Page 21 - Demo

PAGE 21Christmas Carol Service - Sunday, December 21st at the church of St. Lawrence at 4p.m. Seasonal refreshments will be served after the service.Thursday, December 25th - The Christmas Day service at Chicheley will be at 11a.m. In the distant past November, the fifth was known as fireworks night rather than the grander Guy Fawkes Day. The fireworks were purchased in Newport Pagnell, I think probably from Fred Friday%u2019s shop which was located on the High Street opposite to the church. His business could perhaps best be described as selling household goods, bicycles and children%u2019s toys. He was a member of the Magic Circle and would entertain his younger customers by making their small change appear and disappear by sleight of hand. He was typical of the small business that has been replaced by the Online system, but this is not the correspondence to discuss that further. Much of the fun was the building of a bonfire which required collecting dead wood from the hedgerows with a bit of judicious hedge cutting to add to the pile. The bonfire was located on the field just beyond where the children%u2019s play area is now situated. Then on the fifth, unless it was a Sunday, the bonfire and fireworks were lighted. All of this was not as spectacular as the firework displays that are now held in the area but we children had fun and satisfaction that we had made a splendid effort to celebrate what I later discovered as I grew up was a pretty gory episode in our country%u2019s existence. A more sombre event will take place on Sunday the 9th of November commencing at 10:45 a.m. In the centre of the village for the annual Remembrance service with a short service and the laying of a poppy wreath. There will be similar services in SCAN churches but at different times and in the local towns of Newport Pagnell and Olney, but we are always pleased to welcome anyone to join our Chicheley residents at this important occasion. The wayside Cross where the wreath is laid was originally intended to remember the eight men of Chicheley who lost their lives during the 1914- 1918 World War but now I think it is considered as a way of remembering all those who have lost their lives in Conflict since then.That is all for this month except to say that in December%u2019s magazine I hope to be able to give you details of how the Village Hall Committee is looking to help you to keep warm in the first few months of next year.David