This was my 4th year of organising and running the Big Draw for St Nicholas Church, Wickham. Each year I have tried a different theme, materials and colours. The event is always free, and everyone invited to join in.This year refreshments were offered free too! The inspiration for 2008 was – ‘St Nicholas Church in our lives, the village and the world’. White poster paper formed the background and coloured circles were drawn on it, each participant was then encouraged to fill a circle with a picture of what St Nicholas meant to them. We have had a huge variety of ideas from St George and the Dragon, soldiers lining up for D-Day, flowers, graves, crosses, Remembrance wreaths, weddings, angels … well come to the Church and see for yourselves.
As usual Chris and Barry Samways were keen for the Scouts and Beavers to take part and went off to Lyons Copse to produce a fantastic variety of pictures. The Wickham Church of England Primary School was very enthusiastic and I spent an afternoon with pupils and their art teacher Kirsty Agate producing some delightful pictures. Rookesbury School were great too, contributing a whole roll of pictures in bright colours.
Saturday 11th October saw me, Neale and my good friend Lin plus Di Hemmingway-Rice who kept the teas and coffees ‘on tap’ in the Church encouraging anyone who came in to add their picture to the roll. First to arrive were Frances and Toby and their children, then a group of Bell Ringers from Oxford, walkers about to do the Pilgrims Trail and various other people from the village including Adrian Groves, Ron and Audrey Burt, Joyce Johnson, Gerry and his son Peter. Thank you so much to everyone who took part.
The colourful rolls were put up by Neale and Malcolm Frost, a big ‘thank you’ to them. All the pictures will be displayed in the Church until Advent, so please come along and see what exciting art has been done. Also look out for the Big Draw next year and come along and be a part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’ everyone can all draw with a bit of encouragement and I already have a great theme in mind…….
Patricia Fray
