Page 20 - Issue 84 Online

ST NICOLAS CHURCH

The 150th Anniversary year of St Nicolas I’m sure that was probably more than the
church has got off to a flying start. Harry population of the whole village at the time!
Mitchell led a service for Plough Sunday In good Manea fashion, the rest of the
when we heard of the challenges farmers article is devoted to both the lunch and the
face and prayed for God’s blessing on tea that was served in a marquee ‘in a field
farmers, farm workers, tractors and seed, belonging to Mr. J. Plowright’, who was one
and the year ahead. of the churchwardens!
It has been wonderful to engage with so The Easter Trail is popular with children
many groups in the village to open up the in the village as they hunt eggs on Easter
church for a new generation. By the time you Saturday 19th April - check out the St
read this we will have hosted the Chatteris Nicolas Manea Facebook page for details.
and Manea Silver Band on 22nd February
with grateful thanks for the community and Groups from Manea Community Primary
the music they give us. School, and Rainbows, Brownies and
Guides are visiting the church building to
On Sunday 30th March Bishop Dagmar discover more about the Christian faith.
comes to celebrate the date when the church There is so much to discover in different
was opened in 1875. The Isle of Ely Gazette parts of the building. On 10th May there
reported that ‘every inch of sitting room in will be a Church Open Day when anyone
the church was crowded, and numbers of can have a peek inside and ring the bell.
persons had to stand, something like 600
altogether being present.’

The Plough ouside St Nicolas Church Blessing of the Plough (Harry Mitchell
on Plough Sunday second right leading the blessing)

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