The Parish Magazine March 2022

The Parish Magazine - March 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 

March 2022 — Ash Wednesday — Lent — Mothering Sunday 

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 - March 2022 

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




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 

information — 1 

Contents March 2022 

THE Associate VICAR'S LETTER, 5 

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD 

— Choral and music plans, 7 

— For your prayers in March, 7 

— Christian Basics Part 2, 9 

— Ash Wednesday, 9 

— STAY, 10-11 

— The Persecuted Church, 11 

— On Reflection: Deuteronomy, 13 

— From the editor's desk, 13 

— Mothering Sunday, 15 

— Claude's view, 15 

— The joy of Lent, 17 

features 

— Life in The Ark, 19 

— Platinum memories, 20-21 

— 25 years of Ali's Pond, 22-23 

around the villages 

— Shaping up at school, 25 

— Saving Karun, 25 

— Scarecrows are back, 25 

— Painting for the Jubilee, 27 

— Heritage walk and talk, 27 

— Eleven charities, one roof, 27 

— Project Singers project, 29 

— FoStAC quiz night, 29 

history, 31 

HOME & GARDEn 

— Through the Palace gates, 33 

— THRA opens again, 33 

— Recipe of the month, 33 

THE ARTS 

— Platinum poem, 34 

— Metaphysical dean, 34 

— Book Reviews, 35 

— The Potato Planters, 35 

HEALTH 

— Dr Simon Ruffle, 36 

— Tinnitus, 37-38 

— The anxious word, 38 

the sciences 

— Reality beyond objects, 38 

PUZZLE PAGE, 39 

children's page, 41 

information 

— Church services, 3 

— From the registers, 3 

— Parish contacts, 42 

— Advertisers index, 42 

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER 

March 2022 — Lent — Mothering Sunday 

The 

Parish 

Magazine 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY 

Sonning Lock on a crisp winter's day 

Picture: Ali Payne of Charvil 

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 April 

issue of The Parish Magazine is: 

Sunday 6 March at 12 noon 

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 

Don't forget to put ALL your 

clocks forward 1 hour at 1am 

on Sunday 27 March! 


Services at 

St Andrew’s 

Ash Wednesday 2 March 

— 7.30pm Holy Communion with 

the Imposition of Ashes 

Sunday 6 March 

— 8.00am Holy Communion 

— 10.30am Family Service 

— 4.00pm Choral Evensong 

followed by tea in The Ark 



— 10.30am Parish Eucharist 

STAY and Sunday Club 



— 10.30am Family Communion 

— 3.00pm Messy Church in The Ark 

Mothering Sunday 27 March 


— 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 

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. 

Home Communion at Signature at 

Sonning is held on the first Monday 

of each month at 11.00am. Visitors 

must comply with the care home's 

Covid restrictions so please check with 

Signature at least four days before. 

From the register 

funerals 

— Thursday 13 January, William John Fry, funeral service in Church followed 

by cremation at Reading Crematorium 

— Friday 4 February, Margaret Moore, funeral service in church followed by 

cremation at Reading Crematorium


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The associate vicar's letter 

DEAR FRIENDS, 

It is a bit of a cliché to talk about new beginnings as we enter into the season of 

spring, but the reality is that the last few months have been full of new beginnings 

which I would like to share with you in this letter. I haven’t written the letter since 

the summer due to illness and so I have a lot to say! 

As you will be aware, I am the chaplain at Reading Blue Coat and this academic 

year has seen the emergence of a new chaplaincy team made up of pupil chaplaincy 

assistants, and next year, I am very excited to announce there will be a chaplaincy 

prefect as well. The role of these chaplaincy assistants has been varied, but I want 

to share just one example with you in which my two roles, parish and school, came 

together. 

Although my school is in the parish, it can often feel as though my two roles 

are very separate. However, chaplaincy assistant Minahil had a wonderful idea of a 

fund raiser, which she organised herself, for Me2 Club which is an inclusion charity 

for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities. She suggested 

a cake sale and raffle. I decided to ask in church for volunteers to bake. Parishioners 

ended up baking 11 cakes and we made just under £300! For me, it was an absolute 

joy to see that connection between my school life and parish life. 

THRIVING 

Another new beginning that I have been excited about for months was the 

resumption of Messy Church. We started in December with a special Christmas 

party and since January we have met on the third Sunday of the month. I admit I 

was slightly apprehensive as many of our regular attendees were now at secondary 

school and I wasn’t sure how many people would come, but we had lots of families, 

old and new, and it has been wonderful to see Messy Church back and thriving. I 

am also pleased that we now have six young leaders to help run the activities, some 

from the church community and some from Reading Blue Coat. 

My favourite Messy Church activity has been the Frame of Hearts which we will 

add to each month. I bought this frame online in the first summer of the pandemic 

and kept it with eager anticipation for the day Messy Church restarted. Each child 

and young leader has written their name on a heart and added it to the frame. The 

idea is that each time a new child comes to Messy Church they also add their name 

to the frame as our community continues to rebuild and grow. 

The theme of Messy Church in January was Hope, something that I think we 

can all relate to and something many of us have prayed for over the past two years. 

The season of Lent starts this month when we prepare to remember the events 

of Holy Week in early April. Lent is a time of reflection; there is a sombre and 

penitential feel to the liturgy, hymns and prayers in church. But it is also important 

to remember that at the end of this season comes the great feast of Easter. Easter 

is the ultimate celebration of Hope as we see light conquering the darkness and life 

conquering death. 

As a final note, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me over the 

past 5 months while I have been suffering with long covid and a number of other 

longer term covid related conditions. Each thought, prayer, card or offer of help has 

meant a great deal to me and my family, and I feel truly blessed to be part of such 

wonderful communities, both in this parish and in my school. 

With love and prayers, Kate 


Rev Kate with the Messy frame of hearts 

Minahil and Liz from Me2 Club 

Kate with head girl Charlotte at the cake sale 

Felicity, Harriet and Charlotte with Rev Kate at the 

Christmas party 

Molly, Liz and Ella, three 

Messy Church leaders 

Messy Church crafters in action . . . 

and the results

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the parish noticeboard — 1 

Choral and music 

plans surge ahead 

after Covid rules 

are relaxed 


The legacy of the music and choral 

traditions at St Andrew’s which 

date back over several hundred 

years was fully evident on the first 

Sunday of February when junior 

and senior choirs played a full 

part in our morning and evening 

worship — at the 10.30am family 

service we celebrated Candlemas 

with Christingles and in the late 

afternoon, Evensong was held for 

the first time in two years since covid 

restrictions were introduced at the 

start of the pandemic. 

The two services demonstrated the 

diverse repertoire of both the junior 

and senior choirs that spans music 

from the 16th Century up to the 

present day and encompasses an array 

of different styles. 

The morning family worship was 

a joyful 'modern' occasion, while 

the evening worship dates back to a 

service written by Thomas Cranmer 

in the 16th century but, despite it's 

age — or perhaps because of it — 

it was also joyous, although in a 

different, way. 

EVENSONG IS BACK 

Evensong is now being held on 

the first Sunday of every month 

starting at 4pm. The first Evensong 

since covid fell on 6 February and 

so coincided with Her Majesty The 

Queen's accession to the throne 

70 years previously. The service, 

The joyful celebrations at the 

end of the Candlemas with 

Christingles service (above) 

were for Celeste (on the left) 

who was also celebrating her 

18th birthday. 

(Below right) Four of the junior choir proudly display their Christingles, although one of them 

seems to have eaten it already! 

therefore, was an appropriate 

occasion to commemorate the death 

of the Queen's father, King George VI, 

and celebrate the start of her reign by 

following it with a special tea in The 

Ark laid on by the social committee, 

and attended by more than 60 people. 

Future Evensongs will also be 

followed by tea in The Ark, although 

we can't promise that it will include 

'The Toast' made to Her Majesty on 

her special day! 

CHORAL SCHOLARSHIPS 

The relaxation of the covid 

restrictions has also meant that the 

plans to boost further the music and 

choral capabilities at St Andrew's 

can push ahead once again. As well 

as the organ scholarship that is now 

well established, St Andrew's PCC is 

inviting applicants for a new choral 

scholarship. 

It is envisaged that the choral 

scholars will provide a strong core 

within the choir and enhance it even 

further. Potential applicants might 

include university music students, 

sixth form students hoping to study 

music at university or music college, 

potential Oxbridge Choral Scholarship 

applicants or any other able singer 

with a passion for collective music 

making. 

It is hoped that the first choral 

scholars will be starting in September 

this year. 

ASSISTANT ORGANIST 

To further strengthen the music 

making capabilities in the church, 

the PCC is also seeking to appoint an 

assistant organist to provide support 

for the weekly Sunday services as well 

as playing for weddings, funerals and 

other events when needed. 

Further information about the 

scholarships and assistant organist 

role can be obtained from Hannah 

Towndrow, director of music, on: 

music@sonningparish.org.uk 

For your prayers in March 

— Marie Curie Nurses who provide support for all aspects of dying, death and bereavement 

— Hannah Towndrow as she seeks to appoint an assistant organist and choral scholars 

— All who are planning special events to mark The Queen's Platinum Jubilee 

— All who are struggling to live with the side effects of covid 

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Christian Basics — Part 2 

Rev Paul Hardingham's series on the foundations of the Christian faith 


Ash Wednesday: mourning 

3,000 years of sin 

Adam and Eve 

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What's wrong with the world? 

How can a God of love allow suffering? Many people 

struggle with such questions, however the Bible helps us 

to understand how sin affects both our own lives and the 

world. 

Genesis provides us with a picture of how sin entered the 

world. In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave Adam and Eve both 

permission — 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden' 

— and a prohibition — 'But you must not eat from the tree 

of the knowledge of good and evil’ — alongside warning 

them of the consequences of disobedience — 'For when you 

eat of it you will surely die'. 

OPEN TO SIN 

In Genesis 3, they broke God’s law by eating fruit 

from the forbidden tree. As a result, their eyes were 

opened to the nature of sin — 'they knew shame' and their 

relationship with God was broken — 'they hid from him'. 

As a consequence, death entered their lives. 

This story reminds us that God gives us free will — an 

essential aspect of being human — to choose whether he 

will be at the centre of our lives or not. 

DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS 

The Bible offers different ways of describing how sin is: 

— a spirit of independence: we don’t want God to 

interfere with our lives, preferring our own ideas, 

plans and ways of behaviour. 

— ignoring the maker’s instructions: if you ignore user 

instructions, you only have yourself to blame when 

things go wrong! God created us to function with him 

at the centre of our lives. 

— missing the mark: we fail an exam even when we miss 

the pass mark by one mark: ‘All have sinned and fall short of 

the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). 

I AM 

In a famous correspondence in The Times under the 

title ‘What’s wrong with the world?’ GK Chesterton’s letter 

simply said: ‘Dear Sir, I am.’ 

Vetre Antanaviciute-meskauskiene, dreamstime.com 

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. But why 'Ash'? The 

reason has to do with getting things right between you and 

God, and the tradition goes back about 3,000 years to Old 

Testament times. 

In the Old Testament, the Israelites often sinned. When they 

finally came to their senses, and saw their evil ways as God 

saw them, they could do nothing but repent in sorrow. They 

mourned for the damage and evil they had done and covered 

their heads with ashes. Putting ashes on your head, and even 

rending your clothes, was an outward sign of their heart-felt 

repentance and acknowledgement of sin. (Genesis 18:27; 2 

Samuel 13:19; Job 2:8, 30:19; Isaiah 58:5; Jeremiah 6:26; Jonah 3:6) 

In the early Christian Church, the yearly 'class' of 

penitents had ashes sprinkled over them at the beginning 

of Lent. They were turning to God for the first time, and 

mourning their sins. But soon many other Christians 

wanted to take part in the custom. They heeded Joel's call 

to 'rend your hearts and not your garments' (Joel 2:12-19). Ash 

Wednesday became known as either the 'beginning of the 

fast' or ‘the day of the ashes’. 

FORGIVE AND RENEW 

The Prayer Book collect for Ash Wednesday stresses 

the penitential character of the day. It encourages us with 

the reminder of the readiness of God to forgive us and to 

renew us, as do the Bible readings for the day which include 

Paul’s moving catalogue of suffering: 'having nothing and yet 

possessing everything.' (2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6:10) 

The custom of 'ashing' was abolished in the 16th Century 

Reformation, though the name for the day remained. Today, 

throughout the Church of England, receiving the mark of 

ashes on one’s forehead is optional. Certainly, the mark of 

ashes on the forehead reminds people of their mortality: 

'Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return' (Genesis 3:19). 

The late medieval custom was to burn the branches used 

on Palm Sunday in the previous year to create the ashes, 

which is how it is done today in St Andrew's — we burn last 

year's palm crosses and mix it with consecrated olive oil. All 

who attend the evening Holy Communion service on Ash 

Wednesday are given the option of receiving a cross on their 

forehead.



STAY on Sunday 

Our Sunday youth has also grown in 

number and soon will need to spread 

into the second upper room (read 

on for more info on this exciting 

next phase). We have continued 

to cover the topic of relationships 

since September 2021 and this has 

meant we have thought about all 

the different relationships in our 

lives. What’s good and bad about 

them? Where are they healthy and 

sometimes unhealthy? What sort 

of friends do we have? Who do we 

fancy and what should we expect 

from romantic relationships? What 

influence do people in the media 

have on us? What is it like being a 

Christian in a country where you 

get arrested, imprisoned or even 

killed for being a Christian? These 

themes have raised some amazing 

conversations and resulted in new 

ways of thinking for us all. 

Second Upper Room Plan 

During lockdown we had the amazing privilege of having the second upper 

room built in The Ark because our youth work has steadily grown in the past 3 

years. We need the extra space for groups on Sunday and for STAY on Friday. 

This is an exciting time and the room is a blank canvas. 

As with the first upper room, we sat with a small group of young people to come 

up with a plan for the space. We then took the plan to the youth on Friday and 

got a few more ideas. Of course we couldn’t promise everything — some asked for 

padded walls and floor to make a wrestling room, and others wanted beds so they 

can sleep when they get tired! After filtering out the more left-field ideas we are 

left with a solid list of items that will transform the space into an amazing room of 

possibilities. 

Below are examples of the items we would love you to sponsor, only if you felt 

able to, for the second upper room. As well as asking you, the lovely people of the 

parish and church, we will also be asking the young people and their families to 

help raise funds for the cost of the equipment. We have some ideas in the pipeline 

so watch this space. 

Please get in touch if you would like to sponsor an item or piece of equipment for 

the young people. For more details of how to do this, or make a donation, contact 

Hilary in the parish office on 0118 969 3298 or office@sonningparish.org.uk 

STAY 

wooden 

letters 

£10 

Wall stickers £250 

Plants £80 

PlayStation 

£650 

Lockable storage units £2,000 

Virtual 

Reality 

headsets 

£600 

LED lights 

20m — £30 

STAY o 

Our wond 

continues 

many of t 

kitchen t 

krispy ca 

usual fun 

Clock £30 

Fairy lights 

£30 

Breakfast bar and stools 

£300 

Two Bins 

for rubbish 

& recycling 

£85 

TV £650 

Bean bags and 

bean bag sofa 

£500 

Table £80 

For yo 

Wes

n Friday 

erful youth club on Friday nights in the Ark 

to grow and flourish with new young people and 

he old faces still coming along each week. In the 

he youth have recently made yummy cookies, 

kes and jam roly poly, as well as having all the 

and games of youth club! 

The Persecuted Church 

Blasphemy in Pakistan 


By Colin Bailey 

uth related ideas, chats or musings, email 

ty on: youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk 

A church and mosque in Peshawar, the oldest city in Pakistan 

Pakistan has the world’s second 

strictest blasphemy laws in the 

world after Iran, according to the 

US Commission on International 

Religious Freedom. 

Blasphemy is punishable by death in 

Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Brunei, 

Mauritania and Saudi Arabia. About 

1,500 Pakistanis have been charged 

with blasphemy over the past 30 

years. No executions have taken 

place. 

However, Islamic extremist groups 

are known to attack or kill in extrajudicial 

fashion those accused of 

breaking the laws. Reports suggest 

about 80 people since 1990 have been 

killed in Pakistan over claims of 

blasphemy. 

Christians are targeted, often 

after a dispute that concerns work or 

tenancy. In many cases, people who try 

to help those charged with blasphemy 

are also subjected to threats and 

violence. 

Laws outlawing insulting religion 

have existed in the region since 1860 

and were incorporated into Pakistan’s 

Penal Code at the country’s founding 

in 1947. The laws were strengthened 

under the military government of 

General Zia-ul-Haq (in office 1978-88). 

Shahid Khan, dreamstime.com 

In 1998, on the steps of a court in 

central Pakistan, Bishop John Joseph 

committed suicide in a protest of 

Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws. He 

had been campaigning for decades to 

reform those laws. 

A few days prior to his death, 

a young illiterate man had been 

convicted and sentenced to death for 

blasphemy. 

In April 2021, the European 

Parliament adopted a joint motion 

for resolution on the blasphemy 

laws in Pakistan, calling for more 

comprehensive approaches to address 

the abuses of blasphemy laws in 

Pakistan. Yet Prime Minister of 

Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been 

calling for the introduction of 

blasphemy laws in other countries. 

In August last year, a Pakistani 

Christian couple were acquitted of 

blasphemy after 7 years on death row 

and have left the country. 

A Pakistani Christian, who was 

accused of blasphemy in May 2017, 

was sentenced to death by Rawalpindi 

District Court in January this year. 

Open Doors asks us to pray that 

blasphemy laws will not be abused to 

target Christians, and that the death 

penalty for blasphemy is abolished 

References and further Reading 

Aljazeera: 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/21/explained-pakistans-emotive-blasphemy-laws 

Barnabas Fund: 

https://barnabasfund.org/news/pakistani-christian-accused-of-blasphemy-sentenced-to-death/ 

The Conversation: 

https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-history-and-politics-behind-pakistans-blasphemy-laws-173570 

Deutsche Welle (DW): 

https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-whatsapp-blasphemy-death-sentence-reinforces-dangerous-trend/a-60511046 

Forbes: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2021/05/26/european-parliament-condemnspakistans-blasphemy-laws/?sh=2e196786344f 

Foreign Policy: 

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/08/pakistan-blasphemy-killing-priyantha-kumara-islam/ 

Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law: 

http://jaapl.org/content/early/2020/01/24/JAAPL.003916-20 

Open Doors: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/pakistan-couple-blasphemy/ 

We will look at the broader situation affecting Christians in Pakistan in a future issue.


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On reflection . . . 

By Elizabeth Spiers 

Deuteronomy, Exodus 

and Numbers 

The Promised Land 

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In Deuteronomy 1:1 we are told that it takes 11 days to go 

from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road. So 

from Egypt to the Promised Land it’s an 11 day journey. 

Why would a journey of a few days have taken the Hebrews 

escaping from slavery in Egypt 40 years? 

First, they didn’t take the direct route. That would have 

taken them too close to the Egyptians and they certainly 

weren’t ready for any kind of fight. So God took them on 

an indirect route and the Israelites didn’t like it. Two years 

later, God brought them to Kadesh-Barnea, at the edge 

of the Promised Land — the land ‘flowing with milk and 

honey’. God was giving it to them forever to provide all 

they needed for life. 

However, after being slaves for so long, the Israelites 

no longer had confidence in either themselves or in God. 

Despite the plagues, their escape with gold and silver, 

the parting of the Red Sea, and being led by the pillar of 

fire by night and the cloud by day, they couldn’t realise 

their position or appreciate what God had done for them. 

Rather than obey God and go straight into the promised 

land, they sent 12 spies on ahead first but only two of 

them returned with a confident report that God would 

help them conquer the land. 

The Israelites rebelled by refusing to enter the land and 

turned away from God, and they even longed for the ‘good old 

days’ of poverty and slavery in Egypt. What a tragedy! They 

still had so much of Egypt in their thinking and behaviour 

that they thought going back to slavery would be better than 

pressing on through adversity into freedom and a new life. 

REWARDING 

And it’s just like that for us today. We become Christians, 

but there’s so much of our old lives in our thinking and our 

behaviour that we often yearn for those days when we did 

what we liked without reference to God. 

He has a unique plan for each of us that he doesn’t 

want us to miss. He wants us to enjoy the richness of our 

relationship with him, but it depends on our willingness to 

do things his way. So often we end up in our own wilderness, 

wondering how on earth we got there. And unless we return 

to God and confess our rebellion and our sin, we may be there 

a long time. If you find yourself in the wilderness today, ask 

yourself if it’s worth it. Is the dry and dusty place you’re in 

better than living in the will of God? I can’t promise you it’s 

easier being in God’s will — you may have to make some 

sacrifices — but I can promise you it’s far more rewarding. 

From the desk 

of the editor 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 


We all have a 'second 

nature' story to tell . . . 

I am always pleased to hear from you, our readers, 

whether you are complimenting or criticising the 

magazine, or indeed complaining that you have not 

received the latest copy — such complaints are, of 

course, one of the best compliments! 

The response to our January issue was particularly 

encouraging and I am pleased that so many of you have 

taken the time to tell me how much you enjoyed and 

appreciated it. I hope you enjoy this issue. 

One of the regular questions that I always find difficult 

to answer is 'how do you manage to find so many different 

interesting articles?' It's a bit like asking someone how 

they manage to ride a bike or swim. There are many 

things in life we all do without thinking about how we 

actually do them. Even if we have not been on a bike or 

in a swimming pool for years, most of us, having learnt 

when we were younger, can still do it for as long as we are 

physically able to. It is a 'second nature' for us. 

Likewise, recognising the possibility of there being a 

story to write about something, or someone, is for me, 

'second nature'. At the age of 25 years I was thrown in 

the deep end of journalism without any formal training 

— I had spent the previous eight years training to be 

an engineer! The only journalistic training I received 

was being told by my newspaper editor that everyone 

and everything has a story to tell, and 'I want the story 

by 5pm today'! Now, 50 years later, recognising an 

opportunity for a story is 'second nature'. 

SHARE YOUR STORY 

Standing by The Parish Magazine rack at the north 

door of the church after the 10.30am Sunday service to 

say goodbye to members of the congregation and hand 

out copies of the February issue to those who don't have 

it delivered to their home, I was pleased to be reminded 

that several people take more than one copy to pass on 

to friends and family, some of whom have moved out 

of the parish but enjoy reading the magazine — covid 

restrictions in the past did not allow us to stand by the 

door and physically hand the magazine to anyone. Please 

feel free to give your family and friends a copy. 

While I edit every story and article that we publish, 

many of them are written by our local contributors who 

do an excellent job, or by a specialist church news agency 

which is run by a journalist, who like me, is also a licensed 

lay minister in the Church of England. 

We all have a story to tell and if you have the urge to 

share your story, or your special interest, with our readers 

send it to me. I can't guarantee that they will all be 

published, but I can guarantee that if it is published, I will 

edit it — editing is another of my second natures!



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Hospitality: north, 

south and west! 

Hospitality, writes Claude Masters, 

is a fundamental Christian activity 

that we often hear referred to in 

the Bible and in sermons, and is 

something that, as well as offering 

it to others, we can enjoy when it 

is offered to us. Hospitality is not 

confined to our homes or our church, 

we can experience it wherever we 

travel and sometimes it leads to 

unexpected, but memorable, events 

Onepony, dreamstime.com 

Mothering Sunday 

The Fourth Sunday in Lent was called 

‘Mid-Lent’ or ‘Refreshment Sunday’, 

when the rigours of Lent were relaxed 

more than was normal for a feast day. 

It was called Mothering Sunday as a 

reference to the Epistle reading for the 

Day (Galatians 4:21-31). The Lenten 

Epistles follow from each other with 

teaching about our life as Christians 

and how we are to follow Christ. 

On Mid-Lent Sunday the Epistle 

talks of bondage and freedom; the 

bondage of the Law and the Old 

Covenant as compared to the freedom 

in Christ, 'the promised one', and the 

New Covenant. Verse 26 reads: 'But 

Jerusalem which is above is free, which is 

the mother of us all.' 

We gain our freedom from 

Christ and, as it was seen before 

the Reformation, the Church. Thus, 

Mothering Sunday is about the 

freedom that we gain through the 

promise of Jesus delivered through 

our Mother the Church. 

People were encouraged to go to 

their ‘Mother Church’ to worship and 

give thanks so apprentices, and others, 

went home for the weekend and often 

took gifts home to their family. 

MOTHER OR MOTHERING 

On the other hand, Mother’s Day is 

a secular festival invented in 1904 and 

is celebrated on the second Sunday in 

May in most countries in the world — 

the UK seems to be the exception. 

Mothering Sunday for Christians 

is a special day because we give thanks 

to God for two important parts of our 

lives: our Church and our mothers! 

Mothering Sunday is on 27 March. 

that go beyond good food and drink. 

An hospitable North Devon dairy 

farmer asked me if I would like to 

witness the birth of a calf. Witness 

was hardly the word as I helped him 

pull it out of the back end of the cow. 

I had towed our caravan to 

Trebyla for a holiday in North Devon 

and sited it on a Caravan Club 

Certified Location, or CL, at a dairy 

farm. The owner made caravanners 

very welcome and was keen to 

involve anyone who showed interest 

in the farm. 

The calf I helped to deliver was 

a beautiful big brown one but sadly 

was still born. However, there was a 

joyful twist. At about the same time, 

the farmer's daughter gave birth to 

his first grandchild 100 miles away in 

South Devon and he invited us into 

his house for the evening to wet the 

baby’s head! 

In the dairy was a vat that held 

hundreds of gallons of milk and 

when we arrived I was told to take 

whatever we wanted, but not to turn 

on the stirring paddle before taking 

it. That way we got plenty of cream. 

When paying the site fees before 

leaving the farmer had no idea what 

the retail price of a pint of milk was! 

He was a good example of what being 

hospitable means. 

DOUBLE CREAM 

On another occasion we were on 

the way to a holiday on the Gower 

peninsula in South Wales when we 

stopped overnight at a CL near the 

Severn Bridge and took advantage of 

the evening meals that were offered. 

The site owner apologised saying that 

they had visitors that evening so she 

would bring the meals to us in the 

caravan. It was fascinating to see her 


Claude's 

view 

from 

the 

pew 

followed by two burly farm workers 

carrying the meals across the field 

and the meal included a quart of 

double cream which enhanced our 

desserts for several days. 

Nearer home, the Rendezvous 

lunch in The Ark for Burns Night 

was not quite what I was hoping 

for — haggis, neeps and tatties — 

although the sausages were tasty 

and I can understand that we need 

to pander to Sassenach tastes in this 

neck of the woods! Sometimes being 

hospitable means we have to tolerate 

the preferences of others. 

HAGGIS AND MALT 

When our daughter lived in 

Stirling my wife and I stayed with 

her for a month in the summer and 

enjoyed haggis several times. 

In Scotland I imagine there are 

as many restaurants offering haggis, 

neeps and tatties as there are selling 

fish and chips. There may also be 

some near the border but, as with 

single malt whisky, the further South 

you go the less there is to be found. 

There are over 120 distilleries in 

Scotland and a hotel bar there is lined 

with dozens and dozens of different 

single malt whisky. A hotel I stayed 

at in Bournemouth had only one on 

offer. 

As you may have gathered, I 

enjoy a single malt and have several 

different ones in our cocktail 

cabinet. I have fancied becoming a 

connoisseur but that would not be 

wise nor could I afford it. However a 

single tot of whisky is a lot cheaper 

than a bottle of beer. 

Cheers! or ‘Eggy Sheggy Reg’ as 

they say in Hungary and lets all be 

more hospitable!



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The joy of Lent 


Paulus Rusyanto, dreamstime.com 

I grew up with the idea that Lent was a dreary time in the Church calendar, 

writes Bob Peters. The hymns always seemed dull, the sermons talked only 

of repentance, there were no flowers to brighten up the church, we were 

not allowed to say Alleluia and, worse still, we had to give up something we 

enjoyed — as a child it was usually sweets or chocolate! As Ash Wednesday, 

this year, falls on 3 March, I decided to look into how the traditions that go 

with Lent developed and was reminded that it is meant to be a time of joyful 

preparation! 

I have to admit that I should have 

known this years ago, but as is 

usually the case, our lives and beliefs 

are often shaped by our childhood 

memories. 

My research led me to the work 

of Father Norman Tanner, SJ, a 

professor of church history at the 

Pontifical Gregorian University in 

Rome which was founded in 1551 by 

Ignatius of Loyola. 

In 1961, Fr Norman became a 

Jesuit — a Roman Catholic order of 

religious men that was also founded 

by Ignatius. The order is known for 

its educational, missionary, and 

charitable works. 

Fr Norman also studied church 

history at Oxford University, where 

he taught from 1978 to 2003. 

He is considered to be a leading 

expert in the history of church 

councils — one of his papers that 

makes interesting reading, 'A Short 

History of Lent' can be found online 

at: https://www.thinkingfaith.org/ 

articles/20110315_1.htm 

LENGTHENING 

Fr Norman, explains that the 

earliest mention of Lent in the 

history of the Church comes from 

the council of Nicaea in 325AD. 

The original word used for the 40 

days before Easter was tessarakonta a 

Greek word meaning 40 and around 

the world is translated in a variety of 

ways. 

In Anglo-Saxon England, however, 

the 40 days became known as Lent, a 

word that aptly meant 'lengthening' 

— during the 40 days before Easter 

the daylight hours steadily lengthen 

and so gives us the perfect image of 

'the light of Christ' slowly spreading 

into the world. 

Whatever it is called, the 40 days 

reflects the time Jesus spent in the 

wilderness being tested by the devil 

after his baptism. (Matthew 4:1-11; 

Luke 4:1-13) 

The Lenten period is also mirrored 

by the 40 'joyful' days of Advent 

as we prepare for the Christmas 

festivities. 

JOYFUL SEASON 

Fr Norman reminds us of this joy: 

'It is important to remember that 

Lent is a joyful season. The first Preface 

for the Mass in Lent makes the point 

very elegantly: Each year you give us 

this joyful season when we prepare 

to celebrate the paschal mystery with 

mind and heart renewed. You give us 

a spirit of loving reverence for you, 

our Father, and of willing service to 

our neighbour. As we recall the great 

events that gave us a new life in Christ, 

you bring to perfection within us the 

image of your Son.' 

REFLECTION 

All Christian denominations 

observe Lent with different 

traditions, and often individual 

churches of the same denomination 

have their own and ways of marking 

the 40 days. In the past 2 years covid 

has meant, and continues to mean, 

that many of the in-person house 

groups, services, and Lenten suppers 

have not been possible. 

At St Andrew's this year we 

will be marking Lent by having a 

Lenten reflection given by one of 

the ministry team, during Morning 

Prayer in the Church at 9.30am on 

each Tuesday, starting on 8 March. 

Lenten Morning Prayer will be 

followed by coffee in The Ark. 

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feature — 1 

Life in The Ark is brighter than ever! 

Before covid gripped the country The Ark at St Andrew's Church, which 

opened in May 2017, was a hive of activity but sadly when the virus struck, 

everything ground to a halt and the building stood empty. But the good news 

is that, from the start of this New Year, it has burst into life again — and this 

new life is looking even brighter than before! 

At The Ark opening in 2017, Rev Jamie 

outlined plans for the future. He told 

the Henley Standard: 'We need space for 

our growing Sunday school and our new 

outreach programme, which will include a 

pensioners’ lunch club and youth club. The 

Ark has given us the facilities we need.' 

Now, almost 5 years later — and 

despite Covid — these plans are 

not only back on track, but they are 

exceeding expectations! 

YOUNG PEOPLE 

The 'growing Sunday school' Rev 

Jamie spoke of is now a very active 

Sunday Club for the younger children 

who meet there on a Sunday morning, 

and a young people's STAY group that 

meet to explore how their faith can 

help them come to terms with many 

of the pressures that society puts 

on them. The Sunday STAY group is 

reaching the stage where they could 

soon be outgrowing the room in The 

Ark where they meet, and a second 

room will need to be equipped so they 

can split into two groups. 

YOUTH CLUB 

A key part of the outreach 

programme Rev Jamie spoke of was 

the creation of a youth club that meets 

on a Friday evening. The club has 

quickly got up and running again after 

covid with some 50-60 young people 

RENDEZVOUS 

IN THE ARK 

For senior citizens 

We meet every 

second and fourth 

Tuesday 

of the month 

for lunch and 

conversation 

To reserve your 

place call 

0118 969 3298 

turning up to enjoy the facilities that 

provided for both indoor and outside 

sports, games and activities. 

RENDEZVOUS 

The pensioners' lunch club, Rev 

Jamie envisaged became 'Rendezvous 

in The Ark' and this also has steadily 

got going again after covid. Unlike the 

children and young people's groups 

where often the building is full of 

games equipment and electronic 

devices, Rendezvous becomes a 

comfortable dining lounge where 

members meet to enjoy an excellent 

lunch prepared by Emma's Kitchen of 

Twyford, and to share in 'grown up' 

conversation. 

'It's a great opportunity to meet new 

people and have the time to just sit, talk 

about anything and everything, and to 

laugh together — and to enjoy a good 

meal prepared by someone else!'— is a 

good summary of what the members 

say the club is all about. 

MEET TO CHAT 

One of the other main reasons 

for building The Ark was to provide 

a comfortable and safe venue for 

everyone, young and old, to meet 

and chat with each other after the 

main Sunday services and enjoy a 

cup of coffee or tea. This was one 

aspect of church life that sadly 

disappeared during the worst days 

of the pandemic, but again, the good 

news is, it is now up and running. 

Each week it seems, that more and 

more members of the congregation are 

feeling confident about meeting again 

in a social environment. 

MORE GOOD NEWS 

The other good news is that the 

Wednesday morning mid-communion 

service held in The Ark is also back and 

running again, and so is the coffee and 

chat that follows it! 

While all the above is very 

rewarding for the members of the 

church whose efforts not only raised 

the money to build The Ark and in 

doing so took a huge 'step of faith' 


Messy Christmas 

into the unknown because it could 

easily have failed, there are two other 

unexpected exciting developments 

that have been made possible by The 

Ark — Messy Church and Sunday at 

Six. 

MESSY CHURCH 

Messy Church arrived in The Ark 

in April 2018, about a year after the 

official opening. It offers people of all 

ages an alternative style of church in 

which 'messy' activities help to explain 

the Bible, the Christian faith and why 

and how we pray, in a practical way 

using everyday objects. Activities 

revolve around craft, food, games, 

music, story telling, sharing a meal 

and music. 

Messy Church soon became a 

popular service that supplements the 

more traditional services held in the 

church and it attracts young and old 

alike. It has returned after Covid on 

the third Sunday of the month at 3pm. 

SUNDAY AT SIX 

Rev Kate 

On the fourth Sunday of the 

month at 6pm a small group of 

church members began meeting to 

explore another less formal, relaxed, 

alternative style of worship, prayer and 

Bible study. 

Although, like Messy Church, this 

was not on the agenda when The Ark 

was designed, it has already proved to 

be the perfect venue for this exciting 

venture. Called Sunday at Six, it is 

proving to be a huge success and each 

month attracts a growing number of 

families and people of all ages. Since 

the re-opening of The Ark after covid, 

the number of people who come along 

to share in this new venture is now 

around 50 - 60 and growing!


PLATINUM 

The day I met the Queen — and when I introduced 

Prince Philip to the chopper in the board room! 

By Gordon Nutbrown 

During the 1980’s I was chairman of 

the five operating companies that 

comprised the Gieves Group. One of 

these companies was Gieves & Hawkes, 

the military and civilian tailors who 

had the distinction of holding Royal 

Warrants to Her Majesty The Queen, 

Prince Philip and the Queen Mother. 

In 1980, Gieves & Hawkes were invited 

to publish a book of the Royal Naval 

College Dartmouth and we asked that 

Her Majesty the Queen might accept a 

copy. 

It was arranged that I would present 

the copy to Her Majesty during a 

forthcoming visit to attend her son’s 

passing-out at Dartmouth: this was 

Prince Andrew, later the Duke of York. 

Rosemary and I attended the formal 

luncheon and we both met Her Majesty 

afterwards when I presented the book 

to her. 

WRONG FOOTED 

Another of our companies in the 

Group was the book printers and binders 

Redwood Burn. 

The bindery was at Esher and was 

honoured with a visit from Prince Philip 

the Duke of Edinburgh. 

I escorted him on a tour of the 

bindery which employed over 300 

people. 

During the tour Prince Philip 

frequently stopped to ask someone, 

'What do you do?' When asked this 

question one young lady replied, 'I work 

the chopper in the board room'. 

The Duke was clearly wrong footed by 

this reply and quite possibly had visions 

of miscreant directors being dragged to 

the guillotine! 

However, he seemed somewhat 

relieved when I explained that this 

particular young lady operated a 

machine that cut the cover boards of 

books to the required size in a room 

aptly named the 'board room'. 

Have you met Royalty 

or have a memory 

to share about the 

Coronation or an 

earlier Jubilee? 

Above: Gordon 

Nutbrown (left) 

meets The Queen 

in 1980. 

Left: Gordon 

welcomes Prince 

Philip to 

Redwood Burn 

book binders. 

Right: A copy 

of the book 

presented to 

The Queen. 

If you have, and 

would like to share 

them with our 

readers send them to: 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk


MEMORIES 

Molly Woodley poses by The Queen's limousine after receiving the two purses of Maundy Money 

Thank you for coming Ma'am! 

Despite the Royal etiquette that you only answer questions when addressed by Her 

Majesty The Queen, Molly Woodley, being her usual friendly and polite self, could 

not resist thanking Her Majesty for coming. Molly obviously did not end up in the 

Tower, as she can often be found saying the same thing to Rendezvous members 

when they set off home after their lunch! 

Molly met Her Majesty on Maundy 

Thursday in March 2013. She had been 

chosen to receive Maundy Money from 

The Queen by the Oxford Diocese for 

service to the church. The following is an 

extract from her story published in The 

Parish Magazine in May 2013. 

'On the great day,'there were 87 men 

and 87 women who were to receive the 

‘Purses for Pensioners’. We were put into 

alphabetical order, which worried me 

slightly as I am a ‘W’ and I was number 

171!' 

Our companions took up their seats 

in the Cathedral first and we sat in 

front of them. I was relieved to see my 

companion, Rev Jamie, in a prestigious 

position right next to the sanctuary 

where we had a perfect view of the Queen 

and Prince Philip, and of the arrival 

of the bishops and other dignitaries, 

including the Queen’s personal body 

guard, the Yeomen of the Guard, in full 

dress uniform. 

The distribution of Maundy Money 

was in two parts, separated by hymns 

and readings. As the Queen approached 

me the Chapel Royal choir sang Zadoc 

the Priest — it doesn’t get much better 

than that! 

HOMAGE 

When The Queen handed me the 

purses she said, ‘These are for you.’ It 

was an extremely humbling experience; 

my Sovereign paying homage to me. 

There were two purses, one red, the 

other white. The red purse contained 

a crown and a 50p piece minted in 

2013, and the white one had specially 

designed silver coins of 1p, 2p, 3p and 

4p denominations, amounting to the 

sum of 87p, the Queen’s age in April. The 

purses were carried round the Cathedral 

on silver gilt dishes that were once part 

of the Chapel Royal Plate dating from the 

reign of Charles II (1660 — 1685). 

After the service we were invited to 

lunch in the Great Hall of Christchurch. 

A few of us were told that the Queen 

had gone to the Dean’s office and if we 

waited we might see her. We were so 

delighted that we did this because she 

came straight towards us and asked if 

we enjoyed the service. I am told that I 

thanked Her Majesty for coming! 

We then proceeded into lunch to find 

the room was so full we had to go into 

another room, and oh what a shame we 

had to eat with the Lord High Almoner 

and the Sub Almoner. 

It was a day filled with all the 

historical pageantry that I love and it was 

magical to be such an intimate part of it.


feature — 4 

ALI'S POND NATURE RESERV 

25 years ago this month, Ali's Pond nature reserve was created on Parish Council land at King George 

King George's Field, became a designated Local Nature Reserve for its wildlife and amenity value in 

The reserve has been managed with a gentle touch throughout this time by Ali and his volunteer Frie 

1997 Creation! Ali's Pond liner is installed 1997 

1997 The first trees are planted around 

the new pond 

2001 Volunteers hay 

2004 Hedgerow planting after fire damage 200 

2006 Sonning Fire Brigade Trust fill the 

newly created Sonning Field pond 

200 

2006 Sonning Prima 

pond dipping 

2009 Log pile restocking 2013 

2013 Filming pond clearance with George 

McGavin, Big Wildlife Revival on TV 

2013 Rt Hon Theresa 

plant the Queen 

201 

2016 Reading Blue Coat School teachers 

installing bird boxes 

2019 Home Schooling Club gets to grip 

with mini beasts 

Pond residents: Great


E'S SILVER ANNIVERSARY 

's Field by Sonning resident and professional ecologist Alastair Driver. The 1 acre site adjacent to 

2001. In 2006 the site doubled in size when Reading Blue Coat school bought the adjoining land. 

nds of Ali's Pond. Here we present a pictorial journey to celebrate the silver anniversary of the site. 

raking by hand 2003 Legacy of a visit by travellers 2004 

2004 Fire damage caused by contractors 

cleaning up traveller rubbish 

200 

ry School ready for 2008 Reading Blue Coat School pupils 

2008 Snow in April 

plant a new Sonning Field hedgerow 

May MP helps to 

's Diamond Jubilee Oak 

2015 Hedge restoration work party 201 

2016 Friends of Ali's Pond win a CIEEM 

national award for small conservation 

crested newts 

Orange Tip, one of more than 20 species of 

butterfly found in the nature reserve 

Rainbows ahead for Ali's Pond Nature Reserve


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around the villages — 1 

With all the focus on healthy living 

in the early New Year, what better 

time was there for Sonning Church 

of England Primary School children 

to take part in an initiative that 

helped them learn the importance of 

eating the right foods, the benefits of 

a healthy lifestyle and taking regular 

exercise. 

Reading Football Club visited the 

school in January and February to 

hold practical sessions and workshops 

that included several games and 

puzzles that highlighted good eating 

practices. 

Then the youngsters hit the 

playground to enjoy a host of ball 

skills and training stints, just like the 

real professional footballers do at the 

Madejski Stadium. 

Governor Kate Voss also visited the 

school twice to run assembly sessions 

on good dietary practice, the benefits 

of healthy living and some of the 

pitfalls to avoid. 

Over a four week period, the 

children were also encouraged to try 

new foods, run a mile a day, swish a 

badminton racket, cut out fatty foods, 

eat less chocolate, play netball, walk 

or cycle to school, appreciate fruit and 

vegetables, and give a new sport a go. 

Chris Berry from Reading FC said, 

'It was wonderful to see the children’s 

enthusiasm for trying new training 

exercises and practicing ball skills. I 

was also impressed by the knowledge 

the children already had about healthy 

living and which foods to choose to 

stay in shape.' 


Sonning School children shape up for 2022 

Save the date 

to save Karun 

The International Committee of the 

Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden 

Erlegh is hosting a 'Saturday Brunch' 

in Charvil Village Hall on 14 May in 

aid of Karun School, Trichy, South 

India. 

Inner Wheel supported the school, 

which was severely hit during the 

covid lockdown, by paying for two 

sewing machines and for a ‘seamstress’ 

teacher to expand the knowledge of 

both local women and girls at the 

school. More details on: 

http://www.innerwheelrme.org 

Ian McCann 

Scarecrows are back for the royal holiday! 

Sonning Scarecrows will be back for the Platinum Jubilee holiday weekend when 

there will be all the usual attractions, including open gardens and no doubt, lots of 

royal scarecrows! 

To find out how to make a scarecrow, register an entry, offer help with 

refreshments (making or serving), manning a garden, marshalling or generally 

helping in any way go along to Pearson Hall on Tuesday 22 March at 7.45pm. 

If you have a garden on the scarecrow trail — bottom of Pound Lane, Pearson 

Road, High Street, Thames Street or bottom of Charvil Lane — for displaying a 

scarecrow, or to open your garden contact: Barbara.carr71@hotmail.co.uk


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Local artists 

painting for 

the Jubilee 

Sonning Art Group reports that 

they are back to full capacity 

following the pandemic and they 

are now busy making preparations 

for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee 

weekend in June when they will be 

staging an exhibition of their work 

in Pearson Hall in conjunction with 

the Scarecrow Trail. Their Jubilee 

exhibition will be in Pearson Hall on 

2-3 June. Three of the groups latest 

pieces of art are . . . 


Walk and talks but no film shows 

Dinton Pastures by Maggie Hollidge 

Salisbury Cathedral by Pauline Simpson 

Rob Farquhar's dog 

Reading Abbey 

Mark Zhu, dreamstime.com 

Most of the Sonning and Sonning Eye events are now running again, the 

main exception being The Film Club which is still temporarily suspended. 

This month, there are two events to look forward to: a guided Heritage walk 

around Reading Abbey and the Museum, and a talk in Pearson Hall on the 

Thames during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. 

The guided Heritage walk around 

Reading Abbey starts at 2pm on 

Tuesday 8 March. The Abbey is 

famous for being founded in 1121 by 

King Henry I, who was the youngest 

son of William the Conqueror. The 

museum is known for displaying 

the only full replica of the Bayeux 

Tapestry which depicts the Norman 

conquest of England. 

Details about how to join the 

walk, which is limited to 20 people, 

are available from Penny Feathers 

(contact details below). 

The Pearson Hall talk is on Friday 

25 March and will be presented 

by Simon Wenham from the 

Department of Continuing 

Education at Oxford University. 

His subject will be 'Leisure and 

Pleasure on the Thames through the 

Victorian and Edwardian periods'. 

Simon has written several social 

history books about the importance 

of leisure during that period and his 

talk will explore how society had fun 

and entertained themselves with 

particular emphasis on boating and 

the growth of local boatyards. 

The talk starts at 7.30pm 

(doors open at 7pm). Tickets are 

£4 members, £5 guests and can be 

obtained via: 

https://www.sonning.org.uk/ 

or Penny Feathers 0118 934 3193, 

penny.feathers@btinternet.com 

Eleven charities share one roof 

The Wokingham Charity and Community Hub, which opened in January, is 

now home to 11 charities and organisations. 

The hub, is in Waterford House, Erftstadt Court, RG10 2YR, and is open Monday 

to Friday from 9am- 5pm to seek advice, help and support, or you can make 

an appointment calling 0118 228 0480 or emailing reception@vcshub.co.uk The 

charities based there are: 

— Involve (which is managing the hub) 

— Cranstoun Wokingham, a drug and alcohol recovery service for adults 

— Home Start Wokingham District 

— Health Watch Wokingham Borough 

— The Link Visiting Scheme 

— Mind in Berkshire 

— CLASP - Counselling Life Advice Suicide Prevention 

— Promise Inclusion - for adults and children with learning disabilities 

— Wokingham Volunteer Centre 

— Wokingham Foodbank 

— Citizen’s Advice Wokingham



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Project Singers March project . . . 


Suzanne Newman (left) with some of the Project Singers who entertained visitors to Sheeplands Garden Centre with Christmas carols last December. 

Formed in September last year by 

Suzanne Newman, Charvil's music 

teacher and choir director, The 

Project Singers are working on a 

number of choral projects, the next, 

of which, is being held this month. 

The female voices choir rehearse at 

Charvil Village Hall in two sections 

— one for girls between the ages of 

10 and 18 on Sundays between 6.15 

and 7.45pm; the other for ladies who 

rehearse on Mondays between 8.00 

and 9.30pm. 

Friends of St Andrew's 

Church, Sonning 

Notice of Annual General Meeting 

followed by 

with 

Fish & Chip Supper 

Thursday 17 March 2022 

at 7.30pm in 

The Ark 

The singers' March project is A 

Night at the Movies which culminates 

in a concert at Norden Farm Centre 

for the Arts, Maidenhead on 26 

March at 7.30pm, when the choirs 

will be singing a great selection of 

songs from films including: Fame, 

Singin' in the rain, Hopelessly devoted 

to you, City of stars, We have all the 

time in the World and a medley from 

The Sound of Music. 

They will be joined for their 

concert by Crosfields Strings, an 

ensemble from Crosfields School. 

The Project Singers next major 

project for the summer term is Let's 

Sing! — all the songs being about 

singing, such as: One voice, How can 

I keep from singing, Cantar! Thank 

you for the music and With a voice of 

singing. 

This project will culminate in 

a concert in St Mary's Church, 

Twyford on 3 July. 

If you are interested in becoming 

a Project Singer contact Suzanne on: 

suzanneynewman@btinternet.com 

or 0118 934 0589. 

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 aid of FoStAC fund raising to ensure sufficient funds 

are available for any future emergency repairs. 

Tickets £15 including Fish & Chip Supper 

(Bring your own bottle/drink) 

Please email Sally Wilson on mustangsallywilson@gmail or 0787 689 9513 

to confirm your attendance. Quiz teams will be in tables of four and payment 

can be made to any of the Trustees in advance of the event. 

Closing date for numbers will be Wednesday 16 March at 10am so that food 

can be ordered in advance. 

Registered Charity No: 1101944 

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. 



the church of st andrew SERVING CHARVIL, 

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History 

Was it really . . . ? 

. . . 500 YEARS AGO from 9-17 

March 1522 that Martin Luther 

preached his Invocavit Sermons. He 

urged citizens to adhere to the core 

Christian values and trust in God, 

rather than, using violence to bring 

about change. 

. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 3 March 

1847 that Alexander Graham Bell, 

Scottish-born American engineer, 

and scientist, was born. He is 

credited with inventing the first 

practical telephone. 

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 10 March 

1922 that Indian independence leader 

Mahatma Gandhi was arrested 

and charged with sedition for his 

campaign of non-cooperation against 

the British Indian government. He 

was sentenced to 6 years in prison 

but released after 2 years as he 

needed surgery. 

Martin Luther (1483-1546) on an engraving 

from 1859 by Nordheim and published in 

Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, Germany. 

Georgios Kollidas, dreamstime.com 

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 1 March 1947 

that the International Monetary 

Fund began operating. 


Ireland resigned, and on 30 March 

1972 that the British government 

introduced direct rule of Northern 

Ireland from Westminster (until 

1999). 


that the Barbican Centre in London 

was opened. It is the largest arts and 

conference venue in Europe. 


that Buckingham Palace announced 

the separation of the Duke and 

Duchess of York (Prince Andrew and 

Sarah Ferguson). 


that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 

launched the official Royal website: 

http://www.royal.gov.uk 


that the bombing of Essen, Germany, 

took place. It was the first attack on 

a German city by the RAF following 

the Area Bombing Directive of 14 

February, which authorised the 

bombing of civilian areas. 

. . . 80 YEARS AGO, on 25 March 

1942 that Aretha Franklin, the Queen 

of Soul, was born. The American 

soul/R&B/pop/gospel singer's hit 

songs included Respect and I Say a 

Little Prayer. She died 2018. 


that the Treaty of Rome was signed, 

creating the European Economic 

Community (EEC) which came into 

force on 1 January 1958. It was 

renamed the European Community 

in 1993 and dissolved in 2009, having 

been replaced by the European 

Union. 


that the government of Northern 

Ritu Jethani dreamstime.com 

. . . ALSO 25 YEARS AGO on 21 

March 1997 the Rev W V Awdry, 

clergyman and children’s writer, 

died. He is best known as the creator 

of Thomas the Tank Engine. 

IN THE ARK AT ST ANDREW'S CHURCH 

Sunday 20 March at 3pm



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Home and garden 


Buckingham Palace gates 

Throughout March and April you can 

enjoy the tranquillity of Buckingham 

Palace Garden when it is not usually 

open to the public and discover its 

highlights on a guided tour led by one 

of the palace wardens. 

You will be given special access to the 

whole 39-acre grounds in springtime, 

when the garden is at its fullest. 

Throughout the season daffodils, 

primroses and bluebells will emerge 

in the meadows and the camellias, 

magnolias and azaleas around the 

garden will bloom. 

You will be able to learn about 

the role that William Aiton — then 

Recipe of the month from Emma's Kitchen 

Sausage, Apple and Leek Pie 

Ingredients (Serves 6) 

12 Cumberland sausages 

2 large leeks, washed, trimmed, thick cut 

2 Cox apples, cored and roughly chopped 

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard 

1 egg for glazing 

Aughty Venable, dreamstime.com 

An opportunity to go through the 

gates of Buckingham Palace 

director of the Royal Botanic Gardens 

at Kew - George IV and Queen Victoria 

had in shaping the layout of the 

garden, its wildlife and rare trees and 

flowers, and how it is now used by The 

Queen and other members of the Royal 

Family. 

The tour will end with an 

opportunity to take pictures by the 

Palace overlooking the lake. Should 

you visit the gardens we would love 

to be able to share your pictures with 

readers! 

To book a tour, and for more 

information: https://www.rct.uk/event/ 

buckingham-palace-garden-guidedtour-03-2022#/ 

1 tbs butter 

3 tbs plain flour 

250ml chicken stock 

250ml cider 

500g puff pastry 

Method — Oven 2000C/Gas mark 6 

Bake sausages for 30 minutes until browned and cooked through. Set aside and 

allow to cool 

Melt butter and fry leeks until softened (8-10 mins). Add the apples and cook 

for a further 1-2mins, add the flour and stir until apples and leeks are coated 

and cook for another minute. Slowly add the stock and then the cider, stir and 

cook until a bubbling thick sauce. Add the mustard. 

Chop the sausages and add to the sauce, stir until thoroughly mixed then add to 

either six individual casserole dishes or one large one. 

Add the puff pastry to the top, press down the edges and glaze on top. 

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until piping hot. 

Serve with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes. 

Artur Szczybylo, dreamstime.com 

The Twyford and Ruscombe 

Horticultural Association (TRHA) 

store in Loddon Hall Road, Twyford 

RG10 9JA — it's next to the 

Twyford Doctors' Surgery — is 

now open for members to purchase 

horticultural goods on Sunday 

mornings from 9.30-11.00am. 

A ‘not for profit’ organisation TRHA 

has been run by volunteers since 

1956 and is affiliated with the Royal 

Horticultural Society. 

TRHA's main objective is to 

promote gardening and allotment 

cultivation to members of all ages 

in the local community through 

various activities that include a 

monthly newsletter, three shows a 

year and the sale of garden supplies 

in the store. 

BLOOMING 

Its members support a number 

of local horticultural projects, 

particularly 'Twyford in Bloom' 

which is part of a nationwide RHS 

event, although this year RHS has 

decided to suspend it because of the 

covid pandemic. 

Last year, the pandemic led to 

TRHA holding an informal show in 

the autumn of 2021. 

This year, the spring show will be 

held on Saturday 26 March. Details, 

when available, will be on the 

association's website: http://trha.org.uk 

where membership details are also 

available. 

Alternatively, contact: Jenny 

Wager, on trhamembership@gmail. 

com or 0118 932 0127. The annual 

household membership is £8 per 

year, or £7 for those over 65.


THE ARTS — 1 

Poetry 

corner 

The metaphysical dean 

Psalm 21:1-7 

Blessed people of platinum year 

Of seventy years past and dear 

Elizabeth your servant reigns 

Christ-like her life with no unfeigns 

The Queen shall joy in your strength, Lord 

Rejoice in your salvation, Lord 

You have, Lord, given her what she 

Desired in heart, and heard each plea 

For you meet her with the blessings 

Of goodness, each her honour brings 

You set crown of gold on her head 

Faithful she peoples still has led 

She asked life of you, and you gave 

Her life, and salvation to save 

Even length of days for ever 

His witness to you fades never 

Her glory is great in your deeds 

In your salvation, it she heeds 

Honour and majesty have you 

Laid on her, as King David true 

For she trusts in you as did he 

Of old, now so these days does she 

Through the mercy of the most High 

She not be moved, knows you are nigh 

Arthur C James, dreamstime.com 

Platinum Peace 

By Steven Rolling 

Tune: Gonfalon Royal ‘The royal banners forward go’ 

Wirestock, dreamstime.com 

John Donne (1572–1631) was an English poet, scholar, 

soldier, secretary and finally Dean of St Paul's Cathedral. 

But he is most remembered for his poetry and is seen as the 

greatest of the 17th Century ‘metaphysical’ poets. 

He was born into a Roman Catholic family in London at a 

time when the Church of England was the dominant faith, 

and Roman Catholics were considered second class citizens. 

Although he studied at Oxford and Cambridge, his Roman 

Catholicism denied him his degree. So, in 1592, he went to 

London to study law at Lincoln’s Inn. 

In 1594 Donne converted to the Church of England, and 

this opened up a new life for him. Two years later he joined 

a naval expedition led by the Earl of Essex against Cadiz in 

Spain. On his return in 1598, he became private secretary to 

Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper of the Seal. All was going 

well, until he fell in love with Egerton’s 16 year old niece, 

Anne More, whom he secretly married in 1601. Egerton was 

furious, Donne lost his job, and spent a short time in prison. 

INSPIRING PREACHER 

For several years after that he worked as a lawyer and in 

1610 he wrote a book encouraging Roman Catholics to take 

the oath of allegiance to the king. His book caught the eye of 

James I, and Donne was appointed as a royal chaplain only a 

few months after his ordination in 1615. 

In 1617 Donne’s beloved wife, Anne, died, and four years 

later he was appointed the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, where 

he proved to be a much loved and inspiring preacher. 

Throughout his working life, he continued to write poetry, 

though most of it remained unpublished until 1633. It was 

then mostly forgotten after his death, until early last century 

when in the 1920's, both Ezra Pound and TS Eliot openly 

acknowledged their literary debt to him. Donne’s place as one 

of the greatest of the 17th Century ‘metaphysical’ poets is 

now assured — metaphysical poets placed greater emphasis 

on the spoken rather than lyrical quality of their verse.

The ARTS — 2 

Book Reviews 

Victorian Stained Glass by Trevor 

Yorke, Shire Publications, £8.99 

This beautifully illustrated guide 

introduces the world of Victorian 

stained glass which can be found in 

countless British churches, municipal 

buildings and homes. It is often 

glowing with colour, with designs 

influenced by the Gothic Revival, the 

Arts and Crafts Movement, and even 

the Art Nouveau, as a new century dawned. Its famous 

designers include A W N Pugin, and Pre-Raphaelites 

William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. Trevor Yorke, 

a historian, tells how Victorian craftsmen re-learned the 

lost medieval art of colouring, painting, and assembling 

stained glass windows, that in an age of industry became 

mass produced. 

The Bible: a story that makes sense 

of life by Andrew Ollerton, Bible 

Society, £11.99 

This book explores how the story of 

the Bible not only helps us understand 

our lives, but also gives a framework 

for making sense of life in general. 

We can see how the narratives in the 

Bible mirror the narrative arcs we go 

through. Wherever you stand with the Bible, whether 

you are seeking to find out its meaning for your own life 

or just want to know more about its stories, this book is a 

fantastic starting point. 


Enter my rest 

Wikipedia, public domain 

Rev Michael Burgess continues his series on God in the Arts with a look 

at ‘The Potato Planters’ by Jean-Francois Millet. It hangs in the Museum 

of Fine Arts in Boston. 

At this time of the year, we are planning our gardens for the 

spring and summer ahead. The book of Genesis opens with 

a glorious account of God’s work of creation, and it also tells 

us that God rested on the seventh day. 

We all need to find that balance of work and rest, of activity 

and slowing down in our lives. And we are not always good 

at that because our world seems to be in the fast lane. We 

rush everywhere, we rush out of habit, and we rush because 

everyone around us is rushing. 

This month’s painting, The Potato Planters by Jean– 

Francois Millet, a 19th century French artist, portrays two 

peasants at work. They don’t seem to be rushing, but Millet 

has certainly portrayed the hard toil of their work, digging in 

the earth from sunrise to sunset to eke out a living. 

Millet was the son of a farm labourer and many of his 

paintings convey the severe realism of peasant life. We can 

sympathise with the couple working on the land, and our 

eyes focus on them as they dominate the canvas. 

But in the corner under the shade of a tree there is a 

donkey and a sleeping child. The donkey knows only too well 

the reality of toil and work, but here he is resting, enjoying 

the peace and the shade. 

STAND APART 

Andy Merrifield, an American philosopher, has just 

published an account of his travels with a donkey, Gribouille. 

As they journey together, the donkey teaches him the value 

of patience, the importance of going slowly through the 

world, and the preciousness of tender friendship between 

humans and animals. They are all caught up in the little 

donkey in this painting. 

The man and woman in the foreground may reflect our 

own lives with the duties, the expectations and the demands 

called of us at work. Take time to focus on the donkey, 

enjoying his rest. 

Take time this spring and summer to find relaxation and 

recreation. The world may carry on spinning around us, but 

we can stand apart, and enter into the rest that God enjoyed 

after his work of creation.


HEALTH — 1 

Dr Simon Ruffle writes . . . March hares? 

March was the first month of the 

Roman calendar, named after 

Martius who is related to Mars 

the God of war and was ancestor 

of Romulus and Remus. In Saxon 

times it was Lentmonat after the 

spring equinox and, likely, where 

the term 'lent' comes from 

A quick note of the March hare: 

Long before Lewis Carroll told us, 

correctly, that the hare was mad 

in May, but not as mad than in 

March — the English hare was seen 

fighting in March. 

It was thought that these were 

the males fighting for dominance. 

That is incorrect; it is the females 

fighting off the unwarranted 

attention of the male hare as they 

are not yet in season or interested. 

March is early in the season which 

lasts to September. 

ENDOMETRIOSIS 

Humans are unusual in the fact 

that we don’t have seasons as such 

and it is on the topic of reproduction 

that I want to write. 

March is the world wide month of 

endometriosis awareness. 

Endometriosis comes from 

Greek: end — inside; metro — 

womb; and osis— disease. This is a 

misnomer when referring to humans 

but probably not in horses! 

The uterus has a lining known 

as the endometrium. This is a blood 

rich lining that allow fertilised egg 

to implant and lead to pregnancy. 

This is the lining that is shed every 

month. 

This lining can go wrong. It 

can over grow, develop cysts and 

the endometrial glands become 

inflamed. 

No one cause has been found but 

it is likely to be genetic and related 

to other autoimmune diseases that 

cause inflammation, like asthma. 

These inflamed glands can ‘seed’ 

outside the endometrium which 

is what causes the symptoms of 

endometriosis. 

Anatomy is important here as 

the womb sits in the pelvis with 

the bladder and bowel. These seeds 

tend to sit only in the abdomen 

and pelvis. Rarely, they can move 

to other areas of the body such as 

the brain, lungs and other mucosal 

linings. 

Symptoms of endometriosis 

vary widely. Some women have no 

symptoms whatsoever and some 

can be crippled by period pain. This 

is with or without endometriosis, 

however, with the disease it is more 

likely that symptoms occur. 

Bloating, lower abdominal pain, 

painful +/- heavy periods, and painful 

sexual intercourse are the most 

common symptoms. 

DIAGNOSIS 

Some symptoms that are due to 

endometriosis can be mistaken for 

other common issues such as irritable 

bowel disease and urine infection. 

Recurrences of these symptoms 

and painful periods should trigger 

investigation for the diagnosis. 

Due to the commonality of 

symptoms diagnosis is often delayed. 

Diagnosis comes from a careful 

history and often a trial of therapy. A 

treatment for heavy periods such as 

the pill or progesterone is used. 

Diagnosis of endometriosis 

involves an invasive process that isn’t 

risk free, laparoscopy. A laparacope is 

passed into the abdomen and pelvis. 

As you can imagine this procedure 

is not comfortable and not totally 

safe. This also adds to the ‘delay’ in 

diagnosis. 

Simon Ruffle 

Endometriosis needs oestrogen, 

so it does recede after the menopause 

but denying women of oestrogen 

through therapy also leads to many 

side effects, unwanted symptoms and 

other disease. 

I’d need the whole Parish Magazine 

to go through all the options for 

treatment and would dilute the 

message in this article that March is 

‘awareness’ month. 

Other issues with the diagnosis 

of endometrial disease are misogyny, 

embarrassment and trivialising 

of female only issues. Oh, it’s just 

period pain. Those of us of a certain 

generation laughed along with Les 

Dawson in drag mouthing ‘lady 

problems’ and ‘the change,’ while of 

its time, doesn’t help bringing issues 

to prominence. 

Maybe the female hares are onto 

something. 

Neil Harrison, dreamstime.com

HEALTH — 2 

'A mosquito'; 'reminds 

me of a steam train'; 

'it’s hard to describe, 

it’s not like anything 

I’ve heard before' . . . 

By Nic Wray 

Communications manager, British Tinnitus Association 

These people are talking about their tinnitus, a 

condition often described as 'ringing in the ears' but 

which can appear as almost any type of noise, or 

mixture of noises. Some people even hear snatches of 

music. Comedian and naturalist Bill Oddie’s tinnitus 

plays trombone or bagpipe music! 

While musical tinnitus such as Bill’s is fairly rare, 

tinnitus is a very common condition. It is more prevalent 

in people over 50, although all age groups can experience 

it, even children. Tinnitus is experienced by over 600 

people in the communities of Charvil, Sonning and 

Sonning Eye alone — are you one of them? 

Tinnitus is rarely spoken about, but it is a common 

condition. About one in eight adults (7.1 million people) 

in the UK have tinnitus, and of those, about 1 in 10 

find it has an effect on their quality of life. This means 

it can cause distress, anxiety, sleeplessness and lack of 

concentration. 

CAUSES OF TINNITUS 

The causes of tinnitus are not fully understood, but 

some of the more common causes associated with it are: 

— Hearing loss: the delicate hair cells in the inner ear 

may reduce in number due to ‘wear and tear’ as people 

age. This gradual change can cause hearing loss, which 

makes tinnitus more noticeable as it is not masked by 

external sound. 

—Exposure to loud noise: hair cells can also be damaged 

by loud noise, which could generate tinnitus. 

— Stress and anxiety: it’s not always clear whether 

stress causes the onset of tinnitus. However, tinnitus 

may be more noticeable if you are anxious or stressed. 

— Ear infections: middle ear infections can cause 

hearing loss and tinnitus. This is normally temporary, but 

it is important to get treatment from your GP. 

Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, but it is wise 

to see your doctor if you think you have it. Your GP will 

be able to refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) 

specialist and Audiology services. 

TREATMENT OPTIONS 

Sadly, many people believe that ‘nothing can be done’ 

for tinnitus and that they just have to ‘learn to live with 

it.’ While it’s true that there is currently no cure, there are 


Image credits: 

man: Tibanna79, dreamstime.com; mosquito: Vladvitek, dreamstime. 

com; steam train: nicepng.com; triangle: Tibanna79, dreamstime.com 

management tools and methods available to ensure that if 

you have tinnitus, you don’t have to ‘suffer’ from it. 

The British Tinnitus Association’s booklet Living with 

Tinnitus outlines five top techniques for learning to live 

well with tinnitus: 

— Information: you will probably feel better when you 

find out more about the condition, that it is very common, 

and that you are not alone. 

— Correcting any hearing loss: if your tinnitus is 

accompanied by any hearing loss, then trying to correct 

this loss with hearing aids is often very helpful. 

— Sound therapy: if the noises seem louder at quiet 

times, particularly during the night, it may help to 

have some environmental or natural sound from a CD, 

a sound generator, or even a fan or ticking clock in the 

background. Some people use in-ear sound generators. 

— Relaxation: learning to relax is probably one of the 

most useful things you can do to help yourself. Those 

who practice relaxation techniques say they reduce 

the loudness of their tinnitus and help them become 

indifferent to it. 

— Counselling: techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural 

Therapy (CBT) can be helpful, either as a standalone 

therapy or combined with sound therapy. 

Tinnitus can make us feel isolated and trying to tackle 

it alone can sometimes feel like a challenge. There is 

support out there to help you to feel less alone. 

The British Tinnitus Association (BTA) can offer 

support through its freephone helpline, email, SMS/text 

and web chat services. BTA's tinnitus support team has 

many years of experience supporting people with tinnitus. 

— Freephone helpline: 0800 018 0527 

— Web chat: http://www.tinnitus.org.uk 

— Email: helpline@tinnitus.org.uk 

— Text/SMS: 07537 416841 

TINNITUS SUPPORT 

TAKE ON TINNITUS 

BTA has developed a free online learning resource 

Take on tinnitus, designed primarily for people who have 

just begun to experience tinnitus. However, it is also a 

turn to page 38


HEALTH — 3 

THE SCIENCES 

What's the difference between a 

cathedral and a physics lab? Are 

they not both saying: ‘Hello’? 

from page 37 

Tinnitus 

valuable resource for those who have experienced the 

condition long term. 

Take on Tinnitus, which is designed so it can be used on 

mobile phones, tablets or computers, includes an initial 

taster session followed by seven 10-15 minute learning 

modules covering the fundamentals of tinnitus, hearing 

and tinnitus, benefits of using sound, the link between 

tinnitus and relaxation, sleep and tinnitus, the benefits of 

talking about it and living your life with tinnitus. 

http://www.takeontinnitus.co.uk 

SUPPORT GROUPS 

Artur Szczybylo, dreamstime.com 

Members of tinnitus support groups often share 

experiences and advice. It can be helpful just getting to 

talk with other people who have it. 

Support groups may be facilitated by audiologists or 

hearing therapists, volunteers with the condition or, in 

some cases, by staff from local charities working in the 

area. 

Every support group is different, but you can expect a 

warm welcome and the opportunity to talk to others in a 

similar position. Some groups meet in person, and some 

meet online. All groups have the common desire to help 

people with tinnitus and all the groups BTA supporters 

have signed up to a Code of Practice. 

Some groups organise guest speakers and are 

structured. Other support groups place an emphasis on 

emotional support and shared experience and are less 

formal. And some do a bit of both. 

Currently, the nearest group to Charvil, Sonning and 

Sonning Eye meets in Marlow. Volunteer Gilly Wright 

facilitates the group with the support of audiologists 

Selma Becker and Kevin Jeffery at Help in Hearing. If you 

would like to attend a meeting, contact: 

events@helpinhearing.co.uk or 0345 222 0579 

An anxious year for the young 

The word ‘anxiety’ has been chosen by children as how 

they would describe their experience of 2021. Oxford 

University Press asked more than 8,000 pupils, aged 7-14, to 

choose from a shortlist of 10 words which one they felt was 

most applicable to them: anxiety, challenging, isolate, wellbeing, 

resilience, bubble, kindness, remote, cancelled, empathy. The next 

on the list were ‘challenging’, and ‘isolate’. 

By Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, church engagement director, The Faraday 

Institute for Science and Religion, Cambridge 

Scientists often speak of a reality beyond the objects they 

are studying, and for some this is encountered in powerful 

episodes of wonder and awe. The Christian writer JW 

Sire quotes the headline above from Annie Dillard in 

his book 'Echoes of a Voice', which explores spiritual or 

‘transcendent’ experiences. 

Sire describes moments that are 'emotional, intellectual, highly 

charged, usually sudden, unannounced, often odd, some weird, 

others glorious', and places them on three different levels: 

— Level 1: A material object that points beyond the material 

reality. For example, someone might develop a sense of what 

is good and evil, based on the actions of others. 

— Level 2: Experience of something personal ... just behind 

the surface of what we are directly experiencing, often 

something with which one feels at peace or even at one, or, 

perhaps, as dangerous or threatening. 

— Level 3: A felt presence that has a specific character or 

presence, for example, holiness, inspiring humility, fearful 

awe or wonder. 

The first two levels, says Sire, are fairly common. 

The third is rare. He gives a wide range of examples, 

including scientists. Some are religious or interested in 

spirituality, others are atheists. For some, their moments of 

transcendence carried a particular meaning, others simply 

sparked curiosity. 

A SPECIAL JOY 

Luq1, dreamstime.com 

The famous geneticist Francis Collins described several 

significant moments when he was young: 'being transported 

by the experience of looking through a telescope', or 'a Christmas 

Eve where the descant on a particularly beautiful Christmas 

carol…left me with a sense of unexpected awe and a longing for 

something I could not name'. 

These experiences meant that when Collins was faced 

with the question of belief in God, 'all [his] arguments seemed 

very thin'. Now, as a fully-fledged scientist and a believer 

in God, he is able to say that 'for a scientist who occasionally 

is given the remarkable privilege of discovering something not 

previously known by man, there is a special kind of joy associated 

with such flashes of insight.' 

Footnote: If you are wondering why I chose the picture above of some 

ancient olive trees it is because they are in the Jerusalem-Garden of 

Gethsemane where I experienced such a moment of transcendence that 

Ruth Bancewicz is writing about — editor

CROSSWORD 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 8 

11 

13 

18 19 20 

22 23 

24 

9 10 

16 17 

Across 

Across 

- or implied idea (11) 

1 Suggested or implied idea (11) 

9 

- 

Apply pressure 

(5) 

(5) 

10 - Mineral spring spring (3) (3) 

11 - Adjusted the the pitch of pitch (5) of (5) 

12 - Agreeable sound sound or tune (5) or tune (5) 

13 Mislead (8) 

13 - Mislead (8) 

16 Mexican pancake (8) 

16 - Mexican pancake (8) 

18 Dry red wine (5) 

18 - Dry red wine (5) 

21 Dissatisfaction (5) 

21 - Dissatisfaction (5) 

22 Golf peg (3) 

22 23 - Golf Small peg (3) antelope (5) 

23 24 - Small Initiators antelope (11) (5) 

24 - Initiators (11) 

CODEWORD 

12 

14 15 

21 

5 - ___ pole: tribal emblem (5) 

19 Large body 17 - Possessing of water (6) (5) 

20 - Select; formally approve (5) 

19 3 15 23 16 21 6 13 12 19 16 9 

12 25 9 20 5 11 

19 13 8 9 14 23 16 21 12 19 13 7 

13 1 13 13 21 25 

16 14 6 25 20 4 23 9 13 

7 1 10 9 25 16 13 9 13 1 

20 2 2 16 

25 13 19 2 19 1 12 5 19 10 

7 25 12 9 16 6 19 16 19 

25 9 16 1 6 22 

13 18 9 20 1 24 24 13 23 9 3 9 

9 17 23 21 19 6 

3 26 9 13 19 12 12 9 12 23 1 19 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 

T P 

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 

O 

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 LENT 

March brings us Lent and Mothering 

Sunday. Lent is a time of spiritual selfassessment 

as we prepare for Easter. It 

is a time to turn to God, and grow closer 

to him. Mothering Sunday reminds us 

of not only the mothers that have loved 

and raised us, but of Mother Church, 

who has spiritually loved and nurtured 

us throughout our Christian pilgrimage. 

How many words can you find on these 

themes in this month’s Word Search?! 


PUZZLE PAGE — the answers will be published in the next issue 

Down 

Down 

2 - Unity (7) 

2 Unity (7) 

3 Necessary 

3 - Necessary 

(7) 

(7) 

4 Rained heavily 4 - Rained (6) heavily (6) 

5 ___ pole: tribal emblem (5) 

6 Expels from 6 - Expels a position from a position (5) (5) 

7 Immoderate (11) 

7 - Immoderate (11) 

8 Compelling (11) 

8 - Compelling (11) 

14 Non-believer in God (7) 

14 - Non-believer in God (7) 

15 Careless mistake (7) 

15 - Careless mistake (7) 

17 Possessing (6) 

20 Select; 19 formally - Large body approve of water (5) 

lent 

spiritual 

easter 

preparation 

fasting 

prayer 

desert 

selfdenial 

repentance 

seeking 

finding 

growing 

1. Who downsizes to upgrade? 

2. Which family business was established in 1968? 

3. Who has spent 300 years on the River Thames? 

4. Who gives a little help like your friend? 

5. Who has apartments twice the size of an average home? 

6. Who will light over 100 candles for you? 

mothers 

love 

care 

nurture 

learning 

teaching 

disciples 

worldwide 

flowers 

thankyou 

nursing 

family 

WHO DOES WHAT AND WHERE QUIZ? [IN THIS ISSUE] 

February 

Solutions 

CROSSWORD 

B O N S A I H T U 

U I B L U S H I N G 

T A G I M I D 

T G L A Z E D N E O N 

O L A R K N 

N E E D S J U P I T E R 

CODEWORD 

J A P E B L A C K O U T 

U I P O R U R 

S E Q U O I A E X T R A 

T U L F A S N 

I R E I E T W I G S 

F C O R G I D C 

I P Y V E R 

C A H E D G E I 

A U D I O I N M A P 

T D L E E A T 

I D L E D S A S H I M I 

O E E E S Z O 

N O S T R I L S B E E N 

SUDOKU 

O S M N 

B O X W O O D A G E N T 

G N P S N H 

T R O T H E N R Y V R 

E U I O I C E 

E S P R E S S O E A 

S N M P R E S E T 

WORDSEARCH ROMANCE 

WHO DOES WHAT AND 

WHERE QUIZ? 

1. Sonning Scouts 

2. Thames Valley Will Service 

3. Bridges Care Home 

4. The Mill at Sonning 

5. Muck & Mulch 

6. Mortgage Required Limited 

Natalia Riabchenko, dreamstime.com


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 


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 - March 2022 41

42 The Parish Magazine - March 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 

pam.elliston@talktalk.net / 0118 969 5967 

— Deputy Tower Captain: Rod Needham 

r06needham@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 16 

Active Security 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 26 

Blue Moose 8 

Bridge House 43 

Bridges Home Care 26 

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 32 

Kingfisher Bathrooms 26 

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 26 

Richfield Flooring 14 

Seniors Helping Seniors 12 

Shiplake College 14 

Signature Cliveden Manor Care Home 28 

Sonning Golf Club 32 

Sonning Scouts Marquees 30 

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 


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 - March Please 2022 mention The Parish Magazine when responding this advertisement 

The French Horn, 

Sonning. Quality. 

A continuing commitment to 

wonderful food and wine. 

0118 969 2204 

www.thefrenchhorn.co.uk

The Parish Magazine March 2022

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