Swainswick Newsletter October

The Mag

Swainswick and Woolley Parish
bi-monthly magazine

October November 2018

August Pub Swainswick

page 14 page 8

page 6

every page

page 5
page 8 again
page 7

16

contents www.swainswickchurch.org.uk services October
Sunday 7 10.30 am Communion
2 Bits and Pieces Contributors 3.15 pm Woolley Harvest
Sunday 14
3 The vicar’s stall Fifi Charrington Sunday 21 Thanksgiving
4 Happenings Margaret Foster Sunday 28 10.30 am Morning Praise
Louise Jeffries 10.30 am Communion
5 On the run Wilma Parkinson Sunday 4 10.30 am Morning Praise
Mike Williams Sunday 11 3.30 pm Thanksgiving and remembrance service
6 Lending & Smoking Dave Parr
7 The Style Guru Susanna Watson Sunday 18 November
Arthur Leigh-Wood Sunday 25 10.30 am Communion (All Saints Day)
8 A day in the life of... 3.15 pm Woolley Dedication communion
Sunday 2 10.30 am Remembrance
10 Vision 3.15 pm Remembrance in Woolley
11 Lollipopes
church garden
12 Arthur’s Bakery
10.30 am Communion
13 VIP notices
14 Woolley and Apples 10.30 am Christ the King
Morning Praise
15 services and contacts
December
The Mag makes me 4pm Advent carol service
smile

Thank you very much parish priest Rev Dave Parr 858139 [email protected]
St Mary’s House Upper Swainswick Bath BA1 8BX
Ian for being the mastermind behind
a wonderfully enjoyable beerfest. church- Edward Leigh-Wood 858251 [email protected]
And thank you Helen, Dave wardens
and Claire for your The Mag Susanna Watson 310316 [email protected]
hospitality.
Wilma Parkinson 310316 [email protected]
see also page 13
prayer of the month
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ’thank you’, that
would suffice. Meister Eckhart (1260 –  1328) Lord, help us to create peace among nations,
peace in our homes and peace in our hearts.
2
15

Woolley Margaret says: Dear Friends,
Notes
Blackberries and hips and haws everywhere. I hope that you have had a chance in recent weeks to
Swainswick Autumn is here and time for harvest festivals. blow the cobwebs away, recharge the batteries, get
apple Do come to our service on October 7th at 3:15pm. away somewhere or simply enjoy our glorious summer. It's a
Please bring gifts and help decorate the church. wonderful time of year for many people to down tools and stop
morning for a bit, and to let the cares of life take care of themselves.
All Saints was full for our annual Churches Together
service. Our friends love coming to Woolley each year. Perhaps you have immersed yourself in reading a book, been
cycling, enjoyed the screams of delight from children splashing in
Our Kingswood Concert the sea or have caught up with family and friends.
will be on Wednesday What is it like for you returning to everyday life? Are
October 10th at 7:30pm. you hopeful and glad to be back or worried and
Do come to this special anxious? My daughter begins school this term, she's
evening, when we excited but also nervous.
welcome the young
musical students who Just as the autumn brings with it a new academic year and a
sing and play for us. change of colour, noise and shape in nature, so this time of year
can bring about a change of mood in the way we feel about life,
We will be having a gathering in the Church Garden on the universe and everything! Whatever you and those you love
the afternoon of November 11th at 3:15pm when we may be going through at this time, remember these wise words of
remember that it is 100 years since the end of the First Jesus: Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or
World War. what you will wear. Life's more important than food and clothes.

We are thankful that the men and women from Woolley The birds of the air don't store things away, yet your heavenly
returned safely from both world wars but also remember Father feeds them. You're so much more valuable than birds!
those in the country that died or were badly injured. Instead seek a right relationship with God and his
kingdom, and all these other things will be given to
Now here is a nice thing to come to: Edward is you anyway!
organising an apple morning on Saturday 6 Octo-
ber between 10 and 12.30pm in the Swainswick churchyard/ Much love to you all, Rev Dave Parr
church.
On Sunday 28 October at 3.30 pm there will be a chance to
Bring apples and clean glass or plastic bottles and co-operatively remember those who have died and to give thanks for their lives.
we will turn the apples into juice. It’s a team effort of chopping, It’s a gentle, informal time.
crushing and pressing. A good family activity, as If you want someone remembered by name in the service please send
well as ideas for drying apples, and cooking. their name to Rev Dave. It doesn’t matter how long ago they died.
There might be some apple games too! Come and hear their name or just light a remembrance candle in the
safe setting of our village church.
Coffee and tea provided and bring something to
share, like doughnuts or apple pie. And we might 3
well be entertained by Sing Swainswick at the

14

Pub Swainswick The Mag’s next issue is for December/January & Christmas

first Friday of the month email your stories, drawings, pictures, advice and
from 6.30 to 8.30 pm what makes you smile or worry to

5 October 2 November 7 December [email protected]

well before the deadline of 10 November

NEW Cafe Swainswick BEERFEST Dark clouds hovering in the Swainswick sky but

Friday morning 9—11 the only downpour came from the beer barrels. Around 200
people plus lots of children (who are also people) came to enjoy
5 & 19 October 9 & 23 Novem-
ber the unique beers and non-beers in the vicarage
garden.

I don’t think there was any bean stew or sausage
left, let alone any beer. And with the excellent
bands came the dancing- no
Rachel & wonder it didn’t finish until 10 pm.
Virginia
Sing Swainswick
Thank you to everyone for helping
 with the setting up (marquees), decorating (Dom
and Michael!), cooking, tickets, serving and
for dates and practices clearing (see also page 2).

and there’s more... contact And thank you to all the people who created
such a relaxed and enjoyable fest.
[email protected]

Cleansweep Sing Swainswick Sunday 28 October at 3.30pm:

professional chimney sweeping quiet/meditative music.
proprietor: Steve Treby
4 Somerset Crescent Sunday 16 December 4.00pm: Community Carols
Melksham SN12 7LX for practice dates contact Susanna

01225 793145 or 07552169338 very advance notice:

Sunday 16 December at 10.30 am in Woolley: Christingle and Carols
In Swainswick at 4pm Community Christmas Carols

Swainswick Parish Council website: swainswickparishcouncil.org Christmas eve at 3pm Christingle

4 13

ingredients Arthur’s BAkery on the run

450g cooking apples october brings I love to run - running has been a part of my life
apples, lots of for nearly 40 years. Sometimes it has had to take
225g butter apples. a back seat because of other priorities, sometimes
it is the priority. So you can see running is a
280g sugar (pref. The reason I pretty flexible friend.
caster) decided to make this cake was to
de-apple the fruit bowl. If you are in I can remember my first run - it was really bad. It lasted
4 eggs the same position as I was, this cake is precisely 10 minutes, when gasping through the door to my flat,
a good solution to your problem. my face made rapid contact with the carpeted floor. I felt
2 tsp vanilla extract dreadful. I was about 20, I smoked, and apart from recreational
350g self raising flour swimming and a bit of netball at school, I had no experience of
running. But I really wanted to do it.
demerara sugar to
I loved to walk in the countryside daydreaming, and decided
sprinkle that if I ran, I would be able to go further distances. My fitness
improved, the smoking stopped, and I experienced the
The most important thing about this recipe is to not cook it too enormous beauty of the Woolley and Swainswick valley for the
hot, otherwise the sugar coated top will burn; you just want to first time. These days the valley remains my favourite route
caramelise the sprinkled sugar. when I just want to go out for a run around.

Audacious Apple Cake. Every season leaves its calling card along the lanes; sometimes
you really feel part of the goings on around as you run along
(Not really) with groups of small birds dashing in and out of the hedgerows.

1. Pre-heat your oven to 150/160 C. Every run is rewarded; a low mist in the early morning,
gamboling lambs, maybe a deer or a pheasant, American
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter, eggs, flour, vanilla extract and tourists, chicken escapees, a nice chat with your neighbour,
the sugar. Whiz up. blackberries to feast on...

3. Pour half of this mixture into your cake tin, most sizes will do. In addition there is the ever changing light and the shadows cast
Peel, core and chop half of your apples into thin slices and create on the landscape. There is much more but time has run out...
a layer of apple over your cake mix in the tin. Try to get a full
coverage so you can't see the mix underneath the apple layer. Louise Jeffries
Sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Louise is too modest to tell
4. Pour the other half of the mixture over the apple layer. Slice you that she has represented
the rest of your apples in a similar fashion and place on top. Britain in the 800 m last
Sprinkle with demerara sugar. month at the World Masters
Athletics in Malaga.
5. It will take quite long to cook, so leave for 20 mins then check
every 5/10 mins. 5

6. Enjoyed the most served piping hot, with cream.

12

Now here is a gift that keeps As Donald Trump said, ‘I think I am, actually
on giving: You lend the money; humble. I think I’m much more humble than you would
it’s paid back and you lend it understand’.
again. This is how the charity Lend with Care works, on the small
is beautiful principle of micro financing. enough of being stuck indoors?
want to be helpful?
You choose which entrepreneurs you want to support and with
how much (from £15 upwards) from the detailed profiles. The have a couple of hours spare?
majority are women or small village co-operatives. You can pick a We can offer peaceful surroundings (it’s a churchyard), congenial
country; they’re all in the developing world. company (alive and well), tools (but do bring your own too) and the
simple pleasure of clearing the Swainswick churchyard of moss,
The entrepreneur gradually pays back their loan to the Micro weeds, brambles and other invasive species.
Finance bank which transfers these repayments to your lendwith-
care ‘account’. The beauty is that with a relatively small amount Join our churchyard working party on
you keep helping so many people and feel involved as well. Saturday 13 October between 9 and 12ish.
Just turn up on the day or ring Edward on 858251
For example, my small donation 6 years ago, has provided 99
loans, helped 326 entrepreneurs and 1081 family members and Pope Francis' recent visit to Ireland has given rise to the
created 68 jobs. inevitable and improbable merchandise. Reusable canvas
So have a look at Pope bags and "lollipopes" as well as the more practical
lendwithcare.org folding cardboard Pope seats have been flying off the
shelves.
Wilma One retailer reported that although they also sold rosary
beads and candles, new products like recyclable chairs
Army chaplain the Rev Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy and bags are very much in keeping with what Pope
returned from World War I penniless after spending all Francis is about. An interesting summing up of what
his wages on cigarettes for injured troops. the pope stands for.

‘Woodbine Willie’ won a Military Cross for bravery, The chair apparently is very lightweight and has a
having regularly ventured unarmed into No handle, so it's completely portable and biodegradable.
Man’s Land to give dying troops one final ‘gasper’ — Wonder what 8 hours in Dublin rain did to these
hence his nick name. temporary seating arrangements.
your irreligious correspondent with thanks to the BBC
It is estimated that he spent today’s equivalent of
£43,000 on 865,000 Woodbines — considered ‘gold 11
dust’. (with thanks to biographer Dr Linda Parker)

6

Vision the

At a recent service, we were invited to recall any event style
that had brought us closer to God. I did not respond at the time
because I was unprepared and my one out-of-this-world guru
experience was so very personal. I have had time recently to
review my life and now wish to share my vision. One Mag shouldn’t make fun of another but I do frequently
marvel at the peculiar interiors displayed in advertorials and
It was at the funeral of my life partner, Maureen. I arrived early property ads in, say, the Bath Magazine. The cushions (and there
at St Mary's to find that the handsome, eco-friendly and are many) are all beautifully arranged, with tastefully matching
decomposable wickerwork coffin was already in place. Alone at muted colours. The kitchen always has fresh flowers and there is
that point. I went up to be with her for a short while . Amazed, nothing to wash up.
I saw her face, as clear as daylight, so free of pain and as
beautiful as the day I met her 56 years before. A truly But it’s the books on the coffee table that get me every time:
wonderful moment. I did not remember there being a glass plate arranged in perfect straight lines according to colour or size,
in the casket. clearly never opened let alone read. Sometimes you can catch
the titles which never include the Guinness Book of Records or
There were things to do; chairs and music to put out for the Grammar For Dummies. They are there to Show Off Your
large choir of past and present singers, service sheets to place Excellent Taste.
and families and friends to greet. In a brief lull, I went back to
the casket to have a last, self-indulgent look at my soul-mate. A good way of avoiding that makeover trap is not to have a coffee
table or discreet cushions. Now who does that advice remind you
Nothing, no glass plate, no lovely face. of?

Was the vision that I saw previously just the delusion of a Wilma
disturbed brain or was it a blessing from our caring Lord God to
bring comfort to a grieving soul? I like to think the latter and Popular Coffee Table Books
thank him profoundly.
The Art Book
Mike Williams The Secret Gardeners
Unseen London
some of Steve’s (previous page) books Britain’s 100 best Railway Stations
Vogue: The Covers
available from Amazon Kindle:
And you might remember having but not reading:
An incredible journey
A Badger's Tale: A fight for survival The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
A Brief History of Time
It's a Pup's life!: Diary of a naughty dog

10 7

A day in the life of ...… His love of birds led Steve to write the first
of his four books for children, entitled The
This is a series that reflects the wide Tale of Little Boo. It was inspired by a family
range of lives and loves of the parishioners of blue tits, nesting in Steve’s garden, whose
of Swainswick and Woolley. mother was killed by a cat; far from giving up the
father worked twice as hard bringing food to the
A day in the life of…… chicks, and successfully reared all four of them.
a postman
He wrote three more children’s books,
Every day Steve has a 36 mile delivery round this valley, starting about a red squirrel, a badger and It’s a Pup’s Life which
at Hamswell and finishing in Charlcombe; it takes roughly five is a dog autobiography, all published on Kindle, with
hours during which he gets out of his van 170 times. There is lovely colour illustrations by Steve.
always a smile on his face, and no request is too much for him.
He had always wanted a rural delivery and would rather do this He has moved onto novels, his first entitled A Restless Soul,
than tramp the pavements as he did when he joined Royal Mail in about a boy with a disabling eye condition who, through his
1990. special glasses, encounters the ghosts of his grandparents.
Steve is fascinated by spirits, ghosts and time travel and his
Steve is Somerset born and bred, brought up in a happy family. second book A Passage of Time is what he calls a ‘time travel
The greatest influence on his life was his grandfather who gave wife swap’.
Steve his love of nature. His childhood was full of birds, with an
aviary in the garden and many more birds in the house; one Although he no longer keeps birds Steve
cockatiel lived with them for 19 years. watches the birds in his garden and has a
camera in one of his nest boxes – hence
After leaving school, having never sat an exam, although he his first children’s book. And in place of
gained English GCSE aged 58, Steve worked as a builder. He the 19 year old cockatiel he has a springer
then went to live in Radstock, as a milkman, with a wife and spaniel called Lily, who runs the family.
child. In his late 20s he was back in Bath with his second wife
Steve’s other passions include Formula 1 motor racing; he went
and a little girl. to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this year with his wife
who, luckily, is also an enthusiast. Asked if, while at the wheel of
He joined the Royal Naval Reserve, training in his little red van, he sometimes imagines he is Lewis Hamilton,
communications, but never went to sea, so he declined to answer.
became a Special Constable, based in Keynsham.
He enjoyed the work and passed all PS But he would like everyone to know that it wasn’t him who turned
the tests necessary to become a over his van in Langridge Lane a few months ago.
regular policeman but decided
not to join. as told to Fifi Charrington

8 9