The Parish Magazine December 2024

The 

Parish 

Magazine 


Parish Te 

155 

The Parish Magazine 1869 — December 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 

December 2024 — Advent to Christmas 

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 

135 DECEMBER 2O24.indd 1 13/11/2024 10:14:33

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




Parish Te 

The Parish Magazine 1869 — December 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 December 2024 

THE VICAR'S LETTER, 5 

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD 

— Advent Sunday Family Service, 7 

— Candlelit Carol Service, 7 

— Sunday 29 December, 7 

— For your prayers, 7 

— Diary dates, 7 

— Christmas Crib Service, 7 

— STAY, 8-9 

— Why I am a Christian, 10-11 

— Toys and Teens Appeal, 11 

— Father who?, 13 

— From the editor's desk, 13 

— The Persecuted Church, 15 

FEATURES 

— Three Christmas questions, 17 

— Claude's Christmas past, 19 

— TV licence rules, 20 

— Christmas thoughts, 20 

— Sonning's Saint, 21 

— Christmas parish events, 22-23 

— 1914-18 is never forgotten, 24 

around the villages 

— WI Glebe 60th anniversary, 25 

— Christmas sacks, 25 

— Pumpkins and Halloween, 25 

— Young football players wanted, 25 

— Remembering 2024, 27 

— RNLI wants muscians, 27 

HOME AND GARDEN 

— A foot in the garden, 28 

— Robins, 29 

HISTORY 

— Was it really?, 29 

THE SCIENCES 

— Five trillion cells, 37 

THE Christmas quiz 

— Questions and answers, 33 

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER 

The 

Parish 


December 2024 — Advent to Christmas 

155 

The Christmas tree in 

St Andrew's Church 

Picture: Keith Hawkins 

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 January 2025 

issue of The Parish Magazine is: 

Friday 6 December 

at 12 noon 

Recent issues of The Parish Magazine 

can also be read online at 

https://theparishmagazine.co.uk 

For access to The Parish Magazine 

archives which holds copies of the 

magazine from 1869, please contact: 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

YEARS 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY 

The Parish Magazine — December 2024 3 

Services in 

St Andrew's 

Church Sonning 

Advent Sunday 1 December 

— 8.00am Holy Communion 

— 10.30am Family Toy Service 

— 4.00pm Advent Carol Service 

Second Sunday of Advent 

8 December 


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 

— 6.00pm Beer & Carols at the Bull 

Third Sunday of Advent 



— 10.30am Family Communion 

— 3.00pm Messy Christmas 

— 5pm Traditional Service of Nine 

Lessons and Carols 

Fourth Sunday of Advent 



— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 

Christmas Eve 23 December 

— 4.00pm Crib Service 

— 11.00 pm Midnight Mass 

Christmas Day 

10.30am Parish Eucharist 

First Sunday of Christmas 

Sunday 29 December 

— 10.30am Parish Eucharist 

(Please note: No Parish Communion 

at 8.00am or Sunday at Six) 

FASHION 

— Anything goes comfortably, 34 

THE ARTS 

— The Incarnation, 35 

— Christmas Book Reviews, 35-37 

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 

From the Registers 

WEDDINGS 

— Saturday 26 October, Timothy 

Robert Edwards and Lucy Alice 

Beer 

FUNERALS 

— Friday 11 October, Kaicy Rekai 

Zelden Brown, burial in the 

churchyard 

— Wednesday 23 October, Christina 

Mary Fincham, interment of 

ashes in the churchyard 

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, 

One of the most prominent British painters of the Victorian era was 

Holman Hunt. He lived for a time on Thames Street in Sonning and 

frequented the Bull Inn. He was also often to be seen sat at the lock 

chatting with friends. His most famous work is ‘Light of the world’. 

It was based on the depiction of Jesus from John’s Revelation, where 

Jesus says 'Behold I stand at the door and knock.' Jesus is portrayed, 

standing outside a door, holding a lantern, waiting to come in. 

Deliberately, no handle is to be seen on the door, for only the 

individual inside can open the door of their heart. The clear message is 

that Jesus will never impose himself. He waits to be welcomed. 

The original painting is hung in Keble College, Oxford, and when they 

started to charge people to see it, Hunt decided to make a larger version 

for St Paul’s Cathedral. 

Many years later, the painting went to be cleaned and when the 

restorer removed the frame, there in script at the bottom, painted by the 

artist, was this prayer: 'Forgive me Lord Jesus that I kept you waiting so long'. 

I read of this in an extraordinary book, 'Amazed by Jesus’ by Simon 

Ponsonby, that Westy lent me recently. 

I was so taken by it that we have bought the adult Confirmation 

candidates a copy. I have never read a Christian book quite like it; a real 

page turner. He brings Jesus of Nazareth to life and there was a sense 

that Jesus was brought near as I read it in one afternoon. 

As Advent begins and we await the celebration of Christ’s coming at 

Christmas, I recommend this book as a means of drawing closer to the 

Saviour. For most people, at best, there is only a passing encounter with 

Christ during this season: that is if he isn’t completely eclipsed by Santa 

and tinsel. Yet Simon writes, 'To truly encounter Jesus is to be knocked 

sideways, astonished, overwhelmed. Mild interest means you have not met him.' 

JESUS AWARENESS MONTH 

I understand that it was decided, by whomever, that November was to 

be an ‘Islamaphobia awareness month’. I have written before of my feelings 

on this seemingly endless creation of new awareness days, weeks and 

even months. Call me a cynic, but I question some of the motivations of 

those who push these causes, and wonder if they achieve much at all. 

No matter. If you can’t beat them, join them. So, I hereby declare the 

month of December 'Jesus awareness month'. 

The Lord of history has knocked on the doors of all our hearts. How 

long will we keep him waiting? 

C S Lewis, another fine Christian writer from the last century, wrote in 

his book ‘Mere Christianity’, something that makes perfect sense to me: 

'I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people 

often say about him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I 

don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man 

who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a 

great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man 

who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the devil of hell. You must 

make your choice. 

Either this man was, and is, the son of God, or else a madman or something 

worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a 

demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come 

with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has 

not left that open to us. He did not intend to.' 

St Paul's Cathedral version of 'Light of the 

World' by William Holman Hunt, 

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 

O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord! 

Warm wishes, Jamie 


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the parish noticeboard — 1 

Advent Sunday 1 December Family Service 

We shall hold our Toy Service at 10.30am where we collect 

new toys, games and books for the Reading Family Aid 

project. (More details about this project are on page 11.) 

St Nicholas will be there to receive the gifts and the 

parish Christmas tree lights will be switched on. 

Candlelit Advent Carol Service 

This year's Candle Lit Advent Carol Service will be on 

Sunday 1 December at 4.00pm and will be followed by a 

tea in The Ark 


Please note that the only service in St Andrew’s on this 

day will be a Parish Eucharist at 10.30am. There will be no 

8.00am service or Sunday at Six. 


For your Prayers in 

December 

— Those recently Confirmed in 

the parish 

— Crisis at Christmas and the 

Salvation Army’s work with the 

homeless 

— Reading Family Aid 'Toys 

and Teens' Christmas Appeal 

— For the hostages still in 

captivity in Gaza 

Cheeese, Dreamstime.com 

Diary Dates 

Advent Sunday 


Family Service at 10.30am 

Collection of gifts for 

Reading Family Aid (see 

page 11) 

Candlelit Advent Carol 

Service at 4pm 


Beers and Christmas Carols 

at the Bull Inn, Sonning at 

6.00pm 

Tuesday 10 December 

at 12.00 noon 

Rendezvous Christmas 

Lunch — please note 

this will be the only 

Rendezvous in December 


Messy Christmas in The 

Ark at St Andrew's Church 

Sonning at 3.00pm 

Traditional Christmastide 

service of Nine Lessons 

and Carols at 5.00pm 

followed by wine and 

mince pies 

Christmas Eve 


Children's Crib Service at 

4.00pm 

Midnight Mass at 11.00pm 

Christmas Day 

Parish Eucharist at 

10.30am. Children, bring a 

toy to show the vicar! 

Anatoliy Sadovskiy, dreamstime.com 



24 December 2024 at 4.00pm 

St Andrew's Church Sonning 

Everyone welcome! 

Children may come dressed as 

Nativity characters. 

For more information contact Corinne, Youth and 

Children's Minister on corinne@sonningparish.org.uk 


8 The Parish Magazine — December 2024 


St Andrew's Youth 

Westy 

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 October Half Term 

During half term we invited all the local young people 

for four days of fun: a scavenger hunt around Sonning, 

a ‘Give Back’ day of food bank shopping, a day at 

Thorpe Park and a light party. 

The scavenger hunt saw five teams working out 30 

clues around Sonning village. There were prizes for 

quickest time and most clues found. One young person 

said: 'That was amazing, we had so much fun, please can 

we do it again.' We also took 10 young people to buy 

food for families who are less well off. This feels like 

such an honour to be able to do. 

One day, the young people chose to go to Thorpe 

Park — it's like it’s my second home! And we ended 

the week with a light party celebrating Jesus being the 

light of the world — darkness cannot overcome light 

STAY for Youth Alpha 

Youth Alpha is a course that introduces the Christian 

faith as some young people prepare for baptism and 

confirmation in November. It runs on Friday nights 

after youth club. Many of the young people asked deep 

questions about life and faith. Many of them hadn’t 

read the Bible so we bought them one each and the 

young people found it to be a safe space to think and 

ponder some of life’s big questions with their friends. 

STAY on Friday 

Our weekly STAY on Friday youth club continues to 

be a fun and safe space for teenagers to gather and 

enjoy their Friday evenings. We continue to have 

new young people joining each week for our weekly 

‘term time only’ youth club that runs all year. On the 

fourth Friday we welcome year 6’s to help with their 

transition to year 7. We have lots of games, sports, 

crafts, baking, consoles, board games and more. We 

always end with a final thought where everyone stops 

to think about a deeper question in life. 

STAY on Sunday 

STAY on Sunday youth group now meets every Sunday 

at 10.30am in The Ark, apart from the first Sunday of 

each month when we all gather in the main church for 

our family service. We follow a pattern each month of: 

1st Sunday — Family Service 

2nd Sunday — Faith and videos in The Ark 

3rd Sunday — Big games in The Ark 

4th Sunday — Card games in the Bull Inn 

5th Sunday — Faith and videos in The Ark 

STAY on Monday 

We love meeting every other Monday in the homes of the young 

people for games, conversations and deepening our faith through 

using STIR cards. The among us game continues to be a popular choice. Who 

knew? 

STAY in Schools 

We have also continued our schools work in the four local schools, through 

assemblies, prayer meetings, a Christian Union, mentoring and our brand new 

lunch club at Piggott WI. It is a safe space for students to bring any questions or 

thoughts they might have. We had 25 year 8’s come along the first week and had 

a wonderful time talking about life after death and our purpose as humans. 


Lights shining in 

the dark! 

Corinne writes: October was filled with so much light! It 

brought daylight savings, the weather has felt chillier, and 

with the clocks changing, the days have grown shorter. 

With that said, there has been so much goodness and light 

that it has felt easy to be filled with joy. One of my favourite 

Bible passages is John 1:5 'The light shines in the darkness, 

and the darkness has not overcome it.' I love the idea that 

even in the darkest of times, hope is always an option, and 

for Christians, so is our faith. 

There have been many things to be grateful for, including 

our time spent together in Sunday Club. On the second 

Sunday of the month, we talked about what it means to 

have a rich life, one where we are grateful and humble and 

live life to the fullest. 

We talked about how richness can come from doing 

things we love and being with people we love, and when we 

have an abundance, that is when we are called to give to 

others and support our community. 

SPEECHLESS 

On the theme of richness, we made a very rich chocolate 

dessert with a topping of chocolate biscuits and chocolate 

gold coins. Any snack or treat is always a hit! 

Then, on the fourth Sunday of the month, we read a 

passage in which Jesus healed a blind man. 

We had a fantastic discussion comparing Jesus's 

guidance and love like a pair of glasses, giving us clarity and 

a tool in which to live our own lives. 

The children were so insightful it actually left me and 

the other adults speechless. It is so beautiful to see their 

minds learn and grow! 

After our conversation we took turns playing a puzzle 

game in which one person was blindfolded and the rest 

guided the blindfolded person through a maze of red and 

green coloured paper, guiding them to get from one end of 

the maze to the other, making sure the person only stepped 

on the green pieces of paper. 

GLOWING LIGHTS 

At Messy Church, our theme was 'Light for the World' 

and we had many crafts and activities focussing on light. 

One of the children's favourite activities was creating their 

own lanterns with windows cut of the cardboard and then 

decorating them with coloured tissue paper. 

We loved seeing the colours shine brightly, lit up by 

battery-powered LED tea light candles. 

On the last day of October we also had our first annual 

children's light party, in which we all gathered in and 

around The Ark, decorated with brightly glowing lights. 


Corinne 

We talked about how Halloween is an opportunity to all come together and have some fun, but that instead of focussing on 

the dark and spooky nature of Halloween, we could celebrate all together at a light party and focus instead on the goodness and 

light in the world. 

We had lots of fun with competitions such as relay races, handless doughnut eating contests, apple bobbing, the flour game (in 

which you try not to let a chocolate fall into a pile of flour), as well as decorating our faces with face paint, creating some candle 

holders, and enjoying hot chocolates with squirty cream. 

Seeing the young people's faces light up with so much joy truly brought light into this dark time of year. 



the parish noticeboard — 3— 3 

Why I am a Christian 

The editor writes: In our February issue this year, Rev Jamie Taylor wrote: On the first Sunday of Lent, I shall vacate the pulpit 

for five Sundays and, instead, I have asked five members of the congregation to speak to the subject, 'Why I am a Christian'. 

They are a varied group, at different stages of their Christian journey and I believe this could be a helpful process for us all on 

our own journeys. While listening to the first talk an idea came into my mind that the subject could form the basis of a series 

of articles for this magazine. The first was published in April and we have, so far, published seven articles that tell the story of 

how, and why, different members of St Andrew's Church Sonning are Christians. Below are some short, edited, extracts from 

the published articles which all appear on page 10 of the relevant monthly issue. 

ONGOING ENCOUNTER 

Leslie Stephen wrote in April: For 

me being a Christian, means that 

I should constantly try to look at 

how my thinking and my actions are 

informed by Jesus’s teaching and 

how I can try to reflect this in my 

daily life and the work. 

I believe that I am a Christian 

because my faith is an ongoing 

encounter with God that gives me joy 

and hope for the future and where I 

never feel alone facing the ups and 

downs of life. 

A hymn that gives me great 

comfort is 'Be Still my Soul'. 

I may never understand God’s 

wisdom for things that have 

happened in my life, but I have to 

trust his will. 

These are the words of the Lord 

found in Jeremiah: 

'For I know the plans I have for you' 

declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you, 

and not to harm you, plans to give you 

hope and a future' 

I believe God, has a plan for all 

our lives, and that we need to pray 

for his direction, have patience, and 

know when it comes. 

IN OUR MIDST 

Heather Hexter wrote in May: It's 

because I have searched my heart 

through my life and always come back 

to God. In the good times and in the 

difficult times when I have asked for 

help God has been there and answered 

my prayers. I have been carried. My 

faith is simple: I believe in love, and I 

have a relationship with God through 

grace which I share through praise and 

prayer. 

The words to a worship song which 

I first heard at Spring Harvest in 1992 

sum up why I am, and why I remain, a 

Christian — 

'I believe in Jesus. I believe he is the 

Son of God. I believe that he died and rose 

again, and he paid for us all. I believe that 

he is here now. Standing in our midst — 

with the power to heal and the grace to 

forgive. 

LOVE AND INSTRUCTION 

Nigel Riley told us in June: I joined 

in with lots of the church community 

activities and services. I shared 

what had been happening and I 

continued to receive so much love 

and instruction from them. I had 

been freed completely from smoking, 

alcohol and drug use and never felt a 

need to use or take them. I felt safe 

and loved. 

My anxieties and paranoia never 

bothered me again. 

I knew I was saved and that Jesus 

was who I had been looking for. 

I was excited about the future and 

what God had planned for me, and 

wondered and prayed about how I 

could serve him. 

I studied for my degree, became 

an RE teacher and have been 

teaching for over 20 years and enjoy 

engaging young people's minds with 

the questions of life, truth, meaning 

and purpose. 

I have also loved being part of a 

number of churches throughout my 

life and enjoy serving the people in 

the congregations and communities. 

God has blessed me with a 

wonderful family and a very special 

wife, who has to cope with five males 

in our home — we have four boys! 

God continues to cause me to 

grow in faith, in loving him and 

loving the people in my life. 

I am a Christian because I need 

Jesus Christ from first to last. 

(Continued on page 11) 



SHARING 

Katherine Karalus in July/ 

August wrote: It's because others 

shared their faith, encouraged my 

faith, helped to ignite my spark 

and burn my flame brighter and, 

importantly, because I invited Jesus 

into my life and asked God to show 

me my way. 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 faith burning. 

A CHOICE 

Chris West in September told 

us: Being a Christian is not about 

belonging to a secret society and 

it is not for a chosen few. Being a 

Christian is a choice we can all make: 

— Whatever it is you need, Jesus 

has it; 

— Whatever it is you want, Jesus 

knows what is best for you 

— Whatever it is you have, Jesus 

wants you to use it for his 

kingdom and his glory. 

This is why I am a Christian! 

FEAR OF GOD 

Bob Peters wrote in October: I am 

a Christian because I fear God, in 

the sense of respecting him, obeying 

him, submitting to his discipline, 

and worshiping him. 

And because he answers our 

prayers, not always in the way that 

we want, but in a way that is always 

best for us. 

HELPED BY OTHERS 

And last month, Trish Hayes told 

us: Many people have helped me 

along the way in my faith journey 

including, friends and family who 

accepted my conversion, and an 

anonymous 'Good Samaritan' on 

Ealing Broadway Station. 

'For I am persuaded, that neither death 

nor life nor angels nor principalities, 

nor powers, nor things present, nor 

things to come, nor height nor depth, 

nor any created thing, can separate us 

from the love of God which is in Christ 

Jesus.'(Romans 8:38-39). 

That is why I am a Christian. 

How would you answer the 

question? I will be pleased to hear from 

you and share your reasons on these 

pages! — Bob Peters 

Reading Family Aid 

Toys and Teens 2024 

Christmas appeal 

During the 10.30am 

Family Service in St 

Andrew's Church on 

1 December we will 

once again support 

the Reading Family 

Aid Toys & Teens 

Christmas Appeal by 

collecting unwrapped 

gifts and cash which will be passed 

on to the organisers. 

Last year, Reading Family Aid 

provided Christmas presents to 

2,484 children in the Reading area 

who otherwise may not have received 

any gifts. 

The organisers expect the number 

of children needing support this year 

to be higher than ever, and are they 

especially in need of donations for 

older children. 

At the appeal's launch, the Mayor 

of Reading, Councillor Glenn Dennis, 

said: 'I am pleased to be launching the 

incredibly important Toys and Teens 

Appeal this year. It supports children 

from really poor backgrounds whose 


Frizzantine, dreamstime.com 

families don't have the means to provide 

them with a present at Christmas'. 

It is important to bring your 

gifts to the service in St Andrew's 

unwrapped, as this will save time 

during the sorting process by the 

Reading Family Aid organisers — it 

is better to spend the money you save 

on wrapping materials on the gifts 

and it will save the organisers the job 

of opening all the presents to check 

them before re-wrapping them again! 

If you are not sure what gift will 

be suitable you can find a wish list 

— starting at £2 — prepared by the 

organisers at: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ 

ls/3PGW0EDJO1F4M?ref_=wl_share 

Don't forget your Christmas cards! 

FoStAC 2024 

Christmas Cards are 

on sale in The Ark 

from 11.30am after 

the Sunday service 

or at other times by 

email from: 

FoStAC-Magnus@ 

outlook.com 

The Friends of St 

Andrew’s Church 

(FoStAC) are selling 

their 2024 Christmas 

Cards for £6 a pack 

of 10 cards and 

envelopes. 

This year’s design 

is a photograph taken 

by Keith Hawkins and 

features ‘The Advent 

wreath and Christmas 

Tree at Saint Andrew’s 

Church.’ 



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parish noticeboard — 5 

Father who? 

One person you are bound to run into this Christmas 

season is Father Christmas. These days he seems to 

frequent shopping malls and garden centres. If he looks 

tired, just remember that he has been around a long 

time and gone through a lot of transformations. 

Father Christmas wasn’t always the red-suited, whitebearded 

star of the retail trade that he is today. He 

began life as Nicholas, born about AD260 in Patara, an 

important port on the southern coast of Turkey. 

When his parents died and left him a fortune, Nicholas 

gave it to the poor. He became a bishop of the nearby city 

of Myra, where he almost certainly suffered persecution 

and imprisonment at the hand of the Roman Emperor 

Diocletian. 

Nicholas was a serious theologian: he was a participant 

at the First Council of Nicaea, which formulated the Creed 

that we say today. He even, reportedly, slapped another 

bishop in a squabble over the exact nature of the Trinity. 

Nicholas died in Myra about AD343, but the stories 

of his generosity and kindness were just beginning. One 

enduring tale tells of the three girls whom he rescued 

from certain prostitution by giving them gold for their 

dowries. When the father confronted him to thank him, 

Nicholas said he should thank God alone. 

In the UK, Nicholas became the basis for Father 

Christmas, who emerged in Victorian times as a jollyfaced 

bearded character. Meanwhile, Dutch and German 

settlers had taken him to America with them as Sinter 

Klaas and Sankt Niklas. 

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 

It was in America that Nicholas received his final two 

great breaks into real stardom. The first was when the Rev 

Clement C Moore, a New York Episcopal minister, turned 

from his life-work of writing a Hebrew/English lexicon, to 

write a fun poem for his children one Christmas. His ‘The 

Visit of St Nicholas’ is now universally known by its first 

line: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. 

From Clement Moore we discovered that St Nicholas is 

round and pink-cheeked and white-bearded, and that he 

travels at night with sleigh, reindeer and a sack of toys on 

his back. It was also Clement Moore who revealed that St 

Nicholas enters houses down chimneys and fills children’s 

stockings with toys and sweets. 

So how did we find out that Father Christmas wears 

red? That was the US Coca-Cola advertising campaign 

of 1931, when they finally released the latest, up-to-date 

pictures of Father Christmas — he wearing a bright red, 

fur-trimmed coat and a large belt. 

These days, it is good that Father Christmas uses 

reindeer and doesn’t have to pay for petrol! 

In order to get round all the children in the world on 

Christmas Eve, he will have to travel 221 million miles 

at an average speed of 1,279 miles a second, that's 6,395 

times the speed of sound. 

For all those of us who are already exhausted just 

rushing around getting ready for Christmas, that is a 

sobering thought. 

From the 

editor's 

desk 


Your ideas are 

always welcome 

I have just added another folder to the shelf where I keep a a 

printed copy of each of the The Parish Magazines that I have 

edited. Each folder holds a complete year, the first being 

for 2013. The latest — currently empty — folder is for 2025 

which means I have had the pleasure of producing The Parish 

Magazine for 12 years. If my mother was alive she would now 

be panicking because for her 13 was very unlucky, but the 

good news is that for me, it is no such thing, and I am looking 

forward to my 13th year as editor. 

Looking at the first issue I edited made me realise how 

much it has changed physically since then; it has more pages 

which are larger in size, and it is printed in full colour. The 

difference is even greater compared with the first issue of The 

Parish Magazine published in 1869, which is not surprising 

because the world has changed beyond recognition since the 

time Victoria was on the throne. We are now on our sixth 

monarch since her. 

GENERAL INTEREST 

The most interesting comparison is, however, that the 

content of the current magazine is more like the first issues 

published in 1869 which had a broad range of articles and 

stories designed to be of general interest, although always 

with a Christian background. 

It had always been a 'paid-for' magazine which restricted 

its circulation and over time had turned into a document 

focused on recording the events directly related to St 

Andrew's Church Sonning. In other words, it had become 

very inward looking which had the consequence that less 

than 100 copies were being printed. Today, we print and 

distribute 2,300 copies free of charge for readers each month, 

and current issues are also available to be read online at 

https://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk 

I always welcome ideas for stories and feature articles, 

and indeed, I always welcome written full length articles, 

although I can't promise that I won't edit them a little! 

I am also willing to help with the actual writing of articles 

if you feel, as I know some people do, that they are not able to 

put words on paper in a meaningful way. As a journalist I did 

this all my working life, ghost writing articles for engineers 

and business managers who, while they were excellent at 

what they did, often found it difficult to put their ideas and 

thoughts on paper, or indeed, because they did not have the 

time to do what I was being paid to do! 

While on this subject of writing, I am still welcoming 

articles for the 'Why I am a Christian' series that we started 

last April. To date, we have published seven in the series and 

judging by the 150+ people who attend St Andrew's Sonning 

services every week there is scope for many more! As always, 

I am happy to help with the writing, so please give me a call! 



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parish noticeboard — 6 

Nothing is impossible for God . . . 


THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY 

A market in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, Africa. In Africa the market is more then a place where people buy and sell something, it is 

the centre of African life. 

Lucavanzolini, dreamstime.com 

Aid and advocacy agencies joined 

together to highlight the issue 

of the persecuted church for an 

international day of prayer on the 

first Sunday of November. You can 

watch the video via the link in the 

references below. 

The Evangelical Alliance (EA) hosted 

the meeting and there were films, 

discussion, and prayer from CSW 

(Christian Solidarity Worldwide), 

Open Doors, and Release International 

on the situations in North Korea, 

Burkina Faso and Egypt respectively. 

STRONG MESSAGE 

In North Korea, any religion is 

viewed as a threat to the regime’s 

ideology, and we heard of the forced 

disappearances that take place. 

A strong message was that the 

persecuted are the ones that are going 

to be teaching the rest of us and not 

the other way around. 

One prayer for this country is that 

China would stop illegally repatriating 

North Korean refugees, returning 

them to certain danger. 

FAMILY PERSECUTION 

Egypt is the 13th most populous 

country in the world with 115 million 

people. A film told of persecution 

largely from family members in the 

case of people who have left Islam to 

follow Christ. 

Please pray for Muslim-background 

believers who are suffering because of 

their faith in Christ and pray for God’s 

protection over Christians who are illtreated 

by their own families. 

Burkina Faso has this year topped 

the global terrorism index. Last year 

2,000 people were killed by terrorists 

in Burkina Faso, an increase of twothirds 

on the previous year. 

The country jumped into Open 

Doors’ Top 50 of most persecuted 

countries for Christians (the World 

Watch List) in 2020 at number 28, 

which is quite exceptional, as usually 

countries joining that list climb up it 

gradually. 

RAPID SPREAD 

Open Doors is seeing an incredibly 

rapid spread and intensity of terrorism 

across the country. 

In Africa 16.2 million Christians 

are internally displaced due to violence 

and conflict. However the world is not 

talking about it! 

The Arise Africa campaign calls for 

awareness to be raised, and justice, 

restoration, and protection for these 

people. (This campaign petition may be 

signed at the back of St Andrew's Church). 

We should listen to the persecuted 

and find out what their needs are. 

Someone asked about how to get your 

voice heard at the political level: the 

guidance is to engage with your MP 

regarding what matters to you. 

SPECIAL ENVOY 

In the UK Government, there is a 

'Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or 

Belief'. 

This post was previously held by 

former MP Fiona Bruce (not the TV 

presenter) who lost her seat at the last 

election. 

Currently, the post is vacant. It 

would be worth writing to your MP to 

encourage the Prime Minister to make 

this appointment. 

The role serves to keep the 

government aware of issues around 

the persecution of Christians. When 

writing, tell them you pray for them 

and ask how you can pray for them. 

The strong messages from the 

Evangelical Alliance meeting were: 

'Nothing is impossible for God'. 

'Be an evangelist for the 

persecuted church!' 

EA shared some prayers from the 

Iona Community’s 'Liturgy for healing 

for an international situation': 

Lord Jesus, we place before you the 

suffering places of the world, places of 

war, of famine, of disasters, of darkness. 

Guide us in how best to respond, 

through the giving of our time, action, 

and finance. 

Give us the courage to challenge, inform 

and engage those who walk in the 

corridors of power, 

in our land and the lands 

for which we pray. 

We give thanks for the countless 

unknown witnesses who have served 

you in the darkest situations. 

Jesus Christ, who ate with the wealthy 

and provided food to the poor, enter all 

nations and bring justice, and peace. 

We pray all this in Jesus’ name. 

AMEN 

References and further reading 

IDOP Video on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/Q2GwZ05 

mHs8?si=axsrsS4BluUaZDXm 

Open Doors: What is the Arise Africa 

campaign?: https://www.opendoorsuk. 

org/news/latest-news/arise-africaexplainer/ 




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feature — 1 

Three Christmas questions . . . 

What do you do on 

Christmas Eve? 

Christmas Eve has its own customs, 

the most popular of which is going to 

Midnight Mass, or the Christ-Mas. 

This is the only Mass of the year that 

is allowed to start after sunset. 

In Catholic countries such as 

Spain, Italy and Poland, Midnight 

Mass is the most important 

church service of the entire 

Christmas season, and many people 

traditionally fast beforehand. 

In other countries, such as 

Belgium and Denmark, people dine 

during the evening, and then go on 

to the Midnight Service. 

The British are behind some 

countries when it comes to 

exchanging presents: in Germany, 

Sweden and Portugal the custom is 

to exchange on Christmas Eve. 

But the British are ahead of Serbia 

and Slovakia, where the Christmas 

tree is not even brought into the 

house and decorated until Christmas 

Eve. 

Yule logs are not so popular since 

the decline of the fireplace, but 

traditionally it was lit on Christmas 

Eve from a bit of the previous year’s 

log, and then would be burned 

non-stop until Twelfth Night (6th 

January). 

Tradition also decreed that 

any greenery such as holly, ivy or 

mistletoe must wait until Christmas 

Eve until being brought inside. 

OC Williams, Dreamstime.com 

The Christmas 

challenges . . . 

Christmas is a great time of year, 

but it’s not without its challenges! 

After one family had put up 250,000 

Christmas lights outside, they didn’t 

dare boil a kettle for fear of blowing 

the system! 

The challenge of over-indulging 

Many of us remember the episode of 

the Vicar of Dibley, where she had to 

consume four Christmas dinners! 

Christmas is a time when we 

usually eat and drink far too much 

with the average person gaining six 

pounds in weight. 

But Christmas is not simply about 

gaining weight, but losing what 

weighs us down. 

‘Cast all your anxiety on Him, 

because He cares for you.’ (1 Peter 5:7). 

Whatever your concerns or 

worries this Christmas, bring them 

to God. 

The challenge of overspending 

In the rush to buy Christmas cards, a 

woman bought a pack of 50 identical 

cards. Without reading the verse, she 

hastily signed and sent them off, but 

for one. A few days later she read the 

message: ‘This card is just to say a little 

gift is on the way.’ 

Christmas is not about getting 

into debt, but God getting us out of 

debt. 

He spent exactly what was needed 

on the first Christmas night: ‘You are 

to give him the name Jesus, because 

he will save his people from their sins.’ 

(Matthew 1:21). 

The challenge is over too quickly 

Christmas doesn’t last very long, 

yet the effect of the first Christmas 

is long-lasting. ‘For God so loved the 

world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in Him shall not 

perish but have eternal life.’ (John 3:16). 

Jesus has come to bring us life in 

all its fullness, both for now and all 

eternity. 

How do we face the challenges of 

Christmas? 

‘Yet what I can I give? I give my heart’. 


Do you believe the 

Christmas story? 

The story is told of a farmer who 

didn’t believe in Jesus. One cold, 

snowy Christmas Eve his wife was 

taking the children to a service at 

their local church, but he refused to 

go with them. 

He said: ‘Why would God lower 

himself to come to Earth as a man? 

That’s ridiculous!’ 

So, they left him at home! 

During the evening the winds grew 

stronger, and the snow turned to a 

blizzard. 

He heard a series of loud thumps 

on the window. In the field near his 

house he saw a flock of wild geese. 

They had been migrating 

south when they got caught in the 

snowstorm. 

They were lost and stranded on 

his farm, with no food or shelter. 

The man wanted to help the geese 

and so he opened the doors of the 

barn, hoping they would go inside for 

shelter. 

But the geese didn’t do anything, 

despite the man’s efforts to move 

them. 

He made a bread crumb trail 

leading to the barn and tried to shoo 

them toward the barn, but they only 

got more scared and scattered. 

Nothing he did could get them 

to go into the barn: ‘Why don’t they 

follow me?!’ 

Then he realised: ‘If only I were a 

goose and become one of them, then I 

could save them.’ 

Finally he understood the heart of 

the Christmas message. 

God has become one of us in 

Jesus. 

The eternal creator God has 

entered time and space as a baby, to 

show us who God is and how we can 

know him. 

This Christmas, let’s celebrate 

again this amazing truth that we 

have a God who knows and can meet 

our needs in Jesus. 

‘The virgin will conceive and give 

birth to a son, and they will call Him 

Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’’. 

Matthew 1:23. 




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feature — 2 

Christmas pudding and 

boneless turkey — Claude 

recalls Christmas past 

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat 

Please put a penny in the old man’s hat! 

If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do, 

If you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you! 

Well, we didn’t have a goose but, for a couple of years during 

the war, my mother used to fatten a chicken, writes Claude 

Masters. 

I don’t remember where it came from but the neighbours 

would leave us scraps in exchange for eggs. I used to go to 

the bottom of the garden, where the chicken was kept in a 

wire cage, and feed it the scraps and left overs; I sometimes 

collected the eggs. It didn’t produce all the time but we had 

some fresh eggs when it did. 

My grandfather, who lived with 

us, would slaughter it and I helped 

him. I remember chopping off the 

head, after it was dead, and helping 

him to pluck and prepare it. 

We ate it on Christmas Day along 

with fresh vegetables from the 

garden, grown by my dad. 

A POUND NOTE 

Before Christmas every year, 

my grandfather entrusted me with 

a pound note to take to school 

where I would buy eight half crown 

savings stamps, one for each of his 

grandchildren, for Christmas. 

The stamps were stuck onto a card 

and you could eventually redeem 

them. I wasn’t very good at saving 

and can’t remember what I would 

have bought. 

Desperate Dan — one of Claude's heroes 

However I used to enjoy reading 

comics, so perhaps I would have 

bought one of those. My favourites 

were the Beano and the Dandy. 

During the war, they were published 

fortnightly so you could buy the 

Dandy one week and the Beano the 

next. I particularly enjoyed reading 

about the exploits of Desperate 

Dan! 

CHRISTMAS 

My grandfather wasn’t a great 

drinker but he always bought a 

five gallon (20 pint) beer keg at 

Christmas. It was about the same 

size as the one I used when making 

my own beer. 

I don’t really remember much 

about Christmas time in the war, 

although I do remember one year 

looking forward to it so much 

that I hoped I wouldn’t die before 

Christmas came. 

However, I do remember that, on 

Christmas Eve, I put labels on the 

bedroom doors, one for my 

mum and dad’s 

bedroom, one for 

Grandad’s, and 

one for mine! 

DC Thomson en.wikipedia.org 


Claude and his wife, Barbara — and his favourite Christmas waistcoat! 

I wanted Father Christmas to 

know exactly where to come! 

I also put out a special sock but didn’t 

get very much. 

I expect that it had holly at the 

top to prickle my fingers before 

finding any gifts, as that’s what 

happened to my own children! 

When our children were younger, 

my mother-in-law cooked the 

Christmas pudding. 

Just before it came to the table, 

my father-in-law would slide silver 

sixpence coins into it — one for each 

person. 

They were all of different dates and 

each date related to a specific amount 

of money that he would pay to buy 

them back. Probably not very hygienic, 

but a favourite family tradition! 

Many years later, when I was 

church warden for St Bart’s and at 

St Luke’s, we invited members of 

the congregations — often foreign 

university students or older people 

who would have been on their own — 

to join us for Christmas lunch. 

For some years, I prepared the 

turkey by cutting out all the bones and 

then stuffed it into shape with sausage 

meat so it still looked like a turkey. 

A friend who taught cookery was so 

impressed that she asked me to show 

her how I did it! It was so much easier 

to cut and less messy on the day! 

Although I am less active now, I still 

look forward to Christmas with my 

children and grandchildren. 



feature — 3 

TV licence rules updated . . . 

David Pickup, a solicitor, explains what is legal for you to watch on TV 

Imagine something unlikely! There 

is one television programme the 

whole family enjoy, but everyone 

watches it differently. 

So, you are resting upstairs and 

watching it on the portable set in 

the bedroom. Your partner is still at 

work and watching it on a laptop in 

the office. Your son is at university 

and watching it on his computer 

live. Your daughter who lives with 

you is on the train coming home 

from a short holiday loaded with 

dirty clothes and using her mobile 

phone to see the programme. Your 

neighbour does not have a television 

and listens to highlights on the 

radio. A happy typical family scene! 

You are covered if you have a 

television licence as it includes the 

whole house. If you have let out a 

part of your house on a separate 

tenancy, the tenant needs a separate 

licence. 

Your student son must have 

his own TV licence if he watches 

or records programmes as they 

are being shown on TV or live on 

an online TV service, download or 

watch BBC programmes on iPlayer. If 

he shares a house, then one licence is 

sufficient for the house. 

Your partner needs a separate TV 

Licence for the office if he watches 

live on an office phone, tablet or 

computer. 

Staff or customers do not need a 

licence if they watch live TV at the 

business address using their own 

Mladen Zivkovic, dreamstime.com 

device, if it is not plugged into the 

mains, and there is a TV Licence at 

their home address. 

Your daughter is covered by your 

home licence. The neighbour does not 

need a licence to listen to the radio. 

The law changed at the beginning 

of September. You must have a TV 

Licence to download or watch BBC 

programmes on iPlayer – live, catch 

up or on demand. If you already 

have a TV Licence, you are already 

covered. 

As always this is a guide and if in 

doubt get advice. The TV Licensing 

website has some very clear and 

helpful advice and a set of FAQs. 

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/ 

And here's another of David Pickup's Christmas thoughts . . . 

What's in your Christmas pudding this year? 

There is a tradition, which dates from the Middle Ages, of putting silver coins 

into Christmas puddings. The first coins used were a silver farthing or penny. 

After World War One, it became a threepenny bit and then a sixpence. Finding 

one was supposed to bring you good fortune, but probably it was more likely to 

break a tooth as you bit into the pudding. 

We now pay for most things with plastic or by tapping a mobile telephone. 

In future, will people put old credit cards or phones in their Christmas 

pudding? I hope not. 

Other coins ‘appear’ at this time of year. Chocolate coins are traditionally 

given to children at Christmas time, and in Jewish tradition during Hanukkah. 

It is said that one night Saint Nicholas climbed on a roof and threw a purse of 

money down a chimney. It landed in a pair of stockings that a little girl had 

hung up to dry. Good throw! 

What type of card 

person are you? 

The time to send and receive 

Christmas cards has come round 

again. It's also time for our annual 

shock at the cost of a coloured card, 

and disbelief at what the Post Office 

intends to charge us to deliver them! 

It seems there are three kinds of 

people when it comes to Christmas 

cards: the total abstainers, the total 

givers and the selective givers. 

Abstainers write ‘Happy Christmas 

everyone’ on Facebook, and consider 

the job well done. 

Total givers spend a fortune on 

cards and stamps and send them to 

everyone they know. 

Selective givers try to cut corners, 

but then cannot remember who 

sent who what, and as the cards 

pour through their door, spend time 

worrying. 

However you do it, it is good to 

stay in yearly touch with your widest 

circle of friends and family. 

Proverbs points out that: 

‘Like cold water to a thirsty soul, 

so is good news from a far country.’ 

Proverbs 25:25. 

Your loved ones will enjoy hearing 

from you! 

How much will you 

spend this Christmas? 

You will probably spend about 

£600 during this festive period — 

what with Christmas gifts, food, 

decorations, socialising and travel. 

Over half your budget will go on 

gifts for others, followed by food 

and drink (18%), travel (6%), gifts for 

yourself (4%) and decorations (2%). 

About a third of us will still be 

shopping during December, though 

about 43% of us will have finished 

our shopping before Black Friday. 

We tend to spend most on our 

children, then on our partners, and 

least on our mothers-in-law. 

56% of those aged 18-24 and 

25-34 hope to receive a practical or 

essential gift this Christmas, rather 

than a luxury item. 

These figures come from the 

The Institute of Practitioners in 

Advertising's annual Christmas 

survey. 


feature — 4 

At the beginning of the 7th Century this part of 

the country was in the Kingdom of Wessex and its 

inhabitants lived as pagans, that was until about 635 

when a Christian priest called Birinus crossed the 

Channel with the intention of travelling on to the 

Midlands where no Christian preachers had ever set 

foot. But his journey was substantially delayed in 

South East England, where he found among the Saxon 

inhabitants that paganism was rife. He decided to delay 

his journey and make an unplanned stop there. 

Little is known of Birinus's early life other than he was a 

7th century Italian monk who was consecrated bishop in 

Milan by Archbishop Asterius. 

It seems that Birinus was a man who felt compelled to 

proclaim the good news of God, but for him he felt this in 

a particular way by making his mark on history. 

We are told that in 634, this led Pope Honorius to 

choose Birinus to 'sow the seeds of their Holy Faith in the 

distant lands beyond the Kingdom of the English, where no 

other had been before him'. 

Birinus set about preaching to whomever he 

encountered and he gradually became known, as did his 

message of Christ the Saviour. 

A major breakthough was made when the King of 

Wessex, Cynegils, asked Birinus for instruction in the 

Christian faith. His daughter was about to marry Oswald, 

the Christian king of Northumbria, and for political 

reasons Cynegils now also wanted to convert. 

So Birinus taught and baptised Cynegils and his 

family, and in return they gave him the Romano-British 

town of Dorchester as his see, and Birinus became the 

first Bishop of Dorchester. 

From his new ‘headquarters’, Birinus spent his last 15 

years starting several churches around Wessex.. 

Towards the end of his life Birinus dedicated a church 

at Winchester, which later became the ecclesiastical 

centre of the kingdom. There is no record of Wessex 

bishops at Dorchester after 660. 

One of the many churches inspired by Birinus is 

thought to be St Andrew's Sonning. Later he made St 

Andrew's Sonning one of the twin Cathedrals for the 

Bishop of his diocese, the other being Ramsbury, near 

Hungerford. 

It retained this status for about 150 years until, after 

several further diocesan reorganisations, Sonning became 

part of Salisbury Diocese, when it was founded in 1220. 

After another 616 years in 1836 the parish of St 

Andrew's Sonning, along with the rest of Berkshire, was 

transferred to the Oxford Diocese where it has remained 

ever since. 

One of St Andrew's Sonning legacies of being a 

cathedral was the 12th Century palace for visiting 

bishops, believed to be in the area where The Bull Hotel 

now stands. 


Birinus, a Sonning Lord of the Manor 

CHURCH BUILDER 

CATHEDRAL 

Stained glass window of Birinus at Dorchester Abbey 

StephenPaternoster, wikimedia commons 

A bronze plaque inside St Andrew's lists 11 bishops of 

Sonning who remained 'Lords of the Manor' until 1574 

when it was surrendered to Queen Elizabeth I. 

SUPREME HEAD 

When St Andrew's Church was dedicated it included 

the glazing of the windows. Between 1260 and 1620 

several extensions were built and during the latter part of 

that period, known as the Reformation, Henry VIII took 

the church, previously under the jurisdiction of the popes, 

away from Rome when he created the Church of England, 

with him as its Supreme Head. 

It was then that the worship was changed from Roman 

Catholic to Protestant. 

Perhaps Birinus’ major achievement was that he 

demonstrated that the 'obedience and faith' of the 

Christianity that he planted in South East England 

became a key part of the Britain that we have inherited 

today and, in doing so, he helped to shape British history 

for centuries to come. 

Birinus died in about 650, was buried in Dorchester 

Abbey where the stained glass window in his memory, 

(above) can be seen. Shortly after his death he was 

canonised. 

His feast day is 3 December in the Roman Catholic 

Church and Eastern Orthodox Church, although some 

churches also celebrate his feast on 5 December. 


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GIFT SERVICE 


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at 10.30 am 

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SERVICE 


at 4.00 pm 

Everyone is we 

join us as we c 

Christmas 

NINE LES 

AND CAR 

Sunday 15 Dec 

at 5.00 p 

BEER & CAROLS 

AT THE BULL 


at 6.00 pm 

MESS 

CHRIST 

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at 3.00 p 


CHILDREN'S 

is welcome to 

we celebrate 

mas 2024 

ESSONS 

AROLS 


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CRIB SERVICE 


at 4.00 pm 

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DAY PARISH 

EUCHARIST 

at 10.30 am 



around FEATURE the — 5villages — 1 

Never forgotten by their old church . . . 

Writing in the January 1919 issue of this magazine, the then vicar of Sonning, Rev Gibbs Payne Crawford, reflected on how 

St Andrew's Church supported the 1914-18 war effort. The following is a slightly edited version of his account . . . 

One of the best things we had 

was certainly the Friday War 

Communion. It was begun at the 

request of a family staying in the 

village. 

The first took place on Friday 28 

August 1914 and it was continued 

every Friday, with very few exceptions 

— mainly when it broke down for 

want of communicants — till Friday 15 

November, when it became a Eucharist 

service for the conclusion of war. It 

was, week by week, the great prayer of 

the parish about the war, and though 

attended by fewer people than we 

hoped, we felt that throughout our 

fellowship in Christ it was the prayer 

offered by the few in the name of all. 

Often it was made deeply real, by 

the presence of some who sought it in 

their day of trial. 

For many months we had a young 

wife pleading in it for her husband who 

eventually fell in battle; at another 

time we had a mother committing her 

young son in it to the care of God; now 

and then a husband and wife made 

it their parting service, or they made 

it their thanksgiving when they met 

again after the perils of the war. 

THE SOLDIERS BELL 

All through the war we had a 

mother making it her prayer for the 

safety of her dear boys in soul and 

body during the perils of campaigning. 

Sometimes lads and maidens 

made it their pledge of love to be 

kept faithful during their parting, 

and always the celebrant reading out 

one by one the names of those of the 

parish who were in the perils of war, 

while those who had made the great 

sacrifice gave a solemn reality to the 

pleading. 

Collections were always given to 

the British Red Cross Society and the 

Order of St John of Jerusalem. 

From the beginning of the war a 

bell was rung every day at noon. It was 

a call for the prayers of those at home 

on behalf of those absent on service, 

and whenever one of our men fell, the 

same bell tolled at noon to let everyone 

know that a soldier had died. It is now 

called the 'soldiers’ bell'. 

The Great War memorial plaque in St Andrew's Church Sonning 

At every Sunday service there was 

remembrance made of the war and of 

the men in it. 

At Evensong the second part 

of the usual prayers gave place, by 

permission of the Bishop, to the 

special prayers issued for the war. 

This praying varied according to the 

circumstances of the war and was 

always very real. 

Each prayer was introduced by a 

war related thought and the hush that 

filled the church while the prayer was 

said spoke of itself for the reality with 

which it was offered. 

There were sermons about the 

war — not so many as some wished, 

but more than others did. Everywhere 

that was a point in people’s minds. 

Some were only too glad to leave 

thoughts of war outside the church, 

while others felt that war was for the 

time the national life, and therefore 

that preaching should be directed 

upon it. 

In our church there was a middle 

course; war was not dragged into the 

preaching, rather it was used to voice 

people’s minds when thought of the 

war was specially prominent. 

REMEMBRANCE 

At each daily service remembrance 

was made of it in prayer, and at the 

end of Evensong, first the sailors and 

then the soldiers of our parish, each in 

a separate prayer, were committed to 

God’s care for the coming night. 

Our men will never be able to say 

that while absent they were forgotten 

in their old church. Perhaps a grateful 

remembrance of this will bring them 

back to using their church. 

Each time when news reached us of 

the death of one of our men, we held a 

short memorial service for him on the 

following Sunday evening, at which his 

family was present. 

When the man was well known 

in Sonning it was attended by a large 

number of people in the village. 

Whether common action will place 

in the church any memorial of those 

who have fallen in their country’s cause 

remains to be seen. 

COMMUNION 

Peter Rennie 

We have a church rich in its beauty, 

but it would not be difficult to find 

points at which it could be made still 

more beautiful. 

This is something of what was done 

in our church during the war. It is 

impossible to record everything. 

It is hard to say whether the war 

entered deeply into the spiritual 

consciousness of the people; whether 

it taught any to pray better, or to use 

their Communion better; and whether 

it is leaving behind it any spiritual fruit. 

Only God knows this for certain. 

LIFTED TO GOD 

No doubt it brought neighbours 

together: mutual interests in common 

war work, the sharing of each others 

anxieties and sorrows, and the one 

great cause of the Empire in which we 

were all united have undoubtedly made 

people know each other better and 

learn their mutual worth. 

And from the church we cannot 

help thinking that there went out into 

the parish through those who attended 

it some power to endure, some faith 

that lifted the war up to God. 


around the villages — 1 

arounD the villages — 1 

Happy 60th 

birthday 

for Sonning 

Glebe WI 

October for Sonning Glebe WI 

marked a major landmark in its 

history and, as you would expect, 

they celebrated it in style. 

It was 60 years ago in October 1964 

when a small group of Sonning ladies 

formed the village evening WI. 

Over the last 60 years, Sonning 

Glebe WI has been a stalwart in the 

village, planting trees, organising 

entertainment, participating in 

village events such as the 1976 

Sonning Festival and the 1977 Silver 

Jubilee festivities. 

TEA, CAKES . . . 

During this time they have served 

villagers and visitors with endless 

cups of tea and slices of cake at 

village events, as well as organising 

monthly meetings, coffee mornings, 

suppers, Scrabble, Rummikub, 

Rounders and supporting several 

charities. 

The WI drama group even 

performed at the Royal Shakespeare 

theatre in Stratford! 

. . . AND TRIFLE 

To mark the occasion they held 

a 1960's theme party in Pearson 

Hall with, as you would expect, vol 

au vents, pineapple and cheese on 

sticks, celery and cream cheese, Ritz 

crackers and of course trifle while 

being serenaded by Geraint Thomas! 

The following week the members 

celebrated in style with a splendid 

evening meal at Sonning Golf Club. 

Remarkably, they still have one of 

its founder members, Enid Harvey, 

who was at the first meeting 60 years 

ago. 

Appropriately, Enid's daughter, 

Carole Collier, is the current 

president of Sonning Glebe WI, and 

so together they were able to cut the 

delicious anniversary cake! 


Christmas sacks for Cowshed 

Members of Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh are pictured above 

holding some of the many Christmas sacks that they have sewn for the 

Cowshed charity. These will be filled with toys and Christmas goodies and 

distributed to children from families who are struggling at the moment. 

You can find out more about Inner Wheel by visiting their website at: 

https://innerwheel.co.uk/ on Facebook at: innerwheelclubofreadingmaidenerlegh 

or by emailing iwcrme@gmail.com 

The Cowshed is a charity which gives support to people of all backgrounds in 

a time of personal crisis by providing good quality cleaned and ironed clothes 

and other essentials free to anyone in need. https://www.thecowshed.org/ 

Pumpkins and Halloween 

On Sunday 27 October, The Sonning Club, which meets in Pearson Hall, held 

a pumpkin carving and Halloween event for local children. It was really well 

attended and over 15 pumpkins were carved — and a lot of fun was had, 

especially by the parents! For forthcoming event details visit: 

https://www.sonningclub.co.uk 

Young footballers wanted for AFC Charvil 

AFC (Association Football Club) Charvil is looking for young players to 

train. They meet on a Tuesday evening on the new state-of-the-art 3 G pitch 

at Berkshire County Sports Club in Sonning and are on the lookout for new 

players join their primary school age groups U6 (Year 1) — U11 (Year 6). 

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/afccharvil 




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During the past year, the Royal 

British Legion Sonning Branch 

has been remembering several 

significant events from past wars 

including: 

— The 110th anniversary of the start 

of World War I. 

— It was 80 years since D-Day. 

The Normandy Landings of 6 June 

were the largest sea borne invasion 

in history, and began the Allied 

invasion of Normandy which led to 

the liberation of France and laid the 

foundations of the Allied victory on 

the Western Front. 

— It was also 80 years since the 

Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, 

the bloodiest battle of the Italian 

Campaign, when Allied forces 

finally broke through the Germans’ 

notorious ‘Gustav Line’ and freed 

Route Six and the way to Rome. 

— 2024 was the 80th anniversary 

of the battles for Kohima and 

Imphal where, in northeast India, 

the Imperial Japanese Army was 

held off by much smaller numbers 

of British and Indian troops. In 

Kohima alone, the defenders held 

off a staggering 25 Japanese attacks 

over 14 days in appalling conditions. 

When Indian troops arrived to 

relieve the defenders, the Japanese 

encirclement was broken. Among 

the liberators was Havildar Major 

A Duck billed platypus is surprised to see a duck filled fatty puss. 

Philip Mason 


2024 was a year of Remembrance for the Royal 

British Legion 

A duck billed platypus is surprised to see a duck filled fatty puss! 

The ruins of Cassino, May 1944- a wrecked Sherman tank and Bailey bridge in the foreground, 

with Monastery Ridge and Castle Hill in the background 

War Office official photographer, Tanner (Capt), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 

Rajindar Singh Dhatt of the Royal 

Indian Army Service Corps, from the 

Punjab. 

— It also marked the 80th 

anniversary of Operation Market 

Garden in the Netherlands, when the 

Allies managed to free Eindhoven 

and Nijmegen, but failed to capture 

the bridge at Arnhem. The story is 

told in the film A Bridge too Far. 

As the Royal British Legion 

reminded us, 'While D-Day was 

fundamental to the allied victory, the 

Second World War was not won on any 

single day – or battle – and we recognise 

and pay tribute to all who served from the 

British Armed Forces, Commonwealth 

Philip Mason 

and allied nations, such as those who 

served in the Battles of Monte Cassino, 

Imphal and Kohima, Operation Market 

Garden and the Scheldt.' 

And also during the year they 

looked beyond the Second World 

War, to Kosovo and Afghanistan. 

The Legion also paid tribute to 

those who served, and currently 

serve, in Kosovo 25 years after 

the deployment of the NATO 

peacekeeping force, and those who 

served in Afghanistan — Thursday 

12 December is the 10th anniversary 

of the end of the UK's involvement in 

Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. 

RNLI seek 

muscians 

After a successful Celebration 

Supper in October, where the 

RNLI Sonning Branch was able 

to forward a profit of £2,058 to 

its headquarters, they are now 

planning a Music Night. 

It will be held in Pearson Hall, on 

Saturday 15 February. Tickets are £15 

each from David Bates on 0118 969 

7376. 

If you are a musician and would 

like to perform at this fun and 

relaxed event, please also contact 

David Bates. 




HOME AND Garden — 1 

A FOOT IN THE GARDEN 

Now for something completely different 

By Ray Puddefoot 

Take a daylight walk around your village when the 

weather is clement. Admire the evergreens and berries 

of winter in the gardens you walk past. See how many 

plants still have flowers even at this time of year. If you 

are admiring a neighbour’s garden and they see you, 

give them a merry wave and a thumbs up. For sure, 

inspiration for your own garden is all around us! 

THE DEEP WINTER 

Take time to look up at the conifers in our parks and 

gardens. The full beat of pines, cedars, giant redwoods, 

yews, firs, spruce and cypress trees gracing our landscape 

can be admired in the winter. 

Our largest regularly seen broad leaved evergreen is 

the holm oak, probably followed by the bay tree after 

which we are looking at smaller garden sized trees. Keep 

your eyes peeled for trees with coloured bark such as 

birch, acers, cherry, eucalyptus and plane trees. 

FESTIVE FLOWERS 

It always surprises me how many flowers can been seen 

over the festive period. 

Roses can often be found while viburnums tinus and 

camelias might be flowering. 

Hazel, witch hazel, its relative chimonanthus and 

mahonia can also be in flower. 

At ground level snowdrops, hellebores and cyclamen 

are welcome winter flowers occasionally accompanied by 

native primroses. 

Shrubs with coloured bark such as the dogwoods in 

red ‘westonbirt’, yellow (flaviramia) and ‘midwinter fire’ 

glowing in the low winter sun. 

In sunnier drier spots heathers and heaths can also be 

in flower during December. 

Eleagnus ‘Limelight 

Ray Puddefoot 

Mid-Winter Tasks 

— Pruning and planting are traditional winter jobs 

especially enjoyable when the sun shines. 

— Prune apples, pears, soft fruit and woody shrubs and 

roses. With roses I always cut out one old stem as low 

as possible every year. 

— Plant trees, shrubs, winter bedding like bellis, pansy, 

violets and bulbs in the garden or pots. 

— Tidy borders and lawns. 

— Weed and mulch your borders. Protect less-hardy 

plants with generous amounts of mulch around the 

base. 

Ray's December Top Tips 

— Enjoy winter foliage 

— Plant winter bedding 

— Plant trees and shrubs 

— Weed, Mulch and Tidy 

— Plan for next year 

Fruits of Euonymus Elatus 

A serene winter garden 

Ray Puddefoot 

Prostockstudio, dreamstime.com 


HOME AND Garden — 2 

Robin facts and fiction 

By Sally Churches 

Robins are always high up the 

popularity list for most people 

in the UK. In a 2015 poll, 37% of 

British people chose the robin 

as their national bird. It was 

more than three times popular 

than the barn owl, but why are 

they on the front of so many 

Christmas cards? 

Hanna Pasichnyk, 

dreamstime.com 

It probably arises from the fact that postmen in Victorian 

Britain wore red jackets and were nicknamed ‘Robins’, so 

the robin featured on the Christmas card is an emblem of 

the postman delivering the card. 

In 1861 the postmen’s uniform was changed to blue, 

but red has remained as the traditional colour of the Royal 

Mail, reflected in its vans and post boxes. 

However, there are several legends that actually link 

the robin to the Christmas story. One of these is that 

Mother Mary was worried that baby Jesus would get cold 

as the embers were dying in the fire. 

The other animals didn’t help but a plain, brown 

coloured robin assisted by flapping his wings so the 

embers glowed again. He then picked up some dry 

sticks and tossed them into the fire. As he did so a flame 

suddenly burst forth and burned the little bird’s breast a 

bright red. 

Mary praised the robin for all he had done, saying 

‘From now on, let your red breast be a blessed reminder of your 

noble deed. You will be known throughout the universe as the 

messenger of the Christ child, the true herald of Christmas… 

and you will be part of the message of Christmas until the end 

of time and will always be known as the Christmas Robin’. 

(Shortened version of that written by Henry Livingston Jr 

1748-1828, proposed uncredited author of The Night Before 

Christmas). 

Did you know? . . . 

— Male and female robins are similar in colouration. 

— Nearly 75% of robins will die before they are a 

year old, but after that their life expectancy increases. 

— Male robins exhibit highly aggressive territorial 

behaviour, many ending in fatalities. 

— In the 15th century the bird became known as Robin 

redbreast, (rather than just redbreast), when it was 

popular to give human names to familiar species. 

— Some sports organisations are nicknamed ‘The Robins’, 

typically teams whose home colours predominantly 

use red. 

— Due to artificial lighting robins will often sing at night. 

— The robin has twice been declared Britain’s national 

bird, the first time in 1960 and the second in 2015, but 

it’s not yet been made official. 

— There is an increase in robin numbers during the winter 

months with migrants from Scandinavia, Russia and 

Europe joining resident birds when the winters 

become too cold and food scarce in those places. 

— National Robin Day in the UK is on Saturday 21 

December. 


HISTORY 

Was it really? . . . 

. . . 1,750 YEARS AGO on 25 December 274 that the Roman 

Emperor Aurelian founded the cult of Sol Invictus as 

an official religion. He erected a temple and declared 25 

December a national holiday, to be known as the Feast of 

the Unconquered Sun. In 336, after the conversion of the 

Emperor Constantine, 25 December began to be celebrated by 

the church in Rome as the birthday of God’s Son. 

. . . 500 YEARS AGO on 24 December 1524 that Vasco da 

Gama, Portuguese explorer, died of malaria. He was the first 

European to reach India by sea. 

. . . 200 YEARS AGO on 21 December 1824 James Parkinson, 

British surgeon and politician, died. In 1817, he became the 

first person to describe Parkinson’s disease. 

. . . 125 YEARS AGO, on 5 December 1899 that Henry 

Tate, British sugar merchant and philanthropist, died. He 

established the Tate Gallery in London. 

. . . ALSO 125 YEARS AGO on 16 December 1899, Noel 

Coward, British playwright, composer, director, actor and 

singer, was born. His plays include Hay Fever, Private Lives, 

and Blithe Spirit. 

. . . ALSO 125 YEARS AGO on 22 December 1899, Dwight L 

Moody, famous American evangelist, died. 

. . . 80 YEARS AGO from 16 December 1944 — 16 January 

1945 that the Battle of the Bulge (Belgium) took place. 

German forces launched a surprise assault on the Allies 

in the Ardennes Forest. It was their last major counteroffensive 

operation of the war. 

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 13 December 1949 Jerusalem became 

the capital of Israel, replacing Tel Aviv. 

. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 19 December 1964 that the first 

coordinated nationwide protests against the war in Vietnam 

were held in the USA. 

. . . ALSO 60 YEARS AGO on 31 December 1964, Donald 

Campbell broke the world water speed record. He became 

the only person to break both the land speed record and the 

water speed record in the same year. 

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 5 December 1974, the last episode 

of the TV comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus was 

broadcast in the UK. It had begun in October 1969. 

. . . 40 YEARS A GO on 26 December 2004 the Indian Ocean 

earthquake and tsunami took place. A massive undersea 

earthquake caused a devastating tsunami that swamped 

coastal areas in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and East 

Africa. It killed more than 230,000 people in 14 countries. 

. . . ALSO 40 YEARS AGO on 31 December 1984 that the 

Bank of England stopped producing one pound notes. They 

remained legal tender until 1988. 



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THE SCIENCES 


Five trillion cells — and counting 

New born baby 

Savin Sorin Matei Contescu, dreamstime.com 

By Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, Church Engagement Director, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Cambridge 

After the bright beam of annunciation 

fused heaven with dark earth 

His searing sharply-focused light 

went out for a while 

eclipsed in amniotic gloom: 

His cool immensity of splendour 

His universal grace 

small-folded in a warm dim 

female space 

The above extract from Luci Shaw’s poem 'Made Flesh' 

captures something of the wonder of the moment when 

the second person of the Trinity became an embryo. 

How does a single cell turn into an infant, and what does 

that process say about us — and God? These are the 

questions that Prof Jeff Hardin, a developmental biologist, 

asks himself. Having studied theology as well as science, he 

has a unique perspective on embryonic development. 

A new-born baby is made of around five trillion cells. 

These cells come in hundreds of different types, each of 

which must be in the correct place for the child’s body to 

function properly. Every new life is the result of intricate and 

highly ordered processes. Three things must happen as an 

embryo develops. 

DRIVEN FORWARD 

The first important process is for cells to take on their 

identity as types of muscle, bone, nerves, and so on. The 

second is when each cell learns which part of the body it 

belongs to. Third, those cells are moved around to form the 

different tissues and organs. 

These three are not discrete stages, but they all happen 

at around the same time, building up gradually like the 

different aspects of a picture coming into focus. 

All three processes are driven forward by the movement 

of cells, the connections between them, and the signals they 

pass to each other. Jeff studies a sort of cellular glue which is 

involved in joining cells together. Making and breaking these 

Close-up of a human cell with nucleus glowing brightly surrounded by a 

liquid environment'. This image captures a detailed and vibrant close-up 

of a single human cell, focusing on the glowing nucleus. The cell is set 

against a watery background, illustrating complex biological structures 

and scientific exploration. 

AI generated Doberman84, dreamstime.com 

adhesions can affect how cells move and signal to each other, 

their identity in the body, how they are organised as groups, 

and ultimately their survival. This glue is found on the 

surface of cells throughout the animal kingdom, including 

the small worms Jeff’s lab studies. 

For Jeff, peering down a microscope at tiny worm 

embryos can be an act of worship. It is also an exercise in 

art appreciation as he learns to appreciate the created order. 

Understanding the complexities of development, while also 

being aware that God knows that process intimately both as 

Creator and created, fills Jeff with a profound sense of awe, 

wonder and worship. 

Does the minute scale of our early development, 

compared with the incomprehensibly vast and ancient 

universe, give us a sense of insignificance? Psalm 8 says, 

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, 

the moon and the stars that you have established; 

what are human beings that you are mindful of them, 

mortals that you care for them?” 

For Jeff and the Psalmist, such feelings can be a positive 

experience if they serve as a reminder to be humble in the 

face of a universe that is vastly complicated but also deeply 

meaningful, made by a God who loves each one of us. 

THE 



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CHRISTMAS christmas quiz 

David Pickup looks back with 20 

Christmas questions from the past ... 


1. This year was a Leap Year. Were 1900 and 2000 Leap Years? 

2. What is Whamaggedon? 

3. Alan Bates hit the headlines in January? He shares his name with a famous actor 

but why is he well known? 

4. HRH Duke of Edinburgh met a special resident at St Helena in January who had 

also met his grandparents. Who is he? 

5. A young actor, fresh out of drama school, was told by Arthur Lowe, 'don’t worry if 

there’s not a lot of lines. They’ll come. In the meantime get yourself a funny 

costume and stand near me'. Who was the actor who died this year and starred in 

this classic sitcom? 

6. Why did a family photo taken for Mothering Sunday lead to media speculation? 

7. Why did North Korean Television object to Alan Titchmarsh and his trousers? 

8. How did Matins, a black cat, get into trouble on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey 

9. Where was the Carnation Revolution 50 years ago? 

10. What product manufacturer (a byword in usefulness) announced in 2024 they 

would introduce the first bladeless version? 

11. Which Oxford Don applied unsuccessfully to be a code breaker in the 1940s? 

There was a note by his name 'keen'. 

12. Where is the Elephant and Bear Line? 

13. What is Election purdah? 

Tetiana Kidalova, dreamstime.com 

14. What was Gamblegate? 

15. 17 July was National Emoji Day. One of the most popular is known as ROTFL. What does that mean? 

16. In this year’s Olympics the Philippines gold medallist Carlos Yulo got an unusual reward and a medal. What was it? 

17. In August a north Italian city advertised for people to learn an ancient skill. The job requirements include being 18 

or over, having a high school-level education, knowing how to swim, and possessing a medical certificate that proves 

'a healthy and robust constitution'. What job was this for? 

18. What music celebrated its 200th anniversary? Liked by many and Karl Marx though 'it a solemn mass of earthly joy'? 

19. Why might you be looking forward to not looking back in anger? 

20. What types of special judges were cancelled after 147 years service and replaced electronically? 

CHRISTMAS 

RENDEZVOUS 

IN THE ARK 


12.00 noon 

Open to 

everyone of all 

ages for lunch and 

conversation 

Reserve your seat on: 

0118 969 3298 

Christmas Quiz solutions 

1. 2000 was a leap year. 1900 was not. Every 4 years is a leap year. 

2. Whamageddon is a game played during the 24 days before Christmas in 

which players try to go from 1 December to the end of Christmas Eve (24 

December) without hearing 'Last Christmas' by Wham! 

3. Alan Bates has been very active in trying to address the Post Office 

scandal. 

4. A giant tortoise. 

5. Ian Lavender, who played Pike. 

6. The photo taken by HRH Princess of Wales had been not very successfully 

altered. 

7. He was wearing American style jeans. 

8. The cat fell asleep on the Coronation throne. 

9. Portugal. 

10. Swiss Army knife. 

11. JRR Tolkein. The word 'keen' may have been a surname misspelling. 

12. Near Coventry from Nuneaton down to Royal Leamington Spa. 

13. The rule that civil servants and others will normally observe discretion 

about making new announcements or decisions that could influence voters. 

14. The allegations that some politicians took bets on when the general 

election would be when they had insider information. 

15. Roll on the floor laughing. 

16. A lifetime of free colonoscopies. 

17. Gondolier. 

18. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. 

19. The news that the group Oasis are performing again. 

20. Line judges at Wimbledon. 



FASHION BY harriet nelson 

Style + warmth = a comfortable Christmas! 

As the fashion season is already 

beginning to sparkle with festive 

decorations, I am looking forward 

to our house being filled with the 

lovely aroma of cinnamon and pine 

and festive baking, and listening 

to the corny Christmas hits once 

again. With gatherings, parties 

and family events on the horizon, 

Christmas fashion is a prominent 

topic of discussion online and in 

fashion magazines. So let's explore 

the vibrant trends and styles that 

can help you shine bright during the 

festive season. 

No conversation about winter 

fashion is complete without 

mentioning the iconic Christmas 

jumper that offers warmth and 

personality, whether it's a festive 

reindeer and snowflakes sweater or a 

more classic, comfy knit with subtle 

festive patterns. 

Pair your Christmas sweater with 

black jeans or tailored trousers for 

a comfortable chic look. This year 

consider opting for oversized styles 

or those featuring eco-friendly 

materials, aligning comfort with 

sustainabilty. 

The Christmas sweater is a perfect 

fashion stable to help you feel warm 

and comfy while participating in 

your family's Christmas traditions. 

A gorgeous dress can elevate 

your festive spirit for those special 

Christmas parties and gatherings. 

Think luxurious fabrics such as 

velvet or satin in rich jewel tones, 

such as emerald greens, deep reds, 

and royal blues, to get you in the 

Christmas mood. 

Midi and maxi lengths are 

trending, providing movement 

and style. Don't shy away from 

incorporating bold prints or sequins 

that are perfect for evening affairs. 

Any dress can be accessorised 

with gorgeous sparkling jewellery. A 

pair of knee-high boots, or elegant 

heels to complete the look. 

RELAXED CODE 

Go bold this winter season and 

dress to impress this autumn. 

Many holiday events are moving 

towards a more relaxed dress code, 

making elevated casual wear the 

ideal choice — I'm one of those 

people who want to be comfy during 

my Christmas meal! 

Whether it's jeans and a jumper, 

lounge wear or tailored trousers 

paired with a festive blouse, all 

these options of comfort and style 

for gatherings at home or casual 

outings. 

Any casual outfit can be 

transformed to make you look more 

festive. 

Start with statement pieces such 

as chunky knit scarves or beanies 

adorned with the classic pom-pom. 

A pair of sparkly earings or a festive 

clutch bag can add just the right 

amount of flair to your attire. 

And we need to remember shoes! 

I love good fluffy boots such as a pair 

of Uggs, to keep you nice an toasty 

during the day, or a pair of classic 

Doc Martens to keep the cold away 

while looking bold and stylish. 

The comfort of being at home 

during the holidays is just as 

important as looking festive. 

This year, matching holiday 

pyjamas are trending again. 

They are perfect for family photo 

shoots or cosy movie nights by the 

fire. 

Choose from soft cotton or 

flannel sets decorated with cheerful 

patterns, or consider luxurious 

lounge wear options in cashmere or 

silk blends to make your Christmas 

evenings as comfy as possible. 

Christmas fashion is all about 

expressing joy, warmth, and style 

while celebrating your personal 

Christmas day. 

Whether you opt for classic 

Christmas sweaters, elegant dresses, 

or cosy lounge wear, choosing 

pieces that make you happy and 

comfortable is vital. 

As you prepare and decorate for 

the festivities, let your wardrobe 

reflect the happy holiday season 

ahead. 

Happy Christmas! 


THE ARTS — 1 

Rev Michael Burgess continues looking at great works of music 

Capturing the heart of 

the Incarnation 

In the Middle Ages, at the end of the Christmas 

Midnight Mass, the clergy would often tell the animals’ 

version of the Nativity story and imitate the sound of 

each animal. 

The cock would crow ‘Christus natus est.’ (Christ is born). 

The cows would moo ‘Ubi?’ (Where?). The sheep would 

bleat ‘In Bethlehem.’ And the donkey would cry ‘Eamus’ 

(Let us go there). It was a way of expressing something of 

the joy and fun of the Christmas celebration. 

Commercialism, with all its trappings, has sadly made 

that fun and festivity the be all and end all of Christmas. 

We need to capture again the heart of the Incarnation, 

which is a mystery rooted in silence and wonder. The 

book of Wisdom reads: ‘For while gentle silence enveloped all 

things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, the all 

powerful Word leapt from heaven, from the royal throne.’ 

These words remind us that at Bethlehem there is 

that silence and wonder. The animals may rejoice to tell 

the good news of the Incarnation at the midnight mass, 

but at the crib they gather with the holy family and the 

shepherds. We are given no words of Mary and Joseph 

and the shepherds around the crib. 

WONDERING WORSHIP 

The mystery of what was happening seems to have 

intensified their silence. They did not know what the 

future held for this new-born child, but they did know 

that God was acting in a special way. They were like people 

standing in the faint light of the dawn, and their response 

was an expectant and wondering worship. 

It is at the heart of this month’s beautiful and moving 

setting of some words from the matins of Christmas 

morning, ‘O magnum mysterium.’ ‘O great mystery and 

wondrous sacrament, that animals should see the new-born 

Lord, lying in the manger. Blessed Virgin, whose womb was 

found worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia.’ 

The words were set by the American composer, Morten 

Lauridsen in 1994 and first performed a few days before 

Christmas in Los Angeles. Since then, it has been sung by 

choirs, both professional and amateur, around the world. 

After the opening chord, the altos introduce us to a 

motif that pervades the work. 

It is like the movement of the heart, rising in praise 

and resting in hope at the mystery of the Incarnation. The 

joy is inner and reaches a climax with Alleluia. The final 

words are that all this glory lies in a manger, where the 

animals gather. 

While the world will call us to a frenzy of doing and 

buying amid a clamour of noise and muzak. ‘O magnum 

mysterium’ invites us to step into the stable again and join 

the animals, the Holy Family and the shepherds to find a 

joy and a wonder that can nourish the soul. 

At the crib we can know ‘the silence of eternity 

interpreted by Love’ and with the choir we can respond: 

'Alleluia!' 


Book Reviews — 1 

The Moment of Truth – Reflections 

on Incarnation and Resurrection 

By Samuel Wells, Canterbury Press, 

£11.69 

Christmas, Easter, Advent and Lent, 

each focus on the central beliefs 

of Christian faith — that in the 

Incarnation, God comes among us, 

and that in the resurrection, death is 

defeated and creation is renewed. 

In this collection of seasonal 

reflections, Samuel Wells unpacks the 

substance of these key Christian doctrines, and explores 

their practical implications for living as Christians. 

Whose Promised Land? – The 

Continuing Conflict over Israel and 

Palestine 

By Colin Chapman, SPCK, £16.99 

(revised and expanded edition) 

The conflict between Israel and the 

Palestinians has profoundly affected 

the Middle East for almost 80 years, 

and shows no sign of ending. 

With two peoples claiming the 

same piece of land for different 

reasons, it remains a huge political and humanitarian 

problem. Can it ever be resolved? If so, how? These are the 

basic questions addressed in this revised and expanded 

sixth edition of Colin Chapman’s highly acclaimed book. 

Having lived and worked in the Middle East at 

various times since 1968, the author explains the roots 

of the problem and outlines the arguments of the main 

parties involved. He also explores the theme of land 

in the Old and New Testaments, discussing legitimate 

and illegitimate ways of using the Bible in relation to 

the conflict. This new and fully updated edition covers 

developments over the past 10 years, including the war 

that broke out between Israel and Hamas in October 2023. 

MORE CHRISTMAS BOOK REVIEWS ON PAGE 37 

Poetry Corner 

Forgiveness 

If our greatest need had been information, 

God would have sent us an educator. 

If our greatest need had been money, 

God would have sent us an economist. 

If our greatest need had been technology, 

God would have sent us a scientist. 

If our greatest need had been pleasure, 

God would have sent us an entertainer. 

But our greatest need was forgiveness, 

So God sent us a Saviour. (Anon) 

Very punny . . . 

What is a dentist’s favourite hymn? 

Crown him with many crowns 

What is a dentist’s second favourite hymn? 

Holy, Holy, Holy! 

How does Moses make his coffee? Hebrews it! 



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with you to ensure you receive the care and support 

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Third Sunday of the month (accept August) 

Third Sunday Third Sunday of the of month 3pm the — month (accept 4pm (accept (except August) August) 

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A different A different theme each theme month 

For more information: 

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For more For information: 

more Corinne information: 

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corinne@sonningparish.org.uk 



the church of st andrew, SERVING THE 

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THE ARTS — 2 

Book Reviews — 2 

Do Not Be Afraid - the Joy of 

Waiting in a Time of Fear 

The Archbishop of York's 

Advent Book for 2024 

By Rachel Mann, SPCK, £10.99 

These meditations tell stories of God 

waiting with us when we're in fear 

or distress; of coming — bidden or 

unbidden — to relieve our loneliness; 

of disconcerting us, desiring us and 

surprising us with joy. Most of all 

they remind us that Jesus comes into 

the world as one long waited for; as the servant who waits 

on others; as the one on whom we are called to wait. 

The Love That Moves the Sun — 

Advent hope in a time of crisis 

By Paul Dominiak, Canterbury Press, 

£10.39 

The season of Advent traditionally 

involved meditation on the four 

last things: heaven, hell, death, and 

judgement. This ancient but nearly 

lost sacred art of contemplation 

encouraged Christians to evaluate 

who they were, what they treasured 

and how they ought to live in view of 

the world to come. The Love That Moves the Sun revives this 

ancient practice and blends it with contemporary concerns 

such as climate emergency, rise of populism, racial 

injustice and economic inequality. 

Busy Family Devotional — 52 

Short Devotions from Genesis to 

Revelation 

By Lucy Rycroft, SPCK, £9.99 

The Busy Family Devotional is a 

short and simple way of leading 

your children through Scripture, 

from Genesis to Revelation. It is a 

resource that can help them grow in 

relationship with the God who 

created and loves them. Each of the 

52 devotionals include a Bible reading, 

some questions to consider, a prayer and a Bible verse to 

memorise. 

The Nativity Story 

By Juliet David, SPCK, 

£4.99 

This sturdy and colourful 

board book is just right 

for little ones starting 

to learn about Mary 

and Joseph's journey to 

Bethlehem, the shepherds 

and the wise men who 

came to meet Baby Jesus. 

It would make a good 

stocking filler. 


The Extra Special Baby — Story of 

the Christmas Promise 

By Antonia Woodward, 

SPCK, £10.99 

A long time ago, a long way away, 

some very clever men discovered an 

exciting promise! For in Bethlehem one 

night, under the quiet starry sky, an 

Extra Special Baby was born. 

This beautiful retelling of the Nativity story will take 

children back to the excitement of that very first 

Christmas night, when life on earth would change forever. 

The Shepherd Girl of Bethlehem 

— a Nativity story 

By Carey Morning, 

SPCK £5.99 

A little shepherd girl loves her father 

greatly, and adores spending time with 

him on the hillside, tending his flocks. 

But one night, he is called away and 

she can't find him. She searches high 

and low, eventually finding him at a stable in Bethlehem, 

where her journey ends with a glorious discovery. 

Wow! Christmas - Creatively explore 

stories in the Bible 

By Martha Shrimpton. 

SPCK 10.99 

Here is a well designed and colourful 

Christmas activity book for children. 

The stories cover the birth of Jesus, 

the shepherds, the journey of the 

Wise Men, and the giving of gifts. 

With each story there is a prayer, a 

craft, and a chance to act out the story, followed by a time 

for reflection, discussion, and creative praise. 

The Big Big Big Christmas - 

(That Was Also Very Small) 

By Emma Randall and Mei Shan 

Dibble, 10Publishing, £4.99 

The wonder of the Incarnation 

is told here in a fresh, funny and 

child-friendly way. 

The book offers a hilarious 

series of zany comparisons 

that get bigger and bigger until 

they help children discover just how big God is and how 

amazing it is that he became a tiny baby at Christmas. 

A Very Noisy Christmas 

By Tim Thornborough, illustrated by 

Jennifer Davison£4.99 

A fun re-telling of the Christmas 

story for young children that 

includes regular invitations to 

make some noise! It is an engaging 

interactive book for toddlers and a 

great resource for all-ages gatherings. 



PUZZLE PAGE — 1 

BIBLE CROSSWORD 

Across 

1 ‘The blind receive sight, the — walk’ (Luke 7:22) (4) 

3 Got (Philippians 3:12) (8) 

8 Leave out (Jeremiah 26:2) (4) 

9 Castigated for using dishonest scales (Hosea 12:7) (8) 

11 Weighty (1 John 5:3) (10) 

14 ‘Now the serpent was more — than any of the wild animals the 

Lord God had made’ (Genesis 3:1) (6) 

15 ‘Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot — God’ 

(Romans 8:8) (6) 

17 Because Israel lacked one of these, tools had to be sharpened 

by the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:19) (10) 

20 In his vision of the two eagles and the vine, this is how Ezekiel 

described the latter (Ezekiel 17:8) (8) 

21 Rite (anag.) (4) 

22 Nine gigs (anag.) (8) 

23 ‘The eye cannot say to the — 'I don’t need you’ 

(1 Corinthians 12:21) (4) 

Down 

1 ‘Flee for your lives! Don’t — — , and don’t stop anywhere in the 

plain!’ (Genesis 19:17) (4,4) 

2 Principal thoroughfare (Numbers 20:19) (4,4) 

4 ‘The tax collector... beat his — and said, “God have mercy on me, 

a sinner”’ (Luke 18:13) (6) 

5 ‘The zeal of the Lord Almighty will — this’ (2 Kings 19:31) (10) 

6 ‘The day of the Lord is — for all nations’ (Obadiah 15) (4) 

7 Specified day (Acts 21:26) (4) 

10 Deadly epidemic (Deuteronomy 32:24) (10) 

12 Roman Catholic church which has special ceremonial rights (8) 

13 Tied up (2 Kings 7:10) (8) 

16 In his speech to the Sanhedrin, Stephen described Moses as 

‘powerful in speech and — ’ (Acts 7:22) (6) 

18 ‘Although he did not remove the high places, — heart was fully 

committed to the Lord all his life’ (1 Kings 15:14) (4) 

19 Tribe (Deuteronomy 29:18) (4) 

Christmas Cheers Verse Search by Ralph 

S 

T 

A 

A 

C 

O 

V 

D 

A 

N 

O 

G 

O 

BA 

TI 

C 

S 

P 

R 

O 

S 

E 

C 

C 

O 

S 

I 

E 

A 

I 

H 

H 

A 

B 

I 

T 

T 

E 

R 

H 

H 

N 

U 

C 

O 

A 

C 

A 

V 

E 

I 

L 

T 

E 

E 

C 

P 

R 

A 

R 

M 

N 

L 

T 

K 

L 

U 

R 

U 

D 

E 

N 

L 

R 

E 

Ralph's ‘Christmas cheers search’ grid above contains 

the names of 30 'beverages' whose names begin: 3A, 5B, 

4C, G, 2K, 2L, 3M, 3P, R, 4S, V, W. If you find all 30 you 

will also notice that the unused letters in the grid spell 

out a relevant verse from the Good News Bible. You 

might even manage to identify the verse. Good luck, and 

God Bless! 

Write your answers here . . . 

ANSWERS TO RALPH'S NOVEMBER VERSE SEARCH 

AIRCRAFT CARRIER 

BARQUE 

CARRACK 

CATAMARAN 

CLIPPER 

CORVETTE 

CRUISER 

DESTROYER 

DHOW 

P 

U 

L 

I 

E 

C 

R 

A 

I 

O 

E 

E 

Y 

D 

V 

A 

P 

I 

S 

M 

Y 

A 

C 

E 

E 

T 

D 

H 

I 

I 

G 

K 

O 

N 

D 

U 

T 

M 

H 

R 

N 

S 

C 

D 

R 

N 

M 

I 

N 

I 

I 

A 

T 

P 

A 

T 

Y 

S 

I 

D 

DINGY 

DUGOUT 

FREIGHTER 

FRIGATE 

ICEBREAKER 

LIGHTERS 

OUTRIGGER 

PEDALO 

E 

E 

A 

L 

N 

T 

O 

R 

R 

A 

L 

N 

R 

G 

W 

T 

H 

T 

E 

W 

P 

R 

B 

F 

T 

R 

U 

I 

E 

E 

S 

I 

A 

L 

O 

J 

U 

A 

E 

B 

M 

I 

K 

O 

R 

A 

M 

A 

D 

E 

I 

R 

A 

M 

R 

E 

G 

A 

L 

C 

The hidden Bible verse was from Matthew 8:24 

Good News Bible 

SUDDENLY A FIERCE STORM HIT THE LAKE 

AND THE BOAT WAS IN DANGER OF SINKING 

A 

B 

S 

I 

N 

T 

H 

E 

Y 

K 

S 

I 

H 

W 

S 

SCHOONER 

TENDER 

TRAMP 

TRAWLER 

TRIMORAN 

WHALER 

WINDJAMMER 

A 

K 

D 

O 

V 

C 

O 

C 

K 

T 

A 

I 

L 

S 

N 


PUZZLE PAGE — 2 

CROSSWORD 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

8 

9 10 

SUDOKU 


answers in the next issue 

November 

Solutions 

CROSSWORD 

11 12 

13 

14 

15 16 

17 18 

19 20 

21 22 

Across 

1 ACROSS 

- Spaces or intervals (4) 

31 -- Wonderful 

Spaces 

(8) 

or intervals (4) 

9 - Burdensome (7) 

3 - Wonderful (8) 

10 Heavy iron tool (5) 

9 - Burdensome (7) 

11 Frozen water (3) 

12 10 - Out - Heavy of fashion iron (5) tool (5) 

13 11 - Should Frozen (5) water (3) 

15 - Eg Pacific or Atlantic 12 - Out of fashion (5) 

17 - Use to one's advantage (5) 

13 - Should (5) 

18 - Research place (abbrev.) (3) 

15 - Eg Pacific or Atlantic (5) 

19 - Gold block (5) 

20 17 -- Herb Use related to one's to parsley advantage (7) (5) 

21 18 -- Propose Research a candidate place for (abbrev.) office (8) (3) 

22 - Spur on (4) 

19 - Gold block (5) 

20 - Herb related to parsley (7) 

21 - Propose a candidate for office (8) 

22 - Spur on (4) 

CODEWORD 

Down 

DOWN 1 - Exaltation (13) 

1 - Exaltation 

2 - Part of 

(13) 

(5) 

4 - Pondering (6) 

2 - Part of (5) 

5 - Having an acrid wit (5-7) 

4 - Pondering (6) 

5 - Having an acrid wit (5-7) 

6 - Puts money into a venture (7) 

7 - 50th anniversary of a major event (6,7) 

6 - Puts 8 money - Worldly (12) into a venture (7) 

14 - Mercury alloy (7) 

7 - 50th anniversary of a 

16 - Evoke (6) 

major event (6,7) 

18 - Intimate companion (5) 

8 - Worldly (12) 

14 - Mercury alloy (7) 

16 - Evoke (6) 

18 - Intimate companion (5) 

9 12 8 23 12 4 4 5 17 23 9 8 

23 15 9 18 7 26 13 

8 11 3 23 23 2 23 17 18 23 13 9 

5 9 25 23 12 9 5 

22 23 7 12 3 7 17 23 16 23 7 26 

5 20 23 15 13 6 

7 23 9 20 23 8 14 23 13 18 26 14 

10 3 7 16 26 5 

13 24 9 13 8 5 20 23 7 23 8 8 

15 24 26 17 7 19 26 

13 18 5 24 5 9 23 17 5 26 13 18 

18 8 7 12 1 12 23 

16 13 14 12 10 13 7 1 23 18 21 8 

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 

U I A 

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

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 

Father Christmas is based on St Nicholas, 

who was born in the 3rd Century in the Greek 

village of Patara, on what is today the southern 

coast of Turkey. His family were both devout 

and wealthy, and when his parents died in an 

epidemic, Nicholas decided to help people. He 

gave to the needy, the sick, the suffering, and 

was made Bishop of Myra while still a young 

man. As a bishop, he suffered in prison with 

other bishops under the emperor Diocletian’s 

persecution of Christians. 

One story of his generosity explains 

why we hang Christmas stockings over 

our mantelpieces today. There was a poor 

family with three daughters who needed 

dowries if they were to marry, and not be 

sold into slavery. Nicholas heard of their 

plight, and tossed three bags of gold into 

their home through an open window – thus 

saving the girls from a life of misery. The 

bags of gold landed in stockings or shoes 

left before the fire to dry. Hence the custom 

of children hanging out stockings – in the 

hope of attracting presents of their own from 

St Nicholas - on Christmas Eve. That is why 

three gold balls, sometimes represented as 

oranges, are one of the symbols of St Nicholas. 

FATHER 

CHRISTMAS 

NICHOLAS 

CENTURY 

STOCKINGS 

DAUGHTERS 

VILLAGE 

DEVOUT 

WEALTHY 

NEEDY 

PRISON 

EMPEROR 

FAMILY 

SUFFERING 

THREE 

MONEY 

BORN 

THIRD 

GREEK 

POOR 

SICK 

CODEWORD 

SUDOKU 

WORDSEARCH 

BIBLE CROSSWORD 




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CHILDREN'S PAGE 



42 The Parish Magazine — December 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 14 

Blue Moose 26 

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 

EDP Dental Practice 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 

Shiplake College 16 

Smallwood Landscaping 40 

Sonning Golf Club 16 

Sonning Scouts 32 

Studio DFP 40 

Thames Valley Water Softeners 6 

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: Ian and Lauren McCann 

advertising@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0776 815 1100 

— Print and Distribution: Gordon Nutbrown 

gordon@caxtonhouse.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. 

The Parish Magazine is printed in the United Kingdom by 

Sarum Graphics Ltd, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6QX 

The Parish Magazine is distributed by 

Abracadabra Leaflet Distribution Ltd, Reading RG7 1AW 

The Parish Magazine template was designed in 2012 by 

Roger Swindale rogerswindale@hotmail.co.uk 

and David Woodward david@designforprint.org 


Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement 


AB0049_The_Abbey_Little_Knellies_Ad_175x255.indd 1 06/03/2024 09:32 



Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement 

BOOKING NOW 

27 NOVEMBER 2024 - 

25 JANUARY 2025 

THE WATERWHEEL BAR 

13 FEBRUARY - 

12 APRIL 2025 

STORYTIME 

Open Wednesday - Sunday, 11am - 5pm for 

Sandwiches, Homemade Cakes & Artisan Coffee. 

Come and treat yourself to a scrumptious lunch 

in the most beautiful setting. 

On Wednesday Mornings, enjoy a magical 

experience as pre-school children are treated to 

a story and singing in the theatre, followed by 

dressing up and colouring in activities in the 

Waterwheel Bar. £6, book at Box Office. 

BOX OFFICE: (0118) 969 8000 

millatsonning.com

The Parish Magazine December 2024

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