Eye - 23 September 2016

From the kindness of strangers to bairns with balloons

The kindness of strangers

Unforeseen floral offerings moved Friends in Norwich recently.

Bob Ward, of Norfolk and Waveney Area Meeting, set the scene: ‘The Gildencroft in Norwich is an extensive Quaker burial ground graced with mature trees along with a surfeit of scruffy nettles. Normally the walled area is locked to keep out vandals.’ He added that local Friends had felt that it ‘would provide a serene spot for an outdoor Meeting for Worship’.

However, they had an encounter of the unexpected variety: ‘The first Friends to arrive were surprised to find a man climbing out perilously over the spiked iron gate… when approached he said: “I got married nearby last week. Afterwards there were all these flowers and my wife thought they would brighten up this rather dour place.”

‘The couple had just finished placing bunches beside several of the gravestones. Such a gift to receive from strangers! The subsequent Meeting was truly blessed.’

Wriggling Friends

While perusing the pages of Simon Barnes’ natural history book, Ten Million Aliens, Stevie Krayer, of Abergavenny Meeting, happened across a familiar name.

‘I was intrigued to find a chapter headed “The Quaker Worm”. Why Quaker?

‘“If you ever ask a Quaker what Quakers do and what Quakers believe, you will generally get told all the things they don’t do and don’t believe in. Xenoturbellids are in much the same position. They have no brain, no through gut, no excretory system and no sex organs in any coherent form. They really are not anything much, but they are part of our comparatively recent history just the same…”’

Bairns and balloons

A vibrant balloon fairy graced the residential gathering of Friends at North Scotland Area Meeting in August. Halskza Le Riche was one of four children at the Area Meeting, which was held in Pluscarden Abbey. Anna Deregowska, a Friend from Forres Meeting and the fairy’s mother, told Eye: ‘They chalked out pictures and welcoming words outside the main eating area in order to create a friendly welcoming atmosphere.’

She explained: ‘The balloon dress came about from some exploration with balloons during one afternoon, which led to “balloon costumes” being designed. They were loving making various balloon creations, and generally playing with them. But it was just as well someone had a foot pump in the back of their car as it was nearly impossible to blow up the balloons with lungs alone!’

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