Sunday 16 April 2006

Easter Day

 EASTER SUNDAY…It was on Easter Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead.. Jesus told his disciples before he was arrested that he would be crucified and on the third day he would rise again from the dead .Sunday was the third day from Good Friday. 

                                                    

Whilst still at the Tudors I decided to apply to be a manager at a sheltered accommodation for the elderly, I was accepted, after the usual applications and interview procedure was gone through .I was given a bungalow on site, and quickly settled into my new home and job, I started to attend the local church St Matthews, and soon met The local vicar ,yet another lovely man .The Reverend Alan Baines ,and his wife Jean ,it was strange going to this church at first ,being a small community ,everyone knew who I was !...You know ‘who’s she ?’,’oh that’s the new warden ‘(as we were then called ),being a small community everyone knew everyone else, and I was warned to be careful ,as everyone seemed to be related to someone !In the beginning I worked every other weekend, so didn’t get to church every week Many of the residents went to St Matthews ,so when I could I would accompany them .Which we all enjoyed .

Next door to me lived a delightful couple Bill and Aggy, Bill was ninety two when I arrived and Aggy was eighty nine, they were very frail, and Alan would come once a month to their bungalow to give them Holy Communion. I don’t quite know how it came about but they decided it would be nice if them I joined them, and it was woe betide me if I had a meeting at HQ or some such!

I struck up a good working relation ship with Alan; if a resident fell ill I would ring him up, and he would visit them either at home or hospital, he often came to my bungalow to discuss various aspects that concerned us both regarding my residents and his parishioners .

Sadly,Aggy died and Bill went to live with his Daughter ,And as a number of the residents were finding it harder to make it to church ,(it’s a steady up hill walk ) I asked Alan if he could bring a service to us , he agreed it was a good idea so once a month  I would make a poster advertising the service to be held Sunday next ,I often spelled Alan’s name with two lls and he would always correct me !We had the service in the communal hall, So at two thirty on the appointed Sunday afternoons I would put a pretty table cloth on a table at the front of the room for Alan, along with our carved crucifix and he would come along with a

Lady from the church who kindly played our piano. We would have hymns and prayers Alan did a shortened version of his sermon that  morning ,and he gave us communion ,this was such a comfort to those residents unable to walk far from their homes and we all enjoyed a chat and a cuppa afterwards .Alan’s wife Jean was a very talented lady veryartistic ,and when we discovered she made really lovely home made cards ,(even before it became popular)I was able to persuade her to come along on a Friday afternoon to show our Ladies how it was done .They loved it and made the loveliest cards imaginable .When I retired Alan made a very complimentary speech, so much so I wondered who was this paragon of virtue ,he was talking about .He left the Parish shortly after I left to go to somewhere in Northampton, and for all the help he gave me I am so grateful and wish him and Jean well ,what a hard working couple ,much loved and missed from our little community .Yes this is another Gentlman of the cloth Iwill never forget      Iwould like to wish you al a Happy and Blessed Easter Day........

                                                With Grateful Thanks to Donna  for my lovely signature

 

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a lovely entry and a lovely little town you lived in.  I also live in a small town.  I moved here from the big city 7 years ago.  I sooned learned that just about everybody is related somehow.  My whole little neighborhood is one big group of relatives so I keep mum on my opinions of others.  Blessed Easter to you and yours.  Chris

Anonymous said...

Beautiful entry Jan ~  I didn't get an alert ~  Ally

Anonymous said...

They sounded like a lovely couple. Seems like you had a busy but very rewarding life at work. Have a lovely Easter. Jeannette.  

Anonymous said...

A very Happy Easter to you Jan. I'm missing my children at this special time but will no doubt cheer up a bit when I speak to my daughter later.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/lindaggeorge/GeorgeMansions/

Anonymous said...

Lovely reading about your past friends and your job it must have been very rewarding and fullfilling. Have a lovely day Love Joan.

Anonymous said...

Happy Easter Sunday to you Maurice and Charlotte.What a lovely entry today you have done,I am sure all your residents were grateful to you for asking the Rev Alan to take the services at the Hall.It was nice of Jean his wife to share her gift of making cards to them all.I like your style of writing  Jan,have a good day.....Love Jeanx

Anonymous said...

Jan
A very heart warming story of very dediacated people, you included!  An excellent entry for Easter.  Thanks!  Happy Easter to you, too!
Sam

Anonymous said...

what lovely dedicated people. Happy Easter :)..........Jules xx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/jules19642001/Itsmylife/

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan

It sounds like your havin a crackin Easter - isn't life good ?!
Luv Jayne x
http://journals.aol.co.uk/funnyface0s0/SingleGirl

Anonymous said...

Sounds as if Alan and his wife were wonderful people and you are also. Helen

Anonymous said...

Alerts still not working!  Happy Easter to you and yours Jan.

Anonymous said...

A delightful entry Jan, a pleasure to read.  No, I did not get an alert for this or for Claudia's.  To be on the safe side I am continuing to send out email alerts, we should not have to but you know aol.  Happy Easter again my friend

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/JeannettesJottings/

Anonymous said...

I love this entry Jan. Thank you very much for sharing. You are a special lady.

Blessings today and always,
Angela

Anonymous said...

Happy Easter jan,
I liked your entry today as I have known some wonderful vicars. My new one seems very nice and so is his wife. I think this church will be ideal for me and so I am glad I went this morning. Love Conniex

Anonymous said...

It's so nice to hear yet again that a minister has taken the time to hold a service where you worked so those people unable to get to a church could still keep their faith going :o)   Caff xxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan,  Another interesting entry from you. It`s so nice to hear about the nice clergymen that you`ve met.  I hope you`re having a nice easter Sunday. :o)

Sandra xxxxx

Anonymous said...

Mmm, didn't get even a wireless alert for this one Grrrrr. What a great entry and a wonderful idea to bring the church to the residents.

Anonymous said...

what a lovely story of a "true sheperd leading his flock" as jesus did.  Happy Easter to you & yours...Linda in western Washington

Anonymous said...

Another lovely 'Easter' entry (no alert...)
And you have met some nice people along the Way!
My Allan is two ll's...but rarely spelt right (lol)
Aileen....X

Anonymous said...

I recognise that font, the beautiful monotype corsiva.
And with all the nice clergy you tell us about it's only right that they have a nice font.   ;O)
B. x

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan!

Sounds like you loved your job, it's more like your family than your job.  I also loved your little jumping chocolate bunnies and eggs!  :)

Happy Easter!
Darlene

Anonymous said...

What a lovely entry :o)
Happy Easter to you m'dear.
Sara   x

Anonymous said...

Oh Jan didn't you make it nice for your residents, bringing the church to them, that's lovely.....and the home made cards, aahh I bet they all loved you :-)......lovely entry, really made me smile :-)
love n hugs ~xx Debbie xx~ hug for Charlotte too ~xx~

Anonymous said...

What a lovely story Jan.  You are a talented writer and very interesting
Hope you had a nice Easter and the Lord said he would rise on the third day and He is Risen.

                                              Love and hugs    Myke


Anonymous said...

What a lovely journal to be able to read first thing on a morning.

I love to read your journals, not just because they are of interest to me, but because of the kind things you have to say and the way you say them, you have become one of those people that has been a rock to me when considering whenther or not I should carry on being the thoughtful person I usually am.

Some time ago, I simply gave in and there were tiems when I could no longer feel that there was trust out there (I had simply stood the knocks of life and although I had always gone out of my way to help others in their time of need; they had, as if things had simply crept up on me, started to take advantage of my good nature.

I had to put a stop to this, just to survive, and you might say I went over the top and eventually felt the need not to trust anybody.

Now, after reading your journal, I am grateful to know, once again, that there are still some genuine people out there who would help and expect nothing back in return.

You are a good and kind person and may you continue to be so.

Thank you.

By for now.

John.

Anonymous said...

you've certainly known some vicars in your time and it's lovely the things you go through to make your residents happy :-)  A lovely entry xx