New Year Greetings
As a Scostman, New Year was always more important than Christmas so I send warmest best wishes for health and happiness in 2018 to all my followers. The photograph is of my favourite Christmas card. Guess from whom?
Christmas Greetings
Best wishes to all of you who are regular readers of my blogs. I hope they have educated, amused and entertained you. Blog production will restart in January. In the meantime enjoy a blog free and peaceful Christmas.
peaceful Christmas.
Later Life Carols
Age UK Surrey (motto: Supporting you in Later Life) Carol Service today filled Guildford Cathedral, and for good reason. Two choirs – Guildford Cathedral Singers – and Surrey Cantata (and they sang a lovely carol “The Lamb” composed by their own conductor) – both sang on their own and led the congregational singing, all to great effect. A wonderful start to the Christmas celebrations. It was also great to be back in the Cathedral post scaffolding and looking absolutely magnificent!
Send Christmas Message
Invited to HMP Send Christmas Carols this evening. The singing was led by a great choir of inmates with good voices. Send Prison is blessed with a team of Chaplains led by the inspiring resident Chaplain, Lesley Mason. More generally, Send has over 80 volunteers who are supporting in may different ways the women in Send. As we all recognise, Christmas is not an easy time for those in Prison and the Christmas message of hope and love was very to the fore in tonight’s service.
4 Bishops in Prison
I attended the HMP Highdown Carol Service. 100+ inmates took part including a great Music Group helping us all sing “While the Shepherds watched their flocks by night” to the tune of The Rising Sun (1964). The other guests included three Bishops and an Archbishop who variously extolled the Christmas message for all people whatever their circumstances. After the Service we mingled as inmates and guests alike for refreshments.
NEW FALKLANDS RECTOR
This is not a High Sheriff blog but I hope still of interest. We attended in the Lambeth Palace Chapel the Licensing of Lt Colonel the Revd Nicholas Mercer as Rector of the Parish of the Falkland Islands and Priest-in-Charge of Christ Church Cathedral Stanley. We know Nicholas and his family through various Rudgwick and Scottish connections but more importantly were able to advise him about the role in the Falkland islands before he decided to accept the challenge. We had visited the Falkland Islands a number of times 10+ years ago and became friendly with the then Rector who on return to the UK became Chaplain of Sedbergh School (when I was Chairman of the Governors). We wish Nicholas all the best.
ROYAL TECHNOLOGY
HRH The Princess Royal visited the facilities near Shackleford of CUBIC Vocality .Their very clever technology allows people, businesses and government agencies across the globe to securely connect with each other in the most unlikely of places. A jewel of expertise in the Surrey countryside.
Children's Centre Party
Visited Weybridge Children’s Centre for the Christmas party held jointly with Home Start. The latter is the charity that so effectively provides volunteers to help in homes with parenting of young families. There were at least 40 very young children (quite difficult to count!) at the party and one Father Christmas. A great time was being had by all. Congratulations to the staff of the Children’s Centre and the volunteers of Home Start.
CHAIRMAN'S PARTY
Peter Martin chairman of Surrey County Council hosted an excellent Christmas party in the splendid setting of Fetcham Park. The highlight was carols sung by the Surrey Youth Choir. this choir had also sung at my Judicial Service, Surrey is very blessed to have such an accomplished choir in our midst.
RUNNYMEDE XMAS
Attended a splendid Christmas party hosted by the inestimable Mayor of Runnymede Iftikhar Chaudhri and his charming wife Aleema and their children at Great Fosters in Egham. The highlight (in addition to great company and great food) was the delightful singing of carols by a primary school choir. They were warmly congratulated by all present.
