News Archive: 2009

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January 2009

Mums and Tots - new time and day
In the New Year, we are changing our weekly Mums and Tots time to Thursday mornings 9.45 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. in Ticehurst Church.  This is an informal time for Mums to bring their pre-school children for stories, singing and simple craft activities, with plenty of time for play and chat, with a cup of coffee or juice. The first weekly session will be on Thursday 8th January 2009 – so please do join us.

We had 3 times as many people visiting our website over the few days around Christmas. Thank you and welcome to new visitors and happy New Year from the Webmaster.
Garden of Remembrance attached to the church yard: We are starting a regular once a month, on the 1st Saturday at 2pm get together to maintain the garden of Remembrance. Many people have volunteered and we are extremely grateful and look forward to seeing many of you on the 6th December 2pm, if the weather is more favourable. If you have not yet volunteered and would like to join then please come along. (letter as in News & Views December issue).

Designer Knits: Beat the cold with a new Woolly and help Church funds at the same time. Order a knitted garment of your own choice, and the proceeds will go to St. Mary’s Church. (You provide the wool and pattern)
Adults +++ Children +++ Babies
To find out more – Phone Carolyne 201346

Sutton Seeds - Fundraising for our church: If you are looking forward to spring and wish to buy any seeds, then please do so using one of fundraising seed catalogues that you will find at the back of Ticehurst Church, return your order form and monies to Jacky Ward, tel: 01580 201 340. 1 in 5 pounds spent will go to our current fundraising project for the church extension.

FLIMWELL Church: A meeting was held at the Cricket Pavilion on Tuesday 13th January to discuss the way forward for St Augustine's Church
Our Vicar Tim Mills spoke about the Church Commissioners decision to keep the Church open and hoped that we could put the past behind us and move forward. He was positive and encouraging.
A questionnaire was given to everyone who attended, if you would like to, fill in this questionnaire (click here) please to so before the end of February.

February 2009

Pancakes & Puddings at Ticehurst & Flimwell CofE School: Tickets are £5 available at church or from the Village Store.  All profits for the Church Extension Fund. also see events page

March 2009

Ticehurst & Flimwell Churches News & Views a will appear in the village magazine here.

Café Church: On the 17th of May a new informal service will start at Ticehurst and Flimwell school hall called Café Church. It will begin with tea, coffee and cakes and scones and then progress on via a DVD to an informal service. The children will have there own special DVD and activities involving crafts. Café Church will be a monthly event from 4.30 pm to around 5.30pm on every third Sunday of the month.

From MAY 2009 the regular services will change slightly for both churches and there will be a new service at the Ticehurst & Flimwell School. For all services see our Events & Services Page.

Further to this weeks meeting about Flimwell church. There will be more services at Flimwell church from May: For more information read here.

We had a lovely Women's World Day of Prayer Service with Mercury  Class from the school attending and 41 adults from the community. The students did a wonderful job singing "They'll Know We Are Christians" as well as doing two of the readings.  Catherine Rigby from Tunbridge Wells spoke to us on the theme of We are all one body.   £114.29 was raised for the work of the Movement, for Christian literature societies and for the Christian educational projects.
Thanks to all of those who attended and took part.



The 'Electoral Roll' for St Augustine's Church is being compiled at the moment.
Anyone who attends services at St Augustine's in encouraged to be on it as it entitles you to vote on matters concerning the Church such as electing people onto the PCC or if you wished to stand for the PCC.
There will be opportunities to fill in the appropriate form at the Special Meeting on Wednesday 11th March (see below) or at our next service on Sunday 15th March.
If you are not going to attend either of these meetings and you would like a form sent to you please contact Jean Horn our electoral roll officer and she will send you one. Her phone number is 01580 754280. The closing date to be on the Electoral Roll is 12th April.

ST AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, Special Meeting: 7:30pm Wednesday 11th March 2009
This will be a follow up meeting to discuss items raised at the meeting we had on 13th January re the type and frequency of services to be held at our Church in the future. We will also be reviewing the list of your offers of help in the Church
Please come along and find out what the plans are for the Church. See you there!
It is at the CRICKET PAVILION, FLIMWELL

Vicars Thinking Allowed March 2009 see here

April 2009

If you would like a LILY in memory of a loved one this Easter,
Please sign up on the list in the Church by Maundy Thursday (8th April). The cost is £5 per flower
and the flower arrangers will make a special display of them in the various arrangements for our Easter celebrations.
Cash, or cheque payable to Ticehurst PCC - money to the  Vicarage please

Maundy Thursday 'AGAPE' Supper:
There are still places available for the Maundy Thursday 'Agape' Supper in the Church at Ticehurst on Thursday 9th April, 7.00pm. This annual event is a meal based around 'The Last Supper 'and is worth going to if you have never experienced it before. It is a meal for approximately 60 people with roast lamb and salad and red wine or fruit juice and fruit.
As in the Last Supper bread is broken and the cup of wine is passed around the table to commemorate
Jesus' body and blood. This is a poignant moment.
The evening is free of charge, however you are asked to help in some way either to help prepare the church or to clear up at the finish, or to provide one of the following:
A joint of lamb, 1 pint of gravy, salad, 60 napkins, red wine, fruit juice, table centre flowers, pieces of fruit,red current jelly and mint sauce. There are probably about 10 places left (on March 29th) so if you are interested could you either go up to St Mary's Church in Ticehurst and put your name down on the list and what you are prepared to provide, or phone Sally Bowles on 01892 783075.
 
Pew Sheets and News Sheets will now be available on this website see at the top of this page for the current copies.

If you would like to read the Archaeological Evaluation report that was produced in 2007 about the area the extension of the church will be built on click here.

Start of work on Ticehurst Church Extension: (Courier Release 14/4/09  (97-03))
Easter Sunday saw a rare sight at St Mary’s Ticehurst, where work is about to start on a new Parish Room as an extension to the Church building. A Vicar, Lay Reader and Choirmistress dressed in their cassocks surplices and choir robes, all wearing hard hats worthy of Bob the Builder is not a sight you see every day!
Through the great double doors at the West end of the Church almost on the stroke of midday there emerged a procession led by the Choir still singing the final verse of the last hymn. There followed a short ceremony of prayers and a blessing, after which one of the metal fence panels around the building site was moved aside to allow the digging party through on to the site. There they were issued with hard hats and spades. The party consisted of The Vicar Tim Mills, the lay reader David Bowles – both in their cassocks and surplices – a churchwarden Jacky Ward, in choir robes, and David Billinghurst, former Churchwarden, former secretary to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and now the co-ordinator of the development on behalf of the PCC. They each dug a token spadeful of turf from the ground below the window which will form the access from the Nave of the Church to the new extension. With that symbolic act, the building of the new extension was formally begun.
“It is wonderful to see Michael Simpson’s vision of God’s will for St. Mary’s being brought to fruition under  Tim Mills’s stewardship”, said Lay Reader David Bowles after the ceremony.
David Billinghurst, who has been involved with the new Parish Room as long as anyone on the PCC said, "Whilst we are all delighted that a start has been made on the project, we on the Parochial Church Council and the Church Development Committee are mindful that the building work will cause disruption to many who live near the Church. Unfortunately this is inevitable and we are very sorry for any inconvenience that it causes. I shall be co-ordinating the works from the PCC's end, and will do my utmost to ensure that disturbance and disruption is kept to an absolute minimum"
Vicar Tim Mills told the crowd of more than a hundred onlookers that the work was beginning at Easter and was scheduled to be completed on Christmas day, thus linking the project to the two great festivals of the Christian year.



Café Church: On the 17th of May a new informal service will start at Ticehurst and Flimwell school hall called Café Church. It will begin with tea, coffee and cakes and scones and then progress on via a DVD to an informal service. The children will have there own special DVD and activities involving crafts. Café Church will be a monthly event from 4.30 pm to around 5.30pm on every third Sunday of the month.

Last week saw Flimwell Church elect a strong team, this week is the Ticehurst APCM on Tuesday at 7pm at the Village Hall. All welcome.

May 2009

See Latest for progress and information about the extension building works. Last Updated 13th May.

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting of Saint Mary the Virgin, Ticehurst
was held in the Village Institute on 29th April and was attended by 46 parishioners who were offered light
refreshment before the meeting commenced at 7 pm. It was chaired by the Reverend Tim Mills.
Two Churchwardens, Sheila Minet and Jacky Ward were re-elected and the Vicar thanked them both for all the hours and the enormous amount of work they have done throughout the year. He went on to thank all the many people involved with the day to day running of the Church during the past very significant year. An up-date of the extension construction was given by David Billinghurst and Peter Scoble presented the accounts in detail. Reports on the Church fabric, property, the Deanery Synod, and the electoral roll (which has increased by 15 to 201) were given. Sides-persons were appointed and Peggy Langdown was elected to stand on the PCC. The meeting closed at 8.15 p.m. JDW
Details of who has what responsibility can been seen on our who's who page. The reports will follow shortly. The latest figures for fund-raising for the extension can be seen here. A questionnaire about this website was circulated at this meeting. Thank you for the responses. If anyone would like to fill in part or all of this questionnaire please click here.


June / July 2009

More pictures of the extension here.

Have you seen the breeze block walls on our extension? Don' t worry, the stonemason will start work on the walls 20th July. The breeze block walls you see being built now are the internal walls. These are cavity walls and will have stone wall on the outside of these breeze blocks. For more information and pictures you can have a look on this website or visit the church where there is a wealth of information.

August 2009

St. Mary's Church (Ticehurst Church) Children' s Holiday Club The holiday club ran successfully for three mornings at the beginning of August and we averaged twenty children each day [aged 4 - 11]. The theme was Superheroes – Daniel, Mary and Jesus. The children made lion masks and mobiles with Daniel and the Lions. The following day they made special greetings cards for an important lady in their lives and shields and door plates for their bedrooms. The final day we all worked outdoors on a collage of Jesus in the fishing boat casting the net and catching loads of fish. This is hanging up in the Church. Several of the older children did a medieval wood panel painting on hardboard of the Madonna and Child or the Angel Gabriel and these will be displayed at the Art Exhibition in October. We had a great team of helpers who worked really hard for the children and I am greatly indebted to them and also my dear husband who spent a whole weekend in the garage making mobiles and cutting out hardboard. A big thank you to our village magazine News and Views and all of you who contribute generously each month. Our holiday club was very grateful for a £200 contribution which enabled us to buy stationery, art supplies, prizes etc. which will also provide Junior Church and Café Church with materials for months to come. There was a surplus which is being held in church funds. Marian Cook

Our Bell Ringing page has been added to. We hope you enjoy this new content. 11th August

Which would you like to see more of on our website? What would you like to see new? This website is for YOU so please let me know so I can make it as useful as I can. Please email me or fill in this form below with your suggestions and comments (and optionally your name & contact details) Many thanks for your answers, Hannah.


6th August: New pictures on our photos page of this summers holiday club. The children made a collage showing "Fishers of Men". More information about these 3 days to follow...


More pictures of the extension on our extension webpages. The roof structure is well under way and the shape of the building is very clear and awaiting the external stone walls.  [27th Aug]

September 2009

Children’s Centre in Ticehurst & Flimwell school
East Sussex County Council is proposing to finance the erection of a new building adjacent to the Primary School to house a Children’s Centre and the new Ladybirds Day Nursery. The Church, which owns the school land and buildings, has recently been approached for consent to the proposals.
The Vicar and Churchwardens feel that the people of the village should be given a chance to find out about the services which the Children’s Centre will provide and to raise questions or voice concerns.
Accordingly, the County Council has agreed to put on an EXHIBITION in the

VILLAGE HALL
on TUESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER
between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

during which time County Council officials and the proposed coordinator of the Centre
will be available. This is an important project for the village and the exhibition is likely to be the only
opportunity for the community at large to appreciate how the Centre may affect Ticehurst and to have its say.

More information and pictures about our Extension at St Mary's. [16th sept]

This months village magazine News and Views entry for our churches and our Vicars thinking Allowed.

More pictures of the extension on our extension webpages. The roof structure is well under way and the shape of the building is very clear and awaiting the external stone walls.  [27th Aug]

October 2009

FREE SWEETS! Jacky Ward has packets of Smarties to give away. There is a catch: you try to fill to empty tube with 20p coins. Return these to the church and these donations will be added to the extension fund (please gift aid this donation if you are a UK Tax payer). Many thanks in advance for adding your change to these tubes and enjoy the sweets. Feel free to fill your own tube if you can not find Jacky. [Oct 09]

Ticehurst & Flimwell School The staff and children of Ticehurst & Flimwell Church of England Primary School are very grateful to Mrs Marian Cook and the Church Community who raised funds recently be selling cakes and second-hand books. The amount of £117.31 has enabled us to purchase 10 Children’s Bibles to be used in Key Stage One. [Oct 09]

Recently volunteers have delivered a letter to l households in the village about the possibility of 'donating' a stone or a slate for the new extension.  Although we attempted to reach every house, I'm sure some have been missed out:  if you have not received one, and would like to take part in this scheme, here is the letter for you! word document or pdf [Oct 09]

Extra Prayer Meetings? We are exploring the opportunity for a second monthly prayer meeting so those folk who find 9.30 a.m. on the first Tuesday of the month difficult can come to the other prayer meeting. Speak to Tim Mills (01580 200 316) or Sheila Minet (01580 200 264) if interested.

A Service of Memories will be held at St. Mary’s on All Saints Day, 1st November at 3.30 p.m. If you wish to light a candle in memory of a recently departed loved one, please email: vicar@ticehurstflimwellchurch.org.uk or phone 01580 200316 to give your name - and the number of people in your family who also wish to attend and light a candle.

Art Exhibition in Ticehurst church NOW ( until Sat 10th Oct ). Entry by donation and a percentage of each sale all go to the church extension fund. So please come and enjoy the talents of our local artist in the pleasant surroundings of our church.

Children's Workers
Following interviews, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kristin Stevenson and Catherine Baigent as children’s workers in the United Benefice of Ticehurst & Flimwell. The money we have been given will just about stretch to employing both ladies. Kristin has been leading the children’s work in Café Church and will concentrate on the 4-11 year olds. Catherine will look after the younger age group, hopefully setting up a young mums and dads group in our new extension.  Tim Mills, Our Vicar Coffee, Books & Cakes this Sunday [4th Oct] successfully raised £120 for school Lion bibles for the 5-7 year old at our school, Ticehurst & Flimwell CofE School.

Greetings Tree. Instead of sending Christmas cards to friends at the Church, why not use the Greetings Tree? Write ONE card with your greetings and hang it on the tree by the door – which will be in place from 3rd December. Then give a donation to Church funds, or to the Church extension fund, or to your favourite charity. SAVE paper SAVE postage CUT your carbon footprint and BENEFIT others !

Befriend a soldier Would you like a pen friend in Afghanistan? The chaplain of a unit which is going there in the New Year says ‘Some soldiers do not have families to support them and it is a huge morale boost for someone in a war zone to receive mail’. If you would like to be put in touch, please let Bruce Mackenzie (01580 79337) know and he will pass your name to the Padre of 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, based in Catterick, North Yorks.

The Art Exhibition saw over 500 people coming into our Church, and around £1,100 raised for our funds. The atmosphere was happy and relaxed, and the committee wish to thank all those who helped by stewarding and tidying up afterwards. [28th Oct]

The Topping Out Ceremony for the new extension
will happen after the 11 a.m. Service on Sunday 1st November, followed by refreshments in the church. We pray for fine weather for this joyful occasion.

In the afternoon of Sunday 1st November at 3.00 p.m. at St. Mary’s there will be a Service of Treasured Memories for all recently bereaved in the villages.

Then on Saturday 28th November we are holding the annual Christmas Bazaar in the Village Hall.

The PCC will be meeting on Thursday 12th November.

Looking To December:
  • Two innovations this year: first the Christmas Tree Festival, where all businesses and organisations are invited to decorate the church with a tree from (setting up on 3rd December, Visitors from 4th to 6th); and
  • secondly the “Lights of Love” Service for St. Michael’s Hospice at 3 p.m. on 6th December. On the 13th December at 6 p.m., the Caius College Choir, Cambridge will be giving a Concert at St. Mary’s Church.

November 2009

It was lovely to see everyone from regular church goer to interested villagers braving the wind and rain on this mild November day for the topping out ceremony. The stonemason that has been working to clad our extension in natural stone along with our vicar placed the year stone in front of our time capsule and then climbed the scaffold to place the top stone on the westerly end of the extension. There was a prayer, the bells were run and we then entered the church through the westerly door which is rarely used these days. We were passed a glass of bubbly or apple juice to toast the occasion. A great occasion for our parishioners to meat and chat to others they may not see at other times. See our extension photos page for several pictures. [1st Nov]
The time capsule contains:-
  • 3 stamps of Olympics
  • 4 penny coins
  • copy of pew sheet of day
  • copy of Courier newspaper article on extension
  • Times newspaper banner of day
  • photos of church
  • list of those involved in project
  • Ticehurst and Flimwell C of E School prayer written by a pupil: Emma Stevenson
  • Picture by Tabitha Baigent ( a young parishioner)
  • programme from London play War Horse


What a week we have had leading up to our Remembrance Day services. Major Hasan in the USA killing troops at Fort Hood. And in Afghanistan, those poor soldiers having a cup of tea, flack jackets off, relaxing in their compound after a patrol, when an Afghan policeman opens fire on them from the roof escaping on a motorbike, 5 dead 9 injured some seriously.
The Afghan policeman is a man they had been risking their lives for.
And so it was very right that we came to Remembrance day to give thanks and pay our respects.
These are indeed exceptional people, doing exceptional jobs, in ghastly situations.
At both Flimwell and Ticehurst we read the names of soldiers who died in the first and second world war from our communities. We prayed for those caught up in war now and for our soldiers involved in Afghanistan.

We paid respect: to those who lead our forces well,
We paid respect: to those who follow this leadership knowing that for Queen and country they risk their lives. [12 Nov]

If you have a message to leave you could leave a virtual poppy, click on the picture.
[12th Nov]

The November meeting of St. Mary’s & St. Augustine’s Fellowship was held on the 5th at Newington Court when Christmas cards were made under the keen eye of Kate Pizzey. The prayers were led by Nina, and one new member, Frances, was welcomed. The next meeting will also be at Newington Court – 3rd December – for carol singing with Tom.   [19th Nov]

Name the Room Suggestions Box A box has been put at the back of Ticehurst church for you to put in your suggestion(s) for the name of the new extension room or use the form below. If you are able to give a reason for your choice(s) so much the better! We look forward to the official opening which will be on March 21st 2010.  [19th Nov]

Make your suggestion for naming the new extension room at St Mary's:



The ground conditions at St Augustine's Church in the grassed area between the hard core car park and the Church have deteriorated to the point where Nik Radcliffe the owner of the land has asked us not to take our cars into that area as the ground is too soft and you are likely to get stuck. You would also be likely to churn up and damage the ground.
This is only through the winter period until the ground dries out and firms up.
You can of course walk through this area from the car park to the Church, though at present it is rather muddy around its entrance.
We would like to thank Nik for allowing us to overflow into this area though the summer and also for the use of the car parking area itself which he has always generously allowed us to use.
We hope you understand. [22nd Nov]

This past month & this coming month round up. November: The Topping Out Ceremony for the new extension took place on the 1st and in the afternoon a Service of Treasured Memories was held for the recently bereaved. The Christmas Bazaar in the Village Hall was a great success and thank you to all who worked tirelessly to make it such a great event. SPECIAL THANKS to Sheila Minet for organizing it. The PCC met on Thursday 12th and the Taizé service on the 22nd was well supported and was a great introduction to Taizé music. SPECIAL THANKS to David and Sally Bowles. December brings two innovations this year: first the Christmas Tree Festival where all businesses and organisations are invited to decorate the church with a tree, (setting up on 3rd December), visitors welcome from 4th to 6th; and second, the “Lights of Love” Service for St. Michael’s Hospice at 3 p.m. on 6th December. Caius College Choir, Cambridge will be giving a Concert at St. Mary’s Church at 6 p.m. on 13th December and tickets are £10 each. [Nov 27th]


December 2009

THIS Friday from 6:30pm,Carol Singing: The Children, Staff & Parents of Ticehurst and Flimwell C of E School will be Carol singing around Ticehurst Village starting at 6:30pm and following a route that ends at the vicarage. All welcome to watch and join in

GIVE  A GIFT
The other night at the PCC meeting we were discussing which charities St Augustine's Church should support, when Jenny Carter's 10 year old son Edmund, who happened to be passing the sitting room door, made a comment that at his school they would give gifts at Christmas to children less fortunate than themselves.
 We picked up on this idea and thought that one of the charities we wanted to support might welcome this kind of support.
The Charity is 'The Chichester Diocese Family Support Work' which has the Knowles Tooth Centre in Hurstpierpoint. They support needy families in the Diocese.
Jaye Hughes has contacted them and they would indeed welcome some help. They are short of gifts for teenagers, particularly for the boys.
We are therefore asking you for any suitable gifts you may wish to give to be handed into at the service at St Augustine's this Sunday 13th or on Christmas Day.  Otherwise hand them into Jaye or myself at some time.
It is too late for the gifts to be Christmas presents so they will be give out as when they are needed.
They have plenty of soft toys already, but anything else would be welcome. Perhaps vouchers for the big stores. If the voucher is plastic and does not show a price, could you indicate its value.
They would welcome wrapping paper on its own. However please do not wrap your gift.
Thank you for your support. [11th Dec]

HAPPY CHRISTMAS
 to everyone visiting our website. From all at St Mary's & St Augustines.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Thank you for visiting our website, and thank you for anyone who has given feedback. Special thanks to those who have supplied information and pictures for this website. Over the past year more people have visited our website and the number of pages has grown (over 30 pages, over 100 photos, calendar of events, a search facility). I hope the information is useful and helpful. I am always pleased to hear more from you about what you would like added or changed (please email or fill in a form). Finally I would like to wish you a happy New Year for 2010.   from the webmaster, Hannah [24 Dec 2009]

The extension is 4 weeks behind schedule so will not be open for Christmas as planned but should be by February. More photos have been taken and should be on the website by Christmas Day.  [24th Dec 2009]