December 2020 / January 2021 Bi-monthly £4 per year minimum donation 2 Ashwellthorpe David Turner 01508 489458 Woodman’s Lodge, The Street, Ashwellthorpe NR16 1HD Forncett Margaret Webster 01953 788114 St Edmunds The Old Trowel & Hammer, Tabernacle Lane, Forncett St Peter NR16 1LE Forncett Graham Prior 01508 481856 St Mary Church Cottage, Low Road, Forncett St Mary NR16 1JG Forncett Gillian Barnes 01508 813055 St Peter Southgate Lodge, Station Road, Forncett St Peter NR16 1HZ Fundenhall Dianne Burridge 01603 812312 Hurn Bungalow, Norwich Road, Hethersett, Norwich Carol Eastwood 01508 488381 Whipps Farmhouse, Whipps Lane, Fundenhall NR16 1DT Hapton Quinton Spratt 01508 489471 Homestead Farm, Chequers Hill, Forncett St Mary NR16 1JP Tacolneston Beverley Spratt 01508 489746 Lakes Farm, Hall Road, Tacolneston NR16 1DN Wreningham Christine Minns 01508 488123 High Gables, Church Road, Wreningham NR16 1BH 2 3 December 2020 / January 2021 Revd Lydia Avery, Priest-in-Charge The Rectory, 16 The Fields, Tacolneston NR16 1DG Tel: 01953 788227 Email: [email protected] Administrator Christine Minns 01508 488123 & Treasurer High Gables, Church Road, Wreningham, NR16 1BH email: [email protected] Reader & John Hooper 01508 489050 Safeguarding [email protected] Pastoral Care Margaret Styles 01508 489112 Co-ordinator 6 Greenwood Close, Ashwellthorpe, NR16 1HB Cover photo: A Stained Glass Nativity Scene created by Chris Seago on display at the 2019 Fundenhall Christmas Tree Festival 3 4 Well 2020 is almost over and 2021 is waiting in the wings. This year is, definitely, going– no recounting of votes needed! 2020 has demanded much of us all, personally, as a community and as a nation – and I suspect that it has been the most challenging most, if not all, of us have ever faced. Isn’t it extraordinary to think that last December we were only just beginning to hear about coronavirus/Covid-19? We certainly had no idea it would impact on our lives to this extent! From the end of March, new words and phrases entered our language - Zoom, ‘you’re muted’, ‘social distancing’, ‘test and trace’ to name but a few; and banana bread and Joe Wicks were added to our culinary skills and exercise regimes. New ways of behaviour also arrived – gone for the moment were handshakes, hugs and chatting in a huddle, to be replaced by elbow bumps and face masks, and leaping into the road to maintain safe space! This year, we missed a lot of planned events, holidays, and reunions; and planned celebrations were cancelled too. Families were not able to be together and visits to see loved ones in hospital and nursing homes have been severely curtailed. Most important of all, this year many thousands of people have died of Covid-19 and other reasons, and in almost every case the goodbyes we would have said were not possible in the way we would have said them. It has been very tough. Yet, we have helped one another dig deep for the resilience needed to get through two lockdowns and all the 5 ongoing restrictions. We have seen new, unexpectedly wonderful things in family, friends and strangers. We had a marvellous spring and summer and beautiful autumn and began to reconnect with the natural world around us, noticing small things perhaps for the first time. Bears, Rainbows and, in Tacolneston, a Pumpkin trail have helped to cheer us up. There has been tremendous kindness and so many people ‘going the extra mile’. Through all these simple things and more we have been blessed - often when we’ve most needed it. And now? Well we are on the brink of a new year – and the work of amazing scientists gives us hope that, though the virus is still with us, we may be able to live more safely and more normally with it. Just as we’ve so longed to do. There is more hope too! At this time of year at church you will hear the beginning of John’s gospel. It speaks of the appearance of a small, bright light in darkness in the birth of a child who would change the world for all time. Try as it might the darkness did not, and cannot, overcome the Light. It brings hope for us all – and this is the same now as it ever has been and ever will be. Have a peace-filled Christmas and 2021 With love Lydia Avery If there is another period of lockdown, all of our services will once more move onto Zoom. Wherever a service is being live-streamed it is also accessible by phone. For the phone number and Zoom Service joining code please contact [email protected] or ring 01953 788227. For further service updates follow us on facebook.com/utvbenefice or look at our church noticeboards or on the Upper Tas Valley Benefice pages of achurchnearyou.org 6 Diane and Jason North who were married at All Saints, Ashwellthorpe th on 26 September Nigel Copeman whose funeral took place at St Margaret’s Church, Hapton on 6th October Michael Butcher whose funeral took place at All Saints Church, Wreningham on the 8th October David Squires whose ashes were interred at All Saints Church, Wreningham on the 24th October Barbara Sanders whose funeral took place at St Faith’s Crematorium on 6th November David Fairman whose funeral concluded at All Saints Church, Wreningham on the 9th November And to all those approaching the anniversary of the death of someone they continue to love Sadly, due to the need to maintain cleaning and social distancing to ensure the churches are COVID Secure, not all of the churches in our group are currently open. To find out what’s open and when, please see elsewhere in this magazine. However, although things are not ‘normal’ right now, we’re still here to listen and to help if we can. Whether it be end of life support, a Home Communion, booking a Christening, Wedding, or Marriage blessing, discussing what you need to do to arrange a Funeral or Memorial Service, in the Upper Tas Valley Benefice please contact Revd Lydia Avery on 01953 788227 or via email [email protected] 7 Marriage of Diane and Jason North at All Saints, Ashwellthorpe on 26th September The Big Doorstep Carol Sing Sunday 6pm from 29th November to 20th December For accompaniment by an organist and choir from home, ring 0203 966 3809 or 0203 695 0088. The joining code is 893-1281-8160 and the password is 059659. You can also join in by computer, iPad or smartphone - go to Zoom and add the same codes. Carol words (included with the Benefice Christmas Card) are from The Bethlehem Carol Sheet by “Embrace The Middle East” 8 Photos: Ben Langley & John Webster An alfresco remembrance service was well attended on Sunday th8 November at Tacolneston Church. It was a fresh and sunny morning, with perfect weather, to find a distanced spot by the War Memorial and hear Priest In Charge Lydia Avery's words and readings. Margaret Styles read the names of the fallen for Ashwellthorpe and Wreningham, Brian Thrift for Forncett, Mark Holmes for Fundenhall and Quinton Spratt for Hapton. Parish Council Chairman, Bob McLenning, read the names for Tacolneston and laid the wreath. Mark Holmes recited his poem 'The Tacolneston Boys'. A poignant moment felt by all at this historic socially distanced service of 2020, left one wondering if there was a similarly masked congregation on this day in 1918? Nevertheless, people gathered and the fallen were remembered. Recent news of Tacolneston War Memorial being listed as one of several grade II epitaphs in Norfolk has much delighted us all - including Churchwarden Beverley Spratt who said "It's a wonderful thing for our village." Ben Langley 9 2020 has been an annus horribilis in all aspects of life affecting everyone in one way or another and the life of our church has not escaped this terrible intrusion called Covid-19 into not only our way of life but the life of our churches, with most being closed almost throughout the year and the few that have been able to open not being able to allow singing which I am sure most of us agree is the main ingredient to bring so much joy to our services. Many people commuting through our little churchyard walking dogs, or just passing through to get some exercise, and must be pleased the way this little corner of Hapton has been kept open. We have recently celebrated the life of Mr N. Copeland who moved away, many years ago, but returned to be with his close relatives in the church- yard - and their connection with Hapton Hall and the Read family who lived there for many years. Wherever we may travel, our roots can pull us back. 2020 will certainly stay in all our memories for all the wrong reasons not only for corona virus but for losing people we older folk have been brought up with such as Sean Connery, Bobby Ball, Des O Connor, Kirk Douglas to name but a few. Not to mention relatives and friends closer to home whom we have lost, some very close to us, unexpectedly with the virus, and other illnesses. Our hearts and prayers go out to all these people. Christmas is a time of returning home to families. It is also a time for considering the future. We are all looking forward to a brighter future, the freedom that comes with it, and an end to this dreadful pandemic. Finally, a big thankyou to our volunteers who clean the church and keep the churchyard in such a welcoming condition, our PCC who work so hard to keep the ship running smoothly and our captain Revd Lydia and husband Chris.