With the festive season just two weeks away, here is a selection of Christmas goodies.

In this issue:
  1. Christmas Services
  2. Christmas & New Year at The Swan Inn
  3. Friends of St James’ Christmas Cards
  4. Christmas Bin Collections
  5. Christmas Photo Quiz, Part 1
  6. Drainage Update
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1. Christmas Services

The Carol Service takes place on Sunday 16th December at 6.00pm in St James’ Church (led by Revd Alma Organ). The service will be followed by refreshments in the Village Hall. Come along and join in singing traditional carols.

The Christingle and Blessing of the Crib will be held in the church on Monday 24th December at 4.00pm (with Peter Stansbie officiating).

Christmas Holy Communion (with Canon Richard Etheridge) takes place at 10.30am on Christmas Day.

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2. Christmas & New Year at The Swan Inn

Zoe Haines writes:
We have a festive two- and three-course menu available until 24th December, lunchtime and evening. Please ask at the bar for the menu or go online. But don’t worry, the normal a la carte and fish blackboard will still be available throughout.

And this New Year’s Eve join us for an evening of celebrations to welcome in 2019. Doors open from 7.00pm, with a delicious two-course buffet, to include favourites from our menu, from 8.30pm; then the rest of the night is yours to be merry and dance the night away. Tickets are £25 to include entry, two-course buffet and a glass of bubbly at midnight.

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3. Friends of St James’ Christmas Cards

The Friends of St James’ Christmas card is still available. The card, featuring a stunning photograph of the Church of St James taken this September by Mark Waidson of the Birlingham Photography Club, can be viewed at www.birlingham.org/pics/christmas_card_2018.png.

If you would like to order cards, please contact any of these members of the Friends of St James’ with details of the number required and delivery address:

   Caryl Mills; caryl-mills@hotmail.co.uk
   Felicity Collier; ifcollier@hotmail.com
   Ali Hastings; alihastings31@gmail.com
   Maryanne Dyer; maryanne.dyer@courthouse.online

Cards are A5 size. They are blank inside for your own message, and identify the church and the photographer at the rear.

The price is £1/card, £4.50 for 5 cards, £8.50 for 10 cards. All cards come with envelope.

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4. Christmas Bin Collections

The next collection of green and brown bins is on Saturday 22nd December (three days earlier than usual). On that day, you can also leave out up to two extra clear recycling sacks. Clear recycling sacks will be available from the Birlingham phone box or from Pershore Civic Centre.

Full details of Christmas collections are available at www.birlingham.org/docs/wychavon_christmas_2018.pdf.

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5. Christmas Photo Quiz, Part 1

Our New Zealand correspondent, Walter Fielding-Cotterell, has provided a photo quiz for Christmas. He has sent a photograph of a villager carrying out a threshing operation somewhere in the area. The photo can be viewed at www.birlingham.org/pics/threshing.jpg.

If you can shed any light on who is pictured, where and when, please let us know at news@birlingham.org.

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6. Drainage Update

The Parish Clerk writes:
In the last update I wrote that for the majority of the time, during daylight hours, the only access into the village will be via New Barn Road.

Advance road signs are in place on the A4104 Pershore Road. A controlled barrier system is operating for the HGVs to the farms in order to avoid their use of the New Barn Road diversion.

The gang have asked that vehicles and their drivers heed the road closure order. They have been making the road ‘safe’ for passage when they are not in the area (twilight and overnight) but at other times it is for their safety whilst working in the highway digging trenches and building new manholes. I have been made aware that the barriers are being removed by villagers.

Please drive slowly and carefully for Birlingham’s sake.

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