Eye - 11 January 2013

From new beginnings to cheerful odes

New beginnings

Nestled in the rolling countryside between Bournemouth and Salisbury lies Fordingbridge.

This small town has a Quaker history dating back to 1659, with a John Hunt mentioned in the list of Sufferings and the census showing thirty Quakers resident in 1788. A Meeting house was opened in 1696 and rebuilt in 1835.

Sadly, in 1905 the Meeting came to an end… or did it?

‘Over the past two or three years it has so happened that a small number of Friends have independently settled in the town whilst sharing worship at Bournemouth Meeting,’ said local Friend, Jack Cummings.

He added: ‘It therefore seemed natural for us to explore the possibility of beginning again to hold a Meeting in the town and to our delight the reception from other church groups… was very welcoming.’

And so, in November 2011, for the first time in 106 years, Friends met in Fordingbridge! Supported by Friends from Bournemouth and Salisbury, more than twenty people attended.

Jack writes: ‘At the outset we considered that a renewed Quaker presence of even just half a dozen Friends meeting once a month would be a satisfying outcome. Much to our surprise and joy we seemed to have re-awakened the tradition of Quakers with now, over a year on, two Wednesday Meetings a month regularly attended by an average of twenty plus, made up almost entirely of local new friends from Fordingbridge and surrounding towns and villages.

‘Having the Meeting in the middle of the week has enabled some from the other denominations, who worship in their own communities on Sunday, to experience the Quaker silence, which they seem to welcome.

‘The overwhelming support of Friends at Bournemouth Meeting is confirmed in that we are now renamed as Bournemouth and Fordingbridge Local Meeting.’

Cheerful odes

A Friend who unwrapped his gift box
was annoyed it contained only socks.
Still filled with ill will
he climbed up Pendle Hill,
Where he found love and peace from George Fox.

Jane Robinson

A very young Quaker from Neath
Lost a number of early milk teeth.
A lisp then he bore
Like a stoic, and wore
A badge saying ‘Quakerth for Peath’.

Roy Payne

An English Friend went to Llanelli
But found learning Welsh was too delli.
He was told the solution
To Welsh elecution
Was to move at once to Dollgellau.
 
Paul Honigmann

A new year…

An agony aunt, philosopher and journalist walk into a room… and the age-old question of whether new year’s resolutions can truly make a difference is pondered with renewed gusto.

Anna Seifert alerted Eye to the results, published in the Guardian on 28 December 2012, which found Friends being mentioned as a safe harbour for the newly-motivated seeker:

Joanna Moorhead: What are your new year’s resolutions?

Jules Evans: I’m going to start going to church. I want to find a community that can accept me, and that I can accept.

Irma Kurtz: Promise you’ll be careful!

Jules Evans: I’ll be careful. I’m going to start with the Quakers.

Irma Kurtz: Oh yes, the Quakers are all right.

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