ALL SAINTS CHURCH NEWPORT

PARISH NEWS IN BRIEF

PARISH NEWS IN BRIEF.

APPRECIATIONS.
 In last month’s mag. there were details of the Easter services and a plea to remember what it represents and to make an effort to support the services as indeed if we call ourselves Christians we should be doing anyway. It was good to see that many people made the effort to attend the special services, but we could still do better. I would be wrong to continue further without saying a few huge thank you’s.
The first is to all those who dug deep in their pockets and gave so generously money for Easter flowers, the response to the request for donations was overwhelming. Flowers this year were exceptionally expensive due to demand the very cold winter, but thanks to your generosity we were able to provide flowers fit for Our Lord. Having visited several churches during the Easter period All Saints held there own. I always feel there is nothing more uplifting than a church full of spring flowers which to me are very symbolic of Easter and the Resurrection. Colour after the bleak cold of winter.
Thanks also to those who came to and helped with Messy Church. We had a good turn out of people young and old and a good time was had by all.  
Special thanks to Bethan who played the organ for us on Good Friday, we are very fortunate to have people who can fill the gap at short notice, in regards to playing the organ as Organists are not that thick on the ground.
To those who read at the Passiontide service and the Easter Vigil, to the Organist and choir for their contribution to the services over Easter, and to Marilyn who came and added her bit of cheer by cleaning the silver so it too reflected the glory of the risen Christ.

NEWS OF PEOPLE. 
Mrs A. Self had a nasty fall during Holy Week so was unable to be with us over the Easter luckily she is recovering and is back worshipping with us. I have been told the bruises are the result of the fall not a falling out with Harry. Mr.& Mrs. L Ainscough celebrated their Silver Wedding in April by going to New York, and Mr. & Mrs P. Phillips celebrated their Pearl Wedding by going to work, we offer both couples our warmest congratulations.
It was with great sadness that we heard during April of the death of 2 long standing members of All Saints. Mr Eric Wright died in March and his funeral was held in Church on Maundy Thursday. Eric was in years past a regular worshipper at the 8.a.m. service until several years ago when he changed to a Wednesday mornings, until ill health forced him to give his home in Lambert St. and move into a nursing home. Eric was a keen gardener and I can remember when he retired, he would come to the old Church building on a Friday morning with a bunch of flowers wrapped in newspaper, and, when the vegetables were in season there was also some vegetables for the ladies doing the flowers, and in return he would be offered tea and biscuits. We offer to Eric’s family our deepest and most sincere sympathy. Eric’s ashes are to be interred in the Garden of Remembrance at a later date.
Then on Easter weekend we learnt of the death of Mrs. Gwen Bainham Those of us old enough to know Mrs Bainham will remember what a very positive person she was, and that being confined to hospital following her stroke was not her scene. I can remember long before replacement joint operations were as common as they are now Mrs Bainham  having her hip replaced, at that time recuperation was a oeriod in bed then followed  by gentle  exercise, not like it is today. Not feeling confident that Les could manage she had the bed brought downstairs so she could keep an eye on things.
For us young people we thought Mrs Bainham to be some what daring as long before world travel was as easy as it is now she and Les used to go to Russia for holidays they even went across Siberia by train.When the children were old enough she went to night school as it was then, and learnt Welsh long before it was part of the National Curriculum and Russian and for a while taught the subject in a local Grammar Schools. Gwen was a regular worshipper at All Saints, and when the choir needed boosting for special services she would, along with other ladies swell the ranks of the men.  She was a keen bell ringer, an excellent cake maker, and would be found behind the tea stall at Whitsun Treats and bazaars. When not involved in those activities she could be found doing her other great love, gardening, and many a fete has been the recipient of fresh garden produce and plants, thanks to Mrs Bainham. We offer to Mary, Andrew and their families our sincere sympathy.   

THE VESTRY MEETING.
This was held on the 11th April prior to Evensong, the number of people who attended the meeting were the lowest they have been.
The Incumbent gave a report for the last year of the activities in the parish as regards Spiritual matters. In the absence of the Treasurer Mr Gillard reported on the financial happenings for the last year via the Annual Accounts. At this point Father Mark reminded members that at the beginning of the year the Treasurer was forecasting quite a big deficit, and that the Arch Deacon had visited the Parish and had scrutinised the accounts going back over several years, he also told members that if a Parish was unable to pay its bills then the Bishop will close the Church, this ahs already happened to one parish in the Diocese. It is up to the Parochial Church Council to encourage people to support the parish both numerically and financially, and if possible to sign a pledge form agreeing to give £……per week/month / year.
    Reports were received from the various sub cttees and groups within the Parish including the Uniform groups. Father Mark expressed his grateful thanks to all those who contribute in anyway to keeping life in the Parish running smoothly and providing the little extras that we in All Saints and our visitors have come to expect, like tea and flowers and cake.
The Wardens were re-elected for another year, the following people were elected to the Parochial Church Council :- Mesdames. M Brown; B James;  A. Moore: L Phillips: A.Self:  R.Tate: W.Wells. Messrs. A. Gillard ; Mr.G. Jones: Mr. P. Phillips: Mr. J. Pritchard: Mr. C. Spooner: Mr. L.Tate: Mr. J. Watt.
REDECORATION.  
A couple of the lads have started on the redecoration programme, and very nice it is looking, let us hope people will keep it looking that way.Any one who can wield a brush or roller or make tea is welcome, age or gender no barrier. Father Mark has even rolled his sleeves up and done a session, after all it is our church so it is up to all of us to do our bit, and not leave it to the faithful few.

HIRERS.
We have been lucky enough to have a new evening hirer who will be using the Hall on a Monday and Thursday evenings from 8.00p.m.onwards. Whilst we appreciate that we have our uniform groups meeting on those evenings we hope that the new hirer will not cause any inconvenience to those groups, sadly in the current financial climate we need to take advantage of any opportunity we have of hiring out our facilities.

DATES FOR DIARIES.
No sooner had I posted off last month’s mag. bits and bobs than I discovered that several of the dates listed had for various reasons had to be changed, so here is a list of dates correct at the time of writing.
14th   May.     Robin Ward.   Harpist.  Please encourage your friends to come and support this event. Posters and tickets are available from Church,
21st.  May      Walk for Charity.   
12th   June.     Garage Sale.
10th   July.      B.B.Q.
 24th  July.      Afternoon Tea.