Blogging has to take second place to endless work at the moment. But the work is brilliant. Meetings with different groups of people, committees, services, rural briefings, etc. are all great. I am loving it.
However, in what seemed like a good idea a couple of months ago, I and some hardy colleagues used the longest day (sunrise to sunset on Tuesday 21 June) to work our way through the Diocese of Bradford. The aim was threefold: (a) to help me orientate myself geographically and culturally, (b) enable me to meet people from across the urban/rural spread in quick time, and (c) allow those who wished to to meet me briefly en route. It also offered a great photo opportunity at every stage.
Unbelievably, this was questioned by one or two people who thought it gave out the wrong messages. I make no comment.
I got up at 3.30am after four hours sleep and set off with my Chaplain and the Archdeacon of Craven for the drive to one of Yorkshire’s three peaks, Pen-Y Ghent. Despite the forecast, the weather just got worse as we went north. We were met by 14 others at Horton in Ribblesdale and set off up the mountain. Within a hundred metres we were soaked through – and quickly reached the point where there was no point trying to stay dry. Anywhere. I’ve never had so much fun with my clothes on.
We got down three hours later with the rain still fluctuating between ‘lashing down’ and ‘hammering down’. Visibility was very limited and views non-existent. But it was a brilliant start to a great day with some wonderful people – especially the ones who met us at the top with coffee and cakes!
We went from there to a farm cafe (to get changed and have breakfast), then visited a farm to meet a great farmer and some surprisingly ugly sheep (with the greenest snot I have ever witnessed) and try dry-stone walling. We visited schools, tea shops, churches (Bolton Priory), traders in Haworth (Bronte country), an English language class for Asian women in Bradford (run through a church), a youth project on a large urban estate (inspiring), a seminar with theological students from Durham on interfaith matters, then a curry in Bradford.
Stimulating, enlightening, hilarious, inspiring and … er … wet.
I am now wondering whether I should do something similar on midsummer’s day every year. The suggestion that we should do this year’s itinerary in reverse is just silly: start at 4am with a curry and end on top of Pen-Y Ghent in the dark rain?
June 24, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Third photo down is just crying out for a caption, Nick!
June 24, 2011 at 4:51 pm
preachersa2z, Oh no it isn’t!
June 24, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Sounds a thoroughly healthy (Not) pursuit. Pehaps the next time it might be worthwhile ordering sunshine in advance (Diocesan intercessions) and then do it in fancy dress (full clerical’s).
Surely the value is in meeting people, so perhaps it should be scheduled for all diocesan staff to repeat it at least monthly. Outreach on the cheap.
June 24, 2011 at 7:07 pm
nick and preachersa2z: Oh yes it is!
How about: *Bishop Nick To The Lost Sheep*
“Sorry old boy. I can manage absolution but I can’t do much about that snot problem.”
June 25, 2011 at 9:33 am
Like the comment re green snot – but not sure the farmer wanted his sheep to be labelled ” ugly” – maybe there is a PC expression for ugly sheep – not that we have any of them in the CofE !! See you on Weds.
June 25, 2011 at 10:26 am
I agree…the ugliest sheep I’ve ever seen. Which breed are they?
How about a midwinter as well as a midsummer tour? The midwinter one won’t be as long a day, plus I’m not suggesting you climb a peak then, but maybe take that opportunity to visit places you don’t usually get a chance to go to??
I hope you do get an opportunity too, if it hasn’t happened yet, to visit the various interfaith groups in Bradford. A friend supports one of them and the programme and points of meeting they offer folk of differing cultural and spiritual backgrounds is truly inspiring.
Glad you enjoyed the (very wet) day. I thought the stepping stones photos are begging for a caption too.
June 25, 2011 at 1:40 pm
You plainly need no advice from us about getting into the local community. It sure looks different from Croydon!
June 25, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Saw the photos and write up in the Church Times.. fab idea! Definitely make it an annual event, whichever way you do it. Curry at 4 am might be a challenge too far though?
June 25, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Caption comp: ‘Sheep claims gold in a highly competitive field at the all-Bradford gurning contest. (pictured with runners up). ‘ Missing you down here, Nick!
June 26, 2011 at 10:26 pm
I thought only teenagers climbed mountains in the rain. Keep this up and everyone will have to be doing it!
June 27, 2011 at 8:21 am
Nick
A word of prophetic warning! If you value your diocesan future you do need to be careful about insulting sheep. People fine, the media certainly, fellow bishops with discretion but sheep never, if for no other reason there are a lot of them. What is ugly anyway?
June 27, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Arthur, sheep should have black pointy faces, but these looked like pitbull heads on a goat body. OK, attractive to some, but I got to hold one with a runny nose…
June 28, 2011 at 9:03 am
I’m intrigued about the coffee and cake at the top of the mountain. Did they walk up before you with bloated rucksacks? Is there a road going up to a dry hut?
Will you all be wearing proper waterproof outdoor clothing next year?
June 29, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Whilst you are getting to know your new flock you might like to share this with them. It is worryingly familiar.
http://throwyourselflikeseed.blogspot.com/2011/06/top-ten-tips-for-congregations-that.html
June 30, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Heather,
They were Texel rams – and had been shorn the day before. As Nick says, they looked like pitbulls. It (quite seriously) took a bit of courage to walk into the paddock! David, the farmer, was laconic Yorkshire at its best.
Erica,
Yes, the coffee and cake was carried up by an advance party. There are no roads up Pen y Ghent! See http://www.walkingenglishman.com/dales22.htm for a flavour. There is very little in the line of waterproof gear that would have kept out that rain though…
July 1, 2011 at 7:56 am
Lol @ “the rain still fluctuating between ‘lashing down’ and ‘hammering down’.”
July 1, 2011 at 9:31 am
Thanks, Chris, I’d never heard of the breed of sheep before. Maybe they have pretty babies but I’ll stick to the Border varieties we have around here.
I’d love to give Pen y Ghent a go, preferably in better weather. I assume the rain was coming down so hard it would fill your coffee cup as fast as you could drink the coffee!
July 2, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Texels are quite cute sheep, really. There’s a very pretty one on the start page of the Texel Sheep Society http://www.texel.co.uk/
And a rather nice video clip of them if you click the “The Breed” tab.
July 6, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I think the idea of doing it in reverse is a great one, I’ve eaten a few curries at 4am (albeit in my student days) and in my experience, it never rains at night on Pen-y-ghent