On Monday 20 February, Rev Canon Nick Buck will be licensed as Priest-in-Charge of the benefices of Branston with Nocton and Potterhanworth, and Metheringham with Blankney and Dunston. At the same service, Sister Liz of the Community of St Francis will be licensed as Assistant Curate to the two benefices. The service will take place at Dunston St Peter's at 7.30 pm.

We hope that as many people as possible will attend the service to welcome Canon Nick Buck and Sister Liz into their formal roles; they have been supporting us informally for some time!

Church roof update

Repairs to the chancel roof are now almost complete and work has now started on the south side of the nave, where the original tiles are being re-used. The recent mild weather has enabled good progress to be made, but any wintry conditions over the next few weeks could cause delays. However, we are still hoping to have the church back in use before Easter. We're getting there...

A new member welcomed into the church family

The Baptism of Ryan Grant Bassett (aged 7 months) of Parklands Avenue, Nocton took place at St Andrew’s Church Potterhanworth on 18 December 2011. Ryan is the son of Andrew and Sarah Bassett and his godparents are Emma Mathewson and Martin Davies. The Revd Les Whitfield officiated. Ryan’s elder brother, Owen, was baptised at All Saints’ Church, Nocton in December 2009. Welcome Ryan!

Nocton Doodle

The latest edition of the Doodle is now available! Click here for lots of news on what's happening around the village.

Happy New Year!

A very Happy New Year to all our readers! We hope to have All Saints back in use in the near future - further updates will be posted when available.

Carol Singing

About a dozen intrepid singers and bucket rattlers, aided and abetted
by Nana the dog, took to the streets of Nocton under cover of darkness
on Sunday evening, inflicting their voices on the unsuspecting residents
of Wellhead Lane, Manor Court and The Avenue. Actually we were
told we sounded rather good!

A grand (and it was grand) total of £56.86 was raised, which with further
donations, including from the Village Hall Management Committee, came
to £35 for the church and £47 for our chosen charity, the Nomad Trust.

Thanks to all who donated and were so encouraging, to the Village Hall
Management Committee for the donation and the most welcome mulled
wine and mince pies, and of course to all those who took part in the singing.

We'll be back next year.... you've been warned!

Carol singing - reminder

Just a reminder that we will be singing carols round the village on
Sunday, 18 December. Meet at the village hall at 5 pm. It doesn't
matter if you can't sing! We need collectors too so all welcome!

Carol Singing

If you would like to join us for carol singing please meet at
the Village Hall on Sunday 18th December at 5.00pm.  We will
sing till around 6.30 and then we are invited to return to the
Village Hall for mince pies and mulled wine, kindly provided by
the Village Hall Committee. We need plenty of voices so come
along and have a festive sing!

Child sponsorship

All Saints has recently decided to sponsor a child in Gambia. We have
chosen to do this through a local charity named Snowballs in The
Gambia.  Linda Carpenter-Coxon who lives in the village regularly
visits the Tambana School project and keeps us up to date with
developments and provides photographs.  In her last visit, Linda
took out new school uniforms for the children. The money we
provide goes in some way to support our child with books and
uniform.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child, you can contact Linda on
01526 322410 and she will give you more details.  The cost is £30
a year to sponsor a child.

Church Clean Up for Village Wedding

There is a clean up planned at Nocton Church on Sunday 6th Nov at 2pm to get the church fit and ready to hold the wedding of Polly Hardy on Nov 12th. The building works have been put on hold for a week to allow this to happen.

The Churchwardens ask anyone who is available on Sunday at 2pm to give up a little time and help out.

Thanks

Church Roof Repair Update.

Todays weekly project meeting took place today at 2pm between Chris Hewitt (PCC Project Manager) David Glew (Architect) and Paul Mendham (Principal Contractor).

I am pleased to report the project is now slightly ahead of schedule and the Chancel roof will be finished early next week. The scaffolding will then be reduced in size and moved to the nave. Hirst Consevation were also on site today and have been completing the final touchup of the chancel ceiling  and rafters. Over the next three weeks chancel lighting will be installed and some stencil restoration will take place to the chancel east wall.

If anyone wants any roof tiles all those currently on the North Nave aspect are for sale. There are approx 8000 tiles ( 4500 plain 10.5" x 6.5" red dreadnought machine made & 3500 red club tiles made by Nostell). They are currently on the roof but are available from early December. If you want to see a sample close up, contact Chris Hewitt 01526 320645.

2011 Spires and Steeples Challenge

The History of Nocton - A Centenary Presentation

The History of Nocton: a presentation of a lantern slide show first shown in October 1911, in Nocton Village Hall, Main Street , Nocton, on Wednesday 12 October 2011 at 7.30 p.m.

The script and original images from the lantern slides have been saved, so the evening will take you back to Nocton in 1911.  Desserts and wine to follow.  Tickets, in aid of buying flowers for the 2012 Nocton Church Flower Festival , are £5 if bought in advance, or £6 on the door.

For tickets, phone 01526 322930, or 322739, or 321455.

This is how it looked in 1862

The South side of the chancel today, just how it must have looked in 1862. The pattern is quite complex and has been the subject of much debate. Thanks to the roofing team for their fabulous work to date.

Ahead of schedule!

Thats the outcome of the last roof project review we had last Friday.After a slow start things are moving well. All parties...PCC, Architect, Builder, Conservators are working hand in hand to achieve what looks to be an astounding finished product,

After much debate the roof pattern has been determined and is going on to plan. The conservators have taken away the damaged North chancel fresco and are removing wall salts before it is restored. The chancel ceiling has been cleaned and is about to have some slight restoration work. We have also decided and have permission to install ceiling lights in the chancel to illuminate the newly restored and we are also going to restore the original 1875 stencilling to the East Chancel wall over the great window.

No need to say more just look at the pictures:

The New South Chancel Roof

The Uncovered East Chancel wall Stencilling which will be restored

Cleaned and partially restored Chancel Ceiling.

Structural repairs to the SE Chancel pinnacle

The damaged fresco on the Chancel North wall has been removed for restoration.