News relating to St Mary's Church, Eaton Bray.

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St Mary's Eaton Bray: November 2005

Christmas Fayre boosts the roof repair fund

The Christmas Fayre at St Mary's Church, Eaton Bray, raised £990 towards the church restoration fund.

In addition £167 was raised for Emmaus, the homeless charity that we have been supporting throughout the year and a further £170 on the Traidcraft Stall.

For the full LBO article, see Fayre boosts the roof repair fund.

Carols at Carol's

SMILE's annual charity event is on 6th December at 8.00pm at the home of Carol Mockett. There will be carol-singing, mulled wine, mince pies and a raffle, with musical accompaniment by David Radwell and soloist Natalie Spence.

Tickets are now available from Catherine Evans and Elizabeth Ryder. All proceeds will go towards the provision of disabled facilities at Eaton Bray Village Hall.

Altar Servers

We are looking for more volunteers to act as crucifers and altar servers - no restrictions of age or gender. If you would like to contribute in this way to our worship, please have a word with Malcolm as soon as possible.

Christmas Coffee Morning

There will be a Christmas Coffee Morning at Dagnall Church on Saturday (3rd) between 10.30 and 12.30 in aid of their Church Extension Appeal. Please support our friends in this effort.

October meeting of the Parochial Church Council

The PCC received a report from the outgoing chairman of the North Chilterns Group of parishes (Eaton Bray, Edlesborough and Dagnall; Kensworth, Studham and Whipsnade; Tilsworth, Stanbridge and Totternhoe). The PCC reaffirmed its support for the North Chilterns Group which amongst other things organises highly valued confirmation classes and Lenten talks. It was agreed that ways of raising the profile of the NCG would be explored.

The lack of toilet facilities for people attending weddings, funerals and other events in church at times when the Village Hall has not also been hired has long been a cause for discomfort! It has been agreed with the trustees of Eaton Bray Village Hall that the toilet near the green room may be used, accessed from the side door. St Mary's will pay for the cost of additional locks and paving from the churchyard.

When the cooker in the village hall has been repaired or replaced, it is hoped to organise parish lunches for any who wish to attend but in particular for those who might otherwise be alone on Sundays.

St Mary's congregation will soon be asked for suggestions for next year's charity of the year.

A sum of money has been given in memory of Brock Shaw. It has been decided to use it to replace the white frontal to the main altar; this is used at Christmas and Easter and other festival occasions.

The garden around the war memorial has been dug over by a work party of eager volunteers, an anti-weed membrane laid down and bulbs and plants planted in time for Remembrance Sunday.

A Christmas Fayre was held on 19th November to raise funds for the running of the church. PCC members were asked to publicise the event as success depends on numbers attending. These funds may be required in the near future as while scaffolding was in the church during the repair of the Lady Chapel roof, an inspection of the nave took place and death watch beetle was discovered in 2 beams! The PCC authorised immediate treatment.

-- The Church Mouse

Weekday Services

This week there will be no weekday services on either Tuesday (22nd) or Wednesday (23rd).

Churches Together - Any Questions?

A local Churches Together team, representing all our churches, has agreed to face your questions on Wednesday, 18 January 2006, at 8.00pm in Edlesborough Methodist Church.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to 'try' and stretch our faith as well as having some fun! This was a very successful event 2 years ago, so get your thinking caps on.

If you would like to put a question to the panel, please let the Vicar or Richard Stroud have it (in writing) by Sunday, 11 December.

Charities and Parish Project

As in previous years, the PCC is inviting members of the congregation to nominate charities for consideration for this year's charitable giving from church funds, and also to suggest possible charities for next year's Parish Project.

Please fill in the details on one of the forms available from the table by the notice board - all nominations to be in by Advent Sunday at the latest.

North Chilterns Group Advent Service

The North Chilterns Group annual Advent service will be held on Sunday, 27 November at 4.00pm at St Mary's.

Please come along to an inspiring Advent service and to welcome our friends from the other parishes of the Group.

Travelling Crib

Mary and Joseph would like to stay the night at your house during Advent before reaching church for our Christmas Eve services.

This charming custom is for grown-ups as well as for children, so don't be shy about signing up on the list on the notice board near the south door. If we find enough accommodation for Mary and Joseph, we should like also to find rooms for three kings who will be travelling in anticipation of arriving in church for Epiphany.

Remembrance Sunday

Next Sunday (13th November) is Remembrance Sunday, and as usual the Sung Eucharist and Sunday School will begin half-an-hour earlier (at 9.30am). The annual Act of Remembrance will take place at Edlesborough War Memorial, beginning at 10.50am.

Churchyard

Volunteers are needed for an autumn leaf-clearing and tidying session on Saturday (12th November) from 10.00 to 12.00. No invitation necessary - please just turn up with your brush or rake.

Mothers Union Edlesborough with Eaton Bray

17 members met in the Coffee Tavern at 2pm on 12th October. Sheila Heffer led the prayers, and after some business discussions we welcomed our guest speaker, Mr Norman Davies, who told us of his early life at a Choir School.

He was born in Peckham, the youngest of three sons. His Mother ran the family's sweet shop, and his father was a Postman. He remembered the toffee apples and ice cream, which they made.

At the age of about seven years, a School Master discovered that he had a very good singing voice, and his parent's began looking into the possibilities of him atending a choir school. Eventuallyat nine and a half, he auditioned and was accepted into All Saints Resident Choir School (London). So at the tender age of nine and a half he left home and went into the School. They slept in dormitories and had to be in bed at 8pm during the week, and 9pm on Sundays. The morning started by having a cold bath, followed by a run round the block, they were only allowed to go out in two's and then only for half an hour. They went from school via a tunnel for evensong, and on Sunday it was High Mass, so a great part of the day was spent singing, and rehearsing for the service. The whole context was very Victorian, in discipline particularly. This must have been a very traumatic experience for a nine and a half year old boy just having left family life. The slightest misdemeanor resulted in being caned.

In 1937, belonging to St Paul's Choir, Norman actually sang at the coronation of King George VI.

They had six weks holiday in the summer, but Christmas didn't start until after Christmas Day, when his Mother collected him to go home and join the family. He has been a member of St Mary's choir for about eight years.

Norman finished by singing "My Way" which he says sums up his life. We had tea at about 3.30pm with goodies supplied by Celia and June. We finished by saying grace at about 4pm.

-- Marjorie Cook
Mothers' Union

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Church of St Mary the Virgin, Eaton Bray with Edlesborough