Mothers’ Union Recent News

The speaker at the November meeting was Mrs Fiona Morison and her subject ‘The Roses of No-Mans’ Land.

This was a very appropriate subject as we approached Remembrance Day. The ‘Roses’ were women who went to the front in WW1 as nurses, ambulance drivers, cooks and support workers in general. Without them many men would have died. Many of these women lost their lives in the service of their country. When they returned home the world had changed in so many ways and they paved the way for women to take a more active part in the life of the country.

The month of November is when the Mothers’ Union calls for the end to violence and abuse around the world and with the United Nations promotes 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Abuse.

‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.’ Proverbs 31:8

October 2022 – Members heard about some of the campaigns that the Mothers’ Union have taken part in. One in particular is ‘Come Together to end Domestic Abuse.’

This year we are linking with Women’s Aid to highlight the problem of Domestic Abuse. This has been in the forefront of the media in recent weeks and only this week (Oct 4^th) Alex Scott, the former England Football captain, was interviewed on Women’s Hour about the effect that domestic abuse has had on her life.

One in three women are affected by some form of violence in their lives. This year we once again join together on our Global Day of Action on 26^th November to declare NO MORE 1 in 3. As in previous years, this coincides with the United Nations’ campaign: 16 Day of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

By coming together and joining forces, we can achieve real change and make a positive impact on the lives of so many women and children around us.

We long for a world where people do not have to live in fear of those who are supposed to love them.

There is more information on the Mothers’ Union display board as well as information about Prisons Week.

‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…..’ Proverbs 31:8

February 2022 – Pauline Leggate gave an interesting talk to the Mother’s Union about bellringing. Some brave members attempted handbell ringing – not sure that there will be any new recruits to the bell tower any time soon!

February 2020 – Between April and November 2019, the West Mercia Police dealt with 75 incidents of Modern Day Slavery. This was the stark statistic given to the Mothers’ Union meeting by Chrissie Peplar the diocesan link officer for Social Justice and Responsibility issues. There are 40 million victims worldwide and sadly the United Kingdom is the top country with a wide-ranging estimate of between 13,000 and 136,000.

Traffickers and Slave Masters, coerce, deceive and force their victims into labour, sexual and domestic servitude. They target vulnerable people; those escaping conflict and violence; the homeless; those with learning difficulties or suffering with mental health problems, drug dependency or poverty. There has been much in the news lately about ‘County Lines’ where drug dealers from the cities target young people to do their work for them in smaller towns and villages. This is something that we should be aware of here in Ross.

This was a sobering meeting but is important that we should all be made aware about the dangers facing vulnerable people in our communities. One of the Objects of the Mothers’ Union is to support those whose lives have met with adversity and it helps to be well informed about social issues.

There is no ‘typical’ victim and there is a Helpline number to call if you have any concerns 08000121700.

December 2019 – At the final meeting of the year the Mothers’ Union the members were in festive mood. After prayers for our world and giving thanks for all the blessings we have but so often take for granted and a Christmas reading several members shared stories of their family Christmases by showing well loved decorations. These included a porcelain tree candle holder purchased in China; a baby in a tiny crib made by a prisoner of war; various small Father Christmas cake decorations; a wooden fish; an angel from Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco; a small lantern purchased in Malta in 1954; a material clown made for the tree many years ago and a picture of a much love granddaughter incorporated into a small hanging decoration.

After a quiz, challenging recollections of nursery rhymes and literature, much laughter ensued as there were six rounds of a Camel Drive (a Christmas version of a Beetle Drive). The afternoon concluded with seasonal refreshments.

November 2019 – At the November meeting, Marilyn and Peter Reynolds gave us an insight into the pilgrimage that they made to the Holy Land with Margaret and Ted Willis last year led by Bishop Richard. 63 pilgrims, mainly from the Herefordshire diocese, spent 7 days visiting some of the key places associated with the life of Jesus. Their pictures were linked with the bible readings that they heard at their daily Eucharist services.

Memorable moments were: renewing their baptismal vows at the river Jordan, a boat trip on the sea of Galilee, singing ‘While shepherds watched their flock by night’ in the valley outside Bethlehem and perhaps, the most moving of all, visiting the Wailing Wall. There was also an inspiring talk by two fathers, one an Israeli Jew and the other a Palestinian Arab whose daughters had been killed during the conflicts. They have come together to talk to children to encourage reconciliation. This reflects one of the objects of the Mothers’ Union which is ‘to promote conditions in society favourable to stable family life and the protection of children’. Marilyn and Peter encouraged those present to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, if possible, as “it makes everything real”.

October 2019 – Tim Shelley, the Project Leader of the Ross-on-Wye Community Garden in Old Gloucester Road, was the speaker at the October meeting. Haygrove, the sponsor, produces poly tunnels and grows soft fruit on farms from Ledbury to China. The 3 acre site was purchased in March 2013 and by September the site had been cleared and raised beds constructed and so the garden was open.

It is a Social and Therapeutic garden which is safe, encouraging and empowering, where everyone is valued and appreciated. The project supports people with learning difficulties, mobility problems and links with local GP surgeries to help people recovering from strokes etc. There is also a school’s programme to educate our young people as to where their food comes from. They have a ‘hands on’ experience supporting the curriculum.

The gardeners are generous with their produce and have delivered over 400 boxes of fresh, organic vegetables to the Community Larder since 2013. Individuals and relationships are central to everything and connecting with one another, making new friendships and developing them is a really important aspect of the project. The wild flower meadow is a beautiful place to sit and appreciate the wonder of creation. The helping, supporting and journeying with people is a spiritual aspect of the project which links with two of the Mothers’ Union Objects: to promote conditions favourable to stable family life and to help those whose family life has met with adversity.

August 2019 – Mothers’ Union members were in holiday mood at the August meeting which took the form of a garden party at a member’s home. There was much hilarity and creativity as members were challenged to make a sunhat using one sheet of newspaper and 3 pins. Earlier in the day it looked as though a hat would not be needed but the sun shone brightly and weird and wonderful creations were made. After the ‘exertions’ a delicious tea was very welcome. Whilst the aims and objects of the Mothers’ Union are serious we also find time to laugh and enjoy each other’s company.

July 2019 – The latest castaway to a desert island from the Mothers’ Union membership was Sue Spence. Sue is a Brummie lass who came to live in Ross 10 years ago via Solihull, China, Mongolia and North Korea. She has a great concern for the persecuted church and a deep, meaningful prayer life. Her choice of music ranged from ‘Some enchanted evening’ from South Pacific to Bach’s Goldberg variations with much in between.
Sue hoped that her choice of luxury would be allowed, a box of assorted tools and some seeds. We were not sure if this would be allowed by the BBC but the Ross Mothers’ Union were generous. The disc that she chose to save was the Monteverdi Vespers.
On an afternoon when two new members were enrolled into the branch and both new and present members renewed their promise to uphold the aims and objects of the Mothers’ Union it was good to have an example of how ‘to maintain a worldwide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship and service’.

June 2019 – One of the objects of the Mothers’ Union is ‘to help those whose family life has met with adversity’ and this month’s speaker, Trixie Goodyer, explained how, in the Hereford diocese, this is being carried out.

The Crisis Intervention Fund was inaugurated in 2009 and received 2 requests for help. In 2018 this had risen to 130. The fund provides items which are essential for living today; bedding, kitchen equipment and sometimes a grant of up to £100 to buy a cooker or fridge. Whilst the fund receives monetary donations from MU members it also received goods. Fortunately, it has a small room in the Bishop’s Palace where donations can be stored. There have been occasions when the store has looked bare, but just as a request has been received so the goods have materialised, a real answer to prayer.

Clients are usually referred by a Social Worker or Probation Officer but sometimes from the Red Cross who have been alerted to a need by the Fire Brigade after a house fire. The aim is to help anyone in need and to be non-judgemental.

Trixie and her husband, Peter, also a Mothers’ Union member, spend an amazing amount of time collecting and distributing donations and have put their promises made at their enrolment to the Mothers’ Union into practice.

If you have anything that you think might be suitable for this initiative, please contact Margaret Willis.

May 2019 – On May 1st 2011 the Community Larder opened and no one came. On April 30th 2019 37 vouchers were issued, meaning that 65 people were helped. These were the shocking facts that Lindsay Cole, a member of the Community Larder committee, gave to the May meeting. She quoted from a report ‘Faith in Food Banks’, “are churches becoming part of the Welfare State?” The Ross Larder was a joint project of Christians Together in Ross and from the beginning stated that it would be non-judgemental and would never turn anyone away.
Lindsay pointed out that stable family life and support is vital when difficult times come and this of course is one of the objects of the Mothers’ Union ‘to help those whose family life has met with adversity’.
There are over 2000 Food Banks in the UK and over 1.6 million parcels are given out each year. One of the reasons for this is the change in benefit system. Universal Credit, which, in itself maybe a good thing, means that there is usually a 5-week delay before the benefits are given.
The members were able to visit the Larder, which is situated in the basement of St Mary’s Hall and now has much easier access for the clients and the volunteers. The shelves are quite empty at the moment, but as soon as a request goes out for donations, they come flooding in. The people of Ross and the surrounding villages are very generous.
Lindsay concluded her informative talk by quoting from Matthew’s gospel,” Lord, when did we give you something to eat or drink or give you clothes to wear or visit you when you were sick or in jail? The Lord will answer, whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seem, you did it for me.”

April 2019 – Canon Freda Davies, was the speaker at the April meeting. She led the members in a Lent reflection based on three women who were close to Jesus leading up to his crucifixion. Firstly, the woman who anointed Jesus at the house in Bethany; Jesus accepted her love and generosity. Then the servant girl who spoke with Peter during Jesus’ trial and lastly Mary, Jesus’ mother, who knew him so well and knew that he was special. Freda gave everyone a booklet ‘Believe the women’ which tells the story of the women who followed Jesus, and the day that changed everything. “It’s the story of those who believed and those who could not. It’s a story about the women who were first entrusted with the story and of the small band gathered in an upper room from where a worldwide movement grew. This movement transcends nations, race, gender, politics, religion and borders. It is founded on radical love that offers peace from troubles, freedom from oppression, life from death.” Freda gave us a lot to think about as we approach the sadness of Good Friday and then the joy of Easter Day.

February 2019 – The speaker at the first meeting of 2019 was Christine Cattanach who is our Intergenerational Missioner. Christine reported on the first year of her work, which is a unique initiative to Herefordshire, to share God’s mission across the diocese. There are 7 missioners who are funded for 5 years, working alongside the clergy, focussing on children and young people, who are the ‘missing generation’ in our church communities.
In her PowerPoint presentation, Christine showed some of the events and initiatives that have begun here at St Mary’s. A Toast and Toddle group meet on Wednesday mornings from 8.30 in church, when parents and carers can drop in for tea or coffee and toast on the way home from the school run. This has grown in popularity and good contacts have been established. An Open the Book group visit the church school, Brampton Abbotts, to enact Bible stories at the school assembly and a Sox puppet club has been introduced there. There is now a non eucaristic All Age service once a month which offers a more interactive form of worship. These were just a few examples of the various new activities that have been introduced in the past year. The latest being the Alpha course which has had an encouraging start.
Christine’s passion for sharing God’s love shone through her talk and reflected one of the Mothers’ Union “to encourage parents to bring up their children in the faith and life of the church.”

January 2019 – The speaker at the first meeting of 2019 was Christine Cattanach who is our Intergenerational Missioner. Christine reported on the first year of her work, which is a unique initiative to Herefordshire, to share God’s mission across the diocese. There are 7 missioners who are funded for 5 years, working alongside the clergy, focussing on children and young people, who are the ‘missing generation’ in our church communities.

In her PowerPoint presentation, Christine showed some of the events and initiatives that have begun here at St Mary’s. A Toast and Toddle group meet on Wednesday mornings from 8.30 in church, when parents and carers can drop in for tea or coffee and toast on the way home from the school run. This has grown in popularity and good contacts have been established. An Open the Book group visit the church school, Brampton Abbotts, to enact Bible stories at the school assembly and a Sox puppet club has been introduced there. There is now a non eucaristic All Age service once a month which offers a more interactive form of worship. These were just a few examples of the various new activities that have been introduced in the past year. The latest being the Alpha course which has had an encouraging start.

Christine’s passion for sharing God’s love shone through her talk and reflected one of the Mothers’ Union “to encourage parents to bring up their children in the faith and life of the church.”

December 2018 – A very joyful occasion as we celebrated Rhona’s 100^th birthday. The Diocesan President, Mrs Andria Lewis, joined us and presented Rhona with a bouquet on behalf of the diocese. Rhona had served on the diocesan board for many years.

The meeting began with prayers, a reading of the Christmas story from the Innkeepers perspective, with audience participation and singing ‘While shepherds watched their flocks by night’ to the tune of On Ilkley moor baht’at.

This being the party season, we then played Pass the Parcel and Pin the nose on Rudolph to much laughter. Of course, no Mothers’ Union meeting would be complete without tea and cake, but this month the tea was replaced with prosecco to toast the birthday girl.

A reminder that there will be no meeting in January.

November 2018 –The speaker at the November meeting was the Rev’d Marvin Bamforth who was a padre to the Mission to Seafarers for 7 years when he lived in Cyprus. The mission was established as the Bristol Channel Mission in 1836 the Revd John Ashley as a result of being struck by the loneliness and spiritual needs of the merchant seafarers at anchor.

Using his example, a number of Anglican ministries followed suit and in 1856 it was decided to establish a single organisation. The Mission to Seamen, as it was known, was made a missionary society of the Anglican Communion and its work grew in line with the rapidly expanding British maritime empire.

In 2000, the name was changed to The Mission to Seafarers to reflect its role as a society which cares for all seafarers, regardless of gender.

One of the main aims of the society is to help seafarers connect with home as they are often away for many months. This reflects one of the aims of the Mothers’ Union which is to share God’s love through the encouragement, strengthening and support of marriage and family life.

October 2018 – The ‘autumn term’ for the Mothers’ Union began with a communion service held in the Church Hall. Rev’d Simon Tarlton spoke about how Mary, the mother of Jesus, listened to and responded to God’s call, an example to us all.

Following the service members enjoyed a cup of tea and Welsh cakes as they caught up with happenings over the summer. In August several members had visited St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford and were very impressed by the beautiful, modern building, and the positive uplifting atmosphere of the place. It is good to know that there is such a place where we can be cared for at stressful times in our lives, where patients and their families are supported and loved.

A ‘Bring and Buy’ stall raised money for the work of the Mothers’ Union both in this country and abroad.

September 2018 – The ‘autumn term’ for the Mothers’ Union began with a communion service held in the Church Hall. Our Curate Rev’d Simon Tarlton spoke about how Mary, the mother of Jesus, listened to and responded to God’s call, an example to us all.

A ‘Bring and Buy’ stall raised money for the work of the Mothers’ Union both in this country and abroad.

June 2018 – Guilty or not guilty – The speaker at the June meeting was Liz Miles, one of our own members. She has recently retired as a magistrate after 23 years of service. Magistrates were first appointed in 1195 by Richard I and the first woman was appointed in 1919. Liz gave us an account of a typical morning’s work where she heard cases ranging from someone who downloaded indecent images of children; the discovery of 10 bags of ‘a white substance’; a charge of assault and causing actual bodily harm as well as others. The magistrates have to decided how to sentence and to make sure that they are consistent and fair.

Liz pointed out that a lot of the work of the Mothers’ Union is at the grass roots of problems, one of which is helping those who are victims of domestic violence. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will be victims and there are usually 35 assaults before a report to the police.

The members were then invited to be ‘virtual magistrates’, using a training model, and hear a case of common assault to which the accused had pleaded not guilty. The prosecution and defence statements were read and a decision had to be made as to whether the accused should be sent for trial. After much discussion it was decided that a trial should take place. Personal statements of the victim, the accused and the Probation Service Report were read and a verdict had to be decided upon. This was not easy and some insight was gained into the complex and difficult work that the magistrates do voluntarily.

May 2018 – “Every baby is special and every family is unique” said Jennie Lewis, Leah’s daughter, our speaker at the May meeting. Jennie, a trained nurse, is based in Leeds working in two hospitals supporting families whose babies have been born prematurely. At 23 weeks a baby can weigh just 500 gms and the first 48 hours are crucial to its development. To show us how tiny the babies are Jennie brought some nappies which were so small, that they could have been used on a doll, and minute babygrows. Temperature control is very important as the babies don’t have enough fat to keep them warm and the hospital welcomes gifts of very small cardigans. She suggested that this could be a way that our branch could help by employing our knitting skills, a practical way of fulfilling one of our objectives, ‘to help families whose life has met with adversity’.

Jennie helps the mums prepare for discharge from hospital and visits them at home to encourage and support them. She emphasised that it was important to congratulate the family when the baby is born no matter how tiny they are. Sadly, not all babies survive but their short lives can be very positive. This has been a challenge for Jennie’s Christian belief, but she quoted from Psalm 139 that ‘we are fearfully and wonderfully made’, and she knows that God loves them and that they are in a better place.

Jennie was an inspiring speaker and obviously loves her job which she says is fun and a great privilege. The families in Leeds, who are faced with the challenges brought by having a premature baby, are so fortunate to have her to support and care for them.

April 2018 – At the beginning of the April meeting, Margaret Willis, the new Branch Leader presented Margaret Mason, the out going leader with a bouquet of flowers and book tokens with thanks for her leadership over the past 7 years.
Members of the committee than explained various myths and customs associated with Easter. The Judas tree grows to a tree up to 40 feet tall and has pink blossoms. It is supposedly the tree on which Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus.
There are various myths about rabbits and hares which are very much part of Easter and have been for centuries. The pre-Christian festival of Eostre celebrated the goddess of fertility whose symbol was a rabbit or hare. The myth tells that the goddess found an injured bird, nursed it back to health in a nest and turned it into a hare but it continued to lay eggs. We are all familiar with Hot Cross buns which originated in the 12th century. It is said that a Hot Cross bun baked on Good Friday will never go mouldy.
Each year, 80 million chocolate eggs are sold in the UK. In the distant past eggs were used as currency and as it was usually women who cared for hens they were allowed to keep the money. The egg symbolises new life, purity, regeneration and resurrection. Of course, the shape represents the stone that was rolled away from the tomb of Jesus. Frys manufactured the first chocolate egg in England in 1873 closely followed by Cadbury. Today the Real Easter Egg is produced by the Meaningful Chocolate Company to educate people about “Jesus, the greatest story ever told.”

December 2017 – The December meeting began quietly as we considered the words from Isaiah prophesying the coming of the Messiah. Each member was given a Candle Prayer Card to help with reflection and prayer during Advent. It was a joy to enrol Gill Tipton as a new member to our branch but sadly we had to say goodbye to Hilary Robin as she is moving back to Berwick with Dick. In our prayers we remembered our members in Namibia. One of the big issues is the abandonment of babies, another is gender based violence especially that of domestic violence with a high number of incidents resulting in death. The Mothers’ Union are passionate about working with not only other churches but also with other organisations and government officials to see positive change in society and a brighter future for all.

After dealing with the business side of the meeting things became louder and competitive as we embarked on a Beetle Drive. It was amazing to listen to the shouts of laughter and to watch Rhona, who has just celebrated her 99th birthday, roll the dice so speedily! After glasses of warm, spiced apple juice, seasonal cakes and of course cups of tea the volume of chatter and laughter increased. We all treasure our membership of the Mothers’ Union and give thanks for the friendship within the branch and for the times of sharing concerns and laughter.

November 2017 – The first Object of the Mothers’ Union is “to uphold Christ’s teaching on the nature of marriage and to promote its wider understanding.” And so at the November meeting the theme was marriage and especially the forthcoming 70^th wedding anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. With the wonder of the internet it was possible to find the sermon preached by the Archbishop of York at the wedding on 20^th November 1947, which was read out followed by one of the prayers.

Members were asked to bring a photograph of their own wedding which provoked much discussion as they were asked to guess who was who.

A card had been made by Tina Raddenbury, to send to the Queen and Duke and of course, being a celebration, cake was involved. This had been made by Sue Ryan and decorated with a pattern from the wedding dress. It was cut by Leah Lewis whose own wedding anniversary fell closest to their majesty’s.

The afternoon was full of laughter and sharing as well as thoughtful thanks for the example set by the Queen and Duke.

The next meeting will be on December 6^th

October 2017 – As we begin the season of remembering, the October meeting focused on memories. The meeting began with examples of the many times the word ‘remember’ occurs in the Bible. The one that many people will recall is ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’ one of the Ten Commandments.

Each group of 4 or 5 people had two decades from the 1920s to the present day to think about. There was much chatter and laughter and memories were shared. Some members brought memorabilia; knitting patterns for bathing suits, fashion magazines with pictures of elegant ladies in the 1947 New Look, souvenirs from the Festival of Britain, birth congratulation cards and photographs of school and weddings.

There were sharings of the experience of treatment for breast cancer and the recollections of one member who had visited North Korea in 2007. This gave us an insight into the country that we do not see on our television reports today.

It is good to spend time talking with, and listening to each other which can build up relationships.

The next meeting is on November 1^st and will be a celebration of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s 70^th wedding anniversary. Please bring a photograph of your wedding. Cake will be involved.

September 2017: The September meeting began with Sarah, our Rector, leading us in a celebration of Holy Communion, which, because of the reordering work in progress in St Mary’s, was held in the church hall. This meant we were able to hold a more informal service, sitting in a circle and passing the bread and wine to each other.

Following the service our speaker was Wendy Reynolds, a member of our congregation who divides her time between Ross and the Falkland Islands. A much travelled lady, Wendy has recently returned from a visit to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Her talk focused on her impressions of Machu Picchu and with beautiful pictures and gentle commentary we learnt about this amazing place which was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and was made a world heritage site in 1983.

The Inca civilisation was short lived, from 1200 – 1538. One of their first leaders, Pachacutec, encouraged respect for fellow men and nature and there was a long period of peace and harmony. Nine more leaders followed, however, Machu Picchu was abandoned around the time of the Spanish Conquest.

The skills of the builders and their understanding of astronomy were impressive and Wendy’s talk left several of us with a yearning to visit.

Ross branch will be leading Cathedral Prayers at midday on Thursday 14^th September in the Lady Chapel. Do come and join us.

Next meeting Wednesday 4^th October 2pm Church Hall

July 2017: Peter Reynolds was the speaker at the July meeting and gave us an insight into Argentina and its place in history. Peter has lived in Argentina and obviously has a great love of the country. With the help of photographs he took us on a journey from east to west and north to south of the 8^th largest country in the world.

The Inca civilisation built spectacular cities and was well developed but was eventually overrun by the Spanish invasion in the 1550s. In 1585 the Jesuits set up missions to stop slave traders taking away local people but this annoyed the Spanish government and in 1767 the Jesuits were banned from South America. It was sobering to realise that slavery still exists today not only abroad but also in this country. The Mothers’ Union works with various agencies to help eradicate this practice. It is one of the objects of the organisation ‘to help those whose life has met with adversity’.

Argentina has a rich geological heritage as was discovered by Darwin in 1832. He spent 4 years in Argentina and his study of the geology has stood the test of time and he gained great respect from the scientific community which led to the acceptance of ‘On the origin of Species.’

June 2017: Once again, Ross-on-Wye has been hit by a giant tidal wave as another of our citizens has been cast away on a desert island. Freda Davies shared her choice of 8 discs with the members of the Mothers’ Union. The music was an eclectic mix ranging from Opera, with the duet from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers , to drumming by the Japanese group, Yamato, with a bit of Welsh, Jazz and Rock’n’Roll in between.

Freda took us through her life story in music beginning in Tremadoc, her birthplace, which she shared with T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), to Liverpool, Cardiff and eventually settling in Ross. Her faith shone through as well as her passion for the work of the Mothers’ Union both here and overseas.

The book she chose was the Collected works of R.S. Thomas, a favourite poet, the luxury, a large quantity of drawing paper, crayons and paint so that she could develop her skill in drawing trees, which hopefully will be on the desert island. The one disc that Freda would save was ‘You will never walk’ alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers, not only because it would remind her of Liverpool and her father but also because the words reassure her that we are never alone as our loving God is with us all the time.

Next meeting July 5^th when the speaker will be Peter Reynolds

The speaker at the April meeting was Rev’d Simon Tarlton. Before training for the priesthood Simon had worked in the City as a ship broker but was made redundant. He decided he really wanted to be a gardener and so took a degree in horticulture and became the Head Gardener at Weston Hall. His main interest was in growing cut flowers. Pre the 1970s the UK was 85%-90% self-sufficient in cut flowers but with the spike in the oil price many growers went out of business. However in the Netherlands the government stepped in and subsidised the fuel for their growers. British growers couldn’t compete and now we rely on imports mainly from Africa, but with today’s interest on the provenance of our goods there is a market for British flowers.

Simon wanted to share his passion for gardening which had put him back on the ‘straight and narrow’ after a difficult time in his life and so he decided to launch ‘Phocas’. Phocas was a 3^rd century Christian who was murdered for his faith, he is remembered as the patron saint of gardeners and farmers.

Having found an allotment in Lea and battling with bureaucracy Simon has at last been able to work with people who have had difficulties in their lives, particularly those who have been left behind by society, by helping them to build skills. There is a 12 month programme and now the scheme has been validated by Pershore College.

As well as growing flowers for local florists, farmers’ markets and the general public Phocas will also provide a bespoke growing service for special events, especially weddings.

This business is not a charity but a social enterprise for sustainable futures. It is inspired by faith, God is in the work and each day begins and ends with prayer in Lea church. Simon’s talk was inspiring and there were many questions. There is a clear link with his work and one of the objects of the Mothers’ Union which is ‘to help those whose lives have met with adversity.’

At the AGM in March the following ladies were elected:

Margaret Mason, Branch Leader

Margaret Wills, Branch Secretary

Penny Comley, Assistant Secretary

Tina Raddenbury, Treasurer

Leah Lewis, Viv Price and Sue Ryan committee members

The next meeting will be held on April 5^th when Rev’d Simon Tarlton will speak about his new venture ‘Phocas: Flowers for a future’

The first meeting of 2017 focused on Candlemas. This festival, celebrated on 2^nd February, was originally known in the sixth century as ‘The Meeting’, a reference to the meeting of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus with Simeon in the Temple. Later the Western church celebrated this day by the lighting of candles. In pre-Christian times it was the festival of light. This ancient festival marked the midpoint of winter. It became the day when all candles that were to be used in church during the coming year were brought for a blessing, a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the world. On Candlemas night, many people place lighted candles in their windows at home.

Snowdrops are known as Candlemas bells, there is an ancient saying ‘The snowdrop, in purest white array, first rears her head on Candlemas day.’

Following inspiration from a recent Songs of Praise broadcast where viewers saw a keep fit group meeting in a cathedral Margaret led in the meeting in a series of seated exercises, a warm up to the movements that were introduced as an accompaniment to the chorus of the hymn ‘Lord, the light of your love is shining’ which was used later in the meeting.

Following this gentle exercise, which produced much laughter, several members read out poems and information about candles and snowdrops, some serious and some amusing but all gave much food for thought.

The next meeting 1^st March will be the AGM to be held after Ash Wednesday 10. 30 am said Communion service.

The December 2016 meeting began by listening to the Candlelight Carol by John Rutter and after prayers Tina Raddenbury gave a demonstration of how to make an Advent Ring. Tina explained the significance of the colours of the 4 candles which are lit on the 4 Sundays of Advent and the 5th on Christmas Day. The evergreen foliage represents God’s never ending love and the holly the crown of thorns. Tina also described different Advent rings that she had seen in various churches that she had visited.

Everyone then made a mini version using old CDs, green card, holly leaves and small red balls for holly berries. The ring was finished off with a nightlight. The room went very quiet as concentration was needed but the finished results were very pleasing. The noise level then rose as people exchanged remembrances of family Christmas traditions and the afternoon ended with a welcome cup of tea and pieces of Stollen

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 1st February 2017.

At the November meeting Heather Lovett gave an interesting and amusing report on the Annual General Meeting that she and Graham attended in Winchester in September. This was a very special AGM as the Mothers’ Union is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year.Archbishop Justin, in his sermon, said ‘the speed of change, a change which is not always welcome, has led many groups, such as churches and I’m sure the Mothers’ Union, to experience themselves living in a culture that they have not even begun to come to terms with, and every Christian denomination and church struggles with the results. It is neither less nor more challenging now to have strong families, strong and fit for the 21 st century, than it was when Mary Sumner (the founder of the Mothers’ Union) was a prophetic voice, and the need for reliance on God is the same.’ Heather said “ The word ‘inspirational’ is overworked and has lost some of its power, but I can find no other word to describe the effect that joyous, celebratory service had not just on us but on the hundreds around us.”

Following Heather’s report several members presented readings about ‘remembering’ or ‘memories’ as we were meeting on All Soul’s day. There were anonymous poems, and writings by A E Houseman, Christina Rossetti, W E Henley and Rupert Brook.

There are many traditions that are celebrated at this time of the year but the tradition of giving soul cakes has been in Britain since the Middle Ages. The cakes were usually filled with allspice and currants and before baking were topped with the mark of the cross to signify that these were alms. Children would go ‘souling’ begging for cakes from door to door and singing the traditional ‘soul cake’ song, the words of which were read out before everyone enjoyed a cup of tea and a soul cake.

On July 14th seventeen members of the Mothers’ Union attended the Diocesan Festival Eucharist in Hereford Cathedral to celebrate 140th anniversary of the founding of the Mothers’ Union. This was a joyous occasion and the patron Her Majesty the Queen was represented by the Lord Lieutenant, the Countess Darnley. Following the service members moved to the Bishop’s Palace garden for a picnic lunch and ceremonial cake cutting.

The week before Ross branch hosted an afternoon tea party to raise funds for the work of the Mothers’ Union at home and Overseas. They were delighted that the Mayor and Mayoress were able to attend. It was a very successful afternoon which raised £220.

The speaker at the June meeting was Richard Geary from the Peace and Hope Trust. This Herefordshire based charity has been working in Nicaragua since 1996 amongst poor and marginalised communities. Nicaragua, in Central America, is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere with a population of six and a half million, three and a half million of whom live in the capital. The country has the third largest freshwater lake in the world and 13 very active volcanoes.

Richard explained that after becoming a Christian in 1998 he lost his job and became self-employed. Because of this he was able to answer God’s call to work in Nicaragua four times a year. There are many ways in which the Trust works with local people but education and health are the main priorities. In January this year a team went out to build a clinic, it took twelve days with local help.

The recycling programme in this country collects surplus equipment for schools and hospitals and ships it to Nicaragua. Eight 40 foot containers were sent last year.

It was interesting to hear about the Moringa tree which is the most nutrient rich plant known to man. It grows well in Nicaragua and is a superb supplement to poor diets. Richard quoted a verse from Revelation “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”

A quote from David Livingstone on the front of the charity’s information leaflet says “Sympathy is no substitute for action” a sentiment which very much agrees with the ethos of the Mothers’ Union.

Andrew Talbot-Ponsonby was our speaker in May. On 10th July 1963, a very youthful, Andrew set out, with two friends, to travel from Constantinople to Jerusalem on one bicycle. Needless to say, their trip was not without incident. The bicycle weighed a quarter of a ton and carried their sleeping bags, a petrol camping stove, a few clothes, tin mugs and a Union flag. It was an unwieldy beast, and, after a short time the gear mechanism failed. It was fortunate that the three young men had connections in high places and their trip continued with an altered route until a new set of gears was shipped out from England.

Andrew showed pictures of the Blue Mosque where, he said, there was a great feeling of peace as people prayed. They visited Antioch where it is said the believers were first called Christians. As they moved from Turkey to Syria, a coup took place and gun fire passed over their heads as they slept under the stars. The pictures of Syria were very poignant, it looked so peaceful, difficult for us to believe because of the news we see every night on our televisions.

Andrew stressed how hospitable the people they met were. Every time they stopped people appeared with gifts of food. Eventually the gear mechanism failed completely and the bicycle was shipped back to the UK from Beirut. By this time the friends had met up with a group of students from London University, who were travelling in a Dormobile, and offered them a lift to Jerusalem.

There are many sites around Jerusalem where it is claimed Jesus walked. The one certain site is the steps that led to Caiaphas’ house where Jesus walked the day before his crucifixion. Bethlehem is only about 5 miles from Jerusalem as the crow flies but because of all the troubles the journey is now much longer. It was good to be reminded that since 315 AD the Church of the Holy Nativity has been a place of Christian worship. Our prayers are needed for the people of the Middle East.

The speaker at the April meeting was Natasha from SHYPP (Supported Housing for Young People project). SHYPP provides housing, training and employment opportunities for 16-25 year olds across Herefordshire. There are 3 Foyers in the county which are able to accommodate 30 young people, one is in Ross. These Foyers provide help for the young people to achieve their goals and to learn independent living skills. SHYPP receives 80% of its funding from Herefordshire Council but has been told that it faces 60% cut in its income. However, the young people themselves have been fundraising. Earlier in the year they organised the Pancake Races in the town and are also involved in helping in charity shops and at the Food Larder.

The 2 young men who accompanied Natasha told us how SHYPP had helped them to become more independent. They enjoy the security that living in the Foyer gives them and also being part of a community. They often organise cooking competitions between them based on Ready, Steady, Cook and the Great British Bake Off.

There were many questions from members and Natasha expressed thanks to the Mothers’ Union for providing bedding, kettles and toasters etc. from their store based in Hereford. One of the objects of the Mothers’ Union is ‘to help those whose family life has met with adversity’ and it was good to know that we are able to do this here in Ross.

At the first meeting of the new year the topics were St Bridget’s Day and the festival of Candlemas which were held on 1st and 2nd of February respectively. St Bridget was born in Ireland in the 5th century, founded many convents and was well known for helping the poor. 20 churches were dedicated to her in Wales including nearby Skenfrith and 20 in England, the most famous being St Bride, Fleet Street. The sole Herefordshire dedication is at Bridstowe.

Candlemas draws some of its elements from paganism. In pre-Christian times it was the Festival of Light marking the midpoint of winter, half way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Later in the Christian church it became the day when all the candles that were to be used in the church during the coming year were blessed. It is also the time to remember when Jesus was brought to the temple as a baby to be dedicated and was recognised by Simeon as the Light of the World.

Candlemas Day was also the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. It was believed that the remainder of winter would be the opposite of whatever the weather was like on Candlemas Day. An old English saying goes: If Candlemas be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. If Candlemas brings cloud and rain, winter won’t come again. Since, in Ross, we experienced both kinds of weather on 2 nd February it is anyone’s guess how long winter will last!

Nimble fingers were needed to attempt to make a version of St Bridget’s cross but everyone’s success was rewarded by delicious scones and blueberry jam. Many people eat blueberry jam on February 1 st to remember St Bridget and her blue cloak.

St. Brigid’’s Cathedral, Kildare (above). The Gaelic word for Kildare is Cill Dara, which means the Cell or Church of the Oak. St. Brigid built her Abbey in Kildare around 480AD, on a Hill beside a great oak tree.