Church OfficersRector: The Revd Derek A Baines – Tel: 01772 641521; E: baines5253@btinternet.comChurchwardensMr Eric Barker OBE JP – Tel: 614385; E: BARKER21@aol.comMr Robert Hawthornthwaite – Tel: 612952Churchwarden Emeritus: Mr William G Carr. Tel: 01772 615321. E: libcarr35@hotmail.comPCC SecretaryMrs Andrea Susnik – Tel: 615336; E: andrea.susnik@dwp.gsi.gov.ukPCC TreasurerMrs Barbara Wood – Tel: 617679: E: bw12252@sky.comDeanery Synod Representatives: Mrs Jane Elphick Stewardship Recorder/Gift Aid SecretaryMr Philip Norton – Tel: 07970 798345; E: filnorton@hotmail.comMagazine Editor Mrs Erika Penrose – Tel: 613816. E: jandepenrose@btinternet.com Magazine Secretary Mrs Elsie Kirkham – Tel: 615832.Flower SecretariesMrs Julie Bayldon – Tel: 613144 & Mrs Jean Aughton – Tel: 614598Electoral Roll SecretaryMrs Julie Tanham – Tel: 612992Verger: Mrs Irene Pickles – Tel: 615708 Assistant Verger: Mr Stuart Tighe – Tel: 612963Weekly Giving Envelopes: Please contact the Churchwardens.

OrganisationsSunday School – meets 10.15 in School, first three Sundays of the month.Leader: Mrs Kathleen Leigh – Tel: 612196. E: katleigh@live.co.ukHoole Church Ladies’ Group – meets 7.30pm, 3rd Tuesday, in School.Leader: Mrs Erika Penrose. Contact details as above.St Michael’s Men’s Fellowship – meets 7.30pm, 2nd Tuesday, in School.Secretary: Mr Stuart Tighe – Tel: 612963.Friends of St. Michael’s – Caring for the fabric of our ancient churchChairman: Mr Eric Barker – Tel 614385. Secretary: Mr David Turner – Tel 617485.Social Committee – Contact: Sheila Taylor, Tel: 616850Hoole St Michael C E Primary SchoolHead Teacher: Mrs Jo Duckworth – Tel: 613219.

1st St. Michael’s Hoole Scout and Guide Groups – Group Scout Leader: Mandy Clark – Tel: 01772 305452; E:gmjbclark@yahoo.co.uk.Church Websites: www.hoolevillage.com and www.hooleparishchurch.com

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The Rector’s Ramblings I hope that you have

enjoyed the reasonable weather which we have had in August and that if you were able to get away that you have had a good rest.

It does not seem 2 minutes since our last harvest celebration & yet in other ways it feels a long time doesn’t it. We have had a wonderful summer again and the swallows are beginning to gather on the lines. It has been great to watch the fields change from strips of ploughed, harrowed & raked soil to seeing the first green fuzz followed by the plants, wheat, barley, rape, peas, maize (and another crop which I am not sure of) just in the 4 ½ miles from home to church.

August has been a month filled with Baptisms, weddings and funerals, God’s harvest journey in its completeness. The journey of life is filled with the high-spots of the journey of faith. The journey begins with the parents making a decision that they wish to continue in their own journey by making the promises for their child which with the anointing of the sign of the cross followed by the baptism with water that has been blessed in God’s name means that the child is a member of the worldwide and heaven-wide family of Christ. The child does not understand the significance of a strange person in funny clothes pouring a good splash of water over their heads, but for us the field is prepared and the seed sown. We pray that these children will become active church members and that through the guidance of us and their parents and godparents that they will come to know Christ and develop their own thoughts and come to confirmation.

The plant of faith is now settled and we hope that the soil is fertile and faith will continue to develop & be of importance to the child and his or her parents. This is a job that belongs to all of us, we make people welcome when they come to worship but do we follow up with prayers or a chat in the village when we see them? The Ladies group send a card on the first 2 or 3 anniversaries of the baptism or on the child’s birthday so contact is maintained. It would be lovely to see that followed up with personal invitations to Messy Church or Michael’s club – we need as a congregation to be

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working this way as a part of our stewardship & prevent the ‘weeds’ growing in the child’s understanding of God.

Marriage is the sacrament of love & many of you have listened to my sermons describing how God works with the couple within their marriage. Children may be born and the cycle begins for them. Again it is important for us to think how we can maintain contact – something that is lacking in our mission & ministry to the villages. Once again this is everybody’s responsibility.

As the crop which is our understanding of God and the love that he showed by coming amongst us in fully human form, dying & rising conquering the effects of sin which is permanent darkness and showing us that a contrite person will enjoy everlasting life is the harvest that we aim for. As we have said goodbye to so many friends recently we recognise that they knew what was coming & some of them had said to me that they were ‘looking forward’ to paradise & ‘not afraid’ of death & the continuation of their journey.

As we watch the work in the fields we can reflect upon our journeys of life and our journeys of faith with its rough furrows being smoothed out. The seeds sown as we read the Bible, study it learn to pray (a constant process) and observe our continual conversion as we go through life growing as the plants grow. We drop seeds into other places and watch God at work in others and we work as a team to nurture growth in others guided by God until in the fullness of time he comes for us and we are his harvest, true loving Christians just as he wants us to be.

Enjoy the harvest and reflect upon what it means to be a Christian.Your brother pilgrim,DerekLooking back, with a glance forward!

A month of celebration for Baptisms and weddings, but also a month of sadness as we have said goodbye to a number of people from the villages who have died.

You welcomed the Revd Marc Wolverson to our Thursday morning worship – his first visit to St Michael’s which he enjoyed immensely.

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The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton have an ecumenical project to take a pilgrimage each year and visit as many churches as they can in all of the English Diocese’ over a number of years. This year they walked from the Liverpool Cathedrals to Carlisle Cathedral and they called in to St Michael’s for refreshments and a short act of worship commemorating WW1 and to pray for their pilgrimage & our church. Many thanks to those who joined us and helped on the day. (see P.12)

Our service of commemoration for the outbreak of WW1 was peaceful and quiet and very meaningful. The British Legion Commemorative candle which was blessed in the cathedral remains on the altar and will be used at certain times of the year.

You welcomed the Reverend John Fisher, our Methodist Minister as he celebrated Holy Communion whilst I attended the Hoole Methodist Chapel to lead worship there.

Sharon & Derek are working hard preparing for the pilgrimage with mediations for each site visited, Holy Communion services and all of the things that go with being group leaders.

Our “Christianity Explored” home group began in August, more on that later.

Schools will be back at the beginning of the month and Little Hoole School welcomes their new Headmaster Mr Dan Stammers, We wish him well in his new post.

Messy church – “The Woman at the Well” on Saturday 20th September: see later in this magazine for details.

St Michael’s School Harvest service will be in church at 9.15 on Thursday 25th September – all are welcome.

The last Sunday of September is St Michael’s (our Patronal) transferred from the 29th and it is also our harvest celebration, giving thanks to God for all the benefits of his harvest to us. As far as I am aware we will present tinned goods to the food bank and perishables will be dropped at St Catherine’s Hospice. The PCC will make the final decision during the month.Derek

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Services for September:

Thursday 4th September10.15 Said Holy Communion – Revd Marc Wolverson

Sunday 7th September - Trinity 129.00 BCP Holy Communion – Canon Tom Barnes

10.30 CW Holy Communion – Canon Tom Barnes3.00 BCP Evening Prayer4.00 Holy Communion (Old Mill Court)

Transferred to 31st August

Thursday 11th September10.15 Said Holy Communion – Revd Nick Mansfield

Sunday 14th September – Holy Cross day

9.00 BCP Holy Communion – Revd Graham Ashworth10.30 Morning Prayer – Revd Graham Ashworth

Saturday 20th September 3.30 Messy Church in school.

The theme is “The woman at the well”

Sunday 21st September – Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist9.00 BCP Holy Communion

10.30 CW Holy Communion3.00 BCP Evening Prayer

Thursday 25th September9.15 School Harvest service in church – all welcome

Sunday 28th September – Trinity 15 – HARVEST & Patronal – St Michael & All Angels (transferred)

9.00 BCP HC10.30 Family Praise - Parade

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5th October – Trinity 169.00 BCP Holy Communion

10.30 CW Holy Communion3.00 BCP Evening Prayer4.00 Holy Communion (Old Mill Court)

1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the monthMichael’s Club, our junior church for children from toddlers to teenagers opens at 10.15 in school and we finish the session in church with the congregation.

Every Monday (unless advertised otherwise)7.00 Evening Prayer

Every Thursday (unless advertised otherwise)10.15 Said Communion service

Every month on the 3rd Saturday (unless advertised otherwise)

3.30 Messy Church (in School)

(Substitute ‘Derek’ for ‘Reg’!)

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From the Parish Registers in July & AugustHoly Baptism “We welcome into the Lord’s Family”July

CARL JAMES WHITELEY, son of Graham James Whiteley & Janet Whiteley, of Hoole

ALISHA EASTHAM SMITH, daughter of Michael Trevor Smith and Stephanie Victoria Smith, of Penwortham

August

GRACIE LINDA CONNORS, daughter of Christopher Connors and Lauren Connors, of Much Hoole

KIAN MARK STARKIE-BALL, son of Mark Stuart Ball and Natasha Louise Starkie, of Little Hoole

DEXTER OLUWAMAYOWA ADENIJI, son of Aydade Adehiyi Adeniji and Kristel Hannah Adeniji, of Little Hoole

TONI KELLY, daughter of Anthony Kelly and Maureen Kelly, of Walmer Bridge

JOSEPH JOHN SMITH, son of Nicholas Smith and Toni Kelly, of Walmer Bridge

MATILDA JANE CELAJ, daughter of Petrit Celaj and Toni Kelly, of Walmer Bridge

Holy Matrimony “Those whom God hath joined together”July

ANDREW JOHN MILLINGTON & HELEN GRACE CAUNCE, both of Perthshire, Scotland

August

PAUL JAMES GOODWIN & VICTORIA CLARE CAPPS, both of Penwortham

BLAKE ANDREW PARKINSON & HELEN MARIE RAWCLIFFE, both of New Longton

JOSEPH GEORGE LEIGH & AIMEE ABIGAIL MEMBERY, both of Little Hoole

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The Departed “Rest eternal grant unto them”July

RUTH MILLER, aged 84, of Rufford. Church service followed by interment in the churchyard.

THOMAS WILFRID EASTHAM (Tom), aged 71, of Longton. Church service followed by cremation.

KEITH MOORE, aged 71, of Hesketh Bank. Church service followed by interment at Hill Road Cemetery, Penwortham.

THE REVEREND PETER DIXON AINSLEY, aged 81, of Churchtown, Southport. Church service followed by cremation.

August

ELIZABETH CHADWICK (Betty), aged 89, of Much Hoole. Church service followed by interment in the churchyard.

JOHN PORTER WAREING, aged 87, of Much Hoole. Church service followed by interment in the churchyard.

CHRISTINE THISTLETHWAITE, aged 73, of Walmer Bridge. Church service followed by cremation.

MILDRED SWEETNAM, aged 73, of Much Hoole. Church service followed by interment in the churchyard.

From the Register of Services

Attendance Communicants CollectionsJuly 20th 84 62 £320.44

27th 72 12 £349.85August 3rd 74 65 £458.08

10th 85 24 £546.7117th 73 65 £361.35

Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals: £849.48.

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Church Flowers RotaDate Arranger DonorSept 7th A Slater & E Kirkham Mrs Swarbrick

14th A Dalton & B Wignall Mr & Mrs Wignall21st J Bayldon & J Coxhead Vacant

Harvest 28th All who can help on Saturday at 9.30amOct 5th C Chestnutt & P Read Mrs Swarbrick

12th Mrs Crivaro Mrs Lawrenson

Sidespersons’ Rota Sept 7th 9.00 Mike Redshaw

10.30 Jean Aughton, John Aughton & Paul Johnson3.00 Sylvia Douglas

14th 9.00 Jeremy Leigh10.30 Norman Skellorn, Tom Wignall & Jock Davidson

21st 9.00 Ken Bishop10.30 Bill Carr, Peter Blakeley & Beryl Blakeley

3.00 Clifford Orritt

28th 9.00 Rob McMurrayHarvest 10.30 David Turner, Lisa Turner & Ted Hopkins

Oct 5th 9.00 Mike Redshaw10.30 Jean Aughton, John Aughton & Scott Eckersley

3.00 Peter Smallwood

Readers’ Rota If you cannot read as specified on the rota please find a substitute and inform the churchwarden of any changes.

9.00 10.30 3.00Sept 7 th --- R McClure Exodus 12: 1-14M Redshaw T Hopkins Romans 13: 8-end

No Evening PrayerSept 14 th --- B Wood Numbers 21: 4-9

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J Wilson C Bamber Philemon 2: 6-11Sept 21 st --- D Turner Proverbs 3: 13-18S Tighe G Slinger 2 Corinthians 4: 1-6

Rector Ecclesiastes 5: 4-12Matthew 19: 16-end

Sept 28 th - Harvest --- Uniformed Genesis 28: 10-17K Leigh Groups Revelation 12: 7-12Oct 5 th --- J Elphick Exodus 20: 1-4, 7-9, 12-20M Redshaw S Eckersley Philemon 3: 4b-14

Rector Proverbs 2: 1-111 John 2: 1-17

A complete list of readings through the year can be found on the kitchen notice board.

Tea/Coffee Rota following our 10.30 servicesSept 7th Carole & Gill

14th Althea & Erika21st Carole & Gill28th Pauline - extra volunteer needed here, please!

Oct 5th Beryl & Rona

If you are not available on the dates allocated or wish to change the published date, please could you find a replacement or arrange a swap.

We have lost a few volunteers since the refreshments facility started and really need more help. Please consider if you could give a little extra time to what is an enjoyable addition to the morning service. Contact Erika on 613816. PLEASE!!

Harvest Supper – Monday 13th OctoberPlease save this date for our Harvest Supper which is to

be held in the school hall at 7.30pm. The entertainment this year is again by the Mawdesley & Neighbouring Villages U3A and this

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time their Folk Group will be performing for us, together with another visit from the Tappers. Definitely not a date to miss!

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Brighton & Arundel Ecumenical Walking PilgrimageDear St Michael's Church

We were so grateful that in spite of being behind schedule someone was waiting to meet us at the church and that drinks had even been provided. Our visit was made memorable not just by your very unusual church but by the many connections made by Rev Baines with our pilgrimage. As our themes were St Francis and the way of peace and the start of the WW1 it was significant to see him wearing the tau of St Francis as we were and speaking of his wife wearing both the white and red poppies. We had the white on one side and the red on the other.

Our pilgrimage arrived safely at Carlisle on Friday where we prayed for St Michael and All Angels and its parishioners in our thanksgiving service.

Thank you also for being so prompt and efficient in your replies to my calls and emails.

With gratitude, Ann (Lavelle)

Exciting news!Some of you may remember Margaret Maughan who grew

up in the village. She was injured in Malawi in the 1960s, suffering a spinal injury and went on to become a multiple gold medal winner in the Paralympics. In 2012 she lit the Olympic Flame for the Paralympic Games in London.

I have received the following from her and have said a very grateful ‘yes’ to her offer.

Dear Rev. Baines  I am an old ex resident of Much Hoole, my grandfather's and mother's family name of Holt was a very old one and very much of Lancashire farming stock. Then my Mother who was daughter of Alexander Holt of Park Cottage, married a Durham man called Charles Maughan. So my surname is Maughan and with my grandparents

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called Holt and parents called Maughan, I and my brother Alec, sister Mollie and younger sister Ruth, lived all our formative years at Park Cottage where my Dad was a market gardener with his father in law Alex Holt. So you see that now living in Watford I feel very much attached to Hoole and the area and still have a few friends left there still alive.  The reason for my letter is to ask you if, in the archives of St Michael’s, you have an old copy of Rev Brickell's Memorials. I have one of the original copies which was my grandfather's with his name hand written in the front. I have read quite a lot of it especially the section of Jeremiah Horrocks' seeing Transit of Venus in all the history books. I gather from the title page, The Rev Robert Brickell's sermons and writings about Transit of Venus were edited and printed in a one off edition in 1884 which Hoole residents were asked to buy so that the money would go to a fund towards the window in the church . My grandfather was not one of Rev Brickell's parishioners as he was organist and choirmaster of Hoole Methodist Chapel, of which all my family were also members.  Methodism at that time was very strong in that part of Lancashire. But as a girl I went to Hoole Cof E School along with my brother and elder sister. Mr Rymer was head and Miss Wiggins my teacher.  If you do not have a copy of the memoirs in the archives of the church I would like you to have this one, otherwise I will keep it for my sister's children. Incidentally my grandparents, Alexander Holt and his wife Ann, were buried in St Michael’s graveyard around the church. It must be very full now and I am ashamed to say none of us is able come to attend it now as we are also very old and living far away.   Yours sincerelyMargaret Maughan

When the document arrives I will set to and ‘serialise’ the work in the parish magazine. It will be kept in the silver safe in

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church but will be on show for a few Sundays and be available for people to look at. We will also allow school to see it and use it as they may.

On behalf of St Michael’s I have offered our heartfelt thanks to Miss Maughan and will point her in the direction of our website when the electronic version of this magazine is added.

Derek

An important message from our Treasurer:ARE YOU PART OF OUR CHURCH ENVELOPE SCHEME?

If so, please be aware that I am updating the information held on our database in relation to your tax payer status. This is a requirement under the Data Protection Acts of 1998 and 2003 and also HMRC for audit trail purposes.

So, if I have your email address, I will have already been in touch and if you have not replied to confirm your tax payer status (whether there has been a change or not), I would greatly appreciate it if you could do that for me as soon as convenient. 

If you have not heard from me, please drop me an email or give me a call (details in front of the magazine).

If I do not have your email address, I shall be writing to you and would be extremely grateful if you could look out for that letter and get in touch.

You don’t have to wait for the letter of course, you could just ring me or email me anyway.

Changing the subject, I have a mystery to solve, can you help?

Could the owners of Envelopes Nos 15 and 76 please contact me?

Of course, if you are not a member of our envelope system and would like to be, I shall be more than pleased to assist.

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Many many thanks in anticipation… Barbara Wood Treasurer

Ladies’ Group A total of 27 members went to Boundary Mill last month

and enjoyed their fish and chip lunch followed by seeing what the Mill had to offer: several purchases were made! Many thanks to Sheila and Helen for their usual superb organisation.

This month, on the 16th, we have the History of Soap & Bathing with Tiger Muffin Soaps. This will be at the usual time of 7.30pm in the school hall.

If you are not currently a member but would like to come along and discover the reasons we have 30-40 members attending each meeting, you would be most welcome!Erika

Men’s Fellowship – September Gentlemen: Just to remind you about our first meeting

which is on Tuesday evening 9th September at the Smithy Inn Much Hoole at 7.30pm. Sandwiches and chips will be provided at no charge to your good selves (but you buy your own beer). I would like to remind you that the £8 subscriptions are due for payment at this meeting; our new treasurer will be on hand and only too pleased to relieve you of your cash (it helps with his holiday fund) and to hand out the new 2014/15 programmes.

Also please remember you can bring a friend along to see if he would like to join us as we really do need to recruit new members; he does not necessarily have to be a church member.

Stuart Tighe

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With their great love...

Yes they are the Friends of Mulanje orphans, only God gives them knowledge to assist us.The way they treat us, we are very pleased,With their great love we can manage.With their great love we can manage.They are the torch bearers of life.There are some rich people around us, but they don’t have a helping hand.But the founders of FOMO decided to assist us.Their love invades poverty and gives hope to us.Right now we are not orphans, because we have our parents in the form of FOMO.They brought us FOMO Independent Secondary School, in order to do away with ignorance in Mulanje, so that we should be self reliant in future.With their great love we can manage.With their love we can manage, we commenced to recognize our capabilities. Because of their conspicuous love to us; we will never stop thanking God.Because of adequate love, support given to us and their great love we can manage. Their love cannot be concealed and is exceedingly fantastic.With their great love we can manage. Their love is reaching out to more people indeed; women, men, boys, girls in need. Their love is a lesson to the well to do people who do not think of giving a hand

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to less privileged. Indeed most people admire their love. As there is a saying ‘charity begins at home’.Mulanje is our home. May the Almighty God bless them.

By Steven Mussa (FOMO child attending FOMO Independent Secondary School)

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Longton Area Christian Aid CommitteeChristian Aid Autumn Fair and Coffee Morning: St Andrew’s Church Hall, LongtonSaturday, September 20th from 10.30am-12.00 noon

The Autumn Fair and Coffee Morning will be opened by the Reverend Derek Baines, Rector of St Michael’s, Much Hoole, who with Sharon last year visited a rural area of Uganda and met people involved in medical and agricultural work and in the local churches.

Offers of help for the event will be most welcome and we shall be very grateful indeed to have contributions to the stalls, please, especially cakes and preserves. Plants, books and DVDs would also be very much appreciated as would items for the gift stall, tombola and raffle.

Fairtrade food and crafts will be on sale and also Christmas cards and calendars.

Most of the proceeds will be for our Longton Area project for maternal and child health care in Kenya which is involved in training health workers, providing a vaccination programme and supplying ambulances. When we have raised £5000 for this project, the European Commission will make it up to £20,000 - so our contributions are well worthwhile!Cath Greenlees: 01772-613500

Advance noticeThe Fairtrade Christmas Market will be held on Friday and Saturday, November 14th and 15th from 10.00am to 5.30pm in St Andrew’s Church Hall.

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Diary (please also see Church Services on pages 5 & 6)Tues 16th Sept Ladies’ Group talk by Tiger Muffin Soaps on

“The History of Soap & Bathing”Tues 9th Sept Men’s Fellowship meeting in the Smithy Inn.

New Members welcomeMonday 13th Oct Harvest Supper in the school hall at 7.30pm

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Prayer intentions Our Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with

pilgrims from our own church, St Leonard’s Penwortham, St James’ Leyland, St John’s Earnshaw Bridge, St Paul’s Farington, St James’ Lostock Hall, Read URC, Doncaster and Purfleet.

Our schools as they return from holiday Our families and ourselves

Lord God, for the day ahead –Renew my life (body)Replenish my joy (soul)Strengthen my faith (spirit)Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Author unknown~~~~~~~

Saint of the month:25th September - St Ceolfrith (d 716) - baking and Bibles

Ceolfrith is a good patron saint for anyone who has studied hard for their profession, is strong in the face of tragedy, and who can also offer some homely care to others in need.

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This well-loved abbot of Wearmouth and Jarrow came from a noble Northumbrian family, and was ordained at Ripon when he was just 27. He travelled to Canterbury and Icanho (in East Anglia) where he studied ecclesiastical and monastic practices. But back at Ripon the monks soon came to appreciate him for another good reason: Ceolfrith was an outstanding cook. They asked him to be the monastery’s baker, and he agreed.

In time Ceolfrith was moved on to Wearmouth, and then in 682, when the monastery at nearby Jarrow was founded, Ceolfrith became abbot. It was here that disaster struck, when a plague killed all of the monks who could sing or read. Only Ceolfrith and the boy Bede were left alive. It would have been so easy to flee that empty house of death, but instead, Ceolfrith and the young Bede faithfully stayed on, because they believed God had called them to be there. Soon Jarrow prospered once more, and by 689 Ceolfrith was made abbot of both Wearmouth and Jarrow.

Ceolfrith seems to have been a kindly and energetic leader. During his rule 600 monks joined the monastery, the library was doubled, and the endowments increased. But Ceolfrith’s biggest legacy to history came when he commissioned from his own scriptoria three Pandects (complete Bibles in single volumes) in uncial script. One still survives today, as the Codex Amiatinus, an enormous volume in the Bibiloteca Laurenziana in Florence. It is the oldest surviving complete Latin Bible in one volume.

A kindly baking abbot who also happened to leave us the earliest complete Latin Bible – not a bad combination of skills!

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(Note: Sadly no pictures of St Ceolfrith could be found online, despite his impressive accomplishments. Ed)

From the Editor of the Parish Pump: Here is the 9th in a 12-part series to mark the Centenary of the beginning of the First World War. They are written by David Winter, a former Head of Religious Broadcasting at the BBC, and will run throughout the year. (Jan-Dec 2014 inclusive) If you would like a copy of any of the earlier articles in this series, please anne@parishpump.co.uk

THE GREAT WAR: LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT Until the Great War, battles had been fought by soldiers in

designated places: Bosworth Field, Bannockburn, Agincourt, Waterloo, and so on. Until that momentous August a century ago, the civilian public’s only roles in war were as remote spectators of the conflict - and occasionally victims of the victors. When the wars happened in far-away places, people only heard of them long after they were over, if at all.

However, the Great War was new and different. Since the Napoleonic Wars and even the Boer War of the 19th century, many things had changed. One was the advent of the daily newspaper - cheap, instant and popular. The papers ensured that their readers knew what was going on, and with the invention of the telephone at the end of the Victorian era, the reports from correspondents could

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be immediate and vivid. The internal combustion engine now propelled buses and lorries - and eventually tanks and armoured cars. And the invention of the aeroplane and its rapid development in the early years of the War brought a whole new dimension to conflict. It was no longer local, fought out on ‘battle fields’, but anywhere that the combatants came together. The submarine, the Zeppelin and the aeroplane were to play significant roles in this new kind of warfare.

All of which meant that everyone in the warring nations felt involved. They were spectators no longer, but participants. All over Britain the arsenals were buzzing with activity, producing the vast quantities of shells and bombs which were being hurled across the trenches on the western front. As most of the men were in the forces, those vital munitions were largely made by women. For the first time, in many cases, women from the poorer sections of society were able to earn a decent wage in the munitions factories, or in other jobs previously seen as exclusively male.

The civilian population also experienced the war in more immediate ways. London was bombed - first by the Zeppelin airships, and later by aircraft. Casualties were low - about a thousand civilians - and the attacks infrequent, but they were a cruel reminder that modern war knows no frontiers. Late in the War the German navy tightened its grip on the major seaways, largely through the activity of submarines, and food shortages became a problem.

The mood of the nation remained positive, however. The newspapers tended to present events on the western front in a patriotic way, disguising to some extent the true horror of what was going on. It was widely accepted that we were fighting in a noble cause. The Allies were on a mission to save the world. In a famous sermon, the Bishop of London called on the nation to kill Germans, ‘not for the sake of killing . . . but lest the civilisation of the world itself should be killed’.

That mood began to change as the years rolled on and the casualty figures (which were published daily) got higher and higher. There was never any significant ‘anti-war’ movement as such, but more a general feeling that things just couldn’t go on like this. Something would have to give if that ‘civilisation’ was to survive.

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But in the end it was economics, not military tactics, which decided the day.

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Editor of the Parish Pump: Here is a different ‘take’ on this special saint’s day.29th September – All the angels, led by St Michael

What is an angel? Easy, people think. A shining figure with glorious wings, who appears from time to time to do some mighty work for God or bring a very special message from him.

Well, that’s right in one sense (apart from the wings, which owe more to stained glass windows than the Bible). But the fact that not all ‘angels’ in the Bible are ‘glorious’ or ‘shining’ should make us hesitate to categorise them in this spectacular way. After all, the three apparently ordinary men who visited Abraham and Sarah to tell them that she would have a son even though she was long past child-bearing age had none of those outward embellishments. Nevertheless Abraham recognised them as divine messengers.

The Bible is full of angels, from the early chapters of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, and often they had a key role in crucial events. It seems, from just two instances, that Michael was their leader, an ’archangel’. In stained glass he’s often seen with a sword, because in a vision in Revelation he led the angelic host who fought and defeated Satan and his army.

In the Gospels an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah in the Temple, to tell him that his elderly wife was to have a son, the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist. An angel - Gabriel - appeared to Mary to tell her that she would be the mother of the Messiah, the Son of God. . An angel appeared ‘in a dream’ to Joseph, the village carpenter in Nazareth, to tell him to go ahead and marry his fiancée, Mary, and later - also in a dream - warned him not to go back to Bethlehem. A ‘young man’, whom we take to have been an angel, was sitting in the empty tomb on Easter morning, waiting to tell the startled women that Jesus wasn’t there - he had risen (Mark 16:5).

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Without going into every biblical reference to angels, those should be sufficient to show that the word covers an enormous diversity of experience. So the Letter to the Hebrews speaks of those who practice hospitality as sometimes ‘entertaining angels unawares’. Sometimes people recognised angels for who they were, and sometimes they didn’t. Angels, quite simply, are God’s agents or emissaries, messengers and ministers of his will. Sometimes they are human; sometimes they seem to be spiritual beings.

Perhaps we could even say that anyone, in any situation, who is at that moment God’s ‘messenger’ to us, or serves us graciously, is an ‘angel’. So when we say, ‘Oh, be an angel and pop up to the chemist for my prescription’, we may be nearer the heart of the matter than we think!by David Winter

~~~~~~~From the Editor of the Parish Pump: The Rev Dr Gary Bowness continues his tongue-in-cheek letters from ‘Uncle Eustace’… If you would like a copy of our published booklet of Uncle Eustace’s letters, please email us at mailto:enquiries@parishpump.co.uk

On why you should never replace your hymn booksThe RectorySt. James the Least

 My dear Nephew DarrenI am surprised you are

considering buying a new set of hymn books for your church; I had assumed everything you sang would be projected on to one of those screens which are invariably strategically placed to obscure the altar – although wherever you placed it in your converted cinema, it could never spoil its architectural aesthetics.

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In my – fortunately limited – experience of such devices, they provide the projectionist with endless opportunities for showing the wrong hymn, or the right hymn but from another edition, which will contain either one verse too many or one too few. Should the hymn run to two pages, then the turnover always takes place some milliseconds after that verse has started, so that the congregation is faced with the snap decision of either trying to sing two lines at double time, or just to join in late, making a nonsense of the words.

When we decided to change hymn books some years ago, the reverberations made the consequences of that little event in Sarajevo seem insignificant. The proposal was to move from “Hymns Ancient and More Ancient” to the more recent version: “Hymns Ancient and Slightly Less Ancient”.

Colonel Wainwright said he would be happy so long as we continued fighting good fights and urging Christian soldiers onwards. The men wanted the hymns they remembered from school, the ladies those they sang at their weddings and no one would consider anything that dropped thines or wouldsts. The basses in the choir wanted hymns they knew the tenors found difficult and those who couldn’t read music wanted more hymns sung in unison. When a rumour started that the books may contain hymns written in the last 50 years, timetables were consulted for bus services to the next village.

Eventually we reached a perfect compromise: doing something which made no change whatsoever. Miss Simpson was charged with buying yards of sticky backed plastic and repairing the current books. She put a note on the front of every copy that if the page for the hymn they wanted was missing, they should share with the person sitting next to them – an experience which will be almost as traumatic as being invited to pass the peace. Yet another decision has thereby been deferred for a Church Council to make some time next century. Harmony reigns once again.

Your loving uncle,

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Eustace

~~~~~~~

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Kids’ Corner

HILDEGARD of BINGENHildegard was born in Germany in 1098 and at a

very early age she dedicated her life to God by becoming a nun. She lived to be 80, a great age for that time and is best known today for her songs and poems. It seems quite amazing that an elderly nun who lived nearly a thousand years ago could write words that are on a CD that you can buy today – not quite Top of the Pops but in all the bigger record shops!

Hildegard wrote that she wanted to be ‘a feather on the breath of God’, to move as He wanted rather than as she wanted. When we say the Lord’s Prayer we say ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done’ we follow Hildegard in asking to be shown what to do, which way to go. Not like a feather blown about by the wind, but one blown on the breath of God.BIRD WORDS

Can you find all these words about birds and feathers? The words go up, down, backwards, forwards and diagonally and some letters are used more than once.

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P K R A L Y K S A OE T E R N A L N O CA K R E H T A E F KC R P A R R O T R AO N A L Y W R E N TC W B V U E V O D OK L L R E M D A B ON O R E H N E J A YR O B I N L L I U Q

* blackbird * canary * cockatoo ** dove * feather * heron * jay *

* owl * parrot * peacock * plume * * quill * raven * robin * skylark * tern * wren *

My cat took first prize in the local bird show.How could your cat get a prize in a bird show?

He ate the prize canary.

What bird is always out of breath?A puffin.

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And finallyHymns for People Over 50Give Me the Old Timers’ Religion

Precious Lord, Take My Hand, And Help Me Up

Just a Slower Walk with Thee

Go Tell It on the Mountain, But Speak Up

Nobody Knows the Trouble I Have Seeing

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, I've Forgotten Where I've Parked the Car

Count Your Many Birthdays, Count Them One By One

Blessed Insurance

It Is Well With My Soul, But My Knees Hurt

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TeaHow does Moses make tea? He brews.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Adam met EveThe topic for my class was palindromes, which are of course words

or sentences that are the same read forward and backward. I asked

the question ‘What is the first thing Adam said to Eve?’ I was

expecting ‘Madam, I’m Adam’, but one student had a better reply:

"Wow."

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CHURCH INFORMATIONInformation about opening times and other information for

St Michael’s are now to be found on the following websites. Simply type “PR4” and follow the links:http://www.achurchnearyou.com

http://www.find achurch.co.ukhttp://www.searchchurch.co.uk

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Message from the Landlord of The Smithy InnLiverpool Old Road, Much Hoole, Preston, PR4 4BG – 01772 619937

Come and savour the hospitality of your village pub and be assured of a warm welcome and good food, with outdoor seating for those balmy daysChris Griffiths

New Menu Coming Soon & Special OffersSunday 12pm-8pm SOUP & ROAST DINNER £7.95Tuesday-Friday 12pm-2pm 2 MEALS £6.95Tuesday Night BURGER & A PINT £4.95Friday 6pm-9pm 2 COURSES £8.00

&Saturday 6pm-9pm

TWO 8oz STEAKS plus BOTTLE OF HOUSE WINE £19.95

EntertainmentLIVE SPORTS (including 3pm kick offs)LIVE ENTERTAINMENT last Saturday every month from 9 pmQUIZ NIGHT (CASH PRIZES) every Tuesday from 9 pmDARTS NIGHT every Wednesday from 9 pmDO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT OR FAMILY GATHERING

COMING UP?Flexibility to cater for your needs is our speciality

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SEE NOTICE BOARD OUTSIDE THE SMITHY FOR UP AND COMING EVENTS