Mea Culpa

Have meant to update this, but over the past few months I have been busy and the more time goes by, the more difficult it is to restart. I do feel that this blog should be a team effort, although I will try and kickstart it again this year.

Apologies

Paul

Christchurch event

The following is an event organised by Christchurch in Baldock:


You are invited to a full English breakfast

Vijay Menon will speak on

"Why I gave up religion!!"

Saturday 20 May
08.30 at Central Methodist
(Junction of Norton Way Sth/ Pixmore Way, Letchworth)


Cost - £4 RSVP 683064/ 674776 by May 19

Well if you are intrigued by the talk and like a full English breakfast then by all means come along. I strongly suspect that I will!

Baldock Festival

(North Hertfordshire District Council)

Apologies for the delay again, but as you probably know, I have recently been involved with the local elections and spend what blogging time I have on my personal blog, which I use as a campaigns blog.
In any case, the annual Baldock Festival is now underway, with daily events. I had hoped to go to the "Seeing Stars astronomical event" last Thursday, but got held up at the last minute. This Saturday, however, will be seeing a "Fire Station Open Day" at Baldock Fire Station (Sat, from 12-4PM). A Craft Fair at St John's Roman Catholic School (Sat from 10:30-3:30PM), A Jazz Concert at Knights Templar School (7:30PM), A Night at the Races at Baldock Community Centre (Sat 8PM).

A Mild Shock

A few days ago, I was at Baldock Train Station on the way to work, when there was this enormous bang, and the sound of bottles smashing.
Could only mean one thing. Someone had tried to drive a lorry under the bridge next to the station and got stuck.
Due to the lack of foresight and attention, a no of us had to swiftly call for taxis and there was a train delay at the station for up to an hour, whilst they tried to sort out whether the bridge was safe.
What irritates me is the lack of judgement shown by the lorry driver in question. As someone said to me who used to drive lorries, it's ideal to knock off six inches of the height of any bridge a lorry driver is considering going under, that way you can't go wrong.
But thankfully no one was injured and life swiftly returned to normal, and thank God for the bypass!

Palm Sunday

(BBC Online)
This Palm Sunday saw Baldock Methodist Church worshipping with our Anglican bretheren at St Mary's Church, Baldock.
I had wanted to set off earlier, so as to catch the procession from Clothall Common, but events conspired against me, and those of us waiting in Church were spared the sight of Sally the Pony, who was going to make an entrance into the Church, but seemed to be tto tired to do so at the last minute.
In any case it was a good service, although very liturgical. Nothing wrong in that, although it is something I am not altogether used to. That said, it was a good service, with the children performing a scene from the Passion.
They also had plenty of hot cross buns with tea and coffee afterwards, and then home, when, with some time to spare, I watched a DVD of Keeping Mum, starring Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, and Patrick Swayze. An enjoyable black comedy set in a small picturesque village of Midsomer Murders proportions, involving a shy Vicar, a frustrated housewife, a nymphomaniac seventeen year old, a sleazy golf pro, and a motherly housekeeper with homocidal tendencies!
Suffice to say that the phrase "I'll just put the kettle on!" is now enough to rather unnerve me! ;)
BTW I came across this photo of worshippers at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, taken earlier today. The Church is believed to be where Christ's body was buried.

The Baldock bypass

First of all, my apologies for not keeping up to date with this. Christmas and New Year saw me at a busy time and then the longer I left it, the more easy it was not to update this blog. A lesson in there I am sure.
Anyhow, the Baldock bypass has finally opened and it has made a heck of a difference to the traffic in the town. Instead of seeing blocked traffic at key parts of the day, everything runs more smoothly and there is more of a relaxed feel to the town.
Let's hope it lasts and that things improve.

Christmas Tree Celebrations

(St Mary's Church, Baldock)

Yesterday evening I went along to what is probably the most bizarre Christmas service yet.
It concerned a dedication of Christmas trees.
Put basically there has been a recent idea for people and organisations within Baldock to take part in a Christmas tree competition at St Mary's Church. 'Churches Together in Baldock', (an ecumenical organisation which involves nearly all the Churches in town liasing together for various things, and of which I am Secretary) put forward a tree, and the winner was to be announced at the service (The judges would be the public, who would visit the Church during the weekend and look at the trees on display, which were in rows by the various pews).
Suffice to say we did not win, I have even (to my shame) forgotten who did and if anyone involved is reading this, please could they remind me!
The service was also packed (which was good) and full of couples my own age with small children (which I didn't expect and which made me feel old :/).
But all in all it was great fun.

Christmas bazzar

(www.twgoose.freeserve.co.uk)

I am usually a stickler for the proper ways to celebrate Advent/Christmas.
That means I refuse, point blank to buy any Christmas presents before the first Sunday in Advent, that I cannot abide to see any decorations put up before then etc.. etc..
Of course I am fully aware that I am being somewhat unreasonable here! To organise for a succesful Christmas, generally speaking, we need to get ready fairly early, and I do speak as someone who has the luxury of being single and yet not living on my own, so I don't suffer from some of the stresses that many people have in preparing for Christmas.
But all of that said, it was yesterday morning, as opposed to next Sunday (27th Nov), that it all seemed to start for me. Baldock Methodist Church were having their Christmas bazzar a week earlier than planned, so as not to clash with the Baldock United Reformed Church's Christmas bazzar, and I had to be there to help take part.
This meant getting up slightly earlier than usual on a Saturday morning, and having time to appreciate the morning frost (so much so I committed the extra personal heresy of putting on a 'Best Christmas Album in the World...' CD on, so as to appreciate such a sunny winter morning),and finding at the very last minute, that I forgot to put the scones out to defrost the night before (Although nothing that couldn't be handled with a slow heat, with foil on top, in in the Chruch oven).
Then it was helping to make teas and coffees all morning, plus washing-up afterwards. More people than usual and well over £100 raised from what I have heard.
Roll on Christmas! Although I find that once you put on a Christmas CD, it is difficult to get out of the habit. I am currently listening to the glorious musical offering known as 'Merry Christmas Everybody' by Slade.

Talking of Christmas..

(twgoose.freeserve.co.uk)

Baldock Methodist Church are holding a Christmas bazzar this coming Saturday. Admittedly this is a bit early, but it is so that it doesn't clash with the United Reformed Churches event the following Saturday.
The bazzar will be from 10AM to 12:30AM, and the Church, for those of you who don't know, is in Whitehorse Street, opposite the 'Rose and Crown'.