This Time of Coronavirus
This page was written early in the pandemic, during late March and early April 2020, before we had any real idea what was unfolding. We only knew that it was something outside our experience, and probably outside our control. What a lot of water has flowed since then!
Holy Rood, Shilton: Happier times
PARISH PUMP, CORONAVIRUS, & LIFE
It is generally the review of past events, and the calendar of future ones, that provides the framework around which is entwined the comment, and the reflection, and the photographs which all together make mags like Parish Pump.
And then, suddenly, the world is a different place, and all the usual stuff is gone... Now, as our perspective changes, different things are (or, at least, seem) more important and we learn new things about our selves. The priorities and connections which seemed firmly fixed are loosened, while others are set with a new urgency.
Here is Jean Roberts, from Shilton, with some of her new experience of these extraordinary times:
"Just a month ago when we were writing our contributions for the Parish Pump I am sure we had no idea the coronavirus would spread all over our country and in fact the world at such a pace.
Everyone's life has changed completely but community life and care for each other has been overwhelming. We are all watching the news daily praising all the good work carried out by so many keyworkers and most of all the NHS.
My niece is a Staff Nurse at Cheltenham Hospital and after Christmas embarked on a 'career break' for six months with another nursing friend but their adventure holiday obviously had to be curtailed. They were enjoying a few days on Gili Islands when they knew they would have to return home. It wasn't easy arranging the return journey. A flight to Jakarta staying in the airport overnight, the following day a flight to Doha, Qatar and staying there overnight. The last flight to Heathrow, bus to Reading and finally train to Kingham where a friend picked them up and took them to a holiday cottage for their isolation period. Both girls are now very keen to get back to work. My niece has let her house out so she is striving hard to find new accommodation.
Our clergy team have done a brilliant job of sending messages and also recording services every week on the Benefice website. Our thanks go out to Margot and Harry and their 'technical team'. Quite a learning curve for them I imagine.
It is going to feel a strange Easter - no moving Good Friday service at church, no Egg Rolling etc and tea on Easter Saturday and no joyous Easter Sunday service. We shall have to try and find a recording of the hymn 'Jesus Christ has Risen Today' online and sing along with it. I have been looking at our church Easter Flower photographs from the last few years and have sent a picture of our church pulpit as part of my contribution.
David has put together his Nature Notes and whilst walking our dog this morning (Good Friday) across the field from the church we were delighted to see a couple of swallows although another sighting was made earlier in the week.
We received a 'birdie quiz' on line and hopefully our editor will have room to print it! Good Luck!
Let us hope and pray that by the time the Pump is printed things will have improved with the number of confirmed cases and deaths significantly reduced.
Stay safe and take great care."
WALKING Nr FILKINS
... On the Eastleach road.
'Lockdown Life' ain't so bad in such sunny, airy Cotswold splendour.
Maybe less happy in a city high-rise.
Lucky, privileged us.
Things we learn in
The Time of Coronavirus
Partying: April 2020
Andy Macer, Ian Jobling, Karen Todner (churchwarden) all of Broughton Poggs.
Clare Macer behind the camera.
Four lockdown groups in Filkins have so far Zoomed eight quizzes... Between us we have asked (and sometimes answered) 1060 questions!
I expect that we will end up either extra-erudite, or quizzed out of our minds.
LOCKDOWN
QUIZ
WHERE ARE THE GODS
WHEN YOU NEED THEM?
Here is Hercules in the sculpture garden at Cotswold Woollen Weavers. He's wearing the skin of the Nemean lion which he vanquished as one of his 12 labours.
Wouldn't it be good if he could find time for a 13th, and see off this pesky virus.
15th April 2022
OPEN GARDENS
SHILTON: 2018
It'll come again,
it'll surely come again...
THE BENEFICE CHOIR: 2019
It'll come again,
it'll surely come again...
Re-opening our churches (June 2020)
Historical Note:
When Covid struck in Spring 2020, no one knew quite what to do, but on the whole people rallied round pretty well. The government, quite reasonably of course, enforced various rules, but some institutions went further. For instance, the government asked that churches close to visitors, but the Church of England decided to close them completely, even to priests. (A circumstance which led to the curious 'Archbishop of Canterbury in his kitchen' episodes.)
This was not entirely a popular decision, and led to a certain amount of difficulty between those parishes that wished to re-open their churches as quickly (and as safely) as government regulation allowed, and those (mostly) diocesan authorities who wanted churches to remain closed. So marked was this difference in outlook, that some parishes thought the dioceses might be using the opportunity to 'test the water' on permanent closure of some churches.
Here is the way that one such parish attempted safely to re-open its church for business when the government relaxed the rules in June 2020. Now, 18 months later, it can be seen simply as an interesting historical note concerning The Time of Corona: Though it is probably fair to say that as a result of the way the closure of churches was handled, many small country churches are in a more parlous state now than before the pesky bug struck.
OUR CHURCHES ARE OPEN
The churchwardens of Broughton Poggs with Filkins would be happy to share their experience of preparing the risk assessment as well as the practical steps.
Contact Trish via:
"We followed the Government Guidelines (published on 12th June), did the risk assessment, printed out the necessary signage, placed the sanitizer etc, worked out a cleaning schedule... Opened the church, and now follow the schedule, and daily monitor the situation."
Yes, it is possible safely to re-open a church...
St Peter's Filkins, and St Peter's Broughton Poggs re-opened on Sunday 14th June, and are open every day for private prayer and contemplation.
Everyone is welcome to visit either church.
If you would like further information, please contact the two churchwardens in Broughton Poggs with Filkins via:
CHURCH
GUIDELINES
Here are the guidelines which visitors to our two churches in Broughton Poggs with Filkins are asked to follow.
They are based on the risk assessment which was carried out in line with the government guidelines for re-opening churches issued on 12th June.
Both church have been open every day since Sunday 14th June, and we have welcomed visitors both from this parish and elsewhere in the Benefice.
Further information may be obtained from the two churchwardens via:
The Guidelines were amended in August 2020 to include the government insttruction to wear facemasks in the building (Paragraph B).
Further information may be obtained from the two churchwardens via:
Update: end 2020! Almost all of 2019's PCC resigned, or did not stand again, at the lollowing APCM (3rd October 2020), and Parish Pump understands that the newly elected churchwardens and PCC initially closed the two churches completely, but have since re-opened one of them (St Peter's, Filkins) on Thursday mornings (9am to noon) and Sunday afternoons (noon to dusk).
