Christmas is coming!

Mother & Child
hand-printed linocut Christmas card
by Teresa Newham

Once in Royal David's city 

Stood a lowly cattle shed

Where a mother laid her baby 

In a manger for his bed

Mary was that mother mild

Jesus Christ her little child.

The start of the Carol Service is one of the most evocative parts of Christmas - the first verse of Once in Royal David's City sung by a soloist, with the choir and congregation joining in the rest. At our church, those of us in the choir gather behind the font near the entrance while the lights are dimmed and one of our choristers sings the solo. Then we process down the aisle with our lighted candles,  while those of the congregation are lit. The church is always packed, with latecomers standing at the back.

We follow the usual format, with nine lessons read from the Bible, interspersed with Christmas music from the choir and carols which everyone can join in, before we process out again as everyone sings O Come All Ye Faithful, followed by a rousing version of Gaudete by the choir round the font before everyone goes downstairs for mulled wine and mince pies.  Christmas is coming!

Wishing you and your loved ones peace and joy this Christmas and a blessed and happy New Year.

Hope in a troubled world

Holy Family III
linocut Christmas card by Teresa Newham

When I planned my 2016 Christmas card I already knew that I wanted to depict the Holy Family again.  Burning a candle for inspiration, I found myself doodling a heart shape on the paper - and everything flowed from that.  Imaginatively entitled "Holy Family III", the image shows the Virgin Mary and St Joseph cradling the baby Jesus while the star (which always foreshadows the cross in my designs) shines above.

As a Catholic, I celebrate the birth of Jesus as a sign of hope, a light in the darkness; as the Gospel of John says: The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world (1:9).  And although in the chaos of our everyday lives we may forget that light, or choose not to see it, it is still there - the light of love, joy and peace - burning brightly for believers and non-believers alike.

So let's be kind to one another - not just to family and friends, but strangers on the bus, in the shops, on the street.  Let us reach out to help other people, both at home and abroad.  Not just at Christmas, but always.  And let us remember to hope.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas blessings

Holy Family II

linocut

Teresa Newham 2012

It's almost Christmas, and amidst the chaos of our working and domestic lives we Catholics are called to take time out and reflect on its true meaning: God made man and born of a Virgin to be our Saviour.  The Virgin Mary has been on my mind a lot during Advent; a girl no older than thirteen or fourteen, from a humble background;  chosen by God before she is born to be his own sinless mother when he takes human form.  She doesn't know this of course; and when the Angel Gabriel announces that she has been chosen to bear Jesus she could still say 'no'.  But she doesn't; she accepts God's will even though it is made clear to her that hers will not be an easy path.  Joseph, too, when he realises his betrothed is expecting a child, has to take a leap of faith, and trust in God.

We are also called to follow God's plan for us.  It's easy to say and can be incredibly difficult to do, even in the mundane circumstances of our own lives.  But if Mary and Joseph can say 'yes', can't we?

Wishing all readers of this blog blessings and peace at Christmas, and always xxx

At leisure in Lewes

White Hart Hotel, Lewes
© Teresa Newham 2012

We recently spent a weekend at Lewes, in Sussex, for a wedding.  We could have stayed closer to the reception in a nearby village; but when we realised what a historical town Lewes is, we decided to base ourselves there and take a look around.  We stayed at the White Hart Hotel, originally a 16th-century coaching inn.  The location was perfect, right in the town centre;  so as soon as we'd unpacked we headed down the High Street for a look round.

The Fifteenth Century Bookshop, Lewes
© Teresa Newham 2012

The High Street is simply overflowing with history.  There are some magnificent Tudor buildings, such as the Fifteenth Century bookshop, cheek-by-jowl with Georgian terraces and Victorian attempts to recreate the town's Tudor origins. 

Bull House, Lewes - home of Thomas Paine
© Teresa Newham 2012

Lewes is very proud of the fact that the 18th century radical Thomas Paine lived in the town for a while.  Paine lodged at Bull House for several years, working both as an Excise Officer and a tobacconist, and marrying his landlord's daughter.  Eventually he headed off to America to become one of the founding fathers of the United States. 

Tom Paine Printing Press, Lewes
© Teresa Newham 2012

I was thrilled to discover that one enterprising printmaker had set up shop in the High Street, trading as the Tom Paine Printing Press.  We spent a little while in here admiring his letterpress prints and the work of some other local printmakers.  I just loved the fact that he was drying his prints pegged to a washing line, just as we had at the printmaking course at the Eagle Gallery. 

interior of the Tom Paine Printing Press, Lewes
© Teresa Newham 2012

The shop was jam-packed with interesting artefacts - and a steady stream of eager customers - including us.  I didn't feel comfortable photographing the work too close up, but to my delight I've discovered that there is a Tom Paine Printing Press blog which talks about this project and shows the prints in more detail.

Polish Pottery at Baltica, Lewes
© Teresa Newham 2012

By now we were fairly desperate for a cuppa, and chanced upon our next find; a cafe called Baltica which is also an outlet for Polish pottery.  As you can see, we ate off it, drank out of it and poured our tea and milk from it (and then, of course, we bought some).  The choice of patterns and pieces was incredible. 

We hadn't expected our trip to Lewes to involve art and shopping, but it didn't end there.  The morning after the wedding we went to mass at St Pancras Church, and happened upon exactly the statuette of the Virgin Mary we'd been waiting for (Father Jonathan was kind enough to bless it for us).  This was serendipity indeed . . . I suspect we'll be going back to Lewes.  The wedding was fun, too!