The Parish Magazine October 2025

28 The Parish Magazine —October 2025 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements
The Magic of Christmas at
The Great House
Festive catch ups, team celebrations, family gatherings or
big events – ‘tis the season to celebrate and we’re here to
help you have a joyous time.
Celebrate The Magic of Christmas at The Great House
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AND MORE INFORMATION
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FST1845
The Bull Inn, Sonning on Thames
Berkshire RG4 6UP, T: 0118 969 3901
e: bullinn@fullers.co.uk www.bullinnsonning.co.uk
HISTORY
Harvest — one of the
oldest celebrations
that still exists today
The custom of celebrating successful harvests is one
of the most ancient festivals among many ancient
civilizations including, for example, the Chinese Shang
dynasty c1600—1046 BCE) and the ancient Egyptians.
Harvest festivals date from ancient pagan times with
community celebrations and rituals, ensuring survival
through winter. One such tradition was creating 'corn
dollies' from the last sheaf.
The Christian church harvest festival that we enjoy
today was introduced in 1843 by Rev Robert Hawker
of Morwenstow, Cornwall. It is usually celebrated on
the Sunday nearest to the harvest moon, which falls
around the autumn equinox. Typically this occurs in late
September or early October. This year the autumn equinox
is on Saturday 4 October.
At St Andrew's Church Sonning it has become the
custom to celebrate Harvest at our family service at
10.30am on the first Sunday of October. While produce
and tinned and dried food is welcomed, the preferred gift
is cash which is distributed to local charities.
The 'force' with 'daily bread'!
'Give us this day our daily bread' topped a poll for the
most recognisable words in the UK, beating 'May the
force be with you' from 'Star Wars'.
'Give us this day our daily bread' was recognised as
coming from the Lord’s Prayer by 80.3% of the 2,000
people polled. Surprisingly 89% of people said that they
had prayed it at some point, including 88% of those who
claimed they have no religion.
The Most Rev’d Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York,
explained that the meaning is challenging — ‘give me what
I need for today and stop me wanting more than my fair share’
and that ‘The whole human race urgently needs to learn what
‘enough’ looks like: so that the world is fed, but also in order for
the planet to be saved’.
The polling was done by Thy Kingdom Come, a global
ecumenical prayer movement.
The Parish Magazine — October 2025 29
Was it really . . . ?
. . . 750 YEARS AGO on 27 October 1275 that the city of
Amsterdam in the Netherlands is traditionally considered
to have been founded.
. . . 200 YEARS AGO on 25 October 1825 that Johann
Strauss II, was born. He is best known for his waltzes,
including The Blue Danube.
. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 20 October 1900 that the
American aviation pioneers the Wright Brothers made
their first untethered glider flight North Carolina.
. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 13 October 1925 that Margaret
Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was born. She was the first
female Prime Minister of Britain (1979-90). She died in 2013.
. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 12 October 1935 that Luciano
Pavorotti, Italian operatic tenor, was born. He is
considered to be one of the finest tenors of the 20th
Century, and one of the most commercially successful. He
died in 2007.
. . . 65 YEARS AGO on 30 October 1965 that Diego
Maradona was born. The Argentine footballer,
manager and coach is regarded as one of the
greatest
football players in history. He died in 2020.
. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 8 October 1965 that the
Post Office Tower, now called the BT Tower, in
London was officially opened. It was then the
tallest building in the UK. The Shard is now the
tallest building having been completed in 2012
. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 9 October 1975 that the
IRA detonated a bomb near the Ritz Hotel in
Piccadilly. One person was killed and at least 20 injured.
. . . 40 YEARS AGO on 1 October 1985 that riots broke
out in Toxteth, Liverpool and Peckham, London. Five days
later Met Police Constable Keith Blakelock was killed in
the Broadwater Farm housing estate riot in Tottenham.
He was the first British constable to be killed in a riot
since 1833.
. . . 25 YEARS AGO on 26 October 2000 that the BSE
Inquiry Report was published in the UK. It concluded that
the BSE, known as Mad Cow Disease, epidemic was caused
by the use of infected meat and bone meal in cattle feed.
. . . 20 YEARS AGO on 3 October 2005 that Ronnie
Barker, TV comedian, actor and writer, died. He was well
known for The Frost Report, The Two Ronnies, Porridge,
Going Straight and Open All Hours.
. . . ALSO 20 YEARS AGO on 18-26 October 2005 that
Hurricane Wilma, the most intense Atlantic hurricane
ever recorded, hit the Caribbean, Central America and
the eastern USA. 63 people died. The storm caused £18.1
billion worth of damage.
. . . 15 YEARS AGO on 13 October 2010 that 33 Chilean
miners, who had been trapped underground for 69 days
following the collapse of the San Jose copper-gold mine,
were rescued. Around one billion TV viewers around the
world watched them being rescued.
. . . 10 YEARS AGO on 26 October 2015 that the Hindu
Kush earthquake hit Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. At
least 399 people were killed, and 2,536 others injured.