Eye - 16 August 2019

From well dressing in Derbyshire to an Easter Settlement in Yorkshire

Well-dressed outreach

The Bamford Quaker Community took part in their first ‘well dressing’ this year, creating the colourful piece pictured above. Well dressing is a tradition practised in some parts of rural England, which sees wells decorated with designs created, typically, from flower petals.

Judy Frith, of Luton and Leighton Area Meeting, told Eye that the act of making the well dressing ‘proved to be outreach and learning for those involved… including Hope Valley residents and Quaker holidaymakers. As the Community is on a popular walking and cycling trail, passersby have popped into the garden to see it.’

Judy explained: ‘Well dressing is an annual event in all the local villages around the Community, and this year… the Quaker Community have embraced this Derbyshire tradition…

‘The Community were joined in this practical retreat by visiting Friends, villagers, and Friends who chanced to be camping nearby. Quaker faith & practice 29.16 has a lovely testimony which speaks of “listening with the whole of our being and seeking the baptism and communion of living water, we will be one in the Spirit”. “Living water” was the imaging theme for the Community’s first witness to this tradition, entitled: “Communing with the Living Water, we are one in spirit.” The varied leaves, petals, wood pieces, seeds and other natural materials came from the Community’s grounds.’

Encouraging and compelling

For over a century Friends in Yorkshire have come together for the ‘Easter Settlement’ – living as an all-age Quaker community for a few days over Easter.

The most recent took place at Cober Hill in April and Sue Woolmore, a new attender at Roundhay Meeting in Leeds, went along. She shared her experience with Eye: ‘I hoped this would be an ideal opportunity to immerse myself in Quaker life and to discover more about what being a Quaker is really like… I discovered great warmth and friendship from Quakers across Yorkshire and they showed genuine interest in a newcomer…

‘The theme of Easter Settlement was the “new economy”, ably led by Olivia Hanks, the economics and sustainability programme manager at Friends House. This created fascinating presentations and discussions about alternative ways of organising the economy and society, using Quaker values… But Easter Settlement wasn’t only about thought-provoking debate. There was lovely food, and lots of it! The Cober Hill guest house was very comfortable and the staff were delightful. They were even very forgiving of [my dog] Baikka when he ran enthusiastically into the kitchen to check out the menu for the day! There were opportunities for dancing, poetry, tai chi, storytelling, worship, clifftop walks, and simply sitting over tea and biscuits…

‘Easter Settlement has given me an excellent insight into Quaker values and a sense of a inclusive and faithful community. What I now look forward to exploring in more detail is Quaker spirituality… What I have so far discovered is an authentic expression of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and his invitation to Life and Light. I find this both encouraging and compelling.’

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