Special Services And Venues

On-site 

Julian’s services on-site benefit from our fashionable, accessible location and fine mid 20th century premises and Julian being supported by our MD Jason or AMD Ricky on music and administrator Andrew and or warden Stephen front of house.  

Off-site 

Julian has celebrated special services in many fine venues.  

Wedding venues have included: Emmanuel College, Cambridge; King’s College London; Dalhousie Castle (in the company of Charlotte Church), near Edinburgh; SS Peter & Paul, Wannsee, Berlin; the Upper Chapel Sheffield; and on several occasions at Rosslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead.

Naming venues have included: a poolside in Finchley; Fountain Court in the Inner Temple; Upper Chapel, Sheffield; and Fulwood Old Chapel, Sheffield. 

Julian was honoured to be the first Unitarian to address fellow Nonconformists at the 1662 Society’s annual service at Cole Abbey Presbyterian Church (Wren; Free Church of Scotland) in the City of London, near St Paul’s, honouring our Puritan forebears ejected from the Church of England at the Restoration.

Julian has conducted regular worship at the following iconic Unitarian venues: Manchester College, Oxford; Unitarian Headquarters, Essex Hall, London; The Old Chapel & Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow, Peak District; the Upper Chapel, Sheffield (numerous times); Underbank Chapel, Sheffield (numerous times); Fulwood Old Chapel, Sheffield (numerous times); and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Basel, Switzerland.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Recognised Community Leader 

Julian is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, based on his achievements as a social entrepreneur in Brixton (the chapel is a thriving community hub, as well as home to our Brixton Legal Centre); as a recognised community leader he has, amongst other things, been asked by Charter 88 / Democracy Now to chair debates between Brixton’s parliamentary candidates at Lambeth Town Hall; and he is a companion of John Ruskin’s Guild of St George arts charity based on his commitment to art and beauty being for all, most recently via his support for Jason’s and Ricky’s popular Brixton Concert Series.

Management & Administrative Expertise 

Julian founded and heads up the popular boutique barristers’ set, Lincoln’s Inn Fields Chambers, and in-demand Brixton Legal Centre; and under Julian’s leadership, Brixton Unitarians are a dynamic, inclusive and powerful positive community force in inner-city Brixton. Julian helps oversee our administration, including compliance, maintenance and commercial, residential and carparking lets.

Education & Professional Development

As an active young Unitarian, Julian completed VI form and a ministry foundation year at our Manchester College, Oxford (MCO) with the benefit of a major award from the Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Fund. He was appointed our part-time lay leader shortly before going up to LSE to read law (LLB) in succession to his principal at MCO, Rev Dr Tony Cross, who had been our minister with oversight. Also continuing with us through the Inns of Court School of Law (PGDLP (Bar)), being called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, pupillage, obtaining a tenancy and starting independent practice, he then read theology and ministry at Oxford (DBTS & ADBTS: Diploma & Advanced Diploma, Biblical & Theological Studies) and Edinburgh (ETS) (CICM: Certificate in Independent Church Ministry) part-time and attended the ICUU’s international church leadership Summer school at the John Sigismund Academy, Kolosvar (Cluj-Napoca), Transylvania.  He is now our honorary minister, and our longest-serving minister since our foundation in 1839 and within our London and SE District.

Continuing Professional Development

Uncanny Tales (City Lit)
Supernatural Literature (Cambridge)
Archaeology & Antiquarianism (Oxford)
History of Witchcraft, Magic & the Occult (Imperial)
British Folklore (Mark Norman)

Free Speech Emphasis
Trial Human Rights MA (1)
University of Buckingham @ The Reform Club
Tutor / Supervisor: Professor Sir Geoffrey Nice, KC (2)
Distinguished Lecturers, including Lord Sumption & Professor Sir Roger Scruton

(1) 1 of only 3 students chosen to participate 
(2) Inter alia, prosecutor of Milošević for war crimes