Parish Jottings

Churchwarden’s Birthday Presentation

During the morning service on Sunday the 19^th of January our churchwarden, Barbara Williams, was presented with a vase of flowers by the vicar, Duncan Carter on behalf of the church, to mark the occasion of her ‘special’ birthday. Barbara, who until last year has been our sole churchwarden since 2008, can now claim to be an octogenarian, believe it or not. We take this and every other opportunity of thanking her for all the work she does to help keep our church running smoothly.

Words and Prayers for Today

The latest quarterly “Word for Today” and “Prayer for Today” booklets are now available. They are free of charge and may be picked up in church.

“The Word for Today” contains a passage of encouraging words for every day of the year and gives you inspiration and cause for reflection on everyday life and God’s Word.

Similarly, “Prayer for Today” gives a prayer for everyday of the year and encourages you to pray for change whether it is on a personal, national, or global level.

Churchyard Flowers

When it is wet and cold and there is a biting wind blowing, it is not very inviting to walk around our churchyard to admire the spring flowers. January and early February this year, were generally mild and, despite the incessant rain, churchyard flowers could be seen even earlier than they usually can these days.

In January, groups of snowdrops appeared, hanging their heads gracefully like shining white beacons heralding the spring to come. Looking closely in odd corners you can find crocuses, daisies, celandines, primroses and probably many other flowers as well. On the north side of the church you can see the yellow glow of groups of winter aconites brightening the shady pathway.

As the year progresses, many more flowers will show their colours within the grassy slopes of the churchyard. When a BBONT (Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust) habitat survey was made of the churchyard in 1992, some 117 flowering plants were identified as being present. The churchyard is a haven of wildlife which has been preserved over the years by its walls and more recently, by our conservation programme.

The yellow glow of winter aconites brighten the shady pathway

Snowdrops hang their heads gracefully like shining white beacons