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Finding ourselves on our own in London one Sunday in January, we took a bus from Tottenham to St Martin-in-the-Fields, in Trafalgar Square, for their 10am Communion Service. It was an hour and a half’s journey (rather longer than our usual 7 minutes along the by-pass to reach St John’s) but it was a sunny morning after grey days and we enjoyed our tour of London, that’s why we prefer taking the bus to the tube, this way you can see how the bits of London join up! We received a warm welcome and enjoyed watching the pews (yes, pews, we are a step ahead at St John’s there) filling up. The service was a joy of diversity and enthusiasm with a wonderful feeling of common purpose. There was an outstanding choir - it was good to learn some new hymns, as well as sing some old favourites. The brilliant sermon on the theme of ‘the lamb’ talked of sacrifice. Thought provoking. On our way out the vicar asked someone to show us the way us to their hall for coffee. The ‘someone’ turned out to have a daughter studying dance in Leeds and directed us to Somerset House. We had a quick lunch in the amazing cafe in the church and made our way to see the exhibition, having little idea of what to expect. We were blown away by an extraordinary display of Artificial Intelligence generated choreography by the world renowned choreographer Wayne McGregor. Next we saw two girls dancing close to their admiring watchers, as their movements were captured by AI banks of lights. It was quite breathtaking. We have a video clip of Ruth’s dance reflected on the AI screen! - definitely not for publication. Finally we returned, again on the bus, in time to see the family home from their weekend in Oxford. Back to King’s Cross and we settled down on the train for our trip back to Yorkshire. What an amazing Sunday in London   Saturday 14th February– not just Valentine’s Day, but the date of the next Paulinus concert at St John’s Church, Sharow, 7pm. Rehearsals are in full swing for a programme of stunning a cappella pieces from the 16th century to the 21st, interwoven with beautiful harp music performed by local harpist, Lucinda Taylor.
Come and join us! Tickets £15, or £20 if you’d like to mark St Valentine’s Day by joining us for a light supper afterwards (pre-booked).
As the rain tips down outside, I'm thinking about the good things that are happening in the belltower. It was a delight on Sunday 25th January, to present Izzy with her Sharow Bellringers hoodie, and her certificate and badge for the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers. On Friday David, Wood and I will be going into Sharow School to present Izzy with her Level 1 Bell Handling certificate. Izzy started ringing in April 2025. Her dedication and determination to turn up to practice every Monday evening has been very impressive. She is now able to ring rounds with other ringers and is moving onto call changes. No mean feat. We are very proud of Izzy's achievement. She is a delight to have in the tower. Philippa, who has been learning since December, is also making great progress and will soon be controlling the bell without assistance. We are very lucy that we have David, as Ringing Master, and Wood, as Tower Captain, who are excellent teachers, both for new ringers and those of us who are improving our ringing skills. On the fundraising front, Wood and Rachel's marmalade is available in church, for sale in aid of the bell fund. We're also very grateful to the Schofield family, who have offered to fund the tenor bell in memory of Wood's parents. At a recent meeting of the Cleveland and North Yorkshire Branch of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers, we learnt we are to receive a grant of £750. All very welcome additions to the bells fund. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of all concerned, we now have enough funding to instruct the church architect and structural engineer to produce working drawings for the bells project. Great News. These drawings will go towards our application for Faculty approval from the DAC, the governing body that gives permission for churches to carry out major works. It's the equivalent to applying for planning permission. Once we have Faculty approval, I can apply for grants to undertake the works. It's rather a long winded process, but all very exciting. Together with Revd David and Sharow PCC, we have been working on an "Agreed Pattern of Ringing". This was ratified by the PCC on Monday 26th January. It has been agreed that the bells will be rung on Sunday for call to church; Monday from 6.30pm till 8.30pm for practice night and one other time during the month. All other ringing will be undertaken with the simulator. The full wording will be displayed in church on the bells notice board and on St John's Website. To find out when the bells are being rung during February, please see the notices inside and outside church and on the website. A high light for February Half-Term is an Open morning on Wednesday 18th. All are welcome, especially children. Come and climb the tower steps; see the bells in the belfry; have a go at chiming and watch the bells being rung. Expert tuition will be provided. As ever, please get in touch if you like to support Sharow Bells Restoration or learn more about the bells. Children will be especially welcome on Wednesday morning during half-term. - Bridget Taylor-Connor Tower Correspondent Give to St Johns Bells  Lent (the period preceding Easter, a time for personal reflection) begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on the 18th February, and lasts for 46 days (40 days excluding Sundays) ending on Holy Saturday 4th April. The word ‘Lent’ comes from the old English ‘Lencten’ meaning springtime and from the Germanic ‘langitinaz’meaning lengthening of days. Traditionally, during this time, we refrain from decorating the church with any flowers. The absence of flowers is meant to help us to remember that this is a special time of prayer and preparation for the most important event on the Christian calendar - Easter. On Easter Day the abundance of flowers, that are arranged to decorate the church, represent new life and light. It’s no coincidence that the flowers used are predominantly yellow and white as these colours symbolize the resurrection and light of Christ; but we are helped greatly by the spring colours in nature.  By Denise Are you grieving the death of a loved one or struggling with the long-term effect of loss? The Bereavement Journey is a safe, supportive seven-week course where you can gently explore the impact of loss and find encouragement among others who understand. Each week we'll explore themes such as coping with loss, anger and guilt, adjusting to change, and moving forward in healthy ways. Starting Tuesday February 3 2026, 9.30am-11.30am at Thorpe Prebend House, High St. Agnesgate, Ripon, HG4 1QR. If you'd like to find out more or register your interest, please contact: [email protected]  |
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