March brings World Day of Prayer and beginning of Lent

Notice that I didn’t write ‘Women’s Day of Prayer’, as the scope has been widened, quite rightly, to include men as well.

You should have time to go over to in Owton Manor Baptist Church this evening for this year’s service which begins at 6.30pm.

Male and female, you will be all welcome, and let’s face it, the world could do with all the prayers we’ve got.

Tomorrow, Hartlepool Male Voice Choir will be performing at St Mary’s Church on the Headland at 7pm.

Tickets are £5 and are available on the door. Every is welcome. You should certainly have an entertaining evening.

Next week brings the beginning of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday, surprisingly enough, on Wednesday.

The Lent Course at St Columba’s Dryden Road, Hartlepool, will be on Tuesday evenings from March 5 until April 9 inclusive.

Arrive at 7pm for refreshments. This course is based on the BBC hit TV drama ‘Broken’, starring Sean Bean and Anna Friel. Once again, all are welcome.

The afternoon course starts the following week and is ‘The Glory of the Cross’, daily reflections for Lent from John’s Gospel by Tim Chester.

This will be at 2pm onTuesdays March 12 and 19 (not the 26) and April 2, 9 and 16. This will take place at the Church of the Nazarene, Lowthian Road.

Everyone is welcome and print copies of ‘The Glory of the Cross’, £5 per copy, are available from Cath and Dave Thompson, telephone 01429 232195.

We are in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight and one of the highlights will be seeing a giant bar of chocolate travelling on a bus – the 10.34am from the Grand Hotel to Stockton on Saturday – tomorrow.

It will be waved of by Rob Cook, the deputy mayor, and greeted by the Mayor in Stockton, walked to the Tees barrage and then taken by bike to Middlesbrough.

The travels are ecologically sound, but are also the modes of transport available to all the chocolate producers.

Come along to Middleton Grange on Thursday to see the Fairtrade goods for sale, get some information and take part in our fun quiz.

Friday sees the judging in the Baltic Suite, the National Navy Museum, of this year’s fair-trade challenge – to make the most beautiful thing you can from chocolate or cocoa.

Entries must be delivered there between 9.30 and 10.30am. Entry forms are available from The Vestry, Catcote Metro Shop and the Cornerstone. Go on – enter. You might win!