No donkey
at the service
THE Foot and Mouth crisis prevented St Mary's Church at Callington beginning it's Palm Sunday service with the Sunday School children being led into and around the church by a donkey: Instead the service began with the choir and clergy processing and carrying palm fronds, and churchwardens scattering more palm fronds on the floor.
The St Mary's Church Choir presented the evening service. Introduced by the rector, the Revd Robert Oakes, the choral music and readings were based on Stainer's Crucifixion, text by J S Simpson and the Bible, together with congregational hymns.
New officer
at Raleigh
NAVY Commander, David Knight, who lives near Callington, took over as the Executive Officer (second in command) at HMS Raleigh, the Royal Navy's New Entry Training Establishment at Torpoint.
Commander Knight joined the Royal Navy in 1970 and has served at sea in HM Ships Glamorgan, Andromeda, Antrim and Charybdis. He has also served ashore in a number of logistics and administrative posts both and home and abroad. These include serving on the staff of the NATO Commander in Chief, Eastern Atlantic, at Northwood; as the Commander (training) at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and, most recently, on the Directing Staff of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.
David, 48, is happy to be back in the West Country. He said: 'My duties as the Executive Officer cover wide range of tasks from the general organisation and security of the establishment to overseeing the discipline, welfare and administration of all Raleigh personnel. I am of course delighted to have been given the opportunity to serve close to home and aim to maintain and develop close links already established between the Royal Navy and the local community.'
Commander Knight and his wife, Val, have no children but many animals. They both share in interest in country pursuits, particularly horses. Commander Knight has represented the Navy at both Show Jumping and Eventing.
Services began on
Maundy Thursday
THE Easter services at St Mary's Church in Callington began on Maundy Thursday evening with a Holy Communion service during which the washing of feet took place.
Fresh baked bread was used instead of the usual Communion wafers and the congregation, instead of going to the altar rail as usual, stood in a circle in the Church with the Celebrants going to them.
The focal point of the Good Friday Devotional Service was a large wooden cross with a crown of thorns resting on it and blood red flower petals cascading down it into a waterfall which was surrounded by palm fronds.
Peter Lovell, Peter Hambly, Peter Whitting, Steve Dawe, Peter Cauchois and Clive Grenfell read the story of the Crucifixion. 'The Agony', a poem by George Herbert, was read by Clive Grenfell. The Rector, the Revd Robert Oakes, spoke of Jesus being the water of life and Revd Penny Raynham read John 11:32 to 36.
The Revd Barry Jennings and the choir led the congregation to the foot of the cross for personal reflections. Following this service around 80 people from Churches Together in Callington, gathered in St Mary's Close for the Walk of Witnesses, which began with prayer by the Revd Oakes, and a hymn and a reading by Tom White. Roger Screech then carried a wooden cross up to the car park at the Pioneer Supermarket followed by the witnesses for a hymn and another reading, this time by Rev Howard Curnow.
On returning to St Mary's Close further hymns were sung and Arthur Tink and May Uglow gave the final readings and the Rev Jennings bought the Walk of Witnesses to a close with prayers addressed to those present and to the passers by.
Tea, coffee and hot cross buns were then served in St Mary's Church.
Easter Sunday began with a Sunrise Service held by the car park in Saltash Road. Thirty two people gathered at 7am for hymns, prayers and an Easter talk by the Revd Jennings. Gary Morris provided the guitar accompaniment and Pastor Bruce Brown, the Revd Howard Curnow and the Revd Ann Curnow gave the readings.
Two members of St Mary's Church, Helen Dawe and Naomi Clayton, were celebrating their birthdays on Easter Sunday and Peter and Vanessa Whitting celebrated their wedding anniversary. The Revd Oakes used fresh, hard boiled and chocolate eggs to illustrate his Easter story talk and refreshments were served after the service.
Choir visit
to St Mary's
THE Senior School Chamber Choir from St Joesph's School at Launceston are performing a concert on April 28 at St Mary's Church, Callington, starting at 7.30pm.
Tickets are available from Wendy McGuire on 01579 383903 and will cost £3, refreshments will also be served. All proceeds will be donated to the St Mary's Improvement Fund.
Chapel prayer
for farmers
THE Chapel at the Mustard Seed Evangelical Church in Callington will be open all day this Saturday, April 21 for 'A Day of Prayer for the Crisis in the Countryside'.
It offers an opportunity for reflection and prayer for our farming community, specifically those under threat from foot and mouth disease.
The doors will be open form 9am until 5pm, and someone from the Fellowship will be present each hour during the day.
These will be no formal structure, and members of the community are welcome to drop in at any time to take advantage of a quiet place. On hand for use will be materials with relevant Bible readings and suggestions for prayer.
Further information is available by contacting Pastor Bruce Brown on 01579 383515.
Quiz night
for Lions
CALLINGTON Lions Club are holding a quiz night at Callington Town Hall on Saturday April 28.
The quiz master will be Terry Bolt and there will be a licensed bar during the evening.
Teams should be a minimum of four people and a maximum of six. The entry fee is £12 per team.
Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start.
To book a table contact Terry Bolt on 01579 383497 or David Jones at Callington Town Hall.
Wild flowers
in the valley
WILD Flowers was the subject of the talk at St Mary's Women's Fellowship meeting on Monday last week.
The speaker, Christobel Grenfell, a Fellowship member spoke of how her love of wild flowers began as a young child growing up in Callington.
The Fellowship members were invited to guess the names of two of the more unusual flowers that grow in the Tamar Valley. Although recognised, no-one knew the names which were Purple Toothwort and Himalayan Balsam.
Mary Gardner gave the vote of thanks. Diana Hambly was the Chairperson for the meeting and Margaret Rubery read the minutes. Yvonne Hill read Psalm 65 and Edie Pridham provided a table display of camellias.
Tea hostesses were Mary Gardner and Joyce Parr and the competition for the oldest silver threepenny piece was won by Edie Pridham and Joyce Warren.
The May competition is for an arrangement in an egg cup and this meeting is on May 14 at the Methodist Room, Callington.