The Website for St George’s Church, Waterlooville and its Parish Magazine St George’s News
World Day of Prayer
This year’s World Day of Prayer had been postponed from its usual date of the first Friday in March, because of COVID-19. We gathered in St George’s Church on Friday 23rd July for the service which had been prepared by the women of Vanuatu, a cluster of scattered islands situated approximately 1,100 miles to the east of Australia, in the South Western Pacific Ocean. The Islands became Independent from France and England in July 1980.
Being in the South Pacific tropical cyclone zone they have endured times of great devastation and destruction, including during cyclone Pam in 2015 and cyclone Harold in 2020.
The theme of this year’s service was “Build on a Strong Foundation”. There were readings from the “Voices of Vanuatu” describing some of the difficulties of life on the islands, prayers, and songs and hymns. Afterwards tea, coffee and a selection of delicious homemade cakes and scones were served in the Church Hall.
MU AGM, Christ Church Portsdown
(27 July). The opening service was taken by Rev Matt Groves, the Curate, with our Leader Ros assisting. The minutes of the last AGM were read and approved. We have 37 members with an average of 18 attending each meeting. COVID-19 meant that meetings were curtailed. We were reminded of future events, there was a Bring & Buy and raffle, with proceeds going to Mary Sumner House for their “Summer of Hope” appeal.
August Concerts
We were unable to hold our usual Waterlooville Music Festival in June due to the Pandemic. We were, though, able to hold a series of weekly Lunchtime Recitals, organised by our Musical Director and Organist David Cain.
The first was performed by the Speranza String Quartet with pianist Eunice Pike, the second by the Monington Duo with Robert Blanken (Clarinet) and Karen Kingsley (Piano). On 12th August an organ recital by Anthony Froggatt and on 19th a violin and piano recital with Elizabeth Cox and Karen Kingsley. Finally on August 26th David Cain played a selection of well known and much loved pieces, starting with Pomp and Circumstance March No 4 and finishing with Crown Imperial.
All the recitals were much appreciated and well attended. Rolls and hot drinks were served each week. The concerts raised £925 (before gift aid) towards church funds.
MU Mary Sumner Day Service
This was held on 9th August in St James Church, Emsworth. The Rector, the Rev Andrew Sheard took the service.
We had to keep our masks on for singing - fortunately the hymns were well known so we were able to keep singing when our glasses steamed up!
There were two bible readings, a talk by the Rector and by Jo Northey, Pioneer Families & Fresh Expressions Minister. After the second hymn the new Emsworth Branch Leader Vivien Gowlett was licensed by the Diocesan President Elizabeth Groves. Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession were led by Gill Edwards.
We nodded and waved to each other at the Peace. After a Blessing by the Rector we adjourned for tea, with cakes, sandwiches and savouries. Norma and Diane had a table of MU Merchandise. Christmas Cards were on sale.
There was a large raffle and a Bring & Buy Stall. It was so nice to be together again for chat and catch up after we had been separated by COVID-19 and lockdown.
Fete Day
Fete Day on Saturday 21st August dawned cool and drizzly. There were not enough gazebos for the bookstall, but this proved not to be the disadvantage we had feared as we were able to display the vast number of books on tables which stretched almost the length of the hall. Teas and coffees were also inside, and Sonja’s pebble painting.
Outside there was a Barbecue with hot dogs and burgers, pickles and jams, plants, bric-a-brac, spin the wheel game, crafts & toys, the always popular cake stall, a bottle stall, tombola and a large raffle.
During the day the weather improved, it was a really good day, even our bookstall was busy.
We raised £1,940.73 on the day which increased to £2,008.08. An all time record.
MU September meeting
On 7th September ten of us gathered in Christ Church Portsdown for a Communion Service. We then adjourned to the small hall for tea and biscuits and an nice chat! Norma had brought her MU Cards and I bought more Christmas cards and some others - there being some really nice new ones I couldn’t resist!
Cream Tea at the Vicarage
After a rainy morning the clouds cleared and the afternoon was warm and sunny. Chairs and tables had been set out on the Vicarage lawn and raised patio. In the dining room ladies sliced delicious homemade scones and piled cream and a strawberry on top.
In the kitchen we boiled the small urn and made teas and coffees, hunting in the vicar’s cupboards for a suitable dish to use as a sugar basin.
Everyone had paid £3.50 for their scone and hot drink, there was a raffle table with various prizes including bottles of wine, jam, honey, books, plants, gardening gloves and, I think, I saw a jigsaw too.
Our “waitresses” took round trays of scones and mugs of drink. We all enjoyed being together to chat and eat.
Afreda the spaniel happily moved from one group to another to receive pats and pieces of scones? (I’ve no idea on that one!), after all she thought we had all come to visit her! Someone managed to conquer the Vicarage dishwasher, we tidied up and put things away. A total of £240.10 was raised for church funds.
Macmillan Coffee Morning
We delayed our Macmillan Coffee Morning by one week this year as we were unable to hold it on the due date but didn’t want to cancel it altogether.
As usual we worried a) that we wouldn’t have enough cakes to sell, or b) hardly anyone would turn up to buy them!
Friday 1st October dawned – very wet and rather cold which dampened our hopes rather, however, by 9.15am we were busy blowing up balloons, putting up bunting, slicing cakes and laying out raffle prizes. Both of the latter kept arriving and by 10am we had enough extra cakes to have a cake stall and a raffle table full of prizes.
We were busy all morning selling teas, coffee and hot chocolate, and slices of delicious cakes. We made a total of £291.35 for the Macmillan Nurses and felt our morning’s work had been worthwhile, any remaining cakes (included in this total) being sold at the 10am service the following Sunday.
Blessing of Animals
The Blessing of Animals Service took place on 2nd October. Numerous pets arrived to take part, including a tortoise.
MU October meeting
The subject of our talk by speaker Felicity Keeping, Vice President of the Diocese, who will become Diocesan President on 1st January, was “Metamorphis”. We had a reading - of Jesus walking on the water and Peter fearing he (Peter) would drown. We were encouraged to “get out of the boat” and keep our eyes on Jesus.
Do we help local groups, vulnerable people, food banks, Good Neighbours and the local women’s refuge. She asked, do we need an Intergenerational get together with young people explaining confusing “tech” to older people, and the more mature talking about what is to them recent past and to youngsters history - i.e. the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s.
We moved into small groups and discussed the content of cards we had been given. Our group had, rather confusingly, Hairdresser, grand piano, using a hula hoop or face paint enough for 50 people. The only card we could engage with fruitfully was £2,000 grant for elderly people. We thought we might oranise a tea party or coach trip for lonely people.
Aferwards we were asked to consider putting together a book of our memories of 1952 and 1953 for the 70th Anniversary of the Death of King George VI and the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and perhaps - another tea party!
Harvest Festival
We held our Harvest Festival on Sunday 3rd October. Everyone had brought food and supplies to go the Waterlooville Food Bank and a good selection was arranged in front of the altar, to be distributed later.
World Day of Prayer Committee
Presenting the Hamper to the prizewinner Audrey Linney at the Fete
Cream tea at the Vicarage
Left:
The first tortoise to be blessed by Fr Colin
