All Saints Church  -  FEBRUARY 2012

Our Christmas services in 2011 turned out to be rather different from our plans. The Revd Tony Cumberlidge was due to take all our services until his retirement at 31 December on grounds of ill health. In the event Tony was admitted to hospital on 1 November for major heart by-pass surgery and was not able to return.

 

On December 11th our now established carol service, entirely by candlelight, took place. Our team of Martyn, Richard and Trevor had worked from 10am till 6pm lighting the paths, trees and fences approaching the church with such dedication, so determined were they, to make the spectacle the best ever. And so it was at 5.30pm when all the lanterns were lit. But cruelly at 5.45pm the heavens opened with a violent storm, which at a stroke extinguished every candle. Fortunately our new floodlighting saved us from complete darkness.

 

Inside the church, the traditional service of lessons and carols took place with the choir of
St Michael and All Angels Church, Lambourn and their Organist and Choir Master, Stephen Holmes, joining us. The choir’s solo item “A child is born in Bethlehem” by Malcolm Archer was particularly pleasing. We were very happy to welcome a relative newcomer to the parish, David Comyn, to give us the penultimate reading. A selection of people who contributed to the church during 2011 read the other six lessons including husband and wife team Freddie and Sue Tulloch.

 

Despite the weather we had a full church with an enthusiastic congregation, who after the service enjoyed mulled wine and hot mince pies – thanks to Mrs Widge Lamplough. Thank you also to all who came and those that helped to make this service such an enjoyable start to our Christmas festivities.

 

On Christmas morning, with the Archdeacon of Berkshire’s blessing we held a Christmas Family Worship service. People responded magnificently to the letter which we sent to every household in the parish explaining that though we were unable to have a Holy Communion Service, there would be an emphasis on all children in the parish participating in the family service. We had 120 people in church with 40 of these being children and young persons (some from Norway, USA and Belgium! ), who needed no persuasion when their turn came to take part.

 

The service began with a message from The Revd Tony Cumberlidge, who also designed the service and had previously written his address, based on the origin of the carol Silent Night. Very fittingly Susan Holmes, home on vacation from university, was our organist. Susan has been involved with all our family services since 2005. Pat Glover’s Active Music Club young pupils (all under 13) again delighted us with their playing. The String Ensemble – Hannah and David Glover, Sophie Pannett-Smith and Toby Locke, provided the accompaniment to Away in a Manger. Rachel Glover and Jonathan Pannett-Smith were soloists and all the children present then joined them to sing a verse together.

 

In the address, David Glover as the organist Franz Gruber, played a haunting version of Silent Night on his violin and Libby Pannett-Smith – a mother from our Young Families Group sang the first verse solo. The congregation then joined in. The collection was taken by Billie, Oliver, Poppy and Jemima Tulloch. Jemima, the youngest, is just three and a half. The children undertook their task reverently and immaculately, having rehearsed dutifully as Tony Cumberlidge had taught them. PCC Treasurer – Rachel Brown and husband Robert gave the two bible readings.

 

This was a very happy occasion for adults as well as children and it was very marked, that despite being Christmas morning, all the children were dedicated to taking part in the service and this was the uppermost thought in their minds. It was an example of the theme of Tony’s message: that Christmas is about giving, not just receiving.

All Saints Church - JANUARY 2012

After such a happy 2nd half of the year when the Revd Tony Cumberlidge returned from sick leave, when in 4 months we had 4 very successful festivals with 3 parish lunches, we concluded 2011 with great sadness. Tony was admitted to hospital on 1st November and on 24th had a triple heart by-pass operation, with complications arising during his recovery period.

Two much beloved parishioners passed away – Peter Smith and John McGregor. Sadly for both families Tony was not able to conduct their funerals. Neither was he able to baptise John and William James, sons of Edward and Harriet James and grandsons of Charlie and the late Ginny James. The family have been exceptionally close to Tony through his pastoral care of Ginny during her last 3 years of illness and we all remember Ginny just a couple of weeks before she died watching with delight, her first grandson John, at two years of age taking part in our crib service dressed as a lamb – albeit a mischievous one!

Our Remembrance Service at the War Memorial on 12 November was conducted by The Revd Christopher Ardagh-Walter and was well attended – about 80 people, again with the Wantage Youth Silver Band playing a very significant part. This service was introduced by Tony, soon after he arrived in the Lambourn Valley, and given his Army Chaplaincy background, was always a very significant occasion for him.

As most people now know, we are organising a farewell occasion for him, which was to have been on 14th January. We will now be arranging this in the Spring and will be in contact with the three parishes. He wishes all his parishioners a Very Happy Christmas and thanks you for your messages, cards, kind thoughts and especially your prayers for his recovery. Gaynor and Tony’s family are likewise grateful to everyone for their kindness. Tony has been greatly sustained by the love shown towards him by such a wide group of people from all three parishes.

Happily we will all be able to say goodbye properly to him at his farewell celebration, when he has recovered his health sufficiently, and when the weather is warmer in the Spring.