Acorns Spring 2015 - Goffs Oak Methodist Church

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GOFFS OAK METHODIST CHURCH, NEWGATESTREET ROAD, GOFFS OAK, HERTS , EN7 5SS
SPRING 2015
Harness the huskies and we’re ready to roll
Holiday Club turns into a polar expedition in August
It may be the height of summer in August, but for our intrepid Holiday Club team
it’s time to become Polar Explorers. For five days (17th-21st August), the church
hall will become a polar expedition base camp and all children aged between 5
and 11 will be invited to become explorers, led by the indomitable Sir Random
Fines.
Each day will be a mini expedition of the polar regions and the children will explore the lives of
New Testament characters. Through the lives of these people, they will learn that they are
never too anything to be part of God’s big expedition – to be
a friend of Jesus and go out to help other people to start
being friends of Jesus too.
The team of leaders will be the usual suspects who have been
striving for a week every August since as long ago as 1993. They
are looking to set up a record attendance this year by getting as
many young people as possible to join the expedition. Apart from
Sir Random there will be a team of ‘Huskies’ - adults who will
lead small groups of children through the activities. They will be
helped by ‘Junior Huskies’ – junior leaders and helpers – who will
assist with the groups which will bear the names of polar creatures. The ‘backroom’ staff will also consist of an IT wizard, a music maestro, refreshments producers, a drama leader a games coordinator, a foyer registration co-ordinator and many more.
It all promises to be a fantastic week, providing a manageable,
creative and enjoyable way of reaching out to children in our
neighbourhood with the welcoming love of Jesus. It can provide
an excellent opportunity to blow away any misconceptions about
God and the Bible and show that following Jesus can be a great
adventure..
If you are free that week and would like to help in any way,
please contact Jacqui, Alison, Barbara or me (editor). In the
meantime, if you have any snow or ski related equipment
which you’re not using in sunny August, please let us borrow
it for that week.
LOOK WHAT AWAITS YOU IN THIS SPRING EDITION OF Acorns.....!
P3
A membership treble
P5
P6
Chile update
Oaky Folky
P8/9
P13
Vote for the common good
P14
Bacon, bikes and books
Start from the top
Acorns
What’s happening in our
Church?
Sunday Services are held at
10.15am every Sunday and 6.30pm
(1st and 3rd Sundays of the Month)
Sunday Club - All youngsters are
welcome to come to Sunday Club at
10.15 am, where there is a variety
of activities. Sunday morning worship at 10.15 am is a mix of traditional and contemporary styles.
Holy Communion is held on the
1st Sunday morning and 3rd Sunday evening. Members of the Methodist Church, any other Church,
and those earnestly seeking faith,
are all welcome to take and share
bread and wine with us.
United Services are held on the
1st Sunday evening of each
month with St James’ Parish
Church, Goffs Oak. Check the
News Sheet for which location.
DON'T FORGET
OUR WEBSITE!
If you can access
the Internet, log
on to
www.goffsoakmethodis
tchurch.org.uk
David Batts is
supervising our
website, so please
log on regularly
and keep up to date
with what
is going on at
Goffs Oak
Methodist Church.
Current and past
Acorns also
on website!
Inspire Bible Fellowship is an informal evening Bible study, held on
the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings
at 6.30pm at the Church.
Prayer meetings are held at
10.30am each Friday - please ask
when you come to Church if you
wish to support this important part
of Church life. Check the News
Sheet for which location.
Tuesday Coffee Morning - Every
Tuesday there is a Coffee Morning
in the church lounge from 10.00 –
12.00 to which everyone is invited.
Introduction to Christianity,
Baptism, confirmation
(membership), weddings and funerals
These are a part of the life of the
Church, the community and its people. Those interested in discussing
any of these should contact the Minister.
Uniformed Organisations
The Scout and Guide communities are very active in Goffs Oak. Please
see the Hall for Hire page on the website for details of when and where.
Weddings and Funerals at our Church - For information regarding
costs, please contact Alan Combes, Minister, on 01992 762317. For
information regarding booking a hall please contact Frances Leybourne, on 01707 873957.
EDITORIAL
‘For behold, the winter is
past; the rain is over and
gone. The flowers appear
on the earth, the time of
singing has come, and the
voice of the turtledove is
heard in our land.‘
I’m not sure about the rain
being over, but winter is
certainly past and I have
seen quite a few cooing
collared doves in my garden recently. But there is
no doubting the sheer optimism expressed in this
well-known observation
on spring in Song of Solomon. It’s very catching.
The snowdrops, then daffodils and primroses have
appeared in all sorts of
places and the renewal of
flora and fauna is inspirational. It tells us that we
can have our own ‘Spring’
and experience that spiritual renewal which we all
need from time to time.
Again, I must thank everyone who has submitted
items and ideas for
Acorns and ask that you
keep them coming to
[email protected]. Thanks
also to Call Print of Hertford for their vital contribution and also, of
course, to Maureen for
her eagle-eyed proof reading.
Bryan King - Editor
Are you 50+?
The 50+ club meets on Wednesdays,
2.00pm to 3.30pm at the Rosedale
Free Church, Andrews Lane,
Cheshunt. They have various
activities each week.
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New members - the life blood of our Church
‘Stronge’ representation at confirmation service
There can be few things more satisfying in the ministry than the joy of welcoming new members into the church family. Our minister, Alan ,had the pleasure of
doing just this not just once, but on two occasions!
At the Circuit Confirmation Service at Edmonton Methodist Church on Sunday, 15th
February, Alan, along with Rev Papa Owusu, Rev Louise Morrissey, pictured below,
welcomed two of our Goffs Oak
youngsters, Aretha and Adele
Stronge. During the service, both
were confirmed and received into the
membership of the Methodist Church
and specifically Goffs Oak Methodist
Church, which can support its members in their discipleship and enable
them to support others. The promise
of mutual support is one of Methodism's strengths. When you become a
member a pastoral visitor or a class
leader is responsible for visiting you
and offering spiritual support, encouragement and challenge.
After a long, but enjoyable service, Adele, Aretha and another ten young people from
around the circuit who were also becoming members, joined with the ministers and the
rest of the congregation for a hot supper.
The other happy Confirmation day happened on Easter Sunday, when Valerie
Kimber, who has become an integral part of our church in recent months, was
welcomed into membership of our church by Alan.
Let us pray that these wonderful occasions are the beginning of a long, happy and successful
relationship between Adele, Aretha and Valerie and our Church for many years to come.
Adele and Aretha looking very happy during their service!
Stars of TV and Radio News
raise vital funds
Action for Children were the chief beneficiaries of London’s most
popular annual charity events, the Ultimate News Quiz, which took
place on 12th March and saw 5 News crowned the ultimate news
champions.
The ninth Ultimate News Quiz, sponsored by the Premier League,
brought together the great and the good of TV and radio news - along
with a number of corporate teams to battle it out to be crowned the
kings and queens of news trivia.
The charity event, organised by a
committee from across the industry, raised £91,500, bringing the
total raised throughout the years
to more than £600,000 for Action
for Children and Restless Development, which will help support
children and young people in the
UK, Africa and Asia.
Quizmaster for the night was broadcasting legend Michael Buerk, with
Grayson Perry guest-hosting a special round. After eight gruelling rounds of questions, 5 News came first, CNN second and joint
third place was awarded to ITV News and Sky News.
Martha Kearney, co-founder of the Ultimate News Quiz and BBC Radio 4 presenter, said: “The Ultimate
News Quiz has grown dramatically over the years and tonight saw over 300 people battle it out to see
who really knows their facts from the fiction.”
“It was an excellent night to raise funds for two very worthy charities, Action for Children and Restless
Development. It was a tight battle but we were thrilled to award 5 News the ultimate news champions
for 2015.”
Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Editor, 5 News and the winning team said: “I'm tremendously proud of our
team in winning tonight's trophy. It just shows that small is beautiful. And to win as well as raising
money for great causes is a double victory.”
News broadcasters including Jon Snow, Martha Kearney, Natasha Kaplinsky, Lucy Manning,
Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Matt Barbet recreated a “news selfie” to send best wishes on Twitter
to last year’s host Nick Robinson who posted his own “ultimate news selfie” from the event a
year ago
Other auction prizes ranged from being chairman of Chelsea Football Club for the day, to lunch with
former Chancellor Lord Lamont, to a hamper filled with delights from the great and good of broadcasting
including: honey from passionate beekeeper Bill Turnbull, honey biscuits from Martha Kearney, eggs
from Alastair Stewart’s chickens, a bottle of House of Lords whisky signed by Lord Grade of Yarmouth,
banana bread baked by Kirsty Wark, a knitted scarf using wool from Natasha Kaplinsky’s alpacas, marmalade from Baroness Jenkin and a chocolate cake from Mary Nightingale.
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An Irish legend
Donal
Lunny
(Born
10th
March 1947 in
Tullamore,
County Offaly)
is an Irish folk
musician
who
has been at the
forefront of the
evolution
of
Irish traditional
music for more than 35 years and
has participated within the renaissance of that genre during that period.
His family moved to Newbridge, County
Kildare and as a teenager, Donal joined a
band called 'Rakes of Kildare', with
Christy Moore. In 1972 Donal, with
Christy Moore, Andy Irvine & Liam
O'Flynn, formed the group Planxty. Their
first professional performance was in
Slattery's Pub in Dublin and the band became a leading force of Irish traditional
instrumental music for the next ten years.
In 1974, Donal left Planxty to form The Bothy
Band, playing guitar and bouzouki. The Bothy
Band quickly developed a reputation as one
of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. They disbanded in 1979, but
their virtuosity and enthusiasm continues to
have a major influence on the traditional
scene in Ireland to this day.
After the Bothy Band disbanded, Donal became involved in many projects as a session
musician and in 1981 Donal reunited with
Christy Moore to form 'Moving Hearts' along
with a young uilleann piper, Davy Spillane. In
2008 and 2009 the group performed several
concerts in Ireland and the United States.
Other projects worthy of mention are Coolfin,
in 1998 and multicultural group Mozaik, from
2002. Donal continues to contribute tirelessly
to contemporary music in Ireland, touring with
many musicians, including Zoe Conway and
Mairtin O'Connor.
Donal also learned keyboards and mandolin
and became a producer. He co-founded Mulligan Records and produced and played on
many of the early releases. He played on several Christy Moore albums and was a producer
& session musician on Kate Bush albums. He
composed music for several films as well and
produced albums for Paul Brady, Elvis
Costello, Rod Stewart, Indigo Girls, Sinead
O'Connor, Clannad, Maurice Lennon, Baaba
Maal and Five Guys Named Moe. As an arranger, he has worked for The Waterboys,
Fairground Attraction and Eddi Reader.
Son of
‘Folk at
the Oak’
by Phil
Seaman
Donal has some claim to
popularising the bouzouki
in the Irish music sphere.
He started out by playing
the traditional flat-backed
version. However, he
found this uncomfortable
and so designed a lutelike round-backed version
which remains popular to
this day.
Donal is married to Japanese musician Hidebo
Itami, a member of the musical group Soul Flower
Union and the couple now make their home in Okinawa, Japan. They have a daughter, Sora Chan.
He has children from an earlier relationship. Son
Oisin and daughter Cora Venus are both respected
musicians. He also had a son, Shane, with Sinead
O'Connor.
In addition to his musical activities, Donal is a
skilled gold-and-silversmith, who trained at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin.
“Vote for the common good”
Anglican leader urges Christians to resist political
narratives which appeal to self-interest
Delivering a keynote address to nearly 400
people at the Love your neighbour: Think,
Pray, Vote conference, Justin Welby,
Archbishop of Canterbury, has urged
Christians to resist political narratives that
appeal to self interest and vote for the common good. In his thoughtful speech,
Archbishop Justin said: "It's impossible to
love Jesus Christ and not to care about the
welfare of people in every respect."
News from ….
The Archbishop went on to appeal for us to be
positive and avoid 'miserablism', arguing that it is
imperative for all to exercise their vote - for political
activity is the only way to achieve the type of society that we say we want, saying: "If we don't vote
we share responsibility for the apathy and cynicism
in our politics."
The Conference has been organised by the
Joint Public Issues Team, which combines the
expertise of the Baptist Union, the Methodist
Church and the United Reformed Church in the
area of public issues.
Mr John Ellis, Moderator of the General Assembly
of the United Reformed Church commented:
"Archbishop Justin showed how we should view
politics through a lens of the Gospel: If we did that
we would never succumb to apathy or the temptation to demonise individuals or political parties instead we would honour the positive and support
all those seeking the common good. So, as Christians we stay hopeful, with a stronger motivation to
use the political process to fight injustices."
The busy programme included a lively Q&A session immediately after the Archbishop's speech,
reflective worship and a closing keynote speech
from the Revd Ruth Gee, former President of the
Methodist Conference, which built on the core
messages of the day: Think, pray, vote - and
act. Delegates also had the opportunity to attend
workshops on poverty, communications, building a
relationship with your MP, grounding politics in
faith, immigration, climate change, preaching and
praying social justice and peacemaking.
Rachel Lampard, Joint Public Issues Team Leader,
said: "It's been a wonderfully thought provoking
and challenging day. I hope that people will go
home excited, enthused and strengthened in their
commitment to think, pray and vote. To tell Christians that they should not be involved in the political life of this nation is to tell them to stop being
followers of Jesus Christ who has told us to love
God and to love our neighbours."
The Conference also saw the launch of the
Love Your Neighbour: Think, Pray, Vote Election pack, produced by the Joint Public Issues
Team together with the Church of Scotland.
The pack explores four themes for the election - Truth, Justice, Peace and Wellbeing through short films, postcards, prayers and
Bible Studies and is designed for use in
churches and small groups in the four weeks
immediately before the General Election in
May.
Commending the resources, the Revd Phil Jump,
Regional Minister of the North Western Baptist
Association and member of the Joint Public Issues Team, said: "Our hope and vision is that
every member of our churches will enter the polling booth on Election Day, conscious that above
everything else, they are called to be followers of
Jesus."
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The finished article
At last - in its entirety - the definitive picture of our complete stained-glass
window. Joanne took the photograph and, with Alan’s help, managed to get a
shot uninterrupted by the hanging lights in front of the window! She then did
some work on the image using her lap-top and the result is here in all its
colourful glory, complete with the dedication frames to the Queen for her
Diamond Jubilee and to Hazel Clark, whose husband, Don, did so much to
make the stained-glass window dream come true. If you’re looking at this in
colour you are seeing it at its best. But even in black and white, I’m sure you’ll
agree that it is pretty impressive!
One of the delightful features of the clever positioning of the window is the
light on a sunny day shining through the window onto the opposite wall, as
depicted by the two photographs below. The light shines evocatively on the
wooden cross just at the time when the congregation arrives for a Sunday
morning service!
The latest from Chile
Luke, Mary, Barnabas and Martha keep us up-to-date with their
wonderful Chilean mission
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Budget tax reforms leave poor countries
out in the cold, says Christian Aid
Christian Aid sees little in the UK Chancellor’s recent Budget Speech, or the European Commission’s new plan on tax transparency, to make a difference to the tax dodging which
drains billions from developing countries every year.
The Chancellor announced a string of measures on tax avoidance and evasion but Christian
Aid believes that to really close the net on big companies avoiding their fair share of tax, the
UK should introduce a comprehensive Tax Dodging Bill.
“We are pleased to see politicians trying to tackle rampant tax dodging,” said Joseph Stead, Christian Aid’s Senior Economic Justice Advisor.
“However, at all the points at which both UK and EU could have decided to help developing countries, they flunked it.
“In relation to tax dodging, the UK and EU appear to believe that we are not all in it together - developing countries are on their own.”
On the Government’s plans to introduce country-by-country reporting requirements for multinational companies, firms should have publicly to report the information. Failure to do this means few
developing countries will benefit from the information being given to the UK’s tax authority.
“Keeping this crucial information hidden from public eyes means that developing countries are never going
to get the information they need to tackle tax dodging,” warned Mr Stead.
However, Christian Aid is hopeful that further UK Government plans, to introduce a new criminal offence of
helping others to evade tax, could make a difference for people living in poverty in developing countries.
“We urge the Government to consider how to make such a new law work for the world’s poorest people,
who also suffer grave harm at the hands of tax evaders and their professional advisers,” added Mr Stead.
“The new offence could easily be made to apply wherever in the world the crime happens, in the same way
as the UK Bribery Act already does.”
Commenting on the European Commission’s new plans for greater tax transparency in Europe, he added:
“For the sake of developing countries and the trust of taxpayers all over Europe, the EU needs to improve its
tax transparency.
“(The budget) announcement is only tiptoeing in
the right direction. With the President of the
Commission narrowly avoiding censure for overThe EU’s Environment Council has confirmed its official seeing decades of dodgy tax deals, Europe
submission to the UN on its contribution to the global cli- needs to do a lot more in the coming year to
mate deal to be signed in Paris this December.
show it is serious about tax transparency.”
EU climate contribution: a good first step
but risky strategy, says Christian Aid
Christian Aid’s Senior Political Advisor, Tom Viita, said:
“The EU is submitting its contribution for climate action
ahead of schedule, which is a positive step. However this is
only their opening gambit and the EU will need to play its
cards well if it is going to help secure an ambitious deal in
Paris. Today’s announcement makes no mention of climate
finance or adaptation support for vulnerable countries.
“The EU will need to offer concrete proposals on these issues and leaving it until the last minute in Paris is a high
stakes gamble with a global deal on the line.
“The EU has in the past been a leader in these negotiations
and if it wants to reforge its alliance with the poorest and
most vulnerable countries it needs to offer more than just
cuts to emissions. The European Council needs to focus on
finance and adaptation well before Paris.”
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Coming soon at a venue
near you!
Ruth’s Recipe of the Season
Creamy asparagus chicken
Serves 4
Holiday Club Meeting: Tuesday, 5th May,
7.00pm - at the church. Anyone interested in
helping in any way is most welcome to attend.
Free Concert: Saturday, 2nd May, 12.00noon at St James’s Church. See Page 2 for further details.
Coffee morning in aid of Christian Aid: Tuesday, 5th May, 10.00am to 12.00noon. This will
include a Bring and Buy Sale and a home-made
cake stall, including marmalade, jam, etc. Your
support will be much appreciated.
Christian Aid Week: Sunday, 10th to Saturday
16th May. We are in urgent need of more collectors, in particular for house-to-house collections.
Pentecost: Sunday 24th May - this year Pentecost coincides with Wesley Day, the anniversary
of John Wesley's heart-warming experience back
in 17:38. This will be a special service to mark
the events.
District Testimony Service: Sunday, 17th May
at 6.30pm at Wesley's Chapel for Alan and other
probationer ministers from the London District
going forward for ordination at this year's Methodist Conference in Southport: As many as possible are encouraged to travel to Wesley's Chapel
in London for this very special event.
Ingredients
500g baby new potatoes, halved
4 skinless chicken breasts
1tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
350ml chicken stock
Small bunch of tarragon
175g asparagus, trimmed
3tbsp crème fraiche
Salt and pepper
Method
1) Boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and keep warm in the saucepan.
2) Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the
chicken and gently fry for about 5 minutes until
lightly browned, turning once. Add the onion
and garlic and cook for a further few minutes.
3) Pour over the stock, add 2 sprigs of tarragon
and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the asparagus and cook for a further 5 minutes until everything is cooked through.
4) Chop the remaining tarragon and add to pan
with the crème fraiche. Heat through until
bubbling.
5) Serve with the warm new potatoes and enjoy!
Answers to Spring Quiz on P15:1. B: 2. D: 3. A: 4. D
Ruth Storey (née King)
When the Spirit Moves
Have you ever sat in church wondering what people are on about when they refer to the Spirit moving them?
Have you ever found yourself reacting to what’s being said, but not really understanding where that reaction is
coming from?
Sometimes the language we use as Christians is vague, confusing and even scary for those
who are new to the Christian faith. It can be equally daunting when in spite of being a Christian for many years, we find ourselves being moved/stirred in a way we have never been before. As Jesus prepared his disciples for the events that were to unfold in Jerusalem in what
is commonly called his ‘farewell discourse’ in the Gospel of John, he explains that he will be
leaving them, but that the ‘Comforter’ will come. Jesus is explaining the coming of the Holy
Spirit. He explains that through the Spirit, the disciples will gain a new understanding, and
new powers. More importantly, he explains that unless he goes, the comforter cannot come.
Why is that so important? The work of the Holy Spirit within each believer allows each one
of us to achieve what would otherwise be impossible. We are guided and inspired to do
God’s will instead of just what we want to do.
I have been aware of the Holy Spirit at work within my own experience and it is exciting,
scary, inspiring and sometimes even a little daunting – yet as a local preacher in training, it
never ceases to amaze me how a message comes together after reading Bible passages that
initially didn’t seem to inspire at all. As ‘church’ in the 21st century, we need to reconnect
with that raw inspiration that the Holy Spirit gives us and be more aware of where it is leading. All to often we are swept along in a river of routine, bounded by banks of tradition and
culture, when what we need to do is get back to basics and rediscover again what the power
of the Holy Spirit can achieve when we allow it to touch us. I think of that song, ‘Spirit of
the living God, fall afresh on me’ and how it goes on to invite the Holy Spirit to ‘break me,
melt me, mould
me, fill me’.
When we let go
of self will and
open ourselves
to its influence,
then we can finally become the
character God
wants us to be
and we glimpse
for the first time
what being part
of his Kingdom
is all about.
Joanne Mead
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Read this first . . .
Many of you have been enquiring about the ‘Poet Laureate of Benington’ Nicky Phillips, whose moving poem, ‘Trapped’ was published in Winter Acorns. So, to keep your
thirst for Nicky’s poetry quenched, here is another one. My advice is to read it
through from the top, before looking at the later verses. I know this is the normal way
to read poetry anyway, but it would enhance your appreciation of the poem if you
were not aware in advance of the final line. Then, read it all again!
I feel I should address you by your full name:You first came into my consciousness
some long time ago, twenty years maybe.
I’d heard a bit about you before then
but our circles hadn’t overlapped.
Then a good friend of mine grew close to you
but left without letting you sort things out.
She talked about you with such enthusiasm,
bright-eyed, radiant with expectation.
I learned from her about your work,
which I admire immensely;
it’s everywhere these days.
You touch so many lives.
You’re the sort my mum might have liked:
strong, focussed, the helpful type,
though with quite a destructive streak.
Mum was before your time but
things worked out for her nevertheless.
Last week we met again, you and I.
We weren’t formally introduced
but I sat in with you and my friend Charlie.
Much as I respect and am in awe of you,
I’d rather not get to know you well keep a distance, not become familiar.
So as I show appreciation of all you do,
I’ll use your full name. Thank you, Chemotherapy.
Nicky Phillips
The background to this poem is fascinating. Some years ago Nicky accompanied her good
friend Rita who was in hospital having a chemotherapy session. They talked about the treatment and Rita mentioned that the playwright Alan Bennett, who had chemotherapy for cancer, never felt he could be so familiar with the treatment that he could abbreviate it to just
‘chemo’. This triggered Nicky to write this poem which was later published in a book called
‘Heart Shoots’ - an anthology to aid the work of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Piggy picture brings home the bacon
On a wedding anniversary trip to a Norfolk pig
farm with his wife Denise, David Smith, son of
GOMC Coffee Morning regular Kit Smith, took
a photograph which eventually appeared on
prime-time national television.
The picture called, ‘Piglets on Parade’ was featured
on the BBC programme ‘Countryfile’, when it was
chosen out 32,000 entries to be one of the 12 finalists. The real crackling came, though, when it was
picked by public vote to be the cover photograph
for the 2015 Countryfile charity calendar.
Countryfile presenter John Craven took David and
Denise back to the pig farm before revealing the
winner.
“It’s a fantastic thing to happen,” said former Goffs
David and Denise show the prize winning photograph
with John Craven
Oak resident David, who also won £1000 worth of
camera equipment.
“It was my wife’s idea to enter because the competition theme was ‘animal magic’ - even though I’d taken her to a pig farm for
our anniversary….I’m just an old romantic!”
In a rasher moment John Craven revealed that he might feature the piggy picture on his new programme
‘News Rind,’ before entering it in ‘The Great British Bacon Off’. It has to be said, though, that our sauces
for this information are mainly apple.
From bikes to books
Selling a book in Goffs Oak about Goffs Oak
Like many people in or around the village you may have wondered why what
was formerly a bicycle shop started to sell books under the same name, Whiskers.
The answer lies in the dog fraternity. Any the wiser? Let me explain:- Andrew Whiskers walks his dog over the fields at Tewin
where he lives. He often meets Michael Clark who does the same.
Michael writes and publishes books from his home in Tewin and
his recent collaborative adventure has been writing a book called
Cuffley & Goffs Oak, with Patricia Klijn, pictured on the right outside the shop. Andrew, with brother David are still in the bicycle
business operating in Welwyn, but the future of the Goffs Oak
shop is still undecided.
Patricia, a book and crafts specialist, grew up in Cuffley at the
Novelties toy and book shop and she asked her book collaborator Michael to approach Andrew, with a view to letting her run the old bicycle shop as a temporary book and craft outlet up to Christmas. He agreed. Christmas came and went; sales went well
and the rest, as they say, is history.
The shop is still going from strength to strength and operates from 10.00 am to 4.00pm from Monday to
Saturday. The book Cuffley & Goffs Oak is on sale, of course, in the shop as well as at Wackett’s Newsagent
in Station Road, Cuffley. It can also be obtained on-line from tewinorchard.co.uk.
15
Quiz page
A quiz for Spring
1.
What is the first day of Spring
called?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Spring Solstice
Vernal Equinox
Easter Equinox
Easter Solstice
2.
Around what day does Spring begin in the northern hemisphere?
A)
B)
C)
D)
April 21
May 21
February 21
March 21
3.
Which holiday does not occur
during Spring?
A)
B)
C)
D)
St :Patrick’s Day
Mothers’ Day
Fathers’ Day
Easter
4. During the first day of Spring, where
does the sun rise and set?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Thank you for such a fantastic response to the
Hertfordshire Towns and Villages quiz from the
Winter edition of Acorns. As a reward I have
listed the answers on the right and added a few
more (below) for your deliberation. Remember,
the answers are all either towns or villages in
Hertfordshire. For your information, only one
reader answered all 24 puzzles correctly! Many
more had just one or two wrong.
A
B
C
D
E
F
“Was that the bell?”
“Come down, Maleficent!”
Sounds like no baldies here!
Vikings got no further.
Football club loses its villa.
“That tree doesn’t come from
‘eaven!”
G A very good gardener.
H The Arctic ice is melting!
I
Just a teeny weeny river-crossing.
J Where the clangers drink.
Answers next time!
Rises in south, sets in north
Rises in north, sets in south
Rises in west, sets in east
Rises in east, sets in west
*Answers on P11
Answers to Winter Acorns quiz:1.
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Does the healthy actor feel sick?
Welham Green
Stripy creature begins to live.
Broxbourne
Remove the ‘shire’.
Hertford
“- - - - - - - deliver!”, said Dick Turpin?
Standon
Sounds like shelter at the end of your sleeve
Cuffley
Might senior monks fly from here?
Stanstead Abbots
Like a shrub.
Bushey
Eleanor rested not far from here.
Waltham Cross
No more H2O!
Water End
Not a fair for bald men!
Barnet
Spanish gentleman from Eastern Germany
Essendon
Where the pot-maker drinks
Potters Bar
Serves all your orbital travelling needs.
South Mymms
Chilly on 25th December?
Cold Christmas
Dog communication method.
Barkway
Sausages!
Braughing
Creased-up on the edge of a hill.
Puckeridge
Where to grow your bowlers and bonnets
Hatfield
Victorian prison transplanted?
Newgate Street
The value of a hay stacker.
Rickmansworth
In the depths of the back yard, but where’s the cathedral? Welwyn Garden City
Ask the way for the pedlar’s fare?
Ware
Keepin’ your shorts up?
Hitchin
Hang out the little flags and cross the river
Buntingford
Spring Fun Double Page . . .For the young at
heart!
Not all church newsletters are proof-read as well as our own. Combing through bulletins from a variety of church notices, our team of researchers, led by Sheila Dorling, have discovered the following hilarious errors:Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of
several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment
and gracious hostility.
Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5.00pm - prayer and medication to follow.
This evening at 7.00pm we will be singing in the park across the
road from the church. Please bring a blanket and be prepared to sin.
A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall.
Music will follow.
The minister would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation
would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next
Sunday.
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased
person you want remembered.
Our minister unveiled the church’s new campaign slogan last Sunday: “I upped my pledge. Up yours!”
For those of you who don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
Next Thursday there will be auditions for the choir. They need all
the help they can get.
Aren’t we lucky to have Lesley and David!
Funny
Spring
jokes?
- the jury’s out!
Q. When do
monkeys fall
from the sky?
A. During Ape-ril
showers
Q: Can February
March?
A: No, but April
May
Q: Why is
everyone so tired
on April 1?
A: Because
they've just finished a long, 31
day March
Q: What season is
it when you are
on a trampoline?
A: Spring-time
Q: What flowers
grow on faces?
A: Tulips (Twolips)
Q: Why is the
letter A like a
flower?
A: A bee (B)
comes after it!
Q: When do
people start using
their trampoline?
A: Spring-Time
OK. I think I get
the message. Back
to the drawing (or
writing) board! I
bet
you
can
hardly wait for
the
Summer/
Autumn jokes
- Ed
17