Shipley Parish News - February and March 2021
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Shipley
Parish News
An oak tree in a bluebell meadow near Dial Post in Spring 2019
February and
March 2021
£1
Shipley Parish News
COVID-19 Restrictions
SUNDAY SERVICES ARE SUSPENDED
THE CHURCH IS OPEN FOR BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
The Shipley PCC has taken the difficult decision to suspend Sunday Worship.
We have done this so that our beloved church gatherings do not become a
source of infection and so no-one will feel obliged to attend Sunday mass, when
they should be shielding. The PCC will review the situation on 24 February.
While physical services are suspended we will be uploading Video Sermons at
the Church website, under the section "Video Sermons" You can also participate
in a full video Eucharist in the "Service you can do at home" section.
At this time we are unable to leave the church open during the day
but if you would like some time for private prayer and reflection
we are running an appointment system for now.
If you wish to come and prayer please contact
Rev Chris Allen on 01403 432813 or Vicar@Shipley.Church,
or the Church Wardens at Churchwarden@Shipley.Church
and they will arrange a time to unlock the Church for you.
There are many online resources, please go to:
www.shipley.church
(where we will make regular updates on what is happening at Shipley)
AChurchNearYou.com
(run by the Church of England)
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/
coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches#na
to find online resources for Prayer.
Also please remember that while you might be isolating yourself from others,
you are never alone. If you need practical help, or just someone to talk to,
please contact Rev. Chris on 01403 432813
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Website edition: February and March 2021
Parish directory
Vicar The Reverend Chis Allen T: 01403 432813
The Vicarage, Shipley, RH13 8PH E: Vicar@Shipley.Church
Church Gavin Kenny T: 01403 734387
Wardens Meadowcroft, Polecat Lane, E: Warden@Shipley.Church
Copsale, RH13 6QR
Richard Killner T: 01403 741974
1 New Cottage, Pound Farm E: Churchwarden@Shipley.Church
Shipley RH13 8QB
Honorary Colin West T: 01403 741912
Treasurer E: Treasurer@Shipley.Church
Honorary Jo Nunn E: Secretary@Shipley.Church
Secretary
Organist and Peter Sanderson E: Choir@Shipley.Church
Choirmaster
Assistant Anne Haimes
Organist
Sunday School Liz Cockerill E: SundaySchool@Shipley.Church
Safeguarding Liz Cockerill E: Safeguarding@Shipley.Church
officer
Bell Captain Simon Meyer E: Bells@Shipley.Church
Bell Secretary Sue Meyer
Andrew Hall Jane Gardner E: AndrewHall@Shipley.Church
Amanda Jupp
Magazine John Davies E: Magazine_advertising@Shipley.Church
advertising
Magazine Lucy West T: 01403 741912
subscriptions
Magazine Greg & Rachel Huitson-Little E: editor@shipleyparishnews.co.uk
editors
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Shipley Parish News
The Vicar’s Letter
Dear Friends
I have arrived in Shipley at a very challenging moment for our world and our
nation. Over the last nine months churches, along with many other venues, have
been closed for weeks at a time and many are experiencing serious difficulties
as a result. Weddings and funerals have been drastically affected and so have
baptisms. Many families have suffered heartache and frustration in these
situations. Meanwhile, the battle against Coronavirus continues.
But by now, I can write to you after we have shared some experiences
together. We celebrated Christmas with the full provision of services. Our
thanks are therefore due to the organists Peter and Anne and to the choir
members for continuing to provide the musical input that is so important at
Christmas, in such unusual circumstances. Everyone else, from flower arrangers
to bell ringers, those who erected and decorated the tree and those who put
parking cones out, also made sure that The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord
Jesus Christ was celebrated with due rejoicing and sense of occasion.
At the moment of writing, we have suspended public services in Church. Many
people feel understandably cautious about meeting other people and, as the
incidence of Covid has risen to very high levels locally, we decided at the PCC
very sadly we should suspend Church Services for now, with a review on 24th
February, taking into account the situation and the latest guidance at that time.
The decision and updates will be posted on the website.
The whole lockdown experience can feel as though normal life has come to
an end, and in many ways it has, for the moment. Perhaps we feel like those
Israelites in exile in Babylon, cut off from worship in the Temple in Jerusalem, as
they expressed in Psalm 137: “By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and
there we wept...how could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land”. The
lockdown does seem like a strange land where everyday life follows unfamiliar
norms and rules, and with each person or family held captive in their own
separate “Babylon”, or captivity. And as with the exiles, worship as a community
in the hallowed space set aside for the purpose, cannot take place. However,
those exiles learned through it all that worship can take place outside the
Temple and that the sacrifices that God desires are humility, contrition and the
practice of justice, as the prophets had taught and as Jesus would go on to
reiterate.
So we have a big task at the moment to keep in touch with one another as
best we can and to maintain our availability to the community at large throughout
the parish of Shipley. Loneliness is something that can affect many of us as we
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Website edition: February and March 2021
miss seeing other people in what was once the usual way and doing the things
we enjoyed. So why not pick up the phone and talk to someone. This magazine
is itself a real asset when it comes to keeping in touch and so our thanks are due
to all those involved in writing, producing, and distributing it. I myself am making
a point of phoning parishioners and I would be very pleased to hear of anyone
who would like a phone call from me.
One of the hardest parts of the current situation is the inability to make any
concrete plans for the future. That means that we can only wait and see how the
situation develops before making any plans, for instance, for enjoyable social
and fund raising events in the Spring and Summer, much as we would like to.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday 17th February. I will record a service and
Sermon on Ash Wednesday, which will be posted on the website as we do for
the Sunday Services currently.
This edition of the magazine also takes us into Holy Week, with Easter
Sunday being 4th April. Last Easter was the darkest time of the first wave of the
pandemic. We hope this year that by Easter we will be emerging from the worst
period of the second wave. Easter will possibly, therefore, have a greater sense
of reality as we emerge from a real wilderness experience where we have been
tested in many ways, yet, we pray, having remained faithful
Your friend and parish priest
Chris
01403 432813 or Vicar@Shipley.Church
New parish email database
If the past year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of keeping in contact
with our friends in the local community. With this in mind, the PCC has decided
to set up a new database of email addresses for the parish, to keep you
informed about what is going on at Shipley Church, share news and let you know
about fundraising and events.
If you would like to sign up, please email Chris at Vicar@Shipley.Church.
We look forward to getting in touch with you soon!
Note: in sharing your details, you will be giving us permission to use your personal data solely for the
purposes of communicating about church life and events, in accordance with data protection laws.
5
Shipley Parish News
Editor’s letter
Welcome to the February and March Shipley Parish News!
Here we are again… writing this from home, not been up to London, still on
mute, etc etc. Next month we shall be marking a full year of working from
home. There’s bits of “normal” working life I miss, and bits I certainly don’t! It
will be odd, when I finally return to the office, not to be able to put an album on
full volume when I need to concentrate on some drafting. Well, I suppose I
could, but being in an open plan office my colleagues might not appreciate it!
One person, or creature, that does appreciate it is Yellow-Dog. She is
currently in her “Dire Straits” phase; discovering some classic late seventies and
early eighties British Rock. She had a bit of a dalliance just after Christmas with
some of the late sixties and early seventies stuff, but found it a bit too “out there”
for her flappy ears so has retreated to something a bit more soothing. More
often than not she can be found keeping watch in the Man Cave whilst
simultaneously snoring away to some rhythmic drum beat pulsating through her
fur. She clearly has fine musical taste: the fact she actively comes to lay by my
side while I do injustice to an otherwise carefully arranged piano tune is
testament to her aural refinements. Black-Dog normally scampers away to some
far corner of the house to avoid the cacophony.
With the New Year comes new year resolutions. Here in Parish News HQ
we’ve had a mixed bag. On the one hand, Mrs Editor has resolved to join me in
the Man Cave for tea and biscuits twice a day: my elevenses and my afternoon
tea, if you please, ensuring we take a break from the rush of the day and spend
a little time together. It is our water cooler moment but without the water cooler.
At this point, irregular readers will be thinking how sweet true love is and how
wonderful life can be. Regular readers will be wondering what the catch is.
Well, here’s the thing. Having kept a watchful eye on shopping last year,
Mrs Editor came to realise that it wasn’t only Yellow-Dog that has an
astonishing penchant for the odd biscuit. I do too. It was not uncommon for
a packet of chocolate digestives to be digested at some pace. Bourbon creams,
ginger nuts, jaffa cakes all went the same way.
This, Mrs Editor considered, had to stop. Thus the “Parish News HQ Tea
Break”™ was born: a moment of calm yes, but really a devious disguise
for Mrs Editor to ration my biscuits. It is almost Machiavellian in its deceit.
Wives and girlfriends of the parish are now nodding in approval.
But she hasn’t stopped there. As well as the tea and biscuits, I’m also being
force-fed fruit. Apparently an apple turnover does not count as one of my five-a-
day, nor does carrot cake. So occasionally - but with alarmingly increasing
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Website edition: February and March 2021
regularity - fresh fruit is slowly replacing the biscuits. I wouldn't mind so much,
but strawberries without a dusting of sugar or pears being served
un-poached? It’s just not right.
Other New Year resolutions include more walking… not for Mrs Editor, but for
me. Many will recall the arrival of Greg-the-Garmin, the activity watch that
appeared during 2020. This malevolent little device took aim at Black-Dog over
the summer and made the poor hound’s life one long high speed trudge around
the parish accompanying Mrs Editor. Yellow-Dog, being of a certain vintage,
was spared many of these long walks. However, with these dark evenings,
Black-Dog has been taking the time to recover, spending her evenings keeping
my spot on the sofa warm.
But where am I, you ask, if not in my spot on the sofa? Well I seem to have
replaced Black-Dog. You see, it is not unknown of an evening for Mrs Editor to
ask how far I’ve walked in a given day, find the answer is “not far”, and for her to
promptly drag me out for a walk around the village in pitch black darkness. Even
a near dead set of batteries in the torch won’t dissuade her, instead inviting the
comment that I should eat more carrots and enjoy the romance of navigating by
the stars.
It seems, if I’m honest, as if Mrs Editor has made me her “project”. Eating
better, exercising more… it’s worrying me a little. Well, a lot actually. Granted,
my slovenly lifestyle does need a bit of attention, and it’s quite surprising when I
look back how much walking I actually did when working up in London.
I am dreading the summer: I can see Mrs Editor persuading me, in the way
that wives do, to go out jogging with her. Worse still, I can almost hear her say
how nice and enjoyable it would be for us to go out cycling together, and before
you know it I’ll be riding along with her around the parish and beyond.
But the thing I am most fearful of is her dietary leanings. Last year she turned
vegetarian, and whilst for a period she also ate fish, she is now pretty much a
full-on veggie muncher. To be fair, I have enjoyed many a vegetarian meal, and
have become rather skilled at knocking up some really tasty meat free dishes.
Indeed, being at home has given us a real opportunity to spend time trying new
dishes, experimenting with ingredients we wouldn’t normally use, even finally
cracking how to make tofu crispy and edible. It’s not all salad leaves and stuffed
peppers here, you know.
But I still like my meat. And so our cooking journeys are a bit like escape
roads… we go veggie most of the way, but I’ll then veer off course, go rogue,
and slip in a bit of chicken here or beef there as I dish up my portion.
I mean, imagine life without an Aga cooked breakfast. You see my fear.
Until next time,
Greg and Rachel
editor@shipleyparishnews.co.uk
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Shipley Parish News
Anniversaries for 2021
Peter Sanderson’s annual update of notable anniversaries
Years ago
300 Robert Walpole became Britain’s first Prime Minister (3 April 1721)
275 Battle of Culloden, Scotland
150 Queen Victoria opens the Royal Albert Hall (29 March, 1871)
100 Birth of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, (10 June 1921)
90 Abbey Road Studios in London opened by Sir Edward Elgar
First edition of the Highway Code published in Britain
80 National Service introduced in the UK
75 Introduction of Family Allowance, paid to mothers
Free Milk provided in UK state schools to all pupils under 18
70 Radio comedy programme The Goon Show broadcast by the BBC for
the first time (28 May 1951)
London’s Festival Hall opens at the Festival of Britain
60 First episode of the world’s longest running TV soap opera Coronation
Street is broadcast (9 Dec 1961)
The Jaguar E-Type is launched
50 Decimalisation of the British Coinage is completed
20 The Eden Project opens in Cornwall
10 Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (29 April 2011)
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Website edition: February and March 2021
Flower rota
Altar Vases Memorials
20 and 27 February ——————— Lent - no flowers --——————-
3 April -——— Decorate for Easter - all welcome ——–—
10 and 17 April Hariot Anniss Jane Grinling
Charlotte Johnston
24 April and 1 May Amanda Jupp
and Maria Woods
Angela Brumwell
8 and 15 May Ann Roberts
and Carol Blackwell
22 and 29 May Lynette Coates Jane Sanderson
Traditionally the Church is decorated with Lilies for Easter, but some people are
allergic to them and therefore may not be able attend services, and some
arrangers may wish to provide their own Spring flowers. We will review this
nearer the time and will keep you posted. Any suggestions would be welcome!
If you need help or wish to change your dates, please do contact us:
Hariot Anniss: hariotanniss@hotmail.co.uk
The Shipley Quads
From the church registers of February 1709: In Shipley on 2nd February there
were four babies, George, Jane, Mary & Elizabeth, born to John and Jane King.
All were baptised in the church on February 3rd. Such an event now-days would
meet with much interest in the popular press. One wonders if it caused much of
a stir then (three hundred & twelve years ago)! Sadly, none of the children
survived, and were all buried in one coffin on 8th February 1709. RIP.
Peter Sanderson
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Shipley Parish News
News from
the Hub
Call Horsham District Council on 01403 215230 to get advice
on issues and to be directed to the right place
– which might be to us at the Shipley Volunteer Hub.
As we arrive into February and toward Spring, it looks as if National Lockdown is
having a positive effect on the numbers with daily infections finally falling. Daily
deaths, while still difficult to comprehend, are starting to reduce again. We have
a long way to go, and there are bound to be more hurdles to come, but there are
positive signs, and of course the vaccine roll-out nationally seems to be a
success worth celebrating.
The job of the Shipley Volunteer Hub has been to give local parish residents a
helping hand when needed, and our wonderful group of volunteers continue to
do that. If you need any help with something - emergency shopping because
you are shielding or isolating, collection of a prescription or just a friendly chat
please do just get in touch by calling your volunteer, or via Horsham District
Council on 01403 215230, who will put you in touch with us.
A Shipley Hub Covid Information newsletter was distributed in January which we
hope you found useful. The Hub’s website has plenty of useful local and national
advice – both government advice as well as NHS advice, and also up-to-date
information about local business support and many useful contact numbers. Go
to www.ShipleyHub.co.uk. Did you know we also have an active Facebook page
which is regularly updated with the current covid situation? Look on Facebook
for the ‘Shipley COVID Info’ page.
Quite rightly, vaccinations are the buzz topic. In Horsham District they are being
organised with one vaccination hub for each group of GP surgeries. Check the
list at the end of this article to see which hub your GP surgery is in and where
you are likely to be requested to go for your vaccine. If you have any questions
about vaccinations, there is an easy-to-read guide available on the Shipley Hub
website (www.ShipleyHub.co.uk) in the “NHS Advice” page. If you have any
10Website edition: February and March 2021
existing medical conditions which mean you are nervous about being vaccinated
please do call your doctor to discuss. There is a lot of false information and
“scare mongering” out there so it is worth checking rather than refusing the
vaccine. When you have your appointment, you can arrange transport if you
need it, from the Community Transport scheme. Call 01444 471919 for Mid
Sussex and 01403 754206 for Horsham.
Testing is becoming increasingly important, particularly as new mutations of the
virus appear. If you are have symptoms book an NHS test by calling 119 or book
online. If you need a test for other reasons, Platinum Ambulance are
coordinating local private testing at the new testing site in Hickstead on the A23.
They are also offering mobile testing to individual businesses weekly which helps
those businesses to continue operating with confidence. Call 03332 102999 for
more information.
What does Lockdown mean for Shipley Parish? In some corners, parents are
coping with the stresses of home schooling one or more children – often of
different ages and different abilities - while at the same time holding down
professional careers, part of the WFH army (working from home)! In other
corners people living alone may be looking for ways to occupy themselves, very
often in need of a friendly chat and some interaction and signs of life. Elsewhere
key workers from the parish are working flat out to support us – in Shipley parish
we have teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, postal workers, and others –
people from all key sectors making sure our world keeps spinning. Others may
be dealing with income loss and uncertainties about their future. Everyone one of
us is impacted somehow.
We are particularly concerned about people in the parish who may be feeling
isolated and lonely. If that is you, please do get in touch with us. Do keep an eye
on your neighbours and friends, and make regular contact. “Care, Air, and
Share” is a catch phrase which caught our eye recently. Pop a puzzle book to a
neighbour, perhaps share novels you can later discuss, or swap puzzles (of
course make sure you sanitise them…). If you are creative – or even if you are
not – try some pencil drawing, you might surprise yourself! Some of us are
feeling reflective as lockdown gives us more time to think; if that is you, why not
write your memoirs – either a particular event which is memorable for some
reason or write your life story so far; you won’t regret it! Or have you ever tried
writing a short story? No one is too old or too young to start writing.
We are building up a lovely collection of Shipley in Winter/Spring 2021 photos
from across the parish which are being displayed on the www.ShiplyHub.co.uk
website. Please have a look! And please do send us any you take (which you
are happy to have published). The content or quality does not matter – it is just
11Shipley Parish News
lovely for people to be able to see what is going on in the Parish, especially for
those who are stuck indoors at the moment. As the season changes take some
pictures of what you are doing or what you see around you; amongst all the
difficult news we want to bring you some cheer and beauty from the parish. Send
them to info@ShipleyHub.co.uk.
While you enjoy the signs of Spring, don’t forget that the basics are still the most
important way of keeping the virus away…
HANDS : FACE : SPACE
At the same time, never hesitate to call out if you need help, whatever your
issue.
Stay Safe,
Helen Gibbs, Shipley Hub
Current Vaccination Hubs
Christ’s Hospital Blue Coats, for patients at:
Cowfold Surgery
Rudgwick Medical Centre
The Courtyard Surgery Horsham
Village Surgery Southwater
Park Surgery Horsham, for patients at:
Holbrook Surgery Horsham
Orchard Surgery Horsham
Park Surgery Horsham
Riverside Surgery Horsham
The Glebe Surgery Storrington, for patients at:
Billingshurst Surgery
The Glebe Surgery Storrington
Henfield Medical Practice
Steyning Health Centre
Pulborough Medial Group, for patients at:
Pulborough Medical Group
Loxwood Medical Practice
12Website edition: February and March 2021
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), working with the NHS,
is looking for more people to join the NHS COVID-19 vaccine research registry,
and have asked if we can include a note in our parish magazine
Can you help?
Whilst vaccines are now being rolled out across the UK, it remains vitally
important that clinical trials into a number of other COVID-19 vaccines continue.
Different vaccines work in different ways and we still need to collect important
information about which vaccines work best, and are best for different groups of
people, and on exactly how effective they are at, for example, preventing severe
infection, preventing infection as a whole, preventing transmission etc.
You can join the national effort by signing up for the NHS COVID-19 vaccine
research registry. Be part of the fightback against the virus by volunteering to be
contacted by researchers to take part in COVID-19 vaccine research.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is working with the NHS and
aims to recruit as many people as possible for the vaccine studies. Researchers
are looking for people from all backgrounds, ages and parts of
the UK - including both people with or without existing health conditions - to take
part in vaccine studies.
The registry is available to anyone aged 18 or over, living in the UK. There is no
obligation to join in any study, if you are contacted. But by taking part, you could
help researchers find vaccines to protect us all more quickly - which in turn could
help the NHS and save lives.
Sign up today at https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/vaccine-studies/
13Shipley Parish News Our precious local resource! Tanya Barnes tells us a bit more about Platinum Ambulance Service Shipley Parish is well known for its local history for such things as RAF Coolham and the Windmill that featured regularly in Jonathan Creek, but what not everyone may know, is that it is also home to the team at Platinum Ambulance Service - our very own local heroes! In 2016, whilst working in Frontline 999 services for Surrey Ambulance Service and at the same time carrying out medical repatriation services across Europe for the Insurance sector, Sophia Burrell and Tim Mordaunt decided that they wanted to be able to use their skills and experience to provide a free of charge service to charities. That was where it all began for Platinum Ambulance Service. In 2019, they bought Surrey Ambulance Service, which now operates under the ‘Platinum Ambulance’ brand and the company continues to go from strength to strength. Whilst the plan continues to be to grow and develop the business their overriding principle of supporting charities remains at the forefront of the company values – before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, they had provided over £50,000 of support and services to local charity St Catherine’s Hospice. On January 28th this year, Platinum Ambulance, which is inspected and rated by the Care Quality Commission celebrated its fifth birthday. They now run a fleet of over 60 vehicles which includes Ambulances, fleet stretcher carrying 4×4s, Rapid Response Ambulance Cars, Covert Range Rover Ambulances, and their unique ‘Heard of Horses’, which brings an added USP to their rural and equestrian event support, allowing the team to respond very quickly to incidents in areas that can be difficult for other vehicles to get to. Their high-trained crew of more than 200 people, who operate from their two bases, one here in Shipley and their second base in Ripley, Surrey continues to provide daily 999 frontline services to South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust across Surrey, Sussex, and Kent. Their repatriation support for the insurance sector now operates worldwide and they have expanded their services further to include Non-emergency Patient Transport, VIP Medical Support, which 14
Website edition: February and March 2021
can include Medical Close
Protection Services and Event
Medical Support, a local
example being the Barns
Green Half Marathon. Their
teams also often respond to
999 emergencies in and
around the local area.
At the start of the 2020
lockdown Sophia and Tim
wanted to do what they could
to offer advice and support to
the residents of the Parish.
After discussions with Helen
Gibbs, who has been involved
in the local community for a number of years, a call for volunteers went out
across Shipley who could offer their support to the ‘Shipley Parish Volunteer
Hub’ that they had created, which is led by Helen. A team of over 30 local
residents signed up and continue to provide support across the Parish through
the pandemic. Helen says ”Tim, Sophia and the ambulance crew have been a
wonderful support for me and our local volunteers since the start of lockdown.
They have always been there with advice on emergency planning, medical
information on Covid and the pandemic, help with the more complex cases and
most importantly a friendly ear! We have been so lucky to have their active
support, especially at such a busy time for them. Their personal and corporate
commitment to the local community in Shipley is really clear”.
In the Spring of 2020, Platinum Ambulance were able to launch a Covid-19
testing service, offering those living in the local community the opportunity to
have Covid tests before anyone else. This is a service they still offer to local
residents and have now expanded following a number of enquiries from schools,
members of the public across London, Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire as well
as businesses asking for regular employee testing, which is helping local
business to continue working in these difficult times.
They have recently launched their new testing centre located at The All
England Jumping Course, Hickstead, just off the A23 in West Sussex where
there are a wide range of tests available. Details are available on their Covid-19
Testing website https://www.mytestforcovid19.co.uk/.
Tim, Sophia, and the team are committed to helping the local community
wherever they can in these difficult times and often respond to varied calls for
help where their specialist skills and resources may be able to assist.
To find out more about Platinum Ambulance Service
visit https://www.platinumambulance.com/
15Shipley Parish News
St Mary’s: a history
Many years ago, Joan Lindsay researched and wrote about the history of
Shipley Church. Gordon recently shared Joan’s draft with us. With the help of
the Shipley History Society and Peter Sanderson, who wrote the Church Guide
available in the Church, the remaining few drafting notes and questions Joan left
have been filled in and her work finished. We know there remain points of detail
lost to history, and unresolved inconsistencies with other accounts. That is the
essence of history. This is the first part of Joan’s account.
Apart from a glimpse of the tower peeping above the scattering of houses that
constitute Shipley village, the church of St. Mary the Virgin lies hidden from view.
It is not until passing through the gate at the northwest corner of the village and
along the path of massive Horsham stone slabs that the church itself becomes
visible, startling in its austere simplicity and monumental scale. Its size and
almost fortified appearance is out of keeping with this placid parish of a mere
twelve hundred persons, its population scarcely altered through the centuries so
far as parish records can be traced.
The clue lies in St. Mary’s immediate geography. Just in the southwest of the
churchyard a footpath dips down across water meadows that form a sizeable
basin intersected by the River Adur. Now a gently meandering stream –although
in heavy rains its level can still rise dramatically in a few hours – the Adur was
once navigable through Steyning to the coast at Shoreham. When the Roman
Empire collapsed the network of military roads built to allow mobility of troops fell
into disrepair, and water became an increasingly important means of travel in
medieval and Norman Britain. Shipley, lying almost in the centre of the clay
Weald, was an important staging post in travel from London to the Continent, of
which there was a substantial amount following the Norman Conquest.
The route from London to the South Coast was via the Thames and Wey
rivers as far as Cranleigh and then overland on horseback or foot through St.
Leonard’s Forest to Shipley, where the woodland gave way to a clearing and the
start of a navigable route via the Adur to Shoreham. It was almost certainly the
strategic importance of the site that led the Knights Templar to place their
southern preceptory, or priory, at Shipley, as they extended their influence in
Britain in the 13th century. Barges were moored along wharves in the basin of
the Adur below the church and carried timber and iron, the manufacture of which
was a principal Wealden industry, to the coast and beyond to Normandy. More
romantically, the barges also carried pilgrims and the soldier-priests of the
Knights Templar as they set out on crusades. The large stone standing in the
corner of the south porch is a reminder of those times, almost certainly a
16Website edition: February and March 2021
medieval bollard removed from the basin when it was no longer needed for
mooring boats.
Thus, its early history accounts for the importance of St. Mary’s above that of
a purely parish church serving only local worshippers. That however – the
offering of Christian worship to the local population – St. Mary has also done, for
well over a thousand years and continues to do in a great and undiminished
tradition. Shipley remains a separate parish, its borders unchanged since
Norman times, with Sunday services as well as services on feast days.
The Knights Templar and Shipley
The parish of St. Mary the Virgin lies in the northern part of the diocese of
Chichester, in the centre of the Sussex Weald. It is extensive in size, some
seven miles long and three wide, covering a little under 8,000 acres. It has no
clear centre but is rather a collection of small hamlets.
The name Shipley has been spelled in various ways through the ages:
Sepelei, Schepley, Scapelei to mention a few, all derived from the Saxon word
meaning “sheep pasture”. Shipley is mentioned in the Domesday Book as
coming within the rape (the Norman administrative unit) of William de Braose, a
Norman supporter of William the Conqueror.
Shipley’s relationship with the Templars began some twenty odd years after
their founding in 1118, when nine Frankish Crusaders in Jerusalem banded
together with the aim of protecting pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. They
took vows of poverty and lived under monastic rule, thus combining the twin
passions of the period, religious fervour and martial skill and adding the
discipline of the monk to the discipline of the soldier. Pope Innocent II took the
order under his personal protection and that enabled the Templars to build a
substantial power base and accumulate great wealth with extraordinary rapidity.
Their English base was established in 1128 and during Stephen’s reign alone
some sixty charters were granted. Shipley was granted to the Templars at this
time.
There is some disagreement about the dating of St. Mary’s. The area of
undressed stone towards the west end and the doubled splayed windows set
within it are pointed to as evidence of Saxon origin, possibly as early as ninth
century. The contending view* is that these features continued to be relatively
common in post-Norman domestic and church architecture throughout the 12th
century and that the most likely scenario is that the church was built, or more
likely re-built from an existing parish church, in the 12th century by the Knights
Templars. A likely date is about 1134, very shortly following the ascension of
King Stephen to the throne and the granting of the charter of Shipley Church to
the Templars.
* Richard Gem, An Early Church of the Knights Templar at Shipley Sussex, Anglo-Norman Studies VI
(Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1983), ed. R. Allen Brown, Woodbridge 1984.
17Shipley Parish News
If this supposition is correct, the church at Shipley must have been one of the
earliest of the Knights Templar buildings. Certainly, in its austere simplicity and
minimal ornamentation it owed much to the teachings of the Cistercians, and
bears no resemblance to the lavish, domed architecture of the New Temple, the
Templars’ English headquarters built in 1161, which was so typical of their later
style when their wealth and power was at its peak.
Wealth and influence were the seeds of the Templars’ destruction as the early
ideal of an order of pious soldier-monks changed into a sophisticated and
international network of diverse activities: farms, transport, property
management, banking and the creation of a standing army. Inevitably this
brought resentment and envy, from both church and governments, which were
eager to obtain the Templars’ revenues for their own use. The failure of the last
Crusades and the retaking of Jerusalem by the Muslims weakened the Templars
and in the early 14th century the order was dissolved by Pope Clement. In
England Edward II dispossessed the Templars, and in Shipley the church was
turned over to the Knights Hospitaller, who remained in possession until 1540.
Thus, the history of the Knights Templar is a brief one, lasting barely a
century. Nothing is left of their priory buildings, although medieval artefacts are
sometimes found when graves are dug, as are oyster shells, pointing to its
former use as a preceptory. Nonetheless the influence of this short but dramatic
history on Shipley church is palpable, making it architecturally one of the most
interesting of the Norman buildings in Sussex.
Architecture of the Church
Pevsner and Nairn write about St. Mary: “a most impressive Early Norman
building” that is “slightly impaired” by the addition of a north aisle and vestry in
the year 1893.
The Norman part of the church is comprised of a long (some 65 feet), unaisled
nave, a central tower without transepts and a rectangular chancel. Pevsner
recommends looking at the building first from the south, where the huge scale is
immediately apparent. He points out that towers without transepts were
comparatively common in early Norman churches, and that the narrow, Saxon
proportions of the south doorway and the double-splayed windows betray strong
Saxon influence; “…it must be one of the latest and oddest examples of Saxo-
Norman overlap in the country.”
It is worth noting the original Norman stonework. The massive tower is
supported on square columns 8 to 9 feet thick. The arch dividing tower and nave
is simply decorated with roll mouldings and designs of chevrons and alternating
triangular shapes, resembling beak-heads. It rests on capitals and short lengths
of half-columns that stop on corbels decorated with grotesque heads. The
second arch, separating tower and chancel, is of three orders, with minimal
decoration.
18Website edition: February and March 2021
Church records show two 19th century restorations, one in 1830 and one in
1893. M.M. Hickman states that in 1830 the church consisted of a single nave.
Two aisles were added on the north side, and a room on the south side next to
the porch. The short, shingled spire, in poor condition, was taken down and
replaced by the present parapet top to the tower. At the same time the azure and
gold painted flat ceiling, decorated with the armorial bearings of the Lucy family
who owned Goringlee in the 15th century, was repaired and then subsequently
removed in the 1893 restoration when a new side aisle, replacing those on the
north side was also added. The earliest known representation of the church is a
Petrie watercolour dated 1805 held in the Sharpe collection in Lewes. It shows a
view from the northwest, largely unchanged today except for the shingled spire
above the tower.
The second restoration in 1892-3 was designed and carried out by John
Loughborough Pearson (1817-97). Loughborough was a master of Victorian
Gothic architecture and is particularly known for the cathedral in Truro and the
imposing St. Augustine church in Kilburn Park Road in London. In some ways
he was a curious choice for the restoration of a small, Norman parish church and
certainly his ideas provoked local controversy. At the instigation of the diocese a
number of local meetings were held to decide which parts of his scheme were to
go ahead. One part that did not was the removal of the imposing alabaster
memorial to the Caryll family. The rationale for this idea seems to have been that
Carylls no longer lived in the parish, had several memorials in other local
churches and that it took up space in the chancel.
Many changes however did proceed, and according to the plaque just to the
north of the West Door, were paid for by Etheldreda Lady Burrell of Knepp
Castle and her father Sir Robert Loder. She must have been carrying out his
wishes, for he died in 1888, four years before the work was begun. The north
aisle was demolished and rebuilt, making it five feet narrower than the 1830
original. The flat nave ceiling was removed (see above) and the inside of the
roof stripped out to expose the trusses and rafters. The stonework was repaired,
an organ installed, and new pews of oak replaced the old pews, reducing seating
capacity from 540 to 302. Although the 19th century refurbishments, and
particularly the addition of the north aisle, have been disparaged, it is probable
that they were an improvement (particularly for parishioners) on the earlier
church. Evidence of a gallery across the nave exists in Chichester records of
1632, which show to whom the gallery seats belonged. The gallery, the 500+
seats, and the low, flat ceiling over the nave must have been claustrophobic in
such a long, narrow space. An account in 1835 states that the inside of the
church was “disfigured by injudicious erection of its galleries and the whole of the
interior arrangement [was] very incommodious for the parishioners.”
Architecturally the church has altered little since this last 19th century work.
The second part of Joan’s article will be included
in the April and May 2021 Shipley Parish News
19Shipley Parish News
Hoorah for Google-Meet!
Gina Larcombe reports
During this current lockdown, against the odds, we have managed to get to grips
with the internet and learnt how to set up Google-Meet! The joy of this has
enabled us to see and stay in touch with friends and family for social occasions.
For instance on Burns Night, Derek and I along with Jean and Ray Wright and
Gordon Lindsay, celebrated in our own homes with supper thanks to the
Countryman’s wonderful take-away. Gordon read the Selkirk grace before we
ate and then addressed the haggis as well as proposing a toast to the lassies! A
most enjoyable a very sociable evening was had by all.
We have also arranged tea and cake afternoons where we take turns in
providing cake, it being left on doorsteps at a safe social distance! It really is a
very nice way to spend time with friends.
Lately, I have been cooking with my grandchildren every week (one eleven year
old and two are thirteen). They choose a main course and dessert and then we
spend a happy 2 hours together preparing and cooking the family meal using
Google-Meet. We have exactly the same ingredients of course and off we go! It
is a lovely way spend time with them which would be impossible otherwise. They
are very proud of the meals they produce and it gives the parents a night off!
What could be better?
Here is a screen shot of a finished main course with vegetables that thirteen year
old Will made. It is only
the second time he has
cooked a full meal. The
dessert, a syrup sponge
was being kept warm.
You can just see me in
the corner holding my
version!
I should say that the
screen shot was taken by
Will… I am still learning!
20Website edition: February and March 2021
And two more screen shots this
time with Zach and Alice. We
cooked fish pie for mains an apple
sponges for dessert. These
screenshots are mine as I now
know how!
We have all enjoyed cooking
together and have more menus
planned to keep us going through
lockdown.
I hope that this gives readers some ideas of how to stay in touch with family and
friends through these difficult and often lonely times.
Shipley Parish News:
Subscriptions Now Due!
Lucy West
Hello everyone, the Parish News subscriptions are now due please, and will stay
at £6 for magazines delivered to your door, but with the recent increase in
postage we will have to charge £12 for postal delivery. Since we are still in
lockdown, we’ve decided it’s not a good idea for money to be collected on the
doorstep, so this is how you can pay:
Put your £6 cash or cheque payable to Shipley PCC in an envelope and
post it through the door of the person who delivers your magazine.
Pay directly into the church bank account by BACS transfer, putting your
name and MAG as reference. Account name: Shipley PCC Sort code: 30-
94-41 Account no: 00282667
If you’re not sure who delivers your Parish News or if you get it by post, you can
send a cheque payable to Shipley PCC to Lucy West, The Old Vicarage, School
Lane, Shipley, RH13 8PL
Thank you very much. Any problems call Lucy on 01403 741912
21Shipley Parish News
The Forgotten Jobs...
Michael Kingerlee looks down his to-do list at the start of the year…
During the winter it is an ideal time to do the little tasks that can so easily be
forgotten but they will save you time and money if you do them now.
Check that the smoke alarms are working.
Check that there are fire extinguisher in the house where needed and that
they are in date. If you have not got one consider purchasing one or two.
Give the central heating thermostat a clean. Internal dust can affect their
efficiency.
Defrost the deep freeze if requited and check the contents for the odd items
that have fallen to the bottom.
Go through the store cupboard and check the “Best Before Date” and the
“Use By Date”. Throw out any product that has passed its use by date, and
mark items that have passed their best before dates. You can then decide
how long they are passed this date and if you wish to use them.
Check that the flower vases are clean. If not soak them in bleach.
Check that your cloths are protected against moth, and either place woollen
items in plastic containers or bags. Check also that any moth preventers are
in date.
The zips on coats often get stuck and can be difficult to start. This can be
solved by giving them a wipe with washing-up liquid and they will work like
new!
Clean the garden furniture and re-oil it if required.
Check that the BBQ was cleaned when it was put away for the winter.
Clean and sharpen all the garden tools, so they are a pleasure to use and
not a struggle.
For all those Garden Tools, here’s some tips and tricks to keep them in good
working order
TOOLS REQUIRED: Metal file, hammer, adjustable spanner, sharpening
diamond stone or oil stones, 3 in one oil and a rag. A n electric grind stone will
help with the badly damaged blunt edges which should be sharp.
22Website edition: February and March 2021
Spades, shovels, forks, and rakes: Check that the handles are tight. If not
soak them in a water butt. If the rake prongs are bent these should be
straightened. See if the shovel has a burr on the end In which case file it off.
Wipe all the metal parts down with an oily rag.
Hoes & half- moon turf cutters: These all can be sharpened on both sides
of the blade. Use a file to improve their cutting ability. A sharp hoe will cut the
hoeing time, and take far less effort especially on a clay soil.
Saws: These are difficult to sharpen and set, but just give them a good
clean and oil. If they are very blunt it is wise to replace the blade especially on
pruning saws.
Mowers & Other machines: If you are not getting the machine serviced
give it a good clean and a wipe down with an oily rag. You can also clean the air
filter in accordance with the instructions. It is then wise to start the machine and
if possible run the fuel dry as this will prevent the carburettor from clogging up.
Garden Bamboos: Check the base of all used bamboos as if they snap
when they are being pushed into the ground they can cause a nasty injury. Give
them a bend and if they snap cut them back to sound wood.
Garden Brooms: Give these a clean and check that the handle is firm.
Garden plastic labels: These can be wiped clean. If they are written on,
the writing can be sanded off with a fine sandpaper.
Axes: To sharpen these it is best to use an electric grind stone as this will
give you a very good edge quickly.
Loppers: These are sharpened on one side of the cutting blade. Rub the
cutting edge with a small diamond sharpener or oil stone in the direction of the
edge keeping the sharpener at the same angle as the bevel. Make sure there is
no burr on the other side of the blade, or on the un-sharped blade. It is sharp
when you cannot see the edge. Check that the pivot bolt has not become loose
and tighten if necessary with a spanner. Give it a wipe down with an oily rag.
Secateurs: There are two types of secateurs, Anvil and Bypass. The
Bypass type are sharpened as the loppers above. The Anvil type is sharpened
on both sides of the blade as it cuts down onto a solid surface or anvil
Shears: Most shear blades have two bevels and the narrow one nearest to
the cutting edge is the one to sharpen, however the set of the blades are equally
important. Make sure that the screw or bolt holding the blades together is tight,
without impairing the movement. Scrap off any plant residue and oil the joint.
Garden Pressure sprays: Fill these with clean water with a few drops of
soapy solution. Then pressurize them and spray out the water to give them a
good clean. It you have any graphite apply it to the rubber washer which will help
with its efficiency.
23Shipley Parish News
Your Album Needs You!
The Shipley Hub is once again collecting Lock-Down photos!
For the pleasure of Shipley residents who can’t get out and about at the moment,
we want to capture this Winter/Spring season through a collection of your
photos; things going on in the Parish, in the countryside, or in your home or
garden. You can send in any picture you like to info@ShipleyHub.co.uk
regardless of whether you took it on the best Nikon equipment or your old mobile
phone! We will upload it onto the website and hope to build a nice collection.
You can see the growing Winter collection, and also the
collection from the Summer, on www.ShipleyHub.co.uk.
24Website edition: February and March 2021
The Wombles of Horsham
Carrie Cort of Sussex Green Living reports
What are Wombles doing in our Sussex Green
Living team, I hear you ask? Many of you will not
be old enough to remember the Wombles, but
sadly (shows my age) I do!
The Wombles started in 1968 as a series of
books by Elizabeth Beresford, conceived in a
walk with her children upon Wimbledon
Common. They were a group of small burrowing
ecology-friendly animals. As the environmental
threat darkened, their hopeful message of
recycling and responsible eating struck a
growing chord with an increasingly concerned
public. By the mid-1970s they had spawned a
TV series, a merchandising range and a pop
group whose songs charted well, in the parlance
of the times.
The essence of a Womble is to go around clearing up the ghastly mess which
humanity discards, especially plastic. And how we need them now! According to
Global Citizen, plastic production has more than tripled since the '90s”. It also
shows half the world's plastic was made after 2003. Thanks to documentaries
like Drowning in Plastic and Blue Planet the world has generally awoken to the
problem.
Sussex Green Living have about 20 lead volunteers, ”Wombles”, actively helping
with recycling in Horsham and 12 village locations. It started in 2012 when I
launched Sussex Green Living, I signed up to collect with TerraCycle. In those
days it was me and if I was lucky, my young son, collecting, sorting and
dispatching. Gradually volunteers stepped forwards. Our first wonderful
volunteer, Sarah joined in about 2016. She still helps out with the plastics and
does a fantastic job managing our Facebook page
Not only do we have Horsham and 12 villages collecting with us but lots of
schools and churches. In December alone we launched three village recycling
drop off points with new Wombles.
Continues
25Shipley Parish News
Chief Womble, Joy Carter, is a Gran on a mission! She leads our main Horsham
team and co-ordinates the dispatches from our new recycling hub. Joy's plea is
"Please help the planet through diverting these TerraCycle hard to recycle
plastics into our scheme.”
She continues "If we don't
recycle them they are
transported to Europe for
incineration, causing
climate change. This
generates refuse derived
fuel - but how much fossil
fuel is used in the
process?”
Income generated through
our recycling scheme
benefits: Purple Community
Fund, Springboard Project,
William Penn School, Kent,
Surrey and Sussex Air
Wombles at the Quaker Meeting House in Horsham
Ambulance and Sussex
Green Living.
On the page opposite is a handy guide to what can be recycled through our
schemes. If you have any questions about what to recycle message Joy through
the Facebook page, details below.
There are various sites in and around the area where single use plastics can be
taken for recycling. We actually have one just inside the parish up at the William
Penn School in Coolham, where all items can be recycled. There are also sites
at the Horsham Quaker Meeting House, in Billingshurst at The Chapel on the
High Street, The Owl Pub at Kingsfold and at the Chapel House in Barns Green.
You can see all the locations here at https://www.sussexgreenliving.co.uk/
recycling-zone/single-use/.
For a little fun sit back and listen the Wombles song "Make Good Use of Bad
Rubbish" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWQMMPFtoG4 Enjoy!
Please do consider joining our Wombling team as a collector or volunteer some
time to help or spread the word!
https://www.facebook.com/SussexGreenLiving
26Website edition: February and March 2021
27Shipley Parish News
Losing the Lockdown “load”!
Benji from Meadow Hall Vets shares his tips for our fellow pets
Hey I’m Benji and I work at Meadow Hall Vets in Thakeham. I’m 3 doggie
years old and my Mum still lives with me. Guess what she said this week...
“Benjamin, you’ve put a “load” on in Lockdown and I’m putting you on “special
measures” to lose your load!!” Humph….!
For those who don’t already know, me and Mum are working from home ’coz
of the virus. It’s great, but it does mean I can’t go on our super clever mat
(scales) at work. Have you tried it? It’s awesome. I sit on it, get a treat
and THEN it tells Auntie Sophie (our vet) how much I weigh! Mum had to
weigh me on her “not so clever” mat and I’m now 0.4kg heavier – honestly it’s
absolutely nothing to do with me eating more treatsies!
Anyway, here’s my “special measures” which you might find helpful if you’ve
put a “load” on in Lockdown too:
Cut down portion sizes – I usually have a yellow scoop of dry food, now
I have the smaller blue scoop. My food is magic though… look how
much a little blue scoop of food looks like when it’s got water added.
Less treatsies – As we’re working from home, I meet my Nanny (I’m in
charge of Nanny cuddles while the “virus” is about) on our daily
exercise to keep her company. I love my Nanny she gives me little
28Website edition: February and March 2021
biscuits when I’m good! But Mum says this means I can’t have as many
other treatsies during the day!
Stay active – ah this one is great. I love my walkies and I love playing
ball so mum says we’re going to play ball more and do longer walkies…
yippee win win on this one!!
If you’re worried about your weight, try these tips or give your us a call
01798 817372 or book an appointment with our vet Sophie. If you’re a
member a of our Healthy Paws Club PLUS the cost of your appointment is
included.
Lots of wags!
Benji xx
www.meadowhallvets.co.uk
3 Abingworth Crescent, Thakeham RH20 3GW Telephone 01798 817372
Kingerlee Konundrum
Michael Kingerlee reports on a K9 Konundrum
I have read several article suggesting that dogs should be feed on a vegetarian
diet to save the planet by reducing the need for so many cattle which contribute
to global warming.
But Beware! Don’t think about it until the veg patch is fenced.
Whenever my wife chopped carrots when our spaniel Trizza was young,
Trizza came and sat by, so my wife dropped a piece of carrot which she eat with
enthusiasm. Now Trizza is an adult dog and loves nearly all vegetables which
she gets as non-fattening tit bits.
However this year she has learnt that vegetables either come from the kitchen
fridge or picked from the vegetable plot, in which case they put into a basket to
bring in doors. So now whenever we are picking a crop and not looking she
helps herself to it in the basket. She now enjoys carrots, broccoli, sprouts,
lettuce, swiss chard, spinach & beans. The beans are one of her favourites as
she has found that some of them grow near the ground and she can pick them
herself. Fortunately she has not learnt to dig for carrots yet!
29Shipley Parish News
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
the Brimstone Butterfly
Chloe Harrison, of Sussex Wildlife Trust, in a new regular feature, provides some
notes on our local wild companions
As this is my first article for the Shipley Parish News I had better introduce
myself. I’ve been working for Sussex Wildlife Trust for the past ten years
inspiring and engaging people with the wonderful (and weird) wildlife of our
county. I’ll be writing about seasonal wildlife in this magazine starting with March
one of my favourite months. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the bleak beauty
of winter: bare trees, frosted landscapes. But now I need something to get my
heart racing. I need a sign – some hope in these challenging times, a promise of
those dynamic spring months ahead, a flash of colour. In March my light at the
end of the tunnel is an oncoming butterfly.
The Brimstone Butterfly, photo by Bob Eade
On sculpted, vibrant yellow wings the Brimstone butterfly makes his elegant
entrance into the New Year on those bright March days when you feel the
warmth of the sun on your face.
30Website edition: February and March 2021
Its distinctive yellow wings have given birth to a legend – that this ‘butter-
coloured fly’ was the inspiration for the word butterfly. This claim may be a myth
and it’s also untrue that these March Brimstones are the first signs of the year’s
new life. By the time Brimstones appear in March they are already on their last
(six) legs. Fresh Brimstone butterflies emerged from their chrysalises in late
summer, so by February they could be seven months old – and in butterfly years
that’s ancient. Admittedly almost all of that time they’ve been asleep in a hedge,
sheltered from the storms under Holly and Ivy. Yet despite the worst winter
weather they always emerge immaculate in the spring. They must be made of
Teflon. When they awake the (bright yellow) males search for a mate, they mate,
the (pale yellow) females lay eggs and then both die. Still, an adult life of over
ten months earns them the title of our longest-lived butterfly. An insect OAP.
My first Brimstone sighting each year doesn’t exactly mean that spring is starting
but it’s certainly a sign that winter is starting to end. And, after the tough winter
that we’ve all just suffered, that’s good enough for me. Either way this beautiful
yellow butterfly is a welcome messenger of what’s to come – the first sulphurous
spark to ignite the blaze of spring.
Let’s hope that with the spring comes hope for a brighter for us all. Sussex
Wildlife Trust have started working with Horsham District Council on an
innovative five-year partnership project called Wilder Horsham District. We’ll be
working closely with local communities and landowners to reverse the decline in
species and habitats and enrich the natural environment for all residents and
visitors. You can find out more about the project on our webpage https://
sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/wilderhorshamdistrict.
I’ll keep you updated with opportunities for you to get involved and help the
wildlife around the parish of Shipley.
Find out more at https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/
31You can also read
