News From Smeeton Westerby – November 2024
Our October Harvest celebrations, proved to be great fun. The Harvest supper and quiz night attracted a really good crowd and, having filled our tummies with lasagne, salad and French bread, we then moved on to a superb quiz, organised by Chris and Monica Gibbins. It was so cleverly planned that it ended up with the team scores being really close!
Of course, half way through, to feed our little grey cells, delicious homemade desserts were served – after all it was a celebration of Harvest! We raised a magnificent £520 for The Farming Community Network, (FCN), a local charity that supports, among other areas, the mental health of farmers and offers a listening ear when needed. Then, on the Sunday, came our harvest service in church. Again, we had a really good time and welcomed lots of people who generously brought food donations that were shared between The Well and Open Hands, Compassion Centre in Leicester. A further £130 was raised for the FCN. Amazing!
So what is happening next in the Village Hall, the church and The King’s Head?
Our next event is to welcome The Tudor Choir to perform a Candlelit Choral Evensong for us in Christ Church on Sunday 17 November at 6.30pm. We are really lucky to be able to welcome this celebrated choir who are renowned in Leicestershire and Rutland, as well as further afield, for their varied concerts of sacred and secular music. Naturally, as always, we will be serving refreshments at the end. You do not need to book for this service so please just turn up! Our beautiful Poppy Cascade will also still be in place for all to admire.
Next comes our village Christmas Fayre on Saturday 30 November which will be held in the Village Hall from 2.00-4.30pm. Once again, we will be welcoming our special guest, Father Christmas. He will be comfortably sitting in his fairyland grotto talking to the children and giving out pre-Christmas gifts. Naturally, there will also be stalls, activities and refreshments to keep everyone fully entertained.
And there is more!! On Thursday 5 December, the Kibworth Ladies Choir, will be performing their Christmas Concert in the church. A programme of festive songs and readings will get us all in the mood for the big day! Helped along with mulled wine and mince pies, it’s sure to be a fabulous evening. Tickets, to include refreshments, are £10 and can be booked by ringing Philippa on 01162793841 or messaging her on 07748878027.
Add to that Carols with Brass in the church on Sunday 22 December at 6.30pm, our Walking Nativity, (date to be confirmed), and our Crib Service in church on Tuesday 24 December at 4pm, there is a lot going on.
The King’s Head are also putting on various events that include two Beaujolais Nouveau evenings on Wednesday 27 and Saturday 30 November, their monthly Jazz Club on Wednesday 4 December and then their GEMS Charity Christmas Quiz night on Saturday 14 December. To book, please ring Edd and Andrew on 0116 279 2676.
N.B. We will be not be holding our CoCo coffee mornings in November and December as there are so many other things going on.
Janet Gilbert
Main Stage Theatre Company
