Eye -24 February 2012

From 'Snow Quakers' to prime time

Let it snow!

This ‘Snow-Quaker’ was built by the children from Sawley Meeting a couple of weeks ago. Ben Pink Dandelion tells Eye that after Worship, all of the Meeting, including the octogenarians, went sledging before they realised that they were meant to be having Business Meeting!

Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.

- Bill Morgan, Jr

Quakers hit prime time

Friends might be interested to learn that last Sunday there were two hours of viewing written by Heidi Thomas of Saffron Walden Meeting. She wrote the episodes of Call the Midwife and Upstairs, Downstairs, which were both shown on BBC1.

In the first part of Upstairs, Downstairs, we find out that Mr Pritchard, the butler, played by Adrian Scarborough, went before a tribunal during the first world war. When he is arrested for the ‘murder’ of a monkey, a policeman accuses him of ‘having been in the cells’ previously and challenges Pritchard as to why he hadn’t mentioned it when applying to be an ARP (air raid precautions) warden. On being pressed as to why he had been before a tribunal, he replies, ‘Yes, I was a conscientious objector’. The policeman angrily states that he has no toes on his foot – he lost them to gangrene after spending four months up to the ankles in mud in the trenches. ‘Have you ever smelled gangrene?’ he asks. Mr Pritchard replies: ‘Yes, I served in the ambulance service.’

As Mr Pritchard leaves the policeman says: ‘It’s too bad it wasn’t a chicken that was killed. Then you’d have been at home with all those white feathers.’

On his return home, Mr Pritchard explains to Lady Agnes that his parents were Quakers and they believed there is that of God in each person. She seems quite attracted to the idea. He tells her that he enlisted in the ambulance service but that the conditions at Richmond Prison for the other conscientious objectors were so vile that he had to speak out and found himself incarcerated with them. ‘Why did you speak out?’ asks Lady Agnes. ‘I had my principles,’ said Mr Pritchard.

It will be interesting to watch the development of the story as the others downstairs shun Mr Pritchard, except for John – who had actually killed the monkey in testing a ‘gas proof pram’. He tries to befriend Mr Pritchard who gently turns him away saying: ‘You are taking sides. That will lead to no good.’

Quakers go… hip hop!

Some cool news from the cutting edge of the hip-hop scene – for those readers who like to mix their ministry with edgy music.

Eye urges you to check out the latest offering from Geoff Barrow, best known for forming and producing the trip-hop pioneers Portishead, who is stretching his musical horizons.

The music press is highlighting his new project and a new record to be released on 9 April. He has called his new project ‘Quakers’.

Friends may be keen to know that ‘Quakers is centred around three main producers: Fuzzface (Geoff Barrow), 7-Stu-7 and Katalyst. They have brought together a collective of MC’s such as Prince Po, Dead Prez, Booty Brown and Guilty Simpson.’

The music of Quakers first appeared in graffiti artist Banksy’s film Exit Through The Gift Shop.

When Geoff’s album starts digging a deep track with the hip-hop groovers – keep a look out for some interesting new attenders hanging around outside your nearest Quaker Meeting House.

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