U.R.C. UNVEILS SMART NEW NOTICEBOARD
SPIRAL FIRE ESCAPE COMPLETES
ST. GILESâ CHURCH HALL
ICKENHAMâS JUBILEE TREE IS PLANTED
Ickenhamâs
own Jubilee tree was planted just inside Swakeleys Park
(Swakeleys Drive/lake end) at 2 p.m. on 7th November. This
ÎAmerican Sweet Gumâ, which has delightful, coloured foliage throughout its
season, was the initiative of Hillingdon Council, which has planted many such
trees around the Borough. A number of people were present at the ceremony
including our local Councillor, John Hensley, who advised the ideal spot where
the planting should take place. Others present included more politicians,
members of the public and the Ickenham Residents Association. Carrying out the
actual ceremony was Colin Chambers, who is in charge of tree and woodland
preservation at L.B.H. He donned his Îwelliesâ and
manfully dug the large hole necessary to accommodate the roots of the twelve
feet high tree.
CHRISTMAS
CANCELLED...
Standing in one of those
Christmas queues, you may have wished that someone would cancel Christmas.
Well, it's already been tried - and it didn't work!
On 24th December 1652, Parliament passed
a special law - to abolish Christmas Day.Ê
No special church services, no celebrations or parties; markets and
shops were to stay open.Ê Town criers
throughout the land were to remind everyone of Parliament's latest policy to
curb the festive excesses.
So, on 25th December 1652, there
was no Christmas.Ê One person recorded in
his diary: 'Christmas Day - no sermon anywhere, no church being permitted to be
open, and so it was observed at home.'
Five years later the diarist,
together with some friends, arranged for a service of Holy Communion together
with a sermon, to be held in Exeter
Chapel - in secret.Ê As they took part in
this service, suddenly the chapel was surrounded by soldiers.Ê The worshippers were arrested and
interrogated.Ê Such was their persistence
that the service was eventually allowed to continue.Ê Yet this person wrote: 'As we went up to
receive the sacrament, the miscreants held their muskets against us, as if they
would have shot at us at the altar.'Ê
Clearly Christmas could not be abolished as easily as that.Ê But would we risk imprisonment and worse to
worship our Lord Jesus on Christmas Day?
If muskets would not work,
would our lethargy and indifference stop us from celebrating the arrival of the
baby Jesus?
FESTIVAL OF ICKENHAM
AUCTION OF PROMISES
Following the outstanding
success of the Festival of Ickenham's "Auction of Promises" in 1999,
the Committee has decide to hold another in June
2003. The proceeds will go towards the cost of the next Festival in June
2004.
Anyone can pledge a
"promise" for the auction - from a few hours' gardening or ironing, a
catered dinner party, hair or beauty treatment, or the donation of something
new - the list is endless! If you would like to make a promise, or can
encourage someone else to, please contact one of the following: David Edington
672783, Doug Neilson 633217, or Alan Noad
636736.Ê You can make your pledge, also, on
a form, available at the Festive Night in the Village Hall
on Friday, 13th December 2002.
Thank you for your support.
Alan Noad
PARISH PUMP
Receipt is acknowledged, with
grateful thanks, of the following donations towards the cost of I.C.N.:Ê
Anonymous of Hoylake Crescent, Mrs Athey of Swakeleys Drive via
Daphne Kissane, Mayâs Maintenance, Woodlands
Residential Care Home, Anonymous from Ickenham via editor, A very generous, and
anonymous, donation via David Thorpe, Mrs Byrne of Burnham Avenue, Meriel Lawrence of Farnham via Beryl Edwards.
Copy for the February 2003
edition (there is no January edition) should be with me by 13th January 2003.
*Officers of voluntary societies, clubs and activities need to ensure that
the Editor receives their programme for 2003 if free advertising is to be
placed in Februaryâs Forthcoming Events.
Additional photographs, articles
and much more, plus last month's magazine, can be found at ICN Online: www.ickenhamchurchnews.co.uk
