If you ever wanted to see the epitome of British spirit that helped us to victory in the Second World War it’s surely captured in this photo.<br>Gillian Kisch (left) and Pat Higgins were at the heart of last Friday’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. As nonagenarians they both carry memories of those emotional, roller-coaster times. The wartime sacrifices and challenges met by every family in the country and the eventual route to victory over Hitler’s Germany and his fascist allies.<br>But when the excellent Vic Cracknell Swing Band struck up the Glenn Miller standard ‘In the Mood’ there was no stopping our frolicking fun girls! As you can see, their smiles were broad and their movements animated as they enjoyed the musical trip down Memory Lane to a different era in their well-lived lives.<br>Pat, who will be celebrating a significant birthday next year to coincide with the 80th anniversary of wartime victory, had declared before the event that she wanted to dance. And the lady’s request came to fruition. With a bit of support she joined the dancers on the packed dance floor as the band played Duke Ellington’s ‘The A train’. Pat’s verdict? “This is marvellous. Just what I wanted.”<br>There was also a more serious side to the event. Roger Nash and his team on the stewardship committee created a thought-provoking section during which Roger, Nick St Aubyn and Catherine Diamond narrated stories that highlighted the brutal realities of wartime life for people from Dunsfold or linked to our aerodrome. It drove home the point that we were blessed to be surrounded by heroes.<br>It was a superb evening. The team of helpers who provided the food did a splendid job. There were some impressive fancy dress outfits, perhaps the most striking being Adrian Maunders’ outfit, even though the revelation that it was the uniform of a military policeman caused concerns to some of our revellers.<br>The great thing was the number of people from different parts of the village who came together for this church fundraiser. Everyone declared how much they’d enjoyed the event. And we’re delighted to report that with the help of our sponsors and party guests we have raised £2000. A wonderful amount that reflects the generosity of all those in attendance. To you all we say thank you.<br>
The Rt Rev Paul Davies, the recently appointed Bishop of Dorking, will be our celebrant at this Sunday’s Holy Communion at Dunsfold Church.Bishop Paul became the 6th Bishop of Dorking last September when he succeeded Rt Rev Jo Bailey Wells. In his previous role as Archdeacon of Surrey, he was a regular visitor to Dunsfold and Hascombe churches.Bishop Paul arrived in our diocese in 2017. In his new role he is challenged to bring ‘a strategic head and pastoral heart’ to the three main priorities in the role which are detailed as stewardship of our environment, nurturing the faith of young people and encouraging vocations.We hope you can join us on Sunday to extend to Bishop Paul a warm Dunsfold welcome.
Head down to Dunsfold Common on Saturday for a Pop-Up treat. There will be our usual stall staffed by friendly helpers to aid your shopping and have a chat. It's a great place to meet friends from around the village and to snap up some bargains at the same time.It starts at 10am and runs until noon, directly outside Dunsfold Village Shop. Call in and have a lovely break from your routine Saturday.
A huge thank you to everybody in Dunsfold who played their part in raising funds during Christian Aid Week 2024. The donation from church as a result of the Cafe Church collection at the Winn Hall was £110. This year’s Christian Aid focus is their work in Burundi and our service featured insights into the massive challenges faced in one of the world’s poorest countries.A few days later a coffee morning and bring and buy sale was held at Chennels Cottage, Dunsfold. The beautiful weather encouraged a bumper turn-out of new friends and old. The guests, and subsequent donors, were wonderfully generous in donating £580.79 to Christian Aid.A team of helpers made the coffee morning very special. As ever, the secret to our success was team work.
