LETTER FROM THE EDITORS We are looking out over the last sprinklings of snow as we edit the magazine this month - waiting, like many residents, for warmer weather and the roll-out of the vaccines. Nonetheless, we did see our first snowdrops in Wethersfield Church last week - a promise of better times to come! Normally, of course, we take the opportunity of the editorial to high- light some of the forthcoming events. This has proved a bit difficult at the moment, as we do not know when it will be safe for the govern- ment to relax the COVID-19 restrictions and the ‘stay at home and protect the NHS’ message. This is a particular problem for events like our Fete and Car Display which have a long lead time. Many classic car clubs publish an annu- al calendar of forthcoming events, and we have to decide whether we want to be in it or not. To get round the problem, we have set up a new website dedicated to major forthcoming events in the Salings - stjamesgreatsal- ing.wordpress.com - and decided to tell car clubs that we are plan- ning for an event this year. The website will allow us to update people on changes to plans or specific government restrictions. And with regard to other adverts in the magazine - please phone and check their current status before making a journey! To all our readers, please stay safe, look out for your neighbours and let others know if you need help. Contributions to the next edition by the15th of Feb to: [email protected] 2 From Revd Janet Parker A small booklet and card had been popped through Mary’s door on Christmas morning. Throughout the last ten months she had read anything she could get her hands on so for sev- en days she read the three pages set for that day. Over this week a childhood poem seemed to have hooked itself to her mind. My fairest child I have no song to sing thee, no lark could pipe in skys so dull and grey. And how dull and grey the sky has been and for so long. Yet, if you will, one lesson I will teach thee, for every day. These four were not natural com- panions but, having met at a luncheon club, throughout lockdown Mary, Rose, Daisy and May (not their real names) had been speaking most weeks on the phone - sharing and supported each other in their loneliness. ‘Tomorrow’, thought Mary, ‘is New Years Day and my res- olution is to be more positive, not just feeling better because others feel just as bad’. Be good sweet maid and let who can be cleaver, do lovely things not dream them all day long. Turning back to her little booklet two lines sprang out - Who do you know who is anxious about the coming year? And, what can you do to bring them light and life? ‘Oh for goodness sake’ Mary shouted as the booklet skidded across the floor only just missing the cat curled up under the radiator. ‘Just look at me, I cann’t do anything. It takes me half an hour to get to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. What can I do?’ Words kept repeating: ‘do lovely things, light and life’. ‘I’m going to ring Rose. Friday is talk to Rose day and today is only Thursday, but I shall go mad if I don’t talk to someone today. Rose is a sensible person’. Over the next few days all four ladies talked and they found they had all been having similar thoughts. They didn’t just want to talk about how ‘awful everything was’. One asked: ‘Do you pray’. Mary was the only one who said she didn’t. ‘Prayer is never answered’ she said. ‘Hows the cat?’, Daisy asked. ‘Thank God I missed him’. Mary felt her face turning red. ‘Ah!’ And so make life, death, and that vast forever, one grand sweet song. By Monday the ladies had a plan. They would continue to ring each other at least once a month but they would also ring two other people each week. They will share and listen to worries and concerns and about aches and pains but they now have a mantra, what May calls Mary’s blue sky mantra: ‘do lovely things, light and life’. Whenever they call someone they will have at least one positive thing to talk about and they will pray. At least until Valen- tine’s Day they will pray for each other, the people they are talking to and each day they will say ‘thank you’ for at least one good thing in their life. 3 Covid continues to disrupt our lives but what a lesson these four ladies can teach us. The way I have presented them may be theatrical but the story is true, the ladies are real. For me they show one of the ways that God works. Mary remains skeptical about prayer and praying and whether it is answered. But there can be no doubt that these four ladies are themselves the answer to prayer. By the time you read this we will be nearer Valentine’s Day than Epiphany but the Bible Reading for Epiphany encompasses the ladies mantra: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God,..... as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testi- fy to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1: 5-9) May God bless you all through this coming year. Poem: My fairest child by Charles Kingsley. PILGRIM PARISHES Continguency Church Church Service & Live Stream: to connect, go to YouTube and search for: “Pilgrim Parishes Contingency Church” There are services of different styles and live at different times, including all ages. This links to a YouTube page allowing access to all recent services as well as giving you access to be part of live streaming during the Lockdown. Please subscribe & allow notifications then you will get a message when a stream goes live. Churches remain open for Private Prayer. Please contact Lydia Roe to book: E: [email protected] Please do continue to contact our Parish Clerk, Cathy Carlisle: 07766 112536, [email protected] if you need help with shopping or the collection of prescriptions. EMERGENCY: Please always dial 999 in an emergency. To report a non-emergency crime you can: Use our do it online service. Call our non-emergency number 101 or alternatively 01245 491491. Go to a police station. Deaf/hard-of-hearing - NGT TextRelay 18001 101 4 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am writing to thank you for your warm welcome following my announcement as the next Bishop of Chelmsford this morning. Despite the fact I have not been able to visit the diocese in person, I have had a wonderful day, meeting with and starting to get to know people on Zoom. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting teachers and children at St Mary’s Prittlewell and watching the children’s musical performance. I have also had a chance to start to learn about your ministry in my meetings with curates and lay ministers in training and with those who are involved in the diocese’s refugee ministry. I am very much looking forward to the New Year and a time when I can visit Essex and East London to continue meeting people face to face and getting to know you. In the meantime, I want to assure you of my prayers and wish you and your loved ones a happy and peaceful Christmas. Yours in Christ, Bishop Guli 5 THE SALINGS PARISH COUNCIL Clerk to the Council: Mrs Cathryn Carlisle Herkstead Green Bungalow Cornish Hall End Braintree Essex CM7 4HH T: 01440 731964 W: https://salingspc.org/ [email protected] Parish Councillor Contact Details Mr Peter Martin [email protected] 07801236461 Mr Colin Bennett [email protected] 01371 850320 Mrs Sue Baugh [email protected] 01371 850168 Mrs Kathy Jiggins [email protected] 07856563568 Mrs Jennifer O’Connell [email protected] 07872844961 Mr Richard Aggiss [email protected] 07912177279 Clerk Cathryn Carlisle [email protected] 07766112536 01440 731 964 PARISH COUNCIL NEWS The Clinical Commissioning Group that includes Freshwell Health Centre is now offering Covid-19 vaccinations. They will call you to book an appoint- ment when it is your turn. Vaccinations are currently taking place at The Pump House Surgery in Earls Colne. If you do not have your own transport or cannot organise transport to Earls Colne, please contact the Clerk on 01440 731964 and she will speak to BDC who will organise transport for you *** There were several (unpleasant and unhelpful) comments posted on Face- book last year concerning Eastlight’s painting white of the railings through the village. At our meetings with Essex Highways and Essex Police, this was one of the measures suggested to help with traffic calming with the aim being to highlight to drivers that they are driving through a village and not along a race track. We do not know if it will work but, unless we try, we will not find out. At present they do look unsightly because they were painted in the rain and still need a topcoat. Eastlight are due to complete this work, weather permitting, anytime soon. We are working on other measures and are still awaiting approval from Essex Highways for these.