2011 - Champagne Call My Bluff Kosovo Trip Porch plans Porch Fun Casino
2010 - Burns Night 2010 St Georges Day Parade 2010
Christian Aid 2010 Harvest Christmas Fair
2009 - Iona Pilgrimage Children's Holiday Club - Easter 2009 Pentecost 2009
Elizabethan Banquet Summer 2009
Call My Bluff wine evening 2009 ACM Gospel Choir in concert
In the season of carols there are many opportunities to sing carols both inside and out. These are from the evening at St Agnes Fountain.
Photos - Richard's photos from the Fun Casino night are posted here .
This was on Saturday 19th November in aid of the Porch Community Counselling Centre. It proved to be a great fund raising evening. Everyone looked so smart in their black, white and silver. The church was transformed with appropriate wall coverings, twinkly lights and curly garlands. The cocktails were beautifully presented and the canapés delicious and plentiful. The chocolate fountains continued to flow. I think the strawberries were the best! The main focus, of course, were the gaming tables and the professional croupiers who did a great job. Piles of chips grew and then disappeared. The atmosphere was full of laughter and fun and no-one ever got serious. Claire won a Windsor Farm Shop hamper as the person with the most chips at the end of the evening - over 3000. Many people had built up a considerable number at one point during the evening but them blown them all again just as easily.
Our thanks to all those who came to support this very different social evening at All Saints. We hope to be doing another one in due course.
Early 2011 - It looking very smart. Here are the cloisters with the newly planted Fig Tree in the middle.
A progress Report by J Sturt
I have been a member of All Saints church for at least thirty years and in that time have been party to many extension and refurbishment projects and also lots of such questions, and the answer is, in God’s time, whilst God wants us to spread the word, His works will be done in His time, but this phase I hope will be completed soon.
We have experienced a number of unexpected delays and problems not least the local authority requirements for the new build ‘Porch Project’. Firstly there was the need for approval of outstanding items of the Planning permission called ‘Reserved Matters’, and building control permission which had to be discharged, these were things such as approval of the colour of the bricks and the roofing material, approval of the foundations and structural design, etc.
The resultant design of these items have also incurred a lot of extra cost. Firstly the foundations needed to be piled with concrete piles up to 8 metres deep, costing about £6 thousand, then there was nearly £3 thousand of special ‘clay board’ needed so that the floor slab is suspended, and there was another £3 thousand of reinforcement and the time taken to fix it and concrete the slab took much longer and consequently cost a lot more than expected.
Our digger driver also delayed proceedings on insisting on working to rule; NO SUNDAYS!
I have delayed matters a little in striving to keep the costs down. I have had meetings with the designers and builders to get things changed and reduced in specification to keep us within our expenditure capabilities and may, even yet, have to hold back on completing non-essential parts of the project.
So to cut a long story short we are about one and a half to two months behind schedule. We can expect that the building will be roof on and well on the way to completion by Christmas.
The café area is more or less complete with just the flooring to do, which will follow after the builders have vacated and when we do the new building floor.
We have decided in order to save capital expenditure to hire a coffee machine instead of outright purchase and I hope by the time you read this that you are relaxing in the café and enjoying the freshly brewed ground coffee.
We want to buy extra new furniture for the café area; coffee tables and café tables and chairs as well as one or two sofas and easy chairs but, unless a benefactor comes along soon we will have to wait until the building works are finished and see what we can afford.
It is reassuring however to meet with and talk to people who are interested in the completion of the new building for the counseling facilities and can’t wait to start the café management. It is great also to know that the rest of Windsor and the locality is interested too, I recently had occasion to meet the Mayor of Windsor who came to look around the Porch project and I think she was impressed, not with the building so much, but with what we at All Saints are endeavouring to provide for those that live in West Windsor, in such a central importantly positioned facility. Let’s hope that her influence may help to bring much needed support from the rest of the Windsor communities.
I believe that in time our church at All Saints will become a visitor centre as important and as well visited as Tesco, but our profit will be measured somewhat differently; ‘what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)’ Let’s sustain the soul with food of Christian love and advice as well as the body with coffee and cake!
Feedback on Kosovo – for donors to the project:
We (the Church), were all pleased to have been part of taking aid to the Kosovan people and we generally felt that what was accomplished by way of taking and giving out aid was on the whole very worthwhile, and working with the rest of the group gave us immense satisfaction as we hope it did for those Kosovans that we met. It was great to be a part of a team that is so dedicated to the task. Our taking part was down to the photos and videos that we were shown of the living conditions of the Kosovans due to the war that had left them living in terrible conditions. This was not generally seen on this visit however and Kosovo has obviously moved on since the photos and videos, which we understand were taken in 2005/6
· Aid collection - It was good to get all of the church members involved with a vision of giving to the needy people of Kosovo who through no fault of their own were in need; we found it difficult to get people to understand that their old throw-out items of clothing, shoes, etc. was not what was wanted unless in very good condition. Food collection was very positive especially by giving out bags to each family and asking them to fill them, however a more positive list of what not to include would be helpful and consideration to purchasing in Kosovo should be given.
· Travel - The convoy through 7 countries (UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Kosovo), was a good but exhausting group experience and the most positive part was the running in convoy with constant sharing over the CB radios, together with the leader’s experience and ability at border crossings and help from others and the sharing of problems. This smoothed things out generally. As some of you will know we had a few problems with lorry breakdowns and theft of an individual’s personal effects, passport and money etc. resulting in a loss of nearly 2 days travelling.
· Distribution of aid to sites - We unloaded the lorries into a central depot in a town called Gdjakova and then re-loaded each lorry to got to different destinations each day. The numbers of those flying out to help was low and resulted in longer hours of work and sorting the drops out for loading, making for more than 12 hour days. The ‘Mother Theresa Society’ through whom HaAD work in Kosovo decided where and to whom the aid should be given. The decision of the ‘Saintly’ team as we became known, to distribute to Roma camps on the first and consecutive occasions, we felt was not a good idea and we presume was made on the basis of low numbers of aid workers. Albeit the aid was gratefully received, abject poverty/deprivation in the Roma camps was not seen. This we felt was due to the Roma way of life and not as a result of the war. We felt that some sort of project of self-help was needed for the future in preference to aid handouts. Our final drop was to a village in the hills, which whilst interesting, again we felt that poverty was not high, but gratefully received. The shops in the village seemed to be reasonably well stocked and living facilities reasonable. Cars and motor bikes were in constant use.
All returned safely and although tired enjoyed the trip.
23rd May - There have been adventures with lost keys, heavy rain and stolen computers but the workers have surmounted all difficulties and are delivering the much needed goods as planned. They are all very tired. Those who went by plane are back today but the convoy has yet to re-cross Europe. We continue to pray for them.
The lorry driven by Linda and Jon set off on Friday 13th May. There was a small crowd at the church to say good bye and wished them well. Rev Louise prayed for their mission and their safety. Matt and Carol flew out to join them on Monday. It has been raining hard near the Albanian border where they are headed and there is water in the warehouse. This will present them with extra problems but we pray that God will have a plan and that the team will understand what they have to do, and that all will be well.
Please do not bring any more clothes to All Saints. We have had a tremendous response to our appeal. Thank you all for all your help.
This year our churches are supporting the charity Hope and Aid Direct. This is a local based charity that takes much needed goods to Kosovo.
The Champagne Call My Bluff evening held at All Saints on Saturday 12th February was a tremendous success. Over a hundred people came to sample the champagnes and sparkling wines and see if they could discern the difference and to partake of a sumptuous four course meal including homemade game pie. The panel were on form to try to convince the audience that their wine was indeed the one everyone was sampling. Who was bluffing? Tables of 10 ensured that the weight of opinion did not lie with the individual; whilst a separate written quiz ensured that everyone learnt more about champagne as a result of the evening's entertainment. Amazingly one team got all 7 wines correctly identified. There was a tie of 5/7 for two tables and the rest mostly managed just 2 or 3 correct. An auction rounded off the evening and a total of £2000 profit was taken from the whole event. This will go a long way towards the target of £3000 needed to send a lorry to Kosova in May.
Our Christmas Fair was a huge success. The cafe is now open and the new coffee machine is definitely christened. Over £3000 was raised for the Porch Project. See here.
This fair is to raise money to complete our Porch Project. The bricks are beginning to be put on and we would love help to keep the focus on sharing in this project. If you would like to buy a brick and ask friends and families to do so then place £2.00 for each brick in an envelope with the names of the people who are buying them. These will then be recorded for posterity. Instead of buying Christmas cards to people you see each day, buy them a brick. Especially do not send the vicar a card. Her joy will be in seeing the building completed. It will take 4,000 bricks to complete.
Harvest services were held in the parish over three weeks this year. All the schools held special assemblies and some came as whole schools to All Saints to celebrate there. The messages of giving thanks to God for all our blessings and sharing what we have with others is now more widely understood. The harvest gifts have been distributed locally and further afield to benefit a large number of people.
A large amount of money was collected specifically for an orphanage in Sri Lanka.
Sunday 27th June - Songs of Praise Service on the Windsor Racecourse
This was an invitation by the Racecourse and it was a great opportunity and a wonderful outing. We are invited to have a service while the other race goers are arriving. This was followed by a picnic and many stayed to watch some of the racing. Rev Louise had incorporated the Race card with the Bible in her talk.
May 1st was our Christian Aid Day.
There is an exhibition set up at All Saints explaining what the focus is for Christian Aid giving this year.
In the evening there was a Barn Dance with a large raffle at All Saints.
We seem to have exceeded our target to raise £2000 by some £200 at least. This is nearly as much as we raised door to door last year. Some 140 people came to enjoy the evening. Thanks to all for the hard work put in preparing for it and on the evening. further contributions for Christian Aid are still invited in this their week.
For the first time ever there was a parade through the streets of Dedworth prior to a St George's Day celebration service. The party met at the Black Horse and marched up the Dedworth Road with flags and banners held high and drums and tambourines sounding. This was followed by a very upbeat service led by Rev. Louise when our soldiers were celebrated and remembered, and St George's story was re-enacted with much joviality and laughter.
Burns Night - This was on Saturday 6th February at All Saints- it was another great night for the 90 or so people who attended. The food was excellent with blennies and smoked salmon as well as haggis, neaps and tatties, shortbread, raspberries, fruit crumble, cheese and biscuits....and the whisky...... There was a piper and Scottish Country Dancing display before we all joined in and tried to shed a few calories. It was wonderful fun .
Seasonal Call My Bluff wine evening
This popular event held on December 12th was a sensational success. Over 120 people came to partake of the scrumptious three course dinner and taste the 8 wines brought out through the evening and try to guess what they were drinking. The winners were small in number but accurate in their decision-making.
Most importantly a great night was had by all and there was significant money raised to help pay for the building work which has been carried out at all Saints in time for Christmas. Now the church is much bigger as an internal wall has been removed and now everyone should be able to get into the Christmas services listed above.
The pilgrimage to Iona was greatly blessed. Thanks to all for your prayers.
Summer activities in our churches were active and varied and were enjoyed by a large spectrum of people. It culminated in the production of the opera, The Selfish Giant on Sunday 6th September at the 11am service. The church was very full and the 40 min. story unfolded smoothly. Children and adults took part and had produced the props on Tuesdays over the summer. When the now elderly giant was invited to the Christ Child's garden in Paradise in the final scene many an eye filled with tears.
The boat trip up the Thames which included a service, a picnic and time for kite flying at Runnymede before returning was a wonderful day as seen below:
The church bells are now back in the tower at St Andrew's and there is an opportunity for new people to learn to ring them. Initially it will be on the basis of a one to one lesson once every 3 weeks, and then when you have grasped the skill you will be able to play with the other ringers. Please speak to Louise if you are interested and your lessons will be set up.
The bells were named 1. The Brocas, 2. Wessex, 3, Matthew, 4. Anthony, 5. Luke, 6. William. These will be put on a plaque on the wall. All the other names are recorded for the history of the bells. The venture raised £250. Many thanks for the support.
April 25th at All Saints'
What a fantastic event this turned out to be! The pictures give a flavour.
Verses written in thanks and praise are shown here for your delight.
The Promise and Power of Pentecost
What a moving Pentecost we have had at our churches this year! We have much to praise God for. None of the very many people you came to the services and events over the last two weeks could have failed to have been affected by God's Holy Spirit working in them, and seen its effects in our members of the churches here in Windsor, and the community at large.
All services on Pentecost Sunday were enhanced by music. All the choirs and most notably the 20 strong band's first coming together in the evening service at St Andrew's.
The Covenant Players worked very hard over the weekend with a collection of plays and sketches of different lengths to make clear to us all how the Holy Spirit may be encountered and what some of the effects might be. Some 20 people of all ages attended the workshop at St Agnes on Saturday. That evening the drama supper was well attended, and all who came thoroughly enjoyed the thought provoking drama, inter-twined with good food and good company.
On Sunday the Covenant Players took significant part in both morning services at All Saints, and the members who had taken part in the workshop also gave us all a flavour of what they had been engaged in.
Definitely a Pentecost to remember.
What a great project this proved to be. We went out to Squires Garden Centre and filmed the Garden of Gethsemane scene there; to Munch 4 Lunch and the Binoy for the Last supper; to Boots to buy the ointments; to the bank to get Judas's betrayal money; and to the Coop funeral parlour to see what happens after someone dies. As we walked up the Dedworth Road in costume we made quite a statement.
The final 30 min. film produced from it all was wonderful, exceeding all our expectations. We were very fortunate to have got Dean to do this for us and hope to be working with him again in the future. Very many people came to see it during the Hot Cross Bun Cafe.
in concert on Saturday 7th February 2009
Last Saturday was a night to remember in Dedworth for the 220 people who turned out for the concert at Dedworth Middle School starring the ACM Gospel Choir. The hall was alive with the spark and pure energy that these young people exude. Their musical director, Mark De-Lisser, quickly built up a good rapport with the audience and persuaded them to sing along as they stretched their vocal chords too. Everyone chatted and met the stars during the interval when food and drink was available for all to enjoy.
In the second half Dedworth’s Community Choir took to the stage. This group represents all ages and growing in expertise and confidence as well as in numbers week by week. They sang two songs encouraging the audience to participate in the Sanna, Sanna one. In the last part of the concert in between more spine tingling contributions by the Gospel Choir, Mark praised the Community Choir and encouraged them with wise words of advice, before getting them all to join the stars of the show on stage again to sing “Shackles”. Not content with that he encouraged all would be singers up too. It was all great fun. As one member of the audience said, “It was an evening I will never forget.” Another person commented, “I think I will have to consider moving to Dedworth. It seems to be all happening here!”
The Lindisfarne CD
Sue, our Musical Director
Well over 100 people have been involved in this venture. Preparations had been going on for months but it all came together on Saturday 10th March 2007 when the recording took place all day at St Andrew's. Sue Morgan, our musical director, had arranged for the various choirs, schools and music groups taking part to arrive in succession during the day until just before 5.00pm the final carol was sung and pronounced "in the can" and everybody cheered. There had been over 60 "takes" of recording, ably managed by Gary, at his post in the vestry. Features of the day were the incredible silence and anticipation as we waited for planes to pass by so we could start a "take"; the alternating tension and relief as progress was made; the warmth generated as people work together on something worthwhile. The Lindisfarne Carol, which is to be the title track of the cd was composed by Sue Morgan while she was on the church pilgrimage to Northumberland last October. There are dramatic contrasts through the verses which allow the simplicity of the basic tune to be used to convey both the peace of the stable small where Mary's child was fast asleep, and the anger of jealous Herod pacing the floor. Sales of the cd have already covered the cost. All proceeds will go to church funds. To acquire a copy please contact Sue Morgan at the Lodge or Rev. Louise.
