Christian Worship In For regular worshippers and for anyone who wants to find out more. All are welcome.

St Andrew: 10am. Parish Eucharist (Communion) 1st. Sunday each month Family Worship 6pm. Evening Service, 4pm. Winter Time Wednesday: 10am. Holy Communion & Coffee Morning Bank Head: 10am. Morning Service 11.30am.Sunday School St John: 10.45am. Sunday School 6pm. Evening Service

Christian Activities In Fence Houses During the week: Monday: 9am. Toddler‘s (St John) 6.30pm Youth Group (St John) (Last in month) 7pm Faith & Fellowship (St. John) Tuesday: Coffee Morning 10am - 12pm (Bank Head) 1.15pm. Women‘s Meeting (Bank Head) (2nd) 6.30pm Women‘s Institute (Dubmire Club) Wednesday: (2nd & 4th) 9.30am Bible Study & Prayer Meeting (Bank Head) 6pm. Youth Group (St John) 7pm. Quilting Group (St Andrew) Thursday: (3rd) 7pm. Mothers Union (St Andrew) (4th) Beetle Drive (St Andrew) Front cover ~ St Andrew Christmas Tree Festival 2012 Vicar’s Letter For October 2020 By Rev Tony ear Friends By the time you read this letter, Advent will be upon D us although because of Covid-19, it will be a very different Advent from what we are used to. Advent Sunday this year falls on November 29th and marks the start of a new year for the Church. People often ask me what Advent actually means and how best they can use this time. Well Advent isn‘t just a time of waiting for Christmas, it also has a ur normal pre-Christmas sense of apocalypse about cheer is a bit strained this it when we anticipate not year. Lockdown is back, and only the birth of Jesus in O once again our Churches are Bethlehem but also his closed for worship. It is hard and so return at the end of time. strange to be living in a community Advent provides us with but unable to meet with local people. the opportunity to take an To drive past the church, and to know honest look at our own that it will be empty for weeks to lives and take stock of how come. So, more than ever, our local we are living them out and community needs our church where we might need to magazine. make some changes. It‘s After a bleak November, people will like when guests are need reassurance and a reason for coming for dinner and Hope. Let this issue remind them that the house is a mess, we they are not forgotten by God, and tidy up and put the that their local Christians are praying vacuum round. We make for them at this difficult time. things look nice. But of Many people in our community will course the guest that's be dreading a Christmas spent on their coming to see us this own. They will need, more than ever, Christmas isn't just some the true message of Christmas, the familiar friend or family love and peace that God intends for member – but the King of them, through his Son Emmanuel, the the Universe himself! baby born in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ is born! God is with us, So how will we hope to be ready? How will we be prepared for his coming? Well we need to use this time of Advent wisely to prepare our hearts and minds in readiness to welcome this baby into our lives  ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 1

~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 5 once again. Perhaps we could undertake some extra Bible reading or some other spiritual reading, spend a bit more time in prayer or fit some silent contemplation into our daily routine. Perhaps we could make an extra effort to ring up a friend who‘s ill or contact someone we‘ve neglected over the past year. Of course Jesus doesn‘t just come to us at Christmas - he comes to us every day in the ordinary things of life. He comes to us in the people we meet whilst going about our everyday business. He comes to us in the people we live with at home and in our communities. And he comes to us in the people we work with every day. He comes to us in the joys and sorrows of life. He comes to us through the words of Holy Scripture and in our times of prayer and contemplation. And he comes to us in the bread and wine of the Eucharist, a simple meal shared with our fellow Christians, in harmony with his words of promise. And with that promise, we who receive him, also receive his forgiveness, and life, and salvation. So no matter how restricted we may feel during these strange days of Coronavirus, let‘s work hard to make this a good and holy Advent and let‘s use this time wisely so that when it arrives, we can truly celebrate Christmas well. With every blessing for a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Reverend Tony 

Michael

We are not sure of the exact date this photograph was taken but it must have been in the late 1970‘s or early 1980‘s and was taken at a choir reunion. Any ideas? Can you put a name to everyone?

2 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ Joseph And His Amazing Journey n those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world… And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the I town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David. (Luke 2 1-4) What a year we have had! But I suppose Joseph had had a demanding year as well. Having learning that his betrothed was pregnant due to divine intervention, he then learned of the Roman government‘s demand for a census. These Bible verses show Joseph being a good citizen. Leaving home for a long journey in order to please the government would not have been welcome, but Joseph complied and obeyed the law. This year the situation is reversed. Millions of us want to make a long journey, to visit our loved ones across the UK. But this year, because of coronavirus, the Government is asking us to stay at home. The Romans had censuses for a good reason: to help them run the business of the empire. This Government has restrictions in place for a good reason: to help the slow the spread of a deadly virus. Following government rules and laws it not always easy or pleasant but as Christians we should be good citizens. As always this is a light- hearted guide to a complicated subject. If you are going home for Christmas, get proper advice – and have a Merry one.

Prayer For Christmas Lord Jesus Christ, your birth at Bethlehem draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth: accept our heartfelt praise as we worship you, our Saviour and our eternal God. Amen

~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 3 Children don’t always hear Christmas carols quite right…. Children’s Christmas Carols Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly We three kings of porridge and tar On the first day of Christmas my tulip gave to me Later on we’ll perspire, as we dream by the fire. He’s makin a list, chicken and rice. Noel, Noel, Barney’s the king of Israel. With the jelly toast proclaim Olive, the other reindeer Frosty the Snowman is a ferret elf, I say Sleep in heavenly peas. In the meadow we can build a snowman, then pretend that he is sparse and brown O come, froggy faithful.

4 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ December 2020 Crossword Across 1 Rely (Psalm 62:7) (6) 4 ‗He stretches out the heavens like a — , and spreads them out like a tent to live in‘ (Isaiah 40:22) (6) 7 What the dove carried the olive leaf in, when it returned to Noah‘s ark (Genesis 8:11) (4) 8 Annoy (1 Samuel 1:6) (8) 9 Judah‘s last king, who ended his days as a blind prisoner in Babylon (Jeremiah 52:11) (8) 13 ‗They all — and were into my side. Stop doubting and satisfied‘ (Luke 9:17) (3) believe‘ (John 20:27) (3,2) 16 Eliphaz the Temanite was one; so 10 Be outstandingly good (2 was Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar Corinthians 8:7) (5) the Naamathite (Job 2:11; 16:2) (4,9) 11 ‗What — — that you are mindful 17 National Association of of him, the son of man that you care Evangelicals (of the USA) (1,1,1) for him?‘ (Psalm 8:4) (2,3) 19 Popular song for New Year‘s Eve, 12 Horse‘s feet (Judges 5:22) (5) Auld — — (4,4) 13 Notice (Deuteronomy 17:4) (9) 24 Able dock (anag.) (8) 14 Comes between 2 Chronicles and 25 The number of stones David Nehemiah (4) chose for his confrontation with 15 One of Israel‘s northern towns Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40) (4) conquered by Ben-Hadad (1 Kings 26 Elgar‘s best-known ‗Variations‘ (6) 15:20) (4) 27 Soak (Isaiah 16:9) (6) 18 Narnia‘s Lion (5) Down 20 One of the two rivers in which 1 Money owing (Deuteronomy 15:3) Naaman would have preferred to (4) wash (2 Kings 5:12) (5) 2 Conciliatory (Titus 3:2) (9) 21 Avarice—one of the evils that 3 ‗Do this, whenever you — it, in come from inside people (Mark 7:22) remembrance of me‘ (1 Corinthians (5) 11:25) (5) 22 Knight Grand Cross of St Michael 4 A group assisting in the and St George (1,1,1,1) governance of the Roman Catholic 23 Jacob‘s first wife (Genesis 29:23) Church (5) (4) 5 One of the gifts Joseph‘s brothers took with them on their second journey to Egypt (Genesis 43:11) (4) 6 ‗Reach out your hand and — — Solution Page 17 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 5 Take Note MOTHERS UNION Beetle ST. ANDREW’S All meetings have The Beetle Drive is temporally suspended. been temporally Please stay safe. suspended, please take Jean Campbell care. Audrey Tinkler (M.U. Secretary)

In our Cycle of Prayer for the village, this month. We pray for joy in our hearts, hope in our Let us know if you God, love to forgive, and peace upon the earth. would like a prayer or We ask for the salvation of all our family members how we can pray for and friends, and we pray your blessings on all you. Prayer list in St people. Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with your love and power. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Andrew. Amen

Please visit our web site or ask someone to view it for you and look at the Church notice board for updates on Christmas Services.

Love is what‘s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents for a minute and look around. ~ Anon Believe in God and you‘ll believe in miracles. Believe in the baby of Bethlehem, and you‘ll experience one. – Anon Believe in God and you‘ll believe in miracles. Believe in the baby of Bethlehem, and you‘ll experience one. ~ Anon We are better givers than getters… The Christmas story – the one according to Luke, not Dickens – is not about how blessed it is to be givers, but about how essential it is to see ourselves as receivers. ~William Willimon He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree. ~ Roy Smith

6 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ Church Finances Michael Baxter I set out below the income and expenditure of the Church during during October 2020 .

Michael

Reflections On Christmas With The Pandemic Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. Love the giver more than the gift. Christmas is doing a little extra for someone. Christmas is not so much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving are not to put away like bells, lights and tinsel in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself. Of all the gifts love is the greatest. Let us embrace the coming year with this in mind. Wishing everyone a joyous and peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year with love from all at St Andrews. Christine B ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 7 The Story Is Still The Same! hristmas may look different, but the story is still the same! That‘s the message for Christmas in 2020. Coronavirus will make our celebrations this year look very different from usual. However, C the message of the baby born in Bethlehem is still relevant! In one nativity play, the highlight was to illuminate Jesus, with a light in the manger, when all the other lights were turned off. At the appropriate time, all the lights went out, including the manger one. The silence was broken when one of the shepherds loudly whispered: ‗Hey, you turned off Jesus.‘ Of course, nobody can turn off Jesus this Christmas! The angels announced, ‗Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.‘ (Luke 2: 10,11). The birth of this baby brings great joy and good news for everyone! As the king of the universe, He has come as our Saviour. In an uncertain world, He offers joy and hope, because He holds this pandemic in His hands. This is a real cause for joy! ‗Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.‘ (Luke 2:14). We may feel anything but peace amid the anxieties over our current circumstances. How can a Jewish infant born to a peasant family in first century Palestine bring peace to our lives today? Jesus established peace with God through His death on the cross. Trusting the Prince of Peace for our lives brings God‘s peace amid the huge uncertainties we face. As the carol says, ‗Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King.‘ abcdefghijkln Where Did Christmas Stockings Come From? o one is really sure, but a story is told of St Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the 4th century, who may have started the custom by accident. St Nicholas was of a N wealthy family, and of a generous heart. As Christmas approached one year, he wanted to help a poor family whom he knew, but he did not want them to know it was him. So he climbed up on their roof on Christmas Eve and dropped some coins down the chimney. The next morning the coins, to the great surprise of the family, were found in the stockings of the ladies, who had hung them to dry by the fire the night before. Every year after that they put their stockings out, in the hope that some more money would fall into them. They told the story of this amazing appearance to their friends and neighbours, and the custom caught on. 8 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ COVID-19 Update - Diocesan Call To Prayer

ear Sisters and Brothers, Alongside the Nationally produced prayers for the coming month of D prayer, we want to encourage you to use these two more locally focussed prayers. +Paul and +Sarah Diocesan - Call to Prayer Waymark Prayer Loving God, Loving God, guiding the people of as we pray for our nation in this Durham Diocese faithfully through time of trial, the years: we pray for our Diocese. we thank you for saints who have We pray for wisdom for leaders, marked our path, in our local authorities, health young and old, known and unknown trusts, businesses large and small, from all places and in all walks of in our schools, colleges and univer- life. sities, Help us to find your way in our gen- and in our churches and other faith eration: communities. transformed by your truth, Grant us all wisdom, compassion sharing your life, blessing our com- and courage to live supportively of munities. each other. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us together to step into your Amen. future for us, knowing that you will never leave us or forsake us as we follow you. We pray in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 9 Houghton In The mid Part Of The 20th Century Around October Until Christmas By Jackie Bell he ancient festival of Houghton Feast and the history of St. Michaels and All Angels parish are, according to an article written by Paul Lanagan in 2013 (local historian and founder of Houghton Heritage) intertwined. People believed the Rector of the parish, TBernard Gilpin, founded the event but the Feast is predated by its origins of over 800 years. Back then it was known as Michaelmas Day, which was around September 29th and close to both the equinox and Harvest time - a date which we celebrate as Harvest festival. During the reign of Mary 1 (1752) people in Houghton refused to accept the introduction of the new changes in the Georgian calendar which made the Feast 11 days behind, this explains why Houghton Feast is now held on the Sunday preceding the 10th October. Prior to the Feast commencing commemorative brochures were/are given out in local shops and businesses. The fairground carnival was situated in the Market place site in the early days-which later became the Bus Station then home to business units. When local redevelopments occurred the venue transferred to the Rectory field in Dairy Lane in 1968 and has been attended by thousands over the years. The main proprietors of the fairground carnival in the mid part of the 20th Century were the family of Murphy Brothers. John Murphy made his debut at the festival in 1948 with his father‘s famous Waltzer and Dodgem Car rides along with the roundabouts and side shows such as ‗hook a duck‘, food stalls and candy floss and toffee apple stands. his tradition has continued to do so to the delight of many children over the years. Many events have taken place over the years during the Feast from Church masses, home-made fetes, competitions and various types of races- the last horse races took place up the Race Course near to Copt Hill in 1938 .The site of the Organ always caught my eye as it was fabulous site to behold and has always been a permanent fixture during the Feast. The one event that locals seem to love is the parade which in later years was organised by the local Round Table. This always took place on the 1st Saturday of the Feast-whereby local businesses dressed up in fancy costumes and paraded on old fashioned cars and vehicles and for  10 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ many years the local Jazz bands followed behind to entertain the crowds with their magnificent displays. Thousands of people have lined the main street of Houghton and along to the Rectory field to watch the Parades. On the 1st Sunday of the Feast the Ox would be roasted on a spit in the Rectory field then sandwiches would be given out, but now due to health and safety reasons this has been cancelled. Prior to 2000 on the first Monday of the Feast the local schools would close so the local children could enjoy the fairground rides at lower prices and was locally known as ‗Houghton Feast Monday‘ and with a firework display on the night. The last week of October was the school half term break and signifies the start of the long dark nights setting in with the turn back of the clocks on the last Saturday of October. In the village this has always had the nickname of ‗tattie picking week‘ where adults and children used to attend local farms and help collect the potato harvest to earn monies-a boom to those who had low incomes in the early part of the 20th Century. After the Harvest the local clubs would have Leek and vegetable shows, and afterwards the produce were turned into broth and given out to the local community. We end the month of October with All Hallows Eve- Halloween-on the 31st of October -when the children dressed up in ghoulish costumes, have parties and go trick or treating. November the 5th Bonfire night always brought fireworks and bonfires aplenty with the little ones waving sparklers around. A home-made ‗Guy‘ made from old clothes and stuffed with newspapers was pulled around on an old sled and the children would knock on people‘s doors shouting ‗penny for the guy‘ prior to it being burned on top of a bonfire made of rubbish. Food came in the form of jacket potatoes roasted on the bonfire, in later year‘s marshmallows and hotdogs were added! From this point the lead up to Christmas is very apparent with displays of beautiful decorations, lights and many TV advertisements of children‘s toys aplenty, not forgetting the main attraction- the Christmas tree in all its splendour with flashy fairy lights, colourful baubles and sparkly coloured tinsel. In the 1960s the local Christmas tradition was to visit Santa at Binns or Joplins in and/or an excursion on the bus or train to Newcastle to visit Fenwicks fabulous famous Christmas window. Photographs courtesy of Houghton Heritage Society 

~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 11 minutes with . . Name: Irene Clayton Date of birth: 11/02/1948 Where do you live and who with? St Michael's, Chilton Moor, with my husband George Who would you turn to first to tell them something really important? That would be George If you could change your name to anything, what would it be? That is difficult do not think I would answer to anything else Tell us something you could not do without: My Nivia cream Top 2 hymns: I have a few, I Vow To Thee MY Country and Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory Favourite Psalm: Psalm 23 Best TV shows: NCIS Top 2 movies: Star Wars and 1917 What would you do with 1000 spoons? Think I would hide them What is to your left right now? A window What did you want to be when you were younger? A policewoman or a Wren, but I was to small so I joined the WRAC (army) instead What were you doing before answering this questionnaire? Trying to get some sleep What‘s your best joke? I do not do jokes Which word makes you laugh the most? Good honest clean fun Funniest moment you have had so far at Church? When I tripped off the alter steps Tell us something about you that we wouldn‘t expect: I always try to walk away from arguments as I have a really bad temper that when it flares you would not like to be near me Tell us about your Worship and Faith at Church: In my worship I try to be true to myself and my faith, I have had times when I this has been hard, St Andrews is the longest place I have worshiped as when in the Army and in civilian life I have moved a lot. Because you learn to be independent It is hard to form a closeness with different congregations I feel after 25 years I am just starting to get there Thank you Irene it’s been a pleasure

12 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~

6 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 13 The Story Of The Christingle

he word ‗Christingle‘ actually means ‗Christ Light‘, and celebrates the light of Jesus coming into the world. Stories of how the Christingle began look T back to the Moravian Church, which is found in the Czech Republic. The Moravians have held Christingle services for more than 200 years, and according to them, this is how the first Christingle might have been made: Many years ago the children in a village were asked to bring a Christmas gift to put beside the crib in the church. One family was very poor, and had no money for gifts, but the three children were still determined to take something. The only nice thing they had was an orange, so they decided to give the Christ Child that. But then they discovered the top was going green, so the eldest cut it out, and put a candle in the hole. To add some colour, one of the girls took a red ribbon from her hair and tied it around the middle of the orange. It was hard to make the ribbon stay still, so they fastened it in place with toothpicks. The toothpicks looked a bit bare, so the youngest child added some raisins to them. The children took their decorated orange lantern to the church for the Christmas Mass. The other children sneered at their meagre gift, but the priest seized upon it with joy. He held it up as an example of the true understanding of the meaning of Christmas, for the following reasons: the orange is round, like the world; the candle gives us light in the dark, like the love of God; the red ribbon goes round the ‗world‘, as a symbol of Christ‘s blood, given for everyone; the four sticks point in all directions, and symbolise that God is over all: North, South, East and West; and the fruit and nuts remind us of God‘s blessings. The Children‘s Society first introduced the Christingle Service to The Church of in 1968, and it has since become a popular event in the church calendar. This candlelit celebration is an ideal way to share the key messages of the Christian faith, while helping to raise vital funds to help vulnerable children across the country. Visit: www.childrenssociety.org.uk How Father Christmas Got Where He Is Today ne person you are bound to run into this Christmas season is Father Christmas. If he looks tired, just remember that he has been around a long time and gone through O a lot of transformations. Father Christmas wasn‘t always the red-suited, white-bearded star of the retail trade that he is today. He began life as Nicholas, born way back about AD260 in Patara, an important port on the southern coast of what is now Turkey. When his parents died and left him a fortune,  14 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ Nicholas gave it away to the poor. He became a bishop of the nearby city of Myra, where he almost certainly suffered persecution and imprisonment at the hand of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Nicholas was a serious theologian: he was a participant at the First Council of Nicaea, which formulated the Creed which we still say today. He even, reportedly, slapped another bishop in a squabble over the exact nature of the Trinity. Nicholas died in Myra about AD343, but the stories of his generosity and kindness were just beginning. One enduring tale tells of the three girls whom he rescued from certain prostitution by giving them gold for their dowries. When the father confronted him to thank him, Nicholas said he should thank God alone. In the UK, Nicholas became the basis for Father Christmas, who emerged in Victorian times as a jolly-faced bearded character. Meanwhile, Dutch and German settlers had taken him to America with them as Sinter Klaas and Sankt Nicklas. It was in America that Nicholas received his final two great breaks into real stardom. The first was when the Rev Clement C Moore, a New York Episcopal minister, turned from his lifework of writing a Hebrew/English lexicon, to write a fun poem for his children one Christmas. His ‗The Visit of St Nicholas‘ is now universally known by its first line: ‗T‘was the Night Before Christmas‘. From Clement Moore we discovered that St Nicholas is round and pink- cheeked and white-bearded, and that he travels at night with sleigh, reindeer and a sack of toys on his back. It was Clement Moore who also revealed that St Nicholas enters houses down chimneys and fills children‘s stockings with toys and sweets. So how did we find out that Father Christmas wears red? That was the US Coca-Cola advertising campaign of 1931, who finally released the latest, up-to-date pictures of Father Christmas: wearing a bright red, fur-trimmed coat and a large belt. These days, it is good that Father Christmas uses reindeer and doesn‘t have to pay for petrol. In order to get around all the children in the world on Christmas Eve, he will have to travel 221 million miles at an average speed of 1279 miles a second, 6,395 times the speed of sound. For all those of us who are already exhausted just rushing around getting ready for Christmas, that is a sobering thought.  New Chasuble And Stole any thanks to those who gave donations towards the purchase of a new chasuble and stole for Rev John and Rev Tony to wear. At the time of writing we haven‘t had the opportunity of seeing them in M use but by all accounts they look beautiful and splendid. They will no doubt add an extra special touch to our worship and we look forward to seeing John and Tony wearing them once we are allowed back into church for regular worship, hopefully before Christmas. With the difficulties the pandemic has created for us all we are very grateful for the £300 that was given in donations towards the cost. Michael

~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 15 Mistletoe We continue our occasional series on different common flowers

his time of year you can see all sorts of traditions played out with regard to Christmas decorations. Strict adherents use holly, ivy and of course, T mistletoe. While holly and ivy are to be found in gardens and hedgerows, mistletoe usually only appears in greengrocers‘ shops, or high in a tree well out of reach. Mistletoe is hemiparasitic, meaning that although its leaves enable it to feed itself through photosynthesis, its roots invade the host tree or shrub to extract water and other nutrients. Its favourite host trees are apple, lime, hawthorn, poplar or oak and it normally hangs as a large globe, tantalisingly high and totally visible once winter arrives and it is the only green left on the tree. There are some spectacular examples in Windsor Great Park, clearly visible from the path on the opposite side of the River Thames. We all know about the almost translucent white berries, fleshy and sticky, which form in the forks of mistletoe‘s many branches. While they are toxic to humans, they are attractive to birds. When birds have enjoyed the juicy flesh, they wipe the remaining seeds off their beaks onto the nearest branch [somewhat like small children wiping sticky hands on any surface close by – mummy‘s face or clothes?]. With luck the seed remains stuck to the bark and solves mistletoe‘s problem of reproduction. In Greek mythology, mistletoe gave access to the Underworld. Romans thought it represented Peace, Love and Understanding and perhaps that is how it has sidled into our Christmas celebrations. The earliest documentary evidence for kissing under mistletoe dates from the sixteenth century. Some people think a berry should be removed after each kiss. Given the small size of pieces generally available these days, perhaps that is a practice not to be pursued!

A Foggy Day In Houghton (with apologies to George & Ira Gershwin) How long I wondered could this thing A foggy day in Houghton Town last This unseen virus had got me down But the age of miracles hadn‘t I saw the future with such alarm passed Even Park had lost its But suddenly hope was there charm And through a foggy Houghton Town The sun was shining everywhere.

16 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~ Bill’s Gardening Tips

December can be a quiet month in the garden, but there are a few things to do and keep us ticking over. Dig over empty borders and prepare the soil for next year's planting. Group potted plants together in a sheltered spot. Now is a good time to winter prune wisteria, fruit trees, roses and Japanese maples. Don't leave maples any later as they will bleed sap. Look after the birds. Leave faded blooms on hydrangeas until spring. This is to provide frost protection for next year's blooms further down the stems. Lift and store dahlia tubers once the leaves have frost blackened. Check climbers are secure. Clean the greenhouse thoroughly. Insulate outdoor taps. Avoid walking on lawns if blanketed by snow or heavy frost, this will damage the grass. If we have a mild winter, continue to cut the lawn but raise the blades.

Happy Christmas Bill Where Did Christmas Trees Come From? here are two early stories that mention fir trees. The first involves St Boniface, who went to Germany in the 8thcentury as a missionary and found people sacrificing a child to their god under an oak tree. T Boniface was appalled, and he rescued the child. He then chopped down the oak tree and found a tiny fir tree growing nearby. He gave this to the people and said: ―This is a symbol of life. Whenever you look at this tree, remember the Christ-child who is the One who will give you life, because He gave His life for you.‖ The second early fir tree story involves Martin Luther in the 16th century. It is said that one year he decided to drag a fir tree into his home and to decorate it with candles. He used it as a visual aid, telling people that the candles symbolised Jesus as the light of the world, and the evergreen tree symbolised the eternal life that Jesus gives to us. Many of the people who followed Luther were struck by the idea and took up the custom.

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~ St Andrew’s Church ~ 23 24 ~ St Andrew’s Church ~

How to contact us:

Vicar Reverend John Estall M: 07525478336 H: 0191 3882228 E: [email protected] Associate Reverend Tony Holden Priest H: 0191 5120587 E: [email protected] Warden Stephen Forster T: 07831156120 E: [email protected] Secretary Barbara Hall E: [email protected] Treasurer Michael Baxter E: [email protected] Vestry Hour Every Sunday After Morning Service (Office) 11.15am -12.00pm for information concerning weddings, baptisms

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