CHAPLAIN'S LETTER
Those of you who were present at the last healing service in April may remember me mentioning a book by Michael Mayne, a former Dean of Westminster Abbey. It was a book about his final struggle with cancer, and in my enthusiasm I couldn’t remember the title. So here are the full details:
Michael Mayne, The Enduring Melody, DLT, reprinted 2010, ISBN: 52687 7
I picked up a copy of this book by chance. It was on the bookstall at the Retreat House where I was staying for the residential Bishop’s staff meeting in April. Although the subject seemed forbidding, something prompted me to buy a copy, and once I had started reading it I just couldn’t put this book down.
It’s basically the story of how a Christian faces his final illness. There are no “big miracles” so the story doesn’t have a happy ending. Christians are not exempt from the realities of pain and suffering, and Michael Mayne has to endure all the pain and confusion of major surgery followed by an equally debilitating course of radiotherapy. When the patient is at his weakest there is little energy for anything but survival, so even a senior church leader has no energy to pray, and must depend on being upheld by the prayers of others. What is so very real is how illness and pain narrow people’s horizons so that a patient has little energy to think of anything else other than the discomfort and the fear that surrounds them. And yet, in spite of its realism about the isolating nature of illness, this is a basically hopeful book, because the story is also full of “little miracles”. These range from the devotion, skill, sympathetic understanding and even sense of humour of the hospital staff, to the love and faithfulness of family and friends. Days out in the country and the sight of a bird or a wild flower suddenly become experiences as precious as jewels. And underlying all of it there is a faith that says that in Christ no child of God will ever be parted from God’s love, whatever happens to them. Faith is the “enduring melody” that underlies all of Michael Mayne’s experiences including death.
That of course is the basic message of Eastertide – the Sundays after Easter between Easter Day and Ascension Day. As usual St Paul sums all this up most succinctly with these words from Romans chapter 8:
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? …… No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (New Living Translation)
So let me continue to wish you a very happy Easter tide.
Fr John
WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT:
1 THESSALONIANS
‘The way we conceive the future sculpts the present, gives contour and tone to nearly every action and thought through the day.’ (Eugene Peterson).
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul helps his readers to understand the importance of the Second Coming of Jesus to the Christian Faith. It is the earliest of his letters, written when Paul was staying in Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18) in 49–51 AD.
Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, as well as a flourishing centre for trade and philosophy. The city was committed to the Greco-Roman gods and Emperor Worship, and contained a sizable Jewish population. After founding the church (Acts 17:1–9) Paul was forced to leave, when he was falsely accused of speaking against Caesar. As the new Christians were left with little spiritual support, Paul wrote this letter to encourage them.
Paul addresses a number of issues through this letter. They were not expecting persecution, so Paul explains that this is normal Christian experience (3:3–4). He also challenges those members of the community who were bringing the church into disrepute by living off wealthier Christians rather than earning their own living (4:9–12; 5:14).
However, the most prominent theme in letter is the second coming of Jesus. It is mentioned in every chapter of the book (1:10; 2:19–20; 3:13; 4:13–18; 5:1–11, 23–24). The Thessalonians were unclear about the timing of the day of the Lord (5:1–2). Some members of the church had died (4:13), and they weren’t sure what would happen to them at Christ's return (3:10; 4:13). Some thought that they would miss out on the second coming. However Paul assures them that when Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will rise and be caught up with the living to meet the Lord (4:15–17). Therefore, believers don’t need to fear God’s wrath, but rather are assured of inheriting his salvation.
Living in the light of Christ’s return calls for holy and blameless lives (3:11–4:8; 5:23). Let’s make Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonian Christians our own, as we too await Jesus’ return: ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (5:23).
AN ANCIENT STATEMENT OF THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH RECEIVED FROM THE APOSTLES
ST IRENAEUS (140-202)
The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith:
in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father “to gather all things in one,” and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess” to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send “spiritual wickednesses,” and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning, and others from their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.
The Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same.
For the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have been established in the central regions of the world. But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shineth everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Nor will any one of the rulers in the Churches, however highly gifted he may be in point of eloquence, teach doctrines different from these (for no one is greater than the Master); nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expression inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can say but little diminish it.
(Against Heresies, Book I, Ch. 10)
CTC CHILDRENS TRINITY CLUB CORNER
Hi there! Here we are pressing on through April and by the time you read the Newsletter Easter will have broken upon us and the great reaffirmation of what it means to be ‘Easter Children’; Christos Anesti! Vigils will have been watched, as it were, at the foot of the cross and bells will have rung out joyfully early on Easter morn.
It’s wonderful that we celebrate each Easter as if for the first time over and again – and so it is that after gathering briefly in church on Easter morning, Danielle and at least one helper together with the children will hasten to the parsonage to prepare the Easter Garden. They will begin with the Easter Story – making it come alive together and then all hands on deck with soil and stones, crosses, little pots and abundant twigs and flowers to landscape the Easter scene. Hopefully as many children as possible will be part of this lovely Easter tradition in our church.
The church was overflowing with big ones and little ones at the Mothering Sunday service on 3rd April; lots of tiny ones – hopefully potential CTC-ers! Amidst the happy throng – little Lois Manning was baptized – always a joyful event for parents, (and Godparents) and the significant passing from darkness into light for the little one being claimed by God for His own. As many as possible gathered round the font with children being held up or pushed forward to be able to see Lois being Christened by Fr John and the water poured three times over the tiny forehead, previously anointed with the sign of the cross. Then the replies to uphold and support the child in faith and the applause as we all welcomed Lois as our new sister into Christ’s fold.
Special Mothering Sunday prayers and hymns were sung beautifully accompanied by the All Age Music Group and little wood violet plants were handed out to all the ladies in the congregation. Sitting in the choir stalls we could not help but overhear little Arwen who when handed a tray of the plants to be handed out piped up: “alleen de dames? (only the ladies?)” and so it was that quite a lot of gentlemen too got plants!
The experience of this service must have a hand in making the children feel their value as part of the church community; it’s often the signals of love and grace and sharing all around them, that communicate themselves so profoundly.
Danielle reports growth in the numbers of children who are part of CTC – always good news. Also good news is that the Crčche for the very little ones will begin after Easter; watch this space for more news!
In May Pam is hoping the weather will be good on the second Sunday – perhaps a chance for the teenage group to do something a little different out of doors. Again - watch this space!
A Joyful Easter can still be wished – from the Children’s Trinity Club and the Youth Group!
Nicky for CTC
NEWS FROM ICS
Praying for a church...just like yours
Ever read ICS News and Prayer Diary? If not, now is a good time to begin the habit…or if you regularly read it, look out for its more user friendly layout! Pick up one from church or call us (see below) for a sample copy.
But what is ICS News? Why might it interest me? The first half contains news of and testimonies by Christians from international, English-speaking churches across the world where ICS and its mission partners are helping people like you to discover God’s love. You will find stories of churches very like yours, though thousands of kilometres away, facing similar challenges yet in different contexts: articles about the church in Chile; how a parish transformed its understanding of Christian witness in the EU; and of Elsie, who took groups of her friends abroad to visit fifty different international, Anglican churches. The editorial team – Jeannette and I in the ICS office and volunteers Dennis and Elizabeth – create it to inform, encourage and feed from Scripture people just like you.
The second half of ICS News has though an even more important purpose: our Prayer Diary enables you to become a stakeholder in God’s mission through praying for others. I invite you to use it to pray for our outreach to tourists and the mission and ministry of Anglican churches of which ICS is patron. Your experience of God’s love and of being in a church means you can pray for ICS. All it involves is reading prayer points or a set prayer and saying ‘amen’. Its new, easy to use format has photos, news items and prayer needs in one place and reflections to broaden your horizons.
Prayer matters to God, changes us, and affects others. We distribute some 4000 copies of ICS News and Prayer Diary to enable its recipients to pray regularly for Anglican chaplaincies from Rotterdam to the Falklands. So give ICS News and Prayer Diary a try!
David Healey is General Manager of Intercontinental Church Society. For more information, to subscribe or obtain a sample ICS News and Prayer Diary call ICS +44 1926 – 430 347, e-mail mawinham@ics-uk.org or go to www.ics-uk.org We also publish an e-mail bulletin News and Prayer Update and depend entirely on donations to enable our work. Registered charity no.: 1072584
The Intercontinental Church Society began life as a missionary society and is the patron of Holy Trinity Utrecht.
PRAYER CHAIN
If you have any requests for the prayer chain, or if you feel called to take part in this ministry, please contact Anne Miechielsen
MORNING PRAYER
"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord,"; and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."
GLOBAL LANGUAGE
I surf and I e-mail
click
words flash to Japan
click
I go shopping in Paris
click double click
www dot com
global language
interactive
upgrade download
open cancel close
click double click
but however I click
click double click
that wide-eyed stare
of the starving child
sticks stubbornly to my retina
click double click
www dot com
global language
distorted
deformed
upside down
I surf and I e-mail
click double click
Oeke Kruythof
Jenny Narraway translation/transcreation
BREAKABLE
There was a very gracious lady who was posting an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country... "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk.
"Only the Ten Commandments," answered the lady.
NATUURPARK BLOEYENDAEL
Bloeyendael Nature Park, (not to be confused with the recently advertised, exclusively walled and guarded Park Bloeyendael estate), is a Foundation, named after an old countryseat along the Biltse Vaart, which was demolished in 1868.The lay-out of the park was established in 1975/6 on the remains of the former Johannapolder; the garden near the Provinciekantoor (Provincial Board Offices) was laid out in 1980. In total the area covers 9.8 acres. It lies squeezed in between the Biltse Straatweg, the municipal bypass N722 and the A27 and A28 motorways. Nevertheless, it is a green oasis on the outskirts of the town.
Together with the garden surrounding the Provincial Board Offices, the allotments along the Oostbroekselaan, the Green in the AMEV/Fortis grounds and the Voorveldse Polder park, Bloeyendael offers sanctuary to a great diversity of birds, as the various rivulets do to many species of amphibians The flora, too, with trees, shrubs and many flowers from early spring to late autumn, offers a delightful escape from the stress and din of daily city-life.
The Foundation’s aim is to protect the park and its surroundings by organizing various activities in close cooperation with the Utrecht Public Works Department “Stadswerken”, such as:
- Voluntary work (4 to 6 times a year).
- Open Sundays (this year on 8 May, 29 May, 12 June and 11 September) with organized walks from Bloeyendael Binnen Centre (excursions by appointment only).
- Educative do-days for primary-school groups.
The Foundation is supported by over 400 donors and about 80 volunteers. If you would like to become a member/donor, you could add your support by subscribing €11 or more to Postbankrekening 3446650: Stichting Bloeyendael/Utrecht, stating: Nieuwe donateur” and you’ll be presented with an information packet and 2 to 3 times a year you will receive the newsletter about the park and its surroundings.
By the way: coming from church after coffee on a sunny afternoon there is a very pleasant and interesting shortcut to the park by walking the footpath along the Juliana van Stolberglaan, crossing the bridge over the tiny river “The Zilveren Schaats” leading – underneath the busy Waterlinieweg – more or less straight into the park. HAPPY WALKING!!
There are a few leaflets about the park on the Green Awareness shelf in the parsonage hall.
Ingrid for the Green Awareness Group
STUDENT MINISTRY – EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS?
During the past 2 months Holy Trinity’s Student Mission has been taking its first steps. I am busy with it for part of my (working) week, but I’m convinced that this mission is not just my business. Like all ministries in our church, it needs prayer and support. So please pray for me and this ministry. And if you have some time and energy to spare and want to be more actively involved, why not join the Student Ministry Support Group? This Group will provide further Support for this ministry on behalf of the church community. Two young people have already joined, but the group can use one or two more. There are no age limits!
Student Ministry Support Group
The aim of the Support Group is to help carry out HTC’s ministry to (international) students.
The ISM Support Group will consist of 3-4 people.
The group will meet once every 4-6 weeks over a meal which will be followed by a time of prayer and a meeting.
The support group will help the Student Pastor in the following ways:
Help to think through and organize the programme for the ‘UIT-dagen’ (introduction week for new students in Utrecht).
Help to think through and organize a programme of activities for the fall of 2011.
Help to network on Sundays: talk to (new) students in the congregation and help make them feel welcome.
To help make this ministry known in HTC and Utrecht.
I am looking for people with a heart for this ministry, who are willing to contribute their prayers and some of their time and effort. It is an advantage if you like organizing and making plans or have good knowledge of Utrecht and its student culture and like socializing (with students). Time? You should be able to have time for ‘gezelligheid’ and enjoy a good meal! It will take a few hours a month.
Annelies
'WIKILEAKS' FOR CHOIRS: GREGORIAN CHANT (IV)
Some months ago my colleagues and I retreated to Boschhoofd, a small village a few miles from Oudenbosch, for a seminar on the policy making of our school. The hotel was situated in a former monastery. My youngest colleague, a girl of 23, who could have been a model for Boticelli’s Venus, became very tense the moment she heard the word “monastery”: “Monastery? With these dirty old men?” She reacted as if an Italian prime minister with a particular reputation had checked into the hotel for the night! She feared perhaps that the monks still lived in a separate wing of the hotel and that she might come to harm during the course of the night. She was scared to sleep alone in her bed at night. I, however, was at peace, particularly since the building reminded me of my excursion into Gregorian chant.
My colleagues knew nothing of my ambition to sing Gregorian chant. Perhaps they would have seen me in a different light if they had known. The opportunity to sing Gregorian chant presented itself after I had left the opera society after a period of 10 years. I joined one of the rehearsals of the small male choir, Scola Cantorum, in the Old Catholic Cathedral, St. Gertrudis. As I went up the steps to the organ loft I could imagine myself joining the monks for prayer and worship. The similarities did not end there. I discovered that there were only 3 choristers around, suggesting a decaying monastic community. And judging from the haircuts my fellow choristers seemed to have adopted some of the monastic lifestyle too. They also bore names such as Anton and Arno which, considering my name, seemed a sure-fire recipe for misunderstandings. On several occasions the somewhat absent-minded conductor addressed me as “Anton” which did not offend the real Anton as he wasn’t around at the time.
During that very first rehearsal I was lectured on “Gregorian Chant for Dummies”. “Have you come here to learn Gregorian chant?” I was asked. When my answer was affirmative I was swiftly deprived of any illusions I may have had. “But we don’t sing Latin”, the conductor replied. Since 1910 the Old Catholic church has adopted Dutch as the liturgical language and has done away with Latin. I wondered: “No Latin? So is there more chance of singing Latin in either the Wallonian or English church either? ” In fact, the Scola Cantorum sings Gregorian chant in Dutch, which may sound modern to our ears, but their chants date back to medieval times. When its conductor gave an organ recital of 20th century French organ works my fellow choristers complained: “Why does he play modern music, when we have to sing Gregorian chant?”
I had my first baptism of fire on the feast day of the local patron saint of the Utrecht churches, St. Martin. I showed up quite unexpectedly for this special service on a Thursday afternoon, because a staff meeting at school had been cancelled. I was swiftly spotted by the Old Catholic clergy. I was welcomed as if I was a newly signed player on his debut for Manchester United. A former pastor said: “I see some new faces here”. The clergyman next to him elbowed him and whispered into his ear with a sense of urgency: “Anglican!”. Now I had no idea that “Anglican” was written all over my face! After the service the archbishop came up to me and shook my hand and said: “Welcome to the Scola!”. I did not yet know that this Most Reverend gentleman is also called the Bishop of Utrecht in contrast to his Roman Catholic colleague who is called the Bishop at Utrecht. In the reception another former pastor patted me on the shoulder and said: “Well done you guys!”.
But I was in for another surprise. I discovered that the spirit of the Reformation had also crept into the chants sung during communion. Only recently I sang a creed that was strangely familiar. It turned out to be Merbecke’s creed that is occasionally sung during the Eucharist in Holy Trinity Church but in a lower key than I was familiar with. And as the Scola prepares for Holy Week we sing several masses composed by John Merbecke (c. 1505-c.1585) which are the first examples of Anglican plainchant.
But some items hidden in the altar remind us of pre-reformation days. As you enter the Chancel for a High Mass or an Evensong you bow your head to the altar which is crammed with the relics of saints and martyrs. Among the many objects are the skull of King Oswald, the bones of the monks of Gorkum killed by the sea beggars in 1572 and some pieces of clothing which had belonged to Willibrord. Some of these ancient treasures had been hidden for centuries and were passed on to the Old Catholic church. Although no longer objects of veneration, thanks to a recent news report on a dissertation written about these items shown on the eight o’clock news, scores of people came to visit the cathedral hoping to catch a glimpse of some of these relics.
Arnold
WHAT IS GOD CALLING YOU TO DO?
Now’s the time to find out - Vocations Sunday 15 May
What is your vocation? You may think that you don’t have one, that vocations are the sort of thing that only clergy have. But if you think that, you’re wrong. God calls each one of us. “The question, though, is to what?”, writes Stephen Ferns.
First and foremost, God calls us to change: to become more Christ-like. We are called to live out our lives in response to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That process began in our baptism, but it continues through prayer, through the reading of the scriptures and through the receiving of Holy Communion. One of the constant themes in the New Testament is that lives touched by Christ were changed. What is true for the characters of the New Testament is true for us. As we encounter and respond to Christ we cannot help but be changed.
But while we are called to change, we are also called to be more deeply ourselves. God never calls us to be something or someone we’re not. God always calls us to what we are capable of becoming. It may be that there are parts of us which are underdeveloped or which rarely see the light of day which need to be allowed to flourish so we can be our true selves.
It may be that we have hidden gifts which need to be discovered or it may be that there is something that we have secretly always wanted to do but have not had the courage or the time to try. Whatever it may be we need to find an outlet which will allow us to feel more excited about life or indeed to feel more alive.
St Irenaeus wrote that ‘the glory of God is a human being fully alive’. Through the dual process of becoming more fully ourselves and of becoming more fully Christ-like, the will of God is fulfilled and the glory of God seen. That is what Vocations Sunday is about. You have one life. For God’s sake and for your own, live it.
SOME MUSINGS ON LIFE AND FAITH
Life is a journey that no one makes alone. The more people you touch along the way, the more meaningful and rewarding your time.
Give God what's right - not what's left.
He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.
Life’s evening will take its character from the day that has preceded it.
THE ART OF ONE UPMANSHIP
“‘You shouldn’t drop names you know!’ as Her Majesty The Queen pointed out to me over coffee only the other day”, or so the story goes! Well, I suppose I have been name-dropping a bit recently. After all, you already know that we used to know a real live Russian princess even if she was only Serene and not Royal. However, Russian aristocracy, even those with spectacular titles, and most of them have, tend not to count for much on the one-upmanship scale these days now that so many of them have come out of the woodwork, as it were, after the demise of the communist state, but we also have a friend who can (probably) trace his ancestry back to at least two of the most august families of Merrie Olde England.
As you know, there are one or two publications in Britain which are a bit like the Social Register in the United States. One of them is called Who’s Who and all you have to do to get into that is to become someone prominent, like a professor. Good heavens, even politicians can get into Who’s Who. I suppose being a bishop would get you in as well, but the Church of England has its own, particular equivalent of the Social Register: Crockford’s. This lists all active clergy working in the C of E. We in the medical profession, needless to say, have our own truly exclusive book of listings as well, the Medical Register, famous for being something you can get ‘struck off’ if you misbehave! And once your name had been ‘erased from the register’, as the official expression goes, it can be a bit of a bother to get it back on again. The Medical Register is the official government maintained book of medical people and I am no longer listed in it since, I hasten to point out, I requested removal of my name when I retired. Well, it costs an arm and a leg to stay on that listing, and I can always get back on again if I pay the fee! There is another, privately run medical rogues gallery and I think I might still be listed in that. But the zenith of all Social Registers in the United Kingdom has to be Burke’s Peerage and the only way you can get into that is to be born into an aristocratic, preferably titled family, oh and you have to pay a listing fee for that as well, of course. Our, now my, friend is the only person I know who could be listed in that publication, that is if he was prepared to pay the fee, which he isn’t. In any case, even though Burke’s consider him to belong to the aristocracy, however obliquely, he is basically a socialist and doesn’t really approve of the titled gentry.
His surname and his middle name both echo his noble roots but since this tale has to remain rather anonymous – no name; no pack drill – I will have to leave you guessing. Suffice it to say that if you know anything about British history, both of these names would ring some bells, particularly if you head back to the days of Henry the Eighth and Elizabeth the First. One of my friend’s titled forebears was reputed to have been having an affair with Elizabeth I. Now that should narrow the possibilities down a tad! In any case, he has roots going back to both of these ancient families, at least, he probably does and that is where the tale gets a bit more interesting.
His family spent several generations in India where his antecedents, including his father served as some sort of provincial governors. My friend was also born in India and spent his early years there, learning Urdu from the natives, and French from his mother, who hailed from Marseilles. Now it was either his grandfather or great grandfather who was the problem relative.
The family definitely has roots going back to the aristocratic families whose names I must withhold, although far enough removed not to warrant a title, but close enough for Burke’s to be interested. However, local tribesmen snatched the problematic ancestor, who was also born in India, when he was still a very small boy and he was whisked away to be brought up as a native. Now my friend never explained to my satisfaction why the locals should have gone to such trouble, particularly since it was a risky enterprise to snatch the boy, and they never got round to asking for a ransom or anything of that nature. Perhaps they just liked the look of the lad! But, yet again, I digress.
Many years later, members of the British presence in that part of the Indian subcontinent spotted a blond-haired ‘native’ boy in the region where this ancestor had disappeared and the youth was promptly snatched back, on the assumption that he was probably the missing relative since he didn’t ‘match’ the rest of the tribe. And that was my pal’s (great) grandfather. Of course, it’s always possible that the kid was just a genetic oddity and was in fact quite unrelated to the boy who has been abducted. There was no DNA testing in those days, of course, so there will always remain a soupçon of uncertainty. Nonetheless, it makes a good tale.
The family came back to England when India gained its independence and I suppose my friend would have been about 6 at that time. So there you have it, the nearest thing I have to an aristocratic pal, certainly the only person I know who has the right to be included in Burke’s Peerage.
As I pointed out at the beginning of this tale, Who’s Who is much less exclusive. Even so, there are some people who long to be listed in it. I suppose it gives some sense of having ‘arrived’ if you can show your entry to those you wish to impress. I remember a colleague in my year at university, Howard, who lived in a fairly swish area of Liverpool – his family had been medical for several generations and they weren’t without a bob or two. Their next-door neighbour, however, was an absolute snob, definitely nouveau riche, and of humble origins but aspiring to grandeur. In fact, although he had been educated at a fine grammar school in his home town of Barrow-in–Furness, whenever he was asked where he had been at school, he would always manage to aspirate the ‘b’ of Barrow and make it sound like an ‘h’ (try is and see what it sounds like)! Howard’s family had no such pretensions, although they did have a grand piano in the bay window of their house. Since I had musical aspirations, even then, I asked who played in his family. No-one, he pointed out. So I asked what the point was of having a grand piano in the window when nobody could play it. Looking toward his next-door neighbour’s house he commented: Well it’s better than having a copy of Who’s Who in the window and not being in it!
Harry
Services at Holy Trinity Church, Utrecht
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