Christmas Tree Festival

Once again the Christmas Tree Festival was very successful. This year we had 25 trees all decorated by local villagers. The lights from these, together with over 100 candles glowing throughout the church gave a warm and welcoming atmosphere to start our festive season at St. Andrews. The church was full for the annual carol service on the Sunday Evening. The service followed its now traditional pattern, beginning with Joseph Whiting singing Once in Royal David's City. This set the tone for a very enjoyable evening of poems, readings, soloists and the Breckland Hand bell ringers alternating with the Christmas Carols. Martin Chilvers again returned to the village to host the event and this year we were pleased to welcome John Rone, who read the Nativity Story and led the prayers for us. The congregation then enjoyed mince pies and mulled wine and a bit of a mardle before leaving our beautifully decorated church and wending their way home.

Our thanks to everyone who works so hard to make this happen each year. Once the trees have been delivered from Didlington Nurseries our local team of tree men trim, pot and set these up in the allocated places, sometimes having to move them around in different positions in the church until the 'organisers' are satisfied! This is all done with much good humour and a few aching backs. Then follows a frenzied few days whilst the decorators work their magic on the trees. It's always lovely to see who will do what with their tree and what will the children produce this year for their trees. Of course, after all the services and events over Christmas the inevitable happens and everything has to be taken down by the 6th January. Again our army of helpers clear the church with the same good humour as they showed when preparing for the start of the celebrations of Christmastide. Our grateful thanks to everyone involved.

As most of you are aware, we have a charity tree in the church which raises money for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice. This year the donations for the tree amounted to £52. This was added to the amount raised from the Chris tingle service and so a cheque for £132 will now be sent from the people of Northwold towards the deserving cause.

Thank you all again and we wish everyone a happy and healthy 2008.

Plough Monday - 7 January 2008

Plough Monday was again celebrated in the fast reviving traditional manner on 7th January. The event began with the torchlight procession from The Crown to the Church, where the plough was blessed by The Reverend Angela Nichols, and Martin Chilvers welcomed us all. This was followed by Molly dancing by The Norwich Kit Witches and The Ouse Washes Molly Dancers, who performed their traditional dances.

No sooner had this ended than The St Andrew’s Mummers appeared from the darkness to perform their play to the amusement of the gathering. Jack Tar was slain by Jack Ketch despite entreaties from his girl friend, the king of Little London’s daughter, not to hurt him, with assistance and advice from Old Bessie Tosspot.

As he lay apparently dead, a Doctor was called who on examination discovered that Jack Ketch had not killed him but that he was critically ill due to a long string of sausages stuck in his inside. These were duly removed, to amusement of the gathering. So everything turned out alright in the end.

After the play the King’s Morris men danced and then it was time to tour the village where dancing took place at other locations before finishing up in John Haylock’s yard. Here the whole performance was repeated, and mulled wine and mince pies were handed round.

Andrew and Ginny are to be congratulated for the effort and expertise that they have put into this venture. More people than ever came to watch and enjoy the occasion,which bodes well for the revival of such traditional events.

Grateful thanks are extended to everyone who helped in any way to make this event such a success .

Pet Service - Sunday, 19 August

In spite of very unsettled weather, a good number of pets and their owners took part happily (and peacefully) in the occasion to celebrate the pleasure we enjoy with our pets.

Rev. Angela Nicoll retold the colourful tale of Noah's Ark, and we all introduced our pets to each other. We made a 'friendship' paper chain bearing our names and the names of our pets, and each child took home a small model of an animal to remind them of the event. We sang with enthusiasm some appropriate songs and Janet played the organ for us.

A very happy event altogether!

 

Left: Saffy, often seen accompanying Church Warden Jane Luckman to the church.


 
The Official Guide to St Andrews, Northwold

The second edition of the Church History & Guide, by Dr J A Norris, was published in 2003 and contains the same information as the online version, except that, for reasons of cost, the photos are in black and white (apart from the front and back covers, which are in full colour).

The Guide is available in the church for £1, but if you would like us to mail you a copy, please send a cheque to the value of £1.75 (inc. P&P), made out to St Andrew's Church, addressed to:
Miss Jane Luckman, 12 West End, Northwold, Norfolk IP26 5LE.

If you are interested in obtaining copies of the images displayed on this site, or any other images of the church, whether for use in print or on the web, please contact Jane de Silva.