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
Children & Families Worker
Victoria Mar n families@haslemereparish.org
Children and Families Worker - Primary Years
Karen Bardens karen@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.
Older Children’s Worker
Verity Sutherland children@haslemereparish.org
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
Celia Marshall 01428 652646
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
Change! It’s a word to make us both cheer and choke. The autumn season brings a great deal of ac vity to the church, as I outlined in my magazine ar cle for September (don’t tell me you didn’t read it). The seasonal remark to me is expected from everyone”Gosh Chris it must be so busy for you in the run up to Christmas.” Indeed, it is, but I do have one important trick up my sleeve: I’ve done it all before. Who wants a completely new approach to Christmas? A whole new set of carols, or a modernist take of the na vity? Nogive us the tradi on, it’s what we expect and know.
Change for the sake of change is a ques onable prac ce that is mostly to be found in the commercial world, because the ‘new’ is a selling point. How much be er can a toothpaste or a mobile phone be? From me-to- me improvements are possible in anything, but change for the sake of novelty just gives necessary change a bad name. If difference happens it’s because it needs to, perhaps to fix what is broken or expired. Otherwise leave everything alone! Somehow as I get older, I’m finding this to be a more comfortable no on……except there is a place of change I have to watch with keen expecta on, and that is the ac ons of Almighty God.
It's a ma er of clergy skill to detect how God speaks to the church, and I’m sure you know that I don’t o en get direct one-to-one audiences with The Lord. The rumour of God comes in much more subtle ways. You will have heard me say it before that “when God wants to get something done, he finds someone to do it.” In my experience, it’s not the usual or expected people either. Over my years of ministry, I have become super-sensi ve to how I see the divine spirit lurking with intent inside of people. Few things give me greater pleasure and fulfilment as a church minister, than encouraging people to discover the talents God is bringing out in them.
As I review this past year, I can see the movements of God in the things we do. Many have taken up new ac vi es, some of whom are recent joiners into the
congrega ons. Another enormous change is the start of construc on work on the Link Community Hub. To be fair, we all knew it was coming, but since May the work on-site has brought it all to life. What I’m so pleased to have found is how well we have all accepted the changes it brings, some as temporary but many as permanent.
We have seen the movement of people also. Many have joined the church (see the lovely ar cle about the recent Confirma ons), although a few have sadly died or moved away. The importance of good welcome is at the front of what it means to grow as a parish. We have seen some of the youth take on responsibili es in ministry too, in ways that build them up and give a chance for encouragement. The pa erns of children and families work have seen some change too, especially by our rela onship with the school and children of primary age.
In late November the leadership of the parish will be gathering to consider the next Three Year Vision of our collec ve parish ministry. What that means is how we understand ourselves, and how we imagine our witness to the Chris an faith towards the people of Haslemere. The last me we took a visionary look at our ministry was back in early 2023, so now it’s me to update that for the years to come. I’ll have more to share about the outcomes in the early months of next year. 2026 will also bring a need to revisit the financial strength of the parish in the light of the Link Community Hub opening and the basic background of parish life. I’ll be convening a group to consider how that works.
Do please see the full array of tradi onal Christmas services coming along in the next weeks. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the parish website too (www.haslemereparish.org), where everything can be found. Most of all, what I would like to encourage you towards is a sense of holy expecta on in Christ for the season of Advent, with a thanksgiving for each other, and a chance to make an invita on to your friends and neighbours to join us.
All the tradi ons are there, I promise they won’t change - Christmas will be Christmas. Beyond that, let us keep ourselves safe in God’s hands, par cularly when things are growing, developing and changing in so many other parts of our lives and community. May it all be to His glory.
God bless you all, Rector Chris
Three Confirmed!
Just take a look at this lovely photograph! On Sunday 19th October, I took Emily, Ben and Amy to St Mary’s Chiddingfold for the Godalming Deanery service of Confirma on with Bishop Andrew Watson of Guildford. What a joyful celebra on of faith it was.
Confirma on is a very important Chris an rite in which the church invites candidates to affirm the faith of their bap sm. Where once their godparents made the promises before God on their behalf, now the confirma on candidates make their own promises later in life.
During the confirma on service the bishop anoints each candidate with blessed oil (which is a symbol of the pouring out of God's Holy Spirit) and then lays his hands upon them with prayer. Each then receives a candle to remind them of the light of Christ in their lives.
For several weeks beforehand, Revd Jus n and I had presented a series of confirma on classes where Emily, Ben and Amy discovered the most essen al parts of our faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the work of Jesus and the Chris an hope we share. We expect to present further chances for others to consider being confirmed, so if you are interested do please get in touch with the clergy. It’s a really special me.
Revd Chris
A Service of Darkness to Light
On Advent Sunday at the beginning of the season, once again we shall host the tradi onal choral service of Darkness to Light.
This is a lovely atmospheric Advent service of the ‘O An phons’, some mes known as the ‘Great Os of Advent’. The an phons are of ancient monas c origins, which recite the names and a ributes of Christ.
It’s a beau ful and spiritual way to begin the season of Advent.
Darkness to Light will be on Sunday 30th November at St Bartholomew’s Church from 6:00pm.
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.
Bible Society in Ukraine
Dorothea Na rass
We are all heartbroken by what is happening in Ukraine, and we long for and, indeed, pray for peace. Unless you are one of those who generously shared your home with refugees, we feel there is li le we can do. However, I would like to share this appeal from the Bible Society on behalf of Rev Anatoliy and his wife Victoria in Kyiv, who run Bible based counselling to widows, children who have lost fathers, and wives of soldiers at the front. So far 10,000 have been helped through this trauma.
Bible Society tell us:
The government in Kyiv es mates that three-quarters of Ukrainians are trauma sed. Will you put God’s word in the hands of one of these people?
Your gi of the Bible will help to heal Ukraine
People are queuing for Bibles. You can give them the Scripture they crave Supplies are running out. Your dona on will provide more Bibles
You can open up God’s word for people grieving and helpless
Your dona on will help to train more Bible volunteers
Our church has a long associa on with Bible Society, indeed our dear late Donald Cremer ran the local support group for many years.
He encouraged us to join the Bible a Month club to help put Bibles or scripture por ons in their own language into the hands of Chris ans, many of whom are new to the faith.
A monthly newsle er telling of the joy with which a Bible is received, has helped me value my Bible even more.
To find out more: biblesociety.org.uk
St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary School
We would like to pass our thanks to Haslemere Town Council for a £500 Green Grant awarded to our school earlier this year. We were able to purchase compost to replenish our raised beds in the allotment, a water bu and bins for recycling on the playground.
As seen from the photos on the next page, the children at St Bart’s all have the opportunity to enjoy the herbs, fruits and vegetables that are grown at school. Much of the produce grown is used for cooking lessons with Mrs Duly and Year 5 have an allotment topic in the summer term where they spend the term nurturing and harves ng what has been grown. In recent years Year 5 have made smoothies, cooked bolognaise with ingredients for the sauce from the allotment and we have begun to make our own strawberry jam.
We have hopes to grow the allotment area further and long term make it financially self-sufficient by growing enough crops to sell some as well as enjoying them across the school.
Submi ed By: Jackie Chiodaroli
Postcard to the Parish Gree ngs from Jordan
A bucket list trip which was originally planned as our re rement celebra on in 2020. Eventually we fi ed it in this year.
We had wanted to experience the wilds of Wadi Rum and the spectacle that is Petra and weren't disappointed apart from the lack of the Milky Way on a moonless night. Our wonderful tent in Wadi Rum was situated next to a floodlight. Great for naviga ng round the camp. Disastrous for night vision! We also enjoyed the mosaics in Madaba, the view of the promised land from Mount Nebo and Shobak Castle. We passed by so many significant Biblical places. Aaron’s tomb was one we saw on a number of occasions (if of course they built the mausoleum on top of the right mountain). The Dead Sea certainly didn't disappoint. At first it felt like ordinary sea water un l suddenly we bobbed like corks. I'm not sure we expected the pots of mud and the lumps of salt that we were encouraged to mix together and slather over us but our skin certainly felt quite good a erwards.
Debbie and Steve Peet
The Link Community Hub
By the me you read this ar cle the roof should be complete and the building water ght and the Link will once again be connected to St Barts. With the project at the half-way stage the focus will turn to the interior - plastering, wiring, plumbing.
Those of us who have been able to go upstairs have been impressed by the size and height of the space that has been created - you should also get an impression from the pictures to the right.
In the mean me the team has chosen paint colours, as well as flooring and fabrics. Chairs have been ordered (thank you to those who tested them!) and hopefully will be with us before Christmas for use at St Barts’s Christmas services.
The recently established Opera ons Group is planning how the Hub will operate - bookings and pricing, cleaning, policies and much more.
Our Town councillors have visited and were clearly impressed and we were also delighted to welcome Greg Stafford MP in late November.
And there is s ll me to be part of the building so please encourage friends and neighbours to sponsor a le - please contact Kari in the Parish Office.
Please con nue to support all those involved in the project with your prayers.
Andrew, Cathy and Debbie
A PICTURE FOR THE EPIPHANY
(6th January)
Rest on the Flight to Egypt
Orazio Gen leschi (1615-20)
The illustra on is of Ma hew’s Gospel a er the departure of the magi (2:13-14):
An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there un l I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him”. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt un l the death of Herod.
Gen leschi shows clearly that the holy family are poor, and they are exhausted by the journey (presumably on the back of an ass). It appears that Joseph beds down on their luggage, too red to a empt to seek shelter at nigh all.
Mary breast feeds her child as he sucks hungrily, a big (almost well-fed) child far from the delicate infant of his birth, and he is the most alert of Mary and Joseph, the la er who maybe shows his age. We smile at Joseph’s exhaus on, at Mary’s controlled impa ence, and at the baby’s eagerness to explore the wonders of life.
We see three refugees who face harshness, but then we have seen it all before in modern refugees like those in Syria, Gaza or the Ukraine.
Malcolm Guite has wri en a poem called Flight into Egypt which puts a more contemporary spin on things.
We think of him as safe beneath the steeple, Or cosy in a crib beside the font, But he is with a million displaced people
On the long road of weariness and want.
For even as we sing our final carol
His family is up and on that road,
Fleeing the wrath of someone else’s quarrel,
Glancing behind and shouldering their load.
Whilst Herod rages s ll from his dark tower
Christ clings to Mary, fingers ghtly curled,
The lambs are slaughtered by the men of power, And death squads spread their curse across the world. But every Herod dies, and comes alone
To stand before the Lamb upon the throne.
Peter Sellars
Sunday Families
From December 7th un l the Link building work is complete, SMF will meet in the Breakfast Club Room at St. Bartholomew’s School. Parents may drop children off from 9.45am at the school or stay with them. Parking is available on the top playground, and children will return to church in me for Communion.
The Family Harvest Service on October 5th was held in church. Over 20 children enjoyed craft tables, creating harvest wreaths with ‘Thankful for everything I have’ tags and 3D paper pumpkins to be filled with gratitude notes. The congregation gave glowing feedback, suggesting we should perhaps host more all-age services like this.
On November 2nd God’s Upside-Down Kingdom - It’s not what we expect! was our first school-based session as we entered the Kingdom season and featured a lively PowerPoint presenta on on being Superheroes in God’s Kingdom. The ‘Secret Mission’ from God, should we choose to accept, was to show kindness even when others are unkind to us. Capes are op onal but kindness is not! Shaker globes and Lord’s Prayer colouring sheets illustrated the theme.
Despite torrential rain, 26 children (many from non-church families) joined us on 31st October in St. Bartholomew’s Church from 4-6.15pm for our Light in the Dark Party. This was an evening with spectacular lighting, Christian music, UV photo fun and an interactive science show. It was a great success as you can see from the photographs!
Brightly coloured frothing eruptions, rainbow spiral effects with sweets and gurgling lava lamps were created. Pinhole torches reflected light onto walls and Lego shadow play produced colour spectrums. Spirits were high before the ensuing excitement of making glow in the dark slime! Snack time over and everybody partied with flashing glow batons to the finishing song before departing for home with goody bags (containing Christian messages and sweets) and lanterns to light the way.
Adults and children alike gave wonderful feedback so here’s looking forward to next year’s event in the new Link building. No Trick or Treating necessary! Thanks go to all the staff and volunteers that made the event possible but, on this occasion, special thanks go to Tim Purdue who brought the vision to reality with his amazing lighting.
Please do try to support our SMF session on December 7th and bring the children along for some Christmas fun. Based on The Grumpy Owl (C of E new book for Christmas), a creative parallel to the Nativity story, this Christmas craft session at the school promises fun and entertainment for all ages and perhaps a treat or two!
Finally in the lead up to Christmas families are invited to join us for our annual Chris ngle making session at 2pm on Monday December 22nd in St. Bartholomew’s Church. We have over 200 to make so ‘many hands make light work’! There will be fes ve music and refreshments to keep us all entertained.
School update
A new list of Chris an books both reference and storybooks across the range of ages is being compiled to refresh the outdated library sec on. The final list will be presented to the REF in the hope of funding. Sugges ons for books to be added to the list, dona ons of new books or sponsorships are warmly welcomed. The Harvest Installa on was wonderful and received lots of visitors. The children worked very hard to produce the artwork as you can see. They are now preparing a Christmas installa on in the Derby Road Cemetery and an artwork display for the church so watch those spaces.
Plans for the Spiritual Garden are approved with par al funding pledged. Around £2500 is s ll needed which the School and I need to raise - ideas and sugges ons for fundraising/ sources I could approach would be greatly appreciated. A new altar cloth for the school assembly hall is underway, thanks to Sue Davis. Looking ahead: In May 2026 Year 4 will enjoy their residential trip to Chichester (Christian Youth Enterprise Centre). I will be joining the trip which I am very much looking forward to and will no doubt keep me very much on my toes!
The past months have been full of joy, creativity and community spirit. Thank you to everyone who has supported, volunteered, encouraged and prayed for all I am trying to achieve. Let’s keep building our Children’s Ministries together as we look forward to Christmas and the year ahead.
God Bless, Karen
KINGS WORLD TRUST FOR CHILDREN
DIWALI CELEBRATION
The festival of lights ‘Diwali’ was celebrated on 17th October at AK Hall with great enthusiasm and joy. The event beautifully captured the theme - ‘How Diwali is Celebrated in Different States of India’, showcasing the rich diversity and cultural traditions of our country. Students enthralled with colourful performances representing the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, and West Bengal, highlighting their unique ways of celebrating the festival of lights. The vibrant costumes, dances and greetings from each state made the audience feel the festive spirit. Besides the cultural performances, an awareness segment was presented to promote a ‘Green and Safe Diwali’. Students conveyed the importance of celebrating Diwali in an eco-friendly manner by avoiding firecrackers and spreading happiness through light, love, and kindness. The esteemed Director, Mrs. Jeya Agnes congratulated the students for their extra ordinary performance and advised them to be cautious while using crackers. The Principal, Mrs. Rincy Jose touched a note on the underlying themes of togetherness, joy and the inner renewal of hearts and minds, as well as the importance of celebrating in an ecofriendly way.
Repair of the Peasant Altar Frontal at St Christopher’s Church
Earlier this year a conversa on took place at St Christopher’s between Richard Reincke and Tim Purdue regarding repair to some of the tex les in St Christopher’s. Tim is a very keen seamster having studied theatre and costume design and was keen to help maintain the fabrics in the Church. However, on closer inspec on of the Peasant Altar frontal it was decided that this was a job for an expert. Luckily Tim knew just the person and Sonia Lee a graduate of the Royal School of Needlework, who has huge knowledge in this field having worked on tapestries in Hampton Court amongst others, was employed. She is now nearly at the end of a huge repair of the frontal and we owe a huge thank you to the Friends of Haslemere Parish for funding this.
The Frontal was designed by Edmund Hunter and woven in Haslemere especially for the Church back in the early 1900s and the earliest photo we have of it is in fact a postcard taken in 1907. It is made of cream linen with long s tch wool embroidery. The design includes birds, vines and grapes and is very typical of his work. In the course of the current repair Sonia has found long steel pins lodged in the fabric, which have been used to gather up and hold the stretched original fabric. The pins have rusted, so these have been removed and the whole of the backing removed and replaced with new. A strengthening calico has been introduced between the Altar front and the new backing, and all the long s tch damaged embroidery has been hand s tched to the intermediate calico, thread by thread with thousands of ‘invisible’ s tches - virtually no machine sewing has been used in the repair. At mes two people have been working on the frontal at once, and it has been a long and slow process but will ensure that the frontal is stable for many years to come.
Recently Tim contacted Richard Hunter, Great grandson of Edmund who now
looks a er the Edmondsbury collec on (see Edmundsbury.co.uk) to talk about the super frontal. This is the piece of fabric that is placed on the altar and then has an overhang along the front that hides the fixings of the frontal. This has been missing from St Christopher’s for as long as anyone can remember and the only clue we have to its existence is in the black and white postcard. It is impossible to tell what colour or fabric it was made from, so with discussion and agreement from Richard Hunter, Sonia will be making a new one from green velvet with a braid edging bringing in the other colours from the frontal. Once everything is finished and the frontal has been returned, a special service of rededica on is planned, and we hope to invite members of the Hunter family and other Peasant Art specialists to this. In the mean me, we must thank Tim Purdue very much for the hours of care and thought he has put into the repair of this very important piece of St Christopher’s Church history.
Frances Reincke
Volunteer Opportunity: Group Lead Volunteer with 1st Haslemere Scout Group
Are you passionate about empowering young people and making a real impact in your community? We're looking for an enthusias c and organised Group Lead Volunteer (GLV) to lead and support our dedicated team of adult volunteers and help shape the future of our Scout Group. As Group Scout Leader, you'll be the key person responsible for:
· Providing leadership and support to Sec on Leaders (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts).
· Recrui ng and developing adult volunteers.
· Championing inclusive Scou ng and promo ng a safe, welcoming environment for all.
Liaising with the local District Team, Group Execu ve Commi ee, and the wider Scou ng community.
This role is vital in making sure our young people enjoy fun, challenges and adventures - safely and consistently. You don’t need to have been a Scout before! We’re looking for someone who is organised, reliable and approachable. Training and ongoing support are provided, and there’s a huge network of volunteers to help you thrive in the role.
Interested?
To find out more or apply, please contact Paul or Steve on commi ee@haslemerescouts.org.uk or info@haslemerescouts.org.uk
Church Youth Groups
We have had an exci ng few weeks at The Den. Our harvest session which focussed on The Parable of the Rich Fool saw us heading back to Imbhams Farm for an evening of games, cra and a treasure hunt. At the same me, we discussed real treasures - Jesus, love, kindness and generosity.
We had an interes ng evening with a visit from PCSO John Savage. He came to talk to the children about his community police work and keeping safe. He brought along his police equipment and did a Q&A before le ng the children explore his police vehicle. To their great amusement he showed them how to use the speed trap ‘gun’ to test the speed of some passing cars. This was followed by some games in the church grounds. Our 4th annual Tesco Foodbank Challenge was another record-breaking one. Encouraged by the children, customers donated goods for the Food Bank, and we managed to fill four trolleys. In addi on, the young people brought their own money and worked in teams to see how many goods this money would buy.
At the me of going to press, our most recent session was our annual light-themed evening, looking at Jesus as the light of the world and how we can also be a light for Him, especially during this some mes ‘dark’ me of year (Halloween). There was a discussion about All Hallows Eve and All Hallows Day and lots of themed cra work such as Tie Dye ‘Be The Light’ tshirts.
The Den children were proud to hear that their efforts with the Derby verge garden and wild area in St Bartholomew’s Churchyard (and their discussion with the judge), had helped towards the Gold Award in the South & Southeast in Bloom Compe on. They will be con nuing their efforts towards spring me.
The members of Summit have also been busy. A new extra session each month called Summit Late began in October which features a Young Alpha course, and this session was about finding fulfilment and hope in life through faith. This was well-a ended.
Other ac vi es have included helping in the Cancer Research charity shop as part of their community workpu ng their faith into ac on. From pricing and checking toys, to taking away old stock and pu ng out new items, dying displays, sor ng out hangers and doing the window display there was lots to do. Manager Bridget also spoke to them about the charity and the important work that is done.
Summit will undertake an Advent Sleep Out again this year on the 5th Dec to raise awareness and funds for those experiencing homelessness. The Just Giving link is now live, and we hope to raise even more than last year. Please support and share the link wherever you can. We will also be collecting new/unused toiletries for care packages for night shelters and refuges and there will be drop off boxes in both churches. www.justgiving.com/page/summit-advent-sleepout-2025
As always, we are indebted to the help given by all our volunteers and the special guests who come to talk to the young people.
For more details of The Den and Summit contact: Verity Sutherland, Children & Families Worker (Older Children)
Sue & Verity
Photos by Verity
Book Review
Contributed by Charlo e & Emily
Do you like short stories? O en when we recommending books in the shop we find that people are reluctant to pick up short story collec ons as they feel they’re less engaging, and honestly, I used to feel the same. Now I appreciate them much more, and o en read them when I pushed for me or lacking a en on span! I actually picked this book up thinking it was a full length novel, and once I’d got over my ini al confusion I was hooked. The History of Sound* has an intriguing and ambi ous structure this stunning collec on has a companion story, which contains a revela on about the previous, paired story. This meant the stories were just as compelling as a tradi onal novel and I tore through them over the course of a weekend! Spanning the centuries, The History of Sound is mostly set in New England and the thread that binds all the stories together is the landscape, always beau fully and sensi vely described. From two musicians who spend a summer walking round Maine collec ng folksongs in the early 1900s to a modern day poet spending a year in a remote cabin in New Hampshire, the characters in this book felt so real to me and have stayed in my mind long a er finishing it. The History of Sound is one of the best and most refreshing books I’ve read this year. Incredibly compelling and wonderfully human, I would recommend it to anyone!
By Emily
*If the tle sounds familiar, it’s because a film of two of the stories was released earlier this year, under the same name!
The History of Sound is available from The Haslemere Bookshop at £9.99
In My Garden
Philip Duly
I love the magic of December for many reasons, not least for the joy of Christmas, and the wonderful colours and beauty of the fes ve season. I also love gardens in December and encourage everyone to treat the winter garden with the same respect reserved for the other seasons.
My garden in December is suddenly transformed from the vibrant colours of autumn to a well-toned patchwork of various shades of green, beige and brown, colours that I equally admire in landscapes, furnishings and clothes.
In my garden the busiest months of the year are, without doubt, October and November when leaves are falling all around, herbaceous borders require a en on and the spring bulbs are planted. By December, it is a case of pu ng the garden to bed in readiness for the great reawakening towards the end of January as the snowdrops begin to appear.
Moreover, with a li le forethought and planning, it is possible to enjoy some splashes of colour in any winter garden that will li the spirit and look all the grander for being surrounded by a winter colour pale e that is not vying for a en on. The glorious yellows of the winter jasmine and Mahonia winter sun are possibly the best examples. Hellebores can add some decent splashes of red, purple, pink, lemon and white to any border and the vibrant red berries of any holly will stand out from the crowd. There are less well known shrubs that may perform well in the garden such as pink flowering Viburnum Eve Price and Iris unguicularis which can provide delicate violet-blue flowers from Christmas through to March. I hope you enjoy your garden as much as I will mine this winter.
SOLO LUNCH CLUB
Vera Ruane
The Solo Lunch Club started as a seed that wouldn’t stop growing. I thought about it for weeks before I realised maybe it could develop into something much bigger and rewarding.
Maybe I wasn’t the only one who went home on a Sunday a er Church feeling lonely and not wan ng to eat on my own.
I happened to men on to one or two people how I felt and amazingly they said they felt the same.
Somehow it got around that I was thinking of star ng a Lunch club for Solo’s and several people showed interest and said when are you going to start it. We had 18 people to our first Solo Lunch and this has con nued.
The rest is almost history. We are now approaching our 4th lunch together. As you can see from the photo’s we are having great fun sharing friendship and love.
I am hoping that we will con nue to share our worries, loneliness, and laughter together.
RECIPE CORNER
Chestnut Soup with Bacon Crumbles
An interes ng soup with Christmas flavour, enough to fill 10 soup bowls. Linda Donaldson
Ingredients:
1 onion
1 leek
3 carrots
2 s cks of celery
3 tablespoons (45ml.) of garlic oil
500g. red len ls
3 litres vegetable stock
(or turkey, or chicken if preferred)
500g. packet of peeled chestnuts
125ml. amon llado sherry
Salt and pepper
For serving
Small bunch of parsley
1 teaspoon garlic oil
10 rashers of thin-cut streaky bacon
Method:
Finely chop the onion, leek, carrots and celery. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan and add the vegetables, cooked for about 10 minutes un l so ened a li le.
Add the len ls and turn them in the vegetable mush. Add the sherry and stock and bring to the boil. Let simmer for about 40 minutes un l the len ls are so .
Add the chestnuts and liquidise the soup in batches, adding more water if it is too thick.
While the soup is ge ng warm, finely chop the parsley. You will need to heat approx. 3 tablespoons (45ml.) of garlic oil in a large frying pan for the bacon. Fry the bacon un l it is crisp and remove to some kitchen paper. Crumble the bacon into a bowl and put on the table. As you serve the hot soup, sprinkle with parsley and crumbled bacon.
Churchyard Jottings
The headline news this me, if you have not heard already, is our success in the churchyards category at the recent South & South East in Bloom compe on, covering a geographical area from Kent to Wiltshire and Dorset. The awards ceremony took place at RHS Wisley on 21 October when results were announced and cer ficates presented. Last year, we put a toe in the water and entered the main churchyard at St Bartholomew’s on the advice of Waverley BC, who sponsored our entry. To our delight, we gained a Silver Gilt award in 2024 - so was it to be downhill from then onwards, or would we be able to achieve that elusive Gold? When it came for our name to be called, it was truly a golden moment and the Gold Cer ficate was proudly received by David Simmons and Peter Clarke, on behalf of the Parish. Each entry is only given a short me on the stage and the official photographer is there to capture the moment. This makes it very difficult to obtain a candid shot but my wife, Margaret’s, creditable a empt makes the pride on the faces of both David and Peter clear to see (see photo). This considerable achievement is thanks to all the volunteers who have a ended the working par es and to the children from The Den, so ably led by Verity Sutherland, who again impressed and charmed the judge.
It is clear that the renova on of the Derby Road verge, with its wild flower plan ng, is seen as an integral part of the churchyard and forms a welcoming sight for churchgoers and passers-by alike. In addi on, we had taken note of the comments for improvement made by the judge last year and the children had introduced informa on boards to explain their various ac vi es. Whether we con nue to enter the compe on is open to discussion. In fact, it is not a compe on in the true sense as entries are judged against pre-set criteria and awarded on RHS guidelines. The main incen ve is to learn and to either maintain or improve one’s own standard, so there is plenty to think about in 2026.
Philip Hunt
Another successful working party was held on 25 October, this me in Derby Road churchyard. Some me was spent, mainly by David Simmons, in tackling bramble which had amassed in a prominent posi on to the right of the pergola (see photo). Peter Clarke strimmed and cleared the Derby Road wild flower verge ready for the new season (see photo). The remainder of us worked diligently (as always!) on clearing around graves and revealing a number of interes ng finds. In par cular, Sarah Mulliner was interested in two graves which related to the original St Bartholomew’s School. One grave was that of Emma Stewart Palmer (1871-1932) who was the Headmistress of St Bartholomew’s Junior School, moving to Chestnut Avenue in 1900, for 34 years. An adjacent grave, in iden cal stone, is that of her father, Robert Palmer (18441923), who was the Parish Clerk from 1895 ll 1921. It would be interes ng to have more informa on about these people, as the school has been so involved in church life - star ng in what is now The Link Hub and then establishing the new junior school in Chestnut Avenue with money raised by public subscrip on.
S ll in Derby Road, Waverley BC has recently carried out some minor tree work, by lopping lower branches from the very large conifer that had been obscuring graves at the front of the churchyard near the line of ‘new’ graves, da ng from the early 1980s. One of these, the grave of Sir John and Lady Joan Partridge, had been completely obscured. Understandably, this caused some embarrassment when their granddaughter visited and failed to find the grave. A photograph of the grave has
We have recently received the very kind dona on of a hardwood bench (see photo) for use in the main churchyard at St Bartholomew’s. The donor, Marie Longren, is a neighbour of Chris Lemar and had read in the Parish Magazine of our desire for addi onal sea ng. It is good to know that the magazine is steadily extending its reach.
Some parishioners may have no ced that the grass in the main churchyard was not cut to a sa sfactory standard recently. Waverley were contacted over this and the contractor subsequently returned to properly complete the task. This is a ma er that I shall raise at my next mee ng with Waverley. I normally have a round-up with them at the beginning and end of the season.
We are looking for volunteers to join the magazine team
Jane Slevin
In Summer 2026, I will be standing down from my role within the Parish Magazine. This is likely to mean an adjustment to the team structure, crea ng one or two new roles. More on this later.
The current team meets six mes a year when they jointly consider feedback from the previous edi on, content for the upcoming edi on, adver sing and new ideas for future edi ons. We have a SharePoint drive within the parish central filing system.
The current team is made up of six people, all of whom provide valued input and knowledge of what is going on in and around the parish. We are also very blessed to have some wonderful regular contributors who provide the back bone of every edi on.
Sue Davis and Geoff Mar n are the longest standing members of the team. Geoff provides an oversight to adver sing and finance ma ers as well as the link to the PCC. Sue provides con nuity and undertakes the bulk of the proofreading.
Frances Reincke and Debbie Peet keep the news coming in from across the parish. Debbie also maintain sta s cs on circula on.
Kari is a focal point for our own church ac vi es in the Parish, liaising with Chris, Jus n and the youth teams. Kari also assists with typese ng of individual ar cles and liaison with adver sers. She also prints and with some help from the team distributes the final results.
Skills that will be needed in due course.
Team Secretary: Comfortable with MS office, e.g. word, excel, email, file management and publisher. Responsible for circula ng an annual metable to all contributors in December for the following year. Circula ng copy date reminders to all contributors abut ten days before each edi on’s copy date. Maintaining the contributors lists and contact details. Sending out the agenda for team mee ngs. Taking notes at team mee ngs and issuing the notes with named ac on points. Possibly also assis ng with the prin ng and circula on of hard copy magazines.
Magazine Produc on: Experienced with MS Office, knowledge of Publisher preferable, but if you have good MS skills, this can be self taught. Responsible for
dra ing individual ar cles into MS Publisher, with text and pictures using a fixed forma ng style. A er individual ar cles are proofread, to compile the final magazine, ensuring all adverts are up to date and have been paid for (liaise with Kari and Geoff on this), ensuring all parish contacts are up to date. Finally producing a final dra of the completed magazine for team approval. It would be so very helpful if anyone who thinks they would enjoy being part of the team and has the MS office skills if they could contact me for more informa on and discussion. It would be good to start some introduc ons and training whilst we produce the next two edi ons before I finally re re.
Our next team mee ng is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13th, 2026.
Godalming Baptist Church Programme of Life Issues Sessions 2026
Topics covered:
Boundaries
Saturday 24th January - Voluntary Donations
Navigating Retirement: The Next Phase of Life
Saturday 14th March - Voluntary Donations
Neurodiversity in Children (eg Autism, ADHD)
Saturday 25th April - £8
Living Well with Neurodivergence (in Adults)
Saturday 16th May - £8
Relationships: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly – Aiming for the Good! Saturday 20th June - £8
Franciscan Centre WomenÕs Away Day Retreat, Ladywell
Saturday 5th September - £28
Dr Martin Brunet talk – topic TBC nearer the time
Saturday 17th October
Our aim is to bring Life Issue Sessions to as many people as possible at an affordable price
For more information or booking a place please contact Sally Pollard email: pollard3@hotmail.co.uk, tel: 01483 428646
BOUNDARIES
Ledby
Rev.dPeterJackson
Saturday24thJanuary2026 10am–12.30pm (Coffeeavailablefrom9.30am) at Godalming Baptist Church, QueenStreet,Godalming,SurreyGU71BA
Is your life out of control?
Do people take advantage of you?
Do you have trouble saying “No”?
Why is it important to have mental, physical, emotional and spiritual boundaries?
How do we establish these boundaries, and how do we cope with people who don’t have boundaries or fail to respect ours?
Come and explore some of these challenging issues that have a profound effect on our already busy lives, as Peter sensitively helps unpack these questions and more.
The session will be free of charge, but voluntary donations are invited towards the vital work of ‘Your Sanctuary’ providing support for victims of domestic abuse
To help with managing numbers, please reserve a place by contacting Sally Pollard email: pollard3@hotmail.co.uk, tel: 01483 428646 by Friday16thJanuary
Footprint tunnels for Hazel dormice in Surrey this Christmas: CRT launches fes ve appeal to protect one of Britain’s most vulnerable mammals.
The Countryside Regenera on Trust (CRT) has launched its 2025 Christmas Appeal to help one of Britain’s most charming but vulnerable small mammals, the hazel dormouse.
The Shelter Belts for Hazel dormice appeal aims to raise £6,000 to fund essen al habitat restora on and footprint monitoring tunnels across six CRT farms, including Green Farm in Farnham and Pierrepont Farm in Frensham, helping to protect and detect dormice before it’s too late. The appeal is part of the CRT’s Christmas campaign, which you can also support by purchasing the charity’s 2026 wall calendar or the gi of a CRT Friendship to join the charity. See www.thecrt.co.uk/christmas-at-the-crt-2025. The CRT is a na onal charity promo ng nature-friendly farming to help reverse the biodiversity decline and combat climate change. It owns three farms in Surrey, Green Farm, Pierrepont Farm and Brays Farm in Nu ield.
What’s on at Haslemere Museum
For paid events book in advance via the
What’s On Page of the museum website.
Throughout December, Tue-Sat 10am-4.30pm
Exhibi on
John Wornham Penfold: The Town Through the Lens of me - Victorian architect and early photographer John Wornham Penfold captured Haslemere and Surrey with precision and ar stry, preserving a rare visual record of the era. The exhibi on includes local landscapes and buildings.
Saturday 6 December, 10.30am-12pm
Ac vity for children ages 5-11
Good Ol’ St Nicholas - Learn about Christmas tradi ons in other countries and make some decora ons. £7 per child.
Thursday 11 December, 6.30pm
Haslemere Town Carols in the Museum Gardens
Join the Haslemere Town Band and sing your heart out! With mulled wine and mince pies. Free entry.
Friday 19 December, 10.30-11.30am
Early years ac vity for under 5s
Christmas Decora ons - Listen to a fes ve story and make a decora on to take home. £2.50 per child plus £1.50 per adult.
19-24 December, morning or a ernoon sessions
Santa’s Victorian Parlour
Visit Santa as he takes me out before Christmas to relax in his charming Victorian Parlour. Children receive a gi . £6.
Saturday 20 December, 10.30am-12pm
Ac vity for children ages 5-11
Christmas Cra s - Enjoy a fun filled morning making a variety of crea ve Christmas cra s to take home. £7 per child.
Saturday 20 December, 11am
Mummers play
Haslemere Mummers - Enjoy the performance of this tradi onal play - 20 minutes of family fun! Dona ons on entry. No need to book in advance.
Friday 9 January, 10.30-11.30am
Early years ac vity for under 5s
No Place Like Home - Come and see our amazing dolls’ house, listen to a story and make your own collage of a house. £2.50 per child plus £1.50 per adult.
Friday 23 January, 1.30-2.30pm
Early years ac vity for under 5s
Space Explorers - Come to the museum to learn all about the wonders of space, listen to a story and even create your very own universe! £2.50 per child plus £1.50 per adult.
Saturday 24 January, 10.30am-12.00pm
Ac vity for ages 5-11
Paddington - Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Michael Bond’s birth and over 65 years of Paddington adventures, with a morning of Paddington related arts and cra s. Adults can stay but don’t have to. £7 per child, plus £2 per accompanying adult.
Saturday 24 January, 1-3pm
Family Birdwatch ac vity
Big Garden Bird Watch - A chance for children and adults to have fun together making simple bird cakes, doing art ac vi es and discovering the birds in the Museum galleries. No need to book in advance. Dona ons welcome.
Petworth House & Park: December & January News
h
ps://www.na onaltrust.org.uk/petworth
A Christmas Enchantment at Petworth House
29 November – 4 January
A midwinter journey through Petworth House, inspired by the Winter Sols ce and the shi ing rhythms of nature. The grand state rooms transform into a dreamlike world of overgrown wonder, with celes al skies, roaming woodland creatures, towering trees, and spaces to pause and reflect. Look out for a special appearance from the mice of Jill Barklem’s beloved book series Brambly Hedge!
Normal admission charges apply, no booking required.
Christmas Makers Market
29 November, 10am-6.30pm & 30 November, 10am-4pm
Find your Christmas presents and a treat for yourself at this fes ve makers market, featuring high quality ar san gi s. You’ll find a range of beau ful handmade products including jewel‐lery, homewares, tex les and art. Held in partnership with Petworth Pop Up.
Christmas Late Openings
Sat 29 Nov & Sat 20 Dec.
Experience the fes ve atmosphere of Petworth House a er dark, with sparkling lights and a courtyard choir. A chance to enjoy the house's winter transforma on in a new light. The House will be open un l 6.30pm (last entry at 6pm), with a choir performing at 5.30pm. Nor‐mal admission applies, no booking required.
Christmas Workshops
Tradi onal Wreath Making: Tues 2, Sat 6 and Sun 7 December, 10.30am & 2pm
Fes ve Block Prin ng: Thurs 4 Dec, 10.30am & 2pm
Spaces are limited so booking is essen al. Please visit our website or call 0344 249 1895.
Closure – Monday 5th January
Petworth House and Gardens will be closed on Monday 5th January. The deer park will be open as usual.
Christmas Volunteers Wanted
Become a volunteer Room Guide and help us bring Petworth House to life this Christmas. This short-term, flexible role is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills in a friendly, fes ve environment. For more details, please call 01798 342207 or email petworth@na onaltrust.org.uk
First Steps is the place to be on a Monday morning!
A FREE service for people with NHS hearing aids includes:
Basic Maintenance, Ba ery Supply, Cleaning & Re-Tubing, Trouble-Shoo ng and Advice
Sessions will be held at The Link (St Bartholomew’s Church) on:
10:00am – 11.30am, every 2nd and 4th Thursday
Our NHS volunteers are trained by the audiology department of the Royal Surrey County Hospital. Visi ng the Hear Here clinic may save travelling long distances or the difficul es of access to the hospital.
The Hear Here scheme was launched in March 2013 as a partnership between Guildford Diocese and the NHS. There are now over 200 people trained in hear‐ing aid maintenance. Hear Here was successful in winning the Faith Ac on & Health Award in 2018 for con nuing to provide support for those with hearing loss across Surrey and North-East Hampshire.
Enquiries to: Hearingchampion@haslemereparish.org
Haslemere’s Cards for Good Causes shop will once again be popping up at Haslemere Museum un l Wednesday December 24th. We will be selling Christmas cards, many with a religious theme, on behalf of a wide range of over 40 chari es including Barnardo’s, Cancer Research UK, Mind, The Alzheimer’s Society, Marie Curie, GUTS and SSAFA as well as new chari es such as Prostate Cancer UK, The Trussell Trust and RNIB. This year we also have a new Haslemere card. We will also have wide selec on of gi wrap, tags and an extended range of gi s for both adults and children. For further info: h ps://www.cardsforcharity.co.uk or call Haslemere Museum on 01428 642112
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
For further informa on please contact the parish office and you will be put in touch with the relevant person. office@haslemereparish.org 01428 644578
From the Registers
Bap sms
Margot Sidwell - 23rd November at St Bartholomew’s
Rafe Gomersall - 30th November at St Christopher’s
Arabella Gomersall - 30th November at St Christopher’s
Funerals
Isobel Barnes - 24th October at Guildford Crematorium
Weddings
Ben Smith & Amy Shaw-Davies - 18th October at All Saints, Grayswood
This magazine is also available online from the parish website, www.haslemereparish.org,
COPY DATE
For the Feb/Mar issue of the magazine is Friday January 9th 2026
We’d love to hear from you, please take or send your contribu ons to the Parish Office: office@haslemereparish.org
Sunday Services
7 Dec 2nd Sunday of Advent
8.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s Sunday Morning Families
14 Dec 3rd Sunday of Advent
8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s
21 Dec 4th Sunday of Advent
8.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s
10.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 16.00 Carol Service| St Christopher’s 18.00 Carol Service| St Bartholomew’s
24 Dec Christmas Eve
& 16.30 Na vity Chris ngle | St Bartholomew’s 23.30 Midnight Mass| St Bartholomew’s
25 Dec Christmas Day
9.30 Family Communion |St Bartholomew’s 11.00 Family Communion | St Christopher’s
28 Dec 1st Sunday of Christmas 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s
4 Jan Epiphany Sunday
8.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s Sunday Morning Families
11 Jan The Bap sm of Christ 8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s
18 Jan 2nd Sunday of Epiphany
8.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 11.30 Praying on Sunday | St Christopher’s
25 Jan 3rd Sunday of Epiphany 8.00 Holy Communion | St Bartholomew’s 10.00 Holy Communion | St Christopher’s 18.00 Evensong | St Bartholomew’s 10am services are live streamed via the Parish Youtube channel.
