Remember Twinning ? Louise Causer Looks Back PAGES 10 and 11

THE LOCAL MAGAZINE FOR THE SOMBORNES AND ASHLEY MARCH 2021 Remember Twinning ? Louise Causer looks back PAGES 10 and 11

Also in this edition:

Stream Heroes A clean borne PAGE 4

Vaccine Progress Roll out gathers pace PAGE 8

Allotment Planning News Message fro Borough Councillor PAGE 5

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vi To advertise here, contact Sue Byram on 01794 388521 or [email protected]

vii To advertise here, contact Sue Byram on 01794 388521 or [email protected]

viii ********************************************** Why not use the Village Hall as a meeting place or as a venue for your party? Available for single events or regular meetings Contact Sarah Pennington (email please): [email protected] 01794 389354 (evenings) ********************************************** P R Vane Heating and Plumbing Bathrooms and Tiling Free estimates Fully insured Call 07714409995 or 01794 514823

ix x Richard Penfold Local Firewood Supplier High quality seasoned logs produced by ourselves from locally sourced timber cut from well managed and sustainable woodlands. Dry stored, delivered dry and available throughout the year. Telephone: 01794 389603 Mobile: 079000 61158 Email: [email protected] www.woodlandfirewood.co.uk

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xi COUNSELLING For Adults, Teenagers and Parents Many things can lead people to counselling. Whatever your reasons, I offer confidential, non-judgemental counselling, which will allow you to be fully heard and understood. This means you can make more sense of your experiences and feelings and can find some relief from distress or make changes and if appropriate learn ways to ‘self-soothe’. Currently I am able to offer phone counselling. I am also a qualified supervisor and mindfulness coach and both are available over the phone too. I am a senior BACP accredited counsellor, supervisor and clinical lead with over 15 years experience. My normal practice is in a rural location and we can use nature as part of the therapy and healing. When lockdown is over I will be offering a mindfulness course at reasonable rates. For all enquiries call 07768637207 and leave a message

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Useful names and numbers Parish Church Schools For all enquiries please call Somborne Pre-School 07530 893773 the church office number: 01794 328034 King’s Somborne School 01794 388381 Vicar: Test Valley School 01264 810555 Rev. Richard Burningham 01794 389555 Police [email protected] Action Fraud 0300 123 2040 Licensed Lay Ministers: www.actionfraud.police.uk Howard Rowe 01794 388400 Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 Sabine Burningham 01794 389555 Police non-emergency 101 Wardens: www.hampshire.police.uk Joan Appleyard 01794 388224 Police emergency 999 [email protected] Janet Ingleson 01794 388618 Parish Council [email protected] Clerk: Ms Liz Manship PCC Secretary: [email protected] David Pye 01794 388405 Borough Councillor Treasurer & Gift Aid Sec: Tony Ward 01794 389649 Claire Bevan 01794 341923 County Councillor Flowers: Penny Ward 01794 389649 Andrew Gibson 01264 861138 Methodist Church Minister: Member of Parliament Revd Howard Mellor Caroline Nokes MP 020 7219 1468 Steward: Pam Gravenor 01794 388531 [email protected] Roman Catholic Churches Local Authority Hampshire Downs parish 01962 852804 Test Valley B C 01264 368000 St Swithun Wells parish 02380 273882 Village Correspondent Village Hall Position vacant Bookings: Sarah Pennington 01794 389354 (tel. after 7.30pm please) or email Village Website [email protected] www.thesombornes.org.uk Epworth Hall The Gauntlet Bookings: Marion Downing 01794 Editor: Harvey Saunders 01794 388029 388121 [email protected] Advertising: Sue Byram 01794 388521 Doctors Stockbridge surgery 01264 810524 Distribution: Lin Curtis 01794 389373 www.stockbridgesurgery.co.uk Please deliver articles for The Gauntlet Broughton surgery 01794 301210 to [email protected] Pharmacy or The Post Office. Stockbridge Pharmacy 01264 810624 Copy date is no later than 5.00pm on the 15th of the month please. See our colour online edition at the village website (see above) 1

Village Directory Allotments Epworth Lunch Contact: [email protected] Lunch for over 50s at the Epworth Hall. Janet Mein 01794 388996 On the second Tuesday in the month at 12.30pm. Badminton Club Contact: Marilyn Bolton 01794 389356 Monday evenings in the Village Hall Contact: Sue Jackson 01794 388884 Friends of King’s Somborne Church Contact: Sandie Pepperell 01794 388021 Bellringing Every Monday 7.30 - 9.00pm. Football Club Contact: Clare Thomson 01794 388268 Contact: Andy Gannaway 01794 388733 Catherine Edwards Trust Footpath walk Provides grants to village students Monthly walk on Parish footpaths on the Contact: David Bevan 07769 682696 last Sunday of each month. Check the Village Diary or village website for details. Computer and Coffee mornings Contact: Duncan Gould 01794 388049 First and third Thursday every month 10.00am - 12.00 at the Village Hall. Hands French Twinning Association -on support and advice for all ages and Contacts: Louise & Andrew Causer experience on using internet, email etc. 01794 389364 Free coffee, tea and biscuits. Contact: John Davies 01794 389544 Garden waste scheme Garden waste will be collected in w/c 8th Cricket Club and 22nd March 2021. Contact: Rachel King 07809 289861 Home Group Christians Together in Somborne Bible study group. Usually third and District Thursdays of the month at 7.30pm. Welcome all to open and ecumenical Contact: Norman Denison 01794 388889 meetings and services throughout the year. Horticultural Society Contact: Barbara Heffer 01794 389126 Meets for two talks and one visit per year Community Responders and organises the Flower Show Contacts: Lesley Everard-Evans Secretary: Position vacant 01794 388991 Flower Show Secretary: Lisa Johnson 07796 175875 Dial-a-Ride Trips to Romsey every Wednesday, for Household waste senior citizens and disabled people, at Non-recyclable household waste (black 2.00pm. Fare £3.75. bins) will be collected in w/c 8th and 22nd Contact: 01264 356808 March 2021. Recyclable household waste (brown bins) Drop In Coffee Morning will be collected in w/c 1st, 15th and 29th Coffee morning at the Epworth Hall. March 2021. Every Tuesday (except the second in the month) at 10.30am. Contact: Marion Downing 01794 388121

Village Directory (continued) Messy Church Somborne Sessions Meets 3rd Sunday of each month in term Details: www.sombornesessions.co.uk time, 3.30pm - 5.30pm at Epworth Hall. Contact: Trevor Ryan 01794 388743 Contacts: Pam Gravenor 01794 388531 Sam Barnes 07742 077114 Somborne Singers Neighbourcare Weekly meetings to sing ballads, songs from shows etc. every Tuesday at 7.45pm Transport to essential appointments. Contacts: Sue Jackson, Mary Bradley in the Parish Church. Contact: Howard Rowe 01794 388400 07470022396 Parent, Baby & Toddler Group Somborne Sisterhood W I Informal friendly get-together for babies, Meets on the first Friday of each month at 8.00pm in the Village Hall pre-school children, parents and carers. Every Wednesday 9.30am - 11.15am in the Contact: Natalie [email protected] Village Hall. Contacts: Emily 07825 867825 Tiny Tots Katie 07525 257031 Meet in the Parish Church each Tuesday at Prayer Group 2.15pm– 3.15pm. Contact: Katie Dynes 07525257031 Contact: Dulcie Witts 01794 388267 School Association Village Agent Contacts: Sue Jackson 01794 388884 Social and fund-raising events to benefit [email protected] the school and its pupils. Gill Butler 01794 388831 Contact: Andy Chadwick 01794 389587 [email protected] Scouts Women’s Fellowship Beavers Wednesdays 6.00pm Meets on the fourth Friday of each month Cubs Thursdays 6.00pm at 2.30pm in the Epworth Hall. Contact: Wendy Jarvis 01794 389552 Contacts: Marion Downing 01794 388121 Somborne & District Society Marilyn Bolton 01794 389356 Meetings held on the fourth Wednesday of Women’s Institute each month at 8.00pm, usually in the Village Hall. Meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Contact: Janet Ingleson 01794 388618 Contact: Linda Aucock 01794 388542 Somborne Needleworkers Working Men’s Club Meet each Thursday at 2.00pm at Various entertainments. Nutcher’s, 3 Nutcher’s Drove. Contacts: Trina Masham 07852 257596 Contact: Sally Wilson 01794 388675 Somborne Players Amateur Dramatics Society. For both children and adults. Contact: Ellie Monger 01794 388283 Sombornes Pre-School Early Years education for children aged from 2 to school age. This month’s edition of The Gauntlet Contact: Rebecca Hunt 07530 893773 was edited by Sue Jackson

Stream Clearing Village stalwarts have been taking the initiative to clear the stream of vegetation. They have worked repeatedly to make the stream clean and lovely to look at, in the centre of our village. This has the added bonus of helping to prevent flooding. Stream flow is increased and this helps to lower the water table. So thank you to these great folk who have taken maintenance of the stream into their own hands on behalf of us all N H S Cake days

In January Sian Johnston restarted because they had seen the sign the cake days at the request of outside Sian’s house! the Winchester hospital manager. All the gifts were spread out Hospital staff were so exhausted evenly through all departments by the huge demands of nursing from intensive care to transport surging numbers of Covid personnel and switchboard patients filling the hospital, she operators. Every single felt the staff needed a morale department received something boost. and many grateful thank you texts The response was again and messages were sent from the magnificent. People felt there was staff, the Lord lieutenant of even more of a need this Hampshire and the Chief lockdown, with the seriousness of executive of the hospital the situation after Christmas. Sian’s memories are of people We provided cakes for 5 weeks walking through the village and including donations from the bearing donations and appearing first lockdown we gave the at her living room window amazing total of 843 plates of covered in sleet! goodies. People were even Thank you Sian!! driving out from Winchester to deliver baked deliciousness

Allotment Planning News

A lot of people have been asking me about the planning application for the proposed 18 houses on the allotment site. The T V B C Planning Officers are getting close to having all the information they need to make a recommendation to the Planning Committee. No firm date has yet been set for that committee to meet. New information has been provided by the applicant and I urge held digitally but it should still be anyone interested to read the latest possible for the committee to have a information on the TVBC web site, site visit. Cllr Alison Johnston and I application number 19/02899/OUTS. from Mid Test Ward are both members There is detail on the road entrances to of the committee and can each ask as both the proposed new houses and new many questions of the Officers and allotment site together with a proposed speakers as we want, speak in the woodland to achieve nitrate neutrality. debate and of course vote. Cllr Ian Because of nitrate pollution in the Jeffrey can speak as an advocate for Solent new regulations mean new objectors or supporters for up to 5 developments must be nitrate neutral. minutes. The Parish Council can speak In this case, they have converted for 3 minutes as can just one objector agricultural land (which would use and the applicant. nitrate fertilizers) into woodland to The public can sign in and listen on offset pollution from the extra houses. audio to the meeting via Teams – For any Outline planning application, details will be provided once a the Planners are not looking at details committee meeting date has been set. of the houses but general appearance, Our role as Councillors is to means of access, landscaping, layout understand your concerns regarding and scale. They are also considering this application and make sure those policy LHW1 Public Open Space views are considered by the Planning which includes allotments and states Committee. In particular we want to where any loss of such space is know if you believe the new proposed caused by development then it allotment site complies with LHW1. should be replaced by an equivalent But is if you have any other questions or better provision in terms of or points to make please feel free to quantity, quality and be in a suitable email me at location. [email protected] The Planning Committee consists of Cllr Tony Ward just 13 councillors. Because of Covid- 19 the meetings are currently being

Somborne Sisterhood WI For February’s meeting the Somborne of the ways Sisterhood were joined by Laura they are Murphy from Vicious Cycle and trying to IAPMD who spoke to us about Pre- raise menstrual Dysmorphic Disorder awareness of (PMDD). this condition. PMDD is a hormone-based mood disorder where the brain reacts If you would like to know more negatively to natural hormone information, you may find these fluctuations. For a few days or weeks websites before their period, sufferers may feel helpful: viciouscyclepmdd.com and ia a huge variety of negative emotions, pmd.org such as extreme sadness, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, changes in Our next meeting on March 5th is a appetite, anxiety or helplessness, to zoom craft-along! name but a few. We will be handing out craft bags the PMDD is very under-diagnosed, but week before. research studies have suggested that We are happy for guests to attend (£5) PMDD affects 1 in 20 women. It is Please email also sometimes misdiagnosed as other [email protected] things such as bipolar. Laura told us to confirm your place. about the help that the two companies she works for (above) offer and some Not much longer! Well hopefully you will all have had to live well at your vaccination– at least one shot, home and live and hopefully it won’t be much longer independently as that we must all isolate and we can get long as possible. out of the house, see our families and All best wishes friends and make the most of our and do phone! freedom. Gill 388 831 Until then, Gill and I are always on the end of the phone, so if you need help Sue 388 884 to ask for support or to access benefits, we can help you fill in the forms to get the help you need. Our ‘job description’ is to support you 6

Patient Newsletter who fall ill over a weekend, who have been leaving messages asking for COVID vaccination programme assistance, we have taken the decision to switch off eConsult on a Friday 68% of the 1131 over 74s registered at from 18:30 until Monday 08:00. If you the surgery have received their first are unwell at the weekend please COVID vaccination, as of 29 January. contact 111 (either by phone or online We have also completed a number of at 111.nhs.uk). This will ensure you home visits and vaccinated staff and get the care you need as quickly as patients at Winton Nursing Home. possible. Following Government guidance the second dose has been postponed and Carers we apologise to those whose second If you are a carer you can have this appointments had to be cancelled. recorded on your medical records. Go We are now booking patients aged 70 to our website years and over and the clinically www.stockbridgesurgery.co.uk and extremely vulnerable. Patients should you can request an update to your receive a text message or a telephone personal details. call this month asking them to contact Dr Ed Gibbons the surgery to book an appointment at the Holiday Inn. There is a free taxi Dr Ed Gibbons has had the service available. If you are able to opportunity to develop his career in a donate to the fund to support this free different direction. He has spent the provision please go to: last 12 months undertaking additional www.gofund.me/ebe2d35c training in Dermatology and now works 3 days a week in Winchester e-Consult and Andover Hospital as well as eConsult enables patients to contact working as a GP Appraiser. He has the Surgery electronically via our therefore stepped down as a Partner in website; stockbridgesurgery.co.uk to the practice, however, he will continue ask questions at any time day or night working at Stockbridge one day a which the surgery staff pick up and week helping with the urgent care action during working hours. Due to team. our concern for the safety of patients’

Vaccine Progress 19 February 2021 those aged 75 and over We are very pleased to report that those aged 70 and over and more than 480,000 doses of the clinically extremely vulnerable COVID-19 vaccine have now been individuals delivered to our communities in It remains as important as ever that we Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. all continue to follow the national Across the H & I of W Integrated Care guidance to help reduce the risk of System (ICS) and Frimley ICS more COVID-19 transmission and: than 95% of people aged 80 and over have received their first dose. stay at home as much as possible Delivering the vaccine to individuals wear a face covering when out in in priority groups 1-4, as identified by the community the JCVI, remains our absolute observe social distancing priority. These groups are: measures care home residents and staff continue to wash hands regularly those aged 80 and over and frontline health and social care workers

Online Census this month

Census day will be on March 21, but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March. “It takes just 10 minutes per person to take part and if you can’t get online, there are paper forms available for those who need them. Now is the time to make your mark on history.” Operating in line with the Government’s latest Covid-19 guidance, field officers will be deployed across the country to contact those who have not responded. They So this year, we are asking you to will offer help and advice to those who complete the census and, if you can, need it. They will also remind people offer help to friends and family so we that their census response is required can collect the best data possible. by law. In King’s Somborne, our Village The census will include questions Agents, Sue (388884) and Gill about your sex, age, work, health, (388831), are ready to help if you education, household size and cannot fill in the online form. ethnicity. Results will be available within 12 And, for the first time, there will be a months, although personal records will question asking people whether they be locked away for 100 years, kept have served in the armed forces, as safe for future generations. well as voluntary questions for those For more information, visit aged 16 and over on sexual orientation census.gov.uk and gender identity. By taking part, you’ll be helping make sure you and our community get the services needed now and in the future.

Twinning in Kings Somborne

You will see from the signs as you enter the village that we are twinned with a small village in Normandy – St Paul Du Vernay. The

Wendy, Sylvine (Mme le Maire) and Georges During the years up to 2014 there were many visits to Normandy to enjoy and experience French hospitality. We were shown many places of interest including the Normandy Beaches, the Bayeux tapestry, a Christian Dior museum in his house, a chateau with a garden full of fountains and water jets activated by sensors which suddenly sprayed unsuspecting guests!

Wendy and Georges by the sign

Twinning movement began after 1945, with the passionate support of local Mayors and communities who vowed that Europe should never again be torn apart by war. Its promotion of was one of the main priorities of the Council of European Municipalities in 1951 . Twinning in Kings Somborne began with our friends in St Paul in the early nineties after Cyril Pigot went on holiday with his family to Normandy. He enjoyed it so much he thought it would be good to encourage others Wendy outside the Christian Dior too. museum In 1995 an official “Accord” - We were always made very welcome Constitution was signed between the then Chairman Sue Spurling of Kings in their homes. The meals were amazing in quantity and quality. Somborne and Mme Sylvine Calvados is the Normandy liqueur and Bellemain Mayor of St Paul Du it was always expected to sample a Vernay . 10

good measure during the visit! Wendy Hartley , who passed away peacefully on 2nd February 2021 The home team here in Kings Somborne delighted in hosting became Chairman in 1997. She will reciprocal visits. The French would be remembered for her enthusiastic energy in organising many come for a long weekend and be given wonderful events and, in particular, a typical English experience. One of the highlights was the village carnival the yearly fundraising dinner. She had in 1993 when we re-lived the Battle of a keen interest in French Cuisine and enjoyed choosing the menu and Hastings on a float decorated by Keith shopping for all the cooks so that we Chapman’s witty version of the Bayeux tapestry. all had the right ingredients and enjoyed a delicious meal.

One of the many meals out organised by Carnival Float with French and Wendy English soldiers! Her absolute joy was to select We took our guests to many places of wonderful French cheeses and ensure interest, including Portsmouth D-day that they were served at the right museum, Beaulieu, Salisbury and temperature. Winchester, and to celebrate our tenth anniversary in 2005, Windsor Castle. In 2005 we celebrated the Ten year anniversary and Wendy was French and English were spoken at instrumental in ensuring our two visits various levels and the joy of that year were organised immaculately communication between nationalities to ensure maximum enjoyment. was shared by all. The main event, held either here in the Village Hall or All Twinning Weekends were a celebration of our two cultures, in their Salle des Fetes, was the Grand fantastic hospitality and friendship. Dinner where food and drink would be consumed with plenty of “Joie de vivre”, speeches of welcome and Louise Causer sometimes entertainments...the French being especially bemused by a raffle, Kings Somborne Twinning but delighted with the prizes!

Somborne and District Society Tricia Silver-Warner’s talk about a On February 24th there will be a talk former Kings Somborne resident told on International Shipping by Rory how he became a national hero whose Addison. life story appeared in the National We are of course still Zooming. Look newspapers of the time. out for David Pennington’s invitation In spite of being badly injured in email. Hopefully most of you will be Crimean War he claimed that Florence vaccinated soon. Nightingale had saved his life. His David St.John visit to her grave was also photographed by the media. Chairman

Many villagers were saddened to hear consulted by researchers and are that Wendy Hartley passed away at available on C.D.s. Wendy and Bill Louise Margaret House after a also collated the Society’s large prolonged illness following a stroke collection of historic photographs. but her funeral was a wonderful She represented the Twinning Group celebration of her life with lovely on the Village Hall Management photos of Wendy and her family over Committee and was very helpful the years. when we were planning major Bill and Wendy moved to Winchester upgrades to the village hall. She from London in the 1970’s where always spoke with typical North Wendy worked as a legal secretary Country frankness and was never before they came to Kings Somborne. afraid to express her views but they She soon became immersed in were always laced with her spiky community activities with the sense of humour. Twinning group organising exchange After her stroke in 2018 she was visits to France. admitted to the Marie Louise House When I was chairman of the and although wheelchair bound she Somborne Society Wendy joined us still enjoyed outings with Bill and as Secretary and Programme often went to the Romsey Art group organiser. From her professional meetings where she could always be background Wendy was always well recognised because she was smartly organised and meticulous in planning dressed and her outfits were always our many enjoyable excursions. She topped out with her beloved tartan was also a member of a small team cap. She remained friendly, brave and from the Society who made many thoughtful until her death. visits to the Hampshire Records She will be greatly missed . Office to document the births, marriages and deaths of people in Terry Mackintosh Kings Somborne from 1700 until the 1980’s. These records are often 12

King’s Somborne WI

As has become normal recently our women. In the early days men sent for President, Sarah, welcomed us all to their wives or girlfriends from home. the meeting on zoom. It was lovely to The wife of one of Jenny’s ancestors see everyone again and exchange had to wait over twenty years before news. she could join her husband. Later on, when there was a shortage of men in Sarah then introduced our speaker for the evening, Jenny Mallin whose talk the U.K., as many were away fighting was entitled “A Grandmother’s in the far east, young women elected to board ship and undertake the long Legacy – the early days” and covered and difficult voyage to India in the the beginning of the British Raj. Jenny’s parents had left India at the hope of finding a husband. There was time of partition in 1947 and had even a scheme whereby women were paid £300 to go to India to find a brought the family archive with them. husband. They were given a year to These records formed the basis of Jenny’s talk and as she had worked as accomplish this and if they were unsuccessful they were returned home a researcher for the B.B.C. she was humiliated. Such was the shortage of able to add considerably to this women that many men proposed to information. widows as soon as their husbands died Three of her male ancestors had been - sometimes even at the funeral! in the British Army in the 18th Century to safeguard the trade of the East India Although the men fought in very difficult circumstances, the standard of Company and the lucrative trade route living for the wives was very good to China. This involved fighting or forming allegiances with local with plenty of servants. Interestingly maharajas, competing robustly with we learned that the word “memsahib” is translated as “madame boss”. the Dutch and the Portuguese and later fighting the French as it was the time After many questions, Beryl Knight of The Napoleonic Wars. The chief thanked Jenny for her interesting and items traded were spices, tea, cotton, entertaining talk which had drawn on silks and opium. In wartime saltpetre all aspects of life during the British also became a valuable product that Raj. needed guarding from the French in th After completing the usual business it particular. By the beginning of the 19 was decided that a coffee morning Century British domination had been would be held on zoom. Everyone was established and by 1850 one of looking forward to this – yet another Jenny’s ancestors was working on the first for our W.I.! railway which now crisscrossed the sub-continent. Eileen Reynolds Of particular interest was the role of 13

Latest bus timetables Service 16 Wednesday and Saturday only Winchester Bus Station 9.00 12.15 15.30 King’s Somborne Parish Church 9.32 12.47 16.02 Stockbridge Town Hall 9.43 13.03 16.18

Stockbridge Parish Church 10.10 13.20 16.35 King’s Somborne Parish Church 10.16 13.26 16.41 Winchester Bus Station 10.50 14.00 17.15

Service 16A Thursday only Phone 01962 846785 to register to use this service Winchester Broadway stand 4 11.30 King’s Somborne Parish Church 12.00 Stockbridge Town Hall 12.05

Service 54 Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday only Phone 01962 846785 to register to use this service Stockbridge Parish Church 9.30 King’s Somborne Parish Church 9.40 Romsey Bus Station E 10.00

Romsey Bus Station E 12.30 King’s Somborne Parish Church 12.50 Stockbridge Town Hall 13.00

Unusual laws - a little quiz The answers: 1. It is considered an offence to enter Singapore with what item in your luggage ? Cigarettes

2. In parts of India, what can a man in debt offer up until the debt is repaid ? His wife

3. In which country did a 2009 law state it was illegal to be “fat” ? Japan

4. In Lebanon, an abductor can avoid prosecution if he does what to the victim ? Marry them

5. In China, which religion’s monks cannot reincarnate without government permission ? Buddhist

Public Footpaths There have been incidents of walkers on Public Footpaths in the village being aggressively harassed. The police have asked for any future incidents of this type to be reported to them by phoning 101 (not 999).

King’s Somborne WI Coffee Morning

Another ‘first’ for the members of of book clubs King’s Somborne WI, this time a but hopes to join properly various Zoom Coffee Morning. clubs and societies in the not too Despite a few glitches, this event was distant future. very well received with nine ladies The ladies all agreed to make this a attending, including Sue Holligan, all monthly event so will hope to meet up the way from Abingdon. again, via Zoom, on Wednesday, 17th March. It was lovely to see her and catch up with her news. She is settling in well to her new home, has joined a couple

News from the Methodist Church

King’s Somborne Methodist Church and the Epworth Hall are currently closed until further notice due to the current Coronavirus situation. Please keep an eye on the church noticeboard for any announcements of future re-opening. This year the chapel will have been serving the community here for 150 years, so we are hoping things will be a little more normal by the time we celebrate this important anniversary in early July! In the meantime, we are meeting online via Zoom, together with our friends at Wesley Methodist Church, Weeke. All are welcome to join in these services which are friendly and informal, so do please get in touch if you would like more information. If you don’t have access to zoom, it’s now possible to join these services by phone, so do please contact us if this is something you might like to try. From now to Easter we have a regular weekly Thursday morning Reflection on Zoom, starting at 9.30 am focusing on Jesus’ “I am” sayings from John’s gospel; and a Lent Study course, led by our Minister Revd Dr Howard Mellor, on a Thursday evening at 7.00pm. Again, if you would like the Zoom invitation details for either or both of these meetings, please ask. Although not physically meeting together, our congregation is still very much here as a praying community, so please let us know if you have any prayer requests in these difficult days by phoning Pam on 01794 388531. Pam Gravenor Senior Steward

From the Parish Registers

16th February Funeral Wendy Hartley

at the Test Valley Crematorium

24th February Funeral Audrey Baker

25th February Funeral Catherine Henderson

at the Test Valley Crematorium

Church services in March 2021

Church services during the pandemic While the Parish Church is closed for worship during lockdown, we are holding online services using Zoom. So we gather round our screens to ‘meet’ each Sunday at 10.00am for Parish Worship, and do most of the things we would do in the church building at a Sunday morning service. If you would like to join in on Zoom, and are not yet on our King’s Somborne distribution list, please contact me at [email protected] and I will send you the info you need. While this arrangement is working very well, we hope we’ll be able to meet back in church again before too long! Howard Rowe, Licensed Lay Minister

Roman Catholic Churches St Thomas’ Stockbridge St Joseph’s Romsey St Andrew’s N. Baddesley Details of services at RC churches, see: www.hampshiredowns.org.uk and www.stswithunwellsparish.org.uk

The Vicar has the last word GIVING SCIENTISTS AND GOD THEIR DUE Today I had my first vaccination jab. Today also happens to be my birthday – but that is as far as my confession goes! As my vaccinator remarked, ‘This is your birthday present,’ to which I should have replied ‘…..for what I am about to receive may the Lord make me truly thankful!’ The truth is I am thankful, and it is time to thank those backroom boys and girls who sweat it out in their white coats mixing chemicals in test tubes. Every day I am taking a pill that amazingly targets the particular cancer mutation that is growing as a tumour in my lungs. If it hadn’t been invented I may not have been here to celebrate my birthday or type these words. So, who do we thank? The scientists of course. But is that all? The problem with the builders of the tower of Babel (the story told in the Bible in Genesis chapter 11) wasn’t their scientific ingenuity. That was praiseworthy. The problem was their motivation – to bring glory to themselves rather than to God. The great 17th century astronomer, Johannes Kepler wrote that scientists must guard against ‘glorifying our own minds instead of giving glory to God.’ How is it that thinking about how things were made in the first place (the scientific endeavour) should prevent us from thinking about the God who made them in the first place? So many great scientists have been and are Christians. The list is impressive. It includes Isaac Newton who discovered the laws of motion, Antoine Lavoisier the founder of modern chemistry, George Mendel the founder of the science of genetics and many, many more. And it is not just scientists of past centuries. There is a long list of living scientists including David Alexander, director of the Faraday Institute at Cambridge and Katherine Blundell, professor of Astrophysics at Oxford. Mike Hulme, professor of Human Geography at Cambridge said about his Christian faith, "I believe because I have not discovered a better explanation of beauty, truth and love than that they emerge in a world created – willed into being – by a God who personifies beauty, truth and love." As Kepler himself put it, science is ‘thinking God’s thoughts after him’. As we come out of this awful pandemic, let’s thank the scientists and give them their due. But let’s also thank God who has given them the minds to produce the amazing insights that benefit us today and give Him his due too.

Rev Richard Burningham

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