21.04.2022 Views

The Parish Magazine May 2022

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 1<br />

<strong>The</strong><br />

<strong>Parish</strong><br />

<strong>Magazine</strong><br />

<strong>The</strong> John King Trophy and Gold Award<br />

Best <strong>Magazine</strong> of the Year 2018<br />

National <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> Awards<br />

Best Content 2021, 2016<br />

Best Overall 2020, 2015<br />

Best Editor 2019<br />

Best Print 2018<br />

Serving the communities of Charvil, Sonning & Sonning Eye since 1869<br />

<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> — Ascension<br />

Church of St Andrew<br />

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye<br />

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF<br />

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY


2 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to this advertisement<br />

For Sale<br />

For Sale: Old Bath Road<br />

Sold STC: Glebe Lane<br />

We have a proven track record for successful sales in Sonning.<br />

To discover our latest property listings, or to book a free valuation<br />

for your home, get in touch today.<br />

Feel at home with Haslams<br />

0118 960 1000


Serving the communities of Charvil, Sonning & Sonning Eye since 1869<br />

Church of St Andrew<br />

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 1<br />

<strong>The</strong> John King Trophy and Gold Award<br />

Best <strong>Magazine</strong> of the Year 2018<br />

National <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> Awards<br />

Best Content 2021, 2016<br />

Best Overall 2020, 2015<br />

Best Editor 2019<br />

Best Print 2018<br />

information — 1<br />

Contents <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

THE VICAR'S LETTER, 5<br />

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD<br />

— Churchyard mobility, 7<br />

— Platinum Jubilee, 7<br />

— For your prayers in <strong>May</strong>, 7<br />

— Christian Basics Part 4, 9<br />

— Ascension Day, 9<br />

— STAY, 10-11<br />

— On Reflection: Lamentations, 13<br />

— From the editor's desk, 13<br />

— <strong>The</strong> Persecuted Church, 15<br />

features<br />

— <strong>May</strong> matters, 17<br />

— Hedgehog signs, 19<br />

— Platinum events, 20-21<br />

— <strong>The</strong> War in Ukraine, 22-23<br />

— World Turtle Day®, 25<br />

around the villages<br />

— Art for the Jubilee, 27<br />

— Pearson Hall AGM, 27<br />

— S&SE outing, 27<br />

— Horticultural shows, 29<br />

— Knit a Corgi, 29<br />

— Village Rounders, 29<br />

history, 31<br />

HEALTH<br />

— Dr Simon Ruffle, 33<br />

HOME & GARDEn<br />

— Feeding for the future, 35<br />

— In the garden, 35<br />

THE ARTS<br />

— Dick Bouts meal, 37<br />

— Book Reviews, 37<br />

— Poetry Corner, 38<br />

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER<br />

<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> — Ascension<br />

<strong>The</strong><br />

<strong>Parish</strong><br />

<strong>Magazine</strong><br />

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF<br />

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY<br />

<strong>The</strong> Ark Garden in 'Jubilee purple' bloom.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Ark was officially opened 5 years ago<br />

on Sunday 7 <strong>May</strong> 2017.<br />

Picture: Peter Rennie<br />

EDITORIAL DEADLINE<br />

<strong>The</strong> editorial deadline for every issue<br />

of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is 12 noon on<br />

the sixth day of the month prior to the<br />

date of publication.<br />

<strong>The</strong> deadline for the June<br />

issue of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is:<br />

Friday 6 <strong>May</strong> at 12 noon<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> online<br />

<strong>The</strong> most recent issues can be viewed at:<br />

http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk<br />

Earlier issues from 1869 onwards are<br />

stored in a secure online archive. If you<br />

wish to view these archives contact the<br />

editor who will authorise access for you:<br />

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 3<br />

Services at<br />

St Andrew’s<br />

Sunday 1 <strong>May</strong><br />

— 8.00am Holy Communion<br />

— 10.30am Family Service<br />

— 4.00pm Choral Evensong<br />

followed by tea in <strong>The</strong> Ark<br />

Sunday 8 <strong>May</strong><br />

— 8.00am Holy Communion<br />

— 10.30am <strong>Parish</strong> Eucharist with<br />

STAY and Sunday Club<br />

Sunday 15 <strong>May</strong><br />

— 8.00am Holy Communion<br />

— 10.30am Family Communion<br />

— 3.00pm Messy Church in <strong>The</strong> Ark<br />

Sunday 22 <strong>May</strong><br />

— 8.00am Holy Communion<br />

— 10.30am <strong>Parish</strong> Eucharist<br />

— 6.00pm Sunday at Six in <strong>The</strong><br />

Ark with refreshments served<br />

on arrival from 5.50pm.<br />

Sunday after Ascension 29 <strong>May</strong><br />

— 8.00am Holy Communion<br />

— 10.30am <strong>Parish</strong> Eucharist<br />

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES<br />

Morning Prayer is held in church<br />

every Tuesday at 9.30am.<br />

Mid-week Communion in <strong>The</strong> Ark is<br />

held every Wednesday at 10.00am. Tea<br />

and coffee is available following the<br />

service.<br />

Home Communion at Signature at<br />

Sonning is held on the first Monday<br />

of each month at 11.00am. Visitors<br />

must comply with the care home's<br />

Covid restrictions so please check with<br />

Signature at least four days before.<br />

the sciences<br />

— Spirit of Humility, 38<br />

PUZZLE PAGE, 39<br />

children's page, 41<br />

information<br />

— Church services, 3<br />

— From the registers, 3<br />

— <strong>Parish</strong> contacts, 42<br />

— Advertisers index, 42<br />

From the register<br />

BAPTISMs<br />

— Sunday 13 March, Cameron Robert Baer<br />

FUNERALs<br />

— Friday 25 March, Jean Collin, Interment of ashes in the churchyard<br />

— Friday 8 April, Vanessa Louise Jones, at Easthampstead Park Crematorium


4 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to this advertisement<br />

BOOKING NOW<br />

DIRECTED<br />

BY<br />

BRIAN<br />

BLESSED<br />

28 APR - 25 JUN 30 JUN - 20 AUG<br />

THE WATERWHEEL BAR<br />

Open Tuesday - Sunday 11am - 5pm<br />

for Hot Bar Food, Homemade Cakes<br />

& Artisan Coffee.<br />

Come and treat yourself to a scrumptious lunch<br />

in the most beautiful setting.<br />

8 SEP - 5 NOV<br />

FIND (0118) OUT 969 7082 MORE<br />

PLEASE FIND FULL MENU ONLINE<br />

millatsonning.com/millang


<strong>The</strong> vicar's letter<br />

DEAR FRIENDS,<br />

As a child of the 80's I grew up as a huge fan of the TV series, <strong>The</strong> A Team. On<br />

a Friday or Saturday night it was staple viewing, back when we only had thee<br />

channels and no video machine! My favourite character was Hannibal Smith,<br />

the cigar smoking leader of the group of mercenaries and his famous catch<br />

phrase was 'I love it when a plan comes together.' Bizarrely, from 40 years ago, this<br />

came into my mind the other evening when I witnessed our STAY on Friday<br />

youth group in full flow in <strong>The</strong> Ark and garden with 62 young people all having<br />

a wonderful time. Indeed, on numerous occasions over the last five years, since<br />

<strong>The</strong>resa <strong>May</strong> opened the Ark on 7 <strong>May</strong> 2017 in the middle of a general election,<br />

I have had reason to recall Hannibal’s words, whether it be at our Rendezvous<br />

lunches, Messy Church, lively post service fellowship, Sunday Club, funeral and<br />

baptism receptions and much else besides.<br />

In addition, the provision of the parish office, a meeting room and a vicar’s<br />

study has been a literal God send and we are now so much more efficient in<br />

running this busy and growing parish.<br />

A DEEPER MEANING<br />

<strong>The</strong> name '<strong>The</strong> Ark' was an obvious choice but on a personal level it has<br />

a deeper meaning for me. <strong>The</strong> biblical story of Noah being called to build an<br />

ark, miles from the sea, with all the scepticism and perhaps even ridicule<br />

that resulted, rang a bell or two as we sought to sell the idea of new facilities<br />

and gain permissions and funding. From my earliest days here I was aware<br />

that if we were to become the church that had been aspired to in the <strong>Parish</strong><br />

Profile document produced in 2008 to recruit a new vicar, we would need a new<br />

building. It took 8 years to lay the groundwork and bring it to fruition and I<br />

don’t mind admitting that, at times, the anxiety and stress was almost too<br />

much to bear. That said, achieving anything worthwhile is going to be difficult<br />

and so that was no surprise.<br />

I think it is worth restating that every penny of the final cost of the building<br />

and landscaping was raised by the fund raising committee, not, as is sometimes<br />

mistakenly reported, through selling parish land. Through patient hard slog,<br />

grants were awarded, gifts were given and funds were raised at numerous<br />

events. At times, as the costs inevitably increased, it felt almost overwhelming,<br />

but throughout, there was one verse from the Psalms that kept me sane:<br />

'Be still and know that I am God' (Ps 46).<br />

THE PLAN THAT CAME TOGETHER<br />

As I look back on the whole project it is striking how much God was at work.<br />

In October 2013, it seemed like the planning application was in serious trouble<br />

because of the extensive root system of two large trees that were in the middle<br />

of what is now the garden. <strong>The</strong>re was a storm, and as one tree collapsed, it took<br />

the other one with it, without damaging any graves or buildings. Despite the<br />

jokes that I was out there with a chain saw — I was in France at the time! — it<br />

really did feel like things were starting to go our way. <strong>The</strong>n, the week before<br />

the grand opening, with £150,000 still to raise, I was astonished to receive a<br />

call to tell me that a letter sent many months before to a philanthropist who<br />

I had never met and who had no idea how much money we had left to raise,<br />

was giving us £100,000. Two days later, a cheque arrived for £50,000, again<br />

from someone I didn’t know and who knew nothing of how much we needed.<br />

I remind myself of that miraculous happening when times are tough or when<br />

God might feel remote. Our church was truly blessed through this project<br />

and I believe this is because <strong>The</strong> Ark has enabled us to now properly fulfil our<br />

calling as Christians to be a blessing to the communities we are called to serve.<br />

However, there can be no resting on our laurels. <strong>The</strong>re is always more to be<br />

done and, under God, I believe we are now well equipped for the task.<br />

Warm wishes.<br />

Jamie<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 5


6 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

©Alice Morgan Photography<br />

Summer Issue<br />

| Hair Cutting and Beauty <strong>The</strong>rapy<br />

| Experts in Colouring and Permanent Waving<br />

| Hairdressing for Men, Women and Children<br />

@stylebyjulieReading<br />

@stylebyjulie<br />

@stylebyjulieRG<br />

Private Hair<br />

and Beauty Salon<br />

Badgers Rise,<br />

Woodley, Reading,<br />

RG5 3AJ<br />

0118 4378178<br />

salon@stylebyjulie.co.uk<br />

www.stylebyjulie.co.uk<br />

Banish limescale with a<br />

TwinTec Water Softener<br />

• Enjoy a scale-free kitchen and bathrooms<br />

• Protect and improve the efficiency<br />

of your boiler<br />

• Lower your energy bills<br />

• Reduce time spent cleaning<br />

• Enjoy softer skin and shinier hair<br />

No buttons or routine maintenance: it’s easy<br />

Call for a free installation<br />

survey or quote<br />

Twyford: 0118 9344485<br />

Finchampstead: 0118 9733110<br />

thamesvalleywatersofteners.co.uk<br />

10<br />

YEAR<br />

GUARANTEE<br />

THAMES VALLEY<br />

WATER SOFTENERS


the parish noticeboard — 1<br />

Notices<br />

Churchyard mobility<br />

We have a lovely churchyard that<br />

is also rather large. <strong>The</strong> distance<br />

from our small car park and other<br />

entrances to either the church or<br />

<strong>The</strong> Ark is not inconsiderable for<br />

those with mobility issues. <strong>The</strong> PCC’s<br />

‘Everybody Welcome’ agenda focuses<br />

continuously on how we can make<br />

our church more welcoming and<br />

hospitable and with this in mind I<br />

am delighted to tell you of a recent<br />

decision of the PCC.<br />

We will be purchasing a four<br />

seater, electric golf buggy that will<br />

enable those who are elderly or frail<br />

to comfortably make the journey. A<br />

rota of approved volunteer drivers<br />

will be established and all is covered<br />

by existing church insurance.<br />

<strong>The</strong> total costs are being<br />

generously met by Christina<br />

Goodacre, in memory of her late<br />

husband, Peter, and by Janet<br />

Robson, in thanksgiving for the<br />

work of our church.<br />

<strong>The</strong> plan is to formally inaugurate<br />

the vehicle as part of our Jubilee<br />

celebrations on 5 June, although it<br />

may be in use before then.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 7<br />

Mothering Sunday: Thanks t0 (left to right) Ellie, Molly, Penny and Liz, every<br />

lady attending the 10.30am Mothering Sunday service received a posy of<br />

spring flowers. <strong>The</strong> floral four, helped by Liz's husband Dave, made over 100!<br />

Platinum Jubilee<br />

In addition to the Scarecrow Festival<br />

and other celebrations across<br />

the parish, we will be hosting a<br />

community service of celebration<br />

on 5 June at 11am. <strong>The</strong> 103rd<br />

Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord<br />

Carey, will be preaching. This will<br />

be followed by a drinks reception in<br />

<strong>The</strong> Ark garden, all finishing before<br />

the Sonning village street party gets<br />

underway.<br />

Special floral arrangements will<br />

fill the church for the Bank Holiday<br />

weekend, provided by our wedding<br />

and funeral florist, Nicky Watters.<br />

Jamie<br />

Peter Renniee<br />

FIVE YEARS ON: Officially opened 5 years ago this month, <strong>The</strong> Ark at St<br />

Andrew's Church, and its garden, will be the setting for a Platinum Jubilee<br />

reception after a community celebration to mark Her Majesty <strong>The</strong> Queen's<br />

Platinum Jubilee. <strong>The</strong> special service of thanksgiving will start at 11am on<br />

Sunday 5 June in the presence of the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord<br />

Carey, who will be preaching.<br />

For your prayers in <strong>May</strong><br />

— For all who use <strong>The</strong> Ark at St Andrew's Church<br />

— For the Falkland Island conflict veterans, 40 years on<br />

— All parish plans for the Platinum Jubilee next month<br />

— For all who are thinking about being confirmed in November<br />

Catwoman10, dreamstime.com


8 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

TAKE AWAY<br />

FISH AND CHIPS £10<br />

BOOK A BEAUTIFUL<br />

NIGHT STAY WITH<br />

US.<br />

RECEIVE 15% OFF<br />

QUOTE THE CODE<br />

FST1845<br />

<strong>The</strong> Bull Inn, Sonning on Thames<br />

Berkshire RG4 6UP, T: 0118 969 3901<br />

e: bullinn@fullers.co.uk www.bullinnsonning.co.uk<br />

Gardiner’s Homecare is an established family<br />

business that has been serving the local community<br />

since 1968. Proudly supporting people to continue<br />

to enjoy living independent lives in their own homes<br />

for as long as possible.<br />

Our team of experienced care workers can provide<br />

help with personal care, medication, overnight stays,<br />

housework, companionship and much more. You will be<br />

assigned your own Care Manager who will work closely<br />

with you to ensure you receive the care and support<br />

that is tailored to your personal wishes and needs.<br />

For more information, contact us on<br />

0118 334 7474<br />

www.thebmgc.com<br />

10% of the value of your first order will be donated to the new community hall fund when you quote Ref: BMGC-CH<br />

• Pull-up banners<br />

• Point of sale<br />

• Window graphics<br />

• Vehicle livery<br />

• PVC banners<br />

• Posters<br />

• Corporate branding<br />

• Graphic design<br />

• Installation services<br />

• Shop signage<br />

• Exhibition systems<br />

• Signage for commerce<br />

• Bespoke wall coverings<br />

For cost effective, locally produced, quality graphics call us on 0118 934 5016<br />

<strong>The</strong> Homestead, Park Lane, Charvil, Reading RG10 9TR<br />

email: sales@thebmgc.com


the parish noticeboard — 2<br />

Christian Basics — Part 4<br />

Rev Paul Hardingham's series on the foundations of the Christian faith<br />

Why the Cross?<br />

Indy Biddulph<br />

<strong>The</strong> cross is a picture of violence, yet the key to peace;<br />

a picture of suffering, yet the key to healing;<br />

a picture of death, yet the key to life;<br />

a picture of utter weakness, yet the key to power;<br />

a picture of capital punishment, yet the key to mercy and<br />

forgiveness;<br />

a picture of vicious hatred, yet the key to love;<br />

a picture of supreme shame, yet the Christian’s supreme boast.<br />

THE KEY<br />

<strong>The</strong> cross really is the key to everything! Although a<br />

horrifying instrument of torture and death, it is also a<br />

symbol of love and peace. On the cross Jesus died to deal<br />

with the problem of our sin and defeat the powers of<br />

death and evil. He identified with our sufferings and set<br />

us an example of self-sacrificial love.<br />

As Peter writes, ‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the<br />

tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by<br />

his wounds you have been healed . . . Christ died for sins once<br />

for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God’<br />

(1 Peter 2:24, 3:18)<br />

Jesus died in our place on the cross and took away our guilt,<br />

to pay the full penalty for our sin. Access to God’s presence<br />

is now open to all, symbolised by the Temple curtain being<br />

torn in two from top to bottom. <strong>The</strong> barrier between us and<br />

God was torn down in order ‘to bring us to God’.<br />

THE BRIDGE<br />

Jesus is the bridge providing access between us and<br />

God. ‘If Jesus Christ is to be our Saviour then he must be<br />

able to place a hand upon a pardoning God and another hand<br />

on a penitent sinner and draw them together in an act of<br />

reconciliation’ (Bishop Handley Moule).<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 9<br />

Ascension: Thursday 26 <strong>May</strong><br />

Where<br />

did<br />

Jesus<br />

go?<br />

In Salvador Dali’s<br />

picture of Jesus’<br />

ascension (shown<br />

right on a postage<br />

stamp) all you can<br />

see are his feet! As<br />

we celebrate the<br />

Olga Popova, dreamstime.com<br />

event this month,<br />

it prompts the question ‘where did Jesus go?’ Peter says<br />

Jesus ‘has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand’ (1<br />

Peter 3:22). However, the New Testament tells us three<br />

things about what Jesus is doing at the Father’s side.<br />

At Pentecost Peter said that Jesus is ‘exalted to the right<br />

hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised<br />

Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear…<br />

<strong>The</strong> Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand' (Acts 2: 33 -4).<br />

Peter is affirming Jesus’ position of authority and power<br />

at the heart of the universe. By pouring out the gift of the<br />

Holy Spirit upon us, Jesus gives us a foretaste of the life<br />

of heaven — eternal life, forgiveness, healing, release and<br />

God’s provision for our lives.<br />

LIVING WITH REALITY<br />

When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was being<br />

stoned to death by the Jewish authorities he points out, ‘I<br />

see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of<br />

God.’ (Acts 7:56). Our experience of heaven is only ever partial,<br />

as we live with the reality of suffering and setbacks. However,<br />

Jesus is still on the throne! We are called to trust him daily.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Bible also tells us that ‘Christ Jesus who died….is<br />

interceding for us.’ (Romans 8:34, cf Hebrews 7:25).<br />

Even when we don’t know how to pray, we have the<br />

assurance that Jesus is already praying for us! He knows<br />

our needs even better than we do ourselves, so when we<br />

feel condemned or defeated in our Christian lives, we have<br />

somebody on our side!<br />

TRANSCENDS AND EMBRACES<br />

<strong>The</strong> Ascension reminds us that the risen Jesus lives in<br />

the immediate presence of God, and both transcends and<br />

embraces our present experience. This truth lies at the heart<br />

of the 'up' language used to describe the event.<br />

‘Heaven relates to earth tangentially so that the One who is in<br />

heaven can be present simultaneously anywhere and everywhere<br />

on earth: the ascension therefore means that Jesus is available,<br />

accessible, without people having to travel to a particular spot on<br />

the earth to find him.’ (Tom Wright).


10 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

the parish noticeboard — 3<br />

STAY IN THE CLASSROOM, ON<br />

STAY on Sunday<br />

Our group that meets every 2nd,<br />

4th & 5th Sunday of each month<br />

continues to deepen faith, challenge<br />

world views and grow our confidence<br />

in who God is and who he calls us to<br />

be in the world. Most recently<br />

we have looked at the theme of<br />

relationships and covered<br />

topics such as: ‘Is it ever ok<br />

to judge others?’ and ‘What<br />

is our relationship with<br />

our phone like?’ <strong>The</strong> young<br />

people were shocked to<br />

learn that the first mobile<br />

phones didn’t have the<br />

internet, didn’t have snap<br />

chat or instagram, they<br />

barely worked as a phone<br />

sometimes with poor<br />

reception in many places!<br />

STAY in Schools<br />

As part of the STAY youth work we<br />

continued this month with our work<br />

in all four local schools through<br />

assemblies and mentoring. Plus we had<br />

the privilege of being part of the values<br />

day at Sonning School and a special<br />

prayer activity with Piggott students.<br />

Values Day at Sonning<br />

On Thursday 24 March, I had the<br />

privilege of helping at Sonning<br />

School with their ‘School Values Day’.<br />

We covered curiosity and respect<br />

with years 3 and 4 and we looked at<br />

courage and aspiration with years<br />

5 and 6. Some of the answers to the<br />

questions were simply brilliant and<br />

at times humorous:<br />

Q: What are you scared of?<br />

A: 'Smelly cheese', 'Spiders' and<br />

'Roller coasters'.<br />

Q: What are you interested in?<br />

A: 'Tech', 'Bugs and insects' and 'God'.<br />

Prayers for Ukraine<br />

Our work at <strong>The</strong> Piggott School Wargrave continues<br />

to help grow and embed the school's Christian values<br />

and vision among the students. This month we had the<br />

privilege of leading students in writing positive thoughts,<br />

messages of hope and prayers, on blue and yellow leaves,<br />

for the people of Ukraine. We then took their leaves<br />

and added them to the reflection room tree.<br />

To chat to Westy<br />

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk<br />

0794 622 4106<br />

STAY D<br />

Thursday<br />

lemonade<br />

weather, t<br />

STAY<br />

We ha<br />

fun, ga<br />

want t<br />

We<br />

you wo


<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 11<br />

THE STREETS, AND AT HOME IN THE ARK<br />

etached Project<br />

's Detached Project in Charvil moved from serving 45 hot chocolates, to 45 cold<br />

s, back to 45 hot chocolates within a week as we had a few days of balmy 18°C<br />

hen straight back to 5°C the following week!<br />

on Friday<br />

d record numbers at STAY on Friday this month with a whopping 62 young people attending one week. This was a fantastic evening of<br />

mes, yummy baked treats and a final thought on the question; ‘When is it OK to be competitive and how should we behave when we<br />

o win?' Youth club continues to be from 6.45pm-8.15pm in <strong>The</strong> Ark, every Friday in term time.<br />

also had a wonderful response, so far, to people donating and sponsoring the new equipment for our second upper room in <strong>The</strong> Ark. If<br />

uld like to donate any amount, please get in touch with Hilary in the church office on office@sonningparish.org.uk — thanks!


12 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

Independent And FREE Advice For All Individual & Company Members<br />

• Switch to an alternative scheme – If you are currently insured, switching to a competitor can mean substantially lower rates<br />

• Pre-existing conditions covered – It is often possible to include pre-existing medical conditions currently covered by your existing provider<br />

• Improve your coverage – We can frequently improve your cover whilst also lowering the cost of your premium<br />

• Complexities of different schemes – In many cases, people are over insured – we can ensure you are covered with a scheme that<br />

meets your individual needs and requirements<br />

• Full cover for cancer treatment – Many polices do not cover cancer in full – we are able to advise on your current level of coverage<br />

For further information, please call Steve Maguire at M&L Healthcare Solutions:-<br />

PHONE 01628 945944 or 01223 881779<br />

Email: steve.maguire@mlhs.co.uk<br />

quoting ref: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />

M&L Healthcare Solutions is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Reference number 554206)<br />

A.D.D. Plumbing & Heating<br />

THE FUNERAL PEOPLE<br />

A FAMILY BUSINESS SERVING<br />

SONNING SINCE 1826<br />

READING 0118 957 3650<br />

HENLEY 01491 413434<br />

CAVERSHAM 0118 947 7007<br />

ALSO AT MAIDENHEAD, BRACKNELL, WOKINGHAM, THATCHAM<br />

TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY FUNERAL<br />

SERVICE AND DIRECT CREMATION<br />

FLORAL DESIGN & MONUMENTAL MASONRY<br />

PRE-PAID FUNERALS, LATER LIFE LEGAL SERVICES<br />

BEREAVEMENT CARE<br />

WWW.ABWALKER.CO.UK<br />

SELECTED<br />

Independent<br />

FUNERAL HOMES<br />

Heating installation, servicing & repairs<br />

All domestic plumbing<br />

Free written estimates<br />

No job too small<br />

Local and fully insured<br />

References available<br />

0118 934 4624 or 07932 072912<br />

www.addplumbingsolutions.co.uk<br />

In-Home Services for<br />

Seniors by Seniors.<br />

We provide friendly and dependable seniors to help<br />

with services such as light housework, transportation,<br />

shopping, personal care, companionship...and much<br />

more. It’s like getting a little help from your friends.<br />

Contact us today 01628 302 132<br />

For more information contact:<br />

steve@seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk<br />

www.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk


the parish noticeboard — 4<br />

On reflection . . .<br />

Lamentations<br />

By Elizabeth Spiers<br />

An ancient map ofJerusalem Mihail Ivanov, dreamstime.com<br />

Lamentations is not an easy read. Perhaps you’ve been<br />

tempted to skip it. It’s about the aftermath of a national<br />

disaster caused by sin. Thought to be written by Jeremiah,<br />

it laments — gives passionate expression to sorrow or grief<br />

— the devastating results of God’s judgement.<br />

In five poems, Jeremiah tells of the complete and utter<br />

desolation of the once proud city of Jerusalem. This didn’t<br />

come out of the blue. God isn’t like that. He sent many<br />

prophets, including Jeremiah, with messages to warn the<br />

people to repent but the warnings fell on deaf ears. Now that<br />

it had happened, the results of God’s judgement were raw and<br />

desperate. It is shocking to read in chapter 4:10 that mothers<br />

were so hungry they ate their own children.<br />

<strong>The</strong> important message of Lamentations is that we cannot<br />

keep disobeying God and his word and think that God will<br />

ignore it. It is right to grieve over the sin that has wrecked<br />

havoc in our lives resulting in a broken home perhaps or a<br />

prison sentence. We don’t do much lamenting these days<br />

but this book shows us that we must take responsibility<br />

for the consequences we are now enduring. We know God<br />

is merciful and gracious. We often overlook that he is also<br />

righteous and holy, wanting obedience from his children<br />

and reserving the right to discipline us when we go astray.<br />

In Ezekiel 34:14, God says he is a ‘jealous’ God. We are not to<br />

worship anyone or anything other than him.<br />

LEARN TO TRUST<br />

In the middle of his lamentations, Jeremiah finds the<br />

strength of hope in the Lord. 'Because of the Lord’s great love,<br />

we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. <strong>The</strong>y are<br />

new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself,<br />

'<strong>The</strong> Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' <strong>The</strong> Lord<br />

is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him<br />

(Lamentations 3:22–25). Jeremiah tells us how to pray with<br />

hope in the midst of our self-induced suffering. He clings to<br />

the truth that regardless of the suffering he sees around him,<br />

God is still on his throne and that he still loves his people.<br />

We always have hope in God. Every new morning brings<br />

a new opportunity to start afresh. We are in control of our<br />

time and the decisions we make. We must learn to trust God<br />

while we still can’t see the way forward. And God’s mercies<br />

are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness toward<br />

those who cry out to him and seek him in their sorrows. He is<br />

the binder of broken hearts. He will never turn away anyone<br />

who cries out to him.<br />

From the desk<br />

of the editor<br />

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk<br />

Why there is always<br />

space for God . . .<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 13<br />

Sitting at my desk before starting work on this issue, I had<br />

in mind to include an article about sea creatures called<br />

manatees which look similar to the walrus but are more<br />

closely related to the elephant. <strong>The</strong>ir history goes back<br />

to the beginning of time and is mentioned in the Bible<br />

frequently in the account of the Israelite's journey from<br />

captivity in Egypt to their Promised Land. In the Bible<br />

manatees are called sea cows and their skins were used as<br />

waterproof coverings to protect valuable items used in the<br />

worship of God. We can only assume that the Israelites ate<br />

them — they are said to taste like 'corned beef' or 'pork',<br />

the latter being strange because pork is a forbidden food<br />

for the Jewish people.<br />

THE INSIDE STORIES<br />

However, as you can see inside, two other articles about<br />

creatures that were around in Biblical times and are also<br />

still with us today, namely hedgehogs (page 19) and sea<br />

turtles (page 25) have come to the top of the list, so the<br />

manatees idea remains on my desk!<br />

Hedgehogs and sea turtles, despite surviving for<br />

millions of years are facing uncertain futures because of<br />

environmental changes and hunting them for food or, in<br />

the case of turtles, their valuable shells. <strong>The</strong> organisers of<br />

World Turtle Day® on 23 <strong>May</strong>, say that about 61% of turtles<br />

worldwide are threatened or already extinct. <strong>The</strong>ir aim is<br />

to raise worldwide awareness of the situation and so try to<br />

save them from extinction.<br />

Hedgehogs, although good for our gardens, are facing<br />

a similar decline in numbers but in their case we can help<br />

reverse the decline by simply making our gardens and<br />

community more friendly, and safer, places for them to live<br />

in and to visit.<br />

THE WAY FORWARD<br />

Turtles and hedgehogs, are, of course, only two of the<br />

many serious issues facing our world which are being<br />

caused by human greed and selfishness. <strong>The</strong> war in Ukraine<br />

and the persecution of millions people because of their<br />

religious beliefs in other parts of the world are prime<br />

examples of even more serious issues. <strong>The</strong>re are so many<br />

bad things going on in our world today that is difficult to<br />

see where we are heading, and what will happen next.<br />

<strong>The</strong> good news is that despite all the changes going on<br />

around us, there is one unchanging source of hope that has<br />

been with us, not for millions of years like the hedgehogs<br />

and turtles but for about 4.5 billion years when the earth<br />

was created. That source is, of course, God. And this is why<br />

I never limit the number of articles about God's love for us<br />

in this magazine. As Elizabeth Spiers writes in the adjacent<br />

column, 'We must learn to trust God while we still can't see the<br />

way forward.'


14 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

• Top brand name flooring at the lowest price<br />

• Samples to view in your home/office day/evening<br />

Sunday 15 <strong>May</strong> 2O2222<br />

A magical family day out including quidditch,<br />

butterbeer in the Great Hall, birds of prey on the<br />

lawn, potion-making, wand lessons, fancy dress<br />

competition and other wizarding activities.<br />

£10 for ages 4-16 (additional £3 for Quidditch ages 6-12)<br />

Children aged 0-3 and adults go free!<br />

For further details and to book tickets go to<br />

www.shiplake.org.uk/magicatshiplake<br />

• Free Advice / FreeQuotes<br />

• Old flooring uplifted & furniture moved<br />

• Fast turn around on fitting if required<br />

• Carpet, design and wood flooring specialists<br />

We supply and install: Amtico<br />

Carpets - Laminate - Wood - Vinyl<br />

Non-slip and more...<br />

Tel: 0118 958 0445<br />

10 Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8EQ<br />

info@richfieldflooring.co.uk/www.richfieldflooring.eo.uk


the parish noticeboard — 5<br />

Below, an impression of the tensions<br />

experienced by Christians in Pakistan<br />

are followed by an appeal giving the<br />

opportunity to support Christian<br />

children going through school in<br />

Pakistan.<br />

An incident in Lahore in February<br />

resulted in a murder case being<br />

brought against 150 to 200 Muslims.<br />

An altercation with a Christian<br />

shopkeeper was reported to the police<br />

and was settled. However, the next day<br />

a mob of up to 200 Muslims went to<br />

the shop armed with clubs, iron bars<br />

and guns. <strong>The</strong> shopkeeper was hit on<br />

the head with a brick and died of his<br />

injuries.<br />

<strong>The</strong> previous day Pakistan’s Prime<br />

Minister, Imran Khan, said that his<br />

government had 'zero tolerance' for<br />

anyone taking the law into their<br />

own hands. He was responding to<br />

a mob lynching of a man accused of<br />

'blasphemy' in Punjab.<br />

Mr Khan’s words were echoed by<br />

the special representative to the Prime<br />

Minister on Religious Harmony, Hafiz<br />

Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi,<br />

who said that the culture of being<br />

'judge, jury and executioner' could<br />

no longer continue, and that no one<br />

should think of 'running the country as<br />

per their own desires'.<br />

An article in <strong>The</strong> Spectator on<br />

1 April suggested that Mr Khan’s<br />

presidency may be coming to an end<br />

since he had lost his majority in the<br />

National Assembly. <strong>The</strong> writer, Kunwar<br />

Khuldune Sahid, points out that in the<br />

75 year history of the country not one<br />

of the prime ministers has served their<br />

5 year term.<br />

A vote of no confidence was due to<br />

take place on Sunday 3 April.<br />

However, prior to a vote taking<br />

place, Mr Khan dissolved parliament<br />

and called fresh elections. <strong>The</strong> deputy<br />

speaker had refused to accept the<br />

motion against him. Mr Khan alleged<br />

that the vote was a 'foreign conspiracy'.<br />

<strong>The</strong> information minister has<br />

confirmed that Mr Khan remains as<br />

prime minister, until elections are held<br />

in 90 days from 3 April.<br />

Kunwar Sahid reported in an earlier<br />

article in <strong>The</strong> Spectator that there<br />

has been a rise in jihadist attacks in<br />

Pakistan.<br />

He says that the recent spate in<br />

jihadist violence has been claimed by<br />

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).<br />

In January a Christian priest was<br />

shot dead by gunmen in Peshawar<br />

while going home from mass. TTP and<br />

affiliated groups bombed churches<br />

across Pakistan in recent years.<br />

A Muslim man tried to break a large<br />

concrete cross on top of a church in the<br />

Christian community of Green Town,<br />

Lahore.<br />

Failing to dislodge it, he sat on it<br />

and chanted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is<br />

the greatest), the traditional Islamic<br />

affirmation which is often used by<br />

jihadists when they attack. A crowd<br />

gathered in the street but there was no<br />

violent response by the people.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 15<br />

<strong>The</strong> Persecuted Church by Colin Bailey<br />

Pray for children, peace and stability in Pakistan<br />

FORWARD<br />

Deanpictures, dreamstime.com<br />

Outside Copenhagen Town Hall candles are lit during a vigil for Pakistan peace<br />

FORWARD<br />

Please pray for peace and stability<br />

within Pakistan, in the light of the<br />

political uncertainty, and for security<br />

for all Pakistan’s citizens in particular<br />

at-risk minorities including the<br />

Christian community.<br />

FORWARD<br />

More than 11,000 poor Christian<br />

children attend Christian schools<br />

in Pakistan supported by Barnabas<br />

Fund. Thanks to that support, the<br />

schools can charge minimal fees.<br />

This makes it affordable for the<br />

parents, who work in low-paid jobs<br />

such as labouring, domestic service, or<br />

brick kilns.<br />

<strong>The</strong> free schools provided by the<br />

Pakistan government are usually very<br />

tough for Christian children, who<br />

are made to feel so inferior and face<br />

pressures so great that some drop out<br />

of education altogether, since their<br />

parents cannot afford private schools.<br />

If you would like to donate to the<br />

Christian Schools in Pakistan project<br />

(Ref. 41-1209), please follow the<br />

bottom link below or call Barnabas<br />

Fund on<br />

0800 587 4006 or 0167 256 5031<br />

References and further reading:<br />

Killing of Christian shopkeeper (Barnabas Fund article) - https://www.barnabasfund.org/gb/news/over-150-pakistani-muslims-face-murder-accusation-following-killing-of-c/<br />

Imran Khan (<strong>The</strong> Spectator) - https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-this-the-end-of-imran-khanapr/03/pakistan-imran-khan-parliament-vote-no-confidence-early-elections<br />

Christian schools in Pakistan (Barnabas Fund article) - https://www.barnabasfund.org/gb/latest-needs/christian-schools-in-pakistan-your-donation-gives-christian-children-hap/<br />

Christians living in terror (<strong>The</strong> Spectator) - https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/pakistan-s-christians-are-living-in-terror<strong>The</strong> example of Pakistan’s Christians (Barnabas Fund article) -<br />

https://www.barnabasfund.org/gb/news/editorial-pakistan-s-christians-are-example-and-a-witness-to-their-natio/<br />

Vote of no confidence article (<strong>The</strong> Guardian) - https://www.theguardian.com/world/<strong>2022</strong>/apr/03/pakistan-imran-khan-parliament-vote-no-confidence-early-elections<br />

Vote of no confidence article (<strong>The</strong> Telegraph) - https://www.theguardian.com/world/<strong>2022</strong>/


16 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

<strong>The</strong> Window Cleaner<br />

• Interior & exterior<br />

• All windows, frames, sills & doors<br />

• Conservatory cleaning<br />

• Fully insured<br />

We provide a reliable, professional service, ensuring that your home<br />

will sparkle. For a free quote call or email<br />

07967 004426<br />

thewindowcleaner1@googlemail.com<br />

Whatever you want to store...<br />

...for whatever reason - house sale and purchase<br />

not coinciding, travelling, house building work,<br />

paperwork overload or even “de-cluttering” to<br />

sell your house more quickly - we offer a<br />

friendly and flexible local service.<br />

With competitive rates, secure storage<br />

and hassle free 24/7 access,<br />

contact us now!<br />

0118 940 4163<br />

www.barn-store.co.uk<br />

Only 5 minutes<br />

from Henley on<br />

the Reading road!<br />

With 35+ years of experience, the Active Domestic<br />

Appliances team have built an excellent<br />

reputation in and around the local area.<br />

Specialising in the repair of all makes and models<br />

of washing machine, washer dryer, tumble dryer,<br />

dishwasher, oven, hob and refrigeration they are<br />

Gas Safe registered and offer a 12 month<br />

warranty on parts and labour.<br />

Active Domestic Appliances have an extensive<br />

customer base working with letting agents,<br />

landlords, private schools, colleges, care homes<br />

and residential property owners.<br />

Fully insured and DBS checked.<br />

Contact us on:<br />

0118 931 2071<br />

0777 080 6129 (no sms)<br />

repairs@activedomestic.co.uk


feature — 1<br />

Make <strong>May</strong> the month<br />

that matters for you<br />

and those who matter<br />

Judging by the number of special days and weeks this month, <strong>May</strong> is certainly<br />

the time when we are prompted to remember and take action about the health<br />

and wellbeing of those we love, those we have special concerns for, those who<br />

help us, others in times of need, and ourselves. It is a month of awareness that<br />

looks at life from beginning to end while thanking some of the people who help<br />

us along the way.<br />

Traditionally in the UK, <strong>May</strong> begins<br />

with maypole celebrations that date<br />

back 2,000 years to about the time<br />

that Christianity began in the Middle<br />

East. Roman soldiers occupying<br />

the UK celebrated the change from<br />

the cold dark days of winter to the<br />

coming spring and summer, a type<br />

of climate they were probably more<br />

familiar with.<br />

<strong>The</strong>ir response was to dance<br />

around decorated trees to thank<br />

Flora, the Roman goddess of<br />

flowering plants.<br />

Sadly, today, in some parts of the<br />

world, the <strong>May</strong> Day celebrations are<br />

still celebrated by the military but with<br />

parades and displays of their tools of<br />

war, rather than the gifts of God.<br />

NEW BORN<br />

<strong>The</strong> new life in nature that the<br />

<strong>May</strong>pole celebrates heralds a month<br />

when we think and act for the health<br />

and wellbeing for the young, the<br />

elderly, the dying and the in between.<br />

<strong>The</strong> international Day of the<br />

Midwife is on 5 <strong>May</strong>. Sponsored by<br />

the World Health Organisation,<br />

this year's theme is: 'Midwives<br />

with women: celebrate, demonstrate,<br />

mobilize, unite.' <strong>The</strong> aim, says WHO,<br />

is to emphasize the importance<br />

of mobilizing communities and<br />

maintaining provision of essential<br />

health services, particularly as<br />

countries continue to respond to the<br />

Covid pandemic.<br />

Coupled with this, is Maternal<br />

Mental Health Awareness (2-8 <strong>May</strong>)<br />

Week which dedicated to talking<br />

about mental health problems<br />

during and after pregnancy. It’s aim<br />

is to raise public and professional<br />

awareness of perinatal mental health<br />

problems, advocating for women<br />

affected by it, changing attitudes<br />

and helping families access the<br />

information, care and support they<br />

need to recover.<br />

CHILDREN<br />

Our minds are then focussed<br />

on the needs of children and<br />

their wellbeing with Foster Care<br />

Fortnight from 9-22 <strong>May</strong>, in the<br />

middle of which is the National<br />

Children's Day on 16 <strong>May</strong>.<br />

Foster Care Fortnight is said<br />

to be the UK’s biggest foster care<br />

awareness raising campaign. It is<br />

organised by the Fostering Network.<br />

<strong>The</strong> campaign began in 1977 to<br />

'showcase the commitment, passion<br />

and dedication of foster carers.' It<br />

also supports fostering services to<br />

highlight the need for more foster<br />

carers. Thousands of new families<br />

are needed every year to care for<br />

children, with the greatest need<br />

being for foster carers for older<br />

children, sibling groups, disabled<br />

children and unaccompanied asylum<br />

seeking children.<br />

<strong>The</strong> reports we have been<br />

receiving from the Ukraine war<br />

suggest that the demand could be<br />

substantially increased.<br />

ADULTHOOD<br />

<strong>May</strong> is also the month when<br />

awareness of issues that not only<br />

affect the young, but people of<br />

all ages. For example, <strong>The</strong> Stroke<br />

Association has designated <strong>May</strong> as<br />

its annual stroke awareness month<br />

which is being promoted with the<br />

headline 'Make <strong>May</strong> Purple'— hence<br />

our purple heading above!<br />

<strong>The</strong> aim is to increase awareness<br />

of stroke, stroke prevention and<br />

treatment and to raise funds for<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 17<br />

Anna Denisova, dreamstime.com<br />

much needed research into this<br />

condition, and support for stroke<br />

survivors.<br />

<strong>May</strong> has also been declared<br />

the international measure your<br />

blood pressure month, and the<br />

international skin cancer awareness<br />

month.<br />

Led by the International Society<br />

of Hypertension this campaign has,<br />

in the past 3 years, screened around<br />

4 million people in 100 countries<br />

and found over a million people with<br />

inadequately treated hypertension.<br />

<strong>The</strong> international skin cancer<br />

campaign takes place every <strong>May</strong>.<br />

It aims to raise awareness of the<br />

dangers of unprotected sun exposure<br />

and educate people about the ways to<br />

help prevent skin cancer.<br />

Also in <strong>May</strong> is the Big Asthma<br />

Bake Sale so look out for, and<br />

support, groups baking and selling<br />

cakes to raise money for Asthma<br />

and Lung UK, a registered charity<br />

that funds vital research into this<br />

widespread complaint that affects<br />

the lives of over 8 million adults and<br />

children, that's about 12% of the<br />

population.<br />

From 3-8 <strong>May</strong>, it is also Deaf<br />

Awareness Week and from 17-22<br />

<strong>May</strong>, Dementia Awareness week<br />

— two further issues that are also<br />

widespread.<br />

TAKE A WALK<br />

But <strong>May</strong> is not only the month for<br />

raising awareness of several of the<br />

most serious problems facing us, and<br />

donating time and money to help, it<br />

is also about looking after our own<br />

health. Yes, <strong>May</strong> is walking month<br />

when we are all encouraged to step<br />

outside our cosy homes and enjoy<br />

the beauty of the open countryside<br />

in spring, which is a free gift from<br />

God who created it for our health and<br />

pleasure!<br />

Further information about all the campaigns<br />

mentioned in this article, and how to support<br />

them, can be found by searching online.


18 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

Thinking about<br />

Equity Release?<br />

<strong>The</strong>n speak to us first!<br />

Mortgage Required is a local, friendly award<br />

winning Equity Release Specialist who puts<br />

their clients first.<br />

We don’t spend thousands on expensive TV<br />

advertising or employ celebrities to represent us.<br />

This enables us to pass these savings on to you.<br />

We tick all the boxes<br />

Compare our low fees<br />

Whole of market<br />

Free first<br />

appointments<br />

Mortgage and Equity<br />

Release Advice<br />

Initial chat without providing<br />

personal details<br />

5 star<br />

Google reviews<br />

Typical<br />

Fees<br />

£599<br />

mortgagerequired.com<br />

01628 507477<br />

Finance House, 5 Bath Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 4AQ<br />

This is a lifetime mortgage to understand the features and risks, ask for a personalised illustration. <strong>The</strong>re will be no fee for Mortgage Advice. <strong>The</strong>re may be<br />

a fee for arranging a mortgage. <strong>The</strong> precise amount will depend upon your circumstances, but we estimate it to be £599. Mortgage Required Ltd, Finance<br />

House, 5 Bath Road, Maidenhead, SL6 4AQ is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority reference 573718 at www.fca.org.uk.


feature — 2<br />

<strong>The</strong> signs are<br />

looking good<br />

for Charvil’s<br />

hedgehogs!<br />

By Karen Ostrowski<br />

Have you noticed the hedgehog road<br />

signs that have recently appeared on<br />

Charvil’s roads?<br />

Last year, prompted by an increasing<br />

number of hedgehog fatalities on<br />

our roads and thinking that warning<br />

signs would help, local residents<br />

Sarah Swatridge, Dawn Brenton and I<br />

independently wrote to Wokingham<br />

Borough Council. We were fortunate<br />

to have the support of local councillor<br />

Sam Akhtar, who on our behalf, chased<br />

the relevant department of the council,<br />

and in March all our efforts came to<br />

fruition.<br />

SAFE HAVEN<br />

In the summer, responding to a plea<br />

from our local hedgehog rescue centre,<br />

Sarah, Dawn and I were fortunate to<br />

be in a position where we could each<br />

take on a release hedgehog in the hope<br />

of giving them a safe haven in our<br />

respective gardens.<br />

Dawn collected her hedgehog,<br />

Phoebe, I received another female<br />

called Twinkle and Sarah was given<br />

Arthur who had been orphaned as a<br />

baby and hand reared.<br />

'For my family', Dawn says, 'Seeing<br />

these endearing creatures visiting<br />

our garden and thriving in the area is<br />

one of the great things about living in<br />

Charvil.'<br />

Our release hedgehogs came from<br />

Herbie Hedgehog Rescue in Lower<br />

Earley, which is our nearest hedgehog<br />

rehabilitation centre. It is run by<br />

Shweta Saikumar (details below). We<br />

Karen, Dawn and Sarah, Charvil's hedgehog guardians<br />

happily watch the hedgehogs' nightly<br />

activities on our trail cameras.<br />

However, along with joy comes<br />

concern. Knowing that hedgehogs<br />

travel over a mile in the course of a<br />

night and desperately wanting our<br />

releases, along with our regular prickly<br />

garden visitors, to thrive, we came up<br />

with the idea of applying for the road<br />

signs.<br />

I am happy to report that more and<br />

more houses in Charvil are linking<br />

up their gardens with hedgehog<br />

highways — gaps in fences — to<br />

create a safe wildlife corridor, and I’m<br />

hoping that the new road signs will<br />

help to increase awareness of the local<br />

hedgehog population.<br />

As Sarah says, '<strong>The</strong>se signs take us<br />

a step closer to becoming Wokingham<br />

Borough’s first hedgehog friendly<br />

parish.'<br />

HOW TO HELP<br />

You can also help hedgehogs by<br />

support feeding with cat biscuits and<br />

leaving out bowls of water. Branded<br />

hedgehog foods are available, however,<br />

they are not regulated, so please<br />

check that they do not contain meal<br />

worms, sunflower seeds, nuts, raisins<br />

or honey, as these can be harmful to<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 19<br />

Janpietruszka, dreamstime.com<br />

15 MILLION YEARS OF HEDGEHOGS<br />

A hedgehog is any of the small spiny<br />

mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae<br />

and the order Insectivora. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />

15 species of hedgehog in four genera,<br />

found through parts of Europe, Asia,<br />

Africa, and New Zealand. <strong>The</strong>re are no<br />

hedgehogs native to the Americas or<br />

Australia. Hedgehogs have changed<br />

little over the last 15 million years<br />

and are mentioned in the Bible — for<br />

example, Isaiah 14:12. Like many of the<br />

first mammals they have adapted to a<br />

nocturnal, insectivorous way of life.<br />

hedgehogs. When gardening, please<br />

check the undergrowth before using a<br />

strimmer, never light a bonfire without<br />

a thorough search, and be mindful<br />

that some dogs attack hedgehogs.<br />

Other useful information can be<br />

found on the website of <strong>The</strong> British<br />

Hedgehog Preservation Society:<br />

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/<br />

SICK OR INJURED<br />

If you discover a sick or injured<br />

hedgehog, please contact Herbie<br />

Hedgehog Rescue as soon as possible,<br />

either by phone, 0759 879 4442,<br />

(leaving a voicemail), by text message<br />

or facebook message:<br />

http://www.facebook.com/herbiehedgehogrescue<br />

Arthur Sarah Swatridge Twinkle Karen Ostrowski Phoebe Dawn Brenton


20 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

PLATINUM JUBILEE EVENTS<br />

500 horses and 1,000 performers<br />

in 'very special' Jubilee celebration<br />

IN THE PRIVATE GROUNDS OF WINDSOR CASTLE FROM 12 - 15 MAY<br />

In celebration of Her Majesty <strong>The</strong> Queen’s Platinum Jubilee,<br />

a very special event is being held in the private grounds of<br />

Windsor Castle from 12 - 15 <strong>May</strong>.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Celebration will involve more than 500 horses and 1,000<br />

performers who will create a 90-minute piece of spellbinding<br />

arena theatre. Taking part will be actors and artists, musicians,<br />

international military displays from the Commonwealth,<br />

Viacheslav Nemyrivskyi, dreamstime.com<br />

Europe and our own armed forces, dancers and global<br />

equestrian displays.<br />

And the good news is that this special Jubilee celebration<br />

will be open to the public, although you will need to book in<br />

advance.<br />

To find out more, go to:<br />

https://platinumjubilee.com/platinum-jubilee-celebration<br />

A 'great variety' of<br />

Jubilee Scarecrows<br />

are heading for<br />

Sonning . . .<br />

Barbara Carr, one of the organisers of the forthcoming<br />

Scarecrow trail for the Jubilee celebrations in Sonning<br />

Village, sends this update:<br />

Thank you so much to all those who are opening their gardens,<br />

have offered to help, and to all who have registered Scarecrows<br />

— we have a great variety!<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is still time to enter a Scarecrow so get on the phone<br />

or e-mail me now! We have room for more Scarecrows from<br />

individuals and from organisations. <strong>The</strong> last date to register<br />

is Friday 20 <strong>May</strong>. If you are not registered your scarecrow will<br />

will not be on the Trail Map that thousands of visitors will be<br />

following on Thursday 2 June and Friday 3 June from 10am<br />

to 5pm. Coinciding with the trail, Sonning Art Group will be<br />

staging an exhibition of their work in Pearson Hall, so don't<br />

forget to call in there on your way round.<br />

2018: <strong>The</strong> Ark at St Andrew's had a visit from Noah's Ark (made by the<br />

Sunday Club) during the Scarecrow weekend<br />

Sue Peters<br />

Please also phone or email if you can offer to help during the<br />

two days by making cakes, serving refreshments, manning one<br />

of the gardens that will open for visitors, or selling trail maps.<br />

If you have a place on the route for a Scarecrow let me know<br />

as we need display areas from Sonning Bridge up Thames Street,<br />

village end of Charvil Lane, High Street, Pearson Road, Pound<br />

Lane down to Ligugé Way, and Sonning Lane up to Berkshire<br />

Sports.<br />

To register a Scarecrow, offer to help, or find out more, email: Barbara.carr71@hotmail.co.uk or phone 0118 934 5886


Jubilee Street Parties — send us<br />

your pictures for our souvenir issue!<br />

Street parties are at the top of the list of<br />

events that Buckingham Palace asks the<br />

nation to hold as we celebrate Her Majesty<br />

<strong>The</strong> Queen's unprecedented achievement<br />

of serving the United Kingdom and the<br />

Commonwealth for 70 years.<br />

<strong>The</strong> village of Sonning's street party is on<br />

Sunday 6 June from 2.30pm in Pearson<br />

Road (near Pearson Hall). <strong>The</strong> road will be<br />

closed for the street party which is being<br />

organised by the Sonning and Sonning<br />

Eye Society. <strong>The</strong> names of everyone<br />

attending the party must be registered.<br />

Tickets will be available at Pearson Hall<br />

on 23 April between 10am and 12noon.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Sonning street party follows the<br />

special parish celebration service in St<br />

Andrew's Church at 11am, when the 103rd<br />

Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey,<br />

will be preaching.<br />

Charvil <strong>Parish</strong> Council has told us that<br />

it will be supporting local street parties,<br />

although they could not give any details.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y also told us that a treasure hunt<br />

might be being arranged, but again, no<br />

further details were available when we<br />

went to press.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 21<br />

Below is the Jubilee Calendar for<br />

events arranged in the parish of<br />

St Andrew's Church.<br />

<strong>The</strong> July issue of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />

will include a souvenir section for the<br />

Jubilee celebrations so please send your<br />

photographs (of the highest possible<br />

resolution please) to us and we will try to<br />

include as many as possible.<br />

Please note: the deadline for our July<br />

issue will be extended by 6 hours to 6pm on<br />

Monday 6 June for your Jubilee photographs<br />

which should be emailed to:<br />

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk<br />

<strong>Parish</strong> Platinum Jubilee Diary<br />

SATURDAY 28 MAY — SUNDAY 5 JUNE<br />

SATURDAY 28 MAY SUNDAY 29 MAY MONDAY 30 MAY<br />

Sonning Regatta<br />

on the<br />

River Thames<br />

12 noon - 6pm<br />

Adult Wetland Walk<br />

led by Ali Driver<br />

Meet in St Andrew's<br />

churchyard at 2pm<br />

Children's Tennis<br />

at the<br />

Sonning Tennis Club<br />

2pm - 4pm<br />

TUESDAY 31 MAY WEDNESDAY 1 JUNE THURSDAY 2 JUNE<br />

Put your feet up!<br />

Vladgavriloff, dreamstime.com<br />

Children's Pond Dipping<br />

led by Ali Driver<br />

10am - 12 noon<br />

Children's Football<br />

7 - 11 years, 1pm - 3pm<br />

Berkshire County<br />

Sports Ground<br />

Sonning Scarecrows<br />

10am-5pm<br />

Cherished Car Display<br />

Bishops Close 1pm - 4.30pm<br />

Art Exhibition<br />

Pearson Hall 10am - 5pm<br />

FRIDAY 3 JUNE<br />

Sonning Scarecrows<br />

10am-5pm<br />

Cherished Car Display<br />

Bishops Close 1pm - 4.30pm<br />

Art Exhibition<br />

Pearson Hall 10am - 5pm<br />

SATURDAY 4 JUNE<br />

Sonning Elegant Picnic<br />

Reading Blue Coat<br />

7.30pm - 11.45pm<br />

SUNDAY 5 JUNE<br />

Platinum Celebration<br />

Service for Her Majesty<br />

<strong>The</strong> Queen at 11am<br />

Sonning Village Street<br />

Party in Pearson Road<br />

2.30pm


22 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

THE WAR IN UKRAINE<br />

'With tears in my eyes and happiness in my heart…'<br />

Responding to the plight of millions of Ukrainians, Twyford resident Debbie Martin (above left), began organising donations of<br />

everyday items that could be sent to Ukraine in a lorry. As we went to press, lorry number 9 had arrived in Folkestone! Each lorry<br />

has between £50,000 to £60,000 worth of donations made by local people. On lorry number 8, which will be driven into West<br />

Ukraine — Lviv and Rivne — was the enormous collection of 'smiles in shoeboxes' (above left) that included gifts and toys for<br />

children. <strong>The</strong>y will then be transported on smaller vehicles and taken where they are very much needed. Here, Debbie tells the<br />

moving story of one of the gifts that had been sent to Ukraine on an earlier lorry . . .<br />

With tears in my eyes and happiness in my heart… Someone kindly gave me Polly<br />

during the early donations. Before Polly was sent to Ukraine, I wrote my email<br />

address on the back of the luggage tag asking if the receiver was able to let me know<br />

that Polly had arrived safely and had found her way into the arms of a child.<br />

I never thought in a million years that I would hear anything, but it is with so much<br />

joy I can share with you all that Polly is safely in the arms of Mariia. Below is the<br />

translation from the amazing letter Mariia has sent me.<br />

Hello dear friend!<br />

I am Nataly. Recently my niece received a gift from you and asked me to help her with sending<br />

a letter to you.<br />

'Hi Debbie!<br />

My name is Mariia. I am 6 years old. I am from Ukraine. Thank you for Polly! I really like it. I<br />

named it Polina [Ukrainian version of the name 'Polly']. When the war is over, I will be glad if<br />

you come to visit me."<br />

Debbie, all Ukrainian people and I personally really appreciate your support and support<br />

from people all over the world. Thanks to such wonderful and careful people we are still alive<br />

and hopefully we will survive in this cruel and senseless war where too many innocent people<br />

are dying every day. I really hope that this madness will be over soon.<br />

Just let me know if some day you decide<br />

to visit Ukraine. We will be happy to show<br />

you our beautiful country.<br />

Stay safe and healthy.<br />

Best wishes from Mariia and Nataly<br />

Look at the difference we are making<br />

— it's never too late to donate and if<br />

anyone would like to donate a small teddy<br />

with a message on a luggage tag let me<br />

know!<br />

debbiemrtn4@gmail.com<br />

#westandwithukraine<br />

Left: Mariia's letter to Debbie<br />

Right: Mariia with Polina (Polly the doll)<br />

Right above: Polly before being shipped to Ukraine


<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 23<br />

Fleeing for their lives: ordinary people from Ukraine find themselves forced into becoming refugees.<br />

Nigel Beeton, who retired recently as an NHS radiographer, enjoys writing poetry. He is also editor of the parish magazine for St<br />

Mary with St Peter, Bury St Edmunds. Nigel writes: ‘Now our thoughts are overshadowed by the terrible situation in Ukraine. I<br />

looked at the masses of people on the station platforms, and I thought, only a couple of months ago, each one of those people had<br />

a life, a home, a shop to buy food, perhaps somewhere to grow daffodils, maybe a church to worship God, and their own hopes and<br />

dreams for the future. Now they are just part of a mass of people shuffling towards a westbound train.’ Here's one of his poems . . .<br />

<strong>The</strong> Refugee<br />

By Nigel Beeton<br />

Palinchak, dreamstime.com<br />

All that I was, I no longer am<br />

All that I have, I hold in my hand<br />

My home, my love, my world are all gone<br />

One among thousands, I shuffle along.<br />

Only last week I knew who I was<br />

All that has gone, and only because<br />

Someone in a land a long way away<br />

Turned life into hell one terrible day.<br />

Palinchak, dreamstime.com<br />

CHRISTIAN CHARITIES HELPING THE<br />

PEOPLE OF UKRAINE<br />

Christian charities that are helping the people of<br />

Ukraine would welcome your support:<br />

Barnabas Fund: https://www.barnabasfund.org/gb/<br />

Christian Aid: https://www.christianaid.org.uk<br />

Methodist Church UK: https://www.allwecan.org.uk<br />

Samaritan’s Purse: https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk<br />

Transform Europe: Network: https://www.ten-uk.org<br />

World Vision: https://www.worldvision.org.uk<br />

Operation Mobilisation: https://www.uk.om.org/Appeal/ukraine-in-crisis<br />

He started a war, his heart icy cold<br />

He rained down his hell on the young and the old<br />

I ran for my life for I had no choice<br />

And nobody heard the fear in my voice.<br />

Everything’s gone, and all that is ‘me’<br />

Summed up in a word – the word ‘refugee’.<br />

I have no control, no say in my fate<br />

Just one in a crowd, I stand and I wait.<br />

Waiting for what? <strong>The</strong> future’s unclear,<br />

For armed men have taken all that I held dear<br />

Along with my hopes, and all I had planned<br />

All swept away by the tanks in my land.<br />

One thing alone puts a smile on my face<br />

A far nicer stranger has come to this place;<br />

A bed for the night? A cup of hot tea?<br />

And – best of all – someone who sees me as me.


24 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

Pearson Hall Sonning<br />

is an ideal venue for<br />

your parties, regular<br />

classes or meetings<br />

Complete Pest<br />

Solutions<br />

WASPS • RATS • MICE • SQUIRRELS<br />

BED BUGS • FLEAS • BIRDS & RODENT PROOFING<br />

Leslie Parker<br />

parkerleslie65@aol.com<br />

0125 624 2135 0799 081 4143<br />

PROFESSIONAL PEST<br />

CONTROLLERS REGISTER<br />

2 Vyne Lodge Farm Cottage, Bramley, Tadley, Hampshire RG26 5EA<br />

24 hours service | Private client parking | Private chapel of rest<br />

Free home visits | Pre-paid funeral plans | Full written estimate<br />

Woodland funerals | Religious and non-religious services<br />

Find out more and check availability<br />

using our online booking system<br />

www.pearsonhall.org.uk<br />

Tel: 01491 573370<br />

www.tomalins.co.uk tomalin@btconnect.com<br />

Anderson House, 38 Reading Road, Henley-On-Thames, RG9 1AG<br />

A Family Run Independent Funeral Service<br />

CELEBRATE SPRING<br />

WITH US<br />

reception@thegreathouseatsonning.co.uk<br />

0118 969 2277 | www.greathousesonning.co.uk | @the_great_house


feature — 5<br />

Still alive after<br />

thousands<br />

of years,<br />

but for how<br />

much longer?<br />

World Turtle Day®: 23 <strong>May</strong><br />

Throughout my life, writes Bob<br />

Peters, I have collected and kept<br />

things that I thought at the time<br />

might, one day, be useful, or because<br />

they were unusual or interesting —<br />

well, a least to me!<br />

One of my 'treasures' is a large shell<br />

that was once home for a turtle. Such<br />

'trophies' were made illegal in 1977<br />

by the Convention on International<br />

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild<br />

Fauna and Flora. Even so, turtles<br />

continue to be harvested illegally for<br />

human consumption and trade of<br />

their parts. Some are also killed for<br />

medicine and supposedly 'religious'<br />

ceremonies.<br />

HUNDRED YEARS<br />

<strong>The</strong> shell, which measures 24 x<br />

18 inches, came into my possession<br />

about 50 years ago, but it had been in<br />

my first wife's, family for, it was said,<br />

more than 100 years previously. My<br />

first wife died of cancer, as did most<br />

of her closest family, so the actual<br />

history of the turtle shell has been<br />

lost in time. <strong>The</strong> story goes that one<br />

of the Victorian family members was<br />

a seafarer who travelled the world<br />

and brought it home with him. It was<br />

thought that he picked it up in the<br />

Caribbean.<br />

<strong>The</strong> shell had been mounted on a<br />

wooden easel and it stood in several<br />

family homes as an ornament before<br />

my wife's great aunt gave it to us.<br />

I used it to attract the attention of<br />

schoolchildren when leading assembly<br />

and family service talks about God's<br />

amazing creation; it always worked!<br />

<strong>The</strong> shell came to mind when I<br />

read that there is a special awareness<br />

day for turtles on 23 <strong>May</strong>. I also learnt<br />

that there are about 356 species of<br />

turtles living in salt and fresh water<br />

in all continents except Antarctica.<br />

<strong>The</strong> turtle is thought to be one<br />

of the most ancient of creatures and<br />

the word ‘turtle’ is mentioned in the<br />

Bible, which should not surprise us<br />

because today there are thousands of<br />

seas turtles in the waters around the<br />

Middle East. <strong>The</strong> turtle is mentioned<br />

in the King James version of the Old<br />

Testament book of Leviticus 15:29 as<br />

an offering that a woman could make<br />

to be cleansed after giving birth, ie, if<br />

she could not afford a lamb:<br />

'And if she be not able to bring a lamb,<br />

then she shall bring two turtles, or two<br />

young pigeons; the one for the burnt<br />

offering, and the other for a sin offering:<br />

and the priest shall make an atonement<br />

for her, and she shall be clean'.<br />

Wirestock, dreamstime.com<br />

Later translations of the Bible<br />

changed this to ‘two turtle doves’,<br />

a bird named after the 'tu tu' sound<br />

that it makes, although another<br />

theory is that the name came from a<br />

distinctive black band on the bird’s<br />

neck that makes it look like its head<br />

can be retracted into its body, just as<br />

a turtle does.<br />

We will never know the truth<br />

about the 'turtle' in the Bible,<br />

although it is certainly possible that<br />

it’s the sea creature because the<br />

Israelites lived off the produce of<br />

both the land and the sea — turtle<br />

meat and eggs are still a source of<br />

food and income for many people<br />

around the world — but I like to<br />

think that the Bible referred to sea<br />

turtles because it gives me a good<br />

reason for using it!<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 25<br />

Andibyte, dreamstime.com<br />

SMUGGLING<br />

World Turtle Day® celebrates these<br />

gentle animals that have survived<br />

200 million years, yet they are rapidly<br />

disappearing because of smuggling,<br />

habitat destruction, climate change,<br />

the cruel pet trade, and live exotic<br />

food markets.<br />

<strong>The</strong> organisers of World Turtle<br />

Day® say that about 61% of turtle<br />

species worldwide are threatened or<br />

already extinct.<br />

According to their experts, they<br />

are the most threatened of the major<br />

groups of vertebrates, more so than<br />

birds, mammals, and fish. It is why<br />

they say: 'Education is so important in<br />

every country globally so that turtles<br />

can be treasured, not eliminated'. To<br />

learn more about World Turtle Day®<br />

visit:<br />

https://www.worldturtleday.org/<br />

Inside the<br />

shell<br />

can be<br />

seen<br />

the<br />

internal<br />

structure of<br />

the turtle whose home it was 150 years ago.


26 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

‘Excellent’ School<br />

An independent company<br />

rated good<br />

by Care Quality<br />

Commission, our customers<br />

and staff alike.<br />

Home Carers Wanted!<br />

Bridges Home Care is growing...<br />

Rated highly by customers... Staff and the profession...<br />

Providing quality care in the Oxfordshire area...<br />

Why not join our close knit team?<br />

I love care work<br />

and being around<br />

to help people<br />

<strong>The</strong> managers<br />

are approachable<br />

and supportive<br />

My main carer<br />

is very good, she<br />

is wonderful,<br />

like a friend<br />

<strong>The</strong> training gives<br />

you confidence to<br />

learn more<br />

‘Pupils’ social development and collaboration skills<br />

are excellent.’<br />

‘Pupils make an outstanding contribution to<br />

the lives of others.’<br />

ISI Inspection, November 2019<br />

Register online: rbcs.org.uk<br />

An Independent Day School for Boys 11-18, and Girls 16 -18<br />

Bridges ticks all the boxes<br />

n✔ Full training given<br />

n✔ Existing skills<br />

& experience valued<br />

n✔ Guaranteed work,<br />

local area<br />

n✔ Flexible hours or<br />

shifts available<br />

n✔ Supportive hands-on<br />

management<br />

If you think this might be for you, find out more...<br />

call Bonny or Wendy on 01491 578758<br />

or email bonny@bridgeshomecare.co.uk<br />

visit www.bridgeshomecare.co.uk<br />

UKHCA<br />

Supported by Oxfordshire County Council<br />

Oxfordshire Association<br />

of Care Providers<br />

Interior & exterior blinds,<br />

shutters, awnings<br />

& screens<br />

Always excellent service<br />

and great value<br />

www.blinds-reading.co.uk<br />

Call John at Blinds Direct<br />

on 0118 950 4272<br />

johndacre@blinds-reading.co.uk<br />

Bathrooms &Kitchens Ltd<br />

Plumbing, Plastering, Tiling<br />

and all associated work<br />

Contact us today for a<br />

FREE<br />

No obligation Consultation<br />

and Quotation<br />

0778 897 2921<br />

markt@kingfisher-bathrooms.com<br />

http://www.kingfisher-bathrooms.com<br />

167 167 Fairwater Kingfisher Drive, Woodley, Reading, Berks RG5 3JQ


around the villages — 1<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 27<br />

Preparing exhibits for the Jubilee show<br />

Sonning Art Group continues to be busy preparing for its exhibition in the Pearson Hall during the Jubilee Scarecrow<br />

Trail. As well as displaying many works of art, they are creating a scarecrow called '<strong>The</strong> Queen Bee'. Not only will<br />

it highlight the importance of looking after the bees and other insects in our gardens, it will be a tribute to Queen<br />

Elizabeth's remarkable Platinum Jubilee. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to enjoy a range of the Art Groups<br />

most recent work such as Kay Mottram's Kingfisher in pearlised acrylics and Jill Watkins' cheeky fox painted in<br />

watercolours.<br />

An invitation for all Pearson Hall users<br />

<strong>The</strong> Pearson Hall AGM will be held in the committee<br />

room at Pearson Hall on Wednesday 22 June, 6.30pm for a<br />

6.45pm start. Everyone who uses Pearson Hall is welcome<br />

to attend.<br />

Sonning & Sonning Eye Society outing<br />

<strong>The</strong> next outing is a tour of the 'boutique' Fairmile<br />

Vineyard in Henley on 21 June at 10.30am. Make your own<br />

way there (and home again!) and picnic in the grounds or<br />

enjoy a pub lunch. More details and tickets from Penny<br />

Feathers on: penny.feathers@btinternet.com 0118 934 3193<br />

Citizens Advice Woodley<br />

In recent issues we have mentioned local Citizens Advice<br />

Bureaux in Wokingham, Henley, and Reading and have<br />

been informed that there is an even closer office in<br />

Headley Rd, Woodley, Reading RG5 4JA, Tel: 0808 278<br />

7958. We are reliably informed that the team there 'are<br />

very helpful and doing a great job'.<br />

RENDEZVOUS IN THE ARK<br />

We meet every second<br />

and fourth Tuesday<br />

of the month<br />

for lunch and<br />

conversation<br />

To reserve your<br />

place call<br />

0118 969 3298


28 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

Cruz Kitchens<br />

Bespoke, Made to<br />

Measure Kitchens<br />

Designed | Supplied | Installed<br />

Call 0118 961 1295<br />

Email: info@cruzkitchens.co.uk<br />

Visit: www.cruzkitchens.co.uk<br />

studio dfp<br />

complete graphic<br />

and web design<br />

service on your<br />

doorstep<br />

Since 1984 · 0118 969 3633<br />

david@designforprint.org<br />

WATER SOFTENER SALT<br />

Q Tablet 10kg Q Tablet 25kg Harvey Block<br />

• 5x10kg=£35<br />

*<br />

• 3x25kg=£34<br />

*<br />

Salt 2 x 4kg<br />

*<br />

• 10x10kg=£65<br />

• 20x10kg=£130<br />

• 5x25kg=£46<br />

• 10x25kg=£94<br />

• 5 Packs £35<br />

• 10 Packs £65<br />

• 20 Packs £115<br />

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY<br />

Email: Martyncollins@portmanpm.com<br />

FOR OFFERS & PRICES ORDER ON LINE AT<br />

www.salt-deliveries-online.com<br />

Tel 07785 772263 or 0118 959 1796<br />

Unit 2, 6 Portman Road Reading RG30 1EA<br />

*Prices are subject to change please check our website.<br />

Planning Your<br />

Traditional Wedding?<br />

<strong>The</strong>n you might like to<br />

discuss the possibility of<br />

marriage in our ancient and<br />

beautiful parish church.<br />

If so, call the vicar, Jamie<br />

0118 969 3298<br />

He will be pleased to help!<br />

In addition to the stunning and historic location in Sonning,<br />

we will work hard to provide you with a memorable and<br />

moving occasion. We can provide a choir, organ, peal of<br />

eight bells, beautiful flowers, over 100 lit candles set in<br />

ornate Victorian chandeliers and the use of our beautiful<br />

churchyard as a backdrop for your photographs.<br />

Church of St Andrew<br />

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye<br />

the church of st andrew SERVING CHARVIL,<br />

SONNING & sonning eye since the 7 th century


around the villages — 2<br />

Horticultural shows<br />

are back on the agenda<br />

<strong>The</strong> Twyford and Ruscombe<br />

Horticultural Association held<br />

its Spring Show for the first time<br />

in two years on 26 March and,<br />

although it was smaller than the<br />

shows of the past, it went well.<br />

<strong>The</strong> good weather meant that teas<br />

could be taken on the terrace and an<br />

enjoyable afternoon was had by all.<br />

For the first time, some of the entries<br />

were judged by the visitors. It was an<br />

idea that proved successful, so it will<br />

be continued at this year's Summer<br />

and Autumn Shows.<br />

STRIP THE WILLOW<br />

<strong>The</strong> Summer Show will be held<br />

at Loddon Hall, Twyford, RG10 9JA<br />

on Saturday 11 June. Details are in<br />

the TRHA show schedule, and on the<br />

website: https://trha.org.uk/<br />

In the meantime, this month will<br />

see a willow stripping experience at<br />

the TRHA Store in Loddon Hall Road<br />

on Sunday 1 <strong>May</strong>. All members and<br />

their families will be welcome.<br />

On Sunday 29 <strong>May</strong> there's a<br />

bring and buy plant sale at the store<br />

when you can share your cuttings<br />

and seedlings and, perhaps, find<br />

something new for your garden.<br />

<strong>The</strong> association's store is well<br />

stocked for all your horticultural<br />

needs and you can get advice from<br />

the knowledgeable volunteers.<br />

You can become a member for<br />

only £8 per year, or £7 if you are<br />

over 65. Apply for membership at the<br />

store, or email Jenny Wager:<br />

trhamembership@gmail.com<br />

A newsletter, with information on<br />

the Association’s activities, as well<br />

as topical tips, is published monthly.<br />

Paper copies are distributed to those<br />

members who cannot receive it<br />

electronically. Details of all activities<br />

can also be found on the TRHA<br />

website:<br />

https://www.trha.org.uk<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 29<br />

Knit a Corgi for <strong>The</strong> Queen<br />

Vladimir Pchela, dreamstime.com<br />

Thousands of people across the country are buying in light brown and white<br />

wool in order to knit a corgi in honour of <strong>The</strong> Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It is a<br />

fun way in which anyone with knitting needles can get involved in the coming<br />

celebrations. Search the internet for ‘knitting patterns for corgis’ and you<br />

will find a wide variety of free patterns on offer. Knitted corgis could help<br />

decorate house windows, local shops and will look great with scarecrows!<br />

Village rounders is<br />

striking out!<br />

King George's<br />

Playing Field<br />

5.30pm, 17 June<br />

Roibul, dreamstime.com<br />

<strong>The</strong> Sonning Village rounders match<br />

for teams from local organisations is<br />

returning this year on Friday 17 June at<br />

5.30pm on King George’s Playing Field.<br />

Sonning Cricket Club will be opening<br />

its bar and Sonning Primary School<br />

PTA will be cooking a BBQ.<br />

<strong>The</strong> first strike is at 5.30pm!<br />

IN THE ARK AT ST ANDREW'S CHURCH<br />

SUNDAY 15 MAY at 3pm


30 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

Louise Amanda Sheppard (BA/Dip)<br />

EMDR Specialist<br />

Hypnotherapist<br />

Mobile <strong>The</strong>rapist covering<br />

Oxfordshire & Berkshire<br />

EMDR <strong>The</strong>rapy<br />

(Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing)<br />

A powerful tool, proven to be extremely useful in the<br />

treatment of traumatised individuals, which can give<br />

people back control in just a few sessions<br />

Trauma . Victims of Rape . Assault<br />

Combat . Drug Addiction . Bereavement<br />

Fears/Phobias . Anxiety . Depression<br />

Hypnotherapy<br />

Pain . Anxiety . Fears . Phobias<br />

Smoking . Weight Management<br />

Age Regression/Past-Life Regression<br />

Gestalt <strong>The</strong>rapy/Dreamwork<br />

Parts <strong>The</strong>rapy<br />

07842 262 583<br />

lasheppard61@gmail.com


History<br />

Was it really . . . ?<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 31<br />

Sunset in Piccadilly makes way for neon lighting<br />

Michal Bednarek, dreamstime.com<br />

<strong>May</strong> 2017: <strong>The</strong> Ark opens<br />

Tom Farncombe<br />

. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 18 <strong>May</strong><br />

1872 that Bertrand Russell, Welsh<br />

philosopher, mathematician, historian,<br />

and writer was born. He won the 1950<br />

Nobel Prize in Literature.<br />

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 26 <strong>May</strong><br />

1897 that Bram Stoker’s horror novel<br />

Dracula was published.<br />

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 27 <strong>May</strong> 1922<br />

that Christopher Lee, British film actor<br />

was born. He was best known for his<br />

his role as Dracula. (Died 2015)<br />

. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 9 <strong>May</strong> 1932 that<br />

London’s Piccadilly Circus was lit with<br />

electrical lighting for the first time.<br />

It later became famous for its neon<br />

lighting and video advertising displays.<br />

. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 25 <strong>May</strong> 1962<br />

that the new Coventry Cathedral was<br />

consecrated. <strong>The</strong> previous one had<br />

been destroyed by German bombing<br />

during World War II.<br />

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 28 <strong>May</strong> 1972<br />

that Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor,<br />

died. He was formerly Edward VIII,<br />

until his abdication in December 1936.<br />

. . . 40 YEARS AGO on 27-28 <strong>May</strong> 1982<br />

that the Battle of Goose Green took<br />

place during the Falklands War.<br />

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 1 <strong>May</strong><br />

1997 that the Labour Party won a<br />

landslide victory, ending 18 years of<br />

Conservative rule. Tony Blair became<br />

Prime Minister.<br />

. . . 15 YEARS AGO, on 3 <strong>May</strong> 2007<br />

that 3 year old Madeleine McCann<br />

went missing while on holiday with her<br />

parents in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Her<br />

disappearance is the most reported<br />

missing person case in history.<br />

. . . 1o YEARS AGO on 18 <strong>May</strong> 2012<br />

that social media network Facebook<br />

went public. Its initial public offering<br />

raised $16 billion, the third-largest<br />

amount in US history.<br />

. . . 5 YEARS AGO on 7 <strong>May</strong> 2017 that<br />

<strong>The</strong> Ark at St Andrew's Church was<br />

opened by <strong>The</strong> Rt Hon <strong>The</strong>resa <strong>May</strong> MP<br />

Prime Minister and First Lord of the<br />

Treasury, and dedicated by <strong>The</strong> Rt Revd<br />

and Rt Hon Lord Carey of Clifton, Lord<br />

Archbishop of Canterbury (1991-2002).


32 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

For a helpful professional service<br />

FIELDSPHARMACY<br />

Wide range of health advice provided<br />

including private consultation area<br />

www.etsheppard.co.uk<br />

01491 574 644<br />

36 Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames RG9 1AG<br />

1a LONGFIELD ROAD, TWYFORD RG10 9AN<br />

Telephone: 0118 934 1222<br />

Fax: 0118 932 0372<br />

Email: fields.pharmacy@gmail.com<br />

www.afjones.co.uk<br />

0118 9573 537<br />

33 Bedford Road, Reading, RG1 7EX<br />

Established in 1858<br />

A.F. Jones<br />

Stonemasons<br />

Limited<br />

CHRIS the plumber<br />

I offer the same friendly, reliable service as<br />

always but in addition to general plumbing<br />

I now offer domestic and commercial gas<br />

work — boiler repairs, installations, fault<br />

finding, power flush.<br />

Repairs not covered by Homeserve?<br />

Speak to a tradesman, not a salesman!<br />

Emergency call out available<br />

Ask Chris Duvall for a FREE quote<br />

christheplumber75@gmail.com<br />

0785 095 6354<br />

3584769<br />

57732 AF Jones <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> Advert.indd 1 19/11/2014 10:43


HEALTH<br />

Dr Simon Ruffle writes . . .<br />

Atishoo! Bless you!<br />

Your chance of getting ill is least if you are born in the<br />

month of <strong>May</strong>1 (If you are born in New York)<br />

Commentary on the study suggests that the research needs<br />

to be widened. Diseases change throughout the year. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

are often environmentally driven with different parasites,<br />

viruses and bacteria enjoying different conditions. It is also<br />

driven by human behaviour.<br />

After a warm summer we all decide to hot house our children<br />

and cram ourselves into trains and tubes. Respiratory illness<br />

abound and stomach bugs have a feast.<br />

Washing hands, wearing masks and staggering your<br />

journeys or working from home have, unequivocally, shown<br />

to reduce transmission of pathogens.2<br />

It needed a pandemic to show how irresponsible it is to go<br />

to work with illnesses. I know! It’s the economy, stupid.3<br />

I wonder how many hours of lost work are created by<br />

‘soldiering on’ and/or the need of proof of sickness driving<br />

people to seek NHS medical advice when not necessary.<br />

THE MOTHER OF INVENTION<br />

When the pandemic hit us, the rapidity of primary care<br />

service redesign to try to keep a service going, still affects<br />

our staffing numbers quite dramatically.<br />

My surgery very quickly, with our local Clinical<br />

Conditioning Group and other practices gained the ability to<br />

work remotely and online.<br />

In a moment of madness we also changed our whole<br />

system that was more conducive to working in tandem with<br />

other practices. ‘Teams/Zoom’ became the norm. We soon<br />

learnt of their frailties and the benefits which we will smooth<br />

out but it is early days.<br />

MOTHER NATURE FINDS A WAY<br />

Whatever we do, the planet and nature, finds its way to<br />

foil us. <strong>The</strong> disease that really kicks off at this time of year is<br />

absolutely necessary for life on earth but it makes one in four<br />

of us miserable to varying degrees — hay fever!<br />

We have no cure, we can only make some of the symptoms<br />

more tolerable:<br />

— sneezing and coughing<br />

— a runny or blocked nose<br />

— itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears<br />

— itchy, red or watery eyes<br />

— loss of smell<br />

— headache<br />

— earache<br />

—feeling tired<br />

— pain around your temples and forehead<br />

If you have asthma, you might also have a tight feeling in<br />

your chest; be short of breath, wheeze and cough<br />

TREATING HAY FEVER YOURSELF<br />

Hay fever will last for weeks or months, unlike a cold,<br />

which usually goes away after 1 - 2 weeks, and currently there<br />

is no cure and you cannot prevent it. But you can do things to<br />

ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high.<br />

— put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen<br />

— wear wraparound sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 33<br />

— shower and change your clothes after you have been<br />

outside to wash off pollen<br />

— stay indoors whenever possible<br />

— keep windows and doors shut as much as possible<br />

— vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth<br />

— buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a<br />

vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter<br />

— do not cut grass or walk on grass<br />

— do not spend too much time outside<br />

— do not keep fresh flowers in the house<br />

— do not smoke or be around smoke – it makes your<br />

symptoms worse<br />

— do not dry clothes outside – they can catch pollen<br />

— do not let pets into the house, if possible, as they can<br />

carry pollen indoors5<br />

— Keep a link to the pollen forecast so you can plan your days.6<br />

MEDICATIONS<br />

Simon Ruffle<br />

All commonly used medications for hay fever are available<br />

without prescription. You practice nurse or GP has little more<br />

to offer despite the NHS advice that your GP can prescribe<br />

steroid sprays, which are also available without prescription.<br />

During pregnancy some who suffer get better, others<br />

well, don’t ask! I have no idea who would be who! <strong>The</strong> normal<br />

therapies are safe in pregnancy, your pharmacist can advise.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is a lot of talk about hay fever injections. Two different<br />

therapies are being confused. One is a long acting injection of a<br />

steroid into one of your big muscles. While effective these can<br />

open you up to infection, bone thinning, and a deficiency in<br />

your natural steroid production that can cause a problem with<br />

how you respond to illness; it can be fatal.<br />

<strong>The</strong> other is a repeated set of injections, known as<br />

immunotherapy which is becoming more available on the<br />

NHS but it is expensive in time commitment from patients<br />

and clinicians alike and referral is months. It is reserved for<br />

when other therapies have failed.<br />

Most failure of treatment is because we wait for symptoms<br />

to start. Once this has happened I’m afraid it is too late. <strong>The</strong><br />

allergy response has started, the nerve endings and mucous<br />

membranes are already ‘primed to react.’ <strong>The</strong> best advice is<br />

to know when your own symptoms start in the year. Keep an<br />

eye on the pollen count and start eye drops, nasal spray and<br />

antihistamine before the symptoms are established.<br />

References:<br />

1. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-your-birth-month-indicate-your-risk-of-disease/<br />

2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(21)00003-0/fulltext<br />

3. James Carville 1992<br />

4. Plato (Republic circa 600 BCE)<br />

5. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hay-fever/<br />

6. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/pollenforecast#?date=<strong>2022</strong>-04-03&region=se


34 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

Simply<br />

stunning,<br />

simply<br />

Sabella<br />

SONNING - ON - THAMES<br />

For a home that reflects the real you<br />

Sabella Interiors will guide you through your interior design<br />

journey to create a beautiful, expressive space that feels like home.<br />

Sonning-on-Thames and Alderley Edge, Cheshire<br />

Call us for an informal chat or visit <strong>The</strong> Studio (by appointment only)<br />

www.sabellainteriors.com | 0118 944 9629 | 07780 836747 | enquiries@sabellainteriors.com


HOME AND GARDEN<br />

Feeding the Future – an exciting<br />

new study that you can be part of!<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 35<br />

In the garden<br />

Researchers at the University of Oxford are looking for as many volunteers<br />

as possible to complete an online survey to improve future research on the<br />

health impacts of different diets.<br />

How can we know which foods are<br />

good for us, and which ones aren’t?<br />

To investigate this, researchers<br />

use large scale observational<br />

studies which track people over<br />

time to see if certain diets appear<br />

to be linked to a higher risk of<br />

developing disease.<br />

RISKS<br />

But because UK diets have<br />

changed so much over recent<br />

years — for instance, with the<br />

rise of new plant based milk and<br />

meat alternatives — we have very<br />

limited information about what<br />

modern diets actually contain.<br />

This makes it very difficult<br />

to understand why certain diets<br />

may be associated with different<br />

disease risks.<br />

Dr Keren Papier, a nutritional<br />

epidemiologist at the University<br />

of Oxford, explained: 'Studies have<br />

shown, for instance, that plant-based<br />

diets are associated with a lower<br />

risk of heart disease. But these diets<br />

can be interpreted very differently<br />

in real life; some vegetarians and<br />

Fruit and veg: Maria Sokor, dreamstime.com<br />

Burger: Grafvision, dreamstime.com<br />

vegans may eat many nutritious foods<br />

such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables,<br />

and pulses, while others may solely eat<br />

white pasta, tomato sauce, white bread<br />

with margarine, and crisps.'<br />

FEED<br />

To address this, Dr Papier and her<br />

colleagues have launched a new study<br />

called Feeding the Future (FEED),<br />

which aims to generate an up-to date<br />

picture of what UK adults following<br />

different diets are actually eating.<br />

<strong>The</strong> researchers are looking for<br />

as many UK residents as possible<br />

to complete a short, one-off survey<br />

about the foods they eat, and why.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y hope the results will increase<br />

our understanding of how disease<br />

risks may vary for different diets, and<br />

inform future research and dietary<br />

recommendations.<br />

'Whether you are a carnivore, vegan,<br />

vegetarian, pescatarian or flexitarian,<br />

we would really like to hear from you.<br />

'By taking the survey, you can help<br />

contribute to important research,<br />

without even leaving your home' added<br />

Dr Papier.<br />

HOW TO HELP BY TAKING PART IN THE FEED SURVEY<br />

<strong>The</strong> survey is open to all UK adults over 18 years old and can be found at:<br />

https://oxford.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/feeding-the-future-study-feed<br />

Klaphat, dreamstime.com<br />

<strong>The</strong> number one tip from the Royal<br />

Horticultural Society this month<br />

is to watch out for late frosts and<br />

to protect any vulnerable plants.<br />

Writing this at the end of March<br />

when many of us had been lulled<br />

into thinking summer is almost<br />

here because of some unusually<br />

warm temperatures, it was a<br />

surprise to wake up to snow flurries<br />

and frost. We need to take that<br />

RHS warning seriously!<br />

Here is another serious suggestion<br />

from RHS — be nice to slugs and<br />

snails!<br />

<strong>The</strong> society has recently began a<br />

campaign to encourage us to see the<br />

gastropods in our gardens in a better<br />

light. It says that the species play a<br />

key role in garden ecosystems, and<br />

thus are in need of some ‘positive<br />

PR’. It seems that only nine of the 44<br />

known species in the UK are likely<br />

to threaten our gardens, and that all<br />

of them play a vital role in recycling<br />

dead plant material and animal<br />

waste, and acting as a food source for<br />

hedgehogs (see page 19), frogs, birds,<br />

beetles and flies.<br />

In fact, the RHS’s principal<br />

entomologist says that we should<br />

consider our slugs and snails not as<br />

marauding pests bent on eating our<br />

flowers and vegetables, but rather as<br />

‘garden visitors’.<br />

'Our gardens would be duller<br />

and messier without them,' said Dr<br />

Andrew Salisbury.<br />

You can find out more about the Feeding the Future study here:<br />

https://www.ceu.ox.ac.uk/research/feeding-the-future-study-feed<br />

Andrew Howson, dreamstime.com


36 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding this advertisement<br />

ASSISTED LIVING | NURSING | DEMENTIA CARE | RESPITE<br />

Delivering peace of mind - the Signature way<br />

Our award winning care team are on hand 24 hours a day providing care that<br />

is responsive to individual preferences and needs. We take pride in going above<br />

and beyond for your loved ones.<br />

We encourage and empower residents to live independent lifestyles, providing discreet<br />

assistance as and when needed. From a little assistance with washing, dressing and<br />

taking medication to those residents who have greater needs, all our residents receive the<br />

tailored support they need delivered in their own apartment.<br />

To find out more, please contact the Client Liaison Manager at a Signature home near you:<br />

Cliveden Manor, Marlow<br />

01628 702310<br />

Sonning<br />

0118 338 2986<br />

signature-care-homes.co.uk


<strong>The</strong> ARTS — 1<br />

Dirk Bouts<br />

meal to<br />

remember<br />

By Rev Michael Burgess<br />

When we celebrate the Eucharist<br />

and make our communion, we are<br />

remembering that special meal<br />

Jesus shared with his disciples on the<br />

eve of his arrest and death. But do<br />

we always appreciate what we are<br />

doing? Sometimes the monotony of<br />

repetition and distractions will get in<br />

the way. We fail to recognise Christ’s<br />

gift at communion for what it truly is.<br />

In the 15th Century the prosperous<br />

burghers of the Flemish town of<br />

Louvain commissioned the artist<br />

Dirk Bouts to paint a special<br />

altarpiece devoted to the Eucharist<br />

for the church of St Peter.<br />

Dirk Bouts portrayed the Last<br />

Supper in a room looking out to his<br />

own town of Louvain.<br />

<strong>The</strong> faces of the servers in the<br />

room and the cooks looking through<br />

the hatch were modelled on the<br />

burghers who commissioned the<br />

work. Other faces are modelled on<br />

theologians at the new university<br />

Book Reviews<br />

Celtic Prayer – Caught Up in Love<br />

Edited by David Cole<br />

(Brother Cassian),<br />

BRF, £12.99<br />

This rich collection of<br />

essays, conversations<br />

and reflections from<br />

30 members of the<br />

Community of Aidan and Hilda distils<br />

the ancient wisdom of the Celtic<br />

Christians and applies it to the lived<br />

reality of contemporary readers.<br />

It offers deep spiritual truths woven<br />

beautifully with usable prayers.<br />

101 Great Big Questions about God<br />

and Science<br />

By Lizzie Henderson<br />

and Steph Bryant,<br />

Lion Children’s Books,<br />

£9.99<br />

Have you ever wondered<br />

how the universe began,<br />

who visited the artist. <strong>The</strong>y wanted<br />

to ensure he kept his theological feet<br />

on the ground while his imagination<br />

took flight.<br />

And so around the scene of the<br />

Last Supper, Bouts has painted Old<br />

Testament scenes foreshadowing<br />

that holy communion: Melchizedek<br />

offering bread and wine in return for<br />

Abraham’s offering, the eating of the<br />

first Passover, the gathering of the<br />

manna in the wilderness, and Elijah<br />

wakened by the angel to eat and<br />

drink before setting out for Horeb.<br />

Signs of sacrifice, the Passover of<br />

the old covenant, daily food and food<br />

for the journey — all key aspects of<br />

the communion we celebrate and<br />

share in.<br />

what the point of life might be, or<br />

whether God likes science? <strong>The</strong>n this<br />

is the book for you! 101 Great Big<br />

Questions asked by children with<br />

fascinating responses from leading<br />

experts in the areas of science,<br />

theology, philosophy and beyond.<br />

End of the Road?<br />

By Michael Pfundner,<br />

Bible Society, £1.20<br />

This handy booklet will<br />

reach people with the<br />

Christian message in just a few<br />

pages. It goes behind the scenes of<br />

Jesus' death and resurrection to<br />

look at the world changing events<br />

leading up to Easter Day and beyond.<br />

It points its readers towards the<br />

archaeological and documentary<br />

evidence of the real political and<br />

religious figures behind the Easter<br />

story in the Bible.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 37<br />

parishpump.co.uk<br />

Just as the theological faculty<br />

reminded Dirk Bouts of all these<br />

facets, so the artist is reminding us<br />

of the richness of the distinctive<br />

meal we have as Christians.<br />

When we see the bread and wine<br />

taken up and offered, we remember<br />

not only the Last Supper, when Jesus<br />

fed his disciples with the sacrifice<br />

of his life, but those occasions when<br />

God reached out to feed his people<br />

of old.<br />

We rejoice that the food our Lord<br />

gives us in the Eucharist feeds us<br />

now and enables us to make our<br />

journey through life to the eternal<br />

banquet offered in the heavenly<br />

kingdom.<br />

It is perfect for those who would<br />

like to know more about the history<br />

behind the Easter story, and can be<br />

used as a handout in churches or<br />

during outreach.<br />

Together in Mission – from All<br />

Nations to All Nations<br />

By David and Rosemary<br />

Harley, Monarch, £8.99<br />

Have you ever felt the<br />

call of God to go into all<br />

the world? David and<br />

Rosemary Harley<br />

became full-time missionaries in<br />

Africa, and via several unexpected<br />

events helping to run All Nations<br />

College and latterly lead OMF<br />

International. <strong>The</strong>ir story is<br />

a remarkable one, but the heart<br />

of this book is to inspire others to<br />

answer the call of God on their lives<br />

and see where it might lead them.


38 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

THE ARTS — 2<br />

Poetry Corner<br />

THE SCIENCES<br />

A spirit of humility<br />

By Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, church engagement director at <strong>The</strong> Faraday<br />

Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge<br />

hairymuseummatt (original photo), DrMikeBaxter (derivative work),<br />

CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons<br />

Spirit Sealings<br />

By Steven Rolling<br />

Based on John: 14:13-21<br />

Tune: Coe Fen – ‘How shall I sing that majesty’<br />

Whate’er you ask now in my name<br />

It shall be done, the same<br />

Said Jesus, so that Father be<br />

Glorified in Son, see<br />

And if we shall ask anything<br />

He will do it, will bring<br />

To us he things of God’s good hand<br />

To folk of every land<br />

And Christ will pray the Father too<br />

To send Comforter to you<br />

That He may abide for ever<br />

Remain, leave you never<br />

Even the Spirit of truth, He<br />

Shall with you, in you be<br />

He whom the world cannot receive<br />

<strong>The</strong> not see, know, believe<br />

Comfortless He will not us leave<br />

Nor stay in sadness, grieve<br />

For Christ shall come to us again<br />

<strong>The</strong> Spirit’s presence then<br />

<strong>The</strong>y that have His commands and keep<br />

<strong>The</strong>m, they are e’er His sheep<br />

And they are those who do Christ love<br />

Inspired by grace above<br />

Kevin Carden, dreamstime.com<br />

<strong>The</strong>y too be by the Father loved<br />

He holds them, His encoved*<br />

And Christ will love them, and will show<br />

Himself to them, they know<br />

<strong>The</strong>n of His presence, kindly blessed<br />

In Him they find their rest<br />

Come to our hearts now, holy dove<br />

Spirit of truth and love<br />

*encoved = encovenanted<br />

A few years ago I visited the Smithsonian Museum’s Hall<br />

of Human Origins. Our guide, the curator of anthropology,<br />

was keen to help Christians understand his research.<br />

Whatever you make of the evidence for human evolution,<br />

the fact remains that other species a bit like us were<br />

around before we came on the scene — or in the case of<br />

Neanderthals, at the same time.<br />

Part of the exhibit included lifelike reconstructions of the<br />

face and hair of several different hominins, displayed on<br />

pillars at the right height for each species. So I could crouch<br />

down to ‘meet’ Homo floriensis or stand tall to look into<br />

the eyes of Homo heidelbergensis. Most of these — beings?<br />

creatures? — were on other branches of the evolutionary tree<br />

to us, and we share a common ancestor much further back. I<br />

did, however, feel as if I was meeting my forebears.<br />

As I walked between the statues I asked myself, 'Why us?'<br />

<strong>The</strong>re’s evidence that Neanderthals used symbolism as we<br />

do, and also buried their dead. Did they have the potential<br />

to evolve to a point where they could do similar things to us?<br />

<strong>The</strong> curator explained how, as the ice ages came and went,<br />

human beings moved around but other species appear to<br />

have stayed put and suffered the consequences — they just<br />

weren’t ready yet for that big change. As I took in the displays<br />

about how we began to gather socially around a fire, make<br />

music or write, I felt humbled. We managed to adapt, but we<br />

could so easily have disappeared with the rest.<br />

AN EQUAL SHARE IN MANKIND<br />

In his book <strong>The</strong> Message of Creation, theologian David<br />

Wilkinson shares his view that being made in the image of<br />

God has nothing to do with our own cleverness or abilities,<br />

but is a gift. God created us on purpose — I believe through<br />

the long slow process of evolution — and chose to enter into a<br />

relationship with us, making us his representatives on earth.<br />

Thankfully I don’t have to figure out how to interact with<br />

other humanlike hominins today. I do, however, have an<br />

equal share in humankind’s God-given commission to tend<br />

and keep creation.<br />

Am I ready to go further than ensuring my own species’<br />

survival — not necessarily because we have evolved further<br />

than our ice age ancestors, but because I have one of the ‘new<br />

hearts’ promised in Ezekiel 11:19? Can I work together, in a<br />

true spirit of humility, with people from all over the world to<br />

ensure the full diversity of life can flourish?


CROSSWORD<br />

1 2 3 4 5 6 7<br />

8 9<br />

12<br />

16<br />

10 11<br />

13 14 15<br />

18 19<br />

20 21<br />

Across<br />

Across<br />

- (8)<br />

1 Deject (8)<br />

- (4)<br />

5 Pal (4)<br />

8<br />

- Parody<br />

(5)<br />

(5)<br />

9 - Humorous; done in done fun (7) in fun (7)<br />

10 - In a a relaxed manner manner (7) (7)<br />

12 12 - Hammers (7) (7)<br />

14 Majestic (7)<br />

14 - Majestic (7)<br />

16 Ancient warship (7)<br />

16 - Ancient warship (7)<br />

18 Spiny egg-laying mammal (7)<br />

18 - Spiny egg-laying mammal (7)<br />

19 Eg Pacific or Atlantic (5)<br />

19<br />

20<br />

- Eg<br />

Become<br />

Pacific or Atlantic<br />

weary<br />

(5)<br />

(4)<br />

20 21 - Become Continues weary (4) obstinately (8)<br />

21 - Continues obstinately (8)<br />

CODEWORD<br />

17 - Noes (anag) (4)<br />

6 3 19 6 3 14 23 10 9<br />

17 1 1 6 3 18 19 15 3 25<br />

11 1 4 20 17 17 17<br />

17 22 1 6 15 17 19 5 17 20 25<br />

8 17 11 1 3 1<br />

14 17 5 3 25 21 16 15 8 15 8 3<br />

5 11 25 11<br />

3 25 11 16 26 1 25 25 1 8 15 11<br />

14 19 5 4 15 1<br />

1 18 3 25 2 16 8 7 16 5 17<br />

17 15 16 17 2 1 13<br />

26 15 10 10 16 25 3 25 16 3<br />

8 24 14 12 1 18 25 3 25<br />

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<br />

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13<br />

C H<br />

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26<br />

T<br />

17<br />

SUDOKU<br />

Each of the nine blocks has to contain all the<br />

numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number<br />

can only appear once in a row, column or box.<br />

WORDSEARCH<br />

PRAY FOR UKRAINE<br />

Lord, we pray for Ukraine, a nation in which<br />

70% of the population call themselves<br />

Christian. You, Lord, make wars cease to the<br />

end of the earth; you break bows, shatter<br />

spears, and burn shields with fire [Psalm<br />

46:9]. And so, we ask you now to save the<br />

lives of many people in Ukraine. De-escalate<br />

this crisis. We hear of wars and rumours of<br />

wars (Matt. 24:6], but you Lord are our rock,<br />

our fortress and our deliverer. Our hope is in<br />

you. And so we address the nations now. In<br />

the name of Jesus we say: 'Be still and know<br />

God! He is exalted among the nations; He<br />

shall be exalted in the earth.' [Psalm 46:10]<br />

Kyrie eleison – Lord have mercy.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 39<br />

PUZZLE PAGE — the answers will be published in the next issue<br />

Down<br />

Down<br />

1 - Shallow food container (4)<br />

1 Shallow food container (4)<br />

2 - Type of spade (6)<br />

2 Type of spade (6)<br />

3 - Have an effect on 3 Have an effect on another (9)<br />

4 Urges to 4 - act Urges (6) to act (6)<br />

6 Gave out 6 - loud Gave out puffs loud puffs of air of air (6)<br />

7 Our galaxy 7 - Our (5,3) galaxy (5,3)<br />

11 Junctures; events (9)<br />

11 - Junctures; events (9)<br />

12 Fail to look after properly (8)<br />

12 - Fail to look after properly (8)<br />

13 Shrivel (6)<br />

13 - Shrivel (6)<br />

14 Plant with oil rich seeds (6)<br />

14 - Plant with oil rich seeds (6)<br />

15 A way out (6)<br />

17 Noes (anag) 15 - A way (4) out (6)<br />

QUIZ : <strong>The</strong> Queen's Early Years<br />

UKRAINE<br />

SHIELDS<br />

SPEARS<br />

CRISIS<br />

WAR<br />

CEASE<br />

EARTH<br />

BREAK<br />

BOWS<br />

BURN<br />

FIRE<br />

SAVE<br />

MANY<br />

LIVES<br />

LORD IN<br />

OUR YOU<br />

ROCK BE<br />

HOPE STILL<br />

SHATTER<br />

FORTRESS<br />

DELIVERER<br />

April<br />

Solutions<br />

CROSSWORD<br />

C O U R T E O U S L Y<br />

A P O X N O A<br />

U T U S U R P S I R<br />

D O I N G D I E M<br />

A O H E N E R V E<br />

C O N V E R S E D<br />

I S N S T F<br />

O N E U T R I N O<br />

U N D U E R U G R<br />

S I X R D O R I C<br />

L O T I R A T E E E<br />

Y T S T N S S<br />

P O R T R A I T I S T<br />

CODEWORD<br />

R A G S A P O S T A T E<br />

E R C R U R X<br />

T S U N A M I B E R E T<br />

R F P M J A R<br />

O F F E R A M E R I C A<br />

S I L C G V<br />

P R E A C H S T A N Z A<br />

E A I S I G<br />

C O R R O D E V O D K A<br />

T L U Q I W N<br />

I D O L S U P S W E P T<br />

V B L I M L L<br />

E V E R Y O N E A L L Y<br />

SUDOKU<br />

WORDSEARCH LAST SUPPER<br />

EASTER EGG EXAM?<br />

1. Stone on the Easter tomb<br />

2. About 90 million<br />

3. Joseph Fry<br />

4. <strong>The</strong> Easter bunny<br />

5. A cuckoo<br />

6. Ukraine<br />

1. Where was <strong>The</strong> Queen born?<br />

2. What time of day was <strong>The</strong> Queen born?<br />

3. What is the date of <strong>The</strong> Queen's birthday?<br />

4. Where did <strong>The</strong> Queen live as a child?<br />

5. Where was <strong>The</strong> Queen educated?<br />

6. What did <strong>The</strong> Queen win at the age of 13 years? Tomert, dreamstime.com


40 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Local Trades and Services<br />

ACG SERVICES - LOCKSMITH<br />

Locks changed, fitted, repaired and opened<br />

Door and window locks fitted, UPVC door lock expert<br />

Checkatrade member - Which Trusted Trader<br />

Call Richard Homden: 0149 168 2050 / 0771 040 9216<br />

Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding to advertisements<br />

CHIROPODY AND PODIATRY<br />

Linda Frewin MInstChp, HCPC member<br />

General foot care and treatments<br />

25 Ashtrees Road, Woodley RG5 4LP<br />

0118 969 6978 - 0790 022 4999<br />

CLARK BICKNELL LTD - PLUMBING & HEATING<br />

Qualified Plumbing and Heating Engineers Gas Safe<br />

25 years experience - local family run company<br />

Office: 0118 961 8784 - Paul: 0776 887 4440<br />

paul@clarkbicknell.co.uk<br />

COMPUTER FRUSTRATIONS?<br />

For jargon free help with your computer problems<br />

PC & laptop repairs, upgrades, installations, virus removal<br />

Free advice, reasonable rates<br />

0798 012 9364 help@computerfrustrations.co.uk<br />

INTERSMART LIMITED<br />

Electrical Installation and Smart Home Automation<br />

intersmartuk@gmail.com<br />

Elliott — 0777 186 6696<br />

Nick — 0758 429 4986<br />

HANDYMAN & DECORATING SERVICES<br />

Reliable and affordable<br />

Small jobs a speciality!<br />

Call Andy on 0795 810 0128<br />

http://www.handyman-reading.co.uk<br />

JAMES AUTOS<br />

Car Servicing, Repairs and MOT<br />

Mole Road, Sindlesham, RG41 5DJ<br />

0118 977 0831<br />

http://www.jamesautos.co.uk<br />

ALL AERIALS<br />

A local business based in Sonning. TV - FM - DAB aerials etc.<br />

Sky dishes. Communal premises IRS systems, TV points.<br />

Free estimates - All work guaranteed<br />

0118 944 0000<br />

MC CLEANING<br />

We are a family business with excellent references<br />

and we are fully insured<br />

All cleaning materials provided<br />

For free quote call: Maria 0779 902 7901<br />

PROFESSIONAL HOME VISIT SERVICE<br />

Thames Valley Will Service<br />

Also Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate Service<br />

We are still working during the pandemic period<br />

0134 464 1885 tvwills@yahoo.co.uk<br />

THAMES CHIMNEY SWEEPS<br />

0779 926 8123 0162 882 8130<br />

enquiries@thameschimneysweeps.co.uk<br />

http://www.thameschimneysweeps.co.uk<br />

Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps<br />

CALLAGHAN CARPETS & FLOORING<br />

Thirty-six years local experience<br />

Family run company<br />

0118 962 8527 0779 223 9474<br />

callaghancarpets@btinternet.com<br />

WANT HELP WITH AN ‘ODD JOB’?<br />

For local odd jobs please call Phil on<br />

0118 944 0000<br />

0797 950 3908<br />

Thames Street, Sonning<br />

BIG HEART TREE CARE<br />

Reliable and friendly service for all tree care<br />

NPTC qualified — Public Liability of £10million<br />

0118 937 1929 0786 172 4071<br />

bighearttreecare.co.uk info@bighearttreecare.co.uk<br />

SMALLWOOD<br />

Landscaping, garden construction,<br />

patios, lawns, fencing, decking etc<br />

0118 969 8989 https://www.smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk/<br />

office@smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk<br />

ALL WASTE CLEARANCE & DISPOSAL<br />

Waste clearance from office, house, garden, loft<br />

Licensed waste carriers, no job too small or large<br />

Contact: John<br />

0771 021 2056 j.garmston@ntworld.com<br />

BERKSHIRE STUMP REMOVALS<br />

Stump grinding and tree stump removal<br />

Latest narrow access machinery<br />

Contact: Mark<br />

0798 495 7334 http://www.berkshirestumpremoval<br />

PAINTER and DECORATOR<br />

Roger McGrath has 25 years experience<br />

Restoration painting work of any size undertaken<br />

For a free quotation call<br />

Roger 0742 332 1179


CHILDREN'S PAGE<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 41


42 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when replying to advertisements<br />

information — 2<br />

<strong>Parish</strong> contacts<br />

Ministry Team<br />

— <strong>The</strong> Vicar: Revd Jamie Taylor (Day off Friday)<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> Office, Thames Street, Sonning, RG4 6UR<br />

vicar@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298<br />

— Associate Vicar: Revd Kate Wakeman-Toogood<br />

revkate@sonningparish.org.uk / 0746 380 6735<br />

On duty Tuesday, Friday and Sunday<br />

— Youth Minister: Chris West (Westy)<br />

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk / 0794 622 4106<br />

— Licensed Lay Minister: Bob Peters<br />

bob@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 377 5887<br />

Children's Ministry<br />

— Alison Smyly office@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298<br />

Churchwardens<br />

— Stuart Bowman sdbowman73@aol.com / 0118 978 8414<br />

— Liz Nelson liz.nelson1@ntlworld.com / 0779 194 4270<br />

Deputy Churchwardens<br />

— Simon Darvall sdarvall@businessmoves.com 0793 928 2535<br />

— Sue Peters mail@susanjpeters.com / 0118 377 5887<br />

— Molly Woodley (deputy churchwarden emeritus)<br />

mollywoodley@live.co.uk / 0118 946 3667<br />

<strong>Parish</strong> Administrator<br />

— Hilary Rennie<br />

office@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298<br />

Parochial Church Council<br />

— Secretary: Hilary Rennie 0118 969 3298<br />

— Treasurer: Richard Moore 0118 969 2588<br />

Director of Music, organist and choirmaster<br />

— Hannah Towndrow BA (Oxon)<br />

music@sonningparish.org.uk<br />

Sonning Bell Ringers<br />

— Tower Captain: Pam Elliston<br />

pam.elliston@talktalk.net / 0118 969 5967<br />

— Deputy Tower Captain: Rod Needham<br />

r06needham@gmail.com / 0118 926 7724<br />

<strong>Parish</strong> Website: http://www.sonningparish.org.uk<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>: http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk<br />

— Editor: Bob Peters<br />

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 377 5887<br />

— Advertising and Distribution: Gordon Nutbrown<br />

advertising@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 969 3282<br />

— Treasurer: Pat Livesey<br />

pat.livesey@yahoo.co.uk / 0118 961 8017<br />

— <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is produced by St Andrew’s PCC and delivered<br />

free of charge to every home in Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye.<br />

— <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is printed in the United Kingdom by <strong>The</strong> Print<br />

Factory at Sarum Graphics Ltd, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6QX<br />

— <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is distributed by Abracadabra Leaflet<br />

Distribution Ltd, Reading RG7 1AW<br />

— <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> template was designed in 2012 by Roger<br />

Swindale rogerswindale@hotmail.co.uk and David Woodward<br />

david@designforprint.org<br />

Advertisers index<br />

ABD Construction 6<br />

ACG Services Locksmith 40<br />

Active Domestic Appliances 16<br />

Active Security 30<br />

ADD Plumbing 12<br />

All Aerials 40<br />

All Waste Clearance 40<br />

Barn Store Henley 16<br />

Berkshire Stump Removals 40<br />

Big Heart Tree Care 40<br />

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 14<br />

Blinds Direct 26<br />

Blue Moose 8<br />

Bridge House 43<br />

Bridges Home Care 26<br />

Bull Inn 8<br />

Callaghan Carpets & Flooring 40<br />

Chimney Sweep, Thames 40<br />

Chiropody, Linda Frewin 40<br />

Chris the Plumber 32<br />

Clark Bicknell 40<br />

Complete Pest Solutions 40<br />

Computer Frustrations 40<br />

Cruz Kitchens 28<br />

Design for Print 28<br />

EMDR Hypnotherapist 30<br />

Freebody Boatbuilders 6<br />

Fields Pharmacy 32<br />

French Horn 44<br />

Gardiners Nursing 8<br />

Great House Sonning 24<br />

Handyman and Decorating Services 40<br />

Haslams Estate Agents 2<br />

Hicks Group 16<br />

Intersmart Electrical Installations 40<br />

James Autos 40<br />

Jones & Sheppard Stone Masons 32<br />

Kingfisher Bathrooms 26<br />

MC Cleaning 40<br />

Mill at Sonning 4<br />

M & L Healthcare Solutions 12<br />

Mortgage Required 18<br />

Muck & Mulch 28<br />

Odd Jobs 40<br />

Painter and Decorator 40<br />

Pearson Hall Sonning 24<br />

Reading Blue Coat School 26<br />

Richfield Flooring 14<br />

Sabella Interiors 34<br />

Seniors Helping Seniors 12<br />

Shiplake College 14<br />

Signature Care Homes 36<br />

Sonning Golf Club 32<br />

Sonning Scouts Marquees 30<br />

Smallwood Garden Services 40<br />

Style by Julie 6<br />

Thames Valley Water Softeners 6<br />

Thames Valley Wills Service 40<br />

Tomalin Funerals 24<br />

Walker Funerals 12<br />

Water Softener Salt 28<br />

Window Cleaner 16


Please mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding this advertisement<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 43<br />

BRIDGE HOUSE<br />

of TWYFORD<br />

Because you deserve<br />

the very best<br />

Welcome to Bridge House Nursing Home<br />

Established for 35 years, the elegant Georgian Grade II listed Bridge House has extended its facilities to<br />

include a beautiful, light-filled and airy purpose built nursing home.<br />

Our philosophy is built upon helping residents maintain their independence and dignity, whilst ensuring<br />

their needs and expectations are fully met. We believe that being independent means having the freedom<br />

of choice and flexibility over how the day is spent. Working closely with families and professionals<br />

is fundamental in delivering and maintaining the required level of health and wellbeing.<br />

At Bridge House, our comprehensive facilities and care provision is designed to deliver skilled,<br />

professional and individually planned care in an unobtrusive manner.<br />

Call 0800 230 0206<br />

Visit www.bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk<br />

INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • NURSING HOME<br />

190821 - Bridge House Ad <strong>Parish</strong> Mag v01.indd 1 21/08/2019 18:06


44 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>May</strong> Please <strong>2022</strong> mention <strong>The</strong> <strong>Parish</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> when responding this advertisement<br />

<strong>The</strong> French Horn,<br />

Sonning. Quality.<br />

A continuing commitment to<br />

wonderful food and wine.<br />

0118 969 2204<br />

www.thefrenchhorn.co.uk

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!