ChadNet – no 338

ChadNet – no 338 – Sunday 13th September 2026

ChadNet - the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull

Welcome to this week’s edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.

In this week’s ChadNet:

View from the Pews

Henry Ibberson

The Ballad of Jimmy Brown

Some 27 years ago, our godson, then in his early 20’s, tragically took his own life whilst at University. No-one saw it coming, least of all his family, but certain things emerged later which partly explained why he had been so deeply troubled, which I don’t propose to detail here.

At his funeral, a packed church full of his student and childhood friends, close family and their friends, whilst waiting for the service to begin, became aware of a butterfly, deep purple and as big as the palm of one’s hand. This beautiful creature fluttered along and through all the pews, occasionally seeming to touch the hair of astonished members of the congregation – then seemed to disappear. None of us saw it again either during or after the service. His mother, a dear friend of ours, with tears streaming down her face, later confided in us that she was convinced it was him – his favourite colour had been deep purple. None of us, before or since, had ever seen a butterfly as large.

I was reminded about this deeply moving experience when I came across the following story a few weeks ago. It made me think again about amazing things that happen, when we least expect them.

Jimmy Brown lived in Great Yarmouth all his life, where his sister was a member for many years of Christchurch on King Street. Jimmy wasn’t a churchgoer though he had worked all his life in the Co-Op store in the Market Place at Great Yarmouth, where he would often be seen on the third floor in furnishings for a brief chat. He had never married but lived with his sister, who was known to many of her friends at Christchurch. She was a regular at the very busy coffee shop most mornings during the week. But the day came when Jimmy died suddenly, and his sister successfully requested to have his funeral conducted at Christchurch.

The church had been re-configured in a huge conversion scheme, so that now it was above the coffee shop and accessible by a staircase to one side, with a large accessible lift on the other, used also for disabled wheelchairs etc. It was light and airy, and designed in the round with a small low pulpit and lectern and communion table. It seated 200 chairs with a rake at the back and easily doubled as a popular concert venue in the town centre.

The day of the funeral arrived. The coffin was brought in and moved, once inside the glass frontage doors, towards the lift where the building manager was waiting to take it up to the church level. Once a year the lift was regularly serviced at a cost then of £500. The coffin entered the lift, the button pressed but nothing happened. What could possibly have gone wrong? In the twelve years since it had been installed, the lift had never failed, but on this occasion it did. So, Jimmy was manhandled by the bearers up the wide double bended staircase and into the church to the relief of the waiting congregation. He left the same way that he came in.

Jimmy’s funeral wake was held in the spacious coffee shop afterwards where family and friends mingled and where the chat was all about the malfunction of the lift. Later that day his sister had a quiet word with the Minister. Jimmy, she told him, had never used lifts anywhere – he never trusted them. All the years he worked in the Co-Op store, he always used the stairs to reach the third floor. When everyone had cleared the building, the Building Manager and the Minister tested the lift before calling in the engineer. It worked perfectly and never failed again from annual service to annual service. His sister’s funeral was a few years later, when the lift worked perfectly, as it had done both before and after Jimmy’s funeral.

Amazing things happen when we least expect them.

Henry Ibberson

(As always this View is the personal view of the author.)

Would you like to write a View from the Pews?

We welcome contributions for View from the Pews from anyone who would like to write one. It does not need to be on any particular subject. If you would like to write one please send it to or contact Henry Ibberson ( / 01902 701136).

Contacts

The Vicar’s post is half time so Merry will not be working every day. Her usual working days are Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday but this is subject to change. Her phone number is 07486 066065 and her email address is  When she is not working she will not normally answer the phone, listen to messages or respond to emails. 

Emails to will be received by the churchwardens.

Contact details for church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website. You can use if you are nore sure who to contact and the churchwardens will be able to forward it to the correct person.

Notices, which should be received by Friday afternoon for inclusion in that week’s ChadNet, and other communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to

Articles for the magazine should be sent to 

Sunday 13th September – Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion, led by the Vicar, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

Following the service those who wish can gather for a prayer meeting.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for:
All children and young people in the parish.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
Holy Cross, Bobbington.

This week

The church will be open every day. Look out for the “church open” sign outside the porch.

On Tuesday the Prayers for Peace Group meets in church at 6 pm. Please do join us and if you would like more information please contact Mary Hayward ().

On Tuesday evening there is a PCC meeting in church.

On Wednesday at 10.00 am there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer, led by the Vicar, in church which will be followed by tea, coffee and cake.

After the service the church will be open from 10.30 am until at least 11.00 am as a Place of Welcome when anyone who wants to will be welcome to share in the coffee, cake and chat, whether they have been to the service or not. Those attending will receive a warm welcome.

At 6 pm on Wednesday the Pattingham Shower Singers meet in church. If you haven’t yet ventured in but would like to, why not give it a try?  No charge, no commitment, just lots of fun.If you need more information contact Alix at .

At 7 pm on Wednesday Choir Practice takes place in church. Anyone interested in joining the choir should contact Martin Fox or any member of the choir.

On Friday from 10 am to 12 noon the Home Instead Memory Café is being held at the Village Hall.
These are free informal sessions designed for individuals living with dementia and their carers to meet in a relaxed environment. Enjoy simple, engaging activities, while connecting with others who understand the challenges of dementia. No need to book. Just pop along.

At 12.30 pm on Saturday the wedding of Leeane Lim and James Gill takes place in church.

Sunday 20th September – Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

At 10 am there there will be a service led by the Youth Group in church. This will be followed by a short service of Holy Communion, led by the Vicar, to which you are all most welcome. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

At 6.30 pm there will be a service of Evensong, led by Iain Coleman, in church.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Chad’s School and the other schools attended by children in the parish.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
Holy Cross, Bilbrook.

Harvest Thanksgiving

As usual Harvest Thanksgiving is on the last Sunday of September – the 27th.

On Monday 21st September children from St Chad’s School will be coming in to church for Experience Harvest, which offers an interactive way to explore the rich harvest of our land and the spiritual harvest of our lives.

The school Harvest service will be at 9.15 am on Wednesday 23rd September. The church will remain open as a Place of Welcome following the service with tea and coffee and chat for anyone who wants, whether they have been to the service or not. The usual Wednesday morning Communion service will take place after that at about 10.30 am.

Harvest Supper

There will be a Harvest Supper in the Village Hall on Friday 25th September at 7.00 pm. Those who wish to attend should put their names on the list at the back of the church.

Harvest Services – Sunday 27th September

At 10 am there will be an All Age Communion service led by the Vicar.

At 6.30 pm there will be an Evening Service for Harvest, also led by the Vicar.

Those attending either service are encouraged to bring harvest gifts
which will be presented for blessing during the service and will then
be donated to The Well foodbank. See below for a list of items which they are asking for.

We’d love you to come …

On Saturday 3rd October 2026 at 2.30 pm
DAVE SAMPSON and ANN WALKER are getting married.

If you would like to join us for this happy, informal WEDDING CEREMONY please come to
St Chad’s Church, Pattingham.

We hope to see you there!

Dave and Ann

Currency appeal

The heatwaves are over and holiday memories are fading.

You will recall that two years ago our currency appeal raised over £160 for the Well food bank. If you have spare notes and coins stuffed in a drawer, no matter how old (obsolete currency is acceptable), please put it into the well, in a separate bag, at the rear of the church. 

Happy hunting!

Alan Smith

Poppies

To all the wonderful Poppy Makers

Could we please have all your poppies delivered to church by
Saturday 26th September?

There will be a container in church. Please put your name on the bag containing your precious poppies.

With the Biggest Thank You from Tracey.

Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal

The time is almost upon us to prepare our shoe boxes. We will need to collect them by 25th October. I do hope that we can do something to help these people, for whom life really is a struggle, especially in these difficult times.

The charity asks us to prepare boxes for either a family or an elderly couple. There are leaflets at the back of church which will give greater details and make suggestions about what they would like us to include in the boxes.

It is important to read the instructions on the leaflet which clearly define what you can put in the boxes. Due to customs and import regulations, you can’t just put anything in.

the recommended size is an average adult shoebox around a size 8-10 (approximately 18 x 10 x 30 cm).

Please note, they ask for a £3 donation with each Christmas shoebox to cover the cost of shipping.

Last year we collected 43 boxes. I wonder if we can beat that this year? Full details are on the website:- https://linktohope.co.uk/shoebox-appeal-resources-2026

Barbara Tritton
17 High Street, Pattingham
(01902 700065)

International Day of Peace Service

On Monday 21st September at 2.00 pm at 2.00 pm Rev Andrew Mann-Ray will be leading a service on behalf of the Inner Wheel Club of Tettenhall for the International Day of Peace at Tettenhall Wood United Reformed Church, Mount Road, Tettenhall Wood.

The service will be followed with light refreshments. Everyone is welcome.

The Well – the Wolverhampton Food Bank

The Well

Harvest gifts will once again be donated to the Well foodbank to provide food and essentials for those who are in desperate need. Please give as generously as you are able.

Harvest Festival Shopping List

Please choose one or more items from this list to donate to the Well.

  • UHT milk
  • Cereal
  • Tea or coffee
  • Sugar
  • Jam or spreads
  • UHT squash or fruit juice
  • Tinned meat or fish
  • Dried pasta, rice or noodles
  • Pulses or couscous
  • Tinned soup
  • Tinned vegetables
  • Jars of pasta or cooking sauce
  • Tinned fruit, puddings or custard
  • Snacks or biscuits
  • Nappies – sealed packets, sizes 4, 5 or 6
  • Baby wipes or toiletries
  • Baby food with a long use-by date
  • Women’s and men’s toiletries
  • Household cleaning products

Please note: We can only receive food that is within its use-by or best-before date.

Thank you for supporting The Well.

<www.thewellwolverhampton.co.uk>

Dementia Friendly Church

Weekly Prayer 

Becoming Dementia Friendly Church

Heavenly Father, we pray for all affected by Dementia.
In this difficult journey, we pray that you grant them hope, comfort, peace and strength. May they feel your love and presence to let them know you are with them always. Grant their caretakers the patience and compassion they need to care for their loved ones.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen

(author unknown)

If you would like to suggest (or write) a prayer for inclusion in this series please let Tracey Williams, our Dementia Friendly Church Co-ordinator, know.

From the Memorial Book

Those whose  anniversaries occur between 6th and 20th September.

Margaret Mary Bartlett – 6th September 2004
Ian Smart – 7th September 2006
Olive Bentley – 8th September 2001
Doris Scarth – 8th September 2003
Rosemary Anne Tonks – 8th September 2009
Edna Mara Broom – 8th September 2014
Lesley Margaret Dain – 10th September 2015
Michael Patrick Curtis – 10th September 2021
Thomas Harold Beach – 12th September 1995
Phyllis Mabel Price – 13th September 2007
Annie Mary Caddick – 13th September 2011
Jonathan Hassall – 13th September 2019
Reginald John Henshaw – 14th September 2006
Jan Zdanowski – 14th September 2011
Spencer William Ohm – 14th September 2011
George Price – 15th September 1961
Peter John Curtis – 15th September 2005
Dorothy Caddick – 17th September 2007
Dorothy Lavender – 18th September 2016
Harry Colin Robinson – 18th September 2021
Jack Bennett – 19th September 1990
A. H. Norman Harris – 20th September 2004
Barbara Agnes Roberts – 20th September 2021

You can see all the pages of the Memorial Book on the Memorial Book Online page of the Church website.

Giving to the church

Details of the various ways in which you can give can be found on the Giving page of the website.

You can make a bank transfer to our bank account (Account name: Pattingham Parochial Church Council – Sort Code: 20-97-78 Account No: 50655023).

If you are paying by cheque please make the cheque payable to “Pattingham PCC” or “Pattingham Parochial Church Council“.

JustGiving

We have a JustGiving page to enable people to make one off donations. It’s at <https://www.justgiving.com/page/pattingham-church-jg>. You will be asked if you want to make a contribution on top of your donation. If you do it will go to JustGiving and not to charity. If you do not want to make such a contribution select “other”. If you are a taxpayer please consider gift aiding your donation.

ChadNet

This bulletin is sent to those who have requested it. We now have 166 subscribers but there may still  be some people who are not aware of it and would wish to receive it. The weekly bulletin for each Sunday will normally be sent on the preceding Friday or Saturday. Additional bulletins may be sent if required. It is only being sent to those who have requested it.

If you know of anyone who might be interested please tell them about it and ask them to sign up using the form on the website (www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/chadnet/sign-up-to-chadnet/) or by email to

St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604