The Parish Church of St George the Martyr, Waterlooville

Macmillan Coffee Morning

We held a Macmillan Coffee Morning in the church hall on Friday 28th September.

Our willing helpers baked cakes and served teas and coffees.

We had a cake stall, bookstall and raffle.

A total of £243 was raised for the Macmillan Nurses.

Harvest Festival

Our Harvest Festival service was held on Sunday 7th October. A large amount of provisions was collected and later delivered to the Two Saints Centres.

The theme for Fr Mike’s address was the life story of the baked bean. In “congregational participation” a long line of people held up placards detailing its journey from field to plate. Did you know that there are 340 baked beans in a Heinz tin and that they sell 1½ million tins a day? That’s a lot of baked beans!

After the service a “Bring your own” Harvest lunch was held in the hall with quizzes and games.

Film Club - October 2012 - Brigadoon

This very “musical” film had not only an orchestra as background, but a choir too!

Its American view of “bonny Scotland” was a love story set in the “once in a hundred years” village of Brigadoon, whose mysterious arrangement to only be awake for one day in a century had been set in place by a gentleman who, apparently, had not stayed around long enough to find out how inconvenient it might prove to be.

One of two America hikers, (Gene Kelly) fell instantly in love upon meeting a Scottish maiden whose sister was to be married that very day. I particularly enjoyed him serenading some suitably hairy, horned cattle, who stared straight ahead totally unimpressed, some grazing sheep, and a black and white pig who managed a grunt as he danced by.

I remember thinking that it was fortunate the two men had remembered to pack their tap shoes.

After a “do-it-yourself” wedding and a failed escape bid by one of the villagers the entire village settled down to their next long sleep. Well it had been a very busy day!

The two Americans returned to the frenetic life of their native land, and our hero to his very talkative fiancée.

Yearning for the much slower pace of Brigadoon and his Scottish maiden he returned to claim his beloved and doze happily ever after.

Sing and Play Workshop

On Saturday 20th October a “workshop” was held for musicians and singers of all levels of experience, and on Sunday 21st October there was a “Sing and Play” service celebrating the importance of music.

The Sunday School sang The Wise Man with actions, about building a house on rocks or sand and the consequences, we sang hymns “in the round” and finished with the recorder group playing “Sing a Rainbow”.

Grand Auction of Promises

St George’s held its Grand Auction of Promises, Collectables and other items in the Church Hall on Saturday 27th October.

An enthusiastic crowd bid for a multitude of items including cakes, crackers, car cleaning, car rides, meals, plates, plants and pictures.

A total of £1420.70 was raised for church funds.

Janet Johnson

Christmas Edition 2012

St George’s News from the Pews