All being well, sometime around one o’clock on Saturday afternoon I’ll be putting down my walking poles, shrugging off my rucksack and settling down for a pint in The White Hart in St Albans, having walked fifty miles to get there as part of the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust sponsored Bike’n’Hike. If all doesn’t go well, I’ll probably be in lying in a ditch somewhere between Bedford and Hertford wondering if maybe it isn’t time to discover a new hobby and pack in the long-distance hiking.

Whenever I’m going on one of my odd hikes, I often get asked what I listen to while I’m walking; am I tuned in to the mellifluous tones of Jim Reeves or some political cut and thrust on that podcast with Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell? The answer is neither. At various points I’ll be listening to birdsong, road traffic, people heading home from the pub and no doubt all sorts of ordinary sounds that are made mysterious and sometimes threatening because they launch at me out of the deep darkness of the night’s quietest hours. I’m aware that a lot of people are surprised that I can spend such a long time on my own not really tuned into anything in particular.

Simon and Garfunkel’s great song ‘The Sound of Silence’ begins with the line, ‘Hello darkness my old friend’, but for many people neither darkness nor silence are viewed as being particularly friendly, but rather burdensome, unsettling, painful even. I know that at the hardest time in my life I would listen to podcasts pretty much incessantly and would even go to bed with something playing quietly in the background: at the very worst moments, I would leave the radio on when I left the house, so that there would not be so much as a moment of silence when I walked back in the door. I’ve known plenty of people over the years who in times of bereavement have done similar things, sometimes to dispel a sense of loneliness and sometimes to drown out painful thoughts and feelings.

At the Tuesday morning Eucharist at All Saints this week, the Gospel reading was the account of Jesus spending a night on His own in prayer before choosing and calling the twelve who were to be the first apostles. It was no doubt one of the most important decisions that Jesus ever made and He prepared to make it in the solitude and silence of the night. In 1 Kings 19, we read that the prophet Elijah, in a place of utter desolation and desperation, becomes aware of God’s sure presence with him in ‘a sound of sheer silence’ (1 Kings 19:12); Elijah left that hushed encounter with a renewed energy and faith. There is a long tradition of our God being encountered in times of silence.

I’d like to tell you that I’ll spend my seventeen-hour airbud-free hike thinking all sorts of deep and spiritually uplifting thoughts, but a lot of the time I’ll be thinking about not getting lost, how my feet are feeling, what I should have for lunch, and now and then I’ll post an update on Instagram (instagram.com/pilgrimscairn). However, I know too that through all the chatter of my restless mind, there will be moments when the silence speaks and I will hear the God Who is close.

People ask me what I listen to when I’m walking on my own. I want to turn the question around:

What could we be listening to in the silence?

Saturday 12 September
Bike ‘n’ Hike 2026

Our ever-hardy Rector, Fr Stuart, is taking part in this year's Bike 'n' Hike, raising money for Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust (BHHCT). He's walking 50 miles overnight on the Three Bishops Way, leaving Bedford on Friday evening, getting to Hertford on Saturday morning, and skipping into St Albans around Saturday lunchtime for a cheeky pint (or two). Do please sponsor Stuart. The Trust does wonderful work raising funds for the repair of churches and chapels in our local area - last year, St Peter's sponsorship total was the highest in the two counties, so let's try to keep that record going!

Sunday 13 September
Blessing of the Backpacks (and a picnic)

On Sunday 13th September as part of our regular 9.30am Sunday Service we'll be inviting the schoolchildren of the parish to come forward to have their school backpacks/satchels blessed to mark the start of the new school year. Together we will pray for God to be with our young people as they set out on a new school year in hope and confidence. Everyone is very welcome to join us - mums, dads, brothers, sisters, dogs...

After the service there will be a picnic at The Rectory (Rectory Lane, HP4 2DH) to which everyone is very welcome. The weather forecast looks good, but just in case it rains (!!), we'll have the picnic in the Court House.

 www.elydiocese.org

Sunday 13 September at 6:00 pm
Choral Evensong

Choral evensong offers a space to pattern our live with time and quietness, to readjust our internal clocks to tick along to a slower rhythm. Amid the beauty of choral music, everyone attending is invited to contemplate the glory of heaven in the presence of God. Whatever your faith, you are welcome here.

Responses: Smith
Psalm: 114 (Chant 186)
Canticles: Walmisley in D minor
Anthem: Call to Remembrance - Richard Farrant

Thursday 17 September at 6:30 pm
A Service of Thanksgiving for Volunteers

At St Peter's we would like to say thank you to all those who make this town a better place to live in through volunteering their time This service will celebrate their contribution and give thanks for the many ways our lives are enriched by the work of volunteers, not just at St Peter's, but across our community and across the country. This short service will be followed by a drinks reception. We look forward to including our many St Peter's volunteers and volunteers from community organisations all over the local area - all are warmly invited to come along to be part of that celebration. To help us with refreshments we'd invite you to complete this Google form to let us know if you'll be joining:

Saturday 3 October at 7:00 pm
An Audience with Captain John Tye

The David Pearce Memorial Lecture was started last year in memory of our dear departed churchwarden and Berkhamsted schoolmaster. It's run by the Friends of St Peter's in partnership with Berkhamsted School, and this year's event is a fundraiser for the St Peter's Renovation Appeal, supporting our urgent ongoing roof repairs.

This year the Friends welcome BA Concorde pilot Captain John Tye as speaker. John will explain technical features of Concorde and take us on a virtual flight from Heathrow to New York. There will be a Q&A session and an opportunity to purchase a signed copy of his best-selling book, Life of a Concorde Pilot - From the Orphanage to the Edge of Space.

Tickets are £15 and include a complimentary drink on arrival (£5 for under-18s and students). All ticket holders will also be entitled to a year's membership of the Friends of St Peter's. Centenary Theatre, Kings Road, drinks from 7pm. Don't miss this - and invite your friends and neighbours, and support this vital appeal! Book online, or contact Cathy Imber to secure a ticket.

Contact:

Cathy Imber    07909 868 928

 Email Cathy Imber

Sunday 4 October
Singing day at St Peter’s

St Peter's Church is inviting children in years 3 - 6 for a day of singing and fun. Over the course of the day, they will have the chance to learn some songs and find out about being a chorister at Berkhamsted's parish church. The day will end with a short concert, in which they'll appear alongside existing members of the choir. No previous experience is required, just a good singing voice and bags of enthusiasm!

Contact:

Chris Beauchamp   

 Email Chris Beauchamp

Sunday 4 October at 11:00 am
Harvest Promises Auction

On Sunday 4th October we will be celebrating Harvest Festival and as part of our thanksgiving, we'll be holding a Promises Auction to raise money for the work of Christian Aid. If you would like to auction a 'promise' please email Fr Stuart. It helps to be as specific as possible, eg 'two hours light gardening' rather than just 'gardening'. Thank you!

Contact:

Fr Stuart   

 Email Fr Stuart

Saturday 17 October
Parish Pilgrimage to Aldbury

On Saturday 17th October there will be a pilgrimage to St John the Baptist's, Aldbury. We will begin with Midday Prayer at St Peter's and then walk to Aldbury via the Ashridge Estate. After a picnic lunch we will say Afternoon Prayer and then walk back to Berkhamsted via the canal and finish with Evening Prayer. Please speak to Fr Stuart if you're interested and would like to know more.

Dates for your diaries

It's hard to believe the scorching Summer of 26 is nearly over! Autumn and winter seem so far away, but here are some dates to put in your diaries:

• Friday 11 - Sunday 20 September: Heritage Open Days 2026
• Sunday 13 September 9:30am: Blessing of the Backpacks + picnic 6pm Choral Evensong
• Thursday 17 September 6:30 pm: Volunteers' Service 
• Saturday 3 October 7:00 pm: FoSP fundraising talk (Concorde Captain John Tye)
• Sunday 4 October: Harvest Promises Auction
• Sunday 4 October: Choir recruitment event
• Sunday 11 October 6pm: Choral Evensong
• Sunday 1 November: All Saints & All Souls
• Sunday 8 November: Remembrance Sunday
• Wednesday 11 November: Armistice Day
• Saturday 14 November: Fundraising Casserole Evening
• Sunday 22 November: Festival of Light
• Sunday 29 November: Advent Sunday

... and then it's Christmas, but we'll cross that bridge a little later!

Rosary

Please note that the Rosary will be prayed at midday on Tuesdays and not Fridays, beginning Tuesday 22 September. All are welcome.

Could you run Little Fishes?

We are looking to recruit new leaders for our Little Fishes Parent and Toddler Group. The group was founded in 1997 and so will be twenty years old next year! Each week the group welcomes anything from thirty to fifty people (adults and children) who enjoy time together with other parents (and grandparents and guardians!), offer mutual support and friendship, and allow the children to develop and thrive in the company of their peers. For more information, please contact Fr Stuart:

Contact:

Fr Stuart    

 Email Fr Stuart

Introducing…. Gassy Traore

We are delighted to welcome a new Graduate Assistant Chaplain at Berkhamsted School. Gassy will be joining us in worship at St Peter's soon, so please give her a warm welcome!

I am Gassy Traore the new chaplain assistant at Berkhamsted school and as much as I was born in Paris as a Muslim, I discovered Christianity at 16 and developed a real conviction for the Christian faith in my early 30's. During that time, I attended a few evangelist churches where I volunteered as a bible study teacher as a group co-leader in Hillsong church for 4 years. As well as facilitating Alpha and being part of the prayer team. I was led to leave Hillsong to attend a C of E church, Christ Church Purley, while exploring the calling of chaplaincy. During this time, I became a hospital chaplaincy volunteer in Croydon University Hospital, while studying contemporary chaplaincy in Waverley Abbey. Meanwhile, I volunteered in the worship team and will also undertake a trip to Accra, Ghana to work in an underprivileged school. While working at Berkhamsted I will embark on the journey of exploring ordination with my diocese. I can't wait to meet you all and to assist you with anything.

World Suicide Prevention Day

Yesterday (10 September) it was World Suicide Prevention Day. Suicide is not inevitable. You can interrupt someone's suicidal thoughts. You could save a life. If you think someone might be suicidal, take action, interrupt their thoughts and show them you care.

If you or someone you know is going through a hard time, we have leaflets inside St Peter's Church with info about free helplines.

 www.samaritans.org

5th anniversary of the Cemetery War Memorial

It's been five years since we dedicated the new War Memorial in Rectory Lane Cemetery.  On 6 September 2021 Fr Stuart presided at a dedication ceremony, well attended by other clergy, civic leaders, members of the Royal British Legion and the public, with music sung by St Peter's Church Choir. The Service took place in the beautiful Garden of Remembrance - a very fitting spot.

The Cemetery war memorial complements the older memorial on the High Street. Many of the 276 men and boys whose names inscribed on the Town War Memorial lie in cemeteries or battlefields in Belgium and France, whereas as all the names on the Cemetery war memorial lie buried here in Rectory Lane Cemetery in Berkhamsted. We hold community Remembrance ceremonies at both memorials in November. You can see some lovely photos of the 2021 dedication ceremony on Facebook:

 www.facebook.com

Bishop Andrew: A simple prayer for new seasons

Feeling the shift of a new season? Bishop Andrew reflects on the familiar "back-to-school" feeling of September and explores a comforting line from the traditional prayer book: "Prevent us, O Lord, with thy gracious favour." Discover what this classic prayer means for us today as we step forward into what lies ahead.

Video:

Friday 11 September - Sunday 20 September
Heritage Open Days exhibition: The Working People of Berkhamsted

As part of Heritage Open Days, Berkhamsted Local History and Museum Society (BLHMS) are holding an exhibition in St Peter's about daily working life through the ages. Photographs and illustrations from yesteryear will reveal how ordinary people in Berkhamsted made a living, from Roman times to more recent industries. Visitors can learn about lost trades and discover the location of forgotten industries and trades. Free entry, no booking required - open all day 10am-4pm.

Please note that most Heritage Open Days tours are now fully booked but there are a handful spaces left on next week's FREE town & canal tours. Yesterday, we still had one space available on the tour of St Peter's. Check availability and book on Eventbrite:

 www.eventbrite.co.uk

Saturday 12 September at 7:00 pm
Mozart – Missa Brevis

Berkhamsted and Chorleywood Choral Societies join forces to perform a concert in St Peter's. They'll be singing Mozart's Missa Brevis in D minor, and a selection of choral classics including Zadok the Priest by Handel, Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine, and Lotti's Crucifixus. Tickets: £22 on the door and £20 in advance, £10 for 18-25-year-olds, and free if you are under 18.  Book now!

 berkhamstedchoral.com

Sunday 13 September
Berkhamsted Artisan Market September

The next Artisan Market is on the High Street, offering handmade jewellery, gifts, crafts, wooden homewares, ceramics, sculpture and more. Cand have a browse - all stall fees go towards the Friends of St Peter's.

 www.berkhamstedartisanmarket.co.uk

Sunday 13 September
Come and Sing Evensong

Our friends at St John's Harpenden are holding a Come and Sing Evensong, led by local teacher, choir trainer and organist Russell Tucker. Refreshments are provided, and there is an excellent pub right next door to the church! The music will include Brewer in D, Smith Responses, and Haydn's The Heavens are Telling. Rehearsal at 3.30pm, service at 5.00pm (to which all friends and family are warmly invited). The event is free, but please book a space online:

 www.ticketsource.com

Wednesday 23 September at 7:00 pm
The People’s Emergency Briefing

Amid drought, extreme heatwaves and wildfires, come to find out about the science behind climate change in a 50-minute film screened in St Peter's by EcoBerko. The People's Emergency Briefing brings together leading climate experts to explore the impacts of climate change on our lives, with appearances from Chris Packham, Deborah Meaden, and a range of voices from across the UK. After the film, there will be an open discussion about what it means for our community and what we can do locally. Free entry, but please book a space online if you can:

 www.tickettailor.com

Thursday 24 September - Sunday 27 September
Graham Greene Festival

The annual Graham Greene International Festival returns, celebrating Berkhamsted's famous author. This year's speakers include novelist Jo Baker, broadcaster Robin Ince, journalist Melanie McDonagh, John le Carré biographer Adam Sisman, and espionage expert Robert Verkaik. Among the highlights will be talks about the book cover art of Paul Hogarth, hidden references to Watford in Greene's Cold War-era thriller The Human Factor (1978), a walking tour of Berkhamsted Common, film screenings of England Made Me (1973) and A Splinter of Ice (2021), and much more! Tickets are now on sale

Contact:

Graham Green Birthplace Trust    07491 674594

 Email Graham Green Birthplace Trust

 www.grahamgreenebt.org

Friday 2 October - Thursday 22 October
Little Missenden Festival

Looking ahead to October, this gem of cultural life in the Chilterns returns to St John the Baptist Church in Little Missenden, just 7 miles (10km) south of Berkhamsted. There's a varied programme of string quartets, piano recitals, jazz and choral. The line-up includes the Alex Clarke Quintet, the Kleio Quartet, St Martin's Voices, with poetry read by BBC Radio 4's Zeb Soanes and a lecture on the portraits of Jan van Eyck by National Gallery curator Nicholas Flory. Booking opens 24 August.

 little-missenden.org

Ashridge Decorative and Fine Arts Society

Membership of Ashridge Decorative and Fine Arts Society (ADFAS) for 2025/26 is now open, £58.00 per person. Among other activities, they hold monthly morning lectures at 10.30am  in Potten End Village Hall. Coming up this autumn:

• Wednesday 30 September: Theatre Design from Temple to Playhouse
• Wednesday 28 October: The Bayeaux Tapestry: 950 Years of Propaganda, Intrigue and Spin
• Wednesday 25 November: The Journey of the Magi: the true story of the Three Kings

Full details on the society's website:

 www.ashridgedfas.org.uk

BLHMS 2026-27 events

Berkhamsted Local History and Museum Society have announced their programme of talks, which began on Wednesday with a talk on the famous codebreakers of Bletchley Park. More monthly talks are coming up September to March - come and discover the architects and builders buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery, the History of Berkhamsted Common, the Grand Junction Canal and Berkhamsted's coaching inns, and the archaeological discoveries on the HS2 route. All talks take place at 8:00pm in Berkhamsted Civic Centre, members free, visitors £5 on the door. For a full programme, see posters or visit:

 berkhamsted-history.org.uk

The Orangery Café

The Orangery Café is now open within the Spring Centre at The Hospice of St Francis. The volunteer-led cafe is in the heart of the Hospice with incredible views of the gardens and beyond. There is free parking available for guests visiting and all are welcome. Every penny of profit supports the care the Hospice provides. Currently open Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm the cafe promises coffee, cake and kindness served daily. Pop in for a cuppa - you may even meet some St Peter's volunteers there!

 maps.app.goo.gl