shotleyfieldsforever

Transformations? Constant change? Nothing stays the same, everything is always changing. This morning we were chatting over the breakfast table with Joe. The subject of Bacon Sandwiches came up. Apparently many vegetarians take the same view of Bacon Sandwiches as Lenny Bruce, who once famously remarked that Bacon was the only Kosher part of a pig. Maybe the animal inhabitants of Chez Purcell Smith will soon expand to  include a pig but for now the reason that Joe was discussing Breakfast over a cup of tea at 8 30 am was that he had delivered two Bee Hives so, hopefully soon, I will be writing about Shotley Fields as Rupert Brooke wrote about his beloved Grantchester: .................. for to forget The lies, and truths, and pain? . . . oh! yet Stands the Church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?  I'm not entirely sure about the lies and truth and pain as so far and hopefully into the future there have not been too many lies and very littl...

I write on Bank Holiday weekend following my first experience of Holy Week and Easter as Priest in Charge here in Snods Edge. When I was a theological student in the mid sixties the idea of what was called shared ministry was being discussed as the ideal basis for securing the future of a Church, which even in those days, was beginning to experience decline. I think partly because of the ministry of my predecessors here at Snods Edge, partly because of the long vacancy that the parish has experienced, I have found in the relatively short time that I have lived in the parish, a ministry that is shared with Churchwardens, with the Parochial Church Council and with the Lay Reader.   Already since my licensing in December this has been of immense value and support to me as I have been settling in and finding my feet. Holy Week and Easter elevated that experience to a new level. The reflections / meditations in Holy Week jointly planned with the Local Ministry Tea...

I guess that we got married in a hurry. So far we have had the leisure to repent but haven't. Because we wanted to head to Sicily in September and recognised that the Church of England doesn't do what used to be called 'Living in Sin"' we were married in July last year. The plan always was to have our marriage blessed and when Snods Edge became a real possibility for me as Priest in Charge we decided to invite the parish at large along with friends and family and to have our marriage blessed. Michael Manley who had supported both me and the indoor critic pastorally though our last few years accepted our invitation to officiate, he had been my witness in July, and we set the date. Elizabeth looked stunning I scrubbed up reasonably well, the photographer claimed that I looked like Patrick Stewart? But as she did bear a resemblance to the Vicar of Dibley maybe she should have officiated and Michael take the photographs? Interestingly while there were cost...

Passion Sunday was a particularly moving occasion this year. My first in the  new parish. Elizabeth directed a dramatic reading of St Matthew's Gospel. The acting, from members of the congregation, was impressive and the moment when the whole congregation stood to shout 'Crucify' was electric. Powerful stuff! And next week we welcome, praise and shout crucify once more. A procession, with a Donkey always helps us to enter Jerusalem with Jesus in a real way, I have strong memories of the Cathedral Choir gathering outside the Sikh Temple in Bradford and marching with the Donkey from the animal farm, through Little Germany and into the Cathedral. Sing as we may: Ride on, Ride on we know that it is not majesty toward which the Donkey is heading or that Jesus is riding, it is to his Death on the cross. Betrayed. Abandoned. Denied. So this year we have a Donkey named Oatey joining us for the procession. This year I am conscious of Jesus age. 33. Too young an ag...

In the Communist Manifesto Marx and Engels quoting Proudhon declared that 'Property is Theft'. A day spent discussing the future of UK Agricultural Policy in the wake of Brexit as part of the Diocese of Newcastle's rural strategy raised this particular quotation in my mind at least. It seems that whatever future agricultural policy the UK might develop, always assuming of course that post Brexit there is a United Kingdom, will inevitably depend on the co-operation of those who own the land. Water is of course the key example. Whilst in Scotland Water is managed by a public company answerable to the Scottish Government, a considerable percentage of the 21 English Water Companies are foreign owned with Chinese and Australian and Canadian and French Companies owning our water supply. Northumbria Water for example is owned by the Hong Kong based Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings. This privatisation of a 'public good' i.e. water is a direct result of Tory ...