St Mary

Over 100 people enjoyed carols and lessons in St Mary's church on 6th December and the Dolce choir, led by their musical director Philip Aldred, performed five seasonal songs, including 'In the Bleak Midwinter', 'Shepherd's Pipe Carol', and everyone's favourite, 'O Holy Night'.

Mulled wine and mince pies were served in the village hall after the service.

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Written by: May Prior

Published: 12 December 2013

Over 150 visitors enjoyed Forncett's 3rd craft fair held in St. Mary's church on 19th October. Soup and rolls proved very popular for refreshments and the stall holders all reported brisk business, with Ruth Walker selling out of her lovely hand painted cards very quickly.

Thanks to everyone who helped organise and run the event, and the ladies who baked cakes and biscuits to sell. £472 was raised for St. Mary's and St Peter's churches.

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Written by: May Prior

Published: 23 October 2013

Over 60 people enjoyed cream teas in St. Mary's church on Sunday 18th August. Thanks to everyone who very generously donated scones, jam, tea, coffee, milk, and cash for me to buy clotted cream, and a special thank you to Mike and Jan Smail, for their help in organising, and providing all the crockery, cutlery, teapots, pretty pink tablecloths, and anti-histamine cream for a wasp sting!

With a raffle and sale of books and bric-a-brac we raised £257 for funds.

The architect's plans for the remaining restoration work on the church are now on display in the church - work should begin in April 2014.

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Written by: May Prior

Published: 20 September 2013

Richard Bower, organ builder and Director of Music at St Nicholas, Dereham, gave a lively and very enjoyable organ recital on the the theme of Fine and Fun Organ Music, to a pretty full house at Forncett St Mary Church on 23rd August 2013.

Assisted by his wife, Barbara, Richard played his own recreation of a 1970's Hill, Norman & Beard Chester organ, and the music was selected to sound good on the limited number of pipes available. This included pieces by Susato, Bach, Handel, Boëllmann, Gordon Young, Saint-Saëns, Pietro Yon and Lefébre-Wély. I particularly enjoyed the Serenade composed by Derek Bourgeois to be his own wedding march with the express intention that no-one would be able to march down the aisle to its tempo. They might well have danced, though!

£330 was raised for the St Mary's Church Fund.

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Written by: Richard Ball

Published: 25 August 2013

A steady stream of visitors attended the Valuation Day on 20th July with a wide variety of items for senior valuers Roy Murphy and Andrew Bullock to inspect and value.
Clocks, books, jewellery, paintings, silver, and a large coin collection were among the items brought along, and along with Forncett residents there were people from Norwich, Wymondham, and a couple from Diss who said they have been following the story of the church's restoration and wanted to come and see it for themselves.

Thanks to Ann Lorne, Joan Ward and Andree Handford for serving  refreshments, Florrie Freeman, Jenny Jordan and Barbara Jackson for manning the door and making sure people got to see the right valuer for their specific items, and everyone who donated homemade goodies for refreshments.

£268 was raised for church funds.

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Written by: May Prior

Published: 23 July 2013

A capacity crowd enjoyed DixieMix jazz band performing in St. Mary's church on 15th June, and £730 was raised to split between St. Mary's and St. Peter's churches.

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Written by: May Prior

Published: 21 June 2013

Around 150 car enthusiasts attended the 3rd Forncett Autojumble on May 12th at the Forncett Steam Museum. 

Trading was under way well before the official start time of 10 am with motorists out early for the best bargains. Organiser Philip Yull was pleased with the attendance of both stallholders and customers, helping to raise funds for the Museum and Forncett St. Mary Church.

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Written by: May Prior

Published: 17 May 2013