Quiz Night, Surprisingly Enough.

Last night we had a quiz night in the School Hall to raise funds for the new Disabled toilets. We had sold very few tickets and were beginning to despair when, as if by magic, the Ring and Ride appeared followed by about sixty more people. Five pounds bought entrance and a place in the quiz as well as a hot meal. I applied for a temporary license again for the hall so we could sell alcoholic drinks and the night was a great success. This is the view I had most of the night.

Or this. This is the view from the opposite direction! Mind you, I am hopeless at quizzes, not having a television and feeling that knowing the names of pop starlets is infra dignitatem.

John and Gary, who live a few doors down from the Church (and who bring their troupe of line dancers now and again) arranged the quiz and very generously provided prizes for the winning teams. There was also a tombola run by Maryrose and a raffle.

As you see, the turnout was good. We are looking forward to the Christmas meal in a couple of weeks at the golf club as well. I think you would be hard pushed to find a more jolly lot of people in one Church in the country.

'Can I have a p please Carol' was a refrain not noted for it's absence last night.

This studious team, the 'Annunciation' came third, beaten by the 'Not the Ring and Riders' and the 'Robocop' team, headed by our local Policeman.

A quite different picture (and one I prefer) of the Church this morning before Mass. We had a Low Mass at 11am as we keep our Patronal Festival tonight at 6 with a High Mass, held later so that people can still attend Mass at their Parish before coming here later. A few came who prefer the quiet or dislike the dark including a new lady, who we hope will return. We sat in the Choir Stalls and just lit two candles on the (festooned) altar. It was a moving, prayerful, quiet service. Now I am going to Church (once I have finished my toasted muffin with jam and jersey cream) to prepare the Church for tonights great feast. I love being in the Church before evening services, savouring the calm and the dark. I will be taking a bottle of Old Crafty Hen, a new bitter and a bottle of Old Tom Barley Wine to enjoy with the buffet after Mass once everyone has been served with their drinks. I am no snob, but a Barley Wine after High Mass, surrounded by friends, in a Church I love is a treat indeed. Besides there are forty bottles of wine and crates of bitter already there, much of which is thanks to the owner of JW Lees brewery up the road.