When I asked the lady what she was doing for the rest of the day, she told me that her daughter’s best friend was getting Confirmed at their local Roman Catholic church and they were going along to the party afterwards. At that moment, her daughter was being taught Hebrew at a Saturday school run by South Bucks Jewish Community, but no doubt her thoughts were already darting ahead to her friend’s celebrations, to cake and games and laughter.

This was last Saturday morning. Given the increase in attacks on Jewish people and Jewish property in recent months, this is a stressful time for our Jewish neighbours. Following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, I’d been in touch with SBJC to offer to join them and help out in whatever small way I could.

There are many powerful forces of division working in the world and in our communities. The current conflict in the Middle East is divisive on many levels, as well as being grotesquely destructive. The bile that is spewed out almost daily from the ‘leader of the free world’ is calculated to inflame angry passions and his ugly rhetoric can have real world effects, often on very vulnerable communities. Even yesterday’s local elections will have contributed to accentuating the differences that there are in our society, as all the parties are guilty of negative campaigning in ways which are intended to leverage those differences for political gain.

The ‘big picture’ can appear bleak at times, so maybe what we need to do is change our focus.

Meeting with friends from SBJC last week provided me with just such a change of focus. Thinking of that Jewish girl looking forward to attending her friend’s Confirmation celebrations, reminded me that my two boys were spending that same afternoon at a birthday party for one of their best friends, a Muslim boy whose parents are from North Africa. After the SBJC meeting had ended, I sat in the warm sun and had a cold beer with Rabbi Neil, who has become one of my closest friends. Finally, in the evening I met up with another good friend, someone who has been trying to find ways to get an Iranian friend of his out of Tehran to safety in Turkey.

All these many connections across our many differences. These might seem like some very small threads of hope, but these few small threads are part of just one person’s reflections on one Saturday afternoon at the beginning of May. Those threads are multiplied over and over again, up and down the country, all around the world. If we take notice of them, if we celebrate them, if we value and protect them, then we can begin to see that those little threads have the power to form strong cords that bind us all together in our shared identity as the many beloved children of the One God, Who is love.

Saturday 9 May at 7:00 pm
Lasagne Evening

There will be another fundraising lasagne evening in the Court House, raising money for the St Peter's Renovation Appeal. The last event was such an enjoyable evening with good food and good company, so do please support this evening! £15 per head, bring a bottle. Please let Carolynne know if you're coming, for numbers.

Contact:

Carolynne Charman    07503 156 751

 Contact Carolynne Charman

Sunday 10 May
Christian Aid Week

Christian Aid Week this year is 10th-16th May. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to give to this excellent charity, either by the famous red envelope, in church or delivered to your door.  On Saturday 16th May there will be a cake stall in the market, raising money for Christian Aid. Donations of cakes, biscuits etc will be very welcome, bit please do come and buy!!

 www.christianaid.org.uk

Sunday 10 May at 9:30 am
Exam prayers

At our 9:30am Parish Mass we will be praying for God's blessing on any children preparing to take GCSEs, A levels or other exams this summer. Any children and teenagers with exams coming up would be especially welcome.

Sunday 10 May at 6:00 pm
Choral Evensong

All are welcome at our next choral evensong, when our choir will lead our worship. 

Responses: Rose
Psalms: 66 (vv.7-18)
Canticles: Stanford in C
Anthem: Listen, sweet dove - Grayston Ives
Organ voluntary: Prelude on 'Brother James' Air' - Harold Darke

You can find out about music for forthcoming services by checking the music list on our website:

 www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk

Thursday 14 May at 8:00 pm
Ascension Day Mass

Everyone is welcome to a special Ascension Day service in St Peter's, when we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven.

Music:
Mass in the Phrygian Mode - Charles Wood
Anthem: Ascendens Christus - Jacob Händl

Sunday 24 May at 12:30 pm
Ecumenical Picnic

 Members of local Berkhamsted churches are gathering together for a picnic at Berkhamsted Castle on Sunday 24th May from 12.30pm. All are welcome.

Sponsored walk for Hector’s House

Over the course of 6 days, Fr Stuart will be making a 180-mile sponsored walk from Berkhamsted to Manchester, for the local suicide prevention charity Hector's House. You can find out more about the work of Hector's House at the link below. If you would like to sponsor Fr Stuart, you can do that on his JustGiving page.

 www.justgiving.com

 hectorshouse.org.uk

Madrigals

Thanks to everyone who was up with the lark on May Day morning last week - to our bonny lasses and merry lads for their enchanting dawn performance of traditional English madrigals, to everyone who came to listen, and to our Court House kitchen team for running up a hearty pile of bacon rolls with coffee! Our breakfast sales took £114.44, which will go towards the roof fund.

All creatures now are merry, merry-minded.
The shepherds' daughters playing,
The nymphs are fa-la-la-ing.
Yond bugle was well winded!

There are photos of this year's madrigal madness on our Facebook page:

Video:

 www.facebook.com

This little parish went to market…

Thank you to all the volunteers who came to help on the St Peter's market stall last week. The stall was set up to provide a visual welcome to the public. Supported by eye-catching banners and leaflets, it was a general message of welcome, telling people about the different activities in St Peter's and conveying the message that everyone is welcome at out church. We also gave out leaflets advertising next month's Petertide Fair, and offered some colouring activities for children.

The weather was good, but as it was a bank holiday weekend, many folk were away on holiday. Footfall on the market was lower than usual, so we didn't engage with as many people as we had hoped. 

This is a new venture and it will be a learning experience for all of us as we figure out the best ways to reach people in our town. Do you have ideas on how we could do this better next time? Please speak to Carolynne if you'd like to help us to develop ideas.

Conway family thanks

Alan Conway and family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who expressed sympathy or attended Barabra Conway's funeral last week. We continue to hold them in our prayers.

Prayer Adventure for Kids

This year, the St Peter's Sunday School team are encouraging children and their families to get involved with the Thy Kingdom Come - 11-day Kids' Prayer Adventure. Thy Kingdom Come is a global ecumenical prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus. It takes place during the period from Ascension Day until Pentecost. We invite children and their families to join us in participating in the 2026 Prayer Adventure for Kids. This is an exciting resource to encourage the prayer lives of children for the 11 days from Ascension to Pentecost. For each day there is a video, reflection, prayer and activity. Please follow the link below to access the resource:

 www.thykingdomcome.global

Victoria news

We had so much fun with our KAPLA workshop on Wednesday, where all the children got to build different things as a class. It was lovely to share with the parents and even the demolishing of the build was exciting (if a little sad after all that hard work). All the children were brilliant at listening to the instructions and were impressed with what they made.

The children were also shown our new books for the library, a series of true-life stories about individuals from the 'Do Great Things for God' collection. I read to them the story of Gladys Alyward, a girl who had big dreams of going to China but had not passed the exam to be a missionary. The children learnt about how she was so determined to go that she saved all her money and found lots of different ways to get to China. Once she was there, she helped the local children, especially during the war where she saved 100 orphans, taking them to safety. The children were looking forward to taking out the new books and finding out more about the different people.

Mrs Lisa Freeman
Head of School, Victoria CE Infant and Nursery School

Tuesday 14 July
Reception for young adults

Bishop Jane, the Bishop of Hertford, is hosting a reception for young adults (aged 18 to 35) on July 14th, at her home in Knebworth. If you would like to attend this reception please contact Fr Stuart directly and he will pass on your details to the Bishop's office.

Contact:

Fr Stuart Owen    01442 879 739

 Contact Fr Stuart Owen

Friday 8 May - Sunday 10 May
Berkhamsted Art Fair

Berkhamsted Art Society is holding its spring Art Fair in the Civic Centre. Drop in to browse paintings, prints and ceramics, meet local artists and pick up a unique artwork. Free entry.

 berkhamstedartsociety.co.uk

Saturday 9 May
Hemel Symphony Orchestra concert

Songs of Spring: Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Alison Langer, Soprano), Mahler's Symphony No. 4 and Schubert's Rosamunde Overture. St John's Boxmoor, tickets £15 online or £17 on the door, under-18s/students free.

 www.ticketsource.com

Saturday 9 May - Sunday 10 May
Floating Market

The Floating Market is dropping anchor on the Grand Union Canal in Berkhamsted this weekend! Come and enjoy a festival atmosphere along the towpath near Waitrose, when the canal will be transformed into a floating high street filled with colour, creativity, and charm. Browse the narrowboat stalls selling artworks and handmade gifts, and enjoy coffee, cakes and tasty treats.

Saturday 9 May at 3:00 pm
Musical & Literary Arts Fundraiser

Berkhamsted Citizens' Association are holding an afternoon of music and readings at the Great Hall, Berkhamsted Town Hall. Madalina (soprano) and guests, accompanied on piano by Bertha Kum (Castle Choir music director). Tickets £10, in aid of Berkhamsted Castle Trust's Save Castle Fields appeal.

 www.berkhamstedcastle.org.uk

Sunday 10 May
The Berkhamsted Walk 2026

This Sunday is the 2026 Berkhamsted Walk. This is Berkhamsted's annual fundraiser for the Children's Society, helping disadvantaged young people and vulnerable children.

You can choose from three different walks: 6, 12 or 18 miles (the routes vary each year), and there are checkpoints and refreshments along the way. To take part, you need to register on their website, and you can make a personal donation (online or by bank card on the day), or collect sponsorship (download the sponsor form from the website).

Sunday 10 May
Berkhamsted Artisan Market May

This Sunday there's another lovely Artisan Market is on the High Street, offering handmade jewellery, gifts, crafts, wooden homewares, ceramics, sculpture and more. Come and have a browse - all stall fees go towards the Friends of St Peter's.

 www.berkhamstedartisanmarket.co.uk

Sunday 10 May at 2:00 pm
Journey from Faith Learners to Faith Leaders

The interfaith organisation Beyond Difference is holding an event at Chesham Town Hall, Journey from Faith Learners to Faith Leaders. They'll be talking to three faith learners to compare their perspectives on becoming faith leaders today. All are welcome to attend - please fill in the signup form in advance if possible, so they know how many people are coming.

 beyonddifference.org

Thursday 14 May at 2:00 pm
1000 Years of Berkhamsted’s History

Berkhamsted Local History & Museum Society (BLHMS) are holding an afternoon talk at Berkhamsted Library: A Gentle Stroll Through 1000 Years of Berkhamsted's History Come and delve into the rich history of Berkhamsted across the last millennium. All proceeds go to supporting Berkhamsted library. Tickets £7.70 - pop into the library to book.

Friday 15 May at 7:30 pm
Medieval Music Concert

Marco Cannavo and Steve Tyler present Musica Medievalis, an instrumental journey into the music of medieval Europe at the historic St Mary's Church in Northchurch. Featuring hurdy-gurdy and its early predecessors, alongside harp, lute, citole, portative organ, bladder pipe, and tambourine, the concert explores rhythms and melodies from both sacred and secular traditions, interpreted with imaginative freedom while remaining rooted in historical sources. Tickets £15.00 and concessions £12.00:

 www.tickettailor.com

Saturday 16 May at 8:00 am
Prayer Breakfast

Sacred Heart Church are hosting this month's Prayer Breakfast, starting with breakfast at 8 am. All are welcome to join Berkhamsted churches as they pray for the town. Prayer leaflets will be available at the back of St Peter's Church next week.

Saturday 16 May at 7:30 pm
Blaze Ensemble concert

The Blaze Ensemble will be playing in St Peter's: Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 (piano: Anjulie Chen), Mendelssohn's Fingal's Cave and Delius's On hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring.

This concert is part of the 2026 Chiltern Arts Festival (15-23 May) - eight days of concerts, walks and events inspired by nature. Music will include orchestral, jazz, Renaissance and contemporary choral music at venues including Great Missenden, College Lake, Ashridge, Aldbury, Henley-on-Thames, Marlow, Thame and Princes Risborough. Pick up a festival brochure at the back of the church. Full listings and ticket sales are all on the Chiltern Arts website:

Chiltern Arts Festival

Beethoven Pastoral & Mozart Piano Concerto

 chilternarts.com

Thursday 21 May at 7:30 pm
Choir on the Green Concert

The amazing Choir on the Green are singing a concert in St Peter's, from choral favourites to contemporary rock & pop and musical hits. Tickets are just £10 per person and all proceeds are being split equally between The Hospice of St Francis and Gaddesden Place Riding for the Disabled. Book on the Hospice website or pay on the door.

 www.stfrancis.org.uk