Dear friends,

All this sweltering heat we are having reminds me of the places in the world where I have been, where such temperatures are normal. Usually hot weather is associated with holidays - or pilgrimages - and for sure we have had Israeli and Jordanian and Egyptian temperatures these last few weeks haven’t we?!. So having to work in the heat has been strange. A BBC news website article recently invited us to spare a thought for those who have to wear ‘work clothes’ in the heatwave, and there were little features on builders, nurses, pizza chefs, bar staff and, yes, priests! It’s not just the robes, which can be multi-layered, but for many clergy, black is the colour of the clerical uniform. So, apparently. black cats, and vicars, feel the heat! You will no doubt have noticed that I do not always wear black!

On the other hand, I was in Beverley Minster a few days ago, enjoying the companionship and mental stimulation of the Hymn Society, and we visited that magnificent church, and one of the most memorable aspects of walking into it was the sensation of entering a chilled room. That is one cool church! Indeed it has been suggested that churches should market themselves as cool places to take refuge - sanctuaries for the sunburnt! Our own church of course was nice and cool a few weeks ago, but by now I fear, the stones have warmed up and are now retaining the heat. Perhaps this will be to our benefit in October!

We have had some hot air in church in July for sure, mostly breathed out in song. Removing the orchestra from the morning Patronal Festival on St Mary Magdalene’s day, and having an orchestral Songs of Praise festival after a sumptuous tea in the late afternoon instead, was great fun, and well supported and enjoyed. It was also a joy to have our dear friend Keith Beniston back to conduct the band.

Moving forward, permissions notwithstanding, the organ will be under repair from September. To some extent we won’t notice for a bit, but the various repairs and renovations will take until Easter. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has made and will continue to make this possible. Concerts, walks, coffee mornings, parish events, sponsorship events, have all got us across the starting line and we look forward to what will surely follow. But hopefully the heat will have calmed down before our organ builders have to don their overalls!!!!

Gordon

Regular Weekly Events

Please note:
There are no Sunday Evening Services, Monday morning Matins or Choir Practice during August.

Lunchtime Recitals

Sandra Sinclair – viola - with Caroline Soresby – piano - played for the July concert. Their partnership provided an attractive programme of music from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

As usual there will be no lunch time concert in August in order to give our kindly catering team a well-deserved rest. However, at 12.30 pm on Wednesday 12th September the Bush Hill Recorder Consort will play for us together with a short presentation by the St Mary Magdalene Recorder Group.

People often are surprised that adults play the recorder but we have much pleasure in playing these instruments which are proper musical instruments, not toys. Come along and see for yourself. Ploughman’s salad will be available afterwards as usual.

Eleanor Pritchard

12:30 pm - 1:00 pm
Retiring Collection
Ploughman’s Lunch £3.50, if required, in the Choir Vestry afterwards
Do come along if you are free. Ploughman’s lunch with hot soup will be available afterwards at the very reasonable price of £3.50.

Concert Programme For 2018

August ~ no concert

12th September Bush Hill Recorder Consort

10th October Serafini Trio

14th November Michael and Marion Smith ~ organ and piano

12th December Carols from The Cambridge Carol Book

Magazine

Items for the September 2018 edition to the editor by Sunday 12 August, please. Documents should be in Microsoft Word or plain text. Please use the magazine section of the pigeon-holes or you can email:

secretary@stmarymagdalene.church

If you know of any lady or gentleman who would be able to help with stapling or if you are unable to keep the above dates please contact either Michael or Janet Dixon or Janet Whelpdale.

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Stapling Rota 2018

25 August 2018
Peter & Carol Lamb, Eleanor Pritchard

29 September 2018
Vic Harrington, Pam Hagan, Helen Clarke

27 October 2018
Ju (Yezi) Len Zhen, Val Hayes, Shivane Woodger

(10.00 am Saturday Morning in the Church or earlier as arranged)