Colne Engaine Parish Magazine February 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
For everyone Colne Engaine who loves here Parish Magazine PRODUCED BY VOLUNTEERS AND DELIVERED FREE EVERY MONTH February 2016 TO THE 400 HOUSEHOLDS IN THE PARISH OF COLNE ENGAINE COLNE ENGAINE PARISH MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2016 EDITORIAL THE PARISHES Editor: Michael Estcourt Colne Engaine, Earls Colne and White Colne 2 Brickhouse Road, CO6 2HL parishes are cared for by the Team Vicar Tel/Fax: 01787 220049 and Team Curate. To arrange Baptisms, [email protected] Weddings, Funerals, other services or All copy should be sent to Michael. use of the Church contact: Advertising: Terry Hawthorn Team Vicar: The Reverend Peter Allen 6 High Croft, CO6 2HE. T: 01787 223140 St Andrew’s Rectory, 5 Shut Lane, Earls Colne [email protected] T: 01787 220347 [email protected] All advertising should be sent to Terry. Associate Priest: The Reverend Hugh Mothersole Design: Juliet Townsend Curate Halstead Area Team, 10 Park Lane, 14 Oddcroft, CO6 2ET. T: 01787 222459. Earls Colne CO6 2RJ T: 01787 222211 [email protected] M: 07803 699268 [email protected] PARISH COUNCIL Church Warden: Mr Desmond Shine, 4 Brickhouse Road CO6 2HL Parish Clerk: Terry Rootsey T: 01787 223378 [email protected] 3 Box Mill Cottages, Box Mill Lane, PCC Secretary: Mrs Rita Prior Halstead, CO9 2DR. 21 Church Street, Colne Engaine CO6 2EX T: 07946 096331 T: 01787 223867 [email protected] [email protected] ADVERTISING Our monthly magazine (double issues 1/4 Page 62 x 88mm £10 / £50 pa in July/August and December/January) 1/2 Page 128 x 88mm £17 / £75 pa is delivered free of charge to all 400 Full Page 128 x 180mm £20 or £100 pa households in Colne Engaine Cheques payable to Colne Engaine PCC. and Countess Cross. TO OUR READERS Please remember to mention this magazine if you answer any of the advertisements. We welcome advertising in our magazine, the income from which helps to cover production costs. This does not imply any endorsement or approval of the products and services mentioned in the advertising. FOR THE FEBRUARY ISSUE PLEASE PROVIDE SUBMISSIONS BY 4TH FEBRUARY 2016 Please provide Editorial in Word and Advertising as .jpg file Colne Engaine Parish Magazine February 2016 / 3 WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR Mary is a nature-loving 20-something university student who has lived in Colne Engaine her whole life. Outside of term times, she can often be seen careering down narrow country lanes in her running gear, however unsuitable the weather conditions. She is always happy to give a cheery wave and a disproportionately loud ‘good morning’ if you see her. She works in the village shop on weekends when she is not at College. Many months ago I discovered that she enjoyed writing and I encouraged her to write something for the magazine. Her first article appears on page 49. Pretty good for a first effort! The Parish Council have been making a considerable effort recently to encourage residents of the village to make their views known and to come up with ideas to improve our environment. I would encourage you all to fill in and return the village survey on page 21. While on this subject the Parish Council are encouraging residents to become Safety Volunteers; details of which appear on pages 16 and 17. Congratulations to Julie Sarti and her excellent team of teachers for their outstanding local authority report following on from a very good OFSTED report. We are so lucky to have such an excellent Primary School in our village. I was just thinking the other day whether I would still be keeping up with my New Year’s resolution by the beginning of February. I suppose most of us will have forgotten what we resolved, but it is worth spending a minute or two thinking back to those early days in January when we felt we could keep up with our resolution. Do you remember and are you still doing it? You will have noticed by now that excavations are taking place in the recreation ground. Construction of a new War Memorial has started after nearly two years of fund raising. Dom Casey, well known for his acting performances in the Dramatic Society, is building the structure which should be finished some time in February, weather permitting. A dedication service will take place at 1100 hours on Saturday 7th May 2016 to which all the village is welcome. Please put this date into your diaries. I am always amazed when a new initiative comes to fruition. The Christmas Tree Festival was a wonderful success. The church was transformed with about twenty seven Christmas trees all decorated in different ways. See page 27 for a view of the winners and well done to Ginny Jeggo and Alison McKeown who have both been leading lights in leading Junior Church over the last couple of years. Finally, have a go at the Prose and Poetry competition; details of which are on page 9. Valentine’s day is only a couple of weeks away. Have you thought what it means to your loved one? Michael Estcourt, Editor [email protected] 4 www.colne-engaine.org.uk LETTER FROM THE TEAM VICAR: REV PETER I wonder what the season of Lent means to you? It wouldn’t be a surprise if for most of us it meant a time to give up something. Denial and Lent just seem to go together for most of us. The danger with this is that we end up making Lent about us and what we do. Another way of approaching Lent is to see it as a time when we seek to empty ourselves in order to allow God to fill us and transform us. This is something we would do well to aspire to all year round. However Lent can act as a time to rediscover this enabling it to become a regular part of our lives. The word ‘Lent’ is taken from the old English word for spring which heralds the lengthening of days after winter. These days are days of transformation in the natural world about us something which during Lent we can mirror in our own lives both inner and outer. The early Christians focussed on three areas of life to help them empty themselves and create the right conditions for their transformation by the Holy Spirit. These were prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer is not primarily about us getting what we want from God. Rather, it is about us strengthening our connection to and relationship with God. Contemplation upon God, his word, his presence, his goodness, and his teaching creates in us the mind of Christ by which we better understand the real purpose of life and creation. Time given over to prayer, may be of the quiet more reflective type during Lent, is never wasted time. Such prayer lets the Spirit of God into our lives to bring about the kind of transformation he alone can do, truly a miracle occurring in us. Fasting, or giving up something such as chocolate or alcohol during Lent is not without its benefits for us but regulating such things in our lives should be normal practise if we value our bodies and our long-term health. Fasting during Lent is about denying ourselves in order to acknowledge God as sufficient for us. This may consist of a denying ourselves a meal a week, or having just bread and water one day a week depending on what our health requirements sensibly allow. We could give away the money saved from these fasts too. This leads us naturally to the third element of Lent, Almsgiving. When through prayer we create space in our lives for God to transform us, fast in order to acknowledge God’s all sufficiency, we can become more aware that God’s love extends to all people. In giving money, time, or our material goods to others in need we live this out and reflect the very nature of God through our actions. In addition we can discover liberation from some of those things which is never a bad thing. However you decide to mark Lent this year, it is important that it is done in faith and expectancy of the activity of God the Holy Spirit in you and through you. In using the three elements of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we also keep the centuries old Christian tradition practised by those who have travelled this season before us. Every blessing for you and those you love, Peter Colne Engaine Parish Magazine February 2016 / 5 PRAYER FOR THE PARISHES Every Thursday 9am – 9.30am. 4th 9am – 9.30am Earls Colne at 5 Shut Lane 11th 9am – 9.30am 12 Brook St Colne Engaine 18th 9am – 9.30am Earls Colne at 5 Shut Lane 25th 9am – 9.30am 12 Brook St Colne Engaine SEEKERS The Bible Reading Fellowship group is now called Seekers. We’re all ‘seekers’ - no-one has all the answers! If you’d like to join us on our Christian journey you’d be very welcome at our next meeting… Seekers Thursday 18th February at 98 High Street, Earls Colne Future dates: Thursday 18th March at 19 Church Stree, Colne Engaine Thursday 21st April at 20 Hayhouse Road, Earls Colne All meetings start at 10am and finish at 11.30am. SACRED SPACE Every Thursday 2.15-2.45pm at St Andrew’s Church, Earls Colne. FROM THE REGISTERS YOGA th Funeral of Jean Wishart 10 December GENTLE & MODERATE CLASSES Three Counties (Halstead) IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME For people of all ages who prefer slow, gentle yoga PASTORAL CARE For those recovering from injury or illness Would you or a friend like a visit from a For seniors with desire to become stronger member of our pastoral care team? Individually prepared yoga practice classes Mrs.