Columns (April 2010)
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Green Links
with Janis Irvine
It is the beginning of March as I write and the sun is shining gloriously through the window onto the desk. What a boost to well-being this is after a fairly harsh winter. In this neck of the woods it is only a few days since the last of the snow disappeared, revealing, in its wake, a number of garden casualties like broken terracotta pots, flattened shrubs and a number of plants now conspicuous by their absence. As my son would have said, the latter casualties are unfortunately ‘distinctly dead’.
On the positive side, I am always amazed that through the harsh conditions of frost and snow, many garden species lie biding their time and when the sun begins to shine they are there ready to peep up and help declare that spring is on its way. Snowdrops, crocuses, aconites and primroses are already blooming and doing their bit to add to that feel-good factor.
As the sun coming through the window shows up the many dust-covered surfaces requiring urgent action, so this welcome warmth also prompts me to look at the garden borders to see what needs attention. There are many tasks I simply did not do last autumn that would have been better done then. Whilst the thick layer of leaves in some borders presumably offered some warmth and protection over the winter to both soil and plants, it is obvious that in most cases these need to be removed to a ‘holding bay’ where they can rot down and later be added to the compost heap in small amounts or put directly back on the soil. A 3-foot high circle of chicken wire with 2 or 3 stakes pushed into the ground on the inside edge of the wire makes a good holder for leaves and allows air to circulate freely while bugs and beasties can crawl up from the soil to also help break down the leaves. When they have rotted, these leaves will become a very useful addition to the borders.
Leaf clearing is a task I have also been involved with this week in the churchyard. They were pretty wet and sticky which made raking difficult, but clearing those and the abundance of branches broken by winter winds has made a great difference, allowing the forth-coming spring bulbs their moment of glory. Where you can, leave corners and edges with some long grass, bits of branch for example, because these will give habitats for a number of mini beasts and voles, field mice and the like.
Consider also what you can do to enhance even further conditions for wildlife in your churchyard and domestic garden. Bees and butterflies are having a very rough time. Could you plant some native wildflowers in patches of rough grass somewhere? Could you introduce some flowering shrubs so there is a succession of flowers for bees and butterflies to feed on from May until September? Any size of garden or churchyard can do its bit to provide for our native flora and fauna, with the very smallest still able to have window boxes or patio tubs attracting bees and butterflies who will readily find the bright flowers you have planted.
2010 was declared the international year for biodiversity about 8-10 years ago. It was hoped then that, through the endeavours of conservation bodies and wildlife trusts, the world-wide loss of native species would be halted by this date; regrettably this has not been realized. We can’t all directly save whales, polar bears or Bengal tigers, but we can all do something in our own patch for equally threatened species such as birds, butterflies and bees.
They may be “little fellas” but their loss would be catastrophic - so give them all the help you can. If you are thinking of buying seed for wildflowers then please buy British native stock which you can readily get from Landlife Wildflowers Limited of Liverpool:
Tel. 0151 737 1819
e-mail: gill@landlife.org.uk
www.wildflower.org.uk.
And if the warm sunshine encourages you to take a trip out then I would recommend visiting St. Michael & All Angels at Felton where they have been doing great work in the churchyard over the past two or three years, involving not only members of the congregation, but also local groups, including children. Children are the future managers and guardians of our countryside, - if they just get the opportunity to experience some of the wonders nature has to offer. They don’t all necessarily get that chance so it is up to parents and teachers to make sure they do because so much depends on it. Encourage them, please.
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Rural Affairs
with Dagmar Winter
Support a hustings meeting
While it is hard not to notice that a General Election is looming, it can be easy to forget the remarkable power of our democratic process and the immense privilege of voting.
Of course, there are the scandals, the broken promises, the personalities and opportunism. But politics make a difference to the lives of people in this country and around the world. And many people, from Parish Councillors to MPs have a deep sense of public service which we do well to support.
For the past 35 years churches across the country have joined together to run hustings, i.e. public meetings where people can listen to and ask questions of their election candidates who hope to represent them in the UK Parliament. Meetings sponsored by the churches help to provide opportunities for genuine political debate on neutral territory.
So in our Diocese various hustings meetings have been arranged, and you can see details on this page. Churches Together in Britain and Ireland have produced a booklet called “Faith in Politics” which you can download or read online, it is easy to find on their website, www.ctbi.org.uk . “Faith in Politics” provides a background for each subject, raises some key issues and suggests a series of questions for personal reflection or to ask of party candidates. Of course, not every subject is or could be covered.
I hope you will support a hustings meeting with your presence and that you might find helpful some of following questions on rural issues (they are based on the work of The Church of England’s Rural Affairs Group).
Food and farming
The issue of food security is on the agenda again. What support is required for farmers in the UK in order to produce more food in a more sustainable way?
What is your vision for the future of upland farms and upland communities?
Rural disadvantage
What needs to be done to address rural deprivation that is dispersed, difficult to identify and costly to rectify?
Access to services
With an increasingly elderly rural population how should public and community services be made accessible, with the appropriate funding to deliver them? (You may wish to relate this for instance to day care centres or Post Offices in your area.)
Affordable housing
Despite the initiatives to provide affordable housing in rural areas, household incomes are often still not high enough to be able to purchase an ‘affordable home’. In some of our rural areas there is a high proportion of second homes. What needs to be done to ensure that rural communities are sustainable in the medium and long term?
Energy and Environment
The UK has signed up to the EU Renewable Energy Directive, which includes a UK target of 15% of energy from renewables (wind, wave, solar and biomass) by 2020. What role should our rural areas play in the supply of renewable energy?
Rural churches
How do the candidates want to work with the churches which combined have the largest volunteer membership and a presence in every (rural) community?
Urban and Rural
The relationship between the urban and rural parts covering our Diocese is complex. What is the strategy of candidates for balancing the needs of rural and urban people? And what is the countryside for?
Values
What values underpin the candidates’ involvement in politics?
Churches Together in Hexham Hustings for the Hexham Parliamentary Constituency Thursday 22nd April 2010 at 7:15pm in Hexham Abbey, preceded by Choral Evensong for the Eve of St George's Day at 6:30pm. All of the known prospective parliamentary candidates have agreed to be present. Churches Together In Berwick are also organizing Hustings. Details to be announced soon.
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View from the Lantern
by Canon Sydney Connolly
In Surplices…
It must have been quite a sight to behold when, in 1503, Princess Margaret, daughter of King Henry VII, passed through Newcastle on her way up to Scotland. She was engaged to be married to King James IV of Scotland. As she passed over the bridge on the river Tyne there were, it is recorded, “a number of children in surplices who sang melodious hymns, accompanying themselves with instruments of many sorts”.
St. Nicholas’ was a parish church then, but was already, it would seem, part of the great English choral tradition which continued from that day to this. There was a time when most Anglican churches could rustle up a number of children (as well as men) in surplices who sang for at least two services each Sunday. Often, on festivals and greater saints’ days they would sing, too. My own parish church (St. Dunstan’s) in a poor part of Liverpool, where I grew up, had a smart “boys and men only” choir....in surplices.
Thankfully, I was never called upon to don a surplice and sing – my part in the worship (which I loved) required an alb, girdle, amice and apparel, for I was part of the (boys and men only) team of altar servers.
We can now talk about St. Nicholas’ Cathedral choirs, rather than choir. At present there are 18 boys, 20 girls, and a team of lay-clerks and choral scholars. In addition, there is the Cathedral Consort, which is a mixed-voice choir of sixthformers, university students and ex-choristers.
Further, we have the Lantern Singers – a Saturday morning choir for girls and boys aged from seven upwards. What a fantastic array of musical talent, for which we truly thank God!
Do they just sing at Cathedral services? No they don’t! The choirs have broadcast on national radio, they have recorded CDs, toured in this country and abroad, sung in the Lit and Phil, and for football matches at St James’ Park. The girls’ choir stayed on Holy Island (from where I am writing this View), and sang most movingly in the lovely St. Mary’s Parish Church whilst they were there. On most Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays the Cathedral choir sings Evensong at 5.30pm. This service is a good way to relax after a busy day in Newcastle, and is a perfect opportunity to hear the choir doing what it does best.
The Cathedral Director of Music, Michael Stoddart, is always pleased to hear from prospective choristers or lay-clerks.
Find more information at: www.stnicholascathedralmusic.co.uk
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Christian Aid
by Judith Sadler
Help fight poverty step by step
This summer, on June 12, a sponsored walk will take place along Bede’s Way from Wearmouth, Sunderland to Jarrow in aid of those living in poverty around the world. In order to raise as much as possible for development projects in the world’s poorest communities Christian Aid North East invites you and your church to pull on your walking boots and help fight poverty step by step.
Signing up for Bede’s Way Sponsored Walk means you will be joining church leaders from around the North East. The Rt. Rev. Mark Bryant, Bishop of Jarrow, and Methodist District Chairs the Rev. Leo Osborn of Newcastle, and the Rev. Ruth Gee of Darlington have already committed to complete the 12-mile walk between the monastic sites of St. Peter’s, Wearmouth and St. Paul’s, Jarrow. Local historian and television presenter, John Grundy, will also be completing the sponsored walk.
The trail between the twin site Anglo-Saxon monastery, which has recently been featured on David Dimbleby’s BBC series ‘The Seven Ages Of Britain’ and on the BBC’s ‘Inside Out North East and Cumbria’, will be the UK’s nomination for World Heritage Site status in 2011.
The Bede’s Way Sponsored Walk is open to people of all ages. Those who do not wish to attempt the whole 12 miles are invited to complete a family-friendly four-mile walk which finishes at the same point in time for entertainment from the Jarrow School Steel Band, refreshments and a church service, with a guaranteed finish in time for England’s debut World Cup Match!
You can choose to walk at your own pace or as part of a guided group. Why not get together with a group from your church and make raising money for some of the world’s poorest people into a fun church outing? If you’d like to take part in the event but don’t feel you’d be able to complete the walk you could join the Bede’s Way Walk team as a steward along the route.
This is only the second annual Christian Aid Bede’s Way Walk, yet the organisers are hoping to raise more than last year’s £11,500. Kerry Crellin, Christian Aid’s Senior Regional Coordinator, said: “The more people that sign up for Bede’s Way Sponsored Walk, the more money will be raised to fight poverty in countries like South Africa. It’s a great opportunity to have fun and keep fit while making a difference for poor people.”
There is no registration fee to take part but Christian Aid will be able to use participants’ sponsorship to help those in greatest need. Just £41 (£1 more than the minimum sponsorship required for an individual) could pay for a tap, toilet and sink for a poor Indian family. Or £60 (the minimum sponsorship for a family) is enough to equip two children orphaned by HIV for school in South Africa, providing stationery and uniform for a whole year.
To register for this fun and worthwhile walk, please contact Christian Aid on 0191 228 0115 or visit www.christianaid.org.uk/walks
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