Veni, Vidi, Vici ..... well almost!

We came, we sang, we collected, sums up a lot of hard work before Christmas that made sure each road and avenue in the parish of St. Luke's enjoyed some traditional carol singing. When I wrote an article in the last edition of this magazine we were naturally nervous about the success of our efforts this year.

In fact everything went very well. The weather was kind to us; the trolley and harmonium survived without any major mishaps, and the food and drinks that sustained us, whether en route or at the end of the evening, were excellent. Moreover, apart from the first evening, the numbers of people willing to give up one, or any number up to seven, evenings to sing, collect, pull or push was very encouraging. The other important factor in whether the effort was worthwhile, is the financial one, and I have to say that in 1998 the residents of Wimbledon Park played their part to the full.

On Sunday, 3rd January, at our morning service, we were able to present to the area representative for Barnardo's a cheque for £1479-13. Not only is this a record but it beats the previous highest total by over £136, an increase of more than 10%, and a fantastic effort by everybody. So, to everyone who played their part - THANK YOU VERY MUCH. To those of you who put their small change on one side throughout the year  to give to us, my message is, why not start collecting now? And if you haven't got a good cause to donate those small coins that are such a nuisance to, why not start to put them in a jar or plastic bag ready for our knock on the door next year?

William Featherstone