The Parish Magazine July August 2025

The Parish Magazine — July/August 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

July / August 2025 — Trinity

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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Church of St Andrew


The Parish Magazine — June 2025 1


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 July / August 2025

THE VICAR'S LETTEr, 5

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD

— Three in One God, 7

— Holiday prayers, 7

— For your prayers, 7

— STAY, 8-11

— Bible Prayers Part Six, 13

— Core beliefs 14

— Nicene Creed, 14

— Rev Henry Venn, 15

— From the editor's desk, 15

— The Persecuted Church, 17

FEATURES

— St Andrew's Stained Glass, 18-19

— Slavery, 21

— New look Pavilion, 22-23

— Claude goes to the seaside, 25

around tHE VILLages

— Trunks across the Thames, 27

— Cowshed fashions, 27

— Caff or not, 27

FASHION

— Summer in the office, 29

IN THE GARDEN

— Stepping on bees, 31

— Afoot in the garden, 31

THE ARTS

— Sacred works of art, 33

— Poetry corner, 33

— Book reviews, 35

HISTORY

— Was it really? 35

HEALTH

— Diabetes, 36-37

PUZZLE PAGE, 38-39

CHILDREN'S PAGE, 41

INFORMATION

— Church services, 3

— From the registers, 3

— TPM Classified 40

— Parish contacts, 42

— Advertisers' index, 42

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER

The

Parish

Magazine

July / August 2025 — Trinity

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

Summer skies over St Andrew's

Peter Rennie

EDITORIAL DEADLINE

The editorial deadline for every issue

of The Parish Magazine is 12 noon on

the sixth day of the month prior to the

date of publication.

The deadline for the September 2025

issue of The Parish Magazine is:

Wednesday 6 August at 12 noon

Recent issues of The Parish Magazine

can also be read online at

https://theparishmagazine.co.uk

For access to The Parish Magazine

archives which holds copies of the

magazine from 1869, please contact:

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk

From the Registers


Services in

St Andrew's

Church Sonning

Sunday 6 July

— 8.00am Holy Communion

— 10.30am Family Service

— 4.00pm Evensong

Sunday 13 July


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with

STAY and Sunday Club*

Sunday 20 July


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist

— 3.00pm Messy Church in The Ark

Sunday 27 July



Sunday 3 August


— 10.30am Family Service

Sunday 10 August



Sunday 17 August



Sunday 24 August



Sunday 31 August



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,

except in July.

FUNERALS

— Thursday 22 May – Caroline Doe Rimell, Funeral service in Church and

burial in the churchyard

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The vicar's letter

DEAR FRIENDS,

At the age of ten I began piano lessons. I soon grew restless

and wanted to learn to play the organ, which seemed far more

interesting, but there wasn’t an organ at my Comprehensive School,

and we knew of no one who could teach the instrument. My dad

asked the organist at the non-Anglican church we then attended if

I could try the electric instrument and he agreed but then wouldn’t

allow access without his supervision. A few years later I summoned

up the courage to knock on the door at the imposing Vicarage to ask

the even more imposing vicar if I might be allowed to play the large

pipe organ in the parish church. He told me to ask the organist,

who promptly said no and sent me off with a flea in my ear! I

subsequently won her around and, as best as I could, taught myself

to play. These experiences have always made me keen to encourage

young people to immerse themselves in church music, and to try to

offer every opportunity as a church to enable this.

In my early years in this parish I set myself a goal, after a

discussion with the bishop, to bring about new developments in the

ministry of music, and to work towards becoming a beacon for what

can be achieved in a parish church. I especially wanted to involve

young people, on the organ and in the choir. I pay tribute to the

last two directors of music who have done so much to get us to where we are today. The appointment of

Richard Meehan has been the culmination of all their efforts, and it is a joy for me to witness what is

now being achieved in this important ministry.

UPLIFTING CHORAL MUSIC

Although an aspiration for some years, the four choral scholarships only came into existence under

his leadership, and this is proving to be a mutually beneficial arrangement with able young singers

taking the lead on each choral part. Encouragingly, a parishioner has funded these scholarships and

part of the organ scholarship in the last 12 months but wishes to remain anonymous.

We now have three former choristers serving as choral scholars in Cathedral choirs, with Noah

Toogood at Portsmouth and Joseph May and Celeste Hexter at Llandaff Cathedral. Thanks be to God!

Our organ scholar, Will Luff, has recently secured his Grade 8 on the organ and we also have the benefit

of another organ student who is gaining experience by accompanying at various services.

We consider ourselves to be a broad church at St Andrew’s and so as well as cherishing our robed

choir and the wide repertoire of choral music that is now offered, it has been good to welcome the

development of our worship band. They, under the leadership of Gem West, lead most of the singing

at our monthly family service and at the Sunday at Six service in The Ark. Many villagers have enjoyed

their seasonal musical offerings at the ‘Beer and carols’ event in the Bull Inn forecourt over the last two

years.

After the Covid lockdown we moved the time of Choral Evensong from 6.30pm to 4.00pm, and

followed it with a tea in The Ark. The increase in attendance has been remarkable. There were 73 at

the last one, and we hear so many appreciative comments about the quality of choral music, and how

uplifting it is. If I am honest, this service was on its last knockings in terms of attendance, so I am really

pleased with this turnaround.

Music is so important in the life of a church, and we strive for the very best, as God deserves

nothing less. The demise of the choral tradition, and indeed of the Church of England generally, is often

speculated on, so I am happy to report that, if true elsewhere, it is not the case at St Andrew’s.

Warm wishes, Jamie

PS: The electric organ that I was refused access to 42 years ago, was disposed of in the 1990s. My dad bought

it and I still own it!

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parish noticeboard — 1

Our three in

one God

Trying to explain the doctrine of the Trinity has kept

many a theologian busy down the centuries.

One helpful picture is to imagine the sun way out in space

and unapproachable in its fiery majesty, is like the Father.

The light that flows from it, giving us life and

illuminating our lives, is the Son.

The heat that flows from it giving us the energy to

move and grow, is the Holy Spirit.

You cannot have the sun without its light and its heat.

The light and the heat are from the sun, and yet are also

distinct in themselves, with their own roles to play.

The Bible makes clear that God is One God, who is

revealed in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For

example:

Deuteronomy 6:4: ‘Hear O Israel, The Lord our God,

the Lord is one.’

Isaiah 45:22: ‘Turn to me and be saved… for I am God,

and there is no other.’

Genesis 1:1-2: ‘In the beginning God created... and the

Spirit of God was hovering …’

Judges 14:6: ‘The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in

power…’

John 1:1-3: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the

Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was

with God in the beginning. Through him all things

were made; without him nothing was made that has

been made.’

Luke 24:49 manages to squeeze the whole Trinity into

one sentence when Jesus tells his disciples: ‘I am going

to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in

the city until you have been clothed with power (the

Holy Spirit) from on high.’

In other words, the sun eternally gives off light and

heat, and whenever we turn to its brilliant light, we find

the warmth and life there as well.

For your Prayers in

July and August . . .

— Our choral scholars now singing with

Cathedral choirs

Sally Wilson

— All our young singers and musicians

— The housebound who are unable to enjoy

a summer holiday away from home

— Justice for the 50 million people who have

been forced into a life of slavery


Holiday prayers

Martin Konopka, dreamstime.com

The motorist’s prayer

Grant me a road and a watchful eye,

That none may suffer hurt as I pass by;

Thou givest life — I pray no act of mine

May take away or mar that gift of thine.

Shield those, dear Lord, who bear me company

From fools and fire and all calamity.

Teach me to use my car for others’ need, Sally Wilson

Nor miss through lack of wit or love of speed

The beauties of thy world, that thus I may,

With joy and courtesy, go on my way, Amen.

Anon

A Celtic blessing for travellers

God be with us in every pass,

Jesus be with us on every hill,

Spirit be with us on every stream,

Headland and ridge and lawn;

Each sea and land, each moor and meadow,

Each lying down, each rising up,

In the trough of the waves, on the crest of the billows,

Each step of the journey we go.

Liz Nelson

Yarruta, dreamstime.com

8 The Parish Magazine — July/August 2025

the parish noticeboard — 2

St Andrew's Youth

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk

0794 622 4106

STAY in May Holiday Activities

Over the May half term holiday, two of our young

leaders, Izzy and Alex, planned an awesome week

of fun things to do! We had big games in The Ark

which included dodgeball, football, uni-hoc and

Kwik Cricket! The young people worked in teams to

beat their opponents and prizes were given to the

victors. We also took a group to Footgolf at Golfplex

in Bracknell and another group to Coral Reef for the

slides! Our young people loved it and all said thanks!

Reading Youth Day

On Saturday 12 July we will meet loads of other

young people from Reading churches for the Reading

Youth Day. All young people are welcome and it will

be a great day of fun workshops,

a huge dodgeball tournament, a

BBQ, ice cream van and a worship

evening. Scan the QR code to book

your tickets.

STAY on Sunday

We met three times in May to look at Jesus walking

on the water in Luke 24, and to think about what

Christian love is from John 13, and we witnessed

Aidan thrash everyone at Perudo in The Bull for

games week!

STAY on Friday

With STAY on Friday reopening in May we had a

great month of outdoor sports playing volleyball,

manhunt, football, giant Connect 4 and touch

rugby. We also had board games, baking, consoles,

table tennis, Foosball and the pool table. As usual,

youth club runs every Friday from 6.45-8.15pm

in term time for secondary aged young people.

We welcome year 6’s on the fourth Friday each

month. The last one on 18 July will be our summer

celebration!


STAY on Monday

This happens every first and third Monday of the

month and we rotate around young people’s homes

from 6-7.15pm.

In May we met in a new home when new young

people joined the group, and we asked what

encouragement can we take from the Bible with

passages such as Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the

plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper

you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a

future'. Or Matthew 22 where Jesus says, 'Love the

Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

And love your neighbour as yourself.'

STAY Prayers

With it being exam season we always have a

prayer rota for those doing exams. Children

at Messy Church and some of the older people

at Rendezvous wrote special messages of

encouragement for the teenagers doing their

GCSE’s and A-Levels.

Plus our normal work in the local schools

continued throughout May with more assemblies,

lots of mentoring, wonderful prayer meetings, the

crazy lunch time club (Yap With The Chap) and the

thought provoking CU (Christian Union).

It is always a joy to serve the local schools in

these ways and we continue to pray for all involved,

from back office staff to the senior leadership team

(SLT), and from students to parents.

We pray they will each know the love of God is

holding them close at this time.

As always, get in touch for more details

about anything we do on:

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk


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Recognising the voice of Jesus

During Sunday Club we covered themes of 'My

Sheep hear my voice' and 'Love one another'.

We talked about how Jesus used lots of examples,

imagery, and metaphors, and really understood

his audience and how to get their attention!

One of the ways he did this was by using

examples of sheep and shepherds as everyone

would have been familiar with these things,

which nowadays seems much more foreign,

unless you are a farmer!

An interesting thing about sheep is that

lambs know the sound of their mother's BAAAA!

and will go running back to mum when they hear

it. In a similar way, Jesus reminds his disciples

— and now, in turn, all of us! — that they are his

sheep, and will recognise his voice wherever he

goes.


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We then talked about what we can do to recognise Jesus's voice, and the fact

that he even knows each of us by name! The children enjoyed creating wooden

boards, decorating them with their names, stickers, and even prayers.

LOVING ONE ANOTHER

During the second Sunday Club session of the month, we talked about Jesus's

commandment for us to love one another! We played some games and talked

about how we can show love for others, as this love is how people will then come to

understand God's love.

At Messy Church we celebrated Pentecost, with arts and crafts, fairy cake

decorating, singing, games, and more! As Pentecost is often referred to as the

birthday of the church, we felt very celebratory and talked all about Jesus's gift of the

Holy Spirit, guiding us to love one another, spread positive messages, and express our

gratitude towards the good things in our lives.

Schools work continued this month with typical 1:1 mentoring, meetings with

student worship leaders, lunch clubs, and more! I lead an assembly at two of the local

schools when we talked about Psalm 139:13-14. The students loved a game in which

I played short clips of familiar songs and they had to guess what the songs were,

without knowing the names of the songs first. They loved recognising songs from

television shows such as Sophia the First and Bluey, as well as some old classics like God

Save the King. We tied this into Psalm 139 by discussing how Christians believe that

God is familiar to each and every one of us and knows every detail.

If we blindfolded God and spoke, God would surely recognise our voices, just as we

were able to recognise the familiar songs.


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BIBLE PRAYERS PART SIX


Praying for national

confession

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.

In Daniel 9, the prophet Daniel,

an exile in Babylon, prays one of

the Bible’s truly great prayers of

national repentance.

Knowing that Judah and Jerusalem

had fallen to the enemy and that

70 years of exile lay ahead (verse 2),

Daniel set himself to seek God on

behalf of his own people.

With fasting and sackcloth and

ashes (3) he turned to God in fervent

prayer.

Our nation, wherever we live, is in

need of intercessors like Daniel. His

praying has much to teach us.

For Daniel, prayer was a daily

habit. Earlier, in chapter 6, we read

the well-known story of how he was

thrown into the lions’ den.

This happened because nothing

could stop him having his daily

devotions!

When King Darius decreed that

no one in the land should pray to any

god except him for 30 days, Daniel

ignored the order.

As he had always done, he opened

his window facing Jerusalem and

prayed three times every day.

For this disobedience he was sent

to the lions’ den.

So in Daniel chapter 9 the great

prayer of national intercession is

prayed by a man whose prayer life is

sustained by daily devotion.

CHARACTER

We also see that Daniel knew

the character of his God. He is great

and awesome, keeping covenant and

steadfast love (4). To him belongs

righteousness, mercy and forgiveness

(7, 9). He confirms his word (12) and

he is the Lord who brought his people

out of Egyptian slavery (15).

Across the years, even in exile,

Daniel’s consistent prayer life has

revealed to him who God is.

With this confession of God's

glory, majesty and power is the glad

acknowledgement of a personal God.

Note ‘the Lord my God’ (4);

five times ‘the Lord our God’

(9,10,13,14,15) and ‘my God’ (19).

JUDGEMENT

Daniel’s knowledge of the one,

true God is matched by his love of

God’s people, his own nation.

He identifies himself with his

people, facing national judgement

because they have forsaken the Lord.

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Daniel 9:5, ‘We have sinned and done wrong … turning aside from your commandments and ordinances.'

We invite you to join us in the garden of

Holmemoor Drive, Sonning-on-Thames for a

‘We have sinned and done wrong’

(5). ‘We have not listened to thy

servants the prophets’ (6). ‘To us, O

Lord, belongs confusion of face’(8).

‘We do not present our supplications

before Thee on the ground of our

righteousness, but on the ground of

Thy great mercy’ (18).

Daniel makes himself confessor

and spokesman and intercessor for

his whole nation.

It is not surprising that this great

prayer of intercession, grounding its

confidence in God, received a speedy

answer.

Even while Daniel prayed, the

angel Gabriel was sent to him with

a message from God (20-23). What

an encouragement for all of us to

become intercessors for the nation!

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The core

beliefs of all

Christians

worldwide

1,700 years ago one of the most

important meetings in the history

of the Christian Church was held in

Bithynian, Nicaea. It began in May

and ended in July 325.

The Council of Nicaea was convened

by the Roman Emperor Constantine,

who had an urgent job for the

Christian bishops to do.

He wanted them to precisely set

out the core beliefs of the Christian

Church, especially with regard to the

person of Christ.

Constantine had good reason for

this because Arius of Alexandria

was spreading the idea that Jesus

Christ was a created being and was,

therefore, not divine.

Such a belief, if accepted, would

have changed the central heart of

Christianity.

After three months of hard

work, the bishops at Nicaea had

prayerfully, and carefully, written

down as accurately as they could the

core beliefs of Christianity.

Their conclusions became known

as the Nicene Creed which is unique

in that it is the only Christian

statement of faith that is accepted

as authoritative by the Anglican,

Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox,

and major Protestant churches.

As often as Christians may worship and pray

Remember — consider each word that we say!

We give thanks with joy that from sin we are freed

And mindfully utter the words of the Creed:

In one God, the Father, we truly believe,

All things made in heaven or earth he conceived;

Of all things Creator, both seen and unseen,

And all things that will be, or are, or have been.

One Lord we believe in, he’s God’s only son

Begotten, eternal, with God he is one

He’s true God from true God, true light from true light

The word of creation, our Lord Jesus Christ.

He came down from heaven, our salvation plan

Incarnate from Mary, was fully made man,

This fresco of scene by Juan de Valdes Leal (1622 - 1690) depicts Emperor Constantine speaking to the

Council in Nicaea in the year 325. It hangs in the Church Hospital, de los Venerables, Seville, Spain.

Jozef Sedmak, dreamstime.com

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of

all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten

of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,

begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were

made.

For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven; by the power

of the Holy Spirit. He became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

He suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures;

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom

will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from

the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and

glorified. He has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

Mindfully utter the word of the Creed

By Nigel Beeton

Then by Pontius Pilate he was crucified

And for our salvation he suffered and died.

The scriptures foretold it, he rose as God planned;

Ascended to Heaven and sits by God’s hand;

He will come in glory and will judge us all

Then never, no never shall his kingdom fall.

We believe in the Spirit, for all life he gives

With God and with Jesus in oneness he lives;

From son and from father the Spirit proceeds

He’s glorified, worshipped in words and in deeds

Christ’s church we believe in, all following him

One baptism for the forgiveness of sin;

The dead resurrected; a new world to come

Believe in the father, the spirit, the son! Amen.


Venn, the

greatest 19th

Century

missionary

strategist

Most Christians in the UK have heard of the Church

Mission Society or CMS. Far fewer have heard of the

Rev Henry Venn (1796-1873), whose father, the rector of

Clapham, founded CMS in 1799, and who himself became

the greatest missionary strategist of the 19th Century.

Not that Henry Venn ever became a missionary himself;

after Cambridge he served his curacy at St Dunstan’s in

Fleet Street, and then as an incumbent at Drypool in Hull,

before becoming vicar of St Johns, Holloway in 1834.

But Henry Venn’s parish-based ministry did not

obscure his passionate interest in overseas evangelism,

and in 1841 he accepted an invitation to become the

honorary secretary of the Church Mission Society (CMS).

That decision was to shape the history of overseas

missions, and to make CMS the most effective force in

Britain for overseas mission.

Henry was an outstanding administrator, and his

wisdom and management of the missionaries enabled

CMS to flourish. When he began, CMS, employed 107

European clergy and nine local indigenous people. When

he died in 1873, there were 230 European clergy and 148

local people in service.

INDIGENOUS

After he resigned from St Johns Holloway in 1846,

Henry devoted himself to the work of CMS. He was

directly responsible for sending out 498 clergymen,

all of them chosen by him, and with most of whom he

continued in regular correspondence. He also established

eight or nine bishoprics for the supervision of CMS

missionary clergy and was usually involved in the

appointments made.

Henry and a colleague in America were the first to

use the term ‘indigenous church’ which means one that

is rooted in and adapted to the local culture. It is led by

local people and developed independently with minimal

external support.

They were way ahead of their time in seeing the

necessity for creating churches that would become selfsupporting,

self-governing and self-propagating.

All in all, Henry Venn’s exposition on the basic

principles of indigenous Christian missions was so

powerful that much of it was later adopted by the

Lausanne Congress of 1974.

But alongside Venn’s passion for evangelism was his

concern for social justice, and he frequently lobbied the

UK Parliament about the closure of the Atlantic slave

trade. In 1873, Venn died aged 76 at his home in Mortlake,

Surrey.

From

the

editor's

desk . . .


A time to listen

Recently, I have been receiving emails from a website

called Quora. I don’t remember if I signed up to it or not

but being busy most of the time I have not looked at them

before, that is, until I noticed, by chance, the word ‘Jesus’

in one of them. This is what I read …

But they also came to realise that there was enormous

potential for comedy in telling a story about someone who

lived in a time when people were desperately seeking a messiah

and mistook some completely ordinary person for the son of

God. So they ended up making a film, Monty Python’s Life of

Brian, which does not mock Jesus at all, but which mocks the

fallibility and wishful thinking of people who are desperate to

have infallible messiahs. Jesus appears in the opening scene,

giving the Sermon on the Mount, but the camera pulls away

from him to the very edge of the crowd, where people can’t

clearly hear what he’s saying, and make up various bizarre

theories about it. And then get into arguments about what

exactly he may or may not have said.

How true, I thought, if only more people would

actually listen to what Jesus tells us and didn't interpret

what he says in a way to suit our own needs!

This, of course, is one of the main objectives of

The Parish Magazine. As well as informing, and I hope

entertaining, members of St Andrew's Church, it is

produced to inform and entertain all the residents of our

parish, which includes Charvil, Sonning and Sonning Eye.

It is always reassuring when parishioners who have not

ventured int0 St Andrew's before walk through the doors

and tell us that this magazine helped to convince them

to come along to see what goes on inside. While many

churches around the UK are reporting steadily declining

numbers in their congregations, we, as Rev Jamie writes

on page 5 are the opposite!

TIME FOR A HOLIDAY

This month's issue is dated July and August to give

both me, and all our hard working contributors a break.

Without their very valuable input, keeping this magazine

fresh with new ideas and entertaining reading would

simply be impossible, so a special thank you if you are one

of them. And if you would like to become one of them, let

me know, everyone's input is always welcome!

By chance, or maybe it's divine intervention, as soon

as I have completed this issue, I have some medical

matters that need attending to that might put me out of

action for a while, so not having to work on this magazine

during the next month, however much I enjoy it, will be a

blessing. God works in mysterious ways!

Happy holidays!

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THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY

6,000 killed in Myanmar 'dormant campaigns'

Myanmar earthquake 2025

Chatham House (also known as the

Royal Institute of International

Affairs) is a world-leading

independent policy institute based

in London. One of its Asia-Pacific

region experts, Dr Bill Hayton,

reports how the March earthquake

that hit parts of central Myanmar

took the lives of at least 2,000

people, with an unknown number

buried in the rubble.

Dr Hayton also tells how the country

has fragmented since the military

coup of 2021 when the democratic

leadership, including Aung San Suu

Kyi, was imprisoned.

Since the coup, armed ethnic

separatist groups have restarted

'dormant campaigns' and more than

6,000 people have been killed by the

military’s response.

A November 2024 report by

the US-based project ACLED

(Armed Conflict Location & Event

Data) suggests that ethnic armed

organisations and so-called 'selfdefence

forces' control 42% of

Myanmar.

A UK House of Commons Library

research briefing states that the

Myanmar civil war was triggered by

the 2021 military coup, but that the

state military (Tatmadaw) has been

intermittently fighting ethnic armed

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.: China News Service

groups since it first seized power in

1962. Much infrastructure has been

destroyed or rendered unusable, from

years of 'shoddy construction and poor

maintenance'.

Dr Hayton highlights that the

dilemma for Western governments

and aid agencies is how to get aid to

those who need it without it being

diverted to the military or used as a

bargaining chip in the war.

DISPROPORTIONAL

Open Doors places Myanmar

at number 13 in the World Watch

List that records the top 50 list

of countries in the world where

Christians are most persecuted.

It states that government forces

have continued to 'disproportionally'

attack Christian villages and

churches and also killed Christian aid

workers and pastors, often in aerial

attacks.

More Christians than ever have

been driven out of their homes

and found refuge in churches or

displacement camps.

Open Doors says that the

Christian minority can be targeted

by both sides and that they already

faced significant persecution for their

faith before the coup. Converts to

Christianity are being persecuted.

Open Doors asks us to pray in the

wake of the devastating earthquake

for:

— protection and comfort for the

people of Myanmar

— For Open Doors partners and

their work

— For Christians who already faced

displacement and persecution

— For the church in Myanmar to be

salt and light

— For wisdom and resources as the

country rebuilds

References and further reading

Chatham House Myanmar earthquake

article: https://www.chathamhouse.

org/2025/04/myanmars-militaryprioritizes-its-own-survival-earthquakeresponse

ACLED report on Myanmar resistance

groups: https://acleddata.com/2024/11/26/

between-cooperation-and-competitionthe-struggle-of-resistance-groups-inmyanmar/

House of Commons Library research

briefing on Myanmar: https://

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/researchbriefings/cbp-10227/

Open Doors World Watch List –

Myanmar: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/

persecution/world-watch-list/myanmar/

Open Doors – Five ways to pray for

Myanmar: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/

news/latest-news/myanmar-earthquake-prayer/


feature —1

St Andrew's historic works of a

Fascinated by the unique stained glass windows in St Andrew's Church, Christopher Bailey has been looking into how and

why they were created. This is the first in a series of articles based on his research.

Have you ever sat in a pew on a Sunday morning and

wondered at the beauty of the stained glass windows at

St Andrew’s, particularly when the morning sun shines

through them?

Perhaps you have also wondered how stained glass

windows are made, when, who and what is depicted in

them, and even who made them?

I have, and this is the first in a series of articles about

them. The articles use information from several sources

and assembled by Sheila Bowman, late of this Parish.

Sheila donated her papers to the Church archive and

we are extremely indebted to her for providing important

historic information which otherwise might have been

lost.

Other valuable sources of the information include the

numerous articles in this magazine by Rev Hugh Pearson

(1842–82) and others, from 1863 onwards.

This includes his correspondence with the makers of

the windows whose identity will be discussed in a future

article, and whose records are held in archives elsewhere.

SEVEN STEPS

There are seven steps in the traditional production of

stained glass:

1: Creating the 'cartoons' or the design

2: Cutting the glass

3: Painting the glass

4: Lead jointing

5: Glazing

6: Cementing

7: Polishing

CARTOONS

An artist sketches the whole window from which fullsized

drawings are made for it, or for different panels of

the window. These full-sized drawings are called cartoons.

The shapes of the individual glass pieces, the details

to be painted, and the colours of the glass are indicated

on the cartoon. In the early Middle Ages cartoons were

drawn on whitewashed boards.

The images along the bottom of these pages illustrate

the main steps in turning the cartoons into a stained

glass window:

CUTTING

The pieces of glass were cut into rough

shapes using a dividing iron, the heated tip of

which was applied to the surface of the glass,

causing it to break.

The pieces of glass are held together with

narrow strips of lead to form a panel and are

referred to as 'lead came.

Lead is used because it is flexible and

provides the malleability needed for fitting

around the various shapes of the glass pieces.

Nails are used to hold the edges in place during

assembly.

PAINTING

Guidelines are painted on the back of the

glass, then broad layers of thin vitreous paint

are added to the front.

The guidelines are then rubbed away and

thicker paint is added over the thin washes on

the front with a liner brush to create detail.

Thin washes are painted on the back to

reinforce shading and give the illusion of greater

depth.

Once the painting process is finished, the

piece is placed in a kiln for the paint to fuse to

the glass.

COLOURED GLASS

Different colours of glass were chosen for

separate parts of the design, and the outline of

each piece was then painted on the surface with

white lime wash.

The pieces were further reduced to the

desired size with a 'grozing iron'— an iron bar

with a slot at each end that was used to chip

away at the edges of the glass until the exact

shape was created.

After the glass pieces were cut and shaped,

they were painted with a pigment formed by

mixing iron oxide and ground copper with

powdered glass. Wine, urine, or vinegar was

added to help apply the pigment to the glass.

The colours ranged from brown to grey to

Reading’s local charity caring for o


rt lit by the morning sunshine

black. Experienced glass painters then used

paint made of glass particles suspended in

a liquid binder — vitreous glass — to paint

the side that would face the interior of the

building.

The separate pieces of painted glass were

placed in a wood-fired kiln, the heat of which

causes the vitreous paint to fuse permanently

to the surface becoming 'stained glass'.

GLAZING

'Glazing' is the term for assembling a panel

of stained glass to be set into a window. After

separate pieces of glass are painted and fired,

they are placed in position on the cartoon

and joined together with lead 'came' to form

a panel. In the Middle Ages, a combination

knife and hammer was used for this process.

The sections of 'came' are joined with solder,

an alloy of lead and tin which both melt easily

at a low temperature and set quickly.

CEMENTING

The panel is then cemented to help secure

the glass within the leads and to waterproof

the window.

A semi-liquid cement is applied with a

brush and covered with a layer of chalk or

sawdust to absorb excess liquid.

The medieval recipe for this cement is

not known, but the main ingredients were

probably crushed chalk and linseed oil.

POLISHING

The panel is scrubbed with a dry brush

until the only cement remains under the lead,

and it is then polished ready for installation.

The above explanation is intended to

describe the Medieval methods, processes

and materials used in making stained glass

windows. Today much has changed, for

example, coloured glass can be obtained 'off

the shelf' and 'lead came' is available in rolled

U shaped section into which glass can be

slotted.

Where did glass originate?

Glass was known to the Egyptians at a very early period

of their national history, at least 1500 BC.

Various articles both useful and ornamental were

made of it, namely, bottles, vases, and so on.

The oldest existing bottle is claimed to be the one pictured

above. It has the name 'Sargon' on it and was found among

the ruins of the north west Palace of Nimoud.

The Hebrew word zekukith (Job 28:17) was originally

rendered in the Authorised Version as 'crystal' but this

was changed to 'glass' in the later Revised Version.

This is the only mention of glass in the Old Testament,

however, glass is referred to in the New Testament book of

Revelation. (4:6; 15:2; 21:18, 21).


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feature — 2

If you stop to ask anyone

in the street about

slavery they would

probably tell you it was

abolished hundreds of

years ago. After all, in

the UK, the Abolition

of the Slave Trade Act

of 1807 made it illegal

to trade in enslaved

people across the British

Empire, and in 1833 The

Abolition of Slavery

Act ended the use of

enslaved labour.

More than that, the

Universal Declaration of

Human Rights adopted

in December 1948 states

clearly that:

'No one shall be held in slavery or

servitude; slavery and the slave trade

shall be prohibited in all their forms.'

Yet today it is estimated that there

are 50 million people in slavery of one

form or another around the world.

It is happening in every country

including the UK. All too often it is

hidden in plain sight.

We may speak of victims and

survivors, but these are not just

victims and survivors, they are

individuals. Each one of them has a

personality, and hopes and dreams

which have been cruelly shattered by

those who make a profit from them.

The slave drivers and traffickers

buy and sell people as commodities,

whose only value is in the profit they

generate.

Scooped up from towns and

villages to satisfy the personal or

commercial interests of the slave

drivers their freedom is cruelly torn

from them.

They are deprived of their dignity,

dehumanised and thrust into a life of

misery.

Sadly vulnerability to modern

slavery and human trafficking is

increasing.

Climate change, conflict,

migration, poverty all lead to

vulnerability to being taken into


A call to action on the moral stain

By Theresa May, The Rt Hon The Baroness May of Maidenhead

of slavery

COMMODITIES

IMAGES: Above and left, from The Global Commission

on Modern Slavery, www.modernslaverycommission.org

Right: Baroness May by Roger Harris, commons.wikipedia.org

slavery and/or trafficked into

exploitation.

This is a moral stain on our

humanity.

Modern slavery and human

trafficking is the greatest human

rights issue of our time.

If we are going to end this

degrading and inhumane activity, to

give people back their freedom and

the right to make choices over their

own lives we need to act, and we

need to act now!

THE REPORT

After I stepped down from

Number 10, I worked to establish

the Global Commission on Modern

Slavery and Human Trafficking

which I chair. On 8 April at the

headquarters of the United Nations

in New York we launched our report

with recommendations to the UN,

governments, businesses and civil

society organisations.

The report can be found on the

Commission’s website at

https://www.modernslaverycommission.org

PLAY OUR PART

It is a wake-up call to the world. It

challenges governments, businesses

and civil society to recognise the

prevalence of modern slavery and

human trafficking and to understand

their responsibility to act.

We can reduce the number of

people in slavery around the world

but to do so we must all play our part

including the public. The report is a

call to action to us all.

Members of the Global Commission with the UN Secretary General (left to right):

Dr Epsy Campbell-Barr, former Vice President of Costa Rica and Minister of Foreign Affairs;

Baroness Theresa May; Chair, The Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General;

John Studzinski CBE, Vice-Chair Emeritus of Human Rights Watch;

Ausamah Alabsi, former Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons

in Bahrain.


FEATURE — 3

CELEBRATING A NEW LOOK FOR SONNING

FROM THIS . . . TO THIS . . .

Finally, after months of work over the

winter and into spring, the restoration

and renewal of the sports pavilion —

originally built on King George’s Field

complete with thatched roof around

1925, has been completed.

Having started work in November, the

pavilion was handed over on 28 May and

on 31 May, Sonning Cricket Club held an

opening night which was fantastically

well-attended by a large number of

villagers together with current and

former members of the village cricket

and football teams.

PARTY NIGHT

Yuan Yang MP for Earley and

Woodley, officially opened the pavilion,

after which brief speeches were made

by Trefor Fisher, on behalf of Sonning

Parish Council; Tim Murphy, Sonning

Cricket Club (SCC) Juniors chairman;

and James Travers SCC president, before

live music got the party going.

The party went well into the night, as

did long queues for the bar and BBQ as

club members worked tirelessly to feed

and water the guests.

Hopefully many of those who enjoyed

the evening will continue to use the new

facility, either supporting or playing for

village teams.

The new pavilion project has been

very close to my heart. I was born at

16 (now 39) Little Glebe in 1961. My

Grandad was secretary of the village

football club, my Dad played in the team

and my Mum made the half time cups of

tea, and washed the shirts!

Therefore, wherever Mum went, I went,

and at only a few weeks old, that would

have been to the pavilion with my older

brother Mark in tow.

Through the 60's and into the 70’s

I spent many hours in and around the

pavilion and remember looking up into

the open vaulted ceiling that had some

loose boarding across the tie beams on

which were stored the goal nets and other

sporting paraphernalia.

During the latter part of the 1970’s the

pavilion was extended at either end to add

changing rooms, an extra set of showers

and a small bar. A flat ceiling obscured the

original timber trusses and, for the last

50 years, it had a boarded pitched roof.

Despite these various alterations and

additions, the general consensus even

then was that the pavilion had reached

the end of its useful life and should be

knocked down and replaced!

DONATIONS

A recent proposal, first instigated in

2019, was to replace the pavilion with

a new building but this floundered due

to the ever spiralling building costs and

our struggle to raise sufficient funds.

However, through significant

funding from Sonning Parish Council,

together with substantial donations by

cricket club members, the Fire Brigade

Trust and the Scarecrows Fund, we

INSIDE .......


'S 100 YEAR OLD PAVILION

AND THIS . . . TO THIS . . .

By Richard Anderson

were able to breathe new life into the

existing pavilion. Now that it has been

completed, the general feeling is that by

retaining 100 years of sporting heritage

and bringing it very firmly into the 21st

Century, we have created a building that

will continue to serve future generations

for many years to come.

For me personally, a semi-retired

architect, I have enjoyed having the time

and opportunity to play a part in the

project. The principal aim was to bring the

building up to modern standards within

the inherent constraints of the existing

footprint, and to preserve, and enhance,

the original structure where possible.

In reworking the pavilion layout, as

well as the internal space and external

appearance more generally, it was also

....AND OUT

important to retain the feel of it being a

sports ‘pavilion’ while making the space

more comfortable and practical for its

users whether playing or spectating.

The ad hoc additions to the rear of

the pavilion were demolished and the

original timber floor, which was badly

decayed, removed.

WARM ROOM

The rebuilt rear section is fully

insulated, as is the new concrete floor,

which was floated throughout the entire

footprint of the building except for the

two existing 1970’s changing rooms.

The flat ceiling was removed to

expose the original roof structure and a

‘warm room’ construction has enabled

the building to be fully insulated

All images by the author, Richard Anderson

with a vaulted lounge bar area. The

accommodation, in addition to the two

principal changing rooms and associated

shower facilities also has a larger

kitchen, dedicated female changing room

for when mixed teams are playing, an

enhanced lounge bar area and a disabled

WC.

INSULATED

Externally the pavilion walls have

been fully insulated, re-clad and painted

and a new patio area laid with a brick

built BBQ at the compound end.

The project has been a real team

effort, driven forward principally by the

Cricket Club and the Parish Council.

The construction was undertaken by

Christchurch Homes Limited and the

Sonning born and raised brothers, Ryan

and Richard Pownall, did the plumbing

and heating installation.

FUTURE

Finally, and inevitably, my mind

wandered back to those villagers who

would have been instrumental in its

construction 100 years ago, as well as my

own parents and grandparents.

I am sure they would have been

pleased with the outcome, and that we

have safeguarded the pavilion, which was

a central part of their lives for so many

years. Hopefully it will continue to be so

for future generations.


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feature — 4

Claude's summer

seaside cheers!


Once, my cousin and our families

travelled by train to Exmouth for a

summer holiday.

The trains were so full by the time

they arrived in Reading that we had to

stand or sit in the corridor for hours —

all the way there.

We stayed with some relatives and I

remember going to Orcombe Point on

the east side of Exmouth which had a

good beach.

It was probably the first holiday

after the war.

DESTINATION

In those days, when I was a

teenager, most people didn’t have cars,

so we used to travel on coaches a lot.

On a summer Saturday, a dozen or

more Smiths Coaches would be lined

up all along Queens Road —where

the car park is now — with a sign in

the window stating which seaside

destination they were going to.

The most popular destination was

to Southsea because it was the closest.

Bournemouth was a little bit too far

because, by the time you got there, it

was almost time to come home!

Sometimes groups of neighbours

would save up throughout the year

for the coach seats and sometimes we

would sit three of us in seats for two!

We had to book beforehand to

know that we had a seat on the coach.

We would board our coach at 8 o’clock

in the morning and there would be

a coffee break about halfway. The

roads weren’t so good and there

were definitely no motorways, so the

journey took a long time.

As soon as we went over the hill

and saw the coast, we would all cheer

when we saw the sea! It took a long time

to get through Portsmouth to the sea.

It was very special to go to the

seaside as we hadn’t been there during

the war. Most of the beaches had lots

of mines, because of the threat of

invasion.

My cousin and I came across a

bomb point sticking up out of the sand.

We played with it, not knowing the

dangers, but luckily it didn’t go off.

We would muck about on the beach

and buy ice creams which were very

popular as you couldn’t get them during

the war.

The ice creams came in tubs and

we would collect up the empties, take

them back to the seller and get all the

deposits back — which we would keep!

They were washed out and the

cardboard tubs must have been

reusable. If we collected enough boxes,

we would get a free ice cream on the

day. Great for recycling but we only

thought about the pocket money we

had earned and the extra ice cream

treat!

At the end of the day, all the coaches

were lined up on the sea front and we

Southsea beach in the 1960s

Savo Ilic, Dreamstime.com

had to remember which bus we came

on. It took quite a long time. On the

way back, the break was in a pub!

When Barbara and I were

courting, we sat at the back of the bus

while everyone else was in the pub!

Sometimes we went with the

scouts. We didn’t have to save up for

that and would go, with our parents,

about once a year.

HIGHLIGHT

On the way home everybody

would always sing. I remember that

in some songs, like Quartermaster’s

Stores, we would take the mickey out

of our Scoutmaster!

We also sang in rounds. One of

them was to the well-known tune of

Beethoven’s sixth symphony, fifth

movement:

Campfire is burning,

Is burning all day long,

For breakfast, for dinner,

And now to light our singsong.

These trips were the highlight of

our summers as we didn’t usually go

anywhere else for our holidays.

wikipedia.com


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around the villages — 1

around the villages

Coming soon:

Trunks across

the Thames

Thames Hospice, which provides free care services for people aged 16 years in

East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire, has announced next year's major

fund-raising campaign that it is calling 'Trunks across the Thames’. It will be

'A spectacular public art trail set to bring a vibrant herd of up to 30 majestic

elephant sculptures to the streets, parks, and iconic landmarks of Windsor

and Slough in summer 2026.'

Thames Hospice provides care, free

of charge, to all those in the local

community who need vital hospice

care.

Their services are funded by

charitable support, which means to

operate 365 days a year they need

to raise £39,000 each day, hence the

ambitious 2026 campaign.

Fashion sale for Cowshed

An Inner Wheel Club evening, held

in Trinity Church Earley, raised

money for the local Cowshed charity

which provides support to local

people of all backgrounds in a time

of personal crisis.

The pre-owned clothes were

modelled by club members and their

granddaughters.

The evening included supper and

wine. For more about Cowshed see:

https://www.thecowshed.org/

Ruthchoi, Dreamstime.com

The charity provides end of life

care to people in Bracknell Forest,

Buckinghamshire, Reading, Slough,

Surrey, West Berkshire, Windsor,

Maidenhead and Wokingham.

In 2024, the eight trustees and 936

volunteers raised £16.8 million pounds

towards the £17 million needed. They

also employed 265 people.


Nathan, Dreamstime.com

Caff or not?

Did you know that decaff coffee is

available in The Ark following our

main services on a Sunday?

This is because some people have

concerns about caffeine's links to

heart health due to its stimulating

effects, although research shows

that moderate caffeine intake should

not harm your heart, cholesterol, or

heart rhythm.

Caffeine is a natural chemical

found in tea and coffee. It stimulates

the central nervous system and

brain, helping you feel more alert.

That's why many of us reach for

a cup in the morning or during an

afternoon slump.

YOUR CHOICE

Decaf tea and coffee have gone

through a process to remove most

of the caffeine, but they are not

completely caffeine-free.

Decaf coffee has about 93% less

caffeine than regular coffee, with

around 7mg of caffeine per 200ml

cup, compared to 100mg in a cup of

regular coffee.

Decaf tea should contain 96% less

caffeine than regular tea, around

2mg per 200ml cup, compared to

50mg in regular tea.

For most people, up to 400mg of

caffeine per day is considered safe.

Herbal teas such as peppermint

and ginger are usually caffeine-free,

but green tea does contain caffeine

— around 30mg a cup.

If you’re switching to herbal

teas, watch out for liquorice as an

ingredient — it can raise blood

pressure if you have large amounts.

Whatever your choice, you are

always welcome to join us in The Ark

following the main services on a

Sunday!


Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

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FASHION


Balancing smart and casual in the office

Having recently started my first

office job at Thames Hospice in the

marketing department, navigating

the fine line between professional

and practical attire in the summer

heat has been challenging.

Thankfully, I’ve noticed a shift

over the past few months—many

workplaces are leaning toward more

casual work wear, making it easier to

blend comfort with professionalism.

Dressing for the office in the

height of summer can feel like a daily

puzzle. How do you stay cool without

looking too casual and stay polished

without overheating?

The smart casual dress code

leaves room for interpretation, but

when July and August heat waves

enter the mix, it’s all about finding

the sweet spot between comfort and

professionalism.

Here’s how I suggest mastering

smart casual style in the office this

summer.

MOISTURE-WICKING

My first tip is to start with

the right materials. Fabrics such

as linen, lightweight cotton, and

bamboo blends are essential because

they are breathable, moisturewicking,

and effortlessly stylish.

A moisture-wicking fabric has

two jobs: one is quickly moving — or

wicking — sweat to the fabric's outer

surface, and the other is drying

rapidly so that your sweat doesn't

saturate the fabric.

Try flowy linen trousers or

blouses, cotton culottes, and flowy

skirts or shirt dresses to allow

airflow while keeping your outfit

sharp and structured.

These chic, but breathable, fabrics

bring a sophisticated look while

keeping cool.

BREATHABLE

Smart casual doesn’t always

mean tailored suits every day. The

breathable fabrics balance the

perfect ease and elegance.

Try cropped blazers or soft vests

layered over a breathable cotton top.

I have recently purchased a red

wool vest from Oliver Bonas. For

work, I pair this with a white cotton

top underneath and my black linen

trousers. This outfit is the perfect

combination for the office, where

temperatures can change. (Pictured

above)

Office air conditioning often

contrasts sharply with outdoor

heat and can cause you to be

uncomfortably chilly in your summer

outfit; light layering can help.

Think mesh or loose-knit

cardigans, unlined blazers, or

lightweight bright vests.

Depending on your environment,

these pieces are easy to remove or

throw on and add a professional

touch without the bulk.

FOOTWEAR

For shoes, ditch the heavy loafers

and go for breathable, stylish options.

Loafers in woven leather, flat mules,

BY HARRIET NELSON

minimalist sneakers, and sling back

sandals with a closed or modest open

toe, depending on your dress code.

These are wise choices, and

comfort is key — no one wants

sweaty feet under their desk or

during their commute.

Stick to a lighter colour palette

in this heat — think soft neutrals,

cool pastels, or classic monochrome.

These feel seasonally appropriate and

reflect sunlight, keeping you cooler.

If your office vibe allows, subtle

patterns like pinstripes, gingham, or

soft florals add personality without

overwhelming the look.

A patterned skirt or trousers can

bring a dash of colour paired with a

neutral top, the perfect combination

to look casual and professional.

BLACK?

Black in summer? Absolutely —

especially in the office. While darker

colours absorb more heat outdoors,

black remains a classic choice for a

polished, put-together look indoors,

especially in air-conditioned

environments.

Black's absorbing characteristic is,

of course, why in hot climates most

people wear it.

The key is choosing breathable

fabrics like lightweight cotton or

linen blends.

A black midi dress, sleeveless

blouse, or wide-leg trousers can

look sleek and professional without

feeling heavy.

Just keep silhouettes loose and

add contrast with lighter accessories

— think tan sandals and gold

jewellery to break up the darkness

and maintain a seasonal feel.

INTENTIONAL

Ultimately, summer office fashion

is about balancing practicality with

personal style. The best outfits feel

easy but look intentional.

Focusing on light weight fabrics,

relaxed tailoring, and functional

layers, you can build a warm weather

wardrobe that’s professional enough

for the office — and breathable

enough for the heat wave outside.

What will you be wearing to the

office this summer?


Please mention The Parish Magazine when replying to advertisements

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IN THE GARDEN


Don’t Step on

a Bee Day

10 JULY

AFOOT IN THE GARDEN

Highs of summer

By Ray Puddefoot

Gardening is about creating an outdoor space that is not

only beautiful to look at but also a joy to spend time in.

A good garden should provide spaces for parties,

afternoon tea with friends, peace and play. It should

also have sunny areas and cool shade for that inevitable

summer heatwave.

‘Grass under your toes, scent up your nose’.

When visiting gardens in the summer look for ideas to

introduce in your garden: arbor’s creating sheltered, shady

corners and sunny areas to enjoy the warmth of the morning

and evening sun. They don’t have to be expensive. You can

make an arbour from four sections of trellis and create a

sunny seating area simply with a chair or bench.

July and August is a time to love your garden. The grass

grows slowly and only occasionally needs mowing while

many summer plants flower for a long time.

Water and feed pots and tubs with liquid feed regularly.

Ideally, before you feed, water an hour or so before. This will

ensure your pots are fully moist and keep moist for longer,

and it’s a good tip if you are away for a couple of days.

For a holiday, move pots, tubs and baskets to a shady

area of the garden. Place them on saucers or trays to ceate

a reservoir. Before you leave home, water and then feed, as

above, dead head and trim. You could easily set up a simple

irrigation system. I especially like the ‘Diivoo’ water timer

available on Amazon. Family, friends can also be helpful.

Fushia Oesteospurmum Hardy Geranium

TOP TIPS: Water/feed containers; Dead head geraniums;

Low mow lawns; Take cuttings; Sow hardy biennials

Have you ever wanted to step on a bee? Hopefully most

of us haven’t — but the eye-catching name of this annual

event aims to remind us of how important bees are in our

ecosystem, and of the need to promote their protection.

Don’t Step on a Bee Day highlights the crucial role bees play

in pollination, and also that their populations are declining,

because of habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change.

If you want to help the bees, here is what you can do:

Plant bee-friendly flowers: Grow a variety of flowers in

your garden that attract and support bees, such as lavender,

sunflowers, and marigolds.

Avoid using pesticides: Reduce or eliminate these in your

garden, to create a safer environment for bees.

Support local beekeepers: Purchase honey from local

beekeepers, to help support sustainable beekeeping practices.

Create a bee bath: Place a shallow dish of water with

stones in your garden to provide bees with a safe place to

drink.

Educate others: Share information about the importance

of bees and how you protect them with friends, family, and

on social media.

OTHER WILD LIFE?

We couldn't find any beekeepers in Sonning or Charvil

so there does not seem to be much chance of us stepping on

one, but if you know of any please tell us. The nearest are in

Reading, Maidenhead, High Wycombe and Thatcham.

But what, you might ask, about the other local wildlife.

Judging from a walk around my garden there is little or

none! The usual grubs, bugs, insects, spiders, hedgehogs, are

rare and there is only the odd pigeon or two, plus the ever

present robin! In the past it was not unusual to see foxes

and deer, numerous butterflies, not so welcome mosquitos, a

family of red kites flying above, visiting swallows, the not so

welcome rats nesting under the sheds, and the odd snake!

Despite this lack of wildlife, there is one creature that

could still be alive and well — the humble ant that usually

swarm from their nests during July and August, so keep your

eyes open for them!

Dreamstime images: Bee Keeper: Dutchinny Bee: Cupertino10; Ants: Ryan Pike; Foot: Alle


OUTDOOR CINEMA

FRI 20 TH JUNE

Back to the Future

The Great House

WED 30 TH JULY

Dirty Dancing

The Swan at Streatley

FRI 15TH

AUGUST

Bridget Jones

The Great House

Doors open at 7pm

The films start as soon as it gets dark

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christmas quiz

THE ARTS

Being alert to a beautiful mystery

Rev Michael Burgess continues his

survey of sacred works of art . . .


It is the time when we look with

eager longing to holidays, a chance

to get away from it all — to rest

and recharge the batteries of life.

Holidays are also a time to explore.

It might be the wild splendour of

the Northumberland coast or the

serenity of the Italian lakes, the

vastness of the Grand Canyon or the

magnificence of the Lake District.

This month’s artist had a gift for

creating paintings that expressed

this epic quality of landscapes.

John Martin was born in 1789,

and was drawn to religious and

historical scenes on a grand scale.

He illustrated the Bible, his final

works being on the theme of the Last

Judgement.

These can be seen in London's

Tate Gallery, but for this July we visit

the Art Gallery in Birmingham with

its amazing collection of over half a

million items, including many Pre-

Raphaelite treasures.

The entrance to this Victorian

building is beneath the clock tower

known as Old Brum.

It is home to John Martin’s

watercolour of 1837, ‘Manfred on the

Jungfrau' which is almost 5 x 3 feet

and captures the rugged, imposing

glory of the Jungfrau.

At 4,158 metres, the Jungfrau

is one of the main summits of the

Bernese Alps,and is located between

the northern canton of Bern and the

southern canton of Valais, halfway

between Interlaken and Fiesch.

THE GRANDEUR

Nowadays, a railway takes

tourists to the summit in the

Bernese Alps in Switzerland. In

the 19th Century climbers had to

navigate glaciers, high passes and

steep precipices.

John Martin captures the

grandeur of all this in his painting

of snow and sky, crags and torrents,

mountains and pine trees. Against

this we see two characters: Manfred,

tortured by guilt and about to

throw himself off the edge, and the

mysterious hunter who leads him to

safety.

Byron’s poem ‘Manfred’ inspired

the music of Tchaikovsky and

Schumann, as it inspired John

Martin's painting.

They were each attracted by the

romanticism of man and nature in

the poem.

Like Manfred and the hunter

in the watercolour, we look at this

grace and nobility and feel humble

and insignificant. Byron wrote:

‘How beautiful is all this visible world!

How glorious in its action and itself!’

Manfred seeks redemption, but,

sadly, finds only death.

Poetry Corner

We see reflections of the

landscapes we shall visit on our

holidays.

Such beauty, such glory, evoke for

us those feelings of wonder and awe

that inspired John Martin.

Manfred sees life in its true

perspective as he gazes on the

majestic scenery of the Bernese Alps.

We behold the majesty and glory

of creation; we see this world as

the handiwork of God; and we ask

ourselves how we might make our

way through it while being alert to

its mystery and beauty.

Arising Aspirations

By Steven Rolling

Tune: Engelberg:

‘All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine’

Peace, my heart, and peace unto my mind too

Ponder on God’s treasures, they old and new

Carry His presence within all times be

His witness constantly

2. Many necessary tasks, daily life

Yet attend to them without trouble, strife

Let not any fears alarm, disturb here

Know God’s presence is near

3. Grow in this communion, steady flow

With spiritual understanding Him know

More and more, His revealing of Himself

His blessings, heavenly wealth

4. Vanities in this world aplenty are

Sadly we do not have to seek them far

Faith arises from within, for bar none

God reigns, Sovereign One

Sarah Nicholl, dreamstime.com



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book reviews

All Shall Be Well: Visions of Salvation with Julian of

Norwich By Emma Pennington, BRF, £12.99

How can all be well in the world in which we

live? What does ‘All shall be well’ mean when

all is not well? Through Revelations 10 to 16

of her Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of

Norwich returns time and again to the idea

that ‘all is well’.

In her latest book Emma Pennington

examines this popular mantra and explores

what Julian really means by it, bringing

depth and relevance to these words for the reader who

lives in an age of pandemic, war and climate crisis which

closely echoes Julian’s own. Through deep engagement

with Julian’s visions, we are encouraged to reflect in

prayer and devotion on our own personal relationship

with God.

We Need to Talk... About Race Christian

Faith & Racial Justice — a young person's

guide

By Ben Lindsay, SPCK, £10.99

Based on the adult best seller by Ben

Lindsay, this book will help to steer

teenagers through the relationship between

Christianity and racial justice. We need

to talk ... about race — in fact, following

the murder of George Floyd and the global

outcry since, it has almost become impossible not to.

This book is born from that place: a book that will give

young adults the tools to better understand themselves,

others and how they can understand the Church's past

and pave the way towards a better future.

The Lion Baby Bible By Antonia Woodward, SPCK, £11.99

This beautifully illustrated first children's

Bible (0 to 2-year-olds) would make

the ideal gift for a newborn baby as a

Christening, Dedication, or Baptism

present. It includes 45 stories from the Old

and New Testaments.

Each story is simply and beautifully

retold in a very few words, with a biblical

truth about God's love for the world and

our special relationship as His children.

This book will help you to share precious moments

with your young child, as you enjoy showing them the

illustrations, and introducing key events, people, and

Jesus' teaching from the Bible.

Being There – how to love those who are hurting

By Dave Furman, 10Publishing,

Everyone has friends or family who suffer

from sickness, disability, depression, or

the death of a loved one. Often, while

we want to help them, we are struggling

in our own ways. Writing from the

perspective of one who needs extra help

on a daily basis, Dave Furman offers

insight into support that people need

when helping others.


HISTORY

Was it really . . .

. . . 250 YEARS AGO on 1 July 1775 that the British

Parliament brought in the New England Restraining Act.

This forbade its North American colonies from trading

with anyone other than Britain, Ireland, and the British

West Indies. The colonies were also forbidden to fish in

the Atlantic without permission.

. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 2 July 1850 that

Robert Peel, Prime Minister (1834-35, 1841-46)

died. He founded the Metropolitan Police

Service.

. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 26 July 1875 that Carl Jung,

Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst was born. He was

the founder of analytical psychology.

. . . 125 YEARS AGO on July 1900 that the premiere of

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s tone poem Finlandia

(Opus 26)was given in Helsinki.

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 21 July 1925 that racing driver

Malcolm Campbell became the first person to travel at

over 150 mph. He set a new land speed record of 150.87

mph at Pendine Sands in Wales in a Sunbeam 350HP. He

also went on to break the 250 mph and 300 mph records,

in 1932 and 1935.

. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 6 July 1935 that the Yangtze

River flooded in China. 145,000 people died, while

millions were displaced and suffered food shortages and

famine.

. . . 80 YEARS AGO on 5 July 1945 that WWII leader

Winston Churchill lost the General Election to Clement

Attlee’s Labour Party.

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 5 July 1950 that the Law of Return

was passed in Israel. It granted all Jews the right to

immigrate to Israel.

. . . ALSO 75 YEARS AGO on 11 July 1950 that the first

episode of the BBC children’s TV show Andy Pandy was

broadcast in the UK.

. . . ALSO 75 YEARS AGO on 24 July 1950 that the first

rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It

reached a height of 25 miles.

. . . ALSO 70 YEARS AGO, on 16 July 1955 that Stirling

Moss became the first British driver to win the British

Grand Prix.

. . . ALSO 70 YEARS AGO on 23 July 1955 that racing

driver Donald Campbell broke the world water speed

record and became the first person to break the 200 mph

barrier at Ullswater in Cumbria.

. . . ALSO 60 YEARS AGO on 8 July 1965 that Great Train

Robber Ronnie Briggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison.


HEALTH BY ANNE ELGETI

'Many people can do things to help

Did you know that more than 3.2 million people in the UK are at risk of d

Unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 can sometimes be

prevented, and research has shown that for some

people a combination of lifestyle changes can

reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes by about 50%.

If you have Diabetes 2 it may be possible to

reverse, it by losing weight and improving your

diet.

Type 2 Diabetes occurs when your body cannot

make enough insulin, or the insulin it makes

doesn’t work properly (insulin resistance).

Insulin helps your body to use glucose (sugar)

for energy. Without enough insulin, the level of

glucose (sugar) in your blood becomes too high.

Over time these high blood sugar levels can

cause other health problems like heart attacks and

strokes, as well as problems with your eyes, and

kidneys. The most common symptoms of Type 2

Diabetes are

— Feeling very tired

— Peeing more than usual

— Feeling thirsty all the time

— Losing weight without trying to

Other symptoms may include:

— Blurred vision

— Cuts of wounds taking longer to heal

— Itching around your penis or vagina or you keep

getting thrush

YOUR RISK

You can find out the level of your own risk of

Type 2 diabetes using the Diabetes UK 'know your

risk of type 2 diabetes' tool which can be found on

the Diabetes UK website: https://diabetes.org.uk

You will be asked a series of questions, and the

tool will provide you with advice and guidance

relevant to your results. You will need to know your

height, weight and waist measurements before

starting to answer.

If you are aged between 40 and 74 and do not

have an existing health condition, you can ask your

GP or local pharmacy for an NHS health check.

This is an overall check that may tell you if

you are at higher risk of health problems such as

diabetes.

TYPE 2 RISK FACTORS

Many of you will already know that too much

fat around your middle — visceral fat — greatly

increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and

high blood pressure but may not understand why.

Visceral fat is particularly bad for you because it

clogs up your liver and your pancreas — the organ

that produces insulin, which regulates blood sugar

levels). Rapidly expanding waists have been the

driver behind the huge rise in Type 2 Diabetes.

Ideally your waist size should be less than half

your height.

ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES

Some may remember Dr Michael Moseley

who sadly died last year. Michael Moseley was

diagnosed with Diabetes 2 and, not convinced

that his only option was medication, started

researching alternative approaches.

He worked with Professor Roy Taylor of

Newcastle University, whose team identified

that reducing body weight by 10-15% shrinks the

visceral fat, unclogs your liver and pancreas and,

for most diabetic patients, enables them to come

off their medication.

Professor Taylor’s team also identified that one

of the most effective ways to lose weight and keep

it off is through a rapid weight-loss diet.

If you are pre-diabetic (ie you have raised blood

sugars but are not yet in the diabetic range) a 10%

reduction in body weight will cut your chance of

becoming diabetic by an amazing 90%. In clinical

trials, Professor Tayor’s te

on a programme of 800 ca

produces average weight l

of Type 2 diabetes in man

His work formed the b

Moseley’s book 'The 8-wee

carbohydrate Mediterran

NB: Please do not em

seeking medical advice.

OTHER A

There are, of course, ot

also do to reduce your risk

exercise and eating health

— Aim to walk quickly or

you a little out of breath f

five days a week. If you ar

3 x 10 minute slots.

— Break up long spells of

has been shown to have a

sure you stretch and move

videos for seated exercise

— Stop smoking, which e

and if you drink alcohol tr

government recommende

What's going o


prevent Type 2 Diabetes'

eveloping Type 2 Diabetes? By Anne Elgeti

am identified that going

lories a day for 8 weeks

oss of 14kg and reversal

y patients.

asis of Michael

k blood sugar diet', a low

ean style eating plan.

bark on this diet without

CTIONS

her things you should

including taking more

ily.

do something else to get

or 30 minutes, at least

e short on time, do it in

sitting or lying as this

n associated risk. Make

often. You can find

on You Tube.

asier said than done,

y to keep within the

d limits.

n in my body?

IMPORTANT: Please take advice from your GP

surgery before starting any weight loss or other

health campaign, particularly if you have other

long-term conditions or are taking medication.

There is lots of advice available on the NHS.UK and

diabetes.org.uk websites about reducing your risk

of diabetes, including videos.

Treatment includes regular health cheques and

getting support to be active, eating healthily and

maintaining a good healthy weight. You may need

to take medication including insulin and check

your blood sugars regularly too.

Type 2 diabetes can go undiagnosed for years

if you don't have the symptoms or your symptoms

are missed. It does not only affect people living

with overweight or obesity, although this is one

of the risk factors along with ethnicity. If you

are over the age of 40 from a white background

your risk is increased but if you are from an

African Caribbean black African or South Asian

background your risk increases from the age of 25.

Many people can do things to try and prevent

type 2 diabetes there's no cure but some people

with type 2 diabetes can put their diabetes into

remission.

Anne Elgeti (above) is the deputy

director, systems coordination

(Frimley) NHS England.

Anne 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.

She 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.

Healthy Living is a free, online NHS

programme that supports people to live

well with Type 2 Diabetes. You can use it

whenever it suits you, and for as long as

you need – there is no limit to access. It can

also be used alongside any other diabetes

programmes you may be taking part in.

The resource includes information and

advice about

— Type 2 diabetes

— Eating well

— Becoming more active

— How to look after your body and mind

— Other NHS services and support

— Living with diabetes, including

driving, working and travelling.


PUZZLE PAGE — 1

BIBLE CROSSWORD

RALPH'S AUTHORS VERSE SEARCH

ACROSS

1 ‘I pray that out of his glorious — he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being’ (Ephesians 3:16) (6)

4 ‘Saul’s father Kish and — father Ner were sons of Abiel’ (1 Samuel 14:51) (6)

7 ‘Praise the Lord, O my — ’ (Psalm 103:1) (4)

8 See 5 down

9 Laws (1 Kings 11:33) (8)

13 ‘Who of you by worrying can — a single hour to his life?’ (Luke 12:25) (3)

16 Artistry (Exodus 31:5) (13)

17 ‘Your young men will see visions, your — men will dream' (Acts 2:17) (3)

19 How David described his Lord (Psalm 19:14) (8)

24 ‘If this city is built and its — — restored, you will be left with nothing in

Trans-Euphrates’ (Ezra 4:16) (5,3)

25 ‘The holy Scriptures, which are able to make you — for salvation through

faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 3:15) (4)

26 Intended destination of arrows (Lamentations 3:12) (6)

27 Eve hit (anagram) (6)

DOWN

1 ‘For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find — for your souls’

(Matthew 11:29) (4)

2 Where Peter was when he denied Christ three times (Luke 22:55) (9)

3 Remarkable early 20th Century Indian evangelist, a convert from

Hinduism, — Sundar Singh (5)

4 ‘Now the king had put the officer on whose — — leaned in charge of the

gate’ (2 Kings 7:17) (3,2)

5 & 8 Across The lover describes this facial feature of the beloved thus: ‘Your

— is like the tower of Lebanon looking towards — ’ (Song of Songs 7:4) (4,8)

6 ‘Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled — your waist’ (Ephesians 6:14) (5)

10 Trout (anag) (5)

11 Easily frightened (1 Thessalonians 5:14) (5)

12 The ability to perceive (Ecclesiastes 10:3) (5)

13 One of the clans descended from Benjamin (Numbers 26:38) (9)

14 'It is one of the Twelve,' he replied, 'one who — bread into the bowl with me'

(Mark 14:20) (4)

15 Resound (Zephaniah 2:14) (4)

18 Traditional seat of the Dalai Lama (5)

20 Precise (John 4:53) (5)

21 Build (Ezekiel 4:2) (5)

22 Beat harshly (Acts 22:25) (4)

23 Darius, who succeeded Belshazzar as king of the Babylonians, was one

(Daniel 5:31) (4)

Ralph's grid above contains names of 26 authors. The

names begin with the letters 4A, 4B, 4C, H, 2K, L, M, 2P,

3S, 2T, 2W'. The unused letters spell out an appropriate

Bible verse. You may even be able to remember which

book it comes from and the chapter and verse!

Good luck and God Bless!

Write your answers here . . .

ANSWERS FOR RALPH'S JUNE ANIMAL VERSE SEARCH

BABOON

BADGER

BANDICOOT

BANTAM

BARBEL

BARNACLE

BARNOWL

BARRACUDA

BASENJI

BASS

BEAGALL

BEAR

BEE

BEETLE

BICHON FRISE

BIRD

BISON

BITTERN

BLACKCAP

BLOATER

BLOOD HOUND

BLUE BOTTLE

BLUE TIT

BONOBO

BOXER

BRAMBLING

BREAM

BUDGERIGAR

BUFFALO

BUTTERFLY

BUZZARD

The hidden verse was from the Good News Bible,

2 Chronicles 21:12

THE PROPHET ELIJAH SENT

JEHORAM A LETTER

PUZZLE PAGE — 2

A WORDSEARCH FOR ST THOMAS

If you ever struggle with doubt, take heart: so did

one of the apostles, whose Feast Day is on 3 July.

St Thomas just could not believe that the Jesus

he had seen crucified and dead on the cross

could ever come back to life. But Thomas was an

honest sceptic, because he really wanted to know

the truth. Jesus could help such a man, and so he

appeared to him and the other disciples. Instead

of scolding him, Jesus simply showed him the

wounds. Thomas’s response was immediate: 'My

Lord and my God' (John 20.26). Ancient legends

tell how Thomas went on to India as a missionary.

There are rumours that Thomas built a palace for

a king’s daughter in India, and so he is the patron

saint of architects. It is believed that he was

martyred by a spear on 3 July, 72 AD in Mylapore,

near Madras. 46 ancient churches in England are

dedicated to him.


JUNE

Solutions

CODEWORD

SUDOKU

THOMAS

DOUBT

APOSTLE

CROSS

DEAD

TRUTH

SCEPTIC

WOUNDS

LORD

GOD

APPEARED

INDIA

PATRON

MARTYRED

SPEAR

MYLAPORE

MISSIONARY

SHOWED

SAINT

MADRAS

CODEWORD

2 21 12 6 4 3 1 15 18 25 4 9

SUDOKU

WORDSEARCH

1 9 16 19 17 15

8 24 4 9 23 12 4 1 5

15 21 21 4 21 19 12 15 9 13

9 4 4 2 12 13 18 17 16

12 9 18 12 13 12 9 8 7 15

5 13 5 18 15 1

26 5 1 4 9 2 10 9 4 11

5 13 2 2 21 20 22 13 5

15 2 14 19 12 18 12 4 5 13

5 23 4 9 13 15 2 9 12

4 4 21 26 9 18

15 11 11 1 4 5 5 3 21 15 18 25

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

B

T

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

Y

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 LIFE . . .

STAKE & CHIPS

Stake and chips.

TWO CAN PLAY AT THAT GAME

Two can play at that game



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


42 The Parish Magazine — July/August 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 40

Abbey School 43

A B Walker Funeral Directors 10

ACG Locksmith Services 40

Active Security 30

All Aerials 40

AMS Water Softeners 12

Avery Collection Care Home 28

Barn Store 24

Berkshire Stump Removals 40

BHR Maintenance 34

Big Heart Tree Care 40

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 12

Blue Moose Quality Graphics 26

Bridges Meals on Wheels 24

Canon Tree Care 30

Clark Bicknell Plumbing & Heating 40

Crosfields School 10

Drone House Surveys 40

French Horn 4

Gardiners Homecare 20

Good Oaks Home Care 26

Handyman & Decorating Services 40

Haslams Estate Agents 2

Hicks MOT & Service 16

Home Stairlifts 24

I Plumber 10

Kingfisher Bathrooms & Kitchens 30

Lock Fit 24

MC Cleaning 40

Mossinator Roof Cleaning Systems 6

Muck & Mulch Garden Supplies 34

Professional Tree & Hedge Services 40

Reading Blue Coat School 12

Richfield Flooring 10

Shiplake College 24

Smallwood Landscaping 40

Smove Ride 24

Sonning Golf Club 16

Sonning Scouts 32

Thames Chimney Sweeps 40

The Bull Inn Sonning 22

The Great House Coppa Club 32

The Mill at Sonning 44

The Window Cleaner 34

Tomalin & Son Funeral Directors 12

Tudor Chimney Services 6

Watchmaker 40

Water Softener Salt 24


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


theabbey.co.uk

AB0076_The_Abbey_PGF_Ads_SS_255x175.indd 1 20/05/2025 15:45


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 July August 2025

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