HURST GREEN NEWS

August 2013

www.stjohnshurstgreen.org.uk Published on 3 August

The importance of beauty in our lives

Summer and the holiday season are now upon us, the height of the year, a time to relax and recharge until the cycle begins again in September. According to recent news articles, it seems that those who have an optimistic outlook on life live longer happier lives. One way of achieving this is to find the beauty in our lives and this might be the right time to find the space to do this.

In medieval times beauty was understood as related to perfection, pure clarity of form. Beauty is instantly recognisable and is not to be confused with glamour. Beauty quickens the heart with a hidden desire for unity and belonging. It catches us unawares and comes as a gift which is fleeting, which we can cannot hold or possess, we cannot anticipate or predict. Beauty is playful, a rare delight.

When we experience beauty in our lives, for that moment we are transformed and so is our perception of the world. When we experience beauty, there is a sense of homecoming; it calls the soul into an experience of lovely tranquillity which

strengthens us. When we notice the silence of the fields or the rhythm of the waves, we are transported and healed, our own serenity is

restored and we become alive to new possibilities.

Beauty can be found in music which, although we cannot see or touch it, enfolds and transports us into a place of pure feeling.

Beauty can be found in colour, the blueness of the sea or sky, the red of the sunset or a rose or of spilt blood or molten metal; the joyful

yellow of a daffodil or of shining gold; green, the colour of growth, of youth and energy, the emerald of spring leaves; the secret darkness of black earth, of dark tree trunks; the whiteness of the foaming waves.

Beauty can be found in movement, the flow of a river, the rhythm of the sea that calms us, the grace of a cat stretching, the wind in the trees.

Beauty is seen in the familiar smile of one we love, in the architecture of a lovely building, in the shell of a snail, in silence and stillness, the shape of a hill. Beauty finds us all in different ways but when it does, we know it. And in knowing beauty, we know something of God.

God is love, God is truth, God is beauty. Praise him. Revd Wendy Harvey, Curate, St John’s Church

The next issue of Hurst Green News will be published on 7 September 2013. Please send material for that issue, including items for the diary, no later than FRIDAY, 23 AUGUST 2013 to The Compiler, 3 Parklands, Oxted, RH8 9DP; e-mail: hgncompiler@gmail.com. The Compiler reserves the right to edit copy. The Hurst Green News is published by St John’s Parochial Church Council (Registered Charity 1133107) as a church and community newsletter.

It is financed by advertisements and St John’s Parochial Church Council.

Mighty Oaks Youth Club

The Mighty Oaks keep growing! We are very proud to announce that our own Tara Thomas, lead youth club volunteer, has been given the opportunity to become a qualified and trained youth club support worker.

This training will be worth its weight in gold but we still need help from more people; we need both to raise funds and more volunteers to help at the club. Just two or three more adults a week would mean that we could have a further 20 children through the doors each Friday night. We have contacted Kim Beadle at the Volunteer Centre so if you could spare just two hours a month on a Friday night, contact either her or ourselves, or just pop in for a chat.

We are open every Friday evening from 7.30 to 9.30pm throughout the year, as we hope to continue through the summer holidays, our most crucial time for some of the youngsters.

In the mean time we would like to say thank you to all our current volunteers and supporters, and we look forward to meeting you all at our second birthday party on 10 January 2014 for which there are preparations and plans for a pantomime!

Carmen Lambert Singer, Chairman

CHILDREN'S CHURCH at St John's - next meeting Monday, 23 September, 3.30 pm PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO MEETING IN AUGUST THIS YEAR

Children's Church meeting date appears in Hurst Green News each month, but perhaps you wonder what it is all about. It has been meeting in The York Rooms at St John's on the 4th Monday of the month since September

2010 and is for children who have started school, as well as toddlers. It evolved from the Parents and Toddlers Group, which began in October 2007 and was at the suggestion of the group, as some children had started school, but the parents were keen that their children were still able to participate in a church activity outside of a Sunday. A monthly meeting on the 4th Monday from 3.30pm until 4.30pm or 5pm at the latest seems to suit everyone.

We are looking ahead now to the autumn and this is an invitation to anyone interested to join us. We meet in The York Rooms at St John's at 3.30pm or as soon as you can get there if you are picking up children from school. There is time to play, we have plenty of toys, then at about 4pm we go into church and the children sit on the chancel floor and the parents sit round and we have our storytime, usually with some visual aids, some action songs, which the children enjoy, and a prayer or two. The children then return to The York Rooms for an activity related to the story and playtime for any children too young for the activity. Recently we have started providing some fresh fruit for the children and tea for the parents and this is popular with both children and adults alike. Children's Church is a happy time for everyone. We get to know the children and they get to know us and each other and the parents enjoy meeting up too.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME - Anyone looking after your children is welcome to bring them. For more information please ring Monica Fenton, Co-ordinator 715769

Village Praise on the Green Sunday 8 September at 3.30pm

The theme this year is: Wherever You Are

All are welcome to the service which will be all-age and interactive.

Cross Purpose are once again providing the live worship.

HURST GREEN CHURCHES WELCOME YOU ST JOHN’S, CHURCH WAY 8am Holy Communion 10am Parish Eucharist Crèche and Children’s groups - all ages 12 noon Holy Communion, David Gresham House Other services: details in church porch Wednesday 12 noon Weekday Eucharist Assistant Priest: Mary Seller - 715675, 11 Home Park Assistant Curate: Wendy Harvey - 01959 562340 Churchwardens: Frank Hutchings - 713293 Barbara Richards - 715636 Southwark Monica Fenton - 715769 Pastoral Auxiliaries: Pearl Hobson - 712366

OXTED UNITED REFORMED CHURCH The Church of the Peace of God 21 Bluehouse Lane, Oxted - 730406 10am Sunday Service includes story-time for children, Junior Church, and communion monthly Minister: David Skitt - 01342 837449

METHODIST CHURCH, HURSTLANDS 10.30am Morning Worship and Junior Church 6.30pm Evening Service Minister: Karen Bell - 371346 (day off - Friday) EVANGELICAL CHURCH ON HURST GREEN 10.45am Family Worship Pastors: Steven & Margaret Cox - 717510 ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH OF OXTED & WARLINGHAM All Saints’ Church, Chichele Road, Oxted - 627762 St Ambrose Church, Warren Park, Warlingham - 622142 5.30pm Saturday First Mass of Sunday, All Saints’ Oxted 9am Sunday St Ambrose, Warlingham 11am Sunday All Saints’ Oxted Parish Priest: Fr John Olliver - 713776 ST SILVAN’S, STAFFHURST WOOD 8am Eucharist 6.30pm Evensong (2nd and 4th Sundays)

St Agatha’s Hall Booking Secretary: M Walker, 714492

Please telephone any of these numbers for details of weekday worship and activities, to discuss baptism, marriage, or the arranging of a funeral, or if you want help in times of joy or sorrow.

The War Memorial, Hurst Green: Following a recent article in the Hurst Green News about the War Memorial, we are pleased to have received some offers from local residents to join the list of people who keep the Memorial supplied with flowers on a weekly basis. One person has a relative named on the War Memorial and believes that its construction was at the instigation of the brother of Mrs Barney, who lived for many years in one of the nearby houses in Woodhurst Lane, and that he possibly provided some, if not all, of the funding. As Mrs Barney was a regular member of the Women’s Institute held in St Agatha’s Hall, where the flower list was first drawn up, this suggests that this is probably correct. We would like to hear from anyone with further information and it is still not too late to ask for your name to be added to the flower list for next year. Please contact Madge Westerman on 715926. June Reed

The Centenary Banner

The final design of the banner was granted a ‘Faculty’ (Diocesan permission) in February. It took a while to source all the materials, particularly the seven shades of blue felt, from light to dark, but with the help of eBay and some out-of-the-way fabric shops, all were purchased, including gold textured backing, heavy lining, silver lamé fabric, burgundy satin and two colours of satin ribbon.

The design was printed on A4 sheets which were stuck together to produce a pattern of the correct size. The various components were traced, pinned and cut out from the different fabrics. I am indebted to Sue Farrell and Susie Burnard who willingly gave up their Saturday mornings to assist with this time-consuming task.

The cut-outs were then pinned to the gold backing and hand-stitched in place. The heavy lining was sewn in and pockets for hanging poles created. A test ‘hang’ at home would have been ideal, but at two metres long and one metre wide, I had nowhere large enough to try it out! The banner now hangs on the north wall of church, between the two high windows nearest St John’s Room and was dedicated by the Bishop on 14 July.

The design features silhouettes of people in the fashions of the passing decades on a timeline from 1913 to 2013. I felt rather old when I realised I had been a member of this church for over a quarter of the century depicted! Our Centenary is about the people who make up the church not just the building, so the final characters are looking back at the previous decades, as well as embracing the current year and welcoming the future. I hope those who see it will feel drawn to join the final characters and do the same. Sue Fox

The Centenary Celebration Service

Sunday 14 July 2013 was the day for the big celebration, a hundred years since St John’s was consecrated to serve the people of Hurst Green.

The centre piece of the great day was a splendid Eucharist (communion service) with the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun presiding, just as his

predecessor did a hundred years ago. The church was filled, not only with the usual congregation, but also with distinguished visitors and former parishioners, priests and lay readers. Mrs Sarah Goad, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and Mr Tim Goad attended, as did Mrs Beverley Connolly, Chairman of Tandridge District Council, and Mrs Karen Weightman, chairman of the Parish Council and Revd David Weightman. The churchwardens performed their traditional duty of escorting the Bishop with their staffs of office, although today’s churchwardens might not do too well as feisty fighters of rogues and ruffians.

In his sermon the bishop drew our attention to the two previous ministers present. Rt Revd John Bickersteth (1954-1962) had set up the new ‘conventional district’ which was the forerunner of the

parish proper, and Revd David Butlin (vicar 1992-2012). John Bickersteth later became Bishop of Bath and Wells. Mrs. Goad’s grandfather had given the land on which the church was built and her father the winkle marble in the porch. Bishop Christopher urged us to rediscover the forward thinking of the church builders and explained his ideas about ways to achieve these goals. He also dedicated the excellent new Centenary Banner hanging on the north wall (see separate article below).

Great occasions need colour and spectacle, in the church as elsewhere. The glorious summer flowers and the yellow and gold on the bishop’s traditional robes brought sparkle to the occasion. The choir and organist led the congregation to fill the church with singing, as well as making their own wonderful special contribution with organ music and anthems.

After the service a reception was held in the York Rooms and in a marquee on the patio, with a splendid buffet lunch and a centenary cake, cut by the Bishop.

A hundred years ago the Surrey Mirror reported the consecration service in detail, telling us about the architecture and the weather (also a glorious summer day) as well as the service and the Bishop’s sermon. Our centenary service may not be as widely reported but it was a great day for Hurst Green. Kath McCarthy

PARISH REGISTERS

Holy Baptism We welcome into the family of God’s Church: 28 July Haydon O’Neil

Funerals Our sympathy goes to all their relatives and friends: 16 July John Lee 22 July Sam Frame 26 July Norma Tait

St John’s Book of Remembrance To have a name entered, phone 712845.

More Dates for your Diary 2013

1 Aug …and every Thursday, Oxted Country Market, 10-11.30am, Oxted Red Cross Centre 5 Aug Tandridge Club for the Visually Impaired - Outing to Eastbourne 6 Aug The Hurst Green Quilters Group, 10.30am-1pm, 72 Chestnut Copse, Hilary Moore, 723207 6 Aug Tandridge Access Group AGM, Oxted Council Offices, 2 - 4pm, Barbara Harling, 723034 11 Aug Pollards Oak WI - Summer Social Get Together 13 Aug Carers’ Group, Community Room, Eastlands Close, Oxted, 10.30-12 noon B Harling 723034 14 Aug Oxted & Limpsfield Flower Society, 2pm, St Peter’s Hall, Limpsfield: To be arranged 14 Aug Hurst Green Gardening Club, St Agatha’s, 8pm: Plant problems & solutions, Mr H Newman 14-17 Kenley Holiday Workshop - Grease, Barn Theatre, Oxted, 7.30pm 20 Aug & 3 Sep Hurst Green Quilters Group, 10.30-1pm, 72 Chestnut Copse, Hilary Moore, 723207

Oxted & District History Society - Summer Outing to Strawberry Hill

Forty members and friends of the Oxted & District History Society enjoyed their summer outing to Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. Strawberry Hill House is the former summer residence of Horace Walpole, son of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. Travelling by coach from Oxted, the party arrived at Strawberry Hill for coffee before splitting into two groups for guided tours of the house.

Strawberry Hill House is the first post-Medieval house in the Gothic style, transformed by Horace Walpole between his arrival there in 1747 and his death in 1797. Since 2007, the Strawberry Hill Trust, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund has spent £9m on restoration and has now secured a further £1.5m to continue with the restoration work. The house and grounds have been and are being restored to how they were in Walpole’s day. After a sandwich lunch in the café, part of the Oxted Group went on a guided tour of the garden. After tea, the party returned by coach to Oxted.

The Society is due to publish its annual newsletter in August. The first lecture of its 2013-14 Season will be by Judy Hill on ‘The Poor and Sickness in the Early 19th Century’ on 1 October at 8pm at the United Reformed Church, Bluehouse Lane, Oxted. Stuart Paterson

When at last the sun shone in early May I took to the streets to ask people about their views on Hurst Green News, specifically

Annual Cricket Match

Hurst Green & Holland Children’s Centre

During August the centre is open for Baby Clinic and Breastfeeding information and support

on Wednesday mornings 9.30 - 11am and for Bumps & Babes on Thursday afternoons 1.30 - 3.30pm.

On 30 July 30 and 6 & 13 August (all Tuesdays) there will be Messy Play sessions from 10am - 12 noon. These sessions may be cancelled at short notice due to

inclement weather, so please call 01883 723496 or check the website at www.hurstgreenchildrenscentre.co.uk for up to date information.

The Centre will be open for advice and information Monday to Thursday 9am - 12 noon. The Centre will be closed the week commencing Monday 26 August.

Your Hurst Green News asking if it was delivered to them, if they read it and if they had any comments. The last user survey was in 2007, which had given encouraging results.

I talked to 100 people, 50 at Pollards Oak Road and 50 at the Holland shop, the results were similar from both sites. 96 of the 100 people had Hurst Green News delivered; the others lived outside the delivery area. 91% read or at least looked through it, one dog always got to it first.

85% were enthusiastic readers; the commonest comments were that it is a useful source of information about local activities, or that they found the advertisements useful. One person congratulated the distributers on the excellent job they do. Interestingly, one lady in the marketing business commented that she found it confusing that it was not clearly a church newsletter nor yet clearly a community newsletter. As our ambition is always to provide a local newsletter that does not divide the church from the wider community, we seem to be on target.

The sample was fairly small and the results may not reflect your views. A few people do ask not to have it delivered, but mostly Hurst Green News seems to have a popular role in our village life. However it is your Hurst Green News. If you have ideas about what we should include or do differently, let me know. Your ideas can help to shape the newsletter. Kath McCarthy (hgncompiler@gmail.com)

Hurst  Green  School  (3-­7  Years)  

 OPEN  MORNING    

For  the  School  and  Nursery Wednesday 25 September 2013

9:45am - 11:45am

• Visit our School and Nursery, set in spectacular grounds

• Observe a normal day in the classroom • See how we care, learn and achieve

together using our excellent facilities • Experience the Hurst Green welcome and,

over a cup of tea or coffee, ask the Headteacher, Governors and friends of the school any questions you may have

Wolfs Wood, Hurst Green, RH8 0HJ, 712171 Headteacher: Mrs J Atkins

The Diamond, Hurst Green: 01883 716040

August Bank Holiday weekend: Sat 24th 'Ian Hunt' singing live from 8.30pm Mon 26th Family Day from 3pm BBQ & Children’s Entertainer in our fantastic Garden

~ Great Food: all our produce is locally sourced and home cooked ~ Best Sunday Roast for miles, fresh fish daily - you've got to try our Dirty Vicar Burger!

~ Fortnightly Quiz on Thursdays by 'The Quizard of Boz' Cash Prize plus our Snowball is building fast!

~ Takeaway Fish & Chips every Friday from 6pm ~ Don't forget we cater for Parties & Private Functions and offer great rates

Fantastic friendly atmosphere in great Local Pub: 'Use or Lose!' Tom, Jacqui & the Team look forward to seeing you

Limpsfield Royal British Legion Open Day

Sunday 25 August, 12am - 5pm

Stalls ~ tea & cakes ~ burger van ~ ice cream van ~ candy floss & sweets ~ inflatable slide and tea-cup rides ~

vintage cars ~ military vehicles ~ WWII air raid shelter tour ~ raffle ~ licensed

bar and much more…

Fun for the whole family

St John’s, Hurst Green v St Mary’s, Oxted

Sunday, 8 September 2pm, Master Park, Oxted

Come and cheer on the teams!

Hurst Green News can also be read on www.stjohnshurstgreen.org.uk

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CHIROPODIST Health Professions Council Registered

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CJU ACCOUNTS Bookkeeping service -VAT

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CLEARANCE & REMOVALS Garden, Garage & House Clearance

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CRABWOOD Flats for independent senior citizens: affordable rents, bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom.

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DAY'S GARAGE Car sales, MOT, Service & repairs, Bodywork 17 Hurst Green Road, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 9BS 01732 866544

DEWDNEY LANDSCAPING All landscaping/garden maintenance

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FAIRALLS For all building materials

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GREENWELLS TREE SURGEONS/ GARDEN CARE: Tree Work (NPTC qualified) & Garden Maintenance: Hedges/Grass/Planting/ Tidy-Ups Jim: 07876 616006 /01883 343444

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A Pre-School for children aged 2 to 5 years Early Learning in a homely atmosphere

Supervisors Marian & Nina 722796

PET PORTRAITS By experienced local animal artist

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Wired/wireless networking. Tuition. Mobile 07799 164993 714369

JACKSON-STOPS & STAFF

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JEM HOME SERVICES General House & Garden Maintenance

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ALEX JONES FUNERAL DIRECTORS Renowned Caring Service

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KINGSMEAD PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINIC www.kingsmeadphysio.co.uk

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KNIGHTS GARDEN CENTRES Plant and Life Nags Hall

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STONEMANS FUNERAL SERVICE Family owned & run; private chapel;

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