No. 398

LODDON VALLEY LINKAugust and September 2007

The Church Magazine

Harvest Edition

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BENEFICE WORSHIP AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2007Durin g August our thre e churches join togeth er for Benef ice

services. Please check times and location carefully.

Sunday 5th AUGUST Tr inity 9

10.00am Be ne fice Communion St Le onard ’s Sherf ie ld10.00am Fa mily Service St Mary Stratfie ld Saye*

Sunday 12th August Tr inity 10

10.00am Be nefice Comm union St Mary’s Hartley Wespa ll

Sunday 19th August Tr inity 11

11.15am Be ne fice Communion St Mary’s Stratf ield Saye*

Sunday 26th August Tr inity 12

10.00am Be ne fice Communion St Leo nard ’s Sherf ie ld

Sunday 2nd SEPTEM BER Tr inity 13

10.00am Ho ly Communion St Leo nard ’s Sherf ie ld10.00am Fa mily Service St Mary Stratf ield Saye*6.30p m Ev enso ng and Communion St Mary’s Hartley Wespa ll

Tues day 4th Se ptember

8.00-9.00p m Prayer Meet ing at The Rectory

Sunday 9th Se ptember Tr inity 14

10.00am Morn ing Worship St Leo nard ’s Sherf ie ld and Sun da y Club at St Le onar d’s Church10.00am Harvest Family Serv ice St Mary’s Hartley Wespall

11.15am Harvest Songs of Praise St Mary’s Stratf ield Saye*

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Sunday 16th September Trinity 15

10.00am Holy Communion St Leonard’s Sherfield and Sunday Club at St Leonard’s Church

6.30pm Evensong St Mary’s Hartley Wespall

Sunday 23rd September Trinity 16

8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) St Mary’s Hartley Wespall10.00am Harvest Family Service St Leonard’s Sherfield11.15am Matins St Mary Stratfield Saye*

Wednesday 26th September 4.00-4.20pm Harvest Toddler Service St Leonard’s Sherfield

Sunday 30th September Trinity 17

10.00am Benefice Communion St Leonard’s Sherfield

Sunday 7th OCTOBER Trinity 18

10.00am Holy Communion St Leonard’s Sherfield10.00am Family Service St Mary Stratfield Saye*6.30pm Evensong & Communion St Mary’s Hartley Wespall

HARVEST SERVICESChi ldren are encourag ed to bring gifts of food which can be

presented during the se rvice. All food donated wi ll be given to The Loddon School

for chi ldren with Special Ne eds. Revd Bob Poli tt

* Drive up to the white gates , which ope n automatically BCP = Book of Com mon Praye r

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For local Roman Catholic Services please contact Father Vincent Harvey 01256 465214

BREACH LANE BAPTIST CHAPEL

Services and

ActivitiesÞ®»¿½¸ Ô ¿²» ݸ¿°»´ ·² ïçç ð

Ev ery Sunday 10.30am Family Wo rship and Sunday School

AUGUSTSaturday 4th 6 .00pm Baptist Caravan Fel lowship SocialSunday 5 th 6.30pm Evening Service

SEPTEM BERSunday 2nd 6.30pm Special Evening Service. Frimley.Monday 3rd 7.45pm Deacons Meeting at Frimley RoadSunday 9 th 3.00pm Bible Study 6.30pm Evening ServiceTuesday 11th 7.45pm Church Meeting at Frimley Road. Saturday 15th 2.30pm Disabled Christian FellowshipSunday 23rd 3.00pm Bible StudyMonday 24th 8.00pm Bible Study at Cross HouseAlso see “Lost for Words” page 18

ALSO Every Monday 11.00am Heal th Walk from Eastrop ParkEvery Tuesday 10.30am Open Morning (p lease phone) 11.00am Lunch Club at the Vi llage Hall 7.00pm Tuesday Club at WinkleburyEvery Wedne s 2 .00pm Kurl ing, Ridgeway Centre, BuckskinEvery Thursday 11.00am Health Walk from Down Grange

Contact: Revd. Chris Russel l 01276 21469 or Geoff. Belsham 01256 882534

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LassieThe story of “Lassie” w as once a childhood classic, to gether w ith

“Blac k Bea uty”, the “Railw ay Children” and “ Beauty and the Beast”.

There is a common thread ru nning thro ugh these tales - faithfulness. For many children do gs are a part of the ir every day exper ience a nd in most cases they fin d the m to be g oo d companions, although this is not alw ays the case. How ever f riendly dogs ar e, they are animals and children n eed to learn that they have teeth !

We all respond to faithfulness, even in a neg ative w ay w hen w e feel angry th at so meo ne has let us dow n—Lassie w ould n ever do that ! Friendship is tested by faithfulness and those yo u once re garded as f riends may have disappe ared from your life w hereas oth ers, over time, have pr oved to be true f riends.

Wh en a coup le stan d b efore me to make their marria ge vow s they are, in the last analysis, pro mising to be faithful, not perfect, b ut faithful. Unfaithfulness in th e h ome, a t w ork, in the footba ll tea m, over an appointment, can affect our lives in so many d estructive w ays. On the o ther han d, faithfulness bu ilds r elationsh ips.

Over these summer months w e hope to enjoy w arm sunny days, the seasid e, the cou ntrysid e, f low ers in the gar den an d, as autu mn appro aches, beautiful sunsets and a harvest of vege tab les and f ruit. We dep en d upon the faithfulness of the w orld in w hich w e live to support us and prov ide for us as it alw ays has.

Let me sh are some w ords f rom a hymn th at I love :

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Fa ther, ther e is no sh adow of turning w ith Thee, Thou chan gest not, Thy compassio ns th ey fail not, as Thou hast be en Thou for ever w ilt be...a ll I have neede d Thy hand ha th pr ovided—great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!”

So, w hat is at the heart of faithfuln ess? Faithfulness is rooted in care, kin dness and love. Christia n gr eet ings.

Rev d. Bob Polit t

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No “Toddler Time” in August. September “Toddler Time” service

is at St Leonard’s Chu rch, Sherfield on Loddonon Wednesday 26th Sep tember 2007

4.00-4.20pmNursery Rhy mes, S tory, Praye r.Healthy refreshments for the toddlers.Meet on the re d carpet in church.All welcome!Contact Rev d Bo b Politt for information.01256 882209

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BaptismNancy MONTAGU 30.06.07 Stratf ield Saye

Marriage BlessingLucy and Ru pert FISHER 29.04.07 Hart ley Wespall

St. Michael’s HospiceDurin g the month of August th ere w ill be a house to ho use collectio n in aid of the hosp ice. Please have your w allet r eady !

Mary O’Conn or

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The NIV Bible . Matthew 6: 27-29Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his l ife ? "And why do you worry about clo thes? See how the lil ies of the field grow. They do not labour or sp in, yet I tell you that not even Solomon in ll his sp lendour was dre ssed like one of these.

Gracious God, we thank you for your creation and a ll the resources you have given to us and for which we all too rare ly show our grati tude. We are not only ungrateful but i rresponsible squandering away the earth ’s treasure s and polluting the world around us and forgetting the needs of the poor across the world . Help us to remem ber that at harvest time thanksgiving must be more than simply words and that i t involves the stewa rdship of your gi fts and the generosity o f our giving and we must be comm itted both to you and to others. Help us, a s we ce lebrate another harvest time to recognise that challenge and to act upon i t. Forgive us Lord, for the poverty o f our response to your great goodness.Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Pray for harve st tim e especially where recent floods have dam aged the crops.Pray for rel ief for those whose homes have been devastated by the floods.Pray for al l the chi ldren and thei r fami lies who live in our vil lages that they may enjoy the ho liday period and have safe journeys when they are travel ling. Pray for the ch ildren as they re turn to school in Septem ber, especially for those who are starting for the fi rst time, for those who are changing schools and for those who are m oving to higher education, calm their fears and help them to trust in you.Pray for al l teachers who have the responsibi li ty for our children and grandchildren that they m ay have a good break from the dai ly activities of school l i fe and return refreshed.Pray for our own country in a world so full of anxie ties and worries, uncertain of the future and unsure of the way forward.Pray for peace in Iraq and a ll countries where vio lence and terror cause so many to l ive in fear each day. Pray for leaders to take forwa rd the peace processe s in these countries.

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Men’s BreakfastSaturday 29 th Sep te mber 2007 at 8.30—10.00am

At Lawn Farmhou seGuest Speaker: John West

Property Developer and local C hristian

RSVPRevd Bo b Politt 01256 882209

By Wednesday 26th September

Women’s BreakfastSaturday 17 th Novembe r 8.30-10.00am

‘Facing Life’s Storms’Information from Rody Po litt 882209

FREE ELECTRIC BLANKET TESTINGBASINGSTOKE FIRE STATION

17th OctoberFREE blanket safety check

It is necessary to book your blanket in.Booking lines open on Tuesday 28th August

01962 833620If your blanket is more than 10 years old consider replacing it.

The Trading Standards Service

Editorial by Sheena Archer

Plea se NoteThe Co mmittee cannot be he ld responsi ble for the reliability or quality o f any work or service provided by advertisers. The Manage ment Co mmittee of the Loddon Valley Link cannot accept: i Any item receive d anonymou sly. P lease supply your na me and add ress wit h

mat erial you wish to be considered for publication.

i Announce ment s, invitations o r advertise ment s cannot be accepted from a third party. A responsib le person, direct ly involved , must submi t the ite m.

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One of ou r three edi tors, Claire Osborne, has taken an ex tended break from the “Loddon Valley Link”because of her myriad commitments and materni tyleave, She ha s been involved with the Link for fiveyears and wi ll remain on the management commi ttee.We would all like to thank her for all her work and hop e she can resume du ties again before too long.

Lucy Marshall, clerk to Sherfield Parish Counci l, would like to remind everyone that they are welcome to attend any Counci l mee ting, the next being on Wedne sday 12 th S ep te mber.

If you are staying in the Loddon Val ley for your ho liday, the re is certainly plenty going on. Again it has been very difficult to fit all the activities be tween the se pages.

In July we v isited the Hampton Court Flower Show. As with mo st events this summer, i t wa s one big “Water Fea ture”. However, “The Garden Club” mu st know something we don’t as they have a planned a talk called ”Ga rdening on the Dry Side” on Sep te mber14th! A hose pipe ban in late Summer maybe?

Small a dvertisemen ts for the Oc to be r edi tion should be to Winston Bruce by Friday 14th September and conten t for the magazine to me by Sunday 16th September. Our contac t detai ls are on page 49.

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St. Leonard’s Church OPEN to VIEW

St. Leonard’s Church is open to the public on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th

Saturdays in the Summer, when volunteers will be in attendance to

greet you at the church. Everyone is welcome to visit for quiet

reflection, a prayer, to study the architecture or to view the church

with a wedding in mind. Open on the following Saturdays.

August 11th, 18th and 25th.September 8th, 15th and 22nd.

from 10am to 4 pm.

Marriage PreparationMarriage is a li fe -long investmen t fo r two people and can be one of life's grea te st gifts. Marriage is abou t bui lding rela tionships and to help us to do this the re are ski lls we can learn.This Au tu mn my wife Rody and I are planning to run a Marriage Course for newly we ds and those preparing for marriage. If you would like to know more please con tact us on 01256 882209.

Revd Bo b and Ro dy Poli tt

The Co mmit tee is sti ll loo king for an ho norary secretary and honorary book-keeper. If you fee l you can sp are some t ime and w ould like to he lp, ple ase ring Jane on 881979 .

If you don' t h ave t ime to partic ipate in any of the many events taking place in th e Vil lage Hall but w ould st il l like to su pport this gre at village amenity, w hy not co nsider becoming a Patro n of Sherf ield Village Ha ll (PoSH). For just £12 you really can ma ke a dif ference. Look out for applicat ion for ms in th e v illage hall, at various locations ar ound the v illage, or ring J il l on 8 82416. Want to meet other Patrons? Then co me alo ng and join us at our mo nth ly Coffee Mornin gs w hich are held at 10.30 a.m. in the Garden Roo m on the second Saturday of each month.

Date s for your diary: Saturday 6 th Octo ber “ Dinner at Mirand olina’s Inn (See below )Saturday 8 March 2008, “From Berlin to Broadw ay” by Shoo Sh oo Baby.

VILLAGE HALL MATTERS!

Reported by Gill F earon

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‘Dinner at Mirandolina’s Inn’ArtyFarty Ltd present ‘Dinner at Mir andolina’s Inn’ on Saturday 6 Octobe r in Sherf ie ld Vil lag e Ha ll. This is a full- bodie d romant ic comedy set in a 195 0s Italian ristorante w ith l ive music playing and a 3-course meal.

Re member the w orld of ‘Ro man Holiday’ and ‘La Dolce Vita’? Sexy w arm Italy w hen Vespas a nd Dea n Martin and h our glass fig ures ruled th e w orld? You do n’t? But you g et the idea !

This is a really unus ual event w ith profession al actors brough t to Sherf ield-on-Loddon by ‘Hog the Limelig ht’.

Ticke ts are £15 to include a 3-course meal and cof fee (w ine w ill be available to purchase) and w ill be on s ale in August. As numbers w ill be limited, reservations can be ma de now by call ing Jan on 8 82539. For furth er informat ion, p lease ring Jan, or Jane o n 8 81979.

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CHURCH ACTIVITIES Prayer Meet ing

Tuesday 4 th Se ptember8.00-9.00p m at The Rectory 33 Northfield Road.

“Lost For Words” at Stratf ield Saye V illag e HallSix w eekly meetings th at start on

Thursday 13th Se ptember, 7.30-9.30p m.

Conf irmation Course. September 20 07If you haven’t alre ady spo ken to Bob an d w ould like to join

the co nf irmat ion group it is not to o late.

For furth er informat ion on the ab ove p le ase contact Bob Politt on 01256 882209

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2007.

Burglar ie s: Sherf ield o n Lodd on: Re ading Roa d (garage). Str atf ield Saye: New Street (shed), Stratf ield Turgis: A33 (business premises)Ve hicle cr im e: Sherf ie ld on Loddon : Wildmoor Lane x 2 ( attempt theft f rom; th ef t from – laptop). Pub car parks.Damage: Sherf ield o n Lodd on: Wildmoor L ane (w indows smash ed and paint throw n at w indows)Theft Sherf ield on Loddon: Bra mley Road (business premis es). Wildmoor Lane (business premis es),Offence s agains t the pe rs on: (inc: assau lt, threats to k il l, harassment) Sherfie ld on Loddon: 3Traffic offences (inc: poor driving, excess alco ho l) Sherf ield o n Loddon: 6 Stratf ield Turgis:1Ro ad traffic collisions: Str atf ield Saye:1, Stratfie ld Turg is: 1Public orde r/drugs : Stratf ield Turgis: 1Othe r: (do mestics, ne igh bour disp utes, lost/fou nd property, missing persons, suspic ious persons/cars, mental health , trespassing, sudden deaths), Sherfield on L oddon: 6, Stratf ie ld Saye: 2.

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CLAY PIGEON SHOOT

and much more.All mon ies w ill be used for the

upkeep of St. Mary’s ChurchStratf ield Saye.

Happy Val le y Cla ys hooting Hosted by Roy Bes t

at Clappe rs Farm, Grazeley

Details f ro mRoy Best

01189 8 82422

REMINDER

Thursday 2nd August. 3

.30pm

Stratfie ld Saye Churchyard.Reported by Roy Best, Churchwarden.

We work very hard to k eep the Churchyard tidy. In order to do this a new lawn mowe r has been purchased. I have alrea dy had so me gen erou s dona tions towards the cost of the mowe r, for which I thank the donors.

Further con tribu tions would be very welcome.

Please con tact me:Roy Best, Churchwarden, on:01189 882422

With thanks.

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LODDON PLAYERS were put throug h their paces when professional actor/ directo r Maurice Thorogood and playwright Lua th Grant Ferguson visited Sherfield on Loddon fo r a workshop en titled “Ba ttling Billy”. Battling Billy is a play abou t Wi lliam Cobbe tt – Fa rnha m’s most illustrious son, poli tical journalist, MP and defen de r of the poor. It is one of the produc tions by the New Farnham Repertory Actors’ Co mpany; directed by Mau rice Thorogoo d. Maurice is a member of their Manage ment Commi ttee and their main aim is to re -open the Re dgrave Theatre in Farnham. Luath Grant Ferguson said: “The se ssion was useful – we certainly found it fun”. There was a bit of everything: brea thing and voice coaching, improvisation, singing and as it’ s a period piece we all had a go at writing with a quill! We had no t been su re wha t form the workshop would take but it was thri lling and beneath all the fun there was much to lea rn. We’re looking forward to seeing Ba ttling Billy when it’ s performed in Farnham in September. ” Next product ion: Bli the Spirit by Noel Coward. Village Hall. 17th/24 th November. Ticket sales in October.

LODDON PLAYERS’ NEWSReported by C hris Horton www.loddonplayers.co.uk

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READING & WOKINGHAM

& Horse ShowSupporting the Thames Valley & ChilternAir Am bulance

Sunday 19th August 2007

Loddon Court Farm, Spencers Wood, R eading

A day packed with fun for all the family

Polo Pony Display * Heavy Horses * Livestock * Show JumpingGymkhana Games & Fancy Dress * Farm Yard AnimalsParade of Hounds * Classic Cars and Vintage Machinery

Ploughing Match (across A33) * Fun Fair * Bouncy Castles Circus Workshop * Go Karts * Horticulture Marquee* Dog ShowCraft Marquee with modellers * Ferret Racing * Terrier Racing

Poultry Marquee * Country CraftsBeer Tent * Food Hall * Trade Stands

And much much more!!!!!

FREE CAR PARKING9.00am – 5.00pm

Adults £7, Senior Citiz ens £5, C hi ldren £4 (under 14 years)Family tic ket £18

Wok ingh am & Read in g Ag ricu ltu ral As so ciati on0118 9 33 130 0

www.wraa.org.ukTh e F est ival o f Mo tori ng h as been ki n dly organised b y th e Read ing & Wok ing ha m Li ons

Contr ibuted by Jaqu ie Morr is Body Balance Ins truc tor (BTS)RSA Ex to M us ic, RSA Pos t/Pre Natal, RSA 50 Plus C ertYMCA Nutrit ion and We ight Manage ment Co unsellorYMCA Fitness Ins tructor/Personal TrainerAmerican College of Sports Medic ine Health and Fitness Ins truc torBody Balance Ins truc tor (BTS)

Just abo ut every day I either h ear or read so meth ing in th e media about th e state of our nat ion in terms of he alth, fitness and tha t w ord … “obesity” …. .. screa ming o ut and labelling our ch ildren or ind eed adults, as if they h ave so me dr eadful contagious disease.

We ight and size is a complex an d emot ive issue. Many pe op le feel under pressure to be a certain size an d w eight, inf luenced by media messages from glossy mag azines an d TV advertisements. Millions of pounds are spent on diets, books, joining w eight loss c lubs and of course cosmet ic surgery ……….. it’s a money making business w ith c lever mar ket in g luring us in to b e the “p erfect s ize”!

I am not tryin g to minimis e the proble m. There is no dou bt that w e are getting fatter as a nat ion a nd, yes, it is a w orry because large w eight gain lea ds to il lness, part icu larly heart disease, diabetes an d cancer. There ar e endless debates, init iat ives, pr oposals f ro m politic ians an d he alth care profession als, Jamie O liver and oth er celebr ities w ho try to cajole or frighten us into ta king dr astic act io n. How ever, there is much confusion – the diet industry is full of mixed messages and contradict io ns – just w ho or w hat should w e believe?

Durin g my teens I fell in to the “Yo-yo” dieting pattern w ith a w ardrobe that spann ed from a size 10 to 16. The Pine apple Diet, The Ca mbrid ge Die t, The Scarsdale Diet – I trie d the m all w ithout success and end ed up miser ab le and fee ling a failure. Around this time I moved to California durin g the Jan e Fo nda boom and be ga n to teach Aerobics. I had a lw ays enjoyed exercis ing, but this w as a new phenomenon that grab bed the States and UK by storm and those heady days saw ma ny classes spring ing up all over th e cou ntry. Since th at time much h as changed. Exercise Professionals ar e n ow far more regulated, w ith recognised q ua lif ications. Ther e is a hu ge choice of activit ies available f rom Line Danc ing to Yoga. I am

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constant ly amazed at how ma ny He alth Clubs, Exerc ise Classes, Leisure Ce ntres exist. We all have more opp ortu nit ies to ta ke up exercise progra mmes, yet the Nation is ge tting fatter and less fit than ever before!

People are busy, co mmu ting and w orking long hours. The lure of modern techno logy an d h ome co mputers me ans w e are far less active than w e w ere in the past. Many d o not w alk to schoo l or w ork as they us ed to and w ith all the mo dern conven iences at ho me w e tend to lea d a sedentary lifestyle. Fo od is plent iful, availa ble, fast and convenient. If w e don’t w ant to prepare and coo k f ro m scratch, w e buy take aw ays.

I have spent so me time in local sch ools this year. There are some great in itiatives in place for educat ing our youn gsters about their nutrit ion a nd activ ity. How ever, I have met childr en w ho are alre ady strugglin g w ith the ir w eight and are likely to go into the ir adulthoo d w ith serious problems, both physical and psycholog ical. This is a big area to tac kle. Th ere is no quick fix answ er. In a society w here w e are used to instant solutions this is diff icult for us to ta ke on board.

Wh en I move d to the Sherf ield area last ye ar, o ne of the main reasons w as because of the surrou nd ing c ountryside, and the opportunity to w alk and enjoy th e open spaces. It really does my heart good to see so ma ny peop le w alk ing their dogs across the green. I have not iced ma ny Mums w alking or cycling to schoo l a nd on so me Sun days it is like the to ur de Fr ance w ith th e amount of lycra-clad cyclists around! The countryside is a great place to get active a nd especially at this time of year there is a w onderful opportunity to take stock of the w orld an d g et aw ay f rom the phone, computer, traff ic and noise! The loca l footba ll tea ms are to be seen out play ing regularly on Sherf ie ld Green but w hat I also notice is that the yo ungsters on the sidelines are also kicking a ba ll aro und – hopefully g ett ing some inspira tion to take up so me competit ive sport f rom the ir Da ds or bro thers. Mu ms are out there too. Wh at a grea t family act iv ity, in an ag e w hen it is of ten hard for children and the ir parents to get together.

Regu lar exercise has an en dless list of benefits . Rather than focusing to o much o n the w eight loss a nd the cos met ic reaso ns, lets thin k about the other benef its of starting an activ ity progra mme.

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i Wh en w e exercise and g et act ive w e release endorp hins, natural “feel go od” h or mones w hich are brill iant for combating stress an d anxie ty.

i Attending a regular exercise c lass, such as Yog a, can be very sociable a nd a w ay to meet new friends.

i It w ill he lp to look af ter your heart, reduce bloo d pressure and in some insta nces red uce risks of diabe tes. It is a preventative measure for so me d iseases.

i It w ill he lp to ke ep you mob ile, indepe ndent and improve your quality of l ife.

i Yes and it does b urn calories – w hich can help us to ma intain a healthy w eight.

Now a w ord about health clubs! I w ork at the Sports Centre in Basingstoke and a m w itness to people coming into our Centre every day to partic ipate in an activity of their ch oice. Joining a f itness facil ity ca n be a great motivator to start an d maintain re gular exerc ise. There is a great cho ice of thin gs to do, from stud io c lasses, sw immin g, gy m and racket sports. How ever the statistics show us that for every 10 0 people w ho may join a he alth club, less than ha lf w ill re main members past 6 months. People’s expectat ions are high. They expect q uic k results and become d iscoura ged w hen they do n ot achieve the ir g oals.

If you are cons idering making so me cha ng es to your l ifesty le and feel you need to make so me chang es here are a few tips that may help you.

i Ident if y w hat you w ould like to ch an ge – w eight, stop smoking, feel happier, look better or fee l h ea lth ier.

i Ma ke a co mmitment to achieve it by w riting it dow n. Start w ith one thing. Wr ite dow n the benefits of the ch ange you in tend to make.

i Be re alistic - give yourself t ime – set s mall go als.

i Can you commit a nd stay focused.

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If you are going to start an exercise programme, start by keepin g tw o diaries. The first o ne is a food diary – be h on est and w rite dow n everything you ea t and drin k for a w hole w eek. The seco nd is a n activity diary.The food diary can b e a r ea l eye opener. You w ill be amaz ed a bo ut the things you forget a bout – and maybe about h ow much tea and coffee you dr in k. Just w riting things dow n may promp t you to make some small chang es.

The act ivity d iary sh ould include everyth ing you do f rom w alking an d housew ork to taking part in or ganised exercise groups. It is recommended that w e take 30 minutes of exercise on most d ays of the w eek – be ing slight ly out of breath. This 30 minutes could be broken dow n to 15 minutes tw ice daily.

Ma ke sure you en joy w hat you d o – it may be w alking or a grou p exercise c lass, but ma ke sure it is some thing you like doing . It is easier to stay mot ivated w ith other peop le. You may enjoy tra ining w ith someon e e lse. Discuss it w ith family me mbers and get them involved too.

Finally, set realistic g oals. We ight gain c an b e a gra dual pr ogressio n over years especially after having children or having less physical activity as w e get older. Give yo urself time to ma ke improvements and atta in results. A good guide is 1 – 2lbs. w eight loss per w eek. Try to avoid the w ord “diet” and ban the scales! The w ord “diet” conjures up imag ery of depriv ation and not being able to have treats – an d the scales do not show the other h ea lth ben ef its of regular exercise a nd healthy eat ing . The n umber on th e scales can end up ma king or brea king our day – th ink a bout Br idg et Jo nes!

So its all about balance . Ma ke time for you. Ma ke cha nges that w ill benef it how you feel ab out yourself and improving yo ur h ealth w ith small ach ievable go als w hilst havin g some FUN!

If you w ould like some advice on lifesty le chan ges p le ase contact me,Jacqui Morris, on 01256 886097

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Contributed b y Sue Handasyde Dick. Contact tel: 01256 882337Thank you to eve ryone who came along and supporte d ou r stall at the Village Fete. We took nea rly £200. Lucki ly Ma ddie found the treasu re and Tegan correc tly named the te ddy “Chestnut”.

Meeting in She rfield Vi llage (Liddel l) Hall du ring term time, the re a re flourishing Brownie and Rainbow guide Units for girls aged 5—10. The girls enjoy a wide range of ac tivities and games in their we ekly mee tings. They are also involved in many vi llage even ts an d have oppo rtuni ties to mee t with other Brownies an d Rainbow s from furthe r afield on various occasions and activ ity days.

1st She rfield Brownie Guides is for girls aged 7—10 years and meets on Wedne sdays fro m 5.30pm to 7.00p m, in the Liddell

Hall, du ring the school term. The 1 st She rfield Rainbow Guides is for younger girl s, aged 5 to 6 years and mee t on Saturday mornings, 9.15 a m to 10.15am, also in the Liddell Hal l.We are always looking for people to help , so if you would be interested in lending a han d, please con tact me. If you would like your daughter to join Brownies or Rainbows when she is old enough, please phone me so that I can add her name to the waiting list.

Sherfield on Loddon

29

Apply online www3.hants.gov.uk/admissions

1st September 2003 and

midday on Friday 16th November 2007

31st August 2004?

30

Men’s Football Team from Andy Clark e, Manag er

Calling for new, non-playing, w orking committee members.I am the f irst team manager of the Sherf ie ld me n's football tea m w ho play on the v illage gr een every Saturd ay af terno on.

The club w ould re ally l ike to hear f rom loca l people w ho are interested in joining th e football club as co mmit tee me mbers tohelp us w ith local fund ra ising activ it ies. To enable Sh erf ield Footb all Club to be successful w e need loca l, f resh support and ide as. We are loo king for loca l people to join o ur clu b for the follow ing roles, Secretary, Fund Rais ing, Ma nager, Committee me mbers.

Anyone inte re sted can call e ithe r me on: 01256 361 867 or077745 56379 or Don Campbell on 01256 882 953.

We are also interested in new players joining us for the newseason as w e w ant to bu ild on our w ork from last season. We have seve n f irst team p layers all liv ing in the vil lag e. Any talented, young, loc al footballers are alw ays very w elcome.

Junior Football Club from Fred Berntse n, Club Secre tar y

Sadly th e blu e skies and su nshine deserted the club on the day of the “In Ho use” tournament and An nual Pr esentat ions. Conseq ue ntly the event w as cancelled. With school and family holidays looming, rearranging the even t w ould be d iff icult so the Clu b w ill conce ntrate o n a Prese ntat ions Day a lo ne.

Loddon Sp orts are to host a Soccer School, run by the coach ing staff of Re ading Football Club, on the V illage Green o n 9/10th August. The course is for boys and gir ls, 7 to 1 5 yrs. Application forms from me, but to be re turned to Reading FC. with £35.

The club urgen tly need boys in the under 8 category and youn g lad ies for the un der 12 and un der 1 4 age groups for next season. By beco ming a member children ca n f ind enjoy ments and new f riends. Any parent seeking informat ion or child w ishing to jo in contact m e on 01256 8827 98

SHERFIELD FOOTBALL NEWS

32

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34

Stratfield Saye’s Young People Help OutStratfi eld Saye C hurch Warden, Roy Best, has extra help at fami ly servi ces— hi s two gr and-sons. M atthew (13) and Ni cholas (11) Pi pe are alw ays keen to arri ve earl y to hel p get the churc h rea dy for the s ervice and enj oy ti dyi ng up after-wards! Both boys ar e regular rea ders at the fami ly service a nd als o look forward to thei r turn at coll ec ti ng the offeri ngs during the servi ce. T hey also help thei r grandfather by deliveri ng the Loddon Valley L i nk magazi nes around Str atfiel d Sa ye ea ch month.

As keen members of the 1st Earl ey Boys Bri ga de they ta ke part in ta ble tenni s and football tournaments. In the summer holi days they are campi ng in Dartmoor wi th the Bri gade.

Ni ck enjoys football and has played for R ea di ng Ra ngers for the last fi ve years, w her e he has recei ved the player of the season aw ar d, man of the match m edals and tournament trophi es. He i s captai n of hi s sc hool football team. Nick played a lar ge part in hi s football tea m when he bec ame one of the best keepers i n the lea gue a nd helped them to pi ck up thr ee leagu e titles in a row . Matt i s a keen ama teur di ver w i th Rea dings Al ba tross Di vi ng Club and ha s won many medals a nd trophi es. He is hopi ng to quali fy again this year for the U K Na tional Cham pi onshi ps in Plymouth, i n whi ch he cam e s econd i n Leeds in 2006, i n his age group. Rec ently Matt had gr ea t succ ess Crystal Palace w hen he picked up a gold medal and has als o won the Reading Eveni ng Post ‘ Di ver Of The Month’ award.

Sherfield and District Gardening ClubNew me mbers are alway s welco me.

We mee t on the 3rd Monday of the mon th in the Liddell Hall at Sherfield Village Hall at 8.00 p m.

Future Meetings20th August “How to Exhibit Produce” talk by John Eckton

14th Sep tember “Gardening on the Dry Side” talk by Kevin Hug he s

Contact: LINDA 01256 882341

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36

Hampshire Artists Open Studios 2007

Fro m August 18th to 2 nd September artists all over Hampshire are ope ning their stud ios to the public.

Local Stud ios p articipat in g are th ose of Antonia Dew hurst. Tel:0125 6 8838 76 (see a dvertise ment p age 13)

and Mic k ElliotBoth studios are at: Manor Barn, Cufaude La ne, Bra mley, RG26 5 DN

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Basingstoke and Deane

PLAY COUNCIL OPEN ACCESS SCHEMELiddell Hall, Sherfield on Loddon. C hi ldren 5 to 15 yea rs. 2pm to 4p m. Monday 13 th August to Friday 17th August.

No booking. 50p pe r session. Limi te d place s. First come first se rved.Art, craft, sports, ga mes, an d drama.

Contact: Basin gsto ke Play Lim ited for details 01256 844847

38

The Women’s Institute Reported by Ilene Iles

In July, Tess Morr is, our Acting President, w elcomed everyo ne to o ur “Su mmer Party” Meet ing. We started by s inging of Jer usalem accompanied by Peggy Willson on the piano .

Dee Bu lpit re porte d that she h ad arra ng ed a trip to Henley w hich w ould take p lace on Tuesd ay 18th September and tha t she w ould be collectin g the money for the tr ip at the August Meet ing.

Tess then thanked Sylv ia Reyno lds for her hard w ork org anis ing o ur table for the fete a nd all those w ho donate d “ed ib les” f or sale. We decid ed, to don ate half our profit selected charit ies of th e Fete Co mmit tee . The WI Co mmittee had d iscussed changing the format of the Jan uary meet ing . We w ill s tart a t 12.30 pm and f inish at 3 pm and the Business Meet in g a nd Bring and Buy Sale w ill be follow ed by a san dw ich and mug of soup. This su ggestio n w as very w ell received by those pres ent.

Birthday cards w ere distr ibuted and a sp ecia l card w as passed round for signature for a prev ious member, Nan Turvey, w ho w ould be 100 yrs. old on the 16th July.

Jan Woltman a dvised those present that our w alk w ould be a circu lar w alk starting from Wyevale Car Park at 11 a m on Thursday.

The Business Me et ing w as follow ed by our “ Su mmer Party” activit ies. There w ere tw o compet itions - Best Bloo m an d Best Arrange ment w hich w ere both w on by Joyce Raw linson. Tess had provided us w ith tw o quizzes—a g en eral know ledge quiz w hich w as w on by Sarah Godf ry and a qu iz consisting of th e ide ntif icat ion of 20 different plants. This w as w on by V iv Blake. A delicio us tea follow ed, w hich w as provided by the Co mmittee, as is the custom at this event, and the af ternoon concluded w ith the Raf fle and draw for the £ 10 club. It w as agree d that t his h ad been a love ly afternoon.

Our next Meeting w ill b e on Wed nesday 1st August w hen our busin ess w ill be follow ed by a talk by Mrs. Jennifer Rose e ntitled, “A Tribute to Joyce Grenfell”.

40

EVERGREEN CLUB for the over 60sReporter – Jean Berntsen (Chairperson)

The Evergreens urgently need an honorary treasurer. If anyone is prepared to give a couple of hours a month to manage the accounts, they would be most welcome to apply. Please contact me on 01256 882798

July’s mee ting was held on 2nd July when the gue st was Ilene Iles, w ho gave an excellent ta lk an d de monstration on floral arrangements and decoration. Thre e floral arrange ments were made which Ilene dona te d to the clu b, along with two bouque ts which were all raffled to raise funds for the Evergre en Club.

On Tuesday 17 th July the club have arranged a day visit to Portsmouth.

The nex t meeting of the Everg reen s wi ll take place on Monday 6th August, when a representative fro m the Royal National Lifeboa t Insti tution wi ll give a talk abou t the organisation an d its work.

Anyone in tereste d in joining the clu b contact me on 01256 882798

Reported by Gill Fearon

42

NWR’s latest meeting was a talk given by Christine Brewster of “S tripey Bask et”, who was fea tu re d in “Coun try Liv ing” magazine last year. S he makes willow baskets that are functional with a contemporary style, bu t she also makes cane and rush sea ting for chairs and teac he s bask et making. She showed us examples of bask ets she had made in a variety of ma te rials an d u sing differen t styles of baske try. We examined a small ba sket made fro m coiled ju te secure d with linen thread making it very tightly woven. The A merican Indians used suc h containers for cooking before po tte ry came into use. Othe r ma te rials used to make ba skets included recycle d mai l, beer cans, recycled cardboard, plastic magazine wrappers and telep hone wire! So me of the most impressive items were shopping baske ts made from plastic packing tape in black and white producing the most amazing g eometric patterns. They were ex tremely strong and could hold your wee k’s shopping! Unfortuna tely they were not for sale. I t wa s a very interesting an d enjoyable evening!

NWR wi ll meet in August for a ‘Hat’ evening – a discussion of various topics. In September there wi ll be a play reading.

On 4th Octo ber there wi ll be an open evening when we will have a talk on ‘Bomb Dispo sal Work’ . This wi ll be in Breach Lane Chapel at 8 p.m.

44

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERSThe STD code is 01256, unless otherwise stated.

Al lo tm ents.Babysitting Ci rcle. Basingstoke Gazette. Bingo. Brownies.St. Leonard ’s Church. Breach Lane Chapel.

Catholic ChurchCricket ClubEvergreens. Football (Junior) Football (Seniors) Happy Faces PlaygroupLoddon Valley Link.Lunch Club. NW R. Sherfield Parish Counci l .

Police:

Poppies.Post OfficeSherfield Com munity Care GroupSherfield Fete.Sherfield Show.Short Mat Bowls.Toddler Group 0-5s. Tree Warden. Vi llage Grn. Volunteers. Vi llage Hall Caretaker/Bookings.V. Hal l Mgmt. Cttee.Whist Drive. Women’s In sti tu te.

Tracy Lander-Sims Sally Chris HortonUrsula Lam bdenSue Handasyde-Dic kRevd. Bob PolittGeoff Belsham Chris Ru ssel l Father V incent Harvey Andy StevensJean BerntsenFred Berntsen Don Campbell Peggy Hutchins See back pages of magazine Helen Belsham Gi ll FearonBruce Batting (Chai r)Lucy Marshal l (Clerk) Mandy Jewell

Natal ie Larner

Doreen Tosswil l

Sandy JohnstonSally Bra in Norman StanleyJaqui Ski lle tt Geraldine House-Barkl ie Simon Hennessey

Jan M artin Jane BrydgesJean Wright Val Denny

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CROSSWORD

55

46

CL UES ACR OSS:1. Trees ment ioned in the bible (5) 4. Gospeller (7)8. Bribes (7)9. Body (5)10. Abraham ’s son (5)11. Letter (7)13. Sins (4)15. Set of pray ers (6)17. Wild goats (6)20. Stamped in a passport (4)22. Wants (7)24. Being born (5)26. Best part (5)27. European country (7)28. Depress ion (7)29. Requires (5)

CL UES D OWN ;1. The suff ering of C hris t. (7)2. Star s ign (5)3. Opposer of the crusades(7)4. Mess iah (6)5. Musically all (5)6. Holder of unorthodox opinions (7)7. Penned (5)12. 23RD let ter of the Greek alphabet (4)14. Enthuse (4)16. Ev ening prayer (7)18. City assoc iated with one of the sev en

wonders of the world (7)19. Plans (7)21. Map line (6)22. Gambled (5)23. Dance (5)25. Lif t (5)

ANSW ERS TO CRO SSW ORD 54 Across: 1 CABA LA, 4 PAR ISH, 7 EUCH ARIST, 9 LENT, 10 KIE V, 11 ORGAN , 1 3 CHO IRS, 14 L ICHEN , 15 L AP SED, 17 CHORAL 1 9 R ES AT 20 FI SH, 22 ASP E, 23 SYNAGOGU E, 24 DAINT Y, 2 5 E AS TER.

Down: 1 CYLCIC , 2 ABU T, 3 A BHORS, 4 PORTAL, 5 R ISK, 6 HE AVEN , 7 ENCOM PA SS , 8 TI GHTRO PE , 11 ORD ER, 1 2 N IGHT, 1 5 L OFTED , 16 DEN ERY, 1 7 C AJOL E, 18 L IED ER, 21 HYMN, 22 AUK S.

49

Loddon Valley Link Management Committee

Se cretary: Esme Ward 28 Pound Mead ow ,

Sherf ield on Loddon , Hoo k RG27 OEP Te l. 01256 880503

email: geoc.w ard@bt internet.co m

Chairman: Dr . Don ald Daws on Tel. 8 82 379 email: d gdaw son@sherf ield.plus.comDe puty Chairman: Re vd. Bob Pol itt Tel. 8 82 209 email : bobpolitt@btinternet.comHartley Repre se ntative : Dr . John Will iams Tel. 8 82705 email : law nfarm@aol.co mSherfie ld Park Rep: Mr Chris Wright Tel: 88 0436 email: chrisw right@dartw ood.w anado o.co.ukStratfie ld Re presentative: Mr. Er ic Pr ice Tel: 88140 2Committee Member: Claire Osborne Tel: 3 24458 email: g uyclaire@ ukonline.co .uk

Editor for the Brian Arche rNove mber 07 a nd 1, Orch ard L eaDec/Jan dou ble Sherfield on LoddonChristmas an d Hoo k RG27 0 ESNew Year Ed it ion Tel. 01 256 882099 e mail: brianarcher@btintern et.co m

Editor for October Shee na Archer 1, Orchard L ea

Sherf ie ld on Loddon, Hook RG27 0ES Te l: 01256 882 099email: she enaarcher@btinternet.co m

NB. The final d ate fori tems for the October i ssue is Sunday 1 6th Sept.

Wins ton Bruce 18 Longbr idge Close Sherf ield on Lodd on Hook. RG2 7 0DQ Te l. 0 1256 8 83277 email: w in.bruce@t iscali.co.uk

Adve rtising:Ple as e call Wins ton for all advertis ing enquir ies . Final s mall ads. for Octobe r, by Thursday 13th Sept.

50

CHURCH OFFICERSRector: Reverend Bob Politt, 33 Northfield Road , Sherfield on Loddon. RG27 0DR

Tel. 01256-882209 Kindly note the Rector’s day off is Thursday.

Readers: Mr. Richard Elphick Tel. 01256-882860 Dr. John Williams Tel. 01256-882705

ST. LEONARD’S CHURCH, SHERFIELD ON LODDONChurchwardens: Mrs. Gill Austin Tel. 01256-882364

Mr. Peter Gould Tel. 01256-882538

Treasurer: Mr. Stephen Hemmings Tel.01256-882523

Organists: Mr. Mike Abrams Tel. 01256-881188 Mr. Brian Archer Tel. 01256-882099 Mrs. Peggy Willson Tel. 01256-880503

ST. MARY’S CHURCH, STRATFIELD SAYEChurchwarden: Mr. Roy Best Tel. 01189-882422

Treasurer: Mr Robert Craig Tel: 01256-882253

Organist: Mrs. Fran Oliver Tel. 01189-268364

ST.MARY’S CHURCH, HARTLEY WESPALLChurchwardens: Mr Pip Iles Tel. 01256-880559 Dr. John Williams Tel. 01256-882705

Treasurer: Mr. Michael Webster Tel. 01256-882413

Organist: Dr. Gill Williams Tel. 01256-882705

32

SHERFIELD SHOW 2007 Flowers, produce, crafts, auction, raffle, refreshments,

baking, photography, and lots lots more!

VILLAGE HALL SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER

Green entry booklets are now available

Support your local charities by supporting your local show

Proceeds this year to :

THE LODDON VALLEY LINK THE LUNCHEON CLUB

SHERFIELD AND DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB

TIMETABLE 8.30 – 10.30 Staging of exhibits

10.45 Judging starts 2.30 Open to everyone

3.30 The prize winning presentations 3.45 Auction 4.15 Raffle

For further information;

Sally Brain, secretary. Tel: 01256 882275 Natalie Larner, schedules secretary. Tel: 01256 880075

Terry Raisborough, treasurer. Tel: 01256 882269 Chris Horton, Richard Elphick and

Brian Raisborough, auctioneer and PR.