Serving the communities of Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye since 1869
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 1
The
Parish
Magazine
The John King Trophy and Gold Award
Best Magazine of the Year 2018
National Parish Magazine Awards
Best Overall Magazine 2020
Best Editor 2019
Best Print 2018
Best Content 2016
Best Overall Magazine 2015
Serving the communities of Charvil, Sonning & Sonning Eye since 1869
April 2021 — Easter
Church of St Andrew
Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye
the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY
Coming
Soon
2 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement
Canberra Green, Charvil
Nursery Gardens, Hurst
We are pleased to present two new collections of homes built by Hicks Developments;
experts in creating quality homes and communities. Both Canberra Green, Charvil and
Nursery Gardens, Hurst, offer the chance to enjoy quintessential village life in a beautiful,
contemporary home.
As the local experts, at Haslams we are able to seamlessly facilitate the purchase of your
new home and take care of the sale of your current property. Please get in touch with our
team to find out more and to request a digital brochure.
It’s all figureoutable | Haslams.net
0118 960 1010
Serving the communities of Charvil, Sonning & Sonning Eye since 1869
Church of St Andrew
Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 1
The John King Trophy and Gold Award
Best Magazine of the Year 2018
National Parish Magazine Awards
Best Overall Magazine 2020
Best Editor 2019
Best Print 2018
Best Content 2016
Best Overall Magazine 2015
information — 1
Contents April 2021
THE VICAR'S LETTER, 5
THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD
— A passion for prayer, 7
— For your prayers in April, 7
— On Reflection: Abraham, 9
— From the editor's desk, 9
— STAY, 10
— The Persecuted Church, 11
— Alpha on Zoom, 13
features
— Accidents do happen, 13
— Easter Queen of Festivals, 15-17
— Jake takes a step, 19
— PCC Centenary, 21
— Easter denominations, 22-23
around the villages
— A day out in Windsor Castle, 25
— Looking familiar, 27
— Me2 Lockdown Hero Award, 27
— Sonning Tennis open days, 27
HEALTH
— Emily's healthy recipes, 29
— Dr Simon Ruffle writes, 31
HOME & GARDEN
— Recipe of the Month, 33
— Bible Garden birds, 33
THE ARTS
— Blindness to insight, 35
— Give thanks to the risen Lord, 35
— Poetry Corner, 37
the sciences
— Information, 37
PUZZLE PAGE, 38-39
This month's FRONT COVER
March 2021 — Mothering Sunday and Palm Sunday
The
Parish
Magazine
the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY
The Easter Story
by Anuja Mary Tilj on unsplash.com
EDITORIAL DEADLINE
The editorial deadline for every issue
of The Parish Magazine is 12 noon on
the sixth day of the month prior to the
date of publication.
The deadline for the May
issue of The Parish Magazine is:
Tuesday 6 April at 12 noon
The Parish Magazine online
This issue can also be viewed online at:
http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk
Earlier issues from 1869 onwards are
stored in a secure online archive. If you
wish to view these archives contact the
editor who will authorise
access for you:
editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 3
Services at
St Andrew’s
IN-PERSON WORSHIP
As we went to press the ministry
team and the PCC were discussing the
resumption of in-person worship. If
possible it is hoped to start again on
Palm Sunday 28 March at 10.30am.
EASTER SERVICES
It is also hoped that we will be able
to hold the following services during
Easter:
1 April: Maundy Thursday
Stripping of the Altar at 7.30pm
2 April: Good Friday
Last Hour Service with soloist singing
hymns at 2.00pm
3 April: Easter Saturday
The first Communion service of
Easter outside in The Ark gardens at
8.00pm
4 April: Easter Day
Parish Eucharist service at 10.30am
For more information about all the
above services please see the parish
website, the weekly service sheet, or
call the parish office — see page 42
for the full list of contact details.
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Morning Prayer in St Andrew's
Tuesday 20 April a 9.30am
Tuesday 27 April at 9.30am
Friday 30 April at 9.30am
Compline on Zoom
8.30pm on Monday, each week.
Contact Rev Kate for details about
joining her on Zoom.
Thursday at Eight
8pm on Zoom every Thursday — see
page 7 for details.
children's page, 41
information
— Church services, 3
— From the registers, 3
— Parish contacts, 42
— Advertisers index, 42
From the registers
Funerals
— Tuesday 2 March, David Ronald Fillingham, interment of ashes in the churchyard
— Wednesday 3 March, Denise Edith Bertram, St Andrew's Church followed by burial
in the churchyard.
4 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement
THANK YOU FROM SALLY HUGHES
In the 39 years that The Mill Theatre has been part of the villages of Sonning & Sonning Eye we have
helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for local & national charities, as well as giving tickets to local
schools, raffles and fundraising events. It is therefore very unfamiliar territory to accept support for The
Mill and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you.
Thank you to all our customers who have moved their tickets each time we have changed dates.
Thank you to our Mill Angels, to The Sonning Fire Brigade Trust, to George & Amal Clooney,
to Len & Ann Roberts from Wargrave. Thank you to some anonymous Angels from Woodley
who have been so generous to us and other anonymous donors.
Your support has meant that the staff have kept their jobs and The Mill is still here to entertain &
delight. We still need a little more help to get through to full re-opening and we have some fun
fundraising events coming up, ahead of our 40th anniversary next year.
AN AFTERNOON WITH DAME JUDI DENCH
SUNDAY 25 JULY - MATINEE
TICKETS £500 EACH INC. 3 COURSE A LA CARTE LUNCH &
A BOTTLE OF WINE
Dame Judi Dench loves The Mill and she wants to ensure it survives this
difficult time. On Sunday 25 July, Judi will talk about her life and work to a
very select (socially-distanced) audience of 100. Simon Williams will host
this unmissable event which will be a huge help to The Mill’s future.
THE RAY COONEY AUDITORIUM
SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER - EVENING
TICKETS £200 EACH INC. A DELICIOUS A LA CARTE DINNER &
A SIGNED PROGRAMME
As a huge & heartfelt thank you for helping The Mill survive this pandemic,
our auditorium will be named The Ray Cooney Auditorium. Ray’s comedies
have entertained our customers for almost 40 years and laughter is just
what we need in these difficult times. On 11 September his comedy TWO
INTO ONE will be playing and Ray, his lovely wife Linda and other celebrity
friends will be in the audience, do join us to celebrate.
BECOME A
MILL ANGEL
We have designed some special seat plaques with Ray’s trademark Theatre
of Comedy masks. Your inscription will go in the centre and the plaque will
be placed on one of The Mill’s theatre seats. You will also receive a lifetime’s
membership to The Mill Friend’s club, plus a pair of seats to the gala on 11
September. Email sally.hughes@millatsonning.com to find out more.
BOX OFFICE
(0118) 969 8000
millatsonning.com
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 5
The vicar's letter
Dear friends,
Living through this uncertain period of Covid pandemic we need signs of
hope and resurrection. We need the assurance that God is with us always
and that is the promise we receive on Easter Day.
A child asks her mother, 'Where is God?' Her mother answers, 'God is
everywhere.' The child cries out, 'But I want God to be somewhere!'
So do we! We want God to be here, with us now and forever. This is,
I think, the greatest significance of our Easter celebration, for Easter is
the promise we receive that Christ lives, and he is among us even now.
The resurrection story is the foundation of our hope that Christ lives in
eternity and that we will live with him now and forever.
THE ASSURANCE OF THE EMPTY TOMB
We should never underestimate the strength and the hope that God's
presence can bring to our lives. The affirmation that 'Christ is risen'
suggests that God is near to us. It reminds us that there is something
stable, something permanent in creation that will not be defeated by
human sin and evil.
The empty tomb is our assurance that God stands in and behind our
world, and that God is there to strengthen and uphold anything that is
good.
The truth of the matter is that God in his great love and concern for us
rarely gives us signs or miracles if you want to call them that. God gives
us signs of his presence and work in the ordinary events of our everyday
lives.
Think of the birth of a child; reflect on a Sunday school teacher's
commitment and enthusiasm for sharing the gospel. What about the joy
one feels on coming home after leaving for a period of time? Consider
how one is moved, staying to the end with another human being through
hours of pain and dying.
These are the signs, yes, the miracles of God in our everyday lives. In
each one of them, one senses the presence of hope, and the victory of
eternal life over death. In these experiences, one really can feel the power
of resurrection.
WE ALL NEED EASTER
As we confront the ultimate question of life and death which we all
must face as individuals, we need the assurance of Easter. For you see,
Good Friday and Easter go together because every person has some dark
moments, some disappointments throughout the course of a lifetime.
This is why we all need Easter, the day on which we celebrate God's
greatest miracle. We need Easter as the assurance of a power that is
beyond ourselves. We need Easter so that we may have hope for the future
because in the end, all human beings must face their death alone. We
need Easter, with its hope for better days ahead in this life. We need the
promise of life eternal which only Jesus Christ can bring us.
He is risen!
Warm wishes for a happy and blessed Easter.
Jamie
6 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
www.velvaerefit.com info@velvaerefit.com 07580 155596
• • Loose covers
• Curtains
• Loose covers
• • Re-Upholstery
•• Tracks Curtains & Poles
• Curtains • Re-Upholstery
• Tracks • && Poles
TEN YEAR GUARANTEE
For personal, helpful service, please call
Tel: 01844 261769
For TEN Mob: personal, YEAR 07802 GUARANTEE 213381 helpful
For personal,
service,
helpful
please
service,
call
grahamblake123@btconnect.com please call
TEL: 0184 426 1769
www.grahamblake.com
Tel: 01844 261769
MOB: 0780 221 3381
Mob: 07802 213381
grahamblake123@btconnect.com
grahamblake123@btconnect.com
http://www.grahamblake.com
TEN YEAR GUARANTEE
www.grahamblake.com
Home Wellness Specialists
Interior Design Equipment Supply Installation
Official Partners of :
Green Retreats - Garden Studios
Please contact us for home design
consultations and showroom tours
the parish noticeboard — 1
A passion for prayer
Rev Kate writes why prayer and praying, although difficult at
times, is an important two-way communications path with
God that is necessary to build a strong relationship.
Part 2 will be published in our May issue.
I am passionate about prayer but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy! Prayer isn’t
simply about asking God for what we want, or even for what we need — although
this can be a part of prayer. Primarily it is about relationship.
Communication is an important part
of any relationship and this is the
same with our relationship with God.
In order for relationships to
grow and develop, they need
communication. Prayer is about
praising God, sharing our joys with
him and thanking him. It is about
bringing before God our needs and the
needs of the world.
It is about saying sorry and turning
from the mistakes we have made and
asking for God’s forgiveness.
Prayer is our way of communicating
with God and therefore something
that isn’t optional for Christians.
Throughout history Christians have
prayed in many ways and many
contexts. Some through the spoken
word, through singing, by using their
bodies to express prayer — such as
prostrating themselves on the floor or
raising their arms — or using silence
or contemplation.
I could talk for hours on this topic
and have many books of prayer, but
this month I want to focus on a couple
of different approaches to prayer,
and next month, I will explore some
different and creative ways to pray, and
look at some of the difficulties.
RHYTHM OF PRAYER
The daily offices, as they are called,
are something that ordained people
commit to praying each day, but many
others also join in this discipline. This
usually consists of Morning Prayer
and Evening Prayer, although there
are various other services for different
points in the day. This rhythm of
daily prayer is important to many
Christians throughout the world.
The daily offices follow a pattern
of readings from the Old and New
Testament, and psalms each day. The
prayers and readings connect us with
the wider church, as well as bringing
us together to pray locally.
In April we will introduce some
new services of Morning Prayer in
St Andrew’s Church, initially each
Tuesday at 9.30am and on the first
Friday of each month at 9.30am.
I will also continue a Zoom service
of sung compline (night prayer) that
was introduced three evenings a week
during Lent. After Easter it will be held
on Monday at 8.30pm, with the option
of joining online from 8.10pm to learn
the music. If you are interested in
trying this then please email me for
more details. I hope to start a sung
service of compline once a month
in church when we are able to sing
together again.
PERSONAL PRAYER
Our own personal prayer can take
many forms. Since I was ordained,
I have had the joy of hearing people
talk about how they pray. Many talk
of praying as they walk and enjoying
praying outdoors.
Some pray in silence — this can
be a challenge for some as people
use words so much of the time, but
for many others sitting with God in
silence is how they prefer to pray.
Some may use set words such as
the Lord’s Prayer or prayers they learnt
as a child, whereas others have a much
more conversational and informal
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 7
approach. Some kneel, some don’t….
and so on. There are perhaps as many
ways to pray as there are people!
IT'S GOOD TO TALK
If you would like a conversation
about prayer please contact me, I
would love to hear from you.
revkate@sonningparish.org.uk
It’s not always easy but prayer
can be incredibly sustaining as we
journey through the ups and downs
of life. If you would like a starting
point, then there is perhaps nowhere
better than the words Jesus taught
us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who
trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
For your
prayers
in April
— Her Majesty the Queen as she
celebrates her 95 th birthday
on 21 April
— The staff and patients at the
Duchess of Kent Hospice
— All who are feeling isolated
and the work of St Andrew's
Shepherds
Thai Noipho, dreamstime.com
8 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
advert-1...vis 1_Layout 1 15/09/2011 11:47 Page 1
Are you thinking about
homecare?
BOOK A BEAUTIFUL
NIGHT STAY WITH
US.
RECEIVE 15% OFF
QUOTE THE CODE
FST1845
TAKE AWAY
FISH AND CHIPS £10
The Bull Inn, Sonning on Thames
Berkshire RG4 6UP, T: 0118 969 3901
e: bullinn@fullers.co.uk www.bullinnsonning.co.uk
If you would like to learn
more please call us on
0118 947 6666
www.thebmgc.com
10% of the value of your first order will be donated to the new community hall fund when you quote Ref: BMGC-CH
• Pull-up banners
• Point of sale
• Window graphics
• Vehicle livery
• PVC banners
• Posters
• Corporate branding
• Graphic design
• Installation services
• Shop signage
• Exhibition systems
• Signage for commerce
• Bespoke wall coverings
For cost effective, locally produced, quality graphics call us on 0118 934 5016
The Homestead, Park Lane, Charvil, Reading RG10 9TR
email: sales@thebmgc.com
the parish noticeboard — 2
On reflection . . .
Abraham and taking
matters into our hands
By Elizabeth Spiers
Abraham serving three angels by Rembrandt
Public domain
According to the Bible in Genesis 12, Israel is a nation that
was started by God when he promised Abram, a childless
but religious man, that he would be the father of a nation so
numerous that you couldn’t count them.
He changed Abram’s name to Abraham because that means
‘father of multitudes’. However, Abraham and his wife Sarah
had to wait many years to see this promise fulfilled and in
the waiting period, they took matters into their own hands.
At Sarah’s prompting, Abraham had a son, Ishmael, with her
maidservant, Hagar.
Abraham’s actions didn’t stop God being faithful. 13 years
after Ishmael was born, God gave Abraham and Sarah a son
of their own, Isaac. And from Isaac came the Jewish nation.
But soon after Isaac was born, there was great strife between
the two mothers, and much to Abraham’s distress, Sarah
made him send Ishmael and Hagar away.
CONSEQUENCES
By taking matters into their own hands they caused
problems for everyone in the family at the time, and far into
the future, with serious consequences. Forced to leave his
father’s house, Ishmael was not part of the family that led to
the birth of the nation of Israel. Islamic lore says that Hagar
took Ishmael to Mecca. Certainly, Ishmael is considered a
patriarch of Islam and many Arabs today can probably trace
their line back to him. There is still a great deal of strife
between the descendants of Isaac and those who see Ishmael
as their father — look at the problems in the Middle East.
We can often do as Abraham and Sarah did and take
things into our own hands. We give God a ‘helping hand’ or
perhaps we doubt that we heard from him or maybe we don’t
believe that God is still interested in us or our nation or the
wider world. It’s easy for us to lose confidence when time
passes, and nothing happens.
But our God is faithful. If he promises something, he
means it and will do it. It is in God’s timing, not ours.
Taking matters into our own hands can have
consequences beyond anything we can imagine. What might
the world look like today if Abraham and Sarah had not
decided to give God a helping hand?
From the desk
of the editor
editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk
One event, many
interpretations
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 9
St George's Day on 23 April always reminds me of the first
church that I went to, I wonder how many people remember
their first church?
St George's Church in Tarpots, Essex, was not then a
'proper' church as most people would imagine, it was a hall
in which worship was held for the local people who found it
difficult attending the 'real', 1,000 year old parish church of
St Peter's Thundersley. The two churches were only 1½ miles
apart along a road aptly named, Church Road, where I lived.
The journey between the two churches meant climbing a
very steep hill — also aptly named 'Church Hill' — that even
many cars in the early 1950's had difficulty driving up. As a
boy, one of the greatest challenges was to try to cycle up it,
the reward being a dangerously fast but thrilling ride down.
One of my aunts lived at the bottom of the hill so when we
crashed there was somewhere to get patched up!
St George's was one of those small halls that were built by
churches after the war and although it was used for services,
worshippers had to face west instead of the traditional east
— east meant looking towards Jerusalem, the city that was at
the centre of the Easter events that we celebrate this month.
The 'proper' services such as baptism, confirmation, marriage
and funerals, were always celebrated up the hill in St Peter's.
It was in St George's that I believe I had my first call to serve
in the church, but that's another long story!
MEMORABLE
Nevertheless, St George's was where each month I
marched with a boy scouts' drum and fife band. I was the
lead drummer, although secretly I wanted to play the big bass
drum but that was a man-sized job! On St George's Day we
all trooped off to Southend-on-Sea for a huge parade when
scouts from throughout Essex marched along the seafront
with their bands playing and flags flying for a service in
the Odeon theatre and cinema. For me, St George's Day has
always been memorable.
St George's Church stood in a large field on the edge of
Tarpots and beyond was a 'green belt' area. The other day I
googled St George's Church and was pleased to see that
it still exists, although it is no longer a daughter church
of St Peter's. It is part of the New Wine evangelical
movement that grew out of the Church of England as a
multidenominational group of churches. The old building
had long gone and now a smart new church stands in a
more densely-populated area.
My excuse for writing about my St George's Day memories
is that it led me to think about how Christians experience
their faith in so many different ways but all recognise that
their roots lie in the amazing, life changing, and historychanging
events that happened in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago
— albeit in slightly different ways. This, in turn, led to the
centre page article this month. Happy Easter!
10 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
the parish noticeboard — 3
STAY
St Andrew's Youth
STAY on Sunday
During February we continued to enjoy
the Alpha Youth video series at STAY on
Sunday, including topics such as:
— Healing: does God still heal today?
— Evil: how can I resist evil?
— Telling others: how and why should I
tell others?
— Church: what about the church?
We had lots of great discussions
about our faith, we prayed for
healing for one another and we asked
questions about how we can make
church a place where everyone feels
welcome.
STAY Pancake Party
On Shrove Tuesday 16 February we
celebrated by having a Zoom pancake
party! There was mess made, pancakes
flipped and toppings galore! Prizes were
awarded to: Will for doing 40 flips in
30 seconds, Jayden for tastiest looking
pancakes, Amelia and Sophia for nicest
looking topping and Izzy and Will for
best score in the pancake party quiz!
STAY in Schools
We have been able to continue to provide
mentoring sessions through team calls
to 22 students each week. It has been
a real honour to journey with so many
amazing students from both Blue Coat
and Piggott schools!
We have also continued, over
this lockdown, to provide all the
local schools with online assemblies.
Themes have included: inspiring
stories, divided kingdoms, Noah’s
Ark and the parable of the weeds.
Pictures (top to bottom):
— Using orbeez and water to illustrate the
parable of the weeds. It’s hard to separate the
good from the bad until the harvest is ready,
teaching us patience! I hope it made sense to
the 1400 Piggott students watching!
— The Alpha Body of Christ video at STAY
on Sunday
— Checking that everyone has enough eggs
for our pancakes
— STAY pancake party recipe
— Retelling Noah's Ark from the Lego Bible
at an online school assembly
For more information, or a chat,
contact Westy on
youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk
STAY Detached Project
Left to right: Sherlon, Westy and Mark
Our new detached project in Charvil
and Sonning has enabled us to engage in
positive conversations with an average of
18 or so young people each week. It’s so
encouraging seeing young people from
the local schools and being able to chat
and check on their well-being during
lockdown.
It’s also an amazing privilege
working in partnership with Mark
Brown from Grace Church in
Caversham and especially Sherlon
Bartenbach from Reach — a pastoral
and RE support for schools charity.
The reason it’s so special working
with Sherlon is that he used to be one
of my young people many years ago.
I met him aged 15 and he caused me
many headaches in my school lunch
club. He went onto become one of my
best youth volunteer leaders and my
intern. Now he works across Reading
schools delivering similar work I met
him through all those years ago. God
really does work in mysterious ways!
the parish noticeboard — 3
The Persecuted Church
This month we focus on Myanmar (Burma) where about
90% of the Burmese population practice Buddhism, with
Christians forming the second largest religion with about
8%. Islam is the third-largest.
Myanmar is in chaos. The country’s biggest city, Yangon, has
seen the biggest protests against this year’s military coup,
with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets. At the
time of writing, 28 February, a Reuters report tells how this
day has been the bloodiest day in weeks of demonstrations,
with at least 18 people killed after Myanmar police fired on
protesters. In Mandalay, earlier in February, live ammunition
was used to disperse anti-coup protesters, leaving two dead
and several others injured.
The February military coup in Myanmar is the latest
in a series over the years. On this occasion, the military’s
argument was claims of voter fraud. Those claims were
rejected by the election commission. The coup declared a oneyear
emergency, and placed state councillor Aung San Suu Kyi
under house arrest.
This is not the first time of house arrest for Ms Suu Kyi.
The first was in 1989, with others since. She formed her
party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), in 1988.
In 1990 the NLD won a landslide election victory. Ms Suu
Kyi has had two terms as state councillor. Her NLD party
won a landslide victory in the 2015 elections, but she was
constitutionally barred from becoming prime minister due to
her husband and sons being British.
In 2017, there was sectarian violence against the Rohingya
Muslim population in the Rakhine area. The UN High
Commissioner for human rights termed it ethnic cleansing.
In August that year, over 5 million Rohingyas left Myanmar
to neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh. Along with
the mainly-Muslim Rohingya people (who include a small
minority of Christians), the Karen and other mainly-
Christian ethnic people groups including Kachin and Chin
have been brutally oppressed by the military-controlled
government for decades.
Barnabas Fund reports that a Myanmar Army document
has been discovered, instructing soldiers to 'punish and
breakdown' ethnic-minority Christians and other civilians
deemed to be against the military regime, or even appearing
critical of it in social media posts. At the outset of the
coup this year, the Myanmar army shelled the Papun and
Nyaunglebin districts, reports Barnabas. Karen villagers
were forced to flee into mountainous jungle. Thousands of
Karen people are now hiding there.
Barnabas Fund has appealed to raise money for the
helpless and homeless displaced Karen people in the jungle.
They were particularly in need of rice, cooking oil, fish and
tarpaulins or other strong plastic sheeting for roofing.
Thankfully, gifts totalling £1,500 at the time of writing have
helped provide makeshift shelters and food. It is still possible
to contribute to this appeal: https://tinyurl.com/kctx4x6f
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 11
News, features, and links by Colin Bailey: please read for awareness,
and support by prayer, financial or otherwise.
Pray for justice, righteousness and equality in Burma
CONSTITUTIONALLY BARRED
HIDING IN THE JUNGLE
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a
small pagoda built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves.
The Golden Rock is said to precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha's
hair.
Paolo Campana, dreamstime.com
When the NLD won the general election last November,
it announced it would form a national unity government and
would be inviting other ethnic minority parties to work with
it. This offer was also made on their 2015 victory but was not
fulfilled. Please join with Christian leaders in praying for the
people of Myanmar and for a change of heart of the army and
coup leaders, and for the Karen people hiding in the jungle.
Pray that whoever governs Myanmar will rule with justice
and righteousness, caring for all citizens equally.
Sources and further reading
Myanmar coup timeline in The Independent: https://tinyurl.com/tbycdhp2
Al Jazeera report on Myanmar protests: https://tinyurl.com/djmx5pd9
Barnabas Fund : flight of Karen Christians: https://tinyurl.com/3vppc5sx
Barnabas Fund Facebook: flight of Karen Christian villagers: https://tinyurl.
com/3vdt4me8
Barnabas Fund:: Daily Prayer, 13 February, on Myanmar: https://tinyurl.
com/5a2r89cm
Barnabas Fund: Myanmar Army document: https://tinyurl.com/282mbbw9
Barnabas Fund appeal to help displaced Karen villagers: https://tinyurl.
com/34d6vw62
Barnabas Fund Facebook update on Karen Christian appeal: https://tinyurl.
com/87kw6658
Associated Press: Protest in Mandalay: https://tinyurl.com/2yrkthtm
Reuters: The bloodiest day of protests https://tinyurl.com/9m3b4nk6
12 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
Independent And FREE Advice For All Individual & Company Members
• Switch to an alternative scheme – If you are currently insured, switching to a competitor can mean substantially lower rates
• Pre-existing conditions covered – It is often possible to include pre-existing medical conditions currently covered by your existing provider
• Improve your coverage – We can frequently improve your cover whilst also lowering the cost of your premium
• Complexities of different schemes – In many cases, people are over insured – we can ensure you are covered with a scheme that
meets your individual needs and requirements
• Full cover for cancer treatment – Many polices do not cover cancer in full – we are able to advise on your current level of coverage
For further information, please call Steve Maguire at M&L Healthcare Solutions:-
PHONE 01628 945944 or 01223 881779
Email: steve.maguire@mlhs.co.uk
quoting ref: The Parish Magazine
M&L Healthcare Solutions is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Reference number 554206)
ADD Plumbing
& Heating
THE FUNERAL PEOPLE
A FAMILY BUSINESS SERVING
SONNING SINCE 1826
READING 0118 957 3650
HENLEY 01491 413434
CAVERSHAM 0118 947 7007
ALSO AT MAIDENHEAD, BRACKNELL, WOKINGHAM, THATCHAM
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY FUNERAL
SERVICE AND DIRECT CREMATION
FLORAL DESIGN & MONUMENTAL MASONRY
PRE-PAID FUNERALS, LATER LIFE LEGAL SERVICES
BEREAVEMENT CARE
WWW.ABWALKER.CO.UK
Experienced plumber &
heating engineer
Free written estimates
– no job too small
Many positive testimonials
from local residents
‘Trustworthy, reliable and efficient’
‘Excellent attention to detail’
‘Meticulous in his work’
SELECTED
Independent
FUNERAL HOMES
0118 934 4624
07932 072912
addplumbingsolutions.co.uk
the parish noticeboard — 4
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 13
feature — 1
Accidents do
happen!
By Claude Masters
Catherine Chernyakova, dreamstime.com
Alpha course on Zoom starts Thursday 22 April, 8pm
— Has lockdown helped you reassess what’s important in life or helped you refocus?
— Have the restrictions given you the space to wonder about life’s big questions?
— Has some of the dark months of Covid made you wonder what’s the point of it all?
However you might answer those questions, we would love you to join us for our brand
new Alpha course on Zoom starting after Easter. It will be a safe space where these
questions and more will be explored.
The Alpha course is an amazing and relaxed way to ask questions, share thoughts
and learn new things in a non judgemental and non threatening environment. It is
designed for people of no faith, some faith or those just asking questions.
'Alpha was the best thing I ever did. It helped answer some huge questions
and to find a simple empowering faith in my life'— Bear Grylls
The course will run for 12 weeks on Thursday evenings at 8pm for an hour. It starts
on Thursday 22 April. The videos are only 20 minutes long and we stop for questions
throughout. Come along for the first week to try it out. If it's not your thing then there
is no expectation to return. If it does float your boat, then stick around for the course.
No judgement either way!
For Zoom details, or to have a chat about coming along, email the parish office on
office@sonningparish.org.uk
It is often said that there are only
two things you can be sure of in this
life, death and taxes, but there is
another — accidents!
From a toddler tearing a nail in the sand
on a beach to an old man tripping over a
kerb, something at sometime, is going to
happen to you.
The 1974 Health & Safety legislation
was introduced to make employers
and employees more responsible and
careful in work places. Disregard for
them became a criminal offence.
Occasionally the legislation is open
to ridicule as an unfortunate lady
found out when showing a group of
building tradesmen at a health and
safety lecture how to wash their hands.
It is now common practice to do
a 'risk assessment' before any work,
even though the job may have been
done safely for years. This seems an
unnecessary requirement as we all
subconsciously do this all the time.
Usually, nobody does anything unless
they know it is safe to do so.
UNFORTUNATE?
It is a trait of human nature to
laugh when seeing some one else’s
misfortune, however serious the
incident might be. Such incidents are
often seen on the internet, though
some are clearly a set up.
The Chambers Dictionary defines
accidents as unexpected occurrences
that are usually unfortunate. But this
is not always true — an unexpected
baby is often referred to as an accident
but will hopefully bring sheer joy!
A plumber was called out for an
overflowing cistern in the ladies staff
changing room of a London hotel.
Knowing it would not take long, he
didn’t put up an ‘Out of Order’ notice,
and propped the door open to indicate
that he was around. The cubicle door
closed behind him but when he opened
it, he beheld a screaming young lady
wearing the skimpiest of underwear.
He shut himself in the cubicle until
the coast was clear and is now known
as the man in the toilet by all the
waitresses! Accidents do happen!
14 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
An independent company
rated good
Home Carers Wanted!
Bridges Home Care is growing...
Rated highly by customers... Staff and the profession...
Providing quality care in the Oxfordshire area...
Why not join our close knit team?
I love care work
and being around
to help people
The managers
are approachable
and supportive
My main carer
is very good, she
is wonderful,
like a friend
by Care Quality
Commission, our customers
and staff alike.
The training gives
you confidence to
learn more
• Top brand name flooring at the lowest price
• Samples to view in your home/office day/evening
• Free Advice / FreeQuotes
• Old flooring uplifted & furniture moved
• Fast turn around on fitting if required
Bridges ticks all the boxes
n✔ Full training given
n✔ Existing skills
& experience valued
n✔ Guaranteed work,
local area
UKHCA
Supported by Oxfordshire County Council
n✔ Flexible hours or
shifts available
n✔ Supportive hands-on
management
If you think this might be for you, find out more...
call Bonny or Wendy on 01491 578758
or email bonny@bridgeshomecare.co.uk
visit www.bridgeshomecare.co.uk
Oxfordshire Association
of Care Providers
• Carpet, design and wood flooring specialists
We supply and install: Amtico
Carpets - Laminate - Wood - Vinyl
Non-slip and more...
Tel: 0118 958 0445
10 Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8EQ
info@richfieldflooring.co.uk/www.richfieldflooring.eo.uk
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 15
feature — 2
'Queen of Festivals' traditions — new and old
Easter 2015: The Easter Egg and Spoon Race which is now a St Andrew's Church 'tradition'
Easter often reminds me of a faithful member of St Andrew's once saying that
she only liked to receive Holy Communion twice a year, on Easter Sunday and
Christmas Day. This had been a 'tradition' from her younger days that she
felt made Holy Communion very special. I am sure that for many of us this
will be true when the Covid restrictions are eased and we can all, once again,
receive the bread and wine that Jesus invited his followers to remember him
by shortly before his crucifixion. The good news is that it seems likely that we
will be able to receive Communion this Easter, writes Bob Peters.
Other Easter 'traditions' such as
our Easter Saturday family fun day
will not be possible, and the special
services, whose traditions date back
2,000 years, will be different if they
are held — see page 7.
In the May 1876 issue of this
magazine, Rev Hugh Pearson wrote:
Easter, according to the Saxon historian,
the Venerable Bede, is derived from
Eostre, the name of a goddess worshipped
of old in Britain. Bede lived sufficiently
near to pagan times to be able to speak
with certainty, and no writer has given
greater diligence to ensure accuracy. The
word Easter does not represent the Saxon
word for resurrection, as is sometimes
supposed. Our Easter therefore may be
considered to have displaced the British
Festival of Eostre, on the well-known
principle of Christian antiquity, whereby
churches were built on the site, and
often with the materials of the ancient
temples, (as for instance in the case of
St Paul’s Cathedral, built on the site of
the Temple of Diana, in London), and
heathen festivals were adapted to the
Christian calendar. Easter was known
throughout the ancient church as the
'Queen of Festivals', and was kept with
especially joyous and imposing solemnity.
It is a pleasure to feel that our own church
services of this year were not unworthy of
the Great Festival, and in harmony with
the glad spirit of the universal church.
Down the years, other 'traditions'
have emerged for Easter, both
Christian and secular, such as
chocolate Easter eggs. Some of them,
such as receiving Holy Communion
only twice a year, have been lost in
time.
OLD TRADITIONS
Even so, you can still see reminders
of lost traditions in some of the
ancient churches around the country.
In St Andrew's, for example, there
is stone arch that Hugh Pearson
mentioned in The Parish Magazine for
June 1869:
The most remarkable feature in
the interior of the Church, is the richly
sculptured stone arch on the North side of
the Sacrarium. Of the history or purpose
of this beautiful work of medieval art
we know absolutely nothing. There is no
notice of it in Ashmole’s account of the
Church, and in Lyson’s Magna Britannia
it is only spoken of as 'an elegant pointed
arch, very richly ornamented with
figures of saints.' There have been many
conjectures as to its original purpose. It
may possibly have been raised over what
was called an Easter Sepulchre, that is,
a place for the performance of certain
solemn rites commemorative of the
Resurrection of our Lord.
The Easter Sepulchre was also
used in some medieval churches to
Tom Farncombe
keep the bread and wine used for
Holy Communion from Good Friday
until Easter Day
The Easter traditions, new and
old, have all developed to illustrate
and strengthen the significance of
Easter, which is the most important
celebration in the Christian calender.
These include:
— Burial of the cross from Good
Friday to Easter Day
— Stripping the altar on Maundy
Thursday
— An Easter vigil between the death
and resurrection of Christ
— The Last Hour Service to mark the
last moments of the life of Christ
— An Easter play
— The Easter candle, traditionally lit
to mark the start of Easter
— Flowering the cross, on Easter
morning a cross is decorated with
flowers
— Blessing each home in the parish
— Easter food, particularly lamb
— Easter eggs, symbolising new life
and the stone used to seal the tomb
of Christ
— An Easter garden
NEW TRADITIONS
Making an Easter garden is a recent
'tradition' and has become more
popular with children, although
people of all ages can enjoy it.
It emerged as a custom in a
similar way to the Christmas nativity
scene and is used to remind us of
the special events that surrounded
Jesus at the time. Like the nativity,
it is placed in a prominent place
throughout the 50 days of Easter.
turn to page 17
16 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
Complete Pest
Solutions
WASPS • RATS • MICE • SQUIRRELS
BED BUGS • FLEAS • BIRDS & RODENT PROOFING
Leslie Parker
parkerleslie65@aol.com
0125 624 2135 0799 081 4143
PROFESSIONAL PEST
CONTROLLERS REGISTER
2 Vyne Lodge Farm Cottage, Bramley, Tadley, Hampshire RG26 5EA
Whatever you want to store...
...for whatever reason - house sale and purchase
not coinciding, travelling, house building work,
paperwork overload or even “de-cluttering” to
sell your house more quickly - we offer a
friendly and flexible local service.
With competitive rates, secure storage
and hassle free 24/7 access,
contact us now!
0118 940 4163
www.barn-store.co.uk
Only 5 minutes
from Henley on
the Reading road!
www.etsheppard.co.uk
01491 574 644
36 Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames RG9 1AG
Established in 1858
A.F. Jones
Stonemasons
Limited
0118 9573 537
www.afjones.co.uk
33 Bedford Road, Reading, RG1 7EX
feature — 3
Easter 'traditions' old and new
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 17
from page 15
2013: The 'traditional' Easter egg hunt at St Andrew's Tom Farncombe
Easter gardens take many forms,
from small ones created in a dish or
tray to larger, less portable gardens
in purpose made containers. Some
people also make outdoor Easter
gardens in a quiet corner of their
garden where they can sit peacefully
to meditate.
All have four essential parts — a
mound on which one or three crosses
may be placed, a cave cut into the
mound, a large stone that forms the
door to the cave and is moved on
Easter Day, and living plants that
represent the new life that Jesus
gives us.
The site in Jerusalem where
Jesus was buried is unknown but
one possible location is a beautiful
and very peaceful garden owned and
administered by The Garden Tomb
(Jerusalem) Association, a Christian
non-denominational charitable
trust based in the UK. Set against a
backdrop of a rocky cliff that appears
to have a face naturally formed
in the rocks recalling the Biblical
location of Golgotha — Skull Hill
— there is a natural cave below that
Instructions on how to make an Easter
garden like the one above can be found on:
https://amysfreeideas.com/English/Step_
by_step_instructions_for_how_to_make_
an_Easter_Garden.html
archaeologists believe was used as
a burial tomb for a wealthy person
in the time of Jesus. Whether this
is the garden or not, it has inspired
thousands of Christians when
making their own Easter gardens.
Why not start a new 'tradition' for
yourself and make one this Easter?
If you make an Easter garden,
send us a picture of it before 12 noon
on 6 April and we will try to include
it in our next issue:
editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk
The Golgotha tomb where Jesus is said to have been buried
Aleksandar Todorovic, dreamstime.com
Above: Some examples of different types of
Easter gardens made by St Andrew's Church
Sunday Club members for Easter last year.
18 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Life Begins
at 55...
Our Later Life Lending experts are here to help
you understand how you can use the equity built
up in your home to help finance your retirement.
We offer free, friendly, professional advice.
Repay your existing mortgage
Pay off your debts
Help your family financially
Carry out home improvements
Go on holiday or buy a new car
To arrange an
appointment visit
our website or
give us a call
mortgagerequired.com
01628 507477
Finance House, 5 Bath Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 4AQ
This is a lifetime mortgage to understand the features and risks, ask for a personalised illustration. There will be no fee for Mortgage Advice. There may be a fee for arranging a mortgage. The precise amount
will depend upon your circumstances, but we estimate it to be £599. Mortgage Required Ltd, Finance House, 5 Bath Road, Maidenhead, SL6 4AQ is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
reference 573718 at www.fca.org.uk.
‘Excellent’ School
‘Pupils’ social development and collaboration skills
are excellent.’
‘Pupils make an outstanding contribution to
the lives of others.’
ISI Inspection, November 2019
Register online: rbcs.org.uk
An Independent Day School for Boys 11-18, and Girls 16 -18
Bathrooms &Kitchens Ltd
Plumbing, Plastering, Tiling
and all associated work
Contact us today for a
FREE
No obligation Consultation
and Quotation
0778 897 2921
markt@kingfisher-bathrooms.com
http://www.kingfisher-bathrooms.com
167 167 Fairwater Kingfisher Drive, Drive, Woodley, Reading, Berks RG5 3JQ
feature — 4
Jake takes a
step up
Meet Jake (right) who lives in
Reading. He has just turned six, and
has a very rare condition known
as RERE Syndrome, a difficult-todiagnose
genetic condition currently
identified as affecting less than 30
people around the world — RERE
(Arginine-Glutamic Acid Dipeptide
Repeats) is a Protein Coding gene.
Jake's low muscle tone means he can
crawl but not yet walk. Now that he's
a big lad —he wears age 10 clothes
and weighs 30kg (4stone 10lbs) — his
parents were finding it a real problem
to help him in and out of the bath.
But things have now got a little
easier for Jake and his family as a
volunteer 'MakeAbility' engineer from
the charity Remap has designed and
made him a bespoke set of speciallypadded
bathroom steps.
VOLUNTEERS
Remap has 70 county 'MakeAbility'
groups in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland. Founded in 1965, they assist
about 3,000 people every year. Remap
volunteers enjoy using their skills to
create custom-made equipment and
gadgets for people who have disabilities
or special needs and who cannot find
anything suitable to buy.
The 'MakeAbility' service is entirely
free. The volunteers have a wide variety
of expertise ranging from IT and
electronics, to metalwork, carpentry
and 3D-printing.
Jake's mother, Rachel Green said:
'Jake cannot get in or out of the bath
Jake with his specially made steps.
Remap
Remap
himself, but he is too mobile to qualify for
a hoist. It was fine when he was smaller,
but as he grew it became so difficult for us
to lift him over the bath-side. Now that
he has the steps he is able to get himself
both in and out. They have made a real
difference'.
Jake's condition was identified
after a three-year participation in
the 1000-genome research project,
designed to catalogue human genetic
variations and support future medical
research. The RERE gene provides
instructions for making a protein that
is critical for normal development
before birth, and disruption of this can
lead to neuro-developmental delays
and other problems.
'We were so pleased when we finally
discovered he had RERE because it meant
he was likely to continue to develop rather
than going downhill,' said Rachel. 'He
didn't sit up until he was 2 years old, and
is autistic, but we see such progress in him.'
Jake gets on well his 2 year old sister. Remap
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 19
Rachel is a lab technician, Jed, his
father, is a systems manager, and his
sister Sophie is 2 years old. 'Jake is about
two years old mentally,' said Rachel, 'so
he and Sophie really seem to connect'.
Jake's unique steps were built by
Remap Berkshire's Phil Cartwright,
who lives in Wokingham. A retired
technical sales person, he inherited
an enthusiasm for practical projects
from his father. 'Dad had a good busy
garage and I helped him make all sorts of
things,' said Phil. 'My speciality has been
furniture — I have made a bureau, several
coffee tables, and other items'.
CHALLENGING
Remap engineers often work with
health professionals — occupational
therapists, physiotherapists, doctors
or special educational needs staff — to
make sure the equipment provided is
safe and meets individual situations.
The charity has assisted people of
all ages with a wide variety of issues
such as making a long-reach window
opener, a device for getting tablets
out of a blister pack, a modification
of motorised wheelchair controls for
someone with limited hand and arm
movement, and a special foot-rest to
encourage autistic children to place
their heels flat on the floor.
Some 'MakeAbility' projects are
simple, others extremely challenging,
but all can make a real difference to
a recipient's quality of life. Each piece
of equipment is tailor-made to suit
specific needs. Many of the materials
used are recycled, but some have to be
bought using funds kindly contributed
by charitable foundations, Rotary clubs
and community groups.
REMAP BERKSHIRE
To contact Remap in confidence:
0779 012 7123
berks.caseofficer@remapgroups.org.uk
http://www.berkshire.remap.org.uk
To book a Remap Berkshire speaker
for your club, group or healthcare
team, free of charge: 0149 167 1998
berks.publicity@remapgroups.org.uk
To make a Fast Pay donation:
Account Name: Remap Berkshire
Sort Code: 30 95 96
Account Number: 24863468
For more information about Remap:
http://www.remap.org.uk
0173 276 0209 data@remap.org.uk
Remap, D9 Chaucer Business Park,
Kemsing, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 6YU
To volunteer with Remap:
https://www.remap.org.uk/volunteering/
making-equipment-for-people-with-disabilities/
20 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
Follow Us
@ShiplakeCollege
Open Morning
Saturday 8 May 2021
www.shiplake.org.uk/opendays
#ShiplakeInclusive
#ShiplakeIndividual
#ShiplakeInspirational
CARS FOR
CLERGY
Get the new
all-electric
Renault Zoe
Get the 2020 What Car?
Best Small Electric Car for
just £239.98 per month.
4 years’ road tax included
3 years’ breakdown cover included
4-year lease with a £719.94 deposit †
Only
£239 .98
per
month †
Renault Zoe 100kw i GT-Line
R135 50KWh 5dr Automatic
For details,
call us now
or visit
08000 324 900
newgatefinance.com
We’re delighted to make our deals
available to all readers of The Parish
Magazine. For more cars and offers,
please visit our website.
†Terms apply. Includes VAT. No purchase option. Up to 6,000 miles p.a. Other mileages available. Ask for details when you call. Newgate Motoring Solutions Ltd acts as a
credit broker and is not a lender and can introduce you to a limited number of finance providers. Newgate Motoring Solutions Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority, firm ref 730559, and also trades as Newgate and Newgate Finance. Newgate Motoring Solutions Ltd will receive a commission or fee for introducing you to a
finance provider. You can request details of the commission or fee we will receive by contacting us on our Freephone number.
feature — 5
It is 100 years since 'The Parochial
Church Councils (Powers) Measure
1921' became law, a law which was
an important stage in the birth of
the PCC.
During the First World War army
chaplains found that many men who
thought of themselves as church
goers were ignorant of the basics of
religion. This led to a new interest in
mission for the church.
There were national days of prayer
during the war and in 1915 there was
a National Mission of Repentance and
Hope. The public were more in the
mood for victory than repentance.
After the Armistice there was a desire
for change in the national church and
this led to a discussion about the links
with the state.
Parliament was often slow to
enact laws for the church and many
people felt the national church should
have more authority to govern itself.
The setting up of Parochial Church
Councils was part of that process.
In the past, much of the local
secular administration had been the
responsibility of churchwardens in
the vestry meetings. Gradually their
functions were passed to local councils.
Most of their remaining powers were
transferred to PCC's by The Parochial
Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1921.
The purpose behind these new
councils was to give the laity a more
prominent role in parish life and to
work alongside the deanery, diocesan
and national councils which became
the synods. The PCC would have an
important role in church life.
Some conservative clerics were
concerned at this reform and felt that
congregations would pick and choose
clergy or object to a new incumbent
chosen by a patron.
The process of starting PCCs to
share in decision making in parishes
was widely accepted but a few older
incumbents, and those in more
rural areas, failed to do either out of
reluctance or ignorance.
One difficult issue was what level
of commitment to church life enabled
a person to be eligible to serve on a
church council. It was decided that
anyone on the electoral role could
participate — even if they did not
attended communion regularly.
The then Bishop of Oxford resigned
over the issue because he thought
that councils must only be made up of
committed regular communicants.
The next Bishop of Oxford, in
his monthly diocesan magazine,
endorsed the principle of democracy
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 21
PCC's celebrate 100 years of service this month
April 2021 officially marks the centenary of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) in the Church of England although many parish
churches, such as ours, began establishing and running a PCC during the previous year. Here, Rev Peter Crumpler, a former CofE
communications director gives the background to this radical change in the management of parish churches that placed them in the
hands of their church members rather than the vicar and the church wardens.
PROMINENT ROLE
and reassured people that it was not
a negative step and would not limit
the powers of clergy or wardens. He
encouraged the congregations to
consider how to use each other’s gifts.
In Aylesbury the idea of the new
PCC's had been discussed as early
as 1918. It was felt that they would
support the clergy particularly with
financial issues.
It is strange to think that the
proposal for clergy and congregation
to work together for the benefit of the
church could be controversial.
The birth of the PCC was a major
step in the life of the church. I wonder
what the next 100 years will bring?
William Temple Public domain
Meanwhile at
A leading churchman in the reform
St Andrew's . . .
movement was William Temple who
became leader of the Life and Liberty In our parish, Rev Gibbs Payne
movement which influenced the move Crawfurd was the vicar from 1907-
towards democratic government in the 1925. He supported the move to place
Church of England.
the management of parish churches in
William Temple was Bishop of the hands of their members.
Manchester in the 1920's, Archbishop In The Parish Magazine of February
of York (1929-1942) and Archbishop of 1920 — more than a year before The
Canterbury (1942-1944).
Parochial Church Councils (Powers)
He had been a secretary of the
Measure 1921— he set out a plan to
National Mission of Repentance and elect members to create a PCC.
Hope in 1916 and became chairman
The first monthly meeting was held
and joint leader with Dick Sheppard of shortly afterwards and the PCC began
the Life and Liberty movement.
to make changes that were welcomed
'We demand liberty for the Church of by everyone.
England' he declared at a meeting in
One of these changes concerned
July 1917.
this magazine. Since 1869 when it was
founded, the magazine had been the
ANYONE
sole responsibility of the vicar who not
only edited it but funded it.
In 1920, Rev Gibbs Payne Crawfurd
wrote that he was closing the magazine
because he could not bear the annual
deficit of £30 — that's about £1,400
today!
The PCC felt that the magazine was
essential for them to keep the parish
informed about its work and voted
to take full responsibility for it. Their
bold decision has enabled The Parish
Magazine to continue to be published
continuously ever since — something
no other church has achieved!
22 The Parish Magazine - April 20211
feature — 6
The most important festival for Christians
for all denominations around the world
Most statisticians agree that the world population is about 8 billion of which 2.25 billion are
Christians, 1.9 billion are Muslim, 1.2 billion are Hindu, with the balance shared between those of other
religions and none. They also estimate that Christians belong to more than 30,000 different church
denominations of which 900 million are Protestant and about 1,300 million people Catholic. Despite
this different approach to the faith, all Christians look to Jesus as their saviour who rose from the dead
thus making Easter the most important annual celebration around the world.
The term, 'Christian' is found in the New
Testament and was first used to described the
disciples of Jesus in Antioch (Acts 11:26).
As the early church, whose history is recorded
in the New Testament, spread around the world
the gospel message of Christ was clearly relevant
in different ways to the different people in their
different situations. This led to different churches
developing as illustrated in the opening chapters
of the Book of Revelation which tells us about how
seven different Christian churches responded to
the gospel of Christ.
DIVERSITY
As time moved on churches began to form
groups of people who shared similar Christian ideas
and so, like any family tree, it became increasingly
diverse, with different styles of worship and different
emphasis on the doctrines of their faith.
Yet, despite this diversity, Christians have always
been united in their central beliefs taught by Jesus,
and his resurrection. As churches grew they found
strength in joining with other like-minded churches
and so the different denominations that exist today
slowly emerged.
The 'family tree' diagram below illustrates the
history of Christianity since the time of Jesus. It
shows how the churches evolved into nine different,
yet closely aligned families that theologians like to
give special names. The Church of England, which is
c31 Christian Church, Antioch (Acts 20-26)
1208 Roman Catholic
1534 Church of England (Anglican)
1560 Church of Scotland
1612 Baptist
1712 Scottish Episcopal
1832 Congregational Church of England & Wales
1843 The Free Church of Scotland
1800’s Quakers
1865 Salvation Army
1883 Brethren
1901 Pentecostal
1920 The Church in Wales
1932 Methodist
1972 United Reformed Church
1987 Ecumenical Founders Church
2004 Messy Church
also the 'parent' of the Anglican branch, is part of the
'Protestantism family'.
The table above gives the year that some of the
different Christian churches in the United Kingdom
were established. The logos illustrated on the right
are for some of these denominations — how many
can you identify? The answers to this 'Easter quiz'
are on page 39!'
In more recent times different denominations
have come together to share common aims and
worship while maintaining their individual
identities. Churches Together is one example, of
commons.wikimedia.org
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 23
Romolo Tavani, dreamstime.com
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the
tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb,
rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The
guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, 'Do not be
afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is
going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ (Matthew 28: 1-7)
where local churches of different denominations
meet and work together on ecumenical community
projects.
In 1991 the churches in Sonning, Charvil,
Twyford, Ruscombe, and Wargrave decided to
establish a local interdenominational Churches
Together group but because there were very few
different denominations involved — at the time
there were five Anglican churches, one Roman
Catholic, one United Reformed Church and one
Baptist in the area — it was never well balanced
from a denominational viewpoint despite there
being enthusiastic support.
LOCAL TOGETHERNESS
In March 1992 The Parish Magazine carried
this report from Rev Christopher Morgan, vicar
of Sonning: The 28 January was the AGM of CTTD
[Churches Together in Twyford District] and marked St
Andrew's and St Patrick's first full year of membership.
'What is CTTD?' I am sure many people are still asking.
CTTD is part of Churches Together in Berkshire which
in turn is part of Churches Together in England. We are
therefore part of the nationwide ecumenical movement
involving all the major denominations.
The report then gives some details of planned
combined services, but unfortunately the rather
limited initial enthusiasm waned because there
were never enough different denominations — and
consequently, people — involved to develop the
activities outside of combined acts of worship that
were not supported by all the member churches.
More recently, however, the Twyford and
Ruscombe churches have joined with the Anglican
church of St Nicholas Hurst to form a successful
partnership called THRU-Christ. 'THR' stands for
the CofE churches in Twyford, Hurst and Ruscombe
and the U for Twyford's United Reformed Church.
However, in Reading, a similar attempt to create
a Churches Together group was very successful and
it is now contributing to many local initiatives in the
town, and has played an important role during the
Covid restrictions.
At St Andrew's our community focus, both within
and outside of the parish, has taken a different path
through the children and youth activities that we
report about regularly in this magazine.
NOW IT GETS MESSY!
There is, of course, another church at St Andrew's
that crosses the denominational boundaries, namely,
Messy Church.
According to its owners, The Bible Reading
Fellowship: 'Messy Churches are happening across all
sorts of denominations — Salvation Army, Pentecostal,
Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Free
Church, Church of Scotland, Scottish Episcopal, Seventh
Day Adventist, Church in Wales, New Frontiers, United
Reformed Church, Assemblies of God and Uniting Church
to name the ones we are aware of at the moment.'
Messy Church, Churches Together in Reading,
THRU-Christ and our children and youth work in
this parish, and beyond, are all good examples of
how Christians work together regardless of the
denomination of their chosen church.
The driving force behind these and many other
similar activities around the world dates back more
than 2,00o years to the events of Easter when Jesus
rose from the dead and commissioned his disciples
to follow his teaching and to go out into the
world to share God's love for them with everyone,
everywhere. Happy Easter!
24 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
Independent
Financial Advice
Advice and guidance on:
Retirement & Investment Planning - Mortgage Planning (including Equity Release)
Long Term Care Insurance -
Protection, Trusts and Income Planning
We cut through the jargon to keep it simple and embrace the latest technology to provide you with your own
Personal Finance Portal, designed to give you a holistic view of your finances.
For more information, please contact Andrew Gane:
M: 07796 268 739 E: andrewgane@pennymatters.co.uk W: https://pennymatters.co.uk/andrewgane.html
Andrew is a member of vouchedfor
https://www.vouchedfor.co.uk/financial-advisor-ifa/bracknell/01665-andrew-gane
Remember that past performance is not a guide to future returns and that the value of investments and the income from them can go
down as well as up. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Some mortgages are not
regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Advice fee structure available on request. First appointment at our cost.
Pennymatters Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered as a Limited Company in England
and Wales No. 7331832.
Uncompromising Excellence in Hair Care
Spring Issue
|Hair Cutting and Beauty Therapy
|Experts in Colouring and Permanent Waving
|Hairdressing for Men, Women and Children
@stylebyjulieReading
@stylebyjulie
@stylebyjulieRG
Private Hair
and Beauty Salon
Badgers Rise,
Woodley, Reading,
RG5 3AJ
0118 4378178
salon@stylebyjulie.co.uk
www.stylebyjulie.co.uk
salon@stylebyjulie.co.uk
Banish limescale with a
TwinTec Water Softener
• Enjoy a scale-free kitchen and bathrooms
• Protect and improve the efficiency
of your boiler
• Lower your energy bills
• Reduce time spent cleaning
• Enjoy softer skin and shinier hair
No buttons or routine maintenance: it’s easy
Call for a free installation
survey or quote
Twyford: 0118 9344485
Finchampstead: 0118 9733110
thamesvalleywatersofteners.co.uk
10
YEAR
GUARANTEE
THAMES VALLEY
WATER SOFTENERS
around the villages — 1
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 25
Before lockdown became such a well used word, The Parish Magazine regularly published stories about interesting places to visit locally, but we have
not published any in the series for more than year so we thought it was time to continue with a stay-at-home adventure that is still virtually open ...
Windsor Castle — a great day out at home
On 21 April, the Queen celebrates her
95th birthday — her official birthday,
traditionally held when the weather
is more congenial for parades, is on
12 June. Her real birthday will be
marked with a midday gun salute
with 41 guns fired in Hyde Park, 62
at the Tower of London, and 21 in
Windsor Great Park. Being only 16
miles away from St Andrew's Church,
Windsor Castle is the closest of these
venues, however, the pandemic rules
are likely to mean that the nearest we
can get to it will be online!
You could also make a day of it at home
by visiting the Royal Collection Trust
online where there are royal activities
for all the family — quizzes, virtual
tours through the castle's state rooms
and museums, a royal recipe to try, a
huge collection of photographs taken
by the royal family, and a gift shop!
On St George's Day the order of the Garter
awards are announced at Windsor Castle.
Wendy Leber, dreamstime.com
Aerial view of Windsor Castle - Amanda Lewis, dreamstime.com; Ceremonial entrance to St George's Chapel
- emotionart, dreamstime.com; Canon Pearson cross - Sue Peters; Castle tower - Audrey H, unsplash.com.
Royal Collection Trust is one of
five Royal Household departments
that are responsible for the care of the
Royal Collection. It also manages the
public opening of the Queen's official
residences of Buckingham Palace,
Windsor Castle and the Palace of
Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
The Queen's church, St George's
Chapel at Windsor Castle, has
historical connections with our
parish, and this magazine! Our first
editor, Rev Hugh Pearson, served as a
highly-respected Canon at St George's
(1876–82) during his incumbency in
this parish. Next to the chapel steps
used for ceremonial occasions such as
royal weddings, you will find a cross
erected in Canon Pearson's memory.
The present chapel is one of the
finest examples of Gothic architecture
in England and dates from 1475 when
Edward IV was king. It is the spiritual
home of the Order of the Garter,
the senior order of British Chivalry
established in 1348 by Edward III and
houses the tombs of 10 monarchs,
including Henry VIII, his third wife
Jane Seymour, and Charles I.
The links below will take you to
some of the highlights of Windsor
Castle, a tudor quiz, a virtual tour of
the Waterloo Chamber, and a royal
recipe to try!
https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle/
highlights-of-windsor-castle#/#stgeorgechapel
https://email.rct.uk/p/4SVR-4YU/
tudorquiz?dm_i=4SVR,GK9F,U81AY,1Z07S,1
https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle/
highlights-of-windsor-castle?dm_i=4SVR,GK9F,
U81AY,1YI0B,1#/#stateapartments
https://www.rct.uk/resources/
activity-challenge-royal-recipegrilled-vegetable-focaccia?utm_
campaign=772755_2021_02_general_2&utm_
medium=email&utm_source=email_
marketing&dm_i=4SVR,GK9F,U81AY,1YI0B,1
And there is a lot more to explore online!
26 The Parish Magazine - April 2021 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
WEDDINGS
BY THE RIVER
‘…the most fairy-like little
nook on the whole river’
marry@rarebirdhotels.co.uk
The Great House, Thames Street,
Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire, RG4 6UT
| 0118 9692277
WEDDING VENUE OF THE YEAR
The English Wedding Awards 2018
Bright and Fresh
The Professional Carpet,
Upholstery, Curtain and
Leather Cleaning Specialist.
0118 9883026 ~ 07956137308
www.brightandfresh.co.uk
info@brightandfresh.co.uk
Plumbing & Decorating Service
Complete Project Refurbishment
Repairs to Bathroom Suites, Showers
Toilets, Basins, Radiators and more ...
Full Interior and Exterior Decorating
Reliable, Clean and Efficient
DAVID SHAILES
0770 860 2442 i.plumber@btinternet.com
www.iplumberuk.com
Interior & exterior blinds,
shutters, awnings
& screens
Always excellent service
and great value
www.blinds-reading.co.uk
Call John at Blinds Direct
on 0118 950 4272
johndacre@blinds-reading.co.uk
around the villages — 2
Looking familiar?
Several readers have commented on
how much they liked last month's front
cover of The Parish Magazine but where
was it painted?
Charvil tree warden, Sarah Swatridge,
thought at first that it may have been
an artist's impression of how a new
fish refuge in Charvil's water meadows
might look in the future. Her photograph
(right) shows a close resemblance to
Jean Hutchinson's pastel picture (below),
part of which was used for our March
front cover. However, the answer to the
whereabouts of Jean's painting is that it
was inspired by a photograph she took
at Michelham Priory in East Sussex. On
the site of a former
Augustine priory in
the Cuckmere Valley,
Michelham Priory is
owned by the Sussex
Archaeological Society,
a charity which, in
normal times welcomes
visitors to explore the
15 acres of grounds and
buildings. When open,
there are activities
for all the family with
interactive displays
illustrating its 800 year
history.
Me2 wins
a Berkshire
Lockdown
Hero Activity
Award
Woodley's Me2 Club has won a Get
Berkshire Active Hero award for its
physical activities during lockdown.
Me2 Club, an inclusion charity for
children and young people with
additional needs and disabilities in the
Wokingham and Reading boroughs,
was one of 70 nominations for the 9th
GBA Awards this year.
The judging panel recognised 29
organisations and individuals whose
contribution truly made a difference
during the pandemic. The Awards not
only go to people who have excelled
in sporting achievement over the
previous year, but more importantly
to those, such as Me2 Club, who have
made sport possible for others.
Tennis open days
planned for May and
June in Sonning
Sonning Tennis Club, which will be
celebrating its 75th anniversary this
year, is planning two open days for
May and June, provided, of course,
that the Covid-19 relaxation of rules
continues as hoped. As we went to
press the dates were being finalised.
STC always welcomes new family and
adult members having all standards
of play to its friendly local club. It
has three courts on the edge of the
King George V Field, Sonning.
As well as coaching junior and
adult players, the club organises
tournaments and social events, and
has men’s, ladies and mixed teams in
the Berkshire leagues.
For the latest information and
details of membership see:
http://www.sonningtennis.com/
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 27
Thank you for sharing
your lockdown art . . .
You have to admire Sonning Art Group
who have kept going through the
lockdowns by meeting online, and we
thank them for sharing some of their
great works of art with us. As well as
'classic' images such as the scene on
the left that featured last month on
the front cover, they have been letting
their artistic imaginations wander.
Below are some their latest
'wanderings' — Alan Langdon's
chocolate dreams; Sue Dobson’s love
penguins; George Gallocker's carrot
lady; Sue Eley's nest; Jean Hutchinson's
tea bag shower; Bernadette Varilone's
market and George Gallocker’s ram.
28 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
WATER
SOFTENER
SALT
Tablet/Granular
25kg from
£9.99 £6.50 £6.99
per bag
Block Salt
2 x 4 kg
per bag
Winter/Rock Salt
20kg
per bag
FREE LOCAL
DELIVERY
MINIMUM ORDER REQUIRED
Email:
Martyncollins@portmanpm.com
ORDER ON LINE AT
www.salt-deliveries-online.com
Telephone:
0778 577 2263
0118 959 1796
Unit 2, 6 Portman Road
Reading RG30 1EA
studio dfp
complete graphic
and web design
service on your
doorstep
Since 1984 · 0118 969 3633
david@designforprint.org
MUCK ‘N’ MULCH
THE LOCAL COMPOST COMPANY
Organic all purpose horse manure compost
Fully composted and milled to fine crumbly texture
Clean and pleasant to handle — weed free & pet friendly
10 BAGS MINIMUM DELIVERY
Half Pallet: 35 bags — Full Pallet: 70 Bags
FREE DELIVERY — SPREADING & MULCHING SERVICE AVAILABLE
24 hour: 0783 143 7989 T: 0179 357 5100
www.muckandmulch.co.uk
Luxury Senior Living with Award
Winning Care
ASCOT GRANGE
Signature’s care home in Marlow offers
exceptional levels of person-centred care and
the highest possible quality of life.
Our suites are both luxurious and homely,
with many suitable for couples, enabling them
to move in together.
We offer residential, nursing and separate
dementia care and welcome both permanent
residents and those looking for a respite or
convalescent stay.
To find out more or to arrange a visit to our lovely home, please contact Sarah Loveday – Client Liaison Manager
01628 702319 | enquiries.cliveden@signaturesl.co.uk | signature-care-homes.co.uk
210 Little Marlow Road, Marlow, SL7 1HX
HEALTH — 1
Ingredients for the ‘pastry’
— 400g ground almonds
— 400g pitted Medjool dates
— 6 tbsps melted coconut oil
Ingredients for the filling
— 200g dried mixed fruit
— 40g dried cranberries
— 2 finely chopped apples
— zest & juice of a lemon and an
orange
— ½ tsp ground mixed spice
— ½ tsp ground cinnamon
— ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
— ¼ tsp ground cloves
— 2 tbsps brandy or orange liqueur
(optional)
— 30g coconut oil
— 4 tbsps water
— ¼ tsp vanilla extract
— Pinch of salt
Method
Preheat oven to 1800C/Gas Mark 4
Place 12 cupcake cases on a baking tray.
Place all the filling ingredients
into a saucepan and simmer for
approximately 25 minutes until the
apples have softened. Stir occasionally
to avoid sticking.
While the filling is cooking, make the
‘pastry’. Place all the base ingredients
in a food processor and blend for
around 1-2 minutes until everything is
mixed together. Roll the mixture out
onto a board to around ½ cm thick.
Cut out 12 circles from the pastry
using a cookie cutter and place one in
each of the cupcake cases. Bake for 5-7
minutes. Remove from the oven.
Once the filling is cooked, place
approximately 2 tbsps of the filling
into each case. Return to the oven
and bake the mince pies for another 7
minutes. Remove from the oven and
allow to cool. Enjoy anytime!
HEALTHY BRAIN SMOOTHIE
Try incorporating healthy brain
foods at breakfast; here's a delicious
smoothie packed with omega-3 and
antioxidants:
— 1 cup fresh spinach
— 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
— 1 cup frozen blueberries
— 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
— ½ medium banana
— 1 tbsp nut butter
— tsp cinnamon
— ¼ tsp ginger
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 29
Emily's healthy food recipes — her favourite collection!
Some readers have asked why Emily Hylan's healthy eating column, which included some of her favourite recipes, has disappeared from
the magazine. At the end of last year, Emily left Charvil to take up a new job which meant that she would not have time to continue writing
for us. Her recipes were obviously popular so we have collected them together to make it easier for her fans to keep handy — and if you
haven't tried any yet, here's another chance!
GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE
MINCE TARTS
EASTER CARROT CAKE PORRIDGE
Ingredients
— 100g porridge oats
— 250ml almond milk
— 250ml water
— 1 carrot peeled and grated
— 1 tbsp date syrup or maple syrup
— ¼ tsp each of ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg and ground ginger
— 30g raisins.
Method
Put oats, almond milk and water
in a small saucepan and heat over
a medium heat. Stir in most of the
carrot along with the syrup, spices
and raisins. Cook for 5-7 minutes until
thick and creamy, stirring regularly.
Sprinkle with the remaining carrot
and serve. Happy Easter!
BLACKBERRY OAT BARS
Ingredients
— 310g oats
— 120 g almond flour/ground almonds
— 1/2 tsp salt
— 1/2 tsp cinnamon
— 1 tsp lemon juice
— 100 g coconut oil, melted
— 117 g maple syrup
— 1 tbsp nut butter (or seed butter)
— 12 oz blackberries
— 1/2 tbsp corn starch
Method
Preheat the oven to 1800C and line an 8 x
8 inch baking tin with parchment paper.
Combine the oats, almond flour, salt,
and cinnamon in a food processor and
pulse together.
Melt the coconut oil and stir in the
maple syrup and nut butter. Pour this
mixture into the dry ingredients in
the food processor and pulse until the
mixture starts to come together.
Set aside approximately 100g of the oat
mixture for a crumb topping.
With the rest of the oat mix, evenly
distribute in the parchment lined
baking tin and press down. Prick the
crust with a fork so steam can escape.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
While the crust is baking, add the
blackberries, corn starch and lemon
juice to the food processor and blend
together until it has reached a desired
consistency.
Remove the crust from the oven
and pour the blackberry puree over
the crust. Using the reserved oat
mix, spread evenly on top over the
blackberry puree. Bake for 20-25
minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool in the
pan for about 1 hour. Refrigerate for at
least 3-4 hours until it completely sets.
Remove from the pan by gently lifting
the edges of the parchment paper. Cut
into bars.
30 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
The Window Cleaner
• Interior & exterior
• All windows, frames, sills & doors
• Conservatory cleaning
• Fully insured
Ever wondered why
Mrs Miggins cat
needed sleeping
pills?
We provide a reliable, professional service, ensuring that your home
will sparkle. For a free quote call or email
07967 004426
thewindowcleaner1@googlemail.com
24 hours service | Private client parking | Private chapel of rest
Free home visits | Pre-paid funeral plans | Full written estimate
Woodland funerals | Religious and non-religious services
Are you a naturally curious,
compassionate, caring person
who wants to be part of the
solution?
Tel: 01491 573370
www.tomalins.co.uk tomalin@btconnect.com
Anderson House, 38 Reading Road, Henley-On-Thames, RG9 1AG
A Family Run Independent Funeral Service
We’re hiring exceptional home
care assistants.
Contracts for anything from a
couple of hours per week to a full
structured career path in care.
Call us if you want the answer...!
0118 9323 865
www.q1care.co.uk/careers
Unit 7, The Old Mill Trading Estate
Pangbourne, Berkshire, RG8 7HY
HEALTH — 2
Dr Simon Ruffle writes . . . about shaking
A common presentation to doctors is shaking — or tremors.
Due to our inbuilt prejudice, our brains snap to the easiest
conclusion so we can get on with life. If we consciously
made decisions, all the time, we’d be almost paralysed
by indecision and certainly couldn’t drive or complete
complicated tasks.
We learn these decisions and automate them until we no
longer make a conscious decision to continue.
We override these decisions to change outcomes; for
better or worse. Teenage boy’s brains are wired differently
and they take more risks by overriding their unconscious
decisions. In general our learned decisions are correct;
repeating failure leads to doom!
So, back to the shakes. Being in Britain our sense of
humour will make us think ‘take more water with it!
Certainly an option to ask about but let’s explore this very
common symptom.
TEMPUS FUGIT
Like most conditions that cause a lack of ease or disease
they occur as we age. Nothing we can do about 'tempus fugit'
— time flies — and the alternative to this is seen all around
St Andrew’s.
ESSENTIAL
The commonest form of tremor is 'essential tremor'.
This is a fast tremor that, annoyingly, starts as you go to do
something. A nice cuppa awaits, you go to pick it up and ‘the
shakes start.’ Often you can overcome this and I worked with
a surgeon that shook until the moment of precision and then
he was steady as a rock. This is a variant known as intention
tremor.
There’s little we can do about mild symptoms and very
few people go on to be disabled by the condition. There
is a new type of surgery where the brain is stimulated by
electricity overriding the tremor — alcohol can slow this
tremor.
ETHANOL C2H5-OH
Let’s bite the alcohol bullet. Alcohol doesn’t cause tremor.
Withdrawing format does. You do not need to be alcoholic
to get some tremor if you have had one for the road that you
weren’t going to, you may get a little shaky between 10-12
hours after your last drink.
Other normally encountered reasons for tremors are lack
of sleep, low blood sugar and dehydration — all encountered
in a hangover too!
SHAKES ARE NORMAL
Shaking is a natural reaction to stress. Adrenaline levels
rise. Your heart rate and blood pressure rise and tremor
starts — you are warming up to fight or flight. This is great
when the lions attack but not when you have a presentation
to make or an interview.
GREY TUMOUR
In speaking about adrenaline there is a condition called
'phaeochromocytom'. This is a benign tumour that causes too
much adrenaline to be produced. This gives a pseudo — fake
Ladies dancing
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 31
— fight and flight response. The tumour cells are dusky in
colour thus the name, 'phaeo' means dusky', 'chromo' means
colour and 'chroma' is tumour.
MORNING RITUAL?
Caffeine and smoking causes shaking but so can many
prescribed medications, especially asthma inhalers.
Thyroid disease, especially overactive thyroid can cause
the symptoms as can lack of B12 and liver disease.
BRAIN DISORDERS
Asking people what makes people shake, second to
alcohol is Parkinson’s Disease.
Parkinson’s is now known as a range of conditions but
there are brain conditions that mimic Parkinson’s Disease.
The tremor of PD is slow, a rigid/releasing tremor or
cog wheeling. Some patients also experience a ‘pill-rolling
tremor.’ This is exactly as it sounds. The patient rolls an
invisible pill in their fingers.
Medicine and surgery are now used in Parkinson’s disease
to alleviate the symptoms but the disease is degenerative.
If you have never watched the film Awakenings with Robin
Williams and Robert De Niro, do so. It is a fictionalised
biography about patients and doctors having PD and trying
to treat it. (Warning: box of Kleenex, other tissues are
available, required.)
Multiple Sclerosis patients also present with tremor,
often in one hand but sometimes both.
BIAS BE GONE
I hope that a little knowledge of what makes us shake can
change our unconscious bias on how we see someone with
the shakes.
OH! ONE MORE THING
Simon Ruffle
My hobby is photography. There is no way humans can
control camera shake with low shutter speeds without using
a tripod. Even then, many cameras compensate for shake so
brilliantly that you have to turn the mechanism off when
the camera is stabilised —if only humans could do this!
However, sometimes, the misnomer, camera shake — it
should be called operator or human shake — can be an
advantage. Indulge me!
32 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
For a helpful professional service
FIELDSPHARMACY
Wide range of health advice provided
including private consultation area
1a LONGFIELD ROAD, TWYFORD RG10 9AN
Telephone: 0118 934 1222
Fax: 0118 932 0372
Email: fields.pharmacy@gmail.com
CHRIS the plumber
I offer the same friendly, reliable service as
always but in addition to general plumbing
I now offer domestic and commercial gas
work — boiler repairs, installations, fault
finding, power flush.
Repairs not covered by Homeserve?
Speak to a tradesman, not a salesman!
Emergency call out available
Ask Chris Duvall for a FREE quote
christheplumber75@gmail.com
0785 095 6354
3584769
Golf & Social Membership Available
April 12th - Club Terrace Opens
May 17th - Restaurant & Clubhouse Opens
secretary@sonning-golf-club.co.uk
HOME & GARDEN
Rare
visitor
from
Biblical
times
Andy Holmes, unsplash.com
Gazing through the window and thinking of what to do
first in the Bible garden when the wet, cold weather eases, I
spotted a rare visitor that took me back to my childhood. It
was a lone sparrow, writes Bob Peters.
The sparrow is one of the world's most common birds and
it has been recorded in every continent except Antarctica.
They have been around it seems since time began and are
mentioned several times in the Bible: 'Are not five sparrows
sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before
God.' (Luke 12:6). Sparrows are welcome visitors to my Bible
garden!
There are 25 species of birds found only in Israel with
about 400 species in the neighbouring areas. Birds are often
mentioned in the Bible, both literally and metaphorically.
In my younger days, sparrows, and starlings (although
not mentioned in the Bible, starlings are said to be ‘spiritual
messengers’) were considered pests, they were everywhere,
although blackbirds, thrushes (Isaiah 38:14), blue tits,
robins and wrens all managed to find a spot to feed. Then
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 33
Recipe of the month: Easter Story Biscuits for children
Preparation time: 20 minutes, total time: 1 day!
Ingredients
— 110 grams of pecan nuts — 200 grams sugar
— 5 grams vinegar
— large plastic bag
— 3 egg whites
— wooden spoon
— a pinch salt
— tape
Instructions: Find your Bible then preheat the oven to 1500C
Place pecans in the plastic bag and let the children beat them with
the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after
Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read
John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put vinegar into mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given
vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus
gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and
brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty
tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetising . . .
Birds in and above the Bible garden
Add sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that
Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to
him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the colour white represents the purity in God's eyes
of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18
and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Use a teaspoon to drop the mixture onto a
non-stick baking parchment-covered baking sheet. Explain that
each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was
laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Put the baking sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the
oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave them in the
oven overnight. Jesus' followers felt despair when the tomb was
sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!
On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb
open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.
in summer the house martins and swallows (Isaiah 38:14)
arrived and, when the weather was rough, along came the
seagulls (Leviticus 11:16) — my garden then was near the
Thames Estuary, only 70 miles downstream as the crow flies
from Charvil in Berkshire where I live now, so the climates
were similar. And yet, 60 years later, the smaller birds such
as sparrows and starlings, have become rare visitors.
While the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
points out that bird numbers vary each year according to
the availability of food and the climate, it also records that
with many species of birds there has been a worrying steady
decline in numbers over the past 30 years — sparrows have
declined by 95% and starlings by 71%.
LARGER BIRDS IN THE SKIES
Interestingly, in the 10 years I have lived in Charvil, as
the smaller birds have declined in numbers, there has been
an obvious rise of larger birds such as crows (same family
as the raven (Genesis 8:6-7), red kites (Leviticus 11:14) and
parakeets, all of which have larger flocks every year. Just
before Christmas last year a peregrine falcon (Leviticus 11:14)
appeared and seems to have attracted another one — I saw
one flying by with twigs in its beak, perhaps they are setting
up home nearby!
One bird, however, that has been ever present in my
Bible garden is the pigeon (Luke 2:24) which can be a problem
when they attack the young broad bean plants. In the
Bible, pigeons were used for food and sacrifice. They too
are declining in numbers — in America it is estimated that
billions of them have disappeared in recent years.
Then there is the heron (Leviticus 11:19) that steals fish
from the Bible garden pond! This is one of the 'unclean' birds
of the Bible — another 'unclean' bird that I have not heard
for several years but hope will herald spring one day soon, is
the cuckoo. (Leviticus 11:14).
34 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
Cruz Kitchens
Bespoke, Made to
Measure Kitchens
Designed | Supplied | Installed
Call 0118 961 1295
Email: info@cruzkitchens.co.uk
Visit: www.cruzkitchens.co.uk
Planning Your
Traditional Wedding?
Then you might like to
discuss the possibility of
marriage in our ancient and
beautiful parish church.
If so, call the vicar, Jamie
0118 969 3298
He will be pleased to help!
ALL WASTE CLEARANCE
John and his team can clear all waste and
rubbish from your office, house, garden or loft.
He can deal with property clearance for probate
and the demolition of any outbuildings –
sheds, greenhouses, garages, conservatories,
summer houses, etc
LICENSED WASTE CARRIERS - NO JOB TOO SMALL!
Free phone: 0800 012 6798
Mobile: 0771 021 2056
email: j.garmston@ntlworld.com
In addition to the stunning and historic location in Sonning,
we will work hard to provide you with a memorable and
moving occasion. We can provide a choir, organ, peal of
eight bells, beautiful flowers, over 100 lit candles set in
ornate Victorian chandeliers and the use of our beautiful
churchyard as a backdrop for your photographs.
Church of St Andrew
Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye
the church of st andrew SERVING CHARVIL,
SONNING & sonning eye since the 7 th century
Respite and relaxation
with 20% off
Asking for help isn’t easy. But it’s important to take a break.
The past few months have been challenging for everyone -
especially those caring for an elderly loved one.
At Sunrise, we’ve developed new ways to protect our residents
physically, mentally and socially, allowing us to welcome new
residents safely. And now we’re offering 20% off respite care * .
We’re working hard so that, for a short time, you don’t have to.
Call 0118 338 2986 or visit
SunriseSonning.co.uk for more details.
Sunrise of Sonning
Old Bath Road, Sonning, Berkshire RG4 6TQ
Residential, nursing and dementia care home
9 June 2018
*Terms and conditions apply. Please visit
www.sunrise-care.co.uk/care-services/terms-and-conditions for more information
THE ARTS — 1
From blindness to sight and insight
Caravaggio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
I like the story of the vestry noticeboard of a church in Hampshire: after a
Holy Week performance of Stainer’s ‘Crucifixion’, the choirmaster wrote: ‘The
Crucifixion — well done, everyone!’ Later that day, someone had added, ‘The
Resurrection — well done, God!’, writes Rev Michael Burgess
For the two disciples treading the road to Emmaus, there was no such sense of victory
and celebration. Their minds and hearts were numb with the sense of loss and failure.
They had seen their Lord tried and crucified.
As Luke recounts that walk in his Gospel, he shows how it began with
absence and loss, but journeyed to presence. It was a road that took the
disciples from blindness and despair to sight and insight. They talked over past
events with the stranger who joined them. Luke uses 10 different Greek words
to describe that conversation — all stages in their understanding. And when
they share a meal with the stranger, who becomes the host, taking the bread
and giving thanks, then the understanding becomes vision and insight.
ASTONISHED AND UNDERSTANDING
That meal is the theme of Caravaggio’s painting of 1601, ‘The Supper at
Emmaus.’ Caravaggio had a reputation for being a violent, irrational artist,
given to bouts of anger and forced to spend part of his life in exile in Naples and
Sicily. His paintings as well as his lifestyle, shocked and provoked, comment.
This portrayal of Jesus with a plump, youthful face and his depiction of the
apostles as ordinary labourers upset the church authorities. But by giving Jesus
a beardless face, Caravaggio was trying to show him in the new likeness of
Resurrection – an Easter image of our Lord. The light from Jesus fills the scene
as the two disciples look on, astonished and finally understanding.
When we read the Gospel, we are drawn into the scene. For Caravaggio the
movement is the other way: the scene reaches out to us from the canvas. Look
at the outstretched hand of Jesus, the elbow of one disciple and the left hand of
the other: they are being projected into our world. And that basket of fruit, full
of apples and figs and grapes, symbols of the fall and the eucharist: it is about
to topple off the table and into our laps. It is an Easter encounter 2,000 years
ago, reaching out to us through light and shade and the skill of the artist.
The story in Luke is of an ordinary encounter between travellers and a
stranger. But it is made extraordinary by the transforming power of the risen
Lord, talking with the disciples in the open air and then going inside for a meal.
However, the doors are not shut to us. For Caravaggio shows how that special
moment of encounter for the disciples can reach out to enter our world. He
shows the hand of the risen Lord beckoning us to step into that Easter world of
sacrament and new life.
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 35
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Give
thanks
to the
Risen
Lord!
Bruno van der Krann, unsplash.com
Not many university students are
able to write Christian songs which
become worldwide hits, but Don
Emry Fishel managed it with his
Alleluia No 1.
Nearly 50 years on, it is loved and
sung by millions of Christians
worldwide.
Fishel wrote it in 1971, while
he was a student at the University
of Michigan and also music leader
of a Roman Catholic charismatic
community based in Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
These were the days of folk songs
and guitars, and Alleluia No. 1 fitted
the prevailing mood perfectly.
Written in E Major, it is ideal for
guitar accompaniment.
LIVE FOREVER
Mr Fishel became a freelance
flutist, flute instructor and
composer. He was publications editor
for the Word of God and Servant
Music for a number of years, and
then worked in computers for 25
years. In 2008 he moved to Nashville
and returned to music, teaching the
flute.
Alleluia No 1 was Fishel’s first
song, written 'rather quickly, in
about an hour.' It had four verses to
begin with, but a fifth verse (which
became the third verse) was added
later, as he prepared for baptism.
As Fishel explained, he wanted
the line ‘We have been crucified with
Christ; now we shall live forever’ to
be the centre of the song.
Alleluia No 1 was first published
in the UK in Sound of Living Waters,
in 1974.
36 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement
Simply
stunning
interiors
Your local
interior
designers,
internationally
recognised.
SONNING-ON-THAMES
Interior Architecture and interior design from concept to completion.
We create beautiful homes for our clients, listening to your hopes and
aspirations, with second to none service including a full 3D experience.
Our extensive range of fabrics, paint, wall papers, soft furnishings and lighting
will help you achieve the home you desire.
Call us for an informal chat or visit The Studio (by appointment only)
www.sabellainteriors.com | 01189449629 | enquiries@sabellainteriors.com
the ARTS — 2
Poetry corner
Promises
God has not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our life through;
God has not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.
But God has promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labour,
Light for the way;
Grace for the trial,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.
(Anon)
What would Jesus do?
By John Winterbourne
Whenever there’s a problem
And I don’t know what to do
I stop right there
And ask myself
What would JESUS do?
Whenever I am feeling low
And just a little blue
I stop right there
And ask myself
What would JESUS do?
Whenever my mind goes wandering
To where it shouldn’t do
I stop right there
And ask myself
What would JESUS do?
Whenever someone’s unkind to me
It gets me in a stew
I stop right there
And ask myself
What would JESUS do?
Whenever days go by
And I don’t know what to do
I stop right there
And ask myself
What would JESUS do?
Carmine Savarese, unsplash.com
the sciences
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 37
Libuxx77, Dreamstime.com
By Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, church engagement director at the Faraday
Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge.
Science tells us how the world works, and technology
offers applications of that knowledge, but neither can
tell us what we ought to do. All scientific discoveries
or new technologies can be used to either help or harm
others. For example, a smartphone can be used to stay in
touch but also enables bullying.
It is important to get past our initial reactions: the ‘yuk!’ or
‘wow!’ These feelings may well change once we learn more
about the science and other factors behind a new development.
Ethical thinking can be divided into three main categories.
The consequentialist approach is demonstrated in the Biblical
book of Proverbs when Wisdom calls young men to consider
the outcome of their actions. Utilitarianism is a form of
consequentialist ethic that tries to maximise the greatest good
for the largest number of people affected, but unchecked it
leaves minorities out in the cold.
ETHICAL DECISIONS
Duty or law-based ethics start with intrinsic values,
asking what is the correct course of action or our duty? These
values might be God-given, such as the Ten Commandments,
or worked out by human reason. It is possible, however, to
do harm while obeying the law, especially if someone asks
‘What can I get away with?’ Also, what happens when rules
collide? For example, who should be treated first when
resources are limited?
Virtue ethics are about building character, growing
in wisdom and the fruit of the Spirit. There are plenty of
Biblical principles to guide virtuous living, such as the idea
that we are ‘made in the image of God’ which supports
the value of every human life (Genesis 1:26–27, Genesis 9:6,
James 3:9–10), but the right decision can vary depending on
circumstances.
So how can we make ethical decisions about new
technologies? The five C's bring together a number of types
of ethical thinking into a framework for decision-making.
— Clarify the facts and key questions.
— Consider our choices: what could we achieve?
— Constraints: External, what must we do? Internal, how
should we behave?
— Compare the pros and cons of each approach.
— Choose what is best, with all parties in mind.
Finally, we have to recognise that the information
available to us will change over time, our knowledge of God
and his word will keep growing, and we cannot avoid making
mistakes, so our ethical decisions will need to be revisited
and revised from time to time.
38 The Parish Magazine - April 20211
PUZZLE PAGE ANSWERS IN THE
CROSSWORD
Across
1 High-pitched flute (4)
3 Observing (8)
9 Single-horned creature (7)
10 Gardeners sow these (5)
11 Dictatorial (12)
13 Flash intermittently (6)
15 Outline model, plan or theory (6)
17 Make a guess that is too high (12)
20 Small marine fish (5)
21 Tax imposed on ships (7)
22 Perceived (8)
23 Transparent camera part (4)
Down
1 Fruit sugar (8)
2 Force upon (5)
4 Elaborately adorned (6)
5 Directions (12)
6 Do repeatedly (7)
7 Lesion (4)
8 Fellow plotter (12)
12 Groundless (8)
14 Returns to a former state (7)
16 Insect that transmits sleeping
sickness (6)
18 Not asleep (5)
19 Capital of Norway (4)
CODEWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8
9 10
11
13 14 15
19
17 18
16
20 21
22 23
Across
1 - High-pitched flute (4)
3 - Observing (8)
11 - Dictatorial (12)
15 - Representation of a plan or theory (6)
17 - Make a guess that is too high (12)
20 - Small marine fish (5)
21 - Tax imposed on ships (7)
22 - Perceived (8)
23 - Transparent camera part (4)
Down
1 - Fruit sugar (8)
2 - Force upon (5)
9 - Single-horned creature (7)
4 - Elaborately adorned (6)
10 - 2. Gardeners Which sow King these was (5) killed by an arrow while 5 - Directions hunting (12) in the
6 - Do repeatedly (7)
13 - 3. Flash Which intermittently English (6) King was named Coeur 7 - de Lesion Lion? (4)
2 4 12 8 19 18 19 3 2 9 17 2
4 25 8 21 2 25 9
10 22 10 8 19 21 22 25 8 8
6 2 9 23 25 14 25 20 6 16
8 21 21 22 2 2 8 8
4 19 14 4 25 20 8 14
8 22 21 8 4 26 6
13 22 5 24 21 12 12 6
25 15 23 26 14 8 2 11
19 6 14 23 2 20 6 25 4 11
2 25 14 21 7 22 2 25 9 21
25 11 2 2 1 4 2
22 4 19 8 20 18 21 2 23 19 2 19
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
SOLUTIONS FOR THE MARCH PUZZLES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
W
12
14 - Returns to a former state (7)
16 - Insect that transmits sleeping sickness (6)
SUDOKU
Each of the nine blocks has to contain all the
numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number can
only appear once in a row, column or box.
EASTER WORDSEARCH
QUIZ
CROSSWORD CODEWORD SUDOKU WORDSEARCH
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
C O N N O T A T I O N S T U C C O F L A M E S
1. St Andrew's X Youth
2. Islam
3. Nathan May
4. More Doggerel Days
5. For the hedgehogs
6. Dutch Elm Disease
7. May 1988
8. Marsh Lane
THE APRIL HISTORY QUIZ
1. What famous battle was fought on Senlac Hill?
New Forest?
8 - Fellow plotter (12)
4. What notable event occurred at Runnymede?
12 - Groundless (8)
5. Who was the first Prince of Wales?
6. What caused the death of supposedly half the English
population during 1348/9?
18 - Not asleep (5)
7. Who in 1474 made history at the sign of the ‘Red Pole’ ?
19 - Capital of Norway (4)
8. Which English king married his brother’s widow ?
I N E E O U F
N E E X E R T S P A
T U N E D M E T S
E E F E M U S I C
M I S G U I D E I
P S L A B N
E T O R T I L L A
R I O J A W H U T
A C D N E N N U I
T E E O R I B I D N
E A P N S E G
I N S T I G A T O R S
A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
W
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
X
A
O N A S I E C
L O Z E N G E B N R
E I A N U R T U R E
L A P E L S A W
Y P A R A G E S
E P I T H Y U
S E D G E I A T
E C O K A R M A
Q U I C K E N O D X
U T I A T A V I S M
I E S L L N A
N Y M P H S J A R G O N
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Easter — the crucifixion, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ — celebrates the triumphant
highlight of the Christian year. As St Paul pointed
out, unless Jesus really did rise again our faith is
useless, and we may as well forget any hope of
heaven or eternal life.
passover
bread
wine
body
blood
betrayal
Jerusalem
Pilate
Judas
Gethsemane
trial
crucifixion
soldiers
cross
nails
vinegar
temple
curtain
tomb
angel
stone
risen
gardener
Mary
NEXT ISSUE
EASTER ANAGRAMS
1. Airy odd fog - - - - -/- - - - - -
2. Rags see get - - - - - -/- - - -
3. Layman spud - - - -/- - - - - -
4. Coin uric fix - - - - - - - - - - -
5. Brunch so toss - - -/- - - - -/- - - -
6. Apples rust - - - -/- - - - - -
7. Acid air just so - - - - -/- - - - - - - -
8. Torch frowns on - - - - -/- -/- - - - - -
9. Hen irises - -/- -/- - - - -!
BIBLE BASED CROSSWORD
Church in
Wales coat
of arms
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 39
ANSWERS TO THE DENOMINATIONS QUIZ ON PAGE 22
Baptist Union of
Great Britain
United
Reformed
Church
Church of
England
Church of
Ireland
Across
1. Relating to the whole universe (6)
4. The disciple who made the remark in 8 Across (John 20:24) (6)
8. ‘Unless I see the nail marks — — hands, I will not believe it’ (John 20:25) (2,3)
9. He urged King Jehoiakim not to burn the scroll containing Jeremiah’s
message (Jeremiah 36:25) (7)
10. Baptist minister and controversial founder of America’s Moral Majority,
Jerry — (7)
11. ‘Look, here is — . Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ (Acts 8:36) (5)
12. Repossessed (Genesis 14:16) (9)
17. Port from which Paul sailed on his last journey to Rome (Acts 27:3–4) (5)
19. ‘Moses was not aware that his face was — because he had spoken with
the Lord’. (Exodus 34:29) (7)
21. Roonwit, CS Lewis’s half-man, half-horse (7)
22. Grill (Luke 24:42) (5)
23. ‘The lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the — apostles’ (Acts 1:26) (6)
24. ‘I was sick and you looked after me, I was in — and you came to visit me’
(Matthew 25:36) (6)
Down
1. Coastal rockfaces (Psalm 141:6) (6)
2. Academic (1 Corinthians 1:20) (7)
3. Publish (Daniel 6:26) (5)
5. For example, the Crusades (4,3)
6. 11 Across is certainly this (5)
7. He reps (anag) (6)
9. Liberator (Psalm 18:2) (9)
13. Man who asked the question in 11 Across was in charge of all her treasury (7)
14. They must be ‘worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine’ (1
Timothy 3:8) (7)
15. The human mind or soul (6)
16. ‘O Lord, while precious children starve, the tools of war increase; their
bread is — ’ (Graham Kendrick) (6)
18. ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not — ’ (Matthew 11:17) (5)
20. Bared (anag) (5)
Churches
Together
Salvation
Army
Church
of
Scotland
Catholic
Bishop
Conference
England
and Wales
Methodist Church
in Britain
World Council
of Churches
Church
in
Wales
Episcopal
Church
Brethren
40 The Parish Magazine - April 2021
Local Trades and Services
ACG SERVICES - LOCKSMITH
Locks changed, fitted, repaired and opened
Door and window locks fitted, UPVC door lock expert
Checkatrade member - Which Trusted Trader
Call Richard Homden: 0149 168 2050 / 0771 040 9216
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
CHIROPODY AND PODIATRY
Linda Frewin HCPC member
General foot care and treatment including home visits
25 Ashtrees Road, Woodley RG5 4LP
0118 969 6978 - 0790 022 4999
CLARK BICKNELL LTD - PLUMBING & HEATING
Qualified Plumbing and Heating Engineers Gas Safe
25 years experience - local family run company
Office: 0118 961 8784 - Paul: 0776 887 4440
paul@clarkbicknell.co.uk
COMPUTER FRUSTRATIONS?
For jargon free help with your computer problems
PC & laptop repairs, upgrades, installations, virus removal
Free advice, reasonable rates
0798 012 9364 help@computerfrustrations.co.uk
INTERSMART LIMITED
Electrical Installation and Smart Home Automation
intersmartuk@gmail.com
Elliott — 0777 186 6696
Nick — 0758 429 4986
HANDYMAN & DECORATING SERVICES
Reliable and affordable
Small jobs a speciality!
Call Andy on 0795 810 0128
http://www.handyman-reading.co.uk
JAMES AUTOS
Car Servicing, Repairs and MOT
Mole Road, Sindlesham, RG41 5DJ
0118 977 0831
james_autos@hotmail.co.uk
ALL AERIALS
A local business based in Sonning. TV - FM - DAB aerials etc.
Sky dishes. Communal premises IRS systems, TV points.
Free estimates - All work guaranteed
0118 944 0000
MC CLEANING
We are a family business with excellent references
and we are fully insured
All cleaning materials provided
For free quote call: Maria 0779 902 7901
THAMES CHIMNEY SWEEPS
0779 926 8123 0162 882 8130
enquiries@thameschimneysweeps.co.uk
http://www.thameschimneysweeps.co.uk
Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps
PROFESSIONAL HOME VISIT WILL SERVICE
Thames Valley Will Service
Also Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate Service
We are still working during the pandemic period
0134 464 1885 tvwills@yahoo.co.uk
AJH ROOFING Co (READING) Ltd
Tiling, Slating and Flat Roofing specialists
36 Chatteris Way, Lower Earley, RG6 4 JA
0118 986 6035 0794 447 4070
ajhroofingco.co.uk info@ajhroofingco.co.uk
WANT HELP WITH AN ‘ODD JOB’?
For local odd jobs please call Phil on
0118 944 0000
0797 950 3908
Thames Street, Sonning
BIG HEART TREE CARE
Reliable and friendly service for all tree care
NPTC qualified — Public Liability of £10million
0118 937 1929 0786 172 4071
bighearttreecare.co.uk info@bighearttreecare.co.uk
SMALLWOOD
Landscaping, garden construction,
patios, lawns, fencing, decking etc
0118 969 8989
info@smallwoodcc.co.uk http://www.smallwoodcc.com
BEECHWOOD CARPENTRY & CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LTD
All types of Carpentry, Kitchens, Renovations
Built-in Cupboards & Wardrobes, Flooring & Doors
78 Crockhamwell Road, Woodley 0776 276 6110
http://www.beechwood-carpentry-construction.co.uk
CARER — COMPANION
Experienced lady carer who is local to this area
offers live-in support at competitive rates
Excellent references provided — Contact Louise
0784 226 2583 lasheppard61@gmail.com
PAINTER and DECORATOR
Roger McGrath has 25 years experience
Restoration painting work of any size undertaken
For a free quotation call
Roger 0742 332 1179
CHILDREN'S PAGE
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 41
42 The Parish Magazine - April 2021 Please mention The Parish Magazine when replying to advertisements
information — 2
Parish contacts
Ministry Team
— The Vicar: Revd Jamie Taylor*
The Parish Office, Thames Street, Sonning, RG4 6UR
vicar@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298
*Day off Friday
— Associate Vicar: Revd Kate Wakeman-Toogood
revkate@sonningparish.org.uk / 0746 380 6735
On duty Tuesday, Friday and Sunday
— Youth Minister: Chris West (Westy)
youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk / 0794 622 4106
— Licensed Lay Minister: Bob Peters
bob@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 377 5887
Children's Ministry
— Alison Smyly office@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298
Churchwardens
— Perry Mills perry@oaktreeoffice.com / 0786 035 5457
— Stuart Bowman sdbowman73@aol.com / 0118 978 8414
Deputy Churchwardens
— Liz Nelson liz.nelson1@ntlworld.com / 0118 934 4837
— Simon Darvall sdarvall@businessmoves.com 0793 928 2535
— Sue Peters mail@susanjpeters.com / 0118 377 5887
— Molly Woodley (deputy churchwarden emeritus)
mollywoodley@live.co.uk / 0118 946 3667
Parish Administrator
— Hilary Rennie
office@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298
Parochial Church Council
— Secretary: Hilary Rennie 0118 969 3298
— Treasurer: Richard Moore 0118 969 2588
Director of Music, organist and choirmaster
— Chris Goodwin MA (Cantab), ARCO (CHM), ARCM, LRAM
music@sonningparish.org.uk
Sacristan
— Helen Goodwin 0134 462 7697
Parish Website: http://www.sonningparish.org.uk
The Parish Magazine: http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk
— Editor: Bob Peters
editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 377 5887
— Advertising and Distribution: Gordon Nutbrown
advertising@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 969 3282
— Treasurer: Pat Livesey
pat.livesey@yahoo.co.uk / 0118 961 8017
— The Parish Magazine is produced by St Andrew’s PCC and delivered
free of charge to every home in Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye.
— The Parish Magazine is printed in the United Kingdom by The Print
Factory at Sarum Graphics Ltd, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6QX
— The Parish Magazine is distributed by Abracadabra Leaflet
Distribution Ltd, Reading RG7 1AW
— The Parish Magazine template was designed in 2012 by Roger
Swindale rogerswindale@hotmail.co.uk and David Woodward
david@designforprint.org
Advertisers index
ABD Construction 24
ACG Services Locksmith 40
ADD Plumbing 12
AJH Roofing 40
All Aerials Sonning 40
All Waste Clearance 34
Barn Store Henley 16
Beechwood Carpentry and Construction 40
Big Heart Tree Care 40
Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 14
Blinds Direct 26
Blue Moose 8
Bridge House 43
Bridges Home Care 14
Bright and Fresh Cleaning 26
Bull Inn 8
Carer Companion 40
Chimney Sweep, Thames 40
Chiropody, Linda Frewin 40
Chris the Plumber 32
Clark Bicknell 40
Complete Pest Solutions 16
Computer Frustrations 40
Cruz Kitchens 34
David Shailes Plumbing & Decorating 26
Design for Print 28
Freebody Boatbuilders 6
Fields Pharmacy 32
French Horn 44
Gardiners Nursing 8
Graham Blake Soft Furnishing 6
Great House Sonning 26
Handyman, Decorating 40
Haslams Estate Agents 2
Hicks Group 16
Intersmart Electrical Installations 40
James Autos 40
Jones & Sheppard Stone Masons 16
Just Brickwork 20
Kingfisher Bathrooms 18
MC Cleaning 40
Mill at Sonning 4
M & L Healthcare Solutions 12
Mortgage Required 18
Muck & Mulch 28
Newgate Car Finance 20
Odd Jobs 40
Painter and Decorator 40
Pearson Hall Sonning 30
Pennymatters Finance Advice 24
Q1 Care 30
Reading Blue Coat School 18
Richfield Flooring 14
Sabella Interiors 36
Shiplake College 20
Signature Cliveden Manor Care Home 28
Sonning Golf Club 32
Sonning Scouts Marquees 32
Smallwood Garden Services 40
Style by Julie 24
Sunrise of Sonning Senior Living 34
Thames Valley Water Softeners 24
Thames Valley Wills Service 40
Tomalin Funerals 30
Velvaere Studio 6
Village Hamper 20
Walker Funerals 12
Water Softener Salt 28
Window Cleaner 30
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding this advertisement
The Parish Magazine - April 2021 43
BRIDGE HOUSE
of TWYFORD
Because you deserve
the very best
Welcome to Bridge House Nursing Home
Established for 35 years, the elegant Georgian Grade II listed Bridge House has extended its facilities to
include a beautiful, light-filled and airy purpose built nursing home.
Our philosophy is built upon helping residents maintain their independence and dignity, whilst ensuring
their needs and expectations are fully met. We believe that being independent means having the freedom
of choice and flexibility over how the day is spent. Working closely with families and professionals
is fundamental in delivering and maintaining the required level of health and wellbeing.
At Bridge House, our comprehensive facilities and care provision is designed to deliver skilled,
professional and individually planned care in an unobtrusive manner.
Call 0800 230 0206
Visit www.bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk
INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • NURSING HOME
190821 - Bridge House Ad Parish Mag v01.indd 1 21/08/2019 18:06
44 The Parish Magazine - April Please 2021 mention The Parish Magazine when responding this advertisement
The French Horn,
Sonning. Quality.
A continuing commitment to
wonderful food and wine.
0118 969 2204
www.thefrenchhorn.co.uk