A Letter From Our Vicar

60 people with their pets came to a Pet Service at St Paul’s Walden a few weeks ago. It was a very happy occasion. I explained that I had just come back from Scotland where one of my most vivid … Read More

Our Holiday Club last month, with children from Preston and Whitwell, and lots of wonderful helpers, reminded us that things were getting back to normal. It was great fun. My thanks to Helen Beavis for organising this. This month we … Read More

Cautiously we are emerging from lockdown, and all of us are using our best judgment on how to stay safe and treat others with consideration. Our church services are slightly different. Masks are discretionary, although some will continue to wear … Read More

‘Are we there yet?’ It’s the familiar cry of the child in the back of the car. Well, we are all saying it now. Are we there yet? Is lockdown over? We shall find that out, we hope, later this … Read More

Hello everybody! In June we are celebrating. We are celebrating something new. St Martin’s has added new facilities – a WC and kitchenette –  and so has become a better and more valuable resource for all our community here in … Read More

Slowly we are starting to get back to normal. Though we are still wearing our masks, and there are still things we can’t do, the easing of restrictions is opening things up for us, and I expect that like me … Read More

Like me, you may see Easter as an important turning point in the year.  Spring is well on its way, the days are lengthening and things generally look and feel more hopeful.  How true that is this year!  We are … Read More

The last year of lockdown and pandemic has been a test for most of us. Things that we had just taken for granted, like seeing family or friends at will, have become difficult or impossible; while the virus itself has … Read More

Exactly a year ago in this letter, I reflected that in my first three months as vicar here I had experienced worship in our two lovely parish churches, at Lime Tree House and Stagenhoe on a regular basis, and in … Read More

Traditionally, as we move from one year to another, we mark an end and we mark a beginning. January 1st is a kind of trigger – a reset – for new possibilities. But “traditionally” won’t quite work this year, will … Read More