The Parish Magazine February 2022

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 1

The

Parish

Magazine

The John King Trophy and Gold Award

Best Magazine of the Year 2018

National Parish Magazine Awards

Best Content 2021, 2016

Best Overall 2020, 2015

Best Editor 2019

Best Print 2018

Serving the communities of Charvil, Sonning & Sonning Eye since 1869

February 2022 — Candlemas

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

2 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

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The Parish Magazine - February 2022 1

The John King Trophy and Gold Award

Best Magazine of the Year 2018

National Parish Magazine Awards

Best Content 2021

Best Overall Magazine 2020

Best Editor 2019

Best Print 2018

Best Content 2016

Best Overall Magazine 2015

information — 1

Contents February 2022

THE VICAR'S LETTER, 5

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD

— Her Majesty The Queen, 7

— Choral Evensong, 7

— Organ Scholar, 7

— Prayers for February, 7

— Christian Basics Part 1, 9

— Archbishop Tutu, 9

— STAY, 10

— The Persecuted Church, 11

— On Reflection: Obadiah, 13

— From the editor's desk, 13

— Claude's view, 15

— Forgiveness and Lent, 17

— PCC External Giving, 17

features

— Celebrating February, 19

— World Free Trade, 21

— Platinum Jubilee, 22-23

— The World Ahead, 25

around the villages

— Able Care Stickers, 26

— Monday Club, 26

— Village Show Date, 26

— Project Singers Concert, 26

— Inner Wheel, 26

— Four thousand words, 27

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER

February 2022 — Candlemas

The

Parish

Magazine

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

Clap your hands,

Messy Church in The Ark is back!

Picture: Rev Kate

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 March

issue of The Parish Magazine is:

Sunday 6 February 12 noon

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 3

Services at

St Andrew’s

Sunday 6 February

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Christingle Family

Service for Candlemas

— 4.00pm Choral Evensong

followed by tea in The Ark

Sunday 13 February

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Parish Eucharist

STAY and Sunday Club

Sunday 20 February

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Family Communion

— 3.00pm Messy Church in The Ark

Sunday 27 February

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Parish Eucharist

STAY and Sunday Club

— 6.0opm Sunday at Six in The Ark

with refreshments served on

arrival from 5.50pm-6.05pm

history, 29

HEALTH

— Dr Simon Ruffle, 31-33

— Toothache Day, 33

the sciences

— Love Wisdom, 33

HOME & GARDEn

— Recipe of the Month, 34

— Garden Bird Flu, 34

— Remembering Housework, 34

— Saving our Planet, 35

— Dealing with Disputes, 35

— One Tree, 35

The Parish Magazine online

The most recent issues can be viewed 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

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES

Morning Prayer is held in church

every Tuesday at 9.30am. During

school holidays please check the Week

Ahead notices for service details.

Mid-week Communion in The Ark is

held every Wednesday at 10.00am. Tea

and coffee is available following the

service.

THE ARTS

— Christmas TV Ratings, 36

— Simeon, 37

— Book Giving Day, 37

— Poetry Corner, 38

— Book Reviews, 38

PUZZLE PAGE, 39

children's page, 41

information

— Church services, 3

— From the registers, 3

— Parish contacts, 42

— Advertisers index, 42

From the register

baptisms

— Sunday 12 December

Rose Alexandra Louise Winton

Home Communion at Signature at

Sonning is held on the first Friday

of each month at 10.30am. Visitors

must comply with the care home's

Covid restrictions so please check with

Signature at least four days before.

4 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

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The vicar's letter

DEAR FRIENDS,

I have reflected a great deal in recent times on where we as a church are, nearly two

years after the pandemic hit, when we were ordered by the government to cease

holding services and then by the Bishops to close our church buildings, even to the

clergy. It almost seems unreal now, but I remember a considerable fear that we would

lose many elderly and vulnerable members of our congregation and community.

Indeed, I was even ordered by the local authority to count out remaining grave spaces

so they could plan for what was expected. This was certainly one of the more chilling

and surreal tasks I have ever undertaken. I recall taking a few outdoor funerals in the

pouring rain and driving wind with only seven family members allowed to be present;

a more pitiful and heart-rending scene it would be hard to imagine. I also recall the

immense frustration of having to cancel so many weddings with all the attendant

complications and administrative burdens.

Easter 2020 was a bleak time and tough for all Christians as they were barred

from their churches; the only connection with their worshipping life was with

hastily arranged video messages from us clergy, doing our best, with mixed results!

I sometimes felt like I was in an episode of ‘Acorn Antiques’, but no matter! (YouTube

it if you haven’t ever seen it). The sight of the Archbishop of Canterbury celebrating

communion on Easter Day from his kitchen table, in a Palace that contains two

beautiful chapels, will most likely not go down as one of his finest moments.

BACK TO NORMAL

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 5

Well, it is a relief to report that only one grave was needed for someone who died with, not of, Covid, and although

any death is sad for the family, the deceased had lived a full and long life. Most of us have now been vaccinated and the

majority of people I know who have had Covid, including me, have recovered and recognise that life goes on. Thanks be to

God! This is not to diminish the suffering of those suffering from ‘long covid’ however. Our worshipping life is now, more

or less, back to normal, and I have been greatly encouraged by the fact that during the pandemic we have actually grown

as a congregation, by around 30 new souls, of all ages. We have even started a new monthly service, under the leadership

of Chris West and Helen Craig, called ‘Sunday at 6’, which is already becoming well established. Rendezvous, the youth

club and Messy Church are also now back up and running.

'WE ARE NOT AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE'

Christmas 2020 was an extraordinary time in that, although permitted by law, nearly every church in the locality,

including St George’s Chapel, Windsor, cancelled their services. It was a time of uncertainty and I do not criticise those

decisions, but we decided to carry on, and as I look back, I am pleased that we did. I have heard of a number of churches

across the country that cancelled services this last Christmas and I am sorry they felt compelled to do this, now that the

Covid picture is so much clearer and most people have been vaccinated. I was inspired by the address given by the Rector

of Buckingham to his congregation, the Rev Will Pearson-Gee, when he answered calls for his church to do likewise last

December: 'We are not a cinema. We are not the O2 Arena. We are not a football match. We are a family of brothers and sisters in

Christ who come together on a Sunday to worship the living Jesus Christ. Not a football match, not a film; nothing like that. I am

not going to close our services until I am ordered by law to do so, and even if that happens it will be screaming and kicking, because

we are not an entertainment venue. We are here to worship the God who is sovereign over all of this mess, over all the ineptitude

that the Government can throw at us, and it is all the more important that we gather together as brothers and sisters in Christ to

worship God.'

Here was a parish priest saying what perhaps bishops and archbishops ought to have been saying throughout the

pandemic. I wholeheartedly concur with his stance and, within the law, will resist any future attempts to curtail our

freedom to worship.

When interviewed recently, Archbishop Welby said that it was a Christian’s duty to get vaccinated because Jesus told

us 'to love our neighbour'. Indeed he did, but he didn’t compel us to do so, and I am appalled at attempts in some EU

countries to force vaccinations on their populations. What Justin Welby didn’t mention was that Jesus offered this as the

second most important commandment. We read in scripture that the 'first and greatest commandant is to love the Lord your

God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength'. That is our primary duty as Christians and that is why

we must never again quietly back down and stay at home on Sundays. Whatever would the early Christians, facing the

lions in the Colosseum because of their obedience to the first commandment, make of us if we did?

A successful future, under God, does not lie with the faint hearted and I feel greatly encouraged and blessed by what I

have witnessed in and around our church community as we have come back to life, at the earliest legal opportunity, from

this wretched period. Let us have confidence in fulfilling our primary tasks as Christians, to worship God, to deepen our

faith through communal worship, prayer and study of scripture and to reach out in love to a community and world that is

in so much need of the life changing message of Jesus Christ. Warm wishes, Jamie

6 The Parish Magazine - February 2022 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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the parish noticeboard — 1

Notices

Her Majesty the Queen

On Sunday 6 February Her Majesty will mark not only the

death of her father, His Late Majesty, King George VI, but

also her Accession to the throne. (See pages 22-23)

Let us remember her in our prayers at this time:

Almighty God, who hast set our gracious sovereign Queen

Elizabeth upon the throne of this realm, and given her to

surpass all others in the years of her reign: Receive our

heartfelt thanks for her service to her people, confirm and

encourage her in the continuance of the same, one God, world

without end. Amen.

Choral Evensong and Tea: Sunday 6 February

We are pleased to announce that Choral Evensong will

restart on the first Sunday of each month. It will be held

in church at 4pm and followed by tea in The Ark.

St Andrew's Church organ scholar

Nathan May (above) has been our organ scholar for the

last 6 years and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow

in confidence and ability. He will be taking A levels later

this year and so has decided to concentrate on these and

his other musical and sporting activities and therefore is

stepping down from his role at St Andrew’s. We wish him

well and God’s blessing on all he does in the future.

For your prayers

in February

— The work of The Children’s Society

— Westy, and his work

running the Charvil

detached youth work

project

— Her Majesty the Queen

as she marks the 70th

anniversary of her

Accession to the throne

— SPUC (The Society for the Protection of

Unborn Children)

Alain Lacroix, dreamstime.com

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 7

Powerofflowers, dreamstime.com

Christingle Family Service Sunday 6 February

At our 10.30am Family Service of Sunday 6 February we

will be welcoming back the Christingle — something

not possible for the last two years because of Covid

restrictions. Children and young people are invited to

bring along their Christingles when they will be blessed

and lit - the Christingles that is!

There is more about this service — during which a

collection will be taken for The Children's Society — on

page 19 of this issue. Here are instructions on how to

make one:

You will need an orange, a

candle, four cocktail sticks,

enough red ribbon to wrap

round the orange, a

small piece of aluminium

foil, some dried fruit or

sweets, a sharp knife, a

pair of scissors, a pin and a

responsible adult to help you!

Ask an adult to cut a thin

slice off the bottom of the

orange so that it stands firmly

on a flat surface, and to make a

hole in the top of the orange large

enough for the candle, but don’t push the candle in yet.

Wrap the red ribbon around the middle of the orange and

fix it in position with the pin.

Cut the aluminium foil with the scissors to cover the top

of the orange and press it into the candle hole in the centre.

Push the candle into the top of the orange where the foil

is and make sure it is held firmly in place. Put the dried fruit

or sweets on three of the cocktail sticks, leaving the fourth

one empty. Push the cocktail sticks into the orange so they

are spaced equally around it - see the picture above.

What does it mean? The orange represents the world that God created.

The red ribbon indicates the love and blood of Christ. The dried fruits and

sweets are symbols of the fruits of the earth created by God for all his

people. The four sticks represent all the people of the world. The empty

stick reminds us that not everyone in the world has their fair share of the

food provided by God. The lit candle symbolises Jesus, the light of the

world that shines even in the darkest corners of our planet.

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the parish noticeboard — 2

Christian Basics — Part 1

Rev Paul Hardingham begins a series on the foundations of the

Christian faith. Paul is vicar of St Peter’s Halliwell, Bolton in the

diocese of Manchester and his parish ministry has taken him all over

the country including Cambridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, Birmingham

and Ipswich.

In the beginning . . .

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 9

Five famous quotes from

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Panagiotis Karapanagiotis, dreamstime.com

For many today the universe began with a big bang,

in which a lump of matter, smaller than a pinhead,

exploded 15 billion years ago. It’s a story that defines

who we are and where we come from. However, the Bible

gives us another perspective on this event, revealing God

as Creator: ‘By faith we understand that the universe

was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was

not made out of what was visible’ (Hebrews 11:3). What

does Genesis 1 say about God as Creator?

‘In the beginning, God’

Whereas science can offer answers about the 'how' of

creation, the Bible tells us about the 'why', that is, the

purpose of the Creator! Creation reflects the character

and glory of God, inviting a response of dependence and

praise!

‘God created the heavens and the earth’

God shaped the universe, as expressed in the ‘six days’

of creation. They speak of an ordered and purposeful

universe that expresses God’s will: He spoke and it was

done! An alternative translation is ‘God began creating’,

reminding us that creation is also an ongoing process,

where the Holy Spirit is still at work in our lives and world.

‘God created man in his own image’

In the account, human beings are presented as the climax

and crown of creation. We share the sixth day of creation

with other creatures, as well as 95% of the same DNA.

However, we are distinctively made in the image of God,

created for relationship with God, with a responsibility to

care for the created order.

‘And God saw that it was good’

Like an artist, God described his work as good. We should

always approach this story with wonder, enjoying God’s

world and affirming creativity in ourselves and others.

Archbishop Tutu

Komelau, dreamstime.com

The death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Boxing Day,

26 December 2021, was mourned around the world.

Here are five of his more famous quotes which show

why he was so especially honoured for his justice and

reconciliation work in South Africa, and equally, they

are lessons for all of us to apply to our lives today.

'Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little

bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.'

'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have

chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its

foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are

neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.'

'Don't raise your voice, improve your argument. Good

sense does not always lie with the loudest shouters, nor

can we say that a large, unruly crowd is always the best

arbiter of what is right.'

'Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering and

not using your right to hit back. It’s a second chance for a

new beginning. And the remembering part is particularly

important. Especially if you don’t want to repeat what

happened.'

'Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We

are different precisely in order to realise our need of one

another.'

10 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

the parish noticeboard — 3

STAY

STAY Christmas Activities

With the schools off for a week

before Christmas we organised two

outdoor games drop-in sessions for

all local young people. We had 23

youth turn up on both days and we

enjoyed playing; dodgeball, football,

basketball, uni-hoc challenges with

prizes and of course hot chocolate

mountains!

STAY on Friday

We loved the last few weeks of youth

club with the young people. We’ve

made plans for the second upper

room decorating and we are training

junior leaders to run the tuck shop.

The term ended with a film

and pizza night in The Ark on 17

December. We watched the classic

Home Alone movie and ate our body

weight in pizza!

STAY on Sunday

STAY on Sunday sadly wasn’t able to meet during December because of Covid.

Instead, Christmas presents were bought and given out on Christmas Day as

a treat. They got more sweets and a candy cane with the real meaning behind

them written on some lovely cards.

STAY Detached Project

The detached project continued

throughout December with the hot

chocolate given out to between 30-45

young people each week. This project

will continue on Thursdays after

school where we meet young people

in the gathering points of Charvil

(Charvil Store, East Park Farm Drive

park and the Park Lane sports court).

STAY in Schools

The mentoring and assemblies

continued throughout December and

individual pupil targets were set for

what they hope to achieve in 2022!

With the schools returning in

early January, I had the wonderful

opportunity to serve 1,500 at The

Piggott Wargrave School with the

LFT tests in the sports hall. It was an

operation of mammoth proportions

but the school staff, governors,

parents and Wokingham Borough

reps did an amazing job keeping all

the pupils safe. It was an honour to

be part of the team!

As ever, please get in touch with

any ideas, thoughts or to ask any

questions on:

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk

Westy!

the parish noticeboard — 4

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 11

The Persecuted Church: Focus on Nigeria and religious freedom by Colin Bailey

People and places of worship lost in Nigeria

The nave of the Cathedral Church of Christ Marina Lagos which is the Anglican preeminent

cathedral in Lagos. It is over 150 years old.

Matthew Omojola, dreamstime.com

Hyotographics, dreamstime.com

The United States has an independent

Commission on International

Religious Freedom (USCIRF). In April

2021, it recommended that Nigeria

be re-designated a 'Country of

Particular Concern' (CPC) on freedom

of religion on the US government’s

list. They cited ‘violence by militant

Islamists and other non-state armed

actors, as well as discrimination,

arbitrary detentions, and capital

blasphemy sentences by state

authorities.’

USCIRF’s activities include advising

Congress, monitoring religious

freedom conditions abroad, raising

public awareness and issuing an

annual report and other publications.

Its website gives a definition of

‘religious freedom’ and includes the

statements that: ‘Inherent in religious

freedom is the right to believe or not

believe as one’s conscience leads, and

live out one’s beliefs openly, peacefully,

and without fear. Freedom of religion or

belief is an expansive right that includes

the freedoms of thought, conscience,

expression, association and assembly.’

They cite Article 18 of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights which

affirms that: ‘Everyone has the right

to freedom of thought, conscience and

religion; this right includes freedom to

change religion or belief, and freedom,

either alone or in community with others

and in public or private, to manifest

religion or belief in teaching, practice,

worship and observance.’

The US state department issued

a report on international religious

freedom in May, which cited religious

freedom concerns in Nigeria.

However, in November, Washington

removed Nigeria from its list of

countries with such concerns. It had

been added to the list for the first time

in 2020. The removal came a day before

secretary of state Antony Blinken was

due to arrive in Nigeria as part of a

tour of Africa.

The annual announcement of

countries on the list named Myanmar,

China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea,

Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia,

Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as

countries of particular concern.

CONCERN

On a watch list for religious

freedom, Blinken placed Algeria,

Comoros, Cuba and Nicaragua. Armed

groups including Islamic State and

several of its affiliates were named as

entities of concern.

The Christian Association of

Nigeria (CAN) called on the US

government to explain the difference

between the violence the Christians

are facing now and when Nigeria was

first listed as a CPC in 2020. A press

statement included these trenchant

comments:

‘Christians had faced and are still

facing persecution from ISWAP and the

Boko Haram Islamic Group till today as

before. These are the people who said their

agenda was to wipe away Christianity

from Nigeria and to plant Islam as the

only religion from the north down to the

Atlantic Ocean in the south. That agenda

with the killing of Christians has not

stopped till today and Nigerians are living

witnesses. The bandits have joined other

militant Islamic groups to be ferociously

attacking churches, killing worshippers

and kidnapping for ransom. The

herdsmen are equally doing their havoc.

We have lost many people and places of

worship to their assault, especially in the

north-central part of the country and the

north-east.’

The statement went on to mention

how those who are not Christians

are now also being attacked, killed

and kidnapped because the criminal

acts have become lucrative business.

(See CAN reference below for the full

statement).

Please pray for the country of

Nigeria and especially CAN’s efforts

in trying to douse religious tension

and foster harmonious relationships

between people of different faiths.

References and further reading

Barnabas Fund: https://barnabasfund.org/news/

christian-association-of-nigeria-protests-as-usremoves-country-from-lis/

Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/

us-removes-nigeria-religious-freedom-list-aheadblinken-visit-2021-11-18/

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN): https://

christianassociationofnigeria.org/2021/11/20/

cpc-list-we-are-at-a-loss-on-the-data-the-usgovernment-used-for-the-delisting-of-nigeria-can/

United States Commission on International Religious

Freedom (USCIRF): https://www.uscirf.gov/aboutuscirf/about-us

12 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

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the parish noticeboard — 5

On reflection . . .

By Elizabeth Spiers

Obadiah: what is your

heart saying to God?

Marinela Malcheva, dreamstime.com

The book of Obadiah is just one chapter long. It was

written around 586BC and is a message to the people of

Edom who were the descendants of Esau, twin brother

of Jacob the Israelite. The Edomites and the Israelites

were family in God’s eyes.

Jacob’s descendants had sinned against God and come

under his judgement. They had been overthrown and

taken captive by the Babylonians and their city had been

looted and destroyed. Many were killed. Those who did

manage to escape ran to places such as Edom hoping to

find shelter.

But the Edomites were a very proud people. They

considered themselves to be powerful, invincible even,

and they boasted of it. When they heard of Israel’s

latest misfortunes they joined in with the looting and

destruction and, if they caught Jews escaping, they

handed them over to Babylonians.

FAMILIES CAN BE DIFFICULT

God’s message through Obadiah is that he cannot

stand by while they destroy their ‘brother’ (v10). He

tells the Edomites that although they may consider

themselves unassailable, a time is coming when they will

be completely destroyed as repayment for their pride and

their evil deeds. There will be no trace of them left at all.

Families can be very difficult to live with. Most of

us have a family member that is not easy to get along

with. Maybe they bullied us, or stole from us or treated

us badly. It’s all too easy to glory in anything bad that

happens to them or spread gossip about them. But as

adults, and especially as Christians, surely the better way

is to pray for them and ask God to break into their lives.

While we may not be able to enjoy a close relationship

with them, our response to them speaks loudly to our

Father in heaven.

People judge by outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

What is your heart saying to God today?

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 13

From the desk

of the editor

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk

Having nothing to do

with silly myths . . .

Traditionally, February begins with the ancient

Christian celebration of Candlemas (see page 19)

which for us at St Andrew's Church also focuses on the

Christingle when we raise money for the work of The

Children's Society.

Candlemas is officially held on the second day of the

month, which is also the day when Americans have

Groundhog Day which is a celebration essentially based

on a superstition. Like many aspects of American culture,

it is slowly spreading around the world — although it

originally stems from a European superstition associated

with Candlemas.

While writing the article on page 19 I could not

help thinking about my mother who was the most

superstitious person I knew in my childhood. She would

never walk under a ladder, always picked up pins and

touched wood for luck, and dreaded a full moon because it

apparently made my father do stupid things. You will have

to ask my wife if I'm afflicted with this phenomenon!

I could never understand why my mother sometimes

saw a black cat as unlucky, but sometimes it was lucky,

or why wearing green was unlucky — green was her

favourite colour and she even got married in a green

wedding dress! She also had a superstition about Friday

the thirteenth — my father was born on 13 September so

when his birthday fell on a Friday — and if there was a

full moon — we all had to avoid upsetting him!

TRAIN YOURSELF

Apart from baptisms, weddings, funerals and the

occasional 'purification' after child birth, I can't remember

either of my parents going to church, although they

always insisted that I, and my two younger siblings went

to Sunday School on Sunday afternoon. It was not until I

had children of my own that I realised why they sent us!

However, I have always been thankful that they did.

Also, to be fair to my mother, she considered herself to

be a Christian and every day she would read a daily Bible

note that her younger sister passed on to her, and one

of her most treasured items was a Bible that my father

brought back with him from Jerusalem where he was

stationed for a short time during the Second World War.

Her Bible is now part of my library of over 150 different

versions I have collected during my life.

I don't know if my mother's daily reading ritual had

its roots in one of her superstitions, I like to think it

didn't because the Bible often refers to such things, and

recommends that we avoid them, for example:

'Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.

Rather train yourself for godliness' (1 Timothy 4:7)

14 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

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the parish noticeboard — 6

Even short walks were off the

agenda until Christmas morning

I can’t walk very far, or very well,

these days so my Christmas walks

were very short but I did manage to

make it from the Bull gates car park

into St Andrew’s Church and to The

Ark where the Christmas services

and activities took place, writes

Claude Masters

It reminded me of the time when

I could walk further. I was also

reminded of this when searching

through the clutter in a cupboard

above my wardrobe and found a

basket full of over 50 maps.

Wherever I went on holiday I

bought a map of the area, be it in

this country or abroad, and most of

them are Ordnance Survey of a scale

suitable for walking. Each one brings

back memories that would otherwise

have been forgotten.

ANTIQUE

All are very old so they don’t

show new roads and developments,

although rights of way in the

countryside don’t change. Even

so, most of them are antique and I

would do better buying a new one.

There are, of course, many

satellite GPS trackers available these

days, but being told which way to go

and not deciding for myself which

path to use would, for me, take all

the fun out of hiking.

An OS map of Aberystwyth

reminded me of when my youngest

son was pre-school age. My wife, his

two older siblings and I were sitting

on the beach when we became aware

that he had wandered off.

We all searched initially to no

avail but after about half an hour we

found him half a mile away by our

car calmly waiting for us. He was

a terror for wandering off and was

never afraid of being lost.

GIFTED

For the first of the Christmas

services I made the short walk

from the Bull car park to church for

the Family service on the Second

Sunday of Advent at which the

Christmas tree was lit and toys and

cash for needy children were gifted

via the annual Reading Family Aid

Christmas Appeal.

The service included a visit from

St Nicholas and the second Advent

candle was lit by the auburn haired

great-granddaughter of Rusty, a

fondly remembered member of the

congregation.

ISOLATION

In this paragraph I was intending

to write my views on the other

Christmas activities in the parish

but catching a Covid infection forced

me into isolation until 23 December

so I missed them all. I also missed,

my short walks from the Bull to the

church.

I can barely recall why my wife

and I took lateral flow tests and

although they were positive we did

not suffer any Covid symptoms and

did not feel at all unwell.

Had we not taken the test we

would not have known that we had

the virus and we would have carried

on going out as usual.

The period of isolation was

frustrating. Being stuck indoors

unable to go anywhere, having

no visitors and there being little

pleasure in wandering in the garden

at this time of the year.

The self isolation ended just in

time for Christmas so the festivities

at church and with the family were

Looking for the wise men during The Epiphany Family Service

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 15

Claude's

view

from

the

pew

the light at the end of the tunnel.

The NHS Covid-19 app counting

down the days didn’t make it come

any sooner though.

Fortunately, there was some pink

gin, rhubarb tonic and a couple of

bottles of single malt whisky in the

cocktail cabinet!

Christmas comes but once a year,

but when it comes it brings good cheer!

It certainly did for Barbara and

I. The Christmas morning service

in St Andrew’s where children

brought their presents to show the

vicar was highlighted by Westy who

demonstrated how the attributes of

sight, hearing, touch and smell were

gifts of God revealed through Jesus

in a manger.

And it was especially good to be

able to exchange 'Merry Christmas'

with our many friends at church.

Janette Crouch

16 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

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the parish noticeboard — 7

Dr Herbert McGonigle, former senior lecturer in Historical Theology & Church

History, Nazarene Theological College, Manchester offers these thoughts on

forgiveness as we prepare for Lent which starts next month on 2 March . . .

The Bible is very expressive when it comes to speaking about how God can

forgive our sins. It uses many descriptions to tell us how our sins are both

forgiven and forgotten. Here are some of the promises:

'our sins are forgiven’ (Psalm 32:5)

‘washed thoroughly’ (Psalm 51:2)

‘blotted out’ (Psalm 51:9)

'forgiven and covered’ (Psalm 85:2)

‘washed whiter than snow’ (Isaiah 1:18);

‘taken away’ (Isaiah 6:7);

‘put behind his back’ (Isaiah 38:17);

‘laid on him’ (Isaiah. 53:6);

‘remembered no more’ (Jeremiah 31:34);

‘pardoned’ (Jeremiah. 33:8);

‘destroyed’ (Romans 6:6);

‘purged’ (Hebrews 1:3)’

‘borne for us’ (1 Peter 2:24);

‘washed away’ (Revelation 1:5).

More than conquerors:

In the depth of the sea!

(Micah 7:19)

Silvae1, dreamstime.com

What glorious news this is! In Christ

we are truly forgiven! Our sins are

cancelled! God will not hold our

guilty past against us!

The prophet Micah has a very

dramatic way of telling us this. He

says that God has cast our sins ‘into

the depths of the sea’ (7:19).

So how deep is the sea? Far out in

the Western Pacific Ocean, 200 miles

from the island of Guam, lies the

deepest part of the earth’s oceans.

It is called the Mariana Trench. It is

more than 1,500 miles long and over

External giving made by St Andrew's Church

Parochial Church Council during 2021

TOTAL FROM OUTWARD GIVING FUND

TOTAL OTHER DONATIONS

12,000

1,495

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 17

LENT 2022

Lent starts on

Ash Wednesday 2 March.

This year we will be

holding Morning Prayer with

a Reflection on Tuesdays at

9.30am in church, followed by

coffee in The Ark.

The first Lenten Morning

Prayer will be on

Tuesday 8 March.

40 miles wide but it is its depth that

is awesome. It plunges down into

the ocean bed for some 35,800 feet.

By comparison, Everest, the world’s

highest mountain, is 29,000 feet in

height.

That means that the Mariana

Trench goes lower into the ocean bed

than the peak of Everest stretches

up to the clouds. At that frightening

depth the pressure from the waters

above is more than 8 tons to the

square inch!

While these geographical facts

and figures compel our attention,

the theology of our forgiveness is

even more wonderful!

When we are ‘in Christ’ as his

redeemed people, our sins are truly

forgiven. God has thrown them

into the depth of the sea, never

to be resurrected! They are buried

forever in the vast abyss of God’s

unfathomable love and mercy. What

good news the gospel brings! Our

guilty past is forgiven and forgotten!

BOTTOMLESS ABYSS

John Wesley, a few months after

his evangelical conversion in May

1738, went to Herrnhut in Germany.

He met the Moravian hymn writer

Johann Andreas Rothe. Wesley

had learned German and enjoyed

singing the Moravian hymns and

he translated many of them into

English, including one of Rothe’s

great hymns that includes the lines:

O Love, Thou bottomless abyss

My sins are swallowed up in Thee

Covered is my unrighteousness

Nor spot of guilt remains on me.

While Jesu’s blood through

earth and skies

Mercy, free boundless mercy, cries.

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feature — 1

For Christians throughout the

world, February gets underway with

Candlemas, a special celebration

officially held 2 February, or the

nearest Sunday to it — this year, in

the Church of England lectionary it

has been moved forward to Sunday 30

January.

Candlemas, is also known as the

‘Feast of the Presentation of Christ

in the Temple’ and recalls the events

recorded in the Gospel of Luke 2.22-

40. The ceremony described by Luke

complied with the ancient Jewish

rite of purification when, following

the birth of a child, the mother had

to be ‘purified’ by offering a burnt

offering in the Temple. This offering

was specified as being a lamb, but for

the poor, a young pigeon or dove was

acceptable.

Candlemas for some Christians

around the world marked the end

of Christmas and was the time

decorations would be taken down.

Today it is more generally

recognised that The Epiphany, which

marks the visit by the magi and which

is celebrated 12 days after Christmas

Day, is the time to take down the

Christmas decorations.

Candlemas is held 40 days after

Christmas and complies with the

length of time that is prescribed for

most of the major seasons in the

Christian calendar, for example the

40 days of Lent which this year begins

on Ash Wednesday 2 March, and what

was originally, 40 days of Advent.

At St Andrew’s, like many parish

churches, Candlemas became the time

when the new stock of candles arrived

for the year and a feature of the service

was for the new candles to be blessed

and dedicated to serve God. This was,

of course, before electricity took over

as the prime source of lighting.

In recent times, at St Andrew’s, and

many parish churches, we celebrate

Christingle at Candlemas, while

other churches include it as part of

their Christmas celebrations. The

Christingle, which has German origins

mean ‘Little Christ Child’ and is made

from an orange, which represents

the world, with a candle representing

Jesus, the light of the world.

Around the candle are four sticks

representing the people of the world

and the fruit or sweets on three of

these sticks represent the ‘fruits of the

earth'.

The fourth, empty stick, reminds

us of the poor and hungry in our

world. A collection taken during the

Christingle/Candlemas service raises

money for the work of The Children’s

Society, a charitable organisation that

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 19

February — the month for celebrating with

candles, oranges, and groundhogs!

CHRISTINGLE

A groundhog emerges from its hole in the ground

2014: Christingles in St Andrew's Church

Tom Farncombe

Galina Dreyzina, dreamstime.com

serves children suffering from abuse,

exploitation and neglect.

For the last two years Covid

restrictions have meant that the

Christingle service has not be possible

but this year we are planning to hold it

on Sunday 2 February at the 10.30am

Family Service. Instructions on how to

make a Christingle are on page 7.

SUPERSTITION

Another spin-off from the ancient

Christian festival of Candlemas is

Groundhog Day which is also held on

2 February. This is primarily a time for

a family feast and party in America.

Like the Christingle, it has its roots in

Germany and it reached America via

Dutch speaking emigrees who took

with them their superstitions about

predicting spring.

This superstition says that if a

groundhog emerges from its burrow

on Candlemas Day and sees its shadow

due to clear weather, it will retreat

to its den and winter will persist for

another six weeks; if it does not see its

shadow because of cloudiness, spring

will arrive early.

A groundhog, or woodchuck,

belongs to the group of large ground

squirrels known as marmots. Studies

of this superstition don’t confirm that

it is true but this does not stop people

enjoying themselves!

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feature — 2

The Panda Flower Farm, Kenya

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 21

Fair Trade Fortnight: 21 February – 6 March

There's more to Free Trade than bananas and coffee!

Governments of the world uniting

to tackle global issues such as

climate change, Covid, and in the

past, world wars, is not the only

way to achieve change. NGOs —

Non-Governmental Organisations

— charities, and religious groups

have worked, and are working,

alongside each other to relieve the

pain and suffering of an estimated

690 million deprived and poor people

in our world — that's about 8 - 9%

of the world's population. One of

the most remarkable movements

— 'movement' is the best way of

describing it — is the World Free

Trade Organisation (WFTO). If you

delve into its history you will find

many different stories of how it began

because it didn't grow from a single

moment in time, but emerged in

many different parts of the world for

different reasons.

In the United States it can be traced

from the 1940's when 10,000 self-help

craft groups began buying needlework

from Puerto Rico. The first Fair Trade

Shop which sold these opened in 1958.

CANE SUGAR

Meanwhile in the UK , Oxfam

began selling crafts made by Chinese

refugees and in 1958 created the first

Fair Trade Organisation. Similar

initiatives in the Netherlands resulted

in an importing organisation starting

in 1967 and Dutch third world groups

began to sell cane sugar with the

message 'by buying cane sugar you give

Harvesting Free Trade bananas, Robinson Ramirez Segura, Ecuador

people in poor countries a place in the sun

of prosperity'.

In Asia, Africa and South America

NGOs and socially motivated

individuals began promoting the need

for fair marketing organizations that

gave advice, assistance and support to

disadvantaged producers.

SECURITY

And so the movement grew and

today Fair Trade works throughout

the world with farming co-operatives,

businesses, and governments to make

trade fair so that producers earn secure

and sustainable livelihoods.

Climate change is currently the

biggest threat to the livelihoods of

millions of small-scale farmers and

agricultural workers in low-income

Fairtrade

countries worldwide. Without a

fairer income, farmers and workers

are unable to invest in the types of

mitigation and adaptation techniques

needed to protect the environment, and

their businesses.

This represents a vicious cycle

of poverty in which steps towards

environmental protection and

decarbonisation are likely to be beyond

the reach for those who aren’t able to

earn a living income because the price

they receive for their produce is far too

low.

FLOWERS

Today, Fair Trade, for many people

means bananas, chocolate or tea

and coffee, but there are many other

products, including gold, wine, clothes,

beauty products and flowers.

For example, there are over 70,000

people growing, harvesting, packing,

and caring for Fair Trade flowers which

are traceable to the original certified

farms that must ensure safety and

working conditions for their employees.

Certified farms receive a premium

of 10% for every item sold to allow

workers to invest in healthcare,

education and social benefits.

Fair Trade flowers come from

Kenya, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Ecuador,

Uganda and Tanzania and are available

from Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl, M&S and

Moonpig — perhaps this is something

to look out for when buying gifts for

Valentine’s Day on 14 February, and

Mothering Sunday on 14 March!

22 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

ACCESSION TO

We look back over 70 years of Her Majesty

The Queen's reign as recorded in extracts

from The Parish Magazine.

GOD REST THE KING!

February 1952

King George VI Elizabeth II

Once more we have followed a loved and revered

Sovereign to his grave sorrowing, but 'not as others

which have no hope'.

Called to the throne unexpectedly, he accepted

that vocation as from God; in his Coronation he

publicly, consciously and piously dedicated his

life to the service of God and his people, and drew

from that mystical ceremony God’s authority and

strength to fill the exalted position to which he had

been called; throughout his life he showed that the

greatest dignity consists in service.

A true Christian, he has passed to the

Christian’s rest and awaits with humble confidence

the Christian’s great reward, the unclouded vision

of his Lord and God.

Nor are we without hope for our country and

ourselves; we are secure in the knowledge that the

same Christian faith and hope and love inspire

our new Sovereign, the Lady Elizabeth, called at

so early an age to be our Queen; to her we can with

the confidence born of knowledge and experience

pledge our allegiance, as we also offer her our

respectful affection.

God Rest the King!

God Save the Queen!

Rev S J S Groves

THE CORONATION

May 1953

All thoughts look forward to the Coronation of Her

Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second.

Remember these words: ‘I want to ask you all to

pray for me on that day - to pray that God may give

me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn

promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully

serve him and you all the days of my life.’

June 1953

The Coronation has come and gone, leaving behind

it the memory of a most august service, beautifully

and reverently performed. ... One need say no more ...

every item was recorded on wireless and television so

all our people could take part in the solemnity.

For the future the Church will exercise her priestly

function in offering continuous prayer on behalf of

Queen and Commonwealth. Rev S J S Groves

The Royal Family sculptures in wax. Left to right front: Sarah Duchess of York, Queen Elizabeth Th

Left to right back: Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, The Duke of Edinburgh, King Geo

DECORATIONS

The Coronation committee are making arrangements

for the decorations of the Pearson Hall and the

recreation ground. With these exceptions they appeal

to all householders to mark this historic occasion by

decorating their own houses according to individual

taste.

It is, however, suggested that residents should

combine with their neighbours on opposite sides of

the roads and hang strings of pennants across the

road in order to give a festive air to the village.

This form of decoration would be specially suitable

in High Street.

A prize will be given for the best decorated house.

A large number of special ev

organised throughout June—

club had its own celebration

village events on Coronation

— Television in the Boys’ S

— A Coronation peal will b

at the moment of the Cr

— Children’s tea in the Pe

— Fancy dress procession

Pearson Hall.

— Sports in the recreation

— Presentation of Prizes i

— Dance in the Pearson H

— Procession of illuminat

September 2015: Her Majesty The Queen becomes the longest ever reigning m

great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. According to Buckingham Palace ca

This takes into account 63 years, 15 leap days, additional months and days and

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 23

PLATINUM

GOLDEN JUBILEE

July 2002

My congratulations and thanks to all who worked

so hard over the Jubilee weekend, the scarecrows

were a brilliant idea. Rev Christopher Clarke

Our village’s contribution was so diverse that in the

words of one visitor, ‘There was so much to see and

do that we kept coming back.’ [There was a Regatta,

the first Scarecrow trail, an Elegant Picnic, open

gardens, and a street party] ... St Andrew’s welcomed

many hundreds of visitors who marvelled at its

architecture ... its abundance of flower displays and

the virtually non-stop organ recital. B&E Guthrie

In Charvil there was a Jubilee Festival of flowers,

open gardens and a memorabilia exhibition, and the

Charvil Village Fete had a Golden Jubilee theme.

e Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria, and Queen Alexandra;

rge VI, Queen Mary, King George V, and King Edward VII.

Dastin50, dreamstime.com

ents and meals were

almost every group and

s. Here is a summary of the

Day:

chool.

e rung from the church

owning of the Queen.

arson Hall.

starting from the

ground.

n the recreation ground.

all.

ed boats on the river

SILVER JUBILEE

June 1977

Village organisations will process through the

village on a series of floats and other forms of

transport ... The children’s fancy dress parade will

then take place ... We hope everyone will join in

and bring a family picnic ... At 1.30pm the Fete

and Sports will start. There will be about 40 stalls

and sideshows and lots of entertaining sport with

hosts of prizes to win. ... Every street will have a

Tug o’ War team ... grannies well trained in Space

Hopping ... youth versed in Pogo-stick jumping.

There will be sport for all ages ... a barbecue dance

at Reading Rugby Club.

DIAMOND JUBILEE

January 2012

Pearson Hall Queen's Jubilee Clock

Some of you will have heard that the Pearson Hall

were approached about the idea of a clock being

installed outside the Pearson Hall to mark the

occasion of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee in

June 2012.

The Hall trustees were pleased to agree to this

and have looked at the suitability of a number of

clocks. Smith's of Derby make good strong clocks

that should give years of service, making them an

ideal choice.

Lesley Bates, chairman Pearson Hall

onarch in British history on 9 September 2015, passing the record set by her

lculations, Queen Victoria reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes.

the precise timings of Queen Victoria’s accession and death.

Diamond Jubilee Clock at Pearson Hall

Tom Farncombe

June 2012:

The monarchy, embodied in 60 years of unflinching

service from our Queen, is still central to our nation’s

life ...

Rev Jamie Taylor

24 The Parish Magazine - February 2022 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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feature — 4

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 25

A revitalised Church for the world ahead?

Dr Peter Brierley, a church statistician, considers what 2022 may hold for the Church

The Beijing Winter Olympics begin on 4 February

Towards the end of every year

'The Economist' publishes a

comprehensive paperback looking

at the year to come. For 2022, 'The

World Ahead' looks at 10 main

issues, and while these reflect a

commercial and financial viewpoint,

they are also areas of concern to

Christians. The main issues are:

DEMOCRACY

VERSUS AUTOCRACY

The tensions between the rival

political systems of America and

China will continue to involve trade,

technology regulations, vaccinations,

and space stations.

PANDEMIC TO ENDEMIC

New treatments are coming, but

unless more people can be vaccinated

globally, Covid-19 will become yet

another endemic disease, affecting

the poor more than the rich.

INFLATION WORRIES

The supply chain interruptions and

increased energy demands have

pushed up prices. Will that affect

charity and church finances? The UK

also has an acute labour shortage.

THE FUTURE OF WORK

The work-from-home syndrome

will probably mean more ‘hybrid’

workstations. Women are keener to

work from home. Could this impact

church life, and, if so, in what ways?

Mirko Kuzmanovic, dreamstime.com

NEW TECHLASH

Techlash is a backlash against large

technology companies that dominate

a market. American and European

governments have been trying to

rein in these technology giants.

Meanwhile, China is demanding they

focus on geo-strategic advantage, not

'frivolities like games and shopping.'

CRYPTO GROWS UP

The new crypto-currencies are being

domesticated. A cryptocurrency (or

crypto) is a form of payment that

can circulate without the need for a

central monetary authority such as

a government or bank. Where will

the future standard of finance fall?

The central banks or somewhere

else? It is still to be determined.

Such issues may affect the Church

Commissioners, but probably not the

local church!

CLIMATE CRUNCH

This affects us all but still 'a striking

lack of urgency prevails among

policymakers.' And global success,

if it can be achieved, will require

co-operation between the West and

China.

TRAVEL TROUBLE

The transition to an endemic from

a zero-Covid suppression (as in

Australasia) may be difficult. Future

business travel is likely to be much

less, for example, Zoom is taking

over and holiday travel could cost

more. What will this mean for

international Christian gatherings?

SPACE RACES

'2022 will be the first year in which

more people go into space as paying

passengers than government

employees.' China will finish its new

space station; NASA is crashing a

probe into an asteroid.

POLITICAL FOOTBALLS

The Beijing Winter Olympics and

the football World Cup in Qatar will

show just how far sport can bring

nations together.

THE POWER OF THE

WORD OF GOD

Such is the global perspective, as

seen by economists. What difference

would Christian leaders bring to the

table?

Among the greatest needs are

to encourage dispirited Christian

people; to strengthen and empower

children's and youth work; to

decide the best way forward for

congregations whose churches are

no longer viable; to develop a vision

to meet national spiritual need; to

enable leadership to focus on the

top priorities without distraction on

lesser things; and finally, to revitalise

faith in the inspiration, authority

and power of God’s Word.

26 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

around the villages — 1

Since 2019, Able Community Care,

a live-in care provider, has given

nearly 70,000 older people door

stickers to deter unwanted callers.

If you know someone who would

like to have one, email Able at info@

ablecommunitycare.com and tell them

how many you would like and the

address to send them to.

Older people are often targeted

by fraudulent traders, workmen and

fake ‘professional’ people such as

conmen advising they are from the

Water Board, Gas Board, NHS Covid

Department and so on, and these

stickers have proved to reduce the

number of such callers.

RENDEZVOUS IN THE ARK

for senior citizens

We meet every second

and fourth Tuesday

of the month

Monday Club is back

to regular meetings

for lunch and chatter

To reserve your place

call:

0118 969 3298

Sonning Monday Club has returned

to its regular meetings in Pearson

Hall on alternate Mondays from

2pm until 3.30pm. The forthcoming

dates are: 24 January, 7 and 21

February, 7 and 21 March, and there

after every other Monday.

In December, the members enjoyed

a three course Christmas lunch with

a welcoming mulled wine and a visit

from Father Christmas who brought

everyone a goody bag!

If you would like a chat, a laugh,

a cup of tea and some delicious cake

why not join them!

Diary Date

The annual Sonning Village Show

will be held this year on Saturday

10 September at Sonning C of E

Primary School. Put the date in your

diary now!

Charvil Project Singers

night at the movies

Charvil's Project Singers will be

performing some great film songs at

Norden Farm Centre for the Arts on

Saturday 26 March.

They will be singing popular

favourites such as:

City of Stars from La La Land;

Papa can you hear me? from Yentl;

Hopelessly devoted to you from Grease;

A million dreams from The Greatest

Showman; and a great medley of

songs from The Sound of Music.

Joining the Project Singers will

be the Crosfield's Senior String

Ensemble whose pieces will include

Star Wars and For your eyes only.

'A Night at the Movies' starts at

7.30pm in Norden Farm Centre for

the Arts, Altwood Road, Maidenhead

Tickets are £10 from the Box Office

on 0162 878 8997.

Inner Wheel keeps

its charity wheels

turning for 2022

Having successfully fulfilled their

grotto sessions at Hare Hatch

Sheeplands during December

Reading Maiden Erlegh Inner Wheel

Club began the New Year with a

walk and soup lunch.

In February the members will

holding their 20th charter lunch at

Sonning Golf Club with guest speaker

Colin Evans, a gardening expert

from BBC Radio Berkshire, and

March will see the group celebrating

International Women’s Day.

Meanwhile, members have been

volunteering and sewing for its

chosen charity, The Cowshed who

worked to ensure families in need

had gifts and hampers for Christmas.

Reading Maiden Erlegh Inner

Wheel meets at Sonning Golf Club

on the third Thursday evening of

every month and they welcome new

members to join in the fun, take part

in activities, raise funds for charity

and support the local community.

For more information:

http://www.innerwheelrme.org

iwcrme@gmail.com

around the villages — 2

A picture is worth a thousand words . . .

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 27

. . . so goes the old adage from the early 1900's, although it is believed to have its roots in 'A thousand words leave not

the same deep impression as does a single deed' which was coined by the Norwegian playwright, Henrik Johan Ibsen

(1828-1906). If this saying is true, we have squeezed 4,000 words onto this page!

Above are photographs by churchwarden, Liz Nelson, of the well-attended Rendezvous Christmas Lunch in the The Ark when the members

enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner, prepared by Emma's Kitchen of Twyford, and followed by carol singing and a welcome visit from

St Nicholas! The lunch was enhanced by some splendid table decorations made especially by the St Andrew's Sunday Club children.

Below are two Sonning Art Group paintings produced during the Christmas season. On the left is an excellent acrylic painting of autumn

leaves by Bernadette Varilone and on the right, George Gallocker's accomplished watercolour of a snow scene. Sonning Art Group is

continuing its Friday afternoon meetings in Pearson Hall and, like all local groups, they are hoping they will not be interrupted by viruses

during the coming year.

28 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

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History

Was it really . . . ?

. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 11 February

1847 that Thomas Edison, American

inventor and businessman was born.

He was best known for inventing

the first practical incandescent light

bulb, phonograph, movie camera and

projector, and many more.

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 29

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 8 February

1922 that the first radio was installed

in the White House.

. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 27 February

1932 that British physicist James

Chadwick announced his discovery of

the neutron subatomic particle in the

journal Nature. He was awarded the

1935 Nobel Prize for Physics for his

discovery.

. . . 80 YEARS AGO on 8 February

1942 that the Battle of Singapore took

place. The Japanese occupied Singapore

until September 1945. This is regarded

as the worst disaster in British military

history, with about 80,000 British,

Indian and Australian troops captured.

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 7 February

1947 that the first of the Dead Sea

Scrolls were found in caves in Khirbat

Qumran, now in the West Bank,

Palestine.

The Qumran cave where 75 years ago the Dead Sea Scrolls were found

Golasza, deamstime.com

. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 6 February

1952 that Princess Elizabeth acceded

to the throne following the death of

her father, King George VI. She was in

Kenya and became the first Sovereign in

over 200 years to accede while abroad.

Part of a Dead Sea Scroll on display in the Quman Museum

Rita Phessas, deamstime.com

. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 16 February

1957 that the Toddlers’ Truce — TV

broadcasts closed down at 6pm for an

hour so that young children could be

put to bed — was abolished in Britain.

. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 20 February

1962 that John Glenn became the first

American astronaut to orbit the Earth.

He made three orbits in the space

capsule Friendship 7.

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 9 February

1972 that the UK Government declared

a state of emergency over the miners'

strike which began in January. From

16 February, electricity supplies were

cut for up to 9 hours a day.

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 18 February

1972 that the House of Commons

voted — by 8 votes — to join the

Common Market (European Union).

. . . 25 YEARS AGO, on 13 February

1997 that the jury of an inquest into

the death of black British teenager

Stephen Lawrence decided that he had

been unlawfully killed by five white

youths. They were not convicted until

January 2012 when two of them were

given prison sentences.

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 22 February

1997 that scientists at Roslin Institute,

Edinburgh cloned a mammal for the

first time — a sheep named Dolly.

. . . 20 YEARS AGO on 4 February

2002 that Cancer Research UK was

formed. It is now the world’s largest

independent cancer research charity.

. . . 20 YEARS AGO on 19 February

2002 that NASA’s Mars Odyssey space

probe began mapping the surface of

Mars. It discovered huge reservoirs of

underground ice.

. . . 10 YEARS AGO on 11 February

2012 that Whitney Houston, one

of the bestselling music artists of

all time, died aged 48 years. She

drowned in her hotel bathtub because

of coronary artery disease and drug

intoxication.

30 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

Planning Your

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If so, call the vicar, Jamie

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In addition to the stunning and historic location in Sonning,

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HEALTH —1

Dr Simon Ruffle writes . . . 'Februa'

As we enter the final month of the

meteorological winter a lot of us

have tried to be good in January

and are thinking about entering

spring full of energy, vim and

vigour.

The Romans knew this month

as Februarius. This stems from

'Februa,' a ritual of februum meaning

purification.

For thousands of years humans

have believed in ‘de-tox,’ from the

Scandinavian use of saunas, native

Americans using smoke in sweat

lodges and medieval Europeans using

leaches and blood letting.

Mostly these actually cause harm

but some have benefits but need to

be used with caution.

TOXIN OR TOXICANT

A toxin is something produced

by a living cell that can cause harm

but cannot reproduce itself. Most of

the ‘toxins’ that we produce during

our normal metabolic processes are

cleared by our liver and kidneys. So,

the question is do, de-toxification

methods work?

The answer is conflated by

concerns over toxicants that

enter the body, such as lead in

paint, mercury via water sources

and pesticides. A toxicant is nonbiological.

The answer is also influenced by

the dose. 'The dose makes the poison.'

(Paracelsus) A poison encompasses

substances that cause illness or

death. So, water is a poison. Drink

more than your kidneys can excrete

and you lose too much sodium, and

fluid builds up where it shouldn’t, in

your lungs and in extreme cases your

brain swells.

AMURULA

Let’s turn to alcohol! (Don’t)

Alcohol is absolutely harmless in low

doses. It is found naturally in fruit.

There is a well believed tale about

elephants getting drunk. This is, and

isn’t true. Elephants love Marula

fruit. As Marula fruit rots, it, like

most fruits create alcohol via yeasts

— thus alcohol is a toxin and not a

toxicant.

Elephants do not have the

enzyme to break alcohol down in

Lashes

the same way as humans do. But

scientists have worked out that Nelly

would have to drink 1.7L of alcohol

to get tipsy. This would be 1,400 fully

fermented Marula fruit.

They also wouldn’t wait for the

fruit to ferment and I’m pretty sure

they cannot use a still!

Amurula is produced from Marula

fruit, cream and sugar; it is delicious

but calorific and alcoholic.

HIGH DOSES

Humans only struggle with

alcohol in high doses overwhelming

our normal metabolic processes. I’m

sorry to use alcohol as an example

but it is a good one.

There are many toxins normally

present in our body. CO2, aldehydes,

lactic acid, urea and oxygen can all be

toxins that become poisons if we over

produce them.

There are many toxins in foods.

The humble potato, many fungi and

bacteria contaminating food such as

botulinum toxin.

I have included a link1 for more

information on food based toxins.

Vitamins can also be toxins.

DE-TOXING

Many therapist extol different

ways of ‘de-toxing' so let’s start with

absolute nonsense: 'Foot Detox'.

This is where pads are placed

on the foot and left overnight. Not

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 31

Simon Ruffle

surprisingly the pads go a bit brown

overnight and apparently this is the

toxins leaving your body.

Another method is placing your

feet in an ion bath with salts and

an electric current. The water turns

magically milky because of the

toxins from you — nothing to do

with a chemical reaction. These are

essentially harmless though.

VAGINAL CLEANSING

Just don’t. Bacteria colonise the

skin. We all have them and women

also have bacteria naturally in the

vagina. These keep a balance of

acidity in the vagina that prevents

yeasts and other nasty bacteria

building up.

Douching, soap, steaming and

cucumber detoxing is harmful.

This is from one website, I’ll not

promote it with the details:

You sit on what is essentially a minithrone,

and a combination of infrared

and mugwort steam cleanses your

uterus, et al. It is an energetic release

— not just a steam douche — that

balances female hormone levels.

NASAL CLEANING

In general no. It causes tissue

swelling damage and bleeding. In

very specific conditions it can be

useful. Post surgery, severe hay fever

and exposure to hardwood dust are

examples.

turn to page 33

32 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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HEALTH — 2

Dr Simon Ruffle writes

from page 31

DE-TOX DIETS

Severe de-tox diets promote a very

low calorie diet, odd fluid concoctions,

diuretics and laxatives. Rapid weight

loss is due to lack of any carbohydrates

and fluid loss. Most of these will cause

a rebound weight game as the least

harm. Loss of normal bacteria balance,

dehydration, salts loss and acidosis can

occur and in people with diabetes or

obesity these diets can be fatal.

OXYGEN TENTS

Mainly harmless unless you have

underlying lung disease but when

you measure oxygen levels in normal

people it is 99 or 100% and no amount

of oxygen will increase this.

COLONIC TREATMENTS

Many people use this, still. There is

no evidence that this does anything.

People will feel a bit better if they have

been a bit constipated. Also the bowel

will absorb fluids, so if dehydrated

this will be reversed. However, fluid

overload can occur. Also damage to

the colon can occur and if a patient

has diverticulosis colonic irrigation

can infect them. Patients with

inflammatory bowel disease can have

serious harm caused by ‘lavage.’

SAUNA/STEAM ROOMS

These can make you feel great.

Sweating will clear pores and make

your skin feel and look good. Good

hydration is needed as you can lose a

lot of fluid and patients with heart and

blood pressure conditions need to be

careful.

They also can be good (as can

stream inhalation) to thin thickened

mucus in some lung diseases and

during chest infection.

YOUR WASTE DISPOSAL

Lastly, the body does it for

you. Your lungs are actually the

excretory organ that rids us of most

of our toxins, specifically CO2.

Your gastrointestinal tract, kidneys

and liver process foods, fluids and

chemicals in the body. We then visit

the smallest room in the house to

rid ourselves of all the breakdown

products. As long as we do not overload

these systems they do the de-tox for us

for free.

1https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/natural-toxins-in-food

Serezniy, dreamstime.com

Toothache Day!

9 February 2022

Yes, you read that correctly, there is

a special day for toothaches! It’s not

so much the time to have one, but

the time to learn, or refresh your

memory, about toothaches, how to

treat them, and more importantly,

how to prevent them!

Here’s what to start doing on

9 February if you don’t do it already:

— Refocus your efforts on your oral

health and vow to brush and floss

twice a day.

— Set yourself up in advance

for success by stocking up on

toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss.

— Learn how to care for a toothache:

start by rinsing your mouth with

warm saltwater and putting an ice

pack on your cheek to numb the area.

If pain persists for more than two

days, see a dentist.

— Schedule regular dental

appointments. Along with brushing

and flossing daily, regular visits

to your dentist can help prevent

most tooth problems, including

toothaches.

— Schedule cleaning by a hygienist

twice a year and make sure to go,

even with a busy schedule.

—Smile, and the whole world smiles

with you!

Kurhan, dreamstime.com

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 33

the sciences

Love wisdom of

natural things

By Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, church engagement

director, The Faraday Institute for Science

and Religion, Cambridge

A scientist spoke at Dewsbury

Women’s Institute about his research

on polymers, hoping that the women of

this Yorkshire mill town would connect

with his desire to develop new fibres.

Betty, who had worked in a mill

since she was 15, listened as if her

life depended on it. Afterwards she

peppered him with questions. She had

always been interested in how things

work, but had not found anyone to

answer her questions at the mill; she

had been told to get on with her job!

For outsiders, science can seem

to be a closed subject, hemmed in by

intimidating jargon. When McLeish

described science as ‘the love of wisdom

of natural things’, he realised he was

opening a door. He was moved to see

that Betty was not the only person who

shed a tear when her questions were

finally taken seriously, confirming that

her enquiring mind was probing in the

right direction – 50 years too late!

CONTEMPLATIVE

This reminds me that science is a

very natural activity to be involved in.

McLeish is convinced that there is a

future in ‘science therapy’. In his book,

Faith and Wisdom in Science, he asks

the question 'If a reintroduction to the

activity of representing both inner and

outer worlds in paint, music and drama

can help to heal minds, what hope might

there be for a participation in a gentle and

contemplative science in restoring a broken

or misunderstood relationship with the

physical world?'

This inspired me to run science

activities with adults in churches. I

have extracted DNA from strawberries,

organised hands-on exhibits to liven up

lecture or discussion events, and had

groups extracting DNA from their own

cheek cells.

Whenever I lead such activities, I

find that grown-ups are grateful for

the opportunity to have a go at science.

I love helping church-based groups to

reconnect with science and celebrate

what they find. Science is not just for

children and professionals, it is for

everyone to enjoy and explore the world

God made.

34 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

HOME & GARDEN — 1

Recipe of the month

Beef Goulash

From Emma's Kitchen Twyford

Ingredients — serves 4

— 4 tbsp oil

— 700g diced stewing steak

— 30g plain flour

— 1 large thinly sliced onion

— 2 finely chopped garlic cloves

— 1 green thinly sliced pepper

— 1 red thinly sliced pepper

— 2 tbsp tomato puree

— 2 large diced tomatoes

— 75ml white wine

— 300ml beef stock

— 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley

—150ml soured cream

— 2 tbsp Paprika

Method

Turn oven on to 160°C, 140°C fan, Gas 3

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a casserole dish or

heavy based pan.

Dust steak with the plain flour

Brown in three batches, adding 1tbsp

of oil each time. Remove and set aside.

Add the last of the oil to the pan then

add the onions, garlic, and peppers and

fry for 5-10 minutes.

Return the beef to the pan, add the

puree and paprika and stir for 1-2

minutes.

Add tomatoes, wine and stock, stir.

Bake in the oven for 1.5-2 hrs or on the

hob for an hour (remove the lid after 45

minutes)

Add the parsley and stir in the cream.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and

green vegetables.

Garden bird flu

warning . . .

If you are feeding the birds, make

sure that you keep their feeders

very clean this winter. The UK is

facing its worst ever outbreak of

avian flu, and already there have

been more than 40 cases around

the country. The disease is thought

to have been spread by migratory

wild birds from Russia and Eastern

Europe.

The Royal Society for the

Protection of Birds said: 'Everyone

should take care to maintain good

hygiene when feeding garden birds,

regularly cleaning feeders outside with

mild disinfectant, removing old bird

food, spacing out feeders as much as

possible and washing your hands.'

Humans can catch the disease

by touching infected birds or their

droppings. So, the advice is to not

approach any dead or dying birds,

and to wash your hands every time

you touch anything to do with your

bird table.

Christine Middlemiss, Britain’s

chief vet, recently told the BBC that

the disease was at a ‘phenomenal

level’ in the UK, which in turn has ‘huge

human, animal and trade implications’.

The migratory period for birds

does not end until March.

Everett Collection Inc, dreamstime.com

Remember housework?

Older people who do household

chores have better memory and

attention spans than those who

avoid it. It is also linked to superior

leg strength in people over 65. That

means their risk of a fall is reduced.

The study, published in BMJ Open,

found that a combination of light

housework such as washing up,

dusting, making the bed, hanging

out laundry, ironing and cooking, and

heavy housework — window cleaning,

changing bedding, vacuuming,

washing the floor, and chores involving

sawing, repairing or painting — 'was

associated with higher cognitive function'

among older people, who showed up

to 14% higher attention span scores

than older people who did not do

housework.

IN THE ARK AT ST ANDREW'S CHURCH

Sunday 20 February at 3pm

revkate@sonningparish.org.uk

HOME & GARDEN — 2

Saving our planet needn’t cost

the earth

Ven John Bart considers how we can all help

Katie Nesling, dreamstime.com

As world leaders wake up to the crisis of global warming and plan emergency

measures before it is too late, we can make a difference now, in our own homes.

IN THE KITCHEN . . .

25% of the world’s food is thrown away. One supermarket discovered British

households waste 7 million tonnes of food waste every year, partly because most

of our fridges aren’t cold enough. Keeping the fridge temperature at a maximum of

40C will help food last longer and save waste.

Vast quantities of greenhouse gases are released by animals reared to supply

us with red meat and dairy products. Cutting down on quantities and conserving

leftovers would help.

Conserving electricity by washing clothes at 300C and replacing power-hungry

tumble driers with a clothes line or old-fashioned clothes-horse would have the

added advantage of reducing soaring power bills.

According to the Good Housekeeping Institute, 'many mainstream detergents

are brimming with synthetic chemicals like phosphates, chlorine and bleach that

pollute our waterways, damaging delicate ecosystems, and may irritate sensitive

skin. Plant-based and eco-friendly alternatives are now readily available and work

well in the washing machine and dishwasher.'

. . . AND IN THE BATHROOM

Annual increases in UK water consumption would be curbed, if we were to

shower rather than bath. Exchanging the shower head for a water-saving type,

which regulates or aerates the flow, would save both water and cash.

Spending less time in the shower needn’t be a hardship. Daily shampooing may

actually be counter-productive - it’s best to let some oils remain in the hair, so they

can act as moisturisers. Biodegradable body wash is available in bulk, from which

re-usable containers can be filled.

Eco-friendly toothpaste is now on the market, some of it in plastic-free

containers. More water can be saved by turning the tap off as we brush. Beware

wet-wipes which may be ‘flushable’, but aren’t biodegradable, because they are partplastic.

Eco-friendly alternatives are now available.

What one tree can do for you

Trees can help prevent depression. At least, you are less likely to

be on antidepressants if you live on a tree-lined street says a

Forestry Commission survey that looked for the first time at the

mental health value of forests and woodlands. They save NHS

about £185 million in antidepressants a year. The Mind charity said:

'Although many of us feel like hibernating in winter, getting outside

and making the most of the little daylight we get can really benefit both

your physical and mental health.'

Anna Sedneva, dreamstime.com

The Parish Magazine - February 2022 35

David Pickup, a solicitor, considers what

happens when a job at home goes wrong….

Dealing with

a dispute

'Settle matters quickly with your adversary

who is taking you to court. Do it while

you are still together on the way, or your

adversary may hand you over to the judge,

and the judge may hand you over to the

officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you

have paid the last penny.' (Matthew 5:24-26)

Suppose you do some work for a

customer. You offer to charge a low

price because the job is for a friend

of a friend, and they have not got

much money, but they need it done

quickly.

The customer is pleased with your

offer, and they promise to pay you

the day you finish. But no money is

paid.

When you ask about payment,

they complain you left a mess, and

they say that they are going to get

someone else to finish to put things

right. What do you do?

NIGHTMARE

It sounds a nightmare, but many

traders will know this story. They

do someone a good turn and it goes

wrong. It is often the small jobs that

have most problems.

You can go to court, without

using a solicitor, but there are court

fees to pay up front and you have

to think about the time involved in

pursuing the case. It may be many

months before the case comes to

court.

If a customer complains you

should have the chance to put things

right before someone else does.

THE OTHER SIDE

The best advice is not to get

in this situation. Always deal

with customers in a professional

way, whether they are friends or

strangers. Get a deposit to cover the

cost of materials before the work is

started.

Or perhaps you are on the other

side of this story. If we employ

people to do work for us, we should

not take advantage of their goodwill.

We should pay debts and deal with

people fairly.

36 The Parish Magazine - February 2022

the ARTS — 1

Christmas TV ratings reflect the Christian spirit

As well as measuring the current

popularity of TV's soaps and panel

games, the annual Christmas Day

TV ratings produced by BARB, the

not-for-profit, Broadcasters' Audience

Research Board, is a good reflection

of the underlying spirit of the nation.

The viewing figures for last Christmas

(below) were no exception.

The love and respect for The Queen

as the platinum celebrations for her

devoted service as the head of the UK,

the Commonwealth and the Anglican

Church gets under way, was seen

clearly in her return to the number

one spot with a huge majority of over

3 million more viewings than the next

The Parish Magazine February 2022

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