On Christmas Eve instead of the usual extremely popular Crib Service in All Hallows Church, a Christmas story trail, ‘Follow the Star’, was set up with 10 stations between both ends of the footpath that winds through the churchyard. It gave people something positive to do and proved to be extremely popular. Facebook had lots of ‘thumbs up’ comments. Storm Bella threatened a couple of days later so the figures that had been in place (The Three Kings, King Herod looking very fierce, the Innkeeper and Mary and Angel Gabriel) all had to be taken down. The small angels on a tree and the nativity cards were left up for a while longer. Close observers of the figures may have recognised that the ‘bodies’ had made appearances before.
Such was the success of the trail, some folk were inspired to plan a Valentine Trail, ‘Follow Your Heart’, for this month but due to Lockdown 3 it was eventually decided it would not be advisable and would probably encourage socialising when folk stopped to read the poetry, craft and other contributions. However, thoughts are turning to other ‘trails’ through the churchyard that might be possible in future when circumstances allow. These trails will give folk another form of community involvement, something that will be very much needed when the current crisis has passed.
On the Live & Local front, Ordsall Parish Hall were allocated Ma Bessie and The Pig Foot Band with Ma’s Prohibition Party in early March. Ma Bessie features New Orleans jazz and soul. However, no sooner had they heard this than it was cancelled due to the imposition of the lockdown. It will probably happen later in the year. Plans are still in place for another Live & Local show in the late spring and the ever-popular Jonny and Lynnette’s Country and Western gig in June. Also, an outdoor show with audience participation is planned for July.
At present nobody knows whether any of this will be possible and Ordsall Parish Hall remains firmly closed. A plan for the actions needed in order to re-open has been put in place so that when circumstances allow the re-opening should happen fairly quickly.
