June 2021 – Notes from Bambi

Just Walking

Sister Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A., once observed that “the quest for justice demands that I walk in ways that I never walked before, that I talk and think and pray and learn and grow in ways that are new to me.”(Quoted from Who Shall be Welcome in God’s Tent, by Andrew Remick, 2019)

When I walk, I walk in Beauty,

Beauty, beauty everywhere.

When I walk I walk in Beauty,

Beauty, beauty like a prayer.

This verse, that I sometimes sing when walking, is based on a Native American saying.

This week in Canada, more mass graves were found of First Nations People, buried anonymously in land formerly occupied by a Christian school.

This week I visited a Parish church in Derbyshire where a 15th century tomb displays effigies of two people who may or may not be those for whom the tomb is named.

That church itself is dedicated to John the Baptist, memorable for loosing his head for confronting an abuse of power.

Most of the time I walk in a green valley where the only memorials are in a small deserted graveyard where a few headstones remember those who laboured to build the system of reservoirs that were constructed in the 19th century to bring a cleaner water supply to the city of Manchester.

A view of Torrside, one of the reservoirs of Longdendale

In this small valley it is is usually easy to see beauty: it’s all around me.

St James church, Woodhead, where some of those who constructed the Longdendale reservoirs are remembered.

But what is beauty and who says?

Is beauty more easily found in over grazed pastures and moorland managed for shooting imported game birds or in the withering branches of a tree dying slowly from an imported disease?

Since walking the End to End in 2019, a feat that is to me both incredible and credible, I’ve had a lot of questions about walking through the world around me, much of which has happened during a lockdown due to a global pandemic. Walking is also the basis of my daily worship, the rhythm of my prayer and the means of processing my thoughts.

I was glad to find the words of Sister Bowman. I am committed to walking in ways that are new to me, in ways I’ve never walked before as I learn, think and pray in these new ways.

From my remembered bible: It is the narrow way that leads to life.

Walk with me.

Janet Lees 25.06.2021, in Longdendale, Derbyshire.

Footsteps

We’ve had a week walking in East Yorkshire with some lovely weather. We were based at the lovely oasis that is Acorn Glade.

A small wildlife haven and people restorer that is a home from home, with lovely, welcoming hosts, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s also handy for many fine walks and COVID secure.

We were picking up on some of our previous East Yorkshire routes.

Starting at Selby on day 1 I walked to Riccall on the TPT. We were last at Selby on 24th August 2020. Riccall has a great deli for picnic items which are an essential accompaniment to a hot summer.

Day 2 saw me start again in Beverley, where we left off on 11th September 2020. Unfortunately in the mean time the corner Co-op has closed. Good thing we got those picnic items the previous day. My first visit was to Beverley Minister where John of Beverley is remembered by a skilful piece of embroidery. After leaving Beverley I was on the Rail Trail route of the old railway line to Market Weighton.

Day 3 saw me start that again at Kiplingcoates and while I ambled along to the Kiplingcoates Nature Reserve in a disused chalk pit, Bob began to other side of Market Weighton and came towards me. There were many common blue out, or uncommon common blue as I called them: the first I’d seen this year. We eventually met at St Helen’s Well, which was a cool shady spot on what had by now become a very hot day.

Day 4 began at the A163, where Bob had been the day before, and I took the Bubwith Rail Trail to Bubwith. This one won the award for Route of the Week, it’s quiet, green, well maintained straightness made it an ideal walking route for us. We also saw a partial eclipse of the sun on the way. At Bubwith, ice cream can be had at the Jug and Bottle in the High Street.

Day 5 began at Bubwith, with the last section of the line through what the locals called Dingle Dell, a beautiful green path to where the bridge runs out over the Derwent. From there it was down the riverside path and small roads. I met Bob at Wressle at the Parish Church of St John of Beverley. A more modern building, John’s reputation has survived locally for more than a thousand years. It’s Bede who recalls him in his Ecclesiastical History and may have known him as a young man. What came across to me from the various accounts was his humility and peacemaking. May such gifts of leadership be valued and promoted by us all.

Our week ended at Bamby Barrage where freshwater Derwent meet salty Ouse. We were last here on 25th August 2020 when I was walking east on the TPT. We had one of our picnics in the car park. It was a lovely week to ‘join up some dots’ in East Yorkshire and we plan another visit in September when we shall return to see Acorn Glade in Autumn glory.

From my remembered bible: Show me your ways, O God. May my path be straight.

Walk on

Janet Lees, in East Yorkshire, 7th to 11th June 2021. I hope to add photographs over the next few days.

Green

It isn’t so long ago that I recall all the Sunday’s after Pentecost were numbered. The numbers varied depending on when in the year Pentecost fell and that in turn depended on when Easter had been celebrated. Anyway, there were always a lot of Sunday’s after Pentecost. Time enough to forget the life changing power of the Spirit and sink back into post-Pentecost lethargy.

More recently a different habit has been suggested. The period after Pentecost should be considered as Creation Time and celebrated with this in mind. A time to take a look at our world and celebrate the diverse stories that the word Creation embodies.

For me the colour green is one of my favourites. The valley is currently full of all things green: so many shades, so many species. Words cannot describe them all. I go to green places and drink it in like some kind of environmental smoothie. It all reminds me of walking through the green on my End to End in 2019, every green day of it.

How green is my valley? (the Hope Valley in Derbyshire)

A blade of grass is a solar panel of cells making energy freely from sunlight. I salute each one. At the moment we are waiting for the report on Roughfields to see if the local council agrees to ‘Keeping it Rough’. I have reported on the myriad of species that makes a home on Roughfields throughout the year. Creation time is not just after Pentecost, it’s life long.

From the remembered bible: We shall go out joyfully and the trees will applaud loudly.

May we keep it green!

JAL in Longdendale, another green valley in Derbyshire, 02.06.2021