Men's Group Thurs 3rd 7.30pm Village Hall Coffee Morning Sat 12th 11am Village Hall Friendship Club Tues 15th 2.30pm Verney House Mobile Library Thurs 10th & 24th
I spent a very pleasant half-hour the other day chatting to Malcolm Pickering whose father owned the garage. They sold it in 1951 and moved to Polesworth where Malcolm has an engineering company which is now run by his son.
Malcolm remembers the village school and being taught by Miss Craven and dancing round the maypole. He also remembered many of his school friends: John Checkley, John Randall, Norman Phillips, Jack Kennard and Norman Hinds. He also remembered the Watts family, especially Prue who was a friend of his sister.
It was very interesting also to hear about Gaydon before the construction of the New Road (now called Kineton Road) in more gentle times, despite the operation of RAF Gaydon where the Ford conglomeration now is.
That was 50 years ago. What will the next 50 years hold for Gaydon? Will it evolve or stagnate? Will people still look back with affection as Malcolm does and remember their enjoyment in living here?
If anyone would like to contact Malcom, I have his address and telephone number. He would be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers him.
Annette Conway
A big thank you to all the people who gave me a Christmas box. I wish you all a Happy New Year!
Toby Thomas the paper boy
Our monthly Saturday morning cake sale will be starting up again for the New Year on 12th February at 11am in the Village Hall.
Coffee and biscuits will be on sale as well as our usual cakes and other produce; and there will be a raffle.
Please try to come along as it is one of the few opportunities for Gaydonites (and others!) to get together.
All proceeds go towards the Church Fabric Fund.
This month the van is due to be at Telephone Box Green at 1.10pm and at St Marks Close at 1.25pm on Thursdays 10th and 24th.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 15 February at 2.30pm at Verney House, Kineton Road, by kind invitation of Mrs Gay Talbot. Anyone interested in a quiet afternoon of friendly conversation over a cup of tea will be made very welcome.
Over the winter, the Village Hall has been painted inside, the small tables have been renovated and the new curtains have been hung. In the course of this year, the Committee plans to replace some of the furniture in the Hall and carry out further improvements to the Cottage.
Did you come to the Lunch in the Village Hall just before Christmas? Did you help to serve or cook it?
Perhaps you would have liked to have helped or attended but couldn't make it?
Whatever your response to these questions, please consider yourself invited to the Coffee Morning at the Village Hall at 11am on Saturday 12 February.
We would like to make plans for a fund-raising event for later in the year - perhaps a coffee morning at someone's house or a tea party. We look forward to seeing you. Julie Rickman & Mary Fox
6 11.15 Family Service & Baptism Gaydon 13 11.15 Matins Gaydon 20 9.00 Holy Communion Gaydon 27 11.15 Family Communion Gaydon
Weekday Services in Gaydon
Holy Communion is celebrated every Tuesday at 8am.
Holy Communion will be celebrated on Wednesday 16th at 11am.
We plan to meet on Thursday 3 February at 7.30pm in the Village Hall for supper - bangers and mash - and a talk given by Col (Retr) John Goldsmith on Life Behind the Soviet Curtain.
All men are welcome and for purposes of catering I would be grateful if you could please ring me to let me know you are attending. Philip Francis 01295 770400
Bethany Rose Patten was christened at St Giles' Church on 9 February 2003.
At a recent meeting of the Parochial Church Council I raised the question about the composition of the PCC and our expectations about the length of time people serve on the PCC. As an example of what I mean, some people have served for 17 years and others a considerably longer time.
While I and the church members are appreciative of all that individuals have offered, and their commitment over a considerable time, nevertheless it is a long stretch of time to expect an individual to serve - almost a life sentence! I have felt for some time that we may be putting too great a demand on PCC members and that this is wrong because people get tired and weary; and it is also unhealthy for the life of the local church because it does not draw out the gifts others may have to offer.
In a very open discussion people spoke about their concern. The point was made that in the current situation other members of the congregation do not have the chance to grow in leadership of their local church, nor fully exercise different gifts. It was therefore unanimously resolved that from the date of the next Annual Meeting on March 13th, a third of the PCC, in our case two members, would stand down every year and that new members would be encouraged to serve for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years.
Our thinking behind this proposal is that more people from among the congregation would or could be encouraged to serve on the PCC, if only for a year, to give it a go and with a clear end in sight. A maximum of three years' service would avoid the pressures laid upon people, as I have detailed above. Likewise, with church wardens it was felt that a minimum of three years and a maximum of six years' service should also be adopted.
As members of the PCC, we hope that these fundamental changes will encourage other people to serve and draw out from them different gifts for use in the local church; and ensure that no one person feels that he or she just has to go on and on for years and years as a PCC member.
Please support this change and make a date in your diary to come to the Annual Parish Church Meeting on March 13th at 11.15 am. Lunch will follow the service meeting.
The flag was raised in January for the birthday of Jane Farrar and for the Wedding Anniversary of John and Betty Davies.