From the Registers

From the Registers Brandon Parish Magazine Wedding at St. John’s July-August 2015 27th June: Gary Simpson & Katie Pears St. John’s Church, Brandon St. Catherine’s Church, New Brancepeth Funeral at John’s: 5th June: Mary Pat Dye

Funeral at St. Catherine’s: 15th June: Margaret Turfrey

Funeral at Crematorium: 2nd June: Bryan Wind Events Prayer for our churches – 9.30 to 10.15 am Tues. 1st July, at St. John’s Sunday services St. John’s - 9.45 am Holy Eucharist St John’s, Brandon St. Catherine’s - 8:45 am Holy Eucharist Coffee Morning – 25th July from 10.30 am in St. John's Church 26th July - 6.00 pm Songs of Praise Fayre at Church – Sat 4th July from 12.00 noon Weekday services – followed by tea/coffee nd Fun Day – Sat. 22 Aug at the footballers club Brandon 12.00 noon Wed. 9.00 am St. John’s – Holy Eucharist Thurs. 9.30 am St. Catherine’s – Holy Eucharist th Quiet Day at Minsteracres: Saturday 18 July 10am - 4.30pm, Evening Service: Mon. 7.00 pm St. John’s – Holy Eucharist organised by Churches Together in DH7. … a chance for some peace and quiet in the lovely house and grounds of Minsteracres Monastery, Revd. Carl Peters, The Clergy House, Sawmill Lane, Brandon, near Hexham, with an opportunity to reflect on the theme of the day: Durham, DH7 8NS. Tel: 0191 6803875 ‘I have called you by name’. The cost will be approximately £18 pp. Other Contact Telephone Numbers Please bring a packed lunch. Hot and cold drinks will be provided. St. John’s: David (Churchwarden) – 3789718; Win-3781156: Contact Revd Rosemary Cox (0191 373 1359) [email protected] St. Catherine’s: Joe (Churchwarden) – 3739927; Liz-3731554 or David Gregory-Smith (0191 373 1554) Website http://www.brandonparish.org.uk/Welcome.htm email - [email protected] h ttps://www.facebook.com/StJohnTheEvangelistChurchBrandon https://www.facebook.com/StCatherinesChurchNewBrancepeth St. Catherine’s Church Renovation https://www.facebook.com/Stjohnschurchhallmeadowfield The decoration of the interior of the church started on 22nd June and although the service on Thursday 25th had to be cancelled, the Sunday services are not affected. Thanks to all who moved chairs and furniture out of and back into the church. The decorator will start on the exterior after the worship area has been done. The refurbishment of the vestry will follow soon. St. John’s Church Hall update A meeting is to be set up with DCC planners to discuss the pre planning application. The setting up of the Charity should be ready to be send to the charity commission. Three trustees are on the original application, any volunteers to be a trustee are welcome to apply to Lesley Baxter. A lease between the diocese (custodian trustees) the PCC and the new CIO is been drafted by the solicitors. If anyone has any memories of the old hall, photos and would like to tell their story for an idea for a book please contact Lesley Baxter 07846542035, [email protected] See Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Stjohnschurchhallmeadowfield Fundraising events - Saturday 4th July: Church Fayre for church and hall funds. Stalls, refreshments, card stall, cakes, plants, face-painting, glitter tattoos, bric-a-brac, tombola, raffle, ice cream van, bouncy castle. Any donations for tombola and cake stall appreciated. Saturday 22nd August Fun Day at the footballers club Brandon. North East pet party, candle making, sand art, bouncy castles (kids and big kids) tea cup rides , card stall, refreshments. 50p entrance includes the pets other activities chargeable. Tickets can be bought in advance from Lesley Baxter Friday 25th September: Band 'Six Nowt' at Meadowfield British legion, 7pm opens. 70's mod band and raffle. Tickets £3 from Lesley Baxter There were two bands, alternately playing each end of the central lawn with chairs and tables available if you managed to bag one. But I guess what you really want to know about is the food. We were given a little rectangular tray with a recess at one end for a cup of tea, iced coffee or apple juice, and we chose our food from the trays laid out: Finger sandwiches, no crusts of ham, egg and cress or cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese, dainty and mini-cakes, Battenberg, éclairs, Dundee fingers, Victoria sponge, chocolate squares, curd tarts, the smallest scones imaginable, and strawberry or raspberry tarts. The fruits on the little tarts were all exactly the same size and shade of red and I had a vision of someone deep in the palace kitchen measuring each one to see that it was exactly right. Also apparently during the afternoon waiters were mingling with the guests, giving out tubs of ice cream and dishes of strawberries and cream, but I never managed to be in the right place in the right time. I did get to see the Royal party by getting in the front of the passage that the Beefeaters were making through the crowd. HRH the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) and Sophie Duchess of Wessex were the Royals we knew would be attending, but two others were also there, but I have yet to discover who they were. After the royal party had left, we started heading back to the coach for the long journey home, arriving in Durham at 12.30 am. “Cliff, come and get me please!”

Has anyone else had an interesting experience? Or do you know of a friend who has? Please contact me and maybe we can get to know more of our congregations and friends

Please give any items or feedback on this magazine to David Gregory- Smith, 0191-373 1554 or [email protected] I was there! Margaret Gould Not all Destruction and Despair in Nepal “ Who would like to go to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace?” (From Sarah married to Nepali, Sulman) Silence! I explained the details of The Nepali nation, despite its despair since cost, travel, accommodation, etc. the two earthquakes, has pulled together. and I asked again. Silence! “OK Relief efforts by civilians have reached I’ll go” and I am glad I did. The villages untouched by aid agencies and occasion was to celebrate the have helped create a sense of purpose and Centenary of the Women’s pride. We joined a team to the remote Institute and each WI in the area of Sankhu. It had been reported that country was invited to send a the destruction there was vast and aid guest. significantly lacking, so gathering together bare essentials: food, water, You might realise dressing up and medicines and soap, we headed for the eastern hills hoping to help. looking elegant is not really my thing. But I did my best and thoroughly enjoyed my day. What we hadn’t acknowledged was the Nepali’s independence and self-sustainability. Already isolated and cut-off from the city, remote Inevitably with coachloads of ladies arriving at the same time, areas learn to strive without the modern amenities we consider queueing was unavoidable, but eventually I was security checked and essential. Tamang Gau, although completely destroyed, had been able allowed through the gates. Across the quadrangle, under the rain quickly to build temporary shelters reusing materials from collapsed canopy, up the red carpeted steps, through the front door and I was in. buildings. Food supplies had been rescued from the rubble along with Only to queue again, as the Royal party had arrived and we had to wait some medicines. Any bodies, either human or livestock, had been until they had made their royal progression through the crowd to the quickly and efficiently dealt with. The leader humbly requested a single royal tea-tent. sack of rice and medicines to treat diarrhoea and purify water. He Coming out onto the insisted they had no need for anything else. More incredible was the terrace looking onto the undeterred sense of hospitality; amidst all their loss, in the centre of gardens and looking their crumbled homes, we were welcomed with sweet tea and biscuits. down on all the bright Our return home passed through a settlement needing rice and lentils. clothes and hats was a Another leader took charge to sort and distribute all that we had given sight to remember. The equally between each family. Without greed or impatience, each sun was shining but the person calmly waited their turn to receive a small bundle, laughing and wind was very strong joking with neighbours and, of course, fascinated by the tall, white- and many lovely hats skinned girl in funny clothes. Our truck emptied, we re-joined traffic were giving problems. back to Kathmandu not with a sense of heroism but pride of the Many ladies had to do a matronly gallop to rescue those that escaped. striving strength of Nepalis through adversity. From our Priest year group, or up into the next school. Some of the children say they I have sometimes read a story in primary school assemblies, called ‘The are a bit nervous about this, because it is stepping into something new. Scrambled Egg Chef.’ The young chef is very good at making scrambled There is an element of the unknown when we step forward. However, egg on toast. He starts off making it at home for his family and then he all agree that if they stayed where they were, they wouldn’t learn so is so good he gets a job as a chef in a nobleman’s house. Here he much and their potential wouldn’t be realized. works in the big kitchen along with other chefs and the young man’s speciality is to Of course, this reminds us that we’re all on a journey in this life and we make scrambled egg on toast for the rich can rarely stay exactly where we are all the time. Many of us however, nobleman. don’t achieve what we might be able to because stepping forward is not easy. Either because we don’t have the means and opportunities One day the nobleman announces that he is going to hold a great or maybe because we don’t quite have the confidence to step into new banquet and this means of course there will be lots of different dishes territory. And new territory can be all sorts of things. Perhaps we being served up. Perhaps not much room for scrambled egg! The want to change the course our life seems to be on, or change our other chefs start to think of ideas as to what they might make for this lifestyle. But like the scrambled egg chef, what we already know and banquet: The starters, the main course, the dessert. This makes the the place we’re at seems safer. young scrambled egg chef think of what he might be able to do. And like the other chefs, he has some great ideas. The young man thinks God however calls us forward. He never tells us to stay exactly where creatively about what he could make for the feast. He certainly has we are, because God in Jesus calls us to follow him. Just like the some good ideas. But then he starts to think, ‘What if I make a disciples did. It might mean stepping into the unknown, but in order to mistake? What if things go wrong and my food is a disaster?’ be the people God wants us to be, the risk of leaving behind the old has to be taken. The day of the feast comes and whilst all the other chefs are busy preparing their various dishes in the kitchen, the young scrambled egg As Paul says in Romans 12: ‘Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of chef decides to sit this one out up in his room. The dishes the other this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing chefs make are a great success at the banquet. Their creativity and the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, sheer hard work paid off and they thus continue to progress in their which is good and pleasing and perfect.’ line of work. But the young man did not move forward. He just in And if we have the will to change in Christ but are still nervous as we effect stayed where he was and just continued making scrambled egg often are, then it’s always comforting to remember those words from on toast day after day after day. And what a shame, because he Psalm 119: ‘Your word is a lantern to my feet, and a light upon my actually had some good ideas and the potential to move forward as a path’. chef. He just didn’t have the confidence to actually make that step into something new. In Jesus we never make the journey forward on our own! As I go into the schools at the moment to do school assemblies, there Fr Carl Peters is a focus of the children moving on, either up to the next class and