December 2003
Churchwardens: Mrs. J. H. Mannings, Mr. J. R. Wyld
As we begin the frenetic activity leading up to Christmas, we are drawn into a journey through December towards the Winter Solstice
Looking for the return of the Sun in the New Year and Spring has always been of vital concern to our ancestors in pre-Christian times, and the yearning for light and new life still comes to us in these dark Autumn and Winter nights.
As the Church deliberately places Christmas at the time of the Winter Solstice, we can become immersed in the mystery of this most special of seasons. A key feature of Christmas is light, reminding us of Jesus being "The Light of the World". In religious Christmas Cards, the theme of light is often present; even a suggestion of light can transform an otherwise ordinary Christmas greeting into a wonderful image of the presence of God in our world.
Notice how our Churches are full when the theme of light is present. Our wonderful Candlelit Carol Service on the Sunday before Christmas fills St Julian's with a warm, calm and beautiful atmosphere as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Within our Benefice at Peasedown St John, there too the Church is filled, with no empty seats anywhere, as the children and adults celebrate the Christingle Service on Christmas Eve. As at Wellow, the candlelight fills St John's Church with a wonderful, beautiful light - made even more beautiful as it shines in the faces of the children, who are excited and full of energy, anticipating the day to come with all that it brings.
We adults can experience this inner joy of the Christmas Season if we pause and allow ourselves to be calm in the presence of God. The pressures of the secular and commercial Christmas threaten to overwhelm and destroy the reality of what can be expressed and felt.
Could it be that people love the idea of a "White Christmas" because everything is bathed in silence as the snow falls and settles?
Maybe the fact that candlelight is silent adds to the mystery of God coming to us in silence, as we prepare a place in our hearts for his Son.
Hugh Bonsey
For details of Church Services in Wellow CLICK HERE
For details of Church Services in Peasedown St. John CLICK HERE
Services during December at St Julian's
SPECIAL SERVICES FOR ADVENT & CHRISTMAS
Sunday November 30th at 6.00pm Advent Carol Service at St John's Church, Peasedown St John This is a special service for our Group Ministry. Members of all parishes are being invited to attend and participate.
Sunday December 14th at 11.15am Mattins Once again we have our Exchange of Pulpits in the Seven Lamps Group Ministry and we welcome the Revd Christopher Hare as the Officiant and Preacher.
Sunday December 14th at 4.00pm Special Children's Service in preparation for Christmas.
Sunday December 21st at 6.00pm Candlelit Carol Service This service is a wonderful celebration of the Christmas Story with carols and readings.
Christmas Eve at 10.00pm First Mass of Christmas Again by candlelight, we celebrate the Eucharist thanking God the gift of the Christ Child - what a truly awe-inspiring way to begin the Christmas season.
Christmas Day at 11.15am Family Eucharist On Christmas Day we welcome families and children to the Eucharist.
CHURCH NEWS The Officiant and Preacher at our Remembrance service on November 9th was Father Brian Sutton. It was fairly well attended, our thanks to all who took part in any way with readings, prayers, and laying of the wreath. The collections of £110.47 will be sent to the Royal British Legion.
On Saturday 15th November our Christmas Bazaar took place in the Village Hall, it was a sunny afternoon and was very well attended, business was brisk on all the stalls, our thanks to EVERYONE who made or gave items to sell, and to those who sold the goods, and raffle tickets, did the teas and competition. And of course those of you who bought goods or sent donations. A big thank you to ALL. A profit of £418 was made after expenses. Our best yet well done everyone, and a special thank you to Father Christmas who managed to spare time to come once again and give every child a free gift.
On Sunday 14th December at 2.45pm the children will be having another of their special afternoons where they will be preparing for a different way of telling the Christmas Story. At 4.00pm we hope as many of you as possible will come and see what the children have done. There will be plenty of singing and an opportunity to recall the real meaning of Christmas. There will be tea afterwards.
On Monday 15th December at 7.30pm the Women’s Institute will be holding their Carol service for the Somervale group at St. Julian’s as Wellow is the host group this year. We would like to invite any who would care to join us at this Service but would be pleased to know beforehand if you intend to come to know how many mince pies to make. Just give Joyce a ring on 833335 or Chris 837749 thank you. We shall decorate the church on Saturday 13th December at 10.00am so if you can help just come along; any greenery or berries would be much appreciated. Flowers will be added on Christmas Eve or the day before.
Our popular candlelight service takes place on Sunday 21st December at 6.00pm and on Christmas Eve December 24th the First Mass of Christmas at 10.00pm.
On Christmas Day Family Eucharist will be at 11.15am we do hope you will try to come to at least one service over Christmas to celebrate the birth of our Lord.
On behalf of St. Julian’s Church A Happy Christmas to you all. Have a lovely time with family and friends and all good wishes for a healthy prosperous and peaceful New Year. Churchwardens
WELLOW PARISH COUNCIL The Parish Council met on Monday 17th Nov at 8 pm in the Village Hall. Eight parishioners were in attendance.
The Parish road sweeper reported an increase in the amount of dog fouling particularly at the eastern end of the village. Would those owners involved please act responsibly and dispose of dog waste properly.
The final draft of the Local Plan prepared by B&NES is available for inspection. Please contact the clerk to arrange.
Planning matters: Mr & Mrs Horler, Weavers Farm, for the construction of an agricultural dwelling on The Hayes and a separate application for a livery operation at Manor Farm. These were supported, both subject to conditions.
Notifications received from B&NES: Mrs M K Pitt, Middle Twinhoe Cottage, new conservatory, PERMITTED: Public footpath diversion order at White Ox Mead, CONFIRMED: AL Brook, land between Stoney Littleton Lane and Wellow Brook for use of field as car park, REFUSED.
The Parish Council’s external auditors have issued a certificate signing off the accounts for 2002/03. Bids from councillors for inclusion in the coming year’s budget have been requested. We have been advised that repairs will need to be carried out to the village hall drive next year and that a sum of £1500 will need to be found for this. The finance committee will search all avenues to ascertain where we might obtain this from but it may be necessary to increase the precept, which falls upon all council taxpayers.
More detail of these and many other items discussed can be found on the village web site.
Alex Martin.
Fund Raising Events for the Village Hall 2004
Hopefully you have all noticed the significant improvements to the Village Hall Kitchen. The Village Hall Committee has since committed significant funds to improving the facilities and rectifying an ongoing subsidence problem. Additional funds will be required to maintain this essential Village amenity, and several exciting events are planned for the coming year. These are primarily for your enjoyment, and the proceeds will go towards enhancing the Village Hall and hopefully you will all reap the benefits.
Our first event is to be a Wine Tasting Evening with tutoring and a quiz, held by Great Western Wine, on Friday 16th January 2004 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 each please book early, as places are limited! Phone Sarah on 833331 or Steph on 835977 to book tickets, or if you would like more information.
Some of the other events we have planned are:-
January Friday 30th - History of Wellow Talk. 7.30pm - £5
Slide show presentation by Mr Chedgy
And display presentation by Gordon Hewlett
Bring your own wine etc
March Friday 12th - Sushi night, 8.00pm - £15
Eat sushi rolls, (no raw fish!!!)
Learn how to roll, free glass of sake,
Free rolling mat, and free information pack
See real life Sumo Wrestling, bring your own
Wine
April Friday 2nd - First Aid Course. 7.00pm - £10
Held by Anneliese and Martyn Smith
May Fashion Show
July Music in the Park
September BBQ/Country and Western night, pig roast
October South Pole talk and Fondue
November Quiz night
We really need your support! This is a Thriving Village with a great community sprit – let’s all help keep it that way.
If anyone has any other fundraising ideas or is willing to help with any of the above events please contact Sarah or Steph on the above numbers.
WELLOW AMATEUR DRAMATIC SOCIETY By popular request we are planning two Murder Mystery supper evenings in 2004 - plenty of time to practise your sleuthing!!!! More information after Christmas. We all enjoyed the previous Murder Mystery evenings. They were great fun to organize and rehearse, however, we would be delighted to welcome new members not necessarily to act on stage perhaps with a bent for electrics, lighting, special effects and sound, make up, setting up the props, making tea helping with the suppers etc. etc. the list is endless. If we are able to enlist more helpers we plan to hold a pre Christmas Spectacle next year. We are holding a W.A.D.S. members meeting on December 2nd at 7.45pm. in the Village Hall. Please come along for Tea, Biscuits and a chat -- perhaps join in the fun.
For further information please contact Mary Messer on 832732 or Joy Fortune on 319584
FROM THE PAST
Most of the fabric of St Julian's is anonymous. In seven hundred years of building, alterations and repairs relatively few names have come down to us. By comparison, the modern fine sculpted heads of Bishop Henderson and Patron, George Horton Fawkes, by Peter Watts, at the west door and the figure of St Julian over the porch, by Hughie Sumpsion, are well recorded.
Many village masons are buried in the churchyard but James Slingo is most certainly the only one whose gravestone remains in its original place after numerous graveyard clearances. For much of his work James was described as a mason but he was also a jobbing builder as the Churchwarden's accounts of 1815 show:-
Paid Slingo for Wite Waishing the Church and repairing the Lids £3-19-6d
Lime was paid for by the parish and cost a further 17/-, also, there was a mistake in James' bill and he was later paid another 10d.
Some men, however, left nothing to chance and etched their own names for posterity high above the view of the congregation in the clerestory windows. It is an intriguing series of time capsules.
Mark Bratt, Plumber Glazier, Midsomer Norton. 1804
James Dyding an William Suel an Alfred Noel, Bath. Plumbers of Bath. (no date).
By G C Potts, Plumber. 1847
Repaired by D Allen & P Hall 1947 (Plumbers).
Releaded by Mssrs John Hall and Son , Bristol, 1969. N Tesdale
But the best has to be one that conjures up a lovely image,
John Humphreys, Mason Builder of Wellow, when the Plumbers was laying
this glass he gave them a Dinner. 1872.
The dinner consisted of Bacon, Beans, Fowles an Bread an Beer to Drink.
Wellow's John could well be an ancestor of the BBC broadcaster John Humphrys, see his book,
'Devil's Advocate' page 92. Gordon Hewlett.
LUNCH CLUB
Our Christmas lunch is on Thursday 18th December at 1pm in the Village Hall. The lunch will be £2. Hope to see you there. If you are unable to be at the Christmas lunch, please telephone so that we can cater more accurately, thank you.
It has been decided that in the New Year the price of the lunch should go up by 50 pence to £2, we haven't had to increase the cost since 1996. We hope you will agree that it is still excellent value! Janet Earp and Marian Osborne 832561.
WELLOW W.I. Our next meeting will be on Thursday 11th December at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, we shall be entertained by the Solsbury Singers. It is Wellow’s turn to host the Group Carol service this year which will be at 7.30pm on Monday 15th December at St. Julian’s. Coffee and Mince Pies will be served afterwards. Please do come along – visitors welcome and join us this event which maybe the last that Wellow W.I. arranges. The Somervale Group of W.I.s has been depleted recently by the closure of Peasedown St. John and Paulton Institutes
New members are always welcome – just come along. Pam Brigden
WINNERS OF THE WELLOW VILLAGE HALL 150 CLUB PRIZE DRAW
|
1st |
£30.00 |
S. Betts |
No 100. |
|
2nd |
£11.00 |
H. Smith |
No. 85 |
|
3rd |
£5.00 |
E. Otten |
No |
|
4th |
£5.00 |
F. Cole |
No. 63 |
Thank you for your support B Messer Chairman
THE PARLOUR SHOP - CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST
*We are already taking orders for fresh Christmas turkeys. As to whether they are free-range, our local turkey expert, Jane Phillips, says turkeys would usually much rather stay in a warm barn and have more or less to be pushed out for some air. These are as free-range as they want to be, and they're guaranteed to be delicious. Small birds (about 8lbs) are always the first to be snapped up, so if you want one this size it's wise to order early. We are, of course, taking orders for other meats too.
**The annual raffle will be a little different this year. We shall be selling tickets at £1 a strip for an absolutely gorgeous luxury hamper, and taking a leaf out of the pub quiz book by giving the winner not only the hamper but the choice of a charity to which the proceeds will be sent. So take part and perhaps do yourself and your favourite charity a very good turn. The draw will be held on Tuesday 23rd December.
***Don't forget when you're planning parties that you can hire up to 60 glasses from the shop - or borrow them free if you buy the wine there.
**** The shop will be open on Christmas Eve until noon, and will open again on Monday, 29th December for a normal day. Stock up well for the long break! On New Year's Eve we shall be open until noon, but we shall be closed on New Year's Day.
***** Whether The Parlour makes a profit or a loss on the year depends heavily on how good a Christmas we have. If you want our community shop to continue and flourish, please try to buy as much as you can there this month. It won't be a hardship - there are some really excellent things in stock!
****** Six stars for the most important message: - a very happy Christmas to all customers and friends from all of us at the shop. Marian Osborne
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Thank you to everyone who contributed to this scheme. We had a wonderful response. Thank you Manor Close for sending a huge number. The boxes are on their way……..
This is an extract from a letter from an OCC worker. "He was about 6 and had not realized his box had a lid. He had bored a small hole in the side and had extracted a pencil. You would have thought he had found a pot of gold. He held it up for all to see, shouting with delight, and when I showed him how to open the box and he saw what was inside each article was again held up….I have never seen such joy over such small things, it was joy from a boy who had nothing…. And yet he had so much joy in his heart he made me feel very humble" Jill Tremellen
NEWSLETTER Please may I have all copy for the January Newsletter by the 20th of December. It can be left in the shop or delivered to me at St. Julian’s Well. If you miss the deaadline give me a ring it may not be too late. If you have email that would be very helpful . Thank you very much. Jill Tremellen 833506 email julians.well@virgin.net