MEMORYLANE

The Office Manager (She Who Wears Another Hat – Head Gardener), called me in and said something to the effect that 6 box files had remained untouched and unsorted for about two years, and in the interests of the environment should be forthwith touched and sorted. “The Environment” has become a catch-all phrase that is intended to make one feel guilty and un-green. In reality, I think, it meant that they were cluttering up her office. So now they are cluttering up my office. So just when I should be writing a sermon for Sunday I find myself going back through history.

I cannot think why I should have a copy of the Daily Express dated Thursday November 5^th 1931 (one penny!) But it is fascinating reading: there was a fear that the UK was going to impose tariffs on all food imports so everyone was dumping their food on Britain – “Polish Bacon at 2p a lb.; “Flood of unwanted Soviet butter”. Another headline concerned “Devil Worship” in Finland and “Lord Kylsant in gaol”. But quite where it came from, and why I kept it, I shall never know. I then began to get very excited about “The Daily Universal Register” Saturday 1^st January 1785. That was Two-pence Halfpenny. It was issue number one, until I looked at the small print on the back page “Reprinted by The Times, 1985”. Ah well, can’t win them all!

There were several other such treasures, not least my school reports from the age of 4 until I left school at 18! They do not make such interesting reading, but apparently at the age of 7 I was good at composition, had very, very poor handwriting and was hopeless at boxing and soccer. Nothing much changed there then!

Another box revealed loads of photos, newspaper cuttings and documents that my late wife had tucked away and I had left untouched. I found a lovely letter, obviously written by one of the children:

The Dog Bowl

The Vicar’s House

On Top of a Hill

Next to a dishwasher,

DOG 3LE

Dear Mr RSPCA

My mummy smacked me put her in jail – for ever. All dogs go to heaven.

Buster.

Another box contained loads of old talks, sermons, training notes, children’s addresses and the like. Most of that has gone. I’m retired, for heaven’s sake! Memory Lane can be a pleasant and warm distraction, and sorry, but there are some things which will just be returned to their box and stored for another day. But I am not sure about the school reports…….

Christopher Elliott

GROWING STRAWBERRIES

Here's a good tip from the Head Gardener for growing strawberries vertically! If like us you are pushed for room in the garden find an old dustbin - we are using a plastic one. I drilled approximately 12 holes in the side about 1 inch (2 cms) in diameter, plus some smaller drainage holes in the bottom which were covered with broken crocks. Fill up to the first level of holes with a good mix of compost and soil, plant the first strawberry plants, fill up more soil to the next level, plant next layer, and so on to the top where 3 -4 plants can also be added.
Finally, a piece of plastic pipe (narrow bore) with holes drilled through the length of it can be inserted down through the centre to aid watering. I imagine a short piece of hosepipe would also do the trick.

BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Is one ever too old for a good old fashioned birthday party?
My youngest, attaining the grand old age of 30 last week declared that he did not have his fair share of tea parties when he was younger! So yesterday we put that right with good old fashioned tea, sandwiches (egg and turkey) sausages on sticks, sausage rolls, pineapple and cheese on sticks, iced gems, crisps, cake, and jelly and ice cream. It was great - nearly all the family together with his nephews and nieces. There was fizzy pop, and a gesture to the adults a little something stronger.
It was so much fun sitting around the table, chatting, playing games with the grandchildren and just being in each other's company. Then as it was turning dark, down to the park for a walk to go on the swings and roundabouts and climbing frames, when, I think, everyone forgot their age.
Only when we could no longer see did we head for home and a cuppa before getting back on the road.

I believe in parties - always have done because they are so important for bonding and keeping in touch. Oh yes, some are tedious - standing round with chardonnay and nibbles making aimless chatter can be pure hell, but sitting round the table, making conversation, laughing, joking, including all ages gives a foretaste of heaven - the company of friends old and new and family old and young. And the Blessed Lord is truly present when we are together.

PILGRIMAGE TO JORDAN AND EGYPT

Petra - The Treasury.




One of the things that I have done over the years is lead groups of people to interesting places! For instance in 2005 we went on a journey through Jordan and Egypt. It was a fascinating experience, taking in Amman, Petra, St Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai, and ending up in Cairo and many

other wonderful places in between. At key biblical sites we may retell the story, pray or celebrate Holy Communion, and we always have a local guide who travels with us throughout the journey.

St Catherine's Monastery

The Monastery of St Catherine is set in the midst of the Sinai desert where one would think that few people would be, but my! the coaches do pour in and one jostles for a little bit of peace and quiet to see "The Burning Bush" or the bookshop to buy a small icon, but yes it was possible to experience the loneliness and heat of the desert. For some there was the opportunity to climb Mount Sinai and see the dawn rise. Others of us followed our guide in the afternoon on a less taxing walk to meet a Bedouin living in the mountains with his wives, sons, grandchildren and to be entertained with tea and his singing to us. It was magical and moving.

In Cairo we did a huge amount in just 2 or 3 days - the Pyramids, the Sphinx, including a Son et Lumiere one evening which was amazing. A river cruise included dinner and both a belly dancer (mediocre!) and a whirling dervish (see picture) who was excellent. I suppose the highlight of the time in Cairo was seeing the Cairo Museum's section on Tutankhamun which was mind blowing and looked so fresh and clean as if it was all newly made instead of being several thousand years old.

It is always a privilege to take small groups of people on journeys like this. For some, it is the opportunity of a lifetime to see and experience some of the wonders of our God-given world, and to appreciate just what a diverse and rich place that we inhabit. I have seen people's lives changed by experiencing such a journey as this. Not forgetting that it is great fun in the company of Christian people. We are not overly "religious" and we do have fun, as well as trying not to impact too detrimentally on the lives of the people whose countries we visit. We always try and include visits to e.g. children's homes and sheltered workshops and take gifts in kind and cash.

Over the years I have taken groups to the Holy Land which is probably the greatest experience of all, the Passion Play in Oberammergau (Germany), and to Turkey. Accounts of these will follow in due course! I am sharing the leadership of a group to Oberammergau in 2010 - sadly the group is already full, but a trip to Turkey in 2011 0r 2012 is in the planning stages.

Yesterday's Times Newspaper (22nd October 08) carried an item on doing five simple things to stay sane.

1. Connect Developing relationships will enrich you.
   
2. Be active Sport, gardening, strolling maintain fitness
   
3. Be curious Consider the lilies of the fields.....and moments.....
   
4. Learn Keep the challenges coming!
   
5. Give Help friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community.

Of course the advice immediately had its detractors, dismissing it as "banal", "subjective", and "trivialising mental illness".

It was probably the most important article in the whole of the Times yesterday! There is a fair amount of anxiety, frustration and concern around ranging from "Will I have a job to go to next month?" and "Can we still pay the mortgage?" to "How can I cope with my own feelings of depression?" We meet very few truly liberated people in the course of a day - and a truly liberated person is completely at peace with themselves - so I conclude that focussing on our own needs and relationships for a few minutes each day can only be good!
Chris

So where is Minnow End?
If you stick a pin slap bang in the middle of Essex (U.K.) it would stick in Minnow End, which is on the eastern side of Great Waltham, as you enter the village from Chelmsford, about 4 miles distant. There are no signs to tell you it is Minnow End, but the Ordnance Survey says that it is, and if you find the "Rose and Crown" (probably the nicest pub in Minnow End!!) you will find yourself in the midst of our hamlet. Some of the locals say this was originally Minor End- as opposed to "Church End" and North End". One guy, Chris Mills recently wrote that a map of 1895 calls it Minor End, but then I have a map of a hundred years before that calling it Minnow End!
A local inhabitant puts it down to local "DIY" spelling, because it was apparently once upon a time Minor Mead, or Minnamead.
Whatever, if you drive through too quicky (as most do) you won't even know you've been there because it is unmarked.