BRID HE G T E October – November 2015 The Parish Magazine for Droxford, Exton, Meonstoke & Corhampton The Bridge ~ October and November 2015 List of Advertisers ACCOMMODATION & EVENTS Wallops Wood Cottages 29: Hill Place Events 35 BRI CCOUNTANTS & TAX ADVISERS RG Walker 26: Nicholas Ridge 37 D A HE GE ANTIQUES Droxford Antiques 31 ( & also back cover) T Contents ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES R & G Design 28: Engineering Architecture Ltd 33 Parish Lists . 2 BUILDERS & BUILDING MATERIALS R & G Gamblin 27: Steven Hurdle 30 Rector’s Newsletter . 3 Peter Garber (inside front cover): Steve Such (Property Maintenance) 26 Angelic Carols Concert . 3 KJN Home Improvements 30: T R Chase & Son 32 Droxford Church Flowers . 3 Frontwood Ltd 37: E J Goodall (Thatcher ) 40 Autumn Workout . 4 CARPENTERS & WOOD PRODUCTS Paul Flint & Co 27 The Valley Preschool toddler group . 4 Meonstoke Toddler Group . 4 CHILDCARE GROUPS Jo Jingles 26 Droxford Drop-in . 4 COMPUTERS & INTERNET Punchedcard Ltd 29: Andy Harris 40 The All Souls Service . 4 Chris Guenier (inside back cover) Meonstoke Toddler Group . 4 DECORATORS, PAINTERS, TILERS & HANDYMAN SERVICES M & J Mason 30 Look-in & Book-out . 4 Oliver’s Painting & Decorating 32: Droxford Interiors & Tiling 38 Meon Valley Food bank . 5 David P Churcher 34: Ray Gent 37: Top Marks 39 Three Dragon Sightings . 5 Droxford church heritage project update . 6 DOMESTIC APPLIANCES, HEATING & PLUMBING Mark Oliver 26: EAS 28 MSI Exploring Church . 7 Alan Shawyer (inside back cover): Adept Plumbing Services 40 G Rixon Ltd (inside front cover): R A Redman 30: D & S Oil Tanks 33 Friends of Corhampton Church . 7 Firestone Stoves; Harpers of South Boarhunt 36 The Meon Ladies Events . 7 Meon Valley Flower Club . 8 DOMESTIC SERVICES Curtains by Mary 33: Grange Upholstery 37 Meon Valley Garden Club . 8 PestOFF Pest Control 34: Cynthia Tester Curtains & Blinds 36 Autumn Plant Sale . 8 Chimney Sweep Christian Oliver 34: Barn Store for Storage 39 Droxford Country Fair AGM . 8 Advanced Clean (Carpet & Upholstery) 39 The Meon Hall . 9 ELECTRICIANS & ELECTRICAL SERVICES Derek Pilcher 30 Play-reading group . 9 Assure Electrical Ltd (inside back cover): The Meon Hall Beetle Drive . 9 Privett Electrical Ltd 33: Ray Burbidge 37 Droxford Cubs . 9 G Rixon Ltd (inside front cover) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation . 10 ESTATE AGENTS The Country House Company 35 The MV Pilgrimage Trail . 10 FUNERAL DIRECTORS & MEMORIALS Nigel Chamberlain 38 U3A . 10 South Downs Funeral Services 36 Carols in the barn . 11 Soirées on the bridge concert . 11 GARAGES & CARS Taylors Garage 25: Andrews Autosource 27 Droxford Christmas market . 11 GARDENS & GARDEN MACHINERY Newleaf Landscapes 29: Fruit Trees 38 Droxford Harvest Festival . 11 Judit Appel Plantswoman & Gardener 33: Anita Foy Garden Design 39 CAB . 12 Droxford churchyard autumn clear-up . 12 GLASS & GLAZING Leydene Glass & Glazing 39 Meon Valley Lions Club . 13 HAIRDRESSERS Gaudion’s Hairdressing 32: Peggy Abbot Hair Design 36 Droxford History Society . 13 HEALTH , WELL-BEING, & OPTICIANS Saxby’s Eyecare 28 Droxford Junior School . 14 Peter Franckeiss Osteopath 34: Foot Care (Ann-Marie Elliott) 25 Emily Matthews . 14 Foot Health Practitioner (Karen Jordan) 30: Chiropodist (Graham Howes) 38 Christian Aid Walk report . 14 The Woodland Workout (inside back cover) Hampshire & IoW Wildlife Trust . 15 HOME IMPROVEMENTS Southwick Garden Offices 27: KJN 30 MV Active Retirement Association . 15 Royal British Legion . 16 JEWELLERS Simon Lawson 37 Corhampton & Meonstoke Parish Council . 16 LETTINGS & LAND MANAGEMENT Pimp My Paddock (back cover) Droxford cycling trio . 16 PIANO TUNING David Mathews Piano Tuner/Technician 35 Droxford Village Hall news . 17 PRINTING & STATIONERY Meon Valley Printers 35 Forthcoming events Droxford Village Hall . 17 Studio 6 (inside front cover) District councillor’s column . 18 PUBS White Horse 26: The Shoe Inn 40 Singing for Fun . 18 RIDING & EQUESTRIAN Merrie Stud Riding School 25 Sing & Tonic . 18 Coffee maker wanted . 18 SCHOOLS; EDUCATION & LEARNING Valley Pre-school 25 Meonstoke Harvest Festival . 18 Sustainability Centre 25 Meon Valley Carers group . 19 SHOPS & STORES Droxford PO & Stores 26: Meonstoke PO & Stores 28 Local Services Information . 20 Swanmore Butchers 33 William Collins Charity . 20 SOLICITORS Biscoes 35: Chamberlains 36: Blake Morgan (back cover) Droxford & District Comm. Care Group . 21 SPORT Hazelholt Floodlit Indoor Tennis Court 31 Minor Injuries Unit, Petersfield Hospital . 21 TAXIS Gamblin Cars 38: Hambledon Cars (inside front cover) Meon Valley Community Bus . 21 The Valley Preschool . 22 VETS & PETS The Village Cattery 29: Shield Veterinary Centre 40 From the registers . 22 The Dog Room (inside front cover) District Diary . 23 We Welcome . 24 Church Services Chart . 24 2 The Bridge ~ October and November 2015 The Magazine for the Meon Bridge Benefice of Droxford, Exton, Meonstoke & Corhampton (& Preshaw) RECTOR Reverend Tony Forrest 01489 877422 The Rectory, Rectory Lane E-mail: [email protected] Meonstoke, SO32 3NF For information about weddings, Note: The rector’s day off is Friday please contact the weddings administrator: LICENSED LAY MINISTERS Sue Wells: Tel. 01329 834130 Reader emeritus Pauline Quarendon 877392 Reader Cathy Mathews 877804 For information about baptisms and funerals please contact the administrator for these services CHURCH SUPPLIES Anne Wilkinson 877488 Za Rowe: Tel. 01489 877732 DROXFORD MEONSTOKE WITH CORHAMPTON Churchwardens: Ann Symes 877643 Churchwarden: Position vacant – Sheila Matthissen 877867 Acting churchwarden Za Rowe 877732 Secretary: – Secretary: Sarah Page 02392 257723 Treasurer & Gift Treasurer (& Gift Aid secretary: Nicholas Ridge 899102 Aid secretary): Elizabeth Ridge 899102 Organist: John Martin 877385 Organists: Sacristan: Laura Jerosch 01329 231956 (Meonstoke) Dr Alan Hibbert OBE 878564 Verger: Norman Bell 877230 (Corhampton) John Martin (am) 877385 Sacristan & 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 Father John Buckley 895889 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 THE BRIDGE is delivered at the start of the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December. Cover picture by Julie Kay, secretary of the Meon Valley Flower Club Ideally, copy should be sent by e-mail to The Bridge editor at the address shown above, preferably attached The photo shows the floral display created by as an MS Word document. The page set-up (with 10 or members of the Meon Valley Flower Club as part 10.5 pt font size) should be defined as an A4 page – of the nationally acclaimed Cascades Flower with 1.5 cm left and right margins. Typed or Festival in Winchester Cathedral. See page 8 handwritten hardcopy is also acceptable. If you are for the story of the event. responsible for village activities, diaries, and schedules, please note that material received late after the copy date may not be included. 3 The Bridge ~ October and November 2015 Rector’s Newsletter From our new Rector ome, you that are blessed by my Father, Anthony, I was humbled by the work of charities Cinherit the kingdom prepared for you such as Christian Aid across the world. Loretta from the foundation of the world; for I was gave up a career as a finance lawyer to head up hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty Christian Aid having had her faith re-ignited in an and you gave me something to drink, I was Anglican church in Portsmouth Diocese. She and a stranger and you welcomed me, I was Christian Aid work with migrants and those naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick trapped in their home countries to help them and you took care of me, I was in prison transform their own lives. and you visited me.” Jesus came to be with us. He calls us to be with Matthew 25:34-36 (NRSV) the most vulnerable, including the stranger, just as the Old Testament teaches. Whilst many of us hen I re-read these words recently a have been strangers in new places, in new jobs, number of thoughts went through my mind new schools and so on, I thank God that most of as we carried the next batch of empty W us have not had to flee as the Holy Family did; as packing cases out of the house; one thought was the Huguenots did; as the Jews did in the 1930s, about the word: ‘with’. and as so many others do today. I could not help be struck by the atrocious I also thank God and the people of this benefice conditions in so many parts of the world that were for the way we, as a family, have been fed and causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee watered, welcomed and cared for as ‘strangers’. their homes. Amid the celebrations of VE Day We have been so touched by kindness and earlier this year there were powerful reminders of generosity of spirit, we now feel truly at home. the mass migrations of Europeans escaping totalitarian regimes. The history of these islands I would also like to record my thanks to all those of ours has been shaped by the movement of who have worked so hard for the life of the church people: people moving from being with their and community while there was no rector in post. traditional neighbours to becoming strangers and For all that has been, thank God; for all that God mostly welcomed.