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Category: Events

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St Mary’s Valentine Wedding Edition

Wedding image

This edition starts with a wedding themed songs of praise service in celebration of Valentines Day. Other news includes Home Group, World Day of Prayer and 5Ts Fellowship Group. It also, of course, has the usual listings of services and contacts.

Special Wedding Themed Songs of Praise Service

February is the month when traditionally we celebrate Valentine’s Day on 14th February. So what better month in which to hold a special Songs of Praise service with a wedding theme! The service will take place on Sunday 27 February @ 6.30pm.

Cake & Prosecco

We will be inviting couples who have been married in our joint parishes over the last few years , and also couples planning to be married this year. But everyone from the village is very welcome to attend and enjoy cake and prosecco at the end of the service!

As part of the service, it would be lovely to display a selection of photos from people’s weddings, so if you have a wedding photo you would like to share, please contact Jo, our church administrator , or Rev Heather (contact details on page 2).

Do you have a special anniversary this year?

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St Mary’s New Year Resolutions Edition

Revd Heather Wilcox starts by discussing New Year Resolutions; there is also an appreciation of Jo Jeffery and thank you for Advent Windows. It also, of course, has the usual listings of services and contacts.

New Year Message from Revd Heather Wilcox

New Year resolutions, I suspect that at some point in our lives, we have all made them.

As a new year dawns, we wake up determined that somehow this year we will make better choices. Maybe we want to lose weight or exercise more, learn a new hobby, or find ways of connecting with our friends more effectively throughout the year and not just with the annual Christmas card and round robin letter.

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To Fence or Not to Fence Survey Results

The Results of the “Fence or Not to Fence” Survey Are Now In

Before Christmas, the Parish Council posted this survey on the hub. It posed a questions about fencing in the children’s playground on the Lorkin Daniell Field. Whilst the results show a clear support for fencing in the playground, this is only one of several ideas that the Parish Council will consider in the New Year.

The question posed was:

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St Mary’s Advent Trail 2021 Video

Christmas Services Update

One of the Advent Trail windows
One of the Advent Trail Windows

Before we get to the trail video, there are some changes to St Mary’s services on Christmas Eve. The Crib Service at 3 pm will now take place outside in the church yard (so wrap up warmly). The 6.45 pm Carol Service will be socially distanced in the Church and also on Zoom. For Zoom details, please contact the church office on [email protected].

Advent Trail

The West Bergholt Village Advent Windows returned for 2021! A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered to decorate a window featuring a scene from the nativity story.

The first window was revealed on Wednesday 8th December with a window each day until Monday 20th December.

Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year from everyone at St. Mary’s Church.

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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.

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Advent Calendar for 2021

Some pictures from last years advent calendar

Will you help with an Advent Calendar for 2021?

Last year’s Giant Advent Calendar windows trail was so successful St Mary’s thought they would do it again for 2021! The idea is for 24 windows around the village to be decorated with a scene from the Christmas story, with 1 new window being revealed each day in December, up until Christmas Eve.

The video below shows the amazing designs people created last year (speakers on):

How to help

If you would like your house or business to be part of this year’s calendar, please contact [email protected] by Thursday 25 November. You can use an upstairs or downstairs window, as long as it is visible from the road.

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Planning for Festival Field 2022

Festival Field 2022 – Our Next Village Fete

Festival Field is 2022's Village Fete

Festival Field 2022 is the working title for next year’s Village Fete. Planned to take place on 4th June 2022 it will be closely linked to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations with the beacon lighting on 2nd June. Planning started in September with a group of parish councillors and members of the public sharing ideas. Their outline plans for Festival Field include:

Sports

Sporting plans so far include:

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From Digs to Jumbo – Local History Talks

The past & future of the Jumbo

The Balkerne Water Tower aka Jumbo

The next Local History Group meeting focuses on Colchester’s Victorian water tower, Jumbo. Andrew Crayston, a Trustee of the Colchester & North East Essex Building Preservation Trust, will lead the talk. You will hear about the past & future of the Balkerne water tower, affectionately referred to as Jumbo. There are some useful links below to find out more about Jumbo.
UPDATE: read the meeting report here.

Where & When

The meeting will take place on November 10th in Orpen Hall starting at 7:30 pm. Members & non-members are welcome for £2 and £5 respectively (membership £10 per year). Please email the group at [email protected] if you want to attend; the group will then be able to keep you informed if there are any last minute changes to the meeting.

Roman discoveries at 2 recent digs

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