The Parish Magazine June 2023

The Parish Magazine - June 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 

June 2023 — Coronation celebrations 

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 - June 2023 

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


Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye 


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 June 2023 

THE VICAR'S LETTER, 5 

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD 

— Coronation Choral Matins, 7 

— STAY, 8-9 

— What makes June special, 11 

— From the editor's desk, 11 

— The Persecuted Commonwealth, 13 

— Food Banks, 15 

— Claude's View from the Pew, 15 

— Standing firm in faith, 17 

FEATURES 

— Understanding faith, 19 

— Where are the butterflies, 21 

— Parish celebrations 22-23 

—around the villages 

— 30 years of Christmas gifts, 25 

— FoStAC garden party, 25 

— Open for tennis trials, 25 

— Parallel Windsor Festival, 25 

— Sonning rounders match, 25 

— Sonning Glebe WI gardening, 25 

— Sonning School update, 27 

— A Crest for the King, 29 

— Link Visiting volunteers, 29 

HOME AND GARDEN 

— Meatless Medieval tart, 31 

— Check for hedgehogs, 33 

THE ARTS 

— Book reviews, 33 

— Tintoretto, 35 

— Poetry Corner, 35 

health 

— Helping the nearly well, 37 

— 500 healthy heart steps, 37 

— Go to work on an egg, 37 

history, 37 

PUZZLE PAGE, 39 

children's page, 42 

information 

— Church services, 3 

— From the registers, 3 

— Local Trades and Services, 40 

— Parish contacts, 42 

— Advertisers' index, 42 

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER 


Parish 

Magazine 

June 2023 — Coronation celebrations 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY 

The Coronation 

Picture: Indy Biddulph 

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 July/August 

issue of The Parish Magazine is: 

Tuesday 6 June at 12 noon 

The Parish Magazine online 

The most recent issues can be viewed at: 

http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk 

Earlier issues from 1869 onwards 

are stored in a secure online archive. 

If you wish to view these archives 

contact the editor who will authorise 

access for you: 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 


Services at 

St Andrew’s 

Trinity Sunday 4 June 

— 8.00am Holy Communion 

— 10.30am Family Service 

— 4pm Choral Evensong 

followed by tea in The Ark 

Sunday 11 June 


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 



— 10.30am Family Communion 

— 3.00pm Messy Church 



— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 

— 5.45pm Sunday at Six in The Ark 

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES 

Morning Prayer is held in church 

every Tuesday at 9.30am. Everyone is 

welcome. 

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. 

From the Registers 

WEDDINGS 

— Saturday 22 April, Warren Anthony Baxter and Laura Caroline Abraham 

funerals 

— Monday 24 April, Patricia Mary Morgan, funeral service in Church followed by 

cremation at Reading Crematorium 

— Thursday 4 May, June Constance England, funeral service in Church followed by 

cremation at Reading Crematorium 

For your prayers in June 

— All getting married at St Andrew’s this year 

— Students taking examinations 

— The work of Relate 

— Young people struggling with their mental health 

Elena Elisseeva, dreamstime.com



24 May - 15 July 2023 20 July - 29 July 2023


The vicar's letter 

Dear friends, 

June is often the most popular month for marriages, indeed, Caroline 

and I will have been married for 20 years on the 14 June and perhaps, 

partly because of this, I have been reflecting of late on the importance of 

marriage. 

It is clear to me that God takes marriage seriously and that's why 

'Thou shall not commit adultery . . .' is included right along with 'Thou shalt 

not kill . . .' and 'Thou shalt not steal . . .' in the Ten Commandments. There 

were many things that Jesus was quite liberal on for the day in which 

he lived. There were others about which he was quite conservative. Here 

he is downright reactionary. 'What God has joined together, let no man put 

asunder' (Matthew 19:4-6). Does that mean that Jesus would have nothing 

to do with divorced persons? Not in the least. We can read about his 

encounter with the woman at the well who had lived with several men, 

or the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. No one was 

more compassionate than Jesus. Jesus knew about human weakness and 

frailty and he met no one he could not forgive. That said, no relationship 

strikes more at the centre of what it means to be human than does 

marriage. The end of a marriage can be devastating and the effects on 

children are well known and well documented. Of course, each situation 

is different, and we respect that, but the breakup of a family is serious 

business, because God takes marriage seriously. 

Of course, no marriage is truly made in heaven. Good marriages are made through a lot of give-and-take 

here on earth. I am reminded of the woman who accompanied her husband to the doctor for his physical. The 

doctor asked her for a private conversation before they left the office. 'Your husband is under great stress and 

you must devote your life to sheltering him. Don't argue or disagree with him. Get up early each morning and 

make his favourite breakfast. Spend the morning cleaning the house but have a nice lunch ready at midday if 

he happens to come home. The afternoon you can spend on outside work, but make sure there's a special dinner 

waiting for him when he returns. The evening hours may be spent watching the TV with him, followed by 

romance should he be interested. This must be your schedule to help him through this.' The wife left the office, 

picked up her husband, and drove him home. 'Well,' asked the husband, 'what did the doctor say?' 'He said that 

you're going to die!' All I am saying is that there are no perfect marriages! 

Very sadly more than half of marriages today do not last. Why is that? Maybe we haven't helped our young 

people understand that marriage takes work. It is not an easy task for two independent, strong-minded 

persons to become one flesh. Here are two people from differing home environments, differing expectations 

from life, differing dreams for the future. Men and women are different. Family backgrounds are different and 

people have different pictures in their minds of what an ideal marriage should be. We are all sinners and we all 

have flaws that need to be forgiven from time to time. 

This brings me to the last thing I would say about Christian marriage; that by the grace of God, good 

marriages are possible. God's plan is beautiful and most fulfilling, and no one will ever improve on it. One 

man and one woman becoming one flesh until death do they part. Not everyone will realise that kind of ideal 

arrangement in his or her life, but it remains, for most people, the ideal. 

God takes marriage seriously. There are no perfect marriages but there can be good marriages. Those good 

marriages occur when two people commit themselves to God and to one another . . . to become one flesh until 

death do they part. It is not an easy task, but with God's help and serious commitment, it can be done. 

Warm wishes. 

Jamie 

MADE IN HEAVEN? 

A NEED TO FORGIVE 

GOOD MARRIAGES ARE POSSIBLE

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the parish noticeboard — 1 


More than 250 people attended our special Choral Matins celebration service on Sunday 7 May led by the St Andrew's 

junior and senior choirs. The Rt Hon Rev Lord Carey of Clifton, the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury who attended 

the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, preached on our need to follow the example of 

King Jesus, and the promise of King Charles, to serve one another. The New Testament reading was read by the Rt Hon 

Theresa May MP, who had also attended the Coronation. See the centre pages for the parish celebrations that took 

place following the service.



Fathers Day for fatherless Reading boys 

STAY on Sunday 

St Andrew's Youth 

Our fortnightly faith growing group called STAY on 

Sunday continues to be popular and is helping to 

deepen the faith of the young people who attend. We 

continued with the parables of Jesus and have recently 

looked at ‘The Good Samaritan’ and ‘Humility — 

where to sit at a wedding feast’. 

STAY on Monday 

With only a few weeks to go until the 100km in 24 hours walk on June 

17-18, the lads and I have been out on several practice walks. We are each 

raising £2,000 for Chapter 2, a charity who work with fatherless boys across 

Reading. Growing up without a father figure means they are statistically 

more likely to be involved in gangs, more likely to truant from school, more 

likely to become addicted to drugs and alcohol, and more likely to end up in 

prison. We are hoping to change their future by providing positive male role 

models through mentors and ongoing support. If you would like to sponsor 

these three intrepid walkers go to: 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/westy2023?utm 

We have also kept meeting in the young people's homes for our fortnightly STAY on Monday group. We’ve enjoyed being outside more 

with the warmer evenings and the young people loved the garden based scavenger hunt and team building games.


STAY Easter Activities — Continued … 

STAY on Friday 

Our weekly youth club continues to welcome high numbers of youth with 

around 60 each week. As the summer approaches we’ve been able to get the 

very popular volleyball net out as well as football and other outdoor games. 

STAY and Emmanuel Youth Sunday Social 

As we prepare to spend the week away camping at Satellites youth festival with the 

Emmanuel Youth, we meet after each Sunday at Six service for a social with games, 

food, discussion and prayer. It’s been a great way to meet new people, have fun, 

deepen faith and make new friends ahead of the summer camp. 

STAY in Schools 

We have had the privilege of delivering assemblies at two of the local primary 

schools on British Laws and why rules are good to have in place. 

.....We have also continued our mentoring with 28 students across the two local 

secondary schools, many of whom are finishing year 11 this year. Prayers are with all 

those taking their GCSE’s & A-Levels this summer! 

Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who make STAY 

activities happen! email or text me for ideas, a chat or to 

encourage what we are doing — Westy: 

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk 0794 622 4306 

As well as the Easter Saturday fun day at The Ark 

we had several other fun activities with the youth. 

Thorpe Park and Laser Quest being two of them, with 

a crazy 40 minutes of hail the size of frozen peas!


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What 

makes 

June 

special? 

The Midnight Sun in Norway 

Mettesd, dreamstime.com 

By Rev Dr Roger Roberts, pastor of the International 

Baptist Church Brussels 

June is the month of light — the month of the summer 

solstice, when millions of people in northernmost Europe 

stay out late to enjoy the sight of the midnight sun. To 

have light and glory where there is usually darkness is 

something we celebrate. We welcome it. 

In John 9 Jesus said: 'I am the light of the world.' He wasn’t 

comparing himself to the summer solstice, but preaching 

at a Jewish occasion which celebrated light every bit as 

much. It was the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:14), which 

was a celebration not only of God’s provision of water, but 

also of the light of God’s presence with the Israelites in 

the wilderness. 

During the Feast of Tabernacles there was a joyful 

celebration. The priests would light four huge lamps in the 

Court of Women. The flames would reach as high as the 

temple walls and would provide a light that could be seen 

all throughout Jerusalem. 

Men of deep piety would dance throughout the night 

for the entire week of celebrating. A choir, accompanied 

by an orchestra of instruments, would sing psalms such 

as Psalm 27, which declare 'The Lord is my light and my 

salvation.' 

At the height of this grand celebration, the Lord Jesus 

had the temerity to stand and say that he was the light 

that was foreshadowed by the light for the Israelites in the 

wilderness. 

The Jewish leaders were furious, and tried to stone him 

to death. Jesus did not fight back, he simply illustrated his 

claim to be the Light of the World by immediately giving 

sight to a man born blind. (John 9). 

In the 20 centuries since then, the Word of God, when 

it is proclaimed, has drawn people out of the darkness and 

into the light of Jesus. The Word is, as the psalmist said, 

'a lamp to my feet and a light for my path' (Psalm 119:105) and 

David said, 'In your light we see light' (Psalm 36:9b). 

Today, by the light of the Word of God, we can see 

Jesus as he is: truly the Light of the World. 

From the 

editor's desk 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

Keeping calm 


One of the things I learnt early in my career as a 

journalist was the need to be flexible and not to waste 

time complaining or worrying about a story or an article 

that had to be dropped unexpectedly after spending a 

long time working on it. 

On one occasion I was working for a defence electronics 

company — yes, journalists are employed by companies 

to help promote their products and services by getting 

newspapers, magazines, radio and tv stations to publish 

stories about their people, products and services. 

In 1981, I was working with a tv news crew on a story 

about a new, advanced electronic security system. After 

several days of discussions and planning, and then a full 

day filming in a cold, wet and muddy army firing range, 

I was driving home with my boss — who was a very 

experienced fleet street journalist before moving into 

public relations — when, after thanking me for the work 

I had done, he said, 'I've been talking to the producer, and 

there's no doubt they will use the film on tonight's main 

news programme, unless, of course, the Pope gets shot.' 

And you can guess what happened, Pope John Paul II was 

shot and wounded in Vatican City that very day and our 

news item was shelved! 

Whatever work put into a dropped story will come in 

handy sometime in the future, maybe next week, or even 

several years ahead because all information, whether it 

can be used or not, is valuable, if only to tell a story in 

this column! The way forward is to stay calm and focus on 

whatever comes next. 

DON'T PANIC! 

For this month's issue I have had to do a considerable 

amount of staying calm in the face of changes to my 

plans, mainly because our scheduled deadline was 12 noon 

on Saturday 6 May, the precise time that King Charles 

III was being crowned! The timing of the Coronation 

has, despite some careful planning in advance, led me 

on several occasions to remind myself of Corporal Jones' 

famous cry, 'Don't panic Mr Wainwaring!' 

As well as editing this magazine I also write a 

newsletter each month for the Association of Church 

Editors, all of whom write and publish church and parish 

magazines. 

The newsletter gives tips and ideas about how to write 

and design their magazines, and one of the tips that I 

often remind the other editors is to ask God for his help 

with their magazine, and no-one has ever got back to me 

complaining that prayer does not work, because it does. 

But, of course, you don't have to be a magazine 

editor to pray for God's help, it applies to everyone and 

everything we do. I'm sure that if more people prayed 

about their own lives, as well as those of others, and their 

work and other activities they might be involved with, the 

world will be a calmer and much happier place.



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PARISH NOTICEBOARD — 4 

Christians persecuted in 

nine Commonwealth 

countries 


THE persecuted church by colin bailey 

Commonwealth States flags line The Mall for the Coronation 

At the time of writing, the weekend 

of the Coronation of King Charles 

III, it is interesting to consider the 

position of the Commonwealth 

countries regarding monarchy. 

There are 15 Commonwealth 

countries where the monarch is 

head of state: the UK, Antigua and 

Barbuda, Australia, Belize, Canada, 

Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, 

Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and 

Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and 

the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, 

The Bahamas and Tuvalu. 

A recent poll by Lord Ashcroft, 

former Conservative Party 

chairman, involved interviewing 

22,000 people in all Commonwealth 

countries, and of the 15 nations 

mentioned above, six voted in 

favour of replacing the monarchy 

(Australia, Canada, Jamaica, the 

Bahamas, Solomon Islands and 

Antigua and Barbuda). 

VOLUNTARY 

The Commonwealth of Nations 

is a voluntary association of 56 

independent and equal countries in 

Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe 

and the Pacific. It is home to 2.5 

billion people, one-third of the 

world’s population. Most member 

countries have historic ties to 

Britain. 

Many former colonies are 

still part of the Commonwealth. 

Barbados was the most recent to 

establish its own head of state. It has 

been an independent nation since 

1966 and abolished the monarchy 

at the end of November 2021. Any 

country can join the Commonwealth: 

the last to do so were Gabon and 

Togo in 2022. 

Going back to 1949, the 

Commonwealth consisted of eight 

countries, each having King George 

VI as monarch. When India wished 

to become a republic but did not 

want to leave the Commonwealth, 

the title Head of the Commonwealth 

was created. This is a ceremonial role 

with no constitutional relevance to 

any of the Commonwealth’s member 

states. The position is not however 

hereditary and successors are chosen 

by the Commonwealth heads of 

government. Notwithstanding this, 

letters patent issued by the late 

Queen in 1958 and King Charles in 

2022 state that the Prince of Wales 

and his heirs and successors shall be 

future heads of the Commonwealth. 

DANGEROUS 

A cross-referencing of 

the member nations of the 

Commonwealth to the Open Doors 

World Watch List of the 50 countries 

in which it is most dangerous to be a 

Christian shows that there are nine 

Commonwealth countries in the 2023 

World Watch List. They are listed 

below along with their ranking in 

this year’s World Watch List: 

Cameroon (#45), Mozambique 

(#32), Nigeria (#6), Bangladesh (#30), 

Brunei (#46), India (#11), Malaysia 

(#43), Maldives (#15), Pakistan (#7). 

Some of these countries and 

the situation therein of persecuted 

Christians have been featured in 

earlier editions of The Parish Magazine 

— Nigeria as recently as last month, 

Mozambique in January 2023, India in 

October last year, and Pakistan in both 

March and May 2022. 

Dominic Dudley, dreamstime.com 

As for the others appearing in 

the World Watch List: Cameroon is 

officially a secular country but there 

are predominantly Muslim areas 

where Islamic extremism is growing. 

Boko Haram is violently active in the 

north of the country. Bangladesh 

has a population where just 0.5% 

turn to page 15 

THE FULL LIST OF COUNTRIES WHO 

MAKE UP THE COMMONWEALTH 

AFRICA (21) 

Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon, The 

Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Kingdom of 

Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, 

Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, 

Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, 

South Africa, Togo, Uganda, United 

Republic of Tanzania, Zambia. 

ASIA (8) 

Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, 

Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, 

Sri Lanka. 

CARIBBEAN AND AMERICAS (13): 

Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, 

Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, 

Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint 

Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent 

and the Grenadines, Trinidad and 

Tobago. 

EUROPE (3) 

Cyprus, Malta, United Kingdom. 

PACIFIC (11) 

Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New 

Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, 

Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, 

Vanuatu.



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From page 13 


Commonwealth 

persecution 

are Christians, and most severe 

persecution is reserved for those 

who come from Muslim, Hindu, 

Buddhist or tribal backgrounds. 

In Brunei, 12% are Christians and 

their insecurity has increased due 

to the recent implementation of 

Sharia (Islamic law), governing 

non-Muslims as well as Muslims. 

The constitution of Malaysia 

says that to leave Islam is 

punishable by death, although 

this has never been implemented. 

Every ethnic Malay is expected to 

be Muslim. The Maldives contains, 

according to Open Doors, ‘a very 

small number’ of Christians. No 

religious minorities are recognised 

by the state and every citizen is 

considered Muslim. 

Christian converts must follow 

Jesus in the greatest secrecy. They 

can, if discovered, be stripped of 

their citizenship or even given the 

death penalty. 

PRAYER 

In the early days of this new 

Carolean era, let us pray for the 

new monarch and royal family. Let 

us remember to lift up in prayer 

the believers in the countries 

where Christians are persecuted 

in the Commonwealth of Nations 

of which he is head. 

References and further reading 

Good Morning America on the 

Commonwealth and the Coronation: 

https://www.goodmorningamerica. 

com/news/story/monarchy-diedqueen-commonwealth-countriesmuted-view-ahead-99078801 

Washington Post on the 

Commonwealth: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/ 

world/2023/05/04/king-charlescoronation-commonwealth-realms/ 

The Commonwealth website: 

https://thecommonwealth.org/ 

Open Doors World Watch List 2023: 

https://www.opendoorsuk.org/ 

persecution/world-watch-list/ 

Head of the Commonwealth on 

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/ 

wiki/Head_of_the_Commonwealth 


Coronation memories 

Claude's 

I have been reflecting on my memories 

of three Coronations in my lifetime. 

From 1937, aged 3 years, I have a remarkable 

memory of sitting on a pillar box in Friar 

Street for the Coronation of King George VI. 

Then, in 1953 I remember being 

crammed into our living room, with 

numerous friends and neighbours, as we 

watched Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation 

on a 9 inch black and white screen. 

This compares with sitting with my 

family to watch King Charles III and Queen 

Camilla on a colour TV screen 10 times 

the size! However, I was disappointed not 

to see any notable street decorations, as 

there had been in 1953 — and which I had 

captured on my Retina camera. 

Of course, it was a very different world 

then. The country was still shaking off the 

hardship of World War II and was ready for 

a good time. On the other hand, modern 

technology makes being part of a national 

event so much easier. 

1953 decorations: Above: Reading Station, 

and right: Heelas (now John Lewis) 

Claude's 

view 

from 

the 

pew 

UK food banks busier than ever! 

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These are the most recent figures from the Trussell Trust, which supports more than 

1,300 food banks in the UK. The charity says it gave out nearly 3 million food 

parcels between April 2022 and April 2023. More than 1 million of these were 

for children. Compared with 2021, the charity recorded a 37% increase in the 

number of food parcels given out in England. 

More than 760,000 people used a food bank for the first time, which is up 

more than one third in 2021-22. Soaring inflation and energy costs have driven 

the increase in demand. The charity 

reports an unprecedented rise in 

the number of employed people 

using their food banks, because they 

are 'no longer able to balance a low 

income against rising living costs.' 

The problem now, says the trust, 

is that food donation levels are not 

keeping up with the need. 'This is 

putting us under a lot of strain.' 

Just think what an impact we at 

St Andrew's Church could make if we 

remembered to take just one item 

each week for the collection bin! 

Please remember 

your donations for 

the Woodley Food 

Bank inside 

St Andrew's Church



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Standing firm in faith 

About 600 years before Christ, King Nebuchadnezzar of 

Babylon swept south with his army, overran Judah and 

conquered Jerusalem. He sought out the noblest of Jewish 

youths to take to Babylon where, for three years they were 

taught to think and act like Babylonians, but four of them 

stood firm in their faith. 

The aim was to make wise courtiers out of the captives who 

would then faithfully serve the king so their names were 

changed to honour the pagan Babylonian gods — their 

Jewish names honoured God. One of their stories is told in the 

Old Testament Book of Daniel. 

Daniel and his three friends names were changed to 

Belteshazzer and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. However, 

they stood fast to their faith in God while those around them 

wavered. 

SOMETHING REMARKABLE! 

Things came to a head when Nebuchadnezzar built a huge 

golden 90 foot high idol and assembled his musicians. When 

they played, everyone had to lie down and worship the idol. 

If you refused you would be thrown into a fiery furnace and 

burnt to death. 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would have nothing to 

do with worshipping a pagan idol — thou shalt have no other 

gods — so into the furnace they were thrown. 

The furnace was stoked so hot that the soldiers escorting 

them died from the heat as they approach it. 

Then something remarkable happened, a fourth person 

appears in the fire and saves them from even being scorched. 

Nebuchadnezzar calls the fourth man an angel of God. 

This was not the first time an angel of the Lord, or God, 

appeared in fire, it happened to Moses when God first called 

him, it happened during the wanderings in the desert when 

the Israelites were at night guided by God in a pillar of fire, 

and when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on the day 

of Pentecost. 

We are not told who the fourth person was, and that is not 

important. What is important is that God was with Shadrach, 

Meshach and Abednigo in a powerfully visible way. It was by 

God’s hand they were led out of the fire, and it was God that 

Nebuchadnezzar recognised and to whom he decreed that 

everyone should give glory to. 

DIGGING DEEPER 

As Christians we believe that God’s hand that will lead 

us is Jesus, for he is the way, the truth and the life. And this 

is one of the reasons why some have felt it necessary to dig 

deeper into who the fourth person in the furnace was to show 

that he was Jesus. Some of their arguments make sense. For 

example, one link to Jesus is said to be in Paul’s second letter 

to the Thessalonians when he writes: The Lord Jesus shall 

be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire 

taking vengeance on those who know not God, and who obey not 

the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with 

everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the 

glory of his power. 

Whether it convinces you or not, there is an undeniable 

similarity with story of the fiery furnace in Daniel. Jesus who 

comes with fire destroys the wicked but does no harm to the 


Mosaic of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in a fiery furnace in 

Westminster Cathedral Jozef Sedmak, dreamstime.com 

righteous writes Paul, while Daniel says the fire killed the 

soldiers but not Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 

This is also is the point of the parable of the weeds that 

Jesus told. On the last day, the unrighteous will be weeded out and 

thrown in the fiery furnace while the righteous will shine like the 

sun in the kingdom of their Father, said Jesus. 

SURROUNDED BY EVIL 

So what relevance to us does a story from 2,600 years ago 

about God leading three people to safety and of one at some 

unknown time in the future when Jesus returns to finally 

rid the world of evil? Well, they are, of course, both relevant. 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego not only lived in a world 

surrounded by paganism but their captors were trying to 

indoctrinate them into their ways of evil. The parable of the 

weeds paints the same picture in the future, where a good crop 

is spoilt by evil seeds being sown among the good. 

Today the good in the world that God created for us is being 

nibbled away by the evil that Jesus promises to deal with at 

the end of time. Because there is so much of it everywhere, 

and because so many people around us accept it as the norm, 

it can often be easier for us to comply with such evil in the 

world than to stand firm against it. It’s often easy for us to bow 

down and accept it, just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 

were expected to do. But surely however hard it may be for us 

to stand firm in our faith it can’t be as hard as it was for those 

three who were prepared to face the fiery furnace rather than 

disobey God. 

And as God provided someone to lead Shadrach, Meshach 

and Abednego to safety, he will do the same for us if we stand 

firm in our faith. In fact, the good news is that he has already 

provided not one, but two people, for us —Jesus who is the 

hand that leads us to an everlasting life with God the Father, 

and his Holy Spirit who guides and comforts us and gives us 

the strength and the courage to reach out and grasp the hand 

that Jesus is holding out for us. For this we should constantly 

be thanking God. Amen.


feature — 2 


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feature — 1 

An independent report — published on 26 April and described as 'a landmark 

review into faith engagement' — has found the UK Government 'needs to 

recognise faith groups as a force for good'. It states that a better understanding 

of faith will help the Government tackle systemic issues such as forced marriages, 

child safeguarding and extremism. 

Colin Bloom, an independent faith 

engagement advisor, considered how 

government can best celebrate the 

contribution of faith groups, while 

tackling harmful practices. More than 

21,000 people responded to the public 

consultation and 22 recommendations 

for government have been set. 

Colin Bloom has held a number 

of roles in politics which have 

focussed on working towards greater 

representation of faith in politics. 

Previously he was executive 

director of the Conservative Christian 

Fellowship and director of Christians 

in Politics. 

As the government's faith 

engagement adviser, his role is to make 

recommendations to the communities 

secretary about how the government 

can best celebrate and support the 

contribution of faith groups, break 

down barriers and promote acceptance 

between faiths, and promote shared 

values while tackling cultures and 

practices that are harmful. 

In his review, Colin Bloom 

examined engagement with faith in 

a wide range of public institutions 

from the Civil Service and Armed 

Forces, to schools and prisons, and 

called on government to bring in 

a new programme of faith literacy 

training for all public sector staff, 

ensuring public servants understand 

those they are helping, and to increase 

partnership opportunities with faith 

groups who are already playing a 

valuable role in the social fabric of our 

society. 

Bloom noted that a better 

understanding of faith would also 

equip government to tackle issues 

such as forced marriage, of which there 

are estimated to be thousands a year 

in the UK; radicalisation in prison; 

and faith-based extremism, including 

the ongoing challenge of Islamist 

extremism, and the small but growing 


Government needs to better understand faith, 

independent review claims 

BREAK BARRIERS 

trends of Sikh extremism and Hindu 

nationalism. 

The report also calls for appropriate 

regulation of out-of-school settings, 

including the faith-based sector, to 

safeguard the physical safety and 

wellbeing of children. 

CHALLENGES 

Colin Bloom, said: 'For millions 

of people, faith and belief informs 

who they are, what they do and how 

they interact with their community, 

creating strong ties that bind our 

country together. 

'As we as a nation continue to 

become more diverse, so too does 

the landscape of faith and belief. 

Our government’s understanding 

of the role of faith in society must 

remain both current and alive to its 

evolutionary changes. 

'It must also not shy away 

from some of the challenges that 

exist in small pockets within faith 

communities, from forced and coercive 

marriages to faith-based extremism, 

financial exploitation, and child 

safeguarding. These must not be 

consigned to the ‘too difficult’ box. 

'Greater understanding of faith 

in all its diversity will ensure that 

we remain a country that respects, 

celebrates and understands people of 

all faiths, beliefs and none.' 

SHINE A LIGHT 

Faith minister, Baroness Scott of 

Bybrook said: 

'As faith minister I will continue to 

shine a light on the important work of 

faith groups across the country, who 

play such an important role in public 

life. I welcome this review and thank 

Colin for his work – we will carefully 

consider the recommendations and 

I’ll make it my mission to continue to 

work closely with those of all faiths.' 

Bloom notes that there are many 

areas where government is already 

doing good work with faith groups, 

Wenling01, dreamstime.com 

including the Faith New Deal grant 

programme, the co-design of Covid-19 

guidance with places of worship, and 

tackling freedom of religion or belief 

internationally. He argues that this 

good practice should be built on and 

applied consistently across services to 

enable stronger and more integrated 

communities. 

RESPONSE 

The Government has stated that 

it will consider the findings and 

will respond in due course, but in 

the meantime, The Rev Dr Malcolm 

Brown, the Church of England’s 

director of faith and public life, has 

issued this response: 

'Faith is at the centre of people’s lives 

and churches and other faith groups are at 

the very centre of communities, providing 

both inspiration and practical support. 

The Church of England is involved 

in more than 35,000 initiatives in 

communities and works to tackle 

deprivation and promote social cohesion 

through church schools, chaplaincies 

in prisons and higher education and in 

thousands of practical programmes in its 

parishes. 

We welcome the recognition in the 

report of the need for religious literacy 

and a greater public understanding of the 

major world faiths. 

It is a fact that the majority of people 

in England and Wales identify with a 

religion, so faith is not a minority pursuit. 

We look forward to hearing how 

any training and education in the field 

of religious literacy can be done in 

partnership with religious communities 

and from a perspective that sees faiths in 

the round.'



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feature — 2 

Where have all the butterflies gone? 


3 June Butterfly Education 

and Awareness Day 2023 

Peacock Rudmer Zwerver, dreamstime.com Swallowtail Noah-Boyer, unsplash.com 

I have been interested in butterflies 

since my father gave me a small 

patch of ground at the bottom of our 

garden about 70 years ago, writes 

Bob Peters. 

I could grow anything I liked, so 

the first thing was to plant some 

runners from a strawberry patch in 

the family vegetable garden. We lived 

near Tiptree in Essex where there 

were acres and acres of strawberries. 

It was while tending my tiny 

strawberry patch that I became 

interested in the visiting butterflies 

that would always seem to be there. 

Also, I can't remember where they 

came from, but in a cupboard we 

had a collection of dead butterflies 

and moths. They were displayed in 

several boxes with glass fronts. Each 

specimen had been carefully pinned 

and labelled with their Latin names 

which I spent hours unsuccessfully 

trying to decipher. 

REMOTE CHANCE 

My favourite butterfly was a 

splendid Swallowtail and I always 

hoped that one day I would see one 

flying in my garden — there was a 

remote chance because at that time 

migrant Swallowtails were said to 

frequent East Anglia and my garden 

was only about 100 miles further 

south. Today, native UK populations 

are rare but stable and restricted 

to the Norfolk Broads where milk 

parsley thrives. 

I never saw one flying wild until I 

travelled to the Mediterranean in my 

adult life. 

I'm by no means an expert on 

butterflies, I simply enjoy seeing 

them when spending time in the 

garden — and I am no expert in 

gardening either, my approach has 

always been 'trial and error', as it has 

always been with everything in life! 

A bout of Covid a couple of years 

ago left me without the energy to 

do much gardening until recently 

— this lack of energy may have also 

been age related! 

However, this year I have been 

able to get out in the garden a little 

more and apart from the abundances 

of thistles, nettles and a variety of 

weeds, normality is slowly returning. 

Orange Tip 

Helen Davies, dreamstime.com 

The most striking thing that 

I have noticed is the lack of the 

butterflies that I usually like to stop 

and watch. As I write this it is still 

early in the season, but by now there 

should a good number flying around. 

I have spotted one lonely 

Brimstone, which is always the first 

to be seen every year, one Orange 

Tip, and one splendid Peacock. 

Where I wonder, have all the 

butterflies gone? 

The best source of information 

I have found is the latest 28 page 

report published by the UK charity, 

Butterfly Conservation, it is called 

The State of UK's Butterflies 2022. 

The previous report was 7 years ago. 

Brimstone 

Leif Algotsson, dreamstime.com 

The latest one summarises the key 

findings as being a massive 80% 

decline. The key finding is: In the UK, 

long-term trends show that 80% of 

butterfly species have decreased in 

abundance or distribution, or both 

since the 1970s. The report can be 

downloaded free at: https://butterflyconservation.org/state-of-uk-butterflies-2022 

AWARENESS 

This month, 3 June has been 

declared a Butterfly Education 

and Awareness Day 2023 or BEAD 

for short. It is an annual event 

organised by the Association for 

Butterflies (AFB) to raise awareness 

about the importance of butterfly 

conservation. 

BEAD is designed to help educate 

us, the public, about the importance 

of butterflies in the pollination 

process and why it's important 

to create and protect butterfly 

habitats. This event is also a great 

opportunity to teach children about 

metamorphosis. 

There are over 200,000 species of 

butterflies in the world and scientists 

tell us that they are a vital part of 

the environment. They are essential 

as pollinators for many crops, 

flowers and plants and they provide 

a good indication of the health of 

the world's ecosystem and climate 

change. 

Scientific studies of butterflies 

different life cycles will, it is 

believed, lead to important medical 

developments in the future. And, of 

course, they are fascinating insects 

to sit and watch when you need a 

break from digging the garden!


feature — 3 

PARISH CELEBRATIONS 

On the morning of Sunday 7 May, having sat 

for many hours in front of the TV on Saturday, 

watching the Coronation, Graham and I decided 

to have a brisk walk around Charvil to get in our 

10,000+ daily steps before we needed to begin 

setting up for the Pipistrelle Way Street Party. 

As it had been so wet the previous day we decided 

to avoid the lakes, water meadows and nature 

reserve and just pound the streets. 

Our route took us down Park Lane which had 

been closed to traffic for their street party and they 

were all busy erecting gazeboes. There was a lovely 

friendly atmosphere and a fair bit of bunting. We 

were even invited to join them later! 

We thought we’d do a loop round the new 

Hicks estate at Canberra Lake Way and on the 

newly turfed green were more people setting up 

for their street party. It was really great to see all 

ages working together and helping each other. 

From there we walked round The Hawthorns and 

again, in one of the cul de sacs we saw groups of 

neighbours preparing for their street parties. 

Indy Biddulph 

Sue Peters 

Coronation memories in Charvil 

By Sarah Swatridge, Pipsitrelle Way, Charvil 

Indy Biddulph 

Following the special Choral Matins Celebration service in 

St Andrew's Church (see page 7) it was off to The Ark, which 

coincidentally had been officially opened 6 years ago to 

the day by The Rt Hon Rev Lord Carey of Clifton, the 103rd 

Archbishop of Canterbury, and The Rt Hon Theresa May, MP 

who at the time was Prime Minister. 

Once again, The Ark proved to be the perfect setting for 

celebration drinks and cakes, including a Coronation cake 

made by Sue Peters, deputy churchwarden. 

Our picture (left) shows the cutting of the cake by Lord and 

Lady Carey who were assisted by two willing children who 

were looking forward to a slice! 

Sue Peters 

At Charvil Village Hall the lights were on as 

volunteers got ready to entertain village children 

for a couple of hours. 

Generally, throughout Charvil and the 

surrounding area, we haven’t noticed nearly as 

much red, white and blue bunting nor flags flying 

but there were definite pockets of colour. 

In Pipistrelle Way we had, probably, our 

best turn out so far, a good spread of delicious 

food, plenty of drink and such a wonderful 

atmosphere. 

Certainly the brilliantly warm and sunny day 

helped to make it one to remember. All ages made 

use of the outdoor table tennis table, swing ball 

and giant Connect 4. 

I’m sure we won’t be the only road deciding to 

make this an annual event! 

THE CORON 

THEIR MA 

KING CHA 

AND QUEEN 

Rendezvous Lunch Club m 

new King and Queen befo 

Coronation celebration lu


ATION OF 

JESTIES 

RLES III 

CAMILLA 

Bob Peters 

embers toast the 

re enjoying their 

nch. 

Pictures: Phil Sherwood 

Children from Sonning CofE School joined in the Sonning Village Coronation street party with traditional 

maypole dancing and singing. (See page 27 for the school's Coronation service) 

Residents, families and friends of the Signature 

Care home in Sonning enjoyed a special Coronation 

celebration with balloons, singing and their favourite 

tombola that raised money for Cancer Research UK. 

Pictures: Sue Peters

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around the villages — 1 

Open for tennis 

Sonning Tennis Club is holding an 

Open Day on Sunday 4 June from 

11am to 3pm. All ages — adults 

and juniors — and all abilities are 

invited to try tennis for free. 

There will be free coaching 'taster' 

sessions between 12 - 2pm, so wear your 

trainers, meet some members, and play 

tennis on the club's newly repainted 

courts. Raquets will be available for all 

ages on the day. 

The club is on King George's 

Field, Sonning RG4 6ST. For more 

information visit https://clubspark.lta.org. 

uk/SonningLawnTennisClub or Facebook 

page or email: info@sonningtennis.com. 

FoStAC summer 

garden tea party 

Beataaldridge, dreamstime.com 

The Friends of St Andrew's Church 

(FoStAC) invites you to join them 

for a summer tea party on Sunday 9 

July from 3-5.00pm. 

The garden party will be held in the 

garden of 22 West Drive Sonning by 

kind permission of Richard and Jill 

Brighton as part of its fund raising 

programme designed to enable the 

restoration, repair, maintenance, 

improvement and beautification of 

St Andrew’s Church. 

Entrance is by a limited number 

of tickets, price £20 per person, that 

need to be reserved and paid for by 

Sunday 2 July. 

For more information and to 

reserve your tickets contact Sally 

Wilson on: 

mustangsallywilson@gmail.com 


Reading Family Aid's Christmas 

Gift Scheme is 30 years old 

30 years ago this summer, Reading Family Aid, which had been operating 

for 60 years, began its Christmas gift scheme for deprived children. In those 

30 years they have given some 30,000 local children their only Christmas 

presents. 

This wouldn't have been possible without so much support from local people, 

churches and other organisations, and they would like to say thank you to 

everyone who has helped them reach this incredible milestone! 

Reading Family Aid has also taken over 10,000 family members on trips to 

theme parks, the pantomime, zoos, the seaside, farm parks, Camp Mohawk and 

other local attractions. This, they said, was all thanks to the money donated by 

the residents of Reading, businesses, places of worship, and charitable bodies. 

They are now looking forward to another 30 years of putting smiles on families' 

faces in the Reading area. 

Friends of Me2 Club wanted to take part in 

the Parallel Windsor Festival of Inclusivity 

Me2 Club is looking for individuals, families, friends, groups or companies 

to join them for their 2023 team, which is taking part in this year’s Parallel 

Windsor Festival of Inclusivity on Sunday 2 July as part of its fund raising 

campaign. 

The festival is designed for people of all ages, abilities, and health conditions. 

All participants will receive a Me2 Club team T-shirt plus a fund raising pack 

with tips on how to set up your fundraising page, sponsor forms and ways to 

raise funds towards this campaign. 

Me2 Club enables the inclusion of children and young people with additional 

needs into mainstream activities. This is done through trained volunteers 

that provide 1-1 support. The Inclusion Training Project increases the skills, 

knowledge and confidence of mainstream leaders through training and advice. 

It also run residential trips for the children and volunteers involved in the 

charity 

Me2 Club is asking each participant in its Parallel Windsor Festival team 

to raise a minimum of £100 for Me2 Club to help towards this year's target of 

£280,000. More information from Jo on: jo@me2club.org.uk 

Rounders has come round again! 

This year's annual rounders contest between local organisation and groups in 

Sonning is on Friday 9 June at King George’s Field. Play will start at 5.45pm. 

Which local village organisation or team will be crowned champions this 

year? Spectators of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend and help 

cheer teams to victory. Entry is free, but take some cash for the raffle and 

refreshments which include a BBQ and a bar. 

Sonning Glebe WI invite you to 

A Gardening Evening with COLIN EVANS 

Gardening radio and television presenter 

regularly heard on Radio Berkshire! 

Friday 21 July at 7.30pm 

Pearson Hall, Sonning, RG4 6UL 

Tickets £7.50 inc refreshments 

For tickets: email barbara.carr71@hotmail.co.uk / 0118 934 5886



One of the country’s foremost 

independent girls’ schools from 3-18 

Leading with confidence, learning with purpose, living with joy 

We would like to invite you to attend 

any of our forthcoming event: 

Junior School 

7 June, 1pm 

To register your place, please visit: 

www.theabbey.co.uk/events 

EXPLODE


Sonning School's chicks arrived in 

time for its Coronation celebration 


SONNING CofE primary school update 

A Coronation Service — part of a special day of activities to mark the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla 

— gave pupils, governors and staff of Sonning Church of England Primary School an opportunity to come together to 

celebrate with hymns, songs, prayers and readings. 

They were joined by Rt Hon Theresa 

May MP, who unveiled a plaque 

donated by the Sonning and Sonning 

Eye Society to mark the Coronation. 

and members of the Sonning Parish 

Council who gave medals to every 

pupil, staff member and governor of 

the school. 

PART OF COMMUNITY 

It was an event to remind pupils 

of the importance of serving others, 

helping each other and being part of a 

community such as Sonning. 

'The connectivity and support offered 

by the local community is special, and 

we felt fortunate to have such close 

ties with other groups around us', said 

headteacher, Phil Sherwood. 

'To have a former Prime Minister take 

time out of her day to visit us and speak 

to the children was a treat for us all. Mrs 

May’s support, as well as that of Sonning 

Parish Council and the Sonning and 

Sonning Eye Society, remind us what a 

remarkable area this is, and how lucky we 

are,' he added. 

One of the activities the pupils 

were most proud of was being part of 

creating a mosaic, designed by Shilpa 

Kunder, a teaching assistant at the 

school. Each pupil and staff member 

placed at least one tile, and this will 

act as another lasting memory of this 

occasion. 

On 7 May a group of pupils took 

part in the Coronation party held in 

Sonning village — see page 23. 

Angels wanted 

The school is seeking angel 

investors for an exciting building project 

to create a Performing Arts Studio. 

The aim is to provide experiences in 

acting, dance, music, song, art and cultural 

appreciation. It will be used by pupils during 

the day and at weekends, evenings and 

school holidays, and by the communities of 

Sonning, Charvil, Sonning Eye, Wargrave, 

Woodley and Twyford at other times. If 

you can help — practically or financially — 

please contact us via spsadmin@sonning. 

wokingham.sch.uk for the attention of Phil 

Sherwood, headteacher. 

Pupils were very excited as eggs that had been incubating at school, finally hatched in early May. 

They have enjoyed learning about the life of a chicken and especially enjoyed holding the chicks! These 

experiences are part of the school's vision to build strong foundations for the years ahead and create 

lasting memories for the pupils of the school.


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A Crest fit for a New King? 

By Magnus Smyly 

A great example of our new King’s 

Coronation focus on volunteering 

has been the coming together 

of local groups to enable our 1st 

Sonning-on-Thames Cub Scouts to 

go pond dipping in mid-April. 

The equipment they used was 

purchased for Sonning Church 

of England Primary School by a 

donation from Sonning Scarecrows a 

few years ago (see The Parish Magazine 

July 2019). 

The school uses this equipment 

in many classes during the year and 

kindly lends it out to local groups. 

With a big thank you to Nikki 

in the school office and Miss Reid 

as science lead for making the 

arrangements, the cub scouts 

enlisted our local environmental 

expert Professor Ali Driver to assist 

them explore both ponds west of 

King George’s Field. 

Among the myriad of wildlife 

were two species of newt, including 

the protected great crested newts, 

which Ali is accredited to handle. 

Thank you to everyone involved 

for making this activity possible 

and allowing the cubs to have such a 

great time with nature. 

RENDEZVOUS 

IN THE ARK 

Open to everyone of all ages 

for lunch and conversation 

Tuesday 13 June 

Tuesday 27 June 

at 

12 noon 

Reserve your seat in advance: 

0118 969 3298 


Could you be a 

visiting link? 

The Link Visiting Scheme, a local 

charity based in Wokingham 

Borough, aims to help people 

struggling with the serious impact 

of loneliness and enables them to 

make friends and engage again with 

their community. 

Feeling lonely and isolated can have 

a negative impact on our health and 

can lead to low mood, stress, anxiety 

and a lack of confidence. To resolve 

this, The Link Visiting Scheme works 

with volunteers who give time to 

visit an older person for a couple of 

hours once a week or fortnight. Their 

aim is to improve wellbeing and 

have as much fun and enjoyment as 

possible. 

QUALITY TIME 

‘This is a fantastic scheme offering 

support to the local community. It offers 

Margaret more social activity and has 

enriched my life listening to her stories 

and being in her company. Thank you! 

I’m so pleased I signed up!', said one 

previously lonely person. 

Spending quality time with 

someone can be transforming and 

the scheme's organisers say they 

have had the pleasure of seeing many 

lives improved by friendly volunteers 

regularly visiting someone who sees 

very few people from week to week. 

There are over 400 volunteers 

throughout the Wokingham Borough 

engaging with people and often 

taking them out to coffee shops or 

garden centres where possible. 

SOCIAL 

A growing programme of social 

activities is aimed at encouraging 

older people to venture out and 

meet others in a safe, friendly 

environment. These include regular 

pub lunches, friendship groups, 

singing, yoga, bowling, friendship 

tables in local cafes and lots more. 

INTERESTED? 

If you are interested in finding out 

more about being a volunteer, either 

visit the scheme's website at: 

https://www.linkvisiting.org/volunteer 

or email: arjie@linkvisiting.org, or call 

0118 979 8019.



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HOME AND GARDEN — 1 

Recipe of the month 

A Meatless Medieval 

Ember Days Tart 

From Medieval Cookery: http://www.medievalcookery.com/recipes/tart.html 

Ember days are times of prayer and fasting held four times a year, dividing 

the liturgical calendar into four quarters. Traditionally they are on the 

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following St Lucy's Day on 13 December, 

the first Sunday in Lent, Pentecost and Holy Cross Day 14 September. 

Today, Roman Catholic and Anglican churches follow slightly 

different patterns and Ember days are generally observed as 

part of the ordination of priests, although this does not mean 

that others can't pray and fast. This month the Church of 

England liturgy has Ember days on Wednesday 28 June, Friday 

30 June, and Saturday 1 July. 

The Catholic Church Ember Day tradition forbade meat, 

although cheese and eggs were allowed. This led to the creation 

of the 'Ember Day Tart' that was served on fasting days. 

The Original Medieval Recipe for Tart in Ymber Day 

Tak & parboyle oynons & erbes & presse oute þe water & hewe 

hem smale, tak brede & bray hit in a mortar & temper hit wit 

ayron, do þerto butter, safron, & salt & raysons corans & a litul 

sugar wiþ poudor douce, & bak hit in a trap & serue hit forth. 

Which translates as: Tart in Ember Day 

Take and parboil onions and herbs and press out the water 

and chop them small, take bread and pound it in a mortar and 

temper it with egg, do there to butter, saffron and salt and 

raisins and a little sugar with fine powder and bake it in a shell 

and serve it forth. 

Ingredients 

1 pound onions 

½ tsp salt 

½ cup bread crumbs fresh 

8 large eggs 

1 pie crust (see Paest Royall opposite) 

2 tsp butter 

¼ bunch parsley 

A pinch of saffron 

¾ cup currants 

½ tsp sugar 

¾ tsp powder douce — This is a spice mix used in Medieval and 

Renaissance cookery. Like modern spice mixes such as Italian 

seasoning, garam masala, taco seasoning, etc. There was not a set 

ingredient list, it varied from cook to cook. 

In the Bible Garden 


Method 

Bring pot of water to boil. Peel and quarter onions, place in 

boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then drain. Chop onions and 

parsley and combine with breadcrumbs, eggs, butter, currants, 

sugar, salt, and spices. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 

350°F for 30-40 minutes, ensuring that the egg is set. Let cool 

for 10-15 minutes before cutting into serving sizes. 

Paest Royall — Ember Day Pie Crust 

The following recipe is taken from A Proper Newe Booke of 

Cokerye, (16th Century) by Catherine Frances Frere, found in 

A Collection of Medieval and Renaissance Cookbooks compiled by 

Duke Cariadoc of the Bow and Duchessa Diana Alena: 

To Make Pyes …. yf you wyll have paest royall, take butter and 

yolkes of egges and so paste the paste to make the paste. 

Which translates as: 

To make pies: If you will have paste royal, take butter and 

yolks of eggs and so temper (ie mix with) the flour to make the 

paste. 

Ingredients: 1 cup flour; ⅓ cup butter; 2 egg yolks; water 

Method 

Cut butter and egg yolks into flour until crumbly, add water 

and knead mixture until it forms a ball of dough. Roll out 

dough then place into pie pan. 

References 

A full list of references and further background notes on 

the translations and transcriptions can be found on: 

http://www.medievalcookery.com/recipes/tart.html 

SIGNS OF SUMMER COMING (left to right): Bethlehem Star, Apple blossom, Grape Vine, Broom and Pomegranate



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HOME AND GARDEN — 2 

In the garden 

Please check for hedgehogs in 

long grass before strimming! 

Following a spate of injuries, Herbie Hedgehog Rescue has put a timely 

plea for all gardeners to check for sleeping hedghogs in long grass 

before using a strimmer. 

Hedgehogs will curl up when approached by a strimmer and it only 

takes a few minutes to check where you are cutting and you could save a life. 

They also put out a reminder about how we can all help hedgehogs in 

our gardens. This includes making a 13cm square hole in our fence to allow 

hedgehogs to move from garden to garden; provide dry cat or kitten biscuits 

and a shallow bowl of water. 

If you see a hedgehog in daylight, it is most likely in trouble. If so, pick 

it up using a towel or wear gardening gloves. Place it in a tall cardboard box 

with tea towels and take in indoors into a warm, quiet room away from 

children and pets. Then contact your local rescue immediately by calling 

0159 879 4442. 

In spring and summer, if a large hedgehog is out in the day 

collecting bedding in its mouth and moving with purpose it could 

be pregnant. Please contact the rescue centre for advice as it might 

need rescuing. 

Herbie Hedgehog Rescue takes in sick/injured wild 

hedgehogs and rehabilitate them to be able to release them 

back in the wild. They pride themselves in giving the best 

care possible to the patients and work with local vets to 

facilitate quick and appropriate treatment. The health 

and welfare of the hedgehogs always come first 

For more: https://herbiehedgehogrescue.com 

THE ARTS — 1 

Book reviews 

To A Different Drum - an adventure of 

radical obedience 

By Pauline Hamilton, 

10Publishing, £8.99 

Kicked out of 

college and hooked 

on drink and drugs, 

Pauline Hamilton 

drove recklessly 

towards a cliff near 

her home to end it all. 

At the last moment, her tyre blew out, 

leaving her stunned in the stationary 

car. 

Pauline’s life changed forever. She 

turned to the God who had rescued her 

and, in grateful amazement, offered her 

whole life to him. This dedication would 

eventually take her to China, where 

she would serve for over 30 years as a 

missionary. 

Through many trials Pauline never 

lost sight of the God who had promised 

never to let her go. 

Antigone Kingsley: About Last 

Summer By Marina Magdalena 

SPCK/ Marylebone House, £8.99 

This is the first book 

in the Antigone 

Kingsley (Tig) 

series — a perfect 

companion for girls 

aged 10 plus going 

through the highs 

and lows of growing. 

Living above her 

parent's theatre 

gave Tig plenty of practice at being 

centre stage. But when the theatre 

faces financial crisis, it is her alluring 

cousin Amelie, from Paris, who grabs 

the attention. As Tig grapples with her 

identity she watches her cousin steal the 

affection of her family, friends, school 

and her social media following! When 

tension between the two teenagers 

grows, Tig finds herself at a crossroad. 

Will her need to be liked outweigh her 

raging jealousy towards her cousin? 


Auremar, dreamstime.com 

hiclipart.com 

The Final Lap - navigating the 

transitions of later life 

By John Wyatt, 10Publishing, £6.99 

Life’s a marathon 

with many highs 

and lows. As we 

approach retirement 

we transition into 

a new stage of our 

race, with a range 

of possibilities and 

pitfalls to navigate. 

With experience 

and warmth, John Wyatt invites 

Christians to think through how we can 

approach the next stages of life well. 

He considers the move from work 

to retirement, then independency 

to dependency, and finally from life 

to death. While being honest about 

the struggles of each transition, The 

Final Lap lays out the wonderful 

opportunities God gives in every stage. 

And the more prepared we are to face 

each transition as it comes, the better.



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For membership information contact the Club Secretary on 

0118 969 3332 secretary@sonning-golf-club.co.uk

THE ARTS — 2 

Will your 

anchor hold? 

By Rev Canon Michael Burgess 

In 1833 Mendelssohn composed two 

overtures inspired by the sea — 

‘Fingal’s Cave’ portrays the gentle 

roll of the waves and the call of the 

wind on the waters around Staffa and 

‘Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage’ 

portrays a sea journey when the fog 

lifts, the sky clears, the safety of land 

beckons and the boat reaches harbour. 

This month’s painting Christ at the Sea 

of Galilee by Tintoretto is different. He 

was an Italian Renaissance painter 

who worked in Venice until his death 

in 1594. All his paintings are marked 

by intensity and drama, whether it is 

the Last Supper, the Conversion of St 

Paul, or this canvas. 

Tintoretto worked quickly and 

single-mindedly and was nicknamed 

‘Il Furioso.’ And it is the fury of the 

sea that is captured here. Not the lazy 

waters of Venice or the calm seas of 

Mendelssohn’s music. Now the sea and 

the sky are in torment and revolt. The 

world is dominated by the violence of 

the storm. 

SO NEAR YET SO FAR 

The Sea of Galilee is like that. One 

moment, the sky is clear and windless, 

the next, a gust can whip up the 

waters. 

In Scripture the sea is always an 

element to fear. For the psalmist 

the sea contains creeping things 

innumerable, and even monsters. 

For John in the Book of Revelation, 

the sea ceases to exist when the new 

heaven and the new earth appear. The 

threat of that element is pervasive 

in this painting. The sail of the boat 

bends with the raging of the wind, and 

the vessel is tossed up and down — so 

near the shore, and yet so far. Above, 

the clouds frown. 

But enfolding the scene are two 

signs of hope and life. On one side 

we see a tall tree in leaf and growing. 

At the other side is the tall figure 

of Jesus: a sign of safety and hope 

to the disciples, floundering in the 

boat. His feet are just vague outlines 

in the water, but his hand is firm as 

he beckons to his followers. Peter, 

brave and headstrong as ever, begins 

‘Christ at the Sea of Galilee’ by Tintoretto. 

to climb out of the boat with no 

immediate sense of danger. 

June ends with his feast day when 

we celebrate a saint who was much 

like us. Wanting to follow Jesus, but 

finding himself weak; eager to serve, 

but unable to back words up with 

deeds. 

And yet, God’s grace triumphed in 

Peter’s life. We know that he will be 

saved here as he steps onto the wild 

water to reach Jesus. 

AN ANCHOR 

This raging element is a parable 

of life with its storms and challenges 

for Peter and for all of us. Just as the 

sea threatens to swallow the boat and 

the disciples in it, so we know how the 

world threatens to swallow us up. 

Each of us, in our discipleship, faces 

concerns and challenges, anxieties 

about the present, even despair about 

the future. 

Tintoretto is saying to us from this 

canvas: reach out and take hold of the 

sure hand of our Lord. That will be an 

anchor for you when the sea of life is 

calm and when the storm rages. ‘Will 

your anchor hold?’ asks the hymn, and 

we can reply . . . 

‘We have an anchor 

that keeps the soul, 

Steadfast and sure 

while the billows roll; 

Fastened to the rock 

which cannot move, 

Grounded firm and deep 

in the Saviour’s love.’ 


Poetry Corner 

Public Domain 

Peace Plea 

By Steven Rolling 

Adapted from an Origen prayer (184-253AD) 

Tune: Franconia (Blest are the pure in heart) 

Let us pray that Jesus 

May sure reign over us 

And that our land may be at peace 

That wars and conflicts cease 

That our bodies may be 

Free from assaults fleshly 

Desires that us into sin lead 

Your graces, Lord, we need 

When these have ceased, we shall 

Be able to rest well 

Beneath our vines, fig-trees, olives 

Blessed with the peace God gives 

Those idylls of plenty 

Father, Son, Spirit, He 

Will shelter us as we rest, gain 

We peace of mind again 

An ancient olive tree in Nazareth Village 

Open Air Museum, Israel 

Michael Harper, dreamstime.com

36 The Parish Magazine - June 2023 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement 

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HEALTH 

Help nearly-well become 

whole again 

Nowadays people are generally not in hospital for long. 

Even a major operation only earns you a few days’ stay in 

one of their beds. With almost embarrassing enthusiasm 

they get you out of bed, walk you up and down the ward and 

duly announce that you’re ‘well enough to go home’. 

Visiting the recovering sick is a simple art. They want to be 

told how well they look, how bravely they’ve endured their 

treatment, and how good it is to see them about to return 

to the normal business of life. They’d like to be brought up 

to date on the local news and gossip, of course. Often, they 

value a little prayer of thanksgiving for recovery. Gratitude is 

never inappropriate! 

A spell in hospital reminds us how ‘shut off’ patients tend 

to be, even in the very best institutions. Those who have 

recently experienced it are well placed to remind the rest 

of us that friends and fellow church members in hospital 

are not transferred to another planet. They may not expect 

frequent visits from those who are not close friends or 

family, but it’s often quite easy to pick up the phone and 

speak to them on the ward — the sort of contact we would 

have with them at home. 

The same kind of simple contact can work very well 

when they are eventually back home — a brief call simply 

enquiring if everything’s OK, with perhaps the offer of 

practical help with shopping, for instance, or a lift to the GP 

surgery. Thus, the nearly-well become the completely whole! 

500 steps to a healthy heart 

A recent study suggests that every extra 500 steps you take 

each day may be lowering the risk of heart issues by 14%. 

To put it another way, the study found that adults who 

took fewer than 2,000 steps a day were 77% more likely to 

experience a cardiovascular event in the following 3 years 

than those who took about 4,500 steps a day. 

'We were surprised to find that every additional quarter 

of a mile, or 500 steps, of walking had such a strong benefit 

to heart health,' said a professor of epidemiology at 

the University of Alabama. 'While we do not want to 

diminish the importance of higher intensity physical activity, 

encouraging small increases in the number of daily steps also 

has significant cardiovascular benefits'. 

Go to work on an egg! 

Eating more protein can help prevent your midlife 

spread, partly by suppressing your appetite. A recent 

study has found that people eat 210 calories more per 

day than when they are on a low-protein diet. 

Yet most of us aren’t eating enough protein. A study from 

the University of Sheffield found less than half of over- 

65s studied met the official UK reference nutrient intake 

(RNI) of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (2.2lb) of their 

body weight per day – or about 50g a day for a 10st person. 

Adding an egg, smoked salmon, authentic Greek yogurt, 

nuts, or half a can of beans on two slices of wholewheat toast 

and a 250ml glass of milk, can all help. 

History 

Was it 

really . . . 

400 years ago, on 19 June 

1623 that Blaise Pascal 

was born. This French 

mathematician, physicist, 

inventor, theologian, and 

philosopher invented one 

of the first mechanical 

calculators in the early 

1640s. 

Image: Wikipedia 


. . . 300 YEARS AGO on 16 June 1723 that Adam Smith was born. 

The ‘Father of Economics’, this Scottish economist and philosopher 

is best known for his book The Wealth of Nations, the first modern 

work on economics. 

. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 5 June 1873 that the great slave market 

in Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) was closed after Britain issued 

Sultan Barghash bin Said with an ultimatum to close it or face a 

blockade. 

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 9 June 1898 that Britain leased Hong 

Kong from China for 99 years and it became a British Crown 

Colony. It was transferred back to China in 1997. 

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 21June 1948 that HMT Empire Windrush 

docked in London with the first large group of immigrants from 

the West Indies. 

. . . ALSO 75 YEARS AGO, from 24 June 1948 to 12 May 1949 

that the Berlin blockade and airlift took place. The Soviet Union 

began a rail, road and canal blockade of Berlin, cutting off all routes 

between West Germany and West Berlin. The Allies launched a 

massive airlift with over 200,000 flights to take in nearly 9,000 

tons of supplies each day. 

. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 2 June 1953 that the Coronation of Queen 

Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey took place. It was the first event 

where the British TV audience (20 million) was greater than the 

radio audience (12 million). 

. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 9 June 1958 that London’s Gatwick Airport 

was officially opened. 

. . . 50 YEARS AGO from 16 — 25 June 1973 that Soviet leader 

Leonid Brezhnev visited Washington DC and said that the Cold 

War was over as far as the Soviet Union was concerned. He and 

President Richard Nixon signed a major accord on arms limitation 

and the prevention of nuclear war. 

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 11 June 1998 that the UN declared an 

official famine in Sudan. About 250,000 people were saved by 

international aid, but up to 100,000 died in South Sudan 

. . . 20 YEARS AGO on 20 June 2003 that the Wikimedia 

Foundation was founded in Florida.

38 The Parish Magazine - June 2023 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 8 

9 10 

12 

14 15 

13 

16 17 

20 

23 

Rev Kate's 

June Quiz 

PUZZLE PAGE 

CROSSWORD 

Across 

1 - Having Greatest greatest importance (11) (11) 

9 -- Unwell Unwell (3) (3) 

10 - Rupture (5) 

10 Rupture (5) 

11 - Extremely happy period (5) 

12 11 - Extremely Alcoholic happy drink period from (5) apples (5) 

13 12 -- Alcoholic Ornamental drink made jet from of apples water (5) (8) 

16 - Clover-like plant (8) 

13 - Ornamental jet of water (8) 

18 - Religious book (5) 

20 16 - Clover-like - Torn apart plant (8)(5) 

21 

18 -- Religious 

Pertaining 

book (5) 

to the sun (5) 

22 - Pouch; enclosed space (3) 

20 - Torn apart (5) 

23 - Number increasing 

21 - Pertaining greatly to the (11) sun (5) 

22 - Pouch; enclosed space (3) 

CODEWORD 

11 

18 19 

21 22 

Down Down 

2 - Governed 2 - Governed (5) (5) 

3 - Prohibit 3 - Prohibit (5) (5) 

4 - Sheep wool (6) 

4 - Sheep known for its wool (6) 

5 - Countries (7) 

6 - Starts 5 - Countries 1st January (7) (3,4) 

7 - Misinterpret (11) 

8 - Minor crime (11) 

7 - Misinterpret (11) 

14 - Upstart recently gained 

wealth 8 - Minor (7) crime (11) 

15 - Pass across/through (7) 

17 - Summon to serve in 

15 - Pass across through (7) 

the armed forces (4-2) 

18 - Big and strong (5) 

19 - Particle like a photon (5) 

6 - This starts on 1st January (3,4) 

SUDOKU 

14 - Upstart; one who has recently gained wealth (7) 

17 - Summon to serve in the armed forces (4-2) 

18 - Big and strong (5) 

23 - Increasing greatly in number (11) 

19 - Subatomic particle such as a photon (5) 

4 16 20 22 26 18 8 24 15 26 14 17 1 14 

26 7 22 8 3 26 

19 8 19 19 18 8 25 22 17 

7 4 11 22 25 8 5 22 4 13 

22 1 8 22 15 11 16 17 22 

17 15 25 8 10 8 20 6 17 12 

20 22 22 17 19 8 

26 26 17 12 22 19 8 4 16 17 

15 23 20 22 26 25 4 19 19 

2 21 1 15 25 25 6 7 4 4 

23 4 26 15 6 9 14 25 12 

26 11 16 22 22 15 

15 14 8 12 4 17 22 14 26 15 18 25 

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 

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 PETERTIDE 

This month’s quiz has three themes: transport, sport and literature. 

O H N 

TRANSPORT 

1) What does ‘M’ stand for in the abbreviation MOT, ie MOT test? 

2) Which city did the famous Rover factory shut down in 2005? 

3) Which London Underground line is represented by a red line? 

4) What is the IATA airport code for Los Angeles International 

Airport? 

5) Where did Albert Gunton famously jump his number 78 

London bus? 

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

SPORT 

6) Who won the 2022 Wimbledon men’s singles final? 

7) Which Australian cricketer died in 2022 at the age of 52? 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

O 

H 

N 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

23 

25 

26 


answers in the next issue 

May Solutions 

Each June, the Church of England holds its 

Petertide ordinations, to coincide with the 

feast day of the great apostle Peter, who led 

the Church at Pentecost. Simon had been a 

fisherman from Bethsaida, near the Sea of 

Galilee, when his brother Andrew introduced 

him to Jesus. When Simon made his famous 

confession of faith, that Jesus was the Christ, 

Jesus gave him a new name – Cephas, or 

Peter, which means rock. The ‘gates of hell’ 

would never prevail against Jesus’ Church, 

and He gave Peter the power of ‘binding and 

loosing’, and also the keys of the kingdom of 

heaven’. Peter witnessed the Transfiguration, 

the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and Jesus 

praying in Gethsemane. Peter betrayed Jesus 

but after the Resurrection, Jesus entrusted 

him to feed both the lambs and the sheep of 

Christ’s flock. Peter was the first apostle to 

work a miracle. 

KEYS 

PETER 

SHEEP 

ROCK 

COCK 

MY 

LAMBS 

GALILEE 

ANDREW 

GARDEN 

JESUS 

RAISING 

TRANSFIGURATION 

SIMON 

HELL 

GATES 

FEED 

CROWED 

KINGDOM 

DAUGHTER 

BETRAYED 

BINDING 

LOOSING 

FISHERMAN 

BETHSAIDA 

GETHSEMANE 

Total marks = 15 

CROSSWORD 

C R A G A M B R O S I A 

H L U A E E S 

A D O R N E D P I L O T 

R O E D R F O 

A F F I X E R O S I O N 

C P N D S I 

T I C K E T R U S H E S 

E L C S C H 

R O O F T O P T E M P I 

L B E O I O N 

E M B E D K N O W I N G 

S E L E N S L 

S P R A Y I N G S T A Y 

CODEWORD 

M U S K E T R B R 

Y O O V E R U S E S 

O W N X A L W 

P A W N I N G L O O K 

I T C E D R 

C R A S S U N L O C K S 

Q J T Z 

S A L U T E D B E S O M 

P A L S I A 

F L E D L U M B A R N 

O R I I E G G 

I M M O D E S T N L 

B N S H A S S L E 

SUDOKU 

WORDSEARCH KING 

REV KATE'S MAY QUIZ 

1. Princess Charlotte 

2. 2011 

3. James, Viscount Severn 

4. 2021 

5. King Edward VIII 

6. James I 

7. Lady Jane Grey 

8. Queen Victoria 

9. Sandringham House 

10. Palace of Holyrood 

11. Sean Connery 

12. Tracy 

13. Eurasian Eagle Owl 

14. Paris to Constantinople 

8) Who did England beat to win the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final? 

9) Who currently holds the men’s 100 metre world record? 

10) Who was the first woman to win an Olympic Gold medal in boxing? 

LITERATURE 

11) Who wrote ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’? 

12) Which novel opens with the words ‘Call me Ishmael’? 

13) Which author created the characters Romilda Vane and 

Justin Finch-Fletchley? 

14) What is the last book of the Old Testament in the Bible? 

15) What is the name of the competent and loyal valet created by 

PG Wodehouse?


Local Trades and Services 


ACG SERVICES - LOCKSMITH 

Locks changed, fitted, repaired and opened 

Door and window locks fitted, UPVC door lock expert 

Checkatrade member - Which Trusted Trader 

Call Richard Homden: 0149 168 2050 / 0771 040 9216 

CHIROPODY AND PODIATRY 

Linda Frewin MInstChp, HCPC member 

General foot care and treatments 

25 Ashtrees Road, Woodley RG5 4LP 

0118 969 6978 - 0790 022 4999 

CLARK BICKNELL LTD - PLUMBING & HEATING 

Qualified Plumbing and Heating Engineers Gas Safe 

25 years experience - local family run company 

Office: 0118 961 8784 - Paul: 0776 887 4440 

paul@clarkbicknell.co.uk 

COMPUTER FRUSTRATIONS? 

For jargon free help with your computer problems 

PC & laptop repairs, upgrades, installations, virus removal 

Free advice, reasonable rates 

0798 012 9364 help@computerfrustrations.co.uk 

INTERSMART LIMITED 

Electrical Installation and Smart Home Automation 

intersmartuk@gmail.com 

Elliott — 0777 186 6696 

Nick — 0758 429 4986 

HANDYMAN & DECORATING SERVICES 

Reliable and affordable 

Small jobs a speciality! 

Call Andy on 0795 810 0128 

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

JAMES AUTOS 

Car Servicing, Repairs and MOT 

Mole Road, Sindlesham, RG41 5DJ 

0118 977 0831 

http://www.jamesautos.co.uk 

ALL AERIALS 

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

Sky dishes. Communal premises IRS systems, TV points. 

Free estimates - All work guaranteed 

0118 944 0000 

MC CLEANING 

We are a family business with excellent references 

and we are fully insured 

All cleaning materials provided 

For free quote call: Maria 0779 902 7901 

PROFESSIONAL HOME VISIT SERVICE 

Thames Valley Will Service 

Also Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate Service 

We are still working during the pandemic period 

0134 464 1885 tvwills@yahoo.co.uk 

THAMES CHIMNEY SWEEPS 

0779 926 8123 0162 882 8130 

enquiries@thameschimneysweeps.co.uk 

http://www.thameschimneysweeps.co.uk 

Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps 

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 - June 2023 41

42 The Parish Magazine - June 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 

Safeguarding Officer 

— 0118 969 3298 

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 26 

Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society 20 

ACG Services Locksmith 40 

Active Security 26 

AJ Wealth Management 28 

All Aerials 40 

AMS Water Softeners 28 

Barber Shop 40 

Barn Store Henley 16 

Berkshire Stump Removals 40 

Big Heart Tree Care 40 

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 14 

Blue Moose 30 

Bridge House 43 

Bridges Home Care 10 

Bull Inn 30 

Canon Tree Care 28 

CBLS Architecture 18 

Chimney Sweep, Thames 40 

Chiropody, Linda Frewin 40 

Clark Bicknell 40 

Computer Frustrations 40 

Design for Print 28 

Freebody Boatbuilders 6 

French Horn 44 

Gardiner’s Homecare 30 

Good Oaks Home Care 18 

Great House and Coppa Club Sonning 10 

Handyman and Decorating Services 40 

Haslams Estate Agents 2 

Heathium Clinics 20 

Hicks Group 16 

Humble Tiffin 28 

Home Stair Lifts 28 

Intersmart Electrical Installations 40 

James Autos 40 

Jones & Sheppard Stone Masons 32 

Kingfisher Bathrooms 12 

MC Cleaning 40 

Mill at Sonning 4 

M & L Healthcare Solutions 12 

Muck & Mulch 32 

Odd Jobs 40 

Physiocare Body Management 38 

Queen Anne’s School 34 

Reading Blue Coat School 10 

Richfield Flooring 14 

Sabella Interior Design 24 

Seniors Helping Seniors 32 

Shiplake College 14 

Signature Care Homes 36 

Sonning Golf Club 34 

Sonning Scouts Marquees 32 

Smallwood Garden Services 40 

Style by Julie 6 

Thames Valley Water Softeners 6 

Thames Valley Wills Service 40 

The 50 Plus Home Repairs 32 

Tomalin Funerals 16 

Walker Funerals 12 

Water Softener Salt 16 

Window Cleaner 16


The Parish Magazine - May 2023 43 

June 

For the very best in 

later living care 

At Bridge House we care passionately about enabling our residents to live their best lives. 

Every day is different, but our exemplary standards of care 

remain constant, delivered by a highly trained and dedicated 

team of clinical nursing and care staff that ensure our 

residents maintain their independence, dignity and enjoy 

a fulfilling day. 

Our welcoming, elegant Georgian country house on the edge 

of Twyford offers a timeless calm with stunning views across 

the grounds to the river Loddon, whilst our newly built 

rehabilitation centre provides access to short term recovery 

and recuperation though the in house team of therapists. 

To discuss your nursing, residential or rehabilitation 

needs, or a visit, please contact our new Care Home Manager 

Rachel Stoneman at info@bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk 

or 01189 340777 

Visit bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk 

BRIDGE HOUSE

44 The Parish Magazine - June Please 2023 mention The Parish Magazine when responding to 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 June 2023

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