You will no doubt have noticed the intensity of the colour of the leaves on the trees and bushes around us not to mention the carpet they are creating under our feet as they gradually fall to the ground. I mentioned last month the abundance of fruit and berries this year and so it seems that the leaves are not to be outdone in the colours they are showing. I say this because the church flower team created the most wonderful arrangements for harvest festival using all the reds, yellows and ambers of the bushes and berries around us together with the bold colours of the late flowering perennials which have been spectacular this year. Thank you to all those who contributed and also to Christine Pope who laid out a country scene in the porch reminding us of the autumn bounty which we are lucky enough to be surrounded by.
The main events for November are our usual Remembrance Day service in church preceded by the laying of wreaths at the War Memorial. This starts at 10.50 and moves to the church for the service led by Jeremy Lane and attended by a good number of our military neighbours from RAF Brize Norton. It is a moving service and gives us all a chance to remember and reflect on the courage of the men who fought for our freedom in two World Wars and who in the end made the ultimate sacrifice.
In error last month, I mentioned that the Christmas Bazaar was on the 14th November so I must quickly point out that it is Saturday 22nd November from 10.30 till 1.30 p.m. There will be lots of handmade items to buy for Christmas including crafts and gifts made by Niki Clarke and cushions and stocking fillers made by Lene Bussell as well as other contributions. There is a tombola and a raffle, some delicious cakes and preserves and a chance to chat to village folk over a cup of tea, a slice of cake or even a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie. All money raised goes towards improvements for the comfort and use of the church, not just for worshippers but for all those who use the church as a place to meet, whether it be clubs, coffee mornings or concerts! And if you haven’t got cash (and to avoid disappointment!) we now have a card reader which will happily take your payment. Please come along and support us – all your contributions are very welcome and we would love to see you all at this happy and festive occasion.
Donations for the tombola can be left with Doreen Hart (01993 844124) before the event and cakes or produce to Wendy Taylor or Doreen either the day before or on the morning.
To round off the news this month, the following week we come to the First Sunday in Advent (can’t believe we are hurtling towards Christmas so fast!) and as it’s also the fifth Sunday in the month it falls on St Mary’s to hold the Joint Benefice service. This is the only service held in the benefice on that morning so all our friends from St John’s and St Britius will be joining us for communion and some coffee and refreshments afterwards. Another get together with friends before we start the countdown to the Christmas activities!!