The 11am service, on Palm Sunday, at St Mary's, was a very special occasion.

It was Palm Sunday, a very important day in our calendar and as we have done for the past few years the church did a special re-enactment of the Easter story.

Sadly, donkeys are very few and far between on Malpas Road and although we have been lucky in past years, we had to use the services of a pony this year. I am told that the pony was most co-operative There were lots of children and adults waving their palms. After the walk, which was really cold, everyone, except of course the donkey, came into the church for a really special family service.

Later that day, at 6.30pm, there was a Service of Devotion for Holy Week when the St Mary's Church choir performed their Palm Sunday Devotional Service with such offerings as God So Loved The World, Olivet To Calvary, Morte Christe, and lots more including many favourite congregational hymns.

It was such a lovely end to a very special day and now we, as a church family, look forward to our Easter celebrations.

BEREAVEMENT: For the past few years I have been putting birthday notices in the Argus for Mrs Winifred Ferris of Newport.

This lovely lady would have been 103 years old at the beginning of May.

Sadly, she passed away last week after being ill for some time and spending a lot of time in hospital. What a really lovely lady she was, in every sense of the word.

She will be very much missed. Goodbye Win and God Bless.