April 2023

Coronation update – save the date Sunday 7th May 2023!

Preparations for the upcoming event to mark the coronation are

progressing well and we’re happy to confirm the date here so you can make

a note in your diaries.

Celebrations at the Sherfield English playing fields will take place on

Sunday 7th May, starting with a football tournament in the morning with

BBQ and tea stands available.

Then, from 3pm cream teas will be sold, there’ll be live music, the BBQ and

bar will continue and we’re planning, amongst other exciting events, a

charity auction, tombola, face painting, coconut shy and the legendary

Sherfield English skittle alley. Looking forward very much to seeing you

there.

We want to extend our thanks to all the local businesses and organisations

who are providing their support for this event – we’ll highlight them all on

the day and perhaps here in the newsletter also – but we would like to put

on record our thanks to Test Valley Borough Council and the Sherfield

English Parish Council who have made generous contributions.

A big vote of thanks is also due to the members of the SERP2000

Committee who have jumped in as always to plan and organise this event,

but we would love to have more volunteers – please get in touch through

the number below if you can help at all – don’t forget the more help we get

the bigger and bolder the event can be on the day!

Update from the Pavilion.

Despite a great deal of the SERP Committee’s time being spent on the

coronation event planning we’re working hard to make sure that we’re

keeping a focus on the renovation projects that are underway for the SERP

facilities and playground.

We’ve invested in better storage and outside furniture; we’re looking to

improve the lighting for our evening court users and enhanced signage and

security for the site.

Although the committee do a great job we’re always keen to find new

volunteers who would like to help. We’re a friendly bunch and we’re

committed to making the playing fields an ever more important part of the

fabric of our community and bring us all together. Please join us – just

contact us through the details below.

SERP2000

serp.field@gmail.com

Julie 07979785559

April 2023

Please contact for information or transport Mr Graham Wigmore 01794

389000 or Miss S Caplen 01794 521774. A warm welcome to everyone.

2ND APR MR G LEWIS

9TH APR EASTER SUNDAY 8:30am MISS S CAPLEN

16TH APR MRS M RASLEIGH

23RD APR REV C KING

30TH APR UNITED SERVICE AT THE CHAPEL MRS K NEWTON

April 2023

To paraphrase Jesse from The Fast Show, “This month we have

mostly been eating soup”! After thoroughly enjoying our visit to the

Lent Lunch in Wellow Church Rooms on 11th March, our talented

soup makers seemed to decide that they were feeding the five

thousand, and on 18th March St Leonard’s was alive to the quiet

hum of seven slow cookers. With six different soups on offer,

visitors had tough choices to make and couldn’t be blamed for

sampling more than one. It was a joy to welcome so many from the

community and across the new benefice into the church, and their

generosity has led to over £500 being donated to UNICEF. Added to

the monies already raised by the five other parishes, a considerable

sum is going to help children and young people in perilous

situations around the world. This was our first event with all six

parishes working together and, with the recent news that the

planned pastoral scheme can go ahead, we hope it will be the first

of many that bring our churches and communities together.

April brings Easter, of course, and a plethora of events. Our usual

coffee morning will take place on Saturday, 1st April. The following

day we hope to welcome back some of those who were confirmed

a year ago on Palm Sunday for a celebratory Communion service.

This will double as Easter Communion, as the service on Easter

Sunday won’t have an ordained priest to distribute Communion,

but will feature an Easter Egg Hunt and a celebration of Christ’s

rising. In a slight change to our normal schedule, the next coffee

morning will be on 29th April. This will have a special Coronation

theme and will feature a display by our inventive Knit and Natter

team, who have been talking in riddles for some months now! We

hope to see many of you there.

I’ll end with a reminder that on Sunday 30th April we will be joining

the service at Wellow Wood Chapel, so there won’t be a service at

St Leonard’s on that day. The following week we welcome Reverend

James Pitkin for a special Coronation service, which (if all goes to

plan) will be his first official service as our brand new Rector. After

a long and protracted vacancy process you will forgive this tired but

happy Churchwarden a heartfelt “Alleluia”!

Clare Durham, St Leonard’s Churchwarden