New Sunday Bookbug Session for Broughty Ferry

New weekend Bookbug Session coming soon to Broughty Ferry!

Start date: Sunday January 29th at 4.00pm. Thereafter every last Sunday of the month.

Location: St Mary's Episcopal Church, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry DD5 1AJ (just up the hill from the Post Office Bar).

Bookbug Sessions are free, fun and friendly events for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and their families to enjoy together. 

Each session lasts around 30 minutes and includes songs, stories and rhymes. There's no need to book and they take place in a very relaxed environment.

Going along to a session is a great way to meet other mums, dads, carers and children.  They also have lots of benefits for your child, such as building up their confidence and social skills, and will give their speech and language development a real boost!

Come and join us - you'll be warmly welcomed to the session.

Armistice Day Service at Grove Academy 11am 11th November 2013

Click on image to enlarge

This morning I joined pupils and teachers for a short service of remembrance at Grove Academy. 

The service, led by the School's clergy team, included the observation of the two minutes silence at eleven o'clock. This marks the time, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of eleventh month of 1918, when the armistice was signed bringing the first world war to an end. 

The service was introduced by Rev Helen Bridger (St Mary's Episcopal Church) and included contributions from Gary Torbet (St James' Parish Church) and Patrick Sullivan (Church of Christ at Campfield Square) and Senior Pupils. It was held outside the school around the war memorial where two wreaths were laid to honour the memory of Grove FPs who died in the two world wars and later conflicts.

Ecumenical Service Celebrates the Life of Broughty Ferry on the Centenary of Its Incorporation into Dundee

On Sunday evening, at the New Kirk in Queen Street, a large congregation came to mark the centenary of Broughty Ferry being incorporated into Dundee. The theme of the service was celebrating the life of Broughty Ferry as a strong community; emphasising that it has neither lost it's distinct identity nor has its voice been extinguished.

The service was led by Rev Helen Bridger (St Mary's Episcopal Church) and Rev Catherine Collins (Broughty Ferry New Kirk).

During the service certificates were awarded to eight young poets from Broughty Ferry schools who had submitted entries to the Poetry Competition. Over one hundred children sent in entries on the theme of what they liked about their community. The winners, six of whom are pictured above, read out their entries to an appreciate audience. Interestingly, the beach, the Castle and ice cream from Visocchi's featured prominently in the poems. 

Young people also read the old and new testament readings and two pupils from Grove Academy performed a duet for piano and cello. 

Local historian Chris Davey also delivered a fascinating short reflection on Broughty Ferry, a Strong Community.

The singing was led by a combined churches choir who also sang the Introit and choral Blessing.

After the service, refreshments were taken in the Church Hall and the Lord Provost cut the commemorative cake.

This ecumenical service was organised by Clergy from Broughty Ferry Churches together with support from our Communities Officer, Carole Jenkins.

Broughty Ferry Centenary Church Trail and Ecumenical Service

Click on image to enlarge

Tuesday 29 October
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Roman Catholic) 
Westfield Road, DD5 1ED
1.00-3.00: Guided tour, refreshments and music.
1.15-2.15: Welcome by Fr McCarthy and guided talk on key features: the tabernacle, altar of reservation, centenary wall hanging and stained glass windows.
2.15-3.00: Light refreshments, organ music and bells.

Friday 1 November
Broughty Ferry St James (Church of Scotland)
5 Fort St, DD5 2AD
2.00-2.45: Beachie Heritage Walk starting from St James Church, followed by refreshments. Free but booking required. Any donations to RNLI. To book or for information please contact Charlie Webster Telephone 079414 85502 Email charliewebster16c@gmail.com

Saturday 2 November
St Stephen and West (Church of Scotland)
96 Dundee Road, DD5 1DW
10.00 - 4.00: Church open to visitors with displays including stained glass windows, overseas Meru project in Kenya and its links with Broughty Ferry community groups, our recent journey to linkage with St Mary’s Parish Church, Dundee. Refreshments available.

Saturday 2 November
St Luke’s and Queen Street (Church of Scotland)
5 West Queen Street, DD5 1AU
10.00 - 12.00: Church open for visitors. Display of youth handwork on the theme ‘Our Church’. Organ music and refreshments.

Saturday 2 November
Barnhill St Margaret’s Church (Church of Scotland)
10, Invermark Terrace DD5 2QU
10.00 - 4.00: Church open to visitors
10.00-12.00: Guild coffee morning, to which all are welcome. Displays of work locally with schools, Starter Packs, Dundee Foodbank and overseas with Mary’s Meals and orphanage and feeding programme in the Phillippines.

Saturday 2 November
St Mary’s Scottish Episcopal Church
Queen Street, DD5 1AJ
10.30-4.00: church open to visitors, displaying the work of Mothers’ Union (only branch in the diocese of Brechin)
St Mary’s Home and Overseas Support Project and Balgillo Nursery. 11.00: Demonstration of ‘Sing and Sign’ communication technique with small babies. 2.30-3.00: Talk by Mr Chris Davey, historian, former lecturer Dundee
University, co author of ‘The Memory of Broughty Ferry’ written to mark the incorporation of Broughty Ferry into Dundee.
3.00-3.30: Organ recital by Mr Gordon Foster, organist from the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.

Sunday 3 November
Broughty Ferry New Kirk (Church of Scotland)
370 Queen Street, DD5 2HQ
Ecumenical Service with joint churches’ choir and pupils from Grove Academy, followed by refreshments. Displays of work locally and overseas including 65th and 81st Dundee Guides and 44th Dundee company of the Boys Brigade, Broughty Ferry’s only BB company.
Winner of the School Poetry Competition will be announced and entries will also be on display.

Carol Singing Sunday

Today I have enjoyed singing familiar Christmas Carols in two contrasting venues. 

At 3pm I attended the service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St Mary's Episcopal Church in Brought Ferry. It was good to have some choristers to lead the singing and embroider the melody with a descant or two.

At 6pm I joined staff and pupils from Baldragon Academy who were singing carols unaccompanied in the entrance hall of Mecca Bingo at Douglasfield. Under the leadership of Alice Rhynd, Principal Teacher of Modern Languages, we were carolling the Bingo players as they arrived hoping to attract donations in support of the Brown Street Kennels. The patrons were very generous and appreciative of our efforts.