Happy New Advent Page 3Refurbishment update Page 6Christmas Hampers Page 9From the Church Secretary Page 10Letters and Emails Page 11The New York Marathon Page 141Okpo Page 16Classic Cinema Page 18Collection Point – Crisis Page 21Rotas Page 23

W5 5QT

DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001144

2

EALING GREEN CHURCH

(Methodist and United Reformed)

Ealing, London W5 5QT

Telephone (020) 8810 0136

Web site http://www.ealinggreenchurch.org.uk/

Email egcadministrator@btconnect.comegcsecretary@btconnect.com

Contributions to Unity unitymagazine@hotmail.com

Minister Rev. Dr. Jen Smith (020) 8579 8114

Church Administrator Ms. Rebecca Catford (020) 8810 0136Church Secretary Dr. Anita Oji 07435 081342

Church SecretariatPhilip Burnham-Richards, Hector Chidiya, Fleur Hatherall

Choir Leader Mrs. Fleur Hatherall (020) 8248 6774Organist Mrs. Fleur Hatherall (020) 8248 6774

Communion StewardMrs. Hema Souri-Parsons

(020) 8840 4200

Unity Magazine Mr. Lee Horwich (020) 8567 2851Unity Distributor Mr. Peter Chadburn (020) 8537 1966Ecumenical Officer Mr. David Groves (020) 8933 8315Bible Reading Rota Church Administrator (020) 8810 0136

The Church Office is staffed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each weekbetween 9.30am and 12.30pm, with the exception of public and other occasional holidays.

UNITYcontributions:

All contributions gratefully received. Please hand them toLee Horwich, or email them to: unitymagazine@hotmail.com

Last date for contributions to the January 2015 issue – yes, it’s already looming - Sunday 14th December

If you are new to the church, the following groups meet on a regular basis, either weekly or monthly:Afternoon Bible Study Thursday (monthly) 1.30 pmMonday Fellowship (fortnightly)

Monday 2:00 pm

Choir Practice Friday 7:00 pmLuncheon Club Thursday 12:00 am-1:15 pm

Full details can be found in the weekly notice sheetThere are also a number of House Groups, which meet on a regular basis - see Church Notice Board for fuller details.

You are welcome to come to any meeting.

3

Happy New Advent From Jen

Dear friends

Welcome to the December issue of Unity Magazine, and Happy New Year for Advent!

I have been looking back at Unity from December 2011: the church was nine months into fund-raising for refurbishment and only beginning the design process. But what a wonderful flowering of creativity - everything from Spanish conversation to cleaning, floral master-classes to computer tutorials were being offered as we worked to our £50,000 goal.

The idea was to raise finds in ways that themselves did something towards the themes of the refurbishment: worship, fellowship, hospitality. While being absolutely grounded in the local neighbourhood, you are an especially internationally-minded, outward-looking church community, and the refurbishment has reflected this from the first. As I remember the concerns we had then, about our world and its life, they too were deeply rooted in the lives of people here, but no less outward looking.

Here’s some of what I wrote, then:

… Having traced the pattern of Jesus' birth, ministry, death and resurrection through the seasons of the year, we start again at the beginning with the prophecy:

...all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; and authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9.5-6

Writing this as I am, just after Remembrance Sunday, I have in mind all the many 'boots of tramping warriors', and the 'garments rolled in blood'. I think about the piles of bodies after the Rwandan genocide, or the carnage of the Great War trenches. And less graphic, but as pernicious I am thinking of the anxious insecurity that poverty and lack of medical care, insufficient education, or corrupted law drip into so many societies around our world. And for that matter, the seeds of anger and record of hurt that we carry around with us in grief, or heartbreak, or false starts.

The prophet Isaiah says these things will be burned as fuel for the fire - my thought is that I don't yet see the smoke, and I would like to. Here we get to the heart of Advent, and its in-built discomfort. It is a season of waiting, a moment between the now and not yet of new life. Not for nothing is a pregnancy at the heart of the Advent stories, with Mary's visit to Elizabeth and the painful reality of Joseph's heart-break and their journey to Bethlehem, all set in the political tumult of Roman Palestine. Not for nothing do we count the growing light around the Advent wreath

4

week by week in church, and open calendar doors on kitchen walls to move us closer to Christmas.

In wider view, not for nothing do we keep building and seeking to have durable church life, take the risk of a better building, challenge ourselves to try small steps with deeper prayer, or develop our discipleship. Not for nothing do we keep working for better law and stabler economy, and stronger education and more cohesive community. Day by day, window by window I see members of this church count the not yet into the now in the work you do, the greeting you offer here, the conscience you exercise with each other. The discipline of Christian life is to keep working through the not yet, and encourage each other with honesty and love in this season of shorter days. Christmas is coming!

This December 2014 we are a different community in parts, marked by loss and gain both. Our ‘not yet’ has moved on from where it was in 2011, and it is right to return to that prophecy from Isaiah 9, to reclaim it. As our building work progresses, choose a discipline of looking beyond it to God’s wider purposes for us in our world. They grow from our lives and experience; you hold treasure among you. So happy Advent, beloved partners in the Gospel.

Every Blessing, Jen

Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter at KingsdownKingsdown will be hosting the night shelter for local homeless people on four Sunday nights from 30th November to 21stDecember and would very much appreciate any offers of help with laundering sheets and towels (no ironing required) or contributing desserts for the evenings of 7th and 14th Dec (any type or size). Please contact Sue Barton by email at sue.garland6039@btinternet.com or on 020 8840 7704 if you can help.

Fresh from the word Bible NotesFresh from the word bible notes, 2015: a limited number of free copies of this daily Bible study and prayer guide are available from Jen, first come first served! It is a good size to keep on the breakfast table or bedside, and each day includes a short reflection along with prayer and suggestions for action.

Read the bible, it belongs to you!

“The light of the Christmas star to you. The warmth of home and hearth to you. The cheer and goodwill of friends to you. The hope of a child-like heart to you. The joy of a thousand angels to you. The love of the Son and God's peace to you.”

Sherryl Woods, An O'Brien Family Christmas

5

Right. Now things are moving. We have finally reached the point where refurbishment has begun and although there’s not a lot of building up, indeed it all looks like stripping down if you look at the pictures on the next page. You’ve got to go down first before you can get up. In the construction business, as indeed in the one I work in, there are a lot of sayings about this part of a job or project. For onshore construction the job is mostly over when you start to ‘get out of the ground’ i.e. get the foundations in and start seeing something above the ground for the first time. You will appreciate why this sort of expression doesn’t hold for working offshore!

Once you start to see things happening above ground level, you realise that the design and engineering is practically finished and all that the construction work is doing is installing the equipment and above-ground buildings and finishing the work off. The hard work, the planning, initial design work, review, proofing, costing and detailed design work, letting of contracts and so on has, by then, already been completed.

And that’s quite a useful analogy for what’s been happening over the last fewyears. The hard work, at least most of it, has now been done. The foundation for the work being carried out now was the work done since 2011, when, as Jen notes in her piece in this newsletter, the church started raising the money, it had to, to get this project under way. That’s all been done now and the basis for the work being carried out is secure. All it’s going to take is the builder who has now, or at least by the time you read this, started on what is really the final lap. It’s a long lap, but we are well past the end of the beginning, as a former Prime Minister would have had it. There will be a lot of finishing off, but in the grand scheme of things we are moving into the latter phase where obvious progress, as opposed to the invisible progress to date, can be seen.

Those members of the committee, Bill Lovell and everyone associated with the Architect and the Quantity Surveyor and the other various consultants have set the basis for what is now becoming, although it’s going to take a few months yet, a new reality for our church. It’s invidious to single any one person out, but their names will, I hope, be recognised as the project continues and, we all hope, comes to a successful conclusion.

By this time next year we will have a ‘new’ church in which we can all celebrate Christmas. That’s something to look forward to at this special time of the year, at which I wish you all the very best and also for a Happy New Year.

I hope you don’t mind the Horwich’s over representation in this month’s issue and hope it spurs on more contributions, which are always welcome.

God bless you

6

Refurbishment update.

We are very glad to report the asbestos is all removed, and that the refurbishment 'proper' began Wednesday 19th November. From Monday the 24th November, Westco were putting up hoardings to close off the front of church inside and out, and we arechanging over to using the rear entrance off the Grove.

A new, large shed has been installed in the Garth, easing storage. There worked out to be much, more asbestos, and much more contamination than was anticipated, and this might have been a real risk to our schedule, but it was managed ably by Colin. Three cheers!

In design news, we have begun working with a lighting designer for external and internal lighting, whose website you might be interested to look at: Gravity design, at http://gravitydesign.uk.com. Lisa Hammond, a partner there, had her baby baptised at Ealing Green two years ago, and is volunteering her design services, we are very grateful and also like her designs very much. A wonderful blend of contemporary and vintage feel, beautiful and in tune with the context.

For Audio Visual design we are making visits to other churches tosample different set ups, and areusing a sound designer to make sure we have what we need for worship, and other types of events.

More as it comes, and regular updates will be passed through your pastoral point of contact, and the website.

All best,

Jen on behalf of the steering group

7

News of the Church Family

After a few days back at Elm Lodge, Irene Robey was re-admitted to Ealing Hospital where she has been for the past month. Please pray for healing for Irene.

Please support with prayer, Hugh Francis who is home from hospital and improving with help from his wife Hazel.

We give thanks that Bob Wormald is making good progress, following hip surgery.

Alma Baker sends greetings to all at Ealing Green Church. Please continue to pray for her.

Please pray for Liz Clarke in South America, Jane Horwich in Sri Lanka and Lee Horwich in South Korea – all away from home & family at this festive time of year.

Several of our Church Family are from Sierra Leone and have relatives still living in that country. We pray for them, especially with their concern for family and friends having to live with the threat of Ebola.

We pray particularly for those mentioned above and for all who carry the burden of illness and for their families and friends.

Gill Hatherall

CHURCH FLOWERS – APPEAL FOR DONORS AND/OR ARRANGERS

Thank you to all those who have donated and/or arranged flowers during the past year. I am now trying to prepare the Flower Rota for 2015 but am very short of arrangers and donors!

You are invited to remember any special anniversary, birthday or occasion for family or friends, by donating money for flowers on a Sunday of your choice. If you would like to give the flowers on a specific Sunday, please let me know. Occasionally the date clashes with a date chosen by someone else, but I will do my best to accommodate your request. You will not need to arrange the flowers as well, if you do not wish to, but if you could be persuaded to ‘give it a go’, that would be wonderful – it can be a simple arrangement – just a bunch of flowers is fine.

The Flower Fund relies on your monetary support for floral decoration, Sunday by Sunday, to enhance our worship. Thank you for your continued support. Contributions would be welcome and may be handed to Gill Hatherall.

“A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.”

Garrison Keillor,Leaving Home

8

CTICE

The next Churches Together Ecumenical visit will be a Pilgrim Tour of Westminster Abbey.

This will be on Wednesday 3rd December 2014 at 6.15pm. The visit will take the form of a tour in prayer, led by one of the canons for about an hour and a half.

If you would like to join the visit, please contact Noreen Barnes-Hoggett

noreen29@googlemail.com or on 020 8997-4935.

DavidGroves

Time for Thought

I believe we have to be very careful as Christians, not to express our faith in terms of unsmiling, unhumorous and puritanical way. The Gospels are the story of our salvation, the death and resurrection of our Lord, and is a very serious business.

Throughout his ministry Jesus displays great wit, command of the language, a gift for irony, word plays, and perfect timing. It was a way to reach an audience, for humour disarms and unites; it sets people at ease, and leaves them open minded to the speaker’s message. I really do believe Jesus used humour to teach, heal,convert and ultimately, redeem.

Examples:

• He used the tools of His trade to make a stinging point about religious hypocrisy. “Why are you worried about a speck in your brother’s eye, when you have a two-by-four in your own eye?”

• Humour shows in his relationship with Peter; calling the impulsive, over eager apostle “the rock”, is amusing!

• The humourless Pharisees are the ultimate straight men for Jesus.

• We have the hilarious image of straining at a gnat while eating a camel. The word for ‘gnat’ and ‘camel’ in Aramaic sound similar, ‘gnat’ is galma and the word for ‘camel’ is gamla, so we have a play on words here. This obviously stuck with his hearers.

There are many amusing moments in our New Testament Gospel accounts. Just imagine what life would be like without humour; life would be unbearable. Laughter is good for the soul, yet there is great evidence that Jesus desires this part of our humanity to shine through us, but we mustn’t let this distract us from the seriousness of our message.

The Bible explains: walking with God is a life of pleasure, of delight, sweetness, joy and freedom. Yet this relationship is built on very serious realities. In Jesus’ death on the cross, it paid our sin debt so that we could receive God’s forgiveness and experience this joy, both now and forever!

David Groves

9

Christmas Hampers 2014

Our Christmas Hampers this year will again be provided for Clients of the Ealing Debt Counselling Centre, which is a Churches Together project supported by Ealing Green.

Please bring along your gifts on any of the 3 weeks, starting Sunday 30th

November.

Ealing Debt Counselling Centre Clients - Suggested ideas for suitable Hamper gifts:

It would be good to put in a mixture of treats and basic food items. For example: biscuits (sweet or savoury), pasta, rice, sauces, soups, sugar, sweets, tea, coffee, chocolates, cakes, fruit juice, sparkling drinks, honey, jam, mince pies, crisps, nuts. You could also include household items like pampering toiletries, and/or festive items like baubles and Christmas crackers. Please avoid alcohol and perishable items and don’t put any money in.

It’s ideal if items are from the luxury range rather than from the value range –people are often used to buying from the value range and we want to bless them with treats that they couldn’t otherwise afford, which will show how they are valued. This is a Christmas hamper, not a food parcel, so it’s preferable to give a small box with high quality items, than a large hamper full of tins and value products. As someone said last year “If you’re buying for yourself, you tend to be quite sensible, but if you’re buying for someone you know is in a difficult situation, you feel liberated to bless them extravagantly. Think of things you’d love to have, things that would cheer you up, for example if you’re buying pasta, choose a really nice type”.

For those of you familiar with Calvin and Hobbes, one of the most perceptive cartoons of the last 20 years.

“CALVIN: This whole Santa Claus thing just doesn't make sense. Why all the secrecy? Why all the mystery?If the guy exists why doesn't he ever show himself and prove it?And if he doesn't exist what's the meaning of all this?

HOBBES: I dunno. Isn't this a religious holiday?

CALVIN: Yeah, but actually, I've got the same questions about God.”

Bill Watterson

10

From the Church Secretary

When you are reading this I may be visiting New Orleans. It will be the first time I have travelled to this part of America. One of our long standing friends now lives there and has generously asked us to tour with him. I am taking this opportunity to tell you about him because it is a story that otherwise may not be told, yet it is of significant influence on my life as well as that of my husband. Perhaps I should begin ‘Once upon a time..’. It was a long time ago. My husband went to a boarding school in Onitsha, Nigeria, run by the Church Missionary Society (Anglican) and adjacent to the school was an eye clinic where our friend practised. He was an American Baptist minister who welcomed a schoolboy into his domain. Once my husband left for the University at Ibadan they kept in touch during holidays. These were the 1960s and civil war broke out. Ibos (my husband’s tribe) were massacred in western Nigeria (Ibadan) and he had to flee east to his home. The eye clinic at that time was still functioning but my husband left the area and though twice arrested, once in Cameroon and then in Paris he eventually arrived at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London, to continue his medical studies at the start of the academic year. A few weeks later, about this time of year, our friend arrived in London and took him to Harrods and bought him the suit he was married in and a thick warm wool coat. I met neither until a few years later.

In the meantime the ‘Biafran’ war continued and Britain sent arms to one side and food to the other. Our friend and his wife continued to work until Onitsha was shelled and they too had to flee and starve with the people around them. When the war was over it took some time to repair the damage done to the fabric of the buildings. It also took time for the effects of starvation to be reversed. I first remember the clinic when I visited in the 1980s. The security was impressive; so was the food. I had learned to go to other American friends/missionaries to sample real coffee since they had supplies air lifted into the country. In addition we were served European food that was unavailable in the supermarkets. More importantly I was introduced to books of Ibo oral history that were also not available in local bookshops that gave me an insight into my husband’s culture. Our friend was studying for a doctorate in the urbanisation of the Ibo.

In later years he briefly settled in South Africa and then Australia where he was widowed before returning to his native America. He bequeathed his operating microscope to my husband and to my mind was instrumental in him choosing to specialise in ophthalmology. Our friend is now a stalwart of the American Methodist Church and I am looking forward to sharing the spiritual aspects of his life.

Wishing you God’s blessings during Advent and Christmas.

Anita Oji

11

Letters and emails

From Jane Horwich:To all my friends,

I have been here nearly three months now and have become accustomed to the face of Sri Lanka. As you probably know, in a mad moment I committed to living here for two years and teaching Spoken English in four local schools supported by the Senahasa Trust. I also supervise four gap year students and between us we work for at least 2 days a week in each school.

I live in a flat on the campus of the main school, Unawatuna Maha Vidyalaya, and I can just about say that fluently. My flat is above the flat of the Principal and his family. There is an outside staircase to my flat. I am kept safe by a heavy, metal, security gate at the top of the stairs, not very attractive but it serves its purpose well. Beyond the gate is my balcony to the left and up a few more steps. But before you go up those steps, to the right is my bathroom. It has been a place that I have used reluctantly because the window was broken and could not be shut. Consequently, I shared it with a multitude of mosquitoes and other flying bugs. But a couple of weeks ago, with bites in places I don’t even want to mention, enough was enough. I went to a hardware shop in Galle Town. This place is an Aladdin’s cave for true DIY specialists. With the aid of drawings, not much English spoken there, I came away with a 100 grams of tacks and one and a half metres of plastic fly screen in a roll. Back to my bathroom I went. With my screwdriver in my hand, I stood on a chair to unscrew the window. I didn’t need to as the window just lifted out. I tacked the fly screen in place and sprayed some mosquito killer around. At bedtime I went to have a shower. Not a mosquito to be seen. And now I have far fewer mozi bites. But you have to be quick getting in and shutting the door though. They’re cunning little beasts.

I mentioned my balcony. It is not the flowerpots and nice little table and chairs kind of balcony. It’s a washing line and old rubbish one.

The front door opens from the balcony into my living room. The room is a reasonable size and is furnished with a table and four chairs, a desk, a glass coffee table and the weirdest metal sofa, more like an instrument of torture. I have made some changes; bought cushions; recovered the cushions on the iron sofa and made a wall hanging with the rest of the material. And of course, I have moved the furniture around. All the other rooms lead off this living room. The galley kitchen is squashed between the two bedrooms. My bedroom is my sanctuary. Whether it is the weather, insect life, teaching or just exhaustion that drives me there I can get

12

ready for bed, take a tray of provisions, get under the mosquito net and feel safe from marauding tropical beasties.

I must explain about windows. All the windows, except the bathroom have glass, opening panes. But above these are long narrow sections that have fly screen on them. I keep all the opening windows open nearly all the time. All the windows also have diamond shaped security grills on the inside of them. The grills also go round the balcony. So security is good. Monkeys can’t get in - I have my fingers crossed on that one. However, they do not keep out the very small and demanding cat that should be downstairs with the Principal’s daughters. The effect of the weather on domestic life is all pervasive. The humidity is always high. Since I’ve been here it has rained a lot, with some grey days that could compete with the UK.Even the local people are complaining partly because lots of rain causes an increase in the number of mozis. The weather makes it difficult to get washing dry and keeping clean stuff smelling sweet and not musty and mouldy. Moth deterring pellets are essential. I couldn’t bear the smell of camphor that was here when I arrived. Since I have found some that smells of cough mixture, which for me is more tolerable. No clothes can be shut into wardrobes or drawers because of this problem. Clothes’ horse type wooden structures in bedrooms are normal and most people use them to store dry clothes. I use my wardrobe for hanging my favourite clothes but the doors of it are always open. Pillows always smell musty. All the rooms have big effective ceiling fans, which help to keep the rooms aired and life bearable.

Peaceful nights, lulled to sleep by the noises of the jungle, don’t exist. Less than 20 metres from my flat is the railway, just a single track. On week days the first train is at 0510 - no need for an alarm clock then! At the weekend we get a two-hour lie in, first train not until 0730. Other interruptions to sleep include frequent dogs barking, drumming, monks chanting, fire crackers, partying and just people talking. In the UK I would find that hard to tolerate, but here I’m so tired I can sleep through anything except the first train in the morning.

The last room in my flat is the teaching staff’s workroom with a big table and lots of shelving. The resources for the primary program are well organised with most of the lesson plans in place. Everything my gap year students need is neatly stored in the room. The secondary programme is not so well set up so I am planning my lessons pretty much from scratch. Also in the room we have a good printer and a printer/scanner/copier. In theory we are well equipped, and all the technology was working well until some bright spark here updated my computer…

Living in my flat is a step up from camping. I do have a washing machine, located in an outdoor cupboard at the back of the girls’ house that’s next to mine. It works well apart from incidents like once finding a washed, and distinctly out of sorts, frogin the washing. The girls have had problems with rats and one day one of them ended up with a dead rat in her clean washing!

Unfortunately, saris have to be hand washed. I have a massive shallow plastic bowl and I tread my saris in the shower. They are all made from synthetic materials and dry very quickly. It is still odd to be wearing one every day, but it

13

does raise your status to a slightly higher level than tourist. As I am very noticeable in Sri Lanka it has been worth while saying hello to everyone round about and telling them that I am the new Volunteer English teacher. Most people in Unawatuna know who I am and don’t charge me quite so high prices. I have taken to wearing full-length cotton trousers and a top just covering the shoulders top (ie not a vest top and shorts) most of the time when I’m out. That way I look less like a tourist, don’t have to cover my legs in greasy sun protection cream and get less bitten by mozis. I have had several people ask me if I live here. The first time I was puzzled so I asked how they knew and the reply was, “By the way you dress.”

I have inherited from previous teachers who have lived here a lady, Kanthi, who comes twice a week to help me out. On one of the days she cleans my flat and on the other one she shows me how to make Sri Lankan food and tries to teach me a little Sinhala as she cooks. She doesn’t speak much English, but is cheerful, reliable and a very good cook. So the discomforts of living here are offset by people like Kanthi and the many little pleasures that happen everyday, like watching the monkeys in the trees around my house and the incredible sunsets, riding the bus down the coast to my other school (I work 2 days there) watching the ocean and thinking of the vast southern seas between Antarctica and me. People look very serious here, but when you say good morning their smiles and responses brighten my day. They laugh at me a lot too – crazy white women in a sari!

And I haven’t even started on the job yet. That’s my next instalment.

Bye for now.Jane Horwich

“Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer.... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? ”

Bill Watterson,The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

14

The New York Marathon

This year the New York Marathon, largest in the world with around 50,000 participants, was run in the coldest weather for over 10 years. That doesn’t quite convey the full impact of a cold temperature and a strong north-west (i.e. cold) wind that cut through anyone in its way. Without dwelling on it, it made the 4 hours we had to wait at the start a bit challenging. But once we were off we could do something about the wind – stay in the middle of groups of runners and let them act as windbreaks.

The start is in Staten Island at the ramp on to the Verrazano Narrows bridge. Crossing this is an experience in itself, and you can tell, by the time you reach the 2 mile marker at the far end from the start, why the towers are a few inches out of parallel – to account for the curvature of the earth. By then you are in Brooklyn and on South 96th street. The run down to 1st street was fine, with bands operating virtually within earshot of each other the whole way. Then, having reached the centre of town, the numbers (North) start going up again. Just before we left Brooklyn we were set upon by some of Kiran’s friends who had gathered at a place called Greenpoint, which is where she lives. They pursued us for 50 metres down the road, then, not knowing quite what to do, let us run on – into Queen’s. A short run through Queens and we were on the 59th Street Bridge immortalised by Simon & Garfunkel. This mayn’t be the longest bridge in the world, but is quite a stretch and resembled a long wind tunnel when we were there. The 16 mile marker at the end is a real disappointment as it seems so much longer. Then we are in Manhattan and the long stretch from 59th to 127th, which seems to take a long time – and a lot of effort to get to. But then we leave Manhattan and go over yet another bridge into the Bronx (or the ‘Brawn-ix’ as a native once explained to me how it should really be pronounced).

A quick, and mercifully short tour of that borough then leads back over yet another bridge to Manhattan, the last stage of the run, but still some way to go – those last five miles are the killer. Starting at 138th Street it is hard counting down the blocks knowing that you’ve got to get to 59th (again) before nearing the finish. At 86th you enter Central Park and, unable to measure your progress, you follow the winding, undulating (and by now undulations are not something that have any attraction at all) road until, eventually, you come out of the park and realise it’s only a mile to the end.

15

That mile, across the ‘bottom’ of the park and back into it, are uphill. You wouldn’t notice it in a car and might not even pay much heed if you were strolling along it, but after 25 miles it has all the appeal of a climbing wall.

Then it’s back into the park for the last three or four, it feels like five hundred metres, like the last mile – uphill, to the finish, where the nausea that you have ignored for the last hour or so catches up with you. But you have done it and slowly the realisation that it’s over seeps into the mind, blotting out the pain that wants to be heard after being suppressed for the last miles.

The picture was taken less than five minutes after finishing by a helpful official, and you can see the realisation that we had done it and were starting to appreciate that all the training and hopes and fears and anguish over the last six months, or more, were over and that we didn’t have to worry any more about how it would be and how we would react. The relief was tangible and the thanks to all of you who donated to the causes we were running for started to sink in.

We would like to thank everyone who supported us. It gave us that incentive over the last year when it was cold and wet and we didn’t want to go out training and made the whole thing so much more worthwhile. Thank you.

Kiran and Lee Horwich

“And in despair I bowed my head;"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep!

The Wrong shall fail,the Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

16

DSME shipyard

Samsungshipyard

Okpo

¯I left my heart - in Geoje Island, ¯ . . .No, San Francisco is the only place name that goes with that song, but had Tony Bennett, or whoever wrote the lyrics, ever been to Geoje island, he might have come up with something memorable. Geoje is a small island, now attached to the mainland by a couple of spectacular bridges and a tunnel, down at the bottom right hand corner of South Korea (see the map) and it is, in its own way, quite beautiful.

It is the home to around 250,000 people, but its numbers swell during the week as workers to one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world, Daewoo, Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME to you and me) return from their weekends away. Across the other side of the island is another large shipyard, this one belonging to Samsung, a name you may have heard of, apart from their sponsorship of Chelsea. Ironically, one of the largest, if not the largest, shipyard in the world, DSME’s, was designed by a small Devon shipyard. Appledore laid out the basis for what is a huge, and apparently highly efficient, shipyard.

Okpo mainly exists to serve DSME and the numerous expats who are here, sent by DSME’s clients to gain an insight into, or to monitor the DSME design/fabrication processes.

The DSME colleagues have been more than hospitable. I was invited out to a ‘hike’ on a weekend. The preamble to the hike included considerable amounts of beer, with water for the weaker ones. I told them I was running a marathon a week later and begged off alcohol. This was an unusually prescient move on my part as you will see later. We then set off up the ‘hill’ for the walk. Okpo, and its surrounds,are almost entirely made up of gradients. There is virtually no flat ground. The ‘hill’ we walked/scrambled/climbed up was 484 metres high– and most of it was at quite a

17

gradient. To celebrate the arrival at the top, bottles of rice wine were broken out and all, except myself, enjoyed a couple, or three paper cups of the cloudy mixture. Then we set off down, but after ten minutes I couldn’t help but notice that we were going a different way. Presently we came to a signpost that indicated Okpo-Dong in one direction and Aju-Dong in the other. When I said I would be heading for Okpo, I was told that we were all going to a dinner in Aju-Dong and that I had been invited. So I went.

At the restaurant, each table had a grill in the middle and food was laid out ready for a traditional Korean bbq. There are many types of traditional Korean bbq, suffice to say that the meat at this one was a thinly cut, marinated belly pork, which is cooked on the cast iron grill, cut up, using the scissors provided, and eaten, alongside the ubiquitous kimchee, wrapped in lettuce and/or perilla leaves. The main part of the afternoon’s entertainment consisted of the consumption of more alcohol, in the form of beer and soju and speeches. The speeches were numerous, indeed I was asked to and gave one. All speeches were marked by their brevity and the exhortation, at the end of each, to drink a toast. The toasts became more frequent as the afternoon wore on. The entire proceedings were officiated by the ‘boss of the day’ (BOD), an ordinary worker promoted to this position, as the name suggests, for the day.

Having given the first speech, he ‘invited’ the most senior person there to give a speech, which that person did with gusto, deferring at all times to the BOD. After many speeches, including mine, things settled down to the important business of

consuming alcohol and fulfilling traditional customs. Both the BOD and the most senior person, in turn visited each table. The BOD handed his glass, a large shot glass, to the most senior looking person on the table, who accepted it formally using both hands. The BOD picked up one of the bottles of soju, filled the glass and invited the person on the table to drink it. After the person drank it that person handed the glass back to the BOD, who accepted it formally using both hands, and filled it with soju. The BOD drank it and thanked the person at the table. The BOD (both of them) repeated this at every table – I counted 11 tables!

At about 6pm the party seemed to be breaking up. Mr. C.T.Choi, the person I report to and in the picture in regulation Korean ‘hiking kit’, at the top with Aju Dong in the background; asked if I would be getting a bus back.

As I couldn’t see any buses in sight, or anywhere a bus might be likely to come from, and everyone else seemed to be geared up for more walking, I agreed to walk. It was 3 miles, or so, home. I got home at sometime after 7pm. Quite a hike.

Lee

18

Classic Cinema Club Ealing

19

American: The Bill Hicks Story A Meet the Filmmaker Event with Paul Thomas

Friday December 5, 2014 7:30pm

The CCC is showing this excellent film as a wonderful pre-Christmas surprise.Classic Cinema Club-Ealing is proud to present the Ealing produced film American: The Bill Hicks Story with local filmmaker Paul Thomas in attendance. This highly regarded 2010 documentary of the controversial, confrontational, and ground breaking comedian Bill Hicks is a 'must see'.

The evening will be hosted by former Ealing resident Paul Wogan, who will introduce two excellent London comics Don Biswas and Thomas Ward for short stand up sets before segueing into the 100 minute film and to finish, a Q&A with Paul Thomas the film maker.

Tickets are £7/6 concessions. All films are screened at Ealing Town Hall.

Friday 12th December The Beaches of Agnes

At nearly 80, Agnès Varda explores her memory - growing up in Belgium, living in Sète, Paris, and Noirmoutier, discovering photography, making a film, being part of the New Wave, raising children with Jacques Demy, losing him, and growing old. She explores her memory using photographs, film clips, home movies, contemporary interviews, and set pieces she designs to capture a feeling, a time, or a frame. Shining through each scene are her impish charm, inventiveness, and natural empathy. How do people grow old, how does loss stay with them, can they remain creative, and what do they remember? Memory, she says, is like a swarm of confused flies. She envisions hers for us.

Friday 19th December A Christmas Story

Christmas is approaching and 9 year-old Ralphie wants only one thing: a Red Ryder Range Shot 200 BB gun. When he mentions it at the dinner table, his mother's immediate reaction is that he'll put his eye out. He then decides on a perfect theme for his teacher but her reaction is like his. He fantasizes about what it would be like to be Red Ryder and catch the bad guys. When the big day arrives he gets lots of present under the tree including a lovely gift from his aunt that his mother just adores. But what about the BB gun?

A Tribute to the Original, Traditional, One-Hundred-Percent, Red-Blooded, Two-Fisted, All-American Christma.

“Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.”

G.K. Chesterton

20

Methodist church addresses mental health concerns among young peopleBy agency reporter

21 Nov 2014

The Methodist Church has launched a series of mental health resources after young Methodists raised concerns that not enough was being done by the Church to help young people struggling with mental health issues.

The series was launched at the 3Generate Children and Youth Assembly at the weekend 15-16 November 2014. Every young person at 3Generate received a copy of the card aimed at their age group: 'Taking Care of your Feelings' for the under 12s, 'Staying Mentally Healthy' for the 12 to 18 year olds and 'Staying Mentally Healthy' for the 18 to 30 year olds. There is also a fourth pamphlet for youth workers called 'Healthy Heads'.

Gill Dascombe, Vice-President of the Methodist Church, said: "As a pharmacist working in the NHS psychiatric services, I am aware of the growing incidence of diagnosed mental health problems among children and young people. Many others struggle with educational or peer pressures in our increasingly competitive society. These helpful cards have been produced to alert and inform children, young people and youth workers of the dangers and early warning signs, and to signpost them to relevant mental health organisations."

Mental health is an issue of growing concern among children, young people and those who work with them. In response to concerns raised by 3Generate, the Methodist Children and Youth teamed up with Young Minds to provide the series of four age-specific cards.

*The leaflets are available to purchase on the Methodist Publishing website:

http://www.methodistpublishing.org.uk/books/ab013-cy-14/mental-health-ca...

This is reprinted from the Ekklesia website.

“Want to create the best Christmas ever? Forgive someone who doesn’t deserve your forgiveness. Hug a stranger. Pass on something that you want to keep for yourself. Spend time with the ones you love. Spend time on your knees. Decorate your life with light and laughter. Love yourself while you’re loving others. Christmas is about Christ and Christ is all about your joy and happiness.”

• Toni Sorenson

21

This month’s collection goes to the important work that takes place almost literally on our doorstep. Crisis, formerly Crisis at Christmas.

Crisis at Christmas

Christmas can be an incredibly difficult time of year for a person cut off from family and home.

At Crisis at Christmas every year we provide companionship and support to tackle loneliness and isolation, and help people take their first steps out of homelessness.

Crisis at Christmas 2013 was a huge success thanks to the 10,000 volunteers who made it all in London, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Education

Lack of skills and qualifications can lead to people becoming homeless and keep them there, isolated from society, work and independence. Learning to use a computer at our IT classes moves people closer to employment and financial stability while literacy and numeracy classes help people cope better with everyday life, budgeting or paying the bills.

The first major independent evaluation of our services was published this year. Clients told researchers that Crisis helped give structure and direction to their lives and improved their self-confidence and social skills. They said they valued the focus on courses that were accredited and led to recognised qualifications.

Employment

Lack of work is a major cause and consequence of homelessness. Having a job brings self respect and independence; losing it can be soul destroying.

Our dedicated employment teams help people find and keep jobs. We provide on the job training in our Crisis Skylight Cafés and help people achieve their career goals through Crisis Changing Lives grants scheme

Housing

22

Supported by English Government funding, Crisis enabled 153 local housing advice projects help 8,123 single homeless people make a home in the private rented sector. The real mark of success is ensuring people settle into their new homes. To date 90 per cent managed their tenancies for at least six months. In Scotland, supported by Scottish Government funding, Crisis supported 28 schemes to create 2,675 tenancies for homeless people.

After the chaos and stress of homelessness, tenants often struggle to find and secure a property. Local projects we support help tenants and landlords navigate finding, setting up and sustaining a tenancy – from quality checks to financial issues including deposits and benefits. Most importantly they help develop relationships between landlords and tenants, ensuring tenancies are sustained.

Health & wellbeing

Research commissioned by Crisis reveals that the average age of death for homeless people is just 47 years old. They often struggle to access the healthcare services that they need.

To improve physical health and wellbeing we run workshops such as Yoga, Karate, Tai Chi and Pilates and counselling services. We hold Health Days at our Crisis Skylight centres, and at Christmas offer our guests a full range of medical services.

Please give generously, Thank you

“The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”

• O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

23

December Rotas

December Preacher Reader PrayersCommunion

Stewards

7th 11.00 am Jennifer Smith Pat Sucher GH, CH, MS, DG

14th 11.00 am Suva Catford Elspeth Singleton Helen Harper

21st 11.00 am Jennifer Smith Charles Kenny

6.00 pm Carols at Christmas

28th 11.00 am Rachel Kamara Yvonne Moyo Vera Marston

Note: Could we have some volunteers for the Coffee Rota. All help is welcome - and it would be nice to see other faces behind the counter (no offence to those who already volunteer).

January 2015 Readers February Readers4th Louise Singleton 1st Janette Pender

11th Ron Honor 8th Hazel Humphries18th Helen Harper 15th Fleur Hatherall25th Pat Sucher 22nd Christine Edwards

“If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees—alone or with loved ones—give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that His Spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve Him and keep His commandments. He will take you by the hand and His promises will be kept.”

Howard W. Hunter

24