Haslemere Parish Magazine April/ May 2025 by haslemereparish

Haslemere Parish Contacts

Rector: Rev Chris Bessant 01428 658107

rector@haslemereparish.org

Assc. Minister: Rev Jus n Manley-Cooper 07798 932843 revjus n@haslemereparish.org

Verger: St Bartholomew’s Carol Skeates 01428 642662

Parish Oﬃce

The Link, Derby Road

Haslemere GU27 1BS Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9am-3pm oﬃce@haslemereparish.org www.haslemereparish.org

01428 644578

Parish Administrator, Electoral Roll Oﬃcer and Link Bookings:

Kari Hayden

Contact Parish Oﬃce see above.

Safeguarding Oﬃcer

Kari Hayden 07762 737309

Safeguarding@haslemereparish.org

Church Wardens

Howard Body 07900 914155

Gareth David 01428 643617

Deputy Warden

David Simmons 01428 644826

LLM (Reader)

Peter Sellars midsummer4peter@gmail.com

Director of Music & Organist

Clive Osgood 07747 785 940

Older Children’s Worker

Verity Sutherland children@haslemereparish.org

Children & Families Worker

Victoria Mar n families@haslemereparish.org

First Steps

Mondays in St Christopher’s 0-5 Year Olds

Sophie Bessant & Victoria Mar n families@haslemereparish.org

Treasurer Andrew Culshaw: 07889 855239

Gi Aid Secretary

Geoﬀ Mar n 01428 641907

PCC Secretary

Ka e Morgan 07794 149111 secretary@haslemereparish.org

Facili es 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.

Facili es for the hard of hearing;

Both churches and The Link have Sound ampliﬁca on and hearing loops.

Facili es for the visually Impaired; Both churches have good interior ligh ng and large print weekly no ce sheets and service sheets.

Please recycle this magazine when you have read it. Either into paper recycling, or be er s ll, pass it on to a friend

Bell-ringers

Paul Bagshaw 01428 656129

Friends of the Parish

Chris Lemar 01428 651435

Flowers

St Bartholomew’s

Sarah Mulliner 01428 643504

St Christopher’s

Frances Reincke 01428 607206

Church Care Group

Roscelin Rees 01428 651561

Churchyards

Philip Hunt 01428 644120

Pastoral Visitors

Church Oﬃce 01428 644578

Pastoral Assistants

Ruth Pa enden 01428 653033

Wendy Neate 01428 656320

Bereavement Visitors

Linda Donaldson 01428 644473

Sarah Mulliner 01428 643504

Wendy Neate

Mothers’Union Treasurer

Sue Davis 01428 661115

BRF Representa ve

Sarah Mulliner 01428 643504

Magazine Secretary

Jane Slevin 07949 633979 oﬃce@haslemereparish.org

Magazine Adver sements Manager:

Geoﬀ Mar n 01428 641907

Safeguarding Contacts:

Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor is:

Jackie Broadfoot 07918 559387 jackie.broadfoot@cofeguildford.org.uk

Safe Spaces, an independent service suppor ng survivors of church-related abuse. Telephone: 0300 303 1056

Email safespaces@vic msupport.org.uk WebChat via the Safe Spaces website

For all emergencies call 999

The Single Point of Access (SPA)

Children and Adult Service social workers. Direct informa on, advice and guidance about where and how to ﬁnd appropriate support for children and families:

Surrey 0300 470 9100 (children) cspa@surreycc.gov.uk (adult) acsmash@surreycc.gov.uk

Domes c Abuse

Surrey - YourSanctuary 01483 776822

24hr Na onal Domes c Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247

DeafHope (BSL) text: 07970 350366

Childline 0800 1111

Na onal Society for the Preven on of Cruelty to Children

NSPCC 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk

NSPCC Sign Video link nspcc.org.uk/aboutus/contact-us

Samaritans 116123 or jo@samaritans.org

Modern Day Slavery Helpline 0800 01210700

Mental Health Crisis Helpline 0300 5000 101

Open 5.00pm - 9.00am Monday to Friday 24 hours cover at weekends inc Bank Holidays

SMS tex ng facility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing: 07717 989024

Stop it Now! 0808 1000 900 www.stopitnow.org.uk

Dear Friends

I have had several reasons to both write and receive invita ons recently. That is rather nice. Many of you won’t be aware of the common tasks of an Area Dean (such as I am), with my regional oversight responsibili es for many of the churches between Guildford and Haslemere. Part of that is to arrange the licensing services for new ministers arriving to their parishes - new Vicars if you like. In the Godalming Deanery we have two on the go at the moment - Witley and Milford. I’m working with the churchwardens of those parishes to get their celebra on services arranged, and to invite the local community to be part of that. Usually, the vacancy me between ministers can be at least a year, some me even more, so when the me ﬁnally comes everyone is happy. As a thing to be doing in the spring and early summer, it’s a joy to see the an cipa on and feeling of freshness that comes with a new minister.

Welcome into the church is a ministry all of itself. By welcome I mean the feeling one might give or receive when coming to a new church for the ﬁrst me. You might have heard me say before that the most important place in the church is the door. Many of us have been regulars in Haslemere Parish for years, but have you ever had the experience of going somewhere new on a visit, or arriving here for the ﬁrst me? The welcome we receive ma ers a lot but is much more than a smile at the entrance. Welcome is also helping those new to become comfortable with our services, and to be given the chance to be s ll in a new place and not ‘set upon’. Also, those who are new may appreciate being invited to the refreshments a er the service or even a chance to meet and greet others. It never ceases to irk me when newcomers stay for refreshments but are then le standing on their own as us regulars talk to those we know! Welcome is quite a skill.

For a few years now it’s been my hope that we can begin to form a ministry of welcome, so that we can be both watchful and a en ve to the needs of those coming new to our churches. The same is true for those who have stopped coming for whatever reason. They don’t always get followed up. At those special

mes of the year, especially such as Easter, this is an important ministry and a way for us to serve as disciples of Christ. The church grows and ﬂourishes by ones and twos. It’s all about rela onships and reputa on, as I seem always to be saying. I’m going to be sharing a bit more about welcome in my sermons as we approach Easter, and it’s my hope to form a ministry team to work on that. Anyone interested? I would be glad to hear from you.

Holy Week and Easter are running quite late this year, with Easter Sunday being 20th April. From Palm Sunday un l the resurrec on of our Lord, so the familiar and special story unfolds as we witness Jesus make his journey of life and death for us. Do please see the dates on the back page and certainly note our customary gathering for Maundy Thursday, when we share the Passover Meal that evening. That me together brings us close to the Last Supper and all which followed in the desola on of Jesus’s prayers at Gethsemane, his arrest and trial. The same night we leave our churches in desola on, stripped naked for the watch of the Good Friday cruciﬁxion.

In the new Easter Day light of resurrec on, so there will be an early dawn service in celebra on of that me when the women visited the tomb to ﬁnd it empty. That is a 6:00am service, but with breakfast to follow. It’s a special me, so do please join us! Through that glorious morning we shall rejoice in thanksgiving for all Christ has done for us by his salva on, with further services at 8:00am, 9:30am and 11:00am. Once again, do please see all the details on the back page.

Finally, do note the date of the Church Annual Mee ng (the APCM) on Monday 28th April in the evening at St Bartholomew’s. That is our me to report, celebrate and give thanks. There is some oﬃcial business to be done, but then drinks, nibbles and a lot of friendship as all God’s people together. Please feel that welcome.

God bless you all, Rector Chris

Our Church Opening Times:

St Bartholomew's is open for private prayer each day, from 9:00am un l 4:00pm.

St Christopher's Church is open for private prayer on Tuesdays-Fridays from 10:00am un l 4:00pm.

The above may be adjusted should there be other events taking place.

Link Community Hub Update

As I write this on 20th March we have achieved a major milestone - we have chosen a contractor! The tender process started just before Christmas with four companies submitting their responses in mid-February. Since then these have been analysed in detail by our Quantity Surveyor and our project team has also taken the opportunity to visit some of the contractors current building sites to see them in action.

Whilst at the time of writing we are unable to disclose the successful contractor, as contractual details are still being negotiated, it looks very much as if we will have them on site in early May with a target completion date in early 2026.

So whilst you are reading this, considerable effort will be going into clearing the Link - some items will be needed close to hand and moved into the church, others stored offsite and much disposed of. Much thought, led by the Rector, has been given to maintaining the Link based activities - Thursday and Sunday coffee, the Parish Office, choirs, children's and youth work as well as external users.

You will see some temporary changes in St Bart’s - the pews in the north aisle will be removed and placed in safe storage, a partition will be built at the west end of the aisle to provide accessible storage and changing facilities for the choirs and the Parish Office will relocate to the inner vestry. Chairs and tables from the Link will be placed in the cleared space for coffees and meetings.

This will be a period of considerable change and you can expect regular updates as the detail of the arrangements becomes clearer.

In the meantime we must also thank everyone for honouring their pledges so that we can sign the contract in the confidence that we have the funds in place. And our thanks for your continued prayers which mean so much to us,

Andrew, Cathy and Debbie

Update

Jan - Feb 25

The First Steps group has had a fantas c start to the New Year - the eagerly awaited Epiphany session did not disappoint as the photos below are testament to.

Complete with their Magi gi s of gold, frankincense and myrrh our highly convincing trio made a grand entrance during Circle Time. The crowns that the Magi are regally wearing were the cra for the session and as you can see each crown has been lovingly and custom made for the event. A er which they carefully followed the star, which led them to the awai ng group of families, when we re-told the wonderful event of the Magi mee ng Jesus. S ll in character our Magi proceeded to show their precious gi s, to the children, as we explained their signiﬁcance.

Following on from the Epiphany session we learnt about Jesus ge ng lost during the Passover fes val and subsequently being found by his parents in the Temple. Next was Mary and Martha - for this Circle Time I invited the children to help me tell the story by carrying out the ac ons of the two sisters. I can conﬁrm that the area was amazingly cleaned by the children, and that they cooked up a storm in the play kitchen although it did get quite confusing as we had about 10 Marthas at this point!

Chris na took the next week with a wonderful recoun ng of The Good Shepherd with the children each playing the part of a diﬀerent animal. As you will see from

the photo the children were totally engaged and loving the story.

Jonah and the Whale followed. Sadly we didn’t get a photo, but Elaine was a great sport donning the obligatory blow-up whale and drama cally swallowing the poor doll posing as Jonah!

The last, but by absolutely no means least, session before the half term was expertly taken by Zoe with a wonderful re-telling of Noah complete with props and drama c storms!

During each session the children have the opportunity to make a cra related to the theme of that week; these cra s are displayed on a no ce board in St Christopher’s Church (on the le wall a er the double doors) so please do take the me to have a look the next me you are there.

Wri en by Victoria Mar n Photos taken by Elaine Galt

New Royal Patron HRH, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

Mothers’ Union has had the privilege of enjoying royal patronage since its founda on in 1876, and we are delighted that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Edinburgh, has accepted the invita on to con nue this tradi on.

As our new patron, The Duchess of Edinburgh is commi ed to helping strengthen families and communi es to deal with issues that impact them.

"We are honoured that Her Royal Highness has chosen to join us as patron," says Mothers’ Union Worldwide President, Kathleen Snow. "The Duchess will bring strength and inspira on for the work we all do. We are especially grateful for Her Royal Highness’s experience and commitment to championing the most marginalised, par cularly those who are impacted by violence and abuse in conﬂict.”

MU members are so pleased to have such a lovely successor to our dear late Queen Elizabeth. Dorothea Na rass

Glorious Grayswood Open Gardens Sunday

1st June 2025

Firmly established as a village tradi on, Grayswood is proud to open its gardens for the seventh me. As well as 11 gardens, there is a display of Classic Cars at Grayswood Cars, yummy teas and home-made cakes at the Village Hall and a bumper plant sale on the green for visitors to snap up some bargains.

The gardens are a diverse mix of large and small, ranging from formal through to co age style. Many are terraced, with interes ng designs. New this year is a fascina ng garden, rarely open to the public.

The gardens will be open from 11.30 - 4.30. Tickets cost £6, on sale at Wyck House and the Village Hall.

This is a great village occasion with so many people contribu ng by providing plants and cakes, volunteering for cket and tea sales and adver sing in the programme.

The funds raised are used to support the fabric and grounds of our lovely Arts and Cra s style church, All Saints.

For more informa on go to: h ps://www.facebook.com/grayswoodopengardens or email: grayswoodopengardens@gmail.com

S B ’

C E P S

Over Autumn and Winter new air source heat pumps have been installed at our school to replace our aging gas boilers which were no longer fully opera onal.

The air source heat pumps have been funded through the Public Sector Decarbonisa on Scheme (PSDS) to decarbonise public sector buildings which was applied for by Guildford Diocese. Decarbonisa on is the reduc on of carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon power sources to achieving a lower output of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere to reduce and avoid CO₂ emissions.

Over the course of a couple of years we have been working with Guildford Diocese and Reenergise and our new air source heat pumps from Wiessmann were ﬁnally switched over in February. The new air source heat pumps are being monitored by Weissmann who feedback the data to Guildford Diocese to ensure they are working eﬃciently.

Air source heat pumps are like a fridge working in reverse by taking in the air and turning it into heat for our radiators and hot water and we have a ached a diagram with photos.

The addi on of the air source heat pumps has added to our solar panels as a source of green energy. Last year we also reduced our carbon footprint by introducing LED lights throughout the school.

We would like to thank Guildford Diocese for their support for these works and also to our Site Manager, Gary, and Premises Lead, Jackie, who have all been instrumental in ge ng these works from the planning stage to comple on.

Simon Avenell

Spotlight on Dominic Slevin

A move from Ireland to England in search of work, a colourful career in quan ty surveying and project management and a garden full of homegrown vegetables are some of the highlights in the life of DOMINIC

SLEVIN

By Gareth David

Growing up in Ireland

“I grew up in rural Ireland, a village in Tipperary that is 15 miles from Limerick city, and was the oldest of ﬁve children. I had a pre y contented childhood - we didn’t have a television un l I was about 11 so I read a great deal and s ll read an average of two books a week. It is my wind-down and my wind-up! We were quite a religious (Catholic) family and as the saying goes, the family that prays together, stays together so it was Rosary every night for many years.

“I went to a Convent secondary school at a place called Newport. That was mostly OK, though I was quite small, so did get bullied quite a lot, but then suddenly hit a growth spurt and grew several inches in a year. Then I went to the Regional Technical College at Limerick in 1982 aged 16, studying to become a Quan ty Surveyor, where we were taking exams set in London by the Royal Ins tu on of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). That was brutal, and I think I was the only survivor of my ﬁrst year.

“Having survived the course, I graduated at the age of 20. In my ﬁnal year there were 24 of us, but just one of them managed to ﬁnd a job in Ireland as this was before the whole Cel c Tiger boom and Ireland was pre y much a third world country in those days, very conserva ve and with so li le work available.

Moving to England

“So about half of my year ended up in London in 1986 when there was a miniboom in construc on ac vity and there was no problem in ge ng a job. I lived in Wimbledon to begin with, but gradually began to dri south-west, to Raynes Park, New Malden, Epsom and then, a er six months in Brighton when I ﬁrst met Jane, to Haslemere (in 2007).

“When I first came to England I joined a small firm [Wilson Colbeck] and for a me was Cathedral Quan ty Surveyor at Wells, while also working on Salisbury, Worcester and Chichester Cathedrals. That was very interes ng and off the back of that I got work at the Houses of Parliament on the ini al external repairs project in the early 1990s.

“I also worked on the restora on of Brighton Pavilion, the Albert Memorial and loads of Na onal Trust proper es. At the same me I was doing heavy engineering, so we were doing fuel installa ons for RAF bases at the height of the Cold War, as well as pubs for Young’s and laboratory blocks for SmithKline Beecham. It was a really eclec c mix. Then I began to get more involved in project management and never looked back.

From Quan ty Surveyor to Project Manager

“A er seven years at Wilson & Colbeck I had the opportunity to move to a larger ﬁrm in central London called Dearle & Henderson, where I focussed on project management and business development. Within three years I was a company director with responsibility for the private sector and a mul disciplinary team of 37 people.

“A er the takeover of Dearle & Henderson by a business called Erinaceous that subsequently went bust, I moved on to a company called Buro Four, and stayed there for four years. This was an Employee Beneﬁt Trust that had an amazing set-up, with four visionary founding partners. But in the four years I was there, one died, two re red and the other decided to take a back seat. A er that, the culture of the business changed and due to all these changes, it seemed like a good me to go it alone. So in 2014, Jane and I decided to set up our own management consultancy business.

My speciality now is represen ng a client when they undertake major office fit outs in London and other European ci es. This includes disposal and acquisi on of the office property, managing the full design and the contractors who fit out the office, business and organisa onal change, communica ons and keeping everything on budget and in the right me frame. Herding cats would be easier!

Family

“I met my wife Jane at work in 2006, when I was s ll in an unhappy marriage. Things had come to a point where I eventually walked out and moved in with Jane in Brighton for six months. At that me, she was also working for Dearle & Henderson in the Worthing oﬃce on the Warm Front project.”

“I have two boys, Declan aged 35 and Aidan, who is 31, from my ﬁrst marriage

and Jane also has two children from previous marriages, James who is 50 this year and Deborah who is 37. Both Declan and Aidan have always lived in England, and I have never tried to tell them they were Irish or English, but if asked would probably say they were Irish and both s ll have Irish passports.

“My parents are both s ll alive and s ll playing golf in in their 80s and my four siblings are all back in Ireland now. There have been opportuni es for me to go back to Ireland, but I am used to working at a fast pace in a dynamic environment, whereas back there trying to manage projects would be very diﬀerent. Ireland has changed drama cally since I le , but I s ll feel comfortable there because it has a nice feel to it.

Heading for Haslemere

“We were not intending to move to Haslemere but could not aﬀord any property in London and began looking further and further out. We looked at a property on Shepherd’s Hill, but didn’t like it, so the agent men oned another property in Longdene Road which we immediately decided was the place we wanted to buy.

“By this me I had fallen out of love with the Catholic church, which was so stymying and had such a fascina on with sin. At the me some of the abuses by church leaders were beginning to be made known, so I just dri ed away and it was only when I met Jane that we agreed we wanted to return to church life.

“We went to an 11.00am Book of Common Prayer service at St. Bart’s and I was rather bemused. But the then Rector, Norman Jones, spoke to us and suggested we would be more comfortable at the family service. The following week we went to a 10.00am service, which was remarkably similar to what I knew from the Catholic Church.

Living the good life in Haslemere

“Landing in Haslemere was non-planned but we are very lucky here and have the best neighbours you could imagine. Ge ng involved in the church was a big thing for me and this is the ﬁrst place I’ve lived where I really feel part of the community. We started going to St. Bart’s in 2008 and got married there the following year [by special permission from Rector Norman Jones].

“Jane was roped in by Sandy Clarke to help with Sunday School, and later joined the PCC, which I was also persuaded to join. By then we had also become involved with FROG through Norman Rogers, and when he withdrew, I ended up chairing FROG for about ﬁve years.

“Through the PCC I also got asked to look at a new sound system for St. Bart’s,

for which I managed the delivery and installa on, and then the ligh ng at St. Bart’s, which I also managed. But long hours and travelling for work made it too much so we backed out a bit, although I s ll am a Server at St. Bart’s.

“As I approach my 60th birthday later this year it would be nice to try to cut back on work commitments, but I have four projects to deliver for Sage over the next year, so will start to look at a diﬀerent style of consul ng when they are completed, maybe not doing a full ﬁve days a week.

“Aside from work and the church I am a keen golfer, enjoy watching rugby and am also a keen gardener. During lockdown we were upgrading the house and had ripped out all the old ﬂoorboards, so I used them to create some plan ng beds and we began growing our own vegetables, which has since morphed into seven proper plan ng beds and I am proud to say that we did not buy any vegetables between May and October last year.”

Goodwood Marshals’ Track Day

Richard Reincke

I crept gingerly into the garage and there she sat, the Alfa in blissful ignorance of the day ahead. I climbed in past the ping pong table and various other items crammed into the garage, which I cannot bear to throw away, and into the sleeping beast.

The engine started and I could detect a grumbling and syncopated rhythm as the v6 engine turned over the freezing oil.

The thermometer was registering minus one, and the rather worn winter tyres were having trouble gripping with even the slightest hint of accelera on.

As we sped out of Haslemere the usual mixture of bin lorries, people who seemed to have no idea where they were going, and assorted HGVs ex nguished any hope of a quick run down to the Goodwood circuit. However, a er a swi overtake of a double decker bus which seemed keen to break the land speed record between

Midhurst and Singleton, the road cleared, and we arrived at the circuit with a grey overhung sky.

Very li le sign of life aside from a cluster of enthusias c people signing in at the S rling Moss brieﬁng room.

Then straight to the sound test and much revving of engines and a faint murmur of “must you” from the Alfa before gunning her revs to ﬁve thousand and the grumble turned to an angry purring roar.

Thumbs up. Brieﬁng done by the ever cheery but authorita ve marshal John holding up his assortment of ﬂags and explaining their meaning.

Back out to the paddock and there was Tristan with a beaming smile bringing welcome sunshine into the gloom and rolling his ludicrously fast BMW out of the trailer.

Then it started snowing. So, we repaired to the Aero club for a prolonged breakfast and much banter about our varied motoring experiences. All the morning sessions had been cancelled and a procession of landrovers, lorries and 4x4s drove forlornly round the circuit trying desperately to clear the snow.

Fortunately, the a ernoon session was a go so we lined up in the pit lane for the oﬀ. As you approach the red light at the entrance to the track the adrenalin starts to course through every sinew like a thousand coiled springs. The green light

releases all the adrenalin, and it is almost as if the Alfa has picked up on it and has ﬁnally awoken.

The 250 horses scrabble for grip on the cold surface of the track, the front wheels twitch and dart to le and right and the orange trac on light flashes - as if I no ce! - and then it’s hard on the brakes for Madgwick, a double apex corner to fool all those who have forgo en to wait for the tyres to warm, a quick squirm and a twitch from the rear wheels to remind me to keep the foot flat down on the boards. Fordwater beckons and the roar of the engine pulls us forward as we change up through the gears, third, fourth, fi h, bouncing off the rev limiter at 7,000 and then a slight dri as we approach St Mary’s the only le hander on the track. Help where’s third? Ah got it as we press on hard round before dropping weightless into the dip before Lavant corner, the scene of an “off” in a previous track day. The Alfa has woken up now all blistering speed and angry revs, oil hot and the tyres mercifully grip as we hit the apex and then full thro le on the Lavant straight, quick check in the mirror and surge past three rear wheel drive cars struggling in the cold condi ons, and head on down the Lavant straight, 80, 100, 120 , brakes BRAKES, a quick wiggle from rear, crash down into third and round Woodcote, a sharp right hander, hit the apex and flat down for a couple of seconds before hard breaking and kiss the entry to chicane dri out onto the rumble strip and away down the pit straight for another lap, the front of the Alfa rising up with full power and wheels pulling this way and that, engine purring and roaring, steering wheel twitching, quick check in the mirror, where’s that GT3?

The tyres are now beginning to grip as we exit Madgwick for the second me and the long Fordwater straight is devoured with ease, but what was that, the rear end a bit frisky before the right turn into St Mary’s, round Lavant corner and a bit of a dri out to the straight, the ﬁrm suspension keeping her rock steady without a trace of roll and hurtling down towards Woodcote and hec cally threading through the chicane and out onto the pit straight.

A er six or seven laps the chequered ﬂag comes out at the entrance of the pit lane and the session is complete.

This par cular track day was organised by the Marshals Club and all the proceeds go to two worthy causes, The Goodwood Educa on Trust providing essen al experience of the countryside and nature to hundreds of urban-based children and Cancerwise, a Chichester based charity suppor ng cancer suﬀerers.

So aside from the excitement of the track day it is a good feeling to think that all the money spent to prepare the Alfa and tear round Goodwood is all for a good cause.

Church Youth Groups

The Den’s ﬁrst mee ng of the New Year began with a session on the Parable of the Two Builders and how good founda ons can be built for the year ahead. The children were challenged to construct a small house, or any kind of structure, out of a pile of natural materials and these were very impressive. Some also headed outside with Peter and Robert to make a much larger construc on - a beau ful willow den.

We discussed how in this parable, Jesus was saying that we can have strong founda ons in our lives and face any storm if we listen to His Word and put it into ac on. We cha ed about how a good place to start with our founda ons is the Ten Commandments and ended with two prayers sta ons to help them with their fresh start in 2025. They wrote down things that didn’t go so well the year before and that they wanted to let go of, and we encouraged them to say a prayer as they shredded those words using a hand shredder or dissolved them in water. It was suggested that they might want to say a prayer asking God to help them with their worries and to let them dissolve away inside. Lastly, they decorated a cup with posi ve s ckers of bible verses as a reminder of the importance of pu ng God’s Word into ac on in our lives every day.

Our ‘Summer in Winter’ party last year was such a success that we decided to make it an annual event! The idea is to bring light, laughter and hope into what can be a dark and gloomy me of year. Various sta ons were set up ready for when the children arrived - juice cocktail making, sand treasure hun ng, human hoopla, swing ball and balloon volleyball. There was also a cra where the children wrote a prayer and

put it in a jar with some coloured sand and a shell, to keep in their room at home as a reminder to keep praying about whatever is in their heart. We then had a group game of Shark (and lobster) Tank before heading upstairs for our discussion me, which was about God’s miracles, past and present.

We spoke about what a miracle is and thought about some of the miracles in the Bible and then shared some stories of more recent miracles that have happened to those around us. Andrew Culshaw kindly shared his own very inspiring story about when his heart stopped and all that followed, which was very moving and has had a huge impact on his life and faith. The children really engaged with his story. We wanted the kids to realise that miracles s ll happen today, and God is at work in people’s lives. Some mes we do not realise the amazing things He is doing at the me, and why, and only see the bigger picture down the line. We ended the session with ice-cream, the ﬁnal nod to our summer in winter experience!

On the 29th January we celebrated Candlemas. We did night light jar pain ng with luminous paint, and candle decora ng with wax pens and candle ta oos. There was a scavenger hunt and an outside game before we headed upstairs for our discussion me where we talked about Candlemas and how it falls 40 days a er Christmas (2nd Feb) as this was when Mary and Joseph visited the temple with baby Jesus for the first me to present him to the Lord. The kids dressed up and acted out the story, including when elderly Anna and Simeon recognised Jesus as the saviour and a light for all na ons. We spoke about how we light candles at Candlemas as we remember this important bible story and that Jesus is the light of the world. We also shared the story of Alexander Papaderos who found a fragment of broken mirror as a child during the Second World War and carved it into a circle. Alexander would play a game where he would reflect the sunlight into the darkest places he could find. As he grew up it became symbolic for him as to the meaning of his life. He dedicated his life to trying to reflect light into the darkest places and hearts to bring about change in people. Each child was given a small round mirror to keep. We reminded the kids

that we too can reﬂect Jesus’s light into people’s lives when they are going through hard mes, and how we can be a light for our friends and family. We spoke about how it is also important to reﬂect light towards people who we may think don’t deserve it, such as school bullies, as they may just be hur ng inside. Light conquers darkness and we can bring about real change in people. We thought about how we can try to be a light in every nega ve/dark situa on.

Our annual ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ community project took place on the 12th February when we made some love-themed gi s to bring some of God’s light and love into the lives of people living on the Kiln Avenue Estate, near St Bartholomew’s Church. The children made Lego hearts with ‘you are loved’ s ckers on (thank you Sarah Dodd from Brilliant Bricks) and bees wax wraps (an eco-friendly alterna ve to clingﬁlm for your food). These were put into paper bags, each with a li le jar of jam and an upli ing bible verse s cker on the outside. There were also cra ed polymer clay heart keyrings with ‘u r loved’ or ‘u rock’ and other posi ve messages stamped into them, together with a label with a love-themed bible verse. Lastly, li le bags were ﬁlled with jelly tots with a s cker ‘love you lots like jelly tots’ and another bible verse s cker. We discussed the idea of loving our neighbour as ourselves and how the Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us to show kindness to everyone. A er a prayer we divided into teams and delivered our cra s.

Our ﬁrst session a er half term focussed on Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent. We were very lucky with the weather and were able to hold our own ‘Pancake Olympics’ in the grounds of St Christopher’s. Firstly, we cut up Palm crosses and put them into a ﬁre to make some Ash Wednesday ash which was

taken to St Bartholomew’s Church for the evening service. We then played lots of silly games ﬂipping pancakes! Discussion me was in The Den room, and we spoke about how some Chris ans in the Bible would wear sackcloth and sprinkle themselves with ashes as an outward sign of repentance and humility on Ash Wednesday. Lara dressed in sackcloth as did several of the children. We discussed the meaning behind Ash Wednesday and Lent and were very impressed to hear what some of them were doing for Lent. We looked at how it doesn’t have to be just about giving something up, it can also be about doing something diﬀerent to make a posi ve impact or making a change that will bring you closer to God and make more room for Him.

Lastly, we spoke about how some mes we do things that we wished we hadn’t and how that makes us feel. The children wrote down anything they wanted to say sorry to God for on a cardboard cross and threw these into the ﬁre. Verity said a prayer and those who wanted to had an Ash cross on their forehead with Robert saying the words “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return”.

Summit’s first session back was mainly a social event to help everyone reconnect a er the break. It began with board games and burgers and then there was a recap and reflec on on the December Summit Sleepout, watching and discussing the sleepout video together. Verity handed out cer ficates and read a le er of thanks from the Church Urban Fund. Since this session the la er has also sent medals for each child, and we were informed that £2011 had been raised. This was more than we originally thought as we hadn’t taken Gi Aid into considera on. We are planning to do more work to support those who are sleeping rough or in sheltered accommoda on and Summit members seem keen to do this par cular fundraiser again in December.

Kirsty Jones (Jessica’s mum) spoke about the work she does with the homeless. She shared the story of a gentleman who was just out of prison and had nowhere

to go but with her help and the support of others, was given a second chance, to start again and build a be er life. Rev. Chris asked the young people to think of a par cular bible story which also linked in with this - the na vity story, when Mary and Joseph had no place to stay, and the innkeeper helped them not knowing them or the importance of the baby Mary was carrying. The Innkeeper gave them a chance and we spoke about how we can also do the same. Kirsty shared an important website link with Summit, saying that if anyone ever sees a homeless person, they can use this website to help connect people sleeping rough to local services. h ps://thestreetlink.org.uk. Lastly Rev. Chris spoke to Summit about Conﬁrma on as we hope they will all eventually choose to take this next step in their faith.

At our most recent session this term we met at Sho ermill Infant School where we had some lessons in self-defence from a local judo teacher, Fiona Chan. Our discussion me was about pu ng on God’s Armour and its importance in the spiritual protec on of our heart, mind and spirit.

A lot is planned for The Den and Summit in the coming months, and we look forward to telling you all about what we have been doing.

For more details of The Den and Summit contact: Verity Sutherland, Children & Families Worker (Older Children) Email: Children@haslemereparish.org

Sue & Verity

Photos by Verity

Haslemere Museum

Earth Day

Celebra on

Families are invited to come along to Haslemere Museum’s free Earth Day event on Saturday 26 April, where they can enjoy a variety of indoor and outdoor displays, information stalls and children’s activities provided by wildlife and conservation organisations.

Organisations from across Surrey will be there to celebrate sustainability and the environment, with a day of fun and learning in the week of international Earth Day.

Kay Topping, Education Officer at Haslemere Museum, says, “There will be lots of activities for children and information for adults, and lots of partners all passionate about the environment.”

Earth Day is celebrated around the world every year to educate and activate the environmental movement. The official date of international Earth Day is 22 April, but Haslemere Museum’s Earth Day event will be on the Saturday of the same week, from 10.30am till 4pm.

“Surrey offers a habitat to a surprising number of species, not least because it has retained more of the UK’s fast-shrinking woodland than other counties,” says Haslemere Museum’s Education Officer, Kay Topping. “We need to protect our owls, bees, bats, otters, nightjars and even snakes. Join us for a free day of fun and discovery!”

www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk |Facebook |Twitter

Haslemere Celebrates the 80th Anniversary of VE Day

Saturday 10th May,

3pm to 9pm

Ken Griffiths

This free to attend event on Lion Green is sponsored by Haslemere Town Council, Haslemere Events, Shottermill Great War Memorial Trust and Haslemere Festival. To mark the occasion there will be a full sized replica Spitfire on the Green plus WW2 military vehicles, stages, stalls, Festival Bar and marquees. Musical entertainment will be provided by Rhythm & Groove Big Band (an 18 piece band in the style of Glen Miller), Music Works Choir, Blue Ray swing/jazz band, Sarah Prescott and a local Ukulele Band.

There will also be talks to reflect the period. These will include:

Haslemere during the War.

Farming during the War including the role of Land Girls.

Queens Royal Surrey Brigade.

Recollections of VE Day.

The War at Sea.

Why we fought the War in Europe.

Important Allies.

War not over on VE Day - Leading to VJ Day.

The event will be opened by the Mayor of Haslemere and His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Surrey at 3:00 pm and will go on until 9:00 pm, with any proceeds going to the Royal British Legion.

In the lead up to the event on Lion Green, the lampposts of Haslemere will be bedecked with Commonwealth flags. We are asking local businesses to dress their windows to reflect VE Day, thereby, leading us up to the spirit of the occasion from the beginning of May. Local schools are also making poppies for two giant VE Day wreaths that will adorn the tower of St Christopher’s Church.

12th - 15th June at St Christopher’s Church

This exci ng flower fes val is coming together and many local churches, commu‐nity groups, local florists and flower growers are already planning their crea ons. The Church will be filled with gorgeous flowers illustra ng poems on three themes Wisdom, Courage and Spirit.

We need your help with the tea tent! On two of the four days volunteers from Haslemere Parish are needed to make and serve refreshments and we will also need a large supply of cakes!

If you can make a cake for us or would like to join the tea teams then please email linkﬂowerfes val@gmail.com or call either Sarah Mulliner 01428 643504 or Frances Reincke 01428 607206

Sunday Families

On the 5th January I took up the reins for this group and it has been an amazing start!

For a bit of an insight into how I work as the newbie on the block:

In addi on to appropriate visually engaging screen presenta ons, I try where possible to use sensory objects or props to draw the children into the story provoking imagina on and encouraging discussion. A song and a prayer are always included and a game if me permits. Related cra s are made in support of the learning objec ve. A colouring sheet with the Bible story printed is given as a handout to take home!

We began the year with Epiphany and the Visit of The Magi talking about Jesus being the Greatest Gi and how he came for everyone not just the Jews. Crowns and stars were made aplenty and a gi collaged on the back with the gi s we could give back to Jesus such as our love and talents.

At Candlemas we imagined all the sounds and smells that would have been at the Temple on the day of Jesus’ presenta on. We talked about the importance of wai ng just like Anna and Simeon and all things ‘light’ related, not least ourselves and how Jesus’ light shines through us which others see when he is in our lives. The ﬂickering candles the children made were a great success!

Our last Sunday tackled The Transﬁgura on – a tricky one for primary years. A very engaging video ‘Glory Mountain’ helped the understanding. Bright shining faces with masks and our gold plates with a silhoue e caused much

excitement for one of the younger children in par cular as she shouted ‘Jesus shines’ when she held her plate in front of the light!

Mighty Oak - Li le Acorns our intergenera onal special at Oak Hall for 19th February sadly had to be postponed - I am trying to rearrange this for as soon as possible.

‘The Lost Sheep’

Families @ 4 special took place during February half term. An engaging service and talk by Rev Chris was followed by looking for lots and lots of sheep hidden in the church for the children to ﬁndthere was always going to be one missing! It was eventually found and returned showing how Jesus always looks for the lost one and never abandons us. Flocks of co on wool sheep and door hangers were made in support of the theme. Great fun was had by all and we ﬁnished the day with a lovely bring and share tea with a selec on of cakes very generously made by ladies in the congrega on- delicious and many thanks to all.

I am now busy preparing for our Good Friday Special: All for 1 and 1 for All which promises to be a great day for us all so please do come along and join us - further details to follow.

Our Summer Sizzler BBQ Picnic will take place at St. Bartholomew’s School on the a ernoon of Saturday 21st June - Further details to follow - ALL ARE WELCOME SO PLEASE SAVE THE DAY.

I am extremely humbled by the warm welcome and support extended to me since taking up my post by Reverend Chris, Reverend Jus n and the congrega ons at both churches and Kari where would we all be without you! Special thanks go to Victoria and Verity for their con nuing support and of course the me graciously given by the volunteers which is invaluable.

Finally, I have been blessed with an amazing group of children, and it is an absolute honour to be part of their spiritual journey.

Spring ﬁnally seems to have arrived, enjoy and God Bless ! Karen Bardens

Churchyard Jottings

Philip Hunt

As we move into the growing season, some of us will be turning our thoughts to our own gardens and what we are proposing to do in 2025. To an extent, it is the same in the churchyards when we start to think ahead on how best we can manage and con nue to improve their appearance. We have started well in Derby Road churchyard having had some substan al clearance of brambles and undergrowth carried out by a contractor. A volunteer working party in Derby Road, planned for Saturday 22 March, is intended to build on what has been achieved so far, to further enhance the appearance and con nue to improve access to some remaining graves.

The two photos show the greatly improved scene following the contractor’s work. The clearance along the far back of the churchyard is the most impressive and the memorial to Lord Derby is visible again for the ﬁrst me in several years. It is impera ve that the churchyard is not allowed to become so overgrown again and it is hoped this can be achieved through con nued close coopera on with Waverley Borough Council and its contractor. A mee ng with Waverley will have taken place by the me this ar cle is published.

There are some exci ng plans involving The Den children who have ‘adopted’ the verge along Derby Road and the area set aside near to The Link for wild ﬂower plan ng. An Easter Garden is planned and there is a proposal to make use of the pergola in Derby Road churchyard for displays by the children to represent the highlights of the Chris an year.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has now erected plaques at the entrances to all three churchyards. As reported previously, there are eleven

CWG war graves in total in the churchyards and it is ﬁ ng that visitors’ a en on should now be drawn to their presence through these plaques. The four photographs show the plaques in posi on.

Our entry into the 2025 South and South East in Bloom compe on has been submi ed on our behalf by Waverley. Last year the children stole the show so I am hoping for a repeat performance this year (no pressure though!).

I have reported, seemingly endlessly, on the restora on of the grave of former Rector, the Revd Sanders Etheridge. As a ﬁ ng conclusion, Chris Lemar asked me if I would provide a more comprehensive piece on that as the Friends of the Parish had underwri en the en re cost of the work. I was only too happy to oblige and I hope you ﬁnd the ar cle informa ve.

Revd Sanders Etheridge

Restora on of Memorial

Some years ago the Parish paid for the restora on of the grave of a former Rector, the Revd George Herbert Aitken, in Derby Road churchyard. As a consequence, a number of parishioners pointed out the sad condi on of the grave of another former Rector, the Revd Sanders Etheridge, in a prominent posi on within the main churchyard at St Bartholomew’s.

The Revd Sanders Etheridge was installed as the ﬁrst Rector of Haslemere in 1868, at a me of considerable expansion of the town as a result of the coming of the railway. His ﬁrst task was to set about the rebuilding of St Bartholomew’s Church. This was achieved with the assistance of the banker, turned philanthropist, James Stewart Hodgson (whose grave is in the main churchyard) and a local architect, J W Penfold. The work was carried out in 1870/71 and the church was rededicated on 28 July 1871. Sanders Etheridge served as Rector un l 1897, when the Revd Aitken was appointed. He died in Haslemere in

1912. His wife, Ada, pre-deceased him having died in 1893.

In view of the Revd Sanders Etheridge’s importance in the history of St Bartholomew’s, it was agreed that an es mate be sought for the restora on of his memorial. It comprised two parts - the plinth or base, which contained the inscrip on of his wife, Ada, and a large Cel c cross with a dedica on to Sanders Etheridge himself. Due to its instability the cross had been laid down some years previously - hence its forlorn state. The ques on now was how to fund the work, as it was clear from the stonemason that the exis ng Cel c cross was beyond repair and a new one would need to be made. At a cost of around £1800 it was not a small sum. At this stage, I was encouraged to approach the Friends of the Parish of Haslemere which is a registered charity, under the Chairmanship of Chris Lemar. The Friends are a group of voluntary members who contribute both financially and prac cally to the care of our churches. Chris agreed to take the proposal forward for considera on and the outcome was a very favourable one. The Friends agreed not simply to make a contribu on, but to cover the en re cost. This very generous response allowed us to place the order for the work and we remain indebted to them. The order was placed during 2022 with Stonecrest Monumental Stonemasons Ltd, a firm of memorial masons, based in Ewshot, near Fleet. They have carried out previous work in the churchyards and understand our requirements. It is fair to say, however, that progress was slow. This was ini ally caused by delays at the supplying quarry as a result of the pandemic with very long lead mes. The stone was coming from North Yorkshire in order to match the stone in the plinth. However, the ini al stone supplied did not meet the quality standard required by the stonemason, as it contained too many fissures which can lead to the ingress of water and eventual deteriora on. So, further delays ensued

un l an acceptable piece of block stone could be delivered. The Cel c cross was subsequently cut en rely by hand and I was invited to the yard to check the wording of the inscrip on - a somewhat nerve-racking experience! I later inspected the ﬁnished product at the yard. It was erected in the main churchyard on 15 January and everyone who has seen it has been very complimentary.

The Parish certainly owes the Friends a huge debt for covering the cost of this work, given other calls on their resources. If you have not yet seen the memorial, it is just oﬀ the main path leading to the gate in Derby Road. It is not going anywhere any me soon!

The photographs show the condi on of the gravestone in 2021, before restora on was considered (note the broken top of the cross and other damage on page 29); the new cross in the stonemason’s workshop having been cut by hand; the cross with the inscrip on newly carved and the stone s ll wet; the fully restored cross back in place in the main churchyard.

William Bracken, 11

Milda Daunoraité, 25

Two Saturday mornings in mid Bartholomew’s Church in support of demen a care at the Hunter Centre in Haslemere. For ﬁed with tea or coﬀee and cake, an apprecia ve audience se led back to enjoy piano recitals from world January, was given by William Bracken, who has played at the Barbican and the Carnegie Hall. William comes from the Wirral and is currently in diploma studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Philip Hunt

He has a par cular interest in Improvisa on, useful, since his recital began with the exci ng Toccata in C Minor, from Bach’s younger years. This example of a kind of free style, known as stylus phantas cus, allowed “.. all sorts of unusual paths, hidden embellishments, ingenious turns and ornaments.” A er an engaging introduc on to his programme, William played his next piece - or, rather, ‘Four piano pieces Op. 119’, by Brahms. The ﬁrst displayed rich but ambivalent harmonies, the second, an agitated start and an intriguing waltz, the third was a humorous romp and the fourth an old-fashioned rhapsody.

The ﬁnal item was Beethoven’s last Sonata, the C minor. It has two strongly contrasted movements: the ﬁrst, bold, stormy and impassioned. The second is slower but also hard to play. The syncopa on in a myriad of very short notes has been seen as a foretaste of rag me piano. William brought out the poignancy of what has been called ‘a farewell to the sonata form’.

The second concert was given by the Lithuanian pianist Milda Daunoraité on 25th January 2025. A former pupil at the Purcell School, Milda won the School’s Concerto Compe on, performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. She gave a most insigh ul introduc on, then launched her energe c programme with Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy Op. 15. Named a er its many references to an earlier Schubert song it speaks of the longing of the Wanderer who cannot capture the happiness he sees all around him. There are four movements played without a break, crea ng a challenge for the performer, but a wonderful sense for the listener of the lonely journey travelled.

The feature which made Milda’s next piece more than demanding is the fascina on of its composer, György Lige , with polyrhythms. His Étude 16 Book 3, ‘Pour Irina’, required her hands to play two different rhythms at different speeds. While giving an exhilara ng sense of controlled chaos, this demonstrated her quite extraordinary technical ability. A er two of Chopin’s best-known Nocturnes, Milda finished with a piece by Alberto Ginastera. This Argen nian composer’s Sonata No. 1 was suffused with regional dance rhythms, exploi ng the extreme ends of the keyboard, while its last movement evoked the eternal spirit of that i nerant horseman, the gaucho.

These two excellent concerts by talented recitalists were well received and we look forward to the next.

Review by Mar n Robson

Welcome to Haslemere Fes val 2025

The 2025 Fes val will run from 3 to 31 May and once again we have an extensive programme of events celebra ng and showcasing the remarkable depth of local talent, with special guests from further aﬁeld.

Our programme for 2025 comprises:

· VE Day celebra ons on Lion Green on Saturday 10 May

· Evening and weekend concerts including Classical, Jazz, Folk, Opera and Cho‐ral. Special guests include interna onally renowned concert pianist Angela Hewi and Classic FM Rising Star Jeneba Kanneh-Mason

· London Mozart Players with the joint winners of Haslemere Interna onal String Compe on 2025

· Dolmetsch Early Music Fes val Centenary weekend with workshops and con‐certs

· Weekend and family events including Li le Lumpy Cycling Spor ve, the RSPCA Dog Show and the Haslemere Classic Car Show

· Weekday talks on a wide variety of topics including Jane Austen, Gustav Holst, Ar ﬁcial Intelligence, Benjamin Bri en, Crossing the Atlan c at 89, The Meaning of Music, The Great Escape, Composing for the Movies, JMW Turner and much more

Full details of all events and ckets are available on the fes val website.

www.haslemerefestival.org.uk

Tickets also available from Haslemere Hall www.haslemerehall.co.uk.

We look forward to welcoming you to Haslemere Fes val 2025!

Celebra ng Ann Rogers

90th

Birthday

Jane Slevin

Ann has been serving our parish as a member of the choir, polishing brass and arranging flowers, just to name a few things in her long and ac ve life. I was fla ered to be asked if Dom and I could help her with her 90th Birthday Party. Whilst she had had plenty of offers of help from friends and family, she was keen to have a civilised luncheon where she took pleasure in entertaining her 50 guests.

Ann did the lion’s share of planning and prepara on, with support on the day from Dom and I, her family and one or two friends.

It was a wonderful occasion with an atmosphere of warmth and love spreading through the Link. Hamish toasted the Haggis and Ann sang for her guests. Photographs by Oliver Rogers.

Beef Stew in Beer

I thought that we needed something warm to keep us going through the freezing weather in March. And this recipe came to mind, a good hearty meal at any time..

Linda Donaldson

Ingredients:

1 tblsp. ground nut oil

2lbs.4oz. stewing beef

3 medium onions

3 large cloves of garlic

2 tsp. juniper berries

4oz. soft prunes - stoned

1 tblsp. Caster sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to gas mark 8 /230°C.

Peel onions and slice finely. Peel garlic and slice. Chop prunes. Place oil in a large frying pan over high heat and seal the beef. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a casserole dish. Now add the onions to the remaining juice in the frying pan and cook until soft and brown. Add the sugar and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and ground cloves and stir for 1 minute.

½ pint stout

Large tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tblsp. dark soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. ground cloves

Add to the casserole dish with all the remaining ingredients. Season and stir well.

Place in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes until bubbling. Turn oven down to 140°C for 2 ½ - 3 hours. Serve with mashed potato.

Book Review

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

Contributed by - Charlo e & Emily

It’s been lovely watching Spring take shape in the last week or so; from the daﬀodils and crocuses that have begun spo ng our grassy verges, to the so light that s ll lingers when we lock up the bookshop for the night, it’s all been very much welcomed! And I think there enter into this new season than by reading a book that celebrates the life and legacy of an iconic spring me animal - Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton.

On the surface, Raising Hare looks to be an unassuming piece of wri ng, but a chapter in it’s obvious this is something much more. It tells the story of Dalton, a poli cal adviser and foreign policy specialist, who finds an abandoned leveret and begins the daun ng task of looking a er it. Raising Hare is effortlessly beau ful, both in the wonderful and dynamic descrip ons of the countryside and the way ‘hare’ navigates it, to the more in mate and slower passages where she reflects on what it means to be a caregiver to this breathtaking animal. It also captures some incredible hare behaviours, most of which were previously unrecorded or misunderstood.

Recounted through the eyes of an author who acknowledges her naivety but desperate apprecia on for the situa on they have found themselves in, Dalton’s account is one that I think will be referenced and treasured for years to come, and I ﬁnished this book sure of one thing; if I ever ﬁnd myself entrusted with the care of one of nature’s most elusive and special mammals, it is Dalton who I hope I will be, with her dedica on and considerate a en veness.

Raising Hare is available at The Haslemere Bookshop at £18.99.

In My Garden

Philip Duly

Spring arrived this year right on cue on March 1st. Suddenly our gardens began to transform from their dormant winter appearance - a colour palette of brown and green punctuated only by the white of the snowdrops and some beautiful pale pinks, purples and creams of hellebores. Now we have real drama unfolding almost daily. The crocuses have largely been and gone but have been replaced by some pink, purple and blue hyacinths sprouting up, mainly as a result of planting out the wonderful gifts of hyacinths that we have received from friends. I have been enjoying the daffodils throughout March. This year I decided to plant many more of the long lasting dwarf Tête-à-tête variety. These are most effective when planted in groups of ten in areas that are easily seen from the house and with the added advantage that their foliage dies back quite quickly after flowering. I have traditionally planted the midsized February Gold variety, an early flowerer as its name implies, in groups further away from the house.

I am awaiting the beautiful white Actaea Narcissus that will bloom in late April, albeit tending to provide a briefer show. These look particularly dramatic when planted against a backdrop of bluebells which will hopefully flower together, depending on the season and location. Finally, there is the splendour of the tulips to come. I have been treating these mostly as an annual for some time now and last year lost many to a couple of deer who were clearly very hungry. I am hoping they will not return to spoil this year’s display and that with luck, this grand showpiece of Spring will peak around Easter enabling me to share the joy they bring with visitors.

Chris an Aid Week 2025

11th - 17th May

Dying crops means food stops

Uncertainty looms over Indigenous farming communi es in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala, Central America.

Amelia, taking her clothes washing down to the river

In this forested area of mountains and rivers, the livelihoods, tradi ons and very survival of farmers and their families are threatened by deadly droughts, savage storms and monster monoculture planta ons.

That includes Amelia, a resourceful and determined 24 year old farmer who lives with her husband and their two children, 8 year old Lázaro and 4 year old Yakelin, on ancient and beau ful land that’s been in Amelia’s family for genera ons. “I have always been fascinated by plan ng and have loved it since I was very young,” she says.

The family belong to the Indigenous Q’eqchi’ community, who are close, and live by a blend of Mayan and Catholic tradi ons.

Amelia’s farm, ﬁrst and foremost, feeds her young children. She tries to grow a range of crops and root vegetables that will provide them with a balanced diet, such as bananas, peppers and cassava. This way, Amelia can protect them from malnutri on.

But the climate crisis is ravaging farms like Amelia’s, causing both the dry and rainy seasons, that would once arrive with predictability, to intensify and shi erra cally. Recent harvests have failed, and fruit and vegetables have become unobtainable locally. The family’s diet now largely consists of rice and tor llas.

“My ﬁrst priority is to feed my family,’ says Amelia. ‘I worry about what my children will eat.”

Water is life

Photo: Amelia with her 4 year old daughter, Yakelin, surveying the tragedy of their dying banana trees during an intense heatwave.

Credit: A.Sheppey/Chris an Aid

The river is central to Amelia’s life and Mayan culture. When Amelia was a child, the river that runs through her farm was bigger and deeper than it is now. There were crabs, shrimp, big ﬁsh, and enough water for her to learn to swim.

Now, as Amelia’s own children splash around in the cool waters to escape the blistering temperatures that relentless heatwaves bring, the water is at ankle height.

“The river is ge ng lower and most of the water sources are just dust,” Amelia explains. It’s a heartbreaking injus ce, when no more than a mile away, industrial planta ons are taking the last of the region’s natural resources to feed the world’s richest countries.

As the river runs dry and water becomes scarce, the vital crops that Amelia depends on wither and die before her eyes. Amelia’s ability to protect Lázaro and Yakelin is slipping away. Because dying crops means food stops.

A cruel injus ce

Photo: Amelia, by the river where the water level used to reach waist-height.

Credit: A.Sheppey/Chris an Aid

Farming families in the Alta Verapaz region are excep onally vulnerable to hunger when their crops fail.

Guatemala is a hunger hotspot. At 46.5%, the country has one of the highest global rates of stun ng in children. In some areas, this rises to 90%. Stun ng permanently aﬀects both physical and mental development.

Meanwhile, more than half of people in Guatemala work in agriculture. In the Alta Verapaz region, dependency on agriculture is the highest in the country. Heartbreakingly, malnutri on in children under ﬁve is also at the highest here.

Guatemala is among the 10 countries in the world rated most vulnerable to disasters and climate emergencies. The cruel truth is that Indigenous communi es like Amelia’s have done the least to cause the climate crisis, yet they endure its impact the most.

As their farms are devastated, the search for solu ons becomes cri cal. ‘With high heat, there is li le we can do but adapt,’ says Amelia.

The unstoppable power of hope

Despite all this, Amelia’s hopeful that she can combat extreme weather by changing the way she farms - with the support of specialist training from Chris an Aid’s partner, Congcoop.

Chris an Aid has been working in Guatemala with Congcoop since 2011. In 2020, when hurricanes Eta and Iota hit the Alta Verapaz region, forcing more than 198,000 people out of their homes and into shelters, Congcoop oﬀered vital humanitarian aid.

Photo: Amelia with her daughter, Yakelin.

Credit: A.Sheppey/Chris an Aid

Today, Congcoop are suppor ng communi es to return to Indigenous farming prac ces and adopt agroecological approaches that conserve their land, culture and livelihood.

Agroecology, put simply, is farming in a sustainable way that works with, not against, nature. An agroecological approach adapts to suit the speciﬁc environmental condi ons of an area.

Agroecology is well-aligned with tradi onal Mayan belief systems. It encourages the protec on of the forest and wider environment, as well as the use of na ve seeds such as corn, cacao, maize, beans and medicinal herbs.

When Amelia discovered Congcoop’s work, she quickly put herself forward as a community representa ve who would a end the specialist agricultural training on oﬀer.

By joining Congcoop, Amelia’s gaining the skills and knowledge to cul vate na ve seeds that are be er suited to the changing climate. She’s planning plan ng schedules that will deliver mul ple harvests throughout the year, making her own organic fer liser, and construc ng rainwater collec on systems. By changing the way she farms, Amelia’s pushing back against the climate crisis. Congcoop also supports people with selling produce locally and campaigning for their rights.

Amelia says: “The training has been very helpful to preserve and conserve na ve seeds.”

Amelia is recognised as a leader in her community. Whatever she learns, she shares - conﬁdently training other women to adapt their farming prac ces too.

Looking to the near future, Amelia says: “For the future, I don’t know what to expect, it could be worse, it could be be er. The only one who can tell, is God.”

But whatever the future may hold, Amelia remains resilient. As Programme Oﬃcer, Gerardo C. Tobar, says: “Amelia’s story is one of resistance, and it’s just beginning.”

The unstoppable power of hope compels Chris an Aid and its amazing supporters to stand up for communi es in crisis and support people living in poverty.

The organisa on, now in its 80th year, and its supporters are joining together once again during Chris an Aid Week (11-17 May) to fundraise in all kinds of ways.

With 7 days to make a diﬀerence, every gi , act and prayer counts.

Find out more about the campaign at caweek.org

Will you demonstrate the unstoppable power of hope and help fund vital tools and training, so farmers like Amelia can push back against the climate crisis and beat hunger?

£6 could pay for the seed trays that kickstart a plant nursery at someone’s home. £10 could pay for the pruning scissors that mean a farmer can care for their cacao trees.

£20 could buy two pounds of climate resilient seeds that diversify a family’s crop.

To donate go to website: www.chris anaid.org.uk

Chris an Aid is a key member of ACT Alliance. Eng and Wales registered charity no. 1105851 Scot charity no. SC039150 Company no. 5171525

Chris an Aid Ireland: NI charity no. NIC101631 Company no. NI059154 and ROI charity no. 20014162 Company no. 426928 The Chris an Aid name and logo are trademarks of Chris an Aid. © Chris an Aid June 2022 J121236

Postcard to the Parish

This was not a lie-tanning-on-thebeach-reading-books holiday. Oh no, one night at the beach hotel with the stunning view and then we were comfortably transported by our guide and driver Duminda to the Hotel Vil Uyana, which was a magical spot deep in the country. We all took a dip in the pool including Lucy’s phone which was immediately buried in a large bowl of rice by the head waiter and restored to working order in no me. We visited the great cave temple of Dambulla. Giant statues of Buddha, some lying the whole length of a cave, promoted discussions about Buddhism, eternity and the universe with Duminda which seemed ﬁ ng in such a deeply religious place.

Next morning the intrepid Reverend, replete with hat and explorer’s shirt and trousers looking every bit the Indiana Jones in search of his next crusade, we were oﬀ at 5 am to climb the famous Lion Rock Fortress. The view was astonishing and the whole rock was an engineering triumph built by King Kasyapa over 1600 years ago.

The next day we were oﬀ to Trincomalee, on the northeast coast. The ever-persistent Duminda managed to get us into the naval base there with a fascina ng museum of photos and extensive history of the struggles with the Tamils. We also saw many relics of the Bri sh presence, the harbour having been described by Lord Nelson as the ﬁnest natural harbour in the world.

We also visited the Thirukoneswaram temple which is a Hindu pilgrimage centre. This is a deeply religious

place dedicated to the god Shiva, and in a picturesque loca on right on the coast, just above the Ravana Abyss which plunges down to the water’s edge.

The next day we headed out to the Gal Oya Na onal Park, a vast ar ﬁcial lake packed with wildlife. It was raining hard as we le on the boat, all wrapped in blue ponchos like a bunch of Smurfs. We were treated to a miraculous display of ﬁsh eagles soaring and swooping into the water, pelicans, crocodiles lurking in the creeks and hundreds of cormorants landing in great clusters on the bare branches of trees growing out of the water.

A er our tour to our great surprise, we were greeted by hundreds of school children all enthusias cally asking what our names were and where we were from. The Reverend Indiana and Lucy majes cally held court to the smiling cha ering assembly of children’s faces like two la er day missionaries. It was then oﬀ to the Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya. We were greeted by the staﬀ at recep on as if we were visi ng royalty and presented with the usual delicious herbal and fruity drink.

Built by Governor Sir Edward Barnes in 1827, the hotel is a vast ediﬁce, with all the décor and furniture a uned to the colonial era.

That evening we took a tuk tuk to the Lover’s Leap falls. This was a short trip both hilarious and terrifying as we bounced and careered our way up the hill, walkers sca ering like chickens and the wheels clinging precariously to the edge of the hill as loose stones tumbled over the edge of the track. The falls were a glorious and thundering cascade of water and we stood in wonder for some minutes. Then back down the hill again in the tuk tuk a er lots of photos and a quick look at the beau ful sunset.

Later, having been ushered to our table, we looked in amazement at the cornucopia of food in the restaurant, with chefs constantly replenishing the dishes with freshly cooked fare.

The band struck up some well-known numbers and by the end of the evening the tables had been moved back and everyone was dancing and shou ng out the words of the songs in a more or less tuneful cacophony of sound mostly led by the Reverend Indiana who had a par cular penchant for Neil Diamond songs.

From our next truly amazing hotel we set oﬀ at 5 am the next morning and drove to the na onal park along with large numbers of safari jeeps heading out in search of wildlife. Almost hidden and beau fully camouﬂaged we were lucky to see a leopard. There were also wonderful sigh ngs of elephants along the tracks and the bird life was as abundant as ever.

And then it was on to our ﬁnal des na on: Galle, and a deligh ul bou que hotel tucked away in the hills above the town built in the 19th century by a Sco sh spice merchant for him and his Sri Lankan seamstress and lacemaker wife. In an original detail of design Lucy and Jus n’s bath was actually out on their balcony and the hotel management said that the monkeys might come and watch but would not join then in the bath!

On the shore the local ﬁshermen were hauling in an enormous net, at least 500 metres long and 20 metres wide and we occasionally lent a hand to haul it up the beach.

On one of the last nights we were treated to a vast gathering of ﬁshing boats with twinkling lights across the horizon in the se ng sun as we gazed out from the Dutch fort. On the second night we went up the coast to a charming li le town called Mirissa where we chose our freshly caught ﬁsh before ea ng them as we sat right out on the beach.

Our holiday then sadly came to an end. We said our fond farewells to our wonderful guide Duminda and headed home full of happy memories of such an ac on-packed holiday.

Richard, Frances, Jus n and Lucy

Scribed by Richard

KINGS WORLD TRUST FOR CHILDREN

(INDIA)

ACTIVITY DAY @ KINGS SCHOOL

Kings School celebrated the Ac vity Day on Saturday, 1st February with all its students from Grade 1 - 9 par cipa ng in the various ac vi es they opted for. Kings School teaches students various ac vi es like Classical dance, Carna c Vocal, Yoga, Archery, Swimming, Art, Handicra , Kung- Fu, Chess, Western Music, Roller Ska ng and Western Dance. All students performed their part with great enthusiasm and gave a full power packed performance.

The Correspondent, Mr Navamani honoured all the Ac vity staﬀ and appreciated the students for their extra ordinary performance. He also informed us that every individual student apart from their academic studies should experience and enjoy non-academic ac vi es and try to par cipate in more and more ac vi es. Students should be able to balance their academic and non-academic ac vi es, and Kings School is very par cular in providing a holis c educa on for its children.

Our Chari es April and May

By Noel Cullen

We are changing how we support chari es to focus on local groups that really make a diﬀerence in our community. Each month, we'll shine a spotlight on a speciﬁc charity to boost our impact.

We've always supported local chari es through regular giving, but now we're making it more visible and engaging by focusing on one charity each month.

If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them with Noel Cullen or Andrew Culshaw via oﬃce@haslemereparish.org.

April’s Charity: The Haslemere Stroke Club has been a cornerstone of support in Haslemere for over 30 years. They oﬀer chair-bound physiotherapy sessions with live piano music, followed by tea, cake, and fun social ac vi es. It's a great place for stroke survivors and their carers to connect and feel supported.

The club is based at Holy Cross Hospital, and volunteers Richard Givan and Linda Donaldson are happy to share more about it. You can also reach out to the group leader, Sarah Fairburn.

May’s Charity: A Place to Be Youth Group in Haslemere focuses on crea ng a suppor ve environment for young people. It promotes friendship, personal development, and mental well-being through engaging ac vi es. The group aims to empower youth, helping them build life skills while fostering a sense of community and belonging.

How to Support the Charity of the Month:

· Donate in Church: Just drop some cash into the special collec on plate as you leave.

· Online Support: Visit our parish website at haslemereparish.org/ monthlycharity.

First Steps is the place to be on a Monday morning!

What’s on at Haslemere Museum

To ﬁnd out more about our events and book, visit haslemeremuseum.co.uk/whatson.

1 April-3 May

Exhibi on - Drawn from Nature: Orchids in Bloom Discover the beauty of part of the Museum’s botanical art collec on, featuring exquisite watercolours of orchids from the 1930s by Walter Pearce. Entry by dona on. Open Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm.

8-17 April

Easter school holiday ac vi es Haslemere Museum has a programme of family events during the school holidays, including fun, learning, arts & cra s and an Easter garden trail. .

Thursday 24 April, 7-9pm

Creative Wellbeing workshop: Botanical Watercolours Inspired by the Museum's Orchid picture exhibition, join artist Diana Burch for an evening of watercolours, enhanced with pencil and ink. £15.

Saturday 26 April, 10.30am-4pm

Earth Day - free family event Families are invited to come and enjoy a variety of indoor and outdoor displays, informa on stalls and children’s ac vi es provided by wildlife and conserva on organisa ons from across Surrey who are coming together at Haslemere Museum to celebrate interna onal Earth Day. Free entry.

Saturday 10 May, 11am-1pm

Fundraising Plant Sale A wide range of plants and more. All proceeds will go towards the Museum. Café open

Tuesday 27 May, 10.30am-12pm

Museum Explorers: Pond Dipping For ages 5-11. Discover the amazing unseen creatures living underwater in the Museum’s pond and look at our discoveries under the digital microscope. Child £7.

Tue-Thu 27-29 May (see Museum website for session mes)

Family cra event: The Herds Help ar st Diana Burch create a life size baby hippo puppet as part of THE HERDS, a world-wide project raising awareness about climate change. Free event. No need to book in advance.

Thursday 29 May, 11am-3pm

Family event: Mill Co age Farm Experience A selec on of friendly farm animals to feed, groom and stroke in the Museum's beau ful garden, along with art ac vi es inside. £5 per person.

THE CHALLENGE OF AGEING - THE SAGA YEARS

Led by Revd. Peter Jackson

Saturday 26th April 2025 10 am – 12.30 pm (Coﬀee available from 9.30 am) at Godalming Bap st Church, Queen Street, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1BA

What kinds of issues do people face as they get older? What are the characteris cs of ageing? Is there a diﬀerence between ageing and maturity? How can we live well, as we live longer? What sort of ques ons do older people have? Is ageism a factor in our society?

Join us for a morning exploring some of the sensi ve ques ons and issues related to ageing in today’s society

The session will be free of charge, but voluntary dona ons are invited for Age UK, the leading charity for older people, providing help, ac vi es, specialist and impar al advice and befriending services

To help us manage numbers, please reserve a place by contac ng Sally Pollard email: pollard3@hotmail.co.uk, Tel: 01483 428646 by Friday 11th April

Petworth House and Park

News for April

h ps://www.na onaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/petworth

Spring Fes val: Saturday 5 - Sunday 27April

Join us for our annual Spring Fes val to celebrate the arrival of a new season with spectacular bulb displays, talks, demonstra ons, a community art installa on, art and cra workshops, and family ac vi es.

Makers Market: 5 & 6 April, 10am-4pm

The fes val starts with a two-day Makers Market, held in partnership with Petworth Pop-Up.

Garden Talks: 22-27 April

Join a variety of hor cultural experts for free talks in the Garden Theatre Marquee. Speakers include Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost, Head Gardener of Knepp Charlie Harpur, authors Vanessa Berridge and Rebecca Bevan, daﬀodil judge and exhibitor Richard Hilson, and Na onal Trust gardeners. Free with admission. No booking required. Check our website for the full programme.

Family Trail: 5-21 April, 10am-5pm

Pick up a free 'Ben Plants a Bu erﬂy Garden' trail to explore the Pleasure Garden and discover fun games and ac vi es along the way. Free with admission. No booking required.

Look What I found in the Woods: 11 April, 11am & 1pm

Author Moira Bu erﬁeld leads families on a one-hour nature treasure hunt around the Pleasure Garden, inspired by her book Look What I Found in the Woods. Booking essen al. £13 per child including a copy of the book, £5 without the book.

Herbal Foraging Walk: 23 & 25 April, 10.30am

Laura Uphill from Gwen's Garden will lead a 2.5-hour foraging walk and talk through the Pleasure Garden and Park. This walk will show how to apply plants as medicines at home and regain knowledge which has been lost over me. Booking essen al. £30 per person.

Workshops: 24-27 April

A endees can have a go at a heritage cra , including botanical drawing, Indian block prin ng, cyanotype prin ng, and willow basket and bird feeder weaving, all at a gentle pace in a relaxing and friendly environment. Booking essen al.

Evening Cabaret: 25 April, 7.45pm

An evening of cabaret and burlesque, inspired by the sights and sounds of Spring. Hosted by award-winning vintage and vaudeville producer Dawn Gracie, expect joyous songs, impressive high kicks, and plenty of belly laughs. Suitable for adults only. Booking essen al. £15 per person.

Bluebells Cancer Support Centre at Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary

Burrows Lea, Hook Lane, Shere, GU5 9AL

Bluebells is a friendly, sharing group for anyone aﬀected by cancer. We laugh a lot, cry a li le, share experiences and support each other. Do come along one Thursday to see for yourself!

We meet on the ﬁrst and third Thursdays of each month from 11am— 1pm ending with a relaxa on session.

We like to keep in touch and know how you are at other mes too, so please feel free to contact Carolyn Low on 01483 203540 or email

Carolyn.graeme@hotmail.co.uk

Father and Son Roofing Specialists with over 50 years of experience.

❖Tile Roofs ❖Slate Roofs

❖Specialist Leadworks ❖ Flat Roofs

❖ Roof Repairs ❖ Roof Maintenance

❖ Storm Damage and Insurance Works

❖ Roof Maintenance ❖ Drone surveys

❖ Chimney Repairs and Rebuilds

❖ Fascias, Soffit and Guttering

For a free quotation call or email

Office:01256 702428 07904 270 313/ 07950 875 411 Email: info@princeroofing.co.uk

Funerals

From the Registers

Richard Bryan - 3rd February at St Bartholomew’s

Donald Cremer - 7th February at St Bartholomew’s

Margaret Pountney - 3rd March at Guildford Crematorium

Marion Stean - 10th March at Guildford Crematorium

Emmeline Tew - 25th March at St Bartholomew’s

Interments

Edith Botting - 20th January at St Bartholomew’s

Patricia Dennard - 21st March at St Bartholomew’s

Weddings

George Blake and Emily Barnett - 22nd March at St Christopher’s

This magazine is also available online from the parish website, www.haslemereparish.org,

Members of the church are reminded that online copies of approved PCC minutes are available on the parish website. The link is as follows: h ps://www.haslemereparish.org/info/minutes-of-the-pcc

COPY DATE

For the Jun/Jul issue of the magazine Is Friday May 10th 2025 We’d love to hear from you

Responsibility for opinions and accuracy in statements expressed in ar cles and in adver sements in this magazine rests solely with the individual contributors

6 April 5th Sunday of Lent

8.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s Sunday Morning Families

13 April Palm Sunday

8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s

Sunday Services

4 May 3rd Sunday of Easter

8.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s Sunday Morning Families

11 May 4th Sunday of Easter

8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s

18 May 5th Sunday of Easter

8.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 11.30 Praying on Sunday | St Christopher’s

20 April Easter Sunday

6.00 Dawn Service | St Christopher’s

8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 9.30 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 11.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s

27 April 2nd Sunday of Easter

8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s

Holy Week: please see website for full informa on on services during Holy Week 10am services are live streamed via the Parish Youtube channel. www.haslemereparish.org/online

25 May 6th Sunday of Easter

8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s

29 May Ascension Day 19.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s