Falling Trees

Well, we survived the St. Jude's Day Storm (as it's now become known). Part of our wooden back garden fence was blown down, a length of about six feet was completely down, another 12 feet at a forty-five degree angle.

We got off lightly. At the nearby port of Newhaven a 14-year old boy playing at the seashore was knocked into the water by a large wave and is believed to be drowned. Nationally, four people were killed by fallling trees. May their souls rest in peace.

During the five-minute drive to church this  morning, we saw two fallen trees/branches.

At Goldstone Villas, a substantial part of a larger tree was knocked down, the fallen branch resting gently on a parked car.

And, at the juction of Blatchington Road and Hova Villas a large tree had fallen, blocking the Hova Villas road. By the time I arrived (9am) workmen had already cleared the road and the tree was moved to the side.

Flung Spray and Blown Spume

When I was a kid, I loved John Masefield's poem 'Sea Fever' and today I was reminded of the lines -

'...And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung sprayand the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.' 

In Brighton & Hove we are battening down for what is forecast to be the worst storm for years, with possible hurricane-force winds. Already, about a day before the worst is due to hit us, the winds are strengthening, the seagulls have disappeared, great rollers are crashing onto the shore and spray and spume is leaving the water's edge carpeted in white - like an early shower of snow.

 

For the kids, it was a great oppportunity to play in the spume...

 

 

And for at least one brave (or foolish) adult, it was a chance to paddle in the freezing waters...

 

 

There is something elemental and awesome about the power of nature. It's easy to get lulled into thinking that nature is something that is there for our benefit, that we can exploit it or do with it as we please. After all, we build bridges and roads, dam rivers, reclaim land from the sea, mine oil from the depths, move effortlessly through the skies and the oceans.  

 

And then the tsunami, earthquake, flood or hurricane strikes and we are reminded that we are not masters of our fate. I've sat through quite a few typhoons in Asia, even experienced a couple of (small)  earthquakes in Tokyo, but the most frightening experience I've had was the last hurricane to strike England - the Great Storm of 1987, 26 years ago.

 

I was living in a small block of flats in the centre of Hove then and found it impossible to sleep with the shrieking of the wind and the mysterious crashes and bangs outside. The worst point was when the entire building trembled and shook with the fury of the wind. At least in Asia buildings are constructed to withstand periodic earthquakes, but not, I suspect, in Hove - hurricanes and earthquakes are simply un-English!

 

When dawn eventually arrived I tried to listen to several stations on my portable radio but there was no reception, just crackling and static; I imagine the local transmitters had been knocked out. It felt very much like the end of the world...Later that morning I drove around and saw plenty of felled trees, damaged signs, tumbled walls and, out in Peacehaven on the coast road, several houses with roofs torn off.  

 

I hope it's nothing like that tomorrow. In the meantime, the 124-year-old Palace Pier is majestically surfing the waves..

 

Our other pier - rather, what is left of our other pier - the West Pier, looking like the remains of a giant birdcage, is grimly hanging on. It is even older than the Palace Pier, being built 147 years ago but it was closed in 1975 and, since then, two fires and several storms have reduced the remains to the sad and jumbled mess of girders it is today. There will probably be even less of it by daybreak tomorrow. 

 

 

   But, remember, even in the midst of the storm, we are not alone.

Loneliness and the Elderly

 

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the plight of the lonely, particularly the elderly. Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary was quoted yesterday as calling the plight of the ‘forgotten million’ lonely elderly people a ‘national disgrace.’

Mr Hunt, who has a Chinese wife, contrasted the situation with the position in Asia where the elderly are reverenced and respected. Moving the elderly who can no longer live alone to a residential care home is a last – and not a first - option for their families; there is an unspoken social contract that the younger and more able will care for their elderly who need help, and, in return, they will expect to be looked after when they become infirm.

Indeed, a recent poll by the BBC suggested that 48% of all adults experienced loneliness, especially those who live alone and the elderly. This makes sense as the highest number of people who live alone are aged over 65, however, the survey also found that people aged 18 to 24 experience as much loneliness as those aged over 60 (the presumption is that people in their 30s, 40s and 50s are busy working and have a household of children or teenagers).

I can’t speak about the incidence of loneliness in the young but it is certainly a reality for many of the elderly. An elderly friend I visited recently in her care home felt isolated from the other residents, regarded them as not particularly welcoming (or too elderly and infirm to be outgoing and sociable). The staff were young and jolly but could only spend a little time with her. She sorely missed her cat, which had died recently while she was in hospital. Not a reader, she rarely watched TV, had mobility problems and sat by herself from 6.30am until bedtime. If that isn’t loneliness, I don’t know what is.

The good news is that there is a large number of charities and other organisations that try to alleviate the loneliness of the elderly, from Age UK to council workers, to church lunch clubs to day centres. But I suspect that there will always be more people in need than those available to support them and identifying those who are lonely is often difficult, particularly those who still live alone.

So, it makes me happy to be able to give a plug to the St Vincent de Paul (SVP) Society. The SVP is an international Christian voluntary association with over 10,000 members – all unpaid volunteers -  in England and Wales. It exists to alleviate poverty and offer direct practical assistance to anyone in need.

Much of the SVP’s work is befriending visits, particularly to the elderly, where it offers a sympathetic ear and practical help. Often all that is needed is some company, but the SVP can also offer practical help if needed, such as transport to the doctor’s, shopping, writing letters, gardening, changing a light bulb and so on. It can also call on the Parish or district SVP group to provide specific items of clothing, furniture or anything else that helps individuals and families get by, sometimes even financial support on a short-term basis. Our Sacred Heart Church SVP volunteers also work with the local prison and hospital chaplains groups, visiting prisoners and patients.

It is fair to say that most SVP members - certainly the ones I’ve met - are no longer young, many are retired and have the time as well as the inclination to do voluntary work. They are naturally sympathetic to and have much in common with the elderly people they befriend, so they relate well. The SVP group at Sacred Heart has been operating since 1907 – more than 100 years ago – although it is safe to say that none of the founding members are still in place!

So, if you know an elderly person who might be lonely, why not check to see if they would like a visit from the SVP?  

Race Night at St. Thomas More's

 

Happy Punters

The second most important highlight of the Catholic Year in Brighton & Hove is the famous Race Night at St. Thomas More's Church Hall in Patcham. This was the 14^th year of the Race Night and proceeds of last night’s racing – several hundred pounds - were again donated to the Cabrini Children’s Society.

(If you were wondering...the most important highlight of the B&H Catholic Year is the annual Catholaity Fair. The 51^st annual Fair will be held in Hove Town Hall on 9^th November 2013).   

The Race Night is a marvellous example of what ingenuity, a little craft work, imagination, dedicated volunteers and a lot of hard work can achieve.



More Happy Punters

While the setting may not rival Ascot, Aintree or Goodwood, it has a certain charm, the going is always good to refreshing, rain never affects conditions - and a fish and chip supper plus a couple of glasses of wine is included in the modest £10 entry ticket. Punters can ‘buy’ and name their own horse for £5 and a certain horse called ‘Hargausiumei’ was entered in Race 3, the Patcham Stakes (more on this later).



the 'Horses'



the Racetrack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The racetrack was clearly laid out on the floor with white tape and the six horses, rather less than life size, were almost works of art. There was the usual large crowd of more than fifty racegoers in attendance, clutching race cards and excitedly discussing odds. The minimum bet was twenty pence and the maximum £3. Half the money was paid out as winnings, the balance plus extras went to the Cabrini Children’s Society.



the Odds



Stephen



Odds were calculated by Stephen on his laptop and posted before the ‘off.’ Jockeys were recruited from the horses’ owners or from volunteers on the night.

There were six races on the card and the movement of the horses was decided by...the toss of a dice. Two stewards roamed the course with boards and invited racegoers to toss the dice for each stage of the race.

I'm Winning!

Some jockeys were seriously intense, crouching over their steeds, racing hats pulled down, while others might have been in a wild west show, whooping and waving their caps. No-one fell off, although there was some gentle nudging, and the crowd was quite vociferous in egging on their favourites.

- and now I've won!

Hargausiumei was slow from the off and the jockey – Mrs Hargausiumei – appeared as laid back as the horse, convulsed with laughter for much of the race. However, after a few lengths she found her stride and a sudden burst of speed left her in second place. Despite pleas to use her whip (if necessary, on the leading rider) she came in a close second. I’m afraid I lost a whole pound on the race.   

It was hard to chose but I think the last race was the most exciting. The horses were neck and neck throughput the race and there was a tussle right up to the finishing line. The horses, Ding Dong, Giddy Up, Beefburger, Adam’s Apple, Coming Soon and Doomsday made the most of it, but there could only be one winner. Mary’s friend, Mrs R, was delighted to receive her certificate and the winner’s bottle of bubbly from Brendan, one of the organisers.

So, many thanks for another great evening to Peter and Jo Cropp and all the volunteers from St. Thomas More’s Church.  

Bibles

Among my addictions is...Bibles. There’s something about a Bible that fascinates me, I love their petal-light and silky-smooth paper, the blackness of the covers, the gilt edging. And, of course, the content has something to do with it too.

So, when I pass a bookseller I look out for Bibles and even make a special trip to religious shops to browse the selection on display. I would like to say that I have read all the Bibles in my possession from end to end, but of course I haven’t. I do buy many Bibles, especially pocket-size New Testaments, with the intention of carrying and reading them - but then something always happens to change that plan...and then when I’m next in a shop - or away on a trip - I remember that I would like a good edition for reading on the fly... so I start buying again.

Recently, I made an inventory of ‘Bibles’ in the house and the grand total was 30 (19 full Bibles, 7 New Testaments, a book of the Gospels and one of the Psalms, a Franklin electronic Bible and an audio MP3 version). Not all of these were impulse purchases, quite a few were for specific research or were received as gifts. None of them are valuable in monetary terms but each of them is appreciated for different reasons. Let me explain what I mean. 

I think one-year-reading-plan Bibles are a great idea. For a first – marathon - exposure to Holy Writ, they are ideal. The first one I read was a New Living Translation version, which has the advantage of simplicity of expression and the disadvantage of simplicity of expression. In other words, it reads like a newspaper – a tabloid – but it was based on a revision of the Living Bible, which is not a translation of the ancient texts but simply a paraphrase of them, and one done using ‘dynamic equivalence’ (the sense of the message expressed in modern terms, in a form and content equivalent to the original expression). Because of this, some of the accuracy of meaning is lost and the editor’s bias, intentional or unintentional, intrudes. It has some other faults as well but, despite all that, I enjoyed it very much, and it gave me entree to the Bible as a complete book.

 

However, if I was to recommend a one-year Bible now, I’d prefer one of the many New International Versions that are readily available. It’s a translation not a paraphrase, translation began as recently as 1965 and it has largely succeeded in its aim of using idiomatic twentieth century English. But it is not ideal for everyone as it was translated from an Evangelical Protestant perspective and shows the expected bias of that viewpoint. Nevertheless, it reads well.

 

Speaking of reading well, what can compare with the Authorised King James version? There is a sonorous majesty and beauty of the language that transcends time and is hard-wired into the national consciousness. Certainly it is inaccurate at times, overtaken by modern scholarship and contains archaic and obsolete expressions but it still has power to move the spirit. It was the version I grew up with and I’m fond of it.

However, when I want to research something, the Bible version that I normally reach for is a ‘literal’ version such as the New Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition). Not as literal as the RSV but a better read, up-to-date scholarship and good for study and prayer. Other versions at the ‘literal’ end of the continuum include the King James Bible, the New American Standard and the Douay-Rheims Bibles. The dynamic equivalence end includes the New Jerusalem Bible, the Good News Bible, and the Contemporary English Version. The ubiquitous New International Version and the New American Bible are somewhere in the middle.

It’s worth knowing whether you are buying a Protestant or a Catholic edition. While the Protestant and Catholic versions of the New Testament are identical, the Catholic Old Testament has 46 books, seven more than the Protestant version (these are the Deuterocanonical books or second canon for Catholics, also called the Apocrypha or false writings by Protestants; they include books such as Tobias/Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, and the First and Second Maccabees).

But, really, there’s no such thing as a perfect version. The best version-  as a wise person once said - is the one you’ll actually read!

It’s not just the version that matters, there’s also the personal association. For example, one of my Bibles is a large-print red-letter King James version, that belonged to my uncle, the one I’m named after. It’s lovely, with embossed wooden end boards, a little battered now, bearing his name stamp and it is overprinted ‘The American Colony Stores, Jerusalem, Palestine.’ It was probably acquired during the Second World War, when he was a chaplain with British troops and visited the Holy Land. 

Speaking of print size, the older one gets the smaller the Bible font seems to be. I’ve found that it is not worth ordering Bibles from the internet. Too often the font is not mentioned and when it is stated it does not always turn out to be the stated size. Even if it turns out to be the right size, the quality of the paper used makes a huge difference to the readability of the text. Some paper is almost transparent and the text from the other side bleeds through making it very hard to read, or the paper is a mucky grey colour and the typeface muted so that the text does not stand out well. 

Honourable mention goes to two very readable and pocketable editions, New Testament editions of course - it’s extraordinarily difficult to get a truly readable small edition of the complete Bible. For me, the Zondervan ‘pocket thin’ NIV version works well, although the text is barely bold enough. The other is a NIV edition published by the Gideons, with superb bold text but a shade cramped, although the plastic leatherette cover is very durable (it’s not on retail sale though, it’s one I’ve ‘acquired’ from my son, who was presented with it at school).

Maybe there’s a better pocketable version somewhere out there? Time to start looking again!