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That wonderful time of year is rapidly approaching when we welcome so many people into our village, our church and our vicar’s garden! Our biennial event which, this year, runs from Saturday 30th July to Saturday 6th August (open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.), promises to be better than ever.

As detailed below, the Flower Festival in St Mary’s Church will have as its theme the King James Bible. Northumbrian Artists will display their work in the Church Hall. There will be a Local History exhibition in the Vicarage marquee, featuring a national display on the King James Bible plus material from Ponteland Local History Society and Richard Coates’ School. Ponteland Library joins us this year for two special events. Evening events include three concerts in church. Admission to everything, apart from the evening events, is FREE. In addition, there will be delicious refreshments in the Hall marquee.

We will need numerous helpers. Posters and flyers will be available and Peter would be grateful for offers of help to distribute them to shops, businesses and tourist attractions in Ponteland and further afield.  Proceeds from the Festival will enable us to support three charities – Church Army (www.churcharmy.org.uk), Newcastle Children’s Hospital Charity (www.newcastle-childrens-hospital-charity.org.uk), and our Organ Cleaning Fund.

Church Services During the Festival

On Sunday 31st July we will have Holy Communion at 8.00 a.m., a Festal Communion at 10.00 a.m. (with Dr Deb Rooke from the University of Oxford as our preacher) and a Songs of Praise at 6.30 p.m. (to which we’ve invited all the other Ponteland churches and churches from Newcastle West Deanery).

Flowers For the Festival

Plans are well in hand, and this promises to be a wonderful festival. However, we are desperate for funds to buy our flowers so, if you would like to sponsor an arrangement, please let me (Janet Cooper, 822769) know as soon as possible. Thank you!

‘Northumbrian Artists of Today’

All is going well (I hope!) for the 15th Exhibition of original paintings by invited artists of Northumberland. We have some super artists invited, and as usual some who will be exhibiting with us for the first time, as well as the ‘old’ favourites. When you are spring cleaning, look where you NEED a nice new painting!  The private view will be on Friday 29th July at 7.30 p.m., when the pictures can be viewed and bought before we open to the public the next morning. In the marquee there will be the usual party atmosphere and a lovely finger buffet to celebrate the first event of the Festival. I will need two helpers in the Hall, to sell raffle tickets and catalogues all the time. I will have a rota out soon but it is never too soon to volunteer. Please contact June Colvin 824938.

The Grand Festival Raffle

The raffle, for which we sell tickets in the Hall during the week, usually raises around £1,000. We give £50 as the first prize and we need lots of other good prizes. Please will you support this money-raising event? The proceeds all go to the charities we are supporting. You can give prizes to me (June Colvin) or to Maureen in the Office.  Thank you.

The Festival Music Scene

Three concerts will be held in St Mary’s Church, starting at 7.30 p.m.:

·      Saturday 30th July – the Bailiffgate Singers from Alnwick (the ‘other’ choir led by Hannah Barham, our Director of Music);

·      Wednesday 3rd August – Recital by Katherine White (soprano) accompanied by Alison Shiel at the piano;

·      Friday 5th August – Organ recital by Shaun Turnbull, who is the organist at St George’s Church, Cullercoats.

Ponteland Library Events

·      Friday 29th July, 11 a.m. – Circus skills for children in the Vicarage marquee (before we put the displays up!!).

·      Thursday 4th August, 7.30 pm – ‘Monkey Business in a Medieval Abbey’, author event in St Mary’s Church with Barry Mead.

Refreshments In the Hall Marquee

As usual we will be serving refreshments – coffee and scones, ploughman's lunches and cream teas – throughout the festival. Lots of help is needed, and rotas and lists for helpers and bakers will be on the notice board at the back of St Mary's from the beginning of June. All volunteers, new or experienced, very welcome! If you can help, please add your name or ring me, Julie Bell (824877).