As I write this, April showers still seem determined not to let go of its grip on the weather: a mixed blessing as it keeps Langley green and pleasant, although rather cold and muddy. With trees and plants all around bursting with new shoots of leaves and flowers, it is a good time to think gratefully of the hope that this season brings and look forward to the regeneration of our natural environment in the next few weeks. Soon after this issue goes to press, we shall be having our elections to the Local Council and Around Langley would urge everyone to exercise their vote. It often feels as if we have little control over the governance of our council, not to mention our country, even though we all have our votes. But we should not forget that we are lucky to live in a country where we can at least hold to account our elected representatives, which is a great privilege. This month is a busy one for Christians, with the major festivals of Ascension (5th) and Pentecost (15th) both falling within it. A week after Pentecost, we have Trinity Sunday, when the church focuses on the mystery of “one God in three persons”. In April the appointment of a new Bishop for our Anglican Diocese of Oxford was announced - 18 months after our previous Bishop retired. It will be early autumn by the time he is actually with us, but the churches are eagerly looking forward to his arrival. There is a brief profile of him on page 12. In this issue we also continue with our environmental theme with updates on the railway and the built environment. As Langley gets more and more built up, Around Langley would like to encourage residents to appreciate and use the parks and other facilities we have. In an occasional series, we speak to some people who have contributed to life in Langley over decades, starting this month with Doreen Witney of Christ the Worker church. We also describe more volunteering opportunities for us to get involved in community work in different ways as well as places for us to socialise and share our views on issues large and small. Please let us know of your news, in your area, so that we may represent Langley as widely as we can.
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