Quarterly magazine of Trinity Methodist Church, Shifnal

1. The Magazine of The Trinity Methodist Church, Shifnal Vol.121: Easter 2023
What is black and white, xxx metres long and people
in Shifnal can’t stop talking about it?
Minister Rev Hendry Ponniah and his wife Rita proudly present their granddaughter Lyla
Mae Hendry. Congratulations to Josh and Lucy on the birth of Lyla Mae from all at Trinity.

2. 2
Hendry Ponniah
Easter Message 2023:
“Hope in hopeless-
ness” [Ezekiel 37: 1-14]
Greetings in the Name of our
Risen Saviour!
“I prophesied as he
commanded me, and the
breath came into them,
and they lived, and stood on
their feet, a vast
multitude.” [Ezekiel 37: 10]
We are living in times of great
uncertainty. What is the ‘new
normal’? Moral values seem to
be eroding faster than ever and
church attendances are declining
to a historic low level. Immorality
appears to be the new morality.
Three years after Covid-19’s first
impact on the world, we now
have the war in Ukraine,
devastating earthquakes in
Turkey and Syria, record high
energy prices and a cost-of-living
crisis forcing ever more people to
use Food Banks. For the first
time ever, the 2021 Census says
Britain is not a majority Christian
country. A Scottish politician who
is a practicing Christian is
criticised for sharing her Christian
values and may be rejected as a
leadership candidate because of
this. As a Church, we can accuse
the world - but have we diluted
our own Christian values?
Perhaps we can learn lessons
from the Old Testament prophet
Ezekiel - and, in particular, how
God gives us hope in
hopelessness. Ezekiel gave
hope to his people in an
impossible situation. The
resurrection of Jesus gives us
hope in our hopeless situation.
God’s Spirit brought Ezekiel to
the middle of a valley full of very
dry bones [37: 1-2]. He was
given a vision to
recognise the
hopelessness of his
people: “Our bones are
dried up, and our hope is
lost; we are cut off
completely.” [37: 11].
Likewise, the death of
Jesus brought
disappointment and
despair to his followers.
Looking at our churches
today, we may feel the
same as the ancient
Israelites or Jesus’
disciples. But God asked
Ezekiel “Son of man, can these
bones live?” A very tricky
question! He did not say either
“Yes” or “No”, but gave a wise
answer: “O Sovereign Lord, you
alone know.” [37: 3]. God wanted
Ezekiel to release the power to
bring about a mighty miracle. But
a true transformation would only
come when the very dry bones
heard the Word of the Lord. It is
the same today: when the
Church hears the Word of God
and allows God’s Spirit to come
upon us, it enables us to
experience the Resurrection
power.
God commanded Ezekiel to
prophesy to the dry bones and, in
faith and obedience, he did so.
And “the breath came into them,
and they lived, and stood on their
feet, a vast multitude” [37: 10]. In
times of great need, God’s true
power will come upon us - and
we too will be able to experience
and realise the potential. How
often, in our churches, we
struggle on our own and become
frustrated or despondent. We
may feel dry, empty and bankrupt
and achieve very little or nothing.
But the encouragement we
receive from the apostle Paul is:
“I want to know Christ and the
power of his resurrection”
Philippians 3: 10]. Only in the
power of the Risen Christ will we
be able to emerge as victors. Not
resuscitation but resurrection. In
Christ, we are more than
conquerors.
The lesson we learn is that, in
Christ, there is hope in any
situation and every situation.
Nothing is beyond redemption.
So, let us rely on the
Resurrection power the living
Christ.
After darkness, light;
after winter, spring;
after dying, life:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia
Come whatever may,
God will have his way;
welcome, Easter Day
Alleluia! Alleluia!
StF 292: Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)
My family and I wish you and
your family a blessed Easter.
May you experience the victory
and power of the Risen Saviour
in your life.
In His Love,
Hendry Ponniah

3. 3
During the heavy rain and strong winds late last
autumn we had one or two leaks through the roofs
of our Church premises. A full detailed aerial
survey was carried out and numerous areas were
identified requiring attention. Some need to be
addressed urgently and others will need attention
in the foreseeable future. This is to be expected
with a building nearly 150 years old.
In addition to being a place of Christian worship
and witness, our Church premises are valued and
well used by the local community as a place to
gather for meetings and for various social
activities.
To repair the more urgent work is going to cost at
least £12,500 for starters and a recent Church
meeting agreed to proceed with this as soon as
we have sufficient funds. Therefore, we are
appealing to everyone to support us in raising the
funds required.
At the time of writing a Gift Day for freewill
donations is planned for Saturday 25th
March
2023 as is an Easter Fayre on the same day
with a wide variety of items to buy,
refreshments and light lunches, to kick
start our fund-raising efforts.
Donations by bank transfer can be made
to Trinity Methodist Church Shifnal, Sort
Code 20 85 46, Account number
00888818, Reference “Roof Appeal”.
Cheques made payable to the same
Church account name would also be
very welcome.
Anyone donating who pays tax can also complete
a Gift Aid form which will enable the Church to
claim a further 25% of the donation from the
Government. For example, for every £10 given
we could claim £2.50 or £100 we could claim £25
in Gift Aid.
A Gift Aid form, which can be downloaded from
our website www.shifnalmethodist.co.uk, can be
attached to an email addressed to
trinityshifnal@gmail.com or posted to
Trinity Methodist Church, Victoria Road, Shifnal,
TF11 8AE.
Cheque can also be posted to the same address.
Please be as generous as you can.
Do support the fund raising and we welcome
any offers of help or offers to arrange a
fund-raising event in support of our appeal.
We are hoping to raise sufficient funds to ena-
ble work to start in April.

4. 4
Over the past eight months the two
congregations of Trinity and St. Andrew’s
have begun to forge closer working
relations. Having worked together to host
the wonderful Methodist Ordination
Service last summer, more opportunities
have been found to share services, and
by using both sets of premises we have
worked together to provide Warm Spaces
and Christmas Day Lunches. Especially
for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
and on a number of Sunday’s when we
have not been able to have preachers for
Trinity, it has been good to join together
for worship at St. Andrew’s.
Looking further ahead we are considering
other ways of sharing our buildings.
Trinity and St. Andrew’s will continue to
provide places of worship and fellowship,
and it is important that we allow our
church to continue being used for
community activities as at present. At the
same time, as Trinity has more flexible
areas in the church and hall, and as the
Trinity hall and kitchen offer better
facilities than St .Andrew’s, working in
partnership together we are beginning to
explore other ways to provide
opportunities for Christian outreach and
service.
If we are successful in developing this
new and closer partnership, there will be
benefits for both our congregations. In
time we will be able to manage and plan
the best way of using our premises as
joint resources, and that will make it
possible to explore more and different
ways in which to share God’s love and
provide contexts in which more can learn
and consider Christian life and faith.
He’s in the
garden shed
along with all the
other clutter I
don’t want in the
house

5. 5
Church Leaders from the Methodist
Church, the United Reformed Church
and the Baptist Union have signed the
following joint statement expressing
opposition to the government’s new
‘Illegal Migration Bill’:
We are appalled by the proposals in the
government’s ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ to
detain, punish and reject thousands of
people seeking safety. They are
completely incompatible with our
Christian conviction that all human beings
are made in the image of God, and are
therefore inherently worthy of treatment
which honours their dignity. Instead of
dignity, these plans will foster
discrimination and distrust, and cause
immeasurable harm to people already
made vulnerable by conflict and
persecution. If ever there was a
contemporary example of ignoring our
neighbour and walking by on the other
side, this is it.
When two in three people who cross the
channel to seek sanctuary in the UK are
granted asylum following rigorous checks,
it seems unthinkable to reject them before
they have even had a chance to have
their claim for asylum heard. Many people
fleeing war and persecution in countries
such as Iraq, Iran, Syria, Eritrea and
Sudan have been left with no safe and
accessible routes to claim asylum in the
UK, forcing people to make difficult and
dangerous decisions. The UK falls far
behind our global neighbours in
welcoming people seeking sanctuary into
our communities, and yet these plans
essentially put a ban on claiming asylum
and reject the UK’s responsibility to play
our part in responding to global
inequalities and conflict.
We all agree that we cannot continue to
see thousands of people risk their lives to
reach safety in the UK, but the solution
cannot be deterrence and punishment. As
Christians, we believe that we should be
amongst the first to welcome the stranger
with open arms. We urge the government
to withdraw this legislation, to honour our
moral and international obligations and to
behave with compassion and fairness by
establishing safe and accessible routes to
enable the UK to play its part in
welcoming people in need of safety.
Signed by
Revd Fiona Bennett, URC General
Assembly Moderator
Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary of
the Baptist Union
Revd Graham Thompson, President of
the Methodist Conference
Anthony Boateng, Vice-President of the
Methodist Conference
Revd Graham Thompson,
President of the Methodist Conference

6. 6
For the past year we have been horrified by the
scale of the violence in Ukraine. Russia’s invasion
failed to depose the legitimately elected
government in Ukraine. Tragically, it has been
responsible for tens of thousands of deaths of
Ukrainians and Russians, both civilians and
military. Atrocities have been committed that will
leave physical and mental scars on those living in
Ukraine’s war zones and no doubt on perpetrators
as well. Our hearts go out to those who have lost
loved ones, those whose lives and dreams have
been destroyed, families that have been
separated and all those who have sought
sanctuary in another country.
Our churches have worked with the government
to help shape the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Over 150,000 people have sought shelter in the
UK. Our church members are well represented
among the many who have provided
accommodation, while many local churches have
provided further support. Sadly still more people
are being forced out of Ukraine today. Only an
end to the conflict can provide the relief that the
people of Ukraine so desperately need. Our
prayers are for the people of both Ukraine and
Russia, for peace and justice, and for an outcome
that ensures the future security of all in the region.
Revd Graham Thompson
President of the Conference of the Methodist
Church in Britain
Statement and Prayer on the first anniversary of the war
A Prayer for Ukraine
God of peace and love, we turn to you and open
our hearts again for the people of Ukraine as we
mark the first anniversary of the war. We confess
that we only know a little of the past and current
suffering as we watch and listen to the news from
the comfort of our homes. Yet, we dare to pray for
the future and ask that you work among us to bring
about a lasting peace for the Ukrainian people.
And, as we do, we ask you to comfort the afflicted
and afflict the comfortable - even us - as we pray
in the Name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.
Methodists for Ukraine:
Apply to host a Ukraine
family
As Russia’s war in Ukraine evolves, its impact on
the people of Ukraine is being felt in new ways.
Attacks on civilian centres and shutdown of key
infrastructure has forced many to flee this winter.
Thousands are still hoping to come to the UK, but
suitable hosts are in short supply.
It is still as important as ever for those who
can to come forward and offer their help. If you
have the means to do so, please host a refugee
through the Methodist Church.
https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/news/latest-news/all-news/statement-and-prayer-on-the-first-
anniversary-of-the-war-in-ukraine/

7. 7
The UK Government has
introduced a requirement for
voters to show photo ID when
voting at a polling station at
some elections.
This new requirement will apply
for the first time in England at
the local elections on Thursday,
May 4th, 2023.
Which forms of ID can I use
to vote?
You may already have a form
of photo ID that is accepta-
ble. You can use any of the
following:
• Passport
• Driving licence
(including provisional
license)
• Blue badge
• Certain concessionary
travel cards
• Identity card with PASS
mark (Proof of Age
Standards Scheme)
• Biometric Immigration
document
• Defence identity card
• Certain national identity
cards
For more information on which
forms of photo ID will be
accepted, visit
electoralcommission.org.uk/
voterID or call their helpline on
0800 328 0280.
If you don't have an accepted
form photo ID
If you don't already have an
accepted form of photo ID, or
you're not sure whether your
photo ID still looks like you, you
can apply for a free voter ID
document, known as a Voter
Authority Certificate.
You can apply for this at
Voter-authority certificate.
service.gov.uk from Monday
16 January 2023
Alternatively, you can complete
a paper application form and
send this to the electoral
services team at your local
council.
If you need any help with
applying for a Voter Authority
Certificate or want to request
an application form, contact
your local council. To find their
contact details visit
electoralcommission.org.uk/
voter.
Find out more
If you have any questions or
would like to find out more, go
to electoralcommission.org.uk/
voterID, or call their helpline on
0800 328 0280.
A big thank you to all the ladies who prepared the church for our recent Mothering Sunday service.

8. 8
Although many will have already
heard the news, it is with the
greatest sadness that the Circuit
announces the death of Mr Leon
Murray JP, MBE who passed
away on Saturday the
14th January following a short,
serious illness. As someone who
has been such a major
contributor to the life of the
Circuit as a leader and local
preacher, and as a past
Vice-President of the Methodist
Conference who has provided
inspirational leadership to the
wider Methodist family, Leon is
someone of whom we are
immensely proud.
Leon has also been involved
greatly in industry with his work
with GKN; has been a
much-involved and respected
local Councillor and a Mayor of
Telford; he was a JP and served
on the Telford Youth Bench and
significantly was a Deputy
Lieutenant of the County and
was awarded an MBE.
As a circuit we give thanks to
God for the life, work and service
of Leon Murray, a truly good and
faithful servant. We send to
Barbara, Christine and Rachel
and the family of whom he was
so loving and proud, our love and
prayers for God's comfort and care.
'The souls of the departed are with God. They are at peace.'

9. 9
LEON MURRAY
11 FEBRUARY 2023,
WELLINGTON METHODIST CHURCH
I greet you all in the Name of Christ, and wish
upon you the peace and blessings of God.
I am honoured to share in this service for Leon
at the invitation of Leon, and Barbara.
Every life, every person has a story to tell...the
story of our life.
Everyone’s story has worth and deserves to be
listened to and to be taken seriously.
To know a person is to understand a person’s
story.
And when a person dies, we begin to tell that
person’s story.
There are so many memories to share.
I know each one of us here has stories,
memories we could share of Leon.
I want to encourage you to share your memories
and stories of Leon.
I have no doubt that if invited each one would
have something to share this afternoon. Do that
later over some food and drink.
We have already heard beautiful reflections in
remembrance and thanksgiving of Leon. Thank
you.
In the context of my Pastoral Address, I want to
share just two/three special memories I have of
Leon.
Pioneer
Prophet
Preacher
Politician, and elder Statesman
I have lived for a while in Northern Ireland, and
have always loved walking along the Giant’s
Causeway, one of the wonders of the world.
I always remember there the giants on whose
shoulders I have stood to view the horizon, and
walked.
Leon is one such giant.
Indeed, Leon has been a role model and mentor
to me throughout my life in the Methodist
Church.
Our roots, for Leon and me, in Methodism are in
the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District.
Our memories go back to the time of District
Chairs Brian S O’Gorman and Nigel Gilson, all
the way down to Rachel Parkinson.
Leon was a pioneering leader who carved out a
leadership path for black and brown people
including me, and indeed for all in lay leadership.
He gave this leadership as a layman, alongside
other giants like Sybill Phoenix and Ivan Weeks.
In our District Synod, Leon upheld inclusion as a
goal, and was a champion for minority rights.
I recall how Leon and I proposed a resolution in
Synod for better representation of black
Methodists at every level, of the Methodist
Church.
Someone questioned our use of the concept of
justice. He wanted us to remove the word justice
from our resolution.
The District Chair asked us for a response.
I turned to Leon, and whispered in his ear, “this
one is for you”.
Leon stood up and addressing the person who
asked the question, Leon said, “Sir, if you don’t
like the word justice, I suggest you take your
copy of the Bible and remove all references to
justice in it, and you will find that this will leave
the Bible in shreds”.
There was nothing I needed to add, and Leon
had given me something very valuable to add to
my tool kit.
I am so glad Leon was able to write and share
his story and wisdom and passion in his
preaching and public speaking, and in his book
Being Black in Britain.
He had a real passion for justice. We saw this in
all he said and did.
I can still see him racing around on the floor of
the Methodist Conference, proposing this
resolution, promoting that person, quietly
pushing back at obstructing structures. He was a
strong voice for our Mission Alongside the Poor
programme, and spoke from his roots in local
church, community and politics.
He lived out John Wesley’s dictum: Go not to
those who need you, but to those who need you
most.
I supported and voted for his election as Vice
President of the British Methodist Conference,
the first Black Methodist in history to achieve the
highest lay Methodist Office, as such he was
justice, dignity and solidarity personified.
He was well supported by his companion
President of Conference, the Rev Chris Hughes
Smith, two like-minded people in partnership.
When I was President of the Methodist
Conference, the first District I visited was
Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury, of course.
Leon played a central role in my programme in
this District, and of course, he made sure I
visited his beloved Telford and Wrekin, and that
there was a civic reception here for me.
When he was installed as Vice President, Leon
used Jesus’ manifesto in Luke 4 as the gospel
passage to be read, and it is thoroughly
appropriate to have it read in this service in his
honour.
This was the first reading John Wesley used for
a sermon following his “warmed heart”

10. 10
experience.
John Wesley said this manifesto of Jesus is
fulfilled in all true ministers of the Gospel, and
that includes Leon.
He lived his life “in a manner worthy of the
Gospel” of Christ.
He upheld the poorest, the voiceless, the most
marginalised.
He proclaimed freedom from all debilitating
captivity and oppression.
He outlined for us a vision of a new world, where
all are equally valued, and all belong equally,
and enjoy the fulness of life.
There were those who welcomed this
proclamation from Leon, and there were those
who turned away.
But Leon always reflected Christlikeness, he
carried all that came his way with steely grace
and courage, and always as a gentle man.
Fortunately, Leon recorded some of his
experience and thinking in his book ‘Being Black
in Britain’, laying out there his challenge and
hope.
Leon was a blessing to Church and Society.
Those of who knew Leon, most of all his own
family, have all been well blessed.
Leon was well blessed, Barbara, to have you as
his lifelong soul mate.
He loved his family dearly, and spoke of you with
pride.
Leon always treated me with respect, and
anyone who does that is a friend for life.
I could share more memories.
We will do this later.
So, what about your memories of Leon?
Talk about Leon and remember him.
“Say not in death that she is no more; but say in
thankfulness that she lived”
(Rabindranath Tagore).
It is sad that all our stories end in death. Even
when death comes naturally and at the end of a
long and full life, we do not like a story that ends
like that.
We want our stories to end “and they lived hap-
pily ever afterwards”.
In the Gospel according to Luke there is a very
insightful story where, following Jesus’
crucifixion, two of his friends are recorded as
walking wearily back to their village Emmaus on
Easter day.
The story of Jesus, which had filled their lives
briefly with hope and meaning, had ended badly,
very badly. It ended with the death of their hero.
The fact that he died a violent death added to
the sadness and emptiness they were now
experiencing.
Their story was indeed a sad one.
But they were talking about it, which was a good
thing.
When Jesus joined them, he encouraged them
to talk about it. He showed sensitivity and
delicacy in joining them as a stranger. It is often
easier to share with a stranger. They poured out
their whole story to him. They told him the good
parts of it, and then its sad ending. For them
death signified the end of the story, the end of
the dream, the end of everything.
Having listened to them, Jesus took up the story
where they had left off. He opened their minds to
the fact that the cross, far from being the end of
the dream, was paradoxically the very means by
which it was realised.
“Was it not necessary that the Christ should
suffer and [so] enter into his glory?”
Then over a meal, in the breaking and sharing of
food their eyes were opened so that they were
able to recognise him.
The one who had died was alive and on the
journey with them!
So death did not have the last word in the story
after all.
The story had, after all, a brighter ending than
they could even have imagined.
Every human story is a story of a journey, the
journey of life.
Christ is with us, walking with us, on the journey
of life...for some this travelling companion is a
stranger, for some he is a friend. He is so close
to us that our stories merge with his. He shares
with us all that comes to us in life and death.
Today we affirm this in the name of Leon.
This is the faith that he has been firmly rooted in.
This is the faith that has shone from him. This is
the faith he has interpreted, proclaimed and
lived.
When all is said and done, Christ’s story helps
us to interpret and make sense of ours. And the
resurrection of Christ opens up all our stories to
the prospect of the fullness of life...life that is not
curtailed by death, life that in union with God
knows no bounds or bondage.
In Panjabi culture and language, when someone
dies, the prayer is: Apne Charna De Vich Niwas,
give to our loved one, O God, sanctuary in the
shelter of your being. This is my prayer for Leon.
We can celebrate and affirm today that Leon
knows the fullness of life in God.
Thanks be to God for Leon.
Inderjit Bhogal, 11 February 2023
Bibliography
Murray, L. 1995. Being Black in Britain. Chester House Publications, London
Phoenix, S. 1984. Willing Hands. Bible Reading Fellowship, Abingdon

11. 11
Dick Fosbury
died March 12,
2023 , aged 76.
His name is
forever linked
with the athletic
High Jump
event .
At school he
was not a
stand out ath-
lete but his pre-
ferred event
was the high
jump.
Most athletes in the early 1960’s High Jump
events would choose the scissor kick or western
roll (straddle ) style to perform high jump. It
made sense to land on your feet when most, if
not all jumping pits were filled with sand.
Having little success in his chosen event
Fosbury experimented with his style and
eventually developed a technique that improved
his results. The improvement wasn’t dramatic but
good enough to make him competitive.
Fosbury's key discovery using his adopted style
was the need to adjust his point of takeoff as the
bar was raised. His flight through the air
described a parabola and as the bar went up in
height, he needed more "flight time" so that the
top of his arc was achieved as his hips passed
over the bar. To increase "flight time," Fosbury
moved his takeoff farther and farther away from
the bar (and the pit).
In the late 1950s, early 1960s U.S. high schools
and colleges began to use foam rubber landing
pits. With the softer, elevated landing surface,
Fosbury was able to land safely. Fosbury did,
however, compress a couple of vertebrae in the
mid-1960s because not all high schools could
afford the upgraded landing materials.
At a competition that would decide the three
USA representatives at the Mexico Olympics
Fosbury was one of four men to
clear 2.18 m (7 ft 17
⁄8 in), but he
was in fourth place because of misses. The
bar was raised and Fosbury was one of three
to clear 2.20 m (7 ft 2+5
⁄8 in), A personal best for
all three. He was going to the Olympics.
At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Fosbury
took the gold medal and set a new Olympic
record at 2.24 m (7 ft 41
⁄4 in), displaying the
potential of the new technique.
Despite the initial skeptical reactions from the
high-jumping community, the "Fosbury Flop"
quickly gained acceptance.
At the Munich Olympics in 1972, 28 of the 40
competitors used Fosbury's technique, although
gold medalist Jüri Tarmak used the straddle
technique.
By 1980, 13 of the 16 Olympic finalists used it.
Of the 36 Olympic medalists in the event from
1972 through 2000, 34 used "the Flop", making it
the most popular technique in high jumping.
Fosbury, along with fellow Olympians Gary
Hall and Anne Cribbs, was a founder of World
Fit, a non-profit organization that promotes youth
fitness programs and Olympic ideals.
United States Olympic athletes and Paralympic
athletes adopt schools for life, promote a culture
of health and fitness for children, inspire students
about the importance of health and fitness, and
promote the Olympic values of perseverance,
respect and fair play.
Approximately 7,000 USA Olympians and
Paralympians are recruited by the USOP to
adopt at least one school, and speak annually to
its students about the importance of physical
fitness activities and a healthier lifestyle, and
promote school walk-
ing programs.
The Olympic athletes and
Paralympic athletes
encourage the students to
participate in the World Fit
Walk, which is held each
spring on the school’s
campus, where the
students, teachers and
family walk daily for six
weeks.
Dick Fosbury

12. 12
Dr Primrose Freestone
(BSc (Hons), PhD, PGCE)
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology,University of Leicester
https://theconversation.com/swimming-pools-v-wild-swimming-a-germs-expert-on-which-is-worse-199166
Wild swimming has grown
massively in popularity in
recent times. Not only is
swimming outdoors a pleasant way to enjoy the
sunshine, fresh air and green leafy
surroundings, it can also help to relieve stress
and elevate our endorphins. This creates a
sense of wellbeing as well as burning calories
and exercising muscles.
But along with the joys of outdoor swimming
come some dangers. Not only are wild
swimmers more at risk from tides, currents and
swells, there can also be nasty bugs and
bacteria lurking in the water. And with untreated
sewage regularly flowing into seas, rivers and
lakes across the country, it can be hard to find a
safe spot for a paddle.
Of course, swimming in a pool comes with
its own set of risks. Urinary tract infections, ear
infections and tummy bugs are the most
common illnesses caught here. Dirty pools can
also cause your eyes to sting and harbour all
sorts of bacteria and germs – including urine,
faeces and sweat. In many ways, swimming
pools are like a big bath filled with lots of
strangers.
But while it’s clear that swimming in outdoor
waters carries different risks from swimming in a
pool, the question of where’s safest to swim may
not seem immediately obvious. So where’s
cleanest for a dip: swimming pools, or rivers,
lakes, canals and the sea? Let’s look at the
evidence.
Toxic waters
Unlike swimming pools where waters are
carefully monitored, outdoor waters are
constantly changing in composition. This means
that chemicals can leach into wild waters from
nearby farms or industrial areas, animals can
defecate in water, and in certain areas human
sewage may be legally or otherwise dumped into
the water (if you can see pipes, do not get in).
There may not be signposts warning of local
dangers, and the presence of toxic agents might
not be obvious. When in doubt about
the chemical safety of outdoor waters, it’s better
to not enter them. If the water doesn’t look or
smell right, trust your instinct.
There are also natural hazards to outdoor waters
compared with pools, especially in the
summer. Blue–green algae is a type of bacteria
naturally found in lake ecosystems. In warm
summers, the algae tends to multiply and form
a powdery green scum (known as a bloom) on
the surface of the lake. This blue-green algae
bloom can release toxins which are harmful to
humans and occasionally lethal to pets.
Swimming in or swallowing water containing
toxin-releasing algal blooms can lead to skin
rashes, eye irritation, severe gastrointestinal
Bacteria and viruses
Diarrhoea is the most common illness linked to
open-water swimming, often due to sewage
contamination. You become ill if you
swallow contaminated water, which can contain
bacteria and viruses such as E.coli and
Norovirus.
Rats living in sewers adjacent to freshwater
rivers or canals can also carry in their urine the
bacterial pathogen Leptospira, which
causes Leptospirosis (Weil’s disease). The
infection occurs if soil or water from a lake, river
or canal that contains urine from infected
animals is swallowed, gets in a swimmer’s eyes
or a cut.
Leptospirosis can cause liver and kidney
damage, and may be fatal if left untreated. If you
develop flu or jaundice symptoms up to two
weeks after swimming in a river or canal, it may
be a good idea to ask your doctor for a
Leptospirosis test.
As for the sea, a 2018 study found that people
swimming in seawater were more likely to
experience infections of the ear, nose, throat and
gastrointestinal system than those who stayed
on the beach. So it’s a good idea to wash after
swimming in any outdoor waters, and certainly
before eating food.

13. 13
The verdict
When you add it all up, even with the possibility
of people peeing and pooping in the pool, a
managed swimming pool will always be a safer
environment for a swim. Especially when you
consider things like jellyfish stings and the
additional risks that come with swimming in cold
water.
Compared with a pool, wild swimmers are more
likely to become unwell from swimming in
outdoor water as there will always be
potentially disease-causing microbes present.
Swimming pool water, with adequate chlorine
disinfection levels and pH maintenance, is much
less likely to contain infectious microorganisms
and so represents a much safer environment for
recreational swimming. Injuries and drowning are
also much less likely in pools where
trained lifeguards and safety equipment are
present.
Perhaps, then, an outdoor managed swimming
pool offers the best of both worlds – a swim with
the sun on your back in a sanitary environment.
Disclosure statement
Primrose Freestone does not work for, consult,
own shares in or receive funding from any
company or organisation that would benefit from
this article, and has disclosed no relevant
affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Partners
University of Leicester provides funding as a member of
The Conversation UK
https://theconversation.com

14. 14
My interest in football was wetted when
my cousin Graham took me to Fellows
Park to watch Walsall Reserves play.
I remember Walsall’s right full back was
Ron Beddow, number 2. He was
probably the closest player to the
touchline and he still lives in my
memory as a giant of a player in the
red and white of Walsall.
I got Mom to buy me a red and white kit
and sew a number 2 on the back of my
shirt and I learned about Walsall
defeating the mighty Arsenal… but that
is recent history.
One of the earliest descriptions of a
football game comes from the end of
the 15th century in a Latin account of a
football game with features of
modern soccer. One of the first
accounts of an exclusively "kicking
game" and the first description
of dribbling states:
"the game is called by some the foot
-ball game in which young men, in
country sport, propel a huge ball not
by throwing it into the air but by
striking it and rolling it along the
ground, and that not with their
hands but with their feet... kicking in
opposite directions.”
Nevertheless, the game was still rough,
as the account confirms: "a game, I
say, abominable enough . . . and rarely
ending but with some loss, accident, or
disadvantage of the players
themselves."
Primitive football was more
disorganised, more violent, more
spontaneous and usually played by an
indefinite number of players.
Frequently, games took the form of a
heated contest between whole villages
- through streets and squares, across
fields, hedges, fences and streams.
Kicking was allowed, as in fact was
almost everything else. Sometimes
kicking the ball was out of the question
due to the size and weight of the
sphere being used - in such cases,
kicking was instead limited to taking out
opponents.
Mob football
Mob football is a modern term used for
a wide variety of the localized
informal football games which were
invented and played in England during
the Middle Ages. Alternative names
include folk football, medieval
football and Shrovetide football.
These games may be regarded as the
ancestors of modern codes of football,
and by comparison with later forms of
football, the medieval matches were
chaotic and had few rules.
These archaic forms of football,
typically classified as mob football,
would be played in towns and villages,
involving an unlimited number of
players on opposing teams, who would
clash in a heaving mass of people
struggling to drag an inflated pig's
bladder by any means possible to
markers at each end of a town. By
some accounts, in some such events
any means could be used to move the
ball towards the goal, as long as it did
not lead to manslaughter or murder.
These antiquated games went into
sharp decline in the 19th century when
the Highway Act 1835 was passed
banning the playing of football on public
highways. In spite of this, games
continued to be played in some parts of
the United Kingdom and still survive in
a number of towns,
An Act to consolidate and amend the
Laws relating to Highways in that
Part of Great Britain called Eng land.
[31st August 1835.]
…...and be it further enacted, That if
any Person shall wilfully ride upon
any Footpath or Causeway by the
Side of any Road made or set apart
for the Use or Accommodation of
Foot Passengers ………or shall play
at Football or any other Game on
any Part of the said Highways,…….
every Person so offending in any of
the Cases aforesaid shall for each
and every such Offence forfeit and
pay any Sum not exceeding Forty
Shillings, over and above the dam-
ages occasioned thereby……..
The Atherstone Ball Game
The Atherstone Ball Game is a
"medieval football" game played
annually on Shrove Tuesday in the
English town of Atherstone ,
Warwickshire. The game honours a
match played between Leicestershire
and Warwickshire in 1199, when teams
used a bag of gold as a ball, and which
was won by Warwickshire.
At one time similar events were held in
many towns throughout England, but
Atherstone's is now one of only a few
such games that are still played each
year at Shrovetide.
Medieval sport had no referee.
Paul Hayward in his book, England
Football , The Biography 1872 – 2022,
summarises
“ Like rugby, football began as a
fight for the ball, a chase for an
inflated bladder, a game of physical
domination: a simulacrum of politics
and war.”
The contemporary history of the world's
favourite game spans more than 100
years. It all began in 1863 in England,
when rugby football and association
football branched off on their different
courses and the Football Association in
England was formed - becoming the
sport's first governing body.
The Cambridge University rules of
1863
When new university students would
meet to play football, all had different
ideas on how the game should be
played. In 1846, Cambridge students
from various schools met at Trinity
College to tackle this problem and in
A sculpture of the Atherstone Ball Game created
by Michael Disley, which stands outside the
town's Co-op supermarket.

15. 15
1848, established the first rules of the
game.
“The new rules were printed as the
“Cambridge Rules”, copies were dis-
tributed and pasted up on Parker’s
Piece, and very satisfactorily they
worked, for it is right to add that they
were loyally kept, and I never heard of
any public school man who gave up
playing from not liking the rules. […]
Well Sir, years afterwards someone
took these rules, still in force at Cam-
bridge, and with a very few alterations
they became the Association Rules”
[Mr Malden, Association football, by
N.L.J. , Misc.7.89.2683]
In the week of 1863 that the FA was
forming, the ‘Cambridge Rules’ were
being revised. It is a copy of these
rules that the University Library
proudly houses. These laws of the
game were to be the cornerstone of
the new Football Association rules;
indeed it can be said that the new
Cambridge Rules were pivotal in get-
ting the new FA rules off the ground.
On 30th
November 1872 the first
official Scotland v England
international game of football was
played at the West of Scotland Cricket
Ground , Glasgow. The game ended
as a draw with no goals being scored.
In the return game at Kennington Oval
on 8th
March 1873 Captain Kenyon
Slayney playing for England,
represented the Household Brigade
and scored the first international goal
ever and added a second goal to his
tally later in the game which ended in
a 4-2 victory for England.
Fast forward to 2022 and I get a
Christmas present from my son:
England Football , The Biography
1872 – 2022, by Paul Hayward
It prompted this article and I was
interested to learn of William Kenyon
Slayney’s place in the history of
football.
When I first moved to Shropshire I
lived just below the church in Ryton
and soon learned about the Kenyon
Slaney family but not of the football
exploits of William Kenyon Slayney.
Only now do I know of his place in
football history and it was interesting
to hear more of the man when
St Andrew’s Church held the service
on Sunday 5th March 2023 to
celebrate the 150th anniversary of the
first ever international goal in football
and Rupert Kenyon Slaney spoke
about his great grandfather.
RC
Association football / by N.L.J. ;
with contributions by W.W. Beveridge ...
[et al.].N. L. Jackson ; W. W Beveridge
London, 1899.
Coulton, George Gordon (1949). Medieval
Panorama. Cambridge University Press. p. 83.
Medieval football – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Medieval_football#cite_note-4
Sport matters: sociological studies of sport,
violence, and civilization : Dunning, Eric : Free
Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet
Archive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Football#Establishment_of_modern_codes
"History of Football – Britain, the home of
Football". FIFA. Archived from the original on
12 January 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2013.

16. 16
Do you want dinner?
What are my choices?
Yes or No
The people attending the first of the 2023 Lent Lunches at Trinity were
welcomed by Rev. Hendry Ponniah and treated to a variety of soups
following the music led by Ian Bain and prayers from Janet Lambourne
and Rita Hendry.

17. 17
A.I. ???
A few months ago I had no idea what A.I. was but
in this year’s budget the government proudly
announced their intention to make Britain the
leading nation in A.I. development, either a total
disaster for human society or the greatest ever
breakthrough in science. Whichever it may be, it is
here to stay.
Years ago, I discovered that I could produce an
unlimited number of SUDOKU puzzles from a
single correct one. Having created one which
worked, a laborious process which could go
wrong and occasionally did, by manipulations of
columns and rows, swapping of pairs of numbers,
an infinity of times, could lead from one puzzle to
unnumbered new ones. It didn’t even require
numbers, letters or symbols would all work.
Imagine a Sudoku of Christmas symbols including
Holly, Mistletoe, Father Christmas and angels. But
today, people cleverer than I, can produce a
program, which at a touch of a button will produce
multitudes of puzzles in the time it takes me to
open my computer. A.I. – artificial intelligence.
The tip of a humungous iceberg, or volcano
depending upon your viewpoint.
The working base has been among games, but
following its win in a competition in Seoul, Deep-
Mind set their aim at the betterment of society
through significant development in the field of
protein, always at the back of their original work.
Proteins are complex long chains of atoms of
hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur
with other inclusions. To unravel one protein took
years of experimentation before it could be
reproduced, but even then a critical feature was
its unique way of folding itself into a shape which
would fulfil its purpose. Our bodies as well as
those of all living organisms, plant or animal have
programs built into their cell nuclei to do this.
Unfortunately, in individuals this process may
break down, even in a single case with
catastrophic results for the individual. Medicine
has been struggling to overcome such
deficiencies. DeepMind (according to an interview
for Scientific American) has produced such an A.I.
program, algorithm which could predict the
structure of almost every known protein. An
astonishing breakthrough, not behaving as God
but discovering what He has created. Over the
last 12 months the release of this to the world has
meant virtually every pharmaceutical company
has taken it up for their own development in
crops, husbandry, medicines, higher protein
production, alleviation of famine, digestion and
recycling of plastics, many, many more
applications, such power for good is
unprecedented, profit too.
But this is just one use of A.I. in the world of
language A.I. ethical aspects are huge. The social
media revolution was released upon the world
with one view: big profit, with no ethical
boundaries and the world is still catching up after
the horse has bolted. Letting language A.I. loose
in the word without ethical considerations, so say
its developers, could be toxic.
We are moving into a world beyond the minds of
our forefathers. Let us applaud the ethical
considerations of such a company, praying that
unethical companies do not seek gain at the cost
of society. Government be aware!
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—
demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence
The Sudoku
puzzle can be
found on page
28.

18. 18
Remembrance Sunday 2022
Always a delight to experience a new theatre
company. Well, new to me, anyway, which is a
shame as Starcross Youth Theatre are
celebrating their 30th
Anniversary which means
based on the evidence of Grease, I have missed
a heck of a lot of great shows.
I’m not going to dwell on the plot; it’s Grease,
and if you don’t know it, where have you been all
your life? Simply put, girl meets boy, fall in love,
amidst lots of feelgood fun and great songs. But
to have that you need a fabulous cast and crew
and I’m happy to say Starcross delivered in
bunches. What was clear from the start was not
only professionalism all round, but quality as
well. When you enjoy a youth production as
much as big theatre shows, you know the
company have much to offer. This was
well-paced and full of instantly recognisable
numbers of musical theatre history: Summer
Days, You’re the One That I Want, Greased
Lightening and so much more.
Some of the roles, as is often the case in youth
productions, were split, giving more members a
chance to shine. Playing Sandy on my visit
was Christine Cross who was amazing, giving
a Girl Next Door everyone warmed to from the
start. Christine particularly smashed in style what
is my favourite number in the show, Hopelessly
Devoted to You, sending goosebumps rising
when she hit the high notes. As Danny, we also
had excellence in Brandon Harrison, equally at
the top of his game with Sandy.
But those aren’t the only love birds in Grease.
Rizzo is such an iconic role, needing to have
someone who can manage that sass, and Faith
Whitehouse did that including a tremendous
rendition of There Are Worse Things I Could Do.
Alongside, equally as excellent was Harry
Webb as Kinickie, leading the rest of the T-Birds
which included Noel Jeavons (Sonny), Lucy
Keates (Doody) and Alex Hill (Roger).
Supporting in the Pink Ladies were Shayera
MacDonald (Marty), Lauren Downes (Frenchy)

19. 19
and Lily Cross (Jan). Outsiders to the main
groups were Scarlett Bennett (Patty) and Jamie
Nutting (Eugene) and like all principals, they
totally owned their roles.
Special mention for the dancing talents of Lexie
Jennings as Cha Cha at the climax of an
exceptional routine during Born to Hand Jive.
Then there were those playing the adults. Chloe
James was Miss Lynch while Ben Harley played
Vince Fontaine. Plus, in the comic interlude of
Grease, Beauty School Dropout, we had Mitchel
Griffiths as Teen Angel. This cameo role, in
professional performances, tends to be portrayed
by a big star name, however here, Griffiths
showed with such a phenomenal voice that he
was up there with the best.
Now I mentioned that some roles were split and
only having seen one showing, I missed those
who would have had principal roles on alternate
days but on my night were featured in the
ensemble. However, I’ll credit them, as I am sure
they were marvellous as were all on
show: Kelsey Taylor (Sandy), Elsie Harrson
(Rizzo), River Onions (Marty), Dimitri Macdonald
(Sonny), Sharon Kouessieu (Frenchy), Lil-Grace
Palmer (Jan), Jack Harley (Roger), Bethany
Broomhall (Patty) and Jay MacDonald (Eugene).
Rounding off the rest of an excellent cast
were Emmie Adcock, Ellie Fletcher-Brown, Erin
Keates, Sofia Nahavandi-Nejad, Alexa Nutting ,
Lottie Wilkes, Zadie Wilson-Smith and Kitty
Worth.
Producer/Director Phil Cross MBE spoke with
pride afterwards about Starcross, also
highlighting the Junior Members who have a
Showcase – March 26 this year. He stressed the
need to progress and keep the next generation
coming, an ethos I totally agree with. Also on
production was Christine Cross with Belinda
Cross and Chloe James aiding in direction. April
Kruszynski assisted by Emma Bably oversaw
choreography and Ben Batt led an excellent
band.
This was a marvellous show from Starcross and
those 30 years of existence are due to be
celebrated on the 17th
and 18th
of June this year
at the same Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton.
Well worth a check out.
Antony N Britt – Author
https://antonynbritt.com/

20. 20
February 9, 2023 12.54pm GMT
It’s the middle of the night and
you are fast asleep. Suddenly
you have ceiling plaster
smashing down on you, pictures
are falling off the walls and your
bedroom is swaying. You wake
your partner, grab the kids and
make your way down a stairwell
in the darkness as you are
hurled from side to side.
You find yourself standing in the
street in your pyjamas in the
freezing cold. It is pitch black
with only a few car headlights
and mobile phone torches
lighting up the dust and debris.
This is a snapshot of the kind of
experiences that families and
individuals caught up in the
devastating earthquakes that
shook Turkey and Syria in the
early hours of February 6 will
have endured. For those outside
the event, the experiences of
people inside the disaster are
difficult to comprehend. Yet,
despite the confusion and
mayhem, and having been part
of several humanitarian disaster
responses around the globe, I
know there are three priorities
for aid.
One is rescuing those who are
trapped. The window of
opportunity for getting people
out of the rubble is small. As
every hour and day passes,
more lives will be lost as people
buried in collapsed buildings
succumb to their injuries, the
cold or dehydration.
Another priority is treating the
injured. Collapsing buildings can
leave survivors with broken
bones, spinal, chest and head
injuries and even burns and
open wounds.
At the same time, the hospitals
and clinics people would usually
use for treatment may be
swamped with injured people.
Or the buildings themselves
may be damaged and unable to
function as normal. Plus the
medical staff required to treat
and care for patients may also
be either dead or injured.
Finally, there is a need to help
those left homeless. The
earthquakes and aftershocks in
Turkey and Syria have affected
thousands of people in this way.
The true number remains
unknown and will probably not
become clear for several more
weeks.
A lack of shelter is itself a killer,
especially during the cold winter
months. The situation is
particularly treacherous for
children, older people, those
with disabilities and long-term
health conditions.
The people who have lost their
homes will need shelter, food
and water as a bare minimum.
They will also need to reconnect
with family members who they
will have lost contact with in the
chaotic aftermath of the
earthquake.
These three priorities do not
represent a hierarchy of need. A
lack of rescue, treatment for the
injured and housing for the
homeless are three immediate
life-threatening needs that all
exist at the same time.
Rescue workers dig to find survivors underneath the wreckage in the Elbistan district of
Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Sedat Suna/EPA

21. 21
The search and rescue operation for survivors in Hatay, Turkey. Erdem Sa-
This makes responding to
disasters very difficult because
a decision in one direction may
leave other much-needed aid
undelivered. One of the
tragedies of such human
disasters is being faced with a
level of need that overwhelms
the ability to respond.
Delivering aid in disasters is
logistically difficult as roads,
ports, and bridges are put out of
use. At the same time, essential
services for aid such as power,
IT and mobile phone systems
may also be out of action. Even
so, local and international
disaster response teams have
ways of working to ensure aid is
distributed to those most in
need. Aid agencies conduct
rapid needs assessments
paying particular attention to
disaster victims who are
particularly vulnerable, then
make sure that the aid available
matches the requirements of
the population. Multiple aid
agencies then coordinate their
efforts to ensure aid is
distributed efficiently.
The immediate response over
the next few days and weeks is
only the first step to recovery,
however. Disaster response
teams and international aid
workers may stay on the ground
for several more weeks to help
with the delivery of medical care
and essential services such as
the distribution of food and
water and providing shelter.
But eventually, they will
withdraw. This leaves the
survivors to cope with their grief
and attempt to rebuild a life that
has some degree of meaning
and purpose.
“They took assistance, but our
problems were not resolvable
with these assistances. We lost
everything, what we built in
years. This assistance was like
a dress on the deep wound that
covers the surface of the
wound, but it doesn’t help
repair.”
This is a quote from an
earthquake survivor in Iran
published in 2016 and is a
reminder of the depth of loss
experienced by disaster
survivors. It also reminds us the
deep wounds inflicted by the
earthquakes in Turkey and
Syria – not only physical
wounds but psychological
wounds – will take a long time
to heal.
We can hope that the
immediate aid offered in Turkey
and Syria will go some way to
saving lives and allowing
survivors to begin to recover.
Jeff Evans
Senior Lecturer
Disaster Healthcare
University of South Wales
Discloure Statement
Jeff Evans is affiliated with Brecon Mountain
rescue team, and is board member of World
society of Disaster Nursing
The Conversation UK receives funding from
these organisations:
To view the full list visit
https://theconversation.com/uk/partners

22. 22
Work on the new £5m Shifnal and Medical Practice is well under way and the steel framework
gives an impression of the size of the long overdue doctor and dental facilities being provided
for the expanding population of Shifnal and the surrounding area.
We are on the way back!
Following contact with the former members
of the group we have decided to seek out our
reading glasses and get together again at
Trinity Methodist Church once a month on
the First Tuesday of the month at 1.00pm
We will share opinions of a chosen book and
of course there will be lots of tea , cakes and
biscuits to enjoy as well.
New members will be made most welcome
and there is absolutely no pressure on
anyone to read the books cover to cover if
they don’t want to.
If all goes to plan our first meeting will be
Tuesday
May 1st
1.00pm
Trinity Methodist Church.
Come along if interested even if only to
satisfy your curiosity. You will be made most
welcome. If you need any other information
please call Roy Cross 01952 460729.

23. 23
Bridgnorth's Cliff Railway closed in December
until further notice. A statement on the
Bridgnorth Cliff railway website reads:
Long-term Closure Due to Re-building
of Retaining Wall on Neighbouring
Property
22nd December 2022
Bridgnorth Cliff Railway was closed at noon on
Wednesday 21st December, 2022 until further
notice pending the rebuilding of a retaining
wall on a neighbouring property. This is a
matter beyond our direct control.
Cliff railway engineers reported concerns
about the deterioration of the retaining wall.
The landowner on whose land the wall sits has
been notified and the cliff railway is working
with Bridgnorth Town Council to ensure that
the works are completed as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the cliff railway’s directors
have taken the decision to close the cliff
railway whilst further investigations are carried
out and an engineering solution on the
adjoining land is affected.
We appreciate that local passengers and
businesses, as well as tourists, will be anxious
that we re-open and resume normal service as
soon as possible. We are pressing the other
parties to complete their works expeditiously
so as to enable a re-opening for Easter, 2023.
We thank all our passengers for their patience
and support.
Closure of the railway is a very rare occurrence
and in February of this year Shropshire Star
reported that:
”Mike Hayward who used to take pictures for
the Shropshire Star and Bridgnorth Journal, has
found in his archives a photograph of when the
Cliff Railway ground to a halt in 1972.
The 75-year-old retired photographer's image
shows two elderly ladies being hauled from a
stranded carriage with a rope by members of the
fire brigade.
“I don't remember the exact date but it was
during the miners' strike in 1972," recalled Mr
Hayward. "I think a power cut had caught the
Cliff Railway unaware and it had stopped
halfway. "It was the only time that the railway
had to shut that I can remember.”

24. 24
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2
3
4 5
6 7 8
9
10
11
12
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25. 25
We are hearing a lot about the need
for more housing. The word is that in
the not-too-distant future Shifnal will
join with Tong, Telford will reach city
status. People need affordable
homes. Worldwide the need is beyond
human comprehension. A genuine
need! Around 1925 the world
population was around 2 billion, by
1975 around 4 billion, around 2000 6
billion, last month it topped 8 billion, in
less than 25 years it is expected to
reach 10 billion. All need housing
somewhere. With rising sea levels,
the land gets less. Housing a universal
need!
BUT! Every house built has repercus-
sions. Go to Ironbridge or further down
the Severn and they will tell you!
Water. On the one hand more mouths
put pressure on water supply – not
enough, and on the other too much.
Every house built reduces the absorb-
ing properties of the ground with more
runoff swelling the water courses,
flooding land further down the nearest
river, while the water table elsewhere
gets less and deeper.
In Shropshire we live on a huge
reservoir in the sandstone, no one
knows how large it is, but the more
houses we build the smaller it gets and
the bigger the flooding downstream
becomes. What is the answer?
With pressure on energy supplies we
asked one of the companies building a
local estate here in Shifnal why they
did not include solar panels
automatically. “Not our problem!” Was
the answer. But surely better than
farmers giving over fields to harvest
sunlight or even grow fuel crops
instead of food. But there lies another
issue. For our hi-tech world, including
computers and solar panels, more and
more “rare earth” minerals are needed,
like neodymium. Some of them very
toxic for recycling, harmful to the
ecosystem as well as humans.
Which leads to another huge,
monstrous issue recycling, or lack of
recycling - plastic. 80% of the plastic
ever produced lies in landfill, floats in
the oceans. A massive resource
practically untouched because it is
easier = cheaper, to make new
plastics from raw materials. Scientists
tell us that in the not-too-distant future
we will reach a point of no return. No
government is willing to take on the
huge cost of seeking ways of recycling
(not reusing like washing your picnic
plates) the plastic waste. Breaking it
down to useable products for
reassembly into useful materials. A
little takes place in countries where
safety and health issues are less
stringent, at the possible cost of
worker’s health.
Fighting carbon emissions puts greater
pressure on poorer people,
world-wide.
Where are the answers? Many are out
there already, but for sake of profit, or
unpopularity amongst voters, they are
not invested in. Self first! For many of
us the issues are so technical, with
wide ranging consequences, that it is
difficult to comprehend the routes
humanity should take. But guess what,
God has created a universe in which
so much is solvable, it is human
control that is the underlying issue. We
need those individuals with the
knowledge and skills to stand up for
what is right. Let us pray for such
people to lead the sheep of the world
into the paths of righteousness for the
sake and blessing of all humanity.
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26. 26
Last December, Shifnal TG members were
looking forward to their Christmas Tea Party - but
it was not to be. The party was scheduled for
December 9th
and it was just at that time that
pavements, roads and the car park were covered
in ice! So, unfortunately, the meeting was
cancelled - but in January we turned it into a
New Year Party. It was scaled down as we had a
speaker booked, but we still enjoyed food and
drink, crackers and passing round Secret Santa
gifts, and - much to our delight - the hall was still
decorated with fairy lights.
Our speaker was Marilyn Higson, whose
meticulous research brought us a fascinating
peep into the worlds of ‘Notorious People of
Shifnal’. It was amazing to find that Shifnal had
been the location for a huge scandal involving
banking fraud in the 19th
century; the story was
reported round the globe!
In February, Mike Haynes, another local
speaker, came to talk to us on ‘How Supermar-
kets Trick Us’. This topic, unsurprisingly, proved
to be extremely interesting, and was made more
so by the fact that Mike was a very
knowledgeable, lively and entertaining speaker;
in fact, after his presentation, the question-and-
answer session took up almost all of the rest of
the meeting time.
March brought our AGM, as usual, with the
remainder of the meeting devoted to a practical
activity. Valerie Brown, our Speakers Secretary,
demonstrated the art of Zentangle - a sort of
creative doodling or patterning. Members then
had fun trying it out for themselves.
Coming up, we have a talk on ‘Hedgehogs’ in
April, a ‘Coronation Celebration’ in May and a
speaker on ‘Pilates’ in June, with a chance to
take part if we wish. Then, in July, we shall have
our Birthday Lunch at Haughton Hall, while in
August we’ll be visiting Halfpenny Green
Vineyard for a tour, tasting and tea.
Birthday Lunch at Haughton Hall

27. 27
If anybody reading this would like to come to one of our meetings, here are the details:
Venue: St Andrew’s Youth Club, Bridgnorth Road, Shifnal
Day and Time: 2nd
Tuesday of each month, 2 - 4 pm
(Different venues and times in July and August)
£3 is charged for one visit.
Contact: Phone or email Alison Harris on 01952 463137 or harrisaetg@btinternet.com
Members and Husbands on a Trip to Chillington Hall

28. 28
The ‘Public Emergency Alerts’ will initially
focus on the most serious weather-related
events.
A siren-like alert will be sent to mobile
phone users across the UK next month to
test a new government public warning
system.
It allows the government and emergency
services to send urgent messages warning the
public of life-threatening situations like flooding
or wildfires.
The test is expected to take place in the early
evening of 23 April.
Phone users will have to acknowledge the alert
before they can use other features on their
devices.
A message will appear on the home screens of
people's devices during the test, with vibration
and a loud warning sound that will ring for
about 10 seconds, even if the phone is set to
silent.
The system - which became operational on
Sunday 19th
March - is being modelled on
similar schemes used in the US, Canada,
Japan and The Netherlands.
Messages would only ever come from the
government or emergency services and will
initially focus on the most serious weather
-related events, with the ability to get a
message to 90% of mobile users within the
relevant area.
Terror alerts could be added to the list of
potential events that would trigger a
notification.
People can opt out by searching their device
settings for emergency alerts and then
turning off severe and
extreme ones. Officials
say the alerts could be
life-saving, though,
advising against
switching them off.
The Sudoku solution can be
found on page 17.
Dear friends,
We are going to restart our Tuesday
morning Bible Study/House group on the
18th April at 10.00 am at the Manse.
Please contact Rita Hendry for further
information or just turn up on the day.
When we come together we will spend
some time in prayer and make a decision
on the future study topics.
Blessings
Rita