All Saints Church, Little Totham

Sponsored by The Swan Public

House, Little Totham

Newsletter
No.212 February, 2010
Pancake races Notice Board
TRADITION is alive and well in Little
Totham and the start of the Christian sea-
petitors and, of course, there will be
prizes for the winners.
All Saints Church
All Saints Website: http://totham-
son of Lent will be marked as usual with Afterwards the Swan hosts coffee for
goldhanger-churches.org.uk
pancake races through the village. the adults and squash for the children with
Rector: The Rev Jonathan Pearce
For the first time for some years this a collection for All Saints' new chairs.
(893150).
annual event – organised by All Saints So get practising. You're supposed to
Churchwardens: Andrew Vince
and always held during half-term so that toss while you run….
(788472) and Vivienne Smith
the children can take part – will actually
take place on Shrove Tuesday. Pancake supper (891660). Or you can e-mail her on:
FOR the first time the All Saints parish Vivienne@letscom. nitrex.net.
Meet in the Swan car park at 10.30am
pancake supper will be taking place on Sidespeople: Lorna Key (891667),
on February 16 armed with your frying
Shrove Tuesday – February 16. Peter Wakelin (788241), Francis
pan and pancake.
The time is 7.30 for 8pm and the venue Erridge (788229), Jayne French
Children will be divided into age
is, of course, the Swan. The cost is just £7 (828141), Jen Parker-Bell (869800)
groups – tots to teens –- and if there are
but places are limited so book early with and Laurie Philpott (892686).
eager parents and grandparents they can
Vivienne Smith on 891660. Holy Communion, 7.45am every
have a go as well.
Enjoy an evening of fun and friendship Sunday.
The length of the School Road course
plus the inevitable silly quiz. Parish Communion, 11am every
will be adjusted to suit the age of the com-
Sunday.
Ash Celebrate marriage A Time Of Prayer, 7.30pm every
Thursday.
Wednesday IF you are fortunate enough special day, invite the Sunday February 14, 11am,
BEFORE recruiting his to have found the ideal guests again and bring the National Marriage Week service.
disciples and beginning partner come along to the photographs. Wednesday February 17, 8pm, Ash
his work as a healer and All Saints 11am service on In previous years we Wednesday service.
teacher Jesus spent six February 14 to give thanks have celebrated marriages Sunday February 21, 10am
weeks alone in the for the joy and companion-
of a few months and others Children's church followed by all-age
wilderness. ship of your relationship.
of over 60 years. service at 11am.
During that time he Each year at the start of
National Marriage Week The invitation also Parochial Church Council, Tuesday
was tempted three times extends to anyone who has February 9, 7.45pm, Bobbit's Hole,
the parish church invites
with the offer of magi- lost a partner, been married Bakers Green, thanks to Penny and
everyone who has been
cal food, power and Michael Adams.
married in our 1,000-year- elsewhere or is contemplat-

Evangelical
riches. Each of these he
old church to recall their ing marriage.
rejected.
Ash Wednesday sees
the start of Lent, the
Monthly walks Church
time before Easter when Morning worship, 10.30am.
Christians remember ENJOY a brisk walk in the This is an ideal time of Holy Communion, 10.30am first
this period of his life open air and keep an eye year to see migrating birds Sunday in the month.
and prepare for the fes- open for local wildlife at and – with his expertise on Sunday Club, 10.30am for children
tival of the the same time. hand – you might be lucky of primary school age.
Resurrection. Whatever the weather Wednesdays, 7pm, Home group at
enough to spot a rarity.
All Saints will hold a our All Saints birdman – Cherith, home of Brenda Horsnell.
parish communion serv- the Rev Jonathan Pearce – Join him at Goldhanger
Church at 1.45pm and Saturday February 6, 3pm,
ice at 8pm on will still be taking to the Induction of new pastor, the Rev Alan
Wednesday February footpaths on Thursday spend 90 minutes in the
Bass.
17. February 11. fresh air.
 Parish Council
AS the police support offi-
cer for the village has
been on long term sick
leave the parish council is
not being charged for the
period of his absence.
The One Place on
Wheels will be in Little
Totham Evangelical
Church Hall on Friday
February 12 between
10.45 and 11.45am, pro-
viding information on
housing benefit, social
care, policing, tourist and
community matters, vol-
unteering and access to IT
training.
The mobile library will
be stationed by the hall
between 11.45 and noon
on Fridays., February 12
and 26.
The next council meet-
ing will be held on
Tuesday February 2 at
7.30pm in Little Totham
Evangelical Church Hall.
Chairman Fred
Chambers can be contact-
ed on 891595.

Broomsticks
THE next get-together for detail contact Siobhan
the All Saints women's Dellamico who will be
group will be held on hosting the evening at
Thursday February 25 Spring Cottage in School
when we hope to welcome Road from 8pm. The
back David Goddard group is open to all
whose wide-ranging talk women in the village and
Body Shop products on alternative medicine
and therapies fascinated
we welcome new faces.
get to know your neigh-
and demos us last May. If there is any bours. For more informa-
particular area you would tion ring Vivienne Smith
Contact Alison Maclennan
like discussed in more on 891660.
Tell: 01621 890068
Professional Gardener
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 WHILE I was in Canada a few
years ago, it was a privilege to
meet some of the First Nation
people, still often called Indians
in conversation.
The tribe, which is local to
where I stayed just South of
Vancouver, held their annual
Salmon Festival in the middle of
September, celebrating the
bounty from the sea – five differ-
ent species of Pacific Salmon in
that region.
The tribe is the Semiahmoo,
part of a grouping of tribes
called the Coast Salish which all
speak a similar language. The
Semiahmoo are a small tribe
which has suffered, the misfor-
tune of their ancient tribal lands
being divided by the 49th
Parallel. In other words they are
partly in the USA and partly in
Canada, with all the consequen-
tial administrative problems.
I will always remember the
Salmon Festival, the singing,
dancing and drums. It was an
opportunity to meet folk from
other guest tribes and nations as
well, including Cree and
Blackfoot. Brian, our cook at the
A Rocha project where I was
staying, has one Blackfoot
ancestor among all of his
European ones. He's a very good
birdwatcher with a keen eye!
I also spent some time in the
Rockies. The First Nation people
didn't much like the mountains,
preferring the plains to the east
where they could hunt Buffalo,
(Bison). Some half a dozen
nomadic tribes used to use what
is now Jasper as a stopping off
point in summer. They couldn't
understand why a vast expanse
of water, Medicine Lake (Or
Bad Medicine Lake!) could be
so full in June every year, and
almost empty by September. We
now know the solution to the
mystery: The glaciers melt a bit
every year in summer, providing
water to fill it. The whole area is
limestone, though, and there are
From The Rectory
sink holes which drain the water
away in a matter of weeks.
The various first nation tribes
thought that the "Old Man" was
the cause of the water disappear-
ing. He is a sandstone outcrop at
the top of the mountain bearing
his name. Contrasting with the
pale limestone, he looks very
much like an old man's face as
he lies on his back. You can
make out the chin, nose and eye-
brow ridge, and stream-beds
running down the mountainside
below create the impression of
feathers on his head dress. As he
was considered to be the cause
of the "Bad Medicine," the
Indians always faced the
entrances of their tepees away
from him.
Moving to the forests of
Northern British Columbia, let
me tell you another aboriginal
story, the legend of the
"Kermode" Spirit-Bear. I have a
lovely photograph, not taken by
me unfortunately, of one of this
rare and localised race of the
Grisly Bear, which has the dis-
tinction of being almost pure
white. The legend states that the
Raven, their creator, made these
bears white as a reminder of the
time when the world was pure
and clean, and covered with
snowdrifts and ice-blue glaciers
It's very interesting to reflect
on how similar we are to the
First Nation peoples of Canada.
We aren't familiar with the sto-
ries I've mentioned, but the
thought processes that lie behind
them are similar to our own. We
too try to find reasons and expla-
nations for all that we find inex-
plicable as we face life with all
its complexities, as with the Old
Man story. Also, as with the
White Bear legend, we have a
strong tendency to look back
wistfully to bygone times, when
we think that things were so
much better than they are today.
Perhaps in some ways they were,
particularly for the First Nation
folk before the white man came,
but what powerful instruments
those rose-coloured specs are,
through which we look at the
past!
How do we feel about life
here today, at the beginning of
this New Year and decade? Fed
up about the Copenhagen sum-
mit just before Christmas
because it amounted to very lit-
tle in the end, and we guessed
that would be the case anyway?
Do we feel resigned to the
General Election campaigning
that lies ahead, with the main
parties slagging each other off,
and none of them having the
integrity that we are really look-
ing for?
On the plus side, we too could
hold an annual Salmon Festival
in many parts of the British Isles
and Europe, where pollution has
been conquered and the fish re-
introduced successfully.
Christians have always been
in a position to be hopeful and
optimistic, joyful even, about the
present and the future. This is
because the faith is about rela-
tionship with God, who is with
us in it all and through it all. In
him we can explore all that we
don't understand, or that causes
us fear and concern, and we can
know that he always answers our
prayers in some way, shape or
form. With Easter just around
the corner once again, we can be
reminded that Christ went
through suffering and death, and
that we can share in his victory
even over these ancient enemies
of our humanity.
May I wish you a belated
Happy New Year – and Decade!
Jonathan Pearce

Unwanted gifts Mums and Babies

THANKS to those who
have donated to the All
Saints tombola. If your
winter clear-out uncovers
anything suitable tell
Vivienne Smith on
891660. The tombola runs
through the All Saints cal-
endar of activities starting
with the car rally, through
the Flower Festival and
open garden weekend,
reappears at the village fete
in July and turns up again
at the bric-a-brac and gift
fair in November.
CALLING anyone opportunity to have a
who is caring for a coffee and a chat on
pre-school toddler. the first Thursday in
Make the New Year the month. Drop in at
the time to make new any time from 1pm on
friends. All Saints February 4. If you
group is open to par- want a chat first just
ents, grandparents and ring Angela on
carers and provides an 892732.
 SL Executive Travel in com-
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S class limousine cars with
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reclining rear seats
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Luxury mpvs 1-6 passengers
Rolls Royce Silver Cloud series II
Austin 2o limousine built in 1936
Wedding and all occasions
Tel: 01621 893409
Web site: www.slexecutive.co.uk

Buddies
Pet Services
A buddy there when you’re elsewhere
Dog Walks - Home Visits-Feeds-Pet Sitting
- Home Boarding - Home Security Checks
Contact us any time
077333 80601
M AND C BUILDING
SERVICES
General Builders
lHome maintenance lThe jobs you
don’t want to do lNo job too small
lFurniture assembly lFree estimates
Call Mark on 07799 882094

MOBILE Rosemary Higham

MANICURIST Manicure & Pedicure
ROSEMARY NAILS

Manicure/Pedicure £13.00 City & Guilds trained

Toe nail cutting £5.00 B.A.B.T.A.C. Member
Phone: 01621 855461
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SOLO BEAUTY THERAPY

Manicures, Pedicures, Facials,
Massage and Waxing
Contact Jo: 01621 891400
or 0771 0990467

Jamie’s
Private hire up to six peo- Fully licensed and council
ple. approved.
People carrier
Travel for every occasion. Tel: 01621 857168
Mobile: 07986 488789

M.G.WITNEY
VEHICLE SERVICING, DIAGNOSTICS AND
REPAIRS – ALL CARS, VANS AND 4x4s
lFully trained and qualified lElectrical and mechanical
lFull services to manufac- faults diagnosed & rectified.
turers’ schedules to keep
lAll fault lamps and ECU
warranty.
faults can be cleared.
lLand Rover, Jaguar, Ford
& Snap On all makes diag- lAir conditioning servicing
nostics systems. and repairs.
Contact Michael on 07880 524716 or
(01621) 890083
 All Saints alive at Little Totham
Bumper sum for Night Shelter Birthdays
THE weather was atrocious, pavements and aided through envelopes that had been deliv- February 1 Jenny Pearce.
paths were icy and the temperature was ered earlier which means that the February 2 Jessica Rampling, bap-
freezing. Yet Little Totham carol singing Government will add to the total. tised at All Saints.
raised more than £100 above the previous As co-ordinator Pernille Petersen February 10 Helen Crisp and
year's donation towards the work of the explained when she visited All Saints that Emma nee Cater.
Colchester Emergency Night Shelter. the shelter does far more than just provide February 17 Vicky Phillips.
Thanks to the generosity of the village emergency accommodation. Health, work February 21 Lily Phillips.
and members of All Saints, plus the fortitude and housing are all issues covered by the Also Jim Carrington.
of 14 adult singers and a minibus of staff. Also All Saints youngster Ben
teenagers from Witham Evangelical Church, If anyone would like to visit and see the Hendry.
the total amount raised on the Monday work firsthand as well as the improvements February 29 Claire Lofthouse.
before Christmas was £271 compared with that are being made to the building contact March 2 Ann Birkin.
£145 the year before. Pernille on 01206 549885 or churchwarden If you would like a birthday or
A good proportion of this figure was gift Vivienne Smith on 891660. congratulations included please
pass the details to Lorna Key on
WHAT’S ON Packed house 891667 or Vivienne Smith on
DESPITE a last minute most of this being gift- 891660.
AT THE change of venue to Little aided, the Government
SWAN Totham Evangelical will be boosting the final 100 Club
Church – for which many amount to over £200. LATEST lucky punter to collect the
thanks to David Brewer Carols were accompa- £30 top prize is Hope Bradfield. The
and Malcolm Morant – as nied by flautist Jennifer second prize of £15 goes to Margaret
usual nearly 100 children, Fuller as well as All Goddard and Angela Fuller receives
parents, grandparents and Saints organist Toni a fiver.This month's draw will take
aunts and uncles turned Philpott on piano, and place at the All Saints pancake sup-
up for the Christingle prayers were read by per in the Swan on February 16.
service on Christmas Eve. Jamie Oram, Nicholas
Phone: 892689 And once again they Bredin, Ruby-Rose Rider,
showed their concern for Jordan Hendry and Table Tennis
PLAN ahead and give your those who are helped by Christopher Bredin. PING-pong is a popular village sport
loved one a special treat on the Children's Society – Spanish visitor these days, thanks to the twice-
Valentine's Day – let someone the abused, the frightened Carolina de la Pascua, monthly Thursday sessions in Little
else cook Sunday lunch. and the neglected chil- spending Christmas with Totham Evangelical Church Hall.
Chef Dave will be only too dren. her grandparents, con- This month's dates are February 11
pleased to take your order – but More than £172 was tributed two carols sung and 25 from 7.30 to 9pm. For more
make sure you book in advance collected and, thanks to in Spanish. details ring Anne Brewer on 891361.
on 892689.
There is still time to take Yoga sessions Helping hands
advantage of the chance to enjoy
THERE will be no classes teacher Marion Pidgeon.
a two-course meal for just a THE All Saints Caring in Little
during the week begin- Choose between
fiver, courtesy of the Times Totham group is able to help anyone
ning February 15. Monday evenings and
newspaper. Book first and then retired needing to attend an appoint-
They will resume after Wednesday or Thursday
take the paper's voucher along ment with a doctor, dentist or opti-
half-term and continue mornings.
on a Wednesday or Thursday, cian or to go to hospital for treat-
through to Easter.
either at lunchtime or in the To find out more you ment. Contact Lorna on 891667.
The 90-minute sessions
evening. The special menu will can check out Marion's
are held in the Essex
include a choice of four starters, website: www.maldonyo-
main course and sweets. You can
Scout headquarters oppo- WI
site Wickham Bishops ga.co.uk, e-mail her on
keep enjoying a bargain until PARAMEDICS may have to handle
Tennis Club in Great maldonyoga@yahoo.co.u some curious cases, and John
April 10.
Totham Road and are run k or simply telephone on Neumeir will regale members of
Alpha Course by professional yoga 852366. Goldhanger, Little Totham and
IF you would like to discover
more about Christianity starting
Bereavement support Tolleshunt Major Women's Institute
with them at their meeting on
from scratch, the nationwide THIS group meets month- coffee with others who February 3. On March 3, Tessa Bull
Alpha Course might be the ideal ly or you can ring the rec- feel the same way come discusses hypnotherapy in an
way to begin. tor, the Rev Jonathan along to Vivienne's house evening called Mind over Word.
Little Totham Evangelical Pearce on 893150 or for a couple of hours on The institute meets from 7.30pm
Church plan to run this soon For churchwarden Vivienne Tuesday February 9, from on the first Wednesday in the month
more details contact Anne Smith on 891660 just to 10.30am. Transport is in Goldhanger village hall and secre-
Brewer on 891361. chat. If you would like a available. tary Kerry Smith would like to hear
Printed by Graphic Impressions, Springfield Lyons House, Springfield Lyons Approach, from anyone interested in joining.
Chelmsford CM2 5LB. Tel: 01245 260349 Ring her on 891934.