Our Villages Magazine has come up trumps! Entered into the National Parish Magazine competition against many other great magazines from all over the country.
"The Villages' came first in Wiltshire and was particularly commended by judges for being "a magazine with a good variety of content."
Chief editor Paul Mackie said, "We decided that we wanted the magazine to appeal to non-churchgoers, to be more entertaining with quizzes, stories and feature articles, but still with the Christian content."
Our heartfelt congratulations go to Paul and his team.
Church Car Park
We now have a new Car Park. It will be in use for all group and special services and we hope that everybody will use it and avoid the congestion of the Church Hill.
As you approach the Church from the Direction of the A4 and Lower Compton, drive round the sharp bend to the left and carry on for about 100 metres. You will see the entrance on the left with a large “CAR PARK” sign.
Cars are parked at the owners risk. Please be careful of traffic on the bend when walking the 200 metres back to the Church
Do you want the Church in our Village to stay open?
A few use it regularly, some use it occasionally, most expect it to be there all clean and tidy and heated, when required.
Unfortunately, all this costs a lot of money; last year it amounted to about £270 per week. The burden rests on too few shoulders. We desperately need a better income stream and if some people would consider setting up regular payments, however small, by bankers standing order, then it would make an enormous difference.
If you enjoy arranging flowers and would like to be on the Flower Rota speak to Jenny Jackson Tel: 01249-816232, she would be very pleased to hear from you.
Which came first, St. Swithin’s or the Cathedral?
Palaeography (ancient writing) has recently been discovered in Salisbury Cathedral behind a 1660 memorial, it is believed that it could be the earliest known example of written English in a Church and it is thought to predate the Reformation. At that time scholars had their heads chopped off if they dared to translate the Bible into English.
We at St. Swithin’s know a little of how exciting the find must have been at the Cathedral because in February 2004, after extensive restoration, plaster fell off the wall of the north aisle and revealed floral patterns in red ochre which experts date as fifteenth century. The design seems as fresh as when they were first applied to the wall with confident flowing brush strokes by some long forgotten Banksy, of perhaps by a group of travelling church decorators.
It would be interesting to know which came first, St. Swithin’s or the Cathedral???
Jack Labrador
Follow the up to date exploits of Jack Labrador, as featured in The Parishes magazine
Other Blogs form the same author The Major's Diary
The post war diaries of The Major recording the exploits of one Corporal Carruthers.
