Past Events

May 29th 2022 – Jubilee Banner Dedication

A wonderful service was held on the afternoon of the 29th May 2022 to dedicate the Upleadon Platinum Jubilee Banner, made by the Upleadon PCC, to Her Majesty the Queen. Many thanks to Rev’d Kat Mepham and Rev’d Canon Richard Franklin who gave a delightful service of thanks, remembrance and dedication to HM the Queen. A retiring collection was held in aid of the Ukraine refugees. Those attending then went to the Village Hall where a sumptuous afternoon tea followed the service with plenty of savoury and sweet delights to go around, with a Bucks Fizz toast to HM the Queen.

Upleadon Platinum Jubilee Celebration Banner
Service taken by Rev’d Kat Mepham and Rev’d Canon Rickard Franklin
Afternoon Tea and Celebratory Bucks Fizz Toast

2022 Jumble Sale

It was an incredible 2 years since our last jumble sale, due to the advent of COVID. Many thanks to everyone who came out and supported our Jumble Sale – either by donating items, helping to collect, store and sort, helping to sell, or most of all, all of the buyers who came out and bought our jumble – we couldn’t have done it without you!! Just over £280 was raised which will be used to support the ongoing maintenance of our Village Church. Many thanks also to Becky who came and supported us by selling her wax melts and hand made craft items – https://www.facebook.com/craftygiftswithbecks/

Clothes, books, jigsaws, games and CDs/DVDs
More clothing and books, ornaments, bric a brac and general items
Becky supporting us with her Crafty Gifts

2021 Christmas Raffle

I can’t believe that it is now a year since our last Christmas Raffle and pretty much our last major fund raising event. COVID is still impacting how we raise funds to keep our church running and also how we live our day to day lives. Ticket sales were once again not primarily sold door to door, but once again, we had fabulous support from villagers, family friends and neighbours. The draw was held on Saturday December 4th at our coffee morning in the Village Hall that was very well supported. We also had a bric-a-brac stall and a cake stall selling items and raising funds. THe draw was held at about 11:30 and the prize winners were as follows:

1st – Luxury Food Hamper – Ticket 0309 – G Cook
2nd – 1/2 English Lamb – Ticket 0100 – A Mayo
3rd – 1/2 case of wine – Ticket 0529 – J Leighton
4th – Afternoon Tea for Two – Ticket 1044 – P Turner
5th – Whisky and Shortbread – Ticket 0019 – J Martin
6th – Christmas Cake – Ticket 0161 – B Cowles
7th – £30 Tesco Voucher – Ticket 0228 – J Reid
8th – 4 Christmas Beers – Ticket 0347 – D Dunn
9th – 4 Bottles of Wine – Ticket 0053 – C Draper
10th – Christmas Essentials Hamper – Ticket 0138 – Gosling
11th – Biscuits and Chocolates – Ticket 0248 – S Reid
12th – Oak Chopping Board – Ticket 0749 – K Corrigan
13th – Pot Plants – Ticket 0690 – P Teasdale
14th – Christmas Gifts with Becks – Ticket 0970 – A Grey

Fabulous First Prize
Second Prize
Christmas Cake
Cakes and Christmas Items
Cakes and Christmas Items
Bric a Brac
Crafty Gifts with Becks

2020 Christmas Raffle

Very Many thanks to all those who supported this years Christmas Raffle in these difficult and troubled times. Remaining COVID safe meant it wasn’t possible to go door to door selling tickets so they were instead distributed as wide and as far as we could hoping that you, our villagers, would support us and I’m very pleased to say – you did! And then some! We raised a fantastic amount, all things considered and we hope you were one of the 12 lucky winners. The prizes and their winners are as follows:

1st – Luxury Food Hamper – Ticket 0655 – B Vye
2nd – 1/2 English Lamb – Ticket 0659 – S Smith
3rd – 1/2 case of wine – Ticket 0685 – J Arnold
4th – £30 Tesco Voucher – Ticket 0546 – L Bassett
5th – Whisky and Shortbread – Ticket 0963 – A Woolfrey
6th – Christmas Cake – Ticket 0819 – E Southall
7th – Jo Malone Perfume – Ticket 0551 – R Garlick
8th – Champagne and Chocolates – Ticket 0822 – H Murphy
9th – Pamper Set – Ticket 0268 – J Leighton
10th – Champagne and Chocolates – Ticket 0958 – A Woolfrey
11th – Scarf, Bath Tin and Chocolates – Ticket 0142 – J Dalby
12th – Writing Set, gift cards, etc – Ticket 0974 – S Hodgson

Christmas Hamper
Christmas Raffle Prizes
Christmas Cake
More Raffle Prizes

March Jumble Sale

Upleadon PCC held a jumble sale in the Memorial Hall in Newent on Saturday morning, 14th March.  This was the first such sale that the PCC has held for a great number of years and considering the current Coronavirus situation in the country we did not have high expectations.   However, there was a queue waiting for the doors to open, a good many people enjoyed tea/coffee and cake during the morning and to our delight £269.76 was raised for church funds.  Thank you to all who turned out their cupboards and donated items for sale, we were overwhelmed by the response, and thank you to all who gave their time to sort through all the items, set up tables and chairs and manned the stalls on the morning.   A big thank you too to Sean Murphy who kindly transported everything to the Memorial Hall in his covered trailer, I don’t know how we would have managed otherwise, with difficulty no doubt!   It was a big success, well worth the effort and something we shall definitely repeat. Christine Draper


Mike’s General Knowledge Quiz

A good time was had by all at Upleadon Village Hall on Saturday, 22nd February, at the annual church quiz.   As usual varied rounds of questions set all our brains working and the fish and chips in the interval gave us a mental rest before completing the final rounds.   It is always a popular and well supported evening, even if you come away realising that you don’t know as much as you thought you did.  I can say that because our table came last!     Thank you Mike for all your hard work, and once again, giving us a very enjoyable evening which raised £278.50 for church funds. Christine Draper.


Christmas Raffle and Coffee Morning

Very many thanks to everyone who came out and supported us at our last coffee morning of 2019 and also our Christmas Raffle draw. There were plenty of home made mince pies and fresh tea and coffee being eagerly eaten and drunk. The Christmas Raffle was drawn around 11:30 and the prizes and winners were as follows:

1st Prize – Luxury Food Hamper – Ticket 452 – M Turner

2nd Prize – 1/2 English Lamb – Ticket 829 – M Brooks

3rd Prize – 1/2 Case of Wine – Ticket 756 – J Emery

4th Prize – £30 Tesco Voucher – Ticket 242 – J Thorn

5th Prize – £30 Gardening Voucher – Ticket 699 – P Turner

6th Prize – Whisky and Liqueurs – Ticket 793 – S Dunn

7th Prize – Christmas Cake – Ticket 842 – H Day

8th Prize – Champagne and Chocolates – Ticket 1019 – R Moody

9th Prize – Toiletries – Ticket 016 – M Jackson

10th Prize – Framed Photographs – Ticket 054 – Claudine


Remembrance Sunday Service

On Sunday 10th November at 10.50am Upleadon Church held a short Remembrance Day Service at the War Memorial, conducted by Lay Worship Leader Christine Draper, when wreaths from Upleadon Parish Council and Upleadon Church were laid. It was a fine sunny morning and the service was well attended by 30 people. It was a pleasure to see so many gathering to mark this poignant time in the year. At the village hall afterwards coffee and biscuits were provided to allow people to meet and socialise.

Harvest Lunch

The Harvest Lunch for Upleadon Church took place on Sunday, 20th October in Upleadon Village Hall on a lovely sunny day.  Guests Canon Roger Parker and Mrs. Parker attended and Roger kindly said Grace to start the meal.  The hall was full with 64 people enjoying delicious hot casseroles, assorted puddings, cheese and biscuits and coffee, and a very successful raffle raising £148 was run by Mrs. Julie Bruton, thank you Julie you do a wonderful job.  A very big thank you to all members of the PCC and others who kindly donated food and raffle prizes and all those who worked so hard serving food, clearing tables, washing up and generally supporting the occasion.  It is a pleasure to see the fellowship of so many gathered together.  Although the Harvest Lunch is not a fund raising event, because of the generosity of so many people the princely sum of £658 was raised for church funds.

Harvest Festival

Upleadon Church was beautifully decorated for Harvest Festival held on Sunday, 6th October when around 22 people attended the service conducted by Canon Roger Parker.    Roger delighted us all with his ideas for congregation participation, it is not often that a combine harvester is seen in church!   It was lovely to see so many for this annual service of thanksgiving and thank you to Roger and all who gave their time to make Harvest Festival an occasion.    Harvest Lunch will follow in Upleadon Village Hall on Sunday, 20th October.

50th Anniversary of the Re-opening

A service to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the re-opening and re-dedication of Upleadon Church was held on the afternoon of Sunday 16th June.   The church was beautifully decorated with flowers, the scent of which filled the air, and it was a joy to see so many in the congregation gathering to celebrate this momentous occasion. 

In 1966 the church was considered unsafe, massive repairs were needed, including underpinning, barbed wire surrounded the closed church and it would have stayed that way had it not been for a huge fund raising effort by villagers in Upleadon to find the money to carry out the necessary renovation.   The church re-opened in 1969 thanks to those villagers who gave their time and money to save Upleadon Church for future generations.

The delightful service was conducted by the Rev’d Canon Richard Franklin and former vicars the Rev’d Pat Phillips and the Rev’d Ray Martin attended.   Reports on the history and foundation of the church and on the events of 1966-1969 were read out during the service.  Afterwards there were refreshments in the village hall together with a display of memorabilia relating to the closure and re-opening of the church and a film taken in 1969 of people attending the service.   This proved very popular with villagers who could see faces from the past! Everyone who came to the celebration thoroughly enjoyed it and very many thanks to those who contributed in any way to the success of the afternoon.   Thanks to PCC members especially Mrs. Janet Leighton and Mrs. Christine Draper.