A Good Christmas and New Year to all of our visitors to St. Hils and more.

Hiya Everyone
Firstly - as it is Christmas morning here in the UK  I want to wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas and New Year as do ALL at St. Hilary's!

I also thought I would share a few things I have been doing over the last few days alongside one small calamity which looks like it won't ever be resolved courtesy the thick pile on our carpet upon which the dining table with miniature church stands.............but such is life and no point crying over spilt milk is there?

I have been busy pulling together the various photos (and taking a few more too!)  taken of our "children" playing various board games over the last few weeks with the aim of creating a Games Afternoon  page which introduces Gracie, GP and Prince to St. Hils formally for the first time.  As I checked the adhoc photos taken........ie children playing snakes and ladders.........chess................solitaire...........dominoes etc......I quickly realised that the back drop and props were sometimes completely different so I knew it was impossible to palm it all off as a "one day event" as it were.  So you will see that we have put it online as a series of events and "one off" occasions instead where Gracie may or may not be there at the time.  I hope you all enjoy the new page!

I have deliberately NOT given too much away about Prince...........and have yet to work out HOW he was found roaming and wandering in and out of church...........especially as he is NOT a stray........but I have made sure you all aware that he IS an ex-guide dog and has been taken in by Rev Ken and family.  However an "ex-guide dog" he HAS to have some kind of history inorder to explain WHY he didn't quite "make the grade".  I DO have in mind the main reason..........but it will become apparent as time moves on. 

I must share with you here a photo which didn't quite make it to the new page itself....unyet I really LOVE it.  I took it using just natural light during yesterday and with my Canon 980 Ixus on a stand, image stabiliser turned off, on manual mode, ISO 200 and long shutter speed determined by the camera's intellect and not mine!  I also had the ten second timer on too in order to eliminate camera shake....

I think it looks really good - AND crystal clear even on the full size version which is not seen here for obvious reasons!  I felt it was TOO dark to entertain on the page itself but for some reason or other it gives such atmosphere too....................................hope you all agree with me there!  Note that "Christmas cards" are still being advertised behind the children!  I did pull that leaflet off in later photos however.  I tell you - so many "faux pas" on this new page and this is one of them!  However I still hope that it works for all our visitors even so..........

Before moving on from "faux pas", I was most indignant when I accidentally flicked a small black draught off the board whilst trying to slide it into place with a miniature candle!  You would THINK that a miniature candle would be a better tool for this delicate job than a clumsy finger of mine.......WRONG!  That was after the umteenth attempt which, when finally accomplished each time, was scoobered AGAIN by a botched attempt by myself to add another prop to the scene to give added interest but only succeding in knocking something else over........booooooooooooooooo

You all may also have noticed that I have also completed a clean sweep on our Downloads page where you will find that ALL the old "general" cards have been deleted but, in their place, are six brand new ones which I spent time yesterday creating alongside two New Year cards too.
Hope you all like the new selection.......


Anyway...................I better leave you all in peace as we plan to arrive in time for a Christmas morning service at our church for 10.30 and Andrew will soon be running upstairs to see what I am up to....................poor chap..........
Till the next time.