Our 11th Annual Old Town Beer Festival at Christ Church Is Just a Few Weeks Away!

It’s our 11th year and we hope it will be the best one yet.  The festival is our biggest fundraiser of the year so please come along and support it!

After the success of last year, we will be running the festival over FOUR DAYS again.

On Thursday 9th May we will open the festival with our comedy evening in Christ Church.

Doors and the bar opens at 6pm for an early sampling and food will be available to purchase from the fabulous Food for thought who will be serving their amazing fish and chips plus burgers, hot dogs etc.

There will be top comedy from Headliner Fiona Allen as seen on: Smack the Pony, Mock the week, Alan Partridge, 8 out of 10 cats, never mind the buzzcocks, the Frank Skinner show.

Support acts include Jonathan Elston ‘A comic with incredible talent’ The Guardian and Ian Macdonald – who has been gigging since he made 400 vicars laugh (at the same time!) and realised that Stand Up Comedy was the mid-life crisis he was searching for.

Swindon local, the fabulous Sam Michael will be returning as our MC for the night.

To find out more and buy tickets head over to our website HERE

Friday 10th May will be our standard opening night of the festival. Come along and try some of the many beers and ciders on offer whilst socialising with others in Christ Church.

On Saturday 11th May in the afternoon, there will be meet the brewer sessions with a chance for you to meet a few of our local breweries, grill them and try some of their ale.

On the Saturday evening (from 5pm onwards), there will be live music from excellent local bands, Sweet Nightingale, The Lost Hills, Driftwood and the return of the fabulous What the Pluck who put on such a great performance last year.

We are also delighted to confirm that SALOS Musical Theatre company will be hosting an evening of songs from musicals to close our festival on the Sunday evening.

Come along and enjoy the sing-along. The ticket price includes all drinks and snacks for this one.

Tickets for all events are NOW on SALE!

Head over to our festival website to find out more and buy tickets HERE

You can also download our full festival brochure HERE

The 4th Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival is on this weekend! Buy your tickets now!

The 4th Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival featuring British Jazz award winners, established Soul acts and and an African music showcase is on this weekend in Christ Church and the Community Centre.

THE SOUL : (Friday 19th April, Christ Church) An evening of Live Classic Soul music

THE JAZZ : (Saturday 20th April, Christ Church) A whole day and night of live Jazz featuring award winning and nationally known musicians.

THE AFRICAN : (Saturday 20th April, Christ Church Community Hall) A day and evening of live music from Africa featuring modern and traditional instruments, fusion, afrobeats, groove and funk.

For more information and tu buy tickets, head over to our Events page HERE 

For line up announcements please follow Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival on Facebook and Instagram or visit jazzknights.co.uk

NOTICE OF ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING & ELECTION OF NEW CHURCH WARDENS

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will be held in Christ Church on the 28th April 2024 at 11:30am.  Please see the notice below: Please note you can click on the image to enlarge it.

Two new Church Wardens will also be elected at the meeting; see the corresponding notice below:

Christ Church Bells 100th Anniversary Peal

On Thursday 11th April at 3pm there is going to be a peal attempt (ringing for 3 hours).

This is being rung to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the ten bells being installed.

The new bells were cast by the John Taylor Bellfoundry at Loughborough.
They were dedicated by the Bishop of Bristol on 11th April 1924.

These are the bells that have rung at Christ church ever since.

If you are interested in joining the bell ringing team, please contact Ann Eyles at: Bells@Christchurchswindon.co.uk

You can watch the bells in action from a previous peal attempt at the link below…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfKp8B5G_wA

If you would like to find out more about the history of the bells and the church we have copies of our book, The Beacon on the Hill, available to buy for £13 from the parish office.

King William Street School Church Council helped plant native saplings at Christ Church

King William Street School Church Council helped plant native saplings at Christ Church, recently as part of the church’s Eco Group’s on-going plan to increase biodiversity within the grounds.

Once grown the saplings will provide shelter and food for birds and small mammals.

Mrs Sarah Prevost, teacher at King William Street School, said the children were very excited to be helping with this project and were looking forward to seeing the saplings grow in future years, into mature trees.

Mrs Anne Grainger, the chair of Christ Church Eco Group said “We are delighted that the children have joined us in this very special project. They are after all “our future” and what we do now to promote and conserve the natural environment for them is vital”.

The saplings were generously donated by the Woodland Trust.

You can find out more about the work of our Eco Group and Eco Church awards on our website here at: https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/blog/eco-church/

Annual Revision of the Christ Church and St Mary’s Electoral Roll

Every year as part of the annual church meeting, we review and update all the names on our church electoral roll. This year the review starts at the end of March and will be complete by mid-April. A list of all currently registered Electoral Roll members (Names only) will be available at the back of the Church during the review period.

What do you need to do?

1. Already on the Electoral Roll

If you are already on the Church Electoral Roll and are happy to remain on it, you need to take no further action.

2. You want to join the Electoral Roll

To be entered on the Electoral Roll:

• You must be over 16.
• You must be baptised.
• You must have attended a Church of England church in the parish for at least the last six months.

If you wish to be entered on the Electoral Roll please complete one of the
applications for Enrolment available at the back of the church and return it to the Parish Office by the 13th of April

Names of all those on the Electoral Roll on 27th March 2024 are displayed in both churches – please check your entry and let the Parish Office know of any discrepancies – thank you

Our Easter Services at Christ Church and St Mary’s

Maundy Thursday – 28th March

Old Town Partnership of Churches Maundy Thursday Agape Meal and Holy Communion at Immanuel Church at 7:30pm for 1 hour.

Good Friday – 29th March

Reflect at the Cross – a Good Friday Meditation – 12 noon to 3pm* in Christ Church

Led by Karen Campbell, Secretary for Global & Intercultural Ministries (Mission) in the United Reformed Church, we will join with our partnership congregations from Immanuel URC and Bath Road Methodist for our traditional 3 hours at the cross.
* you are welcome to come and go as you please on the hour or half-hour during the hymn.

Children’s Good Friday Workshop

For children up to 11 years (bring an adult with you)
at Christ Church Community Centre from 1:30 to 3pm, this Friday, 22nd March.
Craft and Activities based around the theme of Holy Week and Easter Day
All welcome!

Holy Saturday – 30th March

Fellowship of Faith presents…. Movie Night at 7pm

Come and join us to watch ‘The Passion of the Christ’ (cert.18)*
*WARNING – contains scenes of a graphic nature
Refreshments available to purchase
Suggested donation £2
Raising money for Christ Church and Fellowship of Faith

Easter Day – Sunday 31st March

6am Sunrise service with Holy Communion on the green outside Holy Rood on the Lawn.

Please bring a chair. Breakfast will be served afterwards. Please RSVP.

In Christ Church

8am Holy Communion

10am Holy Communion

This will also be live-streamed HERE

6.30pm Easter Praise

This will also be live-streamed HERE

In St Mary’s

9am Holy Communion

Easter Monday – 1st April

Children’s Easter Activity Day

Fun activities in and around Christ Church and the Community Centre from 11am to 3pm, including:

Bible verse pebble trail
Easter Bonnet competition
Art & crafts
Picnic area
Refreshments
And a visit from the Easter Bunny!
Children £3, adults free.
For more information, please contact Alex & James Davies-Spratt

You can find all of our Easter Services and Events and more about the life of our church HERE