Latest Vicar's Letter

On Saturday 4th July, St Mary’s Village Carnival will take place on Edlesborough Green. St Mary’s PCC and congregation are looking forward to seeing you there!

This year’s theme is ‘Countries of the World’ and I’m sure that as ever, there will be an amazing and imaginative variety of decorated houses, especially along the procession route.

Our Guest of Honour is Peter Mayne, well known as a local historian. He has an impressive collection of old photographs of the villages, as well as many anecdotes about people and events. If you want to know anything about Eaton Bray and area in times past – Peter’s your man!

Mary Mayne is equally well known as an award-winning quilter, and St Mary’s Church is proud to have given a home to one of her splendid quilts featuring buildings in Eaton Bray. A number of these buildings no longer exist, so it is both an example of expert needlework and an historical document. Come and have a look at it in the Lady Chapel and pick up a leaflet telling you about the various buildings depicted.

Once again the Carnival Committee have put together something for everyone with floats, stalls and many other attractions. Besides being a time to enjoy yourselves, Carnival is an opportunity to celebrate being part of our community while raising money for good causes.

St Mary’s, Eaton Bray, is an historic, grade 1 listed church over 800 years old. It is a church for everyone in the community and Carnival helps to keep the building in good condition through contributing to its Fabric Fund. Other local charities and good causes also benefit and over £335,000 has been distributed in recent years!

The Carnival would be nothing without its many visitors, not just from our villages but from Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Luton and Hemel Hempstead, all coming for a day of fun in the countryside. Invite your family and friends, no matter where they live, to experience the best of village life and if they are feeling peckish, there is not only St Mary’s BBQ with all the traditional BBQ fare, but in keeping with the theme, a wide range of international dishes including, German sausages, Chinese noodles, Greek gyros, Thai and Indian dishes and of course, good old fish and chips!

Catherine Hayden, Churchwarden, St Mary’s Church

Carnival Prayer

Father, we thank you for the life and fellowship of our villages. Bless our Carnival; may all who attend, or take part, enjoy the event and may it inspire people to give freely of their time and service in support of this community.

Amen.