News & Features

The bench outside of the church has been lovingly restored by our very own church warden, John Brown. Take a wander down the newly tarmacked road and sit on the bench for a while. Special thanks goes to the Lesley’s for the generous contribution to the new and improved road surface.

On the 10th of April 2026 a special creative service was held. This was great fun. We had the task of making stain glass windows. The PVA glue provided a little humour. After the service we had a lovely array of food to help us all recover, alongside a good chinwag, of course.

We have three main services in June: Holy Communion on the 7th of June; Family Service on the 14th and our Benefice service on the 28th of June. We hope to see you there.

As with all churches our APCM is done and we are set for another year, though nothing has changed. We shall continue to hold our regular two evening services each month.

Our monthly Saturday Coffee Morning is going well with our regulars enjoying a selection of homemade cakes and savouries with their coffee or tea. We are very grateful for all those that take the time to cook and to come and support us.

As the church is open daily, it was decided to set up a small library of donated books with the slogan Borrow – Read – Return. It is early days yet but already people have been borrowing books from the selection. We shall see how many make their way back! We have been given so many books we now need a bigger bookcase.

Plans are well advanced for our Flower Festival over the week-end 6 and 7 June. The theme this year is Music and Composers giving our talented group of flower arrangers much to inspire them. In the past these flower arrangers have surpassed themselves, so no pressure. We hope also to have some organ music sometime during the event.

The church will be open between 10am and 4pm each day. There is no entrance fee; donations only. Refreshments will be available throughout the week-end.

The weather held out for our Pets Service on May 17th and we were able to enjoy it outside next to one of the Wildflower areas, which was at its most beautiful. Sadly, the turnout was somewhat disappointing, with only a small number of ‘regulars’ attending so we may look at timings again next year as apparently the service clashed with the start of cricket training in the village! Many thanks to the Shellrock Music group who played and sang their hearts out for us and to the stalwarts and their pets who came……all feedback was very positive and at least this time, the animal-shaped homemade biscuits made it to the service without being reduced to crumbs after being dropped on the floor!

We are holding a Coffee Morning in conjunction with St Peter’s on Saturday 23rd May in Rocklands Village Hall from 10.00 till 12.00. There will be the usual delicious cakes, hot and cold drinks and lots of chat and laughter, as well as a book stall and plants for sale. All welcome, if you read this in time!

On the first weekend in July is the annual All Saints Flower Festival. On Saturday and Sunday 4th and 5th, we are open from 10.00 until 17.00 and offer light lunches, cakes and usual drinks etc in the schoolroom, a barbecue from midday until the sausages and burgers run out, as well as a bric-a-brac tent with books and some plants. The church is always absolutely beautifully decorated with amazing flowers, but if you would like to make an arrangement, whatever size, maybe in memory of a loved one, please ring Barbara on 01953 483420…..she would love to hear from you. The church remains open on Monday 6th July but there will only be drinks and cakes available on that day. There will also be a quiet time of reflection in the church on the Sunday from 10.30 for about 45 minutes, with quiet music, poems, readings etc for those who would like to sit in silence and have a moment to think. The Flower Festival is always an amazing event, anticipated eagerly by so many, from all over Norfolk, and all the more remarkable in a church without electricity or water supply! Do please put the date in your diary, so you don’t miss it!

In May we supported Christian Aid week by holding a Big Breakfast, raising funds for the charity. (This was instead of our monthly pop-up café). We served fresh hot bacon or sausage baps, plus a range of cereals, toast and fruit. It was a lovely, friendly occasion welcoming members of the community into our building. We raised around £250 – a very good total.

Our theme of Christian Aid continued into our café church service on 10th May. Using the service material provided by Christian Aid, we learnt about the projects supported by the charity. This year, it was small scale farming in informal settlements in Nairobi. The charity, Beacon of Hope, trains ladies in techniques for small spaces such as vertical or cone gardens, producing crops they can grow to feed their families, with any excess sold at market. We watched a short video produced – available on the charity’s website (search Christian Aid Nairobi film.)

Looking ahead to June, we will have our monthly café on 13th June. This will be followed by a Grand Second Hand Book Sale on Saturday 27th June, 10am – 4pm, with thousands of books on sale, from just 25p. There will, of course, be delicious home baked cakes available at both events, plus a selection of jigsaws, jams and chutneys at the book sale. If you have any jigsaws to donate, please drop them into the back of church. Half of the money raised from the book sales, will be donated to church funds, so we hope you will join us!

FOODBANK – Did you know we support Thetford foodbank with a collection space in the church? There are desperately in need of tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit, sponge puddings and instant mash. Donations can be dropped off at church, or at either Rocklands or Great Ellingham village shops.

Good Friday was the first ‘church’ event of April. It was perfect weather – not too hot or raining - for the annual walk of witness from St James’ Church to Rockland All Saints. A small group of nine (and two dogs) took part, carrying the cross from St James’, through the village and along Penhill Road. At the crossroads half the group headed straight up to All Saints Church and the remainder turned right onto Mill Lane to walk through into Rocklands. We made good time and arrived before the start of the 2pm service. We’d love a few more faces to join us – staying for the service at All Saints is optional and you don’t have to be a member of our ‘usual’ congregation.

Easter Sunday dawned bright and early with some of us attending the Dawn Service at All Saints Church. It was a little breezy, but eventually the fire was lit and we watched as the sun rose in front of us.

The ‘normal’ Easter Sunday service in St James was a benefice Holy Communion. The church was decorated beautifully with flowers on the windows and moss, bark, nests, eggs and flowers artistically arranged on the sills in the porch. A magnificent sight welcoming visitors – thanks to Anne, Anita and all those involved. The choir assisted with the hymns. Their anthem after communion was ‘No scenes of stately majesty’ led by Colin on guitar and Kathryn on flute. Easter wouldn’t be complete without eggs, so the chocolate variety was distributed at the end!

Our Pop-up café was well supported with a stream of visitors. On offer during April was Tia Maria cake, sausage rolls and the ever-popular cemetery buns!

In April is St George’s Day. As the patron saint of Scouting, members of Great Ellingham Scout Group paraded through the village to hold a service in St James’, including renewal of their promises. The parade and service were complete with a decorated dragon. Thanks to everyone involved!

If you read this in time – on 25th and 26th April, we are excited to welcome Heather, Judy and Matt into church for their local history exhibition, with archaeological finds. The event will be open 10am – 4pm and refreshments will be available. This is always very popular and everyone is welcome – if you have connections with the village, an interest in local history or perhaps looking for help to research your own family, then this is a worthwhile visit. The theme is ‘Every house has a story – Every story has a family’.

Looking ahead to events in May we have the following: Saturday 9th May - Big Breakfast for Christian Aid. 9am – 11am, in church. Come along for hot food (bacon or sausages or a cheeky both), plus cereals, toast or fruit. All donations gratefully received and will be raising money for Christian Aid as part of their annual fundraising week. Cash and Contactless donations accepted.

STOP PRESS! - we have just booked a Grand Second Hand Book Sale on Saturday 27th June, 10am – 4pm. There will be thousands of books on sale, from just 25p.

FOODBANK – Did you know we support Thetford foodbank with a collection space in the church? There are desperately in need of tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit, sponge puddings and instant mash. Donations can be dropped off at church, or at either Rocklands or Great Ellingham village shops.

It has been an eventful month at All Saints. Just before Holy Week, the stained glass East window, that had been removed at the beginning of January for specialist repair following some mindless vandalism last May, was finally returned and reinstalled. It is true that you tend not to notice what you have got until it is gone, and so it was with our window! The whole church seemed dark and dismal with the light from the east removed by the boards- and of course, with no electricity, it was difficult to rectify the issue! Now the window is back, we have all looked at it with new eyes and appreciate its full glory! Even the side panels are bright and clean and sparkle in the sunshine! The anomalous man in a Victorian ‘bowler’ hat lurking at the foot of Jesus is resplendent again and the subject of many a conversation! A neat guard has been put in place outside to prevent any further problems with vandals and the whole episode is behind us, hopefully. We are extremely grateful to all who generously contributed to the eye-watering cost of the repairs, as the insurance was only able to cover a small proportion of the work that was necessary to safeguard the future of the window. All are invited to the blessing of the window- date to be confirmed at time of writing this!

On Good Friday we welcomed those taking part in the Walk of Witness from St James, Gt Ellingham at a quiet reflective service led by Rev Sue and our LLM, Carol Bennett. In total contrast, on Easter Day, at dawn, about twenty of us from all corners of the new combined benefice met in the churchyard and welcomed the risen Christ to the accompaniment of the Dawn Chorus, watched by rabbits, deer and hares. It was truly magical, even though it was a shock to my system getting up at 5.15!! Most of us then went on to more traditional Easter Sunday services at other churches in the benefice, but the memory of watching the sun rise in such a beautiful ‘thin’ place, will stay with me for a very long time.

In May, we are holding the Pets Service on 17th, and all pets and their well-behaved owners are welcome at this informal outdoor (weather permitting) service. It is always good fun so do please come and join us. (It has been decided to separate it from Harvest Festival this year, if you were wondering why the change of month from the past few years!)

Following the success of the last one, there will be another Coffee Morning in the Village Hall from 10.00-12.00 on May 23rd, in collaboration with St Peter’s church. Please come and join us for good coffee, tea, delicious homemade cakes and lots of chat and laughter! We look forward to seeing you there!

We are pleased to say that the ‘pop up’ Coffee Morning held in the Village Hall on the last day of February was a great success and each Rockland church went home with a profit of over £100. Very many thanks to all who came and donated generously, creating a lovely atmosphere, but especially to those who baked the delicious cakes and help during the event by setting up tables, serving, washing up and clearing the hall afterwards. It is hoped to repeat the event again later in the year! Watch this space!

Our next fundraiser is on April 11th when the Cheese and Wine Evening will be held in Village Hall from 7pm. The Roskettes have been busy practising their repertoire for weeks, so please get your ticket (£10) from the Community Shop, John Brown, Julie Dekker or Cath Jones. Not only does this cover the entertainment but also a very substantial buffet during the breaks and a glass of wine. There is a bar, where further supplies of drinks can be bought! All profits will be divided between the Rockland churches.

The vandalised East Window at All Saints was removed for repair at the beginning of January and we are pleased to announce that it is being returned at the end of March. It has been heartwarming to receive so many donations towards the eye-watering cost of repair from so many villagers and thanks to them, the window should be there for a few more generations of Rocklanders to enjoy. The window will be dedicated by Revd. Tori as soon as possible and all will be welcome at the service.

On Good Friday, the reflective service following the Walk of Witness from St James, Gt Ellingham will be at All Saints at about 2pm, depending on when the walkers arrive. It is always a very meaningful service to which all are welcome. On Easter Day (Sunday 5th April) there will be a different kind of whole new Benefice service to celebrate the risen Christ at All Saints, when we are holding a short service at sunrise as we watch the sun come up from the east (onto our newly restored window!) According to the little man in my phone, dawn should be at 6.28 that morning but please check that before you come!! There will be bacon sandwiches to follow, we are told! We haven’t tried a dawn service at All Saints before (at least in living memory!); we did attempt fireworks at midnight a few years ago which was great fun but sadly upset the local ewes about to give birth, which wasn’t our intention, so this looks like a good alternative that will not disturb anyone!

Our annual Spring Fair was held on Saturday 7th March. We had a lovely selection of stalls selling different crafts including jewellery, jams, wood and metal work, plants and paintings. Children from Great Ellingham Primary School entertained with their lovely singing, accompanied by Colin and Margaret. The BBQ was in full flow cooking bacon rolls and Anita and friends provided a gorgeous selection of cakes for sale. Emily and Lexi ran a children’s stall with tombola and ‘hunt the egg’ game. We thank everyone for supporting our event – whether donating raffle prizes, baking cakes, manning a stall or helping with the washing up. We raised an amazing £730, which is a great boost to church funds.

The funeral of Pat Partridge, a long-standing member of our PCC and church family, took place on Friday 13th March. She had chosen the hymns – Here I am Lord, Be Still for the presence of the Lord and Jerusalem. We welcomed Father Ken to preside over the service and give the address. There was a beautiful tribute read by her daughter Tina and grandson Robbie as well as a poem/reading from Elia and Michael. The church had been decorated with spring flowers. The service was a lovely tribute to an amazing lady and she will be fondly remembered, especially as our path through the churchyard is named after her, ‘Pat Partridge Way’.

The music group led our services of Café Church and Mothering Sunday. Café Church focussed on the theme of Lent and considered the bible story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). This was particularly well timed as the day was also Internation Women’s Day. At our Mothering Sunday service, we made flower posies which were then distributed to the female members of the congregation.

We are looking forward to hosting the Shellrock Benefice service to celebrate Easter on Sunday 5th April. This will be a Holy Communion service, starting at 10.30am. Please come and join us – there may be chocolate!

We will also have our popular pop-up café on Saturday 11th April, followed by café church on Sunday 12th.

On 25th and 26th April, we are excited to welcome Heather, Judy and Matt into church. They will have amazing displays, showcasing their latest village history research and archaeological finds. The event will be open 10am – 4pm and refreshments will be available. This is always very popular and everyone is welcome – if you have connections with the village, an interest in local history or perhaps looking for help to research your own family, then this is a worthwhile visit. The theme is ‘Every house has a story – Every story has a family’.

Can you help? We are looking for help to wash up and serve cakes over the history weekend (25th & 26th April). If you can spare a couple of hours please get in touch. Alternatively, if you can donate a cake, that would also be very welcome.

Foodbank

Did you know we support Thetford foodbank with a collection space in the church? There are desperately in need of tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit, sponge puddings and instant mash. Donations can be dropped off at church, or at either Rocklands or Great Ellingham village shops.

It was with great sadness that a much-loved member of our congregation and longstanding member of the PCC, Pat Patridge passed away during February. She could frequently be found manning the refreshments, not only at services but at events too. She organised flowers, church cleaning and held the role of verger, attending to funerals, weddings and baptisms. She had also been an active member of the benefice choir until ill health meant she had to take a step back. After a bad fall at home, four years ago, she had been living at St Edmond’s care home in Attleborough. Her funeral will be held at 11am at St James’ Church on Friday 13th March.

Our social Pop-Up Café was held on 7th February. It was a slow start to the morning, but there were plenty of delicious cakes available as usual. The PCC members who were on church cleaning, appreciated the refreshments! Next month we have our Spring Fair, instead of pop-up café.

The Spring Fair will be held on Saturday 7th March, 10am – 12.30pm. There will be plenty of cake available, but we also have the school singers joining us for provide a few songs from their repertoire. We have a number of craft stalls joining us – some new ones, some returning – selling a range of goods including crocheted items, plants, silver jewellery, jams, cards and resin gifts. Please come and support this event as it raises vital funds to keep the church open.

Our February café church followed the reading from Genesis, looking at creation. Instead of a formal talk, we each used our creative skills to draw how we thought the world looked at each stage. There was plenty of discussion about ‘now’ but the one thing standing out from the artwork was God being at the centre of the whole of creation.

On 17th February, we celebrated Shrove Tuesday with our annual Pancake Races. Thanks to Charles for organising the races, ably assisted by Pete, Sylvia, Colin, Emily & Samuel. The sun shone – up until we started the races – and there was an icy wind, so thank you to all the participants. Certificates were presented to those placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Under 5s: Marley (1st), Bradley (2nd), Bobby (3rd). Ages 5 - 7s: Florence (1st), Charlie (2nd), Macie (3rd). Ages 8 - 11s: Arthur (1st), Asher (2nd), Elsie (3rd). Ages 11 & over: Oliver (1st), Chloe (2nd). Apparently, there was a distinct lack of adult participation – maybe next year! Thank you also to the pancake makers (too many to mention), Margaret for supervising the toppings, and all those who lent a hand with washing up!

FOODBANK – Did you know we support Thetford foodbank with a collection space in the church? There are desperately in need of tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit, sponge puddings and instant mash. Donations can be dropped off at church, or at either Rocklands or Great Ellingham village shops.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED! We are in need of a couple of volunteers to run our raffle / tombola tables at our upcoming Spring Fair. Can you lend a hand for an hour? We’d love to hear from you.

We are still in need of help cleaning in church or with running coffee at our services. Can you spare an hour? It doesn’t have to be regularly, but our regular band of volunteers are struggling to manage on their own.

What a lovely ‘special’ service we had on 1st February celebrating Candlemas. The Shellrock Benefice music group led the singing of some lovely hymns, finishing with a rousing ‘This little light of mine’. Sadly, the homemade biscuits shaped like angels and doves met with a sad end after being accidentally dropped on the floor resulting in a pile of crumbs,but otherwise all went well and I think everyone went home feeling enlightened! We learnt about various customs around the world that take place at Candlemas (40 days after we celebrate Christmas and exactly halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring equinox, so we rejoiced that this heralded brighter days!) We all made bracelets in red, black and white wool, following a Hungarian Candlemas tradition that should be worn until Easter Saturday (unless, like mine, they fell apart after only a couple of days). The moment when all the congregation held lit candles as the music group sang ‘Like a candle flame’ was very moving, as always, and made even more poignant on a dull, wet day in a church with no electricity and the East Window still boarded up after the vandalism last year. (The broken window is currently being repaired and is in the workshop.)

Details of the Easter services will be available elsewhere, so I won’t duplicate them here!

On February 28th we are holding a Pop-Up coffee morning from 10am till midday in Rocklands Village Hall together with our friends from Rockland St Peter’s church, raising funds for the upkeep of both churches. There will be an endless supply of coffee, tea etc and delicious homemade cakes (with a pot for donations) and a stall with second-hand books for sale, as well as lots of chatting and laughter. Please come and join us if you can!

Looking forward, we are holding a Cheese and Wine Evening with entertainment from the Roskettes on April 11th from 7pm, again in Rocklands Village Hall and again together with Rockland St Peter’s church. Tickets will soon be on sale for this popular evening so please watch this space! It is always a fun event, so book early to be sure of getting a place!

As we approach the end of Epiphany and the Christmas season, we are looking forward to a special Candlemas service at All Saints on February 1st (10.30). This will be an informal service with music led by the Shellrock music group…….and lots of candles. All are very welcome to join us as we celebrate Mary’s purification in the temple forty days after the arrival of her firstborn son. In time-honoured fashion we will be dismantling the crib too. I am reminded of a poem I learned many years ago:

The baby had a birthday,

We made the brandy sauce,

We drank his health,

and spent our wealth

Upon ourselves , of course.

We had a lovely party,

and brightened up the place;

Profusely strung, the tinsel hung

But you couldn’t see his face.

Then, when the feast was over

and we’d run out of cheer,

We packed him in the trimmings tin,

Till Christmastime next year.

January started cold – but we embraced the first Sunday in the month by celebrating Epiphany and marking the door with chalk at our Morning Prayer service.  20 + C + M + B + 26  Christus Mansionem Benedicat – Bless this House.

We continued the theme into the second weekend with a Messy Church on Saturday.  The children that attended enjoyed the activities on offer – decorating a crown for the kings (plenty of opportunity here for glue and jewels), baking and decorating star shaped biscuits (for the star in the Nativity story) and making calendars for the start of the new year.  Thank you to our volunteers for running this session.  There isn’t another date planned yet, but we’re hoping to have an Easter theme – if we can fit it in!

Alongside Messy Church, was pop up café.  The numbers were small, but the cakes were splendid!  Charles tried out a new recipe – Eccles cakes.  There were several second helpings!  Our next pop up will be on Saturday 7th February.  Do stop by. 

Our second Sunday was Café Church – again with the Epiphany theme.  The talk centred on stars and included a hunt for stars hidden around the church.  We also used the opportunity to move the kings from the east window above the kitchen to join our stable scene.

We received six completed Christmas quizzes in our box – the draw for the winner is to follow....  Thank you to everyone who bought a copy (or who purchased Christmas cards) and supported us with our fundraising.  We will be planning our next event dates soon so watch this space....

FOODBANK – Did you know we support Thetford foodbank with a collection space in the church?  There are desperately in need of tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit, sponge puddings and instant mash.  Donations can be dropped off at church, or at either Rocklands or Great Ellingham village shops.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED!  We are desperately in need of some help with cleaning in church or with running coffee at our services.  Can you spare an hour?  It doesn’t have to be regularly, but our regular band of volunteers are struggling to manage on their own.  We have some who need to take a step back for health reasons.

Rain through our roof is becoming a challenge.  If you are interested in fundraising for St James, we’d love to hear from you!  Perhaps you could help organise an event – or have a suggestion.  Do let us know.