E-ROUND NEWS
News from the Diocese
Fair trade. Parishes across the Diocese will be active in promoting Fair Trade from 1st to 13th March 2005 as part of the annual national Fair Trade Fortnight. This year we are being asked to 'check out Fair Trade'! You may have heard of Fair Trade tea and coffee but did you know that there are now 500 products available to you on shop shelves? Also this year we are
focusing on the importance of the Fair Trade mark. If you want to know more about
Fair-trade visit www.fairtrade.org.uk
(We also have a Fair Trade stall at St Andrew’s Church – ask at the Church for more details)
A Bright Future for Luton's Churches. A review of the work of the Luton Deanery has recommended new and innovative steps for the future of the Church in that area. 'The Luton Review 2004' analyses the opportunities for Luton's churches to increase parish collaboration, form new flexible working structures and enhance partnerships with other denominations and faiths. To access the Luton Review visit
www.stalbans.anglican.org
Charles and Camilla. To read the statement of the Bishop of St Albans visit www.stalbans.anglican.org.
To read the statement of the Archbishop of Canterbury visit www.cofe.anglican.org
Maundy Thursday. The Eucharist with the blessing of oils takes place on Maundy Thursday, March 24th, at the Cathedral and Abbey church of St Alban at 11.00am. It is a service at which the Bishop calls together all clergy, Readers and lay ministers who hold his
license in the Diocese and also those who are retired. But it is also a service at which anyone is welcome to be present and it is hoped that many people from congregations around the Diocese will wish to come. Clergy are asked to draw the attention of congregations to the service.
The Resource Centre in St Albans is now open to visitors. It has relocated with the rest of the Education team and the Youth Team to the Diocesan Offices at St Albans. To contact the Resources Manager, Ron Upton telephone 01727 818158
EASTER MONDAY PROGRAMME ‘COME ALIVE'
Monday 25th March Procession starts 2.30
Anna McCrum, Communications Officer
Diocese of St. Albans,
Tel: 01727 818110; Fax 01727 844469
http://www.stalbans.anglican.org
Skateboard Park
Come along to our
get-together
on March 18th
7.30pm Peter Edwards Hall
Youth Leaders, youngsters, parents do come along and if you could let me know so I will have some ideas of number for refreshments; you’ll see my contact details below.
Ken Crossett (01582 416138)
THE LATE GEORGE KING
I would like to thank all those who came along to George’s funeral at St Andrew’s Church, it was good to see the church so full. And thank you, Joy, for conducting a lovely service.
The collection, in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind raised £445, thanks to all who you who donated towards this worthy cause.
May King
A poem that Rev Joy Daniels read to us at
St Andrew’s Church recently
The Dash
I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of his birth
and he spoke of the second with tears,
but he said “what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth
and now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own: the cars, the house, the cash,
what matters” is how we live and love and how much we spend our dash.”
TIPS TO FIGHT COLDS
Well-Being - scientific weapons you need to fight - and win - the cold war.
Beware of enclosed spaces e.g. Office buildings with poor air circulation.
Keep at least a yard away from coughers and sneezers.
Try not to rub your nose and eyes so much (studies show you might unconsciously touch taps, phones and doorknobs that other cold-sufferers may have touched) as cold germs survive for up to 3 hours on inanimate objects.
Eat well and at least 5 servings of fruit & vegetables a day.
Get off the sofa - exercise will enhance your resistance to infections.
Get a good night's sleep every night.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
I thought you might like the final number of shoe boxes distributed in 2004
| COUNTRY Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia Croatia Hungary Kosova Romania Russia Serbia Ukraine Kyrgyzstan Mozambique |
AMOUNT 40,238 35,067 141,392 68,856 35,874 41,863 13,170 316,127 156,266 172,588 67,431 30,436 22,009 TOTAL 1,141,317 |
What a brilliant result and once again thank you to everyone who helped with the St Andrew’s campaign and at the warehouse.
Water Filters - One billion people worldwide have no access to clean water. One child dies every 15 seconds from infected water. So far enough funds have come in to build and install 45 of these water filter units in Mozambique. They cost £40 per unit. Each of the concrete moulded units have been made in Mozambique itself, giving badly needed local employment. After each unit was delivered to the family, or group of families, Samaritan's Purse made sure they had full training on how to use the unit, which has no moving parts and needs no servicing. These units can last a lifetime. Polluted water is poured in the top - and drinking water comes out the bottom!
If you prefer to save up the £40 over a period of time, why not use an empty plastic water bottle? Fill the bottle with coins towards this project – it will soon be full!
Please contact Samaritan’s Purse International if you can help. Tel 02085592044
email – London@samaritans-purse.org.uk
Editor, Sue Cowell
EDITORIAL COMMENT: “POLES APART OF SLIP END”
Disclaimer: this item has nothing to do with either magnetism or immigration …
Although it’s perhaps better to keep your head down in Slip End to avoid falling into a quagmire or stepping onto something unpleasant, you may be interested to stop and look up to higher things! Have you noticed the increasing proliferation of telegraph poles in the area? Your PN editor lost count of the numbers of poles on a recent stroll through the village although, it has to be admitted, that a brief stop at the Rising Sun in mid count did little for numeric accuracy. Around this time last year, PN was warming up to reporting on this subject as several of the poles were leaning alarmingly: but BT were alive to the situation with a hasty replacement project. On a role, BT and their contractors are going further with the erection of yet more poles, or maybe they have a few left over at the end of the job and best means of disposal is to leave them vertically in our streets.
Take the new addition in Summer Street, back of the Frog & Rhubarb (NB editorial impartiality by mention of both hostelries in this item). It serves no great purpose as far as I can see, supporting just a single cable strung from Church Road to a residence in Summer Street, this pole was probably one of the “left-overs”. Shame it is placed on an already very narrow pavement: where are we supposed to put our cars and vans? There’s no room there for a wheelie bin now, black, blue or green! Who knows where this will lead? Before we know where we are we’ll have mums with pushchairs fighting for a way through: whatever next!
Anyway, as indicated on the pole, we do have right of appeal, however much this faît is àccomplé.
NEWS FROM AMELIA
Amelia and friend Lorraine have spent the last month in New Zealand aboard the Kiwi Experience! This is a large green coach that travels across the North & South Islands stopping at set points for different challenges and experiences. Well - she survived the Sky-Dive and went on to do lots more whilst making lots of friends along the way.
She visited the Wakarewarewa Thermal Reserve in Rotorua and sent home gifts from there for relaxing baths, foot care and face treatment – lovely. Next on the list was the Maori Tribal village in Tamaki where a Maori Warrior performed ‘the challenge’ which looked extremely threatening but then threw a stick down as an offer of peace and they were allowed to enter the village. The boys learnt the Haka dance which is performed by the NZ rugby team and the girls learnt Poi dancing. They also went tubing in caves with wet suits and large rubber rings, saw Angora rabbits being shaved, went rock climbing at Mount Doom, Horse riding at Buller River Gorge and thank goodness they decided not to do the biggest bungee jump in New Zealand – or is it the World!
Maori meeting house
She has also swum with seals and been snorkelling; seen the geysers at Rotorua and the bubbling mud pools. She really loved the N.Z. countryside and all the places she visited. Unfortunately all things must come to an end and with their finances depleted, Amelia and Lorraine returned to Australia and are now in Melbourne looking for jobs!
‘All aboard for the Kiwi Experience!’
A Maori carving
Editor & mum to Amelia
CONTACT THE ELDERLY
Contact the Elderly are a group of volunteer drivers and hosts in Luton who help alleviate the loneliness felt by elderly people living alone without family support. We are searching for volunteers with cars who have an afternoon spare once a month (or whenever) to help us to get to the local venues and join us all for Sunday tea. We take the same 10 to 12 elderly people out to Sunday tea once a month. The drivers collect two elderly people from their homes and take them to the home of the volunteer host. The group visits a different local host each month. The chance for companionship is a lifeline for some – they love to chat and catch up over a home made tea.
“Sunshine came into my life when I joined Contact the Elderly. Being severely disabled and deaf, it has taken away my loneliness as I have been able to make friends.” Marjory, 85.
Please call us if you think you can help with driving, or hosting once a year in your home. All that’s needed is a downstairs cloakroom.
FREEPHONE 0800 716543 or visit www.contact-the-elderly.org
THOSE IMPORTANT NUMBERS AGAIN
01582 471212 (or 401212): Direct non-emergency contact with the police for quick advice and action.
01582 473411: Dedicated Anti Social Behaviour Hotline. This number allows you to record a brief message, which is dealt with by the Community Policing Team.
0800 0282887: Drink Drive Hotline, to report someone who is drink driving. You remain anonymous throughout this process.
0800 555111: Crime stoppers, to report any crime. You remain anonymous throughout this process.
EASTER'S COMING...
Through the sunshine,
through the shadow,
down the hillside,
down the meadow,
little streams
run bright and merry,
bursting with the news
they carry,
singing, shouting,
laughing, humming,
"Easter's coming,
Easter's coming!"
by Aileen Fisher
Finally a note from the Editorial team – We do need your input if you want to keep reading Parish News. If you belong to an organisation please send us your news and updates. Nothing this month from Parish Council, Slip End School, Playgroup or Toddlers, Cubs, Beavers etc. We welcome ideas and letters, recipes, unusual holidays, happy times, in fact most things.
We wish you all a very Happy Easter and let us not forget why we celebrate it.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count as loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
|