Haslemere Link

Haslemere LINK THE PARISH MAGAZINE OF ST BARTHOLOMEW’S AND ST CHRISTOPHER’S

‘We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him’ (Matthew 2:2)

December 2018 / January 2019 Suggested donation for a printed copy: £2 1

Parish Contacts Rector Reverend Mary Bowden 658107 revmary@haslemereparish.org

Friday – Day Off Youth Minister Sandy Clarke 07806 624560 sandy.clarke@hotmail.com Assistant Youth Minister Chloe Adam 07597 565571 LLM (Reader) Peter Sellars 641032 Church Wardens Robert Fox 652055 Margaret Morris 651365 Deputy Wardens Howard Body 658762 Nick Beare 609630 Verger St Bartholomew’s Carol Skeates 642662 PCC Secretary Cathy Moore 07593 814438 Treasurer Alistair Morgan 07880 325597 Assistant Treasurer Andrew Culshaw 658962 Stewardship Secretary Geoff Martin 641907 Director of Music & Organist St Bartholomew’s Clive Osgood 07747 785940 cliveosgood@hotmail.com St Christopher’s Organists Alan Drake 652198 Helen Bendall 741383

Parish Office The Link, Derby Road Haslemere GU27 1BS Tues – Thurs 9.00am-4.00pm office@haslemereparish.org www.haslemereparish.org Parish Administrator Victoria Hicks 644578 St Christopher’s Choir Director Sarah Thomas sarah.thomas6092@gmail.com

Bellringers Paul Bagshaw 656129 Outward Giving Dorothea Nattrass 653216 Friends of the Parish Bernard Coe 651146 Electoral Roll Officer Lynn Lemar 651435 Magazine Secretary Ann Lear 651570 office@haslemereparish.org Flowers St Bartholomew’s Sarah Mulliner 643504 St Christopher’s Liz Hawkins 642445 Max Card 652125 Sunday School St Bartholomew’s Sandy Clarke 07806 624560 St Christopher’s Liz Hawkins 642445 BRF Representative Sarah Mulliner 643504 Churchyards Philip Hunt 644120 Housegroups Rev. Mary Bowden 658107 Church Care Group Roscelin Rees 651561 2

Pastoral Assistant Ruth Pattenden 653033 Bereavement Visitors Linda Donaldson 644473 Frances Gaiter 648843 Sarah Mulliner 643504 Safeguarding Officer Cathy Moore 07593 814438 First Steps Mondays in St Christopher’s 0-5 Year Olds Liz Hawkins 642445 Mothers' Union Treasurer Sue Davis 661115 Link Bookings Carol Skeates 642662 skeatMalco@aol.com Facilities for the disabled Both churches and The Link at St Bartholomew’s have ramped access and space for wheelchairs. Toilets suitable for use by the disabled are available in The Link and at St Christopher’s.

Facilities for the hard of hearing Both churches and The Link have sound amplification and hearing loops.

Facilities for the visually impaired Both churches have good interior lighting and large print weekly notice sheets.

Large print service sheets are available at both churches.

Dear Friends Follow the star! The Church of England’s theme for Christmas this year is also a good one for us as we step into 2019. The process of finding a new rector will begin very early in January, and will demand courage, trust, wisdom, discernment and patience – all qualities that the Magi would have needed as they followed the star then returned to their homes. And I will need them too as I move to a new community, meet new people, find a new church and decide how to use my time. The star led shepherds and Magi from different places by different routes to the same stable, and from here onwards, although our paths will be separate, we too will still be searching for the same God, the same blessing and inspiration.

As I write this I have just completed my last hymn list, and so I know that I have just ten more Sundays with you here in Haslemere – and yes, I am self-indulgent enough to have made sure that we will be singing many of my favourite hymns once Christmas is over. This is my last Dear Friends letter – the first of a number of “lasts” and valedictories. Two of the important things to be done at these times are looking back and saying thank you – another is looking forward, which will mainly come later. To facilitate the former I’ve had a look back at a selection of my DF letters from the last seven years, and also a look around the church buildings. I arrived in 2011 at the beginning of the Jubilee Plaque project and I loved the whole business of finding a craftsman and working with him and others to agree the material (the last slate from a particular Welsh quarry), the script, the wording, and on one memorable day the depth of gold leaf in each word to give the proper relative weight to the words God and Queen, so that from a distance the purpose and balance are clear. I’m proud to have played a part in the plaque’s presence in St Bart’s, representing a distinctive and important period of the country’s history and our own.

Perhaps the most significant parish project of the last seven years was the reordering of St Christopher’s west end to provide kitchen, lavatory and storage facilities, as well as the ability to bring in a bridal procession without major adjustments and removals. This project had been long in the planning and it was wonderful not only to see it finally become a reality, but also to recognise that because of the creativity and care that went into its design we rapidly forgot that it hadn’t always been there. The “new” St Christopher’s has provided the parish and the wider community with a splendid and flexible 3

resource for functions and concerts and feasts, not to mention flower festivals – again, I’m proud to have been part of the team that enabled it to happen.

Which brings me to the first of many thank yous – this one to my brilliant bevy of churchwardens. Debbie Peet and Don Cremer, who were involved in bringing me here and took the brunt of the inevitable discomfort associated with any new ministry, explaining the parish to its new priest and the new priest to the parish…. Dorothea Nattrass and Clive Hawkins, a dream team combining pastoral and practical skills… and now Robert Fox and Margaret Morris, bringing their extensive leadership and administrative capabilities to bear as the cycle starts again. I’ve said before, and it bears saying again, that they have all taken very seriously the warden’s role of not only supporting but also looking after the rector. As you all know, there have been times when I’ve needed that care, and words can’t express my gratitude for all their love, prayer and practical support.

Next on my list to thank are Vic and Sandy, without whom….. But they and many others will have to wait (sorry both of you), because I want to end this last letter as I ended my first, with a poem by RS Thomas – an invitation, as I said then, for us to see our own lives within the pattern of God’s kingdom.

The Kingdom It’s a long way off but inside it there are quite different things going on: festivals at which the poor man is king and the consumptive is healed; mirrors in which the blind look at themselves and love looks at them back; and industry is for mending the bent bones and the minds fractured by life. It’s a long way off, but to get there takes no time and admission is free, if you purge yourself of desire, and present yourself with your need only and the simple offering of your faith, green as a leaf.

Follow the star – and please pray for me as I will always be praying for you.

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#Follow the star is the Church of England’s 2018 Christmas campaign to share the Christmas message of love and hope.

It includes daily reflections for church congregations and ideas for drawing people to church services over Christmas. You can find out all about it, and sign up to the reflections at: www.churchofengland.org/followthestar

From the Registers Baptisms Amber Lewis 18 November 2018 Isabella Parker 18 November 2018

Wanted…

Someone to join the Magazine Team to handle advertisements. It would entail being in touch with people wishing to advertise in the magazine, establish the size of advert required—whole, half or quarter page—and handle payments. Adverts would then be passed on to the editorial team to fit into the magazine.

Our readers like to consult the ads—and the Church would benefit from the income!

Hoping to hear from someone…. Please contact Vic at The Church Office : 644576 or office@haslemereparish.org

Items for the February/March 2019 Magazine to reach us no later than Tuesday, January 8, please, to the Church Office or by email to: office@haslemereparish.org 5

Soul Survivor 2018 Soul Survivor is a global Christian movement based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It oversees several Christian summer festivals for young people along with other events throughout the year, with the aim of helping them meet with Jesus and be equipped to live their lives for him.

This year about 10 of our young people and 20 more from neighbouring churches attended the festival in Peterborough from August 17-21, accompanied by Rob Fox, Chloe Adam and other local youth leaders. Here are a few things our young people said about Soul Survivor.

'My favourite part was the worship because so much happened and it was amazing to see what God could do to so many lives' 'I really enjoyed the whole thing but worship was my favourite as I love all the music they play' 'The talks were really interesting- the one on Fortnite* in particular.'

Chloe Adam *Fortnite is a popular video game amongst young people at the moment there was a talk that related it to faith.

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Children and Youth diary dates Christmas •Nativity play rehearsals during Sunday School on 2 and 9 December •Dress Rehearsal 2pm on 23 December at St Bart’s Nativity/Christingle Service 4pm on 24 December, players please arrive at 3.15 Sundays Families@4 - 4pm at St Bart’s on 9 December and 13 January. Short, interactive, families-orientated service followed by BRING AND SHARE tea.

All Age worship -10am at St Bart’s on 16 December and 20 January.

Sunday School resumes on 6 January - Preschool and primary school-aged children - meets during the 10am family service at St Bartholomew’s and St Christopher’s Church.

Sunday School Panto Party – Cinderella - 12 January, bring and share lunch in the Link followed by 2.30pm Panto at Haslemere Hall. Please email Sandy for tickets.

First Steps -Our baby through pre-school group meets every Monday during term time at St Christopher’s Church at 10am. Come for stories, worship, crafts, playtime and time to meet other mums, dads and carers.

Messy Church - 14 December from 3.15pm in the Link until 5.30pm. Worship, story, crafts, games, light dinner and loads of fun for the whole family.

Breakout - 10-14 years olds meet in the Crypt on Thursdays from 5.30pm until 7pm.

Liquid Youth -Worship with other young people - ages 14 through 20 (year 10 or above) on Sunday evenings from 6.30 - 8.30pm at Jack Robson’s flat.

Contact Sandy Clarke on 07806 624560 or sandy.clarke@hotmail.com 7

Upcoming Youth Events The ‘Girls’ Group’ is for girls over the age of 15 and meets for casual discussion and craft once a month on a Thursday, from 7.15 - 8.30pm at The Crypt at Our Lady of Lourdes.

The next meeting is on December 6. If anyone wants to know more or come along and help they are welcome to email me on: chloe.adam989@gmail.com

WWI Centenary Service at St Christopher’s - November 11 2018

Brigadier John Jackson, who laid the wreath and spoke the words of the Exhortation at the service at St. Christopher’s commemorating the centenary of the end of The Great War on Sunday 11th November. Peter Sellars took the service.

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WWI Anniversary Concert Hamish Donaldson St Christopher’s Church was packed for the Concert to mark the 100th Anniversary of the end of the Great War. It was the start of a very moving weekend of tributes and remembrance. Rev Mary Bowden welcomed the audience and the 50 strong choir launched into Parry’s I was Glad.

Canon Nigel Nicholson, the narrator, who was Chaplain to the Forces, established the programme for the evening. The narrative, in six sections, explained the origins of the war, why the British Empire got involved and then focussed in turn on the war in the trenches, at sea and in the air before recounting the events that led up to the Armistice. This narrative was interspersed with poems (by Rupert Brooke, John McCrae, AA Milne, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Siegfried Sassoon and Vera Brittain). Other readings included a Times article about Food Rationing and the text of Haig’s exhortation in 1918 ‘Our Backs to the Wall’. To add a local dimension, there were letters from Herbert White (of the Queen’s Regiment), Sue Ware’s father (in the RFC) and Hamish Donaldson’s father (Seaforth Highlanders and then RFC) and read by his great-granddaughter.

The choir, conducted by Alan Drake with Clive Osgood at the organ, was quite outstanding and their numbers included Let There be Peace on Earth, Malotte’s Lord’s Prayer, Laudate Dominum, Crossing the Bar, In Paradisum and Cantique de Jean Racine. The audience joined in the hymns and the first part of the evening ended with a sing-along medley of War Time Songs.

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The concert ended with the choir and audience singing The Day Thou Gavest, interspersed with the Last Post and Sunset Call (played by David Wright of the Town Band on the trumpet) as falling poppies were projected on the east wall of the church. Finally, everybody joined in Jerusalem before the closing prayer.

This very moving concert was a triumph for Linda Donaldson who devised the programme, assembled the Haslemere Festival Choir (with our own parish choir at its heart) and researched and wrote the narrative. A very fitting tribute.

Driving Lessons A young teenage boy had just received his driving licence and inquired of his father, a vicar, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him into his study and said to the lad, "I'll make a deal with you, son. You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible more, get your hair cut, and we'll talk about the car."

Well, the son thought about it for a moment and decided he would settle for the offer, and they agreed on it.

After about 6 weeks, the boy came back and again asked his father about using the car. Again, they went to the study, where his father said, "Son, I'm real proud of you. You brought your grades up, and I've observed that you've been studying your Bible more, and participating a lot more in the Bible study class on Sundays. But, I'm really disappointed, since you haven't had your hair cut."

The young man paused a moment, and then said, "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair, and there's even a strong argument that Jesus had long hair."

His father replied, "You're right son. Did you also notice that they all walked everywhere they went?"

From ‘Grove Books - Grove Jokes and Quotes’ 10

Trafalgar Day October 21st 1805 On Sunday October 21st St Christopher’s Church held a special Trafalgar Day Service. The altar was covered in Bill Cook’s white ensign and the Union Jack and a photograph of Admiral Lord Nelson, according to tradition.

Admiral Sir Derek Reffell read the first reading and the Naval Prayer, followed by ‘I vow to thee my country’. Bunty Tuke, whose husband also served in The Royal Navy, read the second reading. Justin Manley Cooper gave an excellent homily on the life of Lord Nelson and about his faith in a God with relevance to the battle of Trafalgar. I was invited to lead the service.

After welcoming the congregation I told the history of Trafalgar Day and concluded with Nelson’s prayer which he wrote on the morning of The Battle of Trafalgar.

After prayers we concluded the service by singing the hymn ‘Eternal Father Strong to Save’.

Nelson’s Prayer: ‘May the great God, whom I worship, grant to my country and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory, and may no misconduct in anyone tarnish it; and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature in the British fleet.

For myself individually, I commit my life to him that made me; and may His blessing alight on my endeavours for serving my country faithfully.

To him I resign myself, and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend.

Amen. Amen. Amen.’

Liz Cook 11

Spotlight on Mary Rev Mary Bowden, Haslemere’s first woman Rector, will be retiring in February and as this is the last issue of the magazine before she leaves, we sought her out for some thoughts on her time here as well as hearing something of her previous life.

She was born in Chichester, the only child of a local government officer and his wife.

Educated at the local C. of E. Primary School, at 11 she moved to Christ’s Hospital School for Girls in Hertford as a boarder.

St. Anne’s College, Oxford followed, reading English Literature, where she developed her love of poetry (something with which we are familiar). On graduating, she joined the Civil Service Fast Stream, which took her to the Department of Education and Science. Some highlights were: being Assistant Private Secretary to Mark Carlisle, Private Secretary to Baroness Young and later William Waldegrave. A move to the Home Office saw Mary working for 20 years in areas including prisons and terrorism. She worked part-time whilst her sons Alan and David were very young and at the same time she was trained and practised as a homoeopath.

Back full time at the Home Office, she managed the Fast Track Scheme, moved office to Croydon, eventually becoming Director of Immigration and Asylum Appeals, and then moving to be a Regional Director of the London Magistrates Courts. After a merger she decided to take early retirement and left in 2003.

Before leaving the Civil Service Mary had started her theological training parttime with the aim of serving her home parish as an Ordained Local Minister (OLM), like Fi Gwynn and Justin Manley-Cooper. But what made her make this radically different decision to change her life? Mary tells the story of her 7 yearold son Alan (who was having a difficult time at school) asking her why they didn’t go to church. For 6 weeks she did not answer and took no action. Finally, after some research, she tentatively approached Christ Church, Gipsy Hill. For Mary, Advent Sunday 1993 is an important milestone and she became more 12

involved in the church. Training for ordination followed, culminating in ordination in Southwark Cathedral in 2007. Throughout this time she was supported by the then Vicar of Gipsy Hill (about to be Bishop) Andrew Rumsey who also guided her towards full-time service. The help and support Mary received from him and from her second training incumbent at All Saints, West Dulwich, has enabled her to give the same to our two trainees here, Justin and Sandy.

The move to Haslemere followed. But what made her choose us? Firstly Mary needed a parish of her own and Haslemere was vacant. She says she was ambivalent about applying; she was more used to a more mixed urban environment, but as she says ‘God had got hold of her’. She has always known that Haslemere is where God meant her to be. At the interview all the candidates were asked to give a presentation on how to make changes in such a traditional environment and also what their legacy would be - Mary hoped that hers would be a parish with one congregation worshipping across two churches.

It has not been an easy seven years for her, especially at first. It was her first incumbency, she was alone and she was a woman. The cats have helped! She has had to adjust to serving two churches and overseeing a third. However, she felt welcomed, and people were anxious to get to know her. One of her first highlights was the presentation of the NADFAS Church Record of St. Christopher’s at the church and at the Museum.

Mary is leaving us with the sense that the parish is looking forward. The key to this is involving people of all ages: children and families are encouraged to believe that church is for them by: providing Holy Communion for children in 2013, gently introducing newcomers to the church through ‘Families@4’, reintroducing All-Age services, continuing a good relationship with St. Bart’s School and running youth groups, lunches, retreats, parish weekends-at-home and the Passover Supper.

For Mary, the support of local clergy has been so important (something not found everywhere). She sees pastoral care, especially at times of crisis and, in particular, funeral ministry, as one of the most important aspects of her work.

As she says, ’It is important to get the details right—to show one cares. It is an opportunity to show God’s love’. Pastoral Care for her is also an opportunity for her to pass on to Sandy and Justin the care, support and love she received from Andrew Rumsey in Gipsy Hill.

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Mary has led three pilgrimages in her time here and she plans to revisit Ethiopia next year. She sees them as being an opportunity for developing relationships and aspects of faith we take for granted and for seeing people help each other. She takes great care in designing the liturgies for each place, and later she sees these places in her mind whilst preaching.

With the student deacons and their teachers at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

For Mary, as for many of us, the recent Festival of Flowers and Festal Evensong was a wonderful experience, providing abiding memories for her when she finally leaves us.

As for her future, Mary has sold her cottage in Selsey - such an important place for her to get away and relax, walking on the beach and listening to the sea. She has bought a very cat-friendly house in Bishops Cleeve near Cheltenham where she has great friends nearby. Joshua and Jacob will be happy there and Esther has found a good home with Dorothea Nattrass. She will have more time for her sons Alan and David and their partners and, of course, Martha - just a year old now. She will take her time to reflect and find out what God has in mind for her. We shall miss her. We wish her well and we say with all our hearts ‘ God be with you’.

Frankie Gaiter

Discovered on the C of E Website Out of 12,500 parishes, that of St Bartholomew’s and St Christopher’s is judged to be the 12,238 LEAST deprived.

The most deprived parish is St Peter’s, South Shore, Blackpool and the least deprived is St Mary’s, Twyford.

(Church of England website: http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html? webmap=67bce0ed36dd4ee0af7a16bc079aa09a&extent=0.4317,51.313,0.1986,51.5945) 14

Parish of Haslemere

Parish

Christmas CafĂŠ

Sunday 2 December 2018 11.00-ish to 12.30

REFRESHMENTS ON SALE sausage rolls, mulled wine, mince pies and more!

Plus Cakes * Christmas wreaths * lucky dip * *winter woollies * bottle tombola Donations, prizes & volunteers needed Please contact Margaret Morris

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LyCiG Leading your Church into Growth October 20th, 2018 This was a refresher day attended by Nick Beare and Tessa Trollope, following a conference earlier in the year attended by Mary and Peter.

We were warmly welcomed by the Archdeacon of Dorking and the sessions were led by Revd Canon Tim Sledge and Revd Canon Anna Norman-Walker. We looked at ‘The Growing Church’, ‘Building a Strategy for Mission’, ‘A Culture of Invitation’ and ‘Missionary Worship’ The Church of England is the largest expression of Christian Faith in our country, yet it is in decline - and we discussed the reasons for this which included ‘Society has moved on, yet the Church has stood still’. We have neglected children’s and young people’s work. The average number of children in the average Anglican Church is now only three. The traditional Sunday worshipping congregation is ageing.

To grow numbers the Church needs to move away from a more ‘Maintenance Church’ to a ‘Mission Church’. The need is to maintain the Church for Mission.

This is often overlooked with the real need to pay bills, preserve buildings, carry out the annual rounds and protect the past. We were encouraged to think how we can make our maintenance more mission orientated. Numbers do matter because they are numbers of souls.

This led on to four simple principles for action 1.

Prayer: How earnestly are we praying for church growth in private and corporate prayer? God meets us in our desires.

2.

Presence: The C of E is a great gift. It covers every blade of grass in this land. We all have a presence as baptised Christians and we can continue to develop a distinctive presence in our Communities.

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3.

Proclamation: How and when do we proclaim the Good News, both within and outside the Church?

4. Persuasion: How do we nurture interest and follow up proclamation? Most people know very little about the Christian faith, so we need to provide the nurture and safe places for people to talk about God. We had a discussion on promoting ‘A Culture of Invitation’. We agreed that here in our Parish we were good at holding events but need to reinforce what we do well and remind ourselves of key considerations such as avoiding ‘slipping into focussing on the content rather than the quality of contacts’, having realistic objectives, being culturally relevant, doing less and doing it well.

Community groups such as the Brownies, Cubs etc could be invited to the Harvest service and local farmers could take part?

Worship is the most important thing that we do, so how can we ensure our worship is user-friendly, balancing humanity with divinity? How do we make the Gospel intriguing, challenging and appealing? Jesus’ ministry was to the people around him.

It was a very thought inspiring day and we have been asked to say the Mission Prayer at all Intercessions.

God of Mission Who alone brings growth to your Church Send your Holy Spirit to give Vision to our planning, Wisdom to our actions, And power to our witness.

Help our church to grow in numbers, In spiritual commitment to you, And in service to our local community, Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen Tessa Trollope

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St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary School Report With the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I, the school held a very special History Week where the whole school fully immersed themselves, learning all about World War I, and I would like to focus on this amazing week for this article. We felt it was important to commemorate the ending of the war in 1918 and the children’s interest had been sparked by the erection of a British Legion soldier silhouette that appeared outside the school during October and by the commemorative displays around the local area.

During the week, the children have been learning about trench warfare and have been fascinated to hear about the rats, lice and afflictions e.g. trench foot! In role as soldiers, the children have written letters and taken part in drama. In Year 3, English reading and writing has been based around a book by Michael Morpurgo, ‘The Best Christmas Present in the World’, which takes the form of a letter from a soldier, Jim, to his wife Connie about the Christmas truce of 1914. Year 4 wrote descriptions of the conditions in the trenches and also poems about the sacrifice of men in the war after reading ‘In Flanders Fields’ by John McCrae. Letters from the trenches, portraying some of the horrors and language of the war and poetry inspired by poets at the time such as Wilfred Owen, were written by children in Years 5 and 6.

Some children cooked fruit cakes; the kind that would have been sent by families to their loved ones fighting at the front. In one year group children even wrapped their trench cakes in brown paper tied with string and sent a cake to each class accompanied by a cheerful letter about what they were up 18

Years 3-6 enjoyed a performance by Mance Productions entitled, ‘Lest We Forget’ which enhanced their learning about WWI. All the children produced a piece of art work linked to the theme, and poppies and sketches of soldiers in uniform were displayed around the school. All classes were also listening to moraleboosting songs from the time, such as ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’ and ‘It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary’ which they then sung during a whole school singing assembly at the end of the week.

The week culminated with a whole school, history dressing-up day on the Friday where Years 5 and 6 also re-enacted the football match that was allegedly played during The Christmas Truce.

The week was also a time of remembrance and thinking about all those who sacrificed their lives for their country which was the focus for the Remembrance service held at Church on 7th November.

We would like to thank all the parents who volunteered and came in to help with the activities that took place across the school, as well as our dedicated team of teachers, learning support assistants and for the support we receive from the church. Finally, I would like to say a particular thank you to Ms Gillert for leading a wonderful history week on WWI. Charles Beckerson 19

Draw us a Picture!

Children are invited to draw and/or paint a picture of anything relating to Jesus’ life as a baby or child, such as the Christmas story, the visit of the Wise Men, or his Presentation in the Temple, as is told in the story below. Take it or email it to the Church Office by January 8th (see address on inside cover of the magazine) and we will choose a picture to publish in the next issue.

The Feast of Candlemas Candlemas celebrates the Biblical tale of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, one of the key events of Christ's early life.

According to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took their baby son to the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth. They were there to perform the redemption of the firstborn son and complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, in accordance with Jewish holy scripture. The Law also said they should offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons. At the temple, they encountered a man called Simeon, who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.

When Simeon saw Jesus in the temple, he said: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations."

He also told Mary: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your soul as well."

Mary and Joseph also met an elderly prophet called Anna, who praised the baby Jesus, before returning to Nazareth after the ceremony was completed.

Candlemas is celebrated on February 2nd. Many Christians take candles to their church, where they are blessed before being used for the rest of the year. These blessed candles symbolise Jesus, who referred to himself as the Light of the World.

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Just a Thought…

Evelyn Hughes One of the names ascribed to Jesus, though rarely used, is ‘Emmanuel’ - but it comes into its own during Advent and Christmas. Its origin lies in the Book of Isaiah, where ‘Emmanuel’ was a symbolic name for the child who would ultimately save Israel from her enemies. In his Gospel, Matthew applies the name to the son that Mary would give birth to. Her child would ‘save his people from their sins’ and would be called ‘Emmanuel’ - which means ‘God with us’.

During Advent we give voice to our yearning for God. ‘O come, O come Emmanuel’, we plead, and the answer comes back” ‘Emmanuel shall come to thee’. In our Christmas carols we affirm God’s coming to the world in Christ ’pleased as man with man to dwell.’ We invite Christ into our lives: ‘O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emanuel.’

If we ourselves know Christ’s indwelling, don’t we long that others should be similarly companioned? Especially is this so, when loneliness is said to have reached epidemic proportions - such that the Government has seen fit to appoint a Minister for Loneliness. A Church Times article suggests that the Government will need help from the churches. How might we respond?

Certainly not on an ’us-to-them’ basis, but empathetically. Many of us have ’been there’ - for one reason or another, and to a greater or lesser degree.

Whatever help we might offer will be undergirded with prayer.

This year seems to have rushed past, and 2019 is almost upon us. In our parish there will be changes. Mary will be leaving us, and our wardens will carry extra responsibilities. In our personal lives we wonder - as ever - what the new year will bring. The 5th-century St Patrick knew God as ‘Emmanuel’.

Here is part of his prayer, known as his breastplate: ‘Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.’

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Mothers’ Union General Meeting 18th September 2018 Each year the meeting is hosted in a different diocese; this year it was Swansea & Brecon. The meeting is open to all members, whether office bearers or not, so it is an excellent opportunity to be informed of the global activities of Mothers’ Union and be inspired to support the work.

I was pleased to have the incentive, for a first visit, of it being the ‘Land of my Fathers’, one of my grandfather’s having been born in Swansea, of a seafaring family.

The opening event was a service in the Collegiate and Parish Church of Swansea, a very fine church, rebuilt after being destroyed in the last war. Our preacher was the Bishop of St David’s, Bishop Joanna! (The Archbishop of Wales had preached at the earlier service - too many people for one service).

The General Meeting was held in the Brangwyn Hall - the civic hall named after Sir Frank Brangwyn, whose huge mural paintings of flora and fauna adorn the interior.

In her address, The World Wide President, Lynne Tembey, spoke of some of the activity within the UK, such as involvement with ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ (Archbishop’s call to prayer between Ascension and Pentecost) and the Peace and Reconciliation movement at Coventry. MU now have their own cross of nails. Given that MU has 4 million members across the world, we then heard highlights of Lynne’s travels to encourage the Mothers’ Union work. For example: Barbados, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Burundi and Sri Lanka. She was leaving the next morning for Tanzania and Uganda.

Bev Jullien, CEO, talked to us of more local issues, but also of the initiative MULOA - Mothers’ Union Listens, Observes, Acts. This is a means of creating a vision grounded on members’ views and the needs of the communities in which they work.

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An independent view is that Mothers’ Union is uniquely placed, being ‘under the radar’ and politically and socially agile. Its emphasis on family relationships makes it acceptable and potent. For instance, in the Sudans, they do not evacuate their teams – they are a grass roots organisation.

And for a final taste of Wales we relaxed in the evening at a glorious concert given by a male voice choir and a very special small ladies choir.

One innovation this year is the introduction of a Friend category of membership. Look at the front page of the new website: (www.mothersunion.org) and follow easy leads explaining this. Membership of Mothers’ Union is not about cups of tea on a Wednesday afternoon - although fellowship is important and we are founded on prayer - but about supporting a significant outreach and charitable arm of the Anglican Communion.

Dorothea Nattrass Note: We have a small faithful membership of busy people in Haslemere, but only meeting occasionally for those cups of tea. Newcomers very welcome.

See me or Sue Davis ( phone number in the front of the Link Magazine).

Cards for Good Causes Friday 19th October - Saturday 15th December plus Sunday 2nd December Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.30 Sunday 2nd December 11am – 4pm Haslemere Cards for Good Causes is a multi-charity Christmas card shop selling cards (many with a religious theme) on behalf of 30 national and local charities including GUTS, Phyllis Tuckwell and the Fountain Centre.

This year we are also stocking cards for Whizz Kidz, which provides disabled children with the essential wheelchairs and other mobility equipment they need to lead fun and active childhoods.

Helped by the support of local volunteers, we are able to give a very high return to these charities. We also stock traditional advent calendars, wrapping paper, tags, stocking fillers and this year we have an excellent range of themed gifts.

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Refugees Maggie Hamilton No one leaves home unless Home is the mouth of a shark You only run for the border When you see the whole city running as well.

Your neighbours running faster than you Breath bloody in their throats……..

You only leave home when home won’t let you stay You have to understand That no one puts their children in a boat Unless the water is safer than the land.

Maggie at the Refugee Conference 2018

‘Home’ by Warsan Shire

We have two families of refugees living locally; both have come from Syria but have already spent many years living in Lebanon or Jordan before coming here. They have left behind everything: friends, family, home, jobs, possessions, culture and the familiar. The UK has seemed very alien to them: alphabet, language, food, clothing, culture, daily routines, education, housing and even the weather.

Like all refugees, they wish to integrate and live independently and for that to happen they need to speak English. The young children have proved to be fast learners due to total immersion in local schools. They have acquired a new alphabet, phonics, new methods of Maths etc. It is easier for the younger ones; they have fewer concrete memories and a youthful enthusiasm for life. The adults are making determined efforts to learn English, in great part due to the magnificent and dedicated efforts of volunteers. It is difficult for those who had a lower level of education when they were young in Syria.

It is not unusual in rural areas to start work at 10-12 years old. This makes it particularly hard to learn a second language as they have few grammar ‘pegs’ to hang English on.

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The teenagers are striving to settle into adolescent life and, in the case of one, secondary school. Whilst in Lebanon or Jordan, refugees often have little or no access to education or health care. This can lead to an inordinate number of dental visits in the early months of arrival! It also makes it more difficult for the adolescents to acquire a second language at the same time as getting to grips with the finer points of the Suffragette Movement or inert gases. Often the boys will have been working whilst refugees in Lebanon or Jordan; being sent back to school is therefore very difficult for them; achieving in our exam-driven education system is hard and as they start school before they have much English they are exhausted by the effort and can be depressed by their lack of progress. Obviously each family is different and so are their experiences both prior to their leaving Syria and upon settling in the UK. Volunteers have made a big difference to both families: facilitating visits for medical appointments, introducing them to playgroups, teaching them English for specific needs, helping them become accustomed to English ways, taking them shopping, providing transport for activities such as Brownies (a huge success) and football.

The volunteers have been ably supported by The Diocesan refugee Coordinator, Diane Peters, and the local authority. We have had to learn to support without judgement and to appreciate a radically different view of the way things should be at the same time as encouraging the families to integrate into society and understand the daily culture in the UK. All support is given in the knowledge that it has to be tapered off so that the families learn to stand on their own two feet. It is a gentle paced process with incremental changes being brought about.

As the few lines of poetry suggest, all refugees have suffered trauma and continue to do so as their home towns are destroyed and families left behind are displaced. They begin to realise that their chances of return are very small and they feel survivor’s guilt; they and their children are safe and have opportunities for a good future, whilst their close families do not. Events in Syria such as sick relatives, deaths, bombing of family homes, arrests of family members, even happy events like marriages all take place without them being able to visit. This is yet more trauma for these families. They do not leave the war behind them when they arrive in the UK. Social media ensures that it is ever present. The refugees desperately miss their families.

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The parish will continue to support the families and the schools. St Bartholomew’s School has been very keen and worked hard for the children’s experience to be positive; they have welcomed volunteer support. Emails and other communications are sent to me so that I am aware of what is happening and can explain matters to the family. I tend to give them a weekly timetable of events and try to include other activities such as medical appointments etc. A calendar that can be kept up to date and seen by all volunteers who go into the family home helps to avoid missed appointments and other changes to the weekly routine. All this support will be gradually reduced as they take more control of their lives. As Parish coordinator, I see my role as keeping in touch with the families and volunteers. With support from Diane, we are getting volunteers for specific activities. It is essential to maintain communication between the volunteers so that we are all giving the same support and advice. The volunteers meet and communicate regularly to share the challenges and the successes; it is necessary to support each other in our activities. It is alright to say I’m taking a break, or I can’t do this week we are volunteers.

It has been a steep learning curve, but all the volunteers can attest to the gratitude and wonderful hospitality of the families (and the delicious Syrian cooking!).

No one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear Saying- leave, Run away from me now I don’t know what I’ve become But I know that anywhere Is safer than here.

‘Home’ by Warsan Shire

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A Cautionary Tale always check the address before you send!

A Haslemere couple decided to go to Florida to avoid the freezing winter weather. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years ago.

They were a busy working couple and found it difficult to coordinate their travel plans. So the husband left from Heathrow on the Friday with his wife flying out the following day. The husband checked into his hotel room and emailed his wife with the news of his safe arrival. But unfortunately he omitted one letter of her email address and failed to realise his error.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Woking, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. He was a priest of many years’ service and had died suddenly from a heart attack. She decided to check her emails, thinking there might be messages of condolence from friends. On reading the first email she screamed and collapsed to the floor. Her son rushed into the room to see what was wrong and saw the computer screen, which read: ‘To: My Loving Wife.

Subject: I’ve arrived I have arrived safely and successfully checked in. Everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine.

PS. It’s absolutely scorching hot here.’

Contributed by Andrew Culshaw (With thanks to St John’s, Merrow, Parish Magazine)

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-

In My Garden Philip Duly

I grew my first dahlia at the tender age of 10. I cannot precisely recall the variety, but it was dark-leaved with profuse, single pink flowers and grew to be about 3 feet tall, so it may have been Juliet. This was the start of my lifelong love affair with dahlias. I have tried to develop a large collection of these easy-to-grow spectacular plants that dominate late summer and autumn borders.

I dread the day each year, usually in the first week of November, that I need to lift them, partly because many are often still flowering but also because the garden suddenly appears bereft of colour and dramatic effect. I dry them for a further three weeks until the tubers are ready to be carefully wrapped in newspaper and placed in boxes for the winter to be stored in the loft - my dahlias are nothing if not pampered!

This year's display was probably my best yet, thanks to abundant sunshine and the near-total absence of slugs, wind and rain during September and October.

I love each one of them equally, but I have chosen six varieties to represent this month's star plant: popular orange David Howard, dependable lilac Karma Prospero, mysterious crimson Chat Noir, delicate apricot Labyrinth, stunning scarlet Bloodstone and plate-sized yellow Kelvin Floodlight.

Chat Noir

Karma Prospero 28

Labyrinth Dahlia

Five-Spice Mango Turkey This is perfect for using up your cooked turkey or when cooking for numbers. It can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge which gives it time for the flavours to really infuse into the turkey meat. (Serves 8) Ingredients 750g. fresh cooked turkey meat, without bone Salt and pepper

Mango sauce 2 large mangoes, peeled 8 mild peppadew peppers from a jar 6 tblsp. Mango chutney 1 x 200ml. carton of Greek yoghurt 1 tblsp. Chinese five-spice powder Juice of 1 lemon A few drops of Tabasco sauce

Garnish:

fresh salad leaves, 2 mild peppadew peppers, thinly sliced, and chopped fresh parsley

Step 1

For the sauce, cut the flesh of one mango roughly into pieces and put in the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients, and whizz until smooth and blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Cut the turkey into neat pieces and mix with the mango sauce in a mixing bowl. Cut the flesh of the remaining mango into 1 cm. pieces and stir into the turkey mixture. Taste to check the seasoning.

Step 3

Spoon the turkey mixture into a dish, garnish with a few salad leaves, and sprinkle over the peppadew slices and parsley.

Happy Christmas!

Linda Donaldson 29

It’s a Small World…!

While chatting to a lady sitting beside me at a meeting in Farncombe, we discovered we both lived in Haslemere and had a number of things in common, so we agreed to meet up for a walk one day , with our respective husbands.

We did, got on well and arranged to meet again. On one such occasion the weather was cold and dismal, so the walk was ditched and we enjoyed an extended coffee time instead.

In the course of conversation I mentioned that my granddaughter had just gone to live in Vancouver. ‘Ah’, reminisced my new friend ‘we had one of our best holidays ever, travelling on the ‘Rocky Mountaineer’ train from Banff to Vancouver!’ ‘Why, so did we’, I exclaimed ‘and the amazing thing is that the people sitting in the seats behind us came from Haslemere!’ (Though we were living in Godalming at the time, it seemed close enough to marvel at.)

There was a silence. Thoughts whirred, the possibility considered… Could it be that they were the ‘couple from Haslemere’?... ‘When was your trip?’ ‘About 20 years ago’. ‘So was ours’….

Back home the photograph albums were dug out, dates checked and found to coincide (it was just under 20 years earlier) and, what is more, there were photographs of us all on the train, including one of us two ladies, deep in conversation, leaning on the railing on the viewing platform!

‘I must, say, I did think your face seemed somewhat familiar’, said she ‘but I thought it was probably from seeing you around town…’

20 years on, we took up where we had left off. It’s a small world, isn’t it?

AL DO SEND US YOUR ‘SMALL WORLD’ STORY! 30

Coming up…

In DECEMBER / JANUARY 2019

DECEMBER 2018 Sat 1 , 11.00am

Sun 1, 11.15am Sat 8, 7.30pm

Friends of the Parish Coffee & Concert: Rebecca Moon Song recital, St. Bartholomew’s Parish Christmas Café, The Link HHH Concert: Van Kuijk Quartet, St Christopher’s

JANUARY 2019 Mon 14, 8pm

Parish Praying, The Link: prayers for the vacancy

EVERYONE WELCOME TO THESE EVENTS!

Christmas Crackers Q: How did Mary and Joseph know that Jesus was 7lb 6oz when he was born?

A: They had a weigh in a manger

The first King-size bed.

Talking Turkeys A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the supermarket, but couldn't find one big enough for her family.

She asked an assistant, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"

The assistant replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

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Haslemere Museum Celebrating 130 Years Culture, Learning and Inspiration since 1888

What’s On at the Museum in December, 2018 Meet Santa at Haslemere Museum Sunday 2 December | 11am to 3pm | Free entry - £3 per child for Santa visit.

Santa will be paying a surprise visit to the Museum as part of the Haslemere Christmas Market. So bring your little ones along to meet Santa where they can tell him all their special Christmas wishes. Each child will receive a gift to take home. The Museum Tea Room will be open for tasty seasonal treats too! For more details, visit www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk Santa's Victorian Parlour at Haslemere Museum Thursday 20 December | 12pm - 4pm Friday 21 & Saturday 22 December | 10.30am - 4.30pm Monday 24 December | 10.30am - 12.30pm Museum Members £4 | Non Members £5 | No need to book Come and visit Santa as he takes times out before Christmas to relax in his charming Victorian parlour. Your little ones can tell him all their special Christmas wishes and each child will receive a gift to take home. Don't forget the Museum shop will be open too, so get Christmas all wrapped up and find gifts for all your friends and family - why not treat them to a Museum gift membership, the perfect present that lasts all year! For more details, visit www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk The Memory Museum at Haslemere Museum Thursday 20 December | 11am - 12noon | Free event Friendly, stimulating group sessions for carers and people affected by dementia.

This is an opportunity to look, handle and talk about objects from the Museum's diverse collections. The sessions are relaxed and held in an accessible, quiet space at the Museum. The Museum welcomes people with a wide range of diagnoses and stages of dementia. Places are limited, so booking is essential. To find out more, visit www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk 32

Haslemere Mummers at the Museum Saturday 22 December | 11am | Donations Welcome - no need to book.

Come along to a special 50th anniversary performance of this traditional English folk play, full of colourful characters and comic drama, providing 20 minutes of fun for everyone! For more details, visit www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk

What’s On at the Museum in January, 2019 Big Garden Bird Watch at the Museum Saturday 26 January | 10.30am - 1.30pm | Free event - no need to book.

Don’t miss this family drop in event at the Museum. A great opportunity for both children and adults to have fun together making bird cakes, getting hands on with craft activities and discovering the birds in the Museum grounds and galleries. For more details, visit www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk Tea and Talk at Haslemere Museum: Kingsley Green and the Hutchinson Legacy Tuesday 29 January | 2.30pm | Non-members £3 includes refreshments.

Join local resident Robin Ellks for a fascinating insight into how the Museum founder’s family changed the face of this small woodland and farming community. Robin traces the development of the hamlet from the setting up of the Tollgate in 1749 through to its modern day expansion. For more details, visit www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk

Responsibility for opinions and accuracy in statements expressed in articles in this magazine rests solely with the individual contributors.

Sunday School meets during the 10am Parish Eucharist 1st Sundays at St Bartholomew’s (in the Link) 2nd and 4th Sundays at St Christopher’s (in the Lady Chapel)

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2 Dec Advent Sunday

6 Jan The Epiphany

08.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Parish Eucharist | St Bartholomew’s 18.00 Darkness to Light Advent Carol Service | St Bartholomew’s

08.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Parish Eucharist | St Bartholomew’s

13 Jan Baptism of Christ 08.00 10.00 11.30 16.00

9 Dec Advent 2 08.00 10.00 11.30 16.00

Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s Parish Eucharist | St Christopher’s Matins | St Bartholomew’s Families@4 | St Bartholomew’s

20 Jan Epiphany 3 08.00 Holy Communion, St Christopher’s 10.00 All Age | St Bartholomew’s 11.30 Praying on Sunday | St Christopher’s

16 Dec Advent 3 08.00 10.00 16.00 18.00

Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s Parish Eucharist | St Christopher’s Matins | St Bartholomew’s Families@4 | St Bartholomew’s

Holy Communion, St Christopher’s All Age | St Bartholomew’s Carol Service | St Christopher’s Carol Service | St Bartholomew’s

27 Jan Epiphany 4 08.00 Holy Communion, St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Parish Eucharist | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s & presentation of the church record

23 Dec Advent 4 08.00 Holy Communion, St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Parish Eucharist | St Christopher’s

Saturday 2 Feb Candlemas Choral Eucharist | St Christopher’s

Follow the star for our

3 Feb Candlemas

Christmas Services

RECTOR’S LAST SUNDAY

Monday 24 & Tuesday 25 Dec - listed opposite

08.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 UB Service | St Bartholomew’s & Farewell to Mary!

30 Dec 1st After Christmas

haslemereparish.org

08.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 UB Service | St Christopher’s 34

Christmas Services Sunday 16 December 16.00 St Christopher’s Carols by candlelight

18:00 St Bartholomew’s Carol Service Christmas Eve 11.00 Crib Service | St Christopher’s All welcome, especially under 5s

16.00 Nativity & Christingle | St Bartholomew’s Come in good time to get a seat. Collection for the Children’s Society

11.30 Midnight Communion | St Bartholomew’s

Christmas Day Family Communion 09.30 St Bartholomew’s Children bring your favourite present(s)

11.00 St Christopher’s Christmas jumpers encouraged, but not compulsory!

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