Lunch together in Amesbury

A dank misty day today with the temperature never rising above 9 degrees.  After breakfast, I spent the morning in the study until I left home for a meeting of the Church's Standing Committee at the Team Office which lasted until 12 noon.  Sara then picked me up in my car and we drove to Amesbury where Sara delivered Mary's Brownie Uniform which she had sold (Mary is now finishing as a brownie due to her age - she will be 11 years old next month - how time flies!).   We looked around the factory outlet shop in the town centre before treating ourselves to a light lunch at the Harvesters in Solstice Park - grilled chicken, salad and a baked potato.  Back home, this afternoon. I did some preparation for my course session tonight which included some reading and reflection.   Tonight we engaged in some personal reflection work which included considering a piece of scripture and then, in silence, considering it and reflecting on it and trying to work it into our own lives and experiences; then re-reading it to see if we now saw anything new in it or read it from a different perspective.  I found the process quite enlightening - the piece of scripture I chose to reflect upon was Christ's reading of scripture in his local synagogue - Luke 4:14-21.  We also did a group reflection on the subject of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Sara was out at Larkhill tonight doing a Vie Party for a group of army officers' ladies.  Dawn was child minding and when I got back she stayed on for about an hour chatting over coffee.  When Sara got back Dawn had just left and Sara and I watched a little bit of TV before we finally went to bed. 

Remembrance Sunday - "Last of the Summer Wine" Triumphs!

Remembrance Sunday today but Sara, Mary and I decided that instead of going to the Remembrance Day Service at All Saints (which is normally taken over by the British Legion and filled with non church goers) we would use the opportunity to go to City Church which Mary likes and which Sara had not experienced.  As the style is very similar to Spring Harvest I was sure Sara would enjoy it - besides, I felt in need of some detailed spiritual uplifting worship and teaching.  An excellent 45 minutes talk on St. Peter's "wobbles" made me feel quite human and emphasised how hard it can be to be a Christian.  Dear Peter, how so many of us can relate to him!  We had a late lunch of roast beef today and I managed to get to speak to Mum and also Heather on the phone.  Still unsure on what Mum's Christmas arrangements are going to be although she is more than welcome to come and spend some time with us down here.  Tonight we had a full quiz team with James and Tom joining "Last of the Summer Wine" in Paula's quiz.  We won handsomely with a 16 point lead at the end.  Another bottle of wine to add to the collection.  When I got back, Sara was watching a very moving drama about Rudyard Kipling's loss of his son Jack in the First World War.  Having been to Bateman's his home and with Kipling having been a keen Freemason, I found what I saw of the programme very interesting and insightful.

Catching up at the Boston Tea Party

Tom was involved, this morning, with some Duke of Edinburgh Award preliminary work in the form of orienteering and walking in Bentley Wood with his school.  He, Doug and another were taken by another parent by car, early this morning, to the Tytherley Road Gate of Bentley Wood and Sara did his paper round.  Later in the morning, Sara and Mary went into Salisbury and I picked up the lads from Bentley Wood at 12 noon.  They were thoroughly muddy and Tom somehow, despite the expensive purchase of waterproof army-style boots) had soaking wet feet.  Doug was picked up from our house at 1 p.m. and I spent the next hour cleaning my thoroughly filthy car.  This afternoon I met up with Sara and Mary and our old friend Anthony at the Poultry Cross in Salisbury and we spent a pleasant couple of hours chattin in The Boston Tea Party with Anthony bringing us up to date with what is going on at our old company and generally chatting about what we are all doing and our dreams for the future.  Sara managed to persuade him to buy a Calendar which he will be taking to Dorking to show some of my former colleagues in the hope that we can get some more sales there.  Tonight we had a fairly lazy evening watching television until about 11.30 p.m.  Such a very dark night tonight with heavy cloud and no moonlight until later.

Third Member of the "Compo Group" found?

A bit of catching up to do today.  Not a very pleasant day - it seemed to be overcast and depressing weather wise.  The hedge-cutters arrived to tidy up and reduce the front hedge.  They will trim it back but I think we need to get it removed and probably replaced by a low slow growing yew hedge like next door's. This morning I went over to Alderbury to meet Sophie for coffee at the Coffee Shop where we observed two minutes silence at 11 a.m.  Sophie is going to help me put together my essays for the LLM assignments which I must get together next week.  I can't put it off any longer.  We also discussed House Group and other church issues.  I handed over the Plass/Lucas tickets to Alison for the Alderbury contingent.  Following coffee I drove into Salisbury to do some banking and get some money for the hedge cutters.  I stopped off at the Lord Nelson to see Sara and had a chat with Jan and David - David will join us on Sunday night as part of the "Last of the Summer Wine" Quiz Team.  This afternoon I did some Complex work and tonight Sara went to Firsdown to do a Vie Party.  I watched an interesting Time Team programme in which the team investigated the site of Dorchester and Salisbury Streets in Shoreditch which had been destroyed in the Blitz and were now covered by Shoreditch Park.  Absolutely fascinating especially the discovery of the skeleton of a cat which former residents who were interviewed identified as being a the remains of a big black furry cat called "Blackie" which had belonged to their lodger and was killed in the bombing. Modern archaeology at its best.

A day on the trams

I had an unexpected free day today and so decided to use it for a bit of time on my own away from both work and home.  As I had a return rail ticket to Croydon I decided to go up there and have a look around some of my old haunts.  I caught the 8.27 a.m. train from Grateley and after changing at Clapham Junction arrived at East Croydon Station at around 10 a.m. - a really good journey with a quick connection.  I bought a Day Travelcard and caught the tram from East Croydon to Beckenham Junction.   This was followed by a tram from Beckenham Junction to Arena, from Arena to Elmer's End; Elmer's End to Sandilands; Sandilands to New Addington; New Addington to Church Street; Church Street to Wadden Park; Wadden Park to West Croydon; West Croydon to East Croydon and finally East Croydon to Wimbledon where I then caught a train to Woking which connected with the Grateley train from London Waterloo. A total of ten tram journeys covering the whole of the Tramlink system.  I had seen the trams in Croydon on many occasions but other than a very quick journey between East Croydon and West Croydon, had never experienced the smooth and fast running of the trams out in the suburbs.  I was very impressed with a quite a lot of street running in Croydon town centre itself.  I was horrified to see the damage which had been done at Reeves' Corner where the riots of a few months ago had destroyed so much.  The junction seems so different now.   Tonight we had House Group in which we discussed the style and effectiveness of the group itself and I used it to help me with some of my theological reflection work.  James stayed behind afterwards to discuss the Growing the Church initiative which I have agreed to help him with - the impetus having come from me in the first place.

Doreen White 1958-2011 RIP

Up early again this morning to drive slowly into Salisbury to have my tyre looked at.  The verdict was that there was nothing wrong with the tyre but I had a flat wheel caused by yet another pothole.  These potholes are becoming a real “nightmare” around our part of the world – some of our roads are beginning to resemble those in the Third World or on New Providence!  Bathwick Tyres managed to seal the leak which should sort out the problem for the moment but in the long term the wheel will need remoulding or replacing.  As a result of this unscheduled excursion, I missed this morning’s Mid-Week Eucharist at St. John’s but did manage to get to the Full Team Staff meeting at 11 a.m.  Sara interrupted that meeting towards the end to inform me that a settlement now seemed likely in my tribunal case and I was required back in my office to try and conclude a settlement.  I then spent a frantic hour trying to phone people and get the terms of a settlement agreed and drawn up.  Time was pressing as I wanted to go to Doreen’s funeral this afternoon at Alderbury.  Doreen had been a Lay Minister in our team and had died or a brain tumour at the early age of 53.  The church was absolutely packed with well over 200 people there as a guess.  The full clergy team were present and in addition Chris Reynard (the hospital chaplain) and Vanda, the Rural Dean.  There were many old faces from the team.  Although a funeral, it was a joyous occasion too as Doreen had planned the service as a celebration of her life and a celebration of her meeting with Christ in Heaven.  She did not fear her death, only a sadness for those she would leave behind.  Her coffin was draped with her ministerial scarf and a Saints scarf (being a passionate fan of Southampton FC from childhood).  I could not stay for refreshments and a chat with others (as I would have wished) and so after handing over some of the Plass/Lucas tickets for the Whiteparish contingent, I rushed back home to finalise the settlement and, thereby, remove the need for attending a two-day hearing in Croydon this week.  I managed to cancel my hotel but still have a return ticket on the train to Croydon.  I think I might go up to Croydon anyway, tomorrow, as it would normally be my day off, and spend some time riding on the trams up there.  Tonight I met up with Richard for a couple of pints in the Lion’s Head – feeling in need on a bit of a chat and relaxation after two very hectic days.

A day in London

Up early this morning as I was spending the day in London and had to be at Grateley early in order to secure a car parking space.  As it was, I arrived at the station there at around 8 p.m. to find only three spaces left.  I sat in the car and read my devotionals before getting a coffee from the local vendor and catching the 0859 train to London Waterloo.  A bit like old times – going up to London on business except that in this case, I am now working for my own company. The train arrived there on time at 10.20 a.m.  I walked to The Hub coffee shop at Oasis Church in Waterloo and over a leisurely latte spent the rest of the morning reviewing the papers on my tribunal case – especially the witness statements.  At 12 noon or thereabouts I left The Hub and strolled over Waterloo Bridge to meet up with my clients at Apostrophe Coffee House opposite the Law Courts in The Strand.  We met for an hour over another coffee before walking to The Temple for a conference with our counsel.  The conference lasted for three hours during which we fully explored the strengths and weaknesses of our case.  The clients left me with counsel to discuss some legal aspects and when I left the chambers it was already quite dark.   I walked back to Apostrophe for a cup of tea before meeting with an old colleague, Phil, from Friends Provident days.  He had a problem on which he sought my advice and guidance and we spent an hour or so discussing this over a pub supper at The Lyceum in the Strand.  I returned to Waterloo over Waterloo Bridge by which time it was raining quite steadily.  I was back in Grateley at 9.10 p.m. to find my nearside front tyre very low and so I drove back home very slowly this evening.  Once home I dealt with some work in connection with today’s case and didn’t go to bed until very late.  A long tiring, but enjoyable day.