Welcome to our new Rector, Canon Peter Jones. Our
Rector is very comfortable to be addressed by whatever
each individual is accustomed to but for general
communications would prefer Canon Peter.
We have survived ten months of an interregnum when all
parishioners pulled together and continued the good
work and activities of St. Faith’s. A special mention
for our Churchwardens, Jan Stuart and Graham Frost,
who have been running the church during this period.
Please note that after the Collation and Induction of
The Reverend Canon Peter Jones as Rector on Monday 1st
June at St. Faith’s at 7:30pm by Bishop Kenneth there
will be refreshments in the church hall.
Rosemary and Peter Thomas’s grandson Andrew reports on
his seven months in Afghanistan with 42 Commando,
Royal Marines, and gives an excellent insight as to
what it is like for our armed forces in this
ungovernable country.
It is poignant that this month sees the 65th
anniversary of the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944
– where were our senior citizens on this day? - I
was at school in Hornchurch, Essex. Furthermore, it
is “Armed Forces Day” on 27 June – it was
changed from “Veterans Day”.
Colin Carter
From the Rector
Etched into this year’s Easter Paschal candle which
stands beside the nave altar of St. Paul’s Cathedral
Melbourne in Australia, and replacing the traditional
alpha – omega symbol is a representation of the recent
devastating bushfires. The vivid reds, oranges and
black of the design signify the horrors experienced by
the hundreds of families who in losing their homes
appear to have lost everything of not only physical
importance but of spiritual significance also.
During my recent sabbatical visit to the Diocese of
Melbourne both the bishop responsible for the
fire-affected area and the head of ‘Anglicare
Victoria’ explained to me how the Anglican Church
figured in both the state and nation’s response to the
tragedy. Not only did the Anglican parish church
often become the pivotal local organisation on the
ground that both state and federal government used to
channel its assistance but also became the agency that
exemplified the need to plan for long term ongoing
support.
All of this reminded me of how churches, not least the
Anglican church wherever it exists in the world , are
in a position to work as important partners in
actions needed in support of the communities they
serve. Christian churches will always wish to discern
the appropriateness or otherwise of partnering secular
organisations in any initiative but the opportunity to
humbly offer its resources as an active partner
whether as a junior or senior player is an essential
facet of Anglican mission.
Much work has been done in recent times at St. Faith’s
in considering how we can use our physical and other
resources to help develop our own community. The
environment, in which we operate, however, is fast
changing and there will no doubt need to be fresh
assessments made about how recent economic and other
changes have impacted on carefully laid plans.
Perhaps it is an opportunity then to reconsider who
may be our as yet unidentified potential partners in
achieving goals that we may have conceived as being
ours and ours alone when in fact they may well be
shared by others.
It is not only in disasters like that which savaged
south Victoria that a diverse range of bodies come
together to make a difference. Increasingly we are
coming to see that the challenges that face any and
every community can only properly be met when hitherto
independent bodies work together for the good.
Extraordinarily powerful new and unexpected alliances
have been forged from the ashes of Melbourne’s
outlying townships. It is a phenomenon from which we
might learn as we seek to shape the work God would
have us do in our own corner. Who knows what symbols
may become inscribed on our own future paschal candles
before our own altar that reflect our church’s
engagement with events and organisations as we seek
together ways of responding and serving.
Canon Peter
Prince Rupert
Last month I mentioned my fascination with the
exploits of Prince Rupert, so who was he and what were
these exploits? He was born in Prague in 1619 and was
the nephew of Frederick V, Elector of Palatine. He
first distinguished himself at the age of 18 in 1637
as a dashing cavalry officer in the Thirty Years War,
which was a series of conflicts, mostly in Germany,
arising out of religious struggles following the
Protestant Reformation. He came to England in 1638 to
join the army of King Charles I and was the commander
(now aged 23) of his cavalry when the Civil War broke
out in 1642. In the battles and skirmishes which
followed, he normally swept the opposition out of his
path but unfortunately did not have any concept of
strategy. Time and again, he would chase opponents
miles while leaving the foot soldiers outnumbered and
at the mercy of other cavalry. However, he had great
success on 16 July 1643 when he captured the important
port of Bristol.
The Civil War ended in 1646 with defeat for the King
but two years later Rupert became the Admiral of that
part of the English Fleet which was still loyal to the
monarch. In 1650 he was defeated in battle by the
Parliamentarian Admiral Robert Blake. He returned to
mainland Europe and stayed in exile for ten years
before returning to England after his cousin, King
Charles II, had been restored to the throne. In 1670,
the King granted a charter to Rupert and 17 gentlemen
to form the Hudson’s Bay Company with a monopoly of
trade in the lands adjacent to the Hudson Bay in what
is now Canada. This territory became known as
Rupert’s Land. The Company had the power to make and
enforce laws, to build forts and to maintain
warships. It played a massive role in colonizing the
area, in defeating the other colonial power of France
and in finally establishing Canada. The Company
continued to flourish right up to the 20th
Century. Indeed, they finally closed their last shops
in 1991!
So back to Rupert. In 1673, at the age of 54, he set
sail as an Admiral in the English Navy against the
Dutch. The engagements were inconclusive and Rupert’s
military career came to an end. This extraordinary
man now resumed his interest in the world of science,
conducting many interesting experiments. He also
excelled at Mezzotints. So who knows what mezzotints
are without looking up their Oxford Dictionary?
Mezzotint is a method of engraving by scraping a
uniformly roughened plate, print so produced. You all
knew that! I am very impressed. So there you have
it; a soldier, sailor, business man and scientist.
Perhaps not a great military strategist; no great
victories to attribute to him but a man of great
charisma.
Roger Bryant
Chicago Experience – Part 1
Day 1 – Saturday 4 April, 2009
The alarm sounds and I hit the button within about 1.5
seconds. I’m already awake. So is Claire, and so are
Harriet and Eleanor. Today we’re off to Chicago…well
Barrington Hills, Illinois to be exact. The taxi
arrives at 6am and we hit the road promptly. Just two
returns to the house later (Claire dropped a glove and
Eleanor forgot Teddy) and we’re on the road to
Barrington via Heathrow and an 8-hour flight with
Virgin Atlantic. We’re incredibly excited because
we’re off to spend two weeks with David, Susan, Elise
and Sophia!
The airport is busy but we check in without fuss and
move steadily through security. A light breakfast at
Starbucks consisting of coffee, tea or hot chocolate
(depending on which family member you are) and then a
glance at the clock tells us that it’s time to head
for the departure gate. The plane takes off on time
and we’re quickly cruising at 36,000 feet. We all
kick back and relax, headphones on and immediately
we’re indulging in the seat back entertainment. Films
and music while coffee and breakfast are served. The
excitement grows. It’s the start of a great
adventure.
Almost nine hours later and we’re battling through US
Border Control! They’re very security conscious and
just a tad over officious. 9/11 has understandably
made them nervous; however we do wish they would crack
a smile during our photo session, thumb printing and
interrogation (or is it a morbid form of rapport
building?). Once through we collect our suitcases
from the carousel and head for the exit. Claire sees
them first and what a magnificent welcome! Home made
‘Welcome’ signs beautifully crafted by Elise
and Sophia are held aloft. We share warm embraces,
engage in excited chatter and laughter, and head for
the car park. The adventure has truly begun.
Barrington Hills is a wonderful place. It’s clearly
an affluent part of Illinois and on the approach to St
Mark’s we take in the splendour of the properties and
acres of land. We arrive at our destination and have
our first sight of the church. Around forty years old
it’s not at all austere. A simple white building, it
possesses a perfect sense of spirituality that isn’t
diminished by the contemporary and comparatively
minimalist design of the inside. It is very different
to St Faith’s. It serves exactly the same purpose…and
delivers.
The Rectory is delightful. Susan has described 335
Ridge Road as ‘The Shack on the Street’!
Certainly it doesn’t hint at affluence in the same way
as many of the surrounding properties; however it is
large, comfortable, well equipped and warm. Our
arrival has been delightful and welcoming.
That evening it snows. We enjoy good food, beer and
classic Susan Gibbon’s gin and tonic (about half and
half I’d say!). We are delighted to have said hello
to Buddy once again (he is a dog with a perfect
character and temperament, and is one of Eleanor’s
very best friends). By 8pm we are very tired. It’s
2am UK time and we retire to our beds dreaming of
excitement to come.
Day 2 – Sunday 5 April, 2009
Sunday morning and there is a good 3 inches of snow on
the ground. Susan has described this part of the USA
as being blessed with the weather of extremes…and she
isn’t wrong! Breakfast precedes church attendance.
David is delivering the 8 o’clock and the girls go off
to experience the St Mark’s Youth Church groups.
Claire and I attend the 9am Christian Formation Group
facilitated by David. It’s a thoughtful group
discussion, video led and allowing us to reason and
ponder on the meaning and significance of Christ’s
death on the cross.
Palm Sunday service at 10:15am begins outside the
church, sees a procession inside and is followed by
copious amounts of hot cross buns and coffee. The
buns are delicious and I think it’s the first time
I’ve eaten them where the cross is sweet icing. They
are delicious…and the people are so friendly. Claire
and I feel immediately welcome. There is a strong
spirituality and genuine Christian nature amongst the
congregation and this makes us feel very much at home.
Back at the Rectory we have salad and cold meats for
lunch, then Susan, Claire and the girls go shopping in
Barrington. David, Sophia and I remain at home to
play a board game called ‘Don’t Panic!’ before
David goes off to lead a YAC group session and Sophia
and I venture outside to play French Cricket. Sophia
really enjoys this game as she hasn’t played it
before, while Buddy fields for England!
Dinner is the most incredible Roast Beef and Yorkshire
Pud. This is followed by a ‘crash out’ evening
where the girls deliver a fashion show then head off
to bed, leaving the adults to take in some TV and
watch a thought provoking dramatisation of the
Passion. Tiredness creeps up at about 10:30pm and we
retire.
Day 3 – Monday 6 April, 2009
Elise and Sophia are up early for school. They leave
at 7am and 8am respectively with fond goodbyes from
Harriet and Eleanor. Breakfast is fragmented as
everyone gets up at different times. This morning I
feel like my body clock has adapted and a little later
in the morning we all gather around the table for some
itinerary planning. We develop some good thoughts and
ideas about what we will do over the next two weeks,
then David and I go outside to display a sign at the
front of the church advertising Easter Sunday service
times.
It’s early afternoon and I spend a little time on
line. I book a very nice hotel in Chicago where
Claire and I will spend Tuesday evening. The plan is
for just the two of us to go and experience the big
city on our own. The following week all eight of us
will take a short break in the ‘Windy City’.
Later that afternoon Susan, Claire, Harriet and
Eleanor go shopping with a promise to return with
doughnuts. Meanwhile, David and I take Buddy to the
dog exercise area where Buddy cuts loose and we put
our running shoes on and cover 4.5 miles of very
muddy, very tough cross country. I think Gibbo
stitched me up here as I thought we were going for a
nice flat run just to loosen up the muscles following
the long flight across the pond! We drive back to the
house, shower, and prepare an evening meal.
Everyone thoroughly enjoys the evening meal, proving
once and for all that men can deliver great tasting
food beyond the barbecue! That evening I take a trip
with David, Elise and Harriet. We drop Elise off for
a dancing lesson and then go on to Staples to find
print cartridges. Before collecting Elise we slip
into the library for a couple of Chicago guides.
Claire and I will need these when we travel to Chicago
the following day.
Day 4 – Tuesday 7 April, 2009
We’re up very early for breakfast. Today Harriet and
Eleanor are spending the day at school with Elise and
Sophia. At 7am Harriet jumps on the school bus with
Elise and heads off to Barrington Middle School. At
8:15am the rest of us jump in the cars and drop Sophia
and Eleanor off at Countryside Elementary School.
These are memorable days for our girls and we are so
grateful to Susan for taking the time and effort to
organise them.
After the school drop off, Susan takes David, Claire
and me to Barrington station. The three of us catch
the train to Ogilvy Transportation Centre, Chicago.
Claire and I are spending today and tomorrow in the
city and the first thing we do is accompany David to
Chicago Cathedral and attend the Chrism Mass. This is
a memorable service, heightened by some beautiful
music that transcends boundaries and highlights how
beauty and spirituality exist right across the
traditional and modern contemporary Christian genres.
Claire and I enjoy the opportunity to meet the
disarming and down to earth Rt. Rev. Jeffery D. Lee,
Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago. We enjoy a
delicious meal at the Cathedral and then wave goodbye
to David as he hops on a bus back to the station. He
catches the train to Barrington to join the others
back at the Rectory.
Claire and I spend the rest of the day exploring this
multi-cultural city of giant skyscrapers. The
architecture is outstanding. We take a trip up Sears
Tower (the highest building in North America at almost
1,500 feet), check into our hotel room on the 34th
floor of the very classy Swissotel, wander around Navy
Pier, and take dinner at the California Pizza
Kitchen. We eat more than we should and retire to our
hotel room at 11pm.
Day 5 – Wednesday 8 April, 2009
We’re up early in the morning - the weather looks
good. I find a perfect smooth jazz station on the
bedside radio and take some time to chill. We waste
little time and are ready to check out by 9:15am.
Having checked out we wander along East Whacker and
see that we can get an ‘eat as much as you like’
breakfast at Hoolihans. I unerringly battle my way
through about 8,000 calories of breakfast delights and
a gallon of coffee! Claire watches in horror, however
she recovers and does manage a little breakfast
herself.
A brisk walk out to Navy Pier and I’m hungry again
(not really!). We buy some tickets for an
architectural tour of the city and climb on a boat
that takes us up and down the Chicago River. This is
a perfect way to explore the buildings of Chicago.
There is a blend of traditional, modern and
post-modern styles that isn’t apparent until you do
this tour, and take a listen to what the highly
knowledgeable (if slightly egotistical) guide has to
tell you.
After the tour we take a stroll out along Navy Pier
and then come back into the main area of the city. We
grab coffee and a snack at Starbucks (there’s one on
every block – at least it feels like it), and then we
grab our bags from the Swissotel and take a bus to
Ogilvy Transportation Centre. We jump on the train
back to Barrington where we are met by David and
chauffeured back to 335 Ridge Road.
In the evening Susan prepares some delicious soup for
our evening meal. We all sit round the table and
enjoy our food while listening to the girls’ stories
of their school experiences and filling everyone in on
our Chicago city experience. We retire for the
evening, full of excitement and thinking of more
ahead.
(Look out for the next edition of “Faith Matters” for
the continuing adventure of Jeremy, Claire, Harriet
and Eleanor’s Chicago experience.)
A Year to Remember
In St. Faith’s magazine in May 1935, it stated
Confirmation Classes would begin early June. My
parents agreed I could join. The Rev. Victor Edwards,
one of the Assistant Clergy took the classes. We
attended a class once a week – if we missed more than
two classes we had to wait until the next year. Some
of us were only 15-years old and a few of the older
congregation thought we were far too young!! A
separate class was held for adults and there was about
30 of us younger ones.
I wanted to be a Sunday school teacher but could not
until I was confirmed, but from the September I
attended the Teachers Class one evening a week with
the teachers and sat in a class each Sunday morning.
Our confirmation was on Advent Sunday, 2nd
December 1935 – what excitement. The last class was
split and the boys went a different night. At that
class we were shown what occurred at the actual
service and also shown the Chalice and told how to
hold it.
The service was at 3pm – all the girls were in white
and we all had a veil (I have still got mine carefully
wrapped in blue tissue paper).
We met in a shop called Douglas & Pearson’s and had
our veils put on and we walked to church (it poured
with rain!)
At the classes we had to learn the Catechism and the
Creed. The Bishop called out our names and we had to
stand by ourselves and make our promise. He asked us
various questions on the Catechism – how nervous we
all were. I cannot remember what I was asked!
We received our first Holy Communion the following
Sunday, the 9th December at the 8am service
– no 9.30am service then.
I also began my first Sunday as a Sunday school
teacher in Miss Norkett’s (Norkie) Infant
School. I had 15 under 5-year olds in my class.
What a wonderful year I had – never to be forgotten.
St. Faith’s has been part of my life ever since I was
six years old.
Audrey Currie
(Audrey celebrates her 90th birthday this
month)
From the Registers
10th May: Baptism of Elisha Westmore
10th May: Baptism of Harriet Middleton
24th May: Baptism of Toby and Sophia
Essam
Westbourne
Open Gardens 2009
Westbourne Village welcomes you on Sunday 14 June
10.30am-5pm when 18 large and small gardens will be
open. They range from formal walled to traditional
cottage gardens and include the garden of Westbourne
Primary School where light refreshments and a stall
selling plants grown by the children will be
available. All proceeds will go to the Primary School
and the Parish Hall Development Fund. Entry ticket to
all gardens available on the day in the village square
and at some of the gardens. Entrance to all gardens –
£6 for adults – free for children under 14 years.
Please no dogs
Afghanistan – Memoirs of a Marine
Now that I have returned safely from seven months
service with 42 Commando, Royal Marines, it would be
appropriate for me to thank all members of St Faith's
and other local Churches whose prayers have supported
me during the many operations we undertook. 42
Commando, as the Regional Battle Group South, was the
striking force for the whole of Southern Afghanistan.
Before Christmas we were pitted against a highly
capable and persistent enemy with Danish tanks,
Estonian Infantry and elements of the British Army to
disrupt insurgent activity in Central Helmand. We
made a huge number of finds including 46 pressure
plates for making roadside mines and three Taliban
leaders.
After 10 days mid tour leave in England I survived the
coach crash on the journey back to Brize Norton and
returned to a major operation lasting a month in the
“Fish Hook” area of Southern Helmand 100km down
the Helmand River into the green zone, an ungovernable
area about which little was known. We were flown in
by RAF Chinook helicopters and joined by the rest of
the unit in heavily armed and armoured vehicles with
60 soldiers of the Afghan National Army. We were
accompanied by experts in the local culture to gain a
better understanding of the people there and we also
had a dentist and our doctor with us to give medical
treatment. On 28 February our joint force gathered to
investigate Khan Sherin town surrounding an old fort
and a hotbed of Taliban activity. As we advanced,
firing intensified and two attacks were made by
suicide bombers who only succeeded in killing
themselves. We were supported by Apache attack
helicopters which shot up enemy firing points with no
civilian casualties. We recovered much raw opium and
AK 47 rifles, grenades and two suicide vests.
After welcome showers back at base we embarked on our
final operation. This in the words of the “Sun”
newspaper, whose reporter came with us, was “a
ferocious three day assault on Taliban bases in the
opium swamped Marjah region to avenge the deaths of 32
of their RM & Army comrades during their tour”
(Note: there were 32 deaths from the Brigade as a
whole and included three from 42 Commando). It began
with a dawn assault from RAF and US helicopters and
entailed night approach marches to catch the Taliban
in bed. It was claimed that 130 Taliban were killed
by all arms in the course of this operation.
We then returned to base, handed in our specialist
equipment to the Black Watch and flew back to Exeter
airport via 36 hours decompression in Cyprus. Now I
am on leave until 42 Commando marches through Plymouth
on 7 May.
Then I will get some more leave to visit my family in
Sendai, Japan whose prayers and support have meant so
much to me during my time on active service.
Andrew Thomas
(Rosemary and Peter Thomas were in Plymouth on 7 May
to see their grandson Andrew in the 42 Commando, Royal
Marines, march down Royal Parade past an estimated
3,000 cheering supporters. Andrew is third from the
left smiling as Peter took the photograph!)
Life on the Nile – Part 2
The charter flight was completely full, and of course
the late start meant we didn’t reach Luxor until after
dark. There we were loaded into coaches, and found
that the flight carried many different tour groups.
Ours was only nine people, a very good number. We
were met by our tour guide, Mohammed, who was with us
throughout the holiday, and proved a first class
guide, full of fascinating information, provided he
wasn’t distracted by his mobile phone. Luckily there
is no signal on Lake Nasser, but once we got back to
civilisation, he was constantly being rung up in the
middle of describing a temple.
We were told it was a three-hour drive to the boat,
but time is flexible in Egypt, and we drove through
the night for over four hours. This was almost the
only time we saw the real Egypt. People were walking
around, or sitting drinking coffee, in every village
we passed through, and all the men above teenage
appeared to be wearing the gallabiya, a long
one-piece robe rather like a night-shirt. Further
north, most men wear western clothes, though I was
surprised to find many more women wore the Islamic
headscarf than we had seen in 1995. About midnight,
we reached Aswan, a large town, but had another
half-hour drive down steadily bumpier roads to reach
our boat, which was of course moored above the High
Dam.
After hours in the plane and the bus, this was a
different world. The Prince Abbas is a modern
ship, but it is based on the design of Thomas Cook’s
first Nile steamer built in 1887. In fact in several
of the public rooms, they had framed pictures and
documents about the original Prince Abbas,
including the passenger list of a cruise in January
1890, which included no fewer than five MPs with their
families. (I expect they paid their own fares.) Cook
catered exclusively to British tourists, but now we
found a mix of many nationalities, especially a lot of
Egyptian families. Early February is the school
holidays, and clearly the Egyptians like visiting
their monuments, just as we visit National Trust
houses.
The light of morning showed we were moored in a very
industrial dock by the railway station, but very soon
we set off on our voyage – for about ten minutes. We
had only to sail to the other end of the High Dam to
visit the first group of temples, relocated on to
higher ground from three sites about 20-30 miles
south.
Since so many sites were threatened by the rising
water, the engineers have moved them into groups of
three. This allows the boats to stop for an extended
visit, when tourists can move easily from one temple
to its neighbour, only a few hundred yards away. So
here we landed at Kalabsha, the second-largest temple
in Nubia. This is an example of the paradox of
ancient Egyptian temples. There is a strong feeling
of “When you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”
Kalabsha is a 1st century BC rebuild
of a 15th century temple, but in the same
style. Clearly the sort of people who say, “I’ve
no time for this modern architecture” had the
upper hand for thousands of years. It is only when
you look closely at the hundreds of wall carvings (and
decipher the hieroglyphics) that you can see how old a
building is. Then you notice the differences.
Egypt’s dry climate keeps stone temples in perfect
condition, but there are no ancient houses, since they
were built of mud brick, and replaced frequently.
Within a few minutes’ walk of Kalabsha were two other
monuments, one of about the same age, and the other,
now called the hemispeos of Beit-el-Wali. (“What’s
a hemispeos?” you ask. We weren’t told, but
perhaps Sisyphus could put one in his crossword.) The
Arabic name means “the house of the holy man”,
and it contains carvings of the military triumphs of
Ramses II, who died in 1237 BC. He is the
best-remembered Pharaoh (possibly the Pharaoh of
Exodus), since he has left impressive statues of
himself all over the country. But when he was alive,
the pyramids were already 1,300 years old.
For the rest of the day, we sailed south on the lake.
The Tropic of Cancer crosses the lake a few miles
south of the High Dam, but there is no change to lush
tropical vegetation, just desert on both sides. The
day was spent agreeably in eating and lounging in the
sunshine. Food and service were excellent, and it
always surprises me how hungry I get doing nothing on
a ship. The Prince Abbas is unusual in having
the cabins opening directly on to the deck, where
nearly all of the others have them along a central
corridor. At sunset we reached our next group of
sites, Wadi-es-Seboua, and moored alongside a small
island for the night.
Next morning we were loaded into the ship’s lifeboat
for the very short trip to the temples.
Wadi-es-Seboua (Valley of the Lions – another Ramses
II temple approached along an avenue of sphinxes) was
the first to be moved after 1960. The process
involves cutting up the temple into its separate
blocks of stone, and reassembling them at the new
location. This temple was moved by the Egyptian
government before UNESCO had got the support of
international experts. The result is that the
standard of reconstruction is not as high as at the
other sites, where you might think they have never
moved. Here it was obvious that gaps in the stonework
had been filled in with cement. The inner chamber of
the temple is cut into the rock, and was converted
many years later into a Christian chapel. This has
happened in many temples.
From there we had to make our own way to the next
temple, Dakka, which was visible at the top of a slope
about half a mile away. For those unwilling to walk,
there was a camel-rank beside the landing stage, with
20 camels ready to give you a ride up the hill. One
of our group confessed to a lifelong ambition to ride
a camel, so here was her chance at last. I was able
to take a photo of her as she arrived, and it looks as
if she is riding alongside the lake with no buildings
anywhere near. Dakka dates from the Ptolemaic period,
about 200 BC, and because the Ptolemies mostly had
quite short reigns, the inscriptions just refer to
‘Pharaoh’. The stonemasons were a long way from
the capital, Alexandria, and weren’t certain the same
Ptolemy would be on the throne by the time they
finished carving the hieroglyphics.
Then it was a short walk downhill, past another small
Ptolemaic temple, which is unique in having a spiral
staircase to the roof, and a wonderful view over the
lake. Meanwhile the ship’s boat had come up to fetch
us back, and we sailed off south again to the next
group, which includes the oldest temple we saw, dating
from before 1450 BC. It had been added to by later
Pharaohs’, including Ramses II, of course. The
buildings in this group were the smallest we visited,
and the only time we had any crowding. Unlike the
hundreds of ships in Upper Egypt, there are only seven
on Lake Nasser, and we saw only three of them. So
even though we all arrived about the same time, there
was room for everybody, except at the last site, the
small tomb of Pennut, an important official under
Ramses VI (1135 BC). Here there was hardly room for
six people, so we were grateful that Mohammed arranged
for us to sail back to the ship without waiting for
the other groups who were well behind us in the queue.
In the evening, the crew laid on a Nubian
entertainment for us, with singing and dancing. And
their eye lit on Frances, who was persuaded to join
in. Next morning we had a quick visit to the only
site that hasn't been moved. Qasr Ibrim used to be a
fort on top of a 150-foot hill overlooking the modern
village. Now it is a tiny island too small for
tourists to land, and the village is deep underwater.
The ship sails right up to it, and we look down
on the ruins from the top deck. After a few minutes,
we reversed away, and went on to Abu Simbel. On this
part of the lake we did see a few boats: fishermen,
and one tug pushing a barge full of stone. There is
also a weekly passenger boat that sails non-stop
between the High Dam and Wadi Halfa on the Sudan
border. This is part of the famous overland route
from Cairo to the Cape. Unfortunately it passed us
during the night, so I couldn’t see how crowded it
was. But there are hardly any people living by the
lake. There were a few at each temple hoping to sell
souvenirs, or offering to have their photo taken with
a baby crocodile about 6 inches long. But there was
very little of the hassle and cries of Baksheesh
(Money) you get at the Upper Egypt sites.
Alan Hakim
(To be continued)
From St Faith’s Safer Neighbourhood Team
Dear Residents,
For many months now I have been writing in the St
Faith’s magazine highlighting crime issues and
offering crime prevention tips and I am saddened to
say that this will be the last issue that I write for
the magazine. As some of you maybe aware I have been
waiting for a start date to begin my training as a
Police Constable and to my delight I received
confirmation that I shall be starting on the May
intake. I would just like to say thank you to all my
readers and apologies if I’ve bored you along the way
but a big thank you to Colin for allowing me to insert
an article every month. As from next month PCSO Tom
Neale 13376 will continue with writing the monthly
updates. And so back to business – In several issues
there has been mention of garden ornaments being
stolen. At present Havant hasn’t been a target but
surrounding areas such as Emsworth, Horndean, etc.,
have been so I would still advise being careful of
leaving ornaments particularly large or potted plants
on display. This is also the same for the garden
statues. If any person(s) or vehicles, i.e., flat bed
lorries are seen looking around at properties or
gardens if possible record vehicle index and then
contact the police on 0845 045 45 45. As with the
warmer weather drawing near many windows, doors and
sheds are left either open or unlocked often forgotten
by the resident. This can make the property a target
for opportunists. Recently the Havant area has been
victim to several burglary non dwelling breaks and
vehicle crime overnight from the hours of 11pm-5am.
Please take an extra few minutes to ensure that sheds
are secured possibly with a padlock. Any items such
as tools, etc., that may be worthwhile should be
removed from view. Windows to properties could be
placed on a latch or shut and secured if property is
empty. As with vehicles please make sure it is locked
and any valuables preferably removed, though if unable
to, either place in glove compartment or boot.
On a happier note St Faith’s are looking to set up an
initiative called “Ring your Bell” with Havant
Borough Council (HBC). HBC is currently working with
Hampshire County Council and “Sustrans” to
implement a network of cycleways throughout the
borough. As the borough has many combined pedestrian
and cycle paths the number of incidents involving
collisions reported by pedestrians has slowly
increased. St Faith’s are looking at reducing the
number of complaints by encouraging cyclists to alert
pedestrians of their presence. In the near future
we’re hoping to have signs placed on the combined
footpath highlighting the “Ring your Bell”
scheme.
Again a big thank you. Regards,
PCSO Sarah Woodley 13389
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