PROBUS CLUB: The speaker at the meeting on April 4 was Jocelyn Brooks and her subject was India. She guided us from the plains of the Ganges valley to cities like Delhi and Agra and up into the foothills of the Himalayas. At the same time she introduced us to the history of northern India and the successive occupations by the Aryans, the Mughals and the British East India Company. This well illustrated talk was well received by the members. The next meeting will be on Thursday, April 18.

ST PETER’S CHURCH: An empty cross still stands on Sugar Hill, reminding us of the cruel events of Good Friday but also, in its emptiness, of the resurrection of Jesus we celebrated on Easter Day. The celebration was glorious – a packed church, sharing of the peace six times over using the gestures and languages of people from five continents, and, waiting outside the church door for the children to pet, the donkeys who had been stopped by the weather from leading our Palm Sunday procession the previous week. But the church’s year moves swiftly on. A fortnight ago the alleluias of the resurrection morning; last Sunday the very human weakness of doubting Thomas. The Rev Paul Summers’s sermon helped us to see that faith and doubt are each an integral part of our Christian story and journey. Evensong, nearly always on the first Sunday of the month, was beautifully led by lay reader Gwyn Vollans and on Tuesday we said goodbye to another much-loved and long-standing member of our congregation as Mary Smale was laid to rest. Services next Sunday are holy communion at 8am, and parish communion at 10am, with morning prayer at 8.40am Tuesday to Friday and holy communion at 9.15am on Wednesday.

The Addingham Methodist Church Wednesday Club (pictured) were delighted to raise £840 in support of the Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal at St James Hospital, Leeds. The fundraising manager, Sheila O’Shea, visited the club to receive the cheque and gave an informative talk on the work of the centre. The Wednesday Club has been meeting for more than 50 years and has supported many local and national charities. New members are welcome.