The Parish Magazine April 2025

The Parish Magazine — April 2025 1

The

Parish

Magazine

The John King Trophy

and Gold Award

Best Magazine 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

April 2025 — Holy Week and Easter

EASTER

2025

Church of St Andrew

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

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

Church of St Andrew

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye



and Gold Award

Best Magazine 2018

National Parish Magazine

Awards

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023

Best Content 2016, 2021

Best Editor 2019

Best Print 2018

information — 1

Contents April 2025

THE VICAR'S LETTEr, 5

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD

— Easter Fun Afternoon, 7

— Daily Hope Line, 7

— For your prayers, 7

— STAY, 8-9

— Bishop of Reading, 11

— Ready for Resurrection? 11

— FoSTAC garden tour, 11

— The Penitent Thief, 13

— May I know thee prayer, 13

— Easter in the Bible, 13

— The persecuted Church, 15

— Saint George, 17

— From the editor's desk, 17

FEATURES

— 5,000 years of candlelight, 19

— April Fools Day, 21

— Easter week service, 22-23

around tHE VILLages

— Sonning Primary School, 24

— Helping Me2, 25

— Sonning Art Group, 25

— Charvil Singers, 25

— Urgent rivers talk, 27

HEALTh

— AI helps NHS, 27

THE ARTS

— Sweet music, 29

— Poetry Corner, 29

HISTORY

— Claude remembers the floods, 31

— Was it really? 31

THE SCIENCES

— Praise for Creation, 33

— Is chocolate good for us? 33

FASHION

— Vogue Runway, 35

HOME AND GARDEN

— Keeping the tap running, 36

— Cutting light pollution, 36

— Planting for Palm Sunday, 37

PUZZLE PAGES, 38-39

children's page, 41

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER

The

Parish

Magazine

April 2025 — Holy Week and Easter

EASTER

2025

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

Easter Egg Hunt

Corinne Robertson

EDITORIAL DEADLINE

The editorial deadline for every issue

of The Parish Magazine is 12 noon on

the sixth day of the month prior to the

date of publication.

The deadline for the May 2025

issue of The Parish Magazine is:

Sunday 6 April 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


Services in

St Andrew's

Church Sonning

Sunday 6 April

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Family Service

— 4.00pm Evensong

Palm Sunday 13 April


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with

the Passion Reading

Maundy Thursday 17 April

— 7.30pm Holy Communion with

the Stripping of the Altar

Good Friday 18 April

— 2.00-3.00pm The Last Hour

with readings, prayer and

silent reflection

Easter Eve Saturday 19 April

— 2.00pm Family Service

followed by Easter Fun Day

— 8.15pm The vigil with the lighting

of the Easter Fire and the First

Communion of Easter

Easter Day 20 April


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist

with STAY and Sunday Club

during which the children

will make the Easter Garden

Sunday 27 April


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist

with STAY and Sunday Club

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES

Morning Prayer is held in the church

every Tuesday at 9.30am.

Mid-week Communion in The Ark is

held every Wednesday at 10.00am. Tea

and coffee follows the service.

Home Communion at Sonning

Gardens Care Home is held on the first

Monday of each month at 11.00am.

INFORMATION

— Church services, 3

— From the registers, 3

— Local Trades and Services, 40

— Parish contacts, 42

— Advertisers' index, 42

From the Registers

FUNERALS

— Monday 3 February: Daphne Maureen Long, Interment of ashes in churchyard

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The vicar's letter

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

In the tradition of the ancient Russian Orthodox church, the day

after Easter was devoted to telling jokes. Priests would join with

people in unveiling their best jokes for one another. It was an

interesting tradition of imitating the cosmic joke that God played

on Satan in the Resurrection. Satan thought he won on Friday, but

God had the last laugh on Sunday. That is a marvellous and awesome

perspective on life to have. Easter day makes a marvellous difference,

because it declares that God's truth always has the last word.

The secular prophets of the modern age, Freud and Marx,

prophesied that, 'man come of age', had outgrown religion, but they

are gone, and so is their modern age with its contempt for religion,

and religion flourishes still. Chinese communism was determined to

stamp out Christianity, and all notions of God. However, the gospel

grew in the underground and house churches and they kept the faith

going until today there is a new springtime of faith in China.

Eastern Europe suffered under communist oppression and

suppression of religion for 40 years. Now, however, the wilderness

experience has ended and a wall in Berlin has come down because

God's truth can never be stopped or defeated.

If Easter means anything, it means that eternal truth is indeed

eternal. You may nail it to the tree, wrap it up in grave clothes, and seal

it in a tomb, but truth crushed to earth shall rise again. Truth does not

perish, and it cannot be destroyed. Easter morning reveals that God's

truth will always win in the battle against evil.

THE KEY OF LIFE

The Easter message is marvellous because it is the key to living each

day to the fullest. How often we forget this side of the Easter story. A

number of years ago a story appeared in the press which told of a young

man who picked up a beautiful rock from a North Carolina stream

bed and used it as his cabin's door stop. A little while later, a skilled

geologist was hiking in the area and stopped at the cabin for a glass of

cold water. He immediately recognised the rock as a huge lump of gold.

In fact, it proved to be the largest gold nugget ever found east of the

Rocky Mountains. Like the man who failed to recognise gold when he

held it in his hands, the disciples failed to recognise the true nature of

our Lord after spending three full years with him. Jesus holds all the

keys of life. He holds life and death, heaven and hell, the abundant life,

the authentic life, all of them are in the hands of Christ. This is the

most important truth that God has made known to mankind.

The next time you are facing an awful reality in your life, when there

is nothing but fear in your soul, remember the marvellous difference

that Easter can make and how you can be grasped by the awesome

power of the resurrection and its truth. God has freed us from fear. We

are not victims of life, but victors in life because Jesus holds the key.

Christ is risen!

Warm wishes and a very happy Easter to you all.

Jamie

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

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the parish noticeboard — 1

FREE Easter

Fun Day for all!


Our annual Easter Saturday Fun Day is open to

everyone — parish residents, visitors, families and

friends — free of charge, although if you wish to make

a donation towards the upkeep of your historic church,

then that will be welcome!

As well as our traditional Easter Egg hunt in the

churchyard, there will be a BBQ with free food, wine, and

soft drinks.

Following a short family service at 2.00pm, there will

be a fun-packed afternoon of games and sports for all

ages and abilities. And if you are fit to climb stairs, and

the weather is fine, you will able to enjoy some stunning

views of the parish from the top of the church tower.

Here's the times of the organised events for the

afternoon of fun:

2.00pm Easter Family Service in church

2.20pm Children’s Easter egg hunt starts in graveyard

2.45pm Youth Easter egg hunt starts in church

2.45pm Bouncy castles open. There will be three, one for

under 5’s, 5-11 years and 11-17 years

3.30pm Egg and spoon races for children and adults

And there will be a Messy Church tent with games for

children and youth, they can also play Foosball and table

tennis!

5.00pm - Finish the afternoon activities so that we can clear

up in time for our Easter Eve Vigil and First Communion of

Easter Service which will start with the lighting of the Easter

Fire at 8.15pm — Everyone Welcome!

After closing at the end of January 2024, the DailyHOPE

telephone line is now open again.

DailyHOPE was launched in April 2020 by the Church

of England, Faith in Later Life, and Connections at Holy

Trinity Church in Claygate, to support older people who

would not be able to access online worship during the

Covid lockdown.

In 2023, Faith in Later Life took over the development

and ownership of the phone line, but its aim remained the

same; to ensure that the spiritual life of older people could

continue to flourish. Data from that year showed that

DailyHOPE received almost 100,000 calls.

Christians are being encouraged to share the free

telephone number – 0800 804 8044 – in their church and

wider communities.

The plan for DailyHOPE is to further develop the range

of content and content providers in order to appeal to

a wider audience of Christians, as well as older people

exploring faith for the first time, and for it to be a useful

resource for those unable to attend church in person, and

who are without online access to spiritual comfort.

What's your favourite Bible verse?

According to Youversion.com the most popular Bible

verse last year was Philippians 4:6 which says:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

Do you have a favourite Bible verse that you would like

to share with other readers? If so, send it to the editor

with a short reason why it is important for you.

Youversion.com's mission is to encourage and challenge

people to seek intimacy with God every day.

https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/.

For your Prayers in April . . .

— Peace in Ukraine

— Westy as he prepares for ordination as a priest

— The millions of Christians who will be forced

to celebrate Easter in secret for fear of persecution

— Fine weather for our Easter Saturday Fun day

Fozle Rabbi, dreamstime.com

8 The Parish Magazine — April 2025


Westy

A huge thank

you to our

volunteers

Youth Minister

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk

0794 622 4106

February Half Term

In the February half term we offered young people four days of fun activities,

including: disc golf, gaming day, a litter pick, and pizza making! The young

people loved having time to relax, to have fun, and to make new friends while

learning new skills and giving back to the community. A huge thank you to

our volunteers for helping make all this happen.

St Andrew

Alpha Youth

Our Alpha Youth Course continued to run on Friday nights after Youth Club

throughout February and March. We had nearly 30 young people each week

thinking about the deeper questions in life. What’s our purpose? Why are we

here? What happens after we die? Who is Jesus? We hope to run it again in the

Autumn — keep in touch for more details.

STAY on Sunday

The weekly STAY on Sunday Youth Group met in February to think about Jesus

calling his disciples and the miraculous catch of fish. We started with a game of

Pictionary and we thought about how hard it is sometimes to believe in what

you can’t see. We ended watching a scene from The Chosen where Jesus calls

Simon Peter to follow him. We also had a big games session on the third Sunday

in February and games with prizes at The Bull Inn at the end of the month.

STAY on Friday

Our weekly Youth Club on Friday nights, from 6.45-8.15pm, continues to grow

in number with a record 86 young people in February. Every fourth Friday we

welcome Year 6 students to help with their transition to secondary school,

and this is often the leaders' favourite week as it is wonderful seeing the next

generation of teenagers developing.

As the nights get warmer and lighter we will start enjoying the outside

space more with football, volleyball, basketball and manhunt.

PLEASE NOTE: STAY on Friday Youth Club is CLOSED for the whole of

April. We will be having safeguarding training and it’s the Easter activities. It

will reopen in May.

STAY on Monday

Our fortnightly Monday night group has also grown with more young people

coming off the back of the Alpha Youth Course. It’s a time for games, fun,

faith input, and sharing stories of how life is with Jesus. We always end with

'popcorn prayers of gratitude' where each young person is invited, but doesn’t

have to, say a prayer of thanks for something they’re grateful for.

STAY in Schools

Our work in the four local schools has been both fruitful and a challenge.

We are sadly seeing more young people suffering with poor mental health

and other struggles but we are also seeing many young people make huge

strides towards coping and managing their lives. We have been able to

lead assemblies, mentoring, prayer meetings, lunch clubs and after school

Christian Union meetings at The Piggott School.


's Youth

A warm

Easter

invite

Children & Youth

Minister

0118 969 3298

Corinne@sonningparish.org.uk

Corinne

Sunday Club

On the second Sunday in February we learned about

Jesus calling his disciples to be 'fishers of men'. We

invited the children to listen to the Bible story while

sitting on an upside-down table, pretending they were

on a boat.

They then decorated flags for their boat, played a

fishing game, and we talked about how the symbolism

in the story calls us all to welcome and invite people to

come to church to hear the Good News.

On the fourth Sunday, we watched a short

video on Lent and talked about the kinds of things

we would take with us if we were going into the

wilderness.

The children suggested taking things such as

water, food, sun cream, a hat, tents, and more! They

were then shocked to find out that Jesus spent 40

days in the desert without food or water, and that he

used this time to prepare for his ministry.

We then created a poster with words and drawings

of what Lent represents and means, and came up with

some ideas for things we could give up during Lent to

remind us of the sacrifices that Jesus made for us.

Messy Church

During Messy Church we celebrated 'St Valentine'

and talked about God's love for each of us. We

enjoyed making hand-written and decorated greeting

cards, heart window catchers, 'slime' pots, testing a

science experiment on light, decorating — and eating

— biscuits, and more!

There were fewer of us than usual as it was half

term, but we still had lots of fun spending time

together and enjoying a meal prepared by of our

lovely volunteers.

Messy Church Reminder: Our April Messy

Church will not be on the third Sunday of April, as

this will be Easter Sunday! Instead, we warmly invite

everyone to enjoy our free Easter BBQ and games

afternoon on Saturday 19 April (see page 7). We will

have many Easter-themed activities and Messy

Church crafts. Please meet in the Church, where we

will gather for a few songs, a short talk — at Messy

Church we refer to this as our 'time for celebration'

— and then will have an egg hunt before the BBQ

and other games and activities begin.



New Bishop

of Reading

The new Bishop of Reading is the

Rt Revd Mary Gregory (pictured

above). She was consecrated Bishop

in February 2025.

Before being ordained as a priest,

Mary worked in the prison service,

and became a governor at Wakefield

and Moorland prisons.

She studied theology at Cranmer

Hall, Durham and was ordained as a

priest in 2005.

More recently Mary became

the Canon for the Arts and

Reconciliation at Coventry

Cathedral, which has a global

reputation for its work on

reconciliation.

As Bishop of Reading, Mary will

work closely with the Archdeacon

of Reading, Ven Stephen Pullin, and

the associate archdeacon, Rev Liz

Jackson.


Would you have been ready for

the resurrection?

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala

went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple… and said 'They

have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put

him!’ (John 20:1,2)

No one was ready for Christ’s

resurrection. On the Friday, two

sympathetic Jewish council members

— Joseph of Arimathea and

Nicodemus — had taken the body

of Jesus down from the cross and

buried him in a new tomb. 36 hours

later the tomb was empty and the

guards were scattered. The account

rings with authenticity.

COMPLETE JUMBLE

This resulted in people running

everywhere not realising that the

world would never be the same

again. At this stage it was a complete

jumble.

Mary Magdalene, seeing the

empty tomb, ran to rouse Peter and

John, having concluded that her

Lord’s body had been taken away.

She then ran to the tomb, with

them presumably outstripping her

on the way.

It was only then that she met the

risen Lord. As for Peter and John,

they breathlessly reach the tomb and

were gazing at the grave clothes, still

twirled together and collapsed under

the heavy spices.

How long did they wait? John

eventually perceives what has

happened, and believes (v8).

In his account he admits his

slowness to take in the truth of the

resurrection (v9).

Has that been so for you? Read

John’s Gospel for yourself.

The new era, but the familiar

routine (v10) gives us an interesting

statement:

‘Then the disciples went

back to their homes.’

There was Jerusalem outside —

just the same.

Perhaps Peter’s mother-in-law

would like a cup of tea?

Before long they will go fishing

again (v 21:3).

Life looked unchanged — for the

present. Yet, from now on, Christ’s

gift to them of Resurrection to

eternal life would captivate hearts,

loyalties and energies for ever.

Charlton Down House Private Garden Tour

Near Tetbury

Gloucestershire

Monday 23 June 2025

in aid of FoStAC fund raising for St Andrew’s Church vestry wall repairs

Tickets £20 including Afternoon Tea or Coffee with Homemade Cake

Please email Sally Wilson on mustangsallywilson@gmail.com to confirm your place

Transport to the gardens may be possible

More photographs are available at: https://charltondownhouse.com/

Friends of St Andrew’s Church Sonning – FoStAC – Registered Charity No: 1101944


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parish noticeboard — 4

Penitent thief

Hidden within the Passion story is a

glorious illustration of Justification

by Faith, writes Nigel Beeton*.

The ‘Penitent Thief’ may or may

not have been a thief, but up until

his crucifixion he doesn’t seem to

have been a good guy, he is quoted

as saying that he felt that his

crucifixion was a ‘just punishment’

for his deeds.

He must have done something pretty

bad to have felt that way about one of

the cruellest forms of execution ever

devised by man’s sick mind.

But he recognised Jesus as his Lord

and put his faith in him, and Jesus

responded by promising him paradise,

despite the fact that this thief could

do nothing in the way of good works

in return!

Common Thief

I’ve lived a life of emptiness

A common thief am I;

Of no great use to man or beast

And now I have to die.

2. They’ve nailed me to a wooden cross

They took my clothes as well;

The pain and shame is all I have

And soon I’ll be in Hell.

3. But this man nailed next to me

He’s done no evil thing!

His innocence is clear to see —

They say he is a King.

4. There hangs, beyond, another thief

Just hear him swear and curse!

Demanding that he saves us all

He’s making all this worse!

Kevin Carden, dreamstime.com

By Nigel Beeton*

5. 'We knew that this would be our fate!

We’ve known it all along!

But have respect for this poor man

For he’s done nothing wrong!”

6. O Jesus, when Your Kingdom comes,

'My Lord, remember me!'

He looked at me with tender love,

Responding to my plea:

7. 'The truth of what I say to you

You’ll shortly come to see

For you will come, this very day

To Paradise with me.'

8. I wept upon my painful cross

No thing I had to bring;

But yet he looked upon this wretch

And gave me everything!

*Nigel Beeton is the editor of ‘The View’, the parish magazine of St Mary with

St Peter, Bury St Edmunds. To relax from these duties, he enjoys 'messing around

with words', writing poetry ranging from the comic to the more reflective.

The Easter story as told in the Bible

The following list of witnesses may help you to read the Easter story in order…

Mary Magdalene Mark 16:9-11; John 20:10-18

Other women at the tomb Matthew 28:8-10

Peter in Jerusalem Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5

Two travellers on the road Mark 16:12,13

Ten disciples behind closed doors Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25

Eleven disciples with Thomas John 20:26-31; 1 Corinthians 15:5

Seven disciples while fishing John 21:1-14

Eleven disciples on the mountain Matthew 28:16-20

A crowd of five hundred 1 Corinthians 15:6

James, the brother of Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:7

Those who saw the Ascension Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:3-8


May I know

thee more . . .

James Bradley, Commons.wikimediaorg

Have you ever wondered where the

prayer … ‘May I know thee more

clearly, love thee more dearly, and

follow thee more nearly, day by day’

comes from? The answer is Richard

of Chichester, a 13th Century bishop.

Richard was a son of a yeoman farmer,

and after helping on the farm he

refused an advantageous offer of

marriage. Instead, he went to Oxford,

and later Paris and Bologna, to study

Canon Law.

In 1235 he was appointed Chancellor

at Oxford University and supported

Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, in

his struggles against King Henry III’s

misuse of Church funds.

He was ordained and, in due course,

became a charitable and accessible,

bishop who was both stern and

merciful to sinners, generous to those

stricken by famine, and a brilliant

legislator. Thus he was greatly loved.

He decreed that the sacraments

were to be administered without

payment, Mass celebrated in dignified

conditions, the clergy to be chaste, to

practise residence, and to wear clerical

dress.

The laity was obliged to attend Mass

on Sundays and holy days, and to know

by heart the Hail Mary as well as the

Lord’s Prayer and the Creed. He died in

Dover on 3 April 1253.

In art, Richard of Chichester is

represented with a chalice at his feet,

in memory of his having once dropped

the chalice at Mass!

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus

Christ for all the benefits thou hast given

me, for all the pains and insults which

thou hast borne for me. O most merciful

redeemer, friend and brother, may I know

thee more clearly, love thee more dearly

and follow thee more nearly, day by day.'


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Shocking news was announced on 13

February with the discovery of 70

Christians whose beheaded bodies

were found in a church in eastern

Lubero Territory, DRC, near the

country’s border with Uganda and

Rwanda. Reports from Open Doors

field sources say that 20 Christians

were captured by suspected

militants from a group called Allied

Democratic Forces (ADF). A further

50 believers were then captured.

Prior to this, churches, schools, and

health centres had shut their doors

because of the 'chaotic' security

situation.

There is a growing threat posed by

ADF militants whose attacks have

been spreading over the last 10 years.

After ADF attacks in January,

pastors told International Christian

Concern that the violence often

targets Christians and has decimated

churches.

ADF is one of many African terror

groups allied to the jihadist Islamic

State (IS) movement and ADF is

known for its brutal tactics and

explicit animosity towards Christians.

Another militant group, M23, is

backed by Rwanda and has taken over

multiple cities since January.

An article by Fox News telling of

the massacre points out the sad case

that 'there has been little reported in the

media'. One commentator on social


THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY

Shocking news from a church in The DRC

SAD CASE

Small village in green hills at Congo River

media platform X posted 'MSM

[mainstream media], where’s your

outrage? Are you silent…because they’re

Christian?'

On the Hungary Today website,

the Hungarian state secretary for the

Aid of Persecuted Christians is also

reported posting on X:

'Hungary stands in solidarity with

the persecuted Christians BUT we need

more … the world needs to recognise

and act against Christian persecution!'

Open Doors’ legal expert for

the work in sub-Saharan Africa

calls on the international Christian

community to remain in prayer

for Christians and vulnerable

communities in eastern DRC.

Fabian Plock, Dreamstime.com

Rose Villote, Dreamstime.com

Please pray for comfort for all

those affected, for the Lord to

intervene in halting these attacks,

for national and international

powers to do more to provide

security and justice in the region,

and for the Holy Spirit to soften the

hearts of the ADF militants and lead

them to Jesus.

References and further reading

Open Doors — 70 Christians found

beheaded in church in DRC:

https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/

latest-news/drc-attack-church/

International Christian Concern

— Congolese Christians Massacred

Amid Terrorist Advances in Eastern

DRC: https://www.persecution.

org/2025/02/21/congolese-christiansmassacred-amid-terrorist-advancesin-eastern-drc/

Fox News — 70 Christians beheaded

in African country by ISIS-aligned

militants, groups say: world mostly

silent: https://www.foxnews.com/

world/70-christians-beheadedafrican-country-isis-alignedmilitants-groups-say-world-mostlysilent.amp

Hungary Today — Secretary of

State Condemns Beheading of 70

Christian Worshippers: https://

hungarytoday.hu/secretary-of-

state-condemns-beheading-of-70-

christian-worshippers/


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St George and Dragon Stained Glass, St Petrox Church, Dartmouth

William Perry, dreamstime.com

On Wednesday 23 April we celebrate St George, the

patron saint of England. He is famous for slaying a dragon,

a tradition which became popular in the Middle Ages.

Whether he did is open for debate, however, we know that

the original George was a Roman soldier at the time of

Emperor Diocletian, but he refused to renounce his faith

and was subsequently executed on 23 April 303 AD.

Over the years St George became an example of a Christian

fighting-man, a powerful helper against evil powers affecting

individual lives. He was the soldier-hero of the Middle Ages,

of whom remarkable deeds were reported.

GOLDEN LEGEND

In the Golden Legend of the 13th Century, Jacobus de

Voragine gave St George a handsome write-up. The story

runs: One day, St George rode up to the heathen city of Silene

in Libya where he found the citizens in great distress because

a neighbouring dragon had forced them to surrender two

sheep each day for its dinner.

When the sheep gave out, two of their children were

required; and now they were about to sacrifice the King’s

daughter, dressed as if for her wedding.

St George encountered the party by a stagnant lake,

where the dragon lived, and persuaded the sobbing Princess

to tell him why she was so miserable. At that moment the

dragon appeared, looking inexpressibly revolting.

He charged forwards and drove his spear into the dragon’s

gaping mouth. To everyone’s amazement, he tumbled the

monster over and over.

St George then borrowed a princess’s girdle, tied it round

the dragon’s neck, and persuaded her to lead it back to Sylene.

The sight of her approaching with the befuddled dragon

on its makeshift lead emptied the town.

When the inhabitants timidly crept back, St George

promised to behead the dragon if they would all believe in

Jesus Christ and be baptised.

Subsequently, in 1348, King Edward III established the

Order of the Garter and made St George the patron of the

order and of England.

From

the

editor's

desk . . .


A lesson for us all?

MutareHawk, Dreamstime.com

It's strange how our brains work. Reading Claude's

contribution to this issue on page 31 when he mentions

our changeable weather, I could not help thinking about

how often I am also surprised by such changes.

My desk is in the only room in the house that does not

have windows and so has no natural light. When I emerge

from writing, editing or laying out the pages for the next

issue, I am often surprised about how a bright sunny

morning has been replaced with a wet miserable, grey day,

— or the opposite of course!

This always reminds me of the old saying often quoted

by my grandparents when I was young about the 'red sky

at night'. There is a lot to be said for this old saying which

you will even find Jesus using in the Bible:

Some Pharisees and Sadducees badgered him again,

pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, 'You have

a saying that goes, ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky

at morning, sailors take warning.’ You find it easy enough to

forecast the weather — why can't you read the signs of the

times?' (Matthew 16: 1-4 Good New Bible)

Writing this, also reminds me of a remarkable, kind,

patient and inspiring character I got to know many

years ago when I was a member of CCCF, the Christian

Caravanning and Camping Fellowship.

He had been blind all his life but had a remarkable

knowledge of the Bible, and would often quote it chapter

and verse.

Chatting to him one day at the water tap, I asked him

about his remarkable knowledge of the Bible.

When he was a young boy, he told me, his father asked

him what he would like for a birthday present. 'A Bible', he

replied.

And sure enough, on his birthday a lorry turned up at

his house and unloaded a large number of boxes that filled

the entrance hall of his home — Braille takes up much

more space than printed words, and a Braille Bible has

about 40 volumes. Today, it is also published in Braille in

40 languages as well.

Not only did my acquaintance read it every day, he

remembered every word he had read and then lived his life

accordingly. Surely, that must be a lesson for us all?

Karin Hildebrand Lau, dreamstime.com


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feature — 2

Recorded cases of hoaxes can be found from at least the 1600s when the nature of information dispersal and news

gathering made the creation and dissemination of hoaxes relatively easy. However, there are many older customs — noone

really knows when, or where, they date from — of playing jokes on 1 April. Here, Canon David Winter, a retired cleric

in the diocese of Oxford, and a former head of religious broadcasting at the BBC, considers what he calls our 'odd British

tradition' of . . .

I was about six when I began

to enjoy April Fool’s Day. My

older brother was very clever

at appropriate hoaxes, not only

deceiving me but also mum and dad.

On the whole my childish efforts

were encouraged.

The day was full of laughs, even at

school, where the teachers would try

to trick us and all day long no one

quite believed anything we were told.

So it went on, year after year,

although I think it all seems a bit

unsophisticated for the modern

generation.

You couldn’t say that about what

has probably been the most famous

April Fool’s hoax of all time in 1957

when BBC TV broadcast a feature on

spaghetti farms from Switzerland

ABUNDANT CROP

The report was aired on 1 April

and even those of us who bought our

spaghetti in the supermarket from

the pasta shelves began to wonder if

we had been wrong.

The growth of the spaghetti

plants was carefully filmed, from

planting to reaping.

All of this was in the BBC’s most

serious documentary manner and

was shown in a highly respected

current affairs programme called,

Panorama.

It was claimed that a mild winter

and the disappearance of pests led

to an abundant spaghetti crop in

Ticino, Switzerland, and it included

footage of a traditional harvest

Harvesting Spaghetti?

festival and a discussion of breeding

for the perfect spaghetti length.

At the time, 7 million of the

15.8 million homes (about 44%) in

Britain had television receivers.

Pasta was not an everyday

food in 1950s Britain, and it was

known mainly from tinned

spaghetti in tomato sauce and

considered by many to be an

exotic delicacy.

An estimated eight million

people watched the programme, and

hundreds phoned in the following

day to question the authenticity of

the story or ask for more information

about spaghetti cultivation and how

they could grow their own spaghetti

trees.

The BBC told them to 'place a sprig

of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce

and hope for the best!'

TRADITION

The odd thing about April Fools

Day is that no one is quite sure of the

origin of this tradition of marking the

first day of April like this.

Wikipedia Commons

The spaghetti-tree hoax was a three-minute report broadcast on April Fools' Day 1957

by the BBC current-affairs programme Panorama It showed a family in southern

Switzerland harvesting spaghetti from a 'spaghetti tree'. At the time of the report's

broadcast, spaghetti was relatively unknown in the United Kingdom, and a number of

viewers contacted the BBC for advice on growing their own spaghetti trees. Decades

later, CNN called this broadcast 'the biggest hoax that any

reputable news establishment ever pulled.'

Nick Freund, dreamstime.com

Some attribute it to changes in

the British calendar in the 1700s

when New Year’s Day moved from 25

March to 1 January. Not surprisingly,

the change caused a lot of confusion

and mistakes around the start of

April.

Others look further back, to the

ancient Roman feast of Hilaria, when

the goddess Cybele was celebrated

with pranks and jokes around the

spring equinox on 25 March.

Either way a touch of hilarity at

the end of Lent does not seem amiss.

Go to Greece, where the resurrection

of Jesus is celebrated with fireworks

and parties to see how it might work.


feature — 3

MAUNDY THURSDAY

17 April

Holy Communion

with the Stripping

of the Altar

at 7.30pm

PALM

SUNDAY

13 April

Holy Communion

at 8.00am

Parish Eucharist

with the

Passion

Reading

at 10.30am

GOOD

18 A

The Las

from 2

with re

prayer an

reflec

EASTER

20 A

Holy Commun

Parish Euchar


FRIDAY

pril

t Hour

- 3pm

adings

d silent

tion

SUNDAY

pril

ion at 8.00am

ist at 10.30am

SATURDAY

EASTER EVE

19 April

The Vigil and the First

Communion of Easter

with the lighting

of the Easter

fire at

8.15pm


arounD the villages — 1

Sonning Primary School thinks of . . .

. . . a number . . .

An annual tradition for Sonning Primary School is

their National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty

to Children (NSPCC) Numbers Day! Pupils dress up

in creative and fun 'number' outfits to do a range of

maths-based activities, as well as thinking about

mindfulness and how they can help others. This all

helps to raise money for the NSPCC.

. . . and a career

Sonning Primary pupils were enthralled

by the different speakers they heard and

the activities they took part in at the

school's special careers day.

Parents and other family members gave

up their time to share their interesting

careers.

Phil Sherwood, head teacher, said:

'We were all so impressed with the time,

thought and care all our volunteers put in!

Broadening children's horizons with regard

to their opportunities for roles in later life is

a key part of our duty to prepare pupils for

next stages of education and help them find

new interests, and we were very grateful to

have so many different people visiting us.

Thank you to all who made our Careers Day

such a success.'

around the villages — 1

around the villages — 2

Could you

help Me2?

Me2 Club, an inclusion charity for

children and young people with

additional needs and disabilities

in the Wokingham and Reading

Boroughs, is on a mission to help more

families who need such help.

Me2 Club supports such children and

young people aged 5-19 years to take

part in mainstream leisure activities

by recruiting and training volunteers

to ‘buddy’ on a one-to-one, or two-toone,

basis so the children and young

people needing help can access a wide

range of activities including sports

clubs, uniformed groups and drama

classes. Here’s how you might help:

— Share information with other

parents, carers, or professionals

who work with young people.

— Suggest places to display leaflets or

posters.

— Talk with activity providers about

how Me2 Club support children and

young people to access mainstream

activities.

— Use social media to help raise

awareness.

To find out more contact Erin on:

erin@me2club.org.uk


Reading Maiden Erlegh Inner Wheel celebrated its 23rd charter anniversary with

lunch at Sonning Golf Club. One member baked an anniversary cake, a new member

was inducted, and they enjoyed an interesting talk on the history of the Morris Minor.

The Project Singers are recruiting for their summer 'mini' project.

Winter trees, elephants and wildlife . . .

Paul Rookes, dreamstime.com

Mini projects for Charvil Singers

The ladies section, who rehearse at Charvil Village Hall on Mondays between 8.00-

9.30pm, will be working on a medley of songs from Godspell, Wicked and The Prince

of Egypt by music theatre composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Rehearsals will

be on every Monday in June.

The 8-19 year old girls section for girls who meet on Sundays from 6.15- 7.45pm,

will be working on a medley from the musical Hairspray on each Sunday in June

and on 6 July, and Grease on Saturday 7 June from 2-4pm in Charvil Village Hall.

More details from: Suzanne Newman on: suzanneynewman@btinternet.com

Sonning Art Group members were delighted to welcome back Jenny Halstead (above left) to hold their first mini

workshop of the year. Her subject was 'Winter Trees' and the group produced some 'good pieces' during the afternoon.

Jenny has just finished an exhibition of her pastels at The Mall Galleries in London, and she is now busy organising the

25th Whiteknights Studio Art Trail. To mark this special anniversary the 48 artists taking part, at 33 different venues, all

donated a 25 x 25 cms painting which will be exhibited at The Turret House Gallery, 27 Kendrick Road Reading RG1 5DZ.

The proceeds of the paintings — priced at a minimum of £50 each — will go to Royal Berkshire Hospital charity. Parking

for the event will be available at the University.

The group's first Chairman's Cup of 2025 was a very close contest on the subject of 'Wildlife' with 10 different paintings

receiving votes. The winner, by one vote was Jill Watkins' elephant (above right).


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around the VILLAGES

Urgent river

challenges

Viktoria Ivanets, dreamstime.com

Sonning resident, Richard Caines,

The International Director of the

World Wildlife Fund, will be in

Pearson Hall on Friday 25 April

to present a talk about the urgent

challenges facing our rivers.

Tickets are available on the

Sonning and Sonning Eye Society's

website: https://www.sonning.org.uk or

from: penny.feathers@btinternet.com

Tickets are £5 members, or £6 for

guests, and include a complimentary

glass of wine. The evening starts at

7.30pm.

Grape Expectations

HEALTH

AI help for you

and the NHS

By Anne Elgeti, deputy director System

Coordination (Frimley) NHS England

January to March is always busy in

healthcare with viruses circulating

and the wintry weather being felt by

patients, hospitals, and GP practices.

There are increased numbers of people

with respiratory illness and this year

also saw a higher than normal increase

in hospital admissions for Flu, Covid

and Norovirus.

In February, admissions for Norovirus

were more than 100% more than

February 2024. If you would like to

understand more about how the NHS

is managing and works to cope with

more demand, see the reports on:

https://www.england.nhs.uk

PREHABILITATION

Are you waiting for an operation?

Did you know that a few minutes of

exercise each day leading to surgery

can make a real difference in your

recovery? Increased activity before

surgery, known as 'prehabilitation',

reduces complications such as infections

and heart problems, promoting faster

recovery and shorter hospital stays.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in

London have teamed up with Joe Wicks

to create 2 x 10-minute exercise videos

for people waiting for surgery.

The routines, designed for older

adults, include low impact and chairbased

exercises such as sidekicks and

squats. You can view them at:

YouTube.com/@TheBodyCoachTV/videos

SCREENING

NHS has launched its first ever

breast screening awareness campaign to

highlight the benefits of breast screening

and to encourage more women to make

the most of regular mammograms.

More than four in ten (46.3%) women

invited for the first time have not acted

on the invitation.

If attendance went up to 80%, over

7,500 additional breast cancers could be

identified at an earlier stage when they

are more treatable.

If you have missed or did not book

a breast screening appointment when

invited, please contact West Berkshire


Screening Service (Reading) on 0118 322

8282 for information on how to take up

the offer.

TALK TO DORA

Have you spoken to Dora, an

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool being

used to improve services for cataract

patients at a several local hospitals?

Dora is an AI powered automated

voice system designed to assess their

needs based on the clinical significance

of five symptoms.

Dora phones patients to ask

questions, interprets their answers, and

identifies those who need to be seen by

a clinician.

Last year, Dora made more than

12,000 calls to patients in the South.

Each lasted about 8 minutes. It saved

530 hours of nursing time and reduced

waiting times for surgery.

Dora calls patients before their

operation to check they are feeling well

and to confirm they want to go ahead

with their operation.

It also calls after surgery to make

sure the patient is not suffering eye

pain or discomfort. If they are, Dora

will arrange an appointment with the

hospital team. A study, published by

The Lancet, in July 2024, found Dora's

decisions strongly agreed with the

supervising ophthalmologist. Next time

you get a call it may be Dora!

FALLING AND FLU

Cera is a new NHS AI tool that

can predict a patient’s risk of falling

and it can monitor vital health signs

to predict worrying deterioration in

advance. It will also be used to help

detect symptoms of winter illnesses

such as Covid, flu, Respiratory Syncytial

Virus and Norovirus, allowing care

teams to intervene before hospital care

is needed. Cera has shown 97% accuracy

for predicting falls, which could prevent

falls and so reduce hospital admissions.


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THE ARTS

In sweet music is art: Basilica of St Mark


Poetry Corner

Eternal

Easter

Tune: Easter Hymn –

‘Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!’

By Steven Rolling

During Lent, some Christians avoid saying

or singing 'Alleluia' which means 'Praise the

Lord', to make Easter Day an extra special

joyous celebration. If this is the case with

you, don't read this until Easter Day!

West Facade of St Mark's Basilica, Venice

Wikimedia.com

In 828 the relics of St Mark the evangelist were seized from their resting place in

Alexandria and taken by two adventurers to Venice.

The Basilica of St Mark was built to house these relics, and it was this link between

the saint and Venice that determined so much of the city’s history through the

Middle Ages.

Venetians would go to war under the banner of the winged lion, the symbol of

St Mark, and through the centuries Venice established its independence, its own

system of aristocratic government and commercial supremacy in the Mediterranean.

The Basilica of St Mark is a vivid testimony to the grandeur of Venice and its

history. James Morris has described the church as descended from Byzantium: 'a

barbaric building, like a great Mongolian pleasure pavilion or a fortress in Turkestan.'

We celebrate St Mark this year on 29 April, (usually 25th) but apart from his

Gospel, we know little about the saint’s life.

He is mentioned by St Peter and St Paul as ‘son’ and missionary companion.

There are many traditions about St Mark: he might be the young man in

Gethsemane in chapter 14 of the Gospel, and it is thought that he was martyred in

the reign of Trajan.

PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS

What we do have of St Mark is his Gospel, generally accepted as the earliest of the

four to be written. Mark has no infancy narratives and no preparation for the life

and ministry of Jesus.

Instead, his Gospel begins with the strange, exotic character of St John the

Baptist emerging from the wilderness to proclaim the Good News of the Son of God.

In the same way the Basilica of St Mark emerges from the lagoon as strange and

as exotic as the Baptist in the Gospel. E V Lucas in ‘A Wanderer in Venice’ invites the

visitor to this church to 'let the walls and the floor and the pillars and the ceiling do their

own magical work.'

And the visitor might be lucky enough to hear some of the music of Venetian

composers sounding through the basilica.

In the 16th century Adrian Willaert wrote music that enhanced the domes and

mosaics and ceilings with works for two organs and two choirs sounding out from

different parts of the building.

VARIETY OF DYNAMICS

Giovanni Gabrieli, who died in 1612, built upon that tradition. His set of motets,

‘Sacrae Symphoniae’, were written for the special acoustics of this marbled basilica.

He developed the antiphonal sounds of Willaert with glorious, harmonic colours,

a boldness of modulation, and a variety of dynamics and timbres.

We hear all of that in the motet ‘In Ecclesiis,’ which is regarded as his masterpiece.

The choirs, brass and organ are divided into five groups that would have sounded

out around the basilica:

‘In churches bless the Lord, in every place bless the Lord,

for God is my salvation and my glory. Alleluia.’

Earthquake!

Risen from the tomb.

Alleluia!

In each heart make for Him room.

Alleluia!

Stone rolled away, tomb empty.

Alleluia!

Christ living, for all to see.

Alleluia!

Easter message unto all.

Alleluia!

Who will hear His gracious call.

Alleluia!

Salvation through Christ the Son.

Alleluia!

He redemption’s work has done.

Alleluia!

Christ, vicarious He be.

Alleluia!

Our substitutionary.

Alleluia!

The atonement He has made.

Alleluia!

For sins of the world has paid.

Alleluia!

Love and light and life here be,

Alleluia!

For all folk and ages, He,

Alleluia!

The Saviour, now Lord on high,

Alleluia!

Ever, nevermore to die.

Alleluia!

Yet not remote, comes to dwell,

Alleluia!

By His Spirit,

Alleluia!

In our hearts, new covenant,

Alleluia!

[The] Father through Christ has Him

sent,

Alleluia!


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HISTORY

Claude reminds

us of Reading's

history of

flooding

With the weather being so changeable, my mind went

back to 1947 when I was 13 years old and went to

Thameside Secondary School in Caversham.

During the 1946/47 winter we had six weeks off school

because there was no fuel. Then directly the school reopened

along came the 1947 floods!

The whole of Gosbrook Road was flooded and it was

only then that I realised St John’s Church had been built

on higher ground. It was on its own island!

I think a few people were evacuated but most stayed in

their homes as they must have been just high enough to

avoid the flood water.

I remember there being lots of boats on the roads and

an army vehicle called a ‘duck’ being used. These were land

invasion craft that could float. One of those was used to

take people out of the houses.

We were alright in Mayfield Drive up the hill but I don’t

know how people managed who were flooded on the lower

ground.

Because of the fuel shortage and floods, we lost a whole

term of education but we kids were quite pleased that we

couldn’t go to school!

You’re

invited

to Alpha.

Alpha is a relaxed and friendly space

exploring questions about life, faith and God.

It’s open to everyone, from those who might be

at the beginning of their journey, those wanting

to rediscover their faith or those who are just

curious and seeking a greater purpose in life.

Join us for our next sessions,

starting April 30th.

Evenings, 8 to 9pm online.

For more information email:

sundayatsix@sonningparish.org.uk


Was it really? . . .

William Wordsworth

Georgios Kollidas, dreamstime.com

. . . 250 YEARS AGO on 18 April 1775 that American

silversmith and folk hero Paul Revere made his famous

midnight ride on horseback from Charleston to Lexington to

warn residents that the British were about to attack.

. . . ALSO 250 YEARS AGO on 23 April 1775 that J M W

Turner, the British artist was born. He is known for his

landscapes and turbulent marine paintings.

. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 23 April 1850 that the Romantic poet,

William Wordsworth died. He was Poet Laureate from 1843-

50

. . . ALSO 175 YEARS AGO on 16 April 1850 Madame Marie

Tussaud, French artist known for her wax sculptures, died.

. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 1 April 1875 that Edgar Wallace was

born. A British writer, playwright and journalist he was best

known for creating King Kong.

. . . ALSO 150 YEARS AGO on 17 April 1875 that the game

of snooker was invented by Neville Chamberlain, a British

army officer stationed in India.

. . . 125 YEARS AGO from 14 April — 12 November, that the

1900 Paris Exposition, a World’s Fair, was held. Nearly 50

million people visited Paris that year.

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 10 April 1925 that F Scott

Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, was published.

. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 5 April 1955 that Prime Minister

Winston Churchill retired because of failing health. He

was succeeded by Anthony Eden on 7 April.

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 4 April 1975 that Microsoft was

founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque New

Mexico.

. . . 10 YEARS AGO on 2 April 2015 that the Gorkha

earthquake took place in Nepal. Nearly 9,000 people were

killed, 22,000 injured, and 3.5 million made homeless.


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christmas quiz

THE SCIENCES

Struggles of life mingled

with praise for Creation

By Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, who is the church engagement director

at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests were a fact of life

for most of us three years ago this month. As a biologist

who was doing this procedure long before most people

had heard of it, I take secret delight in people’s use of the

acronym. Let me open the laboratory door and share the

wonders it conceals.

The swab that you, or someone else,

poked down your throat and up your

nose went into a tube containing

a little liquid. That liquid was then

heated or mixed with a chemical to

kill any live virus particles. Then it

was purified to get rid of every part

of the virus except for Ribonucleic

acid (RNA) which is a nucleic acid

present in all living cells with

structural similarities to DNA.

GENETIC

DNA is short hand for

deoxyribonucleic acid, which is a

molecule that contains the genetic

information for an organism's

development and function.

Unlike DNA, which has two

strands that twist around each other

to form a double helix shape, RNA is

most often single-stranded.

The test was actually RT-PCR,

the first step being Reverse

Transcription by an enzyme that

converted any RNA present into

DNA.

ZIPPER

Multiple copies of that DNA were

then made, using the Polymerase

Chain Reaction.

Reverse transcription produced

one half of a DNA helix, like one side

of an unzipped zip.

The enzyme DNA Polymerase is

a little like the zipper, except as well

as zipping up, it also manufactures

the other half of the zip using DNA

subunits that have been added to the

tube.

This process works because it is a

bit like a zip — the two sides of the

DNA helix are mirror images of each

other. If that new helix is unzipped,

DNA polymerase can then make a

new strand on both sides.

The beauty of PCR is in its

simplicity. Multiple rounds of heating

(which melts the DNA helix strands

apart) and cooling which allows the

enzyme to make new DNA produce

more and more mirror-image DNA

strands.

Scientists often have stories to

tell about the wonders they study, or

make use of, in the lab.

Sadly, if this particular process

worked it meant that there was

probably COVID-19 in the sample,

and someone might have been about

to become quite ill.

CHALLENGES

Do you live with similar tensions

in your own life? Maybe you love

taking care of people, but your role

only exists because others live with

great physical or mental challenges.

For the Psalmists, a relationship

with God was forged in the confusing

Anyaivanova, dreamstime.com


Scaliger, dreamstime.com

space where the struggles of life

mingled with praise for creation

and trust in God. How can we

learn from these inspired ancient

writers, celebrating the wonders we

experience in our day-to-day lives

while also lamenting the world’s

brokenness, praying for healing and

justice?

This article is reproduced, with permission

from licc.org.uk.

Is chocolate

good for us?

Millions of us think chocolate is

special. On average, each of us

consumes 8.1 kg of it a year!

Certainly, it makes us feel better.

Some scientists believe that this is

due to the chemicals in it that trigger

the release of endorphins, similar to

those we produce naturally when we

fall in love.

But nutritionists warn against

using chocolate as a pick-me-up,

especially in the evening. If eaten

before bedtime it can cause blood

glucose levels to plummet during the

night. This will disrupt your sleep.

If eaten in quantity every day it

can lead to mood and energy swings,

weight gain and poor immunity.

If you have mad cravings for it,

you could have a problem with blood

sugar, or a deficiency in magnesium,

copper, zinc or iron.

Occasionally it can provide medical

benefits. Chocolate containing 60%

more cocoa solids is rich in essential

trace elements and nutrients such

as iron, calcium and potassium, and

many vitamins. It is also the highest

natural source of magnesium.


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FASHION BY harriet nelson


Vogue:

Inventing

the

Runway

Last month, I attended a pop-up exhibition in London

called 'Vogue: Inventing the Runway.' Captivating

audiences at London's Lightroom in King's Cross, this

spectacular new immersive exhibition explores the

history of the fashion runway show from the intimate

couture salons of the early 20th Century to incredible

designers working with Vogue and the unforgettable

pop-culture events of recent years.

I thought the show was incredible. With its expansive four

story walls, it offered me, and the many other visitors, an

unparalleled opportunity to engage with iconic runway

moments on a monumental scale.

Through a fusion of animation, cutting-edge sound

design, and a curated blend of classical and pop music,

the audience are transported through pivotal eras

of fashion history everywhere they look. We sat on

comfortable rectangular seating with pillows while the

show was projected on the floor below us, as well as the

walls.

SPRAY ON DRESS

The light show began with Charles Frederick Worth's

mid-19th Century salons, where the concept of the

fashion show was born, and continued on to the history

of the famous Vogue magazine.

The exhibition explores many fashion changing

moments such as Christian Dior's post-World War II 'New

Look' which revolutionised women's fashion.

Visitors experienced the dramatic Fendi show on the

Great Wall of China, exemplifying fashion's global reach

and influence, which was trending worldwide at the time.

One of the show's highlights was Bella Hadid's famous

Coperni spray-on dress. This was created using a sheer,

metallic silver fabric that appeared to have been sprayed

directly onto Bella's body during the show, giving it the

illusion of liquid metal. The design featured intricate,

sculptural details with a subtle sheen that caught the light

in a way that made the fabric look like it was melting into

her skin. The dress had a minimalistic cut with a high

neckline and an open back, further accentuating Bella's

figure. Her spray-on dress is considered a defining moment

in the intersection of high fashion and technology, with

its bold design making a lasting impression on both the

fashion world and the public.

ICONIC MOMENTS

Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett

narrated the exhibition, guiding us through a tapestry of

archival footage, animations, and first hand accounts of

the iconic moments that Vogue created.

In collaboration with Vogue's extensive archives dating

back to 1892, the curatorial team has meticulously crafted

an experience honouring fashion shows' artistry and

cultural significance.

My personal favourite is the Chanel archive, exploring

Karl Largafeld's legacy with the brand and the creation

of the iconic Chanel runway walks that so many people

admired.

MUST VISIT

Harriet Nelcon

The exhibition has been praised by industry leaders and

visitors alike. Anna Wintour, Vogue's editor-in-chief, said

the immersive experience is 'quite extraordinary.'

The exhibition is a 'must visit' for enthusiasts and

newcomers alike. 'Vogue: Inventing the Runway' is scheduled

to run until 26 April, 2025. Tickets range from £15 to £25,

offering accessible options for everyone.

I one hundred percent recommend experiencing it if

you have the chance, especially if you are a fashion lover or

a fan of Vogue. And, even if you are not, I think everyone

will enjoy it and learn more about Vogue's history and how

it has evolved!


HOME AND GARDEN — 1

Keeping the tap running . . .

While we face increasing concern over the quality and rising cost of water in the UK we should not forget how precious clean

water is and how difficult it is for some to obtain it in other countries.

The unlimited supply of drinking water

is an unattainable luxury in many parts

of the world, but we can help the global

situation by avoiding excessive use of

it. This, in turn, will ensure that our

supplies are sufficient without creating

more reservoirs.

According to the latest data from

the United Nations and the World

Health Organisation about 2.2 billion

people globally do not have access to

safely managed drinking water — let

alone being able to flush the toilet!

WAYS TO HELP

Some of the ways we can help are:

— Fix dripping taps

— Turn the tap off while brushing

your teeth

— Take a shower instead of a bath

— Shower for less than 2 minutes

— Turn the shower off while soaping

— Don't was your car, but if you must,

use a bucket not a hosepipe

a hose pipe

— Only do full washing loads

— Use economy settings on washing

machines

— Don’t wash clothes unnecessarily

— Wash up in large batches

— Only use a full dishwasher

— Replace your toilet’s flushing

mechanism with a modern lowwater

consumption design

— Get a ‘hippo’ for the loo or place a

brick in the cistern. A Hippo is a

Polyethylene box which sits in the

the toilet cistern to reduce the

amount of water used.

— Collect rain water for the garden

— Research the amount of water

used in making products and

avoid the largest offenders.

And, of course, you can always

pray about the worldwide situation

by giving thanks to God for the

rain, which is often treated as the

poor relation of the sun, and give

. . . and cutting light pollution

Here’s a way to help keep local

wildlife alive: draw your curtains

at night and turn off your outside

lights.

Apparently, the darker we can keep it

outside, the better.

Animals and insects who live in

rural areas are especially susceptible

to bright lights, which can confuse

and disorientate them.

As one evolutionary biologist

at Harvard explains, many of the

insects drawn to lights at night suffer

terrible consequences.

'One estimate is that 33 per cent of

them die before morning. And even if

Ken Griffiths, dreamstime.com

they don’t die, they’re spending all their

time at the light instead of doing all the

things they’re supposed to be doing.'

Light pollution, which disrupts

natural rhythms and ecosystems, is

contributing to what some scientists

have called 'insect Armageddon',

with a 75 per cent decline in insect

populations in 30 years.

thanks for planners, construction

firms, plumbers, who bring water long

distances into our homes. Pray also,

that all people may have clean water.

PRACTICAL ACTION

This article is based on information

provided by ITDG through the Association

of Church Editors.

ITDG – Intermediate Technology

Development Group – was conceived by

EF Schumacher and helps people to use

technology in the fight against poverty. It

works in partnership with communities

to develop practical answers to their

problems, based on local knowledge and

skills and putting people’s needs first.

ITDG is now known as 'Practical

Action', a global development charity,

building sustainable lives and livelihoods

on the front lines of poverty and climate

change. There is smore about this at:

https://practicalaction.org/.

Yoga? No I always stand like this!

I regularly work in collaboration

with Ariane Stoop who designs

planting schemes, while I

concentrate on the overall layout

and hard landscaping.

Ariane has a Dutch/French heritage

and regularly has European clients.

They are always amused that our

English customers regularly specify

‘no yellows!’

Daffodils and forsythia are OK in

the spring, but for the summer its

defiantly no yellows!

We also find that men like

straight lines, especially if they mow

the lawn and trim their hedges.

While girls are made of sugar and

spice, boys are made of metal and

grease, thistles and thorns.

Men appreciate giant thistles like

cardoons, onopordum giganteum and

the large campanulas, especially the

4 foot (1.2m) tall Kent Belle with its

large hanging bells of Copper blue?

'Give a man a plant day' might be

an idea for Palm Sunday?

SOW AND PLANT

April is usually the best month for

sowing seeds.

Half-hardy annuals and first

season flowering perennials are great

value and can fill the spaces between

shrubs summer colour.

April is also an excellent time to

plant trees, shrubs, perennials, roses

and summer flowering bulbs such as

lilies and gladioli.

Introducing lots of organic matter

into the soil when planting, along

with a good mulch afterwards,

will reduce the amount of summer

watering needed.

Don’t forget to firm the soil and

water well after planting.

With watering in mind most of us

use quick-fit hose connectors. If they

leak replacing the washers is much

cheaper than buying new connectors!

Feeding your plants, especially

roses and shrubs, will ensure they

stay fit and healthy. If black spot is

a problem on your roses, April is the

time to spray them.

Edging your lawns will make your

garden look so much crisper. Lawn


HOME AND GARDEN — 2

Give a man a plant for Palm Sunday!

Suggests Ray Puddefoot . . .

(Above) Ccampanula Kent Belle,

and (below right) Onopordum

Giganteum

treatments can be used if rain is

forecast. The soil level in your

borders should be 3-4 inches (75-100

mm) below lawn level to avoid the

creeping rye grasses that bind your

lawn together from running into

your borders.

Loosen tree ties a tad so they

don’t throttle your tree’s trunk.

RAY'S APRIL TOP TIPS

— Planting

— Sow annuals

— Edge lawns

— Plant summer bulbs

— Replace hose washers


PUZZLE PAGE — 1

Boomerang

Flintlock

Sling

Bazooka

Blunderbuss

ANSWERS TO RALPH'S MARCH MUSICAL VERSE SEARCH

CELLO

CLARINET

CONCERTO

CROTCHET

DIMINUENDO

DRUM

GLOCKENSPIEL

GRAMOPHONE

Sabre

Shillelagh

Depth Charge

Scimitar

Sword

Javelin

Musket

Knobkerry

Cudgel

Torpedo

Tomahawk Stiletto

Lance

A CALL TO ARMS WORD SEARCH BY RALPH

Editor's note: This month's word search by Ralph requires a knowledge of weapons

which I suspect, like me, many puzzlers will find extremely difficult, so I have

created the illustration above which I hope will help. The 26 images are all from

Wikipedia. If you find all 26 weapons in the grid on the right you should also find

that the remaining letters will reveal a verse from the Good News Bible. We will

tell you which verse in the next issue! The weapons you are looking for begin with

the initial letters: 3B, C, D, E, F, 2H, J, K, L, 5M, R, 6S, and 2T.

HULA HULA

KLAXON

METRONOME

OCARINO

ORGAN

PIANO

PIPE

QUICKSTEP

SERPENT

TRIANGLE

TRUMPET

VIBRATO

VIOLA

VIOLIN

WASHBOARD

XYLOPHONE

The verse from The Good News Bible was Luke 15:25:

When he came close to the house he heard music and dancing

Rifle

Molotov

Cocktail

Epee

Morning star

Halberd

Howitzer

Machete

Mortar

C

CODEWORD

2 1 1 25 18 3 19 22 21 3 26 2

7 10 10 17 9 1 15

SUDOKU

MARCH

WORDSEARCH

1 3 15 10 15 6 10 10 24 24 8 4

10 14 24 13 17 10 3

9 5 3 8 12 5 10 8 11 12

9 4 9 2 20 3 15 9

10 25 8 21 25 10

25 2 17 8 10 15 3 22

25 10 7 1 10 26 22 20 16 2

7 8 24 3 8 9 7

2 15 15 12 8 23 10 25 24 10 22 2

15 10 3 2 24 17 15

24 5 9 2 15 3 20 16 25 2 10 24

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

O

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

J P

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

Dreamstime.com

BIBLE CROSSWORD

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

PUZZLE PAGE — 2

CROSSWORD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

BIBLE CROSSWORD


answers in the next issue

8

9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

17 18

19

20 21

22 23

Across

ACROSS

or women (8)

1 - Policemen or women (8)

5

-- Not bumpy;

level

level

(4)

(4)

9 -- Cloth woven woven from from flax (5) flax (5)

10 -- A Percussion percussion instrument instrument (7) (7)

11 - Children's toy (12)

11 Children's toy (12)

13 - Opposite of passive (6)

13 - Opposite of passive (6)

14 - Diacritical mark of two

14 - Diacritical mark of two dots (6)

dots (6)

17 -- Military judicial judicial body (5,7) body (5,7)

20 - Foot - Foot support support (7) (7)

21 21 -- More More mature mature (5) (5)

22 - Prophet (4)

22 - Prophet (4)

23 - Added salt and pepper (8)

23 - Added salt and pepper (8)

Down

DOWN

1 - Greasy (4)

1 - Greasy (4)

2 - Sweet icing (7)

2 - Sweet icing (7)

3 - Room attached to a house (12)

4 - Put right (6) 4 - Put right (6)

6 - West Indian 6 - dance West Indian (5) dance (5)

7 - Absurd representation of

something (8)

8 - Excessively forward (12)

12 - Political meetings (8)

12 - Political meetings (8)

15 - Give up (7) 15 - Give up (7)

16 - Mottled marking 16 - Mottled (6) marking (6)

18 - Join together

18 - Join

(5)

together (5)

19 - Network of lines (4)

3 - Room attached to a house (12)

7 - Absurd representation of something (8)

8 - Excessively forward (12)

19 - Network of lines (4)

WORDSEARCH

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! April brings us

to Easter – the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus

Christ - the triumphant highlight of the Christian year. As St

Paul pointed out, unless Jesus really did rise again, our faith

is useless, and we may as well forget any hope of heaven or

eternal life. But because He does live, we have a sure and

certain hope for our future.

ACROSS

1 - Relating to the whole universe (6)

4 -The disciple who made the remark in 8 A (John 20:24) (6)

8 - ‘Unless I see the nail marks — — hands' (John 20:25) (2,3)

9 - He urged King Jehoiakim not to burn the scroll (Jeremiah 36:25) (7)

10 - Baptist minister and founder of America’s moral Majority, Jerry — (7)

11 - Look, here is — . Why shouldn’t I be baptised?’ (Acts 8:36) (5)

12 - Repossessed (Genesis 14:16) (9)

17 - Port which Paul sailed from to Rome (Acts 27:3–4) (5)

19 - ‘Moses was not aware that his face was — ’ (Exodus 34:29) (7)

21 - Roonwit, C.S. Lewis’s half-man, half-horse (7)

22 - Grill (Luke 24:42) (5)

23 - Matthias; so he was added to the — apostles’ (Acts 1:26) (6)

24 - ‘ I was in — and you came to visit me’ (Matthew 25:36) (6)

DOWN

1 - Coastal rockfaces (Psalm 141:6) (6)

2 - Academic (1 Corinthians 1:20) (7)

3 - Publish (Daniel 6:26) (5)

5 - For example, the Crusades (4,3)

6 - 11 Across is certainly this (5)

7 - He reps (anag.) (6)

9 - Liberator (Psalm 18:2) (9)

13 - Man who asked the question in 11 Across (Acts 8:27) (7)

14 - They must be ‘worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine’

(1 Timothy 3:8) (7)

15 - The human mind or soul (6)

16 - ‘Precious children starve, the tools of war increase; their bread is — ’

( Graham Kendrick) (6)

18- ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not — ’ (Matthew 11:17) (5)

20 - Bared (anag.) (5)

SUDOKU

ANGEL

STONE

RISEN

BREAD

TRIAL

TOMB

PILATE

JUDAS

WINE

BODY

BLOOD

MARY

CROSS

NAILS

VINEGAR

TEMPLE

CURTAIN

GETHSEMANE

PASSOVER

SOLDIERS

CRUCIFIXION

BETRAYAL

JERUSALEM

GARDENER

Each of the nine

blocks has to contain

all the numbers 1-9.

Each number can

only appear once in a

row, column or box.


Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

TPM Classified

If you are interested in advertising here?

Contact Ian at:

ianmacpne@outlook.com

ALL AERIALS

Local Handyman, TV problems, surveys 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

YOUR ADVERTISEMENT COULD BE HERE

Contact Ian at:


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:


CHILDREN'S PAGE


42 The Parish Magazine — April 2025 Please mention The Parish Magazine when replying to advertisements

information — 2

Parish contacts Advertisers' index

Abbeyfield Care 32

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

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

A B Walker Funeral Directors 12

ACG Locksmith Services 40

Active Security 30

All Aerials 40

AMS Water Softeners 14

Avery Collection Care Home 8

Barn Store 20

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

Crosfield s School 12

French Horn 4

Gardiners Home Care 40

Good Oaks Home Care 26

Handyman & Decorating Services 40

Haslams Estate Agents 2

Hicks MOT & Service 18

Home 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 16

Muck & Mulch Garden Supplies 34

Professional Tree & Hedge Services 40

Reading Blue Coat School 14

Richfield Flooring 12

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

The Window Cleaner 34

Timmy’s Garden Services 10

Tomalin & Son Funeral Directors 14

Tudor Chimney Services 6

Water Softener Salt 20

WindoWorx 16

Woodchips Tree Surgery 40


and Gold Award

Best Magazine of the Year

2018

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

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

The Parish Magazine is printed in the United Kingdom by

Sarum Graphics Ltd, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6QX.

The Parish Magazine is distributed by

Abracadabra Leaflet Distribution Ltd, Reading RG7 1AW.

The Parish Magazine template was designed in 2012 by

Roger Swindale rogerswindale@hotmail.co.uk

and David Woodward david@designforprint.org

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement


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


Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement

The Parish Magazine April 2025

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