The Parish Magazine July August 2024

The 

Parish 

Magazine 


Parish Te 

155 

The Parish Magazine 1869 - July/August 2024 1 

YEARS 

Serving Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye 

2024 

The John King Trophy and Gold Award 

Best Magazine of the Year 2018 

National Parish Magazine Awards 

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023 

Best Content 2016, 2021 

Best Editor 2019 

Best Print 2018 

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

July/August 2024 

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

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




Parish Te 

The Parish Magazine 1869 - July/August 2024 1 

2024 

Serving Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye 

The John King Trophy and Gold Award 

Best Magazine of the Year 2018 

National Parish Magazine Awards 

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023 

Best Content 2016, 2021 

Best Editor 2019 

Best Print 2018 

information — 1 

Contents July/August 2024 

THE VICAR'S LETTER, 5 

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD 

— Confirmation, 7 

— Corinne Robertson, 7 

— Housing, 7 

— Rendezvous Lunch Club, 7 

— Vicar's Silver Anniversary, 7 

— The Choir, 7 

— For your prayers, 7 

— STAY, 8-9 

— Why I am a Christian, 10-11 

— Christian marathon, 13 

— From the editor's desk, 13 

— The Persecuted Church, 15 

FEATURES 

— First man on the moon, 17 

— Sea Sunday, 19 

— Sainsbury Singers, 20-21 

— Election night bed time? 21 

—around the villages 

— Scarecrow Trail, 22-23 

— 100 baby hats, 24 

— Sonning Art Group, 24 

— Sonning School, 25 

— D-Day 80th Anniversary, 27 

HISTORY 

— St Aidan, 28 

— Was it really, 29 

— Jean-Baptiste Vianney, 29 

HOME AND GARDEN 

— A foot in the garden, 31 

— God in the Garden, 31 

FASHION 

— Summer wardrobe, 33 

THE ARTS 

— Summer reading, 34 

— Bach's Heavenly Choir, 35 

— Poetry Corner, 35 

THE SCIENCES 

— World wonders, 37 

— Seeds of time, 37 

PUZZLE PAGES, 38-39 

children's page, 41 

information 

— Church services, 3 

— From the registers, 3 

— Local Trades and Services, 40 

— Parish contacts, 42 

— Advertisers' index, 42 

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER 

The 

Parish 


July/August 2024 — 

155 

Picture: Doyouthinkhestrawus, 

the 2024 most popular scarecrow 

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 September 

issue of The Parish Magazine is: 

Tuesday 6 August 

at 12 noon 

From the Registers 

YEARS 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY 

BAPTISMS 

— Sunday 12 May 

Amelia Rose Fladee Bailes 

Finlay Peter Sterland Sherriff 

— Sunday 9 June, Oliver James 

Preston 

WEDDINGS 

— Saturday 1 June, Joshua David 

John Endacott Palmer and 

Stephanie Lalo Dolly Audeh Chbat 

FUNERALS 

— Friday 10 May, Michael George 

Butler, interment of ashes 

— Friday 10 May, Molly Jeanette 

Woodley, service in church, 

followed by cremation at Reading 

Crematorium 

The Parish Magazine - July/August 2024 3 

Services in 

St Andrew's 

Church 

Sonning 

Sunday 7 July 

— 8.00am Holy Communion 

— 10.30am Family Service 

— 4.00pm Choral Evensong 

followed by Tea in The Ark 

Sea Sunday 14 July 


— 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 

Sunday 4 August 


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist 



— 10.30am Parish Eucharist 



— 10.30am Family Communion 



— 10. 30am Parish Eucharist 

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES 

Morning Prayer is held in the 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 

Gardens Care Home is held on the first 

Monday of each month at 11.00am.

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The vicar's letter 

D e a r F r i e n d S, 

Well, the General Election is almost upon us, and I wonder if you have all 

been riveted at each twist and turn? At the time of writing this, I don’t 

sense the main party campaigns have achieved much traction with the 

public, but perhaps that will change as we approach election day. 

The Boundary Commission has brought about some significant changes 

so that our own geographical church parish will now have three MP’s 

representing our communities. 

THANK YOU THERESA 

For the last 27 years, most of our parish has been represented by 

Theresa May and for all that time she and Sir Philip have worshipped at 

St Andrew’s. As she is not a candidate in this election, I feel able to pay 

tribute to her tireless work for the Maidenhead Constituency now that 

she has stepped down. I have known several MPs over the years, from 

different parties, and all have been honourable and hardworking, with a 

clear sense of public service. Theresa is someone for whom the notion of 

service over self is deeply ingrained, and I believe she has been an excellent 

representative for our area. When Home Secretary and then Prime 

Minister, I was impressed that her Constituency work and engagements 

carried on regardless, despite her heavy national and international 

responsibilities. 

I think that is one of the strengths of our Parliamentary system; that 

you can be the leader of the nation, fielding a call from the US President 

one minute and then going to open an allotment or meet a constituent to 

assist with their domestic concerns. I know many constituents who have 

been quietly helped by Theresa and her Parliamentary case workers, and it 

is to be hoped that our new MP’s follow her fine example. I wish her well 

in her ‘retirement’, knowing full well that she will be busier than ever with 

new projects, especially her Global Anti-Slavery Commission, taking her all 

over the world in the process. 

NON-POLITICAL? 

Vicars’ letters, especially at election times, should rightly steer clear of 

politics and I always have, except for the referendum on EU membership, 

but that was not a party-political matter. Some of our bishops are not quite 

so disciplined and the recent appearance of Bishop Rose of Dover on BBC 

Question Time, during an election, when she said all those coming to Kent 

illegally are fleeing 'unsafe' France, is beyond parody. 

I will say that I do believe all adults have a responsibility to vote and I 

am dismayed at those who can’t be bothered or somehow don’t think it is 

their duty to participate. 

Apparently, in a recent poll, over 50% of 18–24-year-olds didn’t know 

what D-Day was. The largest seaborne military action in history, to rid 

Europe of an evil stranglehold, and far too many have no idea of it. It 

seems incredible to me. I am not suggesting that we all need to be well 

versed in military history, rather, it is what that seismic event enabled, 

that is apposite, namely our freedom. Surely, central to this is the 

democratic right, and I would argue, responsibility, to vote. So, let’s make 

sure we do just that on 4 July, 7am -10pm, and don’t forget your photo ID! 

Warm wishes. 

Jamie

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the parish noticeboard — 1 

Confirmation 

We will be welcoming Bishop 

Timothy Wambunya (Hon Assistant 

Bishop), to lead a Confirmation 

service on Sunday 24 November in 

St Andrew's Church Sonning. If you 

would like to know more about being 

Confirmed — usually from the age 

of 11 up to any age! — please speak 

with Jamie or Westy. 

From the choir stalls 

By Richard Meeham MA ARCO 


Corinne Robertson 

Our children and families minister 

has successfully completed her 

probation period, and, following an 

appraisal with the vicar, Westy and 

a warden, has been permanently 

appointed. Please keep her in your 

prayers as her ministry continues to 

develop and blossom. 

Housing 

Our youth minister, Chris West and 

his family have now moved to the 

church house in Charvil, and we are 

renting an apartment for Corinne 

and her husband in Sonning. The 

Taylor Wimpey House in Woodley, 

where the Wests were living will be 

let commercially for the time being. 

Rendezvous Lunch Club 

After five years cooking for the 

Rendezvous Lunch Club, Emma 

Saville has stepped down as she 

has moved away to run her new 

hotel. She was a wonderful, cheerful 

presence among us and we are 

thankful for all she contributed, 

both at our lunches and for funeral 

and baptism receptions. 

We are delighted to announce 

that Kathy Wright from Sonning's 

Village Hamper will be taking over 

the catering for us. The lunches take 

place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays 

of the month. The cost is £10 for a 

two course meal, including filter 

coffee afterwards. To book please call 

Hilary in the Parish Office on 0118 

969 3298 or email: 

office@sonningparish.org.uk 

Silver Anniversary 

Rev Jamie will have been a priest 

for 25 years on Wednesday 3 July 

and would be pleased to share the 

anniversary with members of the 

church family at the Wednesday 

10.00am communion service that 

day in The Ark — perhaps, weather 

permitting, an outdoor service. 

Anticipating autumn 

It might seem strange to look ahead to the autumn. Thinking about choir 

rehearsals as the nights draw in, might seem as if we were wishing away the 

summer of adventure and time with friends. Nevertheless, the new academic 

year will be upon us before we know it, and so it seems fitting that we should 

arrive in a state of readiness. 

St Andrew’s Children’s Choir 

In a few weeks, several of our 

exceptional young singers will no 

longer be of school age and go on to 

the next stage of life. 

In May, we started our 'Intrepid 

Voices' programme, to introduce 

students in school years 5-7 to choral 

singing. This, we hope will feed into 

our regular children’s choir rehearsals 

which run from 17.30 to 18.30 on 

Fridays, and support St Andrew’s 

Church in their more familyorientated 

services twice a month. 

This is a joyful way to learn new 

skills, and is even more appealing 

in that the singers can earn pocket 

money for their work. It is worth 

repeating the excellent personal 

benefits that making music can do 

for the individual, and anyone in 

years 5-7 who is interested in singing 

is encouraged to join. For further 

details, please contact the director of 

music on music@sonningparish.org.uk 

For your prayers 

— The Police and security services safeguarding 

the election 

— For those preparing for Confirmation 

— For all being ordained this month 

— For the Reading Salvation Army’s work with 

the homeless 

1000words, dreamstime.com 

Choral Scholarships 

As part of our choral programme, 

we are delighted to invest in the 

development of choral singers, and 

to support the wider life of the 

community in Sonning and beyond. 

Young people, typically between 

the ages of 16 and 19, who are both 

suitably musically accomplished 

and with the appropriate mind set 

are recompensed for these skills 

in recognition of the commitment 

required for the role. 

Remunerations range from 

£1,000-£1,600 per annum, 

depending on experience. 

We will be holding auditions in 

July 2024 for anyone interested in 

becoming a scholar from September- 

July 24/25. 

If you know someone who might 

be interested in applying for the 

scholarship, please contact the 

director of music on: 

music@sonningparish.org.uk 

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8 The Parish Magazine - July/August 2024 


St Andrew's Youth 

email or text me, Westy, for 

ideas, a chat or to encourage 

what we are doing: 

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk 0794 622 4106 

STAY in May Holiday Activities 

During the May half term we had three days of 

super fun activities. We played sports one day; took 

the young people to Thorpe Park for a day; and we 

went swimming at Coral Reef on one day. Each 

activity was filled with lots of laughter. 

STAY Scarecrow Trail 

Young people love the Scarecrow Trail and this year 

it was no different. We made David and Goliath 

in partnership with STAY and Sunday Club. The 

children loved counting the sheep, marking their 

height against Goliath’s and throwing bean bags at 

the Goliath target. 

Family Service Children's Talks 

On the first Sunday of each month, St Andrew's has 

a family — all age — service at 10.30 am. We sing 

modern worship hymns, a young person reads the 

Bible, and STAY say the prayers of intercession. Plus, 

we have an interactive talk aimed at the children 

and young people. For the May Family Service the 

talk was about the Holy Spirit. Three examples were 

used of how, without the Holy Spirit, we would be 

like a pile of wood without fire, a kite without wind 

or a flannel without water. We would be pretty 

useless and unable to be Christ like. But with the 

Holy Spirit we are able to bring warmth, life and use. 

STAY in Schools 

During May we led assemblies in three of the local 

schools. In the primary schools we asked, ‘What 

does the Bible say about unity?’ and at Piggott 

Secondary School we asked: ‘What does the Bible 

say about our words and speech?’ 

We continue to offer over 30 mentoring sessions 

in the schools as well as the Christian Union (CU) 

on a Monday at Piggott. 

Deanery Day 

It was an honour and privilege to be invited to the 

Reading and Sonning Deanery Day at Greyfriars in 

Reading town centre. It was amazing to see over 100 

people, together with Bishop Olivia, Archdeacon 

Stephen Pullin and many other clergy, youth 

workers, children's workers and volunteers. The day 

was about encouraging each other, sharing ideas 

and praying for our schools, churches and ministries 

among children and young people. During a short 

interview with Kathryn Aboud from Oxford Diocese 

I was able to share a good news story of two young 

people coming to faith through our schools work, 

being baptised on Easter Sunday and now plugging 

into local church youth groups. 

STAY on Monday 

Our fortnightly group met on Monday nights 

for two socials and a session thinking about our 

purpose, our hopes and our futures. We meet in 

young people's homes and the first Monday of each 

month is now a social so they can invite friends. 

STAY on Sunday 

Our Sunday group met twice in May in The Ark 

upper room, we looked at how Jesus prays and 

the story of David and Goliath. With David and 

Goliath we thought about the giants in our lives 

and the things God gives us to help cope with the 

obstacles life throws at us. 

STAY on Friday 

Our weekly youth club continues to welcome many 

local young people in The Ark from 6.45pm-8.15pm. 

Since we began in 2019, youth from 32 different 

schools have been represented. 

These continue to include, and have grown 

since it started, basketball, four square, football, 

volleyball, cookie baking, nail bar, crafts, PS5 and 

XBox, manhunt games, board and card games, 

pool, table football and ping pong. 

All young people are welcome from years 7-13 

and year 6 are welcome on the fourth Friday of 

each month.


Defeating 

the giant 

scarecrows 

in our lives 

May was a busy month! We were hard at work, 

crafting our entries for the Sonning Scarecrow 

Trail, and much of the month was focused on 

David and Goliath! 

In Sunday Club and Messy Church we read from 

the Bible, as well as from a couple of children's 

picture books, to get a larger picture of what we 

can learn from David and Goliath. 

We talked about how our trust in God is what 

helps us, now and in the future, to defeat all of the 

'giants' in our lives! 

Whether we are worried about moving 

from primary to secondary school, sad about 

a friendship, or even worried about a family 

member, if we look to God, pray, and trust in our 

faith, we see that love always wins in the end. 

To put this learning to action, some of the 

activities then included creating sheep for a 

scavenger hunt during the Scarecrow Trail, 

creating edible slingshots out of sweets, decorating 

cardboard feet to understand what it means to 

'walk in giant shoes', and more! 

MENTORING 

In schools during May, I continued mentoring 

students. Many of them really enjoy the fidget 

toys that I provide, which helps them to process 

their emotions and find the joy, even in the sad or 

difficult conversations. 

At one of the schools I have been meeting with 

the student worship leaders, and we have been 

planning a school-wide values day and reflecting 

on how we can show love to our community. 

It's wonderful to see how passionate and 

motivated the students are to be leaders in the 

school and further engage with other students and 

help out local communities. 

TRAINING 

Corinne 

I also had the opportunity to travel into London 

for a youth worker gathering and training day. 

Youth workers gathered at St Paul's Hammersmith 

from all over the country to worship together, 

reflect, network, and attend workshop sessions, 

varying from advice on how to manage conflict to 

how to help young people hear God. 

It was a great day and helped to further my 

professional development!



KATHERINE KARALUS ANSWERS THE QUESTION . . . 

Why am I a Christian? . . . Because others 

ignited the spark of faith within me! 

When reflecting on the question, especially over my relatively recent journey that led to me 

becoming a Christian over the last 4 years, I realised the main reasons were that it took me nearly 

40 years to decide, and that I never had anyone to tell me why I would want to — but then, I’d never 

really made time to ask! 

Being inspired and encouraged by others has played a big part in finding my own path to faith, and in 

developing my own relationship with God. Hearing, and feeling, other people's strong flame of faith has 

helped to ignite the spark of curiosity within me. 

In John 8:12 Jesus said: 'I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will 

have the light of life', and I am so grateful to have finally discovered from others the joy, peace and comfort of 

inviting his light into my heart for myself. The least I can do, if it's God's will, is to share my story about my 

coming to faith, in the hope that it may help ignite even a tiny spark somewhere, for someone, or at least 

share some of the warmth and light that I have discovered. 

Coming to faith for me has been like a spark coming to light 

and becoming a flame burning bright. A spark I believe that 

has potential in everyone to ignite, burn out or remain unlit, 

depending on our choices. 

When I was a child, my flame was not alight at all. I was lucky 

to have a happy and stable upbringing but I didn’t grow up a 

Christian, prayer was only something we did in assembly to keep 

us quiet. 

Faith and church was something so distant I felt it 'wasn't for 

us’ but life was good and that was that. 

A TINY FLICKERING SPARK 

My life, however, took an unexpected turn when I was 18 years 

old and my Dad sadly died and something definitely changed. I felt 

in my heart that he had gone to a better place and I often had this 

sense of ‘the universe looking after me’, when strange coincidences 

happened. 

I felt this deep sense of love, a fatherly love, and would put it 

down to my Dad looking out for me. Looking back now I see that 

the Holy Spirit was at work in the physical sense. There was a tiny 

spark occasionally flickering and a feeling that God was with me 

all that time ago. Curiosity was making my 'faith candle' flicker. 

Life continued well for me into my 20s and early 30s, and I was 

fairly content with my spirituality being based on a ‘feeling that 

there was probably a God’ but I wasn’t sure about Jesus but that 

was OK, right? 

HOPE IS COMING 

It was in my mid 30s when the next spark of curiosity came 

through a tragedy for two close friends. George passed away 

leaving his wife Louise and their one and three year olds, Charlie 

and Jamie. Through this tragedy came a miraculous chain of 

events which gave Louise, who was then atheist, such experience 

of the Holy Spirit and God's power that she 

is now not only an avid Christian, but has 

written a book called ‘Hope is Coming’. 

Her life’s biggest challenge was an 

inspiration. Louise noticed that for some 

people, her new faith created an awkward void 

between them and they grew distant, however, 

for me it drew us closer. 

My spiritual yearning to know more 

and to have my own journey deepened. Her 

encouragement and words helped to 

ignite my flame of curiosity. 

What struck me about Louise’s story, was that it started with a 

desperate plea to God. In a moment of desperation, in the dark, in 

her car, she shouted with all her might: 'God if you’re real now is the 

time to show me!' 

George still died. God didn’t answer immediately, but we often 

don’t see it at the time. She invited him in and he showed her 

beyond doubt. This recognition that Louise had invited him in, is 

important because it was this that started the next phase of my 

own journey. 

A MESSY COMMUNITY 

I was very lucky to meet Tsering. We married and had 

two wonderful children, Eddison and Arlie. We agreed it was 

important to bring the children up with the right values and that 

belonging to a community was important for us. Even though 

Tsering didn’t have an active faith, he had been exposed to it in 

a Catholic family and school so we went to a church where we 

lived in Windsor but it just felt so alien. I felt like a fraud. I didn’t 

understand what was going on. And being honest, I didn’t connect 

or feel anything in my heart. 

We moved to Sonning four years ago into hopefully our long 

term family home. Arlie was four months old, which is hard to 

believe looking at the size of her now, and Eddie was not even two. 

The community of Messy Church, and the warm welcome 

from people at St Andrew's, was like an olive branch for us as 

newcomers. A safe environment, I didn’t feel a fraud. It was just to 

meet people and feel part of the community. 

For parents, many will relate to the early months of sleepless 

nights with two kids under two years taking its toll, but out of 

nowhere I was also diagnosed with a rare, incurable medical 

condition. Life had been so rosy and my future was suddenly 

uncertain. My return to work after maternity was a difficult one 

and my condition led to other physical and emotional impacts. 

Bit by bit it felt like the lowest time of my life. Struggling, I found 

myself retreating, needing help, and seeking the smallest and 

simplest of things that would help get me through each day. In 

that darkness I began to feel the light of God in my life. 

During Lent we read Matthew 7:7 ‘seek and thee shall find, knock 

and the door will open’. This really resonated with me. I was seeking 

whether I knew it or not. I was seeking the light and God was 

helping me to find it. In darkness the smallest rays of light guide 

you, and by following the urges of my heart, and, encouraged by


people I really trusted, I began to ask for 

help. I felt drawn to talk to Rev Kate, a 

fellow mum of young kids, and who, in 

turn, recommended the Alpha course. This 

was quite a game changer for us. As I look 

back I can see it was God at work. 

The Alpha course had come along at the 

right time. Being online, and encouraged 

by the leaders, my husband and I did the 

course together. I had not heard of it before 

and felt nervous because I didn’t know 

what to expect. 

By exploring faith and learning from 

others, Alpha enabled us to talk about stuff 

we didn’t know how to before. 

I was encouraged to realise that no 

one had all the answers, and doubts and 

questions only deepened our faith. 

It made us realise that being a 

Christian is about having a relationship with God. This 

relationship means starting to talk to him through prayer, and 

listening to what he is showing you. 

This was fundamental understanding that I had never 

realised, and it encouraged me to just give it a try. 

THE FOUNDATION 

The connection with the other members of the Alpha 

group, and the practical advice for someone who had no idea 

how to read the Bible or to pray, created the foundation for our 

relationship with God and with each other, and with our kids. 

Even hearing myself say these things, it can still feel alien. 

Prayer can still feel awkward, but, like any relationship, the more 

you put into it the more you get out of it, and it gets easier over 

time. You won’t get to know someone by watching from a distance 

and not talking to them. 

Going to church and taking part in Alpha, helped my head to 

understand, but the leap of faith has come from me believing that 

I will never truly understand but I am still willing to give it a go. 

During this time of exploration, life was tough, I was 

questioning God's path for me, but he spoke to me in ways he 

knew I would hear. 

When feeling down we often go into control mode, thinking we 

know what is best for us and that we have to achieve it. I thought 

I knew best but was actually seeking direction in life and he really 

showed me the path to take, It was so random, so profound. 

THANKING AND HOPING 

I could look back on the previous six months of struggle and 

see how he was helping me to be patient, distracting me and 

ultimately proving he is in control — not me! God's plan is not 

always our plan, so what is the point of worrying? 

All the stress that we humans put on ourselves through 

believing we are in control, starting to let go of this by truly 

having faith in God's plan for me was like lifting a huge weight off 

my shoulders. 

Giving my worries to God sounded too good to be true! By 

starting to thank, ask and pray, and hoping that it is God's will, 

has provided me with the real comfort to navigate life's troubles, 

pressures, and disappointments. 

I still feel a novice with prayer, but one thing I now know 

through really giving it a go, is that it works. 

As a humble person it never felt right to pray for things for me, 

and being lucky in life the people I felt really needed prayer always 

seemed too distant. 

That was until one day when Billy, a friend's three year old, 

suddenly fell very, very ill. It was close to home. He is the same age 

as Arlie. 

His life was in the balance. It felt so unnecessary. I felt 

compelled to pray with more vigour than I had for anything. I 

asked for forgiveness, I thanked him, I prayed in my head, I tried 

out loud, I prayed with Tsering, and Eddie and Arlie, I prayed over 

Zoom with others I didn’t know. 

MY SIGN 

It felt weird, like any new habit, but it also felt right. I asked 

God to really show me. The spread of the prayerful support 

from others was like a wildfire, it felt the best way to help. The 

connection it gave with strangers who were also praying for Billy 

was electric. 

I was so confident that this was my moment with God for him 

to show up that I drove to Bristol to see Billy in hospital after 6 

months of non-stop seizures. 

His mum, a non Christian, was beyond grateful for the prayer 

army she called it, and we were both so moved by the Holy Spirit 

when the day I arrived she said it had been the first time in six 

months he hadn’t had a seizure. That was my sign. 

I knew in that moment, in my heart God was answering our 

prayers. We kept going. It has been a long complicated journey, 

but a year and a life altering operation later and Billy is making a 

miraculous recovery against the odds. 

Sadly, I understand this won't always be the case for everyone, 

or for every prayer. But God knew that was how I would hear him 

and trust him. He wasn’t just going to pop into my life one day, I 

had to demand that he show me. 

The more I pray, the more signs I see, and the greater peace I 

feel. Like any new habit it gets easier. 

A DIFFERENT SORT OF CHURCH 

Messy Church led to Sunday Club with the kids, and this led 

Tsering and I to the modern worship of Sunday at 6 which was 

enlightening to me. It is Church in a way I never knew existed. 

The family services and amazing team and congregation at 

St Andrew's has connected with our family at every stage. 

I don’t believe that I would have been able to become 

a Christian as fully and as rapidly as I have if it wasn’t for 

St Andrew's Church and so for all of you who have played a role 

whether you know it or not, I am eternally grateful and thank 

God for bringing us to Sonning! 

The Confirmation programme 18 months ago was perfect 

timing and having our children baptised two weeks later was a 

fitting milestone to our journey as we left behind my 30s to start a 

new chapter in life as a Christian family. 

SHARING THE LIGHT 

So why am I Christian? It's because others shared their faith, 

encouraged my faith, helped ignite my spark and burn my flame 

brighter and, importantly, because I invited Jesus into my life and 

asked God to show me his way. 

It's now up to me to keep that flame alight. God's spark is in all 

of us. We can choose to let it ignite our faith, keep it burning or let 

it go out, and, even more importantly, we can help to ignite and 

keep each other's 'candle's' burning brightly!


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parish noticeboard — 4 

Running the Christian marathon 

Runners in the Virgin London 2012 Olympic Marathon 

Photo 24452682 © Pawelkowalczyk 

| Dreamstime.com 

Pawelkowalczyk, dreamstime.com 

Friday 26 July sees the start of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, writes 

Canon Paul Hardingham. In describing the Christian life as a marathon race, 

the writer of Hebrews (12:1-2) challenges us to finish well. 

‘throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles’ 

As in a normal race, we have to get rid of any burdens that weigh us down, 

for example, possessions, worries, what others think of us and besetting sins — 

wrong habits or attitudes. 

We can cast our burdens on the Lord (Psalm 55:22) and be assured of his 

forgiveness (1 John 1:9). 

'run with perseverance the race marked out for us’ 

The Christian life is like a marathon not a sprint race. It calls for endurance. 

The course is marked out for us, as we all have a unique race to run, with its 

opportunities and difficulties. 

God knows our path and will provide all that we need to complete the race. 

‘fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith’ 

The runner keeps their focus on the finishing line and avoids all 

distractions. Our focus is on Jesus, who has run the race before us (‘author’), 

but is the one who can show us how to finish well (‘perfecter’). 

We are also surrounded by a ‘great cloud of witnesses’ 

These are God’s people, both past and present, who are cheering us on! 

During the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the British athlete Derek Redmond 

was running in the 400 metres semi-finals. About 250 metres from the finish 

his hamstring tore, and he fell to the ground in pain. 

However, his father ran on to the track to support him in completing the 

race. Let’s not forget that whatever we face, God is there beside us to enable us 

to finish the race! 


From 

the 

editor's 

desk 

Helping each other 

As in previous years, this issue of 

The Parish Magazine covers July 

and August so that I, and the 

other regular contributors and 

proofreaders can have a break. I was 

going to say 'enjoy' a break, but I 

know that most of the contributors, 

despite what they say, actually enjoy 

writing for us! 

I am sure that you will join me 

in thanking them for making time 

in their lives to write their regular 

contributions and spend time 

carefully reading every word we 

publish. 

A magazine like this would be 

very difficult to produce singlehanded, 

although I know that many 

churches struggle to find people to 

write and produce their magazines. 

As vice chairman of the 

Association for Church Editors, I 

regularly hear about the problems, 

caused by the lack of time and the 

lack of volunteers to help them, that 

most editors have when trying to 

produce their magazines. So, thank 

you again, everyone who helps! 

FINANCE 

The other main problem that 

many editors have is how they 

finance their magazine, the 

main costs being printing and 

distribution. Fortunately, we have 

a good number of local businesses 

and organisations who recognise 

the opportunity such magazines 

can provide them through the 

advertising pages, especially when, 

like ours, it is delivered free to every 

home in our ecclesiastical parish of 

Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye. 

So, it's also a big thank you to all 

our advertisers who are, of course, 

also seeking a return on their outlay. 

When using any of their services 

please always mention that you saw 

their advert in The Parish Magazine!


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parish noticeboard — 5 


THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY 

The danger of being a Christian worsens in Somalia 

Hargeisa, biggest city of Somaliland 

This month we look at the Federal Republic of Somalia, continental Africa’s easternmost country. 

The Somali Republic was created 

in 1960 from the former British 

Somaliland protectorate and the 

Trust Territory of Somaliland, with 

boundaries drawn up by Italy and 

Britain. 

In 1969, the president was 

assassinated and a military coup 

d’etat followed. 

The Somali Democratic Republic 

continued until 1991 when the 

military regime of President Siad 

Barre was overthrown. 

A new internationally backed 

government was installed in 2012, 

and the country is said to be 'inching 

towards stability'. 

THE YOUTH 

The BBC reports that the 

authorities face a challenge from 

al-Qaeda-aligned Al-Shabaab 

insurgents. 

Al-Shabaab means 'the youth' in 

Arabic. It is banned as a terrorist 

group by both the US and the UK. 

The group advocates the Saudiinspired 

Wahhabi version of Islam, 

while most Somalis are Sufis. 

Al-Shabaab has imposed a strict 

version of Sharia in areas under 

its control and it has carried out 

terrorist attacks in Kenya, including 

the 2015 massacre at Garissa 

University where Christian students 

were targeted and 148 people died. 

Sergey Mayorov, dreamstime.com 

Refugee camp 

Somalia ranks at position 

number 2 in Open Doors’ World 

Watch List of countries where 

Christians face persecution. 

Al-Shabaab has repeatedly 

expressed its desire to eradicate 

Christians from the country. 

Estimates put the number of 

Christians in Somalia at only a few 

hundred out of a total population of 

17.3 million. 

Most, if not all, are converts 

from a Muslim background. 

The dangers of being a Christian 

are extreme. 

Open Doors states that, if 

discovered, believers could be killed 

on the spot, and that the dangers 

facing Christians in recent years 

appear to have worsened with 

Islamic militants intensifying their 

hunt for Christian leaders. 

Sadık Güleç, dreamstime.com 

Open Doors supports Somali 

Christians through discipleship 

training and equipping them to cope 

with severe persecution. 

They ask us to keep praying for 

our brothers and sisters in Somalia 

by: 

— Thanking God for the bravery of 

believers in Somalia 

— Asking that they feel the warmth 

and joy of the Lord’s presence 

— Praying that they be encouraged 

and be provided ways to meet 

and share safely with other 

believers 

— Asking for the Lord to soften the 

hearts of the persecutors and 

show them he is Lord 

— Praying for the brothers 

and sisters to be supernaturally 

protected and strengthened 

References and further reading 

Open Doors World Watch List – 

Somalia: https://www.opendoorsuk. 

org/persecution/world-watch-list/ 

somalia/ 

Somalia entry in Wikipedia: https:// 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia 

Somalia Country Profile on BBC: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldafrica-14094503 

BBC article on Al-Shabaab: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldafrica-15336689



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feature — 1 


It's 55 years since man first 

walked on the Moon — 

what will be the next step? 

Armstrong image: Rorem, dreamstime.com 

20 July 1969, will always be known as one of the most iconic dates in history 

as it is the day that man first landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz 

Aldrin were the astronauts on the crew of the Apollo 11 Space Mission, and 

the first humans to land on the moon. It was an event that changed the world. 

Neil Armstrong took the first-ever 

human steps on the moon, and said 

his now famous quote: 'That's one 

small step for man, one giant leap for 

mankind'. 

It was the first of six United States 

crewed missions and landings to 

the moon and it estimated that 650 

million viewers worldwide watched 

the first steps on the Moon. 

After their return to Earth the 

astronauts went on what was called 

the 'Giant Leap' tour, visiting 23 

countries in 38 days. 

ELECTRONICS 

I was fortunate, writes Bob 

Peters, to have been one of the 

millions and it was indeed, a 

'lifetime moment' that changed our 

world beyond recognition. 

I was nearing the end of a 

degree course in what was then the 

relatively new subject of electronic 

engineering. It was only offered by a 

handful of universities. 

After graduating, I stumbled 

into a career as a journalist writing 

about the electronics industry. I 

was the only member of a 16 person 

team of journalists that had any 

formal training in electronics — 

the others had mostly been local 

newspaper or business journal 

journalists and the editor came from 

a fashion magazine. 

Electronic engineering was a 

new, fast growing business that was 

a direct spin-off from the American 

project to walk on the moon. 

Eight years before the moon 

landing in 1961, President John F 

Kennedy believed America was 

capable of safely sending a manned 

crew to the moon and having them 

return safely. 

At the time, America was in 

the midst of the Cold War with the 

Soviet Union, which was far ahead 

of the United States when it came to 

space exploration. 

This was the main reason why 

JFK's words were taken so seriously, 

and people quickly got to work. 

In 1966, NASA tested the 

strength of its launch vehicle and 

spacecraft by sending an unmanned 

mission to the moon and two years 

later Apollo 7 was launched with a 

crew to safely orbit the Earth and 

return. It was a very successful test 

of the systems that would send man 

to the moon. It was not without risk 

— in 1967 three astronauts lost their 

lives. 

Apollo 11 lifted off on 16 July 

1969 from the Kennedy Space 

Center, carrying three astronauts, 

Moonscape image: Gualberto Becerra P, dreamstime.com 

Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and 

Michael Collins. 

The spacecraft entered the Moon's 

orbit on 19 July, and the next day, 

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin 

navigated Eagle, the lunar landing 

module to descend onto the moon's 

surface. It landed on the Moon at 8.17 

pm on 20 July, and Neil Armstrong 

radioed the now also iconic message 

'The Eagle has landed.' 

Millions watched on TV as at 

10.39 pm Neil Armstrong made his 

way out of the lunar module, and at 

10.56 pm set his foot on the Moon, 

making him the first man to ever 

walk on the Moon. 

SCIENCE FICTION? 

On the Earth there was a huge 

spin-off resulting from the new 

materials and electronic systems 

developed for the Moon project. As 

I delved into the background of the 

new products that were flooding 

the market, time after time, I would 

meet development engineers who 

would tell me that this particular 

material or product or technology 

was a direct result of the moon 

landing. 

I was also told that one day we 

would all be walking around with a 

handheld device that could be used 

as a phone, a pocket computer and 

numerous other things. All this was 

science fiction 55 years ago. I wonder 

what the next 55 years will achieve?



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feature — 2 

Seeing Sea 

Sunday sense 

Look around your home. How much 

of the contents in your cupboards, 

wardrobe, rooms, and even garage 

came to you over the seas, via the 

great merchant ships? What would 

your home be like without them? 

Yet when did you last give a thought 

to the people who brought them to 

you? 

It is a curious fact that seafarers are 

one of the most important, and yet 

invisible, groups of people in our 

society. 

We depend on them to fill our 

homes and businesses with an 

endless variety of goods, and yet 

we rarely see them, rarely speak to 

them, and rarely even remember 

their existence. 

It suddenly makes Sea Sunday, 

which this year is on 14 July, seem 

good sense. 

DEMANDING 

Sea Sunday gives us an annual 

opportunity to give thanks for the 

seafarers of the world, and to pray 

for their personal well-being. 

Working at sea is a lonely 

occupation. It separates families for 

months on end. It can sometimes be 

dangerous, and it is always physically 

demanding work. 

So this month, on Sea Sunday, 

let’s pause and give thanks to God 

for the seafarers of the world. Let’s 

remember how their work enriches 

our lives. 

Let’s pray for them, for their 

families, and let’s support the 

organisations that offer them 

care and support through their 

chaplaincy work. 

In doing so, we will join 

thousands of other Christians 

around the world who each year 

remember the seafarers who make 

our prosperity possible. 

This Christian concern for 

mariners is not something new, 

it dates from Biblical times — 

think of Noah and the Ark in the 

Old Testament, while in the New 

Testament, we can read about Paul's 

concern for the safety of seafarers 

when he warned the crew that it 

wasn’t a safe time of year to sail: 

'I can see that our voyage is going to 

be disastrous and bring great loss to ship 

and cargo, and to our own lives.' 

On that occasion Paul’s words 

were ignored, and the ship sailed 

into a violent storm. By the third day 

they ‘finally gave up all hope of being 

saved.’ 

Paul urged the sailors to 'keep 

courage, because not one of you will be 

lost, only the ship will be destroyed.' 

His confidence rested on an 

angelic promise: 'Do not be afraid, 

Paul. You must stand trial before 

Caesar; and God has graciously given 

you the lives of all who sail with you.' 

Only the sovereign God, who 

created the wind and waves, can 

promise to save people from a storm. 


Yan Zabolotnyi, dreamstime.com 

What does this mean for us in our 

circumstances today? 

So, how do you face up to storms 

in your life? Do you worry and panic? 

God doesn’t necessarily prevent 

storms from taking place, but we 

can trust his purpose through them. 

We can also help others who care for 

those who risk their lives at sea on 

our behalf. 

There are several Christian 

organisations who work with 

seafarers, and who need our support 

in their chaplaincy work. They offer 

resources for Sea Sunday and include: 

— Mission to Seafarers: 

https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/ 

— Apostleship of the Sea: 

http://www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk/ 

— Sailors’ Society: 

https://www.sailors-society.org/ 

Men of the Sea 

Your first disciples, Lord, were men of the sea: 

Hardy fishermen from the shores of Galilee. 

They knew from experience the perils of the deep… 

They also knew your presence with them in their darkest hours. 

We pray for those who face like hazards today… 

Lord of the sea, be near to guard them in every danger… 

And let them hear Your voice above the tempest, 

‘It is I, be not afraid’’ 

So bring them to their haven in peace. Amen 

From a prayer by Frank Colquhoun


feature — 3 

Claude looks backwards, and forwards, t 

Recently, I visited the Hexagon to listen to the musical 

Kipps, performed by the Sainsbury Singers. I say ‘listen to’ 

as my eyesight is such that I can’t enjoy the staging, but 

the music was as good as ever. I met some old friends whom 

I used to sing and perform with in the Sainsbury Singers, 

many years ago. 

From my previous articles, you may remember that I was 

encouraged by Barbara’s father (Roly) to take her home after 

a dance one evening. Well, that was a Sainsbury Singers’ 

gathering! 

Roly was one of the founding members of the Sainsbury 

Singers, started by Frank Sainsbury in 1938. In the early 

days, the performances were in Palmer Hall, which was in 

West Street. My father and a friend helped with the scene 

shifting, although I am not sure when they started, but I 

became involved with this when I was 18 in 1952. 

DRESS REHEARSAL 

After one show, I joined the chorus as a bass in Desert 

Song. Obviously, I wasn’t around for two years (1955-1957) 

because of my National Service (which I have written about 

in a previous article), but I returned to be part of the chorus 

in The Arcadians in 1957. 

Barbara performed too. 

We would have our dress rehearsal on the Monday 

and then performances from Tuesday to Saturday. We 

performed in the Town Hall, when the Concert Hall would 

be transformed by scaffolding, curtains and staging into a 

theatre! 

REMEMBRANCE 

I remember on one occasion that there was a team of us 

who, after the final Saturday evening performance, stayed to 

change the theatre back to the concert hall. This was because 

the next day was Remembrance Sunday and the Town Hall 

needed to be cleared in case it rained! It took all night and 

we finished by having breakfast that morning in the Police 

Station, which was then in Valpy Street. 

I well remember the show ‘The White Horse Inn’ and even 

some of the words, with my costume of lederhosen! My aunt 

Dorothy came to watch and, after the show, she remarked 

on the fact that I had come on with the wrong hat! She was 

right! 

FAMILY AFFAIR 

The Sainsbury Singers were very much a family affair with 

myself, Barbara and Roly being part of the company. He had 

a lovely voice and always had a leading part. 

Barbara’s mum was responsible for costumes and my 

father was a scene shifter. 

My mum was part of the in-house work team, selling 

programmes and helping the audience. 

Barbara’s much younger brother used to ‘help’ my mother. 

He got on very well with her and would enjoy playing tricks! 

One of his favourites was deliberately setting the bolts 

down on the doors so that when she quietly closed them as 

The cast of HMS Pinafore 1968 — Claude is in the second row, third from the left. 

the performance began, they made a loud scraping noise and 

everyone would turn in their seats to see what was happening! 

Our final show was a time when Frank Sainsbury was ill. 

Roly was asked to take over as conductor, which he thoroughly 

enjoyed. So much so, that he wanted to do this for future shows. 

Frank Sainsbury disagreed and there was a big bust up and rift 

between them. 

FAMILY TIES 

This split the Sainsbury Singers. Some stayed but others left 

with my family. Roly formed the New Elizabethan Singers with 

those that came with him. 

I actually disagreed with Barbara’s dad and wanted to stay 

with the Sainsbury Singers but family ties meant that I felt I 

had to go with the rest of the family. 

The New Elizabethan Singers were a choral group and we 

met in Reading. 

Mary Richards had been a fine cellist in the orchestra of the 

Sainsbury Singers shows and so she knew Roly well. She lead a 

children’s and adult singing group in Purley. 

When she wanted to form a new group, she borrowed 

some of the New Elizabethan Singers as she especially wanted 

more men. This group was known as the Thames Vale Singers, 

which Mary lead and conducted, and we performed in Purley 

Memorial Hall. 

The shows were mainly Gilbert and Sullivan which Roly 

produced. Barbara and I had started our family by then and so 

often had to take it in turns going to rehearsals. Sometimes we


o the 'proms' 

were lucky enough to have baby sitters and then we would buy 

fish and chips on the way home! 

There was a lot of cross over between the members of the 

Thames Vale Singers and the New Elizabethan Singers and it 

was where Barbara’s brother met his future wife. 

We also made some lifelong friends, Patsy and Ray. 

After a New Elizabethan rehearsal, which was in a hall on 

Friar Street that is now converted into a shop, we would troop 

off to the launderette and then went to the pub while we waited 

for our clothes to be ready. There was usually quite a party in 

the launderette! 

LOOKING FORWARD 

Mary Richards also taught piano to my son, Paul, for free 

from her house on the corner of Oxford Road and Elsley Road 

near Purley. 

On one occasion, I parked at the side of her house on Elsley 

Road, which was a steep hill. 

I left Rachel in the car — she was quite young at the time — 

to take Paul into the house. Rachel was fiddling and managed to 

release the handbrake, and so the car naturally rolled forward 

and across the Oxford Road. Luckily, it wasn’t busy and there 

were no cars at the time. You can imagine how much trouble I 

was in! 

I always enjoyed singing and we were in a church choir 

all this time. Happily, my family have continued the musical 

traditions in their different ways and I am looking forward to 

the upcoming Prom season again. 

David Pickup, a solicitor, and an occasional contributor to 

this magazine, considers the coming General Election . . . 

Going to the Country 

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there 

is no authority except that which God has established. The 

authorities that exist have been established by God. For the one 

in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, 

be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They 

are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the 

wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities 

. . . Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay 

taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, 

then honour. (Extracts from Romans 13) 

When will you go to bed on 4 July? 

This month we have a chance to vote for our Members of 

Parliament, and the leader of the party that can command 

a majority will form the government. There is a concern 

that ‘voter engagement’ is low, meaning that we are not 

very interested any more. The turnout at the 2019 General 

Election was 67.3% which was slightly up from 2015. The 

lowest turnout in a General Election was recorded in 1918 at 

57.2%, due to the end of the First World War. 

Between 1922 and 1997 turnout remained above 71%. At 

the 2001 General Election the turnout was 59.4%. For people 

under the age of forty it is much less. 

Should we be concerned? Voting turnout has been fairly 

stable since 1918 at between 60% and 70%. The numbers that 

vote in this country are similar to most other countries. 

For the first time at a UK general election, those voting at 

a polling station will need to show photo ID. Voters should 

check now if they have an accepted form of ID, and if not to 

apply for free ID, called the Voter Authority Certificate . 

To answer my own question, I am not sure when I go 

to bed on election night. I do not always stay up all night. 

Election excitement begins to wane in the early hours! 

Politics seems to be a spectator sport for most of us. We 

enjoy the shocks and surprises and the live results when the 

spotlight is on a constituency. 

The Christian teaching on politics is clear. We should 

respect those in authority and admire those who seek it. 

Most people enter politics for good reasons. Perhaps we 

should remind them they are God’s servants. 

Please remember your 

donations for the 

Woodley Food Bank 

Please inside remember St Andrew's your 

Church which is open 

10am - 4pm every day 

donations for the Woodley Food 

Bank and place them in the box 

just inside St Andrew's Church. 

Thank you!


AROUND THE VILLAGES — 1 

2 

All photographs by Indy Biddulph


1 

1 

3 

Best in the village? 

Followers of the Scarecrow Trail were invited to vote for their favourite 

exhibit. The top three favourites, identified above by the numerals 1,2 and 3 in 

the red circles were: 

1: DoYouThinkHeStrawUs 

2: Singing in the Rain 

3: Despicables 

FoStAC, The Friends of St Andrew’s Church, thank everyone who baked beautiful cakes and helped 

serve refreshments over the two days of the Scarecrow Trail weekend. It helped FoStAC to raise over 

£1,400 which will help fund the repair of the Vestry wall inside St Andrew's Church.


around the villages— — 21 

Hats off to Ann and Gerry for their 

100/100 'knitivity' challenge! 

Sparks must have been flying off the knitting needles of Ann Way (above 

left), a member of the Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh as, with 

some help from fellow member Gerry Luckhurst, she succeeded in knitting 

100 baby hats for the maternity unit of the Royal Berkshire Hospital. 

Why 100 baby hats? Because ‘100 for 100’ is an initiative to find unusual ways 

of celebrating Inner Wheel's centenary year. 

Inner Wheel UK began in the UK in 1924 and is now one of the largest 

organisations for women with over 100,000 members in more than 100 

countries. Its membership has been open to all women since April 2012. 

The club's Reading Maiden Erlegh group meets at Sonning Golf Club on the 

third Thursday evening of every month and welcomes new members to join in 

the fun, take part in activities, raise funds for charity and support the local 

community. 

There is more information about Inner Wheel Club Maiden Erlegh and the 

worldwide organisation on: 

https://www.innerwheelrme.org or email them at iwcrme@gmail.com. 

Sonning & Sonning Eye Society diary dates 

Garden Party Afternoon Tea with fizz on Sunday 28 July 3-5.30 pm. Tickets 

are £15 each. It will be at Gordon and Mary Jones home in West Drive. Tickets 

must be purchased in advance online or by contacting Penny Feathers on 

penny.feathers@btinternet.com or 0118 934 3193. 

Village Walk with John Turney on Saturday 20 July starting at 10.30am 

outside St Andrew's Church. John will take the group through the village 

pointing out buildings and the interesting people who lived there. There is no 

charge but places must be reserved by text or calling Heather Kay 0785 177 5467. 

Artists sell 20 works 

of art during the 

Scarecrow Trail 

Sonning Art Group's exhibition of 

work that is a regular feature of the 

Scarecrow Trail included their own 

'scarecrow' in the form of Barbie 

who generated at lot of interest 

from visitors who bought over 20 

pictures produced by the group's 

members. 

The Group meets every Friday from 

12 30-4 pm in Pearson Hall, Sonning 

and unusually have a few spaces for 

new members. If interested call in at 

the hall, or leave a note, giving your 

details to Sue Bell at Pearson hall 

and you will be assured of a warm 

welcome whether you are a beginner 

or an established artist.


around the villages — 1 


Scarecrow makers and pond dippers make 

plans for the Sonning Village Show . . . 

Fresh from the fun of building scarecrows, the pupils of Sonning Primary 

School went 'eco dipping' in Ali's Pond. Now they are making plans for the 

Sonning Village Show that will be held as usual in the school grounds. 

To create their Scarecrow Trail entry 

the pupils worked with residents of the 

Signature at Caversham Care Home. 

This was part of a joint project 

between the school and the care home 

that encourages the children and the 

residents to work together in craft 

activities under the banner heading 

of 'Birds of a feather, flock together' 

and which is designed to represent 

community, connections and care. 

The project was led by a parent, 

Hannah of Greener Health Physio, 

Sonning, who also works at the 

Signature at Caversham Care Home. 

No sooner had the Scarecrow Trail 

finished, the pupils set to work on 

their next 'Eco Day' on Wednesday 5 

June. 

This was led by Miss Haworth and 

the focus of the day was biodiversity. 

Pupils enjoyed activities in school, 

and a number of classes visited Ali’s 

Pond to do some pond dipping. She 

said: 'It was excellent to be out in the 

local area, and it reminded us of how 

fortunate we are to live in an area 

that has so many places to visit and 

enrich everyone's education. We also 

made the most of our school grounds, 

checking over our developing growing 

area and using our grounds to look for 

nature, mini beasts and other signs of 

natural life.' 

The school is now making plans 

for the Sonning Village Show which, 

as always, takes place in the school 

grounds. This year it will be on 

Saturday 14 September when there 

will be stalls run by the PTA, local 

organisations, live music, maypole 

dancing, BBQ and bar, competitions 

organised by the Sonning Village 

Show committee and Phil Sherwood, 

Sonning School's headmaster, will 

be bringing some of his animals 

including the infamous Pablo the Pig!



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Celebrating the 80 year D-Day Anniversary! 

Above, residents of Sonning Gardens Care Home marked the 80th Anniversary of 

D-Day with a delicious evening buffet prepared by head chef Alex and his team, 

while the activities team lad some 1940's entertainment. Meanwhile, below, 

Sonning Village residents celebrated in the King George V field with a fly past, 

beacon, Royal British Legion parade and, of course picnics with a beer tent!


HISTORY — 1 

The Irishman who changed English history 

St Aidan statue; Georgesixth, dreamstime.com, and sunset at Lindisfarne; Derekwatt, dreamstime.com 

St Aidan statue on Lindisfarne, georgesixth, dreamstime.com 

Sunset over Lindisfarne, derekwatt, dreamstime.com 

August 31st is the Feast Day of St Aidan who died on that 

day in the year 651 AD. He was born in Ireland, but is a 

strong contender for the title of the first English bishop, 

although honours did not mean a great deal to this 

austere but captivating character. 

In 635 he went to Northumbria at the invitation of Oswald, 

the local ruler. Oswald had spent several years of his 

childhood on Iona, and when he succeeded to the throne 

of his northern kingdom he was shrewd enough to realise 

that the Christian faith would be an ideal unifying force to 

pacify rival tribes of warlords. 

Oswald's invitation was not immediately successful. 

The first missionary from Iona returned in despair, 

claiming that the barbarity of the Northumbrians made 

them unconvertible. But as Aidan listened, he felt the 

unmistakable call of God to try again. 

'Perhaps you were too harsh on them', he found himself 

suggesting to the travel-stained missionary. Shortly 

afterwards, Aidan found himself at the head of a party of 

brothers heading for Northumbria. He was never to see his 

beloved Iona again. 

THE REST IS HISTORY 

The monks made the long journey to Northumbria 

on foot, singing psalms as they went. Their need to ward 

off the powers of evil with prayer was genuine, for these 

were dangerous times to travel unarmed through remote 

country. 

They arrived safely at Oswald's castle in Bamburgh, 

where he offered them lavish hospitality and assumed that 

they would establish their community there. 

However, the brothers realised that to live under the 

king's protection would make it difficult to avoid the 

world's temptations and establish a rapport with the local 

people. They saw the tidal island of Lindisfarne on the 

horizon and chose it as their base. The rest, as the saying 

goes, is history. 

Aidan was much loved as a teacher and evangelist; 

though stern in his own self-discipline, he was prepared to 

travel to the most inaccessible villages, where he cared for 

the local people with compassion and gentleness. In time 

his influence grew and noble people joined the stream of 

visitors to Lindisfarne. 

After Oswald's death in 642, his brother Oswin 

succeeded him as king. Oswin was concerned about 

Aidan's habit of walking everywhere. The saint was ageing 

rapidly, his body weakened by years of harsh fasting and 

exposure to the elements. 

Oswin wondered what would happen to him one day on 

the road, and also he felt that such a lowly means of travel 

was not appropriate for a bishop. So he gave Aidan one 

of his finest horses, complete with a beautifully worked 

saddle and bridle. 

Aidan did not feel able to risk offending the king by 

spurning his generosity, but he rode out of the palace with 

a heavy heart. He knew that people would relate to him 

differently now that he had the trappings of affluence, 

and that it would be dangerous to stop and rest with such 

valuable belongings beside him. 

The king had intended to give him comfort, but his 

gesture had had the opposite effect. Aidan had learnt that 

possessions, and the need to protect them, make it more 

difficult to follow God with an undivided heart. The story 

goes that he gave the horse, complete with saddle, to the 

first beggar he met outside the palace gates. 

HUMBLED BY INTEGRITY 

A more pragmatic Christian might have reasoned 

that keeping on the right side of Oswin would lead to 

opportunities that were too valuable to risk. 

Indeed, the king was angry when he heard what 

Aidan had done. 'That horse was fit for a king, not for some 

vagabond,' he protested. 'I could have found you an old nag if 

you wanted to give it away.' 

Aidan's reply was simply, 'What do you think, O King? 

Is the son of a mare worth more in your eyes than the Son of 

God?' 

There was an awkward silence; then the King removed 

his sword, knelt at Aidan's feet and asked his forgiveness. 

When he returned to the banqueting table, it was with a 

beaming smile. 

Sadly, he too was to perish in battle shortly afterwards; 

these were violent times. Yet Oswin, whose culture 

demanded that he should appear all-powerful in the 

eyes of his followers, had been publicly humbled by the 

integrity of a simple monk who had challenged his values.

HISTORY — 2 

Was it really . . . 


A saint for everyone 

English Channel Hovercraft 

Clickos, dreamstime.com 

. . . 750 YEARS AGO on 11 July 1272 that Robert I (Robert 

the Bruce) was born. He was King of Scotland 1306-29. 

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 1 July 1899 that Gideons International 

was founded. The evangelical Christian association places 

free Bibles in hotel rooms, hospitals, schools, military bases 

and prisons around the world. 

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 11 July 1924 that British sprinter 

Eric Liddell won the men’s 400 metres gold medal at the 

1924 Olympics in Paris. He preferred 100 metres, but 

because the heats were on a Sunday he refused to run. 

. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 4 July 1934 that Marie Curie, Polishborn 

French physicist died. She was the first woman to 

win a Nobel prize which she received for her work on 

radioactivity. 

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 27 July 1949 that the first successful 

test flight of the de Havilland Comet, the first commercial 

passenger jet, took place. 

. . . ALSO 75 YEARS AGO on 29 July 1949 that the BBC 

began broadcasting regular weather forecasts on TV. 

. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 5 July 1954 that the BBC launched 

the first daily television news programme in the UK. 

. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 25 July 1959 that the first hovercraft 

crossed the English Channel. 

. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 28 July 1964 NASA launched the 

Ranger 7 space probe on a mission to the Moon. 

. . . 30 YEARS AGO on 21 July 1994 that Tony Blair was 

elected leader of Britain’s Labour Party. He became Prime 

Minister in 1997. 

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 1 July 1999 that the Scottish 

Parliament was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. 

. . . 15 YEARS AGO on 5 July 2009 that the Staffordshire 

Hoard was discovered by a metal detectorist in 

Hammerwich, a village in Staffordshire. It is the largest 

hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever found, and 

consists of around 4,600 items dating from the 7th 

Century. 

Jean-Baptiste Vianney 

Jean-Baptiste Vianney, who died on 4 August 1859, is the 

saint for those whose passion is to help people find peace 

with God. 

Vianney was born near Lyons in 1786, the son of a peasant 

farmer. With no money for schooling, he first became a 

shepherd. But, like David in the Bible, his deep personal faith 

and zeal soon drew him away from guiding sheep to guiding 

people. 

It took Vianney nine years to become a priest — he 

couldn’t learn Latin, and he had to hide for a year to avoid 

being conscripted into Napoleon’s army. But, eventually, in 

1815, at the age of 29, he was ordained, and after a curacy, 

was sent to the tiny village of Ars-en-Dombes near Lyons. 

Here he remained for the next 40 years, becoming known 

simply as the ‘Curé d’Ars’. 

GOD GIVEN GIFT 

Gabitzu, wikipedia commons 

Vianney proved that it did not take Latin to be an 

excellent parish priest. His ability to preach with simplicity 

and passion, and his gifts as a truly outstanding spiritual 

director soon had the people flocking to him for help. 

At one time in Vianney’s ministry, he was spending up to 

16 hours a day hearing confessions and counselling people. 

He had a God-given ability to discern the real issues in life, 

and to put his finger on the real causes of the problems. 

As Vianney’s fame spread, tens of thousands of people 

went to the Curé of Ars-en-Dombes — 20,000 in 1855 

alone. The rich, poor, famous and obscure, all of them were 

welcomed, prayed with and helped by this extraordinary 

parish priest — sometimes up to 300 of them a day. 

It was an exhausting routine, but Vianney felt he could 

not retire. And so eventually he died at work in his parish, on 

4 August 1859. By then he was widely loved and respected 

not only by Roman Catholics, but also by the Protestants.


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HOME AND Garden 

Afoot in the garden 

By Ray Puddefoot 

Lavandula stoechas 

Few hardy plants flower continuously. Here are my top 

ten: 

CERATOSTIGMA (shrubby plumbago) Masses of small 

blue flowers from June till autumn frosts. 

ERIGERON VINSKIANUS 

From Mexico it has a continuous display of white daisy 

flowers. Self-seeds. 

ERYSIMUM ‘BOWLES MAUVE’ 

A perennial wallflower growing up to 45 cm (18”). Easy from 

cuttings. 

HARDY FUCHSIAS 

Beloved come in a wide range of colours. 

Drought tolerant and also easy from cuttings. 

Esin Deniz, dreamstime.com 

Hardies for sustained summer colour 

HARDY GERANIUMS 

Flowering continuously include ‘Ann Folkard’, ‘Russell 

Prichard’ and ‘Mavis Simpson’. 

HYDRANGEA ANNABELLE 

Produces large flat panicles up to 20 cm (8”) across. Light 

thinning in early summer induces new flowering shoots into 

the autumn. There is a new pink flowering form. 

LAVANDER STOECHAS 

French and Spanish lavenders send out new flowers 

throughout the summer. 


RAY'S TOP HOLIDAY TIPS 

— When preparing pots and baskets for a holiday, make 

sure you use a good quality compost especially designed 

for pots and baskets. 

— Move pots and baskets to a shady area of the garden. 

— Place pots in saucers to add a reservoir. 

— Dead head and trim bedding plants before you 

leave. Water and then feed with liquid fertilizer 

shortly afterwards and pots will stay moist for longer. 

Alternatively set up an irrigation system. 

— Ask family, friends or friendly neighbours to check and 

water your plants every couple of days. 

God in the Garden 

By Philip Eley, Kevin Mayhew, £14.99 

A year of weekly Bible reflections that follow the 

seasons and changes of the gardener's year. 

They help to encourage 

consistent devotional 

time outside with God 

and deepening a spiritual 

relationship. 

An ideal gift for gardener's, 

organic food growers, and 

families with allotments. 

The book includes reflection 

questions, practical tips, 

advice and space for writing 

your journal. 

Invite you to join us in the garden of 

West Drive, Sonning-on-Thames for a 

Garden Tea Party 

Sunday, 7 th July 2024 – 3.00pm to 5.30pm 

£20 per person 

OSTEOSPERMUM 

Hardy varieties of African Daisy flower all summer and 

include ‘Cannington Roy’ (purple) and ‘Weetwood’ (mauve) 

tinged white. They do well in full sun on free draining soils. 

ROSES! 

One of my favourites is rosa rugosa ‘Frau Dagma’ with 

large scented single pink flowers. Later in the year they are 

accompanied by large flattened orange/red hips. Rarely 

suffers from black spot! 

SALVIA MICROPHYLLA 

The baby sages are twiggy shrubs with scented foliage and a 

profusion of small flowers all summer long. Many varieties 

are available with white, pink, red and purple flowers. 

Entrance by limited ticket only – reserved by payment in advance. 

Ticket purchase deadline: Sunday, 30 th June 2024 

To request a ticket and arrange payment, please contact Sally Wilson on: 

mustangsallywilson@gmail.com or 0118 9793328 or 

approach one of the FoStAC Trustees 

FoStAC Registered Charity No: 1101944


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FASHION BY HARRIET NELSON 

It's July and we are officially in the heights of summer, 

with temperatures gradually increasing each day. Fashion 

follows suit with more summer essentials filling the high 

streets weekly. This month, I want to discuss the upcoming 

summer essentials you need to update your wardrobe for 

the hot weather ahead. 

What is summer without the salty waves, tan lines, and a 

refreshing dip in the sea? Living in sunny Cornwall during 

my time at university, I loved the summer weather. I miss 

taking the opportunity to have a quick dip in the ocean 

and sunbathe at the beach whenever I had a spare couple of 

hours. 

Now I'm back home and working, I don't have the luxury 

of a spontaneous beach day, and I long for my next holiday. 

Thankfully, the weather has recently improved, and I can 

finally bring my summer wardrobe out. But what will I be 

wearing? 

MIDI OR MAXI? 

Levi's have recently been trending online with their new 

summer skirts. These long denim skirts are beautiful and a 

classic wardrobe piece for a summer wardrobe. 

The longer midi and maxi denim skirts are everywhere, 

and with 90s fashion trending hard, it's no surprise that 

youngsters everywhere have been wearing them. I have 

recently bought two...Oops! 

One is a cargo-style blue denim skirt with pockets, and 

the other is a plain black denim skirt, both with a slit, ready 

for the chic summer ahead. I find these skirts perfect for the 

current weather, especially as the evenings can still be chilly. 

Levi's will always be a staple brand in wardrobes all over 

the world; the brand's most famous pair of jeans — Levi's 501 

— turned 151 years old this year and is still fashion's most 

iconic jeans and it is still a staple in many wardrobes today. 

FLATTERING TROUSERS 

Another summer essential to add to your list is linen, 

or cotton, trousers. This basic, but breathable, wardrobe 

standard, some would think, would be lower on some 

people's lists to buy for the summer. However, if you know 

me, you will know that I wear my black pair of cotton 

trousers everywhere! 

Mine are from Zara, and these flattering trousers go 

with any top. You can style it up or down, depending on the 

occasion. Mostly, I wear them casually, with a crop top and 

my pair of Nike Jordan shoes to finish the look. You can 

easily add a pair of heels and a lovely top to elevate the look. 

If you want to feel relaxed and comfortable this summer, 

why not buy yourself some trousers you can wear repeatedly, 

that will feel good all summer long! 

Another essential wardrobe piece is a classic swimming 

costume. For those who don't usually venture into the sea for 

a quick dip in the calm ocean, warm or cold, now's the time to 

do so this summer. 

The brand 'Free People' has some beautiful bikini designs 

and costumes of all shapes and colours. These swimming 

costumes come in many different patterns tailored for 

everyone. I prefer a full swimsuit to a bikini, and I have 

recently purchased a beautiful black one. 


What will you be wearing now summer is here? 

Harriet Nelson 

Even if you're not a keen swimmer, you will probably 

want to look and feel your best when sunbathing and 

relaxing by your hotel pool. I'm looking forward to wearing 

my new costume while lazing in the French sunshine, 

reading my book, or hanging out with my friends around the 

pool. I can now tick this essential clothing item off my list 

ready for my holiday! 

JAZZY OR CLASSIC FRAMES? 

Finally, the last essential summer item everyone needs is 

a good pair of sunglasses. I recently acquired my new brown 

square frames from the brand 'Joules'. 

There are only a few wardrobe essentials that, no matter 

the season, will always make a welcome addition to any 

outfit, and that's sunglasses for the sunny weather ahead! 

Not only will they protect your eyes from damaging UV rays, 

but they will also look stylish and can be worn any day of any 

season. 

If you're tired and sleep-deprived and want to cover your 

eyes, try shades. Feeling relaxed and stylish and wanting to 

pull your perfect outfit together, put some stylish frames on 

to amplify your summer mood. With the sunshine on the 

horizon, it is time to elevate your look with a jazzy pair or a 

classic, clean look to feel elegant in this warm weather. 

These are my top four essential items that you should 

consider this summer. Everyone has different ideas about 

fashion and what they should wear, but it's always great to 

get inspiration from the people around you, magazines, TV, 

and perhaps even TikTok, and change your style just a little 

as the sunny weather arrives. Hopefully, some of my daily 

essentials will inspire you to change your wardrobe this 

summer. What summer fashions will you try?


THE ARTS — 1 

Summer holiday reading suggestions 

God’s Promises for Everyone 

by Shell Perris, SPCK, £9.99 

Wherever you 

go, God is with 

you. He won't 

leave you on 

your own. He is 

always enough. 

It offers 50 

promises of 

God. Each 

page takes a 

Biblical promise and brings it to life 

in a short thought-provoking line of 

lyrical prose. On each page there is a 

promise, a black and white silhouette 

illustration with a splash of colour, 

a lyrical piece of prose that inspires 

hope, comfort and peace and the Bible 

verse reference. 

It's an ideal gift for families to 

explore together, or to mark a Baptism 

or First Communion. 

Antigone Kingsley: Don’t Judge Me 

by Marina Magdalena, Marylebone 

House, £8.99 

This second book 

in the Antigone 

Kingsley series 

will be helpful for 

girls aged 9+ going 

through the highs 

and lows of growing 

up. When Antigone 

Kingsley (Tig), 

and her sister, Ismene, are invited 

to join Amelie, their French cousin, 

at a Swiss holiday camp, adventures 

and big trouble follow. It is filled with 

positive role models, healthy selfexploration, 

fruitful relationships, 

vulnerability and good humour. Teens 

will love journeying with Tig as she 

faces the social pressures, spiralling 

emotions, burning desires and grand 

disappointments of teenage life. 

Shaped by the Spirit – being formed 

into an outward-focused people 

by Kate Pocklington, 

SPCK, £10.00 

Shun self-help in 

favour of spiritualhelp 

and become 

the other-focussed 

disciple that Jesus 

is inviting you to be. 

In recent years, the 

Church in the West has witnessed a 

growing hunger to engage in spiritual 

disciplines that help us become more 

like Jesus. And yet, if our practices 

cause us to look inwards without 

looking outwards, then we can 

unwittingly distance ourselves from 

God. Jesus was inherently otherfocussed, 

and in this immensely 

practical book, Kate Pocklington 

invites us to explore why being formed 

by the Spirit is only the beginning of 

the picture. 

Grandparenting for Faith: sharing 

God with the children you love 

by Becky Sedgwick, 

BRF, £9.99 

Grandparents 

can encourage 

and equip their 

grandchildren 

to meet and 

know God. 

Whatever our 

circumstances, 

God has positioned us to be a unique 

voice speaking into our grandchildren’s 

lives, helping to nurture them into the 

reality of a relationship with God who 

loves them. 

Before You Open Your Bible – 9 heart 

postures for approaching God’s Word 

by Matt Smethurst, 10Publishing £3.99 

We know the 

Bible is important, 

but many of us 

struggle — we’re not 

biblical experts— 

though we may 

have started enough 

reading plans to 

be familiar with 

Genesis. If we’re 

honest, the Bible often intimidates 

us, confuses us, and reading it doesn’t 

always thrill us. 

And yet, the Bible is where God 

reveals his loving character and 

incredible plan of redemption. In a 

practical and engaging manner, Matt 

Smethurst—managing editor of The 

Gospel Coalition—presents nine 

heart postures that will prepare you to 

unpack all that’s awaiting you in God’s 

Word. Although there are many great 

resources on how to read and study 

Scripture, hardly any focus exclusively 

on how to approach it in the first place. 

That’s what Smethurst provides in this 

unique 'prelude' to opening your Bible. 

Have No Fear – being salt and 

light even when it’s costly 

by John Lennox, 10Publishing, £3.99 

Christians are 

under pressure to be 

silent. We’re led to 

believe that our beliefs 

are outdated, and they 

are dangerous. 

Silenced by fear, it’s 

too easy to keep quiet. 

But Christianity 

is not meant to be 

private. Jesus’ followers are instructed 

to be deliberately and willingly 

different, seeking to share the lifechanging 

good news they’ve heard with 

everyone, whatever the cost. It might 

feel that you fall short of this confident 

evangelistic lifestyle, but John Lennox 

shows us that we can become an 

effective gospel witness. 

Using examples from the Bible 

and from his own life, he explains 

practically how we can winsomely 

share Jesus with our friends, despite 

our fears. He argues that it is possible 

to stand up to the pressure society 

places on us, and in so doing we’ll find 

our Christian life grows in strength 

and joy. 

The Cheerful Giver – a short 

guide to gospel-driven giving 

by Des Smith, 10Publishing, £3.39 

A short guide to 

the topic of Christian 

generosity. It begins 

by showing why 

Christians should be 

generous, how God’s 

generosity to us in the 

gospel should enlarge 

our hearts and make 

us generous, before 

addressing the practical questions 

of how much people should give and 

where that giving should be directed. 

It can be read in less than an hour 

and its conversational tone makes it an 

excellent complement to a one-off talk 

or a short sermon series on generosity. 

It would also be ideal for pastors who 

are looking for a resource to help them 

speak about congregational giving.

THE ARTS — 2 

Lord of Life 

By Steven Rolling 

Tune: Ewing (‘Jerusalem the golden’) 

Based on a prayer by Mother Teresa (1910-1997) 

1. Dear Jesus, help me to spread 

Your fragrance, by you led 

Everywhere that I go, pray 

Fill me with you each day 

Flood my soul with your Spirit 

And life, my path be lit 

By you, and possess my whole 

Being, e’en all my soul 

2. Utterly, that my life be 

Radiance of yours, see 

Shine through me, and be in me 

That every soul freely 

I meet may feel your presence 

And go forth refreshed hence 

3. Let them look up and see no 

Longer me, but you know 

You only, Jesus, Saviour 

Be the influence sure 

That I share, witnessing to 

Your mercies ever new 

Others be brought into your 

Kingdom for evermore 


Johann Bach's musical love of Paradise 

In 1956 a small novel by a German 

writer, Johannes Rüber, appeared 

in an English translation. It was 

called ‘Bach and the Heavenly Choir’ 

and tells of Pope Gregory XIX’s 

desire to elevate Johann Sebastian 

Bach to the ranks of the saints. 

To bring together the Lutheran 

bishop and his own cardinals, he 

organised a great Bach festival in 

Rome where he announced his plan 

and the reasoning behind it: J S 

Bach's faith had become music. 

In that realisation lies the grace 

and glory of Bach’s achievement, 

and is one reason why his works are 

treasured today. The irony is that 

the bulk of his music was never 

published in his lifetime. The six 

Brandenburg Concerti, beautifully 

copied out and offered, were never 

performed and the music put in a 

cupboard. 

His music in all probability would 

have been lost for ever had it not 

been for a young Mendelssohn, 

who found a manuscript of the 

St Matthew Passion in his music 

teacher’s house. 

He recognised it for its brilliancy 

and beauty and ordered a massive 

search to unearth the decaying 

manuscripts. 

JOYOUS 

So much of Bach’s music was 

inspired by his joy in believing. 

Consider one of the six motets, ‘Jesu, 

meine freude’ (Jesus, my joy). 

It was probably written for a 

memorial service in July 1723. In his 

other works, freude, or ‘joy’, releases 

new movement. In this motet, the 

word is kept within the constraints 

of the chorale melody that acts as a 

framework for the motet. 

The word that brings a joyous 

release is Geist, Spirit. When it 

appears, each voice joins in the chase 

as notes spill over the page and into 

our ears, proclaiming the inspiration 

of God’s Spirit in human life. 

This spirit of joy helps us realise 

that what makes Bach’s music so 

vital and rewarding is that total 

sense of movement and dance. 

Wilfred Mellers wrote a book 

‘Bach and the Dance of God,’ showing 

how so much of Bach’s music is 

dance-inspired from lively gavottes 

to more stately sarabandes that can 

be heard in both the instrumental 

and choral music. 

Widor, like Bach a great organist, 

wrote that ‘For me Bach is the greatest 

of preachers.’ 

And what does he preach? That in 

the end, all is dance and life in the 

power of God’s Spirit. In ‘Jesu, meine 

Freude’ as in all his music we hear 

and relish the movement and pulse 

of his compositions that open up for 

us a world where all is joy and dance. 

That is how Dante ended his 

vision of Paradise, where everything 

is movement and dance, and what 

moves the sun and stars is love. 

Poetry Corner 

Nicku, dreamstime.com 

Lighting Path, Hannu Viitanen, dreamstime.com


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For more information: 

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For more For information: 

more Corinne information: 

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the church of st andrew, SERVING THE 

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THE SCIENCES 

Exploring 

big questions 

about the 

wonders of 

our living 

world 

Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, church 

engagement director at The Faraday 

Institute for Science and Religion 

in Cambridge writes on the positive 

relationship between science and the 

Christian faith. 

It’s important to have debates about 

science and Christian faith and to 

dig into the hot topics, but we can’t 

exist solely on a diet of controversy. 

I find it helpful, at times, to 

simply enjoy the wonders revealed 

by science and the big questions they 

raise about meaning and purpose. 

What’s the universe for? What do 

you do with your feelings of awe and 

wonder? Where do we get our sense 

of the value of the living world from? 

I had the privilege of meeting a 

group of Christian scientists and 

theologians who shared thoughts 

about these big questions, and will 

share some of their thoughts here. 

FUNDAMENTAL 

The Oxford-based theologian 

Alister McGrath said that 'science is 

wonderful at asking questions. Some of 

those questions can be answered, but 

very often when you do answer them, 

they simply open up yet more questions. 

'But of course, there are some more 

fundamental questions I think science 

simply cannot answer…questions like, 

‘Why am I here?’” 

IMPRESSIVE 

Rhoda Hawkins, a physicist 

at Sheffield University, has had a 

similar experience. 

'I never cease to be amazed at quite 

how impressive the world is, and how 

impressive the mechanisms are for how 

things work...It really is beautiful in 

many ways, and it leads me to think 

A family making time to explore the living world. 

about God. I’m not saying that I have 

any proof, but I’m saying that by looking 

at the world around me it tells me more 

about God and it leads me to worship 

him.' 

APPRECIATION 

Another scientist who appreciates 

beauty is Jeff Hardin, who explained 

that 'studying the wonders of the 

living world is an exercise in art 

appreciation. For me, God is the creator 

of everything… so the joy of discovery 

is also the joy of appreciating the world 

that God has made…and leads me to 

thank God for the amazing world that 

we have to enjoy and to explore.' 

MARVELLOUS 

I will close with some words from 

Jeff Schloss, who — like the others 

quoted above — finds that Christian 

faith makes science more satisfying 

for him. 

'Once I became a Christian … I 

had the sense that I was studying the 

marvels of the natural world, which 

are marvellous in their own right but 

become more profoundly engaging and 

enticing when one thinks that you’re 

studying the works of God.' 

Perhaps if we can spend more 

time listening to people like this, our 

discussions about science and faith 

will also be richer and deeper. 

Quotes from videos on 

https://www.wondersofthelivingworld.org 


Goodluz, dreamstime.com 

Seeds of time 

Buried seeds don’t always die. 

They can lie dormant, remaining 

alive but inactive until the earth is 

turned over. Top of the list of longlived 

seeds are the narrow-leafed 

campion, buried by squirrels in the 

Siberian permafrost over 30,000 

years ago. When they germinated, 

they became healthy plants that 

produced seeds of their own. 

The Bible contains many links 

between seeds and spiritual growth, 

the parable of the sower being the 

most famous in Matthew 13. 

A person may hear or experience 

something of God which has the 

potential to germinate into a life of 

following God, resulting in the fruit 

of others coming to know God. 

But things can happen that snatch 

that seed away, killing it before it has 

finished germinating, or choking its 

growth. 

What about the knowledge of 

God that gets trampled, churned too 

deep in the mire of life to receive the 

warmth and light it needs to develop 

into faith? 

The possibility of that moment of 

connecting with something divine, 

scrap of knowledge, or snatch of 

conversation resulting in a changed 

life may seem infinitesimally small, 

but as the narrow-leafed campion 

illustrates, it is not!


PUZZLE PAGE — 1 

BIBLE CROSSWORD 

Fighters Verse Search by Ralph 

Across 

1 - Relating to the Jewish day of rest (10) 

7 - Point of view (Matthew 22:17) (7) 

8 - 20th Century Brethren philanthropist whose construction 

company became one of the UK’s biggest, Sir John — (5) 

10 - Girl’s name (4) 

11 - Peter was accused of being one in the courtyard of the high 

priest’s house (Luke 22:59) (8) 

13 - The fifth of the ‘seven churches’ (Revelation 3:1–6) (6) 

15 - ‘Now the famine was — in Samaria’ (1 Kings 18:2) (6) 

17 - Banned by the seventh Commandment (Exodus 20:14) (8) 

18 - Insect most closely associated with itching (1 Samuel 24:14) (4) 

21 - Bantu tribe which gives its name to tiny landlocked country 

in southern Africa (5) 

22 - Familiar material in churches that use an overhead projector (7) 

23 - Last book of the Bible (10) 

Ralph's ‘verse search’ grid above contains the names of 24 

fighters (people and planes) whose names begin: 2C; E; 2F; 

2G; 2H; L; 6M; 2N; P; R; 2S; T; W. If you find all 24 you will 

also notice that the unused letters in the grid spell out a 

relevant verse from the King James Bible. You might even 

manage to identify the verse. Good luck, and God Bless! 

Write your answers here . . . 

Down 

1 - The young David’s favourite weapon (1 Samuel 17:40) (5) 

2 - ‘Your vats will — over with new wine’ (Proverbs 3:10) (4) 

3 - Once yearly (Exodus 30:10) (6) 

4 - Milled it (anagram.) (3-5) 

5 - Region north of Damascus of which Lysanias was tetrarch (Luke 3:1) (7) 

6 - Comes between Philippians and 1 Thessalonians (10) 

9 - Lake where the first disciples were called (Luke 5:1–11) (10) 

12 - Abusive outburst (8) 

14 - Are loud (anagram) (7) 

16 - Printing errors (6) 

19 - ‘Take my yoke upon you and — from me’ (Matthew 11:29) (5) 

20 - Jacob’s third son (Genesis 29:34) (4) 

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S WORD SEARCH 

ASTER 

VIOLET 

ORCHID 

PANSY 

LOTUS 

ROSE 

LILY 

LOBELIA 

SALVIA 

HYDRANGEA 

BUTTERCUP 

DAHLIA 

FRANGIPANI 

HIBISCUS 

HOLLY HOCK 

HONEYSUCKLE 

CHRYSANTHEMUM 

LOOSE STRIFE 

NASTURTIUM 

OLEANDER 

RHODODENDRON 

SAFFRON 

SWEET WILLIAM 

ANTIRRHINUM 

BOUGAINVILLEA 

The hidden Bible verse was from Job 14:2 

(Good News Bible) 

WE GROW AND WITHER 

AS QUICKLY AS FLOWERS

PUZZLE PAGE — 2 

CROSSWORD 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

8 

9 10 

11 12 

13 

14 15 16 

SUDOKU 


answers in the next issue 

June Solutions 

CROSSWORD 

C O M M I N G L I N G 

I F U E I E A 

N F S P A S M W E D 

D U B A I R B E I 

E E C E S I R E N 

P L A C A R D S F 

E T L A I I 

N S P A C E M A N 

D O M E D A C P I 

E O E T U N L I T 

N U T L U R E S O U 

T E T O E R M 

E S T A B L I S H E D 

17 18 

20 21 22 

23 24 

Across 

ACROSS 

In these times (8) 

1 - In these times (8) 

- (4) 

5 - Agitate (4) 

9 

-- Operatic 

songs (5) 

songs (5) 

10 - - Of Of enormous effect (7) effect (7) 

11 - Duplication (12) (12) 

14 - Allow (3) 

14 - Allow (3) 

15 - Freedom from war (5) 

15 - Freedom from war (5) 

16 - Mountain pass (3) 

16 - Mountain pass (3) 

17 - Blasphemous (12) 

17 20 - Blasphemous - Progress (12)(7) 

20 22 - Progress - Unexpected (7) plot 

element (5) 

22 - Unexpected plot element (5) 

23 - Abominable snowman (4) 

23 - Abominable snowman (4) 

24 - Speaking many 

24 - Speaking many languages (8) 

languages (8) 

CODEWORD 

19 

Down 

DOWN 

1 - Close by (4) 

1 - Close by (4) 

2 - Palest (7) 

2 - Palest (7) 

3 - Detailed 

3 - Detailed 

reports 

reports 

(12) 

(12) 

4 - Absolutely 4 - Absolutely (3) (3) 

6 - Musical 6 - Musical speeds speeds (5) (5) 

7 - Not long ago (8) 

7 - Not long ago (8) 

8 - Science of biological 

processes (12) 

12 - Hang with cloth (5) 

12 - Hang with cloth (5) 

13 - Alphabetical list of 

terms 16 (8) - Critical (7) 

16 - Critical (7) 

18 - Crave; desire (5) 

18 - Crave; desire (5) 

19 - Proofreader's mark 

8 - Science of biological processes (12) 

13 - Alphabetical list of terms (8) 

19 - Proofreader's mark meaning 'let it stand' (4) 

21 - Self-esteem (3) 

meaning 'let it stand' (4) 

21 - Self-esteem (3) 

19 18 16 12 6 16 10 9 17 25 22 25 

11 22 14 16 9 2 

16 23 13 19 6 15 13 17 9 19 11 16 

26 26 14 16 25 10 

16 10 11 13 3 19 17 9 17 

10 14 26 19 14 18 9 25 16 8 

14 21 13 25 

7 17 21 1 19 22 26 16 17 9 

6 16 11 20 19 17 8 16 18 

14 8 16 2 17 4 

5 8 16 10 20 19 18 14 26 19 16 13 

16 7 11 10 5 10 

17 16 16 17 9 16 18 26 16 18 11 24 

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 

K L Y 

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 SEA SUNDAY 

14 July brings us Sea Sunday, the day 

when Christian churches remember, pray 

and give thanks for the more than 1.5 

million merchant seafarers worldwide. If 

seafarers seem irrelevant to your daily life, 

think again: 80% of everything you buy in 

the shops comes to you by sea. Merchant 

seafarers quite literally keep our global 

economy afloat. Yet it is a tough life, far 

from loved ones. Merchant ships are harsh 

working environments, never mind the 

threat of piracy or even shipwreck. 

To help the seafarers, a worldwide 

network of port chaplains has sprung up. 

They offer hospitality and friendship, as 

well as practical, emotional and spiritual 

support, providing almost a ‘home from 

home’ in hundreds of ports, in more than 

50 countries. You might wish to support 

one of these three well-known societies: 

The Mission to Seafarers (Anglican), The 

Apostolate of the Sea (Roman Catholic), and 

The Sailors’ Society (inter-denominational). 

JULY 

SEA 

PORT 

PRAY 

GIVE 

THANKS 

MERCHANT 

SEAFARERS 

DAILY 

SHOPS 

ECONOMY 

AFLOAT 

HARSH 

WORKING 

PIRACY 

SHIPWRECK 

ENVIRONMENTS 

HUNDREDS 

GLOBAL 

CHAPLAINS 

HOSPITALITY 

FRIENDSHIP 

PRACTICAL 

REMEMBER 

SUNDAY 

CODEWORD 

P A R E D R E P O S E D 

A E O E P X 

S L C D B A S I N 

S T O C K A D E Q L 

P A E E L U R E S 

O R D E R I N G E H 

R S S O N R 

T J D E S C R I B E 

S P R A Y L E T D 

L C R E V A M P E D 

G A W K Y V N I E 

Z E E I C R 

F A C T I O N C A K E S 

SUDOKU 

WORDSEARCH 

BIBLE CROSSWORD



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CHILDREN'S PAGE 

The Parish Magazine - July/August 2024 41

42 The Parish Magazine - July/August 2024 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 

— 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 and Youth Minister: Corinne Robertson 

corinne@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298 

Churchwardens 

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

— Ruth Jeffery, ruth@jefferyfamily.net / 0797 101 8730 

Deputy Churchwardens 

— Kevin Wilson, kevinmichaelwilson@gmail.com / 0118 969 3298 

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

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 

— Richard Meehan MA ARCO 

music@sonningparish.org.uk 

Safeguarding Officer 

— Nicola Riley: nic.nige@sky.com / 0742 517 3359 

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 

St Andrew's Church Parish Website 

https://www.sonningparish.org.uk 

Advertisers' index 

ABD Construction 6 

Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society 6 

ACG Services Locksmith 40 

Active Security 30 

AMS Water Softeners 14 

Barn Store Henley 6 

Berkshire Stump Removals 40 

BHR Maintenance 40 

Big Heart Tree Care 40 

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 40 

Blue Moose 14 

Bridges Homecare Meals on Wheels 12 

Bull Inn 32 

Canon Tree Care 30 

Chole Lefroy Counselling 40 

Clark Bicknell Bignall Plumbing and Heating 

40 

Computer Frustrations 40 

Crosfields School 32 

French Horn 4 

Gardiners Home Care 32 

Good Oaks Home Care 26 

Great House Sonning 12 

Handyman and Decorating Services 40 

Handyman and Satellite TV repairs 40 

Haslams Estate Agents 2 

Hicks Group 18 

Home Stair Lifts 18 

Kingfisher Bathrooms 30 

MC Cleaning 40 

Mill at Sonning 44 

Muck & Mulch 18 

Reading Blue Coat School 14 

Richfield Flooring 16 

Sabella Home Furnishing 34 

Shiplake College 16 

Smallwood Landscaping 40 

Sonning Golf Club 16 

Sonning Scouts 32 

Studio DFP 40 

Thames Valley Water Softeners 40 

Thames Chimney Sweep 40 

The Abbey Nursery 43 

Tomalin Funerals 14 

Walker Funerals 12 

Water Softener Salt 18 

Window Cleaner 18 

The Parish Magazine: https://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 

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

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

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