February fill-dyke’ we used to say in Lincolnshire and it’s sobering to think that however much it seems to rain in the South-east we never fill our dykes, our reservoirs, sufficiently for our needs these days. Did you know that by 13th January people in this country had consumed the entire anticipated carbon footprint of a Kenyan for the year? Did you know that almost half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day and 80% live on less than $10? These are the issues that Traidcraft addresses in its battle to get people to understand the need to pay a reasonable price for their food so that growers and suppliers don’t have to scratch such a meagre living. Fairtrade Fortnight begins on 27th February and we’ll be marking it on March 4th with a special Traidcraft stall. Read all about it in Diana Finning’s article further on in this issue.
Stations of the Cross
Over the last couple of months we’ve been encouraging painters and photographers in the congregation to offer artworks on the various Stations and hope to have a good range [if not a full set] to display during Lent. The works will be put in place on Shrove Tuesday and will stay in the church throughout Lent, coming down on Easter Eve.
The Flower Festival [21-24 June]
You do know about the Flower Festival, don’t you? I was dismayed at a recent church meeting to find no one on the committee had any idea what I was talking about! It has taken over the lives of a handful of us for the last goodness knows how many months so it’s salutary to find it isn’t quite as high-profile as we thought. Last month we launched a sponsorship scheme whereby members of the congregation can sponsor an arrangement in memory of loved ones – much as is done throughout the year for the regular weekly flowers. Please don’t let this opportunity pass you by – read ‘A Tomb with a View’ further on in this issue for a review of the details.
Classics with my baby
This got off to a flying start on 17th January with a programme that ranged from Bach through Strauss, Satie, Ravel, Kreisler to nursery rhymes. The children, being allowed to wander, to get up close to the instruments, to dance and sing, were surprisingly well-behaved and though the level of noise would undoubtedly have scandalised serious concert-goers still it was happy noise and far less disturbing than one might think. The next concert will be on 14th February at 10.30am – tickets are £10 for adults but you can bring all your children in free. Coffee and cake were provided before the event, from about 10.15. It was quite the most relaxed concert I’ve ever attended – I thoroughly enjoyed it!
February
Judy East