Sunday Email: Issue 138

I considered not issuing a Sunday Email on the next two Sundays as they are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but I decided to issue anyway even though the news may be light and you’ll all be busy enjoying your festive celebrations. Missing two Sundays just seems like a long gap and breaks the regularity of the messages.

Doug
07785 223707

Check out the photographs behind these numbered links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6. 7.

A big thank you to lunch organiser Judith Lowe and to all the volunteers, including Karen and Malcolm Morley, Linda Carver and Linda Robinson who prepared the meals, and to Peter Lowe, Steve & Liz Hall, Clare Phillips and Doug Allan who served on.

• TODAY: at 10.45am – Matins.
• TODAY at 6.30pm a traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols, with St Columba’s Choir, led by Linda Hewlett, accompanied by Matthew Atherton on the organ. Carols new and old and an opportunity to come and sing your favourites followed by finger food and wine.
• Christmas Eve, Saturday 24 December at 2pm – Crib Service with Rev’d Dawn Ward. An informal telling of the Christmas Story for everyone to enjoy, particularly those with children.
• Christmas Eve at 11.30pm – Midnight Mass – the Christmas service of Holy Communion for everyone, with Rev’d Robert Williamson.
• Christmas day – no service.

And in the New Year:

• New Year’s Day – no service
• 8 January – 10.45am- Holy Communion and at 6.30pm Choral Evensong for Epiphany.
• 15 January at 10.45am – Choral Matins.
• 22 January at 10.45am – Holy Communion.

Afterwards, enjoy mulled wine and mince pies inside the Village Hall with seasonal good wishes from all at St Columba’s, Topcliffe Parish Council and the Village Hall Committee.

The St Columba’s Christmas Charity this year is Macmillan Nurses and any donations will be very gratefully received.

• TODAY – to 3pm – Christmas Market – soak up the atmosphere and follow the market trail as it winds through Ripon’s historic marketplace. All the traditional market favourites including bratwurst, pies, cheese, cakes, fresh coffee and mulled wine.
• TODAY – (and also on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 December) – 5.30pm – Festival of Lessons & Carols at Ripon Cathedral. The Christmas story told in readings and music. Featuring the Ripon Cathedral Choir.
• Saturday 24 December – 11am – Ripon Cathedral presents the Journey to Bethlehem, an interactive service for families.
• Saturday 24 December – Midnight Mass at Ripon Cathedral.
• Sunday 25 December – 10.30am – Christmas Day Festal Eucharist.
• Monday 26 December (Boxing Day) – 9.30am – Eucharist for St Stephen’s Day followed by pilgrimage to Fountains Abbey.

They also have an amazing range of ready meals, which are proving incredibly popular, and the range is constantly being added to. Amy says: "They’re great to have as a standby or for those ‘in between’ Christmas and New Year days when you’ve run out of ideas about what to prepare.

Over the festive break the shack is open next Friday 23 December between 10am and 2pm and Thursday 29 December, also between 10am and 2pm. However, they can be flexible for collections – just email hello@cattonkitchen.co.uk or go on the Catton Kitchen Facebook page and send a message.

Last Wednesday 43 meals were served and £104 was raised, of which £50 was donated to the local branch of the Salvation Army. The balance has gone into the Warm-Up Community Help fund, which will be used to buy food for future lunches.

If you can donate any prepared food or ingredients for a forthcoming lunch or would like to help in some way, please get in touch with Karen Morley on 01845 577426 or Linda Carver on 01845 578014.

• To Thursday 22 December (No matinees) – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
• Friday 23 December through to Thursday 5 January (no matinees. Each day except dates the cinema is closed – see below) – Strange World.
• Closed 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January

Updates: Please keep checking the website for the latestdetails – https://www.ritzcinema.co.uk/

The wonderful volunteers working at the Yorkshire to Ukraine project in Thirsk are still collecting items that might make someone’s life in that country just a little more bearable. They urgently need donations of items such as duvets, bedding, warm clothes, tinned food, personal health products. The collection point is, Teasdale Motorcycles Long Street, Thirsk YO7 1AU.

The tradition of performing a Mummers’ Play goes back many centuries and nobody knows for certain when, where or why they started. There are three existing traditional plays in this area: one from Ripon known as the sword dancers’ play (lthough there has not been a sword dance accompanying it within living memory!). Another is from the nearby village of Skelton-on-Ure and the third is from Topcliffe. All three plays are of the ‘Blue Stots’ tradition, named after the plough boys who performed around Christmas or New Year in order to cadge some extra money for the festive season.

Mummers’ costumes are fairly simple – a tatter-coat and a hat decorated with ribbons and other ornaments and with the actors’ faces only crudely disguised with black or white make-up. The original reason for blacking the faces is supposed to be to make the actors anonymous. The mumming tradition demands that proper acting is kept to a minimum, since the words are more important than the actors themselves. Lines are spoken in rhyme, which keeps the play moving along at a brisk pace whilst telling the story. A short Morris dance usually follows each performance of the play.

• Monday 9 January – a new series of the popular weekly art classes will start and run until 7 February. 10am and 12 noon. Bring your own materials and create works you will be proud of.
• Saturday 30 January 2023 – 10am to 1pm – Painting on Fabric – helpful tips and techniques with creating your own creative, vibrant painting on fabric. Equipment and paint provided. Refreshments included. Just bring your fabric item – Denim Jacket, purse, bag, baseball boots, cushion cover, table runner or other item. On booking further details will be sent about the session.

All of the advertised art classes are for artists of every level of experience…or of none! Expert guidance is offered throughout the sessions. More information and online booking at http://www.rebeccajayneartist.co.uk

Take part | Big Garden Birdwatch 2023 – The RSPB

A list of local traders in Topcliffe and Asenby can be viewed here.

• Refuse – Monday 19 December and Tuesday 3 January (one day later than normal).
• Recycling – Friday 30 December (one day later than normal).
• Garden waste – no further collections until the post-Christmas collection on Thursday 12 January.
• Garden waste licences for the next period of service will go on sale in March 2023.

Harrogate (Asenby):

• Recycling – Mondays 19 December and 2 January (this is a Bank Holiday but it is what the council’s website shows – it may be worth checking nearer the date to see if this date remains or is changed).
• Refuse – Tuesday 27 December (one day later than normal).
• Garden waste – no further collections until March 2023.