FESTIVE ICKENHAM

Christmas began early in Ickenham with residents and both churches involved in many festive activities.  Friday 10th December was Festive Community Night, organised by the Ickenham Festival team.  Hundreds turned out in the village to enjoy the Christmas lights, hospitality offered by many shops, and stalls, food, music, rides and lots of fun both inside and out. 

St Giles’ displayed a variety of decorated Christmas trees, made by Ickenham organisations, and accompanied by singers from Glebe and Breakspear Schools.  There was also the Tree of Remembrance on which individuals posted messages about their loved ones.  In the URC a new feature was an impressive collection of Nativity Crib Scenes, loaned and in some instances made by local families. 

The next day the Christmas Market in St Giles’ Hall was very popular, raising £2,500 for church funds and CLICK Rukiga.  The trees remained on display in the church, this time accompanied by local young musicians.  Meanwhile, Anne Whitlam provided a setting for quiet contemplation of the meaning of Christmas. 

There were Junior Church nativity performances and, on the Sunday before Christmas, St Giles’ held its popular Nine Lessons and Carols service followed by refreshments and an opportunity to greet other members of the congregation.  The URC’s Carols by Candlelight service likewise generated a lovely atmosphere.  And carol singing events were well attended, despite the trials of the weather.  The snowfall on the day of the St Giles’ Save the Children event even encouraged Terry Blackman to compose his own carol! 

1  T’was the week before Christmas, when we gathered together To sing for Save the Children, in the cold snowy weather. We sang out the carols with our voices raised high As the snowflakes were falling from the overcast sky. 2  Collecting for children was the task of the day, With snow on our hymn sheets to be brushed away. Like penguins we huddled to keep ourselves warm And sang ‘Alleluias’ in the freezing cold storm.
3  We sang of the story of Jesus’s birth, How God became man and came down to the earth. Shepherds came to the stable under the star And camels brought Wise Men from countries afar.		4  At last, our task done, we went on our way But cars were no good; we just needed a sleigh! We departed with smiles, happy and bright, ‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!’

 

FELLOWSHIP BOOK RESTORATION

On a window sill in St Giles’ there sits a red, leather-bound Book of Remembrance, with hand-illustrated pages and a frontispiece inscribed IN MEMORY OF THE BOYS OF THE ST GILES’ FELLOWSHIP WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN WORLD WAR 2 1939 – 1945.

The book is displayed next to a Memorial Lamp which is lit to commemorate the anniversaries of the deaths of those named in the book’s pages.  We feel it is important for the book to remain openly accessible in this way, but this has resulted in it now being in a rather poor state of repair.  Advice received suggests that repair costs could range from around £400 to stop it declining further, to around £1400 for a full restoration. 

As the book is listed by the London Borough of Hillingdon among its War Memorials, we are in the process of applying for a grant to the War Memorials Conservation Fund to assist in this restoration work.  However, we would additionally welcome any donations from groups or individuals who, like us, are keen to ensure this Memorial Book endures as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those from within our community. 

If you would like to contribute, please send a cheque, made payable to Ickenham PCC, to The Churchwardens, St Giles’ Church Office, Swakeleys Road, Ickenham UB10 8BG, marking on the reverse of the cheque ‘For Fellowship Book’.  Thank you.

Caroline Hill / Naomi Webb (Churchwardens)