Church & Parish News and Events in with No.238 DECEMBER 2020 - January 2021 10.30am Every Sunday: A Service of Communion 7.00pm Christmas Eve 10.00am Christmas Day Holy Communion Church building remains closed at other times. Thank you for your support. Our Vicar writes The Light Shines… Though the sun is shining as I write, and the sky is The light shines in the darkness and a beautiful blue, as we move into winter it will bring the darkness did not overcome it. shorter grey days and long dark nights. And ‘dark “The darkness did not overcome it” writes St John. night’ might just be the term to describe our current In some Bibles the end of that sentence is translated experience in terms of Coronavirus and the anxiety “has not understood it”. This is developed in St that comes with it. Anxiety because many have lost John’s gospel to point to the fact that not only did loved ones, lost employment and, of course, lost many people not understand Jesus but many also many of the freedoms that we once enjoyed. Not rejected him. And I imagine many people reject least meeting with family and friends. Jesus today and perhaps because they do not The Christian faith has a lot to say about ‘darkness’ understand him. They do not understand that Jesus understood as the difficulties and pain we face came not to judge or condemn but to enter our as human beings as we simply try to get on and pain and struggle, our ‘darkness’, so that in him live our lives as best we can. As we think of the and through him we might have joy and peace and Christmas story, it can’t have been easy for Mary as discover hope as we share his risen life. a very young, expectant mother, having to travel to All of which means that this Christmas, no matter Bethlehem for the census. And certainly not easy where we are, what we do or who we are with, we giving birth away from home, in harsh conditions, can still rejoice in the coming of God and the hope and having to lay her new born son in an animal that Christ brings to our lives and our world. (It feeding trough. Whether we speak of the beginning looks very likely that we might also be able to rejoice or the end of Jesus’ life we find ‘darkness’ but also a in a Coronavirus vaccine that seems to be well on its ‘light that shines in the darkness’ for all to see. way!) However, what St John understood and what I suppose no matter how we will be allowed to the Church proclaims in the birth, life, death and celebrate Christmas this year, alone or together with resurrection of Jesus, is that God shines his light to family and friends, Christmas is one of those times illuminate and brighten our lives and give us the that seem to bring together light and darkness like faith and hope to journey on. That’s because Jesus is no other. In spite of the lights that illuminate our the invitation of God to come close and discover in trees and our homes it is understood to be one of him a love that will never let us go. the ‘darkest’ times of the year. When we’re supposed Every Blessing to be happy and rejoicing we’re often weeping and mourning the people and things that we’ve lost: Peter we’re often remembering those whom we love but see no longer.

Team Vicar - Rev. Peter Hart telephone: 01543 579660 Editor & Churchwarden - Danny Briggs telephone: 01543 490114 email: [email protected] Parish Church website: www.achurchnearyou.com/armitage-st-john-the-baptist Village website: www.armitagewithhandsacre.co.uk December Services at St John the Baptist Armitage Once lock-down ends on December 2nd, I’m hoping would be a service of Holy Communion on Christmas that Churches will once again be open and church Eve at 7:00pm and a Holy Communion on Christmas services resume. Day at 10:00am (sadly without singing Christmas carols). Of course we will be guided by the restrictions That would mean services at 10:30am at St John the in place after lock-down. Have a peaceful and joyful Baptist Armitage from Sunday 6th. Because of ongoing Christmas. restrictions the only other services during December

Armitage With Handsacre W.I. As everyone is aware we are still unable to hold our meetings due to the covid restrictions. On the 11th of November Armistice Day Janet our president laid a wreath on behalf of all our members. It seems such a long time since we were Samaritan’s Purse UK all able to spend time together. Hopefully in the New Year we may manage to do Operation Christmas Child that. In the meantime we hope you have a Our supporters pack shoebox gifts each lovely Christmas and are able to spend this year to bring joy, love and hope to special time with family. children in need around the world. Keep well and safe and we will all look This year I think the best way to support forward to a better and brighter 2021. Samaritans Purse in their Christmas Shoebox appeal is to donate online. If you feel able to donate £20 either as an individual or a group then they will fill a shoebox for you. I would be happy to do this for anyone who doesn’t have internet access if you can let me have your donation. My telephone number is 01543 742668. The link for Samaritans Purse is https:// shoeboxonline.samaritans-purse.org.uk/ Thank you Viv Leyland. Handsacre Methodist Church DECEMBER 2020 & January 2021

We are sorry to have to share that We are learning from our sisters and Handsacre Methodist church will not brothers around the world who are be running any activities or planned dealing with a difficult and uncertain acts of worship until further notice in situation and we would ask that you accordance with government guidelines hold them in prayer, particularly those in response to the Coronavirus in affected areas. outbreak. We should not be afraid “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7.

MEETING POINT For more information : 01543 491704 VILLAGE FRIENDS : 01543 547270

Memories of Christmas Past This year celebration of Christmas will be so the end of my round and Mrs Nicholls welcomed me different from the ones we have known in the past. with great delight, ‘Cum in Giffit and hev a cup-a No Meeting Point Christmas Party, no Grab a Bag,no tae!’ I went in to their low ceilinged, dusky living Christmas dinner outings either in the Meeting room and took a chair. Doris aged around 45 who Room or at a local restaurant; no carol services and had learning difficulties kept talking whilst her congregational services of worship as we have known mother made a cup of stewed tea. The cup stood them .But then, most of us will have memories of on a cracked saucer . I took a gulp in between their past Christmases which will be very different the sentences, when Mrs Nicholls remarked, ‘The caat further we go back in time. fell down the well t,othar daey!’ I asked if they managed to get it out again. But ,’No. We tryied, but It was around 1960. In those days students down it wouldn’t git in the barkit.’ I don’t think I drank from college were enlisted to help deliver the vast any more of their tea. They didn’t mind, because I quantities of Christmas mail two weeks before had somehow made their day just by coming with a Christmas and even on Christmas Day. In the small card. village where I lived there was this need and Pip the postman gladly took me on because he knew It might be some time before we are all back to an I was used (like Grenville in ‘Open All Hours’ ) to immunised, sterilized Meeting Point, but make riding the grocer’s trade bike. Pip used to give me someone’s day by picking up the phone, or writing the far flung houses in isolated parts of the village an extra card to someone on their own. We wish you and one card was to be delivered to Mrs Nicholls and a happy and blessed Christmas. daughter Doris of Wooodlands’ farm cottage. Their GF only water supply was from a well and their only source of power was a coal fire and oil lamp. Twas Update from Handsacre Methodist Church Whilst our doors may sadly be shut for now, that Railings on a regular basis to brighten up the area does not mean we have stopped worshipping and to show our support for a range of causes. together or supporting our local community where Recently a beautiful spread of poppies was added we can. for Remembrance Sunday with the poppies being We meet via Zoom for worship every Sunday at made by the children at Hayes Meadow School. As we 4 p.m. and this act of worship can be found on move through to Advent and then Christmas there YouTube on the Handsacre Methodist Church page. are more additions planned. Have a walk past the You can find all our weekly services there dating railings by The Green, you might find bags of sweets back to mid-May! or other surprises there! Christmas services planned include a carol service Working with other groups, we helped to set up on December 20, which will include contributions Village Friends. The volunteers have been busy from across our Cannock Chase circuit of churches, providing much needed support with prescriptions, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. All shopping, various errands and friendly phone calls of these can be accessed at the Cannock Chase since the start of the first lockdown and we haven’t Methodists YouTube channel. stopped! Give us a call on 01543 547270 or email [email protected] We also run a weekly children’s Sunday club which is on Zoom every Sunday from 2-3 p.m. We learn if you wish to volunteer with us, or would like some stories from the Bible in a fun and interactive way, help. More information can be found on our website, including games and crafts. If you think your child https://handsacremethodist.org.uk/ would like to join, please contact Melody Jones on For regular updates on our activities, please like our 01543 491567. Facebook page. For fellowship and Bible study we also run an online We would like to wish all readers a Happy, if house group on Thursday evenings from 8-9.15 p.m. different, Christmas. Contact Melody Jones for more details. With our love and prayers Some of us have been decorating the Community Handsacre Methodist Church

The Old Peculiar Armitage Parish Please may I wish the regular participants of the Quizzes at The Old Council Meeting Peculiar Public House a Merry Christmas Thursday 28th January at 7.00pm. and a Happy New Year. This will be virtual, should any public We are hoping in the New Year things members wish to take part they would can get back to a more normal period need to email and are able to hold our popular Quiz [email protected] sessions once again. Kind regards for the link. Graham. Quiz Master Friends of Hayes Meadow Father Christmas Float 12th - 13th December 2020 The Friends of Hayes Meadow Santa Float On Sunday night the float will leave the will be touring the village again this year Village Hall at around 4.30pm and visit during the evenings of Saturday 12th and Armitage, including Shropshire Brook Sunday 13th December 2020. Road, Hazel Drive (stopping at the ends of cul-de-sacs), Peak Close (stopping We know that 2020 has been a difficult at the end of Yew Close), Copse Drive year for everyone so we wanted to make (stopping at the end of Shelley Close), sure that Christmas cheer was still spread Meadow Way, Lakeside View, Wordsworth throughout the village. Please keep an eye Close (stopping at the top of Elliot Close), on the Friends Of Hayes Meadow Facebook stopping at the end of Chase View and Page and listen out for the Christmas tunes Yeoman Way, Millmoor Avenue, stopping at that will let you know Santa’s Float is near! the end of Pike Lane before heading down Come out to give Santa a wave but due to to Rectory Lane, stopping at the end of the current Covid-19 pandemic the float Rectory Gardens. On to Upper Lodge Road, will be slightly different to previous years, Dawes Close, Chapel Road, Road as we will not be collecting money or (stopping at Simpsons Close), New Road, giving out sweets. Villiers Gardens, Far Lady Croft, Old Road and Ford Way. On Saturday we will visit the Hawkesyard Estate around 4.30pm Unfortunately the Santa Float is unable to and then move onto Handsacre starting drive into cul-de-sacs for safety reasons, so from Hayes Meadow School on to Spode if you live on such a road, please listen out Avenue, Tuppenhurst Lane, Harvey Road, for the music as the Float will park up near St Barbara’s Road, Poplars Road, Proctors the end of such roads for a few minutes for Road, Uttoxeter Road, Linford Close, Waters those who might wish to come down to Edge, Pinfold Drive, The Old Peculiar, see Father Christmas. Stables Court, Road, Boxer Close, Rowan Drive, Chestnut Close, Hill Top Please be aware this is subject to change Avenue, Handsacre Crescent, Warren Croft. in accordance with government guidance The float will stop at the end of Fair View on Coronavirus restrictions etc and routes before carrying on to Shropshire Brook may also be subject to change so please Road and Manor Court Drive, stopping at keep checking the Friends of Hayes the top of Millcroft Way before heading on Meadow Facebook page for up-to-date to Foxleigh Meadows. information. Our Village: Christmas 2020

December 2020 sees Armitage with Handsacre Both literature and films have benefited hugely standing at the end of a year, the like of which from Christmas. Some ‘silver-screen’ favourites has never been seen before. It is unique in which spring readily to mind are ‘Miracle on modern terms, resembling most closely the 34th Street’ with Edmund Gwenn in 1947 and plague years of former times. the remake later with Richard Attenborough. Other memorables are ‘Love Actually’ with an Few of us, if any, will be sorry to see it go – a all-star cast headed by Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy horrid year but one ending, as they invariably and Liam Neeson, and of course that seasonal do, at Christmas. Christmas – a time for favourite from 1946, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ millions around the globe of rejoicing, of with the unforgettable James Stewart. making merry, of celebrating with friends and family and remembering those no longer with Perhaps the greatest and best of all Christmas us. It is also, of course, a time of 21st century films however, started as a novella which retail overkill. Come December, millions of has spawned countless films and television us put ourselves into debt for the rest of the productions. I’m referring, of course, to year in the senseless, wholly unnecessary rush Dickens’s masterpiece ‘A Christmas Carol’. Of to put the latest must-have superbike or all- the many filmed versions of this timeless classic singing all-dancing phone or tablet under the the best, for many, is the one made in 1951 in tree for our children. Surely it is simply our b&w with Alistair Sim as the miserly Ebenezer love they need, not computer games, and bikes Scrooge. and scooters and all the other high priced 21st I can’t leave a piece about Christmas without century gadgets. a mention of that wonderful poem ‘Twas the The tree itself for instance: at a local garden Night Before Christmas’ also known as ‘The centre you can pay 200 – 300 pounds for an Night Before Christmas’ and ‘A Visit From St. extremely realistic but nevertheless plastic six Nicholas’. It was first published anonymously foot Christmas tree. Weighted down with in 1823 with authorship later claimed in 1837 bells, bows and coloured balls and rivalling the by the American poet Clement Clarke Moore. night sky with a 1000 softly twinkling lights, Both of the last two works have wonderful it looks fabulous in the corner of the lounge conclusions which I’ve pinched to end this on Christmas morning. But it isn’t Christmas. article: “God bless us, everyone” - Tiny Tim in Christmas is what we have in our hearts and it ‘A Christmas Carol’ and, from the celebrated shouldn’t just be there on 25th December but visit from St. Nicholas - “Happy Christmas to on every other morning of the year. all, and to all a good night”! The festival has changed as the years have gone Merry Christmas everyone and see you in by of course, like everything else. That festive 2021. six foot contraption from the garden centre Cliff Harris was originally the real thing, originating in Germany and called a ‘tannenbaum’. It was brought to our shores by the Victorians and rapidly became as indispensable to Christmas as the Christ child in the manger or the mince pie on the table. We must keep on protecting each other.