This morning, in the fitful, early light, Beyond the near, familiar scene, I saw, Beyond the cherries, pines and copper beech, Beyond the pitch of roofs, a further tree, Distant, unmarked before, which now emerged, Shining against grey cloud, ethereal, Its thinning leaves light green and touched with gold. Its fragile beauty, knocking at my […]
Thank You, Bernard
After morning service on 12 September 2010 the church family gathered together to celebrate Bernard Potter’s retirement from the office of Church Secretary after 28 years of dedicated service. The Minister paid tribute to Bernard’s commitment, loyalty, attention to detail, and his pastoral care for the whole church family throughout those years. He presented Bernard […]
Webs
Last night I slept with my window half-open; When I woke, dawn sunshine was lighting the room And I saw golden threads strung from window to frame. In one night a spider, working, in darkness, Had hung his home from the cliff of my window; When I opened it fully, the shining threads snapped. Windows […]
More Reflections on Oberammergau
Anne Dawes, a visitor to our website, was interested to read the various comments submitted by pilgrims from our church after they visited Oberammergau in June. Anne wrote that she had wanted to go to see the play for years, and that she was really excited about her forthcoming visit after reading our impessions. She […]
Our 98th Anniversary Celebration
On Sunday 18th July we celebrated the 98th birthday of our church. Our morning worship was led by the Revd Roberta Rominger, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church, who talked about the image we present to the outside world. She spoke movingly of the commitment and outreach of many of our churches who are […]
Invitation to Comment on the Website
This website is for you. We would welcome your comments. Why not tell us what you like (or don’t like) about it and whether there is anything that you’d like to see added? To do this, please use the ‘Comment’ facility below, or email the Website Coordinator.
Memories of Oberammergau 2010 (Part 2)
Some more reflections from those who joined our recent pilgrimage to Oberammergau and the Austrian Alps: From Phyllis Woodfield: The journey to Oberammergau was something I had never expected to undertake. It has been one of the most awe-inspiring things I have ever done. I cannot find words to describe my feelings. I think that […]
Our Non Conformist Ancestors
The online Ancestry site, ancestry.co.uk, recently announced that the first section of the ‘Non Conformist Registers’ had been put online. These registers contain the birth, baptism, marriage and burial details of hundreds of thousands of people who refused to conform to the doctrines of the Church of England, and include the Congregationalist and Presbyterian forerunners […]
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
East of the Sun and West of the Moon* Long ago in a Northern land A tale was invented and told: A tale with a luminous title, Key to dream-cities of gold. The story was soon forgotten But the title’s remembered still: It shines like a jewel in my mind, Able to conjure at will […]
Memories of Oberammergau 2010 (Part 1)
“Towards the end of the thirty years war there was an outbreak of the plague in Bavaria. The elders of the village of Oberammergau, in an effort to protect their village, decided to seal it off from outside contact. However an itinerant worker returned, bringing the plague with him, and it swept through the village. […]