Hospitality is important to us, both within the church families and for local residents. We are pleased to have been able to resume many social activities “in person” though we continue to hold some Zoom events to keep contact with those who are less able to leave home.
There is tea/coffee (and sometimes cake) after worship. Tea and cake are offered for the passing walkers on summer Sunday afternoons at St Mary’s Kidlington, and after a stimulating winter Sunday afternoon talk there is more tea and cake for up to 100 people! The monthly “Big Sing” at St John’s has 40-60 participants fuelled by coffee (and cake) as they get together to enjoy singing favourite songs. Then we have Rogation teas, patronal festival and harvest suppers, and many more events involving food.
We also enjoy each other’s company in many other ways: bell ringing, art, flower arranging, crafts, music; all have their own groups including their own social events.
The events listed below are grouped according to location, but we are very much one Parish and frequently meet in each others’ church spaces. You can find out more about recent happenings here.
Our main events every year provide the opportunity for lots of fellowship with the local community.
In 2024 the Refectory at St Mary’s Kidlington will again be open for the annual Summer Sunday Afternoon Teas season. Tea, coffee, and delicious homemade cakes will be served in our “pop up” café between 3.00pm and 5.00pm – very popular with both visitors and locals.
The Parish Summer Fete in and around St Mary’s Kidlington is a major event, when we are always delighted to welcome many local residents to have fun together in the building and grounds (weather permitting!). With live music, refreshments, stalls of all kinds and even a dog show, there is something for everyone.
Another regular event which takes place is the Moorside Lunch, held in the Willow Tree Café, Moorside Place. This is held on the last Wednesday of each month through to November, with a special Christmassy meal probably in early January. Delicious choice of meals, reasonably priced. Why not join us to meet old friends and make some new ones? For more information or to book, please contact Anne Handsley via the Parish Office
Thanks to our previous curate, Susy, and her merry band of helpers, we now have a regular “Big Sing” on the first Wednesday of each month, 10am to 11.30am. This is for anyone who enjoys singing (or listening to) favourite tunes from musicals and shows – and you don’t have to be a fabulous singer to join in. There is coffee and homemade cake and plenty of chat too.
The jolly singing crowd in June 2024
At the start of each year, we hold our very popular Tea Talks, in which local experts give informative and entertaining talks on a variety of subjects. These take place in an informal atmosphere on one Sunday a month in January, February and March. Since 2023 these moved from St Mary’s Kidlington to St John’s (much easier to keep warm there!) There is an opportunity to ask questions after the talks, followed by tea and cake. Our speakers donate their time for free and we ask for voluntary donations to cover costs and for upkeep of our church buildings.
There are also the many social activities organised by the parish in the name of Kidlinks (formerly known as the Kidlington Community Hub), formed when the Children’s Centre in Kidlington closed down a few years ago. This held a Relaunch Party on Saturday 15th July 2023 in and around St John’s, when we formally opened the wonderful outside play area, which was created during the pandemic, and had lots of fun activities. Our next big party was on Saturday 13th July 2024.
The large hall space at St John’s is ideal for all sorts of parish social events. The Annual Parish Quiz Night would brighten up a winter evening with about 80 people sitting down for supper and a quiz (to be taken as lightly or seriously as people choose – the only proviso being that the team winning one year had to set the questions in the following year!) Plans are afoot for restarting this at the end of the year.
Many events are shared with our friends and neighbours for both fun and fundraising. These have included activities such as a Games Evening, Afternoon Cream Teas. Apple Pressing sessions or hosting a Table Top sale. And we like to celebrate special events/anniversaries with tea and entertainment – often provided by local people who use the hall during the week for practice.
Here is local band, led by Marcello, performing for us:
Hampton Poyle is a small community, but we have enjoyed many social events around the village over the years. In 2023 we held a great Coffee Morning with Bring & Buy and Bake Sale. And the whole village came together to celebrate the Coronation.
In May 2024 we have also held the traditional Rogation Sunday walk round the village, ending up with a scrumptious tea. Events such as the Harvest Supper and Carol Singing round the village will follow in due course.
2020 was the year we planned to celebrate the 800 year anniversary of both our St Mary’s churches, with a whole range of special social and fundraising events. Most of these had to be postponed, due to Coronavirus, but we did enjoy the first two events, an Epiphany Tea and a Black Tie Dinner early in 2020. A few concerts did take place in Autumn/Winter 2021 and we were able to hold the Open Gardens event in Kidlington and Hampton Poyle in July 2022.
This was followed by our spectacular “Live Nativity” when a procession led by THREE LIVE CAMELS walked from the centre of the village to St Mary’s Kidlington, which had been transformed into a huge stable, complete with many more live animals and a very friendly and welcoming “Holy Family” (with real baby!).
And then in 2023 we started a new venture – Christmas Tree Festival in St Mary’s Kidlington on the weekend of 16th/17th December, finishing with a Community Carol Service at 4.30pm on 17th.