REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
Mr D Haste has requested that a notice be
inserted in the Parish News reminding the officers of any
local bodies who are seeking financial assistance from the
Council in the next financial year that they need to make a
written request before 31st October 2002.
If there are any groups/associations/clubs etc. who would
like some help please make sure you do not miss out.
Requests to D Haste, Clerk to the Parish Council - details as
follows:-
Slip End Parish Council 10 Highwood Grove, Mill Hill, London
NW7 3LY
CRAFT MARKET
HOME MADE CAKES & SAVOURIES, LOCALLY
GROWN VEGETABLES, FRESH FARM EGGS, PLANTS, CRAFTS &
FLOWERS
Now the summer holidays are over why not treat yourself to a
visit to the
Craft Market in Harpenden Friday mornings 9.OO - 11.30
(Methodist Church
Hall next to W H Smiths in the High Street) - Free admission
OUR VILLAGE- HAVE YOUR SAY!
So, what about our weather? Others have
really suffered, but here in Slip End I think we've had a
good summer, with perhaps rather too much need to get the
hose out from time to time! But now for a real autumn grouch!
With some friends about a year ago, we cut back the hedge by
the rose garden opposite the Post Office, which was a bit of
a slog as all the cuttings had to be barrowed away. Since
then, there has been talk about sprucing up this corner, with
something permanent to mark the Jubilee in Slip End - I
understood that there was even some money earmarked But
nothing has happened, and the hedge has now overgrown the
footpath round the corner exactly as before. Is it possible
that our councillors might actually get something done, at
least to keep the corner tidy, or even set up a rota of
volunteers to do this on a regular basis? We are now being
treated to some 'traffic calming' on Church Road and Grove
Road, courtesy of Air Parks, for which we should of course be
grateful. As I write, the fairly trivial work involved seems
to be taking forever, and the end result (I think largely
dependent on an optical illusion!) is unlikely to deter
regular speeders through the village. This is said to be just
the first stage in implementing some serious traffic calming,
but might we know what this is likely to be, and have some
indication of when? from Brian Church
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
For
those of you who have not heard about Operation Christmas
Child it is a way of giving a small gift to some of the
neediest children on earth. You can't help but be touched by
some of the stories that helpers have given when taking shoe
boxes to orphanages, hospitals, schools and very
disadvantaged areas. Think what a difference a gift-filled
box will bring to a child who has nothing. I will be giving
the details in next months Parish News regarding collection
etc. and should have the leaflets to accompany the boxes by
then. Now is the time to start collecting small items for
your box or boxes. Most shoe shops will gladly give empty
boxes away - it saves them breaking them up.
This year Operation Christmas Child is ten years old and has
distributed over 4 million gift filled shoe boxes throughout
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia. Just
some of the people who have lent their support to this
worthwhile cause are:- Jan Leeming, Presenter; Jonathan
Edwards, Gold Medallist; Tony Blair, Prime Minister; John
Prescott, Deputy and GMTV who gave a lot of coverage to the
project.
Shoe box gifts open doors and hearts - a report from the
Samaritans Purse web-site.
Afghan children playing in the dust at the Mile 46 refugee
camp paused to look up at the convoy of buses and trucks that
arrived at the tent settlement near the Iranian border. The
vehicles carried 3,500 shoe boxes filled with toys and gifts
for children who passed the time playing with rocks and
rubbish. As the Samaritan's Purse team handed out the boxes,
joyful sounds spread across the camp. Operation Christmas
Child had come to Afghanistan. Some 500 miles to the
northeast, another team visited Dasht-i-Qala, a town on the
frontlines of the fighting just weeks before. About 650 boys
and girls at a war-ravaged school broke out in big smiles as
they looked through their shoe box gifts. Many of the parents
were moved to tears as they saw their children's delight.
Operation Christmas Child has sent 120,000 shoe box gifts to
sites across Afghanistan, part of a distribution of nearly
300,000 to Central Asia. These gifts help our local ministry
partners build relationships with families and community
leaders, opening doors that can lead to more freedom to share
the Good News of Jesus Christ. At the distribution in
Dasht-i-Qala, the provincial governor explained that some of
the gifts had come from New York children-children who had
also suffered at the hands of terrorists and extremists. Even
more important for his Muslim audience, he acknowledged that
the gifts came from Christians who wanted to share God's
love.
"These gifts are from Christian children in the
West," he said. "They want you to know that God has
not forgotten you."
Editor
Harvest
Supper
at
the
Village
Hall
Friday
September 27th
7
for 7.30
Entertainment by
Themes
Music Group
and
friends
Tickets:-
Adults - £4.00
Concessions - £2.50
Family of 4 - £9.00
(+ 50p each additional
child)
From St Andrew’s
Church or contact
Val at 2 Summer St or 01582 458443
EDITORS COLUMN
POEMS FOR SEPTEMBER
The friend who just stands by.
When trouble comes your soul to try,
you love the friend who just "stands by".
Perhaps there's nothing they can do -
the thing is strictly up to you.
For these are troubles all your own
and paths the soul must tread alone.
Times when love can't smooth the road,
nor friendship lift the heavy load.
So just to know you have a friend who will stand by until the
end,
Whose sympathy through all endures,
whose warm hand-clasp is always yours,
It helps, some way, to pull you through,
although there's nothing they can do.
And so, with fervent heart we cry,
God bless the friend who just stands by.
and finally with Harvest fast approaching,
Harvest Home
From sowing-time to harvest home
the farmer watches, works and prays -
that fruitfulness and rich reward
will bless the labour of his days..
Men work in wood and coal and steel
At loom and lathe and bench they stand -
and some must feel a glow of pride at work well done by head
and hand…
But only those who spend their lives at work
beneath the sky's wide dome -
can share with God this golden hour
and know the joy of Harvest Home.
Good luck to all the children returning to schools - new
or old, and to students returning to college and University.
Sue Cowell, Editor
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