Honeycomb—On Line

Honeycomb July 2011

Rector′s Remarks

I guess we have heard news items about lorries following satnav ending up stranded on farm tracks. My response to such stories is to ask, “why on earth did the driver not notice that he (it couldn’t be she could it?) had to be on the wrong road?”.

Err – yes it could be she. A couple of weeks ago I had to go to Somerset road, Edgbaston in Birmingham. I hate driving in Birmingham because the few times I have done it negotiating spaghetti junction and the city centre as been nerve racking. Knowing this I took the belt and braces approach navigation. I looked up the route on the AA website and printed it off. I also looked in my map book to see the route. Then I put the postcode into my satnav and set off. As I approached Birmingham my satnav took me on a different route to the AA – not an uncommon event so I followed the satnav. I noticed that the road signs were not mentioning Edgbaston instead I was being led to Erdington but I continued to trust the satnav. Eventually I arrived at Somerset road, Erdington. I did not know where I was in Birmingham and my satnav would not admit to Edgbaston’s existence. The map book was not detailed enough to help. I have since learned that Erdington is north west of Birmingham city centre whilst Edgbaston is south east of the city centre. However, at the time I was totally lost – just as thoroughly as the lorry driver up the farm track.

Why had I ignored the warning signs telling me that I was not going in the right direction? The first clue was the difference to the AA route but the real danger signals were the repeated road signs. I had ignored them focussing only on the satnav. Why was I so stupid? The answer is that it was easier to follow the satnav because it talks to me so I could use my eyes to concentrate solely on the traffic.

Whilst I waited for the friend I was meeting to find her way to Erdington and then guide me to Edgbaston I had time to think about my predicament. Once I had done with telling myself how stupid I had been, the parallels between my failed navigation and the spiritual journey came to me. Spirituality is something we all have. It is the core part of human nature that seeks an understanding of and a relationship with the cause and purpose of existence (which many of us call God). If the relationship is developed it will influence our behaviour, manner of life and attitudes towards others.

Some people ignore their spiritual nature either consciously or unconsciously often because all the other aspects of life seem to leave no time to think about the spiritual or it seems easier to ignore it. If they do that then they are drivers who do not plan their journey just allowing life to take them down varying routes without any sense of direction.

Many people are aware of their spiritual potential but are not sure of how to fulfil it or think they do not have the time to explore. These are the drivers that roughly know where they want to go, central Birmingham for example, but do not know exactly what their destination is.

Some people consciously develop their spirituality but often find it difficult keeping a relationship with God. I typified such a person during my failed journey to Edgbaston. In the spiritual journey it can be hard to stay on the right route towards God. If in the past we have found a route that has worked it is tempting to keep with it even if it is no longer working. That is the same thing as I was doing in my dependence solely on my satnav. In our spiritual journey, it can be easy to rely on one thing only and ignore the danger signals telling us that we have slipped off track. We need to be aware of what is going on around us in all our life so that we notice the danger signals and adjust our journey accordingly. If we do that, it will enable us to journey towards God and the rich fulfilment that that will give us.

By the way, I just hope Birmingham is not destined to be part of my journey towards God as I hope never to drive there again!

Jan Brookshaw

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What NOT to do before you go on holiday

Criminals just love Twitter and Facebook. Now they can locate unattended homes so much more easily - often within seconds of people posting comments about being on holiday on these social networking websites.

Thieves once had it hard – having to wander about neighbourhoods, peering over hedges, bribing milkmen, looking for empty houses. Now it is so much simpler: they stay at home and surf the internet - and can track down your address from a one-line posting within 60 seconds, according to researchers. Thieves look for messages such as ‘packing my cases’ and ‘just landed’ with a smiley face, only hours after the sender’s location was given as an airport.

How do they do it? A check on the family name and, for instance, the name of their child’s school, cross referenced with an online address database, shows the location of the home. The study, by Co-operative Travel, goes on to warn people that their children are the worst offenders, as 51 per cent of young people tell their all their friends about the forthcoming holiday....

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Social networking at the wheel

There is another reason to be wary of Facebook and Twitter apparently increasing numbers of motorists are actually accessing them while driving – with potentially ‘catastrophic’ consequences; the police warn. With the new mobile phones giving us access to social media, people are using their phones at the wheel even more, not less, despite the change in the law. Sometime the temptation to update our details on Facebook is just too strong, and we attempt it while driving.

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Is it really ALL Nick Clegg’s fault?

‘Have I Got News for You’ has made its living out of ridiculing our politicians, who are all, apparently, cheats, idiots, liars or philanderers. Margaret Thatcher was the ‘milk snatcher‘, Tony Blair was B. Liar, Gordon Brown was a muppet. And now Nick Clegg, who isn’t even Prime Minister, has become the subject of the most cruel and persistent tsunami of political ridicule that I can remember. You would think that single-handedly he had cut our wages, barred thousands of young people from university and put up the price of petrol and food. Oddly, the ‘real’ prime Minister seems to have escaped most of this opprobrium. It’s all Nick Clegg’s fault.

Several commentators, noting this phenomenon, have described Mr. Clegg as the ‘scapegoat’ for the nation’s ills. They mean by this that he is bearing blame that should rightly be apportioned more widely - that he is being abused so that others can be spared abuse.

However, that’s not quite what happened to the original scapegoat - the word, of course, comes from the book of Leviticus in the Bible (chapter 16). On the annual Day of Atonement, when the people of Israel mourned for their sins, two goats were brought before the high priest. He laid his hands on them, confessing all the sins of the people. One of them was then taken away and offered as a sacrifice. The other one was taken out into the desert where it was set free. That was the ‘scapegoat’. It was the first goat that bore the sins of the people. The second one was a picture of forgiveness. As the Psalmist says, ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has (God) set our sins from us’. The scapegoat ran free. Like the Lamb of God, Jesus, it ‘carried away the sin of the world’. Between them, the two goats represent the process of forgiveness - a price paid, and a life set free.

I suspect that in our present feverish political climate Nick Clegg might feel a bit more like the goat that was sacrificed. The scapegoat runs free, a picture of freedom and escape, not of ridicule and scorn. In the strange ways of the world, only history will make clear which of the two he is eventually destined to be. (written by David Winter)

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ALL IN THE MONTH OF JULY

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600 years ago	on 24th July 1411 that the Battle of Harlaw, Aberdeenshire, was fought. It was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on Scottish soil, and was over claims to the Earldom of Ross.
350 years ago:	on 16th July 1661 that the Bank of Stockholm began issuing Europe’s first banknotes.
200 years ago:	on 18th July 1811 that William Makepeace Thackeray, British novelist (‘Vanity Fair’) was born.
175 years ago:	on 29th July 1836 that the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was inaugurated.
125 years ago:	on 23rd July 1886 that Sir Arthur Whitten Brown, British aviator who made the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic, was born.
100 years ago:	on 24th July 1911 that Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca site in the Peruvian Andes, first came to worldwide attention.
90 years ago:	on 11th July 1921 that the Irish War of Independence ended in a truce.
Also 90 years ago:	on 29th July 1921, that Adolf Hitler became leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (The Nazi Party).
75 years ago:	on 17th July 1936 that the Spanish Civil War began.
70 years ago:	on 19th July 1941 that Winston Churchill launched his ‘V for Victory’ campaign.
65 year ago:	on 21st July 1946 that bread and flour rationing began in Britain.
40 years ago:	on 6th July 1971 that Louis Armstrong, American jazz trumpeter, died.
20 year ago:	on 31st July 1991 that President George H W Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) in Moscow.
15 years ago:	on 27th July 1996 that a bomb exploded at the Olympic Games in Atlanta Georgia, killing two, and injuring more than 100 people.
10 years ago:	on 2nd July 2001 that Barry George was convicted of killing British TV presenter Jill Dando. (He was acquitted in August 2008.)

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What happens in heaven when you pray?

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was deputised to show me around.

Our first stop was at a large room filled with angels. They were unfolding, reading and stacking thousands of bits of paper, of all sizes. My angel guide explained, “This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.’ I looked around the area, and it was terribly busy. Angels were sorting out petitions from all over the world. Some were long and involved and weighty, others merely a sigh on a scrap of paper.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings that have been asked for are processed and delivered to the people who need them." I noticed again how busy it was there. The angels were working hard to package and send back to earth all the blessings that had been requested.

Finally, at the farthest end of the long corridor, we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, doing nothing much. "This is the Acknowledgement Section”, my angel friend said quietly. He seemed a bit embarrassed. “How is it that there is no work going on here?” I asked. The angel sighed. "Well, after people receive the blessings that they ask for, it seems very few think to send back any acknowledgement." "How does one acknowledge God's blessings? " I asked. "Simple," the angel answered. “Just say, ‘Thank you, Lord.’ And mean it.”

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Joseph of Arimathea – the man who buried Jesus

Have you ever suffered from gossip? Ever discovered that people are saying some really wild things about you? If so, Joseph of Arimathea would understand – and sympathise with you. This decent, godly man of the gospels seems to have fired the imaginations of all sorts of odd people down the centuries.

Joseph was a rich, prominent member of the ruling Jewish council – the Sanhedrin. Mark’s gospel describes him as having been ‘waiting for the kingdom of God’ for years, and even being a secret disciple of Jesus. He played no part in the trial or crucifixion.

When Jesus was pronounced dead, Joseph had the seniority needed to approach Pilate for the body – and get it. Near to where Jesus had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, cut deep in the rock. Joseph himself already owned it – and it was still new and empty. So Joseph laid Jesus there, and wrapped him in a linen cloth, according to Jewish burial custom. Joseph did not bury Jesus alone - Nicodemus helped him, while some women who had followed Jesus were also present. Matthew tells us that the last thing Joseph did for Jesus was to sadly roll a big stone across the entrance to the tomb, and then go away. With that, Joseph passes out of history - and into legend.

For in the centuries that followed, Joseph was swept up into the Legend of the Holy Grail, the Legend of Glastonbury, and even bits of the Arthurian legends. It was said that the Holy Thorn, which flowers at Christmas, had sprung from his staff. The mind boggles at what Joseph would have made of it all. One suspects he would have preferred to stick to the simple, but far better, true story: as having had the immense, unique privilege of laying the body of Jesus Christ in the tomb. Even if Jesus didn’t stay very long!

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Is it Shakespeare, Dickens, The Beatles, Tony Blair or the Bible?

New research has found that while people still value the Bible, they’re confused about where some familiar

English phrases come from – such as ‘my brother’s keeper’ and ‘a drop in the bucket’ – was it Dickens, Blair or the Bible? A recent ComRes poll for Bible Society revealed the following:

•     ‘My brother’s keeper’ (Genesis 4:9): 56% rightly identified the phrase as originating from the Bible.

•     ‘A drop in the bucket’ (Isaiah 40.15): Half of all people (49%) didn’t know where the phrase was from, but an equal proportion said that it originated from Tony Blair (12%), Shakespeare (14%) and Charles Dickens (12%). Only 7% correctly identified the phrase as coming from the Bible.

•     ‘The writing on the wall’ (Daniel 5:5-6): The same proportion of people said that the phrase originated from the Beatles (18%) as that saying it was from the Bible (19%).

•     Eat, drink and be merry’ (Luke 12.19): The greatest percentage of people (41%) said that the phrase derived from Shakespeare, while just one in ten (9%) said that it originated from the Bible.

•     ‘Filthy lucre’ (1Timothy 3.3): One quarter of all people thought the phrase was from Shakespeare (23%) while one in ten (10%) said that it came from the Bible.

The poll also asked how important knowledge of the Bible was for appreciating culture, history and politics. On the whole, people thought it was significant, with nearly half of people believing it important for the appreciation of arts, literature and history, but only 24% thinking it important for an appreciation of classical music.

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Dean

Correspondent- Annette Brooks

Dean Dog Day

Another year, another Dog Day, and what a difference. Everyone turned out with their dogs and judging got even more difficult. The dogs were so diverse and obviously so well cared for. How could the judges decide from such an array of lovely dogs, well somehow they did (they deserve a medal) and the full set of results can be found on……… As we are so lucky to have such generous sponsors all proceeds from the entry fees will be donated to the Dogs Trust. As with other animal charities the Dogs Trust takes in rescue dogs and does it’s utmost to provide care and a new home for those dogs suitable for re-homing. Three other points about the Dogs Trusts:
A.    They coined the phrase that we all know “ A dog is for life not just for Christmas”. B.    By joining the Dogs Trust you are automatically covered for third party insurance for your dog (£20 per annum for owners under 60 years old and £10 for owners over 60).
C.    By joining the Dogs Trust, the Trust guarantees to take care of your dog should anything happen to the owner.

Our sponsors have provided funds over the last two years and deserve a special mention and our grateful thanks, for without them we would find it difficult to donate any funds to the charity. Other thanks must go to the Dalton Trustees who kindly allow us to have dogs on the Dalton Playing Field for this one day of the year. Last but not least our thanks to the Dean Ladies for providing a fabulous array of refreshments which, it appears, everyone enjoyed as there was very little left at the end of the day.



Mike Muncaster, Jo Cordell, Michelle Ormesher.

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YELDEN

Correspondent - Sue Taylor 01933 355 380 e-mail: taylor.topo@btinternet.com

WALLWALKERS
Wallwalkers? I hear you cry. You may have noticed recently some growth at the base of the spire of St Mary’s where it joined the square section of the tower. If left this could have caused a problem so the PCC investigated several possibilities and the Wallwalkers came to our aid. They travel all over the country removing vegetation from old buildings. One of the men who had previously been an international rock climber, secured ropes to the bell mountings in the belfry, dropped them to the ground and then abseiled up, removed the offending bramble, weed killed, repointed and returned to ground. A job well done and quite a spectacle.

CHURCH CLEANING

A great big thank you to all those involved in the two-day project to clean the inside of St Mary’s. Friday saw the heavyweights going in and climbing ladders up to the clerestory – no mean feat. Lesser mortals were standing staunchly at the base of the ladders making sure they didn’t slip. All the windows inside were cleaned and with the help of Kevin and his scaffolding the outside of the windows will be tackled later on. On Saturday the ladies came into their own, clearing up all the dust and rubbish which had been disturbed the previous day and after the sweeping and dusting came the polishing - and no chatting because of all the Hoover noise! Once again, thank you for all the willingness to help.

Yelden Methodist Chapel Services

Sunday July 10th at 11.00am Joint Service with St Mary's Church led by Rev Mike Lewis and Rev Jan Brookshaw at the Chapel.

Sunday July 17th at 2.45pm Chapel Anniversary Service led by Rev. Mike Lewis.

CHRISTIAN AID The village collection this year amounted to £245.50 which has been passed on to Christian Aid and with the addition of Gift Aid will amount to £279. Thank you all donators and collectors. Well done.

FLOWER AND CLEANING PLANM

10th July - No service at St Mary’s but clean and flowers as usual.

- The service will be at the Chapel – farewell to Mike Lewis

24th July - Jenny / Sue – 6pm
7th Aug - Lesley / Stephanie – 9am

ANNIVERSARIES

Did you know that if you have an eighth wedding anniversary the token is ‘coral’. 2011 is our 44th – any ideas? Perhaps we’ll wait for our 45th which is sapphire!

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Pertenhall

Correspondent-Chloe Reid

100 Club

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May Draw
No.3	Mr P Knightely	£20
No.97	Mrs R Presland	£10
No.25	Mr P Howard	£7
No.29	Mrs R MacKillo	£5
No.82	Mrs B F Green	£5
No.112	Mrs C Seabrook	£5

Position available

I am going to university in September and from that date will be stepping down from the position of Pertenhall correspondent. Hence, there will be an opportunity to take over my role. It only takes a few hours each month and of course it means you will hear all the news first! If you have any questions, call me on 01480 861115 or contact the Honeycomb editor.

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Swineshead

Correspondent-Jenny Leishman

Swineshead Village Hall

Don’t forget the Summer Supper on Saturday 9 July!

With a live swing band the evening is guaranteed to go with a swing! Tickets only by advance purchase, from Wendy (708524) or Jean (708671). For further details please see the full-page advert in this issue of Honeycomb. The Sixth Bell Bar will be open from 8pm on Fridays 1 July and 5 August.

Afternoon Teas will be served from 3pm on Thursdays 7 & 21 July, and 4 & 18 August.

Swineshead Golf Tournament The annual tournament of Swineshead Golf Society took place at St Neots Golf Club on 3rd June. Unfortunately only 6 villagers were available to compete for the SGS trophy, which was won by Wendy Newsom, with Michael Whitlock a very close second. Thanks to Michael for organising the event. Next year the tournament will be held at Brampton Golf Club in early June, and new players will be welcome.

Welcome

A warm welcome to Claire & Stuart, and to their children Lilly & Isabella, who have moved into The Barn. Also to Ellen & David who have moved into Close Cottage. We hope you will enjoy Swineshead village life and wish you every happiness in your new home.

SWINESHEAD 100 CLUB WINNERS

May Draw			June Draw
12th Teas			3rd Bar Night
£20	Wendy Newsom	(46)	Frances Bratcher	(50)
£10	Emma Seddon	(75)	Barry Morse	(11)
£ 5	Pat Tate (Alice)	(16)	Peter Thompson	(40)
£ 5	Frances Bratcher	(49)	Rodney Tate	(14)

St Nicholas Church

Cleaning		Flowers
July 3	Emma, Jan	July 3	Julie
July 31	Edna, Margaret, James	July 31	Pauline
August 14	Pat, Jean, Jenni	August 14	Carolyn

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Melchbourne

Correspondent-Phil Pahl

Village web site - http://mmmatmelchbourne.yolasite.com/Information Required"

Church Cleaning Rota & Flowers>

Cleaning		Flowers
3rd July	Joy & Malcom	3rd July	Joy
17th July	Sarah & Pam	July 31	Sarah
24th July	Pat, Jean, Jenni	24th July	Mary

>
There is a regular church cleaning and flower arranging rota to which volunteers are always welcome. Anyone wishing to be included on the rota should contact Audrey on 01234 708728.>

Melchbourne Safari Supper>
Our ninth safari supper held on 11th June was again a great success. 21 villagers enjoyed the culinary delights of six different homes in the village, having started the evening with a delicious first course hosted by Helen. We ended the evening enjoying the kind hospitality of Sue and William with coffee and nightcaps. Once again a very big thank you to all the wonderful hosts, without whom this lively and entertaining evening would not be possible.>

Village dates for your diary:

Sunday July 10th	The 747th Melchbourne Feast Day	1:00pm at The Old Vicarage
Sunday August 14th	Village BBQ	(Village Hall)
Saturday October 29th	Halloween Party
Saturday December 10th	Quiz Night

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Forthcoming Attractions

9th July	Village Hall Yelden	Yelden Summer Ball
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10th July	Melchbourne	Melchbourne Feast Day
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29th/30th July	AllHallows Dean	Art@Dean
Click here to visit Art@Dean 2010 web site
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10th September	Dalton Hall & Fields	Dean & Shelton Flower Show
Click here to visit Dean & Shelton Flower Show web site
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