The trustees and management committee of POPHA (Purleigh Old People's Home) invited all the tenants to a Christmas lunch at the Bell Public House in Purleigh.

Everyone enjoyed a full-scale festive lunch and Mrs Edith Stevens thanked the committee on behalf of the tenants for the lunch and for the way the homes are managed.

She singled out secretary/manager Judith Prestwich for special thanks. She also said that they supported each other, making it seem like one large family.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

The annual Carol Service will be held on Sunday December 23 at 6pm and everyone is welcome to come and join in singing familiar carols. Purleigh handbell ringers will also play.

The Crib Service is at 5.30pm on Christmas Eve and lasts only about 30 minutes, as it is intended for the smaller children who love to help prepare the crib ready for baby Jesus on Christmas Day.

On Christmas Day, a Sung Eucharist will be held at 10am in All Saints Church, Purleigh and everyone is welcome to join this joyful celebration of Our Lord's birth.

The collections from all these services are given to charity.

HANDBELL RINGING

The Purleigh Handbell Ringers will be visiting Howe Green Road and Purleigh Folk Dance Club during the evening on Wednesday December 19, The Street Purleigh and The Bell Inn on Friday December 21 and the Carol Service on the 23rd.

This year, the collections are to be shared by Macmillan Nurses and The Handbell fund.

CHRISTMAS WHIST >P>The Christmas Whist Drive held on Tuesday December 11 for Cancer Research.

It was organised by Rita Ellis and Pat Clark and made £270, a really remarkable amount.

Thanks to all those who gave prizes and supported this event.

WI

The December meeting, entitled Festive Frolics, on December 13, even had Santa Claus (Dugold MacEwen) distributing presents to every member.

The president welcomed Carol Ibbotson, a visitor, and read Christmas cards from our member institutes in the Maldonian Group. She also relayed good wishes from ex-member Hazel Best, who had phoned from Australia.

Diane Guest thanked all who had helped or attended the Camerata Concert at her house, which had raised £304.18 for the Children's Society.

Betty Jones appealed for members to save their Christmas and other stamps for the Horse and Donkey Sanctuary, saying more hay and straw is needed in the very cold weather.

Grant-aided classes with tutor Mrs Norton, entitled Off-Loom Techniques (Beading) will take place on May 14, 21 and 28 next year - anyone interested should contact Dorothy Oliver on 828433.

The course fee is £10 plus the cost of materials.

President Sue MacEwen said our WI had sent 15 shoebox parcels to the troops in Iraq.

A raffle and sale of mystery parcels raised £84 during the afternoon for Purleigh Institute's 80th birthday celebrations in 2008.

After tea and mince pies, committee members, Jac Snow, Marlene Shepherd, Fay Lucy, Sue MacEwen, Jean Hustwayte, Joan McCallum and Mary Strathern entertained with seasonal poetry or prose, Jean Sharp, accompanied by Jill Burrage, sang Christopher Robin is saying his Prayers, whilst Jean Hustwayte tested our mental arithmetic with a series of "sums", Sally Carpenter, Sue Capp and Edna Mathams were the only ones to get them all right - they were much more difficult than it sounds!

The competition for a homemade Christmas Cracker was won by Jenny Taylor, with Sue MacEwen second and Jac Snow third. The afternoon ended with a selection of Christmas Carols.