Sir: It is strange that Alistair Home should have told
Peregrine Worsthorne that he has received no answer to his question of how inner-city school children would spend their time during their summer holidays in Turville.
Alistair knows that seven of them came to stay at my vicarage last summer and that their programme included: a visit to a farm, swimming, riding, nature walks, a visit to the church in Turville and to Stonor Park, where they became acquainted with both the Protestant and Roman Catholic sides of the Reformation, a visit to Windsor Castle with a picnic in the grounds and a boat trip on the Thames. In the evenings there were barbecues, the local bingo night, they watched videos, had lessons from a local artist in clay modelling and painting, a camp-fire and a night walk through the woods.
Perhaps, above all, staying in Turville for seven nights gave them an experience of unparalleled beauty on their first visit to the countryside, leaving an indelible impression for the rest of their lives. One child's mother was dying of cancer and another's father had had a stroke shortly after she was born and has not been able to speak since. Giving the children a holiday for a week also gives the active parents a much-needed break.
Paul Nicolson
The Vicarage, Turville, Henley-on-Thames
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