For the last two weeks a scout troop from S. Augustine’s have been working hard in our sacristary garden, doing their bit for the community and helping improve the locality. Apparently they are digging in the hope of unearthing a 200kg Luftwaffe bomb- well keep digging lads!
I am very grateful to them and especially to Paul McGaughy, their leader, for organising volunteering and offering this work. Not only did the scouts arrive with thier own equipment but they left with thier own rubbish too! So often people moan about youngsters, well these young people are a credit to the town, their parents and their schools!
In talking with Paul I discovered that his wife, Linda, is the Group Scout Leader and is keen to re-install the S. Barnabas’ scout troop, which was disbanded years ago. I for one think that this an excellent idea and will do all I can to encourage it. There are so many young people in this parish who would benefit enormously from structured evenings, outdoor activities and all that scouting has to offer. I myself was a Sea Scout and loved being part of this wonderful organisation….thats said I never did learn to tie ropes or do useful things!
I leave you with the last line of an email sent by Linda and Paul this afternoon…I think it merits an award for most unusal invitation…the sad thing is- it also represents the best offer I have had in weeks! They write:
‘You are very welcome to pop over here and enjoy an awful red, provided you do not mind a boxer that can create smells worse than Satan’s sewers, and a male Jack Russell that will want to undergo a civil ceremony with you!’
How can I refuse??!
Your semi-literate posts are an embarrassment to anyone who remembers when the clergy of the Church of England could spell and punctuate (and think). They are littered with errors which are not typos but real failures of understanding. Still, times change. It’s ‘Dyb’ not ‘dib’. OK?
…alas in blogging, I often type and post at speed and nor do I claim to have perfect literacy skills. And indeed I did not know how to spell ‘dyb’…perhaps somebody might let me know the history behind ‘dyb, dyb, dyb?!
And Mr. Liddon, whilst I am sorry that my spelling annoys you, I feel you might be a little less rude in your comments. If they remain as angry and hostile as this they will be pulled! Yellow card to you!
I have often heard it said that people are becoming ruder. Many years ago, during my days at school, we were always taught that is was very bad form to comment on another persons slips in spelling and pronunciation.
If Mr Liddon only knew the effort, time and energy that Fr Ed, a young Parish Priest, puts into all that he attempts to achieve and he has already achieved a great deal, he may not be so critical.
I read the Scouting Blog as one of praise for a group of young people who had worked so hard and Fr Ed’s enthusiasm to form a scout group for the younger people of St. Barnabas parish. Perhaps Mr Liddon may consider helping in that endeavour.
Hi Ken. I’m not surprised you’re touchy about spelling and grammar; you left the apostrophe out of ‘person’s', so you’re obviously not very good at it, either. If Mr Tomlinson puts himself out to the world in a blog, he must expect to come under scrutiny. His lapses are seldom typos, but genuine displays of ignorance. We can all forgive a typo. I can go back over past items and give you examples if you like.
By the way, DYB is a shorthand for ‘Do your best’. Mr Tomlinson must try harder, and perhaps get someone who is good at English to read through his comments before he posts them. I’m afraid there’s little I can suggest to remedy the jejune comments themselves.
Dear Mr Liddon,
I am not at all touchy about spelling or grammar. You have entirely missed my point. Instead of being so ‘nit picking’. I was suggesting that your obvious talents could be better used by giving practical help. I am sure that the group would need a Minutes Secretary.
Fr Ed. does not set out to give an academic treatise, but as the heading of his blog says, it is “the vague ramblings of Fr Edward Tomlinson SSC”
But that is really beside the point and I do not profess to be particularly “good at it”. I was merely trying to give some support to a Parish Priest who is hard working, energetic and enthusiastic to bring about a thriving community in the Camden Road part of our delightful town.
Thanks for the support Ken. I believe the internet has a phrase for dealing with people who post on the internet in order to be a nuisance only:
DON’T FEED THE TROLL!!
I was happy to leave Mr. Liddon’s comment on this occasion, even though he is a known trouble maker on many of the Anglo-Catholic blogs. I am not convinced he is interested in either being helpful or even attempting to see our point of view. Sadly his soul aim has been to cause offence and insult. It is for this reason that others have already blocked him.
I am therefore drawing a line under this discussion. Mr Liddon, if you wish to take part in discussion, please keep it polite. Refusal to do so will see your comments removed. I can also easily switch to only posting comments after I have vetted them and will do that if you persist in insulting people.
That said, when behaving well, you are a most welcome visitor and I genuinly appreciate having a mix of views represented on the site.
For the record, in your last post you were insulting a man who suffers with very poor health. If you were as rude and intolerent to him in public, you would have caused enormous offense. I think you need to seek spiritual help and consider the love you show to your neighbour. As you point out- this is in the public domain – where insult and abuse is not tolerated by law abiding citizens.
PS: I deliberately used ‘soul’ in place of sole!
I had to suppress an urge to giggle when reading criticism of grammatical errors made by contributors to this excellent site. Ironically, one – arguably two – punctuation errors crept into the posts criticizing other contributors about their typos. If you can’t spot them, ask any primary school teacher. An old saying about glass houses and people throwing stones springs to mind. What was that about ‘do your best’?
Now then, Little Eddie. By the look of you, I’ve been an Anglo-Catholic priest longer than you’ve been alive. No one gave you the right to decide who is and who isn’t Catholic.
Goodness, Mr Liddon! At the risk of being accused of churlishness, I could mention “Apostolicae Curae” throwing a spanner in the works a bit. But as a Roman Catholic, and having grown up in that faith whilst surrounded by many good Anglican priests and friends (Derek Ingram Hill was ordained before you were born, I believe) I have absolutely no doubt that our Lord has not denied his minstry to many that my fellow RC’s might regard as mere flowerpots on legs!
As the Scout Leader who has bandaged several young fingers whilst hacking through the jungles of Borneo at the back of St Barnabas, I look forward to your, undoubted, assistance when we return to work -forks, rakes and apostrophies supplied! Having only one leg (the other probably got lost under a tree at the back of the church somewhere!) I am sure that if I can pull my sleeves up, you shouldn’t mind removing your collar for an evening’s grind and scratches!!
As a point of order, it is neither “dib” nor “dyb” these days. Rather, “Why can’t Skip use his sodium chlorate and icing sugar mix to get rid of that tree? It wont damage the wall of the high altar too much!”
I have left my copy of Fowler aside, and hidden the Collins, in the hope that my errors will be picked up and denounced as heretical and decidedly immoral from the nearest pulpit in the not too distant future!
Fr Ed….wishing you a speedy recovery!
Propinqua proxime!
As a word of caution relating to my previous comment….please do not return to your sacristies with weed killer, sugar and a match….even you Mr Liddon!! My conscience is already as pricked as a pin cushion at a WI convention!