St Marys News – the Eco-Bronze Edition

In this edition St Mary’s looks at progress including winning the Eco Church Bronze award

After hearing about wining the Bronze Eco-Church award this edition continues with:

Parish Share Increase,
Heating,
Shoebox Appeal,
Return of the Advent Trail (with a twist),
Remembrance & Café Church services, and
the usual listings of services and co nt acts.

Eco Church – Bronze Award

We are delighted to announce that St Mary’s has achieved the Bronze Level award for the Eco Church Scheme!

Eco Church is an award scheme for churches in England and Wales who want to demonstrate their care for creation as an integral part of loving their neighbour and following God faithfully.

September 29, 2023September 29, 2023

St Mary’s News – What are you thankful for?

In this edition Revd Heather asks “What are you thankful for?”

Orphan train is used as a reference point when Rev. Heather asks What are you thankful for.

After discussing ‘what are you thankful for’ this edition continues with:

Church Open on Halloween,
Storytime Session,
FISH is back,
Harvest activities, and
the usual listings of services and co nt acts.

A copy of the PCC (Parochial Church Council) minutes are available to view in the Church (in the leaflet rack on top of the side cupboards).

Rev. Heather’s asks “What are you thankful for?”

What are you thankful for? As I ask this question I am reminded of the film ‘The Orphan train’, which depicts the journey, Emma Simms, niece of Reverend Simms, made taking orphan children to find new homes in the West of America. The journey is accompanied by many traumas, including a fire in their train carriage, arriving in the town of Clayhorn, only to be driven away by the townsfolk and a massive storm causing a bridge collapse, with the last few orphans, having to walk the final 15 miles to the town of Mildred.

July 25, 2023July 25, 2023

Vocal Zones ‘End-of-Term’ Update

End-of-Term Summer 2023

Vocal Zones at their Coronation Concert in St Mary's Church features in their 'end-of-term' report.

Vocal Zones Choir looked back on their two concerts at their end-of-term session in July. Jacqui from Vocal Zones reports:

Christmas & Mulled Wine

A big thank you to all those who turned out to support our Christmas concert in December.

Sea of Scarfs & Hats

Unfortunately, the heating system in the church wasn’t working on the evening of the concert. Consequently, as we looked out on our audience, all we could see was a sea of hats, scarfs and coats. We really did appreciate everyone’s support that evening. Regardless of the cold we all had a lovely evening, singing our hearts out to combat the chill and then drinking our mulled wine to keep warm and enjoying our mince pies.

Coronation Concert

July 25, 2023July 25, 2023

Abbey Road come to the Orpen Hall

Dance to Beatles Tribute Act – Abbey Road

The Friends of St Mary’s Old Church are hosting a dance with Abbey Road on Saturday 16th September. Tickets will cost £12.50 with doors opening at 7:30pm. Bring your own food & drink.

The money raised from this event with go towards restoring the Mediaeval Paintings found during the church’s redecoration.

There will also be a raffle and a short auction. pc.gov.uk

How to book

You can buy tickets by contacting any of the following:

Penny L – 07940 546646
Penny C – 07941 946410
[email protected]

About Abbey Road

July 3, 2023July 3, 2023

St Mary’s News – the Summer Holiday Edition

In this edition Revd Heather reflects on Summer Holidays

After discussing Summer Holidays, this edition continues with:

Afternoon Tea at the Rectory (to heat the Church),
Food in School Holidays Club (FiSH),
Songs of Praise at the Old Church,
Café @ St Mary’s, and
the usual listings of services and co nt acts.

Rev. Heather’s Summer Message

It is that time of year when, for many of us, our minds turn to summer holidays.

Whether we are escaping to far flung places and the promise of hours of uninterrupted sunshine, sweltering temperatures, and beautiful beaches, or opting to take our chances with the British weather, staying in this country, whilst also being assured that wherever we go we are blessed with a beautiful country with plenty to see and to learn about. For me and the family this year it is a holiday in Northumberland that we are looking forward to.

May 31, 2023June 4, 2023

St Mary’s News – the Midsummer Edition

This edition starts with Rev Heather’s Midsummer Message

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with Revd. Heather’s “Midsummer” message and then continues with:

Trip to St Paul’s Cathedral for Evensong and Tour,
Eco-matters & seasonal produce,
Wildlife Count in Churchyard,
Drop in Café,
Living in Love & Faith Course , and
the usual listings of services and co nt acts.

Midsummer Message from Rev. Heather

Our Father

It seems hard to believe, that the midway point of the year is approaching, our days are so much longer now, as we enter June and summer begins, but still time seems to rush on and there is never enough time to get things done.

April 30, 2023May 31, 2023

St Mary’s News – the Bank Holidays Edition

This edition starts with Bank Holidays and covers much more

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with Revd. Heather’s “Bank Holidays” message and then continues with:

See the Coronation at the Church,
Eco Church,
Drop in Café,
Christian Aid Coffee Morning,
Successful Soup Lent Lunches, and
the usual listings of services and co nt acts.

Bank Holidays

Bank holidays. May is normally blessed with two of them. This year we get an additional one for the Coronation of King Charles III.

For a large percentage of the population, this will be the first time any of us will have seen a Coronation in this country and having a king on the throne is still somewhat strange. So aside from giving us an additional Bank Holiday, which is of course always very welcome, this will be a momentous occasion, whether we choose to recognise it as such or not.

But what about the other two bank holidays?

April 1, 2023April 1, 2023

St Mary’s News – the “He is not here” edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with Heather’s “He is not here” message and then continues with:

Holy week services
Prayer spaces,
FISH Club, and
the usual listings of services and co n t acts.

He is not here, he has risen – Rev. Heather’s Easter Message

April begins in a rather playful mood, with April Fools day. Be it on TV, radio or in the papers, over the year, there have been some rather clever April fools jokes played on us, the unsuspecting public.

April Fools Pranks

Who can forget, Richard Dimbleby’s report in 1957 on a particularly bountiful crop of spaghetti in Switzerland, due in part to the disappearance of the pesky spaghetti weevil.

March 4, 2023March 4, 2023

St Mary’s News – the Daffodils & Hope edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with Daffodils & Hope and then continues with:

Daffodils - By Genet, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24680708

Eco Church,
Lent Soup Lunches,
Vocations Evenings,
Lent Compline, and
the usual listings of services and co ntacts.

Daffodils and Hope

As March beckons, spring bursts onto the scene. The words of William Wordsworth might come to mind as we see the daffodils emerging from beneath the ground:

January 28, 2023January 28, 2023

St Mary’s News – the “Love Is All Around Me” edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with “hopes for 2023″Love is all around me”, and continues with other news including:

FISH Club,
Pancake Party,
Church Hall Decoration,
Wedding Celebration, and
the usual listings of services and co ntacts.

Love Is All Around Me

‘I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes, Christmas is all around me and so the feeling grows’

… say the lyrics of the Christmas film, which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary, Love Actually.

It doesn’t seem five minutes since we were celebrating Christmas, and yet in the world of advertising and card manufacture, we have definitely moved on, into a season more appropriately linked to the original lyrics of the song, first performed by the Troggs in 1967 ‘I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes, Love is all around me, and so the feeling grows.’