Dates to Remember
| Wed 12 Sept | Parish Council – Village Hall – 8.00pm |
| Fri 14 Sept | Harvest Supper – Village Hall – 7.30pm |
| Sat 15 Sept | Community Book Swap – Village Hall – 10.00-11.00am |
| Sun 16 Sept | Harvest Family Service – St Martin’s Church – 10.00am – All welcome |
| Wed 19 Sept | Preston Village Society – St Martin’s House – 8.00pm |
| Thurs 20 Sept | Talk by A Lambourne of LADACAN – Village Hall – 8.00pm |
| Fri 21 Sept | Harvest Auction – The Red Lion – 8.00pm |
Harvest Supper On Friday 14 September
This year the Harvest Supper will be held on Friday 14 September in the Village Hall at 7.00 pm. Tickets, priced £12, include a welcome drink and a two course meal and can be obtained from Sue Griffiths 434194. Numbers are limited to 40, so please call soon!
If you have a vegetarian preference, just let Sue know well in advance. Please bring your own bottle. There will be a Raffle, so donations of prizes would be very much appreciated. Families who have moved into the Parish recently are especially welcome, but anyone living in the village is warmly invited so do come and join us.
Preston Village Society: Wednesday 19 September
This month’s meeting is being held at Mary Young’s, St Martin’s House, Church Lane on Wednesday 19 September. Derek Henderson will give a talk entitled: “Attracting Wildlife to your Garden”
Last month’s tea afternoon raised £220 for Garden House Hospice. Thank you to everyone who supported this event and to Margaret for hosting it.
The Red Lion – Harvest Auction
The annual Harvest Auction will be held on Friday 21 September at 8.00pm. Would those donating produce for the auction bring to the pub in the afternoon. Proceeds will be shared between Preston Primary School, Colts Cricket and St Martin’s Church.
St Martin’s Church And All Saints’ Church Services
| September | Service | Sidesman | Reader | |
| 2nd | 11.00am | No Service at St Martin’s | ||
| 9th | 9.30am | Holy Communion | Malcolm Lowle | Richard Gill |
| James 2:1-10, 14-17 RCL p.669 Gospel: Mark 7:24-end Intercessions: Meta Reeves Chalice: Di Blockley | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 16th | 8.00am | Holy Communion (BCP) at All Saints’ | ||
| 10.00am | Family Harvest Service | Andy Cole | ||
| 11.00am | Sunday Praise at All Saints’ | |||
| 6.00pm | Harvest Praise | Malcolm Lowle | ||
| 23rd | 9.30am | Holy Communion | Elizabeth Hunter | Mark Lawson |
| James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a, RCL p.684 Gospel: Mark 9:30-37 Intercessions: Elizabeth Bunker Chalice: Elizabeth Hunter | ||||
| 11.00am | Holy Communion at All Saints’ | |||
| 30th | 11.00am | Parish Service (Holy Communion) at All Saints’. Elizabeth’s last service. | ||
| October | ||||
| 7th | No service at St Martin’s | |||
| 11.00am | Family Communion at All Saints’ | |||
Weekday services in Whitwell:
Tuesdays 4, 11 September 9.30am Morning Prayer All Saints’
Alternate Wednesdays 9.30am Holy Communion Lime Tree House 12. 26 September
From The Church Records
| 22 July 2018 | Baptism of twins Isabella Rose Wills and Madeleine Grace Wills, age 12 weeks |
St Martin’s Church 120 Club 2018/2019
The winners in the last two draws in the 2018/19 120 Club (£30 each) were:
| July | No. 104 Mr P T Brenham |
| No. 38 Mrs M P Loustau | |
| August | No. 6 Mr & Mrs J Robinson |
| No. 96 Mrs R M Cook |
A Letter From Our Team Vicar
01462 686808
Dear Friends,
As I write the very hot weather has subsided, we have enjoyed some rain and the more usual summer temperatures are with us. Quite a relief! But I’m sure that farmers and gardeners are very concerned and I understand that even bell-ringing can be tricky in such dry times.
We are looking forward to the August Sunday Praise with our celebrations for Peter Saunders’ birthday and we hope that will be a dry, sunny day so that we can be outside after the service.
Some of us are busy with further preparations for the Holiday Club, Journey with Jesus, at the end of the month. It will be over, I expect, by the time this magazine reaches you but I hope you will be able to join us for the Family BBQ at Whitwell Pavilion on Sunday 2 September from 5pm. That’s another occasion when we’d like sunny weather of course.
Our Harvest Festival is earlier this year on Sunday 16 September. At All Saints’ we will have 8am Holy Communion and Harvest Praise at 11am and at St Martin’s the Family Harvest Service at 10am with Harvest Praise at 6pm. I am delighted that Preston Village Voices will be joining us for Harvest Praise.
In Preston the Harvest Supper will take place at the Village Hall on Friday 14 September with the Harvest Auction at The Red Lion on Friday 21 September.
We are unable to hold a Harvest Lunch at All Saints’ this year as the roof is being repaired in August/September and space in the church building will be limited during this time.
My final Sunday in the parish is 30 September when there will be a joint service at 11am at All Saints’. I am very sad to be leaving and I will miss you all, but I am now nearly nine years older than when I arrived and am well past retirement age. It has been good to get to know so many of you. It has been a joy to be involved in village events, to take weddings and baptisms and to celebrate with you. I hope that you will be able to join us for that service. I thank you all for the support you have given me in my ministry here and wish you well for the future.
With my prayers and good wishes to you all
Elizabeth
Church Cleaning
The church is cleaned on the first Tuesday of every month starting at 4.00pm. Anyone wishing to assist please contact Margaret Cashin 420073
Quiz And Chips
The Friends of St Martin’s Committee would like to thank everyone who supported their Quiz and Chips event in July which raised £220.
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.
Register with the OWL System
Keep up to date with what’s going on in your neighbourhood by signing up to the OWL System (Online Watch Link). Information about crime, the latest crime prevention advice and local community news is sent by email from Herts Police.
Visit www.owl.co.uk for further information or email the Watch Liaison Officer at: WLO@herts.pnn.police.uk.
Details are also available on the Neighbourhood Watch page of the Preston Village website at: www.prestonvillageherts.com/key-organisations/neighbourhood-watch/
Hitchin Foodbank
Many thanks for your ongoing support and contributions to the Hitchin Foodbank.
The most urgent needs are for tinned tomatoes, long life fruit juice, tinned rice, small jars of coffee, 500g bags of sugar and men’s deodorant. 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.
Hiking in Nepal
Next month I will be hiking in Nepal for Macmillan Cancer Support. Many thanks to those of you have already sponsored me. If you’d like to donate either go to JustGiving.com/Carolyn-hill59 or pop a cheque (made payable to ‘Macmillan Cancer Support’) or cash though my door. Thank you Carolyn Hill
Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning
PHC warmly invite everyone to join in Macmillan’s World biggest coffee morning on Friday 28 September 10.15 to 11.15am.
Community Book Swap
The Community Book Swap will continue to be held on the first and third Saturdays of every month from 10.00 to 11.00am in the village hall starting on Saturday 15 September. There are plenty of books and DVDs available so it is not essential to bring one to swap. Please feel free to use this as a library.
Fruit and Vegetable Stall
The new fruit and vegetable stall, by the bench just up from the pond, is now operating for a trial period on a self-service basis with an honesty box for payment. The produce is provided by Jeff, a young friend of one of the parish councillors, not a resident of Preston. It will be mainly local and home grown with other items added to extend the variety available.
The stall is a service for the village and, although not a shop which many asked for in the Neighbourhood Plan survey, it is a way of buying fresh vegetables without having to go further than the pond.
Feedback and queries to the Parish Council are welcome via prestonclerk@gmail.com or to any Parish Councillor. The Parish Council will regularly review how the stall is going and, if successful, as hoped, it will be continued.
The Parish Council would also like to remind residents that the fruit on the trees in Church Meadow is available for everyone to enjoy, on a first come first served basis.
NHDC Annual Canvas
NHDC are about to embark on their annual canvass and have asked if the following information can be provided to the residents of Preston. They’re looking to recruit people as ‘door knockers’ to obtain Household Enquiry Form responses.
Various rounds in different locations and of varying sizes are available. The dates of the door knocking stage of the canvass are 30th October until 19th November. Fees payable are £2.50 for every form signed in a rural area and for every form left but unsigned £0.75p is paid. A bonus is also paid. Training will be provided.
Canvassers must be aged 18+.
Please contact Geraldine Hatch, Electoral Services Officer if you are interested. Direct Dial 01462 474205. North Hertfordshire District Council, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 3JF
Need a Handyman?
Although we do not normally accept advertising from commercial organisations; Ieneke Rayburn has suggested that if anyone requires a handyman they contact Paul on 07815057181 or email paul@thetodoer.com
The Red Lion – coming up
| Saturday 13 October | – Sausage Festival |
| Saturday 3 November | – Fireworks |
Further details next month.
Save the date – Preston Village Voices
Friday 14th December 2018, 7.30pm @ Preston Church.
We are once again looking forward to entertaining you all with a Christmas Celebration of songs, carols and verse old and new, with special guest appearances! Proceeds will support
St Martin’s Church, Preston – Toilet and Kitchen Facilities Project
Aimed at providing a really modern and lasting comfort station for our church congregation and visitors alike, with particular attention to the disabled, families with young children and elderly folk with or without wheelchairs.
The Anne Robson Trust.
It is estimated that every year, over 40,000 patients die alone in an NHS hospital bed in the UK, with no loved ones, friends or family at their bedside. The Anne Robson Trust, a newly registered local charity, aims to provide trained volunteers in every NHS hospital to ensure that this will no longer happen.
Originating at the Lister hospital in Stevenage and now managing a second pilot scheme at the Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow, the Trust, with the full support of the NHS, aims to quickly expand its services across the UK, without impacting on the NHS budget in any way.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Preston Village Voices
07495541624
An Evening with Andrew Lambourne of LADACAN
Thursday 20th September at 8.00 pm in the Village Hall.
Most of us have enjoyed the experience of flying, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have concerns about the issues it can cause…
LADACAN (Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) is a residents’ group, set up in 1968, to represent the interests of communities around Luton Airport in respect of aircraft noise and safety (although it also looks at other concerns).
The Preston Trust would like to invite you to a talk by Andrew Lambourne of LADACAN on Thursday 20th September at 8.00pm in the Village Hall.
Andrew has asked if there are any particular topics you would like him to cover or any questions you’d like to ask? If so please email us at prestonvillagetrust@gmail.com or 01462 434403
We are really looking forward to welcoming you on the evening with cheese and wine.
Rae (Preston Trust Committee Member)