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APRIL 2018
A FREE magazine published
by the Langley Churches
for the people of Langley
Langley Railway Station
Page 2
Editorial & Article Submission Anna Thomas-Betts 01753 822013 [email protected]
Announcements, Advertisements Richard Shircore - 07943 404388 [email protected]
Layout & Advert Design Roo Kanis-Buck – [email protected]
Copy Deadline 15th of the previous month
Website www.langleymarish.com/around-langley
Front Cover illustrations Michael Day - 01753 512519
Printing by Print Direct Solutions, Langley
GENERAL
Editorial Page 3
Neighbourhood Forum Page 4
Community Coffee Shop Page 5
Berkshire Vision Page 5
‘Beating the Bounds’ Page 6
Organ Donation. Page 7
Langley Carnival Page 8
Royal Maundy Distribution Page 9
FAITH MATTERS
Regular Sunday Services Page 10
Regular Church Activities Page 11
Christian Joy - Easter message Page 12
New Every Morning Page 13
In Conversation with Ruby Trotter Page 14
Langley Free Church Events Page 17
Parish Directory Page 19
Contents
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Francis Mostyn & Co – Solicitors
Page 3
Spring has finally Sprung?
‘Nothing is so beautiful as Spring’ writes Gerald Manley Hopkins in his poem
about Spring, ‘When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush’.
Maybe, weeds are not our favourites in Spring, but spring flowers are
everywhere around us to enjoy now! I hope the readers have appreciated
the drifts of crocuses in bloom along the grass verges of London Road: they
have survived the two cold snaps we had and should produce lovely displays
in years to come. We remember, of course, Wordsworth’s immortalisation of
golden daffodils at this time, too: “Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine, And
twinkle on the milky way.”
In this issue you will find an unusually early notice of Langley Carnival, one
of the few occasions in a year we come together as a community, and an
occasion to celebrate and support worthy charities. The Carnival Committee
is keen that those of us who shop in Tesco make use of Tesco’s sponsorship of
Langley Carnival through their Bags of Help programme. It costs us nothing
- just ask at the till for tokens, and put them in the box marked Langley
Carnival.
Also in this issue the Rev. Sue Lepp has written about organ donation. This
is timely because there is a government consultation gong on about changing
the law such that organ donation will be the assumed norm, with the
opportunity for people to opt-out, if they wish. We all need to be aware of
the number of lives that could be saved if only more organs were available
for transplant.
On the 3rd of May we have local elections with much of the canvassing
happening in April. Democracy works well only when there is a well-
informed electorate, so it is up to us to find out who is likely to represent
our views and work for the common good, and vote accordingly. Now is the
time to prepare ourselves.
Finally, we remember the school examinations that begin in earnest soon
after Easter and wish all our young people (and their parents and teachers)
a stress-free time so that they can do their best.
Anna Thomas-Betts
Page 4
Langley Neighbourhood Forum
The Langley Neighbourhood Forum met
on Tuesday, 27th February, at Langley
College, to hear about 'Langley Station
Upgrade' and stairs-free access to trains.
John Goldsmith of Network Rail
(Crossrail) and Peter Herridge and
Charlotte Isaac of Transport for London
(TfL) that has taken charge over station
upgrades from Crossrail, gave
presentations about their plans for the
station and improving access to it.
The upgrade to the station has already
begun with the repainting of the
footbridge; and then the interior of the
station building will start to be
refurbished. The main task is to install a
new bridge with lifts that will allow
access to all platforms, needing a
widening of the southern platform. The
platform height will not be changed, so a
ramp will still be needed to get on to the
trains. Moreover, the plan does not
include access routes to the station,
which would be the responsibility of
Slough Borough Council. The main work
will most likely take place over Christmas
2018 and/or Easter 2019, with closures of
the station likely at these times.
The new trains on ‘Elizabeth Line’ as the
service will be known, will be more like
tube trains than railway trains – they will
have wide access routes right through
the train, but no toilets, and fewer seats,
laid out more like a tube train; also,
Oyster card usage will be extended out to
all Crossrail stations. This will have
happened by the time Elizabeth Line
opens here in December 2019, or earlier.
Something to look forward to is the
dramatically reduced travel times to
many Central London locations: 24
minutes from Langley to Paddington, 29
minutes to Tottenham Court Road, 35
minutes to Liverpool Street and 43
minutes to Canary Wharf, with 4 trains/
hour off-peak time and 6 during peak
time.
Complaints were raised about commuter
parking on local residential streets due to
inadequate parking at the station itself, a
problem likely to get worse as rail
services are enhanced by Crossrail. The
TfL representatives had not considered
the issues of parking or access to the
station and appeared were unaware of
this as a problem. However, whilst this is
not part of their current project,
improving car parking would be a project
for another TfL team. It was pointed out
that the unused land east of the current
car park, could, potentially, provide
additional car parking if the owners
allowed it.
Complaints were also made about the
destruction to undergrowth along the rail
line that acted as a sound barrier for
News from Around Langley
Page 5
houses along the railway (e.g. on
Alderbury Road). This was a process
undertaken by Network Rail, and is
outside the control of TfL.
Issues associated with the upgrades that
fall partly or completely outside the
responsibility of TfL, with Network Rail or
GWR having responsibilities, may still be
made through the TfL system and will get
channelled to the team that is responsible
for the issues, we were assured.
(Rob White and Bill Birmingham kindly
provided notes of the meeting for use in this
report, for which we are grateful.)
Community Coffee Shop
Last month saw the return of Armchair
Exercises on 6th March. Then there was a
lively debate on 13th March when Ted
Plenty, the local Councillor for Langley St
Mary’s Ward, met the challenge of trying
to answer the many questions people had
about the future of Slough. One of the
issues raised was the development of
Central Slough where a new shopping
centre is planned with flats above but no
plans for car parking space. Another was
the empty office space in newly built units
on Windsor Road. Cllr Plenty was also told
about the inconvenience caused to the
residents by the poor bus service
operating along Langley Road now, after
the new changes to bus services came into
effect.
In April the external speaker invited is Pat
Morgan who will demonstrate how to use
a defibrillator. The talk and demonstration
will take place April 17th at 10.30am. All
are welcome.
Sheila Papali
Berkshire Vision is a social club that exists
to provide activities and companionship
for all registered blind or partially-sighted
people in the County. The club in Langley
dates back to the early Nineties, when the
name of the organisation was BCBS
(Berkshire County Blind Society). It all
started with the CEO of BCBS approaching
Ruby Trotter (see profile on page 14) with
the suggestion of starting up a club in
Langley; the minimum number of
members required was 12, and a grant of
£1,000 was available as a start-up fund.
Ruby took up the challenge and the
Langley ‘Blind Club’ started up. They were
fortunate from the beginning to have the
Guide Hall in Reddington Drive as a
meeting place, for which she had master-
minded the fund-raising.
The Club opened in April 1993 with 12
members and now in its Silver Anniversary
year it is flourishing with 52 members.
They meet on the second Monday of each
month, from 2pm - 4pm for tea and cake
and snacks; they also listen to speakers, or
play games and Bingo, have raffles and so
forth. There are also organised day-
outings to interesting places, theatre trips and
Page 6
visits to the seaside from time to time.
The members pay just £1 for attending
the Monday meetings and enough to
cover costs of the organised outings.
All this would not be possible without
people who volunteer to help at the
events. In fact, there is large cohort of
volunteers, many from the churches, who
have the task of making gallons of tea at
the Monday meetings! They also
accompany people on excursions and
chaperone them. They are always in need
of volunteers, so if you would like to help,
please get in touch with Ruby, or go along
to a meeting to experience it for
yourselves.
If you are a vision-impaired person, and
especially if you feel isolated, and would
like to enjoy what the Langley Club of
Berkshire Vision (still affectionately
known as the Blind Club) has to offer,
please phone Ruby Trotter on 01753
811955.
‘Beating the Bounds’ – A Langley Community Walk
Bank Holiday Monday, 7th May
The custom of ‘beating the bounds’ of a
Parish is a very ancient one. It goes back
to the days before there were reliable
maps, when knowledge of Parish
boundaries had to be passed on orally
from generation to generation. The
perambulation of the Parish might
occupy several days, and took place
traditionally around Ascensiontide; this
year the Ascension falls on 10th May.
The walkers, usually including a number
of small boys, would beat the boundary
markers with green twigs; sometimes the
boys themselves would be beaten too,
perhaps to help them remember key
points, and so be able to pass on that
knowledge to the next generation.
Some of our readers may recall Boundary
Walks undertaken in 2011 and 2012, with
the support of the Langley
Neighbourhood Forum, as a way of
celebrating Langley, its history and its
community. The first year we covered the
Southern section, around the main
housing area; the next, we headed North,
around Langley Park and Black Park. The
total distance was about 18 miles.
This time the congregation of St Mary's
Church would like to invite all Langley
Ruby Trotter, Founder of the Langley
Blind Club
Page 7
residents to join them on a shorter walk:
starting with prayers at the church at
10.30am, then making our way down the
Green Drive, through Ditton Park, along
the edge of Upton Court Park, up
through the streets to the canal, and back
to the Red Lion for lunch at about
12.30pm. We will ‘beat the bounds’ (but
not any small boys!) at various points
along the route.
The length of the walk is about 4 to 5
miles and the ground is largely level and
smooth; walkers are welcome to join us
for part or all of the walk.
Contact me on 01753 542068 or at
[email protected] if you would
like to know more. A buffet lunch will be
available at the Red Lion after the walk
for just £5. Please place orders with me
by Tuesday 1st May.
The Rev. Robin Grayson
Organ Donation When I worked as a Nurse, I met a lot of
people for whom organ donation had
become incredibly important – a matter
of life and death. More recently in my
own family, one of my cousins became a
living kidney donor for her husband. He
had developed a life-limiting condition
that could only be reversed through a
kidney transplant. Incredibly they were a
perfect match for each other.
I think that organ donation is one of
those issues that many people will agree
with in principle, although when faced
with the reality of it may change their
minds on. Organ donation is often more
difficult than it may seem because it
starts with a death. In the trauma of
death many difficult decisions need to be
made and it can seem impossible even to
contemplate organ donation. Yet this is
the moment when these questions need
to be asked and decisions needs to be
made. Many people who may have
registered to be an organ donor may not
become one as family members do not
give consent.
From a religious perspective there are
many varying opinions on organ
donation. The Bible does not explicitly
say whether it is allowable or not. The
Old Testament, of importance to
Christians, Jews and Muslims, has many
rules involving blood and what to do with
bodies, that would suggest organ
donation is not acceptable. One could
argue whether these Jewish laws do
really apply to Christians. There is also an
argument for context: organ donation
would have been inconceivable and
impossible 4,000 years ago; also
advances in hygiene and medical science
have changed perceptions of life.
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Most religions treat our bodies as
temporary, on loan to us from God for our
earthly lives. The bodies we have are not
meant to last forever. We are to take care
of them so that we can carry out the plans
and purposes of God. When we die, it is our
souls that move on and not our bodies.
Most religions also place huge importance
on healing for the sick, healing coming
through many channels, the medical
profession, modern techniques and
medicines all being important. Again,
hygiene and medical science have moved
us on and keep us alive much longer than in
previous centuries.
Organ donation is a gift. It is a gift to those
who receive organs so that they can carry
on living; it is a gift from the donor,
although a painful one to give, and as their
last earthly act is one of selflessness. I think
of a friend in Canada whose baby daughter
was born with a severe liver condition and
needed a liver transplant. She received one
at 10 months old. The donor was a 12-year-
old boy who had been killed in a road traffic
accident. I can’t imagine what that decision
would have been like to make for his
parents. The baby girl is now a healthy and
active 14-year-old.
Organ donation, although difficult, and
required at the most difficult time in a
person’s life, is important. We need to
make sure our preferences are known.
Many of us carry cards to indicate that we
are happy to donate our organs after our
death. And currently Parliament has a
consultation about making organ donation
an ‘opt-out’: requiring us to state if we do
not wish to donate organs. In any case, it is
very important to tell our loved ones what
our wishes are if they are ever faced with
this situation. Many people die every week
due to a shortage of organs, especially
people in the Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic communities.
www.organdonation.nhs.uk/, the NHS
Organ Donation website, is a helpful
resource where you can register to become
a donor.
The Rev. Sue Lepp
Langley Carnival
Needs You! This year Langley Carnival will be on
Saturday 14th July, 12noon—4.30pm in the
Langley Memorial Ground and are
delighted to have been chosen to be a
nominee in the Tesco Bags of Help in
March and April. So, if you shop in Tesco,
including Tesco Express at the Esso
Garage, please vote for Langley Carnival
during these months. You don’t need to
buy a bag to do this.
There are some new events this year such
as Basil and Crew mobile farm, Urban
safari, a falconry display and a clown. More
details to follow.
The Carnival beneficiaries this year, thanks
to Shanly Homes and Tesco Bags of Help,
are SPICE and Langley Hornets Football
Club .
All enquiries to Liz Barnett: 01753 539024
Page 9
Royal Maundy Distribution The distribution of alms by the reigning monarch on
Maundy Thursday is an ancient custom, going back to King
John in 1210. The first recorded gift was of clothing, food and
other gifts, but soon it was silver coins and Henry IV
instituted the custom of giving coins equal in number to the
Monarch’s age. The customs have changed over the centuries,
but men and women, equal in number to the monarch’s age,
receiving Maundy Money continues to this day.
Before Tudor times there was accustom of distributing a piece of the monarch’s
gown to the recipients, which they could redeem for cash, but this was discontinued,
as has the gift of clothing because of people trying on and exchanging ill-fitting
clothes with each other in church!
Another custom that has been discontinued is that of the monarch washing the feet
of Maundy recipients, as Queen Mary I reportedly did, on her knees. This was
obviously a re-enactment of the act of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples before
the Last Supper on the original Maundy Thursday. Even after washing them three
times in scented water prior to the monarch, the feet smelt so bad, that it became
customary for people to carry bouquets of fragrant flowers, at the service. On recent
photographs of the ceremony you can see the Queen and Prince Philip carrying such
nosegays.
Nowadays, the gifts are: a Red Purse containing a £5 coin representing four
generations of monarchy and a 50p piece commemorating the reform of the
electoral system in 1918 (see Around Langley, March 2018); and a White Purse
containing specially minted silver coins of value equal to the age of the monarch.
(£5.50 is made up of £3 for clothing, £1.50 for provisions and £1 in lieu of redeeming
the piece of the monarch’s gown!)
The distribution of Maundy Money usually takes place during a service in a
Cathedral around the country. The recipients are chosen on the recommendation of
church officials. Our Queen has been diligent in performing this ceremony
throughout her long reign, only missing it on four occasions.
This year the Maundy Service happens in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and
the recipients come from all around the country, 92 women and 92 men. In
addition, there will also be four Maundy Children who are invited to attend,
from local schools and who also receive a set of Maundy Coins.
Page 10
Regular Weekly Service Times
St Mary’s (St Mary’s Road)
Sunday 8.00am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer)
Third Sunday . (15th) 9.30am Family Worship
Sunday 11.00am Family Communion (& Sunday Club for children)
Sunday 6.30pm Evening Prayer (Usually a said service)
Holy Family (Roman Catholic) (Trelawney Avenue)
Sunday 9.30am 11.15am & 6.30pm Mass
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9.30am Mass or Service of the Word and Communion
Thursday NO SERVICE
Friday 9.30am Mass or Service of the Word and Communion
Saturday 5.30pm Mass
Langley Free Church (Baptist) (Trelawney Avenue)
Sunday 10.30am Morning Worship (All age worship on first Sunday)
2nd and 4th Sunday 10.30am Holy Communion
St Francis of Assisi (London Road)
Sunday 9.30am Holy Communion (Except the fourth Sunday of the month)
Fourth Sunday 11.00am All Age Worship
Christ the Worker (Parlaunt Road)
1st April, Easter 11 .00am Holy Communion
1st and 3rd Sundays 11.00am (Usually) Morning Worship
2nd, 4th & 5th Sunday 9.30am Holy Communion
Page 11
Regular Church Activities
St Mary’s Sunday 11.00am Sunday Club and Crèche in St Mary’s Centre
Monday 9.30am Jellibeans - Parents and Toddlers Group
Wednesday 2.00pm Toddlers’ Service
Monday 23rd April 8.00pm Baptism Preparation Evening at St Mary’s
3rd Monday 2.00pm Mothers’ Union
House Groups Sunday Evenings & Tuesday afternoons
Holy Family Catholic Church Alternate Thursdays 2.00pm Union of Catholic Mothers
Evenings Holy Family Parish Club
Langley Free Church (Baptist) Sunday 11.15am Sunday School, ages 3 – 11
Monday 12 noon Monday Lunch Club
Wednesday 9.00am Toddler Group
Wednesday 2.00pm Oasis – fellowship time with various speakers
Thursday 10.30am Bible Study (House Group)
Thursday 3.15pm J Team – ages 4 - 11
Thursday 7.00pm Bible Study at LFC
3rd Saturday 12 noon Craft Afternoon
St Francis of Assisi Friday 9.45am Mums and Tots (Waiting list:. Call 01753 548646)
3rd Thursday 1.30pm “Refresh” for a chat, talk, cakes and songs
Christ the Worker Tuesday 3rd and 17th 2.00pm Needles & a Yarn
Monday 7th May – 10.30, ‘Beating the Bounds’ starting from St Mary’s (See p. 6)
Anglican Morning Prayer 8.45am Mondays and Fridays at St Mary’s
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at St Francis
Wednesdays at Christ the Worker.
Page 12
Faith Matters
Christian Joy -
a message for Easter One of the musical compositions I like to listen
to is the “Ode to Joy”. It is part of the 9th
Symphony of Beethoven written to the words
of the German poet Friedrich Schiller in 1785.
It is a celebration of the oneness of humanity.
It was adopted as the anthem of the EU - to
highlight its unity in diversity.
The concept of joy is sometimes mistakenly
equated with pleasure or with happiness. Pope
Francis writes: “Our technological society has
succeeded in multiplying occasions of
pleasure, yet has found it very difficult to
engender joy.” The word happiness is
differently understood by people. Have you
heard parents say: “I don’t care what my kids
do, as long as they are happy”? One gets the
impression that they think that happiness is all
that matters in one’s life. With this attitude we
short-change the meaning of life to our
children. For together with happiness life
brings us also sadness, disappointments,
frustrations and failures. So, how much better
it would be for parents to say: “I want my
children to be faithful, hopeful, loving, just and
good.” Living all these virtues will not always
lead to happiness – but it will bring something
more valuable and precious. It brings joy.
Jürgen Moltman, the German theologian says
that all world religions are unique in some
sense and people who live following these
religions in good faith, see salvation. But
Christianity, though not absolute, is unique in
that it is the religion of joy. The Church
celebrates three major feasts in its calendar:
Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. At Christmas
the angel of the Lord tells the shepherds : “I
bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared
by the whole people” (Lk 2:10-11). The Easter
event celebrates the victory of Jesus over
death. The liturgy calls it “the day of Easter
joy” (Liturgy of Easter Sunday). And a
Pentecost liturgical hymn goes: “Give us joys
that never end.”
There is a kind of joy that never leaves us
because it depends not on events affecting us
from outside but on something that has deep
roots within us. St Paul suggests that the root
of this continuous joy is incessant prayer:
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
By prayer St Paul means not saying prayers
but an awareness of God’s presence in us that
is so tangible, so affirming, that it feeds our joy
from inside and stays with us throughout our
life . Unlike pleasure and happiness, Christian
joy is not something we can bring on
ourselves. St Paul tells us that joy is the fruit of
the Spirit (Gal:22). The Psalmist in the Bible
prays: “.. in your presence there is fullness of
joy” ( Ps 16:11) and “Your will is the joy of my
heart.” (Ps 119,v.14).
It is crucial to note that Christian joy is not
incompatible with human suffering. God told
us something when he deliberately chose to
be born as a homeless person at Bethlehem
and became a refugee in Egypt. The sermon
on the mount tells us that the way to joy is not
to be found in being greedy, lustful or proud
but rather in being gentle, by working for
justice, by being merciful, pure in heart and by
being peacemakers. Jesus suffered and died to
Page 13
show us the way for us to follow. In the early
church too, as we read in the Acts of the
Apostles, suffering was an ingredient of the
Christian life. Paul and Barnabas and their
disciples suffered persecution for their faith,
as did many martyrs right up to our time. But
importantly, the Bible tells us that suffering
for our faith, for what we know to be true and
right, fills us “with joy and the Holy
Spirit” (Acts 14:13).
The way to joy has an itinerary. The starting
point for all is the acceptance that we are all
sinners. Think of St Paul’s words: “we have all
sinned” ( Rom 3:23). One of the most beautiful
parables Jesus tells his listeners is the story of
the prodigal son. The father, symbolizing God,
celebrates and rejoices at the return of his
repentant son. This is how God loves each one
of us. Reconciliation with God brings us peace
and peace brings us joy, a joy that already
starts now, a joy that nobody can ever take
away from us.
The Bible beautifully describes the joy of the
one who accepts God in one’s life. Elizabeth
welcomes Mary pregnant with Jesus, as John
in her womb leaps for joy. Mary then says:
“my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”.
Accepting God’s love is the source of Christian
joy.
Alfred Agius
New Every Morning… Most of us use significant anniversaries,
especially birthdays and wedding
anniversaries, as occasions for thanksgiving:
for all the blessings received in the previous
year and prayers for blessings yet to come. It
seems to me that we could treat every
morning in the same way: here is another gift
of a new day that we receive from God,
undeservedly, and yet with his promise of new
blessings and opportunities. Maybe this
becomes more real as we grow old, or suffer ill
health, but it is a mental attitude that anyone
can adopt and benefit from.
The hymn commonly sung in our churches,
New every morning is the love, our waking and
uprising prove catches this idea beautifully.
The phrase comes oddly enough from the
book of Lamentations (ch3: 22-23), ‘The
steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his
mercies never come to an end; they are new
every morning; great is your faithfulness’, the
prophet (Jeremiah?) clearly trying to uplift the
spirits of the people in their exile from home.
This hymn was written by John Keble, an
Anglican priest and theologian of the 19th
Century, who was also a poet and professor of
Poetry at Oxford University. His book of
poems ‘The Christian Year’ is also the source
of several other popular hymns including
“Blest are the pure in heart for they shall see
their Lord”, and the evening hymn, “Sun of
my soul, thou Saviour dear, it is not night if
thou be near”. He is probably best
remembered in Anglican Church history as a
prominent leader of the Oxford Movement,
which was instrumental in reviving High
Page 14
Church traditions in the Anglican Church
alongside E. B. Pusey, Keble and Pusey both
being commemorated with two Oxford
Colleges being named after them.
The hymn is also an inspiration to ordinary
Christians in their daily lives. We don’t all
need to become monks or nuns ‘in cloistered
cells’, leaving friends and ordinary jobs
behind, it goes on to say. And that we can
find blessings in our ordinary work and
routines “if on our daily course our mind be
set to hallow all we find”. Indeed, we are
assured that we will find new treasures of
countless price which we can offer to God as
our sacrifice.
Keble’s poem is much longer than the hymn
that we usually sing, which ends with the
prayer, “help us, this and every day, To live
more nearly as we pray”. So renewed each
morning, and brought to life and power and
thought by God, we can face life in our own
circumstances, whatever they are, because ”
The trivial round, the common task, would
furnish all we ought to ask; room to deny
ourselves; a road to bring us daily nearer God”.
Anna Thomas-Betts
In conversation with
Ruby Trotter
Ruby, it would be no exaggeration to say that
you are one of the most well-known and well-
loved of Langley residents. How long have
you lived in Langley?
I arrived in Langley in 1960, although we
were not moving all that far, having lived in
Teddington, Middlesex most of my life. My
twin sister, Doreen, who now lives in
Liverpool, and an older sister were born
there and I was married there in 1955. We
came to Langley as a family of four, with a
toddler son and a six-week old daughter,
Gail. The house was so small that Gail had to
sleep in a drawer then, because we had no
room to accommodate a cot! We moved to
Langley because it was convenient for my
husband’s job: he was an overseas engineer
for British Airways (BOAC as it was then).
One of my first visits to St Mary’s in Langley
was to arrange Gail’s baptism. We later had
another son and all the children were
brought up in Langley.
What was your childhood like?
I weighed 2 lbs when I was born, as also my
twin. Even though there were no special
incubators in those days, we both grew up to
be strong children. However, we were
evacuated to Rowlands Castle at the age of
7, to return home only two years later, a
justifiable decision, because the Baptist
Chapel opposite our house that we went to,
and where I was to be married later, was hit
by a bomb during that time. As a young girl,
I loved sports and playing bowls and
Page 15
swimming. At age 10 I was taught to dive and
a few years later I was training in high diving
for the Olympics, but had to pull out because
of a lung operation. Then I became a Girl
Guide and at 16 joined the Women’s Junior Air
Corps, flying in a small plane every other
week.
That is quite a lot of activity for a teenager! Did
you have any time for your studies as well?
I trained as a hairdresser at 17 and worked for
35 years, ending up teaching in Langley
College for a while. But my life was full of
other, volunteering, activities. I started
helping with the Guides when my eldest son
joined Cub Scouts and stayed involved till 1975
by which time I had become a District
Commissioner for West Langley. Since 1979 I
have also been a volunteer at Langley Age
Concern, giving it up only recently when I
started losing my eyesight. And in 1993 with
the opening of the Blind Club in Langley (see
page 6), running that became a big part of my
life. I have also been immersed in church life
at St Mary’s, becoming a District
Churchwarden for a time and a long-serving
member of the Pastoral Care Group. But, with
my husband being an overseas engineer for
British Airways, I was also travelling a lot by
the time my children were getting
independent.
Do tell us about some of your travels abroad.
The travels started with visits to my older
sister in Florida. But there were many other
journeys, Bogota, Abu Dhabi, Turkey, Greece,
Canada and South Africa and, nearer home,
Belgium and Switzerland, being some of the
destinations. However, Kenya is my favourite
country; and I love Mombasa with which I
have a special connection, having supported a
young girl through four years of school there.
It is also there that I fell in love with elephants
(She looks around at elephant pictures and
photos in her sitting room where we were
talking…). In 2000 I adopted a 14-year old
elephant cow called Emily Kate; when she
died last year, I decided to adopt her son
called Ewak. Then there was 9/11…
Oh? What was your experience of 9/11?
Most of my journeys were fun, but it so
happened that in 2001, I was flying to
California to visit a school friend of mine who
was critically ill – yes, on September 11th.
Everything was fine, until the Captain
announced that we were being diverted to
Canada “because of some trouble on the
ground” and he would be able to explain
further after landing. When we heard what
had happened, it was tough for the many
passengers who had friends and family in New
York. We stayed on the plane for hours, then
had to leave all our luggage behind and go to
hotels where we stayed for four days – only to
be sent back to London! So 9/11 was very real
to me.
Ruby, you are a most generous person, giving
unstintingly of your time and love and money to
others. Your work has been recognised
nationally, I believe.
Yes, in 2000 I was invited to one of the
Queen’s Garden Parties and four years ago, I
was presented the Volunteer of the Year
Trophy by the Queen, which I treasure very
much.
Thank you very much for sharing your life
history with us, Ruby. You are still very busy
with organising events for the Blind Club, as
well as pastoral care for people. May you be
blessed richly to continue your work and care for
others.
Anna Thomas-Betts
Page 16
252 High Street
Langley
SL3 8HA
For all DIY needs – let us help you – from screws to fittings
Free Parking at rear of store via Elmhurst Road
Electrical - switches, sockets, timers, cable, bulbs, security lights + more
Plumbing - taps & washers, pipework, connectors, cistern valves + more
Plus a wide selection of tools for every job
Open: Monday to Saturday 8am to 5.30pm
Enquiries - call Hardeep on: 01753 206 202
Page 17
SUNDAY SERVICES in April
at 10.30am (followed on 8th April by
prayer time at 12.15pm)
1st Easter Day All Age Service 8th The Resurrection Impact 15th The disciples talk about Jesus
(Regional Minister Joth Hunt) 22nd Jesus the Good Shepherd (Regional
Minister Colin Norris) 29th Jesus the vine, we the branches
(London City Missioner, Angel Tiebas)
6th May: All Age service (with incoming Minister John Bernard & Paul Noyce)
LUNCH CLUB at LFC, MONDAYS 12.30 ‘TIL 2.30pm
Please note:. there is no meeting on Easter Monday and on Monday 16th April there is to be a meal out instead of a meeting at the church.
A light lunch can be obtained for £1.50 or bring your own with you. Teas and coffees are provided at just 50p. For
details please contact Chris (07789838500) or Langley Free Church on 01753 540771 .
CRAFT AFTERNOONS
The next Craft afternoon will be on Saturday 21st April. Please note that just for this month only, the starting time has been changed from 12pm to 2pm but will still finish at 5pm
OASIS
The Oasis fellowship group would be pleased to welcome newcomers to its Wednesday meetings, with a cup of tea and a biscuit from 1.30pm for the meeting at 2.00pm Meetings for this month are:
4th Tea & Sharing
11th Steve Penney S.A.S.R.A.
18th True or False
25th Robin Wilding
Enquiries: Ann Portsmouth on 01753 585845.
LANGLEY FREE CHURCH
EVENTS IN APRIL
Save the Date! Saturday 2nd June 3pm
Induction Service of the Revd John Bernard
followed by a tea.
Please keep this date free as we would like to make this a real
celebration, in anticipation of things to come.
Page 18
Would you like to sponsor or support Around Langley?
If so, you may like to give £5 a year towards the costs
of the magazine. To do so please make a donation
at one of the sponsoring churches.
Dee S Clark B.Sc(Hons) MChs Dip.pod.med.
Member of The Society of
Chiropodist and Podiatrist
CHIROPODIST / PODIATRIST
HCPC CH17351
SURGERY AND VISITING PRACTICE (By appointment, including evenings
and Saturdays)
Verrucae, Nail Surgery
Newburn Grange Wood Wexham SL3 6LP
Tel: 01753 552725 www.sloughchiropodyandpodiatry.co.uk
Slough
Philharmonic
Society
Presents
Handel’s Messiah
In Langley
28th April, 7.30pm
St Bernard's Grammar
School
1 Langley Road
Slough SL3 7AF
Page 19
St Mary’s Church www.langleymarish.com/stmary
Open Tuesdays from 7.00 – 7.45pm for enquiries about baptisms, weddings, etc.
Rev Robin Grayson: 01753 542068 [email protected]
Curate: Rev. Sue Lepp 07930 520562, [email protected]
Hall Lettings: Mr Graham Jones 07802 784024 [email protected]
St Francis Church www.langleymarish.com/stfrancis
Hall Hire: Mrs Joy Raynor 01753 676011 [email protected]
Licensed Lay Minister: Mr Bill Birmingham 01753 548646 [email protected]
Christ the Worker Church www.langleymarish.com/c-t-w/
Rev. Shola Aoko 01753 547025 [email protected]
Hall Lettings: Mr Graham Jones 07802 784024 [email protected]
Parish Administrator: Mrs Dalletta Reed 01753 541042 [email protected]
Holy Family Catholic Church www.holyfamily.co.uk
Parish Priest: Canon Kevin O’Driscoll
Assistant Priest:: Rev. Michael Bates
Deacon: Rev. Graham Jones
Hall Hire: Mrs Maria Boland
All above contactable at 01753 543770 [email protected]
Parish Worker: Mr Kieran McKeown 01753 543770 [email protected]
Holy Family Parish Club: Mrs Mary Wilkins [email protected]
Langley Free Church www.langleyfreechurch.org.uk
Contact Mr Tony Randall, Church Elder 01753 572391
Hall Hire: 01753 540771 [email protected]
Parish Directory
Page 20