September – that month of back to school and the start of a new term for families. September – that month of long awaited summer holidays for those without children! Actually I am writing this letter, behind as usual on my summer holiday in the middle of August. Thank goodness for internet albeit intermittent and my laptop. We are enjoying a few days near Weymouth in Dorset in our touring caravan – the weather either extremely hot or extremely cloudy and chilly – the usual British seaside holiday weather, along with the wasps, as I am constantly telling my grandchildren! We haven’t been to Dorset in a very long time and it is wonderful to revisit old haunts and new ones. Such a beautiful county and coastline.

So September beckons and so does the beginning of our Autumn services and events. We are very much looking forward to another thrilling Murder Mystery Play and Supper later on in October, advertised elsewhere in the magazine. Sylvie and I have chosen it together and it’s called ‘Where there’s a will there’s a way’. You don’t need to be much of an expert to guess its the perfect context for a murder and along with a two course supper, it will be an evening of great fun and guessing. For two nights only, at Ockley Village Hall on the Friday and at Capel Memorial Hall on the Saturday. A stella cast as usual will entertain us and a special reminder to Capel readers to book early if you wish to see it at Capel. Tickets sell out fast for Capel!

Meanwhile our church services will reflect the turning of the season and St Margaret’s at Ockley will be celebrating their harvest this month. Capel will celebrate harvest in October, this time with Bob and the band, Cafe Church style. The usual dried and preserved produce will be very welcome for donating to Dorking Foodbank and Leatherhead Start project. A perfect time to join us for our lovely harvest festival services for all the family and we hope our local uniformed groups will be with us. Finally the month ends with another Parish Pet Service. Again, please see the details advertised elsewhere in the magazine. This year it will take place in the afternoon on Sunday 29th September at Ockley village Hall. All are welcome, whether you have a pet or not as we celebrate and bless God’s animal creation. The animals steal the show as you can imagine and it is one of the most loveliest parts of my vocation to go and bless each animal in God’s name. They seem to love it!!

Whilst being away at the moment we visited Durdle Door, a horrendous slippy climb down to the most beautiful natural rock formation. But it was worth it and I even ventured into the turquoise clearest sea ever. I wish I hadn’t as the beach drops very suddenly almost casting you into the brink – in fact its true to say I did fall into it – but to try to get out of it?! That was a different story altogether. There is a very hilarious video of me trying to do just that and being constantly thrown back with my daughter hysterically laughing. ( It is only viewable at the right price!! One way of fund raising 🙂 Anyway the point I want to make is that there was such a great atmosphere on this tiny beach, of people of different colour, race and religion, all laughing and enjoying themselves that it really felt a treat to be part of. This following the awful events of the summer in Stockport and the far right demonstrations which followed. Here we were all one together. Jesus prayed this the night of his arrest that ‘we would all be one.’ One of God’s greatest commandments is to love one another and especially your neighbour as yourself. That of course we did see in the aftermath of the terrible stabbings; the local community together against the violence of the protestors.

With my love and prayers as ever.
Liz