CONTENTS rish Mag e Pa azin T e 1869 150 YEARS S e e y rv E in 2019 g g in Cha onn The rvil, Sonning and S The John King Trophy and Gold Award Parish Best Magazine of the Year 2018 National Parish Magazine Awards Best Overall Magazine 2015 Best Content 2016 Magazine Best Print 2018 Serving the communities of Charvil, Sonning & Sonning Eye since 1869 150 Years AnniversaryHorn byFrench The Issue Sponsored Years the church of st andrew, SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF CHARVIL, SONNING and sonning eye Church of St Andrew Serving Sonning, Charvil & Sonning Eye rish Mag e Pa azin T e 1869 2 150 CONTENTS YEARS S e e y rv E in 2019 g g in Cha onn rvil, Sonning and S Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements Celebrating the 150TH ANNIVERSARY of The Parish Magazine Haslams, successfully selling property in Sonning for over 180 years… SUNA COURT SONNING PEARSON ROAD, SONNING, READING, RG4 6UL A charming, uniquely designed 4/5 bedroom home nestled in the centre of picturesque Sonning. Fashionably fi nished with a Cape Cod inspired theme and enjoying many bespoke features, Suna Court is an exceptional family home, with the added benefi t of a self-contained studio annex above the double garage. PRICE GUIDE £1,200,000 Viewings by appointment only Call today on 0118 960 1000 or email [email protected] rish Mag e Pa azin T e 1869 CONTENTS 150 3 YEARS S e e y rv E in 2019 g g in Cha onn rvil, Sonning and S Sesquicentennial Contents From — Hugh Pearson, the face of Sonning, 5-7 — Rev Jamie Taylor reflects on his role, 9 — Sunrise of Sonning's 10th Anniversary, 11-13 the — Who's Who for 150 years, 13 — The Parish Magazine, 15 editor’s — A High Street without cars, 17-19 — Prof Ali Driver's 25 environment years, 21-23 desk — Robert Lobley on The French Horn, 24-25 I wrote in my July/August column that I would be forgoing — Colin Bailey: Contemporary persecution, 26-27 the usual summer break from working on this magazine to produce this special sesquicentennial issue which celebrates — Dr Simon Ruffle looks at 1869 medicine, 28-31 150 years of continuous publication, something, as far as we know, no other parish magazine has achieved. While it may — The Parish Magazine at war, 32-33 have sounded like a sacrifice, I can assure you that it was — Emily Hyland asks do we eat better? 35-39 not. I have enjoyed every moment working with Gordon Nutbrown to plan it and then working with the authors of — Claude Masters' scouting memories, 39-41 the articles all of whom I thank sincerely for their time and — Peter van Went's Holme Park archives, 43-45 their excellent input. It has been a great pleasure to read each of their contributions, and I hope that you will also — Parish contacts & advertisers index, 46 find lots of interesting reading for your summer break, as well as learning something new about the past that makes this part of the world such a special place. When Hugh Pearson founded this magazine one of his Services at the Church of St Andrew hopes for it was that future generations would be able to look back at the life and times of the people who lived here serving Charvil, Sonning & Sonning Eye in the past, and he encouraged readers to keep their copies for that purpose. Because of this, we have been able to Sundays at 8.00am make great use of The Parish Magazine archives which are Holy Communion available, free of charge, for anyone to view online. This First Sunday of the month at 10.30am was made possible by my colleague, Gordon Nutbrown who Family Service worked tirelessly on the project which involved scanning every page published since 1869, and by a generous Second Sunday of the month at 10.30am donation from the Sonning Fire Brigade Trust. Parish Eucharist For this issue we have been extremely fortunate to have received more local sponsorship, this time from two Third Sunday of the month at 10.30am businesses who are also among a larger group who advertise Family Communion regularly with us. Without their support we would not be Fourth Sunday of the month at 10.30am able to publish in the way we do today. To thank them for Parish Eucharist their support their advertisements are appearing in this issue free of charge. We hope you will thank them as well by Fifth Sunday of the month at 10.30am using their products and services whenever you are able! Parish Eucharist Second Sunday of the month at 3.00pm Thank you to our Sponsors Messy Church in The Ark First and third Sunday of the month at 6.30pm Choral Evensong Wednesday at 10.00am in The Ark Holy Communion First Monday of the month at 11.00am Holy Communion at Sunrise of Sonning This special anniversary issue of The Parish Magazine was made possible by the generous support of The French Sunday Club and STAY on Sunday at 10.30am Horn Sonning who sponsored the printing costs and Meet in The Ark on the Second and Fourth Sunday of Sunrise of Sonning who sponsored the delivery costs. every month during school term time rish Mag e Pa azin T e 1869 4 150 YEARS CONTENTS S e e y rv E in 2019 g g in Cha onn rvil, Sonning and S Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements BOOKING NOW BOOKING NOW DINNER AND A SHOW FROM £51! MAGICAL MORNINGS OF STORIES & SONGS Every Wednesday at 10.15am, pre-school children will be treated to stories and singing in the theatre, as well as colouring-in and dressing-up in the bar. Bring your little ones along for a magical experience, topped off as we turn the famous waterwheel. Due to popularity, we ask you to pre-book. Please call the Box Office on (0118) 969 8000 to put your child’s name on our list. Entry is £4.50 (which is payable on the door) and includes a healthy snack and drink. Tea, coffee and homemade cakes are also on sale for parents and grandparents. BOX OFFICE FIND(0118) OUT 969 8000MORE millatsonning.com rish Mag e Pa azin T e 1869 CONTENTS 150 5 YEARS S e e y rv E in 2019 g g in Cha onn rvil, Sonning and S The voice, the face and the man of Sonning By Gordon Nutbrown The Reverend Canon Hugh Pearson, who founded this magazine, was the vicar of St Andrew’s Church Sonning for 40 years (1842 – 1882). During that extraordinary long incumbency, which was concurrent with the greater part of the Victorian period, massive changes occurred within Britain and the ecclesiastical benefice for which he was responsible. He was born at Oxford in 1817, the son of Hugh Nicholas Pearson and Sarah Maria. The family moved to Salisbury when Hugh was six years old because his father had been appointed as Dean. It was during his formative years, surrounded by fine architecture and music, that young Hugh developed a life long interest in both of these arts. He was educated at Harrow, where he was appointed head of school, prior to obtaining his MA degree at Balliol College, Oxford. Revd Canon Hugh Pearson In 1841 he was ordained a deacon small hamlets of Woodley, Earley Palmer ‘biscuit family’, were wealthy by the Bishop of Chichester following and Dunsden. landowners and generous benefactors. which he was appointed curate of Soon after his appointment he Robert Palmer (1793 – 1872) was Withyham near Tunbridge Wells where was returning on horseback from responsible for the greater part of he remained for a year before being Woodley when he sustained dramatic funding for the construction of All ordained a priest. life threatening injuries. His mount, Saints’ Church, Dunsden (1842), During 1842 the vicarage of having been frightened by a train St Peter’s Church, Earley (1844) and Sonning became vacant due to the whistle when passing over the newly St John’s Church, Woodley (1873). resignation of Revd George Howman. constructed Woodley railway bridge, Moreover, Robert and his three Hugh Pearson, at the age of 25, was threw him from the saddle but his foot spinster sisters, particularly Susanna presented to the Sonning living by remained caught in the stirrup and he Caroline, were the benefactors of his father in his capacity as Dean and was dragged a considerable distance many local Sonning causes: the Chapter of Salisbury — Sonning was back to Sonning. His survival of the construction of the Sonning alms then in the diocese of Salisbury. horrific injuries strengthened further houses and schools, the installation In addition to his long and notable his service to God by whose mercy his of the village water pump and in Sonning benefice Hugh Pearson later life had been saved. particular the vast restoration work served as rural dean and a canon of At the start of his incumbency undertaken to St Andrew’s Church St George’s Chapel, Windsor. In an important lasting relationship which was commenced in 1852 under the early part of his incumbency was established between Hugh the direction of Henry Woodyer and the Sonning vicar’s responsibility Pearson and the Palmer family who funded mainly by the Palmers. Both extended far beyond today's parish resided at Holme Park, Sonning. The Hugh Pearson and Robert Palmer were boundaries and included the then Palmer family, not related to the bachelors and together with Palmer’s unmarried sisters there appears to have been built a close relationship for which the Sonning parish and nearby villages greatly benefitted.