Beedon church 800th anniversary garden party ‘very well attended’

Celebrations continued at the weekend to mark the 800th anniversary of an ancient village church.

On Sunday, June 11, a garden party was hosted in the grounds of St Nicholas Church in Beedon.

The Peasemore Ukelele Group provided the afternoon’s entertainment.

And in the evening, a ‘Songs of Praise’ service was held in the church led by reverend John Toogood and organist David Pinfold, who has served the church in this capacity for more than 60 years.

The choice of hymns was carefully considered, with the origin and meaning of each being summarised by the rector.

The service was also interspersed with readings by members of the congregation.

Towards the end of the service, a thunderstorm meant most of the congregation were reluctant to brave the downpour.

And so they spent the rest of the celebrations socialising inside the church, where tea and refreshments were provided.

The event was organised by a committee led by Debbie Evans, in association with the Friends of St Nicholas.

It was funded by the Beedon Parish Council whose chairman Steve Price organised the logistics for the day.

Details for further events will follow in due course.