Colne Engaine Parish Magazine for All the People Who Live Here
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Colne Engaine Parish Magazine for all the people who live here February 2015 PRODUCED BY VOLUNTEERS AND DELIVERED FREE EVERY MONTH TO THE 400 HOUSEHOLDS IN THE PARISH OF COLNE ENGAINE COLNE ENGAINE PARISH MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2015 EDITORIAL THE PARISHES Editor: Michael Estcourt Earls Colne, White Colne and Colne 2 Brickhouse Road, CO6 2HL Engaine parishes are under the care of Tel/Fax: 01787 220049 our Team Vicar and arrangements for [email protected] Baptisms / Weddings / Funerals and All copy should be sent to Michael. other services or use of the Church Advertising: Terry Hawthorn should be made with; 6 High Croft, CO6 2HE. T: 01787 223140 Team Vicar: The Reverend Peter Allen [email protected] St Andrew’s Rectory, 5 Shut Lane, All advertising should be sent to Terry. Earls Colne Design: Juliet Townsend T: 01787 220347 14 Oddcroft, CO6 2ET. T: 01787 222459. [email protected] [email protected] Church Warden: Mr Desmond Shine 4 Brickhouse Road CO6 2HL PARISH COUNCIL T: 01787 223378 [email protected] Parish Clerk: Terry Rootsey Buntings Green Cottage, Halstead Road, PCC Secretary: Mrs Rita Prior Colne Engaine CO6 2JG. 21 Church Street, Colne Engaine CO6 2EX T: 01787 220200 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 MARCH ISSUE PLEASE PROVIDE SUBMISSIONS BY 4TH FEBRUARY 2015 Please provide Editorial in Word and Advertising as .jpg file Colne Engaine Parish Magazine February 2015 / 3 WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR Comings and Goings As we stood on the top of the church tower at 8 o’clock on the morning of Christmas Day, with the sun breaking through the light cloud over Earls Colne, Nigel Warwick and I reflected on the pleasure – for him relatively recent; for me for over 30 years (with time off in Dorset for good behaviour!) – of living in the peace and beauty of the Colne Valley. I’m writing this on the day of the terrorist attack in Paris, which seems a very long way from our small corner of eastern England. Nevertheless, we cannot afford to be insular about our relationship with the world about us. Colne Engaine has always been – in my experience – a vibrant and caring community, containing a broad mix of people who work both locally and in London; an equally broad range of ages and backgrounds; and a mixture of locally-born and in-coming residents. It is this variety that makes the village such an interesting place in which to live. In this issue Hannah Elkington writes about the English Oak tree. She composed her contribution immediately before giving birth to our youngest resident, Martha Rose, who arrived in the early hours of New Year’s Eve. We offer our congratulations to both Hannah and Dan. Joe Barnes, who died in early December, was the longest resident of the village, as you will gather from Cate Gunn’s article, having been born here 87 years ago. ‘Nobby’ Clarke, who died just before Christmas, was, at 100, our oldest resident: more of him in next month’s magazine. This is the first issue for many years not to contain an ad from Bone-Dry Carpets. Stephen Simper is retiring, and he and Sara will be moving to Bergerac in the near future. We wish them well in the sunshine of southern France, and thank them for their steadfast support of this magazine. On the other hand, new advertisers keep popping up, and Suzanne Giera is hoping to capitalise on her sinuous dancing at the Colne Review by starting classes shortly. It has been a real pleasure to step into Michael Estcourt’s shoes for a month whilst he enjoys a well-earned rest with his family in Barbados. The village is clearly going strong, as is this publication. Roll on 2015! Terry Hawthorn, Acting Editor 4 www.colne-engaine.org.uk LETTER FROM THE REVEREND PETER ALLEN I well remember as a child attending services on Ash Wednesday. and the impact the ceremony of ashing had on me as the large and mysterious Catholic priest solemnly advanced towards me with the bowl of ashes, and proceeded to mumble some words over me as he made a sign of the cross on my forehead in ashes. It was a ceremony that brought home to me my own mortality. Some may question such heavy burden being placed upon children so young, but on reflection even as a small child I can remember I had an awareness that life as I knew it would one day would come to end and I would be no more. Recognising and coming to terms with our own mortality is I suspect something we may begin to do at quite an early age and continue to do throughout the years of our life if we get the years to do that. Recognition of our mortality and that we return to dust is only one part of the message of the ashing ceremony which also includes the need to accept the sin that lurks within us which needs acknowledging. Traditionally what follows throughout Lent, the beginning of which is marked by Ash Wednesday and the imposition of ashes, is a season which in part is designed to give us space to reflect on our human frailties and our need of help with the problem of our sin and shortcomings before God. This may all sound very dark and to some outdated and just the kind of thing that turns people off the church, the thought that it keeps going on about sin all the time. However Lent does not encourage self-inspection in order to bring us to despair but is more about encouraging us to set aside time to recognise darkness in order that we may rejoice even more in the gift of light which dispels it. The self- inspection of Lent is not a destination but rather a passage on a journey that is heading towards the light of Easter which reveals to us God’s answer to our darkness, the risen Christ. Easter, our destination throughout Lent, offers us forgiveness, acceptance, renewal, security, opportunity of change and it shines like a beacon on a hill as we journey throughout Lent inviting us to walk towards it in humility and faith. It is partly because of our familiarity with the Easter message that it can sometimes lose its power to be as truly transforming and life changing as it ought to be. Journeying well through Lent can help us reclaim, or discover for the first time, the truly life transforming good news that is Easter is. The Church of England keeps these seasonal journeys and passages of time within its calendar as reminders of the foundations of the Christian faith which we do well to bring to mind again and again. However whilst we are communally reminded through the liturgical calendar we can also take the principles and message of Lent and Easter and make them part of our daily walk with God. We should carry within us something of the message of Lent and Colne Engaine Parish Magazine February 2015 / 5 Easter making a daily recognition of our own darkness and God’s glorious light. As with Lent itself such an awareness shouldn’t be seen as something that drives us to despair, but as a daily reminder of the goodness of God found in Christ who sets us free each day to walk in the Light of life. Every best wish, Peter PS We offer Rev Hugh Mothersole a warm welcome as he returns to his role as Team Curate in the Halstead Team Ministry after serving in North Hinkford as part of his curacy. Lent Groups: Magnificent Jesus In this Lent study guide, Wendy Virgo explores the rich images in John's Gospel which reveal Jesus as the magnificent Saviour who meets all our needs. We follow Jesus' ministry as His encounters with ordinary people unfold new aspects of His character: Evening Group: Mondays 7.30–9pm at Earls Colne Baptist Church, Halstead Road. Feb 23rd, March 2nd, March 9th March 16th, March 23rd If you wish to attend the daytime group contact Rev Peter Allen 01787 220347 or [email protected]. Each book will cost £5 and can be obtained from Peter or Hugh. Prayers for the Parishes Bible Reading Fellowship 9-9.30am Thursdays Group with Bible Study Thursday, 19th February at February 5th 20 Hayhouse Road, Earls Colne Church Hall, Brook St, Colne Engaine We would be delighted to welcome new faces. th Do give this friendly discussion group a try! February 12 Discussion is often triggered by the The Rectory, Shut Lane, Earls Colne readings from our Bible Reading Notes but it is not necessary to read these to February 19th join in and enjoy the discussions. We find these meetings help us to clarify what Church Hall, Brook St, Colne Engaine we believe (or don’t!), to discover that others February 26th have the same doubts, problems etc.