U.R.C. Coffee Morning Special

On Saturday 6th March the URC is holding its usual monthly Coffee Morning. Coffee, tea and homemade cakes will be available. This event will also include the annual Coin Mountain collection - a collection for the boiler, and central heating fund. The Church will be grateful for any coins you have been saving up.  Do call in and have a drink and a chat.

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Gospel Oak

A number of improvements have been made to the Gospel Oak feature in recent months: in addition to the planting of a new tree to replace the fallen oak, the yew hedge has been pruned and the laurels have been reduced in height.  This has opened up and improved what had become a rather overgrown area, and will help to alleviate community safety problems.

We have been advised that Andy Boeckstaens of 'Green Spaces' has been made the L.B.H. Representative Liaison Officer regarding the Gospel Oak project. Regrettably the Council cannot match the £500 'Judy Lee Legacy' available from Ickenham and Swakeleys Horticultural Society, but it hopes to be able to help in other ways - for example through routine maintenance, occasional improvements to planted areas on the public highway, and in guiding residents towards alternative funding opportunities. The Chrysalis Fund is unsuitable as its minimum award is £10,000.

The Council wants ideas for the enhancement of the site to come from the interested parties, and therefore we understand that a site meeting is to be coordinated, between them, to discuss such matters. Peter Daymond of the Ickenham Residents' Association has agreed to collate the views and suggestions being put forward by residents about the Gospel Oak, and to provide feedback to the local authority which will then determine how best to meet residents' aspirations.

As part of a written statement from the Council, Andy said, "the Council is committed to working in partnership with the community to improve the quality of our local environment".

Editor.

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'6.30 Specials' at St. Giles' Church Hall

It's not that it's more valuable than other services in the week, but it is different! We meet in St Giles' Hall, which gives us flexibility about what we do in the service. It's not that every service is different, but that within each one, there is an opportunity to experience something new, such as an alternative way of praying together or a video clip, or a meditation.

It's also an opportunity to work through a theme, such as the life of Christ. The more informal approach enables us to grapple with how we apply what we are learning to our Christian journey and our life together, and we generally include an opportunity for discussion.

'Worship Space' is designed to give opportunity for us to engage in different styles of worship so there will not be a teaching component on these evenings.

Although it's not special because it's more valuable, it's special because we can explore different approaches to learning and worshipping together.

Why not join us for an hour on the 4th Sunday of every month at 6.30 p.m. - everyone welcome.

What might be included?

- Worship songs accompanied by a music group . Creative approaches to the format

- Small group discussion and prayer

- Variety of communication methods.

- Informality

- Opportunity for everyone to participate.

- Refreshments

- Getting to know others better

For more information, please speak to either Ken or Adrian.

March 28th - Reflection and meditation with Taize-style music

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Update On The Pump

Much interest, and assistance, was sparked by last monthís article concerning the shape of Ickenhamís original Pump handle. The ideas from individuals, and local interest groups, were most helpful.

By chance a very grainy picture, probably taken in the early 1900s was found in the book  'Archive Photographs Series, Around Ruislip'. It is compiled by Maria Newberry, Carolynne Cotton, Julie Ann Packham and Glyn Jones and is published by Chalford at £9.99. ISBN 0 7524 0688 4.

The cropped copy of the picture shows the handle's length and its apparent simplicity. One wonders if this is the original handle or would that have been more elaborate? Perhaps the one in the picture was a replacement quickly fashioned by the local blacksmith who was located almost next to the pump?

Ickenham Conservation Area Panel Chairperson, Pamela Jeffries, has written to SBC with advice of where to look, and who to contact about pump handles of the period.  Possibly the Pump has a manufacturerís mark which could lead to identification of the original pattern book.

Other folk have sent ideas and even an old postcard. Thank you to everyone for their interest and concern.

The new, rather elegant, handle has been fitted but, although of similar shape, sadly it does not emulate the full length and sweeping curve of the original.

Nonetheless the new handle is attractive, and maybe we can eventually replicate the original handle if all our research pays off. We might even find the original, which was taken away by the local authority at the time the well was capped in 1921.

Editor

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