A Birthday Bash at Willen Church

On July 18th, we were invited to a rather curious celebration at St Mary Magdalene Church in the peaceful village of Willen, celebrating the birthday of a mysterious figure named Robert Hooke. Not knowing who he was, we went along anyway because Roy heard the word “cakes”.

On arrival, we figured out that this lively gathering was put together by the enthusiastic team behind the Willen Church Hooke Heritage Project.

Initially, the plan included a flypast by an Avro Lancaster Bomber—a mighty aircraft from World War II. Unfortunately, the bomber had engine trouble and had to stay grounded. But not to worry! Stepping in for the flyover was another Lancaster—Mayor of MK, James Lancaster and his wife, who kindly graced the event.

Our very own Andrew tried to spin a story linking the Mayor to the aircraft (you’ve got to admire the effort), but after a friendly chat, we had to accept it was purely a coincidence—and a funny one at that!

Besides, Alan’s RAF hat successfully drew the attention of a Lancaster Bomber veteran, who asked when he flew the bomber.

What’s Hooke Got to Do With It?

Caz, after a chat with Brad, the ever-knowledgeable Church Warden and Head Researcher of the Hooke Heritage Project, finally solved the mystery: why celebrate Robert Hooke’s birthday here, in a quiet corner of Milton Keynes?

Turns out, Robert Hooke wasn’t just the man behind microscopes and mechanical marvels—he was also the architect of this very church. Around 1680, he was invited by Richard Busby, his old headmaster at Westminster School and the then Lord of the Manor of Willen, to design a place of worship for the village. And Hooke delivered, in style.

Who Was Robert Hooke, Anyway?

Hooke was what you’d call a Renaissance man, with a dash of mad scientist. His talents covered physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, microbiology, engineering, architecture, and a few things that probably didn’t even have names yet. Yet, despite all his brainpower, you won’t find a confirmed portrait of Hooke anywhere!

The Portrait Problem

Some say this was because Hooke had a disfigured face and was camera-shy, though to be fair, there weren’t cameras in the 1600s, so that helped his case.

However, this idea doesn’t sit well with Professor Sir Peter Knight, a respected physicist from Imperial College London and Fellow of the Royal Society. According to him, Hooke wasn’t disfigured at all—just short (about 5 feet tall), brilliant, and unfortunately, in Isaac Newton’s bad books.
Profession Knight didn’t think Newton was just obsessed with apples; he was apparently not the easiest person to get along with.
When he became President of the Royal Society, Newton allegedly ordered all portraits of Hooke to be destroyed. And that famous punch line about standing on the shoulders of giants? Professor Knight pointed out with contempt that Newton was actually poking fun at Hooke’s height rather than offering genuine praise, what a twist!

Anyway, what was done was done. All the Royal Society could do to undo the wrong was to commission a portrait based on people’s imagination, which is hung inside the church.

All in all, it was a delightful event—full of science, stories, and surprises. Robert Hooke may not be as well-known as Newton, but in Willen, we remember him with affection, curiosity, and admiration.

Happy birthday, Mr. Hooke, sorry you missed the bomber, but Jacky has promised you the red arrow next year!

Thanks, Jacky, for inviting us and Roy for walking us there and back, and sharing our love for CAKES!

Written by Alan T, Alex F, Andrew M and Caz D, with help from Camphill Newsletter Workshop. Photos by Alex F, Andrew M & Guimin.

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