LENT LUNCH: The Ash Wednesday Lent Lunch, organised as is customary by the members of St James church and held in the village hall, was well attended despite the cold, wet weather. Proceeds again will go to the Church of England's Children's Society, augmented (it is hoped) by another generous collection on Good Friday when the lunch which marks the end of Lent will take place. Thanks go to all who made and gave the delicious soups and who helped in any way to make this a pleasant and lucrative effort. The church was also the scene last Friday of the annual Women's World Day of Prayer and, again, was well supported by members of the Baptist church and visitors from other churches of the ARCH benefice, with many of them taking an active part in the proceedings.

Every year the service is devised by women from a designated country anywhere in the world and this year had a particular poignancy in that it came from Lebanon. The thoughts and prayers from the women of this tragic and long-suffering country were especially moving in the light of the present further threat to their part of the world and the empathy of all present was clearly felt. The service was sympathetically led by Gill Thorniley, wife of the rector, and the address given by Mary Wallen of Church Lench.

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: Arranging miracles sounds as though it may well have been the title of something connected with church, but it was in fact the title of the talk at the last meeting of the society and was given by local resident Dick Armitage. The miracles were, of course, the gardens with which he has been associated and he had much of interest to say on the subject. It is very timely that, once again, the miracle of the display of spring flowers (the gift of this society) can again be seen in the churchyard.

FIRST SCHOOL: Harvington First School's new hall is now up and running and available for letting for a wide variety of activities. Members of the public are warmly invited to attend an open evening next Wednesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm when this superb building, with its many attractive facilities, can be inspected at leisure. Light refreshments will be served and there will be ample occasion for asking questions and for obtaining information about the range of hiring charges. This is an excellent opportunity to see and admire a building of which the community can be justly proud.