PARISH COUNCIL MEETING – Thursday 18th September
The latest meeting of the Parish Council took place on a warm autumn evening on 18 September 2014.

Pavilion – The pavilion will be cleared and tidied ready for Bonfire Night. Some new tables will be bought.

Playing field - Oscar reported that one of the trees will require topping in the autumn. Oscar and Michael will organise this. The annual safety inspection of play equipment is due and the appointment will be made.

Highways – At last some of the potholes around the village have finally been filled in! There are still some problems with broken signs and I will keep trying to get something done about these. Please remember that you can report highway problems on the Essex County Council website at www.Essex.Gov.uk

War Memorial – There has been a site visit made by a restoration company to the War Memorial and we await their report into what work is needed.

Village Sign – Sonia Antonioni has been really busy talking to various companies about a replacement village sign on the playing field, the old one having been blown down in a storm last winter. Thanks to Sonia’s hard work the Parish Council now have agreed which company to use and a design to work with. A new post will also be needed for the sign. It is hoped to have the sign ready for early in the new year.

Parish Plan - Michael Crago reported that the Youth Survey deadline was for beginning October. A meeting will then be held to input the data and analyse the information. From this the final plan will be agreed with a view to publishing it by Spring of next year. Thank you to Michael and all the team for their work on this project.

Finance – The external auditor has agreed the accounts for the year 2013/14.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 20 November at 7.30pm in the village hall. There being no further matters to discuss the meeting closed at approximately 9.00pm.
Finally, a date for your calendar:-

STAMBOURNE BONFIRE NIGHT

SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2014

6.30PM

DON’T MISS IT!!

Full minutes and agendas are available on the website www.Stambourne.com

BUS TRIP TO NORWICH

BUS TRIP TO NORWICH

Saturday 15th November only £18 a seat.

Leaves Toppesfield Pump 8am, returns around 4pm.

50/50 raffle held on trip with any profit going to St. Margaret’s School TSA.

£5 deposit when booking plus full payment by 1st Nov.
Please contact Zoe on 01440 785778

ST. PETER & ST. THOMAS BECKET PARISH CHURCHCHURCH NEWS

Since the last newsletter we have been through the later summer months with the usual mixture of English weather to which historians attribute our famous calm and equable temperament.

We have had our usual number of Services, four in August including a well attended Benefice Service on the 5th Sunday.

Our next big service will be the HARVEST FESTIVAL ON Sunday 12th October at 3.30pm when, after the service, there will be sandwiches, cakes, tea, coffee and home made lemonade. All will be most welcome. As usual produce for donation to a homeless charity and flowers will be welcome on the previous Saturday 11th October, and the Church mouse has indicated he will reluctantly leave it alone until after the Service on Sunday.

We went to the Wardens’ meeting on Tuesday 2nd September, the main part of the Agenda were the minutes of the last meeting. This was concluded without much comment as the Rural Dean of Hinckford, the Rev Laurie Bond, has resigned unexpectedly. Later in the Vicar’s report, the Rev Barbara asked us to display copies of the Hinckford Deanery Vision in the Church. This has been done and there are several copies in the Church. These contain details of the future plans for our Benefice and our local Church.

There are three copies in the Church, two of which can be taken away to be read at your leisure, but one should be left in the church. Please return them to the Church once you have looked at them so that others can also read them. It is complicated but of considerable consequence for the future. The Vicar and Church Wardens will discuss any queries you have.

It has now been a few months since Sally Croft has taken over the role as Pastoral Team Leader for the Benefice and this has been working well. However, a volunteer from Stambourne is required to complete the team. If this is something you may be interested in please contact Sally (tel: 01787 237067) or the church wardens for further details.
For those of you who may not have read it, here is part of our favourite Betjeman poem about a Church mouse:

“Here among long-discarded cassocks,
Damp stools and half-split open hassocks,
Here where the Vicar never looks
I nibble through old service books.
Lean and alone I spend my days
Behind this Church of England baize
I share my dark forgotten room
With two oil-lamps and half a broom.
The cleaner never bothers me,,
So here I eat my frugal tea.
My bread is sawdust mixed with straw;
My jam is polish for the floor.
Christmas and Easter may be feasts
For congregations and for priests,
And so may Whitsun. All the same,
They do not fill my meagre frame.
For me the only feast at all
Is Autumn’s Harvest Festival,
When I can satisfy my want
With ears of corn around the font.
I climb the eagle’s brazen head
To burrow through a loaf of bread.
I scramble up the pulpit stair
And gnaw the marrows hanging there…”




SERVICES AT ST PETER AND ST THOMAS BECKETT CHURCH, STAMBOURNE
OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2014

5th October Service at Little Yeldham 9.30am
12th October HARVEST FESTIVAL 3.30pm
19th October Holy Communion 9.30am
26th October Holy Communion 9.30am

2nd November Service at Little Yeldham 9.30am
9th November Remembrance Day 10.45am
16th November Holy Communion 9.30am
23rd November Morning Prayer 9.30am
30th November Benefice Service, Little Yeldham 10.00am

7th December Service at Little Yeldham 9.30am
14th December Holy Communion 9.30am
21st December CAROL SERVICE 3.30pm
25th December Christmas Day service 9.30am
28th December Service at Tilbury Juxta Clare 10.00am

STAMBOURNE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Adrian Burr

Our Summer was filled with children this year - from grand children fun to the  BFG Holiday Club which was attended by eighteen children who enjoyed a fast paced 3 days of activities and crafts and stories ....  So we wonder what else we can do to help in the village. Ideas to ...  we are very willing to help and to also to put on events and activities!  We have a film evening, several Games evening and Music events and lots of other activities lined up for 2015 and would love to see these things bring the village together.

At school we shared the story of Stone Soup!  You can try this at home, and then among our neighbours.  Certainly at chapel we try to do this every fourth Sunday after our Band Service - we bring some water to the boil and then put in the magic stone. Then we ask people to add new flavours, such as carrots and cabbages and meat  and cheese and ... well whatever people have.  And we have a lovely meal together.  You see the original story is about a travelling stranger who  comes to small village and asks for food and shelter, but everyone is so worried about their own meagre lot that they refuse to entertain the stranger. They claim that their harvest has been small and so have little to offer. So the stranger calls them all to contribute to his magical stone soup. He puts in the stone and then asks everyone to come together to supply the ingredients.  And so a good meal is had by all.  As he departs he leaves the stone behind to remind people of the effect the Stone soup has had on them:  1 to make sure that none go hungry and 2 to bring everyone together.

And in a village its like that isn't it?  If we all supply our little bit we can achieve so much.  We have had fun in the rain at the fete, and enjoyed Hot Dogs and a hog roast in the sweltering heat, and enjoyed so much more, all made possible by pulling together and contributing a small token each.  And this is what Jesus meant by loving each other. 

We can only love by sharing and considering each others needs.  When we fall out it is usually because we have put our own needs before those of others.  But we all fall short of doing this, but that shouldn't stop us trying. I know none of us get it right all the time.  I also know that we have to continually forgive each other, and the best way of doing that is by sharing Stone Soup!

So lets make some Stone Soup together!   

Every blessing
Adrian Burr
Minister Stambourne Chapel.

Services are at 10:45 am and led by our minister or one of the fellowship, though on occasions we have visiting preachers.

1st Sunday is Communion Service
2nd and 3rd Sundays are a mix of contemporary and traditional worship
4th Sunday service is led by our REACH band and is followed by a bring and share meal

October and November Diary
18th October        Samaritan's Purse Shoe Box Packing day

19th October        Special Shoe Box Blessing Service

1st November       Band Music Event

9th November       Remembrance Service at the Memorial 10:45am and then in the parish church after the silence is held.  We would like a trumpeter for this!! Please call Adrian to volunteer!  

6th December      Christmas Fair
14th December     Carol service

If you would like our Newsletter email your request to aburr@inbox.com

Any queries about family history please call 07983 656166

We are on Facebook at Stambourne Chapel.
 


Jumble Sale Saturday 8th November

Doors open at 2pm. Entrance Fee 50p.

We will have a cake stall.

Any donations of cakes would be greatly appreciated. Any one who would like

to help on Friday or Saturday would  be most warmly welcome.

All proceeds to Essex Air Ambulance.

COLNE VALLEY PRAISE

Please don't miss this

18th COLNE VALLEY PRAISE

at St ANDREW'S CHURCH, EARLS COLNE
5pm-6.30pm on SATURDAY 15TH November 2014
with Gospel Singers STEVE AND VEL THOMPSON
The Alive@5 team looks forward to welcoming everyone to Bring and Share.
Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures say, streams of living water will
flow from within them." John 7v38
This event brings together churches from all down the Colne Valley.

BONFIRE NIGHT – SATURDAY 8th NOVEMBER



The Village Bonfire Night will be on Saturday 8th November

From 6.30pm







Young Persons Questionnaires - don't forget you could win £50!  

Simply detach and keep one raffle ticket and return your completed questionnaire by 1st October to qualify.

Adult Questionnaires - the raffle prize of £50 still hasn't been claimed - the ticket number is 109 and needs to be claimed by 1st October.

MOBILE LIBRARY DATES
Pasted Graphic

HALLOWEEN QUIZ NIGHT



Saturday 25th October

7pm for 7.30pm start

3 Course Meal

Prizes and raffle

Bring your own booze

Prize for best pumpkin
Dress optional
£10 per person

For tickets: Cath 01440 785 678


DIARY DATES

OCTOBER
1st, 15th, 29th Mobile Library
25th Halloween Quiz Night, 7pm, Village Hall

NOVEMBER
8th Jumble Sale, 2pm, Village Hall
8th Bonfire Night, 6.30pm, playing fields
15th, Bus Trip to Norwich from Toppesfield

Items for the next Newsletter by 17th November
Steve Platt Email : me@stephenplatt.com or phone 07767 357016