From the Editor

As 2008 draws to a close we can look back on another eventful year which has been recorded in “Faith Matters”.  Parishioners have again written about their most interesting trips and activities and they are both varied and interesting.

January - Clare Kennar reported on her visit to Uganda; Frances Joyce on her visit to Armenia; and Michael & Ann Fluck on their visit to Ghana (continued into February and March).  February - Carolyn Bradfield (daughter of John Smythe) sent an article from St. Mary’s Cathedral in Port Elizabeth, South Africa as a surprise for her father’s 90^th birthday.  March & April - Peter Appleby gave us a “Themed Break” dedicated to the achievements of the 617 Dambusters Squadron.  April - Shirley Caunter commenced her South America Adventure which started in the Amazon, and continued it in the May, June, July, October & December editions.  June, July & August - Peter Thomas gave us his experiences in the last seven months of the British Mandate in Palestine; and Trevor Hopkinson responded with views from another pair of eyes in September.  Also in June, Graham Frost reported on the visit to Walsingham.  August - Rosemary Thomas gave her thoughts on the successful flower festival held in June and Sarah Woodley our Police Community Support Officer, started a monthly series for parishioners.  Another very successful Town Fair was held in September and recorded in the October edition; Graham Frost told us about his visit to Llandaff; and Jean Uphill responded to Roger Bryant’s article on the Portsdown Hill Shelters.  November - we had Peter Willey’s visits to the areas associated with the First World War; Peter Thomas’s Welsh “Cruise”; and a report on the visit by representatives of our link parish in Ghana by Michael & Ann Fluck.  I also have a reflection on “Taize” by Margaret Calder for a future edition.

We received a big surprise at the APCM in April when Fr David announced that he was leaving to take up a new appointment in the USA and the September edition concentrated on the farewell to him and his family.

Throughout the year, “Faith Matters” has reported on all the PCC, PDG and BMC meetings so that readers are informed as to what is happening in the parish.

One of our advertisers, “Kobblers & Keys”, Darryl Doughty, paints in between mending shoes and cutting keys and has an exhibition of his paintings at the Art Ache Gallery in The Pallant during December until 9 January 2009 – do go along and have a look.

Finally, a big thank you to all contributors to “Faith Matters”;to the regulars, Roger Bryant and Sisyphus, and to all our advertisers.  To all our readers a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

Colin Carter

From the Lay Deacon

Christmas carols are an important part of Christmas. We are all familiar with the tunes, and the words are a reminder of the Christmas message.  But do we ever give a thought to those who wrote the words and composed the tunes?  Some carols have quite an interesting story behind them.

About two hundred and fifty years ago a man called John Byrom lived in Manchester.  He earned very little money as a teacher of shorthand.  (Yes, it was known then, though not the modern systems).  In his spare time he wrote poetry, which brought him great pleasure but no money.  One year, as Christmas approached, he asked his daughter Dolly what she would like for a Christmas present.  Knowing he had no money to spare to buy presents, she asked him to give her one of his poems.  On Christmas morning when she came in to breakfast there was a piece of paper beside her plate.  On it was a poem her father had written specially for her, which he had called simply 'Christmas Day for Dolly’.  It began, 'Christians awake, salute the happy morn, whereon the Saviour of the world was born.'  Dolly was delighted with it, and proudly showed it to her friends, among who was John Wainwright, the organist at Manchester Cathedral.  He liked it so much that he composed a tune for it.  Next year, on Christmas morning, John Byrom was awakened by the sound of music.  The cathedral choir was outside his house singing the words which he had written.  The original manuscript, in John's own writing, is one of the treasures of Manchester.  A kind and considerate thought by Dolly for her father led to his Christmas message becoming widely known and sung all round the world each Christmas.

Another favourite carol, '0 little town of Bethlehem' was written in Bethlehem itself in 1866 by an American clergyman called Phillips Brooks, who afterwards became Bishop of Massachusetts.  We usually sing this carol to an English folk tune arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and there is an alternative tune by Sir Henry Walford Davies.  But its original tune is the one popular in America, though not often sung here.

On returning home from Bethlehem, Phillips Brooks asked his organist to write a tune for his words.  All year the man tried to think up a suitable tune, but somehow could not find just what he wanted.  Christmas Eve came, and still no success by the time he went to bed.  In the small hours he was awakened by what he later described as 'angel strains’ sounding in his ears.  Eagerly he wrote down the melody, then in the morning he harmonised it in time to be used in Church for the Christmas services.  He afterwards told everyone that the tune had been 'a gift from heaven'.

And isn't that what Christmas is all about?  The baby born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago was indeed 'a gift from heaven'.  God's own Son, whom he sent to show us his great love for all people.  As St. John wrote in his epistle, 'In this the love of God was shown to us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.'  And in his gospel, 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.'

John Byrom in his poem wrote of the angels' message to the shepherds:  'I bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth to you and all the nations on the earth; this day has God fulfilled his promised word, this day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord.'  The response of the shepherds was to seek out the baby Jesus and worship him.

Phillips Brooks tells us in his carol what our response should be: '0 holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.  We hear the Christmas angels their great glad tidings tell: 0 come to us, abide with us our Lord Emmanuel.'

So, as we approach the great day itself, we must keep in mind that, beyond the carols, the cards, the presents, the crackers, the turkey and the Christmas pudding, we are celebrating a birthday.  But it is most important for us to be aware that, to parody a well-known TV commercial, and with apologies to a certain popular High Street store, this is not just a birthday: this is JESUS' BIRTHDAY!

A truly joyful and blessed Christmas to each one of you.

Trevor

Its Christmas Day – All is Secure

Twas the night before Christmas

He lived all alone

In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone

I had come down the chimney with presents to give

And to see just who in this home did live

 

I looked all about a strange sight I did see

No tinsel no presents not even a tree

No stocking by the mantle just boots filled with sand

On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands

With medals and badges awards of all kinds

A sober thought came through my mind

 

For this house was different it was dark and dreary

I found the home of a soldier once I could see clearly

The soldier lay sleeping silent alone

Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home

 

The face was so gentle the room in such disorder

Not how I pictured a lone British soldier

Was this the hero of whom I’d just read

Curled up on a poncho the floor for a bed

 

I realised the families that I saw this night

Owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight

Soon round the world the children would play

And grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas Day

 

They all enjoy freedom each month of the year

Because of the soldiers like the one lying here

I couldn’t help wonder how many alone

On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home

 

The very thought brought a tear to my eye

I dropped to my knees and started to cry

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice

‘Santa don’t cry this life is my choice

I fight for freedom I don’t ask for more

My life is my God, my country my corps’

 

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep

I couldn’t control it I continued to weep

 

I kept watch for hours so silent and still

And we both sat and shivered from the cold nights chill

I didn’t want to leave on that cold dark night

This guardian of honour so willing to fight

 

Then the soldier rolled over with a voice soft and pure

Whispered ‘carry on Santa its Christmas Day all is secure’

One look at my watch and I knew he was right

‘Merry Christmas my friend and to all a good night’

 

The General Sikorski Mystery

Last month we left Commander Crabb and his team about to enter the waters of Gibraltar.  Their task was to find bodies and the General’s briefcase.  Their visibility was very limited and the dive was extremely hazardous because of the leaking fuel oil.  This was wartime and there was also the risk of combat with the excellent Italian frogman based in nearby Spain.  Sikorski’s body was found floating on the surface; other bodies were found in the aircraft.  Some bodies, including the General’s daughter Sofia Lesinowska, were never found, although one of the mysteries of our story is recent reports released from the National Archives that she actually survived the crash and that two saboteurs had been identified.  There were no records kept of the flight, so we have no means of telling who actually boarded the aircraft. 

So who is suspected of sabotaging the aircraft, if, in fact, it was sabotaged?  At an enquiry shortly after the crash, the sole survivor and pilot, Flight Lieutenant Edward “Max” Prchal, said that the controls had jammed.  In recent years, as recently as 2000, much documentation has been released from the National Archives which has shed more light on the crash.  For example, at the original RAF enquiry Prchal denied he was wearing a lifejacket when rescued but there was incontrovertible evidence that he was wearing one from several witnesses including the man, Count Ludwik Lubienski, Head of the Polish Mission in Gibraltar, who physically pulled Prchal out of the water.  Another report in the National Archives stated that Prchal, who was Czech, had told an RAF officer in Prague in 1946 that he had lied to the Court of Inquiry.  One report stated that Sofia had been handed a box of chocolates as she entered the aircraft.  Although her body was not found, the body of her female companion was found, badly mutilated as if by an explosion.  The Air Traffic Controller in Gibraltar reported an explosion as the aircraft was entering the water.

So who would want Zagorsk killed?  It goes without saying that the Germans would have but there is no evidence, not even a suggestion, in papers released that they had any involvement in the crash.  Not so the Russians who were deeply suspicious of Sikorski and would not have allowed him to live if he had returned to Poland when it became a communist state.  The Russian spy Kim Philby was responsible for Britain’s counter-espionage in the region and there are reports of him discussing the possible assassination of Sikorski with a counter-agent in the German Abwehr.  On the night of the flight, Sikorski’s aircraft was changed and he took off in an aircraft which had been parked all day, unguarded, next to the Russian aircraft that had brought their Ambassador Ivan Maisky to Gibraltar.  The aircraft originally intended for Sikorski took off earlier and arrived safely in London.  The master Russian spy, Anthony Blunt, once said that his only major regret during the war was ordering the sabotage of a passenger plane.  Could this have been Sikorski’s?  Although sabotage is the most likely explanation for the crash, regrettably we have no evidence to substantiate it.  A very successful play called “Soldier” by Rolf Hochnuth ran in the West End some years ago about the alleged assassination of Sikorski by the British Secret Service on the instruction of Winston Churchill on the grounds that he was a threat to our wartime alliance with Soviet Russia.  Of all the explanations for the crash, this is the most unlikely one.  So the mystery remains with us!  I thought about it as we landed on this same runway in September on a visit to our married granddaughter Melanie, husband Jimmy, and great grandchildren Louis and Maddison (Maddi).  Happily, their world is far different from Commander Crabb’s!

Roger Bryant

Correspondence Column

Dear Colin,

Thanks for your message the other day. I am sorry that I have not been in touch before now but - as you can imagine - it has been a pretty hectic first year.  I was licensed in September and went straight into Harvest Festivals, Remembrance, Advent, Christmas and a very early Easter - generally in each church.  With that and learning what it is to be an incumbent it has been quite a steep learning curve.  We certainly 'hit the ground running' as they say.

But we are all well and we have been made to feel very welcome.  But I am afraid to say that I have not quite found the time to write an article for 'Faith Matters' yet.  But maybe when things quieten down I will see what I can do -my apologies.

I do hope you are all well and please pass on our best wishes and prayers to all from us up here in Lincolnshire.

Best wishes,                                                               

 Fr Charles

Dear PCC

I have just had the very (sic) pleasure of sending off a total of £264.85 to Tearfund, coming from your collection, the cake raffle and the Tearfund gift envelopes put in the collection.  This is really great, thank you so much.

It was so encouraging to be part of your service this morning (5 October), with Arthur Croad speaking about Tearfund and our being able to bring some Tearcraft.  Thank you.

Yours very sincerely,                                                                                              Dr Simon W Mitchell

Christmas Greetings
 

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Pam and Derek Bowley

Mary and Ken send their love and every blessing to all their friends at St. Faith’s for a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and peaceful New Year.

We wish all our friends at St. Faith’s and St. Nicholas a very Happy Christmas and healthy New Year.  A big thank you to those who produce articles and deliver “Faith Matters” and help in the Pastoral Centre. Beryl & Colin Carter

Hilary & David wish everyone at St. Faith’s A Peaceful and Happy Christmas.

Wishing all at St. Faith’s and St. Nicholas a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with love from  Sandra Haggan

Wishing one and all a Merry Christmas and peaceful New Year from Fiona, Colin, Louise and Ruth Hedley

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Vicki Mockford and family

 Wishing everyone at St. Faith’s a very blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. Val and Melvyn Rose

Wishing all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Valentine Searle

A very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year to all our friends in St. Faith's. Roger and Marion Simmons

Peter and Rosemary Thomas send their best wishes for a very Happy Christmas to all their friends at St. Faith’s.  Rosemary sends special thanks to all who help decorate the church with flowers throughout the year.

Best wishes to all our friends at St. Faith’s for a happy Christmas and healthy New Year. Joy and Paul Utting

Colin and Sheila Warlow wish all their friends at St. Faith’s a very happy and peaceful Christmas and best wishes for 2009.  

To all our dear friends who are no longer able to attend the services at St. Faith’s and St. Nicholas we wish you a Happy Christmas and a healthy 2009.
 

Ruth Tunks RIP

All of us at St Faith’s were saddened to hear that Ruth had passed away.  We had lost a much loved, loyal and devoted member of our congregation.  Ruth was born in Merston, Kent but lived in South London as a young child.  World War 2 saw her evacuated but after the war she returned, this time to East London.  It was here that she met the love of her life, Ian.  They were both reading Biology at Birbeck College.  Following their marriage they moved to Somerset where Ian started his teaching career.  Later Ian’s career took them to Guildford, where their children Julian and Madeline were born.  Their next and final move was to Havant where Dominic and Claire were born and where Ruth began worshipping at Christ Church, Denvilles.

Ruth was an outdoor girl who enjoyed cycling, walking the dogs and sailing.  It is very appropriate that this little tribute is in “Faith Matters” because not only was she a regular and successful contributor to the monthly crossword but she was also a member of the band of distributors of the magazine.  Ruth took life in her stride, never allowing illness to pull her back or to detract her from her love and interest in her family and friends.  There was a wonderful serenity and quietness about Ruth but this was soon lost in her smile and friendly greeting.  She sat in the same pew, just behind the churchwarden’s in the south of the nave, generally next to little Elsie Yalden and often accompanied by one of her family.  No matter how many are in this pew, to many of us there will always be the presence of Ruth. 

Ruth’s prayer:

“Dear Lord

Thank you for bringing us together in your name.  May our thoughts strengthen us in faith, build us up in hope, and make us grow in love, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen”

Roger Bryant

Church Shop

The Church Shop raised £2,365.01 during the last session between October & November.  Overall £10,613.01 was raised during 2008.  Thank you once again to all who made this possible, without the group of helpers it just couldn’t be done.  New helpers are always welcome; we really need you.  Also we need more donations, especially of clothes.  We re-open on 5 January 2009 setting up shop on Saturday 3 January.  Please note gentlemen!

Sheila Warlow

From Our PCSO

Dear St Faiths Residents,

I know most of you by now realise that I try and write a monthly article in the St Faith’s magazine.  For those of you who don’t know who I am, I am Police Community Support Officer Sarah Woodley 13389.  I work alongside PC Anita George 413, PC Alison Craddock 162, PC Kerry Bone 3394 and APS Jamie Allen 3166.  We cover the St Faith’s ward which includes Havant town, Denvilles, Warblington and Langstone.  If you would like to contact us please call us on 0845 045 45 45 or by email: stfaiths.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk. 

Over the past several weeks we have experienced a rise in criminal damage and theft from vehicles within the St Faith’s area.  Satellite Navigation systems have been the main targets though theft of diesel has also been a major issue.  Here are some preventive measures:

• Always secure your vehicle and double check that it is locked
• Try and place your vehicle in a well lit area
• PLEASE remove all valuables – EVEN from glove compart­ments and as a suggestion leave the glove compartment open to show that it’s empty
• Remove any satellite navigation cradles from windows and try and clean the interior window as it tends to show a ring mark from where the cradle was placed
• Use an alarm system or steering lock
• Please use a secure garage if you have one

If you would like any further information regarding crime prevention then please contact St Faith’s Safer Neighbourhood  Team on the above contact details or if you preferred we run a beat surgery on the first Saturday of every month within the St Faith’s church coffee morning from 1000-1200.  If you have any queries or concerns we’d be most obliged to help/discuss them with you.

Regards

St Faith’s Safer Neighbourhood Team

Epiphany

Tuesday 6^th January 2009 the Eucharist for Epiphany will be at 6.30pm followed by a three course dinner at the Brookfield Hotel.  The meal is a set menu and the price is £18.50 per person.  To book a place please give your names with a cheque made out to the Brookfield Hotel to Sandra Haggan.  Once again our friends from St. Alban's, St. Francis and St. Clare will be joining us.

Buenos Aires

What is it about ships that we fall in love with them?  This week (11 November) we have seen the departure of the QE2 for the last time from Southampton to sail to her new home in Dubai and, although I never sailed in her, I felt the sadness of those who had done so.  I always had a soft spot for HMS Vanguard ever since my father (Donald Guest) served as a member of the Royal Marine band on her visit to South Africa in 1947 with the Royal Family.  There is nothing I like better than to watch the shipping from a vantage point at Sally Port in Old Portsmouth.  Anyway I digress!

The day finally arrived when we had to say farewell to the “Spirit of Adventure”.  One last look back and a wave then we board our coach and head for the Tigre Delta.  A series of in land waterways which have been developed rather like the Norfolk Broads.  Magnificent villas line the banks – the gardens, with manicured lawns, stretch to the water.  Jetty after jetty with boats moored, take the place of cars.  I didn’t see any roads but as even the shops were of the floating variety I guess the car here would be redundant!  After an hour or so, in which we were served coffee and cakes.  We returned to our coach and set off to our next venue the restaurant “La Caballeriza” for lunch.  This turned out to be quite an interesting place as well.  All polished wood and brass – decorated for the festive season and open to the sky in the main part – what happens when it rains?  Our meal – 6 courses – was tasty with the usual mix of meats, fruits and vegetables.  As everyone practically knew each other by this time, the atmosphere was like a big party.  It would be the last occasion at which we would all be together.

Then a tour of the city and what a city she is – Buenos Aires.  By the time we arrived at our hotel we had the impression of big boisterous and beautiful – as her name suggests.  There we were in the capital of Argentina no less.  Don and I did wonder how we would cope here on our own – only a handful of Spirit passengers were staying on.  Too late to worry about that and, as it turned out, we were to have an amazing time. 

After settling in our hotel – the Buenos Aires Hilton – we headed for the waterfront.  This was actually the revamped dock area of “Puerto Madero”.  Rather like Gunwharf, cafes and restaurants line the banks and it wasn’t long before we were sitting with a cup of coffee.  Soon that evening we were to be startled by a firework display that suddenly exploded around us!  What a welcome!

Our first day found us getting rather lost – I think we were looking at the map upside down!  With the help of a friendly Traffic Cop we got back on track and found what we had been looking for – The American Express Bank!  We had opted to take their cheques as currency and only one bank in the whole of BA would change them!  Then it was off to the shops.  All the vast precincts and arcades were of course festooned with decorations as suited the season.  Some of them were amazing and offered a vast range of goods from designer to run of the mill.  Street traders were also in abundance selling jewellery and tourist souvenirs. 

Marches and demonstrations seem to be quite frequent.  Someone told us there was usually one every day.  We witnessed two anyway – one for the return of children who had disappeared under the dictatorship called the Parade of the Mothers or “Plaza de Mayo” and, on another occasion, it was miners and builders striking and marching through the city under police escort.  The traffic was very heavy, the roads extremely wide, the green man very elusive and it was a case of move on the light fast for all!

We visited various places of interest.  For example – moored not far from our hotel was an old steam and sail frigate the ARA Presidente Sarmiento.  Built in 1897 she had sailed round the world and had even docked in Portsmouth on one voyage!  She then became a cadet training vessel and was now a museum.

We saw the grand building which was the Presidential Palace – the pink “Casa Rosado”: also the Cathedral dedicated not to a saint but known as the “Metropolitan”.

We walked up the Avenue de Mayo to the world’s widest avenue “Avenue 9^th July” 140 metres across.  Every so often we would notice a small crowd gathering.  As we drew near we would hear the unmistakable strains of the tango.  After a while quite an elderly man would lead a usually young and beautiful girl into the intricate steps and, as they twisted their heads and their legs in all directions everyone stood enthralled and impressed by their skill.  Well I was anyway!

We visited many cafes.  One was very atmospheric the “Café Tortoni” full of the history of the tango with paintings of past masters lining the walls.  It had a small theatre where shows were performed.  We followed the theme with a visit to a tango and dinner show that evening.  A chance to put on our glad rags and go out on the town.

We did track down that lady – Eva Peron of Evita fame in the Recoletta Cemetery, full of ornate tombs and mausoleums and such a maze it needed a map to find our way around.  Now, after all the drama, she is at rest in this quiet corner. 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to conclude my ‘saga’ by thanking everyone for their kind comments.  It has even made me consider a career in travel writing!  One thing for sure in writing it all down it has been a way of re-living the dream.  So it is now ‘Adios Amigos’ and thanks to Colin for his patience and encouragement.

Shirley Caunter