The Parish Magazine March 2023

The Parish Magazine -March 2023 1 

The 

Parish 

Magazine 

The John King Trophy and Gold Award 

Best Magazine of the Year 2018 

National Parish Magazine Awards 

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 

Best Content 2016, 2021 

Best Editor 2019 

Best Print 2018 

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

March 2023 — Mothering Sunday 

Church of St Andrew 

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

2 The Parish Magazine - March 2023 

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement 

Sonning Parish_Haslams Ad_DNA_01.23.indd 1 03/01/2023 16:19

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


The John King Trophy and Gold Award 

Best Magazine of the Year 2018 

National Parish Magazine Awards 

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 

Best Content 2016, 2021 

Best Editor 2019 

Best Print 2018 

information — 1 

Contents March 2023 

THE ASSOCIATE VICAR'S LETTER, 5 

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD 

— Holy Week and Easter Services, 7 

— Christingle, 7 

— STAY, 8-9 

— Claude's view from the pew, 9 

— Inventor of religion, 11 

— From the editor's desk, 11 

— 30 million starving children, 13 

— The Persecuted Church, 13 

— For your prayers in March, 13 

FEATURES 

— Manatees awareness, 15 

— Brazilian railways, 17-19 

— Walking the Ridgeway, 19 

— Plan your Easter worship, 20-21 

—around the villages 

— Sonning School report, 23 

— Performing Arts Project, 23 

— Art Group Award, 25 

— Cotswold Garden visit, 25 

— My Fair Lady singers, 25 

— VC churchyard talk, 25 

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER 


Parish 

Magazine 

March 2023 — Mothering Sunday 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY 

Four STAY lads piggybacking 

Picture: Westy 

EDITORIAL DEADLINE 

The editorial deadline for every issue 

of The Parish Magazine is 12 noon on 

the sixth day of the month prior to the 

date of publication. 

The deadline for the April 

issue of The Parish Magazine is: 

Monday 6 March at 12 noon 


Services at 

St Andrew’s 

Sunday 5 March 

— 8.00am Holy Communion 

— 10.30am Family Service 

— 4pm Choral Evensong 

followed by tea in The Ark 



— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 

Mothering Sunday 19 March 


— 10.30am Family Communion 

— 3.00pm Messy Church 



— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 

HOME & GARDEn 

— Old tools for charity, 27 

— In the garden, 27 

THE ARTS 

— Primavera, 29 

— Poetry Corner, 29 

— Book reviews, 31 

history, 31 

health 

— Dr Simon Ruffle, 33-34 

PUZZLE PAGES, 34 - 35 

The Parish Magazine online 

The most recent issues can be viewed at: 

http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk 

Earlier issues from 1869 onwards are 

stored in a secure online archive. If you 

wish to view these archives contact the 

editor who will authorise access for you: 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES 

Morning Prayer is held in church 

every Tuesday at 9.30am. During 

Lent, Morning Prayer will also be 

said on each Friday morning at 

9.30am. Everyone is welcome to 

join us in church. 

Mid-week Communion in The Ark is 

held every Wednesday at 10.00am. Tea 

and coffee follows the service. 

Home Communion at Signature at 

Sonning is held on the first Monday of 

each month at 11.00am. 

children's page, 37 

information 

— Church services, 3 

— From the registers, 3 

— Local Trades and Services, 36 

— Parish contacts, 38 

— Advertisers' index, 38 

From the Registers 

baptisms 

— Sunday 8 January, Darcy William River Rimmington 

—Sunday 8 January, Cooper Harvey 

funerals 

— Friday 20 January, Jean Helen Flitcroft, interment of ashes in churchyard

4 The Parish Magazine -March 2023 

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The Parish Magazine - March 2023 5 

The associate vicar's letter 

Dear Friends, 

The parable of the Good Samaritan is one that many people are familiar with, 

whether they have a Christian faith or not. The concept of the story is fairly 

simple. While travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho, a man is attacked and left 

badly wounded. Two people, a priest and a Levite, both from the same region as 

the injured man, cross the road when they see him and leave him for dead. Then 

along comes a Samaritan and helps the injured man, saving his life. 

The context of this story, however, is not always fully understood. When we 

hear this parable by itself it becomes just a moral story about doing the right 

thing, but in its fuller context it challenges us about the way we treat people, 

not only in our actions but also in the attitudes we hold. This story is about 

‘otherness’ and Jesus uses this parable to challenge racial prejudice and make 

people look beyond the parameters of their own world and world view, which is 

something I believe we can still learn from today. 

The parable is given in response to the question ‘who is my neighbour?’ 

Before he is asked this question, Jesus reminds his listeners that they should 

love their neighbour. The moral of the story is the person who is the neighbour 

to the injured man is in fact the Samaritan, not the people who were from the 

same area as him. Samaritan people were disliked immensely by the people 

from Jerusalem and the surrounding area and were looked down upon and 

ostracised. Yet it was a Samaritan who chose to help the injured man, despite 

knowing the preconceptions and prejudice that he and his people would have 

held against him, just because of where he was from. In other words, the 

Samaritans were ‘othered’. 

US AND THEM? 

‘Othering’ allows us to put in a gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’. At worst, it 

dehumanises another group of people which we know that over the course of 

history, even very recent history, has led to some atrocities being carried out. At 

best, ‘othering’ can limit our world view; both preventing us from reaching out 

and helping people and also allowing us to justify judging others because they 

are not like ‘us’. 

There will be many examples, some are more contentious issues than others, 

but we don’t have to look too far from our own doorsteps to see the ‘othering’ of 

people. Negatively stereotyping people because of their race or religion. Judging 

people because their lives have been affected by addiction or homelessness. 

Gossiping about people because of their family circumstances or employment 

status. 

No one likes to admit that they ‘other’ people but to some degree we have 

all made quick judgements about people because we are all human. What we 

can do, however, is to challenge ourselves and be honest with ourselves about 

who we really believe is our neighbour. Is it all people? It is only the people who 

don’t seem different to us or that we don’t fear. Regardless of our faith, I believe 

that part of our humanity is a call to love one another and reach out to others 

who are struggling. To challenge our stereotypes and prejudices so that we treat 

people fairly and with compassion. We can all make a difference, both in our 

actions and attitudes. We can all find ways to be a ‘Good Samaritan’ and we can 

all challenge our own negative and judgemental attitudes. 

COMPASSION AND SUPPORT 

Jesus didn’t come to earth just for the well-educated, smartly dressed, 

articulate or wealthy people. He didn’t come just for those who have made 

good choices and have stability in their lives. He came to reach out to the 

marginalised and to reach beyond social boundaries. I encourage us all to read 

the parable of the Good Samaritan again. When have we been like the Levite or 

priest and how can we show more compassion and support in the future? And 

when have we been more like the Samaritan and how can we continue to show 

that love in our communities both near and far? 

With love and prayers, Kate

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the parish noticeboard — 1 

Notices 

Lenten Reflections 

Every Tuesday from 28 February 

during Lent our regular Morning 

Prayer service in St Andrew's 

Church at 9.30am will include a 

reflection from the Beatitudes 

followed by coffee, tea and 

conversation in The Ark. In 

addition, during Lent, Morning 

Prayer will also be said on each 

Friday morning at 9.30am. 

Everyone is welcome to join us in 

church. 

Mothering Sunday 19 March 

Join us for our traditional service 

of thanksgiving at 10.30am for the 

mothers in our life — our mother 

church, our birth mother and/or the 

mother who guided us through our 

childhood to adulthood. During the 

service the children will be asked to 

help distribute Mothering Sunday 

bunches of flowers for all the ladies. 

Messy Church Sunday 19 March 

At 3pm on Mothering Sunday 

children and parents are invited to a 

special Messy Church in The Ark. 

Easter diary dates 

Palm Sunday 2 April, 10.30am 

We meet in The Ark Garden before 

processing to church for a Parish 

Eucharist with the traditional 

Passion Reading. Please note: there 

will not be a Family Service on that 

day. 

Maundy Thursday, 6 April, 7.30pm 

Holy Communion to celebrate the 

Last Supper. The service concludes 

with the stripping of the altar, after 

which there is silent reflection before 

the congregation depart in silence. 

Good Friday, 7 April, 2-3pm 

The Last Hour, a service of Bible 

readings, prayers and silent 

reflection. 

Easter Saturday 8 April Family 

Fun Afternoon, from 2pm 

Meet inside the Church at 2pm for 

a welcome and short family service 

before moving outside for an Easter 

egg hunt, bouncy castle, teenage 

obstacle course, riverside walk, egg 

and spoon races, trips up the tower, 

Messy Church activities, and a free 

BBQ for everyone. 

IMPORTANT: Please let Hilary in 

the Parish Office 0118 969 3298 know 

if you are planning to be there so we 

can buy enough food for the BBQ! 

Easter Eve 8 April, The First 

Communion of Easter 8.00pm 

Indy Biddulph 

We meet outside the Church north 

door where the Easter fire will be 

lit. The congregation will be given 

candles, which are lit from the 


Don't be late for 

church on 

Sunday 26 March! 

British Summer Time begins at 1am on 

Sunday 26 March when clocks spring 

forward one hour! 

Easter fire. We then move into the 

dark church carrying 'the Light of 

Christ' to celebrate the first Holy 

Communion of Easter. If you have 

been to this service you will know 

that it is one of the most meaningful 

services of the year. 

Easter Day 9 April 

BCP Holy Communion at 8am 

Parish Eucharist at 10.30am during 

which the children will make the 

Easter Garden in The Ark. 

Messy Easter in The Ark 16 April 

Family worship, prayers, games, 

activities, singing and free food with 

an Easter theme will be held in The 

Ark at 3pm. Everyone is welcome! 

Sue Peters 

Christingles and heart-shaped sunglasses reminded us of Jesus, the light of the world, and his love for us during the February Family Service.

8 The Parish Magazine -March 2023 


St Andrew's Youth 

Fun and games for a 

record 74 young people 

in the safety of The Ark 

STAY on Friday: We had record numbers attending STAY on Friday 27 January with 74 young people. The atmosphere 

was both electric and fun all at the same time. It is clear that safe and open spaces for young people to gather and enjoy games 

together is needed and it's wonderful to see so many coming along to do just that. The final thoughts in January included: 

NEW YEAR: You are the greatest project you will ever work on —author unknown. 

FORGIVENESS: Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive — CS Lewis. 

FEAR: Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will — Suzy Kassem. 

turn to page 9

from page 8 


. . . plus a record for Sunday STAY! 


The Persecuted Church by Colin Bailey 

Claude's 

view 

from 

the 

pew 

STAY on Sunday: January must have been the month of growth as STAY 

on Sunday also saw record numbers attending, with 21 young people plus 

leaders in the upper room. Luckily, it was cold outside otherwise it would 

have been a sweatbox! We have continued to look at the parables of Jesus and 

studied: The parable of the sower in Mark 4; The command to live at peace in 

Hebrews 12; and the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13. 

. . . and a new high at CU! 

STAY in Schools 

STAY schools work has also continued to flourish and grow. We have been 

delivering assemblies at all five local schools, and seen growth with our Piggott 

CU (Christian Union) numbers reaching a new high of 15 young people. 

We have also increased our capacity for mentoring in schools to 30 students 

across the two secondary schools. 

We have also had the privilege of being part of the exciting diocesan 

’Come & See’ Lent resource. The resource has been sent to the whole diocese, 

including; every church and every youth and children's worker. It includes 

scripts, videos — I recorded video 6 on habits — handouts and is all based on 

the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. 

STAY on Monday 

Our new STAY on Monday group continues 

to meet every 1st & 3rd Monday of the 

month and we follow a pattern of games, 

cake and questions, and faith input. We 

are soon to start a new resource called Stir 

(check it out at: www.reignministries.co.uk). 

As January had an extra Monday we 

decided to have a social at McDonald’s 

— other fast food chains are available. 

We had a great time chatting, eating and 

playing games together! 

To contact me for a chat about our youth work, email me, Westy, on: 

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk 

Must have a fag! 

Must have a fag! 

Seeing a whiff of smoke rising gently 

from a candle in church reminds me 

of my mother. She would wake up in 

the morning coughing and spluttering 

and the first thing on her mind was to 

have a cigarette. 

Both my parents smoked like troopers 

for the best part of their lives but 

neither of them died of smoking 

related illnesses. In the days when it 

was considered morally acceptable 

to smoke it was actively encouraged 

by people to smoke in social circles, 

unlike today when it is deemed socially 

irresponsible to smoke anywhere. 

OUT OF THE WAY 

My parents would spend hours 

playing cards with friends and relatives 

in a room so thick with smoke you 

couldn’t see from one end to the other. 

My cousin and I would depart upstairs 

to keep out of the way of the smoke 

spending the time beating hell out of 

each other with pillows. 

The memory of the smoke made 

sure that I remained a non-smoker 

throughout my life. 

Playing cards was a regular evening 

pastime during the war years with 

games such as ‘Slippery Sam’ and 

‘Black Mariah’ and would even include 

the odd exchange of money! 

Add to all of that the lack of central 

heating, the real fire in many of the 

rooms would also be contributing to 

this smoky atmosphere. There was 

certainly no cause to worry about 

climate change in those days — or 

should we have done? 

Perhaps we were more irresponsible 

then, than we are now, who knows?


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Who invented 

religion? 

Ahura Mazda, the name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one, 

uncreated, creator, hence God, is depicted on a roof top in Yazd, Iran. 

In 2017, the historical city of Yazd was recognized as a UNESCO World 

Heritage Site. 

Vladimir Melni, dreamstime.com 

According to the World Population Clock, the world's 

population has just passed 8 billion. What is perhaps 

more interesting, is that these 8 billion people have, 

and are forming, thousands of different religions. Some 

estimates put 'religious type groups' at over 4,000 and 

they are growing at such a rate that the total will soon be 

uncountable. 

Many scholars believe that religion in the form of the 

belief in a god, or gods, first began in Persia, which, since 

1935, has been called Iran. Today in Iran the governmentbacked 

religion is Islam although three other religions — 

Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism — are tolerated, 

albeit, with very srict controls. 

Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Muslims, believe in a 

monotheistic god, that is, only one god. No others exist. 

Of these four religions, Zoroastrianism, which began in 

Persia, is the oldest – and many scholars believe it to be the 

first religion in the world. Like many religions, at its centre is 

the constant struggle between good and evil spiritual forces. 

THE LORD OF WISDOM 

Some scholars believe that Christianity, Judaism and 

Islam have their roots in Zoroastrianism, which, according 

to Zoroastrian tradition, was started by a prophet called 

Zoroaster, who is also known as Zaranthushtra. At the age 

of 30 years he had a divine vision of a supreme being while 

partaking in a pagan purification rite and he began teaching 

followers to worship a single god he called Ahura Mazda, 

which means the Lord of Wisdom. Religion, as we know it 

today, it is thought, was born. Zoroaster's birth is celebrated 

this month on 26 March. He died aged 77 years. 

Today India has the largest number of Zoroastrians, 

although this total is said to be declining, whereas in North 

America, Britain, Australia and New Zealand the number of 

Zoroastrians is increasing. However, in world religion terms, 

their numbers are very small, about 100,000 - 200,000. This 

compares with the largest worldwide religion, Christianity, 

which has an estimated 2.2 billion believers. The second 

largest religion is Islam with 1.9 billion and at the bottom of 

the top 10 religions is Judaism with 15.3 million. 

From the 

editor's desk 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

Listening to mother 


While I have a vague idea of the content for each month's 

magazine when I sit down at my desk to start work on it, 

I am always surprised how different themes emerge as 

the days go by. Some of the ideas would be tucked away 

in my memory bank, such as the article about manatees 

on page 15. I came across the manatee for the first time 

in the Bible where it is mentioned 12 times and I was 

fascinated to learn that they had been living on our 

planet for 60 million years. I filed it away in my future 

story memory bank only to discover recently that in 

March there is an annual awareness day in its honour, 

hence the article in this issue. 

Other ideas for stories are determined by outside events 

and those regular, annual celebrations, such as Mothering 

Sunday — which is the theme of some of the content this 

month. 

The first Mothering Sunday type story arrived on my 

desk from Westy, our youth minister. You may feel the 

link is tenuous because it is about the serious issues that 

many children, mainly boys, are growing up with today, 

namely, they are living in a single parent, fatherless home. In 

such cases, which are growing in number every year, many 

mothers are struggling and need as much help and prayers as 

the children themselves. Read more about this on page 19. 

SMOKING AND SWEARING 

Another Mothering Sunday related article is by Claude 

on page 9. Sometime ago during a Sunday morning chat he 

told me that he would like to write about memories of his 

mother. Thinking it would be a nice piece about some of the 

special, happy, memories he has, I thought it would be ideal 

for this issue. It's on page 9 if you have not read about his 

mother's smoking habits yet! 

Claude's memories reminded me of a similar habit of 

my own mother. Although she also smoked, she was in a 

different league from Claude's mum. My mother's bad habit 

was swearing and just as Claude never smoked in his life, 

I never swear. The swear words my mother used 70 years 

ago were tame to what we hear every day now. In fact, 

many of her words are now in such use they can be found in 

standard English dictionaries, but I still avoid saying them. 

A WISE MOTHER'S WORDS 

Last Sunday, the Archdeacon of Berkshire led our 

worship and preached about Mary the mother of Jesus — 

probably the world's best known mother. We learnt that 

in the Bible there is only one occasion when we hear Mary 

speak, and she only says five words. Surprisingly, Mary is 

also only named 12 times. The occasion that we hear her 

speak is at a wedding in Cana when the wine ran out and 

Mary tells the servants, 'Do as he tells you.' The 'he' she 

refers to is her son Jesus. They are wise words for us all, not 

just on Mothering Sunday, but throughout our lives. The 

world would be a far better place if we took notice of the 

world's best known mother and do as her son tells us.



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30,000,000 

children in 

need of food 

HORN OF AFRICA SUFFERS LONGEST 

AND MOST SEVERE DROUGHT EVER 

HORN OF 

AFRICA 

Thomaspajot, dReamstime.com 

More than 30 million children 

worldwide are suffering from acute 

malnutrition as the global food 

crisis persists into 2023. 

According to international experts, 

seven of the worst affected countries 

are East African nations that have 

suffered several years of failed rainy 

seasons and droughts. The worst 

15 countries enduring the crisis 

are: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, 

Chad, the Democratic Republic of 

the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, 

Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, 

Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and 

Yemen. 

MASSIVE INFLATION 

As well as drought, last year a key 

driver of food insecurity was massive 

inflation which put even staple food 

such as bread beyond the financial 

reach of many. And this year there 

is likely to be increased shortages of 

food caused by the global fertiliser 

shortages resulting from the war in 

Ukraine. Natural disasters have also 

had a significant impact. 

In response to this worldwide crisis, 

Barnabas Fund created www.food.gives 

to supply food aid to needy Christians 

in many lands and to meet a desperate, 

ongoing need. If you would like to help 

or find out more, go to: 

https://www.food.gives/gb/ 

For your prayers in March 

— The victims of the earthquakes in Turkey 

and Syria and the aid agencies helping them 

— The children and mothers of fatherless 

families 

— Charities working on the front line in Ukraine 

— The 30 million hungry children in the world 


Persecution increases in Asia, Latin 

America and Africa By Colin Bailey 

The World Watch List is the Open Doors annual ranking of the 50 countries 

where Christians face the most extreme persecution. The definition that 

Open Doors uses for ‘persecution’ is a theological one — ‘Any hostility 

experienced as a result of one’s identification with Christ. This can include 

hostile attitudes, words and actions towards Christians’. 

The Open Doors methodology 

broadly distinguishes between 

two main types of persecution: 

‘squeeze’ and ‘smash’. ‘Smash’ 

refers to concrete acts of violence 

against Christians because of their 

faith. ‘Squeeze’ is the persecution 

experienced as pressure in many 

areas of Christian life. 

Back at number 1 in the list is 

North Korea where 1.5% (400,000) 

of the population are Christians. If 

discovered by the authorities believers 

are either sent to labour camps as 

political prisoners or killed on the spot, 

with families sharing their fate. It is 

almost impossible for Christians to 

meet for worship. 

CRIMINAL INFLUENCE 

Perhaps surprisingly, the region 

showing the highest increase in 

persecution is Latin America. 

Nicaragua at 50 (up 11 places) is 

in the top 50 for the first time. Cuba 

has risen 10 places to 27. Similarly, 

Colombia is up 8 places to 22. Mexico at 

number 38 is up 5 places. 

Open Doors identifies how criminal 

groups have grown in influence and 

persecution especially in rural areas in 

Mexico and Colombia. 

In Cuba and Nicaragua repressive 

governments are intensifying 

efforts to suppress those they deem 

opponents to their rule. 

In Comoros, three islands in 

southeast Africa, there has been a rise 

of violent incidents and it enters the 

top 50 at 42. In sub-Saharan Africa 

violence has hit ‘new heights’ according 

to Open Doors. Burkina Faso, for 

example (see The Parish Magazine 

February page 13) has risen 9 places to 

23. 

Sudan, where for 3 years there were 

some steps towards religious freedom, 

has re-entered the top 10. Military 

coups in October 2021, and August 

2022 saw community police being 

formed resembling the previously 

disbanded morality police. 

Syria is up 3 places to 12. Dozens 

of churches and Christian community 

buildings have been attacked, damaged 

or looted, either by Turkish shelling or 

criminals. At least 3 Christians were 

also killed and 5 kidnapped. 

Last year’s number 1, Afghanistan, 

fell 8 places because the Taliban has 

concentrated on consolidating power 

rather than targeting non-Muslims. 

Qatar, where the recent FIFA World 

Cup was held, fell 16 places to 34. No 

churches were closed in 2022. The 

reduction in opposition to Christians 

may be due to the world’s focus on 

its human rights, with the attention 

drawn by the World Cup. 

There were fewer reports of violence 

towards Christians in Egypt, and it has 

dropped 15 places to 35. 

Sri Lanka, at 30 a couple of years 

ago when there had been Easter church 

bombings that killed more than 250, 

is now down to 62 — an encouraging 

answer to prayer of Sri Lankan 

believers. 

References and further reading 

Open Doors World Watch List 2023: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/ 

Trends: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/world-watch-list-2023-trends/



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feature — 1 

The 60 million 

year old 'mermaid' 

that is becoming 

an endangered sea 

creature 


WEDNESDAY 29 MARCH: MANATEE APPRECIATION DAY 

The manatee, a gentle giant that has roamed the seas for about 60 million 

years is rapidly becoming an endangered species — not because it has been 

hunted for its meat or its skin, but because of the pollution that is destroying 

its food supplies. 

Manatees are mentioned at least 

12 times in the Bible when God 

instructed the Israelites, who were 

travelling from captivity in Egypt 

to the Promised Holy Land, to use 

the skin of a manatee to protect the 

sacred tents and worship aids from 

the harsh weather they faced in the 

desert: 

Make a covering for the tent from 

ram skins dyed red and a covering of 

manatee skins on top of that. 

Exodus 26:14 

Being a sea mammal, the manatee 

would have been on the forbidden 

food list for the Jewish people so we 

have to wonder how they acquired 

the large number of skins they 

Lunch time! 

Celentano, dreamstime.com 

needed, and how they handled 

them knowing they had come 

from an unclean creature. 

ELEPHANT ANCESTRY 

Fossils suggest that manatees 

evolved from the elephant, and 

like the elephant, they are large, 

cumbersome herbivores with no 

known natural enemy, other than 

humans. Some manatees grow 

to as much as 4 metres long and 

weigh as much as 1,500 kgs. 

They graze for up to 8 

hours a day on sea grass and 

other vegetation and can be 

found in salt and fresh water 

environments all around the 

world. Hence they are sometimes 

known as sea cows, although 

ancient mariners also called 

them mermaids. They are, of 

course, nothing like the modern 

day 'Walt Disney' image of the 

mermaid, although they are said 

to have a playful nature. 

POLLUTION 

There are three families of 

manatee: Trichechus inunguis, 

the Amazonian manatee; 

Trichechus senegalensis, 

the West African manatee; 

Trichechus manatus, the West 

Indian manatee. They are all 

fully aquatic and so never leave 

the water, although they mainly 

Maegan Luckiesh, unsplash.com 

inhabit shallow, marshy coastal 

areas, springs, rivers, bays, canals, 

and estuaries where there is, or in 

many cases, used to be, extensive 

beds of sea grass and other similar 

vegetation. 

These are areas of the world where 

human pollution is rife with toxic 

sewage, manure, and fertilizer waste 

that is destroying the manatees' food 

supplies. 

A worrying number of manatees 

are also being killed as a result of 

collisions with boats and ships in the 

increasingly crowded waters where 

they have lived long before boats 

were invented. 

. 

AWARENESS 

Sadly today, all the odds seem to 

be against the ponderous manatee, 

unless the world takes steps to 

reduce the pollution of the oceans, 

seas, canals and rivers, and this is 

what Manatee Appreciation Day held 

on the last Wednesday of March each 

year, is about. 

The awareness day was founded in 

1981 by the world’s leading manatee 

conservation organization's Save the 

Manatee Club. 

The club was set up by songwriter 

and author, Jimmy Buffet and former 

US senator Bob Graham. 

The 'club' seeks to protect the 

manatee and its habitat from 

thoughtless human activities. 

To find out more, or to adopt a 

manatee, shop and donate to the 

Save the Manatee Club go to: 

https://www.savethemanatee.org/



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feature — 2 

A real Brazilian home from home 

In the late 1950s I was a foreman 

fitter responsible for maintenance 

of cranes and machines operated 

by George Wimpey, a large civil 

engineering contractor that today 

is in a house building partnership 

with Taylor Woodrow. As part of 

the overseas department, I had 

completed a 2 year contract in 

Kuwait, as well as some local work 

in the UK. I was then asked to go to 

Brazil in January 1960 and the next 

4 years became the most interesting 

of my early life — I was 29 years old. 

I was to be in charge of the rock drill 

department on Wimpey's hydro 

electric dam project in Furnas, Minas 

Gerais, but the 2 year contract was 

extended to 4 years after a fatal 

explosion in one of the tunnels that 

diverted the Rio Grande River while 

the dam was being built. 

However, this was not a problem 

for me because my hobby was, and 

still is, studying, and modelling, 

foreign railways — Brazil had plenty 

to interest me! I had 2 weeks local 

leave each year which I spent travelling 

around the states of Sao Paulo and 

Minas Gerais on the many railways 

that operated there. 

DIVERSION 

In 1962, my brother-in-law, a 

master mariner whom I had not met, 

was to be in Santos on his way home 

from a voyage in the Pacific. It was a 

good opportunity to meet him, and see 

Santos, one of Brazil's main ports, so 

I arranged to travel to Sao Paulo and 

go by train to Santos. But, as soon as 

everything was in place, the owner 

diverted John's ship to Cape Town so 

we did not meet. However, I decided to 

carry on and took a Mogiana Railway 

The Furnas hydroelectric dam in Brazil. 

train to Sao Paulo. After a night's rest, I 

got a local, four car train on the Santos 

-Jundiai railroad to Santos, a trip of 

about 80 miles. 

Brazil's Atlantic coast has a curious 

geographical feature of a narrow flat 

plain all the way from Bahia in the 

north to Santa Catarina in the south, a 

distance of about 1,200 miles. 

It varies from being 10 miles wide 

to about 50. On the inland or western 

side of this plain is a steep rise to 

the central plateau and in the Santos 

area the rise is a steep escarpment 

about 800m high. The railways from 

the various Atlantic port cities had 

to climb this, usually on special track 

rails or by zigzag inclines. 

INCLINED PLANES 

Luckily, inland from Santos there 

was a narrow rising valley which could 

possibly be the route of a railroad but 

it would have to be a funicular (cable) 

with rope haulage due to the steep 

gradient needed to climb 800m in the 

horizontal distance of 10.5km. I had 

read of this railroad but never thought 

that one day I would ride along it. 

It had a series of five inclined 

planes each ending in a short level 

section or 'patamar' in Portuguese. 

Under each patamar was a 1,000hp 


By Michael Ingram 

Roberto Epifanio Da Silva, dreamstime.com 

steam engine serving one of the five 

inclines. A descending train stopped at 

a station named Paranapiacicaba and 

was broken up into sets of two 50 ton 

cars and was moved to the head of the 

rope on the level patamar by a steam 

locomotive. 

GRIPPERS 

This was similar to a UK guard's 

van and 20 of these were built in 

Britain by Robert Stevenson in 

Darlington. Called a 'Grip', their task 

was to grip the rope so they could be 

taken down at the speed that the rope 

moved at. They could also work as a 

locomotive to move each pair of 50 ton 

cars onto the rope. 

Grips were powerful enough to 

move, at slow speed, two cars onto 

the next lower rope at each patamar. 

The cars in use on the Santos-Jundiai 

line were used for both passenger and 

freight trains. 

The track had only three rails 

between the patamars but four rails 

on the patamar to allow climbing and 

descending trains to pass. 

As the descending, or ascending, 

grip and its two cars reached the level 

patamar the loco dropped the rope 

and pulled the two cars to the end of 

turn to page 19 

Sao Paulo station. Rodrigo Loureiro, dreamstime.com Santos-Jundiai railroad tracks. Nandobrasil, dreamstime.com


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feature — 3 

the patamar as a locomotive. Then 

it gripped the next descending or 

ascending rope. As the five ropes all 

moved at the same speed when the big 

haulage engines were moving the rope, 

all 10 ascending or descending trains 

arrived at their various patamars at 

almost the same time. 

Using a signal system the grip 

locomotives all gripped the next 

rope at the same time. This closed an 

electrical circuit and illuminated a 

lamp at each engine operator's control 

station. When the signal men at each 

patamar moved their signal to green 

all the big haulage engines started to 

move at the same time and the whole 

descending and ascending sets of grips 

and cars moved off simultaneously. 

NO DRIZZLE 

There is a very heavy rainfall in this 

part of the country, the average being 

5.5m per year with as much as 1.24m 

in one month and up to 19cm in 90 

minutes. We had similar rain fall at 

Furnas. It was always full on and wet, 

or full off and perfectly dry. I never saw 

a drizzly day in my 4 years there. 

My train arrived at Piassaguera, 

the foot of the incline and I changed 

to a diesel railcar that took about 20 

minutes to get to Santos. 

This part of the journey was across 

a waterlogged land notorious for insect 

borne disease that caused many deaths 

during the construction of the line. 

After a good look around Santos 

docks I caught an early evening train 

to Sao Paulo. The next day I took a 

coach to Rio and spent the rest of my 

holiday in a very comfortable family 

hotel in Copacabana. 

The hotel was used by expatriates 

from the Furnas dam job and was a 

real home from home! 

Rio de Janeiro. 

F11photo, dreamstime.com 


from page 17 

Home from home Walking the Ridgeway 

for fatherless children 

Simon Gurney, dreamstime.com 

Over the years we have written at length about Mothering Sunday (this year 

it's on 19 March) and drawn attention to the fantastic job mothers have, and 

are, doing for us all, but there has been one large group of mothers that we 

have sadly neglected — the mothers of an estimated 2 million children who 

bring them up in a fatherless home. Fortunately, they are not being neglected 

by a Reading charity called Chapter 2 that Westy, St Andrew's Church youth 

minister, is planning to help by taking a sponsored, 100km trek along the 

Ridgeway path in a non-stop 24 hours walk or run that will end in Reading. 

Chapter 2 was formed in 2018 in response to an increasing number of fatherless 

homes and the affect it is having on children in all walks of life, particularly 

with boys who are suffering the most. The statistics are shocking (see the 

Chapter 2 website at http://chapter2.org.uk) and are well summarised by this 

quote from David Blankenhorn of Fatherless America: 

'Fatherlessness families is the most harmful demographic trend of this 

generation. It is the leading cause of declining child well-being in our society. It is 

also the engine driving our most urgent social problems, from crime to adolescent 

pregnancy to child sexual abuse to domestic violence against women.' 

The Centre for Social Justice — a UK independent centre-right think tank 

co-founded in 2004 by Iain Duncan Smith, Tim Montgomerie, Mark Florman 

and Philippa Stroud — describes the boys' plight as 'men deserts': 'Many boys 

are growing up in the UK with no father and are further starved of any positive 

interaction with men in general. They are lost in 'men deserts' with no clear path out. 

This is a grave situation for a boy and the consequences can be profound. For every boy 

is searching to understand the essence of masculinity. They need a tried and true path 

to follow, trodden by men before them.' 

Chapter 2 supports fatherless boys with a mentor and positive activities to 

help them build a better future. Westy said: 'In Reading and the surrounding areas, 

there are approximately 100,000 boys. By the time they are 15 years of age, roughly 

1 in 2 of them will not be living with both parents. The vast majority will be living 

with their mother and risk losing contact with their father. These boys will grow up 

to face far more challenges than your average boy. Unemployment, academic failure, 

depression, chronic illness, anxiety and poverty later in life are all far more likely for 

fatherless boys.' 

The sponsored walk Westy is doing will benefit fatherless children, and, of 

course, their mothers. It will be held on Father's Day, Sunday 18 June and end in 

Reading. To sponsor him and to find out more use this link: 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Westy2023?utm_source=instagram&utm_ 

medium=fundraising&utm_content=Westy2023&utm_campaign=pfp-instagram&utm_term=c00 

d5f4b8b6f440a98009937ed93e023

FIND YOUR WAY OUT OF 


feature — 3 

AS WE CELEBRATE PASSIONTI 

Maundy Thursday 6 April 

7.30pm Holy Communion to celebrate 

the Last Supper. The service concludes 

with the stripping of the Altar 

A 

Palm Sunday 2 April 

8.00am Holy Communion 

10.30am Family Service 

4.00pm Evensong with tea in The Ark 

Passiontide Begins Sunday 26 March 

The 5th Sunday of Lent 

8.00am Holy Communion 

10.30am Parish Eucharist 

Messy Easter in The Ark 

Sunday 16 April 

3.00pm 

EASTE 

Sunday 

8.00am BCP Ho 

10.30am Paris 

Children make the Eas 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIE

THE WOODS WITH US 


DE, HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 

Good Friday 7 April 

2.00-3.00pm The Last Hour 

service of Bible readings, prayers 

and silent reflection 

Easter Saturday 8 April 

FUN DAY 

Begins in Church at 2pm with a brief 

family service before outdoor activities 

including an egg hunt, bouncy castle, 

obstacle course for teens, riverside 

walk, egg and spoon races, trips up the 

tower, Messy Church fun and a FREE 

BBQ for everyone! 

R DAY 

9 April 

ly Communion 

h Eucharist 

ter Garden in The Ark 

Easter Eve 8 April 

8.00pm The First Holy Communion 

of Easter with the lighting of 

the Easter Fire 

S OF CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY



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Abbey Human Intelligence 125H x 175W.indd 1 09/11/2022 12:58 

EXPLODE

around the villages — 1 


SONNING CoE primary school update 

Planning and learning to communicate 

All at Sonning School, writes Phil Sherwood, headmaster, are 

very excited about the discussions around the King Charles 

III’s Coronation celebrations in Sonning and Sonning Eye. 

Pupils are busy thinking about how they can be involved! 

Community is a big part of the village and surrounding areas, 

and the school feels that community spirit too. 

In the meantime, January has been a month of refocusing, 

with lots of learning taking place! 'Our pupils have already 

learned so much!' said the headmaster. In particular, the 

whole school has been focusing on communication and 

oracy in class, and this prompted Year 6 pupils to challenge 

themselves by creating travel brochures. 

Could you manage the next phase of this exciting 

performing arts community project? 

Sonning Church of England 

Primary School, is seeking someone 

to project manage an exciting 

performing arts studio building 

project for which the school is 

currently raising funds. 

The Performing Arts Studio's vision 

is to promote and deliver rich 

experiences and development in 

acting, dance, music, song, art and 

general cultural appreciation. 

PROJECT MANAGER 

The new facility will be located 

within the school grounds and, 

during the day, it will be used by the 

school pupils. 

In a boost for the whole area, 

at weekends, in the evening and 

in the school holidays, it will be 

available for the wider communities 

of Sonning, Charvil, Sonning Eye, 

Wargrave, Woodley and Twyford. 

The school is seeking a volunteer 

to project manage this exciting 

opportunity for the community, 

The role will include finalising the 

planning process and compliance 

and then liaising with the governing 

body, builders, architects and other 

groups to oversee the project. 

This is a manageable undertaking, 

but would require someone with time 

to spare at key times to help oversee 

the project. 

If you are able to help, please 

contact the school on: 

spsadmin@sonning.wokingham.sch.uk 

Mark your email for the attention of 

Phil Sherwood, headmaster.



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Planning Your 

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Then you might like to 

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Church of St Andrew 

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye 

the church of st andrew SERVING CHARVIL, 

SONNING & sonning eye since the 7 th century

around the villages — 2 

Rob's huge support earns him the 

Tom Baldwin Trophy 

At Sonning Art Club's AGM, 

Rob Farquhar was awarded 

the Tom Baldwin Trophy 

for his huge contribution 

to the club, not only for 

acting as the exemplary 

treasurer for many 

years but also for 

setting up social media, 

zoom meetings and 

many other things 

especially those that 

require technical 

knowledge! 

FoStAC Garden diary date 

Friends of St Andrew’s Church, have arranged a private 

tour of an NGS Cotswold garden followed by afternoon 

tea on Monday, 12 June 2023. FoStAC is also looking 

forward to its annual garden party locally on Sunday 

9 July. More details on these two events to follow — 

however you may want to reserve these dates now! 

Sing My Fair Lady favourites 

On Sunday 26 March, 6-8 pm in Charvil Village Hall 

female singers are invited to a fun singing evening led 

by Suzanne Newman. They will be singing a medley of 

songs from My Fair Lady arranged for a two-part choir. 

Songs include On the street where you live, Wouldn't it 

be loverly, Get me to the Church on time and I could have 

danced all night. The £10 cost includes music and light 

refreshments. To book a place contact Suzanne on 0118 

934 0589 / suzanneynewman@btinternet.com 

Boer War VC winners talk 

Brian Hunt's illustrated talk in Pearson Hall on 17 

March is about the two Victoria Cross medal winners 

who are buried in St Andrew's churchyard. They were 

awarded VC's during the Boer war and later came to live 

in Sonning. 

 

 

 


 

followed by 

with 

 

 

 

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Tuesday 28 March 

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A Facebook for seniors 

For those of my generation who do not, and cannot, 

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friends outside of Facebook while applying the same 

principles. Therefore, every day I walk down the street 

and tell passers-by what I have eaten, how I feel at the 

moment, what I have done the night before, what I will do 

later and with whom. I give them pictures of my family, 

my dog and of me gardening, taking things apart in the 

garage, watering the lawn, standing in front of landmarks, 

driving around town, having lunch, and doing what 

anybody and everybody does every day. I also listen to 

their conversations, give them 'thumbs up' and tell them I 

'like' them. And it works, just like Facebook. I already have 

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In the garden 


A refurbished sewing machine provided by Tools With A Mission is 

improving life in Africa 

Becoming a rotter is good 

for you and our world 

Lianem, dreamstime.com 

Fahmi Ariza, unsplash.com 

Compost UK Week (13-19 March) is when we are all 

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from decomposed organic matter, with help from bacteria, 

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It is a natural process and can transform household 

and garden waste into nutrient-rich food for your garden. 

No matter how large or small your garden is, a compost 

heap, is a valuable asset for every home — and for the 

world that is concerned about climate change. The 

ingredients for compost are: 

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and twigs. 

— Greens: Nitrogen-rich materials include grass clippings 

and food scraps. 

— Water and Air 

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St Andrew's Church



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57732 AF Jones Parish Magazine Advert.indd 1 19/11/2014 10:43

THE ARTS — 1 

Spring — the birthday of Creation 

The harshness of winter moving to the 

new birth of spring can be seen reflected 

in the theme of ‘Primavera’ (right) by the 

15th Century Florentine artist, Sandro 

Botticelli. 

His work in the Sistine Chapel brought 

him to the attention of the Medici court, 

which commissioned the painting in 1482. 

The Medici dominated the political life of 

Florence, but Cosimo and his descendants 

were also great patrons of the arts. 

Humanism, which debated the place of 

reason in a world of faith, was the mood 

of the day in court life, and the work of 

artists at that time expressed the human 

form in all its beauty. 

Scholars may disagree on the meaning of 

‘Primavera,’ but it is certainly a celebration 

of beauty and fertility. We can identify a host of classical 

figures: Mercury on the left of the canvas separating the 

clouds so that Spring may come; Zephyr, the west wind, 

on the right, who is pursuing Chloris; Flora, the goddess 

of abundance robed in a colourful dress and adorned with 

flowers. In the centre we see Venus, the goddess of beauty, 

with a blindfolded Cupid above, preparing to shoot an arrow 

at the three Graces, whose arms are joined in a stately dance. 

BEAUTY, TRUTH AND GOODNESS 

The setting is a wooded garden with trees filled with 

oranges, myrtle surrounds Venus, and wondrous flowers 

spring up from the earth. At first glance the sensuousness 

and fruitfulness seem almost profane. But we look again and 

think we see not Venus in the centre, but the Blessed Virgin 

Mary, whose own fruitfulness gave birth to the Saviour. The 

Poetry Corner 

Presence, Power, Peace 

By Steven Rolling 

Based on part of a prayer from the Syrian Clementine Liturgy 

Tune: St Denio (‘Immortal, invisible, God only wise’) 

O God the unsearchable abyss of peace 

The ineffable sea of love, does ne’er cease 

The foundation of blessings, and the bestower 

Of affection, with your riches you us shower 

You who send peace to those who it do receive 

They trust in your mercy, and in you believe 

Open to us this day the sea of your love 

Guide us, teach us, by your Spirit, holy dove 

And water us with your plenteous streams here 

From the riches of your grace, to us draw near 

Even as your Spirit does us dwell within 

Strengthens you with power, and cleanses from sin 


By Rev Canon Michael Burgess 

Public domain, Wikipedia 

three figures by her side could be the Christian virtues of 

beauty, truth and goodness who dance in her honour. All 

around God’s creation blossoms, bringing joy and new life. 

It is the world of the Song of Solomon, which the early 

Fathers could only accept as an allegory of Christian love, 

where the individual soul seeks the Saviour. But that Old 

Testament book was written in praise of the love that moves 

human life, as much as it moves the universe. And that can 

only be good because God the creator is good. 

The writer invites the beloved to accompany her to the 

fields and vineyards and find fruits in blossom and plants in 

bloom: a wilderness transformed by growth and goodness. 

Just so, we enter the garden of this painting. The characters 

may be classical, some may be Christian, but as we look we 

see a creative love that transforms the winter of death and 

darkness into light and spring — the birthday of creation. 

Spring Poem by Layla Mistry 

Layla is a pupil from Sonning CofE Primary School 

Spring is coming now 

Flowers are blooming nicely 

Children are happy 

I love the flowers 

I can feel the cold, crisp air 

Days are longer now 

The sun is shining 

I see the pretty dew drops 

Easter is here now 

And so refreshed by the sweet springs from your store 

They ever flow freely, supply evermore 

From your benignity, no ill-will bearing 

Salvation, eternal life with all sharing 

Michael Shake, dreamstime.com Eric Gevaert, dreamstime.com



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THE ARTS — 2 

Book Reviews 

Hope for Ukraine – stories of grit and grace from 

the front lines of war 

By Kyle Duncan and Esther 

Fedorkevich, Baker Publishing via 

Eden.co.uk, £14.99 

Part narrative, part wartime 

dispatch, Hope for Ukraine 

transports you into the gritty 

reality of war-torn Ukraine and 

the front lines of faith, survival, 

and miraculous intervention. From 

scrambling to escape the bombs 

levelling their neighborhoods to 

fleeing sex traffickers in the chaos 

of border crossings to rescuing 

orphans trapped by Russian tanks, these stunning first-hand 

accounts tell the stories of real Ukrainians enduring terrible 

hardships with grit and grace. 

Kyle Duncan and Esther Fedorkevich both have deep 

family ties with Ukraine, and they take you inside the 

conflict, with dramatic boots-on-the-ground stories and 

eyewitness accounts of Ukrainian refugees, aid workers, 

soldiers, and families affected by the conflict. 

These stories reveal the unbreakable spirit of a nation 

under siege. Even amid the chaos and tragedy of Europe's 

largest war since World War II, God is indeed at work in 

redemptive ways. 

Bitter and Sweet, A Journey into Easter 

By Tsh Oxenreider, Harvest House/ 

Kingsway CLC Trust £18.50 

Bitterness runs through the Bible 

as a sour reminder of sin’s presence 

in our world — yet it’s because of 

this bitterness that Jesus’ grace 

is so sweet and satisfying. As 

we learn to turn from our vices 

and crave real beauty, goodness, 

and truth through the pursuit of 

virtues, we grow nearer to God and 

become more like who he made us to be. It may help you to 

meditate and rejoice in the transcendent miracle of Easter. 

Bouncing Forwards — notes on resilience, 

courage and change 

By Patrick Regan OBE*, SPCK, £9.99 

'You'll bounce back.' How many of us 

have heard these well-meaning words 

when faced with mental or physical 

health challenges, trauma or the loss 

of dreams? And yet, life's battles can 

leave us scarred and changed. Why 

would we want to go back when what 

we've been through has taught us so 

much? It's time to bounce forwards 

instead. Nobody is immune from 

the storms of life. This practical book may help you to grow 

in resilience and become better equipped for the journey. 

*Patrick Regan OBE is the CEO of Kintsugi Hope, and the founder 

and president of urban youth work charity XLP. 


History 

Was it really . . . ? 

. . . 300 YEARS AGO, on 8 March 1723 

that Sir Christopher Wren, the English 

architect best known for designing St 

Paul’s Cathedral, died. 

Ken Taylor, dreamstime.com 

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 16 March 1898 that Aubrey 

Beardsley, British illustrator, died. His black ink drawings, 

influenced by Japanese woodcuts, contributed to the 

development of Art Nouveau. 

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 4 March 1923 that Patrick 

Moore, the amateur astronomer, TV presenter, writer and 

musician was born. He was best known for presenting the 

The Sky at Night for over 50 years. He died in 2012. 

. . . 80 YEARS AGO on 13 March 1943 that the final 

liquidation of Krakow Ghetto in Poland took place. 8,000 

Jews were transported to Plaszow labour camp, and 2,000 

more were killed in the streets. The rest went to Auschwitz. 

. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 26 March 1953 that Dr Jonas Salk 

announced that he had completed the first small-scale test 

of a polio vaccine. Larger tests began in February 1954, 

and mass vaccinations began in April 1955. 

. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 2 March 1958 . . . 

Marc-andrÃ, Le Tourneux, dreamstime.com 

. . . that the first land crossing of Antarctica led by Vivian 

Fuchs was completed by the Commonwealth Expedition. 

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 8 March 1973 that the citizens 

of Northern Ireland voted to remain within the United 

Kingdom and the IRA carried out its first car bombs in 

Britain, in London. One person died and 200 were injured. 

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 16 March 1998 that Rwanda began 

mass trials for the country’s 1994 genocide. There were 

125,000 suspects for 500,000 murders. 

. . . 20 YEARS AGO on 1 March 2003 that Khalid Sheikh 

Mohammed, the al-Qaeda terrorist who masterminded 

the 9/11 attacks on the USA, was captured in Pakistan. 

. . . ALSO 20 YEARS AGO on 12 March 2003 that the 

World Health Organisation issued a global alert about a 

severe form of pneumonia (now known as Severe Acute 

Respiratory Syndrome — SARS) that was affecting people 

in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

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HEALTH — 1 

Dr Simon Ruffle writes . . . Stethoscope 

Watch any medical drama, walk into most doctor’s 

offices, see any article or advert on medicine and you will 

see the ubiquitous stethoscope often worn like a scarf. 

It is now nearly 36 years since this seemingly magical 

piece of equipment in the hands of the wizards — male 

or female — started to reveal its secrets to me. In all that 

time no one actually told me what it meant or taught me 

the history of this unsurpassed bit of kit! 

The name stems from the Greek stēthos (breast) and 

skopéō (examine). The sternum, or breastbone also derives 

from stethos. So this becomes chest examine. Easy ain’t it? 

ORIGINS 

The stethoscope was invented in France in 1816 by René 

Laennec. There are two stories of how he invented it: 

— He saw children playing and listening to each other down a 

tube and asked what they were doing. To his astonishment, he 

listened and the sounds of the heart and chest were clearly audible. 

He rushed back to his office and created the stethoscope. 

— Being of delicate disposition, he found placing his ear directly 

on a woman’s chest uncomfortable. Whether this was to protect 

the women’s feelings or his own we shall never know, but he 

invented the scope to relieve this embarrassment. 

Personally, I hope he felt that a person’s privacy and space 

should try to be maintained when, at a time of vulnerability, 

they are being examined. Thus, I’d like to think both are true: 

He was, wistfully, walking through a Parisian park, say, the 

Bois de Boulogne, while thinking of his cases when he saw 

the children and his uncomfortable coyness was cured by a 

new idea. What a physician! 

MISCOMPREHENSION 

Sadly, I spent years thinking the game boules was named 

such as it was played at the aforementioned park! It’s named 

after the Latin bulla, thus boule which is the ‘round’ bread, 

bowls and medical boils follow. 

AUSCULTATION 

This is listening. I don’t know any other time that this 

word is used anywhere. It reminds me of why the word 

tender is linked to legal. Apparently it’s only when people 

want to pay stamps or use a Scottish bank note in England. 

We use the stethoscope to listen to the chest, heart, 

abdomen and blood vessels. 

HEART 

When taking blood pressure we use a balloon to compress 

then release an artery and when we hear blood flow changes 

that’s how we gauge blood pressure. Squeezing an artery 

makes the blood turbulent and we can hear this — electronic 

BP machines work as oscillometers. If we hear blood flow 

in other arteries of the body that is usually a problem. The 

neck is a common place but, much to Laennec’s chagrin, we 

occasionally listen in the groin, I am eternally grateful to him 

for this. The noise is called bruits (old French for roar). 

When listening to someone’s heart this is often done in 

five areas. Essentially we are listening for the rate, rhythm 

and blood flow. When the heart beats we can hear the valves 

of the heart open and close and the flow of blood in the heart. 


Printed with Permission 

Mostly, we are hoping to hear ‘not a lot.’ Noise created 

by damaged valves and abnormal blood flow causes ‘snaps’ 

and murmurs. The position where we hear these noises the 

loudest can give us clues to which part of the heart or which 

valve is causing a problem. 

CHEST 

‘Chest clear’ is often seen in your medical notes. Most of 

us dissect chest clear from ‘heart sounds normal’ although 

technically chest clear should encompass all. 

In the chest we are listening for lots of different things. 

When you breathe in and out air passes though your airways. 

The air — like blood — becomes turbulent. In general a quiet 

chest is good. 

However, medics are pesky, a quiet or a silent chest 

can be very worrying. In an asthmatic the airways can 

become narrowed by swelling, mucus and abnormal muscle 

contraction. Muscle is part of the structure of the airways. 

This causes turbulent flow. If that flow is all the same 

frequency — monophonic — it suggests one area is blocked, 

often not asthma, but as many airways narrow the sound 

becomes polyphonic — poly: many, phonic: sounds. The 

wheeze will have as many frequencies. 

A cancer or an object blocking an airway is monophonic. 

Beyond this air can be prevented to getting to areas of the 

lung which makes an area quiet or silent. A deep breath may 

open those parts of the lung and the alveolar — air sacs — 

pop open. These are crackles. Often we mistakenly call these 

crepitations but for normal GPs we don’t need to really worry 

as both are abnormal and caused by the same issues such as 

infection or chronic lung disease. 

Rhonchi is another sound we hear. Essentially its the 

same as wheeze but is low frequency so related to the larger 

of the airways. 

Silence can represent part of the lung being consolidated 

or blocked up, such as with infection in pneumonia, although 

fluid in the chest cavity will cause silence. A sign known as 

'whispering pectoriloquy' can help distinguish between fluid 

and consolidation, but touching the patient also helps as 

vibrations known as fremitus add information. 

THERE MAY BE TROUBLE AHEAD 

I got in trouble at medical school as I mentioned to a 

consultant that the whispered word that we used ‘99'' was 

wrong as it is a poor translation. ‘Neunundneunzig’ has 

turn to page 34


HEALTH — 2 

from page 33 

Stethoscope 

a far better vowel range! I was taught 

‘blue balloons’ by a German registrar. My 

consultant disagreed. I learned to be as 

quiet as consolidation in the future. 

YOU TUBE IT 

The next two sounds need to be heard 

to be believed. 

Pleural rub. This is a painful condition 

linked with pleurisy. The linings of the 

lungs, the pleura, become inflamed and 

every breath you take is painful, (so is the 

song to some). The linings rub together 

and produce a sound that is like rubbing 

2 pieces of sandpaper together. Hear it to 

believe it. 

Stridor is the last sound I shall 

describe. This one, almost, always calls for 

emergency care and transfer to hospital. It 

is caused by any part of the upper airway, 

mouth, nose, throat and trachea (windpipe) 

being obstructed. It has a musical quality 

and can sound like whale song. It can be 

audible but the musical quality is only 

heard via the stethoscope. Many of the bad 

things in life are beautiful. 

PUZZLE PAGES 

Rev Kate's 

March 

Quiz 

BIBLICAL CROSSWORD 

This month has a general knowledge theme 

with some local knowledge included . . . 

1. What is the chemical symbol for Potassium? 

2. Who won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2011 for his role 

in The King’s Speech? 

3. Which number is represented by the Roman 

numeral C? 

4. In which year did the Charvil Piggott primary school 

open? 

5. Which London Underground line is represented by 

a brown line? 

6. In the song, what was given on the 6th Day of 

Christmas? 

7. Who is the Patron Saint of Wales? 

8. Who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth I? 

9. Who was the founder of Reading Blue Coat? 

10. In which year was Prince William born? 

11. What is the capital city of Ghana? 

12. What was the name of the ghost in the Shakespeare 

play Macbeth? 

13. Which relative of Dick Turpin once lived in the 

village of Sonning? 

14. In geometry, a Dodecagon has how many sides? 

15. Which former English women’s football player 

appeared on the show ‘I’m a Celebrity…. Get Me Out of 

Here!’ in 2022? 

Total marks = 15 

Printed with Permission 

In the photograph (above and on page 

33) we see a Littmann cardiology series 

stethoscope. It is a modern version of the 

Littmann stethoscopes that were created 

by an American cardiologist. Most of us 

carry Littman’s. 

The normal one has two bells, one with 

a diaphragm and the other open. These 

help listen to different frequencies. The 

cardiology series has a special diaphragm 

that can be altered by differing the 

pressure of contact to change the acoustic 

pick up. I have three, one cardiology and 

two normal — adult and paediatric. 

As we see from the photograph, 

examinations including auscultation 

are intimate, a resting hand is surely an 

improvement on Laennac’s ear, except 

his auricle would have been a darn sight 

warmer than my stethoscope. 

Across 

1 These letters come between Romans and Galatians (11) 

9 ‘You will not — me to the grave’ (Psalm 16:10) (7) 

10 King of Moab to whom the Israelites were subject for 

18 years (Judges 3:14) (5) 

11 Town possessing mineral spring (3) 

13 Mede (anag.) (4) 

16 High-fidelity (abbrev) (4) 

17 He succeeded his father Rehoboam as king of Judah 

(1 Kings 14:31) (6) 

18 A son of Simeon (Genesis 46:10) (4) 

20 Controversial religious book of the 1970s, The — of 

God Incarnate (4) 

21 ‘He has received from the Father the promised Holy 

Spirit and has poured out what you — — and hear’ (Acts 

2:33) (3,3) 

22 ‘You — me together in my mother’s womb’ (Psalm 

139:13) (4) 

23 Edit (anag) (4) 

25 ‘Who has believed our message and to whom has 

the — of the Lord been revealed?’ (Isaiah 53:1) (3) 

28 Abraham’s brother (Genesis 22:23) (5) 

29 ‘When Mordecai learned of — that 

had been — , he tore his clothes’ (Esther 

4:1) (3,4) 

30 Sympathetic (Proverbs 11:16) (4-7) 

Down 

2 That was why his parents said, 'He is 

— —; ask him' (John 9:23) (2,3) 

3 Integrated Services Digital Network 

(1,1,1,1) 

4 ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and 

David his — of thousands’ (1 Samuel 18:7) 

(4) 

5 Concept (John 8:14) (4) 

6 ‘Do we, then, — the law by this faith? 

Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law’ 

(Romans 3:31) (7) 

7 Industrious (2 Timothy 2:6) (11) 

8 ‘I pray also that the eyes of your heart 

may be — in order that you may know 

the hope to which he has called you 

(Ephesians 1:18) (11) 

12 ‘Out of the same mouth come — and 

cursing’ (James 3:10) (6) 

14 This was how many of the Jewish 

leaders described Jesus (John 10:20) (3) 

15 Vitality (Job 20:11) (6) 

19 He urged David to kill Saul at Hakilah 

(1 Samuel 26:8) (7) 

20 ‘So for a whole year Barnabas and 

Saul — with the church and taught great 

numbers of people’ (Acts 11:26) (3) 

24 ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the 

Lord — — ’ (Deuteronomy 6:4) (2,3) 

25 Parched (Matthew 12:43) (4) 

26 ‘In the image of God he created him; 

— and female he created them’ (Genesis 

1:27) (4) 

27 Disparagement (Psalm 15:3) (4)

CROSSWORD 

7 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

9 10 

11 12 13 

15 16 17 18 

22 

24 

the answers will be published in the next issue 

19 

20 21 

23 

Across 

Down 

4 - Spiny - Spiny tree (6) tree (6) 

7 - Unselfish (8) 

- Unselfish (8) 

8 - Diving bird (3) 

8 - Diving bird (3) 

9 - Complain unreasonably; fish (4) 

910 - Complain - Prizes unreasonably; (6) fish (4) 

10 11 - - Prizes Progress (6) (7) 

12 - Suggest (5) 

11 - Progress (7) 

15 - Confronts; deals with (5) 

12 - Suggest (5) 

17 - Daydream (7) 

15 20 - Confronts; - Person deals with who (5) prices things (6) 

17 21 - Daydream - Not hard (7) (4) 

22 - Mature (3) 

20 - Person who prices things (6) 

23 - Hand clapping (8) 

21 

24 

- Not 

- Higher 

hard (4) 

in rank (6) 

22 Down - Mature (3) 

23 

1 - Hand 

Paired 

clapping 

(anag) 

(8) 

(6) 

2 - Water based aircraft (8) 

24 Higher in rank (6) 

3 - Love; genre of fiction (7) 

4 - Test or examine (5) 

5 - Pursues (6) 

6 - Bangle worn at the top of the foot (6) 

13 - Abroad (8) 

14 - Decipher (7) 

15 - Launches on the stock market (6) 

16 - Grotto (6) 

18 - Steep in liquid (6) 

19 - Sweetening substance (5) 

CODEWORD 

14 

8 

1 - Paired (anag) (6) 

2 - Water based aircraft (8) 

3 - Love; genre of fiction (7) 

4 - Test or examine (5) 

5 - Pursues (6) 

6 - Bangle worn at the top of the foot (6) 

13 - Abroad (8) 

14 - Decipher (7) 

15 - Launches on the stock market (6) 

16 - Grotto (6) 

18 - Steep in liquid (6) 

19 - Sweetening substance (5) 

22 10 19 6 19 16 25 19 26 4 3 6 

26 3 20 20 1 6 9 

7 20 10 14 1 2 23 20 6 14 5 6 

22 7 13 22 6 6 7 

10 13 13 16 6 20 6 8 7 26 24 6 

18 3 7 26 26 16 

19 1 8 24 6 12 7 24 6 3 18 6 

20 6 7 11 6 13 

21 25 6 7 18 26 1 8 10 4 3 6 

15 18 8 17 6 6 3 

10 5 16 6 6 17 6 7 18 11 25 3 

16 1 7 3 7 26 6 

7 26 8 26 7 18 6 16 7 18 25 14 

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

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

S 

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

R T 

SUDOKU 

Each of the nine blocks has to contain all the 

numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number 

can only appear once in a row, column or box. 

WORDSEARCH FOR MARCH 

Leeks for St David’s day, daffodils for 

the rest of the month: March brings 

us spring. St Patrick, who brought 

Christianity to Ireland, is remembered 

with parades. Mothering Sunday and 

Mother’s Day are celebrated with more 

daffodils and Sunday lunch ‘out’. March 

brings us the Annunication, when the 

angel first appeared to Mary to tell her 

of her coming pregnancy. March is the 

month of Lent, of prayer and preparation 

for Easter. 

LEEKS 

MUM 

DAY 

MARY 

LENT 

SPRING 

PATRICK 

MOTHER 

ANGEL 

IRELAND 

WALES 

SUNDAY 

LUNCH 

PRAYER 

PARADES 

PREGNANCY 

PREPARATION 

MAGNIFICAT 

FASTING 

DAFFODILS 


February 

Solutions 

CROSSWORD 

I M P A L A S P S 

D E D E C O R A T E 

L A B I A I R 

I B A B O O N N E A R 

N L S D C I 

G U E S S P A R E N T S 

CODEWORD 

J S U G P T 

A P P E N D C A J O L E 

C E L A R R A 

K I C K I N G N I C K S 

P I T G E H E 

O V A L W R O T E 

T L S E S R P 

B O U G H Z E A L 

F P A A O V A 

E Q U I P T A R D I L Y 

N R B E B S F 

C A R T O N M I L I E U 

E S X T T L 

SUDOKU 

T C L L 

T E N A B L E L Y I N G 

S P O S T L 

O P A L S A H A R A O 

R E E O L O W 

L I B R E T T O I E 

T S S T R A C E D 

WORDSEARCH CANDLEMAS 

BIBLICAL CROSSWORD 

REV KATE'S QUIZ 

1 Ukraine 

2 Liverpool 

3 Stranger things 

4 Encanto 

5 Emma 

6. Croatia 

7. Finland and Sweden 

(1 each) 

8 Birmingham 

9 Elena Rybakina 

10 Bangor, Colchester, 

Doncaster, Douglas, 

Dunfermline, Milton Keynes, 

Stanley and Wrexham (3 

marks for 3 correct answers) 

11 Wordle 

12 Holby City


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0118 969 6978 - 0790 022 4999 

CLARK BICKNELL LTD - PLUMBING & HEATING 

Qualified Plumbing and Heating Engineers Gas Safe 

25 years experience - local family run company 

Office: 0118 961 8784 - Paul: 0776 887 4440 

paul@clarkbicknell.co.uk 

COMPUTER FRUSTRATIONS? 

For jargon free help with your computer problems 

PC & laptop repairs, upgrades, installations, virus removal 

Free advice, reasonable rates 

0798 012 9364 help@computerfrustrations.co.uk 

INTERSMART LIMITED 

Electrical Installation and Smart Home Automation 

intersmartuk@gmail.com 

Elliott — 0777 186 6696 

Nick — 0758 429 4986 

HANDYMAN & DECORATING SERVICES 

Reliable and affordable 

Small jobs a speciality! 

Call Andy on 0795 810 0128 

http://www.handyman-reading.co.uk 

JAMES AUTOS 

Car Servicing, Repairs and MOT 

Mole Road, Sindlesham, RG41 5DJ 

0118 977 0831 

http://www.jamesautos.co.uk 

ALL AERIALS 

A local business based in Sonning. TV - FM - DAB aerials etc. 

Sky dishes. Communal premises IRS systems, TV points. 

Free estimates - All work guaranteed 

0118 944 0000 

MC CLEANING 

We are a family business with excellent references 

and we are fully insured 

All cleaning materials provided 

For free quote call: Maria 0779 902 7901 

PROFESSIONAL HOME VISIT SERVICE 

Thames Valley Will Service 

Also Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate Service 

We are still working during the pandemic period 

0134 464 1885 tvwills@yahoo.co.uk 

THAMES CHIMNEY SWEEPS 

0779 926 8123 0162 882 8130 

enquiries@thameschimneysweeps.co.uk 

http://www.thameschimneysweeps.co.uk 

Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps 

SMALLWOOD 

Landscaping, garden construction, 

patios, lawns, fencing, decking etc 

0118 969 8989 https://www.smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk/ 

office@smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk 

WANT HELP WITH AN ‘ODD JOB’? 

For local odd jobs please call Phil on 

0118 944 0000 

0797 950 3908 

Thames Street, Sonning 

BIG HEART TREE CARE 

Reliable and friendly service for all tree care 

NPTC qualified — Public Liability of £10million 

0118 937 1929 0786 172 4071 

bighearttreecare.co.uk info@bighearttreecare.co.uk 

BERKSHIRE STUMP REMOVALS 

Stump grinding and tree stump removal 

Latest narrow access machinery 

Contact: Mark 

0798 495 7334 http://www.berkshirestumpremoval 

THE BARBER SHOP 

177 Wokingham Road, Earley 

Since 1969 (opposite Fire Station) 

Open: Wednesday – Saturday 9.00am – 5.00pm 

Call John – 0118 966 6100 

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

CHILDREN'S PAGE 

The Parish Magazine - March 2023 37

38 The Parish Magazine - March 2023 Please mention The Parish Magazine when replying to advertisements 

information — 2 

Parish contacts 

Ministry Team 

— The Vicar: Revd Jamie Taylor (Day off Friday) 

The Parish Office, Thames Street, Sonning, RG4 6UR 

vicar@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298 

— Associate Vicar: Revd Kate Wakeman-Toogood 

revkate@sonningparish.org.uk / 0744 747 8048 

On duty Tuesday, Friday and Sunday 

— Youth Minister: Chris West (Westy) 

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk / 0794 622 4106 

— Licensed Lay Minister: Bob Peters 

bob@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 377 5887 

Children's Ministry 

— Alison Smyly office@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298 

Churchwardens 

— Stuart Bowman sdbowman73@aol.com / 0118 978 8414 

— Liz Nelson liz.nelson1@ntlworld.com / 0779 194 4270 

Deputy Churchwardens 

— Simon Darvall sdarvall@businessmoves.com / 0793 928 2535 

— Terry Hunt terencehunt@me.com / 0773 470 7368 

— Sue Peters mail@susanjpeters.com / 0118 377 5887 

— Molly Woodley (deputy churchwarden emeritus) 

mollywoodley@live.co.uk / 0118 946 3667 

Parish Office Manager 

— Hilary Rennie 

office@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298 

Parochial Church Council 

— Secretary: Hilary Rennie 0118 969 3298 

— Treasurer: Jerry Wood 0118 969 3298 

Director of Music, organist and choirmaster 

— Hannah Towndrow BA(Oxon), MA(RAM), LRAM 

music@sonningparish.org.uk 

Sonning Bell Ringers 

— Tower Captain: Pam Elliston 

pam.elliston@talktalk.net / 0118 969 5967 

— Deputy Tower Captain: Rob Needham 

r06needham@gmail.com / 0118 926 7724 

Parish Website: http://www.sonningparish.org.uk 

The Parish Magazine: http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk 

— Editor: Bob Peters 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 377 5887 

— Advertising and Distribution: Gordon Nutbrown 

advertising@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 969 3282 

— Treasurer: Pat Livesey pat.livesey@yahoo.co.uk / 0118 961 8017 

— The Parish Magazine is produced by St Andrew’s PCC and delivered 

free of charge to every home in Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye. 

— The Parish Magazine is printed in the United Kingdom by The Print 

Factory at Sarum Graphics Ltd, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6QX 

— The Parish Magazine is distributed by Abracadabra Leaflet 

Distribution Ltd, Reading RG7 1AW 

— The Parish Magazine template was designed in 2012 by Roger 

Swindale rogerswindale@hotmail.co.uk and David Woodward 

david@designforprint.org 

Advertisers' index 

ABD Construction 6 

Abbey School 22 

Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society 18 

ACG Services Locksmith 36 

Active Security 22 

AJ Wealth Management 24 

All Aerials 36 

AMS Water Softeners 24 

Barber Shop 36 

Barn Store Henley 16 

Berkshire Stump Removals 36 

Big Heart Tree Care 36 

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 14 

Blue Moose 26 

Bridge House 39 

Bridges Home Care 10 

Bull Inn 26 

Canon Tree Care 24 

Chimney Sweep, Thames 36 

Chiropody, Linda Frewin 36 

Clark Bicknell 36 

Computer Frustrations 36 

Design for Print 28 

Freebody Boatbuilders 6 

French Horn 40 

Gardiner’s Homecare 26 

Great House Sonning 10 

Handyman and Decorating Services 36 

Haslams Estate Agents 2 

Heathium Clinics 18 

Hicks Group 16 

Intersmart Electrical Installations 36 

James Autos 36 

Jones & Sheppard Stone Masons 28 

Kingfisher Bathrooms 12 

MC Cleaning 36 

Mill at Sonning 4 

M & L Healthcare Solutions 12 

Muck & Mulch 28 

Odd Jobs 36 

Queen Anne’s School 30 

Reading Blue Coat School 10 

Richfield Flooring 14 

Seniors Helping Seniors 24 

Shiplake College 14 

Signature Care Homes 32 

Sonning Golf Club 30 

Sonning Scouts Marquees 28 

Smallwood Garden Services 36 

Style by Julie 6 

Thames Valley Water Softeners 6 

Thames Valley Wills Service 36 

The 50 Plus Home Repairs 28 

Tomalin Funerals 16 

Walker Funerals 12 

Water Softener Salt 16 

Window Cleaner 16

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding this advertisement 


BRIDGE HOUSE 

of TWYFORD 

Because you deserve 

the very best 

Welcome to Bridge House Nursing Home 

Established for 35 years, the elegant Georgian Grade II listed Bridge House has extended its facilities to 

include a beautiful, light-filled and airy purpose built nursing home. 

Our philosophy is built upon helping residents maintain their independence and dignity, whilst ensuring 

their needs and expectations are fully met. We believe that being independent means having the freedom 

of choice and flexibility over how the day is spent. Working closely with families and professionals 

is fundamental in delivering and maintaining the required level of health and wellbeing. 

At Bridge House, our comprehensive facilities and care provision is designed to deliver skilled, 

professional and individually planned care in an unobtrusive manner. 

Call 0800 230 0206 

Visit www.bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk 

INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • NURSING HOME 

190821 - Bridge House Ad Parish Mag v01.indd 1 21/08/2019 18:06

40 The Parish Magazine - March Please 2023 mention The Parish Magazine when responding this advertisement 

The French Horn, 

Sonning. Quality. 

A continuing commitment to 

wonderful food and wine. 

0118 969 2204 

www.thefrenchhorn.co.uk

The Parish Magazine March 2023

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