The Wash Commoner Community MagazineJuly / August 2019 NOW FREE see pg 38 to subscribe CHIMNEY SWEEP A PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP SERVICE CLEAN RELIABLE BRUSH AND VACUUM FULLY INSURED MANY YEARS EXPERIENCE AGA’S RAYBURNS JETMASTERS ALL OPEN FIRES WOODBURNERS NEST REMOVALS OIL FIRED BOILERS SWEEPING CERTIFICATES ISSUED CAPS AND COWLS SUPPLIED AND FITTED CALL DARREN 01635 569195/07900398678 [email protected] Bridget Laxton Tutor B. Ed wre Learning fun I am a teacher with 23 years teaching experience across the primary ages. I tutor children up to Year 6. Tutoring sessions are fun and tailored to individual needs. Talk to me about what your child needs. Spaces available. Please call 07759 798 022 or e-mail [email protected] 2 The Wash Commoner July/August 2019 Contents Welcome! Welcome to a rejuvenated Wash Commoner magazine! If you’ve Welcome! 3 not seen it before, The Wash Commoner is a local, community St George’s Church – magazine that provides a mix of community features, church here for you 5 news and advertising for local companies and events. The Wash Commoner has been published by St George’s Church St George’s Social Events 5 for 12 years and the church has recently made the decision to Holiday Club 2019 6 widen the readership of the magazine by removing the cover Falkland Cricket Club 8 price and finding new distribution channels. Craft Afternoon for adults 9 The magazine is now available to pick up free of charge at a greater number of local sites in shops, cafés, schools, the Wash Common Show 10 library, churches and other locations. You can also have the West Berkshire magazine delivered free to your home each month by emailing Mobile Library 11 your name and address to [email protected]. uk or completing the slip on page 38. It is also available to Sustainable Living 12 read on-line via St George’s website www.st-george-newbury. St George’s Retirement org.uk. Fellowship 16 There is so much that takes place in our local area, and we try Falkland Primary School 15 to cover as much as possible, but The Wash Commoner is YOUR Gardeners Delight 18 magazine and we’re very keen to hear from you with your thoughts on what you would like to see included. Whether Recipe Exchange 22 you’re an organisation that has something to share or have an Volunteer Centre 24 idea for what you’d like to see, we’d love to hear from you. Wash Common A small team of volunteers creates the magazine each month Library news 27 - Alex Brown works as a Teaching Assistant at Falkland School West Berkshire Foodbank 27 and is responsible for gathering articles and editing them, whilst Morgan O’Kennedy works in the motor industry and is Events Diary 31 responsible for the design and production of the magazine St George’s Centre 35 each month. We’re supported by many people at St George’s St George’s Church 36 Church and in the wider Wash Common community who distribute the magazine each month and make our job easy by Useful numbers 37 providing us with interesting articles. Wash Commoner We look forward to hearing from you if you’d like the magazine subscriptions 38 delivered to your home in Wash Common, and do also be in touch with ideas for future articles or with news of upcoming local events. Many thanks, Alex Brown Editor Published by: Parish Church of St George the Martyr, Wash Common, Newbury, www.st-george-newbury.org.uk Copy deadline for the September issue is Friday, 9 August 2019. Editors: Alex Brown & Morgan O’Kennedy, [email protected] or 01635 569 775 Advertising: E-mail all enquiries to [email protected] Cover: ‘Blue Cricket Helmet and Red Ball’ by rawpixel.com All views expressed in The Wash Commoner are the views of the author of the relevant article and not of St George’s Church. The placement of any advert should not imply a recommendation by St George’s Church. The Wash Commoner July/August 2019 3 A parish church like St George’s exists for the whole community, not just for church-goers, and seeks to serve local people and to be open to all. If you have recently moved into the area or have walked past St George’s for years and never been in, I hope this will encourage you to pop in or be in touch. A sanctuary in a busy world The church is unlocked until about 4pm every day so that anyone can come and enjoy a breathing space; many come to light a candle and write a prayer request. If you haven’t been inside St George’s it’s worth a visit – you’ll discover that it is light and peaceful, a sacred space beautiful in its simplicity. A special place for life’s big occasions We are delighted to conduct christenings and weddings for local people, and of course to support families through funerals at the crematorium as well as in the church. The memorial garden is open to new burials of ashes. If you are planning on getting married why not explore whether St George’s could be the right place for you? Or if you are thinking about having your child christened, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. An inclusive worshipping community Over the years the church has grown, with new people joining all the time, so even on a ‘usual’ Sunday the church is often packed for the 9.30am service. Children’s groups take place on Sunday mornings for primary school age children. During the week, among other things, we offer a Toddler Group on Mondays and on Wednesday mornings we meet for coffee, chat and play ahead of an informal service for all ages. We also run a popular Retirement Fellowship group once a month. A gathering place for community celebrations At Christmas and Easter, as well as Mothering Sunday, Harvest and Remembrance Sunday we enjoy welcoming large numbers of people of all ages to St George’s. Concerts are also held throughout the year from visiting choirs and music groups, as well as by the St George’s choir. 4 The Wash Commoner July/August 2019 A meeting place for groups Over 20 different community and social groups routinely meet in the Hall and Church Annex, and there is a Food Bank Collection point in the lobby. See page 27 of this magazine for more details. Serving a changing parish In many ways the development of St George’s church over the years reflects the changes in Wash Common generally as new housing has been built. When you think that the New Era Theatre building was the original church, and that the current church was built in the 1930s for the expanding population of South Newbury, and was extended again in the 1960s, it’s easy to see how much things have changed in a relatively short period of time. Extending St George’s Church in the 1960s to meet the needs of the expanding population of Wash Common Open to all A constant theme over the years is the strong desire to be open and engaged, connected to the life we all share in this part of Newbury. So, don’t hesitate to be in touch, or pop in and enjoy some peace and quiet, or come to any of the events and services. The Church Office is staffed weekday mornings apart from Tuesdays (01635 41249) and more detailed information can be found at www.st-george.newbury.org.uk We look forward to seeing you soon. With every blessing, Revd Becky Bevan, Vicar Listed below are our planned social events at St George’s Church 19 October - Murder Mystery Play 10 December - Christmas Concert The Wash Commoner July/August 2019 5 ST GEORGE’S HOLIDAY CLUB 2019 29 July to 2 August 10am – 12noon for ages 5-11 To request a pre-registration form, call in or phone the church office on 01635 41249 (mornings, except Tuesday) or email: [email protected] Join the fun on 29 July at 10am! 6 The Wash Commoner July/August 2019 Esseborne Manor hotel & restaurant Weekday lunch with a glass of wine & canapes £23 Sunday buffet lunch £28 Afternoon Tea £17 Dinner from £35 7course tasting dinner £55 Monthly Ladies Lunch £30 Hurstbourne Tarrant Near Newbury SP11 0ER To book call 01264 736 444 THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE A gentle therapy, which can be given through clothing, is suitable for all ages, and has been observed to help with: • Acute and chronic back pain • sciatica Mike • frozen shoulder and tennis elbow Overend • whiplash and neck restrictions Holistic Therapies • headaches and sinus problems • chronic fatigue Contact: • stress and tension Mike Overend • asthma and hay fever 07881 527947 [email protected] Other therapies: www.moht.co.uk Bowen for Children, Cranio Bowen, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Reiki, Angelic Reiki Contact Mike Overend on 07881 527947 or [email protected] or www.moht.co.uk MIKE OVEREND HOLISTIC THERAPIES First treatment £25 with this advert The Wash Commoner July/August 2019 7 Falkland Cricket Club It’s an exciting time at our local cricket club Those of you who have been following the developments at Falkland Cricket Club (FCC) over the last two years, will have noticed significant progress since the beginning of 2019. The new pavilion, community rooms and the (new) Bowlers Arms are now well on the way to being built.