Aylsham Beanefest 750CF

“Beanefest” for popular Aylsham vicar

The community of Aylsham is throwing a one-day festival on Sunday July 28 to say thank you and farewell to its extremely popular rector as he moves on to pastures new.

 
Revd Canon Andrew Beane is preparing to take up a new post as the Archdeacon of Exeter in Devon in August.
 
Andrew, along with his wife Catherine and daughter Lucy, have led something of a quiet revolution of church and community life in Aylsham and the surrounding villages. The church has become the heart of a vibrant community welcoming people from all ages and backgrounds to a huge variety of events.
 
Andrew Beane 256CFDuring the seven years of their ministry in the town the church congregation has more than doubled, the numbers of weddings, funerals and christenings have dramatically increased, thousands of young people have attended the highly popular holiday family activity days, and pioneering modern technology has been used to enhance people’s experiences of the building and its services, as well as to connect people with one another.
 
Beanefest, a special community celebration at Aylsham Parish Church, is Aylsham’s way of saying thank you and farewell to Andrew and his family. The day will begin at 9.30am with a special Quarter-Peel of the Aylsham Church bells, after which Andrew will conduct his final service at 10.15am.
 
The service will be followed by a big community bring and share picnic at 12 noon, and Beanefest will run from around 2pm. Attractions include a Pimm’s Tent, live music from local choirs and bands, Coxfords butcher’s BBQ, children and youth Activities, pop-up “Black Boys” pub, and many more surprises throughout the afternoon. 
 
One Aylsham resident said:
“We are incredibly grateful to Andrew and Catherine for what they have done for this town. We don’t want them to go, but we plan to send them off in style.”
 
Revd Jack Branford, Andrew’s curate at Aylsham Church said:
 
“Andrew, Catherine and Lucy will be sorely missed by our churches, the wider community and by myself personally. Over the last 7 years they have brought incredible love, creativity, vision, energy and compassion to everything they do, making a difference to literally thousands of lives including my own. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to ‘learn the trade’ and for better people to learn it from.
 
“We hope as many people from our community as possible can join us in throwing them a farewell party they will never forget.”
 
Aylsham Parish Church is at The Market Place, Aylsham, Norwich, NR11 6EL.

Free parking for the event is at St. Michael’s Primary School.
 
Visit:
www.aylshamteamministry.org.uk
www.facebook.com/aylshamparishchurch
 



TonyRothe150Do you have a news story or forthcoming event relating to Christians or a church in North Norfolk?  

If so, e-mail tony.rothe@networknorwich.co.uk with details and, if possible a suitable picture.