pa r i s h o f p l y m s t o c k
TRANSCRIPT
Pa 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 h
S u n d a y S e r v i c e s St Mary & All Saints, Plymstock
8.00am Eucharist ~ See rota on Page 2 of Magazine 10.45am Eucharist St John the Evangelist, Hooe
8.00am Eucharist ~ See rota on Page 2 10.45am Eucharist (Morning Praise ~ 1
st Sunday)
Church of the Good Shepherd, Oreston
9.15am Sung Eucharist (Family Eucharist ~ 1st Sunday)
Church of the Holy Family, Staddiscombe
9.15am Informal Iona Eucharist
W e e k d a y W o r s h i p
10.00am Tuesday Eucharist St Mary & All Saints, Plymstock 10.30am Wednesday Eucharist Good Shepherd, Oreston 11.00am Thursday Eucharist St John‟s, Hooe 8.00am Friday Eucharist St Mary & All Saints, Plymstock
Enquiries for Baptisms & Weddings ~ Please contact the Clergy (Contact details inside back cover of Magazine) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Note: The deadline date for items for March 2015 Magazine is February 15th
2015
Our thanks to the Advertisers who sponsor this Magazine. Advertisements and service quotes do not imply recommendations on the part of the Church. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor. Printed & published by St John‟s DCC, Hooe, Plymouth UK. © Plymstock & Hooe PCC 2015.
FROM THE REV’D JENNIE APPLEBY
Dear Friends,
I am writing on the day when funerals have been held for four of the victims killed in the recent attack in Paris. Seventeen people in total were killed by militant Islamists. The terrorist attacks have shocked the world and their proximity to the UK have brought home once more the very real terrorist threat here in our country.
How are we to make sense of such atrocities, especially when they are carried out in the name of religion, albeit an extreme form?
And in our own lives we are often faced with hard questions when a loved one or close friend is diagnosed with a life threatening illness or loses their battle with it.
So, what difference does the Christian Faith make? Do we have simple answers to life’s difficult issues? Or, do we struggle like everyone else to make sense of the world around us? The answers are Yes and No! Yes, the Christian faith does make a difference; and no, we don’t have any simple answers. Yes, we do have struggles but we also have hope and know the One who loves us and understands and longs to walk beside us, whatever our experience.
During February the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and right at the beginning of Lent we are reminded of Jesus being led out into the desert and tempted by the devil. So God’s own Son knew what it was to struggle. And throughout his ministry on earth, he was asked some tough questions and faced difficult issues. God could have chosen to make it easy for His Son but he didn’t, because He knew that we humans would more readily identify with a man who lived on earth and experienced some of the same difficulties as ourselves.
For Christians, Lent is a time for self-examination and drawing closer to God through worship, prayer, reading the bible and giving to the poor. If you are experiencing any kind of struggle, why not join us as we meet to discover ‘Food for the Soul’ (see separate article in this magazine) during Lent. There will be opportunities to meet together to encourage one another in our journey and to discover more about Jesus and some of his everyday experiences around meals. Let’s journey together through Lent towards the hope of new life at Easter.
God Bless you,
Jennie
PARISH OF PLYMSTOCK AND HOOE
8am Parish Service of Holy Communion
St John’s ~ 8am Communion on 1st
& 3rd
Sundays
St Mary’s ~ 8am Communion on 2nd
& 4th
Sundays
___________________________________________________________________
M.A.P. - Mission Action Plan
In February we look forward to Spring, a time for growth in Nature, so how appropriate to be planning a Mission for Growth Day. This day will help us catch the vision of growing the Church across our parishes and spreading the Good News of Jesus and the hope that He brings.
This will be a day away somewhere yet to be finalized. After our time together something will happen, this will not just be a talk shop in good company with good food (although that will be true of course!)
If you are interested in being part of this day please let us know. Whether or not you are able to attend the important work starts now, please pray for our Mission for Growth Day. -Daphne Freeman
(Commence at 12 noon)
Saturday 21st Feb Church of the Good Shepherd, Marine Road
Saturday 28th Feb Plymstock Chapel, Church Road
Saturday 7th March St Margaret Mary, Radford Park Road
Saturday 14th March Plymstock United Church, Plymstock Road
Saturday 21st March Elburton Methodist Church, Springfield Road
Saturday 28th March St Mary & All Saints, Plymstock, Church Road
Join us for soup and a roll
Donations to Christian Aid
Further information: Rev Steve Payne 213358
LENT 2015
FOOD FOR THE SOUL
Ash Wednesday – February 18th
To begin our observance of Lent
join us at one of the Services below:-
10.00am St Mary’s
10.30am Church of the Good Shepherd
7.00pm St Johns
Food for the Soul
Come along to one of the groups
meeting in homes around the parish.
Over a „cuppa and cake‟ we will share in conversation
as we study the stories of when Jesus enjoyed a good meal.
Mid-week Eucharists
At these regular services
we will also reflect about the meals Jesus shared with others.
Looking ahead…
AGAPE Meal
On Maundy Thursday (April 2nd
) in St Mary‟s Parish hall
all are invited to attend an informal meal at which
we will remember our Lord‟s last supper.
Full details of our Lenten activities and venues and times
of home groups will soon be available in the churches.
__________________________________________________
WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
This year the Service will be on Friday, 6th
March 2015 at St Werburgh’s Church, Wembury at 2.00pm.
The Committee for The Bahamas has written the Service and its theme is:
“Jesus said to them: Do you know what I have done to you?”
Please join us and an estimated 3 million people in over 170 countries in observing this day of prayer.
Everyone is welcome to attend the Service. -Daphne Freeman
NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS FOR EPIPHANY
The Feast of The Epiphany, or the coming of the three wise men, was celebrated by the four churches of the Plymstock & Hooe Parish when they joined together to sing with great feeling the Christmas carols, a mixture of the old together with some more modern.
After the reading of the killing of the holy innocents (‘When Herod realised that the visitors from the east had tricked him, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighbourhood who were two years old and younger’—Matthew 2, v.16), a collection was taken for Save the Children and this amounted to £80.50.
We then joined together in the hall to share our festive tea.
SHEKINAH MISSION
We delivered the Christmas gifts before Christmas, they were gratefully received.
Items are still needed, food items and kitchen items such as cleaning products, toiletries, dish clothes and bin liners, there is a box at the back of the Church in which to place these items.
Thank you to all who contributed to the Christmas collection.
-Jean & Peter Medway
‘YOUNG @ HEART’
On January 6th 2015, 14 members of ‘Young @ Heart’ met for an informal business meeting where we discussed our finances and plans for 2015.
Ruth had compiled a Christmas Music Quiz which got our brains into gear. This was won by Briony Corby and Eileen Rose who were warmly congratulated.
Steve looked in to wish us all a Happy New Year and to join us in our usual cup of tea and ‘Young @ Heart’ ‘goodies’.
At our next meeting our speaker will be Lorna Grainger. Lorna plans to tell us about some of the more obscure Saints that we hear very little of.
As St Valentine’s Day falls in February we will have a competition. Members are asked to ‘create’ something with a Valentine theme. Perhaps a card, or a poem or perhaps a flower arrangement, etc. We hope for a colourful display.
See you there. Best Wishes for 2015. -Ruth Earl Next Meeting~
Tuesday, 3rd February 2015, at 2.00pm in St John’s Hall. New members are very welcome.
FROM ST JOHN’S PARISH REGISTERS
BAPTISM: We welcomed into God’s family by Baptism:-
January 25th JOE BENJAMIN HALFYARD and
ZOE ROSE HALFYARD, son and daughter of Ben & Clare Halfyard.
FUNERAL OFFICE:
We remember those who have lost loved ones and commend to God the souls of:
DONALD ERIC OSBORNE who died 15th December 2014 aged 84 years, the husband of Pauline, father of Christopher
and Martin, a loving grandfather and great grandfather.
Donald was the eldest of three children and spent his formative years in the family home ‘Bracondale’ on the
outskirts of London. He was proud to have been educated at Hampton Grammar School during the war years but the
flag being lowered at school assemblies to mark the passing of older boys killed in action left deep scars in his heart.
He ‘dug for England’ in his allotment on the school lawn.
After National Service in the RAF he became an early member of the ‘Seven Sports Club’. He played hockey and cricket and was always the opening bat. He formed a great friendship with Mike Page whom he met at work at Bison Concrete, a friendship they kept to the very end. He met Pauline at Brambles Holiday Camp on the Isle of Wight. They married and had two sons, Christopher and Martin, who grew up in a secure family home near the River Thames and Windsor Great Park. Don passed on his love of the outdoors to his sons and bravely crewed various sailing dinghies for Christopher although being unable to swim! It was football that Martin most enjoyed with his father going to many of the big games. Don always had a great interest in gardening, passed on from his own father. Over the years Don and Pauline enjoyed exploring the country in their touring caravan. Fifteen years ago they moved to Plymstock to be near Christopher’s family. The Funeral Service was held on 22nd January, 2014, at St John’s Church, where Christopher was once the Vicar. The Revd Steve Payne officiated. Donations and the retiring collection was for St John’s Church.
SHEILA MARY HARRIS who died on 28th December 2014 at Furzehatt Residential Care Home. The wife of Charlie (dec’d) and mother of Kathleen, Marie and Russell. Sheila was born in Cornwall on the Lizard, one of three children, and the family lived at Landewednack. After school, Sheila went into service in Predannack and, during the war, worked at the Naval Coastal command. She met Charlie and they were married in 1948. Sheila and Charlie had 3 children, Kathleen, Marie and Russell. The family moved across the border to Devon in 1958 when Charlie was posted to Plymouth, working for the MOD police. Whilst the children were at school, Sheila worked at Rank Bush Murphy TV and she remained there for 18 years. Sheila was widowed at the age of 60 when Charlie died at the age of 65. She played bingo at the Community Centre in Hooe on Friday evenings and loved to socialise, enjoying any excuse for a party. Sheila led an active life and was still working in the paper shop in Hooe until she was almost 80, she was also still driving. The Funeral Service was held at St John’s Church on 13th January 2015. The Revd Jennie Appleby officiated.
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THIS IS A FREE EVENT!
Graham Dee is leading a study on St Mark's Gospel at the home of Mary Skilton, 1 St John's Drive, Hooe, every Wednesday at 2pm.
This informal group has been meeting for over a year to study and discuss parts of the Bible.
St Mark's Gospel is the shortest of the four gospels and probably the first written about 35 years after the resurrection, so very much in living memory of the disciples. This course is very short, lasting just four weeks, so an ideal way to taste and see if this is for you.
During Lent the group will be following the ‘Food for the soul’ studying the meals Jesus ate with other people, some who were close friends and some who were just curious about Jesus.
If you are just curious come and share some cake and a cuppa. The Lent Course starts on Wednesday 25th February at 1 St John's Drive at 7.30pm.
COFFEE MORNING & SALE SATURDAY, 28th FEBRUARY 2015 10.30am to 12.30pm St John’s Church Hall In aid of The Church Army
CHRISTINGLES AT THE GOOD SHEPHERD
On Christmas Eve The Church of the Good Shepherd Oreston held two
Christingle Services which were both well attended. During the Services
the children took the nativity figures up to the front to create the nativity
scene. Steve told the story of the Christmas Cracker. Thank you to our
„Blue Peter‟ team who made all the christingles. Collections were made for
the Children‟s Society and totalled £145.70
-Lin Miller
SELLOTAPE SUNDAY afternoons are for all age groups, based on Christian themes through the year with activities,
crafts, Bible stories, songs & refreshments. Come and join us at The Church of the Good Shepherd Hall. Watch out for
the dates & themes.
COPPER POT & 5Ps
Many thanks to the members of our congregation at the Good Shepherd for collecting through 2014 the above
mentioned, totalling £87. I look forward to your kindness in 2015. Thank you.
-Hazel Osborn
TABLE TOP SALE
SATURDAY, 31st
JANUARY 2015
10.00am to 12 noon
ST MARY & ALL SAINTS PARISH HALL
Tea or Coffee ~ Raffle
In aid of the Church Roof fund.
THE NEXT FUNDRAISING MEETING will be on Monday, 2nd
February 2015, at 79 Stanborough Road, Plymstock, at
10.00am. All Welcome.
Dates for your Diary:-
TABLE TOP SALE
SATURDAY 21st
MARCH 2015
10am to 12 noon
Parish Hall
QUIZ NIGHT
SATURDAY 30th
MAY 2015
7pm to 9pm
Sylvia Tall’s home.
CHEESE & WINE EVENING
SATURDAY 20th
JUNE 2015
7pm to 9.30pm
Parish Hall
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FROM THE PARISH REGISTER
We welcomed into God’s family through Baptism at St Mary’s in December 2014:
14th December DYLAN JOHN GIBBINS, son of Anthony and Lisa Gibbins.
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ST FRANCIS’ HOSPITAL ~ WITH THANKS TO ST MARY’S
A letter of thanks received from Faith Cairns, Secretary of Friends of St Francis‟ Hospital,
Katete.
“Dear Alan,
I am delighted to be able to acknowledge, on receipt of a letter from „Stewardship‟, the donation of £345.00 for the
hospital. Please will you convey to everyone concerned at St Mary‟s our most grateful thanks.
Much of this year has been difficult for St Francis Hospital. As a result of world demand for copper falling and so the price,
Zambia is facing economic difficulties and has not been paying the church hospitals, and no doubt other institutions, the
full monthly grant in aid. The Ministry of Health is also refusing to take on to their payroll any blue collar worker who does
not have the equivalent of five GCSE passes! This takes some thinking about! How would this work out here! A member
of staff paid by the Government is one less for the hospital to pay, out of a monthly grant.
This donation will go towards paying the volunteer medical staff who work at St Francis for a minimum of six months from
this country and the Netherlands.
With many thanks and best wishes,
Faith”
In Zambia, malaria, AIDS and TB have decimated the working population
and left many orphaned children. Church-run St Francis‟ Hospital in Katete
is the only source of healthcare for a large rural population in E. Zambia
where most people live a subsistence way of life. Accidents and injuries
account for the largest proportion of admissions. There are around 13,000
admissions each year, reaching a peak during the malaria season
(February to April) when an average of 30 children are admitted every day.
„The support we receive from overseas is incredible and the hospital just
wouldn‟t be what it is without it. USPG has supported the hospital since the beginning.‟ (Website:
www.saintfrancishospital.net)
-Brian Hancock
on behalf of St Mary‟s Mission Committee
LIFE SAVING TUBS
Our local Lions Club have sponsored tubs for the use of anyone who would like one.
These tubs, although only 4 inches high, could save your life or at least get the correct medical attention in the event of
an accident or sudden illness. Inside is a form, which you need to complete (remembering to amend when something
changes) and pop into your refrigerator. You place a little sticker on the outside of your fridge door and one behind your
front door (or the door that people would normally enter your home) and that immediately alerts members of the
emergency services that all the information they need is to hand.
On the form will be your personal details, a list of illnesses or drug therapy that might affect emergency treatment, any
allergies you may have, your medical problems, the name and address of your doctor, your emergency contact
person/number and other details. If there is more than one person living in the house then a form is needed for each
person and a photograph attached to the form will help distinguish you from the other person/people, should you become
unconscious and they are not at home, probably a dead give-away if you are man and wife but essential if you are
members of the same sex living together. Also on the form is a space to say where your box of medicines are kept and it
is essential that your repeat prescription is kept in the same box. Many years ago the list of medication was actually put
on the form but it was found that it was not always amended when drugs were changed thus causing confusion for the
paramedics and possibly incorrect action taken by them.
Please think about having one of these tubs as none of us can tell when something may happen and even though you
may have a companion living with you at times of great stress information can be forgotten, or the other person could be
out at the time.
They can be collected from Elspeth Sitters House in Hoegate Street, however ring them (Tel: 665424) before making the
journey to confirm they still have them in stock.
(from Plymouth Senior Citizens Forum Newsletter – October 2014)
HUMOUR ~ Food for thought!
I have been in many places, but I‟ve never been in Cahoots. Apparently you can‟t go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.
I‟ve also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.
I have, however, been in Sane. They don‟t have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work. I live close so it‟s a short drive.
I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump and I‟m not too much on physical activity anymore.
I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go and I try not to visit there too often.
I‟ve been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm. Sometimes I‟m in Capable, and I go there more often as I‟m getting older.
One of my favourite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenaline flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!
And, sometimes, I think I am in Vincible but life shows me I am not.
People keep telling me I‟m in Denial but no, I‟m positive I‟ve never been there, ever!
I‟ve been in Deepdoodo many times; the older I get, the easier it is to get there. I actually kind of enjoy it there.
So far, I haven‟t been in Continent, but my travel agent says I‟ll be going soon.
-submitted by Sylvia Tall
SMILING
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu, When someone smiled at me today, I felt like smiling too. I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realised I‟d passed it on to him. I thought about that smile then I realised its worth,
A single smile just like mine could travel round the earth. So if you feel a smile begin, don‟t leave it undetected,
Let‟s start an epidemic quick and get the world infected.
CHILDREN’S PAGE
Hello everyone! I wonder if you are old enough to know that you have control of what you do when you are given a
choice. Do you ever stop to think about what is happening when you behave in a certain way?
Are you ever tempted into doing the wrong thing?
When the whistle is blown at the end of play, do you choose to stop what you are doing and then walk to the end of your
class line to join the queue?
Do you ever feel tempted to run to the class line and push into someone so that you can stand beside your friend who is
already in the line?
Every day adults and children make choices and many realise when they are being tempted to do the wrong thing.
If you found a purse full of money, what would you do? Would you choose to take it to an adult so that the owner might
be found? Would you choose to keep the purse so that you could spend the money on yourself?
What is the right thing to do?
At the end of 2014, people who went to church celebrated the 4 weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas Day. Then in
January this year, we celebrated the period called Epiphany when we remembered the wise men visiting Mary, Joseph
and Jesus.
On February 18th this year, churchgoers will find out that a new season in the church calendar begins.
It is forty days long. It is the season leading up to Easter.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use the alphabet above to find out the name of this time. Count along to find the letter.
____ ____ ____ ____
12th letter 5
th 14
th 20
th
It is a time when we think about the forty days when Jesus lived in a desert. It was here that Jesus was tempted by
Satan. Satan tempted him three times. Jesus chose not to do what Satan asked. He chose to do what he believed God
wanted him to do.
God always knows what we have done. He knows why we choose to behave in a certain way. He does forgive us if we
are truly sorry for choosing to give into our temptations.
Each day, we should stop and think when we are given the chance to choose what we do and try very hard to do the
right thing.
What do you think?
PILGRIM FATHERS
I have noticed that there has been reference to the Pilgrim Fathers 400 year celebration (in 2020) in two recent magazines.
As a Plymothian I am fully aware of the local connection but earlier this year my husband and I were on holiday in the Netherlands. We now know a little more about the Pilgrim Fathers but would like to know even more. Would any of your contacts be able and willing to fill in any of the gaps or suggest a likely source, please?
We believe the history is as follows:-
They formed as a Puritan group in Nottinghamshire. Where, when, how large was the group?
They moved to Amsterdam. When, why, did all the group go?
They then moved to Leiden in the Netherlands. There is an information board outside the Pieterskerk from which we learnt the following:
About 300 ‘English religious refugees’ came to Leiden in 1609. Were they driven out of Amsterdam, were any left there?
One of their leaders, John Robinson, bought a house in Leiden and built 21 houses in the grounds for his followers. Fearful of losing their identity, about half of the group began leaving Leiden from 1620. Robinson did
not leave; he died there in 1625 and is buried with other followers in the Pieterskerk. The names of those that remained in Leiden became Dutch. A number of American presidents have Pilgrim ancestry, Roosevelt, Bush and Barack Obama.
There is a Pilgrim Fathers museum in Leiden but it was closed when we were in the city and there is some information about them in a side chapel of the (now deconsecrated) Pieterskerk. Unfortunately we did not have time to find out more.
Having decided that some would set up a new home in the ‘New World’, they embarked in a vessel called ‘Speedwell’ in 1620. Did they make any prior arrangements to live in America or were they simply hoping to claim territory?
The fact that Robinson was able to build 21 houses might suggest that the group were quite wealthy, at least sufficiently so to purchase the Speedwell, equip it and crew it for the journey to America.
We believe the vessel did not prove seaworthy and they may have made land at several places along our south coast before deciding they could not continue. Where?
So they landed at Plymouth and acquired another vessel – the ‘Mayflower’ and resumed their journey again in 1620. Did all those who arrived on the Speedwell continue on the Mayflower, if not what become of those who stayed behind?
So it would appear that Plymouth’s connection with the group came about quite by accident, so to speak. It is to the City’s credit that it has commemorated the event (the Steps, etc.) and is continuing to do so. We wish the event well in 2020.
Any information or reference to fill in the gaps would be most welcome.
-Mrs Jean Parkhouse (nee Kingwell) ([email protected])
JOINT SERVICE AT THE HOLY FAMILY
It was a big day for the Holy Family on Sunday, 11th January 2015. We hosted a Joint Service of all the worship centres in
the worshipping community plus we celebrated the anniversary of Services at The Staddy.
It was also a paperless Service, there were no hymn books, bibles or service sheets. All the Service information was projected onto a screen allowing for more personal concentration on the worship - it worked very well.
Being a Team Ministry each member of the clergy played an important part prior to and during the Service. Representatives from the four worship centres led the prayers. The very talented Holy Family Band, flute, violin, guitar, percussion (team vicars need to be multi-talented today!) and ukulele banjo provided the music. We also sang a beautiful Taize hymn during the prayers. For our Communion, Christine generously provided wine from Cana bought on a recent trip to The Holy Land.
Steve gave a most helpful sermon on the day's theme of Christ's baptism and how we might respond today in thoughtful and practical ways.
The Traidcraft stall set up by Ruth did good business whilst the post-service Traidcraft refreshments were enjoyed by all. Our “spies” later reported that The Rector especially enjoyed the biscuits- a strategic observance for the future...
Big thanks must also be given to Julie and Peter, the owners of The Staddy, without whose substantial generosity we would not have enjoyed the spaciousness of our worship setting.
Just as the Gospel reading told us that Jesus was baptised by John with The Holy Spirit so Paul writes about Spiritual gifts, how everyone has a gift to offer and how it might be used (1 Corinthians 12). Similarly Paul tells us that in spite of our diversity we remain “one body”. So anyone who has participated as part of a team organising an event such as a “Joint Service” knows it takes many and different “gifts” from many people to make it happen without which “It won't be right on the night”. So a big “Thank You” to everyone who helped with any aspect of the Service.
A Joint Service is an important reminder that in spite of our differences in traditions, worship styles and worship settings “we were all baptised in the one Spirit into one body”. -Bob Davidson A THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
“You can never cross that ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
Christopher Columbus
@ the Staddy
Sunday 1st February, 4-6pm: ‘Noah’s Ark’
Bring your wellies and a brolly!
More details & booking with Bob: Tel: 481020
`FIND POPPY` CAMPAIGN HAS A HAPPY ENDING
Poppy, the nine-year-old springer spaniel who went missing in the Sussex Avenue area of Canterbury on 28th October,
was reunited with her Plymouth owners, John and Jill Downer on 17th November.
Poppy ran off when she was frightened by a firework when daughter Jane was visiting her daughter Ann, who is in her
final year of a music degree at Christ Church Canterbury University. Jane was looking after Poppy for a few days while
John and Jill were away on a short break. There followed frantic searching over the following two weeks by all the family
and University friends. This included a poster campaign, her own `Find Poppy` Facebook page, and contacts with the
BASC Kent area representative, dog wardens, dog re-homing and rescue charities, kennels, vets, grooming parlours,
BBC Radio Kent, the Canterbury Times, Kentish Gazette, shops, farms, the Dog Trust, livery stables, Brian Milligan of the
RSPCA, dog walkers, cyclists, hikers, horse riders and shops, with two sightings on Friday 31st near the Greenfields
Shooting Ground on the Herne Bay road, where she reportedly had a collision with a car, injuring a back paw.
John and Jill began to fear the worst. Then at home in Plymouth on Friday 14th November at 8 am came a phone call from
a local farmer saying she had been spotted late the previous night in his field near the Canterbury Road Garden Centre.
They immediately packed their bags and set off for the second time to stay for a further three nights in Canterbury and
continue the search, with the huge support, hospitality and help of Ken and Pauline of Ridgeway Farm. This included
searching at night with strong lamps, and spending two days combing East Blean woods and the adjacent areas both
sides of the main Canterbury/Herne Bay Road.
On Monday 17th John and Jill were packing to leave the hotel and go home without their much-loved dog, when a call
came from Ken saying `We`ve got your dog!”. Last thing the previous afternoon in the gathering dusk while John was
continuing whistling and calling by the woods surrounding the field where Poppy had last been seen, Jill had called at
some houses on the main road which looked out across the field. Dave and his wife, who live in one of the houses, had
seen Poppy in the early hours when she had been trying to get into their house to get at the cat`s food! This was several
days before, but Dave agreed to put out some food and look out for her, and when that morning the food was gone, he
looked around his yard, and found a very nervous Poppy tucked in the back of a storage compartment of one of his
lorries.
The rest is history – Dave rang Ken, Ken called John and Jill, they all met at Dave`s home, and a very wary Poppy was
coaxed out of her hiding place as she gradually realised she was safe with her owners again. They took her to see
granddaughter Ann where she had some meat and a very long drink, before they left for Plymouth. Poppy was very thin
and had a bad scrape on one of her paws – from the reported collision – but was otherwise well, and is now safely back
home in Plymouth. She was checked by a vet, who said she just needed time for her wound to heal completely and a
protein rich diet to help her regain condition, which she has now done.
We have been aware since our reunion with Poppy just how many people have been praying for her safe return. The f inal
call at Dave`s house was a result of an inner prompting which Jill was conscious of, and a direct out-loud plea by John
while Jill was calling at the houses overlooking the field. It really was a miracle – we have since realised that even if
Poppy had heard us calling over the previous weeks, she would not have responded as she was far too traumatised.
John and Jill are very, very thankful to all the people of Kent who have been so helpful throughout, and also the
thousands who have sent messages via Facebook. They say that without the whole-hearted commitment of Ken and
Pauline, who were going to continue co-ordinating the search when they had to return home, plus Dave, and also Brian of
the RSPCA, and the heartfelt prayers of many, the happy ending wouldn`t have come about. After almost three weeks, a
wonderful conclusion!
-Jill Downer
PLYMSTOCK GARDENING SOCIETY
The meeting on Monday, 26th
January 2015, 7.30pm, at Plymstock United Church Hall, Plymstock Road, Oreston, will be:-
A Social Evening with a Gardeners Call My Bluff and a finger buffet.
At the meeting on Monday, 23rd
February 2015, Sarah Hills will give a talk and presentation on Herbal Remedies and advice on which herbs to grow to make homemade remedies. She will also bring along some of her own products to purchase,
Non-members welcome ~ £1. Contact number 01752 407578.
-Margaret Lowles, Vice Chair
HOOE & TURNCHAPEL LADIES GROUP
We meet at the Hooe & Turnchapel Community Centre on the 1st and 3
rd Tuesday of each month at 8.00pm. ALL ladies
welcome.
Our programme for FEBRUARY 2015 is:-
FEBRUARY 3rd
THE WOOL PALETTE – Mrs Greep
FEBRUARY 17th DARTS AT THE OAK
For further information please contact: -Diane McCarthy (Sec) Tel: 311931
THE NEW CARDBOARD CATHEDRAL, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND.
The front cover of this month’s Parish Magazine shows the interior of the new cathedral in Latimer Square, Christchurch, New Zealand, a picture I
took on my recent trip to this most magical and beautiful of countries.
It is called the cardboard cathedral because the roof beams you see are actually made of cardboard, albeit coated with and strengthened by
polycarbon. The rest of the building is made of glass and wood with the base made from shipping containers. It was dedicated and opened in August
2013 and can seat 700 people. The site on which it stands was previously occupied by the St John the Baptist Church before it was totally destroyed
in the February 2011 earthquake.
This building replaces the ‘old’ cathedral which took 40 years to build and was opened in
1904. It was badly damaged in February 2011 in a major earthquake which sadly killed
185 people. Further damage took place in June and December of that year and now the
building is a ruin. Many people would like to see the old cathedral restored to its former
glory, but the latest cost of so doing is $67 million, over £35 million. The building had
been damaged in 5 previous earthquakes and if restored would have to be rebuilt to the
latest so called earthquake proof standards.
New Zealand is one of
the most geologically
active places on the
planet with over 14000 earthquakes recorded every year. It sits at the junction
between the Pacific and Australasian tectonic plates. Most of the quakes are very
small but one of the ladies I spoke to in the new cathedral told me that the area
suffers 3 or 4 after-shocks every day and the locals are quite used to them.
However earthquakes cannot be predicted and so no one knows how big
tomorrow’s ‘quakes will be or how much damage they will do, if any. Geologists
talk about mountains moving up by a few centimetres every hundred years, but in
New Zealand they move at a few centimetres every year! Christchurch is the
largest city in the South Island with nearly 350,000 inhabitants and they are very
proud of their city, known as CHCH, earthquakes notwithstanding.
-David Parnwell
‘LOVE YOUR PAST’
A ROGUE MAYOR AND A NAUGHTY SILVERSMITH
18th century Plymouth was a vibrant and wealthy place and an ideal market for silversmiths.
Plymouth and Exeter had a high concentration of silversmiths and an assay office was established in Exeter in 1700.
John Murch was a well-known Plymouth silversmith. He produced a variety of plate and domestic wares, including a tankard and a beaker that are held in the Museum collections.
Like many silversmiths of this period he held other offices, including the surveyor of Highways for St Andrew's Parish in 1709.
It was during this office that he probably met William Roche and got caught up in his indiscretions. Roche became Mayor of Plymouth in 1710, but was removed from office before completing his term.
The reason for this is found in the Receiver's accounts which state that he 'had unduly sold (to John Murch) two old Corporation maces'.
It wasn't just the maces that Roche took upon himself to sell for personal gain. He also sold many other items of regalia totalling £200 (about £15,000 in today's terms.)
Records in the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office even reveal that the locks on the 'audit chest' of the Borough of Plymouth had to be replaced because he kept hold of the keys and did not pass them on! John Murch, ever the businessman, didn't want to be out of pocket for this transaction and so generously offered to sell the maces back to the city! He did so for £16/11s/6d. Today the maces are safely on display in the Council House.
You can see more items produced by John Murch and other Plymouth silversmiths on display at the City Museum and Art Gallery.
(Alison Cooper, Curator of Decorative Art at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery).
Remains of the old Cathedral
PLYM VALLEY HERITAGE
The meeting on Thursday, 19th
February 2015, 7.30pm in St John‟s Hall, will be: ‘Backtracking round Friary, Laira and the Plym’
with Bernard Mills, Plym Valley Railway.
The PVH Chairman and Committee would like to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy New Year. -Gill Whillock
AS IT WAS……..
Not a lot has changed in this picture post card of Dean Cross taken at the end of the 1930‟s. The signpost is still there.
Lloyds Bank has become a restaurant and the General Store is now an opticians; a narrower Dean Hill in the back-
ground and no traffic lights. The entrance to the Plymstock Club is noticeable. The Fire Station is missing as it was only
built during the Second World War, along with the Police Station which was put up in the 1990‟s. One lone car makes up
the picture unlike the thousands which now pass through this busy junction everyday.
PLYMSTOCK BROADWAY
FOOD & CRAFT MARKET
21st
FEBRUARY 2015 10am – 4pm
DID YOU KNOW . . . ?
Nickname – This comes from the old word „eke‟ which also meant „also‟. If a person had an additional name, it was called an „eke name‟. Over time, this gradually became a „neke name‟ and then eventually a nickname.
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, Hooe
Open every Thursday 10.00am - 2.00pm
Entrance through St John’s Hall
Enquiries regarding Baptisms, Marriages at
St Johns can be made between
10-11am in the church hall.
Local News
The Plymouth Plan The draft plan was approved by Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet in December. Instead of the dry strategies of previous plans it paints an image of what the city could look like in 2031, and sets out a course to move this city closer towards that vision. Proposals in the Plan envisage a city having:
A population of 300,000
22,700 new homes
7,242 new affordable homes
58 hectares of employment land
400 hectares of green space
18,600 new jobs
Virtually no households experiencing fuel poverty
40 hectares of new nature reserves
0 children leaving school not able to read and write
65,000 m2 of new shopping floorspace
50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions
Less than 2 per cent of our waste going to landfill
2hrs 15 minutes – the regular journey time to London
49 new pitches for gypsies and travellers
Everyone has access to a high quality play space within 600m of where they live. Consultation on the plan begins on the 21st January 2015 and ends on the 4th March 2015. A copy of the plan will be on the council’s website, in libraries and community venues.
IT Learning Sessions Citizens Online, through its programme Get IT Together, runs friendly informal sessions for beginners to help with basic keyboard and mouse skills; setting up and using email; searching the internet and using it to find a job. The three-year project is led by Plymouth City Council and has been funded by city partners including BT, Plymouth Community Homes, the Plymouth Health Community and Jobcentre Plus. For support and help getting online call Get IT Together Plymouth on 01752 398995 to find out more about the sessions offered in your area.
Fanshawe Nursing Home Plans Plymstock Properties Developments Ltd in December submitted a planning application (14/02339/FUL) to demolish the vacant Fanshawe Nursing Home in Hooe and to erect a new building having twelve apartments with parking at the rear of the property in a secure court.
Road works at Derriford Patients travelling to Derriford Hospital over the next nine months will need to allow extra time for their journeys due to road works on Derriford Road, the main access road to the hospital. Visitors may also find access difficult when work starts on the new M&S outlet (planning application 14/02100/FUL) and reconfiguration of the road outside the main entrance to the hospital. The time scale for this work is not known.
Broadway Coffee Shop Great End Properties Limited have applied for planning permission (14/02409/FUL) to erect a single storey retail/coffee shop with external seating in the Plymstock Broadway shopping precinct. The kiosk measuring approximately 20m x 9m would be sited in front of and to the north of the 99p store and Martins. The existing notice board, post box and seating will be relocated and the raised ornamental bed removed. The existing pedestrian right of way from Dean Hill to Horns Lane will run between the kiosk and the shops on the south side of the shopping precinct.
Council Fees Increased Delegated decisions made by Plymouth City Council recently will see a charge of £47.50 imposed for the treatment of rats in domestic properties. Although there is no legal duty on the Council to provide a rodent control service, householders and land owners do have a statutory duty to keep their property free from rats and mice. The Council has a legal duty to collect stray dogs and impose a fee on owners for this service. The charge of £75 is now made for the collection of stray dogs for the first day with existing kennelling charges of £115, £132.50, £145.50, £159.50, £173 and £186 for subsequent days. Dogs that remain unclaimed at the end of seven days will be re-homed. Charges for other services provided by the Council include removal of large bulky waste items. £20 for up to three large items and £40 for up to six large items. To book a collection call 01752 304750. Garden waste collection charges of £30-£35 per a year could be levied in the future.
Library Films in February
Films to be shown in the Plymstock Library in February 2015:
The film, ‘Pompeii’ on Monday 16th February at 2.00pm carries a Certificate 12 and runs for 104 minutes.
Classic Films to be shown this Month:
‘Young Victoria’ Tuesday 10th February at 2.00pm. The Certificate PG film runs for 105 minutes.
‘Saving Mr Banks’ Tuesday 24th February at 2.00pm. The Certificate PG film runs for 127 minutes.
Seawings, Mount Batten Planning application 14/02381/FUL seeks to amend the planning permission (12/01339/FUL), granted for the re-development site by erection of new 4 storey building containing commercial unit on ground floor and 7 apartments on upper floors with associated car parking, refuse and cycle storage (demolition of existing building). Planning permission was granted on the 24th January 2013 on condition development started within two years of the date of the decision notice being issued.
Winter Road Gritting Plymouth roads in winter are salted in the following order of priority:
All 'A' roads
Distributor roads
Roads serving industrial areas and shopping centres
Bus routes
Roads that provide a single entrance/exit to an area
Hilly roads if icy Details on Plymouth City Council website.