Connecting June 2013 Vol 2.2

‘But what did you actually do?’ someone asked me when we returned from the Diss Parcevall Hall retreat.

There are understandable misconceptions about ‘retreats’ and this is a great pity because many people would benefit – and even enjoy the experience. The secret of success where a ‘retreat’ is concerned is not to be ’doing’ but simply to ‘be’. What is needed is a comfortable venue and good food, with the opportunity for quietness as well as, for those who need it, some direction for their thoughts and spiritual guidance at hand for the asking.

Our retreat was not silent. We worshipped (four times a day), ate and had plenty of fellow-ship together, with the added pleasure of the opportunity to explore the beautiful York-shire Dales countryside, visit Fountains Abbey, and dabble in the craft room (I became hooked on Origami!). Revd Maggie

Services 8.00am Communion

10.30am Eucharist 6.00pm Evensong

Church Bulletin howlers

The Fasting and Prayer

Conference includes meals

Don’t let worry kill you off

-Let the Church help.

Pot Luck Supper in the

Church Hall next Sunday.

Prayer and medication to

follow. Bob Moodie

This beautiful new cross was made by a member of

the congregation and presented to Diss Church

Junior School, your local school, when the children

came to worship in St. Mary’s on Maundy

Thursday. It was carried carefully and proudly back

to school and now stands on the display table near

the entrance. Midge Davidson

News from the Junior School

Parish Registers

Funerals John Jackson: 9th May Valerie Gillett: 10th May Lilian May Corbyn: 16th May Jean Lincoln:21st May

In Praise of Retreating

Page 2

This month, while many celebrate Father’s Day, there will be a group of people spending this special day without their father and we

have commissioned a special book of memories from which people may draw comfort by expressing how they feel or sharing prayers, poems, thoughts and inspirational sayings. Anyone who has been bereaved of their father can contribute to the book, and children and young people are also encouraged. The pages will be kept for many years and will be a testament to the understanding and acceptance that comes with the passing of seasons. You do not have to be profound! You may wish to include your thoughts and feelings about your father's death as well as any special memories you have of his life. Share how he made you feel and the special things he did for you. Just to say you are remembering someone special is enough. There will be a Father’s day book of memories in Rosedale Funeral Home, 63 Victoria Road, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4JE.

We have also purchased 100 beautiful “peace” rose bushes from Peter Beales Roses for families to take away and plant in memory of their father. If you would like to receive a rose, please contact us to reserve one as numbers are limited.

The roses and the book of memories will be available in the week prior to Father’s Day and we will also be open on the Sunday morning between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon for those wishing to contribute on the day.

And in the days surrounding Father’s Day, remember it’s OK to grieve for your father in your own way. Many people grieve outwardly, through tears and expressed emotions, while others grieve inwardly and keep the hurt they feel to themselves. If talking or writing about the situation makes you feel better, then you should express yourself but remember that in the early days of a loss, you aren't obligated to anyone to tell them how you feel. There is no right way to grieve.

Advertising 2013/14 Contact The Parish Office

advertsmanager@ dissparishchurch.org

For some time now the people from our church family have put on events for the general public to enjoy, and enjoy them they do. This year, for the first time, a small committee have worked to put on a summer fete, with local businesses working along side the family of our parish. So, on Saturday 6th July, 10am-2pm, St. Mary's Community Fete will take place around the church grounds. This large event will be opened by Major Graham Goody from Company A Royal Anglian Regiment, and that establishes this parish church keeping links with the 'Vikings' who were given the freedom of Diss last November. Park Radio will host this four hour occasion and you can also enjoy entertain-ment from the Castleton Brass Band and Felix Simpson, the town’s popular singer. New for this occasion will be a 'Ready Steady Cook' competition. There are a good number of stalls/tables, a finger buffet run by the W.I., refreshments of all sorts, and the popu-lar 'Hog Roast' which went very quickly last year.

As always, the whole set up relies on you good people to come along and help, espe-cially with putting up the tables on the morning and packing them away after 2pm. You really need to come along to see for yourselves the amount of exhibits from local businesses who have welcomed the opportunity to come and join in, and they all agree that working close to this very active parish church of Diss is a refreshing change. This committee has met once a month since last November and had a lot of laughs but calmly just got on with the job of producing what you will see on July 6th. Even at this late stage anyone who wants to help, whether it is to man a stall or generally help out throughout the event then please speak to the committee who are Revd John Pares, Barbara Roberts, Terry Gilbert or myself Gerry Hosking. Looking forward to seeing as many of you with your friends on that hopefully dry and sunny day, fingers crossed.

Gerry

Magazine copy for June by June 13th

Email: ridgersupersaint@aol.com or leave in

Editors pigeon-hole in St Mary’s Hall

Working with the Community

Fathers Remembered

Chyme Concert at St Mary’s Church, Diss Saturday June 14th at 7pm

Adults £4 Children £3 Family £10

April 17th was the day that we had been looking forward to for our Spring walk. I say Spring because the weather was not anything like spring at the moment. We have really had a difficult time with fog, floods, snow and ice. However, we have been very lucky and escaped the worse on the days we walked. In retrospect

the dense fog at Stanton in November caused concern for the recce team as they could have done with a guiding star! Never the less, those who went on the Dickleburgh walk in January were well rewarded with deep snow and fantastic views, perfect for the camera.

So what of today, 22 eager souls clocked in at the Kings Head at Woodton (near Bungay) and ordered their lunch. We set off to the south and immediately were aware of a strong wind in our faces. Yes, there had been gale warnings and we were experiencing some of that, how-ever, it was a mild flow of air and it was already having an effect on the countryside. Hedgerows were coming into leaf, with plenty of small blossom, primroses in nearly every ditch with cowslips the supporting cast. A drink at half time gave us the chance to watch two hares cavorting in the field. My, can they run!! Yes Spring is on it s way and the best indicators were the bumble bees, they were every where and had been drawn out of their winter quarters. Another indicator of spring is to

Volume 2, Issue 2.2 Page 3

listen for special little birds, on our walk there is a large area of woodland we walk beside namely Sexton Wood we stopped to listen and soon we heard the call of the Chiff Chaff a small warbler which had made the journey from North Africa. There were quite a few in the wood, a sign that spring is just around the corner.

We turned and headed north and immediately had the wind at our backs. It had been a most enjoyable walk but now the pace began to increase. Was that lunch that we could smell in the air?

The Birds and the Bees

Diss library is very pleased to welcome local historian Eliza-beth Budd to give a talk on Diss in Archives; Family & local history in real records, from parish registers to poor rates,

apprenticeship to assisted emigration at the library at 6pm on Thursday 13th June. This is a free event and tickets will be available from the library. There will also be a display of local photos from the Picture Norfolk collection; do drop in to look at these even if you can't get to the talk as we have some fairly recent photos in this collection and you may recognise someone!

June 24th- 30th is national Book Start week. Book Start gifts a bag of books to all babies and toddlers to encourage reading together. On Thursday 27th June 10.30 - 12 noon there will be a Stay and Read session at the library where parents, carers and grandparents can discover some new picture books to share with the little ones, and maybe re-discover some old favourites at the same time.

For library opening times and more information on all our events and services visit: www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries, or call Diss library on 01379 642609

CANNELLS

48 MERE STREET

DISS

01379 642020

www.cannells.co.uk

Emailcyril@cannells.co.uk

NORFOLK BEEF WITH ID PASSPORTSLOCAL PORK &

LAMB

ALL BACON CURED IN SUFFOLK

SAUSAGES, PIES, BURGERS

READY MEALS

ALL MADE ON THE PREMISES

Diss in Archives

St. Mary the Virgin , Diss

The Rector The Reverend Canon Tony Billett (also Surrogate for issue of Marriage Licences) disschurch2@btconnect.com 642072 Curate The Reverend John Pares j.pares@virginmedia.com 07969 020817 Assistant Curate/Parish Secretary The Rev. Margaret Swayze, St. Mary’s Hall, Diss secretary@dissparishchurch.org 643783 Office hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every weekday (Mon. to Fri. inclusive)

I was reading an autobiography by Jimmy Perry, co-creator of Dad's Army. He said that when he was at

prep school the boys did not even know what each other's Christian names were. Nor would they have told anyone. When I was at the Grammar School the boys were still known by their surnames and the girls by their Christian names. Now all state school pupils are known by their Christian names. Surnames are still used in the forces, in sport and in referring to authors, poets, painters etc. On the field footballer Ryan Giggs is happy to be referred to as Giggs, whereas he is presumably Ryan in the rest of his life. A member of the Garrett steam engine family of Saxmundham was christened Balls. We may laugh at that and wonder how they could saddle a lad with such a name. But it was his mother's maiden name, a common practice. He would be bap-tised thus, but then given a pet name at home, like our Prince Henry being known from birth as Harry. When Balls went to prep school, public school and Oxford/Cambridge he would be known by his surname. Even his university friends would probably not know what his first name was. On school and col-lege records he would be B.C.F. Garrett, or whatever. The monarch is known by his or her Christian name; but even then he or she can choose what name they are known by. The English have always put great stock by who your father was. So surnames were important, whereas Christian names were insignificant. In some cultures, like China, the surname comes first, as in Mao Tse Tung. I would be Abbott Basil showing who I was historically and which one of the Abbotts I was. You still find relics of the old order. In the TV series Are You Being Served?, depicting a tra-ditional shop, the employees referred to each other as Mr. Lucas and Mr. Hum-phries and didn't know Christian names. I have heard older women call their husbands by their surname in a gently chiding way. But democracy generally rules. I can remember a time when I could not have called the Rector Tony. Basil Abbott

All in A Name

The season of concerts continued with two contrasting events which were both well received. The first welcomed pupils from Diss High School on a Friday morning. It is always good to

have the opportunity to appreciate the considerable talent of those who attend our local high school. They put together an extremely varied programme including pieces by Pachelbel, Coldplay and Rihanna. Two boys, Will How and Callum Brundle, performed pieces they had written themselves for their examinations, demonstrating considerable accomplishments. Nicola Myers and Molly Willis sang a duet, Silent Worship by Handel, quite beautifully. In all over twenty students took part. As usual they were expertly led and accompanied by the Head of Music, Shona Huckfield. On the morning of Saturday 18th May St Mary’s welcomed Peter O’Connor the organist of Hingham Parish Church. After a cup of coffee and conversation the audience settled down to hear a delightful programme of pieces by Bach, Buxte-hude, Vierne, Stanford and other great composers. At times it seemed that the whole church reverberated with the beautiful sound of the music as the phrase ‘he pulled out all the stops’ was literally true. An hour later all emerged agreeing they had thoroughly enjoyed hearing such a talented organist. Thanks go to our own organist, John Herring for organising the event.

Concerts