Monday, July 13, 2009

Beginnings and ends

I managed to get wet three times today, as a result of intermittent showers and despite taking a mac out with me. In between times the streets dried out, giving the illusion that it was all over. I stood under the exterior canopy of Queen's Arcade and watched an armoured cash delivery van reverse into one of the new lamp standards in an attempt to get close to the Halifax's main entrance. Several new lamp standards have been lost to vehicles over the past six months since they were erected. This time it was only a brush with the bumper that made the lamp post shudder. With two more tries the driver succeeded in positioning his vehicle the other side of the lamp post and accomplishing his mission.

The vehicle shouldn't have been in the pedestrian precinct, as it was gone eleven o'clock. Apart from the heavy rain slowing everything down, the start of the week was marked by long traffic queues, as work started on the Kingsway with the erection of fences, draffic diversion and lane closure. The work in hand is the modification of the pedestrian crossing, and is destined to last nine weeks, if it runs to time. Let's hope the change is worth all the hassle it will cause.

This afternoon was the last 'God on Mondays' of the term. School ends of Friday and we have a Leavers' Eucharist on Thursday. I've now raised with the head and staff the question about whether it should continue during the period of transition that will occur with my retirement and the appointment of a new incumbent. It's certainly wanted, yet it has become increasingly difficult to establish a stable regular pattern, with my absences and with school closures for bank holidays and INSET days, and as a result attendance has suffered. I think it could do with a complete make-over, new ideas, now people and new life involved. I'm proposing we look around and ask if any other churches around the place would respond to an invitation take on running a family service on a Monday afternoon. We'll see what the outcome will be.

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