DITTISHAM VILLAGE VOICE DECEMBER 16

I am a bit of a sucker for Primary School Nativity Plays.  The shepherds in stripy tea towels on heads and bodies, angels whose wings go awry, the Ethiopian King whose blackened face goes all blotchy, the child that obviously needs a wee, the narrators who  just forget to speak and there is a wonderful silence and a waiting for what might happen next. On the musical side  some children just belt out the songs with gay abandon and others look behind them and down as if seeking solace in the floor boards..  The Blackawton Christmas Play had all these elements and more.  Blackawton is the primary school for our Ditsum children  and  Louis, Sandy, Alex, Sarah, Timmy, Jack, Harriet, Ellie and  George did us proud.  A mention must be made of Oliver Dudley who played the Landlord.    The play had a moral which was, I think, ‘Don’t be too busy for Christmas’. The Landlord had a very busy day and night and reminded us of this constantly  with comments like ‘busy, busy, busy, even the animals are complaining but at last he  took the  time to see baby Jesus.  Isn’t that really what it is all about?   That and remembering the great things that happened in our village this year.

The St George’s Day Concert. Shakespeare in the Garden that ended up in the church, the quirky Cricket Match on a sand bank, Dittisham United celebrated 40 years, the Regatta,  Let us also take time to say farewell to  Bob Bull, Brian Murphy, Ken Fletcher, Jennifer Maude and celebrate the marriages of  Laura Drury  to  Edward Tucker, Catherine Heseltine  to Muhammad Ali, Emma Heseltine to Dom Turinde and  Sophie Houdret to Phil Alcock.  Here are some forthcoming Christmas delights we hope to see you there.

Tuesday, December 20^th a carol service in St George’s at 6.00pm

 Friday, December 23 do join the carol singers  at 6.00pm at the Red Lion Inn. There will be song sheets and it will be a quick whip round the village ending up at the Ferry Boat Inn.   Bring lanterns.

 There will be a service of carols and readings on Christmas Eve starting at 11.15pm,

Christmas Day eucharist at 9.15am.

Happy Christmas Everyone.