Parish Magazine

Dear Readers

Many of you will be reading the August edition of Outlook early as it has been brought forward so that copies are available at the installation of our new Vicar, Charlie Lloyd-Evans on Tuesday, 21st July. This will be an evening of great celebration and joy as we welcome Charlie to St Michael & All Angels and we wish her and her family every happiness in Hughenden. We also warmly welcome visitors attending this service.

Currently, (early July) we are all experiencing the temperatures people in some parts of the world have to deal with most of the time. Perhaps it is easier to cope with if you are born in a hot climate, or indeed, if you live near the seaside and are able to take a dip to cool off. Recently I have noticed correspondence in a national newspaper regarding the lack of runner beans on vines, despite there being lots and lots of flowers, and attributing this to the lack of bees. I, too, have noticed this; very few beans and a very small number of tomatoes forming on my plants. The veronica in our garden with its lovely blue flowers, is usually absolutely buzzing with bees, but not so this year. There have been just two or three. Is this because of the excessive heat; climate change; disease or pests? How we take these busy little insects for granted but they are so vital. Do read the Nature Note in this edition, which describes the effects of lack of care or interference by man on nature and wildlife.

In June, 20th-21st to be exact, the Summer Solstice took place at Stonehenge when thousands of people witnessed the sunrise align directly with the ancient Heel Stone, causing the first rays of light to beam directly into the heart of the stone circle. This marked the longest day in the year. Quite mind-blowing to think that the architects and builders of Stonehenge could calculate with such accuracy exactly when the sun reached that point. There are, of course, other stone circles or henges in the British Isles, each one demonstrating this amazing precision.

We have some lovely articles in this month’s Outlook, including Bea’s reflection on treating yourself with kindness; an account of life on a local farm with its emphasis on planting for wildlife; more fascinating facts about our church boiler; nature notes - and much more.

If you are planning a holiday, do enjoy it and return rested and relaxed. If not, enjoy the sunny weather at home (in the shade) and if you have a garden, don’t forget to water it!

Sylvia Clark

Editor

(Not) From the Vicarage

We are delighted that Revd Charlie Lloyd-Evans, her husband Gareth, and one of their daughters have now settled into St Michael & All Angels’ Vicarage in Hughenden Valley.

We are all looking forward to Charlie’s first Sunday with us on 16th August. As our vacancy comes to an end, we are excited and expectant about the next chapter in the story of St Michael & All Angels and the part that each of us can play in that story.

Rev Keith Johnson’s final service with us was at the end of September 2025. In Church of England terms we have been fortunate to have had a relatively short vacancy. It has been an absolute privilege for me to serve as Associate Minister during this time, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped, supported and encouraged me along the way.

St Paul’s words to the church in Corinth seem particularly appropriate:

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow."

1 Corinthians 3:6

During the vacancy, many people have played their part in the life of our church. Each contribution, whether visible or unseen, has helped us to grow and flourish as a community of faith.

We have been blessed with two outstanding Church-wardens, Andrew and Frank. During any vacancy, much of the responsibility for the day-to-day life of the parish rests on their shoulders, and they have given generously of their time, energy and wisdom.

Our administrator, Ben, has worked tirelessly behind the scenes, keeping us organised and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. We would be quite lost without him.

The impact of Chris our Children & Families Pastor and his family is clear in the growing number of families attending our services and events. Their enthusiasm and commitment continue to be a real blessing.

The PCC has continued to guide and support the parish with integrity, thoughtfulness and good humour — often helped along by Susan's delicious cakes!

As I look around our congregations, I see countless examples of people stepping up to serve, using their gifts and talents to support the mission and ministry of the church. There are too many individuals to name, but every act of service, every prayer offered, every welcome given, and every practical task undertaken has made a difference.

Together, we have done much more than "keep things going" – we have continued to move forward. Thank you all!

As we welcome Charlie, our aim will be to continue to serve God and one another with the same commitment and generosity. The future of our parish is something we will build together, trusting in God's leading and remembering that while each of us plays our part, it is God who brings the growth.

Most importantly, please remember that anyone and everyone is welcome at St. Michael & All Angels. Details of services and activities are on our website. Also, the church is open every day, if you want a bit of peace and quiet. We all look forward to seeing what God has in store for us in the months and years ahead. And we look forward to welcoming you sometime soon.

Rev. Helen Peters

Associate Minister

Home: 01494 716772

Mobile: 07792 118357

associate_minister​@hughenden​parish​church.org.uk

Revd Charlie Lloyd-Evans

Do join us at church on Sunday 16th August to welcome Revd Charlie Lloyd-Evans as vicar of Hughenden when she will be celebrating her first Sunday with us, leading all three of the services:

9am Choral Communion
11am Service of the Word
6pm Evensong

August Reflection

Treating Yourself with Kindness: Gentle Reflections on Inner Worth and Healing

Have you ever noticed that the voice we use most often is the one inside our own minds?

It speaks to us throughout the day. Sometimes it encourages us, but often it becomes our harshest critic. We replay mistakes, question our decisions, or expect ourselves to cope without complaint. We offer patience and understanding to those we love, yet struggle to extend that same grace to ourselves.

As we continue our journey of returning to ourselves, this month invites us to consider a simple but important question:

What if we spoke to ourselves with the same kindness we so readily offer to others?

Kindness towards ourselves is not selfish. It is not about lowering our standards or avoiding responsibility. Rather, it is recognising that we are human. We all experience seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow. We all become tired, make mistakes, and sometimes carry burdens that others cannot see.

Jesus reminds us:

"Love your neighbour as yourself." 

Mark 12:31

These familiar words contain an important truth. They assume that we know how to care for ourselves with gentleness as well as caring for others. Healthy compassion flows both outwards and inwards.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can offer ourselves is permission - not permission to give up, but permission to rest. Permission to grieve. Permission to heal. Permission to not have all the answers.

Self-compassion often begins with small changes.

Instead of saying,
"I should have done better,"

we might gently ask,
"What can I learn from this experience?"

Instead of thinking,
"I must keep going no matter what,"

perhaps we could say,
"Today, I need to slow down, and that's okay."

These small shifts may seem insignificant, yet over time they change the way we live. They soften our hearts, quiet our inner critic, and create space for peace.

You may like to reflect on these questions during the coming weeks:

• How do I speak to myself when life becomes difficult?

• Would I use those same words with someone I love?

• What is one small act of kindness I could offer myself today?

Kindness has a remarkable way of growing. The more gently we treat ourselves, the more naturally that gentleness extends to others. It becomes part of the way we listen, forgive, encourage, and love.

As we continue this journey together, may we remember that God's grace is not only something we receive—it is also something we can learn to reflect towards ourselves. And perhaps, in doing so, we begin to discover that healing often starts with the quiet words we choose to speak to our own hearts.

Bea Kiraly

Life on the Farm

Hello, we would like to introduce ourselves. We are Andrew and Astrid Stubbings (father and daughter). Our family has been farming the 600 acres of Bradenham estate for 60 years. First Andrew's father, Peter took on the tenancy in the 60s and Andrew started farming on his own at Bradenham in 2000 when Peter retired and has been since. Astrid studied agriculture at Reading University and came back to start work for Andrew last year.

Over the past year we've been settling into our tenancy at Hughenden and thinking carefully about how we can farm the land while also encouraging more wildlife to thrive alongside us. We wanted to share a little update about happenings around the farm and explain some of the changes people may have noticed.

Arable Fields and Winter Cover

Over the winter, all the arable ground was planted with what's called a cover crop. Instead of leaving the fields bare after harvest, we sowed a mixture of buckwheat, vetch, linseed and phacelia. These plants grow through the colder months and provide several benefits. They help protect the soil from erosion, reduce nutrient leaching during wet weather, and improve soil structure so that the ground copes better with heavy rain and waterlogging.

Just as importantly, they provide valuable habitat for wildlife. The cover crop offers shelter and food for farmland birds and insects at a time of year when resources can be scarce. If you've seen flocks of birds moving around the fields this winter, there's a good chance they've been enjoying this mixture.

This spring, those fields will be planted with spring barley, which will eventually go on to be used for brewing beer. It's always nice to think that what starts life here in the fields may one day end up in a pint somewhere.

When we took on the tenancy last year, one of our aims was to bring more nature back onto the farm. As part of that, we planted a bird seed mix in the field many people will recognise from the sunflowers that bloomed there last summer. This field is part of a three-year rotation designed to provide seed and cover for farmland birds.

Around all the arable fields we have also established 6-metre margins of grasses and wildflowers. These strips provide important habitat for insects, birds and small mammals, while also helping to protect soil and water along the edges of the fields.

Along Coffin Path, we've created an even wider 12-metre strip of wildflowers to provide a rich habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. Over time we hope these areas will become increasingly colourful and full of life.

A small request from us: please try to keep to the paths and avoid walking through these margins. We promise we're not trying to be grumpy farmers, these habitats take time to establish, and repeated trampling can undo a lot of the work very quickly.

The Horses at Hughenden

Many people will also have noticed the horses grazing around the farm. All the horses at Hughenden are polo ponies who come here each year for their six-month holiday away from the polo fields. We look after them for various players while they enjoy some well-earned rest.

One question we're often asked is why the horses don't wear rugs during the winter. The simple answer is that they don't need them. They have a constant supply of food, whether that's grass or hay, and with a full belly and their natural winter coats, they stay perfectly warm.

They're also a very hardy breed, and from a management point of view it's better for us to be able to clearly see the condition of every horse without having to remove rugs. Some people may also have noticed that horses can be quite playful with each other's rugs, which can quickly lead to them being pulled or ripped. Overall, it's much safer for them to go without, and they are very happy as they are.

The horses will leave at the beginning of spring to go back into work and get fit for the upcoming polo season. For anyone who enjoys seeing them in the fields, don't worry, they'll return at the beginning of autumn for their next holiday.

While they're away it also gives the fields time to rest and recover and hopefully develop more wildflowers. To help with this, we use a seed harvester through the local conservation group Chalk, Cherries and Chairs, which collects wildflower seed from local chalk grassland and spreads it onto suitable areas. They have been a huge help with conservation work across both the Bradenham and Hughenden estates.

We're really excited about the changes taking place and look forward to seeing how the farm and its wildlife develop over the coming years. Farming and nature can work hand in hand, and we're doing our best to make Hughenden a place where both can flourish.

Astrid Stubbings

stubbings.manorfarm@gmail.com

First printed in Hughenden News Spring 2026 (reprinted with permission)

Thank You for the Music

Quite appropriately the Hughenden Community Singers’ “Summer Medleys” concert in the Church on 19th June, fell on what had then been the hottest day of the year.

Their numbers grow from year to year and it is clear that they enjoy their singing!

This year’s summer concert was arranged into groups of songs from various popular music artistes. (I was going to write ‘pop stars’, but I don’t think that was the proper ‘genre’ for some of the stars: The Beatles, Oasis, Sinatra, The Carpenters, Elton John, and ABBA.)

The point was that most of the songs were well known to the capacity audience, so – as was intended - they were able to sing-along with gusto. Appropriately, the concert opened with the Beatles’ track: ‘With a Little Help from my Friends’ and finished with ‘Thank you for the Music’ from ABBA. However, following calls of ‘encore’, the choir very enthusiastically sang ‘Happy’ which was loudly applauded.

Sumptuous refreshments provided by the choir were served, and all the donations were shared between the Rennie Grove Hospice and the Historic Churches Trust.

The choir and their ever-smiling conductor Richard Peters are much to be congratulated, both on a hugely enjoyable evening, but also on being part of a great community resource.

Jane Tyrer

Wycliffe Bible Translators

Why Translation Still Changes the World

Imagine opening your Bible next Sunday and discovering it has been replaced with one written entirely in Finnish, Amharic or Korean. The pages are familiar, the names look vaguely recognisable, but the words are a mystery. You might admire the beautiful print, but you would struggle to hear God's voice through it.

For around one in five people across the world, that is not an imaginary exercise. It is everyday reality. They speak a language that still has little or none of the Bible available in the words they use at home, with their children and in their prayers. That is why the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators matters.

The heart of Bible translation is not simply about changing words from one language into another. It is about helping people encounter God through the language that speaks most deeply to their hearts.

As Peter Brassington, who has served with Wycliffe for almost thirty years, writes:

"Bible translation isn't just about overcoming a language barrier."

When people hear or read Scripture in the language they learned as children, the Bible no longer feels like a foreign book. It becomes God's message to them.

Today's translation projects are increasingly led by local Christians themselves, supported by specialists in linguistics, literacy, technology and biblical studies. Wycliffe's role is to work alongside local churches so that communities can receive, understand and use God's Word in ways that are natural to them. It is careful work, sometimes it is slow work, but it is life-changing work.

One of the most encouraging developments in recent years is the pace of progress. Hundreds of languages have received Scripture for the first time in just the last few decades, and translation work is now under way in thousands more. Yet there is still much to do. Millions of people are still waiting to hear God's Word in the language they understand best.

Having the Bible in my language brought me from darkness to light.

Abraham - Gamo speaker, Ethiopia

Behind every statistic is a story:

• A grandmother hearing Jesus' words in her own language for the first time.

• Children discovering Bible stories they can finally understand.

• A pastor preaching from a Bible his whole congregation can follow.

• Churches no longer dependent on another language for worship and teaching.

Translation is never just about producing a book. It is about people encountering Christ.

Peter reflected on this in a blog marking what he calculated to be his 10,000th day serving with Wycliffe. Looking back to when he first became a Christian, he wrote:

"I'd ignored the Bible and dismissed Christianity until I was 20 but when I reached a point that I wanted to know whether it was true it wasn't hard for me to find a Bible and read it for myself. That option wasn't and still isn't open to many people around the world."

For most of us in Britain, that is easy to forget. We may own several Bibles. We can compare translations on our phones, listen while driving or read daily notes over breakfast. Access to Scripture has become almost effortless. For millions of others, hearing God's Word in their own language remains something they are still praying for.

The vision behind Wycliffe is not new. More than six hundred years ago, John Wycliffe believed ordinary people should be able to read the Bible in a language they understood. Today's Wycliffe Bible Translators continues that same vision, partnering with churches across the world so that every community can encounter God's Word in the language of their heart.

Mission Support Group

With permission from Peter Brassington July 2026

brassingtons.wordpress.com

The History Behind Our Grundy Stove

Who was John Grundy?

In last month’s ‘Outlook’ magazine we described how our warm air is created by using a burner to inject a flame into our Victorian stove and chamber (John Grundy Ltd) - see photo below. This month the article is about how the John Grundy stove came to be developed.

John Grundy (1807-1879) was born in Tyldesley near Manchester where he became a grocer and flour trader. He was also a churchwarden at the local Methodist Chapel, known as ‘Top Chapel’ as it was at the top of the street. Both chapel and grocer’s shop were cold, especially for his feet in winter, and he pondered long on how to overcome this ‘discomfiture’.

At last, an idea came to him and he gained permission to experiment on how to heat the chapel utilising the convenient school room below. He developed and installed a revolutionary system of warm-air heating using a stove, flues, chimney and ventilators. This was so successful that in 1859 he set up in business to manufacture and market his heating apparatus, which he later patented. The business flourished and improvements continued to be made, increasing its efficiency and effectiveness, and securing more patents. The Grundy stove was installed in the Church at Hughenden in 1879.

John Grundy’s son, also named John Grundy (1844-1913), took over and expanded the business. In the 1880s, he moved to live in Islington and opened three London offices. The demand for the product increased to the extent that the company set up its own iron foundry in Tyldesley. The heating apparatus became so well-known in the industry that, in 1898, John Grundy Junior became the first president of the newly incorporated ‘Institution of Heating & Ventilating Engineers’ (IHVE) which he had helped to establish with other entrepreneurs producing similar products. By that time, the company could claim to have heated some 3,000 places of worship, including many cathedrals, as well as mansions, other houses, hotels, hospitals, schools, warehouses, factories and workhouses. The firm advertised: “Winter, warmth and comfort — pure warm air”.

John Grundy Junior’s son, Herbert Hamilton Grundy, took over the business and served as IHVE President in 1915. Herbert died in 1932, but the stoves were so well-liked that manufacture continued into the 1970s. Examples can still be found in use today, a history that can be traced back nearly 150 years. John Grundy, the original inventor, is commemorated outside the ‘Top Chapel’ at Tyldesley where the first device was installed.

Pauline Wilkinson

ECO Church Group

Mothers’ Union

150 Years - Join Us, Join In - Lighting the way for generations to come

We were delighted to welcome so many Church members to our service celebrating Mothers’ Union’s 150th anniversary and share with you the activities that take place locally, nationally and worldwide to promote family life and care of parents and children.

The Mothers’ Union was founded by Mary Sumner, a woman of deep faith and determination, to make a difference in the lives of others. We endeavour to follow her example, to be people of faith by listening and acting upon the call of God. Such a simple vision has transcended different generations of all faiths and more across the world. There are now four million members in 84 countries demonstrating faith in action by fighting poverty, injustice and tackling family issues.

A committee member, Ruth Smith, lead the service and was joined by various branch members to talk about the projects we support locally, nationally and worldwide, with other members reading the lesson and leading the prayers.

Ruth gave us an insight into Mary’s practical approach to support the women in her parish in Hampshire with their family life and also to make the men aware of the value of this work. Over the 150 years there have been many changes in our lives that have needed embracing; the major change is how inclusive Mothers’ Union has become, open to women and men regardless of whether they are parents, and open to anyone who has been baptised. Locally we have a presence in Baptism and Wedding Services, introducing ourselves as being on hand to support family life. Over 50 years we have helped campaigns to raise the marriage age for girls from 12 to 16 years old, the Family Allowance Act, flexible working hours and reaching out to men by sponsoring parenting groups. Domestic Abuse and Modern Slavery campaigns have also had our support. More recent times have seen us supporting Food Banks and their outreach as they have sadly become so necessary. Last month we enjoyed inviting the One Can Toddlers’ Group to join the Teddy Bears’ Picnic that our branch organises annually for our church toddlers.

For some years we have given support to Wycombe Women's Refuge by providing toiletries especially remembering them at Christmas time. Toiletries are also provided by all the branches in the Diocese for the Ronald Macdonald House at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. This house is a hostel for parents of sick children in the hospital; parents have often arrived in a rush and have nothing with them.

The Oxford Diocese has been supporting prison work by providing cards for prisoners’ use at Christmas time and recently by becoming involved with Children Heard and Seen. This charity supports families with a parent in prison by holding family days/weekend gatherings. The families are very appreciative of our presence. Another area of providing help for struggling families is covered by Away from it All holidays. This is mainly for families who have not had a recent holiday. This charity has arrangements with holiday centres, usually by the sea, for families to have much needed breaks. The scope of this charity has been extended to cover day excursions and days out. Please speak to one of us if you know of anyone whom we can help in this way.

Members all around the Diocese knit baby and toddlers’ clothes for different charities. Some of our members delight in knitting Christmas stockings and Easter chicks, filled with chocolates, to be given out to toddlers’ groups in our Church and local area.

Our branch holds coffee mornings and organises a Ploughman’s Lunch during the year to raise funds to support the different projects. We send money to the Diocese and also to Global Funds for overseas work, one of the main ones being the Literacy fund. This Fund has helped so many women, particularly in Africa, to educate themselves and become income providers to support their families, often when the fathers have vanished. The membership in Africa has grown rapidly and continues to do so.

A recent Diocesan Grant has been set up, Mission Unlimited, whereby a branch can apply for a grant to help a new project within their church or branch. Here at Hughenden, we were delighted to receive a grant to help our Youth Minister, Chris, buy sound and other equipment for Lighthouse Live.

As part of the service our members spoke of having had a mother, grandmother or Godmother who had been a committed member and lived their lives by showing faith in action. Our members spoke with faith and passion and conveyed the caring aspect of Mothers’ Union. After the service branch members served a celebration cake made by Sylvia Clark; it was delicious!

Rev. Helen Peters thanked everyone for their participation. Helen has always been extremely supportive of our branch and aims, and we were delighted to hear that after fifteen years of being involved with us, she has decided to join us! We are always pleased to welcome visitors to our meetings and events.

We look forward to seeing you at future events, the next one being a Coffee morning to raise money to support the Away from it All holidays. This will take place on Tuesday, 4th August from 10.00 am to 12 noon.

Barbara Willson

Mothers’ Union

Ploughman’s Lunch

Once again this event, masterminded by Elizabeth Carless with help from her family and MU members, proved very successful. It was held on 7th July, one of the heatwave’s hottest days, but the 65 people who enjoyed the delicious ham, cheese and salad lunch, followed by mouthwatering home-made cakes, found shade either inside Church House itself or in the large tent or gazebo in the MU Garden.

A big thank you goes to Elizabeth and her family and to all those who helped, including husbands of MU members, churchwardens, church members and the Scouts who provided the big tent. Including the raffle, the wonderful sum of £600 was raised for MU charities.

Sylvia Clark

Joining the Mothers’ Union

If you are interested in learning more about the Mothers’ Union, information can be found on the MU Website, www.mothersunion.org or on the Diocesan Website www.muoxford.org.

However, if you would like to know more about our Branch Membership here at Hughenden, do come along to a meeting and talk to the members. Visitors are always welcome. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month from 2.00 pm to about 4.00 pm in Church House. We usually have a visiting speaker and then enjoy a chat with that person and with one another over tea and biscuits.

In September we are having a talk by Shelterbox, an international organisation which takes emergency shelter to disaster areas; in October Neil Brice will be giving an organ recital and in November, Christopher Tyrer’s subject is ‘A Life in the Law’. In December we have an Advent Service in church, followed by mince pies and mulled wine. Fundraising coffee mornings are held three times a year and Barbara Willson’s report preceding this article gives an idea of other areas in which the Mothers’ Union is involved.

If you are not near a local branch, but you would like to support Mothers’ Union, there is a Diocesan Membership. You would receive all the information of a branch member (including our magazine ‘Focus’) plus various invitations to MU events and you would have a dedicated contact.

Lastly, there is the Prayer Fellowship which is for people who prefer to be close to home but wish to have the link to MU. They receive all MU communications, both through the post and online and have a personal correspondent.

Do not be put off by the name ‘Mothers’ Union’. Mothers, fathers and anyone interested in the work we do can become a member. Marriage or parenthood is not necessary - we are not exclusive!

The cost of membership for 2026 was £39.

For further information our contact is: Louise Stallwood, 

Tel: 01494 712705; email: louisemstallwood@sky.com.

Have you visited …

… All Saints’ Church, Buckland?

This, comparatively unknown, church and the parish that it serves is to be found east of Aylesbury, adjacent to Aston Clinton and near the Lower Icknield Way. It is not a church steeped in history because of its importance but as a place of worship in a small village that has defied the passing of time and continues to minister to its local flock. It is clear that it is well cared for and loved by those who are now custodians of it.

There are traces of community life there since the Romans, who left their coinage to be found in the village centre and the Danes who built a camp nearby. The parish features in the Domesday Book 1086, the small, probably wooden, church being part of the See of Dorchester until 1067, when it was transferred to the See of Lincoln.

The people of Buckland generally just got on with their lives. Well known families came and went, a large Manor House was built but only survives, if survive is the right description, as ruins in the local moat. The inevitable scandal is recorded: one Rosamund Clifford was mistress to King Henry II and lived locally.

In 1273, it was decided to build a parish church. It was basic: a central aisle, with oak roof timbers, the nave separated from the aisle, with a capacity for 100 congregation.

The first incumbent was presented in early 1284 but it was not a successful appointment, as Robert de Thame left the benefice (it was then joined to Bierton and Quarrenden, with Stoke and Buckland) shortly after his appointment. Later the same year another appointment was more successful. With a clerical appointment secured, the church was dedicated to All Saints.

So, the history records the fluctuating fortunes of both church and population: good and less good appointments, good and less good parishioners who supported. The church became dilapidated until a particular incumbent came to “serve.”

I write “serve” because he seems to have been a mixed blessing. The Revd Edward Bonus was not as complete a bonus as was our Canon Blagden and the Searight family. The Revd Edward Bonus was a wealthy man, but he was also a vain and proud man. He created a crest, built a Manor House, insisted that everyone attend his services “or else” (what the “or else” meant is not recorded). He did not actually reside in the parish but in Hulcott, nearby and spent many weeks abroad, when he locked the church. He gave – he would say generously – what is described as a hideous chalice and patten, which he designed himself, to be used instead of the delicate Elizabethan ones that were available. He then built a Vicarage which offended his flock and then fenced off a village pond into his own garden. He then – more beneficially – built the village school.

Unsurprisingly, when he died, a large brass plaque appeared, praising his virtues. Undoubtedly, he did good works, but not with the simplicity, modesty and humility with which these attributes are usually accompanied. Still, like St Michael & All Angels after the Blagden and Searight families passed on, Buckland Parish Church stands today as the Revd Edward Bonus left it.

As is so often the case, the First and Second World Wars left their devastating mark on the parish and its families. Most of the young males that left for the trenches in World War I, did not return. Those who did had to live with their memories. In the Second World War, history repeated itself. As Hegel remarked, “The only thing that we learn from history is that we learn nothing.”

In 2034, All Saints’ Buckland will celebrate 750 years of worship. Now part of the See of Oxford, since about 1934, as well as being in a benefice alongside Aston Clinton, with St Leonard’s and Cholesbury, its life of quiet worship and welcoming atmosphere await the interested pilgrim.

Christopher Tyrer

Octavia Hill

Social Reformer and co-founder of National Trust who is remembered on the anniversary of her death - 13th August

The urgent need for decent, affordable housing is a hot topic these days.

It was an even more urgent need in Victorian London, where the homes of the poor were tiny, cold, damp, and infested with lice and vermin. Water came from an outside pump, and filthy outside toilets were shared with several dozen neighbours. Stoves were rare; most people ate cold meals. Labourers lived 22 years on average; more than half of all babies died before their first birthday.

Into this festering mess of disease and misery came Octavia Hill in 1852. She was determined to make a difference, and she did. Octavia was well qualified for the job: though her family in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire were comfortably off, they had a passionate interest in social change. Her grandfather, Thomas Southwood Smith, was a national authority on sanitation and housing. Her father, a corn merchant and banker, worked hard for prison reform. Her mother managed a Christian Socialist co-operative in London, where the young Octavia met John Ruskin, and other notable figures with a passion for social change.

Once in London, Octavia began her first job, that of teaching poor children to make toys. It gave her grim first-hand experience of the horrors of life of the very poor. By 1856 Octavia was helping run classes for women at the Working Men’s College in Great Ormond Street, and she and her sisters also started a school for very poor children.

But what really grabbed Octavia’s compassionate heart was the housing crisis. By 1864, with the help and advice of John Ruskin, she had launched a business scheme for improving Victorian housing in London. Gradually her scheme and experience expanded, until a breakthrough came in 1884, when the Ecclesiastical Commissioners handed her a large part of their portfolio of properties to manage in Southwark. As the years went by, Octavia’s help and advice were often sought in connection with promoting social reform by legislation, though her heart was always in the voluntary sector.

We all want quiet. We all want beauty … we all need space.

a quote by Octavia Hill

It has been said of Octavia that her Christian faith made her seek “to make life on earth as positive an experience as possible, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged.”

But today Octavia is remembered most for something surprisingly different: her joint initiative with Canon H D Rawnsley and Sir Robert Hunter in founding the National Trust in 1895. It has become Britain’s leading charitable organisation for preserving historical buildings and places of natural beauty.

Octavia’s national fame never affected her – she lived quietly with her sisters in Marylebone Road until her death on 13th August 1912.

From the Parish Pump

God in the Sciences

Parable: The Strength of a Seed

At this time of year, we enjoy the fruits of our gardens, fields and hedgerows: vegetables ripen, crops are harvested, and berries begin to show bright among the leaves. Much of this growth started with a few seeds in spring: the miracle of life coming from small dead-looking things. There is a league table of long-lived seeds. The winners so far are from the narrow-leafed campion, buried by squirrels in the Siberian permafrost over 30,000 years ago. When those seeds finally germinated, they became healthy plants that flowered and produced seeds of their own.

The Bible contains many links between seeds and spiritual growth, and the parable of the sower is the most famous (in Matthew 13). A person may hear or experience something of God which has the potential to germinate into a life of following Him, resulting in the fruit of others coming to know God too. But things can happen that snatch that seed away, killing it before it has finished germinating, or choking its growth.

What about the knowledge of God that gets trampled, churned too deep in the mire of life to receive the warmth and light it needs to develop into faith? Buried seeds don’t always die, but they can lie dormant, remaining alive but inactive until the earth is turned over. The possibility of that moment of connecting with something divine, scrap of knowledge, or snatch of conversation resulting in a changed life may seem infinitesimally small, but it’s not zero. The seed may be incredibly tough, just waiting for a chance to grow.

The Gospel narrative plays on the fact that it took a long time for the disciples to understand the full implications of Jesus’ teaching: a germination process that took many of them three or more years. They could have been discouraged, but Jesus was not. I don’t think it’s too much of stretch to draw out of the parable of the sower to include the observation that it can take a long time, sometimes decades, for people to work their way through the various barriers, sticking points, and phases of forgetfulness that may keep them from following through on their spiritual experience. When we finally receive – or are open to – the encouragement, challenge, or experience that helps our faith in Christ grow, we can experience the rich fruit of a transformed life.

Dr Ruth M Bancewicz

From the Parish Pump

This series is written by Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, who is Church Engagement Director at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge. Ruth writes on the positive relationship between Science and Christian faith. 

Nature Note

Paul links our salvation to creation in general, so that despite Adam and Eve’s choice to sin that dragged creation with us to death and decay, there is a glorious future for creation alongside us that God has prepared.

Let’s get one thing clear; we are part of creation, not separate from it (Genesis 1 and 2) and having been commissioned by God to have dominion over the rest of nature it’s important to understand our relationship with creation.

Dominion means ruling, ordering and caring for nature in order to gain the ends we require. Farming gives us our main needs, also quarrying and mining for materials used to fashion tools, jewellery, medicines etc. Notice that dominion doesn’t mean ignorant exploitation with no care for the consequences, but understanding the methods we use and the effect on the environment.

We live in an age where mankind has developed awesome powers on an industrial scale that can wreak havoc on the world and desolation if we don’t take care. Let me give you a couple of examples of folk devoted to the health and well-being of our planet and its beautiful nature.

The USA had more or less wiped out its native beavers by the early 20th century, for their pelts and the fact that they were a nuisance as more and more towns were developed, usually along river banks.

But a growing awareness of the loss of one of their iconic species helped start a move to protect them and, if they were too close to human settlements, relocate them to wilderness areas.

In 1948, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game successfully parachuted 76 "nuisance" beavers into central Idaho's remote Chamberlain Basin to resolve property disputes.

Not much thought as to the effect of this action took place, but the Fish and Game Wardens have now confirmed, 80 years later, that the arid, almost treeless area that they were released into is now restored to its green, almost lush vegetation leading to forests and with multiple meandering streams merging at beaver pools. Insects, small mammals, fish, plants, birds all doing their thing.

Puente Hills is the largest landfill (rubbish dump!) in American history. Located just outside Los Angeles, when it closed it covered 700 acres with a covering of 500 feet of rubbish. 12,000 tons of rubbish a day were being dumped at its peak. So what turned up at the site? You guessed it, your friend and mine, Mr. Rat and his mates, millions of them.

And what feeds on them? Cats, feral cats, somewhere close to 3,000 of them. The local authorities spent $100 million per year on rodent control, to little effect.

Then in the last decade or so the numbers of rats and cats started dropping. The reason is an animal that the US government declared war on in the 1930s - the coyote.

From the late 40s to the mid-50s around 6.5 million coyotes were killed. The US authorities have spent at least $1 billion to achieve its extinction. But coyote numbers are larger than ever, because of two responses:

Firstly: A breeding response. Coyotes operate as a loose pack which leaves breeding to an alpha pair and subordinate females have their oestrus cycles suppressed. Under hunting stress those females are released and reproduce from a younger age with bigger litters and the population numbers rebound quickly.

Secondly: Dispersal. Under stress the animals wander, moving to areas with none or few coyotes. They used to be a north-western animal, but no more. Now they range as far south as Panama and east to Chicago.

So Los Angeles is benefitting from its erstwhile enemy. Coyotes eat mainly human-originating food, (80% or more) with, in the case of LA, approaching 20% of cats; rats are more a snack than a serious meal, but the effect is startling.

Nature is robust but needs our helping hand to undo our mistakes and mischief. Let’s do our best to help look after this beautiful world!

Mike Bevan

Bookends

Stealing Dad - Sofka Zinovieff / Exposure - Helen Dunmore

I love the programme Private Passions which is on Radio 3 at midday each Sunday. It is like Desert Island Discs but with more classical music than pop. The presenter is the composer Michael Berkeley who does an exemplary job interviewing the many very different people who come on his programme. There are some musicians but also lots of scientists, politicians, writers, artists, doctors etc. They are always interesting, sometimes fascinating and occasionally I am forced to stand quite still in the kitchen, stop preparing the Sunday lunch and focus entirely on what is being said.

Sofka Zinovieff is a writer of Greek heritage of whom I had never heard but later that particular Sunday I looked her up and quickly bought her latest book: ‘Stealing Dad.’ She had impressed upon Michael Berkeley that this novel was not autobiographical… but, well, some of it obviously was inspired by her own life. The child of a dysfunctional family, with a large variety of steps and halves, when her father died all the children were forbidden to attend his funeral.

Zinovieff takes this scenario and places it in the centre of her novel and then lets her imagination run riot. Who ‘owns’ a dead body? What are the rules and laws involved here? Funerals can be strange occasions; they are about the person who has died but surely they are for those left behind. Frequently they can be positive occasions, celebrating a life well lived and bringing together family members who may not meet often.

This book reminded me of another novel I read recently: ‘Homemade God’ by Rachel Joyce. Both have families with strange dynamics, and funerals where children appear to be left out of the picture. The resolutions to the story conflicts are different though, as of course is each family. As far as I can see there is only one other novel available by Sofka Zinovieff: Putney. I am very tempted.

And then there is ‘Exposure’ by Helen Dunmore who sadly died far too young in 2017. She left behind several volumes of poetry and a dozen excellent novels. Some writers place themselves firmly within a particular genre but others, like Helen Dunmore, find interest in a wide variety of subjects and settings. I have read her earliest offering ‘Zennor in Darkness’ and her last book ‘Birdcage Walk’ but I enjoyed ‘Exposure’ by far the most. The suspense created was such that I left the last couple of chapters until I was sure I would not be disturbed. I really did not know how the story would end.

The story is set in 1960 and Helen Dunmore correctly paints this picture in the drab colours of the 1950s. The sixties took several years to actually arrive! We are deep in the Cold War and suspicion of Russians and Germans was rife, indeed of anyone with a ‘foreign’ accent from Eastern Europe, then of course the Soviet Bloc.

All seems well in suburban Muswell Hill until a phone call begins the process of disintegration. Simon Callington finds his past racing up to meet him and threatening the safe, comfortable life that he felt was impregnable. There are secrets involved here and decisions have to be made: what to tell the children, how much should he share with his wife and in the end what is it better to leave unsaid, undiscussed, for everyone’s sake.

The plot is very similar to that of ‘The Railway Children’ by EE Nesbit, although Helen Dunmore has the freedom to use very adult material. In both cases the endings were so well written and emotionally tight that I was almost in tears.

Strong stuff … and great reading.

Enjoy your books,

Susan Brice

August Recipe

Raspberry and Feta Filo Cheesecake

This is a sort of deconstructed ‘do it yourself dessert’ that disappears very quickly! Cheesecake is always a popular dessert but often once made, doesn’t always get completely finished.

This dessert can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for a number of days, without the base on it going soggy. It is quite a light cheesecake and this amount will serve 6-8. I haven’t tried it, but you could easily use other fruits like mango and passion fruit or peaches, a good idea for my house this year as the raspberries have not responded well to the weather and are not good at all.

Julia Grant

From the Potting Shed

I always think my garden looks at its best in the last week of May. By August it can be feeling a little tired and Gardeners’ World starts suggesting ways to perk things up and keep the summer plants going.

It would help if I remembered to feed them, that’s what my hubby says if I moan … and he’s right of course. The fashionable choice seems to be a seaweed-based feed but I always go for a tomato feed. I remember reading that when we plant bedding plants in new compost we are giving them nutrients that will last for six weeks. By August those plants will be longing for more food to keep them bright and happy at least until the middle of September. Anyway, the cosmos and the crocosmia are lovely and the Japanese anemones of course.

Enjoy your children and grandchildren this August. Ruby and I are making plans.

Happy holidays my dears,

Yours

Cecily MacGregor