SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
8th July 2007
Graphics and cartoons appear only in the printed version
THE BIG SMOKE
The old bushie decided to visit the big smoke, but he had never travelled by train, so he didn’t know what to do.“Just go up to the ticket window,” his mates told him. “They’ll put you right.” So the old bushie got a lift into town, found the railway station and joined the queue at the ticket window. The young woman in front gave some money to the booking clerk, saying, “Alice Springs, single.” When the bushie’s turn came, he plonked a $50 noted down and said, “Mick O’Brien, married with two kids.”
TRAVELLERS’ TALES (15)
Andrew Neaum (2000)
We had been in Scotland for a whole month before I noticed an absence in my life. We are fresh air fiends who hate double glazing, and so we often had the unscreened windows of the house as wide open as they would go. Yet for the first month at least, there was not a single fly ever seen in the Rectory! The first fly I saw in Britain was on a cow flap in a field, well over a month after being there. It was only then that I realised that the buzz of the blow fly is as characteristic of Australia as is the call of the Kookaburra, though nowhere near as nostalgic.
Pubbing
All my life in Invergowrie was not spent sightseeing or watching flies. I continued to perform my parish duties as best I could. In Australia most of my visiting is to folk who are ill or in some kind of need. At Invergowrie there was almost none of this. Instead I was able to do casual visiting, and although often having to leave a card because people were absent, I also encountered some interesting folk. One such was an ex soldier and one time pub owner called Thompson. I have sometimes wondered if running a pub would be just the sort of good fun to satisfy the likes of me. Mr Thompson soon disabused me of such romantic notions. Apparently pub owning offers little joy in Britain these days. As soon as your sales go up, the rent charged by the brewers goes up astronomically, hence his departure from the business. He and his wife are non-churchgoers, who in spite of this were very appreciative of Fr Ashley’s ministrations when Mr Thompson’s old mother died some years ago. Mr Thompson sometimes helps out at the local Invergowrie pub and he recommended the meals as being particularly good value there. When I had finished that afternoon’s visiting I called in at the pub for a quick pint and looked over the menu. The food on offer was plain fare, but it did seem that a good feed could be had for four pounds. Not being great eaters out, it was not until just before we left and were treated to a meal there by the ladies who comprise the 10.00am Wednesday congregation that we were able to put the quality of the cooking to the test and found it very good indeed.
Brassed Off
Another pleasant parish visit was with Margaret to Mrs Soutar’s for afternoon tea. She is an elderly lady who lives in Station Road, half a dozen houses down from the corner of Errol Road where the Rectory is situated. Her house, part of a fine stone terrace of houses, is opposite a lovely little stone-walled triangle with rhododendrons and other shrubs in it. Possibly the prettiest small corner of Invergowrie. She is one of those Scots with a beautifully melodic accent, which she informed us is East Coast Scots. Both she and her deceased husband came originally from the fishing town Arbroath. He was a music inspector of schools in various parts of Scotland for many years. They had two children, one is now lecturing in music, the other is a highly regarded plastic surgeon, specialising in burns, and who is also very musical. She admits to being a thoroughgoing Tory, and it was interesting to meet again this endangered species, for Tories are certainly rare in church circles around the parts of Brechin Diocese that we wandered. We had a delicious tea in a lovely room. Her husband had been a good churchman of the Anglo-Catholic sort, as is she, and her hobbies are swimming (three times a week), mah jong and reading. After this visit I took the girls in to town to book into a video shop, so that while we were out dining with the Bishop that evening, they could watch a video as well as wash up and make a batch of bread. I took the opportunity of getting out not only a video for them but one for myself as well, “Brassed Off”, a film highly recommended to me by Bobby Nicholson some months previously. When eventually I got round to watching it I loved it.
Dining with the Bishop
The Bishop of Brechin has a lovely house and garden not far from Invergowrie in West Dundee. It overlooks several rows of house roofs to the river Tay. On arrival for dinner we were offered wine and were kissed by the bishop’s wife, a delightful woman, if a little bit eccentric. She speaks forcefully with the most important word in each sentence spoken, as it were, in bold type. The bishop’s secretary, Margaret Cox was also present. She speaks so gently that you can hardly hear what she says. We sat outside on the verandah until the summer cold penetrated the bishop’s wife’s consciousness and we moved inside for what turned out to be a lovely evening, with robust conversation and plenty of humour. The meal’s first course was two different sorts of paté on a paddock’s worth of green leaves, made most palatable by a yoghurt dressing. This was followed by a piece of grilled salmon with new Jersey potatoes and “mange tout” (in strine “mangy towt” or “peas still in the bloody pod mate”), followed by rhubarb crumble. In spite of their extreme left wing views (the Bishop and his wife regard Mrs Thatcher as little short of demonic and have been providers of relief and hospitality to members of the terrorist organisation SWAPO and so on) they also subscribe to “The Spectator” because of its wonderful writing, so there were great areas of common enthusiasm, and the Bishop’s wife loves the writing of Paul Johnson, a Spectator columnist and favourite author of mine, though she had never realised that he has written lots of most readable histories. We talked a little about the local Dundee rector who writes detective novels which the Bishop considers to be less than wholesome in tone! The bishop bought all three (there are now four) as stocking fillers for his grown up children, and then took them out because he thought them to be too filled with gratuitous violence, as well as revealing an old fashioned attitude to women. The novels are self published, the Rector concerned seeming to have his own little publishing business! The Bishop is a detective novel fan and prides himself on being able to work out “who dunnit” in almost every such novel he ever reads, but these particular books are too clever for him and defeat him. He gave me a copy of one of them, and I later read another without detecting anything in either of them that seemed to me to be at all less than wholesome. The Rector who writes them is a very hard-working priest indeed, apparently almost a workaholic, doing fifteen or sixteen hours hard graft a day, and so having no time at all for writing. Once a year, however, he departs to Teneriffe on holiday and his wife, who loves the sun, lies all day in it like a lizard, while he, who hates the sun, sits inside and writes thousands of words each day, producing for the last four years a book a year!
Tolerable guests
The bishop and his wife half expect Fr Ashley to be so taken with Australia that he will try to secure a job there. The Bishop’s wife thinks he should do so because, for some strange reason, she considers there to be no future for young children in Britain, because it is an overcrowded, decaying, concrete jungle. They have a high regard for Ashley and especially for his success in attracting young folk to Invergowrie. The Bishop’s wife suffered an attack of meningitis recently and now likes to be in bed by 10.00pm. As we were only kicked out at 11.00pm we must have proved tolerable guests. Certainly from our point of view it was a good and enjoyable evening.
Before the end of the University term, there was a Social Work/Chaplaincy buffet lunch, both departments or groups having areas of common concern. The luncheon was held in the Tower Room Restaurant at the University, nine stories up with a splendid view of the Tay. At the time the tide was so low that mud flats were everywhere and the pediments of the old rail bridge that was blown down with a train on it in a gale in the late 1800's were visible. There was not a great number of folk present, about fifteen. The food was good, smoked salmon, both in sandwiches and on open crusty bread, little pastry thingamajigs, potato chips and crisps, dips and what not. Also strawberries and cream. We had little plates with a plastic bracket on them to hold a wine glass, so freeing your second hand to press food upon your far from reluctant mouth. I talked to a beautiful young woman who is adviser to foreign students, of whom there are many, and to the melancholic looking Methodist Chaplain, as well as to Jacqui, the Chaplaincy Centre secretary and a good friend and ally to me. Another fellow came over to tell me about a canvas copy of a “labyrinth” that he sets up once a month in the chapel. It is a copy of one on the floor of Chartres Cathedral. I gather it to be a sort of spiral path heading in to the centre which, in medieval times, represented Jerusalem or the New Jerusalem. The idea was, and is, that you walk slowly, sometimes on your knees, the three hundred yards of pathway, saying prayers, on pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the centre. In ages gone by it was a substitute or symbolic pilgrimage for those who could not make the real one. In the Middle Ages these symbolic journeys eventually fell into disuse and labyrinths on cathedral floors came to be seen as mere decoration until an American researched them and revived the practice, selling canvas copies of them and eventually causing Chartres to bring theirs back into use. (to be continued)
DURSLEY LANTERNS
My Mother says that at Dursley in Gloucestershire, when ladies and gentlemen used to go out to dinner together on dark nights, the gentlemen pulled out the tails of their shirts and walked before them to show the way and light the ladies. These were called “Dursley lanterns”.
Kilvert’s Diary - 1873
BOSWELL AND JOHNSON
Some time ago I finished reading an excellent book called “His Presumptious Task”, which is all about James Boswell’s writing of the greatest biography in the English language, his “Life of Johnson”. There was far more to Boswell than meets they eye.
Johnson is a hero of mine, one of those all to rare, brilliant men, who while superficially odd and even a little mad, yet has his feet on rock solid moral ground. Here is a lesser known example of his wisdom:
Johnson:“There’s as much charity in helping a man downhill as in helping him uphill.”
Boswell: “I don’t think there’s as much charity.”
Johnson: “Yes, sir, if his tendency be downwards. Till he’s at bottom, he flounders. Get him to it, and he’s quiet. Swift tells that Stella had a trick, which she learnt from Addison, to encourage a very absurd man in absurdity, rather than strive to pull him out of it.”
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthdays
Sophie Bell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9th July
Adrian Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10th July
Pat Gibson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11th July
Betty Pleming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14th July
Jon Daivis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14th July
Dorothy Cook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14th July
CONFIRMATION CLASS
There will be no Confirmation Class this week, hopefully there will be one the following week.
THE REVD. DR. CHRIS SHIELDS
Next Sunday, July 15th, Dr. Chris Shields has kindly consented to come and take the 8.30am and 10.30am Eucharists.
STUDY GROUP
The Thursday night Study Group meetings resume on the 26th July at 7.30pm. This time it will consist of a video and discussion: “What’s so amazing about Grace”. The group will meet at Carole Henderson’s home. Place your name on the list in the Narthex if you are interested in attending.
GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP
“MOVING ON”
The next meeting is this Tuesday, July 10th at 6.30pm. There will be a Casserole Tea at 6.45pm and a Guest Speaker. It takes place in the Narthex at a very reasonable $5.00 a heard. R.S.V.P. to the Parish Office 58217630 or put your name on the list. This should be very worthwhile.
EVENING GUILD LADIES
Please note change of date and time for next meeting. July 12th at 1.00pm, in order to set-up for Garage Sale on the 13th and 14th. Elaine McMullen-Secretary
“SIMPLY SOUL SOOTHING”
Tuesday 10th July 12.15-12.45pm with a very good luncheon to follow at a cost of $5. All are welcome. On the 17th July at the “Simply Soul Soothing” reflection, we will hear from Ella Egan about her beautiful hanging in the church. To facilitate responsible catering there is a list in the narthex for those who would like to attend.
VESTRY MEETING
There is a Vestry Meeting on Wednesday, in the Library at 3.00pm.
DIOCESAN SNOW TRIP
The Diocesan Youth Snow Trip takes place from Fri 3rd August to Sunday 5th of August. Forms and information are in the Narthex.
GARAGE SALE July 13th-14th
Goods for the Evening Guild’s Garage Sale are welcome now. They can be picked up, if necessary, and stored safely until the sale or they may be dropped in at the church. Phone Merle 58 315601 or Elaine 58 219404 for further information. The Sale is this weekend Fri 10.00 - 3.00; Sat 8.00 - 12.30.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
July 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Afternoon Guild/Den
July 17th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baptism Preparation
July 18th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Council
July 26th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Fair & Garden Party Committee meeting
Aug 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pastoral Care meeting
Aug 26th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dedication of Sculpture & Wall Hanging
Sept 8th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 1.30pm
Sept 8th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 3.00pm
Sept 15th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 1pm
Sept 15th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 2.30pm
Sept. 27th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair & Garden Party Committee mtg.
Oct 6th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 2.30pm
Oct 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Breakfast
Oct 13th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 3.30pm
Oct 15 -18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clergy Conference
Oct 25th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair & Garden Party Committee mtg.
Oct 27th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 1.00pm
Nov 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parish Fair
Nov 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 3.00pm
Nov 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 5.00pm
Nov 24th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 2.00pm
Nov 24th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 3.30pm
Dec 1st. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 2.00pm
Dec 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Breakfast
Dec 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding 4pm
Duties for 8th July 2007
Vigil Eucharist at 6pm Sat 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.45 Dookie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anne Russell
Celebrant 10.45 Katandra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anne Russell
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norm Weaver, Liz Gyles
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Evans, Jenny Pleming
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Volunteer, Michelle, Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Lear ,Tom, Jack Lear
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Margaret Neaum, Children
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Henderson, Bev Condon
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny Pleming, Chris Evans
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bev Reither, Jeanette Berry
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny Moran, Charlotte Brewer
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norm Mitchelmore, Joe Pearson
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Alan Akers
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shirley Dean
Welcome Tbl.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.30 Dorothy Cook 10.30 Dorothy Cook
Duties for 15th July 2007
Vigil Eucharist at 6pm Sat 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Bryce
Celebrant 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Shields
Celebrant 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Shields
Celebrant 8.45 Dookie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Bryce
Celebrant 10.45 Katandra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gail Bryce
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeanette Smith, Heather Fitzgerald
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Noonan, Joan McCann
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Volunteer, Michelle, Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny, Bethany, Sophie
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victoria Heenan, Carole Henderson
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Griffin, Heather Fitzgerald
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carole Henderson, Bev Condon
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bev Ralph, Roz Dunlop
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joy Campbell, Frank Steen
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Trevor Batey, Joy Campbell
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charlotte Brewer, John Pleming
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Griffin
Mowing 14th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kay McGregor, Merv Cowland
Welcome Tbl.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pamela Lee, Roz Dunloop
REQUESTS FOR PRAYER
Liam Bognar, David Burrow, Holly Butterfield, Goldie Coe, Dorothy Cook, Nance Cook, Donna Dyson, Mavis Euling, Frank Harder, Frank Holla, Denise McKellar, Margaret Neaum, Margaret Noble, Margaret Osborough, Elsie Rae, Edith Robins, Jan Riches, Peter & Eva Swindells, Laurie Tinning, Lil Utley, Lorraine Vogul, Bill, David, Joan, Alexandra & Charles, David & Judith, Buffy, Peggy, Yvonne.
Rest in peace
Jean Hastie, Terry Rogers, Anne Garner
Anniversary of death
Win Erwen, Adrian Nichols, Betty Mercer, Berris Challis, Iris Climas 8th, Carl Harrison, Bill Dimitropoulos, Stella Grimes 11th, Frances Crosby 12th, Nellie Crosby, Jean Dwyer, Velicka Rendevski, Nancy Cowan 13th, Valerie Westwood, Sue Humphreys, John Doherty 14th .
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Mon 9th July
Rector’s day off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Tuesday 10th July
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
12.15pm Simply Soul Soothing - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
4.35pm Wedding interviews
Wednesday 11th July
7.45am Mattins only- Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
3.00pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
3.00pm Vestry/Library
5.30pm Choir Practice for 10.30 Eucharist
5.30pm Wedding interview
Thursday 12th July
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Eucharist- Harmony Village
1.00pm Evening Guild Preparation Meeting
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Choir Practice
Friday 13th July
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Guild Garage Sale (Until 3.00pm)
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
Saturday 14th July
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist
8.00am Guild Garage Sale (Until 12.30pm)
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist
Sunday 15th July
8.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
8.45am St Luke’s Dookie
10.45am St Mary’s Katandra West
5.30pm Evening Prayer