Our vicar, Chris Dodds, dressed in a cassock and surplice for the first time in his life, hymns that were over a century old, the 1662 liturgy, Chris preaching from the pulpit. What was happening at our 10:00am service on Sunday 26th July 2022?

St Aidan’s Ladies Guild (Miramar) were celebrating 100 years of service to the church and our community. Things had changed in 100 years and we had a few laughs looking at the original constitution. Among the changes were that Guild subscriptions used to be one shilling a month, money could not be spent without the consent of the vicar, new members had to be nominated and seconded by two existing members and the vicar was, ex officio, head of the Guild.

We were invited to take part in a 1930’s Guild meeting and heard about the importance of those appointed to serve as buyers and cutters; those who bought fabric and those who cut out garments for the ladies to sew. We heard about the apron competitions where each member sewed an apron. After the judging, these were then kept to be sold on the apron stall at the annual Bazaar. Help was needed for the Bazaar, for Ladies to serve on various stalls, sweets, books, cakes, fancy, and plain. These latter two were the stalls where sewing was sold.

There have been changes within the Guild in the last 100 years. Chris took up this theme in his sermon and pointed out some of the many changes in the way we worshipped and functioned as a church. His main point was that while many things around us change, God does not change; God is always the same and always consistent.

There was a delicious morning tea after the service with a cake to celebrate the 100 years of the St Aidan’s Ladies Guild. The tablecloth under the cake has the signatures of all the Ladies Guild Members in it’s 100 year history embroidered on to it. Three candles were lit (a 1 and two 0’s), Happy Birthday sung by all present, the candles snuffed out and everyone enjoyed a piece of the cake.

By Helen Bathurst