THE PARISH CHURCH OF STOKE                
DAMEREL (ST. ANDREW & ST. LUKE)

Email:   info@stokedamerel.church                                          
www.Stokedamerel.church
www.facebook.com/StokeDamerelChurch

Please note: Stoke Damerel Church does not divulge
personal information to third parties.

Sunday 18 January                   2nd Sunday of Epiphany

  Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms
are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:-
The sick:-
Maureen, Margaret W, Graham, John S, Kathy, Mo, Matt, Bertie, Morwenna.
The long term sick and infirm:-
George, Peter, Diana, Liz & Keith N, Rob, John and Shirley.
The recently departed:-
We give thanks for the life of David Sayers,
Mrs Henny Hagenburg and Patrick Carter.
We pray for their families and friends at this sad time.
The Ministry Team:-
Wendy, Ruth, Marilyn and Rhona.

BLESSED SACRAMENT CANDLE

If you would like to have the candle lit for a week
for a particular prayer / thanksgiving /
commemoration, etc., please send a £5 donation to
Debbie Smith, clearly marking your donation as
being for the candle. Details of your intention can
be emailed to:- sarah.lundstrom@virginmedia.com
so that a mention of the commemoration, etc., can
appear in the Sunday Sheet.

SERVICES THIS WEEK
Stoke Damerel Parish Church is a hybrid church
open for public worship and private prayer and all
services will be live streamed.
By attending a live streamed service, you give
implied permission to have your image captured
on CCTV and to be broadcast as participant in the
liturgy.

Watch our livestreamed services
Please follow the link to make your way to our YouTube page: 

 STOKE DAMEREL YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

Sunday 18 January                2nd Sunday of Epiphany
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Nick Shutt
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Nick Shutt

Wednesday 21 January
1000 Morning Prayer

Sunday 25 January                Conversion of Paul
0800 Morning Prayer
Led by Ruth Sayers
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev’d Mike Wagstaff
1130 PCC meeting

WELCOME
Next Sunday the former Archdeacon of Plymouth,
the Ven Nick Shutt, will be with us at 8am and
10am.
There will be a PCC meeting following the 10am
Eucharist.

MARILYN'S MEMOS
BURNS SUPPER: FRIDAY 23RD JANUARY
Marilyn will be away this weekend but this is a
final call to give your name to Emma if you would
like to attend our Burns Night:
THIS Friday 23rd January, starting at 6.30pm!


“The beauty of January”
Photo taken by Fiona this week as the sun was
rising, showing the silhouette of the church.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN JANUARY
Liz Neil.

WHAT A WIND THAT WAS!
Last week the Westcountry made the national
news, as well as the local news, continually for
quite a few days, with the arrival of Storm Goretti
and then from the devastation left in its wake.
Being down near to the end of Cornwall, adjacent
to mature woodland and having a couple of
reasonable sized trees in the garden, we were
aware from the forecasts beforehand that there
could be considerable damage along the storm’s
path, added to which, power supplies might fail.
As the height of the storm approached we set out
torches, large candles and matches, all in suitable
locations, then hunkered down, awaiting the worst.
We knew from previous experiences that, in strong
winds, the branches on the trees we see from our
window can sway to a frightening extent. Late last
year we decided that both the Pittosporum tree at
the front and the Magnolia tree at the back of the
bungalow needed major pruning. We contacted our
Tree Surgeon to arrange for a visit, but he was not
available before the end of 2025. As things turned
out we were extremely fortunate to receive a phone
call to say that he could fit us in on the afternoon
before the storm was due to arrive. As you can see
on the right of the photograph below, the Magnolia
received a dramatic pruning. The Pittosporum
received similar treatment.

Compare this with the photograph below, taken
last Spring, and you see the difference.

During the storm the Oak tree at the end of the
garden (on the left of both photographs) seemed to
sway constantly, but is far enough away not to be a
threat to us. However, we were thankful that
neither of the two freshly pruned trees moved at
all. In fact we got away without any damage, apart
from a few large flower pots ending up on their
sides, and watering cans and a plastic chair moving
a few feet from their normal locations. Nor did we
lose power, apart from the lights flickering a few
times. However, even heard through double-
glazing, the noise of the wind was unbelievable.
Sliding the door just a fraction the sound became
almost deafening. We thought we saw a flash of
lightning over towards Budock church but later
discovered that it was power cables shorting out.
The church lost power for a few days, not good
with the church heating also playing up since
Christmas as well.
About four doors up the road, we can see from our
back garden, along the edge of the wood, a line of
thirteen very tall Aspen trees, which always sway
in any wind. As can be seen in the photograph
below there are now only twelve trees, the larger
gap indicating where one tree was completely
uprooted in the storm. It fell across the public path
leading down into the wood, demolishing part of
the end house’s side fencing and flattening the
greenhouse in their back garden.

The day after the storm we went for a walk in the
wood but didn’t get very far. We had to divert
around the fallen tree into the adjacent grassed area
and back onto the path on the other side of the
trunk and scattered branches. We probably only
covered about a quarter of the normally accessible
paths and, in that area alone, we counted five large
flattened trees and many large torn-off branches.
Having to divert a couple of times over sodden
grass we didn’t tackle any more of the ‘obstacle
course’. We have not heard any chainsaws at work
in the wood but, with so much devastation around
Cornwall, Tree Surgeons will, no doubt, be in
demand for weeks to come, including ours!!
Tony Barnard