Category: Prime Time

Dear fellow Prime Time members,

‘I really ought to….’

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling flat. And I don’t know why. I have so much to be thankful for: having received my second jab when millions in the world haven’t even had their first; things opening up exponentially here when lockdowns continue in other parts of the world; the Proms happening, and with an audience, something that couldn’t have been countenanced this time last year; and Team GB’s amazing success at the Olympics. The Olympics and the stories behind the competitors, have been a real lift in recent weeks. Take Beth Shriever, deprived of funding from UK Sport who said they could only fund male BMX riders, who was courageous enough to launch a crowdfunding campaign two years ago which got her to Tokyo and winning a gold medal. Or Simone Biles, whose mental health concerns forced her to quit most of her competitions; but who came back strongly in the beam event which won her a bronze. Not to mention the rowers who were narrowly pipped into fourth place. (After all, it isn’t winning that counts, it’s the taking part.) And there are countless others. And, if you are fortunate enough to have internet or a smart TV, all these events are still available to watch from your own living room.

So why do I feel flat? Perhaps it’s the weather, autumnal now for days and days. Perhaps we’ve forgotten about that heatwave back in July, or if we remember it at all it was because it was too hot to do anything. Perhaps it’s that nagging feeling, now that I have been double-jabbed, that I should be doing more. And if lockdown has taught me anything at all, it is that it is perfectly OK to stop, to rest, to reflect. There’s a wonderful poem somewhere which tells me just that:

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

W.H. Davies, who wrote this poem, had an unconventional life. He is said to have begged his way across America, having left his native Wales, and to have lost his leg while jumping from a train.

A wise old friend once told me that I was suffering from ‘hardening of the oughteries’. Yes, this nagging feeling again. I see requests for volunteers (and the Church is not exempt from this!) and feel I should step into every need that comes to my attention. But, as another wise old friend said to me: ‘The need does not constitute the call’. It’s OK to say ‘No’. It’s OK to tell myself that that is not my job, that other people are available to  do it. And it’s OK to accept that God loves me just as I am, without my having to earn His love by rushing around doing everything for other people.

In our generation, upbringing has a lot to do with it. If we didn’t live through the Second World War, we have parents, perhaps even grandparents, who did. They had to work hard simply to make ends meet. While we have been blessed with a National Health Service (even though we’ve had to wait to get things done), a state pension at least, and a free bus pass. And aren’t we grateful! When I was a little girl I was regularly sent ten bob (now 50p) at Christmas by a kind second cousin. One year the obligatory (in our family at least) thank-you letter didn’t get written because of a communication failure (yes, they happened even in those days before internet and mobile phones). For several years after that the cousin withheld her gift. Eventually all was forgiven, without any words being said, and the gift was restored.

In fact last week has seen many answers to prayer. Much to give thanks for! We had a lovely walk last week round Nymans Gardens, followed by lunch with people with whom we have linked up in friendship (through zoom) during lockdown. We visited a vineyard in East Sussex and learned how vines can thrive  now in this country, given some training and know-how. We had the privilege of entertaining a student from Iran and enjoying his company. I enjoyed a most entertaining walk round Guildford, learning about the significant literary figures who graced the town with their presence. And things are opening up in other ways: Jim has already taken part in concerts, services and recordings. And he does love his singing.  And prayers for a couple of friends have been answered in big measure.

I have been reading a most amazing book recently: it’s The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye. OK, it’s 900 pages long, but during lockdown I could cope with that, and it did take me some time to read. Why? Because it became so intense and exciting that I couldn’t read it at bedtime, for fear that thinking about it would keep me awake, and I do need my sleep! I do recommend it as a good read, but it does come with a health warning, which is that many of the more tragic episodes are based on fact: I know because I checked on the Internet afterwards. The book is also available as a TV series on one of those subscription channels that most of us cannot be bothered to get, cannot afford to get, or don’t know how to get. So there I leave it. Read the book.

You know what (as my grandchildren would say), I’m feeling less flat now. So perhaps a good time to leave it there with the words of the Psalmist: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him’.

Every blessing,

Shelagh

 

Shelagh Godwin

Primetime Member

Dear Friends,

As Penny has told you she is having a well-earned break from sending you her weekly letter. We hope we can all live up to her high standards in the following weeks.

Like Penny I have been following a lot of the Olympics; I am full of admiration for the dedication the sportsmen and women put into the training for their sports. We sit in our comfy chairs cheering them on, hopefully to victory; do we think about the hard work going into achieving this ? Pushing themselves into going out on cold ,dark mornings day after day. A lot of them do this on top of holding down jobs to help finance their sport with no funding in place. How much sweeter are victories when you have gone through pain and hardships to attain them.

What I find amazing is the achievements of our sports people in our small island compared to the might and size of other countries. We are a very resilient nation as was proved during both World Wars. How much stronger are we when we have faith and God supporting us. I see a lot of the sports people kneeling to thank God after they have performed. Something else has happened recently in many sports and entertainments. A lot of youngsters have pulled out of competitions because of the mental pressures they are under. Whether it is due to media attention or abusive social communications, the strain of keeping up standards in their particular area of achievement has proved too much. Another pressure comes from the huge amounts of money that are paid to many of them. In our younger days when a lot of sports were played by amateurs, or for small financial rewards, it was for the fun of it. They didn’t all have agents pushing for more money, and stayed loyal to their clubs.

I remember my sporting days at an all-girls school and we were fortunate to have our own sports field, netball courts and nearby tennis courts. We played hockey and I was put in goal, despite being

short and skinny in those days. I took one look at the ball coming towards me and just leapt in the air. I much preferred playing netball and tennis, much less intimidating than hockey sticks flying past you. Now in later years I have played bowls and been fortunate enough to have won Club competitions and seen my name on the winners board in the Clubhouse. I was always happier when playing with others rather than by myself. In life I think most of us are happier when being with others rather than alone. Like our Prime Time group over time you feel a sense of family and support in good and bad times.

Now a majority of the population has been doubly jabbed and life is slowly resuming, perhaps not to how life was before the pandemic, we can look forward to meeting face to face again. I hope the Quizzes and chats we had during lockdown helped some of you feel less isolated and raised your moods with some laughs, and perhaps you learnt something new.

I hope you can all enjoy the rest of the summer and look forward to meeting again in small groups to start with. How time flies these days it will soon be autumn again. My daughter Amy will be 40 next week and that makes me feel older, where have the years gone?

Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Love and virtual hugs to you all.

Di

Di Drudge

Primetime Team Member

Dear Prime Time member,

Well, the school summer holidays have started and with a certain air of inevitability, the weather has taken a distinct turn for the worse…  I must admit that the intense heat of last week I did find a little much, but even when I was looking forward to things cooling down a bit; I wasn’t imagining that we’d fast forward into something that feels more like autumn!  I hope you’ve managed to avoid going out in the worst of the weather this week.  As the school holidays are now upon us, I’ve temporarily returned to being a full-time mum.  Just as well really as I seem to have spent a large part of this week trying to dry out wet kit!  Harry has spent the last fortnight undertaking the National Citizen Service scheme.  His NCS experience started when temperatures were hitting 30 degrees and it ended yesterday playing a charity football tournament in the pouring rain, with temperatures at least ten degrees cooler than when he started the programme!

When the rain really deluged on Wednesday afternoon, Harry was involved in a charity awareness-raising exercise outside the Spectrum Leisure Centre in Guildford.  Less than 20 minutes after the storm started I got an SOS asking if I could go and pick him up as the weather had forced them to stop activities for the day.  Not before he and everything he had taken with him had been well and truly soaked though.  His shoes had to be stuffed with newspaper and put in the airing cupboard to dry out and when I opened out the folding chair he had taken with him, there was a visible puddle sitting in the middle of the seat!  I’m not sure that the chair will ever be quite the same again…

Everything was just about dry in time for yesterday’s football tournament.  We knew what to expect in terms of the weather, so I was prepared that he would return home wet again yesterday (and muddy this time too) but very unfortunately, the team Harry was part of had been drawn to play in white.  You can imagine how I spent yesterday evening…!

When I haven’t been operating a home-based laundry this week, I have managed to watch some of the Olympic action.  It’s been a nice feeling waking up each day and hearing of Team GBs overnight successes on the news.  I’ve enjoyed watching some sports that I don’t normally take that much of an interest in; much to my surprise, I found myself quite enthralled by the surfing competition. (Not enough to make me want to try it out for myself though!)

The TV coverage of the Olympic Games has included some fascinating articles and interviews, but one in particular caught my interest; a feature about pole vaulter Mike Bull.  Born in 1946, Mike Bull competed for Team GB in the Summer Olympics of 1968 and 1972. Maybe you have a memory from that time of watching him compete?  Now aged 74, Mike has come out of retirement and has his sights set on competing once again in a Masters Pole Vault competition.  He credits last year’s Lock Down as his motivation for re-starting his involvement in the sport. As I watched the feature, it really resonated with me as it chimes with my focus as Prime Time Co-Ordinator; getting the message out there, not just to people of Prime Time age – but across all generations, that older age can be fulfilling and that one’s ability to contribute does not stop with retirement.

In the coverage of the Olympics, much is made of the potential for current competitors to inspire the younger generations who are watching at home; fuelling a passion in them to take sport seriously and in so doing bringing on the next generation of sports men and women.  Maybe a child might have seen the feature about Mike Bull and be inspired to try the Pole Vault as a result; but as I was watching this item, I realised that Mike’s continuing contribution is as an inspiring role model for the Prime Time generation.  Please don’t for an instant think that I am suggesting that you should go out and try Pole Vaulting –  I would not wish to have the inevitable injuries on my conscience!  However, what I found so inspirational was that Mike was returning to activity he assumed that due to advancing age was lost to him.  I wonder what hobbies or past times you might be prompted to pick up again? If you are feeling a little doubtful about this, your words of encouragement this week, once again come from St Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Philippians; ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me’ (Philippians Chapter 4; Verse 13).  Sage advice for people of any age.  If you’d like to view the BBC feature that inspired the content of this week’s Prime Time email , you can see it by clicking on the following link:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-58017671

As I’m on leave, I’ll be handing over the Prime Time weekly email to some guest contributors during the coming weeks.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy the greater variety of ideas than is possible when just one person is responsible for the content.  So my appreciation goes out in advance to Di, Shelagh and Olwen who have offered to take on the mantle while my brain has a few weeks off to recharge itself!

It is my prayer that we all have a happy and healthy summer and that those who wish to, are able to reconvene in person when Prime Time events re-start in September.

With every blessing,

Penny x

Penny Naylor

Primetime Befriending Co-ordinator

Dear Prime Time member,

What a difference a week makes…!  Last weekend saw us diving for cover due to the unseasonably wet conditions and this weekend will see us diving for cover again, but for the entirely opposite reasons!  Forecasters are predicting that temperatures could climb as high as 31 degrees Celsius over the weekend and into early next week, (that’s 87.8 Fahrenheit in ‘old money’!)  Flood warnings have been replaced by ‘Heat Health warnings’ and which I make no apologies for repeating here as one of the identified high risks groups for developing heat-related health issues are individuals of Prime Time age.

I know you’re all adults who have lived through many more summers than I and so have much greater experience of keeping yourselves safe in extreme weather conditions, but just as a reminder – when we experience temperatures as high as the ones we are likely to have on Sunday and Monday the advice is:

• Keep your curtains closed to help keep your property cool

• Drink plenty of fluids, becoming dehydrated not only feels very unpleasant but can have serious implications for your health

• Stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm when ultraviolet rays are strongest

It’s common sense really, but as I heard someone say on the radio just this week, “The trouble with relying on common sense is that it isn’t that common!”  Please look after yourselves and each other while we enjoy this mini-heatwave.  Be aware of how you’re feeling and if you start to feel unwell please seek assistance from a friend or relative or call your GP surgery or an ambulance if the feeling persists.

I think it would be fair to say that our weather has been very changeable and unpredictable this summer.  The plants in my garden are confused.  I was out watering the plants yesterday evening and discovered that we have a daffodil about to burst into bloom; it’s only about 5 months late (or 7 months too early!)

All things are meant to be (although I have yet to work out how a daffodil blooming in July fits with that particular expression!)  However, it could indeed be applied to the annual Garden Party that Prime Time usually enjoys at Prior’s Field School on the last Thursday in June.  Due to the pandemic, for the second year running this much anticipated event had to be cancelled.  This year however, as Thursday 24th June dawned murky, damp and with temperatures well below average for the time of year, I did note the date and count our blessings that we hadn’t arranged a Garden Party for that particular day!  Hopefully we will be able to resurrect this wonderful event in 2022 and bring it back better than ever I know the school are keen to renew their links with Prime Time once restrictions allow.

Prime Time has not slipped from the Prior’s Field staff and students’ minds and to make up in some way for the absence of joint events over the last year and to wish everyone ‘Happy Holidays’ the girls and staff have put together the attached selection of photos for you to enjoy, complete with a message from everyone at Prior’s Field to everyone at Prime Time.  Some of the faces will no doubt be familiar to you from past events, although you may well notice how much some of the girls have grown in the eighteen months since we last saw them!  The girls wanted to share with you some of the activities that they have been able to undertake during the past couple of terms.  For a number of the girls, Prime Time members are like ‘Honorary Grandparents’ and the photos are shared with you in this spirit, so please consider yourself in the role of ‘Honorary Grandparent’ as you look at the photos.

As well as renewing our connection with Prior’s Field School, your Prime Time Team have been making plans for the autumn term.  We will be hosting a series of tea parties here at the Old Rectory between September 7th and 17th when we will be inviting small numbers of members to join us for afternoon tea as a gentle reintroduction to us gathering together again in groups.  This format will also allow the team to sit down and chat with members to get a feel for how everyone has fared over the previous eighteen months and what you feel should be our priorities as we plan future Prime Time events.  We hope to do a Walk & Pub Lunch in October and re-launch our Saturday Movie Matinees in November.  After that, well it’s all downhill to Christmas and the staff team here met on 7th July to start planning our Christmas offerings and our annual Afternoon Carol Service was included in that planning process; (yes we really do start planning Christmas in July…!) The Prime Time programme for 2022 will be guided by the ideas and feedback members give us during our garden party sessions in September, so do look out for your invitations arriving in mid-August and get thinking about what you’d like to see Prime Time offering.  It is also looking hopeful that we may well be able to restart our regular Hearing Aid Clinic here in Busbridge during October.  If you have previously visited our clinic; then once the re-start has been confirmed, you will be sent a letter giving you the dates for the remainder of the year.

So exciting times for us here as we begin to plan for events and activities starting up again.  Even for us though, our planning is tempered with caution.  This coming Monday might be being billed in the press as ‘Freedom Day’ and yes, that is the day when all legal restrictions on our lives as a result of Covid are being lifted.  However, it is clear from the statistics that Covid-19 is still very much with us and it is right for us to be ever mindful of that as we look to the short-term future and make our plans.  Please be assured that as an organisation, we will not take any unnecessary risks.  We will continue our efforts to minimise the risk of the virus being transmitted between people while attending services or events that we organise and certainly with regard to Prime Time; if local incidence of the virus were to become very prevalent – we would consider cancelling an event or moving it online if that were possible, in order to keep people safe.  We will also continue to offer services online for those who prefer to stay at home or who are having to because they have been instructed to isolate.  Please don’t feel that you have to join us in person; it’s important that you do what feels right for you.  If you would like to have more Prime Time events and activities available to you online, then please do say and we will do what we can to make this happen.

As a church, our Leadership Team of the two Reverend Simons along with our Churchwardens  would like to check what people think and feel about easing precautions at Busbridge & Hambledon church, particularly at this stage with regard to Sunday services. They have prepared a short online survey entitle ‘Do You Want to Sing?’  which can be accessed on the following link: https://bhcgodalming.surveysparrow.com/s/Do-you-want-to-sing/tt-0b4b6b? If you were coming to services prior to the pandemic, whether or not you have already started to attend services in person again, please do consider filling in this survey form which will help us to ensure we are meeting as many people’s needs as possible.  If you would prefer to fill out this form on paper, please do let me know and I will post one out to you.  Please be assured that I will be posting out paper forms to those Prime Timers not on email, that is in my diary for early next week!

At the start of the pandemic, there was an apparent groundswell of support for those in out networks, be they neighbourhood ones, work-based ones or friendship groups.  We learnt to be more patient and considerate to one another’s needs and how they were feeling.  More than ever at the moment, there is a need for a continuation of this compassion and understanding.  While it maybe great that as a nation we are moving forwards and that the remaining restrictions are being lifted, but in many ways it is easier being told what to do and to live within the rules (even if we may not like them!)  Working out as an individual how each of us wants to proceed is fraught with potential pitfalls and anxieties.  What is right for one person may not be right for another and no-one should feel pressurised to take a course of action that they do not feel comfortable with.  Do reach out to friends and family and talk through any concerns you may have with people you trust.  You may find that they share similar worries and you can work your feelings through together.  And it goes without saying that you can always approach me in confidence or ask to speak to a member of our church team if you prefer to speak to someone independent of family or friendship ties.

When I was approaching a difficult situation recently, one of my colleagues reassured me that ‘God knows all about it you know…’  In amongst our worries, concerns and hum drum of daily life it’s easy to forget that there He is in the middle of it all with us.  My prayer for all Prime Time members this week is that those seven words are of support and encouragement to you in the week ahead.

Enjoy the sun – but don’t overdo it!

With every blessing,

Penny x

Dear Prime Time member,

Hmm – what a change in the weather.  I’m rather regretting having introduced the topic of ‘Flaming June’ in last week’s letter as the orange hues of Frederic Leighton’s painting have been replaced by the grey and damp of a stereotypical British summer.  On the plus side though, I won’t be needing to water the plants for the next few days – every cloud has a silver lining…!  And the rain will do our gardens, parks and other outdoor spaces a lot of good by helping to keep the verdant green shades and prevent plants and trees from prematurely turning brown. Having said that though, I for one am hoping that the sunshine, once rested after its endeavours earlier this week – returns soon.

The glorious weather we enjoyed over last weekend was not just a blessing to us, but of course showed off the natural beauty of St Ives to perfection as that little Cornish town had the world’s media spotlight shone on it as it hosted the summit of G7 leaders.  I love seeing places that I’ve visited feature on TV.  I like the experience of thinking ‘I recognise that place; I’ve walked there!’ or ‘I remember that shop!’  The news coverage of last weekend’s summit brought back many happy memories of summer holidays spent in Cornwall.  I’m assuming that St Ives marauding seagulls were somehow kept at bay for the duration of the G7 summit.  I didn’t hear any stories of Boris Johnson or Joe Biden having had had their lunch stolen out of their hand by a seagull as was my experience as I sat on St Ives beach a few years ago!  The seagulls of St Ives have actually become such a nuisance, that there are now official street signs placed at regular intervals all around the harbour advising people to sit with their back up against a wall if they are eating so that seagulls cannot swoop at you from behind and steal your food.  Pity I hadn’t noticed the signs before I started eating my lunch…!

As I watched the news coverage of last weekend’s summit as well as reminiscing about happy holidays past and with the reports very much focusing in on Joe Biden’s first trip to the UK as US President, I found myself viewing the media reports with something of a professional eye.  Why?  Joe Biden’s age.  At 78, Joe Biden is Prime Time age.  Whilst at the summit, the President of the United States was introduced to another very well-known face representing the Prime Time generation; Her Majesty the Queen.  Joe Biden is the oldest person ever to assume the office of President of the United States and at 95 years of age, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest lived British sovereign.  Why I am telling you this?  To encourage.

After church last Sunday morning, we hosted a welcome event for people new to the church.  All of the team here were asked to introduce ourselves and as briefly as possible explain a little as to what we do.  Obviously I mentioned Prime Time as well as the Hearing Aid Clinics and our Befriending Scheme.  I also talked about all of our shared activities with local schools but I ended by saying that a lot of my role is about encouragement.  I am in the privileged position of being able to go to events like these and stand there and say that society has created quite a negative view of older age which can lead to a situation where we do not tend to celebrate this stage of people’s lives.  As a church we recognise that and are doing what we can to encourage self-belief and self-esteem in individuals as they journey through this stage of life and in so doing, hopefully fostering a sense of self-value within people as they age.  By getting this message out there, not only to the Prime Time generation, but importantly to the wider community – it is our hope that locally at least, much greater value will be placed on people living through older age. This is why we give such priority to our intergenerational work.  Today’s young people are the leaders of tomorrow and we hope that by introducing the concept of value in older age to these young people, as they grow up and take their place in society, they will not only value older people but value the contributions people of older age are still able to make to their families and communities.

Last month at the age of 81, Sir Tom Jones topped the UK album chart with his latest album and of course we will all remember last year’s fantastic achievement by Captain Sir Tom Moore who a few days before his 100th birthday claimed the No. 1 spot in the UK Singles Chart with his rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.  In so doing, he became the oldest ever artist to hold the UK No. 1 spot.  Now I’m not suggesting that Prime Time members need to try their hands at becoming recording artists or running for high political office (unless you want to that is…!)  But I would encourage everyone as they age to not see age in itself as a barrier to achieving; or if not achieving, to just ‘doing’ or ‘participating’.  Be warned, if you’re chatting to me and I hear ‘I can’t do that at my age!’, you’re likely to receive the response ‘Why not?!’ If there is something you would like to do, but feel that age is preventing you either physically or because you just feel the activity is not open to you on the grounds of age – please do feel you can talk to me about it.  I may not be able to help make those aspirations happen, but I’ll give it my all in trying to help you get there; whether ‘there’ is learning a new skill, volunteering or making new friends and socialising (or anything else that is on your ‘bucket list’ but you have previously thought you couldn’t openly say because you felt it might not be appropriate for your age).  As well as running groups and activities to enable older adults to stay connected, I’m here to help challenge and break down barriers – be they real or perceived and to encourage a change of attitude toward ageing.  Life doesn’t stop at retirement, 70 or even 80.  There’s a lot of life to be lived in older age; and if you’ll let me, I’d like to help you find it.

‘They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green’  (Psalm 92, Verse 14)

The Queen is a fantastic role model of someone ‘still bearing fruit in old age’.  Next year will be the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne – her Platinum Jubilee.  We are in the early stages of planning some Prime Time Jubilee celebrations, some of which at least we hope to be able to share with the children at local schools; in a similar way to the World War II event we were able to enjoy together a few years ago.  Once we have plans firmly in place and dates we will let you know.  I realise that the Jubilee celebrations are many months ahead, but I wanted to let you know that we are thinking of the future, past Covid and our current socially-distanced existence.  There will be events before next year’s Jubilee I assure you, but we wanted to let you know that we are working behind the scenes and making plans for the future.  We will be back, but when we are we want to make sure we get it right, do it well and keeping everybody as safe as possible.  Above all we want to ensure that Prime Time is meeting your needs.  Over the next few weeks you will be receiving an invitation to come along to the Old Rectory and in a small group spend time chatting with me and other members of the team which will give us an opportunity to get a feel of where all our members are at both individually and collectively; so that future events and activities that we plan are more likely to hit the spot and be what is needed.

I quite often get asked where I find my inspiration for the content of the weekly emails.  The answer is that I keep my eyes open; in the media, online and even when reading advertisements, for content that might be relevant to the Prime Time generation.  This week’s inspiration came from a page on the BBC website entitled ‘13 proverbs and quotes to help you in times of need’.  No. 12 on the list was a quote from Ancient Greek Philosopher Plato.  ‘He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age’.  I cannot guarantee a life of constant calm and happiness.  Being a Christian does not protect you from the bumps in the road along life’s journey; sometimes they feel more like rather big pot-holes if we’re being honest…  But what being part of a church community such as Prime Time does give you is upgraded suspension which helps keep going on along that road and knowing that you are not journeying on your own. 

A glance out of the window confirms to me that it is still raining.  I’ve just looked on the calendar; apparently today is International Picnic Day.  Oh dear, soggy sandwiches again…  (But maybe picnicking in the rain is the solution to having ones sandwiches stolen by seagulls…!)

Wishing you a dry and happy week ahead.

With every blessing,

Penny x

Penny Naylor
Seniors’ Ministry Lead

Dear Prime Time member,

The sun may be shining but it’s not exactly warm is it?  I’ve just been chatting with my colleague Liz, who reminded me that this time last year we were enjoying something of a heatwave. So would I prefer to be in the warmth and sunshine of spring 2020 but with the prospect of a further twelve months of the pandemic dominating our lives, or would I rather be where we are now; somewhat cooler (and damper!) but with a real sense of optimism that we may now be permanently emerging from the shadow of Covid?  I think I’ll take the latter; unsettled weather and all…

By May, I am usually adapting the menu in the Naylor household; switching warming comfort food for lighter salads more appropriate for the late spring weather.  However, at the moment I am still reaching for the casserole recipes and dessert is more likely to be rice pudding than fresh fruit salad!

A bowl of rice pudding is one of those memorable childhood staples; a once a week treat, eagerly anticipated.  As a child, my topping of choice was a dollop of jam, preferably red in colour, the flavour being less important.  As my tastes have matured, however, I would now reach for the tin of Golden Syrup rather than the jar of jam.

Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a store cupboard staple.  Those green and golden tins are so familiar to us and indeed this iconic product holds the Guinness World Record for the World’s Oldest Unchanged Brand Packaging. We would probably say that we are all familiar with what a tin of Lyle’s Golden Syrup looks like; “It’s green and gold with a lion on the front isn’t it?”  Well, yes – but how closely have you actually looked at that lion?  I was reading a recent article in the Waitrose Food magazine and I was surprised to learn that the lion on the front of the Lyle’s Golden Syrup can is actually a dead lion and it’s swarming with bees!  Furthermore, a tin of Lyle’s Golden Syrup bears a biblical reference; who’d have thought it?!  I’m probably by now speaking to myself as I’m sensing that it’s likely you’ve stopped reading and are heading to the kitchen cupboard to hunt out the tin of Golden Syrup that’s lurking there, just to see what on earth I’m talking about!

Below the image of the lion on the front of the tin is the wording: ‘Out of the strong came forth sweetness’ which is a reference to Samson’s riddle which comes from the Book of Judges: Chapter 14, verse 14.

The Israelite Samson (he of the strength-giving hair, later betrayed by Delilah) on his wedding day sets a riddle to a group of Philistine men, with the aim of getting one over on his long-standing enemies.  If the men could solve the riddle, Samson would reward them handsomely; but if they failed to work out the riddle’s meaning – the men would have to reward Samson to the same degree.  As the riddle was based on a personal experience of Samson’s and of which he had told no-one, the riddle should have been impossible for the men to solve.

Shortly before his marriage, while walking along the road, Samson had been attacked by a lion.  Using the strength gifted to him by the Lord, Samson was able to overcome the lion with his bare hands and killed it, leaving the carcass beside the road.  The next time Samson journeyed along that stretch of road, he noticed that a colony of bees had made its home in the carcass and that they were producing honey.  It was this incident that Samson used as the basis for his riddle: 

‘Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong something sweet’.

I’m not going to provide a spoiler by saying how the story ends, but if you would like to top up your knowledge of Samson beyond that of his ill-fated alliance with Delilah, then Chapter 14 of Judges is a short and easy read.

Abram Lyle was a deeply religious man. In the article I read he was described as ‘a man so pious he once said he’d rather his son be dead than drunk’.  Why Golden Syrup cans bear the reference to Samson’s riddle is unclear.  There have been suggestions that ‘Out of the strong came forth sweetness’ is a reference to the strength of Lyle’s business, while others have said it is a reference to the strong container in which the product is sold. Alternatively, maybe this was a favourite Bible verse of Abram Lyle; we are perhaps destined to never know…

What is certain though is that the existence of Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a happy accident.  Golden Syrup is actually a by-product of the sugar-cane refining process, which in the 1880s was Lyle’s sugar-cane refinery’s primary business.  ‘Goldie’ as it was originally known was first sold in 1881, mainly to the employees of the sugar-cane refinery where it was served up to the workers out of wooden casks.  The iconic tin came two years later in 1883 when Lyle expanded the business and began selling his Golden Syrup to local grocers, and the rest is (very successful) history…

Who would have thought that something so familiar to us as a can of Golden Syrup could be so interesting? Facts like this fascinate me and I seem to have a bank of such trivia stored up in my head to wheel out when needed!  I’m definitely of the opinion that ‘one is never too old to learn’.  I look forward to the Prime Time quizzes because invariably I come away with a few extra tit-bits of knowledge that I didn’t have before.  I know that I am not alone in this knowledge-gathering habit as we have a loyal group of members who regularly tune in to the virtual quizzes that Di has been preparing for us throughout the last year.

By popular request there is another Quiz date for your diaries; a little over two weeks away.  We will be back on Zoom on Tuesday 25th May for the next session of the popular Prime Time Quiz.  Proceedings will start at 2.30pm.  If you haven’t joined one of our quizzes before, please do give it a try – we would love to have you with us.  We have four ten-question rounds; the theme of which at the last quiz were Royalty, Science, Colours and Food.  The main focus is on having fun and enjoying the time spent with friends, so there is as much laughter as there is head-scratching!  Joining details will be included in the weekly email on the Friday before the event. 

One last notice before I end off and leave you to go and dig out your tin of Golden Syrup (if you haven’t done so already!)  Last week, the funeral took place of Prime Time member Doris Borthwick.  Doris’ funeral service was Live Streamed at the time for the benefit of those who were unable to attend the service in person.  Doris’ daughter has given her permission for the recording of the service to remain available for people to watch and draw comfort from if they were unable to watch the live broadcast.  If you would like to view Doris’ funeral service, it is available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWua9wgZGOSAIOK8xTj1FPg

We also send our love to the family and friends of Prime Time member Nora Kennea whose funeral service was held at Busbridge Church on Tuesday this week.  Our thoughts and prayers are particularly with Nora’s husband Trevor, who is also a long standing member of Busbridge Church and himself a member of Prime Time.

Hopefully by the time I write next week, the temperature will have risen by a few degrees again and it will feel as though spring has returned.  In the meantime, stay warm by tucking into rice pudding with Golden Syrup!  (Hopefully Waitrose won’t now sell out!)

Until next Friday,

Penny x

Penny Naylor
Seniors’ Ministry Lead

Dear Prime Time member,

Hasn’t it been a momentous week? The news about the Duke of Edinburgh which, although shouldn’t have been entirely unexpected, still came as a shock. Listening to his life story, I myself had not realised how much he had sacrificed in the early years of his marriage; normally expecting twenty years of so having a ‘normal ‘ life and career, but instead taking on very quickly the full-time roll of Queen’s consort. I learned a lot about him that I had not known or had known but forgotten!   I expect this may bring back memories for you too, some poignant some peaceful, of loved ones lost; either recently or in times past. It’s times like these we really miss hugs from families and friends. I pray that God’s love will sustain you all.

Di’s letter last week was suggesting we remember things in our past, invoked through sights, sounds and smells. I suppose my favourite would be the smell of new mown grass, reminding me of caravan holidays in the Lake District. But my very earliest memory is of sitting in a tin bath in front of the fire. Did you have one of those? Then we progressed to a weekly bath in an upstairs bathroom, but only one filling of water for all of us. I was third in line! And yes, old newspapers came in handy…… well, we did come from Yorkshire. The latest loo roll shortage didn’t faze me a bit.

Di and I have obviously got a lot in common. I also got married in 1969 and watched the moon landing actually on our honey ‘moon’  on the hotel television.  I also made my blue bridesmaids dresses on an old treadle machine in the basement of the YWCA I lived in at the time; and ironed them with one of those flat irons that you only see now in the servant’s quarters of National Trust houses.

Now, can anyone visualise Di as a cowgirl? Well, that gave me a chuckle. The nearest  memory I can get to that is having a crush on Hopalong Cassidy, a goody two shoes cowboy on TV in about the fifties. Does anyone remember him? I saved for ages to buy his  annual. Can anyone remember the name of his horse?  Mind you, he did have a very deep sexy voice. (Hopalong, not the horse).

I asked husband for his earliest recollection, and found out he doesn’t  even remember getting married (which I can assure him we did!)

It’s been lovely going down Memory Lane but I just wish my short term memory was as good!  All those jokes about going upstairs and forgetting what you had gone up for are no longer funny!

Lockdown is gradually starting to ease, the weather is warming up and we must find the courage to emerge and start living again. I must admit I haven’t found Penny’s seven daisies yet,  although I have seen seven snowflakes, and lots of bright cheerful daffodils. Zoom has been invaluable, but I can’t wait  to start meeting you all again. I hope you feel the same.

Keep going. We are nearly there!

With love and many blessings,

Olwen x

 

Olwen Downhill

Primetime Team Member

Dear Prime Time member,

Well here we are already on the second day of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.  Although the past three months may at times have felt dull and dreary while we’ve been confined to barracks due to the most recent Lock Down; I know I’m not alone in thinking that, in many ways, the time seems actually to have passed quite quickly.  I’m not sure that it feels as though more than three months have passed since we celebrated Christmas.  Even though the Christmas festivities were more muted than usual last year, the occasion definitely was marked; but in my mind it doesn’t feel as though more than a quarter of a year has passed since we were singing carols and opening presents.  But the calendar assures me that this is so.  We passed the Spring Equinox on March 20th which heralds the astrological first day of Spring and last weekend the clocks went forward signalling the start of British Summer Time.  And although according to the weather forecast, temperatures are set to plummet in the next couple of days which will have the effect of making it feel as though we are still in the depths of winter; this last week we’ve had a few days when the mercury rose higher than it sometimes does in the height of summer!

According to an article I read this week however, there is yet another measure by which we can declare spring has (or hasn’t!) arrived; because according to ancient lore, spring has only arrived when you can fit seven daisy flowers under your foot.  A quick scan of our lawn at home shows it to be completely devoid of daisy flowers; there isn’t one let alone seven in a space small enough to be covered by my foot print!  So from that, are we to surmise that spring hasn’t yet arrived in this part of south-east England?!?

The easing of Lock Down restrictions and the hope brought by the vaccine roll-out feel something akin to spring at the end of a long, hard winter brought about by the pandemic.  As we look to the future with renewed hope that the worst of the pandemic may at last be behind us, I am reminded of a verse from the Song of Solomon; Chapter 2, Verses 11-12; 

‘For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come… 

And as a church family, we will be actively singing tomorrow for the first time in  more than a year as we gather together (outside) for our Easter Day services.  Both services are now fully booked to attend in person, but please do join us online via our YouTube channel.  The links to the services are easy to find on the Homepage of our website: www.bhcgodalming.org  The service from Hambledon starts at 9am, while the one at Busbridge is a little later – 10.15am.  Both can be watched live, or viewed later in their recorded form.

Our Rector Simon writes: ‘We’re waiting for the end to restrictions, distance relationships and lack of community and the end of this phase of the amazing vaccine effort but as a Christian I know that there is another ending. It is the ending longed for in Scripture across generations and it is the defeat of the darkness of evil. The ending which arrives at Easter is the resurrection of Jesus… There is hope for tomorrow and in it I invite you to remember that yours is a precious God given life. Easter means the waiting is over and we have a new life to live which takes us to the end of time’.

Easter and Spring are full of symbolism pointing to ‘new beginnings’ and ‘new life’, none more so than the tradition of the chocolate eggs which are now synonymous with Easter.  This Easter it has not been possible for BHC to host its annual Easter Egg Hunt in the gardens of the Old Rectory.  However, so as not to leave the younger members of our community disappointed for the second year running, my colleagues in the Children, Youth and Families Team have devised Easter Egg Treasure Hunts in both Busbridge and Hambledon which can be completed at any time in the next two weeks.  So if you have grandchildren visiting during the Easter holidays for their permitted ‘garden visits’ or you have neighbours with young children, do tell them about the BHC Easter Egg Treasure Hunts.  Treasure Hunt flyers can be picked up from the porches at both churches and further details can be found on our website: https://www.bhcgodalming.org/cyf-easter-egg-hunt where you will also find a promotional video which fully explains how this Egg Hunt works.  Even if you don’t know any young children, it’s worth watching the video for sheer entertainment value and to marvel at the ingenuity of my colleagues!  (You will also be introduced to Sheepy who has become something of a local internet sensation over the past year with the very youngest members of our church family).

I’ll be taking a bit of a break for the next two weeks as it is the school holidays; but fear not – your weekly Prime Time email will still be arriving regularly in your inbox courtesy of the lovely volunteers on the Prime Time Team.  On my return from leave, I will begin compiling the Prime Time Lock Down Year Book, so if you have any further contributions, please do get them to me either via email or post over the next couple of weeks.  My final suggestion for things that could be included in the Year Book are personal reflections from the past year.  What has the last year meant to you?  Has it been frustration after frustration or have there been some positives to come out of the experience as well?  What have you learnt about yourself or the world?  What have you discovered you’re capable of?  If a future generation was to face a worldwide pandemic, what advice would you give to them?  In your opinion what lessons need to be learned?  A copy of our Year Book will be stored in the church archive.  What words about the pandemic of 2020 would you like to speak out of the pages of our Lock Down Year Book?  This is your opportunity to have your voice recorded for posterity – so please don’t hold back.  I look forward to reading what you come up with.

It just remains for me to wish you a peaceful and peace-filled Easter and the extra joy that the easing of some of the Lock Down restrictions may bring.

Until  next time,

Penny x