Dear Friends
What a joy it was to hear the sounds of the piano being played in public again in church, Sunday’s concert was a triumph. I must begin by thanking Heather, whose inspiration and vision made Sunday possible. Events like this take time to plan and arrange and a determination to see the vision through. To conceive of such an event as this, surrounded as we are by COVID restrictions and uncertainties is brave. Thank you once again Heather and her amazing team of volunteers, it was an exquisite tea and so good to see people enjoying the vicarage garden.
As you will see later in the E-bulletin on Sunday 11 July at 3pm we are holding a thanksgiving service for our pets, who have been such wonderful companions during lockdown. Because we are still in restrictions and we cannot yet sing hymns, I thought it would be a good idea to hear some examples of how our pets have supported us during this difficult period. So if you have a story to tell, please let me know ASAP. You can either email your story to me together with a photo of your pet and I will publish it on our story wall, or if you are willing you can tell your story in church for everybody to hear. It doesn’t need to be anything spectacular – although that’s welcome too, I’m really happy with the ordinary. It would be good to make this year’s pet service more poignant and personal.
God Bless
Simon
Dear Friends
I have some exciting news from Suzette Llewellyn, a former churchwarden at St Nick’s. Suzette has been very busy during lockdown and just produced a book entitled ‘Still Breathing: 100 Black Voices on Racism – 100 Ways to Change the Narrative’. It is published by Harper Collins and available at all good bookshops, with the proceeds going to a most worthy cause. As the publicity says:
Still Breathing assembles a cast of 100 Black voices to talk about their experiences of racism in Britain. Actresses Suzette Llewellyn (Eastenders) and Suzanne Packer (Holby City) are joined by musicians, members of Parliament, poets, artists, athletes, civil servants, doctors, lawyers, and more. This is a collection of stories from so many walks of life, sharing their experiences with racism. There are stories of resilience, stories of great pain, stories of courage and stories of hope.
Suzette wrote to me as follows:
‘I have great ambitions for this book. One, to amplify the voices within the pages and two because the proceeds from Still Breathing 100 Voices go to The Ashdon Jazz Academy founded by Trisha Muirhead in 2015 after her 14 year old daughter took her own life. The charity mentors vulnerable girls age 11-21.’ https://ashdonjazzacademy.org.uk/
I have just ordered my own copy from Waterstones in Chiswick High Road!
With every blessing
Mother Eileen