The Old Town Parish, Hastings

09/10/2022

Prayer Hints from Bishop Laurie

09/10/2022

he Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity (9th October)

All services now in All Saints

The 8 a.m. Service: We shall maintain this Prayer Book service during the interregnum. On most occasions it will be a service of Holy Communion but, because of a shortage of priests in the Deanery, it will occasionally be Mattins (Morning Prayer) from the Book of Common Prayer.

8am BCP Morning Prayer: led by Keith Leech.

[No Communion Service]

10am Parish Eucharist: Celebrant & Preacher Bishop

Laurie

Reader: Dr Pat Lock Tel 754264

Honorary Assistant Priest:

Brother Aelred Partridge OC.

Authorised Lay Ministers:

Sandra Bentall 721874.

Keith Leech 716576.

Director of Music. Malcolm Lock 07801068156.

Churchwardens:

Judy Cubison 457194; Ian Gallagher 07967437417

Judy Rogers 07507860034 Ann Wing 420499.

Safeguarding Officer: Heather Summers 07548 360428

Parish Administrator: Marjo Baars

Tel: 07942347137 Email: [email protected]

Website: Hastings Old Town Parish – One parish, two churches (oldtownparishhastings.org.uk)

Facebook: Old Town Parish Hastings

This week is prison’s week. Please pray for all

prisoners’, their families and all victims of crimes.

Please remember in your prayers those ill at home or in Hospital, especially: Harri Boorman, Terry Hinton, Carol Newnham, Sandra Kingston, Abigail Smith, Rosemary Smith, Keith Pound, Bee Coglan, Lynn Arnold and family, Jim Smith.

RIP It is with sadness that we have learnt that Rev: Barbara Hobbs died on 4th October. Please pray for her husband Jim and the family.

Praying around the parish: Dudley Road

A message from Paul Hunt: This is simply to thank everybody who made my last Sunday into such a memorable, albeit somewhat sad, occasion. I shall wear my No.8 Arsenal shirt with pride (but who wouldn’t?) and use the very generous cheque to pay for a planned visit to the Holy Land next May. We made strong progress during the past two years and my prayer is that the Old Town Parish will continue to flourish. Thank you for two energising years and the friendship and faith we have shared. God Bless.

Hymns: 490, 385, Hymn for the Prison Service (Tune 278)

628

Attendance: 4th September: 65 (collection: £104.26), 11th September: 71 (collection: £180), 18th September: 49 (collection: £135.75).

The new priest-in-charge: The post is now being advertised in the Church Times. The closing date for applications is 16th October and the interview date is 16th November. Our parish representatives on the interview panel ate Judith Cubison and Pat Lock. Our new priest will also be the chaplain of Ark Alexandra Academy.

Many thanks to all who brought Harvest Goods to

church last week. They are very welcomed by the Food Bank.

Christmas Fair: We are most grateful to Rose Smith and Sue Phillips who have volunteered to oversee a “slimmed down” version of our Fair on 19th November concentrating on crafts and cakes. Further details will follow but please note this date in your diary.

Well done to all who took part in Sussex Historic Churches "Ride and Stride" on September 10th. Our sponsored walkers and riders who completed their chosen routes are John Barker, Judy Cubison, Sue Phillips and Simon Scott all of whom would be happy for further sponsors to add to their totals! Please note that organiser Sue Phillips will be in Church on Sunday 9th October to collect sponsor forms and money for remittance to the Sussex Historic Churches Trust before the end of Octo-ber. A special thank you to those who kept St. Clement's Church open throughout the day.

Brass Rubbing Kit: The Parish has been offered a brass rub-bing kit which is an ideal activity for visiting school groups and children generally. Quite rightly, the donor does not want it left unused in a cupboard until the Day of Judgement. Is there a volunteer who would be willing to encourage its use? If so, please speak to one of the wardens.

Lind Anso is quite a well-known artist and we are fortunate to have one of her paintings in St. Clement’s. It is the oil paint-ing of a scene from the Passion Narrative near the choir vestry. The painting depicts various members of the St Clement’s Play-ers who began our Good Friday tradition of acting the Stations of the Cross. There will soon be an explanatory note about the artist adjacent to the painting, together with a photograph of Lind Anso and a letter from her about her time in the Old Town where she lived in Hope Cottage in All Saints Street from 1968 to 1972.

Parish News Delivery – All Saints Street

Sadly the lady who has delivered your magazines for more years than she cares to remember has retired.

We need someone to take over. Can you help?

Please contact Joy Meech, Distributio, 426

Collect. Almighty God, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you: pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself and so bring us at last to your heavenly city where we shall see you face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

2 Kings 5. 1-3, 7-15c. Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, ‘Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel. ’He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; Naaman came and stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.’

2 Timothy 2. 8-15. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David – that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself. Remind them of this and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the wor

06/10/2022

Advent programme at Penhurst Retreat centre

A series of day retreats at Penhurst have been arranged for December 6.7.8 and 9. Each days runs form 10am-4pm. Full details are here

05/10/2022

We are sorry to report that this morning we heard of the passing of Rev Barbara Hobbs. She was the first woman rector of the parish. Our condolenes to Jim and the family. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

01/10/2022

Services October 1st -

There was an ommission in the Pews News. There WILL be an 8.00 service of Holy Communion. Harvest is non Eucharistic at 10.00 and followed by Holy Communion at 11.30. There is also said Evensong at 6.00pm. Keith Leech Accredited Lay Minister

01/10/2022

REMEMBER FROM TOMORROW WE ARE AT ALL SAINTS FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity (2nd October 2022)

All services now in All Saints

Today we celebrate Harvest Festival with a Thanksgiving
Service Led by Pat Lock. Please either give your gifts to a
Church Warden, or bring them up to the Altar when asked to
do so.
Holy Communion will be celebrated at 11-30am

Said Evensong at 6pm

Reader: Dr Pat Lock Tel 754264

Honorary Assistant Priest:
Brother Aelred Partridge OC.

Authorised Lay Ministers:
Sandra Bentall 721874.
Keith Leech 716576.

Director of Music. Malcolm Lock 07801068156.

Churchwardens:
Judy Cubison 457194; Ian Gallagher 07967437417
Judy Rogers 07507860034 Ann Wing 420499.

Safeguarding Officer: Heather Summers 07548 360428

Parish Administrator: Marjo Baars
Tel: 07942347137
Email: [email protected]

Website:
Hastings Old Town Parish – One parish, two churches (oldtownparishhastings.org.uk)

Facebook: Old Town Parish Hastings

Please remember in your prayers those ill at home or in Hospital, especially: Harri Boorman, Terry Hinton, Carol Newnham, Sandra Kingston, Abigail Smith, Rosemary Smith, Keith Pound, Bee Coglan, Lynn Arnold and family, Jim Smith.

The Year’s Mind: Alan Williscroft, Betty Houghton,
Joan Wilson, Ron Cubison, Judith Briggs

Praying around the parish: Crown Lane

The 8 a.m. Service: We shall maintain this Prayer Book service during the interregnum. On most occasions it will be a service of Holy Communion but, because of a shortage of priests in the Deanery, it will occasionally be Mattins (Morning Prayer) from the Book of Common Prayer.

Many thanks to all who kindly brought food for Paul’s final
Service & lunch with us last Sunday. His present was an Arsenal ‘Away’ team shirt & a cheque.

Attendance: 4th September: 65 (collection: £104.26), 11th September: 71 (collection: £180 ), 18th September: 49 (collection: £135.75).

Parish Breakfast: 30th October in All Saints’ Hall from 8.30 a.m.)

The new priest-in-charge: The post is now being advertised in the Church Times. The closing date for applications is 16th October and the interview date is 16th November. Our parish representatives on the interview panel ate Judith Cubison and Pat Lock. Our new priest will also be the chaplain of Ark Alexandra Academy.

Christmas Fair: We are most grateful to Rose Smith and Sue Phillips who have volunteered to oversee a “slimmed down” version of our Fair on 19th November concentrating on crafts and cakes. Further details will follow but please note this date in your diary.

Well done to all who took part in Sussex Historic Churches "Ride and Stride" on September 10th. Our sponsored walkers and riders who completed their chosen routes are John Barker, Judy Cubison, Sue Phillips and Simon Scott all of whom would be happy for further sponsors to add to their totals! Please note that organiser Sue Phillips will be in Church on Sunday 9th October to collect sponsor forms and money for remittance to the Sussex Historic Churches Trust before the end of October. A special thank you to those who kept St. Clement's Church open throughout the day.

Brass Rubbing Kit: The Parish has been offered a brass rub-bing kit which is an ideal activity for visiting school groups and children generally. Quite rightly, the donor does not want it left unused in a cupboard until the Day of Judgement. Is there a volunteer who would be willing to encourage its use? If so, please speak to one of the wardens.

Lind Anso is quite a well-known artist and we are fortunate to have one of her paintings in St. Clement’s. It is the oil painting of a scene from the Passion Narrative near the choir vestry. The painting depicts various members of the St Clement’s Play-ers who began our Good Friday tradition of acting the Stations of the Cross. There will soon be an explanatory note about the artist adjacent to the painting, together with a photograph of Lind Anso and a letter from her about her time in the Old Town where she lived in Hope Cottage in All Saints Street from 1968 to 1972.

Parish News Delivery – All Saints Street
Sadly the lady who has delivered your magaines for more years than she cares to remember has retired.
We need someone to take over. Can you help?
Please contact Joy Meech, Distribution, 426462

01/10/2022

Parish News October 2022 -

Please click here for the October Parish newshttps://mcusercontent.com/922d57e973b3714b5d6fda1a8/files/a243fc39-3f94-990b-c1d4-67ece364408d/HastingParishNews_Oct_FINAL.pdf

25/09/2022

Next week we move to All Saints and it is Harvest Festival. It will be a non eucharistic service, with communion at 1130 for those who wish. Please bring non perishable gifts that can be given to the food bank.

25/09/2022

Paul's last sermon

“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesess.” (I Tim. 6.12)
(The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, 25th September 2022, St Clement’s Hastings)
Acts 20.37-38: “And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him, sorrowing most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more.”
Trust me, it is a strong temptation to take those words from the description of the Ephesian elders at Miletus just before St Paul sailed away after his farewell speech as my valedictory text.
But St Paul’s closing words to Timothy in today’s second reading seem equally appropriate this morning.
“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesess.”
Believe it or not, it is now two years ago, just before our Harvest Festival Service on 27th September 2020, that Pat Lock introduced me as your new part-time priest-in-charge. There was polite applause from the thirty or so folk gathered in St Clement’s, doubtless born out of relief that the parish had its own priest as much as anything. But we have worked together, rather than as many teams of one, and the parish is in a significantly stronger position than it was two years ago.
Fight the good fight of faith: This we have done and do. Everything we do to promote the work of this parish is an act of faith, an act of witness, an act of confidence in the faith our two churches represent. There is a most tremendous sense of energy in this parish. Remember we need Marthas as well as Marys. It is Martha “who sweeps a room as for thy law makes that and the action fine.”
We have grown and diversified our membership. We have expanded our choir. We have improved our finances, making maximum use of our assets in drawing rental income from the garage and the former office in the Lower Hall and introducing digital payment. We have improved our governance and communications, not least through our website and Facebook and e-mail list. We have received more media coverage than all the other churches in Hastings combined. Collaborative ministry is becoming a reality. We have the Rossetti exhibition. We have undertaken major works on St Clement’s which is now secure for the immediate and mid-term future. All Saints and the Hall have had due attention. But more than these and the other things we have achieved, we are functioning so much more as the Body of Christ with our many diverse gifts and abilities, working as one team of many and not many teams of one. Unlike most churches for which the pandemic has been years that the locusts have eaten, we have emerged from the pandemic in significantly better shape than when it began. Wow. Just let that sink in.
In my first sermon as your priest-in-charge, just before the second lockdown, I quoted from St Clement’s letter to the Church in Corinth:
“In Christ Jesus, then, let this corporate body of ours be likewise maintained intact, with each of us giving way to our neighbour in proportion to our spiritual gifts.”
And I went on to say:
“Let me be absolutely clear. This is not my parish. It is not even our parish. It is Jesus Christ’s parish. We are its current stewards and we need to respect those who have been stewards in the past by ensuring its long-term viability for the next six hundred years.”
And yet. And yet, lest we be too pleased with ourselves, there remain undone those things that we ought to have done – mission in Clive Vale, a greater engagement with All Saints School, completion of the replica Bayeux Tapestry project, re-launching the Sunday School. And it is of particular disappointment to me in terms of things left undone that I never mastered the doors to the Morris Rooms. It is a case of push or is it pull?
And during our two years together I won’t have got every decision correct and I apologise to anyone whom I may have offended inadvertently or spoken to in a manner perhaps more robust than pastoral. It’s called being human and clergy are as fallible as anyone else.
A comment for our mutual reflection: Dare I suggest that we were the right match for each other at this particular stage of my ministry and at this point in the parish’s history? My unexpected ministerial Indian summer has certainly helped to provide an improved balance in my ministry between parish and school. And it has been a particular joy for me to re-connect with my Hastings past. I came to you as a fellow pilgrim but not as a stranger.
Take hold of eternal life: All these things are only of importance if we keep the vision of God’s Kingdom before us. It can be so easy in church life to become so engrossed with things temporal that we are in danger of losing those things that are eternal. We must always lift up our eyes unto the hills.
There is the throne of David,
And there, from care released,
The shout of them that triumph,
The song of them that feast;
And they, who with their leader
Have conquered in the fight,
For ever and for ever
Are clad in robes of white.
Make the Good Confession in the presence of many witnesses: As I said in my first sermon, we enter into the labour of worshippers, known and unknown down the centuries. We join their stream of prayer just as others will one day join ours. On several occasions I have said that the Church neglects its doctrine of the Communion of Saints even though week by week we claim that we believe it when we recite the Creed. We worship this morning with the whole company of heaven, with those who have gone before us in the faith. We are indeed called to make the good confession in the presence of many witnesses, seen – and unseen.
So which text shall we choose?
“And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him, sorrowing most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more.”
But that text is about a man named Paul and a parish consists of far more than any single individual and clergy come and clergy go and a new chapter opens. And I am not Roger Federer. Just remember: It was never my parish or even your parish. It is the parish of Jesus Christ. Your new priest-in-charge will have his or her own gifts and will be different from me. Your new priest will need your support.
So the better text is that which focuses on the future and which draws strength from the past and calls for action in the present:
“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesess.”
Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally. © Paul Hunt 2022

25/09/2022

Collect. God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit upon your Church in the burning fire of our love: grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amos 6. 1a, 4-7. Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: Alas for those who are at ease in Zion and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria! Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David improvise on instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
1 Timothy 6. 6-19. There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time – he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen. As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Luke 16. 19-end. Jesus told this parable to those among the Pharisees who loved money: ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” The man who had been rich said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house - for I have five brothers - that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”’

Post Communion. Keep, O Lord, your Church, with your perpetual mercy; and, because without you our human frailty cannot but fall, keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

25/09/2022

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity (25th September 2022)

8.00 a.m. Holy Communion (BCP)
10.00 a.m. Parish Eucharist

Celebrant and Preacher: The Reverend Paul Hunt

Priest–in-Charge (part-time)
The Reverend Paul Hunt BA, MA, MTh.
07818273282.

Reader: Dr Pat Lock Tel 754264.

Honorary Assistant Priest:
Brother Aelred Partridge OC.

Authorised Lay Ministers:
Sandra Bentall 721874.
Keith Leech 716576.

Director of Music. Malcolm Lock 07801068156.

Churchwardens:
Judy Cubison 457194; Ian Gallagher 07967437417
Judy Rogers 07507860034 Ann Wing 420499.

Safeguarding Officer: Heather Summers 07548 360428

Parish Administrator: Marjo Baars
Tel: 07942347137
Email: [email protected]

Website:
Hastings Old Town Parish – One parish, two churches (oldtownparishhastings.org.uk)

Facebook: Old Town Parish Hastings

Please remember in your prayers those ill at home or in Hospital, especially: Harri Boorman, Terry Hinton, Carol Newnham, Sandra Kingston, Abigail Smith, Rosemary Smith, Keith Pound, Bee Coglan, Lynn Arnold and family, Jim Smith.

The Year’s Mind: Marianne De Courtenay, Ted Reeves, Irene Slack

Praying around the parish: Croft Terrace

We move to All Saints for our services from next Sunday until the end of January. We will be celebrating Harvest Festival at 10 a.m. next week and so please bring a harvest offering (non-perishable) if that is possible. This will not be a communion service but the Holy Communion will be celebrated at 8 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.

The 8 a.m. Service: We shall maintain this Prayer Book service during the interregnum. On most occasions it will be a service of Holy Communion but, because of a shortage of priests in the Deanery, it will occasionally be Mattins (Morning Prayer) from the Book of Common Prayer.

Hymns: 604,482,549,308,278,606

Attendance: 4th September: 65 (collection: £104.26), 11th September: 71 (collection: £180 ), 18th September: 49 (collection: £135.75).

A Churchwarden writes: This is a very sad day for us all because it is Paul’s his last service with us. We give grateful thanks for all that Paul has done for us and the Parish in his two years as the Priest in Charge. What Paul has achieved despite the Corona Virus has been amazing. We wish him a very Happy Second Retirement. HE WILL BE MISSED SO MUCH.

The Parish Eucharist will be followed by a buffet lunch after the usual tea and coffee. Everyone is invited to stay for lunch to mark Paul’s re-retirement. (There is no Parish Breakfast today. The next breakfast will be on 30th October in All Saints’ Hall from 8.30 a.m.)

The new priest-in-charge: The post is now being advertised in the Church Times. The closing date for applications is 16th October and the interview date is 16th November. Our parish representatives on the interview panel ate Judith Cubison and Pat Lock. Our new priest will also be the chaplain of Ark Alexandra Academy.

Choir News: We are pleased to welcome Cecily as a probationer and Lily and Twinkle will be awarded their surplices today. Congratulations to them both!

Christmas Fair: We are most grateful to Rose Smith and Sue Phillips who have volunteered to oversee a “slimmed down” version of our Fair on 19th November concentrating on crafts and cakes. Further details will follow but please note this date in your diary.

Well done to all who took part in Sussex Historic Churches "Ride and Stride" on September 10th. Our sponsored walkers and riders who completed their chosen routes are John Barker, Judy Cubison, Sue Phillips and Simon Scott all of whom would be happy for further sponsors to add to their totals! Please note that organiser Sue Phillips will be in Church on Sunday 9th October to collect sponsor forms and money for remittance to the Sussex Historic Churches Trust before the end of October. A special thank you to those who kept St. Clement's Church open throughout the day.

Brass Rubbing Kit: The Parish has been offered a brass rubbing kit which is an ideal activity for visiting school groups and children generally. Quite rightly, the donor does not want it left unused in a cupboard until the Day of Judgement. Is there a volunteer who would be willing to encourage its use? If so, please speak to one of the wardens.

Lind Anso is quite a well-known artist and we are fortunate to have one of her paintings in St. Clement’s. It is the oil painting of a scene from the Passion Narrative near the choir vestry. The painting depicts various members of the St Clement’s Players who began our Good Friday tradition of acting the Stations of the Cross. There will soon be an explanatory note about the artist adjacent to the painting, together with a photograph of Lind Anso and a letter from her about her time in the Old Town where she lived in Hope Cottage in All Saints Street from 1968 to 1972.

Thank you visiting our website. Hastings Old Town is an extraordinary place which attracted visitors even before 1066! Its two medieval churches have served the spiritual needs of visitors and residents alike since the late fourteenth century and continue to proclaim the same Christian message of ho...