The Minutiae of Normal Life

The week began with the annual autumn outing of the bellringers.  Last Saturday's travels took us around six churches in rural Bedfordshire, a total of 55 miles, during which (as a team) we rang a total of 39 bells - three sixes, two eights and a five.  Some were easy to ring, some sounded wonderful but were hard work and one, where the ceiling of the ringing room was quite low, demanded skills that some of us could only achieve intermittently!  It was a tiring, if enjoyable, day and I noticed that our organiser, who is expecting her second child in the new year, wasn't in church the next day.  I later verified that she had simply felt in need of a (well-deserved) rest!

Talking of babies, one who was on parade last Sunday - at the age of only a week! - was the son of another bellringer.  Having been a 'lapsed' ringer for many years, she told me earlier in the year that she would like to join us after her confinement.  In view of her account of long-ago achievements, that's a day we are looking forward to!

It's nice to try something new, even if there are uncertainties about its success, right up to the moment.  Wednesday brought such an occasion to my life.  For many years, formerly in Norfolk, and more recently with my present church, I have enjoyed the fellowship and mutual support structure of a home group.  In Norfolk we always met in the home of a single mum who had a large lounge and welcoming open fire.  The group here meets in rotation in the homes of several members, and I had felt the frustration of not being able to host a meeting because of the limited size of my flat.

This week is half-term, when usually there is no meeting because many are unable to attend.  Knowing that any gathering would be smaller than usual, I seized the opportunity and offered to lead a small group at mine.  The usual source of materials is provided as a follow up to recent sermons, and since last Sunday was Bible Sunday, it had been agreed that this would be our theme.  However, plans had been changed, and a different topic chosen for the sermon, so ... what to do?  Luckily, our sister parish had follwed this theme, their sermon had been recorded as usual and was published on their website.  It was the ideal basis, and our meeting - of only four including myself - was a success.

The week has drifted to a close, it seems, with a couple of full but untiring days.  Thursday brought the announcement of the laying of an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons regarding the introduction of proportional representation - the UK is the only country in Europe that doesn't enjoy this privilege - and I wrote to my MP to urge his support. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, I received a prompt and polite reply declining his support because his views differ from mine ... the very purpose for which I have supported this cause for many years!

Over the last couple of months, I've been nibbling away at a transcription of the 1871 census for several north Suffolk parishes under the auspices of FreeCEN, and this also figured in the activities of these last days, bringing my personal contribution so far to this effort to 1,944 individuals, from 88 pages, covering two whole villages and most of a third.

Yesterday, as the last Friday of the month, was our day of prayer and fasting, which added another dimension to an otherwise unbroken spell at the desk/screen.  It's good to meet up with friends like this and, at the same time, have the opportunity to catch up with other aspects of our common life that have escaped us during the week.  Our churchwarden brought with her a notice, which she later posted on the inside of the church's outer door, requesting that it shouldn't be banged.  The reason for this is not for silence, since it is normally only closed when the place is empty.  Apparently it had been getting more difficult to close, so those locking it had applied increasing force.  Now a carpenter has rectified this, after identifying the cause.  The frame had shifted ... possibly because of people banging the door!