Hello EveryoneI hope you have had a good week.. the first week of the school holidays. The weather has been mixed this week, but my thoughts go out to everyone abroad who has been suffering such intense temperatures and to countries battling the dreadful fires.Looking ahead to the holiday period, I wish all those who have holidays booked with friends and family a wonderful time, but we also recognise that not everyone will be able to get away, and with this in mind, our usual weekly activities will continue at Toddington through August but, in addition, we warmly invite you to some 'Creative Fun' art sessions at Wilkinson Hall on Wednesdays 2nd, 9th and 16th August (for children and adults - children accompanied by their parents/carers). Do pop by any time to have some fun. The sessions will run from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm at Wilkinson Hall. You may wish to bring an overall or old shirt to cover up in case you get messy, and you may also like to join us for a picnic after those Wednesday sessions, at 12.30 pm each week - (please bring your own picnic). (poster attached)Services this Sunday:9.30 am Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church - Linda and Nigel11.00 am Holy Communion, Toddington Church - Linda and NigelOther events and services this week:Monday 31st July9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington ChurchTuesday 1st August10.30 am Knitting Group, Wilkinson HallWednesday 2nd August10.30 am 'Creative Fun' Art sessions, Wilkinson Hall. followed by a picnic at 12.30pmThursday 3rd August12.00 noon Ploughman's Meal, Wilkinson HallFriday 4th August10.30 am Painting for Pleasure Group, Wilkinson HallSaturday 5th AugustRest Day!Sunday 6th August9.30 am Holy Communion Service, Chalgrave Church - Linda11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington Church - LindaHarlington Church have extended an invitation for people to join them at: HARLINGTON MANOR guided tour: on Wednesday 9th August (now fully booked). Now booking for Wednesday 16 August. from 1.00 – 3.00 pm you can join us on a tour of the fascinating Manor House in the village. Tickets are £12 and include home made cake and drinks in the church afterwards. To register, as places are limited, please contact Sue on 07501 646250 or Tricia on 07711 511729. Or email your details to tricia.murphy5@ntlworld.com. In aid of St Mary's Church restoration Fund. (poster attached)Thank you to all who helped Dee this week with the church cleaning on Wednesday and to everyone who prepared cakes and refreshments for the Chalgrave 'Pop Up Tea Room' which was as popular as ever and very busy. Thank you to the volunteers who prepared food and activities for Messy Church last week and to all who have offered to help at Creative Fun on Wednesday and at Ploughman's lunch on Thursday. We are so grateful for your help and support.There will be no Messy Church, or Pop Tea Room, during August, but we look forward to seeing you all again in September.Have a good week.With love and prayersLindaRector Toddington and Chalgrave Churches.
Hello Everyone Yesterday, schools closed for their Summer holiday break, and everyone will be pleased, I am sure, to have a breather after a busy year. Year 4 children and staff at the Lower school reflected back over the past year at the Leavers' assembly, giving thanks and celebration for all that has been achieved, but with not a little sadness at the end of the season, as children and certain staff move on to new pastures. Tributes were made to learning and personal achievements during the year and there was no doubt that the residential stay this year had been a highlight with several children mentioning their sense of pride at having tackled something new. Awards were given out for a wide range of achievements and personal qualities. Mrs Lamb the Headteacher is one of several staff leaving at the end of the year. She, like all her staff, has worked so incredibly hard this year to offer a good standard of provision for the children in school. Mrs Stringer retired after an impressive teaching career at Toddington St George School and they, with other staff leavers, will be sadly missed. What a privilege teaching and working in school, is.. sowing seeds of knowledge, personal awareness, encouragement and development into young lives. I remember well, fom my teaching career, how moving it is at the end of the year, to say farewell to children, and staff, who have been such an important part of life. Thank you to the children and staff who have welcomed me into school this year. It has been a pleasure, and I look forward to working with Mr Darlington, the new Headteacher from September. My interest in gardens continues.. inspired by Toddington Open Gardens and Hampton Court flower show. With certain pictures of floral displays in my mind, and a sense of a new season, moving forward from dried tired shrubs to new growth and flowers, I am enjoying planting out certain perennial plants and watching them start to flourish. Thank goodness for the recent rains which have watered the soil. How good it is to be in cooler temperatures in this country at the moment.. but my heart goes out to all experiencing extreme heat temperatures abroad. Climate change is becoming very worrying and this encourages us as church to play our part and become more environmentally aware. I have noticed several churches displaying a wooden plaque from A Rocha.. marking the church's achievement as a bronze or silver award achiever. Toddington Church is keen to join the bronze club too and are almost there. I think the hazardous effects of climate change are calling us all to improve our environmental footprint. The week ahead at church is calmer but we are looking ahead to see what provision we can offer for our young people during the holidays, with thoughts of Creative Fun times for families.. children and adults, on a few Wednesdays during August (2, 9, and 16 - dates to be confirmed) from 10-1.30pm at Wilkinson Hall. If you would be interested to come along to one of these, or are able to offer to help, please let me or Dee know... and look out for posters later next week with details. This Sunday's Services: 9.30 am Holy Communion, Chalgrave Church - Linda 11.00 am Morning Praise Service Toddington Church - Malcolm Events this week: Monday 24th July 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington Church Tuesday 25th July 10.30 am Knitting Group, Wilkinson Hall Wednesday 26th July 9.30 am Church Cleaning working party, Toddington Church 11.00 am – 1.00 pm Pop Up Tea Room, Tebworth Memorial Hall, with refreshments served by Chalgrave Church Thursday 27th July a rest day! Friday 28th July 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure group, Wilkinson Hall Saturday 29th July another rest day! Sunday Services 30 July 9.30 am Holy Communion Service, Chalgrave 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington Wishing you a peaceful, restful week and happy holidays! with best wishes Linda Rector Toddington and Chalgrave Contact number 07715 603557 revdtoddington@gmail.com revdchalgrave@gmail.com
Hello EveryoneAs Europe and America swelter in extremely high temperatures, we seem to have left Summer behind here in England for a few days, with cooler, rather damp days this week and high winds forecast for this weekend which doesn't bode well for Wimbledon, or for Toddington Church cake stall on the Green in the morning. Thank you to everyone who has provided cakes for sale.Inspired by Hampton Court Flower show last week, and with a few garden vouchers to spend, I enjoyed a few hours browsing a couple of garden centres this morning and laughed at myself standing in the pouring rain choosing plants for the garden, as the skies opened and buckets of rain poured down! Our garden seems rather bereft of colour this year, so I had a lovely time choosing a few special plants. Sadly, the rest of the day has been so wet, the plants are still waiting to be planted! There is something very peaceful about tending a garden so if you also enjoy time outside gardening and have a few hours to spare the church gardening groups, Dee and Sandy will be very pleased to hear from you. Toddington Church group usually meets on Wednesday morning from 10am for a couple of hours, and Chalgrave Church group meets once a month. (Sandy can give more information about dates and times for Chalgrave). Any time offered, will be most welcome.We are keen to maintain the churches in good structural order and are moving forward with restoration work within the Chancel of both churches: Chalgrave church restoration work is needed for a partly rotted roof beam, which is currently supported by scaffolding, and Toddington Church has had a recent consultation visit by the church architect to investigate fallen plaster from the East wall by the altar. Both jobs will be costly and so we will need to investigate grants and funding.. but hopefully, the work will be straightforward. Thank you so much for all your support with any of the church fundraising events. Your help is truly valued. I will update you as the work progresses.This Sunday's services:9.30am Chalgrave Church, Holy Communion Service - Linda11am Toddington Church, Holy Communion Service - Linda2pm Baptism service, Chalgrave Church - Linda6pm Evensong Service, Toddington Church - MalcolmThis week's services and events:Saturday 15th10am Toddington Church Cake Stall on the GreenSunday 16thServices as listed aboveMonday 17th9.30am Morning Prayer, Toddington ChurchTuesday 18th10.30am Knitting Group, Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonWednesday 19th10am Gardening Working Group, Toddington ChurchThursday 20th2pm St George's Fellowship, Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonFriday 21st10.30am Painting for Pleasure Group, Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonEnd of Term for schools.The Following Week:Wednesday 26 July 11-1pm Chalgrave Pop Up Tea Room - Tebworth Memorial Hall (No Pop Up Tea Room in August)Friday 28 July 3.30pm Messy Church, Wilkinson Hall, ToddingtonThinking of you all. Do please get in touch with any queries, or with offers of help.With best wishesLindaRectorChalgrave and Toddington Churches. 07715 603557revdchalgrave@gmail.com
Hello Everyone What a busy time of year.. it is officially Summer with Wimbledon fortnight in full swing, the mens' and ladies' Ashes cricket matches in full swing, RHS Hampton Court flower show finishes tomorrow, schools are preparing their end of term performances, with Parkfields school also celebrating their special anniversary, and my daughter moved house this week... with a little help from me and Nigel in packing and unpacking boxes. Inspired by the wonderful Toddington Open Gardens last week, I have bought a wonderful array of new plants to set in the garden. Oh, that our garden could become a beacon of colour and interest like some of the splendid gardens I viewed last week. Thank you so much to everyone who opened their gardens, or offered cakes for refreshments, or plants for the church plant stall. It was a very special week-end and I understand that an incredible amount of about £2,700 was raised by the Friends of St George's Church as funds to care for the church building. Thank you so much for all your support and generosity. This week, Youth group met on Tuesday evening and had a happy time making home-made pizzas.. and eating them! Ploughmans lunches were in full flow on Thursday with Coffee Morning this morning. Everyone works so hard! Thank you so much to all involved for your commitment and for the many voluntary hours given to make and serve food and to offering such a warm welcome to the village communities. This Sunday's Services 9.30 am Holy Communion Service, Chalgrave Church (in church as rain is forecast) 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington Church This week's events and services Monday 10 July 9.30 am Morning Prayer, Toddington Church 2.00 pm Seated Pilates, Wilkinson Hall Tuesday 11 July 10.30 am Knitting Group 5.45 pm Youth Group, Wilkinson Hall (tbc) Wednesday 12 July 10.30 am Toddington PCC, Toddington Rectory Thursday 13 July 2.00 pm Afternoon with Friends, Wilkinson Hall Friday 14 July 10.30 am Painting for Pleasure group, Wilkinson Hall Saturday 15 July 10.00 am Cake stall on the Green, Toddington Sunday 16 July 9.30 am Holy Communion Service, Chalgrave 11.00 am Holy Communion Service, Toddington 2.00 pm Baptism, Chalgrave Church 6.00 pm Evensong, Toddington Church Have a good week, Wishing you every blessing Linda Rector, Toddington and Chalgrave
