Bible By The Beach

A new Bible Festival for all ages is being planned by Bishop Wallace Benn for Eastbourne (based at the Congress Theatre), 1st -4th May 2009.

Mrs Lloyd can offer excellent b&b for one lucky couple!

More information is promised soon at:

http://www.biblebythebeach.org/

Get 'em when they're born

Visiting Mrs Lloyd and our firstborn in hospital this morning, it was a bit like being on a beech in Tenerife as people came and touted their wares at us. Would we like to have his photo taken there and then? Someone else would make a framed cast of the boy’s hand and foot print, for a hefty fee. We were also given a Bounty Bag of Newborn “Essentials” (!). No Bounty bars, unfortunately, but I was surprised that there was an official form for registering for Child Benefit amongst all the glossy junk mail.

The pack also contained a flyer for naming ceremonies with www.civilceremonies.co.uk who will do you all manner of ceremonies in venues of your choice or flog you a script and let you get on with a DIY option. They could even train you to do ceremonies too!

If there really is a market for such things, I wonder if the church isn’t missing a trick here? Maybe we should be promoting Thanksgiving and Naming Ceremonies to new parents? Maybe the C of E could cut a deal to get its bumph in the Bounty Bag or local arrangements could be made with hospitals?

Someone also told me that when you go to register a death in Eastbourne there’s a poster up advertising funeral ceremonies.

I wonder how many people opt for these new fangled civil ceremonies with their practical atheism or pick n mix spirituality and how much of a loss they really are in terms of evangelistic opportunities.

Day out in Lewes

I've the long weekend off. I was supposed to be speaking on an Oak Hall trip to Paris but it was cancelled since the coach was twice vandalized at this location. So we saved some cash (on Yvonne's holiday booking) and have had 2 very pleasent days here so far.

We went to Lewes today. A good breakfast / mid morning snack in Cafe Nero and a bit of browsing in the shops.

Cheese Please! was a hit. We tasted a Welsh Cheddar called Bouncing Betty that had cranberies in it. Tasted much more like a Wenslydale to me. And a yummy Swiss Cheese with a plum chutney. We bought them in some good sandwiches for lunch which we ate at the top of Lewes Castle. And yummy chilly and garlic olives and fetta stuffed peppers to take home.

'Cos we gift aided our entrance fee to Lewes Castle we got tickets we can use all year. It was worth a look. Good views. A wedding was taking place on the grass near the keep with a harpist while we were there. Tourists were taking their photo with the white open top Bently. And fun dressing up in medieval garb. I very much enjoyed the sound and light show with the model of the town and an informative historical video in the gift shop and museum.

It was free to look round Lewes Crown Court today as part of the Heritage Open Day. Interesting. Barrasters, judges and ushers all dressed up and there to chat. One could go in a cell and a police van and have one's finger prints taken (no thanks). There were 2 of Her Majesty's birds of prey there too. I'm not sure what they have to do with the penal system!

Lovely free gardens in Lewes today too (at Southover grange). Convinced me I don't need to worry about the first frost too much yet, though it's September.

There's also Anne of Cleves' house to see in Lewes. She got it as part of the divorce settlement. We'll definately go back, only if to return our bottles to the Harvey's Brewery Shop.

Stopped off at Middle Farm on the way back. Lots of amazing produce from kennels to octopus.

This afternoon, reading in the garden, a glass of Lewes brewer Harvey's Tom Paine ale, rugby on the telly.

Tonight, indian take away from the Spice Garden and the last night of the proms.

Tommorow, All Saints Eastbourne in the morning and All Souls in the evening, I think.

Eastbourne: profound thoughts

Our first impressions of Eastbourne were very good. We might look into retiring here when we’ve done our 4 years of ministry. Near us there’s a lovely 12^th Century church, a nice old pub, a great little garden / park with a bowling green, and a very handy Waitrose. Every parish should have one.

It goes to show, though, that places, and perhaps particularly English seaside towns, look better in the sunshine. Yesterday we almost got blown away on the seafront and today its pouring with rain – which is good for blogging. The family style open air service for all ages has fled to the church building.

Some people have mentioned to us, in caring, subtle and gentle ways, you understand, that perhaps there may be one or two older people in Eastbourne. But we’ve seen quite a few youths. Some even had green hair and those belts they wear as skirts.

I fear I may spend most of my time driving round the one way system rather than ministering the gospel. You follow the signs for “ring road” here and it doesn’t send you conveniently to a quick bypass going around the town but round and round in circles past the car park and a few shops where you’re forced to choose between two different directions you don’t want to go in and worry about juggling between lanes.

We can highly recommend the cod and chips, bread and butter and Boddingtons at the Trident restaurant in the Old Town. I’m thinking of making it a Friday night tradition. Becoming a Greek to the Greeks, and all that.

I say the Old Town, that’s what we’re calling it, though in fact it might be in Down Side. That’s Down as in The South Downs, rather than “down at heal” or anything like that, of course.

We’re very much looking forward to the touristy exploits that the town has to offer. The military museum and the redoubt looks fun. Mrs Lloyd’s father might like the miniature railway. We’ve seen quite a few posh gigs advertised for the Mrs to go to to get a bit of culture.