Holy Week and Easter seem so long ago now, but on checking the Festival edition that is where I need to begin.
We had extra evening services during Holy Week with, on Maundy Thursday, the traditional Washing of Feet and Vigil.
On Good Friday our Ecumenical Walk of Witness started at the Baptist Church, stopped and gathered numbers at the RC Church and continued via the Precinct to St George’s.
On Holy Saturday, with pews “in the round” we held the Easter Vigil and First Mass of the Resurrection, which this year included an adult baptism. Easter Day dawned warm and sunny for our Eucharist and Sunday School Easter Egg Hunt.
Walsingham
This year’s weekend Pilgrimage to Walsingham began on Friday 26th April from outside St George’s, picking up fellow pilgrims at St John’s, Rowlands Castle.
We had a comfortable Lucketts Coach (complete with loo for emergencies!) and our driver was Marcus.
We stopped at Clacketts Services for coffee and Newmarket for lunch, arriving at Walsingham Shrine in good time.
After our First Visit to the Holy House, we collected our keys and settled into our rooms.
Before supper Waterlooville pilgrims had a Eucharist in the Barn Chapel - Havant had their service before they set off that morning. After supper in the Refectory there were Shrine Prayers in the Holy House and Night Prayer in the G.A.S. Chapel.
Those with energy left had a nightcap in the Norton Room, the rest of us retired to bed!
Saturday morning after Stations of the Cross, we walked (others took the coach) to the Catholic Shrine, and after lunch some of us went by coach to Wells-Next-The-Sea, where we were nearly blown away by the high winds and rain.
The Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham was in the Shrine Church, then supper, followed by the Address and Outdoor Procession - with many candles not making it all the way around the gardens this year! The day finished with a get-together.
Sunday’s weather was a little better, but still grey skies and cold. We had the Sunday Eucharist in the Barn Chapel with the blessing of gifts and souvenirs we had bought.
After lunch, at 1.30pm, cases were loaded back onto the coach. We had Sprinkling at the Well, laying on of hands and anointing, the Outdoor Procession, Farewells, and then we set off for home.
The weather could have been better. Nevertheless we all had a really enjoyable and spiritual weekend.
Church Fête
The weather was not kind to us this year with blustery winds that threatened to dismantle stalls and redistribute their contents around the church gardens. We had our usual Barbecue and Grand Raffle, plus books, bottles, cakes, cards and gifts, jams and chutneys, plants and tombola.
Despite the adverse conditions we continued until it began to pour with rain, when we hastily gathered everything up, made a dash for the church and hall and called it a day.
We were really pleased (and somewhat surprised) when our Treasurer announced a result of £1,834.52 which was only slightly down on last year’s total.
Vicarage Strawberry Tea
Forty plus people arrived at the Vicarage for a strawberry tea on Sunday afternoon 30th June. Fortunately the weather was warm and sunny and everyone could sit in the garden or on the terrace.
I’m not sure what Alfreda, Fr Colin’s spaniel, thought about having her territory invaded, but if she minded she was much too well behaved to show it.
We had brought crockery etc and a small urn from St George’s, and “borrowed” anything else we found we needed from Fr Colin’s kitchen cupboards. Hopefully he found everything again afterwards! We served bowls of strawberries with whipped cream and sugar if you wanted, plus tea and coffee and there was a raffle with several prizes. The event raised £204.81.
Race Night
We arrived at the hall early to set up tables and prepare the ploughman’s suppers.
The first race was scheduled to start at 7.30pm with our own “racecourse” and six horses set up on the stage.
Volunteers then threw two dice, the first chose the horse number and the second the number of spaces it would “gallop”. Each horse also had a name and we had previously “bought” the horses in six of the races with the other two being auctioned on the night.
Mine, called “Frisky on Whisky” proved to be anything but, and didn’t win. In fact every horse I backed before supper was a disappointment.
After the fourth race we had our supper, french bread with cheese and pickles, followed by choc-ices and teas and coffees.
I spent most of the second half working in the kitchen which was probably the cheaper option! It was a fun evening which raised a grand (national) £860 for church funds.
Janet Johnson
