<![CDATA[FRIENDS OF ST LAURENCE'S CHURCH - Blog]]>Tue, 27 May 2025 06:20:15 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[The way we blog is changing..]]>Tue, 11 Feb 2020 11:47:18 GMThttps://www.friendsofstlaurencechorley.org/blog/the-way-we-blog-is-changingHi Everyone!
BIG NEWS!.... the way we blog is changing...
Up until now this blog has mainly been focussed on church events and what’s happening with St Laurence’s, but from now on, this is a community focussed blog, writing about anything and everything which is important to our community in Chorley. 

What this means is that you might notice a few different ‘voices’ on the blog. So, as a starter, let me introduce myself.
Hi! I’m Becky, I’ve been a ‘Friend of St Laurence’s Church’ and a member of the communications team for just over a year. I joined the Friends because I’m relatively new to Chorley and I thought it might be a good way to meet people and, at the same time, raise money for a beautiful building. It’s been brilliant for both of those things! We have a talented and passionate group of people in FOSL, and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved with the website and fundraising to date. 
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We have lots of plans for the blog but if you have anything you’re passionate about and would like to write one, please get in touch with us :)
Best Wishes
Becky x]]><![CDATA[Mayflower 400 Launch]]>Mon, 04 Nov 2019 21:01:40 GMThttps://www.friendsofstlaurencechorley.org/blog/mayflower-400-launchHi Everyone!
There’s less than a week to go until the launch of Chorley’s Mayflower 400 celebrations, and St Laurence’s is playing a key part in the launch!
On Saturday 9th November, at 6.30pm, there’ll be procession from the Town Hall to St Laurence’s, with a fireworks display at the Church. This will be followed by a play in St Laurence’s by the fabulous CADOS and a talk on the coming celebrations. 
Please join us if you can, it promises to be a memorable night! 
Best Wishes,
FOSL Team
]]><![CDATA[Standish Silver]]>Tue, 15 Oct 2019 08:26:48 GMThttps://www.friendsofstlaurencechorley.org/blog/standish-silver
Hi Everyone! 
We’ve had some pictures taken of the St Laurence’s communion pieces. These beautiful items were donated to the Church by Dame Catharine Standish in 1770! The most wonderful thing about them is, they’re still in regular use today! 

Dame Catharine (sometimes spelt Catherine in the history books) was the wife of Sir Thomas Standish.

Dame Catharine dedicated a mural tablet of white and yellow marble, decorated by an urn and the arms of the Standish family, in memory of Sir Thomas, who died in 1756. This tablet is on the south side of the Chancel in St Laurence’s Church. The church is open regularly if you’d like to come down and have a look.

Best Wishes
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FOSL Team
]]><![CDATA[GOLD!]]>Mon, 30 Sep 2019 19:27:43 GMThttps://www.friendsofstlaurencechorley.org/blog/goldHi Everyone! We have some very exciting news to share…
Our garden won GOLD at the Chorley Flower Show!!!
The Mayflower Themed Garden depicts a solitary vessel which has carried the Vanguard from the Mayflower, beached on the gravelly costal shore, landing close to the site of the future colony, that was to be called Plymouth, Massachusetts.
In order to create the garden, blue and white flowers and silver foliaged plants are used to emulate the pattern of the waves that transported the Pilgrims to land. These reflect both the maritime environment and the cold weather conditions which prevailed. The drifts of colour are interspersed with specimen plants, blue and white in colour.
In the background, the Mayflower, a comforting site to the Vanguard, lies in calmer waters at anchor in Providence Bay, flying the flags of England. The backdrop of the garden, a turbulent arrangement of fabrics in the traditional technique of rag rugging, uses colours of the ocean, blue and green, to reflect the vast body of water that the Leiden Group had crossed to achieve their vision.
The sky is streaked with the appliqued rays of the rising sun, introducing a hopeful glow of pink and amber. Maritime creatures and pearls, found in Providence Bay, adorn the themed garden.
The plants and flowers used are:
Agapanthus
Ageratum
Cinerea ‘Silver Dust’
Cosmos var. ‘Purity’
Festuca ovina ‘Glauca’ (Blue Grass)
Lobelia var. ‘Crystal Palace’, ‘Cabridge’; trailing mixed
Orchid – Phal Royal Boog Blue
Echinops Blue Globe
Campanula Is Napoli
Enormous thanks go to everyone who helped make this garden possible, including the Standish Stitchers for their beautiful backdrop, the St Laurence Sunday School for their fish and the Mayflower Art Competition winners (please see the next blog post for more information).
Please check back for more of our Mayflower themed celebration in the run up to the start of the Mayflower 400 celebrations in November.

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Best Wishes,
FOSL team
]]><![CDATA[Hello!]]>Mon, 30 Sep 2019 19:26:41 GMThttps://www.friendsofstlaurencechorley.org/blog/helloHi Everyone! We are the Friends of St Laurence’s Chorley. We are a collection of people from the local community who are passionate supporters working to preserve the Church building, enhance its facilities for the community and ensure its future as an asset for Chorley.
If you’d like to find out more about how to get involved, upcoming events or our ongoing appeals, please visit our website https://www.friendsofstlaurencechorley.org/
Please check back soon for more information on what we’ve been up to.
Best Wishes,
FOSL team
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