The North Fylde Group Chairman John Cross, vice chairman Tony Farrar and secretary Mike Brown joined members of the congregation of St Peter’s and St David’s Parish in the historic surroundings of St Peter’s Church for their annual carol service.
St Peter’s church has a long association with the North Fylde Masons with one of its stained-glass windows, depicting St Luke and St George and dedicated to a Mason, Dr John Augustine Orr, was restored with the help of the Masons from Fleetwood and Cleveleys.
The service started with the clergy led by the Reverend Jane Atkinson, Area Dean of Poulton. The choir delivered a favourite carol, Once in Royal David’s City, with a solo being sung by the youngest member of the choir, George Tarry. Then the full choir led by the choir master Peter Draper, (a member of Pharos Lodge No 7421), joined in for the other verses to fill the church with uplifting sounds of joy and happiness.
The Reverend Jane then began the service entitled; ‘A festival of nine lessons and carols’. With prayers throughout the service, several members of the North Fylde Group ascended the pulpit to deliver readings of lessons from the Bible. The readers were John Eastwood, Martin Poole, Liam Burns and Peter Draper.
Throughout the service the rafters of the church were raised to the sound of carols such as, Away in a Manger, Joy to the World, Ding Dong Merlirly on High and Hark the Herald Angels Come. During the carol service a collection was taken to support the good work of the church in the coming year.
At the completion of the church service, the members of the congregation retired to the kitchen area where they enjoyed refreshments of mulled wine, tea and coffee and mince pies which were kindly supplied by Chris Hardingham of Onward Lodge No 5540.
