Dates to Remember
| Tue 1 May | Church Cleaning 4.00pm |
| Wed 2 May | Parish Council AGM – Village Hall – 8.00pm |
| Sat 5 May | Community Book Swap – Village Hall – 10.00-11.00am |
| Sun 13 May | Preston trust AGM – Village Hall – 1130am |
| . Wed 16 May | Preston Village Society – 8.00pm – Hitchwood Cottage |
| Sat 19 May | Community Book Swap – Village Hall – 10.00-11.00am |
| Sun 20 May | Deadline for the June 2018 newsletter |
| Sun 27 May | Preston Open Gardens |
| Tue 5 June | Church Cleaning 4.00pm |
Preston Parish Neighbourhood Plan
The Preston Parish Neighbourhood Plan has been submitted to NHDC. The next step is the formal public consultation (Regulation 16) which will be organised by the District Council and last for 6 weeks. This will start week commencing 21 May and will be available on the NHDC website
www.north-herts.gov.uk/approved-neighbourhood-areas-preston
The Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents are on the Preston Neighbourhood plan website:
www.preston-np.org.uk/your-say/
Preston Open Gardens 27 May, 12.30pm – 5.00pm.
We hope you will not mind being asked again to make a cake (or two) for the teas in the Village Hall? Whatever you enjoy baking will be much appreciated. Either bring them/it to the Hall on the day or leave them with Pam Stark or Liz Hunter beforehand.
Plants for the Plant Stall on the Green will also be welcome and can be left earlier in the week beginning 21st May with Meta & Hugh Reeves at Crunnells Green House. Also Homemade Preserves will be on sale in the Village Hall. Margaret Trinder will be pleased to receive them at the Hall on the morning of the 27th.
Do visit the church either for the Songs of Praise on Saturday 26th at 6.30pm or on the day and be amazed at the wonderful flower arrangements, which fill the church with gorgeous colours as well as scent!
St Martin’s and All Saints Church Services
| May | Service | Sidesman | Reader | |
| 6th | No service at St Martin’s | |||
| 11.00am | Family Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 10th | 7.30pm | Ascension Day Holy Communion at All Saints’ | ||
| 13th | 9.30am | Preacher: Bishop Michael | Liz Hunter | Mark Lawson |
| Acts 1:15-17, 21-end, RCL p.564 Gospel: John 17:16-19 Intercessions: Meta Reeves Chalice: Liz Hunter | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 19th | 6.30pm | Thy Kingdom Come Beacon Celebration St Alban’s Cathedral | ||
| 20th | 8am | Pentecost Holy Communion (BCP) at All Saints’ | ||
| 9.30am | Malcolm Lowle | Paul Constantinidi | ||
| Acts 2:1-21, RCL p.567 Gospel: John 15:26-27: 16:4b -15 Intercessions: Doreen Sansom Chalice: Di Blockley | ||||
| 11.00am | Sunday Praise at All Saints’ | |||
| 26th | 6.30pm | Songs of Praise | Andy Cole | Various |
| 27th | 9.00am | Morning Prayer | Malcolm Lowle | Richard Gill |
| Romans 8:12-17, RCL p. 575 Gospel: John 3:1-17 | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| June | ||||
| 3rd | No Service at St Martin’s | |||
| 11.00am | Family Communion at All Saints’ | |||
Weekday services in Whitwell:
Alternate Wednesdays 9.30am Holy Communion
Lime Tree House 9 and 23 May
St Martin’s Church 120 Club 2018/2019
A big thank you to all who have renewed their membership this year and those who have joined for the first time. The proceeds help to maintain our church and its churchyard for the benefit of all who live here and our visitors.
The winners of the first two draws in the 2018/19 120 Club (£30 each) were:
| March : | No. 3 | Miss H Cole |
| No. 126 | Mr & Mrs J D Campbell | |
| April: | No. 119 | Mr & Mrs R Lambe |
| No. 57 | Mrs A E Lowle |
A Letter From Our Team Vicar
Dear Friends,
It is now two weeks since Easter and the weather looks like it might warm up later this week.
It was lovely that many of you worshipped with us on Easter Day at St Martin’s and All Saints’ and the flowers were glorious in both churches.
As I mentioned last month, the Bishop of Hertford, Bishop Michael, will be visiting the parish on Sunday 13 May when he will preside and preach at both services. Please come and meet our local Bishop – he lives in Knebworth – and he will be joining us again in the parish on Wednesday 16 May.
As in 2017, we will as a parish join in Thy Kingdom Come. This is a ten-day venture between Ascension Day and Pentecost, this year 10 – 20 May, when we are encouraged to pray that more people will turn to Jesus. We will be holding a service at All Saints’ every day during this time, usually a 9.30am short service of Morning Prayer, when we will pray especially that others will come to know Jesus as their Saviour.
And, as part of Thy Kingdom Come, there is a special Beacon Celebration Event at 6.30pm on Saturday 19 May at St Albans Abbey with Soul Survivor Watford, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Rev’d Hayley Young, a Baptist minister. See poster on church notice board.
We hope that many of you will come to our 2018 In Loving Memory parish service at All Saints’ at 3pm on Sunday 24 June, followed by refreshments. In Loving Memory is a special service of hymns, prayers and short readings with the opportunity to light candles in memory of ‘those we love but see no longer’. If you and other family members wish to attend and would like the name of your loved one read out during the service please let us know by email. Personal invitations are being sent to the families we know where there has been a death in the last three years, but the service is, of course, open to everyone.
The Confirmation service for Hitchin and St Paul’s Walden is on Thursday 14 June at St Mark’s Hitchin and the confirmation group in preparation for this will begin to meet very soon. Please get in touch with me as soon as you can if you would like to discuss this.
With my prayers and good wishes to you all
Elizabeth
**Thy Kingdom Come Beacon Celebration
We are delighted that Archbishop Justin Welby will be joining us. Our Beacon Celebration, one of many Thy Kingdom Come events taking place around the country, will be a collaboration between Soul Survivor Watford, local and national youth organisations, ecumenical partners, the Diocese of St Albans and the Cathedral.
The celebration will welcome Christians of all denominations. Entry is free. While the event is multi-generational we particularly encourage young people to attend. It will be a great opportunity to be inspired to pray that others may come to know Jesus Christ.
Neighbourhood Watch
The number to contact at North Herts Police for all non-emergencies (including witnessing of flytipping) 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.
Preston Village Society
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 May at Jenny Murray’s, Hitchwood Cottage. Kate Henley will give an Insight into Acupuncture. Please meet on The Green at 7.45pm to share transport as parking is limited.
Second Spring Litter Pick Up – Saturday 14 April
Again, my sincere thanks to those parishioners who volunteered to come and help: Wally, Rae, Andy, Tim, Ita, Richard, Zoe, Caitlin, also two enthusiastic and capable newcomers, Edward and Nulia from Back Lane. We managed to clear rubbish from under the brambles on Church Meadow: bricks, cardboard and concrete garden ornaments. We then moved on to Sootfield Green, and found an amazing amount of broken glass and plastic, tin cans, plastic bottles, bricks and tiles, some metal objects, part of a carpet, some socks and a pair of high heeled shoes. By prior arrangement, this was all efficiently removed by two Veolia staff and their lorry, by 11.00am on Monday, 16th; this is a most helpful service, and saves us the trips to the Household Waste Site after a Litter Pick Up session.
Please enjoy these two valuable ‘Open Green Spaces’ in the parish, now that they are safely clean and green again. Please be vigilant and report, in the usual way, anyone whom you see ‘flytipping’.
Many thanks.
Liz Hunter – PT Committee member
Road Closure: Sunday 13 May
A section of the road between Preston and Hitchin, from Thistley lane to Mill Lane, will be closed on Sunday 13 May from 8.40am to 9.10pm for the Hitchin 10k run.
Parish Council e-mails
Due to changes coming in to force with the new Data Protection Act (GDPR) on the 25th May 2018, Preston Parish Council needs to confirm with you that you are happy to receive emails from us. A form will be e-mailed to enable you to opt in to this system but you will be able to opt out at any time in the future by following the instructions on each email you receive.
Preston Parish Council will use your information to provide updates regarding the Village and the surrounding area. Your details will not be shared with any outside organisation and will not be used for any sales or marketing. A full privacy notice will be available on the Village website in due course and will also be sent to those who sign up.
If you are not yet on this email list, you can sign up by emailing Lisa Lathane at prestonclerk@gmail.com who will send you a link to opt in.
Preston Trust AGM 2018
The Preston Trust warmly invite you to their Annual General Meeting on Sunday 13 May at 11:30am in the village hall. Do come along to hear what the committee has achieved over the last year, find out about some changes coming up, and to contribute any ideas you might have for The Trust to consider putting into action over the next year.
Princess Helena CollegeCleaner Required This is a Full Time position, 25hrs per week @ £7.83 per hour. For further information please contact: Ian Robinson, Facilities Manager e-mail: irobinson@princesshelenacollege.co.uk Telephone: 01462 428172 |