From the Rectory
We are having great fun at present watching the nursery in the garden. Somewhere, in one of the trees that surround us, is the nest of a great spotted woodpecker. Now I should say at the outset that I am not very good at birds and bird behaviour – but we have been delighted to watch the adults attacking the bird food at the end of the garden every day over the last few weeks. Yesterday we were delighted to see what appeared to be a baby woodpecker sitting on the back of a garden chair and being fed by one of the adults.
They are not the only birds that come to the garden. We have a large mistle thrush, a blackbird – or two or three- a pair of pigeons, also resident in one of the trees, a pair of hooded crows and sundry delightful small finches and members of the tit family. There is also a robin. The greediest of the birds that visit the garden, however, are the starlings – they seem to come in great numbers (what is the collective noun for starlings?) and jostle each other for space at the three separate food sources. The pigeons haven’t got the message at all – because all the food is hanging well away from the neighbours’ cats, all they seem able to do is to patrol beneath the stand and pick up the scraps the other birds leave, as does the robin.
What really impresses me about these birds, apart from the starlings who are like noisy school children, is their courtesy. There may well be a ‘pecking order’, but it seems to me that most of them wait patiently nearby until food becomes available. As I sat watching them on the morning that I write, I was interested to know whether those of different species communicate with each other. To be honest, I am not sure even how those of the same species communicate – maybe someone can tell me. It occurred to me that all the birds, large, small, brightly coloured or dull, manage to get on quite well together and to go about their business in amity. Now I know there are exceptions, the cuckoo is pretty rude in its egg laying habits, and birds of prey are best avoided, but by and large it seems to me that all the different species ‘get on’.
I was reminded of people – they too come in all different sizes and shapes – and colours, but I often get the impression that they don’t tolerate and respect each other nearly as well as the birds. Maybe we humans could learn a lot by observing those creatures that are not considered to be ‘the pinnacle of God’s creation’.
I wish you all a happy and restful holiday period, some sunshine to warm and heal – and time to sit still and look and be.
Yours in Christ
Jo
Please pray for…
All who are on holiday
Our teachers – especially those from Turvey School.
All whose circumstances make holidays impossible.
TLC
We all need a bit of TLC from time to time and the church is now providing this for some of the more senior residents of the village. Actually, TLC stands for Turvey Luncheon Club. This is to meet once a month in the Village Hall and will provide a hot meal and fellowship for its members. There was a trial run at the end of June, when about thirty invited ‘guinea pigs’ enjoyed a choice of cottage pie or fish pie, followed by fruit flan and ice cream and a choice of tea or coffee – it was delicious. Everything was cooked fresh on the premises by a small team of cooks who have undertaken food hygiene courses and spent some months planning carefully so that everything runs smoothly. They must have planned very carefully because we arrived to find the tables beautifully set with pretty cloths and new china, wonderful smells wafting from the kitchen and the cooks looking calm and in control – despite an assortment of rather odd headgear, including a plastic shower cap! The food was served promptly and was piping hot, and it was really good to see a variety of people catching up with old friends and neighbours – and making new friends. It is proposed that this will start for real in August so there will be more news later. In the meantime, congratulations to Laraine and Keith Coney, Roger and Marilyn Eaton, Sarah Beecham and Rob Spray – and thank you for an excellent lunch!
Don’t forget Turvey Village Party
Saturday July 7that Chantry House in aid of Fast. Lots of fun for all the family so come and have a great day. Beer tent, Barbecue lunch, Ice cream stall, Birds of prey and games galore.
Parish News
Congratulations to Adrian Cook, Pip Knowles, Win Waller and Heather Whelbourne who were confirmed at All Saints on 26th June.
Congratulations to Charles Mack and Elizabeth Charnley
Married on Saturday 16th September at All Saints.
Congratulations to Andrew and Katy Mellon (nee Sawford) on the birth of Daisey Dora on 10th June.
RIP Iris Williams of 2, Morduant Close.
Summer floral Demonstration
By Liz Curd
Tuesday 31st July 7-9p.m.
In Turvey Village Hall
Tickets £7.50 Call 01234 881546 for further information or to book a place
Coffee Morning
The next coffee morning is to be held at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday 14th July at 52, Oakley Road, Bromham by kind invitation of Roger and Marilyn Eaton. There will be a raffle and bring and buy stall for which contributions of cakes and produce will be very welcome. Please contact Anne Claypole White if you need transport or directions. Last months coffee morning and plant sale raised over £500 towards church funds. A big thank you to Jim and Margaret Lacey for hosting and to everyone who helped and supported it. Even the weather came up trumps and we were all able to enjoy the lovely garden.
Put 28th September in your diary now!
Celia Hanbury is hosting another Michaelmas Fair on 28th September at Hall Farm. As in previous years, the Church is to benefit from the proceeds of the Fair. It is also the date of the McMillan Coffee Morning for Cancer Relief – so the two events are to be combined.
How can you help?
Frugal Lunch in aid of Christian Aid
On Sunday 3rd June this year we enjoyed this lunch thanks to the organisation of Polly, Sharon and Katie. We raised a total of £305, all of which was gift-aided...even better! Thanks to all those who generously supported this event.
Jo Spray
David Brewster
Profile by Cindy Woods
David was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. His father was a footplate man on the railway, later promoted to foreman, and his mother stayed at home to look after David, his brother and his sister. Sadly his brother has died from cancer but his sister is now back living in Grimsby (following the death of her husband) after a spell of living in Mississippi, America.
David grew up in Cleethorpes and went to the local Grammar school and attained 6 GCE’s. He says he left at the age of sixteen because there was no encouragement to stay on. David started his working life on a farm thinking he might like to go into agriculture and went to the Farm Institute in Lincoln to study, this did not last as he was called up for National Service and went into the air force as a motor mechanic. He chose to stay in the air force for five years instead of the usual two. Often during leave he would stay at his Uncle’s and on one occasion there was a dance that David went to and it was there that David’s cousin Olive introduced him to a girl called Fay. It was love at first sight for both of them, as David says he knew instantly that she was the one for him. They married in 1957 in the church of Mary Magdalene in Old Somerby, but not until Fay had made David get confirmed. Fay said "are you going to get confirmed"? David said "yes", Fay replied "I’ll arrange it" so David went to weekly confirmation lessons with the padre at the air force camp.
A couple of years after their marriage David left the air force and went to work as an inseminator for the Milk Marketing Board, his travels took him to South Wales and Cheshire amongst others and along the way they had Tim. It was because Fay had heart problems that they decided not to have any more children and when Tim was eleven they decided it was best not to travel and disrupt schooling so they settled down in Grantham. David left the Milk Marketing Board and went to work for a company called Coles who tested mobile cranes. They stayed there until Tim went off to University.
Not content with just working David and Fay opened, yes you’ve guessed it, a music shop (Cogglers Music, named after a village in Lincolnshire called Burton Coggles) in St. Helens. They were both involved with music, mainly folk music at the time but also with Morris dancing and Ceilidhs. David and Fay were involved with a group called the Cogglers Brew and David played piano and accordion and Fay played the drums. Tim followed the family tradition but did not have any formal training other than learning to play clarinet at school. He declined lessons on other instruments saying he preferred to do his own thing rather than being made to. In fact David says Kate is more qualified on paper than Tim is. David and Fay lived in the flat above the shop and one day Jane, who was teaching in St. Helens at the time came into the shop and met Tim, just like his parents it was love at first sight (must run in the family) and they later married.
After their marriage Tim got a job in education in Bedfordshire and they decided to move to Turvey and had Kate and Tom. Eventually David and Fay sold up and moved to Wellingborough to be near the grandchildren but Fays health declined and she sadly passed away in 2000 and is buried in the churchyard where they got married. David says he wad devastated after all their years together. In 2002 David had a stroke and was admitted to Kettering Hospital where slowly with help he improved enough to go and stay with Tim and Jane and the grandchildren. David says the stroke has affected his speech and memory and says his hands do not work so well and he does not play the piano very much now. He sold the bungalow and when the chance came he moved in the Barton and Royale Homes at Station End.
David says he goes to All Saints for the choir, he has always sung in church choirs and loves it, what a musical family! Will it carry on when Kate and Tom have children, I think so. David paints watercolours, and good he is too, even though his hands are slow. He still manages to enjoy a beer or two with his friends after Wednesday’s choir practice and as David says you have to rejoice in the gift of another day.
This story was sent to me many years ago by a friend living in America Cindy
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd. I had quite a weekend of planned parties and a football game with friends so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking I saw a bunch of kids running towards him who knocked all his books out of his arms and tripped him up so that he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes and my heart went out to him. I ran over to him and as he was looking for his glasses I saw a tear in his eye. I handed him his glasses and said "Those guys are jerks they need to get a life". He looked at me and smiled a smile of gratitude and said thanks. I helped him pick up his books and asked him where he lived, as it turned out he lived near me, so I asked him why I had not seen him before and he said he had gone to a private school. I would never have hung out with a kid from private school before. We walked home and I carried his books and it turned out he was a pretty cool kid so I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. We hung out all weekend and I got to really like him and so did my friends.
Over the next four years Kyle and I became best friends and when we were seniors we began to think about college, Kyle decided in Georgetown to train as a doctor and I was going to Duke to study business and I knew that we would always be friends no matter how many miles apart we were.
One Sunday a pastor told the congregation that the church needed some extra money and asked the people to prayerfully consider giving a little extra in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns.
After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a £50 note in offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he’d like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate.
A very quiet, elderly and saintly lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanksgiving asked her to pick out three hymns. Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the
three handsomest men in the building and said, "I will take him and him and him."
Share the hymns with someone who needs a smile
Kyle was Valedictorian of our class and had to prepare a speech for graduation day. On graduation day Kyle looked great, he was one of those guys that had really found himself during high school, he had filled out and actually looked good in glasses, he had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him, boy sometimes I was jealous. I could see that he was nervous about his speech so I smacked him on the back and said "Hey, big guy, you’ll be great" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled, "thanks" he said.
As he started his speech he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those rough years. Your parents, teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach, but mostly your friends. I am going to tell you a story. I just looked at my friend in disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so that his Mum wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying all his stuff home. He looked and gave me a smile, "thankfully I was saved, my friend saved me from the unspeakable". I heard a gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mum and Dad looking at me and smiling the same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realise its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a persons life, for better or worse. God puts us all in each others lives to make an impact in some way.
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
Thought for the Month
Everyone is guilty of the good they didn’t do.