Dates to Remember
| Tue 3 July | Church Cleaning 4.00pm |
| Sat 7 July | Community Book Swap – Village Hall – 10.00-11.00am |
| Sat 14 July | Quiz and Chips – Village Hall – 7.00pm |
| Mon 16 July | Parish Council – Village Hall – 8.00pm |
| Wed 18 July | Preston Village Society – Bramley Hedge, Chequers Lane – 7.00pm |
| Sat 21 July | Community Book Swap – Village Hall – 10.00-11.00am |
| Tue 7 Aug | Church Cleaning 4.00pm |
| Sat 11 Aug | Police Surgery – Village Hall – 10.00am to 12.00noon |
| Wed 15 Aug | Preston Village Society – Offley Holes Fram – 2.30pm |
| Tue 4 Sept | Church Cleaning 4.00pm |
Friends of St Martins
The annual Quiz and Chips Evening will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday 14 July at 7.00 p.m. Ticket price £10.00 including fish and chips, BYO, tables of up to eight. For tickets contact Margaret Trinder 435339. There will be a raffle during the evening.
Preston Village Society
The meeting on Wednesday 18 July will be a Barbecue at Lynda Woodward’s, Bramley Hedge, Chequers Lane at 7.00pm. A flier will be sent with the details.
Wednesday 15 August is the Tea Afternoon and Bring and Buy Sale at Margaret Trinder’s, Offley Holes Farm at 2.30pm.
Preston Open Gardens
THANK YOU to all you kind and generous people who gave your time and efforts to the Open Gardens Day on 27 May. After a gloomy weather forecast we actually had a perfect day and the visitors much enjoyed walking round the village and gardens. The welcome sum of £4,500 was raised for our little village church.
Pam, Liz and Meta
St Martin’s Church And All Saints’ Church Services
| July | Service | Sidesman | Reader | |
| 1st | 11.00am | Team Holy Communion Service at Princess Helena College – Celebration of John Bunyan | ||
| 8th | 9.30am | Richard Blockley | Anna Lawson | |
| Ezekiel 2:1-5, RCL p.617 Gospel: Mark 6:1-13 Intercessions: Hugh Reeves Chalice: Di Blockley | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 15th | 8.00am | Holy Communion (BCP) at All Saints’ | ||
| 9.30am | Malcolm Lowle | Di Blockley | ||
| Amos 7:7-15, RCL p.623 Gospel: Mark 6:14-29 Intercessions: Doreen Sansom Chalice: Meta Reeves | ||||
| 11.00am | Ice-cream service at All Saints’ | |||
| 22nd | 9.30am | Mike Kellard | Richard Gil | |
| 2 Cor. 5:14-17, RCL p.1113 Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18 Intercessions: Meta Reeves Chalice: Mike Kellard | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 29th | 9.30am | Andy Cole | Sue Griffiths | |
| 2 Kings 4:42-end, RCL p.635 Gospel: John 6:1-21 Intercessions: Elizabeth Bunker Chalice: Dawn Jenkins | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| August | ||||
| 5th | No Service at St Martin’s. 11,.00am Family Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 12th | 9.30am | Richard | Gill Richard Blockley | |
| 1 Kings 19:4-8 , RCL p.648 Gospel: John 6:35,41-51 Intercessions: Doreen Sansom Chalice: Meta Reeves | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 19th | 8.00am | Holy Communion (BCP) at All Saints’ | ||
| 9.30am | Richard Blockley | Mike Kellard | ||
| Ephesians 5:15-20 , RCL p.654 Gospel:John 6:51-58 Intercessions: Hugh Reeves Chalice: Carolyn Hill | ||||
| 11.00am | Sunday Praise at All Saints’ | |||
| 26th | 9.30am | Liz Hunter | Paul Constantinidi | |
| Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18, RCL p.659 Gospel:John 6:56-69 Intercessions: Elizabeth Bunker Chalice: Dawn Jenkins | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| September | ||||
| 2nd | No Service at St Martin’s. | |||
| 11.00am | Family Communion at All Saints’ | |||
Weekday services in Whitwell:
Tuesdays 3, 17, 24, 31 July at 9.30am. Morning Prayer at All Saints’.
No Morning Prayer in August.
Alternate Wednesdays 9.30am Holy Communion Lime Tree House
4, 18 July and 1st, 15th, 29th August
A Letter From Our Team Vicar
01462 686808
Dear Friends,
I have been looking back over the letters I wrote in last summer’s Newsletters and found my opening words for July 2017: As I write, the general election is only a week away and the story dominating the front pages is the tragic loss of lives and homes and hopes of the many people who used to live in Grenfell Tower, the high-rise block of flats in west London, devastated by fire. This catastrophic event has touched the hearts of many and I pray that help and support for all those affected comes quickly. Yesterday the first anniversary was marked in west London and elsewhere and the coming together of many from different communities has been one of the signs of hope to emerge from the tragedy. We should continue to pray for all those affected and for others who live in inadequate housing. I pray that in another year’s time significant progress will have been made in re-housing the residents and ensuring that social housing in the UK is safe.
Last month I was encouraging you to go to the service at St Alban’s Abbey on 19 May when the Archbishop of Canterbury would be speaking. He did and he spoke of his identity. He was challenged, you may remember, when he discovered that the person he had known as his father was not his biological father. He told us that after a time of prayer and refection he realised that this discovery did not affect his identity. His identity is as a follower of Jesus Christ and in his personal relationship with him. Archbishop Justin had officiated earlier that day at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan and you will remember the sermon, a demanding call to love one another. We were very fortunate that the preacher, Bishop Michael, joined the Archbishop at the Abbey and also spoke to us (only briefly). We enjoyed wonderful music and singing and a great atmosphere of prayer. Quite a few of us from the parish were there in the congregation; if you weren’t there you missed a treat.
And there’s lots going on in the parish. At the end of May it was Preston Open Gardens with a good number of visitors again. A big thank you to all those who opened their gardens, made cakes and helped in so many ways on, before, and after the day.
Last night our own Bishop Michael (of Hertford) was at St Mark’s Hitchin for the Team Confirmation – six people were confirmed in a very moving service.
On Sunday week at All Saints we have In Loving Memory a special service to remember our loved ones who have died.
And on 1 July at 11am we have our Team Service at Princess Helena College, celebrating the life and ministry of John Bunyan appropriately close to a number of sites where he preached. I hope to see you there.
With my prayers and good wishes to you all
Elizabeth
THANK YOU to all you kind and generous people who gave your time and efforts to the Open Gardens Day on 27th May. After a gloomy weather forecast we actually had a perfect day and the visitors much enjoyed walking round the village and gardens. The welcome sum of £4,500 was raised for our little village church.
Pam, Liz and Meta
St Martin’s Church 120 Club 2018/2019
The winners of the June draw in the 2018/19 120 Club (£30 each) were:
No. 109 Ms FA Macpherson
No. 32 Mrs SE Griffiths
Neighbourhood Watch
The number to contact at North Herts Police for all non-emergencies (including witnessing of fly-tipping) is 101 or 01707 354000.
For removal of fly tipping which has already occurred, call NHDC 01462 474000 or online at www.north-herts.gov.uk, then follow the links to Transport and Streets, Street Cleaning and Fly Tipping where there is a form to complete to report the details.
PC Matt Jenkins and PCSO Heather Burrows can be contacted regarding local community issues. Their contact details are as follows:
PC Matt Jenkins: 07736 225349 or 01438 757604
PCSO Heather Burrows: 07847 364955 or 01438 757604 or heather.burrows@herts.pnn.police.uk
In the event of an emergency or if you witness a crime taking place please call 999.
Police Surgery – Village Hall – Saturday 11 August
There will be a Police Surgery in Preston Village Hall on 11 August from 10.00am to 12.00noon. PCSO Heather Burrows from our Safer Neighbourhood Team will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
The Preston Trust
Your new/renewal membership form will be delivered soon. When it is, we will be happy to share details and answer any questions you may have about the Preston Trust. As many of you will already know the Trust has 4 main objectives:
- To enhance and preserve Preston for the benefit of all the villagers and visitors
- To secure the preservation and protection of features of historic or public interest, including the village’s history
- To promote high standards of planning and architecture
- To support financially and promote any purpose for the benefit of villagers and in particular, its children and senior citizens.
There are some interesting events and projects coming up, including ” Walks and Talks”.
We are hoping that more members of our community would like to join the Preston Trust Committee. In return we can offer you meetings full of scintillating discussion and debate, along with some ordinary ones, and the opportunity to make a little money – not for you but for the common good of the parish. Seriously, being a part of the committee you will be able to take an active role in helping to keep our parish as it is now – attractive and peaceful with a friendly and helpful community. There are typically five or six evening meetings a year, each lasting perhaps a couple of hours. You really can make a difference!
In particular we really need a new Honorary Secretary. The main role of the Secretary will be to take minutes at meetings. Full details of what this entails will be posted on the PNS, on the Trust website and in a leaflet to be included with the membership forms. Please feel free to call Rae 07736 348655 if you would like to ask any questions. Thank you.
The Preston Trust (Committee)