Evening Prayer at St Edward’s Today’s Evening Service at 6.30pm led by Rev Carl is Contemporary Worship and Prayer on the theme of Holocaust Memorial Day.

Tea at the Vicarage You are cordially invited to partake of afternoon tea today at the Vicarage (100 Church Hill) from three o’clock until half past four where a warm welcome and a scrumptious repast awaits. All proceeds are for the very worthy Lepra charity, fighting disease, poverty and prejudice. Do come along and support this cause and help to cure leprosy victims,

improve prevention and reduce the stigma surrounding the disease.

Holocaust Memorial Day Yesterday was Holocaust Memorial Day commemorating the day on 27th January, 1945

when the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Soviets. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, many of the inmates had been sent out on a

death march although there remained over 7,000 people sick and dying. In total there were over 6 million Jews brutally killed during World War Two. At Auschwitz, 1.1 million people were killed in gas chambers, about 90% of whom were Jewish, as part of Hitler’s Final Solution which also included extermination of Romany people, Soviets and Polish. Yesterday was also International Holocaust Remembrance Day when the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur were remembered. In Cambodia, between 1975 and 1979, under Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians died through starvation, execution, disease and overwork, all in the course of Pol Pot trying to nationalize the peasant farming community along communist lines. In just 100 days in 1994, upwards of a million Rwandan Tutsis were killed by the governing Hutu and in the Darfur ethnic cleansing in the early years of this Century, there was an estimated death toll of 400,000 as well as many more incidents of brutal rape, woundings and torture. Rev Carl will be incorporating some appropriate texts in this morning’s service as well as more liturgical resources for this evening’s service.

Pam’s Recruiting Drive As the number of our congregation enjoying refreshments after the 9.30am service has grown considerably since its inception, Pam Capps and her team would like to increase the number of volunteers who assist, both before and after the service. They are seeking ladies or gentlemen to help with the setting up and serving of the refreshments. The cakes are also provided by the volunteers. If you would like to help with this enjoyable social activity, please speak to Pam or phone her on 771275.

Parish Magazine Apologies for anyone expecting to find the February Parish Magazine in church today. Due to a combination of reasons, printing is not expected until next week.

Leigham Hall With the expansion of our parish, the Parochial

Church Council has assumed the responsibility for the Leigham Community Hall. At present this is very much a mixed blessing,

little maintenance work having been carried out there for some time and very few bookings as a result. The Ward Councillors there are keen that this should become a successful amenity and are offering some support but the situation has not been helped by vandalism following a couple of break-ins which made the news in last Thursday’s Herald. Contrary to any impression that might have been given by Julian’s photo alongside the heading, we can assure readers that he was not one of the vandals.

Only Joking! A man from Eggbuckland goes

to a pet shop to buy an unusual pet and walks out with a centipede in a wooden box. When he gets home he decides it would be fun to take the centipede to the local and show it to his drinking pals. He taps on the box and says,” Would you like to go to the Prince Maurice with me and have a beer?” There’s no answer from the centipede. He waits a few minutes more and then says. “How about you and me going to the local pub?” Again there’s no answer.” Thinking the centipede can’t hear him the man goes right up to the box and shouts, “Hey! Would you like to go to the Prince Maurice and have a drink?” A little voice comes from the box: “I heard you the first time. I’m putting on my shoes.”

Lent Course Rev Chris intends to use the “Good and Beautiful God” as a Lent Course. Each chapter references a Bible text and he says this will be preached on during Lent. Ash Wednesday is on 14th February when there will be the 11.30am service before the Community Lunch. Provisional plans are for the

Course to be on Tuesday lunch times (12 noon) at the ELM Café, Estover and Tuesday evenings (7.30pm) in Eggbuckland Vicarage. Please let Rev Chris know of your interest and whether the suggested times are convenient – or otherwise.

Church Hall Refurbishment The work on the latest phase of the church hall refurbishment is progressing well. There is no doubt that the renovations will be a great improvement and if ever there was any doubt as to the need for such work, that would have been quickly dispelled by the discovery of the rotting flooring in what was the ladies’ cloakroom area. Just what situation may have arisen if no action was taken hardly bears thought.

School Choir in Concert The St Edward’s CE Primary Academy Choir is participating in “Musicality” at the Plymouth Pavilions on Saturday, 3rd February at 2.00pm and 6.30pm. This is an annual concert featuring various local schools performing music ensembles. Tickets for adults cost £8 with under 16’s free.