Dry January

Dear friends,

Uncle Steve, just outside Tunbridge Wells, is without water again. A combination of very hard frost, ageing pipework, a few power cuts have caused a domino effect, and the network is down. An outraged customer base are blaming ineptitude at Southern Water, but actually their overall performance is moving in the right direction. Few are addressing the elephant in the room which is of an unsustainable rise in demand (infrastructure development not keeping pace with housing development) combined with a finite resource. One could also ask the question to householders unthinkable in this generation, but familiar to former residents of Checkendon, Stoke Row, and Woodcote. “If you live in this place, where is your water going to come from?” The Weald of Kent, once you are away from the spring lines of both North and South Downs, and away from the river Medway basin, is notoriously dry, with sandstone, and the famous “Kent rag” forming the geology around Tonbridge and points south. At our location, on the top of the chalk and flint of the south Chilterns, unless you lived near a “dewpond” (a deposit of clay smeared on top of the chalk) you needed a deep well, or a lined cistern, or both, to be water secure. No wonder, when the Maharajah of Benares asked Mr Reade what “his village” of Stoke Row most needed, the answer came “a well”. No wonder that the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Checkendon is situated right by the dewpond, and our forbears ignored St Peter and St Paul to place the image of the woman at the well in the stained glass of the east window. She addresses Jesus “Sir, give me this water”. Recent developments at The Old Rectory have uncovered an old well, and most of the older properties along Exlade Street can show you where their external (fresh water) cisterns used to be. To live at these humble heights, you needed to be self sufficient in water.

Today, we take our water supply for granted. But we should not. For control of the water is control of life itself. We are baptised in water to mark the start of our journey on the Way of Christ, a ritual washing of renewal and rebirth. Christ himself was baptised in the Jordan river, the Spirit descending as a dove, and the Father announcing his love of the Son. Water is the very stuff of salvation, not only physically, but spiritually too.

Worship Services for Sunday 18th January 2026

9.30am Informal Worship at St John’s Stoke Row with Mr Peter Ferguson

11am “Colour and Craft” All Age Worship at St Peter and Paul, Checkendon with Canon Kevin Davies. A friendly and informal celebration with music, activities, and refreshments.

Midweek zoom service: Wednesday Evensong at 5.00pm  410 935 129

A Calling for Colourists and Crafters!

I have a brand new and enormous colouring poster to begin work on during our service this Sunday! It is huge! Can you help me make a start on it?  What do you think? The Grumpy Owl is sitting on one corner for an idea of scale. There’s going to be something for crafters to make, too. Do join us at Checkendon for the next in our series of “one off” special themed services – this Sunday at 11am. Don’t let the dull and dark of January get to you – let some of God’s colour and light in!

Joy and peace to you all in our Lord Jesus.

Revd Kevin.