The Ashton-under-Hill Beckford Parish Magazine Alstone & Teddington

February 2020 50p

Late February days; and now, at last,

Might you have thought that Winter’s woe was past; So fair the sky was and so soft the air.

William Morris

Schedule of Services for The Parish of Overbury with Teddington, Alstone and Little Washbourne, with Beckford and .

FEBRUARY Ashton Beckford Overbury Alstone Teddington

2nd February 10:30am 10:30am Candlemas Village 9:00am in the Village 9:00am Presentation of Worship for BCP HC Hall CW HC Christ in the Candlemas L Burn Morning Prayer A Davies Temple Graham Pharo Lay Team

1:45pm Monday Christingle Service for St Faith’s and 3rd February Overbury First School at the School

10:30am 6:00pm in the Village 9th February Evening Hall 3rd Sunday Praise CW HC before Lent Lay Led R Tett

16th February 9:00am 2nd Sunday United Parish CW HC at Beckford – A Davies before Lent 6:00pm 23rd February 10:30am BCP Evening Sunday next CW HC Prayer before Lent Doug Chaplin Lay Led

26th February 10:00am – HC with Ashing at Eckington Ash Wednesday 7:00pm – HC with Ashing at

MARCH

10:30am 9:00am 9:00am Village BCP HC CW HC Worship 1st March L Burn R Tett 1st Sunday of Church Team Lent 4:00pm – Farewell Service for Rick Tett United Service of the Word at Eckington

Holy Communion is now celebrated at 10.00am on the first Wednesday of the month in St Faith’s Church, Overbury. However, the service on Wednesday 5th February will be held at St John’s Church, Beckford while work is being carried out in Overbury church.

Morning Prayers will be said at 8.30am on Fridays at Ashton

Clergy: Revd Allison Davies Revd Rick Tett (Curate)

Parish Office: You can contact Lynne Wilkinson, the Parish Secretary on the follow- ing days and times: Tuesday mornings: Bredon Parish Office, 9am to 12 noon: 01684 772398 Thursday mornings: Beckford Village Hall, 9am to 12 noon:01386 881349 or [email protected] Page 2

As I begin to write this article we are in Epiphany and a new decade - a great opportunity to explore new things and opportunities.

The wise men began a journey to follow a star to meet our lord Jesus. They began a long journey believing that the star would lead them to the right place, a possible journey of a thousand miles. When we read Matthew 2:1-12 we see how the wise men asked Herod where Jesus was to be born and were concerned.

Following God’s call on our lives isn’t always easy and sometimes we are challenged by his call and what journey he wants us to follow, but God knows the bigger picture.

I have been in the group for nearly 4 years now and my Curacy is over. God has called Debs, my family and myself on a new journey and to trust in God’s call on our lives. We must trust and believe God has a plan for us.

With that in mind we are moving to a new ministry in the Woodfield team ministry in the north west of Leicester at the beginning of March. I am to be team vicar in that benefice. I will miss you all around the hill and pray for the calling God has on your lives. Believe in yourselves and all that you do in your lives and believe God has a plan for this area and his ministry here.

My prayers and blessings for you all, Blessings, Rick There will be a farewell service for Rick on 1st March. This will be a United Service of the Word at 4.00pm in Holy Trinity, Eckington led by Rick. This will be an opportunity for the congregations from across the Hill to come together to say goodbye to Reverend Rick before he leaves us to move to his new Parish.

Midweek Holy Communion service in Overbury For the foreseeable future these will only happen on the first Wednesday in the month and so the next midweek Communion will be on 5th February led by Rev Rick Tett. Due to the work being carried out in Overbury church, this service will be held in Beckford. A second clergy led Communion will take place at on the 2nd Wednesday in the month.

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Service Schedule for February: Below are the designated clergy-led Sunday services for each church around the Bredon Hill Group during February. Services at churches in the Beckford Group are in bold. A full list of services in the Beckford Group is on the inside cover.

FEBRUARY 9:00am 10:30am 6:00pm

2nd January - R Tett - Candlemas R Tett

Presentation of Teddington - Christ in the A Davies Bredon - A Davies Temple Bredon’s Norton - 9th February Eckington - A Davies R Tett 3rd Sunday

before Lent Overbury - R Tett Little Comberton - A Davies

Eckington - R Tett 16th February Bredon - A Davies

2nd Sunday Beckford - A Davies before Lent - R Tett Beckford Group United

Service

23rd February - R Spiller - R Tett Sunday next before Lent Bredon’s Norton - R Tett Ashton - D Chaplin

2020 LENT COURSE

Reverend Allison Davies is proposing a five week course based on a previous Your Series "The Psalms - Prayers for Today's Church" by Rev Stephen Cottrell. It will run on a Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in different church locations across the Bredon Hill Group and will commence on 4th March. At the moment the locations are out for consultation but the current proposed dates and church locations are:

 4th March at Eckington  11th March at Elmley Castle  18th March at Bredon  25th March at Overbury  1st April at Beckford Any changes to the above will be in the March magazine.

LENT LUNCHES

It is hoped to run Lent lunches again this year in various villages in the Bredon Hill Group. Soup and a roll, with cheese are on offer. Everyone from around the Bredon Hill Group is welcome, so come along and enjoy good company and meet friends.

Lent falls mostly in March this year so please check for full details in the next edition of the magazine. Donations from the lunches (made on the day) will be given to charity. The first lunch will be at the end of this month on Friday 28th February from 12 noon until 2:00pm. It will be held at Willow End, Elmley Road, Ashton under Hill. Call Judith Hunter on 01386 882087 for more information.

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Mercy Ships Please find below a message from Ali (our contact at Mercy Ships) as she heads off to the ship again. As you see they are still doing wonderful work so please keep saving stamps. Stamps should be cut off envelopes, not soaked, with a 1cm border. If you tear them off, please ensure there is sufficient space to cut round and that stamps are undamaged. They can be left in the box in any of our five churches.

Good morning all. I’m sat in Schiphol airport awaiting my next flight to Nairobi. Then a mission plane onto South Sudan where I shall be working with Samaritans Purse as part of team delivering eye surgery (Cataracts). We are working in the north part of South Sudan based at a hospital which serves a very large population and area. There has been no eye surgeon there for five years so there will be many patients.

We are there for one week with four days of intense surgery. Accommodation is a little different to our usual. We are flying to South Sudan from Nairobi in a much smaller plane, as it’s a mission plane, stopping in Juba briefly and then on to Maban. The inflight service is a little different too!

There is unlikely to be much internet available hence this email now.

For those of you who do, please pray:  For good health for all the team  For the patients to whom we are able to offer surgery.  For the patients to whom we cannot operate.  For all the logistics of patient selection, surgery flows, equipment working etc.  That as a team we are able to show Christ in all we do. Rather like Francis of Assisi we want to share the gospel and use words if we must.

Thanks for journeying with me once again. Ali

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER A WOMEN LED, GLOBAL, ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT

Friday 6th March at 2:00pm at Holy Trinity, Eckington Rise, Take Your Mat and Walk

Women of Zimbabwe have prepared this year's service and they encourage us all to reflect on the difficulties and unrest that have plagued their country over many years. They share the challenges they have met and the hopes they have for the future. They encourage us to 'Rise, take your mat and walk' with them as they continue their often turbulent journey towards full reconciliation.

Women, men and children of all ages are called to 'Rise, take your mat and walk' to join this day of prayer.

We look forward to seeing you there.

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Beckford Group Parish Annual Church Meetings and Elections - March 2020

The Annual Vestry Meeting and Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on Tuesday 31st March at 7:30pm in Overbury Village Hall.

Local Annual Church Meetings will be held prior to this meeting on the following dates:

Beckford: Wednesday 11th March in St John the Baptist Church at 7:00pm Ashton: T.B.C. Overbury: Monday 10th February at Whitcombe at 7:00pm Chapelries: (Alstone and Teddington) Wednesday 4th March in the Village Hall at 7:30pm

Everyone is most welcome to attend.

These meetings are open to everyone who lives in the Parish, or who is on the Church Electoral Roll, Please come along to hear reports on the past year’s activities and to have your say about the future.

Quiet Days at Holland House, Cropthorn, Tuesday 18th February ‘Awareness of the Presence’ led by Graham Pharo

Quiet Days are usually 'theme-led' but allow plenty of time away from our parishes for reflection. There will be coffee on arrival. Graham’s plan is to have a very short talk to 'launch' the day, after which people can take the opportunity to find quiet spaces around the house for personal reflection/reading or whatever. Then there will be a gathering for coffee, a second short talk followed by further free time until lunch which is usually about 1:00pm. After lunch there will be the third talk and free time until a tea break and we may gather for a short act of worship in the chapel to close the day at around 4:00 pm. A full programme will be prepared nearer the time, however the theme, for those wishing to use it as a focus for reflection, will touch upon early human experience of God's presence, how people become aware of God's closeness in day to day life and a positive approach to our promise of an even closer presence as our earthly experience of life draws to a close. Attendance at all or any of the short talks is not compulsory and some people may wish to use the day simply to have a 'quiet space' away from their home parishes.

The cost is £40.00 which includes lunch and coffee/tea during the day and the use of the chapel and rooms throughout the house into which participants can disperse. For more information or to book see: https://www.hollandhouse.org/product/awareness-of-the-presence/

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Beckford Community Village Hall Ltd

By the time you read this, the AGM on 27th January will have been held. We shall have appointed a new treasurer, new director and new member(s) and we are looking for someone to take over the important job of Bookings Secretary.

There will be plenty going on at the hall this year. For a start, come to the quiz night on February 7th - see below for details.

For Facebook users we recently launched a Village Hall page, which complements the pre-existing Beckford Parish Noticeboard page. The page has notices and other information about happenings at the hall and nearby. Do take a look!

Graham Galer, Secretary BCVH Ltd

Quiz Night, in aid of Beckford Village Hall Friday 7th February at 7:30pm (doors open 7:00pm)

• £9 per person, • Tables/teams of 6, if you don’t have a full team we will make up teams on the night • Hot food will be served and there will be a bar.

Book your places with either Anne or Paul Worrall Tel: 01386 881508 or [email protected] Limited tables so book early please

TEWKESBURY FOODBANK NEWS

The Tewkesbury Foodbank thanks everyone who donated to their Christmas Blessings project. They distributed 723 kilos of food and gifts in addition to their normal parcels to 400 people (including 200 children). These parcels gave so much happiness so thank you. As you can imagine, their cupboards are now bare and they need to stock up again. So please, if you are able, drop off donations in Alstone and Teddington churches and we will deliver them to the Foodbank on a weekly basis. They need tins of ham or corned beef, long life fruit juice, squash, tinned potatoes, sponge puddings, custard, ketchup or brown sauce, mayonnaise, tins of peas or carrots, peanut butter, nappies (all sizes) and small packets of washing powder. Thank you. Mary James, Manor Close, Teddington

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News From Beckford

.From the Beckford Registers

Interment of Ashes: 18th December 2019 Donald Frederick Richardson, (died 23rd November 2019)

Hold the Date……

This is advance notice that Beckford’s Annual Church Meeting will be held in the church at 7:00pm on Wednesday 11th March and all are warmly invited to attend as we take stock of the past year and look ahead to what the future holds. Do make a note in your diaries and come along to support the efforts of the church committee and all those who work together to maintain our village church and its ministry. Coffee or Tea, and biscuits will be available. We very much hope to see you there!

Beckford Open Village 6th/7th June 2020

As mentioned in last month’s magazine, the first planning meeting for this year’s Open Village weekend has been held and now, behind the scenes, planning is well under way. A more comprehensive report will appear in the March magazine after the next meeting but for the moment it was thought advisable to mention a few aspects which require forward planning.

A new – and very successful – feature last time was the Preserves Stall, which sold out of stock, and a perennial (pun intended) favourite is the Plant Sales Stall, also very successful. Both these ventures need a good back-up of stock and we would greatly appreciate help in building up supplies in advance: all volunteers willing to make preserves or to grow-on plants, would be very welcome in the coming months! Another venture this year - we plan to have a Book Stall, so again stock will need to be collected in advance.

In the next bulletin, in the March magazine, we will give contact details of those who will be responsible for managing these different stalls – but in the meantime please give thought to any way in which you can assist the team effort so we can build on previous successes. Thank you!

Beckford Coffee Morning

The next Coffee Morning will be held in Beckford church on Friday 28th February from 10.30am-12 noon as usual. If you haven’t been before do come along and join us for this popular monthly gathering of friends who enjoy a cup of coffee or tea (with free refills) and a selection of home-made cakes, over a cosy natter, all for a minimum donation of £2.50 which will benefit church finances.

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BECKFORD W.I. - January Report

Our President, Margaret Darby welcomed 24 members to the first meeting of 2020 in the Village Hall on Monday 13th January. The Group Carol Service held at the Methodist Church in Tewkesbury on 21st December was attended by five members of Beckford WI and it was a very festive occasion. The church was decorated with a number of Christmas trees which had been sponsored by local groups and the decorations reflected the diversity of these groups. The members’ annual meal will take place in January at the Pheasant in Toddington. The new programmes for the coming year were distributed as members paid their annual subscriptions. The Annual Meeting of the NFWI is to take place in June at the Albert Hall and Beckford WI are to send a delegate on behalf of the local group. The first weekend in June is also the time for the Beckford Open Village event where members will be serving teas in the village hall. There was some discussion about the charities that we would be supporting in 2020 and the members were shown the boxes for recycling materials to be taken to the Butterfly Garden at Bamfurlong and newspapers to be taken to the Vale Wildlife Hospital in Beckford. In addition there are patterns available for members to use to make Linus quilts for bereaved or sick children and Twiddlemuffs for distribution to dementia sufferers. 2022 is Beckford WI’s Centenary year and plans need to be made for ways to mark the occasion. After the raffle had been drawn and the birthday posies presented the main activity of the evening began. The theme of the meeting was discussion of campaigns that had been promoted by the WI in the past and the proposed resolutions for the coming year. The members were divided into four groups, each seated at a table with lots of source material about the various campaigns past, present and those for 2020. It came as a surprise to realise that the WI had been in the forefront of campaigns such as “Keep Britain Tidy” and the fight for equal pay for women. In the early 1960s there was a resolution passed at the Annual Meeting to ban smoking in public places. They were ahead of their time! Each table focussed on a different resolution that had to be voted on to decide which should go forward to the National Federation Annual Meeting. They were: a call to increase stem cell donor registration, the ending of modern slavery, the provision of female crash test dummies, allowing time to talk about death and dying and the need to protect the limited amount of helium present on the planet. The great range of topics produced a good deal of discussion and in the course of the evening members moved from one table to another to get the opportunity to discuss all of the topics. Members were given a lot to think about and in the next meeting there will be the chance to vote on the resolution which the members feel is most important to them. At the end of the meeting there was the quarterly competition for the Margaret Lodge Goblet for the best seasonal flower which was won by Angela Craven-Jones with her beautiful snowdrop plant which embodied Winter. The next meeting is on Monday 10th February at 7:30pm in the Village Hall when the speaker will be Martin Brookes who will give a talk on “The Work of the Vale Wildlife Hospital”. All are most welcome. Clare Henderson, Meeting Secretary

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NEWS FROM OVERBURY

It is hard to believe that we are already half way through the first month of 2020. It seems only yesterday that we were frantically shopping and preparing for Christmas. At St Faith’s, work has now started on our exciting project to rewire the church and install a beautiful new lighting scheme which will greatly enhance the architectural features of our beautiful old building. It will take a couple of months for the work to be completed during which time all services scheduled to be taking place at Overbury will be held in the Village Hall. We had our first Holy Communion in the Committee Room on Sunday 12th January and all appreciated the warmth and intimacy of the room. The service was led by Revd Rick Tett and, although he will be sorely missed by us all when he leaves in early March, we were particularly pleased to have him with us as his new appointment as Team Vicar in Leicestershire was announced and to celebrate with him and Debs at Whitcombe afterwards.

Also on Sunday 12th, the Annual Epiphany Service was held at Tewkesbury Abbey in the evening. The readings and choral music were memorable as was a spectacular display of lit candles around the Abbey created by members of the parish, with each exhibit celebrating a different plant, all based on the theme of ‘Herbs in the Bible’. This very special occasion (attended by the Bishop of Gloucester) was, not surprisingly, packed out and we all enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies afterwards. Now that we have so few clergy around the hill, we should surely publicise and take advantage of such inspirational events.

We are particularly proud of our association with Overbury CE First School. To be awarded an Excellent grade in the recently revised and much more rigorous than hitherto SIAMS inspection regime (now much more akin to Ofsted) is a remarkable feat - especially in a small school where the numbers can so quickly skew statistics. Our warmest congratulations are extended to staff, parents and the children themselves - all of whom made this great achievement possible. See below for more details.

The School and St Faith’s are combining this year to hold a joint Christingle Service for pupils, staff, parents and parishioners young and old. It will take place at 1:45 pm on Monday 3rd February at Overbury First School. All are very welcome to attend.

Overbury First School December saw the end of an exceptionally busy term at Overbury First School, a term with two very significant achievements. We were delighted to be the first school in the UK to be awarded a Silver Accreditation by Christian Aid for our Global Neighbours work. The Global Neighbours scheme is a way of supporting, recognising and celebrating all that primary schools are doing to provide a good global education. Our children demonstrated to the assessor what they have learnt and how they have developed their thinking, practice and responses across many areas of global citizenship, courageous advocacy, fundraising, social action, conservation, charity and community links.

Just as we were beginning our Christmas celebrations we had a call to say we were to have our SIAMS (Church Inspection) on the same day as our Christmas play performance! An interesting week ensued as we prepared for both but we are so proud to have been judged an “Excellent” school. This new grade of “Excellent” has been introduced with a higher threshold than the old “Outstanding” grade, only being awarded to exceptional schools. Full credit must go to Mrs Ross, our head teacher, our staff and particularly the children for this best possible outcome. The full inspection report can be found on the school website: www.overbury.worcs.sch.uk

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News From Teddington and Alstone - The Chapelries

Services for February & First Sunday of March

February 2nd: 9:00am,Teddington - Holy Communion with Allison February 16th:9:00am, Beckford - United Parish Holy Communion with Allison February 23rd: 6:00pm, Teddington - Lay led Evening Prayer March 1st: 9:00am, Alstone - Holy Communion, with Rick

March 1st at Eckington: The Bredon Hill Group farewell service for Rick Tett at 4:00pm. Many congratulations to Rick on his appointment as Team Vicar of the Woodfield Team of churches and who will be licensed by the Bishop of Loughborough on Monday 16th March at 7:30pm. We thank Rick for all he has done for us over the past few years and wish him and his family every happiness in their new home. We will all miss him very much.

Christmas Services and Carol Singing We would like to thank all of you who organised, decorated the churches so beautifully, participated in and provided the welcome refreshments for our Christmas events. You’ll be pleased to hear that both the number of those joining us and the collections taken were even larger than in previous years. It was great to have so many children with their families joyfully lighting the candles, reading, singing, recreating the crib and taking collections.

Reminder The subscription for the 2020 church magazines (still only £5) is now due and we will be continuing to collect it this month.

A Date For Your Diary The Chapelries Annual meeting will be held in Teddington Village Hall at 7:30pm on Wednesday 4th March. Please come along and join us.

TEDDINGTON CHURCH BOOK EXCHANGE

Following the great success of the Food Bank initiative, we are now starting a Book Exchange at the back of Teddington Church, on the right, in front of the vestry. Hopefully this will help in some way to replace the mobile library. There will be a few children’s books as well as paper backs and others. If you would like to borrow anything, do help yourself. If you take a book you would like to keep please either replace it with another, or put 50p in the box so that we can keep the stock up.

Any books anyone would like to give will be gratefully received – please just add them to the bookcase.

TEDDINGTON VILLAGE HALL 50+ CLUB

Friday 21st February, 2:30pm – 4:30 pm Entrance fee of £4.00 includes a cup of tea/coffee & cake plus all activities for those wishing to take part Family and friends most welcome.

For more information call Sue on 01242 620264, Brian on 01242 620898 or email [email protected]

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News from Ashton under Hill

We have welcomed January and hopes for a happy and peaceful new year in 2020. Looking back to December, we were pleased to welcome visitors to our two Christmas services, which were both well attended. We almost ran out of orders of service on both occasions! It was especially good to see families for the afternoon Crib service on Christmas Eve when we made the St Barbara’s crib, sang familiar carols, and told the Nativity story in poems and stories as well as bible readings. There was a lot of participation from the children who sang beautifully. It was very good to have the Rev. Doug Chaplin to conduct the Christmas Day communion service, and to welcome some new faces. We began January with an Epiphany service and will be hosting the United Service on the 26th January with Rev Rick Tett. There will be the same pattern of services during February, with a Village Worship service on 2nd February, Candlemas Day, with Graham Pharo, and a return of Rev Doug Chaplin on February 23rd. The candles and the Posada will then definitely be packed away for another year, before we get to the season of Lent.

Christmas collections 2019 Many thanks to everyone who came to one or other of our services in December. The offertories from those services totalled £478.87 and will be divided between our two chosen charities as follows: Winston’s Wish £258.29 The Children’s Society £220.58

Together with the £600 raised for St Richard’s Hospice through the Christmas fair and card sales, that means we have raised just over £1000 for three very worthwhile causes in November and December. Thank you all for your generous support.

From the Registers: The funeral of Betty Hastead took place in St Barbara’s Church on 19th December, followed by interment in the churchyard. We send our condolences to all the family.

OPEN GARDENS - Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June 2020

Planning is underway for Open Gardens this summer, and we are hoping for yet another unmissable event. We introduced a Village produce and Plant stall last year which was most successful, so are putting out an invitation for you to think of us when making marmalade or jam or chutney. All offers will be gratefully received. If you are raising plants from cuttings or seedlings, again please remember us. Later on in the season you may have surplus bedding plants – they will find a good home!

St Barbara’s benefits from the sums raised as do several other village causes. Thank you for your support.

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ASHTON UNDER HILL W.I. - January Report

Doreen welcomed 24 members and two visitors to our new year meeting. We opened the meeting by voting on the five resolutions for 2020. The two most popular were “Joining the Stem Cell Donor Register” and “An End to Modern Slavery” with 9 votes each. We were very glad that Viv Ebbage had agreed to come and speak at the January meeting, as even after eight years it cannot be easy for her to relive the details of her experience. As a reminder, the event was the sinking of the cruise ship “Costa Concordia” which foundered on the rocks off the island of Elba – the type of experience which we all trust most people will never have. Viv is a very engaging and entertaining speaker and we were all captivated by her account, even if some of it was black humour, only possible after a distance in time. For example, they had their passports stolen and replaced in Barcelona before embarking, but these too were lost at sea, so the Ebbages owned three passports within one week. The details of the “Costa Concordia” were well known as it was top of the news on all TV and radio reports at the time. It transpired later that the Italian captain of the ship was responsible for the disaster. He had been sailing too close to the shore, possibly ‘showing off’ with inevitably dire consequences. He eventually went to prison, and was found guilty of abandoning his ship, disregarding the safety of passengers and his crew. The holiday had been a post-Christmas treat - a 7 day cruise in the western Mediterranean. All had gone well initially. The food and the service on board were good, the relaxing drinks and interesting trips were as normal and very enjoyable. Viv and husband Derek had spent a memorable day in Rome during the day and were looking forward to their evening meal when disaster struck. They heard and felt a strange grinding noise, followed by crashing, as glasses and bottles went sliding when the ship started tilting. Unlike in the movies, Viv reported that everyone seemed to be in shock and at first there was deathly quiet. There was no information given out and the staff and crew seemed to be as confused as everyone on board. Eventually, the passengers heard the signal to “Abandon Ship”. Viv and Derek seemed to keep fairly calm in the panic, and helped others where they could, but she was very critical of those supposed to be in charge. It transpired that no safety drill had taken place on the boat, but she had watched the cabin video at some point so knew how to find muster stations and life-jackets. It was really difficult to get on to the lifeboats in the dark, with the ship tilting at an alarming angle, especially for the disabled or families with young children. The rescue sounded equally dramatic. Viv had nothing but praise for all the locals who brought food and blankets and took the whole of 3000 passengers in stages by ferry and local boats to the mainland. It can’t have been pleasant to spend the night in the open air. She told us that the seriousness of the affair only really hit home when they saw all the TV, press and photographers waiting for them on the quayside and at the airport. The Italian Red Cross, “Misericordia”, were wonderful and helped with clothing and essentials. I would imagine that many people were suffering delayed shock at this point. Viv herself is a remarkably strong character and a survivor. She talked of the ‘silver lining’ , the joy when old friends got in touch having seen them interviewed on the screen back in the UK. Her fund raising success as a thank you to “Misericordia” made many friends although it proved difficult to get the funds to them. She and Derek went off on a mini-cruise the following year, just to break the psychological barrier. We remained very impressed by them both, and their positive attitude to life. Gail Cook thanked Viv warmly for sharing this experience with us. The next meeting is the Birthday Meeting on 4th February at 7:30pm in the Village Hall. Entertainer Georgia Jacobs will give a talk entitled ”Girl with a Guitar” Cakes and refreshments, all welcome. Judith Hunter

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CATCH PROJECTS - Newsletter, December 2019 CATCH is the charity in Mzamomhle, South Africa, supported by the parish for over 10 years. This is the second part of the CATCH Newsletter begun last month.

Family Preservation Project Our 4 Family Mentors, Vanessa, Nomzamo, Noku and Zimkitha have worked early morning until night and often during the night too when people knock on their doors. The aim of the Project is to relieve the distress of children living in the poorest families. A further aim is to move the families and individuals towards food security and self-sustainability. 85 families, in which there are 521 members, were visited and served in 2019. 302 of these are children.101 of these children attend our afternoon clubs – a victory as these children were marginalized because of severe poverty. One Family Mentor, Vanessa Maxhegwana, has helped the 25 families she cares for by obtaining 50 IDs, 88 Birth Certificates, 38 Child Grants and 23 Foster grants. 28 young adults in these families have received 2 weeks of Work Readiness Training and 30 have gained employment through this avenue. 85 mothers in the families tend and harvest their own gardens on the CATCH site. They have attended 15 life skills workshops during the year. All families were regularly visited and family conferences deal with conflicts and strengthen families. A Project monitoring meeting was held with the Director on a weekly basis.

New Donors Apart from our new donor partner Pepfar, the Mamas Alliance CSI team in Gauteng has been instrumental in introducing new partner donors to CATCH this year. One of these was the MySchool Thuso Trust who donated R93,000 in order to renovate our Garage Clubhouse. We are grateful to have a great renovation which inspires us in our work with the children in that venue. CATCH has just signed a contract with the Public Investment Corporation for a new initiative, “The 120 Club” launched in November’s “16 days of Activism”. The aim is to empower 120 women with beneficial activities. The prime benefit will be training to reach the goal of getting a job. Securing employment comes through work readiness training and training for specific skills. CATCH pays the fees on behalf of the women in the Club. A further donor, Food and Trees for Africa via Checkers sponsorship develops our beneficiaries in their garden skills.

Children There are now nearly 900 children registered with CATCH. Over 600 of these attended our weekly clubs where the focus was on training the children in self-protection and HIV. The children are divided into 25 groups. They have received good protein meals and the team has been able to refer those children in crisis for help. The CATCH Football Club trained 4 teams for league matches in the Bunkers West Football Association. 3 teams performed fairly well ending 4th, 5th, 3rd in each of their leagues where there were 12 clubs participating. This Director is a little disappointed and we will be brainstorming for better performance for next season!

Gardening Project 2019 proved to be the best gardening year yet under the supervision of our Garden Supervisor, Sibongile. 110 gardeners have planted, tended and harvested great vegetables from February to November. The women mostly attended to their gardens on Mondays and were diligent in coming on other days to water. South Africa has a serious drought but CATCH is fortunate in being able to use underground water from our borehole. CATCH signed an MOU with a new partner “Food and Trees for Africa”, sponsored by Checkers Shoprite. Their trainers work with our women to improve permaculture skills. A new tank and other equipment was given to CATCH. We signed up with Kinderfonds Mamas for a garden competition “Growing Together” where we will compete with 15 other NGOs for the best garden over the next year. First prize is R100,000. We are inspired and motivated!

Conclusion May I say again how very much the support of Margie and Friends of the Trust has meant to me personally and to the CATCH team. When Margie started the Mzamomhle AIDS Project because of the devastating effect of AIDS there was no government help with ARVs. This medication is now more available but sadly the spread of HIV still rises in South Africa. Our rate of transmission is the highest in Africa and globally. CATCH will once again raise a banner for HIV prevention and work hard to prevent transmission in Mzamomhle. Thank you, dear friends, for your constant and generous support. Facebook fans can find us on www.facebook.com/catchprojects Sue Davies

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100-mile bike ride in aid of prostate cancer in memory of my Dad

March 2020 marks the 20 year anniversary of when my much-loved Dad died from prostate cancer, having lived with it for 8 years. Whilst progress in survival rates of prostate cancer has been made, sadly there are still 11,700 deaths per year (that’s 32 every day) and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men. The Prostate Cancer Research Centre (PCRC) have made it their mission “to increase survival rates, reduce morbidity and improve the quality of life for men with prostate cancer”. However, they can’t advance their essential research without vital fundraising, which is why I want to use my Dad's memorial year to help raise funds for this charity. I have set myself a personal challenge to participate in the ‘Prudential Ride London 2020’ a 100 mile route through London and the Surrey countryside following a similar route to the London 2012 Olympic road cycle race. Whilst I do some cycling for leisure & exercise, maybe 2 or 3 times a month, 30 miles is typically my comfort zone, so 100 miles in 8.5 hours, including two terror hills called Box and Leith, is going to be extremely challenging, which is why I’m seeking your support and encouragement in terms of sponsorship. My initial fundraising event will be a wine tasting at the Teddington & Alstone Village Hall on 28th March (see below) followed later in the year by an open garden/coffee morning at my house, date to be arranged. My target is to raise £1000 but it would be fabulous to exceed this in memory of my Dad. For those unable to attend either event or who would just like to donate and support me please go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jan-davis777 Many thanks, Jan Davis

Wine tasting in aid of Prostate Cancer Teddington Village Hall, Saturday 28th March – 7:30pm start

Quality wines from a selection of grapes and regions presented by a qualified wine professional. Cheese, snacks and a wine related quiz and other fun things to help the evening along All this for only £12:00 per person

Advanced bookings only, so please book early as numbers are limited For more information and to book please contact Jan Davis on 07776486464 or email [email protected] If you live in Alstone there will be a taxi service to/from the village hall so you can take advantage of a car-free evening!

Friends and Neighbours is a group that was formed more than 30 years ago by Margaret Cotton and is still meeting regularly. We meet on the last Tuesday of the month and have a mix of speakers, fundraising for St Richards Hospice and 'in-house' activities, and of course time to chat and catch up with local events. The group is open to anyone who is a friend and neighbour. We welcome everybody, any age, men, women, and your children when not at school. We meet at the Chapel Hall, Ashton, at 2.00pm, which allows for mums needing to meet their children from afternoon school. There is always a hot/cold drink and cakes/biscuits available. We can also provide activity during the meeting for pre-school children if mums/carers need this service. We look forward to you joining us during this coming year and assure you of a warm welcome. If you need any further information please contact Margaret Darby on 01386 881862 or e-mail [email protected]. There is no membership fee, we do contribute a small donation towards tea/coffee etc. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 25th February. Hazel Padfield giving a talk entitled ‘Journey in a Camper Van’ although at the time of going to print, this has to be confirmed.

Page 15

ADVERTISEMENTS: The Parish Magazine takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

The Engine House, GL20 7PP (next to Yew Tree pub)

Available March 2020 for holiday lets, min 3 nights stay. Mezzanine sleeping for two, plus sofa bed if required. South facing with well-equipped kitchen and lovely living area. Walking/cycling directly on to Bredon Hill

07891 548688 || [email protected]

Page 16

The Parish Magazine takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised. Page 1 Monarch Builders Ltd Quality through Design You dream it, we build it, you live it

We are dedicated to provide our customers with a high range of building services from • Extensions, Landscaping and exterior building works • Modernization of kitchens, bathrooms and interiors

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GARDEN P&H Services Ltd MAINTENANCE

Electrical Engineers and Contractors Turfing, Mowing, Weeding, Hedge Paul Hopkins cutting, Tree pruning,

Garden Clearance Fencing Home: 01386 881528 Mobile: 07860 698847 Regular or one-off. No job too small. Local [email protected] references available.

Amarilli, Blacksmiths Lane, TONY Dumbleton. WR11 7TU Tel: 01386 881550 01386 854797 Mobile: 07967 383639 07752 613814 Inside & Out

Painting, decorating and basic property upkeep!

David Smith 01386 422361 0782 819 9613

Local references available

Page 2 The Parish Magazine takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

DCJ BUILDING SERVICES DORIAN C J WHITEHEAD City and Guilds and CITB Qualified

Gas ~ Oil ~ LPG ASHLEIGH HOUSE ELMLEY ROAD Boiler Servicing & ASHTON UNDER HILL WR11 7SW Breakdown Engineers BOILERS ~ GAS FIRES ~ COOKERS ALL ASPECTS OF WORK UNDERTAKEN QUALIFIED GAS & OIL BURNER TECHNICIANS Tel: 07828 464 935 or 01386 882150 BOILER & OIL TANK REPLACEMENT Email: [email protected]

SPECIALISTS

Unit 26B, Cotteswold HM Garden & Dairy Industrial Estate Landscape Services Northway Lane, Tewkesbury GL20 8JE 136539 David Haynes

Garden Maintenance 01684 293556 Turfing Fencing Patios Pergolas IDEAL TRIANCO BAXI WORCESTER Telephone Mobile POTTERTON GRANT 01684 773834 07909 948284

Aerial Erection Service Digital TV & Radio Aerial Systems Supplied & Installed Multiple Outlets & Sky Links Family Business Established 1973 Stuart Huntley Tel: 01386 553151 Mobile: 07976 606967 www.aerialerectionservice.co.uk

HINTON PEST CONTROL LTD RAILS END NURSERY Preferred Contractor for Back Lane, Ashton under Hill Worcestershire Local 01386 881884 07970718890 Authorities [email protected] • Bedding and basket plants Speedy response to domestic calls. • Planters and baskets filled We stock an ever expanding range of Commercial quotes available. roses and perennials, as well as Rats, mice, squirrels, moles, wasps, flies, fleas, seasonal bedding. bed bugs, carpet moths/beetles, ants, & Looking for something in particular? cockroaches, Get in touch. Fully insured, BPCA/RSPH 2 qualified OPEN: Easter to the end of October Tel: 01386 41762 / 07775 168666 10am-5pm TUESDAY - SUNDAY www.hintonpestcontrol.co.uk During the winter open by appointment only

The Parish Magazine takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised. Page 3

JO’S DOG SITTING "FIT FEET" Kaz & Annie’s, Jamie Worley’s

Ceramics and Tech Support Leave your Mobile Foot Care More... dog in my Service. * Pottery Painting Problems with technology? Be treated in the comfort home while * Decopatch * Parties Let me help you solve of your own home. them. you relax. Conditions include: * Take Home Kits * Adult only evenings I offer a friendly and  Nail Trimming * Group Bookings efficient service for your: JOANNE GAILEY  Hard Skin * Gift Vouchers Computer, Laptop, iPad, DOG SITTER  Corns All ages welcome, pop Mobile phone, TV, printer 8 Willow Close  Callus in or reserve a table to etc. No job too small! Ashton under Hill  Fungal Nails paint and relax.  Ingrowing Toenails Tuition also available.

 Reduction of thickened 18 Vine Mews,Vine St. Call: 078852 38811/ 07531 781842 nails , WR11 4RE 01386 882084 [email protected] Call Lynn on 07795553283 Tel: 01386 304878 [email protected]

HOLIDAY HOMES TO LET The Old Post House Barn

MULBERRY COTTAGE, BECKFORD, Elmley Rd, Ashton under Hill, WR11 7SW TEWKESBURY GL20 7AF (opposite The Star Inn) Sleeps 2, 1 double bedroom with en-suite. Beautiful barn conversion available for holiday lets.

Weekly or short breaks. Also available for Sleeps four in ’upside down’ accommodation: spacious living area in the eaves, two bedrooms, longer winter let from November-March two bathrooms and mini garden. DINGLE COTTAGE, LOWER SOLVA Flat screen TV, DVD player, free wifi, woodburner. HAVERFORDWEST, PEMBS. SA62 6UY Min two nights stay. Sleeps 4, 2 bedrooms, one double, one twin Children 10 and over welcome. Sorry, no pets. both with en-suite. Weekly or short breaks Further details can be found on the website: Contact Karen on 07976 906653 or www.jeans-holiday-homes.co.uk [email protected] or by contacting the owner on 01386 881230 or www.oldposthousebarn.co.uk email: [email protected] Beauty by Lindsey 07801 629756 www.beautybylindsey.co.uk Holloway Farm House ♦Blemish reduction inc: red vein, milia, keratosis, cherry spots Bed & Breakfast ♦Skin Tag removal ♦Waxing - including Brazilian & Hollywood Ashton-under-Hill, ♦Manicures ♦Pedicures ♦Facials - including Caci nonsurgical & Evesham, Worcs. WR11 7SN hydra facial Tel: 01386 881910 ♦Electrolysis ♦Tinting ♦Massage

Email: [email protected] Over 15 years professional experience www.hollowayfarmhouse.co.uk

THE COFFEE SHOP @ Beckford Silk raspberryhen.co.uk Danni and Heather welcome you. High quality handmade bespoke curtains,

Open Monday to blinds, lampshades & cushions. Saturday Locally based near Teddington. 9.00am – 4.00pm Sample books available. Call for free no obligation home visit. Ashton Road, Beckford, 07811 045055 / 01242 620346 Gloucestershire, GL20 7AU Tel: (01386) 881507 / (07568) 170794 [email protected] [email protected] Discount available on first purchase of curtains, please quote PM2019 subject to T and Cs.

Page 4 The Parish Magazine takes no SPACE & TIME THERAPIES Craniosacral Therapy Therapeutic Massage Zero Balancing This subtle and powerful whole-body treatment can Kristy A. Teele, MTI, ZBUK, B.Sc help a wide range of problems including sciatica, www.spaceandtimetherapies.com back and neck problems, joint problems, headaches, on Facebook @ Space&Time migraines, emotional issues, stress and anxiety. It Tel: 07758 105578 / 01684 594033 facilitates deep release in restricted connective Therapeutic Massage: Works with the muscular tissue and nurtures the central nervous system system to address physical issues and ailments, to providing deep relaxation. alleviate stress or simply for relaxation. Zero Balancing: Works with the skeletal system to Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Healing also available. release held tension, promote alignment, create spaciousness in the body and restore the system to a To book or enquire contact restful state. Helen Beale 01386 725059 / 07811820717 Feel free to ring with any questions or book at [email protected] helenbealecraniosacral.com session at the Devereux Centre in Tewkesbury

Regain Your Natural Poise

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE can help with: • stress www.thecotswoldprivateclinic.co.uk @ Ashton-under-Hill Cricket Email: [email protected] Pavilion & Playing Fields & • poor posture; back, neck Dumbleton Village Hall and joint pain Tel: 07961 64 62 62 • improved performance in At The Cotswold Private Clinic, we strive for School Holiday Clubs sport, music and other comprehensive excellence in everything we After School Childcare activities do. We offer a wide range of treatments for: • general health and well-being ♦ Hernias

Private Tutoring ♦ Gallstones www.littlebiglearners.co.uk Philippa Rands MSTAT ♦ Hiatus hernias [email protected] ♦ Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease 07725909808 01386 881633 HOME CARE COUNSELLING Sometimes in life we need help working through Bluebird Care helps tough times. I work with individuals, couples and people stay in the homes young people to help you understand the issues they love. Our care is holding you back from enjoying your life to the full. Please call me for a free phone tailored to individual needs consultation: 07908106709 and can vary from one visit per day to live in care. Jane Ashton MA Psychology MA Counselling MBA If you are thinking about support at home or British Association for Counselling would even like to be part of our friendly and Psychotherapy Email: [email protected] team whether full or part time please give us a call on 01386 764830 to find out more.

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For a competitive quote call Mike on 01684 770448 or email [email protected]

The Parish Magazine takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised. Page 5

Thinking Holidays?

Let CARRICK take care of it…..

Carrick Travel is your local Independent Travel Agent, why not call in, let us make you a coffee and have a chat about your future holiday plans. Sharon and Beckie in our Evesham office have a huge range of exciting holidays on offer to suit all budgets and tastes. So if your next adventure is a seaside family holiday, a round the world trip or a city Ford Fuels / G.L.B Ltd break then Carrick Travel is the perfect destination. Specialists in Oil Fired Why not pop in or contact us now. Central Heating Systems

Service, Maintenance, CARRICK TRAVEL Installations 57-59 Port Street, Rayburn Aga Boilers Evesham, WR11 3LH

Beckford Church heating system Tel: 01386 41474 maintained by ourselves since 1995 Email: [email protected] 01386 871777 Est. over 30 years

Page 6 The Parish Magazine takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

GLOUCESTER SHIRE’SFINE ART AUCTIONEERS

Free auction valuations Equine and Canine Laundry Service Regular fine art & antiques sales Horse Rugs Dog Bedding & Coats Insurance & probate valuations Stable Rug Wash from £7 Dog Coat Wash £5 Turnout Wash from £8 Dog Bed Wash from £5 01452 344499 Turnout Wash & Dog Coat Wash & [email protected] Reproof from £14 Reproof £6 www.chorleys.com

*** Free Local Collection *** RINKNASH BBEY ARK P A P Call Natasha: 01684 773353 or 0776 6141994 GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL4 8EU

TURN TO US FOR Robin Porter Architects HELP AND SUPPORT R.I.B.A. Chartered Architect

In your time of need we’ll take care of Independent professional with the all the funeral arrangements. vision and determination to achieve Call us 24 hours a day. the best solutions for all my clients. • Funeral Pre-Payments Plans Specialist in: • Memorials Planning and Listed Building Consents Sustainable Developments Sympathetic Renovations Oak Framed Buildings 1 High Street Contemporary New Build Tewkesbury GL20 5AH 01684 297376 Green Oak Cottage, Elmley Castle Part of Dignity plc. A British Company 01386 710651

E Hill & Son Funeral Directors 01386 552141 Serving the community since 1960 Local people helping local people Qualified Funeral Directors Private Homely Premises Fairfield House, Defford Road, WR10 1HZ. www.ehillandson.co.uk Pre~Payment Plans Available Privately owned by Beverley Funerals Limited

Your IT Solution www.maltecservices.co.uk

Domestic & Business Support

Server & Network Installations WiFi & Mobile Advice Virus/Spyware Removal Custom Office Support Scenarios Maintenance Contracts

Competitive Rates

01684 773353 07788 922534

PARISH DIRECTORY - DECEMBER 2019

Revd Allison Davies Associate Priest 01386 750203 Pastoral Area of Responsibility: Overbury [email protected] Vicar of Eckington with Defford and Besford

Revd Rick Tett Curate of Eckington & Defford cum Besford (Working across the Bredon Hill 01386 751152 Group) [email protected]

Treasurer Mike Sanger-Davies 01386 881910

Parish Enquiries Parish Secretary: Lynne Wilkinson [email protected] Tues 9 - 12, Bredon Parish Office 01684 772398 Thurs 9 - 12, Parish Office, Beckford Village Hall 01386 881349

Saint John The Baptist’s Church, Transport Co-ordinators Beckford Overbury Faith Hallett 01386 725206 Churchwarden David Carvill 01386 882002 Teddington Kieran Whelan 01242 620763 Secretary Graham Galer 01386 882200 Alstone Anne Kyle 01242 620351 Treasurer Pam Grice 01386 882514 Ashton vacant Organist Mike Sanger Davies 01386 881910 Beckford vacant Flowers Doreen Byrd 01386 881360 Minibus Bell ringers Nick Hopkins 01386 710136 Andrew Barnett 01386 881145 Saint Faith’s Church, Overbury Paul Stephenson 01386 882052

Churchwarden Faith Hallett 01386 725206 (backup co-ordinator) [email protected]

Secretary Christine Clark 01386 725405 Disability Awareness Officer Treasurer Joss Muirie 07736 957310 Pat Chambers 01386 750358 Organist Anne Brown 01684 292231

Flowers Stef Lemarechal 01386 725325 Parish Safeguarding Officer Bell ringers Ros Long 01386 725111 Lynne Wilkinson - see Parish Secretary above for Saint Barbara’s Church, contact details Ashton-under-Hill Magazine Contacts for Alastair Humphrey 01386 881479 Editor St Barbara’s David Hunter 01386 882087 Chris Godfrey 01242 620006 Treasurer David Hunter 01386 882087 Email: [email protected] Organist Anthony Greenwood 01386 881278 [email protected] Advertising Flowers Judith Hunter 01386 882087 Jean Croft 01386 881230 Bell ringers Nick Hopkins 07790 831787 Email: [email protected] Choirmaster Alastair Humphrey 01386 881479

Regular Giving Alastair Humphrey 01386 881479 Treasurer

Saint Margaret’s Church, Alstone & Laurence Alexander 01386 881814 St. Nicholas’ Church, Teddington The Old Police Station, Beckford, GL20 7AD

Churchwardens Anne Kyle 01242 620351 News Team Kieran Whelan 01242 620763 Beckford Jessie Alexander 01386 881814 Secretary Nicholas Bentley 01242 620292 Chapelries Bill & Anne Kyle 01242 620351 Treasurer Mike Wignall 01242 620031 Overbury Ros Long 01386 725111 Flowers: Ashton Alastair Humphrey 01386 881479 Teddington Caroline Marsh 01242 621139 Alstone Jane Rogers 01242 620592

See inside front cover for services on Ash Wednesday 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th Meditation Thursday, Committee Rm, Beckford Village Hall 6:00pm 1st Teddington & Alston V.H. Bingo Night 7:30pm 3rd Christingle Service for Overbury at Overbury First School 1:45pm 4th Ashton W.I. ‘Girl with a Guitar‘, Ashton Village Hall 7:30pm 7th Ashton Lunch Club, Chapel Hall 12:30pm Quiz Night in aid of Beckford Village Hall - see page 7 for details 10th Overbury Annual Church Meeting, Whitcombe 7:00pm Beckford W.I. ’The Work of Vale Wildlife Hospital’, Beckford V.H. 7:30pm 11th Simply Soup, Beckford Village Hall 12:30pm 16th Deadline for magazine entries for March 16th United Parish Worship at Beckford 9:00am 18th Quiet Day at Holland House - see page 6 for details 21st Teddington Village Hall 50+ Club, Village Hall 2:30pm - 4:30pm 25th Friends & Neighbours Group, Chapel Hall, Ashton - see page 15 for details 26th Beckford Gardening Club ’A Passion for Seed‘, Beckford V.H. 7:30pm 28th Minibus shopping trip to Highfield Garden Centre, Whitminster, Gloucester Beckford Coffee Morning in the Church Chancel 10:30am - 12noon Lent Lunch at Willow End, Elmley Road, Ashton - see page 4 for details

Why, what’s the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?

~ William Shakespeare Don Pedro, in Much Ado About Nothing

Parish Minibus Friday Shopping Trips in February

7th and 21st to Bishops Cleeve 14th to Worcester 28th to Highfield Garden Centre, Whitminster, Gloucester

Picks up from all villages on request. Call Andrew Barnett on 01386 881145