Ross Parishes continues to foster a sense of community and spiritual nourishment with a diverse range of events and activities scheduled for the upcoming week. From virtual prayers to physical gatherings, there’s something for everyone seeking solace and connection.

On Wednesday, April 24:

8:45-10:15am: Kickstart your day with Toast & Toddle at St. Mary’s—an opportunity for parents and toddlers to come together for a morning of fun and companionship.

On Thursday, April 25:

10:00am: Attend the Eucharist at Markye Chapel, St. Mary’s, to partake in a solemn communion.

11:45am: Connect with the St. Mary’s Thursday Prayer group via Zoom. Visit rossparishes.uk/worship/prayer for participation details.

On Friday, April 26:

6:30pm-7:30pm: Join the Youth Choir rehearsal at St. Mary’s—a platform for young voices to harmonise and express themselves.

7:00-8:00pm: Fine-tune your vocal talents at Choir practice, also held at St. Mary’s.

On Sunday, April 28:

8:00am: Commence the day with Holy Communion at St. Mary’s, a tranquil service steeped in tradition and reverence.

At 9:30am is the Sung Eucharist at St Mary’s which will also be live streamed.

10:30am for 11am is the Family Service at St Michael’s Walford. 

On Tuesday, April 30:

9:00-11:00am: Indulge in Tea & Toast and browse the Community Larder at St. Mary’s Hall—a welcoming space for nourishment and fellowship.

6:30pm: The St George’s Day Service at St Michael’s, Walford.

Ross Parishes invites all members of the community to partake in these enriching experiences, fostering connections and nurturing the spirit.

Ross Photo Club held their last open print competition of the year. The evening was judged by Colin Walls from Malvern who was consistent and fair with his judging. 

 High number of very high quality images were entered and the results are as follows:

In the colour category, first place went to Paul Dowgill’s ‘In Flight Snack’, second place went to Barbara Nash’s ‘Church Walk Hereford, and third place went to Sandra Walding’s ‘Morning Gallop’. 

‘Catch of the Day’ by Lind Thomas and ‘Battle of the Giants’ by Paul Dowgill were both highly commended. ‘Harbour Masts’ by Chris Hawkins and ‘Colour Wheel’ by Brian Challis were commended by Colin Walls. 

In the mono category, first place went to John Crowland’s ‘Maximum Effort’, second place went to Chris Phillipson’s ‘Into the Light’ and third place went to Jennie O’Brien’s ‘Getting Ahead’. 

‘Coles Tump’ by Allan Ockenden and ‘Shipwreck’ by Trevor Lane were both highly commended. The judge decided ‘Channel Pier’ by Chris Hawkins and ‘The Bay’ by Paul Dowgill were commended in this category. 

Ross Photo Club meets on a Wednesday from 7:30pm until 9:30pm at Walford Village Hall, Walford, Herefordshire, HR9 5QS,. New members are welcomed and can go along to two sessions free of charge. An annual membership is £40 but is reduced if you start mid season, and £3 for each session you attend. An under 16s memberships £10 for the season but they must be accompanied by an adult. A non-participating adult accompanying doesn’t need to pay a fee. 

On the Ross Photo Club website, it says: If you like photography, whether you are a beginner or someone who has been taking photographs for a while, then you have come to the right place.

“Our membership ranges from people who are just starting their interest in photograph to those who have been doing it for many years. 

“Our friendly club, on the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire border, meets on a weekly basis between the months of September and May. Project Group meets on the first Thursday of the month and runs most of the year.”

All club members are invited to take part and have a go at one of the competitions. Judges give feedback on the photography entered which can be used to help you learn to take better images.

For more information visit their website and got to their ‘Contact Us’ section: https://www.rossphotoclub.org/-competitions/912450 or have a look at the Ross Photo Club Facebook page to see some of the photos already produced by members of the club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rossphotoclub/.

Ross Walkers are Welcome (RWaW) hosted a footpath improvement planning meeting at the Corn Exchange in Ross. 

It was the inaugural meeting for two interlinked projects which involve most of the local Parish Footpath Officers, the Wye Valley National Landscape (WVNL) and Herefordshire Council Public Rights of Way (PROW).

The first project is to carry out a survey of the Wye Valley Walk (WVW) long distance trail through Herefordshire, with the Ross team kicking off the section from Monmouthshire to Hereford. In 2025 the WVW will celebrate its 50th Anniversary and Wye Valley National Landscape, which manages the trail, has secured funding to improve and promote it so that this anniversary can be celebrated in style.

The local PFOs have been invited to do a survey of the path through their areas – and volunteers are available for those who cannot or do not wish to get involved. This process will record the condition of the route and the footpath “furniture”, check and improve signage, identify where access can be made easier and possibly even record patches of invasive plants that might need attention.

The second project is Phase three of the local “Gates Project”. Phases one and two have been running for just over a year and about 80 stiles have been replaced by metal self-closing gates, or even gaps! This makes our footpath network more accessible to many people and the feedback from users, dog owners and even the landowners has been really positive. This brings a total of over 150 such replacements in the local area since 2010.

Phase one focused on the WvW and Herefordshire Trail, two long distance trails that pass through Ross; and Phase two on paths that link to those trails as well as some of the local community requests for stile-free loops. Phase three is seeking greater involvement from the Parish Footpath Officers along the WVW to help identify great circular walks from the trail, or links to accommodation, F&B or features of interest that will support more accessible options for day walks and holiday-makers. It is hoped that this route planning and the subsequent work to seek landowner permissions and manage the supply of materials will be completed this summer, to allow installation work over next winter. The funding for this amazing project has come from DEFRA, but administered through the Wye Valley National Landscape team. They have been great partners to work with, along with Herefordshire Council PROW, Herfordshire Ramblers, Enviroability and a host of volunteers. Many thanks to all.

For more information on local walks – and in particular a developing list of stile-free walks in the area - visit www.walkinginross.co.uk.