Village festivals for good causes

As part of its festival week end, Wiggonholt held its first Flower Festival for some 15 years. With the help of friends & family working tirelessly, we managed to produce a spectacular harvest display, making our wonderful little church an abundance of colour. From Friday to Sunday, the church was open to hundreds of visitors, giving their compliments & admiration, recognising all the hard work & dedication given by so many people.

Our thanks must go to all those visitors, for their kind donations towards the Wiggonholt Lychgate Appeal.

We have collected in excess of £950; amazing, thank you so much everyone!! It’s amazing how much can be achieved, when everyone pulls together.

- Third annual Applefest, by Janet Aidin

On Saturday, the rains came. All the same we went ahead under large gazebos and indoors with the sale of apples, cakes and preserves, apple crafts including pottery, wood-turning, themed handwork and couture knitting. Then there was the Bake-off won by Simon Dunne and the raffle with innumerable fine prizes including a superb pottery bowl made by Tessa Mackie. Coffee and apple cake were consumed in enormous quantities. There was a lot of laughter and sociability. It was good to see our friends and neighbours young and old. We made lots of money too. As Jenny says, it’s amazing what people can do in a group effort – all in aid of lychgate too. Thank you everybody and especially Guy Leonard & Co for promoting these events.

- United Benefice Harvest Festival, by Mervyn Jeffery

The Benefice Churches celebrated harvest festival this year in the orchard of the Old Rectory Wiggonholt. Fortunately the gazebos were spared the rain that had put them in overload the day before at the Applefest, and the weather was kind, if cold.

Alison celebrated communion, assisted by Juliette Lester and Tim Ashby.

Shirley accompanied the congregation, drawn from all the parishes, in singing the traditional Harvest hymns. (Shirley herself was accompanied by an ambitious robin.) Alison preached on the continue difficulties the farming community were experiencing and it was appropriate that the collection of £386 went to the Addington Farm Charity Fund.

Warm refreshments followed and were appreciated by all. Many thanks to Janet and Michael Aidin for hosting this unique event.

Contributed

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