2005
November / December: Advent and Christmas services
Many churches kick off their Advent and Christmas celebrations over this weekend 26/27 November 2005 with special Advent carol services. Listings of Christmas services in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Wetherby are available on this website. The transcript of the Radio York interview on Sunday 18 December is available.
HYPeR opening hours, new email address
HYPeR's doors were open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 20-22 December.
Vacancies: organist
St Mark's church, Leeds Road, are seeking an organist to further develop the worship; interviews on Thursday 8 December. Interested applicants are asked to send their CV and accompanying letter to the vicar, St Mark's church, Leeds Road, Harrogate.
Services at Harlow Hill Methodist church
9:00am: All Saints congregation have been meeting at Harlow Hill Methodist church (Map) from November 2005, until remedial works are completed.
10:00am: Harlow Hill Methodist congregation
St Mary's and All Saints church office
St Mary's 'cottage', 2 Harlow Terrace, Harrogate HG2 0PN.
Local Strategic Partnership
Jane Blayney's latest report on the recent meeting of the LSP is now available for perusal on this website. Key issues include the Harrogate and Craven PCT, young people and alcohol, the possible duplicity of the NCSP and Regional Economic Strategy.
A special welcome to all website visitors who know of St Mary's church, Dorchester. - an extract from their September 2005 parish magazine can be viewed via this website. (This is also linked via the Marketing page of the website)
Chain Emails: Break the chain
For those concerned about unsolicited chain emails - especially those condemning people - the Break the Chain website may be worth checking before hitting 'Forward' (or 'Reply').
24 September: New Creation
7:00pm at Wesley, Harrogate. A musical extravaganza by Brian Hoare - full choir, soloists, dance and drama.
Clergy moves : Fr Mark Naughton
Prayers and best wishes go with Fr Mark as he celebrates his last Mass at St Joseph's, Skipton Road on Friday 23 September before moving to Leeds.
Welcomed to serve with the Methodists
Amongst many, Canon Tony Shepherd and Rev Tim Hurren of St Peter's have been welcomed to serve as ministers by the Methodist Conference this summer.
Change of Address: New Life church office
Harrogate New Life Church, PO Box 540, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 9AS, as from September 2005.
St Mary's at Harrogate Grammar
The congregation of St Mary's are exploring possible venues for corporate worship; this picture is of the morning service at the Grammar School.
Brother Roger, Taizé: 1915 - 2005
The prayers of many in this area are added to those world-wide following the death on Tuesday 16 August of the founder of the Taizé Community. Funeral service video link (live) and audio link (after the service); biography link: Daily Telegraph.
New Wine Harrogate 30 July - 6 August, with YFriday on 30 July.
New Wine office have been seeking accommodation for delegates and workers.
Day Tickets are understood to be in short supply; it's possible that there may be a few on the gate, £20.
The YFriday concert has been planned only for those staying at New Wine.
Route by car: approach Harrogate on the A661 Wetherby Road from the A658 by-pass; the Great Yorkshire Showground is next to Sainsbury's supermarket (Map)
New Wine advise that the "Ealing Office is now closed until mid-August as staff are setting up on-site at Shepton Mallet and Harrogate. Please do not telephone or email as there is no one there to reply.
* If you have not received your registration documents check with your group leader if you are on a group booking. You can download advanced information from the website and collect the registration documents from the Information Office on-site when you arrive. {Note: CTH have been unable to access this download facility]
* If you have applied to be on a team and your application has not been completed this can be done on-site. If possible, arrive at Harrogate on Friday and go to the Information Office.
* If you need to make any changes to bookings please visit the Information Office on-site.
* We are sorry that there are no bikes allowed on-site for safety reasons. The showground is hilly which, not only makes parts of it unsuitable for cycling, but would also increase the already high number of bike-related injuries which happen each year, and with only a very small medical team we considered it unsafe."
The initial contact has been David Oliver in the New Wine office. See also July Events page and background from John Coles visit on Monday 9 June 2003, again on this website.
Sir Edward Heath, 1916 - 2005
Prayers of gratitude for the former Prime Minister's life, notably for his time as news editor of the Anglican Church Times newspaper after service in the second world war.
Tuesday - Thursday 12-14 July: Great Yorkshire Show
At the Church Pavilion this year the theme is "Living Stones" with a youthful outlook; pics and links available. Students from Rossett, St John Fisher and St Aidan'ssecondary schools are part of the welcome team each day. Links from the 2004 GYS available on this website.
Make Poverty History - Pannal
St Robert's, Pannal, Sunday morning service at 9:30am highlighted the campaign. Various displays in the church were topped with the white banner draped around tthe church tower. Further local events listed on the July Events page of this website.
Rev Henk Greenway
Prayers and best wishes go to Henk as he retires from Grove Road and Bar Methodist chuches at the end of June 2005. See also September 2005 events
The Connection, Pateley Bridge vacancy (June 2005)
Nidderdale churches were seeking a Church based youth and children's worker for this project (with links to United Gigs), .
Sunday 3 July: Exercising the Freedom of the Borough of Harrogate
2pm at the Cenotaph. A short time of prayer is led by the Foundation College chaplains: Rev Daniel Merceron, Fr David Campbell and Rev Brian Hunt. The mayor's chaplain, Rev Jeremy Trew, added to the procession.
Paperworks vacancy (closing date: 30 June)
Supervisor, male, part time, to work with people with disabilities; 12 hours @ £6 per hour.
River of Life, Knaresborough
A warm welcome to the congregation meeting at Knaresborough House, fortnightly from 10:30am - next meeting this Sunday 19 June. More info and dates on the River of Life website; also listed on the Knaresborough page of this website; part of Churches Together in Knaresborough.
Rock ConneXion new times
6:00pm at St Peter's as from June 2005; more info on the Rock ConneXion website
Alpha North, vacancy (closing date: 10 June)
Alpha North is looking for a Relationship Manager to help support and promote Alpha Courses and associated events in the North of England. Salary £15K - £17K; more info from the Alpha North website.
Thursday 2 June: Twelve Stories about Angels
7:30pm at St Mark's (Map). With Adrian Plass and Gold Records - whose line up includes Mal Pope, Phil Baggaley ("Phil and John"), Esther Alexander and Julie Costello. Organised by St Robert's, Pannal; tickets: £7 adults, £5 students, available from Wesley Owen, Harrogat . Previews and downloads on the Gold Records website
2 June: Wesley Owen Grand Opening with Adrian Plass
Branchlines' transformation to Wesley Owen is completed with a ribbon cutting ceremony and Adrian Plass, author and broadcaster signing his books
Friday 20 May: St Aidan's Cof E High School Proms in the Park
At Ripley Castle. A musical extravaganza organised by St Aidan's School, with thanks to Sir Thomas Ingleby for welcoming the crowds to the Ripley Castle estate.
Polling Day, Thursday 5 May
Pics of the CTH Political meeting at Wesley on 26 April available, with weblinks. Result:
Phil Willis MP , LD, 24,113, 56.3% (+0.7%),
Maggie Punyer, Cons, 13684, 31.9% (-2.7%),
Lorraine Ferris, Lab, 3,627, 8.5% (+1.1),
Chris Royston, UKIP, 845, 2% (+0.2), Colin Banner, BNP, 466, 1.1% (+1.1), John Allman, AfC, 123, 0.3% (+0.3).
HYPeR
HYPeR are pleased to announce the appointment of Alex Walker as their new manager.
Churches Together in Harrogate greet the new Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger with prayer and Christian love.
Friday 1 April: Local church helps beat Skipton Road congestion
Bilton Grange United Reformed Church agreed at their recent church council meeting to Churches Together running this story on 1 April. The idea was to help put an end to the misery of thousands. "The generous hearted congregation are only too aware of the heavy traffic, being located on the corner of the notorious Skipton Road at Woodfield Road.
Their plans are to make space for a roundabout by tearing down the church brick by brick and rebuilding it in the middle of the new roundabout, although worshippers will have to dodge the traffic to get to church in the future.
It has since been suggested that "other churches in Harrogate will follow the lead and relocate to roundabouts.(after all churches often go round and round in circles or do things in a 'roundabout' way) .
Some suggested others may follow the lead of Bilton Grange URC - churches often do things in a roundabout way. The CT secretary is aware that there are quite a few churches near roundabouts, so it may merit some ecumenical study.
There was no conspiracy with the local authority - the sign on the right refers to the creation of a far smaller traffic island on Skipton Road; it reads "Work to construct a traffic island on Skipton Rd will begin at the end of March 05....". The date was coincidental, though.
With thanks to the church council at Bilton Grange - and to the staff of the Training Centre and Jewsons for permission to take the true-to-life pictures of the move...
Pope John Paul II
Prayers continue to be said across the chuches of Harrogate for John Paul II and all inspired by his life.
Easter services listings available on this website
With a separate print icon, listing many Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Sunday services.
The website listing has been distributed to Harrogate's larger hotels and Tourist Information Centre as a print with a map of local churches on the reverse side.
Wesley Owen/Branchlines refit
The shop door closed 5:30pm Friday 18 February and is expected to re-open Tuesday 28 February.
Saturday 19 February: Prayer For the Nation with Julie Brown @ Hollybush
All welcome for coffee at 10:00am for 10:30 start. Optional lunch for £5.
Vacancy (January 2005)
HYPeR are seeking to appoint a Centre Manager. 20 hours per week, pro rata £20400.00 per annum
Earthquake/Tsunami Emergency Appeal
Churches in this area are sending support through several agencies including CAFOD, TEAR Fund, Christian Aid, the Anglican Diocesan Fund (with strong links with Sri Lanka) as well as the Disasters Emergency Committee (regd charity).
The DEC website www.dec.org.uk includes online giving; gifts also by telephone (0870 60 60 900) or post to PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA (Office address: 15 Warren Mews, London W1T 6AZ)
USPG (and others) are recommending planned support in stages to ensure medium and long term issues are covered. Various churches are running events over the next weeks; churches with special services on Sundays include Elim (Map).
Thursday 13 January 2005: Christian Sign Language Course
7:30pm - 9:30pm, at St Andrew's: A series of seven workshops for anyone interested in learning sign language for the deaf. £10 with concessions for the series. See also the Deaf Church service listing on this website.
Weather - local disruption
With some areas around Harrogate affected during the recent storms (8/9 January 2005) there has been disruption to telephone and power failures in churches and other community venues.
BBC - Jerry Springer Opera 8 January
Mediawatch-UK have written to the BBC about the screening of this programme, which the BBC2 "controller Roly Keating said ... would ‘push back the boundaries of taste and decency. There will be warnings but we don't intend to cut it. Our audience will expect it to be broadcast uncut." ('Daily Mail 3/12/2004')
Those who have written to the BBC appear to have received a standard reply; even so, 45,000 plus complaints is understood to be unusual and a clear expression of deep concern. Email your views to the BBC or Ofcom.
BBC website comment, abridged here: "The show, filmed at the Cambridge Theatre, London, will be aired uncut by BBC Two at 2200 GMT on Saturday. The corporation is billing the broadcast as a "boundary-breaking show will appeal to all - except the faint-hearted!". A BBC statement said: "As a public service broadcaster, it is the BBC's role to broadcast a range of programmes that will appeal to all audiences - with very differing tastes and interests - present in the UK today." Warnings about the language will be given and it will be broadcast "well after the watershed", it added. The BBC has also denied reports in the Daily Mail that the two-hour show contains 8,000 expletives, which would equal more than one swear-word each second." ("Last Updated: Wednesday, 5 January, 2005, 09:38 GMT").
The BBC issued further comments after the screening, copied onto this website.
Saturday 8 January 2005: Coffee morning in aid of Tsunami Emergency Appeal
10-12 noon, St John's, Bilton (Map). All welcome to drop in.
January 2005 - YfC moves
The "joined up thinking" administration of Harrogate's three ecumenical youth works commences during January with the move of Youth for Christ's offices into the HYPeR office. The new address is Harrogate Youth for Christ, The Citadel, East Parade, Harrogate, HG1 5LB