Last Wednesday (14th July) saw the annual @Toms BBQ, which this year was attended by over 70 children. The build up was rather tense with a couple of rain showers falling during the afternoon, so many of the activities did take place indoors.

However armed with gazebo and two gas fired BBQs the chefs got to work on the church front lawn. Parents sat out watching the action, drank and chatted until the food was ready. And after eating we all went inside for singing and story time.

The evening rounded off with ice creams and an invitation to return next Wednesday for the last meeting of term - the @Toms beach party, or the @Tomix teddy bear's picnic.

On Sunday 11th July the children of St Thomas's produced a delightful varied afternoon's music. The first half of the concert consisted of solo items from the children with a variety of instrumental pieces.

After a brief interval for drinks and refreshments, the second half continued with 'Dreamin' Daniel and the Revealer of Mysteries' - a musical 'pop cantata' written by Margaret Hobbs, James Murray and Carmen Alger. 

The children ably sang the new work, demonstrating their grasp of a wide ranging of genres from jazz and rock to rap.

At choir practice afterwards the children voted for their favourite numbers, and there was a huge variance, so it seems there was something for everyone!  You can listen to one of them here: The Fiery Furnace.

The Vicar's editorial from the Quarterly Magazine...

Dearly beloved in the Lord

Looking Backwards

The church worked together magnificently for the Space 2010:Lift Off! Holiday Club. Our teenagers had helped Mark Weddell, Tom Brown and Kathryn Smith make a space-age set, including a rocket suspended from the ceiling. Matt Naegeli (who has sadly for us moved back to America) directed the young people in a fun play, which included a smoke machine and a three headed monster. There was Bible teaching about the life of the apostle Peter, and we were pleased to welcome 179 different children who attended on a least one day, with average numbers per day of 154. We don’t charge for the Holiday Club, but were glad that, as usual, donations covered the cost. About 70 members of the church were involved in running the club, including Rita Eyre who ran a crèche for the children of leaders in the Vicarage. Next year Easter is very late, so the Holiday Club will be in the first week of the Easter holidays, 12-15th April.