Dates to Remember
| Sat 6 July | Preston Village Day and Scarecrows |
| Wed 10 July | Preston Village Society – Bramley Hedge – 8.00pm |
| Thu 11 July | Parish Council – Village Hall 8.00pm |
| Sat 20 July | Police Surgery – Village Hall 10.00 to 12.00 noon. |
Village Day and Scarecrows – 6 July, starting at 12:30
Scarecrow Guides, BBQ and Classic Cars will all be available from 12:30, with games and stalls open by 13:00. See website, flyers, PNS and posters for detailed timings of Maypole Dancing, Dog Show, Birds of Prey and other attractions. The OSCAREcrowS awards will be announced in the Red Lion garden around 18:45 and 19:00 SG4 take to the stage.
Parking – Please help us to keep the area around The Green free of parked vehicles. The pub car park will be hosting a number of the classic vehicles. The Fire Service are planning on joining us and obviously they will need clear routes out if they have to leave in a hurry. PHC are kindly granting us FREE PARKING a short walk (past scarecrows) to The Green.
Preston Village Society
The meeting on Wednesday 10 July will be a Barbecue at Lynda Woodward, Bramley Hedge, Chequers Lane at 7 p.m. A flier will be sent with the details.
Wednesday 21 August is the Tea Afternoon and Bring and Buy Sale at Margaret Trinder’s, Offley Holes Farm at 2.30 p.m.
St Martin’s Church 120 Club Draw 2019/2020
The winners of the June draw in the 2019/20 120 Club (£30 each) were:
No. 70 Mr & Mrs R Gill
No. 123 Mrs C Cornell
Open Gardens Day Thank You
Thank You to all you kind and generous people who gave your time and efforts to the Open Gardens Day on 26th May. On that perfect day we had the largest number of visitors we have ever had, who much enjoyed visiting our village and gardens. The most welcome sum of £6,725 was raised for our little village church.
Pam, Liz and Meta
St Martin’s Church And All Saints’ Church Services
| July | Service | Sidesman | Reader | |
| 7th | No Service at St Martin’s | |||
| 11.00am | Family Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 14th | 9.30am | Malcolm Lowle | Sue Griffiths | |
| Colossians 1:1-14, RCL p.939 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37 Intercessions: Alec Dickinson Chalice: Alec Dickinson | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 21st | 8.00am | Holy Communion, BCP, at All Saints’ | ||
| 9.30am | Liz Hunter | Paul Constantinidi | ||
| Colossians 1:15-28, RCL p. 945 Gospel: Luke 10:38-end * Intercessions: Meta Reeves Chalice: Liz Hunter | ||||
| 11.00am | Family Praise at All Saints’ | |||
| 28th | 9.30am | Mike Kellard | Richard Blockley | |
| Colossians 2:6-15, RCL p.951 Gospel: Luke 11:1-13 Intercessions: Dawn Jenkins Chalice: Dawn Jenkins | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| August | ||||
| 4th | No Service at St Martin’s | |||
| 11.00am | Family Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 11th | 9.30am | Richard Blockley | Hugh Reeves | |
| Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, RCL p. 962 Gospel: Luke 12:32-40 Intercessions: Alec Dickinson Chalice: Alec Dickinson | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 18th | 8.00am | Holy Communion, BCP, at All Saints’ | ||
| 9.30am | Malcolm Lowle | Liz Hunter | ||
| Hebrews 11:29-12:2, RCL p.968 Gospel Luke 12:49-56 Intercessions: Dawn Jenkins Chalice: Dawn Jenkins | ||||
| 11.00am | Sunday Praise at All Saints’ | |||
| 25th | 9.30am | Andy Cole | Paul Constantinidi | |
| Hebrews 12:18-end, RCL p.973 Gospel: Luke 13:10-17 Intercessions: Doreen Sansom Chalice: Carolyn Hill | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
* A baptism will take place during this service
Weekday services in Whitwell:
Alternate Wednesdays 9.30am. Holy Communion at Lime Tree House –
10th July, 24th July, 7th August, 21st August
Stagenhoe: 11.00am Holy Communion
24th July, 21st August
A Letter from Canon Stephen Fielding
Canon Stephen Fielding, who will be licensed as our new vicar in October, writes:
I am absolutely delighted to be coming as your new vicar in the autumn. For us, it is a return to Hertfordshire after periods at Coventry Cathedral, where I was canon treasurer, and St Mary Abbots Church in Kensington where I am currently an associate vicar. I was ordained in 2007, a curate in Old Welwyn, Tewin, Datchworth and Ayot St Peter, and then vicar of Braughing, Furneux Pelham and Stocking Pelham. From 1981 to 2005 we lived in or near Harpenden, so we know and love the area.
I am married to Angela, and we have four adult children, Lizzie who lives with her family in Hitchin, Edward and family in Much Hadham, Christopher in West London with his wife and daughter, and our youngest Philly intending to get married at All Saints’ in late November or early December.
Before ordination, I practised as a banking lawyer, and for the last 10 years of my ‘secular’ career was responsible for different parts of private bankers Coutts & Co. Alongside my work as a priest, I practise as a probate/inheritance mediator out of chambers in the Inner Temple. I have been doing this since 2003.
That is enough about me, perhaps too much! So let me say something about the coming months.
Summer always comes in the church’s long season of Trinity – (Trinity lasts about 6 months, in case you wondered). And Trinity tells of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Most of us will be unconcerned about how this is so – rather we ask: what does God do as Father? What does Jesus do as Son? And what does the Holy Spirit do as spirit? Well: God makes, Jesus redeems, and the Holy Spirit enables.
The great Christian poet George Herbert wrote the following poem for Trinity Sunday. You’ll notice that he gets this idea of God making, Jesus redeeming, and the Holy Spirit equipping.
Lord, who has made me out of mud,
And hast redeemed me through thy blood,
And sanctified me to do good;
Purge all my sins done heretofore:
For I confess my heavy score,
And I will strive to sin no more.
Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me,
With faith, with hope, with charity;
That I may run, rise, rest with thee
It’s all very practical – which is in the end (and from first to last) the whole meaning of Christianity. It’s about love working its transformative power in your life and mine.
We are greatly looking forward to moving into the vicarage at Whitwell and to getting to know as many of you as we can in the villages at the earliest opportunity. The date of my licensing is Monday October 28 at All Saints, and we hope to see lots of you there.
With every blessing
Stephen
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 20 July
There will be a Police Surgery in Preston Village Hall on 20 July from 10.00am – 12 noon.
PCSO Heather Burrows from our Safer Neighbourhood Team will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
The Preston Trust: ‘Beating The Bounds’ of our parish, 2019
Item updated 7 August 2019
Years ago, the clergy and laity of each parish used to walk along the boundary of their parish. This enabled everyone to know the extent of their rights and responsibilities as parishioners. This tradition was known as ‘Beating the Bounds’, and took place on Rogation Sunday in May.
The Preston Trust committee thought it might be interesting for our present day parishioners to have 3 ‘Boundary Walks and Talks’ this summer/autumn. Our small patch of the Chiltern landscape has different habitats, gentle slopes and really splendid views! We will be walking on footpaths, bridleways, and, for short stretches, on the lanes.
All 3 Walks will start and finish on The Green, and will last for c. 2 hours; the 3rd will be nearer to 3 hours. We would like the group to be not less than 10 people and not more than 25. Accompanied youngsters over 10 years are very welcome. Fit and well behaved dogs on their leads are also welcome. There are no public toilets near to the line of the boundary; hedges may have to suffice, if needed. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Dates and times are as follows:
- JULY 20th, 10.00am – 12 noon: The Eastern Boundary Walk
the route will be The Green – Wain Wood – Harkness Hall- Poynders End – Ladygrove – then across the PHC park and back to The Green. We have now been granted permission, for this day only, by three local farmers to walk across short stretches of their land, so that we may keep as close as possible to the line of the parish boundary.
– - AUGUST 17th , 10.00am – 12 noon: The Southern and Western Boundary Walk
the route will be from The Green, across the PHC park to Ladygrove – southwards through Hitch Wood to the southern end of the parish – northwestwards through The Firs and Hearnsfield Wood to Prestonhill Farm – down the dry valley to Frogmore Lane – northwards along Dead Woman’s Lane as far as the footpath entrance to the two meadows – on The Chiltern Way path past Pond Farm to Butchers Lane, Church Meadow and Chequers Lane – The Green.
– - SEPTEMBER 14th, 9.30am – c.12.30pm: The Northern Boundary Walk
Booking to take part is essential. Please drop a note into my letterbox at Rose Cottage, or email me on elizabethhunter671@btinternet.com, to say which Walk/s you would like to join.
Many thanks.
Liz Hunter, Preston Trust committee member