Letter from the Rectory

Judith invites Parishoners to join them in beating the parish boundaries and blessing the crops.

Dear friends,

The Bishop Invites you to the pub!

Isn't it irritating when somebody tells you something you know much more about than they do. Well, this definitely won't be the case when Bishop Athony is our guest speaker on Plough Sunday. He comes from a farming family and has been a priest in country parishes. He has been involved in rural affairs at national and regional level since 1973 and is currently President of the East of England Agricultural Society. He has written five books on church history and on rural issues. Somehow he also finds time to be the Bishop of Ely!

Now what's all this about the pub? Well, on Sunday 13th May we should be delighted if you would join us in the traditional village event of "beating" the parish boundaries and blessing the crops.

As it would take most of the day to walk around all four of our parishes we have cheated! What would you say were significant features of village life? Having lived in villages for much of my life I have noticed how they struggle to survive when certain key organisations close, so I hope you will agree with my choice of the village shop, the pub, the school and the church.

We have chosen Denver to represent us and invite you all to join us outside the shop and post office at 10.30 am, move on to the pub, "The Bell", and then the village school. Bishop Anthony will preach at our church service, starting at 11.00 am. We shall then go to Denver Mill to pray for a blessing on this year's crops and finish up with a ploughman's lunch at the village hall. Do please come. This is something I hope will be enjoyed by everyone who loves village life.

Best wishes,

Judith Grundy