LOOKING AHEAD
St Mary’s Church Services in March 2026
| 1st March | 10 am | Holy Communion | Rev David Lloyd |
| 6 pm | Evensong with Choir | David Lloyd | |
| 8th March | 10 am | Morning Prayer | Rev David Lloyd |
| 6 pm | Holy Communion | Rev David Lloyd | |
| 15th March | 10 am | Mothering Sunday – Choir | Janet McBride |
| 22nd March | 10 am | Holy Communion – Choir | Rev Ann Lloyd |
| 6 pm | Reflective Evening Prayer | Janet McBride | |
| 29th March | 10 am | Palm Sunday Communion | Rev Ann Lloyd |
| 6 pm | Evening Prayer with Choir | Rev Ann Lloyd |
COMING SOON – SAVE THE DATE
| Date | Time | EVENT |
| Sunday 3rd April | 10.00 am | Easter Day Service Decorated Easter Bonnets; donations invited; judged by David Loyd |
| Saturday 9th May | 7.30 pm | Quiz Night – Tickets £10 |
| Saturday 16th May | 7.30 pm | Feria Baroque Ensemble Charity Concert in aid of Children’s Hospice South West |
| Saturday 6th June | tba | Avon Police Choir Concert |
| Saturday 27th June | 3.30 pm | Strawberry Tea and Pimms – Tickets £10 |
| Saturday 18th July | 2.00-4.00 pm | Summer Fete |
| Saturday 5th September | 7.30 pm | Feria Orchestra Concert |
| Saturday 10th October | 7.30 pm | Silent Auction |
MARTIN’S MUSINGS
Our Churchwarden Sue Farr has every reason to celebrate on Tuesday 24th. All of us in the congregation, the choir and the Ministry team too, wishes you a very special Birthday.
What a beautiful church we have. And how quirky! Have you noticed that nothing lines up inside? It all started around 1400AD when the 3 transepts (aisles) were constructed. The arches don’t spring equally from the tower as the Northern side is a foot further from the centre line. If one looks up to the wooden cross above the Sanctuary and then onwards to the ventilation hole, it is clear that the domed roof isn’t in line with the cross.
It only gets quirkier. The first arch on the North side is much shorter than the ones which follow it – and no one knows why. On top of that the capitals of all the arch supports are different to the ones on the Southern side.
And then the windows on the South side don’t align with those on the North side.
There is no doubt that the men who planned and built this part of the church were experts, but why on earth they failed to make the transepts symmetrical is a complete mystery and we will never know what they were thinking.
Getting to know our Ministry Team – Janet McBride
Janet was born in Leeds, and her family moved to Solihull when she was four, where she lived until going to university in Edinburgh in 1971. There she studied Chemistry and met Brian who started a degree in Mathematics and then swapped to Computer Science. She then went to work as a Research Chemist for ICI at Jealott’s Hill Research Station in Berkshire, and later moved into the field of virology, studying insect viruses as a means of pest control. She married Brian in 1978 and stopped work in 1980 to look after their three children. When the kids were old enough, she retrained as a Science teacher at Reading University.
The family moved to Alveston for a few months and then to Old Down when Brian got a job in HP labs in 1994, and Janet joined Olveston Church in 1995. She taught at several schools including Westwing in Thornbury, and St Ursula’s in Westbury-on-Trym.
She got involved in children’s ministry and, for many years, helped to lead Breakfast Club. She felt a calling to Lay Ministry and studied for two years in Frenchay before being licensed in 2006. Her ministry has been centered in Olveston church, but she also feels that she is called as a Christian to care for others and support people in need by volunteering at Citizens Advice. She also runs a U3 group which goes out on day trips to visit other churches.
MONDAY MOVIE CLUB
The films loved by most people today are British comedies and the next one will be “Mrs Caldicott’s Cabbage War” on Monday 2ndMarch. Normally we aren’t allowed to name the films we show to non-club members but we have a sponsor who will pay the license fee, so do come along for a fun evening.