Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Variety is the spice of ministry

An eventful day, starting with a school assembly on John the Baptist, followed by a Eucharist at St German's for class three, then down to St John's for our midday Eucharist. There was a enough time to do a little housekeeping on the literature distribution rack - folding dozens of tourist and enquiry leaflets - before cycling over to Roath Church House for a Deanery Chapter. It's the first I've managed to attend in many many months.

At the end we were shown a video produced by the Church in Wales' ministry and mission team entitled 'Renewable Energy'. It was not, as I imagined environmental conservation focussed, but a series of video case studies of a series of Parishes which are experiencing a missionary renewal in the most enterprising and creative of ways. It was encouraging and informative. It was also very well produced, and made Chapter a cheerier meeting than usual.

Before supper, a meeting of the Conservation Consultative Group that advises on planning applications in the City Centre. It's the first since the local government elections. I was pleased to learn that Simon Wakefield, our local Lib-Dem Councillor in Cathays is available and willing to chair the group again. It's always interesting to look at what plans are being proposed to build or adapt buildings around the city centre, and hear from the experts what they think about the ideas presented.

On this occasion we looked at drawings accompanying a proposition to re-open the mill leet on the west side of the Castle Wall. The leet is a watercourse which, at least in Victorian times was adapted to drive a small mill-wheel, long gone. It was fed originally by the dock feeder canal that runs through the castle grounds and out along Stuttgart Strasse. There's an ancient well by the north west corner of the Castle, which apparently has some interesting Victorian hydraulic control mechanisms relating to the leet. All in all this restoration project promises much more than a water feature to enhance the Castle and parkland considerably. It has the engineers archaeologists and historical conservationists excited and keen to promote it - which is just as well since the plan is part of Heritage Lottery funding bid. I hope this comes off.

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