A happy Sunday

I have had a lovely Sunday.

To start with, we had Holy Communion in our little church. The average number is 7, but today there were 12 people present and our Vicar asked me to admisnister the wine, which always gives me great pleasure.

The rest of the day was spent at the one-day, 50 over, cricket match between England and New Zealand at the Riverside - where we went to a Test Match last year. We met the queue for the match as we left the A1 which filled us with dread but the police have got it so well organised that we kept moving mostly and were soon in the car park. The pedestrian queue to get in looked pretty daunting too but again it moved quite fast. The examination of our bags was very cursery so they did not discover the National Trust cutlery sets, with knives in them! They were really looking for alcohol and there wasn't any of that - really - truly!
By the time we found our seats England were batting and had lost 1 wicket. I had not been to a match like this before - not a pair of white trousers in sight - a white ball - and funny rules - but cricket all the same and some of it really fast and exciting. And England won! The sun shone occasionally, it wasn't too cold in between, just a chilly wind and IT DIDN'T RAIN! A lovely day.

And to finish off, a happy time having a look at Purple Coo.

Re-wiring

Now, what has happened since Tuesday?

On Wednesday evening we had a Parochial Church Council meeting. To my enormous relief, we decided that we should rewire the chuch, if the actual quotes are anywhere near the ballpark figure. We will launch an appeal at the end of August and hope to raise the money, to replace that taken from the 'vaults'. That is, we have enough money, or nearly, in a fabric fund, but must replace it if we use it.

As a result of this need to raise money, and because the WI are going to have to raise much more money to build the Hut, I have offered to have a Garden Fete here on September 6th, dividing the proceeds between the Church and the WI. The garden will be far from its best but I hope it will be presentable. July is too soon and too much going on, and August is a restful month. By doing a joint event, there will be more people to help and a wider range of people who might come. And I will be supporting both the things that I feel I must support. So, it must be good!

In the garden - the runner beans are planted as are the courgettes. As we have had rain, both are growing as you look at them. Also I am weeding like mad. If we are to have this garden fete, then I must keep up with all of that.

This picture was taken before the runner beans and courgettes were planted. they are beyond the green cover over the carrots.

And tonight, the lovely G took our mower up to the church and cut the path up to it, as we have a service on Sunday and our helper is on holiday. He came in exhausted bless him.

Benefice Book Club

Today we met to discuss the second book that we have read as a Benefice. The first one was read as a Lent book and discussed chapter by chapter at a weekly Lent meeting. This proved a success, so we decided to start a book club which would be open to anyone. The books would not be overtly (or covertly come to that) religious. Just thought-provoking.

This second book is Nick Hornby's How to be Good. "London GP Katie Carr always thought she was a good person. With her husband David making a living as 'The Angriest Man in Holloway', she figured she could put up with anything. Until, that is, David meets DJ GoodNews and becomes a good person too. A far-too-good person who starts committing crimes of charity like taking in the homeless and giving their kids' toys away. Suddenly Katie's feeling very bad about herself, and thinking that if charity begins at home, then maybe it's time to move...."

Today we met in the Village Hall, with contributions to a light supper, which we ate with pleasure and plenty of happy gossip. There weren't many of us, but hopefully, when the autumn comes, there may be more. The book provoked much discussion and we only touched on some of the issues raised. No-one said they had not enjoyed it - we were carried through by the speed of movement through the events, and much humour - it kept making me laugh aloud. This is apparently the first book that Nick Hornby has written from the female point of view (it is narrated by Katie). He has been very successful in this and I understand that he took much advice from women, to confirm that he was on the right track.

The characters are not obviously of any religion - David and GoodNews are specifically not and though Katie does visit a church, and is Anglican, it is of no real significance in the book. Despite this, there are many moral issues included that make it a very thought provoking book.

It is a quick read and would be enjoyed by many people. It has made me want to read 'About a Boy'

The Broom has gone

Today, I did the dirty deed. I took the loppers to the broom. Now, before you send the hate mail, let me clarify the situation.

Milla said "the other ones, beg their pardons, look a bit more dull and, well, green - can't they be shifted instead??" Well yes but... bear in mind that for the rest of the year the Broom looks a bit dull and, well, green, and after pruning not at all nice. The two 'dull, green' shrubs were looking dull then. One of them is a white Potentilla that flowers its heart out all summer - not like the broom, but for much longer. The other is a miniature lilac. It does not flower for long, it is just coming out now, and is pretty boring for the rest of the time. Then there is a shrub that is good value for its foliage. Can't remember its name, but it was completely buried by the broom, after it spread, so is looking a little unhappy, but will soon pick up now that it is getting full light. then there are oddments that have seeded themselves, as if knowing their time would come.

Gardens are for ever changing. They are made up of living things which start small and young, grow, mature and finally die or have to go. This makes way for change, often for the better. G and I have studied the gap and find that there really isn't one at a lower level - only high up. The space will fill with other things to give us pleasure. We both agree that the replacement I had bought should be found another home. I am sure that in a few year's time it will give us great pleasure, where-ever I decide to put it. That is, if I have the time and energy to give it the careful pruning that the last one had. No clippers for me - each flowered shoot had to be cut back by hand, a long and boring job.


This is the little fellow that is going to have to be found an other home.

Good-bye to a 94-year-old and Memories

Today I went to another funeral. It was not a sad one, though obviously the family were sad to lose their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother. She was 94 and had left 24 great-grandchildren, so will live for ever through them and others still to be born.
For me:
It was the first event that I had been at that I would have attended if Ian had been still alive. We lived opposite the family for 6 years, before going to Singapore, and her husband had given I a job when we came back. He was a good friend and we knew most of the family (children). The only one we didn't know, I met later. The mother was a lovely laid-back person who was always there for everyone - even if the dogs always came first when it came to who got the steak and who got the runny mince! Not your sort of person, Milla!
Today was full of memories. Two particular ones come to mind -
One day I looked across to their house from our garden. A small child was on the OUTSIDE of a 3rd floor window. What do you do? If you shout will he let go? If you run across and try to find someone how long will it take. I ran inside and rang them up. Mum (daughter of today's deceased) answered the phone. She said today that she started to yell at once and had to run up 3 flights of stairs! By the time she got up to the top, the young fellow had come back in. Did I save his life? I shall never know.
The other memory was one that was forgotten by the second daughter. During one year that we lived across the road, she had a growing bulge in her middle, which she called M... (female name) When the great day came and she gave birth, a pink towel was hung from a window so's we would know what had happened (that bit I'd forgotten) The little girl was christened M... I reminded both Mum and the now 40ish child about that!
There was another side to the happy memories today. We had lived in a large Old House with a big walled garden. Last time I was there, the far end of the garden had a house on it. Today, it was unrecognisable from the lane. The h0use has been divided into two, with two drives with electronic gates. The garden is covered with houses. I got a glimpse of the old house. The roof was of old tiles. A local builder had said to us that it should have been re-roofed in the 1920's but he thought it would do plenty of years yet - that was in 1963. Now it is covered in nasty light red tiles instead of the lovely weathered old ones! I suppose that when I read that date - 1963 - I have to accept that things are bound to have changed somewhat!

Kirkheaton Church

I am going to do some thinking in writing! It seems that crunch time has arrived for the small but much loved church, St Bartholomew's, Kirkheaton.


There was a church here in 1200, attached to Hexham Abbey. Through much of its time, it was either a Chapel of Ease or extra-parochial and there was not a Parish, as such. In more recent times it has been attached to another small village - Throckrington and also Bellingham and more recently, Kirkwhelpington. In the early 1970's it became a Parish in its own right and part of the United Benefice of Kirkwhelpington, Kirkharle, Kirkheaton and Cambo. In 1730 it was roofless and was rebuilt by the lady who owned the Kirkheaton Estate.

Since then, the Chancel was enlarged and and the Church was gothicised. A vestry was added. Also, lime workings have come very close on the north side, so the cottage shown, no longer exists.

We now jump to today. The hamlet of Kirkheaton has 18 houses and cottages. There are also 3 outlying farms, a new racing stable and 4 cottages. Very few of the inhabitants take any real interest in the life of the Church, though some, if asked, would say that it is important to the Village. As can be seen from the picture, there are many people buried in the Church-yard, and this means that there are families far and wide who have an interest. But the crunch line is that there are only 6 people on the Church Electoral Roll and 4, + the Treasurer from else-where, on the PCC. (Parochial Church Council). A Holy Communion Service is held on the 3rd Sunday of the month, at 8.30, which is attended by an average of 7 people. 3 people in the village come + others from the Benefice.

Two sundays ago, the main electricity switch failed. This was a fault that could not be mended by an amateur. The electrician who came had to tell us that everything in the electric line in the church was illegal! It had mostly been installed in the 1960's and things have changed considerably since then. With difficulty, I managed to get a ball-park figure out of him for re-wiring - replacing lighting and 4 night store heaters. The existing ones were on their last legs - only one fan and the heat not adjustable! This figure was at least £6,500 + VAT. As the price of cable goes up as fast as oil prices, this could be more already.

Now we come to the moral position. Can anyone justify spending up to £8,000 on so few people? There is a general feeling that we cann't. The options currently thought to be available are:

1. Do nothing. Services could only be held when it was light. The fabric would gradually deteriorate and tiles would come off the roof

2. Minimum maintenance. Rewire everything necessary to run 2 night stores Fit 2 new night stores in place of uneconomic ones at a cost of about £250 + VAT each. No provision for lighting. Ballpark costs of rewiring to be obtained. Summer services only. Keep the roof and gutters in order.

3. Completely rewire and fit 3 new night store heaters at a cost of (ballpark figure) less than £10,000 + VAT.

4. Continue to follow up the idea of developing the church for community use at a cost of about £50,000.

Initial comments:

1. I imagine we would not be allowed to do that by the Diocese.

2. Combined with joining one of the other Parishes in the Benefice, (Kirkwhelpington?), this could be the only feasible option.

3. Too large a sum to spend on so small a congregation.

4. The access to the church – i.e. not being able to get a vehicle up the steep hill – puts off other bodies. Improving the access is difficult if not impossible.

(The WI Hut is condemned and the plan is to replace it with a pre-fab wood hut at a cost of about £40,000.)

Once the WI have their new Hut, we would be able to hold services in it, I imagine, but I fear that the people from the Benefice would not come. Would it attract anyone from the village who does not come at present?

If anyone reads this and wants to make any HELPFUL comment, I shall be glad to read it.

Following the first comments:

The money is available. The question is, is it morally justified to spend so much on such a small number of people? There are Methodists, but they go to neighbouring chapels, the one in the village went out of use long ago. Deconsecration is not an option at the moment, I am glad to say. London commuters do not buy up here yet :)