As a young boy, my parents would take me to church every Sunday, following by Sunday school in the afternoon. As years passed it became a routine for me and confirmation seemed quite normal as many friends and I knelt before the Bishop of Wakefield, to be blessed and confirmed.

As the years passed by, I started to go to the early church service then on a bus with other friends as we then walked across the Peak District each Sunday, ending normally in Derbyshire, and trains back to Sheffield and Penistone. It wasn’t long before we travelled to the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and even western Isles in Scotland. The Mountains and hills became so, so important and, on these visits, away from home, the church didn’t play any role except we walked past them on our way to explore the countryside.

My parents lost their control over my faith. In fact, it became less important, unless I was at home.  University coupled with the mountains and classical music became the important parts of my life.

After university I totally left the Pennines hills and Penistone, unless it was a family event.  I explored myself emotionally and individually to, at times, at some dismay from my mother, {my father died whist I was at the grammar school before university. )

On a weekend at mother’s, I was encouraged to go to the 10am Eucharist, A new vicar has arrived and I went more to please my mother than my faith. Then suddenly I realised I loved the music and drama of the eucharist, which had been missing before and then I thought “I want more of this!”

Suddenly the faith, and culture I was now witnessing started to build a desire to explore what being a Christian was all about. When I returned to my home, I started to explore churches near me and found one which music and action drama of the liturgy started to make sense.  The years of routine, basis liturgy failed to encourage and develop me. I had found a way which could and did explore me, my faith and made me different.

Thursday 26 February - Thursday 26 March
Lent Course 2026 – To be a Pilgrim

For this year's Lent Course, we'll be reflecting on the experience of pilgrimages, the different forms they can take, and how they can help us to grow in faith. Fr Stuart will take as a starting point for each session, some of his experiences from his pilgrimage last year from the birthplace of St Columba in the north of Ireland to the island of Iona. The groups will meet in the Court House on Wednesday mornings at 10am, and Thursday evenings at 8pm, and each session will last around 60-90 minutes. The course starts on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th February. Please do speak to Fr Stuart if you'd like to know more. All are welcome.

Contact:

Fr Stuart Owen    01442 879 739

 Contact Fr Stuart Owen

Sunday 8 March at 6:00 pm
Choral Evensong

All are welcome at this service of music and prayer for the Lenten season, led by our choir. During Lent, the music in our worship is more subdued and contemplative, and the choir will sing plainsong, the ancient melodies of the Western Christian Church.

"In such circumstances, God exists for me as a background presence, like silently reading a book in the company of someone you love."
- Canon Giles Fraser

Roof repairs

A reminder that the scaffolding inside the North Transept is closed off during roof repairs. This means that during the 9:30am Eucharist, we will all receive communion from the chancel step rather than at the altar rail, as the left-hand arch is blocked off by hoarding. Sunday School and weekday services take place in the St Catherine Chapel. For access to sound system and heating controls, please see the attached document.

Sundays Together luncheon

There will be a Sundays Together lunch in the Court House this Sunday. This is a social get-together for our older friends in the parish to enjoy a chat over a drink and a cooked meal together. There's a £6 charge for lunch. If you would like to attend, or if you know someone who would enjoy this friendly social occasion, please contact:

Contact:

Carole Dell    07952 310 781

 Contact Carole Dell

 www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk

Food Hub

St Peter's is participating in the Food Hub Berkhamsted, offering a free food bank for local people who may be struggling to make ends meet. Anyone in need is invited to "take what you need" - it's a place to get something to eat without loss of dignity or having to fill in forms. It's also a demonstration of our Christian concern in the community. During Lent, we are called to "true fasting", to show mercy and to help the poor, so when you are next shopping in town, maybe pick up a few extra food items in Waitrose or Tesco and leave them on the Food Hub in church. Please donate non-perishable items only, e.g. tins, packets etc. Cans of soup, tinned meats and pies, baby food, sanitary products etc. are ideal. It is looking a bit depleted this week, so your gifts will be welcome!

From our Ash Wednesday liturgy:

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen [...] Is it not to share your food with the hungry, and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter? [...] Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."
- Isaiah 58

Victoria School launches the Castle Way

Having returned from a relaxing half term, we launched The Castle Way for children to enhance our sense of belonging at Victoria. By having a clear set of guidelines to help make our school an even better place to be, the children are taking responsibility to remind each other what we should all be doing. 

To continue the theme of belonging, all the children decorated a heart for our hall display. We used the quote from 1 Corinthians 16:14, "Do everything in love", which underpins our vision as the focus. Each heart represents each child and how together we want everyone at our school to feel the love for each other.

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

Sunday 1 March
Sponsor the Castle Fields Flyers!

It's the Berkhamsted Half Marathon & 5-Mile Fun Run on 1st March, and a team of hardy athletes are running to raise money for Berkhamsted Castle Trust's Save Castle Fields appeal! BCT are trying to save a cherished piece of green space next to Berkhamsted Castle from housing development, and the Castle Fields Flyers are doing their bit to support the campaign. Please do sponsor them and help raise funds to save the historic Castle Fields for the community. You can find out more about the appeal on the Castle website.

 www.justgiving.com

 www.berkhamstedcastle.org.uk

Monday 2 March - Saturday 25 April
Amersham Festival of Music

In March and April there's a month-long music festival over in Amersham (just 5 miles from Berkhamsted), featuring orchestral, jazz and chamber music. Highlights include a screening Wallace & Gromit's The Wrong Trousers with live brass band, band music of the 1920s & 30s, the London Community Gospel Choir, Handel's Samson, Holst's The Planets, Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and much more. Pick up a brochure at the back of church. Book online at:

 www.amershamfestival.org

Friday 6 March at 1:30 pm
World Day of Prayer

This years World Day of Prayer will be a service written by Christian women of Nigeria, held at Sacred Heart Church on Park Street. There is plenty of parking space. Do come and take part in this annual 24 hours of prayer around the world! Light refreshments will be served after the service. All are welcome.

Saturday 7 March at 7:30 pm
Bridgewater Sinfonia: Bruch Violin Concerto

The next Bridgewater Sinfonia concert will be at Berkhamsted School Deans' Hall on Castle Street, with soloist Emmanuel Bach playing the Bruch Violin Concerto No 1. Also on the programme will be Schubert's Symphony No 9 in C, "The Great". Advance tickets are available from Ashtons Estate Agents (next to Tesco) and online for £20, or £22 on the door, under-18s free.

 www.bridgewater-sinfonia.org.uk

Sunday 8 March
Ashridge Estate public event

The National Trust have a project under way to make changes to visitor access at the Ashridge Estate. As new housing developments spring up around the local area, they forecast a major increase in visitor numbers. This will lead to damage to the landscape though soil erosion and overcrowding at the parking near the Bridgewater Monument. The NT plan to ease pressure on certain popular areas by encouraging visitors to spread over a wider area, and they are proposing to replace the current parking with new visitor "hubs" around the edge of the estate. For Berkhamsted, this will involve turning part of Northchurch Common into a car park and building a new visitors' centre.

They are holding a public engagement event at Berkhamsted Civic Centre 10am-4pm, where you can see their plans and share your views with the NT team. You can find out more about the Ashridge Estate "Protecting Our Roots" scheme on the NT website:

 www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Sunday 8 March
Berkhamsted Artisan Market

Jewellery, candles, diffusers, bird and wildlife house, wooden homewares, ceramics, sculptures, artworks - just some of the handmade items on offer at Berkhamsted's thriving Artisan Market. Come and have a browse, grab some tempting street food and enjoy the creative vibe on our famous High Street! All stall fees go towards the Friends of St Peter's.

Berkhamsted Artisan Market

 www.berkhamstedartisanmarket.co.uk

Wednesday 11 March at 8:00 pm
BLHMS Talk: Archaeology on the HS2 line

Berkhamsted Local History & Museum Society presents a talk by Doug Stuckey in the Civic Centre on Berkhamsted High Street. This talk explores the archaeological dig on the HS2 line at Wendover south and Stoke Mandeville, which is of national importance.

Non-members are welcome to the talk @ £5 at the door, or join BLHMS on the night. Please note that this talk is preceded by the society's AGM.

 berkhamsted-history.org.uk

Tribute Bands at the Civic Centre

There's a full programme of live music events at Berkhamsted's Civic Centre throughout 2026, featuring an array of fabulous tribute bands. Hear the hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s performed live by intriguingly named acts such as The Dung Beatles, Wrong Jovi, Purple Zeppelin and Special Kinda Madness. Tickets on sale online, under-18s welcome. 

 events.berkhamstedentertainment.com

Temporary accommodation request

Galia Vasyliv is a youth worker at the Swan Youth Project in Berkhamsted. Galia is from Ukraine, and is looking for help with accommodation:

My name is Galia Vasyliv. I have been living with a host family in Berkhamsted since I moved from Ukraine. Due to circumstances within my host family, I must move out for a period of time, and so am looking for somewhere to live from March 1st to the end of June. I work at the Swan as a Youth Worker and so am hoping to find a room, ideally in Berkhamsted, but if not, then in Tring or Hemel Hempstead. As I don't drive, it would need to be near good transport links. I can provide references. If you can help, I would be must grateful.

Contact:

Galia Vasyliv    07470 708 511

Mrs Parul Dix, Swan Youth Project Manager   

 Contact Mrs Parul Dix, Swan Youth Project Manager