Social and Hospitality Group
In the Spring of 2012 Jane and Alan Trigle handed over the reins of St Michael's hospitality co-ordination to Ian Flatman He is assisted by Mark Critchlow and Meredydd Howells.
This is a crucial part of St Michael's ministry which underpins so much of our activities, as you'll see from Jane's comments below:
Jane Trigle our former Hospitality Coordinator, writes:
"Just when you think we can’t get any busier, a whole new raft of events appears at St Michael & All Angels - but they get absorbed in our yearly round as if they had always been there.
To our already busy autumn season we added the Chiswick Book Festival with all-day teas, coffees and cakes plus themed refreshments, all of which appear as if by magic.
The magic is provided by the large number of people who are constantly emailed to see if they can pour wine, provi
de a plate of nibbles, mash spuds or wash up dinner plates into the wee small hours. Without their willingness and sterling help, none of it would be possible. Nor could, we as a Church manage this level of hospitality. We are very grateful to them all.
Majestic Wine must have been on the verge of reporting the Trigle household to the NHS for e
xcessive drinking. When I rang up the Shepherd’s Bush branch I was treated like an old friend. ‘How many cases is that? – oh, 12 of red and 12 of white, that’s fine’..... and no matter that I say ‘Please deliver to the Church’, you could tell they thought it was a ruse.
But, what with Festivals, Green Days, Church Feasts and the like we do have a lot to celebrate, and if God likes a cheerful giver, I am sure He likes a cheerful worshipper too. Over the past year we have cheerfully opened a bottle or two of fizz for the Feast of Corpus Christi, our Feast of Title, Michaelmas; visits by Bishops to confirm members of our congregation, to name but some.
We also provide refreshments
and lunches at various times throughout the year. These include the major catering extravaganza that is the famed Easter Breakfast, prepared for all those who have got up in the middle of the night to brave the dawn Solemn Mass of the Easter Vigil. In addition a group of our volunteers was also involved in the provision of Community Lunches in conjunction with other church groups in Chiswick until these came to an end in October 2011 following the closure of the Day Centre where they were held.
Other events at St Michael's which involve the Hospitality Group include:
• Festival Lunch: provided in 2011 by the Children's Church in the Vicarage Garden (above)
• The Parish Advent lunch
• Mulled wine and mince pies served after the Nine Lessons and Carols Service
• The auction of the Advent Calendar pictures: we provided Buck’s Fizz and a brunch of bagels
• Lent lunches: organised by Leslie Lyle Charities Group Coordinator".
If you are interested in helping with St Michael's Hospitality in any way (and new faces are always very welcome) please contact Ian Flatman and Jo Ingram via the Parish Office