The Parish Magazine March 2025

The Parish Magazine — March 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

March 2025 — Ash Wednesday and Lent

Church of St Andrew

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

2 The Parish Magazine — March 2025 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement

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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 —March 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 March 2025

THE VICAR'S LETTEr, 5

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD

— Mona's 99th birthday, 7

— Six year register update, 7

— STAY, 8-9

— Arch Bishop of Canterbury, 11

— Bible Prayers Part 3, 13

— The Persecuted Church, 15

— Lenten Books, 16

— St Casimir, 17

— From the editor's desk, 17

FEATURES

— Lunartism, 19

— Offshore sailing in Reading, 21

— Lent, 22-23

around tHE VILLages

— Sonning Regatta, 24

— Ali's Pond, 24

— Female singers, 24

— Epiphany in School, 24

— Sonning Art Group, 25

— Scarecrows 2026, 25

— History of Croydon Airport, 25

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER

The

Parish

Magazine

March 2025 — Ash Wednesday and Lent

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

Spring at At Andrew's

Peter Rennie

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.


Services in

St Andrew's

Church Sonning

Sunday 2 March

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Family Service

— 4.00pm Evensong

First Sunday of Lent 9 March


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with

STAY and Sunday Club

Sunday 16 March


— 10.30am Family Communion

— 3.00pm Messy Church in The

Ark

Sunday 23 March




Mothering Sunday 30 March

HOME AND GARDEN

— Getting fit for March, 27

— Gardeners' Question Time, 29

— Brown flowers, 29

HISTORY, 31

— Dave Allen

— Was it really?

THE SCIENCES, 33

— The physics Lab, 33

— Eureka! 33

FASHION, 35

— Mothering Sunday, 35

HEALTh

— The NHS, 36

THE ARTS,

— Cartoons of Olde, 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

The deadline for the April 2025

issue of The Parish Magazine is:

Thursday 6 March 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

From the Registers

Don't be late for our Mothering

Sunday services! Clocks 'spring'

forward one hour at 1.00am!




— 5.45pm Sunday at Six in The Ark

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.

FUNERALS

— Tuesday 21 January: Dorothy Holden, Service in Church and Cremation at

Reading Crematorium

— Wednesday 29 January: Stephen John Dixon, Interment of ashes in the

churchyard

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The vicar's letter

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

At the time of writing the Prime Minister is in the headlines for

allegedly breaching the Covid 19 restrictions by holding an in person

meeting with his voice coach on Christmas Eve 2020. My first, less than

charitable thought, was that he should ask for a refund for his sessions,

but then I was reminded of those bleak months when the country was

divided up into ‘tiers’.

It all began five years ago this month. Did it really all happen? The

queuing outside supermarkets; the run on loo rolls; having to leave

our relatives unvisited in hospital and the enforced corralling of our

children at home, away from friends and any effective education.

I remember a chilling email from the Borough Council asking me

to count how many grave spaces we had left, and funeral director

friends told me of the stockpiling of body bags and hazmat suits. The

Archbishop of Canterbury, along with all his bishops, ordered us to lock

our churches, even from ourselves.

I would like to be able to say that I was one of the few who disobeyed,

but I am slightly ashamed to admit that I dutifully locked up, though

still occasionally went in to check on the building and play the Victorian

pipe organ for a few minutes to prevent it seizing up. This was reported

to the bishop by one of my less sympathetic correspondents and I was

criticized on local social media by someone who heard it being played. It beggars’ belief, looking back.

A NEGATIVE AND FEARFUL MESSAGE

With the tremendous gift of hindsight, I so wish we had responded differently as a church, both locally and

nationally. We were right to stop services, as this was required by law, but the bishops should never have told us

to lock our sacred spaces, often with the dark threat of not being covered by insurance and, in some cases, the

hint of disciplinary action. This was only the second time in the history of our land that such an order was issued

to churches, the first was in the 13th century! What a negative and fearful message we sent out at a time when

people were afraid, confused and isolated.

There is much I could say about the legacy of the last Archbishop of Canterbury, but the sight of him, robed

in his kitchen on Easter Sunday, in a medieval palace which houses two chapels, is a pathetic reflection of the

response from the wider Church of England. At the very least, churches should have been kept open. I personally

will not obey any such order again.

I know first hand how damaging the closure of schools has been to our young people. Again, with the

gift of hindsight, we look back and, in my own view, see this as a ludicrous overreaction that was totally

disproportionate to the health threats faced by working age teachers and children. We have many school

refusers because of this educational disruption and an epidemic of mental health problems that the lockdown

greatly exacerbated.

The financial burdens on the taxpayer, due to enormous levels of borrowing to facilitate the furlough scheme,

will be felt for generations to come. Do you remember the ‘Eat out to help out’ carry on? What were they

thinking? I am not blaming the then party of government, rather the whole political class who voted for all

these measures. I really hope the lessons are learnt for any future ‘pandemic’ that comes our way, from whatever

source.

As it happens, after my furtive trip around the churchyard to count grave spaces, not one grave was needed

for a Covid victim and I only know one person who died, with Covid 19, rather than of it. I did hold two miserable

open-air, ten-minute funerals, for only nine mourners, and look back in horror that such restrictions were placed

upon the bereaved.

I conclude by apologising for locking the doors of St Andrew’s at such a difficult time. The ministry team did

our best to mitigate this by posting on-line messages, pastoral phone calls with the shepherding scheme, and

in time, on-line worship, all within the law. However, we should have ignored the archbishop and bishops and

better served our parish by keeping God’s house open for those he has called us to welcome. Never again!

Best wishes,

Jamie

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

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the parish noticeboard — 1


Happy 99 th Birthday Mona!

Mona Marshall, St Andrew's Church oldest member, was in Church on Sunday 19 January to celebrate her 99th birthday!

Children and young people joined the congregation to sing happy birthday and hand over their gifts including a special

card made by some of the younger members.

Six year

Parochial

Church

Electoral

Roll update

This is the year when everyone gets removed from the St Andrew's Church

Electoral Roll – and needs to make a definite decision to go back on again.

It happens in the Church of England every six years. For the other five years, the

Electoral Roll is revised annually by our Electoral Roll Officer.

In this, the sixth year, the current Electoral Roll will be dissolved, and we must

all re-apply and re-commit ourselves as members of the Church of England.

That’s the quick way of explaining it. If you want a detailed and clear legal break

down of exactly how it works, you can find it at

https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/legal-resources/

church-representation-rules

If you manage to wade through all the details of the process, and understand

them, it will leave you with admiration for our Electoral Roll Officer!

8 The Parish Magazine — March 2025


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

Reading Youth Night

Youth workers across Reading have put on several amazing youth

nights for all the youth in local churches. It’s great to see so many

gather to worship God, hear from scripture and have a chance to

pray. On Sunday 19 January we met at the Reading Gateway Church

in Whitley, St Agnes. Our youth even kindly volunteered me to peel

a banana with my foot and down a bottle of water the fastest for the

icebreaker!'

STAY on Friday

The weekly Friday Night Youth Club continues to be a hit for lots

of young people. The week that welcomed Year 6 in January saw

74 young people attend. Then, the week after, a whopping 60 came

along for a normal week of activities, sports, games, baking and the

final thought. The club runs each Friday in term time from 6.45-

8.15pm, entry is free and the tuck shop takes cash and card.

Alpha Youth

Back by popular demand, is the brand new Alpha Youth Videos in

February and March in The Ark. One young person has already

asked if they can be baptised, which is very exciting! Each week,

after STAY on Friday youth club, there is a short video on different

questions and topics to do with faith, life and beliefs. The young

people eat pizza, snacks and drinks. A big thank you goes to the

dedicated team of volunteers who make it happen!

STAY on Monday

Our fortnightly group in the homes of young people continues to

grow with new young people joining. We play games, watch videos

on Jesus, eat snacks and have a lot of fun! We have continued

using the STIR cards this term as these are a great way to open up

discussions and dive deep into issues of faith and purpose.

STAY on Sunday

Our now weekly (apart from the first Sunday of each month) Sunday

group meets in The Ark for faith growing games, conversations,

videos, snacks and more. The group is also growing with new faces

coming along and the youth feeling comfortable to invite their

friends.

STAY in Schools

We love going into the local schools for assemblies, mentoring,

and staff prayer meetings, Yap with the Chap(lain) lunch club and

the CU at Piggott on Mondays after school. It’s great seeing young

people enjoying each others company and growing in confidence.

One highlight was seeing the whole of Piggott school in a week of

assemblies on loving your enemies! Remember, Jesus loves the

people you hate, and Jesus died for your enemies too!


Bingo, cake,

lots of fun

and chat!

Corinne@sonningparish.org.uk

Children & Youth Minister

0118 969 3298

Corinne

At our January family service I led a talk on the Wise

Men who had gathered after the birth of Jesus. We talked

about how they received many signs from God to give

them the wisdom to follow the right path to Jesus and how

we can also receive signs from God to lead us on the right

path of our life. We just have to be receptive to those signs!

On the second Sunday of January we had fun following a

Jesus's Baptism Bingo card that had different images to

represent the different elements of the Bible reading for

the day. The children had to cross off the images as they

were identified throughout the reading.

This was a big hit, especially as they each received a packet

of sweets when they got a 'bingo' of five images in a row.

On the fourth Sunday we talked about how Jesus must

have felt as he told people that God loves them. This led to

a discussion about how people show love for us, and how

one of the clear ways we see this is when we celebrate a

birthday!

BEING LIKE A CANDLE

I showed the children a photo I had seen recently of a

family who gave their two year old a beautifully decorated

cake with all the things she loved, including: Paddington

Bear, The Tiger that Went to Tea, Peppa Pig, and many more

characters!

We then talked about how God knows us so well that

God would likely make us the best birthday cake ever, and

we decorated a piece of paper that would look like God's

birthday cake to us. It had loads of colour, mermaids, lego,

sprinkles, and more!

We also played a game of 'Would you rather?' and talked

about how God would know every preference we have, and

how that is such a gift to be known and loved that deeply.

The third Sunday of the month we gathered in The Ark for

Messy Church!

The theme was Christingle and for many of us, this was the

first time we had made one.

We talked all about the Children's Society, how we should

care and love others, especially those who may be lacking in

some way, and we celebrated with two of our favourite songs

with actions 'Our God is a Great Big God' and 'City on a Hill'.

We talked about our individual lights or uniqueness and

how we should never hide away or dim this light in ourselves or

others. Instead of a candle in the middle of the Christingle, we

placed a person wooden lolly stick, representing each of us and

how we should be the light of Jesus in this time of waiting and

watching for Jesus to return.




?

Stephen Knott, the Archbishops’

secretary for appointments, has

written to members of the Church

of England General Synod to

confirm the expected timings for the

appointment process.

He wrote: The Canterbury Diocese

Vacancy in See process commenced

in December and, late last year,

it was announced from Downing

Street that the Prime Minister had

appointed Lord Jonathan Evans

of Weardale to chair the Crown

Nominations Commission (CNC).

During February and March, Stephen

Knott will be working with Jonathan

Hellewell, the Prime Minister’s

appointments secretary to undertake

an extensive consultation exercise.

'The themes that emerge

through this consultation will

then sit alongside the ‘Statement

of Needs’ produced by the Diocese

of Canterbury, as well as other

information provided by the

National Church and Anglican

Communion to inform the CNC

of the needs of the mission of the

Church of England and the wider

Anglican Communion'.

Who will be the

next Archbishop

of Canterbury?

Following the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury on 6

January 2025, the best estimate for his replacement is the Autumn or the end

of this year. It is not a simple process.

CONSULTATION

For your Prayers in March . . .

Those choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury

Those who are persecuted for their faith

All in need of physical, mental and spiritual healing

Those preparing for ordination

All who educate and care for young people

It is expected that the full

membership of the Commission

will be known by mid-March, by

which time the names of the three

individuals elected from the Diocese

of Canterbury’s Vacancy in See

Committee, the outcome of the

election of the episcopal members, the

Central Members, and the Anglican

Communion representatives will be

announced.

COMMISSION

When the Diocese of Canterbury’s

Vacancy in See process has

ended, there will be an extensive

consultation exercise and the

Commission will convene for its first

meeting in May, followed by two

further meetings – one in July and

one in September.

The British monarch appoints the

Archbishop of Canterbury, but the

Crown Nominations Commission, a

Church of England body, chooses the

candidates.

In the meantime, the official duties

of the Archbishop of Canterbury are

being carried out by the Archbishop

of York, Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop

of London, Sarah Mullally, and the

Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

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The big idea?

Canon Paul Hardingham continues

his series on the books of the Bible.

This month he considers the Old

Testament book of Job . . .

‘Why does God allow suffering?’ This

is a frequently asked question of

Christians, because we believe in a

God who is both good and powerful

and it is explored in the book of Job.

Job was wealthy and righteous,

yet he experienced catastrophic

suffering, losing all his wealth,

children and health.

This resulted from Satan’s

challenge to God testing whether

Job’s devotion was dependent on his

circumstances or not.

The main body of the book (3:1-

42:6) consists of dialogues between

Job, his friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and

Zophar) and God.

Job and his friends assume that

God is almighty and just, and that

no human being is wholly innocent.

In the three cycles of speeches they

wrestle with the reasons for Job’s

suffering, remembering his morally

upright character.

Finally, all are silenced by God,

as He speaks Himself (chs 38-42). He

points out that Job knows very little

about the universe when he reflects

on God’s power.

Job confesses his lack of

understanding and weakness,

but then goes on to confess his

confidence and trust in God.

This puts suffering in a right

perspective. Job is not condemned,

and the book ends with the

restoration of his family and

possessions.

The story focuses on how we

should respond to suffering, rather

than on why God allows suffering:

‘Naked I came from my mother's womb,

and naked I shall depart. The Lord gave

and the Lord has taken away; may the

name of the Lord be praised.’ (1:21)


Senior

Open Morning

13 March 2025

Nursery

Open Morning

29 March 2025

Junior

Open Morning

08 May 2025

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parish noticeboard — 4

BIBLE PRAYERS PART THREE

Praying persistently


By Rev Dr Herbert McGonigle

Thodonal, dreamstime.com

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.

So Moses cried out to the Lord, 'Please, God, heal her!'

These six words, found in Numbers 12 verse 13, are

Moses’ prayer for his sister Miriam, and they tell us a lot

about Moses, and a lot about prayer.

For some time Miriam and her brother Aaron had been

simmering with anger against Moses. They protested that

he had married a Cushite woman (verse 1), but the real

cause of their animosity was jealousy.

‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ (verse 2).

Don’t we have a ministry as well? Hasn’t God also

spoken through us? Why does everyone look to Moses?

Why are we overlooked?

DEADLY EMOTION

Jealousy is a powerful and deadly emotion. God had

given ministries and honour to Miriam (Exodus 15:20,21),

and Aaron had become the chief priest (Numbers 3:1-3),

but neither of them were satisfied with that.

It looks as though Miriam is stirring things up as she

took the lead in criticising Moses.

Suddenly, in verse 4, God intervenes.

He called Moses, Aaron and Miriam together and

defended his servant Moses who is declared to be the

most faithful in all God's house! (verse 7).

Whereas God had often spoken to other prophets in

dreams and visions, here, in verse 8, he speaks to Moses

‘mouth-to-mouth’

How dare Aaron and Miriam question Moses whom

God called ‘my servant’ (verse 8).

Having so strongly defended Moses and rebuked his

critics, God departs and then the divine judgement fell.

Suddenly Miriam, the leader of the conspiracy, was

struck down with a dreaded disease — leprosy.

Aaron immediately cried out to Moses, confessing his

own and his sister’s sin and foolishness (verses. 11,12).

SETTLING SCORES

Then Moses demonstrated why God honoured him

so highly. He expressed no anger, no vindictiveness, no

spirit of ‘settling scores’ against his brother and sister.

In spite of their antagonism and jealousy, Moses loved

them both and ‘cried to the Lord’ on behalf of Miriam.

He prayed one of the shortest prayers found in the

Bible: ‘O God, heal her, I pray’ (verse 13).

He was grieved and full of compassion to see his sister

so terribly afflicted. The prayer was prompted by the love

that forgives, the love that overlooks what others have

done to us, the love that wants God’s best for them. And

only God’s grace can make us like that.

The prayer is so short, so simple, so direct, so personal:

‘O God, heal her, I pray.’

And God heard and answered. It was as a warning to

others who might challenge Moses’ authority.

Miriam was quarantined for seven days, then she was

fully healed and restored (verses, 14, 15).

So how does this incident help us in our prayer life?

First, true prayer is born in compassion.

The lips express the deep feelings of the heart.

Second, God will not hear our prayers if our hearts are not

right with him and with one another.

While we cherish resentments and grudges, our praying is

powerless. Third, while there are many times when prayer

needs to be persistent, there are also times when it is a

simple, deep cry from the heart.

Notice of Annual General Meeting

followed by

with

Fish & Chip Supper

Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm

in The Ark, St Andrew’s Church

in aid of FoStAC fund raising for future repairs to St Andrew’s Church

Tickets £20.00 including Fish & Chip Supper

(Please bring your own bottle/ drink)

Please email Sally Wilson on mustangsallywilson@gmail.com or 0118 979 3328

to confirm your place.

Quiz teams will be in tables of 4 and payment can be made to any of the FoStAC

Trustees in advance of the event or by payment card on the door.

Closing date for numbers will be Monday, 24 March @ 10am

to allow for Fish & Chips to be ordered in advance.

Registered Charity No: 1101944


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Pray for

Chadian

Christians

healing and

hope . . .

Chad is the fifth largest country in

Africa. In the early 20th Century it

became a French colony. The French

colonial period saw the formation

of Chad as a nation state, then it

gained its independence in 1960.

There followed a small-scale war with

Libya, a protracted internal conflict

from 1966 to the 1990s, and border

clashes with Sudan. A five year long

internal conflict ended in January

2010.

Former President Idriss Déby died

in April 2021 in fighting with an

armed group, and the military gave

power to his son, Mahamat Idriss

Déby, in a transition that violated the

constitution.

Human Rights Watch reports that

the 'Free, fair, and credible elections' by

2022, as promised by Mahamat Déby,

did not happen and were postponed.

WINNER

A presidential election took place

on 6 May 2024 and the state election

body announced Mahamat Idriss Déby

as the winner with over 61% of the

vote.

Parliamentary elections took place

in Chad on 29 December 2024, along

with elections for regional and local

offices.

This year, Chad entered the Open

Doors World Watch List Top 50

countries where Christians are most

persecuted, rising seven places.

Open Doors reports that this is

largely due to a 'sharp increase in reports

of violence and pressure stemming from

rising Islamic radicalism'.

This is despite there being a

sizeable minority population of six

million Christians in the country

(31.9%) who worship. Open Doors

say that Jihadist attacks are likely to

target Christian men for murder or

abduction, and they are sometimes

forcibly recruited into Jihadist groups

as fighters.

Chad has challenges due to its

proximity to countries struggling with

radical Jihadist groups.

Instability has also increased

because of the hundreds of thousands

of refugees from surrounding countries

— especially from Sudan.

Chad is also periodically affected by

drought, floods, and locust plagues.

It is also one of the Least Developed

Countries (LDCs) in the world.

According to a World Bank report,

44.8% of the population were living

below the national poverty line as of

2022.

'Extreme poverty' ($2.15/day per

capita) increased by 2.6 percentage

points between 2023 and 2024, reaching

36.5%

Converts from Islam are particularly

vulnerable to persecution from their

community, particularly in areas where

extremist Muslim religious leaders are

active.

Open Doors works through the local

church in Chad to provide persecution

preparedness training, discipleship,

economic empowerment and care for

new believers.

TBF Trust is financially supporting

a church leader in Chad and his son

Arch of Aloba in desert of Ennedi, Chad.


THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY

to have the surgery they need for

dangerous and painful medical

conditions.

Please pray for Chadian Christians,

for healing and hope, and that they

may be peacemakers in their society, as

they courageously follow the Lord.

References and Further Reading

South African History Online – article on

Chad: https://www.sahistory.org.za/place/

chad#

Human Rights Watch – article on the end

of the political transition: https://www.

hrw.org/news/2024/05/13/chad-politicaltransition-ends-debys-election

Human Rights Watch World Report

2023 – Chad: https://www.hrw.org/worldreport/2023/country-chapters/chad

Open Doors World Watch List 2025

– Chad: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/

persecution/world-watch-list/chad/

TBF Trust – Medical Aid in Africa – Chad:

https://www.tbftrust.org/newsletter/

Interactive Country Fiches – Chad: https://

dicf.unepgrid.ch/chad/climate-change#:

The World Bank – Chad overview: https://

www.worldbank.org/en/country/chad/

overview

Reuters – Chad presidential election:

https://www.reuters.com/world/

africa/chad-opposition-leader-masraclaims-victory-may-6-presidentialelection-2024-05-09/

Wikipedia – Chad elections: https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Chadian_

parliamentary_election

Nawrob, Dreamstime.com

16 The Parish Magazin — March 2025


Lenten Books

Living Hope (Adult pack of 10) — 40

daily reflections for Lent by Catherine

Fungai Ngangira, Belle Tindall, and

Victoria Mason, CUP £22. Each week

it considers the idea of hope from a

different angle as we journey with Jesus

on the road that leads to the cross and

beyond, to Easter Day.

Wild Bright Hope - Reflections on

Faith The Big Church Read Lent Book

2025, SPCK, £11.99. This heartening

book on hope will galvanise readers into

looking at the world and the challenges

we're facing in a new way. It gathers

together a range of lively, up-andcoming

writers who write passionately

about what gives them hope.

The Whole Easter Story - Why the

cross is good news for all creation

by Jo Swinney, BRF Lent Book £9.99

It explores the impact of the Easter

story on God’s relationship with

creation. Through Bible readings,

reflections and stories from A Rocha’s

global conservation efforts, discover

how the cross transforms our individual

connection with Jesus, and our

relationships with each other.

The Sacraments: Responding to God's

Loving Invitation by Jane Williams

SPCK £14.99. Acknowledging that

the sacraments can seem confusing,

divisive or even incomprehensible, Jane

Williams reveals them to be a glorious

expression of God's love for the world

in all its beauty and brokenness. The

sacraments invite us to enter into the

mystery that the world has meaning

and that all things come together in

Jesus.

In Quietness & Trust - Lent devotions

from the beatitudes by Matt Searles,

10Publishing, £6.99. Jesus explained how

he wants us to live. Rather than seeking

to ascend to God, Christian discipleship

is a downward flourishing; a countercultural

way of blessing. 40 devotions,

with a reading and short reflection,

guide you through the Beatitudes. This

Easter, join Jesus on His path to the

cross, and see that His way – though so

different to the way of the world – leads

to freedom, joy, and life.

Reflections for Lent 2025

By Justine Allain Chapman, Malcolm

Guite and John Perumbalath, CHP, £5.39.

Enhances your spiritual journey from

Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday

with reflections on readings from the

Common Worship Lectionary. Each day

includes lectionary details for Morning

Prayer, a reflection on one of the Bible

readings, and a Collect for the day. It

volume offers daily material for 5 March

to 19 April 2025.

The Final Days – a Lenten Journey

Through the Gospels By Matt Rawle,

Abingdon Press, £13.93. This Lent, ponder

the themes of justice, poverty, freedom

and love in the gospels. Each Gospel

offers a different lens through which we

understand Jesus’ Passion. Different

perspectives aren’t a reason to dismiss

the Gospels, rather they reveal an

abundant, diverse, and complementary

picture of God’s work in the suffering,

death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus Listens for Lent and Easter –

Prayers for the Season

By Sarah Young, Thomas Nelson, £17.99

This inspirational devotional prayer

book for Lent and Easter will be

helpful for anyone looking for peace

and forgiveness, and for any families

wanting to cultivate a tradition of

Lenten prayers and devotions together.

It has prayers, reflections, and Bible

verses, as well as stunning spring and

Easter season illustrations. This season

of remembering Christ's death and

resurrection will help you understand

how prayer connects you to God, helps

you seek forgiveness, and brings you

the inexpressible joy and freedom of

knowing that Christ has risen!

Healing Wounds - The 2025 Lent Book

By Fr Erik Varden, Bloomsbury Publishing

£12.99. Are we healed through our

wounds or are our wounds themselves

healed from some other source? Erik

Varden starts by examining the New

Testament where it spells out why

Christ’s wounds were efficacious for

the healing of humankind. Suffering by

nature poses questions people wrestle

with today in many fields of life with

counsellors, therapists, philosophers,

and spiritual directors. Varden employs

a contemplative tone, inviting readers

to sit with their own experiences of

pain and consider how these might

be transformed through faith and

introspection.


St Casimir

the godly

king of

justice

Casimir is a good

patron saint for

anyone whose father

drives them crazy. For

Casimir did not let an

unhappy background

stop him from becoming

the person he wanted to be. Yet Casimir’s father, the

King of Poland in 1458, was no picnic as a dad.

For if you think your teens were difficult, consider

this: when Casimir was only 13, in 1471, his father

decided to send him to war.

He put him in charge of a large army, aimed at

fighting on the Hungarian border.

CRISIS

At 13, this was hardly easy, but worse was to come.

Casimir’s father had not bothered to pay the troops.

Very soon young Casimir faced a crisis: his soldiers,

quite reasonably, were reluctant to fight Hungarians

when they were not even being fed.

The troops deserted, and Casimir had a difficult

time surviving the journey home.

GREW FAST

Then his father, far from welcoming his son’s safe

return, put all the blame of the lost army on Casimir.

He banished his son to the castle of Dobzki.

But instead of being crushed by this, Casimir used

the time to think, and he grew up fast.

Next time his father summoned him, he was met

by a determined young man who had seized control of

his own life.

Casimir flatly refused to fight again against any

Christian country, and he refused to marry a daughter

of Emperor Frederick III.

Casimir had decided he would prefer a life of

celibacy, devotion to God, and austerity, and he stuck

to his decision.

JUSTICE

When he became king in 1481, he ruled over

much of Poland for three years. In stark contrast to

his father, he was loved for his justice, prudence and

firmness. He died in 1484 of tuberculosis, at the age of

only 26, and was buried at Vilna. But his good deeds

lived after him, and he was canonised by Leo X in 1521.

From

the

editor's

desk . . .


Lent? Finding our way

Is it Lent already? I can hear you saying. Yes, it does seem

to come around quicker and quicker every year! Lent 2025

starts on Wednesday 5 March. I have always believed that

how we choose to approach Lent is a very personal thing,

and there are many different approaches we can choose.

MutareHawk, Dreamstime.com

The main thing is that we try to do something different

to our usual daily routine, and that 'something' should be

designed to bring us closer to God — and it is a good idea if

whatever we choose includes reading the Bible every day!

Lent always reminds me of the only pilgrimage I have

made. I went to Israel with a group of Christians from

different denominations and different styles of worship.

It was a fascinating experience, especially when it came

to the morning and evening services held every day. Each

service was led by someone from a different Christian

denomination.

While each service was meaningful in different ways,

and included many thought-provoking elements, it made

me appreciate more the Church of England style of services

that I had grown up with. It also helped me understand that

there are different ways of worshipping God, and there is no

right or wrong way of living a Christian life as long it has its

roots in the life and words of Jesus found in the Bible. It is

for us to find and use the most suitable way for ourselves.

PEACE WITH JUSTICE

At the time of my pilgrimage to the Holy Land the

hostilities between Israel and its Palestinian neighbours was

sadly little different from what it is today, indeed war was

officially declared while I was there.

The problem is easy to see. There are three religious

groups who claim the land and see Jerusalem as theirs —

in alphabetical order: Christians, Jews and Moslems. All

worship the same God, and all believe that their approach to

worship and God is the correct one. With this in mind, the

World Council of Churches offers the prayer below. Why not

use it use as part of your daily Lenten prayer . . .

Eternal God, creator of the universe, there is no God but

you. Great and wonderful are your works, wondrous are your

ways. Thank you for the variety of your creation. Thank you

for the many ways we affirm your presence and purpose, and

the freedom to do so. Forgive our violation of your creation.

Forgive our violence toward each other. We stand in awe and

gratitude for your persistent love for each and all of your

children: Christian, Jew, Muslim, as well as those with other

faiths. Grant to all and our leaders attributes of the strong;

mutual respect in words and deed, restraint in the exercise of

power, and the will for peace with justice, for all. Eternal God,

creator of the universe, there is no God but you. Amen.


MOTHER’S DAY AT

THE GREAT HOUSE

Spoil her with our new Sunday Roast, enjoy a floral

workshop together, and soak up the riverside views. She

deserves more than just a day – settle in and stay a while!

MOTHER’S DAY FLORAL WORKSHOP

Sunday 30th March | 11am

Under the expert guidance of local florist Emma Curtis,

craft your own beautiful spring bouquet to take home.

SUNDAY ROAST

Every Sunday from 11.30am

Roast Sirloin of Beef or Porchetta - with all the trimmings.

For more info & to book, scan the QR or

visit coppaclub.co.uk/whatson

@the_great_house | coppaclub.co.uk

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feature — 1

Two months of

'lunartism'

By Bob Peters


Dreamstime.com images: Paschal Full Moon in 2023, Tamara Lee Harding;

Daffodils,Elena Elisseeva; Clover, Sergey Denisov; Pancakes, Nancy

Pauwels; worms, Domnitsky.

For moon watchers, March and April are two of the busiest months of the year when they will not only be looking

heavenwards, but they will also be keeping a close eye on the soil on which they are standing. Some may even be happy

to call themselves, lunatics!

The root of this word lunatic is luna,

which means moon. The original

meaning of the word 'lunatic' meant

someone who went crazy with every

phase of the moon — a little like a

werewolf.

Most people these days don't

believe in moon related insanity,

but the word 'lunatic' is still used to

describe clinically insane people.

I learnt about 'moon madness' at

very young age because my mother

was convinced that the moon was

responsible for my father's monthly

mood swings. However, I now

suspect that it was her own mood

swings that were probably at the root

of the issue!

PARTIAL ECLIPSE

Moon watchers in the Reading

area will be hoping for clear skies on

Friday 7 March when a partial lunar

eclipse is expected at moonrise.

As well as being visible locally, it

will also be seen in parts of Europe,

Asia, Africa, North America, and

South America.

WORM MOON

A week later, on Friday 14 March

there will be a full moon from

6:55am.

This is sometimes known as the

Worm Moon because it is said that

earthworms appear in the soil at

this time because the earth warms

up in the spring. It is also said to be

the time when migrating birds start

reappearing in the UK after their

winter migration.

The Worm Moon is sometimes

called the Crow Moon, Sap Moon,

or Lenten Moon, the latter, because

it heralds the start of Lent - now you

know where the idea came from to

include this article this month!

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

On 14 March there will also be a

total lunar eclipse that will be visible

in the Pacific, Americas, Western

Europe, and Western Africa. It will

be the first total lunar eclipse since

November 2022.

The moon will appear reddishorange

during the eclipse, which is

known as a 'Blood Moon'.

The totality, of the eclipse, when

the entire moon is in Earth's shadow,

will last about 65 minutes.

The moon will appear slightly

smaller than average because it will

be near its farthest point from Earth.

You can use solar eclipse glasses or

filters to safely view the eclipse.

Saturday 1 March:

Sunday 2 March:

Monday 3 March:

Tuesday 4 March:

Tuesday 4 March:

Wednesday 5 March:

Wednesday 5 March:

Friday 7 March:

Saturday 8 March:

Monday 17 March:

Wednesday 19 March:

Thursday 20 March:

Tuesday 25 March:

Sunday 30 March:

Sunday 30 March:

The Worm Moon occurs just before

the Spring Equinox, which is on

Thursday 20 March.

For Christians, the first full moon

of spring is important because it

determines the date for Easter, thus it

is also called the Paschal moon.

PASCHAL MOON

Paschal comes from the Late Latin

word paschālis, which means 'of Easter

or Passover'.

The Paschal Moon is the first full

moon on or after 21 March.

The first Sunday after the Paschal

Moon is Easter Sunday, which means

this year Easter is on 20 April.

The next full moon, in April, is,

because of its colour, known as the

Pink Moon. Its colour which was

thought reflected the early spring

wildflowers that bloom around the

time of its appearance.

MARCH DIARY DATES

St David's Day

Saint Agnes of Bohemia

Saint Katharine Drexel

Shrove Tuesday

St Casimir

Ash Wednesday

Saint John Joseph of the Cross

Saints Perpetua and Felicity

International Women's Day

Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Joseph

First Day of Spring

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Mothering Sunday

British Summer Time, clocks go forward 1 hour


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feature — 2


Offshore sea sailors who meet in Reading?

Despite being 42 miles away from

the nearest sea shore, Reading has

a thriving offshore sailing social

club that welcomes new members,

including non-boat owners, writes

Jacqueline Bignell, the Club's

Commodore, who is pictured (right) at

the helm.

Reading Offshore Sailing Club (ROSC)

meets for a series of talks, usually on

the first Monday of the month, at least

one sailing rally on the sea, plus social

activities such as our summer BBQ, an

autumn ‘laying up supper’, a New Year

walk and a local pub lunch.

We are lucky enough to use the

Upper Thames Motor Yacht Club

premises on the waterside behind the

Mill at Sonning for our meetings.

It is a delightful spot to socialise

with others with similar interests,

share our experiences, make plans and

enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

The talks last year were as varied

as the story of the Vasa, a 17th century

warship raised from the deep in

Stockholm harbour, the work of the

Marine Conservation Society, cruising

in the Netherlands and amusing but

cautionary tales of sailing mishaps.

The programme included a very

enjoyable film review evening where

six members each presented a film

connected to sailing and the sea — the

ROSCARS!

At one of these meetings, £244.36

was raised for the Royal National

Lifeboat Institute.

The Vasa

MISHAPS AT SEA

Jacqueline Bignell, Reading Offshore Sailing Club’s Commodore, at the helm

We were fortunate with the weather

both for last summer’s BBQ and our

May weekend rally in the Solent.

Eight boats including two charter

yachts skippered by qualified members

of the club gave non-boat owners the

chance to get afloat and develop, or

hone, their sailing skills.

‘Climate Change and Sailing: A Journey

through Time’ was the first in our series

of talks this year, held on 3 February

by Tim Reeder, a climate change

consultant and formerly a senior

Peter Rennie

advisor at the Environment Agency.

On Monday 3 March. Jane

Williams, an accomplished sailor,

will talk about her voyage from St

John’s Newfoundland to Greenland

encountering humpback whales and

icebergs along the way.

And on Monday 7 April, Stuart

Little, a Thames pilot who has spent

his entire career in shipping, will give

an insider’s view of life as a pilot.

WARM WELCOME

The Reading Offshore Sailing Club

offers a warm welcome to visitors at all

our meetings.

We gather for a chat and drink

from 7.30pm and our talks begin at

8pm. First time visitors can attend

their initial talk for free.

These meetings are held at the

Upper Thames Motor Yacht Club.

Two weekend rallies in the Solent

are planned this year.

The first is from 9 May in East

Cowes and the second in Lymington in

September, again with an opportunity

for non-boat owners to join in.

For further details of our activities

and venue, please see:

https://www.readingoffshore.org.uk

Reading’s local charity caring for o


feature — 3

THIS YEAR LENT BEGINS ON ASH WEDNESDAY 5 M

Somebody asked a Christian friend

why he was eating doughnuts when

he had given them up for Lent! He

answered, ‘At the bakers I told God,

that if he wanted me to buy doughnuts,

he should provide a parking space in

front. On the eighth time around, there

it was!’ Rather than seeing Lent simply

as a time to give things up, let’s use

it intentionally for self-examination,

reading Scripture, penitence, fasting

and prayer.

At Jesus’ baptism, God’s voice says, ‘You

are My Son, whom I love; with You I am

well pleased.’ (Luke 3:22).

The Holy Spirit then leads Jesus

into the wilderness, where we find him

coming to terms with who he is.

Satan’s temptations challenge Jesus in

key three areas of his identity:

His divine sonship, political power

and Messianic role (Luke 4: 1-13).

WHO AM I?

It is as though Jesus was looking

into the mirror at himself to discern

what kind of Saviour he should be.

For us, Lent is an opportunity to hold

up a mirror to ourselves and ask the

question, ‘who am I?

It’s a season of honest encounter with

who we are, what we’ve done, and how

we should live.

What will we see when we hold up the

mirror to ourselves?

SELF-REFLECTION

Keeping Lent, the 40 days running

up to Easter, could mean taking time

to read Scripture, studying a Christian

book, or spending five minutes each day

in silence.

We might fast by missing one or

two meals, refraining from TV, alcohol,

social media, or scrolling on our phones.

All of these can help us to give more

attention to God in our lives.

Whatever we do, Lent is a season for

self-reflection, as we put ourselves in a

position to receive afresh the forgiveness

and healing that God offers.

PRAY MORE!

Whatever way we choose to observe

Lent, there is one way that is essential,

and that is making time to pray more!

Please make time to pray!

PRAY FOR PE

CHRIST

On 15 January Open Doors published its w

naming the countries where it is most dan

More than 365 million Christians worldwid

their faith — that’s a staggering one in seve

The Open Doors website reports the follo

North Korea remains at number one as t

at the top 23 times in the past 24 years.

In 2023, 4,998 Christians were killed for

According to Open Doors research, arou

4,000), where Christian communities are at

militants.

The country with the next highest numb

the Congo with 261.

Militant Islamists are exploiting the cha

The sweeping violence against Christian

economic instability, climate change and fra

the region.

But right across the world, as autocratic

Christians are being targeted: in China, Iran

and Tunisia.

PROPERTIES

There has been an alarming rise in the cl

Some 15,000 churches or public Christia

2023 — that’s seven times the number recor

of these were in China.

Christians were being squeezed out of th

The situation in Syria has worsened, and

Ongoing conflict, pressure from the Islam

groups and a collapsed economy contribute

Meanwhile, Libya has reached third on t

in violence against Christians.

And in Tunisia, pressure on Christians c

rule drifts into authoritarianism.

A prayer fo

Father, your son Jesus Christ heal

to abundant life. Look with mercy

world and through Jesus Christ ou

and each nation by the healing pow

NB: This prayer is adapted from one w

Christian women who came from a Mu


ARCH AND ENDS ON MAUNDY THURSDAY 17 APRIL

RSECUTED

IANS

ell-known World Watch List for 2025,

gerous to be a Christian.

e face persecution and discrimination for

n believers.

wing data from around the world:

he most dangerous country. It has been

their faith.

nd 90% of these were in Nigeria (just over

tacked by armed bandits and Islamic

er of deaths is the Democratic Republic of

os in Africa.

s in sub-Saharan Africa is being aided by

ctures in governance and security across

governments increase their control,

, and now Nicaragua, Algeria, Morocco

ATTACKED

osure of churches and buildings.

n properties were attacked or closed in

ded in 2022. Two-thirds, around 10,000,

e Middle East and North Africa.

believers face extreme persecution.

ic majority, the influence of extremist

to the vulnerability of Christians.

he World Watch List, due to an increase

ontinues to grow as President Kais Saied’s

r healing

ed the sick and restored them

on the pain and suffering of the

r Saviour restore each person

er of your Holy Spirit. Amen

ritten in Pakistan by a young

slim background

Dag Hammarskjold (1905 – 1961)

gave the impression of being an

agnostic humanist while he was

serving as Secretary-General of

the United Nations. So, it was a

surprise when after his death in

a plane crash, his private papers

contained some notes entitled

'negotiations with myself – and

with God'. His prayers have a

naked honesty which is deeply

moving. This one is from 1961,

written the year of his untimely

death.

Negotiations with

myself – and God

By Dag Hammarskjold

Have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon our efforts,

That we before Thee, in love and in faith,

Righteousness and humility,

May follow Thee,

With self-denial, steadfastness and courage,

And meet Thee in the silence.

Give us a pure heart that we may see Thee,

A humble heart that we may hear Thee,

A heart of love that we may serve Thee,

A heart of faith that we may love Thee.

Thou whom I do not know

But whose I am.

Thou whom I do not comprehend

But who has dedicated me

To my fate. Thou -

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

March Rendezvous

Tuesday 11 March

Tuesday 25 March


arounD the villages — 1

Ali's Pond friends

clean up cuttings

10 friends of Ali's Pond in Sonning

took over three days of hard labour

to clean up all the cuttings following

this year's tidy up sponsored by the

Sonning Fire Brigade Trust.

The continuing success of this area

was highlighted by the variety of

creatures seen and heard while the

work took place. It included, roe deer,

a common toad, woodpecker, nut

hatch, raven, robins and two species

from the Paridae family.

Ahoy there! Put these

dates in your diary now!

The Sonning Regatta on Sunday 8 June from 11am-4pm

The Elegant Picnic on Saturday 28 June from 7pm-midnight

Tickets for both events will be on sale in Pearson Hall soon!

Female voices

singing for pleasure

Saturday 1 March from 2-4pm in

Charvil Village Hall, a fun singing

afternoon for female voices led

by local music teacher and choir

director Suzanne Newman.

The focus will be on three classic

Queen songs arranged for two-part

choir: Crazy little thing called love,

Don't stop me now and We are the

champions.

The £12 fee includes music

and refreshments. Places need

to be booked and paid for in

advance by contacting Suzanne on

suzanneynewman@btinternet.com

Saturday 29 March at 7.30pm.

A concert by The Project Singers,

musical director Suzanne Newman,

at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts,

Maidenhead.

This is to celebrate Suzanne's

35th year of running the choirs in

Charvil and they will be singing

some of her favourite songs. Tickets

from the Box Office at Norden Farm

- 0162 878 8997 or via their website.

Epiphany at Sonning

Primary School

January is an important time of

year for Christians, and at Sonning

Primary, we learned more about

Epiphany, writes Phil Sherwood,

head teacher.

After a wonderful Christmas nativity

service at St Andrew’s, Bob Peters

visited Sonning CE Primary School

to share his vast and impressive

collection of nativity scenes to mark

Epiphany. The pupils were amazed by

the range of his nativity scenes.

around the villages — 1

around the villages — 2

It's time

for your

thinking cap!

. . . say the organisers of the

Sonning Scarecrows . . .

Another good

year for local

artists

Sonning Art Group's chair Sue

Bell, and treasurer Rob Farquhar

reported at its AGM that it

continues to thrive, and it looks

like 2025 will be as successful as

previous years.

Tutors are booked and events

organised to provide members

with goals and give inspiration for

creative and imaginative works of

art.

The Tom Baldwin Trophy, which

is given yearly to a member who

has supported the club and excelled

in their work was awarded to Jill

Watkins (pictured above).

As well as being a very talented

artist, Jill also demonstrated

how Filmo can be used like clay

but cooked in an ordinary oven.

This proved to be a fun afternoon

attempting something a little

different.

The Group meets on Friday

afternoons 12.30 -4pm. Membership

costs £4 and includes tea and biscuits

All abilities are welcome!

Well, it certainly seems a

long time since May 2024 when

the weather was perfect and

hundreds of people enjoyed wandering round Sonning

to see so many creative scarecrows. The organisers are

pleased to announce that several organisations within

the village have already benefitted from the £13,000

raised last year. These include: Sonning Club, Sonning

Cricket Club, Sonning Regatta, Sonning Art Club,

Sonning Monday Club, Sonning Flower Club and the

Robert Palmer Cottages.

Some of the money has also been used to fund a

speed awareness initiative thanks to a suggestion

from Paul Benton.

The scarecrow on the right, called

'DoYouThinkHeStrawUs' was the visitors

number one choice winning the 'Best in

Village' title.

The organisers added: 'None of this

would be possible without your support in

creating the superb display for which the

village is truly grateful. We now look

forward to 25-26 May 2026 … thinking caps

on … what scarecrow will you be making?'


Take a flight back in time . . .

Michelle Bridges, dreamstime.com

The History of Croydon Airport presented by Norman Brice is the subject

of the next Sonning and Sonning Eye Society's talk in the Pearson Hall on

Friday 21 March, starting at 7.30pm.

Norman Bryce is associated with the Historic Croydon Airport Trust, and will

delve into the airport's rich and varied history that includes Charles Lindbergh

and Amy Johnson. It was also a fighter airfield during The Battle of Britain.

Tickets are £5 members, £6 guest, and include a glass of wine.

Tickets from: https://sonning.org.uk or email penny.feathers@btinternet.com



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HOME AND GARDEN — 1


AFOOT IN THE GARDEN by Ray Puddefoot

Getting

fit for

March?

Dad was a funny man with a

number of high class jokes and

tricks? He once told a lady that he

had seen a cat dig a hole and — you

know the rest. Her reply was ‘My

cat does that every day'. 'What

with a shovel!’ — oh groan, you

won't be alone.

On Monday 5 February I became a

new staff member of a garden centre

in KÖln (Cologne). This was not to

escape from, but more as a march

then a stutter, from sun to rain, and

back again, once week.

When the sun shines natures

hidden gems reveal themselves.

One hidden gem whose seductive

fragrance you might smell is sweet

box. It is well named and could

replace caterpillar ravished box

hedging.

Sarcococca confusa

Evergreen and trimmable

Sarcococca confusa is most like

box, Hookeriana and Humilis

varieties have some burnishing while

Ruscifolia is quite vigorous.

They are unlikely to thrive in full

sun on light soils but are mostly good

doers.

I hope you are fit because March

should be your busiest month. It’s

Mykola Ieromenko, dreamstime.com

the most rewarding time with results

of your labours seen quickly which

make it an ideal time for instant

gardeners.

Good soil preparation is crucial

when planting in March. Incorporate

copious amounts of organic material,

feed, firm, water and mulch for new

plants to get the best possible start.

PERNICKETY

The same advice applies when

lifting and dividing perennials. Keep

an eye open and avoid damaging

emerging bulbs and re-plant if

disturbed.

Don’t be too pernickety tiding

dead foliage of perennials to leave

plenty of nest material for our

feathered friends.

Pruning and feeding roses now

shouldn’t affect when they flower.

Gently forking in fertilizer and

mulching your borders will improve

your gardens flower power over

RAY'S TOP TIPS FOR MARCH

Plant trees and shrubs

Divide perennials

Feed and mulch

Treat lawns

Sow hardy annuals

Camellia 'Donation'

Forsythia 'Lynwood'

the summer ahead. Spread lawn

MOSS+WEED+FEED to give your

lawn a good start to the year now.

Carefully follow the instructions on

the products to avoid damaging the

grass.

To add colour to your garden

in the summer you can sow halfhardy

annuals in March. Among

my favourites are Antirrhinum,

Calendula, Clarkia, Cornflower,

Godetia, Larkspur, Malva, Nigella,

Phlox, Poppies (Iceland and

Californian) and Sweet P.

Perennial seed to sow now include

Aquilegia, FoxglovesLavenders,

Lupins and Scabious.

Mariusz Blach, dreamstime.com


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HOME AND GARDEN — 2


Young, and the not so young, to celebrate 70

years with a BBC Gardener's Question Time

Twyford and Ruscombe Horticultral Association started their 70th Anniversary year with a record attendance

at its AGM with a talk by Diana Loyd from Hedgehog Friendly Twyford followed the formal proceedings. And the

celebrations continue into March with a BBC Radio 4 Gardeners Question Time.

The newly refurbished, and fullystocked,

Store in Loddon Hall Road,

Twyford was opened for the sale of

horticultural goods to their members

on Sunday 2 February 2025.

The younger members will be

celebrating with a potato planting

event at the store on Sunday 16

March.

Also in March, TRHA is preparing

for the eagerly anticipated BBC

Radio 4 Gardeners Question Time

programme which will be recorded at

How do you choose the colour of

flowers for your garden?

This year it seems that many of us

will pick up on Pantone’s ‘colour

of 2025’ for our homes, and plant

variations of its ‘mocha mousse’ into

our gardens.

That means flowers in various

soft chocolate hues of burnt browns,

complemented by deep maroons and

purplish taupes.

According to Guy Barter,

chief horticulturist at the Royal

Horticultural Society (RHS), this year

is all about 'chocolatey plants.

He does add, however, that 'I do

suspect a chocolatey garden with

nothing but chocolatey plants would

seem poor'.

Some garden designers believe

that the more neutrally coloured

Loddon Hall on Tuesday 18. This will

be a ticket only event with the tickets

being sold, in advance, at the TRHA

Store in Twyford.

Planning is also well advanced

for the Association's Spring Show on

Saturday 22 March which will also be

held at Loddon Hall. It is hoped that

entries will surpass the 2024 record

numbers.

For further details of all activities

visit: https://www.trha.org.uk or follow

TRHA on social media.

flowers will be around for some years

to come.

One consultant, Jake Croft, said:

'People are looking for a slower pace

of life and more balance and I think

soft browns and neutral colours give off

that cosy, warm, comforting feeling, as

opposed to bright, in your face, clashing

colours.'

TRHA Members receive a

monthly newsletter, either paper, or

electronically, with all the news and

a programme of events.

The membership fees remain the

same for 2025, only £8 per household,

per annum; £7 for seniors. To join

email the membership secretary,

Jenny Wager, trhamembership@gmail.

com. or go to the store in in Loddon

Hall Road Twyford RG10 9JA any

Sunday morning between 9.30 and

11.00am.'

Will Brown flowers be the fashion for 2025?

But some experts have doubts.

Karl Harrison, a professional

landscaping consultant, says that

brown is 'not a happy colour. It’s a bit

depressing.

'You are going to have to do

wonders in a garden to make someone

happy with brown flowers.'

And Mike Palmer, a columnist for

Amateur Gardening magazine, finds

dark brown plants and flowers are

'reminiscent of dying plants'

The Pantone colour of the year

is selected annually by the paint

brand’s colour institute. Their choice

is ‘Mocha Mousse,’ Pantone 17-

1230, which is supposed to evoke

'thoughtful indulgence,' and be

'sophisticated and lush, yet at the

same time an unpretentious classic.'

What do you think?


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HISTORY

Dave

Allen

— may

his God

go with

him!

20 years ago, on 10 March 2005, Irish comedian

Dave Allen died in his sleep having suffered sudden

arrhythmic death syndrome.

His real name was David Tynan O’Mahony and he was

best known for his observational comedy, but provoked

indignation, and often outrage, by highlighting religious

and political hypocrisy.

David O’Mahony was well connected: his father was

managing editor of The Irish Times, and his mother and

aunt were both well-known writers.

His father died when he was 12 years old, and the

family moved to England, where his agent eventually

persuaded him to change his name 'because no-one in the

UK could pronounce O’Mahony correctly'.

The comedian agreed because he thought a name

starting with 'A' would get him to the top of agents’ lists.

Public domain, Wikimedia

POWER MOCKER

He had been educated at the Catholic University

School in Dublin, where he developed a disrespect for the

disciplinary methods of the Roman Catholic Church.

Later this extended to the Church of England and he

became known for mocking their exercise of power rather

than their beliefs, but he was certainly a sceptic, calling

himself 'a practising atheist – thank God'.

Although Dave Allen became well known in many

parts of the world, including Australia, it wasn’t always

a smooth path: he worked at one time in a toy shop in

Sheffield and as a door-to-door salesman of draught

excluders.

Although he was also an actor, he became best known

for his stand-up — or rather sit-down — routines

involving a stool, a cigarette and a glass.

He said he was always bothered by the misuse of

power, and in his native Ireland he was particularly

controversial, both among some southern Catholics and

Paisleyite Protestants.

It may not have helped that he ended his act with the

words:

'Goodnight, thank you, and may your God go with you!'


Was it really? . . .

Britannia bridge connects the Welsh mainland with the Isle of Anglesey

Khellon, dreamstime.com

. . . 250 YEARS AGO on 23 March 1775 that Patrick Henry,

a Founding Father of the United States, gave a famous

speech at the Second Virginia Convention. He called for

America’s independence from Britain, saying 'Give me

liberty or give me death!'

. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 5 March 1850 that the Britannia

Bridge linking Anglesey and mainland Wales across the

Menai Strait was officially opened. Designed and built by

railway engineer Robert Stephenson, it had to be replaced

after a disastrous fire in 1970.

. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 7 March 1875 that Maurice Ravel,

the French composer best known for Bolero, was born.

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 28 March 1900 that the British

archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating the ancient

city of Knossos, capital of the Minoan civilisation, in

Heraklion, Crete. Knossos, the oldest city in Europe, was

abandoned more than 3,000 years ago.

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 21 March 1925 that Murrayfield

Stadium in Edinburgh was officially opened.

. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 16 March 1935 that driving tests

were introduced in Britain. Three days later a speed limit

of 30 mph in built-up areas was also introduced under the

Road Traffic Act of 1934.

. . . 80 YEARS AGO on 24 March 1945 that Operation

Varsity took place in Wesel, Germany. The USA,

Britain and Canada carried out the largest single-day

airborne landing operation in history with over 16,000

paratroopers and thousands of aircraft. It was an Allied

victory.

. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 11 March 1955 that Sir Alexander

Fleming, Scottish bacteriologist died. He was the joint

winner of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

for discovering penicillin

. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 18 March 1965 that Soviet

cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov became the first person to

make a spacewalk.

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 26 March 1975 that the Biological

Weapons Convention came into effect. This multilateral

disarmament treaty banned the development, production

and stockpiling of all biological and toxin weapons.


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christmas quiz

THE SCIENCES

'What is the difference

between a cathedral

and a physics lab? Are

they not both saying:

Hello?'— Annie

Dillard


Scientists often speak of a reality beyond the objects they are studying,

and for some this is encountered in powerful – if rare – episodes of wonder

and awe. The Christian writer JW Sire quotes this line from Annie Dillard

in his book 'Echoes of a Voice', which explores spiritual or ‘transcendent’

experiences, writes Dr Ruth M Bancewicz*.

In his analysis of these experiences

Sire describes moments that are

'emotional, intellectual, highly charged,

usually sudden, unannounced, often odd,

some weird, others glorious', and places

them on three different levels:

1. A material object that points

beyond the material reality. For

example, someone might develop a

sense of what is good and evil, based

on the actions of others.

2. Experience of 'something personal…

just behind the surface of what we are

directly experiencing, often something

with which one feels at peace or even

at one, or, perhaps, as dangerous or

threatening.'

3. A felt presence that has a specific

character or presence, for example,

holiness, or inspiring humility,

fearful awe or wonder.

According to Sire, level 1-2

experiences are fairly common but

level 3 is rare. He gives a wide range

of examples, including scientists.

Some scientists are religious or

interested in spirituality, others are

atheists.

Some of their moments of

transcendence carried a particular

meaning, others simply sparked

curiosity.

The famous geneticist Francis

Collins described several significant

moments when he was young: 'being

transported by the experience of looking

through a telescope', or 'a Christmas

Eve where the descant on a particularly

beautiful Christmas carol…left me with

a sense of unexpected awe and a longing

for something I could not name'.

Rediscovering the joy of Eureka!

Jesus is still calling us to be his disciples, not his wellwishers,

from a safe distance! So how do we start as a

disciple, exactly? It can be helpful to remember the story

of John and Andrew in the first chapter of St John.

Firstly, John and Andrew were simply getting on with daily

life when their teacher, John the Baptist, introduced them

to Jesus. They hadn’t been out looking for him – but when

they met him, they were deeply affected.

Andrew excitedly reported: 'We have found the Messiah'

(John 1:41). His statement is true, but the more you read

of the story, the more you’ll realize that it was Jesus who

found them. He is after you, too! If you encounter God, it is

no accident that your paths have crossed.

Then there is the eureka! factor in Andrew and John’s

story. This expression, from the Greek eurisko, is said to

These experiences meant that

when Collins was faced with the

question of belief in God, 'all [his]

arguments seemed very thin'.

Now, as a fully-fledged scientist

and a believer in God, he is able to say

that 'for a scientist who occasionally

is given the remarkable privilege of

discovering something not previously

known by man, there is a special kind

of joy associated with such flashes of

insight.'

Most of us are not scientists, but

we may well have had experiences

like this in different contexts.

How can we, in our engagement

with scientifically minded

individuals, make connections

through our shared experience of the

transcendent? Can we listen as well

as explain, finding some common

points of connection?

*Dr Ruth M Bancewicz is the Church

Engagement Director at The Faraday

Institute for Science and Religion in

Cambridge.

have been exclaimed around the year 200 BC by the Greek

mathematician Archimedes when he discovered a way to

determine the purity of gold.

Andrew used the same expression when he told his

brother he had found Jesus Christ. 'I’ve found him! Eureka!'

This Lent, you can be sure that Jesus is certainly

looking for you, and if your response has ever been: ‘I’ve

found him! Eureka!', then you, like Andrew, have become a

disciple, a Christian.

Maybe you began to follow Jesus a long time ago,

but your obedience has been 'on hold.' You haven’t been

faithful in worship, in reading the Bible. You haven’t even

been a part of a local church.

Well, Lent 2025 is an ideal time to re-discover the joy

of eureka! again.


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FASHION BY harriet nelson

Celebrating with

Mothering Sunday on 30 March gives

us the opportunity to celebrate the

incredible women in our lives and to

express our love and appreciation

through thoughtful gifts, memorable

experiences, and fabulous fashion.

Whether planning a brunch, a day out,

or a cosy gathering at home, dressing

for the occasion can make it all the

more special.

This month, I'm dedicating my

article to my lovely grandmother,

Mollie Nelson, who sadly died last

month. I will be thinking of her on

Mothering Sunday and have decided

to discuss what clothing styles she

wore compared with today's modern

mothers, so here are some fashionable

trends — young and old — to help

you look and feel your best while

celebrating all the incredible mothers,

past and present, in your life.

FLOWY

I suggest a comfortable, stylish look

if your Mothering Sunday celebrations

include brunch at a local café.

A flowy midi dress in soft pastels

or floral prints captures the essence

of spring while remaining effortlessly

elegant. Pair it with some colourful

sandals or block-heeled mules, and for

a touch of sophistication, accessorise

with delicate gold jewellery and a widebrimmed

hat to create a look that feels

like spring.

FIT AND FLARE

When my grandmother was young,

fashion in the mid-20th century

featured various styles that were

quintessential to the era.

Some key elements of fashion that

she might have worn during her youth

and perhaps wore to a brunch at a local

café would have been a fit and flare

dress which was very popular in the

1940s.

This style had a fitted bodice and

flared skirt, often with bold prints and

colours. However, depending on how

old she was, due to fabric shortages

after World War II, practical styles of

these dresses became common.

Straight skirts and modest

necklines prioritise function and

simplicity, so I can imagine my Granny

would have had this style of dress

Granny Mollie Nelson

growing up and wearing it on different

occasions.

For those planning a more intimate

gathering at home this Mothering

Sunday, comfort is key, but that doesn't

mean you must sacrifice style.

A comfy-chic jumper is a versatile

choice that flatters all body types and

offers a modern silhouette, depending

on the style. Choose one in a bright,

solid colour or a playful pattern.

Layer it with a cute skirt and finish

the look with chic slip-on sneakers or

cute loafers. This ensemble is perfect

for cooking, enjoying brunch, and

spending quality time with loved ones.

PRACTICAL

My Granny might have worn a

house dress for days at home with the

family during her youth. These dresses

tended to be a slightly looser cut with

pretty flower patterns. They were

designed to be practical for housework

but still pleasant enough to receive

guests and run to the shops quickly.

For accessories on a day such as

Mothering Sunday, she probably wore

practical heeled shoes, along with some

pretty jewellery such as a necklace.

Depending on whether they decided

to do some cooking or baking for

the occasion, she might be wearing

an apron and a scarf over her hair to

protect it from the mess.

A tailored suit can be a powerful

yet feminine choice for a more

modern formal dining experience

at a restaurant on this occasion. An

elegantly cut blazer over a bright

shirt and tailored trousers creates a

sophisticated ensemble perfect for a


fabulous fashion

refined dinner. Select a classic pair

of heels to elevate your look, and

accessorise with statement earrings

for some glamour.

A more formal outfit my Granny

would have worn for dinner would

have been a pencil skirt, this fitted

silhouette that became popular for

working women.

Shoulder pads were also trendy

when they were introduced in the

1940s. They gave a more structured

silhouette, especially in jackets,

blouses, and vintage handbags for

going out.

If shoulder pads weren't your

style, cardigans and jumpers layered

over blouses or dresses provide a cosy

touch.

Whether for dinner or work, this

smart combo would be perfect and

sophisticated for any occasion.

STYLISH

If its a garden party or a picnic

in the park embrace the spirit of the

outdoors. Wear high-waisted jeans

with a comfortable yet stylish blouse;

can be a winning combination.

Complete the look with fashionable

yet practical sneakers, and throw on a

lightweight jacket to stay cosy.

The key is to remain comfortable

while still looking put-together to

enjoy every moment with your family.

My grandmother would have

worn a pretty sundress. Depending

on the year, bold colours and lively

prints would make her stand out while

reflecting the freshness of spring and

pairing her dress with a comfortable

sun hat and gloves, worn for formal

occasions, often elbow-length or wristlength,

depending on the weather.

A pearl necklace would match the

dress perfectly. Classic and versatile,

these were a staple for special

occasions and everyday wear. She also

might have carried a woven basket bag

to carry her essentials and perhaps a

sweet surprise for her Mother.

Whether you opt for casual

comfort or sophisticated elegance, let

your outfit be perfect for celebrating

your mum.

Here's to all the mothers,

grandmothers, and mother figures

who inspire us daily, and to my

Granny Mollie.


HEALTH

Keeping up with changing National Healthcar

I have worked in the NHS and healthcare for over 30

years, starting as a student nurse — where I found

I was too squeamish to be of value — and then in

administrative and management roles, writes Anne

Elgeti (pictured right).

My experience covers a broad range of healthcare services,

the more unusual being in secure environments such as

prisons, courts, immigration removal centres, and Sexual

Assault Referral Centres (SARCS).

My aim is to provide you with information that will

help you to understand more about healthcare services on

offer, provide seasonal healthcare reminders and share new

treatments and local news where I am able.

If there is something you would like to know more

about, please email the editor of The Parish Magazine and I

will do my best to include information in future articles.

ACCESSING CARE

I know many people find the NHS difficult to navigate

and hope the 'cut out and keep' guide below will be a

useful starting point in helping you to find the care advice

available to you.

Please note anyone who needs help for a mental health

crisis or emergency can get expert advice and assessment

by calling 111.

To get urgent help for mental health see:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/whereto-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

TEN YEAR PLAN

The NHS recently ran Change NHS to hear your views,

experiences, and ideas to shape a new 10 year health

plan for England. The scheme ran until 14 February and

is due to be published in May 2025. You can find more

information about this at change.nhs.uk where you can also

register to keep up to date with what’s happening next.

The plan will focus on the three changes that the

Government, health service and experts agree need to

happen:

— Moving care from hospitals to communities for

example providing more health services at places such

For severe and life-threatening emergencies call 999

or go to Accident and Emergency.

Getting Help and Advice for Health

A&E is for serious injuries and life-threatening

emergencies. These are things like heavy bleeding,

choking, seizures, heart attacks and stroke.

If you’re not sure what to do:

Call 111 or get help from 111 Online

NHS 111

Online at 111.nhs.uk or dial 111 on your phone.

111 will give you support and advice which may include:

• Call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency

• Go to an Urgent Treatment Centre

• See an evening and weekend (out of hours) GP

• Book a callback from a nurse

• Get urgent specialist support for dental or mental

health problems

• Contact your own GP surgery

• See a pharmacist for help with a minor illness

• How to look after yourself at home

Call NHS 111 if you:

• Need help for a child under 5

• Have complex problems caused by an existing

medical condition

• Have a care plan from your doctor for our current

health problem

• Need to get end of life care

• Need urgent help for your mental health

Pharmacists / Chemists

Most Pharmacies Offer:

• Advice on medications • Emergency

• Advice on when to take contraception

medication

• Medication disposal

• Advice on symptoms

Some pharmacies offer:

• Advice on how to lose • Screening and

weight

treatment for chlamydia

• Advice on how to stop

smoking

Pharmacy First scheme pharmacists in England

can carry out consultations and issue antibiotics or

treatment for the following:

• Sore throat

• Earache

• Sinusitis

• Impetigo

• Shingles

• Infected

inspect bites

• Urinary tract

infections in

women

General Practitioners (GP) Services

Your local GP surgery can offer

appointments with a range of health

professionals including GPs, nurses

& clinical pharmacists.

Services your GP offers can be found

on their website. Your GP should be

at the centre of your healthcare

planning.

Urgent Treatment Centre

Urgent Treatment Centres are

usually staffed by nurses. They can

help with things like:

• Sprains and

strains

• Suspected

broken bones

• Injuries, cuts

and bruises

• Skin infections

and rashes

• High

temperature in

children and

adults

• Mental health

concerns

• Prescriptions

and emergency

contraception

For more information or to find your

local service visit

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services

e Service developments

as GP clinics, pharmacies, local health centres and in

people’s homes.

— Making better use of technology, for example

investing in new digital technology (imaging machines

and scanners) use of shared electronic records and use of

AI tools.

— Focussing on preventing sickness not just treating

it, spotting illness earlier and tackling the causes of

ill health including increased screening services, more

support for those wanting to quit smoking and weight

management programmes to encourage people to live

healthier lifestyles.

OPERATIONAL PLANNING

The NHS 2025/26 Operational Planning Guidance

was published at the end of January, and you can

find out more about this at https://www.england.nhs.uk/

publication/2025-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance/

HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV)

The NHS is encouraging parents and carers in the

South East to ensure that children receive their HPV

vaccination. This helps protect against the virus and

other conditions linked with it, including genital warts,

cancers of the genital areas and anus, and some mouth

and throat cancers.

It has been offered to all Year 8 students since

September 2019, however, a fifth of year 9 students still

remain unvaccinated.

The vaccine is available for free on the NHS until age

25 years. Parents and young people can speak with their

school nurse, school vaccination team or GP surgery

about how to get the vaccine if they have missed it.

BOWEL SCREENING

The NHS Bowel Screening programme has been

extended to people aged 50-52 years, so look out for your

NHS Bowel Screening kit.

This programme aims to diagnose bowel cancers at

an earlier stage, increasing the chances of successful

treatment and survival.

Those newly eligible will receive an invitation letter

and be sent their test with full instructions and prepaid

return packaging. This will happen automatically as the

programme rolls out across the country.

FIT kits are used at home by putting a poo sample

in a small tube and returning it by post to the NHS for

testing.

The test checks for blood in the poo, which can

be a sign of bowel cancer. Results are sent back to

participants, along with information about further tests,

if needed.

You can call the free bowel cancer screening help line

for advice on 0800 707 60 60.

Information on bowel cancer and the screening

programme can be found on the NHS website.at:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer-screening/

THE ARTS

Cartoons

of Olde

By Nigel Beeton


Antonio Sena, Dreamstime.com

Didn’t we love those cartoons of old?

The faintly ridiculous stories they told!

Of cats chasing mice, and dogs chasing cats

Wile E Coyote and his Road Runner traps

That never succeeded, or trapped him instead

We laughed at disaster ‘cos no one was dead!

Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, or dear old Bugs Bunny

There’s nothing today that is nearly so funny!

Dastardly, Muttley, in those great Wacky Races,

Whose schemes always left them both sunk without traces;

Or Fred of the Flintstones, and Wilma, and Barney

We laughed at their tales of prehistory blarney!

The unending feuding of Tom and of Jerry

Which always succeeded in making us merry!

Those hand-drawn cartoons made us rock like a jelly

Who needed computers to bring us good telly?

Anthony Aneese Totah Jr, dreamstime.com


PUZZLE PAGE — 1

BIBLE CROSSWORD

MUSICAL WORD SEARCH BY RALPH

C

L

A

ACROSS

1 These letters come between Romans and Galatians (11)

9 ‘You will not — me to the grave’ (Psalm 16:10) (7)

10 King of Moab to whom the Israelites were subject for 18 years

(Judges 3:14) (5)

11 Town possessing mineral spring (3)

13 Mede (anag) (4)

16 High-fidelity (abbrev.) (4)

17 He succeeded his father Rehoboam as king of Judah (1 Kings 14:31) (6)

18 A son of Simeon (Genesis 46:10) (4)

20 Controversial religious book of the 1970s, The — of God Incarnate (4)

21 ‘He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has

poured out what you — — and hear’ (Acts 2:33) (3,3)

22 ‘You — me together in my mother’s womb’ (Psalm 139:13) (4)

23 Edit (anag) (4)

25 ‘Who has believed our message and to whom has the — of the Lord been

revealed?’ (Isaiah 53:1) (3)

28 Abraham’s brother (Genesis 22:23) (5)

29 ‘When Mordecai learned of — that had been — , he tore his clothes’

(Esther 4:1) (3,4)

30 Sympathetic (Proverbs 11:16) (4-7)

DOWN

2 ‘That was why his parents said, 'He is — —; ask him'’ (John 9:23) (2,3)

3 Integrated Services Digital Network (1,1,1,1) 4

4 ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his — of thousands’

(1 Samuel 18:7) (4)

5 Concept (John 8:14) (4)

6 ‘Do we, then, — the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law’

(Romans 3:31) (7)

7 Industrious (2 Timothy 2:6) (11)

8 ‘I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be — in order that you may

know the hope to which he has called you (Ephesians 1:18) (11)

12 ‘Out of the same mouth come — and cursing’ (James 3:10) (6)

14 This was how many of the Jewish leaders described Jesus (John 10:20) (3)

15 Vitality (Job 20:11) (6)

19 He urged David to kill Saul at Hakilah (1 Samuel 26:8) (7)

20 ‘So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul — with the church and taught

great numbers of people’ (Acts 11:26) (3)

24 ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord — — ’ (Deuteronomy 6:4) (2,3)

25 Parched (Matthew 12:43) (4)

26 ‘In the image of God he created him; — and female he created them’

(Genesis 1:27) (4)

27 Disparagement (Psalm 15:3) (4)

Ralph's musical word search grid above contains 26 hidden

words related to music. Their initial letters of the numbers

are: 4C, 2D, 2G, H, K, 2M, 2O, 2P, Q, S, 2T, 4V, W, and X. If

you find all 26 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 FEBRUARY VERSE SEARCH

BRACE

MILLIARD

SEXTET

CENTURY

MIRIAD

SIX

DECADE MULTITUDE

THIRTY

DOZEN

NINE

THREE

ELEVEN QUADRILLION THOUSAND

FIFTEEN

QUARTET

THIRTEEN

FIFTY

QUINTET

TRIO

FORTY

QUIRE TRIUMVIRATE

GOOGOL

QUORUM

TWELVE

LEASH

REAM

TWENTY

LEGION

SEVEN

UMPTEEN

The hidden verse was from Psalms 105:12, Living Bible

HE SAID THIS WHEN THEY WERE

BUT FEW IN NUMBER

PUZZLE PAGE — 2

CROSSWORD

7

1 2 3 4 5 6

9 10

11 12 13

15 16 17 18

22

24

Across

19

20 21

23

4 - Investigated in detail (6)

ACROSS

74 -- Small

Investigated

crustacean (8)

in detail (6)

87 -- Mongrel Small dog crustacean (3) (8)

98 -- Unit Mongrel of length (4) dog (3)

9 - Unit of length (4)

10 State of matter (6)

10 - State of matter (6)

of research (7)

11 - Piece of research (7)

- appliances (5)

12 - Baking appliances (5)

15 -- Brazilian dance dance (5) (5)

17 -- Portable lamp (7) lamp (7)

20

20

- Guard

- Guard

against

against

(6)

(6)

21 - Large stone (4)

21 - Large stone (4)

22 - Consumed food (3)

22 - Consumed food (3)

23 - Foliage (8)

23 24 - Foliage - Scrap (8) (6)

24 - Scrap (6)

14

DOWN

8

Down

1 - One who has a salary (6)

1 - One who

2 - At work

has

(2-3-3)

a salary (6)

2 - At work (2-3-3)

3 - Tool that 4 - Floral is useful leaf (5) for the

Arctic (3,4)

5 - Developed into (6)

4 - Floral leaf (5)

6 - Coercion (6)

5 - Developed into (6)

13 - Ex-servicemen (8)

6 - Coercion (6)

13 - Ex-servicemen 14 - Walked like a (8) duck (7)

14 - Walked like a duck (7)

15 - Narrow passage of

water (6)

18 - Put down on paper (6)

16 - Particular designs or

19 - Edge or border (5)

versions (6)

18 - Put down on paper (6)

19 - Edge or border (5)

3 - Tool that is useful for the Arctic (3,4)

15 - Narrow passage of water (6)

16 - Particular designs or versions (6)

SUDOKU

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


answers in the next issue

February

Solutions

CROSSWORD

A L L Y O B S I D I A N

N A V E N N O

T U R N I N G V E G A N

I G C G E R A

B L O A T E A R N E S T

A O D T S T

C A P E R S L E S S E E

T R I B B N

E C O N O M Y R A P I D

R V U P A O A

I D E A S A R T I S A N

A R L S E E C

L O B B Y I S T I S L E

CODEWORD

S T A I R S O J U T

S E S A U C E H

D U S T P A N Z T I

N O I O P T I C

B A N K R U P T I K

M T S M N E

K I S S E S F I D G E T

L H R C S V

A A C H U T Z P A H

X Y L E M E R S

O L O S Q U A L I D

N O A T H S S O

S O W H S T R O N G

SUDOKU

WORDSEARCH

CODEWORD

23 26 6 3 19 26 20 4 26 11 18 23

18 22 4 20 14 14 11

19 26 14 4 18 20 23 23 18 25 17 18

14 2 1 24 10 22 26

1 9 2 3 26 18 15 18 6 11 18 4

18 10 10 1 18 7

March brings us Lent and Mothering

Sunday. Lent is a time of spiritual

self-assessment as we prepare for

Easter. It is a time to turn to God, and

to grow closer to Him. Mothering

Sunday reminds us of not only the

mothers that have loved and raised

us, but of Mother Church, who has

spiritually loved and nurtured us

throughout our Christian pilgrimage.

How many words can you find on

these themes in this month’s Word

Search?

BIBLE CROSSWORD

10 26 10 14 11 13 21 17 26 20 11 26

19 18 19 17 11 23

18 12 6 18 18 4 23 26 19 5 14 11

26 2 20 17 5 10 20

5 2 17 20 11 10 18 2 18 26 23 18

2 23 26 1 18 8 23

18 13 18 25 2 26 23 23 16 9 9 23

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

Y

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

Z

Q

Lent

spiritual

Easter

preparation

fasting

prayer

desert

selfdenial

repentance

seeking

finding

growing

mothers

love

care

nurture

learning

teaching

disciples

worldwide

flowers

thankyou

nursing

family



TPM Classified

If you are interested in advertising here?

Contact Ian at:

ianmacpne@outlook.com

ALL AERIALS

Local Handyman, TV problems, survey’s on roofs,

gutters, chimneys with drone.

0797 950 3908 0118 944 0000

ACG SERVICES - LOCKSMITH

Locks changed, fitted, repaired and opened

Door and window locks fitted, UPVC door lock expert

Checkatrade member - Which Trusted Trader

Call Richard Homden: 0149 168 2050 / 0771 040 9216

CLARK BICKNELL LTD - PLUMBING & HEATING

Qualified Plumbing and Heating Engineers Gas Safe

25 years experience - local family run company

Office: 0118 961 8784 - Paul: 0776 887 4440

paul@clarkbicknell.co.uk

Gardiner’s Homecare is an established family

business that has been serving the local community

since 1968. Proudly supporting people to continue

to enjoy living independent lives in their own homes

for as long as possible.

Our team of experienced care workers can provide

help with personal care, medication, overnight stays,

housework, companionship and much more. You will be

assigned your own Care Manager who will work closely

with you to ensure you receive the care and support

that is tailored to your personal wishes and needs.

For more information, contact us on

0118 334 7474

MC CLEANING

We are a family business with excellent references

and we are fully insured

All cleaning materials provided

For free quote call: Maria 0779 902 7901

SMALLWOOD

Landscaping, garden construction,

patios, lawns, fencing, decking etc

0118 969 8989 https://www.smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk/

office@smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk

THAMES CHIMNEY SWEEPS

0779 926 8123 0162 882 8130

enquiries@thameschimneysweeps.co.uk

http://www.thameschimneysweeps.co.uk

Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps

HANDYMAN & DECORATING SERVICES

Reliable and affordable

Small jobs a speciality!

Call Andy on 0795 810 0128

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

BERKSHIRE STUMP REMOVALS

Stump grinding and tree stump removal

Latest narrow access machinery

Contact: Mark

0798 495 7334 http://www.berkshirestumpremoval

PROFESSIONAL TREE & HEDGE SERVICES

Tree felling, reduction, reshaping, crown work, hedge

maintenance, removal, stump grinding, green waste recycled

PL Insurance BS 3998 (2010) by NPTC qualified staff.

Check a Trade and Trading Standards

0134 445 2733 jose@woodchipsltd.co.uk Woodchips.org.uk.

SMALLWOOD

Landscaping, garden construction,

patios, lawns, fencing, decking etc

0118 969 8989 https://www.smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk/

office@smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk

BIG HEART TREE CARE

Reliable and friendly service for all tree care

NPTC qualified — Public Liability of £10 million

0118 937 1929 0786 172 4071

bighearttreecare.co.uk info@bighearttreecare.co.uk

WOODCHIPS TREE SURGERY

Surveys on houses with a drone

Most jobs undertaken

Please call Phil on:

0797 950 3908

If you are interested in advertising here?

Contact Ian at:

ianmacpne@outlook.com

CHILDREN'S PAGE


42 The Parish Magazine — March 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

All Aerials 40

AMS Water Softeners 14

Avery Collection Care Home 28

Berkshire Stump Removals 40

BHR Maintenance 34

Big Heart Tree Care 40

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 14

Blue Moose Quality Graphics 26

Bridges Meals on Wheels 20

Bull Inn Sonning 32

Canon Tree Care 30

Clark & Bicknell Plumbing & Heating 40

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

HomesBarn Store 20

Home Stairlifts 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

Muck & Mulch Garden Supplies 34

Professional Tree & Hedge Services 40

Reading Blue Coat School 14

Richfield Flooring 12

Shiplake College 20

Smallwood Landscaping 40

Smove Ride Taxis 34

Sonning Golf Club 6

Sonning Scouts 32

Thames Chimney Sweeps 40

The Great House Coppa Club 18

The Mill at Sonning 44

Timmy’s Garden Services 10

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


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


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The Parish Magazine March 2025

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