Information about Debbie's funeral

Here is a bit more information for Debbie’s funeral tomorrow at 1pm

If you’re not familiar with the location, the church is on Church Street, Morecambe. Parking is limited, and we need to ensure there is space for the funeral cars, so the primary school playground next door will be open for parking, there is a pay and display car park on Matthias Street by the Town Hall, and also on-street parking in nearby roads.

Church will be open from 12 Noon, with music playing chosen by Debbie. We expect a lot of people, so there will be a video relay across in the War Memorial Hall . Please don’t worry about bringing children - Debbie would want them to know they are welcome. If you are worried about how they might cope with being in the service, you can always take them to the hall instead and follow things from there.

Tea, coffee and cake will be served over in the hall after the service finishes for those who don’t wish to attend the committal. Please note the journey to Dalton woodland burial ground takes about 25 mins, so we will be a while before we return to join in.

You are welcome to come to Dalton, but please bear in mind that parking is limited. If you are driving there, please try and make sure you take a full car, as that will help the pressure on space. The weather is currently good, so we don’t anticipate it being muddy. Even if it stays dry, do make sure your shoes can cope with the ground being uneven. If it rains, we’ll need something waterproof on our feet.

Whether or you can stay on after the service or not, please don't leave before signing one of our special memory books over in the Memorial Hall. We would really like to have a record of everyone who attended. Just writing your name is fine, but feel free to add anything else (or even draw something!) If you’re bringing children, please make sure you have a few crayons or felt tips for them to join in.

You can make a donation on the day, which will be split between St John’s Hospice and Messy Church. We will also be setting up something on Justgiving soon.

Update: Click here for information about donating and downloading a song Debs wrote.

Thank you for all the cards and greetings. We can’t hope to respond to them all, but we have read them and they are appreciated.

The Rector, The MP and the Foodbank

David Morris MP has now replied to my second letter about his remarks concerning Morecambe Bay Foodbank. As a lot of people have shown an interest in this matter, I thought a final blog post was in order.

In his reply, Mr Morris made no reference to his comments in the Visitor, but rather asserted that he stands by his statement on his website (which is not easy to find) and has no intention of changing his position. He alleges that the Foodbank is politicised and that he has raised concerns about that with the Trussell Trust. He ended the letter saying that this concludes the correspondence he will engage with on this matter.

This leaves me with a few questions. Since Mr Morris won't engage with this further, I simply put them out there.

1) Why didn't David Morris address my specific challenge to his statement that the Foodbank was "started and run by the Labour Party"?

It is entirely plausible that the Foodbank has volunteers who are politically active, including ones aligned with the Labour Party. When I visited there was no discussion of political affiliation, but on enquiring, I understood there to be a range.

The Foodbank can't be held responsible for the political affiliation of those prepared to commit time for volunteering; the question is whether he can demonstrate that the Foodbank has been politically biased in its recruitment of volunteers.

Even if there is a disproportionate representation for Labour in the volunteer team, there is a great deal of difference between that being true and the Foodbank being started and run by the Labour Party. And what (or who) does he mean by "the Labour Party" in his allegation?

2) Why won't David Morris visit the Foodbank?

As an MP representing a political party which purports to encourage volunteering and charitable activity, I find it very strange that he hasn't visited long ago. He has said he now fears being ambushed by a political stunt: "they want me to walk through that door, take a picture of me and shout at me". Potentially any public appearance by an MP can turn into a shouting match. It suggests a lack of political courage that he isn't prepared to go and defend his corner. Much as I disliked their policies, I can't imagine that Norman Tebbitt or Mrs Thatcher would have been deterred.

It also demonstrates a lack of faith in the hand of fellowship the Methodist minister offered him in his most recent invitation. I am confident that any minister would do all they could to show hospitality, even if they disagreed profoundly. In the Visitor David Morris said he will go with national Trussell Trust and Social Services staff, so I hope he sees that through and pro-actively seeks to arrange to do so.

Another mystery about this is that in parliament on 17 Dec 2014 Mr Morris said "I have never been invited to a food bank in my constituency, although I would love to go..." (see the full text here). He also questions the levels of take up stated by the Trussell Trust. Morecambe Bay Foodbank say that 3 invitations were issued, along with a 4th indirect approach. Furthermore, the church minister also wrote to invite him. It's bewildering why he would deny this.

3) What data does Mr Morris actually want?

As stated above, Mr Morris suggested in his comments on 17 Dec 2014 that the data for Foodbanks was unclear. I have seen data being entered into the system at Morecambe Bay Foodbank, I have seen the referral forms which have to be signed by professional in the area, and I have seen the stock taking and record keeping taking place. I am sure that if Mr Morris mustered the courage to visit and explained exactly what stats he required, they could be called up for him there and then.

4) If Morecambe Bay Foodbank is really so politicised, why hasn't he taken action much sooner to get its charitable status withdrawn or reviewed?

Many individuals and organisations are supporting and donating to Morecambe Bay Foodbank in good faith that it is a legitimate charity, operating within the rules and parameters for a charity. My own parish has donated some money and we have also sent other assistance. If an organisation is not operating legitimately as a charity in the local area, but is pretending that all is well, we need to know about it and be protected from it. Surely Mr Morris has a duty of care to us all if he has compelling evidence that the Foodbank is masquerading as something that it isn't. The fact that he has not done so after so many months leads me to conclude that he doesn't possess such evidence.

If, as Mr Morris implies, Morecambe Bay Foodbank were a covert organ of the Labour Party, it's been very subtle in its methods. There is, of course, uncomfortable evidence for the government in foodbank data, but I have seen no promotion of any of the opposition parties in any of the literature I have seen, or in conversations I have held.

Related articles

• Follow Up letter to David Morris MP

Follow Up letter to David Morris MP

I thought I'd publish the text of my follow-up letter to our MP concerning Morecambe Bay Foodbank

Dear Mr Morris,

You may recall that on 21^st May of this year I emailed a letter to you with regard to your reported comments about Morecambe Bay Foodbank – specifically that it was “set up and run by the Labour Party”. This concerned me, as I knew it was not true, and I was concerned that if that rumour gained traction, it could discourage people of other political persuasions from donating and volunteering. I am a Trustee of West End Impact, another charity addressing some of social needs in the most deprived areas of our town, and I know how key the goodwill of the public is in supporting our work.

I know the remarks attributed to you to be incorrect, because my wife, Debbie, when working as County Ecumenical Officer for Churches Together in Lancashire hosted a lunch here at the Rectory. People present included Rev Peter Brown - the minister of Brookhouse Methodist Church, Rev Stephen Poxon – then District Chair for the North Lancashire District of the Methodist Church, and Deacon Eunice Attwood – the 2010 Vice President of Methodist Conference (the national governing body for the Methodist Church in Britain).

At that lunch, Peter shared his vision for starting up a foodbank at the old Central Methodist Church, and how they were negotiating with the Trussell Trust in taking that forward. I remember the conversation well, as I encouraged him to build links with others doing similar work, such as West End Impact and Morecambe Homeless Action.

The text of my original letter is included for your reference. I made it an open letter, posted on my blog, as I wanted as many people as possible to be reassured that Morecambe Bay Foodbank is not an organ of the local Labour Party. Indeed a local minister thanked me, as they have some Conservative voting members in their church who are very active charitably and regularly take food to the Foodbank. They had been rather alarmed by what you said, and were only reassured when they were able to read my reply.

My reasons for writing now are two-fold. First of all, I am disappointed that you haven’t yet replied to my original letter and that you haven’t issued a public correction for the remarks attributed to you by The Visitor. The second is that I gather a new piece on the issue has appeared this week in Private Eye. The only contact I have initiated with the media about this issue was a follow-up letter in the Visitor, summarising what I said and pointing people to my blog. I was also aware that the Church Times showed a brief interest in the story. The unexpected reappearance of the story in the ‘Eye’ has prompted me to contact you again.

Can I encourage you to resolve this matter by meeting with the Foodbank team? I visited soon after I sent you the first letter, and I have seen the hard work they do, the painstaking records they keep, and have also spent time chatting to clients, including an ex-para with acute PTSD. I have also seen a copy of the letter Rev Peter Brown sent you, inviting you to visit, and would strongly encourage you to accept.

Responding to the needs in front of our noses and at our doors is central to the work of these charities and volunteers, and I’m proud that churches are at the forefront of this in Morecambe.  As our MP, I would have hoped that you might want to celebrate and affirm constituents who freely give their time and energy. Working in this area also means that we have questions and uncomfortable truths for the politicians who set policy, which arise from our work. However, that doesn’t necessitate you treating the foodbank as hostile. As Robert Key, Conservative MP for Salisbury 1983-2010, and trustee of the Trussell Trust wrote recently “The … task for some in Government is to stop pretending that food banks are left-wing, anti-government troublemakers” *. I think his advice is worth listening to.

Yours Sincerely

Mike Peatman

* Robert Key: Six ways the Government can tackle poverty and work with food banks. Published on Conservative Home website http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2015/07/robert-key-six-ways-the-government-can-tackle-poverty-and-work-with-food-banks.html

An Open Letter to David Morris MP

An Open letter to David Morris MP

Dear Mr Morris,

This week’s Visitor newspaper reported you as saying the following about Morecambe Foodbank: “The foodbank is set up and run by the Labour party”. I am very conscious that the media are not always accurate in their descriptions of what someone has said, so if it is not what you said, I hope that you will soon be issuing a correction. If it is accurate, then I must respond as follows:

First of all, I have to challenge your account of the origins of the foodbank. When Central Methodist Church on Green Street in Morecambe closed for worship, Brookhouse Methodist Church took on the challenge of finding alternative uses for the building and to create a new project there. After an initial phase of using the building for youth and children’s work, they negotiated with the Trussell Trust to set up a foodbank. I know this because the minister of Brookhouse Methodist Church, the Methodist District Chair for North Lancashire and others sat in my dining room and shared their plans some time before it even opened. It was not set up by the Labour Party. It may well be that some who are most closely involved with running the foodbank have that political allegiance, but your implication that it was a party project from the start is wrong.

Furthermore, if I understand the rules correctly, it would be a contravention of charity law for the foodbank to be aligned with one political party. Charitable activity can have a political dimension with regard to the furtherance of its aims. However, my understanding is that an alignment with a single party would not be permissible. If you believe that Labour are running Morecambe Foodbank, then it seems to me that it is your duty to submit the evidence to the relevant authorities for investigation. If you do not have the evidence, then you should not make the accusation.

I am not involved directly with Morecambe Foodbank, but I am a trustee of West End Impact, another charity in Morecambe working with some of the neediest people in our community. We work alongside other agencies so that every day of the week there is a location in our town where people can get a drink and a bite to eat. People in need can receive personal and emotional support, obtain advice on housing and benefits, receive some emergency food and much more. Many of these centres are church based, and we all see it as an important contribution to the well-being of our community. Your comments about the foodbank affect us all, especially as your assertion of a political agenda may well deter people from supporting, donating or volunteering at Morecambe Foodbank or, by association, at other centres such as West End Impact.

You have been elected as MP for our constituency, and you therefore represent us all, not simply those who voted for you. Many people across a wide political spectrum donate, volunteer and support the centres helping the most vulnerable members of our community. I believe the onus is on you to reach out to and build relationships with the organisations which are contributing so positively in our area, even where you feel that politically you may not have a great deal in common. It is your duty to find out how to best serve the people you represent.

I hope you do visit Morecambe Foodbank, and that you also go to West End Impact, Morecambe Homeless Action, Grace Ministries, the Salvation Army and more. I believe you could learn a lot about your constituents by doing so. You would hear about their needs – their lack of food, their financial problems, housing issues, benefits sanctions, mental health challenges, struggles with addictions and more. You would also encounter and be impressed by your constituents who give great amounts of time and energy into these centres, and you will find that they are not all in the pocket of Labour or any other political party.

Yours Sincerely

Mike Peatman


I received no reply, so here's the link to my second letter. Finally, I did receive a letter, which concluded saying that was the end of the correspondence. I sent a final reply as a receipt for his letter, itemising the concerns which remained unanswered.

At no point in his correspondence with me was a retraction made or an apology offered. However, I understand a private visit to the Foodbank was arranged. One can only hope it conveyed some truths about the work of the Foodbank and the needs it addresses.

Coastal

A lot of older people in Morecambe come from Yorkshire. In its heyday, it was the resort of choice for Bradford, and the only direct train service to anywhere other than Lancaster still goes to Leeds. However, I meet a lot of people who have lived in this area all their lives, known round here as sandgrown'uns. [Not sure about spelling and punctuation, but you get the idea.]

What these people don't realise is just how weird it is for a Midlander like me to live here. It's not the people, or the accent, or the dialect; it's the sea. Every time I walk for 5 mins to the end of my road I find a small beach, and everything in me says that's wrong. Allow me to explain.

When you live in the Midlands, the sea is a day trip away. From Nottingham, the coast of choice is usually Lincolnshire - Skegness, Mablethorpe, Sutton-on-Sea, Ingoldmells, etc. It's about 80-90 miles and even with modern road improvements it's a good couple of hours. My family liked trying other options, so long drives to Caister, Bude and even Pembrokeshire filled the late 60s and early 70s for me. Wherever we went, the first glimpse of the sea was a competition in the car, and that was the only sea I usually saw - on a couple of holidays each year.

So each day when I go up to the promenade, even after nearly 5 years here, I'm still excited and surprised to see Morecambe Bay. As sea views go, it's one of the best with its tides, its fantastic sunsets and the views of the Lake District in the distance. Every time I see it, something in me wonders if it will soon be time to 'go home', followed by the very happy thought that home is only a few minutes' walk away.

Things you notice in a cemetery

The local town cemetery adjoins the old churchyard in Poulton-le-Sands. Closed to new burials for some years, there is only now a slight possibility of remaining space being claimed. In there somewhere are buried various relatives of Thora Hurd and Eric Morecambe as well as the great and the good of long ago.

The cemetery is more like a local park now, thanks to good work by the council and volunteers. It attracts dog-walkers and the occasional person pursuing family history. The one burial I did there caught people by surprise and I still remember people hurrying out of the way as our little procession went down the main path. They were genuinely surprised to see a burial in a graveyard!

Just every now and then I spot something interesting in there. A headstone with some music manuscript etched on it, an entertainer from Japan buried in a corner of Lancashire. This stone caught my eye one day.

The first bit of the inscription is written in the first person, by Edith about her husband, Oswald. Nearly 52 years later, she was buried on the same spot - the inscription changes to 3rd person. There's a story there.

Midlander

The issue is this: I spent the first 20 years of my life a two-hour drive to the sea, and then the first 12 years of working as a clergyhuman in the Midlands, including 8 in Coventry, which is nearly as far from the sea as you can get in the UK. As a child, I saw the sea maybe twice a year - once during our main summer holidays (usually in the West Country) and probably another short break/day trip to the East coast. The first glimpse of the sea was always an exciting moment.

So there is something hard-wired in my system that says that having the view at the top of this blog a few hundred yards from where I live is all wrong. Not wrong in the sense that I don't like it or don't want it; more that I always feel a bit surprised and excited that the seaside is there. If you have lost that feeling (or never had it) I can only prescribe living in Meriden for 10 years and then coming back!

Risky Cycling

Most car drivers have experiences of cyclists not following the highway code especially well, and I know the reverse is also true. Last night when it was dark I saw a cyclist wearing dark shades with no  front lights riding at speed towards a mini-roundabout. (he did have a rear light, strangely). You have have to hand it to him, that's quite a combination of risks to take on: not being able to see, not being very visible on approach and a mini-roundabout. Just needed a lion on the loose to complete the scene.

Christmas Tree Festival

Morecambe Parish Church is up and running with the 2010 Festival. Open 2-30 to 8pm Thu & Fri, 10am-8pm Sat, and after church (approx 11-15) to 2-30pm on Sunday. 74 trees to see.

£1 admission for adults. Children free. 
Tea/coffee/squash, biccies and cakes on sale all the time.
Light lunches served on Saturday
All profit goes to charity, once essential expenses have been met.

Advert over. Here's a blurry piccie from my phone





-- Post From My iPhone

Elgar on BBC4

Image via WikipediaAlthough I will be over in church for some music he probably wouldn't approve of, I'll be recording the BBC4 programme on Edward Elgar this evening. One of my precedessors as Rector of Morecambe Parish Chuch, Canon Gorton, befriended Elgar and persuaded him to take part in the Morecambe Music Festivals. All this was at the turn of the 19/20th century. Elgar stayed here in the Rectory, and it's been fun to speculate whether the bedroom locally referred to as 'the Elgar room' is actually the one. I have sometimes wondered if he was thinking about any of his famous works as he looked out across the garden.

Late Afternoon, Morecambe Prom

Took this while walking the dog. As it came out rather well, I thought I'd share it.

Yvonne Lyon and Gareth Davies-Jones in concert

We're looking forward to hosting this concert at Morecambe Parish Church. Two great singer-songwriters are coming to us on September 10th. Tickets on sale now.
A high-res version of the poster can be downloaded by clicking on the image below, or clicking here

Celebration

Debbie and I hadn't planned to do anything to mark 20 years ordained, but somehow it leaked to people who get things done in the parish. Result: a surprise party and celebration after church on Sunday. Great company, food and wine ensued.

Thanks to Jacqui for great cake. Should be working our way through that for a while yet.

Meanwhile if you'd like to see how it looked 20 years ago, you can have a laugh at this:

Doesn't seem that long ago. That's outside Southwell Minster, with (seated) the Bishop of Southwell, Pat Harris in the middle, David Leaning on the left (the Archdeacon of Newark, later Provost/Dean of Southwell), Archdeacon Clive Handford on the right, who became Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf and then President Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and Middle East and to his right the DDO, Ian Bunting. I won't name the rest but yes, that's me on the left at the back.

An Eventful Saturday

It was quite a day. The morning was filled with the Run 4 the World fun run. R4TW is organised by Martin Bateman, and runs took place on the same day all around the world. 3/4 of the money raised goes to 3 projects around the world, with 25% going to a local concern. Morecambe Promenade saw 240 runners (the biggest single group worldwide) and so far nearly £4,000 raised. I foolishly ran most of the 5km and the legs are suffering now. Maybe next year I'll actually prepare for it. Respect to the front guys who did it in 18 minutes or so, especially with the wind against us in the 2nd half.

Then in the afternoon, off to Christie Park to witness Morecambe beating Aldershot 1-0 to get into the play-offs. Gary Hunter nicely tapping in a Paul Mullin cross sealed the deal. Morecambe actually finished 4th, so get the second leg of the semi-final at home. Didn't expect that earlier in the season. It was originally to be the final game at the old ground, but now there will be one more. Biggest crowd since the 1940s gave it a fantastic atmosphere. League 1 for the new ground? It's still possible.

It isn't decided yet

And that's only the football. I'm looking forward to the last home league match at Christie Park on Saturday. Morecambe play promotion rivals Aldershot and one point would be enough to guarantee the Shrimps make the League 1 play-offs, which is quite an achievement for a club still fairly new to the League. It's great that the final match will have a cup-final feel. Morecambe are one of three Lancashire seaside towns with serious promotion hopes. Blackpool play Forest for a chance of Premiership football next season, and a bit further down the football hierarchy, Fleetwood are in the Blue Square North play-off final. Sadly Lancaster City FC lost their final to Colwyn Bay, having finished over 20 points ahead of them in the League.

Given the season has been full of surprises (who's have guessed Spurs 4th and Fulham in a European final?) I wouldn't want to make any firm predictions, but wouldn't it be great for the Shrimps to start their first season at the new stadium in League 1? I hope they make it.

This morning I also heard an item on the potential for the great British seaside to have a good season with the recession (not to mention volcanic ash) limiting people's ambitions to travel abroad. The reporter was in Skegness, which was the nearest seaside to where I grew up in Nottingham. When I was a kid, I remember Skeggy and Mablethorpe were full of Nottingham people, the shops sold the Nottingham Evening Post and the pubs sold Nottingham beer. In the same way, I gather that Morecambe was the resort of choice for some northern cities and towns, especially Bradford. Hopefully this trend for domestic holidays might bring new money, jobs and prosperity here this year.

Chain Saw Sculpture

For the last couple of days we have been watching Tim Burgess, a chain-saw sculptor, transform two tree stumps into the figures of a fisherman and fisherwoman.

The stumps were of two dead elm trees at the lower end of Morecambe cemetery, and it was felt that they ought to be turned into something which said something about the history and heritage of the local area. This is all part of the work going on to improve the general condition of the cemetery and to enhance it. Wild flowers, a conservation area and a guide to some of the more interesting gravestones is all part of the programme of improvements.


A lot of the carving is done with two petrol chain-saws, with some detail done with electric tools. It's quite extraordinary how he does it, and the quality of the results he has managed to produce. The finished products will look even better when the wood has been treated with the appropriate oil.

Meanwhile, I gather Tim himself will soon be competing for Britain in a chain-saw carving competition against German opposition. We wish him all the best with that. As long as there isn't a penalty shoot-out he'll be fine.

Here's a quick bit of video of Tim in action this morning.

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• Creativity in the Cemetery (mikepeat.blogspot.com)

Creativity in the Cemetery

Next to the churchyard of Holy Trinity, Poulton-le-Sands is one of Morecambe's cemeteries. Although not especially large, it's the resting place of many hundreds of former residents of our town, including relatives of Eric Morecambe and Thora Hird. I officiated at a burial in the cemetery just before Christmas, which was quite an unusual event - the first the undertaker had done there for about 13 years. We're not sure if anyone will ever claim any more of the remaining spaces in family plots, so it can't be deemed full and closed yet.

In the meantime, we're trying to make it a more pleasant environment to walk, explore and also discover the heritage of the town, or family tree information. As part of that, two dead elm trees are being carved into figures, representing the history of Poulton-le-Sands, so the first is well on the way to becoming a fisherman. The pic below shows one of the trees waiting to be carved, whilst the other one is taking shape

Election Hustings Meeting

We have an election hustings meeting at:

Poulton-le-Sands War Memorial Hall,
Church Street,
Morecambe
on 2 May at 3pm,

organised by local churches.

Questions must be submitted in advance, and to avoid rush on the day we're asking for them 48hrs beforehand, so we can circulate them to the candidates who are attending.

Lent Blog 23: A Church Near You

Just noticed our stats for our "A Church Near You" pages online. Apparently we've had over 760 hits since 20 Oct when I activated our site. Not a complete waste of time, then.

Should you ever be interested, we're http://www.achurchnearyou.com/mpc

Lent Blog 21: Coastal town renewal

Image via Wikipedia

It was good to see the announcement that 25 English coastal resorts are to receive investment. The long decline of the British seaside has taken its toll on many locations, including Morecambe where I live now. The investment we have received in the renewal of the Promenade. the Midland hotel and, of course, the Eric Morecambe statue has made a significant difference, but there is still a long way to go.

Before I moved here, I was more familiar with places like Skegness, Mablethorpe and Great Yarmouth, which have also suffered badly since the advent of the cheap European holidays.

What's sometimes less obvious is fact that cutbacks in rail services from major centres of population also had their impact. There used to be a comprehensive set of rail services from the big cities of Yorkshire to Morecambe. There are still trains to Leeds, but the more direct route has been closed. Likewise back in the 60s, the line to Mablethorpe was supposed to stay open, but was closed, and Skegness is at the end of a winding rail route through Lincolnshire.

Inevitable all of these resorts are at the 'end of line', so they need very good transport feeds to make them thrive. I'm not sure £5 million shared between 25 locations is really going to make that much difference, and I doubt there will be much for transport.

I was also interested to see Skegness and Mablethorpe listed as "East Midlands" I know they used to be referred to as Nottingham-by-the-sea, but that is stretching a point!