The Vicarage,
April 27th, 1926.

My Dear Friends,

Three of the Greater Festivals of the Church fall this year in May. Thursday 13th, is Ascension Day. There will be a celebration of the Holy Communion at 8, Children's Service at 9, Mattins at 11, and Choral Evensong with sermon at 7.30. On Whitsun Day (23rd) we shall no doubt, have many communicants and I hope large congregations at the other services. There will be celebrations at 7 a.m., 8 a.m. and mid-day. On Trinity Sunday (30th), the celebrations will be at 8 a.m. and midday. Our choir are practising a beautiful anthem, which I think has not been sung here before, for this day.

We are invited, as in the past two years, to make the Rogation Days, May 10th, 11th, and 12th a time of special intercession for the work of the Church. On the Monday, to pray for our own Diocese, on the Tuesday for our Country, and on the Wednesday for the Church abroad.

We shall have a special service on each evening at 7.30, and on the Wednesday, after a little time in the Church, we shall (if fine) go out into the Churchyard for the beautiful Rogation Service which it has been the custom now for many years to hold in Hartlip at this season. Please try to hake use of these services.

In the prayers that are offered in the Cathedral at Canterbury each day through the year, for the parishes in the Diocese in turn, our parish will be specially remembered on Saturday, May 1st, and we are tasked to pray for the work of the Cathedral. On this day and on Sunday, May 2nd, we shall have prayer for this in our services. It is right and good that we should thus be linked up with our Cathedral.

For the Easter Festival the Church, as usual, looked very nice with its decoration of spring flowers. It was good to have an increase in the number of Easter communicants over last year. We owe so much to our choir for the beautiful services in our Church; and this is brought home to us particularly at the Great Festivals. I cannot mention the singing at Easter without referring to the rendering of Stainer's "Crucifixion" on Good Friday. All those who heard it must agree that it was a really fine performance for a village choir.

The Easter Vestry and Meeting of the Church Council, on April 6th, was well attended. After Colonel Locke and Mr. S. D. Hollands had been again placed in office as Churchwardens (with many thanks to them for their past services), matters connected with the Churchyard were discussed. It was decided (1) that no artificial flowers should be placed on graves (2) That owing to the increased cost of the work, the charge for the digging of a grave (7 feet) should be 24/0, and for the re-opening of a grave, for another burial, 18/0 (3) that it be left to Mr. Luck to take any steps he may think necessary to ensure that grave spaces are kept in good order. The sum of £9 was handed to me as the Easter Offerings for the Dilapidations Fund. This is only £l short of the sum I pay in to the Diocesan Board of Finance for this purpose, and I wish to express my very sincere thanks for this generous help.

All the three entertainments which we had so close to one another after Easter, were most successful and drew large audiences. Just a few lines about each of them, but space does not allow me to do full justice to any of them.

The members and candidates of the Girls' Friendly Society showed us their talent on April 7th. The entertainrnent in the Schoolroom was a sort of full dress rehearsal for the competitions they were taking part in at Canterbury. "The proof of the pudding as in the eating." We thought the performance good, and when the candidates went to Canterbury on April 17th, they came out with flying colours. They took first place in "Piano Solo" (Mollie Hales), First and Second in "Recitation" (Ruth Creaton and Margaret Friar), First

in the "Variety Entertainment," Second in "Singing," Second in "Singing Games," and Second in "Dramatic." The members went for their trials on April 22nd. The result is not yet known to us, but we hope they will compare well with the candidates. The takings, for G.F.S. Funds, at this entertainment (including collections, stall and tea) amounted to £6/3/1

We always enjoy a visit from Mr. Lilwall's "Versatile Quartette," and that on April 9th was as enjoyable as the previous concerts they have given us. Our thanks are given to them for the pleasant evening, and also for enabling us to raise £5/4/2, and this, with a donation of 7/8, kindly given by Mr. Stevens, has cleared off the debt on the Churchyard Enlargement Account. We have now finished this big task. We have spent upon it (in addition to the value of the ground, the spile fencing and a part of the wall), about £170, and the parish may be congraatulated on raising this large sum in so short a time. It has been done by the pull all together in a united and happy spirit.

What a delightful show the Sunday School childre gave us on April 16th! Even if we could not always hear the tiny voices of the actors, from Tommy Tucker to Wee Willie Winkie, at the back of the room, we mostly knew the nursery rhymes, and it was quite enough to see the little ones act their parts so well in their appropriate dresses, and on the pretty and brilliantly lighted stage. The senior children covered themselves with glory and fine apparel in "Dick Whittington." Acting and singing were both good, and the whole play was carried through with spirit. If I may, without offending other, pick one character for special praise it is - the cat. The takings for the Sunday School Fund came to £5/2/4.

May I remind you that the Sale of Work in the Vicarage Garden is fixed for Wednesday, June 2nd. A meeting to discuss arrangements will be held at the Vicarage on Thursday, May 13th, at 2.30 p.m. We shall be glad to see at it all who are willing to help.

I am pleased to say that the band will kindly play to us (if fine) in the Vicarage Garden from 7.45 to 8.30 on Sundays, June 6th and 20th. I hope many will come in to listen to the band, and meet their friends and make themselves a home in the garden.

I remain,

Your sincere Friend and Vicar,
D. H. CREATON.

EXTRACTS FROM THE REGISTERS.
BAPTISMS.

April 4th. - Beryl Alys, daughter of Robert Alfred and Rose May Hollands.

April 4th. - Esme Margaret, daughter of Henry Clarence and Margaret Emma Pepper.

COLLECTIONS IN THE CHURCH.

				£	s.	d.
Feb.	28th.	-	Church Expenses	1	16	8
Mar.	7th.	-	Quota to Diocesan Fund	1	17	4
Mar.	14th.	-	Church Expenses	1	12	8
Mar.	21st.	-	Church Expenses	1	18	9
Mar.	25th.	-	Vicar's Fund	0	1	6
Mar.	28th.	-	Church Expenses	1	12	8
April	1st.	-	Vicar's Fund	0	1	6
April	2nd.	-	Police Court Mission	0	18	0
			Organ and Choir Fund	0	17	4
April	4th &6th.	-	Easter Offerings	8	19	9
April	11th.	-	Quota to Diocesan Fund	1	16	3
April	18th.	-	Church Expenses	1	11	4
April	25th.	-	Church Expenses	1	4	8

home | parish magazine archive | churchyard | photo album | articles | school | people | links