The Parish Magazine October 2023

The Parish Magazine - October 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 

October 2023 — Harvest — Bible 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 - October 2023 

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Church of St Andrew 

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 October 2023 

THE ASSOCIATE VICAR'S LETTER, 5 

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD 

— Evening with Nicky Gumbel, 7 

— Rev Kate farewell, 7 

— New Director of Music, 7 

— Harvest Festival, 7 

— Church cleaning day, 7 

— For your prayers, 7 

— STAY, 8-9 

— Feel the tug, 11 

— Over-the-top words, 11 

— From the editor's desk, 11 

— The Persecuted Church, 13 

FEATURES 

— Heather's jump for charity, 15 

— Ukrainian Bible plea, 17 

— Science and the Bible, 17 

— Rev Kate in the family, 19 

— Apple Day, 22-23 

— Harvest Festival, 22-23 

—around the villages 

— Sonning CoE School update, 21 

— Chairman's Cup, 25 

— Inner Wheel, 25 

— Royal British Legion appeal, 27 

— SSES diary dates, 27 

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER 


Parish 

Magazine 

October 2023 — Harvest — Bible Sunday 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY 

Heather's charity jump 

goskydive.com - see page 15 

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 November 

issue of The Parish Magazine is: 

Friday 6 October 

at 12 noon 


Services at 

St Andrew’s 

Harvest Festival 1 October 

— 8.00am Holy Communion 

— 10.30am Family Harvest 

Service with donations to 

Woodley Food Bank 

— 4pm Choral Evensong 

followed by tea in The Ark 

Sunday 8 October 


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 



— 10.30am Family Communion 

— 3.00pm Messy Church Harvest 





— 5.45pm Sunday at Six in The Ark 





health 

— Olive oil and dementia, 29 

— Thank you, Dr Luke, 29 

THE ARTS 

— Francisco Zurbarán, 31 

— Poetry Corner, 31 

— Book Reviews, 31 

HOME AND GARDEN 

— Growing old?, 33 

— Recipe of the month, 33 

FASHION 

— Autumn colours, 35 

history, 37 

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: 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

From the Registers 

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES 

Morning Prayer is held in church 

every Tuesday at 9.30am. 

Mid-week Communion in The Ark is 

held every Wednesday at 10.00am. Tea 

and coffee follows the service. 

Home Communion at Sonning 

Lawns Care Home is held on the first 

Monday of each month at 11.00am. 

PUZZLE PAGES, 37 - 39 

children's page, 41 

information 

— Church services, 3 

— From the registers, 3 

— Local Trades and Services, 40 

— Parish contacts, 42 

— Advertisers' index, 42 

WEDDINGS 

— Friday 11 August, Scott Anthony Mills and Louise Claire Sunderland 

— Friday 18 August, Oliver William Blears and Natasha Edith Mary Head 

— Thursday 24 August, Brendan James Mills and Jennifer Rachel Galuszka 

— Saturday 26 August, Robert Mackenzie Harris and Carmel Ceridwen Bevan 

funerals 

— Tuesday 15 August, John Leslie Hicks, funeral service in church followed by 

cremation at Reading Crematorium 

— Thursday 24 August, Michael John Cole, interment of ashes in the churchyard



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The associate vicar's letter 

Dear Friends, 

'How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.' 

These words were written by A A Milne and were spoken by the wise and lovable 

Winnie the Pooh. Over the years I have heard various Winnie the Pooh quotes 

used in a variety of contexts, and it is clear that A A Milne’s capacity to convey 

deep truths in simple language appeals to people. Sometimes, when words can’t 

quite express what you want to say, it appears that Winnie the Pooh can give us 

those words, often in conversation with his dear friend Piglet. 

I sat staring at a blank Word document for a while before I decided how 

to begin this letter, which to some extent is a goodbye letter. It is the last 

time I will write a letter for this magazine and it will be printed just a few 

weeks before I leave my position as associate vicar of Charvil, Sonning and 

Sonning Eye, and prepare to move house. 

As I stared at the screen all I could think of was the Winnie the Pooh 

quote above. Saying goodbye to this parish is hard; I have shed tears 

and I am in no doubt that I will shed more because I have truly loved my 

time here. I certainly feel called to this new path, to a new role which will 

have new joys and challenges, however, the fact I am so excited about my 

move doesn’t make it easy to say goodbye. But how blessed I am to have 

something that makes saying goodbye so hard. 

PRIVILEGE 

One thing I have enjoyed immensely over the past 6 years is my involvement with Sonning Primary and 

Charvil Piggott Primary schools. I have done countless assemblies, which I absolutely love, but I have been 

involved in the schools in many other ways, getting to know staff and pupils. We are fortunate to have a great 

ministry team at St Andrew’s and of course the school work will carry on thriving, but it is something that has 

been a significant part of my life in the parish. 

Similarly, I will miss Messy Church which was set up shortly after I arrived and then relaunched after the 

periods of lockdown during the pandemic. It has been a fantastic way to meet families and to teach Christian 

stories and values through craft activities, science experiments, games and singing. Sunday 15 October will be 

my final Messy Church and I would warmly invite anyone with children aged 0-11 years to come along. Our 

theme will be Harvest. Messy Church will also run in November and December as usual and you can contact 

the parish office for more details. Alongside this specific ministry with families and children, I have had the 

immense privilege of walking alongside people in our parish through the joys and challenges of life, and have 

built some great relationships. 

GRATITUDE 

This isn’t only a goodbye letter because, as with all my previous letters, I want this letter to have a deeper 

message and be relevant to everyone who reads it, not only those who know me. The theme that has come up in 

writing this letter is the importance of relationships and community. We are all part of communities whether 

based geographically, through workplaces, through educational institutions or other groups. It can be easy in 

the busyness of life to take these communities for granted and perhaps not always appreciate the immense 

support they can bring. I hope that the community of St Andrew’s Church knows how grateful I am to them for 

their part in my life over the past 6 years, but knowing I am leaving has made me even more mindful of this 

sense of gratitude. 

Gratitude is something that is central to my life as a Christian, both gratitude to God and to others. We can 

all benefit from looking around us and actively practicing gratitude. It is not only good for our mental health 

but also has a positive effect on others around us. As I leave the parish with a grateful heart, I encourage each 

of us to be grateful daily for the people and places that leave a positive imprint on our hearts. 

With love and prayers, 

Kate

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Notices 


Rev Kate Toogood: We shall gather to say farewell to Kate on Sunday 29 October at 10:30am. She will be inducted as 

Vicar of Earley St Peters on Sunday 3 January at 7pm. All parishioners are able to contribute towards a leaving gift and 

are invited to either do this by bank transfer or by sending a cheque or cash to The Ark Parish Office, St Andrew’s Church, 

Sonning, RG4 6UR. The vicar said 'Kate and the family have been with us for six years and in that time she has fitted so much in, both in 

the parish and with the chaplaincy and maths department at Blue Coat School. I have valued her as a colleague and she has proved a loyal and 

hard working priest and I know we shall all miss her, but maybe not her quirky mathematics jokes! Seriously though, I wish her and the family 

every blessing and thank them all for their contributions to our church life.” 

Director of Music: A new director of music post has been 

created by Hertford College, Oxford, and Hannah has 

been appointed. Sadly, this means she needs to step down 

from her role with us at the beginning of October. In a 

relatively short space of time Hannah has achieved much 

with our choirs and we have enjoyed some spectacular 

celebratory services for the late Queen’s Jubilee, and the 

King and Queen's Coronation. 

Richard Meenan MA ARCO, has been offered the 

role and, subject to all the necessary checks, will replace 

Hannah in early October. Richard is the former head of 

music at Reading School and latterly of the Reading Blue 

Coat School. We look forward to welcoming him. 

An 

evening 

with 

Nicky 

Gumbel 

6pm Sunday October 29th 

A relaxed evening, open to everyone, 

for a Q&A with the charismatic founder 

of the Alpha course and Bible in One 

Year app along with his lovely wife 

Pippa. Please bring a friend and join us 

at St Andrew’s Church in Sonning. 

Harvest Festival: Sunday 1 October at 10.30am. We will 

be collecting non perishable goods for the Woodley Food 

Bank and/or cash donations. There is full list of items 

needed by the Food Bank on page 23 of this magazine. 

FoStAC Church Cleaning Day: Saturday 28 October at 

9.30am. The Friends of St Andrew's Church (FoStAC) 

trustees will be thrilled if you can help them clean St 

Andrew’s Church on Saturday 28 October from 9.30am to 

12.30pm. This annual event will ensure that the Church 

sparkles in preparation for the Remembrance Service on 

Sunday 11 November and for the forthcoming Christmas 

celebrations. 

All cleaning materials will be provided, and tea/coffee 

refreshments will be arranged for the 'cleaning crew'. If 

you can join the team, please email Sally Wilson at: 

mustangsallywilson@gmail.com 

For your prayers in October 

Curious about Alpha or faith? 

Our next course begins January 2024. 

For more details email: 

office@sonningparish.org.uk 

— Rev Kate and the family as they prepare 

to move to Earley St Peter's 

— The appointment of the right person to 

be our new female youth and children’s 

worker 

— The volunteers at the Woodley Food Bank 

— Hannah Towndrow and Richard Meenan 

as they take up their new posts 

Georgios Kollidas, dreamstime.com



St Andrew's Youth 

STAY on Friday Youth Club 

STAY on Friday Youth Club was back on Friday 8 

September at the usual time of 6.45pm — 8.15pm 

for all secondary school aged young people and we 

want to extend a special welcome to all the new 

year 7s who have already told me they are very 

excited to be able to attend every week now! Plus 

we welcome the new year 6s on the fourth Friday 

of each month to help with their transition to year 

7 next September. 

We have all the usual fun, including board 

games, chess, card games and consoles, sports 

such as football, volleyball, spike ball, four square, 

kubb, frisbee, wide games, table tennis, pool table, 

foosball and badminton, a tuck shop, nail bar and 

baking in the kitchen! 

STAY on Sunday 

STAY on Sunday was back on Sunday 10 September 

at 10.30am in The Ark on the 2nd, 4th & 5th 

Sunday of each month. This term we will be 

looking at the theme of water throughout scripture 

and worship over the years, including; In Genesis 

where the spirit of God hovers over the waters, and 

Moses parting the Red Sea! 

STAY on Monday 

STAY on Monday is back on Monday 18 September 

and the group meets every two weeks in the young 

people's homes. We will continue using the STIR 

cards to prompt discussion around our purpose, 

life’s meaning and faith. 

STAY in Schools 

Our work in schools started the 

second week of September in 

Sonning CofE School, the Piggott 

Schools in Charvil and Wargrave 

and Reading Blue Coat School. 

Our work will include: mentoring, 

assemblies, staff prayer meetings 

and some charitable work. 

Finally, a huge well done to all 

those who had their A-Level and 

GCSE results back in August! We 

hope you all know your value and 

worth is in who God says you are, 

not what grades you got and that 

God has a plan for your life which is 

good! 

'For I know the plans I have for you,’ 

declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you 

and not to harm you, plans to give you 

hope and a future.' Jeremiah 29: 11 

Mentoring 

One of the greatest privileges i 

people and recently some of th 

hitting golf balls at the driving 

way for them to focus, learn, u 

have fun!


STAY on Summer Holiday (part 2) 

We had some super 

fun activities running 

each week throughout 

the summer and the 

young people seemed 

to thoroughly enjoy 

them! 

Our August 

activities included: 

more paddle boarding 

at Caversham Lakes, a 

sports session (right) 

in Charvil, a day 

out at Thorpe Park 

(above) and a trip 

to the Waterpark at 

Caversham Lakes. 

email or 

text me 

for ideas, 

a chat or to 

encourage what 

we are doing 

Westy 

s to mentor young 

e lads have got into 

range! This is a great 

se up some energy and 

youthminister 

@sonningparish 

.org.uk 

0794 622 4306


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Feel 

the 

tug 

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Have you ever wondered how you 

can be certain about who and what 

God really is? 

One Christian put it this way: 'I’m 

reminded of the story of the man 

who was out flying a kite. The wind 

was brisk and large billowing clouds 

were blowing across the sky. 

The kite went up and up until it 

was entirely hidden by the clouds. 

EMPTY SKY? 

Then someone came by and asked 

the man what he was doing, staring 

up at an empty sky. 

'I’m flying my kite,' he replied. 

'What kite? How can you be sure 

it is still there? You can’t see a thing.' 

The man flying the kite agreed 

that he could see nothing and then 

said, 'but every little while I feel a 

tug, so I know for sure that it is still 

up there and is connected to me!' 

STAY CONNECTED 

When it comes to God, you don’t 

need to take anyone else’s word for 

it. 

You can find him for yourself by 

inviting Jesus Christ into your life. 

Then you too will know, by 

the warm wonderful tug on your 

heartstrings, that though you can’t 

see him, he is up there, and that he 

lives in you. 

Like the man with his kite, you 

are connected with God, even when 

you can't see him! 

Over-the-top 

words By The Ven John Barton 

I’m trying to stop saying ‘incredible’. 

It’s overused and has become almost 

meaningless. 'We are incredibly 

grateful'; 'I had an incredible meal'. As 

the word really means ‘beyond belief 

or understanding’, it can’t actually 

apply in either case. 

‘Unbelievable’ is similarly misused. 

So is ‘fantastic’, which is meant to 

describe something belonging to an 

imaginary world. So, strictly speaking, 

a fantastic tennis player can’t be real.. 

How about ‘amazing’? Count how 

many times you hear it today. It should 

be reserved to describe something 

astonishing, out of this world. If you 

think about it, if everything is amazing 

or incredible, then nothing really is. 

When the exceptional becomes normal 

or commonplace, nothing is special. 

ICON 

We seem to be struggling to find 

words to convey something out of 

the ordinary. Try ‘iconic’. Iconic 

only appeared recently and has 

been distorted to mean ‘historic’ or 

‘traditional’ or ‘classic’. My dictionary 

tells me iconic actually means 

something to do with an icon, which is 

a depiction of Christ, the Virgin Mary, 

or a Saint. 

RELIGIOUS 

In fact, most of these over-thetop 

words, now in everyday use, have 

a religious association. Originally, 

they were reserved to communicate 

otherness, difference, deep respect. 

For example, ‘awesome’? It should 

mean ‘awe’ or reverence. It’s a takeyour-breath-away 

word. Awe is what 

Moses felt when he saw a bush on 

fire, because it didn’t burn away, and 

he sensed God's presence. Awe is 

something St Peter experienced, when 

he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, 

‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a 

sinful man!’ 

If you try to imagine what Moses 

and Peter actually felt, words like 

‘unworthiness’ and ‘fear’ might come 

to mind. They were experiencing 

something out of the ordinary, an 

experience that stayed with them for 

life. They had encountered holiness. 

Now there’s a word worth using. 


From the 

editor's 

desk 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

Sitting at my desk on 7 September I 

am putting the finishing touches to 

this issue of The Parish Magazine for 

October. Its theme of autumn and 

Harvest means I can't help being 

reminded of my childhood. 

As a young boy I was always 

interested in weather patterns — my 

grandfather was a local inspector 

for Southend Water Works and he 

had a fascinating array of devices 

and meters that monitored the 

rain, wind and sunshine, and they 

printed out the results 24 hours a 

day. The information was important 

to ensure that the neighbourhood 

could turn their taps on every day 

without fear of there being a water 

shortage. 

One regular thing that always 

seemed to happen was that, at the 

school summer holidays, when 

I could have been busy with my 

gardening business, it would often 

be dull and wet — which was bad 

for business! As soon as school 

started in September the sun would 

shine and instead of being outside 

enjoying it I would be shut away with 

all the other children in a hot, sticky 

classroom. 

Today we are expecting one of 

the hottest days of the year with 

temperatures over 300C. The only 

consolation is that it will be too hot 

for me to be out in the garden — and 

in reality I enjoy working on this 

magazine more than digging and 

weeding. 

DON'T FORGET! 

One Hour at 2am on 


Helen Davies, dreamstime.com



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PARISH NOTICEBOARD — 4 

Digital surveillance is increasing in China. A current 

affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific, 'The Diplomat', 

provides news and analysis of politics, security, 

business, technology and life across the region. In 

a July 2023 'Diplomat' article, Zhuoran Li cites the 

book 'Surveillance State' by two journalists Josh Chin 

and Liza Lin. The article points out the activities of 

the Chinese authorities and companies in capturing 

citizen activities. Specifically, they report ‘an advanced 

national database, connecting identification documents, 

facial recognition data, fingerprints, and travel history.’ 

There is also in China an extensive network of CCTV 

cameras. Artificial Intelligence (AI) facial recognition is 

apparently used to analyse the footage from cameras in 

real-time, using software provided by various Chinese 

companies including Huawei and China Electronics 

Technology Group Corporation (CETC). 

The major tech companies in the country can operate 

‘without constraints’ due to the absence of strict legal 

regulations and only a ‘fledgling’ digital privacy code. The 

upshot is they are enabled to track phones, monitor online 

purchases, and decrypt messages. 

SECRET BIBLES 

According to the Atlantic Council, a non-partisan 

US think tank on international affairs, for the Chinese 

government, investment in surveillance technologies 

‘advances both its ambitions of becoming a global technology 

leader as well as its means of domestic social control.’ 

Applying that to the church, as the latest edition of 

the Open Doors magazine points out, Christians in many 

parts of China know their every move could be watched, 

through CCTV or online. It’s illegal to access the Bible on 

the internet and authorities have demanded Christian 

apps and online resources be deleted. 

One believer in China, Ming — the name has been 

changed for security reasons — has taken the risk of 

delivering secret Bibles. ‘I could be arrested, interrogated and 

even imprisoned’, he says. 

One day Ming and his friends were arrested. Ming 

was freed but not his friends. He is on the radar of the 

authorities, who regularly search his house. Even within 

the state-approved Three Self Patriotic Movement, there is 

pressure. 

Registered churches have cameras installed and have 

their weekly sermons reviewed, with adjustments very 

likely. House churches and small groups are illegal. Ming 

says he needs to make friends cautiously as ‘there may be 

spies pretending to be Christians. I need to stay vigilant.’ 

His father-in-law forbade him to be with his wife and 

daughter, because of his faith. 

Life for believers like Ming is likely to get harder. 

Open Doors asks us to pray for Ming, that he may be 

reconciled with his wife, daughter and wider family; for 

protection of the believers; and for the Lord’s compassion 

on Open Doors’ local partners serving the church. If you 


THE persecuted church by colin bailey 

‘There may be spies pretending to be Christians, 

I need to stay vigilant’ 

Surveillance cameras in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing 

Matyas Rehak, dreamstime.com 

would like to make a donation to Open Doors’ work in 

encouragement, training and provision of Bibles, please go 

to https://www.opendoorsuk.org/ 

For more insights, read the Open Doors Parliamentary 

Report, Digital Persecution: The New Frontier for Freedom of 

Religion or Belief — go to: https://media.opendoorsuk.org/ 

document/pdf/Open%20Doors%20Digital%20Persecution%20 

Report.pdf 

References and further reading 

The Diplomat - ‘The Human Level of China’s Security State’: 

https://thediplomat.com/2023/07/the-human-level-ofchinas-security-state/ 

Atlantic Council - ‘China’s surveillance ecosystem and the 

global spread of its tools’: https://www.atlanticcouncil. 

org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/chinesesurveillance-ecosystem-and-the-global-spread-of-its-tools/ 

Open Doors (home and donate page): https://www. 

opendoorsuk.org/ 

Open Doors magazine: https://media.opendoorsuk.org/ 

document/pdf/OD-UK-2023-SEP-MAG.pdf 

Open Doors Parliamentary Report, Digital Persecution: The 

New Frontier for Freedom of Religion or Belief: https:// 

media.opendoorsuk.org/document/pdf/Open%20Doors%20 

Digital%20Persecution%20Report.pdf



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By Heather Hexter 

A few months ago I set myself the challenge to do something different to 

celebrate a 'big birthday this year' by raising money for charities caring for 

teenagers with mental health issues. After a rescheduling due the weather, on 2 

September I jumped out of a plane — I was strapped to a GoSkydive instructor 

from Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury and my thanks goes to the entire team who 

were so professional that the experience was amazing. 

MAD MILLENNIALS 

Mad Millennials (MM) is the 

UK’s first non-profit enterprise 

organisation dedicated to 

supporting the millennial 

generation’s mental health and 

wellbeing. 

Run by volunteers, MM raises 

awareness around mental 

health, fosters conversations 

to de-stigmatise the topic and 

provide real and relevant support 

through various mediums 

including one-on-one sessions, 

peer support groups, events, and 

digital content. 

Through online and 

community events and 

partnerships with the NHS 

mental health services, Soho 

House, and the Saracens 

Foundation, MM is creating 

welcoming spaces for a 

generation in need. 

Its pre-crisis intervention 

services are aimed to alleviate 

the pressure felt by millennials, 

address the gap in services and 

demand, and normalise the good, 

the bad, and the ugly parts of 

mental health. 

https://www.madmillennials.org.uk/ 

The skydive pushed me way outside 

my comfort zone and although it 

was more akin to a fairground ride 

I was thrilled to have achieved the 

first part of my goal to do something 

different. The other part of the goal, 

to raise money for charity, is still in 

progress! 

For my big birthday, I have asked 

friends and family to donate to 

one — or both — special charitable 

causes supporting teenage mental 

health: Mad Millennials, and/or 

STAY, St Andrew's Church Youth. 

Many of you will know why I 

especially want to raise money for 

teenage mental health issues and 

how my heart goes out to anyone 

who is a parent or carer and is 

Images: goskydive.com 

dealing with these issues. Social 

media on the Internet enables 

young people to experience even 

more pressure than in past times 

to conform and they cannot escape 

the constant bombardment, which 

can be 24 hours a day, asking them 

whether they’re beautiful enough or 

smart enough. 

Children are cruel when they 

can comment anonymously online 

leading many to self-harm or have 

anxiety. This has to stop. We need to 

raise awareness, to put in boundaries 

that are healthy and support each 

young person as best we can. Please 

donate (details bottom of page) to 

support these fabulous causes: 

— Mad Millennials: The funds 

raised will help them to continue 

their outreach in communities and 

businesses. 

— STAY: The funds raised can help a 

female youth worker flourish in her 

important role and will help them to 

continue their community outreach. 

Mad Millennials: https://gofund.me/9cf5c832 

STAY: https://www.justgiving.com/page/heather-hexter-1687629015342?utm_term=bEmdDxxMQ



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feature — 2 

Ukrainians 

seek more 

Holy Bibles 

As well as the war in Ukraine 

creating a dramatic rise in the 

demand for military equipment 

and support, there is also desperate 

demand for more Bibles as people 

seek existential answers about life 

and death. Sadly, as our picture on 

the right shows, precious Bibles are 

not immune to Russian fire bombs 

that have been destroying churches 

and homes. 

The Ukrainian Bible Society reports 

that, in the last 15 months, some 

700,000 Bibles have been distributed 

across the war-torn country. This 

is a five-fold increase on numbers 

handed out before the war. In 2020, 

some 136,767 Bibles were distributed 

in Ukraine. 

For Christians, the Bible is God’s Word. It tells us about his character and 

creative purposes, how he has related to people in the past, and his promises 

for the future. Science is a specific way of studying the world, exploring the 

physical properties of things — a wonderful way to explore God’s creation. So, 

the question to ask if the Bible and Science seem to be contradicting each other is, 

have we made a mistake in interpreting one or the other? 


Anatoliy Raychynets, deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society explains, 'The experience of this time 

is that so many people are looking for Bibles and churches. 'We are doing everything possible to reach all the needs, but 

more Bibles are needed. With the help of the Word of God, we can bring the love of God to those who need it.' 

Bibles are distributed around the country, including to soldiers and civilian communities on the front line, and to 

those in hospital. 'Wherever the Bible is taken, it is very much appreciated,' said Anatoliy. 

To make a donation towards the work of the Bible Society in Ukraine: 

https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/get-involved/donate/appeals/bring-peace-and-comfort-to-ukraine-through-gods-word/ 

Science is very good at answering 

certain types of questions: ‘What 

size is it?’, ‘How fast does it travel?’, 

‘What is it made of?’, and so on. 

Questions such as ‘What’s it for?’, 

‘What should I do with it?’, and ‘What’s 

it worth?’ can’t be answered using 

scientific methods. 

Some of the misunderstanding 

in discussions of science and religion 

come from not recognising the limits 

of science. 

It’s also important to recognise 

what the Bible is, and what sort of 

questions it can answer. The Bible was 

written well before people began to 

investigate the world in ways we would 

recognise as scientific. 

People in the ancient Near East 

were studying the world around them, 

observing the movements of the stars, 

the processes of life and death, the 

seasons, the behaviour of physical 

objects, and so on. But they did not 

study the mechanisms underlying 

these things systematically using the 

tools of science, and they did not see or 

describe the world in scientific terms 

— not because they weren’t intelligent, 

but because science wasn’t happening. 

BIBLE SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER 

The burnt pages of a Bible destroyed by a Russian rocket in an Orthodox church in Odessa. 

Lesik Aleksandr, dreamstime.com 

Do science and the Bible contradict each other? 

By Dr Ruth M Bancewicz church engagement director, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion Cambridge. 

Biblical writers used words that 

were commonly used in their own 

cultures to record events, share 

truth and wisdom, and tell stories 

that convey deep truth about God’s 

character. 

If we want to understand God’s 

intention in inspiring these words, 

we need to do some careful work to 

connect with those ancient writers 

and find out what they meant, before 

we can discover what those words 

mean to us today. 

These principles can help us have a 

more fruitful debate about science and 

Christianity. If we allow any apparent 

conflict between the two to fuel our 

search for understanding, not only will 

we learn as individuals, but we will be 

able to draw others into a conversation 

that is relevant to society today.


feature — 2 


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feature — 3 

Rev Kate keeps things in the family 


Rev Kate Indy Buddulph Earley St Peter's Church Michael Ford, Wikipedia Commons 

On Sunday 29 October St Andrew's Church Sonning will be saying thank you 

and goodbye to Rev Kate as she leaves to prepare for her new role as Vicar of 

Earley St Peter's. As such, she will be keeping things in the family because she 

will be moving to what was originally a daughter church of St Andrew's. 

Earley St Peter’s Church was 

consecrated on 14 May 1844, the 

land having been donated by Lord 

Sidmouth, of Erleigh Court, in 

memory of his wife Marianne. 

The building work was paid for 

by the Palmer family of Holme Park, 

Sonning. 

Robert Palmer, MP (31 January 

1793 – 24 November 1872) was, 

according to Wikipedia, 'an English 

gentleman from Berkshire and Tory/ 

Conservative Member of Parliament'. 

When Robert Palmer entered 

Parliament in 1825, Lord Liverpool 

was Prime Minister, and he took his 

seat on the Government side of the 

House. 

At the next General Election 

in 1826, Robert Palmer was 

returned unopposed. This 

Parliament continued through the 

successive ministries of Canning, 

Lord Goderich, and the Duke of 

Wellington, till 1830, when the death 

of King George IV brought it to an 

end. 

LIBERTIES 

Originally, the ecclesiastical 

parish of Sonning consisted of four 

'Liberties' or districts — Sonning 

Town; Woodley & Sandford; and 

Earley, in Berkshire; and Eye & 

Dunsden, in Oxfordshire. It was 

unusual, as it still is today, for a 

church parish to span the River 

Thames and to be in more than one 

county. 

The four Liberties were really four 

separate parishes, each having a St 

Andrew's churchwarden assigned to 

them. 

HUNDREDS 

Sonning and Woodley were in 

the Hundred of Sonning, Earley in 

the Hundred of Charlton, Eye and 

Dunsden in the Hundred of Binfield 

and Longtree. 

'Eye' means island, hence today 

we have Sonning Eye. 

A hundred was an area within 

a shire created for administrative, 

military and judicial purposes under 

the common law. 

When they were introduced by 

the Saxons, between 613 and 1017, a 

hundred had enough land to sustain 

approximately 100 households. 

FLOWN THE NEST 

By Victorian times the population 

was growing in the four 'Liberties' 

with the result that daughter 

churches in Woodley, Earley, 

Wokingham, and Dunsden were 

created with the financial support 

of the Palmer family — St John's 

Woodley, Earley St Peter's, All Saints 

in Eye and Dunsden. 

Today each of the daughter 

churches have 'flown the nest' and 

operate as parish churches in their 

own right and Earley St Peter's is now 

part of Reading Deanery. 

REMINDER 

Earley St Peter’s is a Grade II 

Listed Building, in the Early English 

cruciform style with a distinctive 

76ft tower designed by John Turner, 

who also donated a stained glass 

window depicting St Andrew in the 

south wall of the sanctuary. 

The window was in recognition 

of the mother church in Sonning, 

so Rev Kate will have a constant 

reminder of her time at Sonning. 

GOODBYE 

At St Andrew's Sonning we will be 

saying goodbye to Rev Kate and her 

family during the 10.30am service on 

Sunday 29 October. 

Her induction as Vicar of Earley St 

Peter's will be on Sunday 3 January 

at 7pm to which everyone is invited. 

Parishioners who wish to 

contribute towards a leaving gift for 

Kate are invited to either do this by 

bank transfer or by sending a cheque 

or cash to The Ark Parish Office, St 

Andrew’s Church, Sonning, RG4 6UR.



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around the villages — 1 

Growing our offer as we enter the new term 

From Phil Sherwood, headteacher, Sonning Church of England Primary School 

At the time of writing, we are just starting our new term after having lots of 

work completed over the summer break. This included installing new signs, 

repainting classrooms, improving our outside areas and smartening up the 

reception classroom and outside area. 

This would not have been possible without the support of our community, and 

I would like to extend my thanks to Sonning Parish Council and a number of 

volunteers for their help. 

COMMUNITY SUPPORT 

With this in mind, if anyone in our community would like to volunteer their 

time on a regular basis to work with our pupils or around the site, we would 

greatly appreciate it. 

Some of the ideas for support include leading a gardening club, reading with 

our pupils once a week, helping with our site management and maintenance — 

weeding or painting or anything else you think you can offer. 

For any volunteers attending the school site while pupils are here, we will 

undertake checks to meet our safeguarding duty and ensure the adults on site 

are suitable to work with pupils. Please do not see this part of the process as a 

barrier — we will sort all the checks for you. 

As always, thank you to our community for their support, and here’s to an 

exciting new academic year at Sonning Church of England Primary School.


feature — 4 

Images from dreamstime.com 

Apple leaf, Pretoperola 

Harvest Moon, Chayanan Phumsukwisit 

English eating apples, Pjhpix 

2,500 reasons to eat an apple this month 

An apple a day keeps the doctor away is a common saying that comes from an old 

English adage, 'to eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his 

bread'. In 1990, Common Ground, a Dorset charity, decided it was time to boost the 

social standing of the humble British apple by giving it a special celebration day, 

aptly called 'Apple Day' to be held on 21 October each year. 

The first Apple Day was in the old Apple 

Market, Covent Garden, London. 

As well as being a celebration, Apple 

Day was intended to raise the awareness 

of the danger of not only losing the 

traditional British apple but to also 

highlight the richness and diversity of 

our landscape, ecology and culture. It 

has, says Common Ground, also played 

a part in raising awareness in the 

provenance and traceability of food. 

RAISING AWARENESS 

Common Ground describe themselves 

as 'a small, grass roots organisation that 

collaborate openly to reconnect people with 

nature and inspire communities to become 

responsible for their local environment.' 

They believe that enjoying where you 

live and celebrating the connections 

people have with the wildlife and 

landscape on their doorstep, is at the root 

of meaningful conservation. 

Raising awareness of the British 

apple is an excellent example of their 

ambitions. Did you know, for example, 

there are about 2,500 varieties of apples 

in the UK alone — worldwide the number 

is about 7,000. 

Someone has calculated that you 

could eat a different variety of English 

apple every day for six years, so why not 

start by trying some different varieties 

on Apple Day this month? 

The apple dates from Biblical times 

and, depending on the translation, it is 

referred to several times in the Bible. It 

is often thought to have been the fruit 

that Adam and Eve picked from the tree 

of life, although most Biblical scholars 

will tell you that the fig is a more likely 

candidate, especially as they covered 

their nakedness with fig leaves. 

Adam and Eve, 1538 by Lucas Cranach the Elder 

Public Domain 

According to Christiananswers.com 

'There is currently no clear evidence that 

apples grew in Israel in ancient times 

(possibly due to heat). But they were 

certainly not unknown in Israel, as the land 

does have cooler hill country. They definitely 

grew north of Israel in Lebanon. The ancient 

Romans cultivated apple trees extensively. 

It is possible that climatic conditions may 

have been more favourable in ancient times 

in Israel. 

Today, more than 40 types of fruit are 

grown commercially in Israel. Apples are 

grown successfully in the northern hills of 

Israel and in Gaza 

CRAB APPLE 

The apple is thought to have been 

domesticated 4,000–10,000 years ago 

in the Tian Shan mountains between 

western China, Kyrgyzstan and 

Kazakhstan. It then travelled along the 

Silk Road to Europe, with hybridization 

and the transfer of genetic material 

between species of wild crab apple from 

Siberia, the Caucasus and Europe. 

The first known named English 

apple variety was the pearmain. It was 

first mentioned in 1204, having been 

introduced into Britain by the Normans. 

https://www.commonground.org.uk/apple-day/


HARVEST 2023 

Although Harvest Festival is not a fixed date in the Church of England Lectionary most churches, including St Andrew's Sonning, 

choose to celebrate it on the first Sunday of October which is often the nearest Sunday to the appearance of the Harvest Moon and 

which this year will also be the last 'supermoon' of the year. Harvest Moon is the name given to the full Moon that happens closest 

in date to the first day of autumn and it is also known as the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere. This is when day and 

night are the same length. Last year the Harvest Moon occurred on 10 September 2022 and this year it occurred on 29 September. 

Harvest Festival at St Andrew's Church will be held at the 10.30am Family Service on Sunday 1 October when we collect donations 

of food or cash for Woodley Food Bank — see the suggested list below. 

The modern day Harvest festival is 

attributed to Rev Robert Hawker who, 

in 1843, invited parishioners to a special 

thanksgiving service in Morwenstow, 

Cornwall. 

In reality, of course, harvest 

celebrations date back about 3,500 years 

to Old Testament times when God gave 

Moses instructions for seven annual 

feasts (Leviticus 23), which included three 

harvest festivals: 

— First fruits in spring for the barley 

harvest; 

—Weeks in early summer for the wheat 

harvest; 

—Tabernacles, or the ingathering, in the 

autumn when thanks was given for all 

the year’s crops and prayers for rain were 

offered for the coming year. 

THE SEVEN SPECIES 

As well as wheat and barley, the other 

main crops were grapes, figs, dates, 

olives, and pomegranates. These seven 

foods are sometimes called the ‘Seven 

Species’ of the Bible. They are the ones 

God told the Israelites they would enjoy 

when they arrived in the Promised Land. 

(Deuteronomy 8:8) 

In Rev Hawker’s days most of the UK 

population relied totally on growing 

their food locally and a good 

harvest was vital for their 

wellbeing in the coming 

year. It is easy to see how 

his idea for a great festival rapidly 

established itself as a tradition. 

Today, however, few people in the UK 

rely on growing their own food or source 

it entirely from within their community, 

so the underlying nature of Harvest 

Festival has changed significantly, 

although the primary focus remains the 

same — we give thanks for all those who 

grow our food wherever it may come 

from in the world, for those who process 

it, transport it, sell it and cook it. 

Despite this change of emphasis, 

there is no change in who we have to 

thank for the food itself — God our 

creator. 

HARVEST 

WILL IDEA 

Christian Aid's harvest appeal this year is 

to ask people to put their faith into action 

by considering leaving a gift in their Will 

to their Church and to Christian Aid. For 

more information contact them on: 

hello@christian-aid.org.uk 

Seven Bible Species 

Wheat, barley, grapes, figs, 

dates, olives and 

pomegranates. 

Please remember your 

Harvest food donations for 

the Woodley Food Bank on 

Sunday 1 October. If you can't 

attend our Harvest Service 

you can leave your donations 

in the box just inside St 

Andrew's Church between 

10am and 4pm every day. 

Thank you! 

Here's the latest message we received 

from Woodley Food Bank: 

Thank you for your donations. 

Unfortunately there is a high demand 

at the moment. We are currently low in 

stocks of cooking oil and tinned chick peas 

and kidney beans. We are also short of 

plastic bags. 

Donations of the following are always 

welcome: 

Sugar Pasta Sauce 

Coffee Spaghetti (dried) 

Pasta Noodles 

Cereals Pot Noodles 

Tinned vegetables (all types, including 

potatoes), 

Tinned pies (Fray Bentos meat and veg 

varieties) 

Tinned fish 

Tinned fruit 

Tinned soups veg and meat 

Meat meals (tinned) 

Biscuits, Crisps, Custard - tinned and dried 

Tinned Desserts 

Long life milk 

Juice (cordial and long life) 

Toothbrushes and toothpaste 

Shampoo and Shower Gel 

Deodorants (male and female) 

Toilet Rolls are welcome at any time. 

Images from dreamstime.com

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Devon or Cornwall? 


Chairman's Cup for seaside painting 

When 19 ladies from the Inner 

Wheel Club of Reading Maiden 

Erlegh took afternoon tea at the 

Riseley Village Tea Room the only 

disagreement was the scones — 

Devon or Cornwall! 

Inner Wheel is an international 

organisation for women, and it is 

celebrating its centenary in January 

2024. 

The local group meets monthly 

at Sonning Golf Club, usually on the 

third Thursday of the month, for a 

chat and a drink at 7.15pm before a 

two-course meal which is usually 

followed by an interesting speaker. 

The group is involved in several 

fund raising projects to support 

community organisations such 

The Cowshed, which is a Christian 

charity that provides clothing 

and other items for individuals 

and families in Berkshire that are 

experiencing hardship, and The Book 

Bus which delivers books to deprived 

children overseas. 

Over the last 12 years, The Book 

Bus fleet has travelled 250,000 miles 

and opened reading schemes in 

Zambia, Malawi and Ecuador. 

More than 100,000 children now 

have books to read. 

www.innerwheelrme.org 

Sonning Art Group's latest Chairman’s Cup award for a painting of the 

Seaside was won by Maggie Hollidge (left) for her pastel painting of her 

granddaughter fishing on the rocks at Exmouth. The Cup was presented by 

fellow committee member Ruth Malton 

In October the group welcomes back Jenny Whalley, a favourite tutor, who 

will be demonstrating animals in motion. The Group meets every Friday 

afternoon at Pearson Hall from 2.30pm — 4pm and for the first time in many 

years they don’t have a members waiting list, so it will be a good time to call in 

to meet the group and see what they do. 

RENDEZVOUS 

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Open to everyone of all ages for 

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Tuesday 10 October 

Tuesday 24 October 

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Sonning and 

Sonning Eye 

Society Pearson 

Hall Diary Dates 

Sonning's Royal British 

Legion urgent appeal for 

new members 

Membership of The Royal British Legion (Sonning Branch) has fallen to 

its lowest since it was formed in 1924 by ex-service personnel and several 

Sonning residents and civilians from nearby villages. The main cause, says 

the committee, is failing health and deaths, so they are trying to enlist new 

members but feel that many people may not fully appreciate the excellent 

service the Legion gives to ex-service personnel and their families. 

The Royal British Legion comprises 

many branches around the country 

who all desire to raise money and 

support the organisation's six 

convalescent homes. 

The funds needed to run these 

homes are raised by members during 

the annual Poppy Appeal. Additional 

monies are raised through the 

membership fees which, in Sonning, 

are currently £18 a year. 

SUPPORT 

Since the end of the Second World 

War, there have been other conflicts 

where our armed services have been 

deployed. 

These include the Mau Mau 

uprising of 1952 which lasted until 

1960 in the British Kenyan colony, 

the Irish Troubles, The Falklands, 

The Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq 

with many others as well. These wars 

have created a new wave of injured 

personnel, many of which need 

constant care. 

The homes provide after care 

following operations until they are 

Images: poppies - Sandor Kacso, dreamstime.com; flag - Indy Biddulph 

able to return to the safe care of 

their families. 

The Legion continues to support 

these families until they are able to 

manage on their own. 

Money is also sometimes 

provided for other equipment such 

as wheelchairs or home adaptation. 

By joining the Sonning branch 

of the Royal British Legion you will 

have the satisfaction of knowing 

that you are helping those who have 

served Britain and its people. 

SIGN UP 

You do not have to be ex-service 

personnel to join The Royal British 

Legion and you will not have to be 

active if you do not wish to be so. 

For your membership fee you 

will receive a colour magazine twice 

a year and other benefits. 

For more information about 

joining the Sonning branch of 

The Royal British Legion contact 

Seb Knight on 0779 386 4381 

orknight1831@gmail.com 

minnystock, dreamstime.com 

27 October 7.30pm Pearson Hall, 

Neil Pitts, explorer and adventurer, 

entertains with the challenges he 

faced while attempting to ski across 

Norway. 

18 November: AGM and dinner in 

Pearson Hall from 7pm. The speaker 

will be Cathy Haill, fun curator of 

the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

Tickets for both events can be 

obtained from sonning.org.uk or 

Penny Feathers penny.feathers@ 

btinternet.com 0118 934 3193 

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HEALTH 

Is opting for olive oil — one 

of the seven Bible species — 

a good choice for dementia? 

If you have more than half a teaspoon of olive oil a day, 

it may cut your risk of dying from dementia by 28%, a 

recent study by Harvard University suggests. 

‘Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, bless the bed that I 

lie on’ - my grandma taught me that one, writes David 

Winter. At least it meant I never forgot the names of the 

writers of the four Gospels. This month Luke, the writer 

of the third of them, has his feast day – 18 October. 

He was, we learn from the letters of St Paul, a ‘physician’ — 

an educated man and probably the only one of the writers 

of the New Testament who was not a Jew. In modern 

terms, he was Turkish. 

Paul took him as one of his missionary team on a long 

journey around the Middle East, and they clearly became 

close friends. Under house arrest later in his life Paul 

wrote, ‘only Luke is with me’. 

However, it is Luke's Gospel which has established him 

as a major figure in the history of the Christian Church. 

Mark’s Gospel may have more drama, Matthew’s more 

prophetic background and John’s a more profound sense of 

the mystery of the divine, but Luke offers us a Jesus who is 

utterly and believably real. 

A MAN OF THE PEOPLE 

This man turned no one away, reserved his harshest 

words for hypocrites and religious grandees, cared for the 

marginalised, the poor, the persecuted, the disabled, and 

the sinful. His Gospel is full of people we can recognise — 

indeed, in whom we can often recognise ourselves. 

He was also a masterly story-teller. Try, for instance, 

the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Read it not as 

a sacred text but as a brilliant piece of story-telling: subtle 

repetitions (‘your son, this brother of yours’), believable 

characters, drama and profound emotion. 

There is the older brother, so cynical about his sibling’s 

alleged reformation, the ‘prodigal’ himself, so hesitant 

about throwing himself on his father’s mercy after the 


But nobody knows quite why. Some experts say it may 

be that the antioxidants in olive oil can pass through the 

blood-brain barrier, which may have a direct effect on 

cognition. Along with figs, dates, pomegranates, wheat, 

and barley, olives are one the healthy seven species listed 

Dusan Zidar, dreamstime.com 

in the Bible (see centre pages) 

One doctor explained: 'Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise, 

is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia.' 

There are estimated to be 944,000 people living with dementia in Britain, with the majority suffering from 

Alzheimer’s. The number is expected to increase to more than one million by 2030, with one in three people born in the 

UK this year expected to develop dementia in their lifetime. 

The condition costs the country £34.7 billion annually and is now the leading cause of death. Sadly, there are currently 

no licensed drugs that can slow down or repair brain damage. 

Thank you, Dr Luke! 

St Luke painted by Guido Reni in 1621 

Public Domain 

folly of his earlier behaviour, and there is the father, of 

course, abandoning the dignity of his role in the family and 

actually running to welcome his wretched son’s return. 

There are more women in Luke’s Gospel than in any of 

the others, but also more poor people, more lepers, more 

‘sinners’ and tax-collectors, more ‘outsiders’ who are shown 

to be ‘inside’ the love of Christ. This, for many of us, is the 

great Gospel of inclusion and compassion. Here is a Jesus 

for the whole world and for every one of us. 

Thank you, Dr Luke!



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THE ARTS 

Poetry Corner 

Reaping Revealings 

By Steven Rolling 

Revelation 14: 14-20 

Tune: Wir Pflugen 

We plough the fields and scatter 

I looked, behold a white cloud 

Revealed, and in unshroud 

One sat upon this cloud, he was 

Displayed majestic thus 

Having on head a gold crown 

And name of great renown 

One like the Son of man He 

Had sharp sickle, now see 

Chorus 

Angel from the temple 

Loud, loud, his message call 

‘Thrust in your sickle, the earth reap 

Harvest it, the good keep’ 

2. Time for the earth to be reaped 

E'en seemed in evil steeped 

But there good too, the harvest-tide 

Fruits ripe it does provide 

So He that on the cloud sat 

Thrust in His sickle, that 

The earth should then be reaped sure 

The good gathered e’ermore - Chorus 

3. Yet then, another angel 

Who had too sharp sickle 

Came out of temple, waits for 

An angel from altar 

This one had power o’er fire 

Having words solemn, dire 

Spoke to angel with sickle 

Who true did hear his call – Chorus 

4. Said angel from the altar 

‘Thrust I your sickle,’ stir 

Yourself to gather earth’s vine 

For see this, this the sign 

The grapes are fully ripe now 

They must be reaped, and how 

Righteous judgements of God known 

Victory o’er evil shown – Chorus 

Chrisat, dreamstime.com 


Sacramental beauty of Creation 

‘Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose’ by Francisco Zurbarán 

The weekday Eucharist can be a great contrast to the bustle and liveliness 

of Sunday services. It can offer a quiet time to focus on the gifts of bread 

and wine offered on the altar, writes Rev Canon Michael Burgess, and at St 

Andrew's it is held in The Ark followed by refreshments and a chat. 

This month’s painting of 1633 is an opportunity to focus on the gifts that have 

been offered at the altar of this table, in ‘Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and 

a Rose’ by Francisco Zurbarán. He was a contemporary of the more famous 

Velázquez and worked in Seville until his death in 1664, 

There is something quite special and evocative in the arrangement of fruits 

and flowers — two highly polished plates, one bearing the citrons (not lemons 

as the title tells us), the other a cup of water and a rose. In the centre there 

is a basket with oranges and orange blossom. Against the dark background 

we sense the cool tones of the plates and cup, and the warmth of fruits and 

flowers. 

There is a curious balance and poise here, and some critics have suggested 

a Trinitarian allusion in the three groups so deliberately placed on the table. 

Others have pointed to the rose and water as symbols of our Lady, and the fruit 

and blossom as signs of the new life of Easter. A devout Spanish Catholic in the 

17th Century would have noticed these allusions, but they may be too fanciful, 

as X-rays have shown that Zurbarán painted out another plate which simply 

contained sweet, candied potatoes. 

What he has portrayed is an allegory of the senses. We can almost smell the 

fragrance of orange blossom and the tanginess of the fruits. We want to reach 

out to touch and taste. But no, we must look and ponder the offering of these 

gifts for our delight, and simply give thanks for the artist who has shown us 

something of the sacramental beauty of creation in them. 

Book Reviews 

Better than Halloween — bright alternatives for churches and children 

By Nick Harding, CHP, £1 

This will help to transform 31 October into a fun and meaningful 

Christian-themed event for children aged 5-11. It has an explanation 

of the origins of Halloween, and why many Christians choose not 

to celebrate it; detailed instructions and practical suggestions for 

planning and running Bright/Light parties; a wealth of supporting 

resources, such as fun sheets, party invitations, and sheet music 

that can be photocopied, and sources of further advice and 

guidance; and a free full-colour CD-ROM of all the supporting resources. 

My Baptism Book – a child’s guide to Baptism 

By Diana Murrie and Craig Cameron, CHP, £4.99 

This helps children understand one of the most important days 

of a child's life. It is a beautiful personal reminder of their special 

day and one that a child can return to again and again. It can be 

used by adults and children together, or in more formal baptism 

preparation and includes a number of inspiring ideas on ways to 

use the material. It is for children aged 3+ years.



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

HOME AND GARDEN 

Is now a good time 

not to grow old? 

By Rev Peter Crumpler, a former communications director for 

the Church of England 

'Don’t grow old,' a parishioner of advanced years warned 

me some while back. 'You won’t like it.' 

Sadly, that dear woman is no longer with us, and I’m a 

whole lot older than when she offered me that kind advice. 

But was there wisdom in her words? 

It’s true that generally people are living longer and in 

better health than in generations before, but there are 

increasing challenges for older men and women in our 

society. 

My friend, Maggie Dodd is an ‘Anna Chaplain’ for 

older people. She is one of around 300 such chaplains up 

and down the country. They spiritually support people of 

strong, little or no faith in care homes, sheltered housing 

or in their own homes. 

Maggie has told me how life is becoming harder for 

older people, and we’ve swapped notes on what we have 

both observed. 

MARGINALISATION 

She told me: 'Some of the basic services older people 

need are becoming more difficult to access. I hear about 

doctor’s surgeries asking for patients to print out their 

own forms or send photos to or from smart phones. 

'Banks are phasing out high street branches, pushing 

everyone towards online banking. Many older people 

feel very uneasy about going online, worried of being 

scammed out of their savings. 

'A trip to the shops is also becoming more complicated. 

Checkouts in supermarkets are increasingly self-service. 


Ampack/ dreamstime.com 

Mobility can also be affected as car parks often need an 

app to be uploaded onto a smartphone to park. In many 

car parks there is no option to pay by card or cash!' 

Plans to remove the ticket offices at train stations 

will make matters worse for many older would-be rail 

travellers. 

Maggie told me 'This gradual marginalisation of people 

can leave them feeling lonely and isolated. Loneliness can 

have a huge detrimental effect on health and wellbeing. 

Prolonged social isolation and loneliness are the 

equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.' 

It’s good that many churches run special events and 

activities for older people, as well as groups for all ages. 

But is this enough? 

Christians are called to follow Christ’s example and 

speak out for at risk of being marginalised in our society. 

Today, that could be our older brothers and sisters. 

Recipe of the Month for Apple Day on 21 October 

Spiced Apple Cake from Carole Robb 

Ingredients 

— 225g butter or Stork margarine 

— 225g Muscovado sugar 

— 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 

— 100g sultanas 

— 225g Self raising flour 

— 2 level teaspoons baking powder 

— 400g cooking apples, peeled cored and grated 

— Cinnamon (to taste) 

Method 

Sue Peters 

Pre-heat oven to 1800C or Gas 4 

Grease 9 inch deep round cake tin and line with baking parchment 

You can soak the sultanas in spiced rum (optional!) then mix them with the flour and baking powder 

Beat the butter and sugar 

Add eggs with some flour, then, bit by bit, all the flour, baking powder and sultanas. 

Layer the mixture and grated apples — cake-apple-cake-apple-cake — and add a generous amount of cinnamon with each 

layer. (Three layers of cake and two of apple works well). Sprinkle extra sugar on top then bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours.



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FASHION BY HARRIET NELSON 


Falling for 

the colours 

of Autumn 

Images: pexels.com 

The English summer has a predictable way of ending suddenly, so it's never 

too early to consider what you might need to enhance your wardrobe for this 

autumn. We have all found ourselves wearing our fall fashion sooner than 

any of us might have expected! Goodbye, T-shirts and hello, jumpers! 

Now autumn has arrived, I'm excited 

to start seeing the latest trends 

which are emerging. It's time for 

everyone to start wrapping up in 

their classic woolly jumpers and 

jeans again — well, that's what I do! 

My favourite part of autumn 

fashion this year has to be the wide 

range of fall colours. The forecast for 

the 2023 season is that the colour 

palette will be more muted and laid 

back than in recent years. While 

previously we have had colourful 

reds and dark burgundies, this year 

it's predicted that natural tones will 

be in fashion. Think creams, caramel, 

browns, buttery yellows, pumpkin, 

and the usual patterns inspired by 

this upcoming season. 

PUMPKINS 

These colours and patterns in our 

autumn clothes have always been 

a staple in our wardrobes, and this 

fashion often reflects back to harvest 

time. 

Our autumn style choices have 

always been inspired by the colours 

around us at this time of year and 

even influenced by traditional 

farming clothing such as dungarees, 

which are still a staple in some 

people's wardrobes today! 

Many foods which are harvested 

at this time of year still inspire 

fashion designers and feature on 

many aspects of our clothing. The 

pumpkin, for example, is a classic 

harvest food featured on our 

clothes this season. We all associate 

pumpkins with autumn. 

A big part of my childhood was 

helping my mum set up the harvest 

festival breakfast at St Patrick's 

Church in Charvil. One of my 

fondest memories from this time was 

the harvest breakfast each year. 

I felt so important dressed up, 

assisting, and being a part of the 

unique service, even if it was just 

placing the butter dishes out! 

Everyone sat around the 

horseshoe-shaped table during the 

service, enjoying breakfast together. 

The table was lined with delicious 

breakfast foods dedicated to the 

harvest; my favourite was the 

massive harvest wheat sheaf loaf, a 

wonderful symbol of the importance 

of wheat and bread in our everyday 

lives and, of course, the communion 

bread we share during services. 

WHEAT 

This season's traditions, like the 

harvest festival, have inspired many 

designers in the fashion world. 

My favourite luxury designer this 

autumn season has been Simone 

Rocha. 

His most recent 2023 collection 

was inspired by the Lughnasadh 

— or Lughnasa — an Irish harvest 

festival that dates back to pagan 

times. 

Many outfits within his collection 

were designed with the theme of 

wheat, a staple harvest food. 

I'm not sure that I'll ever get the 

chance to wear a wheat-style dress 

such as the one that runway model 

Serena Motola wore for Simone 

Rocha's recent show, but I have 

certainly worn a few T-shirts with 

pumpkins on over the years!

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

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SIG_ADV_CAV_0523_SonningParishMag_02.indd 1


History PUZZLE PAGE — 1 

Was it 

really? 

Kmiragaya, dreamstime.com 

. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 1 October 1873 that Edwin Landseer, artist 

and sculptor, died. He is known for his animal paintings, and his 

famous lion sculptures at the base of Nelson’s Column in London. 

. . . 1o0 YEARS AGO on 10 October 1923 that Nicholas Parsons, 

radio and TV game show host and actor was born. He is best 

known for hosting Just a Minute and Sale of the Century. (Died 2020) 

. . . 80 YEARS AGO on 17 October 1943 that the Burma Railway was 

completed. The Japanese built it using Asian labourers and Allied 

prisoners-of-war, thousands of whom died. One of the railway 

bridges is featured in the famous film Bridge over the River Kwai. 

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 27 October 1948 that the Morris Minor was 

launched at the British Motor Show in Earl’s Court. It cost £358. 

. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 30 October 1953 that the US Secretary of 

State George Marshall was awarded the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize 

for engineering the Marshall Plan. It was a massive economic aid 

programme for Europe in the aftermath of WWII. 

. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 1 October 1958 that Michael Bond’s 

children’s book A Bear Called Paddington was published. 

. . . ALSO 65 YEARS AGO on 28 October 1958 that the State 

Opening of Parliament was televised for the first time. 

. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 15 October 1963 that the word ‘Beatlemania’ 

first appeared in the Daily Mirror. It described the intense, 

frenzied reaction of fans of the Beatles. 

. . . 50 YEARS AGO from 19 October 1973 to 17 March 1974 that the 

1973 Oil Crisis took place. OPEC suspended oil exports to nations 

supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War. It led to major shortages 

and rationing in the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, 

Portugal, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. 

. . . 40 YEARS AGO on 5 October 1983 that Lech Walesa, leader of 

the Solidarity movement in Poland, and later President of Poland, 

was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

City Verse Search by Ralph 

N 

O 

B 

S 

I 

L 

O 

G 

P 

T 

E 

M 

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Ralph Hewitt is a Sonning resident and a member of a local 

Methodist Church. He not only loves doing puzzles but he creates 

them for fun. The grid above contains the names of 26 cities and 

one town. They all have five letters or more in their name. Their 

initial letters are: 3A; 5B; 2C; H; 4L; M; N; O; P; 5S; T; V; W. See if 

you can find them! If you find all 27 place you will find that 

the unused letters spell out a relevant verse from the Old 

Testament (ESV). You might even manage to identify the 

verse. Answers next month. Good luck and God Bless! 

Write your answers here . . . 

A 

B 

D 

N 

R 

H 

E 

T 

I 

V 

D 

C 

N 

S 

K 

W 

N 

E 

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. . . ALSO 40 YEARS AGO on 25 October 1983 that Microsoft Word 

1.0 was released. It was the first version of the popular word 

processor, and Microsoft’s first full-featured application. 

. . . 30 YEARS AGO on 15 October 1993 that South African leaders 

Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, won the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize 

for their efforts to end apartheid. 

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 16 October 1998 that David Trimble and 

John Hume won the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the 

Northern Ireland peace accord. 

. . . 20 YEARS AGO on 19 October 2003, that Mother Teresa was 

beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of 

Calcutta. She was canonised as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016. 

. . . 15 YEARS AGO on 24 October 2008 that the financial crisis 

‘Bloody Friday’ took place. About £89.5 billion was wiped off the 

value of Britain’s biggest companies. 

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S ANIMAL VERSE PUZZLE 

ANTEATER 

ANTELOPE 

ALIGATOR 

CROCODILE 

CHIMPANZE 

CURLEW 

CHEETAH 

DROMEDARY 

DALMATION 

DOBERMAN 

ELEPHANT 

EARWIG 

EAGLE 

HORSE 

HIPPOPOTAMUS 

LION 

LURCHER 

LAMB 

MONGOOSE 

MANATEE 

NIGHTINGALE 

NEWT 

NARWHAL 

OKAPI 

PUMA 

RACOON 

ROACH 

RHINOCEROS 

RABBIT 

TAPIR 

TUNA 

WEASEL 

WHELK 

The hidden Bible verse was from Acts 10:12 (ESV) 

In it were all kinds of animals

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

PUZZLE PAGE — 2 

CROSSWORD 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

8 

9 10 

11 12 

13 14 15 

SUDOKU 


answers in the next issue 

September 

Solutions 

CROSSWORD 

C O N S E C U T I V E 

T V E A I I I 

H E A N V I L V A N 

O G R E S E T I T 

U L O I S E D G E 

G R I N N I N G R 

H E S U S R 

T T H A N K Y O U 

L A R G O I M N P 

E H V G A D O P T 

S H Y E T H O S N E 

S M R E K Y D 

V E N T U R E S O M E 

17 18 19 

16 

20 21 

22 23 

Across 

Across 

1 - Expression of regret (4) 

1 - Expression of regret (4) 

- Keep at a distance (8) 

3 - Keep at a distance (8) 

- Simple sugar (7) 

9 - Simple sugar (7) 

- Latin American dance (5) 

10 - Latin American dance (5) 

11 -- Short choral choral composition composition (5) (5) 

12 -- Ripping (7) (7) 

13 -- Christening (6) (6) 

15 15 -- Request made made to God (6) to God (6) 

17 17 -- Leave Leave quickly quickly and in secret and (7) in secret (7) 

18 - Distinguishing characteristic (5) 

18 - Distinguishing characteristic (5) 

20 - Spends time doing nothing (5) 

20 - Spends time doing nothing (5) 

21 - Turned down (7) 

21 - Turned down (7) 

22 - All people (8) 

22 - All people (8) 

23 - Wet with condensation (4) 

23 - Wet with condensation (4) 

CODEWORD 

Down 

Down 

1 - Given to debate (13) 

1 - Given to debate (13) 

2 - Mature person (5) 

2 - Mature person (5) 

4 - Extracts a metal from 

its ore (6) 

6 - Make ineffective (7) 

5 - The proprietor of an 

eating 

7 - In 

establishment 

an inflated manner (13) 

(12) 

6 - Make 8 - ineffective Endlessly (12) (7) 

7 - In an 14 inflated - European manner river (7) (13) 

8 - Endlessly 16 - More (12) likely than not (4-2) 

14 - European 19 - Stroll river casually (7) (5) 

16 - More likely than not (4-2) 

19 - Stroll casually (5) 

4 - Extracts a metal from its ore (6) 

20 22 10 15 1 10 26 18 10 24 25 10 

2 11 26 26 8 1 14 

23 20 3 21 10 17 15 15 22 10 13 13 

10 10 1 24 3 13 8 

3 24 13 5 10 25 10 24 26 8 14 12 

25 25 7 13 21 19 

8 24 18 2 8 3 24 3 3 10 14 25 

20 24 25 24 16 10 

14 20 8 15 8 10 26 13 16 1 8 14 

24 4 5 26 24 8 18 

5 - The proprietor of an eating establishment (12) 

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 ST LUKE 

To St Luke, whose feast-day is 18 

October, we owe a beautifully written 

gospel as well as the Book of Acts. 

He was a Greek physician and faithful 

traveling companion to St Paul. Under 

house arrest near the end of his life Paul 

noted, ‘only Luke is with me’. 

Luke’s gospel focuses on the 

compassion of Christ, and offers us 

moving parables, such as the Good 

Samaritan and Prodigal Son. Women 

figure more prominently in Luke’s 

gospel than in any other: look out for 

the extended story of the Virgin Birth, 

and stories of Mary, Elizabeth, and the 

woman who was a sinner. 

His gospel also features more poor 

people, more lepers, more ‘sinners’, who 

are all shown to be ‘inside’ the love of 

Christ. In Acts, Luke skilfully links sacred 

and profane history, as subsequent 

archaeology has shown. 

He tells of how the early Christians 

moved away from Jerusalem into the 

pagan world, and especially on to Rome. 

CODEWORD 

F A N T A S T I C A L 

T D H N T O N 

R U E V O K E R H O 

I G L O O O M T N 

C A R Z S T A M P 

E X T R E M E S A 

R E M Q B R 

A V I R U L E N T 

T U T O R S A T I 

O Y E S N E W T S 

P A P T R U S T E A 

S E R E U E N 

A D J O U R N M E N T 

SUDOKU 

WORDSEARCH ANGELS 

Scribble Pad 

2 26 10 5 10 24 14 25 8 9 16 10 

13 14 13 17 10 16 14 

10 15 15 24 17 8 15 25 6 10 24 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 

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

U Y R 

CHRISTIANS 

JERUSALEM 

PHYSICIAN 

COMPANION 

PARABLES 

COMPASSION 

SAMARITAN 

PRODIGAL 

HOUSE 

ARREST 

PAUL 

GOOD 

SON 

WOMEN 

VIRGIN 

BIRTH 

POOR 

LEPERS 

SACRED 

PROFANE 

PAGAN 

EARLY 

ROME 

LUKE


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 

CHLOE LEFROY COUNSELLING SONNING 

BACP Accredited Private Psychotherapy 

Online or in-person with over 10 years experience 

I offer you a confidential and emphatic space 

https//:www.chloelefroycounselling.com / 0758 731 0902 

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

CHILDREN'S PAGE 

The Parish Magazine - October 2023 41

42 The Parish Magazine - October 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 

— Ruth Jeffrey, 0118 969 3298 

— 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 

— Nicola Riley 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: Harriet Nelson 

advertising@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0770 707 7773 

— Print and Distribution: Gordon Nutbrown 

classified@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 

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 consultants Architecture Design 18 

Chimney Sweep, Thames 40 

Chiropody, Linda Frewin 40 

Chloe Lefroy Counselling Sonning 40 

Clark Bicknell 40 

Computer Frustrations 40 

Design for Print 28 

Freebody Boatbuilders 6 

French Horn 44 

Gardiner’s Homecare 30 

Good Oaks Homecare 18 

Great House Sonning 10 

Handyman and Decorating Services 40 

Haslams Estate Agents 2 

Heathium Clinics 20 

Hicks Group 16 

Home Stair Lifts 28 

Intersmart Electrical Installations 40 

Innertonic 18 

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 

Pysiocare 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 

The Humble Tiffin 28 

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



A shared passion for 

the finest 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 

Visit bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk 

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 enquiries@bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk or 

01189 340777 

A shared passion for later living 

BRIDGE HOUSE 

of Twyford

44 The Parish Magazine - October Please mention 2023 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 October 2023

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