The Parish Magazine June 2025

pennants.

The Parish Magazine — June 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

June 2025 — Pentecost

Church of St Andrew

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye

Make your own

Ve Day 80

celebration bunting

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

Use as a template to draw around and trace, or decide

how much bunting you’d like to make and print enough

pages to create it.

Mount onto card to make it studier and cut out the

Decorate your bunting.

Punch holes in the corners, thread onto string or ribbon

and hang as desired at your VE Day celebration!

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

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Make your own

Ve Day 80

celebration bunting

Use as template to draw around and trace, or decide

how much bunting you’d like to make and print enough

pages to create it.

Mount onto card to make it studier and cut ou the

pennants.

Decorate your bunting.

Punc holes in the corners, thread onto string o bon

and hang as desired at your VE Day celebration!



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 June 2025

THE VICAR'S LETTEr, 5

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD

— VE Day, 7

— For your prayers, 7

— STAY, 8-9

— Holy Week and Easter, 11

— The Persecuted Church, 13

— Ruth, 14

— Brittany, 14

— Bible Prayers Part Five, 13

— When you die, 15

— From the editor's desk, 15

FEATURES

— Mud glorious mud! 17

— More awareness in June, 17

— Women in engineering, 19

— Claude on four wheels, 21

around tHE VILLages

— Sonning Regatta, 23

— Sonning Art Group, 23

— WI and Cowshed fashion, 23

— Movie magic singing, 23

FASHION

— What's hot for summer, 25

AFOOT IN THE GARDEN

— Ray's favourite things, 27

THE ARTS

— Tears of St Peter, 29

— Dead ringer 31

— Poetry corner, 31

— Book reviews, 31

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER

The

Parish

Magazine

June 2025 — Pentecost

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

Sonning children gather for

a VE Day street party.

The Parish Magazine files 1945

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 July/August 2025

issue of The Parish Magazine is:

Friday 6 June 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

1 June, Seventh Sunday of Easter

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Family Service

— 4.00pm Evensong

8 June, Pentecost


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with

STAY and Sunday Club

15 June, Trinity Sunday


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist

with STAY and Sunday Club

22 June




22 June




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.

HEALTH

— Chicken Pox and Shingles, 32-33

HISTORY

— Dinosaurs and the Bible, 34

— Was it really? 34

PUZZLE PAGE, 35

CHILDREN'S PAGE, 37

INFORMATION

— Church services, 3

— From the registers, 3

— Local Trades and Services, 38

— Parish contacts, 38

— Advertisers' index, 38

From the Registers

FUNERALS

— Wednesday 16 April, Jean Yvette Parsons, Interment of ashes in churchyard

— Tuesday 22 April, Pauline Elizabeth Allen, Service and Cremation at Reading

Crematorium

— Tuesday 29 April, Margaret Carole Coombe, Service and Cremation at

Reading Crematorium

— Wednesday 7 May, Joyce May Smith, Interment of ashes in the churchyard

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The vicar's letter

DEAR FRIENDS,

Pentecost is a centrally important day in the Church year. To get an idea of how

important it is, it is good to compare the impact of that event to the stars that

shine in the heavens at night. Astronomers tell us that light travels at 186,000

miles per second. If that is too hard to imagine, think of it another way: The

starlight shining in your window possibly left the star that produced it about

the time Shakespeare was writing his plays. The light has been travelling all

that time to reach us and provide its light. In the same way the work of the

first disciples still influences us. Many, many centuries ago, men and women

were commissioned to make disciples of all nations. Although they have been

dead for almost two thousand years, the effect of their work has travelled

through history and touched us. It is felt in our lives and in our churches

today. Such was the impact of the first Pentecost.

In a lesser, but still powerful way, our forefathers from many centuries ago

in this parish have a similar influence on us today. Think of the faithfulness of

the monks who travelled with Bishop Birinus, later Saint Birinus, on a mission

to convert this part of our land, coming over at the direction of Pope Gregory,

founding the abbey up the river in Dorchester, and then taking the mission

further, founding a church on this site in the mid-7th Century. In later years

think of the immense vision and courage involved to have begun work on this

wonderful building in the 12oos. From across the centuries, millennia even,

the light of their faith still reaches us, still inspires us and still nourishes us

today.

LET US TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!

Pentecost represents the birth of the world’s one true sleeping giant — the church of Jesus Christ. We can obviously

say that without Christmas, there would be no church, and certainly without Easter there would be no church. But this

can also be said of Pentecost. The church was born on that day, and she received her power through the coming of the

Holy Spirit. Could that happen again? Could the church of Jesus Christ yet become what Christ intended it to be? How

shall we awaken this giant? How shall we regain our passion as his people?

It begins with prayer. If the disciples had not been gathering for regular prayer after Christ’s ascension, it is doubtful

that Pentecost would have occurred. Certainly, the young church was sustained by prayer after Pentecost. Prayer was at

the heart of the church’s life from the very beginning. The church is not simply another civic organisation. It’s not just

another well-meaning social agency, with a clerical social worker in fancy dress. Either we draw our strength from God,

or we might as well close up shop and let our church become a heritage centre, or worse. The early church prayed, and God

granted them power to turn the world upside down. We will only awaken the sleeping giant when we begin praying for

our church and its mission.

Secondly, we will awaken the sleeping giant when we recapture our original purpose. What is our purpose? Someone

once said the church is a place where people are hatched, matched and dispatched — that is, where people are baptised,

married and buried. Is that our main purpose? Actually, I have never thought so. I recently read about a ship that was

built 70 years ago to be the greatest troop carrier in US naval history. It was called the SS United States. It was designed

to carry 15,000 troops faster and farther, without having to stop for fuel or supplies, than any other ship in military

history. The only thing was it never got used for carrying troops. It was such a remarkable ship that it got turned into a

luxury liner for celebrities and heads of state. It contained six hundred state rooms, four dining rooms, three bars, two

theatres, and the comfort of being the world’s first fully air-conditioned passenger ship for wealthy patrons who wanted

to enjoy first class service. It was designed to be a troop carrier, to have a mission, but it was turned into a luxury liner for

consumers.

It’s a bad thing when that happens to a church. We have a mission, and we must remember that we are not here for

ourselves. The early church, first of all, looked up to God in prayer and then it looked out to the world and asked what it

could do to make a difference. It focused on prayer and it focused on its purpose.

Finally, it then sought to serve Christ with absolute passion. There was nothing half-hearted about those early

believers in Christ. In Thessalonica, we read that mobs attacked believers meeting in Jason’s house and dragged Jason

out. Why were they so threatened by these early believers? They shouted, 'These people who have been turning the world

upside down have come here also' (Acts 17:6). What I would give, if people would accuse us like that: 'These people have been

turning the world upside down. 'Why don’t we give it a go!

Warm wishes,

Jamie

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Victory in Europe Commemoration 2025

Sally Wilson

Sally Wilson

For your Prayers in June . . .

— His Majesty King Charles

— For the homeless and unemployed

— For the sick, disabled and housebound

— For those training for ministry in the Church

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8 The Parish Magazine — June 2025

the parish noticeboard — 2

Westy

My privilege

to pray for and

encourage youth

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk

0794 622 4106

STAY in Easter Holidays Activities

Over the Easter holidays we had some great times ice skating at Ozone, paint balling at

Delta Force, playing dodgeball in The Ark, running round the village on a scavenger hunt,

trampolining at Rush and a ‘give back day’ at Barnabas Aid in Swindon. We unloaded food

packages sent by donors, sorted it into measured amounts and created a whole pallet worth

of food parcels, ready to be sent to those who need it in Lebanon. It was such a great feeling

to be helping others in need, and I offer a massive well done to the young people who gave

up their time to help!

STAY for Easter Saturday Fun Day

We had another great time this year hiding 200 Easter eggs in and around the church for

the youth to find at our Easter Saturday Family Fun Day. We also provided three bouncy

castles for different age groups, a free BBQ and drinks for all the young and old. A great day

was had by all!

Reading Youth Day

On Saturday 12 July we are gathering with loads of young people from other Reading

churches for the Reading Youth Day. All young people are welcome and it’ll be a great day of

fun workshops, a huge dodgeball tournament, a BBQ, ice cream van and a worship evening.

Scan the QR code (below right) to book your tickets.

STAY on Sunday

We met twice in April for STAY on Sunday and we looked at Jesus riding into Jerusalem

on a donkey. It’s interesting, and speculative, that Jesus started and ended his life on a

donkey! A humble beginning and end for the King of Kings. That’s the God we serve.

STAY on Friday

Having closed the youth club for April there is little to report. However, it is great news that

all our STAY on Friday leaders have updated their safeguarding training and those who

need DBS checks had them renewed. They all came back positively. Don’t forget the youth

club runs every Friday from 6.45-8.15pm in term time for young people of secondary school

age. We welcome the year 6’s on the fourth Friday of each month, namely, 23 May, 27 June

and 18 July.

STAY on Monday

With April having the Easter Holidays and a bank holiday, there were no STAY on Monday

meetings. However, going forward, STAY on Monday happens every first and third Monday

of the month and it rotates around young people’s homes from 6-7.15pm. Email Westy for

more details.

STAY in Schools

After the short break of the STAY school’s work during April, it was wonderful to see the

students back again in late April for our mentoring sessions. We also led some assemblies at

the primary schools and Wargrave Piggott during April. It was my farewell assembly to the

year 11’s as they broke for GCSE study leave, and it was a wonderful privilege to pray for them

and encourage them as they enter the examinations season. In CU, one of the groups we run in

Piggott, the young people love the game Marco Polo when one student is blindfolded and they

have to find the others in the room. They can only say the word Marco and everyone else must

reply Polo. It’s always a fun game to play with lots of dodging and diving to avoid getting caught.


Alleluia!

the Lord

is risen!

corinne@sonningparish.org.uk

0118 969 3298

April was fantastic as we dived into the mystery

of Easter. We enjoyed celebrating Palm Sunday at

Sunday Club with a game of pin the tail on the donkey

— Jesus rode through the crowds on a donkey. We

discussed how Palm Sunday starts Holy Week and

gives us the time to understand the last few days of

Jesus's life, before his death and resurrection.

Messy Church on Easter Saturday included loads

of free festivities, such as a BBQ, bouncy castles, egg

and spoon races, tours up the church tower, crafts,

and egg hunts! Gemma and the band set the tone,

leading us in glorious action worship music with some

of our favourites 'Great Big God' and 'City on a Hill'.

I gave a talk using a magic story bag! It had

multiple sides and with each turning of the bag,

revealed a different colour and picture. This led us

through Holy Week and concluded with the good

news of Jesus's resurrection and the promise of a new

life through him.

PEACE WITH US

Easter Sunday Club was very lively. The children

worked very hard to create the Easter Garden which

we presented to the church at the end of the service

when it was blessed by Rev Jamie. The garden stays in

the church until Pentecost to remind us of God's love

through the life of Jesus.

On the last Sunday of the month, we discussed

Jesus's visit to his disciples after his death, when he

greeted his friends much like we see angels do in the

Bible, by saying, 'peace be with you!'

We talked about what this might mean and what

peace means to each of us. We then made some

calming and peaceful jars, filling them with good

smelling dried flowers and lavender essential oil.

As schools were closed for Easter, I accompanied

STAY on their activities and we had lots of fun!

My month ended with a training course on

Godly Play, and I hope to integrate this training into

different groups at St Andrew's. The tag line for Godly

Play is 'A Christian movement centered on childhood

spirituality providing training to transform thinking and

practice for the whole of life.' Many wondering questions

are posed and each session includes a story in which

props and toys are used to paint a beautiful picture of

Old Testament Bible stories, parables, and Christian

practices. Watch this space as I continue to learn and

use it in church and in the local schools!


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Holy Week and Easter 2025 picture parade

Picture credits: Indy Bidulph and Rev Jamie Taylor


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THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY

A prayer request to end conflict in Sudan

Sudanese Christian worshipers

About 5.4% of Sudan’s almost 50

million people are Christians, and

91% Sunni Muslims.

There was a history of persecution

of religious minorities during the

30 year rule of Omar al-Bashir when

intimidation and harassment took

place against Christians.

In 2011, South Sudan — which

was predominantly Christian —

became independent. The Christian

community remaining in the north

of the country suffered further.

After Bashir declared Sudan

would adopt an entirely Islamic

constitution, attacks on churches

and Christians worsened.

TRANSITION

Bashir was overthrown in 2019

by two group that took part in the

2019 transitional government — the

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and

the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

These are the two sides fighting

in the current war, which broke out

in 2023.

The generals in charge of these

groups disagreed on the direction

the country was going in the

proposed move towards civilian

rule. As well as sparking major

displacement, both sides in the

conflict have been accused of war

crimes.

Although the transitional

government scrapped the apostasy

law that made renunciation of Islam

punishable by death, Muslims who

converted to Christianity continued

to be prosecuted and tortured.

Many have been forced to flee

their homes or feel that staying is

unsustainable.

Open Doors report that more

than 100 churches, Christian

buildings and even private homes

belonging to Christians have been

forcibly occupied during the ongoing

conflict.

The war has claimed more than

150,000 lives and about 12 million

people have been forced to flee their

homes.

The United Nations has called

this the world’s largest humanitarian

crisis. According to non-profit

organisation Action Against Hunger,

almost 25 million Sudanese people

need food aid.

HARDSHIP

Open Doors report that

Christians are also experiencing

exceptional hardship in the

hunger crisis, as local communities

discriminate against them and will

not give them support.

Sudan has risen three places in

Open Doors’ World Watch List of the

top 100 countries where Christians

face the most severe persecution.

Faced with heightened dangers

and diminishing resources, the

struggle for survival for Sudanese

Christians has worsened. Open

John Wollwerth, dreamstime.com

Doors work through local Christian

partners in Sudan to strengthen

persecuted Christians through

persecution survival training,

discipleship training, and economic

empowerment projects.

Open Doors ask us to keep praying

for our brothers and sisters in Sudan

and for an end to this terrible conflict.

REFERENCES

The Tahrir Institute, The Forgotten

War on Sudan’s Christians:

https://timep.org/2024/05/09/theforgotten-war-on-sudans-christians/

Wikipedia Christianity in Sudan:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Christianity_in_Sudan

Open Doors UK World Watch List –

Sudan: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/

persecution/world-watch-list/sudan/

BBC News Africa Sudan War: A

Simple Guide to What Is Happening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldafrica-59035053

ACI Africa (Association for Catholic

Information in Africa) Christian

Entity Condemns 'intentional attacks'

on Worship Centers in Sudan amid

Fighting: https://www.aciafrica.

org/news/8282/christian-entitycondemns-intentional-attacks-onworship-centers-in-sudan-amidfighting

Action Against Hunger Sudan:

https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/

location/africa/sudan/



We continue our series on the books of the Old Testament

Ruth's kindness, loyalty,

and selflessness

The Jewish festival of Shavuot

is celebrated this year from the

evening of Sunday 1 June until

Tuesday 3 June. Traditionally it

includes reading the story of Ruth

found in the Old Testament book

that bears her name.

Shavuot, also pronounced Shavous,

commemorates the time when God

gave the Torah to the Jewish people

at Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago.

The Torah was the first five books

of the Hebrew Bible, also known

as the Pentateuch, or the Five

Books of Moses, namely, Genesis,

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and

Deuteronomy.

They are considered the most

sacred part of the Hebrew Bible by

Jews and contain the foundation for

the laws and narratives of Judaism.

GOD'S GRACE

Preceded by 49 days of counting

in eager anticipation, Shavuot is

celebrated by not working, candlelit

dinners, staying up all night to study

the Torah, listening to the reading

of the Ten Commandments in

synagogue, and enjoying dairy foods

and other festivities.

The readings always include

the Old Testament Book of Ruth,

which is a story about God’s grace

operating in difficult circumstances

during the period of the Judges.

The story begins when Ruth's

mother-in-law was preparing to

travel to Bethlehem for Passover.

Phil Mason considers church life . . .

Ruth by Alefbet26, dreamstime.com

Ruth was told to stay at home, but she

refused and accompanied Naomi on

her journey. Ruth then meets Boaz,

a relative of Naomi, while gathering

barley in his fields and on the

threshing floor where Boaz is asleep,

she lies at his feet and so expresses

her desire to marry him.

But Boaz tells her of another prior

claim, although, a little later this

marriage vow was renounced, leaving

the way clear for Boaz and Ruth to

marry.

In Ruth’s story we see God’s

unseen hand directing the lives of the

characters to accomplish his purpose

of foreshadowing the work of Jesus

Christ.

If you are heading

for Brittany . . .

Bidouze Stephane, dreamstime.com

. . . then spare a thought for Gudwal,

the 6th Century Celtic abbot who

liked it so much that he decided to

stay there.

When you visit Brittany today, you will

find Catholic churches everywhere.

Not so in the 6th Century, when only

the extraordinary range of megalithic

monuments such as those shown

above dominated the landscape. Some

of these megalithic ruins date back

to at least 3300 BC and are 200 years

older than Stonehenge.

Religion was certainly plentiful in

Brittany then. But Gudwal was one of

the earliest pioneers of Christianity in

the region. He planted churches and

built a hermitage in the middle of the

paganism. 188 monks helped him to

build a monastery – probably at Guer.

But it was the man himself – his

holiness and kindness – that drew

people’s attention more than the

buildings.

A man of deep spirituality and

prayer, Gudwal willingly helped the

local people and it was said that he

healed many by his prayers for them.

Dog collar? Where there's water. . .


BIBLE PRAYERS PART FIVE

Praying for cleansing


By Rev Dr Herbert McGonigle

We continue our series on prayer by Rev Dr Herbert McGonigle, a former senior lecturer in Historical Theology and

Church History, Nazarene Theological College, Manchester.

‘Wash me thoroughly from my

iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.’

Psalm 51:2

Psalm 51 is the most personal, most

passionate and most profound prayer

for forgiveness in the Bible.

Without any introduction,

explanation or excuse, the Psalmist

cries out, ‘Have mercy on me, O God.’

Jewish and Christian scholars

have almost been unanimous in

seeing this Psalm as David’s personal

prayer for pardon.

It followed his sin of adultery with

Bathsheba and then scheming to have

her husband killed (2 Samuel 11).

CONFESSION

The various stages of the psalm

take us from deep contrition to joyful

testimony.

First, the confession (1-4). As

David bares his soul to God, there is

no blaming others, no excuses made,

no pleading special circumstances.

‘Have mercy on me, O God.’

Notice the personal pronouns. ‘My

transgressions,’ twice (1 and 3); ‘my

iniquity;’ ‘my sin,’ twice (2 and 3).

And David knows that while he

has sinned against his own family

The Book of Proverbs is an anthology

of King Solomon's sayings (Proverbs

1:1), who uttered 3,000 of them (1

Kings 4:32). Their purpose is ‘for

attaining wisdom and discipline’ (1:2).

Solomon was concerned that people,

especially the young, would understand

‘the sayings and riddles of the wise.’ (1:3-6).

His guiding principle is that ‘The

fear of the Lord is the beginning of

knowledge.’ (1:7). For example:

Knowing God: ‘The fear of the Lord is

the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the

Holy One is understanding’ (9:10).

and against the murdered Uriah, all

sin is ultimately against God. ‘Against

Thee, thee only, have I sinned’ (4).

Second, the condition (5-6). While

David alone is responsible for the

sins he has committed, he recognises

that he is part of the fallen, sinful

humanity.

DOCTRINE

Both Judaism and Christianity

have a doctrine of original sin.

So deep and all pervasive is the

condition of fallen humanity that he

speaks of being ‘conceived’ in sin and

‘brought forth’ in iniquity (5).

Although some commentators

have tried to dismiss this teaching by

saying that David was conceived out

of wedlock, its implications are far

more profound.

In verse 6 he speaks about ‘the

inward being’ and ‘my secret heart.’

David knows only too well that

behind the sins he has committed lies

a human heart prone to sin, attracted

by sin and enticed to sin.

Third, is the cleansing (7-12). With

this deep, penitential confession

of his transgressions, his iniquity

and his sin, David now cries out for

Wise words for the way we live today

Guarding our speech: ‘A word aptly

spoken is like apples of gold in settings of

silver’ (25:11).

Marital faithfulness: ‘May your

fountain be blessed and may you rejoice in

the wife of your youth’ (5:15-20).

Our work: ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be wise!’ (6:6-11).

Dangers of strong drink: ‘Wine is a

mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led

astray by them is not wise’ (20:1).

Justice and honesty: ‘The Lord abhors

dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his

delight’ (11:1).

Thodonal, dreamstime.com

the only remedy — God’s power to

conquer human sin.

The prayer began with a plea for

mercy (1) and then followed the

repeated petitions for the ‘blotting

out,’ the ‘washing’ and the ‘cleansing’.

Now the plea is for something

deeper still: ‘Purge me with hyssop and

I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be

whiter than snow.’ (7).

But David wants still more, and

so we have the prayer in verse 10:

‘Create in me a clean heart.’

And still David prays, ‘Cast me not

away from your presence and take not

your Holy Spirit from me.’

RESTORATION

Resulting from this sincere

confession and heart-felt prayer for

forgiveness and cleansing, comes the

assurance of God’s gracious answer.

When David is spiritually

restored, he will teach others the way

of God’s salvation (13) and praise God

for his own deliverance (14).

So Psalm 51 promises forgiveness,

cleansing, restoration and a

place to serve God when we, in

true penitence, make the same

unqualified confessions of our sins.

Underlying The Book of Proverbs is

a conviction about God’s omniscience,

‘For a man’s ways are in full view of the

lord, and he examines all his paths’ (5:21)

and providence, ‘Many are the plans in

a man’s heart, but it is the Lord's purpose

that prevails’ (19:21) and goodness, The

Lord is far from the wicked but he hears

the prayer of the righteous’ (15:29).

Proverbs reminds us that God is

concerned with the way we live today.

‘Wisdom is the art of living skilfully in

whatever actual conditions we find

ourselves’ (Eugene Peterson).


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David Pickup, a solicitor, considers what might happen to

your Facebook and other online pages,when you die.

'The righteous perish, and no one takes it to

heart; the devout are taken away, and no one

understands that the righteous are taken

away to be spared from evil. Those who walk

uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as

they lie in death.’ Isaiah 57:1-2 NIV

What happens to our Facebook page when we die

is probably the last thing on most of our minds.

While many people have an ‘online presence’ such

as a Facebook page, they may have their personal

information on many other online pages such as

Linked-in, email accounts, Instagram and all types

of bank accounts and other website pages. The big

question when you die, is 'Who can get access to your

information?'

Depending on the type of account, a relative or friend

might want to close it, retrieve information or images or

preserve it in some way. Making a Will is an opportunity

to make a clear decision about what happens to all the

things you own, and this includes something electronic,

and who carries out your wishes.

According to Facebook, you can choose to either

appoint a legacy contact to look after your account, or

have your account permanently deleted.

If you do not choose to have your account permanently

deleted, it can be 'memorialised' if Facebook are told

about the death. Memorialised accounts are a place for

friends and family to gather and share memories after a

person has died.

Google encourages people to think about these issues

and they have something called an 'Inactive Account

Manager' to inform those who should have access to your

information, and whether you want your account to be

deleted.

Google recognises that many people die without

leaving clear instructions about how to manage their

online accounts and they will work with immediate

family members and representatives to close the account

of a deceased person where appropriate. In certain

circumstances they may also provide content from a

deceased user’s account.

Keeping your Will up-to-date is important, it is just as

important as writing it in the first place!

From

the

editor's

desk . . .


Cheers . . . or here's to

mud in your eye?

MutareHawk, Dreamstime.com

Since taking over the editorship of The Parish Magazine in

December 2012, I have been responsible for the following

141 issues, including this one. During this time I have

tried not to use any photographs on the front cover more

than once, but this has not always been possible. The

picture on our front cover this month is one of those

'possibilities'. It shows local children from our parish at a

party held outside Pearson Hall in 1945. At that time the

entire country was celebrating Victory in Europe just as

we have this year.

The children, having lived through the Second World

War, must have found it strange that they were suddenly

expected to be enjoying themselves, hence, I imagine,

their puzzled faces.

When I used this picture on the front cover of the May

2015 issue, some readers told me that they recalled the

street party well, and could even recognise some of their

friends. Sadly, many of them are no longer with us.

As someone who was born in 1946, I will never fully

understand what the children, and their parents, in this

picture had lived through. I can only hope that they grew

up to enjoy a much happier, and less stressful, life. If you

were a child during that war, and if you are willing to

share your memories with our readers, then I would love

to hear your views on this.

BIZARRE SPECIAL DAYS

Each month, I try to highlight one or more of the

special 'awareness' events that will be taking place, and,

as time has gone by there has never been a problem with

finding something new to write about — one 'awareness

calendar' lists over 3,000 annual events!

This month is no different. On page 19 you will find one

of the more bizarre 'special days' which I image will appeal

to many of our younger readers.

The down side of this is that with many of the

'awareness' events it is becoming difficult to understand

what the real motive behind them is. Often, it is a

marketing or sales ploy, but they can, like on page 19, be

for pure fun — as long as you don't mind a bit of dirt.

Or on second thoughts, it could be being promoted by

laundry product suppliers!

If, by chance you participate in this month's chosen

'special day', I would welcome your story and some

pictures of course!

As one old saying goes, 'here's to mud in your eye!'


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feature — 1


Sunday 29 June

Mud

glorious

mud!

Yes, there really is an awareness

day to celebrate mud! And yes, we

do mean that sticky substance that

is created when water is mixed with

earth.

You may also know mud as cob,

adobe, clay, or one of several other

names that have been used to mean a

mixture of subsoil and water possibly

with the addition of stone, gravel,

straw, lime, or bitumen.

Historically, such material has

been used to build walls, floors and

roofs. In most parts of the world it

was once common to build with mud

bricks and cover the surfaces with

earthen plaster.

A mud party

The idea of having a special

awareness day for mud originated

at the World Forum Foundation

(WFF) for Early Childhood Care and

Education in Belfast in 2009.

WFF was created in 1998 to

develop the idea that good things

would happen for all children

of the world if early childhood

professionals could meet, share

stories and perspectives, and develop

ongoing relationships.

The purpose of mud day is to

encourage children around the world

to interact with each other and with

More June days to be aware of . . .

Vallorie Francis, dreamstime.com

the world around them through

playing in mud. WFF also has a range

of aids including reflections from

Nepal and Australia, a photo book,

an illustrated story book about how

people and animals love mud, a video

called 'It's OK to get dirty' featuring

children enjoying mud play, and a

dedicated Facebook page.

On 29 June 2011, the World

Forum sponsored the first

International Mud Day which has

grown to be a global event and is

celebrated around the world on 29

June every year.

Trooping the Colour

His Majesty King Charles III's

official birthday will be celebrated

on Saturday 14 June, the third

Saturday in June. This is the date on

which the traditional Trooping the

Colour parade takes place. His actual

birthday is on 14 November when

he will be 77 years old. The King's

official birthday is celebrated in

June to maximise the chances Lorna Jane, dreamstime.com

of good weather for the outdoor

festivities. Let's pray for it!

Leklek73, dreamstime.com

1 June: Global Day of Parents; Shavuot; World Reef

Awareness Day; National Cancer Survivor's Day

3 June: World Bicycle Day

5 June: World Environment Day

15 June: Father's Day

16-22 June: Learning Disability Week

20 June: World Refugee Day

21 June: Summer Solstice; International Day of Yoga

22 June: World Rainforest Day; Windrush Day

23 June: International Women in Engineering Day

27 June: National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day

Reading’s local charity caring for o


feature — 2

'Women in Engineering Day' encourages

the best, the brightest and the bravest

Although the International Women

in Engineering Day (INWED) on 23

June began just over a decade ago,

its history dates from the end of the

First World War when many women

embraced engineering roles and

were determined to continue when

normality returned. This also led to

the Women’s Engineering Society

(WES) being formed.

Since then, WES has played a vital role

in promoting gender equality in the

field while inspiring young women to

pursue careers in engineering.

In 2014, in celebration of its 95th

anniversary, WES began the National

Women In Engineering day to

showcase the achievements of female

engineers.

In 2017 the special day received

UNESCO patronage and it became an

internationally recognised day.

INWED has become a platform

to showcase the incredible work of

women engineers worldwide.

Rendezvous in

The Ark

TUESDAY 10 & 24 JUNE

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

Each year events and activities

are organised to raise the profile of

women in engineering, acting as a

source of encouragement and support,

empowering female engineers to

reach their potential. Despite their

progress, engineering remains a maledominated

industry, with only 16.5%

Sumetee Theesungnern, Dreamstime.com

of engineers in the UK being female,

and IWED continues to provide a

platform for female engineers.

This year the organisation's

theme is #TogetherWeEngineer and

it continues to encourage the best,

brightest and bravest women in

engineering.

Planning Your

Traditional Wedding?

Then you might like to

discuss the possibility of

marriage in our ancient and

beautiful parish church.

If so, call the vicar, Jamie

0118 969 3298

He will be pleased to help!

In addition to the stunning and historic location in Sonning,

we will work hard to provide you with a memorable and

moving occasion. We can provide a choir, organ, peal of

eight bells, beautiful flowers, over 100 lit candles set in

ornate Victorian chandeliers and the use of our beautiful

churchyard as a backdrop for your photographs.

Church of St Andrew


the church of st andrew SERVING

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye

feature — 3

Claude

moves

up to

four wheels and

wonders why!

Following last month's article about

my love of bikes, my mind moved on

to four wheel transport.

My parents never drove so I wasn’t

brought up with a car. However,

Barbara’s dad had one and he taught

me to drive.

Unfortunately on the day before

my test, I reversed his car up a kerb

into a lamp post!

And then, on the day of my test,

the only comment that the examiner

made was that he could see I had

previously ridden a motorbike

because I drove so close to the kerb!

But he still passed me.

FIRST CAR

Barbara had some relatives living

in Burnham who sold cars. One day,

they showed me round their garage

and told me that all the oil, that

was changed in the cars, was put to

good use — they burnt it to heat the

garage — so they never wasted any!

I bought my first car, a Hillman

Minx, from them. It had a little

steering wheel within the main one

that was a horn. I would sit my son

Paul on my lap, when he was a little

boy, so that he could ‘help’ me drive

down Wokingham Road!

OVERTAKEN BY A PRAM

Our next car was an Austin A40.

On one holiday we travelled with

Chris’ pram on the roof rack. It was

held on by elasticated straps.

Going down hill — probably too

fast — the roof rack with pram broke

loose and overtook us!

The pram was still attached to the

broken roof rack but was OK whereas

the roof rack was beyond repair!

My next car was a Singer Gazelle

and the first that I had bought brand

new. After collecting it, I picked Paul

up from school on the way home. He

was very proud of me in front of his

friends for having a new car!

Next was a Hillman Avenger. It

was the first automatic car that I

owned.

We used it to tow a caravan on

holiday. It was only a 1.5 so it was

incredible that it could tow, even

with a car full of excited children!

It had to have an extra radiator

fitted to cool the oil in the gearbox.

We always took our pets on

holiday with us. The cat would sit on

my lap while I was driving! When

there, she would roam everywhere

around the campsite but always

seemed to know when we were going

home!

The worst car I owned was a

Morris Marina estate, it was a lousy

British car! I had it from new but,

after six months, I took it back to

the garage for the first service and

handed them a long list of faults and

defects, including rust!

When it was a couple of years

old, I tasked Paul with taking some

rubbish to the tip. He wasn’t very

careful with how he positioned a

part-used tin of creosote and it spilt

over the back seats.

Luckily, it spilt in a symmetrical

manner, so didn’t look too out of

place, but that was outweighed by

the smell that lasted for several

months. He wasn’t the most popular

of sons for a while!

It has been in that car I taught

Paul to drive. On one lesson, he

drove to pick up my daughter. For

some reason, I sat Rachel on my lap


Claude’s Hillman Minx with his parents, Barbara, Paul and Rachel, on a picnic.

THE CAT SAT ON MY LAP

on the way home, much to Paul's

annoyance because it made him

struggle to use the gear stick. He

got himself into a bit of a muddle

and pressed the wrong pedal when

entering the drive and ended up

driving into our caravan that was

parked on the drive!

Of course, Barbara blamed me as I

was supposed to be supervising!

MY FAVOURITE

In contrast, my next car had

nothing wrong with it. It was a

Japanese Mazda 626 and was

completely free of defects! It was my

favourite car of all.

Unfortunately one day at work,

I was coming out of the car park

when the barrier went wrong. As I

was driving through, it came down

too early and bounced up and down

on the roof, putting three dents of

decreasing sizes there. I was quite

cross about this but the company did

pay to put right all the damage.

UNIMPRESSED WIFE

Then I bought an automatic

Mitsubishi Galant with cruise

control.

One day, I had driven to a pub for

lunch and, after parking, realised

that I had to move it a little further

back.

As I couldn’t be bothered to get

back into it, I used my hand to push

the accelerator a little and it went

straight into another car!

Once again, Barbara wasn’t too

impressed!

Having looked back over these

stories, perhaps it is just as well that

I can’t drive now!



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Regatta takes

to the river!

As we went to press, plans for

Sonning Regatta 2025 were being

finalised. It will be held on The

Thames by Sonning Bridge on

Sunday 8 June.

The original regatta began in the

Victorian/Edwardian era and there

are a number of photos from the

1930’s in The Bull Inn together with

the remaining trophies which were

given to winners for the year.

The annual regatta was

interrupted by World War II, the

last one being held in front of the

then White Hart pub (now The Great

House) next to Sonning Bridge, on 2

September 1939. It was re-established

in 2000 as part of the Millennium

celebrations and will now will be held

every year at the same location —

below Sonning Bridge in front of The

Great House Hotel.

Hall AGM

Pearson Hall Annual General

Meeting takes place in the Pearson

Hall committee room at 6.45 pm

on Wednesday 25 June. Drinks and

nibbles are available from 6.30pm.

And now for something

completely different!


Sonning Art Group had a different

type of challenge for their latest

Chairman's Cup event. The subject

was 'Fashion'. They could only

use three colours, and there was

a 2.5 hour time limit. Their pictures

were judged, as usual, by the other

members who chose the outright

winner to be Jean Hutchinson's

pastel of an Ascot scene in My Fair

Lady which is an iconic fashion

statement to this day. The dress was designed by Cecil Beaton. Sonning Art

Group is currently thriving and they have, reluctantly, announced a waiting

list for people wanting to join them because there is limited space and a limited

number of tables available for them to use in Pearson Hall where they meet.

Little Black Dress

Fashion Show

FRIDAY 11 JULY

Pearson Hall 7.30pm

Sonning Glebe WI members are proud to be supporting The Cowshed,

a Wokingham based charity that helps those who find themselves in

unfortunate financial circumstances for a variety of reasons.

Cowshed provides, free of charge, high quality clothing and essential items

to individuals facing personal crises. They offer a range of items including

clothing, bedding, curtains, school uniforms, and baby equipment, all cleaned

and ironed before being distributed.

The charity focuses on meeting the immediate material needs of those in

need, ensuring they have access to essential items during difficult times.

Cowshed beneficiaries are referred by outside agencies, such as doctors,

social services and so on.

As part of their fund raising, they hold craft events, such as the one

coming to the The Pearson Hall in July when we are promised a wonderful

variety of clothes even a Prom dress! Tickets are £10, contact: 0773 405 0317 or

0779 912 1167 sonningglebewi@berkshirewi.co.uk

Sonning Regatta 2024

Movie

Magic

Project

Suzanne Newman has announced

that her next singing project will

run from September to December,

with the main performance on

Sunday 30 November.

Suzanne said, 'Our theme is songs

from the movies' and will include

Skyfall, Hushabye Mountain, This

is me, The rhythm of life and White

Christmas.

The ladies section of her choir

meet in Charvil Village Hall on

Mondays from 8.00 - 9.30pm, and the

girls section for ages of 9 - 18 years

rehearse on Sundays between 6.15 —

7.45pm.

For more details, contact Suzanne

Newman on 0118 934 0589 or

suzanneynewman@btinternet.com

Nagy-bagoly Ilona,

Dreamstime.com



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FASHION


What's hot fashion for this summer?

The fashion world is heating up with

the best vibrant summer clothing

trends which, for 2025, is all about

bold statements, comfort, and a

touch of nostalgia. It is ready to

make waves so here are some of the

things you can expect to see this year.

Summer has always been a time to

embrace colour so we are shifting

toward neon brights and bold,

tropical hues, electric pinks, blazing

oranges, and deep ocean blues. These

colours aren't just for accessories; they

dominate complete outfits from head

to toe.

Prints are just as exciting, with

abstract floral, geometric patterns, and

retro-inspired designs flooding the

runways. Expect to see oversized palm

leaves, gorgeous gingham, tie-dye swirls,

and playful polka dots popping up in

everything from dresses to swimsuits.

BREATHABLE

Brightly coloured sundresses are a

summer staple trend for 2025, offering

an effortless way to bring a burst of

colour to any sunny day.

These dresses, in shades of electric

pinks, vibrant yellows, and rich

turquoise, embody the spirit of summer,

radiating warmth and energy wherever

you walk.

Whether in a flowy A-line silhouette

or a figure-hugging midi, they can be

worn with strappy sandals or kept

casual with sneakers for a laid-back vibe.

The appeal lies in the ease of wear —

light, breathable fabrics such as cotton

and linen keep you cool. At the same

time, the cheerful colours brighten up

your mood and surroundings.

How about pairing the dress with

oversized sunglasses and minimal

accessories? A brightly coloured

sundress is an effortless yet statement

making piece that perfectly captures the

carefree essence of the season.

This summer, bold, oversized graphic

tees are making a major statement,

infusing outfits with personality and

artistic flair. These t-shirts, often

adorned with striking designs, oversized

logos, abstract prints, or nostalgic pop

references, have become more than just

casual wear — they're a form of selfexpression.

In 2025, expect to see graphics in eyecatching

colours and unique, oversized

placements that instantly turn a simple

outfit into something memorable,

whether you're pairing them with bike

shorts or denim shorts for a laid-back

look.

Or perhaps, tucking one into a skirt

for an edgier vibe; bold graphic tees add

a fun, carefree element to any summer

wardrobe. With their versatility and

ability to spark conversation, they are

not just a trend but a wardrobe essential

for anyone who loves to showcase their

individuality and unique style.

Patterned shorts are the perfect

way to add a playful, stylish twist to

your summer wardrobe in 2025. From

tropical florals, and bold geometric

designs, to abstract prints and classic

stripes, these shorts bring fun and

creativity to warm-weather dressing.

Light, breathable fabrics such as cotton

and linen keep them comfortable for

all-day wear.

At the same time, the vibrant

patterns elevate even the simplest of

outfits. I've been influenced online by

trending gingham. I've found a fantastic

pair of gingham shorts from M&S, a

black set perfect for the summer ahead.

Whether lounging at the beach or doing

your weekly shopping, patterned shorts

make it easy to embrace summer's

carefree vibe while adding a burst of

colour and personality to your outfit.

RECYCLED PLASTIC

Recycled polyester swimsuits are

a standout trend for 2025, blending

sustainability with style in a chic and

eco-conscious way.

This swim wear is created using

recycled plastic bottles or discarded

fabrics, which help reduce waste and

offer a more sustainable alternative

BY HARRIET NELSON

to traditional swim wear materials.

Despite their eco-friendly origins,

recycled polyester swimsuits are

incredibly durable, quick-drying, and

resistant to chlorine and saltwater,

making them a practical choice for long

days at the pool or beach.

A recycled polyester swimsuit

doesn't just feel good for the planet, it

also means you're wearing something

fashionable and functional, proving

that sustainable choices can be

beautiful and high-performing while

looking good.

CHUNKY

Nostalgia continues to influence

fashion, and this summer is no

exception. Platform sneakers are taking

summer footwear to new heights in

2025, combining comfort with a bold,

fashion-forward edge.

These elevated shoes add a playful

twist to the classic sneaker, featuring

thick, chunky soles that provide extra

height without compromising comfort.

Their chunky design also offers a

modern, slightly retro vibe, reminiscent

of the '90s and early 2000s, which is

a major influence on current fashion

trends. Perfect for pairing with

everything from dresses and skirts to

jeans and shorts, platform sneakers

are ideal for anyone looking to make a

statement while staying on their feet

all day.

OVERSIZED COMFORT

Comfort is key this summer, and

oversized clothing is the perfect

answer to the scorching heat. Loosefitting

dresses, wide-legged pants, and

oversized tops make waves as a more

laid back approach is adopted.

The goal is to stay cool while still

looking chic, and these looser fits allow

for plenty of airflow while maintaining

style.

The oversized look is also about ease

and versatility, allowing you to dress it

up or down.

Pair a large button-up shirt with

bike shorts for a relaxed day look, or

tuck it into a midi skirt for a more

polished appearance.

Summer 2025 brings with it a

refreshing blend of nostalgia, bold

choices, and sustainable options. What

will you be wearing this season?


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AFOOT IN THE GARDEN

My favourite things...

In late April early May my wife and I visited, the Forest

of Dean and we have never seen so much wild garlic.

Homeward bound we stopped at one of the National Trust

horticultural treasures — Hidcote Manor Gardens.

A visit to Hidecote is a pilgrimage for many gardeners with

many plants named after it most notably Lavander ‘Hidcote

Blue’. On 3 May, the wisterias and lilac trees were absolutely

fantastic. As was the Davidia involucrata in the courtyard.

It is most widely known as the paper handkerchief tree

because of the large white bracts that hang down around the

inconspicuous flowers. As an aside I always seem to come

down with a cold after seeing one in flower.

June is when most of our rose flowers. I worked with

roses for many years and have always been asked ‘What is

your favourite rose?’

In truth I must be fickle because it changes with every

bloom, but here are a few I am fond of to tempt you!

Climbers: Etoile de Holland red; Sombreuil white; Compassion

pink. Shrub roses: Comte de Chambord pink; Rose de Rescht

purple; Cecile Brunner pink; Perle d’Or apricot/orange. Frau

Dagmar Hartopp pink. Bush roses: Rhapsody in Blue; blue and

Arthur Bell yellow.


BY RAY PUDDEFOOT

TASKS FOR JUNE: Finish planting pots and tubs for

summer colour and feed regularly with liquid fertilizer.

In dry spells water plants that you planted this Spring.

Prune early flowering trees and shrubs and cut back

perennials that have finished flowering.

Sow hardy annuals and perennials such as forget-me-not

and aquilegia, campanula, foxglove, and scabious.

In dry spells raise the cutting level of mower blades and

leave the trimmings on the lawn to conserve moisture

JUNE TOP TIPS: Plant bedding; edge lawns; feed roses and

shrubs; sow annuals and perennials; tie in climbers. Top left: Lilac; top right: Davidia involucrata; bottom: Wisteria

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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THE christmas ARTS — quiz 1


Creative Commons

The tears of St Peter,

the stumbling saint

In the 19th century John Bowes, the 10th Earl of

Strathmore, built a museum in the French style, with

landscaped gardens, at Barnard Castle in Teesdale. He

bequeathed it 800 paintings, including a previously

unknown Van Dyck, writes Rev Michael Burgess.

But visitors to the Bowes Museum often make a beeline

for its amazing 18th Century silver swan automaton

(below). As the music plays, there is the illusion of flowing

water: the swan preens itself, bends down and catches a

fish in the water. It is a thrill and a joy to watch.

At the other extreme and striking a different mood

and emotion is El Greco’s painting of 1580: ‘The Tears of

St Peter.’ It was reluctantly purchased in 1869 — the year

that this magazine was first published — for a price less

than that paid for the monkey puzzle tree in the grounds

outside.

WEPT BITTERLY

The gospels tell us that St Peter wept bitterly when

he heard the cock crow, as he had denied knowing Jesus

three times.

El Greco shows the saint, his eyes welling with

those tears of betrayal, kneeling and turning to heaven

for forgiveness. The sky is overcast, reflecting the sad

scene below, and we can see ivy growing as a sign of the

constancy so lacking in Peter’s life.

At the Last Supper he had been the opposite: ready

to follow, brave and generous with his words. But

Peter leaves Jesus to drink the cup of sorrow alone in

The White Swan

Andrew Curtis, Creative Commons

The Tears of St Peter

Gethsemane. In the courtyard of the high priest, warming

himself by the fire, he utters that threefold denial. This

was the lowest moment in his life, when instead of being

solid rock, he showed that he was merely shifting sand.

And then the wonder and glory of Easter. We glimpse

it in the background of the painting with the angel and

Mary Magdalene at the tomb.

And we know that everything changes for Peter by the

shore of the Sea of Galilee.

MARVELLOUS CATCH

Like the silver swan in the Bowes Museum looking for

fish, the disciples have returned to their old way of life.

But it is the risen Lord who directs them to a

marvellous catch, and the charcoal fire of betrayal in the

courtyard is now the charcoal fire of breakfast, a new day,

and a new way of life for Peter.

No denial now – he answers the three questions of our

Lord positively and realises that he is loved by Jesus in his

failure and weakness.

It might have seemed the end for Peter in the

courtyard, but the risen Lord comes to tell him ‘I make all

things new’ and that includes you.

BACK ON OUR FEET

Wikimedia Commons

Peter is often known as the stumbling saint. Here, in El

Greco’s painting, he has stumbled and fallen to his knees

in prayer.

We celebrate St Peter at the end of this month. As we

look at him, we know ourselves to be as weak and fearful.

But the Lord comes to us as he comes to Peter. He lifts

us up and puts us back on our feet again. With Peter, we

know him as our crucified and risen Lord.



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THE ARTS — 2

Dead ringer

‘Dead ringer’ is an odd phrase we

use when referring to someone

who looks like somebody else.

Sometimes, instead, we might say

‘spitting image’.

On 15 June we celebrate Father's’

Day, an occasion when dads are

particularly remembered by their

children. How many have heard

someone say ‘Oh, you really look like

your father’?

EQUAL TO GOD

One day, when Jesus was talking

to his disciples he said, 'Whoever

has seen me has seen the Father' (John

14:9). What an amazing statement!

Jesus was saying that he was the

dead ringer, or spitting image, of

God!

At another time Jesus said, 'I am

in the Father and the Father is in me.'

(John 14.10)

These words must have shocked

his hearers. He was saying that he

was equal with God.

No one had said this before, but

certainly his miracles were proof

that he was different. No-one else

could do what he was doing. Some

people wondered if he could really

be who he said he was?

So Jesus tried to make his

position clear and said, 'If you knew

me you would know the Father also.'

(John 8:19)

The people were being urged to

know Jesus more. They had to look,

listen and believe. Were his deeds of

God or not? They had to decide!

CONVINCED

Today, we are all in a similar

position. Who is Jesus? Do we look

at him and say 'Yes, this is God in the

flesh' or 'No, he was just a good person

— but also perhaps, deluded or crazy?'

Thomas, the disciple with the

nickname ‘doubter’, exclaimed: 'My

Lord and my God' (John 20:28).

Thomas was convinced that

he was in the presence of God,

in human form. And when the

Apostle Paul wrote to the church

at Colossae he said clearly: ‘It was

by God’s own decision that the Son

has in himself the full nature of God’

(Colossians 1:19).

Like Father, like Son!

Ig0rzh, Dreamstime.com

Promised Paraclete

at Pentecost*

(Acts 2: 1-13)

By Steven Rolling

Tune: Westminster Abbey

Christ is made the sure foundation

Comes the day, Pentecost arrives

Comes to change and transforms lives

There in one place and in one mind

The Spirit they there did find

Outpouring, the Holy Spirit

To lives in agreement knit

Suddenly a sound from heaven

God's Spirit, the promise given

Sound of rushing, mighty strong wind

No earth’s power could rescind

Filled all the house where they gathered

They the experience shared

Appearance of cloven tongues there

Like as of fire, godly fear

And it did sit there on each one

All were filled with him, bar none

They began to speak, other tongues

Spirit gave breath to voice, lungs

Devout Jews from every nation

Had gathered there, elation

For their feast of Pentecost due

First-fruits of the harvest new

Now the first-fruits of the Spirit

Each heart empowered and lit

They were confused, for they did hear

Their own languages spoken near

By those who the Spirit received

They had waited, they believed

Now anointed, full of power

Spoke God’s wonders in that hour.

*Pentecost, or Whitsun as it is often

called, is a Christian holiday which

takes place on the 49th day after

Easter Sunday. It recalls the descent

of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles of

Jesus while they were in Jerusalem

celebrating the Jewish Feast of

Weeks — an event described in the

New Testament book, the Acts of the

Apostles, 2:1-13. This year Pentecost

Sunday is on 8 June.


Book reviews

Discipleship: Start This Way

Beginning to live as an everyday

Christian disciple

By Guy Donegan-Cross, BRF, £9.99

This book focuses on the difference

that discipleship can

make in our day to

day experience. It

is ideal for both as

a resource for the

enquirer and a tool

for anyone wanting to

support someone in

their faith journey. It

provides an accessible and grounded

route into the beginnings of

discipleship, with a clear explanation

of what it looks and feels like to

become a disciple and to start to live

as one.

Raised Forever - Jesus' resurrection

and ours

By Rory Shiner, 10Publishing, £7.64

Here is an entry-level, but

theologically rich,

treatment of the

resurrection of Jesus,

and how it relates to

the life of the believer,

both now and in the

future. Useful both

evangelistically and

for encouraging believers.

God, AI and the End of History -

Understanding the Book of Revelation

in an Age of Intelligent Machines

By John C Lennox, SPCK, £29.99

A fresh interpretation

of Revelation for the

21st Century, exploring

connections between

St John's visions and

the terrifying prospect

of an Artificial Super

Intelligence that

emerges to deceive the world and

oppose the rule of Christ.

As the author says: 'Revelation

promises to do two things: fill our

hearts with praise to God, and also

simultaneously prepare for God's

inevitable cataclysmic intervention in

this world to judge evil righteously at the

return of Christ.

He also argues that we need to take

very seriously the possibility that a

supernatural power opposed to God is

using technology.


HEALTH BY ANNE ELGETI

The VZV of Chicken pox and Shingles

Chicken pox and shingles are caused by the same virus, the varicella-zoster

virus (VZV). After someone has chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the

body and can reactivate later in life, leading to shingles.

CHICKEN POX

The thought of Chicken pox is enough

to make any parent’s heart sink.

Itchy, uncomfortable and miserable,

for your child it also means time

off school or nursery for them, and

potentially time off work for you to

care for them.

Chicken pox is an infectious disease

caused by the varicella-zoster virus.

It is highly contagious, primarily

affecting children, though adults can

also contract it.

The virus spreads in a few different

ways. The spots contain the virus, so

it’s released when one breaks.

You can catch it if you come into

contact with the fluid in spots, the

saliva of someone with Chicken pox

and from coughs and sneezes.

If you have been exposed to

someone with Chicken pox, you’ll

usually get ill around two weeks later,

although it can take up to 3 weeks.

Chicken pox in children is usually

mild, but the virus replicates more

easily in teens and adults, who may

suffer more severe symptoms, due to

a decline in immune system response.

Chicken pox mostly goes away on

its own and most people will then be

immune for the rest of their lives.

SHINGLES

Shingles, also known as herpes

zoster, is caused by the varicellazoster

virus — the same virus that

causes Chicken pox.

After a Chicken pox infection

the virus lies dormant in the nerve

cells and can be reactivated causing

shingles.

It is usually reactivated in a single

nerve root, so instead of getting

spots all over the body — as with

chickenpox — they appear in just one

area supplied by the nerve root.

It is almost always just on one side

of the body, although it may cover

a large area of skin supplied by the

affected nerve.

The skin is usually painful, and

this may start before the rash appears

and continue for some time after the

rash has gone.

People sometimes feel tired, run

down and generally unwell. It is also

possible to have a high temperature

or feel feverish for a few days.

THE LINK

The good news is that if you have

had Chicken pox, you should have

immunity from it for the rest of your

life. You cannot catch Chicken pox

again; however, you could still get

shingles.

Shingles is a reactivation of the

chickenpox virus; you cannot catch

shingles but you can get Chicken pox

from someone with Shingles if you

have not had Chicken pox before.

You can get shingles more than

once.

The shingles vaccine is available

on the NHS and can reduce your

risk of getting Shingles, and if

you catch it, the symptoms can be

much milder. It is available to the

following:

— People who turned 65 on or after

1 September 2023

— People aged 70-79 who have not

yet been vaccinated

—People aged 50 and over with a

severely weakened immune system

— If you have Chicken pox stay away

from school or work until all the

spots have formed a scab.

This is called stage 3 which is

usually about 5 days after the spots

first appeared.

— Do not go near newborn babies,

anyone who is pregnant or has

a weakened immune system as

Chicken pox can be dangerous for

them.

— Drink plenty of fluids — try ice

lollies if your child is not drinking.

— Take Paracetamol to help with any

pain or discomfort.

— Cut fingernails and put socks on

hands at night to stop scratching.

— Use cooling creams or gels from a

pharmacy

— Ask a pharmacist about using

antihistamine medicine to help the

itching

— Bathe in cool water, pat skin dry

— Wear loose clothes

— Do not use ibuprofen unless you

are told to by a doctor, as it may

cause serious skin infections

— Do not give aspirin to children

under 16 years

— Do not scratch the spots, as

scratching can cause scarring.

GET ADVICE

Contact your GP, or call 111, if

chickenpox symptoms suddenly

get worse, or if the person with

chickenpox develops symptoms such

as:

— Chest pain or trouble breathing

— Signs of infection in or around

blisters, including redness and

pain

— Signs of dehydration, such as:

drowsiness and cold hands and feet.

— You should also contact your

doctor if you don’t have immunity

to chickenpox, in other words, you

have never had it, and you have been

exposed to someone with the virus,

or if you have chickenpox symptoms

and if:

— You are pregnant

— You have a weakened immune

system

—You have a baby under 4 weeks old

— You are breast feeding

IF YOU HAVE IT CHICKEN POX STAGE 1

Small spots appear and can:

— be anywhere on the body, including

inside the mouth and around the

genitals, which can be painful

— spread or stay in a small area

— be red, pink, darker or the

same colour as surrounding skin,

depending on your skin tone

— be harder to see on brown and

black skin

CHICKEN POX STAGE 2

The spots fill with fluid and become

blisters that are very itchy and may

burst.

CHICKEN POX STAGE 3

Blisters become scabs. Some may be

flaky, while others leak fluid.

Stage 1: small

Stage 2: the spo

Stage 3: the blist

and what you can do about it

spots appear

SHINGLES

The first signs of Shingles can be a

tingling or painful feeling in an area

of skin, and a headache or feeling

generally unwell

A rash (picture right) will usually

appear a few days later, although in

rare cases Shingles can cause pain

without a rash.

The Shingles rash usually appears

on the chest and abdomen (right), but

it can appear anywhere on your body

including on your face, eyes (below

right) and genitals.

The rash appears as blotches on

your skin, on one side of your body

only. A rash on both the left and

right of your body is unlikely to be

shingles.

The rash may be in and around

the eye (right), making it sore and

red. It can affect your sight or

hearing and make it hard to move

one side of your face.

Shingles on the second day may

look like this (below):


Anne Elgeti (above) is the deputy

director, systems coordination

(Frimley) NHS England.

She is an experienced director with

over 20 years experience leading

service transformation in the UK

NHS and has a proven track record

of achievement operationally and

strategically across commissioner

and provider organisations.

Anne has extensive experience

in a wide range of healthcare

delivery including primary care,

acute trusts, mental health and

community trusts and prison

healthcare in the NHS and private

healthcare sectors.

t become blisters

ers become scabs

And on day 6, like this (below):

Shingles Day 6

GET ADVICE

Get advice from 111 or a

pharmacist as soon as possible if

you think you have it.

You cannot spread Shingles

to others, but people could catch

chickenpox from you if they have not

had it before, or have not had the

vaccine.

Try to avoid:

— anyone who is pregnant and has

not had Chicken pox before

— people with a weakened

immunity system, for example,

someone having chemotherapy

— babies less than 1 month old.

STAY HOME

Stay off work or school if

the rash is still oozing fluid

(weeping) and cannot be covered,

or until the rash has dried out.

You can only spread the

infection while the rash oozes

fluid. You can cover the rash with

loose clothing or a non-sticky

dressing.

TREATMENT

Treatment for Shingles

depends on how severe your

symptoms are and whether you

are at risk of complications.

If you have a mild rash, you

may not need any treatment.

You may be offered antiviral

tablets to help speed up your

recovery if you have a weakened

immune system, or your pain or your

rash is moderate or severe, or if the

rash is affecting other areas of your

body apart from your chest, tummy

or back.

You usually need to start taking

the medicine within 3 days of your

rash first appearing.

Take Paracetamol to help with any

pain or discomfort

Keep the rash clean and dry to

reduce risk of infection

Wear loose fitting clothing

Use a cool compress (bag of ice

cubes or frozen vegetables wrapped

in a towel or wet cloth) a few times

a day

Do not let dressings or plasters

stick to the rash or wear clothes with

rough fibres that irritate your skin.

Further information can be found at

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shingles/


HISTORY

A 16 foot replica of Apatosaurus at Dinos Alive 2010 Malaysia

Norhazlan, Dreamstime.com

Why aren’t dinosaurs

mentioned in the Bible?

The Bible wasn’t written to list all the animals on earth

or tell us about science. It was written a long time before

people started to use science to learn about the world.

When the Bible was written, people didn’t have a word for

dinosaurs. It’s not only dinosaurs who are not mentioned in

the Bible, it doesn’t talk about armadillos, kangaroos, sabretoothed

cats or penguins either!

That doesn’t mean that the Bible is out of date or wrong,

or that these animals aren’t important. Rather than teaching

us science, many Christians believe that the Bible was

written to tell people about God — about how much he loves

them, and all the amazing things he has done.

GOD MADE EVERYTHING . . .

The Bible says that God made everything, and loves

everything he made, and this encourages us to explore and

find out about the wonderful things it says God has made.

Science is a part of this exploration.

As God made everything — all the stars, the Earth and

all the amazing plants and animals that have ever lived here

— most Christians believe that he also made the dinosaurs!

. . . AND LOVES EVERYTHING HE MADE

The Bible also teaches us that God loves it when we

explore his creation — and science is a great way of doing

that. So, for many Christians, science is one of the fun things

we can use to learn how God made everything, including all

of the dinosaurs!

Another question is, were humans and dinosaurs ever

living on earth at the same time? Yes! But probably not the

kind of dinosaur you’re thinking of!

Most of the dinosaurs died out long before humans first

lived. But some of the smaller, feathery dinosaurs survived

and they have evolved into the animals we call birds.

So, from chickens and robins to penguins and ostriches,

there are dinosaurs living all over our world today!

These questions and answers are taken from The Faraday Kids

website https://www.faradaykids.com.

For even more science-faith Q&A’s, check out 101 Great Big

Questions About God and Science, Edited by L Henderson & S

Bryant (Lion, 2022)

Was it really . . .

. . . 500 YEARS AGO on 13 June 1525, that German

Protestant Reformer Martin Luther married Katharina

von Bora, a nun whom he had helped to escape from a

convent.

. . . 250 YEARS AGO on 14 June 1775, that the Second

Continental Congress established the Continental Army.

Later it became the United States Army. On 15 June,

George Washington, who would become first President of

the USA, became the Army’s Commander-in-Chief. This

army would defeat the British army, and America would

declare independence the following year, on 4 July 1776.

. . . ALSO 250 YEARS AGO on 23 June 1775, that the first

Thames Regatta was held in London.

. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 24 June

1850, that Herbert Kitchener,

the 1st Earl Kitchener, was born.

This Irish-born British Army

officer and politician became

Secretary of War during WWI,

when he appeared on an iconic

poster asking people to join the

army. He was killed in 1916

when his ship was hit by a

German mine.

Meunierd, Dreamstime.com

. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 3 June 1875, that George Bizet,

French Romantic composer, died of a heart attack at 36. He

is best known for his opera Carmen.

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 25 June 1900, that Louis

Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, was born.

He became Governor General of India (1947-48), First Sea

Lord (1955-59), and Chief of the Defence Staff (1959-65). He

was assassinated in 1979 by an IRA bomb planted on his

fishing boat.

. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 1 June 1935, that driving tests

became compulsory for all new drivers in Britain.

. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 28 June 1960, that the Six Bells

Colliery disaster happened in Monmouthshire, Wales. 45

coal miners were killed by a gas explosion.

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 18 June 1975, that the first North

Sea oil was pumped ashore to Britain.

. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 10 June 2000, that the Millennium

Bridge (pictured above) opened in London.

PUZZLE PAGE

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H

O

O

R

A

J

E

E

L

B

R

S

C

S

R

O

T

E

N

B

N

N

H

M

E

E

E

K

A

L

E

G

I

R

R

A

T

O

A

U

T

T

CODEWORD

C

B

O

D

E

E

B

E

A

R

A

E

L

TI

T

A

D

U

C

A

R

R

A

B

B

E

M

B

U

E

P

B

P

M

L

G

N

I

L

B

M

A

R

B

R

17 26 14 25 19 15 9 18 24 25 4 10

15 21 13 5 8 14 26

12 19 15 11 26 14 19 5 7 26 12

18 14 12 2 11 8 19

16 4 12 16 15 1 24 25 26 20

14 12 7 6 14 19 4

9 10 26 26 8 18 9 2 19 12 26 8

9 14 15 7 4 8 26


The grid (left)

contains 31

animal names

that begin with

the letter 'B'. The

unused letters

spell out a Bible

verse. You may

even be able to

remember which

book it comes

from and the

chapter and verse!

Good luck and

God Bless!

May

Solutions

CROSSWORD

CODEWORD

U R G E S I M U L A T E

N U F N N L L

Z E A L O U S C O L T S

I V R E U E E

P H A R M A C O L O G Y

P A T T R W

E X C E L S K I M O N O

D A D A V R

S P R E A D E A G L E D

F A H J T O P

L O B B Y U N E Q U A L

E L D R D S A

W H E R E V E R R E L Y

SUDOKU

26 20 16 26 25 25 26 7 16 18

BIBLE CROSSWORD

1 6 11 3 14 23 4

3 14 4 22 26 15 25 14 4 12 8

25 7 8 25 25 5 25

26 8 11 26 25 14 8 18 25 4 23 26

PENTECOST

TRINITY

JERUSALEM

DISCIPLES

PRAYING

TONGUES

POWER

HIGH

FIRES

FLAMES

LANGUAGES

PRAISE

DRUNK

WINE

NINE

MORNING

GLORY

WAITING

PLACE

WIND

FATHER

SON

HOLY

SPIRIT

ETERNAL

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

P

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

A

O

SUDOKU

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.

PHIL MASON'S TAKE ON NATURE

A cat

A pillar



Reading’s local charity caring for older

“putting care before profits”

Call 01252 979111 today,

to discuss your care needs and availability

at our newly refurbished

Maitland House care home

care | compassion | companionship

“The place is always fresh, clean, cheerful and vibrant. The staff are friendly,

helpful,caring and always available for a chat.

There is a lot of laughter and silliness

which is greatly appreciated” Rosemary (89), resident

TPM Classified

Maitland House | 11 Maitland Road | Reading | RG1 6NL

Email | admin@abbeyfieldweyvalley.co.uk

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

www.abbeyfieldweyvalley.co.uk

To advertise here contact Ian at: ianmacpne@outlook.com

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

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

BERKSHIRE STUMP REMOVALS

Stump grinding and tree stump removal

Latest narrow access machinery

Contact: Mark

0798 495 7334 http://www.berkshirestumpremoval.com

ALL AERIALS

Local handyman, TV problems,

surveys on roofs, gutters,

chimneys with drone.

0797 950 3908 0118 944 0000

HANDYMAN & DECORATING SERVICES

Reliable and affordable

Small jobs a speciality!

Call Andy on 0795 810 0128

http://www.handyman-reading.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

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

SMALLWOOD LANDSCAPING

Landscaping, garden construction,

patios, lawns, fencing, decking etc

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

office@smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk

WATCHMAKER - WE REPAIR THE UNREPAIRABLE

All grades of Watches and Clocks

repaired and restored.

Free estimates and valuations.

0794 485 4378 dncard@ntlworld.com

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.

DRONE HOUSE SURVEYS

Surveys on houses with a drone

Most jobs undertaken

Please call Phil on:

0797 950 3908

CHILDREN'S PAGE


38 The Parish Magazine — June 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

— Youth and Chidrens Minister: Corinne

corinne@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298

— Licensed Lay Minister: Bob Peters

bob@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 377 5887

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

ianmacpne@outlook.com / 0776 815 1100

— Print and Distribution: Gordon Nutbrown

gordon@caxtonhouse.co.uk / 0118 969 3282

Advertisers' index

Abbeyfield Care 36

Abbey School 39

A B Walker Funeral Directors 10

ACG Locksmith Services 36

Active Security 26

All Aerials 36

AMS Water Softeners 12

Avery Collection Care Home 24

Barn Store 18

Berkshire Stump Removals 36

BHR Maintenance 30

Big Heart Tree Care 36

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 12

Blue Moose Quality Graphics 22

Bridges Meals on Wheels 18

Canon Tree Care 26

Clark Bicknell Plumbing & Heating 36

Crosfields School 10

Drone House Surveys 36

French Horn 4

Gardiners Homecare 6

Good Oaks Home Care 22

Handyman & Decorating Services 38

Haslams Estate Agents 2

Hicks MOT & Service 18

Home Stairlifts 18

I Plumber 10

Kingfisher Bathrooms & Kitchens 26

Lock Fit 18

MC Cleaning 36

Mossinator Roof Cleaning Systems 6

Muck & Mulch Garden Supplies 30

Professional Tree & Hedge Services 36

Reading Blue Coat School 12

Richfield Flooring 10

Shiplake College 18

Smallwood Landscaping 36

Smove Ride 30

Sonning Golf Club 16

Sonning Scouts 28

Thames Chimney Sweeps 36

The Bull Inn Sonning 28

The Great House Coppa Club 28

The Mill at Sonning 40

The Window Cleaner 30

Tomalin & Son Funeral Directors 12

Tudor Chimney Services 6

Watchmaker 36

Water Softener Salt 18


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 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


AB0074_The_Abbey_PGF_175x255_Ad_AW.indd 1 17/04/2025 15:50


Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement

1 MAY 2025 - 28 JUN 2025

10 JUL 2025 - 6 SEP 2025

Enjoy Homemade Cakes and Coffees in the most beautiful

riverside setting. Indoor & Outdoor Seating is available.

Our Waterwheel Bar is open on Wednesdays, 10am to 2pm. On

the first Wednesday of the month the bar will be open until 3pm.

On Wednesday mornings, enjoy a magical experience as pre-school

children are treated to a story and singing in the theatre, followed by

dressing up and colouring in activities in the Waterwheel Bar.

Book a place for your pre-schooler by calling us on (0118) 969 8000.

Payment is £6 per child, taken on entry. Price includes a drink and a

snack. Bar is open from 10am and the story begins at 10.30am.

The Parish Magazine June 2025

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