Catsfield

Family Service: The Family Service at St Laurence Church last Sunday had a smaller congregation than usual, possibly due to many of the regular members of the church being away on holiday. John played the organ and piano to accompany the hymns in the absence of Bob the organist and the two ladies in the choir encouraged us with their singing. Father Michael talked about the earlier reading telling how Jesus healed ten lepers of their awful disease but only one took the trouble to thank him for the great gift of good health that he had been given. Father Michael demonstrated how the man would have thanked Jesus, not by kneeling before him, but by lying flat on his face on the ground. He then produced a few of presents that he had been given in the past, some good and some a little less exciting and he told us how his mother had always made him sit down and write a thank you note, a job he hated, but it was only right to make the effort to thank someone for taking the trouble to give him a gift. Refreshments were served after the service.

Sound of Music: Tomorrow evening, Saturday 23rd September is the big night in the Village Hall when the fund-raisers for St Laurence Church are holding a ‘Sing-a-long Sound of Music’ in the Village Hall. It promises to be a really good evening with an Austrian-style dinner included in the price of the ticket. For those of you unlucky enough to have left it too late to get a ticket, there’ll be a report on the evening in this column next week – any guesses as to how many nuns will turn up?

The next fund-raising event will be a Quiz Night on Saturday 21st October, more details to be announced shortly but time to start thinking about who the best people might be to have in your team.

Sport: Unfortunately the home team lost at football last Saturday 3-5 to Sibex. The heavens opened during the match but like true sportsmen, they all played on and the few ‘oldies’ who were spectating also got soaked making a dash for the pavilion. The Playing Field was flooded in the deluge but on inspection the following day the water had drained away, proving the value of the drainage system. Next week we play Hawkhurst away.

It’s hoped that the weather didn’t spoil the country village wedding of Dominic Gowland and Gemma his bride, which took place that same afternoon and their planned ride on a tractor and trailer seated on straw bales back to their reception at Great Park Farm. Good luck and much happiness to them both as they start their married life together. The flowers around the church doorway still looked really beautiful on Sunday morning.

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