Space 4 is now open! In only 4 months we have secured the lease, appointed a Coordinator, Sue Elsey and furnished the empty unit so that Space4 can go live!
Groups are moving in in November with new services such as Money M.O.T’s and Debt Support coming on line over the next few months. Do pop in and visit the new project, say hello to Sue and find out more what’s happening.
This year’s Feast was blessed with excellent weather, blue sky and sunshine is not we expect, but was very welcome. On the Saturday we welcomed about 1000 people into church of the Produce and Craft Market, which along side the excellent refreshments proved to be a popular attraction. This year with a new addition the Church Vegetable stall!!
This years parade was great fun with more local participants than last year, which is good news. Congratulations to the Houghton Round Table.
Sunday saw the tradition Civic service when we welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress, the Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff, local councillors and other guests to St Michael’s. This years preacher was the Archdeacon of Sunderland, The Venerable Stuart Bain, who spoke about the importance of service in the local community.
The Masquarade Dinner was a super evening with excellent food and brilliant entertainment from the Flights. Congratulations to the Next 900 Team, who as well as creating a special event raised nearly £700 for the Church Building Fund.
Events at St Michael’s Church during Houghton Feast 2013
SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER FESTIVAL DAY
10am- 3pm Craft and Produce Market in Church. A variety of Stalls * Licensed Bar * Refreshments. Houghton’s own beer Gilpin and Apostle on sale. Free Admission
SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER HOUGHTON FEAST SUNDAY
10.30am Feast Civic Service. A celebration of community life attended by the Mayor of Sunderland, the Lord Lieutenant, Member of Parliament, other civic leaders and the people of Houghton-le-Spring. Everyone welcome to attend.
6.00pm Feast Community Hymn Singing. A traditional feast event
WEDNESDAY 9 OCTOBER
7.00pm Celebrating 70 Years of Brass. A joint concert by Houghton Brass and Houghton Area Youth Band. Tickets £5 from 07944247433 or houghtonbrass@hotmail.com
THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER
2.00pm A Celebration of Life. A service for the older generation in association with HOPE
FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER
7.30PM Masquerade Dinner
The Mystery of Masks – who will you be sitting next to!
Dinner * Live Entertainment * Licensed Bar
Tickets £15 from John Lambton 07917817879
SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER
7.00pm North East Concert Band The closing event of this years Feast
The new Bishop of Durham Designate was announced today (September 12th). The announcement from by Downing Street this morning confirms that the Bishop of Durham Designate is The Rt Revd Paul Butler.
Currently Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, Bishop Paul was installed at Southwell Minster on 27 February 2010. He was consecrated at Southwark Cathedral on 24 June 2004 and served as Bishop of Southampton until his move to Southwell. Commenting in advance of today’s announcement Bishop Paul said that he was very much looking forward to coming to the North East and continuing the work started by the previous Bishop of Durham, The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Bishop Paul is delighted to be part of the continuing renewal of the ministry of the Diocese of Durham and joining those that are strong advocates of the North East.
He said: “To be called to become Bishop of Durham came as a big surprise but is a huge privilege for many reasons. This ancient Diocese goes way back before England was a united nation. The heritage is extraordinary; each new Bishop of Durham stands on the shoulders of some of the greatest Christians in this country’s long and proud history.
“It will be very sad to leave Southwell and Nottingham, the work that we have begun there will continue and I am sure in time will be taken up by a really good and inspirational bishop able to take the Diocese from strength to strength.”
“I am delighted to be coming to Durham and the North East at a time of significant change that is both exciting and challenging in equal parts. I come here to serve and to seek to enable the continual renewing of the faith and our engagement with all people in every community”.
Although not from the North East, Bishop Paul will come to Durham with a keen interest and understanding of the issues and the geography of the region. He said: “I come here deeply aware of the challenges faced by the community and the church. Although I am new to the area, I have visited the region’s universities both in my work before training for ordination and on my Journey of becoming a bishop in the Church of England.
“My first priority will be to get out and about meeting people on the ground; hearing about their lives and communities. I want to get to know the area and being out and about is the only way to do so. I will want to build relationships with the clergy, local community leaders, local and national politicians and business leaders. I hope that the itinerary of this announcement day begins to demonstrate that commitment.”
Today’s visits highlight clear priorities identified by the Diocese and to which Bishop Paul brings a great deal of experience, gifts and passion to help work to achieve, which include: a commitment to children and young people, tackling poverty and church growth.
Bishop Paul said: “These are important issues for all communities but never more so than here in the North East today. I have a strong commitment to engaging with children and young people, through schools, in church and community based activities. I have a particular concern around child poverty, social, economic and spiritual.
“Tackling poverty together must also be a priority. Together as communities, with the church in all its forms playing a key role, we must seek to see what we can do ourselves as well as look to support from elsewhere. Poverty is a scourge that we can only tackle together. I recognise that it is found in urban and rural communities. In my role in the House of Lords I will want to speak up strongly for this region, advocating for its specific needs.
“This is beautiful area of the country; full of great people and great places. We need to work together to attract people here. People who will visit as tourists; people who will bring business and employment, and in church terms people who will serve as leaders in our churches. I come with a priority to renew and grow the church. I do so not for the church’s sake but convinced that the renewal of the church leads to the renewal of the whole community. This renewal depends on prayer, on teaching the faith and on serving all people.
“I am excited, and a little daunted, by the challenges ahead but know that the God who calls us to follow Him always travels with us.
“I love Jesus Christ. I love the church of Jesus Christ, and in particular the Church of England. I love the C of E for its commitment to the good news of God in Jesus Christ; its breadth and its continuing engagement in the life of the community at every level, and that is what will drive me in my ministry here in Durham.”
Bishop Mark, said: “I was absolutely delighted to hear that Bishop Paul is to be the new Bishop of Durham. I know that he has always had a deep interest in and concern for the communities in which he has worked and I know that he will bring that to the North-East. I know too that he has a deep passion for helping churches to grow and make a real difference to the lives of individuals and communities and that will be a real help to us in the churches in the Diocese of Durham.”
Bishop Paul will be an advocate of the North East in the House of Lords which he says will be a challenge and a great privilege. He said: “I was due to enter the House of Lords as Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham this year anyway, but now I will be there as the Bishop of Durham and I can’t wait to get started.”
Speaking about his current commitments he said: ”I will continue the work I have been doing as Advocate for Children and in Safeguarding and I would also be delighted to take up the reins as patron of the Darlington Foundation for Jobs started by Archbishop Justin when he was here – if they will have me.
“I will also seek to maintain my Anglican Communion connections and look forward to discovering more about the world church links that the Diocese holds, especially in Lesotho.”
On Saturday 20 July over 40 members of the congregation traveled to Durham to see the Exhibition of the Lindisfarne Gospels at Palace Green Library.
We meet together to have a picnic outside the Cathedral on a warm, but cloudy day summer’s day (we were very glad that the temperature was not as hot as the previous week!). After everyone had had time for lunch and a wander around the Cathedral we all met at the Exhibition. We had a timed slot so we only had to wait about 10 minutes and we were off.
We were ushered in to the temperature and light controlled environment, a bit like entering a spaceship! although this one was going back in time and not into the future. Each room explained about 
life in the north east in the 8th century, how these incredible books were produced, the importance of Lindisfarne, St Aidan, St Cuthbert and the life of the church in Northumbria and beyond. The exhibition culminated in the Gospels Room, where the Lindisfarne Gospels, the St Cuthbert Gospel and the Durham Gospels together with treasures from St Cuthbert’s tomb were gathered together – a breath-taking sight. It was amassing that books so old could be so vibrant and the colours of the paint still so vivid.
Upstairs the exhibition continues with a display on how the gospels were produced, along side special areas for children to discover more about the gospels. This part of the exhibition was enjoyed by all too and is open access to the public.
The day ended with tea and then Evensong in the Cathedral a glorious sound to end a very special day
Everyone was impressed and moved by the exhibition and if you haven’t been- GO! You wont regret it, but you may regret not going at all.
Annual Young Executive Bike Ride
Day 1
At 5:30am the usual suspects gathered in front of the church (except for Andy who was working and would meet us later). At 6:00am prompt we set off, the idea being to stop for breakfast on the way. We turned up at the Little Chef, as planned, for opening time at 7:00 only to meet the most miserable manager in England, ‘I’ve slept in and I’m not ready and anyway you can’t come in until there’s another member of staff so you’ll just have to wait until then’ he greeted us with! This led to the question, if he had slept in and only arrived at 7, where was the other person who should have been there? Alarm clocks seeming to be in short supply, rather than wait and spend our hard earned money there we carried on to Alston arriving at 7:30am.
Alston was shut!
We turned the van around and as we were about to leave we spotted a Spar service station that did a remarkably good bacon sandwich and cup of coffee for £2. Could this already be the best buy of the weekend?
As we consumed our bacon butties in the rain with the midges, John realised that he had forgotten his swimming trunks, as later we were having to rough it in a hotel with a swimming pool. We suspected skinny dipping was likely to be banned (or unfortunately for us all now, tubby dipping) and we needed to find somewhere that sold trunks. “Can you get me some as well?” said Morris and Dave A.
So as we got on our bikes to ride Roger and Derek took on the Gok Wan personal shopping job; was it to be shorts, Speedos or Mankinis? We would soon find out.
The ride started as usual with a BIG HILL but then 15 miles of great riding, a mix of off road, track and road was spoiled only by the persistent rain. Soon we were in Haltwhistle for a well earned coffee break but sadly no swimming trunks. The search would continue as we carried on through some heavy rain to our agreed meeting point for lunch at Once Brewed. Arriving there we had a 30 minute wait as the van was gridlocked in Tescos’ car park while on the trunks hunt, however the two assistants at the Once Brewed Visitor Centre were extremely helpful and let us stay warm and dry indoors until the van arrived (even if Dave T. managed to leave an incredibly large damp patch on the seats). They even let us eat our lunch there. More importantly SUCCESS! Three pairs of swimming shorts and all at sale prices; £13 for the lot. Ladies you know who to send out for those bargains now!
After lunch we set off for Bellingham and hit the worst weather of the day; visibility down to 50m, wind and persistent rain in your face as well as some very rough off road stretches where the loose gravel track made you feel as though you were going to spill off your bike on every twist of the road.
Finally we reached Bellingham, the rain stopped and the sun came out!
We had a small celebratory drink, parked the bikes and went for a quick swim feeling that we needed a little more exercise. At this point Darren found out that he has better balance on a bike than on his feet as he slipped by the side of the pool, luckily landing on his well padded rear. No harm done.
The pool also had the world’s coldest sauna, you went in warm and came out blue; a better effect would have been achieved sitting next to a boiling kettle, so the sauna was ditched and we went for tea instead and had a very pleasant meal . As we retired for some post prandial refreshment we were joined by Andy. Angela had kindly brought him over just late enough to avoid the drinks. Angela left soon after facing a 1:30 hour drive back home only to find she was locked out and had to go to the pub to find her son with some keys. At least that’s the story she is sticking to.
Early to bed after a good but long day.
Day 2
The sun was shining as we awoke keen and eager to get on our bikes!
After a very pleasant light breakfast!! We set out, the sun had gone in and it was overcast but warm as we came to 
a BIG HILL then a small dip and a BIG HILL, followed by a BIG HILL before we finally had some descent into the village of Elsdon for coffee in the Cyclone cafe, a cafe devoted to cyclists boasting a tea room full of memorabilia including a genuine Tour de France Yellow Jersey. The owners informed us that there was a big bike ride on called the Virgin Cyclone and we would pass the riders as they were on the same route as us but travelling in the opposite direction. And we did indeed pass them and 1200 hellos, good mornings and well dones later, we were able to stop for lunch at Alwinton. It must be pointed out here that John did stop to take a photograph only to have a passing rider feel his bottom. We are still not sure if the rider was male or female!
During lunch Roger and Derek managed to find somewhere to watch the Lions take on Australia while we ploughed on over some big hills and serious steep clarty, claggy off road bits, where you were in danger of coming off your bike and stretches that could not be ridden due to the conditions, until we reached Powburn with only another ten miles to go to Wooler, our stop for the night. At least that was the plan until Roger sent us in the complete opposite direction! Those last ten miles on the map ended up as 12 ½ on the road and it was with great delight we finally reached our destination for the night, the Tankerville Arms in Wooler.
One of the things about the Tankerville Arms is that they attach your room key to a 12 inch teddy bear so that you don’t lose them. Of course the idea is that you remove the keys, if for example you go to the bar. Or you don’t if you are Andy and the sight of him at the bar clutching his teddy bear and looking like Christopher Robin brought a tear to your eye.
After our evening meal we retired to the lounge and as was pointed out, rather than looking like the post race Tour de France, it looked more like an old folks home . A vibrant theological and political debate took place until we had bored ourselves silly and we all went to bed.
Day 3
After forcing ourselves to partake of another healthy breakfast we were again ready to go at 8:30am. You can’t say we are not keen!
Weather windy but fair and soon we were racing along passing Doddington Dairy the home of very nice ice cream, but unfortunately not open at 9:15am on a Sunday, so we continued on through Ford past Heatherslaw Mill and into Etal where as luck would have it another chance for us to bolster the local economy by having a cup of coffee at the Lavender Coffee shop. A quick photo opportunity in front of Etal Castle and then a brilliant off road stretch by the riverside culminating in a very steep and slippery hairpin section up to the road. It was here that the only flat tyre of the weekend happened 1 mile away from the finish. Some running repairs and into Norham where we were able to load up and head home pausing only for Sunday lunch on the way.
Finally home and a quick unpack and chill out at the rugby club, a good way to finish another successful ride.
Another brilliant weekend, hard riding, good company and lots of laughs. If you think you are up to the task why not join us next year?
On Saturday 15 June nearly 30 women came together for the first rehearsal of the Gilpin Singers Women’s Choir. The group was mixed in ages, musical ability and confidence, but what they all shared was the desire to have a go at making music and have some fun along the way. The conductor Frances Wilson introduced a variety of different music and singing techniques, little did we know how important stamping of feet would become, as we discovered timing and pitch! We learnt the Negro Spiritual “Steal Away”, the popular classic “You Raise Me Up” and the Caribbean Folk song “Good Time Girl” and by the end of the rehearsal not only had we learnt them, but we were singing in tune and in harmony! And they sounded good!
The singing was broken up by refreshment breaks, which gave time for a much needed cup of tea and a chance to meet and chat to familiar faces and new ones.
The afternoon ended with a mini concert, the audience might have been small, but they were enthusiastic in praise of our efforts and if the truth be known a bit surprised at how good the choir sounded!!! A big thank you to our conductor Frances Wilson and pianist George Peebles for all their hard work and encouragement.
It was a great afternoon and we are delighted to say that the Choir is going to continue with meetings on Wednesday 3rd and 31st July at 7.45pm and then regularly every other Wednesday evening from mid September. We meet in the Choir Vestry.
If you couldn’t come along on the 15th or think you would like to give it a go, you are very welcome to come along on 3 or 31 July. For more information speak to any choir member or the Rector.
We look forward to singing, making new friends and having fun.
The Gilpin Singers
From Cave to Cathedral
responses to the sacred and inspirational, linking the Lindisfarne Gospels and three historic churches in Sunderland
Three exhibitions rotating around three venues
3rd June – 31st August
Venues
St Michaels and All Angels Church,
Church Street, Houghton Le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 4DN
During June – “From Cave to Cathedral”
During July – “The Creative Mind”
During August – “Gospel Stories”
Open 1100 – 1300 daily
Feel you can’t really sing, but would like to learn? Can’t read music?
Enjoy Singing, but couldn’t join a Choir? Love singing, but choirs are boring?
NOW is the chance to change all that by coming along to a taster session of the
GILPIN SINGERS WOMEN’S CHOIR
You don’t need to read music, you don’t need to have sung in a choir before in fact
NO MUSICAL ABILITY IS NEEDED
just interest in joining with other women to have fun and make music.
So why not come along on
Saturday 15 June at 2.30pm Rehearsal
Then invite the family or friends to a Mini Concert at 5.30pm in
St Michael and All Angels Church
The Broadway, Houghton-le-Spring
Further details tel 0191 584 3487
Thank you to everyone who helped make the Summer Fayre and enjoyable and successful occasion. It rain and rained some more, but that didn’t dampen the spirits as over £1000 was raised for church funds. Congratulations to all our helpers and supporters. The Rector
