Focal Point, October 2010

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Welcome

his is a lovely time of the year – crisp mornings, long autumn walks and the celebration of Harvest. I am sure St Mary‟s will look as beautiful as it always does for the festival on the 17th and you are invited to help decorate the church (see page 7). There will be a special lunch after the service – Barbara Merritt has details of in her column. So what do we have for you this month? On page 3, Dr Peter Moffitt writes a thoughtful piece in response to Stephen Hawking‟s assertion that God did not create the Universe. Organiser Ann Willis reports on the successful medieval fete (page 10) which was opened by author and agony aunt Bel Mooney who recently moved to Bitton. The fete raised an amazing £5,600 for St Mary‟s. And Bel is kindly giving a talk at the church about her life in the media. It‟s on the 1st of the month and will be raising funds for St Mary‟s. Hopefully most of you will have this delivered in time to buy your ticket! They cost £8.50 and are available from Carol Shore on 932 4183. Robin Dudley-Warde, who was runner-up in a national TV cookery competition over the summer, starts a new column this month in which he shares his favourite recipes with us. And don‟t forget to cut out your coupon on page 13 and take it along to the AGM of Bitton Village Residents‟ Association on Wednesday, October 13 when you can swap it for a free glass of wine or soft drink! There‟ll be up-to-date information on the plans to build houses and a care home on the old Golden Valley Mill site, plus other issues affecting Bitton. The BRVA has been working very hard to come up with a scheme in keeping with our conservation village. See you there! Becky 1

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An open letter to God

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haven‟t said thank you today. I didn‟t say it yesterday. Or last week. Or last... no maybe I did actually say thank you last month when I found my house keys and credit card wallet. It was a short prayer I must admit - but those two words were said with such feeling I am sure they were worth more than a long prayer full of flowery embellishments. But I haven‟t said thank you today. I am so busy complaining about all woes in my life I haven‟t even once thought of a blessing – my friend who phoned me, the neighbour who watered my beans when I was away, that great TV programme, that lovely dinner with friends. I have been so busy pestering you to know how will the next thing work out that I forget to smile at you for the „here and now‟, just today, this place, these people with me. I have been so busy railing at you for not reaching down and literally physically stopping things from happening, like that car crash last week, the floods in Pakistan, my friend‟s illness, that I have forgotten to thank you for knowing what its like to suffer, to watch suffering. And I most definitely forget to thank you for the compassion, comfort and consolation you have enabled us to offer to those who are in pain and sorrow. I suspect you have only been thanked occasionally for the ultimate healing of death, though most of us have given you earache about losing people, or indeed about the length of time it is taking someone to die! I apologise in advance, God, for the times in the future I will do THAT very thing! And I still haven‟t said thank you today. For the food of breakfast, the shelter of home, the knowledge I am loved and can love in return, the anticipation of something later on, for the joy of tiredness after a day well spent, for the aches that show I am still alive, and the ones that draw me into sympathy with others! 2

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I wonder what you‟d do if we returned, like the leper, just this once turned our bag of asks into „thank you‟? Would your jaw drop, as Jesus‟ did? Would your heart be filled with love and joy at the unexpected as His was? Well…. My thank you is that you love us anyway, and continue to care for us, despite our ingratitude and our neglect of you, our doubts, our antipathy, our apathy. So thank you. Best wishes and love Maria Shepherdson Curate

Did He, or did He not, create?

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he Times newspaper, on September 2, bore the front page headline „God did not create the Universe‟, writes Dr Peter Moffitt. The article quoted from the latest book by the famous physicist Stephen Hawking. It looks as if Professor Hawking felt obliged to make this questionable assertion because in an earlier bestseller he wrote that when we discovered the ToE (Theory of Everything) we would know the mind of God – a light-hearted thought that to me, at least, range a very distinct bell. Whatever emerges from a wonderful edition of Eureka, the colour magazine that comes free with The Times, it seems to me that we are by no means close to this ToE! Suddenly (suddenly to me anyway) we are persuaded that a belief in multiple universes („multiverses‟ if you please) is necessary before we can contemplate the Theory of Everything, a goal that theorists and physicists have been seeking for decades. My brother, who died at the age of 33, while Associate Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University, talked to me about this in the 1950s, and I guess he is having a celestial 3

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giggle right now about present claims that the discovery of the ToE Is imminent. Don‟t confuse Stephen Hawking, a brilliant scientist who has miraculously braved neurological illness, with Richard Dawkins, who spends his time looking like a losing tennis player as he condemns most religions, conveniently picking on the extremists among them, whom most of us would gladly condemn. So, much respected as Stephen Hawking is as a physicist, and a very brave human being, he has plenty of right to question a celestial creator, but he has no convincing reasons to prove your faith to be baseless. Nevertheless, he has plenty of ammunition to question your reasoning, or your apparent proof of the existence of God. I would strongly recommend that we continue our life, our faith and our practices as they are. But it will do us no harm at all to learn a bit more about science. That process seems to increase my faith, far from destroying it.

Our churches and services UPTON CHEYNEY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH Elder: Muriel Williams

 0117 961 6843

3pm Sunday services for October 3rd 10th 17th 24th 31st

No service Mrs J Gill Mr G Wood Local arrangement No service 4

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ST MARY’S CHURCH Vicar: The Rev Canon Paul Denyer The Vicarage, Church Avenue, Warmley, BS30 5JJ

 0117 967 3965

Curate: The Rev Maria Shepherdson 25 Poplar Rd, Warmley, BS30 5JX

 0117 960 8442

Lay ministers: Mr Ken Gibson, 8 Church Road, Bitton, BS30 6HH

 0117 932 2122

Dr David Bailey, Westover House, Bitton, BS30 6HT

 0117 932 8449

Churchwardens: Miss Barbara Merritt 32 Bath Road, Bitton BS30 6HZ

 0117 932 3926

Mr Jim Heavens, Eastover, High Street, Bitton

 0117 932 5376

Baptism Inquiries: Mrs Jean Gray

 0117 967 2964

Marriage and funeral inquiries:

To the vicar

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St Mary’s services for October Sunday, October 3

10.30am

Parish Communion

Thursday, October 7

9.30am

Celtic Communion followed by coffee and cake

Sunday, October 10

8am

Holy Communion

10.30am

Morning Prayer

10.30am

Sunday Funday in the church hall

10.30am

HARVEST FESTIVAL Family parade service followed by Harvest Home lunch in the church hall

6.30pm

Evensong sung by The Ammonites

8am

Holy Communion

10.30am

Morning Prayer with a speaker from the Bible Society

8am

Holy Communion

10.30am

Family Communion

Sunday, October 17

Sunday, October 24

Sunday, October 31

Lunch date Join us for lunch on Sunday, October 17 at noon in the church hall. Tickets are £5 for adults, £3 for under-14s. 6

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Sunday school Pathfinders is for those aged 10 and over Explorers is for 7 to 10-year-olds Come to the church at 10.30am Sunday Funday is for 3-7-year-olds Meet in the church hall on the second Sunday of the month

Coffee morning A coffee morning, with sale of Christmas cards, will be held on Thursday, October 7 in aid of the Home Farm Trust at 8 Church Road, Bitton, from 10.30am to noon. There will be a bring and buy sale and a raffle too.

October’s flower rota October 2nd October 9th October 16th October 23rd October 30th

Pam Heyes Marlene Gallop Harvest Maureen Perrett Jean Hook

Decorating St Mary’s for Harvest Harvest time is here again and we will be decorating the church on Saturday, October 16 from 9.30am. Anyone willing to help will be most welcome. We always need lots of foliage so all contributions will be gratefully received and can be left on Friday afternoon or early on Saturday. Karen Smith 7

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St Mary’s Matters

ell, the fete is over for another year, and now it feels as if summer is coming to an end as well. We were very lucky with the weather with only one tiny shower this year – not enough to distract people who were there, and St Mary‟s is very grateful to everyone who put in so much hard work and gave us such a splendid day. Our thanks go to Ann Willis for masterminding the occasion so successfully. As Old Mr Grace in Are You Being Served? would have said: „You‟ve all done very well!‟ „All is safely gathered in‟, goes the hymn, and in Bitton, liking to make sure of this, we hold our Harvest Festival a bit later than most. Not for us the situation where a farmer sitting in a pew jumps up and shouts: „No, half my harvest is still waiting to be gathered in!‟ The festival is on Sunday, October 17, with the Harvest Family Service at 10.30am when people are invited to bring gifts of fruit or vegetables for distribution round the village, or tins of soup for the Bristol Soup Run which feeds the homeless people in Bristol every night. Following the service there will be a Harvest Home Lunch in the church hall from noon. Tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for the under-14s. In the evening Evensong will be led by The Ammonites. The 1662 Prayer Book says “to give thanks at all times is our duty and our joy” and this time of year it is appropriate to give thanks, even if only for a Gro-bag of tomatoes, and our duty to pray for those who have to subsist on what they can grow. On the weekend of September 11 people all over the country were „Riding and Striding‟ to raise money for the Historic Churches Trust, which has been very generous to Bitton during the Living Stones‟ Appeal. For this cause we walked or scooted and hope to have raised a good sum as a thank you. Barbara Merritt Churchwarden 8

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Peace for Palestine As part of the benefice efforts to support „A Just Peace for Palestine‟, uniting Christians, Jews and Muslims in prayer support and action, members of the Bitton community are invited to pray for specific people, areas and projects. Carol Shore is co-ordinating the prayer support. We have all been asked to pray: For the continuation of peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians That permission will be granted for John Carlock, director of the Lighthouse School in Gaza, to travel there. Having been refused entry through Israel he is now living in Egypt and applying through the USA and Egyptian consulates to travel into Gaza through Rafah (the Egyptian-Gaza border crossing) Pray for missionaries and humanitarian workers in Israel and Palestine that their three-month visas will be renewed and extended so that they can continue to serve God and help the people in the land. Give thanks that two Church Missionary Society workers from the Bristol area, Jane and Peter Nott, have settled in well to supporting the Anglican Church and the Christian mission of a hospital in Nazareth and their visas have been renewed for a further year.

From the parish register August 28 The marriage of Steven Marsh and Michelle Munday August 29 The baptism of Samuel Tuck September 5 The baptism of William Smith and Lucas Payne 9

Focal Point, October 2010

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Oh what a fete!

he date is always the first Saturday in September. The date we at St Mary‟s celebrate our Patronal Festival. On the day many people worked their socks off to prepare their stalls - miles of books ready for the book stall, bargains galore piled up on the white elephant stall, a myriad of bottles standing proudly on the bottle stall, cakes of all shapes and sizes waiting to be bought on the cake stall, and neatly arranged tea cups waiting silently in the church. From Manor Farm, Upton Cheyney, came the coconut shy, from Beach the skittles were collected, from Oldland the boules appeared, as did Oldland Brass, while at Church Farm, the annual cream teas were prepared. All these things plus many others are the ingredients of a good fete. This year our fete was opened by Bel Mooney, famous agony aunt of the Daily Mail, Bel reminding us that villages have held such events for hundreds of years. It seems fitting to name some of the major players of the day – Richard Humphrey manned the loudspeaker, reminding us of where we needed to be to make the most of the afternoon! John Evans appointed the Lord and Lady of the Fete, and Joyce Cooper judged the children‟s art competition. The Melanie Holley Dancers entertained us superbly. Brian Chappill was our treasurer for the third year, for which we are very grateful. The „Heavy Gang‟ did a brilliant job erecting the marquees and then whisking them away at the end of the afternoon. BUT, where would we be without all those who came and enjoyed our second medieval fete. We made £5,600 for church funds, so thank you everyone. Next year come in costume and help us celebrate in style! Ann Willis PS. If you haven’t already got a ticket to hear Bel Mooney talk about her life in the media at St Mary’s on October 1, call 932 4183 10

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A new sporting hero

t is normally by perusing the back pages of the newspapers that I find my sporting heroes but for this month‟s article I‟ve found one on our doorstep in Bitton. Dr David Bailey, lay minister at St Mary‟s, who turned 60 this year, was persuaded by his sons to mark the event by taking part in a bike ride across the Pyrenees from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean. Stephanie, his wife, was reassured by his willingness to train hard, cycling on his days off between 60 to 100 miles around the hillsides of Upton Cheyney, Lansdown, North Stoke and Swineford. The ride, which would take four-and-a-half days, was from Hendage to Cerbere covered 720 Kilometres through France and Spain and took in 18 cols, or summits, of which Tourmalet was the highest at 2,100 metres. On Day 1 David and his son Joe met up with the 10 other participants who included the MD of Everton Football Club! Day 2 was the worst when, after the Col d‟Aubisque and the mighty Tourmalet, the Col d‟ Aspin was almost a hill too far, having been 12 hours continuously in the saddle for over 120 miles. Other lows included wearing the same clothes for three days without being able to wash them and the mind-numbing stretches with no bends. But après-cycling each evening was a riot, involving beer, shower, meal, much laughter and bed, and finally, on Day 6 and 7, the delights of Barcelona. David admits he found the ride exciting and invigorating. And yes, he would do a similar ride in the future! From the comfort of the sports desk I offer them all my heartiest congratulations. Rovi Retsoc 11

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In the kitchen with Robin Every month our local ‘celebrity chef’ Robin Dudley-Warde, who found fame on GMTV this summer, will bring us one of his favourite recipes, and recommend a wine to complement it

Writes Robin: Last month you read in Focal Point how I set sail seeking gastronomic enlightenment. I won my place on the ship with a recipe for Lamb Koftes. Here is the recipe, not the original, but an improved version which came about under the tutelage of Rosemary Schrager. She told me to get rid of ‘the rubbish’ (I had apricots and dates in my original) and return to the classics… You will need: Some bamboo (soak them first) or metal skewers 500gms of lamb mince ½ tablespoon of coriander seeds (or powder) ½ tablespoon of cumin seeds (or powder) a shallot, finely chopped a clove of garlic, finely chopped a bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint 1 beaten egg yolk Salt & pepper Let’s cook!: 1. Bung the lamb into a mixing bowl. Roast off the seeds in a pan, then grind them up with a mortar and pestle. 2. Fry off the shallot, garlic, and bird’s eye chilli in a little olive oil without browning – just reduce the moisture. Add the ground roasted seeds – savour the aroma. You will create a paste. Add it to the lamb. 12

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3. 4. 5. 6.

Add the mint and egg, salt and pepper – and mix thoroughly. I get my well-scrubbed hand in there to thoroughly mix. Take a small bit of the mixture a cook it off to taste and check for seasoning. Yum yum. Divide the mixture into at least eight portions, and form them onto the skewers. Damp your hands with cold water – you’ll find it easier to form the sausage shape. And there you have them. BBQ, pan fry, grill, or bake, the choice is yours. Enjoy them with pitta bread, and tzatziki, if a Greek night or, cacik if you prefer Turkish.

See them being tasted at http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=uaTiSYaisbM

ROBIN’S WINE TIP

Wash them down with some red wine from the eastern Mediterranean, such as Lebanese Chateau Musar

FREE DRINK WITH THIS VOUCHER! The Annual General Meeting of Bitton Village Residents’ Association is on Wednesday, October 13 at 8.15pm in the church hall in Church Lane. Cut out this voucher and bring it along to the meeting and you will get a free glass of wine or soft drink.

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Beekeeping with Brenda

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mild September day; golden sunshine filters through overhead branches. I sit and watch as the bees clamour to get back into their hives, back legs packed with pollen, some a light yellow, but mostly the bees are carrying thick wads of bright orange in their pollen baskets. This latter is identified on my pollen chart as dandelion. I took off the honey harvest three weeks ago and the bees are now restocking, preparing for their long winter hibernation. Both warmth and moisture are required for blossoms to secrete nectar which we have in abundance this autumn, and the bees need the warm windless days for their army of foragers to be able to fly. The supers were full and heavy when I removed them; supers are shallow wooden boxes containing frames which the beekeeper puts above the brood chamber for the bees to store excess honey. The kitchen has been transformed into a honey extracting room. I first gently melt the wax cappings covering the honey. These uncapped frames of honey are then put into a centrifugal extractor; a large circular plastic container about the size of an oil drum. Each frame fits into a slot around the edge of the extractor tank. I turn the handle and the honey spins off, sliding down the sides of the tank. When most of the honey has been spun out, I reverse the frames so that I can spin the honey off the other side. A time-consuming business but rewarding and enjoyable. Quite a lot of honey is left on the frames. I return the sticky frames to their original hives at around dusk so the bees can clean them out. They will store this reclaimed honey in their brood chamber where it becomes the nucleus of their winter provisions. 14

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I have to work quickly putting back the sticky frames as it can make the bees irritable having their hives taken apart yet again, so this job needs two people, one to lift the roof and the other to put back the frames. I replace three frames on the first hive. Whilst working with the second hive I wonder at so many bees close to my face and realise with a shock that although I have put on boots, gloves and beesuit, I have forgotten to cover my head. My bees are exceptionally peaceable and gentle, I muse, as I zip on my hood. Back in the kitchen I filter the spun honey; a beautiful, pale golden-green nectar with a gentle, distinctive aroma, tasting light and flowery, harvested from the overarching lime tree. I pot up a dozen jars and label them; ready to give to friends and family, with a couple for the Bitton church fete.

A new school year A new year has started at The Meadows, with pupils arriving back at school to discover that „aliens‟ had landed and their field has been cordoned off by the police – all part of this term‟s exciting topic about space! The school has a wonderful new music trail in the grounds, and welcomes several new members of staff this term. The Meadows is keen to recruit community governors – see the advert in this edition of Focal Point for more information.

Tea Club The Tea Club’s next gathering is on Tuesday, October 5 when Christine Humphrey talks about teaching children with special needs. On Tuesday, October 19 Bob Willis shows us slides of his trip to Sicily. 15

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In the garden with Rob

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eaders of this article may have noticed over the past months that our native horse chestnut trees seem to have suffered from leaf discolouration, and I have been asked by several people what is causing this. After some internet research, I can tell you that although there are several pests and diseases that can affect the horse chestnut, the brown discolouration is down to Cameraria ohridella - horse chestnut leaf miner to you and I. This is a relatively new pest to the UK, the first case being discovered in Wimbledon in 2002. Originating from Macedonia, it is spread by a moth, laying its eggs on the leaves and the hatching grubs eat between the leaf layers removing the green pigment (chlorophyl), thus causing the discolouration. Infestation has spread at a rate of about 50 miles per year and now covers a large majority of the UK. The control of the moth has proved to be difficult, but hopefully a biological control will be found leading to permanent long-term reduction of the pest. For those of you with affected trees, fear not, damage is aesthetic and affected trees do not need to be destroyed, if you can pick up fallen leaves and if possible burn or bury under 10cm of soil. For you conker players, the conkers have been found to be slightly smaller due to maturing earlier. And for those of you who may be thinking of exhibiting vegetables at a garden show make sure you know the weight of your onions. Unfortunately for top vegetable exhibitor Medwyn Williams, who despite knowing his onions, didn't know the weight and his car was pulled over by police for allegedly being overloaded. Despite having to leave much of his produce behind he continued his journey from Anglesey to Dundee and went on to win the gold medal for the best exhibits in show! Best wishes and good gardening. Rob 16

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Rob’s top tasks for October 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

It’s time to plant spring cabbage and onion wintering sets. The end of the month is also an excellent time to plant garlic This is the perfect month to lay turf for a new lawn and also the last opportunity to apply autumn lawn feed Plant winter and spring bedding in containers A good month for planting new fruit trees Harvest pumpkins and get carving!

News from Bitton WI On Monday, September 13, Bitton WI held their monthly meeting in the church hall. Our speaker was Peter Girling, who talked about the University of Bristol Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens were resited five years ago and the majority of planting has taken place. It is a University garden, used for education, research and conservation. The Botanical Gardens are now in Stoke Bishop and Peter encouraged members to visit or partake in one of their many courses. Other news: The WI nationally have produced an album CD by their choir - The Harmonies. This will be available very soon (you can pre-order on Amazon). A Bitton WI member is singing on this album. Congratulations to Naomi Wilmott who auditioned and got through to be part of this choir. The next meeting is on Monday, October 11 at 7.30pm in the church hall. The speaker will be Focal Point‟s gardening correspondent, Rob Allen. Elaine Skidmore 17

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September’s quiz answers You lot came up with a myriad of answers for September‟s quiz when we took you back to the days of pounds, shillings and pence. Our thanks to Edith Cary who set this brainteaser. Many of you have told me you had lots of fun with it. Here are the answers: 1. 10s.0d 2. 1d + 1/4d (ie. penny farthing) 3. £1 (sovereign) 4. 1s.0d (a bob) 5. 5s.0d (crown) 6. 1/4d (wren on farthing) 7. 1d (a penny) 8. 6d (a tanner) 9. 1d (a penny) 10. 3d (ie. half a sixpence) 11. 2d (a bag; song taken from Mary Poppins) 12. 1s.0d (a bob) 13. £1 (a pound) 14. 1/2d (halfpenny; pub game) 15. £1.1s.0d (guinea pig) 16. 3d (threepenny bit) 17. £1 (quid pro quo) 18. 1d (Penny Black) 19. 6d (Sing a song of sixpence) 20. 1d (penny bazaar) ...making a grand total of £5.0s.2d Well done to the bellringers for their correct joint entry and to the Cooneys who also got it right. So did Grace Watson and the Suttons, Jan Wookey and Diane, and Janet and David Hanney. Some of the other answers were close, others not so! The bellringers win the chocolates this time. Share them fairly! 18

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October’s quiz The answers to this month’s one are all sweets and chocolate: 1. Edible fasteners 2. Money-making royalty 3. Dark Occult 4. Mother's local? 5. Clever folk! 6. Sport for princes? 7. Feline equipment 8. Dairy holder 9. Arrange marriage partners? 10. Wobbly infants 11. Gem orchard 12. Distant stars 13. Noisy insect 14. Musical Bards 15. Toothless drink 16. Sweet tooth treatment 17. Big cat's pub? 18. Garden Flowers 19. Various black items 20. Spin around

Deadline for November edition Please get your copy and quiz answers for the next edition to me by the deadline of October 13. Email me at [email protected] or call me on 0117 932 5037. Alternatively post or drop off your articles at 18 Church Road, Bitton, Bristol BS30 6HH. Becky 19

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BITTON VILLAGE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION invites you to

FLICKS IN THE STICKS on Friday, October 15

NOWHERE BOY starring Aaron JOHNSON, Kristin SCOTT THOMAS and Anne-Marie DUFF Nowhere Boy is the intriguing story of John Lennon’s childhood. A typical teenager hungry for the experience of life and troubled by his family history. Set in Liverpool in 1955, we watch this fledgling genius find a kindred spirit in the teenage Paul McCartney and share the excitement and trauma of their lives when setting up their first band together. Doors open at 7.30pm and the film starts at 8pm at The Old School Room, Church Lane, Bitton Drinks will be available from the licensed bar, choc ices will be served in the interval and there will be time to chat with friends Admission is FREE

BITTON VILLAGE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION Gardening Club

Invites you to visit Westonbirt Arboretum for a guided tour of the acers and maples to see their spectacular autumn foliage on Tuesday, October 26 at 10.30am For tickets, costing £6 for members, £8 for non-members and with a £1 discount for anyone over 60, contact: Stephanie Bailey, email: stephanieb48hotmail.com 932 8949 or 0796 770 2504 or Bridget Hetzel, [email protected] or 932 9939 20