Billesdon & District
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Produced and Distributed since 1989 May 2021 By St John the Baptist Church Billesdon BILLESDON & DISTRICT PARISH NEWS & VIEWS Billesdon from the air … Jonathon Morris The Churches of Billesdon cum Goadby and Rolleston; Skeffington; with Hungarton and Keyham For ZOOM services, contact the Administrator – Area Dean & Coplow Benefice: [email protected] Parish Priest: Rev’d Alison Booker, The Vicarage, Gaulby Road, Billesdon Tel: 0116 259 6321 Curate: Rev’d Rosie Homer, 20a Weare Close, Billesdon LE7 9DY Tel: 0116 259 9517 BILLESDON ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST The following services are held by ZOOM except Thursday when the church is open 10.30 - 11.30 for private prayer. 1st Sunday: All Age Worship. 3rd Sunday: All Age Holy Communion. 5th Sunday: Launde Deanery Churchwardens: Mr K Evans, 6 High Acres (0116) 259 6438 Mrs A Grindley, 3 Forge Court (0116) 259 6741 Secretary: Mr J Williamson (0116) 259 6448 Treasurer: Mrs. H Howe [email protected] Organist & Director of Music Dr Simon Ainge 07971 833110 Children’s Groups: Mr & Mrs Ratcliffe (0116) 259 6246 GOADBY ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Sunday Services: See Church noticeboard Churchwardens: Keith Evans & Andrea Grindley See contacts above Hon Secretary & Churchwarden: Charles Stewart, Hillcroft, Goadby (0116) 259 8310 Hon Treasurer: Hugh Stevenson, The Dower House, Goadby (0116) 259 8294 SKEFFINGTON ST. THOMAS BECKET Sunday Services: see church porch and printed notice. Churchwardens: Mrs B Preston (0116) 259 9147 Mr W G Ginns, White Lodge (0116) 259 6301 Secretary: Mr D Holland (0116) 259 6550 Treasurer: Mrs Valerie Chouler (0116) 259 9477 Organ: Mr D Holland & Mr M Griffiths (0116) 259 9254 ROLLESTON HUNGARTON ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Sunday services: 1st Sunday Holy Communion by ZOOM 9.00am ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Churchwardens: Cynthia Mclaughlan (0116) 259 5680 KEYHAM ALL SAINTS Sunday Services: 2nd Sunday Holy Communion by ZOOM 10.00am Churchwardens: Richard Windle (0116) 259 5281 Hugh Henderson (0116) 259 5214 NOSELEY ST. MARY BILLESDON BAPTIST CHAPEL Sunday Service: 10.30 Sunday Worship & Wowzers (on ZOOM) Contact: Brian Boley Tel 07485 046000 This page is kindly sponsored [email protected] by: Please let the Vicar or Churchwardens know of anyone who is sick, or who E C GILBERT Ltd would appreciate a visit. Holy Communion may be brought to anyone who is Great Glen unable to get to Church. Tel: 0116 259 2267 May 2021 Vol 33, Issue 5 Editor: Richard Walkden, Billesdon 259 6505 e-mail: [email protected] Advertising: Charles Stewart, Goadby 2598310 Ramblings indifference. This effectively decriminal- ises rape and makes our streets unsafe For any parents, the re- for 50% of our population. Yet we are ward cannot get any great- not up in arms! er, than watching your off- The implications for society include spring freely demonstrat- myths of slut shaming, pre-destiny and ing your values… my 18 blame around rape. It crushes female year old son squeezes the equality and freedom of expression and toothpaste tube from the right end! A repeats another generation who don’t lifetime of work fulfilled in that moment! know what “NO” means and by the As we bring our children up they copy same token what “YES” means too. the very nuance of our ethics and val- Half of us cannot freely live an emanci- ues so don’t be surprised when your pated life, engage socially, be out child becomes you! Thus from nice mid- alone, get drunk or dress provocatively dle class backgrounds, we conclude we without danger, precaution or fear of and our children should grow up good rape. people? But statistics suggest some- In Pakistan, PM Imran Khan recently thing is badly wrong… blamed women's inappropriate dress for Statistically, men commit serious crime , the increase in reported rape in his 11 times every hour in England and country. Fortunately then, in England Wales! Assault.. robbery? Not a bit of it… its serious sexual assault! and Wales, we don’t judge women by Between 2014 and 2018 rape prosecu- dress, values or sexual history... tions dropped dramatically whist report- We move forwards very slowly, only ing's have trebled . There were over last June, the CPS put a stop to the 55,000 rapes reported to the police in practice of police demanding the victim 2019 in England and Wales with 700 sign a “Digital Process Notice” allowing convictions. In 2020 the chance of a access to victim Phone, PC and all so- complaint even becoming a charge was 1 in 70! cial media and photographs to deter- mine the credibility of a rape complaint. Statistics average out and can misrep- So sexting (Sending naked pictures) is resent, so can we draw comfort that it likely to render a rape victim defence- doesn't happen in our community? I less. How perverse! What happened to truly hope so, and in my heart of hearts consent? I cannot believe anyone, I know, within this community to be a victim or villain, The website, “everyone's invited.uk” God forbid! has ripped the lid off serious sexual as- sault in schools with 15000 student tes- But that's not my point, rather, that the crime is so predominant and continues timonies at school and university since because of an implicit acceptance of the June 2021. Cont... norm by collective silence or worse, 3 That’s your child's school, grand- child's, sisters, sons, grandsons and brothers school. Rape culture perme- ates everywhere and insidiously grows by our complicit silence. Civilisation has flourished because of a hard wired reproductive urge. Sexual assault is not the same. It is narcissis- tic emotional immaturity, inability to ra- tionalise urges and “own” behaviour The Churches of Billesdon cum rather than projecting this conduct onto Goadby and Rolleston; Skeffington; others without consent or empathy. Hungarton and Keyham But this can be challenged in our soci- ety. For children, empathy, is learned May 2021 will see us celebrate Pente- cost (Whit Sunday) on 23rd , it’s some- behaviour during maturing of a child, times referred to as the Church’s Communicating feelings , learning con- ‘Birthday’ there are traditions about sent early and not just about sexual wearing red to church that day, not consent but children asking before tak- done so often now but it is usually a ing and enjoying the pleasure of giving happy, celebratory occasion and in any and sharing and experience walking in church I’ve been Vicar of has always the shoes of others. involved Cake! Last year our churches were shut. I For adults, acknowledge the damage remember as we approached Pente- of rape banter. “Don’t drop the soap in cost, waiting for the change we hoped the shower” is innocuous to you and me was coming when churches would be but to the wrong mindset its as good as allowed to re-open, I was hoping it a green light. Rape culture is never would be for Pentecost but in the end it funny. Be aware of how rape culture was just after that. permeates social interaction.. “Boys will This year there will be no cake. One of be boys” is greenlighting male things I have found most difficult is the behaviour being consequence of their complexity of the laws that have sur- gender not a mans responsibility. A rounded our efforts to keep everyone safe during this pandemic, law made short skirt is not a green light to a moral piece by piece and in haste has often judgement, it is a woman's right to meant there are inconsistencies. So… experience freedom and a mans obli- while I can offer a friend cake in my gation for constraint. garden at 2m apart the government guidance prevents me from doing so in Rape culture isn't a typical parish church – no matter how far back I stay! magazine topic and I hope it hasn't caused offence but it needs addressing I know that this is to keep us safe and I have, and will continue to follow all the so our loved ones are safe.... rules to keep us all safe, but I have to Richard Walkden Cont... 4 Projectors and Screens in both Lounge and Main Hall be honest about my heavy heart that Billesdon Chapel misses the expression of my Christian faith. Elsewhere in this mag- azine you will find an I miss the fact that we can only share article describing the bread not wine at Communion, I miss changes we are plan- singing, I miss cake (during the sermon ning to make to the and after the service!) I miss shaking a Chapel building. hand or receiving a hug, I miss being able to smile at everyone who comes For over 200 years the building has through the door of church without a served the church and community well, face covering in the way. but we now need to make some chang- es so that it can continue to provide a Still – we have come so far together and great space for us all. there is definitely light ahead, I am glad we were able to gather on Easter Day in In the article you will be able to read the church and that soon we will be able about the changes we are expecting to to do all those things that I (and many make, I just want to explain the reason others) miss, so until that glorious day, for the developments. We want the we’ll keep on loving and caring and Chapel building to be a contemporary keeping one another safe, being thank- community space which can be used ful for our Shop and Pubs and Post Of- more frequently by more people with an fice that have kept us going.