DITTISHAM VILLAGE VOICE  Dec 11th

Did you know that for every one life lost in Afghanistan there are four to five servicemen, women and military personnel who suffer devastating injuries such as loss of limbs or blindness.  The media give huge publicity to the deaths but the wounded are not so much in our minds perhaps.  Sue Parkin’s daughter, Sarah Thom, is in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps working at Selly Oak Hospital and she inspired her mother to put on a fantastic evening for Help The Heroes charity.  If you were unable to attend and  would like to donate go to www.justgiving.com/sue-parkin The theme was Mama Mia!  The hall was decorated in blue and white with Greek flags flying, friends of Sue’s from the village and East Cornworthy made delicious moussaka.  Many guests  were brave enough to dress up as characters in the film and much singing and foot tapping went on throughout the movie. The evening raised an astonishing £6,700 through tickets, auction and raffle. An added component to the evening was the celebration of Doreen Barber’s 90^th birthday.  Instead of giving a party Doreen had the brilliant idea of donating what she would have spent on a party to Help the Heroes.  Doreen was in the WAAF and was escorted to her table with the RAF  march past resounding in our ears.  Next day at church we celebrated  her actual birthday with pink champagne and our vicar, the Revd Simon Wright, made a toast and thanked her for being  sacristan since 2007 and a member of the choir for 20 years.

A celebration of the life of Jean Woon took place on that  same rainy Saturday, December 5 but inside the church it was bright and beautiful with white flowers and the family shared fond  memories of Jean who had lived in the  village for so many years and amongst many other contributions to village life she loved doing the church flowers.

Future Events

St George’s Church will be decorated for Christmas on the morning of Saturday December 19^th. If you would like to help or contribute foliage just  turn up anytime in the morning or for more information please call Janet Bootherstone on 722 281.  The carol service is on December 20^th starting at 4.00pm.  This is always a lovely occasion, ideal for children to learn what Christmas is really all about.  You will, by the by, have the opportunity to see those strange and wonderful nativity figures that some of us have made.  That same night around 7.30 pm  Ray and Kathy at the Ferry Boat Inn  invite everyone to celebrate two events:  the 2009^th   anniversary of Jesus’s birth (according to some historians others dispute this)  and a rather smaller seven years anniversary of Ray and Kathy running the  FBI,  Carol singing, mulled wine and  mince pies will start the evening off.  .  On Wednesday, December 23 starting at 6.00pm there will be carol singing and  mulled wine and mince pies at  the Red Lion Inn.    Sadly, there will be no midnight mass this year as no minister can be found.  Anyone out there?  The Christmas Day service will be a sung eucharist at 9.15am.  I would like to end this week by saying how much I enjoy being your village  voice. I ask forgiveness for things I have said and things that I have left unsaid..  I apologise for not always knowing and  naming every person that helps make our village such a wonderful place to live.     I love feedback and am amazed at the number of people who read this little space who do not even live here. Please keep that dialogue open.  It makes it all worthwhile.  I wish you all a peaceful Christmas full of joy.  I hope that the South Hams and  the Lake District, which is where I am going for Christmas, will have bright sunny days and clear ,  cold crisp nights.