Poles, Ember Cards and Drunk Trotskyites.

As we began the works to renovate the community room, build new toilets and install ramps in the back of the Church, the benches in the community room were ripped out, revealing these many poles, some with finials on them. The four large ones, I think, were for the curtains which once, a long time ago, hung around the Lady Chapel altar, they are some twelve feet tall. There are also poles about eight to ten feet tall, some with brass finials, for the carrying of banners, although there is only one crossbar, and it does not possess the correct implement to attach it to a longer pole. I am probably going to remove the finials, give them a clean and save them for some future use, possibly topping a canopy for the Blessed Sacrament. However, if anyone would like to leave a small donation and have a pole or poles, maybe you have some use for them, let me know. But soon, please, as we want them gone as soon as possible.

'You know what this is, Gunga Din' I thought to myself as I tried to fit a meeting into the end of this month the other day, 'this is the last whole month when you will be living here'. It is, you know, next month I move to Preston, to the house of which you see some of the hallway above and much more importantly, I move to a different way of living, much of which, I hope, will come as a happy surprise. I already have an invitation to the Conservative Club though, which was the first surprise. Some things never change I suppose, but at the risk of upsetting some of my readers, at least it was not one of the interminable invitations to 'the Lodge' which arrive now. You may have thought that they would get the message, wouldn't you? Happy though I am to accept hospitality - and I have been to a number of dinners with all sorts of interesting societies (the declined invitation to speak at the Bangor Spiritualists Society was one step too far, I felt) - I will not join a society which blurs the edges of Christianity. Conservative Clubs, in my experience, are a different kettle of fish, full of Trotskyites drinking discounted bitter.

Anyway, the main purpose in my communicating with you this morning is to ask if there is still anyone who has not had an Ember card from me who would like one (what's an ember card, I hear you asking. It is a card asking for the prayers of people for my, and others, forthcoming ordinations. It also happily doubles up as a change of address card, although I am probably supposed to be too pious to notice). If you had rather hoped for one and do not have one, or if you want one now, let me know. They are facing imminent extinction as a breed so send me an email now. I may have forgotten you, I am sorry.