1

2

Helping Hand

Pre-SchoolSt Mary’s Play Group and Nursery ClassParish Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 7449Village Hall Play GroupMrs H Cato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 2180Westbury-on-Trym Baptist ChurchPre-SchoolChurch Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . 962 9990Trinity College Day NurseryHelen O’Neill . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 4493

Primary SchoolsStoke Bishop (Cedar Park)Head TeacherMrs P Hepworth. . . . . . . . . . . 377 2173ElmleaInfant Head Teacher Mrs I Fey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 2352Junior Head Teacher Miss C Galliers . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 2266

DoctorsHelios Medical Centre(Stoke Hill). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 962 6060Sea Mills Surgery . . . . . . . . . 968 1182Sneyd Park Surgery . . . . . . . 968 3284Westbury-on-Trym Primary Care Centre . . . . . . . 962 3406

ChemistsGP Care PharmacyDruid Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 8530Ideal Chemists LtdShirehampton Road . . . . . . . . 968 1272Lloyds PharmacyStoke Lane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 962 8986Westbury-on-Trym . . . . . . . . . 950 5808Buxton & Grant PharmacyBlackboy Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . 973 5025North View Pharmacy . . . . . . 973 3140

HospitalsBRI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923 0000St Michael’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 921 5414Children’s Hospital . . . . . . . . 927 6998Southmead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 950 5050Frenchay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 970 1212General Hospital . . . . . . . . . 926 5001The Glen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 973 2562St Mary’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987 2727

PoliceCentral number for all police stations. . . 0845 456 7000 (do not ring local stations)Community Policeman . . . . . . 945 4431

(Answerphone)

LibrariesWestbury-on-Trym . . . . . . . . . 903 8552Sea Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 8555Henleaze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 8541Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 7200

Mobile Library . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 8531Runs on Tuesdays Times Cedar Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.30pmStoke Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.00pmJulian Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.35pmSea Walls Road . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.10pmArbutus Road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.10pmGlenavon Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.55pmRoman Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.25pm

CinemasOrpheus Henleaze . . . . 0845 166 2381www.reeltime-cinemas.co.uk/bristol.phpVue Cribbs Causeway. . 08712 240 240www.myvue.com

For Dentists, Opticians and other medical services consult

www.nhs.uk

Stephen Williams is MP for Bristol West. Tel 942 3494

E-mail: williamssr@parliament.uk

Bristol City Councilwww.bristol-city.gov.uk

Switchboard. . . . . . . . . . . . 922 2000(inc. refuse, streets, litter etc)

Emergency. . . . . . . . . . . . . 922 2050Stoke Bishop CouncillorsPeter Abraham. . . . . . . . . . 922 2227John Goulandris. . . . . . . . . 922 2227

HELPING HAND has been compiled by Keith Sheather. If you have changes, additions or updates to suggest please contact him on 968 2170 or e-mail:sheather@blueyonder.co.uk

Owls in needBrown Owl (Wendy Hughes) and Snowy Owl (Alison Bryant) are leaders of the 9th Bristol Brownie Pack. They currently have vacancies for Brownies and would like to hear from anyone who is interested in joining.The pack consists of a maximum of 24 girls, aged 7 to 10, and meets every Wednesday in term time in St Mary’s Church Rooms at 5.30pm. The ethos of the group is to have fun while engaging in a wide variety of exciting activities. The girls learn to work together, to care for each other and to become aware of other people’s needs. They learn by example with the younger girls being helped by older girls. At regular ‘Pow Wows’, the girls choose the activities they want to do. It could be a trip to the theatre or a visit to the zoo. There are badges to be earned in a wide range of accomplishments that include craft, cookery first aid and gardening. ‘The aim,’ says Brown Owl, ‘is to get them to do what they don’t do at home or school.’ And it is not just Brownies that are wanted, there are vacancies for leaders too.For more information please contact either Wendy Hughes (962 4580) or Alison Bryant (968 1819).

Sea Mills Post Office 160 Shirehampton Road . . . . . 909 5237

Buses41 via Parry’s Lane to Centre.40/40A Links Broadmead to the Mall via village and Sneyd Park.Portway Park & RideService to Centre stops at Roman Way(No official parking)

www.firstcityline.co.ukFor information about bus & coach travel in UK contact Traveline:0870 608 2608www.traveline.org.uk

TrainsSevern Beach RailwayTemple Meads to Severn Beach via Sea Mills(No official parking)

National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950www.nationalrail.co.uk

AirportBristol Airport. . . . . . . . 0870 121 2747www.bristolairport.co.uk

9th Bristol Brownie Pack

Community Matters

3

Pharmacy opens in Stoke BishopBy Judith Sheather

On the right trackBy Dave Harris

The Team at GP Care Pharmacy

After an interval of over 20 years Stoke Bishop once again has a chemist. At the beginning of June GP Care Pharmacy opened its doors. A public interest company formed by a group of about 90 GPs from Bristol and the surrounding area has linked in with Chester-based Assura Pharmacy to open GP Care Pharmacies. The appointment of a regular pharmacist manager is underway and expected soon.

Patient-centred service

I spoke to Dermot Ball, one of the locums on duty. ‘Legislative changes have provided the freedom for novel approaches to meeting health needs. The Government is keen to see new people and developments such as this in the health care arena. GP Care is a NHS pharmacy operating in collaboration with all local surgeries. It offers innovative patient-centred services, designed to improve continuity between patient and surgery. GP Care encourages people to use their community pharmacy as their first point of contact. Free advice is given on minor ailments and their treatment. For privacy, a private consultation can be arranged in the interview room. There is help for patients in understanding their medicines and managing their use, referral contacts given as necessary, safe disposal of unwanted medicines and reviews available in conjunction with your doctor on medicines being taken. Core business is dispensing NHS and private prescriptions. There is a free prescription collection and delivery service.’

Some long awaited improvements to public transport through the Stoke Bishop and Sneyd Park areas took effect on Sunday 18th May 2008 with the advent of a much improved train service on the railway line linking Severn Beach, Sea Mills, Clifton Down and Bristol Temple Meads. The new service is the result of a lot of planning between First Great Western and Bristol City Council with the latter giving a £140,000 grant to First in order to provide an extra train and a crew to work that train.

The new timetable offers the following number of journeys each way:Mondays to Fridays: 23 round trips (previously 18)Saturdays: 22 round trips (previously 16)Sundays: 8 round trips (previously 0)

Health questions welcomed

Helping the pharmacist manager are two counter staff and one dispenser. Open until 7pm on weekdays and to 12am on Saturday it is good to know that your health questions, even small queries, will be welcomed. Spread the word about our new village pharmacy!

As if the improved service isn’t enough of a temptation to try the train instead of the bus, a new flat-rate fare scheme has also been implemented, meaning that weekly tickets are available for 7-day periods making savings of £12 per week:Inner Zone: £1.50 Day Single / £2.00 Day Return / £6.00 Weekly ticketOuter Zone: £1.50 Day Single / £2.00 Day Return / £6.00 Weekly ticketWhole Line: £2.00 Day Single / £3.00 Day Return / £9.00 Weekly ticket

Also, the bus link between Severn Beach and Avonmouth on Mondays to Fridays has been abolished and one train every two hours has been extended to Severn Beach. The bus link has, however, been retained on Saturdays in addition to the trains to Severn Beach. The new improved service also means that, finally, there is a viable alternative to the bus and car for residents of the parish whether you want to go shopping at Clifton Down or you work in Avonmouth, or if you want to travel further afield there is a service to suit you. Remember that once on the train to Temple Meads you can buy a ticket to any point on the National Rail Network.

More details, including timetables, can be found at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk or by calling the National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950. For the benefit of people in the parish who do not have internet, it is hoped that timetable leaflets will be available from leaflet racks in the church rooms shortly.Passing the Sea Mills nature reserve heading for Avonmouth

4

In the year 2008 the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in England, and said: ‘Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save two of every living thing along with a few good humans.’He gave Noah the CAD drawings, saying: ‘You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights.’

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard, but no Ark. ‘Noah!’ He roared, ‘I’m about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?’ ‘Forgive me, Lord,’ begged Noah, ‘but things have changed. I needed Building Regulations Approval and I’ve been arguing with the Fire Brigade about the need for a sprinkler system.

My neighbours claim that I should have obtained planning permission for building the

Ark in my garden because it is development of the site, even though in my view it is a temporary structure. We had to then go to appeal to the Secretary of State for a decision. Then the Department of Transport demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions to clear the passage for the Ark’s move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it.

Getting the wood was another problem. All the decent trees have Tree Preservation Orders on them and we live in a Site of Special Scientific Interest set up in order to protect the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!

When I started gathering the animals, the RSPCA sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodation was too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.

Noah and the ArkWith thanks to Anni Davey

Community Matters

Then the County Council, the Environment Agency and the Rivers Authority ruled that I couldn’t build the Ark until they’d conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.

I’m still trying to resolve a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission on how many disabled carpenters I’m supposed to hire for my building team. The trades unions say I can’t use my sons. They insist I have to hire only accredited workers with Ark-building experience.

To make matters worse, Customs and Excise seized all my assets, claiming I’m trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark.’

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, ‘You mean you’re not going to destroy the world?’ ‘No,’ said the Lord. ‘The government beat me to it.’

Community Matters

5

What, you may ask, is Home-Start? An organisation which comes to the aid of motorists on cold mornings? A scheme

for getting first-time buyers on to the property ladder? Actually, it’s something quite different.

Home-Start is a national charity which recruits and trains volunteers to help families with young children. Volunteers, who know about being a parent, support other parents who are going through a difficult time. It’s a simple idea that really works!

Imagine that you’ve recently had twins and already have an 18 month old son. You live a long way from any members of your family and you don’t have any friends in the road where you live. Your husband is working all hours to earn enough money. You can’t get out to local support groups – you’re too tired and depressed. You’re at the end of your tether. You’re convinced that the children are suffering too.

Making a difference

This is the kind of family which a Health Visitor might refer to Home-Start. If a volunteer were available, he or she would visit that family once a week for 2-3 hours and provide the kind of help which the

parent most needed – listening, talking, sharing tasks, playing with children, accompanying outings and visits. It may not sound much, but parents tell us that it really does make a difference.

The Bristol Home-Start scheme has been in existence for about 28 years and is independently funded and locally managed for families in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. This means, of course, that we are constantly working to find funders and volunteers. At the moment we are in receipt of a generous grant from South Gloucestershire to provide family support for their new Sure-Start Children’s Centres, so that means that our other funds can be spent on Bristol families – and there are indeed many families needing us out there.

Urgent need

At the moment our most urgent need is for volunteers! Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcomed. The only qualification they need is to have experience of being a parent. They also need the ability to listen with understanding, maintain confidentiality

and genuinely care for the families we support. Enhanced CRB checks will be carried out on all potential volunteers and they should be prepared to commit 2-3 hours each week to home visiting after completing a preparation course. The next such course will be held in the autumn.

Could you do this? If you volunteer for Home-Start Bristol you will have fun, meet new people and learn new skills – it’s a good step towards further training and employment. You’ll be supervised and supported by a warm, caring professional team. You will have the enormous satisfaction

of knowing how you have helped.

You really could make a difference to a struggling family. Help given when children are small can prevent a difficult time from creating a permanent problem!

To find out more, phone Alex, Helen or Jill on 0117 950 1170.

Home-Start Bristolhelping parents to give children the best possible start in life

By Ken Booth

Helen Stockwell-Cooke, Senior Organiser, Home-Start Bristol, addressing a volunteer training course.

From theChurch Registers

BAPTISMS1st June 2008

Louis Alexander Rees Judd Isabelle Sophia Crews Edward Robert Crews

6th July 2008Georgia Lucy Roberts

3rd August 2008George Jon Hollingbery Jessica May Hollingbery

MARRIAGES24th May 2008

Matthew Leonard Southcombe to Naomi Joy Ritchie

21st June 2008David Michael Edmunds to

Catherine Sarah Alpass5th July 2008

Oliver Harry John Mears to Hannah Marie Fairall

12th July 2008Elco Van Tilburg to

Christiane Louise Winston Smith26th July 2008

Adetobi William Larte Lawson to Susannah Fudge

FUNERALSElizabeth Levy11th June 2008

MEMORIAL SERVICES13th May, E Geoffrey Collins

of Julian Road, who died on 3rd May29th May, Eleanor Fowler formerly of Woodland Grove, who died on 29th January in Nottinghamshire30th June, Ruth Olive Catchpole

who died on June 13th 2008

Hard Skin?Toe Nail Cutting?

Corns?Home visiting

Foot Health Professional

Call 01225 351646Mobile 0777 308 2163

Julia George MCFHP MAFHP

6

Advertising When you contact one of our advertisers, please mention that you saw their advertisement in the Messenger.

Window CleaningReliable Monthly Service • Frames Cleaned Every Time

Also Competitively Priced

Gutter Clearing

Telephone 968 1959www.wessexprowash.co.ukTim Rowe

gordano

tree careProfessional Arboricultural Contractors

Tree, Hedge and Shrub Management and Maintenance

Fully qualified and insured

Please contact Rob Lee (NCH Arb)Long Ashton 01275 393 047

• uPVC Fascias/Gutters• Roofing • Electrical• Carpentry • Tiling• Plastering • Sash Cords• Plumbing • Paviors• Decorating

NOW AVAILABLE

Mini Skips Hire£80.00 incl. VAT

WORKMANBUILDING REPAIRS AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

8 Glen DriveStoke Bishop BS9 1SB

COMPETITIVE RATES

Tel: 0117 904 2707Mobile: 07974 791 657

YOUR LOCAL FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLIER • Since 1975

Pick up your

ORGANICfruit & Veg box fresh to order any day

A wide selection of local, continental

and exotic FRUIT and VEG always in stock

63 Stoke HillStoke Bishop

0117 968 4516

R & J ASHFORD

FRESH FRUIT DAILY

FRUITERERS & GREENGROCERS…your first

ORGANIC BOX with this advert

10%OFF

HEALING HANDSFeel pampered and nurtured… I use a combination of massage and creative visualisation to create a unique healing experience.Individual sessions of massage with music and specially tailored meditation also available.

Home Visits, Mother & Toddler Groups and Group Meditation.

Contact: MEENA SUDHAKARANTel: 0117 950 4215 meenabai@hotmail.com

Global Matters

7

The Bible Society is one of the Christian Missions supported by St. Mary’s. The stories below are only some instances of the way God’s Word brings encouragement and hope to so many, both rich and poor, in different parts of the world.

A beautiful hostage discovers the Bible

The liberation by government forces on July 2nd of Ingrid Betancourt, held hostage in the Colombian jungle for six years by the left-wing rebel army FARC, was unexpected and dramatic. It caught the attention of the international media, not least because of her radiant smile, graciousness and earlier fame as a politician in Colombia.

But not all media coverage gave full weight to the way in which Ingrid’s faith grew and sustained her through years of deprivation and unkind treatment. She has, however, been very open in thanking God, kneeling on the tarmac to say prayers of thanksgiving on arrival at Bogota airport, where her mother and (now adult) children joined her.

Born in Bogota, Ingrid came to Paris aged one when her father, Colombian Minister of Education, became joint Director of UNESCO. Brought up as a Catholic, she shared her parents’ concerns for justice and, after studying politics in France, she returned to Bogota and was elected first to Parliament then as Senator. In 2002

she became Presidential candidate on an anti-corruption ticket. Her concern for the rights of the poor led her to visit San Vicente in the jungle. Knowing the risk, she asked her father, whose Christian faith was strong, to pray with her before she left. Respecting her freedom to take a risk, he prayed for her. He later died during her captivity. Her mother prayed daily and was able to send broadcast messages via a Catholic network.

When her captors asked if there was something she needed, she asked for a Bible, thinking that as she’d never read it she now had time to do so. She told a Catholic journalist that she felt God’s hand on her life throughout her captivity, and that daily prayer and Bible reading had enabled her to hear His voice, to be sure of His presence and keep hoping even through times of anguish and uncertainty. Now she prays for the remaining hostages to be freed; the hope is that the FARC rebels will be weakened. President Sarkozy welcomed her to France and gave her the country’s highest award, the Legion of Honour.

Latin America, Kenya and Nepal

In Latin America, Bible Societies have a developed Lectio Divina (spiritual reading) in Spanish. Workshops have been organised to train 10,000 young people to use biblical material on the internet or as MP3 downloads and encourage their peers to “surf the deep waters of God’s Word”. This material has been welcomed by Catholic Bishops and the Pope and is at www.lectionautas.com

In Kenya, post-election violence early in 2008 left thousands homeless, bereaved, traumatised – and intent on revenge. Elizabeth Muriuki, of the Kenyan Bible Society, visited refugee camps and plans to distribute 100,000 Bible leaflets on Peace, 300,000 booklets called “The Path to Healing Kenya” and 60,000 Bibles. She says “There is a serious need to share the Bible’s message of hope, forgiveness and peace in these camps”.

The Nepalese Church is one of the fastest growing in South Asia. A translation commissioned almost 30 years ago is now complete and was launched as 200 leaders and evangelists gathered in Kathmandu this year. The Nepali Bible Society was officially recognised in March 2007, and next Christmas will be the first one ever to be celebrated as a holiday in this former Hindu kingdom.

Discovering the BibleBy Sheila Brown

Zimbabwe Bishop speaks

The Bishop of Harare has urged Christians in his diocese to hold fast to the faith in the face of government

persecution: “In Zimbabwe today falsehood has almost become a

national disease”, Bishop Sebastian Bakare wrote in June. “Some

newspapers and electronic media thrive on spreading falsehoods”….These lies were being used by the Government to justify “tortures, killings and arrests… to sustain

the status quo”, he said. Anglicans in Harare were being persecuted on allegations by former church

members that they are gays, lesbians or supporters of MDC (the opposition). “Our church buildings

remain locked… declared no-go areas by the police.” The lies told about the diocese had one meaning, said the Bishop: “Our faith is being put to the test… the sight of helmeted riot police in front of our church

preventing the faithful from praying will go down as a shameful chapter in the history of our country which considers itself to be Christian”.

Appeal for help in Sudan

As we reported in our issue of Autumn 2006, Rev. Joseph Bilal, a Sudanese Minister has been in Bristol since 1999 doing post-graduate studies in Islamics,

sometimes supplementing his bursary by serving at SPAR. The article

described how gifts had enabled him and his family to visit his homeland and family that summer. His studies

are nearly complete. Recently he met his Bishop here for the

Lambeth Conference. The Bishop wants to appoint him as

Vice-Principal at a Sudanese seminary but cannot offer him this post until funding is available! There is a great

need to give good training to ministers in Sudan where extreme Islam still brings about many tragic situations.

The Bilals want to return, but funding is needed. Should anyone feel moved to contribute, please ring St Mary’s Church office. Money given through

the church can be gift-aided.

Ingrid Betancourt

8

A Christian Perspective

I’ve never broken a bone in my body in my life... and I’d like to think that I would know what that feels like, but I don’t. If you’ve never ‘broken your head’, you’re not going to know what that feels like either. Unfortunately for me, that, I do. And if my perception of what it must be like to break a leg is correct... I’d rather break both legs than suffer the trauma of clinical depression again... But, having said that – now I’m through it – I’d like to think I’m a more rounded human being for it: I’m a new ‘me’ and I’ve a new relationship...You’ve probably heard it before, but I’m going to say it again... the problem with illnesses that affect you from the inside, is that they can’t be seen. We all know how to react when we’re presented with someone with a broken leg; but a broken head... that doesn’t register at all. “Do you mean like a headache? Are you tired? Fuzzy? What???!. Cheer up... life’s not all that bad”. Oh, but it is...

For the 1 in 4 of us who have suffered (or will suffer from), an episode of clinical depression – know it’s a very frightening, dark place, where so called ‘normal’ life confl icts with the very fabric of existence itself. Having depression is quite simply, to use a cliché, ‘a living hell’. During my year of hell, it was as if all good had left and evil took its place. All sense of joy had gone and only the frozen wasteland of despair was left – seemingly forever.

I’ll try and describe how it all happened. It was as if I’d been driving too close to a cliff edge, and the life that I wanted – but couldn’t have – was moving me further and further towards that edge. The harder I tried to get what I wanted, the more stressed I became. I was trapped: a life I didn’t want on one side; a cliff on the other. And I was alone; scared and tired too. I hadn’t slept for over a week. Suddenly, it dawned on me, this was only happening to me, just me. Nobody else...

Then, like a tiger stalking it’s prey, it seemed to come from nowhere and pushed me. I must have gone over.

In my head, I, me, had died. Something else had taken over – and it was going to teach me a lesson... All the ‘negative’ thoughts and experiences I had ever had in my whole earthly existence were played back in my conscious mind – as if someone had opened the memory cupboard and shooed them all out, like a herd of raging bulls into a crowded street. This new ‘negative’ reality, convinced me that everything I’d ever done, was doing – or will ever do, is, and will be, wrong.

In medical terms, of course, I was suffering clinical depression. I was mentally sick. But despite my broken mind, it wasn’t enough for me to accept that I was suffering just another ‘nervous breakdown’ or that my serotonin and dopamine levels were just ‘too low’. I was given anti-depressants and assigned a psychiatrist. This alone was scary enough to know that I was now under the supervision of a shrink. Just the thought of me ‘being depressed’ – depressed me further. Shame was the principle emotion; but they were all in there, swilling about: guilt; envy; resentment; anger; fear. Alone and frightened of these crazy thoughts... in my one and only head! Sleeping tablets had become mandatory. Amongst the chaos, lyrics of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Pink Floyd’s Brain Damage rattled between my ears.

Sure, I’d broken; but it didn’t feel like just a squishy, chemical imbalance. It felt more fundamental than that: I was trying to change a reality that I couldn’t accept and that no other man on this earth could help me with. So I had to learn the ultimate lesson of all: not me, my family, friends, authorities, governments, nor scientists could change the reality I was in. I looked to blame everyone – only ended up blaming myself. And so the depression began.

I was trying to sleep. But I was afraid to shut my eyes. The thoughts in my head were chaotic and frightening. I was tired, but scared of closing

my lids in fear of being alone in my own, damaged mind. I had just begun to start taking sleeping tablets and was waiting for them to kick in. But they didn’t seem to be working. This, I thought, is what my life had fi nally come to. All that I thought I’d done right; all the good that I thought I’d done – and I end up like this. What was the point? What is the point?

I genuinely believed my life was at an end. All of it pointless. All the memories; all the experiences – all of them wasted. Whatever I had ever done, ever seen, ever sensed... ever loved, was all just sitting there in one big messy heap... thanks to the wrong decisions that I had made. Everything became my fault. Everything. I agonised at the thought of thousands... millions of damaged neurones and synapses broken in my head, all repairing and that existence was nothing but a biological experiment... with me at its heart.

I lay there for a little while longer trying, unsuccessfully, to calm my mind. Then gently, from nowhere, a hand appeared in my thoughts and, somehow, it lay itself deep into my consciousness. I saw a face. It was one I knew, but wasn’t familiar with. He wore a white robe. He was smiling, peacefully and without words, he planted the thoughts in my mind: ‘have faith my son, for I am here and you do not need to be frightened any longer’. A calm seemed to fall around me. I kept looking at that face... kept looking and looking...and looking. I slept.

Weeks passed, the trauma and complexities of the depression still high in my mind. I was on medication, having psychotherapy, trying out homeopathy, osteopathy, massage, reiki, kinesiology – I trawled the internet too, desperate for remedies and solutions. But it was a friend who fi nally led me to where I was meant to be going. Against the wishes of my depression, I forced myself to go along with him to a local Christian Bible Study Group. I sat and listened to people talking together in a way that I’d not heard in a long time.

Despite not knowing anyone else, I felt amongst friends. This was the fi rst environment I’d felt comfortable in since the illness and yet, the one furthest from my mind. People, together, discussing their beliefs on life, our existence. I felt that I had been given a framework to work from, to focus on. At least now, the broken pieces had somewhere to go to. I had a glimmer of faith back. I began to imagine how the light looked at the end of the tunnel. And then of course it came back to me. The man in the white robe. ‘Of course! Surely it couldn’t?’. I wrestled with my thoughts. ‘But then who else could it have been?’.

As human beings, it’s so often said that we only truly value something after it’s gone. For what felt like an eternity, I lost my mind and everything else went with it, including my purpose and my meaning to life. Whilst I clawed at man-made science and medicine during my recovery, what I discovered I needed was the simple healing power, direct from the creator Himself. The simple power of prayer; of belief... of God.

It was never going to be a simple ‘leap of faith’ for someone like me; I needed to be pushed – to the limit in my case – to see where the real truth lies. God was always there, of course. But I had to go to the edge in order to fi nd Him.

If life isn’t what you thought it should be, you’re probably tuned into the wrong voice. There’s another voice on another station, probably on another bandwidth... lost somewhere deep in your memory banks, that is probably trying to get through. To retune, go along and meet people who will help you fi nd the right frequency and what volume you should adjust to. They can be found at a church very near you. And take it from me... St Mary Magdalene is a very, very good start indeed.

Out of the darkness and towards the lightThe loneliness of depression and my shared journey out

By Jeremy

A Christian Perspective

9

On a free evening I will still watch repeats of “Inspector Morse” – that sophisticated academic policeman who enjoys classical music and drives around Oxford in a maroon Jaguar. Morse is a far cry from the mindless violence that is so prominent in much contemporary TV drama.

I guess, too, many of us love listening to stories and we are indeed fortunate if we can include gifted raconteurs among our circle of friends.

Jesus Christ was himself a supreme story teller. The stories he told are called parables and have a profound infl uence on us even today. We even quote from them-albeit unconsciously. We talk about ‘acting the Good Samaritan’ or ‘passing by on the other side’. Some of us ‘bear the burden and heat of the day’, others

indulge in ‘riotous living’, some ‘use their talents rightly’. Others ‘hide their lamp under a bushel’ and others leave things ‘till the eleventh hour’. These and many more every day phrases derive from the parables – the stories Jesus told.

That’s why in the Autumn, from the beginning of September, we’re going to be looking at the parables on Sunday mornings at St Mary’s.“When God is in charge... the foundations are examined...the tables are turned…the lost are found…the challenge begins…the pace quickens…the party begins…”

Do you enjoy a good story? Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin!

Those familiar words used to introduce a children’s programme

on Radio 4 (or, to be more precise, the Home Service as it was then called) have a timeless ring about them; we all love a good story and it’s even better when the ending is unexpected.

On holiday this Summer I enjoyed reading a series of Geoffrey Archer stories – “A Twist in the Tale”. Within our own Church Family is crime writer Betty Rowlands who has now written over 20 whodunnits. She describes herself as “an inveterate people watcher” and I’m beginning to wonder whether we shall soon recognise local Stoke Bishop fi gures in her future novels.

Hospitality lunch at St Mary’sJust a couple of years ago, we began to open our narrow Stoke Bishop doors a little wider and invite not just our friends but others into our homes. One day, Bev Richardson, then Church Warden, launched this bright idea. Each Sunday some family or single person would prepare lunch for 4 – 12 guests. Newcomers to the church, or those who fi nd a Sunday alone the most diffi cult day of the week, could join them.Divinely inspired as Bev seemed to be, St Mary’s picked up the ball and ran with it. It could be one of the most signifi cant things we have done.Speaking as an occasional host, it has stretched my heart and ears as I have stepped out of my comfort zone. I have welcomed the stranger and found them less strange than I thought. As a recipient, I in turn have been welcomed.

Going furtherThis is only the beginning of hospitality – of opening my heart and life to others. More recently, I have been challenged to open my home to more radically different folk, whose beliefs and culture are entirely different. This showed me just how far I have to go in overcoming my fears and prejudices, my hostilities. But the poor attempt at my allowing one particular little vulnerable family

a space in which to be totally different to me has changed me for the better for ever.

ListenHow we need to make space simply to listen to one another! Hospitality is not essentially about food and drink (although that can be welcome) – it is about enlarging our hearts and giving others a space in which to ‘be’ and grow.There are two memorable stories of Jesus concerning hospitality. In Luke (10:38-42), Jesus visits the home of Martha and Mary. Martha bustles around making an elaborate meal, all the while puffi ng and blowing and resenting her sister Mary who is annoyingly commended for just listening to Jesus, when that is what he really needs just then. In John (4:1-42), Jesus sits exhausted by a well. He enters into dialogue with a disreputable woman by asking her to give him a drink of water. In turn he offers her the totally transforming water of life. A fair deal! May your hospitality and mine bring as much life to one another!Should you, a visitor, care to join us, we will do our best to leave you alone, offer you a drink, a meal or a listening ear, as you need.May all fi nd hospitality in the imperfect but ‘trying’ family of God at St Mary’s this Autumn and Winter.

Back pew people and othersEvery church should have a back pew (or a back row of chairs!) where folk can slip in – and out – without being noticed, in much the same way as you might go into a shop ‘just looking’.When someone unfamiliar comes to church we need to be sensitive. Is the person we see a ‘back pew’ person whose privacy needs to be respected or is it someone who might years later say ‘I went to church, but no-one welcomed me’.

Love one anotherWe have all heard of ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ and anyone whose children have left home for University will know how they long for these strangers to new towns and churches to be loved and welcomed.Here, at St Mary’s we try to be welcoming, sensitively drawing folk into the warmth of our fellowship at a pace to suit each person. Are we successful? Well, sometimes yes, and sometimes no. We are, after all, human.But at various stages of lifelong discipleship, we follow Jesus and his teaching, prayerfully drawing on the resources only he can give us to carry out his command ‘to love one another’. Without his help, this is not just a tall order, it is impossible.

Hospitality – what’s that?!By Hazel Trapnell

Are you sitting comfortably?…then I’ll begin

By The Rev. David Ritchie BA, DipTh, LTCL

10

Advertising When you contact one of our advertisers, please mention that you saw their advertisement in the Messenger.

We are pleased to be able to support The Messenger and would be pleased to support you in any of the following areas

• Claims against professional advisers

• Commercial Agreements

• Commercial Law

• Employment

• Mediation

• Disputes

For a free initial diagnosis of your legal issues please contact Tony Hughes at Trym Lodge, 1 Henbury Road,

Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 3HQTel: 0117 959 6424; Fax: 0117 959 6425

For further information please refer to our website at:

www.enterpriselaw.co.uk

EXPERIENCED · ENLIGHTENED · EMPOWERED

Please phone for a FREE quote!

Tel: 0117 968 1962Mob: 0781 330 6940

Richard Carrier TilerP O R C E L A I N • C E R A M I CS T O N E • M O S A I C

0 7 81 5 8 3 14 6 3

43rd St Mary’s Scout Group

New Cub LeaderWe are a thriving group including Beavers,

Cubs and Scouts and we are looking for a new cub leader.

Plenty of support and advice is available from within our group as well as training from the Scout Association so previous experience is not essential.

Please get in touch with Su Barwell, Group Scout Leader for more information on 0117 962 1984.

Richardson Whitby Smith Ltd, Chartered Accountants 53HighStreet,Keynsham,BS311DS(Tel:01179864192•email@rwsbristol.com) 137a Shirehampton Road, Sea Mills, BS9 2EA (Tel: 0117 968 5156)

Tax and accounting issues? •BusinessAccounts,andAudits •Start-ups •Planning•SelfAssessmenttaxreturns •Taxplanning •Trusts•Payrolladministrationandreturns •Bookkeeping&VAT •Allbusinesstaxes

Solution:Whynotletourefficientandfriendlyteamdealwiththemallprofessionally?

For a free initial interview and discussion, please ring us on: 0117 986 4192

Local Events

11

Community Diary Autumn 2008

Stoke Bishop & Sneyd Park Local History GroupFriday 5 September 7.30pm Stoke Bishop Village HallGhost Ships of Purton, Sharpness Ship Canal – Paul Barnett, Archaeologist

Saturday 15 November 7.30pm Stoke Bishop Village Hall20th Anniversary Celebration with wine and canapés

Friends of Old Sneyd Park Nature ReserveOpen Day Saturday 20 September 10.30am to 4pm Stoke Bishop Village HallDisplays about the reserve and the lake works. Guided walks from the reserve entrance 12.15. 2.15 and 3.15 pm. Coffee and tea available.

AGM Thursday 13 November 8.00pm Hulbert Room, St. Mary Magdalene ChurchFollowed by a talk ‘Butterfl ies: indicators of Climate Change’ by Professor Richard Soulsby.

Once a year we create a larger space for God so that he can speak to us, individually and as a church. We gather for a structured day of listening and praying, stopping and staring in the lovely grounds of Trinity College.

People who carve out this space tend to fi nd it amply rewarding as they gain fresh perspective and energy for their lives – and hear the still small voice of God, perhaps for the fi rst time.

Put the date in your diary. More info from Church Offi ce 968 7449, Judith Sheather 968 2170 or Hazel Trapnell 968 7190.

Film FocusEnjoy a fi lm, tea, discussion

and a time of worship

12 October Juno 15

Teenager faces unwanted pregnancy

16 Nov A Mighty Heart 15

Wife seeks kidnapped husband

18 January Enchanted PG

Fairy tale for adults children will love

8 February Atonement 15

Childhood lie destroys lives

5 April TBAChristian fi lm for Palm Sunday

Sundays at 3pmin the Church Rooms

WinterWarmer

Saturday 29th November 2008

2 – 4.30pmSt. Mary Magdalene

Mariners Drive, Stoke Bishop

Tickets £2 on the door(children free) to include a glass of

mulled wine and a mince pie.

Stalls selling good quality crafts, homemade cakes, jams, preserves,

books. Activities for children. Refreshments, tombola and raffl e.

All proceeds to go to the work supported by St. Mary’s in Bristol and overseas.

Come and see the displays in the church showing where the money goes.

Listening to God

St Mary’s Quiet DaySaturday 27th September 200810.00am – 4.00pmTrinity College BristolWith creative Revd Celia Jones

12

Community Matters

The little children’s dowerBy Eileen Stonebridge

This is how the poet Robert Browning described the buttercup. That was during the nineteenth century when fi elds and hedgerows were colourful with wild fl owers.

What has become of this wonderful inheritance in our countryside? Since the 1950s when agriculture became more intensifi ed and mechanised in order to increase productivity, wild fl owers have disappeared from much of our countryside. Hay meadows have been lost due to ploughing and planting of Italian rye grass for silage. Corn fi elds have been sprayed with herbicides and fungicides. Hedgebanks have been cut back before the seeding of fl owers in order to improve visibility and insecticides have been used non selectively against pests.

The outcome has been high yields, rich farmers (subsidised) and cheap food, which sounds as though there have been benefi ts to society.

However, when the natural world takes an unnatural jolt, the backlash comes in unexpected ways with often undesirable consequences. Wild fl owers, butterfl ies and insect populations have all declined. The countryside is less colourful, but there is a more serious dimension. A decline in bee populations and other pollinating insects means that the plants we use as food are not being pollinated as effectively and food supplies for higher organisms are depleted. Each living organism has a niche in sustaining a healthy, functioning ecosystem, on which all life depends. Take a few parts out and there is danger of the whole collapsing.

Fortunately, the loss of these useful living things is being realised. Farmers are now being paid to re-instate hay meadows. Municipal Parks, the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Trust are all beginning to plant fl ower meadows. The Woodland Trust in collaboration with Landlife is planting fl owers in land between the woods and management for

fl ower conservation is now practised on some farm land. Gardeners are being encouraged through gardening magazines to grow wild fl owers, so we can have hope that wild fl owers will return across our landscape and not be confi ned to a few scattered nature reserves.

For more about growing wild fl owers and purchasing British seed see www.wildfl owerfarms.com

An unlikely story, but true! It shows that truth is often stranger than fi ction, especially if the living God is involved.

Andrew, one of seven children of a poor blacksmith in a Dutch village, grew up during the German occupation. His Christian parents failed to realise that their faith was not

then shared by this son, whose ingenuity enabled him to play tricks on the occupiers and help fi nd food for his family, who lived for years on rations for two.

At 18 Andrew joined the army for adventure and was sent to Indonesia as a Commando. His mother’s parting gift of a Bible was not read by him until he was in hospital with a badly wounded right foot. Reading that Bible changed his life, and God was to use this man with a limp, “a bad back, limited education, no sponsorship, no funds, to do things that well-connected, well-endowed people said were impossible”, as co-authors of “GOD’S SMUGGLER”, John and Elizabeth Sherrill, wrote in their Foreword…

This page-turning thriller can be borrowed from the Church Library. Over ten million copies have been bought in English

alone, making faith in the living God more real to readers as well as to those receiving Bibles smuggled through the Iron Curtain, into China and elsewhere. The latest edition has an update on Brother Andrew’s work among Muslims, whom he loves: “I am not anti-Islam, I am pro-Jesus”, he said, adding that he would never spread fear and hatred. He has adopted an anagram: I Sincerely Love All Muslims, holding this in tension with grief at the persecution of Christians by Islamic extremists. “When Jesus told us to love those who persecute us, He wasn’t giving us a suggestion, He was giving us a command”. Andrew’s thoughts and actions on this are in another moving book, “SECRET BELIEVERS”.

Christian BooksCHRISTIAN BOOKS are available in the Church Library on weekdays from 10 – 12, where visitors are welcomed with tea or coffee. True stories such as “Christ and the Kalashnikov”, “Heart of a Hooligan”, “God’s Smuggler” (see above) and “Light Force” are far from boring. Some historical and reference books, as well as fi ction and humour, are also available, and some for children. Why not take advantage of this free resource? Books can also be bought through the Church Bookstall – ask the Church Offi ce.

An unlikely story, but true! It shows that truth is often stranger than fi ction, especially if the living God is involved.

Andrew, one of seven children of a poor blacksmith in a Dutch village, grew up during the German

Book reviewSmuggling… for God? By Sheila Brown

Community Matters

13

A local primary school has won a special “Eco” award as part of a government initiative to make every school sustainable by 2020.

Stoke Bishop Church of England Primary School in Cedar Park was visited by the “Eco Schools” inspector in July. She was so impressed with the progress made by pupils that she ‘phoned within minutes of the inspection to give the school the good news about their award.

The school has already been awarded a bronze and silver award within the Eco Schools programme and this latest award is its highest accolade.

Stoke Bishop Primary School’s “Eco Team” consists of Year 5 pupils Heather Drewe, Edward Powlesland, Ellie Beard, Carys Nicholas and Jojo White with the support of teacher Mrs Black and parents Mrs Conroy and Mrs Pitt. The team carried out an environmental audit on the school in November last year. As a result of the audit, the Eco Team decided to focus on some important projects to improve their school.

These included:

• developing an Eco Code for the School and encouraging everyone to think environmentally

• asking the bursar to explore fitting thermostatic valves on all radiators

• organising new bins to separate ordinary rubbish and fruit waste

• reducing paper waste in school

• signing up to a Bristol City Council pilot scheme to collect food and cardboard waste from the kitchen

• auditing packed lunches and encouraging pupils to re-use plastic boxes and bottles, and reduce use of cling film

• improving school grounds to improve their appearance and increase biodiversity

• turning off computer monitors when they are not being used.

Stoke Bishop Primary School wins Eco awardBy Sam Kirby

Through regular assemblies and newsletters (on recycled paper) the Eco Team has kept the entire school up to date with their work and motivated other children to think carefully about their impact on the environment. The school had a Fairtrade Stall at its Summer Carnival to raise awareness of how our lifestyles affect other people elsewhere in the world. And different year groups have been on school trips to learn more about the environment, including Barleywood Walled Garden in Wrington

and the Eco home at the CREATE Centre in Bedminster. The school has been supported by the Avon Wildlife Trust.

Said Jojo White: “We were overwhelmed when we got the Green Flag because it took us ages.” The entire team are clearly very enthusiastic about the Eco Team and the Green Flag award.

Asked how their involvement in the Eco Team had affected home life, the children all agreed that they encouraged their parents to cycle everywhere and now had a system of walking to school instead of driving. They also are vigilant of family recycling practices.

The team are determined to continue their hard work next year as they move into Year 6. They will have to reapply for

the “Green Flag” every two years so work won’t stop with this award!

If you are interested in learning more about Eco Schools there is a web site at www.eco-schools.org.uk If you would like to encourage Stoke Bishop Church of England Primary School you can contact them on 0117 377 2173.

Stoke Bishop Primary School Eco-CodeSave the world by:

Turning off taps

Opening blinds and curtains on a sunny day

Keeping composting

Everyone recycling where possible

Bringing food to school in reusable boxes

Increasing wildlife

Switching off lights and electrical applicance

Heating – control it!

Only recycling paper if both sides are used

Please walk to school or park further away.

Jojo White, Carys Nicholas, Ellie Beard, Edward Powlesland and Heather Drewe – “The Eco Team!”

14

Our Church

Contacts and other informationVicarThe Rev. David Ritchie BA, DipTh, LTCL. . . . . . . . . 968 1858

Assistant CurateThe Rev. Anne Farmer B.Ed, DipTh . . . . . . . . . . . . 949 2407

Lay MinistersAngela Cattell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 3069Hazel Trapnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 7190Jennifer Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 5959

Church WardensJason Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 6863Lucy Swithinbank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 4400

Parish Office Open9am until 1pm Mon – Fri, 2pm until 4pm Mon & Thurs

The Messenger Team

EditorialEditor: Sam Kirby . . . . . . . . . . 959 1591

Features EditorsHelping Hand: Keith Sheather . . . . . . 968 2170Community Matters: Judith Sheather. . . . . . 968 2170Global Matters: Sheila Brown. . . . . . . . 377 6543Christian Perspective: Hazel Trapnell . . . . . . . 968 7190

Distribution Co-ordinator: John Hill . . . . . . . . . . . 949 2717Advertising Manager: Sam Kirby . . . . . . . . . . 959 1591

Copy Date for Next Issue: 30th SeptemberIf possible, please use email to the editor:

sam.kirby@partners-in.com

Activities for Young PeopleMothers & Toddlers Caroline Simpson . . . . . . . . . 968 2775Playgroup & Nursery Parish Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 7449Creche (0-3) Susan Fairbairn . . . . . . . . . . . 968 1200Seekers (3-4) Ann Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 5195Discoverers (4-6) Ann Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 5195Mariners (6-11) Nick Powlesland . . . . . . . . . . 968 3845Kidz Klub (7-11) Nick Powlesland . . . . . . . . . . 968 3845Focus (Year 7+) Rob Smith . . . . . . . . . . 07988 146 711Youth Cell (11-14) Rob Smith . . . . . . . . . . 07988 146 711Pathfinders (11-14) Rob Smith . . . . . . . . . . 07988 146 711Contact (14-18) Rob Smith . . . . . . . . . . 07988 146 711Group Scout Leader Su Barwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 962 1984Enrolment Therese Millar . . . . . . . . . . . . 909 2014Scouts Chris Meadows . . . . . . 07734 151 055Cub Scouts Therese Millar . . . . . . . . . . . . 909 2014 2014Beavers Caroline Owen . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 4646Guide District Commissioner Pam Edwards . . . . . . . . . . . . 940 01909th Guides Lara Kirby . . . . . . . . . . 07764 585 0579th Brownies Alison Bryant. . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 1819199th Brownies Suzanne Evans . . . . . . . . . . . 968 2569

Adult OrganisationsWednesday Circle Shirley Wotton . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 4296Friday Badminton Liz Floyd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 1759Book Club Mary Michaels. . . . . . . . . . . . 968 2723Road Reps Judith Sheather . . . . . . . . . . . 968 2170Alpha Sheila Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 6543House Groups David Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 3227Women’s B’fasts Ruth Boxall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968 1400Men’s B’fasts Paul Richardson . . . . . . . . . . 968 4572Traidcraft Albert & Pauline Pearson. . . . 968 6822

A Traidcraft stall is held in the church rooms after morning services on the 3rd Sunday of the month.

Parish LunchLunch is served in the Church Rooms each Thursday at 12.15pm (except in August). All are welcome.

For further details of services or Church personnel, please contact the office on 968 7449 or visit our website.

Church ServicesSunday

9.00am Holy Communion (2nd Sunday Morning Prayer)

10.30am Crossroads All Age Worship (2nd Sunday Holy Communion)

6.30pm Evening services vary and may be Choral Evensong, said Evening Prayer, Holy Communion with Ministry of Healing, informal praise and prayer, or Film Focus (which starts at 3.00pm). For details of times please check Church News in the church entrance, contact the office or log onto our website www.stmarysb.org.uk

Thursday

11.30am Holy Communion

St Mary Magdalene, Stoke BishopMariners Drive, Stoke Bishop, Bristol, BS9 1QJ

Tel /Fax: 0117 968 7449 • Email: jgornall@btconnect.com

www.stmarysb.org.uk

of God touching people’s lives. When that happens there is church growth and when a church reaches a certain size it needs a building that will fulfil its ministries and vision. My personal dream is to see the UK well served by its church buildings, released from their historical strangleholds, able to concentrate on their message in comfort with flexibility. St Mary’s is a really fine building. I am not talking about changing the architecture of the space but of releasing it from the veneer of Victorian furnishings, no longer relevant to today’s worship or to non-churchgoers. Is the building making it difficult, imposing behavioural conditions on people coming in? St Mary’s can be a fabulous centre for Christian worship, comfortable for a variety of uses but respecting the intrinsic architectural qualities of a fine historic building.

Same visionAgain with the church rooms I want to align the building with the vision of the people. They are an excellent resource for use by the church and the local community. I want to maximise their potential and create as much space as possible for the lively activities that go on. They must be robust but have a pleasant, contemporary feel, light and spacious, eye catching but with a timeless quality of simplicity, perhaps, against the church building. The church and church rooms are both part of the same vision. Their architecture and function are different but it is important that their work goes hand in hand. The benefit of the proposed development is that it will provide a fantastic community resource. This will raise the profile of the church in the community, attracting more to come in. It is always easier to talk about church activities when people can feel comfortable and identify with the place.

My own church is a New Frontiers Church, planted about 10 years ago by the local Baptist church in Thame. Unfortunately we don’t have any buildings of our own – we meet in a dance studio in a leisure centre – but it has the same quality of friendliness as St Mary’s. We are all involved as a family, my wife Anna and our 4 children, and I lead worship most Sundays. In fact the baby, Sophie, was born soon after I gave my first presentation to the church in summer last year.’

Community Matters

15

For the last two years a small group from St Mary’s has been working on an exciting project to re-order the church and develop the church rooms. JBKS, an architectural practice from Thame in Oxfordshire and experienced in designing and re-ordering churches, has been asked to design the changes. Judith Sheather met the architect, Kelvin Sampson, and asked him about his vision for St Mary’s.Living out his Christian faith in his approach to his work is what immediately strikes you about Kelvin Sampson. So eager was he to share his thoughts about our church and its development project that he was happy to sit and talk between meetings in the chilly church (the church rooms were typically full, awash with Brownies), having to be reminded to eat his sandwiches.

Architectural delight‘When Jeremy and I first came to St Mary’s from our practice JBKS in Thame, we were made very welcome. I warmed to the whole place, the people and their building. The life of the church is so evident, warm and friendly with much going on. The church building is an unspoilt

architectural delight with great potential as a centre for worship and as a fine piece of architecture. I love its simplicity and loftiness.

We adapt buildings to be a match for the people who are using them, taking their vision, providing for its needs and looking at what the building is saying about its people and their focus. More than 95% of our work is with churches, about 40-50 churches at the present. Firstly it is most important that we spend time getting to know the people of the church because it is the vision of the people that drives the architecture. We can glean so much from talking with people. It is the understanding of their aspirations and theological stance that undergirds our design. An architect’s work is an evolving process working with groups of the church. Once we know what the church is seeking to achieve, we then analyse the building, its shortcomings and good points, establishing the areas that need to be addressed.

Welcoming the communityWe walk around taking photographs and compare the layout with the list of activities. The problems and difficulties that are faced week in, week out quickly become apparent. We can be objective.

St Mary’s mission is to reach out to the community but the church, for instance, with its solid wooden locked doors or the steps to the church rooms, makes it hard for people to come in. When we understand the aspiration of the church people, then we can bring out the possibilities of overcoming problems. We make proposals such as those for re-ordering the church and extending the church rooms and present them to the congregation. Further developments follow from there. There is constant questioning to ensure that we are in the right direction on the basis of the church vision.

Personal dreamI am passionate about seeing the kingdom

Kelvin Sampson – Architect of visionsBy Judith Sheather

Kelvin Sampson

16

Advertising When you contact one of our advertisers, please mention that you saw their advertisement in the Messenger.

0117 950 5888• a small friendly practice • daily surgeries by appointment

• spacious car park • 24 hour emergency cover• Acupuncture, Homeopathy and Osteopathy available

Chevening House, Station Road, Henbury, Bristol BS10 7QQ

www.vikingvets.com

Druid Stoke House

Enjoy relaxed independent living in elegant Georgian surroundings, all set within one of Bristol’s finest

residential locations.Please contact our Manager on 0117 968 1854 for

further details or to arrange a visit.29 Druid Stoke Avenue, Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1DE

RESIDENTIAL HOME

0117 968 1854

Druid Stoke

Druid Stoke Nursing Home is situated in one of the most desirable residential areas of Bristol and offers the best

of individual care to suit your needs.Please contact our Matron/Manager on 0117 968 8111

for further details or to arrange a visit.31 Druid Stoke Avenue, Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1DE

NURSING HOME

0117 968 8111

TH OMAS DAVISINDEPENDENT FAMILY FUNERAL DIRECTORS

(Est 1840)

Southville Lodge, SouthvilleNorthville House, 21-23 Gloucester Road North

50 High Street, Shirehampton57 Sandy Park Road, Brislington

Tel: Freephone 0800 018 4386

Incorporating

Cotton & Sons Funeral Directors

FREE Prescription Collection & Delivery ServiceHomeopathic SpecialistsOver 1,000 homeopathic remedies in stock!

Open Late Mon - Fri 9.00am - 7.00pm • Sat 9.00m - 5.30pm

176 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2XUTel: 0117 973 5025www.buxtonandgrantpharmacy.co.uk

Professional, Merrist Wood trained,

Landscape Gardener with over 20 years experience.

Will undertake all aspects ofgarden maintenance, planting schemes and design. Friendly reliable service.

Please call Luke Conrad (Hnd Landscape contract management)

0774 087 3429968 5085

• Piano Restoration •• Tuning • Repairs •• Sales • Rentals •

www.nicepianos.co.uk info@nicepianos.co.uk 01275 852476