The Loddon Valley Link Church and Village Magazine for Sherfield-on-Loddon, Stratfield Saye, Hartley Wespall with Stratfield Turgis and Bramley II ss ss uu ee II May 2014 44 ss 66 ss 77 uu ee 44 66 66 Services for May 2014 Sunday 4th May Easter 33 10.00am Holy Communion St Leonard’s Sherfield 10.00am Family Service St Mary’s Stratfield Saye* 6.30pm Evensong and Communion by Ext St Mary’s Hartley Wespall Friday 4.15pm Messy Church Sherfield Community Centre Sunday 11th May Easter 44 10.00am Morning Worship and Sunday Club St Leonard’s Sherfield Sunday 18th May Easter 55 10.00am Holy Communion and Sunday Club St Leonard’s Sherfield Including re-dedication of In Touch Friends 10.00am Matins and Communion by Ext St Mary’s Stratfield Saye* 6.30pm Evensong St Mary’s Hartley Wespall Sunday 25th May Easter 66 8.00am Holy Communion 1662 BCP St Mary’s Hartley Wespall 10.00am Family Service St Leonard’s Sherfield Sunday 1st June Easter 77 10.00am Holy Communion St Leonard’s Sherfield 10.00am Family Service St Mary’s Stratfield Saye* 6.30pm Evensong and Communion by Ext St Mary’s Hartley Wespall *Drive up close to the white gates, which will open automatically . Children are welcome at all our services. Services in italics are particularly geared to children and families. BCP = Book of Common Prayer. Page 2 Editorial Welcome to the Spring Edition of the Loddon Valley Link. We are keen to reflect the news and views of the whole community -- Churches, villages, clubs and societies within our distribution area. As you will know, from the last Link, we have been running our biannual envelope scheme to help cover the costs of producing the Loddon Valley Link. We are very grateful for your donations which help us to Contents distribute the magazine to 2,000 Page 4 …………Songs of Praise homes in the villages. This is our Page 8 …….. Percy’s Plant Sale last call for support and further Page 15 ………… Sherfield Fete details can be found on page 49. Page 16 …… Building progress Page 17 … …….. Stratfield Walk In this edition you will find an Page 21………… Messy Church update of the building work in Page 28 …………Remembrance progress to add important Page 29 ……… Hartley Regatta additional facilities to St. Page 31 ………….. Chris Tomlin Leonard’s church. In the course Page 37 ………… Beat Officer of excavations inevitably some old Page 54 ………….. Committee bones were dug up and these were reburied in a moving ceremony (Page 4) We’ve given a big splash this month to the annual Hartley Wespall Regatta (See page 29) -- sounds a crazy idea but really good fun bringing us all together. Do go and take part if you can (but take a ‘cosie’ just in case!) Finally, we are always looking for interesting articles for the magazine. With all the remembrance events this year, perhaps some of you have a story or two to tell? As ever, comments are welcomed. Contact the editor at: [email protected] Our thanks to Sheena Archer for supplying the cover page photo of the ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance at St. Leonard’s (see page 28 for more details). Page 3 Songs of Praise Sunday June 15th 11am on Sherfield Village Green A fun informal service held outside on the green, for the whole family. We will be using the fete marquee in case the weather is wet again! Everyone welcome, bring your dogs, bikes! Tadley Concert Brass will once again be providing the music for us. Re-interrment of Ancient Bones During the digging of the foundations for St. Leonard’s Church extension, ancient churchyard burials revealed some, now anonymous, bones that had long lost their identity and headstones. On Palm Sunday, 13th April 2014, Revd. Sammie Armstrong, in the presence of a large congregation, re--interred the bones in the Church burial ground, saying that it is central to Christian belief that a human body, at the point of death, ceases to have any importance for the resurrected life of the individual. However, it is equally important that we accord great dignity and care to the dead for in so doing, we signify the deeper funda- mental attitudes of the living. Gathering to care for the dead demonstrates that we value life. Page 4 “Pastoral Letter” ‘What’s happening about Bob’s successor?’ It is a question I get asked frequently. It is now five months since Bob left so where are we? On Monday, 24thth March we had a meeting of the PCC’s to appoint representatives to sit on the appointments committee to choose a new priestt in charge. Richard Elphick had done a wonderful job in completing a Parish Profile, which had been approved by the Archdeacon of Winchester and the Bishop of Basingstoke, the latter having now moved on to become Bishop of Bath and Wells. The Parochial Church Councils (PCC’s) of St.Leonard’s, Sherfield on Loddon, St. Mary’s Stratfield Saye and Hartley Wespall with Stratfield Turgis and St James’ Bramley with St. Stephen’s Little London, met at Cross House in Bramley to approve the Parish profile and select the representatives. The Archdeacon explained the process, answered questions and then left. Each PCC met separately and then returned to the ? main hall, where they all approved the Profile with some minor alterations to the ? wording and announced who would be their representatives. An advertisement will be written and placed in the appropriate places at the end of April and the first week of May, with a closing date of application on 22ndnd May. A short list will be drawn up and interviews will be held on 23rdrd and 24thth June. Depending on the notice the appointee needs to give, we hope to have a new Priest- in-Charge by October. We all need to pray that God’s person will be appointed. John Page 5 www.LoddonValleyLink.hampshire.org.uk Page 6 BREACH LANE CHAPEL Sherfield on Loddon Geoff Belsham 01256 882534/07519 708416 MAY 2014 Services Sunday 4thth 10.30am Family Worship led by Neil Owen 11am Youth Group – “The Flock” Sunday 11thth 10.30am Family Worship led by Graham Locke Tuesday 13thth 2pm Church Walk starting at the Chapel Thursday 15thth 7.30pm House Group & Bible Study at 9 Coopers Lane, Bramley Friday 16thth 10.30am Open Morning at Chapel – FREE refreshments and books etc Saturday 17thth 2.30pm Disabled Christian Fellowship at Frimley Road led by Geoff Belsham Sunday 18thth 10.30am Family Worship led by Alistair Sneddon 12.30pm 34thth Anniversary of the Chapel Re -- opening – Anniversary Lunch in the Chapel Monday 19thth 11am Property Committee Meeting at Frimley Road Friday 23rdrd 10.30am Open Morning at Chapel – FREE refreshments and books etc Sunday 25thth 10.30am Family Worship led by Geoff Belsham Tuesday 27thth 2pm Church Walk starting at Old Basing Bartons Lane Car Park Wednesday 28thth 2.30pm Midweek Fellowship at Chapel – Film Show “The Walk” CATHOLIC SERVICES ST. LEONARD’S CHURCH St Bede’s and Holy Ghost Saturday Open Days Churches, Basingstoke Everyone is welcome to visit for ((www.stbedesbasingstoke.org.uk)) reflection, prayer, or to view Contact Fr. Chris Rutledge, with a wedding in mind. Open Parish Office Tues to Friday days are normally on 9.30 am--1.00 pm Saturdays. Tel. 01256 465214. The open days in May are on Sunday Mass 9.00 am, 11.00 am the 10th 17th and 31st and 6.30 pm Page 7 www.LoddonValleyLink.hampshire.org.uk Carl Fanning The Village Decorator Decorating the Loddon Valley Area Painter and Decorator Local Tradesman with 25 years experience Decorating local properties since 1980 A “Dulux” Trade Member r Good quality Trade Paints used -- Internal and external decorating Free estimates -- advice on colour and paints Full liability cover -- all work is guaranteed Telephone: Carl on 01189 424 883 or 0795 266 1965 Page 8 Percy’s Plant Sale Saturday 10th May, 10.00 to 12.00 noon Sherfield on Loddon Village Hall There will be a huge selection of Plants for sale. Flowers, fruit and vegetables. Including geraniums, begonia, fuschia, runner beans, tomatoes. There will also be a stall from the Garden Club, a cake stall with raffle and POSH coffee morning The proceeds will be shared between St Leonard’s Extension Fund, the Village Hall and the Garden Club. Page 9 www.LoddonValleyLink.hampshire.org.uk Page 10 Sherfield on Loddon Village Hall Reg. Charity No. 272385 Tel: 01256 883624 Email: [email protected] CLASSES & ACTIVITIES The Main Hall, Liddell Hall and Garden Room are used by many groups within the village for a wide variety of classes and activities. Art classes •• Band practice •• Brownies Coffee Mornings •• Dance classes • • Decorative & Fine Arts Society Evergreens Club •• Fitness classes •• Floral Society Gardening Club •• Lunch Club •• Morris Dancing •• Nursery Parish Council •• Pilates •• Quilters Group •• Rainbows Short Mat Bowls •• Taekendo for Little Ones •• Whist Women’s Institute •• Yoga •• Zumba If you would like to find out more about these village activities visit the “Clubs & Groups” page of our website for dates, times and contact details. BEER FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP The next Sherfield--on--Loddon Beer Festival will be held at the Village Hall on Saturday 27th September 2014. We attract visitors from far and wide and as usual we will be fund--raising for both our own Village Hall and St. Michael's Hospice in Basingstoke. If your company would be interested in sponsorship opportunities this year please contact us. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Thurs 1stst, Fri 2ndnd & Sat 3rdrd May -- Loddon Players present “Confusions” Sat 3rdrd May – Clothing Sale (Liddell Hall) Fri 9th May – Annual Parish Meeting Sat 10th May -- Village Coffee Morning Sat 10th May – Percy’s Plant Sale N.B.