MagazineBeverley Minster

The Parish Magazine of Beverley Minster, All Saints’ Routh, St Paul’s Tickton, St Leonard’s Molescroft and St Peter’s Woodmansey

July/August 2012

£1.00

Focus on sport,leisure and holidays

Rugby and Faith

Bearing the torch

REaction 2012 - Going for Gold

Minster Walkers

Olympics 2012

Sing Joyfully

Pause for thought

Mike Nicholson - Olympic torchbearer

EDITORIAL

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This month our theme is sport,

leisure and holidays. Thanks to the

following for their contributions:

Michael Nicholson

John Dell

Sue Holmes

Peter Bradley

Roger Dent

Ian Merryweather

Adam Norton

Don Wright and Beryl Stubbs

Contributing other articles are:

Julia Fletcher

Barbara Gilman

Fiona Mayer-Jones

Terry Munro

Rachel Poyser

Sally George

Steve Rial and Paul Hawkins

This is the summer double edition for

July and August. Please send articles

to Ian Merryweather at any time. The

deadline for the September edition is

Friday 17 August.

Editorial Team

Matthew is a pupil from Beverley

Minster Primary School who was in

the Minster when the torch came

to town. He also met one of the

designers of the torch, Jay Osgerby.

This life of service is not easy!

Pause for ThoughtPause for Thought

Reading

Reflection

Prayer

‘At Thy word I will let down the net.’Luke 5:5

This verse was given to Jeremy and me as we prayed for guidance about his first curacy 24 years ago. The disciples have been fishing all night on the Sea of Galilee and caught nothing; nevertheless Jesus tells them to put their nets out again. It seemed futile, but Peter did as he was told, acknowledging Jesus as Master, and the nets came up full of fish. We felt that God was telling us to trust him, and so we did. We were called to Stranton in Hartlepool. When we arrived we found a stained glass window in the church with this verse inscribed on it! I can’t pretend that it was an easy time; we were away from our families in an unfamiliar town with a small baby, and a new job, but the experience was rich and God blessed us in ways we could never have anticipated. That verse has travelled with us ever since as we strive to be true disciples of God and to obey His calling. When my children were growing up, if I asked them to do something, I expected them to do it; no questions asked. One Mothering Sunday my now grown up son bought me a card with the words ‘Question Authority, not your Mother’! A bit of a joke, but if God is my heavenly Father, and he asks something of me, then why should I not do it to the best of my ability; no ‘ifs’, or ‘buts’ ? Conditional discipleship seems to me not to be an option – we cannot call the tune and set the boundaries if God is Lord of all. But how do we know what God wants of us? This is where faith comes in; not blind faith, without understanding, but we set out with ‘baby steps’, a hidden kind of pre-understanding – in the hope that we will be given a more specific understanding.

Delia Smith wrote that true faith always questions, always searches out, and always desires. Here prayer begins. Because I work full time and have a busy home life, it is difficult to set aside a time each day when I can retire to a quiet place and pray without falling asleep! So my prayer life is more like a running conversation with God. I pray as I drive to work in York, as I walk the dog, as I work in the garden; the wonderful thing about God is that he is always there and ready to listen and to respond. This life of service is not easy and we can often feel a failure. The good news is that Jesus does not expect us to do this alone – he sends his Holy Spirit to help us in the task and the family of God to love and support each other along the way! I understand that there is a plaque outside St. Peter’s Church, Tabgha, at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, with these words from St. Luke’s Gospel inscribed on it, and I hope that Jeremy will take a photograph of it for me when he is in Israel. It reminds me that the deeds and miracles of Jesus are not the actions of the past. Jesus is waiting for those who are still prepared to take risks at His word because they trust his power utterly. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,Bow down before him his glory proclaimWith gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,Kneel and adore him – the Lord is his name.

J.S.B Monsell (1811 – 1875) Teach us, good Lord,to serve you as you deserve,to give and not to count the cost,to fight and not to heed the wounds,to toil and not to seek for rest,to labour and not to ask for any reward,save that of knowing that we do your will.

Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

Julia Fletcher

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The Curate’s PageFiona Mayer-Jones

I’ve been pondering in recent days what it is that makes thousands of people turn out to watch a living flame held aloft and carried through our streets. Candles, flames, fire – any kind of living flame automatically stirs something deep, probably primeval, within us. It is instantly uplifting and inspiring. I learnt this week too that the torch points to the seven Olympic values – Friendship, Respect, Equality, Courage, Determination, Inspiration, Excellence. The games themselves are founded on those qualities and the torch is meant to come ahead and herald a time when those things will be there, on clear display for us. When it comes to sport, what is the most important quality that an athlete or a sportsperson needs? Is it one of those seven values? Is it physical prowess or psychological toughness? Sam Allardyce, as manager of Bolton Wanderers, said the most important quality in a player was ‘spirit’, by which he meant the core of a person, the quality that allowed a relationship between the physical and the psychological – some would call it being in the zone, or simply ‘flow’ – that moment of seemingly completely effortless performance - for others it shows in how a reacts when the going gets tough. Of course most of us are ‘armchair athletes’ – but the attraction of sport is obvious when we think of how we see on field, pitch, court, track or pool, the whole of human life being played out in front of us. Watching sport is engrossing – you don’t just watch, you participate and in a tense England match or Murray game it can feel almost as exhausting watching as playing, because it is something into which we throw ourselves – body mind and spirit – and that is why sport can inspire us – as Tanni Grey-Thompson (former athlete, current Peer) said in a recent interview: “watching people achieve the best they can and win within the rules is amazing – it teaches you a lot about life”. And it can inspire us to achieve our full potential as God’s creatures, because it taps into something that is deep within us. All of human endeavour points to the divine – it’s a fact of how we are made in the image of God; when athletes compete they are taking part in a celebration of God’s creation. And through them we can be inspired to strive for something greater in ourselves – while they push physical and spiritual limits, then we too can be inspired to push other human limits of how we could be as individuals and as a society - of course it can also be a good way to kick back and relax for an afternoon!

Fiona

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Photography by Eli Lucas.

“… your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28 NIV)

“But it won’t make any difference,” a cynic once added, “because it will still be the middle aged men running the Church.”

At the close of his article “Clerk to the closet” (June issue p.7) Ian Merryweather expresses the hope that the General Synod will correct what he refers to as an “anomaly” and vote to appoint women bishops. In the same issue John Toes, (“Where have all the young men gone?” Part 2) tells us that in 2010 one trend chart showed the ratio of churchgoing women to men as 65% women to 35% men. It is not entirely clear to me whether these figures refer to Anglicans or to churchgoers in general. If as I suspect it is the latter, then the percentage of females in the Church of England is likely to be even higher (a lot of the younger, independent charismatic churches have quite sizable components of men.)We all know that women massively outnumber men in the C of E. That being the

case, one is bound to ask oneself how the “anomaly” of a male minority hogging all the top jobs has been able to persist for so long. (White males of course – with one notable exception – but that’s another story.)

When the first women were ordained priests in the C of E, my vision was that there would be a woman at Canterbury by 2020. It is now clear that this vision will not be realised, even if Synod were to vote for women bishops tomorrow. However, the current generation of mid-life male top-job-hoggers will inevitably fade away into old age. If there are very few young men coming into the Church now, there will be no experienced up and coming middle aged generation of men to succeed them. Result: the Church will (hallelujah!) be obliged to appoint experienced women to top jobs. This would be no more than a perfectly just reflection of the female/male ratio of Church congregations. It would merely correct what is now a grossly unjust “anomaly”: a pyramid structure which is overwhelmingly female at the bottom, and exclusively male at the top.

So what are we to say? “Young men – who needs them?” Well, not exactly. Boys of all ages who cross the path of the Church do require young male, Christian role models who may not be present in the home. Some of these young men will no doubt go on to assume senior leadership roles in the Church. Most of them will not object to – may even actually encourage – the presence of a few women alongside them in top jobs. But women, who generally fail to appreciate the role of testosterone in these matters, will not realise that for men the emphasis is on the word “few”. In other words, a manageable female minority. I wager that whatever the outcome of the General Synod vote, the men at the top will fight to maintain the majority stronghold that their sex have occupied for centuries. Aye, and there’s the rub.

Barbara Gilman

At the end of this term, the Minster Girls’ Choir will say goodbye to one of its Head Choristers as she goes off to

university in September. Penny Carpenter has been a real asset to the Choir, both in terms of her confident leadership on the Cantoris side, and because of her commitment, even during times when she has been extremely busy with school work, interviews and auditions for higher education, and other outside activities. Music lifts us out of the mundane daily grind and into a place where the troubles and stresses of work, school or sometimes even family life can be temporarily forgotten, and it is marvellous to see our girls and boys, week in, week out, turning up and investing their time and energies in music at the Minster. Evensong is a chance to put aside the day’s events, take time out, and be immersed in the steadfast and magical world of music.

In travelling up and down the country, visiting and being interviewed at various universities and music colleges, Penny found her membership of Beverley Minster Choir to be an impressive addition to her

Curriculum Vitae. Most importantly, it is recognised by professional musicians and music educators to be a brilliant way to further a child’s musical development. Furthermore, for a child or teenager to be part of a church choir of the standard that Robert has developed at the Minster is, in today’s society, relatively uncommon, and can make the difference, when making an application of some kind, between being run-of-the-mill and standing out as something special. Music specialists know that it takes hard work and concentration to cope with the breadth and demands of the traditional choral repertoire, and with the speed at which the girls and boys have to learn new material. What is perhaps most wonderful is the love of great music which the girls and boys naturally develop when singing in the Minster Choir. These interested and intelligent children, without realising it, are the lucky few who become imbued with the marvels and delights of the Western choral heritage. Joseph and Lily spend large amounts of time singing heartily around the house, and they are likely to be singing a morsel of Byrd, Haydn or Handel. Hearing one’s child singing in Latin in the bath at the age of seven, while they find it perfectly normal, is actually very special.

Another benefit to our children and teenagers of singing in the Minster Choir is that they are well supported by a number of talented and generous adults who continue to give their time and efforts to this unique activity. Whilst school and youth choirs are clearly very important, our girls and boys are less likely to be singing, in such contexts, anything like the complex and intricate music which they are able to experience here at the Minster. One of the behaviour traits of new choristers on taking part in their first services is that they will often look round to see who is singing behind them in the back rows, because they probably have never heard such sounds outside the Minster. This truly is a unique part of their lives.

Those of us who teach in schools have been doing our utmost to encourage both boys and girls to join the Minster Choir. There is nothing like it. If you know any boys or girls who may be interested and may benefit from being a part of it, then please tell them about it, for their future as well as for the continuation of the choral tradition at the Minster.

Rachel Poyser

Point of View

The consecration of the first female bishop in Australia.

Sing Joyfully

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“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we are incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

“Lampadam ferens” (pace, Hull University, your grammar is incorrect!) means “bearing the torch” and this has always been the task of the athlete. Athletics was devised by the Ancient Greeks as a means of competitive, but (usually) non-lethal, military training – hence the original events of the pentathlon – running, jumping, javelin, discus and hand-to-hand fighting. (Modern athletics has replaced the last with the 1500 metres – less exciting, but probably safer!)

Runners brought news of victories or of approaching invaders in Biblical times – and this could, on occasions, be competitive (2 Samuel 18 verse 18 onwards). For Christians, it is our privilege to bear news of Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and death, as when Cleopas and his companion ran the first recorded 10 kilometre road course from Emmaus to Jerusalem. (Unfortunately, St Luke omits to record their time).

“Mens sana in corpora sano”, (“a healthy mind in a healthy body”), a quotation from Juvenal, was adopted by many of the disciples of Arnold of Rugby as an educational principle. Physical activity was encouraged in schools and from this grew a large number of Schools’ Sports Associations, including the English Schools’ Athletic Association. Most of my involvement with athletics has been through the East Riding and Humberside sections of this organization. Schools’ sport probably reached its high point during the 1970’s.

The following decade saw a sharp decline as teachers were being asked to do an increasing amount of administrative work outside the classroom, which meant that they had much less time for extra-curricular activities. However, recent years have seen a revival, partly as a result of government funding of Schools’ Sports Coordinators. Certainly, at its best sport can encourage a clean and healthy lifestyle.

While this in itself is good, the manufacturer of one of my sets of trainers reminds me of an even more important message. ASICS is an acronym of Anima Sana in Corpore Sano (a healthy soul in a healthy body). That, of course, does not mean that anybody who is not well will have an impediment to their soul. What it does mean is that the body, as well as the soul, is part of God’s creation for which we must be thankful and whose successful use should be celebrated. Training for an endurance event gives time to think in the context of a relaxing activity and usually in pleasant surroundings. (I move at a speed at which I have time to appreciate my surroundings!) The competitive element brings the fellowship of a number of like-minded individuals. (Yes, I do know this also applies to sheep, but we are often called a flock!) The nature of athletic competition means that the aim of each participant is to give his or her best performance, not to impede that of another participant. This precludes the nastiness which arises occasionally in more invasive sports. Unfortunately there is an element of cheating at the highest level, but most athletes have little respect for colleagues whose training session begins at the chemist’s shop.

Athletics is a sport which I would recommend to anybody. There are events suitable

Lampadam Ferensfor all sizes, shapes and ages. The oldest athlete whose event I have judged was 96. While winning is enjoyable, there is also the satisfaction of a good personal performance. And this satisfaction is not uniquely physical...

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Michael Nicholson

Modesty prevents Michael from pointing out that he is one of the Olympic torch bearers in this area and we congratulate him in receiving such a well-deserved honour.

He is featured on the cover of this edition.

Editor

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REaction 2012Olympic Spirit: Going for GoldIt takes more than being a brilliant sports man or woman to become an Olympian. Top class athletes try to live according to a set of beliefs and ideals that help them to be the best that they can be and to respect other competitors. The Olympic values are: friendship, respect, excellence, determination, courage, equality and inspiration. These values can help all of us to live as best we can, achieving our personal ambitions and dreams. REaction looks at what religion has to say about them and encourages us to think about how we might all strive to live this way. So REaction is a happy marriage between core religious education curriculum and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Schools have been very keen to link the theme with school ethos discussions and the values of education. This is especially true for Church Schools such as Beverley Minster and Bugthorpe, two of the many that have taken part in 2012.

REaction events are run in partnership with local faith communities and Label of Love, the creative Christian team that has worked with over 20,000 East Yorkshire pupils at REaction over the last 10 years to explore aspects of RE in exciting and challenging ways. In Beverley the REaction events are offered in partnership with the Beverley Schools’ Christian Trust.

Year 6 and Year 7 pupils are split into 5 workshop groups, tackling 3 activities in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. The day starts at 10.00 and finishes around 14.45 and incorporates aspects of music, dance, creativity, reflection, quiz and history of the church. Enquiry-based aspects of the new RE curriculum – units on Faith in action / Hopes & visions / Vision, values and purpose - allows participating teachers to prepare follow-up activities for their classes for the rest of term. The day starts and concludes with plenary sessions that encourage teamwork and respect for others and always provides a lot of fun and games for everyone – teachers included!

Around 30 East Riding schools and 660 pupils and supporting staff have participated over 3 days at Beverley Minster from 11-13 June. Just as the Olympic torch is carried around the region, the REaction tour which has already called into Hull Holy Trinity is now going on to other areas of the East Riding.

The day is seen very much as part of the transition from Primary to Secondary and some schools like to work through REaction with their feeder Primaries to support Year 6 children. Beverley Schools’ Christian Trust workers then go into schools to deliver It’s Your Move booklets to children in all Beverley feeder schools in assemblies and tutor groups.

REaction began in Beverley Minster in June 2002 and has grown out of all recognition since, in terms of size and stature. We hear many encouraging things about it from participating schools.Here are some from this year:

“REaction is an excellent venture that allows Christians from a variety of backgrounds to share their beliefs and talents with young people in a fun way that brings Christianity into the 21st century”.“A very successful and enjoyable day”.“Thank you for a super day”.“A fab day, with fab workshops, a great way of helping children to see church as a community”.“REaction makes church cool for kids”.“All the children I spoke to had a really fun day. One particular child’s behaviour was completely transformed during the day. He was co-operative, engaged & really enthusiastic. It was lovely to see!”

“It was great – the best day ever!” - Mia (10)“It was really fun.” - Hollie (11)“It was a fab day.” - Laura (11)

Sue Holmes Photos by Rebecca Addison.

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Rugby and FaithWhen I was a young boy all I wanted to do was play in goal for England. My Dad and brother played in goal and encouraged me to do the same.

It wasn’t until I was thirteen when a friend invited me to go and train with Skirlaugh Bulls. I didn’t know it at the time but they were and are one of the best rugby league teams in Hull.

From that first training session I absolutely fell head over heels in love with the sport of Rugby League. My first game for Skirlaugh was against Norland Sharks, almost eight years ago. I was hooked. For the next few years I trained, played, ate and dreamt about rugby. I remember having a rugby ball with me everywhere I went; even during lessons at school I would be throwing the ball in the air when the teacher wasn’t looking. When I was thirteen I physically looked sixteen. For my age I was tall, stocky and could run like the wind, you could say I was perfect for playing rugby. During my first season at Skirlaugh I was the top tackler and top try scorer, received many ‘man of the match’ awards and at the end of season presentation I took home many trophies.

Half way through my second season I was scouted by a coach from HKR (Hull Kingston Rovers) and was invited to train in the academy. I was fourteen at the time and couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

I stayed at Skirlaugh and Rovers and enjoyed many happy times at both clubs. The time came when I was 18 that would either ‘make or break’ my future in top flight rugby. Rovers offered me a ‘pay if you play’ contract which I was very happy to sign; I was never bothered about the money, I just wanted to play rugby to the best of my ability.

The training and professionalism at the club was intense and I found it difficult to settle in. After about 8 months I slowly began to lose my ‘fire’ for the game, I wasn’t playing as regularly as I had hoped and training became more of a chore, and to be honest I felt lonely. I decided I was going to quit, my hunger had gone and I didn’t want to do anything I didn’t enjoy. Looking back the decision to quit was massive, a possible professional career was beckoning, but at the time I knew what I had to do. I think God played a huge part in my decision making. If I had stayed at Rovers then I wouldn’t be where I am now or doing a job I love.

After a break of two years I really started to miss playing. I was missing the fellowship and the banter. I said to myself I would only start playing again if I enjoyed it. As it happened a friend encouraged me to go and train at Beverley Braves, so I did. The first night training was just what I needed to set me back on ‘fire’ for rugby. I played in the second half of the 2011 season and enjoyed playing once again. I had missed the adrenaline buzz before a game and to feel part of a team again was amazing.

During the pre-season of 2012 I was asked if I wanted to captain the side. I was in total shock at first as I had only been there half a season and the lads had been playing with each other for years. I felt honoured and accepted the challenge. Up until this point I hadn’t really spoken about what I did because I was apprehensive about what they would all say and think. So during one of the sessions I started to talk about my work at the Minster and explain that I’m a Christian and that I love Jesus. Obviously the banter started between the lads and for a few weeks I would have the Michael taken out of me. I was taken back by how upset it made me but remembering that as Christians we should love and want

that, I now love it when I’m challenged, it has somehow made me stronger, and only through being honest with the team have they slowly begun to respect and trust me. I must remember that I’m Christ through their eyes, so I thrive on that and am slowly building bridges.

Throughout my rugby playing years many people have inspired me. I remember my first coach, he taught me to love tackling, at first I thought ‘how odd, nobody enjoys tackling’ but if I could train myself to enjoy it then I would be one up on the rest of the players. My coaches from Skirlaugh and Rovers developed me into a clever, skilful player rather than just a battering ram. The most influential person has been my Dad who over the years has driven thousands of miles to take me training and to games all over Yorkshire. At Skirlaugh he used to train with us, he was in his late fifties and would still run about like an eighteen year old. During games he was our ‘water boy’, always keeping us hydrated during hot games. I could always hear him from the touch line shouting ‘come on Adam’ whenever I got the ball. On the DVDs of the games all you can hear is him screaming and shouting at us. What a man, I wouldn’t be the player or the man I am today if it wasn’t for him, thanks Dad.

Having Christians in sport is a fantastic thing; it’s a great privilege to lead a team out every Saturday afternoon. I hope I lead as Jesus lead his disciples, from the front, by example, to encourage, bring hope and belief to a losing team, be a support and guide, to lead and to serve. It is only by me following Jesus that I have been chosen to lead. God bless.

Adam ‘knocker’ Norton Gap Year Youth Worker

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Minster WalkersBeverley Minster Social Committee2012 sees the sad demise of the Social Committee as we know it, although we hope it will be resurrected in perhaps another form by others.

The Social Committee was formed in 1991 by Revd Dr Peter Forster and some of the original members were still involved at the end. If you add 50 to the 21 years that it has existed, it still doesn’t quite reach our average age, so we feel it is time to call it a day.

Highlights for me are many, but what stands out are : The trip to Oberammergau in 2010 followed by a short holiday in Austria arranged for 50 of us by my wife Jan. Also the five coach holidays, 3 in Scotland and 2 in Ireland organised by John and Pam Holmes.

Other events often repeated annually included Burns Night Supper and Dances, Quizzes, Beetle drives and Antique evenings. Harvest Suppers with entertainment, a trip to the Mystery Plays in York Minster, two formal Dinner Dances in our Minster with a live band featuring Richard Carew. Coffee evenings in the Minster with Alan Wong entertaining us on the piano, Daffodil Walks in Farndale, Bar-be-ques, Parties, trips to Whitby and Spalding and of course the annual Christmas Fair, and many other events too.

However we went out in a blaze of glory with our finale, “A Royal Diamond Jubilee Party”, held in the fabulously decorated parish hall. It was great to see people having a good time and dancing the night away, a fitting reward for all the hard work put into events over the years.

We shall certainly miss it, but as all the members of the committee are involved in other aspects of the Minster life we are not disappearing from view. So thank you all for your support and encouragement over the years and we all hope that perhaps something will follow, not necessarily as we have done it, but something along the same lines.

Peter Bradley

On any Wednesday morning two bands of intrepid explorers put on their boots and set out to savour the delights of the Yorkshire countryside. These groups are known as “The Minster Walkers & Amblers”. The former set out with packed lunches and drinks and cover between 7-10 miles, the latter usually base their walk around a Pub/Restaurant and do a lesser walk; both groups try to car share where possible. The walks are pre-arranged and a programme is set covering a 3 month period with various types of walk, i.e. coastal, moors and Wolds. The “Amblers” have a more relaxed way of setting their walks and arrange them nearer the date usually with lunch after.

A few like-minded members of the Minster congregation who all enjoyed to get out once per week and socialise in the local countryside originally formed the group, many years ago. The groups nowadays are made up of about equal numbers of congregation and friends who enjoy each other’s company and friendly banter, whilst exercising and taking in the glorious views. Several of the group have just returned from an annual very enjoyable few days at the Kearton Hotel at Thwaite in Swaledale where we had 3 days of beautiful “FLAT” walks, (as the leader described them before we set out), we won’t ever believe her again!

Last year a few members set out on a pilgrimage from York to Beverley covering the “Minster Way”, the walk being completed in 4 days through rain and sunshine. The determined little band pushed on and finally the West towers of the Minster were in site to the relief of everyone.

Over the years we have experienced many amusing instances like the time one member got to lunch time only to find that the lunch they had been so looking forward to when

opened, contained only mouldy beetroot. The wrong container had been taken out of the fridge that morning, and the member who had forgotten to take their lunch at all, the group soon got together and shared their lunches to that member’s relief. A few weeks ago a small terrier dog was overheated, and after 5 miles or so, laid down and looked at its owner and refused to move any further. A few members got together and emptied one rucksack, slid the animal in, with its head out of the top, and proceeded to complete the walk, the added baseball cap completes the picture. We have had many treasured sightings over the years, mainly whilst lunching - two foxes playing in a field, a Kingfisher flying up and down the river, the Red kites and Buzzards flying overhead, two deer within a few feet.

We have not always been so fortunate with our luck and in one instance a member was unfortunate to get a foot stuck in a hole, which happened near to the Bridestones on the North Yorkshire Moors, with no mobile reception. Thinking she had badly bruised the ankle a few members decided to make their way slowly with the injured walker to the nearest car access point, whilst another member was sent to bring a car. The rest of the group continued on the walk. When the Westwood Hospital was finally reached the ankle was found to be fractured. Fortunately this very seldom happens and it is normal for all who set out in the morning to arrive back safe and sound, but it demonstrates the amount of care and fellowship found in our groups.

If anyone would be interested in joining either of the groups, information can be found on the Minster website.

Roger Dent

Photo: Dave Waghorn

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What are you reading?A Monthly Series of Book Reviews by Canon Terry Munro

No.6. – Now for something completely different!

One of the things that has fascinated me throughout my ministry is the perception so many Church members have about the antiquity of the things they cherish. Of course some things are truly venerable – the Authorised Version of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, the Parish system etc. But many of the things we take for granted are of much more recent origin. We accept as normal such things as robed choirs – but a hundred and fifty years ago this innovation caused scandal in many parishes.

Indeed many of our customs and institutions come from the second half of the nineteenth century, for instance weekly Communion services, Harvest Festival and most of our well known Christmas Carols. 1863 saw the birth of my publication of the month –“The Church Times”. Newspapers were thriving in the nineteenth century and the idea of a Church Paper attracted the interest of a group of clergy and laity within the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Church. For many years the paper (owned by a staunchly High Church family) was a propaganda medium for that part of the Church, promoting and defending its view of Anglicanism with vigour and sometimes, rudeness! Shortly after the Second World War, the paper was sold to new owners who decided to broaden its views and its scope. It has continued along this path until the present day and is now the Anglican weekly with the largest circulation anywhere in the world. It also proudly proclaims its total independence from the Church hierarchy. Whilst retaining its role as a sort of ‘house journal’ for the Church (Almost all vacancies for appointments within the Church’s Ministry appear within its pages), it also fulfils a number of other (and more attractive) functions.

First, it is a valuable source of information about matters concerning the worldwide Church. It is at present especially concerned about some of the little publicised instances of persecution of Christians across the world.

Secondly and more locally it reports a very wide range of Church news, both serious and (sometimes) comically trivial. It also has perceptive leader articles on the weekly news, both religious and secular.

One of the paper’s great strengths is the skill of its regular contributors. Pre-eminent are Giles Fraser (lately forced from his job at St. Paul’s Cathedral for his support of demonstrators) and Simon Parke who writes from a critical position within church life. Especially valuable are the weekly thoughts and comments on the Bible readings for the coming Sunday.

The paper also contains a remarkable range of reviewing. Its book reviews cover an enormous spread of writing, both religious

and secular. A team of writers look at the way the church is treated in the Press, and TV and radio. Lastly it has a group of very skilled cartoonists, one of whom, ‘Ron’, produces delightful insights into a fictional church called “St. Gargoyles”.

I have been a subscriber for many years, but the Church Times is definitely not just for the clergy. I will be leaving a number of recent issues at the back of the Minster and really hope that some of you will want to ask your newsagent to order this informative and entertaining paper on a regular basis.Good reading Terry Munro

P.S. Advertisements in C.T. are useful for finding lovely holiday cottages and Christian second hand car dealers!

In this exciting year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and also the 2012 Olympic games you might wonder what else one could possibly need to keep entertained. Well I can tell you there are certain members of the Minster congregation (along with a few select fellows from that look alike church St Mary’s) who have a weekly game of golf at the Beverley golf club. We have developed quite a reputation amongst the club’s other members who most commonly refer to us as the “God Squad”. Indeed, if we all turn up for a round of golf then we can have more

people than some village church gets for its congregation. All booted up, we stride onto the course like a puffed up fleet of God’s army (albeit a small one) and attempt to do battle with the course. Ranging from 21 to 75 (our ages that is, not our handicaps), we are a varied and diverse bunch who enjoy the fellowship that a few hours on the course (and a “refreshment” on the 19th) affords us every Thursday. Whilst we the God Squad like to get our weekly fix of bashing our balls around the fairway, I secretly like to think there must be similar sporting activities available in heaven and since there’s no fear of death once you pass through the pearly gates, then perhaps I could give parachuting a go. But for now, golf will remain one of my passions and come rain or shine, it is wonderful to be able to get on the course amongst friends (with Mr Mulligan making the odd appearance) and building friendship amongst fellow members of the church. The support and camaraderie we give to each other is always appreciated and if any of you play then why not come along and join us!

John Dell

The ‘God Squad’

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The Magazine ArchivesA Holiday Cottage that was once a church in the Parish of St. John, Beverley.

I was intrigued when I came across a mention of a little church in Aike, a hamlet 4 miles north of Beverley over the fields and the fact that it was in the Minster parish. In the parish magazine of 1901 “The Harvest Thanksgiving at Aike

was held Sunday afternoon September 22nd when the little church was very full and the decorations very carefully carried out. The prayers were read by the Rev. A. H. Griffiths and the Vicar preached.”

I wondered how this delightful little place, where the roads disappear into fields, was connected to Beverley Minster. Searching through the history books and the internet for a mention of Aike (referred to locally as ‘Yak a bak ‘o Arram’) I discovered that in 1870, Aike was a township in the parishes of Lockington and St. John Beverley, near the River Hull, 2 miles east of Lockington railway station and 6 miles north of Beverley by road consisting of 630 acres of land and a population of 103 with houses totalling 19. At one time Aike was an island. The building of flood defences on the river Hull and draining of land for agricultural reasons made the village readily accessible. In the nineteenth century Aike had a church, chapel, pub and a school. The chapel appears to have been demolished and the church, which was built in the 18th century also accommodated a school, which opened in 1838. There does not appear to be a pub anymore and the school was closed in 1904, the children taken to Lockington by wagonette each day. This would be a journey of about an hour.

The church, now a holiday cottage, is a Grade II listed building and the school was probably the annex. The church is now holiday accommodation known as “The Old Chapel”. http://www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/North-York-Moors-Coast-Beverley/The-Old-Chapel-323.html

Arram is just across the fields from Aike, and it was there that Sarah Jefferson, a member of the Minster Congregation in 1873, had been born in 1773. When Sarah reached 100, in 1873, it was noted in the magazine:- “....the Holy Communion was administered by the ‘Rev. Canon Birtwhistle to Widow Jefferson, at her house in Minster Moor Gate, on her attaining the advanced age of one hundred years”!

The summer leads to harvesting and the gleaners (those who gather grain or other produce left by reapers) were out in full force collecting the fallen spears of grain. As the Minster congregation were always ready and willing to help those missionaries in far off places, in July 1904, £12, proceeds of the Gleaners’ Sale was given to Bishop Lofthouse for his work in Keewatin in North Ontario, Canada. In the northern territories missionary work was quite an undertaking as, in this case, it involved 3,000 miles travelling by canoe.

Later in the summer of that year, a Boys’ Brigade Camp was to be formed near Hornsea Bridge for the week beginning 30th July under the Command of Captain Baker of Winterton. Parents were invited to visit the boys and have tea at the Camp. Ever hopeful the optimistic words written in the magazine were “May the weather smile on us”.http://www.hornseaoldandnew.co.uk/pcmisc.htm

June, July and August were good months for annual meetings, as in June 1909, in very fine weather, the 38th Annual Re-union of the Sunday School Teachers’ Association of the Deanery of Beverley was held in Lockington, attended by about 100. An excellent tea in the Schoolroom, great praise was due to the local caterer, followed by a stroll around the village and extensive grounds of the Rectory. During the meeting a discussion was opened with an interesting and bright address by Rev. E.A. Mackie, M.A., Diocesan Inspector. “He said that the Bible might be compared to a telescope, bringing distant things near; a microscope, shewing things which cannot otherwise be seen; a stereoscope, causing the love of God to stand out in the history of nations and individuals; a kaleidoscope, revealing the ever-changing drama of human life.”

Sally George

Do Ya, Do Ya, Do Ya, Do Ya Wanna Dance This is the message I got when informed of Strictly Dance lessons at the Minster.

I thought UGHH! But I decided to smile sweetly and say ‘of course, why not’? A group of about 30 plus arrived at the Parish Hall and what an odd bunch we looked. Some of us had never danced before, most of us did not know our left from our right, but our teachers Yvonne and Louise were more than patient. The Cha Cha Cha was to be our first dance lesson. This is apparently because it is one of the hardest to learn, so thereafter every thing else would be easy peasy! We all lined up in pairs as instructed and after a demonstration we tried to KEEP in step with the teachers, KEEP in time with the music, KEEP hold of our partner, and most of all KEEP calm. We all I am sure found it quite difficult and resembled more a herd of elephants than a dance group. We laughed and bumped into one another seemingly getting more confused. As the weeks passed by we all ended up doing a rather respectable Cha Cha Cha, so much so that Lee asked a few of us if we would enter the “Minster’s Got Talent” competition. We practised like mad, even on the promenade at Bridlington during a Sunday afternoon stroll, much to the amusement of passers by. On the evening of the competition, after much extra practice, we are sad to report that we did not win. As the weeks progressed we practised the Rumba, Ballroom, Jive, Modern Waltz, and others. At the close of each lesson we did like a progressive Barn Dance, where you danced with everyone in the group. This added to the fellowship and good will of the evening. We are now looking forward to resuming lessons with Yvonne and Louise in the September term with the rest of the crowd. Having read this you might wish to join us. Believe us, if we can learn, then anyone can. Roll on September (can’t wait) - bring it on ……….. great.

Don WrightBeryl Stubbs

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Olympics 2012The London Olympics 2012 are eagerly awaited by many of us. After the years of preparation and anticipation they are almost upon us. The games are now a worldwide attraction with television viewers into the billions. Athletes will attend from all quarters of the globe and from many different cultures and faiths. They will be well cared for to make sure that they are in superb condition for their events. They will have trained hard, in the best training facilities, will have their diets carefully calculated and every muscle massaged and protected ensuring that they are as fit as is humanly possible to take part.

This is very different to previous games held in England. The 1948 games were the austerity games as the world was recovering from the Second World War. Athletes had to provide their own kit and food. They were all amateurs and trained after they had done a full day’s work. Japan and Germany as aggressors of the war were not invited. Previous to this the 1908 London games were only held in London because Italy had to pull out due to the turmoil caused by the eruption of Vesuvius in 1906. The total cost of the games was £20,000. There were few women competitors and none from Third World Nations. Events were very different and included motor boating, polo, and tug of war, which caused conflict between the British and American teams when the Americans accused the British of cheating because the team wore spiked boots.

The 1924 games, held in Paris featured Eric Liddell. He was a runner and a Scottish rugby player, capped seven times for his country. His story became the feature film, ‘Chariots of Fire’ and more recently has been turned into a London stage show. As well as the athletics the intriguing part of this story was Liddell’s Christian faith, his strict Sabbath Day observance and his refusal to compete on a Sunday. Originally he trained for the 100 metres but when he found out that the heats for this event were to be held on a Sunday he refused to take part and switched to the 400 metres. This was somewhat to the relief of his rival Harold Abrahams who was also a 100 metres runner. In the end Abrahams won gold in the 100 metres and Liddell gold in the 400 metres with a new world record. Liddell also won a bronze in the 200 metres but gave up the chance of further glory with his refusal to take part in the 4X 100m and the 4X400m whose finals were on a Sunday.

It is unlikely that an athlete today would refuse to take part for such principles. And with competitors from so many other faiths having different days of religious observance it would be impractical for such considerations to be taken into account.

As Christians, do we look back to those days of Liddell with nostalgia and wish for a return to those values or do we accept them as from another era? Many Christians, especially those who live in parts of the

world where Sunday observance was never so strictly recognized, where shops have always been open and life goes on as normal, have few problems with Sunday observance and just make sure they plan worship into their Sunday activities. Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, so do we take it that He would not have had any problems with a more liberal Sunday observance? How many of us are somewhat hypocritical about Sunday observance and although objecting to the secularization of Sunday still nip to the supermarket if we run out of milk and have little objection to our newspapers being delivered by the local newsagent, or even sit down on a wet Sunday to watch the football?

Liddell was a man of his times and although we can admire his stand things have moved on. The world is a very different place, where such stands are no longer relevant and are rather archaic. To take part in the many activities that the modern world offers should be grasped with both hands, whether on a Sunday or not, as long as we still make time for worship. So let’s enjoy the Olympics as a wonderful 21st century spectacle and marvel at the sporting talent of the world’s best athletes and still make time to worship?

What do you think?

Ian Merryweather

Beverley Minster Parish Centre, 38 Highgate, Beverley, HU17 0DN Telephone: 01482 868540 Email: minster@beverleyminster.org.uk Website: www.beverleyminster.org.uk

Beverley Minster Parish Magazine is published by Beverley Minster Parochial Church Council. Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial team or the publishers. Copy date for the September edition: Friday 17 August

Editorial Team: Content: Ian Merryweather (e: ian_merryweather@hotmail.co.uk), design: Mervyn King (e: kings@three.karoo.co.uk), distribution: John Grimshaw (t: 01482 871370), proof-reading: June Stephenson.

Registers

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Minster Maintenance

Councillor Peter Astell approached us earlier in the year to see if we could put the Jubilee Beacon up on the North West tower roof for the Jubilee celebrations he had helped to arrange.

The Beacon ready to lift up to the roof.

The beacon and two gas bottles were lifted up to the area between the towers. We then had to carry the items by hand to the tower roof and erect accordingly.

The Beacon in place is safely secured and ready to be lit.

The beacon was kindly donated by Guest and Phillips of Beverley and the gas and bottles donated by Jewsons of Beverley.

The view my wife and I had from our house.

Steve Rial and Paul Hawkins

Baptisms

At the Minster27 May 2012 Annabelle Grace Wood09 June 2012 Sam Stephen Cooke

At St Leonard’s, Molescroft20 May 2012 Amy Susan Thornton20 May 2012 Lily Mary Thornton03 June 2012 Emily Grace Lioia10 June 2012 James David Frost

At St Peter’s, Woodmansey10 June 2012 Evie Lauren Colton

Weddings

At the Minster19 May 2012 Craig Michael Creed and Elizabeth Joan Beckley19 May 2012 Jonathan Barrie Botterill and Danielle Kearney2 June 2012 Jonathan Richard Duckles and Fiona Gail Wright9 June 2012 Stephen Christopher Cook and Sarah Jane Willson

Funerals

28 May 2012 Anne Phillips (88)06 June 2012 Peter Smith (75)08 June 2012 Robert Lund (65)

The Minster Jubilee Beacon

Photos: by Rebecca Addison (left) and Paul Hawkins (above).