Sawbridgeworth
2000
The Churches and
Community Millennium Working Group.
On Sunday 3rd March 2002, Sawbridgeworth 2000 opened a small pavement maze on the grass in front of the Bell Street Surgery, The maze is an ancient design. It used to be said that the devil could only run in straight lines, therefore the centre of a circular maze was a very safe place to be. The maze is for children to enjoy. The central mosaic was made by the scouts and guides. It was paid for by donations and a small lottery grant. Sawbridgeworth 2000 is indebted to EHDC for giving permission to build it on their lawn and to Robert Foot Fencing and Gardening Services (01992 558588) for undertaking the hand crafting of the maze.
Sawbridgeworth 2000 commissionned the making of a video as a record of the life of the town from mid 1999 to mid 2000, in two six-month episodes. A limited number of copies are still available from Youth CREATE.
The
cover features scenes and celebrities from the video.
Key events in 2000 were a massive street procession (1000 children took part) on 26th May and exhibition involving all the schools on 26/27th May, with the Sawbridgeworth 2000 Festival during that same week, (part of BBC Music Live week). Go straight to more details and pictures. Friends of Great St Mary's coommissioned a new rood screen sculpture which was dedicated on the weekend of the Flower Festival. Click here for pictures.
A wall hanging/tapestry, featuring twenty panels depicting Sawbridgeworth and Spellbrook was unveiled on Sunday 11th June 2000 at Church House.
Medieval Mystery Plays were performed by the Churches on Fair Green on that same afternoon.
On 1st
September 2000 Sharon's "Thorns and Roses Dance Co" staged a fund
raising LINE DANCE for SAWBRIDGEWORTH 2000.
CLICK HERE for pictures.
Sawbridgeworth Rotary Club made a CD. Gt St Mary's Church had its Flower Festival, concert and Dedication of the Risen Christ figure on the weekend of 30th June-2nd July. Add to that all the usual other community events, such as the May Fair and Carols on Fair Green, and we met the groups aim of creating "a very special year 2000 in Sawbridgeworth."
Sawbridgeworth Town Council built a Sawbridgeworth 2000 Millennium Trail, which is a guided historical walkway through the town. Click here for map and details.
SAWBRIDGEWORTH 2000 did not just think locally. A key project was the Well, for the Water Aid scheme in India, collecting coins in sweet jars in schools, pubs and clubs and through collections at special church services and events. It raised over £3000.
Returning to the start of the year, SAWBRIDGEWORTH 2000 organised an Indoor Street Party on 31st December 1999/1st January 2000 and the Beacon on Fair Green (preceeded by church services and the Millennium Message and accompanied by Great St Mary's Bells and fireworks).
Here is the Millennium Message and Beacon Lighting at Fair Green....
"Let there be: Respect
for the earth, Peace for its people, Love in our lives, Delight in the good, Forgiveness
for past wrongs, and from now on,
A NEW START."
Here is the Indoor Street Party in the Memorial Hall....
The SAWBRIDGEWORTH 2000 video, recording a year in the life of the community has been mentioned above. Here is a photo of it being recorded at The Leventhorpe School.
If you would like to know more about SAWBRIDGEWORTH 2000 please phone Peter
Clark on 01279 726108