If you wish to print this newsletter, please click on the link below to the pdf. Please note that this is in booklet form, so please print double sided, flipping on the short edge, then fold the paper to form your magazine.
Click here
A Letter from the Editor
Dear All,
While the magazine is being collated, our Rector is away, so this month it’s a letter from me. Of course, the magazine is put together a few days before you receive it, so this is being written just after Pentecost, which Liz explained so well when she led our family service. Some people said there was only one child there (well done Elsa!) but surely we are all big kids at heart, and certainly all God’s children.
It’s been far too hot for much activity, so I have enjoyed relaxing in the garden … and, I confess, doing quite a lot of scrolling through my phone. There are mixed reactions to ‘social media’ and we all know it can be harmful to youngsters, but with a mature approach, I believe that just like nuclear power, social media can be used for good as well as bad. For example, so long as one weeds out unkind and unnecessary comments, I find it a useful source of local news.
Another example: I have discovered on Facebook, posts from a fictional parish: St Faithful’s at Havnot (not to be confused with its sister, the real St Haith’s, Havant!). The everyday story of parish life in this imaginary place entertains, but always includes a gentle message.
Back to Pentecost: the author of St Faithful’s was able to use social media to spread the message via an imagined sermon.
‘Pentecost is one of those great feasts of the Church which, if we are honest, we have tidied up a bit.
We have made it red and respectable. We have given it proper hymns, a place in the calendar, and a tasteful dove on the service sheet, looking calm and holy, as though the Holy Spirit were mainly in the business of gliding gently over laminated notices.
But the first Pentecost was not tasteful.
It was noisy, confusing, and faintly alarming. It involved wind, fire, public speaking, allegations of drunkenness, and a group of Galileans suddenly becoming comprehensible to people from everywhere. In parish terms, it was less “well-planned festival Eucharist” and more “the flower rota has caught fire and the PCC is speaking Welsh.” ‘
Concluding ‘ “They were amazed and perplexed,” says Acts. Honestly, that may be the most faithful response to God most of us can manage.
Amazed and perplexed. Slightly singed. Unexpectedly hopeful. Doors unlocked. Hearts warmed. Tongues loosened. And discovering, to our surprise, that the Spirit of God is not finished with us yet.’
May the Spirit not be finished with us in Saltwood either!
With my very best wishes, Beth
Diary: St Peter & St Paul, Saltwood
Our regular pattern of worship includes a service every Sunday at 10am. Usually this is Holy Communion (to which all are welcome, whether or not you choose to receive communion) with a Family Service on the fourth Sunday of each month. Other services of Holy Communion, including ‘Book of Common Prayer’ services at Saltwood and Pedlinge, are shown on the website calendar, along with all services and events for the month.
Bubble Church, for families with Toddlers, is held in the Lads’ Club at 10am on the first Sunday of the month; Sunday Club, for children aged 3 – 10 is held at 10am in the Lads’ Club, on the third Sundays in term time
Some extra dates to note in your diary:
Monday 1st – 2pm – Monday Chats in the Lads’ Club
Tuesday 2nd – N.B. – Our Rector’s day off (and each following Tuesday)
Wednesday 3rd – 10.00 to 11.30 – Toddler group in the Lads’ Club
(Wednesday 3rd – N.B. No afternoon prayer group this month)
Thursday 4th – 6pm to 7pm – Bell Ringing Practice (and each following Thursday)
Thursday 4th – 7pm – Choir Practice (and each following Thursday)
Friday 5th – N.B. – carol Eastell’s day off
Friday 5th – 9am – Prayer Group in the church
Tuesday 16th – 2,30pm – Wedding: Daisy and Jacob
Wednesday 17th – 2pm – Cinema Club in the Lads’ Club
Friday 19th – 7pm – Hymn singing for all at Lympne church
Saturday 20th – 10.30am – Coffee morning at Lympne church
Saturday 20th – 3.45pm – Messy Church in the Lads’ Club
Saturday 20th – 7pm – Police Male Voice Choir at Lympne church
Wednesday 24th – N.B. Last date for entries for the July / August magazine
Saturday 27th – 10.30 – Craft Day at Lympne church
If you have any items for the double-month (July AND August) edition of the magazine, please forward to Beth Lewsey, by the 24th June
by email if possible, to: parishmagazine@saltwoodchurch.org
or deliver to 20 Castle Avenue. (Tel 01303 264577).
Saltwood Church Pastoral Group
Caring for One Another
‘And let us look out for one another to provoke love and good works’ (Hebrews 10:24)
Our Pastoral Group meet monthly to seek ways of offering support to those who are going through difficult or challenging times. If you know someone you are concerned about, or if you have concerns yourself, please contact us. You will always find a friendly voice and a listening ear at the end of the line. Caring for others is at the heart of Christian life and you can help us by being our eyes and ears, letting us know of anyone who is in need.
Contacts: 01303 266454 01303 883243
From the Parish Records
Our love and sympathy go to the family and friends of:
Judith Topalian, whose funeral was on 1st May
Brian Barnes, whose funeral was on 22nd May
Intercessions for June
Today we pray especially for:
1 Those who live in Castle Road, Kiln Corner, The Close and Castle Crescent
2 Businesses in our parish
3 Pilgrims Hospice
4 Those struggling with addiction, thinking particularly of those known to you
5 St Mary & St Ethelburga Lyminge, St Mary Postling and All Saints Stanford
6 Those who live in Cylinder Road and Freshfield Lane
7 Christian communities facing persecution
8 Our ministry team
9 Village community groups
10 Our own discipleship as a community of faith
11 Those who live in Fairlight Road and Harpswood Lane
12 John, our Churchwardens,
13 Our local hospitals and their chaplains
14 The King and the Royal Family
15 Those with physical and mental health needs and those who care for them, thinking particularly of those known to you
16 Our prayer groups
17 Those who live in New Road and The Coppice
18 Messy Church
19 Deanery Synod, its committees and officers
20 St Mary & St Eanswythe Folkestone, and St Peter Folkestone
21 Those who live in Tanners Hill, Tanners Hill Gardens and Deedes Close
22 Barry, our Rector
23 The bereaved and those who care for them, thinking particularly of those known to you
24 Members of our PCC
25 Saltwood Primary School – Martin Thomas, his staff and pupils
26 Those who live on The Green, Old Saltwood Lane and Conway Close
27 St Luke Hawkinge and St Martin Acrise
28 Rose, Bishop of Dover and Darren, Archdeacon of Ashford
29 The work of the Folkestone Rainbow Centre
30 Our Toddler groups
Prayer Ministry
‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God,
That if we ask for anything according to his will, he will hear us.
And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask –
We know that we have what we asked of him.’
1 John 5: 14-15
The Prayer Ministry team are here for you – in the Sanctuary at the end of the Sunday service at Saltwood every week. Is there anything on your heart you need to bring to God? Concerns for yourself or a loved one? Anxious about our world? Burdened by daily bad news? St John assures us – if we ask anything according to his will, he will hear us.
Your request is treated in the strictest confidence, and you will not be asked intrusive questions. You may like to try the added bonus of being anointed – having the sign of the cross marked on your forehead and hands, with oil that has been blessed for that purpose.
This ministry is recognised and valued throughout the world-wide church and team members have been trained and accredited by the Diocese.
A Prayer for the Month of June
Father,
Here we are in June – a beautiful month and a month when we remember a beautiful follower of Yours, Barnabas. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith and he encouraged Your people to remain true to You in what must have been dangerous times.
Lord, in these dangerous days, when so much seems alien and out of control, how we all need to be encouraged to be steadfast in our faith and in our lives.
How we need to remember that You are our faithful, sovereign Lord; that You never change; that in Jesus You have won the victory over sin and death. If we put our trust in Jesus, we are secure for all eternity.
Thank You for the example of Barnabas. Help us to be encouraged and to encourage others. May we enjoy June in all its beauty, knowing that nothing can separate us from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(By Daphne Kitching) (See below for more information about St Barnabas)
11th June – St Barnabas’s Day
Barnabus: Paul’s first missionary companion
Would you have liked to go to Cyprus on holiday this year? If so, spare a thought for the Cypriot who played such a key role in the New Testament.
He was Joseph, a Jewish Cypriot and a Levite, who is first mentioned in Acts 4:36, when the Early Church was sharing a communal lifestyle. Joseph sold a field and gave the money to the apostles. His support so touched them that they gave him the nickname of Barnabas, ‘Son of Encouragement’.
Barnabas has two great claims to fame. Firstly, it was Barnabas who made the journey to go and fetch the converted Paul out of Tarsus, and persuade him to go with him to Antioch, where there were many new believers with no one to help them. For a year the two men ministered there, establishing a church. It was here that the believers were first called Christians.
It was also in Antioch (Acts 13) that the Holy Spirit led the church to ‘set aside’ Barnabas and Paul, and to send them out on the church’s first ever ‘missionary journey’. The Bible tells us that they went to Cyprus, and then travelled throughout the island. It was at Lystra that the locals mistook Barnabas for Zeus and Paul for Hermes, much to their dismay.
Much later, back in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul decided to part company. While Paul travelled on to Syria, Barnabas did what he could do best: return to Cyprus and continue to evangelise it. So, if you go to Cyprus and see churches, remember that Christianity on that beautiful island goes right back to Acts 13, when Barnabas and Paul first arrived.
In England there are 13 ancient church dedications and not a few modern ones. Barnabas the generous, the encourager, the apostle who loved his own people – no wonder he should be remembered with love.
Quote
We trust not because ‘a god’ exists, but because THIS God exists.
– C S Lewis
Warden’s Corner
From John Campbell: –
A Heartfelt Thank You
From time to time it is good to pause and simply say thank you.
Our Sunday services seem to flow so naturally that it is easy to overlook how much love, effort, and faithful service sit behind them. Yet week by week so many people play their part, helping everything to run smoothly and making church life such a blessing for all of us.
Firstly, thank you to our clergy and ministry team who lead, teach, prepare, pray, pastor, and faithfully carry the responsibilities of ministry among us. Thank you also to our readers who help lead our worship and bring God’s word before us each week.
Thank you to those who prepare and serve the coffee, provide biscuits and cakes, wash up afterwards, put everything away, and leave the kitchen and serving areas spotless and ready for the next occasion. Thank you to our welcomers who greet us so warmly, to our bell ringers who call us to worship, and to those who faithfully serve on the prayer ministry team after the services.
A special thank you also goes to our Garden Gang. On a beautiful spring or early summer morning it is difficult to walk towards the church doors without being moved by the beauty around us. The flowers, the paths, the churchyard, the care, and the sense of welcome all speak quietly of love and stewardship.
We are richly blessed as a church family, and part of that blessing is the faithful service of so many people who simply get on with what needs doing. Every act of service, whether seen or unseen, helps make our church what it is.
Thank you all. You make my life so much easier, and your service is deeply appreciated and warmly valued.
Church Cleaning – Calling All Sponsors
Many will already know that we now have the Gurkha Cleaning Company carrying out our regular weekly church cleaning, working alongside Carly Friend, who continues to undertake some weeks herself.
As a church family we have agreed to sponsor the cost of this cleaning, and there has been broad agreement that those who are able might contribute £30 per year. In effect, this sponsors one day of cleaning each year. There is, of course, no fixed upper or lower limit. Please simply give according to your means and circumstances.
May I therefore ask that those who have already agreed to contribute — and indeed anyone else who feels able to support this work — would kindly make their contribution during this month by paying directly into the church account listed below.
Please include your name and indicate that the donation is for church cleaning, as this will help John reclaim Gift Aid where applicable.
Thank you once again for your generosity and support. It is through many hands and many acts of faithfulness that our church continues to flourish.
Reading the bible is so important. So Lympne church are going to be adventurous and plan a Bible Reading Marathon in September.
From Rachel Cornish (Warden at Lympne)
Bible Reading Marathon
We will be reading through the entire New Testament, non stop, from 10am on Saturday through to Sunday morning, expecting to finish at about 10:30am just before the morning service.
We hope lots of people from neighbouring churches, our villages and neighbours will come along and take part in reading for a period of time.
How will this work?
We will ask people to sign up for specific times when they can read, with at least 2 people signed up at any time. We will also have a rota of ‘recorders’ to ensure all goes to plan, and record what is being read. When volunteer readers arrive, the recorder will explain what to do, and ensure continuous reading happens.
The Bible will be read from a large table in the centre of the church, with the help of a microphone. There will always be one person reading from the bible, and another person sitting ready to read. During daylight hours we expect readers to read for up to 5 minutes at a time, before the next person reads. Two people could alternate for half an hour or longer. At night time the shifts may be longer! If you want to read for just a minute, you can.
How can you help? We will need 3 types of help.
Lots of readers. You will be able to sign up for time slots on the 19th / 20th, and we will be aiming for 2 readers signed up at any time to alternate reading. Some people may be able to help just once, others may be able to read at several times during the day and night. With readings happening over a 24hour period there should be a time of day to suit everyone.
Recorders. One in church at any time, keeping a record of what has been read and by whom, ensuring everything goes to plan with one person reading and one waiting ready to read. Expect to have about 3-6 people undertaking this role, in planned shifts of at least 2 hours at a time.
Refreshment providers. A few volunteers who will ensure the recorders get some food/drink. Can be combined with reading.
A comedy about a failing pub, a divided community and a grieving family whose lives are changed by brewing real ale and entering the Great British Beer Awards
Cost £5 per person to include tea and cake
All proceeds to the Lads’ Club Funds
Open Garden at Saltwood House
Saltwood Church Coffee Morning – THANKS
Thank you to everyone who came to this event in Rectory Lane on a wonderful May morning of glorious sunshine – and with background music to entertain. The sale of cakes, preserves and cards together with proceeds from the raffle and donations raised over £700 for church funds.
This splendid total was only achieved through your generosity and the efforts of a willing band of helpers. It is intended that the money will go towards the PCC’s aumbry project. (See the Rector’s newsletter of 18th April) Christine Dodd
Wild West Supper & Quiz Night – THANKS
An evening of huge fun was had at the quiz night on 2nd May. A mixture of 50 quiz questions, two elimination games, one of which ‘Sit Down If’ generated great amusement, Dingbats game, a raffle with some high value items and prizes galore all added to the enjoyment. Many came dressed up in Wild West outfits including our rector Barry who borrowed Clint Eastwood’s cape and cap gun! Jumbo hot dogs and cheesecake plus plenty of wine sustained everyone during the evening. If you weren’t able to come, look what you missed!
My thanks to all the team who helped in making the evening a great success. Thanks also to everyone who came and supported the event. The quiz night was a sell-out, it made a net profit of £1,401 all of which went to Saltwood Church funds!
Many have asked when the next one will be! Plans are already underway for another fun-themed quiz night, probably in October – watch this space!
So long pardners, I’ll be moseyin’ along – Peter Kent
Notes from the Choir
Easter is over, we’ve had Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day, Ascension Day and last of all Pentecost. Goodness me, what turmoil people must have felt living through that time, they must have longed for some respite and stability.
Things are no different today in many respects. There is so much stress and uncertainty that we long for peace. Our church is our sanctuary, just walk in and feel the silence descend on you, sit and feel the warmth surround you, close your eyes and hear the choir singing hymns and anthems. This is our church, this is our peace.
*Whatever else you have planned do not miss 10am service on 7th June, we have Berkeley and anthems!
*We are always looking for more singers to join our ranks, particularly MEN, please let us hear your fabulous voices, don’t confine them to the shower!
Fran Dyer
Concert at Lympne Church – 20th June
Bible Gem – “Two Crosses in Goshen”
We have recently journeyed through Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. We have stood again at the cross, looked upward to the ascended Christ, and rejoiced in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But let us step back for a moment and return to Egypt, because long before Calvary, long before the empty tomb, and long before the upper room, these things were already being prefigured in types and shadows of events yet to come.
The story begins in Goshen, where the Israelites were living during their slavery in Egypt. On the night of the first Passover, they were told to take the blood of their sacrificial lambs and place it upon the lintel and the two doorposts of their houses (Exodus 12:7, 22–23). The blood marked the family as safe, and every household that remained under that covering was spared. Death passed over where the blood was seen (Exodus 12:13).
The Exodus that followed became the defining event in Israel’s history. Yet it also forms a remarkable picture of redemption. Passover points us to the cross. The journey through the wilderness points us to our walk with God. And fifty days after that first Passover came Sinai, where the Law was given to Moses. The first Pentecost was not in Jerusalem, but at Sinai about 1,500 years earlier.
Now, standing on the far side of the cross and Pentecost, we can look again at those blood-marked houses in Goshen and notice what the Israelites could not yet have seen.
The blood upon the entrance speaks to us now of the Lamb of God, “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). What sheltered the Israelites in Goshen for one night points forward to the greater redemption accomplished in Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Their deliverance was immediate and earthly; ours is eternal.
So let us stand back and look again. We see the entrance to the houses in Goshen. We see the blood upon the lintels, and upon each of the two doorposts. And as we look, something remarkable begins to emerge. Each doorpost rising to meet the lintel forms the outline of a cross. Two crosses, standing side by side, both marked with the blood.
Why two? Scripture tells us that Christ was “foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20), and even speaks of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). And yet we also know that the cross stands in history, accomplished at a moment in time (John 19:17–18).
At the inaugural application of blood to cover sin, at the very entrance to their houses, could it be that we are shown both? One cross speaking of that which was settled in the heart of God before time began, and the other speaking of that which would one day be carried out in the sight of men. Two uprights, two symbolic crosses, both covered in blood, holding together an eternal purpose and a historical fulfilment.
The Israelites in Goshen could not have seen it then. They simply obeyed. But from our side of the cross, it is there to be seen. Passover in Egypt points us to Calvary; fifty days later, Sinai points us forward to Pentecost. About fifteen centuries separate Pentecost at Sinai and Pentecost at Jerusalem, yet both stand fifty days after Passover. The symmetry is beautiful, and the shadows profound.
The Israelites simply placed the blood where they were told by Moses. They could not know that one day believers would stand on the far side of Calvary and Pentecost and see that the cross itself had already been sketched upon the doorposts of Goshen. Nor could they know that one day the Lamb Himself would say: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). The blood-marked doorway in Egypt was not the end of the story. It was pointing forward to Christ Himself.
John Campbell
Quote
We expect our young people to lay down their lives for our nation, but most of us are not willing to lay down our bank accounts for God.
– Anon
From the Parish Magazine – JUNE 2006
Twenty years ago there was …
A ‘Rector’s men’s Breakfast’ on Saturday 10th June
A Mother and Toddler’s Service on the afternoon of Wednesday 14th
An appeal from Deryck Ball for food items for the Folkestone Rainbow Centre to distribute to clients
An appeal from Joyce King for 200 cakes for the cake stall at the Arts and Nature Festival to be held in the following month
Similarly an appeal from Audrey Wayte for paintings and photographs for the Festival
An article explaining that the Church of England had rejected proposals to extend Sunday trading hours
Also, as happened this year, the WI met to discuss Resolutions for the National Annual meeting, interestingly the first being the need for legislation for renewable energy technologies in all new buildings.
St. Stephen’s Church, Lympne
Services and Events in June
Sunday 7th 11 am Holy Communion
Sunday 14th 11am Family Service
Friday 19th 7pm Hymn Singing for all
Saturday 20th 10.30 Coffee morning
Saturday 20th 7pm Police male Voice Choir
Sunday 21st 11am Morning Prayer
Sunday 21st 6pm Evening Service with the band
Saturday 27th 10.30 Craft Day
Sunday 28th 11am Holy Communion
Regular Events:
Mondays 12:-30-1pm (every other week) – Prayer Meeting
Mondays 5pm (every other week) – Home Group – Speak to Valerie or Rachel
Mondays 19:30-21:30 – Bell ringing Practice (each week)
Friday mornings (every other week) – Home Group – Speak to Monica or Peter
Saturday mornings 10:30 – 12:30 Eco group working churchyard (when dry)
Lympne Fellowship
Our meeting in May saw us, once again, raising our voices as Chris Kimmance of Ashford Sings led us towards becoming a choir with backing harmony! He then recorded our final attempt which doesn’t sound too bad. Everyone took part and enjoyed the experience. Our thanks to Chris for his light-hearted, friendly, approach, not to mention his patience!
Lympne Fellowship normally meets at 1.15pm in the Harry Margary Hall on the 2nd Thursday of the month, with a programme of interesting and informative talks and activities.
For further information about our group, please contact Jill Page on 07846 819693.
Lympne Church Coffee Morning
SATURDAY 20th June
10.30am – 12.30pm
Join us for coffee, cake & savoury bakes
Take a break from that walk (Well-behaved dogs welcome)
Catch up with old friends and new
Proceeds to maintenance of the church plus
a donation to this month’s nominated charity:
GUIDE DOGS
Folkestone and Hythe
Craft Day at Lympne
SHAL: Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne
Talk and Presentation by Andy Linklater: ‘Doggerland – Europe’s Lost Prehistoric Kingdom’
At around 20,000 years ago, as the last Ice Age was waning, glaciers started to melt, exposing a vast land mass between Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Britain, which we now know as Doggerland, named after the Dogger Bank that may have earned its name from 17th century Dutch fishing boats called ‘doggers’. Britain was connected to Europe for thousands of years, and over time tundra became open grassland, similar in parts to the steppes of Central Asia. As the climate became warmer, these grasslands developed into a more temperate landscape with pine and deciduous trees, rivers and marshes that could support both human and animal habitation.
Imagine this area inhabited by woolly mammoths, rhinos, wolves, elk, bison, deer and bears. Evidence shows that Mesolithic people lived there, likely having followed the animals they depended on for food. Among these wild animals, herds of horses roamed free, possibly Przewalski’s horses as the environment would have suited them. They are one of the only surviving truly wild horse populations and have never been successfully domesticated and incidentally, a small herd is kept at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park today. Horse riders need to keep a safe seat in the saddle when passing by, because, if they see you, they are likely to gallop to the fence, kicking and baring their teeth to frighten you away.
Evidence of life in Doggerland is still being discovered. Fishing ships working in the North Sea, particularly around the Dogger Bank, frequently find mammoth teeth, animal bones, stone tools and worked pebbles in their nets. These date back tens of thousands of years, and although in the past there has been limited systematic recording of these finds, this is now improving.
Around 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, Doggerland still connected Britain to Europe, so the movement of people would have been on foot. It was a fertile habitat for hunter-gatherers, with major river systems flowing across the land. Mapping from sub-surface surveys shows that the Thames once flowed eastwards to join the Rhine as part of a broader and shifting river network often referred to as the ‘Channel River’, which crossed what is now the North Sea and English Channel.
Several events over millennia contributed to the creation of Britain as an island. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, glacial lakes formed behind a chalk ridge that connected what is now Dover and Calais. When this land was eventually breached, enormous waterfalls were created. These waterfalls contributed to further erosion of the chalk and the formation of what is now the English Channel. This was not a single event but part of repeated phases of flooding and erosion, later followed by rising sea levels as the Ice Age came to an end, resulting in the gradual flooding of low-lying Doggerland.
Then around 8,200 years ago, a massive underwater landslide off Norway – the Storegga Slide – occurred on the edge of the Norwegian Trench. This triggered a powerful tsunami across the North Sea, with major impacts around Britain, Norway, Denmark and surrounding low-lying coasts. There have been claims suggesting that sediments from this event reached as far as Argentina, but these are not supported by scientific evidence. By this time, Doggerland had already been shrinking due to rising sea levels, and the Storegga event contributed significantly to the loss of the remaining land.
The combination of melting glaciers, rising sea levels over millennia, and resulting flooding finally submerged Doggerland, cutting Britain off from mainland Europe and leaving the island we know today. We should also remember that the sea continues to erode the chalk cliffs at Dover and along our coasts; our landscape is still being reshaped.
Today, Doggerland, once home to thousands of people and animals, lies beneath the North Sea and the Channel. But the Dogger Bank, a large, submerged sandbank, remains as a reminder of this long past landscape. I expect many of you will recognise the name from shipping forecasts, which now evokes what Andy Linklater describes as ‘Europe’s Lost Prehistoric Kingdom’.
Next meeting: There will be no meeting next month but there will be an article on Amphitheatres. If you would like to become a member of SHAL please email our Chair Rosemary Stutchbury at r.stutchbury1@gmail.com
President Christine Farquhar welcomed thirty-nine members to the May meeting aka The Resolutions Meeting. Hortense was thanked for the flowers and Ann B; Sue C and Carol K were thanked for refreshments. Christine thanked the members who had made scones to go with the usual tea and coffee. The scones were delicious. The record of the last meeting was agreed and signed. Our Treasurer gave a finance report.
Subgroups. All the subgroups will meet in May. Please see website for details. The next Coffee Club meeting will be on Thursday May 28th 10.30am at The Hythe Imperial Hotel.
Future Events. The summer outing will be to Maison Dieu in Dover on Thursday July 16th 1.00pm -3.00pm. and will include a cream tea. Bookings and money to be collected at the May and June meetings. The Annual Fish and Chips lunch on the beach will be on Friday August 14th.
Sandgate Society Big Green Fair 7th June. CGWI have booked a stall for the Fair and volunteers are needed to man the stall. Also, volunteers are needed to knit /crochet green hearts to decorate the stall. Amid much laughter Christine showed us her “efforts” and said that the reputation of CGWI was at stake!!
Dawn Neale the led us through the two resolutions for the NFWI Annual Meeting in June. The first was to encourage the provision of accessible toilets, the second was to reduce women’s homelessness. After listening to Dawn’s excellent resume of the resolutions a vote was taken, and the results will be forwarded to our delegate to the Annual Meeting.
After enjoying the excellent scones and a catch up with friends we settled down to play Call My Bluff. Kate D was the quizmaster ably assisted by Valerie T. Gill R, Mandy E and Kay H gave the explanations of the obscure words Kate had found. Much laughter and puzzling ensued. Table 2 were the winners and as, according to Kate, it was Worls Coca Cola Day the prize was a carton of coca cola.
An added highlight of the morning was the behaviour of two frisky cows and a bull in the field next to the Lads’ Club. Very appropriate as it was Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday!
The next meeting will be on Friday 12th June when the speaker will be Emma Gray from our nominated charity Rising Sun Kent which supports those affected by domestic abuse.
Margaret Alcock
Finishing with a Smile …
…Why are buildings called buildings when they are finished? Shouldn’t they be called builts?
…Why is abbreviated such a long word?
…Why is it that when you tell someone there are 400 billion stars they will believe you, but when you tell them there’s wet paint, they have to touch it?
