St Chad's Church, Bagnall —Newsletter 04.06.17
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ST CHAD’S CHURCH, BAGNALL —NEWSLETTER 04.06.17 Whitsuntide: Between 1871 and 1978 the festival was marked by a UK bank holiday on Whit Monday, the day after Whit Sunday, before it was replaced by the current Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday of May. However, Pentecost Monday is still a public holiday in many European countries, such as France, Germany and Belgium. Within Christianity the day is still popular for baptisms, while some churches hold Whit Walks. Folk traditions such as cheese rolling and Morris dancing also have long-standing associations with Whit Sunday. It is believed that the name comes from Pentecost being a day for baptisms, when participants would dress in white. ‘Whitsun’ is also thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘wit’, meaning ‘understanding’, to celebrate the disciples being filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.. Pentecost or Whitsun is observed on the seventh Sunday after Easter. The word Pentecost has its roots in the Greek "pentekoste" meaning the fiftieth day after Easter. Whit Sunday commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament. The recent adoption of a Late Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May is an attempt to deal with the fact that Whitsuntide is a moveable feast dependent on the date of Easter. Although it is no longer necessarily at the church's Whitsuntide, the general public still refers to this holiday as "Whit Monday." A Bagnall Connection! Recently, I was lucky enough to attend a performance of `Messiah` at St Andrew`s Westlands, Newcastle-under-Lyme, as one of my pals from Hilderstone WI had invited me along. Her choir, the Barbara Walton Singers, was excellent. Afterwards, I was introduced to another Choir member, Rev. Irene Smith, Vicar of St.Mary & All Saints,Checkley. I discovered that she had been born in Bagnall, & was originally, Irene Docksey. Her father bought a farm later on in the late 50`s in Yoxall, & that was how we came to attend the same secondary school, The Friary School, in Lichfield. She left in 1961, whilst I joined in 1960! Well! As you can imagine, we spent a happy half hour discussing our teachers & their little ways! I passed on Anne Lewis`s excellent book, `Bagnall Memories` to her via our mutual friend, last week. She was delighted & tells me that she immediately recognised so many faces..including her 5 year old self, at Bagnall school, with pigtails & white ribbons. Another memory was evoked by a photo taken when, as a young teacher, she was asked to open the Bagnall Fete. She is pictured with her Mum & with the Rose Queen Parade; she clearly remembers being a Rose queen herself! I had told her that Bill Hassall had taken our Service, & Irene tells me that she certainly remembers `Billy` Hassall! So there we are, another `It`s a small world moment `for me. If you remember Irene, do let me know & I will pass on any messages for you. She really is a lovely lady & so well thought of in the area. Pat Saul Irene Doxey is the retiring queen on the left and I am the little flower girl in Mary Bloor’s retinue on the front row on the right. Irene was Rose queen in 1957-1958. Don’t forget..... The “Creative Corner” craft club meets on the 5th and 19th June at the Stafford Arms between 1pm & 3pm. Wednesday morning prayer, coffee and chat The study group on a Thursday between 7.30 and 9.00pm at church (NO meeting on 22nd June) June 19th—Social committee meeting at Julia’s—all welcome or let Kath have your ideas. June 24th—Bagnall fete - St Chad’s to provide refreshments and a cake stall. Windows to be decorated for “anniversaries” Leek Food Bank: St Chad’s Website: Don’t forget to check out Roger and Dorothy’s Urgently needed: our website: new address; www.stchadsbagnall.org Jam 5, Park Drive You can keep up to date Chocolate Werrington with all up and coming Packets of Mashed Potato Stoke on Trent diary dates and read St ST9 0ED Fruit Cordial Chad’s weekly newsletter. Coffee See photos and find loads Tel: 01782 920910 of contact numbers. Let us Tomato sauce know what you think. Toiletries Anniversaries: There are still plenty of spaces available for you to show off your talents in church on fete day. The theme is “anniversaries”. This can include anything, national, personal, local, whatever. You need to provide all your own materials, flowers, crafts etc etc. There is a notice in the porch for you to sign. Go on, get thinking and let’s show everyone what a talented lot we are and how beautiful our church is. Smiles: A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, and looked at the old pages as he turned them. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mummy, look what I found," the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked. With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered: "I think it's Adam's suit!" A preacher's little boy inquired, "Daddy, I notice every Sunday morning when you first come out to preach, you sit up on the platform and bow your head. What are you doing?" The father ex- plained, "I'm asking the Lord to give me a good sermon." , The little boy said, "Why doesn't he?" The Sunday School teacher, was telling his class the story of the Prodigal Son. Wishing to emphasize the resentful attitude of the elder brother, he laid stress on this part of the parable. After describing the rejoicing of the household over the return of the wayward son, the teacher spoke of one who, in the midst of the festivities, failed to share in the jubilant spirit of the occasion. "Can anybody in the class," he asked, "tell me who this was?" Nine year old Olivia had been listening sympathetically to the story. She waved her hand in the air. "I know!" she said beamingly. "It was the fatted calf." Last but not least: In a rash moment we went to Trentham SHEILA TIPPER on Wednesday, forgetting it was half term. We have annual tickets so got in quickly Telephone: 01782 534647 but when we left, about 12 noon, the queue was all the way up the high street. Email: [email protected] So glad we’re retired now!!!!! .