From the Rector

South Africa’s huge effort to mount the World Cup required massive planning: the winning team, whoever they are, will emerge as champions by a mixture of skill, tactics and luck.

The fate of God’s church relies on a different blend of factors. In the first place we believe that the planner is God himself; our human ingenuity, creativity and industry is placed at God’s disposal.  And yet God gives us free will so that we can discern and then decide how we might skilfully shape a church best suited to serve His kingdom.  Entering the fray we would favour the liberal exercise of prophetic understanding, pastoral care and prayer in place of tactics and luck.

So this month and against the backdrop of politicians’ warnings of deep structural change to the way we must live our lives in the decades to come St. Faith’s will relish the opportunity to work under God’s guidance to shape a future life for our church with help from skilled professing planners.

A joint project which brings together all who regard St. Faith’s as their spiritual home and interns from the University of Portsmouth School of Architecture will help us discover what steps should be taken to provide far better access to our church site.  Note that I use the word ‘access’ in its broadest sense to include visibility, attractiveness, openness, welcome and connectivity with its immediate neighbours and spaces.

This first project in July is not about designing new buildings or even redesigning the old.  This is all about the ‘non-build’ options that can enhance our ‘offer’ to worshippers and casual visitors alike.  September will see a larger group of undergraduates arriving to dream their dreams and provide us with fifty or more individual versions of what a physically updated St. Faith’s might look like.  From such dreams we may pick up ideas that will inform our vision for the enhancement of St. Faith’s in the long term future.

Our smaller group of interns led by professionally qualified architects who will assist us to open our eyes to the ‘non-build’ opportunities will arrive on Tuesday 6^th July.  Long before that they will have learned a great deal about St. Faith’s history and the role it has played and plays today.  This is the starting place for understanding how they can help us plan for the role it could play for a period in our history which promises to be very challenging to the social and economic fabric of our local communities.

For a fortnight up until 19^th July the interns will meet with as wide a variety of people from within and around our congregations as possible in order to build a picture.  They will then report back to an extended Parochial Church Council on 19^th July.

So why don’t you make a date and plan to meet our students and their supervisors over tea and coffee in St. Faith’s Parish Church at 2.00pm on Tuesday 6^th July.

We shall begin by hearing what first impressions of life at St. Faith’s they have gained through their preparatory research before engaging with us in discerning what it is we need to create.  In the years to come the churches of our land will no doubt be called upon to make their continued skilful contribution to the rest of the voluntary sector in support of those who may be at most risk as other support systems are cut.

Under God we need to be in good shape to ensure that all the teams that make up our society feel like winners.

Peter Jones

From the Editor

Should you have any views on the service (which some people still refer to as Whit Sunday) that you would like to share then please let me have them for publication in “Faith Matters”.

Last month during half term, Beryl and I took our grand daughters, Jenny and Holly, to see the Moscow State Circus on Southsea Common.  The last time I went to a circus there were lots of animals performing, but this one was a very entertaining show with some class acts.

Congratulations to Sheila and Colin Warlow who celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary this month.

Colin Carter

 

Day of Pentecost

Some years ago, on a clear, sunny morning, I stood looking out of my kitchen window.  My eye was caught by a tiny, twinkling red light in the hedge.  It was, of course, a trick of the bright morning light glinting on a raindrop, but such a brilliant colour, just like a fairy light on a Christmas tree.  I moved one step to the left and the spot of colour changed to orange - I stood on tiptoes and it changed to blue/green - a step to the right and the sparkle was pure and clear like a diamond.  This set me thinking about how an event or situation can appear so very different if viewed from a slightly different perspective.

I remembered this experience when I entered our Church on Sunday 23^rd May through a different door.  It is true that as “the crowd gathered”, some may have been “bewildered” (Acts 2v6) but equally true that all were “amazed and astonished” (Acts2v7) at the wind of change that had blown through St Faith’s.  “Awe came upon everyone” (Acts2v43).  There was a sense of expectation, excitement and a definite buzz of anticipation, especially among the younger members, who were later to play a very telling part in the service.

The new positions of the pews and altar formed a powerful illustration of being “all together in one place” (Acts2v1).  The whole congregation could see and feel involved in what was taking place at the altar; and it was lovely to be able to hear the choir.

This type of ‘happening’ does not come about without inspiration and vision, coupled with much planning and a lot of hard work.  Many thanks are due to all involved.

The special day continued with a barbeque, shared and enjoyed by all ages, in the May sunshine.  It concluded (in a reinstated Church) with a reflective and meditative Taizé - style evening prayer: a fitting and peaceful conclusion to a thought provoking Day of Pentecost.               

Marion Porter

The Korean War 1950-1953

The Korean peninsula measures 600 miles from North to South and varies between 120 to 350 miles wide; rather like an inverted Britain without Wales.  To the North across the Yalu River lies Manchuria.  The Russian port of Vladivostok is but 90 miles from its NE boundary.  Across the Straights to the South is Japan.  A mountainous range traverses the length of the peninsular with 8,000ft peaks in the North.  From 1910 Korea was a Japanese colony.  At the Cairo Conference in 1943 the Western allies pledged to make Korea a free and independent state but when the Soviet Union belatedly entered the war against Japan, an arbitrary line was drawn across the waist of the peninsular at the 38^th parallel of latitude to denote the demarcation between US and Russian forces to facilitate the Japanese surrender.  When the Iron Curtain rang down around the communist block this artificial boundary divided Korea into the Peoples Democratic Republic in the North, a Soviet satellite and the Republic of Korea (RoK) in the South, a protégée of the United States.  The North Korean Peoples Army (NKPA) was armed and trained on the Soviet model and the RoK forces were but lightly equipped.  After a succession of border incidents the NKPA launched an invasion of South Korea with eight Divisions, spearheaded with T34 tanks on 25 June 1950.  In a short time the NKVA had swept the few remaining RoK and US Army forces into the South East corner of the peninsular where they were invested in the Pusan perimeter.  Meanwhile the US achieved the “uniting for peace” resolution in the United Nations General Assembly, which Russia was boycotting at the time, and member nations began contributing land, sea and air forces to restore the integrity of South Korea.  The US General Douglas MacArthur, victor of the war against Japan and the “Sun God” of the US occupation Forces, was appointed Supreme Commander.  The British Pacific Fleet was committed to the UN and the Commonwealth Army forces gathered with battalions of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the Middlesex Regiment shipped up from Hong Kong in the cruiser HMS Ceylon and the aircraft carrier HMS Unicorn to join the 3^rd Battalion Australian Army to form the Commonwealth 27 Brigade by 29 August.  The nucleus of a small raiding force to operate with the US Navy was flown out in great secrecy by BOAC to form 41 Independent Commando RM to be joined by a reinforcement draft diverted from Malaya.  The Commonwealth Navies maintained two aircraft carriers, with Fleet Air Arm ground attack squadrons, two cruisers and eight destroyers in Korean waters throughout the war.  Eventually the Commonwealth provided a Division with full supporting arms.  Many of the troops were World War ll reservists recalled to the Colours and National Servicemen.  In total 17 nations contributed combat forces and four gave medical support but by far the largest contributors were the United States and the South Koreans themselves.  With an act of true generalship MacArthur withdrew the US Marine Brigade from the defence of the Pusan bridgehead; formed the Marine Division at sea and made an amphibious landing at Inchon, half way up the West coast on 15 September.  Simultaneously the 8^th Army broke out of the bridgehead.  Resistance collapsed and the NKPA withdrew.  The UN resolution had been fulfilled.  Not content MacArthur ignored Chinese threats that they would not stand idly by while their communist neighbour was occupied and diplomatic reports of a massive Chinese Army assembling in Manchuria and ordered UN forces to cross the 38^th parallel in pursuit.  10 Corps including the US Marine Division re-embarked and was shipped round to Wonsan on the East Coast.

The 8^th Army, which included the Commonwealth 27 Brigade (to be joined by 29 Brigade on 4 December) and the RoK 1^st Division pushed north from Seoul and by 19 October had captured Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.  By 25 October the RoKs had reached the Yalu River.  On the East side the RoK Capital Division pushed on up the coast and the 1^st US Marine Division was ordered to strike 70 miles North West into the mountains towards the Chosin Reservoir.  In late October sharp attacks by Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) were identified which then ceased.  With hindsight it is clear that that the CCF was busily infiltrating behind the UN Forces.  The Chinese soldier was hardy and experienced, armed with an assortment of rifles and sub machine guns carrying 80 rounds of ammunition and four days rations.  He wore a yellow and white reversible quilted uniform and crepe soled canvas shoes.  Inured to hardship, indoctrinated with communism and courageous to the point of being suicidal he made a formidable enemy.  This peasant army hid by day and made long marches by night.  On 28 November the Chinese entered the war by attacking the over extended UN Forces and were amazed with the ease by which they drove them South of Seoul.  The 1^st Marine Division, with which the author was serving, withdrew in good order from the Chosin Reservoir with air support from six US Navy aircraft carriers.  By January 1951 the CCF had reinforced to 15 Armies, the NKVA to 57 Divisions and identified which UN Forces were prepared to stand and fight: the USMC, US Paratroops, Turks, French and the British Commonwealth Division.  This comprised 27 and 29 Brigades, a reinforced Canadian Brigade and an Indian Field Ambulance.  The Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders readily accepted Maj. Gen Cassels as the Divisional Commander.  The Division became part of US 1^st Corps.  President Truman had the political courage to recall General MacArthur who had been urging the use of nuclear weapons.  He was succeeded by General Matthew Ridgway who made other command changes and 8^th Army pushed forward cautiously with massive fire support re-capturing Seoul and reaching the 38^th parallel.  In April the Chinese began their spring offensive and on 25^th the battle of the Imjin River began during which the Glosters achieved fame and the 8^th Army was pushed back 20 miles.  On 15/20 May 20 CCF and 9 NKVA Divisions attacked the central front concentrating on the RoK 3^rd Corps which gave way.  On the East Coast RoK 1^st Corps under a good General rode with the punch and held firm.  The Communists suffered 17 thousand killed and as many captured.  The UN advanced and dug in deep defences with thousands of mines and vast fields of wire.  The USSR advised an armistice.  Gen Ridgway offered a meeting and ordered all UN offensives to stop which was just what the communists wanted to enable them to reinforce and re-supply their Iron Triangle.  Peace talks began on 10 July 1951 with incompatible agendas, the communists showing an inexhaustible capacity for diatribe, dialectic and propaganda which dragged on for months through 1952 until 27 July 1953 when the Armistice was signed at Panmunjom.  Eventually the Commonwealth committed 28 Battalions in rotation, five Regiments of Artillery and six regiments of tanks.

The lot of the UN Prisoners of War (PoWs) while this was going on became dire.  The North Koreans used the PoWs as forced labour and sadistic guards revelled in inflicting misery.  Sick and wounded were left to die on forced marches.  The Chinese were relatively more humane and claimed a “lenient policy”.  PoWs were offered political redemption: endless dreary lectures on dreary dialect or “brainwashing”.  Lack of response or active resistance was met with beatings, starvation, deprivation of medical treatment and prolonged solitary confinement in barbaric conditions.  Most PoWs suffered from acute dysentery to which the Chinese and Koreans seemed impervious.  Some British PoWs had already endured imprisonment in WW II.  977 British PoWs died in captivity.  Of over 5,000 US PoWs only 3,746 survived.  As the Chinese realised the importance of the PoWs from the peace talks conditions in the camps improved slightly.  The PoW question turned on the ability of individuals to choose whether they should be repatriated or transferred to neutral state which was finally agreed.

What had all this achieved?  World communism had been confronted and rebuffed at the cost to the US, which despatched over 5.7m men, of 33,629 killed, 103,289 wounded and 5,000 missing; to the RoK of over 415,000 killed, 429,000 wounded and over 12,000 missing.  The Commonwealth lost 1,800 killed and 4,817 wounded.  Britain, which was also winning an anti communist war in Malaya and was still on food rationing at home saw the individual's meat ration reduced to 4ozs per week.  Our modest balance of payments surplus of £307m in 1950 plunged to a £369m deficit and, as was said at the time, our economic miracle was shattered on the hills above the Imjin and along the Rhine.

Peter Thomas

Harold Larwood MBE

The Test Series started in Sydney in December 1932 and England won it 4-1.  Bradman topped the batting for both sides scoring 396 runs for an average of 74.85.  Larwood topped the bowling for both sides with 33 wickets for 644 off an astonishing 220.2 overs, giving him an average of 19.51.  So these are the statistics but what of the human drama.  In the Adelaide test, the Australian captain, Woodfull, was struck a blow on the heart and collapsed on the ground.  The England captain, Douglas Jardine, walking past the fallen batsman called out “Well bowled, Harold!”  Woodfull was stretchered to the pavilion.  The England Tour manager, Pelham Warner went to see him and was told by Woodfull, “I don’t want to see you Mr Warner.  There are two teams out there.  One is trying to play cricket and the other is not.”  Warner lied afterwards, saying that Woodfull had apologized to him. 

As we read last month, the Australian Cricket Board sent the following cable to the MCC.  “Body-line bowling has assumed such proportions as to menace the best interests of the game, making protection of the body by the batsmen the main consideration.  This is causing intensely bitter feeling between players as well as injury.  In our opinion it is unsportsmanlike like.  Unless stopped at once it is likely to upset the friendly relations existing between Australia and England.”  Lords responded, “We, the Marylebone Cricket Club, deplore your cable.  We deprecate your opinion that there has been unsportsmanlike play.”  Following the tour, the MCC wanted to sacrifice someone to restore good relations.  The architect of bodyline, Douglas Jardine was an amateur and refused to apologise to the Australian Board, so the professional, Larwood, was told to do so!  He pointed out that he was required under the terms of his contract to obey Jardine’s instructions and was not going to apologise.  He was told by the odious Warner that if he did not apologise, he would never play for England again.  Larwood still refused and never played for England again.

As we read last month, Larwood settled in Australia after the war.  He was visited at his home by every England touring team.  His greatest friends were Australians; Jack Fingleton, who opened the Australian batting in the bodyline series, and  the two great fast bowlers, Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller, the latter his greatest admirer. 

You are dear reader, about to change your opinion about one of our less successful prime ministers.  No, not that one!  In 1993, John Major recommended to Her Majesty that Harold Larwood, then aged 88, should be given the MBE for his services to cricket.  Major actually telephoned Harold with the news, telling him that he and Jack Hobbs were his two cricketing heroes.  In return, he received an autographed photograph of Larwood and Jack Hobbs going out to bat!  In the end, some sort of justice was done and Larwood was immensely proud of his award which is why I put it in the title of these two appreciations.  In a churchyard in Sydney, there is a simple plaque:

IN LOVING MEMORY OFOUR DEAR FATHER HAROLD LARWOOD MBE

14.11.1904 - 22. 7.1995

REST IN PEACE

Roger Bryant

HMS HAVANT Memorial Service – 1 June 2010

 

BBC Special Presentation, Dunkirk 70^th Anniversary

The BBC TV World News on 26 May 2010 featured the 70^th. Anniversary commemoration programme of the Dunkirk British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) evacuation, May/June 1940 and this was sent to Peter Horrocks at the BBC by John Wynne-Edwards (Commander RN Rtd) who lives in the Western Cape in South Africa.

A Cruise in the Queen Victoria

The Queen Victoria joined the Cunard fleet in December 2007 and is the latest of the “Queen’s” - until October this year when the new Queen Elizabeth joins the fleet.

Within 1½ hours of being picked up by our friendly taxi driver, Alex, on 3 May, Beryl and I were on our stateroom (cabin) balcony overlooking Southampton having a glass of complimentary champagne from Cunard.  This is a far better way to travel than all the hassle that one gets at the airports these days.

After emergency drills we sailed under the Blue Ensign, as the Master, Captain Chris Wells, is a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve.  We went to dinner and met our waiters from India, Kishop and Ritesh, and our wine steward, Unni, also from India.  We also met the two couples with whom we were to share our evening meals for the next 11 nights – Angela & Chris from Bushey in Hertfordshire and Lyn & Paul from Telford in Shropshire with whom we got on very well.

Our stewardess, Nataliya came from Odessa in the Ukraine, and looked after our cabin very efficiently.

There were 1,927 passengers, including 83 single ladies and 9 single men! (1,667 from the UK, 103 from Germany, 63 from America, with 22 other nationalities being represented) and 968 crew (530 from the Philippines, 83 from India, 80 from the UK, with 47 other nationalities) – as the Captain said, his ship’s company is a United Nations from 50 countries.

The cruise took us to Vigo, Lisbon, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma and Madeira.  The weather was warm and pleasant in the Canaries and in Madeira.  We had three formal evenings for the ladies to wear their gowns which coincided with a Black & White Ball, a Masquerade Ball and a Victoriana Ball; and attended two cocktail parties meeting the Captain and his officers.

The entertainment was very good and varied, including an excellent comedian, John Evans.  The Royal Court Theatre is based on a Victorian music hall theatre and includes 16 boxes.  We had an interesting tour backstage and saw how little space the 12 Royal Cunard Singers & Dancers have for changing and make-up – before they perform any show in the ship’s theatre they spend 6 weeks in London learning their routines followed by another 6 weeks perfecting it onboard – only then do they perform to the passengers.  My favourite was their performance of a superb “River Dance” during a ”Celtic Heartbeat” show.

Afternoon tea was taken with background music from a harpist, pianist and a string quartet.

There is always plenty to do onboard.  All tastes are catered for and you can never be bored.  If you want to relax you can do so and just watch the sea go by.

The Queen Victoria is highly manoeuvrable and does not require tugs when berthing alongside in port.  She has twin pods (electric motors) that are attached to the propellers, three bow thrusters and two stabilising fins.  The propellers pull the ship through the water rather than the conventional pushing.

When in port we went ashore and explored the local town.  In Madeira, we took a taxi and the driver, Pascoal, took us to the market in Funchal with its splendid display of flowers, fruit and fish, and then drove us along the coast to a small fishing village, Câmara De Lobos, where there was a very pretty fisherman’s chapel.  This village inspired the late Sir Winston Churchill to paint its lovely surroundings.  Pascoal also told us about the devastating floods the island had experienced in February – most of the capital Funchal had remained impassable for 5-days.

We celebrated Ascension Day on 13 May with an Interdenominational Service and Holy Communion.  A Minister on the cruise had asked the Captain if it could be celebrated but only 23 passengers attended in the theatre which can seat around a thousand people – a sign of the times?

We didn’t entirely miss the general election on the 6^th as the ship received BBC and Sky so we could view the results on the TV in our cabin if we so desired.

On the last day of the cruise, we completed the usual questionnaire and to our surprise our name was drawn out of the hat, the prize being for Cunard to pay for our wine and bar bills during the voyage – had we known we would have had champagne every day!

The cruise was over all too quickly and we were soon alongside in Southampton on the morning of the 14^th.  Disembarking was just as efficient as embarking and Alex was there waiting to speed us back home again with no hassle.

This is our third cruise in a Cunard “Queen” and each ship has been superb with a 5-star service.  One more “Queen” to sail in, the new Queen Elizabeth, and then its retirement!

Colin Carter

Molly Griffiths RIP

By any standard, Molly was a remarkable lady and it was with great sadness that we learnt of her passing at the age of 97.  We do not have any facts about Molly so we must rely on the conversations we had with her over the years.  Her father was a Rector and she was born in a Rectory.  This was in West Kirby, Liverpool.  She proudly told us once, “I’m a Scouser!”  She remembers very well an RAF camp in her neighbourhood, which was a recruit (square-bashing!) training camp.  She told us that in her youth she loved mountain climbing, particularly Snowdon in North Wales which was reasonably close to Liverpool.  She and a group of youngsters once climbed it at Christmas, only to be stranded at the top when it was enveloped in a thick mist.  Those were in the days before shops and cafeteria at the summit.  Molly was also rock climbing in the Cuillins on the Isle of Skye when she heard from a newsman that WWII had ended (see the May 2005 edition of “Faith Matters”).

Molly told us stories about her years at Heathrow Airport.  We do not know whether she worked for the airport authorities or a Christian agency but her job was to interview vulnerable young girls entering the country alone without jobs or accommodation to go to.  There were men and women hanging around the airport who would try to lure these girls into prostitution.  Molly found accommodation and work for them, some of whom were pregnant.  She needed to be and was tough!  She dealt with unscrupulous landlords and with the criminal fraternity.  She often needed the protection of the Police and other agencies.

Molly had a brother Tom and we can only speculate that she moved to Havant after retirement to be close to his family.  Tom came to see us at our previous address, so this was prior to November 1975, and enrolled us in the Stewardship, for which he was the Organiser.  Roger and Tom were both on the PCC at that time.  Molly, with the title “Flowers for High Altar”, used to buy and grow (as did Tom) flowers for the church and did the floral arrangements for many years.  When she finally finished, she was given a token to purchase a gift from a garden nursery. 

Molly drove her car well into her 90s and, when she gave it up she could be seen driving a disabled scooter into Havant from her Emsworth home.  Molly also attended yoga classes well into her 90s!  What a remarkable lady! 

Some years ago, the PCC gave permission for her to pay for a gate to be erected at the east corner of the Hall car park in memory of Tom.  It also stands now as a memory to Molly.

Joy and Roger Bryant