Sydney Harbour -Midnight, 1 January 2006

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

As I sit down to write this it is Sunday afternoon. The gales threaten to stop many of the revellers from hitting the streets at midnight tonight. I will be at Larkhall conducting a 'watchnight' service. I'm still befuddled about the purpose of such a gathering, but at least for this year I have decided to go along with the traditions of our new churches. Maurene and Jessica will stay home and probably watch the tolling of Big Ben and the fireworks at the London Eye on the BBC. We'll be getting up early in the morning to take Jessica to Heathrow for her flight back to New York.

My fondest memory of 2006 would have to be Sarah and Kevin's wedding in July. I recently received an album of wedding pictures and have been reliving those few brief days. I am already looking forward to Abby and Andrew's wedding in September of this coming year!

To all of my loyal readers, I wish you all of the best in 2007.

The flag of Wales

A WELSH ADVENTURE

Maurene and I officiated at a funeral today. Then we headed out to Wales to give Jessica a taste of the Brecon Beacons-the mountainous area of southern Wales. Sadly, the rainy/hazy weather prevented us from seeing all that much. So we stopped in the town of Abergavenny and went to the produce market/flea market in the town centre and had a great lunch at a local restaurant. You can never go wrong with fish and chips. The talkative Manager/Waitress had gone to university in Bath and now she and her husband were running the restaurant. A lorry accident on the way back, slowed our progress a bit. But we are now safely ensconced back at the house waiting for the gales to blow in this evening. Fortunately, they're only predicting 60 mph winds for our area.

Happy Christmas!

As I sit down to write this it is 9.20 pm on Christmas Eve. Maurene and I have completed our 10.30 am services and our 6.30 pm services of Lessons and Carols. Note I said services. We now each have an 11.30 Communion Service. So, things have been quite hectic. Four down -two to go! But, I wanted to pause for a moment and wish anyone who has ventured on to my blog a Happy Christmas. Christmas is difficult for us, as we realise how far we are from our families. Fortunately, Jessica has made the trip over and has brightened our spirits. When I get an opportunity, I am going to excerpt a Comment in today's Observer from Revd. Richard Holloway, a former Anglican Bishop. It is perhaps one of the most coherent statements about Christianity in our era that I have ever read. If you don't want to wait for my excerpts, you can find it at: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1978453,00.html. It is certainly worth the time. May each of you have a blessed Christmas!

As the sun sets the fog thickens and Jessica presents a ghostly figure as we head home.

Jessica photographs the fog

Victoria Park

THE FOG CONTINUES. . .

In my most recent entry I talked about driving home from London in a thick fog. Well, it hasn't dissipated at all. Air travel at the major airports is in chaos, and people are having to find alternative means of travel to get around the UK. Jessica and I took a stroll this afternoon and I took a few pictures of the conditions in Bath. Surprisingly, the camera seems to see through the fog a bit better than the human eye, but I still think you'll get the picture.

Our trip to London. . .

Yesterday, Jessica, Maurene and I headed to London for the annual outing at Royal Albert Hall. Each year in the days heading up to Christmas a series of concerts are given at the rather magnificent building across from Hyde Park. This year we went to concert entitled, Christmas Classics. We sat near the stage and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

The two soloists were John Owen-Jones, whose primary claim to fame is that he has performed the role of the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera over fourteen hundred times -making him the West End's longest serving Phantom; William Cracknell, an eleven year old was the other soloist, chosen because he is a 'boy soprano'. He appeared quite nervous before a packed hall, but his voice was magnificent. His usual choir was used in the for The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films.

Whilst in London Jessica and Maurene got in a bit of shopping of Oxford and Regent Streets. Ron went to Trafalgar Square to see the Christmas Tree that is always donated by Oslo, Norway to the people of London for their support during World War II. On his way back to meet up with Maurene and Jessica he stopped in at Foyles (the world's largest bookshop) and had some hot chocolate with extra cream!

He was going to take in a film on Leicester Square but was discouraged by the £11.50 price (that's $23 approximately)!

The journey homeward wasn't particularly exhilarating. We drove home in a pea soup fog but safely arrived at 2.00 am.

Is this the oldest Santa in town?

(Joan is as active and hilarious as this article suggests. This was in today's Bath Chronicle.)

You don't find many women in their 80s donning a white beard and dressing up as Santa Claus.
But Joan Long, from Oxford Row, Lansdown, isn't like most women her age.

For the past three years, the fun-loving pensioner has put on her festive garb to raise money for Christian Aid.

"I really enjoy doing it," said Mrs Long, who collects outside her church each year while the congregation sing Christmas carols.

"I've been going to the Central United Reformed Church in Argyle Street for years so when they asked me to do it, I said yes.

"Last Saturday was the best year yet and I raised £249.22 in two hours with £55 in notes. It's not bad for an 87-year-old."

Mrs Long admits it can get cold standing around so she takes a brisk walk up and down to keep warm.

"I'm a tough old bird really," she said.

"I tried to do a parachute jump earlier this year but the doctor advised against it."Born in Cardiff, Mrs Long moved to Bath to join the RAF in 1940.

"I wanted to see the world but for the whole war I was stuck cooking," she said.

"Then I met and married my husband Joe."Together, the couple were church officers at the old Huntington Church in The Paragon, Bath.

"We were there for about 30 years but then Joe had a stroke and died and I moved to Oxford Row," she said.

Mrs Long said her family put on four parties to celebrate her 87th birthday this year and she also flew to Los Angeles to see her daughter.

"God willing I'll be able to dress up and collect next year," she said.

"Hark the herald angels sing. . ." The traditional closing carol for the service. We used the authorised King James Version for our readings and used the same prayers as King's College, Cambridge.

I light the ninth candle before the final reading.

Ground level view with our Christmas Choir (the only time of the year they perform)

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

On the evening of 17th December, I led our Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at Central United Reformed Church. Maurene was leading worship at Larkhall. Jessica had arrived from New York the day before and went with me and took some photographs using low-light settings with no flash. She got some great photos. I hope this gives you a feel for the service.

Great Nativity Play Lines

The children's Nativity Play is a staple of most churches in Britain. I attended a delightful one last week performed by the Sunshine Preschool which is located at our Rush Hill Church. This weekend I was reading an article in the Observer about some of the wonderful, spontaneous ad libs that are made within these plays. One particular play had Mary forgetting her lines as she was telling Joseph that she was going to have a baby 'by the Holy Spirit.' Knowing the gist of what she was supposed to say she informed Joseph: "Joseph, I'm going to have a baby. And you're not the father!" Priceless.

Old Tom Morris -winner of 4 Opens and designer of some of golf's greatest treasures

Links land -soon to be a fairway.

Is this heaven? . . . .No, it's Askernish.

One of my great joys is playing the links golf courses found throughout the British Isles (though primarily in Scotland). Whilst living in London, I was a member of Princes Golf Club which was a links course located on the English Channel next to the more famous Royal St. George's which still is in the (British Open) rota.

Now that we've moved to Bath, I am forced to return to a very nice parkland course, although I am considering a country membership at Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club which is a links course on the south coast of Wales. Since I live more than 50 miles away they give memberships at a drastically reduced rate because they recognise that you will not play all that often.

Last night, BBC One had a programme on the Outer Hebrides. These are the small islands that lay just to the west of Scotland. They are known for their striking natural beauty and their rather sparse population. A links course, designed by Old Tom Morris, has been re-discovered on one of these islands. For years, it was rumoured to exist, but the links had returned to its more natural and pristine state. Now, it is being recovered as a links course. After the programme I emailed the developer and got a quick reply inviting me to 'come up an play sometime' . He even offered a lifetime membership for £2500 (about $5000) which is being used to renovate the course so that it will be fully operational by 2008.

The wonderful thing about this course is that it is being renovated using the same techinques that would have been used by Old Tom Morris. Techniques he used to build such masterpieces as St. Andrews, Royal Prestwick, and Carnoustie. I'm already planning a holiday for Askernish in 2008! Askernish website: http://www.askernishgolfclub.com/index.php

See you all, next year!

Tree in Abbey Square

Contemplating buying some more caramelised cashews

Maurene takes a firm hold of Santa's bell (Ron blurs the photograph)

A less busy side street. . .

Maurene contemplates purchasing a tie for Ron at Gieves & Hawkes (Ron faints)

Final trip to the Bath Christmas Market

We took one more trip into the Bath Christmas Market. I had stopped by during the week and was able to get a wonderful brat with spicy German mustard without waiting in an interminable queue. We decided after decorating the house and cleaning up the garden that we'd walk in on its closing night. Driving in is nearly impossible. Buses and hundreds of extra cars aren't made for Bath's narrow georgian streets.

My brother Bob informed me that the market was on PBS this past week. It has grown geometrically in the last four years. But, Bathonians are beginning to complain about the huge traffic issues that have arisen. We'll have to see how that affects next year's planning.

Anyway, a few more photos.

Steve Bell in today's Guardian

Ho, ho, ho!

I found this photograph on a friend of my step-daughter's blog. I love dark humour.

So you thought she was dreaming of grandchildren. . .

Perhaps, she was. But, this photograph, was taken a few minutes later as Jake was filling his pants. Suddenly the dream of a grandchild was shattered as Maurene reacted to the atrocious smell.