Community Highlights: Spirituality, Adventure, Music and Support

The Diocese of Ross continues to foster a sense of community and spiritual nourishment through a variety of events and activities scheduled for the coming week. From virtual prayers to physical gatherings, there is something for everyone looking for comfort and connection.

8:45am – 10:15am: Start your day on the right foot with St. Mary’s Toast and Toddles. It’s an opportunity for parents and toddlers to get together and have a fun morning together.

3:30pm: “Reflection and Prayer” on Zoom and engage in spiritual meditation.For access please contact us [email protected].

10am: Attend Holy Communion in the marquee chapel of St. Mary’s Church and participate in the Solemnity of Holy Communion.

11:45 a.m.: Connect with St. Mary’s Thursday Prayer Group via Zoom. For more information on getting involved, visit rossparishes.uk/worship/prayer.

6:30pm – 7:30pm: Join the Youth Choir rehearsal at St. Mary’s. It is a platform for young voices to harmonize and express themselves.

7-8pm: Fine-tune your vocal talents with choir practice, also held at St. Mary’s Church.

8am: The day begins with Holy Communion at St. Mary’s Church. It is a quiet worship service filled with tradition and respect.

9:30 a.m.: At 9:30 a.m., a Eucharistic service will be held at St. Mary’s Church, which will also be streamed live.

9:00am – 11:00am: Enjoy tea and toast and browse the community larder at St. Mary’s Hall. A welcoming space for nourishment and fellowship.

2:30pm to 4pm: Just B Bereavement Group in St. Mary’s.

6.30pm: St. George’s Day Service at St. Michael’s, Walford.

The Diocese of Ross invites all members of the community to participate in these enriching experiences, fostering connections and growing the spirit.

The Ross and District Walking Group celebrated its 40th anniversary on April 10, 2024 at a general meeting held at the Ross Conservative Club.

In April 1984, Margaret Smith and some friends decided it would be fun to form a group to walk together on a regular basis. They did this and the first walk was on her April 24, 1984. Initially, the club had a printed program. This has transitioned to an email-based program, and the club now has a website where the program is displayed and is accessible to members as well as non-members.

The group now has over 100 members and typically holds two walks a week of varying length and difficulty. Walks are graded so people can choose walks within their abilities. Groups have coffee breaks and picnic lunches, and they carry their own snacks. Sometimes there is a pub lunch at the end of your morning walk. There are also social events such as summer barbecues, games of Skittles and the occasional quiz. Ross and the district walking group enjoy his annual Christmas lunch and New Year’s lunch at the pub. You can also enjoy an optional walk before each one. Group weekend breaks also occur each year. Last year it was held on the Isle of Wight, but next September it will be held in the Elan Valley in mid-Wales.

The group works closely with Walkers Welcome and helps out with the annual Walking Festival in September.

For more information, please visit our website: rosswalkinggroup.co.uk. New members are always welcome to join and try Walk Sand. The Ross and District Walking Group allows participants to try her three different walks before deciding whether to sign up.

Ross & District Royal British Legion Association are delighted to announce that we will be holding a concert on St George’s Day with special guests.

The Hereford Male Police Choir will be taking part in a one-off concert by the Norwegian Male Choir ‘The Walking and Singing Men’s Association of Abbey Island and Schön Falls’ on Saturday 27th April at 7pm at John Kyle High School.

The Norwegian Male Choir is in the country on a singing tour and was specially invited by Hereford Choir to sing with them in Ross-on-Wye in support of the Royal Legion.

Their director Kjetil Svestad told RBL: “Our choir was founded by myself in 2010 for men who wanted to sing in a men’s choir. The choir is made up of 25 singers, 21 of whom are part of this We sing all kinds of songs for entertainment on a variety of occasions. Our singers come from different parts of the surrounding area and represent a variety of talents, personalities and backgrounds. We are a group of happy amateurs who sing because we have a lot of fun. We want to touch people’s hearts and bring joy to others.”

Tickets cost £15 and are available to book now or buy on the day.

For more information or to book tickets, please contact RBL Events. [email protected] If you can’t get online, please call us on 07788 272500.

This is a cash only event. Refreshments will also be provided with your ticket.

On April 9th, Ross-on-Wye resident Bob King gave an illustrated letter to Los Vaga Probus about “building the infrastructure for the 17th Commonwealth Games to be held in Manchester in 2002”. I gave a presentation.

As city architect and later director of special projects, Bob was tasked with delivering the stadium and facilities promised in the original tournament bid. Manchester was in the running to host the Commonwealth Games against London and Sheffield and was appointed host on 6 November 1995.

The ‘centerpiece’ stadium was designed and engineered by Arup and constructed by Laing Construction. Construction began in January 2000. It cost around £100 million, the majority of which was provided by the National Lottery and the remainder by Manchester City Council.

Bob explained how the council and the contractor worked closely together. This collaboration ensured that this major project was completed on time and on budget.

Bob explained the layout of the Eastlands Campus (Sports City) and how, at the Commonwealth Games, the new City of Manchester Stadium will feature one lower tier running on three sides of the athletics track, and two open-air tiers on either side. I explained. There is a temporary stand at one end, with an overall capacity of 38,000 people.

Bob explains the unique design and architectural elements of the award-winning stadium roof, and how from the beginning it was intended that the stadium would be converted for use as a larger capacity soccer stadium after the Olympics. I explained.

After the match, part of the track will be removed and re-laid on the other athletics field, the internal ground level will be lowered by 10 meters, and additional seating will be added to the terrace already built and filled in with its original shape. A location has been secured for installation. The construction took nearly a year to complete and added 23,000 permanent seats, increasing the renovated stadium’s capacity by 7,000 to approximately 45,000. Manchester City FC moved to its home base for the start of the 2003-04 season. With further development of the stadium, the capacity will increase to 53,400 people, and further developments are also planned.

Vaga Probus is a group of men who meet twice a month in Los Angeles. Visitors are welcome. If you are interested in visiting or have a talk you would like to give, please contact the office. [email protected]. For more information, please visit the website www.vaga-probus-ross.org.uk.

Ross-on-Ye continues to work towards becoming a dementia-friendly town.

This year’s Dementia Action Week will see free events held across the town.

A coffee morning will be held at Rosedale Nursing Home on Monday, May 13th at 10am.To make a reservation by email [email protected] Or call us on 01989 218082/ 07985 367107.

Tai Chi Movement for Health will be held on Tuesday, May 14 at 10 a.m. at the Ross Community Garden.For reservations please email [email protected] Or call us at 07972624378.

“All God’s Children” – A service of music, readings and prayers will be held at St. Mary’s Church on Wednesday, May 15th at 11 a.m.

The Tea Dance at the Tudor Building and District Community Center will be held on Thursday, May 16th from 1pm to 4pm.For reservations please email [email protected] Or call us at 07506992971.

The Tudorville and District Community Center will also host Slipper Football against Ross Juniors FC on Friday, May 17th at 12pm.

A Coffee Morning Sing-A-Long will be held at West Bank Housing on Saturday, May 18th at 10am.For reservations please email [email protected] Or call us on 01989 562741.

Market stalls will open from 10am on Saturday, May 18th.

Finally, there will be a Sing-A-Long by the Phoenix Singers at the Tudorville and District Community Center on Sunday, May 19th from 2pm to 4pm.