Plant Sale
Sunday 12th May
1 - 4pm

Following a brief visit to Farlam churchyard with Edward Johnsen back in the summer of 2021, the Fell- foot Forward LPS , a project led by the North Pennines AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Part- nership and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will be working with Edward and a group from the local community to survey the churchyard’s wildlife and develop a simple plan to make it even better for nature.



The churchyard already supports nature with a range of native wildflowers, trees, insects, fungi, lichens, and much more. This opportunity to strengthen wildlife will be a gentle change for a special place for the local community, and is unlikely to result in the churchyard looking, or being managed, in a radically different way.

As part of the Fellfoot Forward Citizen Science project, the North Pennines AONB Partnership will be working with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT) and Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC), to survey the churchyard’s grasslands on Wednesday 16 June. This will be part of the Site seeing project, which is surveying wildlife rich sites across the Fellfoot Forward scheme area. The results from the survey will be used to suggest improvements for wildlife and the local group will be developing a simple plan to help them to manage the churchyard in the future. The Fellfoot Forward Environment Grant may be able to provide support, such as purchasing wildflower seed.

The survey team of experienced botanists will be led by CBDC’s Field Officer, Stuart Colgate, and will also provide an opportunity for people who are learning botanical skills to get involved. Anyone wishing to join in, or just to find out more, is welcome to come along on the day.

For further information, please contact Tim Jacobs: tjacobs@northpenninesaonb.org.uk / 07920028975

This fair was held on 21st May and was very well attended and raised £836.91 from the sale of plants, cakes and teas. Proceeds from the sale generally go towards the upkeep of the local church and will help to- wards the cost of the new church heating system.

The final figure was further boosted by an anonymous donation of £100.00 In addition the coloured pencil framed picture created and donated by Brenda Bejamin for our Spring edition newsletter cover was auctioned off and won by Mr. Tim Arndt with a winning bid of £100.00.

A group of parishioners rang the church bells for 30 minutes on the Saturday before the celebration to mark the forthcoming coronation of King Charles 3rd.

On Sunday following the church service, the congregation celebrated the coronation with a bring and share lunch.

Flowers were once again left at the Joseph Bell Memorial in memory of those lost on the Titanic.

Thank you Edward Dean who repaired the hinge and re-hung the lower gate into the churchyard which the Joseph Bell Memorial Fund had cleaned and repainted.

A memorial window in honour of Miss Jean Fordy a local schoolteacher and much loved organist at Farlam church was installed in the Church in April by Alex Haynes a local glass artist. Jean died in 2018.

The window was designed by Brenda Benjamin, a member of the Society of Botanic Artists who lives in Farlam. Brenda spent time with Jean’s sister Louie to identify aspects of Jean’s life which were then incorporated into the design.

Back in February, local lad Roger Forster happily gave up a couple of nights and part of his week-end to measure up and build a new roof structure on the coffin house at Farlam Church. The coffin house has not been used for many years and had fallen into a state of disrepair.

As luck would have it the Community Payback team who help maintain the churchyard were supervised by a former builder and two of the team happened to be roofers. Lynne the Church treasurer asked Roger if he could repair the rotting timbers. Once the new framework was in place the Community Pay- back team led by Tommy Mattinson added the membrane, the lead flashing and replaced the slates.

Farlam Festive Craft Fair

Will be held:

Friday 18th, Saturday 19th, and Sunday 20th of November

10 am - 4 pm

Lacey Thompson Memorial Hall, Hallbankgate, CA8 2JN

Hot and cold refreshments served along with the crafts stalls.

If you would like to hold a stall or volunteer your time please contact Penny Raine on

077323 43468 or penny.raine@btinternet.com

The harvest festival was held in conjunction with the children from Hallbankgate school.

Donations of non-perishable food will be donated to Brampton Pantry Food Bank and Carlisle Key

Saturday at the craft fair. Lots of lovely stalls with beautiful gifts and cakes with refreshments.

It was wonderful to see the range of crafts and plants for sale.






It was also lovely to back together as a community after Covid.

On Sunday 7th July the congregation gathered with other community groups to celebrate the Churches' patron St Thomas a Beckett and bless the World War One memorial.

Children from Lanercost School visited Farlam Church as part of their study of the history of RMS Titanic and Chief Engineer Joseph Bell.

Joseph Bell's family is buried in the Old Church yard.

He has a memorial on a family grave.


They looked around the church, visited the memorial and said prayers of thanks they had written themselves.

Revd. Edward Johnsen also gave a brief talk.

November 11th, 10.50am led by Janice Murray
The poppies were made at school. The children learnt about live in WW1 from letters and diaries and they wrote out some memorable parts.

The Church was open on the 22nd June


The beautiful Victorian tiled floor as revealed for the first time in decades, Armed with micro fibre clothes and brushes it was carefully cleaned. Water would have created a mud pack with the fine dust making it difficult to bring the colours out. As each tile was cleaned it looked better and better. The whole chancel looked a lot lighter. There is still some work to do on some of the glue but a good days cleaning.

Whilst this was happening the alter cloths were laid out, brushed and vacuumed. Then packed with tissue into a clean box to keep mice and moths off.

We welcomed a number of visitors to the church and hope they enjoyed looking round.

Conservation and cleaning training.

Members of churches across the county gathered in Farlam church on the 19 April. Under the experienced eye of John Greenwood, expert in conservation of historic artifacts, we were guided round the church. He explained how to clean and care for the windows and wall. What wild life to expect and how to manage it.

The best way to clean wood mouldings, marble and stone was explained. Much of the equipment was brush, microfibre cloth and vacuum cleaner.

The old Victorian tiles lay under the carpet in the chancel. After rolling back the carpet we discussed the conservation and cleaning of the surface. It is hoped that they can be fully uncovered and restored.

The Palm Sunday walk carrying the cross from Cumrew to Castle Carrock and Maundy Thursday walk from Cumwhitton to Hayton.
Good Friday the cross was carried from Talkin to Farlam and on to Lanercost for the Deanery service.

The Joseph Bell memorial in the old church yard has just had its annual wreath laid in memory of all the engineers who died on the 15th April 1912 when the RMS Titanic hit the iceberg.

Make your own sheep by needle felting with Brenda and Pat. Pam from Fluff n’ Nonsense in Brampton helped lots of flowers bloom by wet felting. Catherine and Clara brought their spinning wheels. Lots of people found out just how skilful out ancestors were when it came to making yarn. Catherine’s colourful fleece from natural dyes brightened up the room.

Having spun wool Lynn showed us how to croquet it into practical squares or ornamental flowers. A whole range of unique pompoms were made. After all the concentration decorating biscuits and refreshments were much appreciated.

There was a definite sheep theme to the event with pin the tail on the sheep, finding Bo Peeps lost sheep and colouring in .For those wanting a break, a train track by the alter.

At the end of the afternoon and a drenching Ewe and Lambs left the church after a busy day. These came with Nickie from her Eden Gotland Flock. Nickie brought her peg loom and some processed wool from her sheep.

www.edengotlandsheep.co.uk

There is a large space in the centre of the church now the fixed pews have been removed.

The rails at the front and back of the seating can also move away.

The building has a small kitchen and modern toilet facilities.