Over eighty years ago I was marked with a sign that said I was safe. In 1940, I and many, many other children were vaccinated at the clinic in Stoke Road, Guildford. This left a scar high up on my left arm that was affectionately known by everyone as a ‘Dickie Bird’. The vaccination was to protect me against smallpox (variola), a disease that had decimated Europe throughout the middle ages. This process was followed a few weeks later by injections against Diptheria and Scarlet Fever. Since discovery of the process of vaccination, smallpox has been eliminated and is now considered exterminated.
By Judith Vella & Alex Sanderson (2 of the Amaha We Uganda Trustees)
A Bountiful Harvest: Part of Amaha We Uganda’s ‘No Money No Food’ campaign involved providing seed for planting in August, thus providing crops of beans for food in the next season. Without this help, families were facing a crisis, because during the early Covid lockdown all they had to eat was their seed grain, they had nothing left to plant. We are delighted to report that the harvest was blessed, providing an enormous crop in November. All the women’s groups who had received seed for planting have given some seed back after harvesting. This seed will be redistributed to more groups in March 2021 for the next season’s planting. In this way we hope they can make this a sustainable means of growing food. In total 977kg of beans were paid forward for replanting. An amazing feat.
We are through the Solstice, the daylight hours are increasing, we have survived Christmas, we have survived Brexit, we have survived Hogmanay and there is seemingly even a Covid19 vaccination that gives protection (starting a couple of weeks after the inoculation) enabling us to survive exposure to Covid19 unscathed.
A Happy New Year to you all, and a blessing on you and yours.
As we face a new lock down and schools closing once again, I have been reflecting on what we can learn about successfully surviving a crisis. How are you coping with “Lockdown 3.0”? Have look at the ‘what’s on’ page if you are looking for opportunities to connect with like-minded locals.
Looking for best practise, my thoughts turn not only to recent times, but also to the challenges faced by past generations. You may remember Eric, one of our local heroes who shared his wisdom via a video on Remembrance Day at our carpark & zoom service. I learned so much from my visit to his doorstep last year. Here are 3 things to remember as we face the latest challenges in 2021:
Lorraine Faires shares 24 Ideas to prepare you for Christmas 2020
I am sure everyone is bored of hearing how this year is a little different- so instead I am going to focus on our family traditions which stay the same year on year. Instead of a chocolate calendar we have an activity advent – 24 different activities to prepare for our Christmas celebration. Why not join in with ours or make your own?
1. Start a reverse advent calendar. Items for the food bank are a popular one, or you could write a happy thought down each day and “open” them on Christmas morning.
2. Try a Christmas Zumba workout!
3. Make an Origami ornament- share your best effort on our facebook page!
4. Find out about Christmas in another country- why not adopt a new tradition?
5. Make a decoration (We love using salt dough, but snowman toilet rolls or paper snowflakes are also great)
6. Join the St Nicholas Day Lantern Walk (see What’s On page for details)
7. Have a festive indoor picnic
8. Support a local business- if you aren’t buying this year, try sharing on social media or recommending to a friend!
9. Write a letter- to Father Christmas, a friend or a neighbour (everyone loves getting a hand written letter!) Let them know you are thinking of them, even if you can’t visit
10. Enjoy a mince pie or festive bake (make your own if you can)
11. Today is Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day- join in with your best festive outfit!
12. Make a wreath or garland (upcycle your old decorations)
13. Join in with the Christmas Hamper Zoom service (see opposite for details)
14. Make and send a Christmas card to someone who would appreciate it
15. Take a day off from the news and read a Christmassy story
16. Indulge in Christmas tunes and sing along as loud as you can!
17. Make and enjoy some Santa Bread
18. Take a walk around Ash Vale to see all the lights
19. Make a nativity scene from recycling material
20. Zoom in to Carols by Candlelight (see What’s On page)
21. Have a festive hot chocolate (We enjoy adding gingerbread men!)
22. Prepare a Christmas Eve Box- you don’t need to buy new- choose your best PJ’s, a nice bedtime story or film and maybe even a game to play. Add a yummy biscuit or two – it is Christmas!
23. Enjoy a Christmas movie
24. Join in with Christingle for the Children’s Society (see What’s On page for details)
Have a really lovely Christmas and enjoy making some special memories and new traditions this year!
We love our beautiful cover this issue, a Christingle Orange by Dan Austin. We will be celebrating Christingle out in our community on Christmas Eve this year. Please join us! We wish you a peaceful and blessed Christmas.
Enjoy a socially distanced lantern walk from The Chapel on Wharf Rd to St Mary’s and see St Nicholas! (Slots available starting from Chapel 3:30pm — 6:30pm) Please dress for the weather and bring a lantern or torch. Booking is essential. Text / phone 07730 609446
Sun 13th Dec 10am—Service & Christmas Hampers
Zoom church service and the opportunity to donate towards hampers for local people in need. For Zoom details contact parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk For hamper donations (to give funds or donate items) please contact us on 07730 609446 or the local Covid Support group.
Sun 20th Dec 6:30pm – Carols by Candlelight
Join us from home on Zoom (if restrictions permit we will also have limited tickets in church, booking essential). For Zoom details & to enquire about tickets please email parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk
Thur 24th Dec 4:30pm— Christingle Carol Singing
We can’t gather in church for Christingle, so we will come to you! Look out for carol singers out and about in Ash Vale, and join in with the fun on Zoom. Christingle donations are welcomed for the Children’s Society, and a link will be shared on Facebook & Zoom. At 6pm we will be finishing with everyone bell ringing on their doorsteps too! Email parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk for links.
Thur 24th Dec 11:30pm – Midnight Mass
Church Service to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will be on Zoom (and some seating in church if regulations allow). Contact parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk
Fri 25th Dec 10am – Christmas Morning Service
This is our main Christmas Day Morning Service on Zoom (and some seating in church if regulations allow). Contact parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk for details.
Gifts to help our neighbours. We would like to encourage everyone to ‘buy local’ in 2020, to donate for Christmas hampers here, and also to support our twinned communities in Uganda with Christmas Trees for Christmas. www.amahaweuganda.org Thank You.
All events are subject to change due to Covid-19 safety rules. Please keep in touch via our mailing list for weekly notices by email parishoffice@ash-vale.org.uk or keep an eye on Facebook @StMarysAshVale St Mary’s Church, Ash Vale, GU12 5JE
Sift flour with spices. In another bowl beat butter with sugar till light and fluffy. Add the citrus rinds and gradually add beaten egg. Fold flour and spice mix in alternately to the fruit and nuts. Finally add Brandy.
Pour mixture into cake tin and make a slight well in the centre. Bake on bottom shelf of oven at 145’C for about 3 and a half hours. After cooking turn off oven and leave tin, in the oven to cool.
Once fully cooled, prick cake with a skewer and add 2 tablespoons of Brandy/Rum of your choice, wrap in brown paper and tinfoil and a couple of days before Christmas cover with marzipan and Royal Icing.
