Wickham Bishops Parish Magazine December 2018 December 201… · My apologies for there being no report on our September meeting when we welcomed Brian Billins who took us into the

Produced by St Bartholomew’s Church

www.churchinwickhambishops.org.uk

Wickham Bishops Parish Magazine December 2018

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Church Services for December At St Bartholomew’s and St Nicholas

SUNDAY 2 Advent Sunday 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Parish Communion 7.00 pm St Nicholas Patronal Festival at Little Braxted

MONDAY 3 8.30 am Parish Prayers (at St Bartholomew’s)

WEDNESDAY 5 10.15 am Holy Communion (please note the slightly later time)

SUNDAY 9 Advent 2 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Parish Communion 5.00 pm Christingle Service

WEDNESDAY 12 10.15 am Holy Communion (please note the slightly later time) 4.00 pm Carol Service at St Nicholas, Little Braxted

SUNDAY 16 Advent 3 10.30 am Morning Praise in the Church Hall 6.30 pm Service of Nine Lessons and Carols

WEDNESDAY 19 10.15 am Holy Communion (please note the slightly later time) (at St Bartholomew’s) SUNDAY 23 Advent 4 8.00 am Holy Communion (1662) 10.30 am Parish Communion

MONDAY 24 Christmas Eve 5.00 pm Crib Service 11.30 pm Midnight Mass at St Bartholomew’s and St Nicholas

TUESDAY 25 Christmas Day 10.30 am Family Communion

SUNDAY 30 Christmas 1 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Parish Communion

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Parish Register

Baptisms None Marriages None Funerals David Mellor 7th November Bob Radley 23rd November

Revd Hilary Le Sève Priest in Charge

The Rectory, 1 Church Road, Wickham Bishops CM8 3LA [email protected]

01621 892867 Hilary’s day off is Friday.

Revd Derek Clark Priest / Curate

The Leas Farm Wickham Bishops Road Hatfield Peverel CM3 2JL

01245 380619 01245 380627 (with answer phone)

Barry Cousins Churchwarden

3 Harvey Road Great Totham CM9 8QA

[email protected]

01621 891355

Graham Wingrove Churchwarden

8 Arbour Lane Wickham Bishops CM8 3NS

07398 025442

Peter Bates

10 Church Green Wickham Bishops

01621-893173

Magazine Editor [email protected]

Kath Adkins Church Hall Bookings

[email protected] 01621-891143

Parish Contacts

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Letter from Reverend Hilary

With the nights long and dark, I wonder how many of you take a look up at the sky and consider the amazing stars we can see. Blessed with relatively low light pollution we can make out the constellations that enabled navigation for our ancestors - showing them the way to travel in the darkness.

The East Window in St Bartholomew’s Church has at its centre the star of Bethlehem rising over the scene that includes shepherds, wise men and of course the Holy Family. Standing outside time and place, the star seems to draw together an unlikely gathering of people, to experience in the new-born Christchild a deeper knowing that shows their lives to be sacred, loved and created by God.

We, like them, have enjoyed loves, had longings fulfilled, known perfect days when all felt right, held new-borns, felt the joy of forgiveness and participated in the beauty and miracle of life beyond our ability to describe or express with words. These are times for which we can say “For we observed his star at its rising.” (Matt. 2.2)

This Christmastime let us tap into the power of the rising star that has power to move us and take us to a new place, stir up our longings, and open our lives to another. Let us give of ourselves, and recognize and adore the beauty and grace of the divine in human life.

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Women’s Christian Fellowship ... Our October meeting was our AGM when the existing committee were unanimously re-elected and also we were fortunate enough to gain another member for the following year.

As a departure from our usual programme, this was followed by a delicious cream tea and comments such as "that was the best AGM I have ever been to" were overheard!

We had decided that our December meeting would be a change from the usual party and have a Christmas Lunch instead. This will be catered for by The Peartree Pantry, and menus were circulated. The date and time are earlier than usual being Wednesday December 12th at 12.30 for 1pm.

Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

Denise Yelland

Wickham Bishops Women’s Institute ... My apologies for there being no report on our September meeting when we welcomed Brian Billins who took us into the chilling times of Jack The Ripper. Unfortunately this was not to everyone's taste and some of the members thought that it focused too much on the victims’ ordeals rather than on the accused. You can't please everyone so onward and upward.

Our October meeting once again brought us our "Dabble Day". We always look forward to great arrays of new things to learn and try out other people’s activities and hobbies. This year although a little thin on the ground, our members tried wax art, hand made Christmas cards and even dabbled in board games.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 29th November and we will be hearing from Liz Huxley on "The Essex Coastal Marshes"; why don't you come along and see if our W.I. group could be the something missing in your life. Church Hall, St Bartholomew's Church from 2pm - 4pm where we always welcome members, visitors and guests.

Our walking group meets across the road from Wickham Bishops Village Hall on Mondays 09:30 and the walks around the village last approximately 1 hour. On Friday afternoons at the Church Hall our craft group meets from 2 to 4pm and we welcome all visitors.

For more information please contact our secretary Sharon O'Connell on 01621 891631.

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Bishop Stephen’s Christmas Message 2018

Most of us avoid disruption if we can. We go to great lengths to avoid the M25, M11, A12 and A13 at the merest whiff of disruption, delay or diversion. We give trouble a wide berth. We are unlikely to give shelter - even in the garage - to a pregnant teenager with nowhere to stay.

But during Advent, stress is still etched onto our faces as we scurry around Lakeside, Westfield, Chelmsford or Colchester, queueing for cards and piling up presents, buying things that people don't necessarily want at prices we can't really afford. It makes the carefree summer of 2018 and its scorching heatwave seem like a distant dream.

Yet Christmas is supposed to be disruptive. God needed to cause unprecedented disruption to the world. He had to generously transform his relationship with us by opening himself up to the reality of the dangers faced by a vulnerable baby and then as a provocative young man. This was the only way to change us.

The lives of Mary and Joseph were certainly turned upside down. From that Christmas morning onwards, the lives of billions of others have been shaken and transformed.

This Christmas, I look forward to all the joy and laughter that go with family gatherings and the usual trappings of a traditional Christmas. And I also look forward to finding peace and stillness with God. But I am increasingly aware that I probably need something else as well. I need the disruption of Christmas. I need the surprise. I need the challenge. And so does the world. So I will also be looking for the signs of the glorious disruption that Jesus continues to bring to our world and pray that you encounter that true spirit of Christmas too.

Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell Bishop of Chelmsford

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WICKHAM BISHOPS ART GROUP

We are looking for new members to

join us.

We meet on Wednesdays from 2 pm - 4 pm at

St. Bartholomew’s Church Hall and are a friendly,

informal group with varying abilities.

Please contact

Jenny on 01621 891246 or Rita on 01621 891130.

We look forward to meeting you.

BEACON HILL SPORTS ASSOCIATION

presents

JAZZ at Wickham Bishops Village Hall

Next Meeting:

22nd December 2018

Keith Nichols and the

“AllStars”

Bring your own refreshments. Seating is at tables and reserved.

Start time 7.30pm.

Contact Gordon 01621 891717

to book your seat

The Arts Society Blackwater

Thursday 6th December 2018

Jane Austen’s Christmas: Festive Season in the Georgian Era

Jane Austen set many scenes from her novels during the Christmas period

Clare Walsh

Visitors welcome - all enquiries to

Jennifer Allen 01621 891589

Meetings are normally held at the Wickham Bishops Village Hall at 11 am

Visit our website www.theartssocietyblackwater.org.uk

Wickham Bishops Men's

Badminton Club

We are a social badminton club and play at Wickham Bishops

Village Hall on Tuesday evenings at 8pm and welcome new players

of all standards.

First few weeks are free and

yearly subs are £60.

Just turn up on the night or email Bill on [email protected]

for more information.

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Great Totham Women’s Institute ...

At our November meeting we were visited by Michael Benning who related the story of ‘Barney’s Bobbies’. Michael joined the police force in 1969 and spent the first five years of his career ‘on the beat’ under the watchful eye of his sergeant ‘Barney’. The sergeant was a stickler for discipline and correct uniform and gave very good advice to new recruits.

Michael was soon given a new job on cycle patrol and was issued a bike which was far too big for him. On telling his sergeant this he was just told to wheel it around until he grew!

There were no personal radios around at the beginning of his career so he had to call in from phone boxes to get updates from the station whilst on the beat.

TV programmes such as ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ and, later, ‘The Bill’ gave the viewers an insight into police work although, in reality, no crime was ever solved in an hour!

Michael was part of the hijack team at Stansted Airport and ended his career as Divisional Commander for the Southend Division of Essex Police having enjoyed a successful and varied career.

In December we will be joined by members of Wickham St Paul’s WI who are going to demonstrate New Age Kurling to us. We hope to have the chance to try it out for ourselves. As it is our Christmas Meeting, we will be partaking in a ‘Bring and Share’ Supper with festive drinks.

Visitors are welcome at our meetings, held on the second Thursday of the month at Great Totham Village Hall. Information is on the website www.greattothamwi.weebly.com or email [email protected]

Drop-in For Tea and Cake

On the second and fourth Monday afternoons.

We meet from 2.30pm to 4pm

ST BARTHOLOMEW’S CHURCH HALL

Transport is available - please ask Sue

We look forward to seeing you - Sue (892032)

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In November we were pleased to welcome Darren Lerigo speaking on ‘What

do I do with this space’ - garden design ideas from around the world. He is an

excellent speaker and entertained us royally. His description of a ‘hori hori’

Japanese digging tool, which he said translates roughly as ‘Diggy Diggy’, and

would be classed as an offensive weapon if carried in public, will stay with us

for a long time.

On Sunday December 9th, we will be holding our ‘Christmas Quiz’ in the

Green Man in Little Braxted. Last year’s quiz was great fun and this year’s

promises to be even better.

Members are also able to purchase seeds from Kings Seeds, a local supplier,

at half the normal price.

For more details please email [email protected] or telephone Stewart on

893360.

December in the Garden

Plant up winter flower containers or baskets with winter-flowering pansies,

hardy cyclamen and evergreen grasses for a welcome splash of colour.

If very cold weather is forecast, protect outdoor containers with bubble wrap or

hessian, or move them temporarily into the greenhouse or conservatory.

Dig over empty vegetable plots and borders and add plenty of manure. The

frost will break down the soil and worms will improve the soil structure, too.

Garden taps are prone to freezing so inspect and replace insulation if needed.

Mowers and Strimmers … A team of willing volunteers, affectionately known as the Mowers and Strimmers, keeps the Churchyard and burial ground across the road from the Church, looking good by weekly grass cutting and occasional hedge cutting. We would welcome some more people onto the team, if you can spare a few hours (at a time to suit you), about once per four to six weeks.

If you are willing to help, please contact Dick Yelland on 891937 or by email [email protected]

Thank you

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Men’s Assembly …

Our Christmas Meeting will be at The Green Man in Little Braxted, on the 12th December, from 8 pm onwards, and all local men are invited to join us - no rules, no membership forms to fill-in, just £10 on the night to include two drinks and some top-notch bar snacks. If you have not yet been to one of these meetings, you don’t know what you are missing, and if you have, you will not want to miss this one!

For more information please contact Lester Firkins on 01621 892913 or by email: [email protected]

Wickham Bishops Library …

Essex County Council will launch a major consultation on its strategy for Essex libraries, on 29th November, and has announced that Wickham Bishops library is currently being considered for closure. Please ensure that you take part in the consultation. More information is available from https://libraries.essex.gov.uk/libraries-consultation

Since this announcement was made, a number of residents have voiced their concerns about it, both in person and through the Parish Council Facebook page, with many more responses expected. The Parish Council has applied for the building to be registered as an Asset of Community Value and to have non-designated heritage status. Two Councillors are researching the history of the building (which was originally a school built in 1850 at the expense of Rev. Stratford Leigh), and trying to determine who owns the building and the land.

I am sure that many people in the village would want to see the library continue, even if not on the current model, and to form an integral part of the community. Your thoughts and suggestions would be most welcome, either through the Parish Council (next meeting 4th December) or by sending your ideas to this magazine for publication. Please note that for me to be able to include your letter, you must include your name and either the first line of your address or a landline telephone number, though you may request that these be not published.

Peter Bates - Editor

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Sung Holy Communion

With the parish choir from

St Bartholomew’s

7.00 pm

Sunday 2nd December

Followed by refreshments

of wine and nibbles

St Nicholas’ Church, Little Braxted

"We can find ourselves nagged by a feeling that our Christmas is not like those 'perfect' ones we see in the media.

#FollowTheStar doesn't ask you to be perfect. It says: come just as you are to take the life-changing Christmas journey."

Archbishops Justin Welby and John Sentamu

Follow The Star is a free pocket-sized booklet that will be available in our churches this December inviting you to travel in the footsteps of the Wise Men this Christmas to meet Jesus.

It contains 14 daily reflections, one for each day from Christmas Eve throughout the 12 days of Christmas, ending with Epiphany on 6th January.

Each one includes a picture, a short Bible passage, a simple prayer and a challenge to reflect or act differently.

Together, they form a journey through Jesus' early life - a journey that will help you take the joy and wonder of Christmas into the year ahead.

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Parish of Wickham Bishops with Little Braxted

Crib Service

5.00pm St Bartholomew's Church

Christmas Eve

Come dressed as the Holy Family, angels, kings, shepherds, donkeys etc and join in the Nativity.

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Farleigh Hospice Remembers ...

In commemoration of Armistice Day, seven year old Ryan created a picture for his nannie Tracey who is staying at Farleigh Hospice Inpatient Unit. Ryan wanted to draw a picture for his Nan and created the image during his art class. The Armistice Day inspired picture now takes pride of place in Farleigh’s commemoration display.

Ryan said he was so proud to have his picture on display and it made him feel really special. Ryan said that he really enjoyed drawing the picture and hopes to be an artist one day.

For more information on Farleigh Hospice www.farleighhospice.org

Farleigh Hospice Christmas tree recycling ...

Farleigh Hospice Christmas Tree Recycling is back and is once again staging its annual door-to-door collection. On the 5th and 6th January 2019, a dedicated team of staff and volunteers will be making their rounds throughout mid Essex, collecting Christmas trees for a suggested minimum donation of £5 to Farleigh Hospice; however please feel free to give more.

The trees will be collected from the following postcodes CM0, CM1, CM2, CM3, CM7, CM8, CM9 and CM77.

Registration will be open on the 1st December, so please visit www.farleighhospice.org/trees or call 01245 457 411.

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Beacon Hill Rovers ...

1918 Remembrance Commemoration -10th November at the Hill

This year’s centenary of the end of the First World War had a special significance for the Club as Beacon Hill Rovers was formed by soldiers returning from the War who found solace from football and friends.

The Club honoured those who never got the chance to play football, be with their families, work, or any of the things we take for granted.

A netted goal was placed at the Hatch adorned with Beacon Hill shirts. Players and family members pinned poppies up as part of the display.

A special mention was made of George Jarrett, Stu Harwood’s great grandfather who sacrificed himself to save his comrades and was awarded a posthumous VC.

Club members, players, coaches, managers and parents then read out the 23 names of the fallen from the Beacon Hill memorial before a minute’s silence.

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News from Great Totham Primary School

www.greattotham.essex.sch.uk

'Lest We Forget' 1918 - 2018

During the centenary year of the First World War Armistice, the

children concentrated on remembrance at school. Special assemblies

throughout the week helped focus their thoughts and in class the children

worked on various activities including art work and poetry to demonstrate

their understanding of what remembrance means to them. We were

delighted to be asked to host the Solitary Soldier for a week in the school

grounds too.

The children’s work from across the school was put together to create this

wonderful display.

Year 1 - Toy Museum

Year 1 enjoyed a wonderful day with a visit from the Toy Museum last

month. The children were given the opportunity to learn about and explore

toys from the past. In the afternoon the children made some of the toys

that were investigated in the morning. Both children and adults had an

enjoyable day.

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Year 4 - Visit to Northey Island

At the start of November, we visited Northey Island – well almost!

Unfortunately, high tide was at 1:16 p.m. which meant the causeway leading

to Northey Island would not be safe to cross as we didn’t want to be

stranded! At first we didn’t believe Miss Campling, as the water level was

not near the top of the causeway, but within approximately 40 minutes the

tide had breached it. We were amazed by how quickly the tide came in.

During our trip, we completed a sketch map of the area and learnt how the

tide and the causeway were significant factors in the Battle of Maldon.

Before we came back to school, we visited the statue of Brythnoth at the

bottom of the Prom.

Dates for the Diary

Friday 7th December – Christmas Market

Saturday 11th May – Sponsored Walk

Friday 12th July – 5.00 – 8.00pm - Summer Fete

Please contact the school office for further details

Giving Individuals a Future Today

For some people Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year, but for others it can be the loneliest time of the year.

CHESS supports single homeless adults from Chelmsford and Essex by providing temporary accommodation and support services, enabling individuals to turn their lives around.

This Christmas be part of our campaign; however big or small your donation is, by giving a gift you will provide a brighter future to someone less fortunate.

Please make a donation via our website, www.chesshomeless.org, quoting GlFT18 in the message field or alternatively send a cheque made payable to Chelmsford CHESS, adding GlFT18 on the reverse,

to CHESS, 200 New London Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9AB

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From the Parish Council …

The Council held a regular monthly meeting on the 6th November and a

Finance Committee meeting on the 23rd November. The minutes of both

meetings can be read on the Parish Council website which is

www.wickhambishopsparishcouncil.org

The Planning Committee did not meet during the month.

The Council holds a ‘Saturday Surgery’ in the Village Library, on the third

Saturday in the month, from 10.30 to 11.30 am. Residents are invited to

‘drop-in’ to discuss any matter of concern, in confidence if necessary.

At the November meeting we were pleased to welcome two local Police

Community Support Officers to give specialist advice to residents. They

cannot promise to attend each month due to other duties, but will try to

let us know in advance if they are able to be with us. See the Council’s

Facebook page for information. One matter which is frequently raised by

residents is the speed of traffic through the village. The Council has a

supply of ‘30 mph’ stickers that you can affix to your wheelie bin so as to

remind motorists on at least one day each week. If you live within the

30 mph zone and on a busy road, please consider this and email the

Parish Clerk on the email address below, for us to provide you with

stickers.

The next general meeting will be held on the 4th December 2018 and the

Planning Committee will meet if required on Friday 21st December. We

hope that a Police Officer will be able to attend on the 4th so you are

welcome to come along and ask any appropriate questions. Residents

are invited to attend and may speak during the ‘Public Forum’ section of

either meeting. Councillors may be contacted individually, or via the

Parish Clerk on 07542 190176, or by email

[email protected]

The Chairman, Clerk and Councillors would like to wish all residents

A Merry Christmas

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Traffic Calming and Speed ... Following the tragic collision at the junction of Witham Road and Mope Lane in

October, in which one person died, and following concerns expressed by

residents living near the scene, the Parish Council has asked the Maldon Local

Highways Panel (LHP) to reconsider whether a lower speed limit should be

introduced on Witham Road from the 30 mph zone to either Mope Lane or Blue

Mills Bridge. This was last considered two years ago, following a serious

collision then near the same place when a vehicle hit a tree and burst into

flames. The LHP at that time concluded that the average speeds of vehicles

along that stretch of road, coupled with other criteria used in assessing the need

for speed limits, did not merit a limit lower than the national limit of 60 mph. It is

not known whether excessive speed was a factor in the recent incident but there

have been a number of serious collisions in that area in recent years. Whilst a

lower speed limit will not deter thoughtless and dangerous drivers, it might help

to slow traffic generally and reduce the possibility of serious injury and death in

the event of a collision.

Within the centre of the village, the feasibility study into road narrowing is

progressing. Automatic traffic counts were undertaken by Essex Highways in

September in Witham Road, near the junction with Birch Rise, in The Street near

Snows Corner, and in Maypole Road near the junction with School Road.

Numbers, types and, importantly, speeds of vehicles were recorded over seven

days and the data will be fed into the study. As might be expected, the speed

data suggested that higher speeds were recorded in Witham Road and Maypole

Road than in The Street. The Parish Council will be kept informed of any

recommendations arising from the study, but any traffic calming measures that

might be agreed will not be implemented before the next financial year.

The speed indicator devices will continue to be moved between the authorised

sites in the village. The village’s speedwatch volunteers continue to carry out

checks at various times of the day, although the darker afternoons now prevent

checks in the evening commuter time. A monthly summary of speedwatch

checks is placed on the Parish Council Noticeboard beside One Stop. In

support, Maldon’s Community Protection Team using the police TruCam system

are carrying out enforcement in the village from time to time. In the four months

from July to October they have recorded 79 vehicles for excess speed and the

drivers of these vehicles are subject to prosecution action by police. Persistent

offenders recorded by the speedwatch teams are also targeted by the CPT.

Please contact [email protected] or the Parish

Council Clerk if you have any queries about traffic calming or the speedwatch

activity in the village.

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News from Neighbourhood Watch ...

Village news:

I am very pleased to say that we now have volunteers for the post of street coordinator for Kelvedon Road (and Finches) and School Road. Thank you so much to the people concerned – we nearly have 100% coverage of the village now, with only Great Totham Road and Tiptree Road being unrepresented.

Neighbourhood Watch meet and greet:

I have linked up with the Parish Council and will be attending their surgeries, held in the library once a month. If you would like to meet me in order to talk about things that concern you please come along. I will also have a range of very useful anti-crime items with me such as door handle and shed alarms, purse bells and cables etc. Some items will be free, others can be purchased at reasonable cost. So if you are looking for a useful Christmas present I hope to see you on Saturday 15th December (10.30 – 11.30am).

What you yourself should do if you see a crime being committed or are concerned about suspicious behaviour:

If something needs immediate attention from the Police eg someone trying to break into a house or a car dial 999

If you are concerned about suspicious activity or other non-emergency crime eg a car slowing patrolling around with the occupants staring into gardens dial 101 or 01245 491491.

Anyone deaf or with hearing or speech problems should phone 01245 452828

To report non-emergency crime online search for www.essex.police.uk/do-it-online/report-non-emergency-crime

Let’s all help to keep Wickham Bishops a safe place to live, and look out for each other.

Sian (Village Coordinator 01621 891510

[email protected])

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Back Words …

When my children were still quite young, we started a tradition of

‘Christmas Books’. These only came out at the start of December and

were packed away again with the decorations in early January.

Initially, these were very simple children's picture books that could be

read in a few minutes. One that I particularly remember was a very

abridged version of ‘A Christmas Carol’, with figures that moved as

you turned the pages, even more abridged when we read it as the

children were terrified of the ghost of Christmas Yet to Come !

Later, we discovered ‘The Christmas Mystery’ by Jostein Gaarder,

originally in Norwegian but available in English. This is written to

be read, one chapter at a time, from December 1st up to Christmas

Eve, and has a beautiful, and slightly surprising twist at the end. If

you are quick, you can still buy a copy online before the first of

December, but no local library has it on their shelves.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas

© Wickham Bishops & Little Braxted Parochial Church Council (PCC)

Published by the PCC of St Bartholomew Wickham Bishops and St Nicholas Little Braxted. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the PCC nor can the Church guarantee the credentials or performance of any of the advertisers within this publication.

Items for the January 2019 magazine should be submitted to the editor by

Monday 10th December Please send items by email if possible to:

[email protected] or place in an envelope marked ‘Parish Magazine’

and deliver to 10 Church Green, Wickham Bishops Priority goes to church events and information connected with Wickham Bishops.

For enquiries regarding distribution of the magazine, please phone

Jayne Jennings on 01621 891396

If you would like to place an advert in this magazine please contact John Baker on [email protected] or Tel. 01621 892928

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