Pilsdon Community

Celebrations An Annual Round of Events
Shrove Tuesday sees wheelbarrow races-cum-pancake tossing followed by a pancake throwing contest. The winner is the one to pitch the pancake to the highest point of the roof. Supper, of course, includes pancakes galore.
On Maundy Thursday we celebrate the Passover Supper and this is followed by a foot-washing ceremony. An interactive service 'Stations of the Cross' is the centre of our Good Friday worship. On Saturday evening we have a gentle and reflective vigil service and on Easter Sunday morning at dawn we greet the risen Christ with a bonfire and fireworks.
	They don't do things by halves at Pilsdon once the creative juices begin to flow. An enthusiastic team built a representation of Christ's tomb at the alter and it became the centre of our worship over the Easter Season
We harvest our vegetables and fruit crops throughout the year; we rear cattle, pigs and lambs for our tables. Our cows provide us with milk and cream and we make butter and cream cheese. Flowers and shrubs grown in the garden (some dried for the winter months) provide us with decorations for the church, chapel and the house all the year round. Helped by neighbouring farmers we make hay that contributes to the animals’ diets during the winter months. In autumn we celebrate God’s gifts in traditional fashion with a Harvest Festival service. About this time we look forward to visits from children of schools in the vicinity and we are grateful for the generosity of their gifts to our community. We have made particularly good use of the marrows we have received this year - with the production of jar after jar of marrow and ginger jam - delicious.
Our Anniversaries - are always held on the Sunday nearest to 16th October and celebrate the founding of our Community by Percy and Gaynor Smith in 1958. This special day is capped by a service in the church in the garden with a "special" visiting speaker. Memorable amongst these have been Roger Royle of television and radio fame, and Paul Oestreicher, who was a canon at Coventry Cathedral and renowned for his work in inter-national peace and justice, and Jan Sutch Pickard, previously warden of Iona Abbey.	At Pilsdon's 50th - the celebration included contributions by Gaynor Smith and family, and they were joined by more than 300 community friends and supporters. A large marquee in the church meadow provided space for a splendid service - with founder members and previous wardens present - while the church housed an extensive archive of the fifty years of the PilsdonCommunity. We have kept our Fiftieth Anniversary page for you to look at.
At our anniversaries, we welcome over 100 friends. Amongst those who have spoken at our service have been Rev Roger Royal, Brother Sam SSF, Rev Donald Reeves, Anne Primavesi and Bishop Graham Chadwick.
We do not miss out on remembering the doings and misdoings of Guy Fawkes and our neigh -bours join us each year for the occasionThis year we enjoyed the enormous bonfire, splendid fireworks followed hot dogs and pork burgers, toffee and other traditional fare.

Christmas is, of course, a very special time for all at Pilsdon. Our Barn Service, on Christmas morning, is always well attended by friends and neighbours and several of our animals. Afterwards mince pies and hot drinks are readily welcomed by all (except the animals!)
Christmas fare from the kitchen is maintained throughout the Christmas period and our evening dinner '5-star'. Jaki who has been associated with the community for decades continues to make and decorate the Christmas cake. Boxing Day 2008 - started with a challenge - a dip in the sea at West Bay ...
In and out very quickly!!!!!


.....getting warm and dry again.....
	Off on the traditional country walk