| 8th | Sutcombe Bradworthy | 9.00am 10.00am | Holy Communion Choral Communion |
| 15th | Bradworthy Sutcombe | 10.00am 6.30pm | Communion and Baptism Harvest Thanksgiving - united service for church and chapel congregations |
| 22nd | Sutcombe Bradworthy | 9.00am 10.00am | Holy Communion Choral Communion |
| 29th | Bradworthy | 10.00am | Family Communion - united service for the parishes of Bradworthy, Abbots Bickington, Bulkworthy, Putford and Sutcombe. Please note the starting time! |
Throughout the past two months we have had several well supported events and services. Thanks to all who arranged these special occasion and to all who attended. The Church Fayre was particularly successful and we welcomed so many visitors. The people who run the community stall donated all proceeds on the day to the church, and this kind thought was genuinely appreciated.
We are now back in the church after some months in the Church Hall and as usual a warm welcome awaits all who venture through the door. The marriage of Chris Heard and Helen Wickett went well despite the scaffolding in and around the church. Thanks to Chris and Helen and their families for being so understanding and supportive.
The restoration work completed so took longer than anticipated. for the builders found many problems underneath the roof slates. Not least the poor design of the chancel roof trusses (C1850?) that had failed to prevent a significant flattening out of the roof and which, in turn, had pushed the walls out of line. When the slates were removed from the transept the builders discovered the roof well on the way to collapsing and they had to remove the rotting timbers by bucket. Fortunately all now seems well but it did mean extra time and money to resolve these problems.
Unfortunately the builders have now moved away for a while because of a lack of money to complete the project. A grant of around 65% enabled work to begin. but now English Heritage has insufficient funds and so work has stopped. We are due to have a meeting with English Heritage representatives and all others involved in a few days time, so we hope some arrangement can be reached to enable work to continue. The builders and architect have been more than helpful throughout the project, but I would like to offer particular thanks to church wardens Peter Lynch and Mike Wade for their enormous contribution. Bradworthy is not the only church affected, for I understand churches up and down the country are having similar problems.
In a recent lunchtime documentary shown on Carlton Television concerning the sale of Sutcombe Rectory the presenter stated that 1 had decided against living in the house. Not true! The economics of living in the house, complete with its Safari Park sized garden, made it financially impossible, and others in authority made the final decision. The new Rectory in Bradworthy is well under way and I hope that by next summer the existing Rectories at Bradworthy and Sutcombe will be sold and the new one finished.
If I can help in any way please do let me know at the Rectory or on 241411.
PS. Playing skittles the other night I had a good but very fortunate spare; sadly all my spares are fortunate! One of the opposing team asked. "Has he been going to church or something?"