Last week I finally had confirmation from the diocese that we have permission to remove the pews which sit behind the font and the three pews on the other side of the aisle at the back of the church. This is great news as it means their removal will free up space at the back of the church for groups and meetings and also give us some room to put up tables for refreshments. This will be so useful when we have our concerts and will even allow us to perhaps have a get together in the form of a bring and buy coffee morning before too long. Our talented Pat Sears will be starting work for us in a couple of weeks time and I am sure he will do a fantastic job. Of course this will mean that there will be pews available for purchase so if you or anyone you know is interested please get in touch with me or Lawrence. Do spread the word as we have no storage for these pews once they have been removed.
A few weeks ago the church was full to the brim with people from Carterton who came to celebrate a baptism – there were nearly 50 adults and about 25 children. The mother of the little girl being baptised very thoughtfully brought along a rug and some colouring books which were placed in the Lady Chapel to keep the younger children amused during the service. What a fantastic idea and it certainly did the trick! So I wonder if any of you have toys at home that your children have grown out of or no longer play with? It would be so kind if you were to donate them to the church so that we can keep a box of toys handy for small children to use. I am happy to collect or you can drop them off to me in Church Close if you are passing.
It is over 200 years since John Keats wrote the immortal words ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ as the first line of his poem Ode to Autumn and it is true to say that those words are still very apt today. We have all noticed the change in the weather over the last few days with that very autumnal feel in the air especially in the mornings. The leaves are turning colour and falling from the trees and there are masses of conkers around the church gate and further up the path near the cemetery. If anybody wants to collect some please feel free to fill your bags – if you put some in a bowl on the windowsill, aren’t they supposed to deter spiders from coming indoors?
Ilene Bussell