The Vicarage,
January 4, 1927.

My Dear Friends,

A Happy New Year to you all! In the year that is passed the life of our village has gone on in its usual smooth and quiet way. Some have passed from our sight and we have reverently laid their bodies to rest in our Churchyard. Two or three new lives have been begun tender twigs to be trained by parents and Day School and Sunday School teachers for the holy and useful life on earth, to lead on to the higher life beyond. We have had our joys and our sorrows but again we set up our stone and write upon it, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped me." We start forward on the New Year and pray for God's blessing upon us and our work in it. We must make the year one which carries through it the Christmas Message of Peace and Goodwill, doing what we can to help one another and to forward all that is for the welfare of our Church and parish.

The magazine will be a little late in reaching you this month but it is always difficult to get it out in time in January. With it you will receive, as usual, a card presented by the publishers of "Home Words," and also our Parish Calendar for 1927, which will, I hope, find a place on the wall and be useful. I should like again to say how much we are helped in making the magazine pay its way by the tradesmen who insert advertisements in it and to ask that readers will take notice of their announcements and let them know that it is worth their while to put them in.

The Christmas Services were, as usual, very bright and the Church looked pretty with holly berries which are so abundant this year. The Anthem and the Carols were excellently rendered by the Choir and the Bellringers did their part in making the Festival joyful. We had over seventy Christmas communicants.

After Christmas came many festivities and treats. We began with the Grand Whist Drive and Dance organised by the Gardeners' Society, in the Schoolroom, on Bank Holiday. The room was gay with flags and many of the company were in fancy dress. So much was the evening enjoyed that many lost their "beauty sleep" that night!

Our Sunday School children had a great time at their treat on December 30th. Nearly 60 sat down to the tea, but not quite all of them were on the books. A few were scholars who had left the School recently, and two or three were prospective pupils of very tender years! After some games Mrs. Luck kindly distributed the awards gained for regular attendance and good work. The attendance has been so good that most of the children qualified for a prize. No prize is given unless at least 40 attendances out of 52 have been made. Then a gaily decorated Christmas Tree was disclosed, and Father Christmas arrived to hand a gift to each child. A happy evening finished with oranges and cake to take home.

Soon use shall be having a meeting of the Church Council to revise the electoral Roll. We shall be glad to have any fresh names upon it, and forms to be signed will be found in the Church.

On December 31st the Members of the Womens' Meeting met in the Schoolroom for the social evening. After tea the time was spent in various amusing competitions and a little play performed by the G. F. S. Members.

On New Year's Day we had another Children's Party, when the G.F.S. Candidates had a jolly time in the Club Room and thoroughly enjoyed themselves from start to finish.

The success of all the treats was largely due to the way in which many willing helpers threw themselves into making them go with a swing. It does make a difference to the pleasure of children to have adults taking part in their treats.

The House-to-House Collection for St. Bartholomew's Hospital realised the satisfactory sum of £6/16/1. This is within a few shillings of the amount collected last year. Our thanks are due to Mrs. Alexander, Mrs. Pepper and Miss Goldsmith for their work in connection with this.

On behalf of the Choir boys, may I thank the parishioners for their kind and liberal response to the Christmas collection which encouraged the boys. I hope that wherever they went they sang the Carols reverently and well. £5/14/10 was divided amongst them.

I remain,

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

Extracts from the Register.
BAPTISMS.

Jan. 2nd. - Frances Elizabeth, daughter of John Thomas and Frances Elizabeth Steerstree.

Jan. 2nd. - Frederick John Richard, son of Frederick George and Violet May Apps.

Jan. 2nd. - Robert James, son of Herbert and Allice Ellen Grantham.

BURIAL.

Dec. 6th. - Henry Hales, aged 83 years.

COLLECTIONS IN THE CHURCH.

£s.d.
Dec.5th.-Quota to Diocesan Fund1157
Dec.12th.-Lebombo Mission11510
Dec.19th.-Church Expenses1134
Dec.25th.-Sick and Needy2173
Dec.26th.-Sunday School Fund229
£1049

A whist drive and dance will be held in the Schoolroom on Friday, January 14th. This is arranged by the Hartlip branch of the British Legion and the proceeds are to be given to the fund which has been started for building a Wall on the South side of the New Churchyard. We look forward to a large gathering.