Church News
Good Friday Walk. Although this takes place on March 29th we are sufficiently confident that the Bleasby News will be distributed before that date,to draw your attention to the advert on page 19 and posters displayed in the village and on the website which give further details.
Easter Services. There will be a service of Holy Communion at Bleasby at 10.30am.
The internal work on the servery and accessible toilet is, at last, completed and the drains have been laid through the churchyard and car park to the road. The final connection to the mains is scheduled for April.
Alex Turner’s last service as leader of the Trent Churches Choir was held on Sunday 17th March at Rolleston. Alex will be going on to Oxford and will be preparing for school exams from Easter onwards. Our thanks go to Alex for all the work he has put in to preparing the choir for services and concerts. We wish him well for the remainder of his school career and in his future studies.
James Pacey a student of theology working with Claire on some Sundays for church-based experience, led our family service in March (under Claire’s watchful eye) with great success. The children enjoyed the “gardening” activity and the fruit hunt, and we all look forward to seeing James again.
Harmony, a group of Lace City singers is putting on a concert in church at 7.30pm on Friday April 19th. Tickets (£5 including a glass of wine) are available from Diana Temperley, Rachael Andrew and the shop. Lace City Singers are internationally renowned and are currently preparing for a competition at the Sage in Gateshead. Proceeds will go towards the WAVE Project
Christian Aid Week takes place from 12th to 18th May. Christian Aid works on the ground to ensure food is readily available now and in the future for individuals and families in some of the poorest communities in the world. It also challenges structures and institutions that are keeping people poor. One in eight people goes to bed hungry each night, yet almost half the food produced in the world never makes it to the plate.
hunger is not just seen as a problem but as an injustice, so solutions are sought beyond helping people to survive. Christian Aid works with indigenous community organisations and churches wherever it operates. It draws on local knowledge and experience to maximise its effectiveness. It also works with other organisations in emergencies and in major projects such as the IF Campaign (see www.christianaid.org.uk). There will be the usual house –to- house collection which raises in excess of £1,000 each year as a result of the generosity of Bleasby residents. There will also be a soup lunch in the village hall on Saturday 18th May.
Open Gardens. We now have six offers of gardens which will be open for visitors on Sunday 16th June. A few more would be good as would offers of help with teas, publicity, car parking etc. Please be in touch.
TRENT CHURCHES’ CHOIR
From early in January 2010 Alex Turner has been the Musical Director of the Trent Churches’ Choir since the retirement of John King, having joined as a member of the choir during 2009. He has conducted three Carol Concerts since that time - at Christmas in 2011 in Thurgarton Church when all the lights went out he wasn’t phased at all! He has also led us at Communion services, Evensong, Remembrance Day services and occasions such as weddings.
Sadly we are to lose him, though we are delighted that he has been offered a place at Magdalen College in Oxford with a music scholarship. We have all been impressed by his musical ability since he took us on and he has grown in both confidence and stature (literally) during the time he has spent with us. While at the Minster School he has had considerable experience of conducting school choirs and orchestras and was more recently awarded a choral scholarship as a counter-tenor in the Minster Choir.
He is studying for his diploma in piano playing in July following his ‘A’ levels and has given several informal recitals for both voice and piano. He has, of course, played the organ in most of the churches in the Benefice.
We will miss him very much, both at our Choir Practices and services, and wish him well in the future.
Alison Salter