Trinity Magazine - Jan/Feb 2014

The magazine of Holy Trinity Parish Church Sutton Coldfield Jan窶認eb 2014

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Above: The winning tree!

Decorated by Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (see p21) Top right: Claire Parker’s Peace Tree (Second Place) Right: Third place tree decorated

by Church Cleaners Below right: Creche & Sparklers

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From the Editors ...

...to

Trinity Contents:

This edition is brought to you on a high as we celebrate and give thanks for our successful Christmas Tree Festival! How wonderful to see the church filled with so many beautiful trees decorated by members of the community. Our thanks go to Mary Dixon and all the volunteers for all their hard work in creating such a wonderful weekend.

Susie Walker writes on page 22 about On the Way to Bethlehem, our Group advent day for Children.

On page 5, Vivien Chubb interviews Margaret Fullerton who gives us a fascinating account of her memories of Rectory Park. If any other readers have memories they would like to share we would love to hear from you.

May all our readers have a happy, healthy and blessed new year.

John Routh writes

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Canoldir Male Voice Choir

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Through a glass darkly

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Memories of Rectory Park

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Parish Profile—the Amblers

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Redundancy from my perspective 8 Keep safe on the roads

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Royal Town Gala Concert

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C S Lewis

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1 Corinthians 13 - For Christmas 16 Bible cake

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From the registers

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Christmas Tree Festival

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Youth matters

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Advent cartoon

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Trinity & Bible verse

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Stella 329 2101 s_thebridge@yahoo.com Roger 308 1185 roger.smallwood@btinternet.com Louise 240 6366 louisejharden@hotmail.com

Louise 3

John Routh writes Ring out the old ... ring in the new Here we are in the midst of the winter season. Trees are bare of leaves; plants have died back, and are in a state of rest; many animals are in hibernation whilst birds have flown to warmer climes. And we humans ... well, we wrap up and huddle down for the duration of the coldest season.

But, as the months progress all this will change. Trees will be covered with leaves again; plants will grow back with renewed vigour; animals and birds will return to our gardens. And we will strip off the layers and once again walk around in short sleeves, enjoying the warmth.

The world is a place of cycles. The old year dies away, making space for the vigour of the new. And so as we enter a new year my mind turns to birth and re-birth; and to God's place in it.

I think many people envisage God as creating the world in the moment of the Big Bang, and then stepping back and leaving things to unfold as they will. But the God of Christianity is more than that.

We believe in a God who creates continually. God created at the beginning; but God continues to create now.

God's creativity is visible in the new life that springs up each year, each day. But it runs deeper than that. We are held in God's hand in an ongoing, constantly renewing act of creation. Each of us is continually renewed in the grace of God. As we start a new calendar year, I hope each of us might take a moment to reflect on the year that has passed, and look forward to what might be in the year that is coming. Perhaps this prayer might help ...

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Step softly into your weeping world, incarnate God; embrace it in your love.

Bring light into broken lives, warmth into frozen hearts, hope to those at war.

May your peace pervade every place.

Help us to approach this new year filled with the joy of your companionship, as we step out in faith with you, ready to face the future, whatever it may hold.

' Step Softly' by Carol Dixon, published in Hay & Stardust, (c) Ruth Burgess & Wild Goose Publications, 2005 So as we say goodbye to 2013, thankful for its successes, accepting of its failures, I wish all of you a good 2014. As we journey into the new year may we all be held safe in the hands of our grace-filled, eternally creating God. John

A date for your diary—don’t miss

Canoldir Male Voice Choir Saturday 8th February 2014 at 7.30pm at Holy Trinity Parish Church Tickets are just £10 for adults, £5 for children or £25 for a family and are available from our website, www.htsc.org.uk or from the Trinity Centre.

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Through a Glass Darkly

- The Light of Christ

We often remark on how nice people appear to be in the time around Christmas. The season seems to bring out in many of us an empathy with our fellow human beings, but we are always afraid that in the dark, miserable days of January and February we shall revert to our usual bad-tempered, unkind selves – or perhaps it’s just me!

However, our readings in church offer us a way of retaining that Christmas attitude all the year round.

I believe that those heart-warming impulses spring from the fact that at Christmas time we are all living closer to Jesus, thinking of him and holding him in our hearts. But we are offered the opportunity to live close to him all the year round. Doing this would be bound to affect our attitudes and our relationships to each other : at least it should, if we are serious in what we profess.

Many of the readings for these two months emphasise the spreading of the news of the salvation Jesus offers us. The calling of the first disciples reminds us of how the apostles and leaders of the early church brought the good news of Christ to the four corners of the then known world. The prophecies of his coming reveal how his redemptive power is intended to be taken up throughout the world – a light to lighten all peoples and certainly a light to take us through the darkest days of winter.

Jean Schneider Page

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Margaret Fullerton’s Memories of Rectory Park Margaret remembers playing in Rectory Park with great affection, being the forbidden play area for many of the local children in the 1920s and 30s. The Park was enclosed by woodland, hedges and railings, and only open to the public on Thursdays, when cricket matches were played by the Sutton Coldfield Cricket Club. Entrances to the Park were as they are now, in Rectory Road alongside the old cottage, the old farm gate, below where the old Rectory once stood, and one off Coleshill Road.

Margaret and her friends climbed through the hedges and railings, and were frequently frightened by the cows and horses grazing in the Park. She remembers Mr Glover having the farm at the top end of the Park. The children played by the ‘taddie’ pool and in the stream, now covered over, which flowed through the middle of the Park. They had a favourite tree. The children called it ‘the Boat’- a huge horizontal branch, which they used as a swing.

Trinity Monday was a day of celebration in Sutton. Margaret remembers the Brass Band processing from the British Legion, and entering the Park via the main gate. There were sports races and Maypole dancing for the children, and entertainment included the town stocks, and Mr Phillips dressed as a clown. The children had been taught Maypole dancing in ‘the dip’ at the top end of the Park, later occupied by the RAF. During the time Margaret was at school the Park was opened to the public, the land having been bought by Sutton Council. The old Rectory built in 1701 for the Rev.John Riland, was demolished in 1936. It stood behind the Play Area, and when a new Rectory was built next to the church, the house was taken over by the Church Commissioners.

When Margaret played in the Park, the house had been turned into flats.

More of Margaret’s memories coming soon. If you have any memories of old Sutton you would like to share, please contact me, Vivien Chubb on 378 0875.

Many thanks to Margaret for sharing her memories and to Vivien Chubb for documenting them—Ed

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Parish Profile - Marette and Simon Ambler Marette is a clinical scientist in audiology at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Simon is a software developer specialising in 3D graphics. They met at the wedding of a mutual friend and later, on a camping trip organised by the same friend, Simon gathered the nerve to ask Marette out. They moved to Birmingham and bought a house in Gravelly Hill.

Looking around the area for a church which was right for them, they came upon Holy Trinity. The warmth of the welcome from the congregation and the relaxed, yet reverent, style of worship meant that they needed to look no further. Both Marette and Simon became involved in Trinity Lights, a group for Christian fellowship aimed at those with the constraints of working life or young families.

In June 2011, they were married at Holy Trinity. The wedding was followed by a reception in two halves: the first at New Hall in Sutton Coldfield and the second hosted in Freetown, Sierra Leone, for friends and relatives of Marette's family who were not able to come to the U.K. Verity arrived on a cold and snowy day in March 2013. Now six months old, she has shown herself to be a sociable and welltempered baby with a winning smile, but also with steely determination derived from both parents. Verity was baptised at Holy Trinity in September. Marette and Simon organised a church lunch to celebrate: as Marette says "every important occasion should be marked by sharing good food", in this case, Caribbeanstyle jerk chicken and curry goat!

Photos of Simon, Marette and Verity at her baptism appeared in the Page/ Dec 2013 edition of Trinity. - Ed Nov

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Redundancy from my perspective After 33 years in the Army t’was all I really knew, the travel, the danger, the thank you Sgt Major, Great people, great fun, adieu.

To 55 was my contract, life could not be better, but then one day it all did change, in the form of a little white letter.

The 30 August the year 2011, we all lined up to see the Brig—not with his usual grin One by one we all went in, like Sir Alan Sugar’s Board Room; to be assigned to the Army Sin Bin? For me the news not too good, He looked me in the eye and said, I wouldn’t do this, but I am told, from above, I must and I was told that I would.

12 more months still on full pay, All leave, entitled courses too, also counselling and hand in your kit after me; Hell’s teeth, of what a day.

Oh well, I thought, it could be worse, 33 years undetected crime It is time to call the wife, I paused as the phone rang and the penny started to drop. It is time to plan our future life.

For me a house, a home, I’m supported, and clearly I have been sorted.

My second thought was of my staff, The Cpls, Sgts, wives and kids For them it wouldn’t be a laugh NB in the Army the phrase has always been if you don’t have a sense of humour you should never have joined. I rest my point.

With no home and kids all under 5, still living in a quarter Aged 26 to 35; would be like lambs to the slaughter.

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Planning for Ten Tors in May was now just in full flow The Olympics too, oh what a fuss For security at the Weymouth boat show (But this was a police issue) I have to let my staff plan their lives, I have to let them go.

I plan my own course of action, interviews, courses, plans for later But in the end, after all was done just boxes and boxes of paper.

The system is not too bad, I think, but now I’ll have my turn More announcements this year already, will the politicians ever, ever learn?

“YOU’RE FIRED!”

AKB Johnston. Major Retired This poem was submitted by Janet Johnson, written by her son Andrew on his experience of being made redundant from the British Army—Ed

KEEP SAFE ON THE ROADS THIS WINTER The Institute of Advanced Motorists offers tips to keep you safe in winter road conditions: ◊

Allow extra time for your journeys, even local ones.

◊

Remember that when roads are slippery, it can take ten times longer for a vehicle to come to a stop. When driving in snow or ice, slow down, keep well behind the vehicle in front and focus your eyes a long way ahead.

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When on hills, use low gears to keep traction. Also use the gears to restrain speed on downhill roads to avoid the need to brake.

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Don’t overtake snow ploughs or gritting lorries, the road ahead of them will be worse than the road behind them.

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Remove snow and ice from your vehicle before you set out. Remember that snow falling from your roof can be hazardous to other road users.

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Royal Town Gala Concert The very first Friends of Holy Trinity event took place in Church on Saturday 16 November, attracting almost 300 people. The Royal Town Gala Concert featured a wide variety of talent from across Sutton Coldfield, raising over £2,500 to be added to the fabric fund.

The successful event was hosted by comedian and entertainer, Don Maclean, with performances from Sutton Coldfield Orchestra, Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company and singer-songwriter Chloe Adams.

Personal highlights included the Orchestra’s performance of ’Big Country’, members of Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company performing songs from Fiddler on the Roof, and the spine tingling voice of Chloe Adams (a talented musician who at just 15 has already performed at the O2 arena in London) covering a song by Barbara Streisand.

Nick Revell, chair of the Friends of Holy Trinity, said: “It was fantastic to see the church filled with many new – and not so new – faces! With superb performances for our inaugural Friends event, I felt very proud of the local talent we have in the town.”

Special thanks to Nick and all of the Friends for their hard work in organising such a super event.

Upcoming events Canoldir Male Voice Choir Saturday 8 February 7:30pm Lichfield Cathedral Boy Choristers Tuesday 18 March 7pm Newhall Brass Band Saturday 10 May 7:30pm Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir Saturday 21 June 7:30pm Tickets for all events are available from our website, www.htsc.org.uk Page

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Louise Chubb

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Open Sessions for Little Hollies Nursery Tuesday 28 January & Wednesday 29 January 2014 at 10.00am Please phone to choose your session to visit.

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C S Lewis On 22nd November, the 50th anniversary of his death, writer C. S Lewis was honoured with a memorial stone in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.

Lewis, born in 1898, is best known for the Chronicles of Narnia series, which has sold 100 million copies worldwide and been adapted for screen and stage.

However he was also a respected Oxford scholar and literary critic, poet, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist. His book, Mere Christianity, was adapted from a series of BBC radio broadcasts, which sought to explain Christian teachings to a wider audience.

His memorial stone (pictured) is inscribed with lines from one of his theological lectures: "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen. Not only because I can see it but because by it I can see everything else."

Below are some more C S Lewis sayings: It was not for societies or states that Christ died, but for me.

It is Christ himself, not the Bible, that is the true Word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to him.

If you want a religion to make you really feel comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.

In science, we have been reading only the notes to a poem; in Christianity we find the poem itself.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft under-foot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

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FIRST CORINTHIANS 13 [CHRISTMAS VERSION] If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime: but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity; but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love does not envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return; but rejoices in giving to those who cannot.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust; but giving the gift of love will endure.

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Bible cake 1. 1/2lb Judges V verse 25 (last clause) 2. 1/2lb Jeremiah VI, 20 3. 1 tbsp 1 Samuel XIV, 25 4. 3 of Jeremiah XVII, 11 5. 1/2lb 1 Samuel XXX, 11 6. 1/2lb Nahum III, 12 chopped 7. 2oz Numbers XVII, 8 (blanched and chopped) 8. 1lb 1 Kings IV, 22 9. Season to taste with II Chronicles IX, 9 10. A pinch of Leviticus II, 13 11. 1 tsp Amos IV, 5 12. 3 tbsp Judges IV, 19 Beat numbers 1, 2 and 3 to a cream.

Add 4 one at a time still beating.

Then add 5, 6 and 7 and beat again.

Add 8, 9, 10 and 11 having previously mixed them.

Finally add 12.

Bake in a slow oven for 1 1/2 hours.

NB Leaven means baking powder. From the Olio Cook book, c.1915.

Answers are on page 19. Would any of our readers like to have a go and let us know how it tastes?! Ed

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FROM THE REGISTERS ...

Baptisms 20th October - Logan Kennedy 27th October - Tracy Perks and Rachel Ellis 17th November - Bridey Rose-Barbara Child and Bella-Rose Copson

We welcome these children into new life with God, as part of our church family Marriages 30th November - David Shellam & Emily Hayton

We wish this couple every blessing in their future together.

Funerals 8th November - Martin George Lodge 12th November - Sheila Williams 14th November - Reginald John Dibble 18th November - Denis Stocker 27th November - Jemeil Khan 2nd December - Mary Helen Black 6th December - Malcolm Vincent Heath

We remember all who have died and ask for God’s comfort to sustain all who are bereaved.

Answers to the Bible cake on page 17: 1. Butter 5. Raisins or sultanas 9. Spice 2. Sugar 6. Figs 10. Salt 3. Honey 7. Almonds 11. Baking powder 4. Eggs 8. Flour 12. Milk

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Christmas tree festival From 6—8 December, we celebrated Advent and Christmas here at Holy Trinity, with our Christmas Tree Festival and display of Nativity sets from around the world.

Charities, businesses, community organisations and our own Church groups (including uniformed groups) decorated more than 25 trees which were beautifully arranged around the church. The four foot living trees were supplied by the Forestry Commission and were available to purchase after the event.

Entry to the festival was free, but donations were welcomed with all proceeds split between The Foster Carers Association and Holy Trinity Parish Church. Visitors were invited to pay £1 for a token to vote for their favourite tree, with the count taken at the end of the festival.

Trees were decorated by: Church Groups: Holy Trinity Church Cleaners, Holy Trinity Social Committee, Holy Trinity Choir, Open House (Baby and Toddler Group), Crèche and Sparklers, Junior Cluster Youth Group, Flower Guild.

Uniformed Groups: 2nd Sutton Coldfield Brownies, 2nd Sutton Coldfield Guides, 4th Sutton Coldfield Scouts, Beavers, Cub Scouts.

Community Organisations: Fradley Flower Club, Sutton Coldfield Ladies Gardening, Good Hope Hospital, the Baden Powell Team, Tudor Rose Quilters, Sutton Coldfield Poppy Knitters, St Peter’s Church Maney.

Businesses: Michele Stanley Hairdressers, Silverfusion Jewellery, Shaw Lane flowers, Lichfield.

Charities: Guide dogs for the blind, Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (decorated by the Almshouse residents), John Taylor Hospice.

Individuals: Claire Parker’s peace tree, Rosemary Hopkins and Bridget Shakeshaft (Lady Gardening club).

There was also a ‘Prayer Tree’, where visitors were invited to write a prayer on a gift tag and hang it from the tree.

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There was a treasure hunt around church for our younger visitors, plus craft activities in the crèche. Refreshments, including delicious home made mince pies and fruit cake proved very popular, and there was a TraidCraft stall selling fair trade products and ethical gifts.

Visitors were entertained by musical interludes at different points across the weekend, including carols sung by Alex and Neil Parker and handbells performed by members of Kingsbury Church.

There were also two opportunities to join Holy Trinity Church Choir in song. On the Saturday at 6pm, Holy Trinity’s choir was joined by members of other church choirs from the Birmingham area and Richard Mason (from Emmanuel Church Wylde Green) for Carols and Trees, when a selection of old and new carols were sung. And on Sunday evening at 5:30pm, there was a sung evensong to celebrate Advent and formally close the festival.

The event was very well received by all who attended, with comments such as: “A most beautiful display, enhanced by its setting at Holy Trinity Church” “Lovely - you must do it again” and “what a pity it is only for three days!”(I think Mary [Dixon] may have something to say about that! - Ed) An enormous thank you must go to Mary Dixon and all of the volunteers who worked so tirelessly across the three days of the Festival.

And the winning trees?

In third place with 45 votes .... Church Cleaners.

Cleaners The decorations on the tree were cleverly fashioned from cleaning cloths and accessories, including J-cloths twisted into crackers held in place by clothes pegs!

In second place with 49 votes .... Claire Parker’s Peace Tree. The decorations on this tree consisted solely of white doves which each bore the name of a troubled area of our world.

In first place with 59 votes .... Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (with decorations made by residents of the Almshouses). This tree had a pantomime theme and featured a knitted beanstalk which ran all around the tree, plus lots of different characters.

For photos see inside cover.

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YOUTH MATTERS People always express sympathy for me in the run up to Christmas because they imagine that it is my busiest time of year. However, the really busy time for me is actually the run up to our Advent Day held every year on the day before Advent Sunday.

Advent Day this year was called ‘On The Way To Bethlehem’ and it was a fun day of craft, music and games for children to mark the beginning of the countdown to Christmas and to explore the real meaning of what Christmas is about.

It is a Group venture and although it is held at St Peter’s, lots of lovely people from all 3 churches come and lend a hand. It is manic but fun!

We had about 60 children in 6 groups and 6 activities to do, interspersed with some fast singing of songs with well known tunes but new seasonal words, a very loud interactive story and a little time of prayer. At the end we sing the songs again for the Mums and Dads and tell them about what we have done before eating lots of delicious cakes, so kindly provided by yet more lovely church people.

This year we made donkey and sheep sock puppets, bubble wrap advent calendars, lollypop stick cribs (for which I had to saw 500 plus sticks into halves and thirds!), snowflakes, edible Christmas trees out of ice cream cornets and green butter icing and the 6th group were bell ringing.

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The troops were kept watered by a very professional catering team, who after 5 years have got it all down to a fine art. Then there are all the support people who helped both ahead of the day and on the day, without whom crucial jobs would not get done.

So one way or another Advent Day involves an awful lot of people but it is well worth it as the children love the day and it is a brilliant way of taking a bit of what Christmas is really all about and sharing it with a large number of people.

So a big thank you to everyone who was involved in any way. It could not happen without you.

Susie Walker th

PS: Advent Day 2014 is on Saturday 29 November!

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Trinity Arrangements for 2014 The cost per issue is 60p, and an annual subscription £3-50.

If you are a casual reader who would like to subscribe regularly or advertise, or if you have any other queries relating to the magazine, please contact the Trinity Centre in the first instance on 321 1144 or admin@htsc.org.uk

Publication schedule Cover date

Copy deadline

Publication date

Mar/Apr 2014

2nd February

16th February

May/Jun 2014

30th March

13th April

Jul/Aug 2014

8th June

22nd June

Sep/Oct 2014

10th August

24th August

Nov/Dec 2014

5th October

19th October

Jan/Feb 2015

30th November 2014

14th December

Please submit material for the next issue by the deadline above to : Stella Thebridge email: s_thebridge@yahoo.com Written text: Please leave in the “Magazine” pigeon-hole in church OR in the Trinity Centre office.

Contributions on any topic or photographs are always welcome. A page contains about 400 words.

Bible verse for this issue: T

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i Wh

i h n s va i h I e "?

Psalm 27.1 Page

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Photos from the Royal Town Gala Concert. Top: Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company Middle: Don Maclean Bottom: Nick Revell and Sutton

Church Decorations at the Christmas Tree Festival 6-8 December 2013

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