Parish web site: www.stcatherinesthurrock.org.uk

B iE100 Club -the “lockdown” has meant thatwe could not start the new year of the 100Club after the draw which usually takesplace at the Garden Party. The 100 Clubis an important contributor to our finances.We have therefore decided to start a newscheme in September. The Tickets are£10 for the year. A winning number for a£10 prize is drawn on the first Sunday ofthe month except in June and Decemberwhen the prize is £50. These two drawshave been traditionally made at theSummer Fête and the Christmas Bazaar.It would be great if current subscriberscould renew their tickets and hopefully wecould perhaps sell an additional 12-15tickets. Every additional £10 would bemost welcome. Thanks to a all who havesupported us loyally for so many yearsand have already renewed their tickets.NormanThank you to everyone who has beenraising donations for St. Catherine's - EastTilbury with #easyfundraising! If youhaven't signed up yet, it's easy andcompletely FREE. 4,200 shops and siteswill donate to us when you useeasyfundraising to do your everydayonline shopping - at no extra cost to you!Every donation you raise makes adifference to us so please sign up & sharetoday. Many of the donations that wereceive are relatively small but they all addup to make a real contribution to ourfinances. There are also quite significantamounts from some suppliers - forexample, one of our supporters recentlyswitched their energy supply to EDF and a£25 donation was the result! When Ichecked recently over £660 had been

raised using easyfundraising. If you wouldlike to raise funds in this way you will find alink in various places on our website.Shoebox AppealThe congregation of St. Catherine’s andour friends have supported this veryrewarding Christmas appeal for manyyears and received excellent feedback invarious ways. We have recently heardfrom Diane Nicholson, area co-ordinatorfor shoebox collection, that the 2020appeal will be going ahead. It isappreciated that some will not be able togo shopping for things to go into theboxes, maybe we could co-ordinate acollection of items for boxes. Please let usknow if you would like to support this sothat we can order the flat pack boxes andleaflets needed. You probably know ourphone number is 01268-478635Norman and SheilaThurrock foodbank - thanks to KathyBird, Kim Ford and Revd. Michèle we havebeen able to continue the operation of ourfoodbank distribution centre throughout the“lockdown” when many of our usualvolunteers were unable to help. FromAugust we will be welcoming back most ofour usual team on a Thursday morning.Because of the need for COVID-19 socialdistancing we will only be able to serveclients and we will not be servingrefreshments.Wednesday community “drop-in” - willbe operating on a “table service” basisfrom August with social distancing. We arevery aware that many folk have felt totallyisolated over the past few months and wehope that this may go some way to bring asense of normality.

Reflections from The RectorySince March 23rd this year a great many new phrases andterminology has come into use. For example: ‘we are now inlockdown,’ ‘key worker status’, ‘workers will be furloughed’, ‘airtravel corridors,’ ‘making buildings and workplaces Covid-19secure’ and ‘the new normal’. In addition to this new terminologywe also have to think carefully about every journey we takeoutside our homes and whether we have with us the following in good supply ~ handgelor antiseptic wipes, face masks or face coverings, the confirmation of our pre-booking avisit to a place of interest and some sense of what 2 metres looks like so we can safelystay that distance away from everybody else.Our minds have a lot of extra concerns to deal with at the moment and I’m sure, like me,you sometimes find yourself wondering if you have the energy to head out the door at all.But, we must all find it within ourselves to try and embrace ‘the new normal’ and go aboutour daily lives within the guidelines and regulations which seek to keep us safe. It is notgood for our mental health and well-being to be continually isolated from others. Whilethe weather is still fine we must take advantage of being able to be outdoors and in greenspaces.For places of worship, including St Catherine’s and St Francis, we have also had to adaptto the ‘new normal’ and put in place measures in line with guidance from the Governmentand the Church of England. So when you come to our churches, as I hope you will, youwill see the seating is spaced out at 2 metres apart, handgel to use on arrival anddeparture, tweaks to the service (at present we are not allowed to sing or shake handsduring the sharing of the Peace) and movement within the building supervised. However,despite all of these new guidelines which are in place and must be followed, the beauty ofour sacred spaces has not been diminished and it is good to see members of the churchfamily coming together again.This month we will be re-starting public worship at our 10am Sunday Services of HolyCommunion at St Catherine’s and our 10am Wednesday Holy Communion Services at StFrancis. The mid-week communion service at St Francis will also be followed at 10.30amby our (table service) community drop in. You can find full details of the August ParishDiary towards the back of the magazine.The ‘new normal’ takes some thinking about and I daresay there will be those who arehappy to follow the guidelines and inevitably those who will not. Our minds can be inturmoil about all of the changes and fearful that about what each day will bring.As a form of encouragement I often take notice of the poem ‘Desiderata’ (from the Latin“things desired”). I have it in a frame on a wall that I know I will pass at the start of everyday and this plus a few quiet moments of stillness with God set me up for whatever willunfold. Here is the poem ~

Stay safe and keep well,Every Blessing, Revd Michèle.

Mary Sumner – founder of the Mothers’ UnionThe Mothers’ Union is now more than 140 years old. It hasaccomplished a staggering amount in that time, and nowadaysnumbers more than four million members, doing good work in 83countries. That is a far cry from the modest circle of prayer for motherswho cared about family life, which is how it all began with a rector’swife, Mary Sumner.Mary was born in late 1828 in Swinton, near Manchester. When she was four, herfamily moved to Herefordshire. Mary’s father, Thomas Heywood, was a banker andhistorian. Her mother has been described as a woman of “faith, charm and sympathy” –qualities which Mary certainly inherited. Mrs Heywood also held informal ‘mothers’meetings’ at her home, to encourage local women. Those meetings may well haveinspired Mary’s later work.Mary was educated at home, spoke three foreign languages, and sang well. While inher late teens, on a visit to Rome she met George Sumner, a son of the Bishop ofWinchester. It was a well-connected family: George’s uncle became Archbishop ofCanterbury, and his second cousin was William Wilberforce. Mary and George marriedin July 1848, soon after his ordination. They moved to Old Alresford in 1851 and hadthree children: Margaret, Louise and George. Mary dedicated herself to raising herchildren and supporting her husband’s ministry by providing music and Bible classes.When in 1876 Mary’s eldest daughter Margaret, gave birth, Mary was reminded howdifficult she had found the burden of motherhood. Soon she decided to hold a meetingto which she invited the local women not only of her own class, but also all the villagemothers. Her aim was to find out if women could be brought together to offer each otherprayer and mutual support in their roles as wives and mothers. That meeting at OldAlresford Rectory was the inaugural meeting of the Mothers’ Union.For 11 years, the Mothers’ Union was limited to Old Alresford. Then in 1885 the Bishopof Newcastle invited Mary to address the women churchgoers of the Portsmouth ChurchCongress, some 20 miles away. Mary gave a passionate speech about the poor state ofnational morality, and the vital need for women to use their vocation as mothers tochange the nation for the better. A number of the women present went back to theirparishes to found mothers' meetings on Sumner's pattern. Soon, the Mothers’ Unionspread to the dioceses of Ely, Exeter, Hereford, Lichfield and Newcastle. By 1892, therewere already 60,000 members in 28 dioceses, and by 1900 there were 169,000members. By the time Mary died in 1921, she had seen MU cross the seas and becomean international organisation of prayer and good purpose.The Mothers’ Union are an international Christian membership movement supportingfamilies and communities in need of support in the UK and worldwide since 1876. Ourmembers are active in 84 countries and work tirelessly to serve their communities whilstoffering Christian care for families, regardless of faith or background.

Whatever happened to Christopher Robin? - By Tim LentonOne hundred years ago this month, on 21st August 1920, ChristopherRobin Milne was born. He was the only son of the author A. A. Milneand appeared as a character in his father’s Winnie-the-Pooh storiesand verses – a role he enjoyed at first but later found difficult tohandle.The characters in Winnie the Pooh were based on his own soft toys oritems purchased later. The setting was inspired by Ashdown Forest inEast Sussex: his family owned nearby Cotchford Farm and spent

weekends and holidays there.His relationship with his nanny, Olive ‘Nou’ Brockwell, was close and continued into adultlife, but when he went to boarding school near Guildford in 1930 he was bullied becausehis father’s work was well known: one poem, Vespers, brought him “toe-curling, fist-clenching, lip-biting embarrassment”.He married a cousin, Lesley de Sélincourt, in 1948 and opened a bookshop in Dartmouth.He was close to his father but not to his mother, Daphne, who did not see him during thelast 15 years of her life.Milne had one child, Clare, who had cerebral palsy. He himself had myasthenia gravis inhis later years and died in 1996; he was described by one newspaper as a ‘dedicatedatheist’. The picture is of A. A. Milne in 1922 ……….Ed.

One solitary lifeHere is a young man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasantwoman. He worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty, and then for three years hewas an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He neverowned a home. He never had a family. He did none of those things we usuallyassociate with greatness. He had no credentials but himself.While he was still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against him. Hisfriends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery ofa trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, hisexecutioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, and that was hiscloak. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed tomb through the pity of a friend.Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of thehuman race, and the leader of the column of progress. All the armies that evermarched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kingsthat ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as hasthat one solitary life.Anon

What’s up during the “lock down”Evie’s LockdownEvery other weekend I stay with Nana. We went shopping for our snacks and picked upa box of coconut macaroons. They were delicious and we decided macaroons would beour next baking adventure.We had to look in 5 different shops before we found coconut.The ingredients are

• 14-oz bag sweetened flaked coconut (we used plain shredded coconut)• 207ml sweetened condensed milk• 1/4 teaspoon salt• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( we used a vanilla pod)• 2 large eggs whites (we used 3 medium)

Preheat the oven to 325OF, 170OC or Gas Mark 3 set two oven racks near the centre ofthe oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.Mix all the ingredients together except the egg whitesWe whisked the egg whites to a stiff peak and then I ducked as Nana held the bowl up-side down over my head. NANA!!!!Fold in the egg whitesSeparate the mixture into 18-24 mounds either with an ice cream scoop or 2 spoonsBake until they starts to brown or up to 25 minutes. (Ours didn’t take that long).Happy baking, happy eating. Love EvieVegan eating next month……..Kathy B

LockdownAs a football fan the last couple of weeks TV have been great for me and Sheila hashad to be very patient. This last weekend has to my relief seen West Ham virtually safefor another season and I have enjoyed the Cup semi finals.I remember the days when the FA Cup Final was virtually the only football on TV andafter the match all the little boys and Dads would be out in the garden trying to replicatethe goals. One particular year in Queen Elizabeth Avenue at just before 3pm all the menin the Avenue came out to investigate poor TV reception. A vacuum cleaner at No 52was detected as the cause and the men spoke to Mrs. Rossen, a lovely lady and regularat St. Catherine’s, humbly apologised that she hadn’t realised that a football match wason TV!!.One tip re the FA Cup final on TV if you want to check the age of a football fan of myvintage ask him to name the first Cup Final that he saw on TV and add 7 years. If youwant to check the first final I remember was Leicester v Wolves . NormanSince Norman wrote this his beloved West Ham United drew with ManchesterUnited to make them safe from relegation from the Premier League…………. Ed.

FROM THE JUNE & JULY MEETINGS OF THE P.C.C.During the COVID-19 “lockdown” it has

not been possible for the PCC to meet inthe flesh, instead meeting using the“ZOOM” video conferencing application.The June meeting covered:-Private Prayer and Funerals – TheGovernment gave permission for churchesto open for Private Prayer from 13th Juneand Funeral Services from 15th June. ThePCC had taken the decision not to openfor private prayer but to set up St.Catherine’s for Funeral Services. A riskassessment was made and St Catherine’swas ready by 22nd June. As St. Francishas a vital role for the Foodbank thebuilding would be safeguarded for thispurpose.Public Worship, Weddings andBaptisms – The Government gavepermission for churches to resume PublicWorship, Weddings and Baptisms from 4th

July. This in addition to Private Prayer andFuneral Services. This was notcompulsory. At the time there were stillpeople shielding until August and in light ofthis, and in order to allow people to getused to the church in its new layout, RevdMichèle suggested that we open forPrivate Prayer during July and restart ournormal service pattern in August. In orderto deal with the legalities of church law thefollowing resolution was passed.:“ The priest in charge and the parochialchurch council of the Parish of Eastand West Tilbury and Linford actingjointly authorise dispensing with thereading of Morning and Evening Prayer

as required by Canon B11 and thecelebration of the Holy Communion asrequired by Canon B 14 on thefollowing occasions: Sunday 12th, 19th &26th July 2020. The reason for thedispensation is that in the light of theGovernment’s guidance on preventingthe spread of Corona virus, we are notyet in a position to safely re-open eitherof our churches for public worship onthose occasions.”St. Francis – It was agreed that, althoughthe re-opening of church halls was nowallowed (with social distancing) it wasagreed that St. Francis would continue tobe mainly used for the foodbank and thatoutside usage would not commence beforeSeptember at the earliest. Revd. Michèleagreed to contact the hall users to tellthem of this decision and what they wouldbe required to do on their return.Parish finances – the Treasurer reportedon the financial position and noted that theusual income was down as there were noservices currently, but we had continued topay our Parish share to the Diocese. The100 club would restart in September andRevd. Michèle would encourage people toresume their weekly giving.

The July meeting of the PCC was calledto agree that our usual pattern of servicesof Holy Communion should restart inAugust and how this could best beachieved. It was also agreed to run a“Table service” drop-in at St. Francis afterthe Wednesday morning service.

PARISH DIARY FOR AUGUSTOur Sunday services are at St. Catherine’s

2 Aug 8th Sunday after Trinity Parish Communion (N.B. no refreshments afterwards) 10.00am

5 Aug Holy Communion (St Francis) 10.00am “Table service” Community “Drop In” at St. Francis 10.30am - noon 6 Aug Foodbank at St. Francis (N.B. no coffee morning) 11.00am - 1.00pm

9 Aug 9th Sunday after TrinityParish Communion (N.B. no refreshments afterwards) 10.00amWedding Rehearsal 3.00pm

12 Aug Holy Communion (St Francis) 10.00am “Table service” Community “Drop In” at St. Francis 10.30am - noon

13 Aug Foodbank at St. Francis (N.B. no coffee morning) 11.00am - 1.00pm 15 Aug Marriage of Garron and Vanessa 2.30pm

16 Aug 10th Sunday after TrinityParish Communion (N.B. no refreshments afterwards) 10.00am

19 Aug Holy Communion (St Francis) 10.00am “Table service” Community “Drop In” at St. Francis 10.30am - noon

20 Aug Foodbank at St. Francis (N.B. no coffee morning) 11.00am - 1.00pm

23 Aug 11th Sunday after TrinityParish Communion (N.B. no refreshments afterwards) 10.00am

Baptism of Scarlett 2.30pm 26 Aug Holy Communion (St Francis) 10.00am

“Table service” Community “Drop In” at St. Francis 10.30am - noon 27 Aug Foodbank at St. Francis (N.B. no coffee morning) 11.00am - 1.00pm

30 Aug 12th Sunday after TrinityLay led Morning Prayer (N.B. no refreshments) 10.00am

From this month we will be open for public worship at both St.Catherine’s and St. Francis. With COVID-19 we have procedures toensure that the buildings are safe. Please take care to follow thedirections when you arrive. The Wednesday “drop-in” will alsorestart in a COVID safe manner with “Table service” refreshments.

A prayer for all those affected by corona virusKeep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, bewith those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find com-fort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

FROM ST. CATHERINE’S PARISH REGISTERSBaptisms - noneWeddings - noneCommittal of ashes 30 Jul Iris PeaseFuneral 3 Jul Heety Bates

14 Jul Valerie Doyle

Church FinancesAs Treasurer I must thank all who have responded so generously restarted sending theirOffering Envelopes and supported the 100 Club. It will certainly help us to pay our bills.During the Lockdown we have continued to pay some substantial sums including £200 perMonth Insurance and the Family Purse (£1400 per Month) to the Diocese. The FamilyPurse is the calculated contribution from our parish required to support the church. OtherParishes pay an awful lot more and our contribution which, to our credit we have paid infull for many years, does not even cover the cost of providing a “House for Duty” Priest forour Parish.The continued support of so many with the regular and generous giving that we receivetogether with our fund raising events (which are also important as an outreach to the localcommunity) is very much appreciated. Norman

Could you use any of these items?John Stokes, who is one of our Pewtalk subscribers and a supporter of the “100 club”,no longer has any use for the items in the pictures. He is wanting to give them away toanyone who will have a good use for them but they have to be collected from his housein Linford. If you are interested just get in touch with the me on 01375-675863 and I willput you in touch with John ……….Ed

Chris Ford44, Northumberland RoadLinfordStanford le HopeSS17 0PUTel: 01375 675863e-mail: pewtalk@talktalk.net

The Priest in chargeREVD. MICHÈLE MARSHALLThe Rectory24, Somerset Road, LinfordStanford-le-HopeEssex, SS17 0QA.Telephone: 01375 671754 email: mjmarshall@fastmail.co.uk

PEWTALK Editor

The ServicesSunday 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion service at St. Catherine’s Except 1st Sunday of the month when we have “The Family Service”Wednesday 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion at St. FrancisFor Baptisms, Weddings or Funerals please contact the Priest in Charge.

St. Francis CentreThe centre is available for hire forregular events when not used bythe Church. To check availabilityplease contact:

PATRICIA STRONGpatricia.a.strong@outlook.com

The ChurchwardenCOLIN STRONG T: 07591 708955E:- warden.colin.stcatherines@gmail.com

Pastoral AssistantDavid Gunn T: 01375 768202