Saturday, 20 December 2008
Christmas Thoughts for 2008
Another year is over, and it has been a mixed one for many, what with personal issues, and some of what we have heard on the News. It is hard to take in that Christmas is once more upon us!
"So when does Christmas actually come?" I will always remember Nicholas Vesey asking us that question at the start of his sermon at the Midnight Communion at St. Augustine's Church in 2004. it is almost more challenging to us as Chistians than it is to non Christians. For those of us who work in retail, Christmas comes earlier and earlier, with all the shops bedecked in fairy lights and decorations by mid October! for Schools, it all comes as soon as Bonfire Night is over, and teachers are up to their eyes in organising bazaars, parties and nativity plays.
It is so sad to remember that the true meaning has become totally lost by commercialism, and so it becomes a less than relaxing time for many, with the "season of Goodwill" concept becoming a joke! It is a season of stress for those of us in retail and the postal service, and a season of greed for those who are only interested in money, food and drink! In my workplace, trade is tough this year, and the effects of the credit crunch are obvious, but people are still buying. It will be interesting to see how many failed Christmas presents come back on Boxing Day THIS year!!
For many, Christmas is "really just for children" as it's all about new toys and Santa Claus, and schools and nurseries do nativity plays but simply brand it as a "nice little fairy story" with too much emphasis on Baby Jesus, and the children don't understand that he grew up to be the greatest person that has ever lived!! Before i was a Christian, I worked as a Nanny, and i used to share in the wonder and excitement of the children in my care that santa was real!!
As we go through these next few days, those of us who believe need to ask God to help us to see through all the stress, and to focus on his birth and his return. So that on Christmas Day itself, we will be able to turn our hearts to the true meaning of the event. May i close by wishing you all a restful and relaxing Christmas.
"So when does Christmas actually come?" I will always remember Nicholas Vesey asking us that question at the start of his sermon at the Midnight Communion at St. Augustine's Church in 2004. it is almost more challenging to us as Chistians than it is to non Christians. For those of us who work in retail, Christmas comes earlier and earlier, with all the shops bedecked in fairy lights and decorations by mid October! for Schools, it all comes as soon as Bonfire Night is over, and teachers are up to their eyes in organising bazaars, parties and nativity plays.
It is so sad to remember that the true meaning has become totally lost by commercialism, and so it becomes a less than relaxing time for many, with the "season of Goodwill" concept becoming a joke! It is a season of stress for those of us in retail and the postal service, and a season of greed for those who are only interested in money, food and drink! In my workplace, trade is tough this year, and the effects of the credit crunch are obvious, but people are still buying. It will be interesting to see how many failed Christmas presents come back on Boxing Day THIS year!!
For many, Christmas is "really just for children" as it's all about new toys and Santa Claus, and schools and nurseries do nativity plays but simply brand it as a "nice little fairy story" with too much emphasis on Baby Jesus, and the children don't understand that he grew up to be the greatest person that has ever lived!! Before i was a Christian, I worked as a Nanny, and i used to share in the wonder and excitement of the children in my care that santa was real!!
As we go through these next few days, those of us who believe need to ask God to help us to see through all the stress, and to focus on his birth and his return. So that on Christmas Day itself, we will be able to turn our hearts to the true meaning of the event. May i close by wishing you all a restful and relaxing Christmas.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Sunday, 9 November 2008
REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER!!
As I type this, we are in the midst of all the Guy Fawkes celebrations going on around us, and as I walk home from another hard day in Boots, the darkness of the sky is broken on a regular basis, as yet another loud bang gives way to a spectacular display of colour!!
This year, Andrew and I decided to celebrate it in style, with our own fireworks display. We would have done it on the actual "5th", but lousy weather necessitated us postponing it, so a fish pie and plenty of White Wine warmed us up, as the rain crashed down onto our conservatory roof! Instead, we let off our fireworks two days later, and had the experience of the noise and colour in our own back garden, in many ways! Not only did we let off fireworks, but it was also the perfect opportunity for Andrew to christen our new incinerator. with plenty of paper rubbish to burn, and triffid style Jerusalem Artichoke Stems to get rid of, and with a little help from the used fryer oil and new back gate "treatment", we had a display almost on a par with the St. Lukes Bonfire of two years ago!!(see photo below!)
The fun is by no means over for us. Next weekend, Andrew and I are going to a bonfire party along the road in the garden of his work mate, Chance. This is within easy walking distance, so we will certainly not feel guilt ridden about churning up the mud in Earlham Park on the night of their annual firework display!!
I will close by sharing a "funny" that occured at Luton Christian Fellowship way back in about 1993, and this is true. The church were organising a firework display in a local park, as a means of introducing non Christians to the church in a fun way. Before the event, at the midweek prayer meeting, those present were praying about the event, with particular emphasis on the important Health and Safety aspects. Imagine how the whole gathering fell about laughing when someone piped out "Dear Lord, we pray that all those who come to the event will be on FIRE FOR GOD!!!"
This year, Andrew and I decided to celebrate it in style, with our own fireworks display. We would have done it on the actual "5th", but lousy weather necessitated us postponing it, so a fish pie and plenty of White Wine warmed us up, as the rain crashed down onto our conservatory roof! Instead, we let off our fireworks two days later, and had the experience of the noise and colour in our own back garden, in many ways! Not only did we let off fireworks, but it was also the perfect opportunity for Andrew to christen our new incinerator. with plenty of paper rubbish to burn, and triffid style Jerusalem Artichoke Stems to get rid of, and with a little help from the used fryer oil and new back gate "treatment", we had a display almost on a par with the St. Lukes Bonfire of two years ago!!(see photo below!)
The fun is by no means over for us. Next weekend, Andrew and I are going to a bonfire party along the road in the garden of his work mate, Chance. This is within easy walking distance, so we will certainly not feel guilt ridden about churning up the mud in Earlham Park on the night of their annual firework display!!
I will close by sharing a "funny" that occured at Luton Christian Fellowship way back in about 1993, and this is true. The church were organising a firework display in a local park, as a means of introducing non Christians to the church in a fun way. Before the event, at the midweek prayer meeting, those present were praying about the event, with particular emphasis on the important Health and Safety aspects. Imagine how the whole gathering fell about laughing when someone piped out "Dear Lord, we pray that all those who come to the event will be on FIRE FOR GOD!!!"
Thursday, 25 September 2008
The Elephants of Norwich.
Summer 2008 was a very unusual summer. I expect some of you are thinking about the lousy weather, our "white Easter" and the number of Gold Medals that Great Britain swept up in the Beijing Olympics!
For those of you local to Norwich, i know you will be thinking about the largest public arts event that Norwich has ever seen! From June 23rd until August 31st, 53 life size fibreglass baby elephants took up residence at various strategic points throughout Norwich. Many were in the city centre, but some you had to hunt further afield to find! These elephants were all decorated by community groups and individual local artists, the event was organised by "Wild in Art" and the Forum Trust, and The Mall was one of the main sponsors.
The locals soon fell in love with them, as it became apparent that no two were alike, they all had names, and they each had their own individual characters. (We had one disguised as a bumblebee, and another with the Tardis on its back! To name but two!) People said that this was the best thing they'd seen happening in Norwich. Tourist trade shot up big time, and throughout the summer holiday, families and children made it their outing, to follow the Elephant Trail (There were official Guide Books and maps available in the Forum), and one regularly saw foreign visitors and children posing with the elephants to have their pictures taken.
I was one of a number of people who fell in love with them, and would pop out in my lunch break to see the ones nearby. Over three days, I walked the whole safari and took a photo of each one! This included going up hill and down dale to the one tucked away in St. Julian's Alley, my one and only trip to the Football Stadium (no offence to Norwich City supporters!) and a car journey to the one at the hospital. I regularly saw Aimee-Mimosa, the Mum and Baby pair at the Library. One one occasion, two funny little girls ran up to them, flung their arms round the baby one and they both said "aaaaahhhhh". As I arrived in the city each morning, the three travellers atop the one outside Cinema City always smiled at me!!
At the end of August, all the elephants were taken away, much to the despondency of all who had grown to love them, as they were being cleaned up in readiness for the Auction on September 23rd, where they were sold off to raise money for the Born Free Foundation (helping maintain their natural habitats in the tropics) and Clic Seargent, the charity for children with Cancer. The Staff, patients and visitors to the Hospital grew so fond of "Rena", that they chained themselves to her in protest, that she would not be taken away!
On September 23rd, a very unusual phenomenon occured in the city centre, when all the Elephants were paraded in front of the Forum, so those of us who were around, had an opportunity for one last look at them before they were all auctioned off to their new homes. Apparently, the money raised at the auction was double what was predicted. The one who got the highest bid, was Jemima, a rather magnificent Black and White Mosaic one, who resided in front of the Library Restaurant on Guildhall Hill. She now has pride of place in a office on Prince of Wales Road. I have uploaded four of my favourites, so feel free to view them for yourselves!
................................................................................................................................................................................
STOP PRESS!!!!
You'll be pleased to know that the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital were successful in purchasing Rena the Elephant so now she is a permanent resident there. She has pride of place not far from where she was on display during the exhibition.
For those of you local to Norwich, i know you will be thinking about the largest public arts event that Norwich has ever seen! From June 23rd until August 31st, 53 life size fibreglass baby elephants took up residence at various strategic points throughout Norwich. Many were in the city centre, but some you had to hunt further afield to find! These elephants were all decorated by community groups and individual local artists, the event was organised by "Wild in Art" and the Forum Trust, and The Mall was one of the main sponsors.
The locals soon fell in love with them, as it became apparent that no two were alike, they all had names, and they each had their own individual characters. (We had one disguised as a bumblebee, and another with the Tardis on its back! To name but two!) People said that this was the best thing they'd seen happening in Norwich. Tourist trade shot up big time, and throughout the summer holiday, families and children made it their outing, to follow the Elephant Trail (There were official Guide Books and maps available in the Forum), and one regularly saw foreign visitors and children posing with the elephants to have their pictures taken.
I was one of a number of people who fell in love with them, and would pop out in my lunch break to see the ones nearby. Over three days, I walked the whole safari and took a photo of each one! This included going up hill and down dale to the one tucked away in St. Julian's Alley, my one and only trip to the Football Stadium (no offence to Norwich City supporters!) and a car journey to the one at the hospital. I regularly saw Aimee-Mimosa, the Mum and Baby pair at the Library. One one occasion, two funny little girls ran up to them, flung their arms round the baby one and they both said "aaaaahhhhh". As I arrived in the city each morning, the three travellers atop the one outside Cinema City always smiled at me!!
At the end of August, all the elephants were taken away, much to the despondency of all who had grown to love them, as they were being cleaned up in readiness for the Auction on September 23rd, where they were sold off to raise money for the Born Free Foundation (helping maintain their natural habitats in the tropics) and Clic Seargent, the charity for children with Cancer. The Staff, patients and visitors to the Hospital grew so fond of "Rena", that they chained themselves to her in protest, that she would not be taken away!
On September 23rd, a very unusual phenomenon occured in the city centre, when all the Elephants were paraded in front of the Forum, so those of us who were around, had an opportunity for one last look at them before they were all auctioned off to their new homes. Apparently, the money raised at the auction was double what was predicted. The one who got the highest bid, was Jemima, a rather magnificent Black and White Mosaic one, who resided in front of the Library Restaurant on Guildhall Hill. She now has pride of place in a office on Prince of Wales Road. I have uploaded four of my favourites, so feel free to view them for yourselves!
................................................................................................................................................................................
STOP PRESS!!!!
You'll be pleased to know that the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital were successful in purchasing Rena the Elephant so now she is a permanent resident there. She has pride of place not far from where she was on display during the exhibition.
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Norwich "Prayer for the City", February, 2008
At the beginning of the year,, all the churches in Norwich took part in a prayer event for the city as part of the Hope '08 Initiative. St. Lukes Church chose the week commencing Sunday, 3rd February, and every one of us took part, not only in spoken prayer, but in a practical way too. We were encouraged to make prayer boxes for our households, using photos and objects as a means of reminding ourselves of the subjects and the people we were praying for. Each family had a prayer chart where we set ourselves a subject for each day, wrote it down, and stuck on a "done it" sticker, when we'd brought the concern to God. We were each given seven coloured strips of paper, which we used to make papaer prayer chains - writing a subject on a link each day!! On Sunday, February 10th, these paper prayer chains were all brought to church and attached together in one long chain to represent the whole of St. Luke's Church praying for the whole of Norwich. We chose subjects like the Homeless, Local Doctors and Hospital Workers, Schools, Neighbours, Reycling and the Litter Problem, and local organisations such as the All Saints Westlegate Drop in Centre, Y.M.C.A., Street Pastors, Pregnancy Crisis.
The Tree of Life had been our Christmas tree for 2007. It was brought back and positioned in front of the Cross, and over the course of three separate events, we wrote our prayers on cards and hung them on the branches. This was symbolic of us offering our prayers to Jesus. Look carefully at the photo and notice how the tree is superimposed int o the Cross. I feel this points to the fact that the Cross is now empty, because Jesus is alive, and the tree represents the Risen Jesus!!
The Tree of Life had been our Christmas tree for 2007. It was brought back and positioned in front of the Cross, and over the course of three separate events, we wrote our prayers on cards and hung them on the branches. This was symbolic of us offering our prayers to Jesus. Look carefully at the photo and notice how the tree is superimposed int o the Cross. I feel this points to the fact that the Cross is now empty, because Jesus is alive, and the tree represents the Risen Jesus!!
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Money really does grow on trees!
I am sure you are all puzzling at the title of this, and I will come to that in a minute! Andrew and I have just returned from an H.F. Classic Walking Short Break in the Peak District, based at the H.F.Country House, Newton house at Dovedale.
We arrived on Monday, 7th July, and after our welcoming afternoon tea, some of us took a short walk along the Tissington Trail (a former Railway Line which was closed down by Beeching in the 1960's which runs directly behind the H.F.Centre.) as far as Alsop en le Dale. In that short space of time, we gained some new and exciting insights into nature from Chris, who was leading the walking and Tai Chi section. He explained to us about the genetics of stripy snails, and we learnt that Ragwort is one of the deadliest wild flowers around!
Our first official walk took us through Dovedale itself, and we saw rock formations such as the Tissington Spires, Raynards Cave and Lover's Leap. It was here that we found an area where money DOES grow on trees! There are a number of tree stumps along this stretch, known as money trees, the reason being, that over the last 45 years, (in fact all the time I've been alive!) People have hammered coins into the stumps! Nobody knows who or why it started.
The second day, bad weather was forecast, with severe warnings all over the rest of Britain, though we were the lucky ones! We went along the gritstone edges of Froggatt, Curbar and Baslow, and saw many spectacular views. We looked down on the building that was used as Colditz Castle, and which has now been converted into posh flats! We also saw Wellington's monument (one of a number in the British Isles) and passed through the grounds of Chatsworth House, where it was fun to watch school teachers trying to quell their mobs of children, and stop the boys from going in the ladies' toilets! We saw Deer in abundance in the nearby Deer Park, and we got lost at Edensor. Outside the church was a man in a dog collar, so Brian, our leader asked him for directions. The reply was, "well, I'm not actually the vicar, but I think i know the path you want". Our day ended in Bakewell, and rather than sample the real Bakewell Puddings, Andrew and I sampled one of the pubs, and it was only as we were heading to the coach, that the heavens opened big time!
Our third and final day started at Chich, once famous as "Cardale" in the original "Peak Practice". Here, we watched the trams go by, from the National Tramway Museum, and we admired the view from the top of the Sherwood Foresters Memorial. We passed Riber Castle and gradually made our way (Wading through a deep puddle at one point!) down to the Cromford Canal towpath where the day ended for us two, with a cup of coffee at Cromford Wharf.
Finally, came our last dinner and Final Fling, where it was our turn to entertain the leaders and join in the dancing, before we hit our pillows in readiness for our return journey!
We arrived on Monday, 7th July, and after our welcoming afternoon tea, some of us took a short walk along the Tissington Trail (a former Railway Line which was closed down by Beeching in the 1960's which runs directly behind the H.F.Centre.) as far as Alsop en le Dale. In that short space of time, we gained some new and exciting insights into nature from Chris, who was leading the walking and Tai Chi section. He explained to us about the genetics of stripy snails, and we learnt that Ragwort is one of the deadliest wild flowers around!
Our first official walk took us through Dovedale itself, and we saw rock formations such as the Tissington Spires, Raynards Cave and Lover's Leap. It was here that we found an area where money DOES grow on trees! There are a number of tree stumps along this stretch, known as money trees, the reason being, that over the last 45 years, (in fact all the time I've been alive!) People have hammered coins into the stumps! Nobody knows who or why it started.
The second day, bad weather was forecast, with severe warnings all over the rest of Britain, though we were the lucky ones! We went along the gritstone edges of Froggatt, Curbar and Baslow, and saw many spectacular views. We looked down on the building that was used as Colditz Castle, and which has now been converted into posh flats! We also saw Wellington's monument (one of a number in the British Isles) and passed through the grounds of Chatsworth House, where it was fun to watch school teachers trying to quell their mobs of children, and stop the boys from going in the ladies' toilets! We saw Deer in abundance in the nearby Deer Park, and we got lost at Edensor. Outside the church was a man in a dog collar, so Brian, our leader asked him for directions. The reply was, "well, I'm not actually the vicar, but I think i know the path you want". Our day ended in Bakewell, and rather than sample the real Bakewell Puddings, Andrew and I sampled one of the pubs, and it was only as we were heading to the coach, that the heavens opened big time!
Our third and final day started at Chich, once famous as "Cardale" in the original "Peak Practice". Here, we watched the trams go by, from the National Tramway Museum, and we admired the view from the top of the Sherwood Foresters Memorial. We passed Riber Castle and gradually made our way (Wading through a deep puddle at one point!) down to the Cromford Canal towpath where the day ended for us two, with a cup of coffee at Cromford Wharf.
Finally, came our last dinner and Final Fling, where it was our turn to entertain the leaders and join in the dancing, before we hit our pillows in readiness for our return journey!
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
What a Wonderful World
Two years ago this June, Andrew and I went back to the H.F. Holidays Centre in Brecon, to celebrate ten years since we first met there, on my very first H.F. Holiday (In our case, H.F. means Husbands Found!). I have chosen this title, because on our first morning, we heard Louis Armstrong on the radio, singing his well known song!
Indeed, Brecon was a wonderful world, and throughout the week, we got some really cracking views from the mountain tops, but there is one particular walk which really sticks out in my mind! On this particular day, our planned walks for both medium and harder levels, involved a very tough ascent to Pen-y-Fan, the highest point of the Brecon Beacons, where the itinerary told us that we "may be rewarded with truly spectacular views in all directions". However, as we ascended, we were enveloped by a huge white cloud, and as we reached the summit of Pen-y-Fan, all we saw was a mass of mist, as the fierce wind blew us to pieces! would we ever see anything through it? However, we plodded along with our walking poles, to the top of neighbouring Corn Du (pronounced Corn-Dee), which is 50 feet lower than Pen-y-Fan.It was here that amazing things began to happen! The mist started lifting, and little clear pockets began to appear.As these gradually got bigger, we began to glimpse the spectacular views we were promised, through them! As the mist continued to lift, the view widened out, until we could see for miles and miles! The views were incredible. The mountains, hills, streams, sky, etc, looked perfect in every way. A true example of the wonders of God's creation. These views remained clear, and as we descended, we continued to absorb the beauty of what was around us. Not only was the vastness of it amazing, but also the smaller details of what we saw (Wild Flowers and Unusual Birds), heard (Sheep and Skylarks), and tasted (Wild Strawberries).
There is a message here, that as we walk with the Lord, we go through periods where a deep mist envelops us, and we wonder if we will ever see anything through it. It is when we keep plodding on and remembering he is there, that we start to see gaps in the mist. Keep trusting him and the gaps get bigger and bigger, until the mist clears completely, and we can appreciate the vastness of his beauty! As we keep searching and listening, we discover that there is more to life than we realise, and that is when we notice all the finer details!
Around the time we went on this holiday, we had just had a sermon at church, on the theme of "Windows to Heaven", and how easy it is to get clouded by the mist and not to see God through it. This experience was definitely a "Window to Heaven!"
There is a message here, that as we walk with the Lord, we go through periods where a deep mist envelops us, and we wonder if we will ever see anything through it. It is when we keep plodding on and remembering he is there, that we start to see gaps in the mist. Keep trusting him and the gaps get bigger and bigger, until the mist clears completely, and we can appreciate the vastness of his beauty! As we keep searching and listening, we discover that there is more to life than we realise, and that is when we notice all the finer details!
Around the time we went on this holiday, we had just had a sermon at church, on the theme of "Windows to Heaven", and how easy it is to get clouded by the mist and not to see God through it. This experience was definitely a "Window to Heaven!"
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Parable of the Rock Scrambler
The year was 1999. Andrew and I were not yet engaged, and we were on an H.F. (Holiday Fellowship) walking holiday in Malhamdale, Yorkshire. For those of you who are familiar with that part of the Dales, i am sure you will get the picture.
Our walk for that day (we were doing the highest level walk) involved scrambling the Waterfall Gordale Scar. Luckily, the water was only falling down fairly lightly, but even so, it was a challenge, and when it came to my turn, panic gripped me! I asked Geoff, our qualified leader if there was an easier way of ascending, and was told no, he was sorry but there wasn't. Still, I gritted my teeth and did it. Andrew was in the lead, and he kept guiding me and saying "put your foot in there!" "Keep going" etc, as I hung on to dear life, not daring to look around, in case i lost my grip and fell.(It was limestone, so it was extremely slippery!) Our mutual friend, Roy from Manchester was just below us, so i had the reassurance that he would catch us if we fell!
To cut a long story short, we finally got to the top, and the first thing that Geoff said, was "Well Done. You 've made it!" and he then declared that it was time for our first tea break!
As a Christian, I see the message in this story as follows. As we go through our journey of life, following Jesus, we meet many obstacles along our way, and have to face many dangerous situations. Roy, Andrew and myself are ourselves dealing with the situations, and Geoff the leader represents our Lord. We know that God does not promise us an "easy" way once we accept him in our lives, but that he is there to guide us through the dangerous situations and to stop us from falling into temptation. He also sends us other people to guide us through these situations. when we reach the goal, the Lord says "Well Done! You've made it!" and he tells us, "Let us Celebrate" so we have a party! (our tea break).
One of my favourite Traditional hymns is all about what i mention here. i will not quote it word for word, as I do not want to risk breaching copyright laws. The hymn is "Father Hear the Prayer we Offer" Here, we ask our heavenly father that we should not ask for an easy life, but that we should have courage and strength to face all the dangers and challenges that life throws at us, and that we should rejoice in treading the steep and rugged pathways. The hymn ends up with us asking him to be at our sides at all times as we deal with with worrying and dangerous situations!
Our walk for that day (we were doing the highest level walk) involved scrambling the Waterfall Gordale Scar. Luckily, the water was only falling down fairly lightly, but even so, it was a challenge, and when it came to my turn, panic gripped me! I asked Geoff, our qualified leader if there was an easier way of ascending, and was told no, he was sorry but there wasn't. Still, I gritted my teeth and did it. Andrew was in the lead, and he kept guiding me and saying "put your foot in there!" "Keep going" etc, as I hung on to dear life, not daring to look around, in case i lost my grip and fell.(It was limestone, so it was extremely slippery!) Our mutual friend, Roy from Manchester was just below us, so i had the reassurance that he would catch us if we fell!
To cut a long story short, we finally got to the top, and the first thing that Geoff said, was "Well Done. You 've made it!" and he then declared that it was time for our first tea break!
As a Christian, I see the message in this story as follows. As we go through our journey of life, following Jesus, we meet many obstacles along our way, and have to face many dangerous situations. Roy, Andrew and myself are ourselves dealing with the situations, and Geoff the leader represents our Lord. We know that God does not promise us an "easy" way once we accept him in our lives, but that he is there to guide us through the dangerous situations and to stop us from falling into temptation. He also sends us other people to guide us through these situations. when we reach the goal, the Lord says "Well Done! You've made it!" and he tells us, "Let us Celebrate" so we have a party! (our tea break).
One of my favourite Traditional hymns is all about what i mention here. i will not quote it word for word, as I do not want to risk breaching copyright laws. The hymn is "Father Hear the Prayer we Offer" Here, we ask our heavenly father that we should not ask for an easy life, but that we should have courage and strength to face all the dangers and challenges that life throws at us, and that we should rejoice in treading the steep and rugged pathways. The hymn ends up with us asking him to be at our sides at all times as we deal with with worrying and dangerous situations!
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Green is the Colour!
My family and I are all very passionate about Global Warming and recycling, and the prospect of all the landfill sites becoming full up within the next few years, does not fill one with confidence!
I don't think there was ever a time in my own life, when there was no such thing as recycling or conservation, and I can think of things that go back even earlier than that! I know a retired couple who now live in Dorset, where the husband (now in his seventies) refused to learn to drive in his youth, on the grounds that he, personally did not want to be responsible for contributing to global warming and pollution! When i was a child, we had a Great Aunt and Uncle who lived at the other end of our home town, and every time we went to tea with them, we always used to take along a bagfull of milk tops and tin foil chocolate wrappers, because Auntie Elsie collected them for "Guide Dogs for the Blind". Even as a child, i was intrigued by the fact that they were then melted down to make new ones!
In the early 1970's came the first transmission of the Wombles as a popular children's T.V. programme. You could say that they almost introduced the idea of recycling! As early as then, schools, churches, etc, had Newspaper Collections, so i was well aware then that newspapers were being "pulped up" to make egg trays, etc.
In the present day, and since i first became a Christian, I have become more and more passionate about the idea of recycling and we are working our very hardest as a family, to ensure that we can slow down the effects that pollution is having on the world. My Brother and his wife have two allotments where everything is grown organically, so any chemical fertilisers and pesticides are a "no no". We also have a little vegetable garden at the back of our house, where everything is grown in the same way, and we have a weekly delivery of an organic box of fruit and vegetables.
Separating rubbish also plays an important part in our lives. Living in Norwich, we have a fortnightly rubbish collection, where the ordinary domestic rubbish goes one week, and the recyclables go the next. Our door to door scheme does not take glass, so all our bottles go to the nearby somerfields car park Bottle Bank! It is amazing how little we throw in the bin in the way of ordinary rubbish! Any non recyclable paper goes in the incinerator, and when it has been burnt, the ashes go in the compost bin, eventually to be dug into the garden. Needless to say, we compost all our fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells and hair clippings, and we look aghast at the number of people in our vicinity who pay however much it is, per year, to have a brown wheelie bin for their garden rubbish!
Such is my passion for recycling and freeing the city of litter, that in my daily(hour long) walks to and from work, I invariably pick up glass bottles, cans, pizza boxes etc and either bring them home to put in our recycle bins, or i deposit them in the glass, cans, and paper banks that have recently been installed around the city. I wrote to Norwich City council and complimented them on the installation of what they call "bring banks" and suggested they put out more. I got a nice reply back, complimenting me on my passion for recycling, but telling me that it was not on their agenda to put out any more. it also grieved me a lot, to find out that all the recyclable stuff that goes in the street bins, or that the street sweepers pick up, goes to landfill!
Now to the ongoing issue of plastic bags! Working in Boots as I do, I very much support their principal of giving customers the option of not having a bag! I am pleased to see that more and more people are using re usable hessian bags (for sale in most outlets). i have twice written to Boots Head Office and suggested they jump on the Tesco bandwagon and award "green points" on the advantage card, every time a customer refuses a bag, or uses one from home. But I have never heard anything! Friday, March 28th was "Carrier Bag Free Day" in Norwich, where everyone was urged not to take a plastic bag unless it was vital. Inspite of the pouring rain, many people were very supportive of it. There was a choir of "Bag Ladies" outside the Forum, dressed in reusable bags on their heads, singing about their concerns, and free hessian bags were being given out in the same vicinity. i would like to see more campaigns like that, taking place, and it will be very interesting to see if Gordon Brown gets his way in imposing a complete ban on supermarkets giving out free carrier bags!
I hope that many will feel encouraged by these words, as i am sure a lot of you are already doing your bit to make a stand against global warming, to slow down the fillage of landfills and make the world a tidier and safer place.
I don't think there was ever a time in my own life, when there was no such thing as recycling or conservation, and I can think of things that go back even earlier than that! I know a retired couple who now live in Dorset, where the husband (now in his seventies) refused to learn to drive in his youth, on the grounds that he, personally did not want to be responsible for contributing to global warming and pollution! When i was a child, we had a Great Aunt and Uncle who lived at the other end of our home town, and every time we went to tea with them, we always used to take along a bagfull of milk tops and tin foil chocolate wrappers, because Auntie Elsie collected them for "Guide Dogs for the Blind". Even as a child, i was intrigued by the fact that they were then melted down to make new ones!
In the early 1970's came the first transmission of the Wombles as a popular children's T.V. programme. You could say that they almost introduced the idea of recycling! As early as then, schools, churches, etc, had Newspaper Collections, so i was well aware then that newspapers were being "pulped up" to make egg trays, etc.
In the present day, and since i first became a Christian, I have become more and more passionate about the idea of recycling and we are working our very hardest as a family, to ensure that we can slow down the effects that pollution is having on the world. My Brother and his wife have two allotments where everything is grown organically, so any chemical fertilisers and pesticides are a "no no". We also have a little vegetable garden at the back of our house, where everything is grown in the same way, and we have a weekly delivery of an organic box of fruit and vegetables.
Separating rubbish also plays an important part in our lives. Living in Norwich, we have a fortnightly rubbish collection, where the ordinary domestic rubbish goes one week, and the recyclables go the next. Our door to door scheme does not take glass, so all our bottles go to the nearby somerfields car park Bottle Bank! It is amazing how little we throw in the bin in the way of ordinary rubbish! Any non recyclable paper goes in the incinerator, and when it has been burnt, the ashes go in the compost bin, eventually to be dug into the garden. Needless to say, we compost all our fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells and hair clippings, and we look aghast at the number of people in our vicinity who pay however much it is, per year, to have a brown wheelie bin for their garden rubbish!
Such is my passion for recycling and freeing the city of litter, that in my daily(hour long) walks to and from work, I invariably pick up glass bottles, cans, pizza boxes etc and either bring them home to put in our recycle bins, or i deposit them in the glass, cans, and paper banks that have recently been installed around the city. I wrote to Norwich City council and complimented them on the installation of what they call "bring banks" and suggested they put out more. I got a nice reply back, complimenting me on my passion for recycling, but telling me that it was not on their agenda to put out any more. it also grieved me a lot, to find out that all the recyclable stuff that goes in the street bins, or that the street sweepers pick up, goes to landfill!
Now to the ongoing issue of plastic bags! Working in Boots as I do, I very much support their principal of giving customers the option of not having a bag! I am pleased to see that more and more people are using re usable hessian bags (for sale in most outlets). i have twice written to Boots Head Office and suggested they jump on the Tesco bandwagon and award "green points" on the advantage card, every time a customer refuses a bag, or uses one from home. But I have never heard anything! Friday, March 28th was "Carrier Bag Free Day" in Norwich, where everyone was urged not to take a plastic bag unless it was vital. Inspite of the pouring rain, many people were very supportive of it. There was a choir of "Bag Ladies" outside the Forum, dressed in reusable bags on their heads, singing about their concerns, and free hessian bags were being given out in the same vicinity. i would like to see more campaigns like that, taking place, and it will be very interesting to see if Gordon Brown gets his way in imposing a complete ban on supermarkets giving out free carrier bags!
I hope that many will feel encouraged by these words, as i am sure a lot of you are already doing your bit to make a stand against global warming, to slow down the fillage of landfills and make the world a tidier and safer place.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
I'm Dreaming of a White Easter!
As I write this, we are still very much focussed on Easter, and a very unusual Easter it has been too! For a start, this is the earliest Easter has fallen for 95 years, and of course, the weather has been somewhat unusual, compared to last year, when we were all going to church in tee shirts and shorts and worrying about the chocolate melting on all the easter eggs. Instead, we had the opposite extreme, namely our first "white Easter" since 1983.
Andrew and I spent Easter with my immediate family in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, where we enjoyed watching Disco, who is mum's black cat, fighting with the snow, and seeing Lucy, my 9 year old Niece, building a snow bunny, and a snow cave, before it all melted. We shared Easter Eggs (non chocolate ones aswell as chocolate ones), and we walked along the local railway cycle route, where we met a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel wearing a Barbie Pink coat to match that which her (we presume it was a girl dog!) mistress was wearing. We had a Sunday off church (this was advised by the family, after I managed to faint in the middle of dinner the previous night!). Due to our work commitments etc, we had had missed the Maundy Thursday re-enactment of the Last Supper and the traditional Good Friday service at our own church, but I, for one, made sure i packed a bible for our mini holiday, so i could remind myself of how Jesus gave his own life for all of us, and having gone through all that totally barbaric torture, he rose again from the dead!
Now we are back in Norwich, and we are both enjoying our last day off, before the reality of work hits us again. When the schools go back, i wonder what the weather will bring? Will it be like Easter 1978, which fell only three days later than this year, and resulted us walking to school for the start of the summer term in deep snow?
I have just used up the test film in the new camera that my lovely husband got me for christmas (yes, I still use film!) and I look forward to seeing the pictures of our White Easter!
Andrew and I spent Easter with my immediate family in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, where we enjoyed watching Disco, who is mum's black cat, fighting with the snow, and seeing Lucy, my 9 year old Niece, building a snow bunny, and a snow cave, before it all melted. We shared Easter Eggs (non chocolate ones aswell as chocolate ones), and we walked along the local railway cycle route, where we met a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel wearing a Barbie Pink coat to match that which her (we presume it was a girl dog!) mistress was wearing. We had a Sunday off church (this was advised by the family, after I managed to faint in the middle of dinner the previous night!). Due to our work commitments etc, we had had missed the Maundy Thursday re-enactment of the Last Supper and the traditional Good Friday service at our own church, but I, for one, made sure i packed a bible for our mini holiday, so i could remind myself of how Jesus gave his own life for all of us, and having gone through all that totally barbaric torture, he rose again from the dead!
Now we are back in Norwich, and we are both enjoying our last day off, before the reality of work hits us again. When the schools go back, i wonder what the weather will bring? Will it be like Easter 1978, which fell only three days later than this year, and resulted us walking to school for the start of the summer term in deep snow?
I have just used up the test film in the new camera that my lovely husband got me for christmas (yes, I still use film!) and I look forward to seeing the pictures of our White Easter!
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