
WE ARE DEEPLY indebted to Mrs Anna Blinova of Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, for the gift of four sets of beautiful red and gold polystavrion- pattern servers’ vestments, which were sewn for us in the Ukraine. May the Lord God grant blessings to one who has thus shown that she loves the beauty of God’s house and to all her loved ones.
BEACON COUNCILASSESSMENT
WOKING BOROUGH COUNCIL has been short-listed for the award of a “Beacon” status, a scheme set up to disseminate best practice in service delivery across local government. Woking is one of six local authorities shortlisted. On Tuesday, 21st November, assessors visited the borough, and a special workshop was arranged, held at the H. G.Wells Conference and Events Centre in town. Fr Alexis was one of the fifty or so people invited to attend, most of them professionally involved in planning projects or in policy-making, and our monastery building scheme was among about a dozen local projects which were highlighted on photographic displays and on a projector screen. The participants were seated in small groups of about six, each with an assessor, so that the free exchange of views was encouraged. One could not help wishing that something of the kind had also been allowed at the May 2006 4th All- Diaspora Sobor of ROCA in San Francisco. 
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