Christmas Alone 2008 - A short Report
Christmas Alone held at the Epsom Methodist Church community
hall, was a great success, giving immense pleasure to over
60 guests plus the supporting hostesses. To enable this to
happen we had helpers from many of the Epsom Churches and
indeed further afield fulfilling a variety of functions; the
vegetable preparers and those who laid up all the tables on
Christmas Eve, the drivers who ferried people to and from
the event, the hosts and hostesses who cared for our guests,
helpers taking coats and booking people in, our two splendid
cooks who had prepared a delicious Christmas meal Turkey
with all the trimmings followed by a deserts of plum pudding
or other alternatives.
The entertainment, including a comic sketch, some poetry
readings and then carol singing, followed by a video recording
of Her Majesty's Christmas Speech.
 During
the afternoon the
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s Mayor; Councillor Alan
Winkworth (left)
and his wife
Vanessa the Mayoress
joined us and circulated with the guests, kindly distributing
the gifts.
The afternoon concluded with mince pies, Christmas cake and tea,
before leaving for home, each guest with a gift.
We sincerely thank all who helped in any way, including
donations of mince pies, the Christmas cake, two lovely trifles
and the Christmas puddings which were donated by Longhursts of
Epsom.
There was no charge to our guests but they kindly donated
£219.50 towards the expenses.
The new redevelopment of the Church provided excellent access
for those who are less agile with the new Welcome Area having
much better access with automatic opening doors and gentle
wheelchair ramps.
Chris and Beryl Dempsey
Christmas Alone 2008
This year Christmas Alone is
back at Epsom Methodist Church.
We expect to be welcoming about
70 people to Christmas Day lunch.
As usual we will need helpers on Christmas Eve and Christmas
Day.
If you are able to help, please ring the Office 01372 728535
or
e-mail here.
AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS we are grateful for help from any other
Church fellowship.
Anyone wanting to attend as a guest, also please contact the
Office.
If you leave a message please remember your contact details
and if you will require transport.
We would be very grateful for car drivers to OFFER HELP to
deliver and collect guests.
Do not be alone on Christmas
Day.
 We
URGENTLY
need volunteer drivers
to bring guests to and from the
event.
A Report from Christmas alone 2007
Because
of the redevelopment of the church it would have been impossible to hold
this at EMC. The committee visited other churches and contacted another
alternative venue, but, unfortunately their facilities were not
suitable. It appeared that this event would have to be cancelled for
this year. We owe the management of Swail House a huge debt of gratitude
that, when approached by Pam Ellison and Audrey Broderick they agreed
that we could have the use of their premises so then it was 'all systems
go'.
 Considering
that it was a completely new venue everything went well and on Christmas
day about 74 people sat down to lunch, which included a great team of
helpers, both from EMC and the community. Many of you will have seen the
Mayor's appeal for help in the local press and this brought forth new
faces, including young people who joined in with great gusto, blowing up
balloons, taking charge of the music and helping with serving and
hosting our guests. They also proved to be excellent washer uppers!
After
lunch we had entertainment including one of the youngsters singing
Silent Night, a topical comedy sketch, a comic recitation and a music
quiz, all ably compeered by Fred Imms. Trevor Bellinger had videoed the
Queens's speech and we all watched this. Whilst the entertainment was
taking place tea and mince pies were being prepared and then after this
it was time for the drivers to return to take our guests home, each with
a present and a piece of Christmas cake.
All this
did not take place without many people working hard to ensure it was a
great success.
Trevor
and Elaine Bellinger did a great job organising the drivers to bring
guests to and from the lunch. When they arrived their coats were taken
and hung up, they were greeted by hosts and hostesses and shown to their
seats where they were served with a glass of Beryl Furness' famous
non-alcoholic fruit punch and then non-alcoholic wine with the meal.
While all this was happening Pam Ellison and Cathy Mackie were busy
preparing an excellent Christmas lunch, which was served right on time,
after David Winwood had said grace. The Mayor and her consort (her son)
were there to speak to everyone before the meal began and this was much
appreciated.
There are
too many people to thank individually but we do thank the following who
donated items; Longhursts (undertakers) for the Christmas puddings, Joan
Thomas for the beautiful Christmas cake, Margaret Luxmore and Val Imms
for delicious trifles and everyone who donated mince pies.
Before
the event we thank all who came on Christmas Eve to prepare the
vegetables, Jen and David Barry who helped us set up the tables and
decorate them so beautifully. Gwenda Froud who bought all the presents
and she and her friends who wrapped them all.
Finally,
thanks to all who gave donations on the day, before and after, which
will enable us to start next years planning with confidence. We
personally thank all who helped to make our first Christmas Alone such a
success
Chris and Beryl Dempsey.
Christmas Alone 2007 earlier
report
 This
lunch was a great occasion, when just over seventy folk sat down to
a splendid meal followed by entertainment enjoyed by all.
It was delightful that
Councillor Jean Steer (left) Mayor of Epsom and Ewell and her escort
were able to attend in spite of a heavy official Christmas schedule.
This function was organised by Epsom Methodist Church under the
direction of
 Chris
and Beryl Dempsey (left) but well supported by a team of
volunteers from a wide range of Epsom and Ashtead Churches, without
such support these functions cannot take place.
So a great big thankyou to all who gave up their Christmas day and
not forgetting the willing drivers who ferried guest to and from the
occasion.
We are also grateful to the
management of Swale House for allowing us the use of their excellent
facilities.
 
Christmas Alone 2007
The Christmas Day lunch will be held in the
Bradbury Lodge, Swail House, Epsom from 12.30 to 4.00pm.
If you have not received an invitation but
wish to join us, please give your name to the Epsom Methodist Church
Office 01372 728535 or
e-mail.
We would also be grateful for donations of mince pies.
We
URGENTLY
need volunteer drivers
to bring guests to and from the
event.
If you can help in this way please contact Elaine & Trevor
Bellinger via 01372 728535 or e-mail
Christmas
Alone 2006
Once again
we had a super day with a wonderful meal, turkey with all the trimmings,
Christmas pudding, mince pies, trifle and Christmas cake. The food is the
most important part of the day and Pam Ellison and Cathy Mackie do a superb
job so I am really grateful to them.
We fed 71
people this year including the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell, David Wood and his
Escort, Sister Miss Barbara Wood who joined us for the Christmas Day service
and then stayed for the whole day - it was good to have them with us. After
lunch Sheila Carpenter organised a musical quiz with the theme “Around the
British Isles” which was much appreciated by our guests and this was
followed by the Queen’s speech and tea and cake before our guests went home.
None of
this could happen without the help of the dozens of people who do something
to make the lunch a success. Those who supported the Carol singing, which
provides valuable money towards the cost of the lunch, those who donate
Christmas puddings, mince pies, trifles and the Christmas cake, those who
organise the transport which is so vital and those who transport our guests
to and from the Church; the people who prepare 15kg of vegetables and the
other food, the hosts and hostesses, those who wrap the presents, who lay
the tables and decorate the Hall who do the essential task of the washing up
and those who help in many other ways. I am really, really grateful to you
all and my thanks to everyone who has supported the lunch over the years. It
has been a wonderful event to be involved with.
It just
leaves me to wish Chris and Beryl Dempsey all the best as they take over the
organisation of the lunch for 2007 and to Elaine and Trevor Bellinger who
are relieving Jen and David Barry of the task of organising the transport.
Carol
Stringer
History of Christmas Alone
It was
early in 1992 that Barbara Warren and I discussed with David Bridge the
possibility of offering lunch on Christmas Day to people who would
otherwise spend the day alone and since that first lunch in 1992, the
numbers we entertain have grown and grown. In 1994 we asked the Ewell
Churches to provide a lunch for those living in Ewell, as our numbers
were getting too big, then the Banstead Churches started a lunch and 3
years ago a friend of mine, who had helped with our lunch, enthused the
Churches in Wallington to have a lunch.
To
share Christmas Day with others rather than sitting at home alone is
really appreciated by those who join us for lunch and it is a tremendous
outreach opportunity. Next year will be our 15th lunch and it
will be the last one which I co-ordinate. It is therefore very important
that someone (could it be you?) steps in to continue this outreach into
the community. In no way do I do everything myself as there is a good
team of people who take on different responsibilities both before and on
the day and because I have a checklist of what I do and when I do it,
there is no reason for it to be the same person who co-ordinates the
lunch each year.
The
reason I am telling you all this now is because I want the person who
takes on this role to have the chance to work in tandem with me so that
they can see how everything works. It would be very sad if the Christmas
Day lunch comes to an abrupt end because one person in a very large
Church decides they want to stop.
Please will you consider whether this is something you could do and if
you would like to know more, please will you give your name to the
Church Office.
I know
that Focus is circulated to all the Churches in Epsom and right from the
beginning we had hoped that the lunch would be an ecumenical project but
this has never really materialised. If there is someone from one of the
other Churches who would like to co-ordinate the lunch, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Carol Stringer
|
