The Vicar Writes

Some time ago, I acquired some books and postcards called "The Magic Eye." Filled with attractive and colourful computer-generated abstract patterns, it is very tempting to flick through these books, glancing briefly at each page before moving on to the next. But that is to miss out. For by choosing to re-focus the eyes and look "through" the multi-coloured patterns, you can see a completely different picture - hidden deep within the design.

The aim is to concentrate hard and deliberately focus your eyes at a point (a few inches) below the picture you are actually looking at. This other image gradually appears in extraordinary detail - and is not anything like the one you see at first. This new one has been there all the time, of course, but learning to look through to the heart of things reveals a richer reality than was apparent on the surface. One reason for the popularity of these books was that once you discover one hidden picture, you want to go on and find the others.

Penetrating through surface appearances changes your whole way of looking, and opens the possibility of seeing the fuller picture you had not been aware of before. In one Church magazine some years ago (NOT round here) the editor carried a cartoon of a person with a stout iron band around their head held there with a massive padlock. The message was that we need to be willing to open our minds to see another and greater picture I gather. It caused quite an amount of offence - so if the iron band fits . . .

On the 29th of September each year we celebrate the feast of St Michael and All Angels. An opportunity to think about the reality of life in Heaven. We may assume our quiet prayers and yearnings are unknown to God, but Jesus knows all our hearts even before we approach Him. Will we respond to His intimate knowledge of us by putting our trust in The Son of God? Such a step of Faith is the starting point for so many disciples.

Jesus wants to take us further on in our journey with Him, revealing more of Himself and the wonderful mysteries of God's creation. Are we willing to travel with Jesus, or would we rather stay put where we think it is safe, and risk missing out on His highest purposes for us?

As the old chestnut says, "A ship is safe in harbour, but that's NOT what ships are for." As our eyes are opened to things unseen, we become aware of the part the angels play in God's purposes.

This knowledge can be overwhelming, as a sense of the vastness of God's universe unfolds, or distracting, as we are dazzled by the complexities of the spiritual realm.

We need to remember the angel's name "Michael" means "who is like God." However heavenly, the angels are not the Almighty Himself. Will we keep our eyes on Jesus as the touchstone of God's truth, the one we can trust totally, even when we encounter things we do not understand?

May the wings of the angels spread over you in covering love, may the Shield of Michael, Prince of all the Holy Angels guard your path, and may the songs of the angels draw you ever closer to the Lord of Hosts.

God bless you all,

The PCC have decided to visit every home in the parish during the next few months to ensure that the Church does engage with all the people who live in Bramham.

All Saints Church is for all who live in the parish. It is important that we do not start with the church, but with the world around and the whole of life. If the Church is to be relevant to our time then it must be deeply rooted in the local community, working in partnership with local groups, networks and organisations.

Our visits to every home will be very informal, informing you about our activities and service, finding out about needs, concerns and suggestions, but, above all, listening to the wider community. We are aware that the Church needs to address its areas of weakness and find new ways of being church in a rapidly changing world.

But we must do this In conversation with the whole community in an open and caring way.

We look forward to meeting you and hearing about how we can be more helpful to our parish. Please take this opportunity to tell us how we can be of service.

It may be that you wish to ask about baptism, confirmation, marriage or anything else to do with our services. It may be that you would like the Church to be open during the week so that anyone can drop in for a quiet moment. You may have some proposal to make about the parish magazine. Perhaps you would like the church and parish to consider something that has been overlooked.

Hopefully you will surprise us with your response and together we can take our parish forward.

The Parochial Church Council

Thank you to the faithful group of ladies who came along and spent an entire Saturday morning raking up the grass in one of the wild flower areas. Thank you also to Richard and William Smailes for taking all the grass away to the tip,

Thank you to Michael Rhodes for removing the dead trees in the churchyard.

Please remember that you must get permission from Fr Hugh Lawrance if you want to add anything to a family grave. There are national rules and regulations for churchyards and we must obey them, otherwise the churchyard soon becomes very messy and extremely difficult to cut grass around the graves and grave stones.

Christmas Bazaar Saturday 26th November 2.00 pm in the Village Hall.

Sunday 18th December Brass Band Concert

Anne Palmer

Do you need more exercise? Do want to get fit in a way that you will really enjoy?

Then join us. There is no nicer way than taking exercise with the sequence dancers at Clifford Village Hall on Thursday afternoons.

Melodious music from the ballroom era accompanies each dance and there is no long summer lay-off as the dancing continues all year round.

Tea and biscuits are served during the session and the price is included in the entrance fee.

Bramham Under Fives “Pre-school” is situated within Bramham Primary School. It has full OFSTED approval and provides a safe environment where your children can play and learn under the supervision of qualified staff. Nursery grants are available.

Sessions are from 9 am to 1 pm, 5 mornings a week during term time.

For more information ring Heather Richards on

or call in during pre school opening hours.

To everyone who helped or supported me at the Garden Party at 6 Croft Drive on Saturday 6th August.

The magnificent sum of

was raised for the Senior Citizens Party to be held in the New Year.

Two raffle prizes remain unclaimed

Please contact Gladys Horsley

on 844583

if you have either of these tickets.

Gladys Horsley

The Sunflower Sunday School is an exciting and fun way to spend the 1st Sunday morning of every month.

The Club will suit all youngsters and we are pleased to report that numbers are steadily increasing. The only way to find out more is to come and join us at the Village Hall at 9.30 am.

The dates for the next two Sunflower Clubs are 4th September & 2nd October

Little Tykes has been busier than ever over the past few weeks as many of the other local baby and toddler groups do not keep running through the school summer holidays.

It has been good to see so many new faces and we hope that the people who have started to come along will continue to do so. If you have been thinking about joining us on a Monday morning then you will be just as welcome as ever - provided you have a baby or toddler in tow! We meet between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon at the Methodist Church on Low Way.

For further information please contact:-

Please enter your photos/snaps representing aspects of Bramham Past and Present.

Entry Forms in July Parish Magazine or from the Post Office

Come and view the entries and enjoy a cream tea and support the NSPCC

Do you take your car keys to bed with you? It might not be a bad idea... such was the recent advice of a police force in West Yorkshire when a spate of burglaries in the area led to the disappearance of 720 vehicles.

These days, it seems, frustrated car thieves decide to steal car keys rather than try to match their wits against the sophistication of modern security devices on vehicles.

Once a thief has got hold of your car key and fob, he can easily find it when parked in a street or a car park. He simply clicks the remote door release, or even momentarily activates the alarm from the fob.

In fact, it seems that some gangs around the country are now staging house break-ins for the sole purpose of stealing car keys. In the last three years more than £40 million worth of cars have been stolen in the Home Counties alone - following house burglaries.

Opportunist thieves sneak into porches, halls, and kitchens in broad daylight to grab keys handing on hooks near doors. Handbags and jacket pockets are also searched.

Vehicle crime now accounts for more than a quarter of all reported crime, and 40 per cent of cars stolen are never returned to their rightful owners. The RAC Foundation's advice includes:

1 Treat car keys the same as you would your cash or credit cards.
2 Make sure car keys are in a secure place at home and at work.
3 Keep your house doors locked at all times.
4 Ensure your car keys are not kept close to doors and windows.
5 Never leave car keys in an unattended car.
6 Keep your car in a locked garage, if  possible.
7 Never leave any form of identification like your car registration, with your keys.

From the Parish Pump

Starts at 10.30 am in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer Research UK is appealing to runners and walkers of all ages to come forward and take part in the 7^th annual Bramham Park Fun Run to be held on Sunday 2nd October 2005 starting at 10.30 am in Bramham Park, courtesy of the Lane-Fox family.

There is a choice of 5Km and 10km circuits covering a variety of terrains using tarmac roads, paths and farm tracks through the park. The event is in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month which is October.

Ann Newton who, with her husband Jeff, organises the event, says:-

Cancer Research UK is the largest independent cancer research organisation in the world. Its vision is to conquer cancer through world class research, carried out by a dedicated team of 3,000 internationally recognised scientists and doctors.

The entry fee is £6 for adults, £3 for children and £14 for families (maximum 4 people). Registration and sponsorship forms can be obtained by contacting:

email: newtonbspa@btinternet.com

For more information or entry forms, please see our web site

www.bramhamparkfunrun.org.uk

What’s small, wooden and has a unique facial feature????

Yes, before we know it, it will be that time of the year again - make a note in your diary for our pantomime

Iris Dew and her Band

At its meeting in July, the Parish Council formally adopted the Parish Plan. In effect this means that the Council, when making future decisions, will, where appropriate take the Plan into consideration, as it represents the views of the majority of the electorate. The same should also be the case when dealing with Leeds City Council. Of course, some of the projects in the Plan require additional funding, and there is little provision for this in the Council’s budget for the current year. In some cases, it will be possible to obtain grants from other bodies, but many of these are on a matched funding basis, so will require Council expenditure. In the coming months the Council will be assessing the costs of the plan’s implementation, and be considering its budget for the next financial year, which will determine the level of the parish element of Council Tax.

As part of the Parish Plan activity, a group of residents volunteered some of their own time to tidy up the area around the bottle bank. It is therefore disappointing to notice that we have some other residents who care enough about the environment to recycle their glass, but immediately abandon those principles and abandon cardboard boxes and plastic bags alongside the containers.

Some residents have complained about the unsightly containers at the junction of Lyndon Avenue and Wetherby Road. These have been used by the contractors upgrading the windows to the Leeds City Council Housing stock. The Council is pressing for them to be removed as soon as the work is completed.

There has also been some concern over smoky bonfires in the village. Legally, an offence is committed under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 if a bonfire is considered to create a nuisance. Residents are advised to consider potential affects on neighbours before lighting up, or indeed to utilise waste disposal sites.

360 applicants have been allocated residents tickets for the Leeds Festival. At the time of writing, the number of bona-fide residents who have not been offered tickets is down to single figures, which suggests that despite the concerns voiced in some quarters, the Council’s view of the number required was not far off the mark.

Finally, residents are reminded about the deadline for responses to the Highways Agency’s proposals for the upgrading of the A1. If you have any comments to make, these need to be returned by 29 September to the Highways Agency at 8^th Floor West, City House, New Station Street, Leeds, LS1 4UR. As indicated previously, the total number of responses will be used to decide whether the current proposals are deemed satisfactory.

This is the last time for 18 years that we will have our say on the noise generated by the A1. If you were not able to visit the exhibition on 31 August, there will be further exhibitions in the Jarvis Hotel Wetherby on 9th September (12:00-8:00) and 10th September (10:00-4:00) and full details of the draft proposals can be found on the Highways Agency web-site: www.highways.gov.uk/roads.

Colin Pool