Up to Grimsby

Up early this morning and after showering completed my packing in readiness for my trip up north to Lincolnshire and Liverpool – the first great test for my new car.  I cooked a few German sausages for breakfast and dealt with some urgent correspondence before leaving home at around 11 a.m.  I did a couple of hours  of chaplaincy duty at the Alabare Drop-In Centre, also delivering to them some of our old mugs and some new socks for the homeless – apparently both are needed and well-received by the service users.  There were no “customers” today but it was very busy at one point with a number of service users coming for their pasta bake lunch and there were also three dogs here today – one with only three legs.  I finally left the Drop-In Centre at around 1.30 p.m. and was on my way up north via Newbury, Oxford, Coventry, Leicester, Newark, Lincoln and finally Grimsby. Had a clear road most of the way and the new Kia is a dream to drive – smooth and fast.  I will really have to watch my speed as it so easily creeps up over the limit.  Although the Mercedes was 2 litres and this only 1.6 litres, it seems much more powerful – possibly it is a lighter car.  Really enjoyed driving it.  Spent the evening eating cheese and biscuits and drinking wine whilst watching Emmerdale Farm and Coronation Street, neither of whose plots I have any idea about.  Mindless drivel to me! There was, later, a really interesting programme about the British Empire Medal and how the recipients are chosen.  To me, many of them deserve higher awards but it is pleasing to see that the BEM has been re-introduced so that people who would otherwise get nothing are finally recognised.  Early to bed for me tonight – 11.30 p.m. although I read a couple of interesting articles from my Reader magazine – one on “Evangelistening” and the other about  how we should minister to those on the fringes – non-Churchgoing Christians.  I feel an interesting debate at some time in the future.