BRID HE G T E June – July 2016 The Parish Magazine for Droxford, Exton, Meonstoke & Corhampton The Bridge ~ June and July 2016 List of Advertisers ACCOMMODATION & EVENTS Wallops Wood Cottages 32: Hill Place Events 39 BRI CCOUNTANTS & TAX ADVISERS RG Walker 30: Nicholas Ridge 41 D A HE GE ANTIQUES Droxford Antiques 35 T Contents ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES Engineering Architecture Ltd 37 Parish Lists . 2 BUILDERS & BUILDING MATERIALS R & G Gamblin 31: Steven Hurdle 34 Rector’s Newsletter . 3 Peter Garber 42: Steve Such (Property Maintenance) 30 St Mary & All Saints Droxford: 3rd Sunday Services 3 JT Carpentry & Building 33: KJN Home Improvements 34 Taizé Service . 4 Hillman Bldg. Services 39: Frontwood Ltd 41: E J Goodall (Thatcher ) 44 Move with Peppa . 4 CARPENTERS & WOOD PRODUCTS Paul Flint & Co 31 Droxford drop-in . 4 Meonstoke Toddler Group . 4 CATERING Clementine Catering 40 Look-in & Book-out . 4 CHILDCARE GROUPS Jo Jingles 30 Latest Bridge copy date . 4 Meonstoke & Exton Church Fête . 5 COMPUTERS & INTERNET Punchedcard Ltd 33: Andy Harris 44 St Nicholas, Wickham Church Fête . 5 Chris Guenier (inside back cover) The Monington Trio Concert . 6 DECORATORS, PAINTERS, & TILERS Top Marks 43: M & J Mason 34 Appletree House Open Garden, Soberton . 6 Oliver’s Painting & Decorating 36: Droxford Interiors & Tiling 42 Meonstoke & Exton Open Gardens . 6 David P Churcher 38: Ray Gent 41 Beretta World Sport Championship . 6 DOMESTIC APPLIANCES, HEATING, & PLUMBING Mark Oliver 33: EAS 32 Droxford Country Fair . 7 Alan Shawyer (inside back cover): Adept Plumbing Services 44 The Meon Ladies . 7 G Rixon Ltd (back cover): R A Redman 34: D & S Oil Tanks 37 In the garden . 8 Hampshire Cooker Conversions 37: Harpers of South Boarhunt 40 Meon Valley Garden Club & Summer Show . 8 The Meon Hall . 9 DOMESTIC SERVICES Curtains by Mary 37: Grange Upholstery 41 Play-reading group . 9 PestOFF Pest Control 30: Cynthia Tester Curtains & Blinds 40 Thank you from Peter O’Sullivan . 9 Chimney Sweep Christian Oliver 38: Barn Store for Storage 43 Droxford Church Project update . 10 Advanced Clean (Carpet & Upholstery) 43 MV Active Retirement Association . 10 MV Archaeology Group Project . 11 ELECTRICIANS & ELECTRICAL SERVICES Derek Pilcher 34 Ray Burbidge 41 Friends of Meonstoke School . 12 Assure Electrical Ltd (inside back cover): G Rixon Ltd (back cover) CAB . 12 The Royal British Legion . 13 ESTATE AGENTS The Country House Company 39 Soirées on the Bridge . 13 FUNERAL DIRECTORS & MEMORIALS Nigel Chamberlain (inside front cover) Film on a Farm . 13 South Downs Funeral Services 40 Meon Valley Lions Club . 14 GARAGES & CARS Taylors Garage 29: Andrews Autosource 31 Easter Offering Droxford Church . 14 Thank you from Bobbie Garrod . 14 GARDENS & GARDEN MACHINERY Judit Appel Plantswoman & Gardener 37 Droxford Junior School . 15 Anita Foy Garden Design 43 DJS Sponsor a Locker. 15 GLASS & GLAZING Fareham Glass 38: Leydene Glass & Glazing 43 Meon Valley Carers group . 16 HAIRDRESSERS Gaudion’s Hairdressing 36 Village Agents Needed . 16 Droxford Village Hall news . 17 HEALTH , WELL-BEING, & OPTICIANS Saxby’s Eyecare 32 Forthcoming events Droxford Village Hall . 17 Foot Care (Ann-Marie Elliott) 29: Foot Health Practitioner (Karen Jordan) 34 District councillor’s column . 18 Chiropodist (Graham Howes) 42 Bishop’s Waltham Festival . 18 Pilates with Aplomb 38: Damson Hill Pilates (inside back cover) Meon Valley Community Bus timetable . 19 HOME IMPROVEMENTS Southwick Garden Offices 31: KJN 34 Singing for Fun . 19 JEWELLERS Simon Lawson 41 Sing & Tonic . 19 Local Services Information . 20 LETTINGS & LAND MANAGEMENT Pimp My Paddock (back cover) William Collins Charity . 20 PIANO TUNING David Mathews Piano Tuner/Technician 39 Droxford & District Comm. Care Group . 21 PRINTING & STATIONERY Meon Valley Printers (DEK) 33 Minor Injuries Unit, Petersfield Hospital . 21 Studio 6 (inside front cover) Odette Davies . 21 PUBS White Horse 30: The Shoe Inn 44 The Valley Preschool . 22 RIDING & EQUESTRIAN Merrie Stud Riding School 29 From the registers . 22 We Welcome . 22 SCHOOLS; EDUCATION & LEARNING Valley Pre-school 29 District Diary . 23 Sustainability Centre 29 Friends of Droxford Church . 24 SHOPS & STORES Droxford PO & Stores 30: Meonstoke PO & Stores 32 Droxford Parish Council Notice . 24 Swanmore Butchers 37: Christina’s Shop in the Square 36 Church Services Chart . 24 SOLICITORS Biscoes 39: Chamberlains 40: Blake Morgan (back cover) SPORT Hazelholt Floodlit Indoor Tennis Court 35 TAXIS Gamblin Cars 42: Hambledon Cars (inside front cover) VETS & PETS The Village Cattery 33: Shield Veterinary Centre 44 The Dog Room (inside front cover) 1 The Bridge ~ June and July 2016 The Magazine for the Meon Bridge Benefice of Droxford, Exton, Meonstoke & Corhampton (& Preshaw) THE BRIDGE CHURCHES WEBSITE is at: www.bridgechurches.org.uk RECTOR Reverend Tony Forrest E-mail: [email protected] The Rectory, Rectory Lane Tel: 877422 Meonstoke, SO32 3NF For information about baptisms & Note: The rector’s day off is Friday funerals, please contact the rector LICENSED LAY MINISTERS For information about weddings, Reader emeritus Pauline Quarendon 877392 please contact the weddings Reader Cathy Mathews 877804 administrator: Sue Wells: Tel. 01329 834130 CHURCH SUPPLIES Anne Wilkinson 877488 DROXFORD MEONSTOKE WITH CORHAMPTON Churchwardens: Ann Symes 877643 Churchwarden Za Rowe 877732 Sheila Matthissen 877867 Secretary: Sarah Page 02392 257723 Secretary: – Treasurer Elizabeth Ridge 899102 Treasurer & Gift Gift Aid secretary Iain Gammell 878162 Aid secretary: Christine Rogers – Organists: Organist: John Martin 877385 (Meonstoke) Dr Alan Hibbert OBE 878564 Sacristan: Laura Jerosch 01329 231956 (Corhampton) John Martin (am) 877385 Verger: Norman Bell 877230 Sacristan & 3rd Sunday Services: Ros Collins 877782 Verger Joanna Buchanan 877737 EXTON Churchwardens: Hugh Parry 878860 Richard Pepys 878035 PRESHAW Secretary – – Coordinator Position vacant – Treasurer & Gift Aid secretary: David Frere-Cook 877838 THE BRIDGE MAGAZINE Organists: Editor: Norman Bell, Briar Cottage, (Morning) Sarah Page 02392 257723 South Hill, Droxford, SO32 3PB (Evening) Dr Alan Hibbert OBE 878564 Tel: 877230 Sacristan: Jill Cassels 877469 Verger: Bob Miles – E-mail: [email protected] Advertising manager: David Neale Tel: 878541 E-mail: [email protected] OTHER DENOMINATIONS Roman Catholic Church (Bishop’s Waltham) Treasurer: Alison Stott Tel: 877293 Canon Alan Griffiths 07760 220346 METHODIST & UNITED FREE CHURCH Printed by: DEK Graphics & Print Ltd, (Bishop’s Waltham) Ketts House, Chandler’s Ford, The Reverend David Moss MA 01329 833518 Hants., SO53 2FZ Cover picture THE BRIDGE is delivered at the start of the months of Footbridge at Penbryn by Mary Hart - February, April, June, August, October, and December. March 2016 Ideally, copy should be sent by e-mail to The Bridge editor at the address shown above, preferably attached In a wooded valley in Ceredigion, this little as an MS Word document. The page set-up (with 10 wooden bridge carries a footpath across the or 10.5 pt font size) should be defined as an A4 page – Hoffnant river and up to the small village of with 1.5 cm left and right margins. Typed or Penbryn. Just a few yards north of the bridge is a handwritten hardcopy is also acceptable. If you are welcome tearoom with the unlikely name of the responsible for village activities, diaries, and Plwmp Tart! Well worth a visit if you are visiting schedules, please note that material received late (after the Cardigan Bay area. the copy date – see page 4) may not be included. 2 The Bridge ~ June and July 2016 From the Rector Highlights here have been several highlights in the life celebrate, the patron saints of Exton Church, of the churches of the Meon Bridge Benefice Peter and Paul – so please join us at 11.00 am on Tover the last year and several of these were Sunday, 26th June to celebrate them at Holy reported at our three Annual Parochial Church Communion and bring a picnic and enjoy Peter, Meetings. Paul and Pimms after the service! Among them I remember fondly: the contribution Please also join us on Sea Sunday (Sunday, 10th of so many children from our two excellent July) at Droxford to celebrate 160 years of the schools to several special events: our Christmas Mission to Seafarers caring for seafarers and their and Easter services – not forgetting two Josephs, families around the world. each with two wives at both the Scratch Nativities; and our Thanksgiving Service for the Queen’s 90th Let’s make the life of our churches one of service birthday, at which the Cubs were on parade with in our communities and join us to turn the season many other local groups and our guest of honour, into ‘far-from-Ordinary’ Time. David Frere-Cook, a Deputy Lieutenant of Finally, over the months that I have been in the Hampshire. benefice, I have seen something of the hard work Her Majesty was born on 21st April, 1926, and one that goes into producing this wonderful magazine. might say that her life of service began in 1943 I am sure that you will join me in thanking Mr when she joined in the war effort as an ATS Norman Bell for his outstanding service as editor. officer. On June 2nd, we celebrate the anniversary Sadly, Norman feels that it is time for him to hand of her coronation in 1953, and we are reminded over this role to a new editor and we are looking that she asked the people of the Commonwealth for someone to follow in his footsteps. Please to pray for her as she dedicated herself to serving have an informal chat with Norman if you think us all, with Jesus as her example. She thanked that might be you or if you know someone who God for His steadfast love and acknowledged that could do this important parish job. she has indeed seen His faithfulness. Her faith is strongly but quietly evident in her public and Tony private life.