May 2018 for Website
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April - May 2018 Price 50p IT’S ALL AN EDUCATION ! I am having to educate my And it has revived certain That Easter is not just about husband. (And to be fair, he’s things in me. Things that I chicks and bunnies and having to educate me – but we remember from my youth. hunting for eggs, but is about won’t go into that now!) We’ve Things that I remember from Jesus, rising from the dead, visited places that are my childhood. Things that full of resurrection life. And important to us. He took me to used to be important to me. that Whitsun – the Day of Italy, spending time in Venice, Things that still are. Pentecost – is not just about Florence and Padua. I have having a long weekend, great taken him to Barnstaple. He though that is, but is the has cooked me breaded plaice wonderful reality of the Holy and I have introduced him to Spirit, coming in power, the delights of crispy bringing life and joy to all shredded chilli beef from the believers. Chinese takeaway. So this is just a reminder, as He has shown me the intricate we enter the season of Easter skill in making a proper cup of and Pentecost - you are coffee and I have taken him welcome to join us at any or through the extensive choices Christmas, Mothering Sunday, all of our Services. Come and available on a cocktail menu, Easter, Ascension Day, be reminded of what it’s all as well as the skill of drinking Whitsun (yes, I am that old – I about. Come and be educated. them, without getting the can remember the Whit Remember the things that cocktail stick stuck up your weekend, rather than the once were important to you – nose. He has shown me the Spring Bank Holiday), were all and maybe still are. artwork of Giotto and Giusto important markers in my de Menabuoi and I have made childhood. They were less so God bless you richly – him watch, ‘Love Actually’, in my youth, and distinctly and cause you to remember! ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘The History non-existent in my twenties. Boys’, ‘Come Fly with Me’ and And, I suspect are becoming ‘Gavin and Stacey’. How else more and more of a mystery to Steph will he understand what my more and more people. family say to one another, Please read additional when we meet? And so, just like we are trying to do at home, we need to information from Steph on And it’s great. And we’re educate one another and be Pages 3 and 19 learning a lot about each other. reminded about such things. Copy Deadline for June / July 2018 issue Monday 7 May 2018 TODAY April / May 2018 THE EXE VALLEY CHURCHWARDEN CHILDREN’S MISSION COMMUNITY CONTACT DETAILS GROUPS Calverleigh, Cruwys Calverleigh EXE VALLEY TODDLERS Morchard, Loxbeare, Aubrey Goldsworthy 01884 255248 (For under 5ives) Oakford, Rackenford, [email protected] Friday mornings during Term-time Jackie Herniman 01884 255814 Stoodleigh, Templeton, [email protected] at Calverleigh Village Hall Washfield and Withleigh 10 am - 12 noon Cruwys Morchard Diana Vincent 01363 860227 Toys, snacks, songs and more !! [email protected] For more information contact Sarah Cruwys 01884 860287 Liz Heywood on 01884 881583 RECTOR [email protected] You can also find us on Facebook Loxbeare The Rectory, Withleigh, Ron Tidball 01884 881362 Tiverton, EX16 8JQ [email protected] EDITORIAL Jean Heard 01884 881400 Tel: (01884) 250417 [email protected] Wow !! Two “Beasts from the East” in as Email : Steph@ Oakford many months and, no doubt, we have all exevalleymissioncommunity.org Wendy Boynton 01398 351383 been affected in one way or another. Our [email protected] sympathies go to anyone who is ill, has Dawn Williams 01398 324035 had a fall or has been stranded in the [email protected] snow. It has also been a hugely difficult PERSONAL ASSISTANT time for our farmers and their animals. Stephen Hirst Rackenford Let’s hope April brings us some sun and Herbert Smith 01884 881375 the opportunity to get back to normal. C/O The Rectory [email protected] Tel: 01884 250417 Mary Cann 01884 881696 April is the renewal date for our Email: office@ [email protected] Advertisers and we would like to thank exevalleymissioncommunity.org Stoodleigh them all for their continued support of the Margaret Cuningham 01398 351252 TODAY magazine and hope that they will continue to advertise with us in the future. NON STIPENDIARY MINISTER [email protected] Peter Broadbent 01398 351374 [email protected] We no longer have the Parish Boxes East Sidborough, Loxbeare, inside the back cover so, as well as Templeton checking the Middle Pages for Church Tiverton EX16 8DA. Jan Heptinstall 01884 255399 Services etc., please read the Round-ups Tel: (01884) 256302 Jan.Heptinstall@BTOpenworld com carefully, for details of all events and special occasions. [email protected] Washfield Jeanne Jones 01884 254306 Information from Steph can be found on [email protected] READER the pages listed on the Front Cover. Withleigh Brown subscription envelopes will be in The Paddock, Brenda Tucker 01884 252431 [email protected] the next issue. 2 Kensington Court, Paul Iliff 01884 253473 Washfield,Tiverton,EX16 9QU [email protected] Jenny and Geoff Tel: (01884) 253463 [email protected] MAGAZINE EDITORS Keepers Cottage, Lower Washfield, Tiverton, EX16 9PF Tel: (01884) 254402 [email protected] ADVERTISEMENTS As above - using email address [email protected] 2 TODAY April / May 2018 Rev. Richard Steele-Perkins, left the Exe Steph Reflexe … FROM THE ARCHIVES Valley after nearly three years of service, with special responsibilities for Loxbeare ell, I came back from holiday looking ‘TODAY’ 50 years ago and Rackenford. Wforward to catching up with watching April and May, 1968 some programmes on iplayer. Husband In January, Washfield had lost its Post was out, so it was a perfect opportunity he magazine was still “not back to Office and, during April, Templeton P.O. for me to settle down and watch, ‘Call the Tnormal” but it was hoped that the had also closed. Stamps could, however, Mid-Wife’, one of my favourites, and a situation would be normal by the end of be bought directly from the postman! programme my husband likes to avoid. A April. perfect hour of relaxing viewing, before A ‘flu epidemic had hit most of the returning to work. The Resurrection, as the basis of the families in Oakford. Christian faith, constituted the lead article But no! I was wrong! in the April magazine, particularly in Withleigh ‘A’ team (Caroline Langworthy, There was nothing relaxing about it, at all! relation to those, including churchmen, Janet Roberts and Jonathan Langworthy) It was devastating! The story-line was not who refused to accept it because it could was narrowly defeated by Exmouth in the what I was expecting. And neither was not be proven by “reason”. If you cannot final of Criss-cross Quiz. the outcome. I felt completely wrung out accept the Resurrection, then Christianity by the end. I was emotionally drained. I is no faith at all. rather regretted watching it in the first Paul Iliff place. Rev. Christopher Tull was promoting the idea of weekly offering envelopes as a And of course, on reflection, I realise that means of reducing the gap between a life is full of the unexpected. Everything Church’s (with Withleigh in mind) income NATURE NOTES seems to be going along swimmingly. and its outgoings. The sun is shining. The sky is blue. own in the valley, our approach to Spring is on the way and all is great with Mothering Sunday had seen a well- the world. And then suddenly, wham! DSpring has been accompanied by the attended Group Service at Stoodleigh. incredible view of Venus in the evening bang! something happens, something [Seems ironic that our churches all devastating comes from nowhere and the sky, and constant visits of a family of five expect their own Service despite our long tailed tits. It made me reflect on how sun may still be shining, but you can’t resident clergy numbers being greatly see it any more, because everything has many memorable sights in Nature are depleted, but then, lay service leaders only specific to that time in the calendar. turned dark and black. was still something for the future]. Immediately one thinks of the flowering of That’s exactly what happened in this In Templeton, the ‘boys’ had organised a episode of, ‘Call the Mid-Wife’. And yet in Spring bulbs but my observations and successful dance in aid of the Church experience often deviate from the the midst of a deep, tragic, personal tower repair fund. disaster, words of comfort and hope were accepted norm. For example, I have often uttered: drifted home on an early Summer evening Clearly never one to shy away from and heard my first cuckoo of the year but controversy, Rev. Herniman’s lead article, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, he is to say it was ‘the first cuckoo of Spring’ in the May issue, took on the housing would be an exaggeration. everything I need … Even though I walk shortage, and the way this had been through the Valley of the Shadow of exacerbated by immigration. It was not Similarly, I have never seen hares boxing Death I will fear no evil … Surely just about housing, but the number of goodness and mercy shall follow me all in March when their liveliness is available teachers, doctors, and jobs associated with the start of the breeding the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the generally.