How many people attend All Hallows?

It’s a good question ...... and the answer is that we do not know.

However, you may have heard some time ago, that the Diocese of Ripon in Yorkshire had conducted some research into the real number of people attending worship in the churches of the diocese. I say the ”real number” because the diocese had the idea that the changing pattern of church attendance in the area had materially affected the numbers of people attending worship. For example, on any given Sunday, there might be 120 people at All Hallows for the 10 am service. This figure includes children. The Diocese of Ripon suggested that in most cases this figure only represented a small percentage of those who considered themselves to be regular church goers.

The PCC considered this at their meeting in March and have decided that during the Sundays of May this year, we will conduct a detailed survey of the the number of people attending worship at All Hallows. In order to do this, we will be issuing a card to everybody who comes to church and you will be asked to write your name on it. The PCC hope you will join in and do not be afraid that Big Brother is wanting your details. Unless you tell us that we may add your address to our computer, we won’t!

I will publish the results when we get them analysed.

You’re welcome!!! Or so we hope but sometimes people visiting All Hallows for the first time are not sure where to sit or which books they need. Again in March the PCC decided to start a team of Welcomers. They will hover around the church before services and ensure that everybody knows where they are and what to do. It is also important, that if somebody arrives late they are given a book and shown where to sit.

Could you be a Welcomer? Let me know.

Baptism

Funerals

Parish Register - March 2000

To book the floodlighting in memory of a loved one or for a special 
occasion, please telephone Roy Skellington on 961 7031.
The charges are £5 for a night or £10 for a week. 
Postcard size photographs of the Church floodlit, can be obtained from the Church Bookstall, priced £1.

Floodlighting - March 2000

The answers to the 'Leaping Forward' quiz are:

1. Chimney Sweep

2. Pieter Bruegel

3. Ten

4. Leap in the Dark

5. Neil Armstrong

6. 1969

7. Rossini

8. George Stubbs

9. Agadir

10. Desmond Tutu

11. Budweiser

12. Ranidae 

Nobody managed to get them all right but those with the highest number of correct answers went into a hat and the winner of the Leap Year momento 
is Vera Bunting, Well Done!

There is no prize for this month's quiz - it's just for fun

How many words, of 4 or more letters, can you find in EASTERTIDE. 
Letters can only be used once, except E & T of course.
no plurals ending in ‘s’, foreign words or proper names are allowed.

The Editors have found over 170...and still counting!

Can you beat them?

I am wondering, whether a spire should be built onto the top of our roof!
In that way, like the church itself, people all over Gedling will know that the school is here. We often fight a running battle for recognition over other local schools, especially since the whole admission system works against us because, as a church school, we do not have a catchment area. So I’m asking for your help! If you are, or know of parents who are looking at a school for their children, tell them about All Hallows. Parents are always very welcome to come and visit and judge for themselves what we have to offer. I’m biased but I believe our school is special. Our unique link with the church is a strong selling point, as is our family atmosphere, caring environment and high expectations and standards.

We are always looking for new and exciting ideas to develop our standing in the community. One new initiative is that we will shortly be opening an out of school care scheme for All Hallows children, which will supervise children before school, after school and during school holidays. This will be of great benefit for our working / training parents. In addition, our pre-school group is expanding and becoming very popular. Large scale playground and site alterations are due, we now have a basketball team and finally, we have bought a maypole (sincere thanks to Iris Knight for the inspiration for this).
I now need some lessons in maypole dancing - any volunteers?

Onto other news. Our school choir sang at a concert with the Carlton Male Voice Choir and were an absolute credit. Well done to all the children. Their next major performance will be with the Carlton Brass Band at school, on Thursday 13th April at 7.30 pm. Tickets are available from the school (9568277). Please try and join us.

Thank you to everyone, who came to our Barn Dance (great fun!) and please keep collecting the vouchers from the Post, crisps, biscuits....etc!

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter. 

John Graham (Head Teacher)

First an explanation:

At the beginning of the season, the value of each player in the Premiership is published by the Daily Telegraph, who run the competition. Each entrant is allowed to spend up to £50 million on 11 players, which must include 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 strikers. A player can only be selected once, so your team can’t have 3 Michael Owens! There is no restriction on the number of players you select from the same FA Carling Premiership club and you are allowed to transfer players during the season but the value of your team must remain at £50 million or less. Points are scored for goals, clean sheets, playing 90 minutes etc. and deducted for yellow cards, sending offs and conceeded goals. This is a rough guide!

Current Team Status

It is difficult to recall, whether it was the challenge of boiling one hundred eggs for a group of young intrepid campers in Norfolk or the cry of some of our charges, during a wild night on Helvellyn when their bivouac was collapsing, that lured me into a life’s interest in working with, and helping develop, young people.

Whichever it was, I am glad to say that generally, it has been rewarding, certainly for me and hopefully for the young adults involved. I now find myself with another challenge, which is building a Christian youth group, here at All Hallows, for those people in the 11+ range, working in conjunction with Janet Grinnell and members of Junior Church team.

As always, these type of projects take energy and vision to start and even more energy and dedication, to continue. At present, we have a small group that meet in the Bell Tower, twice a month. To nurture this group and encourage more young people to join, we need to think a little more laterally and consider activities both inside and outside All Hallows. To this end, we are proposing to carry out two specific initiatives in the coming months. First, we will be holding a sponsored “Sleep In”, in All Hallows Church, to raise funds for the Junior Church. This ‘sleep in’ will be held in the summer and will include a barbecue and activities during the evening.

We will also be producing an open letter to all parents, children and young adults, that will include a programme of events in 2000. These will include not only the subjects we will discuss during the year but also social activities such as Bowling, Ice Skating, Cinema etc. Ideally, we would like to move towards a more active Christian Youth Group here at All Hallows, so when you receive this information, please pass it on to family and friends, I am convinced that God’s message to us, is to expand this important part of our church ministry, with your help and prayers, I am confident we will succeed. 

Mike Hilton, All Hallows Christian Youth Group (926 9586)

It must have been one of the mildest winters on record and there are two pieces of evidence at Priory, that point to this fact. The ten bags of salt, that we ordered in September to sprinkle on the icy playgrounds remain untouched and unopened in the school cellar and there has been a very full fixture list of inter-school matches played since Christmas. We have always had a good reputation for school sports and this year our teams are doing us proud. The girls netball team remains unbeaten and when they change their sports, the girls who make up our girls football team have also won everything before them. Not to be outdone, the boys have already won two tournaments and the trophies adorn our trophy shelf. The six-a-side team have to go to Rotherham, to represent the County in an inter-county competition. We know that the competition will be tough but we just might get to Wembley yet!

The School choir are in great demand and have been invited to sing with Lesley Garrett at the new Ice Stadium. More news about this later.

The Parent-Teacher Association of the school have been busy fund raising to pay for the buses to take the entire school to the Nottinghamshire Agricultural Show at Newark in May and we have had a “Magicians Evening” this term and a visit from “Ladies in Pigs” (ask me about it, if you want an explanation!)

We are preparing for Easter and the results of the Gardening Club’s work can be seen at the front of the school. Our Easter events include the annual Egg Rolling event on April 10th, a decorated and “technical egg” competition on April 13th and an Easter service on the last day of term. Work is well underway to produce a “Millennium Mural”, which we hope will be a lasting display of our Art work. A strong team of parents, teachers and children are working on this project.

Those of you, who walk past our school, will see that our Community garden is looking beautiful and offers the opportunity for those of our neighbours, who wish to do so, to enjoy the quiet beauty of the garden.

We are also very proud of two of our pupils, who are really making a name for themselves in ballet and television. Susie King is dancing with one of our principal ballet companies and Lizzie Mellors has a major role in a new television series. Well done to both of them.

All of us at Priory Junior School wish you a happy and peaceful Easter.

David Richards, Headteacher

The Annual General Meeting in March was entertained by the Drama Group, who portrayed ‘Women through the Ages’ with some broad hints and minimal props.

This was followed by cheese and wine, provided by Mrs Nora Crossland, who invited members to join her in celebrating her 40 years membership of the WI.

Once again, we were pleased to welcome Mrs Doreen Walker from the County Federation, who oversaw the election of Nora Crossland as President for 2000-2001.

On Tuesday 4th April at 7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall, members and guests will be addressed by a representative of the Civic Society on the subject of ‘Know your Buildings’, do come along and join us!

This year, we host the Plains Group Meeting on Friday 7th April at 7.30 pm in the Lindsay Morgan Hall, Marshall Hill Drive, Mapperley at which TINTINABULA will perform. Tickets are £1, including refreshments, are available from members.

Susanne Severn

The Memorial Hall Committee are pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew and Rebecca Jackson as Administrators for the running of the Hall. Their telephone number will appear shortly. They hope to build up some contacts for running bars, discos, line dance callers, etc so if you have organised a ‘do’ and can recommend someone please pass on the information.

Gordon Tunnicliffe Chair of the Memorial Hall Committee

Do you walk around with your head down or up? This was the question posed at our March meeting when Mr Clarkson presented his slides, which showed views of Nottingham above eye level. Many of these fine buildings have been demolished, their interesting facades and architecture have vanished from the City skyline forever. The members memories were taxed by 32 questions about features past and present within a quarter of a mile radius of the City Centre and the winners were able to identify 25 of them. Well done!

Edna Gardiner continues to make good progress but we were saddened by the death of a long serving member, Joan Taylor, who will be sadly missed.

Our next meeting will be on April 5th at 2.15 pm in the Memorial Hall, when an Easter Anthology will be presented by our Diocesan President, Mrs J. Jordan. Do come and join us.

Nora Crossland (Secretary)

Tuesday Brownies - Sophie Newton, Sophie Burton, Eleanor King, Chanice Hathaway, Natalie White, Robin Gill and Chloe Parker have just made their Promise. Carol-Ann Harby, Ellie Brokenshire, Sarah-Jane Harby and Faye Barclay gained their Hostess Badge looking after parents and siblings at this ceremony.

Rainbows - Sarah Cottee won 3rd Prize in the Midlands Photographic Competition. Well done! We welcome Tiffany Mason and Susan Douglas, both founder members of the Rainbow Unit, as Young Leaders.

Guides - Ruby Chappell, Heather Salmon, Verity Mason and Tracey Young, all made their Promise in Church.

Scouts - The Troop continues to grow, we have just welcomed 3 visitors and hope they continue with us to become Scouts. The Adventure week-end at Walesby Forest Camp was a great success, many new activities were experienced by the participating Scouts.

Unfortunately, the Quiz evening had to be cancelled due to lack of support, incurring a loss of £80.

Please see April 2000's Parish Diary for dates

Nora Crossland