The Parish Church of St Andrew's, Medsteadwelcome | faith | services | events | news | archive | people | church | village | friends | location |
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The Parish Church of St Andrew's, Medsteadwelcome | faith | services | events | news | archive | people | church | village | friends | location |
|
April-June 2007
Spring Harvest 2008
Benefice Family Walk
Pilgrimage
PCC Meeting: 23rd May
Movement
Oars For Treloars
Annual Church Meeting
Spring Jumble Sale
Ben's Easter Message
Medstead WI
Villagers Reunited
Social Events
Situations Vacant
Mercy Home Update
Gift Aid Changes
Website: What's New
Refectory Duties
Juliantide
Bowls Club
All Age Training Day
Spring Charity Concert
Cricket Club
Easter Services & Events
Gardeners Club
The Villager
Births, Deaths & Marriages
Small Ads
January-March 2007
October-December 2006
July-September 2006
April-June 2006
January-March 2006
October-December 2005
July-September 2005
April-June 2005
January-March 2005
October-December 2004
July-September 2004
April-June 2004
January-March 2004
November-December 2003
Anglicans Online
BBCi: Christian News
The Church of England Gazette
The Church of England Newspaper
Church Times Online
Diocese Of Winchester
Ekklesia
Ship of Fools
St. Andrew's website is:
Originally launched in 1979 as a one-week event for less than 2,000 people, Spring Harvest is the largest Christian conference in Europe. It's aim is to 'equip the church for action', encouraging Christians to think about and renew their faith.
Today, it has grown to a multi-week, multi-location event attended by more than 55,000 people, who come together each Easter for an opportunity to learn, laugh and worship together. Twelve members of our congregation took part this year.
From solid biblical exposition delivered by world-renowned theologians and outstanding speakers, to intimate and powerful worship times, plus dedicated teaching and worship programmes for children and young people - there really is something for everyone, from first thing in the morning until late at night.
"Spring Harvest isn't just a big Christian jamboree... it's about finding out more about Jesus and what he wants you to do with your life!"
The innovative programme is relevant to all ages, backgrounds and denominations. The teaching is developed over 18 months by a number of renowned speakers, teachers and theologians - which means a top-quality programme, easily applied to daily life, is delivered.
Ben and Kathryn will be booking places at Butlins in Minehead for Saturday, 5th April to Thursday, 10th April, 2008.
The cut-off date for booking places is Wednesday, 6th June, 2007 as demand is high and places have to be booked well in advance.
Please contact Ben or Kathryn if you are interested in attending or finding out more about this amazing event.
Ben & Kathryn Flenley
Our Rogation pilgrimage walk, across some of Hampshire's most beautiful countryside and visiting all four churches in our Benefice, was held on Saturday, 2nd June in glorious sunshine.
The walk started at 8.30am with breakfast at St. Andrew's Church Hall. Fifty breakfasts were served, and a good proportion of these were Adrian Barnes' big fry platters delivered by a hugely efficient team of waitresses whose smiles were matched by that of the sun, which was already brightening the day.
Shortly after 10.00am, after prayers at St. Andrews with an appropriate blessing by the Bishop of Winchester, The Rt. Revd. Michael Scott-Joynt, the fifty-five pilgrims, four dogs and two babes in arms set off to beat the bounds of our benefice.
The first and longest leg of the walk, five miles from Medstead to Shalden, included numerous stiles and took in Wivelrod and Warren Farm before crossing the A339 and climbing up the steep track to the ridge top.
Front and rear walkers wore yellow Hi-Viz safety jackets to mark the limits of the Pilgrimage column, as did Ben who offered a good impression of a local farmer with hat to suit. Meanwhile, the Bishop mingled along the column, resplendent in a striking ecclesiastical purple shirt.
At Shalden Village Hall there was a stop for some of Ann Maltby's pizza creations and a lot of liquid refreshment. By now, the party had swelled to eighty-three walkers.
On the one-and-a-half mile walk between Shalden and Lasham crops were blessed and families enjoyed a treasure hunt, devised by Jo Holiday, which included - amongst other things - counting the gargoyles at St. Peter and St. Paul, Shalden, where we held another stop for prayers.
Thanks to Andy Shirvell the path over the hill to the boundary of Lasham parish was recently cut. One more stile and the walkers were soon following the ancient track hedged in by twisted cherries and old beech trees leading to Church Farm Dairy, where prayers and blessings were held for the livestock.
A final steep hill and the party headed for The Royal Oak where Aaron and Dionne were ready with ploughman's lunches for all.
If the welcome from The Oak was warm and friendly the sun was too, and it was good to relax under the shady umbrellas in the pub garden. After a leisurely lunch everyone crowded into St Mary's Church where there was another short act of worship.
On the way out of the village, the walkers paused to bless the pond and to gaze in wonder at a huge cluster of tadpoles squirming about in the shallows. One wonders what they made of us all staring down at them. If they all make it to adulthood it will certainly be some choir in Lasham pond!
The two-and-a-half miles to Bentworth followed the road out of the village, re-crossed the A339 and climbed out of the valley, through woods and corn fields, to The Sun Inn.
At Bentworth School Hall Stella and her crew had prepared a delicious cream tea for the weary but happy walkers. Some seventy made it to this last gastronomic treat. What a way to celebrate!
Ben, endorsed by the Bishop, offered sincere thanks to all those dedicated individuals who had assisted in organising the day. Our last act of worship then took place outside the church porch of St. Mary's, Bentworth.
The bounds had been well and truly beaten or, to be more accurate, been prayed over and blessed. Pilgrims came from all four parishes and every decade was represented from tiny tots to octogenarians.
A few diehard walkers, including the Bishop, continued back to Medstead on foot - possibly determined to ensure the Pilgrimage ended with a net calorie loss! - leaving others to pick up their cars, parked nearby.
Huge thanks must go to Ben and Kathryn for masterminding it all, to the walk committee who made the plans a reality and to their support team who fed and watered us all. Our thanks also to the Bishop who gave up a day to be with us. He could not have chosen a better one. It was a great day.
Charlie Shaylor & David Hayward
Related Links:
Route Map
Ben Writes... Pilgrimage
Events
The concept of pilgrimage as a journey of religious volition or obligation to a sacred spot, such as Abraham's visit to Mount Moriah (Genesis 22), is known from remote antiquity, though the Bible lacks a technical term for it. Any place held in veneration was liable to attract pilgrims, as even the earliest Old Testament records show.
Journeys to the statutory feasts at Jerusalem, where the Temple enjoyed exclusive prestige, were well established by New Testament times (cf. notably Luke. 2:41 ff). Each of them was a pilgrimage-festival (Heb. Hag; cf. Arabic Hajj). Before the Arab-Israeli partition of Jerusalem in 1948, and since the Six Days' War of 1967, Jews have regularly prayed at the Western Wall, formerly the Wailing Wall, which is all that remains of the Herodian Temple. One of the Five Pillars of Islam is Pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj mentioned above, a journey each member of the faith is required to make at least once in this lifetime.
Additionally, in Western Christendom, Rogation days were observed on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day, during which prayers would be asked for the crops, more especially that cereal crops would be spared from mildew.
The idea of processing around we seem to have developed from the ancient Roman rites of Robigalia. Banned in England in 1547, the perambulation of the parish was later made compulsory under Elizabeth I!
Hopefully, you will all have become aware by now that we have organised a combination of the two: a Benefice Rogation Pilgrimage on Saturday, 2nd June. It's voluntary, of course, but nevertheless we are hoping for a good turnout.
The Bishop of Winchester will walk with us and we shall pause to bless the crops at intervals on the way, as well as stopping off at each of the four churches. Details are in all the churches and here on our website. It will be a gentle meander around the parishes, with regular refreshment breaks included. I'm sure it will be a memorable occasion.
Ben Flenley
Comments? email Ben
The Parochial Church Council met on Wednesday, 23rd May. As well as the usual items of business, your PCC discussed the following:
The next meeting will be a Benefice PCC Meeting, on Tuesday, 3rd July. The next PCC Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 18th July at 8.00pm in the Church Hall. If you have any matters you would like discussed, please let our Secretary, Yvonne Haig, know.
Easter has come and gone and, at the end of this month, we shall celebrate Pentecost, often known as the 'birthday of the Church', recalling the moment when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and set them forth on their mission, which we continue today.
The dramatic events of Holy Week were well and truly celebrated in our churches. A huge crowd from all the area's churches came out on Good Friday to walk in witness through Alton. All our parishes were represented, bar one. The sun timed its rising perfectly on Easter Day to coincide with the end of our 6.00am service in Lasham. My thanks to the many people, not least Simon Baker, Charlie Shaylor and Kathryn Flenley, for all the support you gave.
Thank you also to all who helped Kathryn in running the Make Mother's Day activity day in March.
29 children made posies for all four churches, in addition to making gifts for Mothering Sunday.
It has become our custom now to hold a Rogation Walk in one or other of the parishes and each parish has been involved at least once.
This year, we've planned something special. The Bishop of Winchester will join us as we walk between all four churches as a kind of benefice pilgrimage on Saturday, 2nd June. We'll meet for breakfast at St. Andrew's, Medstead, and walk to Shalden (elevenses), Lasham (lunch at the Royal Oak) and Bentworth (cream teas!) It won't be essential to walk the whole route; just join in between any two or more churches, if that's what you'd prefer.
We propose to charge £5 per head (£10 for a family) to cover all meals, however many you have, and we will be making Application Forms available (just to help with the catering) in the churches, from the Rectory or online at St. Andrew's website. We'll also be putting forms in both schools. Posters will be appearing soon, which will give more information about route and levels of ease on the route. Sadly, it won't be suitable for pushchairs or buggies so baby-carriers or shoulders will have to suffice!
Changing tack for a moment, the restyled Family Service at Bentworth begins this month. After consultation, it has been agreed to hold a monthly informal Family Communion Service on the second Sunday of each month.
For logistical reasons, we've had to decide to hold the service at 11.00am, rather than at 9.30am as suggested in Kate Yonge's article in the March edition of The Villager. There is already a communion service at 9.30am in Lasham, and only one priest can ever be guaranteed to be available in the benefice.
As before, children and young people will be invited to assist with the service, which should prove a useful introduction to the whole subject of communion and confirmation.
By the beginning of May, new Church Councils and Officers will have been elected; please pray for all who have taken on or are continuing their voluntary roles in the smooth running of our churches.
Ben Flenley
Comments? email Ben
The Treloar Trust, based in Alton, has been changing the lives of disabled children for 100 years by providing education, training, therapy and medical support, in a caring and supportive environment.
The need for a new Hall of Residence, equipment and the means to fund outreach workers to help the students after they leave the College is enormous.
With this in mind, a centenary appeal has ben launched and various fund raising events instigated, one of which is to row 100 miles. Sir Steve Redgrave CBE is organising this and has asked for help.
"Will you help me raise money for the Treloar Trust Centenary Appeal by supporting people to row 100 miles - one for each of its 100 years?. Together, if we put some muscle into it, we can change the lives of some of the most disabled young people in the UK today."
Sir Steve Redgrave, MBE
Medstead Sports Club has answered the call and entered a team which, so far, comprises one man: Tony Chivers.
Tony has now completed over 75 miles, at an average speed of a little over 8mph, and the aim is to complete the 100 mile course in under 13 hours. Thank you those who have sponsored this event, over £1,700 has been donated or promised to date.
Sponsorship forms are available from the Handy Stores or from Tony on 01420 563510.
When at school, over 70 years ago, Tony coxed the first four for five years. Now in his eighty-eighth year, Tony really feels it is time to face the other way and find out what those under his direction suffered!
A team can be from one to five persons and the row can be done in stages, until September, on a Concept rowing machine.
The League of Friends of Treloar School and College also invite you to support another fund raising event:
Plant Sale
on
Saturday, 12th May
between
10.00am and 12.30pm
at
Treloar College Horticultural Centre, Holybourne, Alton
Good quality plants at amazing prices!
Raffle, Cake and Produce Stalls
Plant Stalls, Bring and Buy Plant Stall
Childrens' Corner
Entrance £2, including Tea or Coffee and biscuits.
This year's Meeting of Parishioners and Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) was held on Sunday, 29th April at 7.30pm in the Church Hall.
The Meeting of Parishoners elected the Churchwardens. The Annual Parochial Church Meeting received and actioned, where appropriate, matters arising from the minutes of the 2006 APCM and 2006 Annual Report of the PCC. It also elected other offices such as members of the PCC.
Highlights of the meeting were as follows:
Following the meeting, it is with pleasure the Churchwardens announce Yvonne Haigh has agreed to become our new PCC Secretary.
The next PCC Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23rd May at 8.00pm in the Church Hall. If you have any matters you would like discussed, please let our Secretary, Yvonne, know in advance.
Related Links:
Annual Church Meeting 2006
Annual Church Meeting 2005
Annual Church Meeting 2004
You may also download the APCM agenda here.
Right click on the link, select "Save Target As..." to save the file to a local directory. The agenda is in Adobe pdf format, compressed using Winzip.
Our annual Spring Jumble Sale took place on Saturday, 14th April in the Church Hall and car park and raised around £920 for Church funds, a new record!
Thank you to all those who contributed to this success, either by providing or collecting items, helping on the day and, in particular, those who baked cakes for the event.
Thanks also to those who came and bought items as diverse as vintage clothing, a set of roller blades, a crystal decanter, a hammock, a professional telescope and a complete set of the Children's Encyclopaedia Britannica, c1970!
This great success is clearly attributed to the quality of our jumble as well as the regularity of our sales, which attract enthusiasts from miles around.
The village is, even now, rummaging through lofts, spare rooms, garages and garden sheds for our next, annual Autumn Sale, which will take place on Saturday, 10th November.
Doors will open, as usual, at 2.00pm. Arrive early for the best bargains!
Geoff and Mary Spinks
I have just returned from celebrating a Wednesday morning Eucharist for Perpetua, Felicity and their companions, who were executed by the Romans in the year 203 AD for refusing to renounce their Christian faith. We call them martyrs.
No-one who straps explosives to themselves, goes into a public place and detonates those explosives so as to kill or maim as many people as possible should ever be called a martyr. Neither should they be duped into believing that, by this act, they will inherit whatever special privileges are alleged to be reserved for martyrs.
Martyrs willingly give one life - their own - because of their faith, and even then only when no other course of action is left.
On Good Friday we commemorate another 'martyrdom' of a kind, though one of an altogether different order. In going to the Cross, Jesus made that self-same ultimate sacrifice without a hint of the "I'll take as many of them with me as I can" mentality of the suicide bomber.
Much more than that, Jesus took upon himself something of us, at no cost to us, for our sake: he took our sinful nature and 'redeemed' it so that we, without having to make any similar sacrifice, should be put right before God.
When we understand this, it is small wonder that we seek to worship this God, this Jesus, for his generous act of reconciliation. It is this God, this Jesus, whom we seek to serve, remembering always the words of the ancient collect, "whose service is perfect freedom".
At this time of year, elections are held to form our Church Councils. Volunteers willing to serve him "whose service is perfect freedom" come forward to give something back.
Actually, so few 'come forward' that elections are seldom necessary - is that a measure of our sense of gratitude? Indeed, in Bentworth, volunteers are in such short supply we look to be going past Easter without any Churchwardens, Secretary or Treasurer! Should I petition the Bishop to close the church for public worship?
We all know of the wider Church's difficulties, falling-off of support in the UK (though quite the opposite world-wide), internal struggles and so on, all of which makes feeling part of the Anglican Communion quite trying, but my first concern is with our local church community. Here is a community of believers which needs a little help to regain confidence and strength - this is no time for hiding lights under bushels.
Ben Flenley
Comments? email Ben
April began with members busy packing Easter baskets on Maundy Thursday for distribution to some of the senior residents of the village. This has been a tradition for many years and the baskets are filled with all sorts of home made goodies, plus fruit, chocolate, tea bags, a posy of flowers and a card and are always received with great delight.
The speaker for the April meeting was Pat Brockway who gave an interesting account of the life of Sir Edward Grey, politician, historian and naturalist. It was also interesting to learn about the Hampshire cottage at Itchen Abbas which Sir Edward used with his family as a retreat from his public life and to enjoy fishing, which he had been passionate about since an early age as a pupil at Winchester College.
Members of the craft group enjoyed an afternoon of watercolour painting with Jennifer Lines and all went home with a painting of a Hampshire view. This session was enjoyed so much that watercolour painting would be the subject of the next craft session.
The walking group enjoyed glorious spring weather for their walk from Batt's Corner via Frensham Pond before returning to the Blue Bell pub for lunch.
Hazel Whitehead was the speaker at the May meeting, to tell everyone about Naomi House Children's Hospice at Sutton Scotney. It was very interesting to hear not only about the history of the hospice and the wonderful work carried out there to give the children a super time during their stay, but also about the much needed support to their parents and siblings. A very moving topic, and one which Medstead WI members are very interested in.
27 members of the walking group enjoyed a lovely spring walk at Meonstoke and rose to the top of Old Winchester Hill where the views were absolutely magnificent with the Isle of Wight and the Solent both clearly visible. Everyone then walked gently back downhill to enjoy a well earned drink and pub lunch!
The craft group had another wonderful afternoon enjoying watercolour painting with Jennifer Lines and this time it was something a little more dramatic, with mountains in the background and a river and lake as well.
The June meeting was a treat for all animal lovers, when Nicky Carter gave a talk about the work of the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth. It was very interesting to hear about the 2000 donkeys in the care of the organisation and how some of these donkeys are occupied. One even goes visiting in an old people's home and trots into the lift for the ride to the first floor to visit the residents up there! Nicky had some enlarged photos to illustrate her talk and proved to be a delightful speaker.
Six members had travelled to the NFWI AGM the week before and a brief report on the day was given. The craft group had an afternoon trying out the technique of rag rug making.
The June walk was a circuit from Alton via Holybourne and Froyle before returning for a well-earned pub lunch and it was the great fortune of the walkers that the rain held off until everyone was safely inside the pub!
There will be WI stall at the Medstead Fête on Saturday, 14th July when there will be a display and sale of craft items made by members.
Medstead WI always welcomes new members and visitors to its meetings, which are on the second Thursday of each month at 2.15pm in the village hall.
Gill Siddall
Related Links:
Medstead WI, February-March 2007
Richard Harris writes... "Were you living in Medstead in the 1940s and '50s? My family were long-time residents of Medstead. I was born opposite the village green and then lived at Greenstile until 1956, when I left for Australia.
I am hoping to contact former pupils of Medstead School, Class 1, in 1956, I wonder were they are now?
If you recognise any of the below and know how I can contact them, or if you have any information relating to that time, then please email Richard."
Richard Harris, David Lennox, John Reed, Ann Reed, Francis Horton, Gloria Lister, Richard Smith, Brian Ford, Phyllis Burgess, Pamela Marshall, Norah Wells, David Cooper, Albert Giles, David Amory, Elizabeth Bone, Corinne Carey, Chris Mandell, Michael Horton, Lily Pitwood, Ronald Lane, Beryl Nevelle, Winifred Taylor, Carol Nash, Kenneth Channon, Ronald Butler, David Vincent, Douglas Hudson, Rosalind Wells, Wendy Goodall, John Bremner, David King.
Tony Westbrook writes... "I enjoyed reading your village history pages. I am a direct descendant of the James Westbrook, Blacksmith mentioned in the list of trades.
I am related through Henry William Westbrook born 1851, the illegitimate son of Jane Westbrook born 1829, daughter of James Westbrook (Blacksmith) and his wife Jemima Norgate.
I have attempted on many an occasions to discover the father of Henry William but without success. I did find a younger brother, also illegitimate called Edwin Knight Westbrook. Perhaps he was the son of one Edwin Knight? I live in North Yorkshire where Henry William emigrated to."
We have already managed to put him in touch with two other family members who have visited our church, and they have been exchanging information on their Medstead family's history. If you can help fill the gaps please email Tony.
And finally, Liz Wright (nee Bone) writes..."I saw your website with interest today, as my only memory of my paternal grandmother is that she lived in Alresford and was called Bone, had three children - and her husband might have been a master builder.
My father's name was Fred Bone, but I never knew him and can't find much trace of him... with a Nell Bone and Dorothy Bone as siblings, born somewhere around 1908ish."
If you can help trace this branch of the Bone family, please email Liz.
If you are researching your Medstead family history all our Parish Record books, or registers, once closed, are deposited in the County Record Office, Winchester. Medstead Parish Records on microfiche are also availble from the Curtis Museum, Alton.
Highlights of our summer and autumn calendar of events include:
Benefice Family Walk: 2nd June
Hog Roast: 7th July
Harvest Supper: 14th September
Organ Recital: 15th September
Jumble Sale: 10th November
Concert: 25th November
Please see our Events page for more details and put these dates in your diaries!
The Social Committee is also eager to recruit a few more members for its work. If you are interested, please contact Sharon.
Related Links:
Events
Sharon Blackshaw
St Andrew's needs someone to act as our Church representative for the Alton Deanery's Karamoja project.
Karamoja is the needy diocese in Uganda which our Deanery has been supporting for many years and our representative would ideally be interested in finding out more about the work at local meetings, then reporting back to the PCC.
We also have a vacancy for a Lead Sidesman or woman. This person would be responsible for managing and scheduling the list of sidesmen and women available, so all services are covered by those willing and able to attend.
If you can help with either of these vacancies, please contact a Churchwarden.
Related Links:
Karamoja Supper
Thanks to your generous donations the land adjacent to the Mercy Home has now been purchased and building work - to provide a refectory, boys home and an infant school - has begun.
We have received money from places of work, proceeds from carol singing, concerts and sales, rent from lodgers... the list is endless and we are just amazed the money has been raised so quickly, since the appeal was launched last October.
Children accepted into the Mercy Home are all members of the untouchable caste, living in extreme poverty and deprivation in remote rural villages in Tamil Nadu, South India.
By coming to the Mercy Home, children are given an education until they are 16 or 17, the opportunity to study for a profession or go on to university and so the chance to escape poverty.
The Mercy Home relies almost entirely upon a network of people prepared to sponsor a child through their education.
Now is the time of year when we send sponsorship money to the Mercy Home. This year the amount remains at £130. If you pay by cheque, please make it payable to Bentworth PCC, with Kathryn Mercy Home written on the reverse, and send it to Kathryn Flenley, at the Rectory.
If you would like to know more about the Mercy Home or are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Kathryn.
Kathryn Flenley.
Related Links:
Appeal Update
The reduction in the basic rate of income tax announced in the Budget will reduce the Gift Aid churches like St. Andrew's can reclaim by 11% from next year.
Gift Aid allows charities to reclaim around 28p for every £1 donated. When the basic rate of income tax falls from 22% to 20% on 6th April next year, the amount which can be reclaimed will also fall, to about 25p per pound, or 22/78 compared with 20/80.
On the latest available figures, from 2005, this will reduce the income from Gift Aid recovery across the Church of England by £7.7m.
In the Diocese of Winchester £1.9m was reclaimed in 2005. Had Gift Aid been at the new rate this figure would have been reduced significantly, by £213k.
Despite the reduction, Gift Aid remains a simple and effective way for taxpayers to increase the value of their giving to St. Andrew's. If you do not already give using Gift Aid, then please consider doing so.
Please contact our Gift Aid Secretary for more details.
Related Links:
Donate to St. Andrew's by Gift Aid
As part of a continuing programme of improvements to our website, we have introduced a site news feed which effectively provides a what's new at St. Andrew's to your desktop.
The news feed uses RSS to deliver a constantly updated summary of the latest St. Andrew's news, events and website updates, with links back to the full content on this site.
The feed can be read by any feed reader or aggregator and means you do not have to keep revisiting our site just to check for updates. Instead, they come direct to you, until you remove the feed from your reader.
Separately, our website has also been nominated for two awards.
Firstly, for Hampshire County Council's Hantsweb Awards in the categories of Best Charity or Voluntary Organisation website and Best Local Area website.
The Hantsweb Awards celebrate excellence in website design, accessibility and service and are open to any website based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Secondly for the Diocesan Communications Celebrations and Awards in the category of Best Parish Church Website.
This new award recognises the voluntary work which goes on in parishes to produce effective communications of the life and work of the churches in the Diocese of Winchester.
Related Links:
Hantsweb Awards
RSS Feed Details
Get Our RSS Feed
The next duties for the St. Andrew's team at the Refectory are on Thursday, 7th June and Thursday, 23rd August.
If you can help for either a whole day or half a day please contact Mary Spinks.
We are looking for more helpers, so please consider volunteering for this important contribution to the Cathedral's activities.
No previous experience is needed and this is an equal opportunity job!
Celebrate the love of God at Juliantide, on Thursday, 10th May from 8.00pm in Winchester Quire, entry via the Cathedral South Door.
This celebration is being organised by Julian Groups in the Diocese.
For more details please email Lynda Bunting or telephone her on 02380 269418.
Related Links:
Julian Meetings
The Medstead Bowls Club summer programme for 2007 is coming together nicely.
As usual we have entered a team in the Basingstoke Thursday Afternoon mixed triples league which runs matches weekly from May to August and is a very friendly competition for teams of nine players aimed primarily at retired people.
We have also arranged seven weekend friendly matches against other local teams, again providing competition without great pressure.
We are also planning regular social events, including:
Saturday, 28th April:
Pig Racing (using battery operated pigs, not real ones!) with cooked supper.
Wilf Robinson
Alton Deanery is holding an All Age Training Day on Saturday, 28th April at Andrews' School, London Road, Holybourne.
The day will be led by Nick Harding, well known to many nationally as a Worship Leader and author of several books and anthologies of good practical ideas for All-Age Worship.
The day will look at worship planning, content, liturgy and songs. It will be very practical, with activities, prayer ideas and physical liturgy.
The day starts with coffee at 10.00am and finishes around 3.30pm. A donation of £5 on the day will cover costs and please bring a packed lunch.
For more information, or to book a place, please contact the co-ordinator: email Derek Bailey, or telephone him on 01420 82657.
On Sunday, 22nd April we held An Evening of Musical Entertainment by local young musicians, in front of a good-sized audience in the Church.
The moving force behind the evening was Laura Jurd who wanted to raise money for her school, Amery Hill's, designated charity: St Norbert's Love and Care Crèche, which is located in a small township outside Cape Town, South Africa, and helps young children affected by the HIV virus.
With ticket sales, donations and tax rebate a grand total of £1000 was raised by the event and we all had a great evening listening to an eclectic mixture of music and instruments, from Alexander Goedicke to Bill Withers, piano to euphonium.
Laura and her friends, Joshua Foulkes, Emma Delany, Katie Alder, Hannah Foulkes, Martynas Vilpisauskas, Anne Fletcher, Hannah Platt and Jenny Cox received excellent help with accompaniment for some items from Roger Job and Patrick Busby.
Everyone present will have chosen their favourite piece, but, for me, Laura and Martynas's rendition of My Funny Valentine was an incredible tour de force. Laura, using a mute on her trumpet made her instrument just sing. One could almost hear the trumpet producing the words of the song.
After the Concert there was an opportunity to meet the performers over a drink in the Church Hall and to admire their musical talent.
Colin Fuller
Medstead Cricket Club is busy preparing for the new season, starting at home on Sunday, 22nd April with a match against Holybourne, followed by another home fixture on Sunday, 29th April against the XII Men.
Our Hampshire Cricket League, Regional Division 3 North East matches start on Saturday, 5th May, again with a home match on Medstead Village Green.
The very popular cricket coaching for children aged 6 to 13 takes place throughout the summer months on the Green, starting on Friday, 4th May.
Andy Tingey
This year we held the following services and events:
Palm Sunday, 1st April:
Family Communion Service, 11.00am.
Monday, 2nd, Tuesday, 3rd and Wednesday, 4th April:
Compline, 7.30pm.
This beautiful service is a wonderful way to end a stressful day.
Tuesday, 3rd April:
Holy Communion Service, 9.15am.
Maundy Thursday, 4th April:
Passover Supper, 7.30pm
at St Mary's, Bentworth.
Good Friday, 6th April:
The Last Hour: Meditation on the Cross, 2.00pm.
Saturday, 7th April:
Easter Garden, 10.30am
Calling all children: you are invited to create an Easter Garden.
Bring your entries to St. Andrew's church from 10.30am onwards.
Prizes for every garden!
Easter Day, 8th April:
Service of Light, 6.00am
at St. Mary's, Lasham.
Holy Communion Service, 8.00am.
Family Communion Service, 11.00am.
A big thank you to everyone who helped to decorate the church for the Easter services: the church looked lovely!
Thank you also to those of you who donated towards the cost of the lilies used in the arrangements.
If you would like to join our team you really will be very welcome. All that is needed is the enthusiasm to see the Church looking splendid.
Gill Siddall
Club meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month, in the Village Hall at 7.30pm for 8.00pm:
Tuesday, 3rd April:
Ray Broughton, John Negus and Sandy Worth: Gardeners Question Time.
Tuesday, 1st May:
Tim Butler, from the Lavender Farm, Selbourne, will talk on Lavender. A visit to Tim's farm will take place on Thursday, 5th July. The cost will be £8, including a cream tea.
Saturday, 12th May:
Annual Plant Sale, Village Hall, 10.30am.
Don't miss out, come along and buy locally grown plants at very reasonable prices!
Tuesday, 5th June:
Members Evening with Ploughman's Supper.
Tuesday, 3rd July:
Sarah Coles on the Historic Roses of Mottisfont.
Saturday, 21st July:
Medstead Gardeners Club Flower Show.
New members are always very welcome.
Gill Siddall
We are looking for a fourth member to join our team. Whilst we can manage with three of us, it would be much better to have the flexibility to share the various tasks between four, and it would help to provide back-up for each other if needed.
We are looking for someone to be the first line of contact for advertisers, which is often by email, or by phone.
So if you would like to join us, or if you want to know more, please contact Caroline or Jill.
Louise and Kelvin were married at St. Andrew's on Friday, 4th May.
It was a lovely wedding with spontaneous applause and a reminder to all couples not to step on each other's dreams.
Please pray for Louise and Kelvin as they embark on their lives together.
We were saddened to learn Lily Marsh died, just before Easter, in Southampton Hospital.
Lily and Gordon, who lived in Alton, worshipped regularly at St Andrew's until last year.
Please remember Lily and Gordon's family in your prayers.
Retired lady pensioner from Zimbabwe would like cottage in countryside to rent.
If required can offer driving, light cooking, companionship to another pensioner and the possibility of light maintenance.
Please contact Lynne Timm on 01256 475441 or 07951 719294.
To advertise here please contact Andrew.
To advertise in the Pewsheet please contact Chris.
