I’d never before noticed what a difference starlight could make. In February I walked overnight across the Isle of Mull to catch the first ferry of the morning to Iona. I knew it would be a dark night because there’s not much in the way of light pollution on Mull, and there would be no moon. The light of the stars took me by surprise; nothing as bright as the moon, of course, but it made a real difference. Each individual star a small, weak light, but a sky full of them created something I could see by.

It’s a time of year when a lot of us have lots of Big Things to organise. Many of us will be sitting down to eat on Christmas Day with more people around the table than we usually have. It’s a time of year when people often spend more money on presents than they spend at any other time of year. People are getting the house ready to host guests or are getting ready to travel to be with family and friends. Through work parties and family festivities many people will be engaging in more socialising over Christmas and New Year than at any other time. Christmas can be a time when it often feels like there’s just so much to do, so many people to see. And because we put such a great weight of expectation on these Big Things, we can also be prone to quite a bit of stress if our presents don’t appear to be quite as well received as we’d hoped, or the turkey is a bit dry, or family board games lead to some bored family members. It’s a big time of year and we want everything to be just so.

That weight of expectation can all too easily lead us to lose sight of the little lights that really matter so much. Just the pleasure of simply being with people we love. The small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness, that cost nothing. The moments of peace and quiet contentment. When we take the time to see and give thanks for all those small lights of love, then they begin to add up to a sky-full of starlight that can really make a difference. At Christmas, a light shines in the darkness; let’s not forget to take the time to see that light, and give thanks.

A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored me in the sponsored walk I went on for Hector’s House last weekend. Together we raised over £2,500, money which can make a real difference to people who really need some help to see the light that there can be in life. I’m scheduled to speak with Andy Collins on BBC Three Counties Radio at 7.40am on New Year’s Eve, if you’d like to hear more about the walk. Thank you again for helping to make a difference.

Fr Stuart’s Longest Night sponsored walk

The nights are drawing out.... last Friday night was the longest night of the year. Fr Stuart went on an overnight 50-mile walk from Berkhamsted, via Wendover and Aylesbury, looping back through Tring and arriving in Berkhamsted at sunrise. At the time of writing, Stuart has raised £2,749 for the local charity Hector's House, who do invaluable work in suicide prevention and provide support for friends and family of those affected by these challenges.

"Sometimes life can feel like a walk through a long night for people, and tragically there are times when that night just feels too dark and too endless, just too much. I want to walk through this longest night to express the hope that there can be a way through, there is always the promise of morning and a new beginning."

Thank you to everyone who donated so generously. If you didn't manage to sponsor Stuart, you can still send money via his JustGiving page:

 hectorshouse.org.uk

 www.justgiving.com/page/stuart-owen-9

Parish Office Christmas & New Year opening

The Parish Office is (as you may imagine) closed over Christmas, re-opening briefly on Friday 2 January and Monday 5 January.

Advance notice: the office will be closed for holidays 6-17 January.

Pew sheet notices: to be received by Friday 2 January please.
Bereavement & pastoral emergencies: please contact the Rector.

The Parish Office wishes everyone a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.

Contact:

2026 dates for your diaries

Wednesday 18 February: Ash Wednesday - Lent begins
Saturday 7 February: Come & sing Fauré's Requiem with Berkhamsted Choral Society
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday
29 March - 4 April: Holy Week
Sunday 5 April: Easter Sunday
Saturday 25 April: Berkhamsted Choral Society concert: Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem
Saturday 13 June: Bridgewater Sinfonia concert - Prokoviev Piano Concerto N° 3

Let there be light(s)

A few people seem to have been struggling with the light switches in church. The panel under the balcony controls all the lights in the nave and the outside lanterns (the altar and transept have separate switches). A revised diagram has been put up to show which numbered switch controls which light. The principle is pretty basic:

• ↑UP for ON
• ↓DOWN for OFF
• the exception is the switch marked with a blue letter S - this is the spotlight above the crossing, which is down for ON</font > and up for OFF! Simples!

Note that there is usually a delay of 1 or 2 seconds before the light comes on.

Some of the lights marked "Dim" can be dimmed by pushing and holding, but some have stopped working. Note that a light may already have been dimmed when you switch it on, so you have to push up to fade it up.

At the end of a service or concert, or at locking up time, simply push all switches down to switch them all off (including the outside lanterns please!) - except, of course the spotlight, which is up for off.

"Mehr Licht!"
- Goethe

Church Smalls Laundry Rota

As we begin a new year, you may be thinking about a simple way to serve. We are looking for volunteers to help with washing and ironing the communion cloths. This is a quiet but important role, needed approximately once every 6-8 weeks.

If you'd like to make this part of your New Year's resolution to serve, please speak to or email Hilary Armstrong.

Thank you for supporting our worship in this practical way.

Contact:

 Send an email to: Hilary Armstrong

Successful Quarter peal on Sunday 21st

Congratulations from all the other ringers to Holly Gosling for ringing her first quarter peal with seven moving bells on Sunday the 21st. This marked the culmination of the Interest section for her Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. One of the other participants also did bellringing at St Peter's for his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Friday 9 January at 9:00 am
Thomas Coram Y3 open mornings

Are you looking for a Y3 place in a school in the local area? The Thomas Coram CE School on Swing Gate Lane are holding an open morning for prospective Y3 families looking to start September 2026. Come and have a tour of the school and meet the TC family! If you'd like to come on a tour, visit the TC website at the address below and fill in the online booking form.

The school also currently have spaces in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 - details are on their website.

 www.thomascoram.herts.sch.uk/Open-Mornings

Victoria School open mornings

Are you looking for a Reception place to start September 2026? Victoria School are holding more open mornings in the new year for prospective Reception families - come and have a tour of the school!

• Thursday 8 January 2026 9.15am (Reception and Nursery Tour)

Nursery open mornings for prospective Nursery Families

• Thursday 8 January 9.15am at (Reception and Nursery)
• Wednesday 21 January at 9.15am
• Wednesday 28 January at 9.15am
• Friday 6 February at 2pm
• Wednesday 11 February at 9.15am
• Wednesday 4 March at 11.00am
• Friday 13 March at 9.15am
•  Friday 20 March 1.45pm-2.30pm: Nursery Stay and Play - come along with your child to have a taster of our Nursery.

To book your space, please complete the online booking form (link below). 

victoria school prospectus

 forms.office.com/e/yuB10v7yas

Friday 26 December at 4:00 pm
Boxing Day carols at the Cathedral

If you can't get enough of the festive season, St Albans Cathedral are holding a carol service on the second day of Christmas. Swap your two turtle doves for another good old carol sing, and make the most of Christmas!

Thursday 1 January at 7:00 pm
St Albans Cathedral New Year’s Day Concert

St Albans Symphony Orchestra are playing a New Years' Day Celebration Concert at the Cathedral, with Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, Sousa, Gershwin and Bernstein's West Side Story on the programme. Tickets £5-£28, concessions available.

 www.stalbanscathedral.org/Event/st-albans-symphony

Wednesday 7 January at 7:30 pm
The Sixteen at the Cathedral

Eight members of The Sixteen are singing at St Albans Cathedral, with a rich programme of Renaissance polyphony, English madrigals, and evocative 20th-century classics, including works by Palestrina, Stanford, Victoria and Elgar. Tickets £10-£30

Saturday 3 January
Vivaldi & Mozart Candlelight Experience

A beautiful string trio concert by candlelight in St Peter's to brighten the New Year, featuring Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik and movements from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. There are two one-hour-long performances at 5pm and 7pm. Allocated seating, tickets from £20 available from Lumos Experiences:

 www.lumos-experiences.com/events/berkhamsted

After Christmas…. recycle your Christmas tree!

For the 17th year running, Local Scout Groups are collecting trees for recycling on Sunday 4 January (Saturday 3 January 3 for Hall Park) for a donation of £6 per tree. Please support the Scouts as this is their only big fundraiser of the year. Why not book your tree collection online now, and get another Christmas chore out of the way! You can also book at the Scouts' market stall next to Tesco on Saturday morning, January 3.

 trees.1stberkhamsted.org.uk

Cartoon Church Christmas special

Courtesy of CartoonChurch.com

CCC Christmas concert

The Chiltern Chamber Choir held their traditional Christmas concert at St Peter's on Tuesday evening, and treated us to a rousing performance of Haydn's Missa in tempore belli (Mass in Time of War) - which isn't really a bellicose as its title suggests, but proved to be a joyous offering for the festive season. They also sang Bach's Magnificat, a glorious setting with jubilant trumpets, providing an uplifting prelude to our Christmas celebrations! We'll be looking forward to more fabulous concerts in the new year, so do please continue to support live music at St Peter's in 2026.