St Mary's has several events planned for the holiday season. On December 11, a concert of Christmas Music by 'Intimate Voices' will start at 7.30pm in the old church. On Christmas Eve at 11.30pm midnight mass will take place in the main church. There will be a service on Christmas day in the main church at 10.30am. More festive music is planned for the New Year, with a performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio by Canonbury Chamber Choir (and orchestra) in the old church at 7.30pm on Saturday 15 January.

Last seen mired in mud in Hampshire (really, the County Council must address its drainage problem), in failing light and with some distance and very few minutes to go before the return train from Liss to Waterloo, the N16 Walking Group has abandoned its once leisurely strolls of the Lea Valley Navigation for pastures new, further afield and more challenging. Using the locally produced two volumes of Time Out's Book of Country Walks to steer by, the group's roughly monthly Sunday expeditions now include train journeys to easily reached - though not always easy - walks. Walkers, both serious and casual, are invited to contact one of the group's more web-friendly members for further information about future walks and its own Yahoo-hosted group site: paulemmerson@lineone.net .

The books which left our hardy trekkers so stuck in the mud are published by Penguin under the Time Out imprint on behalf of the Nicholas Albery Foundation and its charitable project, the Institute for Social Inventions, 6 Blackstock Mews, Blackstock Road, N4 2BT/ tel: 7359 8391/ www.walkingclub.org.uk (and with other worthwhile links). Buying the books direct pays the charity more. And, by the way, our intrepid roamers made it back to Stokey: after a forced march and a quick run they made the train (it was running late).

The Cobbled Yard - retailers of antiques, pine furniture and collectables - have asked us to mention that they would like to invite their customers to join them for mulled wine and mince pies every weekend during the month of December. They are situated just behind Daniel Defoe in the courtyard on Bouverie Road. That should warm you up after a trudge down a cold Church Street.

This issue's cover subject is Rowan Lambourne-Gibbs. Rowan was born in Lower Clapton, went to Haggerston Girls School and lives in Stoke Newington. She is currently studying film production at the London College of Communication (London College of Printing, as was), and she helps to fund her studies by parttime bar work at The Rochester Castle. The photograph was taken by Stoke Newington resident Robert Hinde. Robert's company, Planet Stills, specializes in on lcation, digital portraits, and he has recently opened up shop at 37 Church Street (07976 442 161, info@roberthind.co.uk).

Ho, Ho, Ho! If you want to meet Father Christmas and his favourite elf Jingle, then come along to Stoke Newington Market at Abney Public Hall on 18 December between 10am and 6pm. The £5 ticket includes a present and a photo with Santa. Just don't try to pull off his beard or he might turn into a bad Santa.

The Hackney Winter Night Shelter has been running for the last few years to offer a bed and a meal to the local homeless. From January to March, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Bouverie Road will be opening one night a week to provide this service, and they are looking for volunteers who can cook supper and breakfast, stay overnight and clear up. Give up some of your time to help the less fortunate.
Contact Jonathan Gebbie on 020 8802 2290, 07949 169583 or gebbiej@yahoo.com.

Apologies to Sunstone whom we accidentally missed off the list of last issue's complementary and alternative therapies practitioners. Sunstone is, in fact, the longest established complementary practitioner in Stoke Newington, offering paediatric osteopathy, pilates, yoga, acupuncture, reflexology, nutritional advice, homeopathy and Alexander Technique. Phew. That little lot should sort out your post-Christmas blues.
Visit the women-only club on www.sunstonewomen.com.

So according to The Observer Magazine, 21 November, Stoke Newington is the Best Place in Britain To Be A Parent, and has the UK's largest number of babies per capita. This was attributed to our 'strong, child - friendly Mediterranean atmosphere' and an influx of 'young Bohemian types'. No mention was made of the 25,000 strong Hassidic community who are not known for their unwillingness to raise large families and must help to skew the statistics.

A local resident was also quoted in the article as saying (and this does appear to be irony-free)' 'A visit down Church Street on a Saturday is a must, just to see all the three-wheeler buggies'. N16 was so moved by this revelation that we have decided to launch a Three-Wheeler Buggy Appreciation Society. This will meet every Saturday outside the Shillelagh, where a buggy expert will discuss the history, technology and design of these fascinating and much-loved objects. We will also investigate the cultural habits of their owners, such as the need to walk side by side up one of the narrowest pavements in North London, forcing pedestrians onto the road to overtake them and risk being squashed by a psychotic bendybus. And also why they beam at little Milo and Chloe when the little darlings scream at a thousand decibels in local restaurants and cafes, while strapped into the iconic machines. Everyone welcome, except owners of.

La Sera on the High Street is one year old on the day of our publication (11 December). Specialising in fresh, quality seafood, La Sera is one of a growing number of superior eating places- for instance The White Hart, Testi, Bodrum and the Z Bar - starting up in the High Street and making a success of it. The hegemony of Church Street is being challenged, a good thing for all concerned.

Stoke Newington School and other secondary schools in the Borough will benefit from Hackney's recent, successful bid to be included in the Building Schools for the Future programme, a Government initiative to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England. Consultation begins soon and further details will follow.
Watch this space.