CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 80p Wishing all our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year IN THIS ISSUE St Peter’s Garden Project Launch Curdridge and Cornwall Meet “Share the Light” this Christmas Plus news, events and information from around the village CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE Curdridge Parish magazine serves the Church and village communities by circulating news which all residents will find helpful. December 2020 LIST OF ARTICLES St. Peter’s Church ………….……..………….….…2 Reflections from the Rectory .…………….….……3 Christmas Events ………………………….….……5 Curdridge Parish Council ………..….…….……..10 T: 07748 827763 Botley, Curdridge & Durley History Society ……14 Remembrance Sunday ……………………………16 St Peter’s Garden Project ….…….…………….…18 Curdridge and Cornwall Meet …...…….…..……19 December in the Garden ..……………..…………22 Share the Light …..………….……………….…..23 Adverts …….………………….…………………..24 Advertising: Justine Greenfield December Cover Photograph: “Peace, love and hope” Photograph supplied by Kathleen Watson Cover Photograph Competition for January Title - “Community” December 14th 2020 1 CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE 2 CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2020 “On entering the house, they saw the child with couldn’t get hold of them or who Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid were shielding. We have made him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, more use of our trusty old they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and telephones to bring a friendly myrrh.” voice and even a bit of banter in the midst of our bleakest moments. The spirit of Many of you will know this part of the Christmas story neighbourliness has been truly astonishing with the food very well. We know that the Magi (or Kings or Wise Men collection boxes at our churches regularly filled with items as they are traditionally portrayed) kneel before the infant for the needy. Jesus and present their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. However, left to our imagination are the exact Meanwhile, our churches in Botley Curdridge and Durley details about their journey in order to find the Christ-child. have moved their 10AM worship slot online via Zoom. The If you get the chance between now and Christmas look up learning curve has been steep, but we’ve learnt a lot along T.S Eliot’s “The Journey of the Magi” – I’ve just finished the way – including the importance of “muting” at key listening to a recording of Eliot himself reciting it. In the points: the sounds of dogs barking and washing machines poem, the journey of the Magi is a cold and bitter one. at full pelt have brought wonderful doses of hilarity to the The harshness of our journey towards Christmas this year worship (along with “up nose” shots of parishioners has, without doubt, been one that we are not likely to grappling with their webcams!). Even those without online forget. A line in Eliot’s poem states: “A hard time we had access have even been able to join by telephone with the of it.” It’s something we can all relate to at some level. help of a worship booklet sent out from Karen at the church office (do contact the parish office if you want to Although March 23rd doesn’t seem that long ago, oddly, it join by zoom or telephone or know others who would like almost has the feel of “yesteryear” about it. The toll which to). the pandemic has exacted upon our communities and indeed the whole world has been huge, with physical, Elsewhere in the magazine along with village events you’ll mental and financial suffering. It has been awful. Workers find details of what the churches are doing to shine a light have been furloughed with many having now been laid off. during the darker days of Winter. Our services this year The NHS has been pushed to the brink with many now will be via YouTube channel (to access use www.bcd- rightly questioning the need to properly fund it. Confined churches.org.uk/christmas in due course): Nine Lessons to our homes (if we are fortunate enough to have one) and Carols at 3PM on 20th Dec with readings from varied perhaps we’ve been more grateful for the utilities that we community locations around BCD. usually take for granted. Working from home has had its At our Christingle, 3PM on Christmas Eve, there’ll be an pluses and minuses with many missing the social aspect of opportunity to construct your own Christingle. Before our work. Teachers in our schools have adapted to meet the village schools break for Christmas, children will have challenges of educating children – even whole school received a kit with everything needed to construct the “assemblies” (as they used to be called) are online with the Christingle - except an orange. The rest of us can Vicar sadly having to “transmit” from the study. improvise (a potato might just suffice in an emergency!). Eliot himself wrote his poem after returning home alone continued on next pagc… from a Church service on Christmas Day. Before finishing the poem he had polished off half a bottle of Scotch. One is left to surmise that that particular Christmas may not have been up there among the top three in Eliot’s life and that, for whatever reason, the going had been rough. And yet we have his poem. Our circumstances have been dreadful, but we have also seen great goodness and amazing community spirit with many individually rising to the challenge and collectively to show care. People have been regularly checking in on their neighbours, supplying essentials to those who 3 CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE …continued from previous page In the build up to Christmas Day, each of our churches will Bible Readings for December also feature a Nativity scene and integral to each will be a Reverse Advent Calendar box ready to receive your donations of Christmas food which will find its way to our 6th December 2020 local food banks. So I encourage you, like the Magi in 2nd Sunday of Advent Christmas story, to journey with your offerings to “The Isaiah 40: 1-11 stable” and deposit them there. Since the boxes will be Mark 1: 1-8 outside please kindly donate secured/non-perishables items only. 13th December 2020 All this talk of nativities has made me realise again the 3rd Sunday of Advent startling fact that all through the pandemic millions of Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11 children have been born to parents the world over. Perhaps John 1: 6-8, 19-28 you know of just such a family and the hope this has brought? The first Christmas was heralded by the arrival of 20th December 2020 God’s son and it is through him that our journey and 4th Sunday of Advent particular circumstances are made known to God – a 2 Samuel 7: 1-11, 16 journey that he is prepared to make with us – whatever the Luke 1: 26-38 cost. 27th December 2020 God bless you as you care for each other. 1st Sunday of Christmas Isaiah 61: 10-62.3 Luke 2: 15-21 On behalf of myself and my family may I wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year. Gregg If you would like a regular copy of THE CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE dellivered to your door every month please contact Ruth Baillie Strong 01489 782485 [email protected] £8 per year for 12 issues 4 CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE 5 CURDRIDGE PARISH MAGAZINE Drivers and Pedestrians Please Take Care! I would like to ask both drivers and pedestrians, of which I am both, to take extra care when using Lockhams Road. The Rainbow Children The junction from the main road by Kitnocks House and Lockhams Road is extremely dangerous as there are no pavements. As a driver, the turning left into Lockhams Sent in by Kathleen Watson. Written by Gemma Peacock. Road is blind due to the hedge and even if walkers are on the "correct" side, facing the oncoming traffic, it is an extremely dangerous place to walk. Although it is considered the wrong side to walk, I always cross over to the triangle side, so drivers can see me, before crossing to the pavement on the other side when it is safe to do so. The highway code does actually state that it may be safer to cross the road before a sharp right-hand bend. I actually stopped the other day to advise a lady (who had her back to the traffic) that she was liable to be knocked down. She was walking towards Chapel Road, on the left even though she had only just turned off of the main road, with her back to me. It was a very good job that there was nothing coming towards me and I was driving around the corner slowly. We are being encouraged to exercise and obviously more people are out walking on our country lanes at the moment. Please people of Curdridge, be seen, be careful, wear bright coloured clothes and stay alive. Coronavirus/Covid are taking lives, don't let us add to the death rate. Concerned Curdridge Resident Parish Giving Scheme This scheme allows you to donate to St. Peter’s Church by direct debit and support the upkeep of the church grounds and building. With face-to-face services being significantly reduced (and sometimes ceased altogether due to government guidance), donations have reduced. Any donation amount is gratefully received. You can set up a direct debit by telephoning 0333 002 1260 or online via the Parish Giving Scheme website www.parishgiving.org.uk To find out visit www.parishgiving.org.uk/donors/how-it-works or pick up a leaflet from St Peter’s Church.