T H E W I N D R U S H B E N E F I C E

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1 T H E W I N D R U S H B E N E F I C E EMBRACING THE PARISHES OF ALDSWORTH * GREAT BARRINGTON * LITTLE BARRINGTON * SHERBORNE * WINDRUSH website: windrushbenefice.weebly.com Rector: Nick Fisher Providence House, High Street, Northleach, Gloucestershire GL54 3EU telephone: nick@5fishers.co.uk Administrator: Margaret Shaw, 39 Sherborne, Cheltenham GL54 3DH telephone: w.benefice@gmail.com (the Rector is always pleased to learn of anyone who might be helped by a visit at home or in hospital, or who would like to receive holy communion at home) NEWSLETTER for MARCH 2018 There will have been something very neat about the dates of Lent this year, which started with Ash Wednesday on the universally memorable date of 14 February and will end on Easter Day which will fall on the equally unforgettable date of 1 April. (I am already working myself up to stress how appropriate that start of a new month is in emphasising the start of our new, post-resurrection, post-easter life in Christ so brace yourselves!) Meanwhile we continue to prepare ourselves for Easter. Congratulations to all those who have managed to continue to forego the various pleasures they have given up or to persevere with the extra things they have taken on during Lent! Paula Gooder, in our Lent book this year, Let Me Go There: The Spirit of Lent, puts a useful perspective on what we are giving up or taking on when she says that the fundamental purpose of this is for us to make our lives unfamiliar so as

2 to enter, even in a small way, the emotional and spiritual wilderness Jesus experienced during those forty days after he was baptised. She points out that, really, what we do this Lent is less important than who we become: through what we learn about ourselves and about the God who is transforming us. Essentially, she points out, our Lenten experience is all about our giving space to God and giving him the opportunity to meet us in a new way. That is very good food for thought. Holy Week provides us with the opportunity to sharpen our focus. We can join in the triumph of Palm Sunday at its start, attend the commemoration of the Lord s Supper on Maundy Thursday, reflect on Jesus s Passion on Good Friday, and end it with the Service of Light on Easter Eve. Finding the time to attend one or more of these services will help us to appreciate, on Easter Day, the magnitude of God s gift to us through the sacrifice of his Son. Perhaps see you then? With every blessing for a joyful Eastertide, Nick. PARISH RECORDS Baptism 11 February Isabelle Mary Joyce Munt Little Barrington Rated good by Ofsted Small classes, exceptional staff, a unique rural environment the perfect start for any child Headteacher, John Moore For details, please contact him on

3 BENEFICE JOTTINGS Cynthia Meriel Wingfield (neé Trench-Gascoigne) ( ), R.I.P. Meriel Wingfield s love of horses and dogs was legendary, the latter to the extent that one of her grandchildren observed that she must prefer the latter to her grandchildren because she always addressed any dog as darling, but never her family! A daughter of Lord Sandys and a cousin of Florence Nightingale, her own contribution to the recovery of injured servicemen during the last War consisted of playing table tennis with those who were recuperating at her parents home in Yorkshire; later she would become a member of MI6, the United Kingdom s foreign intelligence agency. She came to Great Barrington in 1954 on her marriage to Charles Wingfield, and remained in the village, close to her family, after he died in She was an amazing, much-loved member of the local community, interested in everyone and everything, and unsurprisingly the church, and an overflow tent, were packed for her funeral service; appropriately, the snowdrops in the churchyard, in which she took great delight, were just beginning to come into flower. Our sympathies are with Venetia, Olivia, Diana, Richard and her adored grandchildren. Penelope Sarah Morris (neé Musker) ( ), R.I.P. Born in London and enjoying a very happy childhood, Penny was brought up at Shadwell Park, Norfolk, then arguably the country s major horseracing stud. She was educated at boarding school, was presented to the Queen, and started work as an apprentice to a fine china repairer. She then met and married Alan, and after living for eighteen months in Cheshire, they moved to Nigeria, where, a first class hostess, she made their home a focus for the expatriates living in Lagos. They returned to this country, living for a time in Lichfield before coming to Sherborne, forty years ago, where they took pleasure in making the family home and a beautiful garden. Later they obtained a flat in London, enjoying theatre, concerts, and entertaining. At the funeral service, The Revd. Reg. Sweet, RN, a family friend, spoke of Penny s qualities as being open, friendly, kind, considerate, sparkling and at the centre of things. Those who regularly bumped into her in Sherborne will particularly miss her wonderfully uninhibited guffaw, and our thoughts are with Alan, James, Camilla and the grandchildren.

4 Windrush Camp before and after 1945 Last month, in support of Sherborne Church, Roy Limbrick masterminded a fascinating presentation in Sherborne Social Club to around sixty-five interested parties about the village that grew up at Windrush Camp during and after the Second World War was raised, and special thanks to him, to Alix Whiffen for arranging the refreshments and to June Wear for providing the splendid celebratory cake. Bill King, of the Military Vehicle Trust, spoke eloquently about the opening of RAF Windrush in summer, 1940 and its closure five years later, then Roy, helped by Will Tremaine, two former residents of the post-war Camp (John Young and John Swallow), and members of the audience, gave an all too short depiction of life there. There is more to be uncovered and shared! Unfortunately Mary Lester and some other former residents were prevented from attending, either through illness or the foul weather, so a further presentation and exploration is planned for 7 July at the Camp itself.

5 During the next few months, Nick the vicar will be trying to obtain more information about Camp life, and will be contacting people who lived there. If you have any information, or photographs, please do get in touch with him. RAF groundstaff, c.1943, and a WAAF with a Commer truck

6 Components of the talk about Windrush Camp Kate s Home Nursing are looking to find Friends to support Kate s Fundraising Committee. Meet the team for a coffee and cake in the café at the George Moore Community Centre, Bourton-on-the- Water, Saturday 7 April, 10.30am to 12.30pm Gardening tips for March by Alan Abraham Lift and divide snowdrops after they have flowered and while the leaves are still green. Finish pruning fruit-tress and roses. Sow broad beans, celery, spinach and peas, and plant early potatoes. But above all, enjoy yourself!

7 CHURCH SERVICES Sunday 4 March (Lent 3) 125 (om. 4), 532, 539 (odd vv), am Matins Sherborne 11.15am Eucharist Aldsworth Sunday 11 March (Mothering Sunday) 96 (om. 3), 458, 406, am Family Service Windrush 10.45am Holy Communion (1662) Little Barrington Sunday 18 March (Lent 5) 421, 112 (om. 4,5,6), 109 (om. 2,4,6), 493 (om.2,6,7) 9.45am Holy Communion Sherborne 11.15am Morning worship Aldsworth Sunday, 25 March (Palm Sunday) 128 (om.3,5,7,8, 494, 591, am Morning Praise Windrush 10.45am Holy Communion (1662) Little Barrington Maundy Thursday, 29 March 111 (om.4), 411 (om.3), 133 (om.2), 581 (om.4,5) 6pm Benefice Eucharist Windrush Good Friday, 30 March 123,118 (om.2,3), 127 (om.4),105 10am Devotional Service Little Barrington Easter Eve, 31 March, 6pm Service of Light Windrush 469, 396, 2, 267 Sunday 1 April (Easter Sunday) 147, 150, 152, am Holy Communion Sherborne 11.15am Eucharist Aldsworth Sunday 8 April (Easter 2) 9.30am Eucharist Windrush 10.45am Matins Little Barrington Sunday 15 April (Easter 3) 9.45 am Matins Sherborne 11.15am Eucharist Aldsworth Sunday 22 April (Easter 4) 9.30am Morning Praise Windrush 10.45am Holy Communion (1662) Little Barrington Sunday 29 April (Easter 5) 10.30am Benefice Holy Communion Great Barrington Sunday 6 May (Easter 6) 9.45am May Merrie Sherborne 11.15am Eucharist Aldsworth Ascension Day, Thursday 10 May 7.30pm Benefice Eucharist Great Barrington

8 EVENTS IN MARCH The Benefice s website is windrushbenefice.weebly.com and is now being maintained by Steven White. We are most grateful to him for taking on this responsibility. His contact is: drsteven.white@gmail.com. Wednesday, 7 March, 7.30pm Breaking the codes at Bletchley Park talk by Bob Skelt, a guide at the site. Northleach Historical Society, Westwoods Centre, Northleach. Members free, visitors 3. Friday, 23 March, 7.30pm The History of the Royal Forest of Dean. Pete Ralph on the history of the Royal Forest of Dean from Canute to Elizabeth II. Rissington Local History Society, Upper Rissington Village Hall. Saturday, 24 March, 7.30pm Windrush Film Night Manchester by the Sea (2016), starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges. After the death of his older brother, Joe, Lee Chandler is shocked that Joe has made him sole guardian of his teenage nephew, Patrick. In Top Ten of films in UK last year. Film starts 7.30pm. tickets 3.50 on door. Sunday, 25 March, 9am 12.30pm Farmers Market, Countrywide Stores, Bourton-on-the-Water. Fresh, high quality food direct from local farmers and small producers. Expect to find seasonal fruit and vegetables, meat, free-range eggs, preserves, cakes, cheeses, fruit juice and more.... FUTURE EVENTS Saturday, 7 July Saturday, 21 July Presentation, Pigroast & Fete, Windrush Camp Windrush Valley Flower Show and Fête, Great Barrington. Please send to Margaret Shaw by the fifteenth of the current month any items or photographs for inclusion in next month s issue.