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PETER D HANNABY
Painter & Decorator
Interior and Exterior work
Undertaken
For competitive quotations
Please call
Mobile: 07765 250092
Home: 01442 288956
MAGAZINE ADVERTISING COSTS
Why not use this parish magazine to advertise your business. There
are eleven issues per year with double issue in December/January.
Charges are: Full Page £115 per annum
Half Page £80 per annum
Quarter Page £60 per annum
For part year charges are pro rata of the annual rate rounded up to
the nearest whole pound (e.g. 1 month/issue full page 115/12 =
9.58 rounded up = £10 charge)
To discuss your requirements or for further information, please
contact Sally Bates, 01442 266912 or 07792 768236
or email: magazine@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk

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THE VICAR’S LETTER
Dear Friends,
On 6 February, Accession Day, Her Majesty The Queen will
have been our Monarch for an unprecedented 70 years. Her
life of duty and devotion to her people have been unparal-
leled and, despite enduring a turbulent reign both within the life of the
Nation, Commonwealth, and even Her Majesty’s own family, The Queen
has remained a constant in our lives giving stability and reassurance. For
the vast majority of people alive today The Queen is the only Head of State
for this country we have known. But I dare say some of you will remember
life during her father’s reign as King.
The Queen’s accession to the throne is always a bitter-sweet day for Her
Majesty. Although it is a reminder of her elevation to Monarch it also marks
the day when her father, King George VI, died. Every year since, The Queen
has been publically reminded of her parting from someone incredibly dear
to her. Her Majesty’s tradition is to spend the day in private (usually at
Sandringham), away from the glare and interest of the Media, and reflect
both upon her memories of her father but also on her time as Queen. It
must be very surreal to be publically reminded of an event that has brought
both joy and sadness.
Like Her Majesty we too face anniversaries which provoke memories and
emotions – usually contained – to bubble to the surface. In the first year of
bereavement we face a calendar of firsts – birthdays, festivals, wedding
anniversary, etc – without our loved one. Then we are hit with the first
anniversary of death/funeral and are confronted with memories of living
on. In the lives of our children we reminded of the joys and heartaches of
being parents as they joyfully celebrate the passing of the years. Other
traumas or joys are also etched into our hearts and are remembered.
Our remembering can become overwhelming and all-encompassing and
prevent us from living life. But it can also be a life-giving. Reflecting upon
joys shared, memories made, love reciprocated, trust enjoyed, laughter
raised, reminds us that we belong, that we live in community and not
isolation, that we are loved and special even if we don’t always feel it.
Cont’d..

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In remembering we “re-member” and make present once again – just like
we do at every celebration of the Eucharist when we recall Christ’s Last
Supper, his gift of himself on the cross, and his mighty resurrection. Christ
once again becomes present. Our loved ones become present. Past joys
and sorrows stir in our hearts. The pervading temptation at present is to
ignore all this and forget about the past – thinking that it cannot help us
move forward. But it does. I’m sure The Queen is a stronger monarch and
person for remembering her father. We are stronger for remembering
our loved ones and the times we have spent with them. We are stronger
when we celebrate past joys. And we are certainly stronger when we
remember the depth of God’s love as expressed through the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus.
Later this year (and next) we will have the opportunity to celebrate Her
Majesty’s reign. Plans are being put in place for how we might do this as a
community and I hope you will be able to join us for these events. But for
now, it’s ok to remember.
Best wishes,

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PARISH DIARY FOR FEBRUARY 2022
Enquiries regarding baptisms weddings or marriage blessings are
always welcome.
Please contact the Vicar.
Morning Prayer is said Daily at St John’s at 9.00am.
You are most welcome to join the clergy in prayer.
Evening Prayer is said privately for the life of the Parish unless details are below.
St John’s is open daily 9.30am-5.00pm for private prayer
(10.30am-5.00pm on Saturdays)
The Parish Eucharist and worship resources will continue to be made available at
www.stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk/live-streamed-services
Tue 1 9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
11.30am Bereavement Group meeting St John’s Hall
8.00pm Deanery Synod St John’s Hall
Wed 2 The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
10.00am BCP Holy Communion
followed by coffee St John’s
12noon Funeral - Ann Lewis St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
Fri 4 5.30pm Junior Choir Rehearsal St John’s
7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sun 6 CANDLEMAS - Accession Day of HM The Queen (1952)
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
10.00am All-Age Eucharist with Junior Choir St John’s
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis’
11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's
Mon 7 11.30am Mountbatten Lodge Holy Communion Mountbatten
Lodge
7.30pm Living in Love and Faith Conversation Grovehill
7.45pm Together on Monday Club
Beetle Drive St John’s Hall
Tue 8 9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
Wed 9 10.00am BCP Holy Communion
followed by coffee St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
8.00pm Baptism Preparation St John’s

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Thu 10 8.00pm PCC Standing Committee Zoom
Fri 11 5.30pm Junior Choir St John’s Hall
7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sun 13 Third Sunday before Lent
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis'
11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's
Tue 15 No Tiny Tots - Half-term holidays
Wed 16 10.00am Holy Communion
followed by coffee St John’s
3.30pm Friendship Tea St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
Fri 18 7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sun 20 Second Sunday before Lent
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis'
11.30am Morning Worship St Stephen's
12noon Holy Baptism St John’s
Mon 21 7.30pm Living in Love and Faith conversation Grovehill
7.45pm Together on Monday Club -
Buffet & AGM St John’s Hall
Tues 22 9.30am Tiny Tots: Stay & Play & Service St John’s Hall
Wed 23 10.00am Holy Communion
followed by coffee St John’s
5.00pm Evening Prayer St Francis’
Fri 25 5.30pm Junior Choir St John’s Hall
7.00pm Choir Rehearsal St John’s
Sun 27 Sunday next before Lent
8.00am BCP Holy Communion St John’s
10.00am Parish Eucharist St John’s
10.00am Sung Mass St Francis'
11.30am Holy Communion St Stephen's
12noon St John’s Lunch St John’s Hall
Mon 28 7.30pm Living in Love and Faith conversation Grovehill

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Coronavirus Update
Despite the Omicron variant of Covid-19 being more transmittable it is a relief
that its potency seems to be waning. This, according to epidemiologists, is how
viruses work. It is good that Covid seems to behaving as one would expect as this
points to a return to something-like-normal in the not too distant future. For the
time being, however, we need to remain vigilant as Covid is still around aplenty -
even though restrictions have been lifted.
As a Parish we will not enforce the wearing of face coverings when seated or sing-
ing but we do ask that they are worn when moving around in crowded spaces.
Our churches and halls are well ventilated and other mitigating factors will remain
in place like social distancing and the use if sanitiser to help to reduce the poten-
tial of transmission whilst at church. As such, for the time being, we will not be
reintroducing refreshments after the Parish Eucharist until the case rate has
reduced significantly in this area since sharing refreshments to a “large” number
brings with it variables beyond our control. They will be served after our other
services as fewer people attend.
Christmas 2021
Thank you to all who helped make our Christmas Celebrations as light-filled,
hopeful, and safe as we could. The overwhelming response from the wider
community has been one of pleasure at the Christmas Tree Festival and Carols
round the trees not to mention our excellent Carol Services (supported by a
generous grant from MaSJ) and all our other services. A lot of hard work went
into enabling physical public worship over Christmas and it was much appreciat-
ed. Thank you to those who decorated our churches and to all who joined us for
worship – whether physically or virtually.
Live Streaming
In the days leading up to Christmas our contractors worked around Carol Services
and the Christmas Tree Festival to install our new AV system. 3 cameras have
been installed along with about a mile of cable! We now have the ability to
stream services directly to our website and YouTube as they are happening, with
the added back-up of being able to record them. Thankfully, our engineers man-
aged to get the system usable for Christmas and we were able to live stream our
services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Since then, we have encountered
one or two technical issues – some of our own making like not turning micro-
phones on – others are unforeseen like the strength of mobile interconnection on
a Sunday morning when the Sports Centre is at capacity and internet usage is in

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high demand. We hope we have managed to overcome these teething issues in
recent weeks by improving the signal – but we are continuing to try to make this
the best we possibly can. There are still some minor installation works to finalise
and training to be given but we are getting there. Hopefully, if you need to join a
service virtually, you will now be able to do so.
Thank you to all our benefactors who made this project possible and for
patience and understanding as we get this facility to where we want it to be. My
particular thanks to Job Rombout for spear-heading this project and to Keith
Beniston who continues to operate our AV equipment. Volunteers will be
recruited soon to be trained in how the system works.
Works Team
I should like to put on record, once again, how indebted we are to our Works
Team for all the work they are doing to make the church (and its environs) safe,
usable, and pleasing. Our Christmas Tree Festival would not have happened
without their time and energy as very few people turned up to install the trees.
Our Choir Stalls are being excellently reordered and will soon be finished. The
grounds are still being cared for. And a long list of small jobs across the parish is
slowly being ticked off! Thank you Chaps! If you would like to join our Works
Team you would be made most welcome.
Pastoral Buddying Scheme
During the pandemic, and particularly whilst we were locked out of our church-
es, it became essential to form a Buddying network to maintain contact and pas-
toral care. This was a welcome innovation for many, from which many lasting
friendships have grown and a greater sense of inclusion within our worshipping
community. This scheme is currently under revision with the aim of making it
something that supports and affirms our inclusive and caring ideals. Those
involved in the existing scheme will be/have been contacted about their contin-
ued involvement, and news of how new participants can get involved will be
disseminated soon.
Thank you to all who have been/are involved in this scheme.
Parish Finances
2020 was not the easiest year for the Parish on many fronts, including financial-
ly. For the first time in living memory we were forced to default on our contribu-
tion to the Diocese for the cost of ministry to the tune of £50,000. Last year,
however, things went a little better with church buildings open for longer and
halls available for letting, combined with some successful social and fundraising
events. As a result we have managed to make our full contribution to the
Diocese for the provision of ministry – not a small feat when we are asked to
contribute nearly £90,000. Cont’d…..

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Thank you for enabling us to get back to meeting this commitment in full. Now
comes the task of meeting it again in full during 2022. Chris, our Treasurer, will –
I’m sure – keep us updated on progress.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party: for Children and Adults
As we emerge from our latest restrictions and before we begin our Lenten disci-
plines there will be on Tuesday 1 March our annual Pancake Party for under 12s
in St John’s Hall and Church, starting at 4pm. This will comprise of pancake races
and quizzes, as well as the opportunity to eat pancakes
We will also be holding a Social Event in the evening in the Hall for adults. 7.30pm
onwards for Pancakes and cocktails. I hope many will be able to join us for this
happy occasion on the eve of entering into the Lenten season of penitence. Covid-
secure practices will be in place.
More details in due course via the Newsletter.
Lent Course 2022: The Joy of the Gospel
The Lent course we are offering this year is rather different from those we have
held in the past. It promises to be both exciting and uplifting. The author, Dr
Paula Gooder, is a well-respected theologian who nevertheless presents her
material in a way that is accessible to everyone. The Joy of the Gospel course is no
exception. It is based on Pope Francis’ sensitively written call to the entire church
(in all its denominations) to proclaim the gospel to the world. The document
manages to capture something profound about the joy that comes from proclaim-
ing the gospel and to find the words to express this enthusiastic vision afresh.
The six-session course enables individuals and groups to rediscover the joy of
encountering the good news of Jesus and the transformation that is possible
when we communicate that good news in the world today.
Sessions will be held on Monday evenings at St John’s and Thursday mornings at
St Stephen’s. Please see the Newsletter or other publicity for more information.
This could be what we as a Church need to help us recover and grow with joy are
we emerge from this pandemic.
Messy Lent
Plans are underway to resume our Messy Church with Messy Lent on Sunday 13
March, 3.00–5.00pm in St John’s Church and Hall. This is ideal for children and
young families and will involve craft, games, stories, worship, food, and fun.
Please spread the word.

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Help needed: This is your Church
Despite being incredibly grateful and thankful to those who help week on week
with the various jobs/ministries/tasks, and with all who helped over Christmas, I
am once again all too aware that we are heavily reliant on a small core of people
for the majority of tasks. As a large Church this is not sustainable. We need to
think afresh about what we all do and can do for the life of the Church here in
Boxmoor. We each have a vocation – in life and in the Church: what is yours and
how can it be put to good use within the life of our Church?
Some Dates for your Diaries
2 March Ash Wednesday
27 March MaSJ Concert – rescheduled from New Year
24 April Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) after the 1000 Parish
Eucharist
6-8 May MaSJ Music Festival
8 May St John’s Patronal Festival – Eucharist and Golf Day tbc
22 May Confirmation Service
5 June Jubilee Lunch and celebrations - Pentecost
19 June Cricket Match: Church XI vs Boxmoor Occasionals
9 July Summer Fayre tbc
24 July Parish BBQ and Fun Day

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Nigel Beeton writes: 70 years ago, on 1st
February 1952, the first TV detec-
tor vans rolled onto our streets, in an effort to increase the ratio of those
paying their licence fee to those who forgot, or didn’t bother. I haven’t
seen one for years, but I remember them when I was a boy, ordinary look-
ing vans with an array of aerials on the roof, and Mum always kept the
licence to hand, in case they knocked at the door (which, of course, they
never did!):
The TV Detector Van
Deep in the suburbs something stirs
Within a van, a motor purrs
And rattles, clunks, beeps and whirrs
As it performs a scan.
A worker sits alone, unseen
Peering at a flick’ring screen
He will know what it may mean –
The TV detector man!
Within a house, without a care
A couple sit and gaze and stare
At their TV – but what’s out there?
A TV detector van!
For, in their hall, unopened, laid
Their licence bill, unseen, unpaid
No licence payment have they made!
Though that was not their plan.
They just forgot, so easy done!
The TV shows, they are such fun!
The doorbell rings, and their stands one
TV detector man!
No place to run, no place to hide!
The TV still is on inside!
They’d left themselves so open wide
To the TV detector van.
By Nigel Beeton

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Five famous quotes from Desmond Tutu
The recent death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu was mourned around the
world. Here are five of his more famous quotes, which show why he was
so especially honoured for his justice and reconciliation work in South
Africa.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put
together that overwhelm the world.”
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of
the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you
say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument. Good sense does not
always lie with the loudest shouters, nor can we say that a large, unruly
crowd is always the best arbiter of what is right.”
“Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering – remembering and
not using your right to hit back. It’s a second chance for a new beginning.
And the remembering part is particularly important. Especially if you don’t
want to repeat what happened.”
“Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different
precisely in order to realise our need of one another.”

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“The Across Hemel
Hempstead Prayer”
Father, pour your spirit upon the people of Hemel Hempstead
and give them open hearts to receive you.
Grant us new vision of your glory,
a new experience of your power,
a new faithfulness to your word and
a new concentration to your service,
so that your love may grow among us and
your kingdom come.
We ask this through
Christ our Lord.
Amen
This prayer was used
For Across Hemel
Hempstead in
July 2012 -
you may like to use it
now.
Dee Fisher

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HALLS FOR HIRE
ST JOHN’S HALL - Well equipped hall suitable for use by special interest
groups, clubs and societies. Ideal for family parties and special occasions.
Please contact Hall Bookings Secretary on 07939 226977 or email:
hallbookings@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk for further information and availabil-
ity.
ST STEPHEN’S HALL, CHAULDEN - (opposite Tudor Rose) - Sunny Hall with
tiled floor suitable for dancing and exercise groups as well as being ideal for
children’s parties. Please contact Jean on 01442 257023 for further
information and availability.
ST FRANCIS HALL, HAMMERFIELD - Well equipped hall suitable for use by
special interest groups, clubs and societies. Ideal for family parties and
special occasions. Please contact Hall Bookings Secretary by email: stfran-
cishallbookings@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk for further information and
availability. More urgent queries can be handled by leaving a message on Paul
Davies mobile phone: 07802 442908
SMILE-LINES
Those who want to get married - A minister was preparing to marry a
local couple within a couple of weeks. At the close of the morning
service, he saw them both in the congregation, and wanted to ask them
to come forward, but he couldn’t think of their names. So he said: “Will
those wanting to get married please come to the front?”
Immediately, nine single ladies, six single men, three widows, and four
widowers walked up the aisle.
Forgiveness
A Sunday School teacher asked her children: “Can anyone tell me what
you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?”
There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small
boy ventured: “Sin?”

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Please Note: St. John's Church PCC cannot accept any responsibility for goods or services

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Another very successful Christmas Tree Festival!
It was so sad to have to put the Christmas Tree Festival 2021 to bed on 5
January 2022, even though the trees had had a longer innings than usual!
The trees were really beautiful and demonstrated all the hard work which
had gone into designing them. The decorators did us proud. Many thanks
to all those involved, the decorators, the sponsors, those who did all the
preparatory work including the setting up of the trees, the lighting, and
not forgetting all the hidden effort that goes into facilitating the outdoor
trees, from the installation by the gardening team to the necessary cabling
and electrics, and during the Festival, the stewards and those who served
the refreshments.
The Festival itself was open for 4 days (but not on the Sunday when the
worshippers at the morning Eucharist and the two carol services were able
to experience the trees in a different way) During that time over 500
adults and countless children came in specifically to look at the display.
The finances are still being calculated, as nowadays some donations are
made via the card reader system, but it is certain that over £2,000 was
raised and a lot of pleasure was given to those who came along.
Following last year’s innovation, the Carols Round the Trees on the Satur-
day afternoon once more took place outdoors, and again this was a
popular event, with over 200 adults and children singing lustily, led by the
Vicar (not in welly boots and rainwear this time, but with only half his
usual vocal power!) and accompanied on the keyboard by the intrepid
Director of Music, Keith Beniston operating under a gazebo. The refresh-
ments team served hot dogs and glühwein to add to the Christmas atmos-
phere. As the strains of “Jingle Bells” died away, Santa appeared distrib-
uting large quantities of “Celebrations” chocolates to the sweet-toothed,
large and small, young and old. Cont’d…..

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Poor Santa had been unable to come to us last year in the depths of the
pandemic, but he managed to make it this year. Good fun was had by
all!
We do hope that there will be a Christmas Tree Festival in 2022. It is a
lovely tradition, but it takes a whole team of people to organize in
advance, to set up from the date the trees are delivered to get every-
thing ready for the decorators. Unfortunately, this year there were too
few volunteers for the setting up, with the result that the burden on
those few (including the vicar and churchwarden) was heavy and the
cabling was left to one man alone. Their efforts paid dividends, but next
year, more help would be greatly appreciated. Many hands make light
work, as the saying goes.
In contrast, the taking down of the trees at Epiphany took place after the
Wednesday morning Mass and a host of helpers working together made
light work of the task and when all the pine needles were carefully swept
up, the floor was probably cleaner than for a long time. Team work does
make a difference!
Photos by kind permission of
Alan Munford, Janet Packe
and Anne Lyne

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St James the Least of All
On how to survive a residential conference
The Rectory
St James the Least
My dear Nephew Darren
I am glad you enjoyed your conference, but please do not be deluded into
thinking that conferences are there to teach you anything. Conferences exist
to provide another entry on your CV, to give you time off while flattering
yourself that you are working, and to make the person leading it feel that
their life is not wholly pointless.
As it happened, I was also invited to the same one, the one entitled
‘Learning how to say no.’ But I refused to attend, thereby proving that I
didn’t need it anyway.
There are certain useful points you need to learn for conferences. First,
about half the attendees will have been together only the previous week
attending another conference in another part of the country. They will be
eager, enthusiastic, and overflowing with management platitudes. Avoid
them at all costs. Should one of them say to you: ‘expect the unexpected’
you have my permission to strangle them. They won’t have expected that!
Secondly, when you are all asked to go through that ghastly process of intro-
ducing yourselves to everyone else, make it up. I think the last time I was
obliged to do this, I became a butcher specialising in exporting offal to Saudi
Arabia. All your clerical colleagues will then panic that they have turned up
for the wrong course and the leader will make sure that you are not asked
another single question throughout the event. Both outcomes are satisfying.
Thirdly, do realise that when you are asked to divide into small discussion
groups, it means that the conference leader has run out of ideas about what
to do next. Do not, at all costs, volunteer to be chairman. It only means that
when you have to report back – and if the leaders use the word ‘plenary’,
then by all means contemplate strangling them also - you will be involved in
sticking sheets of paper on to walls, which will then rip off the wallpaper
when you try to remove them.

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You will also have the embarrassment of finding that every felt tip pen you
try to use will be empty, and what you thought were the conclusions your
group had arrived at will be volubly contradicted by all the other members.
No, if you are ever obliged to attend another course, take a good book,
enough claret to cover every evening away, and develop a debilitating illness
that, while enabling you to attend every meal, obliges you to retreat to your
room for the rest of the day. You will leave having learned as much on what-
ever the topic was as your colleagues, but you will return refreshed and
eager to make the next booking.
Your loving uncle,
Eustace
SMILE LINES
More church bulletin bloopers
The youth group has raised almost $500 for drug abuse.
Correction: The following typo appeared in our last bulletin: ‘Lunch will
be gin at 12:15.’ Please correct to read ’12 noon.’
Any church member over 18 is invited to join in this lay ministry
programme. It requires only a minimal amount of training and time: six
weekly classes of about 200 hours, each Tuesday night.
The Seniors group will have a picnic on Saturday. Each person is asked to
bring a friend, a vegetable, or a dessert, all in a covered dish.
Advert for a church jumble sale: ‘We have a gents three-speed bicycle,
and also two ladies for sale, in good running order.’

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'Music Percentage Club Update’
Congratulations to the winners of the November &
December Music Percentage Club draws:
November 2021
Sheila James 1st £15
Catherine Holness 2nd £8
Job Rombout 3rd £4
December 2021
Gill Williams 1st £15
Richard Lyne 2nd £8
Sheila James 3rd £4
If you know of someone who would be interested in joining the Music
Percentage Club and supporting Music at St John’s in this way there are
forms in church or please contact Mark Harbour on 01582 841019 or see
him in church. Mark Harbour - on behalf of MASJ
BOOK REVIEW
Bible Stories Every Child Should Know
By Kenneth B Taylor and Jenny Brake,
10Publising, £16.99
Best-selling author Kenneth Taylor was well-known for his faithful retelling
of Bible stories in a way which engaged young children. This newly
illustrated collection of more than 120 Bible stories from his Classic Bible
Storybook present the truths of the whole Bible in a language that is
understandable for kids. Each story has 3-4 comprehension questions to
help children easily grasp Biblical concepts.
Reading this book will help young ones aged four – seven to love the
stories of the Bible.

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MARCH 2022 - PRICE 60p
Please note the deadline for articles for the March 2022 edition of the magazine
is Sunday, 6th February.
You can e-mail direct to magazine@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk or leave articles in
magazine pigeonhole or deliver direct to 27 Beechfield Road. Please note any
articles sent by email should be in A5 format (MS Word or MS Publisher
preferred). Thank you. Sally Bates, Editor, Tel No. 266912 or Mobile 07792
768236.
PLEASE NOTE
Website for St John’s Boxmoor is:
www.stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk
E-mail: office@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk
Website for Music at St John’s is http://masj.org.uk
Facebook Page: St Johns Church, Boxmoor
NEWSLETTER: If you would like to receive a copy of the weekly Newsletter by
e-mail, please contact Alan Munford - alan.munford@btinternet.com with your
e-mail address and he will arrange to send it to you.
Please send any items for inclusion in the Newsletter to the Parish Office at the
email address: newsletter@stjohnsboxmoor.org.uk
SUBSCRIPTION TO MAGAZINE
If you would like to receive a copy of St John’s Parish Magazine on a regular
monthly basis, please email alan.munford@btinternet.com or telephone him on
01442 242543 or complete your details below and return tear-off slip to:
Mr. Alan Munford, 16 St Nicholas Mount, Hemel Hempstead HP1 2BB
Name…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
...........................................................................................................................
Contact Telephone Number ………………………………………………………………………...

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A Prayer at Candlemas
Dear Lord God,
February can be a difficult, cold month, and this year there is much to be
concerned about, with the pandemic still affecting our lives in so many
ways. But thank you, Lord, that February can also be a month of wonderful
signs of hope.
Help us, when we look down, to see the snowdrops – sometimes known as
Candlemas Bells – and other bulbs pushing through the dark earth, show-
ing the promise of Spring and brighter days ahead.
And then, help us to look up, to see the light of Jesus, Your revelation to all
the world, in that baby who grew and died and rose again to offer salva-
tion, hope and life to all who put their trust in Him.
Thank you, Father, for Jesus and that, because of Him, nothing – no pan-
demic, no circumstance – can ever separate us from You.
Thank you for Your Holy Spirit, living in all who trust in You, giving us
strength for each new day of this and every month.
In Jesus name, Amen.
By Daphne Kitching

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MEMORIES OF LEBANESE WINE
Our memories of the Lebanon are from long ago. Arguably, the most
attractive part of the Lebanon is the Beqaa Valley (Beqaa means wide in
Arabic). This is the fertile area between the mountain range on the east-
ern side leading to Beirut and the Mediterranean, and the mountain range
on the western side leading to Syria and Damascus. We visited the Beqaa
Valley many times when we lived in Damascus in the late seventies and
indeed spent our first wedding anniversary in 1978 picnicking on the
Roman ruins of the Baalbek Temple to Jupiter in the Beqaa Valley near the
Syrian border.
The Lebanese people, then at least, were much more entrepreneurial and
pro-active than their Syrian brothers. As a result, the shops in the Lebanon
had much more to offer than those in Syria. We bought our provisions and
booze in Chtaura, a settlement on the main road between Damascus and
Beirut, and we went to the nearby Christian town of Zahle to buy more
luxury goods. I remember four ladies’ shoe shops on one street in Zahle!
On these trips from Damascus over the border into the Beqaa Valley, we
invariably stopped for lunch in one of the local restaurants and it was here
that I first encountered Lebanese red wine, produced from vineyards in
the valley. It was undeniably plonk, but a very pleasant and quaffable
plonk that went well with Middle Eastern food, and it had a curious
underlying taste – a not unpleasant earthy hint of the cedar tree that is
the Lebanon’s national emblem. It went down a treat!
Occasionally, Lebanese red wine came to us. In Shemlan, a village in the
mountains above Beirut, was the location of MECAS (the Middle East
Centre for Arab Studies), where the British Government sent officials to
learn to speak Arabic. It was known affectionately to the locals as the “Spy
School”, perhaps because Kim Philby had once studied there! MECAS is
long since closed, alas. Towards the end of their courses the students had
to suffer “total immersion” and spend a couple of weeks living in the
Syrian equivalent of a bed and breakfast, talking only Arabic. My role was
to issue the students some Syrian money from the British Embassy coffers
on their arrival in Damascus to see them through this torture.

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Cutting a long story short, we offered not only money but refuge – several
of the students returned to our house quietly by night with bottles of
Lebanese wine which they had brought with them. In guilty penance, they
spoke Arabic to each other at first, but this rarely lasted beyond the
second gulp of the Beqaa Valley nectar, after which we all had a jolly
English-speaking evening. They told some fascinating tales, one of which
was how all the shop keepers and villagers in Shemlan knew exactly where
the students were on their Arabic course. If they, say, went into the
baker’s or butcher’s shop, the shopkeeper would, in talking to them, use
the very words and grammar they had learned that week!
One incident in which Lebanese red wine played a part is burnt onto my
memory. In November 1977, soon after we arrived in Damascus, we decid-
ed to celebrate my birthday by visiting some old friends who happened to
be stationed at the British Embassy in Beirut. We had a splendid dinner
with them, quaffing the Beqaa Valley’s best.
Next morning, we awoke to sheer pandemonium (and a hangover). The
news had just broken that President Sadat of Egypt had gone to Jerusalem
to cement his peace deal with Israel and the good folk of the Lebanon
were pretty cross about it. They broke windows, set tyres alight on street
corners, put up roadblocks, shot firearms into the air, and shouted very
rude slogans about Sadat and the Israelis. We lay extremely low for a
couple of days, under curfew, and then risked driving out of town, happily
without incident. The Beqaa Valley was quiet but that was one occasion
on which we did not stop for lunch and liquid refreshment!
So, Lebanese red wine forms a thread through our recollections of that
period of our lives and those events, back in the mists of time!
Returning to the present day, some weeks ago I was in a pleasantly
dreamy state, reading the Majestic wine catalogue, which had just landed
on the doormat. Suddenly, I nearly fell off my chair. Majestic were selling
Lebanese red wine at £28.99 a bottle! WHAT?!!! I am afraid I yelled at the
poor inanimate catalogue “But it’s only PLONK!!!”.
Cont’d…...

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Two catalogues later, Majestic came up with a Lebanese Beqaa Valley red
wine for £9.99 and I ventured forth and returned in triumph having
acquired a bottle (or so). We then did our best to imitate the Arabic mezze
of yesteryear – kebabs, hummus, baba ghanoush, pitta bread, halloumi,
pickled gherkins, olives and so on, and cracked open the bottle. It was
very much smoother than its ancestor bottles ever were and was definite-
ly no longer anywhere near the plonk bracket! Very well done to the
Beqaa Valley vineyards! However, there in the subtle after taste was just a
hint of that unmistakable earthy cedar trademark tang. Ahh the memo-
ries!
Richard Lyne
Postscript: The Lebanon is currently going through another dark and pain-
ful chapter of its already chequered and difficult history. We must pray for
all the innocent people caught up, through no fault of their own, in this
seemingly endless cycle of violence, economic decline and civil war.

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at St John’s
in the month of November 2021
HOLY BAPTISM
3 November Isabella Mea Zimmer Lower Sales
7 November Bluebell Emily Young Crouchfield
7 November Harrison Frank Curson Pipit Walk
7 November Arlo Thomas Finnis Crest Park
May the Lord of his great mercy bless these children and give them
understanding of his wisdom and grace.
HOLY MATRIMONY
No weddings took place in November
FUNERAL & MEMORIAL SERVICES
1 November Joyce May Baker Hanover Green
3 November Barbara Olive Adams The Lodge Nursing Home
10 November Gillian Jane Smith Flaunden
22 November Hazel Mildred Fulks Kings Langley
30 November Agatha Gardener Belswains Lane
May these souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy
of God, rest in peace.
BURIAL OF ASHES
1 November Anthony James Coughtrey Cowper Road
5 November Irene Florence Saxby Horsecroft Road
6 November Sheraton ‘Tony’ Shaw Park Road
6 November Sylvia Shaw Park Road

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at St John’s
in the month of December 2021
HOLY BAPTISM
No Baptisms took place in December
HOLY MATRIMONY
4 December Robert Jefferson & Nicole Daly
O God, our Father, whose greatest gift is love, bless those, we ask you,
who within your presence take each other in marriage.
FUNERAL & MEMORIAL SERVICES
1 December James Duncan MacEwan Middleton St George
9 December Margaret Rose Cooper Beechwood Park
10 December Sylvia Kathleen Macklin Warmark Road
13 December Kenneth Morgan Marlins Turn
May these souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy
of God, rest in peace.
BURIAL OF ASHES
4 December Cecilia Bertha Brown Adeyfield
16 December Kenneth Morgan Marlins Turn

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He Prayeth Well
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast,
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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