Annual Vestry and Parish Meeting Sunday 4th March 2012   Our Annual Vestry and Parish Meeting will be held in Church at 9.30am between the Holy Communion Service (which will commence at 8.30am) and the Parish Communion Service which will commence at its normal time of 10.30am.  These two meetings are obligatory and we have a Legal and Church responsibility to hold them annually. They are there to appoint Church Wardens, Parochial Parish Councillors, Sidespersons, and to receive reports from the Wardens, Parochial Church Council, our Church organisations and it also gives the Parish and Congregation the opportunity to ask questions about the running of the Church (having listened to the reports) from a worship and financial points of view and, if they feel other Church matters require attention, these meetings are good opportunities to speak out. It is also very important that you take part in any elections for Wardens and PCC Members if elections are required.  SO PLEASE DO ATTEND, THIS IS YOUR RIGHT AND OPPORTUNITY to let us know your feelings and opinions about the work and running of the church over the last twelve months.  I do hope that you can and will attend these very important meetings.  Brian Williams – PCC Chair    Please Can You support your Church Magazine?  Do you get the magazine each month with all the articles, diary dates, notices and a smile? Only £5 a year, delivered to your door and your subscriptions collected. Ask a warden or sides person to add you to a distributors’ list, or pick your own up in church. Do you have friends or neighbours who might like to receive a copy? Ask a warden or sides person for a free copy to give them as an introduction. Do you know anyone who has a business, large or small who might like to advertise in the magazine? Again, ask for a free copy to show them, advertising costs are- Full page £100, half a page £50, third of a page £34 or sixth of a page £17 for the full year of 10 issues (2 are double issues). Any contributions to the magazine content are always welcome from you. An interesting fact, article, or notice. A joke or a funny story.  A recipe or seasonal craft idea. Help us make the magazine interesting and varied for everyone. Please think about how you could help to make your church magazine a "good read" and more widely circulated. With more advertisers and readers, the magazine would help to support church funds. Everyone who takes the magazine helps in this way. Thank you! Please speak to the wardens or sides people for any information you need.  Alternatively, contact: Alastair Pyke, magazine editor at aldebbiepyke@aol.com, tel: 246041  Sarah Haworth, magazine adverts at sarahmhaworth@gmail.com, tel: 240008 Linda Haworth, Email: lindaclive72@gmail.com      St. Leonard’s Church Family    (1)   A new addition to the Magazine will be a semi-regular feature that will provide a quick pen picture of one of the members of the Church starting with:-  MAUREEN TOPHAM....married to Gordon for over 50 years.  She has 2 children Edward and Louise, and 2 grandchildren Ben and Paul.  She lives on Sunnyside Avenue, Billington.  Maureen was born in Lancaster and went to school there until she was 12 years old, when she moved to Blackburn.  She left Audley school when she was 14 and started work as a sewing machinist at Varleys.  She went to night school to learn dressmaking and tailoring and eventually worked her way up to be a dress designer in Manchester.  FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE RIBBLE VALLEY. Stonyhurst College  -  looking across the lakes.  ONE ITEM YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT. My sewing machine.  FAVOURITE SHOP. Thornton’s Chocolate Shop.  PET DISLIKES. Unkindness.  MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT When I slipped, whilst feeding the ducks, and fell in Fairhaven Lake..... 18 years ago.    Recipe of the Month   Winter Warmer – Spicy Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup  Easy to make soup, ideal for lunch with crusty bread or for those on a new year diet!! can eat as much as you like. Ingredients 1 large butternut squash (1.25kg approx.) 2 large onions 1 stick celery 1 carrot 1 red pepper 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon garam masala Salt and pepper to taste   Method -        Chop all vegetables into chunks -        Place vegetables in a large pan and add the chopped tomatoes and spices. -        Add stock and bring to the boil -        Simmer on a low light until all ingredients are cooked through. -        Put into a food processor and blitz until smooth, may have to do this in one or two batches. -        Adjust consistency and season to taste. -        Ring the changes by not adding the spices, or roast the vegetables before cooking. -        Enjoy!   School news   The 'Let's Get Cooking' club is funded by the National Lottery and is on a three-year rota.  We are currently in our second year of funding. This year the club, currently run by Miss Wilkinson and Miss Cross, has given Year 5 the opportunity to cook and bake delicious healthy recipes chosen from the 'Let's Get Cooking' cookbook.  The aim of the club is to teach children new cooking skills that they can share and use at home. The club encourages children to try new foods, work together and have fun. Examples of feedback comments were: ”I enjoyed baking muffins and we were allowed to put blueberries in” Lewis Year 5   ”We have made a lot of nice things like pizza, scones and muffins.” Ayesha Year 5   ”It shows us how to cook and follow recipes independently and also cutting skills” Libby Year 5     Service of Confirmation   We are delighted to be able to hold the Service of Confirmation here at St. Leonard’s this year.  The Service will take place at 3.00pm on Sunday 11th March and the twenty two candidates will be Confirmed by the Bishop of Burnley, the Right Reverend John Goddard. This will be a very special occasion not only for the Confirmation candidates but for our Church.  It is likely that there will be a large demand for seats from the family members of the candidates. Thus it may be necessary to have a” ticket system” in operation , however our regular congregation will be most welcome to attend if there are sufficient spaces still available,. So please be patient with us until we see how many friends and relatives of the candidates wish to attend.  Brian.    PAPER SKIP DATES AT SCHOOL  The paper and cardboard Skip will be at the School on the following dates:-  February 10th March 9th April 20th   Please support the school as this is a valuable source of funds      “On” Course for Lent and Easter   Following our successful courses over the last few years we have again decided to hold another “Lent” Course to prepare us for Easter. This year we are holding another “York Course” which is entitled:-  Handing on the Torch On this course we shall be discussing such subjects as, A Christian Country?  A Secular Society?  A Beleaguered Church?  All very topical, so why not join us at Hodgefield, Billington, meeting at 7.30pm on February 29th, March 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th.  You will be assured of a warm welcome (and a warm drink!), a lively discussion and a very sociable and friendly atmosphere.  If you wish to know more about the course, which costs just £3.50, please call me on 01254 240402  Looking forward to seeing you at Hodgefield.  Brian. Mothers' Union Notices    Date Time Event Refreshments Tues 7th Feb 3.30pm Godzone S.Scott & P.Leyland Weds 8th Feb 7.45pm MU Committee meeting @ 6 Coronation Terrace,Langho   Tues 14th Feb 2.00pm Wave of PrayerService in Church   Tues 28th Feb 7.30pm Service in Church followed by MU meeting T.Baron,S.Mirfin & L.Cookson   I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy & Healthy 2012,  specially those members who are not enjoying the best of health at the moment.  We think of you and remember you all in our prayers.  We held our MU Christmas Concert at the beginning of December and this year the weather was quite kind to us and we saw one of our biggest audiences to date. The revenue from ticket sales and the raffle raised a considerable amount which was handed to church to go towards fuel bills. May I thank all those who came to support the evening and I hope everyone enjoyed it and went away feeling uplifted and prepared for the Christian celebrations that we all share at Christmas.   My thanks go to Kathleen for her hard work in coaching the choir, she has a lot of patience teaching us the songs and hoping we get it right on the night!!!! As we all do!!!  As usual, Kathleen, made all the mince pies and as usual they were absolutely delicious.  I would also like to thank Linda & Sarah for kindly printing the posters, flyers and tickets and all the members and men who helped to make the evening a success!  The committee decided to aim for £1,000 per annum for the next five years.  We hope you will all support the efforts to raise funds which we are planning.  On Tuesday 6th December we celebrated our Christmas Lunch at the Calf's Head at Worston.  It was a lovely time with around 20 members getting together for friendship and fellowship with good food too!!!  I would like to thank Betty Wood for planning and organising the event and as usual everything went smoothly.  Please see the above date & time for our Wave of Prayer service in church. Please bring the Wave of Prayer Leaflet from the Winter MU news with you or say the prayers at home if you are unable to join us.  Our Guest Speaker at the February meeting will be Mrs. Margaret Waddington, one of our own congregation!!!  Her subject will be "Counselling, what's it all about!.  Also at the February meeting Audrey Fox & Betty Wood will still be collecting names and choices for our Anniversary Dinner on Tuesday 20th March 2012 to be held at Mytton Fold Hotel. The cost for two courses including coffee and mints will be £15.00   May I remind members that subscriptions will be due for 2012 and have to sent away before the beginning of March 2012.  There have been increases at Mary Sumner House and the Dioscese, but we are still making every effort to provide a varied and enjoyable programme for 2012 with a meeting or outing every month of the year.  Subs will therefore, be £19.50 which will still include tea & biscuits at each meeting, with Indoor members paying £14.00  Maureen Holden Branch Leader   LOOKING BACK.   On clearing out a cupboard in the vestry, I came across a box of old Church magazines, and thought you might be interested to have a peep into February 1972 some 40 years ago  Philip Dearden was the vicar.  “Lighting:-   Anytime now the work of rewiring with new fittings the whole of the Church, will begin.  The work is being carried out by Websters Electrical Manufacturing Ltd. (Burnley)..........  at a cost of £926.”  This was a lot of money when you consider that the average collection from all 3 Sunday services was about £15 per week. “Church and School Building Fund:-  At the AGM of the Building Fund Committee, the Chairman, Mr. Bullock, resigned from office, on doctor’s orders.  Mr. Dearden thanked him for all the work he has done for this committee.  He also thanked Mr. Jungbluth who resigned midway through the year, from his office as secretary.  The money raised in 1971 was £1,103.55,  this total includes £104 raised by the Day school.  Officers elected for 1972 are as follows:           Chairman :  Mr. Alan Haworth, Lowerfold Farm.            Secretary :   Mrs. Lilian Hargreaves, Mytton Fold Farm.            Treasurer :   Mr. Gordon Ainsworth, Moorfield, Whalley.            Ladies Chairman :  Mrs. M. Holt, 52, Bushburn Drive.            Asst. Treasurer :  Mrs. M. Carter, 7, Bramley View, Barrow.  Lilian Hargreaves    PARISH RECORDS   Holy Matrimony :  1st January      Richard Harold Griffin and Dorothy Wilson.   Holy Baptism :       23rd January     Janine,  daughter of Rodney and Lorraine Sewell.    Timothy James, son of John and Susan Russell.   Cremation :  7th January          David  Benson , 5, Nab View,  20 years.   Lilian Hargreaves