WALTON NEWS

The school holidays are here, with for once a spell of good weather timed to bring extra enjoyment to weddings and other family gatherings. It was on one of the idyllic summer afternoons that there was a wedding reception in the heart of the village in the garden of the Old Post Office with the church marquee in Hutsby's field set up by the usual band of stalwarts to celebrate the marriage of Tony and Lindsey who are perhaps more used to entertaining large get togethers of ducks than lunch parties for their friends and relations. The word has certainly gone around the duck population that Townsend Corner is a good place to congregate and Tony was telling me that there was a procession of at least thirty five waddling across the field a few evenings ago, and the word had even got around to the ornamental ducks who came down from the pond at the farm to join in the fun. Lindsey did not actually have any duck attendants, but plenty of family and friends, including her mother Carol who is well known in Walton for the pretty handknitted and handsewn goods which we see on her stall at the Fête and the Christmas Fair. It was real village occasion and we wish Tony and Lindsey all happiness in their married life at Walton.

It has been good to meet visitors staying at Walton Hall on mid-week breaks who have been enthusing about the beauty of the surroundings. One of them said to me that they had no idea when they booked their holiday that they would be coming to such a lovely place. They saw it when it was on its best behaviour with the sun shining and the crops looking golden against the dark summer trees. We who live here experience it of course at all times of the year, in sunshine and shower, when the lane is treacherous with snow or when after heavy rainfall the waters rush down the ditches into the valley and the Dene brook spreads out into the water meadows.

We learn to cope with life in the valley in all its moods and I think we can say that if the sun shone all the year we would appreciate it less than we do now when it puts in its spasmodic and very welcome appearances.

At this moment the farmers and gardeners are praying for rain after the long drought, but we do hope that it won't decide to come next Sunday on the day of the Fête or on the week-end of 24th-25th September when there will be a Flower Festival at the Church with a Harvest theme.

The Church will be open all day on the Saturday and Sunday with Evensong at 5.30 on Sunday 25th to celebrate the Centenary of the King James Bible when the preacher will be the Chaplain to the Sealed Knot and he and others will be in full seventeenth century costume.

This will help us to look back in time and there will be special readings to remind us of how the beautiful words of this centuries old translation have become deeply embedded in the language that we know and use ourselves today. Do come along and enjoy the flower arrangements and the service and help to ensure that the Church continues to be a living place of worship, as well as a sanctuary from the pressures of twenty first century life.

EH