ash and ridley church news january & february 2021

ASH AND RIDLEY

CHURCH NEWS

JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2021

In order to fully comply with current

Government guidelines our

church buildings are currently closed.

However, we are providing a service of

Sunday Worship via Zoom

each Sunday at 10:00am

If you would like the Zoom connection details

and a copy of the service sheet

please email a church warden and ask to be added to

the contact list.

A Sunday service via email and on Ash Church

website continues, as does the Gathering@4

during this period.

We will continue to review this regularly and look

forward to the time when we can gather for worship

once again in church.

Christmas Eve 2020

This already probably seems like a long time ago now, so we are grateful to Martin Heath for

these images captured in church during the midnight communion service.

John Harding (17th February 1951 - 6th January 2021)

It is with the greatest of sadness that I have to record the sudden passing of my dear friend, neighbour and

fellow choirmaster of over twenty years. John collapsed and died whilst out walking on Wednesday January

6th, just a few weeks short of his 70th birthday. He had been worshipping at Ash Church since the mid-

nineteen eighties when he moved into New Ash Green with Alison and their two young children Eleanor

and Oliver. The family was completed in 1988 with the birth of Cecily. John soon joined the church choir,

led at the time by Marion Simmons, and over many years delighted all who heard him with the beauty of his

superb baritone voice. He was the inspiration behind the series of annual ‘instant’ performances of well-

known choral works which ran from 1995 to 2015, beginning and ending with Handel’s Messiah. At the end

of the last century, when Marion decided to retire as choirmistress, he and I were asked to take on the duties

jointly, and have done so for over twenty years up to the present day, sharing many happy hours of music-

making over that time. John was a long-time member of the PCC, acting for many years as PCC Treasurer,

ably managing the finances of the church during a time of dwindling income and ever-increasing expenses.

In April 2019, he took on a new role as churchwarden in addition to his other duties, somehow managing to

juggle all the various demands with great skill, and he played a key part in navigating the church through the

uncharted territory of lockdown.

To everything he brought the benefit of his keen, analytical brain, with an unerring ability to strip everything

down to the essentials. The impact of his loss to Ash Church is incalculable, not least on a purely practical

level. But even more we will miss a man who cared deeply for others, one who combined sound wisdom

with a quiet but very keen sense of humour, and one whom I feel greatly privileged to have been able to call

my friend. Rest in peace, John.

Nick Noakes

John photographed in 2014 outside his ancestral family home in Interlaken, Switzerland.

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A Festive Quiz

Here are the answers to the Christmas quiz :

1) The original co-host with Richard Whiteley of Channel 4’s Countdown back in 1982.

Answer : Carol Vorderman

2) Actress best known for playing Dorien Green in Birds of a Feather – also appeared in

series 14 of Strictly Come Dancing partnered by Anton du Becque,

Answer : Lesley Joseph

3) The heroine of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, played in the film by Audrey Hepburn.

Answer : Holly Golightly

4) A comedy by Noel Coward first produced in 1942 – its title is a quotation from

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Answer : Present Laughter

5) A name shared by a Channel 4 newsreader and a major character in Game of Thrones.

Answer : Jon Snow

6) Surname of Daphne who famously asked listeners ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’ on

Listen with Mother from 1950 – 1971.

Answer : Oxenford

7) The real name of Eric’s comedy partner.

Answer : Ernest Wiseman

8) Yale, Harvard and Princeton all belong to this group of American universities.

Answer : The Ivy League

9) A commonly used nickname for Hollywood.

Answer : Tinseltown

10) Steptoe and Son’s rag and bone yard was in Oil Drum Lane in which area of London?

Answer: Shepherd’s Bush

How did you do? If you got number 6 then you’re clearly one of my generation!

Another teaser for the long winter evenings

This is along the lines of the book quiz we had previously but this time you have identify

from its initials the title of a song or aria from a musical or opera (nothing too obscure, I

promises!), together with the musical or opera from which it comes :

1) BHH from LM 11) APL from TPOP

2) ND from T 12) SL from CJ

3) AWMI from TM 13) HYL from TKAI

4) M from C 14) MR from BAT

5) B-H from SP 15) SEE from SP

6) TS from C 16) SST from TMM

7) CY from O 17) YNWA from C

8) V from TMW 18) TMINT from BB 9) SH from TPG 19) MFV from PJ 10) SITC from ALNM 20) IKHSW from C

Good luck! The answers as ever will be published in the next edition.

A final word from the editor

Well, here we go into a new year and back into full lockdown. At least this time the roll-out of the vaccination programme gives promise that we may all be able to meet together freely in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I hope.as ever, that you will find plenty here to both inform and entertain you. The next edition of Church News will be published in early March and will cover the months of March and April. Please send any items for inclusion to [email protected] by Sunday 21st February latest. Meanwhile, keep safe and well, everyone.

ASH CHURCH PRIVACY POLICY

Ash Church PCC have agreed a Privacy Policy in light of the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and these can be found on the church website:

http://www.ash-church.org.uk

If you no longer wish to be contacted by Ash Church by email or other means please contact Ian Nurdin ([email protected]) and request that your contact details are deleted and removed.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ash-church.org.uk/

Who to contact at Ash & Ridley

Website: http://www.ash-church.org.uk

Positions

Rector Rev Helen Reeves

872209 [email protected]

SSM Associate Priest Rev Elizabeth Robertson


Churchwardens - Ash

j

Ian Nurdin 873414 [email protected]

Churchwardens – Ridley

Tricia Carr 873647 [email protected]

Alistair Davidson 871932 [email protected]

Licensed Lay Ministers

Alison Harding 874770 [email protected]

Susan Heads 873777 [email protected]

Carol Bridge 07970 146332 [email protected]

Sacristan Bryan Parlett 873655 [email protected]

Parish Safeguarding Officer - Ash

Rhian Rutland 831216 [email protected]

Parish Safeguarding Officer - Ridley Belinda Ballard 873897 [email protected]

Choir Masters

Nick Noakes 874122 [email protected]

Committees

PCC - Ash

Rev Helen Reeves - Chair


Cameron Clark (Secretary)


(Treasurer)

PCC - Ridley

Rev Helen Reeves - Chair


Ian Paddy (Secretary)


John Airey (Treasurer)

01732 822418

[email protected]

Premises Committee

TBA (Chairman)

TBA (Vice-Chairman)

Ministry Team

Rev Helen Reeves


Rev Elizabeth Robertson



Deanery Synod Cameron Clark 874526 [email protected]


Social Committee - Ash Marion Simmons 872363 [email protected]

Fete Management Committee - Ash

TBA

http://www.ash-church.org.uk/




















Groups - Ash Junior Church Dionne Munn 873379 [email protected]

Anna Chaplain Rev Elizabeth Robertson


Bell ringing Sue Fever 874611 [email protected]

Flowers

Healing Ministry

Julia Kilfoyle (Leader)


Jane Davison (Secretary)


Friends of Ash Church Mike Rose 873445 [email protected]

Bryan Parlett 873655 [email protected]

Rotas - Ash Master Rotas


Servers Bryan Parlett 873655 [email protected]

Sidesmen and Welcomers


Bible readings and Intercessions


Transport and Refreshments


Brass cleaning George Mills 872455

Church cleaning Joan Mills 872455

Keeping in Touch - who to contact

Church News Nick Noakes 874122 [email protected]

Publicity and PR Jean Bentley 872333 [email protected]

Baptisms

Rev Helen Reeves 872209 [email protected]

Website - Ash Colin Irving 879500 [email protected]

Weddings Jan Kennedy 873675 [email protected]

Pew sheets Claire Pelham 872317 [email protected]







ash and ridley church news january & february 2021

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