PARISH MAGAZINE For all the community, delivered FREE to over 700 households February - March 2020 Winter sunshine - photo by Jonty Sherwill 'OUR RIVER - THE MEON' - see page 35 www.sobertonchurch.org.ukwww.newtownchurch.org.uk St. Peter's, Soberton and Holy Trinity. Newtown. CHURCH SERVICES - please refer to pages 6 & 7 For any enquiries, please contact either Vicar of Soberton. Newtown and Hambledon The Reverend David Morgan. The Vicarage, Church Lane, Hambledon. 023 9263 2921. Email: [email protected] Licensed Lav Minister (Reader! Norman Chapman, Meadow Cottage, West Street, Soberton 01489 877378 e-mail: [email protected] Our Ladv Queen of the Apostles. Roman Catholic Church St. Martin's Street, Bishop's Waltham, S032 1DN Canon Alan Griffiths ([email protected] O2380 273882 6.00 pm. Saturday (First Mass of Sunday) 9.30 am. Sunday There are Sunday evening services in Winchester and in Fareham. For further information contact Anthony McEwen 01489 877448 The Methodist Circuit. Services in the area are as follows;- Shirrell Heath 10.30 am & 6.00 pm Waltham Chase 10.30 am Bishops Waltham 10.30 am Swanmore 10.30 am & 6.00 pm Hambledon 11.00 am & 6.00 pm MAGAZINE PRODUCTION & COMMITTEE Chairman: Perry Abbott 02392 632338 Editor: Gill Gray 07711 058760 [email protected] Advertisina: Anthony McEwen 01489 877448 [email protected] Small Ads: Jenny Clarke 01489 877836 [email protected] Circulation: Pete Woodacre 01489 877768 Treasurer: John Rowlinson 01489 877830 Secreterv: Annie Jacob 01329 832480 Tvpesettlna of advertisements and orintina: Solent Design Studio Front cover desian: Jonty Sherwill - www.sherwilldesiqn.com - 01329 835555 Contents From the Vicar Our thanks ... to Norman Benefice Services Focus on ... Rare butterfly Village Diary Welcome Spot Macmillan Coffee Morning Soberton and Newtown Young Voices Soberton Players - Made in Dagenham Film Club Focus on ... Rare butterfly Page 8 Soberton Players - Ladies Down Under Icon Painting Courses Soberton & Newtown Ladies' Group Meon Valley Heartstart Local Flistory - Mr Bean Soberton & Newtown Local Flistory Society Newtown Church Fete Good Neighbours Update Photo competition - who won? Soberton Village Hall ClO APM FOSP Evening of Poetry Soberton and Newtown Young Voices Soberton Fete Pages 10-11 Jumble Sale Meon Valley Garden Club Adverts - support our local businesses Our river-the Meon Royal British Legion Soberton Open Gardens Roaring 20's Dance From our neighbouring villages Our river- the Meon Page 35 The Dirt on Plant-Based Diets Hackney Deanery Link Meon Valley Carers Meon Valley Play Reading Group Meon Valley Active Retirement Association Meon Valley USA Small Ads Soberton Parish Council Planning Applications HCC Guide to Watercourse Consenting MVCBA - new timetable Winchester District Council Page 50 PINS update Meon Valley Community Bus Association Useful Information From the Archives ... God still loves me when I'm grumpy This time of year can feel quite miserable. Christmas is well past, and summer is nowhere MM near arriving; even Easter eggs are still some way in the future. Bright, crisp winter days may be lovely, but it's more likely to just be grey and raining. If your New Year's Resolution has survived until now, then congratulations - but we all know that you are probably in the minority, and that most of us might be feeling like we have lIGfe- " failed. Motivation and energy can be difficult to . summon. Since you all know that it's the Vicar writing this ; column, then you might now be expecting me to Jr? say something about how 'all this can change if you just let Jesus into your life'. The Christian life, ||||||||||^^^^^^^^^ - a life lived to the praise of God and following the example of Jesus Christ, is indeed a source of great Joy. But it is rrot a guarantee of constant , rather than shorter. I am still loved by God when I cheerfulness - and nor would I want it to be. If I am made sad by bacbad news. thought that I had to be smiley all the time, that I .■ ^ I'mI m not saying that ouroi moods don't matter at all. was never allowed to be a bit grumpy or to |.^ ^3 I'm sure that God wants me to be happy. I know complain about the weather, that I couldn't ever ^^3^, ^3 that I prefer being happy. But sometimes it's easy feel tired, then I don't think I would want to be a to be^^3 happy,^3ppy and3^^ sometimes it's more difficult. For Christian at all. I certainly wouldn't be a3 lot,3^ of us, for a3 lot,3^ of3^ reasons, it's not easy to be recommending it to anybody else. So if you're happy^3ppy at3^ this time of3^ year. The joy of being a after a quick fix, a guaranteed way to lift your Christian^^^^^^^33 is all3,, about3j^33^ knowing that when there are mood, you might have to look elsewhere. ^3 33^ 3j^3, things to be sad about, when things feel Thankfully, that is not what being a Christian is miserable, even whenwhe I'm just being grumpy, about. Yes there is great joy, but that isn't the there^^3^3 is^3 the^^^3 joyj3y of3^ God's^3 love underneath it all. same as forced, false cheerfulness. As Revd -^^^3^,3 33^ ^^333^33 ,, That's not because I'm in any way special, and it Giles Eraser once wrote in his column in Church is.3 certainly33^3.3,y not33^ because^333^^ I am the Vicar! God loves Times: "Being happy is not a theological each333^ and33^ every3^3^y one333 of, us, and he is offering all of category". (Revd Giles's Church Times column is us^3 that^^3^ deep^33p joyj3y of3^ salvation3, in Jesus Christ. It long since discontinued, by the way, as is his old ^33,^ 3^3^3 ^^3 ^33^ won't make the weather any brighter, or summer 'Loose Canon' column in the Guardian. arrive3^^j^3 any33y sooner.33333^ It doesn't, mean that annoying Podcasting seems to be his preferred medium things,j^j3g3 or3^ bad^^3^ things,^^j3g3 won't happen. It doesn't now - check out one he hosts called mean3^333 we^3 will never33^3^ be^ sad. Christian faith (or any Confessions .) religious faith) is certainlycert not a magical cure for It must be over ten years since I first read that depression or other mentalr health challenges - sentence. But it has stuck with me: "Being happy see333 youry33^ doctor^33^3^ and33^ take their advice, because is not a theological category". Ironically, it makes medical3^3^(33, science33^3333 is(3 also3, one of God's gifts. me quite happy, because I'm not happy all the That-p^3^ deep^33p foundationfo^ndatior of joy, however, is more time, and that's okay. The joy of the Christian life than^^33 happiness or sadness,sa just as it is more than is a deep joy. It is the joy of knowing that I am sunshine or rain. GodGo. loves us, and yes he wants loved by God, of knowing that my eternal us33 to^3 be^^3 happy^3ppy -_ but no matter how miserable we salvation is in Jesus Christ - and of knowing that might3^jg^^ be,^^3 he^3 loves,3^33 us3, just the same. That's a love these things do not change with my moods. I am and33^ a3 joy that^^3^ nothing33^^(3; and nobody can take away. still loved by God when I wake up in a bad mood because I haven't slept very well, and it's raining, and my 'to do' list seems to be getting longer Our thanks ... to Norman And many, many more items in that vein - from r lyTOiiig w Around 40 years supervising contracts to press officer functions and risk /'P I' ^ ago, and before assessment. At the same time, there are minutes to I ' write and agendas to prepare - over 40 years of 11 Parish Council meetings a year. At 3 hours per meeting that makes 1320 hours - or 176 working days. At 7.5 hours a day that equals more than 35 weeks a year. Add to that the other meetings and Norman has probably put in the equivalent of one year of solid work For reasons unknown the Clerk did not return and on this activity alone. Norman took over the post permanently Then there are the countless letters Norman has My predecessor but one as Parish Council Chairman written on the council's behalf. For the first 30 years Eve Ludbrook, who interviewed him for the post, knew these would have been produced the hard way - on paper and sent snail mail in an envelope and stamped. a good thing when she saw it. I wonder if Norman knows how many communications Those of you who know Eve, will agree that she sets he has sent this way over the first 30 years of his high standards and does not hesitate to voice her tenure? criticism when these are not achieved.A few days ago, With the advent of email, the post boxes of Soberton from her new home in the Three Oaks Care Home in have had their load lightened, but this change in Wickham, Eve stood by the decision to appoint technology no doubt bought its own challenges in the Norman she made so long ago, saying; dark days before BT Openreach finally decided to give the village the benefit of 21®' century Internet. "1 always enjoyed working with Norman. He was extremely efficient and got things done without a lot of Fortunately for the Parish Council, Norman's primary fuss.