Youth group news and stories

Learning about the deaf was great fun and very interesting. It was hard to understand at first what it felt like to be deaf but as the night went on it became clearer how hard it is for deaf people to live and how dangerous it can be.
We invited the Diocesan Chaplain for Deaf People, Cherry Vann, to Youth Group to give us a talk on deaf people and sign language. She firstly told us about people with hearing difficulties. She explained how they only managed to get through their lives by lip reading. She showed us how difficult it can be by showing us an episode of Coronation Street without the sound. We found it very difficult and it made us all realise how we take our hearing for granted.
After a short refreshment break, we continued to talk about totally deaf people and how they found it extremely difficult to learn to read and write, which made it even more difficult for them to cope with activities in everyday life. Cherry then taught us the alphabet in sign language. We found it extremely hard and thought it was just like learning another foreign language without speech! We then watched the story of The Pied Piper of Hamlin, but in sign language. The actor had changed the ending to the story where instead of the boy being left behind because he was lame, he was left behind because he had no battery in his hearing aid and could not hear the Pied Piper’s flute. Lots of people found the video extremely amusing as the actor used facial expression in the story as well as hand movement, but Cherry then explained that this is how signers communicate and bring everything to life.
We would like to say a BIG thank you to Cherry for giving up her Friday evening to come and talk to us and also David Penny, Margo Acheson and Irene Bridgeford for helping on the night. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and know never to take our hearing for granted again.

By Charlotte Acheson and Jenny Western

On Friday 1st November, the Youth Group were taken on a tour of the crypt and graveyard at St Mark’s Church. We were all told to bring a torch for the tour.
We were met by Graham Prince at the Church Hall and taken down into church and into the Ellesmere Chapel. We discussed all of the different Earls of Ellesmere and what happened to them when they died.
We then all went out of the vestry door and into the graveyard. We went to look at two different gravestones in the graveyard. These were two different members of the Egerton family who had chosen to be buried outside instead of in the crypt with the rest of their family.
After this we went behind church near to the vestry door. There is a type of grid there and a ladder had been put in. We soon all realised that this was the entrance to the crypt, we all stepped forward cautiously and peered over the edge. It looked like a deep pit with a red door at the bottom.
Graham went down the ladder first followed by everyone else shortly. He did warn us that the crypt was home to… some toads! The first two people down opened the door and we all went inside.
Graham had been down earlier that day and cleared it out and put in some candles for us. It was made out of stone and it looked as if there were stone ledges inside as well, these were actually the tombs. There were 3 different alcoves with a ledge in. The first was for the 1st Earl of Ellesmere, his wife and child. On top of his tomb, there are 2 coronets which are like crowns, but what the Earls wore on their heads. The second alcove was for the 2nd Earl of Ellesmere, his wife and child and the third alcove was for the 3rd Earl of Ellesmere and his wife, but on the top of this ledge, there were 2 boxes containing the ashes of some of his relatives. All of the tombs had plaques on them with engravings on and on the wall behind one of the tombs; there was a plaque, which commemorated the opening of St Mark’s Church.
The Youth Group would like to thank Graham for taking his time to prepare and take us on the tour of the crypt and graveyard. We would also like to thank Philip White, Christine Carson and David Penny, who all came to help with the tour as well. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I think we will never forget our night tour of the crypt and graveyard.

By Charlotte Acheson

A big ‘thank you’ once again for the help given on our Youth Group Craft Evening.

David Conhye was again very creative with his origami (don’t leave any paper around – you’d be surprised at what David can do with it!!).

On this occasion we were also fortunate enough to have the assistance of John Ward and Alex Smethurst with calligraphy and viewed some of their splendid work. As well as ‘hands on’ for those who chose to try their hand!!

Jean Sharples and Judith Yates provided us with wonderful craft ideas for greetings cards and gift decorations to enable everyone to take home an attractive craft item.

Charlotte Acheson

1) In the West end of church, where would you find an inscription from Mark 10:14?

2) St. Werburg has lost her nameplate, but which Abbess of Whitby stands next to her in the North aisle?

3) In which year was St. Mark’s built and consecrated?

4) In front of the nave you can see images showing the circumcision, adoration of the Magi and the flight into Egypt amongst other things. What is this piece of furniture called?

5) What date can be found here?

6) What images can you see on the choir stalls? What do these symbols remind us of?

7) Mosaics are everywhere in this part of church; but what bird can you find, and how many symbols of St. Mark?

8) Beyond the sleeping Earl there is a curtain. What is kept in here?

9) What fragrant botanic can be seen in the Ellesmere Chapel?

10) How many previous vicars and rectors have there been in the parish?

11) How many can you name? (The rogues’ gallery may help!)

Click here for the answers

Thank you to all the parents for sending in the jars for the Youth Group stall at the Christmas fair, we raised £35.21. Also thanks to the members of the youth group who gave their time in decorating Santa’s grotto and for assisting Santa on the day of the fair.

Margot.

I’d like to add my thanks to the members of the youth group who made the Christingles. With all of us helping it didn’t take too long.
Thanks.

Next term’s programme will be available in the New Year – so those of you who have email look out for it at the start of term. Those who are not on email will have a programme dropped through your letterbox, and copies will also be available at the back of church.

Anyone who was confirmed in November can now join the youth group, if you would like more information, or a registration form please see Fran Speight, Irene Bridgford or myself. Fran and Irene will be taking over as the main leaders of the youth group from the beginning of the new year, I will still be involved, helping out on a Friday, but I felt it was time to step back and let others take the lead. My thanks to all the leaders and helpers who give of their time and energy, and have, once again, organized a term full of interesting and exciting things.
David Penny.

1) In the West end of church, where would you find an inscription from Mark 10:14? Font: Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.

2) St. Werburg has lost her nameplate, but which Abbess of Whitby stands next to her in the North aisle? Hilda

3) In which year was St. Mark’s built and consecrated? 1846

4) In front of the nave you can see images showing the circumcision, adoration of the Magi and the flight into Egypt amongst other things. What is this piece of furniture called? Pulpit

5) What date can be found here? 1640

6) What images can you see on the choir stalls? What do these symbols remind us of? Cross, nails, reed, sponge, spear, 30 pieces of silver, seamless robe, dice, lantern, sword, stave, pincer, hammer, sacred heart, crown of thorns, whipping post, scourges. – The crucifixion.

7) Mosaics are everywhere in this part of church; but what bird can you find, and how many symbols of St. Mark? Pelican

8) Beyond the sleeping Earl there is a curtain. What is kept in here? Reserved sacrament.

9) What fragrant botanic can be seen in the Ellesmere Chapel? Lily

10) How many previous vicars and rectors have there been in the parish? 11 (12 including Michael)

11) How many can you name? (The rogues’ gallery may help!)1850 – Canon St. Vincent Beechey; 1872 The Earl of Mulgrave – Constantine Charles Henry Phipps; 1890 – Frederick Hodgkinson; 1907 – Thomas Harrison; 1910 – Campbell Hulton; 1918 – Canon Harry William Thorne; 1930 Canon Isaac Renshaw; 1947 Canon Colin Lamont; 1953 – Tom Billington; 1972 – Canon Peter Cameron; 1980 – Ven Mark Dalby. (1994 – Michael Ainsworth)

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