Cottenham Baptist Church
Church weekend 2003

The church weekend away at the Pleasaunce, Overstrand in Norfolk is one of the high points of the Cottenham Baptist Church calendar. It provides the chance to relax, get to know other church members and have fun with them. For me, the whole weekend exudes a sense of space, a welcome break from the typical busy week. Spending time with other Christians in a former country house with six acres of grounds and meals provided is highly enjoyable!

We (the Hunt family) went for a stroll along the beach to Cromer on the Saturday morning. We paddled in the sea before getting a cup of tea at the life boat café in Cromer, and then took a taxi back. Meanwhile, our older two boys (6 and 8) were having great fun playing with the other children in the gardens of the Pleasaunce. Other people did as they wanted: went for walks, went for cycle or motor bike rides, played on the beach, visited Cromer, played games, chatted, etc.

The traditional walk organised by Peter Lambert on Saturday afternoon was enjoyed by the walkers. However the route may have to change next year: the traditional end of walk call in at the pub was foiled as the pub has been converted into a house. There were the usual table tennis and pool tournaments in the evening and a brief evening service. The late evening was spent playing board games and chatting.

There was an enjoyable service on the Sunday morning, with people contributing poems, stories and reflections. The singers continued into the morning, gathered round Nick Cambray playing the keyboard. I believe this blossomed into a performance much later when the French choir visited in June. Others went out to join in the tennis, which had a touch of caucus race about it. The number of players on each side varied between 3 and 5 and minimising the number of shots to get the ball back was one of the aims. Periodically one of the players would set off to find a missing ball, whilst the others continued. Fun was had by all. Still others went and swam in the sea! At lunch, it was great that Marjorie Lane and her daughter called by and joined us.

In the afternoon, the weekenders drifted off home, refreshed having spent time with God and each other.