The Spire February 2018 by St John North Holmwood

February 2018

The

Spire

North Holmwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parish Magazine www.stjnh.org.uk

St John the Evangelist Church, North Holmwood Vicar The Revd Stuart Tanswell vicar@stjohns-northholmwood.info 01306 882135 Pastoral Assistant Margaret Teale ............... ................................................................ 01306 252004 Churchwardens: Mary Membrillera ........... mjmembrillera@hotmail.com ............ 01306 877021 Jim Edwards .................... jimandjane@talktalk.net .................... 01306 879902 Reader Gordon Bates ................ ................................................................ 01306 884154 PCC Secretary Brian Joannou PCC Treasurer Lynn Jennings ................. ................................................................ 01306 882614 Baptisms Jill Spence ...................... ................................................................ 01306 876901 Choir Sandy Newton ................ ................................................................ 01306 889384 Flowers Hazel Gibson .................. ................................................................ 01306 886538 Gift Aid and Electoral Roll Jane Collard .................. j.collard@btinternet.com ................... 01306 876652 Intercessions Janet Chipps ................. ................................................................ 01306 881548 Prayer Chain Sandy Newton ................ ................................................................ 01306 889384 Homegroup Co-ordinator Caroline Lazenby ........... caroline.lazenby254@gmail.com ..... 01306 640208 Junior Church and C4yourself Jane Schofield ................ janeschofield@hotmail.co.uk ........... 07771 591457 Organist Magazine Jim Edwards…….the.spire@stjohns-northholmwood.info........ 01306 879902 Readings Gordon Bates ................ ................................................................ 01306 884154 Sacristans Natalie Tanswell Servers Steve Harris ...................... ................................................................ 01306 710162 Mothers’ Union Eileen Daulman .............. ................................................................ 01306 885943

St John the Evangelist Church, Inholms Lane, North Holmwood, DORKING, RH5 4JH Sunday services: 8am Holy Communion 10am First Sunday each month: Family Service 10am Other Sundays: Parish Eucharist Monday 10.30am Morning Prayer Tuesday 4.30pm Evening Prayer Friday 8.30am Eucharist: Vicar available until 10.30am The Church is normally open daily for private prayer from 9.00am. Please see the Church notice board for details of other services.

St John’s Church contact details: Parish Office 01306 868441 Pastoral Line 01306 868941 Community Building bookings 01306 868441 Church Text Message 0770-673-2222

COMMUNION AT HOME If you are housebound and unable to get to church at St John’s, we can arrange for communion to be brought to you at home by a member of our authorised team of communion assistants. Please contact Stuart 01306 882135. North Holmwood Community Police ....................................... 101 Mole Valley District Council .. 01306 885001 National Trust Warden ........... 01306 712711 Brockwood GP Surgery .......... 01306 885802 Community Playlink ................ 01306 740095 North Holmwood Pre-School . 07931 212006 St John’s C of E School ........... 01306 884506 Guiding: Brownies .................. 01306 876428 Scouting enquiries .................. 07769 222218 Bridge Club ............................. 01306 882849 Chart Downs Social Club ...... 01306 500310 Drama Group ......................... 01306 887416 Surrey Hills Dance Centre ...... 01306 883808 Goodwyns Social Club .......... 01306 500614

Karate ................................... 07970 408260 Circuit training ......................... 01306 711920 Tumble Tots .............................. 07739 517627 Village Hall (Chairman) ......... 01306 883808 Village Hall (Bookings) ........... 07712 224681 Village Hall (Caretaker) ......... 01306 740757 Community Building bookings01306 868441 North Holmwood Sports Club 01306 889764 Dorking Golf Club ................... 01306 886917 Ballet classes ............................ 01737 247795 Norfolk Court ........................... 01306 876474 Stanecroft ................................ 01306 876567 Dorking Volunteer Centre ...... 01306 640369

The

Spire

is produced by St John’s Church for North Holmwood. There are ten issues each year and we make no charge. We deliver around the parish. If you would like a copy delivered please e-mail the.spire@stjohns-northholmwood.info or phone John Daulman 01306 885943. The next issue of The Spire covers March 2018. Material should be with the editor by 11th February please. Jim Edwards 01306 879902 4 Chartwell Court Grange, 35 Highacre, Dorking RH4 3BF e-mail the.spire@stjohns-northholmwood.info

Editor:

We welcome articles of general or local interest. Ideally these should be e-mailed in Word (or text) format, with illustrations as jpgs or pngs. The editor may amend or shorten material submitted. Articles represent the views of the individual contributors. Some articles and illustrations come from “The Parish Pump”, a national web-site that provides magazine material for churches. We are very grateful to all those who advertise in this magazine and allow us to produce it without charge to our readers; however publication does not necessarily imply an endorsement of the product. Advertising manager: Margaret Teale, telephone 01306 252004 or email margaret_teale@sky.com Advertising copy: the.spire@stjohns-northholmwood.info or telephone Jim Edwards 01306 879902 Proof reading: Jane Coombes Printing: Ann Phillips and members of the Community Building team Distribution: John Daulman 01306 885943 4

Dear friends, This year there is a very special day on 14th February. It’s special because it is Valentine’s Day – and millions of cards and gifts will be shared. But it’s special in the church because it is Ash Wednesday – and that marks the beginning of the six weeks called Lent. Lent is the time when Christians take time to try and live God’s way, the way that Jesus showed us. At the end of Lent comes Good Friday, when we remember the big love of God on the cross where Jesus died. Then comes Easter Day, when we celebrate that love brings life and joy to the world. Valentine’s Day is about love – and so is Lent. There are three things that we can do with the big love that is at the heart of Lent and Valentine’s Day:• Big love says thank you: Valentine’s Day helps us to tell people we love them. Sometimes that is people who know – and sometimes it is a surprise to people who don’t know! It can be about romantic love between couples – but this Valentine’s Day why not say thank you for other kinds of love as well? A special card for a grandparent or a child, a chocolate heart left on the desk of a teacher or colleague. All these remind us to say thank you for love. • Big love gives up: Lent is traditionally a time when Christians try to live carefully and follow the example of Jesus more closely. This often means giving up things for a season; things like chocolate or crisps, social media or TV watching. Love often means giving up something for other people – being unselfish and generous, thoughtful and kind. As a family, you could decide to give up something for Lent and every time you go to do that thing, instead take a second to pray for God’s love to be known in the world. • Big love takes up: Lent is also a time when Christians decide to take up new ways of living, perhaps giving more away, praying more, reading the Bible more. Sometimes it means 5

doing something that takes a bit of extra time or effort. Love goes the extra mile for other people, taking time to listen, to do new things together and to make a difference to the world. As a family, you could decide to take up something for Lent – doing something together that shares God’s love with others. A prayer for Valentine’s/Lent: Make a heart shape with your hands (or hold a simple heart shape). “Dear God – thank you for all the love in our lives and in the world. Help us to share that love with other people each and every day.” Hold both hands out, palms up “Dear God, give us courage to let go of things this Lent. Help us to discover more about following Jesus and sharing his love in the world.” Make a cross shape with your hands (or hold a simple cross). “Dear God, as we think about your big love for us this Lent, help us to take up new ways of living. Help us to live generously and make a difference to others. Amen.” Wishing you every blessing this Lent,

Stuart

Baptism 26th November

Gabrielle Teresa Parker

Interment of Ashes 19th January Harold Ward 6

Holmwoods Mothers’ Union Our next meeting is on Monday, 5th February, in the Community Building next to North Holmwood Church. This will be our Annual Meeting and it will be chaired by the Revd Barbara SteadmanAllen. We shall collect subscriptions, which this year are £22 each. The largest part of this goes to support the work of the MU helping families worldwide through the centre at Mary Sumner House in London, part goes to fund the work in Guildford Diocese where we support prison chaplaincies, women’s refuges, offer speakers to groups and other projects in our parishes. We will discuss our programme for the year. Everyone will be given a welcome to any of our meetings when there is usually a topic to think about and a soup and roll lunch.

Elizabeth 01306 711994

Bible Readings 4th February

2nd Sunday before Lent Family Service Readings to be arranged

11th February 2 Kings 2:1-12

Sunday before Lent 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Mark 9:2-9

14th February Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Ash Wednesday 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

2.00pm Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

18th February Genesis 9:8-17

1st Sunday in Lent 1 Peter 3:18-22

Mark 1:9-15

25th February 2nd Sunday in Lent Genesis 17:1-7,15-16 Romans 4:13-25

Mark 8:31-38

The Christmas Tree Festival 2017 This was another great success, thanks to you all for your hard work and support. Over £800 was made for the church. The knitted tree was beautiful, in our church colour of royal blue, with white. (Any idea that we were supporting a certain football team in choosing this colour scheme is a happy/unfortunate coincidence, depending on your point of view!) You knitted over 500 squares, not quite as many as last year, but still an impressive amount. Members of our knitting group, 'Knit One, Purl One, Save One' have kindly offered to organise the sewing of the squares to make blankets to be sent to refugees but they would appreciate any help you can offer. If you can help us by sewing a few squares together please contact Jackie on jaxrance@gmail.com or speak to Val. Thank you all so very much; whatever contribution you feel that you can make will be much appreciated. We would like to thank Mark Heppell and 'inChoir', Dorking, for their terrific singing on the Friday evening and also to our own ‘Beginners Please’. Special thanks go to Mick of Centre Scaffolding, Beare Green, and his men for loaning us the scaffolding planks, vital for displaying the little trees during the festival and to Bensons for the gorgeous real tree that we displayed at the back of the church. Thanks to Wendy and John Northover for their wonderful publicity material. Thanks to these businesses who contributed prizes for the raffle: The Royal Oak, The Cabin, The Clockhouse Bakehouse, Graphters Limited. Thank you to everyone who contributed in any way. Something like the Christmas Tree Festival cannot be put on without many people taking part. Personal thanks from me to the organising team, without whom ... Hazel, Margaret, Mary, Val, Wendy, John and Mick. After four consecutive years of organising the Christmas Tree Festival our team has decided to take a sabbatical. If you have any ideas for an event that might take its place during our time out please feel free to explore it. If you need any advice about how you might go about it, please do not hesitate to ask but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of your own ideas. Happy New Year to you all.

Jackie Rance - jaxrance@gmail.com 8

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HMP Send Chaplaincy Working at Send continues to be an amazing mix of privilege, challenge and reward. We are so grateful for the continued generous financial, practical and prayer support that churches and volunteers provide. So a few words on the privilege, challenge and reward, and then something of a summary on where your money goes! The privilege lies in hearing people’s stories, walking with them through their ups and downs in prison and seeing God at work. A couple of stand-out examples for me this year include two ladies I’ll call Teresa and Sally. Teresa started life in northern Nigeria, living in a Christian village. At 13 her village was burnt down by anti-Christian forces and all the rest of her family died. After some while an uncle from another area took her in, but she was put to work hawking and beaten when she didn’t sell enough. Over the years she suffered FGM and was sold to another family as a servant/nanny. After more stories of abuse she made her escape and spent several years living on a railway station where a lady let her eat and sleep on the café floor in return for work. Sometime later a male customer persuaded her to let him take Teresa away for more education. She was trafficked into the UK for prostitution. Ill health led to her reassignment to other work, where she had to hand over her wages. She was eventually discovered and prosecuted for illegal papers. Hence to prison, where amazingly, she felt safe and reconnected with the love of God who had seemed absent during twenty terrible years. Her faith and trust shine, and she is amazing. After a human-trafficking referral, she is being cared for by the Salvation Army whilst her case is considered and we hope she will be granted leave to stay. Sally’s story is different, but with similar echoes. A childhood in the UK, with abuse and neglect such that she has grown up with addiction, no sense of boundaries, an inability to form appropriate relationships and significant mental health issues. Prostitution and theft were her normal way of life. In prison she found in the chaplaincy people who would listen, unconditional support and a God who loves her. She has been baptised, but is still on a long and 11

difficult journey out of addiction, and finds it hard to break the habits of a lifetime, although she is filled with remorse every time she fails. Another aspect of the privilege for me is working with a wonderful team of chaplains and volunteers. It seems that focussed on the women we serve, differences in denomination or doctrine fade away. We are – together with the Christian prisoners – the body of Christ in this place and working together is a joy. So on to the challenges. There are challenges of different sorts. The continuing need to balance our desire to help, with the realities of prison life and the restrictions that this necessitates. Personally, this includes the amount of time I spend managing chaplaincy, and trying to keep the right balance in terms of face-to-face time with the women. Then there’s the feeling that there is always more that could be done and the need to trust in God that somehow we are making the right choices about what we do. Another is recognising the reality that these women have lived such different lives and will go back to such different surroundings, that I cannot pretend to understand, and certainly not impose my way of thinking or my solutions on them. I could go on, but perhaps one of the biggest challenges is the sense of disconnect that comes from being part of their lives Sunday to Thursday, whilst every evening and at weekends I can walk out of their difficult circumstances into the comfort of a lovely home. Actually, I believe holding on to this Godgiven awareness is part of the work God is doing in me. Next to the rewards, which are many, and probably implicit in what I’ve written above. They include the delight of seeing people discover the love God, or rediscover a faith neglected since childhood. Services of baptism, confirmation and reaffirmation of faith. Worshipping in our Chapel each week with women who sing their hearts out and who are truly depending on God to see them through. Amazement when new volunteers come forward, enabling us to provide more pastoral support, to mentor more women preparing for release and to run more courses and activities. This year has seen a new parenting skills course launched and a new monthly club for the over-fifties. This brings me to a reminder that the generosity of individuals and 12

churches enables much of this. It helps to pay for a huge range of things – from course materials and stuff for craft activities, through to Easter eggs and Christmas gifts, not to mention mentor training. In January this year we were delighted that Making Connections, our mentoring scheme, was again accredited, and that a Ministry of Justice report confirmed a significant reduction in reoffending amongst our mentees. This has encouraged us to seek to make the programme available to other Surrey prisons. A pilot has started in Coldingley in September and we hope to work with Downview and Highdown in due course. This will undoubtedly call for us to raise external funding for extra resources, as Making Connections is outside the remit of the prisons themselves, so there is no internal funding support available. Coming back to smaller but significant issues, there are study bibles for everyone baptised or confirmed, and this year I’ve spent some time expanding the range of Christian books, CDs and DVDs in our Chapel library. For some years we have offered a small grant scheme for women with no financial support from their families and this year we have been able to introduce a discharge grant for women leaving prison. This is again targeted at those with no family support and no money, who would otherwise be leaving with just their £46 statutory discharge grant. We effectively double it. A small amount, but potentially significant in the first few days out of prison. I hope this quick sketch gives you a good idea of what we are up to. I would ask you to remember us in your prayers, which lay the foundation for everything. I have included some prayer points below. Finally – if you feel called to help directly – worship music? mentoring? helping with courses? do contact me! Prayer requests For the women at Send and all who work there, and in particular for protection against the problems of suicide, self-harm and bullying. For wisdom and guidance around the extension of Making Connections. For the Holy Spirit to open hearts and minds and draw more offenders to find freedom in the love of Christ. Wishing you peace and joy in Christ, Revd Lesley Mason, HMP Send Lesley.mason@hmps.gsi.gov.uk 13

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, NORTH HOLMWOOD INVITES YOU TO

COME TO LUNCH rd

FRIDAY 23 MARCH

12.00 noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1.30pm

LENT LUNCHES WILL BE SERVED FEATURING HOME MADE SOUP ALL PROCEEDS TO

CHRISTIAN AID PLEASE COME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS EXPECT A WARM WELCOME IN OUR NEW COMMUNITY BUILDING

FRIDAY LENTEN LUNCHES On Fridays during Lent you are invited to share a frugal meal of soup, bread and cheese, and give what you might have spent – more if you wish! – towards the work of Christian Aid.

16th February

at the Friends’ Meeting House, Butter Hill

12.00–1.30pm

23rd February at St Joseph’s Church, Falkland Grove

1.00–2.15pm

2nd March

at the Christian Centre (St Martin’s)

12.30–1.30pm

9th March

at St Paul’s Church

12.00–1.30pm

16th March

at the United Reformed Church, West Street 12.15–1.15pm

23rd March

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Sponsored by Churches Together in Dorking Christian Aid UK registered charity number 1105851 Company number 5171525 www.christianaid.org.uk

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SERVICES, ACTIVITIES, GROUPS, ETC Sunday service 10.30am – very relaxed and informal with contemporary worship / Bible teaching and sharing / followed by drinks & nibbles. Monthly children’s & family services (3rd Sunday of the month) – even more informal!! Monday 7.15pm Prayer @ the church Wednesdays 10.00am Little Ones Parent & Toddler group (free!) Wednesdays 7.30-9.00pm Bible study group @ the church – all welcome! (other groups too) Community use In addition to the church activities, the hall is also used by other local groups and organisations and also for children’s parties and other events. If you are interested in hiring the facilities, please contact Nelson.

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Wednesdays 10.00am – 12 noon Free Group for babies and toddlers with parents/carers All welcome

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From Captain Bruce Worsfold CA TSSF When I was about nineteen I said to God, ‘If the whole world denies You, I will never deny You.’ I can remember the exact spot that I said that to Him. In those days England was a Christian country, churches were full for the Eucharist on a Sunday morning and during the week. Even if the Communion Service started at 7.30am we always had a good number in the congregation. During Holy Week we always had an even larger number of people at the 7.30am; in the evening we had an 8.00pm evening service with a visiting preacher for the whole week. Every evening we had a full church. On Easter Day if you didn't get to church early for the main Eucharist service, you didn't get a seat. When I was a brother in the Franciscan Community my main work was to go throughout the country conducting Children's Missions. In l970 I was asked, by St John's North Holmwood, to conduct a Children's Holy Week Mission. The first day we had about 30 children and their parents, by Good Friday that number had tripled. I had one of the Sisters of the Church to help. Each day the children brought a small piece of coloured cloth and every evening a lady in the parish sewed the pieces of cloth onto two sheets that had been cut out to form a chasuble. On Easter Day the vicar wore a new chasuble made during the week from the coloured cloth. The last day of the Children's Mission was on Easter Day itself. The church was full of children and their parents and the regular congregation. There was standing room only, even people standing in the belfry. There must have been three or four hundred people in the congregation. I met the vicar three years later and I asked if the Children's Mission had made any difference and he told me that every Easter Day all those people came back. But gone are those days, the Church doesn't attract people as it did. At the beginning of November I was watching, ‘Breakfast’ on the BBC. People were invited in to discuss Christmas decorations and why people all over the country were putting up their decorations so early. Even in October many folk were decorating Christmas trees and decorating their houses and gardens. On the programme there was a psychologist who said that many people 19

had nothing to look forward to in their lives and needed this excitement. ‘Besides’, she said, ‘we are now living in an atheistic country and society, so does it really matter when people put up decorations as long as it makes them feel happy. During these days they have so little to look forward to.’ I really don’t know how people can live without God in their lives. They don't know of the joy, excitement and love that come from a living relationship with our Lord. If only people would think through the certainties of the Living God. If only they thought through the realisation that when we die, we can never become as nothing, there is something within each one of us that continues living and goes back to our Creator. Somehow we need to learn how to become missionaries in our own Country, so that others may be drawn to Jesus. We will all face God and he may say to me and you where is your neighbour, your friend that I sent you to save for me?

Volunteer 2018 It seems that nowadays so many people are touched by cancer - a family member, friend or business colleague. It can be a wearying and lonely time and sometimes difficult to share the many feelings and fears a serious diagnosis brings. Brigitte Trust volunteers offer support for people facing any lifethreatening condition when it’s increasingly hard to cope. We’re looking for volunteers now to visit local people in their own homes. Weekly visits build relationships at a time when routines are often dictated by medical needs. Sitting and listening can be the most valuable help of all. Sign up for our 22nd February or 15th March volunteer “taster session” to find out how you can become a Brigitte Trust volunteer in 2018. Call 01306 881816 and visit http://www.brigittetrust.org/volunteering/ to watch our video. 20

Harold Stanley Ward 1928 - 2017 Loving Husband to June for 51 years, precious father to Carol and Graham, and proud grandfather to Victoria, Madelyn and Meryl. Harold’s 89 years were full of love laughter and life. He was born in Sandhurst in 1928 and retained very fond memories of his childhood with his younger sisters, Joan and Irene. He was especially close to his Gran and it was she who introduced him to the local church and its choir which led to a lifelong love of music with many favourite hymns. Harold was surrounded by some great examples of relationships which withstood the test of time and troubles and the challenges of life. When Harold was your friend you knew you had a precious relationship. He left school, as did many of his contemporaries during the war years, at 14 and went to work as a cobbler in his dad’s shoe making and repair shop. Dad taught him all the leather processes from cutting and stitching to finishing. Living near Farnborough Airfield he joined the army cadet force and especially enjoyed aircraft spotting and making model aircraft. From vintage to Concorde he was a fount of knowledge. The cadet drills came in very useful when he was called up for National Service in 1946. He had a wonderful time training at Fort George in Inverness and his subsequent posting to Egypt was a ‘real adventure’. Thousands of allied servicemen were being repatriated, as well as German prisoners. Harold recalled their Christmas party together where they sang both English and German carols. He wore a saddler’s badge because of his experience with leather and oversaw the cleaning and repair of hundreds of army boots which were then sent to European refugees. He was also attached to the Middle East College, helping to train demobbed soldiers in useful trades.

After the army, he returned home to work with his Dad who now had several shops. He met his beloved June through her brother who worked in one of the shops and they married at St Andrews, Frimley Green in 1952. Carol was born in 1953 and when the family moved to Dorking, Graham was born in 1962. Harold initially drove green buses for London Country, and was a member of ‘The Cricketers’ darts team, then in 1962 he joined Farm Supplies, first in store, then delivering to the farms. He loved travelling around the countryside through the seasons, seeing the stock, meeting so many friendly people and even helping to deliver calves. He was a kind person: One day on his rounds he came across a mini at the side of the road with the back doors open and a cot inside. A lady was looking at a flat tyre. He stopped and changed the wheel for her. A few days later he was called into the office and the boss said: “I’ve a letter here for you. It says….for the kind gentlemen who stopped to assist me…’ Inside was a sealed envelope with a £10 book voucher. In 1968 the family moved to 50 Chart Downs and Harold really enjoyed a big garden. The family also enjoyed many happy summers at Hayling Island where Harold’s dad had a houseboat which he had converted from a life boat. After 31 years at Farm Supplies he retired in 1993. He and June enjoyed many happy days out at Wisley and the Farnborough Air Show. Harold was devoted to June and cared for her throughout her illness till her passing in 2003. Harold was proud of his marriage, children and grandchildren and rightly so. Seeing them was always a highlight and he delighted that they shared his love for music and musicals. In these final years Harold, hugely valued friendships made via Open Doors and Conquest Art (his art folder is amazing), lunches at the Christian Centre and Quaker meetings and lunches. Harold was part of the congregation of St John’s for 6 years and, after moving into central Dorking, he joined Dorking URC as a member in 2012.

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St Mary Magdalene - The Holmwood Lunch Club We started the year with a warming winter lunch of turkey and ham pie followed by rice pudding and jam. If this is the sort of lunch you enjoy why not join us at Beare Green Village Hall on Monday 12th February at 12 noon. We start serving at 12.30pm. The cost is still £3.00 and there is a raffle. This will be a special event as we shall celebrate our 17th birthday. There are still some people who came to the first lunch we had all those years ago and several of the helpers are the same stalwarts who did all the work for the first day. This is a great community occasion when we hope those who live in the area will come and meet and make friends. We are usually about 50 and some children from year 6 at the Weald School come to help too. There is a warm welcome and good, home cooked, traditional food. If you would like to come please ring either Elizabeth or Gillie.

Elizabeth 711994 Gillie 07939 866079

BROCKHAM CHORAL SOCIETY will be performing R.VAUGHAN WILLIAMS’ ‘A SEA SYMPHONY’ and ‘THE LARK ASCENDING’ with the BRITISH SINFONIETTA ORCHESTRA at 7.30pm on Saturday 24th March in St Martin’s Church, Dorking RH4 1UX Conducted by PATRICK BARRETT with soloists STEVEN PAGE and CLAIRE DANIELS and violinist NATASHA PETROVIC Admission: £12 in advance, £15 on the day, £5 under 25 in full time education Box Office: Tickets from Pauline Whitehead 01306 881821, Maria Chadwick c/o Michael Frith, 40 South St, Dorking, 01306 882728 or online www.brockhamchoral.org/tickets. 25

WINTER TEAS Winter Teas in the Community Building at St John’s Church, will be taking place between 3.00pm and 5.00pm, on Sundays 18th February and 11th March. Please come and join us for tea, cake and a friendly chat. We look forward to seeing you.

Mosque and Buddhist temple visit On Friday 16th February we are invited to visit the Woking Mosque for a tour and a chat, to learn a little about the customs, practices and beliefs of our Muslim friends, and to have the opportunity to ask any questions that we like. This will last approximately an hour and a half, and then we will have lunch somewhere (probably your own packed lunch). At 2.00pm we are invited to the Buddhist Temple in Knaphill for a similar experience - tour, chat, q and a. They will provide refreshments before we leave at about 4.00pm. Having experienced both these “tours” before, I highly recommend them - it's a fascinating opportunity to discover something about other faiths and belief systems in this multi-cultural society. We will need to leave St John’s Church at 9.00am to ensure being there by 10.00am. Once I know numbers we can arrange car sharing. All are very, very welcome - please let me know if you would like to come. Jane Schofield 07771 591457 or janeschofield@hotmail.co.uk or talk to me on a Sunday. 26

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14th February ASH WEDNESDAY – mourning our sins Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. But why ‘Ash’ Wednesday? The reason has to do with getting things right between you and God, and the tradition goes right back to the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the Israelites often sinned. When they finally came to their senses and saw their evil ways as God saw them, they could do nothing but repent in sorrow. They mourned for the damage and evil they had done. As part of this repentance, they covered their heads with ashes. For the Israelites, putting ashes on your head, and even rending your clothes, was an outward sign of their heart-felt repentance and acknowledgement of sin. In the very early Christian Church, the yearly ‘class’ of penitents had ashes sprinkled over them at the beginning of Lent. They were turning to God for the first time and mourning their sins. But soon many other Christians wanted to take part in the custom, and to do so at the very start of Lent. They heeded Joel’s call to ‘rend your hearts and not your garments’. Ash Wednesday became known as either the ‘beginning of the fast’ or ‘the day of the ashes’. The collect for today goes back to the Prayer Book and stresses the penitential character of the day. It encourages us with the reminder of the readiness of God to forgive us and to renew us. The actual custom of ‘ashing’ was abolished at the Reformation, though the old name for the day remained. Today, throughout the Church of England, receiving the mark of ashes on one’s forehead is optional. Certainly the mark of ashes on the forehead reminds people of their mortality: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return...” (Genesis 3:19). The Collect for Ash Wednesday is: Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing that you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 29

St John’s February dates 5 10.30am Morning Prayer Mon

12noon Mothers’ Union 2pm Beginners Please

Tue

6 10am Coffee morning at Café Rouge 2pm Knit One Purl One 4.30pm Evening Prayer

Wed

2 8.30am Eucharist - Vicar available until 10.30am

9 8.30am Eucharist

Sun

Sat

Fri

Thu

4 2nd before Lent 11 Sunday before Lent 8am BCP Holy Communion 8am BCP Holy Communion 10am Parish Eucharist with 10am Family Service with Baptism Baptism and First 11.45am Lunch Communion 12.30pm Stewardship meeting 30

This is a provisional listing of Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On. For extra information please check the weekly notice sheet in the church. 12 10.30am Morning 19 10.30am Morning 26 10.30am Morning Prayer Prayer Prayer

13 4.30pm Evening Prayer

20 4.30pm Evening Prayer

27 4.30pm Evening Prayer

14 Ash Wednesday

2pm Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes

16 8.30am Eucharist

23 8.30am Eucharist - Vicar available until 10.30am

18 Lent 1 8am BCP Holy Communion 10am Parish Eucharist 3pm Winter Teas

25 Lent 2 8am BCP Holy Communion 10am Parish Eucharist

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 ‘If you love those who love you, what — is that to you?’ (Luke 6:32) (6) 4 ‘They threw the ship’s — overboard’ (Acts 27:19) (6) 7 The first murderer (Genesis 4:8) (4) 8 He was the head Levite in charge of the singing when the ark of God was brought back to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:22) (8) 9 Samson was noted for this (Judges 16:6) (8) 13 Solicit money or food from passers-by (Acts 3:2) (3) 16 What William Booth’s Christian Mission became in 1878 (9,4) 17 Alliance of Religions and Conservation (1,1,1) 19 ‘I will praise your name for ever and ever. — — I will praise you’ (Psalm 145:1–2) (5,3) 24 Simon had (anag.) (8) 25 Desperate (Deuteronomy 28:48) (4) 26 Elisha witnessed the boy he was seeking to resuscitate do this seven times before opening his eyes (2 Kings 4:35) (6) 27 The belly and thighs of the

statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream were made of this (Daniel 2:32) (6) DOWN 1 ‘Before the — crows, you will disown me three times’ (Matthew 26:75) (4) 2 Relating to the books of the Bible between Acts and Revelation (9) 3 ‘They have — the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!’ (John 20:2) (5) 4 Belief (5) 5 ‘Take the following fine spices: ... 250 shekels of fragrant — ’ (Exodus 30:23) (4) 32

6 ‘Do not — Jerusalem, but wait for the gift’ (Acts 1:4) (5) 10 A seer (anag.) (5) 11 ‘Even there your hand will — me’ (Psalm 139:10) (5) 12 The wild variety was part of John the Baptist’s diet (Mark 1:6) (5) 13 A non-Greek speaker who was looked down on by civilized people (Colossians 3:11) (9) 14 Famous 1950s musical whose characters included members of 16 Across, — and Dolls (4) 15 The province from which Paul wrote to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:19) (4)

18 ‘He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring — — his hand’ (Ezekiel 40:3) (3,2) 20 ‘Today, if you hear his — , do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion’ (Hebrews 3:15) (5) 21 The Jericho prostitute who hid two Israelite spies on the roof of her house (Hebrews 11:31) (5) 22 ‘And now these three remain: faith, — and love. But the greatest of these is love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13) (4) 23 ‘God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end’ (Daniel 5:26) (4)

This crossword, reproduced by kind permission of BRF and John Capon, was originally published in Three Down, Nine Across, by John Capon (£6.99 BRF). The Bible version used is NIV.

KnitOne PurlOne SaveOne Knitting Group First Tuesday of every month 2.00pm – 4.00pm St John’s knitting group meets on the first Tuesday of every month in the Community Building adjacent to the church. Everyone is welcome to pop in for a cup of tea. If you can’t knit we will show you …. we have everything required to start you off. We knit for the Romanian Aid Foundation, The Premature Baby Unit at East Surrey Hospital, SANDS, The Midwives of Ethiopia, The Princess Alice Hospice and our local Nursing Homes. Margaret 01306 252004 Margaret_teale@sky.com

Margaret Teale 33

AN ARMCHAIR DUFFER’S VIEW OF SPORT December / January Though World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua, was odds on favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the year, it was a shocked Mo Farah who claimed the prize. Superbikes champion, Jonathan Rea, took second place and Para Athlete, Jonnie Peacock, was third. Anthony Joshua ended up in fourth place. England’s cricket squad did not perform at all well in Australia during the recent Ashes Tests. The first two Test matches were won by Australia, who then went on to win the third Test in Perth by an innings and 41 runs to regain the urn by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. All the fight seemed to go out of the England players as they lost their last six wickets for 60 runs in their second innings. There is no doubt Australia had better batsman and better bowlers, and as a team looked sharper in the field. In the fifth Test England’s cricketers were once again outplayed and it ended on a worrying note when Captain, Joe Root, was hospitalised with severe dehydration after fielding and batting in temperatures of 47 degrees Centigrade. Australia finally won by an innings and 123 runs which meant they had won the Ashes series by four Tests to nil. The fourth Test had ended in a draw. The FA Cup third round was played over the weekend of 6th January and the biggest surprise was that Arsenal were beaten by Championship side Nottingham Forest by four goals to two. It was a painful end for Arsenal’s boss, Arsene Wenger, considering he had won the Cup seven times, including three times in the last four seasons. His team lacked energy and aggression and seemed to have lost the desire to win. Watching tennis hasn’t seemed quite the same since Andy Murray has not been playing because of a hip problem. After six months out and his withdrawal from the Australian Tennis Open he had an operation on his right hip on Monday 8th January. He is hoping to be playing again by the start of the grass-court season. 34

HOLMWOOD VILLAGE PRODUCE ASSOCIATION www.holmwoodvpa.co.uk One minute every day. Just one minute. Isn’t it great that the evenings are drawing out! Just a tiny difference each 24 hours but it soon starts to add up. Dark evenings that start at 4.00pm are no fun, and it always seems like it will be that way forever. In reality it’s not for long at all. It just feels like it! Egg numbers are increasing, a sure sign that the girls are gearing up to full production. Fertility is good too, in the breeding birds. The Dorkings are always the earliest, a trait common to the old traditional breeds. Time for the incubator to earn it’s keep…… We have had a decent amount of rainfall these last few months, that’s for sure. It was so much at times that the mud definitely had boot-swallowing potential. But it has, at least, meant that Fourwents Pond finally filled up. How nice it is too, after so long looking sad and empty! The new planting round the higher islands was lovely when it flowered; this year it will look fantastic I’m sure. The swans will be far safer if they choose to nest again. Fingers crossed! Have you noticed how many bulbs are showing already? We’ve had daffodils up for quite some time. Does this mean an early show this year? Or will they think better of it and hold fast for the better weather? If it was me I would…. The birds are certainly busy. How they manage to devour 20kgs of sunflower hearts in such little time is beyond me. But they need to keep warm and build up their reserves ready for the incessant demands of offspring. They work so hard don’t they! It’s great to see so many coming in: the sparrows and blue tits, the siskins and bullfinches, the woodpeckers and nuthatches, wrens and goldfinches, marsh tits, coal tits, great tits - so it goes on - and my all-time favourites, the long tailed tits. Or lollipops as I call them! They are so entertaining and always so busy. At the moment we are still enjoying the open fire, so no crows are attempting to nest in 35

the chimney. We had that a few years ago. Totally blocked it and with so much stuff! It took an awful lot of effort to clear it all out, by which time the pile was four black bags full! Yuk….. Spring will be here in force before we know it, so I hope you are all set and ready to go on the vegetable plot! How many packets of seeds did we all end up with? You know, when you buy the broad beans because they were a bargain, then buy another pack because you can’t remember where you put them. Then find the original packet afterwards. Yep, that’s what it’s like round here! We are creating a new fruit area at the moment, big enough for a walk in raspberry section, and separate areas for the blackcurrants, gooseberries and blueberries. It will probably look nothing like the plan in my head. That one is all very smart and neat. In reality it may well become a bit Heath Robinson. But, as long as it works, that’s ok! Fort Chicken is having a re-vamp too, ready for the glorious summer we’re going to get. We are, aren’t we?! I do hope so. Good weather is booked for the Summer Show weekend, I asked especially…. In the meantime, do pop the AGM date in your diary……Wednesday 14th March, 7.30pm, South Holmwood Village Hall. Come along and join us, it’s really not as tedious as the letters AGM imply! We keep the formalities short and sweet and then we will keep you entertained with an informative talk from our guest speaker. Tea and coffee will be available of course, and you can always pop round to the bar for something stronger! It’s the ideal opportunity to renew your membership, or become a new member…..we look forward to welcoming you! Don’t forget to take a look round the website …..www.holmwoodvpa.co.uk From all of us here at HVPA HQ, we wish you a Happy and Healthy 2018!

Sarah Jackson 36

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MUSIC IN DORKING - FEBRUARY 2018 by Ian Codd 3rd at 12.00 noon, lunchtime recital at St Martin’s Church, free, 01306 884229 4th at 3.00pm, Sacconi string quartet at Dorking Halls, £20, 01306 740619 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th at 8.30pm, Watermill Jazz at Betchworth Park Golf Club, £18-23, 07415 815784 7th at 7.15pm, opera screening at Dorking Halls, £18, 01306 881717 8th at 7.30pm, ballet screening at Dorking Halls, £17.50, 01306 881717 10th at 5.00pm, Dorking Chamber Orchestra at St Nicolas’ Church, Great Bookham, £15 10th at 5.00pm, opera screening at Dorking Halls, £18.50, 01306 881717 11th at 2.00pm, opera screening at Dorking Halls, £18, 01306 881717 24th at 5.30pm, opera screening at Dorking Halls, £18.50, 01306 881717 24th at 7.30pm, Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra at St John’s School, Leatherhead, £14, 01372 275907 25th at 3.00pm, Sacconi string quartet at Dorking Halls, £20, 01306 740619 28th at 7.15pm, ballet screening at Dorking Halls, £18, 01306 881717 February sees two concerts given in Dorking by the excellent Sacconi string quartet. Their two programmes will cover a wide range of music for string quartet, from Mozart and Beethoven to a short minimalist piece by the American Philip Glass. They will also play Debussy’s lovely atmospheric quartet and Dvořák’s quartet in G, one of his finest chamber pieces, characteristically tuneful, inventive and exuberant. This series of quartet concerts is presented by the Dorking Concertgoers and the third concert will follow in March. The Dorking Chamber Orchestra, playing in Great Bookham under their conductor, Andrew Morley, has a programme featuring Bach, Vivaldi and Haydn. They will play Bach’s first suite and his 39

Brandenburg concerto no 6, together with Winter from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. They will also be joined by Joseph Pritchard to play Haydn’s cello concerto in C. The Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra, playing in Leatherhead, has a programme focussing on Beethoven. The orchestra will play his first symphony and will be joined by Ursula Perks as the soloist in his fourth piano concerto. The programme will be completed by George Butterworth’s short rhapsody, The Banks of Green Willow. There are several screenings of opera and ballet at the Dorking Halls this month. Tosca, a highly dramatic story of love and passion, with some of Puccini’s most powerful music, can be seen live from the Royal Opera (7th) and repeated in a recording (11th). There are two live broadcasts from the Met in New York: Donizetti’s delightful comic opera The Elixir of Love (10th) and Puccini’s ever-popular La Bohême (24th). From the Royal Ballet you can see The Lady of the Camelias, with music by Chopin (8th), and The Winter’s Tale, based on Shakespeare and with music by Joby Talbot (28th). There will be a lunchtime recital at St Martin’s Church, as usual on the first Saturday of the month. Watermill Jazz has the following performers for February: Yazz Ahmed’s Hafla Band (6th), Art Themen’s New Directions Quintet (13th), the Clark Tracey Big Band (20th), and Geoff Simkins, Nikki Iles and Dave Green (27th).

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Thank you for supporting the raffle at the end of term. The raffle raised £102 for the Pre-School to put towards the end of term party, entertainer and presents from Father Christmas. Many thanks to the local businesses and parents who donated the prizes. The Staff and children also wore their Christmas jumpers on the last day of term and raised £16 for Save The Children. This term we welcome 9 new children and their families to the PreSchool and wish them well, hoping they settle in quickly and enjoy all the new experiences we have to offer. Our theme this term is Shape and Size. We will discuss Burn’s Night, Chinese New Year, St David’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Mothering Sunday, and Easter celebrations, later in the year. Creatively, we will explore 2D and 3D shapes, patterns, holes, boxes and tubes, and will display the children’s work at the hall. For a small charge we provide a lunch club every day for those parents who need a little extra time before picking up their children. We hope to develop the children’s physical skills in conjunction with Kids@Sports run by Rupert Thorne. The children taking part will learn a variety of basic sporting skills with Rupert and members of staff during a weekly 30-minute session on Tuesdays. If you are interested in our Pre-school, please feel free to call in and see us at the Village Hall. Children can join us from the start of the term after they are two years old. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 9.15am to 12.15pm. If you would like an information pack or would like to arrange a visit, please contact the Pre-School leader, Jennie Lambert, on 07931 212006. North Holmwood Pre-School, Village Hall, Spook Hill, North Holmwood, Surrey, RH5 4EG Registered Charity Number: 1023910

Friends of Holmwood Common and the National Trust February 2018 News from the Common Walking for Health on Holmwood Common Around thirty-five Friends got together on New Year's Day for a leisurely and sociable stroll around Holmwood Common and this year the weather was kind, with patches of blue sky appearing just as we set off to follow the Circular Trail. Another group that uses the Common regularly is the Mole Valley Walking for Health Scheme. Rosemary Hobbs, a member of the Friends, is one of the leaders of the group. Rosemary leads a regular walk on Holmwood Common on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, leaving Inholms Lane car park at 10.30am and lasting roughly 90 minutes. Rosemary says: “It is a very friendly group and we usually follow the Circular Trail which is just over three miles of easy walking. Anyone can turn up for the walk and there is no cost (although there is a form to fill in if it is your first time) and ordinary walking shoes or trainers are fine as we do our best to avoid the muddy patches.” You can find out more about the Walking for Health programme by visiting the Mole Valley Walk for Health website at www.molevalley.gov.uk/walkforhealth or phone Estelle, the Walks Coordinator, on 01306 885001.

Renew Your Membership Friends’ Members are reminded that it is time to renew their membership. Details of how to renew are included at the end of this column. Many thanks. 44

Ranger Rob's Report The area around the pond at Willow Green is looking very muddy and unappealing, because the birds which are resident tend to congregate in one area to feed, plus there is now a bank erosion problem starting to develop. Unfortunately feeding the birds also encourages rats, about which I get the occasional complaint. I appreciate that people want to help the birds by providing food: feeding the ducks with a few breadcrumbs seems like a harmless way of entertaining the grandchildren! So I’m feeling like I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. To get rid of the rats and solve the mud and erosion issues, the bird feeding would need to stop. But that would lead to people feeling disgruntled with the Trust because we would appear to be removing what is an innocent pleasure for many people. There isn’t an obvious solution apart from perhaps asking people to feed the birds in a different spot around the pond edge. This won’t solve the rat problem, but it may reduce the strain on the area around the bench. I’ll shortly be having a look to see if there is an alternative, suitable feeding spot. In the meantime, if anyone has any clever, low cost ideas of how to manage the situation, please get in touch. Here's another thought: feeding bread to the birds isn’t a particularly heathy option for them. This online article explains why www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/bird-food/feeding-ducks and lists more beneficial alternatives to bread including cracked corn, oats and frozen peas or sweetcorn (preferably defrosted!)

Rob Adam, Ranger, Holmwood Common Dates for your Calendar Wednesday 7th March – Friends' Spring Meeting & AGM St John’s Church Community Building, North Holmwood. 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start. 45

There will, of course, be all the usual AGM formalities but we hope that these can be completed in just a few minutes. Brief presentations from the Friends and the National Trust will provide you with an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions about work that has been done to maintain the Common and about plans for the coming year. Following a break for refreshments we promise you a very interesting talk about a period of Holmwood’s history that helped to shape not just the UK but perhaps the world. No charge for members attending the meeting and you might even win a prize in the raffle! Sunday 18th February – Forest Race on Holmwood Common Have you ever wondered "what is orienteering?" Well if you fancy your chances at a combination of map-reading and running then Sunday 18th February may be a good time to try it out ... and see just how well you really know your way around Holmwood Common. For more information about the Forest Race on Holmwood Common visit the event's website: www.slow.org.uk/events/holmwood-common-feb18/ Contact us … or visit us on Facebook If you have any questions about National Trust’s work on Holmwood Common then please get in touch with Rob Adam, NT Ranger for Holmwood Common: phone 01306 712711; mobile 07901 511359; or email to rob.adam@nationaltrust.org.uk . The Friends of Holmwood Common can be contacted via FOHC.info@gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page to see what your friends and neighbours have posted about their visits to the Common. Suspicious activity on the Common, such as suspected poaching or fly-tipping, should be reported to the Surrey Police by dialling 101 without delay. 46

Renew your Membership or Join the Friends today ... Membership of the Friends of Holmwood Common is open to everyone: free attendance at many of our events; a monthly newsletter to keep you updated with news from the Common; have your say about how the Common is maintained. Please send your annual subscription (through to end-2018) – just £7 per household, plus a donation if you are feeling generous, to: Friends of Holmwood Common, c/o Jane Coombes, 3 Marley Rise, Dorking, RH4 3BP. Cheques should be made payable to “Friends of Holmwood Common” and, if you have one, please include your email address in order to receive our monthly e-newsletter.

A DDOS GREEN ROOM THEATRE PRODUCTION Kenneth Graham’s

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Adapted for the stage by Alan Bennett 7.45pm Tuesday 6th to Saturday 10th February 2018 Matinee 2.30pm Saturday, 10th February At The Green Room Theatre behind the Dorking Halls This charming adaptation of Kenneth Graham’s much-loved story will bring sunshine to those dark February evenings. We have boats, car crashes, train chases and even a gypsy caravan! Come and join Mole, Ratty, Badger and, of course, Toad on their adventures along the river bank and in the wild wood but beware those pesky rabbits! They seem to be everywhere! Fun and laughter guaranteed. Alan Bennett’s superb adaptation ran at The National Theatre in December 1990 and, such was its success, went on to be produced at the Old Vic Theatre, London in 1994. Tickets available now from DORKING HALLS BOX OFFICE 01306 881717 DDOS members £10, non members £12, Concessions £10 Visit our website www.ddos.org.uk 47

DORKING MUSEUM IN FEBRUARY Our new exhibition opened in the Museum at the end of January and offers something a little different. ‘A New View of Dorking’ consists of a selection of images created by members of Capel Camera Club, featuring beautiful landscapes and iconic images of our stunning market town and the surrounding villages and countryside. Images are presented by a group of both amateur and professional photographers who have come together to create this joint project. The idea for the exhibition came about after club member Jayne Kemp, a former professional photographer and Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society, became a volunteer at the Museum. Jayne, who has been a Dorking resident all her life, thought it would be interesting to create some new images of the local area as a record of our town and other members of the camera club were keen to be involved. The idea evolved from there when the Museum offered to display the collected work. The photographers were given freedom to express themselves and compose their pictures according to whatever inspired them in Dorking and the surrounding areas. Jayne herself selected a striking image of St Martin’s Church spire sunlit against a bright blue sky, while Leslie Bliss’s image shows the iconic Dorking Cockerel standing silver against a darkened background. But these contrast with closer up shots like Liz Lamb’s of a squirrel in St Martin’s churchyard and Angela Rixon’s of an exquisitely carved regal head on the Mickleham Church lych-gates. 48

A notable centenary: 6th February marks the centenary of the Representation of the People Act that first gave (some) women the vote. To mark the occasion, the Museum is showing a new short film about the extraordinary local suffrage campaigners, Emmeline and Frederick Pethick-Lawrence. The PethickLawrences were once as well known as the Pankhursts, and the film hopes to give them back some recognition. Made in conjunction with Royal Holloway (University of London) and the Citizens 800 lottery project, filming took place on location at the couple’s former home, The Dutch House in South Holmwood, at Dorking Museum and on Leith Hill. The film can be viewed at the Museum during opening hours or on our website (www.dorkingmuseum.org.uk/emmeline-pethick-lawrence-citizens800-project/). The Museum will be marking the occasion by installing a commemorative plaque on the Dutch House in South Holmwood, with costs raised by public appeal. This fascinating episode of history is also explored in Kathy Atherton’s new book, “Suffragettes, Suffragists and Antis – the Fight for the Vote in the Surrey Hills”, published by The Cockerel Press and available at £10 from Dorking Museum, local bookshops and online at www.holmwoodhistory.com. Group events: The days of winter can still provide wonderful opportunities to take in the sights, and both groups and individuals 49

have been enjoying the Museum’s guided walks on the magnificent Deepdene Trail and on our themed walks in the historic town (including historic Dorking, Words and Music, and pub walks). The next open day for the Dorking pubs walk is Saturday 24th February, 6pm – see website for details and booking. But did you know that groups can also arrange exclusive visits to the Museum itself? See local history made relevant to today. The Museum welcomes bookings from groups of all ages – school or youth groups, local clubs, societies or other interest groups or maybe family or friends looking for an opportunity to do something different. We offer group bookings (or private viewings) when the Museum is closed to the public – during the day on Monday to Wednesday or any evening (by appointment). Our volunteers will be happy to help you make the most of your visit. Please see website for details of Museum group visits and all guided walks, including open days. At the beginning of March, the Museum will be holding an Archive Sale of maps, pictures, postcards and books surplus to archive requirements (11.00am - 2.00pm on 3rd March in the Christian Centre small hall). The Museum is at 62 West Street, Dorking RH4 1BS. Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10.00am-4.00pm. Visit www.dorkingmuseum.org.uk. Enquiries to admin@dorkingmuseum.org.uk or phone 01306 876591.

Loud and Proud Community Choir Dorking Loud and Proud Community Choir welcomes new members of all ages and abilities to join the choir on Wednesday evenings, during term time, at St John's C of E Community Primary School, Goodwyns Road, from 7.30pm to 9.00pm. The choir is fun, friendly and sociable and is a great way of meeting new people. For more information go to: www.dorkingloudandproudcommunitychoir.org.uk or call 07552 555942 50

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For more information, please contact the above address or look for the leaflet on the church notice board.

Having a baby is an incredibly rewarding experience but sometimes it can be lonely and scary. One way of gaining confidence in getting to know your baby and in responding to your baby’s needs is through gentle relaxing baby massage. Lesley Crunden has worked with babies and their parents for over 10 years whilst working in a Health Visiting team and in Children Centres’ in Dorking. Lesley qualified as a practitioner to teach baby massage in 2008. Lesley’s 4 week courses cost £20 and £5 vouchers can be purchased as a gift. You can contact Lesley at Lesley@babymassage.uk, or on Facebook @babymassagesurrey or on 07833 640111 or via her website at www.baby-massage.uk

SOFT INTERIORS BY JOSEPHINE Peter Smith Electrical Ltd High quality Curtains and soft furnishings Hand finished and made to your specification Helpful advice on design And colour matching if required Please telephone 01306 644802 or 07767 771777 or email josoftinteriors@gmail.com for a free estimate

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NORTH HOLMWOOD SPORTS CLUB INHOLMS LANE, NORTH HOLMWOOD www.northholmwood.com North Holmwood Sports Club is open to all and new members are always welcome. To enquire about membership email us at nhscmembership@gmail.com . New membership prices remain unchanged from last year: £24 Family; £18 Single; £11 OAP (per person). Membership application forms are available for download on our website northholmwood.com/membership . We host a range of events, details of which can be found on our website and Facebook page. Bingo night is Thursday from 7.30pm and a Meat Raffle is held every Friday evening. The Club shows football and other major sporting fixtures during weekends and evenings or you may prefer to sit outside and relax (weather permitting!) enjoying the stunning views across the hills. Well behaved dogs are welcome. We have darts and pool teams, which play most weeks. If you’re interested in joining please ask at the bar for further details.

More details of forthcoming events will be on our website and Facebook page. Stoolball The season has now ended but new players are always welcome for next year, aged 11 to 111! If you are interested in playing Stoolball, or wish to find out more, please contact Shirley Overton at overton4@waitrose.com for more information. Cricket The season has ended and dates for next season will be on our website next Spring. New players are always welcome, please contact Ian Elliott at wellie2266@gmail.com for more information.

Venue hire Take advantage of the Club for your choice of party venue. We cater for christenings, birthdays (sorry no 18ths), engagements, weddings – whatever the occasion, your club is here to ensure you, your family and friends, have a great time! We also cater for wakes and do everything possible to tailor the event to respect your wishes. Here are some of the benefits we can offer you: • A welcoming, family-friendly, spacious and informal venue with stunning panoramic views and two patio areas • Professional, attentive support to help you organise your event • Extremely competitive bar prices (free bar extension until midnight if required) • Ample, free car parking • Low venue hire rates • Complete flexibility to suit your personal entertainment and catering requirements Bookings are on the increase. If you are interested in holding a party, please contact our Party Coordinator, Mark Bessent at manager.nhsc@gmail.com or ask at the bar for more information and a booking form. The form is also available for download on our website northholmwood.com/hire .

Well Versed Well Versed is a local poetry reading group that meets in the Community Building at St John’s Church on the second Monday each month, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. We are well-established in Dorking and welcome new members to participate and listen to beautiful poetry. Please phone Rosemary on 01306 881520 for more information.

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HOLMWOOD WI We were delighted to welcome John Glenister, a volunteer with the Kent, Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance, to the first meeting of 2018. His talk and slideshow gave us an insight into the marvellous work carried out by this charity throughout the three counties. President, Gill Mansell, had welcomed us all on a cold, windy January afternoon and was sad to hear so many were unable to attend due to illness. We hope everyone gets well soon and we look forward to seeing you all at our February Fish and Chip Lunch. This annual get together also includes a beetle drive, organised by Vic, our president’s husband, and ends with tea and biscuits. “This is always a popular event enjoyed by everyone,” said Gill. “The village hall is filled with lots of laughter and members trying to decide which way to move!” We have some great speakers lined up this year with old favourites John Negus, Nicholas Henderson and Hedley Kay to look forward to. Once again we will be enjoying the hospitality of Eric and Iris Edser for our July Garden Party in their lovely garden in North Holmwood. Always an afternoon to look forward to, we are very grateful for their support of our WI. After the success of our November fundraiser, we are now looking forward to our Spring Fair from 2.00pm - 4.00pm on Saturday 17th March. “It was great to see so many people at our Christmas Fair,” said secretary, Maureen Lewington. “Please join us again in March, when there will be all the usual stalls, tombola, refreshments and a few surprises.” To find out more about our afternoon group contact secretary Maureen Lewington on 01306 882057 or email: maureen.lewington@btinternet.com 57

Brockwood Medical Practice 1 Bentsbrook Close, North Holmwood, Dorking. Tel: 01306 885802 www.brockwoodmedicalpractice.nhs.uk The Partners: Drs Jonathan Richards, Justin Thompson, Lucy Rawson, Tamsin Sevenoaks, Robin Gupta, Andrew Brett; Salaried GPs: Drs Elizabeth Craggs, Natalie Moore, Allison Wong, Kate Heppenstall, Hilary Sindall, Kate Turner, Sarah Wells (maternity leave); GP Registrars, Drs Maz Alsaffar, Khadija Ali and all the staff are always pleased to welcome new and existing residents to our Practice. We offer appointments across our three sites at North Holmwood, Brockham and Newdigate.

We offer: Personal Medical Services, District Nursing, Health Visitors, General Nursing Clinics with our Practice Nurses, Minor Surgery Clinics, Midwife Clinics, Travel Vaccination Clinics, Baby Clinic, Asthma and COPD clinics, Counselling sessions, INR testing with our HCA, Smoking Cessation sessions, and much more.

DROP-IN FAMILY PLANNING CLINIC We are now running a drop-in Family Planning Clinic at North Holmwood Surgery. We welcome both registered and non- registered patients to the clinic which is run under the care of Dr Tamsin Sevenoaks.

WHEN? 1st Tuesday of the month 2.30-3.30 pm booked appointments 3.30-5.30 pm drop-in, no appointment necessary

BROCKWOOD PHARMACY Brockwood Pharmacy has opened in part of the Practice premises. The pharmacy is able to dispense NHS acute and repeat medication and sells over the counter products such as Aspirin and Paracetamol to any person wishing to use their services whether or not they are a patient of the Practice. Patients are free to use any pharmacy of their choice.

FLU CLINICS Don’t forget to book your appointment You are entitled to a flu vaccine if you are aged 65 or over, or if you have a chronic illness or are in an “at risk” category. Our stocks are running low so please book now if you would like your vaccination.