When Chris Burch was Area Dean, the diocese provided funds for 8 hours a week of admin time, which helped release Chris to spend more time round the parishes of the City Deanery. Now he has handed over that extra responsibility, and the transitional grant (kindly provided again by the diocese) runs out at the end of 2010. But the Administrator (Rosemary Nicholls) is so good, we can’t do without her!

Chris Burch writes in the Appeal letter - “We estimate that we need £2400 a year to continue to pay our administrator. As well as taking notes at some meetings, she keeps our baptism, wedding and funeral records straight, types our invoices and correspondence, and produces our weekly Welcome Sheet. We would like her to produce an annual Newsletter for you the Friends – a promise we made two years ago, and haven’t kept through lack of capacity!
Twenty standing orders of £10 per month would bring us the £2400 we’re aiming for. Gift Aid would enhance them by between 20% and 30%.”

If you know of anyone who’d like to subscribe, please contact Chris Burch in the first instance. We already have two subscribers at £10 a month - only 18 to go!

Chris Burch in chat mode

But it wasn’t just a social occasion. It was an opportunity for us to get to know each other better, and a chance to say what we wanted from the church and what we might have to offer. Both young and old enjoyed a couple of hours sharing together and making new friends.

Some of the older…

…and some of the younger guests.

Paige Murray declaring the Festival open

Several food stalls were there (including English cream teas and Caribbean curry), but the most atmospheric was the Lesta-Zim BBQ - you could smell it everywhere, and the taste was delicious!

Hot dog anyone?!

By the way, it’s still not too late to send in your recipes for the Braunstone Recipe Book…

All in all it was a brilliant community-building event, with old friends and new coming together and having a great day out.

Ali, Paddy and Jo in the sunshine

Angelina Lang did some face-painting, and some of the children were so well disguised, they nearly got lost!

Angelina painting a little face

Margaret’s lovely grandchildren - before…

… and after!

As part of our Food Festival on 26th June we are collecting recipes in order to produce a Bumper Braunstone recipe book. So if you have favourite recipes, a family specials or a cheap and healthy meal ideas let us have them. You can either drop them off at the ‘Friends of St Peter’s’ stall or send them through to Chris Burch or Chris Florance.

It’s been a wonderful time. I’ve travelled in the USA and stayed in London. I’ve learned about US railroads and modelled British railways – I’ve listened to concerts and had a singing lesson, and have written two pieces that I hope people will enjoy at St Peter’s. One is a Psalm setting – Psalm 127 that begins – “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.” The other was inspired by the sound of the diesel horns on the massive freight trains that rumble through Birmingham Alabama and Elkhart Indiana – it’s called “The Alabama Freight Train Blues.”

You may remember that I received a grant from the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, and I’ve dedicated the Psalm setting to them (I think the words are quite appropriate to an insurance company…). I’ve also had good support – financial and otherwise – from Leicester Diocese, and although I haven’t written a Psalm for them, I’m still very grateful!

In the last few weeks, while I’ve been laying track on my railway layout or writing music on my computer, I’ve realized that living without any demands from outside me is still quite demanding! There’s the danger of drifting – also the feeling that no one really knows what I’m doing. I’ve needed to make myself sit down and pray at least part of Morning Prayer every day. And I’ve seen how important it is to stay connected with people – whether family, friends or people I’m writing to. That’s why travelling and staying with family and friends has been so important.

One trip we made was to Italy, Roz’s and my holiday together. We flew out at the beginning of May (just missing the volcanic ash) and enjoyed a week of warm but rather wet weather near Lake Garda (in the north of Italy) while England was shivering in that cold snap. Then we flew back (just avoiding the second lot of volcanic ash) and I’ve spent the last few days writing music and making a control panel for the railway.

Here’s a photo from Verona, where Romeo and Juliet lived…

Best wishes

Chris.