Author: Worth Parish

Visiting St Nicholas’ Church

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Anyone currently going to St Nicholas’ Church will see repairs underway on the spire and tower to prevent water getting in. This will be followed by roof tile replacement, scheduled for completion in mid-October.

Although the proposed internal reorganisation is on hold at present due to the high cost involved, in early August we hope to see work start on the Memorial Garden now that various authorities indicate their support.

We have all suffered in different ways due to the pandemic. Adhering to both government rules and the regulations issued by Bishops, we are grateful that we can once again hold services in church. We have reintroduced the 8am Sunday service of Holy Communion (BCP) and Thursdays at 10.30am will follow in the next two months and St Nicholas’ Church is once again open daily to visitors, under controlled conditions, between 09.00 and 17.00.

If you would like to donate towards our building project, we would be hugely grateful. Our bank details are: Worth PCC, Sort Code: 40-18-22 Account Number: 61223372. Please use the reference: “St N project” for your donation.

Gerald Sandwell, Churchwarden

Services in Person !

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We are pleased to let you know that you can join us in person on Tuesdays and Sundays, as shown below. Appropriate social distancing measures are in place and masks are encouraged. If you do not feel able to do this, you can still be a part of these services as they will be broadcast live on Facebook. You do not need a Facebook account. If you require help doing this, email us and we will gladly help.

The Future of Quizzing

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March came and it seemed that the world stood still. Everything stopped and we were all stuck at home. Gradually though, people found different ways of doing what was really important to them. In the Perry household, our Monday quiz has become as much a part of our week as church on a Sunday and having gradually improved our weekly ‘meeting’ with friends, we thought we might spread our wings and try for a full-blown fundraising quiz in aid of parish funds. Seventeen teams of up to 4 people joined us last Friday for an online battle.

The Quizzy Rascals lived up to their name and won by a single point. The feedback following the event was hugely positive and everyone seems keen to come back for more.

£200 was raised (someone thought it was so good they gave an added donation which by sheer chance rounded the total) and at the end of the event the clearing up took less than 5 minutes, which has to be an added bonus!

So the silver lining to lockdown is that the Worth Parish Virtual Quiz will remain on the Parish Calendar in the new normal – why not join us in September?

Sue Perry

Memorial Garden Plans

Building, Churchyard, Remembrance

To most people, this photo is probably really rather dull; an empty field and a wooden fence. So what? However, there are those who remember that in 1994 the parish bought this land –  next to St Nicholas’ churchyard on the south and east side and once part of the Bishop’s Lodge kitchen garden – with a most generous donation from John Hillsley. This new fence replaces one put up at the time, as a condition of the purchase.

Since then, the land has remained unused and undeveloped and yet the original intention, that of creating a new addition to the churchyard for the interment of cremated remains, has never been lost nor forgotten. It was earlier this year that the old and rotten fence was replaced; likewise, the decrepit brick wall on the opposite side of the field has recently been spruced up and cleared of the ivy that had been damaging it including, in the winter storms, the ivy lifting off and bringing down two or three rows of loose bricks!

Along with some careful tree maintenance, preparations for the new Garden of Remembrance/Memorial Garden have been quietly progressing and, as we now have the support of both the local Crawley planners and the Diocesan authorities, we are all set to complete the garden. There will be a permeable resin bound path, 1.2 metres wide x 80 metres long, creating an enclosed space in the middle of the garden where unmarked interments will be and along the outer edge of the path, provision will be made for burial plots with granite tablets for other interments.  Some curved, two-seater oak benches will be placed along the path at suitable intervals and these, as well as a very few, carefully-selected mature trees will be available for people to purchase in memory of a loved one. Speak to Father Michael if you are interested in this – details are yet to be confirmed but the cost would probably be in the region of £400-£500.

Father Michael

A St Nicholas’ parishioner adds: “At the time of land purchase, there was a lot of parishioner participation even including clearing the ground and people also gave financially over some years for this project. In 2000, the Millennium Brass Band performed a concert on the designated land with money raised going into the pot as well. However, other things took priority and the land remained undeveloped. The Churchyard Maintenance team have been mowing the grass there in recent years and both they, and all who have contributed to this project in the past, will be very pleased to see this project coming to fruition.”

Joan Tick

 

 

Parishioner Profile – Bob and Carol Musselwhite

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IMG_0395Since the lockdown started on the 22nd March, Carol and I have been up to quite a lot of different things. We started right at the beginning: having a big spring clean throughout our home, including emptying all cupboards, washing and cleaning everything, throwing out lots of items and saving things for Saturday markets when they return.

Like others, we have been doing lots of gardening, not only at our house but that of our neighbour, daughter and Carol’s sister, who are all unable to do larger gardening jobs. Because the weather has been so wonderful, we have been able to strip, clean and redo our son’s and Carol’s sister’s decking areas, all within the government guidelines and without coming into contact with them. Also during the lockdown, because the church has been out of use, I have been able to redecorate the hall kitchen area, box in pipes and spruce up the paintwork in other areas of the hall.

We have been on lots of neighbourhood walks, exploring the Worth Way and Grattons Drive park and lakes. We have been able to visit the National Trust gardens especially Wakehurst on Carol’s birthday, celebrating there with a lovely walk with our grandson Alfie and our daughter Rachel. Over the past two weeks, we have been able to see more of our grandsons and family and have a much-needed cuddle. We have also been to the beach at Worthing and seen our daughter Sharon who lives there – fantastic with the gorgeous weather we have been having.

We have participated in worship following online services, as well as watching archived Songs of Praise on TV, both of which we’ve found uplifting in these difficult times. We have missed so very much seeing our Christian family and friends and community in person and hopefully soon we will all meet and share together again. It has been sad to hear of the loss of two dear church members who were with St Barnabas’ for a long time – dear Isobel and Brenda. May our Lord continue to bless them richly.

All our love,

Bob and Carol