Wimpole Road News - Wimpole Road Methodist Church

Spring 2016
LETTER FROM OUR
MINISTER
Dear Friends,
We look forward, in September, to greeting a new
colleague in the Circuit, the Rev. Steve Swann.
Steve is coming to Colchester as part of the
established Presbyterian team, but with a remit
which roams well outside the usual presbyteral
bounds.
We've asked Steve to live in a house on an estate
to the west of Colchester in the Tollgate/Stanway
area, where there is as yet no church fellowship of
any denomination, let alone a building. We've
asked him to be the church there, in order to
grow the church there: and, although we hope he
will utilise all the resources available in the area
(including the prospective Community Centre
which is slated to be built within the first six
months of Steve's ministry within a hundred
yards of his house, and even the new Primary
School which is also planned) we are not
expecting him to expend energy in raising yet
another church building - ministry in the area
needs to have more flexibility than possession of
more buildings confers.
Such pioneer ministry is exciting, challenging and
- it has to be said -risky. He doesn't know, and noone else knows, where this work may lead, or if
indeed it will lead anywhere we want to go! That
it will lead somewhere, I have no doubt, because
God's word does not return to him empty. The
Circuit Leadership team is firmly of the opinion
that God is calling us to join him in renewing the
work of the Church Universal by reaching out into
new areas and amongst new people who have
never heard his promise to them, or who have
perhaps been prevented from hearing his word to
them by virtue of being put off by the trappings of
the traditional church.
Circuit-wide, it might seem that the question this
new venture generates is, "What's this got to do
with us, in our church, if we are not involved in
the west of Colchester?", but in my opinion to ask
that question is to forget our Methodist roots.
What Methodists did from the very beginning was
to reach out both to those who were seeking
salvation and to those who had been marginalised
by the society of the time. We mustn't forget that
the eighteenth century was a time of great
turmoil, politically, socially, and industrially, and
many people's lives were shipwrecked by such
turmoil and change. In the twenty first century,
the circumstances may have apparently changed,
but the context remains similar: we too live in a
time of social upheaval and political instability,
and again, people are feeling bruised, uncertain,
and abandoned - even when some are apparently
materially prosperous.
God still calls us. Just as he did in Wesley's time,
God calls us now to engage with the times, and to
- as our Deed of Union still says – spread
scriptural holiness through the land by the
proclamation of the evangelical gospel. We don't
do that by hauling up the drawbridge and hoping
that, if we just continue to do what we have
always done in the way we have always done it,
then things can only get better. Were we to do
that, we would actually be betraying our heritage
rather than preserving it.
So I want to take this opportunity to urge you all
to do all in your power to support Steve in his
ministry, and also the Circuit Leadership Team
as it attempts to discern God's call to us all, and
to look back with gratitude on all we have
received from God in the past, but honour the
commitment of our spiritual forebears to our
present (which was their future), by committing
ourselves to a God-filled future we may not see,
but which God promises to our descendants just
as he has always done for us.
With every good wish,
Alan Jenkins
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRAYER CORNER
Dear Heavenly Father,
We bring these our prayers before
you. The Lenten journey guides us on
towards Easter and as we reflect on that
great festival, we pray for Christians being
persecuted for their faith.
We pray for a troubled world as come
to remember the sacrifice Jesus made and we
pray that the forgiveness he gave may touch
the hearts of people everywhere.
We bring these our prayers in the
name of our Risen Lord Jesus.
Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES FROM THE VESTRY
Christmas at Wimpole Road was
celebrated in the usual way, with special
services on Christmas Eve, and (at the
beginning of Advent) the Crib Service.
However the most well attended was the
ever popular Family Carol Service, with
Boxted Silver Band providing the rousing
musical accompaniment to the well-known
carols. The service on Christmas morning
was not so well attended (understandably
due to many other family commitments
etc.) and there may well be a change this
year, with the possibility of a sector
service being held.
Sunday 17 January 2016 was a day when
history was made at Wimpole Road. We
were able to provide Edmund and Simon
with their wish for a full immersion
baptism, before becoming members. This
was a very busy service, as it also featured
the baptism of three little girls, the
daughters of Eunice Benyin and her
husband. Our annual Covenant Service
was also planned on that day and took
place in abbreviated form, due to the
constraints of time. This was the only
negative on what was a very pleasurable
day, as many wished it had been given
more prominence as it is (arguably) the
most important service of the year.
Sadly January was dominated by the
sudden death of our dear friend Richard
Hewitt, who was (not only a dear friend)
but also a very active and loyal member of
our church family. This was evident at his
funeral, when the church was full to
overflowing, with many having to stand in
the Vestibule, and this was a fitting tribute
to Richard. We give thanks for his life and
(a quote from his eulogy) -“Everyone
knew Richard!”
His passing has left many vacancies in the
life of the church, (including that of
church steward) and these are currently
being advertised in the weekly notices. It
would be beneficial to have these filled,
and many are not too onerous, so if you
are willing to help, please let a steward
know and you will be welcomed with
open arms.
On the theme of ‘welcome’ our Thursday
Circle ladies are planning lots of ‘Open
Evenings’ in their programmes, and are
always glad to welcome anyone who can
attend. Not only does it give them a boost,
but also (for the guest speaker) it is much
better to have a larger audience.
Wimpole Road has always had a
reputation for being a ‘friendly,
welcoming’ church and we aim to
continue this, so grateful thanks to the
door, pew and book stewards for
continuing to provide this service. They
are sometimes taken for granted, but
would be sadly missed if not present. Well
done everyone, and keep up the good
work!
Alison Ablewhite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do not pray to be relieved
from every heavy load –
But for greater strength
with which to take the upward road –
Crosses you will have to bear
and many trials endure –
Yet all things are possible
if faith is strong and sure
2
MY JOURNEY TO WIMPOLE ROAD
In one sense my journey to
Wimpole Road is simple. Turn left out of
the block of flats where I live, turn right
at the end of the road, cross over and the
church is a few hundred yards further on.
I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be the
journey I wanted to talk about nor the
journey you might want to hear.
My journey in the Methodist
Church began in the early/mid 60’s. I
was a Cub and later a Scout in a
pack/troop who were based at a
Methodist chapel. As far as I can
remember, we had regular Church
Parades and I carried or escorted the
flag, sometimes the Union Flag or the
pack/troop’s own. The chapel itself was
interesting. The village where we lived
had been a mining village, although by
then the mines had disappeared and it
was part of the South Manchester
commuter belt. All round the walls of the
chapel were panels commemorating a
fire, I think in the 1840’s, in the pits
which had been extinguished without
loss of life.
My next close experience of the
Methodist Church was in my first job
after leaving university. I worked for the
TUC – a much more significant
organisation then, than it is now. The
then TUC General Secretary, Lionel ‘Len’
Murray, was prominent in the Methodist
Church. He always had a good word for
me and he cemented the connection in
my mind between the Trade Union
movement and the Methodist Church.
When my son, Iain, was born in
early 1983 we were told that he had
Down’s syndrome a week after he was
born. By the autumn of 1983 we had
moved to Essex and started to attend the
Methodist Church in Billericay. Iain was
baptised there on Remembrance Sunday.
After that all these things got on top of
me and I was in hospital – the Methodist
Church helped us get through that
period.
My grandmother on my father’s
side was prominent in the Methodist
Church in Lancaster. One of my uncles
by marriage was also prominent in the
Methodist Church in Lancaster, also
combining it with a role in what was then
the Post Office Engineering Union. I
remember vividly his funeral in 1980,
where we came from a funeral service in
a Methodist church which was being
refurbished and had no roof and it was
snowing. We then went to the
crematorium where I saw more yellow BT
vans in one place than I have ever seen
before or since. {I’m not sure many
telephones got fixed in the Lancaster
area that day.}
The family connection with the
Methodist Church remains strong. One
of my cousins was ordained into the
Church in 2012 and now works in North
Yorkshire.
Late last year Iain and I started to
look for a church we might join and I’m
pleased to say we found such a church
on our doorstep. We’d like to say a big
‘thank you’ to all the members of this
church who have made us so welcome.
Keith Blackburn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seven days without God makes one weak.
God does not go on a vacation from you.
Seven days without prayer makes one weak.
Get faith ... Its free!
3
GRAND ROMAN ARCADE
It is rare to find the remains of the aboveground parts of Roman buildings in Colchester.
Generally only the foundations survive and, even
then, these more often than not have been partly
or wholly dug up in the past to rob out the
building materials which they contain.
Fortunately things are different at 97 High
Street because, not only are there parts of a
collapsed Roman building but the original
structure just happens to have been something
special – an impressive arcade of monumental
proportions.
The arcade was over 100 metres long and
perhaps 8 metres or more in height. Its exact plan
is yet to be recovered, but the arcade appears to
have been made up of a square monumental gate
flanked one each side by 12 or so arches to make
about 24 in all. This impressive structure provided
a grand entrance into the precinct of the Temple
of Claudius. Both structures are unparalleled in
Britain and are on a scale with buildings in Rome.
Like the Temple of Claudius, the great arcade
here in Colchester seems to have still been
standing when the Normans arrived in Colchester
950 years ago.
The arcade was discovered by
archaeologist Rex Hull in 1953 following a major
fire at a shop (Kent Blaxills) in the High Street.
The redevelopment of another shop, further east,
in 1964 allowed more of the arcade to be
investigated, this time by Max Hebditch. Now 50
years later the Trust has been able to look in some
detail at a little more of the arcade. The big
difference with the current investigations is that
the developer of the site, the ‘Flying Trade
Group’, is hoping to do some exciting things with
the arcade remains in the new building and leave
some of them exposed under glass panels set in
the floor.
So often, new developments in Colchester
lead to interesting and significant archaeological
discoveries, which, almost invariably are
‘invisible’ in the new builds which follow.
The ‘Flying Trade Group’ plans are
different. Their vision is a new ‘Café/Museum’
which, if they pull it off, will be an unusual and
very welcome Roman attraction in the modern
town centre of Colchester.
SERVING UP TEA AT FORMER
TENNIS PAVILION
The former tennis pavilion on Old Heath
Recreation Ground will be transformed
into a café with public toilets, indoor and
outdoor seating and a serving hatch for the
play area. Training and volunteering group
GO4 Enterprises will run the building and
co-founder Peter Hope said: “We are
delighted to be working with the council in
providing a new café.
We welcome the council’s initiative in
refurbishing the disused pavilion for not
only the benefit of park users, but for those
engaging with GO4’s aim to provide work,
training and support for those not in
employment.”
Colchester Council’s cabinet member for
leisure, Annie Feltham, said: “It is a wellloved, well-used area and I am delighted
we are making it even better.
We have listened to what our residents
want and the addition of the café is the
latest in a range of improvements that
includes an upgraded playground, multiuse sports facilities and an outdoor gym.
The café will help people make better use
of the free facilities on this excellent green
space.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HEARING DOGS FOR THE DEAF
Many of you will remember Anne and
Keith Barford who have for many years come to
the Strawberry Fayres/Community Days – raising
funds for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.
Last year they completed 25 years of fund
raising for the charity.
For many years Jinty, who was a Sheltie
dog, accompanied Ann. Now they have Brett,
who is loved very much and has a lovely life with
both of them.
4
HOW TO PLANT YOUR GARDEN
First, you come to the garden alone,
while the dew is still on the roses....
FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY
LIVING,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness
THE GARDENERS' HYMN
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
But what we never mention,
though gardeners know it’s true,
Is when He made the goodies,
He made the baddies too.
All things spray and swattable,
Disasters great and small,
All things paraquatable,
The Lord God made them all -
The green fly on the roses,
the maggots in the peas,
Manure that fills our noses,
He also gave us these.
All things spray and swattable, etc.
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another
The fungus on the goose-gogs,
the club root on the greens,
The slugs that eat the lettuce
and chew the aubergines.
NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another
The drought that kills the fuchsias,
the frost that nips the buds,
The rain that drowns the seedlings,
the blight that hits the spuds.
TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST
HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends
WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND
CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.
THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR
GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT
YOU SOW.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A five year old was discussing Noah's Ark
with Grandma.
Grandma asked, "How many animals went
into the Ark?"
The youngster replied: "One mail and one email."
All things spray and swattable, etc.
All things spray and swattable, etc.
The midges and mosquitoes,
the nettles and the weeds,
The pigeons in the green stuff,
the sparrows on the seeds.
All things spray and swattable, etc.
The fly that gets the carrots,
the wasp that eats the plums,
How black the gardener's outlook,
though green may be his thumbs.
All things spray and swattable, etc.
But still we gardeners labour
midst vegetables and flowers,
And pray what hits our neighbours'
will somehow bypass ours'
All things spray and swattable, etc.
Barbara Robinson
5
COMING SOON –
EGYPT’S LOST CITY
For more than a millennium,
Heraceion existed only in legend. A
bustling cosmopolitan port where the
Nile met the Mediterranean, its
splendours were recounted by
Herodotus, its history was pieced
together from scattered texts and
carvings – and the truth of its very
existence was debated.
sight to behold. Soon our visitors will
have that experience”.
To book tickets see the British
Museum website for details or telephone
020 7323 8181.
That was until a French
archaeologist, Franck Goddio, dived
into the Nile delta and saw, across the
lone and level silt, the cold sneer of lost
Egyptian gods staring back at him.
Franck Goddio had found Egypt’s
Atlantis.
Now the treasures of the city he
uncovered, under 10m of water and 3m
of silt, will be displayed in Britain for
the first time in a blockbuster exhibition
at the British Museum.
“We are really getting some
incredible objects that have never left
Egypt before”, said Aurelia MassonBerghoff, curator of the exhibition,
which will open in May. “This is a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity”.
Of all the artefacts recovered
there is little doubt which will make the
most powerful impression: the 5m tall
statue of Hapi.
Franck Goddio said, “It was
absolutely thrilling. We cleaned it
underwater and when we raised it from
the water the water poured out of it.”
He added: “You have to imagine
people coming from Greece, who came
to Egypt to find the mythical wealth
that country held. Having such an
enormous sculpture greeting you from
the port, it must have been quite a
WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED
God has not promised
skies always blue,
flower-strewn pathways
all our lives through;
God has not promised
sun without rain,
joy without sorrow,
peace without pain.
But God has promised
strength for the day,
rest for the labour,
light for the way,
grace for the trials,
help from above,
unfailing sympathy,
undying love.
Annie Johnson Flint
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6
SHACKLETON AND THE
‘ENDURANCE’ EXPEDITION
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s imperial
trans-Atlantic expedition of 1914-17 aimed
to make the first coast to coast crossing of
Antarctica. After setting sail from
Plymouth in August 1914, Endurance and
her 28 man crew entered the Weddell Sea
in Antarctica in mid-December, but by
January 1915 she had become trapped in
the dense pack ice.
The currents carried Endurance past
the Antarctic coastline into uncharted
waters and by February 1915 all hopes of
release were gone. Cut off from
civilisation with no means of
communication, the crew prepared for the
bitter Antarctic winter when the sun
disappeared for over four months and
temperatures plummeted to below zero.
As the months passed, Endurance
was slowly crushed by the enormous
build-up of ice pressure. By the end of
October 1915, Shackleton had no choice
but ti abandon both ship and expedition.
Endurance sank a month later, leaving the
crew camped in flimsy tents on a solely
moving ice floe, a thousand miles from
safety.
Since entrapment, the currents had
carried the party around 2,000 miles, but
by April 1916 open water was sighted and
the group’s three small lifeboats were
finally put to sea.
After a week in turbulent waters, the
men reached Elephant Island and stood on
dry land for the first time in 497 days.
Shackleton then made the brave decision
to leave 22 men behind and take five men
on the James Caird lifeboat to fetch rescue
from South Georgia.
Using minimal navigational aids the
800 mile voyage took 17 days. After
battling hurricanes, exhaustion and severe
thirst, the beleaguered party landed on
South Georgia on 10 May 1916.
A few days later, Shackleton and
two men trekked for 36 hours across South
Georgia’s unmapped mountains and
glaciers before reaching Stromness
whaling station on 20 May 1916.
Heavy pack ice foiled three attempts
to rescue the 22 crew members stranded
on Elephant Island, but Shackleton finally
broke through and picked then up with the
help of the Chilean navy on 30 August
1916.
Shackleton later wrote: “When I
look back on those days I have no doubt
that providence guided us, not only across
the snowfields, but across the storm-white
sea that separated Elephant Island from
our landing place on South Georgia.
I know that during that long and
racking march of 36 hours over the
unnamed mountains and glaciers of South
Georgia it seemed to me often that we
were four, not three”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be
dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you and help you; I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand’. {NIV. Isaiah 41:10}
7
CHRISTMAS LETTER from
REV. HEATHER COOPER
Greetings once again to all my friends. It’s
hard to believe another year has passed already
and it’s time to get on writing a Christmas letter. I
hope this finds you all well and that 2015 has
been a blessed year.
For us the big thing has been the question
about extending the appointment here or not.
After the usual heart searching and prayer we
decided I would seek a 3 year extension and I am
delighted that this has been granted, so we will
be in Marlborough until 2019. It’s a great
appointment and lots of exciting things
happening. We continue to work well
ecumenically – this does involve a number of
lunches in local pubs and harden centres to plane
events like the Palm Sunday Safari at Pewsey
etc. life can be so tough!
Said Safari entailed one service in three
parts – one in each of the three churches in
Pewsey, with a procession from one to another
and ending with a shared lunch. Despite the rain
and an un-cooperative donkey it was such a
success that our churches want to do it again in
2016.
Christchurch in Marlborough is looking
seriously at its future and we are exploring the
possibility of moving into a vacant shop on the
High Street. This is a major change and so we
are taking our time to ensure that this is the right
plan for us. The church celebrates its 200th
anniversary next year so we are linking the vision
and faith that started the church with our vision
and faith for the next 200 years.
Aldbourne and Ramsbury continue to
serve the villages faithfully although Ramsbury
struggles with a small and ageing congregation
but the two work closely together and I’m sure
that we will find a creative way to support
Ramsbury’s future.
The new larger circuit is settling in and I
was delighted when an old college friend arrived
as a new colleague. It’s been good catching up
and we are so lucky in having a good ministerial
team here.
I am also looking forward to a sabbatical
neat year from May to July. I will be doing some
work on the Celtic saints and the Celtic church.
So far the only definite plan is a week in Iona with
some other ministers who are also on sabbatical.
I also hope to get to Lindisfarne and Northumbria,
possibly Wales as well if time permits. It should
be interesting.
On a personal level life has been good,
mainly work of course. Neale now works from
home occasionally – he tries to make it one day a
week. This saves the daily commute to Slough
on the M4 and sometimes I’m in at lunchtime so
we can sit down to eat together. We spent time in
the summer up in Yorkshire doing a mix of
sightseeing and home maintenance. Mother-inlaw came for the first week and we had the
second week to ourselves.
In October we decided to try and get
some sunshine before the winter so we went to
Marrakech for a week. We had a great time – an
interesting experience and I did manage a camel
ride! Another thing ticked off my bucket list.
We’ve just book to go to Paris for five
days at the end of February to celebrate our
wedding anniversary on 29 February. Neither of
us has been before unless you count passing
through on a train.
Dad is struggling increasingly with his
heart but keeps going. I manage to get over to
see him regularly and as my sister with her
youngest son are over form New Zealand at
present, we’re looking forward to the whole family
gathering here for lunch on New Year’s Day.
On the rodent front – we lost Titus (old
age) and his cage mate Merab was pining. She
was still young at 3 years old and guinea pigs are
social animals, so after a week or so we
introduced two baby girls, Keziah and Jemimah.
After a bit of posturing and squeaking they all
settled in together and Merab has a new lease of
life, with two very active youngsters running
around her.
We’ve had some family gatherings for
significant birthdays – a nephew was 13 and a
niece was 18 – they are all growing up so fast.
We’ve also had time with friends as well as
family, but not as much as we would like.
Neale is getting more actively involved in
his church and is now a member of the Gideons.
I’m enjoying the school work and still
have contact with the town council, although
longer Mayor’s Chaplain – I finished that stint last
May. I will be leading the town’s carols around
the Christmas Tree on the Green in two weeks.
Anyway I wish you all every blessing for
Christmas and for 2016.
Love and prayers, Heather
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8
CHRISTMAS LETTER from
Rev. Michael and Mrs Joyce Gilead
As Christmas draws near, we look forward
to the plop of cards and letters dropping onto the
hall carpet, as we love to hear news of family and
friends.
Our wonderful Yorkshire Dales friend
(who types our letter for us) asks, “Are you doing
one this year? Shall we both write and say this
will probably be our last one?” Agreed: some
have put up with our nonsense for the last 51
years - others (we’ve met later in life) have
suffered less. By the way if you read ‘The Times’,
look out for letters from Sylvia Crookes of
Bainbridge – she’s our scribe and she gets letters
in several times a year.
In October we celebrated our Emerald
Wedding. We’re poor old things now – Michael is
beginning to have memory problems and Joyce
has neuropathy (lack of sensation in feet and legs)
with the result that the car has had to go.
We are quite wobbly, so walk with linked
arms, which can have consequences. Crossing the
road in the middle of Witney, Michael stumbled,
pulling Joyce down on top of him. Like lightning,
arms came from everywhere and hauled us to our
feet, with no damage done.
We remember you all with affection and
wish you all a very happy Christmas. May the
blessing of the Christ Child enrich your lives this
Christmas and through the coming year.
Michael and Joyce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THURSDAY CIRCLE
To commence the final part of our
Autumn/Winter programme on 7 January,
Keith Clubb kept us amused with his ‘Tales of
the River’. Wimpole Road folk will probably
remember that the ‘Clubb’ family had their own
‘family’ boat and spending countless hours on
the River Stour - it was very enjoyable hearing
and reminiscing with Keith about all he had to
sell us.
The following week, David (Ablewhite)
gave us another ’Royal’ talk entitled ‘Wallace
and Edward’ - this evening caught the interest
of quite a few folk and we were delighted to
welcome all the visitors who joined with us.
Both Keith and David’s evenings were ‘Open
Evenings’ so it is good that folks now feel they
can meet with the Ladies Thursday Circle on
these occasions.
Our New Year Party with its ‘bring and
share’ supper, is always a lovely evening, with
Margaret (Clubb) providing the entertainment
for us. Thank you Margaret and I’m sure you
know how much we enjoyed the evening with
your usual ‘brand’ of entertainment!
To celebrate Shrove Tuesday, but on
Thursday 11 February, we had a ‘Pancake
Evening’ - enjoying quite a feast of some
homemade, and some bought pancakes - but all
very tasty with the various filling, both sweet
and savoury - lovely!
For the final evening of our
Autumn/Winter programme, Rev. Alan Jenkins
was with us. Alan’s topic was on ‘funerals and
death‘, and of course, touching on the recent
passing of Richard (Hewitt). However, this
could be thought to be an unusual topic, but
whilst it was a serious and thought provoking
evening.
It was by no means a sad evening - so
well put over by Alan with many amusing
stories that he had experienced over the
years (but in no way disrespectful, I hasten to
add) much laughter could also be heard! A
short quiz on what is the most popular piece of
music played in and out at a funeral, plus the
most popular hymns or song sung concluded a
very interesting and yes, enjoyable evening.
We have had our AGM and planned for
our Spring/Summer programme which
commences on 3 March. Look out for our ‘Open
Evenings’ of which quite a few are planned details of all our evenings can be found in the
Sunday Notices, and on our Notice Board in
the Corridor between the Main Hall and
Parlour.
Betty Fothergill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9
CONSERVATION AT HOME
With spring on the way you may like to
consider making a simple wildlife pond but
please make sure young children are
supervised at all times. What you will need:
 An old washing up bowl
 Some gravel or sand and larger
pebbles
 Wood, sticks, rocks or bricks to
enclose the pond, if you decide not to
bury it
 Pond weed, which you can get from
pet shops or garden centres
 An adult to help create the pond and
supervise smaller children
How to make it:
1. Add a layer of gravel to the bottom of
your bowl (about 2cm).
2. Arrange your pebbles around the edge
– pile them up in a corner to the top
of the bowl to help creatures in and
out.
3. Did a hole just large enough for the
bowl and sink it into the ground.
Alternatively you could place our
bowl on the ground and build up
ramps around the side with rocks and
bits of wood to help creatures in and
out.
4. Add the water. Make sure you fill the
bowl up to the top. Remember in hot
weather to keep topping up the water
to prevent your pond from drying
out.
5. Add pond weed. Just push the roots
into the gravel at the bottom of the
bowl. To give creatures a place to
shelter you can pile up extra stones
and wood around the edge of the
bowl.
6. Now just sit back and watch the pond
you created become home to a
variety of creatures like dragonflies
and pond skaters, birds coming for a
drink and you might even see frogs,
toads and newts.
Conservation is the number one priority at
Colchester Zoo. The zoo’s charity, ‘Action
for the Wild’, aims to give animals a hand
both in the wild and at the zoo. Every visit
you make to Colchester Zoo contributes to
this important conservation work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLASTICS USED TO CRAFT 30FT BOAT
In our previous edition we included
an item about the re-cycling of plastic
bottles, collected from Dutch waterways,
to create a new type of ‘ocean’ plastic for
the manufacture of washing-up liquid
containers.
An Ipswich social enterprise
company has taken on a larger-than-life
recycling project by crafting a 30ft long
play boat entirely out of recycled plastics.
ECO Furniture makes outdoor play
equipment for the likes of ‘Jimmy’s Farm’
and Colchester Zoo as part of the Realise
Futures Project.
But the company took on its most
innovative project yet, when it brought
thousands of plastic bottles and cd cases.
Business Development Manager, Kieron
Lingard said: “We have made boats as
play equipment for schools before –
including the Saxon long boat at Sutton
Hoo, Woodbridge for the National Trust
Visitors Centre playground.
As our long boat has been so
successful, we thought we’d embark on
something more adventurous and a Tudor
galleon is perfect for children to play in
and learn all about the explorers.”
Whenever I put out the bunting
(inspired by the late Jean Nicholls),
passers-by always remark on the fact that
the bunting is made from recycled plastic
bags.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10
MAJOR TIM AND
PLANET EARTH
The excitement on the faces of
the children at Major Tim Peake’s
former primary school as the Soyuz
rocket blasted off from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome was a delight to witness.
While trips by Russians and
Americans to the International Space
Station (ISS) have become
commonplace in the last 17 years, for
the first time since Helen Sharman
visited to MIR station in 1991, we have
a Briton in space.
For a whole generation it is a new
experience and Tim Peake’s six month
stay in the ISS offers great
opportunities to excite today’s children
about their own particular disciplines.
For an older generation the
events brought back memories at the
space race of the 1960’s and President
Kennedy’s public promise to put a man
on the moon and bring him back safely
before that decade was out.
We may well recall how we
watched those grainy images from the
Sea of Tranquility in Juily 1969 and
heard Neil Armstrong’s narrative of,
“One small step for man; one giant leap
for mankind”.
Less commonly remembered,
however, will be the Apollo flights which
paved the way for that moon landing.
In particular, the Apollo 8 flight was
notable as being the first time that a
manned spacecraft had left earth’s orbit
and also the first time that such a craft
had gone out of radio contact with the
earth for an extended period as it
orbited the moon.
Then, on Christmas Eve 1968,
astronaut William Anders read the first
10 verses of Genesis to the largest
worldwide television audience at the
time.
Anders, along with Frank Borman
and James Lovell, set a number of
other ‘firsts’ in Apollo 8 including being
the first humans to see the far side of
the moon and the first to see ‘earth
rise’.
Pictures from Apollo 8 showed
both the natural beauty of the planet
and the relative insignificance of a
human race whose existence was
barely detectable from those
photographs.
As Major Tim Peake continues to
orbit a still fractured planet, we might
well remind ourselves of the message
of those images of the whole world.
The divisions and tensions may
be different from those of 1968, but
the biblical imperative for peace and
justice for all God’s children remains
the same. {From the ‘Methodist Recorder’}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE NEED TO RENEW
If we are old enough to remember Simon
and Garfunkel we may know that although they
harmonised musically, they did not do so
personally – hence their sad songs about parting.
It is not clear that Peter and Paul had a
good relationship – the Council of Jerusalem was
prompted by Paul, because the conversion of
Gentiles had led to tension as to what extent they
should adopt Jewish rules.
This tradition between tradition and the
need to renew has not been just in the earlier
church or over the last 50 years, but over the
whole 200- years of Christianity.
We can’t get stuck in tradition. The
Church has to respond as things change in the
world. Hence for instance the Church’s
involvement in food banks, credit unions and
various forms of counselling.
We are not baptised into A and B (or any
other diocese) but to Jesus Christ. He asks each of
us, “Who do you say that I am? What do you want
from me?”
And to us he says, “Go out and proclaim my
name”.
{From the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
newspaper}
11
RICHARD HEWITT – EULOGY
Richard was born in Colchester 1937 to
Charles and Vera Hewitt. He was the fourth of six
sons and lived in Spurgeon Street before moving
to Greenstead Road when he was aged 11.
He attended St. George’s Junior School
and then Wilson Marriage School.
National Service: At age 18 he did 6
months basic training in Colchester before a 9
month posting to Germany and a further 9 months
in Cyprus.
Initially he worked for Kent Blaxill at their
High Street Depot. He worked in their ‘slab
shop’making fireplaces. {Ironically his son Andy
found out through some research that he began
work with an architects practice in the building
directly above Kent Blaxill 20 years later.} When
Kent Blaxill moved premises in 1963 to Layer
Road Richard became an HGV driver which he
did for the next 30 years until a heart attack in the
mid-nineties. Following this health scare he
became a van delivery driver for the firm. His
final employment was at Sainsburys in the town
centre as a storeman until retirement.
In the late fifties Richard met Patricia in
the Boulevard Deux coffee bar in Crouch Street.
Richard and Patricia were married in 1964 at
Culver Street Church and moved into a two bed
mid-terraced house in King Stephen Road. Two
years later their only son {Andy} was born. They
moved in 1970 up to Barn Hall Avenue. In 1992
Andy married to Lucy and in 1997 Richard and
Pat became grandparents to Yasmin and later in
1999 to Ryan.
After a two year battle with cancer Patricia
sadly passed away in March 2013. Although the
family knew it was coming, Richard was
devastated and had never really came to terms
with it. Even as his own health slowly deteriorated
he remained outwardly cheerful to all who knew
him and could always raise a smile, laugh and
joke in whoever’s company he was in.
In the months following Patricia’s death
his dear friend Paul Lock also lost his wife.
During these difficult times they were able to help
and support each other. Paul also introduced
Richard to the Bereavement Group. Richard
enjoyed several trips, meals and walks with them
and was a member of the Bereavement Choir.
He also continued to play bowls with the
Three Clubs Bowling club and enjoyed
participating in their summer club tours over the
past two years. He also played carpet bowls
indoors here at Wimpole Road.
During his life Richard had a number of
interests which included working part time at
Prettygate and Straight Road Youth Centres as a
warden. He was also Akela the Cub Scout leader
of the 9th Colchester Cub Scouts based here at
Wimpole Road.
Richard and Patricia were keen twitchers
and their bird watching travels took them to many
places such as Minsmere, Dunwich and North
Norfolk often staying in Wells for their various
trips out.
He regularly played snooker with his
brother Terry, although his main passion was
football and in particular refereeing. He was also
a Church Steward, a Communion Steward, and
member of the choir here at Wimpole Road. He
also helped as a ‘sandwich-maker’ for the Soup
Run and especially enjoyed donning the red coat
and white beard to play ‘Father Christmas’ for the
Toddlers Christmas Party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEMORIES OF GRANDAD by
YASMIN HEWITT
Ever since we were small Grandma
and Grandad gave us nicknames. Ryan was
‘Smiley Boy’ and I was ‘Yazzi Nic’. Grandad
continued to call us these names and we will
remember them fondly.
During our younger years, Ryan and I
enjoyed car journeys to various picnic areas
with Grandma and Grandad and these were a
highlight of our school holidays. Cudmore
Grove at Mersea was one of our usual spots
where we enjoyed a walk down to the beach
and played a game or two. Grandad also
used to drive round and find the best spots
to get close to farm animals.
Over the last few years, whenever we
went out for family meals, Grandad always
seemed to forget his glasses and so would
be squinting at the menu and asking
everyone else what he could have to eat! He
was also very fond of vinegar on his
12
vegetables and was always asking for the
Sarsons!
Christmas time was when all of the
family games came out such as the card
game Newmarket and the pencil and paper
game. Grandad would very often make up
words and try to convince us all that it was
real word such as the colour ‘ramoon’.
Grandad told us this was a real Dulux colour.
We constantly reminded him of this every
time we played. We will always remember the
most recent Christmas with Grandad when
we had such a laugh playing this game and
enjoyed spending time with him.
Grandad always had a smile for us
when we saw him, even though we knew he
was missing Grandma. We will miss him
dearly but are also glad he is back with
Grandma and that puts a smile on our faces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GRANDAD by RYAN HEWITT
I am going to share my favourite
memory of Grandad. So, one day we
decided (Me, Mum, Dad, Yasmin,
Grandma and Grandad) to go to London to
visit the Science Museum. We took a trip
up on the train to Liverpool Street Station.
We got the map out and started
looking to see where we needed to go. Me
and Yasmin were just standing looking
around whilst Mum, Dad and Grandma
were discussing our next move.
Meanwhile, Grandad was just standing on
his own looking off into the distance.
A few seconds later, a tube arrived
on our platform. We all looked and Mum,
Dad and Grandma and decided that we
shouldn’t get on that tube. Oblivious to
what was going on, Grandad aimlessly
wandered towards the tube. I’m sure you
can guess what’s going to happen. The
doors started to close as Grandad walked
into the tube. We were all wondering
where Grandad had gone. And there he
was, standing by the door as the tube left
the station.
I wasn’t sure whether or not to be
worried or just break out in laughter.
Instantly Grandma said that he brought his
mobile phone with him so we could call
him. Grandma searched her handbag for
her phone and inside her handbag were a
pair of mobile phones. And of course one
of those was Grandad’s!
Mum had all the tickets so we didn’t
think he could get very far. We decided to
stay on the platform so he would realise
that he was wrong and that he would get
on the next tube heading in the opposite
direction. But this is Grandad we’re
talking about, he never thinks like a
normal person.
So there we were, just standing
there hoping he would appear on the next
tube. It never happened. All of a sudden,
Grandma’s phone starts to ring. She picks
it up and what do you know, it’s Grandad.
Immediately she asked him, “Where are
you?” and “How did you get out?”.
He said that he was phoning from a
public telephone box outside the Science
Museum. He must have got off the tube
and just followed wherever the rest of the
people were heading.
Now you’re probably wondering, he
doesn’t have his ticket so how did he get
out. Well, today was his lucky day
because the stewards had opened the
barriers and let everyone through whether
they had a ticket or not because of the
volume of people.
We caught him up and all went to
the Science Museum. We haven’t taken
him to London ever since! That will
always be one of the most well-known
memories of Grandad I will ever have.
13
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Some of you may have noticed a deliberate
omission from the eulogies of Alan, Tony, Yasmin
and Ryan during the service. While Dad lived a
full and varied life, there was one part I feel
deserves more than a passing mention. That is
his career as the man the middle, the football
referee.
To kick off (appropriately!), it began for me
and Dad, not far from here, in fact just a stone’s
throw away, next door to here on Old Heath
Recreation Ground, sadly no longer used for local
football. Most Saturday mornings along with my
best friend Nick, Dad and I would venture over to
the park for a kick about, Nick and I in football kit
and Dad resplendent in his all black tracksuit with
the Essex County FA badge emblazoned on it.
Nick and I soon realised the term kick
about probably meant more like ‘kicked at’ as
Dad took little or no mercy when rifling in shots
from 20-30 yards at one or both of us cowering in
goal. We likened him to Peter ‘hotshot’ Lorimer,
whom many of you will remember from the Leeds
side of the 70’s.
In the mid 50’s before taking up the
whistle, Dad played local football for among
others Eastern Gas whose home ground was
where Whitehall Industrial Estate currently
stands. Seems to be some conjecture as to what
position he played as some remember him as a
goalkeeper but he was also a left half, I’m
guessing this was in the days of the 2-3-5
formation which of course I’m far too young to
remember!
From what I’m told Dad was a bit of a
poser on the field, could play a bit but was more
concerned about how he looked than getting
dirty. One particular wet afternoon at Wix near
Harwich, Gas had played on a pitch resembling a
quagmire and after 90 minutes, all the players
left the field drenched, tired and covered from
head to toe in mud. Except one…you can guess
who! His team mates were far from impressed by
this but rather than berate him; they simply
picked him up and threw him face first into the
nearest puddle!
I don’t know if this had any
bearing on what was to follow but a
few years on into the early 60’s Dads
footballing journey was to take a very
different path…during this period
period… he was seduced by the dark
side!
By this I don’t mean that he
donned a black helmet, cape and
started wielding a light sabre…although
any former players or officials here
today who ever had a run in with him
may beg to differ….no, he was to take
up the whistle and become a referee.
In the beginning, Dad was
involved in both Saturday and Sunday
football, also taking up the role of
Secretary of the newly formed
Colchester and District Sunday League,
a position currently held by his late
brother Charles’ wife Elsie.
In the 1967/68 season Dad was
to take charge of his first final, it was
the Sunday League Cup final between
Moler A and Belle Vue. In recent times
this cup competiton has been renamed
in memory of his eldest brother who
was also known to many as ‘Mr Sunday
League’, it’s now called the Charles
Hewitt Memorial League knockout cup.
As Dads refereeing career
progressed, more finals and
promotions followed. Along with his
brother Charles, who was also a
referee, they also officiated at
Colchester Sports Centres Wednesday
night 5-a-Side league as well as
numerous summer tournaments.
As the years went by,
progression up the refereeing ladder
followed which meant heading further
afield for games, travelling anywhere
from Lincolnshire down to the capital
was the norm at this stage. A former
football and work colleague of Dads
even recalled him taking a car load to
London to watch him officiate at
14
Wimbledon FC’s former Plough Lane
ground, (first time I’ve ever heard of a
referee’s supporters club!)
By the early 80’s Dad was now on
the Southern League officials list, at the
time just one tier below the football
league. Alas only one thing stood
between him and promotion to the
football league…his age.
Sadly, at 47, he was at the cut off
point age-wise and wouldn’t be
considered for promotion to the football
league. Far from being disillusioned and
upset by this minor setback, he was to
continue refereeing up to August 2011,
amazingly only 4 and half years ago.
In fact he was to rack up over
600 games in the Border League alone,
factor in the other leagues over a
career spanning 6 decades and the
total of games is probably well over
double this which is staggering and
although Dad never made it onto the
football league list, he still got to
officiate at Layer Road and the Weston
Homes Community Stadium,
Colchester’s grounds old and new, also
Upton Park home of West Ham United
and of course the Mecca of English
football, Portman Road, home of the
once mighty Ipswich Town!!
In more recent times Dad became
a referees assessor and again with his
brother Charles, they were assigned
with overseeing the development of the
next generation of officials I’ve no
doubt many valued the constructive
and positive feedback Dad gave as he
was always keen to put something back
into the game, especially at grass roots
level where he was respected, well
known and enjoyed his refereeing the
most.
That’s almost full time but
thankfully extra time allows for
recognition of 48 years as the man in
the middle.
In 2007, I was proud to be
invited by Dad to attend an Essex
County Football Association Awards
evening in Chelmsford. Dad and his
brother Charles both received
Outstanding Service to Football
awards, long overdue for both of them
but finally recognition for a life of
service within the game that they both
loved.
Finally, can I say a huge thank
you for all the cards, emails, letters
and messages you’ve sent us over
these last few weeks, they’ve been of
great comfort during this difficult time
and looking out into a packed Wimpole
Road church tells me everything I need
to know about how well respected and
liked Dad was.
Thank you, Andy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BRING DOWN THE WALLS
Lord of all, we confess that even in this age
when opportunities for communication are
greater than ever before, we still build walls,
as nations and as people of faith.
You tell us, good Lord that you came to
break down the walls that divide us, that
differences should not be barriers to living in
unity.
Help us to demolish the walls and create an
open house that has room for everyone.
Encourage us to share respect and love not
only with our friends, but with those whose
views we cannot share.
Help us to reach out in our own ways,
however small, so that peace and
understanding can grow.
{Pat Stannard ‘URC Prayer Handbook 2015’}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15
THE MAGIC OF SONG
The following story by Juliet Russell, vocal coach
on ‘The Voice’ tells how singing can be a lifeline
for those with dementia.
“My mum had a lifelong love of music,
with a passion for everything from Abba to
Wagner. As her Alzheimer’s developed and she
became less able to speak coherently, we needed
to find new ways of communicating.
Early in her illness, she continued to be
soothed by listening to her favourite music, but
over time she lost interest. However, singing
along to a familiar song on the radio or just
singing together brought many moments of
spontaneous dancing, a relief from anxiety and
frustration, and something we could share.
Our experience isn’t unique. Singing is an
incredibly useful tool for providing relief for
people with dementia, and also their carers. This
is something you can do on an individual basis or
as part of a group. The Alzheimer’s Society runs
‘Singing for the Brain’ groups throughout the
country, for people with wonderful results.
So why is singing so effective?
 The part of the brain that processes
language is different to that which
processes music. We remember more when
music and words are combined.
 Singing along is more effective than
listening
 Our musical appreciation and musical
aptitude are two of the last remaining
abilities in dementia patients.
 When singing together, people with
dementia and their carers have something
to share.
 Music is closely associated with memory
and can boost our power of recall.
 Singing is engaging and absorbing. It can
provide a positive distraction and relief
from confusion.
 Singing is an aerobic activity that
exercises the heart and lungs.
 Singing releases ‘feel good’ chemicals,
enhancing feelings of wellbeing.

Being part of a group can help combat social
isolation.
The Alzheimer’s Society runs ‘Singing for the
Brain’ groups throughout the country, for anyone
coming to terms with dementia, along with their
carers. This is not ‘therapy’ but simply people getting
together to have a sing-along.
Anyone can benefit from joining together and
raising their voices in song – but for those with
dementia the benefits are even greater.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL BOOK TO
SPEAK ALOUD
David Suchet has spoken the words of
many books and plays over the course of his
career as an actor but he has recently recorded
reading a book that he describes as “The only
book you actually need”.
Having spent more than 250 hours in the
studio recording the NIV Audio Bible he said, “It’s
the most wonderful book to speak aloud because
it contains history, poetry, allegory, songs,
parables and prophecies. I think it’s the only book
you actually need in life as God reveals himself
through its pages. I loved working on it”.
He continues, “My favourite passage in
the whole Bible is in John’s gospel, when Jesus
speaks in a very quiet and intimate way to his
disciples before his death.
In my experience, when I read the Bible
quietly and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide
me, sometimes something will catch my
attention. And I believe that those particular
words have been lifted off the page for me to
pray about and dwell on. I try to read and listen,
rather than talk or ask questions. And if I don’t
fully understand what I’ve read, I let it go and revisit it later”.
David Suchet also relished sharing a faith
with Hercule Poirot, who he played on screen for
24 years.
“Poirot called himself a ‘Bon Catholique’
and tried to live his life as a good Christian”, he
said, “and by becoming a Christian myself I found
I had a better understanding of his character. It
helped me to understand his morals and
boundaries”.
16
THE SALVATION ARMY
Our friend, John Richards, has asked
me to include an article about the work of the
Salvation Army with a few items from his
fascinating scrapbook of his own experiences
of this well-loved and respected Christian
organisation.
The Salvation Army is at the forefront
in the fight against the gritty hopelessness of
inner city deprivation. It is familiar with the
depravities that ruin lives as well as the
therapies and psychological insights of
professional social workers.
Yet the faith and humility of its foot
soldiers go back to the philanthropic souls
mobilised by General Booth to fight against
social evils 150 years ago.
The Salvation Army’s founder was
born in Nottingham in 1829. While working as
a pawnbroker in the city he attended Broad
Street Wesley Chapel and where in 1844 he
underwent a ‘conversion experience’, going
on to preach his first open-air sermon in Kid
Street in 1846.
In 1849 he moved to London, meeting
his wife to be, Catherine Mumford, at a
Methodist Church in Clapham. Appointed an
Evangelist in the Methodist New Connexion,
he went on to serve in the Halifax and
Gateshead circuits, but left Methodism in
1861 due to frustration with its structures.
Returning to London in 1865, he held
his first open-air mission in a tent in
Whitechapel and formed the Christian
Mission, which became the Salvation Army in
1878.
The following are a few extracts from
John’s scrapbook:
 Accompanied by a picture of Holman
Hunt’s famous painting ‘The Light of
the World’ are the words Jesus first,
others next, myself last.
 A photograph of Salvation Army
workers helping at the scene of the
Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash on
5 October 1952, where 112 people
were killed and 88 injured. A





signalman from the Harrow signalbox
gazes out across the destruction.
Neither signalling equipment nor a
signalman was to blame for the
accident.
A photograph of John selling ‘The War
Cry’ in the Lion Walk shopping centre.
The King’s Garden – my heart is like a
garden where Jesus walks. I hope
there are – flowers – which give
fragrance. Fruit – which give love and
kindness. Vegetables – which give
nourishment. Birds – which give
music. Creatures – which give
comfort.
From Colchester Citadel Alive! In
1882 Salvationists marched up North
Hill to a varied response from the
townspeople and started the work of
the Salvation Army in Colchester.
John, wearing an apron and a
Christmas hat helping to prepare
Christmas dinner in 2004, bringing
festive cheer to 73 older people who
would otherwise have been on their
own for Christmas.
Invitation to the Salvation Army
Citadel, Butt Road, Colchester on
Saturday 4 July, 2004 at 10.15 a.m. to
witness the swearing in of John
Pascoe Richards as a senior soldier in
the army of Jesus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE WIMPOLE BEARS
It was just before Christmas when the
Wimpole Bears went on a Kings Coach trip to
Hever Castle. Hever Castle is in Kent, so they
travelled along the M25.
It was a dull, drizzly day when they
arrived but the Bears could see in the
distance the castle and as they got nearer
they could see the hedges lining the driveway
were all decorated with Christmas lights.
17
Hever Castle was the childhood home of
Anne Boleyn and is surrounded by a moat.
Walter and Wilfred thought this looked very
exciting and Mother Henrietta had to stop
them from hanging over the edge of the
bridge.
When they went into the castle they
met Henry VIII who was warming himself by
the fire in the Grand Hall. The lovely oak panelled rooms were all beautifully decorated
with Christmas trees and decorations.
After looking round the castle the
Bears were feeling a little hungry and made
their way to the on-site restaurant, where
they enjoyed a very nice meal.
They also saw a family of ducks on the
pond and fed them with some special duck
food, which they very quickly ate.
Father Archibald was surprised to bump
into an old friend of his, who he used to play
tennis with some years ago.
Hetty Bear had noticed there was a sign
pointing to Santa’s Grotto and so the Bears set
off along the trail. They followed the path
through the ‘snow’ covered trees. Along the
way there were little huts where story tellers
were re-telling Christmas legends.
They also met Father Christmas in his
grotto and the Bears all told him of their
special Christmas wishes and said how pleased
they were to meet him.
After a lovely day out the Bears made
their way back to the coach for their journey
home. Unfortunately there was a very long
traffic jam on the motorway so the journey
took several hours.
The Bears are looking forward to
Easter and the springtime. They will then be
getting ready for the Layer Village Spring
Show – perhaps you would like to come too on
Saturday 9 April.
Happy Easter from the Bears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GOD’S LOVE SHOWS THAT
THERE IS PEACE
The following article appeared as the
‘Weekend Thought’ in the Suffolk Free Press
on Thursday 21 January, 2016.
‘The days are getting slightly longer
again. We have put the Christmas
decorations away and we have made our New
Year resolutions. The greeting ‘Happy New
Year’ rings in our ears and inwardly we are
hoping that this New Year, 2016, will bring
peace and good health.
Perhaps books have been given to us,
for Christmas, that give us a thought for the
day, and with so much going on in the world
that brings turmoil and heartache, we cannot
see how there can be peace.
Reading a piece from the Bible each
day is helpful. All through the Bible are
episodes of people having serious situations
to cope with.
The very first words are, “In the
beginning God created …”
But as we read our newspapers, listen
to the radio, and watch the TV, God is denied
the position of the great creator.
So many times there are encouraging
things for us to learn from: rainbows,
sunrises and sunsets are breath-taking. As
we travel through our lives we will face
problems of our own.
After Adam and Eve disobeyed God
and the three letter word, sin, became the
way mankind began to live, peace can be
hard to find.
The love God has for us shows that
there is peace, if we believe.
When we ask God to forgive us and
recognise that his Son Jesus, died so that the
price has been paid for our sin, we can then
have that inner strength and our faith in God,
who we call our Father, will bring hope and
peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
18
WESLEY’S LONDON – an A – Z
Go up Giltspur Street from the Holborn
Viaduct and you will find Cock Lane turning off
to your left into Snow Hill. At the junction of
Giltspur Street and Cock Lane is the famous ‘Pie
Corner’, the westward limit of the Great Fire.
On 18 September, 1740, Wesley was, “at
Mr Burton’s, Cock Lane, tea, conversed, prayer”; and
on 7 October, at 8 a.m. he was, “at Mr Martin’s,
Cock Lane, tea, conversed”. Cock Lane is famous for
the imposture which deceived so many people in
1762 as the Cock Lane ghost; Dr. Johnson took
part in the exposure of the fraud.
Turn north from Cheapside up Wood
Street. On the east side, just beyond Gresham
Street, was the old Wood Street Compter. There
were two Compters, or Counters, in London in
the 16th century; one in the Poultry, taken down
in 1817; the other in Bread Street. This last was
transferred to Wood Street in 1555, again to
Giltspur Street in 1791, and finally closed in 1854.
The Compters were used as places of detention
for debtors and prisoners awaiting trial.
On Saturday 15 February 1777, Wesley
says, “At the third message, I took up my cross and
went to see Dr. Dodd in the Compter. I was greatly
surprised. He seemed though deeply affected yet
thoroughly resigned to the will of God.”
Dr. Dodd was under a charge for forgery,
for which he was tried and condemned to death
at the Old Bailey on 24 February; and after many
efforts to secure a reprieve, executed at Tyburn
on 27 June. Wesley visited him again on 18
February. After his condemnation he would be
removed to Newgate, and there again Wesley
and his brother saw him on 24 May and on 25
June, two days before his execution.
Almost opposite its junction with
Threadneedle Street is the entrance to Crosby
Square; in which was the old Crosby Hall. The
hall was turned into a Presbyterian chapel in 1672
and was used for religious services until 1769.
Amongst other occupants of its pulpit was James
Relly.
Go north up Foster Lane from the west
end of Cheapside, cross Gresham Street, into
Noble Street, and on your right, just beyond Oat
Lane was Coachmakers’ Hall. James Relly was a
convert of Whitefields but separated from the
Methodists, holding a service of his own, first in
Coachmakers’ Hall, then in Bartholomew Close
and after 1769 in Crosby Square. He wrote
attacks on Methodists under the name of
‘Philadelphus’.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ESSEX CHURCHES
History is literally carved into the furniture and
stonework of churches and ‘Visit Essex’ has put
together a top ten of fascinating and beautiful places
to discover:
1. St. Mary’s Church in the wonderfully named
village of Wendons Ambo, near Saffron
Walden, was originally built in the Saxon
period before being reconstructed in the
Middle Ages. The church has several heritage
highlights, including a medieval brass effigy,
14th, 15th and 16th century wall paintings,
medieval glass, bench end carvings and four
remarkable carved grotesque heads.
2. In Dedham, right in the heart of Constable
Country, sits the impressive St. Mary the
Virgin Church. Its construction began in the
same year Christopher Columbus discovered
America, it was completed prior to Henry
VIII appointing himself Defender of the Faith
and head of the Church of England. Inside is a
rare painting by John Constable, ‘the
Ascension’. It is one of only three religious
paintings by the artist, all of which were
commissioned for churches in his native Stour
valley.
3. Although not strictly a church, Mistley
Towers are the haunting remains of what was
once St, Mary the Virgin, which was
demolished in 1870 when a new church was
built nearby. The two porticoed classical
towers bear all the hallmarks of their designer,
Robert Adam, and give a brief sense of the
grandiose but highly unconventional Georgian
church which stood between them.
4. Another historically important church in the
county is that of St. Andrews, Greensted, near
Chipping Ongar. It is the oldest wooden
church in the world and is believed to be
where the body of the martyred King Edmund
was rested on its journey to Suffolk in 870
AD. Dating from the 11th century the wooden
19
walls of this tiny church were already standing
when William the Conqueror landed on the
south coast in 1066.
5. Another church dedicated to St. Mary the
Virgin can be found in Stansted Mountfichet.
Dating back to the 12th century this lovely
example features two exceptionally fine 17th
century monuments with effigies. The church
was restored between 1887 and 1888, during
which time 14th century wall paintings were
discovered.
6. St. Mary’s Church in Saffron Walden is the
largest church in Essex. Nearly 200 feet in
length and lavishly designed, this church was
built in 1430 under the supervision of John
Wastell, who also designed King’s College
Chapel in Cambridge.
7. The remains of one of the earliest Augustinian
priories founded in England are that of St.
Botolph’s Priory, Colchester. Begun in about
1100 AD the priory is an impressive example
of Norman architecture, made all the more
notable for its use of flint and recycled Roman
brick.
8. The hamlet of Bures on the Essex/Suffolk
border can claim to be one of the most
important sites in English history. On
Christmas Day in 855 AD Edmund was
crowned King of the Angles at ‘Burva’, and
what is now believed to be Bures. The site of
Edmund’s coronation was an ancient royal
hill upon which now stands St. Stephen’s
Chapel. The disused chapel can be found
about a mile outside the village and accessed
via a track through Fysh House Farm and
contains the effigies of three Earls of Oxford,
the only surviving examples of 21 tombs once
found at Earls Colne Priory.
9. Prittlewell Priory is a medieval priory in
Southend. It was founded in the 12th century
by monks from the Cluniac Priory of St.
Pancras and passed into private hands at the
time of the dissolution of the monasteries
under King Henry VIII. Today it is a fully
restored Grade One listed building, where you
can trace the story of the priory through the
words of the historic building’s former
residents.
10. An example of the early origins of the church
in Essex is the Chapel of St. Peter on the Wall
at Bradwell-on-Sea, near Maldon, and it is
one of the oldest largely intact Christian
church buildings in England – it is actually
the 19th oldest building in all of England. The
chapel was originally constructed in AD 656
by St. Cedd on the ruins of the abandoned
Roman fort of Othona. It was from here that
St. Cedd established Christianity in this part
of Essex.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE VOYAGE OF THE ARTIC
TROLL
We do not often get the opportunity to
read about a real voyage. The following is an
account by Captain Brian McManus of a voyage
from Emden in Germany to Halifax in Nova
Scotia and onwards to Savannah before making
the return journey across the North Atlantic.
Captain McManus continues to write:
‘The ship, the Artic Troll, is 602 feet long
and 87 feet wide and is carrying 2,100
Volkswagen cars with the ship sailing from
Emden at two o’clock on Wednesday 10
December, 1975.
There is a choice of two routes from
Emden to Halifax in Nova Scotia. Going north of
20
Scotland through the Pentland Firth is
picturesque and 50 miles shorter than the
selected route through the English Channel, but
being 500 miles further north the weather is likely
to be considerably worse.
In mid-winter, even going through the
English Channel, it is impossible to avoid the
deep depressions that form over the frozen Great
Lakes every few days. These depressions then
come rushing eastwards, sometimes at speeds of
60 knots (69mph) with storm force 10 winds (56
to 62 mph) as far away as 500 miles from their
centres.
The North Atlantic, which sailors call the
Western Ocean or just the Western, is a bad
place in winter. Once clear of the channel there is
a choice of two routes. The great circle route
follows the earth’s curvature and is shorter but is
has the disadvantage of sending us further north
than our departure point off the Channel Islands
to be buffeted by those head gales. The better
route is the direct straight line, called a rhumb
line, which adds about 30 miles to the distance.
From Emden to Halifax is 3,015 miles on this
track or 3,470 motoring miles.
Shortly before reaching Dover we passed
the South Foreland lighthouse on Langdon Cliffs
and on Thursday morning (11 December)
watched the sun rising as we sailed past the
white cliffs of Dover.
On Friday 12 December we were
experiencing a northerly force 8 (39 to 46 mph)
gale with the ship rolling heavily and which
continued unabated until Monday 15 December.
The following day was the warmest of the
voyage so far, with the temperature reaching 15˚
centigrade. During the morning it was necessary
to stop for three hours while a broken fuel pipe
was repaired.
On Wednesday (17 December) we
passed Sable Island (a French word for sand). It
is a miserable place with not a single tree and
throughout December the temperature hovers
around freezing. During a severe winter the island
is surrounded by ice from February until May and
shrouded in fog 125 days a year.
Sable’s fauna supports five kinds of
nesting duck and the Ipswich Sparrow breeds
only on Sable Island. Male grey seals arrive in
December with the pregnant females arriving in
January.
We approached Halifax at 10 o’clock in
the morning on 18 December, nearly eight days
after leaving Emden. Halifax is an excellent
natural harbour, but just as we approached the
narrows and the point of no return the pilot called
on the VHF saying that the swell inside the
harbour was too bad for him to board.
There was no option but to about turn and
cruise around outside until the gale had
diminished. However by three o’clock in the
afternoon the wind shifted to the north. The pilot
was contacted on the VHF and he said that the
harbour was fairly calm during northerly winds.
By seven o’clock we finally came alongside our
berth at Autoport and where all Halifax’s car
imports are handled.
The Artic Troll left Halifax at four o’clock
on 20 December bound for Baltimore and on to
Savannah for Christmas. On 30 December we
sailed for St. John, New Brunswick arriving on
Friday 2 January, 1976.
We sailed at five o’clock in the afternoon
on Monday 5 January, having loaded 14,000
tons of paper products. For the time of year the
Atlantic crossing, with no gales, was
unbelievable.
Artic Troll berthed at Dagenham’s
riverside jetty at eleven o’clock on Tuesday 13
January.
The end of a fascinating voyage - try
following it on a map or a globe.’
{With thanks to Captain Brian McManus
for allowing us to experience his story and to
Brian McCarthy for introducing this interesting
gentleman to me}.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little girl, dressed in her Sunday
best, was running as fast as she could, trying
not to be late for Bible class.
As she ran she prayed,
'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!
Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!'
While she was running and praying, she
tripped over a kerb and fell, getting her
clothes dirty and tearing her dress.
She got up, brushed herself off, and
started running again!
As she ran she once again began to
pray,
'Dear Lord, please don't let me be
late...
But please don't shove me either!'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
21
THE UMPIRE
Cricket has begun: the umpires have
walked to the wicket, and they have adjusted the
stumps with the precision of great masters of
geometry. Probably they have bowled a ball up
and down the pitch to one another, just to
understand that they, too, have in their time been
mighty hunters before the Lord. And the cry of
‘Play’ has been uttered decisively and
authoritatively.
All day long, ball after ball, the umpire
must keep his mind intently on the game.
The players are free to enjoy relaxations. Some of
them indulge in a good sleep while their side is
batting. When rain falls and stops play, the
cricketers can forget the match for a while.
The umpire enjoys no release from
responsibility, until the match is over, or until
weather causes abandonment, but is obliged to
watch, watch, watch – either the play or the pitch
or the grounds man. The amount of concentration
he is expected to perform every day is almost an
abuse of human endurance.
What a great country this would be if
every man, whatever his station, concentrated half
as much on the smallest detail of his work as an
umpire is compelled to do, from high noon to
dewy evening of a cricket match!
Once on a time a cricket match was about
to be played between two village clubs of long
and vehement rivalry. An hour before the pitching
of stumps a visitor to the district walked on to the
ground and inspected the wicket. He was greeted
by an old man, a very old man. The visitor asked
for information about the impending battle and the
ancient monument told him.
“Is your team strong in bowling? “asked the
visitor.
“Ay sir, not so bad”, was the answer.
“And who gets most of your wickets?” the visitor
asked another question.
“Why sir, oi do”, was the reply.
“Heaven”, said the visitor, “Surely you don’t
bowl at your time of life?”
“No, sir, oi be the umpire”.
All umpires are worthy of our applause, the men
who serve the game by standing – and waiting for
the end of the long, long day.
{From ‘Good Days’ by Neville Cardus (1934)}
“WELL HIT, SIR, WELL HIT”
Picture the scene: ‘It is the
annual cricket match between
Whortleberry and Oakwood, in the
heart of Kent, and is being played on
the lovely Whortleberry Common on a
perfect day in June.’
The match continues with
Smithers and Driver, the Whortleberry
batsmen, trying to rescue their side
from a possible defeat: ‘Smithers is a
left-hander. The first ball is a full toss
on the leg and Smithers stupendously
swipes it over the square-leg boundary
for 6, where it lands with a clatter on
the roof of the church.
There is a minute’s delay while
the ball is rescued, and that minute
belongs to the spectators: the boys
cheer and the old men clap and smile.
But perhaps the happiest man on
the common is the white-haired
parson, who somehow seems to claim
a special satisfaction in that stroke,
and privately blesses the ball which
bounded off the ecclesiastical roof with
such aplomb.
“Well hit, sir, well hit”, he utters
from the depths of his being.
The two elderly spectators on his
left wink at each other, for they
remember the famous occasion when
the reverend gentleman made a
gigantic hit in the same direction,
which sent the ball clean through a
stained glass window and how, on the
Sunday morning, he meekly apologised
to his congregation,
“For this unseemly desecration
caused by an untoward incident”.’
The match between Whortleberry and
Oakwood ended with Oakwood winning
at the very last minute by 3 runs,
despite Smithers scoring 44 and Driver
being run out for 41.
22



RAIL NEWS
To help finance the world’s first steam
railway, a 25 mile line between Stockton
and Darlington in north east England a
loan of £60,000 (over £4m in today’s
money) was required to complete the
scheme. A significant proportion was
funded by bankers in the national Quakar
network co-ordinated by the Barclays
Partnership in Lombard Street in the City
of London.
A Commuter’s Farewell or ‘Has
Nothing Changed’.
I sat watching out the window and I watch
the world pass by,
I wonder what I’m doing here and ask
myself just why?
We travel up to London, every day to earn
a crust,
we rely so much on British Rail but they
don’t care a jot.
They never get us here on time and if
there’s fog and rain,
nothing can be surer than that we’ll be late
again.
If frost or snow should happen, the
heating’s bound to fail,
but ‘climatic conditions’ prevail on British
Rail.
Excuses on the tannoy always makes the
air go blue,
the 8-12 train from Colchester is late
again, because of some delay.
They treat us like a lot of fools and revel
in our plight,
while they see us waiting patiently. ‘The
signals failed tonight’,
late home again we mutter as we stand and
wait in vain,
and for railmen’s sake I hope St. Peter
never has to catch a train.
Tis soon farewell to Grindlays Bank,
goodbye to all my friends,


i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
vi)

my arduous journey to and fro comes
closely to an end. (Summer 1978)
The artist David Shepherd has agreed to
sell his beloved locomotive ‘Black
Prince’, 48 years after he first bought it
from British Railways. The North Norfolk
Railway, the locomotive’s operational
base since 2011, has reached an
agreement to acquire the ‘Black Prince’
over a nine year period. The railway has
extended its promises that Mr Shepherd
will always be welcome to visit and enjoy
his former ‘pet’ engine, which will run
between 80 and 90 times each year.
The Department for Transport has
shortlisted three bidders – an Abell and
Stagecoach joint venture, First group and
National Express – for the new East
Anglia franchise that begins in 2016, with
the trio being informed of what they must
provide:
At least two 90 minute weekday services
on each direction running between
Norwich and London
Introduce 180 additional weekly services
to stations, including Cambridge,
Norwich, Stansted Airport, Southend
and London Liverpool Street.
Dramatically improve the quality of trains
running in East Anglia providing a
modern service with state of the art
trains.
Offer free Wi-Fi for all passengers.
Reduce crowding on the busiest services.
Provide proposals for at least one extra 60
minute service in each direction
between Ipswich and London.
It will not surprise anyone who has ever
walked across its concourse or 22
platforms to realise that Waterloo is
Britain’s busiest railway station. The
terminus had the highest number of
passengers passing through it in 2014 at
23
99.2 million. By contrast, the quietest
station is Shippea Hill, Cambridgeshire,
which was used by just 22 people all year.
One service a day, towards Norwich,
stops at the station on weekdays.
 Train stations are to become more energy
efficient. Abellio Greater Anglia is
replacing the lights in station buildings
and on platforms at Alresford and
Wivenhoe. The new lights will have
automatic time settings, helping to reduce
the carbon footprint.
 And finally in 1971 Northamptonshire
Cricket Club played their final game at
the town ground in Kettering: “By 1971
the hiss of steam trains from the railway
embankment behind the poplars has given
way to the klaxon hoots of the new
diesels, and with a similar belief in
progress the county said its farewell to
Kettering”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLIC BACK FUNDING FOR
CHURCH BUILDINGS
Sixty per cent of British adults back the
government providing financial support for
churches, chapels and meeting houses in
order to protect their heritage and history for
future generations.
A new opinion poll commissioned by
church building repair and support charity,
the National churches Trust, found that the
overwhelming majority of British adults (84%)
think that these buildings are an important
part of the U.K’s heritage and history.
Chief Executive of the National
Churches Trust, Claire Walker said: “This poll
shows that there is considerable public
support for church buildings, despite the
decline in the numbers of people in Britain
identifying themselves as Christian in recent
years.
The British public thinks that churches,
chapels and meeting houses are an
important part of the U.K’s heritage and
history and that they are also important for
society as they provide a space in which
community activities can take place, as well
as worship.
Looking to the future, our poll shows
how even more people could be encouraged
to visit churches. That includes making sure
that visitors receive a friendly welcome and
providing better facilities such as toilets, a
café or refreshment area. Wi-Fi was seen as
particularly important by young adults.”
{From ‘The Methodist Recorder’ 19
February, 2016}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TEN THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW
ABOUT ANIMATION
1. The Oscar for best animated feature was first
awarded in 2001. The first winner was
‘Shrek’.
2. However Walt Disney was awarded an
honorary Oscar in 1938 for ‘Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs’.
3. The first cartoon character to appear on a
postage stamp was Bugs Bunny but the first to
have a statue erected in his honour was
Popeye.
4. In the film ‘101 Dalmatians’ every Dalmatian
puppy has precisely 32 spots.
5. In the film ‘Monsters, Inc.’ the big blue
monster, Sully, had 2,320,413 individually
animated hairs.
6. When the first ‘Toy Story’ film was being
written, Buzz Lightyear’s original name was
Lunar Larry.
7. When the singing duo Simon and Garfunkel
first got together in the late 1950’s they
recorded under the name of Tom and Jerry.
8. Tom (Good) and Jerry (Leadbetter) were also
the names of the leading male characters in
the very successful sitcom ‘The Good Life’.
9. ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Up’ and ‘Toy Story
3’ are the only animated films to have been
nominated for the best picture Oscar.
10. ‘Fantasia’ was the first commercial film to be
released with stereophonic sound.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
24
DUTHIE’S DIARY
Saturday 7 November. The day of the
first round of the FA Cup and Colchester
United are playing away against Wealdstone
FC, a non-league side who play their football in
Ruislip. I have looked forward to the game for
a couple of weeks and am up early to prepare
myself for a good day out. It is a shame that
Christine was not coming with me but I say my
fond goodbyes and make my way to the railway
station at Marks Tey.
The train is on time and following a good
journey arrived at Liverpool Street. I was
hoping to go for a walk round the city but it is
pouring with rain and I decide to catch the
Central Line train to Ruislip Gardens. My
friend, John Richards, keeps me well up-todate on the London Underground by bringing
me back the very latest tube maps, including a
most helpful large print version for an old age
pensioner who has to take his glasses off to
read the small print. The journey of 21 stops
passes through a number of well-known
stations – St. Paul’s; Oxford Circus; Bond
Street, Notting Hill Gate; Shepherd’s Bush and
White City.
Travelling to Ruislip Gardens I thought
of Sir John Betjeman as I walked up the steps,
the opening two lines of his poem ‘Middlesex’ –
“Gaily into Ruislip Gardens, runs the red
electric train” – did not seem the case on a
grey and very wet Saturday morning in early
November.
I had done my research and knew
exactly where I was going and walking past a
parade of shops noticed Munch’s Café at No.
13, New Pond Parade, West End Road, Ruislip
and as it looked an ideal place for something
tasty I walked inside, and found myself
somewhere to sit.
Having studied the menu for a few
minutes I ordered the full English breakfast,
white toast and a cup of tea. The food was
lovely and hot and I was glad to be somewhere
in the warm.
It was not too long before I was on my
way to the ground but following a fifteen
minute walk and on reaching my destination
there was some doubt as to whether the game
would go ahead. However there was the
grounds man and a few supports forking the
pitch to ray and make it playable. It is amazing
that in this technological age the best solution
for a waterlogged surface is to manually push
a fork into the ground. Following the referee’s
final inspection the game was given the goahead and everyone congratulated him on
making the right decision.
As I walked round the ground I saw a
few friends – Jean Howard, Pauline and Ray
Murray from Wimpole Road and Jackie, Rob
and Richard Anderson from the Wimpole Road
Carpet Bowls Club.
I was able to find a seat in the main
stand and said, “Hello”, to the man sitting next
to me. He told me that he had already visited
every football league ground in the country
and was now starting on the non-league
football grounds. Wealdstone was no 140 on
his ever growing list. He was in London for the
Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph the
following day, having been in the army and on
retirement continued to serve in British
embassies around the world. There is always
an interesting person to talk to at any football
match.
Before kick-off there was an act of
remembrance with a naval officer placing a
wreath on the centre spot. At 3 o’clock one
blast from the ref’s whistle signalled the start
of the match.
The game was competitive up to halftime and Wealdstone were given a brief
chance of an upset, as they led for six minutes
in the first half, but Colchester’s superiority
shone through in the second half for the
‘Mighty U’s’ securing a 6-2 victory.
The victory signalled the start of a cup
run that would include wins against Altrincham
25
and Charlton Athletic before losing in the
fourth round to Tottenham Hotspur.
A good run and as I always say to
myself there is always next season and I look
forward to the FA Cup first round in early
November when it starts all over again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW TO REDUCE STRESS
1. Get a sense of perspective. Work out
2.
3.
4.
5.
what’s important and don’t worry
about the small stuff.
Meditate on the Cross, as it keeps you
focused on what’s important and can
help you relax. Make Bible study and
relaxation a priority for your health.
Try to see the funny side: humour
improved blood circulation, boosts
the immune system and suppresses
stress hormones.
Learn from how Jesus behaved in
stressful situations. He prayed in the
Garden of Gethsemane, but he wasn’t
always quiet and amenable – he threw
traders out of the temple, too. He told
us to turn the other cheek, but he
wasn’t a doormat. Stop and ask
yourself what the Bible says when
faced with a stressful dilemma.
Perhaps you should love your
neighbours, even when they’re being
unreasonable. Are you stressing about
something that’s truly important,
represented by a large stone, or is it
just sand?
Treat your body like a temple of the
Holy Spirit by filling it with
nutritious foods: eat whole foods
found in nature, the way God
intended them to be consumed. They
provide sustained energy and help to
alleviate stress. These include fruits,
whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts and
seeds. They won’t cause the peaks
and troughs in your blood sugar
levels, which can lead to lethargy.
6. Reduce or eliminate stressors
including: sugar, caffeinated drinks,
cigarettes and alcohol. If giving up
stimulants gives you headaches and
makes you feel tired and nauseous,
it’s because they are damaging your
health.
7. Optimise your intake of essential oils,
which provide clarity of thought, by
eating walnuts, linseed or oily fish.
All of these are rich sources of
Omega 3, which is good for the
mind. A deficiency of Omega 3 is
associated with elevated levels of
stress and depression.
8. Take gentle exercise, which can help
to alleviate stress. This releases
endorphins, makes you think more
creatively and gives you time out
from the stresses of daily life.
9. Avoid eating or drinking alcohol
within three hours of bedtime, as this
can cause difficulty getting to sleep
or staying asleep. A good night’s
sleep can help to reduce your stress
levels and help you face the
challenges of the day ahead on good
form.
10. Be inspired by the way Jesus handled
stressful situations and live your life
focused on Christ, with empathy,
gentleness and tolerance. This will
help you to avoid getting stressed
about the small but annoying things
that other people do.
{From an article in the Methodist Recorder}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned
from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit
in the wilderness, where for forty days he
was tempted by the devil. {Luke 4: 1-2}
26
A MEDITATION FOR EASTER
Think of the royal road into Jerusalem, with
its royal carpet of palm branches.
Picture Jesus riding on a donkey.
Hear the glad cry as he draws near.
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!”
Jesus stops and glances round the crowd.
His gaze falls on you.
You reach out in faith to him.
Jesus draws near.
His expression is kind, his eyes full of
compassion. He speaks directly to you.
The noise of the crowd grows even louder,
but you hear quite clearly what the Lord is
saying.
His words bring you peace and new hope.
You are strengthened.
Behold Christ, behold love;
our light and salvation, our joy for ever!
Angela Griffiths
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EASTER
What do you make of the resurrection of
Jesus Christ? Some are deeply convinced it is ‘the
best attested fact of ancient history’. Its unique
character fits the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. The
Bible says God did not let his holy one see decay.
The tomb was sealed and guarded, yet
found empty. The body was never produced.
Jesus’ followers were honest people and suffered
for their faith. They were astonished or
unbelieving at first. Jesus appeared visibly and
audibly to many of them – ten incidents in forty
days. The Christian Church began as a result. It
changed the holy day from Saturday to Sunday,
the day he rose.
My own reaction? How wise God is! The
evidence is not enough to force belief but more
than enough for any who want Christ as Lord.
‘For this very reason Christ died and returned to
life: so that he might be the Lord of both the dead
and the living’.
{Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27, 13: 35; Romans 14:9}
Gordon Harman
THE GREATEST MAN
The greatest man in history is Jesus.
He had no servants,
yet they called him Master.
He had no degree,
yet they called him Teacher.
He had no medicines,
yet they called him Healer.
He had no army,
yet kings feared him.
He won no military battles,
yet he conquered the world.
He committed no crime,
yet they crucified him.
He was buried in a tomb,
yet he lives today.
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EASTERTIDE
The Lord of life is risen indeed,
bringing fresh hope to a world in need,
for Easter is here – a time of rebirth –
new life has come to this tired old earth.
Yes - new life for all if we receive
and open our hearts to trust and believe,
our debt is wiped out, sins are forgiven,
the Lord is the doorway into heaven.
Easter’s the time to make a new start,
to cast aside the cares of the heart,
a time to put right the hurts of the past,
and ponder upon the things that will last.
It’s time for us to begin anew,
for taking a different point of view,
for approaching things with new intention,
from another perspective – fresh
dimension.
Time to demolish the barriers of fear,
to open the heart and let love draw near,
no longer living in anger and strife,
but in power and resurrection life.
Kathleen Gillum
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HOLD TO YOUR FAITH
Life is a mixture of sunshine
and shadows,
but you will find there is
more joy than pain.
Clouds veil the brightness,
but only in passing.
Storms roll away
and the heart sings again.
You can’t se the end
of what troubles you now,
but nothing is permanent.
Someday, somehow –
that too will pass
like the cloud overhead.
That too will go,
and the thing that you dread
will break up like mist
and vanish from sight.
Those difficult problems
are all coming right.
Hold to your faith!
Never waver or doubt –
and sooner or later
the sun will come out!
Patience Strong
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ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN
What shall I give you, Lord,
in return for all your kindness?
Glory to you for your love.
Glory to you for your mercy.
Glory to you for your patience.
Glory to you for forgiving us all our sins.
Glory to you for coming to save our souls.
Glory to you for your incarnation in the virgin’s
womb.
Glory to you for your bonds.
Glory to you for receiving the cut of the lash.
Glory to you for accepting mockery.
Glory to you for your crucifixion.
Glory to you for your burial.
Glory to you for your resurrection.
Glory to you who were preached to men and
women.
Glory to you in whom they believed.
Glory to you who were taken up into heaven.
Glory to you who sit in gtreat glory at the
Father’s right hand.
Glory to you whose will it is that the sinner
should be saved through your great mercy and
compassion.
{Ephraem of Syria .ca. 306 – 373}
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THE GREAT GIFT OF EASTER
IS HOPE
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EDITORS: Graham Duthie, Christine Duthie
and Alison Ablewhite
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