Our Lucketts coach picked us up at St George’s at 7.30am, we drove to St John’s Rowlands Castle, where we had a short Eucharist service, also a convenient “comfort stop” for any who needed it.
After a mid-morning coffee break at South Mimms Services we arrived at Newmarket by lunchtime. Several of us headed to the Wetherspoons Pub for ‘Fish Friday’. Then I searched in vain for the Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop where I’d shopped for jumpers in previous years - but sadly it has closed down!
We arrived at Walsingham and made our First Visit to the Holy House, then collected our keys and settled in to our rooms.
Supper in the Refrectory was at 6.30pm, at 8.35pm St George’s had Shrine Prayers and at 9pm we all gathered in the G.A.S.Chapel for a service devised by the Havant pilgrims.
At an evening Worship and Cream tea at St Faith’s in February we had all been given pebbles and told to decorate these and bring them to Walsingham as part of this service, and now we laid them centrally on the Chapel floor. Afterwards these were collected, to be kept as a memento of our Pilgrimage.
Saturday morning we had Stations of the Cross in the beautiful Shrine Gardens, then walked to the RC Shrine where we had arranged to meet Fr Armitage in the church. However for some reason he did not arrive and a service appeared to be about to start we beat a hasty retreat to our coach.
In the afternoon the coach took anyone who wanted to Fakenham, but John and I decided to catch the local bus to Wells-next-the-Sea. As in a previous year we had a long walk then found the Albatross boat (which has now been tidied up!) and had a drink before heading back to our bus stop. The weather was sunny and quite warm.
Back at the Shrine there was the Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham, supper, then the Outdoor Procession with candles.
Lesley had made a lovely cake to celebrate St George’s 25th Anniversary at Walsingham, which we enjoyed with a drink at our evening party.
Sunday dawned damp and chilly and got progressively worse throughout the day.
We managed to complete the six Stations of the Resurrection in the grounds in the morning, which was followed by Sunday Eucharist and blessing of gifts in the Barn Chapel, but by the afternoon it was so wet the Outdoor Procession was cancelled - a shame, and the first time this has happened since we have been coming to Walsingham which is about 14 years.
After the Last Visit to the Holy House we re-boarded our coach and Andy, our driver, set off for home, arriving in Waterlooville about 10pm.
As usual a lovely spiritual and rewarding weekend pilgrimage.
Janet Johnson
