A monthly Community Newsletter published by St. Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council
December 2021 Edition 238
COP21 Glasgow – David Broom
I was lucky enough to spend the first week of COP26 in Glasgow, with my company Kensa Heat Pumps. We had exhibition space in the GreenZone showcasing our ground source heat pumps and our green street concept which demonstrates how we think the wide scale deployment of heat pumps can be achieved. As heating homes contributes 21% of carbon emissions in the UK, it is an essential component of meeting our national net zero aspirations.
Our stay in Glasgow was full of meetings, presentations and seminars with some really interesting speakers on covering various parts of the climate change solutions. The level of security across the city was impressive, as we experienced on our first night when returning to our accommodation we found the street cordoned off and 6 deep with police, it turned out that the main delegation was having dinner at the end of our road and our flat was
inside the security cordon, we had to negotiate our entry and had a police escort right to the door!
The end of the first week culminated with the Ashden Awards, an international climate change award, presented at one of the COP venues we were delighted to receive the UK Climate Innovation award for our work in installing heat pumps in over 1,000 social housing properties, not only reducing carbon emissions, but taking people out of fuel poverty. The awards were presented by the President of Costa Rica, who it was an honour to meet, and to listen to speaking so passionately about the climate agenda. The awards also produced this excellent video showcasing all of the winners https://ashden.org/awards/ or this one which just shows our section https://ashden.org/winners/kensa-group/
Hazel Snell & Doreen Cooper – two dancing queens
We said farewell to both Hazel (23rd in Gittisham) and Doreen (26th at Combe Raleigh). Hazel’s coffin came in to a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace and Doreen’s to a Scottish country dance reel. Both churches were nice and full with family and friends from all over the country. Beautifully meaningful hymns were sung at both services, Hazel exited to Katherine Jenkins singing Time to say Goodbye and Doreen went out to Lord of the Dance by the Chelmsford Citadel Singers. Hazel is now reunited with her husband William in Gittisham churchyard and Doreen joined her husband in Sidmouth cemetery. Hazel’s family put on a spread in the village hall and Doreen’s family had a friend catering in the hall of St. Peter’s, Sidford. In many ways both funerals were similar with both ladies being avid country dancers. May they now rest in peace reunited with their loved ones.
Filming for Dementia in St Michael’s Church
The church was beautifully decorated last week in preparation for a professionally filmed
Christmas concert performed by Alison Kettlewell (Valentine), together with a soprano and pianist friends from Cornwall. The filming took place on 2nd December and the event was put together on behalf of Action East Devon and the Forget-me-not charities. Once edited the programme will be circulated together with song books to care homes and Memory Cafes throughout East Devon and adjoining areas and will provide care home residents and Memory Cafe attendees opportunities to bring forward their Christmas memories and to join in with the singing of Christmas favourites. This form of communication with those struggling with dementia is known to have huge benefits. This is a wonderful cause and will also raise the profile within our local community of our beautiful St Michael’s Church. The decorations will remain in place for Advent.
Fit for Life exercise classes
Classes will re-commence in the village hall on Tuesdays from 10.00 – 11.00am starting from
15th January. For information or to book a place please call Marjorie Madge on 01404 41090 or email . Classes are not too onerous but great fun and beneficial.
Parish Council -December 2021 & January 2022 reports will be amalgamated next month
St Michael’s Church, Honiton Mission Community and 200 Club
St. Michael’s Gittisham
At our Service of Remembrance we started at the Lych-gate, Julia took this element, Richard
Marker read the ‘Ode to Remembrance’ which Cliff read for many years. Julia found a combined rendering of the Last Post including the 2 minutes silence and Reveille. Three wreaths were laid. Florence Wolsey laid one in memory of her late father Andrew Hill, Ian Warne the upper one and I laid the third in memory of my grandmother, a land girl in WW1 and drove ambulances in WW2. Father was in the RAF, mother in the ATS and stepfather the secret service in Edinburgh. There were 62 adults and 7 children for the outside service and 20 adults with 5 children came in to church for the Eucharist led by Rev. Christine.
December services will be Sunday 5th a telephone one, on 12th communion with the Baptism of baby Agatha daughter of Hattie and Olli Harrison and Sarah Agg-Manning’s newest grandchild.
On 19th our Carol Service with refreshments at 7.00pm, 25th Christmas Day Eucharist at
11.00, (there are no Midnight services this year. The only service in the Mission Community on
Boxing Day – 26th – will be a Eucharist at St. Paul’s at 11.00am. The service on 2nd January will
be a telephone one. Our Christingle service next year will be held at Candlemass, the nearest
Sunday to the 2nd of February. Numbers are less restricted but bookings would be very helpful as the service sheets still have to be printed and it will save too many pages being wasted, ring Carol on 851113.
Obviously until told otherwise, social distancing and masks should preferably be worn but if you want to sing you must wear masks. Our services are all at 11.00am To receive details for
ongoing worship, Eucharistic and lay-led please contact me, Carol on telephone 01404 851113
or Julia on or for those without internet ring her on 07763 111367 or 01404 850680.
The church is open three or four days in the week and as the weather is cooler now the door will be closed but unlocked. If you find it closed (it is quite hard to open but keep trying) but if definitely locked and you would like to view or have prayer space please ring me (Carol 851113) and hopefully I will be home to unlock.
Honiton Mission Community
Honiton St Paul’s weekly services continue at 11.00am. The website (honitoncofe.org) is updated regularly and has news about services and the latest guidelines on the Covid regulations. There is also a link to the Gittisham website. The monthly Mission Community newsletter Around the Parishes is available by email or post from the Parish Office; see below for details. As our MC churches are now having their own services, Sunday Morning Eucharistic Worship at 11.00am, in St. Paul’s will be live streamed. If you would like to join this service do please contact Rev’d Sue or the Parish Office by emailing or and the link will be forwarded. Alternatively, ring the Parish office to book your place in person, on 01404 44035. Messages will be replied to when someone is available. Mollie the Church administrator is there on Tuesdays. The ‘virtual’ Eucharist is at 6.30pm; details from Rev’d Sue.
At St Paul’s, coffee and biscuits are served in church on Tuesdays and Saturdays. They are currently free of charge but donations are welcomed for Vaccine Aid. On December 19th
there will be an outdoor Christingle at 5.30pm on the forecourt (inside only if wet), Christmas Eve Carols on the Forecourt 5.00pm, Christmas Day Eucharist 11.00am, 26th joint Mission Community Eucharist 11.00am.
St Michael’s Awliscombe Saturday 11th December Christmas Market in village hall 10.00
– 12 noon.
St Nicholas Combe Raleigh Sunday 12th December, Christmas tea 3.00pm in the village hall, 6.00pm Carol Service out of doors at Coryhill with Caroline and Chris Padgett. Wrap up warm and bring a chair and torch.
200 Club
Owing to the death of one of our founder 200 club members whose subscription was paid monthly (as it was in the very beginning of the 200 club in 2004), I now have numbers available. If you would like to join the church’s 200 club please ring me, Carol 01404 851113. It’s a good way to fund the upkeep so necessary with this old church which takes a lot to keep it heated and watertight, keeping the churchyard in good order and kind to nature. I can send an application form; the cost is £12 per number per year – if you join now the cost would be £3.00 per number (January, February, March).
December 2021 200 Club Results
1st Richard Marker 2nd Len Bartlett 3rd Jackson King
4th David Fallows 5th Judith Turner
Household Support Fund
Families on low incomes can get help with food and utility costs this winter via the new Household Support Fund.
Grants are available to support families with
– Providing vouchers for food
– Supporting with energy and water bills for household purposes
– Emergency boiler and heating repairs
– Essential white goods such as a fridge, freezer or cooker
– Also can provide petrol for jobs and broadband
The family needs to meet the following criteria:
– You are a family
– You are experiencing financial hardship
– You need financial help to pay utility bills or buy food and essential items linked to
food, warmth, and utilities for your family
– Not have received financial assistance from another source for the same reason.
Please contact a member of the Parish Council who will need to sign your form as the
‘supporting professional’.
Carol Hall Chair of Gittisham Parish Council
Pierre’s pop-up Sunday cafe
Come along to Pierre’s monthly cafe on Sunday 5th December to try a range of
French-inspired dishes. Home-made croissants and pains au chocolat available in the
morning with coffee or tea, followed by a lunch of beef cooked in cocoa. Vegetarians
and vegans also catered for. In France it’s traditional to eat a yule log at Christmas,
so Pierre will serve this as dessert. Drop in or secure your place by calling Pierre on
07545 214940. Payment can be made by cash or card. The next café will be 9th Jan.
New yoga class for Gittisham
Yoga classes will be coming to Gittisham Village Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 7pm to 8.15pm from January. Alison runs a weekly class on Tuesday’s at Honiton Methodist Church but on the 3rd week of the month will be at Gittisham Village Hall instead. You would be welcome to join the Honiton class for the rest of the month. Please contact Alison Hayward on 07986 179071 if you would like to find out more about her classes.
Royal British Legion poppies
I went round the village with the poppies as much as I could (when the weather was better, as on several occasions when I started out, the rain appeared as if by magic!. I have heard unofficially our village total is £190.09 and would like to thank all who contributed to this marvellous appeal.
Thanks Carol
Item for sale
Printing paper, filing shelves x2, 4-drawer plastic unit, small 3-drawer filing cabinet available. If you are interested, contact Carol on telephone 01404 851113. Collection only.
Gazette printing is still not possible with the ongoing restrictions, as the Parish Office in Honiton remains closed. The Gazette is also available on the Gittisham website Gittisham.org.uk. If you would like a copy by email please let me have your email details or if you have no internet it can be posted to you until things get back to order some help with 2nd class postage would be appreciated, Carol McCann 3 School Cottages, Gittisham, Honiton, EX14 3AH. 01404 851113 I will leave a few copies in the Vale bus shelter and Hayne Farm Estate Sales Office again until such time the whole print run can be delivered by Peter and Ann again. Do let me have your email as I am hopefully trying to save on printing costs and looking after our lovely planet. Thank you.
Editor/Distributor:
Carol McCann 01404 851113/07946409142 .
If you have events or news items including pictures, for inclusion in the gazette from the village, the Vale or Hayne Farm Estate, do please email it to Carol as early as possible. Copy date for the January edition is 30th December please. I don’t yet know when I can send out the gazette, as Dance Club are now back in the village hall on Wednesdays and the parish council meeting is tbc.