Thursday, June 16, 2011

Living in Ormskirk, Part 04

Wednesday, 15 June

I don’t quite know how to explain how it is that for us, just being here in Ormskirk is so much fun. Part of it is, there’s always something to do, if only to watch the bird life on the pond in Coronation Park – or go to have tea in some coffee house and watch the world go by, as we do most afternoons. Then on Thursdays and Saturdays are the markets, and they’re fun to poke through. Last week we found me two leather purses and bargained with the vendor, who sold them to us for six pounds each, slightly less than they’re worth. We also found some blond nesting tables, which we’ve needed from the beginning, and a gorgeous vase. (This week I’ll look for silk flowers to put in it.)

Monday I went again to the Bible study/knitting group again, at the nearby Anglican church. On my way there, I noticed a woman stopped at the corner, who turned out to be one of the knitters, Pam, who and recognized me and was waiting for me. Met two more ladies, as well – and again, I only completed two rows the entire time!

It was Ann’s (the curate’s) last time with the group, as she is moving away to Wigan to pastor two parishes there. We will miss her! (We do not need to believe in ordaining women to recognize that they can be as good as men at many ministries.) The parish has two new curates now, the just-ordained Stuart and Linda. (Stuart’s blog is here.)

Tuesday evening, we went to the Bible study at Stuart and Angela’s house. They are still on a high from his ordination, and both quite tired, too. We made it a short evening. We are studying the book of Ezekiel.

Today we have just received a note from the wonderful lady beside whom we sat at the ordinations on Sunday, the one we were afraid we’d never hear of again. I’m going to quote her entire note, because it made us laugh a lot: First, so you’ll understand what she says, I should tell you the at the ordination service, it was deacon reading the Gospel, but the person acting in the role of deacon was actually the Dean of Liverpool, soon to become Bishop of Durham. (Did you know that technically, the one who appoints the bishops of the Church of England is the Queen?)  Diana writes:

I have marvelous story to tell!: —

Liverpool Cathedral was full! The Dean was reading the Gospel, by the PASCAL CANDLE, at the Ordination Service. HORRORS, -- the candle top came apart and a flame fell down into the flowers and a small fire started, near the hem of the Bishop of Durham’s – sorry, not yet – the Dean of Liverpool’s shimmering garment. What to do? Everyone froze!

What happened? Why ask!

An American lady, cool as you like, stepped up and put out the fire – one footed!!! (It was the same in the 1939-45 war.) (Except it was the whole country)

It reminds me of a joke. There was a shipwreck. 2 Scottish men, 2 Welshmen, 2 Irishmen and 2 English men were washed ashore. What to do? The Scottish men wanted to start a distillery, the Welsh men wanted a choir, the Irish men started to fight and the Englishmen waited to be introduced!!

Have fun!

– affectionately,



You see?  She’s full of beans, as they say here, a real character, and we plan to invite her to tea somewhere in Liverpool, as that is where she lives. And we greatly look forward to knowing her better.

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