Saint Paul's Church, Landkey

Holiday-makers welcome!

If you are taking a holiday in North Devon, now that the school holidays upon us, you will be very welcome to visit Paul's Church for Anglican Christian worship.

If you would like to join us, you might like to know that, on the first Sunday in the month, we hold a Family Service which is structured with families and young children in mind.

On other Sundays, Holy Communion is usually offered or a service of Morning Prayer is held.

Feel free to get in touch with us via the "Contact Us" page on this website if you would like more information before attending a service or visiting our church.

Garden Party - an enjoyable occasion

The forecast had been consulted often in the weeks and days beforehand. Would the wet weather continue until the end of the month, or might the heatwave afflicting much of Europe make it just too hot?

When the day of the Garden Party arrived on 29th June 2019, though, it was clear that conditions would be ideal: warm and dry but not too hot.

The event had been advertised widely in advance and, from the moment of "gates open" at 2pm, visitors flowed into the beautiful garden at The Old Manor, Landkey, in a steady stream.

Helpers at the many stalls and attractions suddenly found themselves in demand. Perhaps having forgone prior refreshment, many visitors headed for the tea-and-scones stall where Hazel and Annemarie energetically conveyed filled cups and laden plates from the kitchen to eager consumers. For those with a larger appetite, the hot dog barbecue, run by Joshua, proved such a draw that supplies ran out ahead of time! Liquid refreshment was on offer by Louise at the Pimms-or-elderflower stall where a queue was almost a permanent feature.

A great deal of fun was to be had in the games area. Revd Shaun was, unfortunately, unable to attend but that appeared not to be an impediment to participants keen to throw wet sponges at a man's head poking through a wooden board at the "Soak the Vicar" attraction. The "man" in this case was either Tom or Charles, who took turns to be on the receiving end. Young girls showed themselves to be the most enthusiastic, with one even stretching out her arm and squinting marksman-like over her fingertips in order to find the best trajectory for her throw! Others clubbed together so that their money ensured that each of them had as many throws as possible. Mini-golf and Splat-the-Rat had many takers with serious competition taking place.

There were many other stalls and they all seemed to receive a fair share of custom. By 4pm, though,  it was clear that the tide of visitors was showing the first signs of turning. Taking this as a cue, Angela began announcing prize-winners for the various competitions.

As she left, a mother of one of the sponge-throwing girls expressed her thanks for providing the opportunity for her daughter to tire herself out! She probably spoke for many, as a good time seemed to be had by all.

It is believed that a little over £1000 was raised, a significant sum which will help to keep the church’s accounts solvent. Thanks go to all who helped in any way with running the party as well, of course, to the many visitors who came along and willingly spent their money.

Finally, appreciation is extended especially to Mike and Josie Foster for hosting this event at their home and for all the effort that they and their family members went to ensure that the stalls and attractions functioned properly. Thank you, Mike and Josie!