Autumn is rapidly approaching and we will be celebrating Harvest Festival at the end of the month.  Throughout the autumn there are services coming up which we celebrate between now and December including the Pet Thanksgiving Service on 20^th October and the Laying up of Boats in conjunction with DQSC.

Harvest Festival

Come and celebrate this festival at St Mary’s at 09.30 on Sunday 29th September when we will join with Fishbourne for a joint parish Eucharist. The flower team will fill the church with seasonal displays and produce.  We’ll be giving thanks for God’s creation and sharing what we have with those in need. We’re collecting for the Chichester Foodbank at both churches. Please leave your gifts at the church on the Saturday or bring them with you on the Sunday. There will be a joint lunch at Fishbourne at 12pm, followed by a short service at 2pm. For more details of the lunch, and to book tickets, click here.

Apuldram bat walk

 A group of about 15 of us met at dusk one Saturday evening. Dr Sam Wells gave us a talk about the 17 species of bats that are native to this country. She is an ecologist, extremely knowledgeable – and a real enthusiast about bats! She explained their lifestyle, feeding, breeding etc. We were then each given an audio-detector, capable of detecting the bats across the range of frequencies that different species use for detecting their environment and finding the insects that they eat. As it got darker we moved down to the ditches by the main car park and were rewarded by hearing, and then spotting, our first bats – Pipistrelles. Then we walked down to the edge of the harbour in the dark and found a wide range of different species out hunting. 
A worthwhile evening and we are now much better informed about these tiny mammals and their importance in the natural world. And we know that bats can see – the phrase ‘blind as a bat’ is very misleading. They have just evolved to hunt at night when there is less competition! (Alan Stott)

Ride and Stride
The first event in the month is the annual Sussex Ride and Stride on Saturday 14th September. This is a sponsored ride (bike or horse) or walk in which people all over Sussex walk or cycle between churches, exploring and enjoying the countryside. The money raised through sponsorship assists the Sussex Historic Churches Trust save churches, chapels and meeting houses over 100 years old for future generations by helping to fund urgent repairs and undertake restoration works. 50% of the sponsorship goes to the SHCT, the other 50% to participants’ chosen church.  Why not take part this year and raise money for St Mary’s?  It is surprising how many churches there are in the city to visit so a walk around is an easy way to raise money.

Rymans Open Garden
An opportunity to visit for the last time this year. The garden will be ablaze with dahlias, sedums, late roses, sages and Japanese anemones. And, of course, the last chance this year to enjoy the teas in St Mary’s Meeting Room!
Sunday 15th September 2.00 to 5.00 pm

Installation of the new Dean of Chichester
The Venerable Edward Dowler is being installed as Dean of Chichester on 14^thSeptember.  The Dean of Chichester is the patron of St Mary’s – please pray for Edward and the Cathedral.

Speed limit

The local community, supported by Apuldram Parish Meeting, have applied to WSCC for a 30mph speed limit to be introduced along Appledram Lane South from the sewage works to the junction with Dell Quay Road and along the whole length of Dell Quay Road.  There have been concerns for a number of years about the increased volume of traffic, including on Appledram Lane a significant number of commercial vehicles and lorries, speeding and danger to walkers and cyclists.
The end date for submitting comments or objections was 30^th August so we now await the outcome.