A Letter From Our Vicar

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

By the time you read this, we will know whether our lockdown has been relaxed and, if it has, into what new tier of restriction. This lockdown has been a bit different from the first, and not only because it … Read More

November is a special month for remembering – for memory within the church and the community. At the start of the month, we remember Christians everywhere on All Saints Day (1 Nov).  The day after – we remember all those … Read More

COVID 19 has driven a coach and horses through our usual certainties, has upset our customary security. We know, if we are honest, that security is a bit precarious at the best of times – that suddenly you can be … Read More

The start of the works at St Martin’s is very exciting. It means, all being well, that by Christmas we will have a kitchen and toilets at the church – which will improve our amenities and therefore our capacity to … Read More

How often have you found yourself saying that we are living in very weird times – where bits of our lives don’t feel very real at all? Like wearing masks in shops, which hide an important part of our identity, … Read More

You don’t need me to say that we are still in the middle of COVID-19, even if shops and other establishments are now open and there has been a degree of easing. It’s not over yet. The effects of the … Read More