The Anglican / Methodist CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY Aylestone Park, Leicester
JUNE NEWSLETTER 2020
CAVENDISH ROAD – RICHMOND ROAD CORNER – LE2 7PL
If you need a Priest or Minister
Rev Edson Dube, 70 Gartree Road, Leicester, LE2 2FW 0116 2706263 [email protected] Day off – Monday
Rev Ivan Bennett, 102 Dumbleton Avenue, Rowley Fields, Leicester, LE3 2EH 0116 2239730 or 07772587232 [email protected] Day off – Tuesday & Wednesday
Church 07821 436129 www.nativityleicester.org.uk www.facebook.com/nativityLeicester [email protected]
Thank you everyone who contributed to this edition of the Newsletter.
Editions of the newsletter can be viewed on Nativity’s website and on the Facebook page.
Items for the July/August Newsletter should be given to Stephanie Eggleston not later than
Sunday June 21st.
Alternatively, you may email Stephanie: [email protected]
- 2 - Rev Edson Dube writes…
An encouragement to the Body of Christ
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
I rejoice with you in celebrating the Lord’s goodness and blessing to us as a church and thankful for your spiritual maturity. We praise God for the life and fellowship of our congregation and the witness we have been in our area. We have many connections by family and marriage who enjoyed fellowship and worship in the Church of the Nativity and are grateful for these ties that bind our hearts together in Christian love.
The Covid19 pandemic has caused disruptions to our church activities as well as devastation and fear. We have reasons to be concerned and asked to take all the precautions. One thing we all have and always will have is the knowledge that God is Sovereign, that Jesus Christ has secured an eternal future for us, and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. It is at times like this that we should remind ourselves of Lamentation 3:22 ‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail’. We worship a risen Saviour, Jesus Christ our righteousness and redemption. Let us therefore pray for mercy and trust in his total care. He has conquered all and reigns over all.
Psalm 92: 12 – 14
‘The righteous will flourish like palm trees, They will grow like cedars of Lebanon. They are like trees planted in the house of the Lord, That flourish in the Temple of our God, That still bear fruit in old age and are always green and strong’.
As this is my last contribution for this Church Newsletter, I would like to thank all our readers for the constructive feedbacks and prayers that I have received from you in the past few years, I will always be grateful for your love and care for me and my family during my ministry with you. May the Lord grant you peace, blessings and may he lead, guide and prosper you in the future.
With Christian Greetings
Rev’d Edson Dube - Minister for The Church of the Nativity - 3 - Birthday Celebration
On Sunday 26th April a lady who lives opposite our house was 80 so her family asked the whole road to come out onto the front of the houses and sing happy birthday to her.
Unfortunately, Trudy has MND and needs care at least 3 times a day and her family could not meet to celebrate her birthday because of the lock down situation so this was the next best thing they could do.
The family put a letter through all of our doors on Friday so we knew it was happening and then on Sunday afternoon the 2 care workers went up and down the road knocking doors to ask people to come out. The family had put up decorations all over the front of the bungalow, balloons, bunting and a poster with a really good picture of Trudy on it.
We did not realise so many people lived in our road and the atmosphere was great especially with the sun shining. Everyone was talking (at a safe distant) and sharing what we were all doing in lockdown.
Trudy has an electric wheel chair and the carers took her up and down the middle of the road; we all clapped and sang happy birthday twice. The family had a collection for Loros which was well supported and raised £540.
Peter and Margaret
Midland Hotel
A planning application has been submitted to Leicester City Council to change the former Midland Hotel Public House on the corner of Knighton and Saffron Lane to a community centre. For further details, please see the Leicester City Council’s planning website and quote planning application no. 20200252.
Chris Garner - 4 - Keep calm and carry on gardening…
For those of you who have gardens I expect many of you will have spent a lot of time during the lockdown tending your gardens or just sitting and enjoying the lovely weather and listening to the birds. Gardening is well known for being beneficial to our physical and mental well-being. So that seems even more relevant and important than ever during these unprecedented and challenging times.
I class myself as a warm weather gardener and spend as much time as I can in my garden during the Spring and Summer, when the weather is good. The trouble with not gardening all year round is that it creates a lot of work in the Spring, digging, weeding, pruning etc, well worth it once it’s done. The rest of the time I ‘potter’, tidying up here and there, weeding and planting new plants. I don’t know about you, but I often buy plants without thinking where I’m going to put them or indeed whether there is a suitable spot to plant them. Most of them survive, but occasionally they don’t! it’s a case of trial and error!
Many people open up their gardens through the National Garden Scheme or locally - 5 - organised Open Garden events and I thought what better than to do a fund raiser for Nativity by opening up our gardens, (which should be looking absolutely fantastic with all the time we’ve had at home ), to church members, friends and family and raising much needed funds for Nativity.
Would you be willing to open your garden, perhaps just for a couple of hours sometime and share a cuppa and chat? Perhaps you have some plants or cakes you could sell too? We probably won’t be able to do it this year, but hopefully next year. Just a thought!
I took these photos recently to show the colour in my garden; this time of the year seems to be the time when the garden is at its best. Well, I think so! The top one on this page is a tree lavatera and it’s huge now. My neighbour gave it to me from his garden a few years ago. It was a 12- inch stick with a few leaves then and I left it in its tiny pot until last year when I thought it was looking a bit sorry for itself and better plant it. Look how it’s turned out in 12 months! Just goes to show that a bit of loving care and attention makes all the difference!
‘The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer to God in a garden Than anywhere else on earth.’
Stephanie
- 6 - Doing Time!
Well it’s been a busy old time here on Rutland Avenue, anyone would think that there was not a lockdown.
We have, for some years been negotiating (or pestering) a neighbour who wanted to keep bees in our garden. It has taken about 3 years before we have got the stage that we are the proud hosts of 2 very fine hives (no bees yet). Of course, we could not let 2 identical structures sit in our garden without names, hey the bees might forget which hive they belong too!! So, with firm agreement they have been named ‘Balmoral Castle’ and ‘Sandringham House’ (because a Queen will live in each), the signs have arrived and we just need to attach them.
Another surprise for me was seeing a painting online of our garden by none other than Glenis Heath (this is where she will get a bit
- 7 - embarrassed). What a delight to see 2 paintings both based on our garden in an online exhibition – http://www.leicestersocietyofartists.co.uk/events/2020/lsa-inspired-may- online-exhibition-2020.php
Images 14 and 15 (image 16 is another of Glen’s Paintings). Both Mark and I were blown away by the painting of ‘The Seat – The Canal Garden’. Our grateful thanks to Glen for such amazing work from her many days sat in our garden. Both images are copyright reserved
Every Sunday @ 1pm The residents of the Avenue have an Album to play that has been chosen by another resident with a reason why they chose it, this has proved to be very popular. So far we have had:
Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis, Bob Marley – Legend Mamma Mia! Here we go again So the music is very varied. Most Tuesdays you have to option to do “The Quiz” @ 7pm via Zoom.
ON VE day we had planned to have an afternoon tea with each house baking a cake, putting on a table outside at 3pm for neighbours to help themselves. Our cake was based on Nigella’s Chocolate Guiness Cake baked by Mark (he likes to vary the recipe).
Unfortunately, we had some drama where our Avenue was closed off after a nasty road collision between a 6-year-old and a car on Aylestone Road. The boy was very lucky and suffered some breaks but is now back in the LRI after being flown to the QMC.
So, with the Avenue closed, no traffic in or out. Do we cancel or carry on? We decided to carry on and moved all the tables together (social distancing taken into account) and sat in a wide semi-circle in the road. We had music, games and rain, but it was enjoyed by all and even got some of the shy ones out to meet everyone.
P.S. We decided as a group to buy the boy a card and toy to help with his recovery. - 8 - Sundays have been a bit strange with Mark in the garden (weather permitting) taking part in St Nicholas’s service via Zoom (apparently it is very popular) and myself in differing rooms to listen to Holy Trinity on YouTube.
Zoom as you can gather is an increasing part of our lives to the extent that my Book Club meeting was a complete success.
My cycling continues and I have tried to do 30 miles a week or more, last Saturday we cycled to Loughborough and back (a mere 32 miles).
My personal trainer has finally started at the Fire Service College on his journey to become a Firefighter. Hard to believe he has been my training mentor for about 7 years – that time has led us to be very good friends.
Keep safe everyone and I will see you soon.
Tony
- 9 - Five tips for attracting bees to your garden
Create diverse plantings - Aim for a good variety of pollen-rich flowers that have different flower shapes and a range of flowering periods from early spring to late summer and even throughout the winter if you can. Bumblebee species have different length tongues that are adapted to feed from different shaped flowers. In general, avoid plants with double or multi- petalled flowers. Their flowers are filled with petals and pollinators find them difficult to access. The flowers also often lack nectar and pollen.
Plant wildflowers and native species - Native plants have evolved alongside our native insects and some rarer species tend to favour native wildflowers. There are other benefits to wildflowers too. They can be easy to grow and maintain. They are also relatively resistant to pests. Some trees and shrubs are also great for bees as they provide masses of flowers in one place. Choose winter and early spring flowering trees such as apple, wild cherry, willow and hazel.
Don’t use pesticides - Common insecticides containing neonicotinoids (thiacloprid and acetamiprid) kill bees! They are still approved for home and garden use and are available today at most garden centres and DIY shops. Read the label and please avoid using them.
Make a bee house - Create insect houses in your garden to provide nesting sites for solitary bees and insects. Different bee species require different habitats. You can make your own simple bee house or you can buy a commercially-made bee house. Fix bee boxes in a south-facing spot but not in direct sunlight. Also make sure the entrance points downwards so that rain doesn’t get in.
Retain lawn weeds - Lawn weeds such as dandelions are excellent bee plants, providing vital pollen early in the season. White clover attracts masses of honeybees, while the longer tongued bumblebees prefer red clover. If you can’t bear to let your lawn grow, consider leaving a patch that’s less frequently mown to give them a chance to flower.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust offers great advice for bee- friendly gardening.
- 10 - Types of bee in the UK: how to tell the difference - There are more than 250 species of bee in the UK. Bumblebees, mason bees and mining bees - these are just one small part of a big and beautiful family.
Bumblebees - There are 24 species of bumblebee in the UK. They are a social species, nesting in colonies ranging from a few dozen to several hundred bees.
Tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) - Easily identified by their ginger thorax, black abdomen and white tail, tree bumblebees are one of our most common species. They are also the species most likely to colonise nest boxes and are found in habitats ranging from woodland to gardens. Some of their favourite flowers include rhododendrons, brambles and comfrey.
Red-tailed bumblebee - Female red-tailed bumblebees are jet black with a bright red or red-orange tail, while males have not only a yellow- haired head and collar but also a weak yellow midriff-band. These bees do well in a variety of habits including woodland, urban sites, gardens and wildflower-rich grassland; anywhere they can find thistles, bird’s- foot trefoil, buddleia and the rest of their favourite flowers.
White-tailed bumblebee - These bumblebees have a bright yellow collar, a yellow abdomen band and a bright white tail. They look very similar to buff-tailed bumblebees (which have a browner collar and an orange-tinted tail) and early bumblebees (much smaller with a bright orange or yellow-orange tail). White-tailed bumblebees can be found almost anywhere, feeding on flowers ranging from thistles and buddleia to brambles and scabious.
Common carder bee - These beautiful little bees are the only UK species with all-brown colouring and no white tail. They range from ginger to a pale, sandy brown, depending on how sun-bleached they are. Common carder bees are very common and are found everywhere from arable land to urban gardens. Gorse is a favourite food plant alongside things like dandelions, bluebells, dead-nettles, comfrey, selfheal and foxgloves.
Mason bee - If you have ever noticed clouds of bees buzzing about in front of brick walls, they are likely to be mason bees; a solitary species that nests in cavities in wood, hollow stems and walls. Mason bees look a little similar to some mining bee species but you can tell them apart by their boxy heads and large powerful jaws. - 11 - Red mason bee - The mason bee you are most likely to see is the red mason bee. Look out for a black head, brown thorax and orange abdomen and in females, a lot of fluff! You are likely to see red mason bees in built-up environments with plenty of gardens, churchyards and urban green space. They are the bee most likely to be tucked up in your bee hotel. Their food plants include fruit trees and oil-seed rape.
Mining bee - Spotted a hole in your lawn surrounded by a volcano of excavated earth? It is the work of a mining bee. This solitary species nests in the ground and is part of the Andrena genus; a 67-strong group of diverse bees ranging from 5-7mm long. There are two species you are most likely to see:
Tawny mining bee - There is no mistaking the tawny mining bee: a honeybee-sized ginger species with a thick orange coat and a black face. They feast on shrubs ranging from willow, hawthorn and blackthorn to fruit trees and maples. They also love gorging on dandelions. Tawny mining bees are found in a wide variety of habitats. From gardens to parks, if there is an area of light soil or a bare bank, you are likely to spot one.
Ashy mining bee - A stunning bee with a black and white colouring. Its ability to adapt to different habitats is impressive; the ashy mining bee can be found in heathland, moorland edges, open woodland, coastal grassland, cliffs and quarries. Some of the ashy mining bee favourite food plants include willow, blackthorn, gorse, buttercups and fruit trees.
Honey bee - There is just one species of honeybee in the UK. It is identified by its slim, sandy thorax and black abdomen with golden-amber bands. Honeybees have been domesticated for centuries and it is rare to find a truly wild colony. Our honeybees now mostly live in hives of up to 20,000 individuals, and are commonly found feeding on open flowers they can easily reach with their short tongues. Keep your eyes peeled around willows, orchard trees, oil-seed rape, raspberry flowers and other trees, herbs and shrubs.
Chris Garner - 12 - Houseplants make people happy
Researchers have discovered that more than half of British people say being around plants make the m happier. Plants have a positive impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Not good with plants? Try an aloe or a jade plant (crassula), or a mother-in-law’s tongue (sanseveria), all of which are easy to look after.
Chris Garner
Father’s Day Prayer
Lord, thank you for all fathers. For the new ones, who endure sleepless nights with infants in arms. For the busy ones, who juggle the pressures of home and family life. For the steadfast ones, who nurture and care for our special vulnerable children. For the patient ones, who always seek to forgive and engage with their pre-teens. For the persistent ones, who cleverly find new ways to connect with their mini-adults. For the father uncles, who step in to cradle and care for nieces and nephews. For all granddads, who love and support their precious grandchildren. For the foster dads that are called to gather and cover the fragile ones. For the Sunday dads who care for our children and lead them in faith. For the dads who give far beyond their own resources, who overcome disability to cherish and love. Thank you, Lord, for all our beautiful fathers. Help us to support them and keep them in our prayers. May you bless them now on this their special day. Amen.
- 13 - Opening of Places of Worship
The Bishop of Leicester has recently issued a statement regarding the opening of places of worship. ‘…It would appear that the government is particularly keen to lift the restriction on weddings in church buildings and they may well do this from early June. If weddings are allowed, it would still be for the Incumbent and PCC to decide if this can be done safely in your particular building given government guidance… We would still advise delaying weddings until later in the summer, with an understanding that even then, it is likely that only a very small number of guests will be able to attend.
…we also understand that the government is keen that places of worship should be available to individuals for private prayer, and again they may ask for this to happen from early June. They are clear that this is not public worship – that is definitely part of phase three and therefore July at the earliest. But it does mean that, rather like supermarkets, restricted numbers of people would be counted in and out of the building, and allowed time for private prayer, as long as appropriate health and safety measures are in place (e.g. hand sanitizer, frequent cleaning of the building etc.) Further guidance will be issued next week…’
- 14 - Family News for June
Birthdays - Many Happy Returns to
6th Ronnie Williams
Wedding Anniversaries - Congratulations to
12th Teresa & Graham Hayman
Out of Sight … … …
We send our prayers and greetings to all our friends who are unwell and in hospital.
Loving God, strengthen our innermost being with your love that bears all things, even the weight of this global pandemic, even the long haul of watching for symptoms, of patiently waiting for this to pass. Watching and waiting, keeping our gaze fixed on you, and looking out for our neighbours near and far.
Instil in our shaken souls the belief and hope that all things are possible with your creative love: for strangers to become friends; for science to source solutions; for resources to be generously shared so everyone, everywhere, may have what they need; for your perfect love that knows no borders may cast out any fear and selfishness that divides.
May your love that never ends be our comfort, strength and guide for the wellbeing of all and the glory of God. Amen.
Source: www.christianaid.org.uk
Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where others see nothing
- 15 - The Positives of Lockdown
- 16 -