MAGAZINE November 2015

MAGAZINE November 2015
Welcome to our November magazine.
On the 10th of October St Michael’s hosted the ‘Licensing of New Lay
Readers’ for our area. There were 3 candidates being licenced one
of which was our own Jane Hoyle. Bishop Jonathan presided and
licensed the three candidates. The
build up was quite a tense time as
Jane was in hospital suffering from a
bad asthma attack and was only discharged at 12.40pm on the day. (The
service was at 2.30pm). So it was a
rush for her and Kevin to get to the
church on time. But thankfully they
did.
Following the service it was time for refreshments and delightful
home made cakes in the church hall. Three pictures are opposite but
if you want to see more then go to the Church photo albums online.
Links to the albums are on the Churches website or our Facebook
page.
November as usual contains Remembrance Sunday which falls on
the 8th day of the month this year. I hope as many as possible will
come and support/join the Remembrance Day march starting at
Elphaborouh at 2.15pm followed by an act of Remembrance at the
war memorial. A service follows in St Michael’s church at about
2.45pm.
I am not one for the arts and in general poetry has no influence or
effect on me. I am quite happy to live without it. However I was
touched by a poem called ‘In Memoriam’ by Ewart Alan Mackintosh.
It was only when I read about the background to this 1st World War
poem that it made sense and moved me. Both the poem and the
background story are included in this magazine as an act of
remembrance to the writer and his soldiers, who he called his sons.
Alan.
St John’s Bonfire on 6th November. In garden near
junction of Cragg Vale Rd & Church Lane. Gates open
6pm, Bonfire lit at 6.30pm, fireworks 7.15pm.
Get your tickets
from church
members
a
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o
i
ent
Att
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ft
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!!
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The Inaugural Meeting of a new group
1st Monday of every month in the Erringden Room
Starting November 2nd at 2pm
All abilities. All crafts.
Festival of Lights
Sunday 29th November 2015 3.30pm - 5.00pm
Cragg Vale Community Park & Garden
Lantern Procession and Singing
Bring a lantern -'goodies' for each child with a lantern. Join the procession around
the Park and the Community Garden to sing songs (song sheets provided) and enjoy the refreshments.
FREE hot chocolate, mulled wine, tea, coffee, soft drinks, cakes and mince pies
from CVCA
Inspiration for Ewart Alan Mackintosh's
poem - In Memoriam
On the evening of 16th May, 1916 Lieutenant
Ewart Alan Mackintosh (1893-1917) and
Second Lieutenant Mackay of the 5th Battalion
Seaforth Highlanders (of the 51st Highland
Division) led a raid on the German trenches in
the area north west of Arras. The experience
of the raid clearly had a profound effect on Lt
Mackintosh and, in particular, the death of one
of his men, David Sutherland, inspired him to
write the poem 'In Memoriam'. (poem overleaf)
The entry for 16th May in the Battalion War
Diary reads as follows:
“Bn [battalion] employed in working parties. In the
evening at 8.10pm after an artillery preparation 2 raiding
parties under Lts Mackintosh and 2nd Lt Mackay entered
German lines on both sides of Salient at pt 127. 7
Germans were killed by being either shot or bayonetted
and 5 dug-outs full of Germans were bombed. Also 1
dugout was blown up by RE [Royal Engineers]. All our
party returned except one man who was left dead in
German lines. It is estimated that German casualties
must have been between 60 and 70. Our casualties were
2nd Lt Mackay slightly wounded, 2 men killed and 14
wounded. Two of the wounded have since died.”
The two soldiers from the battalion listed as killed on the day of this
raid can be confirmed as Privates John McDowell and David
Sutherland. Research into the details of these two soldiers has
established that Private McDowell's body was retrieved and taken
back to the British lines because he has a grave at Maroeuil British
Military Cemetery.
Private Sutherland, however, who is the soldier ‘David’ in the poem,
does not have a known grave and his name is inscribed on the
Memorial to the Missing at Arras at the Faubourg d'Amiens British
Military Cemetery. It can be assumed that “the man left dead in the
German lines” mentioned in the battalion war diary is David
Sutherland: “And the Bosches have got his body”. The Germans may
well have buried him in a marked grave at the time, but the
whereabouts of his body are now no longer known and he is listed as
missing by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
It is not known if the relationship between the two men was that they
were friends. But, as the junior officer in command of Private
Sutherland at the time, Lt Mackintosh would have come to know him
through his duty of having to read outgoing letters from his men for
censorship reasons. David Sutherland was from Achreamie in
Caithness, a rural region in the far north of Scotland. The type of letter
David would write to his father is reflected in the words of the second
verse: “Not a word of the fighting, Just the sheep on the hill”. David
was aged 19 when he died.
For his gallantry during the raid 2nd Lieutenant (temporary
Lieutenant) Ewart Alan Mackintosh was awarded the Military Cross.
The citation for his award is listed two months later in the
Supplement to the London Gazette, dated 24th June 1916:
“For conspicuous gallantry. He organised and led a successful raid on
the enemy's trenches with great skill and courage. Several of the
enemy were disposed of and a strong point destroyed. He also
brought back two wounded men under heavy fire.”
Lieutenant Mackintosh was
killed eighteen months later on
21st November 1917 during the
Battle of Cambrai. He was an
extremely popular member of
the battalion.
He is buried in Orival Wood
cemetery, Flesquières,
northern France (Plot I, row A,
grave 26).
http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/ewart-alan-mackintosh-in-memoriam-inspiration.htm
In Memoriam
So you were David’s father,
And he was your only son,
And the new-cut peats are rotting
And the work is left undone,
Because of an old man weeping,
Just an old man in pain,
For David, his son David,
That will not come again.
Oh, the letters he wrote you,
And I can see them still,
Not a word of the fighting,
But just the sheep on the hill
And how you should get the crops in
Ere the year get stormier,
And the Bosches have got his body,
And I was his officer.
You were only David’s father,
But I had fifty sons
When we went up in the evening
Under the arch of the guns,
And we came back at twilight O God! I heard them call
To me for help and pity
That could not help at all.
Oh, never will I forget you,
My men that trusted me,
More my sons than your fathers’,
For they could only see
The little helpless babies
And the young men in their pride.
They could not see you dying,
And hold you while you died.
Happy and young and gallant,
They saw their first-born go,
But not the strong limbs broken
And the beautiful men brought low,
The piteous writhing bodies,
They screamed “Don’t leave me, sir”,
For they were only your fathers
But I was your officer.
by Ewart Alan Mackintosh (killed in action 21st November 1917 aged 24)
Christmas Market
St Michael’s Square & Hall
21st Nov at 12 noon
Turning on the Christmas Lights at 4.30pm
Rosie’s Ramblings from
The Vicarage
Well what a week. I ended up in A&E (vets) to
get a neck wound stapled back together. So I
have asked Alan to write my article while I recover.
Poor Rosie, I was sure that the attack would not alter her attitude to
other dogs. You see, on our walks, we bump into many people who
tell us that ’since their dog was attacked’ it has either gone aggressive
to other dogs or frightened and runs away. Rosie I was sure would
not be in either category. Sure enough the next day without
hesitation she was straight over to the other dogs to say hello.
This fear which some attacked dogs have is similar if not identical to
the fear people who have been hurt by others. Hurt people can
express hate, anger and negativity which unfortunately can be levied
at other people not just the one/s that did them wrong. Also they can
withdraw and hide themselves from others.
The world is full of colour, blue sky, many shades of vivid green grass,
multiple coloured flowers. Fresh air that fills your lungs and lets you
know that you are alive. But then some days, particularly winter, the
colour goes, the sky turns grey, it’s damp and cold.
Hurt people run the risk of seeing the world as grey cold damp days,
no colour and no hope, they can be negative and suspicious of others.
Their world stays grey.
Jesus came to put the colour back into peoples’ lives. So if you are
hurt tell him and ask him to help you let go of the pain and fear. I say
let go because it is only by letting go that you can be healed and see
in colour again. A starting point is to acknowledge how hurt you are
and that you are struggling to let it go. Seeing in colour is worth the
risk so ask him to help.
Alan on behalf of Rosie
Yorkshire Countrywomen's Association Cragg Vale Branch
The Speaker for our October Meeting was Ben
Richardson with his tales of an ex policeman entitled
Tha's Got To Laugh'. Ben served 33 years in the
police force at Dewsbury so had lots of memories to re
-tell.
He was 21 when he joined in 1960 and on his first day
had to deal with a sudden death, this was a real test of
his nerve.
There were no personal police phones then only the
street phone boxes to ring 999 to contact police,
ambulance or fire brigade as needed and there was a
4 minute rule to attend. Of course then there was not
so much traffic to deal with so speed was important.
When Ben had been a PC for a while his boss promoted him to MBP,
he asked what this was and was told he would have a motorbike and
was the Mechanised Beat Patrol which sounded quite important. The
70's was drugs so gave quite different problems.
There were lots of humorous times which would ease the tension and
often he would go home and say to his wife 'Eeh you wouldn't believe
what happened today.'
Ben was very amusing and members enjoyed his talk.
Muriel Morgan thanked Ben for an interesting insight into his police
work.
Many thanks to everyone who attended the Macmillan Coffee
Morning at Jane and Richard's home where a superb £440 was
raised. Many thanks to Jane and Richard for holding the event.
Arrangements for the Christmas Meal to be confirmed for 14th
December at the Robin Hood in Cragg Vale.
The November Meeting will be the AGM so hope all members will
attend
Dec
6th
Nov
29th
Nov
22nd
Nov
15th
Nov
8th
Nov
1st
Date
Amanda & Geraint
Betty & Beryl
Philippians 1v3-11
Malachi 3v1-4
1 Thessalonians 3.9-13
Jeremiah 33.14-16
T.B.A
T.B.A
John D
Revelation 1.4b–8
Pam & Alan
Hugh
Sylvia M
Readers
Hebrews 10.11–14 [15– Geraint
18] 19–25
Hebrews 9.24–end
Revelation 21.1–6a
Readings
Sylvia & Doris
Sue & Margaret
Amanda & Geraint
people
Sides
Rotas for November 2015
T.B.A
T.B.A
Margaret
Greenwood
Wilkinson
Terry
Gordon Nelson
Mary Hey
Server
Doris
Pam
Jean
Anne &
Beryl
Carol
Doris
Coffee
Church Calendar for November
Sunday
9.30am Holy Communion
1st Nov
2nd Nov
10.30am Brew meet for a coffee & Chat in the Erringden Room
2pm Craft Afternoon in the Erringden Room
7pm All Soul’s Service at St John’s
6th Nov
9am Parish Prayers in the Erringden Room.
6pm St John’s Bonfire
7.30pm Quiz Night including pie & pea supper. Bar open.
7th Nov
10am Guild Coffee Morning in Erringden Room
Sunday
9.30am Holy Communion
2.15pm Remembrance Parade leaves Elphaborough Close
2.45pm Remembrance Service at St Michael’s
8th Nov
9th Nov
10.30am Brew meet for a coffee & Chat in the Erringden Room
7.30pm Churches Together Committee Meet at Good Shepherd
Cragg Vale Yorkshire Women AGM
13th Nov
9am Parish Prayers in the Erringden Room.
Sunday
9.30am Holy Communion
15th Nov
16th Nov
10.30am Brew meet for a coffee & Chat in the Erringden Room
6.30pm PCC meet.
17th Nov
7.30pm Royd Regeneration Meet in Erringden Room
19th Nov
7.30pm Cragg Vale History Society Meet in The Steiner School
Percy Shaw the 'Cats Eye' man by Glenda Rosemount
20th Nov
9am Parish Prayers in the Erringden Room.
21st Nov
12 noon Christmas Market in St Michael’s Square & Hall
4.30pm Switching the Christmas Lights on.
Sunday
9.30am Holy Communion
22nd Nov
23rd Nov
10.30am Brew meet for a coffee & Chat in the Erringden Room
25th Nov
7.30pm St Michael’s Amateurs Production Jane Eyre
26th Nov
7.30pm St Michael’s Amateurs Production Jane Eyre
27th Nov
9am Parish Prayers in the Erringden Room.
7.30pm St Michael’s Amateurs Production Jane Eyre
28th Nov
2.15pm St Michael’s Amateurs Production Jane Eyre
7.30pm St Michael’s Amateurs Production Jane Eyre
Sunday
9.30am Holy Communion
3.30pm Festival of Lights at Community Garden
29th Nov
30th Nov
10.30am Brew meet for a coffee & Chat in the Erringden Room
1st Dec
7pm PCC meet
4th Dec
9am Parish Prayers in the Erringden Room.
6.30pm Christingle Service at St John’s
7.30pm Quiz Night including pie & pea supper. Bar open.
5th Dec
10am Guild Coffee Morning at St Michael’s
Sunday
9.30am Holy Communion
6th Dec
7th Dec
10.30am Brew meet for a coffee & Chat in the Erringden Room
2pm Craft Afternoon in the Erringden Room
St John’s
Christingle Service
4th December at 6.30pm
Followed by
Mulled wine & Mince Pies
PARISH CONTACTS
Vicar
Revd Cathy Reardon 01422 883944
[email protected]
Assistant Ministers
Revd Martin Macdonald 01422 881543
Revd Graham Cansdale 01422 706761
Revd Marcus Bull
01422 614759
Lay Reader
Jane Holye
01422 882659
Churchwardens
Julie Harris 01422 885183
Ed Talbot
01422 884435
Magazine Alan Reardon 01422 883944
[email protected]
Visit us on our website or social media
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Deadline for December/January magazine is 15th November