|
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT – Stanley Wheeler
Dear Editor
With so much happening in the World today, how fortunate we were to be able to join the congregation in a gentle and kindly service on Christmas Eve.
Both my daughter and myself have suffered grievous family loss in the past year and although we are not ardent churchgoers we both believe we shall join our loved ones at some future time.
Singing the hymns, and hearing the readings from the Bible, gave us so much hope for the future and, when the Revd. Ken Tombs gave us his address, it was so uplifting especially when he mentioned Holy Trinity Church, Northwood, where I spent my early Scout hood days
Another year goes on its way
Its joys and sorrows day by day
Next year we hope will bring us peace
And foreign wars at last will cease.
Sincerely yours, Stanley Wheeler
In the Times Saturday Magazine of 11th December, Linford Christie was quoted as saying the following about his favourite “takeaway”……….. “Chinese has got to be my favourite. The Roc Cottage Chinese Restaurant in Ickenham is my regular.”
CHRISTIAN AID – “TURNING POINTS”
C.A. 60TH ANNIVERSARY 2005
Volunteers Evening 2005 for the Launch of Christian Aid Week 2005 between 15th and 21st May.
Tuesday 8th February at All Hallows on the Wall – 83 London Wall, London EC2M 5ND. Please advise Bernard Pearce if you are able to go. Tel: 01895 230060.
THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE/ CANDLEMAS
In bygone centuries, Christians said their last farewells to the Christmas season on Candlemas, 2nd February. This is exactly 40 days after Christmas Day itself.
In New Testament times 40 days old was an important age for a baby boy: it was when they made their first 'public appearance'. Mary, like all good Jewish mothers, went to the Temple with Jesus, her first male child, to “present him to the Lord". At the same time, she, as a new mother, was 'purified'. Thus we have the Festival of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
So where does the Candlemas bit come in? Jesus is described in the New Testament as the Light of the World, and early Christians developed the tradition of lighting many candles in celebration of this day. The Church also fell into the custom of blessing the year's supply of candles for the church on this day - hence the name, Candlemas.
The story of how Candlemas began can be found in Luke 2:22-40. Simeon's great declaration of faith and recognition of who Jesus was is of course found in the Nunc Dimittis, which is embedded in the Office of Evening Prayer in the West. But in medieval times, the Nunc Dimittis was mostly used just on this day, during the distribution of candles before the Eucharist. Only gradually did it win a place in the daily prayer life of the Church.
There are two confusing things about this day of romance and anonymous love-cards strewn with lace, cupids and ribbon: firstly, there seems to have been two different Valentines in the 4th century - one a priest martyred on the Flaminian Way, under the emperor Claudius, the other a bishop of Terni martyred at Rome. Neither seems to have had any clear connection with lovers or courting couples.
So why has Valentine become the patron saint of romantic love? By Chaucer's time the link was assumed to be because on these saints' day –14th February - the birds are supposed to pair. Or perhaps the custom of seeking a partner on St Valentine's Day is a surviving scrap of the old Roman Lupercalia Festival, which took place in the middle of February. One of the Roman gods honoured during this Festival was Pan, the god of nature. Another was Juno, the goddess of women and marriage. During the Lupercalia it was a popular custom for young men to draw the name of a young unmarried woman from a name-box. The two would then be partners, or 'sweethearts', during the time of the celebrations. Even modern Valentine decorations bear an ancient symbol of love - Roman cupids with their bows and love-arrows.
There are no churches in England dedicated to Valentine, but since 1835 the Carmelite Church in Dublin has claimed his relics.
ELSIE JENKINS SAYS “AU REVOIR” TO W.E.A.
The Ruislip and Uxbridge Branch of the WEA (Workers’ Educational Association) held its Annual General meeting in Ickenham Village Hall on Saturday 20th November 2004.
The Chairman and Secretary, Elsie Jenkins, got the formal part of the evening underway promptly. Various reports were received and approved by the meeting. The last part of the meeting concerned the election of Branch officers. Elsie had announced her intention to retire at this meeting during the previous AGM in 2003. She has worked tirelessly over many years to keep the WEA alive in Ruislip and Uxbridge, but felt it was now time to hand over the reigns of the local branch to others.
Typically during the last few months of her leadership Elsie made strenuous efforts to find a new Chairman and Secretary for the branch. She was able to advise the meeting that she had been successful in her efforts and that Caroline Field had agreed to take over as Chairman, and Brian Rose had agreed to take over as Secretary. The meeting elected the Chairman, Secretary, and other committee members, before the formal business of the evening was brought to a close.
Once the AGM had finished there was time for various members to pay tribute to the work done on behalf of the WEA by Elsie, and present her with a large pot of flowers. Elsie thanked those present for their kind words and gift. She said how much she liked flowers and that the pot would take pride of place on her patio, which gave her so much enjoyment. She also said that she felt she had left the WEA in the very safe hands of the new committee, and that she would still keep in touch with her friends at the WEA by continuing to attend as many courses as possible.
The evening then continued with a light supper prepared by the committee members. It included the usual wonderful selection of ‘homemade’ sweets for which the AGM has become so famous amongst members.
The evening concluded with a lecture by Dr Jane Schopf entitled ‘Down your way! A musical tour of West Middlesex.’ It was a most enjoyable and enlightening look at the famous musical connections with our local area.
Jim O’Connor
Receipt is acknowledged, with grateful thanks, of the following donations towards the cost of I.C.N.:
J M Buchanan from Rickmansworth, Anonymous of Campden Road via Val Kershaw, Glebe School P.T.A., Anonymous of Eleanor Grove, Mr and Mrs Birbeck from Ely, Mrs Byrne of Burnham Avenue via Marion Smith, Laurie Hadley of Parkfield Road via Ruth Gear, Valerie Lane from Lincoln. Generous, anonymous donation via David Thorpe, HDFAS, Mrs Q Hierons from Bath, Stanley Wheeler of High Road, Ickenham, Dr A Spaull of Milton Road via Derek Kneale.
Copy for the March edition should be with me by 13thFebruary.
|
|
|
