A Generous Soul - Part 7

John Watson (3 November 1850 – 6 May 1907), was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren. I'm currently reading his short story collection "St Jude", but am also fascinated by his life. Here was a man who stood out against a narrowness in his creed, and who was indeed "a generous soul".

The Life of The Rev. John Watson, D.D. "Ian Maclaren"
A Generous Soul
By W. Robertson Nicoll

Dr. Watson's prayers had a dignity not often noticeable in extempore utterances, and withal a most widespread remembrance of different members of the community. He would pray not only for the sick, but for " those who wait upon them " ; for " the little children at home " ; for " the boys and girls at school " ; for " those bereft of the kindly light of reason " ; for " those who have fallen into sin, and for whom the help of man is vain " ; and continuously, and with most tender emphasis, for " lonely people" This last prayer to my knowledge endeared him greatly to many who came under that sad category, but who left the church heartened to find that they were not forgotten.

To the order of divine worship in his church Watson gave the most scrupulous care. His own prayers were largely liturgical. He made conscience of every detail, studying to make the whole service from beginning to end an impressive unity. It was a matter of grief to him that among so many of the Protestant Churches public worship without a sermon was thought to be unattractive. While, as we have seen, he gave a great place to the sermon, he yet believed that there ought to be solemn services of praise and prayer, of devout worship and communion where no sermon was needed.

Nothing called forth his great powers of sarcasm as did the degrading and debasing of public worship. He was perhaps hardly quite just to those who were trying in England to make Church life really popular. He loathed the idea of " running " a church upon modern lines. He conceived that the type of minister required for such a purpose would not be a man of learning and insight and devotion and charity. The teacher who expounded the Bible after a thorough and edifying fashion, the pastor who watched over and trained the character of his people would hardly be needed, and certainly would not be much appreciated.

“The chief demand is a sharp little man with the gifts of an impresario, a commercial traveller, and an auctioneer combined, with the slightest flavour of a peripatetic evangelist. Instead of a study lined with books of grave divinity and classical literature, let him have an office with pigeon-holes for his programmes, circulars, and endless correspondence, and cupboards for huge books with cuttings from newspapers and reports of other organisations, and a telephone ever tingling, and a set of handbooks, How to Make a Sermon in Thirty Minutes, Splinters of Ice and Scraps of Coral; or, One Thousand Racy Anecdotes from the Mission Field, The Secrets of a Happy Social, and suchlike practical works for the modern minister."

That such ways would be successful even as their promoters desired he did not believe. Christianity would not have existed if the Apostles had been " pleasing preachers " and " bright men." The Church was not a place of second-rate entertainments or a cheap business concern, but the witness to immortality, the spiritual home of souls, the servant of the poor, and the protector of the friendless.

Encounters

 

This is a sequel, part three of four, of the poem cycle that I began last week

http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2022/12/anticipations.html

http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2022/12/this-is-sequel-part-two-of-four-of-poem.html

It's a continuation of a non-traditional advent, evoking the spirit of the Magi. This poem evokes the encounter with King Herod, an encounter with naked, violent, and war like power. The imagery may well evoke Ukraine suffering under the ambitions of the Russian President Putin. That is deliberate.

Encounters

Mother night, a midnight clear
That frosty night so cold
The shadow of trees upon the earth
A darkening lust for power and gold
No peace on earth, the strife of men
Evil rulers, who would be king
Devastated lands in stillness lay
As mourners lament sing

Still through the blazing skies they come
Deaths banner is unfurled
And still the deathly music roars
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
Like a dragon taken wing
And still the crash of rocket sounds
As mourners lament sing

And yet, beneath life's crushing load,
When lanterns flicker low
We still see the starlight way
With painful steps and slow,
And now approaches midnight hours
Night owls upon the wing
We rest beside the weary road
And joyfully will sing

For the night is now fast hastening on
The moonlight growing old
And a sacred circle though the years
Shall gift a time foretold
When peace shall come over all the earth
And dawn’s new light shall bring
And the wheel turns, on goes the song
Which we will joyful sing

Victorians, here there and everywhere from “The Victorian, 1979” - Part 2

Victorians, here there and everywhere from “The Victorian, 1979”
Collated by “Dixie” Landick

Back across the ocean to Sierra Leone, where Andrew M. Cox (1963—1968) is Manager of the Buying Office in Kenema for the Diamond Corporation of West Africa Ltd. Andrew joined De Beers in London in 1969 and has been buying for that Company since 1972.

During that time, he has been responsible for diamond buying offices in Liberia, Zaire and Sierra Leone. His hobbies are shooting, sailing and gliding. Andrew recalls . . . “My fondest memory of V.C.J. is of “Barney” Barnes accidentally firing his starting pistol during College House prep. Clive Barton was the Prefect-in-charge. . .”

Webster G. McGrath has written to us from Natal, South Africa. He was at College as a Boarder from 1932 to 1938. Unfortunately, apart from a reference to a bullying incident at College House in which he claims I was the “pathetic victim”, he has sent us no news of himself or of his present occupation and interests. I hope he reads this and supplies us with the necessary information.

Tony's Supplement:

Register: 4186. McGraph, Webster Gordon, b.30.9.20, left 1938, in Natal, East Africa.

Webster Gordon McGrath was born on 30 September 1920 in St. Helier, Jersey. His father was George Payne McGrath, and his mother Mary Maxwell McCulloch.

Victorians, here there and everywhere 

Neil T. Price (1970—1972) is at present at Imperial College, London. He is in his third year and is reading Mechanical Engineering. Neil has been Cricket Captain and Vice-captain of Football and is now playing rugby. He remarks that Andrew Hall (1967—1972) was also Imperial College Cricket Captain only a few years ago.

Kenneth A. Byrne (1944—1948) studied at Bede College, Durham, and then served in the Army for three years. Since then he has been teaching Modern Languages —— French and Spanish. He is, at present, Director of Sixth Form Studies at St. George’s School, Bristol, an inner city comprehensive of 2,000 pupils. Kenneth says that he would welcome contact with any V.C.J. contemporaries, especially D. P. Hayden (1943—1951). ’

Tony's Supplement:

Register: 4727: Byrne, Kenneth Alan, b.18.6.29, left 1948
Born: St John, Jersey

Was here during the Occupation

A Generous Soul - Part 6

John Watson (3 November 1850 – 6 May 1907), was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren. I'm currently reading his short story collection "St Jude", but am also fascinated by his life. Here was a man who stood out against a narrowness in his creed, and who was indeed "a generous soul".

The Life of The Rev. John Watson, D.D. "Ian Maclaren"
A Generous Soul
By W. Robertson Nicoll

Watson himself had begun to live in a time when people knew what to expect and the minister said what was to be expected. He keenly realised that the atmospheric conditions had changed, and that a minister had to find truths which held him if he was to hold the people. A modern audience is sensitive and detects the difference between reality and unreality without fail.

This created difficulties, and these were increased by the fact that preachers have now to attract an audience. They cannot hope any more that people will come from a sense of duty. In Watson's view sensationalism, eccentricity, anecdotage were all to be deprecated.

"Against religious sensationalism, outre sayings, startling advertisements, profane words, and irreverent prayers, the younger ministry must make an unflinching stand, for the sake of the Church and the world, for the sake of our profession and ourselves."

But he believed that what could be done to make style and manner winsome ought to be done. The demands of the age must be met, as far as might be. The preacher had to recognise that the Gospel now addresses itself to the masses. "When tides meet there is broken water, and many are tossed in their minds as to whether the pulpit ought to give its strength to the regeneration of the individual or of society."

On this point he held that while the Church must labour to bring heaven here, that heaven is long of coming, and meanwhile the Church must comfort the oppressed, the suffering, and the beaten with the vision of the City of God. But if in any critical conflict between the poor and the rich, the minister of Jesus sides with the strongest he has broken his commission and forsaken his Master.

The preacher must acknowledge and welcome the large and solid contribution made by criticism to our knowledge of the Bible. At the same time the introduction of details of Biblical criticism into the pulpit would be tiresome and irritating as well as arid and unedifying to the last degree. What the minister should do is to give careful and systematic instruction in the literary and historical circumstances of the Bible to classes where the pupils can have the full benefit of his knowledge.

What is wanted above everything is positive preaching by men who believe with all their mind and heart in Jesus Christ. Theology has its great value, but it is only a theory of religion, and theology which has not been in the main current of letters is invariably stranded in some creek and forgotten. The minister ought to leaven his preaching with theology, and while in other departments of knowledge one must know to love, in Christian theology one must love to know.

He looked forward passionately to the glorious day when the theology of the Christian Church should rise again, having lost nothing that was good and true in the past, and be reconstructed on the double foundation of the divine Fatherhood and the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. These were the truths which he preached with surpassing power and unshaken faith.

This is a sequel, part two of four, of the poem cycle that I began last week

http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2022/12/anticipations.html

It's a continuation of a non-traditional advent, evoking the spirit of the Magi.

Journeying

Now we are gazing deeply into a well
Glimpses where reflections dwell
Stars map out a path somewhere
A royal conjunction will appear

Departing beneath the stars on high
We journey on to wisdom that we spy
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach us in its ways to go.

The heavens portent shines in might
Planets closing together ever bright
We journey following that which we saw
In all its shining majesty and awe.

Glittering skies as a royal diadem
Along that path we follow them
Over land to sea, and ocean wave
And yet there’s shadow of a grave

Star patterns rise and fall and roam
Dance goes on in their celestial home
And we follow the pattern on our road
Cross by the frontier of death's abode.

We see the bright and morning Star,
That brings us comfort from afar
As ending shadows of the night
And turn our darkness into light

Journey knowing not what to find
Pray that the cosmos will be kind
Signs that hope may never cease
And stars portend a birth of peace

Victorians, here there and everywhere from “The Victorian, 1979” - Part1

Victorians, here there and everywhere from “The Victorian, 1979”
Collated by “Dixie” Landick

a

On parade on 12 July 1955 are:
Sgt Jack Mackay, Sgt Don Wickens, Sgt Les Maisey,
Sgt Ibrahim bin Kassim, Sgt Peter Oliver,
Sgt Ian de Leschery, and others

Ian Richard de Leschery (at VC 1945—1951) spent his first year after leaving College with Barclays Bank DCO in London. He then served for three years in the Intelligence Corps, mostly in Singapore. For the next 18 years he worked with The Chartered Bank, mainly in the Far East. Since I973, he has been a Vice President of the Security Pacific National Bank at its Headquarters in Los Angeles and is responsible for worldwide correspondent banking relations and marketing. lan writes

“I am now actively involved in tennis and golf and it is ,now many years since I participated in athletics, which was my main interest at V.C.J. Occasionally, I met O.V.s in the Far East, but not since arriving in California. Recently however. we were delighted to welcome Tony Chinn (V.C.J. ’45—’51) and his family on their brief visit to Los Angeles, and my wife and I would extend a welcome to any O.V. who may be passing through California.”

Tony's supplement:

Register: 4790, De Lescherry, Ian Richard, b. 25.3.34, left 1951. Went into Overseas Banking. Field Security Sergeant, Intelligent Corps, Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China.

The 1987 Queen's Birthday honours lists were announced on 13 June 1987 and included an OBE for Ian Richard de Leschery – “For services to British commercial interests in Los Angeles.”

 Victorians, here there and everywhere

Our next letter comes from Zimbabwe Rhodesia where Wing Commander Cyril P. Chilvers. A.F.C.. now retired after 42 years of aviation. has taken up an administrative post with the Central African Power Corporation at Kariba. Cyril Chilvers entered V.C.J. Prep in 1929 and was at College from 1931 to 1937. 

On leaving he went to Rhodesia to take up farming but at the outbreak of war in 1939 was commissioned in the Rhodesian Air Force as a pilot. After operations in the Middle East, he returned to Rhodesia as a flying instructor with the Empire Air Training Scheme. Subsequently in 1944 he participated in No. 8 course of the Empire Central Flying School at Hullavington, Chippenham, Wilts, and then returned to Rhodesia to take command of his station. 

In 1948 he worked for the Lion Match Company but left in 1954 to join the Department of Civil Aviation in Salisbury as an Air Traffic Controller. In February 1962, he was posted to Kariba as Senior Air Traffic Controller/Airport Manager, where he retired on attaining his 60th birthday this year. As a part-time interest, Wing Commander Chilvers started an air rifle club at the local school in 1969 and this activity is still flourishing. He is a keen member of the Kariba Lions Club (District 412) of which he was President for the year 1976/77. “The Victorian” heartily reciprocates his best wishes.

Tony's supplement:

Register: 4114. Chilvers, Cyril Percy, b. 26.7.19, left 1937. Resident in Salisbury Southern Rhodesia.

Cyril Percy Chilvers was born on 26 July 1919 in Shanghai, China, to Rose Marguerite Mancini, age 39, and Percy Tyndale Chilvers, age 38.

Post-Independence, when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, he seems to have returned to the UK, where his death is recorded: Cyril Percy Chilvers died on 9 January 1993 when he was 73 years old at Torbay, Devon, England.

Victorians, here there and everywhere

On to Nassau in the Bahamas, where Peter W. Furzer (1955—1960) is now Vice-President of Paradise Island Ltd., a subsidiary of the US. based Resorts International. Peter writes . . .

“I am responsible for all hotel and restaurant operations adjacent to the Casino, which we also control. This is a very busy year-round resort, our hotel occupancy averaging 88 per cent. Last year our Gourmet restaurants, show-theatres, etc. did over 13 million dollars’ worth of business! I have experienced my first hurricane. Fortunately, Nassau was some distance from the centre but it still rained for ten days! Hope to be back in Jersey for a visit next year”.

Tony's supplement:

Register: 5524. Furzer, Peter William, b. 27.3.44

Peter William Furzer (age 78) is currently listed as living in Broward, Florida .

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-12-26-8503300991-story.html

John deMers. United Press International, Chicago Tribune, Dec 26, 1985:

"WRITING FROM NASSAU. — Few groups stand up better to the stress and strain of celebration than Bahamians at Junkanoo time. To hear them tell it, the secret is in the food they eat. This wild swirling carnival, most notable for its love affair with ear-shredding noise, is a test for even the most resilient of stomachs. That`s why the islanders have developed a rather exotic menu to prepare them for hours of drinking and dancing in the streets. Before every Junkanoo party, the careful Bahamian is likely to sit down to a heaping platter of boiled fish and grits."

''The dish staves off the pain caused by overdoing,'' said Peter Furzer, general manager of the Paradise Island Resort and Casino, which serves boiled fish in 3 of its 12 restaurants. ''The grits act as a stomach buffer.''

A Generous Soul - Part 5

John Watson (3 November 1850 – 6 May 1907), was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren. I'm currently reading his short story collection "St Jude", but am also fascinated by his life. Here was a man who stood out against a narrowness in his creed, and who was indeed "a generous soul".

The Life of The Rev. John Watson, D.D. "Ian Maclaren"
A Generous Soul
By W. Robertson Nicoll

Watson on various occasions, and particularly in his book The Cure of Souls, which contains the lectures on Practical Theology delivered by him at Yale University in 1896, has carefully explained his views on preaching. In what follows I borrow first from him; next from those who were familiar with his pulpit work

He held that the critical and influential event in the religious week is the sermon. Whenever preaching falls into low esteem, the Church becomes weak and corrupt. It is impossible to exaggerate the opportunity given to the preacher when he ascends the pulpit and faces his congregation. There his business is not so much to teach or define as to stimulate and encourage. This work cannot be done rightly without inspiration, but this inspiration only rests on the outcome of hard, honest work.

Among the elements of the work the first is Selection, and the text should select the man rather than the man the text. " As the minister was busy with study, or as he sat by the bedside of the sick, or as he walked the crowded street, or as he wandered over the purple heather, or such things have happened, the grace of God being sovereign as he endured in a Church Court, the truth, clad in a text, which is the more or less perfect dress of the Spirit, suddenly appeared and claimed his acquaintance." Such an experience means the pre-established harmony between a particular truth and the soul of a minister.

The second process is Separation, and this means that the sermon should be a monograph and not an encyclopaedia. The handling of one idea is sufficient. " He's a good preacher" a Highland gamekeeper was describing his minister," but he scatters terribly." The sermon should be like a single rifle-bullet which, if it hits, kills, not a charge of small shot which only peppers.

The next process is Illumination. It is the setting of the bare, cold, lifeless idea in the light of all he has read, has seen, has felt, has suffered. Here it is that culture comes in. The student has an invaluable advantage over the ablest Philistine. " Those mornings given to Plato, that visit to Florence where he got an insight into Italian art, that hard-won trip to Egypt, the birthplace of civilisation, his sustained acquaintance with Virgil, his by-study of physical science, his taste in music, the subtlest and most religious of the arts, all now rally to his aid."

The fourth process is Meditation. The idea must be removed from the light, where reason and imagination have their sphere, and be hidden away in the dark chambers of the soul. Many masterly sermons fail because they have never had the benefit of this process. They are clear, interesting, eloquent, but helpless. The brooding over a spiritual experience where the subject is hidden in the soul as leaven in three measures of meal till all be leavened gives preaching the greater qualities of the past, depth of experience, and an atmosphere of peace.

Then comes Elaboration, the placing, reviewing, transposing, till the way stands fair and open from Alpha to Omega a clean, straight furrow from end to end of the field. There should be no introduction ; nothing more certainly takes the edge off the appetite than the laborious preface. The latest results of the criticism on the book from which the text is taken should be severely left alone. Elaborate perorations are also to be put aside.

Anticipations

Something of a mystical turn here, and perhaps not what traditionally Advent is seen as, and I wanted to convey a sense of the Magi, of knowing something is coming, but not known quite what, only that it involved some idea of transcendence.

Anticipations

Now is the time. Strange lights in the sky
As the cosmic dance of planets and stars
Begins. Now Saturn rising, Jupiter up high
And brilliant red, the planet of war, Mars

Signs in the heavens, signs that speak out
Something will happen, the time is close
Hear music of the spheres, and no doubt
It is a melancholy air, sad and morose

Portents tell us, if we but knew how
But there’s the rub, how to read
And in the sacred space just now
We call on the elements, sip mead

We wait, expectantly, listening hard
As Jupiter, Regula and Saturn meet
And we cut the pack, and take a card
Lights come together, coalesce, greet

The Falling Tower, the Star, the Fool
Dancing in the morning, noon, night
Once more drawing nearer to Yule
Transcendence born again in light

The Victorian 1979: Reverend Philip Beuzeval

Victorians, here there and everywhere from “The Victorian, 1979”
Collated by “Dixie” Landick

The Reverend Philip Beuzeval, who was at V.C.J. from 1948—1956, paid a most welcome visit to the old school in the summer. He has now written to say that he has moved to the Cullercoats Group Ministry of the Methodist Church near North Shields. Tyne and Wear. We look forward to his next letter, which he has promised will give us more news of his present work.

Tony’s Supplement

I’ve done some extra work on finding out more on this, and here, with links, are extracts which tell us more about the Reverend Philip Beuzeval, and his Jersey connections.

https://www.wesleymem.org.uk/lib/F623981.pdf

Obituary — Philip McRoberts Beuzeval: 1937 — 2021

Philip was born in Jersey on 23rd June 1937, of Celtic forebears — French, Irish and Cornish —and parents who were Jersey Methodists and owners of a tobacconist and toyshop in St Helier.

A few days after his third birthday, the family hurriedly left Jersey for Newport, South Wales, just in time to escape the German invasion and occupation of the island. They were to remain in Wales for five years. During the air-raids, his grandfather taught Philip to play chess, and also shared with him some French songs, which Philip later discovered, to his amusement, had some quite risqué content!

In 1945 they returned to liberated Jersey and life went back to normal, with preaching for dad, Sunday-school teaching for mum, and the shop during the week. Philip finished his schooling and in due course went up to University College, London to study Law. In London, alongside his studies, he played a lot of hockey, and attended London University’s large MethSoc at Hinde Street Church, becoming President in his third year.

During the vacations, he would fill in preaching for his father, who by this time was very ill. Listeners and friends told him he ought to offer for the Ministry; and in time there followed three years of ministerial training at Wesley House, Cambridge.

Always a good linguist, his first ministerial appointment was teaching New Testament Greek as an Assistant Tutor at Richmond College, in London. He helped the less academic students through their exams, and gave them pastoral support.

During the vacation of April 1966, he met a young woman working in the Methodist Biarritz Hotel in Jersey. Their friendship flourished over games of tennis and cups of tea, and in March 1967 Sue and Philip were married. By now Philip was in Circuit in Leicester, first at Bishop Street, and then churches in Oadby and Wigston Magna; and it was during this time that they developed their wonderful partnership offering open house, fellowship, food and fun, especially to young people in the churches. It was in Leicester too that Philip’s love of gardening began.

In 1979 Philip had a call from the Methodist Church that he wasn’t seeking, to go to the North East as minister of Cullercoats, at the time one of the largest churches in the Connexion.

There had been unrest in church and circuit; and it was hoped Philip’s wide experience and wisdom would bring a calming influence.

Ten years later, Philip and Sue were invited to the Oxford Circuit, and so begin our own memories of Philip, the beloved pastor, preacher and friend; the encourager and enabler of others’ gifts; the mentor and lifelong friend of many Methodist students in the John Wesley Society.

When he retired in 2002, after thirteen years as Circuit Superintendent, and minister of Wesley Memorial, he and Sue enjoyed their new home, garden and the fellowship of Woodstock Church. There Philip enjoyed being a Sunday door steward! He continued to preach, and serve on the Queen’s Foundation Oversight Committee and the Westminster College Oxford Trust.

We shall miss his wisdom, his deep faith and his thoughtfulness. We thank God for his life, his ministry and his friendship.

Kate Dobson

https://www.wesleysoxford.org.uk/topics/john-wesley-society/michael-stewart-looks-back

Michael Stewart remembers:

“I came to Oxford as a student towards the end of the 1990s, and having been a member of my local Methodist Church made contact with Wesley Memorial and the John Wesley Society.... At this point Philip Beuzeval was the Minister, who was the first person to introduce me to the Methodist preaching tradition of ‘sixthly – and more briefly’ in his sermons. I have very fond memories of cycling out to the manse on a Sunday evening, being plied with home cooking by Sue, and occasionally noticing Philip sitting back, watching a group of noisy students and young people, and simply smiling. They opened their home to us, and gave many people a sense of belonging to the city, as well as the university.”

https://www.wesleymem.org.uk/lib/F623981.pdf

Words and Silence: for Philip

I remember our first meeting.
‘We must talk,’ you said.
How many words have I heard you speak since then?
Expressing the inexpressible in sermons,
chairing meetings, walking with the dogs.
Yet it’s not for your words that I will be most grateful.
It’s more for the open spaces in between.
It’s for the listening and the creative silence,
nurturing friendship, holding pain and faith.
Do you talk to your plants, I wonder,
or simply observe the miracle of growth?
Thank you, my friend, you’ve shown me the gentle Gardener
who held out His hand and invited me to grace.

Joanna Tulloch

https://www.familynotices.je/moreinfo/78565/beuzeval-philip-mcroberts-revd

Family Notice: BEUZEVAL, Philip McRoberts (Revd). Died Wednesday, 20 October, 2021, in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Devoted and much-loved husband, father, brother to David of St Helier, grandfather and uncle. If desired, donations welcome for Cancer Research or All We Can, or given Philip's love of gardening, plant a shrub. Thanksgiving service at 3 pm on Friday, 12 November at Wesley Memorial Church, Oxford, OX1 2DH.

The New Listener: A Radio 4 Review

Enjoyed listening to the Fast Show reunion. I always suspected Jazz Club was a sent up of "The Old Grey Whistle Test", and it turns out I was right. I loved Sir Geoffrey Norman MP, so many politicians in the UK and here are like that - evasive with rambling speech that says nothing. My favourite is however Ted and Ralph. Closely followed by Johnny Nice Painter - "Black, BLACK, BLACK!". We all have come across Girl Men Can't Hear and Competitive Dad.

The Fast Show: The Reunion

The first episode of BBC TV's The Fast Show in 1994 had 27 sketches in just half an hour. Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse, former writers for Harry Enfield, created a concept which re-invigorated the sketch show format and crammed it with catch-phrases. Sue MacGregor brings the cast back together to reflect on the series which launched their careers. Higson and Whitehouse recruited young stand-up comedians whose worked they liked, such as Caroline Aherne , John Thomson , Simon Day and Felix Dexter, alongside actors such as Mark Williams and Paul Shearer. This process involved each 'auditioning' their proposed character in front of the ensemble.

Competitive Dad, the obscene Suits You tailors, Jazz Club, Does My Bum Look Big in This?, and the touching repressed romance of Ted and Ralph, scored a very high strike rate for introducing catchphrases and comedy characters to schools and work places around the country. We also hear from collaborators such as Kathy Burke, Harry Enfield, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, as well as TV critic Matthew Norman who wrote a famously fierce review of the first series.

Waterloo Station: Drama

Two strangers look back on an incident that happened a couple of years ago, just before the world turned upside down. As they do so, they take stock of what's happened over the last two years.

Ray ..... Ralph Ineson; Christa. ..... Christine Bottomley
Written by Katie Hims, Directed by Mary Peate

A very touching play for two voices, but they only meet at the start and end, and in the meantime, lives are changed by Covid, lockdowns, and tragedy.

The 5000: Three plays by Sebastian Baczkiewicz about the feeding of the five thousand and the personal and political fallout from this extraordinary event.

Bread, Fish and Dancing: DramaThe 5000 Episode 1 of 3

By Sebastian Baczkiewicz

Three plays about the feeding of the five thousand and the personal and political fallout from this extraordinary event. Is it a political act? A rebellion? A festival? Five thousand people are dancing on the hillside. What do they want? How can the state deal with those who seek to threaten it? Is Rome going to react to these events? Who can make sense of the impossible?

Episode One – Bread, Fish and Dancing

In Herod’s palace suspicion is rife, young people have gone missing and Salome is in meltdown following an extraordinary murder.

An Orange with a Worm in It: DramaThe 5000 Episode 2 of 3

Five thousand people have danced down the mountain and into Tiberius City. It didn’t appear to be a riot. But there’s tension in Herod’s Palace, good people have been imprisoned and Salome is still missing. And trouble is not far from the door of Centurion Gaius.

A Shining City on the Hill: DramaThe 5000 Episode 3 of 3

The arrival of an unexpected visitor is about to surprise everyone in Tiberius City and Dan and Gaius have been sent on a mission to the Sea of Galilee.

A fascinating sideways look at the feeding of the 5000, exploring ideas of transcendence, and breaking boundaries so that part is contemporary - a character drinks a coke, for example - and Jesus - always off screen, although briefly glimpsed - is a wizard. The feeding of the 5000 is seen as an act of magic. Mr Asher, the security chief for Herod, is probably about the nastiest character I've ever come across in a  play, as he virtually runs the Palace, and even bullies Herod around. When Caligula (Caesar and named heir to the Emperor) arrives, there's an interested clash of personalities.

The Great Election Victory Conspiracy

Our parish magazine recently ran a "review of the year", a precis of various stories which occurred during the year, which had that in it. I  wrote the precis, basically taking the text of various stories and whittling it down to fit the word count When the Parish Magazine came out (today), I then received the following message by Deputy Moz Scott:

"Dear Tony. Thank you for your work on La Baguette. The difference may have only been one vote but I think this might have been worded to reflect polling order of the Deputies! Kind Regards. Moz"

Now there is a real point to follow up, and I wondered why I had the Deputies in this order. So I looked back at the September edition of the magazine and found this written about the elections

I

I could see at once what happened. In cutting down the words to fit - and remember this is a review of the entire year to September, not just the elections, I had removed the vote count, and clearly left the order the same. My method of doing the precis was to cut and past articles, end up with far too many words, and then go through each section cutting it down.

I mentioned this to Moz, saying I was pleased a perfectly rational explanation existed for the order in the precis, rather pleased for having solved the conundrum.

Whereupon she replied "I am unconvinced of an absence of bias in reporting and editing."

There's really nothing one can say to a conspiracy theorist to get them to give up their beliefs, so I finished by saying:

"Well, behind the scenes we do confer with the Secret order of the Illuminati, you know!"

And that dear reader, is where we must leave "The Great Election Victory Conspiracy".

Personally in these days of rising costs of living, difficulties in finding housing, deciding where a new hospital should be built, etc etc, I find the whole matter rather extraordinary to make such a fuss about. 

Postscript

Moz has since written: "I can see that’s as much as you and the reporter understand about order. I’ll send you both over an abacus if you like."


I think it's time to award her the Fussbudget of the Year Award!

A Generous Soul - Part 4

John Watson (3 November 1850 – 6 May 1907), was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren. I'm currently reading his short story collection "St Jude", but am also fascinated by his life. Here was a man who stood out against a narrowness in his creed, and who was indeed "a generous soul".

The Life of The Rev. John Watson, D.D. "Ian Maclaren"
A Generous Soul
By W. Robertson Nicoll


John Watson was anything but a trifler. He took hold of his work with strong resolutions to do his best. It is now known that during the early years of his ministry he adopted much of the Roman Catholic discipline. He observed the fasts; he aimed strenuously at self-conquest and self-knowledge as well as at knowledge of books and men. All this was done in the strictest privacy. He gave over these methods, but he always maintained that moderate asceticism as a discipline of character and as a means of training men to master themselves is of the highest value. Another conviction of a Catholic mind was that worship and adoration ought to be a far more substantial part of Christian life than is usual in Protestant Churches.

He began his preaching with an enthusiastic love for Christ, and this love kept running and gleaming through all his years like a thread of gold. He had little polemical ardour, and took small part on theological controversy, but he never at any time wavered on the central facts of Christianity.

I heard his first sermon there, from Rev. xiv. 6, " The Everlasting Gospel." There were touches in it which made me even then think that it had been preached at Logie-almond for example, he said if the Gospel ceased to be preached by its accredited representatives, the Spirit of the Lord might come upon some shepherd on the hills and send him forth to proclaim the glad tidings.

Once Mr. Watson happened to preach in the morning from Hebrews, and expressed a doubt whether Paul was the writer. In the afternoon Dr. Miller also preached from Hebrews, and gave an elaborate defence of its Pauline authorship, and closed by saying that they were but " babes and sucklings in Christ " who thought otherwise !

Watson had very little part in the Protestant controversy. With many of the Evangelical clergy, including Bishop Ryle and Bishop Chavasse, he was on terms of cordial friendship. There was in him a deep and passionate Evangelicalism, and to Evangelical teaching as shown in spiritual earnestness he always responded eagerly. His relations with the Roman Catholic priests, and to a lesser extent with the High Church clergy, were even more cordial. There was a side of his nature that turned their way. But he was also very much drawn by the literary culture, the piety, and the noble ethical teaching of the Unitarians. While he maintained the best relations with the Evangelical Nonconformists, he was for long less intimate with them than with others of the Liverpool ministers.

His strength lay in the many-sidedness of his sympathies. He could preach sermons which pleased the Evangelicals; sermons which pleased the Unitarians; sermons indicating great breadth, and sermons of such intensity and urgent appeal that they might have come from a flaming evangelist in the great revival. Thus he was able to draw round him a congregation of very various constituents. They might not be all equally well pleased on any Sunday, but very soon they heard a sermon to which they could listen with perfect satisfaction.

I need hardly say that there was not the faintest touch of insincerity or unreality in all this range of method. Watson was simply expressing his mood, and the largeness of his comprehension enabled him to understand the spiritual needs of men who in their training and in their dogmatic convictions were far apart. There were very few congregations in England made up of recruits from so many armies as Sefton Park Church. He said himself three years before his death :

" Not only have we members of every shade of Presbyterianism Scots, Irish, English, Canadian, Established Church, Free Church, and United Presbyterian, but we have had people of many nations French, Germans, Swiss, Danes, North Americans, South Americans, Russians, Greeks, Austrians, Belgians and as many creeds, high and low, narrow and broad, and no creed at all. I have taken a section of fourteen pews, and I find, so far as I know, that the following is its ecclesiastical ancestry: four Presbyterian families, six Episcopalian, four Congregationalist, three Baptist, two Welsh, two Unitarian, two German, one Swiss."

Liverpool is a large cosmopolitan world, and Watson's singular adaptability had a most congenial outlet there. Liverpool was always responsive. But there was never any doubt as to the real drift of the preaching. Watson was always a convinced Evangelical of broad sympathies which perhaps grew broader and broader. He understood them all the mystic, the Catholic, the Evangelical, the revivalist, the moralist, the sceptic, and for each as the time came round he had a living message. He said at the close of his first sermon in Sefton Park Church:

“Brethren, I feel sure that these words have made my aim as a preacher clear to you all. I shall not try to astonish you with any display of learning, nor attract you by the mere eloquence of words, but I promise by the grace of God and according to my ability to preach the Cross of Christ. The Cross as I understand it combines both the doctrine of forgiveness and the doctrine of holiness, and I trust to be able also to show that a Christ who is our sacrifice is also our ideal. Some of you may prefer one doctrine, some the other, I am sure you will all see both are necessary. If I seem unpractical, ask yourselves if the fault be altogether mine, if personal do not suppose this intentional, do not weary when I ask your faith, do not be angry when I point out duty, but always search the Scriptures and see whether these things are not so, and so we will be blessed.”

“Beloved brethren, the double responsibility of work and prayer lies on me, the responsibility of prayer lies also on you. Pray that I may be led into the truth myself, and so be able to lead you. Pray that I may be able to deal honestly with intellectual difficulties and wisely with cases of conscience. Pray that I may have grace to speak tenderly to mourners and simply to the children. Pray that I may ever be found offering a full and free Christ to sinners, and exhorting the saints to follow Him more closely. Pray I beseech you that the messenger may be lost in his message, that if any good results should come of his preaching the glory may be all given unto the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, one God now and for ever. Amen."

The Dying Day

On from the back catalogue today, from 1/12/2004 (that's UK style date!)

The Dying Day

The death inside, dying slowly by degree

Reaching out in darkness to once more see

The joy of times past, of happy days lost

Instead is weariness and despair; a cost

That is the price we pay, beset by doom

Within the icy cold and darkening gloom.

Now is truly the Winter of our discontent

Falling into the night, a relentless descent

Until once more there may come the Spring

And hope in wings comes to soar and sing.

The Victorian 1979: David Ogilvie Bennett

Victorians, here there and everywhere from “The Victorian, 1979”
Collated by “Dixie” Landick

When a team of present-day Victorians was packing the last edition of this magazine in readiness for posting to you, the Editor agreed to my request that a copy of a letter should be inserted in each “Victorian” being sent ‘to an address outside Jersey. The letter asked for news of overseas O.V.s and the response has been most encouraging.

The first selection of those replies is published in this issue and others are lined up for the Summer 1980 edition. Nevertheless, many more replies are eagerly awaited and although readers will note that we certainly have news of “O.V.s There and Every- where”, the request for news of O.V.s here in Jersey is equally important and made again herewith! Please write. This edition’s notes are not arranged in any particular order, except for the first letter. and I am sure no O.V. will dispute its pride of place. L.A.L.

Our first letter comes from Lt.-Colonel Ogilvie David Bennett (Indian Army, retd.), who is 94, repeat ninety- four, years of age. It was indeed a great thrill to receive Colonel Bennett’s letter, written in his own hand. This very senior and distinguished O.V. entered College in 1895. Whilst at V.C.J., he won the Medal for Modern Languages and left in 1902 to enter Sandhurst. For his last two years at College he had been Captain of Cricket. He went to India in 1903 and was soon posted to the 26th Punjabis. Colonel Bennett served for a total, of 21 years on the North West Frontier. He writes . . .

“In 1908 I joined the Khyber Rifles, my chief duty consisting of shepherding caravans and travellers safely through the 20-mile Khyber Pass. The men of the Khyber Rifles were all wild Transborder Pathans, enlisted from the very same frontier tribes who carried out the raids on caravans and travellers. We operated on the principle of ‘set a thief to catch a thief‘! Later I was given command of the Mohmand Militia, consisting 'of 1500 wild Transborder Mohmands. With my knowledge of their language (Pushtu), I never found any difficulty in controlling these wild men with the help of five British officers under me.”

“The tricky time was during the First World War. In those days, the Transborder value of a rifle was 1,000 Rupees, so the temptation for a man to skip off with his rifle across the Border. a mile away, was intense. Every night the Governor of the N.W.F. used to phone me: ‘Well, Bennett, how many deserters now?’ My invariable answer was ‘None, Sir’, until at long last three men went off with their rifles and effectively blotted my copybook!”

“In 1927 I was given command of the 15th Punjab Regiment and finally retired on pension in 1933 “

Colonel Bennett concludes his letter by apologising for his handwriting. I can assure him and all readers of these notes that his handwriting is still a model of neatness and legibility and that my colleagues on the teaching staff would be delighted if all present-day Victorians could produce a script of such quality! We all join in wishing him continued good health and many more years of happy retirement at his residence in Hastings.

Tony's Supplement

I've done some digging around, and found out more about this old soldier and his life.

Ogilvie David Bennett was born on 10 June 1885 in West Bengal, India, his father, John, was 45 and his mother, Sophia, was 30. He married Audrey Elizabeth Ferrier Grant and they had three children together. He then married Dorothy Elizabeth Mary Burder on 6 September 1945 in Taunton, Somerset.. He died on 14 June 1987 in Tilshead, Wiltshire, at the age of 102.

Born 10 Jun 1885, Rawal Pinder, Bengal, India
Died Jun 1987, Noads House, Tilshead, Wiltshire, England

College Register: 2526 Bennett, Ogilvie David is the son of Dr J Bennett, Beau Desert. Brother of 2604,2732. Gained Modern Language Medal. Left 1902. Entered Sandhurst and Indian Army (26th Punjabis). In the Great War he served in Mohmand Militia (Kyber Rifles) as Major. Indian Army 1918. Second in Command, 2nd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment. Address: Lloyd’s Bank, King’s Branch, Bombay.

Brother of Alexander Dumaresq Bennett, John Edgar Bennett and Gwendolin Bennett

He married Audrey Elizabeth Ferrier Grant (born on 1 Nov 1897 in Abbottabad, Bengal, India), daughter of Sir Alfred Hamilton Grant of Dalvey, 12th Battalion on 1 November 1920.1 She died on 28 February 1938 at age 40.

A Generous Soul - Part 3

John Watson (3 November 1850 – 6 May 1907), was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren. I'm currently reading his short story collection "St Jude", but am also fascinated by his life. Here was a man who stood out against a narrowness in his creed, and who was indeed "a generous soul".

The Life of The Rev. John Watson, D.D. "Ian Maclaren"
A Generous Soul
By W. Robertson Nicoll

WHEN a Scotch divinity student concludes his course, he is examined by his Presbytery and licensed to preach. If he is popular he is soon called by a vacant congregation, and after that he is ordained and settled in a charge. The intervening period is trying enough to many. Men have been " probationers," licensed to preach, but not called to a particular parish for as many as twenty years. Some have never been called, and these are described as " stickit ministers."

The three months which Watson spent as assistant at the Barclay Church were the most miserable period of his whole life. The pulpit nearly lost him for the Bar. As assistant he said :

“I was reserved for the work of visiting elderly ladies and trying to bring young men into Church who did not attend. On rare occasions I was allowed to enter the pulpit. The crisis in my life came when on a Friday I was told my chief was suffering from a sore throat, and that I should have to prepare to preach the following Sunday. What should I do? I had usually consumed two weeks in pre- paring a sermon from Hodge. As I had recently lost my mother the miracle of Nain appealed to me, and I preached about a man's relation to his mother. I know it was real, for I felt what I said. But my chief told me he had had a bad report of me for I did not preach conversion.”

The Promenade in November

A cold winter's day in November, strolling along the promenade in St Brelade's Bay - that's the theme of today's poem.

The Promenade in November

Come, winds, rain, gales, come
And branches beating like a drum
Deckchairs all gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin.
Now is the rising of the tide
November cannot be denied
Come, winds, rain, gales, come
And branches beating like a drum

My large umbrella is no shield
As to the gusty gales yield
Seasonal birds have long flown
As the salty spray is thrown
Breaking on the sands so near
Beneath November moon appear
Where rising tides and raging sea
Tourists long ago did flee

Come, winds, rain, gales, come
And branches beating like a drum
I walk the promenade in day
But I am nearly blown away
Find shelter, respite, now at last
No fishermen their lines to cast
Spray and waters high do soar
Waves engulf the sandy shore

Darkening skies: my fingers numb
With lashing rain, a beat, a thrum
As winter weather does begin
And lunar currents long may win
Rising of the moonlit tide
Summer surely now has died
Come, winds, rain, gales, come
And branches beating like a drum

The Victorian, 1979: Francis Edward Lewis, BEM retires/

Here's a piece from 1979. I too remember Frank Lewis, standing outside the main entrance to the Victoria College building, ringing his bell early morning as a call to go for registration. In those days, during summer holidays, parents with children at College, could take their children (and any siblings whether at College or elsewhere) and sometimes use the swimming pool at College. This was all kept under control beneath the eagle eye of Mr Lewis, and the cost was several large packets of cigarettes! One other fact: when the gargoyles, which had long worn out, on the top of the main College building were replaced, if I remember Frank was featured as the inspiration for one!

The Victorian, 1979: Francis Edward Lewis, BEM retires
By Brian Clarke

When Frank Lewis was awarded the British Empire ‘Medal in the New Year Honours List in 1975, he remarked in typical fashion, “I don’t know why they had to give me this; I’ve only done what was expected of me” However. many of us know that he wears his ribbon on his uniform with pride, for in his estimation, the award brought honour to Victoria College and not to him.

F. E. Lewis was appointed College Porter in December 1942, replacing F. R. Crumpton who had served since 1905. His early years were difficult ones. The effect of the war on the life and work of the College had made its mark, and the Porter had to be resourceful to meet the daily needs of the school with ever dwindling supplies. I have heard him referred to as a jackdaw, and I am convinced that those years taught him to store away anything remotely useful.

On May 9th, 1945, together with R. J. Nicolle, he hoisted the victory flags on the towers of the College. A new period in the history of Victoria College was about to begin. The Acting Headmaster, Pat Tatam, retired, and Frank Lewis was ready to serve two Headmasters and three decades of Victorians. During that time he has given unstintingly of himself, well beyond the normal call of duty, and his loyalty and devotion have made a lasting impression on staff and boys alike. The old boys may have difficulty in recalling the name of their French master in Year 3, but they all remember the little man who chased them up the stairs to Assembly.

I first recollect seeing him pacing the terrace and ringing the school bell. One glare from him was enough to produce a final spurt from me to be in prayers before the bell stopped ringing. How glad I was, when I did arrive late, to have the cast-iron excuse of having come by bus from the far west of the Island. Yet, beneath the stern exterior, he concealed a care and concern for each one of us, knowing us all by name, fully aware of our special abilities in the classroom or on the sports field, and always the first to know of our misdemeanours.

How convincingly he conveyed his sense of disappointment when we were in “Book”; how shamed we were to have let down our parents, the Headmaster, the College — and him!

As a boy, I remember that Frank Lewis was always everywhere. He found time to do everything and never missed a conceit or a football match, a prefects’ dance or a terminal service. And he invariably arrived first when there was a riot in a classroom. There are many members of staff who have reason to be grateful to him for restoring law and order while they drank their second cup of coffee after the break-time bell had rung.

However, it is during the latter years that I have discovered how much there is to Frank Lewis. He welcomed me warmly when I returned to the Island and joined the staff, but soon made me feel guilty if I did something he did not approve of. In fact, he has frightened most of my colleagues at some time or other, and has never failed to be critical of attitudes or methods which ran counter to the good traditions of Victoria College.

Nevertheless, to us all, he has proved to be an ever willing helper, and there can be no job in the College that he has not undertaken himself. He is equally happy stoking a boiler or arranging flowers, clearing out drains or building stage scenery, judging a diving competition or welcoming guests to the school.

He recalls many of the distinguished visitors to whom he has been presented, and amongst them are Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne and the late Lord Mountbatten of Burma. The College has provided him with a store of memories, but it is the many friends which he has made which he values most.

As one accompanies him in St. Helier, one soon discovers that he knows and is respected by people from every walk in life.

We shall miss him when he retires as Head Porter this term. I believe he will miss us. The main consolation is that he will continue in part-time employment as night porter, and retain a very real contact with boys, staff, parents and OVs. In days to come, I like to think that I may be able to creep into College on my way back from C.C.F. Camp at 6.15 am. without being discovered and told “What do you think you’re doing here at this hour of the day?” Perhaps I may be able to work in my study rather later than usual without being pointedly asked, “Haven’t you got a wife and children to go home to?”

However, I doubt if I shall be allowed to do even this, for Frank will certainly continue to keep a fatherly eye on the College and its inhabitants, and little will take place without his knowledge.

His contribution to the history of Victoria College in the past 37 years is unique. He has given his life to the College, and it is gratifying to know that the Education Committee, the Governors and the Headmaster have recognised this and given him the opportunity to stay on indefinitely in Cricket Field Cottage. I hope that he will enjoy many more happy years with us. ‘

B.H.V.

Postscript:

After this went out, I had a number of comments on Facebook, and here are a few.


Kurt Ludwigs

I met Frank Lewis in my year as a German Assistant from September 1977 to July 1978. I remember him as a very polite person who always welcomed me with the words: "Guten Tag, mein Herr." In that year I had the privilege of accompanying Dixie Landick with some Evening Classes in Victoria College, and Frank Lewis always turned up before and after the classes - to have a quiet smoke with Dixie and me and to share one of Dixie's numerous stories. Dixie and Frank Lewis got on very well, in a way they seemed to represent the spirit of the college. When I left in July 1978 I was fully aware of the fact that I had met a truly well-respected man in Frank Lewis.

Clive:  remember the conundrum what is the difference between a weasel and a stoat? Answer a weasel is weaselly recognized while a stoat is stoatly different! Frank was a lovely man and so proud to be part of College history

Alistair: He was also a very good high board diver. An excellent coach to me when I dived and swam for the college team 69/70

Anthony: He caught us running round the back during the school photo , to see if we could get on it twice One step ahead of us !

David: Sometime in 1965, he came into one of the classrooms in the new De Carteret building with a message for Colonel Fearon. Three boys made fun of his new cap as he left the room. A couple of hours later, two of them,plus me, were summoned to Ronnie Postill’s office and received four strokes of the cane each from a furious headmaster. The next day, Frank Lewis spoke to me and apologised for the case of mistaken identity, caused by the master confusing me with another pupil. He was a very honest man.

Matt: Was terrifying being told to get your hands out of your pockets by him. He was probably in his 80s then. Used to open the school pool for my gran so she and my mum and I could go swimming on hot summer days.

George: He was at The Home for Boys as Haut de la Garrene was known at the time. He used to keep his motor scooter under the arch when it was raining.

Russell: He was very good to me. Rarely had to do any studying in "book" he would always find something for me to do and then let me off an hour early. Top man.

Bill: Frank got a bit bored after he retired and would often stop for a chat and a cup of tea at our shop at 43 Halkett Place. We had a busy racket stringing business operating from a dusty ghetto at the back of the premises and Frank quickly showed an interest in helping out. We formalised an arrangement whereby he would turn up at 10a.m. every morning and do racket repairs.
Oh how we roasted him when he was late and how he chuckled when we did. He complained that it took him 5 minutes to come down from Weasel Cottage as far as Grosvenor Street but another hour to complete the journey to Halkett Place, stopping every ten yards to converse with a spectrum of old boys .....from Bailiff to bottle washer, he had time for all.
I stood on the corner of Queen Street to witness his journey home one afternoon and, sure enough, his familiar blue suited frame zig zagged and stopped every few yards to respond to someone hailing him from amongst a crowd of shoppers.
His time with us in the shop was peppered with stories of past pupils doing stuff they should not have done. Eventually ill health overcame him and we saw him less and less. A great servant to the school and a kind man.
I miss you, good friend.

The New Hospital Q&A online

The question and answer session was very good last night, and the strongest answers surely came from Ian Gorst and Tom Binet. 

Lyndon Farnham attempted to criticise the Scrutiny process for the delays which meant the old Overdale project lost out on low interest rates. However, he has since lodged a proposition asking for comparison costings between new and old which itself will act as a delay. Somehow he doesn't seem to see the inconsistency in this.

Ian Gorst was very clear - firstly, the Scrutiny process is a necessary part of Government and was conducted professionally, and it is wrong for Lyndon to attack it for unnecessary delays impugning those members as purely playing political football with the hospital. Secondly, a major delay (which I don't recall being mentioned in Lyndon's attack) was the pandemic which probably did more to delay matters than anything else.

One persistent red herring was the criticism that this Government was overturning the democratic decision by the previous government. The history of the hospital project shows this keeps happening, and in fact the last government - with Lyndon as the figurehead of the new project - was rejecting the previous administration's decisions!

Ian also made a strong case for the financial situation having changed considerably since the last iteration of the hospital project. The Overdale plan - as passed by the States - no longer exists in that the States passed it based on particular financing from debt which is no longer feasible. The figures do not add up. The level of borrowing agreed would have increased considerably and therefore the States would still have to ratify the situation again. 

Indeed in his manifesto, he flagged up warnings on this:

"I am very concerned at the proposed cost and borrowing for the hospital and will work for rigorous controls on spending to ensure the project is delivered as efficiently as possible and at no more than the £800 million projected spend."

No more than the £800 million projected spend for an agreed Overdale is no longer viable. Interestingly, Lyndon does not address the cost aspect in his manifesto.

The cavalier way in which the previous administration put finances at the bottom of their agenda is also dealt with in Ian's manifesto:

"I have been a minority, often singular, voice on the Council of Ministers. Spending has increased by £200 million in the past four years, excluding Covid. That is unprecedented and unsustainable. The Island has now committed itself to £1.7 billion of debt. I have brought two propositions to reduce debt, with only partial support from the Council of Ministers."

It is clear then that far from positively assenting to the previous administrations plans - in essence, a "Trussonomics" spend and borrow approach on Overdale - he has wanted for some time to introduce better financial controls. And with freight, materials, and associated building costs rising, now is surely the time to leave a failed spend and borrow on a massive scale. We saw the results of doing that recently in the UK, and the backlash and instability was not pretty. 

As the review noted:

"When the funding model for the Our Hospital (OH) project was first revealed, Jersey was hoping for an average return on its £1bn strategic reserve fund of 4.6% (2% above the Fiscal Policy Panel’s long-term RPI assumption) over a 40 year period, and borrowing costs to be fixed at 2.5% for the duration. The financial markets environment has changed considerably, and a return to stability may not be achieved any time soon. The strategic reserve will not reach its target this year and the cost of borrowing is considerably higher."

This has not been addressed by Lyndon Farnham, and it will be interesting to see where he gets his revised figures from.

Turning to Tom - Tom Binet set out a very good case for a multiple site approach, although as Overdale moving to Les Quennevais was already on the cards and signed and sealed, that would happen anyway. Essentially it is a two site solution, and as he pointed out, construction noise at the back of the existing hospital - the Kensington road sites - would happen if it had gone ahead for housing anyway. The phased approach also means workstreams can overlap, and more local construction can be used. 

As the review noted:

- phase 1, development at Overdale to be commenced within 24 months with a 36 month programme to completion
- phase 2A, development at Kensington Place or Overdale to be commenced within 36 months with a 36 month programme to completion
- phase 2B, development at the current hospital site at Gloucester Street to be commenced within 72 months, with a 24 month programme to completion

He didn't mention, but I do remember, several large scale projects where a major contractor has gone bust. The Queen's Valley site was a notable example - a large project, delayed and with considerable loss to the public purse - when the single contracting company went bust. 

There was also an honesty to his approach. While new builds like Samares Ward could be saved, he said that it did depend on the best plans for the two site option and until that was the case, he could not make firm commitments. The road superhighway plans, and the demolition of perfectly good new houses, the destruction of the bowls club - these he could guarantee cancelled with the new proposals.

He also said that part of the problem of repeating cycles was that previous governments had gone back to scratch with a site selection process, and they had deliberately avoided that, and the significant delays that would introduce.

Not mentioned was the slurs which have been made by Lyndon Farnham who has criticised Tom as "uninformed and inexperienced.". On the contrary, Tom brings considerable business expertise from many years as a successful businessman, capable of handling finances and projects and as his manifesto notes "developing businesses in agriculture, retail/services and property.". It is in fact Lyndon - elected and in the States since 2002 - who has been inside a States "bubble" for 20 years with only marginal experience of that kind.

There were a lot of consultants and clinicians present, most of whom did seem fairly unhappy with the two site option, but relatively few nurses. In fact the one question on Slido which came from a nurse was about reforming the administrative structure which is "top heavy" with "too many chiefs and not enough Indians". I don't think Karen Wilson really addressed this at all. There was some general waffle about reviewing and reforming the administrative structure but it was a rather feeble answer.

The clinicians questions about the viability of a two site system were mainly about staffing and staffing cover and the ease of moving staff in a single site when needed. While there would be a timing delay, I am sure that the communications issue with electronic communications for logistics can address this in a way that would not have been possible, say, ten years ago. Incidentally the review did note that "some adjacency of service are absolutely essential and these will provide a ‘critical mass’ of departments that should stay together."

What they didn't address interestingly was the inefficiencies of a paper system which is still in place, with files requested and brought out by staff from an antiquated storage system in the current hospital. When I see my GP, they can see my entire health record from other doctors in the practice, online, instantly - and at different locations. 

Perhaps a push towards the 21st century by clinicians would help matters and is surely now a vital part of a two site option.

The review did note that "revisiting the scheme requirement allows consideration of future digital healthcare services delivery (such as remote monitoring and online consultations) to be incorporated into any revised proposal and thus future space requirements."

Addendum 1

"Consultant gastroenterologist David Ng was among those to speak, warning of the unintended consequences of reopening some facilities at Overdale, which he said had taken physiotherapists out of the General Hospital, adversely affected patient discharge times, leading to bed-blocking and cancelled procedures." (Bailiwick Express)

I have a great deal of respect for Dr Ng, but the reopening he is referring to must be Samares Ward, which was a decision taken by the last assembly before the election, and against the Council of Ministers - in particular Richard Renouf - because Plemont Ward - the preferred option by Deputy Renouf was not fit for purpose. 

A video which can only be described as propaganda, sought to allay fears, by using staff to present the facilities as if some were patients, and no patients appeared in it giving their views. As Andy Jehan and Steve Pallett demonstrated, the decision to use Plemont as a stroke rehabilitation centre was misguided and led to poorer outcomes for rehabilitation. A question must be asked: why did Dr Ng not mention Samares ward was the facility re-opening by name? The only answer I can see is that it would severely weaken his argument.

A Generous Soul - Part 2

John Watson (3 November 1850 – 6 May 1907), was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren. I'm currently reading his short story collection "St Jude", but am also fascinated by his life. Here was a man who stood out against a narrowness in his creed, and who was indeed "a generous soul".

The Life of The Rev. John Watson, D.D. "Ian Maclaren"
A Generous Soul - Part 2
By W. Robertson Nicoll

One of Watson's chief recollections of early church-going was of the ordination of a minister. It seemed to the child as if the proceedings would never come to an end, and as one minister after another mounted the pulpit and each began a new sermon, despair seized his heart. His mother, ever weaker than his father, conducted him to the door of the church and set him in the direction of home.

The father contented himself next morning with expressing his assurance that, whatever John might be fit for in after life, he had no hope whatever that he would become a minister of the Church!

A more pleasing memory was that of the solemn administration of the Lord's Supper. In the procession of the elders the child was specially interested in an old man with very white hair and a meek, reverent face.

Sometime after he was walking on the road and passed a man breaking stones. The white hair caught his attention, and he looked back and recognised the elder who had carried the cup. Full of curiosity and wonder, he told his father the strange tale. His father explained to him that the reason why the old man held so high a place in the Church was that although he was one of the poorest men in all the town, he was one of the holiest.

"Remember," said his father, "the best man that ever lived upon this earth was the poorest, for our Lord had not where to lay His head ; " and he added, James breaks stones for his living, but he knows more about God than any person I have ever met." So he learned that evening, and never departed from the faith, that the greatest thing in all the world is character, and the crown of character is holiness.