The first planning meeting for the Rosedale Christmas Tree Festival 2025 will be held in Abbey Stores on Wednesday 24 September at 7.00pm. All who are interested in helping and/or exhibiting are most welcome. Enquiries to Sam Dring on 01751 417237.

The coffee morning in the Coach House Inn on Saturday 6 September from 10.00 to 12.00am will be in aid of the Rosedale Church Appeal.

There will be a cake and produce sale as well as the ever popular raffle, along with good coffee and company so Dave and the team at the Coach House look forward to welcoming you.

The new Rosedale calendar has just been published, containing landscapes, people and wildlife of the dale taken by seven local photographers and is sold in aid of the Rosedale church appeal fund.

The calendar is available in Abbey Stores in Rosedale Abbey at £10 a copy and will be on sale in the Rosedale History Archive tent at Rosedale Show on 16 August. Further sale outlets will be notified here shortly.

The appeal stands at around £100,000, an outstanding achievement for such a small parish, and work on stabilising the roof is expected to start shortly once architects plans are finally approved; however, the total cost for all the works necessary is thought now to be over £200,000 so bids are being placed with the appropriate finding bodies. As the advert says ‘every little bit helps’ so your contributions will be very welcome!

Calling all Rosedale residents, past & present.

A Rosedale Recipe Book ….

Can you help by providing us with a recipe or two of your favourite dishes, savoury and sweet, to be included in a recipe book? All funds raised will go towards Rosedale Abbey Church Appeal. To request full details please go to: rosedalerecipes@outlook.co

Dear friends,

Tomorrow we celebrate Candlemas – the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, at

9.15 am Hutton (Revd Christine)

9.15 am Rosedale (me)

10.45 am Lastingham (me).

In addition we will be remembering that this is Holocaust Memorial Week, so we will be having a quiet space towards the end of the service at Lastingham so that we can light candles while Maddy plays quiet music.

Please feel welcome to attend any service.

The Festival of Candlemas has a very ancient tradition. Look, for instance, at Candlemas on Wikipedia.

We celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, while his mother Mary offers a purification offering. The later service of Churching of Women still in the Prayer Book relates to this, but is very little practised today, at least in Britain. Revd Christine has only once been involved in such a service, and I, never.

Also, people in Anglican tradition would bring candles to church on this day to be blessed, and in the Middle Ages made offerings  of candles to the church for its use throughout the year.

Finally – although there is lots more about Candlemas on the web – while some people take down Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night, they are often left up until Candlemas. Since the Wise Men only arrive in our cribs and Nativity sets (strictly) at Epiphany, taking them away six days later hardly gives us a chance to enjoy them, so that’s another reason to leave decorations in place until February 2^nd1

With prayers and blessings,

Revd David

There will be a carol service in the church this Wednesday 18th December at 6.30pm with mulled wine and mince pies to follow.

All residents and visitors, young and old, are most welcome

Northern Power Grid have provided cold weather care kits comprising hot water bottles, blankets, torches and spare batteries, which are currently available in Rosedale Church. If you know of anyone in Rosedale and Hartoft in need of help in keeping warm please take one.

Shown below is a provisional list of dates over the next two months – please look in regularly for any changes and additions!

Sunday 10 November – 1015 am – Remembrance Sunday Service, Rosedale Church and War Memorial

Tuesday 12 November – 7.00pm – Rosedale Show AGM followed by Committee Meeting, Reading Room

Friday 22 November – 7.30 pm – Barn Owl Talk, Reading Room, free entry but donations to Church Appeal welcomed

Saturday 30 November – 8.30pm – Christmas Auction in aid of The Reading Room, Coach House Inn

Sunday 1 December – 2.00-4.00pm – Rosedale History Archive Tea and Chat, Reading Room

Saturday 7 December – 10.00-12.00am – Coffee Morning, Coach House Inn

Wednesday 11 December – 4.00pm – Father Christmas visits Rosedale Abbey

Monday 23 December – 6.30pm – Carols on The Green, Rosedale Abbey Village Green. Collection in Aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Steve Brace and Linda Blackburne, of the Oaks, Rosedale Abbey, were married in St Mary and St Lawrence Church, Rosedale Abbey, on Saturday 3 August. The ceremony was presided over by the Reverend Christine Haddon-Reece and the music was provided by members of the Moorland Voices choir and Chris Dyson of Gaelforce.

The reception was held in the paddock of the Oaks, in Rosedale Abbey.

Hearty best wishes and congratulations from all in the dale to Steve and Linda