Rave in the Nave first pictures

   

First pictures from the year’s Rave in the Nave at Ely Cathedral which was held last night. About 1000 people present, nearly all (hooray!) a lot younger than me. Well done Dave the Rave, aka Capt David Waters, our Diocesan Youth Officer, who masterminded it yet again.

Filed under: Church of England, Events, youth

Hemingford Abbots Flower Festival

 

 

My perfect English Summer Day Out then took me (via a good lunch at RAF Brampton) to Hemingford Abbots which every other year opens many of the gardens in the village to the public in aid of church funds. Over 20 were open, with more tea and cakes than even I could consume. If you could bottle the feeling you’d make a fortune!

The church is decorated with flower arrangements, and a special Choral Evensong is held, with a really good choir drawn from local churches. The theme this year was  “The Lord is my Shepherd” (I think we sang at least three settings of Psalm 23!), and you can find a few notes from my sermon below the fold. Punchline: are you living a tasty life?

Filed under: Events

Abbots Ripton Garden Show

Last Sunday was my Great British Summer Day Out. Hard on the heels of my St Neot’s day, I was invited to preach at the open air service at the Abbots Ripton Garden Show. Set in the grounds of Abbots Ripton Hall, the splendid seat of Lord and Lady de Ramsey, it attracts a very large attendance and raises a very large sum of money for local charities too (five-figure sums for five charities). It must be a huge amount of work for the organisers, but it really was the perfect English summer occasion. Thankyou!

You’ll find some notes of my talk below the fold:

Filed under: Events

Out and about around St Neot’s

 

St Neot’s Deanery invited me over to spend a day with them last week – and what a day it was. An early start took me to the splendid Lion Hotel at Buckden to be the guest speaker at their excellent and long-running Men’s Breakfast. My theme, duly fortified by toast and marmalade, was the Power of Prayer, and a very lively discussion followed which I think we all really enjoyed. Then over to Love’s Farm, the new housing development at St Neot’s, to see the school there (built to be reminiscent of an Iron Age roundhouse as one was found on the site) and then meet parish representatives at the well-appointed clubhouse of St Neot’s FC which is next door.

After lunch there I was whisked off to open the village fete at the Offords (pictures above) which had a lively selection of stalls and games, plenty to eat and drink, and Punch and Judy too. The crowning glory was when a Spitfire passing by (really!) spotted us and circled around the school to our waves. From there it was on to a parishioner’s home in Little Paxton where a garden railway had been installed and was running in fine style – with more lovely food and some great conversation. Then finally to St Neot’s Parish Church for a refreshing Vigil Service before driving home to – more lovely food for supper.

Warm thanks to everyone in the deanery who worked so hard to make it a great day out.

Filed under: Events

Easton

 

Easton near Huntingdon has just given its a church a real birthday. They’ve raised pots of money to put in a new stone floor, relocate the font, and use the new space to install a smashing new community room and “facilities”. Since the next largest gathering space in the village would seem to be the telephone box, the new space is already in demand from all sorts of users, and it looks like being a great success. I was there on Sunday with lots of other people (above) to share a strawberry tea and bless the new works – and say very well done indeed to all who made it possible. The last time the

church had a makeover was a hundred years ago (when the south aisle was rebuilt – complete with water spouts shaped as farm animals by the architect Inskip Ladds (right). The new work is a fitting contribution for another century, but now the team have got the wind in their sails I hope they keep on going and come up with some more good schemes as this lovely mini-cathedral of a church comes to life.

 

Filed under: Cambridgeshire, Church of England, Churches, Events

Ellington

Ellington is an attractive village west of Huntingdon, which held its Gala last weekend. By Sunday they had recovered from the horizontal rain enough to welcome me at the Flower Festival and Gala Service at All Saints Church in the evening. The theme  was “Women of Substance” (from Constance Spry and Delia Smith to Joan of Arc and Hildegard of Bingen. My own attention (pushed to choose a Bible reading) went to the apostle Timothy’s mother and grandmother Eunice and Lois, who passed the faith on to him – and the important role mums and grans and other family members play in passing on faith and values through the generations (like the stems of flowers, connecting the roots to the fruits). I’m not sure I really buy in to the idea that we must leave our kids to choose for themselves: they’ll do that anyway, and if we teach them to do maths or share our love of nature, why on earth don’t we teach them our faith and passion for what’s right as well?

Filed under: Events

Etheldreda Day

This coming Saturday (19^th) is the day of the Etheldreda Procession and Eucharist in Ely – gathering at the Riverside at 11.30 am where we will meet Etheldreda as she arrives by boat. It’s a good family outing – and Jean and I hope that any clergy who are in Ely that day will free to drop in at no. 14 afterwards (with their families/friends) between about 1.00 and 5.00 when we’re keeping Open House (and Garden, D.V. – its looking lovely). There are lots of activities set out for children and some special food for them too, plus drinks for everyone. Do come!

+ David

Filed under: Events

Peace at Last at Stilton School

Last week I had the opportunity to visit our church school at Stilton. The occasion was the formal dedication of some extension work and a Peace Garden (left), complete with artwork by the children, chimes, incense and planting.

I was shown round the school by two of the older children who were perfect hosts, and then took part in

an assembly and ribbon-cutting, with the headteacher Annette Baughan and local vicar Richard Longfoot.

You can see some lovely pictures of the event on the school website. This one shows me with some members of the School Council just as the ribbon was being cut.

It’s a lovely school and does indeed have a very peaceful atmosphere – a peace that I believe starts in our hearts with the love of God, spreads to those near us in our schools and churches, and then enables us together to spread it the world. “Peace is flowing like a river, flowing out through you and me” and “Make me a channel of your peace” were obviously the right songs to sing!

Filed under: Events, Gardening, Schools, Diocese of Ely

RSA Events

Here are some of the upcoming events at the RSA as announced in their latest newsletter.

Do we still need enlightenment values?

Join Nigel Warburton, Robert Rowland Smith and Matthew Taylor as they argue for their ideal enlightenment values for the 21st century. #21ce Thursday 10 June, 1pm – Book now

Aftershock

Economist Philippe Legrain asks: did we really learn the lessons of the crisis? Are we ready to craft a fairer, safer, greener world? #rsaaftershock Thursday 17 June, 1pm – Book now

Texts and Tweets: myths and realities

Professor David Crystal, one of the world’s leading linguistic experts, challenges the myth that new communication technologies are destroying language. #rsatweets Thursday 24 June, 1pm – Book now

Should the Nurture of Children be Everybody’s Business?

Sir Al Aynsley-Green makes the case for a new, more collective approach to securing the best prospects for all children in Britain today. #rsachildren Wednesday 30 June, 6pm – Book now

All events take place at the RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ
unless otherwise stated.

Our events are free and open to all but advance booking is essential. Demand for our events is extremely high, and online booking is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. To book, or find out more information about an event, please click on the links below. You can also browse through more events on the RSA website.

Filed under: Events

Hugh Pym (BBC Chief Economics Correspondent) to speak in Cambridge

You are invited to hear Hugh Pym, BBC Chief Economics Correspondent
at the Annual Evening of Chaplaincy to People at Work, Monday 7th June 2010 at Wesley Methodist Church, Christ’s Pieces, Cambridge, CB1 1LG
6.30 for 6.45pm Arrive
6.45pm Annual Meeting
7.15pm Buffet Supper
8.00pm Hugh Pym will speak on “Work, Life and Human Value”
8.45pm Questions
Booking: as soon as possible to:
chris.savage@workplacechaplaincy.org.uk (not ‘admin’)
Payment: £6 per head including buffet (concessions for students)
Make cheques payable to Chaplaincy to People at Work and send as soon
as you can to:
Canon Chris Savage, 31 Thornton Close, Girton, Cambridge, CB3 0NF
Please tell others who might be interested.
Parking available at Park Street or Grafton West Car Parks.

Filed under: Events