ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE SPOTLIGHT is produced by Holy Cross Church, Sarrat for the people of the village and hamlets and welcomes reports of ALL village aciviies. HOLY CROSS - making Jesus known - a church for the whole community. EDITOR Michael Edmund [email protected] ADVERTISING Michael Lench [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tony Bond [email protected] 261941 More about: the Beneice: www. hcsp.net the Village: www.sarratvillage.co.uk SOME USEFUL CONTACTS CHURCH OF ENGLAND PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS, SARRATT Rector Rev’d Michele du Saire 265848 [email protected] The Vicarage, The Street, Chipperield, Herts WD4 9BJ Readers Mrs. Angela Coakley [email protected] or 264380 Mr. Philip Waine 268904 Church Wardens Nikki Clough 07795 362953 Mr. Alan Poulton 260295 Organist/Choirmaster Mr. David Clough 264884 Administrator Ms. Machaela Gravestock Oice: 264377 e-mail: [email protected] Children’s Church Mrs. Louise Grant 266144 Youth Worker c/o Rev’d Michele du Saire during vacancy Friends of Holy Cross Mrs. Kate Hobhouse [email protected] ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF OUR LADY MOTHER OF THE SAVIOUR, CHIPPERFIELD Priest Fr Paul Harris, c/o The Presbytery, Dunny Lane, Chipperield 275046 Sunday Holy Mass 10am Saturday Vigil Mass 6:30pm Tuesday/Friday Holy Mass 10am SARRATT PARISH COUNCIL visit www.sarratparishcouncil.co.uk Chairman Cllr. David Turner 268445 Parish Clerk Mrs. Janice Dawes 262025 [email protected] Parish Oice hours Monday & Wednesday 1pm - 4pm; Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9am - Noon Addiional opening from 7pm on the evenings of meeings. Alternaive arrangements will be noiied on the Oice Door. Out of hours emergencies: contact Cllr. David Turner on 268445 THREE RIVERS DISTRICT COUNCIL District Councillor Mrs. Marilyn Butler 263456 District Councillor Mrs. Alex Hayward 291574 District Councillor Mrs. Heather Kennison 773683 HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL County Councillor Mr. Chris Hayward 291574 SARRATT CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL Co-Headteachers Mrs. N.O’Hare & Mr. D. Smith 262003 SARRATT COMMUNITY BOOKINGS Village Hall website: www.sarratvillagehall.co.uk VILLAGE HALL Bookings Secretary at the Hall Tuesdays (only) 10am-4pm e-mail: [email protected] Telephone bookings 265881 SARRATT CARE 10am - 12noon Monday to Saturday 270577 POLICE Neighbourhood Watch non-emergency number 101 Please note: unless otherwise indicated, all phone numbers in Spotlight have the preix 01923. The informaion on these pages is, we believe, correct as we go to press. This month’s cover: 2 Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao Tzu From theMichele Rectory... writes: Some time ago, I met a young woman natural way of being; that it was not just who had had a very dicult start in a morning ritual but something that life. She was a refugee and as a young permeated her day. Beginnings and girl had lost everything, her family, her endings are very important in life. How home, her country – she would never we start each day really does have an be able to go back. Some kind soul had impact on how the day is experienced. rescued her, restored her to life, enabling We are told that the most important her physical and emotional wounds to be meal of the day is breakfast, necessary healed. Grace had a deep faith and was fuel for our physical bodies. But how and one of the most when do we feed joyful people I I would maintain... the other part of have ever met. ourselves, our She shared with soul, which also me her deep needs regular care gratitude for and attention? those who had Grace’s morning seen her and ...that thanks are the highest form of thought, ritual of given her the and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder thanksgiving chance of a life - GK Chesterton shapes her day without fear. and sustains her Her gratitude bubbled over and spilled throughout. e Oxford dictionary out if her. She was full of joy. Each day denes gratitude as ‘the quality of as she began her day she gave thanks being thankful; readiness to show to God for everything she touched, or appreciation for and to return kindness. smelt, or saw, or tasted, or heard. Her Real thankfulness reaches out beyond ritual started with the splash of water on ourselves so that it is experienced by other her face as she washed the sleep away; as kindness. e cross reminds us of this and so it went on until she was fully dual quality of gratitude. e vertical dressed and ready to meet the joys and element, our thankfulness to God for challenges of the day. I suspect that this his goodness towards us; the horizontal level of attentiveness (what some might element our response of kindness to the now describe as ‘mindfulness’) was her rest of creation. Give thanks for the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever 1 Chronicles 16:34 3 “...all aspects of Care are lourishing...” The High Sherif was in attendance 25 Years of Caring Sarratt Care celebrated with a Tea Party ll those invited had been so for a special reason having Ahad a long association with Care. As it was really the Friendship Club afternoon they all joined in the party at well. The High Sherif of Hertfordshire, Will Hobhouse, resplendent in his oicial livery, and his wife Kate were guests of honour. Carol then thanked two Friendship Club and Carol Chorley welcomed special people – Zena Meals on Wheels but everyone including three Newell, who prior to also volunteered to ladies out of the original the formation of Care change the Care Contact six who started Care. was Treasurer of the Telephone number She said that all aspects Friendship Club and every day, Monday - of Care are lourishing organised Meals on Saturday, and this she and she thanked all the Wheels. She was also did for the next 25 Councillors, helpers one of the instigators years, as well as driving and volunteers for their of Care. She continued for Care. The second continued support. with her previous was Eileen Adams who commitments to the had been Chairman and 4 steered Care to the success that it that it has become over the last 25 years. Still Hon. President of Care she organises the Friendship Club with her team of ladies. Not forgotten was her husband Ray who has worked tirelessly in the background helping in numerous (unseen) ways. Carol asked Will to present Zena and Eileen with Thank You gifts before he invited everyone to toast ‘Sarratt Care’. He thanked Carol for her work in the village and said that he and Kate were particularly interested in the elderly and had some interesting ideas for the future. Finally, it was time for the delicious tea with inger sandwiches and a wonderful selection of mouth-watering cakes and cups and cups of tea! All very much enjoyed by everyone especially the Friendship Ladies! It was also nice to see some old faces, Liz Young, the Readings, Sylvia Crocker, all who have moved from the Village but still have strong connections with the Village and Care. Jackie Boughton 5 PERSONAL PARAGRAPHS Like most village institutions, the magazine that you are reading depends upon a small army of volunteers: from the contributors themselves and those who remind them (believe it or not, nobody forces anyone to write anything!) to the people who typeset, edit, proofread, print, bundle up, bag, and, ultimately, deliver this monthly record of life within the Parish. One of these largely-unsung heroes is Stan Hough. Every month for nigh on six years, Stan has carefully prepared “Your Diary for …”. From time to time, Stan has also offered his own wry, laconic observations on the stories he reads. You might just have found one last month on page 17, which we have repeated this month at the top of page 17. Stan has now decided to give up the role that he has made his own, which means that we shall now revisit Spotlight’s Diary feature. As we send Stan (and Pam) every good wish for the future, we thank him for his contribution to Spotlight, and therefore to the life of the village. It is surely no exaggeration to state that Sarratt would be a great deal less pleasant a place without the enormous discretionary effort put in by many (but perhaps not all) of us; and in suitably grateful mood, we name another unsung hero. Again this year, as he has done for more than a decade, Colin Harrison faithfully put together the rota for other volunteers to direct trafic in to and out of the Flower Festival temporary car park. I have done my turn each June for more years than I care to remember - and it is Colin who recruits us each year and who organises us so that the work is spread as evenly as possible to make the Flower Festival easier and safer for all to visit. Laughter on Church Lane and an accident-free decade are by no means the least of the memories. Ed. Pat Parsons We are deeply saddened to record the passing of Pat Parsons, fondly remembered for her tireless efforts on behalf of so many. An obituary will follow. 6 Sarratt Volunteers’ Map On July 7, Will Hobhouse, the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, hosted a garden party to recognise those who volunteer in our community. It was a fabulous event held in glorious sunshine. The exceptional standard of baking in the bake-off hinted at the dedication and effort that goes in to make our community so special. At one stage, I stood back and just looked at the 200+ people present, representing over 40 organisations and more than 10% of our community that invest their time helping others and felt immensely proud of Sarratt and privileged to live here.