The week in Gainford

Sunday

Martin only left us on Friday but last Sunday felt rather like being in a time capsule. Getting up early to make those final preparations for today's three services took me back a few years. But now those preparations take three times longer, with injection, medication and a built in slowing down process,  courtesy of Parkinson's.

I was prepared for a flurry of ' have you taken over from Martin?' questions to which my now spot answer is 'no, the churchwardens have, but I am helping where I can'. Perhaps churchwardens should wear a dog collar when undertaking onerous responsibilities in an interregnum!

News that St Andrew's made over £600 at the harvest auction was good news indeed, made possible by spendthrifts like me who bid £20 for a basket of fruit...or a cheese. In addition to that a collection of £200 will supply much needed seed to Africa. All this from a village which boasts a population of little more than 200.

Monday

Mondays would not be the same without the inevitable phone call from the lunch club in the village hall. This time the boiler had cut out and it was quickly fixed. Strange, when I worked, pleading ignorance of anything that looked like DIY, resulting in someone else doing the job. I suppose some might say moving so close to the village hall was divine intervention.

I am reading Bill Bryson's latest book 'The Road to Little Dribbling', a sequel to his hugely popular book 'Notes from a Small Island'. So far he has travelled from the south coast, London, Cambridge, East Anglia and Oxford and I have reached the point where he has arrived in Skegness. This seaside is well known to me, being the nearest one from Boston where we lived when our children were small. In its favour, it does have a good nature and bird reserve but, as for the town and promenade, well, give me Saltburn any day. However, it is, apparently, the 3rd largest seaside in the the country in terms of visitors. Most of then come by direct train from Nottingham and the Midlands.

Skegness' fame revolves around the trademark 'Jolly Fisherman'.

This was originally a railway poster designed by artist John Hassall in 1913 so it has stood the test of time.

Skegness was also the site of the first Butlin's holiday camp, which Bryson soon discovered was 4 miles outside Skegness.

Wednesday 

Today has been a typical autumn day, with a clinging mist most of the day, prompting the leaves still on trees to hasten their descent to the ground. A walk to to the surgery for a flu jab and a trip to Barnard Castle Market exemplified the life of those of us in retirement, following which a nap was obligatory. Wednesday's house group again explored 'where do we go from here' but is still puzzling that one out.

Thursday

Funny, tragic and rivettding, Moira Buffini's play 'Handbaggibg' tells the story of what might have been said in the meetings between the Queen and Margaet Thacher, in the process she reminds usof some of the details of Thatcher's controversial  premiershp. It is at The Theatre Royal Newcastle and we were at the matinee. The ending was especially poignant as HM recalled that her press secretary, Michael Shea had died of dementia. In the very last line of the play Thatcher says ' You don't die from dementia, you live with it'  Very true of that and other long term illneses.

The week in Gainford

Sad farewells

On Sunday we said our farewells to Martin and Louise and sent them with our best wishes to Tynemouth.'Will you now be our Vicar' was the repeated question. 'No', I said, 'I am old'. i pointed out that our experienced churchwardens are in charge and I will lend a hand as health permits. The morning family service was joyfully chaotic and the band coped well with a congregation who decided not to follow the speed of the band and a large group of children banging drums, obliviously unaware of anyone else. It was fun! The evening service attracted a nearly full church and  there were the usual presentations, speeches, tears, laughter, buffet and, allelluia, the congregation took their lead from organ and band.

Folk weekend

All this was proceeded by a lively weekend of dancing and song, showing the wealth of musical talent in the village and Dale. Gegenforde gave one its best performances and Scherzo (community choir) sang as though they were in the Albert Hall.

A bit of vicaring
Having denied being 'in charge', I must admit I will be taking my dog collar out of the collar box in which ny father used to keep his shirt collars, and take a few services. REV 1, my mobility scooter may be seen flying through the village when my joints fail to interpret messages from my brain to get going. So many folk have said 'don't do too much' I may have to revert to undercover work. No, Kathy has got that one covered as well.

Gainford History Group

Monday's talk was by Gary Bankhead, a full-time fireman, diver and post graduate student at Durham. His talk was fascinating as he described his diving experiences in the River Wear near Prebends bridge. One chance discovery of a trowel led to the discovery of over 5000 objects going back many centuries. The collection is extraordinary, of national importance, and part of it is displayed in the museum on Palace Green. Must be worth a visit next time we are in Durham.

Addicted to sheep

Tuesday afternoon is the time for we 'seniors' to go to the cinema at Richmond Station. We saw a lovely film called 'Addicted to Sheep'. In the North Pennines, tenant farmers of Raby Estates Tom and Kay spend their days looking after their flock of prized sheep. The film follows a year in their lives, capturing both the stark, stunning beauty of the landscape, and the brutally hard work it takes just to survive. Their three children are growing up close to the land, attending a school, Forest in Teesdale entirely comprised of farmers’ children, thoroughly immersed in their remote rural world. As the seasons change the couple help birth, groom, nurture and sell their sheep – even when the odds often seems stacked against them. Addicted to Sheep allows us to experience life on a hill farm in Teesdale.

House group

The parishes have two house groups and I joined one of them last night. We discussed material they might use and, having started as an Alpha Group, they like that style of study. I left them with some ideas to think through and share with other group members. They are quite self sufficient and will continue to meet weekly and I will join them from time to time.

Autumn has arrived

The trees have been beautiful for the last month, the leaves turning into golds and browns. Walking along the river path yesterday it was warm and sunny but the path was carpeted with leaves. In just a few days the trees will be bare and the temperature will drop. We have winter to face but in the knowledge that spring is round the corner. For those who are finding life a struggle at the moment it is important to remember that the harshness of the winter winds will give way to the buds and flowers of spring.

 

 

Preparing for the "Big Weekend'

 No, you haven't got the wrong month, but this weekend is a 'big' one in the village; in fact you could say it is a huge weekend.

Firstly, there's our folk and beer weekend organised by Gegenforde, which starts with a ceilidh tonight and continues with music tomorrow night: Gegenforde,The Savage Myrtles and Scherzo. I nearly forgot that Cream Teas, the young fiddle band from Barney are playing tonight.

It is a big weekend as well because our Vicar, Martin, is leaving us to take up a post in Tynemouth. So tomorrow is a day for goodbyes to him and Louise. We have a Family Service in the morning and a Praise Service in the evening with a presentation. Our Church band will be playing at both.

Before all of that there is band practice this morning and choir practice this afternoon.
I am exhausted just writing about it.

Why am I writing a blog about the weekend anyway? Well, Martin has a written a weekly email which had a big circulation and was well received, and I thought it might  be an idea to use my blog as means of sharing information and expressing the occasional viewpoint. It will not be like Martin's, nor will it be in competition. I shall be doing a little more in the parish during the vacancy so it will be good to use the blog as a kind of diary.

I hope to publish one a week, usually Fridays and will be happy to include in the blog anything you want to reach a wider audience. I say 'wider audience' but that might only be half a dozen people.

That was a quick intro but time now to gird up my loins, gather my accordion and whistle and get in some practice.

Neil