Winter Rev d Sue Levitt 14 Tarporley Road, Tarvin, CH3 8ER Tel:

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1 Winter 2012 Rev d Sue Levitt 14 Tarporley Road, Tarvin, CH3 8ER Tel: revsuelevwork@gmail.com Dear Friends December 2012 At Norley Methodist Church we have just dedicated copies of the new Methodist hymnbook, Singing the Faith. When the first draft of hymns to be included was released the biggest outcry was the fact that In the bleak mid-winter was not to be included. It has since been re-instated! The reason given for its removal was that in the Holy Land it was not in the bleak mid-winter let alone snow on snow! However, as Christ is born to us afresh each Christmas and here in Britain it is in the bleak mid-winter I feel it is totally appropriate and be that as it may I think most people value this hymn for its final verse: What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part. Yet what I can I give him -- give my heart. And at Christmas when we are full of festive cheer and the warmth and glow of the newly born Christ Child we sing it fervently and with meaning. But in the same way as a pet is not just for Christmas neither should our receiving of the Christ child. In some countries presents are not exchanged on Christmas day but on Epiphany (January 6 th ) when we recall the wise men bringing their gifts to Jesus. In the Methodist Church at this time we have our Covenant service in which we recall all that God does for us and renew our covenant with Him: Eternal God, in your faithful and enduring love you call us to share in your gracious covenant in Jesus Christ. In obedience we hear and accept your commands; in love we seek to do your perfect will; with joy we offer ourselves anew to you. We are no longer our own but yours. Elsewhere in this magazine there is a plea for people to consider helping in a variety of different ways to enable us to continue to worship God and share in fellowship together. Is this a gift you might offer the Church this Christmas? Every Blessing this Christmas Season, Sue.

2 Pastoral Piece Once more it s that time of year when panic starts to set in. We all know the feeling that Christmas is drawing nearer and nearer. I suspect like me, there are some parts of Christmas we could quite willingly do without!!!! In this present era, we lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas. We also forget the people who are less fortunate - the lonely and those that are ill. It would be lovely if we all tried to remember anyone we know who is in that situation, and give them a friendly call. Our pastoral team continues to offer support, visits, etc. to anyone who may need them. May we take this opportunity to wish you and yours a Peaceful, Healthy, Happy Christmas and that this continues throughout the whole of the New Year. May God bless and take care of you all. If we are not happy, if we are not peaceful, we cannot share peace and happiness with others... words by Thich Nhat Hann Margaret Hogan. Craft Club If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, in our entire society, will benefit from our peace. Well it is nearly 2013, so how about starting the new year as a member of the Craft Club? We are just the same, average about 10 of us. At the moment we are doing Christmas decorations, cards and, of course, knitting. Do call in any Tuesday 10-12am, you will be very welcome. Flower Arranging Demonstration As part of the fund raising efforts for the various church projects, a Flower Arranging Demonstration by Ian Davenport was held on Saturday 6 th October Ruth Howarth The evening proved very entertaining, when approximately 60 people were introduced to the delights of flower arranging, and at the same time 400 was raised for Church funds. We send a very big thank you to all those who helped in any way to make the evening a success. Ken & Jean Dunning (Editors addition many thanks to Ken and Jean who organised the evening and donated the costs) 1

3 Children s work in Norley At Christmas time we reconnect with people that perhaps we don t see very much. The first Christmas was about God connecting with people here on earth in a way that hadn t been done before. Jesus, God s son came to help us understand God in a new way. Jesus showed us a new way to live and told us that God loves us so much he wants to be our friend always. 3 ways to share Gods love this Christmas. 1. Share with others. 2. Surprise someone by being helpful. 3. Be cheerful. Advance Notices for Primary School Children. Holiday Club. February Half term. Theme: Jungle Jamboree. At Norley Methodist Church. Mornings only. Tuesday 19 th February Wednesday 20 th February Thursday 21 st February Cookery Club At Norley Methodist Church pm Monday 25 th February Monday 4 March Monday 11 March Monday 18 March Andrea Ellams Below is a questionnaire to fill in. Add your ideas and give to someone connected to church. Circle your answers. How often do you go to church? Never, Once a year, Occasionally, Once a month, Are you interested in Twice a month. Every week A church service for young people, A discussion group, A craft club, A Holiday club, A Cookery club. Others... Name Age 2

4 First Wednesday Walks September - We set off from the North Wales village of Tremeirchan and walked on a 5 mile round walk over undulating countryside. The walk gave us many fine views and took in other interesting sights including Ffynnon Beuno Cave which had been excavated some years ago when many animal bones had been found including those of mammoths. We passed part of Offa's Dyke and found a sheltered spot to have our picnic. On returning to Tremeirchan we took further refreshment at the Salisbury Arms and then visited the old parish church which contains some ancient glass windows. Richard Ramsbottom October - The walk started and finished at the Antrobus Arms and was a 5 mile circular walk around the village of Antrobus. Known as the A.W.Boyd Walk after an old style naturalist who regularly wrote in the Manchester Guardian and lived in the area, the walk was through typical Cheshire farmland which was rather muddy due to all the recent rain. We did a number of diversions to avoid the worst and so arrived back at the Antrobus Arms a little earlier than expected for our well earned lunch. Richard Ramsbottom November - To 'Live in Hope and die in Caergwrle' is a well known saying in the area visited by November's Wednesday Walking group. Fifteen of us met in the North Wales village of Caergwrle. This village boasts the remains of an 'Edward Castle' built about 1277 and wrecked by rebellion until rebuilt by Edward 1 st for his wife Eleanor of Castille. It was gutted by fire in (I make no comment on the Free Wales Army starting early on English homes in Wales!). Anyway, we didn't visit the castle but headed down to the river Alyn and along the remains of Wat's Dyke, originally a 2 metre bank with deep ditch which ran from Holywell to Shropshire and is thought to pre-date Offa's attempts to contain the Welsh. In acts of selfless bravery, interpreted by some as carelessness, two of our members assured us that the electric fence on part of the way was in fact 'live' (a successful attempt by the Welsh to contain the English??) The four mile walk, downhill all the way, except for parts, ended as we crossed a fine example of a 17 th century packhorse bridge and on to finish the day with a meal in the Holly Bush at Cefn y Bedd, mispronounced as Seven in a Bed, but that's another story. Garry Wynne The December walk is on Dec 5 and is the usual walk around Cuddington and part of the Whitegate way, led by Sylvia and John an easy walk mainly on the flat with no styles. Lunch will be taken at the White Barn followed by tea and mince pies at Sylvia and John s. Meet at the chapel at 9.45am where next year s walks will be arranged before setting off. Future dates are Wednesday December Wednesday January Wednesday February 6 Wednesday March 6 3

5 Open Day for Church funds Joan and John Bell are very pleased to report that the Open Day held at their home on November 17 th raised at least 320. We are most grateful to all who supported and helped us in so many ways. The unsold books and items of jewellery were duly delivered to Scope (the disability charity) in Northwich and were received with enormous gratitude. The Church Weekend Away 2012 at Abbot Hall What an enjoyable, friendly, and full of laughter time was had by all. Everybody arrived safely on Friday for check in time. The Dimelow family had one of the four lodges allocated to the party and the rest had rooms in the hotel. Dinner was served at 7.30pm and was very tasty, satisfying and filling, as were the rest of the meals over the weekend, with no washing up afterwards. We had a gentle evening of activities (organised by Alison Twinn and Di Ramsbottom) and finished with an epilogue (from Ken Dunning). Saturday morning soon came and God shined on us with beautiful sunshine. Early morning prayers (led by Philip Garner) and a great breakfast were followed by leisure time to spend as we wished, either taking the train into Grange over- Sands, or a peaceful walk around the grounds. Swimming was an option too, where the Dimelows fitted as much in as they could (practising for the next Olympics, I think not). Lunch was at Abbot Hall. Some had taken a packed lunch and went out for the whole day. From 2pm onwards there was another optional circular walk organised by Richard Ramsbottom around Humphrey s Head. We had beautiful scenery with views over the bay to Morecombe. We passed a lot of cows in the fields, and the photo below was taken of us. Bruce being a big kid at heart climbed a rocky outcrop at the end of the promontory with Lewis and Oliver Dimelow. We all had to do acrobatics over a style and then returned through a lovely woodland path. Dinner was at 6.30pm and rehearsals had been going on in the day for our evening talent show which followed. We had a lot of fun and laughter. John Dimelow had a nice surprise he was presented with a cake for his birthday. Very yummy cake. An epilogue (from Ruth Lane) finished off the evening. Sunday was another wonderful day to look forward to, being God s day of rest, and we were blessed with sunshine again. Morning service with communion was led by Rev d Sue. We brought items back from our walk or from outside the hotel, of things we wanted to give thanks for e.g. wood, leaves or plants. Without God s creation what would we have in life? We remembered people at home unable to come away with us and our thoughts and prayers were with them. Ruth Howarth enjoyed getting to know people more; Yvonne enjoyed the park in Grange and the leisure time; and Ken and Jean Dunning enjoyed driving around sightseeing. Coffee was served after the service, and there was more free time from till 1pm. Some swam, others took in a stroll or a drive, before we gathered for Sunday lunch. There were other guests in the hotel and it was lovely to chat to them too. I am sure I am speaking for everyone who was there. We saw people in a different light, and the weekend gave us longer to chat to others and enabled us to give each other support where it was needed. It was a very enjoyable weekend away. When s the next one! Mary Dimelow 4

6 Harvest Festival We were delighted that the former vice president of the Methodist Conference Ruth Pickles was able to lead our Harvest Festival service in the morning. Here she is with in the service also known as the cookery class! The church was beautifully decorated by the team led by Heather Davies. Once again the congregation turned up trumps and a car full of goodies was delivered by John Bell and thankfully received by YPSF in Manchester The Church Council. was held on September 18. At this meeting, Ruth Lane took over as Church Council secretary, John Bell took over as Treasurer, and it was announced that Richard Ramsbottom was taking over the production of the Church Notices. The audited church accounts were approved as well as the reserves policy (presented by Bruce Lane as his last act as treasurer). The council authorized, after the event, the 4600 cost of the new boiler, which had failed shortly after the last council meeting. It had been replaced, and had wiped out our previous reserves. The council also adopted the report on the property for the connexional year (Schedule A). The council decided to purchase 50 word copies of Singing the Faith the new Methodist hymn book. Given the uncertain state of the finances, any decisions about further donations to charity were deferred to the February meeting. Solar Panels Update Our solar panels are still performing well. After 3 quarters of operation, we have generated 3053 Kwh of electricity in 9 months saving over 3 Te of CO 2. Completion of the project snagging list is expected this month. We received cheques for 1426 altogether for the 3 quarters, comfortably exceeding the annual savings projection of 1250, with a (sunless) quarter to go. 5

7 Spiritual Matters The Spiritual Committee organised the prologues and epilogues at the chapel weekend away which were much appreciated by everyone. On the Sunday morning our worship was led by Sue Levitt and everyone felt that it was the climax of the weekend and showed the love and friendship we had shared by being together The next activity of the Spiritual Committee is to prepare and lead the Candlelit Carol Service.. On October 28 th John Bell led our All Age Worship on Shoebox Sunday. Forty Two bulging shoeboxes were collected for Operation Christmas Child, as well as donations of 90.10p (excluding any money contained in the boxes) to contribute towards onward transit costs. and were rapidly sent on so that they should be some of the first shoeboxes forwarded by the Wrexham Depot to needy children. Very many thanks to everyone for their generosity. During the Autumn Sue Levitt has led an Alternative Worship on the third Sunday evenings of October and November. The latter was a hearty Songs of Praise during which our new hymnbooks, Singing the Faith, were dedicated. If you ve not attended one of these Alternative Worship services on the third Sunday evening of the month, you are encouraged to do so in the New Year. Café Church on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm has proved very popular. There have been thought provoking statements followed by lively discussion on a variety of topics whilst tea, coffee and cake were consumed. Do join us the next one on December 5 th will be led by Ruth Lane on the theme of Caring for our world. There will be no meeting in January as everyone will still be celebrating Christmas and the new year with friends and family, but you are warmly invited to the February Café Church on Wednesday 6 th February. Ruth Lane 6

8 The Choirs at Norley Church Harvest Festival The church as always was beautifully decorated under the direction of Heather Davies. It was a delight to have Ruth Pickles lead all age worship and see the wonderful way she involved the children. The Harmony choir sang during morning worship the anthem "Sing to The Lord of Harvest" by John Henry Maunder. It sounded as if the anthem was written for their voices. The different timbres of the music were captured beautifully by the choir. Jean sang her solo with the perfect sentiment needed. Those of you who follow Gareth Malone training his choirs would have noticed him repeatedly telling them that they were not getting the emotions right and that you can't separate the emotion from the music. Well, it comes naturally to the Harmony Choir. Well done. The Band of Hope and Joy contributed to the evening service. They sang a lively song from Singing the Faith entitled "I mustn't forget". Though not in full strength, they gave a splendid performance of the Harvest song. The ladies' voices took the descant part beautifully against the booming male voices. Thanks to Harold for the beautiful solo and to Alison and Yvonne for their lovely duet. It is wonderful to see the group gaining in confidence in two part singing. Both choirs have started rehearsing for the Carol Service on the 23rd of December, and time permitting, for the concert on the 9th of February Saro Jesudason. 7

9 Diary Diary Unless otherwise stated in the notices the following group meets weekly at Norley Craft Club Tuesdays 10.00am noon in the Norley Open Door Room December 2012 Advent Sunday 2 nd 10.45am Avis Palmer of Kelsall 6.30pm Circuit United service at Saltney Wednesday 5 th 9.45am First Wednesday Walk 7.30pm Café Church led by Ruth Lane Thursday 6 th 4.30pm The Hurst - Messy Christingle Sunday 9 th 10.45am Rev d Peter Rugen - Sacrament (Advent 2) 6.30pm United Service at St Johns Norley Tuesday 11 th 10.00am Decorate the Church for Christmas 11.00am Café Worship at Ashton Rev d Bernard Dodd 7.00pm Band of Hope and Joy rehearsal at Lower Mill Wednesday 12 th 7.30pm Kelsall Taize Worship Thursday 13 th 12 noon Open Door Room Christmas Lunch Saturday 15 th 6.30pm Carol Singing (First Night) Sunday 16 th 10.45am Judy Ford of The Hurst (Advent 3) 4.00pm Christingle Rev d Sue Levitt Tuesday 18 th 6.30pm Carol Singing Wednesday 19 th 5.00pm Tarvin - Messy Church Thursday 20 th 6.30pm Carol Singing Friday 21 st 5.15pm Frodsham - Messy Church 6.30pm Carol singing reserve night if rained off earlier Sunday 23 rd 9.00am Norley@9 (Advent 4) 10.45am No service at Norley Methodist Church 4.00pm Candlelit Carol Service Christmas Eve 24 th 6.00pm Carol Singing 11.15pm Frodsham Holy Communion Rev d Denise Harding 11.15pm The Hurst Holy Communion Rev d Steve Santry Christmas Day 25 th 9.30am Family worship - Rev d Sue Levitt Sunday 30 th 10.45am John Bell of Norley 6.30pm No service at Norley Methodist Church January 2013 Wednesday 2 nd 9.45am First Wednesday Walk Thursday 3 rd 4.30pm The Hurst - Messy Church Sunday 6 th 10.45am Edgar Gregory of Frodsham (Epiphany) 6.30pm Rev d Paul Braisdell of Curzon Park Monday 7 th 4.00pm Kelsall - Messy Church Wednesday 9 th 12 noon Open Door Lunch 7.30pm Kelsall - Taize Worship Sunday 13 th 10.45am Rev d Sue Levitt Covenant Service 6.30pm United Service at St Johns Norley Tuesday 15 th 11.00am Café Worship at Ashton Deacon John Clarke Wednesday 16 th 5.00pm Tarvin Messy Church 8.00pm The Hurst - Café Church Rev d Steve Santry 8

10 January 2013 (continued) Thursday 17 th 7.30pm Local Preachers Meeting - Saltney Friday 18 th 5.15pm Frodsham Messy Church Sunday 20 th 9.00am Norley@ am Jean Moore of Chester 6.30pm Rev d Sue Levitt - Sacrament Thursday 24 th 12 noon Open Door Lunch 1.15pm Thursday Club Sunday 27 th 10.45am Ken Jackson of Chester All Age Worship 6.30pm Circuit United Service at Kelsall Tuesday 29 th 11.00am Café Worship at Ashton February Sunday 3 rd Rev d Sue Levitt 6.30pm Edgar Gregory of Frodsham Monday 4 th 4.00pm Kelsall Messy Church Tuesday 5 th 7.30pm Norley Church Council Wednesday 6 th 9.45am First Wednesday Walk 7.30pm Café Church Thursday 7 th 4.30pm The Hurst Messy Church Saturday 9 th 7.00pm Musical Concert at Norley Methodist Church Sunday 10 th 10.45am Rev d Denise Harding - Sacrament 6.30pm United Service at St John s Norley Tuesday 12 th 11.00am Café Worship at Ashton Geoffrey Robinson Ash Wednesday 13 th 12 noon Open Door Lunch (the start of Lent) 7.30pm Kelsall Taize Worship Friday 15 th 5.15pm Frodsham Messy Church Sunday 17 th 9.00am Norley@ am Janet Batey of The Hurst 6.30pm Rev d Sue Levitt Alternative Worship Tuesday 19 th am Holiday Club Jungle Jamboree Wednesday 20 th am Holiday Club Jungle Jamboree 5.00pm Tarvin Messy Church 8.00pm The Hurst Café Church Rev d Steve Santry Thursday 21 st am Holiday Club Jungle Jamboree Sunday 24 th 10.45am Rev d Sue Levitt All Age Worship 6.30pm Rev d Sue Levitt - Sacrament Monday 25 th 3.30pm Cookery Club (and the following 3 Mondays) Tuesday 26 th 11.00am Café Worship at Ashton Rev d Denise Harding Thursday 28 th 12 noon Open Door Lunch 1.15pm Thursday Club 7.30pm Circuit Meeting at Norley March Wednesday 6 th 9.45am 1 st Wednesday Walk Wednesday 13 th 12 noon Open Door Lunch Sunday 17 th 9.00am Norley@9 Thursday 28 th 12 noon Open Door Lunch 9

11 DECORATING THE CHURCH FOR CHRISTMAS Do join us to decorate the church for Christmas on Tuesday 11 th December at 10am. The church will then be beautiful for the OPEN DOOR CHRISTMAS LUNCH on Thursday 13 th December at noon CHRISTINGLE on Sunday 16 th December at 4pm THE CANDLELIT CAROL SERVICE on Sunday 23 rd December at 4pm CHRISTMAS MORNING WORSHIP at 9.30am FAMILY 10

12 Carol Singing Dates and Routes 2012 Please make note of the dates and come and help us take the Christmas message to the village Date Route Meeting Place and Time Saturday 15 th Dec Fingerpost Lane, Cow Lane 6.30pm at the Church Tuesday 18 th Dec Any houses left on Cow Lane Moss Lane The Paddocks, Forresters Close, School Bank, Westview Road 6.30pm at the Church Thursday 20 th Dec Maddock's Hill Hough Lane Gadbank High Street Breech Moss 6.30pm at the Church Friday 21 st Dec Spare night if rained off earlier 6.30pm at the Church Saturday 22 nd Dec Monday 24 th Dec Christmas Eve Post Office Lane, The Spinney, Crabmill Lane School Lane Gallowsclough (James') Harthill Farm Then normal route from Hatchmere Caravan Park 6.30pm at the Church 6.00pm at Gallowsclough 11

13 Christingle 4.00pm Sunday 16th December EVERYONE WELCOME Candlelit Carol Service 4pm Sunday 23rd December Join Us There Christmas Day 9.30am Family Worship Come and celebrate with us

14 9 Join us at Norley Methodist Church at 9am for an early, informal time of worship and praise on December 23rd January 20th February 17th A time of praise lasting about 45 minutes, followed by refreshments January 13th 10.45am Covenant Service at Norley Methodist Church led by Rev'd Sue Levitt 6.30pm Plough Sunday Joint Service at St John's Norley led by Rev'd Peter Rugen SEE YOU THERE 13

15 An invitation to you to come to the THURSDAY CLUB January 24th February 28th March 28th 1.15pm pm in the Open Door Room Norley Methodist Church OPEN DOOR LUNCHES We look forward to seeing you all at our Christmas Lunch on Thursday December 13th. PLEASE remember to book your place so that we have enough Turkey and Christmas Pudding! Dates for the beginning of 2013 are Wednesday January 9th Thursday January 24th Wednesday February 13th Thursday February 28th Wednesday March 13th Thursday March 28th A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE Joan Bell 14

16 In Memoriam Walter Friedrich Griesau - affectionately know as Walter. We have all come here today to give thanks for the life of Walter Friedrich Griesau known to us all as Walter and you will all have come with your own unique memories of him... some will be of happy times and may well bring a smile to the lips in the remembering whilst others may be of more poignant times which may bring a tear to the eye... and that is fine and as it should be. But all these memories, happy or sad, unique to you alone or recalled by many... all of them I am sure will be filled with love because Walter was full of love and of care, God s love and care... He knew and experienced God s love and care in his own life and was committed to sharing it with others... The family would like to share with you a flavour of Walter's interesting and happy life, and this is written by them for me to read:- Walter was born on 25 th April 1926 to Liska and Karl Griesau, Karl was a superintendent in the police force. Walter was one of five children, he had a twin brother Karl and was brother to Ulrich, Giesla & Gutrune. Walter was born in Naumburg Germany which translated means New Castle, a beautiful walled city with a Town Hall and square with the River Saale running through it and a cathedral known as The Dom. The surrounding countryside was breathtaking - cornfields, vineyards and castles as far as the eye could see. Walter went to kindergarten and then on to Grammar school in Germany and regularly on Sundays after lunch he would walk about five miles with his father to a castle in Rudelsburg. At the age 17 in 1943 Walter joined the Air force as a trainee Engineer and like many German men with the onset of war had to go to war for his country. Subsequently he became one of many German soldiers to be captured on the French - Belgian border after he had parachuted from his plane. Originally he was transported with other Germans, Italians and Russians to Mellands Camp in Manchester and then later transferred to Tarporley Prisoner of War Camp along with a fellow German and friend Werner Lenz. During this time the POW's were transported to farms to work on the land and Walter would be transported to Norley to work at Rutter's farm on Fingerpost Lane. Walter started to self learn English. Alan Duncalf remembers Walter coming into the village. He would give Alan and his sister sweets and would speak to them in English and then speak to the other prisoners in German. After the war Walter's mother wrote to him and warned of the trouble in East Germany, Walter returned to Germany to be released from the Air Force but then returned to England where he stayed and became a British Citizen. Following his release from the Prisoner of War camp Walter lived at the Tigers Head and talked fondly of Jessie Hilditch the landlady, her son Malcolm a good friend and Ken Lloyd. He also lived at Fingerpost Farm above the dairy. He lodged with Mrs Starkey whilst working for Alan Dale and helped out at Mr Wilkinson's farm at the top of Breech Moss. He would have a regular Monday night supper with Mr and Mrs Wilkinson and family. 15

17 During this time Walter started to build many friendships, one in particular with Joyce Tilley who would go up to farm for milk and eggs when she knew Walter would be there; which led to their marriage in 1957 in Norley Chapel followed by a reception at the Village Hall. Walter's best man was Gerhard a close friend who was tragically killed in a car accident in the early 60's. Joyce and Walter moved into the cottage next door to Joyce's parents at Breech Moss and called the cottage Liska after Walter's Mother. In 1958, Steven their first son was born and in 1961 Peter was born. As a family they regularly travelled back to Germany for the family holidays and Walter showed them all the places he visited as a boy and told them stories about his childhood. Tragically in 1975 Walter, Joyce and Steven suddenly lost Peter at the age of 13 in an accident. In 1977 when Walter was 51 years old they were blessed with the birth of Wayne John. Wayne kept both Walter and Joyce young at heart. Visits to Naumburg were maintained and likewise Walter received visits to England from his brothers and sisters along with their extended families. In fact to this day Walter received a Naumburg newsletter from the Burgermeister, the Lord Mayor of Naumburg; which he always looked forward to and was keen to translate for Steve & Wayne. Walter was a loving father with a dry sense of humour but he would always be stern with the boys if they were silly or messed around especially when he was trying to teach them to speak German. Grandchildren then came along for Walter and in 1987 their first and only grandson Joe was born, followed by their only granddaughter Samantha in Family was everything to Walter and both he and Joyce enjoyed having family close by. They would look after Joe and Sam during school holidays and during term time would walk down to school to collect them. Walter enjoyed holidays and also visited Spain, Butlin's, Whitby, Eastbourne, Plymouth recently going up the Spinnaker Tower - and also Llandudno. Wayne had found a good hotel for them which they returned to a few times because Walter couldn't get over how good the food was and how well fed he was there. On the return from any holiday the first thing Walter would talk about would be how good the food was and what they had had to eat. He was a strong swimmer. Wayne recalls paddling in the sea and Walter scooping a jellyfish up in his hands and throwing it out of their way. Walter was also a sun worshipper and whenever the sun was out you would find Walter in the garden with his shirt off. Only this July whilst taking respite, Steven brought him home and he wanted to sit in his greenhouse and eat some of his tomatoes. Walter had spent nearly 70 years in Norley and had a strong bond with the village, good neighbours and a strong circle of friends from the village and Chapel which was important to Walter. He played an active part in village life. He played whist at the Village Hall in whist drives through the 60's and 70's, played bowls and regularly mowed the bowling green. He was on the rota at Chapel for car duty, collection duty and door duty. He was a regular attendee at the Sunday services. Walter was also keen to support the Village Hall and was seen on car parking duty at the village car boot sales and ran the bingo at the Hall on Monday evenings for many years. His love of food led him to attend the Safari Suppers for many years and also the Chapel weekends away and of course the Wednesday Club and the Open Door lunches. Joan Barclay often made Walter a cake or a loaf of bread which he always enjoyed. Walter loved gardening and always entered his tomatoes and vegetables in the village garden show. Walter was a hard worker and following his work on the farms post war he went to work for George Shone Builders in Chester where he worked for 20 years. He would take Steve and Peter to work with him sometimes on a Saturday and show them how to build before the days of hard hats, high visability jackets and before Health and Safety went mad. The job he loved the most was his work with Dave, Brian and Mark Lewis at ICI, where he had interaction with a lot of people and always had lots of stories to tell. Following his retirement in 16

18 his mid 60's he continued to work on the delivery of Meals on Wheels and spent a lot of time in his garden. Walter was keen to put his building skills into practice and helped Steve and Sheila renovate their first house. Steven says he learned everything he knows about DIY, building and decorating from his Dad. Walter also loved Sport. He was a keen follower of Speedway and supported the Ellesmere Port Gunners and made weekly trips in the 70's with Joyce, Peter & Steven & then later with the addition of Sheila. He also went to a number of live wrestling matches with his good friend Tommy Grindley. He also enjoyed watching golf, football, boxing and his favourite was Formula 1 Motor racing. During a stay in hospital this year he was keen to know what was happening with the Olympics. He had a lot of patience and enjoyed completing jigsaws with the help of Sammy. Walter enjoyed his Saturday morning trips to Ellesmere Port when he went to Asda for a big breakfast whilst Joyce shopped. Walter was a Royalist. He always liked to read the newspaper and watch the news to keep up to date with the Royal Family. He always had a sleep after his Christmas Lunch but would ask to be woken up at 3.00 for the Queen s address. Again he was keen to know what was happening with the Queen s Jubilee celebrations. He was fond of animals and would enjoy looking after Ros and Andrew's Cats and for many years looked after Steve and Sheila's dogs whilst they were on holiday. Walter was a quiet, gentle, Christian man who lived life to the full and family and friends were everything to him. He had good health and was strong but suffered a stroke 5 years ago but continued to garden, chop logs & climb ladders. The last 10 months have been a struggle for Walter, he has been in and out of hospital and rehabilitation homes, only spending weeks here and there at home, which was very hard for him as all he wanted to do was to be at home. Whilst at Atherton Lodge on respite 4 weeks ago he suffered a stroke and was taken to the Countess of Chester where he fought until the end. Steven, Sheila and Wayne say the 4 F's that were most important to Walter were FAMILY FRIENDS FOOD & MORE FOOD Oh! he also enjoyed a little tot of whiskey. 17

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20 In Memoriam Dorothy Johnson I am not sure how to begin it feels like such an impossible task to stand here and express just what a wonderful and remarkable person Grandma was or even begin to summarize the amazing things she managed to do with her life. So I am not going to instead I m going to share with you exactly what Grandma meant to me and the Grandma I knew, as we all have our own special memories. I always had this incredible strong bond with my Grandma and Grandad - as if our hearts and souls were physically connected somehow a force beyond love. But I only recently realized the figure Grandma represented in my life I knew that my Grandad was and is my inspiration and then it struck me the other week that my Grandma was and is my role model - my role model for the person I want to be and the role model for how to be the perfect lady. She somehow epitomized the perfect balance of being a true lady, elegant, sophisticated, a home maker, caring, a wonderful mother and grandmother and yet being so independent, intelligent, worldly, courageous and gutsy. Grandma always dressed impeccably and made such an effort at Christmas and special occasions she d bring out the glitter and glam and I always remember when I was younger the effort she went to when we went shopping on a Friday with Mum. We were only going to Stockton Heath yet there was Grandma beautiful and impeccable. I used to stand there and think wow no wonder she used to get hit on by old men in Morrisons! Grandma could cook and bake, she didn t need a recipe book and nor did we in our house. Mum used to say call Grandma it was like having your own Delia Smith on speed dial! She knew the exact measurements to everything off by heart. Grandma always cooked full blown meals every night even in her latter years. I know her trifle, her shredded wheat cakes, her African curry and many more legendary dishes will live on for generations! Although we haven t managed to master some of her dishes yet so we will have to keep trying She was famous for her dinner parties Mum told me how she would peek through the stairs when younger. Grandma was family orientated, revolving around her family her all and everything. I ll never forget my favorite memories at Christmas time all of us my family grandparents and cousins etc., all around the table to eat Grandma s fabulous lunch and her generosity and thought with the added extras like the Snowman. Best of all was Christmas morning and unwrapping the presents in their bed I often wish I was back in that bed unwrapping the presents. It s as though it was yesterday and it always will be because when people are so dear they never disappear or fade away and nor do the memories. Grandma would never forget the important things like friends. She loved her friends and loved giving and baking for them and she remained close to many throughout the decades including June, Bill and Gwen and many more. 19

21 Grandma loved animals from African parrots to dogs. Even in her late years her parrot would sit on her shoulder and her dog by her side. Grandma had a unique strong, all consuming love between her and my Grandad they were soul mates halves to a whole but boy was she was heck of a half! My Grandma was so intelligent she could have gone to university had circumstances been different. In fact she learnt Houser in 3 weeks in Africa! She was the best speller I ve ever know and in my house we didn t need a dictionary either we d call Grandma! She was Independent and gutsy and she went to Africa alone on a boat in the early 50s and had Aunty Judy by kerosene lamp and no doctor in the middle of tropical thunderstorm. She could do DIY and coped when Grandad worked overseas whilst she was in England. Grandma travelled and lived across the world She was a fighter and a half strong to the end fighting on defying medical science with her will power. Grandma was Miss Personality there was no one quite like Grandma! Katrina still giggles about her doing the splits in St Helens in late 60s and struggling to get back up. She always said it how it was she was strong willed and opinionated and she didn t beat around the bush and had an amazing sense of humor the last time I saw her she was so ill and frail yet she was still laughing about the funny things like Dan s nerves before his best man s speech at Max s wedding. She made up words so many that I grew up thinking they were real and didn t realize until I was well into high school. All I want to do now is call her up - I long to call her - we used to chat about the little things the weather, TV (we loved the same shows) and she was always interested what I was up to. How I long to call you Grandma just for one last chat. Grandma was always so interested in all her grandchildren I got a day by day account of Layla, Elle and Joe and all Jayne s news. I felt I lived next door and Grandma remembered and recalled every little detail she cared so much. One day I hope to be like you Grandma - the wise owl of the family. I just ask that you look down on us all and guide us through together until we are with you again. When my sister and I were younger and went to stay with my grandparents in St Helens we d sing a song as we approached their house asking where my Grandma and Grandad were. Well I know the answer now as they are together again. I will carry her with me, mind, heart and soul and Grandma I promise that I m going to aspire to be more like you - my role model - and achieve the things we discussed to live my dreams - as I know all her grandchildren will. Grandma believed in all her grandchildren so much that s why Grandma was unforgettable in every way and forever more, that's how she ll stay that s why darling Grandma it's incredible that someone so unforgettable thinks that we are unforgettable too. 20

22 A MUSICAL EVENING at Norley Methodist Church Saturday February 9 th at 7.00pm A variety of instrumental and choral items by artistes who are giving their time and talents free to raise funds for the church. Tickets 5 from Jean Dunning ( ) Café Church Come and enjoy fellowship, worship and refreshments in a café atmosphere in the church at 7.30pm on the following Wednesdays February 6 th March 6 th 21

23 Property Matters The kitchen is now essentially finished, and the new kitchen has met with approval from the Open Door lunch teams. We did get the huge grant we were looking for from the Circuit model trust many thanks Circuit - but were unsuccessful with our application to WREN. In total we obtained grants of Thanks to the gift day and the generosity of James and Hazel for asking for donations to the church kitchen for James 70 th (see the Autumn Outreach), enough had been raised for the installation to go ahead in September as planned. A lot of people from the Church besides the property steward put in a lot of work to achieve the successful conclusion. Thanks are due particularly to Phil Hough (for the skip), Peter Gates (for storage), John Dimelow & Lewis Dimelow (for dry walling & chimney removal), Anthony Davies & Heather Davies (for supervision and painting), Ruth Lane (for floor refurbishing), James Dale (for rubble removal), John and Joan Bell and Ruth Lane (for emptying the kitchen), quite apart from the Open Door Lunch teams (for restocking the kitchen) and of course all those who gave money. We will enjoy the kitchen for many years to come. The only other significant property work in the last 6 months has been the replacement of the cistern which cracked in one of the toilets. Bruce Lane Needed: Extra Sunday School teachers, door stewards, coffee makers, cleaners Could you offer one Sunday a month to help our young people explore their faith? Help with resources etc given. Are you able to welcome people on the door or serve coffee one week on alternate months Are you willing to come and clean one week 3/4 times a year? If so please let Rev Sue( ) or John Dimelow ( ) know. Henry Lewis Descendants 22

24 In the last issue of Outreach we showed the Henry Lewis plaque and reported that Ken and Jean had opened the Church for his descendants to view the plaque. This picture, received since, shows the descendants. Ken and Jean are on the picture Jean is a distant relative of Henry Lewis as well. Apparently the Henry Lewis family have only recently discovered each other (it s a long story) and were absolutely delighted by the reunion, the warm reception they received (don t panic, we didn t heat the Church), the singing, and the whole visit. 23

25 Church Weekend Away 2013 A booking for the next Church weekend away has been made at Willersley Castle, Cromford for the weekend of October 11 th - 13 th The booking forms will shortly be made available for completion and the request for deposits (by the middle of January) so please note the dates and prepare to indicate your wish to come and also pay the deposit required. This is needed so soon in advance so that we can secure the reservations. Volunteers to make the detailed arrangements and prepare the programme will be much appreciated a little later: We envisage that we will adopt a team approach as in 2012 and confirm the planning at the Church Council in March. Bruce Lane 24