FROM THE VICARAGE STUDY

My dear People,

Our Patronal and Harvest Festival seems quite a long time ago. As last year, it was a memorable day. Two things stand out particularly, as I look back. One was the definite sense of thanksgiving, on the part of all those who worshipped in church. This expressed itself of course in their gifts of fruit and vegetables, and in their presence, but was even more evident in their generous monetary offerings throughout the day. The other encouraging thing was the Family Service at 10 o'clock. With a full church and with many parents present, there was a real atmosphere of family worship. Nothing was more stirring, too, than the children and their gifts as they brought them up to the altar. Great trouble had been taken over many of these gifts; one arrangement with some cob-nuts in the centre still lives in my memory. Fittingly, at the end of that same week came our Harvest Supper. It is probably the outstanding social event of the year in the village, and the organisers, our Christian Fellowship, surely deserve much of the credit for this. Our Fellowship includes at present only Anglicans and Nonconformists, so it is pleasant to record that two Roman Catholics, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Smith, gave the two attractive Harvest loaves for the main Supper decoration and the two "cottage loaves" for our Parish Church Harvest thanksgiving.

Finally, our community has lost two valued members recently, Tylden Miles and Alfred Skinner. Sidesman and clock-winder at the Parish Church, Tylden was for many years organ-blower and reputedly able to recognise at once the number of any hymn in the book. In the case of Alfred Skinner, his kindly temperament and craftsmanship will be much missed. As we offer our sympathy to their families, we thank God for their lives of service to the community.

Your sincere friend and Vicar,

JOHN GREEN.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS - those who are preparing for confirmation on Sunday, 13th December, at Hartlip - Glenys Cox, Graham Cole, Penny Hollands, David Kendrick, Ann and Andrew Williamson, James Fentiman, Patricia Amy Hollands, Arthur Lawrence.