Category Archives: St. Andrew’s
Service Reduction
Henceforth, St. Andrew’s will have only one regular morning service a month which will be on the first Sunday at ten o’clock. This will fit in with a rota including all the four Benefice churches. There will also be occasional evening services — the first of which is on March 17th.
Eligible persons are urged to apply to be listed on the electoral roll.
The Electoral Roll
This year the electoral roll starts from scratch again. Regular worshippers or those living in the parish who meet the eligibility criteria set out on the application form are eligible to be listed on the church electoral roll and this, in turn, will allow them to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting on April 7th.
Epiphany
Messy Church
Carol Service
Jane Warne
N.B. the midnight mass for the benefice is at Pyecombe at 11.30pm.
Updated WWII history pamphlet now available
Pat Nightingale and Ken Wilson-Wheeler have released an updated version of their pamphlet World War Two in Beeding and Bramber. New to this version is an interesting page devoted to Flying Officer Gerald Gordon Lonsdale whose memorial can be found above the organ in St. Andrew’s. Like the earlier WWI book, the pamphlet covers Beeding, Bramber, Edburton, Fulking and Small Dole. It includes brief biographies of those who died including Flight Sergeant James William Lucas (son of Percy Lucas) and Chief Officer John A. Ridge, both of Fulking.
The updated pamphlet (price £6.00) can ordered direct from Pat at Bowfell, Hyde Street, Upper Beeding, BN44 3TG (01903-812847) or via email.
Downland Village Recipes
A collection of recipes from Edburton, Fulking, Newtimber, Poynings, Pyecombe and Saddlescombe, with illustrations by Graham Jeffery who has been illustrating the various ‘Hungry Monk’ cookbooks since 1971 (most recently, in 2008), in addition to many books of his own. Graham will be signing copies of the Downland recipe book at Gallery BN5 in Henfield on Saturday 8th December from 11:00am–1:00pm.
Congregation
Bobservation 50 – Rev. Graham Jeffrey
I have been fortunate enough to know Graham for nearly all of the 26 years I have lived in Fulking.
As an atheist, having lapsed as a christian some 60 years ago, I have found that the basics of true socialism are very similar to the teachings of Christianity and this enables me to identify with what I believe is Graham’s mission.
And so, to get to the point, the news that he will be leaving us and retiring from the Downland Parishes, in particular St Andrews, Edburton, came as quite a shock and caused me to enquire of various villagers and churchgoers whether in their opinion his retirement was his choice or was he ’pushed’; I have not been able to come to a clear conclusion. Either way it seems that the days of Graham’s quite delightful carol service have gone, which in itself is a great pity.
What is an atheist doing at a carol service? I found the wonderful sense of community created by the regular full house each year quite moving and I love the nostalgia of the carols. It was created almost entirely by Graham’s personality.
It will be very interesting to see what effect his departure has on the size of the regular congregation at St. Andrews. Will it shrink or disappear? If so, what happens then? I am sure you will join me in wishing Graham success in whatever he chooses to do next, as I cannot see him actually retiring!
Note: Graham’s last service will be on Sunday 18th November at 11am, with drinks and cake after the service – details here