2024— 120 Years of St Leonard’s Church

Dates for your diary.

3rd February, 10.30am-12pm

Coffee morning, craft and art exhibition

16th March, 12pm-2pm

UNICEF Community Lent Lunch

20th April at 6pm

Quiz Evening

19th May at 10.30am

Benefice Pentecost service, followed by a picnic

26th and 27th May, 10am-4pm

Wedding Dress Exhibition

8th June, 10.30am-12pm

Plant & produce sale at Churchfields, coffee and cake

29th June, 7pm

The Complete Works of Shakespeare, touring production

6th July, 10.30am-12pm

Coffee and cake in the garden at St Brelade’s

20th July, 2.30pm-4pm

Cream tea at St Brelade’s

3rd August, 10.30am-12pm

Knit’n’Natter display, ‘The Four Seasons’, coffee and cake

14th September, 10.30am-2pm

Church and Tower Open Day

19th October

Bellringers attempt a full peal*

20th October at 11am

Harvest Festival and Ploughman’s lunch

15th November at 7pm

A Comic Evening with Bob Blake

7th December, 10.30am-12pm

Christmas coffee morning and handbells

*Other bellringing events throughout the year include four quarter peals, and ringing a ‘touch’ for every bell ringer.

December 2023

December17th 2023

The bells were ringing and the path to St. Leonards Church door was candle lit. A lovely welcome to the Annual Carol Service. On entering, it was a ‘WOW’ experience, - each window beautifully decorated and even the pillars

were festooned. Sherfield English residents certainly showed their talents when given the theme ‘What Christmas means to You’. Red and green being the predominant colours for the foliage, floral arrangements, and

pom poms, but snow was clearly in evidence. A sleigh with reindeer gliding

across the frozen landscape, a beautiful old globe on which sat a dove, depicted ‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all men’. Knitted choristers made their way to church, as the bells above glinted in the starlight. A glowing fireside invited one to sit and enjoy the warmth whilst children played with their

toys. The next window showed a mouth-watering feast…..all knitted, including the sprouts and Christmas pudding, and the table adorned with candelabra. Above the altar -:-‘The Angel of the Lord Shone round about

them’…...beautifully displayed. So the service began……… the choir sang the opening verse of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ followed by the well

attended congregation. Lessons were read and more traditional carols were

sung, as written in our programmes. A very thoughtful poem was read and

‘Gabriel’s Message’ sung by the choir. In our prayers we were encouraged to think of the homeless, refugees and those suffering in child poverty, all

those less fortunate than ourselves. We also thought of the real meaning

of Christmas – Christ’s birth. After meaningful contemplation, a skit followed, - ‘While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night.’…..complete with washing bowl and socks, and the participants were ‘seated on the ground’. Hilarious. Still in light heartedness, the congregation was invited to

participate in the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas ‘with all the accessories, dancing shoes, pipes, gold rings and ,YES - A partridge in a Pear Tree! The

service closed with the Benediction read by Vicar James. A cup of wassail and a mince pie was offered to all. Another memorable Carol Service at St. Leonards in 2023.

January 2024

SERP 2000 Sherfield English Recreation Project 2000

We hope that you enjoyed the festive period and moving into 2024. And so another year is upon us, and what weather we’ve had! From wild and wet to bright and very, very cold.

The wet weather has again caused issues to the pitches at the Sports Field

with a number of matches cancelled and extra work for the greens-man trying to get the pitches back in use. You may have seen that the children’s playground has sadly been closed for the time being. The equipment has suffered badly from the frequently soaked ground causing the structures to

rot.

We have received some very generous donations from villagers towards the playground repairs/refurbishment and we are so very grateful for these. The equipment is however now beyond simple repairs and must be replaced

at a much greater cost and this is dependent on the drainage being

completed.

The committee are working with the Parish Council and both TVBC and

other bodies in order to secure the funding needed to put in the drainage to

keep the site functioning all year and to replace the playground equipment.

News from the Pavilion.

The site is an important hub for the village and is an asset for all to use. We are a small committee working hard to make the recreation ground remain

at the heart of Sherfield English’s village life, but we do need help.

Could you volunteer to perhaps help on our committee, or to get involved in the planning of events? We need willing souls to join our merry band, and no particular experience necessary. The more helpers we have the

more the work’s spread out, and the more fun for all.

We know that everyone leads busy lives, but we need help to make the progress to benefit us all.

Jerome Hoffman Chairman SERP2000 serp@sherfieldenglish.co.uk

Funded and run by the village charity SERP 2000. Defibrillator here.

Volunteers and new committee members always welcome.

Contacts: Chair: Jerome Hoffman 07881 314584 Sec: Julie Bellamy

serp@sherfieldenglish.org.uk

Play area: 07979 785 559 Croquet & Bowling: Contact Jenny Hayter 01794 322674

Mon/Wed 2-4pm Fri 2-4pm & 6-8pm Annual fee £40 £2/2 hour game

Football manager: Mathew Mills – 01794 884 731

Tennis court: –Contact Toni – 01794 323 325 for access

Events: See Newsletter, website & Facebook for dates. Come and join in!