July Parish News
ST ANDREWS CHURCH
Services & events for July
|
Wed
2 |
10.30am |
Pram
Service Family
Room |
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Sun
6 |
10.30am 6.15pm |
Family
Communion 3-16
– Family Room |
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Thur
10 |
8.00pm |
Footsteps - Family Room |
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Sun
13 |
10.30am 2.30pm |
Morning
Praise Ramblers
meet at Church |
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Wed
16 |
10.30am |
Pram
Service – Family Room |
|
Sun
20 |
10.30am 6.15pm |
Holy
Communion 3-16
Evening BBQ – Vicarage Garden |
|
Sun
27 |
10.30am |
Morning
Praise |
|
Wed
30 |
10.30am 2.30pm |
Pram
Service – Family Room Woodside
Nursing Home Service |
|
|
|
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Network Groups have begun to meet fortnightly
Anyone interested in joining a group please contact-Revd Joy Daniel
WEDDINGS AT ST ANDREW'S
Sat July 19
Sarah Wilkinson/ Des Watson
Sat Aug 2
Emma Atkinson/ Rob Davis
Wishing both couples every happiness.
A good wedding cake
4lb of love
1lb butter of youth
1/2lb of good looks
1lb of sweet temper
1lb of blindness and faults
1lb of self forgetfulness
1lb of pounded wit
1lb of good humour
2 tablespoons of sweet argument
1 pint of rippling laughter
1 wine glass of common sense
1 oz of modesty
Put the love, good looks and sweet temper into a well-furnished house. Beat the butter of youth to a cream, and mix well together with the blindness of faults. Stir the pounded wit and humour into the sweet argument, then add the rippling laughter and common sense. Work the whole together until everything is well mixed, and bake gently for ever.
(found in a church booklet of recipes printed at the turn of the century)
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE
June 9th 2003
Harvest appeal
Southern Africa will be the focus of the Bishop of St Albans' 'Harvest for the Hungry' appeal this autumn. It aims to raise support for projects in the poor border area between Malawi and Mozambique. Parishes across the diocese are being encouraged to back the appeal centred on the work of the Women's Border Area Development Project. It is responding to immense hardship in the area by helping rural communities face serious food and water shortages after years of failed rains and harvests. Publicity will be issued to parishes during June. More information on the diocesan website
http://www.stalbans.anglican.org
Envoy praises report
A report focusing on the important role that faith groups play in their local communities has won praise from a senior government figure. Former minister John Battle, the Prime Minister's Envoy to the Faith Communities, praised the 'Faith in Action' report, at its launch in Luton. The research, carried out for the East of England Faiths Leadership Conference, was supported by the East of England Churches Network, the East of England Development Agency and the Government Office for the East of England. More information on the diocesan website
http://www.stalbans.anglican.org
Archbishop makes unity call
A call for Christians to 'go deeper' in their search for unity was made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, during a keynote address at St Albans Abbey. He set out a 'vision of unity' to more than 900 delegates from a wide range of denominations attending a major conference on Christian Unity. A fuller report appears in the July edition of SeeRound, or via the diocesan website
http://www.stalbans.anglican.org
Website work
A one-day workshop for Christians interested in starting a website is being held from 9.45 am to 4.00 pm on Saturday November 15th at Holywell Lodge, Holywell Hill, St. Albans. It will give practical training for those wishing to create and operate a simple website, share ideas and explore the scope of the Internet. The cost is £12, to include all refreshments and lunch. The course is open to delegates from any Christian denomination in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. For details, email
training@commskit.org.uk
or telephone Andy Crooks on 01727 853305.
July SeeRound
The latest edition of the diocesan magazine features more information on many of the e-Round items, an interview with Reg Bailey, the Hoddesdon Reader who is chief executive of the Mothers' Union; the Herts parish where a flock of sheep has replaced the church lawnmower; first impressions from the new Bishop of Bedford; a Sharnbrook parish's Italian exchange; and numerous other parish events and activities.
Issued by:
Peter Crumpler
Communications Officer
Diocese of St. Albans,
41 Holywell Hill, St. Albans, Herts,
Tel: 01727 869506; Fax 01727 844469
http://www.stalbans.anglican.org
Slip End Toddler Group
Birth - Pre School
Meet at Slip End
Village Hall
Tuesday's
1.30 - 3.00pm
term time.
Great fun for your children
First week free -
Come and try it
Ring Paula on
01582 650552
for further details
SLIP END FRIENDSHIP CLUB
A big thank you to Gillian, Michael, Shirley, Barbara and all concerned at S.E. & D.A. for such a lovely day out at Eastbourne. This was a really enjoyable day with a good coach driver, nice food and very good company.
Our Mystery Trip in June was also a great success: our driver, Gareth, took us through some very pretty villages and beautiful countryside around mid-Bedfordshire. Gareth told us a lot about the local history, particularly relating to John Bunyan, who moved around the area in the 1600's preaching the gospel, until his arrest and imprisonment at Bedford. We ended up at Willington, near Bedford for a nice cup of tea at the Frost Garden Centre. On the way back, we came through sandy and Chicksands, where some of us have memories of the days when the USAF were based there after World War II. A very good afternoon, nice weather!
Viv Porter
P.S. Coincidentally, Brian Church and I are walking the John Bunyan Trail at the moment, around Bedfordshire. Just last week our ramblings took us from Pulloxhill to Westoning via Harlington. There in the middle of a field, on the side of a hill, is the John Bunyan Oak, where Bunyan preached just before his arrest. Now suffering the ravages of time (and tempest) the ancient tree is in its last days. In 1998, Doctor David Bellamy planted and young oak there, but this is suffering too. However, a healthy sapling is sprouting from the old oak and it is to be hoped that this could be propagated.
David Kingston
The John Bunyan Oak, Harlington
1ST & 2ND WOODSIDE BROWNIES
We have almost completed our Conservation & Culture Badges with just one more thing to do on each. We have learned how hats were made and we were all given a straw hat to decorate by Stephen, who came along to talk to use. (Memories of "Decorated Hat Day" at Slip End School, years ago.) We were pleased to welcome Viv Porter who came along to talk to us about what it was like when she was young and games she used to play and the girls had fun trying "5 Stones". Viv told us that after she left school in London, she came to live in Slip End, where there have been many changes over the years.
We are looking forward to our next trip to the stables and to the "Bug Hunt" at Dunstable Downs.
Another "walking" footnote!
There is an interesting "Hat Factory" walk in Luton. We may think that the industry is dead but, although on a much reduced basis, hats are still produced in Luton and exported worldwide. You can bet your boots that many of the creations seen at Ascot originated in the Old Bedford Road area of downtown Luton. Call by the museum in Wardown Park and pick up a very informative leaflet about the Hat Factory Walk.
Dates for your diary
Sat. July 5th Car Boot Sale Village Hall 10 - 2
ALLOTMENTS & GARDEN ASSOCIATION
Vegetable Garden
There is much to do now: peas should be gathered as the pods fill. Do not leave it too long as the taste goes off if they are left too long. Plant out winter greens in space vacated by early potatoes and peas. Sow shorthorn or intermediate carrots, keep an eye open for potato blight and spray if necessary. Lift early potatoes for the kitchen: lift and store autumn sown onions.
Flower Garden
Cut off faded flowers from time to time, thin and disbud dahlias and continue to bud rose bushes. Tulips and hyacinths should be lifted, cleaned and laid in shallow trays, then put in a dry, cool place.
Fruit Garden
You can start to summer prune cherries and plums growing on walls. It is not worth trying to apply this method of pruning to large bushes and standards as these are better allowed to grow rather freely. Now is the time to complete the thinning of apples and pears: reduce the fruit to just one or two on each spur. If strawberries or plants have mildew or other disease, or badly attacked by greenfly, set fire to the straw on the beds as soon as possible. Early apples and pears should be ripening, so pick as required.
General Work
Keep hedges neat and tidy during the month. Mow with the grass box on this month, although the box can be left in the shed from next month. This will allow clippings to act as a mulch to protect the roots from scorching. Spray anything showing signs of decay and feed as required.
Gill Plummer
WOMEN'S INSTITUTE
As both Mesdames President and Hon. Sec. were on holiday, the "Vice" ladies played their parts. The new committee is the spitting image of the last one, I wonder why?
Mrs Harding, our speaker, held our attention with ideas for greetings cards, gift tags, headed notepaper bookmarks and framed pictures, all decorated with pressed flowers and leaves. I dread to think of the result if a sudden sneeze took any of our members by surprise! After refreshments, we were all invited to have a go: I didn't realise that I had so many thumbs.
Some of our members attended Houghton Regis W.I. 58th Birthday Party. A very warm welcome, lovely refreshments and a glamorous belly dancer (you chaps don't know what you are missing!) all made for a very enjoyable evening.
You would be welcome to join us at our monthly meetings at the Baptist Church hall in Caddington at 7.30: see you there.
Patricia Crick
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Foil Appeal
Bring you foil to:
67 Five Oaks
Caddington
Or call K. Baker
on 480107
SLIP END PARISH COUNCIL.
Click Here To See
Meeting Dates
Legal proceedings against BCC.
Two Parish Councillors and Richard Stay, County Councillor will be meeting with our Legal Counsel before the end of June. At this meeting we hope to be advised by Counsel as to what we can do, how to do it, and what the cost will be. When this information is to hand you will be kept informed.
Traffic Calming on Grove Road/Church Road.
PC were informed by Babtie Group and Raynesway at the beginning of May that these two schemes would be complete by the end of that month. What a good job I did not hold my breath!! I am now told that the reason these have not been finished is because 24/7, cannot connect the electricity supply for the lights until the end of June. Obviously BCC and its contractors have problems with the time/space continuum and 24/7 obviously are not 24 - 7 more like only when we can get there Guv!! We await further developments.
Stadium at Junc. 10/10A.
The above header could have just as easily read Fantasy Football. If you want to read a greater work of fantasy fiction than JRR Tolkein could ever have dreamt up, go into the Luton Town Football Club website. I think that whoever is now in charge up at Kenilworth Road has been sniffing too much Goddards Embrocation. What with 50 - 75,000 seats in a Stadium going over the M1 on the sliproad with a floating roof ( query: are the planes going to fly round it?) A Formula 1 Grand Prix track with the promise of a Formula 1 Grand Prix once a year. I set the scene: Bernie Eccelstones office: Bernie: 'Wow!! We have a new F1 fixture. Which other venue shall we scrap? Will it be Monte Carlo? Immola? Sao Paolo? No! Nurburgring!! We can rename it The Whipperley Ring!!
I don't know much about F1 but what I am told is both Silverstone and Brands Hatch have been vying for F1 status in the UK for nearly 20 years for the UK Grand Prix, Silverstone has the fastest and best track and it still can't get F1 there permanently.
In answer to the plans in general, I would refer the Consortium to the newly published Luton Local Plan 2001 - 2011 First Deposit Draft Section 9 Action Areas. Stockwood Area page 121. I do have a certain sympathy for the Town team however, they do seem to have fallen, yet again, into the clutches of people who want to use them for their own purposes. During the protest against the Kohlderdome scheme, it needed to be said over and over again that David Kohler was, first and foremost - a Property Developer.
There are no crime figures this month. Don't get excited, its not that there were no crimes, just no police. Neither to pay us a visit at PC to give us the figures in person, nor to communicate them by post, e mail or fax. Perhaps the reason is because there were none to actually investigate any of the crimes either! We have invited a senior policeman to our next PC meeting so that should be fun.
Must go now as I notice that the Cynicism Overload button on my PC is flashing.
Take care, keep safe.
Christine Benson. Chairman
Slip End Parish Council.
MOTHERS UNION
Click Here To See A
Report On The MU's Recent Visit To London
Our thanks to Edie for inviting us to her home for our last meeting. We had a lovely time looking at all the "childhood keepsakes" that each person bought along. There were some lovely stories to be told and we also discovered some hidden talents, with certificates to prove it!
Unfortunately we have had to cancel the original arrangements for the July meeting.
So for our next meeting we will be entertaining the knitters! M.U. members who can't knit will be serving the tea, coffee , cakes etc and supervising the C.D./tape player. So if you want a musical accompaniment to your knitting bring along the necessary C.D. or tape!
We will be meeting in the family room (at St Andrews Church) at 8pm on Tuesday 8th July. If you find that this time is not convenient, do get in touch and let us know what would suit you. Alternately just come along for part of the evening.
The first knitting evening went well. We were very pleased with all the contributions of both wool to be put to good use and a considerable number of completed items. Theresa had been given some lovely large knitted toys, which she bought along to show us. She also reassured us that she didn't expect us to make such wonderful objects (unless of course we wanted to!). We even had a lady from Sundon Park who came to find out about the Knitting Club and she has taken some wool and patterns to start at home. Samples of some of the quicker knitted articles that we hope you will be able to make are on display in church, along with some patterns.
Future M.U. Events
We are beginning to put together the autumn programme of events.
Following the success of our recent outing to London, the committee decided we would like to go out again!
We have a family day out to the "Downs" on Wednesday 27th August.
Then another day out on Saturday 8th September to visit Kew Gardens in London. We will go by train to Kew.- other details nearer the time.
For our October meeting (on Tuesday 30th September!) Sue Cowell will be telling us about the Holy Land. This meeting will be at Sue Taylerson's home.
In November we will have a "Bangers & Mash" night, -not quite on bonfire night as that clashes with other church activities!, but a week later on Thursday 13th November. Lorraine Crossett will host one of her cooking evenings. I wonder what goodies she will make this time!
By popular request, we have invited Joy to lead an evening of Advent meditation. This year we will meet just before the start of Advent, on Monday 24th November.
And then finally just before Christmas we hope to join the residents of Woodside home to share Christmas Carols with them.
HOLIDAY SNAPSHOT
AD, BC, partners et al - all seven of us including the Admiral- had a great week on the Leeds & Liverpool canal early in May. We began with an overnight b&b in Grassington, 'Gate of the Dales', at a delightful spot by a stream with geese nesting near the bank. Before a full English breakfast, which set the pattern for the rest of our holiday, I took a stroll past stone cottages, through steep streets and alleyways with memorable names such as 'Moody Sty Lane'. After a further walk along the river, we were off to Skipton as it began to rain, to take over the two narrow boats which were to be our home for the week.
A last call before 'weighing anchor' was to another 'Narrow Boat', where the ales were so good that we managed two return visits days later.
Our daily routine was for early cups of tea, before setting out on some strenuous exercise working through a few locks or swing bridges. In this way we got hearty appetites for those great breakfasts, valiantly served up by M and T a couple of hours later every morning on 'Otterburn'.
Notable on-shore refreshment spots visited en route included the 'Robin Hood' at Silsden. Like all pubs in the area it had good beer at sensible prices, but also slices of pie ad lib and copies of an area map provided free! At the 'Royal' at Micklethwaite we met a little old man who visited every Tuesday because he was in love with Lorraine behind the bar, and couldn't sleep without with her picture under his pillow! - or, as he'd have us believe, 'just to meet me mates'!
We went southwest towards Liverpool through high country, crossing the Pennine Way, and through the Foulridge Tunnel, almost a mile long, without serious damage to the paintwork! There was lively debate, even wagering, as to whether the tunnel actually ran under a lake. Both the map, and a stroll over the top, confirmed by a narrow margin that it didn't! We had cool winds, significant rain in sharp bursts, and even some hail, but in the long spells of sunshine the views across the tops were stunning.
Later, we went back through Skipton, and headed down the Aire valley and through the Bingley five-rise locks as far as Saltaire, a model mill town built by Sir Titus Salt in 1850. Here we were in softer country, with carpets of bluebells sweeping down towards the canal under beech woods, glorious in their early green foliage and fringed by rhododendrons just coming into flower. The spring lambs, gambolling in the fields, took a mild interest in us as we struggled with the stiffer swing bridges.
Both ways through the five-rise locks we just about passed muster under the eagle eye of the head lock-keeper, Barry, although A came close to blotting his copybook by almost winding one of the ground paddles out of the ground!
When this enjoyable holiday came to an end, it really pelted with rain all the way home - how good for the garden! Brian Church
Approaching the infamous Bingley 5 Rise:
a steep "staircase" of locks where
British Waterways provide supervision to avoid inexpert punters flooding Bingley town centre!
(We'd be pleased to find space for other light-hearted accounts of holidays from our readers. Editor)
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