What's On Around the Parish

WANTAGE WASSAIL 2023!

Our annual parish Christmas party will take place on Saturday 2 December at 7pm with the theme ‘Three Christmas Tales’.

We will travel together through 600 years, with stories from the Medieval Mystery Plays, Charles Dickens and a magical tale from Finland, told by Ellie Godfrey, all with musical accompaniment. Book a table with friends and family, bring a three-course meal and leave the entertainment to us - which will, as always, include a quiz, gameshow, disco and visit by Father Christmas!

Tables for 8,6 and 4 are available for group bookings. Don’t worry if you can’t fill a table, we will match you with some lovely people!

To book a table contact Cathryn Stanton or Peter Martin. Ticket prices as below:

Full price tickets: £10

Concessions*: £7

(*Concessions are available for those: over-65, claiming benefits, in full-time education)

Under-18s: £5.

(Children under-12 will receive a gift from Father Christmas)

COMING UP

TRINITY TOTS: Next session will be on Monday 20 November from 9am-11am at Holy Trinity. A relaxed play session for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and their parents/carers, with refreshments for all. £2.50 per family. Booking via the Eventbrite link here and on our website.

PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP PLAN LAUNCH: Fr Toby Wright will be coming to both 9.15am and 10.30am services on Sunday 26 November to talk about the very fruitful pilot of the Personal Discipleship Plan in Witney, and to invite us all to experience its benefits here in Wantage as we commission our new team of discipleship encouragers! Find out more at www.oxford.anglican.org/everyday-faith.

PARISH CHURCH BUILDING: the PCC will be gathering in the afternoon on Sunday 26 November to think about what we need the parish church building to do, and what work we might need to do to make it serve the present and future purposes of our parish community and mission. This is all at a very early stage of thinking and you will be hearing a lot more next year! But if you have some thoughts, now might be a good time to remind yourself who your PCC members are and feed those ideas to them.

OT BIBLE STUDY continues with the book of Job on Tuesdays at 9.30am at Lucie’s house (7 St Michael’s, Priory Road OX12 9DE). All welcome.

PARISH BREAKFAST: At the Parish Church from 10am on Monday 27 November following a Eucharist at 9.30am. All are welcome. Please email Bob Chaplow by Friday 24 November if you would like to come along (bob.chaplow@gmail.com)

HOW YOU CAN HELP

CHOCOLATE, JEWELLERY & BOOKS FOR DICKENSIAN EVENING! Friday 1 December. Robert and Jane will again be holding their hugely successful CHOCOLATE TOMBOLA at the Dickensian Evening. Please donate chocolate items (bars, bags or boxes, large or small) to ensure there will be a ‘prize every time’. JEWELLERY and BOOKS are also needed for our second-hand stalls. All donations can be left in the Fitzwaryn Chapel or see Jane/Robert (chocolate) or Clare (jewellery/books), or email Clare (Richardson.home@gmail.com).

CHRISTMAS AT AROUND TABLE: The Around Table team will be serving a Christmas meal on Wednesday 20 December (booking only and almost sold out!) Contributions towards the cost of turkey rolls and pigs in blankets would be very much appreciated. Donations can be made by bank transfer to the Parochial Church Council with the reference ‘AROUND TABLE’ (Sort Code: 40-52-40 Account No: 00036295), or by cash in an envelope clearly marked AROUND TABLE. Donations of good quality gifts to give out to pre-school and primary age children would also be gratefully received. Gifts can be left in boxes provided in both churches from Sunday 3 December (if wrapped, please label clearly the age and gender child the gift is suitable for).

TIME FOR A PARISH CHURCH CLEAN! As Advent and Christmas approach, it is time to give the Parish Church a clean. Can you help? We will meet in the morning on Saturday 9 December.

•8.30am-10.30am for high level cleaning – if you feel strong enough to wield a brush on the end of a very long pole, please contact alastair@bakerylane.co.uk

•9.30am-12 noon to sweep, vacuum, dust and generally spruce up the place – just come along when you can.

If you can bring your own cleaning equipment, that would help, but it is not essential. Refreshments will be provided! For further information, contact Alastair on 07785 371558 or at the email address above.

WANTAGE & GROVE FOOD BANK have asked for our help in putting together CHRISTMAS HAMPERS for those in need. They are looking for donations of the following items, which must have an expiry date of January 2024 or later:

Christmas Puddings

Savoury Nibbles or Crisps

Crackers for Cheese

Christmas Cake or Chocolate Log

Mince Pies

Boxes of Christmas Biscuits

Boxes of Chocolates

There will be a collection box in both churches until the collection deadline of 5th December. Thank you for your generosity

COMMUNITY NEWS

WANTAGE CHORAL SOCIETY are hosting a concert of music by Handel and Mozart on Saturday 25 November at 7.30pm in the Parish Church. Pieces including Zadok the Priest, a Birthday Ode to Queen Anne and Mozart’s Coronation Mass performed by the choir with soloists and orchestra, all under the baton of new musical director, Hannah Towndrow. Tickets £15, under 16 free, from wantagechoralsociety.co.uk, choir members or at the door.

THE FRIENDSHIP CAFÉ at Elmbrook Court will be open on Monday 27 November at 2pm for refreshments, friendship and fun. Please let Sam know if you would like to attend (clientrelations.ec@oaklandcare.com)

TEEN GIRLS CREATIVE PROJECT: In partnership with the initiative Make Space for Girls, artist, Kerry Lemon, will be running a FREE creative workshop (with lots of pizza!) at Abingdon & Witney College on Friday 8 December from 11am-3pm, for 16-19yr olds who self-identify as female/neither to explore what they would like to see in the new Kingsgrove Community Growing Space. Click HERE to download a sign-up sheet.

FRAMLAND CARE HOME CHRISTMAS FAIR: Saturday 16 December. All welcome. Please email Dave if you would be interested in holding a stall.

Please submit any newsletter items by Wednesday morning