- Chatterbox – January 2020
- Baptism of Micaiah Charlie Hughes 15 December 2019
- Santa at MRMC – 17th December 2019
- Marlborough Road Toddlers Nativity – 10 December 2019
- Peace Event – November 14 ,2019
- Cycle the Circuit 34/13 – Tuesday 15 October 2019
- Heritage Open Day 2019
- Holiday at Home 2019 Report
- Summer Flowers – 2019
- Pictures from Chatterbox coffee morning
- Christingle service in 2019
- Rosemary with Bevan Powell MBE ‘Why Black History Month?’ October 2019
- Rosemary with Revd Ruth Eldridge ‘The Church and the whaikaha’ September 2019
- Sunday August 25th 2019
- 27th July 2019 – Rosemary visits Betty Murdoch a member of MRMC on her 90th Birthday
- Saturday July 27th 2019 – Wedding of Chantelle and Andrew ( two of our regular worshippers) at Marlborough Road Methodist Church
- Christmas Day 2018
- Rosemary with Revd Ermal Kirby ‘One World – transforming communities’ October 2018
- Rosemary with Matt Forsyth, All We Can ‘What needs to go, the 0.7% or the overseas development charities?’ September 2018
- Revd Dr Leslie Griffiths, Lord Griffiths of Burry Port ‘Should the House of Lords be Abolished?’ November 2017
- Family Baptism – Daughter of Robert Harrison, Jessica Neil – 16/07/2017
- MRMC May 2017 re dedicated after refurbishment
- From the archives – Pre 2017
Chatterbox – January 2020
Our Chatterbox coffee morning has been enjoying the Hertfordshire Year of Culture January challenge to be creative, and at the end of January we were thrilled when YOCI, the Hertfordshire Year of Culture mascot, came to visit.
Picture credits: Ann and Ian
Baptism of Micaiah Charlie Hughes 15 December 2019
Santa at MRMC – 17th December 2019
Marlborough Road Toddlers Nativity – 10 December 2019
Peace Event – November 14 ,2019
“Peace Event” which took place at church on the evening of November 14th this year, Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet spoke and introduced two young ladies who spoke about their wish for Peace in Palestine.
Cycle the Circuit 34/13 – Tuesday 15 October 2019
There were three elements in this 40 mile day out by bicycle. Firstly, celebrating our All We Can Partnerships, secondly connecting our circuit churches and thirdly, an enjoyable day of cycling. All three objectives were well met, although the cycling element turned out to be more challenging than I had anticipated.
The All We Can celebration included taking in Hatfield Road’s lovely Harvest display when we called in at the Aldersgate Café. ‘We’ comprised myself, Revd Rosemary Fletcher and Matt Forsyth, the All We Can Churches officer. It was great to have Matt’s support, and Matt was glad to get some photographs of Partnership Church / Circuit action – see if you recognise anyone in next year’s publicity shots! Matt joined in the prayer meeting at Birchwood before heading off to an appointment in Harpenden.
Visiting all our circuit places in one day has given me a sense of connection and inclusion. It was lovely to meet circuit folk along the way: Jan and friends at the Aldersgate Café at Hatfield Road; Doris, Val and Mike at Birchwood; Peter and Diana at Digswell; Tony and John at Ludwick Way; Chris, Lesley and Frances at St Johns Potters Bar. Special mention of Shirley at Radlett, who couldn’t wait any longer for me to turn up so left me a welcome note. I was not as fit and fast as my schedule anticipated, by Ludwick Way I was half an hour behind and by Potters Bar it was an hour. I had selected Tuesday as ride day because I could connect Toddlers at MRMC, Aldersgate Café at HRMC and prayer and fellowship lunch at Birchwood. I had not anticipated saying hello to Brownies at MRMC in the evening, but as I was 90 minutes behind schedule by the time I completed the loop, that happened too!
The cycle ride was a bit tougher than I had expected, probably because I am not as fit as I was earlier in the year. It was a super ride though, mostly on quiet roads, cycle paths and bridleways that I had cycled before, but some exploration was also involved. This was the first time I have cycled through Sherrardspark Woods, it won’t be the last, although I did have to walk the uphill, gravelly section of the bridleway. Traffic was a bit heavy between Queenswood and Potters Bar, but I was revived with coffee at St Johns, and the next section included bridleway and, once over the M25, very quiet lanes. Given recent weather, I was very fortunate to have pleasant conditions for the ride.
Heritage Open Day 2019
This was our sixth year taking part in Heritage Open Days. Very many thanks to the bakers, organists and church folk who contributed to the success of the day. We welcomed about a dozen walkers and cyclists taking part in the Bike n Hike – Rosemary and James came through in the morning and joined the welcome team for a cuppa. One visiting cyclist was 40 churches into his 70 church schedule, phew! We had several visitors who came because they had ‘looked in through the glass and wanted to take the chance have a nosey inside’. Result!
Holiday at Home 2019 Report
As well as regular churchgoers, several visitors came from nearby retirement/sheltered housing such as Cotsmoor and Beaumonds. Some attended just for one day, others came for more.
Day 1 began with half an hour for guest registration, with tea/coffee and cake/biscuits available, and an opportunity to chat with others – everyone had a name-badge, whether helpers or guests. Chris Hancock opened with a short devotional consisting of a passage from Proverbs, and provoked thought with a few words of wisdom of his own, followed by all singing a hymn. From then on it was “open house” with options of art or creative crafts, such as making greeting cards; flower arranging; table-top games (such as Scrabble, Rummikub, dominoes); jigsaws (two superb 100 large-piece pictures); and quizzes (picture clues on the wall to be solved, and 20 questions answered in teams).
Extras included boxes of historic artefacts from the 1940/50s/60s, borrowed from the museum, which triggered many comments such as “we had one of those” and “what on earth is that?”; carpet bowls in the Foyer (surprisingly difficult to judge the bias in the balls, but great fun); and armchair exercises in the Aldersgate Lounge.
A cooked lunch was provided, as well as refreshments and cake at other times.
Day 2 was similar to Day 1 but closed with a sing-along which included Daisy Bell, Love Me Tender and The Hippopotamus Song.
Days 3 and 4 were at MRMC, and followed much the same format but featured play-reading, and a ukelele band playing in the church.
Finally, on Day 5, Ely was the inspired choice for a coach trip for over 50 people who explored that lovely, compact city with its magnificent cathedral, various museums, Oliver Cromwell’s House, gardens, riverside walks and boat-rides, interesting shops, and numerous places to eat and drink.
Feedback from all attending was overwhelmingly positive and the helpers from the mix of churches worked beautifully and seamlessly together.
Summer Flowers – 2019
Pictures from Chatterbox coffee morning
They are all a bit shy about being on the internet!
Christingle service in 2019
Our Christingle service in 2019 was organised by the Brownies and involved a crafted felt Christingle decoration. One of the attendees was so inspired by the service that she brought the Christingle along to show her friends at Chatterbox coffee morning. She told our minister
“Just to say how much I enjoyed my Christingle with the Brownies, thank you. Red Robin was so welcoming and the Brownies were excellent hosts. Please pass my thanks and praise for such a super event to the Brownies and Red Robin. There were no Brownies in the village where I grew up when I was little so I loved seeing a bit of their tradition, too.
You will be pleased to know that I have had good mileage from my Christingle Bauble even without, as yet, putting in on my tree. …. I took my bauble and service sheet to the Chatterbox Coffee on Thursday where everyone seemed most interested. Some of the ladies were a bit tickled that I had been an honorary Brownie for an evening. … took a couple of photos of my lovely bauble for use on social media for the church ….. I guess you could say I have done my best to spread the little light from my candle.
Rosemary with Bevan Powell MBE ‘Why Black History Month?’ October 2019
Rosemary with Revd Ruth Eldridge ‘The Church and the whaikaha’ September 2019
Sunday August 25th 2019
Marlborough Road Methodist Church and the Church of God of Prophecy share a morning Service together at MRMC and follow it with a picnic in
Clarence Park and a game of cricket and a tug of war..
27th July 2019 – Rosemary visits Betty Murdoch a member of MRMC on her 90th Birthday
Saturday July 27th 2019 – Wedding of Chantelle and Andrew ( two of our regular worshippers) at Marlborough Road Methodist Church
Christmas Day 2018
Rosemary with Revd Ermal Kirby ‘One World – transforming communities’ October 2018
Rosemary with Matt Forsyth, All We Can ‘What needs to go, the 0.7% or the overseas development charities?’ September 2018
Revd Dr Leslie Griffiths, Lord Griffiths of Burry Port ‘Should the House of Lords be Abolished?’ November 2017
Family Baptism – Daughter of Robert Harrison, Jessica Neil – 16/07/2017
MRMC May 2017 re dedicated after refurbishment
