#377: Bertie’s speed awareness course
Hello. Bertie here. Imagine my surprise- I was riding along in my dashing MG Roadster, roof down, whiskers pushed back by the slipstream, when I caught someone taking a photo of me from the pavement. Had I joined the illustrious ranks of those who have been caught speeding of late, like the Home Secretary and the Archbish? Was I equally a trendsetter? The answer, it seems, was not. Or rather, I had joined a fashionable trend- it was a member of the press trying to catch an image of me. So I did the same as Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex by driving past the same place three more times in different vehicles just to make sure that they had seen us, in the slowest high-speed chase in history. I was overtaken twice by a child in a buggy- which just goes to show that the paparazzi are dreadful people and life is hard for celebrities like me. The news…
Coming Soon
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday- please come in clothing which is flame coloured and please join us at 8, 9.30, 10 or 11- the key Bible reading is Acts 2.1-21 which it would be great if you could read before Sunday. Also, next week sees yet another Monday Bank Holiday so there won’t be Morning Prayer that day but normal service will be resumed on Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri.
Huge thanks to everyone involved with all of the social events in the last few weeks, especially the Christian Aid Coffee morning last week, which was fun and successful. We have had a busy Eastertide and thank you for everything you have done to make it go so well. There are still some large Coffee Pods for a coffee machine which were not bought last week- please could you speak to Louise if you would like to buy them from us to raise some more money for Christian Aid? They will be on show on Sunday morning if you want to look at them first but they are the bigger flatter ones from Nescafe.
Mothers’ Union Meeting
Our next meeting is on Thursday 1st June at 12.30pm in the parish rooms when Ruth Nobbs will give a presentation on ‘The Sweetest Thing: the History of Sugar’.  You are cordially invited to this meeting – you do not have to be a mother or even female!  Just bring your lunch with you and we will provide light refreshments.
Taverners
Taverners is a group set up for men to meet up for a chat over lunch and a drink. The group meets up on the first Tuesday of each month at Ye Olde Leathern Bottel in Barkham.
The next Taverners will be on the 6 June.
If anyone wishes to come along to the Taverners, then will you please let me know and I will add your name to the email notification which I send out in advance of every time we meet.
Chris Rutter
0118 9619781
email chris_k_rutter@hotmail.com
Lucky Numbers
The Lucky Numbers draw for May took place at St Nicholas after Communion on Sunday, 21st May 2023.
Congratulations to the lucky winners who were:
£50 # 62 Jenny Biggs
£25 # 50 Yvonne Pett-Ridge
£15 # 12 Sheila Donohoe
£10 # 16 Jenny & Brian Perris
One share (number) costs £24 per year, and you can have as many shares as you wish. Funds remaining after the distribution of the prizes go to the Restoration Fund, for repairs and renewals to the church building.
For more information, please contact Tony Roberts (979 5351), Liz Gallagher (989 1176) or Mary Cassidy (979 5096) – or talk to Mary at St Paul’s, or Tony or Liz at St Nicholas’.
Wanted
Richard is looking for a chair with good back support for someone who has a back issue and no chair which is good enough for them to sit in for long periods of time, as well as some paints and paper (preferably watercolours but anything will do). Spare colouring books and Mindfulness books and anything like that would also be welcome. Please can you bring them to Church or let Richard or Louise know?
Cara is beginning to make a very careful and very slow phased return to work- we are
hoping that she will start to turn up at more and more things but please can
you continue to speak to Richard or Louise if you need anything rather than treating
Cara as if she was back at work? Thanks.
Key Roles
We are currently still recruiting for…
A
Concert Manager- would suit someone who loves music
to support those using the church for
concerts- making sure they have what they need, to help them move furniture and
then return the Church to order afterwards
A
Health and Safety Officer- would suit someone practical and organised
To make sure that our buildings and
Churchyard are safe for everyone to use and that we are doing everything we
should be to keep everyone safe
The PCC has a number of Committees which
keep things moving forward between PCC meetings and have responsibility for
particular areas of the life of the Church. We are looking to strengthen some
of them at the moment and would welcome expressions of interest for: the Social
Committee, the Fabric Committee (buildings), the Fundraising Committee (raising
money to fund repairs to the Church and to do exciting new things in the
community), Mustard Seed (mission and outreach). We would also be happy to talk
to anybody who would like to do something new and exciting to help but is happy
to help wherever they could be useful!
Also
Needed
Would anyone be happy to keep an eye on the
Children’s Chapel, keeping it tidy, putting things away,
recycling paper when it is used, suggesting things we might need to buy? Would
suit somebody of any age…
If you’re new (ish) to Church and wanting
to get a bit more involved there are loads of things you
could do- become a sidesperson/ welcomer, go on the coffee rota, be a server,
join the choir, learn to bellring, help with Sunday School… or anything else
you like the look of. Do speak to someone and they will be thrilled to share
your excitement.
And finally…
Cara wrote this stunning poem last week, as she came back to work for the first time in months… it speaks to everyone who has been wounded and found strength and hope in God
Here is the Sonning Deanery Prayer Cycle for June:
Here is an excellent link to an excellent class on happiness, from Nadia Bolz-Weber- absolutely worth passing on to students and children and godchildren and grandchildren and ourselves at the moment…
(2) Happiness Hacks – The Corners by Nadia Bolz-Weber (substack.com)
Paul Armitage wrote this excellent short article for the Wokingham Paper on behalf of the parish- it’s here in case you missed it…
