Longcot Village

Dear All, You will no doubt be aware that Oxfordshire goes into Tier 4 on Boxing day.  Sue Nodder (Chair of Watchfield Parish Council) has just drawn attention to a Government publication that itemises what Tier 4 actually entails.

The link is: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/946416/COVID-19_Tier_4__19_December_2020_.jpg

Best Wishes,

Dennis

Distribution:

St Mary, Longcot (Congregation & Friends)

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary,

Carol Service.

• We are holding a short Christmas Carol Service on Longcot Green at 6 pm on Sunday 20 December 2020, when we will be able to sing carols!  The service will last about 25 minutes and will include three readings and six carols. The weather is likely to feel about 6 degrees (it’s 9 degrees officially) so do wrap up warm and bring a seat if you need one. 

• Inevitably the COVID-19 guidance from both the Government and the Church of England need to be followed and, because we are not in a churchyard, there is an added degree of complexity to the rules.  As a result of our latest risk assessment:

• There will now be a limit of 70 people allowed to attend the service.  This will allow sufficient distance between individuals and family bubbles on the Green.  (A family bubble can obviously all stand together.)

• Due to the limit on numbers, it has been decided to make the service a ticketed event.  (This is a change to the original plan.)  There is a link on both last week’s and this week’s Newsletter to the Eventbrite website, and also here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/shrivenham-and-ashbury-benefice-31799635095  If anybody is uncertain about using the electronic booking service, then please book through Lucy via the Benefice administrator’s e-mail: shrivenham.ashbury.benefice@outlook.com or by telephone on 01793 783519.   As this is a first-come-first-served event, my strong recommendation is that you book now if you wish to attend.

• There will be a need to maintain the usual 2m social distance, except within family bubbles.

• We are asking everybody to wear masks, except those aged 11 or younger, or those with medical exemptions.

• Please follow any instructions given by the COVID Marshals, who will be wearing luminous yellow jackets.

• An e-copy of service sheet in booklet form is attached. Please print it and bring it with you, or save it onto your smart phone.  For those who just want a large font 6-page sheet (like me), that is also attached.

Hope to see you there! 

Dennis

Church Warden St Mary The Virgin, Longcot

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached a copy of Sunday’s Benefice Newsletter and associated documents from Lucy. 

Next Service at St Mary – Sunday 13^th December.  Norma is leading the next service in St Mary, which will be Holy Communion at 9.30am.  We have just had a lovely village wedding earlier today and Shirley and her team prepared all the flowers and Christmas decorations.  The church is therefore looking beautiful.  The heating is working well and you can receive Communion as well.  It would be well worth a visit! 

Service on Sunday 20^th December.  Thank you to all those who offered suggestions about the service on Sunday 20^th December. As a result of your input, we have decided to hold a traditional Christmas Carol Service at 6pm on Sunday 20^th December. It will be on the Village Green and I will be forwarding e-copies of the service sheet before the event, which you should bring with you on the night.  More details to follow.

Best Wishes,

Dennis

Churchwarden St Mary The Virgin, Longcot

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached a copy of Sunday’s Benefice Newsletter and associated documents from Lucy. 

Sunday Service at St Mary.  David Ahearn has kindly agreed to lead the next service in St Mary, which will be Morning Prayer at 9.30am on Sunday 6^th December.  For those of you who have been in the church recently, you will notice that we have not turned on the heating as a cost-saving measure.  I can assure you all that the heating still works, having had it on this morning as a dress rehearsal, and it will be on full blast for the service on Sunday.

Carol Singing.  Most of you will now be aware that the current Government restrictions allow us to sing carols outdoors, although, as Norma has pointed out in the Newsletter, there are still some caveats. 

Service on Sunday 20^th December.  This brings me on to the traditional Carol (or not?) Service on Sunday 20^th December.  Canon Paul and I have been in discussion about the format and location of the service.  We could have a limited number of us inside St Mary (max of 25) with readings and some recordings of carols, handbell ringing etc.  The benefit of such an event is that it would be warm.  The downside  would be that we would not be allowed to sing.  An alternative would be to hold a foreshortened service outside (either in the churchyard or on the Green) with a couple of readings and the opportunity to sing some carols.  Singing would be the obvious upside but the potential for inclement weather would be a key downside.  Currently the service is planned for 6pm.  If we kept that timing (and the availability of our vicar is a key point) it will be dark outside and could be quite chilly.  A 2pm service on Sunday might be a possibility so that it would be light outside but would need Paul to get his skates on to get to the Green at Fernham in order to lead the service there at 3pm.  But perhaps Saturday might be an alternative (and my apologies to Paul because I have not even mentioned that date as a possibility)?  If anybody has views one way or another I would be grateful if you would let me know by the end of Friday 9^th December, so I may then discuss them with Paul.  Thank you.

Best Wishes,

Dennis

Churchwarden St Mary The Virgin, Longcot

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached a copy of Sunday’s Benefice Newsletter and associated documents from Lucy. 

You will probably note from the Newsletter that the next service to be held in St Mary will be Morning Prayer at 9.30am on Sunday 6^th December.  We are still awaiting further guidance from the Diocese on the conduct of Christmas services and we will let you know the detail once we have it.

My grateful thanks to Robert Baker for renovating the noticeboard in the churchyard and to Bob Birtwhistle for providing the ‘muscle’ to help put the noticeboard back in place!

Best Wishes,

Dennis

Churchwarden St Mary The Virgin, Longcot

Please click on the links below for this week’s bible readings and newsletter.

Please click on the link below to read the December newsletter.

Please find attached the Newsletters and bible readings for Sunday 15th November. Please also see the auction catalogue for the forthcoming silent auction in Ashbury

Please find attached next week’s Newsletter and the Bible Readings for Sunday 18th October. I’ve also attached ‘Look’ – a Sunday sheet for children between 4-9 years old providing activities and games focussed on this week’s Gospel