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Beckenham Irish Night

The PFG’s of St. Peter’s parish, Beckenham, Christchurch organize one parish-wide social function each year. This year it was an Irish night to celebrate St. Patrick’s day on Saturday 17 March. The parish centre was decked as a homely Irish pub complete with sofas, standard lamps, bar leaners and lots of Irish paraphernalia.

The session corner was occupied by 14 family group musicians who had been practising for the big day for nearly six months. They went by the name of Peter’s Bogtrotters and earlier on St. Patrick’s day they had played at Sullivan’s Irish pub in central Christchurch to raise funds for St. Peter’s parish music groups so they can purchase music stands.

About 180 people turned up on the night and sang and danced to the live Irish music. PFGM Parish Co-ordinator, Bob Arthurs, had prepared an Irish Power-point show complete with all the words for Peter’s Bogtrotters’ songs. Highlights of the night included an appearance by top Irish dancers, Shannon and Patrick Heggarty ( Patrick, an ex-St. Peter’s school pupil, is off to the world Irish dance championships in Glasgow next month ) and the arrival of the “Bishop of Beckingham”, alias St. Peter’s 87 year old parish priest, Fr. Tom Power, who told a traditional Irish joke. One family group who particularly enjoyed the evening was the newly formed Waters Group.

St. Peter’s started Passionist Family Groups just over ten years ago with six groups which are still going strong. Late last years it became necessary to establish a seventh group, the Waters Group, such is the interest in the PFGM in St. Peter’s parish.