Watching the ward go by

Well fascinating day so far sitting in hospital. The diversity of cultures makes for interest . The way people speak could so easily be misunderstood for rudeness . But it’s not just culture.

Then there has been the amazing patience of the doctor who explained at least fifty times to a father about his daughter. How he did not lose his cool I don’t know. And we all had to listen to the Father on his phone time and time again. Poor girl in a bed just wanting to rest . 

Looking around I still wonder why people voted for Brexit.  If many of these staff had to leave no way could this hospital operate , literally . That’s true for most of our hospitals. 

Well one daughter had her op and we wait to see if she is discharged tonight. It’s looking good which will please her. But you can tell she’s not there yet as she didn’t ask for her mobile !!! So far it’s been ten hours .

Half term - a break ?

Sitting in Newham hospital having brought our youngest daughter in for an operation makes for a different experience.

We had planned to be in London to look after our granddaughter for  a few days as son in law in Australia and eldest daughter teaching. This we have done and it’s been great fun reading books, singing songs,  drawing - well making marks on paper , and generally messing about. 

However the visit fortunately coincided with our youngest daughter need to have her gall bladder out . So now sitting on the ward waiting for the consultant and the operation in about hour and a half. Strange to be in Dad mode and not Minister mode. Just glad we can both be here with her . So nurse has been and the consultant so we wait.....

Time to plan next trips out for granddaughter . So far it’s been September London Aquarium and the chance to build on her interest in sharks. October it was London Zoo . On seeing the Camel it was Grump. Great days out. So what’s the next trip? The science museum? That may have to wait as the Sheffield Circuit waits to  see if potential new ministers are directed to visit. That will take up two weekends in November so no visit to London for me.

Of course some of the best moments with a granddaughter are just the way she recognise you. A great smile as she comes into the bedroom first thing in a morning . Or when cooking she just comes up and says Granddad so clearly . Then she changed it to granddee . 

So we sit waiting and observing. 

Youth work - Konnect 5

Firth Park Church does not stand still while waiting for its church building to be renovated. Just s few months ago we started a youth group for year 7 and above on a Sunday evening once s month. Soon the young people wanted to meet more regularly . Now with 24 on the books we meet on the second and fourth Sunday of the month. Food, games, and general conversation and a fantastic group of youngsters mean the leaders enjoy it just as much as the young people . It’s another sign we are a church community that is alive and growing . If you want to know more contact the church office firthparkmethodistchurch@gmail.com

moving things on

Firth Park at last is seeing the beginning of the work towards bringing the main worship space (church) back into use and to get it ready for part to be a soft play centre.

Half of the roof is in process of being renewed to make it watertight. Then we will be able to move onto reshape a space ready for the soft play equipment. 

The working party did a great job in lifting the pews ready for sale .

It’s a good job we are as rain finds its way through the roof and suspended ceiling . 

So we continue to seek grants to enable us to complete stage one .

Firth Park is an area that deserves to be invested in. We pray as a church that by serving our community in another practical, way people will know there is a God who cares about them. 

back to work from Cornwall

Final day in Cornwall saw a very relaxed day with sunshine and a picnic down at the small rocky cove.


Then an evening stroll along the cliff path to

the Cadgwith Inn. A great fish meal at the end of which we could listen to the local Cadgwith Singers entertain in the bar as they do each Friday night.

Then it was the long journey home thankfully broken up the the diversion to our middle daughter's home near Oxford. Staying overnight meant that as our Son in law has taken on another organist job at Deddington Parish church a visit was requited to check the place out.

Always good to see how Churches convert their premises to make them usable. This one can hold a market inside, concerts and live streams its worship.

Sunday morning meant Jill could go to worship at Christchurch Oxford where Jonathan was playing for the service.

Finally we made it home Sunday evening and a week of catching up before the final event of the summer which took us north.

Good friends from our days in Leigh-on Sea, Joe and Mary, were celebrating their Golden wedding anniversary.

Thankfully the sun shone and on arrival we found ourselves as expected amongst familiar faces from our past.

I had married John and Jill, their son and daughter in-law.





Then there was Trevor and Gill whose daughter Emma, I had officiated at her wedding.  Then another Jill whose dads funeral I had taken.

Before I knew it I was reliving my past and hearing everyones news.


So back to leading worship on the first Sunday of the new Methodist Year.

In particular, it was a wonderful time with the morning Firth Park Congregation joining our afternoon family worship centre congregation. We made our covenant promises together, having begun to explore what our future together might look like. It's the beginning of a process of exploration of how we can serve more effectively by pooling our resources. To see such diversity of age, race and styles worshipping was a little miracle. Today perhaps we had a glimpse of what Jesus hoped for when he prayed 'that they might be one as we are one'

Return trip to Trebah gardens and a puncture!

With a sunny morning and breakfast outside we decided a return visit to Trebah Gardens, which we had so enjoyed earlier in the week was the plan for the day. Especially as having paid once you get to go back in again free for the week.

It was well worth our time to walk parts of the garden we had't managed earlier in the week.







Small things make a delight and capturing a dragonfly pausing is just one of them.

It was from Trebah that some troops had set out to invade Europe in World War 2.













Now we know why you don't see the loch ness monster in Scotland. Its sitting quietly in a pond in Cornwall!!!

The delightful wooden bridge set over the larger pond makes for a great reflection moment.












Where ever you wander there are great views

 The bottom pond almost reaches into the sea. Its as if the hedging is between the two.

So all in all a great time and we made our way back to the car. As we drove off the message appeared on the dashboard 'you have a puncture'. Now having lived in Sheffield as great as it has been. It's the only place we have lived where we have consistently had to get the tyres fixed because of punctures. Do the local tradesmen throw their nails on the road in partnership with Kwik fit? So there I am having to put on the spare with two kindly women stopping to give helpful advice as to where the ATS garage was, and oh I always have a pair of rubber gloves in the car to keep hands clean!!

So off to Helston carefully we made the garage in time and encountered the Cornish wit of the mechanic. As I took out the two old rusty deckchairs we keep in the car for holidays, we felt obliged to make an excuse for their ancient history and that we came from Yorkshire. He commented on our need for new ones and "we do have a pound land here"!! Trying to deflect him I asked him was he not impressed I could take a tyre off and replace it "bet the AA man did it for you" was his quick retort. He was an absolute hoot, really friendly and helpful.  When it came to paying ....it took for ever. He wanted to talk and it turned out he was a West Ham supporter so that was it. Talk of last nights win over Cheltenham, the match against Chelsea last season and the madness of clubs keep changing managers "after all only one team can be at the top"!! So profound. In  giving our post code he then asked for the number of the house, "239"  "oh we don't have streets that long round ere" 

Finally we were on our way back to our cottage and a delightful evening with the owners of the cottage who live next door. The evening air was filled with a great deal of a laughter as we compared notes on children, holidays and life.

Sadly just one day to go

Coverack & Kennack Sands.

The wonderful thing about Cornwall is the sheer number of beautiful coastal communities to visit. Even better still you don't have to travel far to get to them..

After a leisurely breakfast outside! and a good read, we decided to go to Coverack which has recently experienced the terrible flash flooding.















It still has a privately run harbour and one or two businesses were having work carried out to do repairs.

Well what to do after a walk up and down? Obvious Cornish scones , cream and jam....








Then it was back to the cottage to put our feet up and read.

Still time then for a late afternoon coastal stroll to Kennack Sands a favourite place for kids wanting to play with their surf boards. The tide was just beginning to come in and the waves just starting. I just had a slight tinge of regret I hadn't brought my body board this year. But only a slight tinge as while the sun was shining amidst the clouds I do require it to be really warm.

And so back to cook tea eaten outdoors with a visitor looking for scraps. He's not as nimble as last year but just as friendly and takes delight in licking our feet.

Tuesday - Serious walk!! and Mullion in the evening.

The weather continues to be good and with no desire to drive anywhere it was time for a proper coastal walk. That is after breakfast outside which always for us makes it feel like a proper holiday.


So off down to the local cove and along the coastal path that takes you all the way if you want, to the Lizard.
















Through the small fishing cove of Cadgwith,



































pass the 'Devils frying pan'











 and out along towards Church Cove ( the one that's on the East side of the Lizard).
































Time for a coffee so we headed in land towards the Lizard village stopping to chat a woman who was delivering her news sheet around the 'Church Cove' village.  Turned out she goes to the local village Church, used to go to the Methodist!!

As we walked into the Lizard we pass Ann's pasty house....so yes we bought a couple for our lunch which after a coffee we ate on the Lizard. They were good and filling. Duly fortified we cut aback across country which took us pass the local farm that sells the milk and 'ice cream!!!!!!' .


So a good 8 - 9 mile walk left us feeling content, so time for good read and chance to finish a book sitting in the sun. Oh and face time our granddaughter what a way to spend a day.

So it was with fading hope we drove to the West side of the Lizard to watch the sun set. 

Sadly too cloudy as we sat on the cliff overlooking Mullion harbour with a small glass of white wine. 

The sun tried but to no avail.

Trebah - Monday

Monday and the sun is shining so breakfast outside a must to start the day of well.










Then it was off through the narrow country lanes to visit the beautiful gardens at Trebah which go down to their own beach.





The necessary coffee and cake to build up the energy. Then off we went for a walk through the four and half miles of pathways that wind down through water features, a Hydrangea valley, pond and so much more to the beach and back again.

 A commorant posed wonderfully for me!!!

It has its own small amphitheatre

I tried to capture the reflection in the pond nearly.

And some folk were hanging around off wires practicing for a a performance.....

If that was scary, try driving back a different route thanks to the Sat Nav. It felt like every time you got going a car came at you, reverse back to a so called passing place and off you went again. Yes I caught the wing mirror but thankfully it did not break.

A return visit is a must before we head back to Sheffield.

Cadgwith Saturday/Sunday

It's a long way to the Lizard and when travelling in August it takes even longer with heavy summer traffic.

So it's very welcoming to be greeted by the owners of our cottage with a message , fresh bread, cakes and milk. They were also here to say hello to make sure we had everything we needed .

 An evening stroll took us down to the Cadgwith Cove Inn and a fish Tapas that was a delight. A welcome from the owner who remembered us from last year again helps to make you feel at home.

Then it was a walk back up the hill in the dark with the wind up torch.



















Well as we expected, but not as bad as it was, it rained most of Sunday. A chance to recover from the travelling, read books and chill. So it was a late coastal walk that we finally put in amidst the rather dismal but now dry weather- well mostly.


The cove at the bottom of the lane where we are staying looked at grey and misty.
the camera kept catching the rain drops on its lens.......

 Then at least we could return to the delightful converted barn for a well earned cup of coffee.