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SMALLS FOR ALL COLLECTION

Our annual collection of lightly used bras and new knickers (still in packaging with labels, please) for this charity will run during October until 28th.  Please give all donations to Debra or leave at 3 Main Street

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SOUPER SATURDAYS RETURN!

Thanks to the award of a Small Grant from Rutland County Council funded by Public Health, Rutland Integrated Care Board and Rutland County Council to cover food and electricity costs we will once again provide soup lunches once a month through from October to March.

The first will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday, 24th October (12 noon to 13:30).

Please join us to help build stronger community connections.  We ask for a minimum donation of £5 per person for soup, cheese scone and bread: donations to be used towards the insurance costs of the church.

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BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS!

A mixed bag this month.

The first, a modern romance in reverse “Grace after Henry” by Eithne Shortall – enjoyed this one and can see why it was nominated for a number of awards.

The second, “The Other Side of the Bridge” by Mary Lawson set in small town rural northern Canada in the 1930’s is a family tale of two brothers – like chalk and cheese.

Finally, two novels by Jeffrey Archer – the teller of good yarns – “Kane and Abel” – the story of two men born on the same day on opposite sides of the world – and “Heads You Win”– a coin toss decides the future for a young Russian man, Alex in New York and Sasha in London. What a twist at the end!

Please feel free to borrow any of the books or if you would like to buy any, please leave a donation in the box provided.

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FOOD BANK COLLECTION DATE – OCTOBER 14TH

Please continue to support this very worthwhile local charity.  We are told that activity levels are higher with even greater demand anticipated in the autumn – if every household donated one item a month the boxes in the church porch would be full by each of the collection days – the next one is on 14th October.  A list of requested items is displayed on the church notice board.

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ECO CHURCH

Mark National Reuse Day on Sunday, 18th October by reusing something rather than throwing it away or alternatively offering it for free to someone else via the village WhatsApp group or Freegle (ilovefreegle.org)

As we return to Greenwich Mean Time on Sunday, 25th October join us for a walk to Leigh Lodge and back starting at 14:00 from the church porch.   Light refreshments available afterwards – please let Debra know if you will attend.

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THANKS

To the many folk who kindly donated in September to the Food Bank collection; it is so important that we continue to support this vital service and we will again support this charity at our Harvest Home on 4th October; and

To the churchyard mowers – Claire, Mitch, Tracey, Richard A, Jenny, Jacky, Debra and Richard T.  Thanks also to Jacky and Debra for laying on the mid morning drinks and snacks and the delicious ploughman’s lunch.

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RIDLINGTON TALKS CLIMATE – SEPTEMBER 24TH 2026

Many thanks to everyone who attended the screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing in the Church last Thursday, September 24th. The event was attended by up to 50 people from Ridlington and around.

There was a very lively engagement from the audience, after watching the 50-minute film in which scientific experts highlight various aspects of the climate crisis that confront us. In the feedback session afterwards, people expressed feelings of frustration, anger but also hope.

Virtually everyone agreed that we should discuss further how best to take action as a community. In addition, thirty people signed the petition asking our local MP to join the parliamentary call for government to hold televised briefings on the climate and nature crisis. We will be delivering the petition to her shortly.  If you were unable to sign the petition, you can always email Alicia Kearns soliciting her support at alicia.kearns.mp@parliament.uk.

A date for the next meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 14th in the Village Hall. Stay tuned for more details.

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BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS!

First, and again with thanks to Margie for this one, “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin – a book for all book lovers, celebrating books and those who read them.  Each chapter starts with a book recommendation from the protagonist – a grumpy bookshop owner whose life is a mess (recently bereaved with a failing business) when it is all turned upside down by the arrival of Maya: you’ll need to read it to learn more!

Another recommendation (one of Sarah and Lisa’s) “Painter to the King” by Amy Sackville, a fictional biography of Diego Velazquez, the painter to King Philip IV of Spain.  Took me a while to get into this one (not helped by the lack of punctuation – absence of speech marks) but have enjoyed it.

My recommendation for the month is “A Tidy Ending” by Joanna Cannon, a former hospital doctor specialising in psychiatry.  Narrated by Linda who is good at solving puzzles but otherwise lives a very ordinary life: will you anticipate the twist?