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THE HERALD

THE MAGAZINE OF THE LLANGWM GROUP OF PARISHES
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

St Michael and
All Angels		 St Jerome St John St Thomas

 

From your Parish Priest

From the Editor

Listings

Parish Contacts

News and Events

Llangwm Parish Harvest Lunch
Harvest Festivals
All Saints and All Souls
New Hymn Book for Llangwm

 

Community Reports

Roger Evans Almshouses Vacancy
Llangwm & Llansoy WI
Llangwm History Group
Llangwm Community Council

Llangwm Group of Parishes Services

 

FROM YOUR PARISH PRIEST

Dear Friends,

This will be last edition of the magazine this year and indeed the final edition. For a number of years now Sylvia Fowles has undertaken the arduous task of chivvying contributors, typing up text and arranging and printing, stapling and distributing the magazine but has now decided it is time to step down. I know the PCCs of the three parishes and all of us who subscribe to the Herald and have enjoyed reading it are enormously grateful to Sylvia for all her dedication and hard work and that of Bob and others who have assisted and helped over the years.
We may no longer be having a magazine but we have agreed to ensure that we communicate and share information in other ways. One idea we are discussing is an electronic newsletter that can be printed for those without internet access. If you have an email address please let us know, so we can include you in this. However in the meantime place take a note of the dates of the various events we have planned for the rest of the year. Elsewhere in this edition you will find the dates and venues for the harvest festivals, our new services at All Saints to commemorate the faithful departed, our many Christmas events as well us all our Sunday services. A little nearer the time we will once again be distributing an invitation to our Christmas services across the three communities.
During the season up to New Year there are a huge number of events in which we can all participate and I would like to draw your attention particularly to the Deanery events including the new teaching sessions being delivered by Bishop Dominic and the new house groups. Although we only have two or three Sunday services in each parish we can continue to meet, study and worship together in our neighbouring parishes and across the Deanery. I look forward to seeing you at some of these events. Please do support these new initiatives.
Summer is ending and the church is gearing up to meet the challenges of the start of another church year. Many new and exciting things are happening across the parishes so let me encourage you to be in prayer and be prepared to see God's powerful hand at work all around and within us, so we can fulfil our divine purpose to be and make a difference in our small corner of Christ's Kingdom.

Father Kevin

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FROM THE EDITOR

After some years as editor, contributor, printer and distributor of this Parish Magazine I have regretfully decided to resign. So this is my last issue, coinciding with the end of the church year. My resignation is due in part to health problems I have suffered over the past year. I have enjoyed my involvement with the magazine and its development; and hope that it has contributed to the life of the Parish, serving Church and the wider community. I shall continue as webmaster of our community website llangwm.org.uk.
My thanks go to all of you who have helped, as contributors and distributors.

Sylvia Fowles

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LISTINGS: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

  • 1st OCTOBER, THURSDAY
    7.30pm WI, Church Hall
  • 2nd OCTOBER, FRIDAY
    7.00pm Harvest Festival, Wolvesnewton
  • 11th OCTOBER, SUNDAY
    3.00pm Harvest Festival, St Michael, Gwernesney
  • 17th OCTOBER, SATURDAY
    7.30pm Whist Drive, Church Hall
  • 25th OCTOBER, SUNDAY
    11.00am Harvest Festival, St Jerome, Llangwm
    1.00pm Llangwm Parish Harvest Lunch, Church Hall
  • 1st NOVEMBER, ALL SAINTS/ALL SOULS SERVICE
    9.30am St Michael, Gwernesney
    11.00am St Thomas, Wolvesnewton
    7.00pm St Jerome, Llangwm
  • 5th NOVEMBER, THURSDAY
    7.30pm WI, Church Hall
  • 21st NOVEMBER, SATURDAY
    7.30pm Whist Drive, Church Hall
  • 12th DECEMBER, SATURDAY
    2.00pm Gwernesney Christmas Bazaar, Church Hall
  • 13th DECEMBER, SUNDAY
    11.00am Christingle & Carols, St Jerome, Llangwm
    3.00pm Carol Service, St Michael, Gwernesney
  • 19th DECEMBER, SATURDAY
    7.30pm Whist Drive, Church Hall
  • 20th DECEMBER, SUNDAY
    3.00pm Carol Service, Baptist Chapel, Llangwm
    7.00pm Carol Service, St Thomas, Wolvesnewton
  • 24th DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS EVE
    11.30pm Midnight Mass, St Jerome, Llangwm
  • 25th DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS DAY
    9.30am St Michael, Gwernesney
    11.00am St Thomas, Wolvesnewton

ST JOHN'S CHURCH HALL

The church hall is available for private parties and events at reasonable rates. Whist Drives are held on 3rd Saturdays in the month at 7.30 pm with refreshments.
To hire the hall please contact:
Mrs Pat Evans, tel: 01291 650287 or Mrs Sylvia Lewis, tel: 01291 650358
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PARISH CONTACTS

PARISH PRIEST, LLANGWM GROUP OF PARISHES
Reverend Kevin Hasler, tel: 075 9282 2022

CHURCHWARDENS, LLANGWM
Mrs Sylvia Lewis, tel: 01291 650358
Mrs Sylvia Fowles, tel: 01291 650644

CHURCHWARDENS, WOLVESNEWTON
Mrs Scilla Greenland, tel: 01291 650231
Mr John Llewellyn, tel: 01291 650700

CHURCHWARDENS, GWERNESNEY
Miss Rosemary Jones, tel: 07903142917
Mrs Olive Howells, tel: 01291 673421

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NEWS AND EVENTS

LLANGWM PARISH HARVEST LUNCH

Sunday, October 25th, 1.00pm
St John's Church Hall, Llangwm
Tickets: £7 adult, £4 child

Contact: Sylvia Lewis, tel: 01291 650358
or Sylvia Fowles, tel: 01291 650644
Please join with us to celebrate the harvest at our Lunch. There will also be a raffle. You are also very welcome to join us for our Harvest Festival Service which takes place at 11.00am on October 25th in St Jerome's Church, Llangwm, before the lunch.
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HARVEST FESTIVALS

Harvest is from the Anglo-Saxon word harvest, meaning Autumn. It then came to refer to the season for reaping and gathering grain and other grown products.
In the early days, there were ceremonies and rituals at the beginning as well as at the end of the harvest. An early Harvest Festival was celebrated at the beginning of the Harvest season on 1st August, called Lammas meaning 'loaf Mass', as we did this year in Llangwm. Nowadays the festival is often held at the end of harvest, which varies in different parts of Britain. The modern British tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began in 1843, when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall. Victorian hymns such as "We plough the fields and scatter", "Come ye thankful people, come" and "All things bright and beautiful" helped popularise his idea of harvest festival and spread the annual custom of decorating churches with home-grown produce for the Harvest Festival service.

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ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS

Sunday, November 1st

November can be described as 'The Remembrance Season'.
All Saints Day (1st November) is the yearly festival celebrating all the Christian saints, known and unknown, who have gone before us; men and women of faith who encourage us in our own journey through life.
All Souls Day (2nd November) is the festival where we remember our own loved ones by name; especially those who have died recently. We celebrate the lives of those whom we have known and loved and we pray for their peace.
Remembrance Sunday (8th November) is the time when we remember the men and women who have died or been injured in the service of their country.
This year we celebrate All Saints and All Souls on Sunday 1st November with services of remembrance in all the parishes. If you would like your loved one remembered in the service, pleased contact Rev'd Kevin Hasler or any of the Churchwardens. (see Contacts)

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ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS

Sunday, November 1st

November can be described as 'The Remembrance Season'.
All Saints Day (1st November) is the yearly festival celebrating all the Christian saints, known and unknown, who have gone before us; men and women of faith who encourage us in our own journey through life.
All Souls Day (2nd November) is the festival where we remember our own loved ones by name; especially those who have died recently. We celebrate the lives of those whom we have known and loved and we pray for their peace.
Remembrance Sunday (8th November) is the time when we remember the men and women who have died or been injured in the service of their country.
This year we celebrate All Saints and All Souls on Sunday 1st November with services of remembrance in all the parishes. If you would like your loved one remembered in the service, pleased contact Rev'd Kevin Hasler or any of the Churchwardens. (see Contacts)

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NEW HYMN BOOKS FOR LLANGWM

Due to the generosity of several members and friends of the Parish of Llangwm and the successful Lammas Fayre we have raised enough money to buy new hymn books for the Parish of Llangwm. These have now been purchased. We will soon be contacting those who have told us that they wish to donate hymn books, in order to determine their wishes regarding the inscription to be placed on the inside cover of the hymn book (or books). A dedication service will be held to present the new books; the date and time of which is to be agreed.
If anyone else would like to donate a book(s) please contact Rev'd Kevin Hasler or one of the wardens. (see Contacts)

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COMMUNITY REPORTS

ROGER EVANS ALMSHOUSES
AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOCAL PEOPLE

For those of you who are unaware of the almshouses in Coed Cwnwr, Llangeview, they were built originally in 1626 by Roger Edwards of Altybella for the poor, infirm and needy of the three parishes of Llangwm, Gwernesney and Llangeview. Restored in the 1990's, the building is grade 2 listed and consists of 5 two-bed terraced cottages and a one-bed detached cottage renovated a couple of years ago from the old Victorian wash-house. They are occupied by local people or those from surrounding parishes who have need of affordable rural housing. There is a vacancy at the moment for a two-bed cottage with a weekly maintenance contribution of £72.50 per week. For further details and an application form, or to be placed on the waiting list, please contact Kathryn Clarke on 01291 673891.

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LLANGWM AND LLANSOY WI

August No meeting.
September 3rd The speaker for the night was Natalie Taylor who gave a very interesting talk about Flatholm, where she was a resident warden for some years and which she now manages for Cardiff CC. We heard about the history of Flatholm, saw slides of some of the lovely scenery, interesting plants (wild leeks), flowers (wild peony), animals, birds (gulls, oyster catcher, shell duck) as well as 'historic' buildings such as the lighthouse, old hospital to be used as quarantine for cholera, barracks dating back to Napoleonic War. The island was already known to the Vikings and has some Bronze Age remains. It is now a site of Special Scientific Interest and flora and fauna are carefully managed.
Various activities are organised:
Llantilio Pertholey WI - 'Back to Basics in Staging and Interpretation Day' - 9 October
'Poems and Puds' - 9 October 7 pm at Panteg Public Hall
Craft Day - 29 November from 10 am at Llanover Village Hall
Carol Concert - 12 December 2pm at St Mary's Church, Monmouth.
Outings: A trip to London is planned for a matinee to see 'Calendar Girls'.
Plans for future outings: Malvern Spring show next May; Keukenhof Flower (Bulb) Show next Spring.
Federation Day is on 14 November at Caldicot Leisure Centre.
October 1st: Beatrix Potter's Lake District, Kim Jenkins
November 5th: Aloe Vera for You, Your Family & Home, Anne Russell
December 3rd: Christmas Party

Meetings are held at 7.30 pm on the first Thursday in the month in St John's Church Hall, Llangwm.
NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

Yvonne Davies

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LLANGWM HISTORY GROUP

Autumn has arrived and the society is looking forward to another successful season offering something for everyone.
There is a varied and interesting programme ranging from the fortunes of local manors and mills to the background of our public house signs. We have the final lecture about Black Mountain history and study military men in Monmouthshire.
Our fees have been frozen and as usual we have a special offer: '6 lectures for the price of 4' - Season Ticket £8 or £2 per session. Refreshments included.
Programme of Speakers 2009/2010
Wed. 21st October 2009 The Changing Fortunes of Llan yr Afon Manor, Howell Morgan & Andrew Nevill. Come and hear about the Manor's history and how the lottery fund is making a future for this building near Cwmbran.
Wed. 18th November 2009 Men at Arms - Musters in Monmouthshire, Tony Hopkins, Muster for our super-brief AGM and learn how the Tudors raised their troops
Wed. 16th December 2009 Llan yr Afon Mill and The Work of the Friends. Marion Davies. An interesting evening to discover how this former corn mill may be restored.
Wed. 20th January 2010 History of the Black Mountains (Part 3), Frank Olding. Frank returns for our final episode which features the Medieval and early modern history of the Black Mountains.
Wed. 17th February 2010 The Romans and their Army, Elizabeth Baker. More about The Troops, Roman ones this time, to be revealed in true Elizabeth Baker style
Wed. 17th March 2010 History & Meaning of Public House Signs, Bob Trett. Discover "The Local". A new look at the background and origins of their signs.
Meetings are held in Llangwm Parish Hall on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. For information please ring 01291 650501, 650657 or 650642

Leila Holmes, Speaker Secretary.

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LLANGWM COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Full minutes available: www.llangwm.org.uk

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GRASS ROUTES COMMUNITY TRANSPORT SCHEME

The routes are through Llangwm on Mondays and Fridays, and Llansoy on Tuesdays, but the scheme is intended to offer flexible individual transport, by prior arrangement, at a cost of £2 per day.
Details from the Community Transport Coordinator at County Hall, tel: 01633 644777

OUT OF HOURS MEDICAL HELP

Telephone number: 0845 6001231

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SERVICES

LLANGWM GROUP OF PARISHES SERVICES FOR OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

RAGLAN & USK DEANERY NEWS & EVENTS

LLANGWM GROUP PARISH SERVICE PATTERN

1st Sunday 9.30am St Michael, Gwernesney Eucharist
  11.00am St Thomas, Wolvesnewton Eucharist
2nd Sunday 11.00am St Jerome, Llangwm Eucharist
  3.00pm St Michael, Gwernesney Evensong
3rd Sunday 11.00am St Thomas, Wolvesnewton Eucharist
4th Sunday 9.30am St Michael, Gwernesney Eucharist
  11.00am St Jerome, Llangwm Eucharist
5th Sunday 10.30am each Parish in turn Group Eucharist

LLANGWM BAPTIST CHAPEL

The Chapel meets on the 1st and 3rd Sunday each month at 3.00pm. Communion is on the 1st Sunday. All are welcome.

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