The Parish Magazine for

STOCKBRIDGELONGSTOCK& LECKFORDOctober 2020

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The Parishes of Stockbridge, Longstock and Leckfordin the Mid-Test BeneficeRector: The Rev’d Philip Bowden

Phone no. 01264 810810rector@midtest.org.uk

Website: http://www.2day.ws/stockbridge

All Enquiries, including enquiries about Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals:Please contact our Rector, see details above

This Magazine: 11 issues a year: (£8 if paid in advance, £1 per copy)Editors: Frances Candler 811776, Jennifer Kidd 811179

Distribution: Sylvia Shepard 810603 ; Advertisements: advertstockmag@gmail.comNovember copy deadline: 15 October 2020 email: editorsstockmag@gmail.com

St Mary’s Longstock

ChurchwardenMadeleine Hedley 810284Deputy WardenVacantHon SecretaryRichard Robinson 810388Hon TreasurerMadeleine Hedley 810284

St Nicholas’ Leckford

ChurchwardenDawn Williams 810724Deputy WardenRoy Watt 810846Hon SecretaryMicki Nadal 810567Hon TreasurerDavid Barnes 810516

St Peter’s Stockbridge

ChurchwardenVacantDeputy WardenDavid Williams 811072Hon SecretaryRev’d Philip Bowden 810810Hon TreasurerBarbara North 810732

Neighbour Care 0845 0943713Calls cost 7p/min + network charge.New JAMLyn Woods 350846or Pauline Webster 810827Organist and Choir MistressDawn Williams 810724Pastoral VisitorsVacancyRBL (Houghton branch)David Williams (Chair) 811072Iain Bell (Sec) 811636Angela McMeekin:Poppies 810236ScoutsMark Lovell 07786 435847Scout Group ExplorersAndrea Zanchi 07747 720735Louise Henderson 07436 899054St Thomas More ChurchFather Mark Hogan 01962 852804Stockbridge Church Flowers SecAngela McMeekin 810236Stockbridge Community CinemaPaul Kidd 811179Stockbridge Community MarketCarol Preston 07925 287870Stockbridge Court LeetGuy Boney (Lord of the Manor) 810614Diana Tym (Bailiff) 810363Stockbridge Dramatic SocietyMark Frank 810562

Andover Shopping Bus(Unity Transport)John Musters 810459BeaversFrances Waghorn 01962 776048Bell ringers (Longstock)Chris Reynell 810569Bell ringers (Stockbridge)Micki Nadal 810567Brownies (meet in Chilbolton)Julie Shone 01962 761269Church Mouse BooksBriar Philips 810838Cub ScoutsMo Collins 01256 895534HCC County CouncillorCllr Andrew Gibson 861087Kent Hill Scout HallLeigh Dance 811074Leckford Parish CouncilDawn Williams 810724Longstock Garden ClubClare Bramley 810432Longstock MayfliesLiz Howard 07870 612127Longstock Parish CouncilChair: Sophie Walters 07740 443460Clerk: Mark Flewitt 810752Longstock Village HallSelina Musters 810459Longstock & Leckford WISue Hill 811779

Stockbridge Football ClubGlenn Curtis (Chair) 07585 112523Greg Willcox(Hon Sec) 07768 266288Email: stockbridgefc@hotmail.comStockbridge MusicTim Lowden 810601Stockbridge Parish CouncilAlex Lawrence(Chair)07789 433133Clerk: Belinda Baker 07770 406607stockbridgeparishcouncil@gmail.comwww.stockbridgeparishcouncil.org.ukStockbridge Pharmacy 810624Stockbridge Police Station(Non emergencies) 101Stockbridge Primary School(incorporating Stockbridge Pre-School)Emma Jefferies (Head) 810550Stockbridge Rec GroundGreg Willcox (Chair) 07768 266288Paul Barker(Sec) 01794 389131Stockbridge Surgery 810524Out of hours urgent treatment or adviceHants Doctors On Call freephone 111Stockbridge Town HallKim Candler (Chair) 811776On-line bookingswww.stockbridgetownhall.co.ukor phone 01264 513299Test Valley SchoolMrs F Dean (Interim Head) 810555Trout ’n AboutAnne Stables 07734 715081TVBC CouncillorCllr Tony Ward 01794 389649

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From the Rector

Cover Photo: Autumn sunshine - Rudbeckia (Paul Kidd)

At the start of the month of October the Church is looking forwards towards some ofthe feasts and festivals in the Christian calendar later in the year and how we will be ableto mark them. Christmas is a particular conundrum, and until the course of the pandemicis clearer it is difficult to know what will be possible. Remembrance events this year willnecessarily need to focus on the war memorials in our communities rather than churchservices, which will enable them to be held outdoors and allow more people to participate.

As we all know being flexible and willing to adapt are essential virtues at the moment. Hence, in church life wehave had to do many things differently. One change over the summer unrelated to Covid was the choice tofocus preaching and teaching on St Paul’s letter to the Romans which was set as one of the readings duringthese months anyway. I am grateful to those of you who have taken the time to express your views on theexperience of learning in a bit more depth about one of the texts that was instrumental in shaping our faith, theperson who wrote it and what it has to teach us in our own modern day.

You will notice from the list of church services that we will no longer be holding online services on “Zoom” infavour of in-person worship in the evenings. I am also grateful to everyone who has taken the time to tell mewhat they thought of the on-line service experience. Both it and in-person worship with restrictions are notentirely satisfactory, but such has been the impact of Covid on our lives and practice of our faith. At the startof next month (2nd November) we will be marking All Souls Day, when we will be remembering and givingthanks for the lives of those who have died during the year. This year will be particularly poignant as so manyhave died before their time. There will be a service in Stockbridge at 12noon and another in Houghton at7:30pm.

Finally, this month will see the annual meetings of several of our parishes. At these meetings various people willbe chosen to take on important roles in the governance of the Church – churchwarden, PCC member ordeanery synod member. I would encourage all members of the church community to seriously consider andpray about whether they are called to fulfil one of these roles. Many people express opinions about how theChurch is organised and run, and it is important that the lay-people of these parishes take on a role in the waythese things happen and not just expect others (or the clergy) to do this for them. Please talk to me if you feelso called to serve.

Philip Bowden

William Saroyan described the bicycle as ‘the noblest invention of mankind’. Love them or hate them they are here to stay,and it would seem, in ever increasing numbers. Our footers this month share some reflections on bicycles and their riders.

Potting Shed Cuttings for OctoberPrayer for OctoberRecipe: Herby apple & Cheddar cheese sconesRide and StrideSpotted in StockbridgeStockbridge High Street - letter & commentStockbridge Parish CouncilStockbridge PracticeStockbridge Primary and Pre-School NewsStockbridge Town Hall ‘Good to Go’Stop Press - Parking at Test Valley SchoolTest Valley School NewsThe ColumnThoughts for GrandchildrenWasps and Bees

ContentsA well-deserved retirement - the LambertsBats in Old London RoadChurch Diary for OctoberChurch NewsEditorialFraud WatchFrom The RectorLettersLet’s lighten our darknessLocal EventsMark Frank tells us Sid’s StoryMy 45 Year Journey, by Lynne InglisNotes from a BooksellerPieces of Eight - the first global currencyPoppy Appeal

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4Whoever invented the bicycle . . .

From the Editorial Team

The final figures are not yet in but congratulationsto all those 'Ride and Stride' heroes who got ontheir bikes and donned their walking shoes to raisefunds for churches and church projects inSeptember. Chris Boardman, a former British bikinglegend and well-known bike 'tecchy', says that hisfavourite bikes are the ones that have been pulledfrom the dark, spidery recesses of garages to revivetheir owner's enthusiasm for the sport. Perhapssome of the riders in the event were just suchowners?

Chris has pointed out that bike use has risen bysome 380% since March, with a drop of 90% in theuse of other forms of transport. Does this signal aquiet revolution we wonder?

Whilst admitting to some moments of mildimpatience as we take our place in queues behindcyclists on our local roads, and weave betweenlycra-clad coffee drinkers in the High Street, wemust express a preference for this gentle, and quiet,form of travel (especially over those noisy motorbikes that scream through our local roads insummer) and hope it continues with increased safeprovision on our highways and byways.

Our footers this month reflect on cycling and theresponse that cyclists provoke. I believe that evenJeremy Clarkson, that well-known critic of cyclistson the roads, credits a significant weight loss ontime spent cycling. Who would have thought it??

Frances Candler and Jennifer Kidd01264 811776 and 01264 811179

StockbridgeCommunity MarketEvery Thursday morning

9.30 - 11.45amin Stockbridge Town Hall

Selling the very best local and home-made produce

Pies, cakes, breads, soups, eggs and vegetables.Handmade crafts, toys, books, plants, & bric-a-brac.

Please come along and browse

Free drop-in IT Help Desk and Wi-Fi access

Copy for MagazineCopy date for the November Magazine:

15 October 2020Please send emails to:

editorsstockmag@gmail.comor phone Frances Candler on 01264 811776

or Jennifer Kidd on 01264 811179

Stockbridge Community

Cinema

PARASITE (15)

Friday 16 October 4.30pm and 7.30pm (2hrs 2min)

Black Comedy in Korean with English subtitles

A poor family, the Kims, con their way intobecoming the servants of a rich family, the Parks.

Their easy life gets complicated when theirdeception is threatened with exposure.

Winner of 4 Academy Awards 2020 including BestPicture and Best Director (Bong Joon Ho)

Tickets £7.00 (£6.25 + £0.75 booking fee)only available online via our website

stockbridgecinema.org.uk or via theTicketsource telephone booking service

0333 666 3366 (additional £1.75 fee per booking)

Please note there will be reduced hall capacity withsocially distanced seating allocation system in use.

No bar or ices. Face coverings must be worn at all times.

OFFICIAL SECRETS (15)

Wednesday 21 October4.30pm and 7.30pm (1hr 52min)

Drama / Biography

The true story of a British whistleblower,Katherine Gunn (Keira Knightley) who leaked

information to the press about an illegal NSA spyoperation designed to push the UN Security

Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Wherwell History Group8.00pm, 16th October

Behind You!A look back at Chilbolton Players

with history & video clipsIt is essential to pre-book by contacting

Andrew Flanagan (Chairman) 01264 860 560

5. . . deserves the thanks of humanity. (Lord Charles Beresford)

StockbridgeTown HallAnnual GeneralMeeting 2020

Monday 19 October6.00pm

The Annual General Meeting of Stockbridge TownHall CIO will take place at 6.00pm, immediatelyfollowed by the Annual General Meeting ofStockbridge Town Hall Trading Company Ltd atabout 6.30pm. The agendas will include:

� Chairman’s Report� Treasurer’s Report and Adoption of Accounts� Nomination and election of Trustees� Appointment of Directors

It is your Town Hall. Please come and supportthe Trustees, hear about our plans and let usknow what you think.

October

Oct 3 Antique FairOct 6-7 Wild BazaarOct 9-18 Hampshire Artists Co-operativeOct 16 Stockbridge Community CinemaOct 19-21 Wild BazaarOct 21 Stockbridge Community CinemaOct 23 Alpaca PeruOct 24-25 Antiques and CuriosOct 24-25 Hawkmoor BooksOct 27 Alpaca PeruOct 28 MacbethOct 30 Alpaca PeruOct 31-1 QuARTet

Stockbridge Town HallEventsWeekly

Mon am Pilates with PaulaPilates Unlimited

Tues Michelle Art ClassTues pm Art History Lecture (22/9)Weds am Yoga with DionneThurs Iyengar Yoga with MelissaThurs am Su Joy Art ClassThurs am Stockbridge Community MarketThurs pm JogaFri am Moo Music

6One of the most important days of my life . . .

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Rev Philip, havingpromoted Ride &Stride as a fund raisingopportunity, made usrealise this was perhapssomething some of uscould do to help StPeter’s finances. Soarmed with our formswe went about

obtaining many most willing and generous sponsors, abig ‘Thank You’ to you all.

Ghislaine & Iain Bell,Sonia Gubb, RobertCottam for St Peter’s;David Barnes forSt.Mary’s, and theRector for all parishes,cycled round theBenefice.

Geoff Cox, HelenHughes, PamLiberson, SusanMantell and myselfwalked around theupper half of theBenefice.Maddie Hedley, TeenFraser, the Oliver family including granddaughterHattie, and Christine and Geoffrey Wort were raisingmoney for St Mary’s, Longstock.

We wereblessed with aperfect dayand very muchenjoyed thelovelycountryside,visiting thevariouschurches andsigning

ourselves in. We met others on the way, it was sogood to chat to them all and spur each other on.During the conversations a couple of cyclists fromBroughton asked, “Had we been to OSP at Stockbridgeyet?” They said they had received such a warmwelcome and refreshments and how special it was, theonly church that was manned.

As you can imagine the three of us walkers were sopleased to hear this and as this was to be our last portof call we looked forward to reaching the church. Onarrival we were warmly greeted by Victoria and Suewith refreshment, including, from the cool box, lovely

cold water and a‘Twix’ bar,which we veryreadily sat downunder the shadeof the gazeboand enjoyed.The church andchurch yardlooked delightfulin the sunshine,the grass had allbeen mown andVictoria had placed two beautiful flowerarrangements in front of the church, so this added tothe delight of the completion of our walk.

Are we now fitter, surely we must be!!

Thank you sovery much toeveryone fortheir generosityand kindness; itmade a specialday for us all andraised funds forSt Peter’sChurches here inStockbridge, and for St Mary’s in Longstock. The totalamount raised was just over £3,000 for St Peter’s andaround £1,000 for St Mary’s. 50% of the amountraised goes to Hampshire and the Islands HistoricChurches Trust, a non-denominational charity whichorganises the event to raise funds to help repair,restore and maintain the 900 churches, their contentsand churchyards in our area. More than 300churches, chapels and meeting houses in Hampshireand the Isle of Wight have benefited, including StMary’s, Longstock and St Nicholas’, Leckford. Weare very grateful to everybody who has sponsored us!

Pauline Webster

7. . . was when I learned to ride a bicycle. (Michael Palin)

Dan North Limited can now offer male and femaleboiler engineers that are fully trained in Oil, LPG

and Gas. We give you peace of mind that someonefriendly and experienced will be carrying out your

work for you.

We specialise in boiler breakdowns and repairs aswell as installation and servicing.

We can carry out any maintenance of your heatingsystem with radiator replacements or valve

changes to keep you warm on the cold nights.

We also offer long term contracts for estates andlandlords which take all your worries away i.e.

service reminders and maintenance.

To find out how we can make your life easierplease contact us by:

Phone 07709 430026 oremail dan@dannorth.co.uk

Oil & LPG Specialist

8The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish . . .

9. . . Only the bicycle remains pure in heart. (Iris Murdoch)

Back to . . . normal?The end of the summer holidays were here, thebeginning of a new school year but not as we knew it!Monday 7th September I woke at 2am, 3am, 4am andagain at 5am petrified I’d sleep in and miss thebeginning of the new academic year! September feltlike a long time coming. When the Governmentannounced which year groups would return, itinevitably left some feeling bereft with no certainreturn in sight.

At the end of the summer term we welcomed backYear R (4-5 year olds), Year 1 (5-6 year olds) and Year6 (10-11 year olds) and, all of them, 100% returned forat least two weeks of school. We also accommodatedever growing numbers in our key worker group, so manythat we had to split it into 2 bubbles. In addition, wemanaged to find a way to welcome back all other yeargroups so that they could meet their new teacherswho were going to teach them in September. I amincredibly proud and thankful for a brilliant team ofGovernors who had many last minute virtual meetingsto agree risk assessments and approve plans, as well asproblem solve with my Deputy and me whilst keepingthe children’s and families’ needs uppermost.

September saw the full return of almost all 140 childrento the school. We have another bumper Year R groupjoining the school for the first time aged just 4 yearsold and collectively, all children and families have readthe copious information we’ve sent home and we’vereturned safely and happily with barely a tear in sight!

It is of course a constant juggling act; does a coughequal COVID? Does a sniffle mean something moreserious than a cold? If a child is off and self-isolating,does that impact the wider bubble? We are still findingour feet with it all but making collective decisions andnot trying to tackle everything at once will mean wecan remain responsive and responsible in equal measure.

We have staggered start times by alphabetical surnameso that we limit the numbers of people parking andneeding to be on site at once. We have reduced thenumber of visitors to the site and kept all meetingsvirtual where possible. Children are working in yeargroup bubbles and we took the extraordinary step tomove from 5 mixed age classes to 7 single age classesfor the first 3 months of the year so that we can betterfacilitate the ‘catch up’ required for children who havespent the last 6 months at home. We have recruitedan additional teacher with the Government’s ‘Catch up’premium and kept class sizes at 20 or less. We haverecruited an additional cleaner to support ourcaretaker in the additional cleaning demands.

Stockbridge Primaryand Pre-School News

Stockbridge itself seems to have adapted brilliantlywith the new social distancing measures on the HighStreet, the shops all open and hospitality back up andrunning. If we can share an ounce of our villages’collective resilience and spirit, we’ll be fine! Keepsafe. Emma Jefferies (Headteacher)

PRACTICE

COVID 19With Government figures suggesting that COVIDcases are rising again in many parts of the country weare fully expecting a possible second spike inAutumn/Winter and are working hard to prepare forthis. All planning and service delivery protocolscontinue as previously set out in the Septemberedition of the magazine.

Flu Vaccination CampaignOur flu vaccination campaign began at the end ofSeptember, and in order to ensure safe distancingbetween our patients, many of you will be givenappointments in large village halls in the locality thathave good access and parking. There is a great deal toconsider and to transport, including resuscitationequipment, refrigerated vaccines, screens, laptops, etc.so we have considered all of these factors whenchoosing locations.

Your appointmentWe are inviting patients, in line with Governmentguidance and to match the quantities and timings ofour vaccine deliveries. We are beginning with ourpatients who are aged 65 and over and those who areunder 65 with significant underlying illness.www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/who-should-have-flu-vaccine. If you fall within these categories pleasetelephone the practice any day after 2.00pm,except on Mondays, to book your appointment slot.Our telephone lines will, inevitably, be busier thanusual as our reception team manage the increase incalls. When you arrive for your flu vaccine, pleaseensure you are wearing a mask and have yourcoat/jacket removed and sleeve rolled up.May we repeat our request – for non-urgent needs,please telephone after 2.00pm so those with urgentclinical needs can get through. If the line is engaged,please hang up and try an hour later.

Welcome Dr. Laura WatsonWe welcome Dr. Watson who, as previouslyexplained, takes over from Dr. Gibbons as heundertakes his sabbatical. We wish them both well.

Thank YouThank you everyone who supported Surgery staff overthe past few months in so many ways. As the weathercontinues to be kind to us we are really enjoying oursocially distanced breaks in our new outside space.

10A bicycle is a bit like a guitar in that they are both inert objects . . .

Sid Dajani is a leading member of SADS (last seen asPeter in Blue Remembered Hills). He is a pharmacyowner and dispenser in Bishopstoke. He tells of thestress that the Covid-19 outbreak placed on him andfellow pharmacists and how being a member of SADShelped him get through it. Sid’s experience may havebeen extreme, but most pharmacists in the country,including Min in our own Stockbridge pharmacy, facedquite extraordinary demands in the period of Marchto May.

As the virus caused GPs, dentists and vets to eitherclose or limit dispensing, many people turned to theirlocal pharmacy, not only for medicines but also foradvice and support. Most pharmacies remained openas usual whilst at the same time having to find and usenew PPE equipment, and introduce new safetymeasures such as queuing, to control numbers andmaintain distancing.

While most of us were aware of a peak of demand inMarch and April, pharmacists experienced this as fourpeaks. First, the initial panic stockpiling of medicines –remember the paracetamol shortage! Then, demandfrom patients being discharged from hospital early toincrease capacity for COVID19 patients. They weretypically discharged with prescriptions but notmedicines on the assumption that the local pharmacistwould be able to dispense.

This was followed by demand from people withCOVID19 being treated in the community forsecondary infections. Last, but definitely not least,helping support nursing and social care homes. Thesehomes had many infected patients and, often lackingtrained and experienced staff, needed much more helpthan normal in dispensing the right medicines.

There was also a huge increase in the need for vitalhome deliveries which, not only helped people to self-isolate, but also helped prevent the spread of infectionby reducing the need to visit the pharmacy. To meetthe demand for deliveries he recruited and trained

local volunteers – his ‘local health heroes’ – who alsohelped in the pharmacy, for example marshalling thequeues and controlling numbers in the shop. Heprovided these services free and with no additionalfunding.

The volunteers also acted as eyes and ears on theground, particularly important as many of therecipients were unable to have their usual visitors.One patient was found collapsed on the floor.Another was found struggling to breathe. In one tragiccase a volunteer had to report a suicide by hanging.On a fourth occasion, a patient opened the door witha knife and some fresh wounds on her wrists. Shethreatened to kill our local health hero before killingherself! Thankfully he escaped unharmed and Sidcalled the police. It turned out she hadn't seen hercaseworker for weeks and no one was monitoring herpsychiatric medication. After that, all local healthheroes travelled in pairs.

As Sid says:

“We started doing more deliveries in February, andonce the local health heroes were recruited andtrained, we carried out a full, complimentary deliveryservice from March. During full lockdown we weredelivering to pretty much everyone. Then, as lockdowneased, we delivered to those shielding. From February– August we’d normally expect to do about 1000medicine deliveries. This year we’ve delivered over50,000 medicines, the majority between February andJune.”

During this period, Sid’s staff leaped from 8 to 51including the local health heroes.

“We worked 7-days a week and every bank holidayfrom February to June. The most hours worked in aweek was 118hrs, with, on average, 110 hours pw(16-18hrs per day). I would be at work every day until0200-0400. I had one Sunday off between Februaryand May and two more by the end of June. Formillions, community pharmacy was the front door tothe NHS with surgeries and dentists closed. It felt likewe were its frontline and in the firing line for panicstricken, sometimes abusive, patients. We heardreports of fights in queues outside some pharmacies.On a daily basis I never knew how many people wehelped recover from the virus, can't tell for sure who'shad it, but we know who died. It was bloodydemoralising.”

All of this took a personal toll on Sid.

Mark Frank tells us Sid’s Story

11. . . that only come alive and flourish when put in contact with a human being. (Gary Kemp)

Colour

“We’d start on Monday buoyed with hope havingcaught up with all of last week’s work, but by theevening we were all on our knees again. ByWednesday I was nothing more than a corpse with apulse and really, really numb. I managed to workthrough exhaustion, dizzy spells, short term memoryloss and even the bouts of episodic shaking but by8pm I started getting double vision which I couldn’tshake off. Defeated and gutted, I abandoned ship withmuch work left to do. Being at work, days meld intonights and all you can think of is work, work, workand patients, patients, patients and prioritising whatelse needs to be done. I wasn’t looking after myself.The overriding imperative; I need to keep going andclear up the COVID mess and make my localcommunity a safer place.

We’re all proudly signed up to uphold the values ofthe NHS, meet its challenges and to put patients firstto maximum competency and efficiency but none ofus signed up or were prepared to be on the frontlineof a pandemic. And it has been mentally, emotionallyand physically draining. At my lowest and loneliestpoints, I thought about suicide, started hallucinatingand doubted even if pharmacy really was for me.”On the 9th April the News at Ten aired an interviewwith Sid. Some members of SADS who saw him as

‘broken and dispirited’ decided to support him bystarting a SOD (Support our Dajani) WhatsApp groupto raise his morale. They arranged food hamperswhich even included a Sunday roast, and organised aweekly Friday evening Zoom call which Sid joinedwhen time permitted (often from the pharmacy).

“I was caught in a vortex which was totally directedat helping patients. Organising a small army on adaily basis, and getting the job done I didn’t notice myown health spiralling downwards. It took a TVinterview to expose this. Thanks to SADS I’d have aproper meal to eat when I got home at whatevertime, and I had sandwiches/drinks to take to work. Iwas also sent well-wishing emails to further boost mymental and emotional well-being. My SADS friendsgave me hope and strength to keep going through theCorona-tsunami, even having our virtual reality Fridaynight get togethers when I was still at the pharmacy.It showed me that a community of exceptional peopleis needed to get though exceptional times and we areall doing our bit to do exceptional things. Sickness isthe thief of life; my SADS family carried me throughand showed that we can beat this new threattogether!”

Sid is still working 60-70 hours a week, but he ismuch happier and working with much less stress.

“COVID hasn’t gone away. I have seen the life-changing ravages it can do on all walks of life. As Iwrite, winter is coming along with all of its usualseasonal NHS challenges and a second peak seemsinevitable. A covid vaccine, is expected and willhopefully be available at the same time as the fluvaccine or it will double our vaccination workload.There is no aspect of the next few months worthlooking forward to, but there is nothing my SADSfriends and I can’t win through together and thatbuoys me with hope to cope. We did it before and ifneeds be, I'm confident we can do it again -together!”

SADS is a thriving community as well as an amateurtheatre group. The performances and monthlymeetings are great fun, and I hope appreciated inStockbridge, but above all it is a group of friendsgetting pleasure from working together andsupporting each other.

Of course, SADS is very far from alone. There aremany other drama societies, and countless othersocieties from cricket clubs to book groups, roundthe country that provide this vital community supportfor their members. It is in times of crisis like this thattheir true value is revealed.

12By riding a bicycle, you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them . . .

Colour

Money makes the world go round or will let usbuy our dreams. But money used to mean coins.

Many were involved in history and legend, especiallyducats, florins, groats, guineas and sovereigns. Perhaps

the most famous andprobably the firstinternational coinage werepieces of eight. We associatethem with armadas andwrecks, battles on the high

seas and buried treasure and Long John Silver’sparrot. The peso de ocho reales, the Spanish piece ofeight, was the first truly global currency. It wasproduced in huge numbers and within 25 years of itsfirst minting in the 1570s it had spread across Asia,Europe, Africa and the Americas, establishing adominance until the nineteenth century. It waseventually superseded by the US dollar, which still hasglobal dominance in Africa and Asia. Last autumn wetravelled through Africa and our way was considerablyeased by our tour guide handing out fistfuls of dollarsto open any closed door or customs house. We, too,paid in US dollars for goods and services. Always abetter price than local currency.

Oiling wheels would havenot been so easy usingpieces of eight. It is a largecoin measuring 4cmsdiameter and weighingabout 21g. When freshlyminted a piece of eightwould have glittered andshone adding to its allure.It would be worth about

£50 in modern terms and could be spent anywhere inthe world. It was worth 8 Spanish reales in 1497 andwas often cut in half or into quarters during bartering.

The Spanish had been drawn to the Americas by thelure of gold but what made them rich was silver. Theyfound silver mines in Aztec Mexico, but it was in Peru(now in Bolivia) in the 1540s that they found the mostprodigious mine in a mountainous region calledPotosi. Within a few years huge amounts of silverwere extracted from the mine, from 148 kilos in the1520s to nearly 3 million kilos in 1590s. The isolatedhill is 3,700 metres above sea level, on a dry and verycold plateau in the Andes. Potosi grew into a largetown. Potosi silver made Spanish kings powerful

rulers and paid for armadas and armies. When thenational coffers were empty they simply waited foranother treasure ship to arrive in Barcelona.

The silverproduction came ata huge cost ofhuman life. In thefreezing highaltitudes of themountainspneumonia wasalways present andmercury poisoningfrom the refiningprocess common. Young native men were conscriptedand forced to labour in the mines. From about 1600,as the death rate soared, tens of thousands of Africanslaves were brought in to replace the locals. Eventoday the Potosi silver mine is still a tough andunhealthy place to work.

The Bolivian former head of a Potosi UNESCOproject observed:

‘Potosi is one of the poorest places in the country.The technology has been updated but the poverty andhealth is as bad as 400 years ago. We have a lot ofchildren working in the mines, and many of the minersdon’t live more than 40 – 45 years because of silicosisof the lungs caused by the dust.’

Pieces of eight were stamped in the Potosi mint. Thecoins were loaded on llamas for a two month trekover the Andes to Lima on the Pacific coast. Spanishfleets took the coins from Peru up to Panama, muletrains crossed the land isthmus to load convoys oftreasure ships to cross the Atlantic to Spain.

The silver trade was not just in Europe. Spain had anAsian empire based in the Philippines. In Manila piecesof eight were used to trade with Chinese merchantsfor silks, spices and porcelain. The coins destabilisedEast Asian economies and caused financial chaos inMing China. There are coins in the British Museumcounter stamped by Chinese merchants. Pieces ofeight even reached Australia in the nineteenth century.When the British authorities ran out of money theybought Spanish pieces of eight and over stamped theSpanish king’s head with ‘FIVE SHILLINGS, NEWSOUTH WALES.’

Pieces of Eight – the first global currency?

1553 engraving of the Potosi mine area

13. . . Thus you remember them as they actually are. (Ernest Hemingway)

Colour

The financial historian William Bernstein comments:

’Millions, perhaps even billions of coins were mintedand they became the global monetary system. The teatrade in China had prices in dollars with dollar signsthat is Spanish dollars – the pieces of eight.’

Potosi remains proverbial for its wealth. TodaySpaniards still say something is ‘vale un Potosi ‘worth afortune. The piece of eight was one of the foundationstones of the modern world, underpinning theeconomy of the first world empire and making amodern global economy possible.

In our new world coins have become almost obsolete.We are told to tap our cards or phone for contactlesspayment. Many of us no longer carry coins or notes asthere is no lower limit on card payments. The globalcurrency is still the American dollar but we can pay inany currency anywhere in the world and the currencyvalue will be changed electronically to suit our ownaccount. We no longer count our money to realiseour wealth but look at numbers on a screen. As we allkeep remarking, ‘times are changing faster now’.

Jill Goodwin

Let’s Lighten our DarknessThe Stockbridge Christmas working group is currentlyworking on the basis that Christmas may be a quieterevent this year. Under current Covid 19 guidelines weare not currently looking to organise a switch onevent with its associated socialising. If the situationchanges then Rev’d Bowden reckons we can springinto action and organise carols and refreshments atthe church at short notice, but otherwise we willsimply undertake the lighting of the village.

The idea is to light the village, bridges and rivers aslast year and to erect the usual trees on homes andbusinesses who joined the scheme five years ago. Wedo have a few dark spots and would love for newresidents or businesses to join and take part andperhaps we shall see out this year with a bit moresparkle.

Getting a tree would involve a bracket fitted to yourbuilding plus a small Christmas tree and lights and canbe obtained by contacting Christine Cook of IcthusGroup on 01264 810356. The cost of initialinstallation has been quoted at £168.00 inclusive ofVAT.

Thereafter your tree would be removed, stored andreinstalled each year by the Stockbridge Christmasworking group. Please note that you must have aconvenient power supply for the lights and you shoulddiscuss this with Christine before ordering any tree.We hope that lots of you will join us in celebratingChristmas this year.

Alyson Lownie

Thoughts for Grandchildren

‘Teach not thy parent’s mother to extractThe embryo juices of the egg by means of suction.The venerable lady can perform the actWithout thy quite superfluous instruction.’But she’s delighted to accept adviceOn how to work her mobile phone device.

(Our thanks to Hugh Saxton)

Stockbridge Town Hall

“We’re Good To Go” is the officialUK mark to signal that a tourismand hospitality business has workedhard to follow Government andindustry COVID-19 guidelines andhas a process in place to maintaincleanliness and aid social distancing.

We are delighted to announce that Stockbridge TownHall has demonstrated that we are adhering to therespective Government and public health guidance,have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment andhave the required processes in place. In fact, ‘We’reGood To Go’.

Many thanks to Paul, Sarah and the team for all theirhard work in getting this sorted out. Come and usethe Town Hall in the certain knowledge that it is safeand compliant with government regulations.

Kim Candler

STOP PRESSFrom Stockbridge Parish CouncilTest Valley School has asked that parents not parkat the school car park for drop off and pick up. Thisis because they are trying to reduce the number ofpeople in the car park due to Covid restrictions. Itis only a temporary measure to help control thespread of the virus.

14

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A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom . . .

15. . . The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard. (Sloan Wilson)

This year has been particularly eventful for the school.In February the long-serving Head Teacher, LouisaHiscock, stepped down and with support fromHampshire County Council the governors put in placeinterim leadership for the school. Mrs Fae Dean, theHead Teacher of Westgate School in Winchester,assumed overall responsibility for the schoolsupported by Westgate’s Head of the SecondaryPhase, Miss Toni Wilden, who became the HeadTeacher. With continuing support from other staff atWestgate School and from the Local Authority, theyhave made significant progress in revitalising the school.

The school’s unique attractions include its rurallocation and uncongested buildings and premises. Ithas a well-deserved reputation for caring for thewellbeing of individual pupils. There are currently 415pupils who come from the Test Valley and further afield.

The plans for the school and the education of thepupils were, of course, severely disrupted by thespread of Covid-19 and the consequential lockdown ofschools in March. Nevertheless, the staff workedtirelessly to put in place facilities to teach pupilsonline; vulnerable children and those whose parentsare key workers continued to attend the school.

In June Year 10 pupils, who will be taking GCSEs in2021, returned to full-time schooling. At the start ofthe new academic year in September the schoolreopened fully with clear distancing arrangements inplace. It is encouraging that attendance is very highand that the young members of the community aresafely accessing education again.

During lockdown, other significant improvementswere made. The safeguarding of pupils is the priorityso the decision was taken both to erect fencingaround the school’s perimeter and to put in placestricter arrangements for pupils coming into school inthe morning and leaving in the afternoon.

The opportunity was taken, during the absence ofmost of the pupils and staff, to renovate the schoolbuildings and premises which is a noticeableimprovement. Another conspicuous change has beenthe design, with significant input from pupils, of asmart new school uniform; its introduction is beingphased with Year 7 (the new intake) already wearing itand with all other Year Groups wearing it fromSeptember 2021.

The headline measures of this year’s GCSE results allcame in higher than the previous year. These results,which were based on teachers’ assessments, wereclosely in line with the “Algorithm” set by thequalifications regulator; this confirms the integrity ofthe teaching staff and how well they know each pupil’sabilities. The vast majority of pupils obtained thegrades which they required to gain access to the ALevel colleges, other further education,apprenticeships or work which they had chosen.

The governors are currently seeking to appointadditional members of the school’s governing body, ofwhich I have been co-chair. Its main responsibilitiesare to set the school’s values and strategy and to holdits leadership to account. There are 6 board meetingsper year which are attended by all governors and thesame number of both the two main committees,Finance & General Purposes and Curriculum & PupilAchievement; each governor usually becomes amember of one of them.

Governors often participate in school activities andevents. For example, at the end of last term, Iattended part of a staff training day and the interviewsof candidates for school prefects. For the latter, thepupils produced highly professional presentations anddemonstrated great confidence in answering questionsabout their qualifications and plans for fulfilling therole. More recently, I observed pupils opening theenvelopes containing their GCSE results. It wasequally uplifting to watch one obtain the grades heneeded to take up a bricklaying apprenticeship as itwas to see another earn all the top grades requiredfor her chosen A Level subjects.

The role is very interesting, sometimes challenging andalways rewarding. It is a privilege to have theopportunity to make a contribution to the educationand development of young people. I hope that somemembers of the local community will be interested injoining us. If you would like to find out more, pleasecontact the Head Teacher, tel: 01264 810555 orthrough the website www.testvalley.hants.sch.uk

Nigel Melville

16When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way . . .

17. . . So I stole one and asked Him to forgive me. (Emo Philips)

It is not the usual practice of this magazine for aneditor to write an opinion piece, but on this occasion,I add my personal thoughts to this discussion, andencourage others to join the conversation.

One of the few positives to come out of thecoronavirus pandemic was the reduction in traffic,which during lockdown brought some tranquillity toroads which are usually busy and noisy. The HighStreet became a joy for residents and pedestrians, asdid Winton Hill and the Romsey Road.

However, as lockdown began to ease, shoppers, dogwalkers and visitors returned, and it became hard tosocial distance on our narrow pavements, especiallywhen people were queuing to use the shops. With thesupport of Hampshire County Council (HCC) andTest Valley Borough Council (TVBC), StockbridgeParish Council (SPC) organised the provision ofbarriers to broaden the pedestrian footway andprovide spaces for outdoor seating to support thelocal cafés, which were much appreciated by mostresidents and pedestrians. Itcertainly provided a vision ofhow the High Street might bereconfigured to provide a muchmore pleasant and relaxingexperience for shoppers andvisitors alike. This photographencapsulates the issue; apotentially charming treelined street scene, and thecurrent reality of cars parkedover the narrow pavement.

Initially parking appeared not too badly affected by theplacement of the barriers, but traffic through and intothe village has increased considerably with peoplereturning to work and schools reopening, as has thepressure on parking spaces, causing motoristsfrustration and delay, and potential danger to thesafety of pedestrians and cyclists.

I understand from the September SPC meeting thatthe Parish Council is having very positive discussionswith HCC Highways about these long term concerns.My hope is that the opportunity is taken in thesediscussions to look at the bigger picture and take intoaccount the possibility of a redesign to improve thepedestrian and cyclist experience, including widerpavements, seating areas and planting, as well as theneeds of motorists. Now is the moment. We knowthe government is proactively supporting such ideas,and TVBC is pushing forward plans for improvementsto Andover and Romsey town centres – why notStockbridge? And these ideas are not new, as RogerTym explains. Frances Candler

Dear Editors,

As one who finds his eyesight not what it was, I havebeen increasingly conscious of the speed of trafficthrough the High Street here in Stockbridge.Crossing the road, even at the crossings, becomes anexciting experience.  It may be that during the day,vehicles abide by the 30mph limit, but this can itself beintimidating, especially if the vehicle in question is ahuge transporter lorry and the High Street is busywith cars and pedestrians coming and going.  Ifvehicles of all sorts were travelling at slower speeds,the High Street would be a more pleasantenvironment in which to shop, meet friends and walk.

There are some simple solutions to this problem, oneof which is illustrated by this diagram which shows areduced width and a ‘kink’ in the street.  There shouldbe no loss of parking spaces because of the newangled parking arrangement.  The Parish Council andyour County Councillor are aware of this idea whichwould not cost the County Highways Department theearth to implement.  I would therefore urge anyonewho has similar concerns to contact the ParishCouncil and your County Councillor, Andrew Gibson,to make them aware of your views and support forthis kind of initiative.  Their details are in the front ofthe Magazine.

Roger TymThe Old Manse, High Street

Letter

Stockbridge High Street

Further thoughts . . .

Possible Treatment forStockbridge High Street

The sketch shows a ‘kinked’ carriageway, so thatthe present perception of straight wide street,encouraging traffic to speed through, is removed.Instead, with slower traffic and wider areas oneither side, slanted parking and wider pavements,tree planting and outdoor cafes become feasible,giving a much friendlier environment, such as isfound in many small, intimate French towns andlarge villages. The cost is not seen to be excessive.

18

When Conservatives come to power it will be a golden age for cyclists and an Elysium ofcycle lanes, bike racks, and sharia law for bike thieves . . .

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19. . . And I hope that cycling in London will become almost Chinese in its ubiquity. (Boris Johnson, 2006)

Notes From A Bookseller

Autumn is truly here; the hedgerows are laden withhips, haws and berries and it seems to be a bumperyear. True to the season of fruitfulness, bookshopshelves are also heaving, as many new titles whichwere postponed from publication earlier in the yearare now released.

The winner of the 2020Wainwright Prize for NatureWriting UK is by the youngestever entrant, Dara McAnulty.He was 15 years old when hewrote The Diary of a YoungNaturalist! His insights andobservations of nature andwildlife are wise and meaningfulbeyond his years. Dara’sachievements are all the moreastonishing because he is

autistic, but he writes about this and the challenges hefaces, alongside his encounters with nature, with equalclarity and intelligence. His is a strong new voice inthe nature writing genre.

A great way to encourage youngsters to engage in thecountryside is to go foraging, and Adele Nozedar’sexcellent guide, Foraging with Kids can help with thisactivity. Simply illustrated it is packed with informationon fungi, wild fruits, berries, trees and flowers, withtips on identification and how to forage as well asrecipes. With the Collins Complete Guides to BritishMushrooms & Toadstools and British Wild Flowers,alongside Peter Wohlleben’s The Weather Detectiveand Tristan Gooley’s pocket guide The NaturalNavigator, you could happily forage until your storecupboards are full.

While out and about you could look out forhedgehogs. In The Hedgehog Book Hugh Warwick tellsus all there is to know about these shy creaturescovering habitat, food and hibernation but also storiesof the hedgehog in myths, legends and art. It is full ofbeautiful colour photographs that will only endear thisendangered creature to you.

For a journey deeper into nature, the biologist MerlinSheldrake’s first book Entangled Life, takes us into thefascinating world of fungi. Our understanding of howlife is sustained on earth could be radically changed bythis book - an extraordinary read. And looking up tothe skies, the author of bestselling H is for Hawk,Helen Macdonald treats us to her new book VesperFlights, a fabulous collection of essays on the humanrelationship with the natural world.

All in all, we are blessed with a wonderful variety ofexceptionally well-written and accessible books on allaspects of nature.

There is also new fictionfrom Alexander McCallSmith - How to Raise anElephant is the latest in TheNo.1 Ladies’ DetectiveAgency series; from KenFollett with The Evening andthe Morning, a prequel to ThePillars of the Earth, and withnew novels from RoseTremain, Elena Ferrante andSusanna Clarke. RichardOsman’s The ThursdayMurder Club has already

proven to be a winner and has become the fastestselling debut crime novel since such records began.

Happy Reading from The Bookmark.Julia Brigdale

Fraud WatchHampshire Constabularyhave received multiplereports over the last fewdays of a telephone scamgoing around the TestValley area.  Offenders claim to be from the InlandRevenue and state that your name is being used forfraudulent tax purposes.  The offenders then tellyou to press 1 on your keypad or you will be arrested.

This is a scam so please disconnect the call.  If youreceive any calls you do not think are genuineplease report them to Action Fraud on 0300 1232040.

20

Colour

Ordinary things merely annoy people. Inspired hatred is one more bit of evidencethat bicycles are something great, beyond the mundane . . .

My 45 Year Journey - by Lynne Inglis (Part 9)In the Autumn of 1996, I started to feel a littleconcerned about how often Jim had to get up in thenight to pass urine. I made an appointment to see theDoctor and asked him to give Jim a digital examinationof his prostate, I didn't tell Jim what to expect, nothingphased him, he was merely vaguely bemused, but I wason high alert when the doctor told him there was anirregularity. PSA test and biopsy followed. He hadprostate cancer, but we were sure that it had beendiscovered really early.

We met with the Oncologist and Urologist atWinchester Hospital and they outlined his options. Ijust assumed that Jim would go for the surgery, thepossible side effects sounding rather grim but possiblyeffecting a complete cure. He was almost persuadedto take this option until it was mentioned that thelocation of the tumour was situated just inside theouter rim of the prostate and they couldn't be surethat it had not 'escaped'. He changed his mind anddecided to take the radiotherapy. No amount of mybullying or pleading helped.

He drove himself to Southampton Hospital everyweekday for six weeks for treatment, continued towork, ate a healthy diet and seemed to suffer no sideeffects. Strong as an ox. I loved this man, but mybiggest bone of contention throughout our marriagewas our lack of leisure with few holidays and always asix-day working week. I took an executive decision toclose every Monday, and to Jim’s delight and surpriseit did not affect the trade.

We bought an old but delightful narrow boat calledKennet Lady moored at Newbury and spent almostevery week-end on board. In the summer our friendsand family would join us for booze cruises but in thewinter, we would arrive on Saturday evening, light thewood burner, go to the pub for a pint and on ourreturn curl up in bed with a tiny TV and a pizza, cosyand warm. With a speed restriction of 4mph wedidn’t travel far but when quiet I would say "open her

up” he would laugh and say I didn't have thedisposition for ‘steady’.

The following year the 'Nisa' store onWeyhill road became available to buy. We consideredthe advantages. Roadside position, large frontage withparking, three enormous showroom windows and alarge flat above. No research was needed. We couldbe at home instead of waiting for customers in anempty showroom. I could bake cakes, do the ironingand prepare our meals and with the help of DaveThomas and his technology, cameras and bells, coulddash downstairs and sell a chair. Life was good andhappy . . . until October 1999.

After a routine PSA test, it was confirmed that thecancer had returned but not metastasised. This ironywas not lost on me. If only Jim had chosen to have thesurgery. The wisdom of hindsight. He continued towork (of course he did!) enduring a few spells inhospital with great fortitude. It transpired that thetumour was crushing the tubes leading from thebladder. Alistair returned from Australia forElizabeth’s wedding and it was marvellous to see himand frankly I needed his help which he gave willingly.After several weeks of hope and despair Jim died ofrenal failure on 19th June 2000. I mourned this goodman who had cared for me, always made me laugh,and had been capable of lifting me and a cement mixerat the same time.

The memorial service was held in St Peters Church; itwas packed with standing room only. I wassurrounded by family, friends, and most of theresidents of Stockbridge. It was wonderful to have somuch support. He would have been so proud of hischildren as each of them gave a eulogy. The day forme was a bit of a blur. but I'm told that I was calm.Catatonic most likely.

I was a widow with no idea what to do. I did knowthat I couldn't run the business alone, I could sell butnot lift! Alistair stayed with me, but this was not asuitable business for a young man with plans to travel(he always had plans to travel) The girls were settledand happy. On a personal level, I felt adrift. Everyonewas hospitable and kind, but I felt unable to socialise,I'd never been alone since I was nineteen and there isa support structure being part of a couple. I could flirtand flit all evening in a social situation safe in theknowledge that Jim didn't judge me, and I realised thisgave me permission to be myself. It wasuncomfortable being the only single at a dinner party.

My mother was a Lincolnshire girl and both my sisters,an Aunt and various cousins lived there. Property wasgood value (cheap) and I decided to make a new life.

21

Colour

. . . something worthy of grand animosity. (Bill Strickland)

It was a good decision but once again I did not knowwhat lay ahead. I should have bought a crystal ball.The pension fund that Jim had paid into was notsufficient for an annuity for me, so I was given thevalue of the fund, which enabled me to buy a house inthe city of Lincoln near the castle and cathedral in direneed of renovation, broken windows, torn lino, andlots of mouse droppings. My sister Pat said, "You can'tpossibly live here." But I did, I loved it and couldafford it.

Against my better judgement I was persuaded to letthe showroom and the flat to a small IT company asone unit, putting all my eggs in the one proverbialbasket. The rent from this was my only income.

(To be continued)

The family at Jim’s Memorial Ball in aid of Prostate Cancer.

Poppy Appeal 2020Sadly the Poppy Appeal will not be asusual this year. We will not be able todo House to House or StreetCollections. However, there will besome in shops and we are allowed to have a ‘PoppyTable’ in the street, so do look out for us. I amsure you will give us your usual wonderful support.I will be in touch with my great team when I havemore details,Thank you, Angela McMeekin

Spotted inStockbridge

With thanks to photographers Peter Hughes,Herry Lawford, Jean Boney and Pam Liberson

22Man on a bicycle can go three or four times faster than the pedestrian, using five times less energy in the process . . .

Colour

23. . . Equipped with this tool, man outstrips the efficiency of not only all machines but all other animals as well. (Ivan Illich)

Potting Shed Cuttings for October

Plants to look out for in October –penstemon, dahlia, chrysanthemum, nerine, rose hips,calicarpa, acers, holly.

Flower Borders

Provided the soil is still warm enough divide andreplant congested perennials; discard central woodyareas which have outgrown their useful life and replantthe vigorous outer sections and water in well. Whilstborders and pots can be cleared of tired annuals andsummer bedding, and most perennials cut back, leavesome seed heads for the birds. Containers andbaskets should be cleaned and stored or refilled withfresh compost for winter or spring planting. Continueplanting spring bulbs in pots, borders or under turves;hyacinths and tulips can be planted from month endthrough to November. If squirrels or mice steal bulbs,cover with a layer of small mesh chicken wire afterplanting and either remove it once shoots haveappeared, or simply leave in place and cover with soil.Forced hyacinths, lily of the valley, narcissi and grapehyacinths can still be potted up for winter colour andfragrance in the house. If you use containers with nodrainage holes, put a little crushed charcoal in thebottom to keep the water sweet. If the weather turnsparticularly cold and frosty, lift and dry gladioli anddahlias. Store dahlia tubers in shallow trays ofcompost in a garage or shed; they can then be revivednext spring for planting out. With borders cleared,sweet peas can be sown either under glass or in theopen ground; hardy annuals such as nigella,cornflowers, annual poppies and larkspur can be sowndirectly into their flowering position

Fruit and Vegetable Garden

As you clear the beds for next year, plan next year’scrops and sow winter salad, early carrots andmangetout. Protect salads, brassicas and late rootcrops with fleece. For beds not being planted up,either continue your winter digging programme orcover with cardboard and 4”/10cm of manure and letthe worms do the work for you. Top up raised bedswith compost and manure. Cut down yellowingasparagus stalks and mulch the beds. Plant springcabbage, onions, garlic and broad beans; if you havetime, it's your last chance to put in some potatoes forChristmas and the New Year. Remove yellow leaveson brassicas and pot up herbs for indoor winter use.Start new strawberry beds and plant up runners youpotted up earlier in the year. Pick any remaining fruitnow, prune berries and tie in new shoots for nextyear’s harvest.

General Maintenance Jobs

Make a start on cleaning and disinfecting thegreenhouse and water butts. Disinfect thegreenhouse and put in any winter protection beforethe frosts arrive. Clean windows and remove anyshading to maximise the amount of light getting toover-wintered plants. Butts should be emptied andcleaned with a mild disinfectant to discourage algaegrowth and stagnation; add a little charcoal to keepwater sweet before the rain refills them. Sweep outsheds, especially the darkest corners, and clean and oiltools for the winter. Warmer autumn months keepgrass growing for longer periods. Raise mower bladesto about 2”/5cm; by leaving the grass slightly longeryou will help encourage worms and leatherjackets forbirds. New lawns can be sown and turves replaced.Clean out the pond and remove any debris which mayrot down; fresh water can be added to top up levels.

Micki Nadal

Letters

I would like to thank everyone for all the lovelyletters, messages, flowers and cards sent to mefollowing Eric’s death. They helped enormously and Iappreciated them so much. I will be contacting you allindividually to thank you, but as this will take sometime, I am using our magazine to send a general ‘thankyou’ for your good thoughts and wishes.

With loveMicki Nadal

Wasps and BeesThere is something about the miscreant cyclist thatseems to get people more exercised than they are aboutthe misbehaving motorist…When people get into cars,their metal encasement turns them into robots in ourminds, and we’re grateful to them for any act ofcourtesy. We’re grateful that they don’t deliberately killchildren, then laugh a rasping, metallic laugh…

[Cyclists] are more civic-minded than anyone elsetravelling in any other manner, bar by foot. If they dorun into someone, they at least (like the bee) do theirvictim the favour of hurting themselves in the process,which is why, if you had any sense, you’d save yourhatred for the motorist, who (like the wasp) injureswithout care. Zoe Williams

24Few articles ever used by man . . .

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25. . . have created so great a revolution in social conditions as the bicycle. (US Census Report, 1900)

Stockbridge Parish CouncilStockbridge Parish Council did not hold aCouncil meeting in August. However, the

Council has continued to be active in the community.

Social DistancingThe Council installed some picnic tables outside thechurch to encourage people to move away fromWoodfire with their takeaway drinks and to takepressure off the churchyard, which is not a publicspace. The bus stop has been temporarily moved tooutside Woodfire and the idea is to allow more openareas for people to socially distance down the High Street.

ParkingIn my article in August I said that the Council wastalking to the Recreation Ground Committee aboutusing the parking at the Recreation Ground whilst thebarriers were in place. Unfortunately, the Committeehas not allowed this to happen. The Council alsoapproached BT Openreach about parking at theExchange, but this too has been denied. It has alsocome to the Council’s attention that a number oflorries are parking in the A30 layby and this has takenup much needed overflow parking space for cars fromthe High Street. The Council is pleased to say thatHCC will be implementing a Temporary TrafficRegulation Order (TTRO) to stop this happening. TheHCC resilience team have kindly offered to providefunding for the TTRO for which the Council is grateful.

Winton Hill CemeteryThe Council is starting a project to re-set some of theheadstones at the Winton Hill cemetery. A number ofheadstones have failed the “topple test” (if theheadstone is pushed it needs to stand firm otherwiseit is considered that it is likely to fall) and have beenlaid on the ground. The Council considers thisunsightly and untidy and will be looking to employ areputable Memorial Mason to undertake the re-erection of the headstones.

War MemorialThe Council has been notified that although the WarMemorial repair is progressing very competently, it isunlikely that it will be in place in time for theRemembrance Sunday service. Progress is good, as thepreliminary cutting of the stone has been completedand the structural engineer is happy with the standardof work, however, the stone mason does not wish tohurry the work which needs to be precise. It is likelythat the new cross can be installed in the Spring whenthere can be a re-dedication service with hopefullyless restrictions. In the meantime, the wooden cross isis a temporary substitute, for which the Councilcontinues to be grateful.

Parish Council WebsiteThe Clerk has undertaken a project to ensure theCouncil’s website is accessible to all. If anyone has

accessibility issues with the website, please contactthe clerk so any adjustments can be made. Areminder as well for everyone to sign up for the emailalerts from the website which will enable any parishand community news posted on the website to bedelivered direct to your inbox.

Flood Action PlanningAs part of the resilience planning for Stockbridge, theParish Council will be undertaking to produce aResilience Plan as outlined by Hampshire CountyCouncil (HCC).  Resilience plans address the issuesfaced by a community in emergency situations(including flooding), they identify areas of concern inthe local infrastructure, and look at what needs to bedone to prevent an emergency, as well as outliningwhat happens in the event of emergency.

The Parish Council has already started to revise theplan for Stockbridge as per the latest County/Boroughformat and will be asking for permission to hold thenames and addresses of vulnerable residents, includingall those most likely to be adversely affected in anemergency.  The list of names and addresses will thenbe provided to HCC in case an emergency arises andwill be held by them strictly for emergency purposesonly.  If members of the Council notify you that theywould like to hold your data for this purpose, you willbe asked to sign a consent form.  If you do not wishthe Council to hold your data for this purpose thenthe Council will not do so.

The Parish Council has been assured by HCC andTVBC that this is all the preparation that we need todo at parish level because there is already athorough and overarching resilience plan inplace at County and Borough level whichincludes the emergency services and the military ifnecessary.  The County and Borough Councilsproactively monitor areas at risk of flooding and ifwater levels rise, they immediately consult with theEnvironment Agency (EA). They are therefore alreadyassessing situations for risk far before we see burstriver banks or surface flooding etc.  Please be assuredthat much is being done behind the scenes and theforthcoming list of residents as aforementioned is justa revision of the previous list.

As part of the resilience plan the Council will also beseeking to hold data on members of the public whowould be prepared to help in an emergency.  If youhave a special skill set, hold specialist equipment oreven have a 4-wheel drive car that is appropriate fordriving through water that you would be prepared toput to good use in a flooding emergency, please letthe clerk know and a form can be sent out to you.

If you have any concerns with this process or wish forfurther clarification please contact the clerk,(clerk@stockbridgeparishcouncil.org.uk).

Belinda Baker

26

Purely mechanical instruments like watches and bicycles are to be preferred to enginesthat depend on the purchase of power from foreign sources . . .

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27. . . The price of power is enslavement (Louis J Halle)

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Bats in Old London Road

We moved into Stockbridge in 1994, a great moveand one for which we are supremely grateful giventhe wonderful community and friendships we haveenjoyed over the years. In our new home, weinherited Roman blinds that looked like vintageknickers when pulled down. To our surprise, one ofthe folds concealed a dead, shrivelled bat. We’dheard stories in the past about people trying to swatbats with tennis rackets (not to be recommended)because bats have a macabre reputation by nature,especially in 2020 with Covid-19.

Our future plan was to design our garden with anoutside entertaining area, ponds and floral bedswhere we felt birds, mammals and herptiles (reptilesand amphibians) would flourish. On many eveningswe were conscious of bats circling and flitting up thelong hedgerow on our northern boundary. Alwaysfun to watch on a late evening barbecue in theautumn and cause for much amusement amongstfriends.

Then came the news, as often happens,that a newbuild was planned next door. We were worried thatthe 30+ year old hedge might not survive the buildingworks. Needless to say we were determined toensure the survival of the hedge line that representeda navigation feature for many different types of bat(the UK has 18 identified varieties).

The build went ahead - and the hedge line and treeswere saved. We noted with some sadness that theamusing Long Tailed Tit family that used to roost (afamily of 18+) in a dead conifer seemed to havedisappeared. However, a couple have returned in thepast few years so perhaps equilibrium is evident.

In the two years of site clearance and house building,we became concerned that they may not have beenthe only loss to our mammals, birds and herptiles.The good news - I borrowed a friend’s Echo MeterBat Identifier (which fits to IOS and Android phones).It converts the inaudible ‘bat’ cries to audible whilst

also identifying eachbat species. Quitefascinating to watch itin ‘Live Mode’ action.The App will alsodisplay bat routesagainst GPS positionand a satellite mapoverlay.

So there we are,within the space often minutes we hadconfirmed that ourbats were still with us- at least sevendifferent types:

Common Pipistrelle - PIPPIPNoctule - NYCNOCSoprano Pipistrelle - PIPPYGBrown Long-eared - PLEAURGrey Long-eared - PLEAUSGiant Noctule - NYCLASCommon Seritone - EPSTER

The following night, four more:Common Bent-wing - MINSCHBig Brown - EPTFUSMeridional Seritone - EPTISAEuropean Free Tailed - TADTEN

Locally, we all live within a Conservation Area whichalso borders upon a Site of Specific Scientific Interest(SSSI) - the Water Meadow. These designations are soimportant for the conservation, safeguarding andregeneration of our environment.

Was itpossible thatthe planningconstraintsover trees,ponds,waterwaysetc for thisnew buildwere entirelyrelevant,albeit tosome theymay haveappeared asanimpediment?

These very constraints may represent the onlysafeguard for our ecology in the future. Let’s keep thatin mind in order to preserve our beautiful Stockbridgecountryside for future generations.

Hugh Northam

Brown long-eared batd

28

Church NewsLindy Lou’s KitchenRecipes & Crafty Corner

It’s been a good year for all fruit I think, but especiallyapples. Here is a recipe that’s good for those thathave almost gone over. The basic apple scone mix isreally flexible as, instead of the herbs, you can addcinnamon and nutmeg and add a sweet maple glazeonce cooled. For today we are going savoury andadding herbs and lovely grated cheddar to make a nicelunchtime treat.

Herby Apple and Cheddar Cheese Scones

Makes 12

400g plain flour40g granulated or caster sugar½ teaspoon of baking soda2 teaspoons of baking powder2 teaspoons of fresh chopped mixed herbs, thyme,parsley, chives50g of cold butter or margarine200g of grated sweet apple, cooking or eating115 – 120ml of milkApprox. 100g of cheddar cheese or more if you like it!

Heat Oven to 200°C fan oven or gas no. 7

Combine all the dry ingredients and herbs then mixwell. Cut in the butter, and by this, I mean, using aknife cut through the butter into the dry ingredientsuntil they are well mixed.

Grate the apple and add it to the mixture, then addthe milk and mix. It should form a soft dough so addthe milk slowly and adjust with more, or less, as youthink fit as it really depends on how moist the apple is.You can adjust if you go too far with a little moreflour.

Knead the dough just a few times until it is barelysticky and divide into two balls of dough. Flatten untilthe dough pieces are two circles that are about 6inches in diameter. Take a knife and score each ofthem into six sections, not going all the way through.Place them on a well-greased baking tray and sprinklewith the cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 – 20minutes until they are golden brown. Remove andcool.

It’s good to keep the dough cool as it will producecrisper scones. Also, really important that the butter /margarine is cool, you can even grate frozen butterinto the scone mix which will make for the bestlightest version. Try using other cheeses, I wonderedif a nice blue cheese mixed with the cheddar might begood too but have not tried that as yet.

Linda Hotchen

Your bike is discovery; your bike is freedom. It doesn't matter where you are . . .

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St Peter’s and Old St Peter’s Stockbridge

A very well-deserved retirement . . .

As they celebrate their Diamond WeddingAnniversary, Jane and Gerald Lambert have retiredfrom the farm at Chattis Hill, where they have lived alltheir married lives, to live in Nelson Close,Stockbridge next to their daughter. They have bothmade wonderful contributions to St. Peters over manyyears for which we are very grateful and have nowdecided it is also time to step back from maintainingthe grounds around the church.

Gerald became a very youthful Church Warden at 30and continued as a warden for 28 years. One of hisfirst projects was to renew all the cedar shingles onthe spire. During this time, among many otherachievements, he was very instrumental in making St.Peters physically accessible. The front path had agentle slope created to eradicate the entrance stepand inside the floor was raised to remove the step upto the chancel. Great foresight as the worshippershave become older and less mobile.

He is also well known as the Bell Captain and hasbeen ringing for nearly 50 years. Sensing that maybehe would not be able to ring for many more years, in2015 he started the refurbishment project to ensurethe bells at St. Peters would ring out in Stockbridgefor many years to come. Jane and Gerald made a verygenerous donation to get the fund raising started and Ihad a very happy eighteen months working withGerald, raising the money, seeing the bells taken awayand then returned to the church to be blessed by theBishop of Southampton before they were rehung.During the past three years we have had many groups

Jane & Gerald with one of the famous Austin carsmade by the family

29

Church News

Maintenance at Old St. PetersAs the churchyard at Old St. Peters is formally“closed”; that means no more burials can take place;the local authority is responsible for its “reasonable”upkeep.

During the past year Phill and I have met with BrettHill, the person from Test Valley Borough Councilresponsible for this end of TVBC, to discuss theirschedule and policy for regular maintenance. Many ofyou will have noticed that the avenue of lime trees hasbeen pollarded this year, a job which is done everythree years. In addition, they have been mowing andstrimming, which is done up to four times every year.They are always careful to co-ordinate the first mowwith the spring flowers, making sure that we all enjoyeven the cow parsley at the end of the spring.

Recently the White Hart asked us to review theboundary hedge and some saplings on the boundarywhich are now limiting vision from the guest windows.I met with Rob, who is the person who comesregularly to do the work and we have agreed that thehedge and saplings will be cut back during the nextmonth. We also felt that the dying tree in the middleof the southern side is looking dangerous and needsto be taken down, together with a dead tree in thecorner, which they should do at the same time. ThePCC maintains the responsibility to ensure that thechurchyard remains safe for visitors.

In the last Quinquennial Inspection, the architectsuggested we have the wall surrounding OSP checkedout and repaired where necessary. Interestingly this isa listed monument, separate from the church. Thisinvolves a different department in TVBC and I will becontacting them soon to discuss this.

It is always challenging to agree what is “reasonable”and so to keep OSP looking at its best and to beinviting for those who like to sit quietly there, thePCC has an established precedent of close mowingthe edge of the path when possible and also the grassareas immediately around the building and thebenches. We have been paying for this for many yearsand Bruce Williams agreed to continue for us whenthe last contractor retired. Bruce kindly agreed to do

of ringers come to ring the newly tuned and rehungbells, with one group commenting, “These are thebest bells we have ever rung”. That is surely a greattestament and legacy for Gerald as he retires, safe inthe knowledge that with Micki Nadal and Derek Smithhis legacy lives on with another generation.

Jane has also worked tirelessly, making sure that thelawn outside St. Peters was kept in pristine condition.She has been mowing it for 17 years, since Mrs Harveydied, and has ensured that the beautiful stone pots,which they donated, are always bright and welcoming.Gerald and Jane made sure the hedges were regularlytrimmed and kept the weeds under control.

So, what were we going to do for the future?Thankfully, Mercedes and Peter Waters in the Cottageto the west of the church have kindly offered to lookafter both sides of the yew hedge on the boundary –thank you. Robin North has been very helpfulstrimming and mowing during the past few weeks –thank you – with me weeding. Hearing this, NigelMelville has offered to take over the mowing, forwhich we are very grateful – thank you. So that justleaves the Grosvenor boundary hedge, which we cankeep an eye on, and I will try to keep ‘Jane’s Pots’looking good. I have no doubt that we may not passJane’s ‘inspections’ as she walks by – but we will all tryto keep St. Peters looking smart as she has done forso many years!

Thank you both so much Jane and Gerald.Enjoy your very well-earned retirement down in thevillage, sitting in your lovely new garden.

Update to Covid Risk Assessment for St.Peter’sGood News – we have reviewed the seatingarrangements and alongside the new rules for wearingmasks in church, we have updated the number from36 to 50. We did this in advance of the HarvestCommunion, so hoping that no-one will have to beturned away. We continue to be grateful to ouryoung team of openers/closers and sanitisers whohave agreed to keep going for the rest of this year –thank you very much.

St Peter’s Annual Parochial Parish CouncilMeeting will take place on 28th October at 7pm -social distancing will be in place and all are welcome.We can have up to 50 in the church, but usually thereare less than 30, so please come and help us to reviewwhat happened last year. Copies of the accounts willbe available in the church from 14 October. There areseveral vacancies for the PCC and for Church Wardenwhich we would dearly like to fill. Barbara North

Old St Peter’sNewsOctober 2020

. . . when you're on the saddle you are taken away. (Doug Donaldson)

Cycling is not a sport . . .30

Church News

St Mary’sLongstock

Church servicesSunday 4 October at9.30am will be Harvest Festival. The church will bedecorated, but as the coronavirus restrictions will stillbe in place, the Fruits of the Harvest will be on displayat the front of the Church, rather than being broughtdown from the back. We will celebrate Harvest, but alittle differently than usual. Sadly, there can be noHarvest Supper. I do hope we will be able tocelebrate twice as hard in 2021.The other services in October will be:9.30am Parish Communion 11 October3.30pm Baptism 11 October9.30am Morning Worship 18 October

All other services are as published – all back tobeing live.

Wall UpdateA huge thank you to Sophie Walters, John and SelinaMusters, Lois Opperman, Polly Milne and the ParishCouncil for the organisation of the ‘Alternative Picnic’on 5 September. Lois and Selina in particular didsterling work in obtaining donations in return forsplendid hampers. Those donations together with theincome from the raffle and donations on the dayraised just over a magnificent £1600. So, the totalincome for the wall is £12,850 which together with£5000 from the church means we pretty much haveenough to start the work in October. I am stillawaiting the result of one grant application, but thePCC is really grateful for the response to the fundraising request.

If you would like to make a contribution - Chequesshould be made out to ‘PCC Longstock’ and sent tome, the Treasurer, 1 Chattis Hill Stables, Stockbridge,SO20 6JS.

The alternative is to make a direct bank transfer(BACS) to: Lloyds Bank: Sort Code 30-90-21Account No 00265278

Or if you prefer to send a donation to the Friends ofSt Mary, in this case the details are:The Friends of St Mary , Lloyd's Bank: Sort code30-90-21: Account No. 00632750.Or send a cheque made payable to ‘The Friends of StMary’ to Isobel Green, Barleydown, Hazeldown,Longstock, SO20 6EG.

The work of rebuilding the wall has been offered toColin Avery, who is a stonemason and restorationspecialist. His was the best quote for the work. I amexpecting him to start work on the wall at thebeginning of October.

‘Ride and Stride’ on 12 September fell on alovely sunny day. Teen Frazer and I walked 6.5 milesand between us raised £200. There were many bikeriders, walkers and others taking part. The totalamount raised will be known later in the year. Half thetotal raised will go to the Hampshire and IslandsHistoric Churches Trust (which has provided a granttowards the wall) and half returned to the churchesnominated.

Meanwhile, if anyone has any questions, please let meknow (810284) or email mjh723@btinternet.com.

If you would like a word with the rector, or be put onthe mailing, please contact Rev’d Philip Bowden –810810 or email rector@midtest.org.uk

this on a voluntary basis for this summer, as hiscontribution to the parish, for which we are grateful.

I could not end a piece on Old St. Peters withoutacknowledging all the wonderful work which Jill andStan Goodwin did there. Especially outside,cataloguing all the graves and checking the safety ofthe stones. One day, lastsummer when I was there,I met a young couple withtheir children looking fortheir great, great, great,great grandfather’s grave.I took them inside and wechecked the catalogue andthere he was, listed forthem to see. They werethrilled and they took aphotograph of themstanding by the stone.

Weeding is always needed – I do some - but pleasefeel free to pick up any you see if you stroll up thepath to enjoy the special ambience of Old St PetersChurch.

Barbara North

Old St Peter’s News continued

The Evans family

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31. . . it's a lifestyle. (Magnus Backsted)

Church News

Prayer for OctoberLord, we pray for patience during these difficultmonths, and hope that all those we miss we will seeagain soon. The technology is great - but so muchbetter to have a real hug!

We will have our harvest services, giving thanks forthe grain and the grape, regretting the loss of theharvest suppers, always so much fun.

In the preparation for Autumn give us strength towork through sorrow,share laughter and memories and do what we canto help others.

We pray for courage for NHS staff, volunteers andaid workers. The need for caring help neverdiminishes.

And we pray for generosity that help can be givento all those places with so many needs - for Lesbos,Syria, Yemen, Jordan and all places where there arerefugees.

For the food banks helping so many families in thiscountry.

We pray for good community spirit and that YourWill be done.

Amen.

4th October08.00 Leckford Holy Communion BCP09.30 Longstock Harvest Family Service09.30 Broughton Parish Communion11.00 Stockbridge Parish Communion18.00 Mottisfont Evensong

7th October10.00 Old St Peter Holy Communion

11th October08.00 Old St Peter Holy Communion09.30 Longstock Parish Communion11.00 Broughton Parish Communion11.00 Stockbridge All Age Service18.00 Houghton Evensong

12th October10.00 Stockbridge Holy Communion

18th October09.30 Broughton Bible Uncovered09.30 Bossington Parish Communion09.30 Longstock Morning Worship11.00 Stockbridge Parish Communion18.00 Leckford Harvest Service

25th October08.00 Broughton Holy Communion09.30 Broughton Family Service09.30 Houghton Parish Communion11.00 Mottisfont Family Communion18.00 Bossington Meditation

October Sunday Services

The Column for SeptemberThere were no christenings, marriages or funeralsin the three parishes in September.

Stockbridge LocalHistory Society

Thank you everyone who hascontacted me about this group. When life becomesa little more normal I hope to arrange our firstmeeting so we can met face to face.

Meanwhile, if you would like to know moreabout the group, or if you have any photographs,documents, stories and memories and such like,please get in touch.

Alex Lawrencealexlawrence84@yahoo.co.uk

07789 433133

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