PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

Answer to Word Grid: INSTITUTE

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They had been promised a Celebrity Guest Preacher

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Said Eucharist (Last Sunday of the month BCP)PARISH EUCHARIST and Sunday SchoolSaid EucharistSaid EucharistSaid Eucharist (1st Friday Compline and Benediction)Said EucharistMorning and Evening prayer is said Tuesday to Friday At 9:00am and 5:30pm and Saturday at 9:00am

Sung Eucharist

St. Anne’s East WitteringSundays: 8:00am

10:00amTuesdays 7.00pm

Wednesdays & Thursdays 10.00amFridays 7.00pmSaturdays 9.30am

EarnleySundays: 9:00am

6:00pm

Weddings, Holy Baptisms and Confessions on request to the RectorySee also St Anne’s Website: www.stanneschurcheastwittering.btck.co.uk

Rector

Hon. Asst. Priests

Churchwardens East Wittering

Earnley

Hon. Secretaries of the PCCsEast Wittering

EarnleyHon. Treasurers East Wittering

Earnley

Gift Aid Secretary

Choir EnquiriesOrganists

Sunday SchoolMessy Church

Safeguarding Officer

FlowersEditor

Advertising EditorMagazine DistributionSt. Anne’s First AiderVillage Hall Bookings

The Revd. Stephen Davies. SSCThe Rectory, Church Road, East Wittering, Telephone 672260

The Revd. John Williams, 28 Harrow Drive, 670843The Revd. Dennis Cornish, Peerley Lodge 1 Peerley Road, 672481Barbara Blundell, Coneycroft, 17 Coney Road, 670791Phyllis Jeffery, 10 Briar Avenue, 672001Pauline Norris, Rivendell, Earnley, 670754

Becky Carney, 91 Marineside, Bracklesham 670564John Stant 670227Maureen Warwick, 21 Foxwarren Close, 671899John Stant 670227

Ian Riddell, Whipjack, Elms Ride, West Wittering, 514424

Fr. Steve Davies 672260Fr. John Williams 670843, Janie Sindall 671317, Janet Aldridge 670924

Diana Strange, Tradewinds, Pond Rd, Bracklesham, 07933308274

Diana Strange 07933308274

Sue Wiltshire 671056Carole Colman, 22 Peerley Close, 673217Email: carolet7@btinternet.comMichael Pettman, 3 Tower Place, 672696George and Cherrie Andrews, 671021Mike Lawson 670317Jenny Knotts, 3 Bracklesham Close, 670618

THE PARISHES OF ST ANNE’S

EAST WITTERING AND EARNLEY

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of the Editor or the Parochial Church Council. Please support your local advertisers—they support us. Copy for the June edition by 12th May please. The Editor reserves the right to shorten copy.Cover design by Yvonne Rusbridge (Hudson) represents the landing on the Sussex coast of St Wilfrid in 681 AD

CHURCH SERVICES

RECTOR’S LETTER

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What a wonderful Easter! Soon we will be entering the celebration of Christ’s ascension and return to heaven, but we are not left bereft in our journey. We will be sent the Holy Spirit at the coming of Pentecost (the 2nd most important event in the church year). In these days between Easter and Pentecost the disciples felt confusion, lost, uncertain about events and what they meant. Yet Jesus walked with them enlightening their hearts and minds as they journeyed along that road to

Emmaus - yet they did not fully recognise Jesus until they had encountered him in that Upper Room, when he showed them his hands and his feet and he became fully known in the breaking of the bread. They saw and they believed.

We may also come to believe in a similar way, but not all of us have the road to Emmaus experience or conversion. Some of us - perhaps most of us, myself included - came to faith through a gentle nurturing or the inspiration of others. Many of us would be like Thomas who had to see Jesus in person, to put his fingers in the wounds of the nails and the spear, before he could be fully convinced. He saw and he believed. ‘Happy are those who have not seen me, yet believe,’ Jesus declared.

In that doubting we are empowered and given permission to ask those difficult questions, we are affirmed in our uncertainty and confusion, we are called into a relationship with God, we are loved and made precious in his sight, and our questions are answered.

I am looking forward to June and visiting Walsingham again. Going on pilgrimage it like taking a spiritual MOT, going to a place of safety to ask those nagging questions, to find space in our busyness, to come closer to God, to take time to rest in his loving arms and to hand over to him all our cares and worries, not only for ourselves but for those we love or for whom we pray, and then to receive spiritual refreshment. We may not necessarily find miraculous healing or indeed be ‘born again’, but we are equipped to find wholeness and acceptance of our situations and circumstances, and that gives us strength and encouragement as we return home.

I pray that you may continue to grow in joy this Eastertide, that you may be uplifted by the power of the Holy Spirit working within you and that you too may find refreshment and know his peace.

With Love and prayers, Fr Steve.

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ST PETER’S R.C. CHURCH, Church Road, East Wittering. Tel: 673194

Priest in charge: Canon Tom Treherne (St Richard’s Chichester) 782343

SacramentsSundays: Mass 9.00amFridays: Mass 10.00am

Holy Days of Obligation: 10.00am

Sacrament of Penance: First Friday of the month at 9.30am

Pastor : Mr John Gunning “Glen Two” Bracklesham LaneEarnley, West Sussex PO20 7JE Tel. 01243 511121

SUNDAY SERVICES at 10.30 amChildren can attend a lively Sunday School during the second half of the service.

Holy Communion 10 am on the 1st Sunday of the month,in the Service on the 3rd Sunday of the month

Bible based services seeking to learn more of God

Bible Study - Mondays 8pm Thursdays 10.30am

Thursday Fellowship 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 2.15pmVaried topics – tea and cake!

Friday Tea and Chat 2pm

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ALL OF THE ABOVE!

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, Oakfield Ave, East Wittering .

COMMUNITY NEWS

CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL FRIENDS A TREAT FOR ALL LOVERS OF BOOKS AND HISTORY

You may think that a history book sale is a very narrow base for a successful sale, but Chichester Cathedral Friends and West Sussex Archives Society have a different view and are co-hosting a second-hand History Book Sale in The Vicars’ Hall, Chichester, on 12th and 13th October, 2018 to which you are warmly invited. Entrance is free, and half of the proceeds will go towards projects within the Cathedral that are supported by the Friends.

“History Books” encompass a wide range of categories from Local History, Biographies, Architecture and Military to Railways, Historical Surveys, Family History and Churches, and we plan to have a wide selection of second-hand books on sale for the two days. Some books will be specialist collectables whilst others will be of a more general nature and on sale at a very attractive price.

So, if you have a love of books and especially history books, do come along and browse among the many bargains that will be on offer.

Also, if you have any suitable books that you would be happy to donate, we would be delighted to include them in the Sale. These can be taken to the Cathedral Friends’ Office on Tuesday or Fridays between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm. If you ask at the Royal Chantry, next to Cloisters Caf�, the receptionist will provide directions to the Friends’ Office. We can also collect within the Chichester area: please call Iain Jessup on 07973 768917 to arrange a convenient time.

During the two-day Book Sale, Cloisters Caf� will provide refreshments and light lunches, enabling you to browse for as long as you wish.Chichester Cathedral Friends is a registered charity. Membership costs �15 per year and �25 for a couple. For more information visit: www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/friends or email friends@chichestercathedral.org.uk.

….and finally!

Members of an Atlantic City, New Jersey, council passed a resolution twinning their city with Bucharest, Hungary. Unfortunately for them, Bucharest is in Romania.

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St Anne’s Fellowship Circle A.G.M. 28.3.2018

Jenny welcomed all 23 members. The first item on the agenda was to appoint new officers. Jenny - the chairman, Jan - the secretary, and Christine - the treasurer - all having served for a number of years had all decided to stand down to give others a chance to bring new ideas to the Circle's activities. After a lively discussion and some hesitation amongst the membership Pam Holliday stepped forward and, to everyone's great relief, volunteered to be chairman. She was quickly proposed, seconded and unanimously voted in. Carole Colman had already volunteered to write a report of future meetings and submit it for publication to Parish Life. Sue Bowers then volunteered to carry out other duties connected with being secretary. Sue Wiltshire agreed to take on the treasurership.

Thus, all new officers having been elected, the meeting continued with a quiz drawn up by Jenny. This involved a bag with 26 slips inside, each inscribed with one of the letters of the alphabet. Whatever letter was drawn out each member had to write down a flower, a girl's name, a boy's name and the name of a fruit beginning with that letter. Each correct word scored 5 points, but if no-one else had written down that name the points were increased to 10. Gill and Carole scored the most points and won a box of Maltesers to share!

The next meeting will be on 25th April at 2.30pm in the Village Hall. New members are always welcome.

The next Sunday tea will be held on 6th May at 2.30pm in the Village Hall and we look forward to seeing you there. Let us hope the weather is warmer by then!

JAN COLEMAN

St. ANNE’S NEWS AND INFORMATION

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Technically, Moses was the first person with a tablet downloading data from the cloud.

Did youKnow….

EDITORIAL

Be more kind! What a wonderful target to aim for! As an article in last month’s Parish Life explained, being altruistic, doing a good deed, being caring – however you want to put it – doesn’t just make you feel good, it is actually doing you good, and, as a bonus, is actually helping you live longer. So having taken that on board, won’t we all be aiming to ‘be more kind’?

‘Be more kind’ is in my mind at the moment, because I managed to catch the last few minutes of BBC’s breakfast show this

morning, as I sat down to have some breakfast prior to triking to the village to do my Thursday shopping. The last guest had just been introduced and I missed his last name but did manage to discover, during those few minutes of the interview, that his first name was Frank. He was saying that he is a big fan of Clive James whose poem ‘Be more kind’ had inspired him to write one of his songs and to use that as the title of his new album. This was followed by a clip from said album. What a joy to hear a singer on the pop scene – and I do actually mean HEAR. He sang in such a way that I could hear all the words on the clip and get the message it was conveying. How refreshing! I’m getting more and more frustrated these days when singers seem to feel the words don’t matter as they virtually swallow the mike and distort the words into unrecognisable grunts. Then there’s another trend – a phrase that is repeated again and again inbetween what I call ‘vocal gymnastics’, where they gurgle or gargle around the full range of their vocal chords for what seems to be eternity. Thinking along these lines reminds me of the first time I went to China with my friend, Shirley. We started in Rawalpindi in Pakistan and travelled up the Karakoram Highway into Western China, then went by bus and train across to the east and finished in Beijing. It took us nearly a month and before we flew home we had the opportunity to go to a Peking Opera performance. Suffice it to say the women’s style of singing in Chinese opera is very different from the western style. Shirley’s comment as we made our way out at the end, “Don’t ever drag me to a s*****g Chinese Opera again.”

But back to the last guest this morning on the TV programme! He used a very good word when he was talking about ‘Be more kind’ – both his song and the new album and Clive James’ poem – ‘dehumanise’. “We dehumanise people.” It’s all about empathy, isn’t it?! And just to finish and on the theme of ‘empathy’, don’t forget to support Rosie Hills and her efforts on behalf of Christian Aid during this year’s Christian Aid Week!

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Ponder this……..

If you sacrifice a friend in a difficult hour, you never make another friend again. Shimon Peres, Nobel Peace Laureate in 1994

COMMUNITY NEWS

any naughty wrong-doers! Motor accidents were particularly traumatic. One of the worst he had to attend was when two young men were killed in a ‘Kit car’ which had no brakes, and another was when a woman died in his arms.

Roger modelled a Canadian Mountie’s red coat and hat, which Tony and Lizzie managed to bring from Canada, where they spent their honeymoon. Legally you can’t buy, sell or even own one of these! He ended by recalling a rather large disturbance at The Red Lion in Arundel, when a gang from Littlehampton picked a fight with an Arundel gang, and by the time the police arrived, the tables were flying! Tony and Lizzie will be making a return visit in November to talk to us about the Gunpowder Plot.

The flowers competition was won by Liz Williams, but the only cake entry was submitted by Joan. Our next meeting will be on 8th May. It’s our AGM when plant swapping will take place and any member wishing to join the committee can put their name forward. Hope to see you all there!

ROSEMARIE COX

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HEARTSPACE

Wednesday 16th May, 13.30-15.30at Bracklesham Barn PO20 8HU

Beginning an art journal with polystyrene plate printingwith Nancy Froud

Start a new Heartspace year with your very own art journal to use at Heartspace or when-ever the fancy takes you. Your art journal can be used for drawing, writing, affirmation,

collage or anything else you can think of!What better way to fill those first few blank pages than with some colourful polystyrene prints. In this session you will learn how to print using polystyrene. Choose one of our

designs or better still create your own original.

Saturday 26th May, 10.30-12.30at Bracklesham Barn PO20 8HU

Willow Weavingwith Ganesh and Elaine

Husband and wife team Ganesh and Elaine have been involved in growing, harvesting and crafting with willow for more than 20 years. They are both experienced facilitators at

schools and for local organisations. They work with English grown willow much of which is locally grown. They will demonstrate and encourage you through the process of making 2D and 3D willow items including stars and bird feeders. No experience neces-

sary and all equipment provided. Booking essential, only 10 places available!

COMMUNITY NEWS

EAST WITTERING GARDEN AND WINE CIRCLE

On a bright and sunny April evening Tony and Lizzie Gilks came again with another of their talks – this time it was “A Policeman’s Lot”. Prompted now and again by Lizzie, Tony related anecdotes from his 30 years as a policeman. He reminded us that on his retirement from the police he worked at Arundel Castle and it was there that he met Lizzie. He started by telling us that when technology was brought into the police stations he refused to use it, and even today does use a mobile phone but only in an emergency. He was instructed only reluctantly on how to use a computer. In his early days, if it was found that they were not on their allocated beat, they could be in big trouble and fined. In the early days before radios were issued, they had to stand outside an

allocated phone box to keep in contact with the station. Tony told us that on one occasion he was called in to assist with the stealing of machinery from farms and was faced with a shotgun. In the event of being called to an incident in an adjoining town or village, they were empowered to commandeer a car. He stopped a Morris Minor once but found the driver was driving at 20 mph. On investigation he found that the driver was drunk, so Tony took over the keys, and it was 36 hours before the owner turned up to claim them. The time came for him to move up to ride motor bikes and he was issued with a Velocette, which he had to push uphill!

He was interested in young people and gave talks at many schools including Sussex University. He even started a Youth Club in a prison. He went on to show us a collection of truncheons, known as ‘staffs of office’ to the Parish Constables. Many were highly decorated and one dated back to George III. Many large estate owners formed their own police forces. Only 2% of the population were allowed to vote –mainly the aristocracy – and in 1848 the April riots occurred and Tony had many riot sticks used on those protesters. He also had a stick dating from 1780 belonging to Lord Gordon and used in the Gordon Riots of that time.

From there we moved on to the Cat-o-Nine tails, used up to 1954 in Wandsworth Prison. Wellington’s army and navy tied nine knots and pieces of lead on the ropes to inflict the maximum punishment. We were told that Albert Pierrepoint was the best hangman and could dispatch a prisoner within 7 seconds, and we were shown the prayer book used at executions. After WWII he had to go to Holland to teach the Americans how to hang the Germans!

The most feared jails because of the discipline were Petworth and Horsham. Tony talked to us about the good works of Elizabeth Fry and John Howard in their efforts to reform the prison system. Then, going back to his life in the police, he introduced us to the meaning of ‘bog-hopping’ – when public toilets had to be visited to stop and arrest

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St. ANNE’S NEWS AND INFORMATION

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK – 13TH to 19TH MAY 2018

I expect most of us have had a moan about our increased Council Tax but then we have the good fortune to live in a beautiful part of the country with many amenities – others are not so lucky!

All over the world are people suffering hardships through no fault of their own, and Christian Aid are one of the many charities who are on hand to help - not just when disaster strikes - but to support, in partnership with local groups, urban and rural communities to improve their lives. This may be by providing clean water and sanitation, building new schools and clinics, giving training to provide medical care in remote areas, and teaching improved farming methods so that communities can become self-sustaining.

Some stories from Christian Aid………………“The last time Dimma remembers rain in her part of Kenya was two years ago. Her family have lost many sheep and goats in the droughts and have been forced to move in desperate search of water. Christian Aid’s partner gave Dimma livestock feed and cash to keep her flock alive and to buy essential food such as milk, rice and beans for her family. They wouldn’t have survived without our support.”“Since 2013 Boko Haram have used brutal tactics to terrorise people in north eastern Nigeria. Women and children are particularly vulnerable and millions have been displaced. Christian Aid’s partner has been supporting affected people and communities.”“Following the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, eight million people were affected and over 500,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. �4 million was raised following the disaster and allowed Christian Aid’s partners to provide emergency relief but also to rebuild homes and schools with new classrooms and toilets, giving the children a safe and stronger building in which to continue their education.”These are just a few of the hundreds of ongoing projects which need continued funding. So……please give generously during Christian Aid Week through donations and/or coming for…

Breakfast in the Village Hallon Saturday 12th May

from 10.00am to 12.00.

ENJOY……..Porridge or cornflakes,a sizzling bacon roll with tea or coffeeall for �5.00 (children’s portion �3.00)

All welcome, so bring friends, family and children and enjoy a yummy breakfast !5

St. ANNE’S NEWS AND INFORMATION

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ST. ANNE’S CHURCH Invites you to

Come and join us for this joyful celebrationThanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion

(Corpus Christi)Thursday 31st May at 7.00pm

‘Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.’ Luke

24.31a,35Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ John

6.35‘The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.’ 1 Corinthians 10.16,17‘As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the

Lord’s death until he comes.’ 1 Corinthians 11.26

You, the risen One,You take care of what worries us.

Like a poor person,Not wanting to impose,

You walk alongside each of us,Without forcing your way into our hearts.You are there, and you offer your trust.And even when the depths of our being

Cry out in loneliness,You do not forsake anyone.

Brother Roger of Taize

There was no more dozing off after the vicar started serving the extra-strength coffee before the service

COMMUNITY NEWS

ST WILFRID'S HOSPICE -WITTERINGS & DISTRICT

SUPPORT GROUP

On Wednesday 16th May is our Coffee Morning at Russell’s Garden Centre from 10am to 11.30am.

Come and join us, relax for an hour and, as they say, ‘put the world to rights’.

Raynor

THURSDAY GROUP

To celebrate the Royal Wedding in May, we are asking members if they would like to ‘Bring in your Wedding Photo’ to our next meeting on Thursday 3rd May. Then we can have fun trying to guess who’s who!

The meeting will be from 2pm till 4pm and there will be the usual tea, coffee, cake and biscuits, chat and games and a table sale of books, etc. The WMV Minibus will collect members of the minibus scheme and take them home again at the end.

Instead of Lunch this month we are going for Afternoon Tea at the Brick Kiln Garden Centre on Thursday 17th May. Arrangements for getting there will be discussed at the meeting on 3rd May.

For more details about the group, phone Helen on 672174 or Marjorie on 672696.

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MEN’S BREAKFAST26th May

THE BARN (HARVESTER) , BARNFIELD DRIVE

CHICHESTER PO19 7AGCost �6.00 includes speaker.This month Bernard Palmer,

retired Senior Consultant SurgeonContact Peter Sutton 07813 024 585

Witterings Camera Club

For further details, please contact Richard Emery, Chairman on 01243 670798. We meet at the Sports Pavilion, Rookwood Road, West Wittering. Meetings start at 7.30pm

Tuesday 1st May Print Table Walk -This will consist of members showing any prints they desire.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Support Your Local Hospice During ‘Make a Will Fortnight’

Help your local Hospice, St. Wilfrid’s while recording your wishes with regards to your loved ones, pets and possessions.

St. Wilfrid’s Hospice is inviting the local community to support its Make a Will Fortnight scheme from Monday 4th to Friday 15th June. Participating local solicitors are

giving their services for free, enabling you to have your Will written or amended in return for a donation to the Hospice. The initiative invites people to consider making this donation rather than paying the solicitors who are kindly providing their time and expertise free of charge.

“Make a Will Fortnight is an excellent opportunity to support the invaluable work the Hospice provides, whilst gaining the benefit of a professionally drafted Will,” said Ursula Watt, a partner at George Ide LLP in Chichester, which has supported the scheme for many years.“We are hugely grateful to the participating local solicitors who generously give their time and expertise to help us in this important annual fundraising initiative,” said Marcia Nguyen, Individuals Fundraising Manager at St. Wilfrid’s Hospice.

Full details of the scheme, including a list of participating solicitors and suggested donations is available at stwh.co.uk/MAWF or call Marcia Nguyen on 01243 755837, or email fundraising@stwh.co.uk. Appointments are limited so anyone interested is asked to call participating solicitors in good time.

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BOOKS

John Hyatt has a large collection of books from the stock of King’s Bookshop, of varied subjects

and authors.Come and browse, you may find something of interest.

John can also order books.These can be found in Wittering Walk –

in Dean Semain’s emporium Second Chance –look for the sign.

As John is the only member of staff, the 9-5 hours will not necessarily apply; please be patient.

DIARY DATES

Tuesdays ‘Meet & Greet’ at West Wittering Memorial Hall, 10am to 1pm2nd Tuesday– Garden & Wine Club. E. Witt VH, 7.30pm1st & 3rd (Sept. to May) Wittering Camera Club Sports Pavilion,

Rookwood Road, W. WitteringWednesdays Youth Drop In Centre, W. Witt Pavilion, 7.00pm –9.00pm

4th Weds—St. Anne’s Fellowship Circle in E. Witt VH 2.30pmThursdays 1st Thursday—The Thursday Group, Bracklesham Barn 3.00pm

1st Thursday Citizens' Advice Bureau at the back of the Health Centre 9.30-11.30

Last Thursday VIP (Visually Impaired) Club—Medical Centre 2.30pm.For more information or lift contact Jean Church on 01243 670799

Fridays ‘Tea &Chat’ at The URC Church , Oakfield Avenue 1.30pm onwards

May:Sunday 6th 6th after Easter (Rogation Sunday)Thursday 10th Ascension Day Sunday 13th 7th after Easter (Ascension at St. Anne’s)Monday 14th Matthias the ApostleSunday 20th Pentecost (Whit Sunday)Sunday 27th Trinity SundayThursday 31st Corpus Christi

(Day of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion)

June:Friday 1st The Visit of the Blessed Virgin

Mary to ElizabethSunday 3rd Trinity 1

FROM THE REGISTERS

The Recently Departed:

Henry “Harry” Hunt Doreen Smith

Arthur Ford

“In my Father’s house there are many rooms…..” John 14 v.2

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ANGLO-SAXON SAINTS - St. Gregory and St. Augustine

Pope Gregory, later to be canonised and to be given the honour by history of having ’the Great’ attached to his name, lived in the 6th century – 540-604 - in Rome. It was there one day as he was passing through the slave market, that some fair-skinned slave boys caught his eye. The following was recorded by Bede in his ‘History of the English Church and People’. ‘He therefore asked, what was the name of that nation? And was answered, that they were called Angles. “Right,” said he, “for they have an angelic face, and it becomes such to be co-heirs with the Angels in heaven. What is the name,” proceeded he, “of the province from which they are brought?”

It was replied that the natives of that province were called Deiri. “Truly are they De ira,” said he, “withdrawn from wrath and called to the mercy of Christ. How is the king of that province called\/” they told him his name was Aella, and he, alluding to the name, said, “Hallelujah, the praise of God the Creator must be sung in those parts.”’

The story goes that through this encounter Gregory decided to send a mission to convert the nation to Christianity in the person of Augustine, a monk from his own monastery. Augustine landed on Thanet in Kent in AD 597, which changed the course of English history. It was more than likely that Gregory knew about the pagan Anglo-Saxons in the island that had been the Roman province of Britannia. He possibly knew that Aethelberht, the King of Kent, had married Bertha, a Christian Frankish princess, who, as part of the marriage agreement, had been allowed to bring her bishop, Luidhard, with her. Gregory envisaged a new Roman Empire – a Christian Roman Empire. His mission was to convert the Anglo-Saxons to the Roman form of Christianity before the Celtic church moved in to claim them.

Gregory came from an aristocratic family. His great-grandfather was Pope Felix III. Gregory was expected to go into the church, but he started out as Prefect, one of the highest positions in the city of Rome. He fully intended to take up the monastic life, which he did in 575, having tired of politics. The next five years were spent in prayer, fasting, meditation and writing his famous work Dialogues. Gregory had a brilliant mind and it wasn’t long before he was dragged out of his seclusion and ordained deacon. Relocated to Constantinople he recreated his own monastery of St. Andrew in Rome in the Roman embassy in Constantinople! He was there for 7 years, steadfastly maintaining his allegiance to Rome. In 589 the Tiber flooded. Infected water gushed through Rome destroying the water supply. Plague followed, the Pope succumbed and Gregory was elected Pope by the people. Rome was no longer the glorious capital of a far-flung empire anyway, but Gregory’s dream to restore its fortunes was still there – all roads would again lead to Rome! It was at this point when he formed his plan. He loved the highly organised structure that was the Roman Empire, he was a great fan of Benedict and the way the Benedictine order of monks was organised. He chose Augustine, a Sicilian monk from his own monastery, to preach Roman Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. With him he dispatched a band of his own highly disciplined monks. It was obvious from the start that Augustine was a reluctant

8

COMMUNITY NEWS

21

RNLI MANHOOD FUND RAISING

The Manhood Branch have had three events during the winter months to raise money for the RNLI.

In December we had our Autumn Bridge and Tea which was a great success and raised �1220 of which �350 was raised on the raffle. 23 tables played Chicago bridge, the usual much appreciated tea was served at the mid break. Competition was strong and a splendid afternoon had by all.

The new year began with a Reeling Evening at West Wittering Memorial Hall on the 19th January. A very colourful and vibrant evening was enjoyed by 45 reelers to the calling by Chris Blevin and Nigel Glennie. A light supper was served during the interval and the evening made a splendid �692.50 towards RNLI funds.

Fortunately, our Spring Bridge and Tea Afternoon was held before the Beast from the East hit the Witterings. 72 players enjoyed the afternoon of Chicago Bridge, with a mid afternoon tea break which was much appreciated. High scores by some, low scores by others, everyone had a very entertaining afternoon raising �923 of which �319 was made on the raffle.

A big thank you to all who took part in the above events, to all who contributed to making the afternoons such a success, and for your continued support of our two Lifeboat Stations Selsey and Hayling Island.

...I wonder if I could have a quick word with the flower arrangers at the end of this service….?

Can you believe this!

There was a mix-up in the photo library when the Australian rail-way system launched a campaign

in January 1988 against fare dodgers. The picture of the

would-be criminal shown ap-proaching the barriers at Calvary station was actually the town’s

mayor!

FEATURES

STEPHEN HAWKING 1942-2018

Stephen Hawking’s wit and love of TV and radio is revealed in the Radio Times archives.He may have been the most celebrated physicist since Einstein, but Stephen Hawking always found time to engage with the earthly delights of television and radio – sometimes in Radio Times. He went from occasionally appearing in our pages to being a cover star in 2016, when his series of Reith Lectures on Radio 4 delighted millions.Perhaps most impressively he silenced hundreds of actors and television bigwigs – a feat previously unprecedented…..when he delivered a speech as the star guest at our annual covers party last year. Here we celebrate his life in his own words –as they appeared in RT.On guest starring in The Simpsons.

‘I accepted immediately because The Simpsons is the best thing on American television. No one should be out of bounds for humour, not President Bush, not Jeremy Paxman and certainly not intellectuals. They deserve to be laughed at when they are pretentious or pompous.’On being a Time Lord.‘I would like to meet Galileo, the father of modern science. I was born 300 years after the death of Galileo, I hold the same job at Cambridge as Newton and I work on Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Of the three, I feel closest to Galileo. He followed his nose and was a bit of a rebel’On Desert Island discs (and his luxury, cr�me brulee).‘The idea of being stuck on a desert island once filled me with horror. But now that I’m

older, a desert island sounds quite appealing. But I don’t want to go if there’s no cr�me brulee. Physics is fascinating, but, after all, you can’t have it for pudding.’On parties and his voice.‘Just because I spend a lot of time thinking doesn’t mean I don’t like parties and getting

into trouble. I enjoy communicating. My speech synthesiser has been very important for this, even though I ended up with an American accent. Now I can talk to everyone.’On the future of space travel.‘I believe the human race’s future is in space. It will be a real adventure. I just hope I

can handle the acceleration forces involved…’On the film of his life - and keeping going.‘At 21 my expectations were reduced to zero. You probably know this already, because

there’s been a movie about it. Although I was unfortunate to get motor neurone disease, I’ve been fortunate in everything else. I’ve been lucky to work in theoretical physics…in which my disability is not a serious handicap. It’s important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you lose all hope if you can’t laugh at yourself and at life in general.’

Taken from the Radio Times 20

ANGLO-SAXON SAINTS - St. Gregory and St. Augustine contd….

evangelist, especially to the far-flung islands of Britain with its uninviting climate and even less inviting inhabitants. It took them two years to reach Kent and Bede records why!He writes they were:‘on their journey, seized with a sudden fear, and began to think of returning home, rather than proceed to a barbarous, fierce and unbelieving nation, to whose very language they were strangers; and this they unanimously agreed was the safest course. In short, they went back.’

But Gregory was not going to be deterred in his mission. He made Augustine return to the monks, carrying with him letters to the bishops and rulers of Frankish Gaul, asking for help for the missionaries. Augustine was made abbot of the group, and they were given safe passage through Gaul and interpreters to accompany them. But still Augustine was not happy. The letters that passed between Gregory and Augustine, documented by Bede, show his constant need to consult with the one who had sent him on this dreadful mission.

Augustine’s first task was to persuade King Aethelberht of Kent to let him spread his Christian message in his kingdom. The symbol of the cross, the relics the monks carried, the books that they brought, their monastic habits and their chanting were all

alien to the Anglo-Saxons, causing them to imagine that strong magic was afoot. The fact that the newcomers wanted to build using stone rather than wood, which was used for all their building requirements, made them even more suspicious. But eventually the king gave them access to the ancient Roman city of Canterbury, where they found a small church by the city walls dedicated to St. Martin. It wasn’t long before Augustine was writing to Gregory again about how to deal with the native British Christians. For Gregory orthodoxy was the over-ruling consideration and there’s evidence that the native Christians were treated with disdain and distrusted for their ‘outdated’ understanding of Christian belief. It was all about establishing orthodoxy and stamping out any heretical practices. But Augustine showed a lack of respect towards the British bishops and that delayed the progress of the mission, possibly by decades! The British Church was not going to adopt the changes brought by Gregory’s mission without a struggle! CRC 9

YELLOW!

Crocus and daffodil push through hard earth’s keeping,

Resurrection from long night’s sleeping.Rash, brash sunflowers stretch and grow.They smile to match that rounded glow.

Tiny buttercups with wily persistenceVie with tidy mowers for existence.

Pretty pink, baby blue, all have their place.Purple, red and pristine white – it’s not a race!

Colour! The template for artists’ palettes, that joyous spree,Nature’s beauty bonus yearly given free But GOLD beats all!

PAM COURTNEY

FEATURES

BANISH THE CLEAN ENERGY MYTHS

THE MYTH:UK weather isn’t right for renewable energy.THE REALITY:On 263 days in 2017 UK wind farms generated more electricity than coal plants.On 180 days in 2017 solar power generated more than coal.We already generate more from offshore wind than any other country – enough to power four million homes.

THE MYTH:Other countries aren’t investing in green energy.THE REALITY:Germany already gets over 25% of its electricity from renewables.China deployed more solar capacity in 2017 alone than any other country’s total capacity.In 2016 the electricity sector spent more worldwide on renewables than on fossil fuels.Worldwide renewables are booming.

THE MYTH:Renewable energy is too expensive.THE REALITY:The cost of building an offshore wind farm has fallen by 46% in the last 5 years.Solar and wind are now cheaper than new coal.The planned Hinkley nuclear power station would be the most expensive object on the planet.Only the International Space Station has cost more.

THE MYTH:We can’t do without big power stations.THE REALITY:Steve Halliday, the CEO of the National Grid, has called the idea of large coal or nuclear power stations ‘outdated’.The key for the future is a mix of clean energy sources- solar, tidal and onshore and offshore wind – spread over a wide area and on a smart grid that can connect and switch between sources.Storage solutions and interconnectors (large pipes under the sea used to share electricity between countries) can provide a constant flow of power.

Taken from ‘Connect’, a Greenpeace publication, Spring 2018

10

FEATURES

THOUGHTS FROM THE SEA

The Dustman comes on Thursday•The Dustman comes on Thursday but the curtains closed on Wednesday.•She did the Pet and Christingle service but anything else was too much.•She lived from an animal perspective and worshiped cats.•Donkeys were her favourite—she loved them in Earnley church.•The candles were magic - she was spiritually alert.•She did for other people injections, drugs and care. She was not a person to always do her hair.•She worked all over London in banks, and married later when she could.•They went to care for animals allsorts while owners were away. And then when single she volunteered for this and that to underpin the poor, and have a lovely chat.•When she got to 90 she slowed down a lot.To have to struggle up the stairs many times a day.•She dressed up for a party or out to see a show, although she was getting very very slow.•With Christmas came a jigsaw there ready for us to try.•One night she didn’t turn off the light—she sat there all night through.She just closed her eyes and went to sleep—she didn’t say no more.•Everything was so simple everything in line—she thought it all out just passed out—she left us all alone. I cry. DB

TIME TO STEP AWAY FROM THE SPOON

Spoon-fed babies are more likely to end up obese or overweight than those that feed themselves, says a new book ‘Why Starting Solids Matters’. Its author, Dr, Amy Brown of Swansea University, suggests that babies should be allowed to feed themselves finger foods from the age of six months, as this leads to them being a healthier weight and more adventurous in their eating habits.Although self-feeding can be a bit messy, Dr. Brown says, this is part of the learning process. She says, “Kids need to learn about food. They need to find out, ‘What happens if I squash this or drop it on the floor?’”Obviously certain foods are no-nos with this method, such as large chunks or slices of fruit or vegetables, or grapes and cherry tomatoes, which could cause the baby to choke……“Let them eat as little as they want,” she says. “A jar of baby food is too big for what a little baby needs. When you are waving the spoon around and saying, ‘Here comes the big aeroplane – let’s finish it,’ if they clamp their mouth shut, forget about it. They will not starve.”

Taken from ‘Be Healthy’ Winter 2017 – a Benenden publication 19

FEATURES

Venus puts on a splendid show in the west nearly three hours after the Sun has set. This is a very hostile place, with an air pressure some 90 times greater than ours on Earth and choking carbon dioxide 'air', causing a runaway green-house effect sending temperatures up to 400 degrees and winds of over 200 mph.

Back on our lovely planet, we may be able to see part of a meteor shower from the constellation of Aquarius which is very low down in the N.W. The peak of the shower is on the 5th./6th. night with a possible 35 shooting stars an hour.

The red planet Mars rises just after midnight, while Jupiter is a prominent object in the east before 22:00.

Saturn is still fairly close to Mars in the early morning sky, with the Moon close by on the 4th. and 6th. of the month.

Our Sun is about 93 million miles from the Earth, but once we get beyond our Solar System, miles or kilometers are just not enough, so we then have to use light years.All the stars that we can see are contained in our Milky Way galaxy, and the nearest star to our Sun is 4.2 light years (L.Y.) away called Alpha Proxima. The giant star Betelgause in Orion is 640L.Ys. from us, and the nearest galaxy to us is 2.5 million L.Ys. away and can just be seen as a fuzzy patch during the winter months in a dark location. This is the Andromeda galaxy.

What is a light year? Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, so if you keep multiplying that figure up (x mins. x hrs. x days) until you reach a year, that colossal number is a light year. If it were possible to travel at the speed of light it would take 4.2 years to reach Alpha proxima and so on. By looking at the stars and galaxies, we see them as they were when the light left them, so we are effectively looking back in time. The Hubble Space Telescope, which has been orbiting the Earth for some years now, can see young galaxies as they were up to 13 billion years ago, almost as we understand it, to the beginning of the universe and time.

Pete Littlejohns

DID YOU KNOW…..?

Heinz makes half a million tins of baked beans every day.

There are roughly 217 baked beans in every Heinz 14oz tin.

Heinz has a website dedicated to delivering tins of baked beans to home-sick British people all over the world.

18

FEATURES

GET SOME ………………..

Just a daily handful of almonds can help cut the risk of cholesterol-associated heart disease….

What nuts can do for you!ALMONDS A good source of healthy fats, calcium, vitamin E and fibre. They also help to reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol.BRAZIL These contain selenium, which helps our body produce thyroid hormones, supports immunity and helps healing. Eating three to four nuts a day is plenty.CASHEWS Rich in magnesium, which may help cognitive ability, these crescent-shaped seeds of the cashew apple include minerals such as iron and zinc, as well as being a good source of protein.HAZELNUTS A good source of folate, which can help keep down levels of homocysteine, an amino acid which has been associated with heart problems and Parkinson’s disease.PEANUTS If you avoid the roasted or salted version, and keep the portion modest, then you’ll reap the same benefits as with other tree nuts – lots of vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre.WALNUTS Rich in omega 3, protein, fibre and vitamin E, walnuts are also high in antioxidants, which help protect the body against disease. Studies have shown that eating walnuts can boost male fertility.

Taken from ‘Be Healthy’, Winter 2017 – a Benenden publication

SELECTIVE HEARING AIDS FOR MEN

More to Ponder…..

To be the father of a nation is a great honour, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy.

Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Laureate in 1993

11

FEATURES

DR MAX the mind doctor may make you rethink your life Part 1

Over the course of my career, I’ve met many old people who, despite their advanced years, seemed not to have aged much at all. They have wrinkles and grey hair, but there’s something about them that radiates youthfulness and life. You cannot imagine them ever dying.

Increasingly scientists have started looking at these ‘super-agers’….to see if there is something that could be harnessed as a potential elixir of life. Of course, longevity is not necessarily so desirable if your old age is dogged with ill-health and discomfort….yet medicine constantly intervenes when sometimes it would do much better to just step back and let nature take its course. What’s interesting though is that these super-agers seem to have it all: they remain as fit as a fiddle despite advancing age, and live long and healthy lives. There’s no doubt that genetics plays a big part, but it’s not the only factor here.

Years of research carried out by the Northwestern University in Chicago found no common pattern of behaviour, but they did all share two things.

These were a unique personality profile, highlighting optimism, resilience and perseverance and an active lifestyle….While there may be no sure-fire way of becoming a sprightly centenarian, here are some of the interesting tips my patients have taught me over the years.

Try to steer clear of doctors. Once when I was working in a hospital in Scotland, an elderly and wonderfully grumpy lady was brought in after she’d fallen while out shopping. She was adamant that she’d only fallen because someone had tripped her up and furious she’d been admitted.

‘A lot of fuss about nothing,’ she muttered, proudly telling everyone she never saw her GP, never took any medication and, in her 90s wasn’t about to start now. The social workers were in a panic that such an elderly woman was living alone in a flat up three

flights of stairs; she needed to be in a care home, they told her.

‘I don’t care if I fall down the stairs and die,’ she shouted. ‘I’d rather die there than in an old people’s home.’ Eventually, a wise consultant intervened and discharged her back home. What fascinated me about her – and many similar older people I’ve come across - is that they make it through life with only fleeting interaction with the medical

12

FEATURES

MONITORING POLLUTION COULD BE OUTSOURCED ……...TO PIGEONS!

Pigeons could soon be used to help monitor pollution, scientists have revealed. The birds usually stay within a few blocks in a city, making them ideal for measuring toxic chemicals in a particular area. Their

body tissue is surprisingly similar to that of humans, meaning tests on pigeons could also shine a light on the effect of pollutants on people. Rebecca Callsi Rodriguez, of the University of California in Davis, said plans are already under way. Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference in Austin, Texas, she explained: ‘Pigeons have existed for ages in close proximity to us, eating the same food, drinking and being exposed to the same water sources, soil, air, pollution.’ She said they could be more useful than machines as they process chemicals in their bodies, adding: ‘This offers up the opportunity to not only find toxin hotspots in our environment, but to understand how these toxins affect biology.’

So far scientists have only tested pigeons for levels of lead in their blood, which was found to be similar to children in the same area. They now plan to expand tests to other toxins such as pesticides.

COLIN FERNANDEZ in Austin writing in the Daily Mail 17

JACK’S JOURNAL

Many of my human friends complained that this year’s Spring was horribly cold but my canine friends and I rather revelled in its challenge. We charged and bounced up and down the beach and only slowed down to sniff a polite (or maybe impolite) Hallo! John has now formed the admirable habit of taking me to the shops after our run (or walk in his case) and I always get a welcome biscuit from Witterings Pet Store and The Salty Dog in Wittering Walk.

One afternoon in The Walk John was serving a customer in King’s Bookshop. The gentleman asked for a book on aliens and the paranormal. I’d never heard of aliens; all I wanted was a chicken strip but John wouldn’t pay attention. When the man left with a book tucked under his arm John shut the shop, and we headed for home. Suddenly, as we walked up the passage by the medical centre, a huge lump of black fur appeared on the top of the fence. It leapt to the ground, hissing and spitting, its legs rigid and its back humped like a sack of coal. I froze to the spot. John said, “Don’t be a wimp; have you never seen a cat before?” It was an alien! I turned and pulled John home the long way round. He told my mistress, Ros, what had happened and she said seeing a cat was a new experience for me. Of course it was. I’ve led a very sheltered life. Oh, there’s always excitement in the Witterings!

CHILDREN’S PAGE

16

FEATURES

profession. Of course, it could be that because they’re so healthy, they never need to see a doctor. But the other argument is that when you see doctors, they tend to interfere. They admit you to hospital, where you pick up infections; they prescribe medication that has side effects and interactions.

One man I once saw in A&E, who was in his 80s and still working as a gardener, didn’t even have a GP. He’d last seen a doctor when he was in the Army in his 20s. I wonder if a lot of this comes down to temperament. You certainly never come across a super-ager who’s a hypochondriac. They are far too busy getting on with life to worry about common or garden aches and pains or ailments.

Eat what you like - in moderation. There is no magical food that all people who age well seem to eat. Instead, rather than what they eat, it’s the way that they eat that makes the difference. Certainly, I’ve never met a super-ager who had a faddy diet. They’d eat a bit of cream when they felt like it, and they might have butter on their toast. They eat everything, but only – and this is the key – in moderation. They don’t indulge. Despite what all these ‘clean eaters’ like to think, diets that cut out entire food groups aren’t healthy; they aren’t going to ensure you have a long and healthy life.

Don’t ‘exercise’ – do something you love. Asked if they exercise, healthy older people will often tell me they don’t. They then explain that, although they don’t exercise, they swim every day, or play golf or walk the dog – all of which is, of course, exercise. What is interesting is that they never thought of it as exercise. Exercise is a chore – whereas they did things they enjoyed. So find a form of exercise you love – and do it lots and lots!

Max Pemberton is an NHS psychiatrist Taken from the Daily Mail, February 24th 2018

THE WRONG COLOUR………….?One day a scientist gave a party for his friends. All the food was the wrong colour. It wasn’t dyed, it was lit with special lighting which made it look the wrong colour. The meat appeared grey.The fresh peas appeared black.The salad appeared bright blue.The celery appeared pink.The lemons appeared orange.The coffee appeared sickly yellow.The nuts appeared scarlet.The cheesecake appeared violet.Most people ate very little. There was nothing wrong with the food – it was well cooked and nicely presented. Only one of his friends was not affected. Why? Because he was blind! 13

FEATURES

DR MAX the mind doctor may make you rethink your life Part 1

Over the course of my career, I’ve met many old people who, despite their advanced years, seemed not to have aged much at all. They have wrinkles and grey hair, but there’s something about them that radiates youthfulness and life. You cannot imagine them ever dying.

Increasingly scientists have started looking at these ‘super-agers’….to see if there is something that could be harnessed as a potential elixir of life. Of course, longevity is not necessarily so desirable if your old age is dogged with ill-health and discomfort….yet medicine constantly intervenes when sometimes it would do much better to just step back and let nature take its course. What’s interesting though is that these super-agers seem to have it all: they remain as fit as a fiddle despite advancing age, and live long and healthy lives. There’s no doubt that genetics plays a big part, but it’s not the only factor here.

Years of research carried out by the Northwestern University in Chicago found no common pattern of behaviour, but they did all share two things.

These were a unique personality profile, highlighting optimism, resilience and perseverance and an active lifestyle….While there may be no sure-fire way of becoming a sprightly centenarian, here are some of the interesting tips my patients have taught me over the years.

Try to steer clear of doctors. Once when I was working in a hospital in Scotland, an elderly and wonderfully grumpy lady was brought in after she’d fallen while out shopping. She was adamant that she’d only fallen because someone had tripped her up and furious she’d been admitted.

‘A lot of fuss about nothing,’ she muttered, proudly telling everyone she never saw her GP, never took any medication and, in her 90s wasn’t about to start now. The social workers were in a panic that such an elderly woman was living alone in a flat up three

flights of stairs; she needed to be in a care home, they told her.

‘I don’t care if I fall down the stairs and die,’ she shouted. ‘I’d rather die there than in an old people’s home.’ Eventually, a wise consultant intervened and discharged her back home. What fascinated me about her – and many similar older people I’ve come across - is that they make it through life with only fleeting interaction with the medical

12

FEATURES

MONITORING POLLUTION COULD BE OUTSOURCED ……...TO PIGEONS!

Pigeons could soon be used to help monitor pollution, scientists have revealed. The birds usually stay within a few blocks in a city, making them ideal for measuring toxic chemicals in a particular area. Their

body tissue is surprisingly similar to that of humans, meaning tests on pigeons could also shine a light on the effect of pollutants on people. Rebecca Callsi Rodriguez, of the University of California in Davis, said plans are already under way. Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference in Austin, Texas, she explained: ‘Pigeons have existed for ages in close proximity to us, eating the same food, drinking and being exposed to the same water sources, soil, air, pollution.’ She said they could be more useful than machines as they process chemicals in their bodies, adding: ‘This offers up the opportunity to not only find toxin hotspots in our environment, but to understand how these toxins affect biology.’

So far scientists have only tested pigeons for levels of lead in their blood, which was found to be similar to children in the same area. They now plan to expand tests to other toxins such as pesticides.

COLIN FERNANDEZ in Austin writing in the Daily Mail 17

JACK’S JOURNAL

Many of my human friends complained that this year’s Spring was horribly cold but my canine friends and I rather revelled in its challenge. We charged and bounced up and down the beach and only slowed down to sniff a polite (or maybe impolite) Hallo! John has now formed the admirable habit of taking me to the shops after our run (or walk in his case) and I always get a welcome biscuit from Witterings Pet Store and The Salty Dog in Wittering Walk.

One afternoon in The Walk John was serving a customer in King’s Bookshop. The gentleman asked for a book on aliens and the paranormal. I’d never heard of aliens; all I wanted was a chicken strip but John wouldn’t pay attention. When the man left with a book tucked under his arm John shut the shop, and we headed for home. Suddenly, as we walked up the passage by the medical centre, a huge lump of black fur appeared on the top of the fence. It leapt to the ground, hissing and spitting, its legs rigid and its back humped like a sack of coal. I froze to the spot. John said, “Don’t be a wimp; have you never seen a cat before?” It was an alien! I turned and pulled John home the long way round. He told my mistress, Ros, what had happened and she said seeing a cat was a new experience for me. Of course it was. I’ve led a very sheltered life. Oh, there’s always excitement in the Witterings!

FEATURES

Venus puts on a splendid show in the west nearly three hours after the Sun has set. This is a very hostile place, with an air pressure some 90 times greater than ours on Earth and choking carbon dioxide 'air', causing a runaway green-house effect sending temperatures up to 400 degrees and winds of over 200 mph.

Back on our lovely planet, we may be able to see part of a meteor shower from the constellation of Aquarius which is very low down in the N.W. The peak of the shower is on the 5th./6th. night with a possible 35 shooting stars an hour.

The red planet Mars rises just after midnight, while Jupiter is a prominent object in the east before 22:00.

Saturn is still fairly close to Mars in the early morning sky, with the Moon close by on the 4th. and 6th. of the month.

Our Sun is about 93 million miles from the Earth, but once we get beyond our Solar System, miles or kilometers are just not enough, so we then have to use light years.All the stars that we can see are contained in our Milky Way galaxy, and the nearest star to our Sun is 4.2 light years (L.Y.) away called Alpha Proxima. The giant star Betelgause in Orion is 640L.Ys. from us, and the nearest galaxy to us is 2.5 million L.Ys. away and can just be seen as a fuzzy patch during the winter months in a dark location. This is the Andromeda galaxy.

What is a light year? Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, so if you keep multiplying that figure up (x mins. x hrs. x days) until you reach a year, that colossal number is a light year. If it were possible to travel at the speed of light it would take 4.2 years to reach Alpha proxima and so on. By looking at the stars and galaxies, we see them as they were when the light left them, so we are effectively looking back in time. The Hubble Space Telescope, which has been orbiting the Earth for some years now, can see young galaxies as they were up to 13 billion years ago, almost as we understand it, to the beginning of the universe and time.

Pete Littlejohns

DID YOU KNOW…..?

Heinz makes half a million tins of baked beans every day.

There are roughly 217 baked beans in every Heinz 14oz tin.

Heinz has a website dedicated to delivering tins of baked beans to home-sick British people all over the world.

18

FEATURES

GET SOME ………………..

Just a daily handful of almonds can help cut the risk of cholesterol-associated heart disease….

What nuts can do for you!ALMONDS A good source of healthy fats, calcium, vitamin E and fibre. They also help to reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol.BRAZIL These contain selenium, which helps our body produce thyroid hormones, supports immunity and helps healing. Eating three to four nuts a day is plenty.CASHEWS Rich in magnesium, which may help cognitive ability, these crescent-shaped seeds of the cashew apple include minerals such as iron and zinc, as well as being a good source of protein.HAZELNUTS A good source of folate, which can help keep down levels of homocysteine, an amino acid which has been associated with heart problems and Parkinson’s disease.PEANUTS If you avoid the roasted or salted version, and keep the portion modest, then you’ll reap the same benefits as with other tree nuts – lots of vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre.WALNUTS Rich in omega 3, protein, fibre and vitamin E, walnuts are also high in antioxidants, which help protect the body against disease. Studies have shown that eating walnuts can boost male fertility.

Taken from ‘Be Healthy’, Winter 2017 – a Benenden publication

SELECTIVE HEARING AIDS FOR MEN

More to Ponder…..

To be the father of a nation is a great honour, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy.

Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Laureate in 1993

11

FEATURES

BANISH THE CLEAN ENERGY MYTHS

THE MYTH:UK weather isn’t right for renewable energy.THE REALITY:On 263 days in 2017 UK wind farms generated more electricity than coal plants.On 180 days in 2017 solar power generated more than coal.We already generate more from offshore wind than any other country – enough to power four million homes.

THE MYTH:Other countries aren’t investing in green energy.THE REALITY:Germany already gets over 25% of its electricity from renewables.China deployed more solar capacity in 2017 alone than any other country’s total capacity.In 2016 the electricity sector spent more worldwide on renewables than on fossil fuels.Worldwide renewables are booming.

THE MYTH:Renewable energy is too expensive.THE REALITY:The cost of building an offshore wind farm has fallen by 46% in the last 5 years.Solar and wind are now cheaper than new coal.The planned Hinkley nuclear power station would be the most expensive object on the planet.Only the International Space Station has cost more.

THE MYTH:We can’t do without big power stations.THE REALITY:Steve Halliday, the CEO of the National Grid, has called the idea of large coal or nuclear power stations ‘outdated’.The key for the future is a mix of clean energy sources- solar, tidal and onshore and offshore wind – spread over a wide area and on a smart grid that can connect and switch between sources.Storage solutions and interconnectors (large pipes under the sea used to share electricity between countries) can provide a constant flow of power.

Taken from ‘Connect’, a Greenpeace publication, Spring 2018

10

FEATURES

THOUGHTS FROM THE SEA

The Dustman comes on Thursday•The Dustman comes on Thursday but the curtains closed on Wednesday.•She did the Pet and Christingle service but anything else was too much.•She lived from an animal perspective and worshiped cats.•Donkeys were her favourite—she loved them in Earnley church.•The candles were magic - she was spiritually alert.•She did for other people injections, drugs and care. She was not a person to always do her hair.•She worked all over London in banks, and married later when she could.•They went to care for animals allsorts while owners were away. And then when single she volunteered for this and that to underpin the poor, and have a lovely chat.•When she got to 90 she slowed down a lot.To have to struggle up the stairs many times a day.•She dressed up for a party or out to see a show, although she was getting very very slow.•With Christmas came a jigsaw there ready for us to try.•One night she didn’t turn off the light—she sat there all night through.She just closed her eyes and went to sleep—she didn’t say no more.•Everything was so simple everything in line—she thought it all out just passed out—she left us all alone. I cry. DB

TIME TO STEP AWAY FROM THE SPOON

Spoon-fed babies are more likely to end up obese or overweight than those that feed themselves, says a new book ‘Why Starting Solids Matters’. Its author, Dr, Amy Brown of Swansea University, suggests that babies should be allowed to feed themselves finger foods from the age of six months, as this leads to them being a healthier weight and more adventurous in their eating habits.Although self-feeding can be a bit messy, Dr. Brown says, this is part of the learning process. She says, “Kids need to learn about food. They need to find out, ‘What happens if I squash this or drop it on the floor?’”Obviously certain foods are no-nos with this method, such as large chunks or slices of fruit or vegetables, or grapes and cherry tomatoes, which could cause the baby to choke……“Let them eat as little as they want,” she says. “A jar of baby food is too big for what a little baby needs. When you are waving the spoon around and saying, ‘Here comes the big aeroplane – let’s finish it,’ if they clamp their mouth shut, forget about it. They will not starve.”

Taken from ‘Be Healthy’ Winter 2017 – a Benenden publication 19

FEATURES

STEPHEN HAWKING 1942-2018

Stephen Hawking’s wit and love of TV and radio is revealed in the Radio Times archives.He may have been the most celebrated physicist since Einstein, but Stephen Hawking always found time to engage with the earthly delights of television and radio – sometimes in Radio Times. He went from occasionally appearing in our pages to being a cover star in 2016, when his series of Reith Lectures on Radio 4 delighted millions.Perhaps most impressively he silenced hundreds of actors and television bigwigs – a feat previously unprecedented…..when he delivered a speech as the star guest at our annual covers party last year. Here we celebrate his life in his own words –as they appeared in RT.On guest starring in The Simpsons.

‘I accepted immediately because The Simpsons is the best thing on American television. No one should be out of bounds for humour, not President Bush, not Jeremy Paxman and certainly not intellectuals. They deserve to be laughed at when they are pretentious or pompous.’On being a Time Lord.‘I would like to meet Galileo, the father of modern science. I was born 300 years after the death of Galileo, I hold the same job at Cambridge as Newton and I work on Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Of the three, I feel closest to Galileo. He followed his nose and was a bit of a rebel’On Desert Island discs (and his luxury, cr�me brulee).‘The idea of being stuck on a desert island once filled me with horror. But now that I’m

older, a desert island sounds quite appealing. But I don’t want to go if there’s no cr�me brulee. Physics is fascinating, but, after all, you can’t have it for pudding.’On parties and his voice.‘Just because I spend a lot of time thinking doesn’t mean I don’t like parties and getting

into trouble. I enjoy communicating. My speech synthesiser has been very important for this, even though I ended up with an American accent. Now I can talk to everyone.’On the future of space travel.‘I believe the human race’s future is in space. It will be a real adventure. I just hope I

can handle the acceleration forces involved…’On the film of his life - and keeping going.‘At 21 my expectations were reduced to zero. You probably know this already, because

there’s been a movie about it. Although I was unfortunate to get motor neurone disease, I’ve been fortunate in everything else. I’ve been lucky to work in theoretical physics…in which my disability is not a serious handicap. It’s important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you lose all hope if you can’t laugh at yourself and at life in general.’

Taken from the Radio Times 20

ANGLO-SAXON SAINTS - St. Gregory and St. Augustine contd….

evangelist, especially to the far-flung islands of Britain with its uninviting climate and even less inviting inhabitants. It took them two years to reach Kent and Bede records why!He writes they were:‘on their journey, seized with a sudden fear, and began to think of returning home, rather than proceed to a barbarous, fierce and unbelieving nation, to whose very language they were strangers; and this they unanimously agreed was the safest course. In short, they went back.’

But Gregory was not going to be deterred in his mission. He made Augustine return to the monks, carrying with him letters to the bishops and rulers of Frankish Gaul, asking for help for the missionaries. Augustine was made abbot of the group, and they were given safe passage through Gaul and interpreters to accompany them. But still Augustine was not happy. The letters that passed between Gregory and Augustine, documented by Bede, show his constant need to consult with the one who had sent him on this dreadful mission.

Augustine’s first task was to persuade King Aethelberht of Kent to let him spread his Christian message in his kingdom. The symbol of the cross, the relics the monks carried, the books that they brought, their monastic habits and their chanting were all

alien to the Anglo-Saxons, causing them to imagine that strong magic was afoot. The fact that the newcomers wanted to build using stone rather than wood, which was used for all their building requirements, made them even more suspicious. But eventually the king gave them access to the ancient Roman city of Canterbury, where they found a small church by the city walls dedicated to St. Martin. It wasn’t long before Augustine was writing to Gregory again about how to deal with the native British Christians. For Gregory orthodoxy was the over-ruling consideration and there’s evidence that the native Christians were treated with disdain and distrusted for their ‘outdated’ understanding of Christian belief. It was all about establishing orthodoxy and stamping out any heretical practices. But Augustine showed a lack of respect towards the British bishops and that delayed the progress of the mission, possibly by decades! The British Church was not going to adopt the changes brought by Gregory’s mission without a struggle! CRC 9

YELLOW!

Crocus and daffodil push through hard earth’s keeping,

Resurrection from long night’s sleeping.Rash, brash sunflowers stretch and grow.They smile to match that rounded glow.

Tiny buttercups with wily persistenceVie with tidy mowers for existence.

Pretty pink, baby blue, all have their place.Purple, red and pristine white – it’s not a race!

Colour! The template for artists’ palettes, that joyous spree,Nature’s beauty bonus yearly given free But GOLD beats all!

PAM COURTNEY

ANGLO-SAXON SAINTS - St. Gregory and St. Augustine

Pope Gregory, later to be canonised and to be given the honour by history of having ’the Great’ attached to his name, lived in the 6th century – 540-604 - in Rome. It was there one day as he was passing through the slave market, that some fair-skinned slave boys caught his eye. The following was recorded by Bede in his ‘History of the English Church and People’. ‘He therefore asked, what was the name of that nation? And was answered, that they were called Angles. “Right,” said he, “for they have an angelic face, and it becomes such to be co-heirs with the Angels in heaven. What is the name,” proceeded he, “of the province from which they are brought?”

It was replied that the natives of that province were called Deiri. “Truly are they De ira,” said he, “withdrawn from wrath and called to the mercy of Christ. How is the king of that province called\/” they told him his name was Aella, and he, alluding to the name, said, “Hallelujah, the praise of God the Creator must be sung in those parts.”’

The story goes that through this encounter Gregory decided to send a mission to convert the nation to Christianity in the person of Augustine, a monk from his own monastery. Augustine landed on Thanet in Kent in AD 597, which changed the course of English history. It was more than likely that Gregory knew about the pagan Anglo-Saxons in the island that had been the Roman province of Britannia. He possibly knew that Aethelberht, the King of Kent, had married Bertha, a Christian Frankish princess, who, as part of the marriage agreement, had been allowed to bring her bishop, Luidhard, with her. Gregory envisaged a new Roman Empire – a Christian Roman Empire. His mission was to convert the Anglo-Saxons to the Roman form of Christianity before the Celtic church moved in to claim them.

Gregory came from an aristocratic family. His great-grandfather was Pope Felix III. Gregory was expected to go into the church, but he started out as Prefect, one of the highest positions in the city of Rome. He fully intended to take up the monastic life, which he did in 575, having tired of politics. The next five years were spent in prayer, fasting, meditation and writing his famous work Dialogues. Gregory had a brilliant mind and it wasn’t long before he was dragged out of his seclusion and ordained deacon. Relocated to Constantinople he recreated his own monastery of St. Andrew in Rome in the Roman embassy in Constantinople! He was there for 7 years, steadfastly maintaining his allegiance to Rome. In 589 the Tiber flooded. Infected water gushed through Rome destroying the water supply. Plague followed, the Pope succumbed and Gregory was elected Pope by the people. Rome was no longer the glorious capital of a far-flung empire anyway, but Gregory’s dream to restore its fortunes was still there – all roads would again lead to Rome! It was at this point when he formed his plan. He loved the highly organised structure that was the Roman Empire, he was a great fan of Benedict and the way the Benedictine order of monks was organised. He chose Augustine, a Sicilian monk from his own monastery, to preach Roman Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. With him he dispatched a band of his own highly disciplined monks. It was obvious from the start that Augustine was a reluctant

8

COMMUNITY NEWS

21

RNLI MANHOOD FUND RAISING

The Manhood Branch have had three events during the winter months to raise money for the RNLI.

In December we had our Autumn Bridge and Tea which was a great success and raised �1220 of which �350 was raised on the raffle. 23 tables played Chicago bridge, the usual much appreciated tea was served at the mid break. Competition was strong and a splendid afternoon had by all.

The new year began with a Reeling Evening at West Wittering Memorial Hall on the 19th January. A very colourful and vibrant evening was enjoyed by 45 reelers to the calling by Chris Blevin and Nigel Glennie. A light supper was served during the interval and the evening made a splendid �692.50 towards RNLI funds.

Fortunately, our Spring Bridge and Tea Afternoon was held before the Beast from the East hit the Witterings. 72 players enjoyed the afternoon of Chicago Bridge, with a mid afternoon tea break which was much appreciated. High scores by some, low scores by others, everyone had a very entertaining afternoon raising �923 of which �319 was made on the raffle.

A big thank you to all who took part in the above events, to all who contributed to making the afternoons such a success, and for your continued support of our two Lifeboat Stations Selsey and Hayling Island.

...I wonder if I could have a quick word with the flower arrangers at the end of this service….?

Can you believe this!

There was a mix-up in the photo library when the Australian rail-way system launched a campaign

in January 1988 against fare dodgers. The picture of the

would-be criminal shown ap-proaching the barriers at Calvary station was actually the town’s

mayor!

COMMUNITY NEWS

Support Your Local Hospice During ‘Make a Will Fortnight’

Help your local Hospice, St. Wilfrid’s while recording your wishes with regards to your loved ones, pets and possessions.

St. Wilfrid’s Hospice is inviting the local community to support its Make a Will Fortnight scheme from Monday 4th to Friday 15th June. Participating local solicitors are

giving their services for free, enabling you to have your Will written or amended in return for a donation to the Hospice. The initiative invites people to consider making this donation rather than paying the solicitors who are kindly providing their time and expertise free of charge.

“Make a Will Fortnight is an excellent opportunity to support the invaluable work the Hospice provides, whilst gaining the benefit of a professionally drafted Will,” said Ursula Watt, a partner at George Ide LLP in Chichester, which has supported the scheme for many years.“We are hugely grateful to the participating local solicitors who generously give their time and expertise to help us in this important annual fundraising initiative,” said Marcia Nguyen, Individuals Fundraising Manager at St. Wilfrid’s Hospice.

Full details of the scheme, including a list of participating solicitors and suggested donations is available at stwh.co.uk/MAWF or call Marcia Nguyen on 01243 755837, or email fundraising@stwh.co.uk. Appointments are limited so anyone interested is asked to call participating solicitors in good time.

22

BOOKS

John Hyatt has a large collection of books from the stock of King’s Bookshop, of varied subjects

and authors.Come and browse, you may find something of interest.

John can also order books.These can be found in Wittering Walk –

in Dean Semain’s emporium Second Chance –look for the sign.

As John is the only member of staff, the 9-5 hours will not necessarily apply; please be patient.

DIARY DATES

Tuesdays ‘Meet & Greet’ at West Wittering Memorial Hall, 10am to 1pm2nd Tuesday– Garden & Wine Club. E. Witt VH, 7.30pm1st & 3rd (Sept. to May) Wittering Camera Club Sports Pavilion,

Rookwood Road, W. WitteringWednesdays Youth Drop In Centre, W. Witt Pavilion, 7.00pm –9.00pm

4th Weds—St. Anne’s Fellowship Circle in E. Witt VH 2.30pmThursdays 1st Thursday—The Thursday Group, Bracklesham Barn 3.00pm

1st Thursday Citizens' Advice Bureau at the back of the Health Centre 9.30-11.30

Last Thursday VIP (Visually Impaired) Club—Medical Centre 2.30pm.For more information or lift contact Jean Church on 01243 670799

Fridays ‘Tea &Chat’ at The URC Church , Oakfield Avenue 1.30pm onwards

May:Sunday 6th 6th after Easter (Rogation Sunday)Thursday 10th Ascension Day Sunday 13th 7th after Easter (Ascension at St. Anne’s)Monday 14th Matthias the ApostleSunday 20th Pentecost (Whit Sunday)Sunday 27th Trinity SundayThursday 31st Corpus Christi

(Day of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion)

June:Friday 1st The Visit of the Blessed Virgin

Mary to ElizabethSunday 3rd Trinity 1

FROM THE REGISTERS

The Recently Departed:

Henry “Harry” Hunt Doreen Smith

Arthur Ford

“In my Father’s house there are many rooms…..” John 14 v.2

7

St. ANNE’S NEWS AND INFORMATION

6

ST. ANNE’S CHURCH Invites you to

Come and join us for this joyful celebrationThanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion

(Corpus Christi)Thursday 31st May at 7.00pm

‘Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.’ Luke

24.31a,35Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ John

6.35‘The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.’ 1 Corinthians 10.16,17‘As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the

Lord’s death until he comes.’ 1 Corinthians 11.26

You, the risen One,You take care of what worries us.

Like a poor person,Not wanting to impose,

You walk alongside each of us,Without forcing your way into our hearts.You are there, and you offer your trust.And even when the depths of our being

Cry out in loneliness,You do not forsake anyone.

Brother Roger of Taize

There was no more dozing off after the vicar started serving the extra-strength coffee before the service

COMMUNITY NEWS

ST WILFRID'S HOSPICE -WITTERINGS & DISTRICT

SUPPORT GROUP

On Wednesday 16th May is our Coffee Morning at Russell’s Garden Centre from 10am to 11.30am.

Come and join us, relax for an hour and, as they say, ‘put the world to rights’.

Raynor

THURSDAY GROUP

To celebrate the Royal Wedding in May, we are asking members if they would like to ‘Bring in your Wedding Photo’ to our next meeting on Thursday 3rd May. Then we can have fun trying to guess who’s who!

The meeting will be from 2pm till 4pm and there will be the usual tea, coffee, cake and biscuits, chat and games and a table sale of books, etc. The WMV Minibus will collect members of the minibus scheme and take them home again at the end.

Instead of Lunch this month we are going for Afternoon Tea at the Brick Kiln Garden Centre on Thursday 17th May. Arrangements for getting there will be discussed at the meeting on 3rd May.

For more details about the group, phone Helen on 672174 or Marjorie on 672696.

23

MEN’S BREAKFAST26th May

THE BARN (HARVESTER) , BARNFIELD DRIVE

CHICHESTER PO19 7AGCost �6.00 includes speaker.This month Bernard Palmer,

retired Senior Consultant SurgeonContact Peter Sutton 07813 024 585

Witterings Camera Club

For further details, please contact Richard Emery, Chairman on 01243 670798. We meet at the Sports Pavilion, Rookwood Road, West Wittering. Meetings start at 7.30pm

Tuesday 1st May Print Table Walk -This will consist of members showing any prints they desire.

COMMUNITY NEWS

EAST WITTERING GARDEN AND WINE CIRCLE

On a bright and sunny April evening Tony and Lizzie Gilks came again with another of their talks – this time it was “A Policeman’s Lot”. Prompted now and again by Lizzie, Tony related anecdotes from his 30 years as a policeman. He reminded us that on his retirement from the police he worked at Arundel Castle and it was there that he met Lizzie. He started by telling us that when technology was brought into the police stations he refused to use it, and even today does use a mobile phone but only in an emergency. He was instructed only reluctantly on how to use a computer. In his early days, if it was found that they were not on their allocated beat, they could be in big trouble and fined. In the early days before radios were issued, they had to stand outside an

allocated phone box to keep in contact with the station. Tony told us that on one occasion he was called in to assist with the stealing of machinery from farms and was faced with a shotgun. In the event of being called to an incident in an adjoining town or village, they were empowered to commandeer a car. He stopped a Morris Minor once but found the driver was driving at 20 mph. On investigation he found that the driver was drunk, so Tony took over the keys, and it was 36 hours before the owner turned up to claim them. The time came for him to move up to ride motor bikes and he was issued with a Velocette, which he had to push uphill!

He was interested in young people and gave talks at many schools including Sussex University. He even started a Youth Club in a prison. He went on to show us a collection of truncheons, known as ‘staffs of office’ to the Parish Constables. Many were highly decorated and one dated back to George III. Many large estate owners formed their own police forces. Only 2% of the population were allowed to vote –mainly the aristocracy – and in 1848 the April riots occurred and Tony had many riot sticks used on those protesters. He also had a stick dating from 1780 belonging to Lord Gordon and used in the Gordon Riots of that time.

From there we moved on to the Cat-o-Nine tails, used up to 1954 in Wandsworth Prison. Wellington’s army and navy tied nine knots and pieces of lead on the ropes to inflict the maximum punishment. We were told that Albert Pierrepoint was the best hangman and could dispatch a prisoner within 7 seconds, and we were shown the prayer book used at executions. After WWII he had to go to Holland to teach the Americans how to hang the Germans!

The most feared jails because of the discipline were Petworth and Horsham. Tony talked to us about the good works of Elizabeth Fry and John Howard in their efforts to reform the prison system. Then, going back to his life in the police, he introduced us to the meaning of ‘bog-hopping’ – when public toilets had to be visited to stop and arrest

24

St. ANNE’S NEWS AND INFORMATION

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK – 13TH to 19TH MAY 2018

I expect most of us have had a moan about our increased Council Tax but then we have the good fortune to live in a beautiful part of the country with many amenities – others are not so lucky!

All over the world are people suffering hardships through no fault of their own, and Christian Aid are one of the many charities who are on hand to help - not just when disaster strikes - but to support, in partnership with local groups, urban and rural communities to improve their lives. This may be by providing clean water and sanitation, building new schools and clinics, giving training to provide medical care in remote areas, and teaching improved farming methods so that communities can become self-sustaining.

Some stories from Christian Aid………………“The last time Dimma remembers rain in her part of Kenya was two years ago. Her family have lost many sheep and goats in the droughts and have been forced to move in desperate search of water. Christian Aid’s partner gave Dimma livestock feed and cash to keep her flock alive and to buy essential food such as milk, rice and beans for her family. They wouldn’t have survived without our support.”“Since 2013 Boko Haram have used brutal tactics to terrorise people in north eastern Nigeria. Women and children are particularly vulnerable and millions have been displaced. Christian Aid’s partner has been supporting affected people and communities.”“Following the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, eight million people were affected and over 500,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. �4 million was raised following the disaster and allowed Christian Aid’s partners to provide emergency relief but also to rebuild homes and schools with new classrooms and toilets, giving the children a safe and stronger building in which to continue their education.”These are just a few of the hundreds of ongoing projects which need continued funding. So……please give generously during Christian Aid Week through donations and/or coming for…

Breakfast in the Village Hallon Saturday 12th May

from 10.00am to 12.00.

ENJOY……..Porridge or cornflakes,a sizzling bacon roll with tea or coffeeall for �5.00 (children’s portion �3.00)

All welcome, so bring friends, family and children and enjoy a yummy breakfast !5

EDITORIAL

Be more kind! What a wonderful target to aim for! As an article in last month’s Parish Life explained, being altruistic, doing a good deed, being caring – however you want to put it – doesn’t just make you feel good, it is actually doing you good, and, as a bonus, is actually helping you live longer. So having taken that on board, won’t we all be aiming to ‘be more kind’?

‘Be more kind’ is in my mind at the moment, because I managed to catch the last few minutes of BBC’s breakfast show this

morning, as I sat down to have some breakfast prior to triking to the village to do my Thursday shopping. The last guest had just been introduced and I missed his last name but did manage to discover, during those few minutes of the interview, that his first name was Frank. He was saying that he is a big fan of Clive James whose poem ‘Be more kind’ had inspired him to write one of his songs and to use that as the title of his new album. This was followed by a clip from said album. What a joy to hear a singer on the pop scene – and I do actually mean HEAR. He sang in such a way that I could hear all the words on the clip and get the message it was conveying. How refreshing! I’m getting more and more frustrated these days when singers seem to feel the words don’t matter as they virtually swallow the mike and distort the words into unrecognisable grunts. Then there’s another trend – a phrase that is repeated again and again inbetween what I call ‘vocal gymnastics’, where they gurgle or gargle around the full range of their vocal chords for what seems to be eternity. Thinking along these lines reminds me of the first time I went to China with my friend, Shirley. We started in Rawalpindi in Pakistan and travelled up the Karakoram Highway into Western China, then went by bus and train across to the east and finished in Beijing. It took us nearly a month and before we flew home we had the opportunity to go to a Peking Opera performance. Suffice it to say the women’s style of singing in Chinese opera is very different from the western style. Shirley’s comment as we made our way out at the end, “Don’t ever drag me to a s*****g Chinese Opera again.”

But back to the last guest this morning on the TV programme! He used a very good word when he was talking about ‘Be more kind’ – both his song and the new album and Clive James’ poem – ‘dehumanise’. “We dehumanise people.” It’s all about empathy, isn’t it?! And just to finish and on the theme of ‘empathy’, don’t forget to support Rosie Hills and her efforts on behalf of Christian Aid during this year’s Christian Aid Week!

4

Ponder this……..

If you sacrifice a friend in a difficult hour, you never make another friend again. Shimon Peres, Nobel Peace Laureate in 1994

COMMUNITY NEWS

any naughty wrong-doers! Motor accidents were particularly traumatic. One of the worst he had to attend was when two young men were killed in a ‘Kit car’ which had no brakes, and another was when a woman died in his arms.

Roger modelled a Canadian Mountie’s red coat and hat, which Tony and Lizzie managed to bring from Canada, where they spent their honeymoon. Legally you can’t buy, sell or even own one of these! He ended by recalling a rather large disturbance at The Red Lion in Arundel, when a gang from Littlehampton picked a fight with an Arundel gang, and by the time the police arrived, the tables were flying! Tony and Lizzie will be making a return visit in November to talk to us about the Gunpowder Plot.

The flowers competition was won by Liz Williams, but the only cake entry was submitted by Joan. Our next meeting will be on 8th May. It’s our AGM when plant swapping will take place and any member wishing to join the committee can put their name forward. Hope to see you all there!

ROSEMARIE COX

25

HEARTSPACE

Wednesday 16th May, 13.30-15.30at Bracklesham Barn PO20 8HU

Beginning an art journal with polystyrene plate printingwith Nancy Froud

Start a new Heartspace year with your very own art journal to use at Heartspace or when-ever the fancy takes you. Your art journal can be used for drawing, writing, affirmation,

collage or anything else you can think of!What better way to fill those first few blank pages than with some colourful polystyrene prints. In this session you will learn how to print using polystyrene. Choose one of our

designs or better still create your own original.

Saturday 26th May, 10.30-12.30at Bracklesham Barn PO20 8HU

Willow Weavingwith Ganesh and Elaine

Husband and wife team Ganesh and Elaine have been involved in growing, harvesting and crafting with willow for more than 20 years. They are both experienced facilitators at

schools and for local organisations. They work with English grown willow much of which is locally grown. They will demonstrate and encourage you through the process of making 2D and 3D willow items including stars and bird feeders. No experience neces-

sary and all equipment provided. Booking essential, only 10 places available!

COMMUNITY NEWS

CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL FRIENDS A TREAT FOR ALL LOVERS OF BOOKS AND HISTORY

You may think that a history book sale is a very narrow base for a successful sale, but Chichester Cathedral Friends and West Sussex Archives Society have a different view and are co-hosting a second-hand History Book Sale in The Vicars’ Hall, Chichester, on 12th and 13th October, 2018 to which you are warmly invited. Entrance is free, and half of the proceeds will go towards projects within the Cathedral that are supported by the Friends.

“History Books” encompass a wide range of categories from Local History, Biographies, Architecture and Military to Railways, Historical Surveys, Family History and Churches, and we plan to have a wide selection of second-hand books on sale for the two days. Some books will be specialist collectables whilst others will be of a more general nature and on sale at a very attractive price.

So, if you have a love of books and especially history books, do come along and browse among the many bargains that will be on offer.

Also, if you have any suitable books that you would be happy to donate, we would be delighted to include them in the Sale. These can be taken to the Cathedral Friends’ Office on Tuesday or Fridays between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm. If you ask at the Royal Chantry, next to Cloisters Caf�, the receptionist will provide directions to the Friends’ Office. We can also collect within the Chichester area: please call Iain Jessup on 07973 768917 to arrange a convenient time.

During the two-day Book Sale, Cloisters Caf� will provide refreshments and light lunches, enabling you to browse for as long as you wish.Chichester Cathedral Friends is a registered charity. Membership costs �15 per year and �25 for a couple. For more information visit: www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/friends or email friends@chichestercathedral.org.uk.

….and finally!

Members of an Atlantic City, New Jersey, council passed a resolution twinning their city with Bucharest, Hungary. Unfortunately for them, Bucharest is in Romania.

26

St Anne’s Fellowship Circle A.G.M. 28.3.2018

Jenny welcomed all 23 members. The first item on the agenda was to appoint new officers. Jenny - the chairman, Jan - the secretary, and Christine - the treasurer - all having served for a number of years had all decided to stand down to give others a chance to bring new ideas to the Circle's activities. After a lively discussion and some hesitation amongst the membership Pam Holliday stepped forward and, to everyone's great relief, volunteered to be chairman. She was quickly proposed, seconded and unanimously voted in. Carole Colman had already volunteered to write a report of future meetings and submit it for publication to Parish Life. Sue Bowers then volunteered to carry out other duties connected with being secretary. Sue Wiltshire agreed to take on the treasurership.

Thus, all new officers having been elected, the meeting continued with a quiz drawn up by Jenny. This involved a bag with 26 slips inside, each inscribed with one of the letters of the alphabet. Whatever letter was drawn out each member had to write down a flower, a girl's name, a boy's name and the name of a fruit beginning with that letter. Each correct word scored 5 points, but if no-one else had written down that name the points were increased to 10. Gill and Carole scored the most points and won a box of Maltesers to share!

The next meeting will be on 25th April at 2.30pm in the Village Hall. New members are always welcome.

The next Sunday tea will be held on 6th May at 2.30pm in the Village Hall and we look forward to seeing you there. Let us hope the weather is warmer by then!

JAN COLEMAN

St. ANNE’S NEWS AND INFORMATION

3

Technically, Moses was the first person with a tablet downloading data from the cloud.

Did youKnow….

RECTOR’S LETTER

2

What a wonderful Easter! Soon we will be entering the celebration of Christ’s ascension and return to heaven, but we are not left bereft in our journey. We will be sent the Holy Spirit at the coming of Pentecost (the 2nd most important event in the church year). In these days between Easter and Pentecost the disciples felt confusion, lost, uncertain about events and what they meant. Yet Jesus walked with them enlightening their hearts and minds as they journeyed along that road to

Emmaus - yet they did not fully recognise Jesus until they had encountered him in that Upper Room, when he showed them his hands and his feet and he became fully known in the breaking of the bread. They saw and they believed.

We may also come to believe in a similar way, but not all of us have the road to Emmaus experience or conversion. Some of us - perhaps most of us, myself included - came to faith through a gentle nurturing or the inspiration of others. Many of us would be like Thomas who had to see Jesus in person, to put his fingers in the wounds of the nails and the spear, before he could be fully convinced. He saw and he believed. ‘Happy are those who have not seen me, yet believe,’ Jesus declared.

In that doubting we are empowered and given permission to ask those difficult questions, we are affirmed in our uncertainty and confusion, we are called into a relationship with God, we are loved and made precious in his sight, and our questions are answered.

I am looking forward to June and visiting Walsingham again. Going on pilgrimage it like taking a spiritual MOT, going to a place of safety to ask those nagging questions, to find space in our busyness, to come closer to God, to take time to rest in his loving arms and to hand over to him all our cares and worries, not only for ourselves but for those we love or for whom we pray, and then to receive spiritual refreshment. We may not necessarily find miraculous healing or indeed be ‘born again’, but we are equipped to find wholeness and acceptance of our situations and circumstances, and that gives us strength and encouragement as we return home.

I pray that you may continue to grow in joy this Eastertide, that you may be uplifted by the power of the Holy Spirit working within you and that you too may find refreshment and know his peace.

With Love and prayers, Fr Steve.

27

ST PETER’S R.C. CHURCH, Church Road, East Wittering. Tel: 673194

Priest in charge: Canon Tom Treherne (St Richard’s Chichester) 782343

SacramentsSundays: Mass 9.00amFridays: Mass 10.00am

Holy Days of Obligation: 10.00am

Sacrament of Penance: First Friday of the month at 9.30am

Pastor : Mr John Gunning “Glen Two” Bracklesham LaneEarnley, West Sussex PO20 7JE Tel. 01243 511121

SUNDAY SERVICES at 10.30 amChildren can attend a lively Sunday School during the second half of the service.

Holy Communion 10 am on the 1st Sunday of the month,in the Service on the 3rd Sunday of the month

Bible based services seeking to learn more of God

Bible Study - Mondays 8pm Thursdays 10.30am

Thursday Fellowship 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 2.15pmVaried topics – tea and cake!

Friday Tea and Chat 2pm

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ALL OF THE ABOVE!

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, Oakfield Ave, East Wittering .