COVID, St Mary’s Booster Sessions, Transport & Carol Cancellation

St Mary’s Booster Sessions

St Mary’s are running Booster sessions every Tuesday & Friday between 9:30 am – 2:30 pm. Nik, from the pharmacy, is leading these sessions with help from a steady band of volunteers to keep traffic flowing. Check on the NHS website to see availability although note that St Mary’s will only show up if there are slots available. If you want to take a chance, you could also pop along late in the session in case they have spare doses left over (often advertised on the Hub).

Transport for Vaccination

December 3, 2021December 17, 2021

St Mary’s Advent Trail Edition

Learn About the 2021 Advent Trail & More Updates

Some example nativity windows from last year

St Mary’s December newsletter provides details of this years, advent trail and a Christmas message. It also, of course, has the usual listings of services (and they look forward to welcoming you for their Christmas Services in both the Old Church & St Mary’s), and contacts.

Christmas Message from Revd Heather Wilcox

It’s that time of year, when we are bombarded with Christmas advertising, but one advert in particular has caught my attention, probably because it has generated the most complaints in 2021 so far, the Tesco’s advert.

It begins with a lady standing outside a Tesco’s store being asked, ‘Do you need a little help’ and she responds, ‘Don’t worry my love, this year, nothings stopping me.’ Queens ‘Don’t stop me now’ providing the soundtrack to the advert.

November 12, 2021November 13, 2021

Mulled Wine & Keeping Active

Mulled Wine at the Old Church and Active Essex

Not normally known to go together, enjoying Mulled Wine & seasonal treats followed with a visit to Active Essex’s website. Why not?

Mince Pies, Mulled Wine, Music & Conviviality

August 24, 2021August 24, 2021

Who Was Constable William Raven?

Find out about William Raven, Buried in Old St Mary’s Churchyard

William Raven, a resident of West Bergholt, was born in Coggeshall in 1817, joined the Essex Constabulary in 1844 and died in 1911. You can now visit his, & his wife’s, grave in (Old) St Mary’s Churchyard but what happened in between those years?

Find out when Professor James Raven, from the Universities of Cambridge & Essex, gives a talk about his ancestor. He will touch on a number of topics that bear comparison with today such as:

November 6, 2020November 6, 2020

Remembrance & Old Church Update

Old Church Renovations YouTube presentation

Remembrance & Old Church Update

Last week we announced the plans for a Remembrance Service partially in St Mary’s (socially distanced and limited numbers) with Zoom. The new Lockdown has thwarted that and plans have changed. We also have an update report from the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church with a video presentation to the parish council. First, Remembrance:

Remembrance Day Events

With the new Lockdown rules, the village can now only Continue reading “Remembrance & Old Church Update”

November 2, 2020

Lockdown Strikes – No Cakes!

One of 2020 Xmas Cards - features Old Church Organ - but no cakes

Lockdown Strikes – No Cakes!

Last week’s news roundup spoke of fundraising ideas from the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church but there will now be no cakes. Unfortunately, Lockdown restrictions have made it very difficult to organise the sale of cakes, Cards & books on Saturday as had been planned. There is a slim chance that they may be able to rearrange for December but this is likely to be too late for Xmas post.

Gift Idea?

Continue reading “Lockdown Strikes – No Cakes!”

October 30, 2020November 6, 2020

Cakes, History, Remembrance & Fitness

Cakes, History, Remembrance, Fitness & St Mary’s Update – Updated for Lockdown

This news update covers several topics, starting with Cakes, History & Xmas, then covering:

Remembrance Day 2020, how it will be different;
News about an Essex scheme to improve our fitness & health with a side-dish of helping us resist COVID;
St Mary’s regular news update covering:
- Operation Shoebox,
- New Church Wardens,
- Zoom Home Groups,
- Remembrance Sunday,
- Prayer & Light Relief, as well as services & contacts.

First let’s find out what Cakes, History & Xmas have in common:

Cards, Cakes, History & Xmas – what’s not to like?

Continue reading “Cakes, History, Remembrance & Fitness”

August 6, 2020December 29, 2020

Old Church Redecoration Ends at Last

Old Church Redecoration Ends at Last – Now Open Daily

Having resumed work at the end of lockdown on 26th May, Bakers of Danbury are now completing the interior redecoration of the Old Church. The Friends of St Mary’s are looking forward to seeing more visitors to the restored interior.

The Friends have given the church a good clean, and Continue reading “Old Church Redecoration Ends at Last”

May 25, 2020May 25, 2020

Day 63 of (un?) Lockdown – the Old Church edition

Day 63 of (un?) Lockdown

The main news item for day 63 is an update on the Old Church renovations followed by a few updates from our government, and some fun at the end. But first, we have a tall story from Annie Neish.

For those of you who are unable to cruise the village she thought you would like to see the Echium Pininana Tower of Jewels flowering beside the fence of the allotment on New Church Road. Several years ago John had one on the plot next to her so she knew it might be possible.

A quick search on Wikipedia reveals this plant is native to La Palma in the Canaries where it is endangered due to habitat loss (Laurel forests). Fortunately, it is being cultivated quite widely in the British Isles and Northern California so should have some resilience.

St Mary’s Old Church

Agreement about the best way forward following the discovery of the wall paintings was reached just as the Coronavirus put us all into lockdown. The work can now continue. Continue reading “Day 63 of (un?) Lockdown – the Old Church edition”

March 6, 2020August 17, 2020

Blame the Plantagenets for delays reopening Old Church

Blame the Plantagenets

If the Old Church mediaeval paintings are, as believed, around 700 years old, then we can blame the Plantagenets for its delayed reopening. Apparently, deciding how best to preserve them has become a bit of a headache which is delaying the internal redecoration. Accordingly, the Friends of St Mary’s have revised their event plans for 2020 as follows: Continue reading “Blame the Plantagenets for delays reopening Old Church”