Upton St
Leonards Church News
December
2007
December
Diary
2. SUN. ADVENT SUNDAY.
Holy Communion
Advent Communion for
All
Evening Service
3. MON. Upton W.I. Village Hall
5. WED. Ladies Group meet at Hucclecote.
8. SAT. Christmas Fair, Village Hall.
9. SUN. SECOND SUNDAY of ADVENT.
Holy Communion
Advent Communion for All
10. MON. Twyver W.I. Village Hall.
11. TUES. Chipmunks Christmas Service
13. THURS. M.U.Holy Communion
16. SUN. THIRD SUNDAY of ADVENT.
Holy Communion
Advent Communion for
All.
Evening
Service
"Christmas
Spectacular" Village Hall 7.30.p.m.
20. THURS. Get-together Christmas
Lunch.
Coach leaves Village Hall 12
Blue Christmas Service
22. SAT. Nativity Rehearsal.
23. SUN. FOURTH SUNDAY in ADVENT.
Holy Communion
Advent Communion and
Nativity Play for All.
Candlelight
Carol Service
24. MON. Christingle and Crib Service 3.00 and 5.00p.m.
25. TUES. CHRISTMAS DAY.
Holy
Communion
Christmas Celebration
Communion for All
26. WED. ST. STEPHEN.
27. THURS.
28. FRI. HOLY INNOCENTS.
30. SUN. FIRST SUNDAY of CHRISTMAS.
ONE SERVICE SUNDAY.
Holy Communion for
All.
Contributions
for the January 2008 edition of Church News should reach Mrs. Rumsey, 16 Perry
Orchard by 10th December please.
December
Christmas is fast approaching again and as always at
St Leonards we have an exciting range of Services and hope to see everyone
joining us to celebrate this Happy Season.
Advent is the time of preparation for
Christmas picking and buying presents, preparing the food, writing and sending
the Christmas Cards ~ and at St Leonards from Advent Sunday ~ December 2nd our 11
am Services will be a chance to have some fun and reflect on these very themes
~ God and the Argos Catalogue, on December 9th, God and the Turkey, and on
December 16th God and the Christmas Cards. As always the Fourth Sunday of
Advent, December 23rd, will include our spectacular Nativity Play with all the
children of the area welcome to come along and take part ~ Rehearsal 10 am
Saturday 22nd.
We will also be taking part in the Diocese of
Gloucester's Experience Christmas initiative and (subject to finding Volunteers
to sit in the Church) I am hoping that
the Church will be open for some part of every day of Advent, for Daily Prayer
and Reflection. As an aid to reflection on the Christmas Story we are preparing
Six interactive 'Stations' for Advent.
Come along to all or some of our Special Advent
Services to help prepare yourself for a wonderful Christmas Celebration
Although Christmas is a happy time of the
year for most of us it is also a time which can be tinged with sadness for
those who have lost a loved one in recent years; a time when we, perhaps miss
them more acutely. Once more we will be holding a special "Blue
Christmas" Service of Prayer and Reflection, and lighting Candles, acknowledging
this extra sadness we sometimes feel at this time. This will be on Thursday
20th December at
Our Christmas celebrations will be started with our
Candlelit Carol Service on Sunday 23rd December at
Christmas Eve we have our two Christingle
Services at
Sunday 30th December will be a One Service
Sunday with just one Service at
Throughout both Advent and Christmas our special
'Guess the time the Magi will arrive' will be taking place ~ don't forget to
bring along your £1 to enter (remember the prize money is £75!) with the time
being revealed at our special Service to mark the Epiphany on Sunday January
6th at the 10 am Service which will finish off our Christmas Celebrations with
the last of the Mince Pies (for those who can face them!)
Everyone at St Leonards wishes you all a
very Merry Christmas and
God's every blessing for a Happy New Year!
Paul
If
you would appreciate a visit from the Parish Priest or someone from the Church
please let us know, either in person at one of the Services, in writing to The
Rectory, 12 Bondend Road, Upton St Leonards, GL4 8AG or by phone (01452 627828)
or e-mail: rev_leckey@blueyonder.co.uk
From the Churchwardens:
Christmas
season is here – not having experienced a real summer it seems like it only
seems like a few months ago it was here.
I
hope that you and your families are able to attend some, if not all, of the
Services planned for this advent season at St Leonards. It promises to be an
exciting time.
We
are looking out for some extra sidespeople for the Sunday
Traditionally
you and a partner will be asked to perform these duties one Sunday a month and
asked if you could arrive about half an hour before the service starts to
assist in setting the church in readiness for the service.
Please
feel free to ask an existing sidesperson, Churchwarden or Deputy Churchwarden
for more information.
Following
on from the October and November articles, the flood damaged oil powered hot
air furnace in the Church cellar is due to be replaced, hopefully before
Christmas. To date we have contacted 7 companies, some have not returned our
calls and one did not even turn up at the Church when they agreed to meet us to
inspect and survey the unit – luckily it was a nice day to spend time waiting
in the sun enjoying the peace of the church yard. At the time of writing we
have had one quote for the replacement and an appointment with another company
for the first week in November. The cost of replacing the unit is really
expensive as it is not a domestic boiler that you may find in some homes. The
one quote we have already is well into 5 figures once VAT is taken into
account.
We,
as a Church, are very lucky that we are suitably and comprehensively insured
through Ecclesiastical Insurance – a major local employer. They have been very
kind and gracious to cover the replacement installation and have not quibbled
over the issue. The only thing they need is for more than one quote as it is
such an expensive job to do. We are very grateful to them for their assistance
and cover. If any of you wish to have a recommended insurer then they are top
of our list!
Many
of you may be aware that the heating system was not actually that old and was
installed about 10 years ago. This means that the manufacturer is still in
business and still making this unit – or a later model. I have been assured
that with some minor cosmetic or mechanical changes it means that it should be
easy to adjust any new unit to our requirements. Once the quotes are processed
by the insurers, we have been assured that it should only take 4-6 weeks at the
most from getting the go-a-head to installation.
Please,
in the meantime, continue to be patient and dress appropriately for the weather
when you come to Church. We are doing all in our power to get the issue
resolved before the onset of the really cold weather but as mentioned we are
being hampered in the progress of getting the job done.
On a lighter note, Reverend O'Flannagan dies due to
old age. Upon entering St.Peter's gate, there is another man in front, waiting
to go into heaven. St. Peter asks the man, "What is your name what did you
accomplish during your life?". The man responds "My name is Joe
Cohen, and I was a
Take
care and keep well and healthy,
Don’t forget to check out
the Upton St Leonards Parish Church Website at www.uptonstleonardschurch.co.uk
for more information about things happening at the Church and links to sites of
interest.
All comments or thoughts on
its contents are appreciated.
Upton St
Leonards Flower
Committee
The President and the
members of the Flower Show Committee wish you a Happy and Joyful Christmas
and a Prosperous New
Year
A note for your diary:
The next flower show
is to be held on
The Pavilion Lounge
Do you need a room for a
meeting, an adults’ or children’s party, an activity group?
Hire the Pavilion Lounge.
It can take up to 50 people.
Ample parking. There is a
kitchen.
For rates and bookings
call Andy Russell, 610002
The Pavilion is owned and managed by the
Parish Council
How do I
make a Christingle?
1. Take an orange,
and cut a small cross in the top.
2. Either fasten a piece of red rib-bon using sticky tape or red
insulating tape around the middle of the orange. In either case allow
sufficient overlap.
3. Place
a 3" square of silver foil over the cut in the orange then take a votive
candle, place it on top of the foil and then push both, in one movement, into
the cut, until the candle is firmly wedged in the orange.
4. Load
four cocktail sticks with a selection of nuts (monkey nuts in. shells are
perfect), raisins, sultanas, cherries or soft sweets (e.g. Dolly Mixtures or
Jelly Tots) and insert into orange, evenly near the base of the candle.
5. To
keep your completed Christingles upright ask your local greengrocer for some
pre-formed fruit trays, borrow polystyrene plant pot trays or alternatively
take a thin slice off the bottom of each orange to form a flat surface.
It is advisable to make up the Christingles within two days
of the Celebration.
Advent and Christmas
Services and Events:
Sunday December 2nd
Advent Sunday 11 am
Advent Communion for All
"God and the
Sunday December 9th
Second Sunday of
Advent 11 am Advent Communion for All
"God and the Christmas
Sunday December 16th
Third Sunday of
Advent 11 am Advent Communion for All
"God and the Christmas Cards"
”Christmas Spectacular”
in the Village Hall. To raise funds for the Church’s Flowers, Art and History Exhibition
in May
Thursday December 20th
A Service of Prayers and Reflection to remember those we miss at Christmas
Saturday 22nd
December
10 am Nativity
Rehearsal.
A Chance to play a part in the greatest story ever told
Sunday December 23rd
Fourth Sunday of
Advent 11 am Advent Communion for All
Nativity Play for all
Monday 24th December
Tuesday 25th December
8 am Communion Service
11 am Christmas Celebration Communion for all with thanksgiving for the
Presents we have received and the Greatest Gift of all!
Sunday 30th December
One Service Sunday
11 am Communion for all in the Christmas Season
Sunday 6th January
The Feast of the Epiphany (Old Christmas Day)
11 am Communion for all with a Celebration of the arrival of the Magi
STOP THE CLOCK
Each year
the Magi (Wise Men) arrive in
Leonards in time for the Epiphany
(Old Christmas Day).
Last year they arrived at 11.51.
What time do you
think they will arrive this year?
Once again we
have sealed a watch in a box and
that watch will
stop at the precise time that the
Magi arrive at St Leonards.
Have a go and see if you can guess
what time that will be. £1 a go,
as many guesses as you like.
Prize £75.
The box will be opened and the
winner revealed at the
on
Tower Flood Lighting
Sponsorship
Details
December
During the month
of December the lights are being sponsored as follows:
·
Ian Crowe has sponsored the lights for the month of December to mark the
40th Wedding Anniversary of he and his wife, Stephanie.
·
On Monday 3rd December
in memory of our daughter and sister, Sarah Threlfall on what would have been
her 26th birthday.
Sponsored by David, Julie, Andrew and Stephen Threlfall.
·
On December 11th the lights are in memory of Iris on what
would have been her 90th birthday – Liz.
The
Tower lights will be celebrating their first anniversary on Christmas Eve.
May
I take this opportunity, on behalf of the PCC, to thank everyone who graciously
sponsored the lights during the past 12 months.
All
the sponsorship received has enabled the Church to continue lighting the Tower
during the early hours of the evenings.
Please
do continue to support the Church by sponsoring the lights for any occasion
that is important to you and your family.
If you would like to sponsor the Church Tower Flood
Lights then please contact
Please note that the deadline of the Church News is
the 10th of the preceding month.
We
are very proud of the view of the lit
MOTHERS
Wednesday 5th
December –
Ladies Group join with members of
Hucclecote Mothers Union at Hucclecote.
Thursday 13th
December –
Afternoon Group meet for Holy Communion
followed by tea and mince pies.
Contact:
Afternoon Group –
Rachel Hall – 01452 610521
Ladies Group –
Olga Tucker – 01452 618649
CHIPMUNKS, TODDLERS AND BABIES
The Service will be on Tuesday 11th December at
HARVEST GOODS.
Thank you to everyone who donated goods for
harvest, and a very big thank you to the School and
The goods were packed by volunteers – many thanks
and distributed to the following organisations, who were extremely grateful
Letters of thanks have been received and
are on display in Church.
GEAR (Night Shelter)
GARAS (Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
EMMAUS (Needy people)
ST. KATHERINES CHURCH. Matson for Revd.
Jeni
Parsons "Elijah Cupboard."
FAMILY HAVEN (Refuge for families in B & B)
RACHEL HALL.
WANTED.
Christmas gifts for the children at Family Haven
for children up to 5 years suitably wrapped stating boy/girl and age.
Please leave them in Church or at Mrs. Rumseys
no later than 16th December.
THANK YOU.
RACHEL HALL.
POPPY DAY
APPEAL.
UPTON ST.
LEONARDS.
I would like to thank very
sincerely all those who knocked on doors, the School, Post Office, B.M.I. The Kings Head and the two Hotels for all
their help in this years collection. I
would especially like to thank Carol Harris and Sue Gardiner who, after
many years of collecting have
decided to call it a day.
Last years collection was £1, 133,
53, I hope we have done as well this year.
I am looking for help
next year for the following areas:
Rumsey Close, Whornes Orchard, Staites Orchard
and
help at Morrisons
Are you the one to offer to help
next year!!
THANKS AGAIN
JENNY CUNNINGHAM.
Tel. No: 615858
CHILDRENS SOCIETY
MICHAELMAS FAIR.
I would like to say a big thank you
to everyone who supported the recent Childrens Michaelmas Fair. I was able to take 5 large grocery hampers
and 7 'bath-time’ baskets. Thanks to those
who provided such lovely baskets they made such a difference to the 'look of the prize'. I am always amazed at the tremendous support
you give to the Children's Society. The
hampers and baskets are
very much appreciated and make up part of the prizes for the draw.
JENNY CUNNINGHAM
GET TOGETHER CLUB
Our Christmas lunch takes place at
Painswick Golf Club on THURSDAY 20th December. The coach leaves the Village
Hall at
Mrs. Rumsey and all
members of the Committee take this opportunity of thanking you all for your
support during a happy and successful year, and we all look forward to an
enjoyable 2008.
In the meantime a very
happy Christmas to you all, and good health and successful happenings in the
New Year.
MEG JAMES.
Upton St Leonards 35th Spring Show and
Rent-a-Craft Stall
Let us make this a really good year for entries!
Get those knitting needles clicking this winter for:-
ARTS & HANDICRAFTS
'A hand knitted item up to 4 ply'
'A hand knitted item in double knitting'
'A hand knitted item in fancy wool/yam'
-Show us your hidden talents' let us see what you have made.
'A crocheted item'
'A picture (handicraft)'
'A picture (art)'
Make sure you have your house plants
in ‘tip top' condition and have
planted some spring bulbs in any
container ready for entering.
Schedules will be available at the beginning of
February
from Marilyn Bannister Tel. 610670 or the village Post
Office.
For Craft Stall bookings contact Jackie Lord Tel.613240
The Mobile
Library will be in Upton St. Leonards on Monday 3rd and 17th
December at the Village Hall between
NUT HILL
Residents who walk regularly on Nut Hill will have
seen that there was an outbreak of vandalism at the end of the summer. Two of
the
specimen trees which we planted were
destroyed and the heavy wooden enclosures broken up to make bonfires in the
open area next to one of the bunkers. The fires were always in the same corner
of this area, and I believe that the intention was to damage the brickwork sufficiently
to enable a break-in to the bunker itself - the entrance having been sealed off
a year or two ago.
The Woodland Trust's local representative
has been to see the damage, and I hope that the damaged area can be sealed off.
The trees
should be replaced during the winter. The
many small hazel trees we planted in 2001 are growing well, so much so that
there may need
to be some thinning in a while. The hill
was grazed by cattle this year, and if this can be done regularly we may see an
increase of wild flowers.
We look forward to seeing many of you
walking on the hill next year.
CHARLES GARSTANG.
BIRCHALL MEMORIAL
INSTITUTE
December attractions
Saturday 1st
THE JAMES & LARGEY
DUO
Acoustic Tribute Night
Saturday 15th
SENIOR CITIZENS
CHRISTMAS PARTY
JOAN WINTERS
Entertains
Monday 31st
NEW YEARS EVE
SHERRIE
Female Vocalist - A
Mix of Music for Young & Old
ROSE & CAM
ALL THE STAFF
&
THE BMI COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
WISH EVERYONE AND
HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND
A HAPPY NEW YEAR
Bonfire Night Winners
Thank you to every one who came to the annual
Fireworks and Bonfire evening, on November 5th at the Village Hall.
And a special thank you to Mr Paul Mount, whose
company Mount International Ultrasound Services Ltd very generously
sponsored the sweets used in the games and also the
Stratford Family, for donating the bunny.
The prize winners of the three games were :
Name the Bunny was won by Alex Tatham.
Number of Sweets in the Jar was won by Alisha McGurk.
Find the Treasure was won by Lauren Bartlett.
The Committee
would like to thank all the helpers, both outside and inside, who worked very
hard to make the evening such a success. A substantial sum was raised and it
will be used towards the upkeep and improvement of the hall.
We would also like to thank the regular
users of the hall, who very kindly allowed us take over their meeting times.
Without their co-operation the event would not have
been able to take place.
The Village Hall Social Committee
Our Speaker, Elena
Dickinson gave us a fascinating insight into the 'Willow Trust', now in its
17th season and to date has given hope and delight to 114,000 people with
special needs and disabilities. Its
patron Lady Apsley and administrator,
Liz Rowland head a list of volunteers who operate between April-October each
year. 2005 saw the 100,000 guest on
board, some feat for a voluntary group based in Cirencester.
It all began in 1989 when
Jeremy Hope from the Forest of Dean, wanting to do something saw a lady on T.V.
setting up a charitable trust, so
he did just that. Built on Merseyside 1990 the first boat named
'Spirit of Freedom' in a Radio Gloucestershire competition with money raised by
the Lions Club, began work in 1991 with 1 Skipper and 10 helpers. Spirit of
Freedom II came in 1993 with a new full time Skipper and 95 volunteer helpers
all trained as the Coastguard Agency sets the rules. The Leonard Matchan Trust funded at great
cost boat number 3 named after him and built at Saul Junction in 2003. Launched
by Commander of H.M.S.Gloucester and blessed by the Archdeacon of Cheltenham.
The latter 2 boats (the 1st was sold
off) are striking in their red and dark green paint attracting many admirers as
they cruise along the canal. Fund
raising is necessary to keep them in pristine condition. Designed specifically
for wheelchairs, with hoists, bathroom facilities and large viewing windows
groups from special schools and residential homes are all invited to cruise at no
expense. Keith Hadley, senior Skipper
joined Elena saying how beneficial
the boat trips are to everyone, people travel long distances to join them,
averaging 30 each trip.
a fun day out enjoyed by
everyone, using picnic sites travelling south. Saul W.I. ladies, not to be
outdone have packed 1,501 lunches and 175
afternoon teas. A warm
round of applause was followed by a vote of thanks from Kathy Quant.
Business was brief as
Judy, our President, welcomed Sue Wilson our Denman Rep, and all members to the
meeting. Our festive Christmas
crafts were on sale and
will also be at our next meeting. Members were reminded of the Carol Concert at
5th December
Our next meeting on Monday
3rd December at
decorated soap. Everyone
is very welcome to join us on this fun, festive evening.
KATHY QUANT.
Upton St Leonards
Playgroup
The Christmas Fair
&
Nearly New Toy &
Book
Upton St. Leonards
Village Hall