Dear friends, The last week has been very busy for me, culminating in helping at scrutinising the counting of votes for the constituency of Dorking and Horley. It felt like a great privilege to be involved in this but I got home from that 5am on Friday and had to get ready for the wedding on the same day of good friends, which took place near Windsor. Tiring but I would not have missed it for the world. Today’s photo does not do the new window in St Margaret’s in Ockley justice. If you haven’t already you really must go and see this beautiful stained glass window. When you are there, have a look at the progress of the toilets too. God Bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240707.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240707.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 4:03pm on Sunday July 6th, 2025

Dear friends, I hope you have all registered to vote and have encouraged your family and friends to do the same. Suffrage is a hard-won right and we should exercise it for the good of our neighbours. The little guy in the picture is definitely an insect (6 legs) but I have no idea of its name. I have come across similar beasties looking like leaves or pieces of wood and I think they are amazing creatures. Enjoy the much improved weather. God Bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240623.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240623.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 11:25am on Sunday June 22nd, 2025

Dear friends, Every year this is what I look forward to in the garden the most: our rambling rose. It’s a riot of tiny blooms, smelling heavenly and covered in pollinators. It flowers for up to two weeks and gives me great joy. It has grown a lot these twenty years even after regular heavy pruning and one day it will take the shed down if it doesn’t prop it up! Photo credit Dik Hoogmoed. My apologies for not posting the notes last week. I hope to do so later this weekend. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240615.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240616.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 7:46am on Sunday June 15th, 2025

Dear friends, We are very excited that our solar panels have been installed this week. A few tweaks are still required but it’s already working. With the weather what it is maybe we should consider a wind turbine as well! Please remember to sign up and bake cakes for the military show. It’s over three days now so your help is much needed. The Capel show will be 6 weeks later. Details are on the sign-up sheets in our churches. Last but certainly not least: keep donating to Dorking food bank. Check what is particularly needed each week by downloading the app. More info on: www.bankthefood.org<www.bankthefood.org.uk> God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240602.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240602.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 1:13pm on Sunday June 1st, 2025

Dear friends, The news of the General Election took us all by surprise this week. If you are not yet registered to vote please consider doing so now and urge your family and friends to do the same. People have paid a huge price to get us all the vote around a hundred years ago and we should regard it as a privilege rather than a chore. We finally seem to have a touch of spring, hopefully rolling into summer weather. I love the ox-eye daisies in gardens and in verges everywhere. They are so cheerful. Don’t forget to sign up to bake cakes for the military show and do a stint on the day at the back of our churches. Also keep Saturday 17 August free to help at the Capel Show. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240526.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240526.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 11:35am on Sunday May 25th, 2025

Dear friends, The last stop on our travels on the continent was Reims, the former coronation seat of France. We had no idea of the vastness of the cathedral and the richness of its decorations (see pictures). There are stained glass windows old and new. Some by Marc Chagall and others by more modern artists. We found Reims well-worth a visit. Tomorrow is a parish service at 9:30 in Ockley where we will celebrate Pentecost. Depending on how our DIY goes today I will attempt to bring my stall of fair trade goodies. Cash and card welcome. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd Readings-20240519.pdf Weekly Readings notes-20240519.pdf Weekly Notes Post expires at 9:04am on Sunday May 18th, 2025

Dear friends, After our travels we are home again. As always it was great to be away and equally great to come back. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240512.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240512.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 3:21pm on Sunday May 11th, 2025

Dear friends, Our travels have taken us across Austria and we are now in the Czech republic. On our way we visited the heroes organ in Kufstein. Every day at 12 noon there is a 15 minute recital for the fallen of all wars world-wide. The way this organ is built, ensures it can be heard for miles around. Kufstein is on the northern border of Tirol. On the southern border, in Italy, the largest bell in the world is rung every day for world peace. The inscription of this bell is in the second picture and translates as: ‘Nothing can be lost through peace. Everything can be lost through war.’ I leave you with these wise words from pope Pius XII. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240504.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240505.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 7:06am on Sunday May 4th, 2025

Dear friends, Greetings from lovely Sicily. The picture today is from a DOM church we visited Thursday evening. We learned that the dome was added during a 200-year period when it was used as a mosque. We also learned that 25 April is a yearly celebration of liberation from fascism in Italy. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240428.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240428.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 5:25pm on Saturday April 26th, 2025

Dear friends, The apple tree did us proud this year: an abundance of flowers made me decide to sacrifice some branches for an entry in the spring show of the Capel Horticultural Society and they won the class. Unfortunately the hail storm the following day ensured the tree is now a sad sight. We should be in for some better weather in the next week. Gill showed me the progress of the extension of St Margaret’s last week and it’s really impressive. The new window is stunning and the position ensures that you see it on entering the church. The parish service is an excellent opportunity for Capelites to have a look. Last but not least: it’s too late now to register to vote in the local elections early May but please bear in mind that the general election should happen later this year so if you are not registered consider doing so soon. It’s not quite 100 years ago that the right to vote became the norm so do exercise that right. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240421.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240421.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 8:01am on Friday April 18th, 2025

Dear friends, Four years ago we were in the first COVID lockdown. The picture of the wild garlic was taken of one of the many glorious walks around our villages. I will always remember the beautiful weather, the silence, the glimmer of hope that flight numbers would stay down. There was also the deep sense of privilege that living in the countryside we could go out into nature when those living in a bedsit in London were not even allowed out in the parks. It was a memorable time for many reasons. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240414.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240414.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 5:43pm on Friday April 11th, 2025

Dear friends, Last week, on Easter Sunday, we did a lovely walk starting on the footpath in front of our house. The attached picture with St John in the distance was taken from the nature reserve. We hope many of you will come to the APCM in St John tomorrow after church. Do give yourself some extra time to get acquainted with our new donations machine, which can of course also be used before the service for the collection (experimental credit card donations most welcome!). I will be bringing it and be available for any questions before the service and during coffee before the APCM. God bless, Dineke van den Bogerd notes-20240407.pdf Weekly Notes Readings-20240407.pdf Weekly Readings Post expires at 11:14am on Sunday April 6th, 2025