The NIB Neatishead, Irstead and Barton Turf Parish Magazine By Katie Painter, aged 6 THE BENEFICE OF St BENEDICT The Parishes of Ashmanhaugh, Barton Turf, Beeston St Lawrence, Horning, Irstead and Neatishead From your Parish Priest The clocks have gone back to Greenwich Mean Time, the days are getting shorter, the nights longer, and the mornings darker, but it’s time to say “Happy New ‘Church’ Year!!” again as Advent and Christmas are upon us. Yet although it’s darker and colder as winter sets in, I am always encouraged by the words from Cranmer’s wonderful Advent collect: “Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility.” Light is part of both the story and the message of Christmas. The angel greeted the shepherds on the hillside, as “glory of the Lord shone around them”. The wise men followed the light of the star to find the Christ-child. And when the baby is brought to the Temple, Simeon praises God that he has seen the one who is “to be a light to lighten the gentiles”, the one who is God’s gift to this world. Those who witnessed Christ’s life on earth were transformed by the experience. But that light was and is for all time. Just as the light of the Olympic flame is carried from runner to runner, and from country to country on its journey, so the light of the gospel has been passed from generation to generation, down the ages, and now rests with us – for a time. We are part of that light’s journey in both time and space. We need to spread that light as far and as wide as we can by showing forth that light wherever we go, to whoever we meet, and particularly to the next generation. As we prepare once again to celebrate Jesus’ birth, may I extend a warm invitation to you to join us for any of our Advent and Christmas services, and experience again the Wonder of Christmas. Join us as we begin to celebrate again the story cycle of Jesus’ life on earth, from Nativity to Ascension. Join us as we pray that we may let the light of the Christ-child, the light of the gospel illuminate our own lives and so lighten the community around us. With every blessing. David Smith ISSUE NO: 478 December 2017 and January 2018 Notes from the Editor This is my last edition as editor. I’ve enjoyed the two-year cycle as assistant and then editor. I began thinking I could put something back into a community I love and perhaps in retirement get more involved locally. The latter wasn’t to be but for the best of reasons. So I wish you well as I leave you in almost every sense of that word. Forgive a few words for our contributors. You are the lifeblood of NIB and if I’ve occasionally over edited I apologise but we do try to get your key message across whilst preserving a house style that makes the NIB readable and more than just a series of disconnected articles. It helps if you can use Arial 12 and keep it in plain black and fully justified. The more you complicate it the greater the risk we mess it up! But please keep those wonderful snippets of village life flowing, stay well and we will go well, and God bless. Geoff Best St Michael and All Angels, Barton Turf With the Christmas season upon us thoughts will turn to Christmas Cards. We have some beautiful cards for sale in the church, including a new design for this year. The annual clothes collection will take place between 10th to the 17th December. As usual items may be left in the porch. St Martins Housing Trust inform me that they are particularly short of men’s clothing and will appreciate any help in that area. During Advent our evening service on Sunday 10th December at 4pm will be a Service of Waiting to which all are welcome. Our Nine Lessons and Carols will be at 11am on Christmas Day and Christingle this year will be on Sunday 28th January at 4pm when we will light all the candles in order to make it a very special service. This service is particularly suitable for children as it makes a very good way to finish off Christmas as we pack away the crib during the service. Finally, may I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and best wishes for the New Year. Barbara Pilcher, Church Warden, 01692 536132 St Michael’s, Irstead On Sunday 3rd December at 4pm, Prayers and Lighting of the Advent Candle. On the Sundays in Advent, when we do not otherwise have a service at which we would light the appropriate Advent Candle, it has become our tradition that we meet for prayers and to light the candle. This occurs once this year, on Advent Sunday. Do feel free to join us then. David Murrells, Church Warden, 01692 631427 Neatishead Baptist Church We hope you will join us for Carols by Candlelight on Sunday 17th December at 6.30pm. This is a lovely way to experience the real meaning of Christmas . and there will be mince pies and mulled wine to follow. May we wish the NIB team and all readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Sue Gibbons St Benet’s Hall, Horning The November Coffee Morning raised £150.50 towards to upkeep of the Church and the Hall. The next one will be the Christmas Event on Saturday 2nd December in Horning Village Hall. There will be cakes, jewellery, homemade jams etc, and of course raffle, coffee and mince pies and scones, 10am-noon. We will start 2018 on Saturday 6th January at the usual place and time of 10am to 11.30ish, do come to start the New Year with friends, old and new. Gillian Jeckells 2018 Neatishead Calendar Buying a copy of the 2018 Neatishead calendar is much easier than writing to Father Christmas at the North Pole! So, please make your purchase at the Farmers’ Market on Saturday 9th December, the NVH Christmas Fair on Saturday 2nd December or from the White House Stores. If walking the dog, jogging or pedalling with one (or more) of those plastic £5 notes in your pocket, call in to Applewood, Threehammer Common, Neatishead as you’re passing by and we will relieve you of the money and hand over a calendar (or 2 or 3 or more). That’s another present (or 2 or 3 or more) off your list. John and Monica Riley, 01692 630336 Christmas Catholic Masses Christmas Eve 6pm Family Mass, Sacred Heart, North Walsham and 9pm St John of the Cross, Aylsham. Christmas Day 9am St Helen's, Hoveton and 11am Sacred Heart, North Walsham. 2 St Swithin’s Church, Ashmanaugh Thank you to everyone who came to our Autumn Fair in the Preston Rooms. It was great to see friends from other parishes there as well as residents of Ashmanhaugh. We raised £321, more than we had hoped. As we move into December the calendar begins to be very busy but I hope you will find time to come to some of the events in the village hall and the church. As usual we will get the children together to decorate the tree in the church, and I will try and arrange this on a date and time that suits as many as possible. Dates for your diary:- 10th December 3pm Christingle – a lovely family service to which everyone is very welcome. 15th December 6.30pm Carol Service – come and sing your hearts out to all the favourites and then afterwards munch on complementary mulled wine, mince pies and sausage rolls in the Preston Rooms while the Grand Christmas Draw is called. 25th December 9.30am Holy Communion for Christmas Day. Anne Mulhall, Church Warden, [email protected] 01603 784874 Preston Rooms, Ashmanaugh How quickly time passes and we are once again at the end of the year of events at the Preston Rooms. In November we held our first Maker’s Market - an incredible selection of crafts was on sale as well as tea, cake and soup lunches. I have to say a really big Thank You to everyone who made the event happen. We had an amazing time and raised £90 for the Preston Rooms, £32 for Alzheimer’s Society, £147 for the British Red Cross and by selling our handmade poppies we raised £181 for the British Legion. See our Facebook page for photos. On Friday 15th December the Christmas Thank You and Grand Draw will take place at around 7.30pm. As usual it follows the Christmas Carol Service at St Swithin’s Church. Christmas Bingo on Saturday 16th December at 7pm. This event is bound to be good fun and we are hoping that you will all join in. At the start of 2018 the committee will be putting their heads together to come up with fund raising events. If anyone has any suggestions, please let us know. We would also love to hear from you if you would like to become a Trustee as we are a very small team at present. Finally, on behalf of the Preston Rooms Committee may I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.