For your diaryHello everyone and welcome to the Christmas newsletter 2004. Can I say a really big thank you to everone who has in any way contributed throughout the year. We have gone global this year with a look at christmas's spent far away from Worcestershire, and to start as we would normally finish, something to make you think........Can you name the odd one out?
1. Banana chicken's egg Oyster Walnut
2. Black Fork Milk Summer
3. 33 35 37 39
4. Yellowfin, dog tooth, skipjack, rainbow
And some general seasonal ones
5 To which family of birds does the robin belong
6 Which nut is used to make marzipan
7. How many hours are there in the month of December
8. On which day in December does St Nicholas's day fall?
How about local knowledge?
9. Which town or village name appears twice in Worcestershire
10. Salford Hall is now a hotel. What was the building originally used for?
Answers to me or box in porch before 22nd December. Prize given out during coffee that morning. A draw if more than one correct answer. Lynn
The arch messenger said it all this year with a powerful blank title page, Christmas without Jesus is like this page. Empty. Sadly for many thats what it will be. Find space in your diary to come at some point and put him at the centre of the celebration. And if you find theres too much space, would you let us come and be with you - even if only for a short visit? Christmas comes with the joy and the burden of memories and traditon, and can make some years especially difficult, if only because others have been so good! If youre not sure who to talk to, a list of deacons is in the porch.
For your diary11th Dec 2:00-4:00pm anyone who would like to please join us and help decorate the chapel for Christmas
22nd Dec Christmas carols with handbell ringers
Christmas morning celebration will be at 10:30am led by Hugh
Boxing Day (Sunday) there will be a 10:00am combined service with friends at St James
Fellowship meetings will resume in January, details to be given in notices
14th January and 11th February 8:00pm at Mel & Carolyns all welcome, do not feel you have to pray out loud, just come and be with us. If you are unable to come, but have something you would like us to pray about, would you let us know. Lifts available, please ask.
A thought from Irene . . .
I had occasion to go into the new Morrisons store in Evesham (Irene gave me this just after last newsletter printed).
You just could not ask for the wrong article, rows and rows of fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, newly baked bread and cakes (still warm) - just about anything you could wish for really!
Then I got around to thinking of all those poor children abroad starving and undernourished, with almost no food of any description. So I thank the Lord most humbly that I am British.
God Bless You All Irene
When Neil was training as a minister at the Bristol Baptist College, he also was appointed as youth leader for Harvington.
Attending services at Harvington Baptist College, he noticed that the toddlers were well looked after, and groups offered for children and young people but nothing for the older men who could not easily get out as they were no longer able to drive. So Neil had the idea of organising monthly outings by car, including a pub lunch. This was welcomed and proved a great success. Those who took part included Alan, Brian, David, Derek, Fred, Jeff. Les, Norman and Paul.
Trips were made to places of interest within a twenty mile radius, plenty of good humour always followed a convivial lunch. Our grateful thanks to Neil for happy times together, but since he has moved on, this has left a vacancy that we hope someone else might be prepared to fill?
Fred
* I understand that since Fred handed me this article a lunch outing has taken place, please let us know how it went and if this is to be a regular event.
Remember, old folks are worth a fortune, with silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys and gas in their stomachs.
I have become a little older since I saw you last, and changes have come into my life.
I am a frivolous old girl, I am seeing five gentlemen each day.
As soon as I wake up, Will Power helps me out of bed, then I go to see John.
Next its time for Mr Quaker, who gives me my oats.
They leave and Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day. He doesn't stay in one place very long so he takes me from joint to joint.
After such a busy day I am ready for bed with Johnny Walker.
What a life! And oh yes, I'm flirting with Al Zymers.
The vicar came in the other day and said at my age
I should be thinking about the hereafter.
I told him "Oh I do" no matter where I am, in the lounge or upstairs, in the kitchen or in the basement - I ask myself:
"Now what am I here after?"
This was a recipe asked for at Harvest breakfast. Although its called a cake, its more of a pudding really, the mark of a really good pudding is one you can eat for breakfast and this one is so much nicer eaten warm the day its made, with a dollop of thick yellow cream on top.
4 oz blanched nuts (pecans,hazlenuts, even walnuts all work well)
5 oz self raising flour
6 oz butter cut into small pieces
5 oz golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
5 small conference pears, very ripe
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp apricot jam
Pre heat oven fan 140c conventional 160c/gas3. Butter and line base of 20cm round cake tin.
Grind nuts in food processor until fairly fine. Add flour and mix briefly. Add butter and mix (or if you've got a posh one pulse) until it forms crumbs.
Add sugar and eggs and mix briefly.
Peel core and chop two f the pears and stir in lightly with chocolate to mixture.
Spoon into prepared tin and smooth the top. Peel core and slice remaining pears and scatter over the top of cake. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until firm to touch. Leave in tin for 10 mins then turn out and cool on wire rack. Warm jam and brush over the top.
Around the turn of the century (!!) my wife and I found ourselves living and working in Southern Sweden and whilst we were probably on a similar latitude to Edinburgh as the year drew to a close we were left in no doubt that the climate was distinctly "continental" with temperatures rarely rising above freezing.
In the lead up to Christmas, the 13th Dec is the important "St. Lucia Day" and the youngest girl in each family dresses in white with a red sash and puts a crown of candles on her head. The rest of the family are awoken by her and she serves them with coffee and freshly baked buns. Each town has its own Lucia Queen who leads a day of processions and celebrations.
In Sweden the height of the Christmas celebration is Christmas Eve and festivities involve numerous traditional activities, the most important of which are the Christmas tree, the Christmas meal and the visit of the Tomte (Christmas gnome).
Introduced in Sweden from Germany, the Christmas tree has been a part of Christmas in Sweden since the 1700:s. It was not until the present century that the custom became general, however nearly every Swedish household now brings in a tree one or two days before Christmas and decorates it. 
The tree is kept watered and many households keep their tree until the very end of the holiday, which falls on the twentieth day after Christmas, Knuts day in the Swedish calendar.
Many people put advent candle arches in their windows and some families even replace their curtains with red and white
Christmas Eve, is a day when traditionally no work should be done. This is the day of the Christmas feast, which comprises a smörgåsbord including a few traditional dishes such as ham, jellied pigs feet, lutfisk and rice porridge. Lutfisk is a dish prepared of Cod that are dried and then boiled. The Christmas feast also includes a tradition called "dipping in the kettle" (dopp i grytan), in which the assembled family and guests dip bits of bread in the broth left over after boiling the ham
After the meal, it is time for a visit from the Tomte. He was believed to live under the floor boards of the house or the barn. The Tomte was credited with looking after the family and their livestock and has now assumed a role comparable to that of the various Santa Claus figures in other countries. He is believed to arrive in a sleigh pulled by a goat and leaves his presents. In many households nowadays, someone disguised as a gnome comes on Christmas Eve bearing a present sack.
By tradition Swedes attend church early on Christmas morning (about 7 o clock) and in the past it was a custom to have a race to and from the church in sleds or wagons. The winner of the race was believed to have the best harvest the following year. Otherwise, the day is spent quietly within the family circle, with Christmas parties and get-togethers through the following day and on throughout the holidays until Knut's day a week after Twelfth Night.
Andrew & Karen
As a child, I lived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa. Of course now, the country has suffered protacted civil war and is not somewhere you would wish to live. However then it was still living under the last hangovers of colonialism from a bygone time. It was originally colonised I believe by the Portugese and 'Sierra Leone' means 'lion mountain'. Later the missionaries moved in there. My father, who was a Methodist Minister, went out there with a very young family in the 1960's to lecture at the College and be part of the pastoral team that ran a few churches there. We lived in the capital, Freetown but others lived out in the Bush, cut off from much civilization. Christmas was spent just as it would be in England with a Christmas tree, presents, carol singing, nativity play, christmas services and of course Father Christmas. Families who lived on the 'Compound' came from many different westernised countries as well as England but all observed the Christian ceremonies. After church, many families went to the beach for the afternoon and theen would go home to a traditional turkey dinner as well as other delicacies such as fresh fruiit, nuts and curry (before it became popular here)!
Rachel (Harvington Guides)
Christmas 2002 was different! One of us got very bolshy about being sucked into yet another round of catering and trying to keep lots of others happy and decided it was time for a change. So off we went to Freemantle in Western Australia via Brunei and Sarawak. It was terrific and we were very ecumenical. We heard the Messiah sung a few days before Christmas in the Catholic Church, went to a Carol Service in the Methodist Church and the Christmas morning Service in the Anglican Church.
The climate was obviously very different, it being high summer in Freemantle with temperatures in the upper 20sC and over and bush fires a big problem. Swimming on a beach south of Freemantle on Christmas Day afternoon was just wonderful. The shops were displaying Christmas stuff but it was very low key compared to here which was a great relief.. Having that different sort of Christmas was a really good experience and having absolutely no responsibilities quite exhilarating. That doesn't mean we are going to disappear every Christmas, its just good to take a break, join others in their Churches and experience the celebration of Christmas in a different way occasionally. Greatly to be recommended.
Liz
Christmas was a very special time of year for us. My mum and Dad would save all year so that we could have a bit of luxury - we, like many other people in our village were quite poor, we may not have had lots of money but what we did have was family - and lots of it!
Christmas Eve in our house was one of great excitement, before settling down for the evening we would visit both sets of grandparents, whose homes were full of the rest of the family doing the same thing. Bath time was early and the scent of Mr matey bubble bath is still a smell I associate with Christamas Eve. After our bath my brother and I would get into our new pyjamas - a peculiar custom in our household! The thinking was probably that if Santa was coming to the Williams house then we would need to be clean, in bed early and wearing new pyjamas to impress! Christmas morning was special, my brother and I would creep into our parents room, (incredibly early asa payback for putting us to bed so early the night before) get into bed with them checking the contents of our stockings as we did so - nuts, fruit and chocolate, what a treat! - no toys in there for us.
After a short while we'd put on our new slippers and go downstairs to open our presents.
Every year the same. Even into my teenage years and through to the year before I got married.
Christmas day began relatively quietly at Church but things grew into a noisy affair. Early arrival at 'Nannnie and Granchies' house after lunch was essential to ensure a seat for the afternoon. My Mum is one of 10 children so you can imagine the scene when we all got together! Christmas night party was also an integral part of our family Christmas. Each year the same - a party at my Aunty and Uncles house - pickle onion eating competitions with my cousin Ian, fancy dress - my uncle Neil covering himself head to toe in green boot polish as the incredible hulk and not being able to get it off for two days - and a talent show (I think it was our family who created karaoke!)
Christmas in Wales for me can be summed up with the words:
laughter fun family
Jayne
Now that all the television adverts have started telling us of all the 'must-haves' for Christmas, I begin to long for the simplicity of Christmas in Kenya. For the first few years there Christmas was spent at the coast, either camping on the beach or staying in a cottage close to the beach. But wherever the British community spends Christmas, turkey always seems to be eaten. I seem to remember it was very good despite the heat. Christmas morning was a very joyous and colourful time with all the local people in celebratory mood, many off to church dressed in their very best clothes with the family together again. Many fathers work hundreds of miles away from their families and Christmas is one of the few times they can go back to the family home and spend some time with their wives and children. In our later years there Christmas was always spent at home in Nairobi with the children. We always attended the morning service at our church, known as 'The Children's Church', a small wooden building in a lovely big garden and on Christmas morning the service was outside under the trees as there were too many to fit inside. Often the Nativity story was played out by the children dressed as their parts and usually far too hot in their dressing gowns and tea towels! Carols were sung, Christmas pudding and cake eaten and everyone was very happy with just a few simple gifts. Commercialism was beginning to creep in and Father Christmas was there in the shopping centre of course but overall we were more able to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
Margaret
On Sunday 31st October 27 of us stayed after morning service for a fellowship lunch to christen the new tables. Several helpings later we decided the new tables are a great success. A big thank you to all who helped. By the time you read this our Christmas meal will have taken place at the Orchard.
Can I wish you all a great Christmas and a peaceful and happy new year.
Love from Ruth
There are so many lovely places to visit at this time of year, but some just lend themselves to Christmas
Warwick Castle Frost Fair [www.warwickfrostfair.com] at Warwick Castle. New this year. Possibly the only place in the midlands to find a white christmas! Open air ice rink (pre book for skating) entertainment plus possibly the best time of year to visit the castle with its wonderful decorations. 11th Dec - 3rd Jan from 10:00am.
Clearwell Caves [www.clearwellcaves.com] Spectacular at any time of year, but at Christmas you can walk through nine caverns as the story of the Very Hungry Polar Bear comes to life., wonderful for those with visiting children. Open till 24th Dec 10:00am - 5:00pm tel for details 01594 832535
Westonbirt Arboretum Tetbury Magical illuminated trail through the old arboretum, spectacular special effects, not a fairy light in sight! 3-19th Dec again 22nd-23rd Dec 5:00-8:00pm (last admission 7:00pm) No need to pre book. Food and drinks available on site.
December 2004