Church & Charity

Mrs Weekender and I wouldn't call ourselves religious in the conventional sense, but we do try to attend a Christmas Eve service in a cathedral or abbey every year -  more for the musical content than the spiritual. As this is our first Somerset Christmas, we headed to Wells for evensong last night. And the singing was superb. Bob Chilcott's setting of "In The Bleak Midwinter" was a bit too Cliff Richard for my taste, but it was beautifully sung. And everything else, especially the Bach introit given from the nave before the singers entered the choir, was spot on. I'm always slightly bemused that, at a time of great celebration for the Church, the services on the 24th are always so po-faced. And last night was no different. But, at least, the music was uplifting.

We did our bit today, serving turkey and nut roast at the Cheese and Grain as part of the first Big Christmas Get Together, giving people who were alone or strapped for cash the chance of a free festive dinner and entertainment. Fewer turned up than had been hoped, and rumour had it that some people didn't want to be seen to be "accepting charity". Hopefully word will get round that the event is completely lacking in "do-goodyness", and that next year those who would really benefit from it will not be backward in coming forward. And it wasn't Social Services or one of the charitable organisations who put this on, but the good folk of the town  - led by one Charlie Thomas. How typical of the place. Charity does, indeed, start at Frome.