Page 14 - oct2022

October 2022 October 2022

With the major works completed on our main land holding west of The Hollow
Road, we are now following up with small scale improvements on some of the OTHER CHURCHES NEWS
more tricky bits and pieces.
BERE REGIS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Foremost amongst these will be the wet ground at the base of Smokeham Bottom
(just up from the entrance to Blackdown House) where we will be taking out the
remaining few tall conifers which have proved troublesome. The lovely line of Sundays 10.30am Morning Service, Taken by visiting preachers, or our
limes planted along the roadside, but grown so leggy because of the conifer Youth Worker, John Williams.
shading, will be crown reduced, pollarded or coppiced according to their
individual shapes - limes respond well to all these treatments. Oaks planted last Our services also go out live on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/
winter further up the road have managed to survive this exceptional summer. BereRegisChapel or search ‘Bere Regis Chapel).’
Mondays at 7:30pm STS (Search the Scriptures) Youth meeting, via zoom.
There will be some thinning out of the exotic conifers north of Allotments
Plantation ie mostly those which can been seen protruding above the skyline Tuesdays at 7.30pm Bible Study and Prayer, meeting in the Manse and
when looking up from the bus shelter. also on zoom.
Wednesdays at 9.30am Chapel Toddler Group, contact Suzie on
Right over the in the west, alongside the Affpuddle Road, the discreet enclave of 07962142552
exotic conifers will be removed.
At the time of writing, it has been 6 days since the passing of Her Majesty Queen
All extraction will be either southwards through the site and/ or along the roads to Elizabeth II. Whilst the decease of a 96-year-old woman is in itself unremarkable,
our usual the timber stack area.
her death has been one that has had a personal effect on me. In my relatively
Also alongside the Affpuddle Road a second tranch of coppicing will take place short life (I’m in my early 30s) the Queen has been one of the few constants in an
and the deer fencing moved from the now well grown first tranch to protect the ever-changing and chaotic world. Hearing ‘God save the King’ sang before the
new tranch. General ongoing management will include more gorse coppicing England cricket teams test match on Saturday left me feeling both sad and
along the 'top road'. surreal.
On our land holding east of The Hollow Road (known as Hollow Woods) we have I believe in many ways the late Queen was a remarkable woman. One of those
previously thinned out exotic conifers west of the bisecting footpath to ways was her political neutrality as she navigated a reign spanning 15 prime
encourage mixed woodland. East of the footpath we now intend to take out all ministers. For me, however, what was even more remarkable was the extent to
the exotic conifers to restore heathland which will connect over the road to that which she acknowledged the place and effect of Jesus Christ in her life.
owned and managed by Henry Hogger. The marginal broadleaved woodland In her Christmas broadcast of 1952, Elizabeth said “Pray for me… that God may
will of course be retained and encouraged. Like our main land, this area also has give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making,
a Wildfire Mitigation Plan including the fire retardant broadleaved woodland and and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.” Even at the
access provision.
tender age 26 years old, she acknowledged a need and dependence upon the
We hope to start in mid September and as always tolerance of our operations is wisdom that comes from God.
much appreciated.
Nearly five decades later, in the year 2000, she said “For me the teachings of
Lesley Haskins Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in
which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in
difficult times from Christ’s words and example.” Elizabeth was arguably the
greatest living person at the turn of the century when she gave this speech. In
terms of prestige and position, the British monarch is perhaps more famous and
influential than the monarchs of other nations. Yet Elizabeth in this speech
recognises a great authority than herself, one to which she is accountable, as we
all are.

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