From the Rector
Our theme for Advent and Christmas this year is Follow the Star: Calm and Bright.
The run up to Christmas can feel anything but calm: with presents to buy, cards to write, socials to a end, food to shop for and prepare, and so much more! We can o!en find any #me for calm is squeezed out as we strive to prepare and deliver ‘the perfect Christmas’. This year I encourage you to ac#vely seek those moments of calm, and perhaps the church can help you in this, to find a li le peace during this busy period.
Our theme, Follow the Star: Calm and Bright, draws on the world-famous carol, Silent Night:
“Silent Night! Holy Night! All is calm, all is bright...”
One of the reasons that this carol is so universally loved is the way it invites us into the s#ll centre of the Christmas story, to contemplate Mary holding the new-born Jesus, the Light of the World. Come along to church this Advent to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas, whether to our Chris#ngle, Family Carols, Nine Lessons and Carols, Crib Services or Christmas Day itself. We have lots of services as always, so hopefully something for everyone. These are listed in full on the back page of the magazine.
As we reflect on ‘all is bright’ we are reminded that Christmas is a hard #me for many of us, perhaps if we have suffered a bereavement, if finances are par#cularly #ght, if family rela#onships are strained, if we face loneliness on a daily basis. This year we are introducing a new service aimed par#cularly at those who struggle to find the ‘brightness’ in this fes#ve season, ‘Blue Christmas’. This service will include music and space for reflec#on, acknowledging the pain and emp#ness that many face at Christmas, whilst seeking to bring a li le light into #mes of darkness.
I hope that your Christmas is calm and bright, and that, amidst all the busy-ness as well as the struggles Christmas can bring, you can hold fast to the true meaning of Christmas – Jesus, God incarnate, come to live among us and to bring peace and light to the world.
The Revd Hannah Higginson
Our Vision
All Saints will be a church full of life, love and energy, accessible to all,
ac ve in the heart of the community and where all can explore and grow their gi+s and faith in Jesus.
ALL SAINTS PARISH MAGAZINE
All SaintsParish Magazine hasbeen published since at least May1865,possibly makingit the oldest con nually-published parish magazine in the country.
This magazine is published by the Rector and PCC of All Saints Parish Wokingham. Opinions expressed by individual contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers.
Email: editor@allsaintswokingham.org.uk
All Saints PCC Wokingham is a Registered Charity, No. 1127585
Editor: Steve Smith 0118 979 4407
Deputy Editor: Vacant
Produc*on: Jane Hodgson 0118 979 2797
Subs & Distribu*on: David Chapman 0777 199 4461
CopyDateDeadlineforFebruaryIssue: 14January2025
Produc on: 21January2025 Publica on: 26January2025
Subscrip ons: www.allsaintswokingham.org.uk/all-saints-parish-magazine
Parish Office
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The Cornerstone Norreys Avenue
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Staffed Monday-Thursday 9:30 - 2:30
November’s PCC Meeting
Hannah started the mee ng with some key announcements including that of Peter Barre ’s licensing as a lay preacher ini ally for two years. He is already undertaking some quite significant training, and we can expect him to be preaching to us all soon.
It’s budget me! So the finance item was quite a long one.
The first item was not strictly the budget. The café has been doing well, not just in community terms, but also financially it is now breaking even. But as many know only too well, the coffee machine is infuria ng us all by its frequent breakdowns. We now have an agreement from the PCC that we should take out a lease on a new coffee machine: new should mean more reliable. Sandra Burbury has done a lot of research to find a responsive supplier and we hope for far fewer breakdowns from now on but equally good coffee.
Then we agreed fees increase of about 2% for wedding and funeral fees – or at least the ones we control. Many of them are set centrally by the Church of England and we expect a similar increase on those.
We also discussed the magazine price. Since we set the price for a colour copy, infla on general prices have gone up by over 20%. The PCC agreed we should put our subscrip on for a year up to £23 for paper copies, or £10 for the electronic version, and up to £2.50 for a single paper copy.
We then had a long discussion about charity giving from church funds with very varied views from PCC members. Some said we must give because that was part of our discipleship and others that when people gave to All Saints, it was to be used by All Saints and should not be gi:ed to other organisa ons, however worthy. Some wanted all the decision making to be by the PCC; others that it should be by the congrega on. Some felt we should give out of gross income; others that it should be net. The overall conclusion was that we did not have me to change the policy for this year, so we will give 10% of our income to roughly the same chari es as last year. BUT that for next year we must get everyone’s views. There will be an open mee ng over lunch to discuss this on Sunday January 26th, 11am-1:30pm,.
We looked at a number of events planned to raise funds for the church and were par cularly keen to hear about the exci ng ideas for the Christmas Fayre on Saturday 7th December which Roshney Jeyakumar is organising, complete with Santa’s gro o. There is also a Carol concert the following day by the alumni choir - ckets will be on sale a:er services and at the cafe.
We finished the evening with a report about The Cornerstone and the adop on of a new Heath and Safety policy. Anne King As usual these are the personal reflec ons of the author and not the mee ng's official record.
A Surprise Award
The Wokingham Community Awards were held in All Saints church on 13th November. Hos!ng them fits well with our community approach and, on this occasion, it was great to see one of our congrega!on honoured.
Jennifer Spratley was given the award for championing the environment for her indefa!gable collec!on of li'er. No one was more surprised, or more deserving, than Jennifer; thank you to Jean Taylor for nomina!ng her. Many of our readers will also have seen Jennifer on her knees in the churchyard or weeding the cobbles – her environmental creden!als shine out in many ways.
Special Note From The Editor
Dear Reader
As you will see on page 13, it is !me to renew your subscrip!on to this magazine. It is unfortunately necessary to raise the magazine's price, although we have kept the increase to the minimum possible. The ever-rising costs of colour reproduc!on mean that we are barely breaking even on a 36-page edi!on and actually making a loss on a 40-pager. So the cover price is to become £2.50, and subscribers can save on that by paying £23 for the year's ten edi!ons. It's s!ll a bargain— it costs less than Womans Own, and Radio Times costs almost double.
I would also point out that the PDF edi!on, cos!ng only £10 a year, s!ll offers great value for money, and results in an electronic image appearing in your email each month. But speaking personally I prefer to read news and magazines in paper form so that's my op!on.
Finally, best wishes for a A HAPPY, JOYFUL AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS.
Steve Smith
The Cornerstone – Ideas Needed
Upstairs in the Cornerstone we have a number of counselling rooms as well as the de Vitre mee ng room. Some of the rooms have names but not all and we need inspira on for those addi onal names. At the moment we have Stafford, Palmer (named a er the school which is now known as All Saints School), Janet Lucas and Sturges (named a er two of our clergy).
We need three more names.......... Please send your sugges ons to Amanda, the Cornerstone manager – info@thecornerstonewokingham.org.uk – or drop them into the office any me. Please explain the reason behind your sugges ons if you can.
It's becoming a bit of a counselling hub upstairs in The Cornerstone. As well as the rooms that are booked on a three-months basis, we also now hire out the Janet Lucas Room for just an hour at a me and will do the same with a new room we are crea ng in December.
With so much of their work now done online, WJSC do not need so much office space but, we are pleased to report, they want to stay in the building. So they will have two thirds of their current space and the other third will become a counselling room. The demand for counselling-size offices is growing and we are pleased to have one more to hire out.
There will be building work in The Cornerstone in December to create these offices, and again in January and February as we replace all the lamps on that corridor (and in the offices and lo ) with LEDs to help reduce our electricity bill.
The halls already have LEDs and will not be affected by this work ... dancing, art, yoga, singing and those regular bookings will all con nue, and there is s ll space there for more. Please remind people that it is a great place for par es too – lots of opportuni es for decora ons!
Anne King
QUESTION: What's the best way to get hold of this great magazine each month?
ANSWER: Take out a subscrip on! See page 13.
Soulscape Recognised
We are delighted to share the exci ng justreleased news that Soulscape has been awarded the Kings Award for Voluntary Service 2024. As you may know, several members of All Saints' congrega on volunteer for Soulscape, not least a dedicated group providing cakes for school staff each Monday.
Equivalent to an MBE, KAVS is the highest Award given to local voluntary groups in the UK, and they are awarded for life. Such an achievement, for you - our Soulscape volunteers, to be honoured by the King!
Thanks are due to all the volunteers for the me, energy, dedica on and support they give to Soulscape and the young people in our community.
Soulscape are planning a January 2025 celebra on for all our volunteers and will send more details about this soon!
For now a word from Nick Barne4, their CEO…
'I am truly honoured that Soulscape has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. This award recognises the massive impact the charity has within Berkshire’s schools suppor ng young people’s wellbeing. It also celebrates the work of our amazing volunteers, without whom we would not be able to reach out to the number of young people that we do…’
And a word from Michelle McLeish (Opera ons Manager) to the volunteers…
’What an achievement and wonderful way to celebrate all of you. Each and every one of you gives me, energy, support where and when you can, and we want you to know you are valued and appreciated. I love seeing the rela onships grow between young people and our volunteers and know that many of you become important figures in some of our young peoples’ lives. And to our many bakers who bless our staff with amazing cakes, they are something staff look forward to and it really cheers them up, thank you.’
We leave you with a quote from a year 10 Student...
’I enjoy my sessions with Soulscape as I get to express myself, and my feelings without feeling like I am being judged. ‘
Editor's Note: Come and hear Soulscape's Nick Barne4 preach at both morning services on 19th January.
Cast into Darkness
It wasn’t a biblical punishment but it was an unwelcome surprise.
Several of our ringers regularly ring changes in hand (i.e. we sit and ring two handbells each instead of standing with one tower bell each). We don’t normally ring handbells in church but we recently arranged to ring a quarter peal before a Monday evening prac ce so it made sense to do so. To avoid being disturbed if we over-ran, or if the other ringers arrived early, we rang in the Mezzanine Room rather than in the ringing room.
Five or ten minutes aBer we started a light went off somewhere behind me. I assumed it must be one of the mo on sensi ve lights downstairs that had med out, and we ignored it – the room was s ll well lit and carried on.
A few minutes later the remaining light also went out and leB us in the dark. Thanks to the emergency lights it wasn’t completely black. We could see each other in the gloom, and make out enough of the bells to see what we were doing. So we kept our cool, and again we carried on.
Fortunately the ringing went well and aBer another half hour or so of ringing in the dark we successfully concluded. If one of us had made a serious mistake it would have been much harder to sort it out, so we had a strong incen ve to concentrate hard.
ABer we finished one of us stood up to put the bells in their case and the movement triggered the light to turn back on. And when the rest of us stood up the other light came on as well. Had we realised it was that easy to turn the lights back on then we could probably have done so while we were ringing – preferably before rather than a er the light went out.
So mystery solved? Not quite. While we are ringing our hands and bells move con nually. So why didn’t eight arms going up and down every couple of seconds trigger the mo on sensor? That’s a mystery. Ringing a handbell is a much more vigorous gesture than (say) taking notes or speaking in a mee ng, and we assume no one has problems in mee ngs. Maybe the mo on sensors are ‘intelligent’ and the rhythmic ac on of ringing is so mesmerising it put them to sleep! We can only speculate.
John Harrison
A Poem
The
Late
John Woodfield
John Woodfield died recently aged nearly 108. He wrote the poem below in 1980; it is about the Service of Lessons and Carols at Kings College Cambridge broadcast each Christmas Eve at 3pm by the BBC on the radio.
ON THE FESTIVAL OF NINELESSONSANDCAROLS
ATKINGSCOLLEGECAMBRIDGE
Oh, if but once I might in all my days
Spend Christmas Eve at King's, my God, I'd die In sure and certain hope of heaven and high Assurance of the bliss to be! Lord, praise Like theirs, such as the saints and angels raise, Could never cloy, not though long ages fly
Of chanted psalm and an phon reply. Lord, do these voices choirs above amaze?
Build me a King's on high, set there its choir
To pace with stately tread in vestures white; Light there tall candles, mys c stars of fire, And blend their flicker with stained window light.
There if I might but turn a cherub’s page, I’d live enraptured, joyful, age on age.
Twenty-six years later, on Christmas Eve 2006, aBer John’s 90th birthday in the September, he and Anne-Marie were so fortunate to receive ckets for that service, thanks to his grandson who was a student of Kings Collage, and who approached the Dean who was happy to make that 90 year old a very happy man!
Prayer & Healing Ministry Team
Christmas, in this season of giBs, we celebrate the coming of Jesus, as the giB we really need. May that child born in straw in a manger be the giB that really overwhelms us. May our giving to others flow from hearts mo vated by gra tude for God’s glorious giB.
The incomparable riches of God’s grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians2v7
The next services for the Laying on of Hands ministry will be on the first Sunday of each month, 1st December and 5th January at the 9.30 service.
Members of the Prayer Ministry team are: Rosemary Sturmer, Jill Oliver, Jo Robinson, Gill Allen and Elizabeth Marten. Prayer Ministry is available every Sunday aBer the 9.30am service. Members of the Healing Prayer Group are: Gill Allen, Rosemary Sturmer, Maggie Davies, Joan Thomason. Confiden ality is assured .
Prayer Page Celebrating Christmas (and Epiphany)
Holy Jesus, by being born one of us, and lying humbly in a manger, you show how much God loves the world. Let the light of your love always shine in our hearts,
un l we reach our home in heaven, and see you on your throne of glory.
Amen.
Loving Jesus, you were born in a stable but worshipped by the angels.
Be with all who are lonely, and with all who feel distant from celebra ons.
Be for us a living hope that lightens their hearts.
Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, your birth at Bethlehem draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth: accept our hear%elt praise as we worship you, our Saviour and our eternal God. Amen.
The kings, Lord, brought myrrh, frankincense, and gold. Lord, we have nothing of our own to bring; we bring you what you have given: our lives for your life.
Amen.
Brilliant Bible Bits
In the course of our perusals of the Bible, many of us surely come across passages that stand out. So let's share them. We invite anyone and everyone to contribute.
In all the hullabaloo of Christmas, let us not forget the real reason for Christmas, that The Divine became a human being, and started a life on this planet—quite astonishing facts. Any why? To lavish grace, and to save. This is from 1 Timothy Chapter 1.
The grace of our Lord was lavished upon me, along with the faith and love which are ours in Christ Jesus.
Here is a saying that you may trust, one that merits full acceptance. 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'.
Extract taken from The Revised English Bible
It Must Be Love : ChangingClimate Change
Michael Freeman
Climate Change is our existen al challenge. So, when we learn that the next President of the USA, the man who will be the most powerful leader of the most powerful na on on Earth, regards climate change as 'fake news', we may fear we will soon hear the blast of the last trump! Looking at our world, its panorama of troubles, disasters, horrors of war, and efforts of the minority to deal with manifold problems, we may feel helpless, lost, despairing. There is too much:
Extremes of weather – hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, drought, famine, starva on -all blighted by wars.
Valencia is a tragic disaster because the warning came too late for people to escape or prepare. Flash floods are known because they recur there. But, they were not ready. Be prepared!
'Sponge Ci es' -- Ro2erdam is one where a complex drainage system has been built to channel flood water to areas of parkland where it can be stored, recycled and u lised. China and Auckland have such ci es. The UK? ... er, no!
There is a growing movement in the UK calling on the Labour government to create and pass an innova ve new law. The legisla on is called 'Climate and Nature' (CAN). The campaigning group is 'Zero Hour' comprising 53,000 individuals, 1200 scien sts, 370 councils, 900 organisa ons and even 173 MPs! They want 'ac on' to be compulsory.
In Gaza almost 43,000 Pales nians have been killed. The environment is also devastated totally: the city in ruins, the land charred, the water poisoned, plant life destroyed.
Ukraine. Ci es levelled and again the environment obliterated.
COP29... or cop-out? Most world leaders have not a2ended; there are some calls for peace in the Ukraine. However, the host country, Azerbaijan, has vast resources, as yet unexploited, of coal, gas and oil. Behind the scenes deals have been struck between other countries and na ons to exploit these resources and make billions of dollars out of them. Further pollu on beckons.
There is a rise in temperature so great in areas of Africa that a cross-border drought has developed and famine has ensued. Among the populace affected are millions of children suffering malnutri on. A state of na onal disaster has been declared in Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In these countries the annual
temperature now peaks at above 35°C for 110 days. It is forecast to reach 155 days. The causes of these temperature rises, of course, lie elsewhere.
The poisonous smog over/in Lahore and Delhi are at last blamed on emissions from industry, motor vehicle exhausts and other human ac'vi'es. The solu'ons?
Our Prime Minister, a,ending COP29, has announced a revised target to achieve an 81% reduc'on in UK CO2 emissions by 2035. And tomorrow?
Carbon Capture And Storage. Technology may be the answer. Having taken billions of tonnes of CO2 out of the earth using fossil fuels we must now put it back – as CO2. Is this dream technology or fantasy? The danger is, if it can be done, we humans do not have to change our way of life.
What has happened in the Yasuni UNESCO reserve of the Amazon? There the gentle and wise indigenous people, the Waorani, campaign to keep the oro verde (green gold) oil in their earth. The website www.yasunigreengold.org is well worth looking at – the Waorani are beau'ful people with open faces and shining eyes that harbour no secrets. [Editor's Note: That website is non-func onal at present but we suggest: www.rainforest-rescue.org/pe''ons/552/manifest-to-sign-on-moving-towards-a-low-carbon-energy-supply-solu'on]
This random choice offers a daun'ng range. Bringing us home to the Earth Fayre at ASC in September, in the November edi'on of the parish magazine, Shakila's ar'cle (page 19) and Steve Smith's summary (page 11) offer a focused view of what can be achieved by ordinary people. Shakila's quota'on from Desmond Tutu is telling. 'It's those li,le bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.'
What the Climate Ma,ers Group is aiming to achieve is offer prac'cal advice, detail the possible and affront nega'vity.
'Chris'ans have a sacred duty to care for God's crea'on'. This statement is printed in bold on the back cover of Animal Watch, the magazine of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals. 'God's crea'on' is not limited to animals. It embraces everything on
and of the earth. When the Climate Ma,ers Group was established, the original members were asked to take a pledge officiated by the Reverend David Hodgson at the end of a 09:30 service. This was a promise to uphold the sacred duty to care for God's Crea'on. This implied, and s'll implies, seeking God's guidance. Jesus did not have to deal with Climate Change though he did speak of 'end 'mes' :
For na'on will rise against na'on and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs (Mt 24 vv7-8, also similar in Mk 13 vv7-8).
But, I do not believe we are there yet. To care for all Crea'on includes us: I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (Jn 13 v34)
John emphasised this teaching:
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1Jn 4 v7)
In loving each other, we are drawn to love God's Crea'on. Perhaps, obscurely, I find an echo of this in the Apocrypha:
For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding percep'on of their Creator. Yet these people are li,le to be blamed, for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him. For while they live among his works, they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beau'ful. (Wisdom 13, vv5-7)
For me this is the beauty of the conundrum: in each other is a reflec'on of the love of God, and in that is also a reflec'on of God's love in His crea'on. In loving God's love we love crea'on and each other.
The Climate Ma,ers Group con'nues to uphold their pledge. In small acts of love, they aim to help, to offer prac'cal points that we can incorporate into daily life ways of being more eco-friendly -- and thus contribute to the ba,le against the arrogant selfishness of mankind which despoils God's Crea'on. Thus, the group aims to encourage us all at ASC to 'Fight the Good Fight'.
'It must be love' with which we pursue that fight, spreading the example of loving God's Crea'on among our community, taking responsibility for what has been done, what is s'll being done in the World, and trying to make things just a li,le be,er.
Carl Sagan described our beau'ful earth as that 'small pale blue dot', hanging in the darkness of space. Let us remember: it is our home -- and the only one we have.
Michael Freeman
What I've Been Thinking About
Musings from an ordinary member of the congregation
Nicene Creed 325 CE
David Chapman
David's thoughts as set out below are at variance with much Chris an thought and prac ce. We publish them to trigger your thoughts on the creeds. Please send them in to be published in the next edi on—Editor.
2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea whose delibera ons eventually led to the adop on of the Nicene Creed which is s ll said during every celebra on of the Eucharist today. It is the Church’s summing up of our faith, in the fourth century.
But what has this credal faith got in common with contemporary knowledge, current poli cal and cultural expressions, and the message of Jesus? Where in the Nicene Creed is the message of love, peace, and social and environmental jus ce? Do the creeds remain fit for the 21st century?
Just as there have been a number of styles of church emerging over recent decades: fresh expressions, pioneer, messy, mixed economy, café, hybrid, inherited church, etc, all a0emp ng to revitalise the church in the wake of ever declining numbers, is there room in an “inclusive church” for another which a0empts to reinterpret the message of Jesus for the 21st century?
I a0end church not to worship a Being, but to revere being itself. Like many who have either le4 the church or who see no relevance to their lives for tradi onal Chris anity, I retain a yearning for a meaningful religious experience, something which enhances one’s life beyond itself. It is almost a universal desire to believe in something, or to be embraced by a sense of transcendent wonder. The search for meaning takes place, for me, between contemporary knowledge, the current poli cal and cultural milieu, and that spiritual yearning. I cannot shi4 the “rumour of the sacred” and feel the need to con nue exploring. Is this possible within tradi onal orthodox Chris anity?
I follow the beliefs and values as expressed by the Progressive Chris anity Network, both here in the UK and abroad, as of October 2024:
1. I believe that following the way and teachings of Jesus can lead to experiencing sacredness, wholeness, and unity of all life, even as we recognise that the Spirit moves in beneficial ways in many faith tradi ons and in none.
2. I seek community that is inclusive of all people, honouring differences in theological perspec ve, age, race, sexual orienta on, gender iden ty/expression, class, or ability.
3. I strive for peace and jus ce among all people, knowing that behaving with compassion and selfless love towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe.
4. I embrace the insights of contemporary science and strive to protect the Earth and ensure its integrity and sustainability.
5. I commit to a path of life-long learning, believing there is more value in ques oning than in absolutes.
To revitalise the Chris an faith, it seems to me, we must develop a new way of seeing Jesus and formula ng a new understanding of God and spiritual prac ce. I want to find an intelligent, inclusive, and pioneering explora on of today’s theological, spiritual, and social advancements. Am I alone in this endeavour in All Saints?
Nicene Creed
** Prize** Puzzle Pages
As it is Christmas and as there are two months before the next edi on of the magazine, there is a small prize on offer for this month’s puzzle. It’s a cryp c crossword but it’s really not at all difficult. Get your answer submi0ed by any available means, such as emailing a simple list of the answers to the editor at editor@allsaintswokingham .org.uk or dropping a photocopy into the parish office. Deadline: 14th January 11:59pm.
Across
1
** Prize** Puzzle Pages
Sick bird noise shouldn't be allowed (7)
5 A poor actor dons underwear to portray a patriarch (7)
9 Vice governor beginning to take river plant (5)
10 Sang or swore of buried hot gold (9) See note below
Having composed the grid and determined all the clues I came to realise that 10across has American spelling. I didn't have the heart to redevise the crossword; so apologies.
11 But s$ll, you can't be one of these (10)
12 Abracadabr or wizardr or 11 (4)
14 Voluntary instrument has angle on tropical reef dweller (11)
18,19 Holy vanity held the confusion, Carol (3,5,3,3,3)
21 Alternate free art work (4)
22 Panto character offers endless ragout for a/ernoon alterna$ve (10)
25 Miss Geldof says hello to the way congress lately treats presidents (9)
26 Bees in Cumberland and Germans in Cornwall need a good designa$on (5)
27 Gabriel is despatched and arrives just when needed (7)
1
2
3
28 Solid CO2, we hear, is increasingly rare among people faced with tragedy (3,4) Down
Bars, perhaps, a wise man's present (6)
Margin of error reverses fish technique (6)
Seasonal advice to $psy squires (3,4,3)
4 Manger site is close at hand (5)
5 Where Tobit is to be found so we're told (9)
6 Heavy defeat makes hooligan switch le/ to right (4)
7 That man's alarm concerning Don Quixote's characteris$c (8)
8
I'm sort of blue when 23 clicks on to 0 (8)
13 Learning assiduously and half famously following movie business (10)
15 Gate state in twisty Dutch lane (9)
16 Bend quite loudly during conman's trick that's revealed at Christmas dinner (8)
17 Did you hear the one about the vicar, a poli$cian and the newspaperman? It's been modernised (8)
19 See 18 across
20 Held to be self-evident by founding fathers west of the Atlan$c; now lies opposite (6)
23 Typos editor secreted maintained posi$on (5)
24 In a book was Good King W's knowledge source (4)
Surprise Visitor
In the tower we o/en welcome visitors to our prac$ces, mostly they are ringers from nearby towers and occasional ringers from farther afield who happen to be working or visi$ng rela$ves in the area. But we recently had a flying visit from much farther away –Bulgaria.
She wasn’t a complete stranger; in fact she was a former ringer at All Saints. Penka Kasarova lived and worked in Bulgaria, but she watched a lot of Bri$sh television including Midsomer Murders. When she saw Ring Out Your Dead, the episode about a band of bellringers being bumped off one by one ahead of an important ringing compe$$on, she was fascinated by the ringing. A/er she re$red she moved to live near her daughter in Wokingham and decided that she would like to learn to ring.
She progressed well and became a reliable member of the band, ringing her first quarter peal in the summer of 2018. Sadly her ringing career was interrupted shortly a/erwards when she returned to Bulgaria to be near her elderly mother. Since then she has kept in touch with the ringers at All Saints, and taken an interest in what we are doing.
In November she paid a flying visit to her daughter and found $me to say hello to us during a ringing prac$ce. She also brought a large bag of banitsa, a Bulgarian speciality, freshly cooked by her daughter.
John Harrison
Penka with ringing friends in the tower
Nature Notes
Andrea
Gilpin
of the Caring for God's Acre Organisation
Winter Berries: ASeasonalFeast for Wildlife
Winter berries bring vibrant colour to hedgerows and woodlands while offering a cri$cal food source for wildlife through the colder months. These berries, ripening in autumn, vary in how long they last into winter, with some enduring un$l February, depending on the species and the feeding paHerns of wildlife.
Remarkably, birds appear to follow a careful strategy when consuming winter berries, selec$ng them in a sequence that extends their food supply. Early in the season, birds priori$se non-toxic berries with shorter shelf lives, like blackberries. Berries that are mildly toxic or longer-las$ng, such as ivy berries, are saved for later, only eaten when other foods are scarce. Even then, birds eat these in small amounts to avoid toxicity, helping to ensure that food supplies stretch into late winter.
Here are three striking wild berries to spot in winter:
Hawthorn: The deep red berries, known as haws, are a lifeline for birds like thrushes, blackbirds, and redwings. Found in hedges and woodlands, hawthorn adds vibrant pops of colour in winter. They can be used to make jellies, wines and even ketchups!
Holly: With its glossy evergreen leaves and vibrant red berries, holly is an iconic winter plant. Its berries provide essen$al nourishment for birds during the colder months, and mistle thrushes are known to fiercely guard these berries to keep them all to themselves! Small mammals, like wood mice and dormice, also benefit from this winter snack. However, holly berries are toxic to humans and pets, so it’s best to admire them as fes$ve decora$ons rather than as a treat.
Rowan: Also called mountain ash, the rowan’s red-orange berries are a favourite for fieldfares and waxwings. The berries are sour but safe to eat and rich in vitamin C. Rowans o/en grow in open areas, ligh$ng up the landscape even on the greyest winter days.
For a nature-friendly winter walk, keep an eye out for these wild winter jewels, and the animals feeding on them
www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk
Rowan Berries
Flower Guild
We decided at the last minute to add the candles$ck arrangements for Remembrance as the wreaths were to be placed at the Altar. We hope you shared our view that when the wreaths were laid, it looked stunning. Moving now on to the Christmas arrangements we will be arranging on Monday 23rd December from 09.30.
We hope you enjoy the flowers we do arrange in Church. We are always looking for new members to enjoy arranging flowers so if you share our passion for flowers why not have a go at arranging, you would be very welcome. One-to-one guidance can be arranged and the main aim would be for you to develop your skills and enjoy. Contact Sue Hedley 07831 149832 or e-mail suehedley@jag.org.uk
Wishing you all a Happy and Peaceful Christmas from the Flower Guild
75 Years Ago - 1949
QUESTION HOUR. The members of the C.E.M.S. will be joining us for our next mee"ng on Dec. 8th, and we propose on this occasion to lay aside Bishop Barnes' book, and discuss "Why I belong to the Church of England." A great many of us belong to it because we were brought up to do so. Soon a1er we were born our parents decided that we ought to be bap"zed and the parish church seemed the obvious place to take us, and then later on our parents wanted a li4le peace on Sunday a1ernoons so we were sent to Sunday School and once again the parish church was the obvious place though if it was too far away and some other denomina"on was nearer, well, we went there instead. What did it ma4er? And so it has come about that large numbers call themselves "C. of E." without knowing why, and when they are involved in discussion with members of other denomina"ons they can give li4le sound reason for their allegiance to the Church of England. Such people are at a disadvantage especially in dealing with Roman Catholics, hence we propose to begin by discussing our differences with that branch of the Church.
In 1949, the Revd Gordon Kenworth was s"ll Rector, and the magazine's list of contacts included representa"ves for no fewer than eleven missionary socie"es. The Christmas Day services were to be Holy Communion at 6:15, 7:00 and Choral Communion at 8:00. Ma"ns was to be at 11:00 followed by Holy Communion at 12:00. Finally there was to be Evensong with carols at 6:30pm. A grand total of six services.
The adver"sers included W. Ham (no link to East London but instead "bread of excellent quality made solely by hand"), a cycle agent and repairer, a monumental mason (both in Denmark Street), a shop selling gowns, knitwear, hosiery, underwear and wools in Broad Street, the Wokingham Laundry (emphasising "its use of local labour thus relieving local distress") and some funeral furnishers named J.B. Hall, who s"ll trade today although not from The Terrace (just by Shute End).
APrayer for Ukraine
God of peace and jus"ce, we pray for the people of Ukraine today. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war or peace, for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions. Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen
We would like to wish you and your families all our love and blessings for this Advent season and the New Year ahead.
Mothers’Union Worldwide
This year’s Christmas Appeal is very special – it’s your chance to double your impact and change lives. For one week in December, any dona"ons made will be matched by the Big Give. From the 3rd-10th December please go to our website www.mothersunion.org where you will be directed to the Big Give dona"on portal. Every dona"on you make will be DOUBLED, meaning your gi1 will go twice as far in transforming lives.
Our Branch News
We are thrilled to announce that on the 9th November we raised a whopping £550 from the Organ Recital with Roy Woodhams, through "cket sales and generous dona"ons. Thank you to everyone who supported this event. The proceeds have been split equally between our All Saints’ Organ fund and our MU Literacy project. Over fi1y people a4ended the a1ernoon, which was absolutely beau"ful, and it was wonderful to hear our organ being played to its full poten"al. We received amazing feedback too. Roy has offered to come back next year to do another recital, so watch this space; we will include this in next year’s calendar programme.
Mothers’ Union have also been asked to support our Christmas Fayre on Saturday 7th December, by running a bo4le tombola stall, with all proceeds going to our church. We are asking please for dona"ons; any UNOPENED bo4les (alcoholic wine/ beer etc, non-alcoholic drinks, even other bo4les (plas"c or glass) such as bubble-bath, perfume etc). Please have a look around your homes, for any unwanted bo4les to donate and take them to the Parish Office, where Jane will pass them onto us. Please hand them in by Wednesday 4th December.
A very important date for your diaries is our AGM on Wednesday 22nd January 2025 at 7pm in the De Vitre room in The Cornerstone. Pam, Jo and I are really looking forward, not only to looking back at the amazing work our branch has done over the past twelve months, but also to have fun sharing the wonderful plans we have in place for our 2025 programme!!! This is YOUR chance to come and see an overview of the work we do, the fun "mes we have, and see for yourself the suppor"ve and welcoming fellowship we are! All are welcome.
Once again, many thanks for all the support you give to the All Saints Mothers’ Union. If you would like to know more about our All Saints’ Mothers’ Union, please do contact our branch leader Sue at sue831@b"nternet.com or 07957 801394 to find out more.
Sue Howard
Parish
Clergy and Officers
Clergy and Ministers
Claire Jones, Jo Robinson, Margaret Ragge0, Clive Charlton, Sue Howard, Pam Gilbey, John Burbury, Barbara Smith, Jacqui Headland and Rosemary Sturmer.
From The Parish Registers
20 October Clover Catherine Pritchard-Gamble
News From Our Neighbours
For some @me we have been praying about the vacancy in the parish of Ruscombe and Twyford, but they now have a new vicar : he is the Revd Mark Gould. Meanwhile to the south west of Wokingham there are changes at the parish of Arborfield and Barkham. The Revd Andrew Kearns has been appointed as Rector, and the Revd Iain Lingwood has been appointed Associate Minister. Welcome all!
Last Month's Puzzle
Last month's puzzle involved spo)ng hymns. We had valiant a-empts at the answer from John Harrison, Su McArthur, David Rendle, Rosie Morris, Robert Vacher and Ann Crail. The answers can be found below:
1. And the trees of the fields shall clap their hands (You shallgo out with joy 571)
2. Be thou our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home (OGod ourhelp in ages past 366)
3. Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness (Oworship the Lord in the beautyof holiness 394)
4. For his word teaches me that his love reaches me (Wide,wide asthe ocean 559)
5. From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride (The Church'sone founda on 473)
6. Good will henceforth from heaven to men begin and never cease (While shepherds watched their flocks 554)
7. Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us (Lead usheavenly Father 293)
8. My soul bear thou thy part (Ye holyangelsbright 564)
9. O guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end (OJesusIhave promised 372)
10.The heavens are not too high; his praise may thither fly (Let allthe world 296)
11.This star drew nigh to the north-west (The first Nowell 477)
12.Thy comeliness and vigour is withered up and gone (Osacred head,surrounded 389)
