Pew Sheet – 6th June 2021

The Rector writes ’As we are now in ’Ordinary Time’ in our lectionary year, I thought this lovely illustration explains our church year beautifully.  We journey now from Trinity Sunday to Advent Sunday and we hear each week the ordinary stories of the People of God rather than the dramatic stories about Jesus that we heard in Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter & Pentecost. I recently read the US theologian Brian McClaren speaking about how our faith is a framework for our values and our spirituality,about our faith being a life orientation… our faith expressing itself in love…  Ordinary time gives us time to reflect on all that has happened; anticipation, incarnation, revelation, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.  Each week during Ordinary Time, we can  listen to these amazing stories and allow them to deepen our faith

Random Notes CCCLXXXIII

Monkstown, Co.Cork – credit- thebosun.ie

Growing up in Monkstown through the 1970’s and 80’s was a privilege. There were some great characters in the village. Peg Exham lived on Alta Terrace and was always immaculately dressed in a tweed suit.

I remember her exclaiming in a loud voice “No. It can’t happen” when Canon McCrea announced that a closure order was to be put on St John’s in the mid 1980’s.  She grew potato’s in her back garden. One morning when she hadn’t collected her Daily Telegraph from the local shop, some locals went to check if she was alright. She had slipped down into the cellar area from her garden and when asked of her

welfare, she announced “…It’s OK. Daddy will be home on the train soon…”!! When the QE2 moored in Monkstown Bay in 1991, I overheard her asking in the shop “When will the Queen Mary be in?” !!

Other characters included Betty O’Connor (listening to BBC Radio 4 on her little transistor radio as she walked her dogs to the shop with basket in hand),  Peggy Whotton and Joan Barry  (how many cigarettes can I possibly smoke whilst going on a country walk over the ditches??!)  

Then there was Granny Payne. Eileen Payne lived her later years in Marine Villas. Having lost a finger in childhood due to her tomboy nature, this ancient, formidable lady was fascinating to me as a child. She lost two brothers in World War 1 and had a passion for motorbikes and rugby.

As was a lovely custom in the past, nobody left a house-visit empty handed – my Granny Ellis was the same. I remember two occasions when my parents were presented with bottles of homemade red wine from Granny Payne – and when opened, they contained dead flies  – what a constitution she must have had !!

The practicality of these people was phenomenal. In the days before mobile ‘phones and alarms, Granny Payne had a fall one day in her upstairs bedroom. What did she do? She crawled around the room; found a broom; fixed a pair of red knickers to the end and stuck it out the window!!!

 RCE