August 2008

Curry Club Evening
The Curry Club evening was well attended at The Old Crown which Mark and Karen once again generously hosted to good effect. There were hardly any left overs which resulted in £232.34 being generated from curry sales, and the raffle. A special entertainer in the guise of a snake charmer also entertained throughout the evening and very generously also donated his takings towards the church roof fund. The snake charmers Dad told us that this was completely his own idea to dress up and sourced all his own props. Well done Oliver.

Sponsored Pennine Way walk
Regrettably after well over 200 miles had been covered Chris Garlands walking companion Martin began to suffer from what sounded like a shin splint and was unable to walk any further in his boots.
It was therefore disappointingly decided to abandon the walk and return home to rest and recover.

January 2008

Chris & Nancy Garland caught in killer cyclone
A CYCLONE that killed 260 Papua New Guineans was witnessed by vicar Chris Garland and his wife Nancy.
Now Chris and Nancy are raising funds to aid the stricken province of Oro where Chris was spending his three-month sabbatical.
Chris says: “Four days of almost non-stop heavy rain led to the destruction of every bridge in the province, making every road impassable and cutting off the Newton Theological College where we were staying from the town on one side and the airfield on the other.
“Over 260 people lost their lives and 80 per cent of the food gardens on which the people depend were destroyed, as were several villages. 
“It is a symbol of the resilience of the people that at one bridge, left suspended 20 feet above the river bed, they made a ladder out of rainforest saplings and lashed by tough grass which, with a log to walk along next, became the main route into town.
“It showed the readiness of the people to lift themselves out of hardship by their local resources.  
“At the next broken bridge, there was a dead python at the bottom of the bank so the journey to town became a game of snakes and ladders.”
The Garlands’ visit to Papua New Guinea, a tropical island, larger than the British Isles, just North of Australia, ended a week after the cyclone and a day after the College end-of-year graduation as they were told, in default of any other means of transport, to accept spare places in the return journey to base of a helicopter hired by the Church to bring in relief supplies.  Chris adds: “There are great needs for relief supplies in the Oro Province, not only for rice, until the subsistence gardens can yield crops again but also for basic implements to make fresh gardens and rebuild villages”
Chris and Nacy had served the Anglican Church there before coming to the Diocese of Chelmsford. 
Chris had lectured in the Anglican Theological College there, and Nancy had co-ordinated Anglican health work in the country. Last year they were invited by the Archbishop of Papua New Guinea and the Bishop of Popondota to give some input into the teaching at Newton Theological College and to organise and lead in-service courses for long-serving clergy. 
Chris worked with the local members of staff at the college to set up in-service courses. He also demonstrated Godly Play in the College and at a primary school. 
As well as carrying out their teaching commitments, at a college set in a clearing in the rain forest with only four hours of generator electricity a day, they renewed friendships in surrounding villages. 
* Donations should be made payable to 'Papua New Guinea Church Partnership' (Cyclone Appeal) and sent to Chris Luxton, St Mary Abbots Centre, Vicarage Gate, London W8 4HN.
*Chris aided by Nancy will be recounting their tale at a Friends of Messing Church evening in Messing Village Hall on Friday, February 22 (8pm). All welcome.

We are indebted to Jon Longman for this report.

Free Trees
An initiative is being launched again this year by the Leader of Colchester Borough Council where the public can obtain free trees for planting on private property. Arrangements have been put in place to enable the public to collect the trees over the weekend of 19/20 February at the Rowan House car park in Sheepen Road, Colchester from 10am till 2pm on both the Saturday and Sunday.
The public will be able to select from the following native species;
Acer campestre - Field maple
Betula pendula - Silver Birch
Prunus padus – Bird Cherry
Cornus alba Sibirica – Dogwood
Eleagnus augustifolia – Quicksilver
Buxus sempervirens – Box
Viburnum opulus – Guelder Rose
If you wish to order trees please fill in the order form you can download here and follow the instructions to return it to Colchester Borough Council

Inworth Speed Sign
After laying dormant for many months the Speed Indicating sign on the Tiptree side of the entrance to Inworth has finally been connected to the power supply. We hope Inworth residents will notice a difference for all the effort that has gone into persuading the authorities to install the sign.