Members and seekers gathered for a weekend together in Bampton.   They came from Suffolk, Reading, Oxford, Abergavenny and Torquay, to meet, eat, talk and pray:  to be community, in fact.

Some of us visited Knightshayes, a local National Trust property on the Saturday morning and enjoyed the daffodils, crocuses and primroses in the spring sunshine.  Then there were more arrivals, greetings, and a soup and bread and cheese lunch before our afternoon session in two parts:  firstly a sharing of reflections on the joys and challenges of growing older, which morphed naturally into thoughts about a number of life transitions and the impact they had on us.   Then there was a chance to do something creative with paper, glue and bits and pieces of all sorts of things, which was much enjoyed by most.

In the evening we were joined for Vespers by others who had been unable to join us for the weekend for different reasons:  it was very good to see all of them.   And then a meal together, with food that had been brought by all:  what an excellent way to end the day.

Sunday morning was the highlight of the weekend:  Mass celebrated by Fr Chris, and including Gaynor making her Promise and becoming a full member of the Community.   It was a really happy event which will live long in the memory.

Peter Stott