Reflections Blog

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COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING

COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING 

Our previous Coffee Morning was once again a lovely sharing time with 20 friends who joined together in the Parish Hall Committee Room. We enjoyed chatting with each and this was helped with a selection of cakes, biscuits, and some fresh warm cheese scones too. If you would like a lift to a coffee morning, please let Joan Pinkstone know 01462 457660.


Our next Coffee Morning is Wednesday 1st November 10.30 am until Noon. We look forward to seeing you.

Frances Williams Carol Scott Joan Pinkstone

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ST IPPOLYTS CHURCH FRIENDS

ST IPPOLYTS CHURCH FRIENDS

Friends are very grateful to St Ippolyts School families and to all who donated groceries which were given to our local charities. North Herts Sanctuary, Grove Road help to support a Sanctuary in Stevenage and a Sanctuary in Baldock too. Homeless people travel from various parts of the UK and the aim of the Sanctuaries is to give the right support enabling homeless people who come from all walks of life, to find work and accommodation and to give them a fresh start. Revd Ginni also has a food larder for our local community. 

Thank you to Friends who helped sort groceries into their various categories on Monday following Harvest Festival. Children from St Ippolyts School made up gift boxes to be taken to our local friends in the parish and these along with flowers were all gratefully received.
Frances Williams Carol Scott Joan Pinkstone

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Remembrance - a thought from Revd Paul Lanham

REMEMBRANCE

The Thiepval Memorial stands weeping amid the rolling country around the Somme. It has a strange starkness, almost unromantic in its austerity. On the gentle slope below it lie a large number of war graves, the grass immaculately kept as all the war graves are. The Memorial bears the names of over 72,000 Allied soldiers who died in the second half of 1916 but who have no known graves. The birds don't sing at Thiepval; they do not sing anywhere on the Western Front, so it is said. One summer afternoon eleven years ago I sat near that memorial meditating beneath a tree in the silence. I could have spent hours just sitting there, unable to grasp what it must have been like for those tens of thousands who fought amid the noise and the fear and the destruction. Alas,time was far too short; I could only remain there for twenty minutes before going on to mourn at other blood soaked places on that unforgettable four day tour.

A different war, a different war cemetery, a different continent, but the same sense of desolation. Just off a major road along the Egyptian coast road is the Allied cemetery at El Alamein, sixty miles from Alexandria. The terrain is different, with brown sandy soil instead of grass; instead of green rolling countryside there is desert stretching as far as the eye can see, still riddled with the detritus of war. Like other war cemeteries the graves are immaculately cared for in rows as though they were still on parade. 11,886 lie under the burning sun, to be grieved from afar for it is not easily reached except by special trips. Very different surroundings but the same sense of loss, the same sense of mourning.

A third very different cemetery, Hill 107 on the north Cretan coast above Maleme. The stones are flat and square and amid the profusion of low flowers the dead are buried in pairs. 4465 soldiers of the German forces lie there, the slope reaching out mutely towards the deep blue sea before them. The same silence, the same sense of loss, the same sense of mourning. Grief after all is grief because war is war and the young died before they reached their full potential. After all, I have yet to find one person from cemeteries where I have wept that was older than my two daughters; many were a third of my age or less. The inscription at the cemetery reads 'They gave their lives for their country. Their deaths should always be our obligation to keep the peace between nations'. A noble aspiration at a noble place, an unforgettable place to weep but also hope and reconcile. 

Three snapshorts of war. Each November we honour those who suffered and died all over the world (Judy's uncle for example was killed in Papua New Guinea in 1943). Remembrance is not about victory. It is not about celebrating. It is about remembering with sadness and with honour. Some may say that when the last veterans have died we should move on and no longer have acts of remembrance. But this is not the point. Remembering is also about the suffering of the world, not just those from our own nation and commonwealth. When I visited the German War Cemetery at Maleme all those years ago (while on holiday nearby) I felt the same sense of loss, the same need to honour those who lay there as I did at Thiepval or El Alamein and others that I have visited over the years. As we mark Remembrance Sunday this year we may remember those from other countries who fought and died, those civilians from other countries who suffered and died, those who were the victims of genocide. Mourn. In mourning use Remembrance to commit ourselves with others (who once were enemies but are now friends) to the cause of peace, healing – and reconciliation.

With love,

Paul

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St Ippolyts Parish Hall, CHRISTMAS FAYRE

The Prize Draw will take place at 4pm.

Raffle tickets are on sale from St Ippolyts Stores, Hall User groups, Trustees, and other outlets.

1st Prize: Christmas Hamper

2nd prize: Shellfish Platter for 2 by Colchester Oyster Fishery

3rd prize: A 30 minute back, shoulder and neck massage by Orchard House

4th prize: A £30 Gift Voucher from Vanstone Park Garden Centre

5th prize: A 3 course Dinner for 2 at The Bird in Hand

Please come along and support our fantastic parish hall.

Plus various other prizes!

Everyone is welcome.

 

231125 Parish Hall Fayre poster

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Pax

Pax

We are trying to add more to our Pax magazine – it is a great way to connect with one another and to find out what is going on in our parishes. If anyone has anything they would like to share with our communities, please feel free to email it to me.  Thank you.

Pam Skeggs

 

DEADLINE

Material for the November issue of Pax should reach Pam Skeggs  by 15th October 2023, please. Or given to Rosemary Stratton by 12th October. Thank you.

Copies of the magazine are available from St Ippolyts Stores.

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‘100' CLUB

‘100' CLUB

September numbers, winners, and prizes 

No 35    Richard Thake    £20

No 72    Jenny Sheach      £15

No 66    Alan Hinks           £10

The draw was made after the Breakfast Service on 3rd September.

Shelagh Cox

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ST IPPOLYTS CHURCH NATIVITY CRIB FESTIVAL 2nd AND 3rd DECEMBER

ST IPPOLYTS CHURCH NATIVITY CRIB FESTIVAL 2nd AND 3rd   DECEMBER 

We will be holding our wonderful Nativity Crib festival again this year. Could you help?

Do you have a crib that we could borrow for the weekend? It doesn’t need to be grand, or even complete (the old and tatty ones often have the best “story”) the more different cribs of all shapes and sizes the better the festival is. If so, please contact Barbara This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 07443 228468.

Could you make a cake or help for a couple of hours over the weekend? There will be sign-up sheets at the back of the church or contact Barbara.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY UNWANTED JIGSAW PUZZLES?

DO YOU HAVE ANY UNWANTED JIGSAW PUZZLES?

St Ippolyts Church will be holding a Jigsaw Puzzle Stall at the Parish Hall Christmas Fair on Saturday 25th November. If you are a jigsaw puzzler and have any unwanted puzzles, please consider donating them to help raise funds to maintain our beautiful church. Jane Veasey (434254) or Mary Hooper (457350) are collecting the puzzles in advance of the fair at any time from 1st October Puzzles may also be deposited at the back of the church.

Thank you!

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A reflection from Revd Tricia

A NEW BEGINNING - L - PLATES AND MINISTRY

It’s been a roller coaster of a summer for me. 

God called me into ordained ministry over four years ago, and after eighteen months of supervised discernment and assessment, and a further two years of academic study, I was ordained as Deacon on 1st July 2023. 

After the years of study, the ordination day was extraordinarily special. Family and friends all joined me and other curates to be to pray for our future ministry as the bishop prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide us. The whole world receded in that moment! I have been utterly blessed to be given a curacy (trainee vicar placement) for the next three years or so under the care and leadership of Revd Ginni Dear who is incumbent for St Ippolyts, Little Wymondley and Great Wymondley churches. 

The congregations have been welcoming and encouraging for which I am so very grateful. Thank you! This placement is not without its challenges, but I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of the people in the local communities, and I look forward to meeting more of you and hearing about you, your faith, and your lives in this place. I look forward to serving you and these communities too!

As I am sure you are all aware, a church community is made up of people who are exploring or developing a relationship with Jesus. Christians are varied in age, culture, tradition, language, and background, but we all have one thing in common; we are loved by and forgiven by God, through his son, Jesus Christ. It brings us a sense of peace and often profound joy. Most churches have a building, and our local parishioners are caring for church buildings that are ancient, listed, and desperately impractical for contemporary life. An increasingly small number of volunteers look after the churchyards, the buildings inside and out, and try to keep on top of bats, cobwebs, and damp. 

I have been struck by and am in awe of the amount of time and effort given by so few to enable anyone within the parishes to worship, get married, baptise a child, or say goodbye to a loved one. We owe all those who love and care for our church buildings, who give generously to fund their upkeep, a huge debt of gratitude, for without them, there would be no church building!

Revd Tricia Reed

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Thought from Revd Paul Lanham

Dear Friends,

As a local historian, family trees have always interested me. I was occasionally asked as the vicar to help people investigate their ancestors and this involved a lot of detective work (being a priest involves more than taking services and being pious!) and I loved doing it. My own tree (such as it is) vanishes in the mists of time as farm labourers in East Anglia in the 18th century, albeit with the odd member being born on the wrong side of the blanket (I have never told the rest of the Lanhams so please keep this to yourself, they might not be as open minded about it as I am!). But it is a bit vague.

By contrast there is Judy's much bigger one and I was recently given a copy of it. Like my own tree hers begins in the 18th century, in this case in Central Wales (Davis is after all a Welsh name!). Two won the Victoria Cross, in the Crimean and Boer Wars. There are a large number of military officers as it runs in the family (my father-in-law was a colonel, as my nephew in law is - not a vicar in sight!). There was an Admiral (who incidentally attended our wedding and whose son is a good friend of mine). And for many years a genuine Hollywood Oscar was kept in (of all places) the downstairs toilet of the family home until it was kept in a safer place. It was awarded to the legendary actress Dame Margaret Rutherford who married into the family - I used to hold it with awe. And so on, just a few of the many hundreds of members of them. I can read about these figures and see the fading pictures, and they come alive. Local history is fascinating if you are made that way, and investigating ancient records and fading grave stones throw new light on who we are and where we came from.

At the end of October we look ahead to All Saints and All Souls Day, on November 1 and 2 respectively. Family trees remind us of our roots, and these two festivals remind us that we are linked to more than just our present and past relatives. They set us in the context of humanity. All Saints Day speaks of our being part of God's people, past present and future. In the Book of Revelation we read of 'that whole multitude which no man could number' worshipping before the throne of God; I find this both inspiring and comforting. As members of our local church, as members of our family we become united in spirit as one. Then on All Souls Day we especially remember loved ones and people who have especially touched our lives - and we commend them to God's care and keeping. Here on these two days the present and the past meet and we are enriched by them. Perhaps as we think of them we may also think of ourselves as part of all humanity, widening our thoughts still further, for God reaches out to the world, not just to those who believe in Him in the accepted sense but as something or someone cosmic. 

We mark one other day this month. On October 10 there is the (secular) World Mental Health Day. Regular readers of Pax will know of my total commitment to this cause, as a campaigner and a former sufferer. Mental health is becoming more and more recognised for what it is and how important it is but so much more is needed, both in terms of improved treatment but also in removing stigma associated with it. May I commend it to your thoughts and prayers, not only on this day but at other times as well?

With my love,

Paul

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QUIZ NIGHT -18th NOVEMBER 2023

Quiz Night with ploughman's supper at our Parish Hall

Tickets £12.50 from Jane Veasey 01462 434254

231118 Quiz Night poster

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MY CYCLE FROM LONDON TO PARIS

MY CYCLE FROM LONDON TO PARIS 

Some of you know me, I cycle to church on a bike with a wicker basket, and my mother, Margaret Dines, who used to live next to the vicarage in St Ippolyts before she moved to the centre of Hitchin. I usually live and work in London but since the pandemic have spent a lot of time working remotely at my mother’s so haven’t been doing my usual city cycle commute. But when a friend said she wanted to cycle to Paris and knew someone who had done it before, following the route called the Avenue Verte and would act as our leader I agreed to join her. I then had to do some rapid training cycling round the Wymondleys and out to Whitwell and Offley to make up for several years of inactivity!

Four of us started near our homes in Islington on Wednesday 26th April and were wondering why one of the group hadn’t appeared, only to find that she had had a puncture cycling to our meeting place! Puncture fixed we negotiated London and made our way south, heartened to see Avenue Verte signs appearing. We had a picnic lunch on Farthing Downs in Coulsdon, crossed the M25 and could finally enjoy the countryside, apart from several hills, until we arrived in Lewes at about 7.45pm. The next morning, we had a short ride to Newhaven for the 11am ferry and found at least a dozen other cyclists on the boat. Four hours later we arrived in Dieppe and cycled through the town to a wonderful flat, tarmacked cycle route on a disused railway line. It was a delight to ride along and we had a quick stop to look through the gates at the chateau at Mesnieres-en-Bray. But then a light drizzle started to get heavier and we spent the last two hours of our four hour cycle getting soaked so we arrived at our hotel in Forge les Eaux feeling utterly miserable! However, they were still serving food and agreed to tumble dry our clothes which was a great help.

The next morning was still damp but we set off and had lunch outside the old abbey at Saint-Germer-de-Fly in the sunshine! We continued through undulating countryside on quiet lanes, through equally quiet villages and just to prove it was spring heard a cuckoo. We had afternoon tea in Gisors before finally arriving at about 6pm in the tiny village of Omerville where we were staying with a French couple who rented out rooms in their pretty cottage. After drinks in the garden we had a delicious supper but as the church clock chimed hourly my companions had a slightly disturbed night (using earplugs I was fine!). The next morning, after breakfast of bread with homemade jams and yogurt we set off for Paris. It was exciting to cross the Seine at Triel-sur-Seine, even though we were still miles from our destination. We had lunch at Villennes-sur-Seine, cycled through the Bois de Boulogne, and finally got to view the Eiffel Tower from the Palais de Chaillot at about 6pm - we felt such a sense of achievement and relief that nothing had gone wrong! We had averaged about 55 miles a day and weren’t too exhausted or saddle sore. It then took us over an hour to get through the centre of Paris to our hostel near Gard du Nord. There is some good cycle infrastructure and loads of cyclists using it but having never been to Paris on a bike before I found all the traffic pretty overwhelming and was very pleased to just follow our leader. The following day was wonderfully warm and sunny and we were having a rest day in the city so cycled along one side of the Seine and then had a picnic lunch on the other side, went to the Jardin des Plantes and ended with supper in a restaurant by the Canal Saint-Martin. We had an early start on Monday 1st May taking the train to Rouen as we were unable to get one directly to Dieppe. But on arrival at Rouen it was grey, breezy and damp and we had another puncture so instead of cycling to Dieppe with the anxiety of the ferry deadline, once the puncture was fixed we decided to take the train instead. And what a great move that was as we could have a leisurely time before getting the boat back to Newhaven and then the train to Finsbury Park. 

It was such a fun experience and France is a great place to cycle in – I would love to do the trip again but would take my bike on the train to the ferry and do about 35 miles a day with more stops at places of interest as our leader had certainly kept us moving!

Alison Dines

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ARTICLE FROM NEW ZEALAND

ARTICLE FROM NEW ZEALAND 

I was Susan Veasey.  I lived in the parish from age 3, attending St. Ippolyts school from 1961-7.  I was married in St. Ippolyts Church and both my children were baptised there.  Soon after this we moved to New Zealand where I still live but my daughter and her family now live in Hitchin. 

St. James’ Church, Kerikeri 

The first Anglican service in New Zealand was held on Christmas Day, 1814, at Oihi Bay in the Bay of Islands. It was conducted by Samuel Marsden, a Yorkshireman, who as a member of the Church Missionary Society was originally based in New South Wales. The site is now in the Rangihoua Heritage Park and is marked by a stone cross. 

Marsden moved to New Zealand in 1814 with some others to engage in missionary work with the Māori people. Their first mission station was established in Rangihoua Bay, and then moved to Kerikeri where the first mission house and the Stone Store can still be seen. For the first decade the mission was in competition with the Wesleyan and Catholic missionaries, but they converted some Māori chiefs and began to establish the Anglican Church there. 

The first chapel was built close to the Stone Store in 1823, and a second replaced it on the current site in 1829. This later fell into disrepair and a new church was built of kauri weatherboards in 1878, with a vestry extension added in 1963. The Church is dedicated to St. James the Greater of Compostela, whose symbol is the scallop shell, and who is associated with the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. 

The Church is a grade 1 heritage listed building and the graveyard is a listed heritage site as well. The Church is kept open during the day and boasts some interesting stained-glass windows and a pipe organ. There are several weekly services, including a family service, and other groups that meet regularly. Music is a feature of the services, there are currently 5 organists and a church choir that sings at Christmas, Easter, and the Patronal festival in July. 

The Kerikeri basin is a tourist site, and many people travel here to see where the European settlement of New Zealand began. Visitors are always welcome at St. James’, there is a booklet about the Church and a graveyard tour available at a small cost for those who are interested.

Sue Hunt 

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PAX

 

We are trying to add more to our PAX magazine – it is a great way to connect with one another and to find out what is going on in our parishes. If anyone has anything they would like to share with our communities, perhaps a short write up on a local event you have attended or an interesting historical or amusing story or tradition that you know about, please do feel free to email it to me.  Thank you.

Pam Skeggs

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CHURCH CHOIR

CHURCH CHOIR

We would welcome more people to join us on a Sunday morning twice a month to sing in the church choir. No previous music experience is required. There are a regular few who attend these services, and we would welcome more to join us. It is great to sing together. If you are interested, then please do contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and your details will be forwarded to John Edwards our St Ippolyts Church organist. 

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A thought from Revd Paul Lanham.

Dear Friends,

While clearing out a filing cabinet during August I discovered my school reports that my parents had given to me before they died. The earliest was (mind bogglingly) 71 years ago where the matron noted that I was four stone nine pounds wringing wet (a third of what I am now). The Headmaster commented quaintly of me in 1955 that 'he is a most acceptable member of the school'. One year I am recorded as being a first class shot. This was rather surprising as I was short sighted and had not yet begun to wear spectacles; when the relevant test took place I remember that I was blazing away at a blur and amazingly hit the target several times (more appropriately I once shattered a bottle with my first shot using my brother's air pistol, only to discover that I had aimed with my left eye and fired with my right hand). But the most memorable remark came from my history master. He was a retired colonel of ferocious mien, and if my memory is right he had a faint physical resemblance to the Gestapo supremo Heinrich Himmler. I can still hear his slightly stuttering voice in my head as he wrote of me 'He s-s-seems teachable'. Since my university degree is in ancient and modern history (and theology) he must have succeeded - unlike the master who told me I would never learn Greek, only for me to pass a university exam six years later. 

From this you can grasp that in spite of the belief that school days are the happiest ones of your life, mine weren't. In a school (which I shall not name) that had its fair share of high achievers my only success was as scorer for the First, Second and Colts school cricket teams. For the rest it was a case of being a total nonentity, except that being in a deeply Christian school I ended as a priest. But it was fascinating to look back at these reports, seeing what I was like and how I developed as I am now. Lanham R, (as opposed to my younger brother Lanham P), is rightly forgotten as a former pupil. 

Thank heavens that Jesus did not choose the twelve disciples on the basis of worldly merit and status but looked for something more than that. At school I feel I would have been more comfortable with Andrew than the others; he would have hovered quietly in the background than the more gifted in the school. Or perhaps Thomas who was always asking questions and being honest without being a prize winner. Both would have been very 'acceptable members of the school' rather than anything special. I love the ordinariness of the Twelve. Not an intellectual, nobody of high rank, just twelve highly idealistic young men who were prepared with Jesus to turn the world upside down and believed in Him so much that they were prepared to die for Him. I love their vulnerability, their confusion, their innocence and their courage. Jesus could have chosen almost anyone to be His closest circle but He chose them. A reassurance that God calls all of us, in all our ordinariness to serve Him as we are, not to be special. My thought for the month!

A personal note. I have been unable to minister in the parish since my stroke last year and then losing Judy. I have missed you all very much but my voice needs to be strengthened before I can resume, while life has had to be reassessed. However, we have been helped enormously by your thoughts and prayers, with special thanks to Ginni (not least for being Ginni!). Hopefully I will be back soon; you can't get rid of me that easily! 

With my love,

Paul

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St Hippolytus - A Sermon by the late and very much missed Howell Davies

Howell Davies, our late and very much missed reader and friend preached a sermon about St Hippolytus on 15th August 2021. As it ius now the festival of our patron saint it is appropriate we remember Howell's sermon.image.jpeg

230813 H Davies Sermon re St Ippolyts 2nd page

230813 H Davies Sermon re St Ippolyts 3rd page230813 H Davies Sermon re St Ippolyts 4th page

 

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Horse Blessing Service- 10:00 a.m. Saturday 19th August 2023

Our annual horse blessing service will take place at 10:00 am on 19th August. We have changed the time to suit the horses!!

230819 Horse Blessing Poster 2023

 

 

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Sunday 30th July 2023 - Service at the Vicarage

A congregation of 27 enjoyed an al fresco service in the Revd Ginni's garden inspite of some distant hedge cutting. We were joined by a variety of wildlife including painted lady, peacock and large white butterflies plus a solitary raven a pair of buzzards and a red kite. (well they actually flew over and did not drop in!!) After the service everyone tucked into sausage and bacon rolls for breakfast.

IMG 5310IMG 5312 

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THE SERVICE THIS SUNDAY IS AT 9.15AM IN THE VICARAGE GARDEN!

DON'T FORGET!
THE SERVICE THIS SUNDAY IS AT 9.15AM
IN THE VICARAGE GARDEN!
 
Dear All
 
I hope you are keeping well.  I've got my finger's crossed for some dry weather on Sunday and am very much looking forward to welcoming you into my garden for our 9.15am service of Holy Communion.
 
For those of you who are relatively new to our churches, once a year we hold a benefice service in my garden - it's the same as the service in church but with the added excitement that only dicing with nature can bring!!!  For example, think low flying pigeons, neighbours singing in the shower, the cat deciding that the altar is a good spot to groom himself, a member of the congregation toppling into a bush when their chair sinks into the grass......you get the idea!!!  The possibilities are endless!!  It is however a good chance to worship together with members of all three of our churches in the benefice, St Ippolyts, Great Wymondley and Little Wymondley and we share breakfast afterwards.
 
Practicalities:
Bring a chair!
 
The postcode for The Vicarage is SG4 7PE - it's a 5 minute walk from church so if you are fit and able then please park at church as you normally would and walk down.  There are a few parking spaces on my drive and others should be able to park in East View which is opposite the Vicarage.
 
If it's raining we will have the service in church.
 
You are welcome to bring your dog (if you have one - please don't pinch someone else's!!) but please keep them on a lead at all times and be aware that I have a cat who is scared of NO ONE and enjoys nothing better than taunting visiting hounds!!  I will try to lure the cat indoors with copious amounts of cat treats and ask him very nicely to stay inside but he can run faster than me so I can't guarantee it!!
 
Please find attached a list of services for August and I hope to see you all soon.
 
Much love
 
Revd Ginni 
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