This week we are starting the run up to Christmas. Advance notices, the Ilchester Arms will be having a fun day on 18th December and the carol singing has been taken over by the Strangways hall committee and will start at 6pm at the hall on 16th December.

The carol service at St. Nicholas’s church will start at 7.15pm on the 18th December. All are welcome to attend. Other event details to follow later. Our Vicar, Ada Marbus, has contacted me in order to thank the parishioners regarding the replacement of the roof on St Nicholas’s church in Abbotsbury.

A lot of very generous people enabled this to take place, especially as there was a huge target of 35,000 to raise for this project. Individual fund raising collected over 11,000 which was an amazing feat.

There will be a service of thanks on the 4th December at 10.30am as it is the paternal festival of St Nicholas. The Saint’s day is on 6th December, St Nicholas being the patron saint of Children and the giver of gifts for those in greatest need and the roof is now fully restored and all the damage repaired. So thanks to all who contributed, however big or small the amount.

There are new owners of the Chapel Lane Stores in Abbotsbury, so we would like to welcome them.

Their names are Marlon Cordes and Michaela Niewel. Marlon is originally a teacher from Peterborough in the Midlands and Michaela is from Cologne, Germany and is a stone carver. We would like to wish them every success in their new venture.

Finally, can I mention that it was Mary Bridle’s hall fund-raising bingo on 24th November and the Diamond club bingo is in fact on 3rd December at the Strangways hall (7pm for 7.30pm start) Lots of Christmas prizes and a raffle, so do come, it’s always a lot of fun!

That’s it for now, remember to keep sending me items and I’ll try to mention everything you send.