February 2010 HELLOA EVERYBODY! Welcome to February. BARNSaturday 27thDANC MARCH E Yes, in the Benefice, soon it will be Pantomime time; something to look forward to in what is quite often a dreary and depressing month. 8.00pm Fortunately, it only has 28 days. The Ancients of old knew a thing or The Pensford Memorial Hall two when they decided there should be only 28 days. with the fabulous foot tapping We have had the excitement, joys and sometimes sadness of Christmas and New Year. If New Year Resolutions were made, they could well have been broken by now. So what have we got to look forward to in ‘dreary old February’? On a personal note I am looking GYPSY’S KISS CEILIDH BAND forward to a big ‘O’ birthday – I am making sure my beloved does Bar/Raffl e not forget. OH YES, I AM! There is also Valentine’s Day and lots of you may be lucky and get a romantic card saying how wonderful you Tickets £8.00 (including buff et supper) are. Tickets available from Terry 01761 490426 or Geoff : 01761 490371 Apart from the Benefice Panto, what else is special about February? Well, on 2nd of the month we remember the Presentation of Christ AllAll pprocceedsrocceeds toto PensfordPensford MMemorialemorial HHallall RRoofoof AAppealppeal in the Temple when Mary and Joseph brought their new first born child to the Temple in thanksgiving. From this presentation came that DATE FOR YOUR DIARY most beautiful of songs, the Song of Simeon, ‘Lord, now lettest thou The Licensing Service for our new thy servant depart in peace’. The date also signals the end of the Rector, Revd Canon John Simpson, will Monday 1st February Christmas period and the looking forward to Lent and Easter. Like all be held at All Saints’ Church, Publow, mothers, I am sure Mary would have wondered what the future held on Tuesday, 23rd March, 2010 at 7pm. Roger Anderson for her child. If she had known, all her human instincts would have Please keep this date free and come Tall about Sarah Champion wanted to protect him from that future agony. I am sure all parents and join in this very important event in a Bristol Quaker (1745 - 1811) today who have lost a child whether it be, through war, accident, the life of the Benefice. violence or sickness can empathise with our Lord’s mother. Canon Simpson will take his first service Pensford Church Rooms on Sunday, 28th March, 2010. 8.00pm This is Palm Sunday and the Benefice However, we have to look forward, for I think that is what hope is Service will be at St. Mary’s, Compton On a bitterly cold Monday in early January about. We can look forward to the coming of our new Priest and the Dando at 9.30am. the hardiest (foolhardy??) of Pensford coming of Spring, which I think is the best time of year when all of Local History Group supporters heard nature springs into life, and of course the Benefice Panto. OH YES, CHRISTINGLE SERVICE from Eileen Jacques about the terrible WE CAN! A very well attended Christingle Service conditions suffered by the poor of Bristol on Christmas Eve was a good start to the in the 19th century slums of Old Market E.M festivities. We have forwarded £359.54 and St Philips. A graphic account of the to the Children’s Society in aid of their dirt, disease, overcrowding and poverty work, proceeds of the collection taken suffered by the thousands of men at this service. Thank you to everyone women and children who gravitated to for your generosity. Judith Hillman, Hon. Bristol to find work from the surrounding Local Secretary 01761 490324 countryside and beyond. From the Parish Register of All Saints’ From the Bishop - February 2010 ‘Keeping in touch’ Interment of Ashes for those familiar with it, I’m sure you’ll 31st December William Henry BABER agree that for good reason they have Gladys Amelia BABER persuaded me otherwise! 15th January Sarah Louise WALSH (nee Batten) You may wonder why this is the first time Burial in All Saints’ Churchyard that a bishop has offered a letter into 15th January Derek WOODFORD your parish or community magazine. As many of you know, the last edition Final Details - ARC Quiz Night 2010 Time2Share of Grapevine, the Diocesan Newspaper, We are now able to publish the final Supporting disabled children, young has now been published and we await details for our Spring 2010 Quiz Night people and their families the launch of a new journal later in 2010. at Cameley Lodge. So open your diaries www.time2share.org.uk What we don’t want to do is to lose touch and book the evening of Friday, 5th We at Time2Share would like to say with the great variety of Christian life March, 7.00 for 7.30pm. Tickets - £4.00 Thank You to everyone in Pensford who and witness that is going in the different per team member and £7.00 per head donated money at this years Mummers communities that make up this diverse for one of Cameley Lodge’s delicious Play. diocese. hot suppers. Please contact Bridget Time2Share is a small charity that has We want people to continue to be in Gracey ([email protected]), or been around since 1972, providing short touch with each other. Consequently, tel: 01275 472639 for more details and breaks to families with disabled children. through a monthly bishop’s letter, we’ll be to reserve a table for your team. Volunteers spend a couple of hours a I am not sure I would call myself a offering a thought or two to share in your week doing activities with the children Luddite when it comes to embracing parish publications and we’re working Avon Wildlife and young people. This gives parents, new technology, but I certainly don’t take with your editors to ensure they know Trust carers a chance to go out for dinner to it like a duck to water! However, with all about news, events and happenings Kathmandu and the with their partner or even just get some an eldest son now teaching in Cairo, a around the diocese. In return I hope shopping done and the young people a daughter living and working in London, you will keep us in touch with what you Annapurna Sanctuary chance to have otherwise limited social and a youngest son away at university are doing through your magazines or Alan talks about his adventures in Nepal, experiences. I have become more adept at using directly, so that we can continue to get a trekking in the Himalayas and visiting The £200 raised by you will be put emails and manipulating my fingers taste of the wonderful ways that God is Kathmandu, illustrated with wonderful towards an annual fun day that we to compose and send a text message enriching the life of our communities. pictures of the region. organise for our families and their on my mobile phone. It is a good way Peter Taunton Thursday 25th February 2010 by Alan volunteers. A chance to get out and of making sure that we can all keep in To share your news across the diocese, Gallop in Chew Magna Millennium Hall, meet other families who face similar touch with what’s happening in our lives you can contact Communications by 7.45pm. Visitors £2.50; members £2; challenges. This can make a great as a family, its joys and its sorrows. I phone on 01749 685111, by email at Season available. difference to parents who can often feel have also incidentally threatened to [email protected] or by quite isolated. Thank You again !! go on their ‘facebook’ as a friend, but post to the Old Deanery, Wells. CARING AT CHRISTMAS Who do you think you are? Thank you to everyone who contributed clothes and food which we took to TipsTips on researchingresearching your family history the Julian Trust for their work with the by John Lee homeless at Christmas. In addition, 7.30 pm the cash collection from the Midnight Service, which amounted to £196.96, TuesdayTuesday 9th February was also donated to this worthwhile Compton Dando Hall cause. Thank you again. Ann and Richard Hunt Everyone welcome Committed to curing arhritis Peter Handley - A all those who knew him. Thanksgiving Service Fundraising - The secondhand book was held at Bishop Sutton Methodist sale held at the Chew Valley Fruit Farm Church on Saturday 28th November in on 27th November proved again to be Chew Valley U3A has a monthly meeting TeatimeTeatime MMadnessadness memory of Peter Handley. The church very popular. A total of £134 was raised on the third Monday of the month at The Benefi ce After School Club was filled to overflowing with members and the committee would like to thank Ubley village hall. Meetings start at of Peter’s large family and with his many everyone who supported this event by 10:30 with refreshments beforehand. for primary school children friends. Peter was a very active member both buying and donating books. Special January saw the tenth Anniversary of Crafts & games : Snack tea Chew Valley U3A. The University of The of the community, and belonged to a thanks go to Julie Le Valliant for agreeing Music : Praise & bible story number of organizations in the area. to hold the sale in her busy shop, and Third Age began in France in 1972. The In the congregation were members of to Malcolm Mellish for finding space in first British U3A was set up in Cambridge those organizations, including the U3A, the dry for the books on a very damp in1982.