ST. OSWALD’S CHURCH MAGAZINE

JUNE AND JULY 2020

1 St Oswald's Church - About us We are part of the in the St. Alban's Diocese. Our website is www.stoswaldschurch.org.uk Our Vision is:- to be a joyful, prayerful and caring church; alive to the Holy Spirit; welcoming and accessible to all; building relationships with God and the community we serve. You will find us at Malvern Way, WD3 3QL just off Baldwins Lane

Lancing Way St. Oswald’s Church Sherborne Way Malvern Way

Baldwins Lane. There is a direct footpath link from Baldwins Lane into the rear of the church grounds and car park access from Malvern Way. The office entrance is at the back of the church hall.

2 St. Oswald’s Church, 17 Malvern Way Croxley Green, Herts, WD3 3QL Because of the Covid-19 virus pandemic, services and church events are suspended until further notice. Please see St Oswald's website: stowaldschurch.org.uk and Facebook page for announcements. Contacts Vicar: Revd Robert Riley- Braley tel : 01923 332244 email: [email protected] Lay- Readers: Tony Barton tel:01923897256 Email: [email protected]: Magdalena Pletsch email: [email protected] Church Warden: Maurice Lisley email: [email protected] Church Warden: Steve Carpenter email: [email protected] Treasurer: Karen Pryse email: [email protected] PCC Secretary: Brian Thomson email: [email protected] Hall Bookings: email: hall-bookings@stoswaldschurch.

EDITOR’S NOTE There is no diary in this issue because all of St. Oswald’s services and meetings have been suspended for the time being due to the Covid 19 emergency. We will let you know as soon as they resume, and the latest information will be posted on the church website www.stoswaldschurch.org.uk and on our Facebook page. POSSIBLE FUTURE EVENTS Cake Sale Sunday 6th Sept Jumble Sale 17th October Quiz 24th October Beetle Drive 7th November 1940’s themed dance 14th November Christmas pudding and craft making 29th Nov

3 o m Th e Vi c a r a g e

Dear friends, What a journey we have been on since my last letter in the magazine! These last two months will be indelibly engraved in our memories. Lockdown has affected us all in different ways. For some it has been a bearable inconvenience. For others, a traumatic assault on life or livelihood. For most of us, probably something in between There have of course been benefits. For many, there has been a steep learning curve, usually to do with use of the internet, whether that be online shopping, Zoom meetings or, in my case, online services. I know that some families have used their daily exercise to learn more about the locality on walks or bike rides. We have maybe got to know our neighbours better, through offers of help and support, through seeing one another at the weekly applause for NHS and keyworkers or through socially distanced VE Day street parties. Lockdown has provided an opportunity to reconnect with those we care about, whether in the home or through modern methods of communication, and hopefully to renew a relationship with God. There is a fresh sense of gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of many keyworkers we might otherwise have taken for granted. But the downside has been enormous. Immediate and longer term prospects for the economy and employment are not encouraging and this will affect us all one way or another. Isolation and the suspension of usual activity have had an impact on mental health, especially amongst young people. Existing health problems have been exacerbated and those laid low by Covid-19 have experienced symptoms at least unpleasant if not more serious. Funerals have been particularly difficult experiences as mourners have had to cope not just with the pain of bereavement but with the necessary constraints imposed. Both individuals and communities have suffered to an extent which must be recognised and attended to. 4 Now as lockdown begins to be lifted, we face a new set of challenges with concomitant anxieties. A return to work for many, the resumption of high street trading, the partial opening up of schools, a lightening of social restrictions and a Test and Trace regime to monitor developments, all these changes call for a continuation of that self-restraint and community spirit which have, in most quarters, been so admirably displayed over recent weeks. I am writing these words in the days before Pentecost Sunday, when we shall celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first disciples. St Paul wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” We might add that this fruit is not only legal but as needed as ever. Come, Holy Spirit! As a Church we face challenges too. At the moment, it looks as though public worship may be permitted again from early July, but with certain restrictions in place. Instead of bemoaning these limitations, I hope we shall be able to adapt responsibly, cheerfully and flexibly with a view to making the most of the opportunities before us. In particular, we will need to consider how we might sustain resumed worship in the church building along with commitment to a continuing online congregation comprising existing St Oswald’s stalwarts and new found members. I have just been previewing the Sermon for Pentecost Sunday kindly sent by , the new . Jane speaks about how “surprise and spontaneity sum up the events of Pentecost”. The surprise of being filled with God’s Spirit led the disciples into spontaneous celebration and sharing of God’s good news. Being open to surprises from God’s Spirit will enable a spontaneous and life-giving response from us. Come Holy Spirit! God bless you all. Yours sincerely, Robert

5 A CROXLEY RAMBLER’S DIARY - WALKING IN A TIME OF COVID 19

Wednesday 15 April Brian Thomson We are into our fourth week of the lockdown. This is a difficult time for many. But there are some compensations. The spring sunshine has been lovely for many days and we are allowed to leave the house for exercise once a day. Fortunately we have kept clear of the virus, so it has been a real relief to be able to walk in the woods nearby. Our closeness to the woods is one of the blessings I count each day. And many of our neighbours have been doing the same. It is rare to take a walk without seeing someone we know and exchanging news, keeping two metres apart, of course. Not long after the clocks went forward I took the opportunity of getting up early and experiencing the sunrise in Dell wood. I arrived in the peaceful centre of the wood just as the sun’s disc began showing through the trees. I stopped quietly in the half-light and listened to the birdsong. There was a tuneful blackbird in a tree nearby and a couple of robins, each trying to outsing the other, with tits and a wren chattering in the background. The continuous warbling of a blackcap was a delight while a chiffchaff also made its presence felt. Even at that hour, I was not the only person enjoying the wood. A couple walking their dog and a runner passed me. As I left, the rising sun cast long shadows on the field towards Red Heath. Today I am walking a bit further - to Harrocks Wood. I had let the Woodland Trust know how much we are enjoying their woodlands. In response they had asked for a report on how the woods were being affected by the increased footfall as people use them for exercise. It is another lovely day and that brief, amazing time of year when both the wild cherries and the bluebells are in full bloom. But because I have some distance to go there is not time to dawdle. Keeping two metres apart can be a challenge on woodland paths and it is often necessary to step aside so that people can pass. Dell Wood is particularly busy. It is good to see families enjoying the bluebells,

6 but there are far more bikes than usual. I cross into Merlins Spring and on to the car parks on Rousebarn Lane, both closed to prevent too many visitors crowding the area. I notice several cherry trees with attractive clusters of white flower spikes. Descending the hill on Rousebarn Lane I arrive at the gate into Harrocks Wood. This is far enough from Croxley to be quiet. I take the main path and join Finches Avenue, leading from Red Heath towards Chandlers Cross. There are new leaves on many of the trees. It is almost as if they open as you watch. This is the part of the wood where the bluebells are at their best. I circle back towards Rousebarn Lane and stop, overwhelmed by the sea of blue all around me. But I need to press on and make my way into Merlins Wood by the old quarries. The path is quite narrow along the edge of the field and I am taken aback by a teenager riding his bike round a corner. Keeping a safe distance is not an option, but he is soon gone. I hurry home to avoid exceeding the recommended hour for exercise (and fail!). All in all it seems that the woods are standing up to the greatly increased footfall of recent weeks, although there are some new paths appearing through the bluebells. We must hope that the plants will continue to provide us with as much enjoyment when Covid-19 is just a bad memory.

ISOLATION AT PROVIDENCE HALL, THE GREEN

Photo by Brian Thomson

7 ARE WE AN ECO CHURCH? One of the charities that St Oswald’s supports is A Rocha (Portuguese for ‘the Rock’). They are a Christian charity working for the protection and restoration of the natural world and committed to mobilising Christians and churches in the UK to care for the environment. They run a number of conservation projects in different parts of the world. In addition they have designed an Ecochurch Survey to encourage churches to do more to help the environment. The PCC decided that St Oswald’s should see how we are doing by completing the survey. Jane Brading and I filled in the online questionnaire. There's a lot that we have been doing already and overall we have been credited with a Bronze award. There are five components to this wide-ranging survey: Worship and Teaching - how much do environmental issues feature in our services, our work with children and young people and our communications? Buildings - what steps have we taken to reduce our use of energy and water? How are we encouraging recycling? Land - are we managing our land to encourage wildlife? Community and Global Engagement - how are we engaging with environmental and fair trade activities locally and in the wider world? Lifestyle - what are we doing to encourage church members to care for the environment? We scored Gold for Worship and Teaching and Bronze for the other categories. So this is creditable but there is room for improvement. It would be good to get a silver award. Jane and I would welcome a few more folk to think through what more we could do at a practical level. Please let me know if you are interested. (Tel - 226850) To view the survey, register on the Ecochurch website as a St Oswald's member. https://app.ecochurch.org Then log in and view Archived Surveys. Brian Thomson

8 ECO TIPS Zero-waste shop in Croxley You can now shop at the Green Stores, a zero waste shop which has just opened at 125 New Road, selling a wide range of goods including pasta, rice, cereals, flour, dried fruit, nuts, toilet rolls, household and cleaning goods. Products are sold by weight, so you buy what you need, reducing food waste. In future you will be able to bring your own containers to fill up and weigh your own products, but at the time of writing there are special arrangements to help with social distancing. Currently, you need to book an appointment online for a 10-minute slot in advance to visit the shop. Take your list with you and the staff will weigh and pack the items while you wait, in paper bags or recycled containers. Opening times are Wednesday to Saturday 9.30 am to 1 pm. See www.thegreenstores.co.uk for up-to-date information and a full list of the products they stock.

FREEGLE: Find a new home for any item you’ve finished with, by advertising it to local people on Freegle, a registered charity, run by volunteers. Freegle matches up people who have items they don’t want any more with others who’d like things they don’t have. Locally we have the Watford and Rickmansworth Freegle groups. You post a message offering the item you’ve finished with, then other people see it and reply to you. You choose who to give it to and they collect. So you've decluttered, helped someone else and saved an item from landfill. You can also browse the items offered, or post a request for something that other people might have. At the time of writing, guidelines include making contact-less arrangements for collections and Freegle are encouraging people to limit offers to essential items. See www.ilovefreegle.org for up-to-date information, or if you want to know more ask Jane Brading ([email protected]), a keen Freegler!

9 HA! HA! HA! An old Italian lived alone in South Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament: Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over...I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days. Love, Papa A few days later he received a letter from his son: Dear Pop, Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried. Love, Vinnie At 4am the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologised to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son. Dear Pop, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances. Love you, Vinnie The Osteopathic House Experienced Qualified Practitioners OSTEOPATHY, ACUPUNCTURE, CRANIAL OSTEOPATHY, HOMEOPATHY, HEAD MASSAGE MASSAGE THERAPIES, REFLEXOLOGY, SPORTS MASSAGE, ADULT COUNSELLING, CHILDREN COUNSELLING, GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE

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HA! HA! HA! Actual complaints received by a resort chain: On my holiday to India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food. We booked an excursion to a water park but no one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it would be included in the price. The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room. No one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared. It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England . It took the Americans only three hours to get home. This seems unfair. We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air- conditioning. I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention mosquitoes. My sister woke up late and didn't get a free continental breakfast. 11 CROXLEY

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12 A PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO LIVE ALONE

I live alone, dear Lord, Stay by my side, In all my daily needs Be Thou my guide, Grant me good health - For that indeed, I pray, To carry on my work From day to day. Keep pure my mind, My thoughts, my every deed, Let me be kind, unselfish In my neighbour’s need. Spare me from fire, from flood, Malicious tongues, From thieves, from fear And evil ones. If sickness or an Accident befall, Then humbly, Lord, I pray hear Thou my call, And when I’m feeling low Or in despair, Lift up my heart And help me in my prayer. I live alone, dear Lord, Yet have no fear, Because I feel Your presence Ever near. Amen This prayer was submitted by Jeanette, who was given it many years ago by a dear friend.

13 LETTER OF THANKS FROM THE BISHOP OF ST. ALBANS

In these challenging days, I am writing to offer my thanks for your church’s contribution to the parish share for the month of April. In response to God’s love we have been praying that we might live with ‘generosity and joy, imagination and courage’. You have demonstrated these values in a practical way through your generosity. As you will know, 89% of the parish share we collect each month goes immediately out of the diocesan bank account to pay the stipends of our parochial ministers. Your parish share payment means that clergy can continue leading the mission of local churches such as yours. I am immensely proud of all that our clergy and the people around them are doing to serve our communities. The pastoral support of the isolated, leading worship using new technology, and setting up parish pantries to feed those made vulnerable by the lockdown are just a few of the ways that our churches are responding generously to the needs of their communities. Within our nation there is a clear need for spiritual sustenance – a study published last week showed that 25% of the population had attended an online religious service in the last six weeks. Thank you for enabling this ministry to continue. I hope very much that you will be able to continue in the pattern that you have set. We shall only come through the challenges of this time if we are all able to pull together – not only financially but in many other ways as well. I am hugely grateful for all that you are giving. This comes with my best wishes +Alan

14 PRAYERS FOR THE SEASON A prayer about the Coronavirus outbreak Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

For those in isolation: God of compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation. In their loneliness, be their consolation; in their anxiety, be their hope; in their darkness, be their light; through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For those who are worried and for social cohesion: Loving Jesus, you are compassionate to those in need and heal the sick in body and mind. Look kindly on those who are fearful at this time. Help us all to put away all thoughts and actions that separate us from you and from one another. Give us grace to live our lives confident in your promise that you are with us always. Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, you taught us to love our neighbour, and to care for those in need as if we were caring for you. In this time of anxiety, give us strength to comfort the fearful, to care for the sick, and to assure the isolated of our love, and your love, for your name’s sake. Amen. For those who are ill: Merciful God, we entrust to your unfailing and tender care, those who are ill or in pain, knowing that, whenever danger threatens, your everlasting arms are there to hold us safe. Comfort and heal them, and restore them to health and strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For hospital staff and medical researchers: Gracious God, give skill, sympathy and resilience to all who are caring for the sick, and your wisdom to those searching for a cure. Strengthen them with your Spirit, that through their work many will be restored to health; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For one who is ill or isolated: O God, help me to trust you, help me to know that you are with me, help me to believe that nothing can separate me from your love revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

15 4 of t 4 H h In the absence of physical services and therefore of hymn singing, I thought we could look at some hymns of another tradition, that of the American Baptists and Presbyterians. They are in my copy of Redemption Songs, which bears no date but is probably early last century. My first choice is this:

O why not say Yes to the Saviour tonight? He’s tenderly pleading with thee To come to Him now with thy sin-burdened heart For pardon so full and so free. Why not say Yes tonight? Why not? Why not? While He so gently, so tenderly pleads, O accept Him tonight, tonight.

The words are very direct, mainly in the nature of entreaty, but here is a clear warning in the second verse – “O do not reject him tonight! Tomorrow may bring you the darkness of death”. My next choice is this:

Once I heard a sound at my heart’s dark door, And was roused from the slumber of sin: It was Jesus knocked, He had knocked before; Now I said “Blessed Master, come in!” Then open! Open! Open, let the Master in! For the heart will be bright with a heavenly light, When you let the Master in.

Again, the message is that Jesus wants to free us from the burden of sin, but he doesn’t push his way in: he just knocks at the door (Revelation 3:20) and it is our choice whether or not to invite him in. Most of the writers of the words and music in this book are little known to us today, though Robert Lowry (1826-99), who provided the music for the second of these hymns, also wrote both words and

16 music for Low in the grave he lay and Shall we gather by the river? and Fanny Crosby (Blessed Assurance) makes several appearances. The general poetic and musical quality of the collection is somewhat banal, but my final choice is a notable exception and has a harrowing story attached to it. Horatio Spafford (1828-88) was a wealthy Chicago lawyer who had something of the experience of Job, suffering traumatic events starting with the death of his four- year-old son and then the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which ruined him financially. His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873, at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank after a collision with another vessel, and all four daughters died. Shortly afterwards, as Spafford travelled to meet his grieving wife, who alone of the family had survived, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well, with my soul. It is well, (it is well), With my soul, (with my soul)

It must have taken a lot of faith to pen these words after such a tragedy. The lovely tune is by Philip Bliss (1838-76). He named it Ville du Havre, after the stricken vessel. He has no tunes in our own hymn book, but in other books I see the hand of a sensitive composer who clearly understood four-part harmony. His early death was in tragic circumstances: a train in which he was travelling with his wife fell into a ravine and caught fire when a bridge collapsed, He was relatively unscathed but died when he tried to extricate his wife from the wreckage. Quentin Phillips

17 THE BIBLE IN A FORTNIGHT

Being largely confined to the house and with Robert’s injunction to “dust off our Bibles” in mind I thought, why not read the whole Bible again? This would be the third time. Previous occasions were before I retired and I had had less time to devote to continuous reading; also, I had read the books in the printed order, which towards the end of the Old Testament is not chronological. This time I would follow a chronological order in an attempt to get a better grasp of events, at least in the OT era. So, armed with my preferred version, the Good News, and its informative time-lines and other features, I dived into Genesis 1:1 on 25 March. Six days later I was at the end of 2 Chronicles, at which point Israel had been split into the two kingdoms (the result of a tussle over who would succeed Solomon as king) and been taken into exile, the southern kingdom of Judah by the Assyrians and the northern kingdom of Israel by the Babylonians. This is where I departed from the printed order: the books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe the return from exile but this is actually foretold in part by the prophets, so I read them first. In chronological order I finished Amos, Hosea, Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum and Habakkuk on 31 March, followed the next day by Jeremiah, Lamentations and half of Ezekiel. On 2 April I read the rest of Ezekiel, then Daniel, Obadiah, Haggai, Zechariah, then Ezra and Nehemiah, followed by Esther (did you know that this is the only book which doesn’t mention God?), Jonah, Malachi, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. The next couple of days saw me finish Job (which I confess I always find difficult to follow in places), Psalms, Proverbs and the first ten chapters of Mark. I prioritised Mark as this is believed to be the first gospel, and the source of much of Matthew and Luke. Also, I was able to arrive at Palm Sunday Mark 11) on Palm Sunday! After that, I read the rest of the New Testament, finishing Revelation on 7 April.

18 So, what were my impressions? Reading the OT, with the prophetic content placed in the historical context and the “poetic” books at the end, gave me the broad sweep I was looking for. It was clear that God’s plans are worked out through all sorts of different people, some good, some frankly unpleasant: his plans will not be thwarted. The Psalms often allude to events in ways you could miss unless you were aware of those events, so reading the Psalms last was quite useful (for example, Psalm 137 clearly refers to the exile). Although there are references in the OT to God’s dissatisfaction with empty ritual and his insistence on real sacrifice characterised by genuine devotion, it is in the NT that we find Jesus and then Paul emphasising this. Jesus says that he did not come to do away with the law but to fulfil it, but here the law is the Ten Commandments rather than endless sacrificing of animals. Of course, we believe that Jesus offered himself as the once-and-for-all sacrifice. Paul says in Galatians 2:16 that we are put right with God only through faith, not by doing only what the law requires; and in Ephesians 5:22 he says that Jesus abolished the Jewish rules and brought Jews and Gentiles together in one race. The question of what the Mosaic law means in the NT covenant is one of the major themes of the Bible. On Easter Sunday I watched the film The Ten Commandments again. I first saw it when I was about ten and I still remember the impression it made. Given that it dates from 1956 the special effects, especially the parting of the Red Sea, are still impressive, as is the image of Moses (Charlton Heston) holding the stone tablets aloft against the black sky, then hurling them down onto the golden calf. With the story of the Hebrews’ slavery in Egypt still fresh in my mind, watching this film was really meaningful. Especially striking were Pharaoh’s words when he saw his forces submerged in the Red Sea waters and Moses leading the Hebrews safely through – “His God is God!”. Quentin Phillips

But then offering them back to the Lord for blessing, and listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance 19 SUNDAY READINGS FOR JUNE AND JULY

Sun 07 June Trinity Sunday & Environment Sunday Isaiah 40.12-31 Matthew 28.16-20 Psalm 150 Isaiah 6.1-8 John 16.5-15

Friday 12th June St Barnabas

Sun 14 June 1st after Trinity Genesis 6.5-22 Matthew 5.38-48

Wednesday 17th June Refugee Week begins Saturday 20th June World Refugee Day

Sun 21 June 2nd after Trinity (Fathers’ Day) Genesis 7.1-10 Matthew 7.21-29

Wednesday 24th June Birth of John the Baptist Friday 26th June Victims of Torture

Sun 28 June 3rd after Trinity Genesis 7.11-24 Matthew 9.9-13

Monday 29th June St Peter and St Paul Friday 3rd July St Thomas

Sun 05 July 4th after Trinity Genesis 7.24-8.14 Matthew 10.40-42

20 Sun 12 July 5th after Trinity Disability Awareness Sunday, Sea Sunday Genesis 8.13-22 Matthew 13.1-9

Sun 19 July 6th after Trinity Genesis 9.1-17 Matthew 13.24-30

Wednesday 22nd July St Mary Magdalene Saturday 25th July St James

Sun 26 July 7th after Trinity Genesis 9.18-28 Matthew 13.31-35

Saturday 1st August Lammas Day Wednesday 5th August St Oswald Thursday 6th August Transfiguration

Imagine yourself in a quiet place and Jesus is beside you - lay down all your baggage at His feet, and let Him take it from you. Feel yourself enfolded in His strong arms and His presence taking away your anxieties.

Beech Avenue, Whippendell woods. Photo by Brian Thomson 21 IN MEMORY JUNE John Thomas MANNING ~ 27th Jan 1904 to 1st June 1988 Florence Annie BATES ~ 8th Oct 1908 to 2nd June 2007 Eva Cecilia DAY ~ 6th Aug 1901 to 4th June 1991 Doris Evelyn THOMSON ~ 10th Dec 1914 to 6th June 2004 Eileen Mary WOODHOUSE - 24th October 1923 to 6th June 2019 Sylvia Alice DENTON ~ 7th Feb 1915 to 10th June 2008 Pearl Lilian SEALEY ~ 22nd Jan 1922 to 12th June 2009 Maureen Ena HERRING ~ 17th Jan 1935 to 27th June 2017 James Humphrey BROOM ~ 19th Jan 1916 to 18th June 2015 Reginald James STEVENS ~ 12th Oct 1915 to 20th June 1989 Alfred Charles WAKEMAN ~ 1st June 1917 to 20th June 1995 Ida Louisa DRACUP ~ 22nd March 1908 to 20th June 1997 James WILSON ~ 3rd Jan 1930 to 23rd June 2006 Raymond GRAY ~ 30th June 1926 to 23rd June 2014 Andrew Nicholas DENTON ~ 22nd Jan 1950 to 24th June 1975 Sylvia Josephine KEARNEY ~ 10th Nov 1940 to 24th June 2012 Florence May WALTON ~ 18th Aug 1906 to 26th June 1977 Muriel BROWN ~ 21st May 1921 to 28th June 2012 Margery Gladys HARDY ~ 18th March 1906 to 28th June 1993 Gordon Creighton WALFORD ~ 17th July 1916 to 29th June 2011 JULY Ellen Hannah STANTON ~ 28th Sep 1916 to 4th July 1997 Edwin Whitridge STANTON ~ 20th April 1912 to 20th March 2006 22 Louise Elizabeth SAUNDERSON ~ 8th Feb 1902 to 7th July 1964 Eileen Joan LINCOLN ~ 17th April 1936 to 9th July 2015 Catherine Bessie HART ~ 15th May 1915 to 10th July 1979 Joan Barbara DOWSE ~ 19th July 1926 to 11th July 2016 David John GIBBENS ~ 21st March 1959 to 12th July 1969 Susan Virginia MOUSLEY ~ 14th March 1951 to 12th July 2013 Peter Roy POPE ~ 18th September 1932 to 15th July 2015 Evelyn Alice WINWARD ~ 3rd Oct 1923 to 15th July 2010 Margery Irene TILLEY ~ 13th Aug 1906 to 18th July 1985 Martin HOOK ~ 24th Nov 1943 to 18th July 2015 Horace Peter BARBERO ~ 3rd May 1909 to 19th July 1989 Peter Ernest PRATT - 13th March 1934 to 24th July 2016 Leonard Stuart DENTON ~ 15th June 1952 to 28th July 1952

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8 35 - 39)

23 MEMORIES OF GROWING UP AT ST. OSWALD’S - PART 1

My parents Mary and Jack, and my maternal Grandfather Pop Seddon were members of the Church and had laid some of the bricks of the new building. Donations were 1/- , (5p) per brick. The women, as they did not wear trousers, placed their bricks on the lower wall to the north whilst the men climbed the scaffolding on the east side. Many years later cracks appeared and the rumour was that it was the handiwork of the women who laid the bricks on that side of the Church but in fact it was due to the weight of the roof! My first official connection with St. Oswald’s was my Christening in November 1955 by Rev M E Dahl, but obviously I have no recollection! The first vicar I can remember is David Read and his wife Sheila. To me he seemed a very tall man always very smartly dressed and always wearing his dog collar, and his hair brylcreemed in place. His wife too was always immaculate and to me, looked as though she had just walked out of the hairdressers. They were always in attendance at the Church functions. I remember when they left they moved to a Parish in Nazeing in Essex and it was the Church Cliff Richard attended at the time! The layout of the Church was very different to today, there was a partition that divided the Church into two spaces or the partition could be folded back for the Church Services. I remember we had wooden chairs (purchased in 1937 for 4/8d (24p) or collapsible chairs 5/8d (27p)). Some of the wooden chairs were still in use until fairly recently. Every Saturday night the chairs would be put out for the Sunday Services and every Sunday evening stacked away. There was also a stage at the Baptistry end of the Church with a Gents Dressing Room where the Choir Vestry is now and a Ladies Dressing Room where the kitchen is now. Also a toilet was situated at the back where the main entrance lobby with the bench is now. In the early 1960s the chairs were changed for the Pews that are now in use. With all the talk of having the Pews removed and purchasing chairs we seem to be taking a backward step or should I say we will have come full circle!! The Church in those days looked quite bare as nothing was allowed on the walls since it was thought to look untidy and would pull the paintwork off. How thoughts have 24 changed! Sunday School was a regular part of life at St. Oswald’s, after the 9.30 am main Service. I would walk along Barton Way to Church (and for part of the time would call for Judith Wallington). Mrs Hilda Seear was the leader with several “teachers” as we spilt into groups. There was always a short Service and hymn with John Watson playing. I would have a lift home from him after Sunday School, I was always a bit wary of him as he seemed very stern! Each year we use to be awarded books, for attendance and in one it says for “cheerful and helpfulness”. I still have them in my bookcase.

Each group had a blackboard that Dad had made – I can still see him painting them in the kitchen with the special black paint. In my first Bible that I received at my Christening I have a card of the painting of “The Light of the World” which Mary Grover (now Warman) who was my Sunday School Teacher, gave me October 1963 for attendance and thanking me for the chalks! I seem to remember a Sunday School outing where we travelled by coach but I do not remember the details. We also had exams when we sat in the Hall and we received certificates but again my memory fails. Perhaps others can comment on them and the outing. Charles Lawrence was a vicar I particularly remember because at the beginning of the services when he walked down the aisle he would recite “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God………” I cannot remember how many verses from St John he said but he always reached the altar at exactly the same point. I use to think he must have spent ages practising!!! I would peer round the end of the pew and watch them all walk back at the end of the service. Father Lawrence always made out he could not remember my name but called me “the girl 25 who always smiled”. I used to get so annoyed that he could not remember my name, but I am told that he just did it to tease me! Rev Lloyd Jones was the next vicar, who always seemed very old to me. One Sunday morning at the 8 o’clock service he collapsed (it was quite frightening at the time) and Dad had to stop the Service and deal with the situation. I think Dad had to drive him home, and then drive his car back to the Vicarage. He was very precious about his car and usually would not let anyone near it let alone drive it! I was left in the Church on my own to wait for Dad for what seemed a very long time. Strange what one remembers! ARCHERS AT A ST. OSWALD’S SUMMER FETE, EARLY 1960S (FROM THE WATFORD OBSERVER) A young Janet!

Thanks to Janet for these memoirs which will be be continued in the next edition

P G Langdon ...... 1937 -1946 R S Wilkinson...... 1946 - 1950 M E Dahl...... 1951 - 1956 DAVID D R Read...... 1956 - 1961 READ C W Lawrence...... 1961 - 1965 W R Lloyd-Jones...... 1965 - 1975 VICARS D Morgan...... 1975 - 1985 PAST AND J M Young...... 1986 - 1994 PRESENT OF A M Lovegrove...... 1995 - 2002 SAINT OSWALD’S A Walton...... 2003 - 2007 R Riley-Braley...... 2008 - 26 CHRISTIAN AID BEDDING PLANTS MAY 2020 Despite the Coronavirus restrictions we were determined to do something to raise funds for Christian Aid this year. As an experiment we took orders from church members and delivered direct to their door to ensure everyone kept safe. The experiment was a success, we raised £631.05 for Christian Aid and we are hugely grateful to everyone who took part and supported it. We also apologise profusely to those who missed out this time around, it simply wasn't possible to safely organise a larger number of deliveries. We are having a think about how we can do more in the future, with or without restrictions. Thank you again on behalf of all at Christian Aid and their partners all over the world, who need this help even more this year.

HOMOEOPATHY

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01923 442759 Let your body follow its natural healing path through use of this holistic system of treatment.

27 INTERCESSIONS The following suggestions for prayer week by week are by no means exhaustive. They are intended as prompts to encourage our prayers for: the life of our church; the charities with which we are connected; the roads of our parish; the village and the wider community. Other suggestions for prayer may be found on the weekly pew sheet. Sunday 31 May to Saturday 6 June Companions and Junior Youth Club, A Rocha Beechcroft Ave, Oakleigh Drive, Sycamore App, Sycamore Road, Valley Walk Our local shops and businesses

Sunday 7 to Saturday 13 June Safeguarding Team and Pastoral Contact Group Alternatives Trust Byewaters, Evensyde, Basildon Close, Gill Close, Heckford Close, Longmans Close Our local schools

Sunday 14 to Saturday 20 June Uniformed organisations – Rainbows, Brownies and Guides Bible Reading Fellowship Girton Way, Malvern Way, Sherborne Way, Winchester Way All Saints’ Church

Sunday 21 to Saturday 27 June Parish Magazine ASCEND at All Saints’ South Oxhey Claremont Crescent, Lancing Way, Winton Crescent, Winton Drive Parliament and our MP Gagan Mohindra

Sunday 28 June to Saturday 4 July Churchwardens, Treasurer and PCC The Marylebone Project (Church Army Women’s Hostel) Dulwich Way, Lincoln Drive, Lincoln Way, Little Green Lane Shaftesbury Court

28 Sunday 5 to Saturday 11 July Baptism preparation and follow-up Christian Solidarity Worldwide Baldwins Lane, Kenilworth Drive, Manor Way, Rochester Way Churches Together in Croxley Green Sunday 12 to Saturday 18 July Café O and First Friday New Hope Trust Durrants Drive, Hastings Way, Lewes Way, Norwich Way Our Parish Nurse

Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 July Home Group, Prayer Fellowship and Prayer Ministry Team Church Urban Fund Merchant Taylors Place, Appleby Drive, Gloucester Court, Hertford Close, Pevensey Way, St Mawes Close, Scarborough Drive, Scotney Close Archbishop Justin, the Church of England and the Anglican Communion

Sunday 26 July to Saturday 1 August Sunday School and Creche Christian Aid Dover Way, Ludlow Way, Richmond Way, Warwick Way Parish, District and County Councillors

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14 : 27 29 PUZZLE PAGES SUMMER FLOWERS WORDSEARCH

D R E L D A H L I A J B A E P S U L P H O S T A I W L E O P I O U V A S N O K P T R I L C K R I N L C G H U O N Y A E R I F O E A I N O G E B I Z N H R D I N I P C R X P U Y A R V L I A O E O O S L N E Z N E U S G L P G L I T K W U B M V H P Y O U S C B Y N O E P Y G H M A I V L A S L W

ASTER LILY BACOPA LOBELIA BEGONIA LUPIN COSMOS PEONY DAHLIA PETUNIA DELPHINIUM PHLOX GERANIUM PINKS GERBERA POPPY GLADIOLUS ROSE HOLLYHOCK SALVIA HOSTA SUNFLOWER IRIS ZINNIA

30 CRYPTIC CROSSWORD BY RICHARD LEE 24 Disturbance after a light blow for one who loves his country (7) 25 The Spanish come back after precipitous spire (7) 26 Rare slip is responsible for retaliation (8) Down 1 Humorous drawing showing nothing in the box (7)

Across 2 Use nicer move to make anxious (8) 4 Last minute move to join a 3 Lets come round in two way short science stroll (8) to settle in snugly (6) 8 Decorator for a mooring 5 About the cost to revitalise (8 ) rope (7) 6 Began a march back, 9 Show setting giving a keeping control (6) natural view (7) 7 Alters gravity to create the 10 A type of treat he greatest magnitude (7) performed in (7) 11 Addition of previous strain (9) 12 Fished at a slant (6) 15 Ruins going to try doses (8) 13 Moment holding un-turned obelisk (8) 16 Scoured clean and covered with vegetation perhaps? (8) 14 Tempers after the finish puts things in peril (9) 17 Make a big red unit (7) 20 Simmered about being 18 Re-use waste referring underwater (8) to the bike (7) 22 Shindig estimated to 19 Go wrong in the hill and produce a book (6) show alarm (6) 23 In no way with great 21 Change form of the Mothers' skill, remarkably (7) Union at the gallery (6) 31 SUDOKU X PUZZLE

In the Sudoku X square each row, column, individual 3x2 box and the two main diagonals all contain one each of the numbers 1 to 6. The puzzle, just like an ordinary Sudoku, is to work out, using the numbers given, where the rest fit in!

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4 32 10 Moneyhill Parade 172 New Road Uxbridge Road Croxley Green Rickmansworth Rickmansworth HERTS WD3 2BE HERTS WD3 3HD 01923 772013 01923 775013 51 Lower Road Chorleywood HERTS WD3 5LG 01923 286102

33 PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

D R E L D A H L I A J B A E P S U L P H O S T A I W L E O P I O U V A S N O K P T R I L C K R I N L C G H U O N Y A E R I F O E A I N O G E B I Z N H R D I N I P C R X P U Y A R V L I A O E O O S L N E Z N E U S G L P G L I T K W U B M V H P Y O U S C B Y N O E P Y G H M A I V L A S L W 34 A prayer from the C of E website Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

www.stoswaldschurch.org.uk @ StOswald’sCG St Oswald’s Croxley Green 35 COLLECT FOR TRINITY SUNDAY Almighty and everlasting God, who has given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee, that thou wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.

AND FOR THE NEXT EDITION...... If anyone has any anecdotes on how they have coped with the Covid 19 situation and lock down, please send them to the magazine (details below). For instance, have you become better at computer technology? Have you started a new hobby? Have you dusted out those long forgotten corners of the house? Have you found new areas to go for walks? Some have turned their hand to sewing items for the NHS - any pictures of what you have sewn? We will all have coped in different ways, but I’m sure hearing about those ways will be very interesting, and may spark off ideas for others, especially as the lock down and self isolating appear to be going on, and on, and on......

Please email the editors any comments or Items for inclusion in the next issue at:- [email protected] Deadline for articles 12th July Thank You

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