Golden Cap E-Magazine October 2020 Letter from the Editor

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Golden Cap E-Magazine October 2020

Sunset at Lyme Regis by David Gallier

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to our first autumn edition of the year! The team have been busy preparing for the next stages of magazine life. Our 2021 calendar, featuring beautiful images by our many talented (and local) photographers, is now available to purchase. See page 9 for details. Plans are solidifying for our return to print in December - do get in touch with any stories of the last year you’d like to share.

As the colours outside turn, we have meditations on the changing seasons and new challenges ahead, such as for Lyme Forward. There is news from Pilsdon with a bit of inspiration for calm and contemplation. And the nights might be drawing in but our interview this month whisks us away with memories of travel and adventure from Sylvia Creed-Castle.

October marks not just a new season but also Black History month. Poet and author Louisa Adjoa Parker has worked on many projects bringing BAME history in Dorset to light, for Lyme Regis Museum among others. Her contribution to this issue draws on her own experiences of Lyme Regis and the South West.

1 Spotlight

Seasons of change

I’ve been noticing how the greens in the trees have begun slowly giving way to the oranges, browns, reds and yellows that are characteristic of the autumn that will soon be upon us in earnest. How effortlessly the seasons seem to change and flow from one into another. If only humans could cope so gracefully with change.

I don’t know who first coined the phrase, ‘Constant change is here to stay’ but it certainly seems apt for the present time. Having emerged from being mostly locked away in our homes, we are now having to cope with various new changes across all aspects of society; from keeping our distance from each other, limiting our gatherings, wearing face masks in shops and places of worship, not being able to eat and drink communally as freely as we once were a particular difficulty in this season of harvest. We have to learn to adapt to the changes, until they feel at least a bit more familiar and a ‘new normal’ emerges. And then, things change again! If you are like me, change isn’t always easy to accommodate.

We often find change difficult. I’m sure you’ve heard the old joke that asks, ‘How many Anglicans does it take to change a light bulb?’ to which the reply comes, ‘Change? Who said anything about change? We like the old light bulb, even though it’s broken’ Letting go of ‘the old’ and embracing ‘the new’ can feel very disconcerting and unsettling, especially when we don’t quite know what ‘the new’ might look like. Us humans like certainty and routines and familiarity and when the things we so often take for granted are threatened, like our health, our jobs, our finances, our family and community life together, the patterns, practices and rituals by which we seek to order our lives, it’s difficult and unsettling. Navigating previously uncharted territory is exhausting and can be scary, as we are confronted with how fragile everything feels.

The natural world has much to teach us if we will stop to notice. The summer doesn’t stay for ever; the greens make way for new and glorious autumnal colours but these too will fade, then wither, then fall and die into the darkness of winter, until new shoots appear in the spring and new life emerges again. Author and poet John O’Donahue reminds us that, ‘Nature calls us to tranquillity and rhythm. When your heart is confused or heavy, a day outside in nature’s quiet eternity restores your lost tranquillity.’

We too need to change our colours and there will be things that will necessarily wither and die. But we can trust that new shoots will emerge too. This is the ancient way of things, the pattern set by our glorious Creator and revealed in humanity through the humble birth, exuberant life, crucifying death and glorious resurrection of Christ, in whom we find our own destiny as pilgrims through the changing seasons of birth, life, death and resurrection. It is ancient wisdom and it offers us hope – the seasons change, night turns to day, darkness becomes light, and death brings new life for those able to let go. May God bless you in these changing seasons of our lives. Revd Chris Martin – Team Rector 2 Church Services for October

4th October 11th October 18th October 25th October Sunday 17th after Trinity 18th after Trinity Luke the Evangelist 20th after Trinity Old Testament Isaiah 5:1-7 Isaiah 25:1-9 Isaiah 35: 3-6 Leviticus 19:1-2 & 15-18 New Testament Philippians 3:4b-14 Philippians 4:1-9 2 Timothy 4: 5-17 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Gospel Matthew 21:33-end Matthew 22:1-14 Luke 10: 1-9 Matthew 22:34-end Bettiscombe Closed Catherston Closed Charmouth 9.30am Harvest Morning Worship CM Chideock 11am Harvest 11am Eucharist CM 11am Chideock Praise 11am Eucharist VL Village Praise VH BW

Fishpond Private prayer Sunday 10—4pm Hawkchurch 11am Morning 11am Morning Worship FP Worship PS/CM

Lyme Regis 11am Eucharist 11am Eucharist JE 11am Eucharist JP 11am Eucharist CM CM + ES

Marshwood Private prayer Sunday 10—4pm Monkton Closed Wyld Stanton St. Private prayer Gabriel Saturday 10—4pm Whitchurch 11am Harvest 11am Eucharist AH Canonicorum Morning Worship VL Wootton Closed Fitzpaine Pilsdon Closed

CM: Rev. Chris Martin VL: Rev. Ginny Luckett AH: Rev. Anne Howson JE: Rev. John Eade ES: Rev. Ed Standhaft JP: Jim Pettifer FP Freda Pitfield VH: Val Hunt PS Philip Sankey BW: Bob Warman

Private prayer for Churches that are open:

Charmouth Saturday 10—4pm EXCEPT Saturday 10th October Chideock Not opening for Private Prayer, Sunday services only Hawkchurch Sunday & Wednesday 8am - 6pm EXCEPT Sunday 4th and 18th October Lyme Regis Wednesday 10-4pm Whitchurch Friday 10-4pm 2nd, 16th 30th October only

3 Sunday worship

Some of our churches across the group are slowly re-opening their doors for Sunday worship. During October, church services will become a little more frequent in places and there is a provisional rota in place showing what’s happening, when and where. I must emphasise the word ‘provisional’; other churches may decide to open their doors soon too and we are of course at the mercy of government legislation which may alter things overnight, depending on how the pandemic progresses.

Nevertheless, the feedback from those who have attended Sunday worship where it has been possible has been universally positive. Necessarily, things are a little different to what we have been used to: we have to have our names and contact details taken at the door; we have to wear masks and sit at a distance from each other, limiting the numbers who can attend; and we aren’t allowed to sing together, at least for the moment. In the places where it is happening, Holy Communion looks a little different too – we only receive bread, without words of distribution, and standing one at a time to keep our distance, rather than kneeling side by side at the altar rail.

It feels a bit strange at first but it will become more familiar as time goes on. I hope it is also calling us to inhabit the way we observe our faith in church in a more quiet, mindful and attentive way. But for those for whom it still feels too ‘alien’ to come to a church service, that’s OK too. We shall be continuing to make some kind of online provision on Sundays and midweek. Revd Chris Martin – Team Rector

New Whitchurch Website

We in Whitchurch are pleased to announce that we have a new church website. Please have a look and enjoy exploring the bright new look of the site, using the weblink below. There’s a lot of new information, refreshed history detail and some lovely photos included.

There is also a link on the Homepage to a ‘Give a Little’ webpage which makes it easy for you to donate securely, supporting the work of St Candida & Holy Cross church https://cathedralofthevale.org

The PCC and Friends of St Candida are particularly grateful to Betsy West for her hard and thorough work in delivering this excellent new website for us. Eddie Howson

4 Ministry training

I have recently embarked on a full-time course at The Sarum Centre for Formation in Ministry, located in the precincts of the stunning Salisbury Cathedral. Over the next two years I am praying that between the tutors and Chris Martin, who has kindly agreed to be my training supervisor, I will come out the other end as a sensitive, caring and useful instrument for God’s work.

The course started with a Summer School based on the theme of mission and I am delighted to report that I managed to hand in my first written assignment on time, despite the presence of builders who are literally pulling my house apart around me. Hopefully, the Virgin Radio tunes that they play all day did not take me off theme too much! Half of the Summer School had to be over Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions but I did get the opportunity to meet and get to know my Reflection Group; a lively, opinionated group of ordinands from varied backgrounds who will certainly keep me on my toes. We have set up a WhatsApp group and are already supporting each other as we get to grips with the course, as well as posting photos of our dogs and beautiful sunsets.

From now on I will be spending much of my time with my head in a book as I am expected to do 40 hours of study a week. This term I will be taking the Preparing to Learn module and starting the Human Identity module. I will also be spending a day and a half in a Parish context and facilitating my Local Learning Group (LLG), who have volunteered to meet with me a couple of times a term so I can discuss what I am learning with them and gain their feedback.

One of my Reflection Group described the LLG as a “Build-a- Vicar” process as we will be hoping to develop our listening, reflective and collaborative leadership skills, as well as engaging in lively theological debate.

Heidi Merrett

5 An interview with… Sylvia Creed - Castle I was born down the road about 2 miles from here at Peace Living farm. It was a smallholding of 8 acres, my mother milked four cows and reared geese and hens. This farm, Crabbs Bluntshay, was owned by my grandfather. I can trace five branches of my family back to Whitchurch to about the 1700s.

I did everything I was told until I was about 14. By the time I was 18 I didn’t want to live in this area anymore, all my friends were getting married or engaged. I can remember thinking, why are they doing this? I got a job in a bank in Swanage and from there I went to Australia. I was a Ten Pound Pommie. I applied straight after my sister’s wedding, I was bridesmaid. That was in April and I was gone by June, with a friend who lived up the road.

I worked in a bank in Australia. After a year I started hopping around; I worked on a sheep farm as a children’s nanny in Queensland for a few months. Then I came back to Sydney and worked in a few factories, putting rat poison in bottles, labels in men’s trousers. I went to Tasmania and picked apples: somebody calculated I’d packed a million apples by the time I left. I had a good hectic social life, you’d drive 50 miles to a party. They all had me lined up with somebody, they assumed I was there to look for a husband. I got to Melbourne and worked for a short time in the ANZ bank. Then my mother wrote and said that my sister only had three months to live. So I dropped everything and flew back. That was in Septem- ber and she died on Christmas Day.

But after being home less than 2 years I went back to Australia - I felt I hadn’t finished. I went in a coach with 39 other people and we travelled through Europe and Asia, staying in very cheap accommodation. Some places I was sure it was a brothel! When we got to Kashmir, there were rumblings of the India- Pakistan war following us through the top of India. By the time we got to Kathmandu all the borders were closed. Such a lovely place, I should have just stayed there and taught English; it was so cheap, people were so friendly. But I just wanted to get back to Australia. So as soon as the airports opened again, I was off. I do regret that.

After a year I went to New Zealand and picked apples and hitched around, then back to Australia. I flew from Sydney to Bali, Jakarta, Singapore, Malaysia. When I got to Japan no luggage arrived, I had what I stood up in. This nice airline official couldn’t believe I was an English girl who spoke no Japanese, and didn’t know anyone in Japan. Every time he got a day off he would meet me in a different part of Japan and show me around.

I flew to Hawaii, LA, San Francisco. When I got to Banff in Alberta, I was going to hitch across Canada. A lot of West Dorset people had emigrated to Canada in the previous 30 years, so relatives in England had put me in touch with them. About 3 days before I got there somebody was murdered doing the same thing - that was the last time I ever thought about hitching. I crossed Canada all the way to Prince Edward Island and flew home out of Washington. It had been 4 years and 2 months since I’d been home. I was dreading it.

I got a job in Yeovil. After 6 months I was sick of being a secretary bookkeeper, I wanted to become a teacher. My primary school Headteacher, my mentor really, always said I should be a teacher - when you’re ten you don’t think much about it. I went to Sydney Webb College of Education for mature students. Because I did well in my exams, they allowed me to go on and do a degree, but I had hepatitis in the last year. I scraped through because I was so tired.

After graduation I did long-term supply. Then I got a permanent job doing peripatetic teaching of multicul- tural education, cycling all over south-east London to different schools - it was just up my street. I did that for a few years and bought a really nice flat in Dulwich. At the time I was still writing my book, Dorset’s Western Vale, on a portable typewriter. And then my father died. I came here at the end of the academic year and started living with my mother. I taught night school for 22 years in Bridport, as well as full-time secondary during the day.

My parents had had a campsite for years and the year I was made redundant from my full-time job I decided to develop it. When I inherited some money from my uncle I added hook-ups, hard standings and the cabin, which was the first thing I ever bought on the internet.

An inspirational lady at Wootton talked me into doing an exhibition for the Parish Council, and then for some reason I was made Ancient Monuments Liaison Officer. I did exhibitions in 2009, 2010 and 2018 and have been on various committees since. I like to do my bit. 6 Dear White West Country People, by Louisa Adjoa Parker

Louisa Adjoa Parker is a writer and poet of Ghanaian and English heritage who has lived much of her life in South West England, including Lyme Regis. She has worked on many projects discovering the hidden histories of Dorset’s BAME communities. In 2004, she worked with Lyme Regis Museum on the Ethnic Minorities in Lyme Regis project and in 2007 set up the Black History in Dorset project with DEED. Dear White West Country People is a new poem by Louisa, part of the Where are you really from? project which explores the stories of black and brown people living in rural Britain. It was first published by Little Toller.

To the white south west boys with wet mouths full of slurs We've watched the same cattle, heads bent to the grass White boys to whom I was barely a girl Stood by the same sea, that sheet of blue glass To the white teacher who informed me I wasn’t too bright But I walked in my shoes and you walked in yours, To the white friends who liked me but weren’t bothered to fight Not stopping to think or to fight for the cause.

And now is the moment perfect for growth To the white kids who stuck dirty hands in my curls To pull up the roots of the hate that was sown To the white boys who insulted me but not the white girls It’s time to admit you’re no expert on race To the white boys who told me my legs were like trees But an expert on whiteness and keeping your place Whose words were cold rivers, whose words were cold seas

To the white friends who’d remark on my hair, weight, or skin In system that keeps whites right at the top To the white friends who assumed black friends were my kin And us at the bottom, but that needs to stop To the white friend who told me I was fat at 9 stone Not being a racist is no longer enough To the white men who left me to raise children alone It’s going to take work and it’s going to be tough

To the white strangers in pubs whose head-snapping got bolder Examine your whiteness which some wear with pride To the white friends who said I had a chip on my shoulder Has your skin colour caused you to fear for your life? To the white friends who silenced me, stitching my lips You’ll need to re-learn our history from 400 years To the white friends who didn’t stop all the poisonous drips And it’s ugly, and dark, and you’ll have to face fears

To the white friends who’d call me coloured or half-caste It’s a movement of thousands and you can take part To the white people in blackface, vile thing of the past But you need to feel this, feel it deep in your heart To the white friends I grew up with in this green and white You’re mourning George Floyd but what of the others? space Brand their names on your heart, our lost sisters and brothers Who never had to think about their colour or their race You might have just noticed it, we’ve lived it for years To my white friends who listened, you know who you are. It’s going to be uncomfortable, it’s going to take tears. Thank you for your allyship. This is only the start But we belong to these days and we belong to these hours To the white friends who told racist jokes in the pub You can make new choices and you do have the power To the white men who found me unworthy of love To dismantle old structures, to tear them apart To my children’s white teachers who left slurs on the wall Make way for the new, create space in your heart There are too many to list, I can’t list you all … The change that’s been coming is finally here It should fill you with hope, not fill you with fear …. I understand although you had choices, those choices were made Let us rise up like birds. Let us soar through the sky in a culture where racism never quite fades Let us breathe. Let us live. Let us hold our heads high. I get it’s hard to walk in my shoes, you can’t wear my skin Let us walk proud and belong to this land I don’t blame you, I love you, I am you, you’re kin. Walk with me, friends, allies, come, take my hand.

We’ve walked over the same patch of green velvet land Walked along the same riverbanks, walked on the same sand We’ve seen the same seasons changing, parched land give birth We’ve seen snowdrops and bluebells pushing up through cold Louisa Adjoa Parker’s coastal memoir will be earth published by Little Toller in 2021.

7 The 2021 Golden Cap Magazine Calendar is now available

How do I buy a calendar? Golden Cap Magazine 2021 Calendar By ringing: Margaret Trafford 01297 443252 Or Heather Boyle 01297 489420 How much is the calendar? £5.00 How do I pay? With cash or bank transfer The Golden Cap Magazine Sort Code: 60-03-29 Account number: 79011438 put your surname with your payment

News from St Michael’s school, Lyme Regis School re-opened fully on Monday 7th September and although there were many anxious faces, staff and children have settled well into the new routine and way of working under the restrictions.

On our return the classes have formed into working ‘bubbles’. Classrooms have been set up where possible with children facing the same direction, distancing and contact guidelines being followed. Staff and children are minimising close contact wherever possible as well as avoiding mixing across different classes.

There will be a focus on prioritising those areas in the curriculum of greatest need but we will still offer and teach a wide range of subjects. Currently we have reduced the timetable slightly, planning for the reintroduction of MFL and Computing later in the autumn term. There are staggered start and finish times at the beginning and end of the day as well as different breaktimes and lunchtimes. Hot school dinners have started again with a new system in place to ensure no gatherings of large numbers and this also applies to our daily act of worship which now takes place in each bubble rather than in the hall with the whole school.

Everyone has returned after the extended break with a real can-do approach and we have all enjoyed seeing and hearing the children back in school. Nick Kiddle Head Teacher 8 Ride and Stride and RUN! As of January 2020 I decided to take on the New Year’s resolution of getting fit and healthy. Having just graduated from university my lifestyle was very much eating junk food and drinking more than one should. At the beginning of the regime I weighed 13 stone 11 lbs - overweight according to NHS BMI and only 2.4 points from being classed as obese. When lockdown was announced on the 16th March 2020 I had already lost 10lbs. I was determined not to let the lockdown win so instead of attending the gym and its classes I started to exercise in my garden and most importantly Marshwood took up running! My initial route was 3 miles (5km) and started at the Five Bells Inn through Morcombelake and Ryall and back to the Five Bells Inn (sadly I couldn’t stop for a pint!). It amazed me how quickly my body adapted to running; at first I walked and ran the route and soon through consistency I was able to run it without stopping. I then started challenging myself further by running 6 miles (10km) from Whitchurch Canonicorum and back, then by running 7 ½ miles (12km) around Stonebarrow. I then decided to participate in a more daring challenge, The Dartmoor 12km Trail Race that included multiple knee-deep river crossings and lots of bog! The next adventure that I wanted to embark on was Runners at Whitchurch the Team Whitchurch Ride & Stride church fundraiser. The Start, St Candida, Whitchurch Canonicorum, 12 September 2020, 10am As I walked through the church gates I was surprised and happy to many so many people (socially distanced) eager to start striding across the Vale and enjoying the scenery. After a bit of chitchat and a photo the group began striding out of the church grounds. Once we passed the war memorial my brother Angus and I started running the route. The first leg took us towards the village hall where we turned right on to Becklands Lane and into the first section of cross country running! This leg was ideal to fully warm ourselves up and prepare for the rest of the run, as it was predominantly flat. After running past many farm animals (who weren’t disturbed) and next to the River Char we found ourselves by the A35 and then at Catherston Leweston, our first checkpoint.

Checkpoint A, St Mary’s Church, Catherston St Mary’s Church was once owned by a local manor house and is located through the driveway. After rehydrating and feeling warmed up we began again. This second leg proved much more challenging with a total of 93m climb and gradients of up to 20%! But with steep climbs come rewards as the trail started to display picturesque views of Charmouth and the surrounding coastline. Towards 4 miles (7km) into the run we could see St Paul’s church in the distance.

Checkpoint B, St Paul’s, Wootton Fitzpaine After a quick rest and looking at the church within the original grounds of the Manor House we prepared ourselves for toughest leg of the run, Wootton Fitzpaine to Fishpond Bottom. Climbing 173m and gradient as high as 23% our cadence increased as our stride length decreased! As we ascended further and further the views became breath-taking (not just because we had run 6 miles by this point!).

9 Checkpoint C, St John’s, Fishpond At last the climb was over (for now) and we reached a commanding position, overlooking the beautiful Marshwood Vale, in the hamlet of Fishpond Bottom at St John’s Church. Now ready for our last stint we headed towards Abbots Wootton Lane, climbed over a gate, and continued the route off-road towards Cardsmill Lane. After taking a wrong turning we managed to add an extra 2 ½ miles (4km) to our run, until we eventually found our way back to St Candida, our final destination of the run! Thank you to everyone for organising the Ride & Stride and thank you to all those that kindly donated. It is amazing to see that we have exceeded our goal by over 4% totalling £1220!!! I would also like to congratulate my brother, Angus who decided to join at the last minute and hasn’t been running long for taking on 20km - that’s a half marathon!! Special thanks to our mother, Una, and Grand- mother, Helen Gale, who acted as support vehicle for us. Since January 2020 I have lost 2 stone and 3lbs. I have certainly received the mental benefits of exercis- ing, particularly during the lockdown. Exercise and physical activity has been proven to help physical and mental health as well as individual wellbeing. Regardless of age, race and gender everyone should feel welcomed to exercise and enjoy physical activity. I look forward to the next Ride & Stride. Andrew Christopher Team Whitchurch https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/whitchurch-canonicorum http://bridport-runners.co.uk/ https://www.bridportleisure.com/ https://www.sportengland.org/campaigns-and-our-work/active-ageing

Others report on their Ride and Stride journeys: We enjoyed fantastic weather on the day and a multitude of ways to Ride and Stride for Dorset Historic Churches Trust. A dozen tractor drivers paraded in a rally looping from Whitchurch, through Charmouth and the centre of Lyme Regis, organised by Robin Symonds. Ten striders trekked 10 miles through the hills and fields of the Vale from St Candida and Holy Cross to visit the churches in Wootton Fitzpaine, Catherston Leweston and Fishpond, led by Sam Milburn and Briony Blair. Two runners, Andrew and Angus Christopher, covered the same route as the striders but at a quicker pace! Four cyclists braved the many hills, overcoming a tyre blowout and route diversion for some of the riders, to visit a Rider Team total of 17 churches in the Golden Cap area, led by Richard Benjamin and Betsy West. Thanks to Eddie Howson for providing backup to the Striders and to Michael West for the Riders. We owe a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the community effort with their donations! After a late surge in donations the Whitchurch team total has reached £1590 (not incl. gift aid) for Ride and Stride 2020. Betsy West

I managed a circular walk for Dorset Historic Churches Trust. The first church I visited was St Michael & St George (RC) where Sue Rowe from Whitchurch, who is a member of their congregation, was outside on ‘welcome’ duties. I then crossed into Devon to Uplyme and then back into Dorset to Monkton Wyld and Fishpond. I then went via Wootton Fitzpaine and Catherston to Charmouth which was open for prayer with Tony Mercer playing organ music. I did not stay long and came over the Golf Course back to Lyme passing St Michael the Archangel and the Baptist Church on the last leg. Several people were helpful and friendly when I had stopped to consult a map or to find my way through farmyards. In two places the footpaths had electric fences - one was wide but the other was so narrow that social distancing would have been impossible had I met someone coming the other way! My other encounter with wires was the electricity people working on overhead lines. There were cables across the path presumably to give a house a temporary supply. Anne enjoyed a couple of hours on the bench facing the sea on Church Cliff. She ate her picnic there and had a few conversations with people passing, some she knew and some visitors who were interested in the church history. We have over £150 on the Just Giving page and in cash. Philip and Ann Sankey 10 Lyme Forward Since lockdown in March the Food Bank has seen an increase in demand. As we see the end to the government’s furlough scheme, the end of the holiday season and further redundancies we predict the numbers needing our help will undoubtedly increase each month. Since the Covid-19 pandemic new procedures have had to be put in place.

Prior to March our clients had to visit the Food Bank in person on a Wednesday morning. Obviously, this could not continue and we had to quickly adapt to a new way of working. Each Tuesday our clients are contacted, their requirements noted and details passed to a small team of volunteers who pre-pack the food bags ready for delivery on a Wednesday.

The Hub continues to open each Wednesday from 10 – 12 for emergency needs. Social distancing measures are in place and all Covid-19 safety procedures are expected to be observed such as the use of hand sanitiser which is provided. Fresh produce such as bread, eggs, vegetables, pasties and frozen meals provided by local businesses and gardeners are added to the client’s food bags prior to delivery. The food parcels are then collected and delivered to our clients by the Lyme Regis Town Council.

From the end of March until the end of August an average of 34 people received food parcels weekly, 60% of those being children. Throughout this very difficult period the local community has constantly demonstrated its exceptional generosity with incredible donations of both money and food. It is a testament to the wonderful community in which we all live.

Additionally, a successful food security initiative for children and young people receiving school vouchers was put in place. Three local chefs worked voluntarily preparing frozen meals which were distributed to local school children. Working closely with the schools up to 40 meals were supplied weekly. A local resident donated a chest freezer which facilitated storage of the frozen meals produce.

We continue to need all the basics but constantly run low on: Tinned Spaghetti Tinned cold meat Custard Jam Shiphams Paste Tinned Meat Pies Savoury Biscuits Washing Tablets

We are also happy to receive financial contributions, please contact us at: [email protected] for bank transfer details

Whitchurch Canonicorum, Morcombelake & Ryall Village Hall ‘100’ CLUB

September 2020 Half yearly Grand Draw

First Prize £100.00 No. 25 Mrs. Tricia Fry Second Prize £50.00 No. 39 Mrs. Elizabeth C. (Betty) Stevens

September 2020 Monthly Draw.

First Prize £15.00 No. 59 Mr. Martin Mattock Second Prize £10.00 No. 67 Mrs. Catherine Parr

11 Life at Pilsdon

Daily life at Pilsdon begins officially at 5.45am with milking our Jersey’s Snowdrop and Daffodil, though Henry is generally up earlier letting out the hens and ducks and checking on the other animals. Usually I make my first coffee at 4am and take a brief look at the news before I settle down to contemplate the day ahead and have conversation with the One who has many names.

Breakfast in the week is at 8am and Saturdays are Trevor’s gift to us with the full works; a plate of cooked deliciousness. Eggs appear on several mornings along with porridge and Matt’s yogurt, which I swear would win awards.

While Breakfast is prepped, the milk is pasteurized. Silas, my ‘doodle,’ sniffs his way around the lanes as I see anew the beauty of this place. Morning Prayer follows at 7.30am. Our community Church, where people have Jack feeding apple to the weaners. brought their joys and sorrows for many generations, is an ancient holy place full of space and light. The straw bales we sit on rustle as we make ourselves comfortable for the long silence after the Gospel is read. A small singing bowl announces the silence and gently hums as we deepen our connection internally to the life that lives through us. John Philip Newell often guides with his Sounds of the Eternal and Praying with the Earth.

This morning, Early in the morning we seek your presence O God, not because you are ever absent from us but because often we are absent from you at the heart of each moment where you forever dwell. In the rising of the sun, in the unfolding colour and shape of the morning open our eyes to the mystery of this moment that in every moment of the day We may know your life-giving presence. Open our eyes to this moment that in every moment I may know you as the One who is always now.

Gradually as the ‘larks’ appear for breakfast some remain quiet after an initial good morning; allowing others to chat or on a rare occasion sing! Eddie has been known to render, ‘there’s a bright golden haze on the medda, there’s a bright golden haze on the medda, the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, and it’s growing and right up to the sky… O, what a beautiful morning…’

Peter is onto the domestic washing up and the porridge pot is scraped out in the main kitchen as the Members gather for their daily 8.30am meeting. Looking through the diary, talking over the issues and concerns from the last 24 hours, sharing how we are.

12 Today Franti is checking the pigsty is ready for the weaners that will arrive today and Jack, who has cared for pigs before, looks forward to them coming. The Sunday joint will be cooked this morning and left to be cut cold and heated through - our food hygiene 5 stars is important to us. Mary takes her first swing at the rota; such a tough job trying to fit in everyone’s preferences and capacities and make sure all the tasks are covered.

The now three of us with 24/7 responsibility means we are stretched. ‘Thin on the ground’ has been the reply to everyone who asks how we are and we are delighted that two people have come to be short term residential volunteers and will see us through until some more come at the end of September. This means we can each take two weeks out over the next six weeks and restore our resilience.

Our iconic Sunday lunch is cooked with lots of conversation between us as we prep and stir. Traditions kept remind us of who we are and small changes keep us fresh and flexible. After lunch I talk with the whole Peter rings the Temperature community about what the week ahead looks like and how we all need to bell at 10.45. continue to practise social distancing if we go shopping. We continue taking our temperatures each morning before coffee; this to see how everyone is and a reminder, though we have the luxury of living as one household, we still need to be careful.

Monday morning and I’m aware Ruth is awaiting this piece for the magazine. The list of jobs and tasks in our diary is long this morning and we have a longer meeting today. I catch my breath and wonder how do we do all this? Another deeper breath and give thanks realising again we do not do anything in our own strength and only through the grace of God. We Remember Margaret Ledbrooke 1931 - 2020 After moving to Catherston Leweston, Margaret soon became part of village life and was very kind and helpful to her older neighbours when they became infirm. She enjoyed walking her dog in the countryside and by the beach in Charmouth. Margaret will be remembered for her fine singing voice and love of music, not only in St. Mary’s Church, where she was churchwarden for some years, but an enthusiastic member of the Axminster Choral Society and the ‘Three C’s Choir.’ She attended the Quaker Meeting House in Bridport during the latter part of her life. Margaret was a keen bridge player, a knowledgeable committee member of the Charmouth Gardeners and enjoyed socialising with her friends at Kaleidoscope. She will be greatly missed by her many friends.

A Celebration of Life service was held for Margaret – under former restrictions - at Catherston on 25th September. Ann MacNair

Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown This book is the first in a series of four books. It was recommended in my Christian Magazine Woman Alive and follows the spiritual journey of four Christian women in the USA. Goodreads describes it as, ‘The moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation: Hannah, a pastor who doesn't realize how exhausted she is. Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past. Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage. Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right.’

The write-up was intriguing so I decided to give it a try: one of the best literary deci- sions I have made! I couldn’t put it down and was soon ordering the next two as well as awaiting the publication of the fourth. Along the way I have passed it to friends but have always wanted my copies back - certainly a book to keep on my shelves as I am sure I shall re-read them at some point. I miss reading about the lives of these women. Shame there isn’t a fifth. You could say I was addicted! Betty Wood 13 An Update on Village and Community Halls

Please contact the hall of interest for specific details. Bettiscombe Village Hall Open, subject to conditions Sheila Johnson 01297 489590 https://en-gb.facebook.com/bettiscombeVH/ Charmouth Village Hall Partially open to low risk groups Gillian Savage 01297 560615 / [email protected] St Andrews Open 2 nd September to low risk 01297 560505 or speak to Kay in Abode, The Street Community Hall, hirers. Forms available on their http://standrewscommunityhallcharmouth.co.uk/ Charmouth website. Chideock Village Hall Open, subject to conditions Sue Walliker 01297 489545 [email protected] https:// www.chideockandseatown.co.uk/groups/chideock-village-hall/ Hawkchurch Village Hall Closed, earliest opening October, Chair Peter Mitchell [email protected] / decision pending. [email protected] http://www.hawkchurchvillagehall.btck.co.uk/ Woodmead Halls, Open, subject to conditions 01297 443942 or 07856 630 975 [email protected] Lyme Regis https://www.woodmeadhalls.co.uk/ James Hargreaves Opening mid-September for low Gerry Poole 01297 480989 Community Hall, risk hirers. Committee:[email protected] Morcombelake https://hargreaveshall.org.uk/ Whitchurch Canonicorum Open for Pre-school, full opening Carolyn Peck 01297 489185 [email protected] Village Hall under review. Chris Hawkins 01297 489048 https://whitchurchcanonicorumvillagehall.wordpress.com/ Wootton Fitzpaine Closed for remainder of the year. [email protected] Village Hall Social club open Saturdays to https://www.wootton-fitzpaine.co.uk/village-hall members.

14 Contacts THE GOLDEN CAP TEAM

Team Rector Rev. Chris Martin The Rectory, 5 Georges Close, Charmouth, Bridport, DT6 6RU 01297 561065. [email protected]

Team Administrator Team Treasurer Mrs Margaret Trafford 01297 443763 Mr Peter Hunt 01297 489417 [email protected] Assistant Priests Rev. Virginia Luckett 07812 [email protected] Licensed Lay Minister Pastoral Minister Mr Jim Pettifer 01297 489260 Mrs Freda Pitfield 01297 678264 Lay Worship Leaders Mr Philip Sankey 01297 442558 Ann Bartlett 01297 489532 Mr Colin Horlock 01297 560838.

Website: http://www.goldencapteamofchurches.org.uk Facebook: Lyme Regis and Marshwood Vale C of E Churches

Church Wardens Bettiscombe Mr Eddie Rowe: 01308 868334 and Mr Terry Shakeshaft: 01308 868347 Catherston Leweston Mr Robert Hatch 01297 560689 Charmouth Mrs Pauline Berridge 01297 560957 Chideock Mrs Val Hunt 01297 489417 Fishpond Mrs Cora Rawlins: 01297 35712 Hawkchurch Mrs Jean Ransford 01297 678285 and Mrs Ruth Churchill, 01297 678354 Lyme Regis Secretary: Mr Andrew Ellis 07990 659266 Marshwood Mrs Trish Hollands 01297 678566 Monkton Wyld Mr David Gallier 01297 442636 Morcombelake Mrs Ann Bartlett 01297 489532 Whitchurch Canonicorum Mrs Sue Johnson 01297 489375 Wootton Fitzpaine Lady Bradbury 01297 560455 Pilsdon Community The Rev. Sue Langdon 01308 868308 Magazine Committee

EDITOR (Acting): Ruth Mattock 01297 489275 [email protected] PRODUCTION: Margaret Trafford [email protected] LYME REGIS SUB-EDITOR: Frances Barter [email protected] ADVERTISING: Ros Woodbridge 01297 489055 [email protected] TREASURER: Martin Mattock 01297 489275 [email protected] DISTRIBUTION: Sam Milburn 01297 489546

If you have anything that you would like to appear in the next edition of the E-Magazine, email your article by the 25th of the month to: [email protected] Lyme articles to go to Frances Barter [email protected]