Dates to Remember
| Fri 2 Nov | Fireworks – The Red Lion – from 6.30pm |
| Sat 3 Nov | Community Book Swap – Village Hall – 10.00-11.00am |
| Wed 14 Nov | Preston Village Society – Trinity House – 8.00pm |
| Sat 17 Nov | Community Book Swap – Village Hall – 10.00-11.00am |
| Sat 17 Nov | Police Surgery – Village Hall – 10.00 to12.00 noon |
Preston Parish Council
Planning Applications
Preston Parish Council plays an active part in all local planning issues. It is probably the area of the Council’s role that is best known to the community and which can be one of the most important.
From 1st November 2018, details of current planning applications will be available on the Parish Council section of the village website: www.presonvillageherts.com and follow the links: key organisations, Parish Council, planning applications. The Clerk will send an email to the Parish Council database when a planning application has been added to the website. If you are not already on the Parish Council database, please email Lisa Lathane, Clerk to Preston Parish Council at: prestonclerk@gmail.com to be added to the database.
Preston Parish Council has decided to open a Facebook Group for a trial period. This will be a closed group and will deal with Parish Council matters only. You can find this group by searching for: ‘Preston Parish Council – Hitchin’ on Facebook. You will need to request to join and be accepted to the group. Any queries on this matter please contact Lisa Lathane, Clerk to Preston Parish Council at: prestonclerk@gmail.com
Fireworks At The Red Lion.
Please note this will now be on Friday 2 November from 6.30pm
St Martin’s Church And All Saints’ Church Services
| November | Service | Sidesman | Reader | |
| 4th | 11.00am | All Saints Day. No Service at St Martin’s | ||
| 11th | 9.30am | Holy Communion | Andy Cole | Mark Lawson |
| Micah 4:1-5 RCL p.1236 Gospel: Mark 1:14-20, p. 741 Intercessions: Doreen Samson Chalice: Carolyn Hill | ||||
| 10.45am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 18th | 8.00am | Holy Communion (BCP) at All Saints’ | ||
| 09.30am | Holy Communion | Richard Blockley | Di Blockley | |
| Hebrews 10:11-14,19-25 RCL p.747 Gospel: Mark 13:1-8 Intercessions: Hugh Reeves Chalice: Anna Lawson | ||||
| 11.00am | Sunday Praise at All Saints’ | |||
| 25th | 9.30am | Holy Communion | Elizabeth Hunter | Sue Griffiths |
| Revelation 1: 4-8, RCL p.752 Gospel: John 18:33-37 Intercessions: Meta Reeves Chalice: Elizabeth Hunter | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| December | ||||
| 2nd | Parish Communion, Advent Sunday at St Martin’s | |||
| 10.00am | Malcolm Lowle | Danny Rowland | ||
| Jeremiah 33:14-16, RCL p. 755 Gospel: Luke 21:25-36 Intercessions: Meta Reeves Chalice: Di Blockley | ||||
NB From December 2018 until March 2019 inclusive the service on the first Sunday in the month will be held at St Martin’s Preston at 10.00am.
There will be NO SERVICE AT ALL SAINT’S on these Sundays
Weekday Services in Whitwell:
Tuesdays – 9.30am Morning Prayer All Saints’ Church.
Alternate Wednesdays – 9.30am Holy Communion at Lime Tree House 10th & 24th October.
A Letter From The Reader of our Parish
Dear Friends,
Hello
I nearly said “Hello out there” or “HOT’s” as our afternoon tea, cake and chat group calls themselves. Please come and join us, details of our next date are in the magazine.
This month I have the challenge of writing the opening letter. I understand that some people only look at this page, you know who you are! so I do have to urge you to delve deeper into the magazine, I know there are a lot of advertisements but its thanks to those people that we are able to have this magazine. There is lots going on in our villages and its only by joining in and supporting events, that you become part of that community, which is what I and so many of you embrace about village life.
For those that don’t know me I’m the Reader at All Saints Church, St Paul’s Walden and St Martins Church, Preston. I live in Hornhill, Whitwell with my husband, and our two dogs. Being a Reader means that I can do many things in the Church, however I can’t officiate at a Wedding, or take a Christening, or consecrate the bread and wine for communion. Other than that I’m happy to help out where I can, and will be continuing with the school visits, Bible study classes, home visits, taking services at Limetree and Stagenhoe and generally enjoying village life. So if I can be of help please get in touch
November is a time for reflection and as we celebrate the centenary of the First World War, our thoughts and prayers are for all those who gave their lives, for our freedom. There will be our usual services on 11thNovember, 9.30am at St Martin’s, Preston with All Saints, St Paul’s Walden starting at the earlier time of 10.45 in order to hold our two minute silence at 11am. At 3pm there will be the service at the memorial in the High Street, Whitwell.
Writing this in October, I’ve just seen the first Christmas advert appearing on the television. I know by the time November comes the shops will be full of cards and gifts, and the material aspects of Christmas will be everywhere to feast our eyes upon. As much as I love this time of year, I also find that it’s a good time to just take time to reflect on what we have, what we’ve lost, what’s changed and how we have grown. As we prepare for the season of Advent, we look forward to perhaps the most unique and precious gift of life, that of a new born baby, and our own lives are challenged. In Advent we wait for something that has already happened over 2000 years ago, in the sure and certain knowledge that it will happen, again and again and again. It’s a story that our children teach us each year, as they bring forward in Church the stable animals, the shepherds, the kings and the Holy family and place them in the stable. In their eye’s its simple, its adults that make it complicated.
Over the coming weeks we have an advent discussion group starting which will take place on a Wednesday afternoon, please do come and join us. More details to follow. Also on the 2ndDecember which will be our first winter joint Service at St Martins, Preston at 10 am we will be sending out the Posadaas part of the Christmas celebration, This is the re enactment of the census pilgrimage to Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph in search of a room. A shoebox stable and its figures travel around the parish spending a night or two at different houses. Please let me know if you would like to go on the list. It will be spending a couple of nights at Preston and Whitwell schools.
I have also for sale limited supplies of the Fair Trade “Real Advent Calendar” which along with the important chocolate contains a 24 page story activity book on the Christmas story priced at £3.99.
Well if you have read this far well done. The adverts have gone out to search for our new vicar, we just have to pray now for the right person to come and join us in our community.
Love and prayers
Dawn x
St Martin’s 120 Club 2018/2019
The winners in the October draw in the 2018/19 120 Club (£30 each) were:
No. 51 Ms A Jeffers
No. 37 Mr P R Leaver
From The Church Records
23rd September 2018. Baptism of Ava Hilary Mae Fleckney
Letter From Elizabeth
Dear All,
I am writing this on Monday 8 October so I have now experienced one whole week of retirement and it feels very strange.
My reason for contributing to the November issue of the Preston Newsletter is to thank you all so much for your company and for the gifts we received at St Martin’s just fifteen days ago. You were very generous. We were in Norfolk this weekend and the beautiful sunshine on Sunday morning meant we enjoyed a good walk along the beach at Brancaster before church at 11.15.
The flowers lasted really well and the bottle of champagne is still in its box. We have a special occasion coming up and we will toast all of you at St Martin’s when the bottle is opened. The amazing and unique silver key is in a place of honour in the sitting room and has been the cause of much comment and admiration. Thank you all very much for everything.
I have received a number of gifts and many, many individual cards and I thank you all for those.
We are away again this next weekend but when I get into my new routine I am sure I will encounter many of you in Hitchin and elsewhere and I look forward to hearing news of you and your families. It has been good to travel alongside you these past few years and I wish you all well as our paths continue, and I wait to know about the next steps of my journey.
With our prayers and good wishes
Elizabeth and Anthony
Promises Promises
An Advent study course.
Come and join us for a fun and lively discussion, as over four weeks on a Wednesday afternoon from 2-3.00pm, we dig deeper into four promises with traditional Advent themes that were either realised in the coming of Christ or that await fulfilment in his coming again.
| November 28th | – A disturbing promise @ 50 Hornhill, Whitwell |
| December 5th | – A sure and certain promise @ Crunnells Green House, Preston |
| December 12th | – An incredible promise @ 50 Hornhill, Whitwell |
| December 19th | – A demanding promise @ Crunnells Green House, Preston |
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 17 November
There will be a Police Surgery in Preston Village Hall on 17 November from 10am to 12 noon. PCSO Heather Burrows from our Safer Neighbourhood Team will be happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
Hitchin Foodbank
Many thanks for your ongoing support and contributions to the Hitchin Foodbank.
The Foodbank is currently in need of: long life juice, squash, tinned custard, tinned rice, tinned fruit, sponge pudding, tinned fish, tinned meat, tinned and dried potatoes, tinned vegetables, pasta/noodles for 1, sauce for pasta, toilet rolls.
Please ensure items are undamaged and in date. Donations can be deposited at Waitrose and Sainsbury’s or in the blue box in the garage at Lychgate House, Church Lane.
Preston Village Voices – Christmas Celebration
Preston Village Voices warmly invite you to our Christmas Celebration of Songs, Carols and Verse @ St Martins Church on Friday 14th December at 7.30pm. Mince pies and wine will be served afterwards and there will be a raffle for a Luxury Christmas Hamper.
The raffle tickets will be available to buy on the night. However if you are unable to attend, but would like to purchase a raffle ticket, they are available through Diane Hayhurst. All proceeds this year are in aid of The Anne Robson Trust and St. Martin’s Church, Preston.
Tickets £7.50. Raffle tickets £1 each. Please contact Diane Hayhurst 07495541624 or diane@courthomes.co.uk
Preston Village Society
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 14 November at 8.00pm at Gail Edward’s, Trinity House, Church Lane. Bill Hamilton will give a talk entitled: Man on the Spot.
Please note: this is a week earlier than usual.