September Newsletter St Peter

St Peter Offham and Hamsey

Newsletter September 2021

The year seems to have passed so quickly partly maybe, because we keep
anticipating normal life and reaching forward for the next opportunity to do
something that has not been possible for some time. A visit to the theatre or a
concert. Someone yesterday told me they had been to London to hear an
evening of selections from operas. The whole experience, the journey there
and back, the bustle of the city and the venue was described in rich images, the
size of the building, the creativity of the scenery, the power and extraordinary
ability of the singers. It was all colour and vibrancy and delight. Absence not
only makes the heart grow fonder but excites us to appreciate much that
previously we may have taken for granted.

A simpler, but no less happy occasion, was the Beechwood Picnic Day last
weekend. St Peter’s church were ‘on teas and cakes’. I have to say – looking
at the tables, laden and groaning under the weight of cakes of all descriptions, I
questioned that we would have enough people to consume such an array. I
need not have worried as all, but a few ends and crumbs, found their way into
tums.

A happy afternoon – at times it seemed as many dogs as people, and families
sitting and enjoying ‘time out’ and an opportunity to meet others. It all felt
quintessentially English as did a wedding the previous day in a small country

church, decorated with simple displays of wildflowers in jam jars and milk
bottles. Midway through the service a friend sung ‘Linden Lee’. Sitting,
listening, looking around at the flowers, the church, the couple, their friends and
family I wanted to ‘capture’ and hold this memory as best I may. In this simple
and loving contribution to the day, the singer seemed to bring together this
moment of happiness, gratitude, and joy.

So many simple things can make us grateful. But I suspect I am not alone in
finding that I am far more likely to be affected by the negative than the positive.
Psychologists tell us that our negative and critical thoughts are like Velcro, they
stick and hold; whereas our positive and joyful thoughts are like Teflon, they
slide away. We have to deliberately choose to hold onto positive thoughts so
that they can “imprint.”

Neuroscience demonstrates that the brain has a negative bias; the brain prefers
to constellate around fearful, negative, or problematic situations. When a
loving, positive, or unproblematic thing comes your way, you have to savour it
consciously for at least fifteen seconds before it can store itself in your “implicit
memory;” otherwise it doesn’t stick.

Thanksgiving is a theme that runs through so much of scripture. It is a wise
attitude for it releases us from much stress and worry. St Ignatius of Loyola
suggested to his followers that each day they spend time looking back over the
events. He called it the Examen, a technique of prayerful reflection on the
events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for
us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s
hand at work in our whole experience.

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.

4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/

Our Sunday service at St Peter Offham is at 9.30 followed by coffee in the hall.
You are most welcome to join us.

Hamsey church update

On the 5th September we held our last Sunday services for this year. Evensong
has been especially well attended and we have enjoyed some delightful late
evening sunshine with the beautiful views, during the last five months.
Hopefully we can reintroduce the Christmas service if restrictions allow.

Work has begun on the outside of the church removing the old unsuitable
render. This has exposed the flints which may have been how it looked for many
years when first built. These will be recovered with the correct render which
holds them in place and allows the walls to ‘breathe’. We then can think about
some internal redecoration. The flints that form the porch are ‘dressed’ and
rather than cover them we are presently exploring the possibility of pointing
them instead and there is a small test patch for inspection.

The re-management of the churchyard

Towards the end of last year, the PCC, working with a local botanist Helen
Procter, decided to follow the example of many churches to allow their
churchyard to run to meadow providing a rich environment for wildlife and
encouraging native chalk land flowers.

If you visit now, you will see that
the meadow has run its natural
course and the plants are ‘going
over’ and setting seed. This is
always an untidy stage - but it
passes. At Plumpton All Saints, the
whole front of the church looks
ready for its cut but two months
previously it was a mass of orchids
- this is nature's pattern. If we want
orchids next year, we must let them
seed. Bees and butterflies continue to feed on the late flowers and the seeds
are food to the birds and the long growth a haven for the many slow worms we
have seen. It is a picture of life.

Those who have been up to measure the wildflowers and wildlife at Hamsey
have been extremely positive about the biodiversity discovered. Helen Procter
and her colleague have recorded 110 species from 2016 to July this year. The
two plants of Pyramidal Orchid flowered for the first time this year. Also, Burnet

Saxifrage is a plant of unimproved grassland which flowers really well in the
churchyard in mid-summer. Eleven species of butterfly is amazing for such a
small site! ‘Mildred’ our Lizard Orchid, one of only six found in East Sussex and
recorded. Early in the year the display of buttercups was delightful and as the
year has progressed the other flowers have been allowed to have their
turn. The architecture of the different grasses has been a revelation.

Naturalist Simon Linington writes:

I visited Old Hamsey Church on 29th July and spent perhaps two hours
looking at the wildlife in both the west and east graveyards. Despite
the sometimes cloudy and breezy conditions, a total of 11 butterfly
species were seen with particularly impressive numbers of
Gatekeepers (about 50) and Meadow Browns (about 30), many of
which were enjoying some Marjoram plants in the east graveyard. Of
special note was an aberrant but rather attractive form of the Small
Copper. Visits both earlier and later in the season, and on warmer
days, would no doubt yield several more species.

Due to the location near the Ouse, dragonflies were represented by
five Ruddy Darters and one Common Darter. Undoubtedly, further
visits would turn up other species and also damselflies. There were
very good numbers of bumblebees, at least two different
hoverfly species and various other insects. The large number of wild
flowers and unmown vegetation will have been important in attracting
this diversity of insects.

A few birds were noted during the visit including Goldfinches and it
was nice to hear a Stock Dove in the surrounding trees. There were
Swifts overhead but I was not present long enough to confirm whether
they were nesting in the church tower. Having enjoyed my visit, I hope
to make further walks across from Barcombe to see what other species
are using this beautiful churchyard.

If you are interested, you can visit 'Caring for God's Acre' which will help you
understand our actions. You will see that churchyards are particularly important
because they are some of the very few areas of land which have not been
affected by over management or chemicals. They are thus a resource of the
native flora and fauna. https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/

Hamsey churchyard has been very carefully managed throughout the
year. Several tons of spoil and waste have been removed from the far
corner. This was a dump of wire, ribbons, Oasis, and spoil from the graves - the
mess we humans make and leave behind! Its removal was an expensive, time-
consuming job completed with the help of many volunteers and local
landowners. This waste was impinging on nearby graves and was very unsightly.
A recent ash tree branch which has fallen is due to become a bug 'hotel' later in
the year.

We receive a grant from the Parish Council and the occasional generous
donation. Without this we would not be able to employ professional mowers
who work with us. However, this only covers less than two cuts from the
professional mowing company.

Hamsey Parish Council,
who are actively re-wilding
areas around the Parish,
have been very keen to
help because of the
churchyard’s contribution
to their project.

This is also an opportunity
for the school as it provides
a large space for children to
discover their local history
and the abundance of
wildlife.

Churchyard management is a divisive subject; some people do not like it
preferring a neatly kept area. However, such areas are a 'food wilderness' for
invertebrates, insects - and on up the food chain to the birds and bats which
inhabit this churchyard. With so much emphasis now on protecting and helping
the environment, and the problems caused by global warming, churches are
exploring many different avenues to become carbon neutral and take care of
the land entrusted to them. You will no doubt, have also seen how the local
councils are not cutting back verges as they once did. We have to readjust our
idea of beauty.

All the churches in the Parish of Plumpton have allowed their churchyards to run
to meadow this year as in previous years along with most other churchyards
around the county. These communities are all used to the pattern: an early cut,
allow the growth, cut back in September/October. They understand how this is
beneficial and enjoy the variety of flora and fauna it produces. This is the first
year Hamsey has adopted a new wildlife-friendly scheme so it may have come
as a bit of a bit of a shock to some. This project was, however, widely publicised
earlier in the year.

This was our first year. We did not know what it may be like, so it was a
discovery and a learning process for us. Significantly the weather pattern this
year - all part of our changing environment - gave a wet spring encouraging
much growth and we did not have a dry summer, so everything certainly did
grow!

Also significant is that the contract we had with our mowing company ran into
difficulties at their end. The plan was to keep the cremation area strimmed and
the recent graves, and to provide a double width walkway around the site. This
did not happen and was disappointing and difficult for us and has been
addressed by six hours work over the last few days by two volunteers. The
cremation area is now cut, access to two of the war graves and several others
cleared, and the pathways widened.

In a month all of this will be professionally cut and laid so that the seeds drop,
and then a few days later this huge amount of 'arisings' will be gathered and
removed by teams of volunteers as it must not lay to form a thatch or enrich the
ground. Thus, the churchyard will have seven months to reseed and grow fresh
grass ready for its first light strim at the end of March.

We have learned a lot from this first year. Next year, whilst the old churchyard
will run to meadow with wide pathways, the new churchyard will have two
'islands of meadow' rather than a solid area. The pathways widened and the
areas around the seats enlarged. We will also ensure access to the War
Graves. The cremation area will be kept strimmed as will the right-hand side
where there are newer graves.

In the next few months, we hope to raise enough money to replace the post and
rail around the church which is in disrepair. Next year we hope to have a ‘nature
walk’ with a few information boards around the churchyard to point out specific

items of interest. Thus, you will see we are actively improving the area for
generations to come.

What do you consider to be ‘beautiful countryside’?

According to Natural England, thorny scrubs and floodplains
should be seen as more beautiful than manicured fields.

Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, which is the
Government’s adviser for the natural environment, has said
a ‘cultural revolution’ is necessary to help people appreciate
the beauty of a messy countryside.

He strongly supports the increasing popularity of ‘rewilding’
projects which have become a popular way for land
managers to give nature a chance. He believes that
rewilding can help to heal degraded landscapes and provide
better habitat for wildlife.

The ‘orderliness’ of much of our British countryside, with
neat stone walls, sheep-grazed fields and villages has often
created “ecological deserts” for wildlife, who starve. “To
ensure our future security, it will be necessary for us to let
nature take back some control.”

A post-Brexit plan to reward farmers and other land
managers for improving water quality and helping plants and
wildlife is expected to replace the EU’s Common Agriculture
Policy.

Art Wave welcome back

In September we will welcome back Keith Pettit who came last year with his
extraordinary and very creative sculptures.