Friday Off!

The grumpy chauffeur put the vehicle into gear and moved off.  We were on a journey to a far away land on the edge of that place where dragons live. Twenty minutes later, after rushing up to each white line, traffic signal or bus stop the bus let me off at the correct stop, misery guts mumbling to himself as he went.  
I made my way in the warm sunshine (not a phrase found often in these pages) towards the church called St Mary with St Leonard passing as I did so one or two interesting old dwellings one of which had an interesting old builder standing there staring at the scaffolding on which he was supposed to be working.
Like almost all Essex churches this one goes back over a thousand years.  The basic structure has changed greatly since it began but a mass of Roman bricks can be found among the flint filled walls reflecting the huge Roman villa or villas that once stood here.  Such buildings abound round here and I was told that Roman items are constantly being found by farmers and others.  
It is likely that a wooden Saxon church stood here at the time the Normans arrived probably built on the space used for worship of pagan gods before conversion.  Certainly the Normans would change the landscape by erecting strong stone or flint churches to indicate their presence and that they were not merely passing through.  This has been a successful design as a huge number of such churches can be found here.  Even though much renovation occurs through the years the early work is often clear enough to see.
However being on the edge of a big city the church door was firmly shut against passing bandits.  This is a shame as few can afford to have a guard on duty all day and light fingered folks abound.  So I wandered about the large churchyard drawing stares from passing dogwalkers.  The path leads to fields where the animals are taken daily and many were seen wandering about, all on leads in the churchyard.

    
Naturally my eye looks for the white CWGC stones that stand over all war dead men.  One here actually died in 1951 so it will be interesting to know about him if that becomes possible.  Only one woman with a dog passed by almost greeting me with a smile but not quite managing this and I did manage to avoid the chap in red wandering about pointing ostentatiously at the stones and muttering things.  Moving to the other stone evaded the possibility of conversation although this may not have been in his mind.  Sad to say I am not sure what was.  He did drive away the fat pheasant and his maid I noted at the far side and they had vanished by the time I got over there.   

 While many churches possess Roman bricks I have never seen so many as here.  This was just one section and others could be seen marking the end of the original Norman building, now of course extended but leaving the Red bricks in place.  It is thought the Saxons were forced to carry these from some distance away and from this a story grew that originally the church was to be built in one place but dragons would come out at night and move the stones to where the church now sits.  This may be the work of an ancestor of a tabloid journalist who originated it of course.

The abundance of blossom and little flowers, blue and yellow that abound at the moment is brilliant. These do not always come out properly with me as the light fools my camera, it is not used to sunshine, but I love to see these flowers often growing wild by the roadsides around here.  It makes Spring a marvellous sight.  

Having wandered around I took a few pictures and once I have looked again at them you will get to see all 98.
What?...oh! 

Friday Wander

Wandering about Camolodunum today I discovered the Orthodox Church of St Helen tucked away round the back streets.  Greek Orthodox do appear in many byways in the UK, one in Bayswater was a large and wealthy church with all the top people attending, this sadly is somewhat run down today.  The picture makes it look better than it is (adjusting white balance to shade does this) and I was disappointing for the people there as it must cost a bit to maintain.
I was glad of the cool rest on a muggy day and took one or two shots and sat and looked around me. As the do the place was covered with icons, something I can never comprehend.  To me the book says read the book, baptism and Lords table, anything else, no matter how long it has been in vogue, is needless.  Yet in Orthodox circles such abound.  I wanted to take a few more shots but was disturbed by some unsmiling Mediterranean patrons who arrived, mother kissing several icons, dad another, all glaring at stranger.  I attempted to exchange a few words but was not made welcome and moved elsewhere.

The church was originally built in the eighth century possibly by King Offa of Mercia (the English Midlands) who had overlordship here.  The building was erected upon the foundations of a Roman theatre, this being the actors end, the ground rising behind.  Just a few doors up there is a small unopen museum where some remains can be glimpsed as can this model.

After the Boudicca revolt, she was upset when the Roman governor slapped her around, raped her daughters and grabbed her land, she was irked enough to burn down Verulanium (St Albans) Londinium (London) and Camolodunum (Colchester) and all those within, so the Romans strengthened the walls of the town, butchered most of her people and settled down in their new theatre.  Walls around the town were added quickly, just in case.
So the church was built on the foundations of the ruin and thin red Roman bricks can be seen in the walls.  Something seen on so many churches in Essex, old Roman villas are often reused. 
The Normans rebuilt what is now known as Colchester castle, although it was never really such, and around 1079 rebuilt the church which was a bit run down.  The reformation removed all the needless stuff and the building served many purposes until once again restored during Victorian days.  The Orthodox looking for a building now rent this from the Anglican owners and this gets used regularly after some years of standing empty or being used as a store.  How can such old buildings be used this way? 
Some believe St Helen, the mother of Constantine was born in King Coel's Castle, Colchester Castle, and this may be true I know not, she was probably born in Asia minor however.  She dug deep under Constantine's original Church of the Holy Sepulchre and found pieces of the 'Holy Cross.'  I have been down the steps leading to this area and have my doubts personally.  The idea of his mum with pick and shovel digging down intrigues me however.  British connection exists with this pair however as Constantine was declared Emperor while at York while his father Constantius Chlorus was governor of Britain.
Typical Yorkies!
The East Saxons living here by the way gave us the term 'Essex' and the present Essex County badge features three Seax's, the curved sword loved by the locals at the time. Some would love having one today if you ask my opinion.

Standing outside the 'castle' today you get a real understanding of the defensive position.  High on hills on three sides once the Roman walls went up it was very strong indeed.  The Romans of course never took the place by force, the locals in Kent and Essex welcomed the advantages Rome could bring and those that didn't got chopped.  The town had many Romanised locals and ex-soldiers residing their in safety until the man upset Boudicca.   After that a more Roman approach was adopted.

The comparison between Colchester and Chelmsford intrigued me today.  Chelmsford, the County Town (now City) is boring, however it is clean for the most part and while there are a few dregs walking the streets on the whole it is quite decent.  Colchester on the other hand is at first sight dingy, crowded and features many who appear either disreputable or had great social needs.
I have never seen beggars in Chelmsford but they exist in Colchester.  There are a great number who at first sight would be happy to appear on the 'Jeremy Kyle' show, other painted hussies of unclear age look like they have walked out of 'Eastenders' after having received too much make up and clothes clearly too young and too small for their wrinkles.  The nature of the narrow Roman like streets does not help even if it lends more attractiveness to the town than you find in Chelmsford.  Here at least a wide variety of small shops exist, some prospering for a decent time, but a dreich day gives the place a dingy look.
Having said that the area on the other side of the High Street slipping steeply downhill contains many houses going back hundreds of years, or at least newer homes built in similar style, this area known as the 'Dutch Quarter' after the Fleming's and others from France and Flanders escaping Spanish or other oppression in the fifteenth century.  Much of Essex gained from these immigrants, most of whom were weavers or dealers in the wool and cloth trade.  We might benefit from those immigrants arriving today by the way.   
Strangely I prefer the variety of shops in Colchester, many of them and a good selection, but it is a bit in need of a good clean.  Chelmsford has its uses but it is boring, just a big shopping centre and little else.

On the wall of one of those houses I found this and it reminded me of those similar signs once used in days before a fire service.  The householder would insure his house against fire with one company, a sign would be placed on the wall, if a fire broke out he would call the company and men would arrive to save the house.  No sign, no firefighting!  Edinburgh I believe was the first city to introduce a proper fire service, and I am not surprised.

I Took a Walk Today

I decided at the last minute I was going to take advantage of the bleary sun that appeared in between the clouds to go somewhere new today. Remembering the buses use a different timetable on Saturdays, and don't run at all on Sundays, I checked the supposed times online.  This gave me just enough time to grab my coat and run.  I then returned and put my shoes on.
I thought of a place to go and sitting upstairs at the front with the sun shining through the windows it was almost like Spring, if you ignored the clouds.  We proceeded apace and after about twenty minutes I judged we were nearing the stop for the place that was in my mind.  So I rang the bell and as they say, alighted.  Quite what that word means I am not sure.  Does it mean I got lighter by getting off, could they imply be leaving the bus that object of delights felt lighter?  I know not and worried little about it at the time.      
It appeared to me my goal lay just down the road and I proceeded in an easterly direction, as the constables would say, before deciding to first walk up the short street marked 'Dead end' as the sign pointed to the church of 'St James the Less.'  Less what we will ignore for now.  
On the way up the road I noticed the kind of thing often seen in the back roads of English villages, on this occasion it was the turret of an American tank sitting in the front garden as if this was a normal sight to see.  In this part of the world, in among the quiet bungalows where nothing but wife swapping and money laundering are the usual pastimes people often parade their hobbies for the few passers-by to enjoy.

  
Whether the old tractor in the rear actually works these days I doubt but the American truck looks like it may sometimes be used.  
I sauntered on passing the quiet houses, enjoying the near seclusion from the world hurtling by less than a mile down the road and arrived at the small church.  To the right, just behind the car park, lay a field, the recently ploughed earth a light brown colour as it waited for the offerings beneath to start sprouting. Two houses stood on the other side and nothing moved, not even a bird.  

The church was erected in 1130 but I failed to discover by whom and for whom. Such churches were often built by the local Lord for the villages in his area but I know not who he may have been.

Much altered since the 12th century, and renamed St James the Less in 1365 in stead of St Mary for some reason, the church conveys and impression of age. The mustiness in the air pervades the building heightening its attractiveness rather than lessening it.  Somewhat darker than the photos show light fills the place today through two large windows on either side, I think these may have been the ones inserted in the 14th century.  It is always something to admire when we talk of buildings renovated so long ago. This small church has been used by people for hundreds of years, mostly agricultural types, I suspect there was little else on offer then, working themselves to death every hour of the day on what must have been back breaking toil on the fields.  

     
One interesting recent discovery was the aged paintings that once ran round the walls.  Most of these were removed during the reformation but the majority of these appear to have survived reasonably well. Of course years of whitewash have hidden them so this may have preserved them to some extent but it also damaged them so these are difficult to interpret at first sight.  The explanation booklet I could not find but one day I will discover more.  

  
The old beams above the window may hold the roof up but originally this was probably a thatched roof, tiles would come later.  Many houses around here remain thatched and the Thatchers art was dying out by the 1960's but demand has once again trained men to the job.  needs must I suppose.

One small portion of coloured glass dating from the 1400's is found high above the window in the apse. Too insignificant for reformation zealots but maybe the windows in this church were not stained in any way, money would be scarce.

Sadly such buildings are usually locked as light fingered peoples appear looking for treasure, I however was fortunate enough to get into this one today.  There is no treasure here, the building itself, and the wall paintings, are the treasure and one worth visiting.  

I was much taken by the organ, which I suppose actually works, especially because of the size.  What a delight, however I am not keen on organ music as such and my delight might fade if I heard it in operation.

The round end and building material can be clearly seen here.  The rubble used is typical of local churches.  No stone in sufficient quantities here, occasionally Roman bricks can be seen where once proud villas have fallen apart and been reused by the Saxons and later Normans for their buildings.

Naturally I found a dead soldier in the graveyard, there is usually one somewhere.  Even little villages like this, still only a handful of houses, only seven families in 1810 and only a couple of dozen hoses in the area now.  How many attend the church I wonder?
Anyway having enjoyed my fill of the delightful place I wandered on towards what I thought was my intended destination.  As I walked I realised I may have made a mistake somewhere as this appeared to be failing to make an appearance.  My knees ached, the weather became warm, so I jumped on a bus to discover I had indeed got off at the wrong stop by about three miles!  The bus pass came in useful!    
The destination was a church I often pass on the bus, it was locked!
Maybe the good Lord took me to a better place, certainly he knew more about where I was going than I did!
My knees now ache, I need to eat a large steak and sleep for a week! 


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Nothing!

Another Sunday comes near its end and my mind is empty.  I wore it out emoting today and there is little left once darkness falls and my plate of badly cooked leftovers rots inside.  It started the usual way, I spent several minutes wondering if I was awake or still dreaming.  The voices in my head turned out to be some plonker of 'Talksport' discussing fishing with a man on a mobile phone. As is normal with such calls he was either talking from inside a cardboard box or speaking Chittagonian, I know not which. Either way this did not interest and I scrambled wearily for the remote on the pillow, it being to far to reach out from under the blankets to the wireless, and changed to the early Radio 4, here the weather forecast threatened me. This ended and offered me uninteresting news so I moved to Radio 5's childish news service and quickly amended that to Radio 3.  At last something that did not prattle or irritate the early morning mind.  

'Choice' is one of those buzzwords politicians use when lying through their teeth, choice in hospitals, choice in schools, choice here there and everywhere, however the choice is limited and often unavailable. Radio and TV offer choice, you can tale what they offer or lump it!

Early morning radio is poor and I spend more time on Radio 3 with the music filling the space between my ears than the wool mill like noise that emanates from the morning news hubs.  One lying MP is up against another misinforming the nation or perhaps a supporter of Black faces a White fan and the debate gets nowhere much to some smug BBC voice's satisfaction (and £2-300,000 a year is satisfying!).  

The mind was awake during the wee talk by the minister in the Kirk at ten, or half past when he got around to speaking.  The week I had was not good, much was going wrong and this bugged me all week. The reminder of what we live for, or indeed who we live for was important.  How we respond to his call, opening ourselves to him personally and living it out all  rang bells in me.  I made a list of things to amend, it's about eight feet long, and have already added to it.  Tsk!  If I believed him whom I believe strangely enough difficulties might increase but I would cope better with them.  Life will always have problems.  He has never failed me yet, so I had better up my game I say. 

I spent some time around noon searching the fifty or so TV channels on offer for something to fill half an hour.  The set works fine, good picture, acceptable sound, colour OK.  The programmes consisted of mind blowing pap and little else!  Soaps, forty year old episodes of 'Columbo,' or comedies unwatched in the 70's. Did you watch 'On the Buses' more than once?  How come this is a favourite of so many?  Why is it repeated I ask?  PC stops some being repeated, usually those that had wit and humour, why is 'pap' allowed?  The shopping channels had more talent than that exposed elsewhere, and I do not mean the films so old their colour was fading.  Now there are millions of decent old documentaries hidden away somewhere in this world, some occasionally coming into view, but far too few for me.  Modern documentaries are too concerned to constantly keep moving, 'Locomotion' was so bad at this that to show speed Dan Snow chose to run frequently, why?  The cartoons were not allowed to be themselves, they were animated so that they too were constantly on the move! What sort of 13 year old mind produces this tripe?  Why not stand still and tell the story?
I was so glad when the football arrived!

However the Edinburgh Derby, when the Heart of Midlothian defeat Hibernian is an exciting gripping affair and this dilutes the feeble English efforts at this type of contest.  Watching Manchester City defeating weakened Manchester United was so boring I fell asleep for ten minutes in the second half.  My snoring woke me up and must have annoyed the rest of the house!  Later it was a much more interesting contest, Villa v Spurs, and while not as enjoyable as Spartans versus Clyde it kept my attention from sleep.  
However these games take away all my emotion.  The mind is worn out with stress and rest is required. You will guess that Bach is playing in the background.  Yes indeed Bach is my favourite Welsh composer. Typically the music ends as I write that, innit a game eh?  We now have Handel to use care on.  (Geddit? handle with care? oh forget it.)  
See, I told you I had nothing to say and nothing has been said.  Tomorrows list of things to do lies awaiting being ignored by my side, rain clouds gather above waiting for my early morn dash to Tesco to unleash their contents while others suffer sunburn and have the audacity to complain about the heat!  I had better go and prepare myself by having some beauty sleep, not that I require that of course....  


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Another Book Endeth

While in Colchester a while back I obtained, at half the £3 price, an aged version of Bede's 'History of the English Church and People.'  £1:50 in my view was a decent price although the original price was six shillings when reprinted in 1960!  Six shillings is worth today Thirty Pence! How come old things are worth more as time passes yet you and I appear to be worth less? From today I am going to wear a price tag!

Bede was born in the year 672 or 3 near the modern day town of Sunderland in England's green and pleasant north east.  At least it was green and pleasant at the time!  It is possible he came from a 'noble' family who wished him to enter the monastery as monks were influential at the time.  Several women, of similar backgrounds became Abbess's and highly influential in the politics of the day.  His life otherwise would have been as a Saxon noble a very fraught lifestyle.  
Bede, who called himself 'Beada' when he wrote, his name being altered to Bede by time and language. He entered the monastery at Monkwearmouth when seven years of age and worked between there and the later monastery at Jarrow for the rest of his life.  He did however travel to York and Lindesfarne and it is possible he travelled further.  The only means at the time being horse, boat or feet!   His life, which he clearly enjoyed, was one of study, teaching, writing, and the monks daily routine.  Bede died on Thursday, 26 May 735 (Ascension Day), aged 62.

Bede was committed to his study and he was certainly in the right place, the library at the monastery contained around two hundred books, an enormous amount for the time, and these covered both religious and classic authors. Bede wrote scientific and historical works as well as theological.  His books also covered music, something that was very important to the monks, grammar and chronology. New music arrived from Rome and this had to be taught to the monks throughout the land.  He knew Greek and wrote is readable Latin
His best known work is of course his 'History.'
There is a slight problem to begin with here, the book is titled 'English Church and People,' but this requires some explanation.  Bede was an Anglo Saxon, an incomer after the Romans had left around the four hundreds.  To Bede these Saxons, divided into several realms, were the 'English.' When he talks of the 'British' he refers to those living in the west, usually Wales.  The 'Scots' are of course Irish and the Scots Christians originate from Iona, an Abbey begun by Columba many years before.  Those from Scotland were of course Picts, a people who have disappeared from sight, although their DNA still hangs about many Scots ('Scots' Scots that is).  The Scots religion is almost identical with the Roman version brought later by Augustine to Canterbury but Bede spends an inordinate amount of time to ensure they get the 'correct' date for Easter!
Simple really when you think about it.

Wiki

Bede is keen to record the Kings who became Christian, that is Roman Catholic. Those that do are praised as noble, those that do not are seen as bad pagans. Bede tends to a bias against Mercia possibly a bias caused by the Mercian's unhappy habit of attacking his people.  The Kings appear to be happy to war with one another whether 'Christian' or not it appears to me.  The job of being King tends to involve a lot of war, and there was a lot of war in Saxon times.  
The 'History' was completed in the year 731 and begins with a geographical account and a history dating from Caesar's invasion.  Christian Roman Britain, St Alban, and Augustine are covered, the latter bringing Christianity to the Anglo Saxons.  Bede covers Penda, Edwin, the Council of Whitby where the Scots (from Ireland) lost out to Rome, and on up to his own day which he leaves tantalisingly as he has no way of knowing what the future will bring for his people.  

Bede's Christianity is very Roman Catholic.  His admiration for Rome, a place he is unlikely to have visited, is clear.  This is surprising as his knowledge was great yet he finds no conflict between being a 'priest' and no such role being found in the New Testament!  His obedience to Rome removes such questions from his mind.  Throughout when he informed of a miracle, some of which are interesting, others somewhat dubious, he appears to accept them without comment.  Possibly he merely adds them as this was what those in his day accepted as fact. These are often accompanied by an explanation that the story originated with someone honest. Some do appear unlikely but for myself I have found such things, moments where God works in the lives of those around us, and why should he not?  At times the narration appears to consist of who was Bishop, when they died and who replaced them.  This can be wearing after a while. The historian will find this useful but it makes for poor reading.  One Bishop looks like any other to me.  The same can be said of the Kings.  Names arise and fall, first in one area then another, some become famous others are soon forgotten.  Those that return to paganism are seen to die soon afterwards, those that stay 'faithful' die glorious deaths or are killed by wicked people.       

I confess this was a disappointing book for me.  It would be wrong to expect a history similar to those published today however the listing of peoples while useful is somewhat drab.  Too much concern for the 'correct' date Easter and almost nothing about the daily lives of the people outside of the monastery walls.  To both nobles and monks the people were the lower orders and their absence except when being preached at tells us something of the separation of the important people from the common. This is not what Christianity should offer!  
For those interested in the 'dark days' of the Anglo Saxons this is a must read. We know so little, although much is being discovered daily, that Bede shines a light into the world later vanquished by the Norman invasion of 1066. The world of monks, often in freezing conditions, writing their books, often wonderful pieces of art, the fields farmed by those possibly on subsistence levels, the wars, the Vikings, the rich jewels of the royalty, and the land.  Land used mostly for farming with the cold North Sea in the background.  Even today the north of Northumbria near Lindisfarne is quite empty and to me always an attractive area.  I wonder however how empty the land was in the seven hundreds?  Small huts would adorn the land, villages and towns would prosper, and many travelled the highways, covering many miles, whatever the weather. Not sufficient tales are told of these people by Bede, most of his tales come from within monastery and Abbey walls.  I feel this is a lack indeed. 

Bede may not have known this but he was recognised for his scholarship in 1899 when he was declared by Rome as a 'Doctor of the Church,' the only 'Englishman' named thus.


Bede  :  Durham Tomb  :  Bede's World

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A Small Mistake

A small but not fatal mistake was to rise when not quite awake and cycle up the old railway when not quite up to it.  Weeks have passed since I journeyed up there, it showed!  Oh how my knees are letting me know it showed!  Still, I saw the sun, even though the cold air cut through me, I saw the countryside again, the occasional dog walker, one or two joggers and most of them being what I call 'London overspill.'  These are folks who commute to London during the week and never return the 'Good morning,' as London folks do not know how, and stare straight ahead as if you do not exist.  During the week the passersby are much more friendly.  
Returning to home quicker than expected I returned to bed to recover.  After that I forgot to do anything much and spent the day watching football.  Other things can be done later......

  
Lighter mornings that make me rise early, sunny evenings that offer interesting skies, but I ignore them to watch the football and suffer aches.  Good job I am not one to complain, that's all...

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'Sunday' on Sunday....

Waking from an enjoyable dream that dissipated instantly my bleary mind was welcomed into the world by the wireless.  Hiding my eyes from the bright light that came through the opening in the grubby curtains I listened far from attentively to yet another bland Sunday morning BBC offering, this one cleverly called, 'Sunday.'  This purports to be a news programme for those who have some sort of 'faith,' and results in being another middle class liberal approach to the subject like most everything else on Radio 4.  Jesus is rarely mentioned, his book only to find 'inconsistencies.'  I heard news of the pope tweeting in Latin and this was followed by another justification for 'gay' vicars as apparently the Church of England has made another compromise regarding this.
I switched off.
I can only take so much from the 'blind leading the blind' that I thought stuffing my unhealthy breakfast down my throat and having the weekly bath more important.  My neighbours consider at least one of these important also I have found.  Worse still there was no 'Match of the Day' to watch while straining to keep the eyes open.  Instead I stared at the blank TV screen out of habit. This is a bad sign.
  
I cogitated on what had filtered into my mind.  In his book 'Knowing God,' Jim Packer tells of meeting a man who has been removed from his job in an Anglican establishment because he actually accepted the bible as the word of God.  He was a bit down because of this but on the other hand as he put it, "I have known God, and they don't!"  What he meant is clear, the others had a religious opinion, he on the other hand had 'met' Jesus in a very real way, as indeed all Christians have.  
He did not necessarily mean seeing any manifestation but in a very real sense Jesus himself had revealed himself to him.  It can happen suddenly and sometimes unwanted, as it did with me, or over a period of reflection, however one day the individual can say they have 'met' with God.  The bible will become clearer when this happens, although as this man discovered not everyone will accept this.  Too many in all churches today have not met Jesus, their religion is based on 'loving others,' but it lacks something, the God behind it.  That is why evangelical churches grow and established ones fail, if there is no Jesus the church becomes at best a social club.  This may be nice for those attending, but it is not God.  The one who has experienced Jesus in his life is never the same again.  The bible guides the believer into an understanding of who he is and what he is, those who fall into opinions not based on what is found there suffer many problems.  The Church of England today suffers because they no longer base their life on this book.  Instead many who have not experienced the Living God offer platitudes and opinion, a church indeed without power. Jesus power changes things! The subjects this morning included gay priests, yet the new testament has only one priest, Jesus.  He is both the offering for our sin and the Great High Priest, through his atonement we can be saved and find a new life. The fact that this never crops up in such programmes indicates the failings of the programme and the CoE.
Gay priests?  You cannot be a 'priest, the new testament has only 'elders.' Their job as church leaders is to point to the Messiah himself, not priests who stand between you and God.  
Can a Christian be homosexual?  Yes, but he will know this to be not part of Gods plan and seek to bring this under Gods control.  Those who advocate living together and same sex marriage are far from their God and clearly in the wrong.  The Christian has to bring every aspect of his life to Jesus and put it under his authority.  Many fail here.  Jesus however knows those who are his and is always there to forgive the repentant and support them as the attempt to follow him as a disciple. 
Some have decided it is 'discrimination' to oppose 'gay priests,' on the grounds of 'equality.'  This is false.  'Equality' it is not, equal as an individual but gay behaviour is not of God.  It is correct to oppose anything that harms Gods world and his people.  There is indeed discrimination, we find it where Christians are harassed and abused by the gay lobby simply for speaking the truth.  News reports have spoken of many harassed this way, even though the report is biased against the Christians.  The laws recently passed on the UK and Scotland will soon see many churches suffer for refusing to allow gay marriage.  Some will be taken before the courts, courts which will support the gay lobby as they have shown often before.  We must get used to this, in days to come those who know their God will be asked to suffer more than this. The west as a whole is going through a change which will affect each one of us.  It is not just the climate above that is changing, the liberal west has lost all sense of any 'absolute.'  The spirit of the air is determined to keep it this way.  We need to be clear where we stand, either for Jesus opinion or for the worlds.       

The church, whatever denomination, must return to preaching Christ crucified and his Lordship. Those who meet Jesus realise their need and must change their ways, turn their life right around and put their faith in this man who is God.  They can receive the forgiveness for sin from the one who gave his life on the cross for them.  Their life will then be hard, but Jesus will never leave them, I have found this, and if he continues to still be here for me he can be there for you.  Jesus is alive, and those who know him have many tough times, but he is worth knowing.


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Thursday Shopping!

This depressing view is how we shop today.  Romance tells us that in the past small shops were friendlier, more sociable and more human.  The last is certainly true!  The sociability and friendliness depended on the shop owner but their size at least was easier for as human to comprehend.  Today large shopping centres are geared to the rich man in his automobile, leaving a depressing emptiness outside, even if clean and safe.  The large buildings house all those shiny things we long desperately for, whether they make us happy or just fill our emptiness is another question.  Today in search of something shiny I took myself to the Stanway centre by bus, I left the Bentley in the garage.  

Now some weeks ago it came into my head to fix the broken PC, I need this in working order in case the laptop dies, dead computer means life as we know it comes to a halt, and that will never do! Struggling with this idea I was in Chelmsford, at Maplins shop, investigating a motherboard an other nameless bits on the shelves there.  My brilliant brain decided to leave it and investigate PC World and the vast stocks on their shelves, therefore I was here in their Stanway shop.  Here I discovered, via a friendly and competent young assistant, that since uniting with 'Curry's,' PC World/Currys no longer stock the inside bits for PCs, only shiny new ones.  The young lad suggests I try 'Maplins,' they stock motherboards he offers helpfully.  My slumped shoulders headed for the bus stop where I caught the next one into Colchester itself in the vain hope that their shop would be readily available in the town centre, it wasn't!  Bah!  So I wandered about, avoiding the charity and book shop temptations keeping my eyes upwards looking in case something interesting was to be found.  Several bumps into people and street furniture later I changed my approach.

      

Behind the Roman wall at what once was the edge of town stands St Mary at the Wall a redundant church that has stood here for around a thousand years and now is merely an 'arts' centre.  I suspect it will be an excellent venue according to the many big names that have appeared there, it must hold a thousand or so in the main hall.  Had it not been for the dual carriageway someone had dumped in front of me I would have had a closer look.  

This is a pub called 'The Bull.'  They have enabled even the daftest to realise this by placing a 'bull' high above the door.  This of course was what was done in days of yore when education was lacking, even the daftest could tell the difference between a bull and a Swan, as many were named.  The flags are out to tempt people to watch the 'Six Nations' rugby which is on at the moment. Sadly the sun shines on the other side of the street hence the dullness.

  

The Edwardian's liked fancy buildings!  The Baroque Town Hall was built in 1902 with a rich patron, James Paxman, paying for the tower soaring high above crowned by the statue of St Helena the towns patron saint.   Inside and out it represents the wealth the men of the town wished to impress upon the world, and bask in reflected glory themselves.  No doubt some of those men were around when Henry Charles Fehr sculpted the war memorial raised in 1923.  The usual words bedeck the memorial as the townspeople attempted to believe their war was indeed just and glorious.  Memorials raised today do not inspire such admiration I think.

I was unable to find 'Maplins,' probably because it lay on the other side of town from where I landed, so instead had a closer look at the 15th century gatehouse to St Johns Abbey, the only remaining part of said abbey.  Besieged during the English Civil War, which was not very civil as may lost their heads here, the gatehouse survives although behind lies merely a car park, and only for the use of the members of the organisation based here.  

At one time this supported a statue of either a saint or a local worthy, today it just wears away in the rain.  The siege may also have caused damage, the twin was almost worn away.  

Inside the small gate reflects the small size of people in those days, six foot tall people were unusual at the time, and I wondered about the people who peered from the windows at those waiting outside for them.  The Benedictines moved in late in the 11th century and moved out when Henry VIII kicked them out.  The Abbot refused to hand the place over and was gently hanged just outside the gate. Henry had no patience in those days.  The Lucas family took over and moved in, sadly they supported the crown during the civil war in 1648 and this led to their end and the bits of damage to the gatehouse.  The buildings inside disappeared over the years.

I was impressed by this wee house, dated 1823, clearly enlarged since and more so round the back I noticed, but remaining a delightful small cottage.  I am not jealous I state here, not jealous at all.  St John's Green primary school also drew my admiration, although I am not willing to attend there.  Built in 1898 in a kind of Dutch style it reflected the weaving history of the area and the Flemish connections from the past.  

  
As infants rarely have the ability to read I am struck by how many old schools put directions above the doors to ensure the wee ones went into the right area. Maybe they were a wee bit brainier in those day?

This area abounds in churches that date back a millennium, the disused Church of St Giles goes back to the 12th century but I am not sure what it is used for these days, signs are not obvious. The tower got my attention, that appears very Saxon in its style but it dates from around 1700ish.  As always it has been amended and added to over the years but now lies quietly surrounded by the iron railings that also go back to the 1700's.  

Behind me as I took this picture lay the main police station, the cells I believe lie behind the small square, thick glass windows I leant against, you may no better.  When this station was built in the 80's an archaeological dig discovered 371 Roman burials and this building dating from 320 - 340.  The evidence indicates this could be the earliest church building in the British Isles but further evidence is wanting.  Some reckon it is possibly a Roman soldiers Mythraeum, but they would, wouldn't they?   Ever known archaeologists to agree?  Bah!

Having wandered around the town with my money still in my pocket I splashed out on a £1.50 coffee from this man at the bus station and well worth it it was! I was intrigued as to how somebody ends up running a very successful coffee stall and it transpires this man is an ex-serviceman.  That got me wondering also.  Now he may be happy in his work, he may be making a good profit, this is a busy place to operate, and he may well make sufficient to keep his family happy but it suddenly seemed sad that a man who risked his life in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan should be running a coffee stall.  As stated he might well be happy but it seems to me men who have risked lives for the nation could be getting better treatment than they do, especially when they are capable, knowledgeable and possess that amiability we often find in such men. I am just glad he is as fit as he is, IDS would be naming him in parliament otherwise.

While admiring Coggeshall's old buildings and remembering I was going to visit there I found this cat that I noticed last time.  He slinks on the roof high above the crowd looking for birds that are not gathering in front of him.  Maybe they think he is real!  It reminds those with cameras to always look up, and check it is safe to do so, as above the shop doorways there is often something intriguing awaiting you. 

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Thomas Telford

On this day in 1757 Thomas Telford, canal, road and bridge builder, entered the world at Gelndinning, a rural farm in Dumfriesshire.  His shepherd father died soon after he was born and poverty suffused his early life.  At 14 he was apprenticed to a stonemason later working in Edinburgh before making his way to London in 1782.  Self taught for the most part he was a natural engineer and through William Pulteney he obtained the post of Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire.  While there he not only renovated many public buildings he also began to erect some forty bridges in Shropshire alone as part of his daily duties.  

In 1793 Telford designed and built the Ellsmere Canal linking Wrexham, Ellsmere and Chester with the Mersey.  This included erecting the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct 126 feet over the River Dee. This engineering marvel is still in regular use today by canal boats.  As Telford's reputation grew his opinion was requested in many spheres, Liverpool water, London Bridge and a twenty year job building the Caledonian Canal to improve communication by sea in the heart of the highlands.  This involved a thousand miles of new roads, another thousand bridges, improvements to harbours at ports throughout Scotland as well as the development of the canal itself.  All this at a time when the Navvy, armed with pick and shovel, completed the work by the sweat of his brow.  The death toll from accident as well as overwork must be enormous.  Alongside all this Telford erected 32 new churches and developed almost 200 miles of road in the south west of Scotland.  This at a time when muddy roads were the norm and transport consisted of foot, horse or coach.  Thomas improved on the development of MacAdam roads, changing the material used to strengthen the road surface.  The churches were paid for by parliament and erected in areas devoid of a place of worship.  £1500 was allowed for each building and Telford's design skillfully reduced the cost to a mere £750.  I wonder how many still exist, possibly as expensive homes today.

Telford constructed roads throughout England and Wales all with their accompanying bridges including the Menai Bridge.  The face of Britain was changed completely when his roads were completed.  Canals, roads, bridges and this was soon followed by the entrance of the Railway age, changing the nation once again in a different manner.  Telford's roads and many bridges however are still in use, many now expanded, improved, but still following the original way. When he was referred to as "The Colossus of Roads," by his friend the poet Robert Southey few would have disagreed!   Late in life he completed St Katherine's Dock next to Tower Bridge in London, a place still full of boats today, tunnels, canals and roads were still in his mind when he died in 1834.  Telford was 77 when he died and had never married.  He left no blood relation and had he married and became surrounded by a family would he ever have completed so many great public works?     

Thomas Telford was so great an engineer that many roads, including one near my home area in Edinburgh, were named after him.  However in Shropshire the new town was called 'Telford' in commemoration of the great man.  Few of us will ever have that accolade!

He was a Scot you know, did I mention this?

Thomas Telford  Caledonian Canal  Ellsmere Canal  Thomas Telford Salopian

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All I want for Christmas.....

I passed the 'Seat' shop early this morning, before any of you were up, and decided that this would be an ideal Christmas present, for me!  There were two reasons for this, one the colour yellow is the safest on UK roads it appears, and two, it was the cheapest car in the pound.  A mere £5999, a snip for the rich amongst us.  When I got home I checked the £2;34 in the savings account and at 0.001% a year I may soon be able to but this car myself, what?...oh.

I learned to drive in a Seat Ibiza and very nice it was too.  A nice tight 'feel' to it, although the driving instructor did keep in it tip top condition, not counting the time yon lassie rammed it against the left hand side and scattered them across the road of course!  He thinks of that still!

On the way I passed the setting up of a 'Boot sale.'  You will all be aware of this, people driving, paying the man in charge a £5 note, setting up a small table or blanket, and selling all the junk in the house they wish to lose.  I am told there are many bargains to be had but when I passed nothing had begun and I had no cash.  Why these boot sales always occur early on a Sunday morning when I have other things to do I know not.  Why not use a Saturday I ask?  It would suit me and my piggy bank better?   People are so selfish I find.

My Sunday ended in here, the first time I have been inside.  I should say I took the picture earlier when the heat of the day had returned, chased away the mist and made the heart glad.  These English churches fascinate me, it is very different in Scotland you see.  Places like this go back hundreds of years and many bear traces of the events history has wrought on them.  This was possibly began as a Saxon church and was developed as the town grew once the market began in 1199.  Roman brick can be seen in places and the graveyard may well have been used by them and Saxons, though not at the same time!   An unusual Anglican church this one, they appear to believe in God!  Pews, arches, interesting things in corners I would have liked to look into, and as I sat pondering I pondered on the Victorians sitting stiffly in these pews, each in their place, the unwilling dissenters from the years of the reformation forced to attend unwillingly, the vicars who canny men that they were led the people wisely, the vicars from distant times who may not, and who may not even have been able to read that much!  Pilgrims passing through, beadles using sticks to control 'rowdy youths,' a panoply of a thousand years of the towns history.  As I was having difficulty following the sermon, acoustics not as good as I hoped and his speech a slight hindrance, I mused instead.  Nice to be in such a place, in spite of the Anglican way of doing things. 

Oh yes, and for collectors of doors we have this narrow item.  I suppose this is used by those wishing to climb into the ancient tower, and those who each Monday practice ringing the bells.  There is not much point in being a campanologist if you are too fat, says he taking his stomach of the table.  

I told the vicar and he tolled the bell mate.

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Ancient Rural Scene

As my bike and I shook and clattered along the ageing path I stopped to cogitate on the farm in the distance.  I wondered how long folk had farmed this land?  Certainly there was a Celt Iron Age settlement around here somewhere when the Romans brought us roads, wine, revolting Boudicca and failed to take Scotland.  Interestingly enough Tacitus wrote of his father in law who was governor here twice in the 70's and 80's.  That's first century by the way!  His name Agricola, as in Farmer!  Good job his dad was into growing things and not a plumber.  Not that Agricola did much in the way of farming, unless you call dealing with rebellious Celts a kind of reaping.  Hunter gatherers from the distant past were in Essex 8000 BC and by 2000 BC some had become resident in the district.  It is possible the trees which covered the area were cleared soon after this time I guess and so for around three thousand years this area has provided fodder for the people in one way or another.  Not long when you consider Iraq has been doing the same for about ten thousand years but I find this strangely fascinating.  Not so the farmer who rushed past me in his Japanese 4x4 leaving the dust to settle on my almost clean bike.  I blame the EU!

That church has stood there for between 800 and a 1000 years also.  It may sit on a Roman cemetery, which may sit on a Celt one, and the Saxons may even have built the first church around 600ish there, or not as the case may be.  So rarely do i see this view it took me by surprise.

I also came upon this poppy sitting almost alone among greenery in a siding.  These excellent bright plants appear almost everywhere at this time of year.  The colour stands out and as they are found everywhere, and probably unstoppable at that, I suspect they will be around for a very long time.  I wonder if some Afghan will go around and make some money out of them in a wee while....? 

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