Reports
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September 2013
Men's Breakfast
Picture, Men at Breakfast
Saturday 28th September saw our latest Men's Breakfast in the Beauchamp Arms Pub, where our guest was Det Sgt Alaister Hammett of the Cheltenham CID who leads the local Police Christian Association (PCA). Alaister told us a bit about how he came to be a Christian - as with most people, not a sudden conversion on a day he can remember, but as a 'slow drip' over time, albeit by the age of 21 - and how that affects his (and other Christian Police Officers) sentiments when dealing with the public in their job today. (Return to top)

He then described some of the activities of the PCA. In particular he's a member of several 'committees' of higher ranking officers and is able to put a Christian view forward against some of their planning proposals. For instance, the Police Force has a number of Chaplains who, as well as more routine care duties, attend major incidents to counsel both members of the public and police officers on the scene who may find the circumstances traumatic. With the PCA's encouragement, the Chaplains are to be given police uniforms but with the word 'Chaplain' under the police badge on the tunic rather than the word Police' to make their presence at trauma scenes more 'official'. (Return to top)

He also described poorly attended 'Local Policing Meetings' where members of the public, and especially local Councillors, are encouraged to attend to liaise between the Police and the public. None of those present, including one of our local Councillors, knew anything about such meetings, so we weren't surprised the attendance was poor. Alaister arranged to put us in touch with the appropriate police contact. (Return to top)
Wine & Cheese Social
Picture, People Gathered
On Wednesday 25th September, 40 people gathered in Dymock Parish Hall for a pleasant social evening focused around cheese. Our own Sue Coombs and her band supplied live music for 'easy listening' and optional dancing and our local cheesemaker, Charles Martell, gave an informal talk explaining how he came into the business in the 1970s after having being a lorry driver! (Return to top)

Charles makes the cheese 'Stinking Bishop', made famous by the Wallace and Gromit films, named after a tartar of a man known as Mr Bishop and the 'Stinking Bishop' variety of pear whose juice its washed in. But he started by saying he began with Single Gloucester cheese which had gone out of production anywhere. It's a 'poor relation' to Double Gloucester, which is richer and harder so it can be stacked for easy transportation, whereas Single Gloucester is a softer cheese usually consumed on the farm that made it. He's responsible for getting an EU directive that cheese can only be called 'Single Gloucester' if it's made in Gloucestershire and 'Farm' Double Gloucester similarly - particular on farms that have the Gloucester breed of cows that provide milk especially suited to cheese making. When he started there were less than 100 such cows world-wide but its now up to nearly a thousand. (Return to top)

After the talk, we sampled both types of Gloucestershire cheese kindly supplied by Charles, together with several other types including Brie, cheddar and a 'Spicy Jack' made with chillies before enjoying more of the music from Sue and her band. (Return to top)
Harvest Festival and Lunch
Picture, Harvest Gathering
Our regular Harvest Festival was held on Sunday 25th September, when we thanked God for the abundant harvest this year in a traditional Service in church. The Service was attended by 65 people, including 16 youngsters, and 36 people then stayed on to enjoy a celebratory meal together, also this year held in the church instead of the adjacent Parish Hall. (Return to top)

As well as the traditional Harvest Hymns, the choir sang John Rutter's lovely setting on 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' and the hymn 'All that I am, all that I do, all that I ever have, I offer now to You' to a new tune written especially by our Musical Director, Bob May. The meal comprised hot soup from our new kitchen fitting in the chur's North Transept, followed by Quiche and salad with a Harvest Loaf made especially by Chris May, then traditional Apple Pie with Ice Cream. (Return to top)
Ride and Stride Cycle Ride
Hidstoric Churches Trust Logo
On Saturday 14th September, several families and individuals enjoyed the annual Ride and Stride event arranged by Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust.  The weather thus year was kind, although some did catch one small shower around lunchtime.  Many of our youngsters cycled further than they had ever cycled before, thoroughly enjoying cycling with many of their friends. St. Mary’s Dymock cyclists must congratulate themselves as there were few cyclists from other churches in our Benefice (if not our Deanery) taking part this year! The task now is to collect in the sponsorship money but you still have time to give if you haven’t already done so. The monies must be given to Chris May by October 31st 2013 (Return to top).

Last year we came second in the diocese out of nearly four hundred churches for the amount of money we raised.  We need to raise at least £2,000 this year to win the cup - and our youngsters certainly deserved to win it.  Please give as generously as you can to help look after your Grade 1 listed church building. We've done a lot recently but we still need to do repairs to the stonework and repaint the nave ceiling. Click here to see details of the current work outstanding. (Return to top)

Half the money we raise goes to the GCHT funds, to support the grants they make to all churches in Gloucester including ours, and half goes directly to us. (Return to top)