FROM REV’D CARL BUDDEN

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1

I’ve been doing some research on the month of March, and don’t ask me why, but according to Wikipedia, the month of March is, amongst other things, “National Frozen Food Month” in the USA, though why any nation needs to celebrate frozen food for a day, much less a whole month, escapes me! Thankfully, “National Frozen Food Month” is one American tradition that hasn’t yet caught on in the UK – but give it time.The arrival of March also signals the end of Winter, and the beginning of Spring. The days are getting longer, and warmer, the trees are in leaf, the daffodils are blooming, the birds are singing and building their nests…and Easter is coming! Hallelujah!But first, we have to get through Lent. In the Christian calendar, Lent is traditionally the season the church remembers the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Each of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) place the temptation of Jesus straight after his baptism, when the Spirit of God descended on him like a dove, and God the Father could no longer contain himself, exclaiming for all to hear: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)Matthew continues:“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1)Mark puts it even more strongly:“And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12)Is it just me, or does “…the Spirit immediately drove him out...” suggest that he didn’t really want to go? And why would he? Anyone who has ever seen a wilderness will know that it really isn’t the kind of place you want to spend forty days (or probably even a single day), on your own – barren, isolated, exposed and generally scary.We all know, too, what it’s like to be driven out into the wilderness, metaphorically speaking – stressed, anxious, depressed, lonely, vulnerable…And when we, like Jesus, find ourselves thrust out into the wilderness, there are three things we are going to need to remember in order to survive:

1. We are God’s children;2. He loves us; and3. He is pleased with us

No matter how difficult or desperate our situation appears, God says:“You are my son / daughter, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)And as St Paul also reminds us:“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)The Lord be with you!

Plymstock & Hooe

A Special Parochial Church Meeting

Sunday, 15th March, 11.15amfollowing Together@10

at Church of the Holy Family,The Staddy, Staddiscombe

We will worship together at 10am and then after coffee, move into this special meeting to look to the future of our parish

and to dissolve the present Constitution.Please support this important meeting in the life of our Parish

as we seek to move forward.

In preparation for this meeting there will be a Prayer Morning for the Parish

on Saturday, 7th March, 9.30-11.00am

at St. Mary & All Saints Church.Do drop in anytime or stay for the whole morning to pray.

FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS for January 2020 at St Mary’s: Baptism:

January 12th POPPY ANNE PIPER, the daughter of Martyin and Rebecca.

Funeral:January 27th DERRICK WILLIAM BLACKLER.

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Traidcraft Big Brew Help us raise vital funds to support

people in developing countries to get a fairer deal for their hard work – lift

themselves out of poverty and build a better future for their families.

Join us for coffee, tea and cakes and meet friends

10am – 12.30Saturday, 7th March

Holmwood, 20 Great Churchway Plymstock PL9 8JY

01752 481020bobdavidson3@yahoo.co.uk

Celebrate Mothering SundayAn afternoon tea

On Saturday, 21st March, 3.00pm

at St. Mary’s Church Hall,

Plymstock.

Tickets available in March.

Come and say THANK YOU for your Mum at one of our special Services in Church on Mothering Sunday.

9.15am Church of the Good Shepherd, Oreston

10.45am St. Mary & All Saints, Plymstock

10.45am St. John’s, Hooe

Join us on Sunday 22nd March

All are welcome.

St. Mary & All Saints Church, Plymstock. Saturday, 21st March, 5.30-6.00pm

Mothering Sunday Runaways.Do you dread Mothering Sunday?

A short Service for those who normally find church difficult on Mothering Sunday.

For mothers who have lost childrenThose who have lost mothers

Those who have chosen not to be mothersThose yearning to be mothers

Those who are estranged from their children or mothers

Come & discover some spaceto pause, pray, light a candle.

A LOVELY EVENINGIt was my 76th birthday and our 55th wedding anniversary on this day. So what do you do to celebrate such a day? You get on a coach from Citycoach and you go on an outing!We went to Wadebridge, to St Petroc’s Church, Eggloshayle, to attend the licensing of Rev Steve Payne as the Priest-in-charge of the four churches in that Parish. What ‘A Lovely Evening’ it was. The church was full of his clergy colleagues, friends from other parishes he had worked with and, of course, us. Actually, quite a number of us.The Bishop of Truro took the Service. He was extremely good and very personable – mingling humour and humanity into the legalities of the licensing.As is usually the case on these occasions the refreshments afterwards were incredible with tables groaning under the weight of superb food. There was a beautiful celebration cake and I joked with Steve that at least it should have candles on it to celebrate my birthday. He replied that they didn’t have enough candles!!!!!!! Cheek!!!!

Both Steve and Jackie looked extremely well and happy. Jackie said that the cats (all 5 of them) had seemed to have settled in well.After ‘feeding our faces’ and chatting to all and sundry we made our way back to our coach and returned home to England.It had been truly ‘A Lovely Evening’ -Marion Banbury(Photo: David Demellweek)

R E M E M B E R:BRITISH SUMMER TIME COMMENCES ON MARCH 29th 2020CLOCKS GO FORWARD 1 HOUR.

“Joy”, an Exhibition of Paintingsby Jean Mintoft

at Devonport Guildhallfrom 4th to 17th March 2020.

Open: Mondays to Friday 9am–3pm,Saturday 9-1pm, closed Sundays.

Admission free

CHILDREN’S PAGE

Hello everyone! Here’s a question for you to think about. Do you always try to choose the right thing to do?If you find something that belongs to someone else, are you tempted to keep it or would you give it to an adult so they can find out who it belongs to?What would Satan want you to do?What would God expect you to do?In the New Testament, we read of a time when Jesus was tempted by Satan, the devil. After he was baptised in the River Jordan, Jesus spent forty days alone in the wilderness. Forty days in the desert with nothing to eat meant that he grew weak with hunger. It was then that God’s enemy began to test him. If you read St Luke, Chapter 4 verses 3 to 10, you will find out what the three tests were he had to face.

Luke 4:3

Luke 4:7 Luke 4:10

In the end, the devil realised he couldn’t tempt Jesus. Jesus had showed that he was ready to do God’s work and follow what God wanted him to do.

Next time Mum asks you to tidy up your room, what will you choose to do? Whose voice will you listen to and obey?

Remember, Mothering Sunday is on March 22nd.How will you find a way of making your Mum feel special?

Answers 1. 2. 3.

1.

To turn a stone into

_ _ _ _ _

2.

To have power over all the world if he stopped worshipping God and worshipped

3.

To jump off the temple in Jerusalem to see if God sends his

_ _ _ _ _ _ to save him.

Lent Groups 2020During Lent, various groups will be meeting

across the Mission Community.

Tuesday evenings starting 3rd March7.30-9.00pm

2 Barnwood Close, Hooe

Wednesday afternoons starting 4th March2.00-3.30pm

St. Mary’s Church Hall, Plymstock

…………………………………………………

Thursday evenings starting 5th March 7.30-9.00pm

33 St. John’s Road, Hooe

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book for 2020 by Ruth Valerio explores how we can view big issues facing the world today through a to study this book.

………………………………………………………………For personal use: Care for God’s Creation.

For each day of Lent it offers a Bible reading, a short reflection and an action to help you live in greater

harmony with God, neighbour and nature.

Further details, prices & how to order books, see leaflets in Church.

All are welcome to join us!‘Septuagesima’

Septuagesima - a time of waiting,Running the race or holding fast.

Let’s praise the man who goes to lightThe church stove on an icy night.

Let’s praise the hard-worked he or sheThe Treasurer of the PCC.

Let’s praise the cleaner of the aisles,The nave and candlesticks and tiles.Let’s praise the organist who triesTo make the choir increase in size.

Or if that simply cannot be,

Just to improve its quality.Let’s praise the ringers in the tower

Who come to ring in cold and shower,But most of all let’s praise the few

Who are seen in their accustomed pewThroughout the year, whate’er the weather,

That they may worship God together.These like a fire of flowing coals,

Strike warmth into each other’s souls,And though there be but two or threeThey keep the Church for you and me.

(by John Betjeman)

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER – 6th March 2020

You are warmly invited to the annual Service for the Plymstock area on:

Friday, 6th March at 10.30am at St John’s Church, Hooe.

The Service this year is written by the women of Zimbabwe and the theme is:Rise, Take up your Mat and Walk”.

All are welcome!

There will be refreshments in the hall afterwards.

The World Day of Prayer is a women led, global, ecumenical movement.

-Sheila Eccleston

BURNS NIGHT

The end of January always benefits from a winter get-together, so folk from near and far gathered to celebrate Burns Night in St John’s Hall on 25th January.

This was a great success – 57 people tucked into a lovely meal with neeps and tatties and of course haggis! The haggis was piped in and addressed by Scotsman Hughie, and Gloria said the Selkirk Grace. Later after desserts, Heather sang ‘My Love is like a Red, Red Rose’, and then we danced in traditional style (with just a bit of guidance).

It was a memorable night, thanks to great organisation and the hard work of a dedicated team of volunteers. We have heard some excellent feedback locally and we could have sold more tickets but we ran out of space. Will this event be held again, I wonder?

-Sheila Eccleston

‘YOUNG @ HEART’ For various reasons we were low in numbers for our February meeting, i.e. holiday, Hospital operations, heavy colds, etc. Even so we enjoyed a very lively meeting.Our planned Speaker could not come and at very short notice our Exercise trainer, Annya, agreed to stand in for us. Annya takes various classes in our area and on Friday afternoons she has two classes in St John’s Hall. One class is a sitting class for the less able among us followed by a standing class for the more abled. Both are enjoyed by those taking part.Annya told us a little about her life and qualifications, then led us in some sitting exercises, during which our expected visitors joined us. Our Rector, Rev. Jennie Appleby, and her husband Rev. Dave arrived. With them was a young man, Mr Tom Ebbens, who is training for the Priesthood and was staying in our Parish for a short while. All three pulled out chairs and joined us in our exercises. Great fun!Tom told us a little about his life, some time of which he had spent in Plymstock.All three stayed with us for a cup of tea giving Tom the chance to talk to as many of us as possible. He highly praised St John’s kitchen!! We hope he will visit us again.Annya was thanked for making time for us at such short notice.Ruth reported that items for the Food Bank brought to our December meeting were left in the large collecting box at Plymstock Library.At our next meeting the Speaker will be Mr Bob Bailey, a PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) in Plymouth. We look forward to meeting him and seeing as many of you as possible.

-Ruth Earl

Next Meeting is on Tuesday, 3rd March 2020, 2.00pm, St John’s Church Hall.

New members very welcome.

TALKS PROGRAMME 2020

MARCH 19th Louisa Blight ~ Plymouth City art Gallery ‘The Box’

APRIL 16th

Robin Blythe-Lord ~ ‘Professor Louis Duprez. Plymouth’s man of mystery and wonder’

All talks start at 7.30pm atSt John’s Church Hall, Hooe.

Talks: Members free. Non-members £3.00.

To join PVH please contact our membership secretaryJan Fletcher janfletcher74@outlook.co

HOOE & TURNCHAPEL LADIES GROUPWe plan to resume our Group meetings after the winter break on:-

April 21st A.G.M.

and AUCTIONATHON

We meet at the Hooe & Turnchapel Community Centre on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 8.00pm. ALL ladies welcome.

For further information please contact: -Diane McCarthy (Sec) Tel: 311931

AS IT WAS . . .

The man who invented Self-raising Flour

Henry Jones, a baker from Bristol, was granted a patent for his invention of self-raising flour 175 years ago, on 17th March 1845.He was born in Monmouth, Wales, but he established a bakery in Broadmead, Bristol. His formula for making self-raising flour–essentially a process of baking without yeast – was granted a patent in 1845, and by the end of 1846 it was a runaway success and he was soon supplying patent flour and biscuits to Queen Victoria. He was granted a patent in the USA in 1849, and in 1852 the first gold medal for the new flour was issued to a Chicago firm

using the Bristol formula, but his greatest opponent was the British Admiralty. Jones pointed out in detail and at length the benefits to seamen of using the new flour instead of the hard biscuits they were used to, and he received a great deal of support from individual captains and many prominent people.But it was not until 1855, when his flour was used in the Crimean War – partly at the request of Florence Nightingale – and was so effective in saving lives and improving food supplies, that it got the grudging acceptance of the Admiralty.

-Tim Lenton (Parish Pump)

OUT & ABOUT (Details: visitplymouth.co.uk)

March 18th Plymouth Symphony Orchestra, Plymouth Guildhall 7.30pmFeaturing Bernstein’s Overture Candide,

Sibelious’ Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5.

March 28th Men’s Day Out is back for 2020. Starting and finishing at Plymouth Albion

RFC. The walk starts at 10am following a planned route including the Barbican and Hoe waterfront and

back to the ground in time to see the match with the Richmond

rivals. Registration £32 which includes a T-shirt, pasty, pint and entry to the rugby match. In support of St Luke’s Hospice.

For details or to register: visit www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/mensdayout/

DID YOU KNOW . . . ? Real Easter Eggs celebrate their 10th birthday!

The Real Easter Egg campaign has been running since 2010 and involves thousands of churches, schools and groups.  It crosses all denominations and offers individuals a simple way to share the Easter Story while supporting Fairtrade and charitable projects. The idea began in 2008 when I was given a chocolate Easter Egg. On the side of the box it read: ‘Easter is the festival of chocolate and loveliness’. I began to wonder – was it right for the manufacturer of an Easter egg to change the meaning of a religious festival in this way? Imagine the outcry if this had been done to Christmas.

I searched for an Easter egg which mentioned the Christian story of Easter. It became clear that out of the 80 million eggs on sale there was not a single manufacturer who was willing to mention the religious aspects of the festival. So, I started The Meaningful Chocolate Company to manufacture the UKs first ‘Real Easter Egg’.For it to be a ‘Real Easter Egg’, it had to reflect the Easter themes of hope and new life and do three things – have a copy of the Easter story in the box, be made from Fairtrade chocolate and support charitable causes.The Real Easter Egg was launched in 2010. It was a struggle, as the supermarkets turned down the idea. It was left to churches and schools to place orders and fund the making of The Real Easter Egg.Ten years on, more than a million eggs have been sold, with over 750,000 eggs sent through the post directly to customers. The rest have been sold through retailers and supermarkets.Nearly £275,000 has been donated to charitable projects with Fairtrade Premium fees paid to farmers allowing them to buy everything from school-books and solar panels to providing fresh water.For Easter 2020, there are five types of Real Easter Eggs available, all with new content. Each egg has an edition of the Easter story included. There is a new 24-page version in the Original and Dark eggs with activities, biblical text and a prize competition worth £200. There is a poster activity version of the Easter story in the Sharing Box and Fun Pack and a simple guide version in the Special Edition. Both the Original and Dark 2020 eggs are plastic-free and all our chocolate is Palm Oil free.  Ref: www.realeasteregg.co.uk (David Marshall, Parish Pump)

COMMUNITY NEWSProposed new Fire StationPlymstock is set to get a new Fire Station with an extra engine to cover the growing population in the area.The Fire service has made an initial approach to Plymouth City Council about redeveloping the town centre site in Dean Hill.A pre-planning application inquiry will outline a proposal to replace the current buildings which will house a single appliance with a new two-bay station.Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service says the reason for the scheme is a big growth in population and new workplaces and public buildings at Sherford and Saltram Meadow.

‘THE BOX‘ to open in MayThe countdown is well and truly underway to the opening of The Box on Saturday,16th May, when the doors to the city’s newly developed museum, gallery and archive open to the public.Over the coming weeks, staff are going to be even busier than before as they prepare for the big day and move 2,177,516 objects into the building.Over 24,000 boxes – more than two miles of archives – will be moved from the former Plymouth and West Devon Record Office. They’ll be joined by the City’s Local Studies reference collection, the South West Image Bank, the South West Film and Television Archive and the natural history, human history and art collections from the City Museum and Art Gallery.Its inaugural exhibitions will feature work by international artists from North America, South America and Europe as well as the ‘Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy’ exhibition and a major public art commission by Antony Gormley.A series of immersive galleries will highlight the city’s permanent collections and shed light on Plymouth’s connections with the rest of the world. The Box will also have a Kitchen & Bar, shop, education and research spaces.Prior to the launch on Saturday, 16th May, a special preview weekend will take place for Plymouth residents. Places will be allocated via a public ballot and more details will be released later.You can visit The Box’s new website and follow its countdown to launch at theboxplymouth.com

The Council wants your viewsBefore Plymouth City Council sets out its budget for 2020/21 they want your views and comments on their approach to balancing the books.Services such as emptying bins, cutting the grass, maintaining roads and pavements and looking after the elderly and children are funded by Government grants, Council Tax, income such as fees and charges. They face big challenges in setting a balanced budget as Government funding continues to reduce each year.At the same time, the cost of providing Social care for children and the elderly is rising as more people need support and care needs become more complex.They would like to hear your views and comments on their budget plans.

Upgrades to Bridge and FerryWorks to upgrade the toll system on the Tamar Bridge to make it quicker and easier for service users is under way. New equipment has already been installed in the toll booths on lanes 1,3,4 and 5 in readiness for the launch of the upgraded system. Work is also taking place to upgrade the system on the Torpoint ferries.Specific improvements for service users include an automatic replacement system for older tags, together with the introduction of online applications for new tags, improved web services, and the option for contactless card payments on the Bridge. They are also working to develop a contactless solution for the Ferry in the near future. There will also be a new payment option which can automatically top up tag holders’ accounts when their balances drop below the low balance level rather than depending on fixed monthly direct debits which may not match actual usage. New technology will also be introduced at the ferry which ensures ferry collectors have the latest balance available, rather than taking up to 24 hours for it to show.Torpoint Ferry LYNHER II is scheduled to be taken out of service on 16th March in preparation for being towed to Falmouth for its five-yearly refit. Weather permitting the ferry will be towed to A&P Falmouth’s dry dock facilities on 20th March.

New Lord Mayor DesignateCouncillor Chris Mavin is the new Lord Mayor Designate for 2020/21Councillor Mavin was chosen at a meeting of the Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee.First elected to the City Council in 1987, Chris has previously represented the Sutton and Budshead Wards and is currently the Councillor for Moor View Ward.  In total he has served the city for 23 years and was made an Honorary Alderman of the City of Plymouth in September 2014 and was Deputy Lord Mayor in 2018/19.Born in Plymouth in 1951, Councillor Mavin attended Highfield Junior School and Devonport Secondary School.In 1966, he entered the Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport where he did his apprenticeship as a shipwright. He became a trade union activist, a shop steward and went on to become the GMB convenor at Babcock Devonport.Sources: Plymouth City Council, Tamar Bridge and Ferry Joint Committee,

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Hooe’s Place Community Café Thursdays

Open to all

Morning Coffee 10.30-11.30am Freshly cooked lunches 11.45am-1.30pm

St John’s Church, HooeOpen every Thursday

10.00am - 2.00pm

Church open for prayer and/or viewing Entrance through St John’s Hall

P a r i s h o f P l y m s t o c k & H o o e, P l y m o u t hwww. achurchnearyou.com

Our Mission Community

‘TOGETHER @ 10’ SERVICE

will be at

HOLY FAMILY, STADDISCOMBE

on SUNDAY, 15th MARCH 2020

Commencing at 10.00am

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Enquiries for Baptisms & Weddings ~ Please contact the Clergy

(Contact details inside back cover of Magazine)

Note: The deadline date for items for April 2020 Magazine is March 15 th 2020

(Items to: grahambulley@aol.com)

Our thanks to the Advertisers who sponsor this Magazine.Advertisements and service quotes do not imply recommendations on the part of the PCC.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the PCC.© Plymstock & Hooe PCC 2020.