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The Parish Magazine —February 2025 1

The

Parish

Magazine

The John King Trophy and Gold Award

Best Magazine of the Year 2018

National Parish Magazine Awards

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023

Best Content 2016, 2021

Best Editor 2019

Best Print 2018

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

February 2025 — Christingle for Candlemas

Church of St Andrew

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY


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

Church of St Andrew

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye

The Parish Magazine —February 2025 1

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 February 2025

THE VICAR'S LETTEr, 5

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD

— Christingle, 7

— STAY, 8-9

— Epiphany letter from York, 10-11

— The Cost of being Christian, 13

— St Valentine, 13

— The Persecuted Church, 15

— Creed Challenge, 15

— Bible Prayers Part 2, 16

— Keeping on the right track, 16

— From the choir benches, 17

— From the editor's desk, 17

FEATURES

— The Mill at Sonning, 19

— Claude on biscuits and bananas, 21

— Karun update, 22-23

around tHE VILLages

— Sonning School, 24-25

— Rendezvous in The Ark, 27

— Questions of dying, 27

HOME AND GARDEN, 29

— Afoot in the Garden

— The big freeze of 1955

HISTORY, 31

— St Margaret

— Was it really?

THE SCIENCES, 33

— Dr Ruth Bancewicz,

— Science is for everyone

FASHION, 35

— Valentine fashions

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER

The

Parish

Magazine

February 2025 — Christingle for Candlemas

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

Christingle images:

Powerofflowers, Dreamstime.com

Liz Nelson, St Andrew's Church

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 March 2025

issue of The Parish Magazine is:

Thursday 6 February

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

The Parish Magazine —February 2025 3

Services in

St Andrew's

Church Sonning

Candlemas Sunday 2 February

— 10.30am Christingle Service

(See page 7 for details)

— 4.00pm Evensong

Sunday 9 February

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with

STAY and Sunday Club

Sunday 16 February

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Family Communion

— 3.00pm Messy Church in The Ark

Sunday 23 February

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with

STAY and Sunday Club

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.

THE ARTS,

— Book Reviews, 36

— My first sermon, 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 4 January: John Matthew Baker and Rebekah Mary Nunn

FUNERALS

— Monday 6 January: Wyndham Llewelyn Jones, Service in St Andrew's

Church and Cremation at Reading Crematorium

— Wednesday 8 January: Stephen John Dixon, Service in St Andrew's

Church and Cremation at Reading Crematorium


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The Parish Magazine — February 2025 5

The vicar's letter

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

On 6 February it will be 72 years since Her Late Majesty, Queen

Elizabeth II, ascended to the throne. There can be little doubt that her

legacy of faithful service and duty, for over seventy years, is unrivalled,

and in looking back on her reign, we are aware just how fortunate we

have been as a nation.

Political careers rarely end with legacies being celebrated, but

occasionally a leader does come along for whom it can be said that they

left the nation in a better state than when they took power. I have views

on who this might and might not apply to, but I’m not getting into that

here!

HOT TOPIC

The word legacy is also of course used to describe the passing on of

money or property in a will. It has been a hot topic of late because of the

government’s decision to force farmers to pay inheritance tax on their

land, something that I sense we will be hearing much more about in the

coming months as the farmers ramp up their protests.

We are often being reminded to leave a legacy for all manner of

charitable causes and there is no doubt that much good work is done

because of the foresight of donors, before their deaths. In my time in

this parish, we as a church have benefited from departed parishioners’

generosity on several occasions and usually at times when we have

significant expenditure.

I am reminded of a substantial bequest from the late John Edmonds,

just at the time of our mammoth fundraising campaign for the building

of The Ark.

The latest bequest was from the late Jean Busby, for many years a

member of our choir, and we have been able to use this to pay for the

restoration work on the ancient memorial brasses between the choir

stalls. This was work we had to do but really didn’t want to have to use

church funds as the cost was around £10,000. Thanks be to God and

thank you to Jean!

HAPPY DAYS

In thinking of leaving a legacy for a charitable cause, I am reminded of

the inscription on the magnificent pipe organ at Blenheim Palace:

'In memory of happy days and as a tribute to this glorious home, we have

thy voice to speak within these walls in years to come when ours are still. '

In a similar way, leaving something in our wills for the ministry and

mission of our local church, or any other worthwhile charity, is a way

of looking to the future when our voices are still, and still being able to

make a positive contribution to society.

With warm wishes.

Jamie


6 The Parish Magazine — February 2025 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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the parish noticeboard — 1

How to make a Christingle

for our Family Service

on Sunday 2 February

You will need:

— a responsible adult to help!

— one orange

— one candle

— four cocktail sticks

— enough red ribbon to wrap round the orange

— dried fruit or sweets

— a pin

— a small piece of aluminium foil

— scissors

ASK AN ADULT to cut a thin slice off the bottom of the

orange so that it stands firmly on a flat surface, and

ask them to make a hole in the top of the orange large

enough for the candle, but don’t push the candle in yet.

Wrap the red ribbon around the middle of the orange

and fix it in position with the pin.

Cut the aluminium foil with the scissors to cover the top

of the orange and press it into the candle hole in the

centre.

Push the candle into the top of the orange where the foil

is and make sure it is held firmly in place.

Put the dried fruit or sweets on three of the cocktail

sticks, leaving the fourth one empty.

Push the cocktail sticks into the orange so they are

spaced equally around it — see the picture above.

DO NOT LIGHT THE CANDLE YET!

Bring your unlit Christingle to the St Andrew's Church

Sonning Family Service at 10.30am on Sunday 2

February and it will be lit for you — and you will be able

to eat the sweets afterwards!

Why Christingles in February?

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 7

What does your Christingle mean?

The orange represents the world that God created.

The red ribbon indicates the love and blood of

Christ.

The dried fruits and sweets are symbols of the

fruits of the earth created by God for all his people.

The four sticks represent all the people of the world.

The empty stick reminds us that not everyone has

their fair share of the food provided by God.

The lit candle symbolises Jesus, the light of the

world that shines even in the darkest corners of our

planet.

At a children's service in Marienborn, Germany, in 1747, Bishop Johannes de Watteville looked for a simple way to explain the

happiness that had come to people through Jesus, and created a symbol — the Christingle — to do this. The idea spread throughout

the world and in 1968, after John Pensom used a Christingle to raise funds for the Children's Society, it was adopted by the

charity as an fund raising event. Many churches in the UK celebrate Christingle as part of their Christmas celebrations but here in

Sonning, partly because during December our church is extremely busy with a large number of carol and Nativity services, it was

decided that a more appropriate time would be the first Sunday of February when the Church celebrates the Feast of Candlemas.

Traditionally, before mains electricity, Candlemas was a service held to bless all the candles that were to be used to light a church

throughout the coming year. During our Christingle Candlemas service a cash collection is made in aid of the Children's Society, so

as well bringing your Christingles please bring your donation for the Children's Society.


8 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

the parish noticeboard — 2

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 ON FRIDAY — DODGEBALL, COOKING AND SPORTS

We met for our weekly Friday night youth club three times in December, finishing with our Christmas party on

Friday 20 December where Year 6 also joined us. We played Christmas party games and dodgeball to end 2024 and

everyone had a blast! We will be starting back on Friday 10 January with all the usual favourite games, cooking,

sports and consoles from 6.45pm-8.15pm. Year 6 will be welcome every fourth Friday in 2025: 28 February, 28

March, 25 April, 23 May, 27 June and 18 July.

STAY ON SUNDAY — VIDEOS, SNACKS AND GAMES

Our Sunday youth group met three times in December for Christian themed videos and snacks in the upper room

(2nd Sunday), big games in The Ark with a Christian themed thought to end (3rd Sunday) and card games and a

game of dirty Santa in the bull (4th Sunday). The young people learn about the same scripture as the adults from

the CofE Lectionary to provide continuity of learning across the whole church.

STAY ON MONDAY — LEARNING MORE ABOUT CHRISTIANITY

Our two meetings in December for STAY on Monday included Christmas party games, drinks and pizza. We meet

every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month in different young people’s homes from 6.00-7.15pm. The usual format is

a game, some snacks, a video, a thought to discuss and an activity to get us thinking deeper about the Christian

faith. Every young person is welcome to STAY on Monday who wants to know a little more about the Christian

faith in a relaxed environment.

STAY IN SCHOOLS — VITAL MINISTRY

Our work in schools continues to be a vital part of our ministry at St Andrew's Church. We mentor around 35

students, we deliver assemblies across all the four local schools, we run a Christian Union (CU) at Piggott and over

December we attended as many Nativity and Carol Concerts as we could. Corinne and I also spent time in Sonning

CofE school doing a Q&A on ‘Is Christmas real?’. Finally, I had the honour of attending the Blue Coat Staff School

Christmas Lunch, which was so good!

BEER AND CAROLS — SONNING AT ITS BEST!

I want to say a huge personal thanks to everyone who made the amazing Beers & Carols so so good at the Bull Inn

in Sonning. It was only our second time of doing it and we were bowled over by its popularity. We counted around

230 people, that’s 100 more than last year. The Bull Inn staff were run off their socks, the PA team and band were

setting up and rehearsing all afternoon and the punters gave their all in the singing department. All in all, Ali

Driver summed it up best in his Sonning Buzz post : 'Sonning at its best!'

Westy: you

Corrinne:


The Parish Magazine — February 2025 9

thminister@sonningparish.org.uk / 0794 622 4106

corinne@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298

Wishing

you all

health and

happiness

in 2025

Corinne

Advent and Christmas were a busy and exciting

time for all the ministries at St Andrew's, and in

my completely biased opinion, the children and

young people had the most fun!

In addition to all the STAY activities, which I colead

with Westy, we also attended the local school's

nativity plays, carol services, and other various

Christmas parties and celebrations.

It was such fun attending and appreciating

all the hard work that the students and staff put

forth this time of year to celebrate the season and

commemorate the end of the year.

It feels like a real treat to be invited to these,

in addition to our mentoring sessions, assemblies,

and other work we do in the schools.

A TRADITIONAL . . .

As is the St Andrew's tradition, we had our crib

service on 24 December when Sunday Club, Messy

Church, and STAY came together — in reading

and in costumes — to re-tell the Christmas story,

guided by Bob Hartman's Rhyming Bible.

With room for audience participation, guided

carols with the junior choir, and lots of help from

the ministry team and volunteers at St Andrew's,

we all came together to remember the moment in

which the Word became flesh.

During Sunday Club, we spent our time

together preparing for the crib service as well as

making table decorations and party favours for the

Rendezvous Lunch Club Christmas lunch.

. . . AND A MESSY CHRISTMAS!

At Messy Church, we held our Messy Christmas

party with party games and food, carols led on the

piano beautifully by Jamie, and an opportunity for

Christmas crafts.

From all of us at St Andrew's Church, we hope

you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you

health and happiness heading into 2025.

We are so grateful for all

those who supported our children's

and young people work in any

way during 2024 and look

forward to sharing more

time together in the

coming year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


10 The Parish Magazine —February 2025

the parish noticeboard — 3

the parish noticeboard — 3

Dear Friends in Christ,

6 January 2025

Mindful of the ongoing challenges facing the Church

of England, I write to you, the clergy, lay ministers and

people of the Church of England on this Feast of the

Epiphany, trusting that with God’s guidance, we can look

to the future with great hopefulness in Christ. The Magi

came to the Christ child and their lives were re-directed.

Please join me in praying for the renewal of our church

as we come again to Christ to seek God’s way for God’s

church.

First, I want to express my deep gratitude for your

faithfulness. The unstinting witness and service of parish

churches, chaplaincies and other Christian communities

brings hope and light, embodying the message of the

Gospel, a message of peace and of new beginnings that is

needed so urgently in our world as well as our church.

The events of recent weeks, particularly the publication

of the Makin Review, have sometimes felt as though we

have been separated from the light and hope of Christ.

Reading reports of abuse, cover-ups, and institutional

failure, we are confronted with a darkness that has

harmed so many. To those who have been hurt, I offer my

deepest apologies.

These painful reports serve as a stark reminder that

victims and survivors are asking for – and deserve – more

than words of lament. They call us to action.

DEDICATION

Significant progress has been made. Every week,

thousands of parish safeguarding officers faithfully

attend to their duties in churches across England. They

are supported by over 100 professionally qualified

safeguarding staff working at both regional and national

levels. More than 20,000 clergy, lay ministers, and church

officers now undergo safeguarding training as part of

their roles. Alongside them, thousands of volunteers

who work with children and vulnerable adults complete

rigorous vetting through the Disclosure and Barring

Service. This essential safeguarding work is so important,

and I am profoundly grateful for the dedication and

commitment of all involved.

However, there is still more to do in order for us to

become a safer and more accountable church, and for our

processes to be trusted. Whether it is my decisions that

are called into question or anyone’s within the church,

An Epiphany Letter from the

Archbishop of York: Let us

commit ourselves to becoming

a Church that looks and

sounds like Jesus

our safeguarding practices must be subject to independent

oversight and scrutiny.

Consequently, the House of Bishops, the Archbishops’

Council and the other relevant National Church

Institutions are committed to leading this change and are

working with the lead bishop for safeguarding and others

on several key initiatives, including:

— Bringing forward new proposals on independent

safeguarding to the General Synod in February. This would

include models for independent oversight, scrutiny, audit, and

complaints, as well as for day-to-day operational safeguarding.

— Seeking final approval in February for new clergy conduct

measures that will strengthen the Church’s disciplinary

provisions.

— Ensuring the Church’s National Safeguarding Team

continues its work alongside Safe Spaces to provide support

for anyone wishing to raise safeguarding concerns, while also

managing the process for addressing issues raised in recent

reports.

— Reviewing the recommendations of recent reviews through

the National Safeguarding Steering Group and implementing

them with guidance from the independently chaired National

Safeguarding Panel.

— Finalising the provisions of the forthcoming Redress Scheme

so as to express in tangible ways the Church's heartfelt sorrow

and shame for the abuse survivors have suffered.

REACH OUT

I want to reach out to all people of goodwill, and

especially those who have been consistently and

courageously advocating for change in the Church of

England and invite support for these proposals.

There are other things to consider this year. We must

attend to issues around clergy wellbeing and do all that we

can to increase the stipend level.

It may also be the time to look again at clergy terms

of service to increase accountability — including that of

bishops—and possibly ask the question as to whether

clergy should become employees.


The Parish Magazine — February 2025 11

Dmitry Rukhlenko, dreamstime.com

Moreover, as we remember Archbishop Justin’s

ministry and his decision to step down as an

acknowledgement of the institutional and collective

failings of the Church he served so steadfastly, we need to

reflect deeply on what we expect from an Archbishop of

Canterbury.

It is at least four jobs wrapped into one. Spiritual

leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Spiritual

Head of the Church of England. Primate of the Province of

Canterbury. Diocesan Bishop.

We also face decisions about Living in Love and Faith

(LLF). I believe we should focus again on the things we

have in common, whatever our theological conviction on

these issues.

In this respect, I am convinced we are united in

our desire to ensure that all our churches are places of

welcome for everyone regardless of difference, but we also

live with profound disagreement about how that welcome

should be expressed towards same sex-couples.

Prayers of Love and Faith have become one option.

They are now commended for use in existing services.

Many same-sex couples in faithful, stable relationships

have benefited from this, something I welcome.

BESPOKE SERVICES

Later this year, we will consider introducing bespoke

services. With this must go provision for those who

cannot support these developments. We must, therefore,

properly honour the conscience and theological conviction

of clergy, lay ministers and churches who can’t use the

services and then develop our practice of delegated

episcopal ministry for these ministers and communities.

In this way we will have that symmetry of provision I have

always believed necessary.

But since the Makin Review itself warns how tribalism

can endanger accountability and make oversight more

difficult, we must not do this in a way that further breaks

the Body of Christ.

Working closely with Sarah, the Bishop of London,

in her role as Dean of the Province of Canterbury, for

most of the next year it falls to me to help guide the

Church of England through these challenging times. I

am hugely grateful for the affirmation and support I have

received, though I know and accept that some people have

concerns.

But aware of my own needs and shortcomings I pledge

myself to learn, and I pledge myself to do what I can to

steer through the change we need on these important

issues and to hold myself accountable, both to the

processes we have at the moment and to the new ones we

will introduce.

I invite the clergy and people of the Church of England

to do the same and in your parish and worshipping

community to pray for the stability, good governance, and

renewal of our Church.

I will then look forward to working closely with

whomever the Spirit calls to be the next Archbishop of

Canterbury.

Alongside this, I will continue the work I have been

called to in the North of England, particularly getting

on the road to teach about the way of discipleship Jesus

offers us in the prayer he taught us.

The Lord’s Prayer, the prayer of Jesus, is the prayer

that takes us right to the heart of God. It teaches us how

to live, as well as how to pray. At the moment, we need

this more than ever. Such a renewal of prayer, a new

dependence upon God and a new focus on discipleship,

living out our Christian vocation each day, will,

I believe, help us to become a simpler, humbler and

bolder church and by ‘church’ I mean here both the

universal Church, the bride of Christ and the community

of the redeemed, and the thousands of local parishes,

chaplaincies and other expressions of Christian

community that are the bedrock and lifeblood of the

Church of England.

MORE ACCOUNTABLE

Finally, in this Epiphany-tide, I am reminded that in

Christ God comes to us in the most vulnerable thing we

can imagine: a tiny, newborn child.

Let us learn from this and ensure that we are putting

the needs of the vulnerable first.

Let us commit ourselves to becoming a Church that

looks and sounds like Jesus: penitent, kind, and in tune

with the will and purposes of God, the safer and more

accountable Church I believe we are called to be.


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parish noticeboard — 5

When did you first encounter

Christianity? If it was as an adult,

then Phileas is a saint for you to

take notice of. His life shows that

truth matters, whenever you

encounter it, but is also a warning

that you need to count the cost of

becoming a Christian.

Phileas was a rich man who was born

and lived in Alexandria, Egypt at the

end of the third century, and it was

here that he first met Christians.

Being highly educated, he did

not convert instantly, but instead

studied their Gospels, and also, at

least, part of the New Testament.

Only then did he conclude that

Jesus was indeed the Son of God.

FIRM IN FAITH

It was good that Phileas had done

his research and he became firm in

his faith.

After his conversion, events came

thick and fast. In those pressured

times, the early church did not

have the luxury of long training

programmes for leaders, and so

Phileas was chosen to be bishop

of his city in the Thebaid, a desert

region of ancient Egypt.

Sadly, the new bishop hardly ever

had a chance to pastor his flock.

Soon after his consecration

at Alexandria in 303, Phileas was

arrested under the edicts of the

Roman emperor Diocletian.

He spent the next three years in

prison, deeply moved by the willing

martyrdoms of other Christians

around him.

Finally, in 306, it was Phileas’

turn. He faced the questioning of

the prefect, Maximian Culcianus. A

prefect in ancient Rome was a highranking

official or magistrate with a

variety of military and civil roles.

In a military role, prefects

commanded auxiliary troops or

served as garrison commanders.

Civil prefects were appointed

to carry out special tasks, such as

maintaining law and order in Rome,

or distributing food to the people.

Culcianus could not fathom why

Phileas, such a previously wealthy

man, had thrown his life away to

follow some, long dead — as he

assumed — carpenter from Galilee.

However, Phileas’ strength was

that he really knew what the Bible

says, and so when questioned about

Jesus’s divinity, he replied that:

'… He performed the works of God

in power and actuality… He cleansed

lepers, made the blind see, the deaf

hear, the lame walk, the dumb speak,

he drove demons from His creatures at

a command; He cured paralytics, raised

the dead to life, and performed many

other signs and wonders.'

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 13

Counting the cost of being a Christian

ARRESTED

QUESTIONING

Part of an ancient manuscript that refers to St Phileas

What about St Valentine?

Public Domain, Wikipedia

Still Culcianus urged him to save

his life, by sacrificing to the Roman

gods, but Phileas had a biblical

answer ready.

Paraphrasing St Paul, he said that

the sacrifices which God requires are:

'a pure heart, a spotless soul and

spiritual perceptions which lead to

deeds of piety and justice…'

Pressed again, he replied 'I

have reflected many times, and this

is my decision.' Phileas was led out

and beheaded and became one of

approximately 600 Christians put

to death during the persecution of

Maximian Galerius.

There are two confusing things about this day of romance and anonymous lovecards

strewn with lace, cupids and ribbon: firstly, there seems to have been two

different Valentines in the 4th Century — a priest martyred on the Flaminian

Way, under the emperor Claudius, and a bishop of Terni martyred at Rome. Neither

seems to have had any clear connection with lovers or courting couples.

So why has Valentine become the patron saint of romantic love? By Chaucer’s time

the link was assumed to be because on February 14, the birds are supposed to pair.

Or perhaps the custom of seeking a partner on St Valentine’s Day is a surviving scrap

of the old Roman Lupercalia festival, which took place in the middle of February.

One of the Roman gods honoured during this festival was Pan, the god of nature.

Another was Juno, the goddess of women and marriage. During the Lupercalia it was

a popular custom for young men to draw the name of a young unmarried woman

from a name-box. The two would then be partners or ‘sweethearts’ during the time of

the celebrations. Even modern Valentine decorations bear an ancient symbol of love

— Roman cupids with their bows and love-arrows.

There are no churches in England dedicated to Valentine, but since 1835 his relics

have been claimed by the Carmelite church in Dublin.


14 The Parish Magazine — February 2025 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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parish noticeboard — 6

Eritrea appears at number four in

Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List

of the 50 countries where Christians

experience the most extreme

persecution, up three places from

when we last discussed the country

in this column (July 2019).

It is known as the 'North Korea

of Africa' due to its intense

authoritarian government.

Christians make up around

46% of the population. Only three

Christian denominations (Eritrean

Orthodox, Roman Catholic and

Lutheran) exist in Eritrea and they

are heavily monitored.

PRISONERS OF FAITH

Outside of these, anyone who

follows Jesus is at risk.

Raids to round up 'unsanctioned'

Christians, particularly church

leaders, are commonplace.

Estimates suggest around 1,000

Eritrean Christians are in prison

although not charged with any crime.

Members of some house churches

have been in prison for more than 10

years.

Release International reports

that Christians imprisoned without

going through any formal trial

process are often locked up in

shipping containers in the desert,

which means enduring awful heat

during the daytime and freezing cold

temperatures during the night.

2025 is a year of Jubilee in the Roman Catholic Church, a year which takes

place every 25 years. It’s a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in

which people are invited to come back into a right relationship with God,

with one another, and with all of creation. This acts as a challenge for all

Christians, whatever our creed:

— How can we spend more time talking and listening to God through reading

the Bible and prayer?

— How can we grow our love for our family and friends?

— How can we make more impact at work, by demonstrating an attractive

faith to colleagues?

When Joshua led God’s people to the banks of the Jordan, ready to cross

over into the Promised Land, he said: ‘you have never been this way before’

(Joshua 3:4).

Question: When we don’t know what the future holds, how can we grow in

our relationship with God?

Answer: Keep our focus on God: The people were told to follow Noah's Ark,

symbolising God’s presence, as they crossed the river. Let’s keep our focus on

God and his word throughout this year and keep in step with where he is leads us.

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 15

THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY

Prayers are asked for a change of heart in Eritea

The US Department of State

Report on International Religious

Freedom for Eritrea (2022) says that

the government in that year arrested

individuals on the basis of religion.

It states that members of

unregistered religious groups lack the

privileges of registered groups and

that their members 'risked arrest,

mistreatment, and renunciation of

their faith as a condition of their

release.'

On 30 November 2022 the US

Secretary of State redesignated

Eritrea as a 'CPC (Country of

Particular Concern) under the 1998

International Religious Freedom Act.

Please pray for Christians in Eritrea,

Taras Vykhopen, dreamstime.com

especially those believers in prison.

Please ask the Lord to be with them

and comfort them. And please

pray for a change of heart of the

authorities who target them.

References and further reading

Open Doors World Watch List 2024

– Eritrea: https://www.opendoorsuk.

org/countries-watch/eritrea/

Release International – Eritrea:

https://releaseinternational.org/

country/eritrea/

US Department of State 2022 Report

on International Religious Freedom

– Eritrea: https://www.state.gov/

reports/2022-report-on-internationalreligious-freedom/eritrea/

A Roman Catholic Church challenge whatever your Creed

Public domain, wikipedia


16 The Parish Magazine —February 2025

parish noticeboard — 7

BIBLE PRAYERS PART TWO

Praying in your

Discouragements

By Rev Dr Herbert McGonigle

In this series we are looking at 12 prayers found in the Bible. Some prayers are for personal circumstances, others

relate to family, church or nation. In studying the prayers the emphasis is on what we can learn about prayer and how

we can be encouraged to pray more regularly, more fervently and more expectantly.

Moses said to the Lord, '… I am not

able to carry all this people alone,

the burden is too heavy for me…'

Numbers 11:10-15

Moses prayed this prayer in a day of

dark depression and discouragement.

The opening verses of the chapter

relate how divine punishment fell

on the people of Israel because they

complained about almost everything.

Moses prayed and the punishment

stopped but not the people’s

complaints. They wanted meat to eat.

For years they had been sustained

by manna from heaven, but now they

longed for the fish, cucumbers and

melons they had eaten in Egypt (5,6).

They forget how the Lord had

delivered them from Pharaoh’s

bondage.

Now they preferred Egyptian

food, and the slavery that went with

it, to the goodness of the Lord and

his provision for them.

QUESTIONS

Moses was beside himself with

despair. Would these ungrateful

people never stop complaining?

Then the Lord’s anger threatened

the people again (10). Moses was

caught in the middle.

On one side of him the people

complained, and on the other side

God’s wrath was about to fall. Moses

couldn’t go on.

His frustration broke out in

petulant questions to the Lord. ‘Why

are you dealing so severely with me?’

‘Why do you lay this burden on me?’

‘Did I conceive these people?’ ‘Why

am I a nursing mother to them?’

‘Am I responsible for getting them

to Egypt?’ ‘How can I provide meat

for so many?’ ‘Lord, this burden is

too great for me.’ ‘I’d rather die now

than go on like this’ (11-15).

Moses was depressed, irritable

and resentful. He poured it all out

before the Lord. It was a prayer born

of frustration and anger.

He was angry with his ungrateful

congregation, and he was angry with

God. Why did the Lord leave it all to

him? After all, it was God’s plan to

bring the Israelites from Egypt to

Canaan.

Moses had only gone along with

it because God commanded him. But

now it was all too much.

Worn out with listening to the

people’s whining and not sure of

what God would do next, Moses had

had enough. He blamed the Lord

for giving him a burden he couldn’t

carry, and he wanted to die.

But God answered Moses

graciously! He understood the

Thodonal, dreamstime.com

frustration, the petulance, the

lack of faith and the rebellious

spirit that blamed God for it all. He

provided Moses with 70 elders who

eased the burden of leadership (16,

17).

He sent an east wind that

brought quails into the camp and

provided meat for them (31, 32).

In grace and mercy God

‘overlooked’ the faults of Moses and

sent him help and refreshment.

In our deepest disappointments,

God understands.

In our frustrations, God is

merciful. When we lash out at

circumstances and even at God,

he does not answer in kind. In our

deepest discouragement, His love

and grace and understanding are

with us still.

Keeping on the right track?

A little over 50 years ago, I was on board a ferry crossing the Irish Sea to Rosslare

in the south-east corner of Ireland. For once the sea was calm as the ferry cut

through the water, writes Alan Rickards, Association for Church Editors.

As I looked across the bow, I couldn’t help noticing that

Peter

every

Krocka,

couple

Dreamstime.com

of minutes,

the direction we were travelling changed Flynt, very Dreamstime.com

slightly — almost imperceptibly —

first a slight deviation to the south, then maybe a minor movement to the north.

Speaking to one of the crew, I discovered that there were two beacons — one

in the south west corner of Pembrokeshire and the other near the entrance to

Rosslare Harbour. A signal passed between the two beacons creating an invisible

line. Ships would 'latch on' to this line and every minute or two, correct the

direction in which the vessel was sailing.

Watching these slight deviations in the ferry’s passage reminded me that,

according to the Bible, God guides people in the right direction through prayer:

Proverbs 3:6: Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Psalms 25:4-11: Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.

Lead me by your truth and teach me.

Is your 'ship' keeping on the right track?


parish noticeboard — 8

From the

choir benches

By Richard Meehan, director of music

St Andrew's Church Sonning

Doing our best for God

and the community

Christmas is a busy time for a great number of choirs, and

there is certainly no exception for St Andrew’s choirs, with

our calendar of duties incorporating the three big services as

well as a number of smaller ones. As we head into the cold and

drab winter months, I find it good for the soul to take stock of

the wonderful times spent together making music over the

Christmas season.

The first of our special services was the Advent Carol Service.

This focussed on the more reflective and anticipatory side of

Christmas, allowing us a moment of contemplation before the

louder and more joyful events to come.

Beginning in darkness, with the choir at the back of the

church suddenly bursting into acapella harmony with the Matin

Responses was a magical moment. The magic continued as the

congregation launched into a hearty rendition of Come, thou long

expected Jesus. This year, we were particularly proud to have our

new organ scholar, Will Luff, play for the whole service, during

which he demonstrated his increasing agility and sensitivity

at the console. This is no mean feat for anyone, particularly

someone of his age.

Our main carol service on 15 December was the traditional

Nine Lessons and Carols. It might be surprising that, at not

much over 100 years old, it is more modern than you might

think it is. A joyful element was the addition of a brass ensemble,

which blasted out exuberant fanfares over the top of the

much-loved congregational carols. There was a palpable feeling

of ‘Christmas starts here’ with a real sense of family among

the choir as we welcomed singers and players returning from

university.

SPINE-TINGLING

Adamk32321, Dreamstime.com

After what felt like weeks — it was only 10 days — the choir

led Midnight Mass. This is an important part of community life

for many in Sonning, so we worked hard to do our best for those

who might not often hear the choir. The most exciting moment

was when, in the first few minutes of Christmas day, we sing

the seventh verse of O Come All The Faithful, ‘Yea Lord, We Greet

Thee, Born This Happy Morning!’. The spine-tingling use of a halfdiminished

chord on the ‘word’ is always relished by the choir.

And then suddenly, we find ourselves in the austerity and

ascetism of January, preparing our first Evensong of the year, as

it seems the world has yet to get started. Here is where our wider

family of young people of university age home for the holidays

really came into their own. They enabled us to present some lush

choral harmonies and really committed in-the-moment singing

which moved all who heard it.

And so, we move on to the fresh challenges of 2025, with the

momentum and joy of the Christmas season at our backs, taking

time to be thankful for our choral family, and resolving to do our

best for the community, congregation and ourselves.

From

the

editor's

desk

Clapping?

The Parish Magazine —February 2025 17

When earning my living as a journalist I was in regular

contact with a number of news and picture agencies.

These were staffed by trustworthy journalists and

professional photographers but rather than writing or

taking pictures for a specific newspaper or magazine,

they fed well researched editorial information and

images to editors, for a reasonable fee, of course.

When I became editor of this magazine I was pleased to

discover there is a well respected news agency that serves

parish magazines such as this one with an excellent

selection of news and ideas for a very fair fee.

It is run by Christian journalists and has a well

established large number of different 'experts' in church

affairs who also write for them. Each month I turn to

them for topical ideas and articles, that I usually edit to

suit the aims of our magazine.

BECOMING COMMONPLACE

MutareHawk, Dreamstime.com

One of the editorial items for February magazines

struck a chord with me because it is a development I have

noticed in recent years concerning the way people act in

church, particularly with clapping, which is something

that seems to becoming commonplace.

This is mainly with people who do not attend

regularly, other than for special services such as at

Christmas, Easter, baptisms, weddings and funerals. This

is what my news agency wrote:

Some people are beginning to clap in church, if they are

pleased with something.

For tired vicars and timid curates, having a sermon greeted

with warm clapping might be an encouragement, if also a

complete surprise.

But the applauding of sermons, or applause at the end

of services, also reveals a dark side: churchgoing has now

declined to such a degree in the UK, that even the knowledge

of ‘how to behave’ in church is fading.

That leaves some people unaware that in the UK, aside

from a few ‘mega churches’ where American style singing,

dancing and clapping is the norm, applause is not something

we ‘do’ in church.

As one vicar puts it: 'I think it has to do with cultural

expectations. People are less and less familiar with acts of

worship directed to God. Instead, they have a sense of a

performance.'

I think what the vicar quoted above is saying is worth

noting, namely, that worship is directed to God, we don't

go to church to be entertained but to worship God and as

the Archbishhop of York writes in his letter on pages 10

and 11 of this issue: 'Let us commit ourselves to becoming

a church that looks and sounds like Jesus.'


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feature — 1

In 1982, my good neighbours, Zoe and

Thomas Feak, offered me some free

tickets to a show at a new theatre

that was opening in a converted flour

mill on the River Thames in Sonning,

writes Bob Peters . . .

The original mill was mentioned in

the Domesday Book and by Victorian

times its water-powered milling

machinery was still grinding out

flour for companies such as Huntley

& Palmers the well-known biscuit

makers in Reading.

However, during the 1960s the

relatively small mill at Sonning faced

competition from larger millers and it

became increasingly difficult to survive

financially.

And then, Huntley & Palmers

stopped making biscuits in Reading

forcing Sonning Mill to close in 1969.

The site stood empty for 8 years

until in 1977 it was discovered by Tim

and Eileen Richards who had, what

some people thought, the strange idea

of converting the derelict site into a

theatre restaurant.

They enlisted the help of Tim's

brother, Frank and got down to work.

Four years later The Mill at Sonning

Dinner Theatre opened. It was then

that Zoe and Thomas Feak offered me

the tickets. Zoe was very involved in

local amatuer dramatics and Thomas

was the headmaster at Sonning

School, and also played the organ in

St Andrew's Church when the regular

organist was unable to be there.

Like other local residents, Zoe and

Tom were offered complimentary

tickets and I was lucky enough to be

given one of them.

Personally, I had always enjoyed

a night out at the theatre and was in

the habit of seeing shows in London

venues although, nowadays, because of

the time and expense it takes to travel

to London, and the Covid restrictions,

my first choice is The Mill at Sonning.

In fact, the last London show I saw

was in 2012. It was called, A Sentimental

Journey, and was about the life of Doris

Day. the world famous singer, actor

and film star.

It was performed at the historic

Wilton's Music Hall in the East End

of London and was the main reason

why I no longer put up with the

uncomfortable, time-consuming and

expensive travel cost to and from

London.

Wilton's Music Hall was very dated

and in what was a tired looking part of

London, at least it was then.

The show, however, was excellent,

but the surrounding environment and

finding somewhere good to eat was

sadly lacking.

And to cap it all, the star of the

show who played Doris Day was none

other than Sally Hughes, the daughter

of Tim and Eileen Richards the

founders of the Mill at Sonning.

Following the death of her parents,

Sally, as well as being an excellent actor

and singer, became the owner and

artistic director of The Mill at Sonning!

The much acclaimed Doris Day

story had made its public debut in the

Mill at Sonning but it was only for two

weeks and had been sold out instantly!

The reason I am writing this is

that every time I have been to the Mill

at Sonning this year I have been left

with the same thought — why would

anyone want to travel to London to

see live entertainment when we have

such a high class entertainment venue

on our doorstep? The shows I have

been fortunate to see have been very

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 19

The Mill's self-serve buffet becomes history . . .

FIRST CHOICE

Roger Utting

| Dreamstime.com

THE SAME THOUGHT

Roger Utting, dreamstime.com

varied, with something for almost

everyone. For example, I enjoyed an

evening of music presented by the Born

Again Shadows, an excellent group of

musicians who are often praised by

critcs as being the best Cliff Richard

and Shadows impersonators in the

country.

Then there was a thrilling drama

called The Whistling, an excellent

version of the Calendar Girls and most

recently, White Christmas, during

which I was snowed 0n!

NEW TABLE SERVICE

As well as a wide range of shows

it is also a venue that has always

continued to improve its facilities.

Parking was sometimes a little

frustrating, but this has been radically

changed by employing a team of very

polite, but authoritative, parking

attendants who now ensure that such

hassle is a thing of the past.

Another, sometimes slightly

irriating, part of the experience has

sometimes been the inevitable queues

for the self-service meals, but this

month this will change as a new full

table service is being introduced with

a new British menu. But don't worry,

if you are like me and enjoy the Mill's

steak and ale pie followed by bread and

butter pudding then fear not, they will

still be on the menu!


20 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

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feature — 2

2025 reminds Claude of

broken biscuits and bananas!

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 21

Bozenafulawka, dreamstime.com

Biscuits: Dusan Nikolic dreamstime.com

tree © Luckypic, dreamstime.com

2025! So, a quarter of a century has gone by and it seems only yesterday

that we welcomed in the new millennium! Although, for anybody born at the

beginning of this millennium, it’s a lifetime, writes Claude Masters!

My childhood memories started

in the war but I hope that young

people today don’t have to suffer

the shortages and hardship that

we endured.

There were many food

shortages as a result of the

Second World War and shortly

afterwards too.

When I was a lad, I remember

a friend I had met in the Scouts

who lived in London. I used to

visit and stay with him and he

came to visit me. One time when

I visited him in London, I took a

bag of broken biscuits from my

aunt.

His mother was delighted as she

had not seen a biscuit since before

the war!

My Aunt Rene was my mother’s

sister and she worked at Huntley &

Palmers in Reading.

She often brought home bags of

biscuits, all broken!

We were never short!

I often wondered if the workers

in the factory made sure that there

were plenty of broken biscuits, as we

received these bags quite regularly!

I suppose that the whole biscuits

were sent to the armed forces or

maybe some were sold on the black

market.

There were some foods which

I had never eaten. I knew what a

banana looked like, as I used to look

at the adverts in shop windows, but

had never tasted one.

However, during my National

Service in Singapore, I bought a

banana from a local.

It had been picked from the wild

and was delicious! Bananas have

never been the same to me since,

because of that one.

I hope that there won’t be

another world war this century

that young people have to put up

with, and that their lives will be

full of the joys and surprises of new

experiences, and plentiful supplies

of bananas!

St St Andrew's Ark Ark

St Andrew's Ark

Third Third Sunday Sunday of the of month the month (accept (accept August) August)

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

Craft— Craft— Science Science 3pm —— — 4pmPuzzles

Stories Stories — Games — Craft— Games — Songs Science — Songs —— Celebration — Puzzles Celebration

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An afternoon A different A of different fun, theme fellowship theme each month each and month a free meal together

For A more different For information:

more theme information: each month

For Corinne more Corinne information:

corinne@sonningparish.org.uk

Corinne

Reading’s local charity caring for o


22 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

around FEATURE the — 3villages — 1

KARUN: BREAKING THE POV

The story so far . . .

In 2006 Leslie and Janet Stephen, members of the

St Andrew's Church Sonning congregation, visited

Trichy in Southern India and learned that a children's

home set up by Leslie’s father was soon to close due to

lack of funding.

Back in the UK they created a charitable trust with

David and Caroline Cotton to continue the good work

of the home, and were later joined by Steve and Lesley

Turville to create a UK Board of Trustees. Funding is

through a separate Indian Charitable Trust.

Their objective was to continue the secular grounding

of the home and to 'Break the cycle of poverty through

education' which has become the trust’s strapline.

Indian government standards are constantly

changing to improve teaching and social welfare.

Ten years ago most children were of

itinerant workers but now many more

children are local, and parents make an

active choice to send their children to

school.

One such school is Karun on the edge of

a village in Tamil Nadu, South India. It is a

project of the Breakthrough Trust (India), a

UK charity that funds educational projects

for children from poor families.

Primary school teaching is provided but

some children live in the home and attend

the village senior school.

The Karun School's campus aims to

provide a holistic learning experience for

children. As well as working closely with the

village's primary and secondary school, its

staff members also work with village leaders

to find ways to use the campus's facilities to

support the local community, for example,

by providing space for handicraft and

computer training.


The Parish Magazine — February 2025 23

ERTY CYCLE BY EDUCATION

. . . and the latest update . . .

Trustees visited Karun in the autumn last year and met staff,

students and the local community to learn about the work

that is taking place on the campus. The school is running well.

The government now provides funding for daily breakfast

and lunch, and everyone enjoyed their annual Christmas

celebration when staff and students received gifts.

The computers in the school that had been provided by Loddon

Vale Rotary Club in 2010 are now too expensive to update and

many are not functioning properly.

All primary schools in India are now required to teach basic

IT skills and there is a weekly assessment of pupils. On this visit

two new computers, and a tablet for school assessment were

purchased. A part time IT teacher has been recruited for a year

and the old computers will be replaced when funding permits.

Sewing classes for the local community continue to be very

successful. Ten women who attended the classes have secured

employment. This gives them a great sense of pride and allows

them to contribute to their family income.

In discussions with villagers it was discovered that

most applications for social and health benefits must

now be completed online.

As many do not have access to internet services or

support to do this, Karun is looking at developing such

facilities to help the whole community.

Helping disadvantaged girls and boys who wish to

study vocational courses continues to be a priority, so

the trustees visited three colleges where students are

being supported financially on Nursing and Technical

courses such as plumbing, welding and electricity.

Three of the girls are funded on a BSc nursing course

at the local nursing college, and are doing well.

One girl achieved a distinction for her year end

exams and has also been chosen to portray the students

on the cover of their magazine.

Another girl (picture: bottom right) who completed her

nursing degree last year is now employed as a nurse in a

local hospital.

TECHNICAL LINKS

Karun has a good link with the local technical college

where two of their boys are on a welding course. The

trustees were pleased to learn that that two girls are

also training to be electricians.

The trustees met a boy who had completed his

training as an electrician last year. He was very proud to

say that he got a job quickly in a big car dealership.

A boy and a girl are also being funded at the media

college on a diploma course accredited by the local

university that teaches visual editing and multimedia

sound design.

This area is rapidly growing and once students

complete the course, they can quickly find employment

and some go on to start their own business.

The Breakthrough Trustees thank everyone at

St Andrew’s for their prayers, encouragement and

continued financial support that enables them to give

children and young people a brighter future.


24 The Parish Magazine —February 2025

arounD the villages — 1

Magical Christmas as Sonning Primary School

December is always a magical time,

and this was certainly the case at

Sonning Primary School, writes

head teacher, Phil Sherwood.

Our annual nativity and carol

service, which sees the entire school

come together at St Andrew’s for

the special evening, was incredibly

well-attended.

It was also, as many family

members said, one of our best! At

the end of the service, Mrs Walton,

chair of governors spoke about the

successes of the school during the

year and thanked the school and

local community for their support.

I echoed these sentiments, and

added that Sonning Primary had

been placed in the top 1,000 schools

in the country — number 226 — in

The Sunday Times’ list. This means

that our school is in the top 0.9% of

the country.

We are certainly proud of this

achievement, and the nativity and

carol service reminded us that

our offer of excellent academic

standards and opportunities for the

pupils is something quite special.

We also thoroughly enjoyed our

annual Christmas tree decorating

event, where each pupil in the

school made a bauble to place on

our tree. This hour-long event was

filled with us all singing Christmas

classics and even some dancing

from staff!

Earlier in the term Year 5 (Maple

class) pupils visited The Mill at

Sonning, where they heard from

some of The Mill’s staff about life

in theatre and were able to perform

their poetry on stage.

This was an incredible experience

for our pupils. As someone who

visited The Mill over Christmas

for their performance of White

Christmas

(which was

excellent!), the

chance to stand

on the same

stage as such

talented actors

and expert

production

teams was

inspiring.

Thank you,

as always, to

Sally Hughes

and The Mill for

providing such

a wonderful theatre house in our

village and for always supporting us

as a school.

Our thriving choir had a very

busy December, performing at the

Wokingham Schools’ Carol Concert

in Earley, Sonning Primary’s

Christmas Fayre, local care homes

and Coppa Club! We are enjoying our

partnership with Coppa Club and

loved getting to perform there.


The Parish Magazine —February 2025 25

is declared as one of the best in the country!


26 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

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around the villages — 1

around the villages — 2

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am I aware of the reasons, ranging

from children or grandchildren to

marriage or divorce?

2. Do I have Lasting Powers of

Attorney (LPAs) in place to provide

peace of mind for me and my family

in the longer term?

3. Have I considered my funeral

wishes and how would I like the cost

of any arrangements to be covered in

the future?

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together with All Saints Church, look

forward to welcoming and meeting

you.

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 27

Happy 100 years birthday to Inner Wheel!

As well as celebrating Christmas (above), members of the Inner Wheel Club

of Reading Maiden Erlegh have been celebrating the 100 year anniversary of

the formation of the Inner Wheel Association of Great Britain and Ireland.

They celebrated Christmas at Trinity Church Earley with entertainment from

the Phoenix Ukelele Band who had them joining in with their many festive

songs.

Since its foundation in Manchester by a group of ladies, who were the wives

of Rotarians, the ladies group has grown into an international organisation and

now has open membership for all ladies.

Reading Maiden Erlegh Inner Wheel members have been celebrating by

undertaking a series of challenges each involving 100 items and all with a focus

on raising money for local charities. Among their chosen charities this year are:

the Link Visiting Scheme, the Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Cancer Care Unit in

Reading, The Cowshed, which provides support to people of all backgrounds

in a time of personal crisis, and they will also be taking part in the annual

Macmillan Coffee Mornings.

For more information see: http://innerwheelrme.org

Rendezvous in The Ark

Now in our 7th successful

year, Rendezvous in the

Ark continues to welcome

everyone from 12 noon to

meet for lunch followed

by tea and coffee on the

second and fourth Tuesday

of every month.

For more details or to

reserve your seat call:

0118 969 3298

office@sonningparish.org

February Rendezvous

Tuesday 11 February

Tuesday 25 February


28 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

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HOME AND GARDEN

AFOOT IN THE GARDEN by Ray Puddefoot

For clock winders and watch

watchers the New Year starts on

the first day of January. But, for

gardens it begins with snowdrops.

Their wintery white bells are a

promise of all the lush verdant

greenness to come. A promise of

warming sunshine and the early

naked flowers — without leaves.

As the ground warms, the soul of

spring seems to escape from the soil

and the little bulbs and perennials

flower. Snowdrops, crocus, winter

aconites, dwarf narcissus, primroses,

hellebores and friends dance in the

low sunlight.

Once the air warms, our

perennials and shrubs follow.

Mild February days are a great

opportunity to give the garden a

spring prune and tidy.

Perennials, shrubs, roses and

climbers can be pruned, lawns edged

and borders feed and mulched. The

last few springs have thrown a dry

spell at our gardens so mulching

could prove to be a really important

come Summer 2025.

Box Tree Caterpillars are

sweeping through our villages.

Keeping your box trees will mean

taking control measures for many

years ahead.

Initially caterpillars eat the leaf

blades then as the infestation grows

they strip the box bark. At this stage

your only chance of saving your

plants is to cut them down to ground

and keep killing the caterpillars.

My advice for most gardeners is

to replace your box trees with an

alternative and save yourself the

hassle.

Spring has become the planting

time of choice for most gardeners,

the earlier the better so find an

opportunity in February.

Feed when you plant and always

mulch after you have watered your

new plantings.

You can start to sow half-hardy

annuals and perennial seeds from

now along with the hardier types of

vegetables.

FEBRUARY TOP TIPS

— Prune and tidy

— Plant trees and shrubs

— Mulch borders

— Service lawn mowers

— Plan 2025 projects

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 29

Looking forward to the soul of Spring in your garden

WARMER SOIL

CATERPILLAR WARNING

Do you remember the 'Big Freeze' of 1955?

70 years ago, from early February 1955 and well into March, a 'Big Freeze'

took place in Britain. Deep snow and freezing temperatures caused havoc,

with many places cut off. The RAF dropped food and medical supplies to

affected areas, while thousands of sheep died from exposure.

Severe weather affected most parts of Britain, as well as in Europe and North

America. Snow fell from 11 February, with night frosts gradually worsening and

blizzards developing over the north of Scotland where the RAF scrambled to

several rescues: in Caithness the response by emergency services was known as

Operation Snowdrop. An exhausting search for a postman from Thurso, who went

missing eventually led to him being found taking refuge at a remote farm.

Several snowploughs were stranded, and the heavy snow spread gradually

south, reaching as far as the Scillies and the Channel Islands. In North Norfolk

there were 10ft drifts on the coast road, and Lancashire had its worst storm for 14

years. Devon, Cornwall and the Peak District had similar experiences.

More than 70 roads in Britain were blocked by snow, according to the

Automobile Association, and hundreds of vehicles were abandoned in snowdrifts.

Many parts of the country were cut off from essential supplies, and rail travel was

disrupted. Church attendance was also hit, of course.

On 23 February , the lowest temperature that winter was set at -25C (-13F) in

Braemar, Aberdeenshire. That year also experienced the last May snowfall of the

century, but despite all that, there was plenty of sunshine, and as a total contrast,

there was a drought and a heatwave the following summer.


30 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

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HISTORY

Putting life right

Did you have a miserable

childhood? Were your

parents more absorbed in

themselves than in you?

Later, looking for love, did

you fall for the wrong man?

Perhaps you now have

children of your own, and

struggle to raise them. If

you feel your life has been

‘wrong-footed’ from the

start, and that there is no

way of ‘putting it right’

now, then Margaret of

Cortona (c. 1247–97) is a

saint for you.

She was the daughter of a

small farmer in Tuscany.

Her mother died in her

childhood, and a jealous

stepmother moved in

and distanced her from

her father’s love. Lonely

and vulnerable, Margaret

was then seduced by a

Montepulcian knight. He

did not offer marriage, and

so she lived as his mistress

for nine years, hanging on

to the only affection she

Saint Margaret Cortona stained

glass at the Saint Mary Basilica in

Phoenix Arizona

William Perry, Dreamstime.com

had ever known. She even

bore him a son. Then one day her knight was murdered

by persons unknown. What happened next suggests that

Margaret was desperate to ‘put her life right’, in the only way

she knew how. She gave away the riches that she inherited

and returned to her father and stepmother, humbly seeking

forgiveness and reconciliation.

They, who had let her down previously, shut the door in

her face, so Margaret went to the Franciscans and became

a penitent. She was desperate for kindness, forgiveness and

peace in her sad life.

WONDERFUL NEWS

When Margaret turned to the Franciscans, they did

not tell her the wonderful news that she could be forgiven,

because Jesus had paid the price to ‘redeem’ her. They told

her that she would have to ‘earn’ forgiveness by acts of

abasement and severe mortifications. She was never told

that God loved her, and lavished forgiveness on her.

So she practised severe acts of self-abasement: starvation,

sleeplessness, the daily torment of hair-shirts. She was never

told that this was pointless, that her sins had been gladly

forgiven her because Jesus had died for them on the cross.

But because Margaret never found that out, she must

have had an almighty surprise when, on 22 February, she

died, and woke in heaven!

Forgiveness is the beginning of the good things that God

wants to give us. He wants to restore and heal our lives.

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 31

Was it really? . . .

Sbysal, dreamstime.com

. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 23 February 1850 that Cesar Ritz,

the Swiss hotelier, was born. He founded several notable

hotels including the Ritz and Carlton Hotels in London.

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 27 February 1900 that the UK

Labour Party was founded.

. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 26 February 1935 that British radio

engineer Robert Watson-Watt demonstrated a working

radar system for the first time, in Daventry.

. . . 80 YEARS AGO during February 1945 that Anne Frank

died aged 15 in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

. . . ALSO 80 YEARS AGO from 4-11 February 1945 that

the Yalta Conference took place in Crimea. US President

Franklin D Roosevelt, Winston Roosevelt and Joseph

Stalin met to plan the final defeat of Nazi Germany.

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 8 February 1950 that the world’s

first payment by credit card took place. The founders of

Diners Club used it to pay their restaurant bill at Majero’s

Cabin Grill in New York City.

. . . 70 YEARS AGO from 24 February 1955 to March that

Britain’s Big Freeze took place. Deep snow and freezing

temperatures caused havoc, with many places cut off. The

RAF dropped food and medical supplies to affected areas,

while thousands of sheep died from exposure.

. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 8 February 1960 that Queen

Elizabeth II issued an Order-in-Council stating that she

and her family would be known as the House of Windsor,

and that her descendants would use the surname

Mountbatten-Windsor.

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 11 February 1975 that Margaret

Thatcher became the first female leader of the

Conservative Party. She became Britain’s first female

Prime Minister in 1979.

. . . 40 YEARS AGO on 16 February 1985 that the Islamic

militant group and political party Hezbollah was founded

in Lebanon.

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 11 February until 29 May 2000

that the British government suspended the Northern

Ireland Assembly, after it failed to strike a deal on

decommissioning IRA weapons.

.


32 The Parish Magazine — February 2025 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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THE christmas SCIENCES quiz

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 33

Dr Ruth Bancewicz (above), whose

articles we often publish in The

Parish Magazine, is the church

engagement director at the Faraday

Institute, Cambridge, where her

remit is to equip and encourage UK

churches to include engagement

with science as part of their regular

ministry and mission.

Ruth studied genetics at Aberdeen

and Edinburgh universities, and

more recently theology, ministry and

mission at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.

After graduating she became

development officer for Christians in

Science, as well as doing postdoctoral

research at Edinburgh University.

ANGELIC ECHOES

Ruth joined the Faraday Institute,

when it was founded in 2006, to

develop resources for churches.

She was appointed as the Faraday

church engagement director in 2018,

remains a member of Christians in

Science, and is an elected fellow of

their US counterpart, the American

Scientific Affiliation which is a

Christian religious organization

of scientists and people in sciencerelated

disciplines.

Their stated purpose is 'to

investigate any area relating Christian

faith and science.'

Ruth's current theology studies

are with Highland Theological

College. She is a senior research

associate at St Edmund’s College,

Cambridge, and a member of City

Church.

Science is for everyone to

enjoy and explore God's world

By Dr Ruth Bancewicz

Some time ago a scientist was invited to speak at the Dewsbury Women’s

Institute. He spoke about his research on polymers, hoping that the women of

this Yorkshire mill town would connect with his desire to develop new fibres.

One person in particular, a woman called Betty who had worked in a mill since the

age of 15, listened as if her life depended on it, and peppered him with questions

afterwards. She had always been interested in how things work, but until that day

had not found anyone to answer her questions. Whenever she had asked about the

processes that they were using in the mill, she was just told to get on with her job.

From the outside, science can seem a closed specialty, hemmed in by

intimidating jargon. When McLeish described science as ‘the love of wisdom of

natural things’, however, he realised he was opening a door. He was moved to

see that Betty was not the only person who shed a tear when her questions were

finally taken seriously, confirming that her enquiring mind was indeed probing in

the right direction – only 50 years too late.

A NATURAL ACTIVITY

Hearing about people like Betty reminds me that science is a very natural

activity for anyone to be involved in. McLeish is convinced that there is a future

in ‘science therapy’. In his book Faith and Wisdom in Science, where this story

appears, he asks the question “If a reintroduction to the activity of representing

both inner and outer worlds in paint, music and drama can help to heal minds,

what hope might there be for a participation in a gentle and contemplative science

in restoring a broken or misunderstood relationship with the physical world?”

This story inspired me to run a number of hands-on science activities with

adult audiences in churches. I have extracted DNA from strawberries with a

midweek group for older people, organised hands-on exhibits to liven up lecture

or discussion events, and even had groups extracting DNA from their own cheek

cells.

Every time I lead activities like these, I find that grown-ups are grateful for

the opportunity to have a go at science themselves. I love helping church-based

groups, in particular, to reconnect with science and celebrate what they find.

Science is not just for children and professionals – it is for everyone to enjoy and

explore the world God made.


34 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

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FASHION BY harriet nelson

Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is coming quickly,

and if you haven't already seen chocolate-shaped hearts

and cheesy love-filled cards in every shop window, I'd be

surprised.

It's finally approaching February, and the winter

weather is still upon us, with snow and rain everywhere.

Christmas is a distant hangover; we need something

to celebrate, and love and romance is this month's next

chapter!

What better way to celebrate this lovely romantic

occasion than by dressing up in the style of love? Whether

you're planning a romantic dinner for two, a night out

with friends, or a cosy evening at home, or maybe you are

single and ready to mingle, your outfit can make all the

difference and make you feel perfect during this love-filled

month. Let's explore the latest Valentine's Day fashion

trends that will make your heart skip a beat this February.

WHIMSICAL

In Valentine's Day fashion, soft, feminine, romantic

colours always win. Think blush pinks, romantic reds, and

dusty roses. These romantic shades are perfect for creating

a whimsical look to impress your loved one.

Chic, bold colours are a staple. However, there are other

unique colours to consider to make you stand out from the

crowd. Instead of the bright pinks, consider changing it to

a soft, pastel pink, a classic Valentine's Day colour.

Pastel colours were a massive trend in the 1980s when

Coco Chanel's pastel colours were introduced into the

winter runway collection. Be different and try a delicate

blue pastel shade to transform your outfit, and pair it with

white or pale pink for a romantic look. Think about trying

a warm, muted rose colour that's perfect for adding a

touch of elegance to any outfit.

Consider adding darker colours to your wardrobe if

you're looking for a more edgy take on Valentine's Day

fashion. Black lace is a pretty fabric perfect for creating

a dramatic, edgy, dark look that feels bold. Add a leather

jacket to add some depth to your outfit. You could pair it

with a flowy dress or skirt for a chic and edgy look with

Doc Martens.

Accessories can make or break an outfit, and

Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to go all out. Here are

some statement accessories that will be trending this year.

A heart-shaped necklace or earrings is a classic

Valentine's Day accessory that will make you feel loved.

Although this may feel cringy, this beautiful shape will

pull your look together and make your outfit even more

delicate, and on theme with the evening.

How about trying a dainty bow, a lovely and romantic

accessory perfect for an evening dinner or a night out

with friends? Think about pairing a felt red bow with a felt

dress for a romantic dark look. Think burgundy and reds

to make you feel stunning on date night. High heels would

be a perfect pair and are always a winner on Valentine's

Day. Wear glamorous heels in bold colours or designs to

add glamour to your outfit and make heads turn your way

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 35

Valentine's Day fashion trends to make your heart skip a beat!

DRAMATIC

Images: pexels.com

on Valentine's Day. Think also about pairing gloves and

scarves into your outfit for the cold evenings ahead. This

comfy, elegant look will bring your outfit together and

warm you during late-night strolls through the town or

the park.

CONFIDENT

When creating the perfect Valentine's Day look, don't

overdo it with too many accessories. Stick to one or two

statement pieces to avoid overwhelming your outfit. Keep

it simple! Don't be afraid to mix and match different

patterns and textures. Wear what makes you feel

confident and comfortable. After all, that's what matters

most on Valentine's Day.

ROMANTIC

If you want a more subtle look this Valentine's Day,

remove the classic red heart tights and the 'I Love You'

sweater and save it for a rainy day. Personally, I would

switch it out for a subtle approach and wear a comfy

pair of fitting jeans, such as black Levies. A jumper with

a romantic colour, red or pink to add a loved feel to the

look. Then, add a winter coat and boots to bring the look

together. This outfit works for a date night dinner in a

restaurant, an at-home meal, or any other outing you may

be participating in this Valentine's Day.

GALENTINE

If you don't have a partner this year, don't fret!

Valentine's Day is about celebrating love, and one of our

most loving relationships doesn't have to be a partner;

our beautiful friends can also enjoy this love-filled Day as

well! 'Galentines' is a girls' night out with friends.

Whether it's a night out on the town or cosy up in bed

watching romantic comedies. This year, you can plan an

outfit perfect for Galentines. Think of something with

feathers, satin, or lace to make your look as romantic and

edgy as possible to stand out. Or think of cosy and comfy

outfits and wear matching pink pyjamas for the perfect

movie night at home.

Valentine's Day fashion is about expressing love and

passion through your outfit. So, if you are going for a

romantic look or an edgy-chic vibe to impress a date, get

creative and create your own perfect romantic Valentine's

Day style!


36 The Parish Magazine —February 2025

THE ARTS — 1

Book Reviews

Making the Most of Your Church

Wedding By Rev Ally Barrett, SPCK, £5.99

This short, attractive, colour guide to the

Anglican wedding service is for couples

planning a church wedding and explores

the big questions of life.

Waking the Women — Faith,

Menopause, and the Meaning of Midlife

By Jayne Manfredi, Canterbury Press, £10.39

Biblical reflection, prophetic storytelling

and prayer is used to journey alongside

those experiencing menopause.

Marriage - 6 Gospel Commitments Every

Couple Needs to Make By Paul Tripp,

10Publishing, £17.15. When people marry

they begin a lifetime journey and they

expect it to be perfect, but it needs to be

grounded in more than romance.

The Poetry of Pilgrimage: Reflections

on Celtic Pilgrimage sites in Ireland and

Britain By Michael Mitton, BRF, £12.99

Drawing from his experience of co-leading

pilgrimages Michael Mitton captures the

essence of 23 significant pilgrimage sites.

Easter Inside Out - the story as if you

were there By David Kitchen, BRF, £12.99

Acclaimed storyteller David Kitchen

reimagines the Easter narrative

through a cast of characters.

Surviving Separation and Divorce —

Dealing with Divorce Day-to-Day

By Ruth Clements, SPCK, £10.99

A no-nonsense, compassionate guide to

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Prayer Book of Days - With Saints

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Something Needs To Change – a

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Pugmire, CHP, £18.99. A practical

guide by a media professional has helped

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Phil Mason


THE ARTS — 2

There is a story of two men talking

about their new vicar. One says

to the other, 'This new one’s not a

patch on the old vicar. With the old

one preaching I was asleep in five

minutes. With the new one it takes all

of ten.' Some churches in times past

employed ‘sluggard-walkers’ who had

long rods and walked down the aisles,

ready to wake up the faithful if they

had nodded off during the sermon.

Sluggard-walkers are not needed for

this month’s painting, My First Sermon

by John Everett Millais.

It hangs in the Guildhall Art

Gallery in London, which houses the

art collection of our capital city.

The Gallery is built on the site

of an amphitheatre and was only

completed in 1999, having replaced

a building that was destroyed in the

blitz of 1941.

It has over 4,000 works of art,

many of them from the Victorian and

Pre-Raphaelite period.

Among them is a painting, My

First Sermon, (right) by Millais which

depicts Effie, his 5 year old daughter

sitting in Kingston Church.

Effie is dressed properly and

sensibly for the occasion with

feathered hat, muff and a cloak of

vivid red. Her mother’s prayer book

and gloves are by her side and she is

listening with great concentration.

My First Sermon by John Everett Millais

The Parish Magazine —February 2025 37

Sluggard walkers not required for the first sermon

By The Rev Michael Burgess

EFFIE

My Second Sermon by John Everett Millais

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When the painting was exhibited in

1863, it was a great success.

In the following year Millais

produced My Second Sermon (left) – a

very different occasion, for Effie has

fallen asleep with her hat by her side.

Millais was often criticised for

his sentimental portraits of children

as in Cherry Ripe and Bubbles. But in

1864 the Archbishop of Canterbury,

Charles Longley, praised this second

painting for reminding us of ‘the

evil of lengthy sermons and drowsy

discourses.’

As we look at Effie alert one

Sunday, asleep the next, we can

smile. But we might also ask how we

respond to the Word that comes to us

through the medium of words in the

weekly sermon. The preacher has the

daunting task of using this everyday

coinage of words to draw us into that

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

mysterious, life-giving realm of the

Word, Jesus. The words spoken must

make a straight path for the Lord to

reach each human heart.

The two paintings by Millais

depict the reality and fragility of this

endeavour. Sometimes our attention

is engaged; at others, drowsiness

closes our eyes and even our hearts

to the good news of salvation. On

occasions the sermon sows seeds,

which can bear fruit.

At other times, all kinds of factors

mitigate against the sermon’s

success. Let us pray that as listener

or as preacher, we may be aware

of the dynamic power of the Word,

which, as Karl Rahner wrote, calls

us ‘out of the little house of our

homely, close-hugged truths into the

strangeness of the mystery of God

that is our real home.’


38 The Parish Magazine —February 2025

PUZZLE PAGE — 1

BIBLE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

8 Interrogated (Acts 12:19) (5-8)

9 ‘Burn it in a wood fire on the — heap’ (Leviticus 4:12) (3)

10 Tobit, Judith, Baruch and the books of Esdras and the Maccabees are

part of it (9)

11 Science fiction (abbrev.) (3-2)

13 Clay pit (anag.) (7)

16 Went to (John 4:46) (7)

19 ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to — your

bodies as living sacrifices’ (Romans 12:1) (5)

22 David’s plea to God concerning those referred to in 14 Down:

‘On — — let them escape’ (Psalm 56:7) (2,7)

24 Royal Automobile Club (1,1,1) 25 How the book of Ezekiel refers to

God more than 200 times (Ezekiel 2:4) (9,4)

DOWN

1 Seas (Proverbs 8:24) (6)

2 One of the sons of Eli the priest, killed in battle by the Philistines

(1 Samuel 4:11) (6)

3 Specialist in the study of the Muslim religion (8)

4 ‘Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but — him as if he were your

father’ (1 Timothy 5:1) (6)

5 One of Esau’s grandsons (Genesis 36:11) (4)

6 Taking a chance (colloq.) (2,4)

7 God’s instructions to the Israelites concerning grain offerings:

‘ — salt to — your offerings’ (Leviticus 2:13) (3,3)

12 Confederation of British Industry (1,1,1)

14 ‘All day long they twist my words; they are always — to harm me

(Psalm 56:5) (8)

15 The crowd’s reaction to Jesus bringing back to life a widow’s son in

Nain (Luke 7:16) (3)

16 Disappear (Psalm 104:35) (6)

17 How Jeremiah was likely to die if he wasn’t rescued from the cistern

where he was imprisoned (Jeremiah 38:9) (6)

18 What the prophets do to a wall, with whitewash

(Ezekiel 13:10, RSV) (4,2)

20 Made by a plough (Job 39:10) (6)

21 Noah was relieved when the flood waters continued to —

(Genesis 8:5) (6)

23 Jesus gave the Twelve the power and authority to do this to diseases

(Luke 9:1) (4)

NUMERICAL VERSE SEARCH BY RALPH

E

H

T

W

N

O

I

L

L

I

R

D

A

U

Q

L

E

E

H

N

NC

E

E

T

F

I

F

F

Y

U

E

G

H

D

I

T

R

I

O

R

E

U

T

M

A

V

A

O

N

A

Y

T

R

I

H

T

N

A

N

R

E

G

E

O

N

C

T

H

Y

B

E

E

T

N

T

N

G

Q

E

G

Y

E

N

W

W

R

E

F

H

E

X

L

V

U

T

O

O

D

T

E

T

A

O

U

T

Ralph's numerical word search grid above contains 34

numbers including a few obscure ones. Their initial letters

of the numbers are: B, C, 2D, E, 3F, 2G, 2L, 3M, N, 5Q, R,

3S, 8T, and U. If you find all 34 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 . . .

I

E

E

F

O

I

L

D

U

N

V

U

C

H

R

A

O

L

E

I

H

Q

M

N

E

T

T

W

W

E

ANSWERS TO RALPH'S JANUARY VERSE SEARCH

ANGSTROM

ATMOSPHERE

BARREL

BOTTLE

BUSHEL

CALORIE

CHAIN

CORD

CURIE

DEGREE

FARENHEIT

FATHOM

FURLONG

GALLON

GRAIN

HAND

HENRY

HOGSHEAD

HOUR

INCH

KELVIN

LEAGUE

METHUSELAH

METRE

MINUTE

NEWTON

NOGGIN

PERCH

POLE

POUND

QUANTUM

QUART

RADIAN

SCRUPLE

SECOND

VOLT

S

S

I

E

G

R

R

E

I

T

S

L

I

E

N

D

F

I

E

R

A

U

U

S

A

I

R

E

M

E

I

A

Z

L

T

U

T

D

E

E

X

T

L

B

T

R

I

L

E

I

H

S

A

E

L

B

T

I

U

P

I

I

S

R

N

C

E

N

T

U

R

Y

E

E

M

M

D

E

T

A

R

I

V

M

U

I

R

T

T

U

The hidden Bible verse was from Deuteronomy 25:15

Good News Bible

USE TRUE AND HONEST WEIGHTS AND MEASURES


PUZZLE PAGE — 2

CROSSWORD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10

11 12

13 14 15

16

SUDOKU

The Parish Magazine —February 2025 39

answers in the next issue

January

Solutions

CROSSWORD

C A R T O B S C U R E D

R I S U O E U

E X P E C T S N I G H T

S E R S I Y

C O N T I N U A T I O N

E P S I N A

N I B T A U N T S U N

T U W R U T

D I S R E P U T A B L E

A L I I A C

C A D E T T R O U N C E

E U E O N D D

S U P E R I O R T Y P E

17 18 19

20 21

22 23

Across

ACROSS

(4)

1 - Associate (4)

3

-- Glass-like

volcanic

volcanic

rock (8)

rock (8)

9 -- Rotating (7) (7)

10 10 - - One One who who avoids avoids animal products animal (5)

products (5)

11 Puff up (5)

11 - Puff up (5)

- (7)

12 - Sincere (7)

13 -- Scrape (anag) (anag) (6) (6)

15 -- Person to whom to whom a lease is a granted lease (6) is

granted (6)

17 - Efficiency (7)

17 - Efficiency (7)

- Swift (5)

18 - Swift (5)

20

- - Mental

impressions

impressions

(5)

(5)

21 -- Skilled worker worker (7) (7)

22 22 - Campaigner - Campaigner (8) (8)

23 - Land surrounded by water (4)

23 - Land surrounded by water (4)

CODEWORD

Down

DOWN

1 - Destroying microorganisms

(13)

2 - Slow tempo (of music) (5)

4 - Pleaded 5 - Not with; having asked a backbone for (12)

money (6)

6 - Act of entering (7)

5 - Not having a backbone (12)

7 - Absence (13)

6 - Act of entering (7)

7 - Absence 8 - Triumphantly (13) (12)

8 - Triumphantly 14 - Popular (12) saying (7)

14 - Popular saying (7)

16 - Go around (6)

16 - Go around (6)

19 - Models for photograph (5)

22 3 1 26 5 22 15 8 17 3

22 16 22 1 17 23 16 25

14 17 22 3 2 1 12 24 3 26

12 15 26 15 2 3 26 23

4 1 12 21 5 17 2 3 26 21

20 3 22 20 12 16

21 26 22 22 16 22 11 26 14 7 16 3

9 25 5 23 22 10

1 1 23 25 17 3 24 2 1 25

6 13 9 16 20 16 5 22

15 9 15 22 18 17 1 9 26 14

12 15 1 3 25 22 22 15

1 - Destroying microorganisms (13)

2 - In a slow tempo (of music) (5)

4 - Pleaded with; asked for money (6)

19 - Models for a photograph (5)

22 15 19 25 22 3 5 15 12 7

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

T

J

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

S

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

CANDLEMAS Sunday 2 February

February opens with Candlemas

— the naming of Jesus in the

temple. Simeon and Anna praised

God to see the promised Messiah,

sent by a loving God to save his

people. February also celebrates

the love between men and women:

Valentine cards and wedding

fayres abound. ‘Love’ as in social

compassion is also remembered:

Fair Trade fortnight, Holocaust

Memorial Day, World Leprosy Day,

Education Sunday and National Nest

Box Week....

Love is truly needed by everyone!

NAMING

CHRIST

CANDLEMAS

SIMEON

ANNA

TEMPLE

LOVE

VALENTINE

ROMANCE

MATTHIAS

FAIRTRADE

FORTNIGHT

COFFEE

BANANAS

CHOCOLATE

JUSTICE

POVERTY

NEST BOX

MARRIAGE

WEDDING

HOLOCAUST

LEPROSY

EDUCATION

SUNDAY

CODEWORD

E X E M P T E C S

R N E N V E L O P E

S E T A I I R

A R A M M E D Q U A Y

T A S E U N

Z I P P Y E N D I N G S

A V T S

S H I R K E R T H R O B

O A R F E I

J O W L S I L I C A G

R L I A R O W

M A C A R O N I E I

Y X N L A P D O G

SUDOKU

WORDSEARCH

BIBLE CROSSWORD


40 The Parish Magazine — February 2025

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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CHILDREN'S PAGE

The Parish Magazine — February 2025 41


42 The Parish Magazine — February 2025 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

Abbeyfield Care 32

A B Walkers Funeral Directors 12

ACG Locksmith Services 40

Active Security 30

AMS Water Softners 14

Barn Store 20

Berkshire Stump Removals 40

BHR Maintence Handyman Services 40

Big Heart Tree Care 40

Blandy & Blandy Solictors 14

Blus Moose Quality Graphics 26

Bridges Meals on Wheels 20

Bull Inn Sonning 32

Canon Tree Care 30

Clark & Bignell Plumbing & Heating 40

Crosfields Crossfields School

12

French Horn 4

Gardiners Home Care 40

Good Oaks Home Care 26

Handyman & Decorating Services 40

Haslams Estate Agents 2

Hicks MOT & Service 18

Home Stair Lifts 20

I Plumber 12

Kingfisher Bathrooms & Kitchens 30

Little Knellies Nursery at the Abbey 43

Lock Fit 20

MC Cleaning 40

Mossinator Roof Cleaning Systems 6

Professional Tree & Hedge Services 40

Reading Blue Coat School 14

Richfield Flooring 12

Shiplake College 20

Smallwood Landscaping 40

Sonning Golf Club 6

Sonning Scouts 32

Thames Chimney Sweeps 40

The Great House Coppa Club 18

The Mill at Sonning 44

Tomalin & Son Funeral Directors 14

Water Softener Salt 20

Window Cleaner 34

Woodchips Tree Surgery 40

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

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44 The Parish Magazine —February 2025

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