The Parish Magazine November 2023

The Parish Magazine - November 2023 1 

The 

Parish 

Magazine 

The John King Trophy and Gold Award 

Best Magazine of the Year 2018 

National Parish Magazine Awards 

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 

Best Content 2016, 2021 

Best Editor 2019 

Best Print 2018 

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

November 2023 — All Souls - Remembrance - St Andrew 

Church of St Andrew 

Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY

2 The Parish Magazine - November 2023 

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




The John King Trophy and Gold Award 

Best Magazine of the Year 2018 

National Parish Magazine Awards 

Best Overall 2015, 2020, 2022, 

Best Content 2016, 2021 

Best Editor 2019 

Best Print 2018 

information — 1 

Contents November 2023 

THE VICAR'S LETTER, 5 

THE PARISH NOTICEBOARD 

— All Souls Service, 7 

— Remembrance Service, 7 

— Advent Carol Service, 7 

— Calling Christmas Carollers, 7 

— Harvest Festival collection, 7 

— For your prayers, 7 

— STAY, 8-9 

— Christ the King, 11 

— Letter to the editor, 11 

— From the editor's desk, 11 

— The Persecuted Church, 13 

FEATURES 

— Claude goes to Scotland, 17 

— St Andrew in church, 19 

— We remember them, 22-23 

—around the villages 

— Donations of love, 21 

— FoStAC Christmas cards, 21 

— Sonning Village Show, 25 

— Sonning Show Quiz Answers, 27 

— Sonning Show winners, 27 

— Art Group wins 21 prizes, 27 

— Over £5,000 raised for charity, 27 

— V&A Fun, 27 

— Charvil Singers diary, 27 

THE ARTS 

— A glimpse of eternity, 29 

— Poetry Corner, 29 

— Advent Book Review, 29 

health 

— Dr Simon Ruffle, 31-33 

HOME AND GARDEN 

— Family fireworks safety, 33 

FASHION 

— Buy Nothing Day, 35 

history, 37 

This ISSUE's FRONT COVER 


Parish 

Magazine 

November 2023 — All Souls - Remembrance - St Andrew 

the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF 

CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye SINCE THE 7 th CENTURY 

Sonning CofE School Harvest 

Phil Sherwood — see page 21 

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 December 

issue of The Parish Magazine is: 

Monday 6 November 

at 12 noon 

The Parish Magazine online 

The most recent issues can be viewed at: 

http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk 

Earlier issues from 1869 onwards 

are stored in a secure online archive. 

If you wish to view these archives 

contact the editor: 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

From the Registers 


Services at 

St Andrew’s 

All Saints Sunday 5 November 

— 8.00am Holy Communion 

— 10.30am Family Service 

— 4.00pm All Souls Service for 

the faithful departed, followed 

by drinks and conversation in 

the Church 

Remembrance Sunday 12 November 


— 10.00am Royal British Legion 

Parish Remembrance Service* 

Sunday 19 November 


— 10.30am Family Communion 

— 3.00pm Messy Church 

—Sunday 26 November 


— 10.30am Parish Eucharist with 

STAY and Sunday Club 

— 5.45pm Sunday at Six in The Ark 

* There will be an Armistice Day service 

at 10.30am on Friday 11 November in 

the Sonning Garden Care Home to which 

everyone is invited, and there will also be a 

short act of Remembrance at 10.50am on the 

same day in Reading Blue Coat School. 

OTHER REGULAR SERVICES 

Morning Prayer is held in 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 

Garden Care Home is held on the first 

Monday of each month at 11.00am. 

baptismS 

— Sunday 10 September, Isobel Louise Whitfield and Spencer William Kasprzyk 

PUZZLE PAGES, 37 - 39 

children's page, 41 

information 

— Church services, 3 

— From the registers, 3 

— Local Trades and Services, 40 

— Parish contacts, 42 

— Advertisers' index, 42 

funerals 

— Friday 22 September, Josephine Bodley-Scott, interment of ashes in the 

churchyard 

— Friday 29 September, John Leslie Hicks, interment of ashes in the churchyard 

— Friday 6 October, Edith Lake, funeral service and cremation at Reading 

Crematorium 

— Friday 6 October, Janette Crouch, funeral service in church followed by 

cremation at Reading Crematorium 

— Monday 9 October, Rosemary Ann Nutbrown, funeral service in church 

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The vicar's letter 

Dear Friends, 

I have become increasingly aware of the growing number of ‘International Days’ 

for all manner of causes. A simple Google search tells me we have ‘International 

Days’ for women, diabetes, singles, hypertension, clowns, epilepsy, malaria, 

veganism, trans visibility, teachers, coffee, eggs, books, cannabis, Nelson 

Mandela, Romani language, Islamic art and, gruesomely in my opinion, 

abortion. One wonders if there are enough days in the year for all the themes 

deemed worthy of recognition. It seems that some causes are considered so 

important they are granted more than one day, and some even have a whole 

month, though which organisations make these decisions, and why, is far from 

clear. All of this sits a little uneasily with me, conscious of the ever-increasing 

temptation for some to ‘virtue signal’ on every fashionable issue. Each to their 

own, but I do suspect that the more a cause is forced onto the national agenda 

through awareness days, weeks and certainly months, the general public 

become bored, disengaged and even resentful. 

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY 

That said, we have a National Day of Awareness this month that is very well 

established and created for a clear and powerful reason. No right-thinking 

person could have any reason to question its legitimacy and that is why it is so 

important to observe it. We shall gather once again on Remembrance Sunday to 

honour the immense sacrifices made in two world wars and other conflicts. 

I warmly invite you to St Andrew’s on Sunday 12 November at 10.30am to 

do just that. It is always a moving occasion, especially as the names of the men 

from this parish, who never returned, are read out and posies laid by their 

plaques. 

I recently showed some scouts from Charvil around the church, and we 

looked at the ages of these men, some not much older than them. I pointed out 

that, thankfully, we haven’t had to add a name since the IRA murder of Capt 

Antony Pollen in 1974 and one of the boys commented that it won’t be too long 

before we do. 

I have reflected on this and sadly, I suspect he has a point; such is the nature 

of the troubled world we live in. I recall my early years in the parish when our 

armed forces were sustaining significant losses in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 

we witnessed the flag draped coffins being returned to Royal Wootton Basset. 

A member of our congregation lost a nephew at that time, and although he was 

not local to this parish, this brought home something of the pain and grief that 

was prevalent for many forces families. 

POPPY APPEAL 

The Royal British Legion poppy appeal will be in full swing from the 

beginning of the month, and I know from my former parish in Broadstairs 

what a valuable service they offer for veterans. I was chaplain of a Royal British 

Legion rest home there and saw, first hand, how the donations we make for 

our poppies are put to excellent use. I warmly commend the appeal to you and 

particularly hope that our school aged children will be encouraged to wear a 

poppy, conscious of the many ‘awareness days and months’ they experience in 

education. The appeal and the sacrifices of millions in the defence of freedom 

are a source of true national pride and a reminder in my opinion, of what is 

most important and worthy of our awareness. 

Warm wishes, 

Jamie

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the parish noticeboard — 1 

Notices 

All Souls Service — Sunday 5 November 

We will gather at 4pm on Sunday 5 November to 

remember our loved ones departed. During the service 

their names will be read out and candles lit. If you would 

like a name remembered, please inform us at the door on 

arrival. Drinks will be served afterwards. 


Bertie the baggage bearer 

Remembrance Service — Sunday 12 November 

Our annual, and very popular Remembrance Service will 

begin at 10.30am in time to hold the traditional 2 minute 

silence at 11.00am. Please arrive earlier than you would 

usually to ensure that everyone is seated in time. See 

the centre pages of this magazine for more about the 

Remembrance Service. 

Advent Carol Service — Sunday 3 December 

Come and mark the start of Advent with a candlelit 

service of music and readings followed by a tea in The Ark. 

Sunday 3 December at 4pm. This will replace the usual 

Evensong service. 

1000words, dreamstime.com 

Calling Christmas carollers! 

With the Christmas season marching toward us, the St 

Andrew’s Church choir will soon begin preparing for our 

carol services: the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on 

17 December, and a new event, an Advent Carol service in 

place of December’s Choral Evensong on 3 December. 

The incoming director of music, Richard Meehan, 

invites anyone with choral experience to join in as an 

occasional choir member. If this is of interest to you or 

someone you know, email Richard on music@sonningparish. 

org.uk There will be a small rehearsal commitment on 

Friday evenings leading up to the services which are the 

highlight of many people’s Christmas, so we hope you can 

share this with us. 

Harvest Festival food bank collection 

Thank you to all who donated produce or cash to our 

Harvest appeal in support of the Woodley Food Bank. 

In addition to a large amount of food and other produce, 

about£2,200 cash was also collected and donated to the 

food bank. We received such a large collection of produce 

that Bertie the Buggy (pictured above) was enlisted to help 

transport it from the church to the car park! 

Please remember that the need for donations of dried 

and tinned food for the Food Bank is ongoing and that 

donations can be left in the collection crate just inside the 

main doors of St Andrew's Church every day between 

10am and 4pm. 

For your prayers in November 

— The work of the Royal British Legion 

— All those who have lost loved ones through war 

— His Majesty the King who will be 75 this month 

— Our new director of music, Richard Meehan 

— Woodley Food Bank 

Olivier Le Moal, dreamstime.com



St Andrew's Youth 

STAY on Monday 

Complimenting the STAY on Sunday group, STAY 

on Monday meets on the 1st & 3rd Monday from 

6-7.15pm in young peoples homes. We use the STIR 

cards (check out https://www.starttostir.com) which 

has amazing content on spirituality and faith. Plus 

we play fun games, eat yummy donuts and watch 

some thought provoking videos. 

STAY mentoring in schools 

This term started well with lots of young people 

being referred for mentoring, as well as a few 

students now managing life well, so they moved on 

from needing their sessions. 

STAY assemblies in schools 

We have also been in the two local primary schools 

with assemblies on 'The New Term’ and the 

amazing woman ‘Jechobed - Moses' Mother’. 

Christian Union in schools 

The Piggott CU started with positive numbers of 14 

young people coming along every Monday to the 

reflection room from 3-4pm. We offer a tri-cycle of 

games, cake and questions, and faith input. 

STAY on Sunday 

Our fortnightly STAY on Sunday Youth Group meets on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Sun 

see water appear in the opening book of Genesis: 'In the beginning God created the h 

deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters,' and in 

life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.' 

We will be looking at where water appears in the Bible and what significance it 

or Jesus offers a woman at the well living water. 

On Sunday 24 September, instead of our usual Sunday group, STAY was involv 

done to all those teenagers who turned up at 9.45am to serve and show some love 

STAY on Friday 

The weekly youth club had 

welcome the year 6’s on th 

& activities, including; vol 

baking cookies, PS5 and X 

where, working in pairs, y 

10 Days of Prayer for youth and schools 

Finally, on Tuesday 19 September we were invited 

to join part of Reading’s 10 Days of Prayer. Across 

the town there were groups of people praying for 

all areas of young peoples lives, from school and 

colleges to mental health and friendships. 

email or text me for ideas, a chat or to 

encourage what we are doing 

Westy 

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk 

0794 622 4106


days at 10.30am in The Ark. We are looking at the theme of water this term. We 

eavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the 

the last book of Revelation 22: 'Then the angel showed me a river with the water of 

has for our lives, for example, when God saves his people through the Red Sea 

ed in the litter pick of Sonning. We collected over 10 bags full of rubbish! Well 

to the village. 

a great start to the term with up to 42 young people attending. We also 

e 4th Friday of each month. The youth have enjoyed all the usual games, sports 

leyball, pool table, air hockey, table tennis, football, touch rugby, wide games, 

box, board games and we’ve just introduced Spikeball! It's an awesome game 

ou have to slap the ball onto a trampoline hoping to beat your opponents.


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Christ the King 

Sunday 26 November is the last 

Sunday in the Church liturgical year 

— Advent Sunday is on 3 December. 

The liturgical year follows the life of 

Christ from his conception and birth 

at Christmas, his crucifixion and 

rising from the dead at Easter, to being 

recognised as Christ the King – the 

king of all nations and all people who 

choose to accept him into their lives 

and who allow the Holy Spirit of God 

to be within them and to work through 

them. 

KING AND SHEPHERD 

It is apt, therefore that the final 

Sunday of the Christian year is all 

about celebrating and thanking God 

for Christ's kingship. 

Christ is fully God and fully man. 

He is both the divine Lord and the 

man who suffered and died on the 

Cross. One person of the Trinity unites 

himself to human nature and reigns 

over all creation as the Son of God. 

An alternative explanation explains 

that Christ is not only a King, he is 

also a shepherd. He takes care of us 

and looks for us when we are lost. He 

has always been the King of everyone, 

and he will remain the King of all. He 

is a different King to worldly kings and 

governments. 

Alternatively, Christ must reign 

in our minds, in our wills, and in our 

hearts, and in our bodies to serve, 

in the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘as 

instruments of justice unto God.’ 

A letter to the 

editor from 

an 'astounded' 

reader 

Good day dear editor, 

Hope you are keeping well and 

having a good day. 

I am astounded [and] shocked at 

how people in society, at work, in 

the shops, on media, on TV use the 

Lord’s name in vain. 

'Oh my God' seems to be the 

only exclamation that comes out of 

everyone's mouth. 

Yet God says 'thy shall not use my 

name in vain'. 

How do we put a stop to that? Is 

it at nursery that we should instruct 

the wee little ones that this is a no 

no, or not a name to be used under 

any circumstances. 

I know that your magazine 

circulates to many households, 

maybe that is a start, but I think it is 

amazing how the pandemic got much 

urgent attention worldwide maybe 

the same should be to ask people to 

think before blasphemy. 

Thank you for allowing me to get 

this off my chest. 

Whenever I have encountered 

anyone saying it I correct them [by 

saying] that it is not necessary and 

out of context. Most of the times 

it falls on deaf ears, but if I can 

accomplish one person not using it 

then my life here was for a purpose. 

Kind regards, Anick Lunt 

Hay up, me duck! 

Phil Mason 


From the 

editor's 

desk 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk 

Occasionally I receive a letter to 

the editor. They are usually about 

something the writer disagrees 

with or is a mistake. Speak to any 

editor and they will tell you however 

carefully you check everything, and 

however good your proofreaders 

are — and I am blessed with some 

very good ones — that mistakes will 

always happen. 

When I began my career 50 

years ago, one of the first jobs my 

editor gave me was proofreading the 

newspaper at the printers before 

giving the go ahead to print it. In 

those days each letter of every word 

was made in metal and assembled on 

large trays to create a page. Any last 

minute changes could often only be 

made with 'smudges'. These involved 

a highly skilled printer wielding a 

chisel and a large heavy hammer! 

Today, of course, it is all done 

electronically. 

But I digress. The letter I received 

was not about a mistake I had made. 

It raised an interesting point about 

how tolerant Christians should be 

about taking the name of God in 

vain. The letter is published in the 

adjacent column. 

It struck a chord with me because 

I totally agree with the writer when 

it comes to the misuse of God's 

name. As Christians we are expected 

to be tolerant about the misuse of 

holy words because 'that is the way 

of the world'. Even so, like the writer 

of the letter, I feel angry and sad 

when I hear young children misusing 

our language with phrases such 

'O my God', 'for Christ's sake' and 

'Good God' and so on as expressions 

when something goes wrong or is 

unexpected. 

While we are not allowed to 

use so many perfectly good words 

and phrases for fear of causing an 

offence, isn't it time all Christians 

stood up for our faith by objecting 

more strongly about those things 

that are offensive to God?



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PARISH NOTICEBOARD — 4 

In the BBC radio programme From 

'Our Own Correspondent' on 28 

September, a journalist from the 

region spoke to some people on the 

Armenian border who now face the 

loss of their homeland. 

The programme reported how tens of 

thousands (half the population and 

counting) of ethnic Armenians had 

in the past week fled the ‘disputed 

enclave’ inside Azerbaijan into 

neighbouring Armenia. 

This is in the wake of the brief 

military offensive and swift Azeri 

victory. The attack came after a 

9 month long Azeri blockade that 

led to severe food and medicine 

shortages inside Nagorno-Karabakh. 

To further complicate matters, 

Telegraph World News reported in 

the last week of September that 

Azerbaijan’s president has held talks 

with his Turkish counterpart on 

creating a land corridor between their 

countries via Armenia, raising fears of 

another invasion. 

Ilham Aliyev, the president of 

Azerbaijan, suggested the idea – which 

Armenia opposes – with Recep Tayyip 

Erdogan, the Turkish leader, according 

to Reuters. 

Nagorno-Karabakh has been 

populated by Armenians (who 

accepted Christianity in 301 AD) for at 

least 2,500 years. 

Under Soviet rule it was 

governed as an independent oblast 

(administrative division/region) 

within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist 

Republic and was incorporated into 

the Republic of Azerbaijan at the 

dissolution of the USSR. 

Azerbaijan and Armenia have gone 

to war twice over Nagorno-Karabakh, 

most recently in 2020 when Azerbaijan 

recaptured territory surrounding 

Karabakh that had been held by 

Armenia since 1994. 

With Armenia and Azerbaijan 

independent, Nagorno-Karabakh 

has been landlocked but autonomous 

inside Azerbaijan. Now with Azeri 

control many residents feel unsafe. 

Since December 2022, Muslim 

majority Azerbaijan has besieged 

Nagorno-Karabakh by blockading 

the Lachin Corridor, the only route 


THE persecuted church by colin bailey 

There is no place the Armenians can call home 

OBLAST 

Dadivank monastery is one of the best examples of Armenian church architecture. It dates from 

between 700 and 1,100 years ago. 

Loskilleros, dreamstime.com 

into the enclave from Armenia and 

supposedly under the control of 

Russian peacekeepers. 

Baroness Caroline Cox, an 

independent member of the UK House 

of Lords and patron of Barnabas Aid, 

visited the blockaded entrance to the 

Lachin Corridor in mid-September. 

In a letter published in The 

Guardian on 18 September, she warned 

that ‘grave suffering’ was being 

inflicted on the civilians of Karabakh 

because of the ‘brutal blockade’ by 

Azerbaijan. 

MASS EXODUS 

Local correspondent Rayhan 

Demytrie said on the From Our Own 

Correspondent radio programme that 

the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians 

from Karabakh marks perhaps ‘a 

certain closure’. 

She reported that Azerbaijan has 

now conquered all the territories it 

lost in the 1990s and says it is aiming 

for a ‘lasting peace’ in the South 

Caucuses. 

But for tens of thousands of ethnic 

Armenians in Karabakh, she said, 

there is no place they can call home. 

‘They will cleanse the entire region 

of Armenians, destroy Armenians' 

cultural heritage, and erase memories,’ 

said Bishop Hovakim Manukyan in 

an email to Barnabas Aid. ‘When we 

were warning about ethnic cleansing, 

no one was paying attention. Another 

wave of Genocide of Armenians 

in Karabakh is happening,’ Bishop 

Hovakim continued. ‘There are reports 

of mass killings, raping and torturing. 

A scene of war crimes is unfolding.’ 

Thanks to the ongoing generosity 

of supporters, Barnabas has provided 

much-needed aid for believers while 

they were besieged in Nagorno- 

Karabakh. But now, they ask us to pray 

even more ‘for those living in fear’ and 

consider if we can give anything to 

help our brothers and sisters fleeing 

Nagorno-Karabakh. As at 4 October, 

Barnabas Aid reported that ‘Almost 

the entire population of Nagorno- 

Karabakh – that is 120,000 people – 

are now in Armenia.’ 

To donate please go to the Barnabas 

Aid website https://www.barnabasaid.org/ 

gb/ or 0179 374 4557 and direct your gift 

to project PR1539 I would like to give 

to Needy Christians in/from Nagorno 

Karabakh 

References and further reading 

BBC Sounds From Our Own Correspondent 

podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ 

p0gh521t 

Barnabas Aid article on Azerbaijan military 

operation against Nagorno-Karabakh: https:// 

www.barnabasaid.org/gb/news/azerbaijanlaunches-military-operation-against-nagornokarabakh/ 

Barnabas Aid Prayer Focus October 2023: 

https://www.barnabasaid.org/gb/news/prayerfocus-update-october-2023/ 

Barnabas Aid Appeal: https://www.barnabasaid. 

org/gb/latest-needs/help-armenian-christianrefugees-as-they-flee-nagorno-karabakh/ 

Barnabas Aid article ‘Help the broken children of 

Nagorno-Karabakh and their desperate parents’: 

https://www.barnabasaid.org/gb/latest-needs/ 

help-the-broken-children-of-nagorno-karabakhand-their-desperate-parents/ 

Telegraph World News article on Azerbaijan- 

Turkey talks: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ 

world-news/2023/09/25/azerbaijan-turkeytalks-armenia-land-corridor-erdogan/



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PARISH NOTICEBOARD — 5 

Thank you Hannah, may God 

bless you in your exciting new job 

We said goodbye to Hannah Towndrow during the services on Sunday 1 October. During the 

10.30am Family Service the church and the choir said thank you with flowers and gifts, for all 

she has done to help them to become better singers and to introduce them to more advanced 

choral work. Then in The Ark after Evensong the congregation said their farewells with, of 

course, the traditional cake! 

Hannah was appointed as the 

St Andrew's Church director of 

music in September 2021 and she 

quickly became the driving force 

behind several highly acclaimed 

choral events held in St Andrew's 

— for example, the late Queen's 

Platinum Jubilee celebrations and 

King Charles and Queen Camilla's 

Coronation. 

Hannah has left to take up a new 

director of music position that was 

created for her at Hertford College in 

Oxford University. 

As well as starting her new job, 

Hannah will marrying Faaris Zaki 

(pictured above with their farewell cake) 

in April next year. 

While Faaris was hoping the cake 

could be kept for their wedding it 

Pictures by Caroline Taylor 

and Ruth Jeffery 

was soon enjoyed by all her wellwishers! 

Her role at St Andrew's has been 

filled by Richard Meehan MA ARCO, 

the former head of music at Reading 

School and latterly of Reading Blue 

Coat School. 

We hope to introduce you to 

Richard in the next issue of The 

Parish Magazine.



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feature — 1 


Claude recalls ... 

A family 

holiday 

over the 

border 

Images: (above) The Falkirk Wheel, by Dennis 

Dolkens; 

(above right) Scottish landscape, by Rafael 

Angel Irusta Machin; 

(Below left) Burns cottage Alloway, by George 

Robertson; 

(below right) tatties, neeps and haggis by 

Stocksolutions. 

All images provided by Dreamstime.com 

This year by way of a change, I 

spent my summer holiday with my 

family visiting my granddaughters 

new house, north of the border in 

Ayrshire. 

I say new house, it is actually over 

200 years old and built from local 

sandstone and slate, so the property 

is full of character including a 

circular solid sandstone staircase. 

A fascinating house, but one not 

particularly friendly to my frail 

needs. However, Charlotte is now 

busy furnishing it to her taste and 

needs. 

ROBBIE BURNS 

Travelling such a long way by rail 

gave me time to realise how much 

more comfortable modern rail travel 

is compared to the days of steam and 

rattling rolling stock. Sitting in an 

air conditioned carriage seems to be 

taken for granted by most of today's 

passengers. 

The train was replaced by a smart 

new hire car that provided our 

transport for the next few days with 

visits to Ayr and Glasgow among 

many towns we drove through on our 

travels. 

Our first day out was to visit 

Robbie Burns birth place where we 

WATER 

of the revolving basins remains 

exactly the same weight. 

In all, a fascinating example 

of Archimedes theories and now 

rightly sits as the jewel in the crown 

of the Scottish canal system. 

While the wheel was never 

designed as a tourist attraction, the 

daily trips are so popular that they 

need to be booked in advance. 

Our holiday concluded with a 

traditional meal of Neeps, Tatties 

and Haggis — a must for any 

traveller brave enough to take on 

the very long trip to visit such a 

beautiful part of the world. 

Sheep's Kin 

Phil Mason


feature — 2 


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feature — 2 

The last day of the Church liturgical 

year is set aside to give thanks 

for, and to celebrate, the life and 

work of St Andrew the Apostle 

who is recognised by many Biblical 

scholars as the first person Jesus 

chose to be one of his 12 apostles. 

Andrew was born in Bethsaida, 

Galilee about 10 years after Jesus 

and we know from the New 

Testament that he was the younger 

brother of Peter. 

The name, Andrew, is not 

Hebrew, as might have been 

expected, but Greek — the Greek 

culture was well known in Galilee. 

It means manly and brave, a 

characteristic that he portrayed 

when he was martyred for his faith 

in Christ around 60/70 AD. 

It is said that he chose to be 

martyred on a cross like Jesus, 

although he asked to be bound to a 

saltire X-shaped cross as he was not 

worthy to die on the same shaped 

cross as Jesus, 

Today, the saltire is the national 

emblem for St Andrew in many 

countries where he is the patron 

saint including: Cyprus, Scotland, 

Greece (City of Patras), Romania, 

Russia, Ukraine, the Ecumenical 

Patriarchate of Constantinople, San 

Andres Island (Colombia), Saint 

Andrew (Barbados) and Tenerife 

(Spain). 

St Andrew's image is on many 

stained glass windows in churches 

around the world and these often 

include the saltires as in the pictures 

on the right taken in St Andrew's 

Church Sonning. 

In the 'top ten' names for UK 

churches today, 'Andrew' is the fifth 

most popular after Mary, All Saints, 

Peter and Michael. 

There are many legends from 

around the world about where the 

relics of St Andrew are buried, 

including in Scotland. While it is 

highly possible that some relics 

are buried there, exactly where is 

uncertain. 

However, we are certain that they 

are not in Sonning you will find the 

saltire — but how many can you find? 


St Andrew's Day, Thursday 30 November 

Have you seen our Saint in St Andrew's Church? 

THE SALTIRE 

Some of the saltire crosses found in St Andrew's Sonning. Above left is a picture by Peter Rennie - 

the other two pictures are by David Woodward



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around the villages — 1 

Donations of love 

As part of Sonning CofE Primary School's Harvest 

celebrations, ReadiFood Reading led an assembly on 

their work. 

Families donated items to the charity, which the pupils 

collected — and carried — to a waiting ReadiFood van. 

Phil Sherwood, headteacher, said, 'This event is part of 

our commitment to community work, and an opportunity to 

display our school values of love and respect.' 

FoSTAC 

holds 

card 

costs 

at 2013 

prices! 

Buy 

online 

or in The 

Ark from 

11.30am 

a Sunday 


Planning Your 

Traditional Wedding? 

Then you might like to 

discuss the possibility of 

marriage in our ancient and 

beautiful parish church. 

If so, call the vicar, Jamie 

0118 969 3298 

He will be pleased to help! 

In addition to the stunning and historic location in Sonning, 

we will work hard to provide you with a memorable and 

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

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

ornate Victorian chandeliers and the use of our beautiful 

churchyard as a backdrop for your photographs. 



the church of st andrew SERVING CHARVIL, 

SONNING & sonning eye since the 7 th century 

The Friends of St Andrew Church (FoStAC) are selling 

their 2023 Christmas Cards for the same price they have 

been for the last 10 years — £5 for a pack of 10 cards and 

envelopes! 

This year’s design is a photograph taken by Keith Hawkins 

and features 'The Advent wreath and Christmas tree at Saint 

Andrew’s Church'. 

Packs are available in the The Ark following the 

10.30am Sunday services or by emailing Sally on 

mustangsallywilson@gmail.com 

Cash or contactless payments accepted. 

RENDEZVOUS 

IN THE ARK 

Open to everyone of all 

ages for lunch 

and conversation 

Tuesday 14 November 

Tuesday 28 November 

at 12 noon 

Reserve your seat on: 

0118 969 3298


feature — 3 

From the fields of Flanders 

via North America to the 

UK and Australia 

In late 1914, WWI erupted across Northern France and Flanders. Great swathes of 

previously green fields and forests were blasted and bombed, leaving them bleak and 

barren, with seemingly every living thing destroyed. 

But then in the Spring of 1915, something beautiful began to come out of all the 

destruction. Tens of thousands of bright red Flanders poppies began to put out 

tentative shoots across the endless vistas of mud. 

New 

plastic 

-free 

poppy 

For the first time in 28 years, there is 

a new kind of poppy for Remembrance 

Sunday this year: it is plastic free. 

The new poppy has been three years 

in the development and making. The 

aim was to reduce the use of singleuse 

plastic and to be economical, 

sustainable, and have less impact on the 

environment. 

It has a 40% smaller carbon footprint 

then previous poppies, and is made from 

bespoke red and green paper that comes 

from a blend of renewable fibres, 50% 

of which has been recovered from the 

waste used in the production of coffee 

cups. 

The plastic-free poppy will be 

available alongside remaining stocks of 

the current poppy, to reduce any waste 

of poppies already produced. 

Poppies containing single-use plastic 

can be returned to Sainsbury’s stores for 

recycling. 

These resilient little flowers had 

actually flourished in the middle of so 

much chaos and destruction, because 

their seeds grow when exposed to 

sunlight, through disturbances to soil. 

The endless fields of cheerful poppies, 

growing in the midst of such misery 

and destruction, were what inspired a 

Canadian doctor, Lieutenant Colonel 

John McCrae, to write the now famous 

poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. 

And it was McCrae’s poem which 

inspired an American academic named 

Moina Michael to adopt the poppy in 

memory of those who had fallen in the 

war. 

Moina also got it adopted as an 

official symbol of Remembrance 

throughout the United States, and 

worked with others who were trying to 

do the same in Canada, Australia, and 

the UK. 

A SYMBOL OF SUPPORT 

A French woman, Anna Guérin who 

was in the UK in 1921, caught the same 

vision, and planned to sell the poppies in 

London where she persuaded Earl Haig, 

the founder of the Royal British Legion, 

to adopt the poppy as its emblem. 

The Royal British Legion, which had 

been formed in the same year, ordered 

nine million poppies and sold them on 11 

November. 

Ever since, the red poppy has been a 

symbol of Remembrance, of support for 

the Armed Forces community, and also 

of hope for a peaceful future. 

Lancaster Bombers fly over the Fields of Flanders at s 

Everyone is invited to the St Andrew 

that begins at 10.30am on Sunday 12 

plenty of time to arrive and we re 

remains silent for 2 minu


unset. 

Paddyman2013, Dreamstime.com 

Tom Farncombe 

's Church Service of Remembrance 

November. Please give yourselves 

spectfully request that everyone 

tes at 11am — Thank you! 

Tom Farncombe 

Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday date from an agreement to end 

the fighting of the First World War as a prelude to peace negotiations. Called the 

Armistice, it began at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month of November in 1918. 

By January 1919 peace had become a reality as the extracts below from The Parish 

Magazine reveal: 

SUNDAY PRAYERS 

On Sundays there was no service at which 

there was not some remembrance made 

of the war and the men in it, less in the 

morning than at evensong when the 

second part of the usual prayers gave place, 

by permission of the Bishop, to the special 

prayers issued for the war. This praying, 

varied according to the circumstances of 

the war, was always very real; each prayer 

was bidden by a special thought given 

by the Vicar; and the hush that filled the 

church while the prayer was said spoke of 

itself for the reality with which the prayer 

was offered. 

THE SOLDIERS BELL 

Almost from the beginning of the war 

a church bell was rung every day to call 

people for the prayers of those at home 

on behalf of those absent on service; and 

whenever one of our men fell in warfare, 

the same bell tolled at noon made everyone 

know that a soldier had gone. It came to be 

known as 'the soldiers’ bell.' 

WEEKDAY PRAYERS 

At each daily service throughout the war, 

remembrance was made of it in prayer, and 

at the end of Evensong, first the sailors and 

then the soldiers of our parish, each in a 

separate prayer, were committed to God’s 

care for the coming night. 

Our men when they come back will at 

least never be able to say that while absent 

they were forgotten in their old church; 

and perhaps a grateful remembrance of 

this will bring them back to the use of their 

church when they return. 

PARISH COMFORT 

This is something of what was done in 

our church during the war. It is impossible 

to record everything. It is hard to say 

whether the war entered deeply into the 

spiritual consciousness of the people; 

whether it taught any to pray better, or to 

use their Communion better; and whether 

it is leaving behind it any spiritual fruit. 

Only God knows this for certain. No doubt 

it brought neighbours and classes more 

together: mutual interests in common war 

work, the sharing of each others anxieties 

and sorrows, and the one great cause of the 

Empire in which we were all united have 

undoubtedly made people know each other 

better and learn their mutual worth. 

And from the church we cannot help 

thinking that there went out into the 

parish, through those who attended, some 

power to endure, some faith that lifted the 

war up to God, some thought for others, 

some comfort for those tried with anxiety 

or sorrow, some right judgment about our 

cause, some of the finer patriotism — all of 

which has made for the betterment of our 

parish life. God grant that it is so. 

GOOD NEWS 

We had the great pleasure of welcoming 

two of our Prisoners, Frederick Wheeler 

and Sidney Deadman, on the 4th Sunday 

in Advent, December 22nd, when a special 

act of thanksgiving was made for their 

safe return, and allusion was made in the 

evening sermon to their homecoming. 

We have just received the joyful news 

that Wallace White has got home safely 

and is looking very well—a nice 'Christmas 

Box ' for his mother. 

SPECIAL CONSTABLES 

Some of the best work done at home in the 

country’s cause during the war has been 

done by the Special Constables. It required 

patriotism to take up the service at all; 

and it required endurance and a sense of 

discipline to carry it out to the end as it 

was done. 

And from the February 1919 magazine: 

We are very pleased to announce that Sergt 

Walter Oakley has arrived home safe and 

sound. His home-coming was delayed 

through illness. Now we have the four 

whose names are on our list, and whom we 

have so often remembered in our prayers, 

back among us. Thanks be to God!

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AROUND THE VILLAGES — 2 


SONNING VILLAGE SHOW 

This year’s Sonning Village Show was another 

success, reports Phil Sherwood, Sonning Junior 

School's headmaster. We were grateful to host 

the event, and it was heart-warming to see all the 

different community groups come together. I was 

particularly pleased to bring some of my unusual 

pets — Pablo the pig, three pygmy goats (Bert, 

Ernie and Oscar) and two of 12 chickens! 

Sonning School pupils opened the show with 

Maypole Dancing, while the PTA led a number of 

stalls to raise money for the school. 

The show's organising committee added: There were a variety of 

stalls provided by various village organisations and the PTA. Tea 

and cake was supplied by Sonning Glebe WI, a BBQ organised by the 

Scouts and the beer tent was run by the Sonning Club. 

Throughout the afternoon there was live music from the 

Craigievar Ceilidh Band, courtesy of the Sonning Village Fire Brigade 

Trust. The afternoon ended with an auction of produce, prize giving 

and the raffle. 

Thank you to all those who put entries into the various classes, 

cookery, art, photography, vegetables, flowers and craft and everyone 

that helped out, and a big thank you to everyone who attended. 

All pictures by Phil Sherwwod


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around the villages — 3 

Sonning Village Show Prize Winners 

Brutton Cup 

Sonning Glebe WI Golden Spoon 

Jubilee Cup 

Hillier Cup 

Nobby Clark Onion Cup 

Les Moss Tankard 

David Penny Trophy 

Catton Cup 

Flower Club Prize 

Children, Flower Club Prize 

Sonning Glebe WI Trophy 

British Legion Cup 

Bill Gallimore Trophy 

Martha Angel Centenary Cup 

Wethered Flower Cup 

White Hart Cup 

Infants Section 

Pegs Egg Challenge 

George Lamb Trophy 

Carole Collier/ 

Diane Reeves 

Maureen Garner 

Jason Collier 

John Gale 

John Gale 

JJ Vizern 

John Gale 

Enid Harvey 

Yvonne Hatcher 

Emily Voss 

Peter Keep 

Jill Forbes 

Sue Sheppard 

Gill Sheffield 

Bernadette Varilone 

Jonathan Smyley 

Ashling Hyland 

Bessie Thomas 

Izzie Sawyer 

Jason Collier 

Richard Pownall 

Lynda Tolworthy 

Bernadette Varilone - best sun flower head 

Sonning Village Show Guide Quiz Answers 

1 A happy event linked to precious metal Marigold 

2 It’s always the best policy Honesty 

3 A wild animals hand garment Foxglove 

4 Wintry Shower Snowdrop 

5 Double facial feature Tulip 

6 Milk that’s condensed Carnation 

7 A vicious Welsh emblem Snapdragon 

8 A fatty drinking vessel Butter Cup 

9 Could this be “back to the _ _ _ _ _ _ _” Fuchsia 

10 This Flower thickens sauces Cornflower 

11 A strong reminder of remembrance Poppy 

12 Might greet someone called Cynthia Hyacinth 

13 A cute little vegetable Sweet Pea 

14 A witch in flight could use this Broom 

15 Bovine underwear Cowslip 

16 Amphibian linen Toadflax 

17 They come in hosts Daffodils 

18 This sounds like a pupil Iris 

19 Duration Thyme 

20 Bill sounds like a nice fellow Sweet William 

21 She won’t be at the top of the mountain Lily of the Valley 

22 This one likes to ride a tandem Daisy 

23 Not night time – Shakespeare Character Day Lily 

24 Not a Friend Anemone 

25 Not Shrinking this one! Violet 

26 Sad ringer Bluebell 

27 Red and Invincible – never to be found Scarlet Pimpernel 

28 Sounds like a lot of sheep Phlox 

29 Our capital haughtiness London Pride 

30 Such a proper English emblem Rose 

31 The notorious Lady of Cliveden (Lady) Aster 

32 Fashionable Feline Dandelion 

33 Sleep Therapy Lavender 

34 Could this be Marlene or- the Pink Lily 

35 Musical Instrument Viola 


Art Group wins 21 Show prizes 

Sonning Art Group walked away with 21 of this year's 

Sonning Show prizes. While they were not all for art, they 

had entries in most of the 'classes'. 

Sue Sheppard was the star performer winning five first 

prizes and was awarded the Bill Gallimore Plate for the 

second year running. 

Lynda Tolworthy was delighted to get the most votes 

for a favourite picture with her painting of a cheetah, at 

the excellent exhibition staged by the group in one of the 

classrooms. It won the George Lamb Trophy. 

Bernadette Varilone also picked up prizes for her runner 

beans and the largest weathered sunflower head, including the 

Wethered Flower Cup. 

The art group's Chairman's Cup for competition entries was 

won jointly by Bernadette Varilone for an acrylic painting and 

Carolyn Holding who produced a beautiful work in pencil. 

£5,150 raised for charities 

On a beautiful day in September the Inner Wheel and Rotary 

Clubs of Reading Maiden Erlegh held a joint Macmillan coffee 

morning in a member’s garden and raised £800. Then at their 

September meeting, the Inner Wheel president presented a 

cheque for £4,350 to Berkshire Women's Aid. 

This year Inner Wheel will be volunteering and raising funds 

for its chosen charity, Cowshed, which works positively to 

ensure families in need have gifts and hampers for Christmas. 

Inner Wheel meets at Sonning Golf Club on the third 

Thursday evening of every month and welcomes new members 

to join in the fun, take part in activities, raise funds for charity 

and support the local community. 

This is a special year as Inner Wheel, which was founded in 

the UK and is now a worldwide organisation, is celebrating its 

centenary. For more information: 

https://www.innerwheelrme.org or iwcrme@gmail.com 

V&A Fun at AGM 

Sonning and Sonning Eye Society AGM and Supper is on 18 

November in Pearson Hall when the guest speaker will be 

Cathy Haill, the curator of the Fun Things at the V&A. Book 

on https://sonning.org.uk or contact Penny Feathers on 0118 

9343193, penny.feathers@btinternet.com Tickets £25 Welcoming 

drink and the AGM starts at 7.15 sharp 

Charvil Singers voices diary 

4 November: 2 - 4pm. a singing afternoon for female voices 

working on a medley from the musical Les Miserables for SSA 

choir. Price, £10 includes music 

27 November: 8 - 9.30pm, singing evening for female voices 

working on a selection of Eva Cassidy songs including her 

beautiful version of Over the Rainbow for a two part choir. Price, 

£10 which includes music 

9 December: 2 - 4pm. Christmas singing afternoon for female 

voices. Price £10 includes music 

3 & 10 December: 6 - 8pm, two evening courses for female 

voices working on a medley of songs by music theatre composer 

Stephen Schwartz for a two-part choir. Songs from Wicked, 

Godspell, Pocahontas and more! Price, £20 includes music. 

To book for any of these sessions: Suzanne Newman 0118 934 

0589 / suzanneynewman@btinternet.com



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THE ARTS 

A glimpse 

of eternity 

By Rev Canon Michael Burgess 

Each month we have explored how 

art celebrates the wonder of our 

world – the seasons, the elements, 

animals and fish, flowers and fruit. 

They manifest the glory of God the 

creator. Irenaeus, the 2nd Century 

theologian, went further and wrote 

that ‘the glory of God is a living 

person.’ 

He was echoing Psalm 8: ‘What are 

human beings that you are mindful of 

them…you have crowned them and put 

all things under their feet.’ 

Yes, the universe teaches of God 

the creator, but in becoming one of 

us, the Son of God has put human 

beings above all Creation. 

The nobility of that vision is 

captured in this 1st Century wall 

painting from Pompeii showing Neo 

and his wife. They lived at a time 

when St Paul was preaching and the 

gospels were being written. 

ALMOND EYES 

We don’t know if those events 

made an impact on their lives. But we 

do know that St Paul was executed 

around AD67, and just 12 years 

later this couple were victims of the 

eruption of Mount Vesuvius. 

Their almond-shaped eyes are like 

windows into their souls. We sense 

the beauty, but also the fragility. 

They tell us that life is a gift to be 

cherished precisely because it is so 

easily taken from us. Neo’s intense 

eyes look at us, while his wife looks 

beyond into the distance. She has the 

eyes of hopes and dreams that were 

cruelly shattered by the volcano. 

Living men and women, like this 

couple, are tokens of the wonder of 

creation, but they also tell us of the 

transience of that very gift of life. 

‘Where can we place our hope?’ we 

ask ourselves. The feasts of All Saints 

and All Souls tell us that the end 

of life here is a door opening into a 

greater glory and a brighter light. 

There is wonder and beauty in 

life here, and with the eyes of faith 

we can look beyond to glimpse the 

wonder of eternity. 

1st Century Pompeii wall painting showing Neo and his wife. 

Advent Book Review 

Stick with Love 

— Rejoicing in 

Every Tongue, 

Every Tribe, 

Every Nation 

The Archbishop of 

York's Advent Book 

2023 

By Arun Arora, 

SPCK, £10.99 

Martin Luther King famously 

declared that 'I have decided to stick 

with love ... hate is too great a burden to 

bear'. 

In these luminous daily readings, 

Arun Arora helps us consider the 

Biblical picture of the Church as the 

people of God, drawn from every 

tribe, every tongue, and every nation. 

Themes of racial justice, 

hospitality and welcome are explored 

alongside the stories of saints from 

across the globe. 

Beginning with reflections 

from Isaiah and Revelation, the 

meditations lead us on to consider 

the missionaries, martyrs and 

mystics who light our Advent way. 


Naples National Archaeological Museum 

Poetry Corner 

Decisive 

Departure 

By Steven Rolling 

Based on: 2 Timothy 4: 6-8 

Tune: Song 34 

(‘Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go’) 

Paul said, I am now ready to 

Be offered, Lord, my life to you 

Time of my departure at hand 

You give me grace to understand 

I have fought a good fight, and I 

By your help you I not deny 

I have finished my course, my race 

Now to leave earth for better place 

I have kept the faith, and from now 

There is laid up a crown, ‘tis how 

The Lord, the righteous judge rewards 

Crown of righteousness me affords 

At the last day it me shall give 

He, Lord of life, does ever live 

Not given only unto me 

Also to all who love Him, see 

Lilkar, dreamstime.com



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HEALTH — 1 

When I was at medical school, and as a junior doctor, we used to see a lot of heart 

failure patients. Congestive cardiac failure or cardiac asthma were common 

terms. 

We used to see this mainly in patients 

with ischaemic heart disease — poor 

blood supply to the heart — caused 

by high incidence of smoking and 

poorer health. They would come into 

hospital incredibly short of breath 

and overloaded with fluid. Often an 

infection had ‘tipped’ the balance 

or they had become unwell over a 

number of weeks and the infection 

was secondary. 

We had ‘pet’ names to remember 

the cocktail of drugs that the patients 

required and still do when presenting. 

Digifrusicillin was one. 

A cocktail of antibiotics, diuretics, 

to get rid of fluid and digoxin which 

makes the heart beat more strongly 

and in a better rhythm. 

The regimes have been refined to 

reflect modern drugs but the theory is 

the same. Patients aged from 65 were 

classified as geriatric then! The pet 

name was ‘Gerifix.’ 

Sadly, a diagnosis of heart failure 

had a worse 5 year outcome than a 

diagnosis of cancer. 

Gladly, we’ve moved on in the 

facts that 65 is not old, 65 year olds 

generally lead healthier working 

and life styles than their forebears, 

modern drugs, reduced smoking rates 

have all helped and we can discard the 

flippancy. 

There are many reasons why the 

heart fails: poor blood supply, years 

of non treated high blood pressure, 

heart valve disease, an abnormality of 

the muscle, genetic or inflammatory, 

rhythm disturbance, thyroid disease, 

medications and recreational drugs 

including alcohol. 

The symptoms of 

heart failure can be a bit confused as 

sometimes the symptoms of the cause 

of heart failure get mixed up. Some 

people just feel tired, their get up and 

go has got up and gone. They may not 

feel able to concentrate. Shortness of 

breath on lying down and exertion. 

Ankle swelling, abdomen swelling and 

nausea, cough, wheeze irregular or fast 

heart beat. 

Like a broken record — don’t 

smoke, don’t drink to excess, and 

exercise.' 

Know your cholesterol level and 

your blood pressure. This will maintain 

heart health and can reduce your risk 

of heart failure from ischaemic heart 

disease or muscle failure due to years 

of high blood pressure. 

Sadly, some highly effective 

medications against cancer can 

cause heart failure, this improves on 

stopping the medication and very 

careful monitoring is required if 

the cancer drug is still deemed to be 

required or effective. 

BAD LUCK 

Some rarer forms of heart failure 

are just bad luck and we don’t know 

why they occur. 

Takotsubo heart failure and peripartum 

heart failure are two of these. 

Stressful events can lead your 

heart to change shape and fail. It gets 

better with time and symptoms can 

be managed with medications. (I have 

previously written about Takotsubo and it 

involves Japanese fishermen.) 

Developing heart failure around the 

time of childbirth is incredibly rare and 

also improves but the added pressure 

of child birth and having a young 

family must be awful to cope with 

heart failure symptoms. 

Viral infections can set up 

myocarditis. 

A few weeks after infection the 

symptoms of heart failure can 

develop. A reaction causes 

inflammation in the heart 

muscle leading to the muscle to 

become weak. The heart dilates, the 

valves leak and the heart can 


Dr Simon Ruffle writes . . . Heart failure 

PET NAMES 

Dzmitry Skazau, dreamstime.com 

KNOW YOUR BODY 

change rhythm and fail. No one 

knows who this will happen to and it 

can affect someone with no previous 

cardiac history. Covid is a reason for 

this condition. 

There are effective treatments 

for this although complete recovery 

depends on if the inflammation has 

caused any permanent damage. 

Infection can also cause pericarditis 

which can cause fluid to build up 

around the heart or the sac that the 

heart sits in can become tight. Both 

are reversible causes of heart failure; 

medicines and sometimes surgery are 

required. 

Some families unfortunately 

have a genetic propensity to get a 

cardiomyopathy. This is where the 

muscle changes. Sometimes it thins, 

sometimes it thickens and leads to 

dysfunction. Modern medicines and 

surgery has changed the outlook for 

many patients. 

RECREATIONAL DRUGS 

Young people who use recreational 

drugs, especially cocaine in conjunction 

with alcohol, can present with heart 

failure. This combination is used to 

make the high, higher and longer and 

has a 25 fold increased incidence of 

immediate death. 

Cocaethylene is created by the 

body when cocaine and ethanol are 

taken together. It can poison the liver, 

heart muscle and the cells that are our 

natural pacemaker. 

OLD AGE 

One of the reasons we see heart 

failure is just old age. The heart is a 

muscle but a special type as it doesn’t 

fatigue like your other muscles. 

Imagine doing between 60 and 120 

arm curls, even without a weight, in a 

minute all day every day for three score 

years and more. Try it! But the muscle 

fibres do get older and sometimes 

stiffer. 

LET'S BEAT HF 

Pumping Marvellous Foundation 

raises awareness of heart failure. They 

quote the New York Heart Association 

classification of heart failure which I 

was taught many years ago: 

TURN TO PAGE 33



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FROM PAGE 31 

HEALTH — 2 

Heart failure 

HOME AND GARDEN 


Class 1 heart failure: There are no 

heart failure symptoms. 

Class 2 heart failure: Everyday 

activities can be done without 

difficulty. But exertion causes 

shortness of breath or fatigue. 

Class 3 heart failure: It's difficult to 

complete everyday activities. 

Class 4 heart failure: Shortness 

of breath occurs even at rest. This 

category includes the most severe 

heart failure. 

Pumping Marvellous Foundation's 

main message is: 

— Breathless 

— Exhausted 

— Ankle Swelling 

— Time for a blood test 

Let's #BeatHF together! 

The Foundation promotes a simple 

blood test which is a good start to 

getting reassurance or a diagnosis. 

I became aware of this 

organisation while doing some 

research into heart failure as I have 

recently had myocarditis from a viral 

infection that left me unable to work 

for a few weeks in the summer. I’m 

blaming this on missing the deadline 

for the last edition of this magazine! 

Luckily, I have no underlying 

heart disease, confirmed by the 

wonderful team at the Jim Shahi 

Unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital 

and I am on the mend. 

For more information about BEATHF: 

https://pumpingmarvellous.org 

Note: Patients of Twyford Surgery are 

aware that I have left the surgery after 

26 years and am looking for different 

roles as I am not retiring. I’d like to 

abuse this platform to say thank you 

to my colleagues, staff and the patients 

for a wonderful career at Twyford. 

I look forward to continuing to 

contribute to The Parish Magazine. 

Keep your family safe from fireworks! 

Every year, thousands of people — including many children— are injured 

badly enough to require medical treatment following a fireworks-related 

accident. 

While some are injured trying to 

use professional-grade or illegal 

fireworks, don’t be in any doubt: small 

firecrackers and sparklers can also 

cause significant damage. 

No wonder, then, that the National 

Safety Council strongly advises people 

to 'enjoy fireworks at public displays 

conducted by professionals', and not to 

use any fireworks at home. 'They may 

be legal, but they are not safe.' 

SPARKLERS? 

Take sparklers, for example. Young 

children wave them around each year, 

with parents seemingly oblivious to 

the fact that sparklers burn at 2,000 

degrees – which is hot enough to melt 

some metals, never mind ravage a 

child’s hand or foot! Sparklers can 

quickly ignite clothing, too. 

According to the National Fire 

Protection Association, sparklers 

account for more than 25% of all 

emergency room visits for firework 

injuries. For children under five years 

old, sparklers account for nearly half of 

the total estimated injuries. 

Instead, NSC advises parents with 

young children to use glow sticks, 

confetti paper or coloured streamers. 

Meanwhile, did you know? 

Fireworks start an average of 

19,000 fires each year. If you are still 

determined to have home fireworks, 

here are some safety tips: 

— Never allow young children to 

handle fireworks. 

— Older children should use them only 

under close adult supervision. 

Tom Wang, dreamstime.com 

— Never use fireworks while impaired 

by drugs or alcohol. 

— Anyone using fireworks or standing 

nearby should use protective eye 

wear. 

— Never hold lighted fireworks in your 

hands. 

— Never light them indoors. 

— Only use them away from people, 

houses, and flammable material. 

— Never point or throw fireworks at 

another person. 

— Only light one device at a time and 

maintain a safe distance after 

lighting. 

— Never ignite devices in a container. 

— Do not try to re-light or handle 

malfunctioning fireworks. 

— Soak both spent and unused 

fireworks in water for a few hours 

before discarding. 

— Keep a bucket of water nearby to 

extinguish fireworks that don't go 

off or in case of fire. 

— Never use illegal fireworks.



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FASHION BY HARRIET NELSON 


24 November: Black Friday v Buy Nothing Day 

Rose-marie Henriksson, dreamstime.com 

Black Friday is fast approaching and many people are gearing up to take 

advantage of the latest online and in-store bargains that will be available 

this month, but there is also the opportunity not to spend anything! 

Unsurprisingly, this is one of the 

most profitable times for fashion 

retailers and brands. 

During Black Friday 2022, 

statistics showed that 53% of 

consumers spent money on fashion 

items over the Black Friday period. 

The type of fashion purchased 

during this time was mostly fast 

fashion, which is cheap and trendy 

clothing that copies ideas from the 

catwalks or celebrity culture and is 

then turned into garments for high 

street stores and online markets to 

rapidly meet consumer demand. 

TOXIC OVERPRODUCTION 

Most of these garments are 

bought at the height of their 

popularity during Black Friday sales 

and then, sadly, discarded after being 

worn just a few times. 

This way of shopping forms 

a considerable part of the toxic 

overproduction and consumption 

system, making fashion one of the 

world's largest polluters. But that's 

the fashion world for you! 

However, not all hope is lost; 

there is now a countermovement to 

stop people from spending so much 

during this month. 

As an alternative to the excesses 

of Black Friday, 24 November has 

increasingly been highlighted as a 

day for purchasing nothing at all. 

24 November is now officially 

known worldwide as 'Buy Nothing 

Day'! 

It's a 24 hour detox from 

consumerism and an opportunity for 

people to focus on the impact that 

shopping has on the environment. 

People worldwide have made a 

pact with themselves to take a break 

from consumption as a personal 

experience and they will try not to 

purchase anything on this day. 

But how can you take part? 

It's simple! It could mean no food 

shopping, no meals out, no cinema 

trips, no buying petrol, no rounds 

Jimmy Pontoh, dreamstime.com 

Juan Moyano, dreamstime.com 

down the pub, no new clothing 

items, not even buying a coffee on 

the way to work! 

People taking part during this day 

won't be able to purchase tickets for 

public transport, so you may want to 

try out an old bicycle instead to get 

from A to B. 

A CHALLENGE 

Buy Nothing Day will no doubt be 

challenging for most, as our economy 

and everyday life is centred around 

money. 

If we continue to carry on as we 

are, by consuming fashion in such 

volumes, experts predict that by 

2050 the world will generate about 

3.4 billion tonnes of waste each year. 

This would be a 70% increase 

compared with 2016 levels. 

However, suppose we all take 

simple steps to reduce our daily 

consumption? 

We can all change our attitude 

towards single-use packaging, fast 

fashion, and throw-away culture. 

The world could become so much 

better if we changed our spending 

habits! 

One day in November may seem 

like a small step to reduce our impact 

on the environment; however, if we 

all start with one day, it may lead to 

many more spending-free days that 

will, over time, reduce the waste we 

produce. 

This will eventually help our 

environment and world to recover 

and slowly thrive again. 

Will you take part in Buy Nothing 

Day this year?

36 The Parish Magazine - November 2023 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement 

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SIG_ADV_CAV_0523_SonningParishMag_02.indd 1


History PUZZLE PAGE — 1 

Was it really? . . . 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Eternal Flame under the Arc de 

Triomphe in Paris, France 

Hcazenave, dreamstime.com 

. . . 100 YEARS AGO on 11 November 1923 that the eternal 

flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the 

Arc de Triomphe in Paris (above) was lit. It was the first 

modern-day eternal flame in Europe. 

. . . 80 YEARS AGO from 28 November to 1 December 1943 

that the Tehran Conference in Iran was held. US President 

Franklin D Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston 

Churchill and Soviet Leader Joseph Stalin met to discuss 

plans for a second front against Nazi Germany. This led to 

the D-Day assault on Normandy and the Allied invasion of 

occupied Europe, starting in June 1944. 

. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 14 November 1948 that His Royal 

Highness King Charles III was born. 

. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 22 November 1963 that US President 

John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas by suspected 

gunman Lee Harvey Oswald. 

. . . ALSO 60 YEARS AGO on 23 November 1963 that the 

first episode of the science fiction television series Doctor 

Who was broadcast in the UK. It is the longest-running 

and most successful science fiction TV series in the world. 

. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 13 November 1973 that Britain 

declared a state of emergency as a strike by coal miners 

caused supplies to dwindle. A 3-day week was introduced 

to conserve supplies. 

Country Verse Search by Ralph 

A 

I 

P 

O 

I 

H 

T 

E 

N 

G 

L 

A 

N 

D 

A 

L 

W 

C 

S 

G 

Y 

A 

B 

N 

G 

E 

A 

E 

U 

R 

I 

I 

T 

O 

E 

U 

E 

L 

A 

S 

T 

A 

S 

N 

G 

E 

A 

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G 

L 

L 

A 

I 

A 

S 

P 

T 

T 

R 

Y 

T 

O 

U 

I 

L 

A 

A 

B 

L 

L 

N 

T 

I 

N 

R 

Ralph Hewitt is a Sonning resident and a member of a local 

Methodist Church. He not only loves doing puzzles but he 

creates them for fun. The grid above contains the names of 

26 countries. They all have five letters or more in their name. 

Their initial letters are: 6A; 3B; 2C; 4E; 5G; 2H; 2L; S and Y; 

See if you can find them! If you find all 26 you will find that 

the unused letters spell out a relevant verse from the Old 

Testament (KJV). You might even manage to identify the 

verse. Answers next month. Good luck and God Bless! 

Write your answers here . . . 

C 

T 

Y 

H 

G 

O 

V 

D 

I 

M 

R 

A 

E 

M 

H 

H 

P 

H 

I 

U 

I 

M 

N 

E 

A 

E 

E 

I 

Y 

E 

E 

M 

N 

O 

O 

H 

N 

I 

I 

L 

O 

Y 

A 

C 

Z 

N 

A 

B 

D 

G 

P 

A 

I 

A 

A 

N 

U 

A 

U 

E 

S 

S 

R 

F 

U 

I 

I 

N 

A 

A 

N 

L 

P 

C 

G 

T 

N 

A 

R 

R 

R 

D 

A 

M 

W 

O 

S 

Y 

E 

O 

E 

O 

H 

T 

O 

I 

A 

R 

N 

G 

I 

P 

E 

O 

V 

I 

T 

S 

M 

S 

D 

E 

S 

N 

A 

R 

Y 

M 

U 

I 

N 

U 

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Y 

A 

G 

N 

A 

T 

U 

H 

B 

E 

N 

N 

A 

A 

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N 

E 

M 

R 

A 

S 

H 

W 

G 

N 

T 

A 

. . . 40 YEARS AGO on 14 November 1983 that British 

Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine announced that the 

first American Cruise missiles had arrived at Greenham 

Common airbase. 

. . . 30 YEARS AGO on 1 November 1993 that the 

Maastricht Treaty established the European Union. 

. . . 20 YEARS AGO on 22 November 2003 that England won 

the Rugby World Cup for the first time. 

. . . 15 YEARS on 14 – 15 November 2008 that the first G20 

Summit was held in Washington DC. It was established as 

a result of the 2008 financial crisis. 

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S CITY VERSE PUZZLE 

MOSCOW 

WARSAW 

LONDON 

CANBERRA 

SWANSEA 

BIRMINGHAM 

BUCHAREST 

LEEDS 

SINGAPORE 

AMSTERDAM 

TEHERAN 

VIENNA 

BUDAPEST 

COPENHAGEN 

SEOUL 

SANTIAGO 

The town was: LLANDUDNO 

BARCELONA 

OTTAWA 

LISBON 

NICOSIA 

SAN SALVADOR 

PRAGUE 

HELSINKI 

ATHENS 

The hidden Bible verse was from GENESIS 13:12 (NIV) 

Lot lived among the cities of the plain

38 The Parish Magazine - November 2023 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement

PUZZLE PAGE — 2 

CROSSWORD 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

8 

9 10 

11 12 

13 

14 

SUDOKU 


answers in the next issue 

October 

Solutions 

CROSSWORD 

A L A S E S T R A N G E 

R D C M E U X 

G L U C O S E S A L S A 

U L N L T L G 

M O T E T T E A R I N G 

E I S U F E 

N A M I N G P R A Y E R 

T O U O A A 

A B S C O N D T R A I T 

T E U D E M E 

I D L E S S N U B B E D 

V L L O R L L 

E V E R Y O N E D E W Y 

15 16 

17 18 

19 20 

21 22 

Across 

Across 

- Settee (4) 

1 - Settee (4) 

- Merciless (8) 

3 - Merciless (8) 

- Direct or control a machine (7) 

9 - Direct or control a machine (7) 

- (5) 

10 - Danger (5) 

11 - Attempt to do to (3) do (3) 

12 -- Seventh sign of sign the zodiac of the (5) zodiac (5) 

13 -- Barrier (5) (5) 

15 -- Manages (5) (5) 

17 

17 

-- Impress 

Impress 

on paper 

on 

(5) 

paper (5) 

18 - Cereal plant (3) 

18 - Cereal plant (3) 

19 - Touch on; mention (5) 

19 - Touch on; mention (5) 

20 - Small bone (7) 

20 - Small bone (7) 

21 - White flakes in the hair (8) 

21 - White flakes in the hair (8) 

22 - Goes wrong (4) 

22 - Goes wrong (4) 

CODEWORD 

Down 

Down 

1 - Easily angered (5-8) 

1 - Easily angered (5-8) 

2 - Short-tempered; ardent (5) 

2 - Short-tempered; ardent (5) 

4 - Not level (6) 

4 - Not level (6) 

5 - Despair (12) 

5 - Despair (12) 

6 - Dressed in a (7) 

6 - Dressed in a vestment (7) 

7 - Conscious knowledge of 

oneself 8 (4-9) - Maker (12) 

8 - Maker (12) 

14 - Light 16 - fabric Bribe (6) often made 

of silk (7) 18 - Carer (anag) (5) 

16 - Bribe (6) 

18 - Carer (anag) (5) 

23 21 21 6 26 15 23 13 15 2 4 

7 - Conscious knowledge of oneself (4-9) 

14 - Light fabric often made of silk (7) 

6 4 7 26 8 6 4 

24 24 5 11 15 16 25 1 23 14 

11 23 2 23 3 26 19 4 6 

15 15 4 3 4 3 10 4 24 

13 23 3 4 11 13 4 10 18 

8 4 13 3 17 15 

6 9 15 3 6 1 23 13 13 

3 4 19 19 23 11 5 22 23 

6 4 10 7 10 6 22 4 11 

12 4 3 15 11 5 24 4 15 26 

25 6 4 13 21 4 4 

15 11 20 5 15 21 15 13 6 24 21 

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 

V 

N 

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

A 

Each of the nine blocks has to contain all the 

numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number 

can only appear once in a row, column or box. 

WORDSEARCH FOR ST ANDREW 

This month, on 30 November, Scotland 

remembers one of the very first disciples 

of Jesus. St Andrew is honoured, not 

for any mighty deeds of his own, but for 

his love of introducing people to Jesus. 

He went straight off and introduced 

his brother Peter to the Saviour, and 

followed that up by bringing Nathanael/ 

Bartholomew to Jesus. ‘Better Together’ 

seems to have been his slogan, too! ‘We 

have found the Messiah!’, he told them, 

unable to keep the good news to himself. 

Andrew’s connection with Scotland 

dates back to the claimed translation 

of his remains from Patras in Achaia 

to Scotland in the eighth century. The 

church in Fife where these remains were 

buried became a place of pilgrimage 

during the tenth century. All of this may 

be no more than pious legend, but 

that St Andrew was highly regarded in 

Scotland and became its patron saint is 

beyond doubt. 

SCOTLAND 

DISCIPLES 

JESUS 

ANDREW 

HONOURED 

PETER 

NATHANAEL 

BARTHOLOMEW 

MESSIAH 

SAVIOUR 

PATRAS 

ARCHAIA 

EIGHTH 

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Local Trades and Services 


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 

CHIROPODY AND PODIATRY 

Linda Frewin MInstChp, HCPC member 

General foot care and treatments 

25 Ashtrees Road, Woodley RG5 4LP 

0118 969 6978 - 0790 022 4999 

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 

COMPUTER FRUSTRATIONS? 

For jargon free help with your computer problems 

PC & laptop repairs, upgrades, installations, virus removal 

Free advice, reasonable rates 

0798 012 9364 help@computerfrustrations.co.uk 

INTERSMART LIMITED 

Electrical Installation and Smart Home Automation 

intersmartuk@gmail.com 

Elliott — 0777 186 6696 

Nick — 0758 429 4986 

HANDYMAN & DECORATING SERVICES 

Reliable and affordable 

Small jobs a speciality! 

Call Andy on 0795 810 0128 

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

JAMES AUTOS 

Car Servicing, Repairs and MOT 

Mole Road, Sindlesham, RG41 5DJ 

0118 977 0831 

http://www.jamesautos.co.uk 

ALL AERIALS 

A local business based in Sonning. TV - FM - DAB aerials etc. 

Sky dishes. Communal premises IRS systems, TV points. 

Free estimates - All work guaranteed 

0118 944 0000 

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 

PROFESSIONAL HOME VISIT SERVICE 

Thames Valley Will Service 

Also Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate Service 

We are still working during the pandemic period 

0134 464 1885 tvwills@yahoo.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, garden construction, 

patios, lawns, fencing, decking etc 

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

office@smallwoodlandscaping.co.uk 

WANT HELP WITH AN ‘ODD JOB’? 

For local odd jobs please call Phil on 

0118 944 0000 

0797 950 3908 

Thames Street, Sonning 

BIG HEART TREE CARE 

Reliable and friendly service for all tree care 

NPTC qualified — Public Liability of £10million 

0118 937 1929 0786 172 4071 

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

BERKSHIRE STUMP REMOVALS 

Stump grinding and tree stump removal 

Latest narrow access machinery 

Contact: Mark 

0798 495 7334 http://www.berkshirestumpremoval 

CHLOE LEFROY COUNSELLING SONNING 

BACP Accredited Private Psychotherapy 

Online or in-person with over 10 years experience 

I offer you a confidential and empathic space 

https//:www.chloelefroycounselling.com / 0758 731 0902 

Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements

CHILDREN'S PAGE 

The Parish Magazine - November 2023 41

42 The Parish Magazine - November 2023 Please mention The Parish Magazine when replying to advertisements 

information — 2 

Parish contacts 

Ministry Team 

— The Vicar: Revd Jamie Taylor (Day off Friday) 

The Parish Office, Thames Street, Sonning, RG4 6UR 

vicar@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298 

— Youth Minister: Chris West (Westy) 

youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk / 0794 622 4106 

— Licensed Lay Minister: Bob Peters 

bob@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 377 5887 

Children's Ministry 

— Alison Smyly office@sonningparish.org.uk / 0118 969 3298 

Churchwardens 

— Stuart Bowman sdbowman73@aol.com / 0118 978 8414 

— Liz Nelson liz.nelson1@ntlworld.com / 0779 194 4270 

Deputy Churchwardens 

— Simon Darvall sdarvall@businessmoves.com / 0793 928 2535 

— Terry Hunt terencehunt@me.com / 0773 470 7368 

— Sue Peters mail@susanjpeters.com / 0118 377 5887 

— Ruth Jeffrey, 0118 969 3298 

— Molly Woodley (deputy churchwarden emeritus) 

mollywoodley@live.co.uk / 0118 946 3667 

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 Meenan MA ARCO 

music@sonningparish.org.uk 

Safeguarding Officer 

— Nicola Riley 0118 969 3298 

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 

Parish Website: http://www.sonningparish.org.uk 

The Parish Magazine: http://www.theparishmagazine.co.uk 

— Editor: Bob Peters 

editor@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 377 5887 

— Advertising: Harriet Nelson / 0770 707 7773 

advertising@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 

— Print and Distribution: Gordon Nutbrown 

classified@theparishmagazine.co.uk / 0118 969 3282 

— Treasurer: Pat Livesey pat.livesey@yahoo.co.uk / 0118 961 8017 

— 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 The Print 

Factory at Sarum Graphics Ltd, Old Sarum, Salisbury SP4 6QX 

— The Parish Magazine is distributed by Abracadabra Leaflet 

Distribution Ltd, Reading RG7 1AW 

— The Parish Magazine template was designed in 2012 by Roger 

Swindale rogerswindale@hotmail.co.uk and David Woodward 

david@designforprint.org 

Advertisers' index 

ABD Construction 6 

Abbey School 26 

Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society 20 

ACG Services Locksmith 40 

Active Security 26 

AJ Wealth Management 28 

All Aerials 40 

AMS Water Softeners 28 

Barn Store Henley 16 

Berkshire Stump Removals 40 

Big Heart Tree Care 40 

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors 14 

Blue Moose 30 

Bridge House 43 

Bridges Home Care 10 

Bull Inn 30 

Canon Tree Care 28 

CBLS consultants Architecture Design 18 

Chimney Sweep, Thames 40 

Chiropody, Linda Frewin 40 

Chloe Lefroy Counselling Sonning 40 

Clark Bicknell 40 

Computer Frustrations 40 

Design for Print 28 

Freebody Boatbuilders 6 

French Horn 44 

Gardiner’s Homecare 30 

Good Oaks Homecare 18 

Great House Sonning 10 

Handyman and Decorating Services 40 

Haslams Estate Agents 2 

Heathium Clinics 20 

Hicks Group 16 

Home Stair Lifts 28 

Intersmart Electrical Installations 40 

Innertonic 18 

James Autos 40 

Jones & Sheppard Stone Masons 32 

Kingfisher Bathrooms 12 

MC Cleaning 40 

Mill at Sonning 4 

M & L Healthcare Solutions 12 

Muck & Mulch 32 

Odd Jobs 40 

Pysiocare Body Management 38 

Queen Anne’s School 34 

Reading Blue Coat School 10 

Richfield Flooring 14 

Sabella Interior Design 24 

Seniors Helping Seniors 32 

Shiplake College 14 

Signature Care Homes 36 

Sonning Golf Club 34 

Sonning Scouts Marquees 32 

Smallwood Garden Services 40 

Style by Julie 6 

The Humble Tiffin 28 

Thames Valley Water Softeners 6 

Thames Valley Wills Service 40 

The 50 Plus Home Repairs 32 

Tomalin Funerals 16 

Walker Funerals 12 

Water Softener Salt 16 

Window Cleaner 16



A shared passion for 

the finest care 

At Bridge House we care passionately about enabling our residents to live their best lives. 

Every day is different, but our exemplary 

standards of care remain constant, delivered by 

a highly trained and dedicated team of clinical 

nursing and care staff that ensure our residents 

maintain their independence, dignity and enjoy 

a fulfilling day. 

Our welcoming, elegant Georgian country 

house on the edge of Twyford offers a timeless 

calm with stunning views across the grounds to the 

Visit bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk 

river Loddon, whilst our newly built rehabilitation 

centre provides access to short 

term recovery and recuperation though the in 

house team of therapists. 

To discuss your nursing, residential or 

rehabilitation needs, or a visit, please contact 

our new Care Home Manager Rachel Stoneman 

at enquiries@bridgehouseoftwyford.co.uk or 

01189 340777 

A shared passion for later living 

BRIDGE HOUSE 

of Twyford

44 The Parish Magazine - November Please mention 2023The Parish Magazine when responding to this advertisement 

The French Horn, 

Sonning. Quality. 

A continuing commitment to 

wonderful food and wine. 

0118 969 2204 

www.thefrenchhorn.co.uk

The Parish Magazine November 2023

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