Parish web site: www.stcatherinesthurrock.org.uk - Parish of East and West ...

Parish web site: www.stcatherinesthurrock.org.uk

B                                 iE
100 Club                                        protect the unborn child. It is these same
The January winner was Kim Ford .               antibodies that prevent the blood being
Congratulations Kim it was lovely to see        used for some significant treatments. So if
you on Sunday. After being unwell recently      you or someone you know would like to
you led the service on Sunday with your         become a donor you can generally donate
usual enthusiasm and we hope that you           blood if… you are fit and healthy, weigh
are soon be back to full health .               between 7 stone 12 lbs and 25 stone (or
                                                50kg and 160kg), are aged between 17
Norman                                          and 66, are over 70 and have given blood
On 16th February Chloe Crickmay is to be        in the last two years. There are some
baptised at 12.30 p.m. at St. Catherine’s.      restrictions and more information can be
Chloe and her brother Charlie are               found at www.blood.co.uk/who-can-give-
particularly well know to the Wednesday         blood/.
morning congregation at St. Francis and         An advance notice that our annual sale of
mum Vikki would love to see members of          homemade cakes will be on Saturday 21st
her church family helping to celebrate          March at St. Francis from 10 a.m. to noon.
Chloe’s baptism with her.                       For those that aren’t especially into cakes
Pancake Day or more properly “Shrove            there are also craft and book sales
Tuesday” is on 25th February this year.         planned.
Being the day before “Ash Wednesday”            The Thurrock Winter Night Shelter is
and the start of the Lenten period of           now up and running every night of the
fasting this is said to be the time to eat up   week (provided that there are enough
all the eggs and flour etc. by making           volunteers available). The venues are
pancakes. Our pancake night starts at St.       Christ City Church in Crown House, Grays
Francis at 6.45 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start.        and Gates of Praise, 79 -83 London Road
Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy           Grays. Prospective guests must have their
pancakes with a variety of toppings as well     referral accepted before attending.
as a chance to chat and play table games.       Referrals can be made to 07922 381806. If
Blood donation. It has recently been            you are interested in volunteering to
reported that there is a significant gender     support this very worthwhile project please
imbalance amongst those of us that are          email ThurrockNS@gmail.com
blood donors. For every 100 women who           Thurrock foodbank will be having a “big
became donors in 2019 there were only 70        sort” at their warehouse in Corringham
men. While this might not seem too              during the February half term holiday. If
important, there is a little known fact that    you can help on Tuesday 18th, Wednesday
some very important blood products can          19th or Thursday 20th between 10am and
only be made for male blood. This is due        2pm please contact Helen at:-
to the fact that, during pregnancy, women       warehouse@thurrock.foodbank.org.uk for
produce antibodies that are there to            more information.

The month of February is one I welcome because after the grey and gloomy weeks of
January it offers hope. As we make our way through February the mornings and
evenings get increasingly lighter, we begin to hear the bird song return in our gardens
and heroically pushing through the soil are the tips of the first of the spring flowers.
Snowdrops in particular speak of resilience and are such a joy to see wherever they
appear. Very often they can be found in and around churchyards, in wooded glades and
other shady places. Most people know them as Snowdrops but they are also known as
‘Candlemas Bells’ because traditionally they would often come up around Candlemas
Day which is on the 2nd February.
Candlemas is a day of significance in the Church because it brings to an end the joyful
celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany and points us towards Lent and Easter.
Traditionally on this day the candles that would be used in the church throughout the
rest of the year would be blessed during the service. Candles for the Altar, candles for
Baptism and candles for Weddings. One of the ways in which Jesus described himself
was as ‘the light of the world’ so when we light candles in church we are reminded of the
light of Christ that we follow and the lights that He calls us to be.
Candlemas is also know as ‘The Presentation of Christ in the Temple’ and
commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of her son Jesus.
This day also marks the ritual presentation of the baby Jesus to God in the Temple at
Jerusalem. The Gospel of Luke says that Jesus was met by Anna and Simeon. Simeon
held the baby Jesus and called him a Light to the World. And if you have ever attended
a service of Evening Prayer or Evensong you will have heard the ‘Song of Simeon’ in the
words of the ‘Nunc Dimittis’ which can be said or sung.
Ritual purification stems back to a Jewish tradition that said women were considered
unclean after the birth of a child. For 40 days for a boy, and 60 days for a girl, women
weren't allowed to worship in the temple. At the end of this time, women were brought to
the Temple or Synagogue to be purified. After the ceremony women were allowed to
take part in religious services again.
In the Christian Church, in times past, there was also provision for special prayers to be
said acknowledging the safe delivery of a woman having given birth. In the Book of
Common of Prayer there is a service called ‘The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-
Birth’ commonly called ‘The Churching of Women.’ It is something our grandmothers

and great-grandmothers may well have gone to church to partake in before they went
out and about with the new baby.
So a season in the church has come to an end and the next one begins. ‘Ash
Wednesday’, on the 26th February, marks the start of Lent and there are lots of services
and events you might like to join us for as we journey towards
Easter and Holy Week. There will be some special Bible Study
group sessions, some Lent lunches and Sacred Saturday
Quiet Days. Please see the details on the next page.
I hope like me you enjoy February and when you see those
beautiful snowdrops think of Candlemas and the light shining
in the darkness.
Every Blessing,   Revd Michèle.
                     Some thoughts on Candlemas - Norman King
 Candlemas has always been a special time for Sheila and I. We were both born in
 February and as we mentioned at a family service during the Interregnum our Dads did
 not receive the best reception when they came to see us as new babies and brought
 snowdrops.
 Candlemas occurs at a time midway between the December solstice and the March
 equinox and is observed on February 2nd in regions where Christ’s birth was celebrated
 on December 25th. 40 days after his birth according to Jewish custom Jesus’s Mother
 Mary presented him to God in the Temple. A Jewish man named Simeon held the baby
 in his arms and said that he would be a light for the Gentiles. It is for this reason that
 this event is called Candlemas.
 As Christians, we consider Jesus as the “light of the world” so it is fitting that candles
 are blessed on this day. This year the service at St. Catherine’s will be at 4pm.
 It is traditional to eat crepes on Candlemas in some parts of Europe such as France.
 Each family prepares and cooks a crepe while holding a coin in their hand. This is
 believed to assure wealth and happiness until the next Candlemas celebration. Another
 strange custom known as Candlearia is observed in Spanish speaking countries.
 Whoever finds a baby figure hidden inside the Rosca de Reyes (Kings Cake) on
 Epiphany on January 6th is obliged to bring food to a gathering held on February 2nd.
 Many Orthodox Christians celebrate by bringing beeswax candles to the local Church to
 be blessed to be used in the Church or at home.
 Many Christians observe the practice of leaving some Christmas decorations up until
 Candlemas.
 Back to Snowdrops, which are also known as Candlemas Bells because they often
 bloom early in the year and they are also believed, more recently, to symbolise hope -
 so our Dads were really quite thoughtful not just two Yorkshire men saving money!

Turning over a new LEAF
I had a driving licence (initially a provisional one) since shortly after my 17th birthday and
over those years have had a variety of cars, either my own or, in some cases, supplied
by my employer. The majority of these cars have been petrol driven although more
recently I switched to diesel power, based on the economics of the diesel engine and the
advice that they emitted less less noxious gases. Sadly as far as the question of
emissions I, along with many others, was “conned” by the Volkswagen group.
As the years have gone by I have been increasingly concerned by the changes to our
climate and the increasing scientific evidence that our actions are exacerbating the
problem. While there are those that discount the views of the scientists I had a scientific
education and have a great respect for those who have, in many cases, made it their
life’s work to explore the causes and effects of “climate change”. My principal concern is
not for myself but for may family and in particular my grandchildren as all the evidence
suggests that, unless we make changes, they will be left a very different and, in my view,
dangerous world.
And so, for this reason I have explored alternative fuels for my vehicles. At one time I
thought of having my car modified to run on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) as a way of
reducing the amount of CO2 emitted. For many years, at the back of my mind, has been
the idea of an electric car - but surely they haven’t the range? When John and Gina
Blackbond began to arrive at church in their Toyota Prius “hybrid” car I thought “nice idea
but no use to us as we need more electric range to make any real difference to our
carbon footprint”.
However views change. Initially I had thought that there were two problems:-
       1.     The question of range - I felt that a minimum of 200 miles was what I
              needed.
       2.     The price of the cars - new ones very expensive and worries about the
              state of the batteries in secondhand ones.
In 2018 we had a carpenter build some bookshelves and cupboards in our lounge. In
conversation I discovered that he had both an electric car and an electric van and was
very pleased with them. In fact he had just replaced his car with a new one. This got me
thinking and while we were on holiday in Scotland last Autumn we did a lot of reading
and discovered that the batteries in electric cars were not degrading nearly as much as
had been supposed might be the case - meaning that a second hand car could still have
much of its original range. Kim and I also concluded that many of our journeys are local
and therefore a battery range of 60 miles could be perfectly adequate for something like
50% of our driving.
Last November we took the plunge and went to test drive a 5 year old Nissan Leaf with
an original quoted range of something like 84 miles. Our experience of it to date has
been very good with us driving something over 100 miles each week and clocking up
1,000 miles in the first two months. We still have our diesel “Yeti” for longer journeys but

the “Leaf” will halve our annual motoring carbon footprint if things continue as they have.
We are fortunate that we have off street parking which means that we can charge the car
at home which is much easier and less worry than having to charge elsewhere - perhaps
at Lakeside - and charging is really easy either from a 13 amp socket or the “EV”
charging socket that we have had installed. Quite apart from reducing our carbon
footprint the car is cheaper to run with no vehicle tax and lower fuel costs. So far it
seems to be a “win / win”.
Chris Ford
Remembering Anne Frank and her diary
Anne Frank, the Dutch Jewish diarist and Holocaust victim, died 75 years ago, in
February 1945, in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the age of 15 – probably from
typhus. She is known for writing The Diary of a Young Girl, an account of how she and
seven others were hidden in a secret annex to escape the Nazis.
The group had been arrested the previous August, and only Anne’s father Otto
survived the war. At first it was believed they had been betrayed, but it is now thought
possible that they were discovered by accident.
The Diary, which Anne – who was born in Germany – started writing at the age of 13, is
the story of how ordinary people risked their lives to help those in need, but it says little
about the unclear relationship the Dutch had with Nazi Germany. Up to 80% of the
Dutch Jewish population were killed during the war – the second highest percentage
after Poland.
The diary, which had been kept safe by Otto’s secretary, Miep Gies, was published in
English in 1952 and has since been translated into more than 60 languages. The Anne
Frank House, a museum in Amsterdam, opened in May 1960. Asteroid 5535 Annefrank
was named in Anne’s honour in 1995.
And….remembering Eric Liddell – Olympic gold medallist and prisoner of war
Eric Liddell, the Scottish athlete who became a 400-metre Olympic gold medallist in
1924, died 75 years ago, on 21st February 1945, in a Japanese internment camp in
China. He was 43 and had a brain tumour.
Because of his Christian convictions he had withdrawn from the 100-metre heats in the
1924 Paris Olympics because they took place on a Sunday. He entered the 400-metre
heats instead – and won.
He also got bronze in the 200 metres, where he finished ahead of his Jewish team-
mate Harold Abrahams, the 100-metre gold medallist. Their story is told in the classic
1981 film, Chariots of Fire.
Born in China to missionary parents, Liddell went to boarding school for 12 years at
Eltham College, South London, where he continues to be recognised as inspirational.
He was always an outstanding sportsman but never failed to put God first. He returned
to China after studying pure science at Edinburgh University and married a Canadian
missionary, Florence Mackenzie.

FROM THE JANUARY MEETING OF THE P.C.C.
The PCC met at St. Francis on the 7th          and 1 renewal of wedding vows.
January at 7.30pm. All members were            In his Churchwarden’s report Colin
present with the exception of Norman,          advised that the electrical survey of St.
Janice and Kim who had provided                Catherine’s would be carried out on 14th
apologies. The minutes of the meeting on       January.
19th November were accepted as a true          In her report Kathy said that the Electoral
record.                                        Roll now had 57 names after 3 had been
Under “matters arising” Sheila reported, in    removed and 7 added.
Norman’s absence, that Peter Chandler          With regard to pastoral care in the parish it
had agreed to examine the Parish’s             was noted that Revd. Michèle and David
accounts for another year and that the         Gunn had made several visits.
£7,000 grant money from the London Over        When considering the church buildings
the Border fund had been transferred to        and churchyard matters it was agreed to
the Special Purposes Fund as it does not       hold a separate meeting to discuss the
form part of our general funds. In regard to   outstanding points from the latest
the possibility of St. Catherine’s being       quinquennial survey. The postponed
used as a training venue for Revd.             meeting with Nathan Whitehead (from the
Michèle’s hospital it was agreed that a        Diocese) to discuss the West Tilbury
charge of £20 per hour for a morning or        churchyard proposal was now arranged for
afternoon session and £100 for a full day      22nd January,
would be made. Revd. Michèle would             The meeting reviewed the Christmas
advise the hospital accordingly.               Bazaar and the various Christmas
In her remarks Revd. Michèle said that         services. All were well attended and better
during November and December in                that last year. It was suggested that we
addition to regular services she had           might hold a “mini” bazaar at St. Francis
conducted the Service of Remembrance at        next year after the main bazaar.
Coalhouse Fort, led the Christingle service    Under “AOB” Patricia advised some
at East Tilbury Primary School and the         changes to the St. Francis bookings.
Scouts and Guides carol service at St          Revd. Michèle advised that the Church
Catherine’s. She had also attended a           Representation Rules now gave a
Governor’s meeting at East Tilbury             deadline for the annual meetings of the
Primary School and has now been formally       end of May rather than the end of April. A
approved and is serving as a Community         date for our meeting needs to be agreed. It
Governor on the Governing Body. Michèle        was agreed that the money donated in
and Robin attended the carols in West          memory of Sue Spiers should be used to
Tilbury (in the rain) followed by              purchase a pair of smaller candlesticks for
refreshment in the village hall. She had       the chancel altar.
conducted two funerals. To date bookings       The date of the next meeting was set as
for 2020 stand at 6 baptisms, 5 weddings       Tuesday 3rd March at 7.30pm at St
                                               Francis.

PARISH DIARY FOR FEBRUARY
                        Our Sunday services are at St. Catherine’s

   2 Feb Presentation of Christ in the Temple - Candlemas
          Family Service led by Revd Michèle                     10.00am
          Holy Communion & blessing of candles with Revd. Michèle 4.00pm
   5 Feb Holy Communion at St Francis                            10.00am
          Community “Drop In” at St Francis                      10.30am - noon
   6 Feb Foodbank at St. Francis                                 11.00am - 1.00pm
   9 Feb 3rd Sunday before Lent
          Parish Communion                                               10.00am
           Baptism of Frankie-Lee Thomas Down                            12 noon
  11 Feb Bible Study at St. Francis                                       7.30pm
  12 Feb Holy Communion (St Francis)                                     10.00am
           Community “Drop In” at St. Francis                            10.30am - noon
  13 Feb Foodbank at St. Francis                                         11.00am - 1.00pm
  16 Feb 2nd Sunday before Lent
          Parish Communion                                               10.00am
          Baptism of Chloe Crickmay                                       12.30pm
          Committal of ashes in the churchyard - June Hutson               3.00pm
   19 Feb Holy Communion (St Francis)                                    10.00am
          Community “Drop In” at St Francis                              10.30am - noon
   20 Feb Foodbank at St. Francis                                        11.00am - 1.00pm
   23 Feb Sunday before Lent
           Parish Communion                                              10.00am
           Baptism service                                               12 noon
   25 Feb Shrove Tuesday pancake evening at St. Francis                   6.30pm
   26 Feb Ash Wednesday
           Holy Communion (St Francis)                                   10.00am
           Community “Drop In” at St Francis                             10.30am - noon
           Holy Communion with “ashing”                                   7.30pm
   27 Feb Foodbank at St. Francis                                        11.00am - 1.00pm
           WELCOM forum meet at Linford Methodist Church                  7.00pm

Hedges
A hedge around your property is good for you. A recent study has found that the humble
hedge, when in full leaf, can cut air pollution around it by up to half.
A recent study by the University of Guildford measured traffic pollutants on either side of
a hedge in a park on the road to Guildford. The survey found that the level of particulate
pollutions – those tiny particles of soot and other matter that cause illness – was cut by
half after the hedge reached full leaf in April.
So – if your home is along a busy road, grow a hedge!

FROM ST. CATHERINE’S PARISH REGISTERS
 Baptisms
      12 Jan        Calayla, Carmine & Ismael Dosoo.
 Committal of ashes
      None
 Funeral
       None

Important Update from the Thames Crossing Action Group

As you know we have been predicting a Supplementary Consultation for a while now,
and today Highways England have announced they will be launching it on Weds 29th
January 2020. The consultation will run 8 weeks until Weds 25th March 2020.
They have provided some details of info events, deposit locations, and info points, on
their website https://highwaysengland.co.uk/lower-thames-crossing-consultation2020/,
but the real info and documentation of what the changes will be that they are consulting
on will not be available until the launch day.
We are busy adding the info they have provided to our website right now, and will bring
up further updates via our website, social media and newsletters as soon as we can,
but wanted to alert you to the Supplementary Consultation as quickly as we could!
It is extremely important that as many people respond to the consultation as possible
please. The huge response to the Statutory Consultation has already delayed their
plans by a year, and the fact they are holding a supplementary consultation should
mean some significant changes will be announced.
They DO NOT have permission yet. They are aiming to submit their Development
Consent Order application later this year. If that application is accepted, it will then go
through an Examination period, before ultimately the Sectretary of State for Transport
will decide whether to grant the DCO or not. Until such time as DCO is granted
Highways England do not have permission to legally start construction of the proposed
Lower Thames Crossing.

The Priest in charge
REVD. MICHÈLE MARSHALL
The Rectory
24, Somerset Road, Linford
Stanford-le-Hope
Essex, SS17 0QA.
Telephone: 01375 671754                   email: mjmarshall@fastmail.co.uk

The Services
Sunday     10.00 a.m. Holy Communion service at St. Catherine’s
                      Except 1st Sunday of the month when we have
                      “The Family Service”
Wednesday 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion at St. Francis
For Baptisms, Weddings or Funerals please contact the Priest in Charge.

The Churchwarden                              PEWTALK Editor
COLIN STRONG T: 07591 708955                  Chris Ford
E:- warden.colin.stcatherines@gmail.com       44, Northumberland Road
                                              Linford
                                              Stanford le Hope
Pastoral Assistant                            SS17 0PU
David Gunn T: 01375 768202                    Tel: 01375 675863
                                              e-mail: pewtalk@talktalk.net

St. Francis Centre
The centre is available for hire for
regular events when not used by
the Church. To check availability
please contact:

PATRICIA STRONG
patricia.a.strong@outlook.com