Piercebridge Northumberland

We are on a short holiday.

After Mass this morning, we headed south. The weather was beautiful, the roads quite quiet.

We were in no rush.

We stopped for coffee on the motorway, and then continued our journey, arriving here at the George Inn at Piercebridge.

We stayed here once before. It was at one time a coaching inn. It stands beside the River Tees. Just below the hotel lie the remains of a Roman Bridge. On the opposite bank, there are the ruins of a Roman Fort. These lie along the line of Dere Street, a Roman road linking York to Scotland.

We had an interesting meal here. Nice, tasty, but the service was very slow. Nearly 2 hours for a 2 course meal. But we were not in a hurry.

Tomorrow after breakfast, we will continue south to our destination in Filey.

And tomorrow, schools re-open in Scotland.

The Easter Tridium

Last night our Parish Church was quite full with those attending the evening Mass of Holy Thursday.

It is heartening to see so many folk come out in such numbers when there is no compunction.

The Holy Thursday Mass is an important one. It commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood, all of which happened at the Last Supper 2000 years ago.

Father was very strong in his sermon about the dwindling number of priests, and and urged us to pray for vocations. He urged parents in families to nurture vocations by showing respect to the Church and to the priesthood.

At 10pm, a small group returned for the Evening Prayer of the Church.

This morning, a good number were at morning Prayer of the Church, and in the afternoon, the Church was packed for the Good Friday Commemoration of the Crucifixion.

I have only one complaint. Last night, and again this afternoon, people did not leave the Church in silence. Many talked and chatted. All ages seem to have lost the sense of awe in Church. Silence is the exception now rather than the norm.

It seems we have become too familiar with Jesus. My feeling is that Communion in the hand has contributed to this. Last week at the school mass, I had to stop a Primary 5 girl who was walking back to her seat with the Host in her hand.

A couple of weeks ago, a communicant picked up a host that had been dropped and handed it to the priest. Today, Father dropped some hosts. He simply picked them up and consumed them. Once upon a time such an accident would have been treated differently, with careful cleaning.

I am left wondering if I am being too scrupulous? What if there were particles of Host on the carpet unseen? Is it, or is it not the Body and Blood of Jesus? Does it cease to be so once dropped? Is this something that should not trouble me, or is it?

Tomorrow, morning prayer at 10 am, then the Easter Vigil at 8.30pm.

We wait.

Photos were taken at a Una Voce Mass at the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey near Stirling, which is the burial place of King James III of Scotland, and his wife, Margaret of Denmark.

It's Winter..........Again!

This time last week, the warmest place in Scotland was Aboyne in Aberdeenshire with 23C.

Today up there, it is same as here, 3C. But they also have deep snow, whereas here we have a biting wind and frequent snow flurries. Hence the Robert Burns poem at the bottom of my blog.

But hey! ... this is Scotland after all....and snow at Easter is not uncommon. It is the warm weather that is uncommon.

We all enjoyed it while it lasted, and now it is gone. Just as the schools closed for Easter.

This is Holy Week. A solemn week of meditating on the sufferings of Jesus as he went towards the Crucifixion. It is nice to see so many people at Church during this week, when attendance is not mandatory.

We had some work done in the garden recently. The storm damaged fence has been replaced with a smaller one with a gap at the bottom to allow the wind to pass under. The hanging baskets have flowered and are looking good. The rhubarb is sprouting too.

At the front, we had some mono-blocking done, and it looks good. We have a rockery where there was once just a slope. I'm pleased with how it looks. The photos were tken today between snow flurries.

Burns Original			Standard English Translation
Chorus Up in the morning's no for me, Up in the morning early! When a' the hills are covered wi' snaw. I'm sure it's winter fairly! 1. Cauld blaws the wind frae east to west, The drift is driving sairly, Sae loud and shrill's I hear the blast - I'm sure it's winter fairly! 2. The birds sit chittering in the thorn, A' day they fare but sparely; And lang's the night frae e'en to morn -- I'm sure it's winter fairly!			Chorus Up in the morning's not for me, Up in the morning early! When all the hills are covered with snow. I am sure it is winter fairly! Cold blows the wind from east to west, The drift is driving sorely, So loud and shrill is I hear the blast - I am sure it is winter fairly! The birds sit shivering in the thorn, All day they fare but sparely; And long is the night from evening to morning - I am sure it is winter fairly!

Retirement...Second Time Around

6 months ago, on a Friday morning at 9 o' clock, I arrived home after an overnight flight from America. As I walked in the door, the phone went. It was my old school. Could I come in for a few days? I agreed to come in on Monday. The few days lasted 6 months. Initially it was learning support, with a fair amount of flexibility thrown in. My only proviso was I would not take on a full class commitment.

Then in December, a teacher retired. And there was no cover. So, I said I would, for a short time. That lasted till last Friday. And I must say I enjoyed working with that Primary4 group of children. They were great, as was the support I got from everyone on the staff. I even had a monitoring lesson, and last Tuesday I did a Parents' night.

And on Friday last, I finished up. To be honest, the 6 months have flown by. The boy did ok. The class did ok, even winning a Gymnastics trophy last Monday!

It was a busy 6 months. In class and out of class. Celtic connections, Eco Days, Helpers Day, Drummer Man, Lenten Services, Bring and Buy, and so on.

So now it is retirement part II! I've already booked a few days away in Yorkshire starting on Monday 16th April, the day school re-starts. I'm looking forward to it.

And will there be any more teaching this year? I reckon so, and maybe sooner than later.

Stations of the Cross

This evening some of the pupils from the nearby Secondary School came along to our Parish for Stations of the Cross. This is Lenten service where we step through the events of Good Friday with Jesus.

The pupils gave a dignified and thoughtful presentation, which gave all present in the Church much to think about.

Thanks are due to the young people and their teachers. In this day and age it is refreshing to find young people not afraid to show their love of God and to give service to the Church.

Today in school, we had a visitor who took each class in turn for a drumming session. He had drums form many parts of the world. He was a natural teacher and it was amazing to see him work through a lesson in 50 minutes keeping 50 children occupied, participating and enjoying every moment of it!

The only down side of the day was that in interviews for 2 principal teacher posts, none of the candidates from our school was considered good enough to gain a post. This has been the second time within a week where they have lost out to exterior candidates. They must find this very dispiriting.

Monday 19th March

Today is the feast day of St Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus. He is the patron saint of workers and a model for all fathers throughout the world. And this despite the fact we know not a word he said, little of his daily life, nor even when he died. We do know that when he died, before the public life of Jesus began, that the Mother of God, and the Son of God were at his side.

Today was one of those grey, wet cold days, disappointing after such a glorious weekend. But this is Scotland after all.

School was busy as usual, lots of things going on. There were interviews today for the 2 Principal Teacher posts in our school. We will know tomorrow who the successful candidates are.

Today saw the grotesque attack on a Jewish school in Toulouse, with the cold blooded murder of a man and two young children. Police know that it was the same man who killed 3 soldiers last week. God save us from violent fanatics and zealots!

The world is in a downward plunge to chaos and disorder. Liberalism is the cry. Let all do what they want, whenever they want and with whoever they so choose. And the taxpayer will foot the bill.

All sense of Christian morality is to be swept away. All signs of Christianity are to be hiddden. People will be forced to do things which are against their conscience in the pursuit of "equality"

And why? we are not all equal, and nothing Governments or human rights activists do can make us equal. God made us Man and Woman. God gave us different skills, abilities, talents, looks an so on.

If I ask my class to have a race across the playground, they will not all reach the other side at the same time, unless I ask the fastest to delay their start, or not allow them to run to their ability.

If I do a maths test with my class, not everyone will score the same mark, unless I manipulate the test or handicap the brightest children.

And that is life. This is God's plan. That we co-operate with each other for the benefit of all.That the strong help the weak. That those with plenty give to those in need.

It has always been so. Communism tried to make all equal by punishing the haves. Look at the results in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cuba,North Korea and so on. Massive deaths through starvation, massive deprivation, peoples cowed and terrified.

Look at the Roman Empire, once all glorious , all powerful. Destroyed by corruption and moral collapse in public and private lives.

That is where we are headed now.

Here in the UK, our Prime Minister came to power with promises of freeing us from the excesses of the EU, and tax breaks for married couples with families. They were empty promises. Instead we have tax breaks for co-habiting couples and same sex couples, and single parents. The latest, that where one of the partners in a same sex relationship has a title, the partner will now be entitled to one too. What title will, let's say, Sir Elton John's partner be given?

And in America, the President, whose first rulings were lift the ban on embryo experimentation, is now obliging all employers to supply, free to workers ,contraceptive and abortion treatments.

Enough said? Who else is worried about the future?

The Cowal Peninsula

We decided to have 2 nights away, and headed down to Donoon on the Cowal Peninsula. It's not that far away. A 45 minute drive to the Ferry terminal, 20 minute crossing, then a short drive into Dunoon.

I had booked the Best western Argyle Hotel, but we got a phone call saying there were electrical problems and we had been moved to the Esplanade Hotel. Same room, superior with sea view.

Sadly the room we were given was small, cold with no view at all. I complained. We were moved to a top floor room, bigger, just as cold, with a partial sea view.

All the radiators in the hotel were at a low heat. We thought we would give it till after dinner. But...........dinner was not in the Esplanade Hotel, but at the Argyle.....uhuh...one with the electrical problems. The hotel taxied us there for the meal, and back once we had eaten. Right.

Back at the Esplanade...still with me?...the room was just as cold. I requested, and was immediately supplied with an electric heater. Which we kept for the duration.

The hotel was very good at dealing with the problems which arose, but I doubt I will be back at either hotel in the future.

The weather over the weekend was bright , sunny and cool. I got some nice photos which will appear here.

I am still out teaching, since October now, but a supply teacher has been found, and I will finish up in 2 weeks. I have had a full time class for 6 weeks or so, and I will do the upcoming parents' night. I have also had a monitoring lesson.

Who would have thought......