News & Views - August 1980 - Issue 15

HARTINGTON AND BIGGIN “NEWS AND VIEWS” 15 AUGUST 1980

FROM THE BISHOP OF DERBY

The Bishop has sent a Pastoral Letter to every Parochial Church Council in the diocese concerning the problems linked with raising a greatly increased sum of money this year and still more in each succeeding year. He believes it can be done but says, “The heart of the matter is that we should change our minds about our giving to the work of the Church. We are not raising money. We are giving to God. We give to God because Christ gave himself for us and gives himself to us through the Holy Spirit”.

As a spur and as a guide the Bishop’s Council, the rural deans and the lay chairmen of diocesan synods have committed themselves to giving £1 in every £20 of taker-home pay to the local church. He recognises that some church members are already giving more than 5% to their parish churches and other good causes, but others are falling very far short of this. The Bishop has asked each PCC to begin a campaign in their own -parishes to seek to achieve this standard of regular giving.

Some of us were brought up in days when it did not greatly matter whether we put anything on the collection plate when we came to church. Those days have gone for ever. To acquaint you with the present situation, it is estimated that, quite apart from any church restoration and necessary repairs, it will cost £50 per week for St. Giles’ to pay its way in 1980 and £30 per week for St. Thomas’. In 1979 the average weekly Sunday collections were £21 at Hartington and £13 at Biggin. From these figures it will be clearly seen that more generous, regular and systematic giving is required if we are to meet all our obligations.

Our PCCs have discussed the Bishop’s letter and wish to encourage the use of weekly offering envelopes. These are now available at both churches; please ask the Vicar or churchwarden for a set. The scheme is entirely confidential and the envelopes for those Sundays when you are unavoidably prevented from coming to church may be brought on your next visit. The PCCs would also urge those who are tax-payers to consider covenanting part of their giving. As from April. 1980. it is possible to give under covenant for a period of only four years. A church member giving £2 per week by this meth- -od will enable his church treasurer to claim a tax refund of

$45.04 no extra cost to himself. Other amounts work out proportionately. Mr Desmond Shirley and Mrs Betty Gibson can supply information, forms and help in this matter. The Bishop concludes his letter by saying, “I ask you individually  to do three things:-

1. Work out your own giving to your local church and ask yourself how near it comes to £1 in every £20.
2. Write down the weekly cost of those luxuries, good in themselves , that you indulge in- without a second thought.
3. Think these’ points together in the setting of God’s generosity in our Lord Jesus Christ and ask yourself if you should not without delay adopt, this standard of giving £1 in every-£20″.

MY FEELINGS ON LEAVING BIGGIN SCHOOL

It was my last week at Biggin School. I was quite delighted but sad. I was going to the Queen Elizabeth Grammar  School at Ashbourne. I am looking forward to using the P.E. equipment in the gym there and to making new friends. But I will also miss my old friends at Biggin, These are the names of the pupils who are leaving with me:- Darren Webster , David Bacon, Arthur Allsop, Darryl Bonsall, Rebecca Kitchen, Dawn Steeples and Lesley Allsop.

Denise Webster LAUGHLINES

July’s parish- magazine of All Saints’, Woodham, Surrey prints the story of the Vicar who had a company of gypsies camped in a field near his church. They moved on leaving behind a half-buried dead donkey.

When the Vicar rang the local council, the official who answered, being something of a wag, replied that he understood it was the duty of a. Vicar to bury the dead. “That may be so”, replied the Vicar, “but I thought it was at least my duty to inform the relatives of the deceased”.

The latest figure for the proceeds of the Summer Market on behalf of Cancer Research is £847.00

our own GALLOPING ghost

You haven’t seen a Headless Rider; neither have I. And I don’t want, to; but a fresh sighting, is due any night now! Talk to ex-members of the once active Hartington

Choral Society. Their experience was reported by the Buxton Herald and the account is there to be read, by arrangement, in the newspaper files at the Buxton library. The Choral Society  were travelling, by bus to give a concert at Butterton and, just after passing through Warslow, the Headless Horseman was seen by the front seat passengers. One of them, a local schoolmaster , sober and not given to hallucinations, along with his fellow travellers, described how that, on seeing this apparition , the temperature in the bus fell and the air became icy cold.

A policeman from a nearby village, on duty near Gateham, became ill, when he saw the Headless Rider a few years earlier, and as a result, resigned the force, unfit for duty.

I have one of the rare copies of a book called. “Flash”, written by Judge Ruegg K.C. in which two encounters by late night travellers on the moors- above Warslow are related. Again their frightening meeting was with this decapitated rider. Incidentally, this is the only novel. I know of, with a plot which centres on Hartington, Warslow, Longnor and Hulme End.

If this chap with an unfortunate physical handicap arouses your sympathy, then don’t let him. After all, he never suf­fered migraine or had to listen to Radio One.- So if you are going out tonight and your journey takes you over the moors between Warslow and the old Royal Oak on the Buxton to Leek road, you may, if you are unlucky, see the Headless Horseman. You have been warned!   

Bob Woodroffe

A Boss drives men : a leader coaxes them.

A boss depends on authority : a leader upon good-will A boss inspires fear : a leader inspires enthusiasm

A boss assigns the task : a leader sets the pace.

A boss says ”Be there on time” : a leader is there before everybody else.

A boss may know how it’s done : but a leader shows people A boss keeps saying ’I’ : a leader says ’WE’.

SUNDAY SERVICES IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER   t

The Archdeacon of Chesterfield has expressed the view that, too many services are being held at Hartington. After discussion, the parochial Church Council has decided to experiment with Evensong each alternate Sunday, except on special occasions. The Oddfellows Club service will be on Saturday, 13th September  at 2.30 p. m. This will be followed at approximately 3 p. m. by a service of blessing at the Welldressing. The Warslow Band will accompany the singing at both services. The theme of this year’s welldressing is “David and Goliath” and,once again,proceeds will be given to dancer Research. Gift Days will be held at Biggin and Hartington churches on Wakes Sunday, 14th September. the Warslow Band will play at the special gift service at 6 p. m. at Biggin.

Thanks to an anonymous gift, Good News Bibles have been placed in the pews at Hartington church. It is hoped that worshippers  will find them useful in following the Scripture readings  and that visitors will appreciate being able to read them. The Fellowship Group meets weekly on Tuesdays at 8 p.m»in the Vicarage.