Drypool EchoDrypool Echo NOVEMBER 2013 50p

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Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.

John F Kennedy

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Editor Imperfect... “As we remember them..“

On the 22nd November 1963, a distinguished Cambridge professor died suddenly at his Oxford home at 5.30pm.

The national newspapers had minimal coverage of the

event, as his death was overshadowed by the brutal assassination of the 35th President of the United States, in Dallas Texas.

How ironic then that some argue that John F Kennedy brought the world to

the brink of a nuclear war, while C.S. Lewis had fought at the Somme in the ―war to end all wars‖.

At this time we remember all those other soldiers who, like Lewis, fought in

WW1. We also remember those who have died in subsequent wars, both soldier and civilian. And it is right to do so. But we commemorate them more

suitably if we work toward the peaceful vision that they gave their lives for.

For the ―war to end all wars‖ did no such thing. We have only to consider the many conflicts around our battle scarred globe to understand that stark fact.

But what can we do? Surely there will always be such wars? Indeed Robert Burns observed of ―man‘s inhumanity to man.‖ Perhaps so! Yet I am

reminded of a simple quote attributed to the philosopher Edmund Burke ―all

that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.‖

A challenging mandate for any Christian. And perhaps we move toward it best by prayer. For surely, while even one person stands up and says ―enough

of war‖ and prays in all sincerity for it to end, then the peace of God will

move that much nearer to us.

Let us remember their sacrifices. So too, the bravery and idealism often

found on both sides! But then let each of us pray for the peace that our world

so desperately needs.

War will only plunge the world into darkness but each little prayer keeps a

light turned on

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE

SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2013 TO THE EDITOR PLEASE

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RED AND WHITE

I have worn a red poppy every year for as long as I can remember but I

had the feeling that what it meant, what the poppy symbolised, was

changing. In the end, I decided to wear a red poppy and white poppy

together. This is why…

At the heart of my choice lies the question of what the purpose of

remembrance is? The poppy has become a symbol of remembrance

because it grew in the fields churned up by the artillery of the First

World War. Miss Moina Michael first suggested the idea of the

remembrance poppy. It was first worn in an official capacity in 1919

in Carnegie Hall, New York City.

It was then a French woman named Madame Guérin who saw the

potential of the Memorial Poppy in raising funds for those in need,

particularly for the benefit of children orphaned as a result of war. It

was through Madame Guérin that the poppy arrived in Britain in 1921

and became the symbol of The British Legion. The sale of artificial

poppies was from that year used to raise funds for ex-servicemen in

need of welfare and financial support.

So far, so good. The poppy was used to remember the tragedy of lost

lives and to raise money for those affected by war.

I now question wearing a red poppy alone because I have felt a shift

from the remembrance of tragedy with the hope that it will not happen

again, to the glorification of military service. This is a remarkably thin

line. I am sure that many acts of self-sacrifice, justice and courage

have been performed by individual soldiers in countless wars.

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However to remember them should not be to glorify the reason those

acts were necessary?

As long as the focus of remembrance is upon the tragedy of war, the

focus is on peace. Fundraising through the red poppy is a search for

peace, in individual lives, peace of mind and peace for the

circumstance in which people find themselves. Peace is, after all,

something that must be actively pursued. God wants us to be in a state

of ‗Shalom‘. Not just the absence of war but a wholeness of life,

well-being, righteousness (right relationship) with both God, our

neighbour, and creation. Peace, perfect peace.

But as the poppy comes to symbolise the hero, we begin to perhaps

love the wrong thing. J. R. R. Tolkien, himself a veteran of the First

World War trenches, writes in his famous work, The Lord of the

Rings, that war must be fought in defence against a destroyer who

would devour the world but that we should not love the weapon for its

clinical effectiveness nor even the warrior for their glory but only that

which they defend.

The white poppy particularly sets apart a supporter of peace and

denotes a desire to end war.

I will continue to wear the red poppy; ‗lest we forget‘. But I will also

from time to time wear the white lest we forget why we are

remembering. The Red poppy has a purpose, the act of seeking of

peace by providing for the needs of people, real human lives that need

and deserve the support of their neighbour. But I will also wear the

white poppy because both red and white poppies remember the

tragedy and the ultimate failure of all war. I sincerely doubt that any

war has ever been fought or ever will be fought in which there has

been no needless loss of life, no ‗collateral damage‘. War may be

necessary but that does not make it something to celebrate. It should

be remembered and mourned. And human lives should be celebrated

for what they were and for all that they gave in the hope of peace for

tomorrow.

© Aian MacPherson

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THE BEST IS YET TO COME

We British are never happy unless we are moaning. Drivers going

faster than us are maniacs, while those driving slower are idiots! The

weather is always too hot, cold, wet or dry. We even moan about our

birthdays - especially the big ones.

Actually, I rather enjoy mine. I still remember my 21st - just about

(no details!). At my 40th, 150 people danced all night to 60's

music. At 60, I smiled at my bus pass, rail card, B&Q card, theatre

and cinema concessions, and OAP pub lunches. What's not to like?

Now, as I approach 65 and retirement next month I think: when I was

15 I used log tables for maths. Now I use log tables to sit and relax

with a barbeque - much nicer! When you join me for my farewell

party in the Minster on 27th October I hope you'll enjoy that too.

Jesus obviously loved life: he relished food and drink (labelled a

glutton and drunkard), was the life and soul of parties (turning water

into wine), played tricks (producing a coin from a fish's mouth), and

told jokes (remember the camel and the eye of the needle).

His secret? "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17). Previous

generations were convinced the Kingdom of God was a political

country governed by a ruler in the name of God and we had to inhabit

it. Jesus reversed all that. The loving rule of God is not something

outside us - rather it inhabits us. That means whatever our

circumstances "the Kingdom of God is here" (Mark 1), whether we are

at the beginning, middle or even end of our time on earth.

OK, my body is not as agile as it once was and my brain is less trust-

worthy, but that is precisely why I can never understand those who

cling on to this life at all costs. When the time comes heaven will be

so much more amazing than I can possibly imagine, so why hang on

here? I just don't get it

In Nehemiah 6, God's people were in the Plain of Ono, scared stiff as

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they faced a huge challenge. The trouble is, too many Christians

remain there today: "Oh no it won't work, Oh no tried it before, Oh no

it is too ambitious....." Our Generous Churches programme encour-

ages first and foremost "Christ-likeness". Well, Jesus-people don't just

adopt the surrounding negative culture. They are called to live posi-

tively at every level.

So how's this for my parting shot? Whatever our age or situation,

always, always, always - the best is yet to come!

+Martin Selby

Reproduced by kind permission of the Bishop of Selby

Rt Revd Martin Wallace retired as Bishop of Selby on 27th October,

the Echo team send their good wishes to him as he enters retirement

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NEWS FROM TRISHA WICK FOR OCTOBER 2013

Greetings. I am busy visiting Link Churches and am at present in

Southport. Here is the latest news:

LINK VISITS

As I write this I am now half way through visiting the 18 Link

Churches I have. So far it has been an amazing time and I praise God

for the wonderful support I have.

YOMIMA

I am very sad to report that my housegirl in Maridi called Yomima

died of malaria at the end of September. She was only in her 30‘s and

was a pillar of the church too. Pray for a suitable replacement for her

to be found for my house and pray for her family at this sad time.

PRAYER PARTNERS FOR CHAIMA CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE IN

MARIDI

I am wanting to develop a group of Prayer Partners for the Institute

where I am Principal. If you would be willing to pray regularly for the

work at Chaima Christian Institute and become a Prayer Partner then

please email me at: patricia@rcs-communication.com requesting to be

put on the list of Prayer Partners. If you don‘t have an email address

then ask a friend who has one to print a copy for you. In return for be-

ing a Prayer Partner you will receive a monthly email of latest news

and prayer requests from me concerning Chaima Christian Institute.

HEART CHECKS

Purely as a precaution, when I had a medical, I asked the Doctor to

give me a heart test to check mine is ok due to heart trouble on my fa-

ther‘s side of the family. I am still waiting to be wired to a treadmill so

pray that the process will soon be completed so I can gain medical

clearance to return to Maridi in January.

MY MOTHER

My Mother is adjusting to spending time on her own at home and is

doing very well. Her eyesight is improving as a result of the eye injec-

tions she has had.

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MY BOOK

A limited number of copies of the book I have written have now been

printed. The title is : ‗Never Alone – God Was There‘ and contains

stories of my life and adventures in South Sudan over the past 15

years. I hope that before too long I will be able to give you details of

how you can order a copy for yourself.

MY SISTER

Thank you for your prayers for my sister Ginny. Her health is improv-

ing and so is the health of her colleague Wendy although their condi-

tions remain a mystery. My sister has a new dog called Kizzy, a cross

between Husky and German Shepherd dog.

CHAIMA INSTITUTE

There are good reports coming of how Rev. Eli and others are running

the Institute in my absence. The number of students has increased this

Semester. Pray as we continue to try to generate funding to run the In-

stitute.

FOOD FOR FAMILIES

Thank you to all churches and individuals who have supported our

harvest appeal to give money so we can buy tools and seeds to create a

huge garden so we can grow food to help feed staff, students and their

families at Chaima Christian Institute.

BISHOP JUSTIN

Pray for Bishop Justin as he continues to be caretaker Bishop for Yam-

bio Diocese. There are many demands on his time.

MONTHLY PRAYER TOPICS

Once a year I produce a list of prayer topics – one for each day of the

month. This is now out of date so I hope to send out a new one by

email within the next month and it will also be attached to my next

Link Letter due out in December.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer.

God bless

Trisha Wick

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PRAYER

Have you ever been to a prayer meeting where everyone was

saying eloquent prayers and you have felt inadequate and

unable to take part? We‘ve all been there !

I was advised to read the Psalms and quote from one in the

prayer meeting – it breaks your silence barrier for you and

makes you feel more at ease and open to hear and share

what God wants you to say.

I can also recommend the Psalms for expressing so

eloquently every emotion we have also felt. But David‘s

words are his words, though they may echo our experiences

they are not the same as ours. Each of us is unique, our

feelings and circumstances are unique. We may not be able

to express them as David did but even he resorted to a

simple prayer when in difficulties – ‗Help Lord‘.(Psalm

12v1)

That simple phrase expresses our own inadequacy and

acknowledges God‘s power to intervene and undertake in

every situation.

© Barbara Pritchard

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: In science we have been reading only the notes to a poem;

in Christianity we find the poem itself.

CS Lewis

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TOTAL PRAISE

GOSPEL CHOIR

REHEARSES THURSDAYS AT

ST JOHN’S 7.30PM

FOR MORE INFO EMAIL

totalpraisehull@gmail.com OR

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

www.facebook.com/

totalpraisehull

PARISH NOTICE BOARD

Knitwits

1st & 3rd Wednesdays 1.30 pm at St Columba’s Church Ring Liz Pacey On 705723 For further details

FLOWER GUILD Wednesdays

2pm at St Columba

MOTHERS’ UNION Wednesday 6th November 1.30 for 2pm merchandise Jean Nichols At St Columba

Evening group meal out Tues 26th November

DRYPOOL

MENS‘

FELLOWSHIP

TBA—

See Notice

ST JOHNS CHRISTMAS FAYRE 7th December 11am-3pm

Volunteers meeting 4th November 7.30pm at St Johns, helpers from across the parish appreciated. Christmas Craft Event TBA—we are collecting unwanted baubles, tinsel, etc to recycle into fun and funky decorations to stock the church craft stall. Ring Christine for further details on 07800 733822 (evenings only/can collect)

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THE FAITH WALKER

Part Three – ―Decisions along the way‖

Our reporter Carl takes up the story: ―Previously Dave

talked to me about his departure from Liverpool on the

12th May. His account now continues, three days later,

in Manchester. Over to Dave.‖

Day 4 I departed Manchester around 11am, with an aim to

reach Crowden, in the Pennines, by teatime. I arrived at the

half way point, Hyde in Greater Manchester, two and a half hours

later. After a difficult, wet morning I stopped to have tea in Hyde,

before moving on to my planned destination. After my fish and chips

tea I would find myself burning of all those carbohydrates sooner than

I expected, as I approached the first big hill of my walk. It was the be-

ginning of the highlight of my trek across the Pennines.

Soon after leaving Hyde with time pressing on, my walking day was

almost over. I was still some miles short of my planned destination. I

had a decision to make. Push on into the dark to a Crowden camp site,

or find somewhere suitable closer to my current location. Looking for

an alternative camp site, I walked into a pub nearby. Here I was told

there was a camp site at a place called Broadbottom, less than an

hour‘s walk away. This was good news but not ideal. I was given

directions to the camp site. For the last few days I had been walking

east. With a change of plan came a dilemma. I would now have to

walk in the wrong direction. The alternative site was two and a half

miles south.

I soon arrived in the village of Broadbottom, a gem in the Cheshire

countryside. It was then that I truly realised that Jesus was walking

with me. The previous four days had been hard work, both physically

and mentally. At times it was only through prayer and the faith that

Jesus was walking with me, that I had got this far. By now I had

already walked about 48 miles. Broadbottom was easily one of the

highlights of the walk, with its wonderful views and beautiful rolling

hills.

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Day 5 Started at 6am, ten minutes later I had arrived in Derbyshire.

My planned destination was Penistone, South Yorkshire, a total of 18

miles. By 10am I had arrived in the Pennines proper. At this time I

was truly cut off from the world, when I lost my mobile telephone

signal.

I looked around. As a result of the previous days of rain, the hillside

streams were gushing with water, rewarding me with a most

spectacular scene.

© Carl Allison—Interview with Dave Chapman

CHANGING THE WORLD... ONE WORD AT A TIME

Inevitably, at this time of year, with the emphasis on Remembrance,

our thoughts turn to war. These days, precious few of us know what it

is to face that horror, either first hand on the front line or waiting at

home with the worry that a loved one may not return. We are safe

from those troubles. Does that mean we are safe from battle?

Sadly, not. Even living in a democratic country at peace with itself,

where the threat of invasion is not a great concern, we, as Christians

are called to ‗fight the good fight‘, that may not mean joining the

British Army and fighting against insurgents in foreign lands, but it

does mean doing what we can to stand up against injustice, poverty,

hatred, isolation and fear. We can do that by choosing causes that are

close to our hearts and sharing our God-given resources and talents to

make a difference. We may not have pots of money to give to these

causes or enough free time to volunteer, but we live in a free land

where we each have a voice which we can use to speak, and pray, for

the oppressed, the imprisoned, the lost. It‘s said that words are cheap,

but the truth is they‘re priceless. In the silence between the gunshots,

the quietest whispers can echo and resonate.

What cause can you speak for? The Echo is a wonderful platform to

share those causes and we‘d love to hear from you and add our voice

to yours. Words have power to change the world, what will you use

yours for?

© Christine Brain

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SONGS OF PRAISE

Sunday 21st July was the day of the Scarborough Deanery Mothers‘

Union Songs of Praise, and a fine day it was too. Once again St

Columba members and friends had the luxury of being transported

door to door on the coach organised by Cottingham branch.

The Spa at Scarborough has hosted many musical occasions over the years. Sitting there in the open air with glorious sea views and

singing loudly along with the choir brought back a variety of

memories of other similar occasions, school days and even

weddings.

Our chaplain led the service and several of the hymns were

introduced with personal stories by MU members. A mid-time

break gave those of us who wished the chance for a stroll, a little

liquid refreshment, or even a row or two of knitting.

We were of course saving ourselves for our fish supper! We piled

into the coach and soon it wasn‘t only our tummies that were

rumbling. One Scarborough lady (a guest who was joining us for

tea before making her way home) was particularly concerned that

we were making our way in a very scenic but untownlike direction.

Eventually the driver was consulted and it transpired the sat nav had

been fed the wrong information and we were on the way to a meal of the wrong kind of fish and chips.

So, before we had to hunt in our handbags for loaves and fishes we

were transported back to our awaiting meal. We were finally able to

relax and eat our fill. The journey home was successfully negotiated

and we all felt we‘d had a lovely time the day we went to

Scarborough, although perhaps not for quite under a pound you

know

© Liz Pacey

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‗SECRET‘ ARTISTS REVEALED!

It was with some trepidation a group of people carrying bags and

boxes of every shape and size, met at St Columba‘s Church on Friday

September 6th. These were the ‗secret‘ artists who had come out into

the open!

In April of this year, a group of East Hull people interested in art came

together to share their works of art and experiences. It was suggested

we should have an exhibition and invite others to bring their art work

and share their experiences. A date and a venue were set and we went

our separate ways.

So there we were, all ready to put out our work. We spread out around

the church and surprisingly quickly, the exhibition was set, and we

were able to walk round and view the displays – they were amazing!

Saturday and Sunday the exhibition was open to the public, everyone

was impressed by the varied array of exhibits from sculpture to pencil

drawings, and the high levels of talent. There was a steady stream of

visitors on both days with a pleasing buzz of conversation (not like a

hallowed art gallery) and there were activities for the children.

It was a lovely and blessed occasion for meeting and sharing with old

friends and hopefully making new ones. Our thanks go out to

everyone who contributed in any way to the success of this event, with

a special thank you to Janice Garbutt who did most of the work of

organising and contacting to bring it all together and an extra special

thank you to God for His presence and blessing!

Written by a Secret Artist...

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WHEREVER TWO OR THREE ARE

GATHERED IN MY NAME...

I was fortunate over the summer to

have visited some magnificent

places of worship. Worcester

Cathedral displayed some very clever artwork by Hannah Dunnet.

She had incorporated texts into her watercolours to stunning effect. On the

day of our visit, two ladies from a local church had been granted permission to use the crypt for a day of prayer concentrating on prayers for the city.

Stones were written on and laid before God. Prayers were said for the people

of the city from all walks of life; prayers for the culture of the city and prayers for the street angels to name just a few. Hereford Cathedral houses

the Mappa Mundi and Lichfield has its links with Saint Chad and his gospels

(not as well-known as those of Lindisfarne) and also the Staffordshire hoard

only unearthed in 2009. I could detail many splendid attributes of these holy places but I also revisited a favourite place of mine – the remains of an old

church overlooking a lake in the Yorkshire dales. It was a humble parish

church dating from 1722 although some of the structure incorporates stone dating from 1602. It is a ruin now but it has never been majestic.

Nevertheless, it is a place of peace and beauty sitting, as it does, below the

old village and overlooking the lake framed by the green hills. It must have

been a simple, functional building in its day and it also served as a chapel of ease.

When the new church was built in the village in 1908-9, the old church fell

into disuse and was soon stripped of its roof and furnishings. Some consoli-

dation work was done in 1981when the altar was also rebuilt in its present

position against the north wall rather than in its original position in the east aisle. Further restoration was then undertaken in 2000 and it now bears a

brass information plaque.

Quiet and tranquillity in a beautiful setting prompt one to reflect on God‘s

creation but I also remember that even in the poorest, most humble of

meeting places, it is said that wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus‘

name, then He is there also. © Heather Clarke

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TOTAL PRAISE HELD A WORKSHOP

ON 3RD OCTOBER AT ST JOHN‘S

LOOK HOW MUCH FUN THEY HAD!

Images © Helen Shearsmith

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A selection of harvest offerings from across the parish:

Left St Columba‘s Harvest Festival, middle— Cake by Michelle and Sarah for

St John‘s harvest lunch and right banner by Michelle and Jacqui of St John;s

Images © Martin Houlton for St Columba and Christine Brain for St John

The Knitwits recently held

a ―knitting extravaganza‖

which coincided with Liz

Pacey‘s 60th birthday.

Here she is pictured with a

tasty selection of knitted

birthday cakes..

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For The Fallen

They shall grow not old, as we that are

left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years

condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the

morning

We will remember them.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night;

R.L. Binyon

Where might this be?

Clue: Not in the parish but

we thought it was

appropriate this issue...

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MABEL

TOAST AND GLITTER

It was another of those dull, dark, late autumn days in early November. The damp, misty air hung heavily and, following the fireworks of recent nights,

smelt strongly of smoke.

―It will be dark early today.‖ noted Jean, who was busy knitting.

The ladies of the care home were sitting in the lounge. Mabel and Rosa had

commandeered the large table and were making Christmas cards.

―These could really do with a spot of glitter,‖ said Mabel

―Yes,‖ agreed Rosa, ―it does make a mess, though you have a sparkle for-

ever.‖

―Oh I am sure we can manage without having it everywhere.‖ Said Pearl

Hillary who was also knitting dropped her ball of wool.

―It‘s a good job Suki is a more sedate puss in her old age,‖ laughed Mabel,

―or she would have been after that ball of wool.‖

―Once upon a time,‖ remembered Jean, ―all wool came in skeins.‖

―That‘s right,‖ said Hillary, ―my grandmother always had me or my sister to

hold the skein while she would make it into balls.‖

―How things have changed,‖ sighed Rosa, ―making the toast was a better job

and you got nice and warm too. I wonder what happened to our toasting

fork? It doesn‘t seem the same out of a toaster.‖

Mrs Moore, the manageress, wheeled in the tea trolley.

―We‘ve a nice treat for dinner.‖

―What can that be?‖ asked Pearl.

―Well, ― Mrs Moore said, ―you know the pumpkin lantern Mr Rolfe made,

what do you think happened to all that flesh that was scooped out/?‖

―Pumpkin pie?‖ suggested Mabel.

Mrs Moore shook her head. ―Pumpkin soup,‖ she said, ―and it‘s very tasty.‖

After the afternoon cup of tea, the ladies cleared away the crafts and, when it

was time for dinner, all enjoyed the pumpkin soup.

© Margaret King

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ON USING GLEBE LAND FOR ALLOTMENTS

The Rectory

St James the Least of All

My dear Nephew Christopher

I hear you have joined the committee which wants to convert the

waste land between the abandoned soap factory and canal in your

parish into allotments – although I would have thought there

were holier sorts of conversions you could have concentrated on.

I am sure you will soon be caught up in arguments which make

that little disagreement over an apple in the Garden seem quite

trivial.

Some years ago, we similarly decided to let part of our Glebe

land become allotments; the outcome was not wholly as may

have been anticipated. Colonel Wainwright saw it as an

opportunity of re-living his War years and was only just re-

strained from digging trenches around his plot; no doubt he

would have offered to play football with neighbouring allotment

holders on Christmas Day.

It caused some surprise when the Earl of Stowe applied for a

plot, but it has become something of an attraction to see his daily

procession, preceded by his gardener pushing the wheelbarrow,

the under-gardener carrying the tools and following him, his

butler with the newspaper, a deckchair and a flask of coffee. He

then settles down for a comfortable hour while occasionally

supervising the work, once reports on the local hunt have been

read.

Miss Simpson managed to unite everyone in communal outrage

by using her plot to encourage fluffy bunnies, darling foxes and

sweet squirrels. She seemed to be particularly grateful to

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everyone else for providing fruit and vegetables for their

happiness. Resolution was only achieved when she was

convinced to grow potatoes, helping the Colonel in his War

Effort. Fortunately, he did not ask her to arrive equipped with the

regulation gas mask.

Our local architect seems to spend most of his time beautifying

his garden shed, rather than growing produce. With its gothic

arched windows, Norman tower and flying buttresses, I do

wonder if he may have spent rather too much of his time

renovating ancient churches. Neighbouring plot-holders look

forward to the agricultural equivalent of the Dissolution of the

Monasteries.

I am sure you will find you have committed yourself to many

hours of unnecessary work. Just make sure you a percentage of

their produce for your Harvest Festival.

Your loving uncle,

Eustace

Remembrance

1939 and George, my father, was eager to enlist. He soon

chummed up with Bert. Together they faced the hell of the gun-

fire and the trenches. One day there was a loud explosion.

George threw himself down and Bert fell on top. Shrapnel rid-

dled Bert‘s body, some going through into George. His chum

was dead, but miraculously George was still alive. Remem-

brance Sunday at the Albert Hall. Thousands of petals were fal-

ling, each one representing a lost life. Tears welled up as

George remembered his chum. He knew that but for Bert he

would have been one of those petals.

By Megan Carter

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Quiet

A Sunday School teacher asked her children: ―And why is it neces-

sary to be quiet in church?‖ One little girl replied helpfully: ―Because

people are sleeping.‖

NEW NATIONAL ADVENT CAMPAIGN AIMS TO OUT JESUS ‗BACK‘ INTO CHRISTMAS

This year the UK has reached a tipping point: a recent survey has

found that 51 per cent of people now say that the birth of Jesus is

irrelevant to their Christmas. And just 12 per cent of adults know the

nativity story in any depth; and 36 per cent of children do not know

whose birthday is being celebrated during the festival.

And so it is that ChurchAds.net, the group behind the annual

Christmas advertising poster campaign, has teamed up with a number

of leading churches this autumn in order to reverse this trend, and

‗save‘ Christmas.

Christmas Starts with Christ will run from 1st December to Christmas

Day. It will begin with the first ever nationwide Christmas Starts

Sunday on 1st December. ChurchAds.net has the support of the

Church of England, the Methodist Church, the Bible

Society, Traidcraft and the Evangelical Alliance.

Francis Goodwin, of ChurchAds.net, said: "Christmas is a time when

Christians shine light in their communities. But the good news is being

lost. We can't sit back and let that happen. We cannot let the nation

lose the real meaning of Christmas; and we are passionate about

bringing the Church together for this cause to remind everyone that

Christmas Starts with Christ."

Arun Arora, director of communications at the Church of England,

said: "‗At Christmas time thousands of churches around the country do

a huge amount to carry the Christmas story into their local

communities, through word and deed. The vision for the Christmas

Starts with Christ campaign is to use a common logo to join the dots

of these activities and project a powerful message to our entire nation

that the reason for the season is the birth of Jesus.

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Geoff Howlett‘s CD Review

Of the month

ROSIE MEEK & THE OPEN ROAD : Rosie Meek & the Open Road.

(Authentic Media : 5060256820918)

Rosie Meek is part of a

musicians collective from Derby

called Open Road Music. Although

their Christian faith is a very

important part of their lives they

would describe themselves as

musicians who are Christians.

Consequently the lyrics to the songs

reflect their Christian outlook on

life and experience rather than

being overtly religious or didactic.

The first thing that strikes you

about this album is the use of instruments, like the melodeon and

ukulele. Then, there‘s Rosie‘s sweet and oh so charming vocals. The

opening track mixes all three, and brings a taste of Paris to the table on

‗How the Mighty Fall‘. No, not overtly religious but still a reminder

about how we should put others first. There‘s more melodeon on

‗Hollywood‘ as the song looks at glamour and materialistic wants,

while the ukulele springs into action on the summer sounding

‗Counting Butterflies‘. The album is rather refreshing. There‘s a pure

sound about it, overall, and it‘s quite different to 95% of religious

music I get to review. ‗Books That I‘ve Not Read‘ is a super title, and

gently nudges you to say, you may have missed opportunities in your

life, but don‘t miss the one to ask Christ into your life. It‘s not a

stunning album, and I didn‘t get excited about it. But, for relaxing, it‘s

the perfect company. 8/10.

28

A DAY (OR EIGHT..)

IN THE LIFE OF A KNITWIT....

Wednesday: Our usual

meeting at St Columba. Memo

to self: next time remember

the bell to call for order. And

also the crocheted chains to

get our Beverages Hostess out

of the kitchen and keep her

sitting down for five minutes

for the prayer and notice time.

Thursday: Three car loads of ladies descended on the Endsleigh

Centre for a Victorian afternoon tea. We were grandly enter-

tained with ex Chequers chef Ian Lavender‘s tales of the culinary

preferences of various prime ministers. We put on our best airs

and graces, especially as Lady Kath Smith was in our party.

An evening phone call brings our next, not so secret mission.

DrainpipecosiesRus swings into operation. Not so different from

a

legwarmer really, only fourteen inches wide by nine foot long.

The phone lines are a buzzing. We have only a week to complete

our mission. There are Fruit Market drainpipes in need of a hug.

Friday: Special Courier Irene sets off to Devon to personally de-

liver our 30+ pairs of knitted trampolining legwarmers. They

will be sold to raise funds for cystic fibrosis.

Saturday: Knitwitliz is up till midnight on the rampage for any-

thing knitted she can sew together for the cosies. Good job

Norman is a light sleeper or he may have woken up next morning

minus a jumper or two.

29

Sunday, Monday: All is still, except for the continuous clickety

click.

Tuesday: Knitwits Liz and Sandra adjourn to The Knittery to

make plans for our October National Knitting Week celebration

and our joint Mothers‘ Union and Knitwits‘ carol service.

Wednesday: Ah, the magical fifth Wednesday! Afternoon tea

called and twelve of us headed off to Eastfield Garden Centre at

Bridlington. Knitted cosy component parts were gathered and

admired and two little Knitwit elves worked late into the night

putting them together.

The same evening a delivery of wool and patterns arrived for our

next project. There is never chance for our needles to get cold.

Which is one reason why we need so much tea to keep us going.

That‘s our excuse anyway.

© Liz Pacey

WHY GO TO CHURCH???

A church-goer complained to his minister: ―wrote I‘ve been

coming to church every Sunday for 30 years, and in that time I

have heard thousands of sermons, but for the life of me, I can‘t

think of a single one now. So I think I have wasted my time.‖

The minister thought for a moment and replied: ―I‘ve been

married for 30 years and my wife has cooked me thousands of

meals. For the life of me I can‘t recall the entire menu of a single

one of those meals now. But I do know that each one nourished

me and gave me strength to carry on living. If my wife had not

given me those meals, I would have been stunted and eventually

starved. Without regular Christian nourishment, we also will

starve – spiritually.

30

TURNING THE PAGES Peace, War and Wigging-in by Charles Cane

This book is set in a working class street that

consisted of a conglomeration of houses and

factories set in the eastern region of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. Many present day visitors

to Courtney Street, looking around at

several modern business units, may fail to realise that beneath these new ambassadors of commerce

are the remains of a crowded residential area

consisting of shops, schools, sawmill, wood yard, terraces and many houses. However this memory is not lost to the author who was born in this street in

1931 amidst poverty, and the dominant Means Test act, followed by the

horrors of WW2 in which he experienced every air raid upon Hull. Finally he

was witness to conflicting attitudes and fears that emerged in Courtney Street following the end of the war.

During these formative years he developed a deep interest in all that he saw and heard, fortified by eavesdropping on adult conversations (known as

wigging-in), which has remained with him to this day. As a now

established octogenarian he feels, out of his love for Courtney Street, the

need to share his experience of local and social history, in the form of many anecdotes and real life stories, before the time arrives, in his words, for the

‗celestial flitting van‘ to call and take him away!

A short extract of the book follows, reproduced by kind permission of the

author…

Shopping on Holderness Road in 1934

My earliest retained memory was being pushed in my Tan-sad up

Courtney Street and along Holderness Road to the Maypole shop, which was

one of a line of shops between Courtney and Burleigh Streets. Obviously I

enjoyed looking in shop windows because I can recall furiously stamping my feet, on the Tan-sad foot rest, as a signal that I wanted my mother to stop at

certain shops. Throughout my pre-school days I enjoyed the almost daily

31

shopping expedition; which was as well because there was little scope for keeping food fresh in the days before refrigerators and domestic freezers.

Perhaps the coolest place in the house was on the stone tiled pantry floor

which, for that purpose, had to be used with the greatest care. As ever there

were the marauding ‗black clocks‘ (cockroaches) aided and abetted by house mice and, in hot summer months, the ill-fitting pantry door invited wave after

wave of attacks from flies and bluebottles, with back-up from mysterious

flying creatures that appeared to have exclusively evolved in Courtney Street. But I survived and, indeed, thrived upon it. I was discovering an

exciting new world and would stand open mouthed with amazement at the

sight of the counter assistants, in Home and Colonial, furiously and skilfully ‗butter patting‘ which I silently concluded must have been one of life‘s

hardest challenges. This feat was closely followed in Lipton‘s by a lady with

a length of wire who could, with consummate ease, remove from a mighty

block of cheese a small section to exactly meet customer requirements. Then there was the biscuit counter in Maypole – and what a sight that was to a

small boy with a sweet tooth. Open and tilted biscuit tins were strategically

arranged to display a mouth-watering sight of practically every brand of biscuit that human imagination could create and, without exception, each one

of them seemed to plead with me to eat them. I wondered how grown-ups

could expect one so young to resist such temptations but, as ever, mother had read my mind and solved my dilemma with, ―Touch those biscuits and I‘ll

clatter you,‖ in her sotto voce delivery that was not heard around the shop

but was loud and meaningful to my ears. Then I was led next door into

Collie‘s butchers shop and it was not long before the glorious spread of sawdust, on his floor, drew me to my knees and, seemingly, invited me to

draw faces in it. That was until my mother suddenly hauled me to my feet by

my coat collar, dusted me down and muttered that I was showing her up, as she led me from the shop. ―Why can‘t you behave yourself like your brother

does – I can never tell what you‘re going to do next!‖ she said almost in

desperation as, holding on to her shopping bag, we began our homeward

journey. I remember this particular day because after a period of silence she reached down, rubbed my hair, and asked if I was alright? Looking up at

her, with what I was later told were big innocent blue eyes, I nodded my

head at which, with a wry grin, she slipped a biscuit into my hand.

This book is now available in Waterstones and Charles Cane will be

interviewed live on Radio Humberside on Saturday 9th November

between 9.30 and 10am

32

Last months solution

33

Across

1 and 20 Down ‗Lord of all — ,

Lord of all — , whose trust, ever

child-like, no cares could de-

stroy‘ (11,3)

9 Moses‘ question to a fighting

Hebrew labourer: ‗Why are you

—

your fellow Hebrew?‘ (Exodus

2:13) (7)

10 Acclaimed cellist who con-

tracted multiple sclerosis at the

height of

her fame, Jacqueline — (2,3)

11 ‗At even — the sun was set, the

sick, O Lord, around thee lay‘ (3)

13 A descendant of Gad (Numbers

26:16) (4)

16 ‗Do not leave Jerusalem, but —

for the gift my Father promised‘

(Acts 1:4) (4)

17 Clambers (Jeremiah 48:44) (6)

18 Peter‘s response to questioning

by the Sanhedrin: ‗We must —

God rather than men!‘ (Acts

5:29) (4)

20 Christian paraplegic author,

artist and campaigner, — Eareck-

son

Tada (4)

21 Bird partial to the nests of other

birds (6)

22 ‗Such large crowds gathered

round him that he got into a boat

and

sat — — ‘ (Matthew 13:2) (2,2)

23 Infectious tropical disease (4)

25 Tree (3)

28 ‗No fear of me should — you,

nor should my hand be heavy

upon

you‘ (Job 33:7) (5)

29 For example, to Titus, Timothy

or Philemon (7)

30 Week beginning with Pentecost

Sunday, according to the Church‘s

calendar (11)

Down

2 ‗O Jerusalem… how — I have

longed to gather your children

together‘ (Matthew 23:37) (5)

3 Way out (4)

4 Exhort (Romans 12:1) (4)

5 Done (anag.) (4)

6 Highest of the four voice-parts

in a choir (7)

7 Concerning the study of God

(11)

8 Uniquely, it has Abbey, Cathe-

dral and Chapel (11)

12 Admonish (Matthew 16:22) (6)

14 Frozen (3)

15 Established form of religious

ceremony (6)

19 Inscription often found on

gravestones (7)

20 See 1 Across

24 Behaved (Joshua 7:1) (5)

25 Time (anag.) (4)

26 Lists choice of meals (4)

27 ‗For the wages of sin is death,

but the — of God is eternal life in

Christ Jesus our Lord‘ (Romans

6:23) (4)

34

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35

SERVICES FOR NOVEMBER

St Columba St John Victoria Dock Other

Sunday 3rd November

Holy Communion

All Age Service

Morning Service

Sunday 10th November

9.15 Holy

Communion 10.45

Remembrance

Morning Service

Remembrance

Family Service

Sunday 17th November

Holy Communion

Morning Service

Family Service

Sunday 24th November

Morning Service

Holy Communion

Holy Communion

Midweek Services St Columba’s Tuesdays at 9.15am St John’s Wednesdays at 9.30a.m

CHECK NOTICE SHEETS FOR ANY CHANGES TO SERVICES

36

PARISH CLERGY

Team Rector, St.Columba

Rev Philip Goodey;

The Rectory; 139 Laburnum Ave; Hull HU8 8PA .

Tel 01482 786553

Email: phil.goodey@gmail.com

Curate: Aian McPherson, 2 Harcourt Drive, Hull Tel. 07929 733555

Parish Office

Open Tuesday 7:00– 8:00pm.. Friday 10.30am-12.00 noon

At Drypool Rectory. 139 Laburnum Ave. Tel:01482 786553

Email: drypoolpcc@drypoolpcc.karoo.co.uk

Website: www.drypoolparish.org.uk

Parish Wardens:

Liz Harrison (Tel:797110) John Saunderson (Tel 784774)

Antoine Robinson Darren Wilkinson

Richard Boniface Graham Wragg

Parish Readers

Margaret Liversedge (Tel: 588357)

Liz Pacey (Tel:705723)

Graham Wragg (Tel: 223050)

David Norton

Team Vicar, St.John

Rev, Martyn Westby

383 Southcoates Lane Hull, HU9 Tel. 01482 781090

Team Vicar, Victoria Dock Position Vacant

37

The Magazine Team Editor: Shane Blades; 26 Linkfield Road, Hotham Road North; Hull. HU5 2NN

[Tel: 07949 040495]

Email: drypoolecho@gmail.com

St.Columba’s Reps: Katie Brown (ktbrow@yahoo.co.uk) 321611

Carole Harvey 07733222727

St.John’s Rep: Carl Allison Tel: 07908 180672

Victoria Dock Rep: Elaine Galloway Tel:224959

[drypoolpcc@drypoolpcc.karoo.co.uk]

Advertising: Contact Editor

38

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November 2013 © The Drypool Parish

Views expressed in this publication are those of the contributors and are not necessarily shared by the editorial team or the parish staff.

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