Scoff your way round the churches on Sunday 22nd, with mulled wine for the children & who has all the oranges?

The dates for the Christmas services are out (click on the Christmas logo on our home

page) and unbelievably there are more than 50 over about one week, in Chislehurst and Bickley. There's also a newcomer this year; more about them in a minute. There's Nativity from Scratch, Nativity Tableau (which is one not to miss) and Nativity Service. There are four Christingles, two of which are in the same church - so we know where all the oranges have gone this year and no wonder there are no candles left in The Workshop. There's Mass, Children's Mass, Family Mass, Midnight Mass, Sung Mass, Sung Midnight Mass, Solemn Mass and Vigil Mass. Then we have Midnight Communion, Midnight Eucharist. Finally there are the Carols: Communion and Carols, Nine Lessons & Carols, Carols "by the garden", Carols by Candlelight, Carols & Midnight Mass. Then finally, on 29th December, one church is having a ramble in Scadbury Park. No one in the Village News area will have any excuse not to go on that one! (Although, usefully,  it's followed by refreshments.)

Then there's Sunday 22nd. here's how it works:

• Start at St Patrick's Church, Chislehurst at 10.00am for Children's Christmas Mass, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. (That's what it says...! There's no indication that the mulled wine is for anyone other than the junior St Patrick's worshippers.)
• Then there's a bit of a break until 4.00pm when it's off to Chislehurst Methodist Church for Carols by Candleight followed by tea.
• Between 5 and 6.30pm new boy Kemnal Park Cemetery (www.kemnalpark.org) is hosting its inaugural Christmas Carol Service; the local community is welcome to attend. Village News is advised that the event is free. Which is a pity, because paying may have slowed down our mince pie scoffing. Kemnal Park has mince pies and mulled wine to match St Patrick's children, but then it also has hot chocolate - presumably for the adults.
• Finally we whizz over to St George's Church, Bickley for its 6.00pm Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols, followed by more mulled wine and mince pies.

We think we may be needing that ramble before Christmas, not after it.
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