The Forerunner

Sunday 4th 9.30 am Parish Communion - BCP

Sunday 11th 6.00 pm Service of Remembrance

Sunday 18th 9.30 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1

Sunday 25th 11.00 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1

Sunday 4th 8.00 am Holy Communion - BCP

11.00 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1

Sunday 11th 10.50 am Remembrance Day

Sunday 18th 11.00 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1

& Sunday School

Sunday 25th 9.30 am Parish Communion - CW Order 1

The Taize worship meeting will be held at 7.30 pm on Thursday 1st November in the Lady Chapel.

The Joint meeting of PCCs with the Archdeacon will be held on Tuesday 6 November, 7.30 pm, in Nailsworth Church Hall.

The annual Altar Guild Coffee Morning will take place in the Village Hall on Saturday 17th November commencing at 10.00 am. All are welcome.

Clergy have been engaged for all of the normal Kingscote services in November. However this may not always be possible in future months. When it is clear that we cannot find a minister for a future service, this will be indicated in the Forerunner. The editor will try to ensure that the services in Horsley are correctly advertised, so that if there is not a service in Kingscote then parishioners can attend there in confidence. Please make a special effort to support these services as the clergy are severely stretched by local demands at this time.

The next PCC Meeting will be held on Monday 3rd December at 8.00 pm at the home of Jane Nichols.

When the film version of The Philosopher’s Stone is released at Halloween, together with an increased range of related products, Harry Potter is going to be everywhere. While some Christians worry about the books’ potential for encouraging minors to become involved with the occult, others are concerned about the targeting of children as consumers by marketing wizards. With over forty million copies sold world-wide, a merchandising deal with Coca Cola and a trading game which is likely to become even bigger than the playground craze for Pokemon cards, families may need to brace them selves for the financial onslaught.

J.K.Rowling’s world-view would appear to be neither Christian nor neo-pagan, stemming rather from a secular mind which sees the limitations of materialism and rationalism. Her concerns are contemporary, even politically correct. The wickedness of racial prejudice is exposed, whilst compassion for victims of social oppression and disorder is evoked. Although her characters involve themselves in petty hatreds and rivalries, the values which win through are courage, honesty and loyalty to friends and others on the side of right. In Rowling’s counterfactual world good and evil are clearly distinguished but there is no God, though once, when Harry and his companions are in trouble, they pray. When the dramatic form of the novels has been taken into account, the moral and religious universe which the author describes is similar to that inhabited by many in our culture.

As might be expected from essentially secular novels, Halloween, like Christmas, is little more than a seasonal marker, albeit a time for candles in pumpkins and special food. But could tales which include dark magic and ‘horror’ be the first step to something more sinister ?

It is possible that Halloween raises society’s occult consciousness, and people who experiment with ouija and tarot may lay themselves open to fear and distress. Yet J.K.Rowling’s characters do not contact other worldly powers and are encouraged to resist anyone who attempts mind control. Divination, including the astrological idea that heavenly effects are reflected in earthly happenings, is mocked as too imprecise to be useful, though the possibility of occasional genuine predictions is acknowledged. What Warner Brothers make of the books’ gothic and occult echoes is another matter. Hollywood’s fascination with New Age and the possibility of provoking Christian fundamentalist protest could both be used to increase ratings and profits, though given the popularity of the novels, the atmosphere of the film is unlikely to be markedly different.

If we are heavy handed over J.K.Rowling’s cartoonish sorcery we are likely to reinforce the view that the Church desires to exercise the oppressive authority with which Christendom is commonly associated. There are already a significant number of seekers after some kind of spirituality who have been alienated from Christianity by their perception of clergy attitudes to their values, and some are angry or perplexed.

Folk religionists who believe in magic use chants, amulets or ritual to draw on unseen forces through which they hope to influence events or, more particularly, bring a sense of well-being to themselves and others. While Christians commend the desire to be helpful, they do not seek to take charge of the future but are willing to rely on the being and guidance of God to live by what He decrees to be good and wise. Magic’s opposite is thus the kind of prayer which stems from an attitude of trustful worship towards the God who involves himself in human society and individuals for our ultimate good.

There is of course, more to the magic of Harry Potter than its practical effects in carefully concocted potions or the latest model of flying broom. In contrast to occult arts or conjuring tricks the term ‘magic’ can simply refer to a sense of wonder or mystery occasioned, for example, by buds breaking in springtime or by a Christmas candle which, for a child who views it, becomes a star.

Many may find the transition from an orphan’s experience of ‘parental love’ to Christian worship hard to negotiate. Yet Harry’s occasional, intense awareness of ‘an other’ is spiritual, even though it is interpreted in terms of an ability to find those who have loved us inside ourselves in times of stress: ‘Your father is alive in you, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him’. Since encounters of a similar kind are quite widespread in our culture, the Church needs to engage with them. If people relate spiritual experiences to ancestors, aliens or angels - beings which are neither transcendent nor empirical - partly because they lack the language or concepts which would help them to think in terms of a Supreme Being, we should at least point them to the God of Jesus and perhaps also encourage them to see their experiences as evidence of God’s activity. If we can stretch people’s horizons to see ‘An Other’ more wondrous than anything they have considered before, we may encourage faith in the life giving God of Christ’s gospel.

Oct 28th & Nov 4th Mrs L. Reynolds

Nov 11th & 18th (Remembrance) Mrs S. Bradley-Jones

Nov 25th Mrs K. Brightly

Dec 2nd to 24th (Advent-candle) Mrs S. Padden

Jo Spash

On 7 October we had a record turnout of 12 children who helped to make the Harvest Loaf. Our next meeting will be on the 4th November at 11.00 am in the Village Hall. All are welcome.

Our next meeting will be at my home, Alton House, at 2.30 pm on Wednesday 7th November when we will make final arrangements for our Coffee Morning on November 17th. Please support us as all profit will go to the church fabric Appeal 2001.

Our trip to Westonbirt Arboretum on October 8th was very enjoyable. The rain stayed away until we had finished the walk, and then we journeyed to Shipton Moyne for lunch at ‘The Cat and Custard Pot’. We were made very welcome and all enjoyed a nice lunch.

The next meeting will be at ‘The Cross Inn’ at Avening on Wednesday 21st November where we will be having a skittles contest. Suppers will be available and we meet at the Village Hall at 7.00 pm.

Vida Sutton

We will meet at the church at 9.30 am on Saturday 24th November in order to clear the gutters and remove the jackdaws’ nests from the tower. All very welcome to join in (except the jackdaws) !

The PCC

This is a crucial month in the important task of restoring our church and for the PCC who are responsible for its upkeep. We presently have £7,500 in the Fabric Fund, but we need to raise a further £30,000 and then from that platform achieve grant aid of around £18,500 - the latter being 33% of the total.

We realise that this is asking a great deal, but it is unlikely that many of us would be happy with a boarded up church such as we have at Newington, or worse still a ruin, in the middle of the village. Fortunately, in real terms our community has probably never been more wealthy, even in the days of the Kingscote family.

With this issue of the Forerunner you should have received a copy of the building task ‘shopping list’ which gives the contractor costs based on competitive tender price and proven competence. This list does not include general building costs or architects fees. You may wish to ‘adopt’ one of the building tasks, or alternatively and just as importantly give a general donation which can be allocated flexibly to cover the total cost of the project.

Also included is an envelope for use during the Appeal 2001 Gift Week. Further envelopes will be provided on request. Those wishing to contribute who are UK taxpayers should fill in the Gift Aid declaration on the envelope. Those who are not may leave it blank or enter their name as they wish. All donations will remain anonymous and confidential unless agreed otherwise with the donor.

If you are considering ‘adopting’ one of the 31 tasks taking advantage of Gift Aid, then the listed cost can be reduced by multiplying it by 0.78 using a calculator. Also, those wishing to ‘adopt’ one of the work items need to be in contact with the appeal team, since some of them may be more popular than others ! This can be done at the church on one of the Gift Days or by telephone on (01453) 860 194.

Donations may be delivered to the church on one of the Gift Days at the times indicated below, or passed to a member of the PCC. Cheques should pay ‘Newington Bagpath with Kingscote PCC Fabric Fund’. A home visiting team will also be operating from the beginning of November, and if you wish to see them to discuss the appeal call Georgina Harford on 860 227.

We invite you to visit the church and discuss the appeal with the PCC representatives on duty. On Friday 9th November they will be in attendance from 2 pm to 7 pm, and on Saturday 10th November from 10 am to 6 pm. Teas will be available on Saturday the 10th from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Thanks to the efforts of Vida Sutton, several of the pews have full length cushions and anyone feeling dizzy or faint after making their donation is welcome to lie down for a while !

We ask that you please be as generous as you possibly can. We hope that Appeal 2001 and the restoration of our beautiful parish church will be a source of pleasure and long lasting satisfaction for all involved. We are particularly thankful for the positive and interesting way in which Jonathon MacKechnie-Jarvis from the Diocese introduced the appeal at the Harvest Supper on Saturday 13th October, which many of you attended.

Finally, also included is one of our mailing brochures which you might like to send to someone you know who may wish to contribute. The sharp eyed amongst you will note that it mentions the larger appeal target of £65,000 which includes an allowance for a later appeal for restoration of the bells. This is not so urgent and has not been included in Appeal 2001, but it is not cost effective to have two print runs of the coloured brochure (which has very kindly been donated by Rod and Jenny Tibbert). Further copies will be provided on request.

The PCC

The October door to door collection in the parish for the RNLI raised £88-62, slightly less than last year. Nevertheless, many thanks to all who contributed and to those who helped.

Vida Sutton

The sponsored bike ride in September took a punishing route up and down the hills of Avening, where the pace was set by the Wooldridge and Brightly children. As a result £139 was raised, to be split equally between St. John’s Kingscote and the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust. Many thanks to sponsors and participants alike.

The Harvest Supper brought a good turn out from all generations and a pleasant and most enjoyable evening was had by all. Many thanks to all of the caterers, visitors and other helpers. Ticket sales generated around £200 (accounts not yet finalised) and the raffle £46-80.

The visiting speaker Jonathon MacKechnie-Jarvis, who is a Diocesan expert on historic churches, gave a brief overview of the history and architecture of our church. It was good to hear an outside expert being so enthusiastic about the building - he called it a ‘gem’, and was very positive in his encouragement to us to keep it in good order.

Sue Bradley-Jones

A fund raising Bazaar is being held from 9.30 am onwards on Saturday 3rd November in the Dolphins Hall, Tetbury. If you are around do drop in to support your local hospital.

Sue Bradley-Jones

The boxes will be emptied as follows:

Newington and Bagpath - Mon. 12th and 26th November.

Kingscote - Tues. 13th and 27th November.

Contributions for the next issue of the Forerunner please by 20th November to Harry Tubbs, 3 The Walled Garden, Tel. 860 194, Email .

The Editor

(We have some space to spare this month so the editor has added the material below which has been supplied by Rod and Jenny Tibbert for your interest. It is the second part of a historical series on the large house and estate which previously existed to the right of the road leading to Wotton-under-Edge)

7.00pm . Service of Lessons and Carols by candlelight.

For Your Notes

If you have any items suitable for the Tombola stall

Iris Shorey would be delighted to hear from you.

To the stable-yard on half-holidays ‘We Three’ would repair and Vizard the kind coachman would pretend to bring out our make believe horses, ‘Juggler’, ‘Lad slas’ and ‘Snowball’, on which steeds, with the help of a little imagination, we would ride off and down into Waterly Bottom there calling at the cottage of our particular friends. First to dear old white haired Timothy French, who would greet us with "Will ‘ee ‘ave an ‘opple ?, ‘ave a drop ‘o zyder-r ?", gratefully accepting the opple but not the zyder-r. Our next visit was to Mrs. Wilkins and her daughter Ann,who lived nearly as far as the old Wotton to Nibley road, where we would be regaled with bread and rhubarb jam. Then up and up to the little Ridge Chapel, near to which lived kind Mrs. Park, wife of one of the gardeners - whose excellent ginger beer we much enjoyed. (I blush to record this list of free meals and to feel that so many of my reminiscences are connected with something to eat or drink).

And so home through two fields and the ‘Grove’ and up the park singing ‘The Mistletoe Bough’ at the top of our young voices. We were all fond of music and the story goes that once after a children’s party at the house of my godfather Mr. Forbes (Angeston House, Uley) we twins, then aged about three, were found when the time came for going home, singing ‘Rule Britannia’ to a no doubt admiring audience in the servants’ hall.

To go back to Vizard the coachman, he made for us a rhyme about the horses, which ran as follows:

Peter, Perfection, Paddy and Punch,

All paid a visit to old Mother Bunch

But old Mother Bunch was talking to Charley,

Over a bin of oats and barley.

Mother Bunch and Charley were the carriage pair, and the others except Peter were riding horses. Peter was the gem of them all - a Russian pony - ‘Peter the Great’ was his full name, dappled white with great chestnut patches, the only colours my father liked in horses. He had a huge neck which was useful to him when he took six of us children up and down the hill to dancing classes at Mrs. Graham’s, at Rednock, Dursley (though of course we all walked up the hill).

The carriage pair before Mother Bunch and Charley were Boffin and Bells, and a very smart and upstanding pair they looked when harnessed to the High Sheriff’s carriage - a striking looking conveyance with its hammer cloth, its coat of arms and its little perch for two footmen behind. It was in 1877 that my father filled what I lately heard described as the ‘Honourable but much to be avoided office of High Sheriff’. To be continued.