The week in Gainford and beyond

Friday, after band practice, we headed towards Linconlnshire, to familiar places, and to meet up with friends. It was our friend, Jan Marshall's 70th birthday and her family had organised a surprise party.

We had decided to make a weekend of it and wandered down narrow country roads near Grantham to a tiny village, Burton Coggles, where we had booked a room in the village pub, The Cholmeley Arms. Greeted at the door by a golden labrador we gravitated towards a log fire in the bar. Before we allowed ourselves to fall asleep we found our room, one of four purpose built ones in the grounds. The room could have graced a 5* hotel, and the Trip Advisor reviews were not exagerating when previous guests had waxed lyrical about this country inn.

Local bitter with dinner, in front of the now roaring fire, all following a long drive, persuaded us to return and watch the increasingly bizarre  things people do to raise money for Children in Need.

The events in Paris greeted us on the TV on Saturday morning. Enough has been said about the horror of it all, but Children in Need seems to have been forgotten. In the inhumanity of human beings in Paris we have witnessed the evil we are capable of.  But in Children in Need we see how others can push the boundaries of selfless love and courage.

On Saturday morning we had to apologise for not being able to make much of an impression on the feast spread out on the breakfast table. Lunch was too close.

Before setting our for Fotheringhay, we wandered around the corner to St Thomas' Church, recently renovated but still with a notice of October's services on the notice board, but not those for this month. Out of date notices do not inspire confidence, and will fail to draw visitors to worship

Fotheringhay is an important village in Northamptonshire. Once the site of a castle it now boasts a smallish church with a large tower, seen for many miles across the gently undulating countryside. Richard lll was born in the castle and Mary Queen of Scots was executed there. We spent some time in the church reading the history boards and thought of Kim Hardings's talk at the breakfast about Richard and the controversy about his place of burial.

But we found the Falcon, the pub where the birthday celebrations were to take, The plan was to secretly gather in the bar and surprise Jan when she came in with husband Len. As friends arrived, we chatted about past times until silence was ordered. In walked Jan and the look on her was somewhere along the scale of horror, surprise and joy, but with plenty of tears.

We travelled back to our pub and, exhausted, went to bed. The next morning we did do justice o the breakfast and set out for Gainford early, The journey was perfect until we reached there Teeside turn-off and discovered the A1 was closed to Scotch corner. We diverted to Northallerton and Croft, only to discover the river had burst its banks at Croft. Fortunately,  the water only reached the hub caps and we slowly drove through.

The rest of the week has been uneventful and included an evening with the house group. This group originally studied the Alpha course and decided to carry on meeting. They are attracted (theologically of course) to Nicky Gumbell who I don't think I have heard for 20 years. Like all of us, he has aged a little but still has that smile which can be quite disarming. The DVD the group is watching is based on the Beatitudes and there was plenty of material for discussion. Despite our differing theologies, there were many points where we were in agreement.

At the risk of this blog becoming and Egon Ronay pub guide, I will just mention that we enjoyed a super lunch yesterday at Farnaville's Rest in Whorlton, former The Bridge. The pub has been tastefully converted, and again a log fire offered a warm welcome. A 3 course lunch for £5 was excellent and incredible value for money.

The Cholmely Arms at Burton Coggles, The Falcon at Fotheringham and Farnaville's Rest at Whorlton, my recommendations of the week.

And to end...

“the search for meaning is really the search for the lost chord. When the lost chord is discovered by humankind, the discord in the world will be healed and the symphony of the universe will come into complete harmony with itself.” 
― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

The week in Gainford

Preparations are in progress for a journey south for the weekend, but not before band and choir practice for me and a meeting Kathy has to help a friend with an employment issue. Her NHS mangement experience is coming in useful.

Last Saturday was Gainford's annual bonfire and firewords display.The Green was packed and the display was the best yet. We had been invited to a post bonfire party at a neighbour's home. It included the 'Great Gainford Bake-off' where the men bake 12 biscuits and the women judged them. My macaroons looked good but were chewy and I expected to receive the wooden spoon. In announcing the results our host took that honour and I have a strong suspicion that he was being gallant.

Remembrance Sunday was busy. Two morning services were followed by an afternnon showing the local community the new Village Hall kitchen. Treasurer's wife, Maire had prepared a lovely supper which we shared with friends, and at 10-00am se were ready for bed.

On Wednesday I went to fhe Annual Forum of The Heart of Teesdale Landscape Partnership. The background to this project is that it was established in 2010 following a successful  bid to The Heritage Lottery Fund. In 2011, a successful second bid enabled the Partnership to implement a number of projects which benefit the local Teesdale community. The projects are varied and include work on the river and its surrounds, forests, footpaths, ponds and the restoration of farm buildings. Also as part of the project was the installation of history display boards in Gainford church.

I am especially interested in 'Music at the Heart of Teesdale', run by Gegenforde member Neil Diment.The success of this project is focussed on the young folk band, the 'Cream Tees', who have delighted local audiences with their fiddle playing.

Last night  I joined other parishioners on a coach for the induction of Martin Jacques at Tynemouth. It was a splendid service followed by a  welcome buffet  and Martin and Louise looked very much at home The only thing I was disappointed with was that the Bishop substituted 'Receive this cure of souls which is yours and mine' with 'Receive this ministry....' I do think 'cure of souls' is a wonderful encapsulation of a priest's vocation.

The weather is looking threatening and our friends on Barra seem to be at the centre of the gales. I am hoping that our journey south we will not encounter them? I leave Sunday's services in the capable hands of the Archdeacon.
  

Russellings in Gainford

“Beannacht / Blessing

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.” 
― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

 A tale of two Parkinsons

Friday and Saturday were days of imposed inactivity as the pleasure of Thursday's trip to the theatre was succeded by one of those periods when brain asnd muscles refuse to talk to each other. Still, every cloud.....I was able to finish Bill Bryson's book snd join him in the Lake District, Yorks Dales, Teesdale and Scotland. It was in Scotland that his journey ended, at Cape Wrath. 

Having spent the day walking near Leyburn, Bryson writes 'I spent the night in Barnard Castle, a pleasant market town on the River Tees in County Durham. I arrived much too late to go to the famous Bowes Museum there, a disappointment. So instead  I had a walk around the town as darkness fell, and found it entirely agreeable. C. Northcote Parkinson, I was interested to see, was  born at no 45 Galgate....Never has anyone milked a single thought more vigorously and successfully than he did.'

The line for which he is remembered was 'Work expands to fill the time available for its completion'. The line was first published in a comic essay in 1955 which he stretched into a thin book, which became known as 'Parkinson's Law'.  He was unrelated to Dr James Parkinson sho in 1817 began research into a disease of the brain which became known as 'Parkinson's Disease'.

Water that really sparkles

We ordered a bottle of sparkling water with a meal in Cafe Rouge in Newcastle last week.It was sourced and bottled by Belu (www.belu.org.uk). I read fthe label and discovered that Belu give 100% of their profits to Wateraid and have pledged to give £1m by 2020. Their products are also carbon neutral. I am now trying to find out who sells their products.

Rob

Rob is resealing the paving on our drive. I first heard about Rob from a neighbour and he is not your usual 'i've got some spare materials left over from a previous job' sort of man. Rob is a young man who lives in Darlington and travels everywhere on his bike, His most distant destination was China, so Darlington to Gainford is a short hop. All he needs is carried in a small trailer attached to the bike and he is very thorough.

Iyanla Vanzant

I was recently told about Iyanla Vanzant and share with you some words she recently wrote:

'People cannot change who you are and what you were born to be. They can create obstacles in your path. They can do things that make you believe you are other than what you are, but people cannot change, alter, or in any way hinder the truth of your being. The truth is you are divine.'

http://www.iyanla.com

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

Barra bound

We are now looking forward to spending three Sundays on the island of Barra, providing ministry to the Church of Scotland as we did last year. This year we will be joined by our village folk group, Gegenforde, who are looking forward to playing and enjoying a holiday.

Last year I wrote a daily blog which people seemed to enjoy and I will do the same this year but with a difference. The blog will be a weekly one, published on Saturdays, and will continue on our return. This year marks the 34th year since my ordination and I was 34 when I was ordained. A couple of weeks ago I spoke to our breakfast club about my life and ministry but soon realised there was too little time to say all that I wanted. In particular, I wanted to say more about my faith journey, so, in order to reflect on that, I will use the blog. I hope you mighty enjoy some of it, but accept that much of it may be quite boring!

I will look back over those 34 years and try and piece together what has changed in my theological views and how these relate to the wider field of theology. I want to take a dispassionate look at scripture (if that is possible), and think about why so few people, including regular churchgoers, rarely read the bible, and probably can't remember Sunday's readings by the time they have eaten Sunday lunch. I shall be making good use of 3 books, 'Things hidden: Scripture as Spirituality' by Richard Rohr, published in 2010, 'The Bible' by Karen Armstrong, published in 2007 and 'The Book of the people of God',  by A N Wilson, published on the 7th May this year.

Religious tradition has also played an important part in my life and I will be reflecting on how that helps or hinders church growth, including the possibility that there are now so many Christian denominations that the message is being diluted.

In order to keep some focus I will try and use one one of the Sunday lectionary readings as a starting point and the first blog will be on the 17th May, Ascension Sunday. That's a challenging theological perspective to begin with.