As an ex-chorister,(leader too) Sunday school teacher and member of the congregation at Walton for many many years (Baptised 1946, married 1967) I'm delighted to see the windows on the web.   more »

Some video of the service and parade on Trafalgar Day 2007   more »

Most of this blog is about very local matters, but the Anglican churches in Street and Walton will have (should have) an interest in the world-wide Church we are part of.   more »

The Street Society moved for the first time to the Parish Church for the first meeting of the year today.



It seemed reasonable to meet there to hear George Chedburn, the architect behind the reordering of the building, so that his hearers could see the results as he spoke.   more »

The cast at this afternoon's dress rehearsal. A large audience responded with enthusiasm to the story sung and acted by children, parents and other adults.   more »

Anyway, it wasn't much surprise to see our High Street decorations already down and being put back in their boxes in the municipal attic yesterday morning. The street looks bare, the way our walls will when the Christmas cards are taken down on Twelfth Night.   more »

I've just come home from the Parish Church, where a crowded church saw Christmas Day in at the Midnight Communion.   more »

The centre of Christmas is Christ. A symbol of this is the crib scene in the Parish Church.   more »

Opera singer Kira Slovacek has come from the USA to spend Christmas with her in-laws in Walton, and is generously going to sing at the Midnight Mass (Holy Communion) at Street Parish Church.   more »

Jane Tompsett, who has lived near Street Parish Church for several years, is now beginning a tour of duty in Nigeria. She will be working as an employee of the Nigerian government, in association with the Leprosy Mission.   more »

I happened to notice something going on this afternoon as I passed by Street Library gardens, so I went home for my camera. You can see the result here:   more »

Many people know Norman Parker's distinctive art, meticulously drawn or painted, inspired by the Surrealists and delighting in visual humour and optical tricks. His recent exhibition at the Rural Life Museum introduced his art to more people, and Street Bookshop tells me that reproductions of the Tor series sell well as greetings cards.

Many of us know Norman also as a thoughtful, modest and witty conversationalist, as well as a strong Christian believer, so we had high expectations of his illustrated talk on visual art and the Christian response to it. He gave us a wonderful evening.   more »

A cheque for £1,500 has been presented to a charity worker by the Street Salvation Army.   more »

Former BBC and ITV producer Stephen Lynas, who is now Parish Resources Adviser for the Bath and Wells diocese, gave a brilliant talk on the changing media and possible Christian responses to them, in the Mission Church this evening.   more »

The Church of England churches of the immediate area are getting together for 6 sessions, each Wednesday between Ash Wednesday (1st March) and shortly before Easter (in fact, 5th April).   more »

Today, New Year's Day, saw three services in rapid succession in Street Parish Church.

At 8 a.m. there was a ...   more »

LIFE thudded onto my doormat yesterday.

If you're puzzled and haven't come across 'LIFE', let me explain. It's the parish ...   more »

Sunday 18th December is the evening when all the churches are likely to hold their Carol Services. Street Parish Church's Carols begin at 6 p.m. This year the choir carols have been chosen for their local connections:   more »

Yes I know that this is not particularly about Street, but it's good to hear a black Archbishop support the celebration of St George's Day, as we did in the Parish Church this year with a concert of English music.   more »

Just got back from the Trafalgar Day celebrations in the Parish Church.   more »

Street Parish Church marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II with special prayers and the singing of O God our help in ages past at the 10.30 a.m. service. A minute's silence was observed not only to remember those who gave their lives in the war, but also as a mark of respect for those murdered in the London bombings of 7.7.   more »

I learn from the Gazette that Tim Richards was ordained this afternoon in Street United Reformed Church.   more »

After the very enjoyable Children'sFest at the Parish Church, children can look forward to the Holiday Club run by Baptist Church members and others.   more »

Street Baptist Church have a new web site.   more »

You paint my face and I'll paint yours. Children's Fest fun - though it looks quite a serious business. 

Children's Fest - Wednesday. Today the theme was Sudan.

ChildrensFest Japanese Day: flying the kite she has made. Part of <a href="http://www.trinityfest.tk">TrinityFest.</a>

ChildrensFest Japanese Day: making kites, stage 1. Part of TrinityFest.

ChildrensFest Japanese Day: making kites stage 2. Part of TrinityFest.

ChildrensFest Japanese Day: Staff uniform. Helpers this year are wearing easily recognisable teashirts. Part of TrinityFest.

ChildrensFest Japanese Day: Gathering to hear about the next activity. Part of TrinityFest.

ChildrensFest Japanese Day: origami birds. Part of TrinityFest.

ChildrensFest Japanese Day: fish.

A three-day children's event in Street Parish Church began today, as the climax to TrinityFest 2005 or TF2. Eighty children pre-registered for the festival, which is 'visiting' three different countries on the three mornings.  Part of TrinityFest..

Feeding (some of) the multitude. Most of them were busy at the buffet indoors. Part of TrinityFest.

Some of the expert group of barbecue chefs outside the Rectory. Part of TrinityFest.

It's an inner - just! Part of TrinityFest.

David Collins pulls an imaginary full-size bow as he teaches a young archer at the barbecue. Part of TrinityFest.

A beautifully barbecued salmon is unwrapped and put on the dish to feed the hungry crowd. Adrian and Sarah MacConnaughie are chief fish chefs. Part of  TrinityFest.

Bowmen of England: After the TrinityFest Songs of Praise and Barbecue some younger church members tried their hand at archery under the expert eye of David Collins. Part of  TrinityFest.

What happened was this: Some time ago I had been asked to rewrite the small History of Street Parish Church. I kept getting phone calls asking when the history would be ready. In the end I volunteered to give a lecture at which the book would be launched, and give the lecture during TrinityFest. (See here for TrinityFest)

About 30 people came to the lecture, and seemed to find it engrossing, so I have put it on the web here.

Copies of the 64 page book were distributed to the audience. They were not bound, and were in black and white. It may take about two months for the completed book to be on sale, all in colour and costing about £3.

I haven't been home long, having sat enthralled, transfixed, by four superb Russian voices who gave a programme of Russian Church music and folk songs.

Just saying that gives no idea of the power of the voices and the skill of the singers, including their high tenor-cum-conductor Vladimir. My friend whispered after the first piece: "It's like listening to an orchestra!" The four voices filled every cranny of Street Parish Church with gorgeous sound.

It was a strange new world to me, and, I suspect, to almost all of those who filled the church. When someone is playing a Mozart Sonata my attention can wander, because I know what's coming. Listening to this Russian vocal music I never found my attention distracted even for a second. Even if I'd known the pieces, the sheer force of vocal interpretation would have compelled me to concentrate entirely on the music. The words meant nothing to me, apart from the occasional 'Alleluia!', but that hardly mattered.

The folk songs in the second half were going to be a relaxation, I thought. And indeed some of them were; but even here there was human pathos, as well as humour. The arrangements, some witty, some tragic, gave the singers many chances to show their skills. In 'kalinka', the only Russian folk song most of us know, we clapped along with the accelerandos and were caught out by sudden changes of tempo, and it was all exhilarating and wondrous.

If you want to see the programme details, you can find them by going here, and following the link to Hermitage.

The first violins from the Cosmic/Kokoro string ensemble. 

Yet more string players from Cosmic. They made a splendid sound. 

More string players playing Peter Maxwell Davies. 

Part of the string group playing Maxwell Davies. 

More Cosmic singers and recorder players. 

Cosmic singers and recorder players. 

The Cosmic choir in performance. 

Members of Cosmic in rehearsal. 

Bernadette Lord, soprano, thinking about things. 

Mark Forkgen rehearses Cosmic 

Kokoro rehearsing in Street Parish Church. They are playing songs by local composer Hywel Davies. The concert is Sunday 6th February 2005, with CoSMIC young musicians.

Conductor and soprano.

Kokovo rehearsing in Street Parish Church - they are musicians from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.