In light of the coronavirus pandemic, there will, sadly, be no Caversham Church Fete this year. On the plus side, the organisers, Caversham Thameside and Mapledurham Parish say they stand ready to help Caversham celebrate when life returns to normal and, meanwhile, are providing a variety of ways to worship online.

This is the first time the Caversham Church Fete, sponsored by Walmsley Estate Agents, has been cancelled.

“We have kept the fete under constant review in line with the coronavirus advice,” the fete committee told its supporters. “As you will understand, we could not hold a major public event while the country remains under restrictions to control the virus. Sadly, therefore, we have had to cancel the fete for the first time in many years. We considered a postponement until September but the latest expert advice suggests that would not be possible either.

“The generous contributions you have already promised or made will be returned or cancelled for this year. We know you will understand this difficult situation. Our desire to provide the biggest community event in Caversham remains undimmed and, as the fete is not possible this year, we hope you will wish to repeat your support next year.

“Meanwhile, we stand ready to play our part when Caversham celebrates our return to normality.”

While the three churches in the parish remain closed, they are providing a rich blend of worship opportunities online.

Each Sunday, on the CTMParish YouTube channel, there is Morning Worship at 9.30am from St John the Baptist Church. At 10.15am, St Peter’s Church steps up with Morning Prayer on the Zoom platform, with various contributors and followed by a chat over coffee (bring your own) in small groups. At 11.15am, St Margaret’s takes over with its Morning Service, again followed by a time to chat.

Details are on the parish website at https://www.ctmparish.org.uk/forthcoming-events/

Also on the CTMParish YouTube channel are original videos for younger worshippers, previous services and recordings of hymns and music under lockdown.