News from Thelveton with Frenze Spring 2023
The winter has been quite a hard one at Thelveton and Frenze with the icy roads causing some difficulty, but the season was cheered by a wonderful Carol Service at Thelveton, with lots of angels from the tree. It was a delight to see the Frenze Carols by Candlelight make a welcome return. A huge thank-you to all those who helped make both events such a success. Our Rector left at the beginning of October and we are busy praying and searching for someone to come and lead us into a new beginning. In the meantime we rely on our wonderful volunteers, and ‘oldies’ like me, to keep the churches open and welcoming.
The two events for this spring are the Quiet Day at Thelveton, and the Easter Day Holy Communion.
The Quiet Day on Saturday 18th March 2023 will focus on “The Language of Love”. There will be Morning Prayer at 10am, followed by a time to read, engage in craft activities, enjoy the peace of the churchyard and surrounding country, or simply chill out in your own way. At 12 noon we will join together for a period of reflection and prayer before a bring-and-share lunch. Hot drinks will be available all day. The church will remain open until 4pm. Come for the whole day, join us for prayer, or simply come for a little while when it suits you.
Easter Day we have a service of Holy Communion at Thelveton at 11am on Sunday 9th April. Everyone is welcome.
I called in at Frenze church the other day. It is such a well-loved church. The place was clean and welcoming, with flowers and foliage on the altar. It is open every day, and locked up safely at night. A huge “thank-you” to those who spend their time and effort caring for the building.
In the churchyard, the trees have been inspected and pruned to make them as safe as they can be.
With spring coming, it is a favourite spot for walkers of the Boudicca Way to stop for a rest, but also a beautiful place for a stroll from Diss or other nearby places. When I was there it was still winter and the snowdrops were out in drifts both in the churchyard and in the pretty woodland on the approach road. It is such a peaceful spot that it is hard to believe that it was once a very busy centre for the market produce to be sorted, packaged and shipped by rail to London; though the old, disused, farm buildings still bear witness to its previous life, as do the occasional traces of the railway that used to meander through the farmland.
May both centres continue to serve their communities as quiet space where people can find peace with God, and as occasional centres where people can get together to sing and praise.
May God be with you all.
Gale