Barnevelders, Snods Eggs, life modelling, MG TF's and Candlemass ........
My father kept hens during the period of rationing after the war.
We lived in a small house in Crossland Road, Droylsden in the shadow of the Medlock Mill.
I was on one occasion attacked by the Cockerel.
So I have, until now, avoided hens. But hens we have. And, as they are productive, Snods Eggs are a thriving fundraiser for the parish, sold usually over coffee after the morning service.
Last week on a snowy day we drove through this area of outstanding natural beauty, which was even more beautiful under a light covering of snow, to buy a Cockerel.
He is rather handsome, a Barnevelder, bred from Dutch and Chinese stock, and he has settled to the task of gathering and corralling and encouraging his flock.
Better still he has not attacked me.
Taking on a job at my age has its challenges. When I retired in 2007 I wrote a list of possible jobs if it was not possible to live on the pension. The Churches rules were very clear, retiring was compulsory at 70 so that option was ruled out, and as an Archdeacon advised me, no parish wants an older man, they want a young family man with small children, even twelve years ago that was a bit old fashioned but maybe he wasn't up to speed on LGBT and transgender issues never mind the fact that ordination was the exclusive preserve of men, even young family men!
So my list included collecting shopping carts at Tescos, working at B&Q, life modelling and writing a novel or a combination of any or all.
Well I didn't do much apart from write the novel, (unpublished!) and I did manage to make the money work and so the wolf stayed away from the door.
As a neighbour commented when I explained that the church had relaxed the rules, 'they must be desperate' but I am reliably informed by the Continuing Ministerial Development Officer that the Church is simply coming into line with legislation around age discrimination, interesting which bits of legislation it choses to come into line with and which it doesn't?
So here I am ministering to a fascinating and lively congregation in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Northern Pennines in the North East corner of Northumbria.
Whilst we missed the worst of the big freeze this year it has snowed and the snow has been beautiful from a distance but close up less so.
A recent trip to The Sage, Gateshead, to a John Grant concert involved dropping the four wheel drive off at the body shop and continuing into the city in the MG TF. That was fine until we came out of The Sage into a snow storm and had to drive through a white out in a mid engined rear wheel drive sports car.
But we made it home in one piece and the 30 minute journey took, well, thirty minutes, so all was well.
Given the weather however, and the fact that as Jeremy Clarkson observed in his review of the first MG TF on Top Gear, the car, whilst built for many things, was not built for English winters or home repairs, the journey from central Gateshead along the A69 became something of a procession, because the driver sits so low, with dazzling lights, at the rear, in front and at the side.
And so dazzling lights became the theme for the weekend as we we searched for the Cockerel, who having been introduced to the hens, decided to spend his first night under the Laurel bushes.
The various creatures of the night triggered the outside, movement sensitive lights on and off, until I realised that it was a peg bag on the line being gently rocked to and fro by the breeze.
And then it was Candlemas.
The children from the Sunday School led the congregation in a lovely reflection on 'light', candles, torches, birthday cake candles and night lights.
After the children's presentation, which was followed by a Eucharist, we brought the service to a close with a candlelit procession the congregation gathering gathering around the font with dear old Simeon having the final word:
Lord now let thy servant depart in peace. Except maybe, not just yet, we are looking forward to the summer and G&T's in the Garden.
We lived in a small house in Crossland Road, Droylsden in the shadow of the Medlock Mill.
I was on one occasion attacked by the Cockerel.
So I have, until now, avoided hens. But hens we have. And, as they are productive, Snods Eggs are a thriving fundraiser for the parish, sold usually over coffee after the morning service.
Last week on a snowy day we drove through this area of outstanding natural beauty, which was even more beautiful under a light covering of snow, to buy a Cockerel.
He is rather handsome, a Barnevelder, bred from Dutch and Chinese stock, and he has settled to the task of gathering and corralling and encouraging his flock.
Better still he has not attacked me.
Taking on a job at my age has its challenges. When I retired in 2007 I wrote a list of possible jobs if it was not possible to live on the pension. The Churches rules were very clear, retiring was compulsory at 70 so that option was ruled out, and as an Archdeacon advised me, no parish wants an older man, they want a young family man with small children, even twelve years ago that was a bit old fashioned but maybe he wasn't up to speed on LGBT and transgender issues never mind the fact that ordination was the exclusive preserve of men, even young family men!
So my list included collecting shopping carts at Tescos, working at B&Q, life modelling and writing a novel or a combination of any or all.
Well I didn't do much apart from write the novel, (unpublished!) and I did manage to make the money work and so the wolf stayed away from the door.
As a neighbour commented when I explained that the church had relaxed the rules, 'they must be desperate' but I am reliably informed by the Continuing Ministerial Development Officer that the Church is simply coming into line with legislation around age discrimination, interesting which bits of legislation it choses to come into line with and which it doesn't?
So here I am ministering to a fascinating and lively congregation in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Northern Pennines in the North East corner of Northumbria.
Whilst we missed the worst of the big freeze this year it has snowed and the snow has been beautiful from a distance but close up less so.
A recent trip to The Sage, Gateshead, to a John Grant concert involved dropping the four wheel drive off at the body shop and continuing into the city in the MG TF. That was fine until we came out of The Sage into a snow storm and had to drive through a white out in a mid engined rear wheel drive sports car.
But we made it home in one piece and the 30 minute journey took, well, thirty minutes, so all was well.
Given the weather however, and the fact that as Jeremy Clarkson observed in his review of the first MG TF on Top Gear, the car, whilst built for many things, was not built for English winters or home repairs, the journey from central Gateshead along the A69 became something of a procession, because the driver sits so low, with dazzling lights, at the rear, in front and at the side.
And so dazzling lights became the theme for the weekend as we we searched for the Cockerel, who having been introduced to the hens, decided to spend his first night under the Laurel bushes.
The various creatures of the night triggered the outside, movement sensitive lights on and off, until I realised that it was a peg bag on the line being gently rocked to and fro by the breeze.
And then it was Candlemas.
The children from the Sunday School led the congregation in a lovely reflection on 'light', candles, torches, birthday cake candles and night lights.
After the children's presentation, which was followed by a Eucharist, we brought the service to a close with a candlelit procession the congregation gathering gathering around the font with dear old Simeon having the final word:
Lord now let thy servant depart in peace. Except maybe, not just yet, we are looking forward to the summer and G&T's in the Garden.
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