From the Vicar

Dear Friends,

FESTIVAL

I want to use my letter to highlight events this month of HM the Queen’s Jubilee of her Accession, and to invite you all to a special service on Swaffham Bulbeck’s Denny on Sunday 2nd June at 6.30 pm when we celebrate that event with our friends from the Salvation Army Band. Cambridge Voices do so in concert, ‘God save the Queen’ on Tuesday 4th, the ‘extra’ bank holiday, at 4.00 pm in St Cyriac’s Church.

Two new events are worthy of note: Table Top Sale at Goodwin Manor 2.30 pm -4.00 pm on Sunday 2nd June, and a Strawberry Tea, takes place at Waterhall Cottage , Great Lane, Reach from 3.00-5.30 pm on Sunday 9th June; all are welcome at both these gatherings.

‘The Wonderful Adventures of Farmer Giles of Ham’ a Classworks Theatre production, takes place in the grounds of Swaffham Prior House on Saturday 15th June at 2.30 pm, as an antidote to the Gilbert & Sullivan matinee in Swaffham Bulbeck.

Choral Evensong at 6.00 pm on Sunday 16th June by Cambridge Voices in the incomparable surroundings of St Cyriac’s will not disappoint - if you’re not familiar with the service, don’t worry, it lasts no more than an hour, and is guaranteed to touch your soul. The next evening is our Parish Pilgrimage to Clare in Suffolk, where we look round the parish church and Priory; we leave at 6.00 pm and anyone can come along by signing the lists in the churches or by telephoning me (741409). The Bishop of Huntingdon, the Rt Revd John Flack, leads a Mothers Union service ‘Thanks & Giving' with me in Swaffham Bulbeck church on Tuesday 18th at 2.30 pm - all are welcome, and not just women.

Then it’s Swaffham Prior Festival, beginning on Friday 21st - the full diary is listed elsewhere in this issue, Bishop John returns to preach at the Festival Morning service in St Mary’s at 11.00 am on Sunday 23rd - drinks will be served afterwards, and all are welcome.

As always, not everything is happening on your doorstep, and so if you need a lift, just ask! Let’s make sure we support all the efforts of the many and various organisers, and truly celebrate both the Jubilee and the centenary of the last restoration of St Mary’s, which was completed in 1902 - our fund raising this year is so that we might mark this centenary with something tangible. Jan Petersen’s final service collection was a start towards a sound reinforcement system in the parish church for use at school and family services particularly, an idea we have nursed for some time; the other major initiative is the internal lighting and electrics, a more major task but one the building sorely needs.

See you at some or all of these I hope,

Yours sincerely,

Your Parish Priest, Mark

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