NEWS
On Palm Sunday, 13th April, palm crosses were blessed and distributed, commemorating Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and the palm branches with which people ‘strew His way’. The choir’s performance of Jesus Christ the Apple Tree was utterly beautiful and captivating, the Church filled with ethereal tones and harmonies and each word perfectly sung with absolute clarity.
At the Benefice Service at Barsham on Mothering Sunday, 30th March, flowers were distributed to everyone, not just mothers, recognising the medieval roots of the Mothering Sunday tradition when, on the fourth Sunday in Lent, people who had moved away returned to their place of origin and the ‘mother church’ where they had been baptised, for a special service. The tradition survived the Protestant Reformation only to be hijacked in the early 20th century, when Mothering Sunday was increasingly taken to be ‘Mother’s Day’, a secular celebration of motherhood.
Warmest congratulations to George and Fiona on their marriage at Barsham on Saturday 29th March (photo front cover – wedding decoration).
The CollecTin.com contactless donation terminal has now been installed. We hope it will be helpful to visitors who wish to make a donation to help maintain the church. The PCC is grateful to Peter Gascoyne for researching and leading this initiative, and for sourcing the terminal and installing an internet router in the church.
The illumination of the rood on the day of the Equinox, 20th March, was spectacular, as it was the previous evening as well. In all, 59 people witnessed the event, 43 on the day of the Equinox and 16 the day before.
Theo Wells has repaired the panelling on the east side of the lychgate, replacing the worn-out old boards with new ones.
Theo has also repaired the old churchyard bench most skilfully and refurbished it beautifully, just in time for its 90th birthday: it commemorates the Silver Jubilee of King George V in May 1935. It has been repositioned in the churchyard and makes another wonderful place for walkers and visitors to rest in this most attractive of churchyards.
Migrating swallows have already started arriving in Suffolk from warmer winter climes and the swifts will follow. The electronic swift calls in the tower will be switched on shortly and we hope the swift boxes installed in the belfry last year will attract some birds this summer. Please do report any sightings if you see swifts around the church.
Graham, Bridget, Cheryl and David acquitted themselves honourably on behalf of Barsham at the inter-churches General Knowledge quiz at Emmanuel Church, Bungay at the end of March.
The sales table organised by Jenny raised a splendid £105.00.
Thank you for the 226 items donated to the Food Bank in March.
FORWARD PLANNING
The APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) and Annual Meeting of Parishioners will be held in the church at 2pm on Thursday 1st May. Anybody can attend and those entered on the Church Electoral Roll for this parish and those entered on the register of local government electors for the parish may vote at the election of parochial representatives of the laity (ie churchwardens, members of the PCC etc). If you cannot attend and would like copies of the audited financial statements, please contact Dominique ([email protected]).
The Summer Lunch will take place on Wednesday 25th June at St Bartholomew’s Shipmeadow at the kind invitation of Nick & Jenny Caddick.
Cheryl’s church walking group will be undertaking a walk in the Barsham area onSaturday 19th July, starting at the church at 2pm and finishing there for tea at 4pm. The walk will be just over 4 miles. All welcome.
Dr Barry Darch has kindly offered to give a public talk on the Redes of Beccleson Saturday 6th September at 2pm at Barsham Church. This has come about as a result of the PCC’s current investigations into making good the crumbling Rede tomb in the churchyard. Barry has kindly offered to donate the proceeds of his talk to a fund for the tomb repair works.
SNIPPETS – the Rede Tomb
The Rede tomb is the large table memorial set on a platform above a vaulted tomb on the east of the churchyard path. The Rede family played a significant part in the history of Beccles from the 15th to the 19th centuries, though the presence of the tomb in Barsham is through their ownership and residence at Ashmans Hall, Barsham in the 19th century.
Dr Thomas Rede was rector of St Michael’s Church in the first half of the 16thcentury and various Redes were involved in the Townlands Charity from its inception after the Henrician Reformation in the 1530s down to the 19th century. In the 18thcentury a Thomas Rede owned Roos Hall and built St Mary’s House, Ballygate in 1788, and his son Robert built Ashmans Hall in 1820. Both Thomas and Robert are buried in the tomb at Barsham.
Also of note, on the north side of the table is inscribed a memorial to Rede Rede Fowke, the infant son of Frank Fowke and his wife Louisa, the daughter of the Rev’d Robert Rede Rede of Ashmans Hall. Captain Frank Fowke (1823-1865) of the Royal Engineers was a prolific and ingenious inventor of military equipment and a notable architect and engineer. Under Prince Albert’s patronage, he designed several important mid-19th century public buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall, parts of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Science and Arts in Edinburgh, and the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
May Diary
Sunday 4th May – Third Sunday of Easter. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.
Sunday 11th May – Fourth Sunday of Easter. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.
Sunday 18th May – Fifth Sunday of Easter. 11.00am Sung Eucharist (BCP), Barsham. Revd Desmond Banister.
Sunday 25th May – Sixth Sunday of Easter. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Graham Naylor.
Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, [email protected]