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In this issue:Christ Church

Using new technologyPage 2

Brighouse CentralMy Resurrected LordPage 4

CliftonAll hands on deckPage 6

St Andrew’sEaster reopeningPage 9

NorthowramEaster surprisePage 10

BusoasisWith you on your journeyPage 12

Wendy TolsonDiving into the pastPage 15

The Newsletter of the Calderdale Methodist CircuitAround the DaleNumber 24 April 2021

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Christ Church re-opened on 1st April forour Maundy Thursday service, whichwas led by Rev Graham Smith andincluded Holy Communion with bothbread and wine served from 2 separatecommunion glasses! It was lovely tosee everyone again and the servicesignified one step closer to a newnormal. Anyone who is unable to join usin person on a Sunday can still join us viaZoom as this will be a regular featuregoing forward, and all our services willbe recorded to Youtube for people whowant to watch on catch-up.

Quiz time!Missing Vowels and the letter Y

and spaces

Present TV Programmes

1. STRCTLCMDNCNG

2. QSTNFSPRT

3. SNGSFPRS

4. SCPTTHCNTR

5. STNDRS

6. NTQSRDSHW

7. MTCHFTHD

8. CSLT

9. MSTRMND

10. WHWNTSTBMLLNR (Answers on next page)

Easter Planter

Thanks to Cathy our gardens are lookinggreat. Our outside planter has an Eastertheme and is looking fantastic. It is in agreat position for passers by at theHipperholme Crossroads.Continued on next page . . .

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Technology News!The technology team met up lastSaturday morning in church, (sociallydistanced) to share their knowledge - aswe are all still learning! This was a usefulexercise. We found ourselves checkingwires and testing sounds and generallybouncing information off each other.

Thanks to Angela we now have a newcamera with multiple position settingssituated under the balcony! This allowsus to zoom in more seamlessly whenrequired, or zoom out depending onwhere we are focusing on. The four setpositions should allow more creativityand stability with the digital streamingand cover all possibilities!

The Technology Team have now beenmoved more discretely to the back ofthe church with the two people (ZoomDirector and PowerPoint Director)involved on a Sunday sitting at each endof the table, allowing them to help eachother out if any ‘crisis’ should happen!Hopefully if this is the case nobody elsewill notice!

Zoom services will be the norm goingforward, in order for us to accommodatethe small but regular number of peoplewho are unable to join us in person, buthave started to follow our services bythis method. This is a definite sign ofthe changing times.

Pat Sleigh

A PrayerMy talents, gifts and graces Lordinto thy blessed hands receive;and let me live to preach thy word,and let me to thy glory live;my every sacred moment spendin publishing the sinners’ friend.Amen

Charles WesleySinging the Faith 661 v3

Answers to the Quiz on Page 41. Strictly Come Dancing2. Question of Sport3. Songs of Praise4. Escape to the Country5. Eastenders6 Antiques Roadshow7. Match of the Day8. Casualty9. Mastermind10 Who wants to be a millionaire.

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Easter services at Brighouse Centralwere live streamed through Facebook,as are all our services for the time being.We are planning on opening for ‘inperson’ worship again on Sunday 23rdMay which is Pentecost Sunday. What ajoyous occasion that will be.

Maunday Thursday is usually a time forus to share in Holy Communion, areminder of the last time Jesus brokebread with his disciples before his death.We have celebrated this in manydifferent ways over the years but thisyear was just as special even though itwas simple. The Communion Table wasset with symbols of what Christ wouldhave used for the Last Supper, a visualreminder for us all to share. Rev. Markled us through a time of quietcontemplation and meditation.

Good Friday has for many years been aUnited Service organised by theChurches Together Group in Brighouse.A walk of witness through the town andmeeting together at Brighouse Centralfor a shared service has always been ameaningful part of Good Friday.Unfortunately that was not possible thisyear but Rev Mark once again led usthrough a time of reflective worship.

Easter Sunday, a time for joyouscelebration as we rejoice in the truemeaning of Easter. Jesus is alive, deathcould not hold him. We dressed thefront of church, draping the cross withwhite cloth which flowed onto thecommunion table. This again heldsymbols of what would have been usedon Easter Day.

Throughout all these services ourWorship Band led the music, from quietcontemplative songs to the morerousing and joyous ones.

Although we missed being together andsharing this very special season in theChristian calendar we hope that wetouched someone’s life by bringing Hopeinto what has been a very difficult year.

My Resurrected LordSo special he is my Saviour, my King

Ruler, creator, his praises I sing.The wondrous amazement

of all that he’s done,My Heavenly Father

sent down his own son.How blessed we are

to have such a chance,No longer condemnedto one circumstance.But Jesus came down

his life he did give,That all whom believed

through Him now may live.Though his death there alone

did not pay our way,For he is alive

and the stone rolled away.Thank you dear Jesus

for saving my soul,Through your birth, death

and resurrection I am made whole!Written by: Angela Cicero

Continued on next page . . .

Brighouse Central

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Our Children and Families Worker, Jodi,joined forces with Upper Edge BaptistChurch to run a virtual Easter Club forchildren. This was for three days duringEaster Week and many children in theBrighouse area enjoyed taking part inthis, participating in craft activities,baking and making an Easter garden.They were ably led and directed by adultvolunteers.

With love and blessings to you allfrom all at

Brighouse Central Methodist Church

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It’s been a particularly busy forty daysup at Clifton, book-ended by the deliveryof 80 + bread rolls at the start of Lentand the same number of hot crossscones on Good Friday. These weredelivered to our extended churchcommunity, resulting in manymeaningful doorstep conversations.

Throughout the weeks, our dedicatedcraft group has also been collaboratingto create no less than 65 chicks,requiring knitting, sewing, bagging,tagging with a message of love andseveral swappings around between thevarious ladies!

The Wednesday fellowship group hasalso been exploring some key questionsduring our Lenten studies, led by RevDavid, Jonathan and Rev John Jenkinson on Where is God when we’re happy, in

pain, facing decisions or death.

Easter SundayEaster Sunday was a particularly brightand joyful morning for us, as we re-opened for the first time this year,welcoming back eighteen ‘live’worshippers as well as several more onZoom and Facebook, and, later, by DVD.

We decorated the empty cross as wecame into church; were inspired by RevDavid’s sermon and hymns brimmingover with celebration of God’s loveshown to us through the resurrection;and collected chicks to distribute tofriends and neighbours as we left.Continued on next page . . .

All hands on deck at Clifton!

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Anyone for CoffeeIn and amongst all of this, we’ve alsobeen beavering away at our major newinitiative, a take-away coffee kiosk whichopens on 19 April. This has involved alarge team of volunteers, aged 19 – 87,who have dismantled a summer house

(kindly donatedby the Luptonfamily); movedit in a horsebox from

Lynne’s garden (thanks toTina); repaired, re-repaintedit; re-assembled and re-roofed it;nominated an excellent chief barista inLesley decked it out inside; arrangedprofessional barista training, gathered arota of sixteen volunteers, started ourFood Hygiene training and to stock thealmost-finished kiosk.

Phew! Now we need a coffee!

So far, we’ve rediscovered the fun andpleasure of working as a team and aredelighted to find that even just workingon the kiosk produces exactly the result

we wanted – multipleconversations with passers-by, two of whom havealready come to a Sundayservice.

Our Revival Coffee Kiosk willbe open 2.30 to 4pm every

weekdayafternoon from19 April and wewould love tosee you there,for a delicioustakeaway drinkand cake/biccie or at(outdoor) tableservice.

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NorthowramEaster Surprise

We decided to mark Easter by takingthe good news of the season to ourneighbours in Northowram. With thehelp of a generous grant from theNorth and East Ward Forum, webought three hundred pots ofcheerful little daffodil bulbs. Each potwas placed into a bag with an Eastermessage and these were delivered atrandom to households in the village.This was a real team effort; one of ourmembers allowed us to turn hergarage into “Daffodil HQ” whileothers, along with members of theWard Forum and Shibden WI,delivered the bulbs.

These gifts were very well receivedand we have had many messages ofappreciation. How lovely that such asmall gesture can give so much joy,

not only to those who received a giftbut also to those who took them out.Because the church has not yetreopened for worship, the Eastercross decorated with flowers wasalso shared with the community as itstood in the church garden for all tosee.

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St Andrew’s‘ALLELUIA CHRIST IS ALIVE’ and onEaster Day St Andrew’s re-opened thedoors of the Church building once againto share this wonderful news with thoseof our number who were able to attendand also with those who continued toshare via Zoom from their homes.

It is hard to believe sometimes that it isalmost fourteen months now since someof us have seen each other and we thankGod and trust Him that if all goes to planthis will be rectified soon when we areALL able to be together again.

This beautifullydecorated floralCross has beendisplayed outsideour Church duringthe last week andwe do hope that itwill have brought asense of peace tothose who haveseen it as they havepassed by either on foot or by car orpublic transport.

During the past year we have really triedhard to bring to the notice of our localcommunity and others that even thoughour church building may have beentemporarily closed the Church of Godhas been very much alive.

Over the Lent and Easter period we haveshared in a Bible Study led by Revd Terrycalled ‘Meeting the Real Jesus: A ServantKing’ and also with friends in the SouthHalifax Churches Together LentMeetings which were based on excepts

from Les Miserables and also held jointServices with All Saint’s Anglican Churchon Maundy Thursday and Good Fridayand shared with a South HalifaxChurches Together Good Friday Service– ‘Stations of the Cross’ via YouTubewhich have all been thought provokingand meaningful times of learning andworship – all these have been held viaZoom which has given us all a chance tomost probably share together in manymore events than we usually do and weare indebted to all who have beeninvolved with these new ways ofworshipping, working and sharingtogether.

Our ladies and their ‘knitting needles’have been working very, very hard overthe last couple of months churning outhearts whichhave beengiven tomembers ofbereavedfamilies andEaster Chicks(with deliciouscream eggtummies) which were given out tomembers of our Junior Church; toContinued on next page . .

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children at the Little Monkey’s PreSchool who meet at St Andrew’s; toChildren from the Reception Class atSalterhebble School; to members ofMessy Church (who also received aMessy Church Lent and Easter Gift Bag);and to folks in our local Nursing Homes –over 80 in all. All were ‘bagged’ andwent with messages of love and EasterBlessings from the Church Family at StAndrew’s. Other Groups within theChurch family shared Easter with theirmembers by sending messages, givingcards and small gifts which were allgratefully and thankfully received.

Our Zoommeetings andWhatsAppgroups havecontinued toplay a big part in

many of ourchurch family’shearts during thistime as we stillcontinue withour Zoom ChurchServices, Churchmeetings, etc and the Whats Appmessages keep on coming as we keep intouch with our friends via daily ‘GoodNews Messages from Sue; listen toand/or join in the singing of hymnsplayed by David our organist onTuesdays and Fridays each week.

Sue(Ng) has also been sharing her dailyBible reading notes with us during Lentand she is going to continue to do thisfor us in the days that lie ahead. The

prayer support and words of comfortfrom friends have been wonderful.

During this time as all the usual thingsthat ‘life thows at us’ have all continuedto happen through this long time oflockdown and self- isolation but whenanyone/anything is shared on the Groupthe love and support of friends just fliesback and folks have certainly feltenveloped in hope and kindness andmany have been able to take comfortfrom the lovely words received at thetime of sadness and worry – we have somuch to be thankful for and we thankGod for these many kindnesses.

The time is coming nearer when ‘therules’ in place at the moment are to berelaxed a little and we all hope that folkwill be mindful of each other so thatthings will be able to get back to normal,whatever that may mean, very soon andin the mean-time we at St Andrew’scontinue to ‘Lift High the Cross’ andsend love to all in the Circuit from the StAndrew’s Church Family.

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Sharon Longman writes:

Due to the continued restrictions onbeing able to be out in the communityand local churches choosing to close toworship and all activities, I voluntarilyoffered to go on 50% furlough as ofmiddle of January meaning I amcurrently working 15 hours a week. Thisis being reviewed monthly.

Throughout the 40 days of Lent, a shortbite sized video was produced via theCMET team on the themes of Love, Joy,Hope and Peace. They were released viasocial media and YouTube and had goodfeedback via comments on the pages.

Many thanks to all the team whoprovided their ‘bite’ and to Jeremy forproducing all 40 videos.

This is being followed up in June withthe Bible Month project where theGospel of Mark will be brought to lifeeach day on social media and followedby a weekly reflection.

Following on from the Christmasblessing bags given out to each of the 30residents of Blackburn House, asheltered housing complex, and as wehave still not been able to go back in yet,I also delivered 30 Easter blessing bagswhich were taken out in Holy Week.

Many thanks to Ros and Candida fortheir craft work on these and the MessyAdvent /Easter bags. I look forward togoing back down to Blackburn House towork with them as soon as possible andstart the Daisy Chain Dementia café backup with our project partners.

30 Messy Easter bags were delivered toyear 3 pupils at Abbey Park Primaryschool and in recognition and theirthanks the children made 30 ‘BeeHappy’ posters for the residents ofBlackburn House which I will delivershortly to them.

We also continue to record short puppetassembly videos for the 3 schools whereContinued on next page . . .

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we are yet unable to carry out normalwork.

Following on again from the Christmasyarn bomb of Angels the Easter chickenswere placed out across Calderdale,many people from outside circuit havehelped by knitting or providing thechocolate eggs. As usual, West YorkshirePolice have helpedin theirdistribution. I hadmany photos andmessages sent viasocial media, onestood out - ’Thankyou for the lovelychicken, its so niceto know that Godis with us all thetime!’

Unfortunately, due to the currentrestrictions it will be no surprise to hearthat, other than taking theBusoasis van out for regularmaintenance runs and prayerdrives, we are not able to beout and about in thecommunity yet. We will be outworking alongside our partnersas soon as we can. My initialthoughts are to work with localagencies as well as localMethodist Churches to listen tothe needs of the communitycoming out of Covid. Thereare/will be many people whowill need to see, feel, and hear thegospel in practical ways as we all worktogether to establish a new norm.

My chaplaincy work with West YorkshirePolice is going well and busy supportingofficers, despite restrictions, in manyways and I have been asked to jointlylead one of a series of 5 faith-baseddiscussion sessions entitled Christianityin Policing, which came about afterofficers asked faith questions. Pleasepray for our emergency services and

frontline workers.

I have done online presentationsfor International Women’s Day,Yorkshire North and East District,and have been invited to talk atthe Calderdale Women’sInterfaith group in May, thezoom interviews I undertook canbe found on Busoasis social mediaand YouTube.

There are now approximately 140videos available to watch on The

Methodist Church in Calderdale’sYouTube Channel which cover allBusoasis ones, CMET, Open to God, Lent

and Advent etc.

I am part of NorthHalifax Safer CleanerGreener, North HalifaxCovid engagement andNorth Halifax Stayingwell groups, all give avoice and listen to the‘church’ and are keen towork alongside Busoasisand myself to improvethe lives of thosecommunities.

I have also just been asked about beingContinued on next page . . .

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on a steering group for a local park,where I have requested that a space beallocatedwithin thepark for afaith-basedtheme suchas a garden,reflectionspace, faithtrail, or bulbplanting. Ihave askedPaul Welch ifhe would beinterested in being involved in this too.

As part of the Covid engagement group,the Busoasis team were eligible to havetheir jabs early, which 4 took them upincluding myself. I have recently beeninvited to serve on anew DistrictEvangelism andDiscipleship group bythe District Chair.

I have been part of the5 streams missiongroup and haveattended some of themoving forwardmeetings, am a CircuitMission Enabler and alongside Paul weare writing a Circuit MissionDevelopment plan to be presented ateither May or June Circuit Meeting.

I have initiated, a suggested Districtproject, of knitting hearts as part of theReal Love campaign for Pentecost thisyear. The pattern has gone out across

circuit and I held a zoom knit and natterwhere we knitted . . . and nattered . . .!Members who joined were keen to have

another one, we meet inMay and that invite will besent out again across circuit.All are welcome to join,knitters or not!

On Easter Sunday myselfand Jeremy were in ShibdenPark and gave awayBusoasis favour bags as anEaster Gift to people wemet. The bags which arenow a trademark ofBusoasis when we are out

contain a tea bag, a biscuit, somechocolate and a message ‘have a brewon us . . . given with love’ with contactdetails on. We gave out over a 100 bagsand freebies and had some good

conversations with people,some who were strugglingwith the effects of Covid ontheir business and mentalhealth.

I would like to say a greatbig THANK YOU to ‘techsupport’ aka JeremyLongman who I would notbe able to do most of theabove without his technicalknow-how etc. Thanks for

saying yes when I ask . . .’ I’ve had anidea, can you just . . .?’

Working together as the body of Christis the only way forward to address theneeds of the community, ‘Church’ andourselves.

Sharon Longman April 2021

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It was one of those tasks that I knew Iwould tackle eventually. ‘Eventually’arrived and I set to work. What fun!What revelations! I will probablybecome quite boring on the subject if Ihaven’t already. Memories have comeflooding back of my paternalgrandfather, the only grandfather I canremember. He died when I was six, sothe memories are brief but none theless real. His wife, my grandmotherlived to be 82 so I knew her as a realperson.

My grandfather’s parents were EzekielCorley (somewhere along the way itchanged to Coley) an agriculturallabourer from Norfolk and Mary AnnieVingo from Cornwall, who worked atthe Exchange Hotel in Huddersfield inthe 1880’s. My grandfather, Arthur,was born in Halifax workhouse in1887. His parents married later thatyear and moved to Brighouse, living atseveral addresses, most havingdisappeared as a result of slumclearance.

How did this family move from thatsituation, just two generations ago tothe somewhat different circumstancesthat we enjoy now? I realise thechange in fortunes was the work of myGrandmother – Elizabeth Wood. Shemade it her challenge to lift this familyfrom the one up and one down inMitchell Street eventually reaching 9Halifax Road – no longer in existenceto allow for the roundabout at thebottom of Halifax Road. This was a

great improvement – two up and twodown, fairly large rooms, an insidetoilet, cellar and a porch to house theboiler for washing clothes. There wasan outside coal house, which I loved toclimb on, incurring grandma’s wrath inthe process. Climbing over the coalhouse roof was a short cut fromProspect place where we lived tograndma’s back door which was inCarlton terrace.

How did this rather formidable ladyaccomplish the change in fortunes?She took in washing – hence the needfor a boiler. She went out cleaning, sheworked in the evenings at a fish andchip shop and even when the goal of 9Halifax Road had been reached, shecontinued to earn extra money so thatall three children could go intoapprenticeships and my father couldhave singing lessons. In her youthgrandma was destined to be a pupilteacher but her family needed her totake up better paid employment tohelp support several siblings.

My grandfather, not someone wethink of as grandfatherly today, was ashort, stocky taciturn man of fewwords with what I think of as shortwiry grizzled hair– there was definitelyno cuddling or sitting on knees withhim. When I knew him, he worked as a‘coalman’, having previously been asilk dresser but the work disappeared.He arrived home covered in coal dust,his steel capped clogs echoing on theContinued on next page . . .

Diving into the Past - Wendy Tolson

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path as he approached the back doorto find grandma, busy as usual atthe stove producing yet anotherfried concoction – no wonder hedied of a heart attack at 65. His firstrequirement on reaching home wasa pint mug of tea (a blue and whitestriped mug as I recall), into whichhe would stir several spoonsful ofsugar. He would pour some tea intothe saucer and drink the tea fromthere – I assume it was to help thetea cool down. I was fascinated.Is it healthy to examine the past –does it help to understand who weare. As Christians, have we beeninfluenced by those who wentbefore and to what extent? Willfuture generations look at ourcontributions – what conclusionswill they draw?

It is hoped that Issue No. 25 of thisNews-letter will come out soon.

The Circuit Office is currently closedbut material can still be sent to

office@calderdalemethodists.org.ukPlease send items as soon as you have

them available

Around the DaleThe Newsletter of the Calderdale Circuit

of the Methodist Church