Come to our fete on Saturday, June 8th, 12-3pm, at St George’s Church, Badshot Lea, for an afternoon of games, stalls, tea, cake, prosecco, tombolas, a raffle and entertainment.
Farnham’s Town Crier will open the fete at noon, and visitors can browse the craft stalls, try their luck at the three tombolas (chocolate, bottle and household goods), play Splat the Rat, search for the hidden treasure, have a game of table football, guess the weight of the cake, raise a glass at the bar, and enjoy a barbecue lunch followed by a cream tea. There’s lots more on too, including a lucky dip for children, a craft area for little ones, a grand raffle with a first prize of £100, live music and displays by Farnham and Aldershot Karate Club, Badshot Lea Village Infant School and the Paris School of Dancing.
We’ll be holding our Easter Craft Market on Saturday, March 16th, at St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, from 10am-2pm.
There will be loads of lovely stalls – from candles to clocks, jumpers to jewels, cards to crafty bits – along with refreshments, live music and an Easter Egg hunt!
If you are a crafter who wants to sell your work, please get in touch as we have a few spaces left. Tables are just £12.50 each. You can find out more here or email craft@badshotleaandhale.org or call us on 07842761919.
Come to our free family Barn Dance next Friday -16th – at 6.30pm at St Mark’s, Upper Hale.
There will be music from our resident ceilidh band with caller Kris Lawrence – and a guest appearance from Knickerbocker Glory, Appalachian dancers! There will also be a raffle.
It’s a brilliant evening’s fun for all ages. Even if you can’t dance, come and watch and soak up the atmosphere.
Bring your own refreshments – tea and coffee provided.
And while you are there, have a look at the Kitty Milroy murals.
Your February magazine is out now. Inside you will find a farewell to Lesley and Alan, news about the vacancy, events including our Snowman Drive – the seasonal equivalent of a beetle drive (well, it’s too cold for beetles) and a free Valentine’s Barn Dance. We also explore where Valentine’s Day comes from and what is this thing called love.
There’s also news about the latest Farnham Poetry Competition which the parish runs as part of the Farnham Literary Festival. This year the theme is friendship, so why not celebrate your friends and give it a go.
Don’t forget our wonderful advertisers while you are browsing. They help keep our magazine going, so please check them out, use them and support local businesses.
There have been carols galore across the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale this Christmas, with more to come in the next few days.
So far, there have been three carols services, one at each church, and two outside gatherings at which carols were sung with gusto. One was on Monday, 18th, in the grounds of St George’s, under the lit trees, and the second in the new Hale Chapels Garden in the cemetery opposite St Mark’s.
The garden was opened in July this year and blessed by Bishop Christopher Herbert, and has been created using stone and many original features from the old chapels of rest in the cemetery which had fallen into disrepair. The flower beds have been planted with varieties of trees and plants which appear in the Bible and the end result is a peaceful garden which invites reflection and calm.
It was less peaceful on Wednesday, 20th, as around 70 people from across the community, including the Mayor and others from the council, sang with gusto as Rev’d Lesley Crawley led the singing, accompanied by Bob and Lesley Shatwell on violin and recorder, and Margaret Emberson on keyboard. Those three also played at St George’s on Monday.
Afterwards most people headed for St Mark’s for mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies provided by Jeanne Sanders.
It was agreed that, like the St George’s outside carol evening, this should become a regular event.
The next chance to sing carols will be at our crib services at all three churches on Christmas Eve: 3pm at St John’s; 5.30pm at St George’s; 5.30pm at St Mark’s; Plus a special Toddler Crib Service at 3pm at St George’s.
There will then be Midnight Mass at St John’s and St George’s at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve, and Christmas morning communion services at all three churches: 9.30am at St John’s; 10am at St George’s; 11am at St Mark’s.
We can never have enough carol singing! After Christmas there will be a chance to enjoy carols you may have missed at Christmas.
What are your favourite carols? Would you like to hear them sung? Vote for them and the favourites will be sung at St George’s on January 13th from 2pm.
To vote, download the form below, or pick one up at the back of church, or put the name or names of the carols on a piece of paper with your name and £1 per vote per carol, in a sealed envelope and give to your church warden by Sunday, January 7th.Â
You can vote multiple time for one carol or vote for as many carols as you want. Cheques can be made payable to Badshot Lea and Hale PCC. Even if you don’t vote just come and join the singing on 13th. It will be followed by tea, cake and a raffle.
Join local residents and the Mayor of Farnham for Community Carol Singing in the new Hale Chapels’ Garden on Wednesday, December 20th at 7pm. This will be followed by hot chocolate and mince pies at St Mark’s, just across the road.
The Hale Chapels’ Garden is on the site of two former chapels of rest for the Hale Cemetery. These had fallen into disrepair and the garden, in the centre of the front part of the cemetery, has maintained many of the chapels’ original features and has been planted with trees and plants which appear in the Bible.Â
Come and sing your favourite Christmas carols around the tree outside St George’s on Monday, December 18th, at 6pm.
Join in with all the familiar Christmas carols – Hark the Herald, O Little Town of Bethlehem, While Shepherds Watched and many more – to celebrate the coming of God to earth in human form in Jesus Christ.
When Christmas hurts Thursday, December 21st, 6pm, St Mark’s Church.
The season of goodwill isn’t good for everyone. Sometimes it is a struggle, particularly perhaps if we have lost someone, or if it brings back bad memories. Sometimes we are lonely or living in circumstances that mean that it feels hard to celebrate. Sometimes we just want a break from the relentless commercialisation and pressure of Christmas.
Every year we hold a quiet, reflective service for anyone who finds Christmas hard, or just wants to stop for a moment and rest. This year it is on Thursday, December 21st, at 6pm, at St Mark’s Church. All welcome.
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 