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In between her choice of 8 records, Sheila shared some anecdotes from her interesting life. She told us she was a bit of a slacker at school, but went on to take a degree in history. Despite that, she took a job as a teacher of English, eventually becoming Head of an English Department. Her husband was ready to become a professor, but in his line their were only 8 such posts in the country, so he took a position in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the 1980s - not their first choice - at the height of 'The Troubles' between Protestants and Roman Catholics. Sheila saw an advert to start for the first time a school there for joint Protestant and Catholics, applied, and got the post. (Return to top)
When she applied there were just 6 children signed up and no building to meet in. She described how she grew it into 1,300 pupils and it's own building by the time she left, along with some of the difficulties she experienced along the way. There are now some 60 such joint schools in the province. She was rewarded with a prestigious 'Person of the Year' award, one of only 8 persons selected from the whole of Ireland in any one year. She returned to England and took on another school in St Albans, Hertfordshire, which was quickly threatened with closure, fought hard, and got the closure cancelled - it's now a successful school and won Sheila an MBE for her efforts. (Return to top)
Sheila's choice of music ranged from 'Some Enchanted Evening' from South Pacific - she went to the first night in London as a youngster - through Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkeries' reflecting the turmoil she's experienced, to the 'Jubilate Deo' reflecting the joy and thanks she feels for a satisfying life. (Return to top)
We began with the Station Manager asking us whether we had smoke alarms at home and how often we test them (should be every month), if we knew our Post Code in case we had to call the emergency services on 999, so we could tell them where to come to, if we knew where the keys were for any windows and doors in our house in case we had to get out in a fire, and what to do if we woke up and found smoke in our bedroom. (Return to top)
We were shown all the equipment on the fire-engine and what it's for as well and being allowed to sit in the fire-engine. We saw the Hovercraft they have for rescuing people and the tools for cutting people out of cars. We didn't know that as well as the Fire-Fighters uniforms, they also had uniforms with 'NHS' on them as they sometimes have to use their Fire-Car to go and help the Ambulance Service as they're also trained paramedics. (Return to top)
We saw the tower in the yard that they use for practicing every week, the old cars used for cutting up to practice getting people out of an accident, and a underground tank for practicing dealing with floods and emptying ponds. Finally we were allowed to try on their helmets! (Return to top)
Our choir began the Service with an 'Introit' anthem before the Archdeacon welcomed everyone and explained the procedure. After we had all offered praise to God, our Deanery Lay Chairperson read a passage from the Bible and the Archdeacon gave a Sermon, officially referred to as 'The Archdeacon's Charge'. Prayers were led by our Rector, Rev'd Tony Lomas, before the Diocesan Registrar (Legal Officer) 'admitted' the assembled Churchwarden's by inviting them to repeat a solemn promise of service and the Archdeacon declared that she 'admitted each of them to the office of Churchwarden'. (Return to top)
Our Area Dean, Canon Richard Mitchell, than called out each of the 12 Benefices in our Deanery by name and their Priest and Churchwardens came forward to be personally greeted by the Archdeacon. All were present except one Benefice who had probably gone to one of the earlier Services, plus two or three Benefices from other Deaneries who had chosen to come to the Dymock Service. After the Service, there was wine and nibbles provided for everyone to meet together and socialise. (Return to top)
The Service followed our usual 'All-Age' Format with a Bible reading from the Acts of The Apostle about the coming of the Holy Spirit onto Jesus' followers after he'd returned to heaven. The sermon that followed was a question and answer session using a flip chart. We looked at the characteristics of our earthly father as he (with our mother) helps us to grow up and be prepared for our own life in the world, and compared that to the way God our heavenly Father does the same with humanity as a whole. For instance, our Father teaches and guides us as we live with him and God teaches and guides humanity as a whole through the Prophets and Jesus' teaching in the Bible. Our earthly father saves us when we go wrong and get into trouble and God saves humanity through Jesus on the cross. Finally we take the spirit of our earthly father with us as we go out into the world on our own and God gives us his Holy Spirit when we're baptised as a Christian. We realised that we truly are made in the image of God. (Return to top)
Finally we gave all our earthly fathers in church that day a gift of thanks in the form of an anthem about Fathers specially written by our organist Bob May and sung by the choir with the 'Young Voices' plus a 'Yorkie' chocolate bar, and we gave God our thanks by offering our lives to him in the hymn "Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to thee." (Return to top)