2 PRIEST in CHARGE – Revd Dr Naomi Wormell, The Rectory, 132 High Street, Cheveley, CB8 9DG 01638 730857 [email protected] AUTHORISED LAY MINISTERS (ALM) Tracy Grimster, 6 Walton Close, Fordham (Pastoral for Children, Families & Baptism) 01638 721150 READER-IN-TRAINING Dr Tony White, Wayside, Fordham Rd, Newmarket CB8 7AQ 01638 662044 CHURCHWARDENS Ashley with Silverley Mrs Sam Bowker-Laing 17, the Green Ashley CB8 9EB 07483 959722 [email protected] Mrs Michelle Boss 16 Silverley Way, Ashley CB8 9DY 07908 421918 [email protected] Cheveley Mr James Hadlow, St Swithins, Church Lane, Cheveley, CB8 9DJ 07908 224866 [email protected] Mrs Celia Bruce 34 Newmarket Road Cheveley CB8 9EQ 01638 731601 Kirtling with Upend Lord Fairhaven, Kirtling Tower, Kirtling CB8 9PA (pa) 01638 732250 Mrs Veronica Aspland, 35 The Street, Kirtling, CB8 9PB 01638 730405 Woodditton and Saxon Street Mrs Sheila Bailey, 3 Park Cottage, Kirtling Road, Woodditton 01638 730815 Mrs Gillian White, Wayside, Fordham Rd. Newmarket CB8 7AQ 01638 662044 ORGANIST - Vacancy GROUP WEB PAGE: www.cheveleygroup.org Items for inclusion in 'THE LINK' should be emailed to; [email protected] by the tenth (10th) day of the month before the month of publication. ~ ~ ~ Whilst every effort is made to exclude unsuitable material from this, a parish magazine, responsibility for content remains with the author of any submissions published This magazine is printed and published monthly by; THE LINK – Cheveley Group of Parish churches: Ashley, Cheveley, Kirtling and Woodditton Page updated Oct 20 3 The LINK Contents: December 2020 2 Group Contacts 3 Index 4 From the Rectory 5 Praying in Our Community 5 Advent Calendar Walk 7 Cheveley 200 Club Merry 9 Cheveley PC 15 Matilda 16 Shoebox Record Christmas 17 A Page of Prayer 19 Uncle Eustace to all our 21 CWI, Charities 22 Service Diary and Readings readers 24 Opening our Churches 25 What’s On (maybe) 28 Ashley Events Safeguarding 30 Woodditton & Saxon Street in our Group. 34 All Saint’s Kirtling More details from Anne Mary 37 Welcome back to church 01638 730771 from Cheveley Group 41 The Funny Page website - cheveleygroup.org 42 Useful Information or from the Ely Diocese website - elydiocese.org Cover picture by Alison Booth 4 CHRISTMAS comes but once a year, when it comes it brings good cheer! I am writing this in early November, as we settle into our second national lock- down. If ever we needed good cheer, we need it now. We can scarcely remember those pre-Covid days when we had office parties, friends round for drinks and all the family sat at one table for Christmas; when we had Carol Services, Crib Services and Christingle Services in real live churches with real live people. We will celebrate Christmas this year – please look at the centre pages for full details of all the services, timings and locations of events, and at the enclosed Christmas card to see what’s happening – but it will be different. Although we’ve planned what we’re going to do, we know that Covid restrictions can change with very little notice, so our plans may come to naught. Please keep checking the website and posters outside the churches to keep up with any changes. All we usually do is slimmed down or cut entirely. All the usual Christmas events are stripped away: no trip to the panto or the ballet; no visit to see the lights switched on; no queuing to see Father Christmas; no jam-packed Boxing Day sales to look forward to you. With all that is missing, what is left as the heart of Christmas for you? What is the one thing you will hang onto even if you have to give up everything else? I wonder what God would say if I asked him that same thing? I think he’d say “you are the one thing I’m hanging onto. You, and you, and you. All the people of the world” because that’s really what happened at the first Christmas. The world was out of control, careering into despair and disaster, and yet God the Son was born on earth to hold on to us so that we could be brought back to God. When the parties and the gatherings, the services and the shopping, the families and friends, the turkey and tinsel, the singing and the music, when all these joyous things are stripped away, all that is left is the people. We are the people for whom God the Son came to earth, the people whom God the Son wants to lead to heaven. We celebrate Jesus’ birth for us and among us with the Midnight Mass of the Nativity, this year at 10pm because it happens to be midnight in Bethlehem, the time of Jesus’ birth. It won’t be easy doing Christmas this year, but you will still be here and so will I, and we can know that God came to earth for each of us, so even if we can’t be together with our people, we can know that God will hold us and our people together. May God bless you, and all whom you love and all who love you this Christmastide and this New Year and all your days. Revd Naomi. 5 Praying in Our Community Every Sunday we pray for the residents of two streets in the group. Dec 6 Cowlinge Road, Kirtling Dalham Road, Ashley 13 Ditton Green, Woodditton Gazeley Road, Ashley 20 Hamlet of Upend, Kirtling High Street, Ashley 27 High Street, Cheveley Holland Park, Cheveley CHEVELEY LIVING ADVENT CALENDAR WALK DECEMBER 2020 Hi everyone, Just an update about the first Living Advent Calendar Walk. Our 24 volunteers are busy with gathering ideas for creating their advent window, garden, window-box, and I am really looking forward to December when they reveal their displays. For those who are not able to do the evening walk, a picture will be put on social media, the Church website and in the LINK. With the Coronavirus still prevalent in the country, I hope, on Christmas Eve, we will be able to come together in the churchyard for mulled wine, mince pie, listen to carols and see the Christmas trees. Don’t forget social distancing rules in place at the time You can vote for the best display by completing the voting form and drop into the box in church or via our website. All entries must be received by 1st January. You never know, you might win a small prize as well as the winning window creator. Don’t forget to check out the Christmas edition of The LINK or the Church website, where you will also find the list of windows and how to vote. cont/ 6 7 To All Cheveley 200 Club Subscribers. As another successful year comes to an end, on behalf of the Parochial Church Council a very heartfelt thank you for your help and support in raising money for the church. Little did we know in 2013 when the lottery was set up, how much money you would raise. It has been a lifeline in getting the long-awaited toilet project started and more importantly finished. In March 2020 we hoped to celebrate this achievement with a service of dedication and thanks, but due to Covid19 this was cancelled. If you like statistics here is how your monthly subscription was spent. In the seven years you have raised £21,945 including Gift Aid and donations. We payed out £6,600 in winnings so we were able to add to the appeal a total of £15,345. What comes next you may ask? Now the current project has been completed, we have decided to continue to fundraise to improve the appearance of the South Transept. It is no good having a wonderful new kitchen if its surroundings need repair. We have a quote of £12,000 to repair and restore the walls, redecorate, and install better lighting and heating. We hope you will continue to support our effort. If you are not yet a member, but would like to support our appeal, you can find details on our website. www.cheveleygroup.org Merry Christmas. Celia St Mary’s Church, Cheveley - Christmas Craft Fair Results A fundraising event in aid of the church. Sunday 25th October dawned bright and clear. Nine stalls ranging from glass and felting to metalwork and jams opened for business to 40 adults plus children. Even the one way social distancing system worked. No refreshments this year ,but everyone took away a biscuit to nibble. The new loo was christened and every stallholder gave a donation in support of the church. Over £900 was raised. Watch out for the next one. www.cheveleygroup.org and The LINK 8 9 Cheveley Parish Council - Tuesday 10h November 2020 On Tuesday 10th November meetings of Cheveley Parish Council and Cheveley Pavilion and Recreation Ground Charity were again held via an online meeting platform. Parish Councillors, District Councillor Alan Sharp, County Councillor Mathew Shuter, and members of the public were in attendance. At the Parish Council meeting it was reported that areas of the Parish had been brightened up with barrels of flowers planted by Matilda Malagueira-Cockman and the group of child volunteers that had undertaken this scheme. Parish Councillors thanked them for their wonderful efforts and it was hoped that they would continue with the good work and extend the planting into next year. Seed for the remaining area of the wildflower meadow had been received and would be sown shortly in the designated areas of the cemetery.