S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0 September 2020 Editor: Richard Walkden, Billesdon 259 6505 e-mail: [email protected] Volume 32, Issue 09 Advertising Enquiries: Charles Stewart, Goadby 2598310 Ramblings to consider blundering boorish EU trawlers hoovering up the last of our fish stocks is I have received positive feedback... Thank “beyond the pale”. you! To ramble on, requires the confidence to know who I’m rambling on to! EU supertrawlers are allowed in protected UK waters excluded to UK fishermen Last Despite both parties claiming best intent, in year the world’s second largest factory EU negotiations, BJ does seem to have Mr. fishing trawler, the Lithuanian FV Margiris Barnier doing the “Gallic shrug” in was among 25 others netting swathes of bewilderment. Apparently, the best way to our protected fish stocks according to the manage “Euro-bureaucrats” negotiation is Guardian. They catch hundreds of tonnes to ignore all threats and blindly and of fish every day, in mile long nets. How did doggedly pursue your position even if it we ever get to this position? takes you over the edge. Knowing what is over the edge seems beyond anyone’s understanding, so here’s hoping it’s a soft landing over a tiny drop! We are still in the customs union and single market and remain so, until 31st December 2020. Boris could have extended this by a year or two but the deadline for an extension passed in June. Was the assumption then, to have a deal laid out for the European Parliament to consider on the 15th of October giving a few months to implement any changes in time By the same logic is the EU entitled to our for December? Seems not, so we are on North Sea gas or British coal? Perhaps we the last straight and going flat out into the might ask for a slice of Polish Silver or Irish future. Zinc? The outstanding issues are the EU demand Moving on, interesting developments in that European Courts of Justice determine China. The Chinese Communist Party how we conduct ourselves whilst we are (CCP) looks to be in difficulty and dare one close trading partners. This seems to me a predict the ordinary folk of China might little ironic as, of all the European nations have had enough of being told what to the UK occurs as more organically com- think. A population prone to what might be pliant with “What’s right” than most of our called superstition have witnessed ex European trading partners in our trading Cyclones, Locust swarms, Flooding, practices. We have mechanisms in place Earthquake, Pandemic, Plague, Pariah for workplace relations, treat our animals status for slavery, world scale corruption, better than many, apply equal or better organ harvesting, martial law and world standards to our goods and services and isolation. Rumour abounds of leadership are noted for great state aid. Réveiller challenges and military dissatisfaction so is Barnier! the last great bastion of an outdated Next, the Common Fisheries Policy. Am I ideology about to fall? xenophobic thinking its abhorrent for EU Rich Walkden fleets to have rights to fish in UK waters? I [email protected] take issue with industrial scale fishing and St John The Billesdon Church is open on Thursday Baptist Church mornings 10am-12noon if you would September always like to pop in for some quiet time or conversation with a member of the feels to me a ministry team. Your Churches and reflective season Clergy are here for everyone, whatever of gathering in, your beliefs. Can we pray for you? Text and starting anew; a time for both your prayer to 07538 733221 looking back and looking forward, with the Harvest beginning. Rev’d Rosie A prayer for this month We might take stock of things we may have done, or not been able to; what Eternal, mothering God, who gives life we may have learned; or perhaps how to us all; our relationships or priorities may have From you we come, and to you we changed during the ‘growing season’ of return. spring and summer. Of course, this has As we look back; we give thanks for all been greatly affected by COVID-19. those people and things now gone; We have sadly said many goodbyes That you have now gathered into over the past few months, to people yourself. who have been ‘gathered in’ to God’s As we look forward; comfort us in our eternal keeping. This has been through sorrows; bind up our wounds; the hardest of circumstances, Trusting in the peace found under the disruptions and not being able to gather shadow of your wings. Amen. and comfort one another in the usual ways we would prefer. In light of this I From the Registers include an extended ‘From the Registers’ this month, in special In loving memory of those whose memory of all those who have died funerals we have taken... during this time, for whom we might still Dorothy Hirst – 10th February be grieving even more keenly. Jean Jessop – 17th March As we move towards the later part of Yvonne Pole – 26th March the year, with All Souls and th Remembrance, we hope to be able to Leslie Hamilton – 17 April offer opportunities to remember and Alan Partridge – 30th April give thanks for those we have lost. We Dennis Griggs – 8th May do keep a memorial book in Church, Pat Cox – 13th May which Alison and myself pray with, as th people’s anniversaries come round. Alan Day – 29 May Marjorie Perkins – 10th June The Church of England website also st offers a way of digitally ‘lighting a John Fort – 21 August candle’ to pray for and remember Grahame Cooling – 27th August someone: ... And all others who are greatly https://www.churchofengland.org/life missed by our communities. -events/funerals/light-candle- remember-someone M + E TAXIS 07525 297 800 AIRPORT & SEAPORT TRANSFERS LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE CONTRACT WORK HOUGHTON PHARMACY 14 Main St, Houghton-on-the-Hill Tel: 0116 241 8243 E: [email protected] MEDICINES PRESCRIPTIONS COLLECTIONS & DELIVERIES OF PRESCRIPTIONS REPEAT PRESCRIPTION SERVICE PREGNANCY TESTING PERFUMES & AFTERSHAVES always in stock UP TO 65% OFF DESIGNER FRAGRANCES HOSIERY DELIVERIES HERBAL MEDICINES PRODUCTS FOR THE HANDICAPPED HOMEOPATHIC & AROMATHERAPY ITEMS HOURS OF BUSINESS Monday – Friday: 9 - 12.45 & 2 - 6.15 UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Tel: 0116 259 6554 Opening hours Mon – Thur 1600 – 11.30 Friday 1500 – Midnight Saturday 1200 – Midnight Sunday 1200 – 22.30 MARSTON ALES Upcoming services in Church The Chapel Sunday services in Church are back – What we are doing we look forward to seeing you soon! at the moment Sep 6th 9am Hungarton and 10am Although some Skeffington worship buildings are open for quiet personal prayer for the time being the Sep 13th 9am Keyham and 11am Chapel building will remain closed, until Billesdon we can welcome you safely inside. We Sep 20th 9am Skeffington will still be praying though, wherever we are and keeping in contact. Sep 27th 11am Billesdon Keeping in touch Every Sunday: Online Services on Zoom 10am We are keeping in contact by WhatsApp, Facebook, phone, email, Please email Rev’d Rosie for the login text, post or any other way. We want to information: [email protected] ensure that everyone is cared for and Regular Church News encouraged through these continuing difficult times. ... is available weekly by email – get in touch with Rev’d Rosie on Sunday Worship [email protected] to be added We are meeting online together on to the mailing list. Sunday mornings at 10.30am for Annual Parochial Council Meetings Sunday Worship APCMs will be taking place... Home Group Skeffington – 8th September On Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm is our online Home Group. This is an th Billesdon & amp; Goadby – 15 opportunity to encourage one another September and pray. You can join these meetings Ride & amp; Stride: Saturday 12th by phone or on the internet – please let September 2020 us know if you want the details of how to join us. Again, for this annual sponsored event, I will be walking on behalf of the Contact Brian Boley, 07485 046000, Leicestershire Historic Churches [email protected] Trust. As before half of the funds I raise will go to the Trust and the other Unprecedented! half to Billesdon church. There is much The most over- less face to face contact at the present used word during time so, although I will be in church on these months of Aug 23rd with a sponsorship form there pandemic is won’t be that many people there. If you “unprecedented” – prefer you can donate online: which means https://www.justgiving.com/fundraisi “never done or known before”, but isn’t ng/Jeff-Hopewell2 everything in life unprecedented? Aren’t Many thanks indeed. - Jeff Hopewell we always in an unprecedented situation? We have not lived this day before! So, what do we do with consistency and example for us poor unprecedented times? Our peasants from the sticks?! unprecedented lives? There was a We have been used to booking middle eastern man back in the sixth appointments for procedures and century BC who was having an services that are time dependent. But unprecedented difficult time. He wrote now we have to book for everything. A about this time and in the middle of his visit to the council tip is a major lament for his unprecedented life we exercise requiring advance planning. can read these lines: When you arrive at the depot you are I remember it all - oh, how well I met by operatives wielding clip boards remember - the feeling of hitting the and walkie-talkies checking the validity bottom.