July/ August 2017 JULY/AUGUST 2017 NEWSLETTER Dear Friends, was titled, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or One of the real blessings of taking a holiday is the Community?” relief to the mind and the emotions of not getting One of his insights then was that a moment of crisis much news. You can’t avoid it completely, but there is is always a moment of decision. It was true then and a freedom when there are no TV pictures invading is true now. Where do we go from here? Chaos? your personal space. Part of you wants it to go on Indifference? Avoidance? Business as usual? Or forever. Settle down in a nice secluded part of Beloved Community?’ France with someone you love, surrounded by Curry then goes on to invite people to rededicate vineyards and acres of sunflowers, with wonderful themselves to the core work of Christian community food and delicious wine, a pile of highly – which is reconciliation. recommended novels and no timetable. I think this is hugely helpful. Things are too scary at Of course it’s not real life - even for the folk who the moment to think we can make any difference on live there, but we all need to create spaces where we our own, but within the context of our community feel safe and can love the beauty and the joy of the we can model a open, accepting and inclusive way of world. living that points to hope not fear. That is good and healthy, and it’s a world away from choosing to live your whole life with your head in the sand. When we look back at the lives of ordinary decent Germans as Hitler grew ever stronger we wonder how they let it happen, but in our heart of Want to become a Bell Ringer ? hearts we know that it was simply good people doing Make yourself heard in the community with a new nothing. low cost hobby. Improve your fitness through gentle Getting back to grips with life, the two biggest mental and physical team exercise. St Peter & St Paul horrors have been the death of Heather Heyer at has 8 bells but rarely enough ringers and they are in Charlottesville and the bloodshed in Spain. danger of being increasingly silent if some new One of the best and most helpful responses has recruits aren't found. If you are fit and healthy, we come from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal could teach you (in around a dozen lessons), so we Church in the US - Bishop Michael Curry. (Do google can have them all ringing for Christmas. Having him -he is totally fabulous!) This is a short extract achieved that initial stage many ringers go on forever from what he said to church congregations on Aug17: learning more complex methods (the technical term for the patterns of music) ringing special peals or ‘In this moment – when the stain of bigotry has once visiting other Churches whilst others settle for again covered our land, and when hope, frankly, simply ensuring that tradition is kept alive. Many sometimes seems far away, when we must now ringers do not actually stay for services but do ring remember new martyrs of the way of love like young for them and for special occasions. Heather Heyer – it may help to remember the deep wisdom of the martyrs who have gone before. We maintain full details of what is involved on the The year was 1967. It was a time not unlike this one Church website so you can see if this is a hobby for in America. Then there were riots in our streets, you without any pressure to identify yourself before poverty and unbridled racism in our midst, and a war you're ready or you might like to visit one of our far away tearing us apart at home. In that moment, Monday practices from 7.00 pm to see what is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a book, his involved. http://www.missendenchurch.org.uk last one, with a message that rings poignant today. It Chris Potter (Bell Captain) ! PAGE 1 JULY/AUGUST 2017 Your Business The Village could advertise Dental Practice here 35a Station Approach, The cost is just £10 per issue (6 Great Missenden, per year) and the rate stays the Bucks HP16 9AZ same pre or post Brexit! interested? Tel: 01494 862081 Please contact: www.missenden-dentalcare.co.uk Mike O’Farrell Sarmia, Marriots Avenue, We are a friendly, South Heath, HP16 9QW long established, 01494 866443 private dental practice. [email protected] Come along and say hello Great Missenden A warm, friendly sheltered house for the elderly in the picturesque centre of the village. Come and take a look to see for yourself and have a chat with Carol Lauder-Ross Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm Tel: 01494 865026 or email for a brochure info@abbeyfieldgreatmissenden.co. uk Find out more on our website www.abbeyfield.com Rooms Available Now Rignall Road Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm Gt Missenden, Bucks HP16 9AW Your health is our goal Tel: 01494 863479 Open Monday-Saturday, Evening appointments Private car park, Wide choice of treatments Fully registered practitioners, All the family welcome Recognised by all major insurance companies www.healthy-balance.co.uk Bicycle Workshop, Rignall Road, Gt Missenden, Bucks HP16 9AN Call us on: MOT’s - Servicing - Repairs - Tyres Tel: 01494 867358 - Mob 07973 530914 01494 867272 Exhausts - Fault Diagnosis - Air Con 51 High Street, Great Servicing Missenden, HP16 0AL Family run business www.greatmissendengarage.co.uk ! PAGE 2 JULY/AUGUST 2017 benefit. But then, of course, too often The Village seen and remembered politics/finances seem to outweigh sense/convenience. by But there have been changes in the High Street. Richard Hawkins Number 49 is now ‘Big Sky’, moved from number 67, into what was Elizabeth Wintgens – a slow transformation, less bright colours but more atmosphere. And the vacated number 67, in earlier times an estate agents, is to become ‘Woody & Friends’, a dogs boutique. There are enough dogs in the neighbourhood, but it may take a little time to persuade them to try the new shop. I recollect a relatively short life of a shop selling dogs’ bits and pieces - bits and pieces for dog owners to buy for their dogs, not parts of dogs. Somehow trade did not materialise. But I assume the boutique will offer more than this, possibly smarter dogs! We wish it well. At last there is a roof showing (pictured above). We ‘Lighthouse’ has again been a great success. There have been watching the development of the High was a time, at the end of the last century, when it Street corner over the estate agents (it was the flooded the village. About 2,000 children, with traffic Barclays Bank corner), rather like we study the jams in Church Street, and music loud enough to be ground after planting a seed: waiting to see something. heard in Angling Spring Woods. We managed to keep Now we can! For weeks past I have been stopped in children safe without a perimeter fence – I imagined the street and asked: “Do you know when the the Holy Spirit settling onto Buryfield and flowing out scaffolding will come down?” I reply that Amplio are into the whole village. Certainly the joyful songs proceeding well with their development at the bakers, flowed out, during the day and were sung by the so I suspect that prospects of early cash inflow there children on their way home. Somehow all is now may mean that only spare workforce is applied to the contained and more subdued. Is it a sign of maturity, High Street corner. The estate agents have been or simply village pressure not to be troubled? flooded by rain from above (the first floor is not Perhaps some do not even notice the activity: moving waterproof), dried out and then flooded again, and parking to the Black Horse has kept most cars and damp keeps the premises closed. Matilda’s, next door, children away from the High Street. This year we had stays open, but I am not sure whether that is because nearly 1,000 children on Buryfield, but with the many their style of decor is more easily de-watered or that off-shoots this century, a total of over ten thousand they are fortunate in not having suffered. Whereas children have been at ‘Lighthouse’ this July: all from a selling houses can be effected from an Amersham hundred or so at the start on Buryfield in the late branch, providing coffee and the other tasty 1980s. The village should be proud of what it nurtures. refreshments cannot so easily be transferred, except of course to the rivals next door. Loyal villagers would be devastated by that. Surprisingly, there are no new relevant planning applications. One might have expected attempts to catch out possible objectors, by applying while holidays distract. Rumour is that a revised plan for the backland behind the Red Lion will soon be offered. Some in the village still hope that the railway and the developers can get together to plan something sensible, when the car business beside the Co-op ends its lease soon! Access to the station – easier turn in for the busses, safer too for cars – as Spotted in Prestwood - plenty of time to sing as it took an well as for the backland development would all extra 7 minutes! ! PAGE 3 JULY/AUGUST 2017 Bryan Tomes Your Handyman No Job too small Room Decoration / Plastering External Painting Windows / Masonry Carpentry Built In Cupboard, Wood Flooring, Doors & 25 Church St Staircases Gt Missenden Bathrooms / Kitchens Bucks HP16 Building Renovations & 0AZ Extension 01494 865906 or 01494 864322 07876 236535 07887 968791 Contact: Ben Elliott References Available / Insured E-Mail: b.ellio'.decor@b,nternet.com Great Missenden Memorial Centre Excellent venue for Weddings and Private Functions and many other weekly activities that include Ballinger Memorial Hall Duplicate Bridge ñ 100 seating capacity Art Classes ñ Commercial kitchen W.I.