The monthly 'Soup'n'Pud was served as usual at Pop In in the Church Hall today  but with the added extra of some birthday cake!

Pat Grimshaw-Smith has been a very active member of Hope Church for many years and is always at hand helping with Thursday's weekly Pop In.  As she celebrates her 90th birthday this weekend the opportunity was taken to celebrate at Pop In too, much to Pat's surprise.  There was a rousing rendition of 'Happy Birthday' and a cake to cut and share.

It was with great sadness that members of Hope Church learned of the loss of Mrs Gwynifred Leaney who passed away on 7th April.  They joined her family and friends recently in a Thanksgiving Service for her life.

Gwynifred was a faithful and dedicated member of the church sharing her interests, expertise and commitment in many areas of church life.  She was an excellent mentor and teacher with copperplate handwriting and with a fountain of knowledge in the rudiments of church life.  She was a Churchwarden for many years and passed on so many traditions to those who followed in the role both as Rector's Warden and People's Warden as well as a leader and organizer for the Altar Guild, Flower Guild and Church Cleaning.

She spent time as a church bell-ringer with her first lesson in January 2001 under the tutelage of Mrs Sue Pickering and became a proficient bell-ringer and then rang for many years on Sunday mornings and at weddings.

Gwynifred led the Altar Guild, mentoring with precise details the care of the beautiful altar frontals, some of which are very fragile and have gold-thread in the embroidery, and had a strong understanding of when they should be changed depending on the time in the liturgical calender: Advent; Christmas; Easter; Harvest; Saints Days, etc.  Gwynifred imparted so much knowledge regarding the heritage of the very old altar frontals, in some instances where they were made and in whose memory they were given.

The white linen had to be pristine and laid accordingly on the altar and ambry tables, her preference being laid at an angle – no straight lines!. The purificators (or in Gwynifred's words – God's hankies!) had to  be laundered, folded and pressed in a precise way for ease of use by the Incumbent preparing the Eucharist and Baptism. Every year she produced a rota for the Liturgical calendar for the change of the altar frontals and for the member responsible for the altar flowers.​

A devoted member of the Flower Guild, Gwynifred encouraged many to join and try their hand at flower arranging especially for festivals and on the rota for the altar flowers.  She was always so grateful to anyone who made donations to the Flower Guild and especially to those who gave a donation in memory of a loved one.

For many years Gwynifred organised a small team who cleaned on a weekly basis, though sometimes the chat took so much longer than the cleaning itself!

Gwynifred was also one of a small group of people who came together and organised 'Friends of Hope Church' and encouraged others to join.  'Friends' undertake to look after our local heritage - Hope Church, a Grade I listed building.

​Those who came to Pop in on Thursday enjoyed a time of celebration marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

This last photo shows some of the trees decorated by community groups to celebrate Easter.