The church has really came into its own this month fulfilling its roles as a place of worship and a host for village events. As well as the monthly coffee morning, we were pleased to welcome the gardening club’s first speaker, the excellent Pip Smith who gave an illustrated talk on Winter Interest. This gave us lots of ideas on how we could make our gardens more interesting during the winter months, very often using the plants and things we already have but presenting them in a different way.
The popular Voicebox Choir entertained us in the middle of the month with a really glorious programme of festive music and had us all tapping our toes and clapping our hands. We were lucky to have them last year too and we hope very much that they will sing for us next year – a concert not to be missed!
It wouldn’t be Christmas if Santa didn’t call so having made sure his grotto was ready in the Lady Chapel, he finally arrived to the delight of all the children who had gathered at the church to see him while their parents tucked in to mince pies and mulled wine. When all the presents had been given out Rev Barry held a delightful informal service with the children reading passages from the bible and all of us singing carols to the accompaniment of Simon on the organ.
The culmination of Advent is of course the celebration of the birth of Jesus so by Christmas Eve the church had been decorated ready for our special service of Midnight Mass and we all gathered for the last service of the the year. It was good to see some new faces and also visitors to the village who were holidaying here for Christmas and I hope they enjoyed the service as much as the regulars. So as we say good bye to 2024 it just leaves me to say a Happy New Year to everyone in Black Bourton and a peaceful and joyous 2025.