Off to Kielder

Tuesday 30th August 2016

About time for some parish visiting, passing Kielder Water on the way.  Three out of the four people I meant to call on were there; so it was a worthwhile outing.

Disappointed dog

Monday 29th August 2016

No outing?

 I didn't recover from a weekend of a flu-ish malady in time to take Zeb to the Dog Show at the Elsdon Fete (St Bartholomew's Fair) where he came second in the rescue dog class at our last appearance together.  Better luck next year?

Sunny Bellingham Show

Saturday 27th August 2016

Children's mounted fancy dress

The Church stand was decorated in the Queen's racing colours in honour of her ninetieth birthday, and we gave away copies of a book on "The servant queen and the King she serves" as well as cooling homemade elderflower cordial and lemonade.  Our tent provided a place to sit in the shade and rest, as well as toys to play with! 

 

 

 

 
 

Good luck to Bellingham Show!

Friday 26th August 2016

Struggling to erect the Church tent in the wind, the helpers have hammered in tethering stakes to tie it down, whilst I watch the securing of the walls from my  position as a "paperweight" anchoring the canvas:

Poor Falstone Show!

Saturday 20th August 2016

Pouring rain for Falstone Show Day kept away casual visitors.  Only the hardiest of the farmers stayed in the open when not actually exhibiting.

With another person I  judged the pet dogs, especially enjoying the fun of deciding which dog looked most like its owner.

Improvising

Sunday 14th August 2016

How the organist manages when the organ is out of action!
The plastering stage of church repairs is nearly finished and all should be back to working order by St Cuthbert's Festival, when he will conduct Antiphon for Choral Evensong on 4th September.

Summer Saturday

Saturday 13th August 2016

The Church runs a cake stall to try and raise funds to keep going.  Not many pedestrians about at 10 o'clock this Saturday morning.  Perhaps the tourists are still eating their breakfasts and probably the farmers are working.  Possibly some people have stayed up late to watch the Olympics on television and are now having a lie-in.  I leave it to you to guess all the other reasons why Bellingham is full of cars but devoid of people!
     There does tend to be a kind of lull in parish life during the school holidays in the two or three weeks before the local agricultural shows.  It gives me a chance to catch up with the neglected admin and indeed some neglected parishioners.  (I prefer the latter!)

Catching up

Thursday 11th August 2016

A day with very few appointments allowed me to enjoy some parish visiting  --  and space to reflect during the stress-free drive between visits.

Shifting to the "summer" church

Saturday 6th August 2016

I took some necessary equipment up to St Cuthbert's on the hill, the church which Corsenside parish uses in August when we hope we can manage without lighting, heating or organ.  Daylight, sun's warmth and fiddle playing instead: not very different from our predecessors a thousand years ago. 
     Do come to the St Cuthbert's Festival Walk on Saturday 3rd September: see Events page.

Race against the rain

Thursday 4th August 2016

 Different stages of haymaking and silaging in every field as I drove (on baptism visits) between Falstone and Woodburn under a grey and cloudy sky that threatened rain.

"One man went to mow"

Monday 1st August 2016

I resisted stopping to take photographs of every beautiful scene as I drove from Bellingham to Falstone to Hexham to Newbrough to Tarset   ...  for everything from a funeral to planning church roof repairs.