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
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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
St
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
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
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
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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
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!
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.
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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
For a helpful professional service
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including private consultation area
1a LONGFIELD ROAD, TWYFORD RG10 9AN
Telephone: 0118 934 1222
Fax: 0118 932 0372
Email: fields.pharmacy@gmail.com
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I offer the same friendly, reliable service as
always but in addition to general plumbing
I now offer domestic and commercial gas
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finding, power flush.
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3584769
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
most popular programme, the Strictly
Come Dancing Christmas Special.
This was despite the popularity
of Strictly, a favourite programme
for the past 17 years, being boosted
in the last series by the remarkable
success of Rose Ayling Ellis, the first
deaf contestant and winner of the
2021 ‘glitter ball’. Her success relied
on a close relationship that developed
with her dance professional Giovanni
Pernice, and by counting the beat. Her
world was revealed to viewers during
a remarkable silent dance sequence
when the band stopped playing for a
short time.
BREAKING BARRIERS
Rose's prize, however, goes way
beyond the coveted 'glitter ball'
because her achievement is being
hailed as a huge step forward in
breaking down the barriers faced by
more than 11 million deaf and hard of
hearing people in the UK.
About 1 million viewings below
Strictly was Call the Midwife, another
'Christmas special' with a social
welfare awareness theme. Set in the
poverty of the dockland area of the
East End of London in the 196o's, it
highlighted the love, dedication and
innovation of a team of midwives
based in a health centre run by
nuns, and who work alongside a GP
and ministers from local Christian
churches. It was a world that many
older people remember well. It was
one before the internet, mobile
phones, personal computers and
virtual technology. In the world of
Call the Midwife, one of the 'latest'
developments was the use of leeches!
HAPPINESS
A couple of viewing ratings below
Call the Midwife were two popular
family films, Mary Poppins Returns
and Superworm. Both films have
similar themes, not so much about
social welfare among the poor, but
more about the dangers of being so
concerned with gaining a supposedly
better life that happiness suffers.
CHRISTMAS DAY 2021 TOP 10 TV HITS
Ratings source: Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board
1. The Queen (BBC One, ITV, Sky News) — 8.96 million
2. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One) — 5.7 million
3. Call The Midwife (BBC One) — 4.72 million
4. Michael McIntyre's Christmas Wheel (BBC One) — 4.64 million
5. Blankety Blank (BBC One) — 4.24 million
6. Mary Poppins Returns (BBC One) — 3.66 million
7. Superworm (BBC One) — 3.34 million
8. Coronation Street (ITV) — 3.25 million
9. Emmerdale (ITV) — 3 million
10. East Enders (BBC One) — 2.92 million
Narith Thongphasuk, dreamstime.com
Superworm is a long, strong worm
with amazing skills. He regularly
saved the day for his friends who
are a variety of garden creatures and
insects. However, success in his local
environment attracts the attention
of a wizard who uses Superworm for
his own evil benefit, that is, until his
friends find a way of rescuing him.
The first Mary Poppins film had
a similar theme but this time it is
about the father of the Banks family
becoming so engrossed with his work
in a bank, and his desire to become
wealthy through making money work
for you, that he neglected his family ...
until Mary Poppins came to the rescue
and restores the family happiness.
In the second Mary Poppins film
the Banks children are grown up but
fall on hard times during the 1930's
depression. Enter Mary Poppins again
to restore family happiness.
WAY OF LIFE
Superworm and Mary Poppins are
about how life can go awry when you
get distracted by the pressure and
desires of the world around you from
the love of your family and friends.
Given the current state of our
world, it is reassuring to know
that half of the top 10 TV hits on
Christmas Day reflect the Christian
way of life that Jesus demonstrated
both by what he said and what he did,
and at the heart of them is the love
that comes from God and the love that
is reflected in the caring for our family,
our friends and neighbours, and for
the social and medical health care of
the less fortunate members of society.
the ARTS — 2
Promise of a future
By Rev Michael Burgess
Reprinted by kind permission of the National Museum, Stockholm
Our lives are made up of waiting that leads to encounter, and the waiting
requires patience and humility. Milton wrote in his blindness, ‘They also serve
who only stand and wait’ as he wondered what he could do for God’s kingdom
now that his sight had gone.
Simeon in this month’s painting had been waiting. He belonged to a people who
had been waiting for centuries. He was heir to the hopes and dreams of a nation
waiting for a better world when the holy city was in the hands of Roman invaders.
With his people he clung to the hope that God would come to bring freedom and a
new life. The Messiah, would bring this about.
When it came, there was no fanfare, no warning, just an ordinary family from
Nazareth in the Temple, performing the religious duties for the firstborn son. But
the waiting led to encounter, and the sight of the new-born child led to insight as
Simeon recognised that light and salvation had at last come.
Rembrandt has captured all this in his painting, Simeon with the Christ Child in
the Temple: the faith and patience, the hope and humility of an old man, a priest,
who takes the babe into his arms and blesses God. It was the artist’s last painting
and left unfinished at his death in 1669. The figure of Mary by Simeon’s side may
have been painted by another artist at a later stage. It is the aged priest and the
new-born babe that impress us as we look: Simeon with his venerable beard and
eyes half closed, and the tiny child cradled in his strong arms, looking up intently
with his eyes open. We see Simeon, mouthing Nunc dimittis with his eyes half
closed. Is the waiting over and the journey coming to an end, so that his eyes will
fully close? Or will he open them to see that with the babe in his arms, God has
more in store: the promise of a future as they step out together on a new journey?
The Parish Magazine - February 2022 37
Give a book on
Valentine's Day
International
Book Giving Day,
on 14 February,
is about getting
books into the
hands of as
many deprived
children as
possible.
The idea started
in 2012 and is
now run entirely by volunteers in 44
countries. In the UK it is organised
by Emma Perry of My Book Corner,
emperry@gmail.com
According to the National Literacy
Trust, in 2012 only one in every eight
children in the UK owned a book and
today generally literacy is still much
lower than most of us would expect.
The Covid lockdowns have slightly
boosted the amount of reading that
children have been doing, although
much of this is not always with printed
books — online activities and games
were a prime source.
IMPORTANT
Perhaps one of the most important
comments the Literacy Trust’s latest
report, published last year, is that:
‘Some children and young people
reported that a lack of access to books (with
schools and libraries closed), a lack of quiet
space at home and a lack of school/peer
support had negatively affected their ability
to read and their motivation to read for
enjoyment’.
As this is being written, the Covid
pandemic is beginning to look much
more serious again as around the world
restrictions are being re-applied and
lockdowns are being re-introduced.
Getting books into the hands of
children remains, therefore, as
important as ever.
MEMORABLE
To find more about how you can help
visit https://bookgivingday.com where you
can also download the free printable
bookplate (above) to use with the books
that you give away.
Make Valentine’s Day truly
memorable this year and show your love
for a deprived child by giving them a
book of their own to read!
38 The Parish Magazine - February 2022
THE ARTS — 3
Poetry corner
Cathedral Church of Candlemas of The Lord in Fira, Santorini island,
Greece
Arne Beruldsen, dreamstime.com
Christ At Candlemas by Steven Rolling
Luke 2: 25-32 parts
Tune: Melita – Eternal Father, strong to save
Jesus, infant dedication
At forty days age, He God’s Son
Presented on the Temple there
Simeon, Anna, they did share
With His parents in the event
Saw the Christ-child from heaven sent
Simeon took up in his arms
Jesus, whose peace for the world calms
He blessed God, said ‘Nunc Dimittis’
His words of wonder, they be this
Lord, bow let your servant depart
Your Son Jesus has warmed my heart
So let me now depart in peace
For true your word, it did not cease
That I should not see death before
I had seen the Lord’s Christ for sure
My eyes have seen your salvation
He prepared now for each nation
You, Lord, have Him prepare before
Face of all people, we adore
A light to lighten the Gentiles
And the glory of Israel’s
They your people, Anointed One
Here is shown in Christ-child your Son
Mary and Joseph did marvel
At those words there, they heard them all
Simeon blessed them, to Mary
Said, Behold this child is se, see
For the fall and rising again
Of many of Israel’s men (and women)
And He be for a sign which shall
Be spoken against, tongues will tell
And a sword shall pierce your own soul
Mary, in your sorrows and toil
So thoughts of many hears revealed
They stay not hidden, unconcealed
Then Anna, she a prophetess
She of age eighty-four no less
A widow, she did not depart
From Temple, served with all her heart
Served God with fastings and with prayers
She gave thanks, of redemption shared
Book Reviews
God’s Plan for Your Wellbeing
By Dave Smith, CPO, £8.93
Perhaps you’re feeling that one or two
areas of your life need to be redirected
and refocused. The good news is…you can
achieve greater wellbeing in every area of
your life! And it’s all connected.
This book shows you how to improve
each of the dials on the dashboard of
your life. It cover your levels of physical
energy and health; your emotional freedom and peace;
your sense of satisfaction in your relationship with
God; your connectivity and harmony with others; your
financial margin, peace and means for generosity; and
your role-based sense of motivation and creativity.
Tackling Mental Illness Together
By Alan Thomas, CPO, £9.99
It can be difficult to know how to
understand and support those suffering
from mental illnesses. This book
offers a Biblical framework for helping
the mentally ill, by synthesising the
relevant Biblical material with our
scientific understanding of mental
illness. It will help you to deal wisely,
intelligently, and compassionately with issues of mental
health in your church and in your community.
Unveiled - women of the Old
Testament and the choices they made
By Clare Hayns & Micah Hayns, CPO, £9.99
This richly illustrated book has 40 daily
readings and reflections, each illustrated
with original artwork created in charcoal,
oils and collage, imagining the woman in question, bringing
her out of the shadows and making strikingly relevant
connections with today’s context. Some of the women are
well known, but many others are barely remembered. Even
when they are, we often don’t pause on them long enough
to think about what we might learn from them. Each
reflection ends with a short application to everyday life,
guidance for further thought and a prayer.
Changing the Climate: applying the
Bible in a climate emergency
By Debbie, David & Jamie Hawker, BRF, £9.99
The climate crisis is one of the
most important issues of our time,
threatening lives and livelihoods. The
Bible teaches us that God the Creator
put humans on the Earth to take care
of it; to show love to all, and to care for
the poor and vulnerable. This workbook
shows how the Bible is relevant to environmentalism,
and how we can all play our part in limiting the negative
effects of climate change. Each of the 12 chapters looks at
a particular Bible passage, connects it with climate action,
poses questions and suggests practical steps that can be
taken.
CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6
8
7
9 10
11 12 13
14
15 16 17 18 19
21 22
24
Across
1 - Growing Art of growing dwarfed trees (6) (6)
7 - Going red red in the in face the (8) face (8)
8 - Label (3) (3)
9 Covered with shiny coating (6)
- Covered with a shiny coating (6)
10 Noble gas (4)
10 - Noble gas (4)
11 Requirements (5)
11 - Requirements (5)
13 Largest planet (7)
13
15
-
Evergreen
Largest planet (7)
tree (7)
15 17 - Active Evergreen cause tree (7)(5)
17 21 - Run Active at cause moderate (5) pace (4)
21 22 - Shakespeare Run at a moderate pace history (of horses) play (4) (5,1)
23 Frozen water (3)
22 - History play by Shakespeare (5,1)
24 Strong type of coffee (8)
23 - Frozen water (3)
25 Adjust in advance of its use (6)
24 - Strong type of coffee (8)
CODEWORD
25 - Adjust in advance of its use (6)
20
25
23
1 - Jenson ___ : British racing driver (6)
18 Desires 16 what - Female another monster (6) has (6)
18 - Desires what another has (6)
19 - Imminent danger (6)
20 - Spy (5)
21 25 15 12 17 10 25 1 13 23 14 7
14 18 15 23 11 14 11
5 12 19 14 23 18 25 12 9 7 11 25
7 14 10 2 25 5 3
18 11 12 18 12 7 8 18 26 5
2 1 23 11 26 18 4 1
18 15 22 16 12 11
1 25 20 12 4 26 12 18
25 14 4 18 23 18 3 24 25 15
7 4 10 12 12 25 7
18 4 10 12 4 5 25 5 20 18 24 18
23 12 12 12 5 6 23
3 23 5 7 11 18 10 5 17 12 12 3
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
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
V
M
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.
WORDSEARCH FOR ROMANCE
February is the month of romance.
Millions of Valentine cards will be
sent in the next week or two, as we
celebrate our romantic love for that
special person in our lives. But there
are other kinds of love to celebrate,
and on Candlemas we remember Mary
and Joseph taking their baby son to the
temple to present him to God. Jesus’
whole life was a loving present to us
from God. Through his death for us
on the cross, and his resurrection, his
love can now transform anyone’s life.
Romance can die, but God’s love for us
is always there. But it won’t do us much
good – unless we accept it!
The Parish Magazine - February 2022 39
PUZZLE PAGE — the answers will be published in the next issue
Down
Down
1 Jenson ___ : Racing driver (6)
2 Small worry;
2 - Small
irritate
worry; irritate
(6)
(6)
3 Balearic 3 - party Balearic island party island (5) (5)
4 Boring (7) 4 - Boring (7)
5 Cogitating
5 - Cogitating
(8)
(8)
6 Unfastened (6)
6 - Unfastened (6)
12 Decline in activity (8)
12 - Decline in activity (8)
14 Clever but false argument (7)
14 - Clever but false argument (7)
16 Female monster (6)
19 Imminent danger (6)
20 Spy (5)
Search for 20 words hidden in the grid above
that are from the story below ...
VALENTINE
GIRLFRIEND
ROMANCE
BOYFRIEND
RESTAURANT
CANDLEMAS
PRESENTATION
ANGELS
TEMPLE
PRESENT
HEARTS
FIANCÉ
WORSHIP
REPENTANCE
BABY
HUG
MARY
LOVE
ROSE
KISS
January
Solutions
CROSSWORD
R A G E C O S T U M E S
E A I W R E A
C H I G N O N I N L A Y
E N C E G A S
D I S C O U R A G I N G
I N S E I P
N E W E S T B R O N C O
G E I D H L
P E R S P I C A C I T Y
C P T S P C M
A F I R E P A P R I K A
L N N E Y L T
M I G H T I L Y M Y T H
CODEWORD
B L U F F E X T R E M E
A K U Q A E
R U C U D I Z Z Y
B U L K H E A D S Z
E E S T B E F O G
C O L L I D E S D O
U E A O A L
E A P R O V I D E D
S C A N T E A J S
A S P L A T F O R M
C R O W N O I U I
D E A O R T
U S U R P E D N I N T H
SUDOKU
WORDSEARCH MAGI
EPIPHANY CAMEL
QUESTION
'Humpfrey', although an
alternative offered by
a young school boy is
'pregnant'!
WHO DOES WHAT AND WHERE QUIZ [IN THIS ISSUE]
1. Who delivers, erects, takes down, and collects?
2. Who is still working throughout the pandemic?
3. Who gets confidence from training?
4. Where would be a good place for a busman to go on honeymoon?
5. Who delivers horse manure that's pleasant to handle?
6. Who saves you money by not spending it on television?
Vichaya Kiatyingangsulee, dreamstime.com
40 The Parish Magazine - February 2022
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 MInstChp, HCPC member
General foot care and treatments
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
http://www.jamesautos.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
PROFESSIONAL HOME VISIT 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
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
CALLAGHAN CARPETS & FLOORING
Thirty-six years local experience
Family run company
0118 962 8527 0779 223 9474
callaghancarpets@btinternet.com
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 https://www.smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk/
office@smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk
ALL WASTE CLEARANCE & DISPOSAL
Waste clearance from office, house, garden, loft
Licensed waste carriers, no job too small or large
Contact: John
0771 021 2056 j.garmston@ntworld.com
BERKSHIRE STUMP REMOVALS
Stump grinding and tree stump removal
Latest narrow access machinery
Contact: Mark
0798 495 7334 http://www.berkshirestumpremoval
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 - February 2022 41
42 The Parish Magazine - February 2022 Please mention The Parish Magazine when replying to advertisements
information — 2
Parish contacts
Ministry Team
— The Vicar: Revd Jamie Taylor (Day off Friday)
The Parish Office, Thames Street, Sonning, RG4 6UR
vicar@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298
— 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
— Stuart Bowman sdbowman73@aol.com / 0118 978 8414
— Liz Nelson liz.nelson1@ntlworld.com / 0779 194 4270
Deputy Churchwardens
— 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
— Hannah Towndrow BA (Oxon)
music@sonningparish.org.uk
Sonning Bell Ringers
— Tower Captain: Pam Elliston
pamelliston@talktalk.net / 0118 969 5967
— Deputy Tower Captain: Rod Needham
ro6needham@gmail.com / 0118 926 7724
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 6
ACG Services Locksmith 40
Active Domestic Appliances 30
ADD Plumbing 12
All Aerials 40
All Waste Clearance 40
Barn Store Henley 16
Berkshire Stump Removals 40
Big Heart Tree Care 40
Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 14
Blinds Direct 20
Blue Moose 8
Bridge House 43
Bridges Home Care 20
Bull Inn 8
Callaghan Carpets & Flooring 40
Chimney Sweep, Thames 40
Chiropody, Linda Frewin 40
Chris the Plumber 32
Clark Bicknell 40
Complete Pest Solutions 40
Computer Frustrations 40
Cruz Kitchens 28
Design for Print 28
EMDR Hypnotherapist 30
Freebody Boatbuilders 6
Fields Pharmacy 32
French Horn 44
Gardiners Nursing 8
Great House Sonning 24
Handyman and Decorating Services 40
Haslams Estate Agents 2
Hicks Group 16
Intersmart Electrical Installations 40
James Autos 40
Jones & Sheppard Stone Masons 16
Kingfisher Bathrooms 20
MC Cleaning 40
Mill at Sonning 4
M & L Healthcare Solutions 12
Mortgage Required 18
Muck & Mulch 28
Odd Jobs 40
Painter and Decorator 40
Pearson Hall Sonning 24
Reading Blue Coat School 24
Richfield Flooring 14
Seniors Helping Seniors 12
Shiplake College 14
Signature Cliveden Manor Care Home 28
Sonning Golf Club 32
Sonning Scouts Marquees 32
Smallwood Garden Services 40
Style by Julie 6
Thames Valley Water Softeners 6
Thames Valley Wills Service 40
Tomalin Funerals 24
Walker Funerals 12
Water Softener Salt 28
Window Cleaner 16
Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding this advertisement
The Parish Magazine - February 2022 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 - February Please mention 2022 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
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