The aim of which is to help friends and families preserve plots in keeping with the surroundings and the diocesan regulations, and also to avoid causing offence to others.
Many people have commented that the improvements are very welcome indeed; the hard work has uncovered many a headstone which has not been seen for too many years. There have been many other improvements such as painting, treating wood, hedge cutting, leaf clearance, general maintenance, by using proceeds from local fund raising initiatives.
The hard graft this year will make it easier to keep on top of for years to come. There is a train of thought where a few community groups may come together to create a wild flower meadow at the far end of the churchyard providing a peaceful and tranquil setting with views over the Dove Valley; it would be ideal if a bench could be found for this proposed site.
Our friends from Sudbury have also maintained the flower beds, and have found that there is a shortfall of 10 roses as the previous ones appeared to have died off over the years. The Church would welcome anyone wishing to plant a rose in memory of a loved one with a small plaque (152mm x 101mm) in one of the vacant beds adjacent to the path on the South side of the Church.
Dog owners are requested to treat the churchyard with respect
For latest news, please visit www.tutburystmarys.org.uk/index.html
The Tutbury Residents Association meeting, starting at 7.00 PM, is the last formal appointment in Rev Alex's diary, after which she will move with immediate effect to her new role. You will be made very welcome indeed at the meeting, but if you prefer not to attend it but still wish to say farewell I would be very grateful if you could gather at the bar where the presentation will be made at approximately 8.00 PM.
Steve Rhodes has said “As Church Warden I will be very honoured to make a short speech of gratitude to Alex for all she has done in our benefice, unless it is felt that there someone more appropriate wishing to do so, also if anyone else would like to speak in addition, or make a further presentation then please let me know, so at this short notice we can do our best to do things as properly as we can”.
There is little time to conduct a proper collection for an appropriate gift, so our Church Warden will buy some Tutbury Crystal and have it engraved in advance.
Some parishioners have already suggested that they would like to contribute, so may we suggest that if you would like to give a donation then please do so in in whatever way you can.
We request that the Church Wardens in the other churches, if they so wish, to be the focal points; there will be a plate in St Mary's, Tutbury on the table where the Magazines etc. are sold marked "collection".
After prayerful consideration, the Revd Alexandrina Mann has decided that it would be more appropriate for her to exercise her ministry in another Parish and she has therefore offered her resignation from this United Benefice, which I have reluctantly accepted. This will take effect from Thursday February 28th 2013, after which Alex will immediately take up a new role.
She and her family will continue to live in the Vicarage for the foreseeable future but will not be available to minister in this Benefice and I would ask you to respect their privacy.
Please be assured of my continuing prayers for you all.
+Geoffrey Stafford’
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Point of contact |
You can contact the Church Warden’s (Judith and Joycelyn) on the by following the link below: |
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Churchyard Tidy Up - |
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In parish communities where there is a church, there is often a churchyard surrounding it, a place of quiet reflection and memories available to the whole community. The whole churchyard is owned by the church and it has responsibility for it, even when burials take place; for the land remains the property of the church. Over the years in Tutbury churchyard the church has continued to maintain the area.
The church is grateful to the parish council for their on- Over the past few years the maintenance of the pen churchyard has become more difficult with a large number of items of a personal nature relating to individual graves spilling over the surrounding area. After a lot of thought and discussion the church council has come to the conclusion that the churchyard requires tidying up. In July, the wooden cross markers were removed from the graves where there are headstones and plaques. Should a family require an individual cross they can remove it themselves, or collect it from the church following its removal from the grave.
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Within the churchyard, burial space is a finite thing, it may not always be available in Tutbury but with planning and consideration the church is working to try and address this issue. The church and churchyard remains, at present, for all within Tutbury and together we plan for that to continue. Rev Ian R Whitehead: Priest in Charge Tel: 01283 - |
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From August 2016 the items of a personal nature will be required to be removed from the graves, but some may remain for a while at the headstones. If not removed by the family, the items will be removed and kept in the church for collection until the end of 2016. The church council is also required, by law to remind all that those individual items such as plaques and headstones require written permission to be introduced into the churchyard and that grave kerbs, pictures and glass or pottery items are not allowed around graves. Full details can be found on the notice board by the church gates. |
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