Parochial Church Council

Reach

John Holmwood had, with help from Glenn Newman and Robert Wood, moved the font from the back of Reach church, thus saving a huge amount of money. The Secretary would write to thank him. More voluntary labour was needed to complete the refurbishment of the church.

Swaffham Prior

John Norris presented the architect’s new plans for the alterations to the vestry. It was proposed by Michael Cazenove, seconded by Rosalind Wood, that we should instruct the architect to proceed and to go to tender.

The arch-light over the gateway would have to be free-standing, and may or not need a Faculty. The Faculty had been granted for the light opposite the tower buttress of St Cyriac’s. The Secretary had written to the Parish Council to ask if they would consider putting a light matching it at the cemetery gate, and also put in some hard-standing for parking, given the amount of use there and the resultant mud.

The Washtell organ was not functioning properly, but, if it did not work any more, there were no plans to replace it. We were still waiting for E.C.D.C. to build up the walls in the churchyard.

Dates for 2001

Reach:

Saturday 28^th April Moveable Feast

Sunday 6^th May Community Hymn Singing, Fair Green

Monday 7^th May Reach Fair

Sunday 13^th May Beating the Bounds (after 11.00 a.m. Service)

Saturday 14^th July Family Barbeque 6.00 p.m. (Spring Hall)

Friday 28^th September Harvest Supper Village Hall 7.00 p.m.

Saturday 13^th October St Etheldreda’s Fair and Gift Day

Sunday November 4^th Cambridge Voices, Reach Church, 6.00 p.m.

The Recipe Books would be ready for sale by the second week in February

Swaffham Prior

Amended dates following the meeting of 11^th January:

February 27^th Shrove Tuesday Party (cancelled)

March 8^th Bulb Walk, Coffee Morning, The Manor House, 10.00 a.m.

March 23^rd Cambridge Voices concert, St Mary’s 8.00 p.m.

April 7^th Music and Poetry ‘Women of Note’ St Cyriac’s 7.00 p.m.

May 12^th Village Feast Karaoke Evening, Village Hall 6.00-10.00 p.m.

June 16^th Moveable Feast 7.00 p.m.

June 17^th Cambridge Voices Choral Evensong, St Cyriac’s 6.00 p.m.

June 24^th Cambridge Voices concert 6.00 p.m. St Cyriac’s (R. Tricker)

July ?9^th Summer Drama ‘Farmer Giles of Ham’, S. Prior House

September 1^st Cambridge Voices concert 8.00 p.m. Zion Baptist Chapel

September 8^th Church Gift Day and Coffee Morning (CHCT cycle ride)

September 22^nd Village Harvest Supper, St Cyriac’s 7.00 p.m.

September 30^th Birthday Concert (Ian de Massini) St Cyriac’s 6.00 pm

October 7^th Harvest Festival@ Little Chapel in the Fen, Upware 3.00 pm

October 14^th Salvation Army Band & Songsters, Zion Baptist, 6.30 p.m.

November 11^th Cambridge Voices, Requiem Remembrance Sunday

3. Vicar

Advent and Christmas retrospect: the Vicar floated the idea of having the First Communion of Christmas in one of the churches earlier in the evening, so that he could celebrate on Christmas Eve in both churches. No-one seemed to be in favour. He also suggested that Swaffham Prior Carol Service should be at 11. 00 on Advent 3. At Reach he did not know what to decide about Christingle and Carol Service, which had been combined last year, rather unsuccessfully. He suggested a mid-week Christingle service after school as a possibility.

Comments were invited from the PCC about ‘Common Worship’

Proposed arrangements for Lent, Holy Week and Easter were distributed for consideration. Lent Group of 14^th March would be at Reach Village Centre all others c/o chapels. On Maundy Thursday the watch would be kept at Swaffham Bulbeck after the 7.00 p.m. service until 10.00 p.m. The Good Friday Cambridge Voices concert had been moved to 7.00 p.m. (there would be no Comp line at Reach). The Easter Eve Vigil would be at Swaffham Bulbeck at 7.00 p.m..

It was agreed that the Annual Vestry and Parochial Church Meeting would be in the School Hall on Monday 23^rd April at 7.30 p.m. (Officials needed to prepare reports and get them to the Vicar no later than 1^st April, please).

It was agreed that the provisional PCC meeting booked for 26^th February was not now needed, though we might need to meet on March 26^th if there is sufficient business, given that the next PCC meeting would not be until May.

Jenny Moseley