ROY PREDDY FUNERAL DIRECTORS 2 Cossham Street, Mangotsfield BS16 9EN (0117) 9562834
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Focal Point, January 2015 ROY PREDDY FUNERAL DIRECTORS 2 Cossham Street, Mangotsfield BS16 9EN (0117) 9562834 We are at your service 24 hours a day We will help and guide you every step of the way We will guide you through our choice of funeral plans We can help and advise you choose a memorial We are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors Our other Bristol businesses can similarly help you - Roy Preddy - Kingswood (0117) 9446051 TB & H Pendock - Hambrook (0117) 9566774 Stenner & Hill - Shirehampton (0117) 9823188 R. Davies & Son - Westbury-on-Trym (0117) 9628954 R. Davies & Son - Horfield (0117) 9424039 R. Davies & Son - Bishopsworth (0117) 9641133 Whitchurch FS - Whitchurch (01275) 833441 Part of Dignity Ltd, a British Company 1 Focal Point, January 2017 2 Focal Point, January 2017 We can offer various sizes of adverts in Focal Point to suit your needs. Contact the editor on 932 5037 or email [email protected] 3 Focal Point, January 2017 4 Focal Point, January 2017 5 Focal Point, January 2017 6 Focal Point, January 2017 Oldland Common Post Office & Mace 171-173 High Street Tel: 0117 932 3159 [email protected] Open from 7am, seven days a week NEWSPAPERS, GROCERIES, PHOTOCOPYING, CARDS & STATIONERY, OFF LICENCE, DRY CLEANING SERVICE, SCRATCHCARDS, NEW-STYLE MAIN POST OFFICE @oldlandpostoffice @oldlandpo www.oldlandpostoffice.co.uk 7 FocalS M Point, Wilkins January 2017Electrical Services FREE QUOTES COMPETITIVE RATES FULLY INSURED SIX-YEAR WARRANTY OVER 20 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE Testing & inspection Extra sockets/lights Landlord certs (EICR) Cooker/shower installation Fault finding/repairs Smoke alarms Mobile: 0771 218 9118 Email: [email protected] 8 Focal Point, January 2017 From the editor appy New Year! Being more organised is one of my resolutions and I hope the list of cut-out-and-keep H contacts inside will be useful. The clearance of the old mill site in Bitton, above, in advance of house building, is a major talking point as the centre of our village already looks so very different. House builder Linden and demolition team Wring have agreed to give three industrial columns and the weighbridge from the site to the village and it is hoped that a fine heritage feature will be created. We’ll keep you posted. Best wishes, Becky contact FOR ALL INQUIRIES CONTACT THE EDITOR Becky Feather Phone: 0117 932 5037 Email: [email protected] Website: www.stmarysbitton.org.uk 9 Focal Point, January 2017 Churches and services UPTON CHEYNEY URC Elder: Muriel Williams Minister: Meryl White 0117 961 6843 0775 914 6645 Sunday services are at 3pm January 8 Service led by Jill Hireson January 15 Service led by Meryl White January 22 Service led by Janet Hawkins January 29 Service led by Michelle Bates Coffee afternoon will be on Tuesday 22nd at 2pm ST MARY’S CHURCH Vicar: Rev Jeremy Andrew The Vicarage Warmley 0117 967 2724 Ordained minister: Rev Richard Humphrey Splinters Kenilworth Drive Willsbridge 0117 949 0502 10 Focal Point, January 2017 Lay ministers: Churchwardens: Ken Gibson, 8 Church Road, Barbara Merritt, Bitton 32 Bath Road, Bitton 0117 932 2122 0117 932 3926 David Bailey, Westover, Jacqui Harris, Bath Road, Bitton 29 St Anne's Drive, Wick 0117 932 8949 0117 937 4706 Mid-week events from January to Ash Wednesday A card with all the details will be available in church from the beginning of the year but highlights include: Wednesday Morning Group on 11th and 25th January and 8th and 22nd February. Wednesday and Thursday evening groups will be looking at how Christianity effects all parts of life. Celtic Communion followed by coffee and cake in the Lady Chapel at 9.30am on Friday 27th January. Benefice Prayer meeting at 7pm on Tuesday 3rd January at the Vicarage and a Benefice Prayer Breakfast at 9am on Saturday 21st January at Syston Church Hall. From the parish register 23rd November 2nd December Funeral Funeral Doris Watt Marigold Bulford 11 Focal Point, January 2017 Lay minister’s message oy! Am I glad 2016 is over, it has been a horrible year for me. First came the vote to leave the EU, then came B the election of Donald Trump and if that wasn’t enough, I became an Old Age Pensioner! Becoming a pensioner, I can deal with. After all, age is only a number and I promise I will not stay at home because it is dark. However, the other two are a bit different but in one way very similar. Both votes were more a vote of anger against the perceived elite. As a consequence, both the United States and the UK are divided nations. The UK is tearing itself to pieces; Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU, England and Wales voted to leave. We have lost our sense of British ‘fair play’, we have become anti-immigrant, anti-refugee and hostile to our European neighbours. Families have become fractured because of it, I know one 16-year-old who will not see or speak to her grandfather because he voted to leave the EU. That is extreme, I know, but it does go to show how our country has become divided and that the young people feel let down by the Older Generation. And on top of all that, the number of racist incidents has quadrupled since the vote to leave. In the apartment block where my daughter lives, a Polish family had a note put on their door telling them to “pack your bags, go home, we don’t want you here”. For a country which fought to free the world from Fascism, this behaviour devalues the courage and heroism of those who fought so valiantly to defeat Hitler. We have just celebrated Christmas, when God sent his son Jesus to be our Saviour. Christmas is a time of hope, it is about all the good things in life. It is about our families and our friends and most of all it is about love. Christmas should remind us that there is no place in Christianity for division. 12 Focal Point, January 2017 Remember, Jesus himself was a refugee when the Holy Family fled Bethlehem before Herod slaughtered the infants. It does not matter to Jesus which country we come from, which language we speak, what religion we are, what colour we are or what sexuality we are. We are all his people and he loves all of us. We need to remind ourselves that in our churches of St Mary, St Anne and St Barnabas, we are not leavers or remainers, we are people, God’s people. And as God’s people, we will make all welcome in our churches. The Polish gentleman who uses St Barnabas as a place he can come to pray can continue to come safe in the knowledge that he is welcome in our church and welcomed into the community. Our benefice must be a beacon of hope to all and our watchwords should be: One Christ, One church, One people. Let us all wish for a peaceful New Year and may God bless us all. John Sibley CHRISTINGLE SERVICE Sunday 8th January at St Mary’s at 10.30am Candles fill the church for this historic service which has been revived by The Children's Society 13 Focal Point, January 2017 Services at St Mary’s in January Sunday, 1st January 10.30am: Parish Communion for New Year’s Day, including John Wesley’s covenant prayer Sunday, 8th January 8am: Holy Communion 10.30am: Christingle Family Service, followed by lunch at Avon Valley Railway Sunday, 15th January 10.30am: Morning Worship Sunday, 22nd January 8am: Holy Communion 9.30am: Family Café Church Friday, 27th January 9.30am: Celtic Communion Sunday, 29th January 10.30am: Benefice Communion at St Mary’s, followed by a bring and share lunch FAMILY CAFÉ CHURCH First Birthday Party Sunday 22nd January at 9.30am Yes, Family Café Church is a year old - come and join the celebration! 14 Focal Point, January 2017 St Mary’s Matters hanks to everyone who worked so hard to make T the church and services held there ‘special’ over the Christmas period. We hope you all had a lovely time and that St Mary’s played a part in the enjoyment. On 8th January we will enjoy our Christingle service. Christingle is inspired by The Children’s Society, one of the charities which we support, and they Barbara Merritt supply the candles which decorate the oranges which are so kindly donated by Asda. It is a lovely service – the gloomy January weather lit up with the shining Christingles. On 22nd January it’s the Family Café Church service, celebrating its first year. Do remember that we are all ‘family’, not just young children, although we try to make the service particularly attractive to young families. And everyone can partake of bacon sandwiches, fresh fruit, toast, tea, coffee and an uplifting service at the same time. Don’t forget the 5th Sunday on 29th January is the Benefice Communion at St Mary’s followed by a bring and share lunch. And if you enjoy lunching in company, we are meeting for lunch after the Christingle Service at Avon Valley Railway so contact Pete Midgley on 932 6898 to book your place. Jacqui and I wish all our readers a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Barbara Merritt Churchwarden 15 Focal Point, January 2017 ST MARY’S FloweR RoTA 2017 If you would like to join me for coffee at St Mary’s on Saturday 14th January at 10am, we can arrange the rota for the coming year.