True celebration of countryside harvest

Steyning will have a harvest service with a difference at St Andrew's Church, on Sunday at 6.30pm when people who have been involved locally in all aspects of nature have been invited.

The service has been put together by George Cockman, at the invitation of the Rev Paul Rampton and will feature not only the singing of the most popular traditional harvest hymns and anthems, but there will also be readings from a variety of authors.

"For a long time I have felt that the Christian church tends to neglect nature. I was struck by the images on television at the time of the summer solstice, when a vicar was shown dancing with the people celebrating at Stonehenge and , in another place, a churchwarden joined in circle dancing," said Mr Cockman

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On Sunday, September 25 at 6.30pm you can sing the most popular traditional harvest hymns and hear favourite harvesttime anthems set between readings from a variety of authors.

He added: "I have also taken the opportunity to invite to take part in the celebration people who have been involved locally in different aspects of nature. For years, Steyning has been enriched by the imaginative and strenuous work of a few dedicated people organising 'Steyning In Bloom', recording a magnigficent fifth success this year. I wanted them to be part of this celebration so one of their team, Ken Churchill will be reading a passage by Richard Jefferies. Farmer, Marion Gue will read Bob Copper's account of harvest time at Rottingdean in the early part of the last century and Ronnie Stillwell, allotment holder and lover of the Sussex landscape will read Paul Coltmans poem, Cutting Churchyard."

Full story in West Sussex Gazette, September 22