From the Rector The Straight after the joyful celebration of love on St Valentine’s Day, we are plunged into the season of Lent, beginning on Ash V O I C E Wednesday (Wednesday 18 February). This can be seen as a rather dark and dreary period, the time for giving up all the OF SOUTH LAFFORD enjoyable things of life, like chocolate or bacon sandwiches or fish and chips! But for the Christian it should be a positive time of prepara‐ tion for Holy Week and Easter, the season when we remem‐ ber Jesus’ death on the cross and his victorious rising again to destroy the forces of darkness, death and evil. We can see February/March 2015 Lent as a journey, a journey of deepening our discipleship. Issue No. 124 for and from the communities of The Diocese of Lincoln’s vision for 2015 as the Year of Disci‐ Aswarby Aunsby Scott Willoughby pleship means that we are trying to develop our rhythm of Dembleby Folkingham Spanby Newton Osbournby Swarby life, which is about loving God and loving our neighbour. We Pickworth Crofton Threekingham know that we are sinners and we fall short frequently. But if Laughton Haceby Walcot Lent means that we do one thing each day for our relation‐ ship with God and one thing for our neighbour, we can start to make the world a better place, filled with more joy and hope. May you enjoy Lent this year! With every blessing, Revd Nick Happy Valentine’s Day! St Valentine’s Day is a very odd festival. There were actually two St Valentines. Both of them lived in the third century. One was a Christian priest who was scourged and executed outside Rome on the so‐called Flaminian Way, the main road north, after a life of teaching and healing. The other was a Bishop of Terni, sixty miles further north on the same road, who was imprisoned and beheaded in his own city. Neither of these seem to have much to do with love and lovers. But the festival coincided with an ancient Roman festival called the Lupercalia, in which boys supposedly drew the names of girls out of a box – although this is almost certainly a modern fabrication. We do know that the festival was in honour of the pagan god Lupercus, god of shepherds. The priests of Lupercus wore goat‐skins and whipped young women, supposedly to make them fertile. Christians probably wanted to celebrate at the same time – though not, of course, in the same way! And the English poet Chaucer suggested that the festival came about because birds mated on 14 February. Whatever the truth is, it is good to celebrate love, lovers and friendship of every kind. You are specially welcome to join us for our services on Sunday 15 February, our celebration of love for St Valentine’s Day. For God always wants to bring people together in love and trust. Revd Nick Munday, Rector 1 At a service at Newton recently, Rollo Granger (aged 10) read a wonderful poem/prayer he had written at school, and it had a profound effect on those present. Always Forgive If people did not forgive each other, Be kind and compassionate, There would be no world, One to another, No happiness, Forgiving each other, No heaven. Just as in Jesus Christ forgave you. Just chaos, May everyone have the courage to say sorry, Like a meteorite hitting earth head on. And to forgive each other, Treat your neighbour, Just like the English and the Germans did after Like you would like him to treat you. the war, Forgiveness will always be true. By Rollo Granger. So always forgive. BACK TO CONCEPTION I went to the Care Home last Saturday On our first day at work we’d retire To visit my mother‐in‐law And be given a brand new gold clock She sat in the lounge with the residents From then on we’d get younger and younger In a recliner not far from the door And start dancing the old Roll and Rock They were watching a flat‐screen television Much later we’d be students and children Well that’s what I thought at first glance And toddlers and babies in arms But when I looked round at their faces What follows ignites the imagination I could see they were all in a trance Which sperm won which egg with its charms? You just had to feel for them sitting there Just think what might happen when all that is done Their reward for just being old We’d go to the back of beyond I pictured my own birth certificate Right back to the very beginning And shivered a bit and felt cold When we all lived as one in a pond Perhaps we should start off being buried And as for the peaceful recliners Or cremated or mummified at source My word what would they have to say? We could then have a drink at our funeral By starting their lives at the end – so to speak And everyone shake hands with the corpse They’d be ruling the country – Hooray!! [David E Anderson 2015] SONGS OF PRAISE In Folkingham Village Hall Sunday, 22nd February, at 3 pm Wherever you live in the Parish of South Lafford, we would be delighted if you would come and join us. There will be tea and cakes after the service 2 BETTY’S MEMORIAL BENCH A VERY BIG THANK YOU. Thank you so much for your support in For our Pop In Christmas Fair this year a the fundraising for a Memorial Bench great many people in Folkingham gave for Betty Timmerhues. It started well a huge response to my request for cakes with the cake stall at Pop‐in’s Christ‐ for the cake stall. I had explained that mas Fair donating all their proceeds. this year it had been decided that the Generous donations from Good Companions’ Club, funds raised would go toward raising money to pay Pop‐in Club, Craft Group, staff at the 5 Bells and for a bench, to be placed outside the Village hall, in individuals have made it possible for me to order the memory of a lovely lady, called Betty Timmerhues, bench which will be sited outside the Village Hall in who I believe was instrumental in raising funds when the Spring – probably April. Any monies left over will the hall was originally built. I was completely over‐ go to the Village Hall Fund which is what Betty would whelmed by the number of cakes and biscuits I re‐ have wanted. She worked tirelessly with many others ceived that day and would very much like to use this to help fundraise for it to be built. opportunity to thank all of those generous and kind Many Thanks. people who turned up on the day with their gifts. Eileen Dorr & co‐helpers Within a couple of hours everything was sold and we had raised £110.00 toward the bench. So, p.s. Betty was a founder member of the Good Com‐ to everyone who helped that day, can I please say, panions’ Club in the 1960’s when membership was thank you so, so much ‐ you are just great ! 20‐30. Now sadly we are down to 8! Anyone out June Lark there willing to join us and keep the club afloat? We meet in the Village Hall alternate Wednesday after‐ OSBOURNBY 50:50 CLUB noons 2‐4pm for bingo, table games, refreshments and a good old gossip. Very many thanks to all those who joined in the monthly draw of the 50:50 Club last year. A total of £575 was donated to the Village Church to help with SALES OF CARDS AND NOTELETS the upkeep and running costs. A similar amount was I would like to thank everybody, yet again, for their shared by 30 lucky winners. We will be restarting the support in purchasing greeting cards for the church draw again in March, and hope that you will join in funds. As usual we made a good profit of £1,015. again and continue with your numbers. Thank you I would like to thank Alan Morris and Malcolm Ward‐ once again. law for the notelets they produce from their original The Churchwardens. paintings and Linda Hourigann, Val Power and Janice for helping me make the cards. CAROLS IN THE SQUARE Over the last few years we have made a total of Many thanks to everyone who made The Carols in £4,350 for the fabric fund of St. Andrew’s Church, The Square once again a huge success: the carollers, Folkingham. We will start again in April on the 1st the band, the helpers, John & Yvonne and the Saturday of each month so please support us as usual weather! £230, yes £230, has been sent to Sleaford once again in order to maintain our beautiful church. Corps of the Salvation Army Anita Wardlaw Bill Power POP‐IN UPDATE We Welcome 2015 with its frosty dawns and sunny days (at least at the time of writing!) Our Christmas Lunch on December 15th was a huge success again. Turkey, veg. and trimmings, followed by a choice of desserts plus coffee, chocolates and mince pies were much appreciated by our 70 members and friends. Carol singing from the South Lafford Choir was very well received after the meal. Thanks to everyone who helped to ensure this annual highlight went smoothly. Between Christmas and New Year members sat down to a lunch of cottage pie followed by locally‐made desserts.