April 2004 - Parish News
ST ANDREWS CHURCH
Services & Events in April
Thu 1 8-00pm Prayer Concert Word of Faith Centre, Alma St, Luton
8-00pm Footsteps meeting
Sun 4 10-30am Palm Sunday Family Communion
Wed 7 10-30am Pram Service Family Room
Thu 8 7-30pm Maundy Thursday Agape in Church
Fri 9
12-00 noon
Good Friday Service
in Church
EASTER
DAY
Sun 11 9-15am Holy Communion East Hyde
10-30am Holy Communion St Andrew's
6-00pm
Songs of Praise
St Andrew's
Thu 15 8-00pm Footsteps meet at Dori's house
Sun 18 10-30am Morning Praise
Wed 2 10-30am Pram Service Family Room
8-00pm Alpha Resumes at the Vicarage
Fri 23 3-50pm Young Peoples Alpha at the Vicarage
Sat 24
10-30am
Thanksgiving Service for Woman’s Ministry
at St Albans Abbey
Sun 25 9-15am Holy Communion East Hyde
10-30am Morning Praise
6-15pm 3:16 meet Family Room
Thu 29 8-00pm Footsteps trip to Hemel Hempstead
Fri 30 2-30pm Woodside Nursing Home Service
Sat 1 May Mothers Union trip to Kew Gardens
NEWS FROM ST ANDREWS
Mike and Pauline Lowe
We sadly said farewell to Mike and Pauline last month, as they moved away to live in mid Wales. It is hard to believe it has been just three years since they joined us, so much having happened in that time. Pauline completed her Lay Reader’s training, taking a key role with Chris Barnes supporting Joy in the leadership at St Andrew’s. Her calm delivery of deep truths will be hard to follow. And Mike’s outgoing cheerfulness when not always enjoying the best of health serves as an example. They will be missed, although it is hoped that contacts will be maintained by each way visits and in correspondence.
Quiz Night
We enjoyed another of our popular Quiz Nights last month, testing questions being put by Chris Barnes. This time we enlisted Luton’s, our own, Schools Chef of the Year, Lorraine Crossett, to produce and excellent meal, enjoyed by all. Our local councillors team led, authoritatively as ever, by Christine Benson took the honours in close fought competition!
This event is becoming an annual winter fixture and helps with fund raising in aid of the church roof repairs, the full extent of which will become clearer soon as our architect makes her periodic detailed inspection of the building.
Roving reporter David Kingston
A LETTER FROM DORSET
One of the interests we brought down from Slip End to the Sandford district of the Wareham area was an awareness of, and concern for the deprived minority tribes in the Burma/Thailand border area. Following a presentation by Dorothy with slides, posters etc a year or two ago enthusiasm soon caught on and the local parish undertook to support Karenaid for a year or two. One of our lay readers who also visits the local second school is telling younger folk about the difficult living conditions the Karen people are facing. Unfortunately other urgent calls on the church’s cash cropped up (like a failing heating system) and the P C C recognised that they would not be able to continue the promised aid for the Karen people. So it was decided to try and raise the equivalent amount of money by other means, one of which was the informal concert by a local wind group on Sunday afternoon, 14th March, when local folk could come and be served with afternoon tea and cakes while listening to a variety of light and classical music. Now why is that of any interest to people living at Slip End ? - simply because Slip End came to Sandford’s aid by our being able to have as a special feature a harpist performing items on the programme. Stephanie Crossett agreed at an early stage when she heard about our efforts not only to come down for the occasion - but actually deferred the date of her forthcoming marriage to allow her to do so! A recent encouragement has been considerable interest shown by the local group of the Burma Star association when they heard about, and supported the idea of the concert. Some of these men had served with Karen troops during the Second World War and therefore had a close affinity with the tribes, and sympathy for their present predicament. So in this way it has been good to maintain the link between Slip End and Wareham, and Dorothy and I send our best wishes to all our old friends there.
Grenville WilliamsStephanie, Grenville (on right) and musicians
Ken & Lorraine Crossett at the concert watching Stephanie play.
FRIENDSHIP CLUB
Our Club 39th Birthday will be celebrated on March 18th. We now have a total of 54 members! Thanks to the committee and all members for their support throughout the year.
We have been busy putting together the programme for the rest of the year. On May 24th we go to see the gardens at Wisley then on June 21st it’s our solsist by the seaside at Eastbourne. The following month, it’s off to the seaside again for us, the breezy airs of Great Yarmouth on July 19th. The summer programme wraps up with a mystery tour on August 23rd.
We are now back to meeting every Thursday afternoon and, notwithstanding our numbers, we do welcome new members.
In March, we had a visit from Lorraine Beard from South Bedfordshire District Council who talked to us about energy efficiency and tips for fuel bill savings, including a supply of long life light bulbs and application forms for energy efficiency grants.
Finally, many thanks to Gillian for the donation from the proceeds of the Craft Fayre.
Viv Porter
BROWNIES
The Brownies celebrate the 90th birthday of our organisation this year. We in Slip End would like to invite anyone who passed through Brownies during the 30 years that Gillian and Barbara have been leading our local group, to an open evening on Wednesday June 3rd. If you have any photographs and memories we would love to put them on display for the evening. And please contact anyone you know of, ex-members not now living in Slip End, and let them know about this.
If you would like to come, please contact Gillian on 01582 723109 or Barbara on 01582 414796, to give us an idea of how many to cater for.
Brown Owl, Gillian Plummer
SLIP END & DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
Come along to our Car Boot Sale on Easter Monday at the Village Hall. And a reminder for our Senior Citizens, this is the day for you to sign up for the annual outing on June 6th.
In addition, we hold weekly Bingo sessions every Thursday evening, which raises funds for the outing. Now the evenings are lighter with a hoped for improvement in the weather, why not come along for an enjoyable evening.
Gillian Plummer (Secretary)
COFFEE MORNING & PLOUGHMANS
Don’t forget – This is on April 7th, 11-1.30 in Aid of Keech Cottage and Pasque Hospice, at the Village Hall
Please come along and give your support
Check with Gill for more details 01582 723109
GARDEN ASSOCIATION
Vegetable Plot
Most vegetable seeds can be sown: peas, onions, leeks, cauliflowers, broad beans, potatoes, carrots, etc… Keep the hoe on the move between the seedlings and plants before weeds get too vigorous.
Flower Garden
Plant out blooming lilies (ed: careful proof reading is needed here): new roses must be planted not later than mid April and hardy annuals can be sown in open borders where they are needed. Plant out pansies (have you noticed how well they’ve done over winter?) and violas and sweet peas, raised in the greenhouse can be planted.
Fruit Garden
If you have gooseberries or black current bushes, these may do with a lime sulphur spray, which may also be applied to apples and pears if needed. Finish grafting fruit trees, removing any grease bands now and burning them.
General Work
Lawns will need more attention now with increased mowing, although do not do this when the surface is frozen. Side-wheel machines should not be used following rain if the ground is soft. Give the lawn a dose of fertiliser and roll if not too wet.
Hedges and conifers may be ready for a trim. Call Val Church 01582 458443 to sign up for the Open Garden Day July 3rd.
Our editor has noticed a sadly increasing number of dead and dying trees around the countryside: take a look at the oak by the allotment gate in Front Street, not so long ago beautiful, now on its way out. Shame, but on the brighter side, there is an encouraging increase of disease affecting many cypressuses: it’s an ill wind!
PARISH PROFILE – ANIL
It has been 11 years (how time flies) since Anil, Manju and their two youngsters Manish and Miraski moved into Slip End, where Anil took on the Post Office and General Store.
They soon settled and have developed the business into a convenient service for Slip End area locals as well as passing customers on there way to and from work. The Post Office side of things needs continuing use to ensure that the facility will be provided for us in the long term: Anil is encouraged by the increasing post and parcels, e-Bay (on line auction) may have something to do with that!
For car users, it is hoped that the rearrangement to the pedestrian and car waiting area will improve the previous muddy free far all! Anil requests that drivers are particularly mindful of those on foot, some very young, others whose eyesight and hearing are not perhaps what they were! So motorists, please drive at a crawl and park considerately.
Anil spent his early life in Delhi: he gained degree in finance, later working in a Luton based business before coming out to Slip End. Since then, two additions have been made to their family, a little girl, Anjali and a little boy Atul The elder youngsters both attend higher school in Bedford.
Anil and his staff welcome you all, open until 9pm daily hours: there’s a handy cash machine and dry cleaning service is offered. So drop by for local and personal service, not matched by Tesco and Sainburys and the rest.
David Kingston
WHY GOD CREATED CHILDREN (AND IN THE PROCESS GRANDCHILDREN)
To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students...here is something to make you
chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!" "Don't what?" Adam replied. "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said. "Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve...we have forbidden fruit!!!!!" "No Way!"
"Yes way!" "Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God. "Why" "Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break. "Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked. "Uh huh," Adam replied. "Then why did you?" said the Father. "I don't know," said Eve.
"She started it!" Adam said
"Did not!" "Did too!" "DID NOT!"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never
changed.
BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY! If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!
1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.
2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.
3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.
4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.
5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.
ADVICE FOR THE DAY: Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.
AND FINALLY: IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE:
"TAKE TWO ASPIRIN" AND "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"
BLUE MOON
… ‘a long, indeterminate time, from the rare occurrence of the moon appearing blue…’ Or, some witnesses add, when there is a second full moon in a calendar month. This is not rare. There are two full moons this year in July, and it happens every two years or so. But why never in February?
[Ans: There are about 29 ½ days between consecutive full moons]
Dear Lord
So far today I’m doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, complained, cursed, or eaten any chocolate. I have charged nothing on my credit card.
But I will be getting out of bed in a minute, and I think that I will really need your help then!
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I would like to respond to the letter from Nikki & Matt Ogier-Russell regarding the increase in dog mess on the pavements with a Here! Here!
I too have noticed an increase in the amount of rement on the pavements in recent months and cannot understand anyone just leaving it there. And no I am not anti dogs, I have two of my own and walk them every day around the village but would not dream of leaving their mess to be trodden in by someone. Although not a pleasant task, it is easily done by putting your hand inside one of the special bags you can buy, pick up the excrement and turn the bag inside out then tie the top and put in one of the bins provided. Or, you can buy a plastic "grabber" if you are squeamish, either way please clean up after your pet if they do it somewhere where it could be trodden in (including grass verges).
In conclusion, please note that the allotments are not there to use as a park to walk your dog, there are plenty of footpaths close by for dog walking.
Yours sincerely
Rosemary Wickens
LUTON AIRPORT EXPANSION
There was a public meeting held at Slip End Village Hall on the 18th February, which was well attended overall, although I would have liked to have seen a few more people from Slip End itself.The meeting had been advertised in Caddington and South Luton as well as Slip End and there were well over a hundred people there which wasn't a bad turn out on a cold wintry night, especially as there was an England football match on the box, so I understand!
Peter Hunt from LANAG (Luton Airport Noise Action Group) chaired the meeting and Roger Wood from LADACAN (Luton & District Association for the Control of Airport Noise) gave a technical presentation following publication of the Government's White Paper. Councillor Richard Stay was also on the platform to give his views. If you were unable to attend the meeting but would like further information you can obtain this from LADACAN's website: www.ladacan.org, or Peter Hunt who is the Chairperson for LANAG and his website is: LANAGgsucessfoundation.org.uk.
I am a member of the LANAG committee and joined because of my concerns about the level of expansion proposed and the impact it will have on the local population, not just the increase in noise from more flights but the increase in traffic in and around the area, particularly as we have an airport car park within the village. Someone recently said to me that they were not concerned, they knew the airport was there when they moved here and accept it. Whilst I respect their views, because I too knew that the airport was there when I moved here, I accepted it as a regional airport but it did not occur to me that it might one day want to rival Gatwick or Heathrow! The Government's recently issued White Paper has agreed expansion of London Luton Airport up to 30 million passengers per annum, it is currently 6.6 million passengers per annum.
Some expansion may be inevitable but I think we need to have a say in it, we are the ones whose lives and property prices will be affected! The five main issues are: an increase in noise from more departures; pollution which may affect health; an increase in traffic in the area generally and in the village with cars using Airparks; expansion of Airparks, possibly into the Green Belt and last but not necessarily least, a drop in property values.
Rosemary Wickens
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
Members Night
President Mrs L Kalisz and Hon Sec Mrs L Bartlett went briefly through the necessary business then handed over the reins to Mrs J Bunyan and Mrs M Beales as members Night Pres. and Secretary.
They presented their special award to Mrs S Martin for all the hard work she puts into planning our outings. The members were all given a chocolate medal, I didn’t like to ask how we had earned it in case they asked for mine back! Our speaker for the evening Mrs Elsie Brearley MBE was to give us an insight into how it felt to be awarded an MBE. She had been at the Citizens Advice Bureau for a number of years and must have really deserved the honour, but said she accepted it on behalf of all her helpers. It was quite hectic before the big day – keeping it secret, buying something special to wear including a hat which we have all got out of the habit in doing. Choosing who will attend with you as three is the limit. A husband and three children posed a problem, sorted happily I must add. The Queen was abroad at the time so Prince Charles did the honours to one hundred and twenty four people. He had a funeral to attend in the afternoon so it started earlier in the morning than usual. We were given the procedure before we were shown the video so it all made sense. It was a lovely occasion. Her MBE medal was passed around for all to see, it made you feel part of it.
The evening then turned to judging the weight of member Mrs J Watkins. How much it was worth not to print it in this report I’m not at liberty to say. The refreshments were a special treat, salad, sausage rolls, an after dinner mint and tea/coffee. I could get used to that. The last part of the evening was to name the faces put around the hall. The faces I know so well but the name! These days always seem the problem. The word Love is always a standby or as I was referred to by my neighbours as a child My Duck!
A very enjoyable evening was had by all and a big thank you to Joan and her members night committee.
Forthcoming dates
April 20th Life of a vet – Noahs Ark
May 18th Annual meeting
June 15th Flowers – The Wild Bunch.
June 18.19.20 – Elstow Abbey Flower Festival. Fri pm, Sat all day, Sun pm.
We meet at the Baptist Church Hall, Caddington on 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7.30 – 10 Members 70p Non-members £1.20
See you there, Patricia Crick.
( Life of a Vet sounds very interesting)
ALEY GREEN CHURCH
Happy Easter to all villagers from your friends at Aley Green Methodist Church.
Our Lent group is well attended and we are enjoying the challenge of a weekly meeting as we prepare ourselves for Good Friday and Easter Day. On Sunday 11th April (Easter Day) at 11am we are having an all age service led by Mr Ken Snoxell. Ken has been preaching since 1935 and was once a Sunday school teacher at Aley Green. He is very good with children of all ages and we are looking forward to seeing him. Why not join us for this joyous Easter day service. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be served after the service and Easter eggs given to the children.
Palm Sunday 11am Preacher Mrs Dorothy Chapman.
April 26th 7.45pm a prayer meeting at the Church. If you would like prayers said for you or anyone you know, please push a note under the church door or ring Ann on 733668 or Sue on 480875 or you are welcome to join us. Anything told to us in confidence will stay that way.
Dates: Saturday May 8th Cake stall outside the Co-op Caddington.
Saturday May 22nd 2.30pm Good as New Sale at the Church.
Lord, by your cross and passion,
Free us from evil
And deliver us from all that harms us.
Destroy the powers of Darkness
Save your creation from corruption,
And bring us to the liberty of the
children of God.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
With love and prayers from all at Aley Green
A vicar friend took a carved wooden crucifix into the village primary school to act as a visual aid for his re-telling of the story of Good Friday. As they left assembly, many of the children paused to look more closely at it. One little girl put her hand on the head and said: “It’s beautiful.” “Yes, isn’t it”, said my friend, “so smoothly carved.” “No”, she corrected him, “not that. It’s so beautiful – what he did.”
Canon David Winter
e-Round - News from around the Diocese of St Albans
March 8th 2004
Time to shine
'Shine On' is the theme of this year's Easter Monday Pilgrimage at St Albans Cathedral on April 12th, to celebrate the event's diamond anniversary. Hundreds of pilgrims from parishes across the diocese are expected to attend. There will be activities on the Abbey Orchard from 1pm and an act of worship in the Cathedral at 2.30pm.
For more information look at www.stalbanspilgrimage2004.com or contact Canon Stephen Lake on 01727 890201.
Service celebrates ten years
A service to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the ordination of women as priests in St Albans diocese will be held at St Albans Cathedral on Saturday April 24th at 10.30 am. The preacher will be Canon Patience Purchas, who was one of the first 62 ordained priests at the Cathedral on April 23rd 1994. All are invited.
Welcome to new Readers
Six new Readers are to be admitted and licensed by the Bishop of Hertford, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney, on Saturday March 20th. They are: Jean Boothby; Hitchin Team Ministry; Teresa Dales, St Nicholas Barton le Cley, Beds; Helen Harding, Christ Church, and St Mark's Watford; Catherine Jupp, St Mary's, Welwyn, Herts; Susan Pankhurst, Christ Church & St Marks, Watford; and Eva Wallace-Hadrill, St Michael & All Angels, Sunnyside, Herts.
Bishop leads return to the Holy Land
The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Christopher Herbert and Mrs Jan Herbert will be leading a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April 2005.The programme, from Tuesday April 5th to Thursday April 14th, takes in many of the major New Testament and historical locations. For a brochure and booking form, contact Andy Crooks on 01727 853305, or email chaplain@stalbans.anglican.org Visit www.stalbans.anglican.org./pilgrim2005.htm for further details and to download a booking form.
April See Round
Prayer calmed a burglar and prevented him from becoming violent towards his victim. Mike Pearce, a member of St Mary the Virgin, East Barnet, prayed for intruders who broke into his home to pay for their drug addiction. Read the full story in April's SeeRound. There is also a profile of Herts-based evangelist J.John, a chance to win 'The Bible from Scratch,' a letter from the Bishop of St Albans, Mothers' Union members visiting the Caribbean and more on many of the e-Round items.
Issued by: Peter Crumpler, Communications Officer, Diocese of St. Albans, 41 Holywell Hill, St. Albans, Herts,
www.stalbans.anglican.org
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB LEADER
Slip End After-School Club requires
A qualified person
( NNEB, BTEC or NVQ3)
to run this club for
4 to 12 year old children
On Thursdays and Fridays
from 3.30 to 6.00
in term time only.
Salary: £15 per session
Contact Sarah Ballard,
on 01582 415124
0r Slip End After School Club,
At Slip End Lower School,
Rossway. Slip End,
CLEANER AT MICROSOFT
An unemployed man goes to try for a job with Microsoft as a cleaner. The manager there arranges for an aptitude test. After the test, the manager says: You will be appointed on the scale of £20 per day. Let me have your e-mail address, so that I can send you a form to complete and advise you where to report for work on your first day.
Taken aback, the unemployed man protests that he is neither in possession of a computer nor of an e-mail address. To this the MS manager replies: Well, then, that really means that you virtually don't exist and can therefore hardly expect to be employed. Stunned, the man leaves.
Not knowing where to turn and only having about £10 left, he decides to buy a 10kg box of tomatoes at the supermarket. Within less than 2 hours, he sells the tomatoes singly at 100% profit. Repeating the process several times more that day, he ends up with almost £100 before going to sleep that night. And thus it dawns on the man that he could quite easily make a living selling tomatoes. Getting up early and earlier every day and going to bed late and later, he multiplies his hoard of profits in quite a short time.
Not too long thereafter, he acquires a cart to transport several dozen boxes of tomatoes, only to have to trade it in again shortly afterwards on a pick-up truck. By the end of the second year, he is the owner of a fleet of pick-up trucks and manages a staff of a hundred former unemployed people, all selling tomatoes. Considering the future of his wife and children, he decides to buy some life assurance. Calling an insurance adviser, he picks an insurance plan to fit his new circumstances. At the end of the telephone conversation, the adviser asks him for his e-mail address in order that he might forward the documentation.
When the man replies that he has no e-mail, the adviser is stunned: "What, you don't even have e-mail? How on earth have you managed to amass such wealth without the Internet and e-mail? Just imagine where you would have been by now, if you had been connected from the very start!" After a moment's silence, the tomato millionaire replied: "Sure! I would have been a cleaner at Microsoft!"
Morals of the story:
1: The Internet and e-mail do not need to rule your life.
2: If you don't have e-mail, but work hard, you can still become a millionaire.
3: Seeing that you got this story via computer, you're probably closer to becoming a cleaner than you are to becoming a millionaire.
4: If you do have a computer and e-mail, you're already being taken to the cleaners by Microsoft
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