BARGAINS ON PARADE AT THE URC
Saturday 12th May will see lots of activity at Ickenham URC for our Bargain Day. After the Christmas Fayre, this annual event is the URC’s second biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s sure to be a busy day, but it is always a fun one too.
Starting at 10am, there will be a Plant and Book Sale on the church forecourt. That’s your chance to stock up on plants, and to browse through the hundreds of books on display. We’ve received lots of fresh book stock, and we’ll be sorting them beforehand, by category and by author. And with prices from 50p to just £5 you are bound to find something of interest there.
In the afternoon, we move indoors to the Church Hall, where from 2.15pm auctioneer Henry Gardner will do his usual sterling job of leading us through the bidding for a wide range of desirable and unusual items in the auction (as well as, we suspect, some items which are neither!) See foot of page 1 for full details of viewing times, etc.
Among items already received, there is an interesting range of militaria: we’ve got a WW2 ‘Tommy’ helmet and some officers’ caps (modelled here by Henry and fundraising chairman Richard Piper.) There is a flying cap and suit too, as well as regimental badges, and among a collection of WW1 uniform buttons, some for the Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the RAF.
For those more interested in naval history there are Admiralty charts of the Mediterranean, the Netherlands and German coasts and Scottish waters.
But there will be more peaceful lots too: two Nathan & Hayes hallmarked silver napkin rings from 1890, and a pair of 1870 chamber sticks bought for £175 in 1991; a string puppet, a retro coffee table, a selection of old games and a rocking sheep – and there’s more to come.
Entrance is free, with catalogue and bidding number costing just £1. There are no buyers’ or sellers’ premiums, so what you bid is what you pay. Money raised will be shared between church funds and our four nominated charities for the year: CLICK Rukiga, Medecins Sans Frontieres, children’s hospice Shooting Star Chase and CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young.) So be sure to come along. It’s all in a great cause, and surely every home needs a rocking sheep!
LET’S PROVIDE THE TOOLS |
Sierra Leone is one of the hungriest countries in the world, but with the help of Christian Aid, people there have found the tools to move beyond hunger and work for the changes they want to see.
Tenneh Keimbay’s life turned around when a Christian Aid partner organisation started to work in her town, distributing tools and teaching farmers simple improved food production techniques. She says: ‘Now our children eat two meals a day, instead of one. They are thriving; they don’t cry because of hunger. They can go to school happy, not hungry.’
No longer limited by hunger, the people of Tenneh’s community in Gbap have come together and are planning for a new school and agricultural work centre too. They have taken their future into their own hands.
In Christian Aid Week (13th – 19th May), we can play a part in getting more lives turned around: let’s give more people like Tenneh the tools to make big change happen. When the familiar red envelope is delivered to your door, please fill it with whatever you can, for collection by our volunteer later in the week.
 If you have any queries about the Ickenham collection, contact coordinator Juliette Guthrie on 01895 622970 or via jp.guthrie@virgin.net
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TO HELP PEOPLE IN POVERTY, OUT OF POVERTY |
A TRULY ECUMENICAL COMPLINE
‘Compline’ is the name given to the final, evening service in Christian Churches. It started in the sixth century and this service, held before retiring for the night, is a contemplative one, emphasising the joy of spiritual peace and quiet reflection.
As part of our Lent activities, there were five Compline services, held on Wednesday evenings at St Giles’. At each of these, a different person read one of a series of ‘Letters to Marc about Jesus’, written by Henri Nouwen, a Dutch priest. In these Nouwen shares the joys and sufferings of his own spiritual journey with his nephew Marc, who is himself searching for the meaning of life. The letters were written some thirty years ago and are full of a deep faith in Jesus, observations on life and society, wisdom and reassurance, all of which seem even more relevant today.
The final service on 28th March was a truly ecumenical occasion. It featured a combined choir drawn from St Giles’ and Douay Martyrs School, under the direction of Choirmaster Anthony Wilson. On this occasion, Nouwen’s letter to Marc was read by Celia Miller from the URC.
The beautiful singing was in the traditional Plainchant style, with solos by Anna Bowker and Andrew Browning. To hear this sacred music sung where people have worshipped for nearly 700 years was very spiritual and moving.
Also present was John Miley, who was St Giles’ organist and choir master for 25 years. Though now living in Northamptonshire, John still does some teaching at Douay Martyrs so this was a perfect occasion to revisit old haunts. And I am pleased to report that he looks younger and fitter than ever!
KEITH ARNOLD
DONATIONS
This month, receipt is acknowledged, with grateful thanks, for donations from:
Anon of Enstone Road via Aurora Llewellyn; Argosy Players; Delia Rogers, in memory of Mrs Daisy Ellis; Mrs L M Parsons via Perry Parsons; Lions Club of Ruislip; Ruislip Dramatic Society.
Copy for the June issue of ICN should be with the team by 12 noon on 13th May.
VILLAGE HALL AGM
The Village Hall Association Ltd will be holding their AGM on Wednesday 2nd May 2012 at 8pm in the Village Hall. Members prepared to join the Committee would be made very welcome.
