That was a very eventful August! Following the very welcome rebuilding of the boundary wall after many weeks in which its stones had been lying on the ground (and had been dubbed St Mark's Rockery) in July, we were able to hold our Pimm's and Hymns afternoon on 4th August. Although the area where the rockery had been was looking a bit worse for wear, the rest of the garden was splendid and in full bloom, thanks to our faithful gardening team. As a consequence of the date, a number of our regular members were unable to attend but we were delighted to welcome friends from other churches who enjoyed a rousing afternoon of hymns and stories to accompany them. Our musicians were on good form and it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. In addition, the donations received for the Breast Cancer charity amounted to over £200 and this was doubled by an anonymous donor. Many thanks to all who contributed, including that anonymous person!

This followed the very successful Swanage Carnival as July turned into August, an event in which the Christians of the town had played their part. What else happened in August? Ah, yes the sun shone (at least some of the time) and the wind abated, things which couldn't be said (as we remember it) for July. Swanage filled with people and there were yet more festivals and although the national and international news was as concerning as ever, much enjoyment was had by many people. I hope that most of you had an August to remember and had some relaxation to take you into the coming months.

As we start September, the schools return and we send our friends at St Mark's School all our best wishes as they start the year armed with their good Ofsted report from last term. We look forward to continued good relationships with the school leading up to their Harvest and Christmas services later in the term.

Our activities in and around the church restart. The first Bible Study as we continue Mark's Gospel is on 3rd September and they continue fortnightly from there. Prayer and Share which turned into Prayer Walks for August returns to its usual form weekly, although sometimes changing its day of the week, so listen to notices and read the weekly sheet for the latest information. Both Bible Study and Prayer are valuable aspects of a Christian life, as well as the life of a church and so if you would like to try these meetings out on occasion, do come to join the regulars.

One date that isn't on the diary above is our next social event. We're hoping to have a Bric-a-brac sale with coffee and cakes sometime in September. As I write, the date isn't quite agreed but, again, listen to notices.

How often do we find ourselves saying "is it that time of year already?" Even if the early summer weather wasn't all we might have wished, at least it was a talking point and as we go from summer to autumn we can look forward to whatever the weather in God's wonderful world sends us. Think of the seasonal fruit, the lovely colour of the trees - I wish you a glorious autumn!

John Way

Churchwarden