Ancient Ways Are Not Passe

There are more thatched roofs in the UK and Ireland than in any other European country but Winkle Street, in the quaint Village of Calbourne, on the Isle of Wight, England is one of the most charming displays of this ancient roofing technique. There, most all the dwellings employ this three century year-old, quintessential English way to provide covering for one's home ensuring warmth in winter and cool in summer. Once employed only by the poor, it now has become the choice of affluent people, a sign of wealth rather than poverty.

Thatched roofs can be made from straw, sedge, rushes and heather, but most preferably water reed. The availability of good quality thatching straw declined in England after the introduction of the combine harvester in the late 1930s-40s and the release of short-stemmed wheat varieties. The increasing use of nitrogen fertiliser in the 1960s-70s also weakened straw. However, since the 1980s, specialist farmers have returned to growing heritage varieties of wheat in organic conditions.

Interestingly, 80% of the water reed used in the UK is now imported from Turkey, Eastern Europe and China. It requires 4-5 acres of reed to thatch an average house. Depending on the type and quality of materials used, a new thatch lasts between 15-35years. Thatch is quite adept at shedding water, it is a renewable resource and a way to properly preserve historic buildings.

Nesting birds can end up making a hole in the pocket of the thatch. Squirrels are particularly fond of hiding their nuts in thatch in the autumn. But the worst damage is caused by rats, which gain access to the roof space and then burrow their way through the thatch. So vigilance and the right precautionary measures are essential.

Perhaps the prophet Jeremiah sat under a thatched roof as he wrote, 'stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls' (Jeremiah 6:16). According to Jeremiah, it seems that ancient ways are not all passe. Just like thatched roofs, returning to certain former ways has merit.

If you'd care to see a demonstration depicting the complexity involved in thatching a roof, check out the following YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrmhXww92Lk&feature=related

Sculling the Thames

Each summer, the Maidenhead Rowing Club offers courses in Learning 2 Row. Each Monday and Wednesday for four weeks throughout the summer, small groups are groomed in the art of sculling. Where better to learn this sport, I thought, as Britain is among the world's leading rowing nations as evidenced by the many Olympian medals and annual regattas.

Acquiring this skill has fulfilled a personal lifetime dream. I remember as a youth, being impressed watching an American television report portrait of an eighty-seven year old British grand dame rowing in the early morning mist near Harvard University. She made the exercise look deceptively effortless.

Somehow I thought that rowing was about strength and endurance. While those are necessary requisites, the key quality required is balance. Seating oneself on a scull is comparable to straddling a toothpick in the midst of the Thames River while hoping to remain dry.

As I find myself once again in the viewing stand for the women's (17-19 June 2010) and men's (4th July weekend) regattas at Henley-on-the-Thames, I'll be focused on the gingerly balance and synchronized efforts of these pros - two essentials that constitute life. God grant us both these qualities in liberal measure as we seek to serve Him, others and self.

Newbold Students Talk with Google

Today marked an important 'first' in history, when Newbold College students Jose Escobar, business major and NSA President, and Fanni Tuske, English literature major joined the Principal for a presentation organised by the Bracknell Forest Chamber of Commerce (purportedly the largest Chamber in the UK) at Ascot Racecourse.

The presenter was Richard Robinson, Head of Google's Business Markets. Robinson focused on how businesses can maximize their impact in today's market via the internet, he shared some of the strategies behind Google's success and he predicted that cloud computing and use of mobile devices (smart phones) to access information to be the current sweeping trend. Laptops are fast fading - handheld devices are 'in'. Anyone with a web presence in today's market would have deemed this presentation to be cutting edge!

The Principal, newly elected member of the Chamber of Commerce Council, has been asked to head an initiative intended to engage the educational and business sectors in more meaningful ways. Today was the maiden voyage of such an endeavour.

British Bobbies

Where does the term 'bobby' originate?

Sir Robert Peel is acknowledged by many as one of Britain's greatest statesmen of the 19th century. He served as a member of parliament, home secretary and twice prime minister. He has been seen as both the founder and betrayer of the Conservative Party and also the real founder of the Liberal Party. However, his greatest achievement was creating the modern British police force, affectionately referred to as 'bobbies', derived from Sir Robert Peel's nickname, 'Bobby'.

Pageantry and Symbolism

The announcement read, 'The Mayor Councillor Ulla Karin Clark cordially invites Dr Jane Sabes to attend her official installation as Town Mayor of Wokingham in the Town Hall on Tuesday 11th May 2010.'

There everyone was in royal robes and regalia - the town crier, the macebearer and mayor's attendant and chaplain, the town council, the mayor's consort, Lady Elizabeth Godsal, holder of the Office of High Steward appointed by the Queen and other honourable dignitaries. Formal nominations were read to appoint the new mayor with subsequent formal speeches seconding the nomination. The same process followed for appointing the Deputy Mayor. Then came the acceptance speeches and appointment of honorary constable, honorary parade marshall, honorary meteorologist, and honorary translator. Those congregated concluded the service with a rousing rendition of God Save the Queen.

A few months prior to this auspicious occasion, Jan Pearce, dear friend from Stanborough Press, gifted me with a treasure from her library, The English Ceremonial Book - A History of Robes, Insignia and Ceremonies still in use in England authored by Roger Milton. This is a 'must read', background knowledge necessary to understand the significance of such ceremonies.

I am convinced that no one does pageantry and pomp quite like the British! It is absolutely beautiful to behold, sends chills up my spin and creates a large lump in my throat. Most importantly, I offer Brits my sincerest gratitude for these official occasions that help me visualize just how majestic it will be when we someday participate in crowning our Saviour the Lord of all lords, the King of all kings.

Church Official and Students Converse

You should have been part of today's lunch and afternoon discussion, conversation between 20 Newbold students and Lowell Cooper, Vice President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

The occasion of Cooper's visit to Newbold College is to provide Board training at this Sunday's spring meeting. But, it seemed important to include a conversation between students and church leadership, to assure youth that the Church leadership welcomes, even actively seeks their input.

Newbold College of Higher Education is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Church has a global membership rapidly approaching 20 million, with 66,000 churches and an equal number of 'companies' (fledgling churches), operating nearly 8,000 schools, 750 hospitals, clinics, retirement centres and orphanages, 61 publishing houses and 116 ADRA (Adventist Disaster Relief Agency) offices located throughout 232 countries of the world and regularly employing 891 languages to share God's love.

As you might imagine, the students' questions reflected the youth and international character found at Newbold College and within the Church. The students wanted to hear what plans the Church leaders have to ensure proper representation of young people at the upcoming world church quinquennial gathering, how initiatives designed to better communicate the gospel to the modern mind(e.g. traveling theatrical companies) might secure funding for their innovative work and how we can retain individual culture while remaining a global church.

The most poignant observation Cooper offered, to my mind, was that 'we are not called to individualism; rather, we are called to community.' It is true. Psychologists claim that the most common malady suffered by society today is a sense of alienation. And so, perhaps we should focus less on consensus and more on a commitment to one another. After all, family is defined, not so much by being alike but by being in love.

The Bulls Eye

Crown glass was the most commonly used type of glass for window panes until the 19th century. The process was first perfected by French glassmakers in the 1320s and kept a trade secret for many years. Crown glass began to be made in London in 1678.

Window panes were made by blowing a bubble, then spinning it until flat. This produced a sheet of glass that left a bump, or crown, in the centre. The thinnest, most desirable glass was at the edge of the disk while the glass became thicker and more opaque toward the centre. This thickening of the centre piece produced a distortion through which everything looked curiously wavy, and the glass itself was seen to be faulty and uneven. Thus, the 'bulls eye' was reserved for less expensive homes or for the more inconspicuous windows in costlier dwellings.

By the end of the 19th century, mass-produced flat glass, such as my grandfather and uncle used to install in school houses, replaced the old method. However, this once least desirable portion of crown glass has become the 'in thing' to have in one's home with a price tag to match. Curious, items that once were considered least desirable have become priceless.

This photo was taken of an office window pane along the docks in Liverpool but I've found crown glass being installed in upscale restaurants of Maidenhead and trendy home remodellings.

I do hope that you enjoy my sharing yet another example of new knowledge I've gained since coming to England. Wishing you happy wanderings and unanticipated encounters as well.