St Mary the Blesssed Virgin Magazine September 2026

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• St Mary’s Parish MagazineNo. 1379 September 2026
• Who s Who at St Mary sVicar Assistant Priest Reader Churchwarden Churchwarden Southwark Pastoral Auxiliary Southwark Pastoral Auxiliary Southwark Pastoral Auxiliary Director of Music Head of Servers Treasurer PCC Secretary Gift Aid Secretary Safeguarding Officer In Vacancy The Rev’d Barbara Gentilella Lindsay Ould Lyn Clark Peter Wilson Pat Heady Karen Holloway Peter Wilson Dr Christopher Parker Lindsay Ould James Robinson Debbie Parker Claire Shapiro Liz Hook
• ContentsNo 1379 From the Reader’s desk…………………......…….……….…..……….…......... 4/5 From the Editor’s Desk …………… ……………….…………………………....6 Surrey young ringers……………………………………………………………...7 Greetings from Bristol…………………………………...…………………….8/10 Parish records…….……..…………………....……..……….....…….....……..12/13 Daily Prayers and Bible readings..…………….…………..……..………….....14/17 British Tree Quiz ……………………………………………………………......18 Children’s Page….…………………………………………...….....….………..…20 Tree of the month……………………………………………………………22/23 Vine Foodbank……………. ……………….…………………….……….....24/25 Who likes holiday’s…………………………………………………...………….26 Teacher’s Pet………………………………………………………………….30/31 Charity of the Month…..……………………..….……………………….……....32 He did it his way……………………………………………………………..34/35 Croatia………………………………………………..…………………..…..36/38 Wednesday walkers……………………………..………...………..…….…..….39
• From the Reader’s DeskThe year is moving fast and we have now arrived at the beginning of September. This time of year is one of my favourites, back to school time in the past, a new year with new challenges, the beautiful colours of autumn with falling leaves and evenings drawing in. September is also the month of my birthday, a big one this year which I hope to share with many of you in church at the end of the month. As a child, I can remember warm Septembers with party games in the garden and walks on Shirley Hills and playing in the local parks What a summer we have had this year, endless hot days, often too hot to do things we would usually do, but a treat to go out for the day not having to worry about warm jumpers and waterproofs. The lack of rain has had great consequences for our gardens but especially for farmers and food producers who may not harvest enough crops to feed their livestock or to deliver to our supermarkets. We pray for their livelihood and for our part in not wasting food that they provide.
• Page 5done over the summer, I hope you have returned refreshed. Over the last four months, we have been adjusting as a church to life without a Vicar. Many thanks to Revd Barbara who has taken many of our services and for visiting Clergy who have stepped in to give her a break, Revd Barry Goodwin, Revd Matt Drummond and Revd Prem. Our vacancy will be advertised shortly and we ask your prayers tor a new priest to lead us in the next stage of our journey
• From the Editor s Desk6 It’s that time of year again when the leaves start to turn brown and drop from their host, pullovers are retrieved from their summer storage drawers, the evenings are drawing in and there is a distinct chill in the morning air. But, don’t feel depressed by this as the magazine hopefully will fill you with a feeling of warmth and that nothing has changed from month to month, season to season. We begin this edition with the Vacancy Prayer, as the advertisement for a new Vicar has been published and we should all pray for a more than satisfactory conclusion to our period of vacancy. The vacancy has been created by the retirement of Debbie, our last Vicar and in case you are wondering how she and Edward are coping with retirement, all is revealed on pages 8 and 9, along with a huge thank you for the generosity shown enabling them to sit comfortably. The sweet chestnut is the “Tree of the Month”, and in addition to this (would [sorry couldn’t resist it] you believe it) there is a pictorial quiz of leaves, berries and seeds. If you find that too serious, then turn to page 28 for some tre mendously not at all serious tree jokes. The Mothers’ Union had a guest speaker recently who gave a talk about how the food bank works, how the contributions are sorted and when they are open to receive donated items. So next time you are in the church porch and see the items left there you will have a better understanding of the whole operation and the time spent by the Volunteers. Do you like to go on holiday or would you prefer to stay at home, that is the question, have a look at page 26 and decide if you were one of the creatures concerned, what would you be. With kind permission from the local SPAN magazine, there is an article, which I can only describe as “He did it his way”, all is revealed on page 34, if asked I’m sure an autograph may be possible!! Were you a Teacher’s pet and does the poem on page 30, especially the first verses resonate with you, searching back in my memory I don’t think I was ever teacher’s pet. It feels like a lifetime ago, but as indicated in the last magazine the final part of our trip to Croatia is to be found towards the back of this issue. All I can say is life is quieter these days. The Wednesday walkers continue to “walk on” and two members recently were presented with their badges for achieving 200 walks. Well Done!! The parable of the two builders is the theme on the Children’s Page, I hope your homes are built on firm ground, as rain is in the forecast! Happy reading Eddy Torr
• Vacancy PrayerSt Mary the Blessed Virgin,Addington Village .2026 Let us Pray
• 12 Challoner Court Bristol BS1 4RG [email protected] 07469 198372 thFriday 14 August2026 Dear Beloved Friends It is now three months since we moved out of the vicarage and it would be fair to say that we are more or less sorted out, with just one room that needs a bit more care and attention. But the purpose of this letter is not to tell you all about our flat and what we are getting up to although I am sure there will be some of that but rather to say a very big thank you. Thank you for the years we spent with you and to say that Edward and I were quite overwhelmed by your amazing generosity. I have not written before now because I wanted to be able to tell you how we have spent your gift, which I can now do. One of the things that I have never had is a comfortable chair to sit at my desk and this was highlighted when my decrepitude caught up with me on holiday in Aldeburgh when I had a really bad bout of back pain. I am pleased to say that it only lasted about two weeks, but on our return I still could not find a chair on which to sit and do those things that I do at my desk. Consequently we made the decision to get two of those amazing kneeling chairs and they have transformed the experience of desk work and the colour of the upholstered part of them is colour coordinated with the walls of the study! We shall use the remaining part of the gift, as Edward surprisingly intimated, towards having a real television so that we no longer have to huddle round a lap top when we want to indulge in some light watching currently Ann Droid… We have also identified some of the theatre productions at the Bristol Old Vic that we would like to go to, the first of which is Juliet and Romeo no I haven’t made a mistake, it’s Shakespeare’s story with a different outcome, in other words they don’t both die. So thank you all so much for making all this possible and it means that whenever I sit at my desk comfortably I think of you with gratitude and I have the lovely Palm Sunday photograph up to the left of my desk so I can look at your smiling faces. The hamper of St Mary’s merchandise is also regularly in use. The mugs appear with our morning tea, tea towels are always needed as are notepads. Thank you.
• Page 9So as I mentioned, we had a week’s holiday during the latter part of June in Aldeburgh at the Festival. I could wax lyrical about the wondrous music but if I detailed everything you might lose the will to live. It is something that has been on Edward’s bucket list for a long time so it was good to turn it into a reality and we came away feeling truly nourished. July was dominated by two family celebrations and my first solo discernment panel. The celebrations were for Edward’s sister and her husband who both turn 80 this year Summer Solstice sunrise at Aldeburgh th and our Ruth’s 40 birthday party. It is marginally sobering realising that three out of the four children are now in their 40s! As for the discernment panel, that went well and I managed to get everything done in the quite tight time frame five working days to edit 12 reports. Alongside all this we have enjoyed catching up with old friends and are looking forward to more of this in the autumn. My th
• Page 10on the family archive as items emerge from boxes. I think we have now completed all of the boxes but the sorted contents will now need to be filed or, in some cases, having had a stay of execution, might eventually be consigned to the tip. Our mornings tend to be desk based old habits die hard and then the afternoons can take on a different hue. It has been nice being able to help st out a bit with child care. We had Daniel’s second birthday on 1 August and then not long after that we stood in at short notice as his nanny was not well. We have also had Maisie for a day, which was fun as she is at the stage where she demands a lot of role playing. We took her to the aquarium in the afternoon which she clearly enjoyed. I managed to persuade her not to come away with a very large very pink seahorse but she did emerge with a rather splendid, but slightly more tasteful Jelly Fish. We are always happy when people drop in to see us, so if you are ever in the Bristol direction just send me a text or give a ring. I think about you all very often and miss you and keep you in my prayers. I am pleased that the parish profile is done and has been accepted and that things will now go forward with reasonable speed. With love to you all Debbie Debbie’ study
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• From The Parish RegistersBIRTHDAYS 17th September 26th September
• Prayer ListIn the absence of the weekly “Pews news”, a prayer list has been created and you are kindly asked to hold the following in your Thoughts and Prayers. We especially pray for ; Patrick Opaleye Jean Parker Lyn Docherty Peter Crowe Allie Jan and Tony Hughes Bruno Gentilella Ruth and Tony Baby Poppy Barry Monty& Eddie Alford Peter Sandeep
• Daily Bible Readings and Prayers September2026Silence and stillness, times for reflection and meditation, and a moment within each day to offer our prayers and concerns to God for ourselves, our community and our world are vital if we are to sustain our busy and active lives. Try to find space at the same time each day to be with God by yourself, just for five or ten minutes. You might like to follow this simple daily routine: PRAYERS
• Sunday 20th September 16th Sunday after TrintyO Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sunday 27th September 17th Sunday after Trinity
• Sun 6Patronal Festival Isaiah 7 10 14 Galatians 4: 4 7
• Wed 23 Thu 24Psalm 119. 57 80 1 Kings 17 Psalms 56, 57, (63*) 1 Kings 18.1 20
• British Tree Quiz by Peter BourneAnswers on page 33 Can you name the tree from their leaf, seeds, nuts or berries? 1.
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• CHILDREN’S PAGETHE TWO BUILDERS Jesus told the story of two builders. The wise man built his house on the rock and it stood firm in the rain and the storm. The foolish man built his house on sand and it fell down when the rain and the storm came. Jesus said everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The story teaches people to build their lives on Jesus’ teachings. Like the house built on the rock they will remain strong when they have to face challenges in life. Draw a picture of the foolish man and his house falling down on the sand. Don’t forget to draw the rain and the storm. Draw a picture of the wise man and his house built on the rock that did not fall down. Don’t forget the rain and the storm.
• FRUIT FLY DETERRENTThis easy to assemble F.F.D. was given to me by a friend during one of the heat waves. You will need one empty small plastic water bottle. Washing up liquid. Cider vinegar. Water. Cut off the top of the bottle down to the shoulder and invert it into the bottle. Pour in one inch of cider vinegar, a good squeeze of washing up liquid and half an inch of water. Place near the fruit. The FF will be attracted by the mixture but there's no escape! place!
• Page 22Tree of the Month: Sweet Chestnut What did the Romans do for you British people? For hundreds of years it was thought that they introduced my ancestors into your country. However, I can tell you that they did import large quantities of our nuts from Italy which were ground to make a coarse flour and made into chestnut porridge given to Roman soldiers before going into battle. The Romans didn’t plant my original descendants in Britain as they arrived here somewhere between C12th and C16th. Remember, you heard that from the horse (chestnut)’s mouth, so to speak. Many people think we are related to the Horse Chestnut tree. This isn’t true. They are not even our distant cousins. One stupid person who couldn’t tell the difference between us named my oldest and largest ancestor ‘The Hundred Horse Chestnut Tree.’ It’s somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 years old and grows on the high slope of Mount Etna in Sicily. It has a circumference of 34 feet and a height of 64 feet, and its impressive age is probably down to the fertile volcanic soil. We can be found growing in parklands and woods. We grow to a height of 115 feet and can live for as long as 400 to 600 years. We have long pointed shiny dark green leaves with serrated edges which we lose in winter. If you thought the conker shell of the horse chestnut tree was prickly then wait till you try to open our sweet chestnut shells. Legend has it that our nuts used to hang down from the tree with no cases to protect them. Animals ate them before they were ripe so the sweet chestnut tree asked a hedgehog if he could help. The hedgehog felt sorry for the vulnerable nuts. Wanting to help he offered to share his defensive prickly spines so the trees could grow their own protective prickly shell cases around the chestnuts. I don’t know if the story is true but our spines are definitely as prickly as those of any hedgehog! Surprisingly, unlike many other trees we do not feature much in ancient British myths and legends, probably because it didn’t arrive here until quite late. However, we do feature in many Asian and European myths. In Korean marriages our chestnuts are given to the newly weds to bless them with a fruitful union. In Japan our nuts are eaten on New Year’s Day to bring good fortune in the coming year. Italians often keep sweet chestnuts in the home all year round to ward 22
• Page 23off evil spirits. In early Christian folklore our nuts represented chastity and purity. This stems from the prickly, defensive outer case protecting the soft, unblemished inner nut which is the seed. Our wood is hard and durable. Furniture makers prize its honey golden grain and it used a lot as a substitute for oak when constructing frames for barns and houses. It is good for turning. Did you know that Spanish people first made castanets from our wood? The word castanet comes from the Spanish word for chestnut which is castana Our chestnuts, unlike horse chestnuts, are sweet to taste when boiled in water or roasted. One Christmas I heard passers by singing a song with the line, ’Chestnuts roasting by an open fire.’ They must have been singing about our chestnuts because horse chestnuts would have made them very sick if eaten You may have eaten marrons glacés. The French word for sweet chestnut is marron and when they are cooked and covered in a sugary syrup glaze they are called marron glacés. I’ve heard it said by my sweet chestnut cousins in France that people say they taste very nice. Peter Bourne List of our Advertisers
• Page 24At the end of August, Annette Wicks from the Vine Foodbank came to speak to the Mothers Union group about how the Food bank works. This food bank has been running for over 10 years and is run from a scout hut behind Salcot Crescent. It provides food for families or individuals who need it and works by a referral system. This can be from a school, church, Croydon Council or Job Centre and referrals are made for a 4 week period and then renewed if necessary. St Mary’s has been a collection point for many years and donations can be left in our church porch in the box provided and Fiona collects and delivers them to the food bank on a Tuesday evening. There are also collection points at Sainsbury’s in Selsdon & West Wickham for people to donate items when they shop. Food is sorted into different size bags which cover enough food for a three day period and those with bigger families will be offered multiple bags to help them when they need it. As well as cereal, longlife milk, tea, coffee, hot chocolate or squash, they will also be given tinned meat options such as corned beef or a tinned meat pie. Pasta or rice is offered as well as pasta sauce and household items such as laundry pods, toilet paper and cooking oil. The food bank has recently started providing refills for washing up liquid, if clients bring back an empty bottle, it will be filled up for them as an extra so this is popular and the foodbank would also like to receive donations of empty washing up liquid bottles so that they can continue to offer this service. Food is received on a Tuesday evening between 7 8 or on a Saturday morning between 9 10 and clients can pick up their food bags between 10 12 on Wednesday and Saturday. There are around 25 Volunteers who help to pack the bags on Tuesday and Saturday and some also help to distribute the bags on Wednesday and Saturdays. They can also provide nappies, wipes and baby formula if a family needs it as well as sanitary products. The Foodbank also has a link with the RSPCA which can refer people to a vet if their pet needs care and will also provide pet food for those who need it. Annette said that they were currently providing bags for 18 families and that this number is often much larger depending on the time of year and she hoped that eventually they would not be needed. As well as accepting food donations, the Vine Foodbank accepts monetary donations so that Annette can buy additional items to fill any gaps in what they can offer. 24
• Page 25There is a just giving page on their website https://www.justgiving.com/ page/new addington the salvation army foodbank They can also be contacted if you would like to set up a direct debit to help support them On 27th September, we will be holding our Harvest Festival and all food that we collect will be donated to the Vine. Thank you to all those who regularly leave donations in the porch, there is always more space if you would like to consider picking up one or two extra items when you do your shopping. Lindsay Ould
• Page 26WHO LIKES HOLIDAYS, CATS OR DOGS? That is the question! 'So, it's that time again. I heard the cupboard door open and the cases and back packs being put opened on the spare beds. Holiday time for the family. I pretended not to notice all the activity, not to show that I was pleased in a way, that I would have the house to myself for a while. One of the children stroked my head. 'Never mind, Felix,' she said. 'You will be looked after by Betty next door'. I purred briefly, as I like Betty. She has a black Labrador dog called Bouncer. And he does! He loves to go on holiday strange places to explore, new friends to make, different smells to decipher and only stops bouncing when he flops onto the floor with exhaustion. He definitely likes holidays. I wonder why I was called Felix, which is Happy in Latin. Perhaps because the Romans brought my very distant ancestors to England many years ago when there were plenty of rats to chase and kill. I wonder if the Romans knew that old type cats had been doing that for millennia! I could have been called Larry, like the famous cat in charge of rat and mouse extermination at No.10, Downing Street. He has been doing the job for 15 years without a holiday! Good for him! Some cats have taken up residence in Cathedrals, though I don't know if there is much rodent catching to do. They are popular attractions though. Cats are mentioned only once in the Bible, so I am told, but I can't recall where. But I, Felix, am mentioned! One cat I heard of was called Catastrophe and another Cataract. I was glad not to be in those houses. I don't want a holiday for various reasons. The main one is that I like having the house to myself; it's my territory and I want to defend it. I feel stressed at the thought of leaving the house and having to adapt to somewhere unknown. It's scary to travel, too, so I am not a happy Felix! (Ha ha!) Of course I miss the family, but Betty and Bouncer are next door who stroke me sometimes, so I purr for Betty. I enjoy the peace and quiet of a solitary life for a while, but when I hear the family car draw up, I know that life will be back to normal. Of course I feign disinterest that the family is home again and stare out of the window into Bouncer's garden, until I turn to acknowledge the Missus , who strokes and cuddles me. We really have missed each other, so I purr loudly. Once, when I was very young, I really didn't want her to leave, so she put one of her cardigans in my bed to comfort me with its smell of her. That helped a lot. 26
• Page 27Bouncer was pleased to be home again with the people he loved and all his toys, and I was glad to have had the run of the house to myself cats are very territorial! Purrs, Felix.' If you have read this far, you will be able to answer the question posed at the beginning of my rambling Dogs like to go on holiday, cats are happy when they are left in charge at home. (This is not true of all pets, of course.) Philippa Millington
• Page 28Tree Jokes ….Well, there May be more I’m going to tree t yew to some tree mendously funny tree jokes. I hope they leaf you laughing fir along time… What did the beaver say to the tree? It’s been nice gnawing you. How did the tree get lost? It took the wrong root. How do trees make themselves heard? They use an amp leaf ier. What is a tree’s favourite drink? Root beer. Where do woodlice go on holiday? To the beech. Why was the tree stumped? It couldn’t find the answer to the problem. What did the tree like best about Star Trek? The Captain’s log. I met a girl in summer. Her name was Theresa Green. When I met her in autumn she’d changed her name to Theresa Brown. What do they call a trio of lumberjacks? Tree fellers. What school subject do trees like best? Geome tree. How can you make an oak tree laugh? Tell it acorn y joke. Where do tree saplings go to learn? Elem tree school. In this magazine I’ve given yew a tree quiz, a tree of the month and some tree jokes. Well, yew know what they say…The best things come in trees!
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• Page 30Teacher’s Pet We have a new girl in our class, Becky is her name. Our teacher’s always praising her Ever since the day she came. Becky brings an apple in For teacher every day. Becky is our teacher’s pet, Or so my classmates say. She is our teacher’s favourite, Of that there is no doubt. She’s always given jobs to do Like giving textbooks out. Becky goes on messages, Becky sits up straight. Becky’s always first in class, She’s never ever late. Becky has good manners She’s always very polite; And when she answers questions She always gets them right! Arms folded on the carpet, She sits as good as gold; Never fidgeting or talking She does exactly what she’s told. Becky knows her tables Up to twelve times eight; I’m sure if she were older Teacher would ask her for a date! 30
• Page 31She started changing in PE, And I don’t mean just her clothes. I thought I saw some whiskers On her little turned up nose! Her fingers sprouted tiny claws Where once grew finger nails. And when she changed into her shorts, I swore I saw a tail. Don’t laugh at me, this is the truth, I could not believe my eyes, As I sat there next to Becky She shrank right down in size. That lovely child that we once knew Is not the same girl any more.
• Page 32Philippa has nominated International Needs (I.N) as Charity of the month for September.This is a little write up about the charity and how Philippa was made aware of the charity through our ex curate James and his wife Ali. Charity of the month International Needs, I.N.
• Tree Quiz Answers1.Oak 2. Hazel or Hazel nut
• Page 34Singing his way to stardom, local pensioner Vic Wallace found TV fame at 90, winning the nation’s heart… It all began last Spring when Vic’s Choir Director was approached by a TV production company to enquire if he knew of anyone who was prepared to sing a particular song that had a special significance in their lives. As the programme describes it: ‘…not just a song, but something to evoke memories and show determination and courage Your Song, which aired on Channel 4 in the Spring, allows contestants around the UK to showcase their vocal talent to a live and TV audience following the same format as the highly popular series, The Piano The Choir Director spoke to Vic, a 90 year old member of the choir that he knew had an interesting story. He asked Vic if he could put him forward as a possible contestant. Vic agreed and so embarked on his exciting introduction to TV. When I went to speak to Vic recently, he explained how music and particularly singing had always been a huge part of his life despite having no formal musical training. He’s always sung in choirs and at Church. For the last 33 years he has sung with the Croydon Male Voice Choir and also more recently the Sandilands Shanty Men, an offshoot of the Croydon Male Voice Choir, giving concerts locally and around the South East. What made Vic’s story worth sharing more widely is the stroke he suffered in 2021 which took away his power of speech. After an operation, his recovery and rehabilitation were slow. He remembers vividly walking a hospital corridor, hearing a patient singing I thought that’s what I want to be able to do again. So, with help from speech therapists, he gradually relearned to speak and sing. This remarkable story was one the TV producers felt should be told. One of the recordings submitted by Vic was Fly Me to the Moon, the song he heard the patient singing in hospital and, which he eventually sang on the show. Coincidentally, Vic is a great fan of Frank Sinatra and 1940s/50s music, making the song an obvious choice. As you might expect, the producers received many submissions from hopefuls which they had to sift through and assess and Vic subsequently submitted more sample recordings to enable the programme producers to create a shortlist. Then came invitations to several auditions in London as well as requests for more details about Vic’s inspiring story. Tension was mounting as it became clear that Vic was ticking many of the boxes for selection to appear on the programme. One of the final hurdles was a Zoom interview with a psychologist to ensure that contestants were emotionally prepared for taking part in the Your Song production. Then finally the call came! Vic was summoned to be one of 12 acts to perform at an outdoor stage at Potters Fields Park near Tower Bridge. Performance day was a Saturday, though attendance was required from 34
• Page 35Thursday onwards, to allow for rehearsals and sound checks. But only five or six performers’ songs are chosen to make the final programme ‘cut’. Vic’s virtuoso performance, dressed in a Sinatra style blue suit and trilby, was not only chosen but was the first act of the programme. Ever the showman, his rendition included a soft shoe shuffle in mid song and a final chord throwing of his hat to the crowd. Brilliant! Some of Vic’s family and members of his choir (alerted only on Thursday) were on hand to support him and applaud his lovely performance, together with a sizeable crowd undeterred by the heavy downpour which interrupted filming for a spell. To add further colour and background to the segment, a film crew came to Shirley to capture Vic in his home setting and hear more about the Croydon Male Voice Choir. Though Vic’s performance was not quite enough to win him a place in the series final he won a place in many hearts throughout the country for his turn on the programme. It spoke volumes about a person embracing a daunting challenge in his tenth decade. I’ll leave the last word to Vic: ‘It was a fascinating insight into the making of TV shows, but more importantly it allowed me an opportunity to do what I most enjoy making people happy!’ Your Song is on Channel 4 the London episode is third in the series. Words by Geoff Flook This article first appeared in the SPAN July 2026 edition and is reprinted with permission.
• HRVATSKAIn last month’s magazine I finished the article about our holiday to Croatia, leaving you to wonder if our three hour coach trip would be quiet, well, alas to say Mrs T (Talkalotski) had other plans and we were again regaled with tales of past family members and various animals in their care. But, to return to the holiday. The next morning with no excursions organised and feeling a little stiff from the coach journey we had a late breakfast and planned our day ahead. The first order of play was to retire to the nearby beach relaxing in the pleasant sun and swimming when we got too hot. As the beach was very stony we wore our beach shoes (bought on an earlier holiday to Croatia) this made swimming more difficult and I remember remarking we could have been doing this at Brighton for a lot less money but without the lovely views across the bay. After a beach morning we decided to go shopping for lunch that day and the days ahead. What followed was a bit of a shock to the system ALL shops and restaurants were CLOSED. For a person who spoke a lot, Mrs. T did not tell us in advance of these closures as Lovran and the rest of Croatia was celebrating Corpus Christi. All however was not lost as we found a small (obviously not that religious) establishment serving Honey tea and scrumptious cheesecake. We were not alone as some of our party also found this haven of food and much conversation ensued. Feeling much replenished it was back to the beach for a lazy few hours as we knew the following day would be long and tiring. And so it turned out to be as we were up early to be breakfasted and out by 7.45am for a 171km coach trip to the Plitvicka Jerera National Park. This park is the oldest and largest park in Croatia famous for its numerous turquoise coloured lakes separated by tufa barriers. The geology of the park has resulted in the water cutting canyons in the limestone deposits resulting in there being Upper and Lower Lakes. The waterfalls were quite spectacular as well as being very noisy and the colour of the lakes lived up to their colour description. The only downside was the number of people (tourists mostly) that made to traversing the narrow paths between areas of water difficult to negotiate, especially when someone suddenly stopped to take a photograph or several/. The area has some quite steep footpaths going through the forest (about 80% of the park is forested), Sheila and I with others from the group found an easy going footpath, surprisingly with not many tourists, that led us to a very nice picnic spot. 36
• Page 37After the picnic lunch Sheila and I separated from the main group who were being led by Mrs T for a long walk around various lakes, (my legs were not up to the walking) and found our way along a flat path to a welcoming café, welcoming because it had started to rain and we had no waterproofs. This was our cue to partake in a nice refreshments of very tasty cake and equally nice tea and coffee. While we waited for the main group to assemble to get the coach, we were surprised to see a squirrel, but with a difference, it was not Red neither was it Grey but rather it was Black. All too soon it was back on the coach and guess what some more never ending chatter. While thinking about what to write and looking at some notes made at the time I found this little gem of as note tucked away in our guide for the lakes “Just hate being talked to continually". Sums up ours and others feelings on that trip nicely. Another day dawned and we breakfasted late as we had nothing organised or planned for the day. It was a warm day that could only mean one thing a swim in the sea, even though there was a shower or two. Later we had a stroll along part of the Franz Joseph 1 promenade, looking down at the crystal clear water and counting the cormorants, with wings widespread, drying themselves on the rocks about 20 metres from the promenade. The promenade itself is some 12 kilometres long connecting various villages along the coast, passing through the main town of the area Opatija. Following the disasters of the previous day, when all food outlets were closed, we were pleased when one of our group directed us to small bar/restaurant conveniently situated next to the local supermarket we used, informing us it was relatively cheap and gave large servings. The food was very basic ranging from locally caught fish to the biggest burgers I have ever seen. That was my challenge for the day and I am sorry to say the burger won but the local beer proved to be good consolation. After a short sleep by a small pier, we decided to venture into the old part of Lovran again specifically to visit the local museum, situated in the historic Lovran Town Tower. The museum centres itself on the boatbuilding history of the area with the main exhibit being the story of local Lovran men who were involved in an expedition to the North Pole in 1872. The main thrust of this expedition was to find the elusive Northeast passage. Their ship became trapped on pack ice for two years, during which time they drifted into an unknown Arctic archipelago that they named Franz Josef Land. The holiday had flown by and with a little degree of sadness we realised this was to be our “Last Supper” with our travelling companions, and whereas most evenings after dinner the
• Page 38Group went their separate ways, this night we stayed together in the bar area, listening to live music and discussing what were the favourite parts of the Holiday. Everybody agreed that the excursion to the National Park and lakes was their favourite but the fact that due to the smallness of the group some excursions could not take place rankled with some. And so eventually to bed. Our flight from Venice was at 11.55 pm and Sheila and I were concerned that we would be collected and delivered to Venice airport many hours before our departure time. We needn’t have worried as Mrs. T informed us we were to be the last to be collected and taken to the airport. All the rest of our party were collected during the morning, but we deposited our luggage in a secure storage space at the hotel and strolled off into the sunshine. Having hours to kill we lazed on the beach, had a final last swim in the sea, a leisurely walk along the promenade, waving good bye to the cormorants, followed by lovely salad with homemade bread . As our transport to the airport was 4.30 that afternoon we spent time reading and finally having a last coffee and cake at our favourite café overlooking the sea. When we eventually arrived back at the hotel we were surprised to see that the driver who brought us from Venice seven days earlier was also to take us back and on arrival at Venice airport the driver again expressed his delight at not being stopped at the border crossing we passed through.. We eventually after a lengthy delay checked in and deposited our luggage. This being around 9.00pm on a Sunday evening there was not a lot of venues open at the airport and we found if quite tricky to find something to eat. Our flight surprisingly was not delayed (on previous holidays we have had quite a few delays) and very smooth. In what seemed no time whatsoever we were landing at Gatwick, a slight delay in collecting luggage and then to find the bus to take us to the offsite parking facility. We collected our car without difficulty and headed for home, arriving just shy of 1.00am., almost a complete circle from start to finish. The cliff top castle at Lake Bled mentioned in the July/ August edition
• Wednesday walkersRecently two more regular walkers gained their 200 badge. Pauline started walking with us in 2020 and set up the Whatsapp walking group for us. It is very helpful to know who is either coming or not able to come on each walk by sending a message and if anyone is going to be late they can send a quick message. We also add photos taken on the day or information about a future walk. Thank you Pauline for your support. Sally started walking with us in 2019 and often leads the Bird sanctuary walk. She knows exactly where all the less well known paths are and gives me some rest from leading! During this heatwave we have continued to walk trying to keep in the shade and sometimes having a shorter walk. Storms are forecast in the future months but we will continue to walk our motto being “We walk whatever the weather”. This year we have welcomed Vivien who attends St John’s in Selsdon and Sheila Kemble who helped with our homeless project. Thank you to Theresa and Gayle who also lead some of the walks. Sheila Davison
• THE PARISH OF ST MARY S ADDINGTON8.00am 10.00am 6.30pm Sunday Services