The Special Online Edition of the Parish Magazine for Newton Poppleford, Harpford and Colaton Raleigh

The Special Online edition of the Parish Magazine for Newton Poppleford, Harpford and Colaton Raleigh During the time of Coronavirus Emergency our volunteer distributors are not able to get out and deliver the usual printed version of the Parish Magazine – it will be back as soon as possible, but meanwhile this monthly online edition hopes to inform and entertain you during the period of lockdown. without trespassing through thick Editorial Ramble brambles. So far we've covered most Some years ago, when our daughters of the East Devon ones and are were children rather than adults, we looking forward to Dorset over the had several summer holidays aboard next couple of months. a narrowboat on the canal system. They have been wonderful times of Wonderful times with lots of peace good walks, seeing very few people and wildlife, and it's surprising how to socially distance from, but lots of many city centres are laced with wild flowers, butterflies and bees, ribbons of green. At the end of the splendid trees and dragonflies, and afternoon we'd moor the boat and even the occasional deer. And some often walk into a village to stock up stunning views from the hill tops. on stores or just admire different We've enjoyed wild strawberries and architecture and history. After a raspberries to accompany the cheese whole day of nothing moving more sandwich and thermos coffee! than 3mph, it was surprising how fast Which is a long and rambling way of the traffic seemed to be, even in the saying, 'why would you want to risk 30 limited areas. flying off to Spain for a holiday when A bit of the same feeling in Newton we live in such a wonderful part of the Poppleford High Street as the world?' lockdown eased – it changed from The June sunshine didn't quite match one van and a bicycle to streams of up to the glories of May, despite the traffic almost overnight, and boy, did longer days, but the rainfall has been it feel noisy and fast. very welcome in the garden. I expect By the time you read this, we'll have we shall see more rain – which is had "super Saturday" with the third traditional as we head into what is easing of lockdown and a predicted usually school holiday time. Note rush of visitors / holiday-makers to that the school break is earlier in the Southwest, so I expect the above Scotland, which means they're will sound really dated. already having runs of torrential In between keeping the garden in downpours. order (and the weeds are growing You won't find much in this magazine fast with the showers and warmth), about the detailed rules of what you trying to digest all the emailed can and can't now do – the rules complicated rules about re-opening change daily, often with no warning, the church safely, and keeping the and far too frequently for a monthly necessary food supplies coming in, magazine. This edition is a little later we've been having a 'holiday from than the first of the month, as I was home' by spending days out with a holding fire to see if there was a picnic. church update for 4th July – see next To give our trips a theme, we're page. There may be an August aiming to visit all the Iron-Age Hillforts edition if there is sufficient content, in East Devon and West Dorset – but I hope to be back with a full there are at least thirty of them, printed magazine for September. though a few are not accessible (Copy deadline 15th August, please) Haylor 2 July 2020 Popplemag mornings a week – see the notice on Church the church gate for days and times. You will have heard that churches Nationally, five million people tuned may open for worship from July 4th. in to a service led by Justin Welby, Subject of course to social distancing, archbishop of Canterbury, in his hand sanitisation and a host of other kitchen on 22nd March, broadcast on rules and guidance, which will need the BBC and Facebook. Google assessment and agreement by the searches for 'prayer' have risen over vicar and PCCs. We are a long way 50%; and when the C of E launched a off what anyone would regard as a 24-hour free phone line aimed at "normal' act of worship. people with limited internet access At the moment the Sunday services and offering "words of comfort and on 'Zoom' will continue – typically hope', more than 6,000 calls were over 60 people each week are part of made in the first 48 hours. that virtual congregation, including a number who could not get to a church Community building, so that is not going to stop The Village Halls at Harpford, overnight or for a long time yet. Newton Poppleford and Colaton A quick 'straw poll' carried out by the Raleigh and the NP Playing Fields vicar on email showed that the Pavilion remain closed. The Tennis majority would not want to come courts are now open subject to social back into the churches at present, due distancing and not sharing to a mixture of safety reasons and the equipment. (See article, page 17) feeling that church would not be the Although most shops are now open, same without singing, close subject to distancing and hygiene fellowship (and sharing coffee measures, the busses are running, and together). doctor's surgeries functioning, the In the coming weeks the vicar, wealth of village social and interest church wardens and PCCs will be clubs remain closed for the exploring manageable ways in which foreseeable future. the churches may open alongside the Some, like music and theatre online service, without putting any performances, have already pressure on people to attend. There abandoned plans for the rest of this may be very good reasons why you year and will review in January. may need to continue to worship in a Other clubs have hopes for different way online or simply at possibilities in September when all home, just you and the Holy Spirit. the schools go back (providing there Colaton Raleigh church is open for are no second spikes). private prayer for a couple of I hope to bring news as and when. Popplemag July 2020 3 is why murder has been regarded as From the Vicar a serious crime in every human There are two powerful desires in us society. Sadly, the respect for other human beings that have been in people’s lives breaks down on too conflict with one another during these many occasions, but most people, last few months. One is the desire to most of the time respect life. stay alive and the other the desire to We should not be surprised, then, interact with other people. Both of that a virus that threatened our own these traits can be found at the very lives and the lives of others is seen beginning of the Bible. The human as an enemy to be fought and condition is described brilliantly in the defeated. The lockdown of our lives, story about Adam, whose name what our Prime Minister called ‘our simply means ‘human’. I n Genesis hibernation’, was our society’s chapter 2 we read: response to the thought of life being 7 …the Lord God formed the man taking away. In the early weeks of from the dust of the ground and the lockdown the mantra was, “save breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives”. And we did it, and to a large life, and the man became a living extend are still doing it, because we being. have this powerful desire to stay Although the writer of this passage alive. knew nothing of molecules, atoms The lockdown, though, has come at a and subatomic particles, we are great cost to another powerful literally made of the same stuff as the instinct. We desire to be in ground. But we are more than a relationship with other people. We mere bunch of particles; we are crave physical touch, conversation animate creatures; we have this and just company. In penal systems mysterious thing called life. Life is solitary confinement is a particularly not something that God created; life harsh punishment precisely because is a property of God himself. it frustrates this human desire. And so the Bible’s understanding is In the same chapter of Genesis in that God made people but gave life. which God gives life to the human it He breathed into the human’s nostrils goes on to say: the breath of life, and the human 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good became a living being. And so we for the man to be alone.” humans have a powerful desire to I am, by nature, an introvert. When I live. And in God’s sight, every have spent a lot of time with other human life—regardless of sex, people, I need to be alone to colour, ethnicity, age, nationality, recharge my batteries. Generally, I religion or any other division you can do not mind my own company. Yet, think of—every single one is valued throughout the lockdown, what I have greatly. craved most is seeing my children Because we are made by a Creator and grandchildren, and singing the who loves and values human life, we praises of God in the company of humans value not just our own lives other worshippers. but the lives of other people too. This Continued next page 4 July 2020 Popplemag From the Vicar, continued New Archbishop of facetime, Skype and Zoom are all great—definitely better than York to be confirmed nothing—but they are a poor Bishop Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell will substitute for the real thing.

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