Hello again!
On Sunday we visited St Peters - not the one in Rome but the one in Worcester! The new building housing what was Redhill Baptist. We were made welcome and enjoyed the service. As part of the sermon we were invited to think of things that chain us and I jotted down
- TRADITION
- FEAR
- LAISSEX FAIRE ( Non-interference in the affairs of others)
After church we nipped home and picked up our picnic and travelled to the County Ground to watch Worcestershire take on Warwickshire. It was a remarkable match. The visitors made 303 a large total which should by all rights have been beyond Worcester who have had a miserable start to the season. They reached them for the loss of two wickets with overs to spare!
The Birmingham Mail noted:
Vikram Solanki led Worcestershire to only their second victory in any competition since April 22. Indeed Solanki, with the 12th List A century of his career, batted with such supreme skill that his side cantered to an eight-wicket victory with 24 balls remaining. Easy.
It was a victory that defied logic. Warwickshire had already set the biggest total in List A matches between these sides. Unbeaten in all competitions, they must have fancied their chances against a team that had won only one of their first six matches at home this season. No side had ever successfully chased 300 to win here.
It was a great day and the locals left the ground in good spirits.
Tuesday we visited Dad and found him well and in good spirits. He needed a new bulb for his uplighter and I walked through John Coles Park to a local shop to buy a replacement. The walk through the park was a trip down memory lane. As a child from the age of 5 to 11 years old I walked through that park on my way to school. I remember 1962 when three feet of snow covered everything for months. I remember hurrying to school as a storm came rushing in. I remember running a race and looking round and thus missing out on first place (now there's a spiritual lesson!) I remember going down to see Highland Soldiers beating the retreat. I remember watching a military display. There used to be old air raid shelters by the entrance but these have long gone. The Tennis courts and bowling green are still there. The shrubberies used to be more overgrown and as children we used to run home "through the bushes" much to the annoyance of "the parky". The bandstand is still in place and I remember hearing concerts as a child and being impressed as people stood for the National Anthem, a practice I now uphold. I also recall reading a prayer from that bandstand as a child on what was called The Sunday School Demonstration; someone waiting for a train on Chippenham Station told me they heard every word! (Surely not!) The park played a big part in my childhood, we played on its grass, walked its paths, and watched it develop. Mum took us for walks when we were little. I passed the place where a flowering cherry used to blossom and I have a photo somewhere of Mum in her older years standing looking up at the sky through the pink blossoms. In time we took our own children there and they played on the swings and the slide as we had done. Yesterday it looked magnificent. Office workers were eating their sandwiches and a new generation of children were playing football during their lunch hour. Just walking through the park was a great blessing. We all have special places and John Coles Park is one of mine. (John Coles was a Chippenham business man who kept a shop in the Causeway. When he died he left money for the purchase of the park which is named after him. It was a wonderful gift and will serve the residents of Chippenham in perpetuity.)
For info on St Peters follow this link http://www.stpetersbaptist.org.uk/spbc/index.php
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