August News Report
Looking back to Sea Sunday we celebrated during July, the collections taken in the three churches came to £200, with the Gift Aid amount to be added to the total. This money will help to maintain the enduring and vital work of the Mission to Seafarers which has been carried out over the past 160 years.
The scaffolding still surrounds the vestry, as a major design fault was discovered in the original building when it was built in 1991. The new steel roof covering could not be sealed into the masonry because a plastic damp course had been laid when originally built. This has now been rectified with the crenulations’ removed and a lead damp course inserted which can now be sealed against the steel roofing. This has come at a cost which our insurers were not prepared to cover, and we are faced with an additional bill of £3426 for the work of restoring the original masonry back to the 1991 design.
On another page in “What’s On” you will see that we have decided to widen our building appeal through the means of digital giving, which we are calling Donate StM appeal. This is meant for use by casual visitors to the church at times of weddings and baptisms, or by those who have had a previous connection with St Mary’s over the years. Your support for this new venture will be gratefully accepted and will help us to maintain and carry out the repairs that are necessary to keep the church fabric in good order.
Due to the current wet weather season we are experiencing, the work on the boundary walls surrounding the churchyard has been delayed until next spring. The lime mortar which is used to repair the walls will not set when the conditions are not right. This has also been the reason why the rebuilding of the vestry roof parapet has also been held up for the same reasons. However it is good to report that the interior of the vestry is now watertight and re-decorated, the wooden flooring has been sealed and all looks well.
The blue carpeting in the nave, chancel and sanctuary has been removed and for the first time in almost 30 years the historic tiling has been revealed. The white marble slab in the sanctuary and partly under the altar recording the initials of the Birt/Jenner family members buried below in the family vault will cause much interest and comment, as they remind the current congregation of how important in the life of the church these earlier generations at the castle were to the parish. Work to clean the mould and salts that have built up on the tiling will now be removed, the damaged tiles replaced and the surface than sealed to protect the tiles. This will restore the church to the appearance the Victorian restorers wished to present to the parish at the end of the 19th century. Later more decorative work with the installation of the John Ninian Comper Reredos and other furnishings were to follow at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Church Extension Scheme, which has been
optimistically called “Vision 2020” continues on its very slow discussion with the Diocesan Advisory Committee. It is now almost three years since we made the decision to sell the church hall and use the money for an extension to the church, in order to bring all our activities onto one site. The most recent request was for a justification of us wanting to sell the church hall and also why we thought it was the time to think about the future and how we would see the church in the years ahead. It may be very frustrating but it is the way we have to go with the DAC having the final say in recommending the plans drawn up, at considerable cost to the church, to the Diocesan Chancellor who would then issue the faculty to go ahead. Then there is the local authority to be consulted, and not least CADW, for its input into the scheme; so many hoops to jump through, but we think the scheme is a good one and would make us more “fit for purpose” than we are for the present moment.
Looking back. The Wenvoe Open Gardens day in July, which was a great success in the numbers of people who came from far and wide to join in the activities on the day.
On Saturday 20th July the village of Wenvoe was absolutely buzzing! Crowds of people walking around following their maps to locate and admire the 12 beautiful and interesting gardens open for viewing.
The event was inspired and co-ordinated by Sandra and Brian Jones with Mike Tucker working tirelessly in the background.
Grateful thanks to everyone involved whether opening or visiting gardens, making or just enjoying tea and delicious home made cakes and giving donations to the St Mary’s building fund. Such a special happy day of fellowship with the ‘icing on the cake’ being an amazing £2,000 raised for St Mary’s Building Fund.
Fair Trade / Traidcraft: Wenvoe – After 14 years, Jude Billingham, due to other commitments has decided to close the stall she has run during that time. Way back in February 2005, after the morning service she began to offer various Fair Trade product’s and the sales that day came to £119.98. Since that time sales have fluctuated over the years but the final total over the years is £42,303, which is a wonderful achievement for a relatively small congregation and the friends who have supported her during this time. The remaining stock has been sold off, realising £420 and half of this has been donated to the St. Mary’s Building Fund in recognition of the support Jude has received during her time, as the organiser of fair trade products in the parish. The other half has been given to Traidcraft Exchange, the charity that helps to set up work opportunities in the developing world. A big thank you and heartfelt thanks to Jude and Nigel for all the time they together have spent in raising our awareness of the needs and aspirations of others who are not so well off as we are.
The next Messy Church will be on Saturday 28th September in Wenvoe Community Centre when the theme will be “Harvest”. These popular events bring Mums and Dads and their children together to spend a short time together with friends, there is no age barrier, in a time of story telling, craft work, exciting activities, and worship followed by a shared meal and all FREE, so please come along and meet new friends and neighbours. See you there at 3.00pm.
In the past few weeks we have seen on our TV screens that cathedrals in England have installed a mini golf course and a wonderful helter skelter in the nave of their buildings. Any suggestions of what we could install in the nave at St Mary’s should be addressed on a postcard to Vicar Jon as soon as possible.
Lastly for this month, we extend a welcome to all the new parishioners who have moved into Greenwood Close on the St Lythan’s Road, not forgetting the Scarecrow Festival on the 21st September and our Harvest Festival “All Age Service” on the 22nd September.
“Come ye thankful people come, raise the song of harvest home.”
Parry Edwards