A Wonderful Treat Helen and I were so surprised and delighted to receive, out of the blue, an invitation to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. Of course Royal protocol has to be observed! The initial invitation came from the Lord Lieutenant’s Office. He was ‘minded to put our names forward. Would we accept?’ The Queen can’t invite directly, just in case we might want to say no! Say no!? We replied the same day! Then, we were told, we must keep it quiet until the official invitation came through. And come it did – eventually. We began to wonder if it was all a joke! Nevertheless, the time was well spent, after all Helen had NOTHING to wear in her wardrobes(s)! Dress, hat, shoes, handbag. I’
Whilst on a church visit recently, I came across the article below in the magazine. Our Welcome is something we shall be looking at over the next few months, so I thought it might be good reading for us. Fr Andrew “ …….how good are we, as churches, in being a genuine family—a family where the lonely, the struggling, the tempted, can find a home and friendship and compassion and support. As I churned these thoughts in my mind I was taken back to a conversation with someone who works in the diocese and visits many different churches on Sundays. His wife usually goes with him, and usually incognito. “I have to say,” he remarked, “that the welcome she has received has mostly been appalling.” It