Pentecost Page 3News of the Church Family Page 5URC – News from the North Thames Synod Page 7Ealing Street Pastors – Commissioning Celebration Page 9From the Church Secretary Page 10Refurbishment Update Page 11Agenda for the Ealing Green Congregational Meeting Page 12Minutes from the last EG Congregational Meeting Page 13Ethics (Pt 3) How do We Think about Modern Biological Developments?

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Classic Cinema Club Page 17Collection Point Page 19Rotas Page 20

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EALING GREEN CHURCH

(Methodist and United Reformed)

Ealing, London W5 5QT

Telephone (020) 8810 0136

Web site http://www.ealinggreenchurch.org.uk/

Email egcadministrator@btconnect.comegcsecretary@btconnect.com

Contributions to Unity unitymagazine@hotmail.com

Minister Deacon Richard Goldstraw (020) 3718 9577

Church Administrator Ms. Rebecca Catford (020) 8810 0136Church Secretary Dr. Anita Oji 07435 081342

Church SecretariatPhilip Burnham-Richards, Hector Chidiya, Fleur Hatherall

Choir Leader Mrs. Fleur Hatherall (020) 8248 6774Organist Mrs. Fleur Hatherall (020) 8248 6774Communion Steward Mrs. Hema Souri-Parsons (020) 8840 4200Unity Magazine Mr. Lee Horwich (020) 8567 2851Unity Distributor Mr. Peter Chadburn (020) 8537 1966Ecumenical Officer Mr. David Groves (020) 8933 8315Bible Reading Rota Church Administrator (020) 8810 0136

The Church Office is staffed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week between 9.30am and 12.30pm, with the exception of public and other occasional holidays.

UNITYcontributions:

All contributions gratefully received. Please email them to: unitymagazine@hotmail.com

Last date for contributions to the July issue Sunday 14th June

If you are new to the church, the following groups meet on a regular basis, either weekly or monthly:

Afternoon Bible Study Thursday (monthly) 1.30 pmMonday Fellowship (fortnightly)

Monday 2:00 pm

Choir Practice Friday 7:00 pmLuncheon Club Thursday 12:00 am-1:15 pm

Full details can be found in the weekly notice sheetYou are welcome to come to any meeting.

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Pentecost From Richard

Dear Friends

When this article is printed we will have marked Pentecost – the birth of the church when the gift of the Holy Spirit was given. We will have also welcomed back Jen, who has had the gift of a sabbatical and who is a gift to us.

We have the wonderful record of the birth of the church when the Holy Spirit was given– words like “amazed”, “astonished”, “perplexed” are in the birth record of the church. The disciples were told at the ascension to wait for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift was mind blowing!

The Holy Spirit wakes us up to Christ who, in the words of Gerard Manley Hopkins:

“...plays in ten thousand places,Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not hisTo the Father through the features of men’s faces”.

(“As Kingfishers Catch Fire”)

In my Pentecost file I have these words which I love:

Pentecost is every day (the Spirit speaking)

I share and share and share againSometimes in a new languagewhich, if you are so openwill take you behind the skyand award you cartwheels across the sunI give and give and give againnot restricted by the church calendaror concocted ritualI have no need of anniversariesfor I have always beenI speak and speak and speak againwith the sting of puritythat can only be Mecausing joyous earthquakes in the mourning soul of manI am and am and am again.

(Stewart Henderson reproduced from Liturgy of Life compiled by Donald Hilton with the permission of the National Christian Education Council)

I encourage you to read through the book of Acts and there for us the early years of the church is recorded. These are recorded snapshots of the early church. My early years are recorded in photographs and thankfully not film! A precious passage for deacons is in Acts 6 when the first were appointed: in whom were seen gifts of the Holy Spirit. Amongst them was Stephen; we hear of his martyrdom early on in the

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book of Acts. In the churches calendar we remember Stephen on December 26th a day we all know as Boxing Day but in the churches calendar, St Stephens’s day.

2000 years later the Methodist Church is in decline; the United Reformed Church is in decline. Where is the Spirit leading us? Where is the warm embrace of the Spirit? The Holy Spirit comes to bring unity and we must celebrate where Christians work together.

Pauline Webb a former Vice-President of the Methodist Church wrote wise words on where the Spirit is at work and I have used these words many times:

“Wherever people speak the language of love, wherever they dream of a new community, wherever they reach out to one another across barriers of race or culture or nation –that’s the Spirit.

Wherever people burn with anger against all that dehumanises or discriminates; wherever they are fired with love for one another and reverence for God’s creation, that’s the Spirit”.

A birth of a child is amazing and those of you who are parents will know the feelings that were around at the birth of your children. The birth of a life is a miracle! I was late! I should have been born in May. My father, bless him, took my mother on a bumpy car ride to encourage me on my way! I have a birth record; a birth certificate. What hopes and dreams my parents had for me I do not know but I am deeply thankful for their love and care – their good parenting!

Out of love for us God our Father gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. The church was given a birth-certificate.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 1Corinthians 12: 4-6

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church with these wise and wonderful words and gave us the image of the body, a unity illustration. There used to be and maybe there still is, a pack of biscuits called Variety pack. We are that variety pack of Christians –baptised and confirmed and sent out to spread God’s amazing love.

We have just marked the anniversary of the conversion of John Wesley on May 24th when he felt his heart “strangely warmed”. His energy and passion for the Kingdom of God was staggering.

“Send us the Spirit of thy son to make the depth of Godhead known” was the prayer of Charles Wesley, John’s brother, in his hymn Father of everlasting graceand that should ever be our prayer.

May that same God of Acts and of the Apostle Paul amaze, perplex and fill us with wonder as we see His Spirit at work in each other, in the church catholic, and in this very place.

Kind thoughts and prayersDeacon Richard

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News of the Church Family Robina Thexton is now living in a Residential Care Home in Kew, close to her son. She has a lovely large, light room. Please pray that Robina will settle in happily.

We are pleased to have young Michael and Mariah King back amongst us after an unpleasant & difficult few weeks, for them and their Mum & Dad! Both children had chicken pox badly, a couple of weeks apart, and also at different times were taken from school by ambulance with concussion!

We give thanks that Claire Southall’s nephew, Leo is safe having been in Nepal when the first earthquake occurred. He managed to travel to Cambodia but is now back in the UK.

Please pray for healing for Massah Rogers who is having investigations for a painful knee, causing her to be off work.

Many congratulations and good wishes to Philip Burnham-Richards who has just become engaged to Rosaleen Kelly. We are delighted to hear this exciting news.

Further congratulations are in order – this time to Alessia Horwich who is getting married to Chris Brown at Highgate URC on 6th June. We wish them both every happiness for their future together. Our love and best wishes go Alessia’s parents, Jane & Lee (our Editor) who are making a ‘flying’ visit to UK for the wedding. Have a wonderful day.

It was a great joy that Helen & Adam Brown brought their baby girl, Isabella Beatrice, to be baptised during the service on 17th May – what a beautiful baby girl she is!

We are pleased to welcome back Hema Souri-Parsons who has been in USA for almost a year, caring for her mother, brother and grandson.

At the beginning of June, we look forward to welcoming our Minister, Jen, back from her 3 month Sabbatical. We pray that she will feel refreshed and renewed.

Ealing Live at Home Scheme

This scheme has now been launched in Ealing and a manager appointed, who will work initially for 25 hours per week.

It is designed to help older people stay active and is run by the Methodist Charity and Housing Association, MHA, which already provides accommodation and support for 16,000 people.

Three of us from Ealing Green attended a ‘taster day’ at Greenford Methodist Church on 9th May. There was a craft table where we could make cards, a quiet room with aids and suggestions for reflection. We joined in an exercise class and also enjoyed hand and foot massage and best of all, a neck and shoulder massage – most relaxing!

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We were fed well in the ‘cafe’ but had to leave before the garden session when potatoes were to be planted. They plan to have a ‘grow and eat’ garden.

The aim of the day was to get volunteers, who might be interested to help bring these services to as many older people as possible. The idea is to get these older people involved in activities that prevent loneliness and help with health, fitness and well-being. It is hoped that each church in the Circuit will be involved in providing a venue for one of the activities. I certainly hope that Ealing Green will be one.

If anyone is interested in volunteering, please have a word with me and I’ll pass on your name to the organisers.

Gill Hatherall

Ealing Green Directory

I have put together an up to date Church Directory. If you would like a copy, please ask me.

Gill Hatherall

It is almost better to be an impulse shirt-buyer than an impulse shoe-buyer. I have worn shirts that made people think I was a retired Mafia hit-man or a Yugoslavian sports convener from Split, but I have worn shoes that made people think I was insane.”

Clive James

Laptop Appeal – sort of

Jane Horwich is looking for an old laptop, or two, for some of the students in the school she is working in in Sri Lanka.

If you have an old laptop (it has to be a laptop to get it in her suitcase), that has now been superseded by something more whizzy or replaced by a tablet, and are willing to donate it, or accept a small donation in return for it, could you please let me know. I/we are back in the UK for a short time at the end of May and would like to get one, or two, clean them up and take them back to people who could make much use of them, but who are not going to be able to get one otherwise. Please contact me on:unitymagazine@hotmail.com Thanks, Jane and Lee

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Letters and emails

No letters this month

United Reformed Church - News from the Thames North Synod

Most of the news items and training programmes are available on the notice board in the passage but here are two invitations for you to book:

Saturday 10th July at Lumen URC, 88 Tavistock Place, WC1H 9RS

A day for church and society.

Do you have concern about, compassion for, experience of or expertise in poverty, refugees justice, discrimination, health, abuse, homelessness, disability etc? More details and bookings on 020 7799 500 or email the North Tames Synod Office on bookings@urcthamesnorth.org.uk

Saturday 12th September at St Andrew's, Mount Park Road, Ealing W5 2RP 10am to 4pm - Workshops on hospitality, inter-cultural worship, church, on-line, all-age worship and more.

Book your place (refreshments provided - bring a packed lunch) on 020 7799 500 or email the North Tames Synod Office on bookings@urcthamesnorth.org.uk

The URC Yearbook 2015 - 16 is in the office for reference.

Have you read the URC magazine 'Reform'? There are copies for you to browse in the church. The website is http://www.urcthamesnorth.org.uk' Anita Oji

Methodist Magazine - The Connexion

The Spring edition of the 'Connexion' is now available on our church paper racks. Special features on Chaplaincy are included. Please take a copy, read and return it for someone else to read. It can be found on line at

http://www.methodist.org.uk/news-andevents/the-connexion-magazine

Many chaplains are volunteers. In the past hospitals funded chaplains but this funding has disappeared so lay chaplaincy is now encouraged. If this work is of interest to you resources are available on

http://www.methodist.org.uk/chaplaincy

The new wave of chaplaincy spreads to town centres (Ealing?), leisure activities (Walpole Park events?) and communities - as well as familiar places such as hospitals, armed services and universities.

Here are snippets - 'Chaplaincy works by inviting us to step outside the Church and become guests in a space controlled by someone else.... Jesus deliberately made himself vulnerable as our guest and has no place to call his own'; 'We do not take Christ to the market place - we meet with Him there' Anita Oji

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Now that the good weather is finally upon us it is time to break out the summer clothes and wonder what on earth you were thinking when you bought that filmy blouse (and I hope you don't mind me talking, in this case, just to the men). The blossom is off the trees and the daffodils have long since had their couple of weeks brightening up the scene and now it is in to the real process of growing. I'm sure there are analogies here that someone more versed in this sort of thing could draw with the growth in the church and how it all ties in with nature's cycle etc.. And equally there are those who will note the co-opting of many of nature's seasonal changes by the church. But, happily for you, I am not even going to try.

Living away here on the other side of the world I have noted the accentuated blossom seasons and the colours that go with it. The Cherry Blossom Festival in Jinhae, about an hour and a half's drive from where I am, was explained to me as one of the most important festivals in the country. I wasn't sure, but some of my colleagues organised a trip and I went along. It was fascinating. The people of Jinhae have planted cherry trees like there is no tomorrow, curiously they are all white, and for a couple of weeks in the year you cannot move for crowds of people and cherry trees in blossom. We shuffled past the entrance to the funicular, which takes you up the mountain to gaze down upon the mass of cherry trees, and a slightly less picturesque view of the station and industrial estate, both liberally provided with cherry trees wherever possible. We nudged our way through the food fair ground to the main area and walkway where the trees are all planted overhanging a stream (probably a substantial river once the rains come) which has been cut through the town. While we were there a cloudburst, which differs from those we have in the UK in that they last for hours, brought much of the blossom down, so it seemed like we were in a blizzard. Happily we only got soaked (to our skin despite umbrellas and waterproof coats) and not frozen.

There is also a very defined azalea season and nearby, only a few miles away, we discovered that there is an 'azalea mountain'. Actually the mountain is/was always there but it has been planted from its base, around sea level to its top, around 400 metres, with azaleas. We were away one weekend and learned of it the next. We noted at the time that the azaleas where we live had suddenly disappeared. The clumps/swathes and individual azalea flowers, bursting with vivid pinks and purples were there one week and gone the next. So it was with the mountain. It might have been awash with colour, as in the pictures we were shown, but, when our colleague got to it, it was as green as the surrounding hills, with barely a fleck of colour to suggest what it had been. Still, the weather is now warming up and, after the flash of colour from all the blossoms, the serious work of growing and taking the benefit of the warmth and sunlight can really get underway. I hope you enjoy it as well.

God bless you.

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From the Church Secretary‘Pardon?’ you may have heard me say and seen me bend my ear. Some days I cannot hear ‘Tweet of the Day’ on BBC Radio 4. I think it must be a silent species as the speaker describes the bird’s characteristics. I know I have had some form of deafness since childhood when I went for a specialist examination and had to keep asking what the consultant said. Now age is taking its toll. I sometimes watch the late night repeat programmes on the television where there is signing in the bottom corner. In our family one of my daughters taught her young toddler to sign before she could talk in order to reduce her frustration at being unable to be understood. We were encouraged to join in. Two years on she is more vocal than her mum and she has completely forgotten how she could talk with her hands before making understandable noises. t was with this background that I picked up a ‘Go! Sign’ magazine specially written for deaf Christians.

The websites that are of interest to this topic are www.GOSIGN.org.uk and www.christiansigns.co.uk and Go! Sign is the working name of the Christian Deaf Link UK. Deaf Christians describe a feeling of exile from the experience of church life in the UK and are campaigning for more inclusive participation of deaf people in the life of the church. One testimony was from an ordained minister in the Church of Scotland whose picture shows her with her hearing dog. In her teens she describes great feelings of bitterness and a belief that God was responsible for her deafness and suffering. It was another minister who simply asked her to pray to God because He would have a special plan for her (Jeremiah 29: 11-13). I was touched when I read these verses because though they were written so long ago yet they became active today in a nice glossy magazine. Does God have a special plan for you? I will put the magazine on the church rack for you to dip into.

Writing about special plans, I remember when I chose to go to medical school. It was because it opened the door to go abroad as a missionary. Hence during a period of study where you could travel to experience medicine under different conditions I arranged to go to Nigeria to spend some time in a mission hospital. In the months before I was due to fly out the Biafran war started. It was the Nigerian civil war where the eastern part of the country wanted control of their destiny. For the first time in my life my father said ‘No’ to me. I was devastated. ‘Was this God’s plan for me?’ was a question I faced. No quick answers came but you can now see His plan in my family and work. Missionary activity has changed as have the churches so that our interconnectedness with God and each other has developed. No longer is there a Methodist Missionary Society. We are all involved in mission and it is part of our church life.

Here is a ‘Tweet’ from ‘Go Sign’ on the two sides of mission:Spirituality:

inner life, relation with God, living with God, daily devotion, personal pietyDiscipleship:

outer life, relation with world, living for God, daily witness, practical pietyI urge you to find out more through our Discipleship group and Living and Dying Well series. Anita Oji

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Ealing Green Church - Refurbishment Update - May 2015

At a Special Church Meeting on 3rd May, it was agreed that we should accept the recommendation of the Asbestos Consultant and allow the encapsulation of the asbestos in the floor void of the church to be carried out, as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, this additional cost is outside of the Refurbishment Project and has to be met from Reserves. As Westco, the Refurbishment Contractors, have not been able to work in the church, we will also be liable for ‘delay payments’. The delays mean that the Project is now unlikely to be completed until mid-October. The total cost for encapsulation and ‘delay’ payments would use up our Reserves, so it was decided to seek emergency financial help from The URC and also the Methodist Circuit. Applications have now been lodged and we await decisions.

The contractors have been preparing the church sanctuary area for the encapsulation process and the Asbestos Removal Company will move in on 26th

May. When the void has been filled with concrete, the wiring and heating pipes will be laid prior to the fitting of layers of insulation and levelling of floor, before the new wood flooring is completed.

Work on the new side extension has continued and the electricians will shortly arrive to start the necessary wiring. Rubble has been removed from the new kitchen and also from the Reception area.

There has been some work at back of church below the Rose window, where another feature has been revealed – an arch allowing better view of Rose window from front of church. The arch also gives a better design to the chancel area. After the encapsulation is complete, the contractors will bring in additional labour and we will then see greater progress – perhaps even knocking a couple of weeks off the Project schedule?!

Other ongoing items include:- Planning permission has been sought for the exterior lighting and new notice board. The Audio/visual scheme is being re-costed after unexpected increase in price. The design of new doors from back of church into the rear premises is being slightly changed to meet Fire Safety regulations.

C. Hatherall - Steering Group

The entrée wasn't tender enough to be a paving stone and the gravy couldn't have been primordial soup because morphogenesis was already taking place.”

Clive James

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Agenda for the Ealing Green Church Congregational Meeting June 7th 2015

1. Opening prayers (Led by Rev Dr Jen Smith)

2. Apologies for absence (please send to the Church Administrator, Rebecca Catford)

3. Minutes of the Congregational Meeting May 3rd 2015 to confirm and approve

4. Matters arising from the minutes not on the agenda

5. Reports from the Church Council a) Secretary (Secretariat: Phillip Burnham-Richards, Hector Chidiya, Fleur Hatherall) b) Treasurerc) Subgroups

1. Worship (Summer Series)2. Property: asbestos containment (grant applications for Methodist and

URC funds); 3a Victoria Terrace flat refurbishment3. Pastoral4. Discipleship

d) Church Organisations Ealing Green PlayersJunior Church

e) Local Ecumenical Partners and Ecumenical activityMethodist including Rev Jen Smith re-invitation updateURC

6. Refurbishment update including communications, funding and timetable

7. Mission update including Methodist Modern Art Collection ‘Visions of the Sacred’ with mission areas: the sacred in hospitality, struggles and healing (Saturday April 9th to Sunday May 22nd 2016) and proposal for part time church worker

8. Social events and fundraising

9. Any Other Business

10. Dates of next meetingsa) Congregational meeting tbab) Church Council June 8th

11. Closing Prayer (Rev Dr Jen Smith)

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Ealing Green Church Congregational MeetingMinutes 3rd May 2015 1230pm in Church Hall

Chair Deacon Richard Goldstraw

Note taker Rebecca Catford

Attendees Listed Separately

1. Opening Prayers2. Apologies Philip Burnham-Richards, Charles Kenny, Linda Field,

Joan Lindley and Jean Rose3. Minutes of

Congregational Meeting of 22nd March 2015

Amendments were made and minutes were signed as a true and correct record of events.

4. Matters arising no matters reported5. Refurbishment and Asbestos Update

Report from steering group (Colin hatherall)

Colin explained the work that had been carried out to remove the asbestos in the church and the current situation:

• The asbestos needs to be sealed in as removal won’t guarantee all traces have gone. This work and the delay to the core refurbishment will push the completion date back 10 weeks from the original date (July).

• The final costs haven’t been found out but it is expected to be in the region of £90k and the cost of the delay £27k. The steering group recommend applying for funds from URC and Methodist Church to cover this extra cost in a separate bid from the refurbishment grants.

Q & A (Martin Sarbicki)

Questions were taken from the congregation. Martin explained about the financial situation and that applying for these grants will enable the church to have some reserves left at the end of the refurbishment.

Proposals • The Ealing Green Church applies to the Grants, Loans and Property Committee of the United Reformed Church, Thames North Synod, for a grant of £50,000 towards the cost of resolving the asbestos problem in the church. This includes: -sealing/encapsulation of the floor void; additional costs re: delay payments due to the contractors.

• The Ealing Green Church applies to the Ealing Trinity Circuit of the Methodist Church for a grant of £50,000 towards the cost of resolving the asbestos problem in the church. This includes: - sealing/

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encapsulation of the floor void; additional costs re: delay payments due to the contractors.

Vote Colin Hatherall (proposer); Ron Honor (seconder) and the meeting voted unanimously in favour of the proposals.

AOB Ron H thanked Colin on behalf of the meeting for the work he has done towards the refurbishment. Peggy also thanked the church council for their work. Richard G asked the meeting to pray for the Steering Group and their work.

Next meetings: Congregational Meeting 7 June 2015 (after service) and Church Council Monday 11th May and 8th June 7.35pm

The meeting closed in prayer.

Methodist Modern Art Collection (MMAC)

Wanted

A person from Ealing Green Church to lead the organisation of stewards for the Methodist Modern Art Collection Exhibition 'Visions of the Sacred' - April 9th to May 22nd 2016

We already have a skilled volunteer helper from another church. It is planned to seek stewards from a range of local charities as well as the Methodist Circuit and URC links.

The organiser would be responsible for

• liaising with the exhibition planning committee

• develop the steward timetabling in good time before the start of the exhibition

• organise (but not necessarily lead) training for the stewards

• provide off site support during the exhibition.

For more details please speak to members of the planning committee:

John Collingbourne, Philip Burnham-Richards, Anita Oji, DeaconRichard Goldstraw or Rev Jen Smith

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Ethics (Part 3): How Do We Think About Modern Biological Developments?

For those of you who have followed my previous two efforts to talk about mitochondrial transplants, what follows is a (very amateur) try at unpicking a few of the arguments which are raised at what is, to many, a highly controversial matter. It is also a personal view.

Some modern technologies involve the destruction of embryos - sometimes healthy sometimes capable of development but maybe resulting in a life of reduced quality (and I recognise that is a subjective term). There is usually a time limit - often 14 days - before which embryos may be discarded. I recognise that this is offensive to those who believe that life begins at conception, but mitochondrial transplantation does not, at least intentionally, destroy fertilised embryos. And perhaps it is worth reminding ourselves that very many pregnancies (often before they are recognised as such) end in loss of a foetus in the first two months when such a foetus is non-viable.

One of the most seductive arguments against many modern technologies is "the slippery slope" - that once we start down a particular path, we must pursue it to its ultimate (logical ?) conclusion. So, the end product of mitochondrial transplantation has been suggested to be designer babies - much as the end product of assisted dying (see a previous article) might be euthanasia - legal murder on demand. In the real world, friction and studs stop us sliding down slippery slopes, in the technological world, extremely strict regulatory oversight prevents scientists going too far. The term also suggests that scientists have no moral compass - my experience is that this is definitely not the case - quite the reverse - my experience suggests that it is the scientists who often ask the questions: in relation to genetic modification (engineering) it was the scientists who met at Asilomar in 1975 and wrote the rules which later became the basis of law in many countries. On a practical point, designing babies (intelligence, athletic ability) looks well beyond modern technology.

"Scientists are playing God" is levelled often at those using cutting edge technologies: it is not a criticism I fully understand either in theological or practical terms. Ten thousand years ago, mankind began to develop plant breeding technologies which lead directly to being able to feed some seven billion people (not very efficiently) - was that playing God ? Medical developments (think vaccines, antibiotics, anaesthetics) save millions of lives a year - should they be abandoned? Were we to discover a way to predict earthquakes, should that technology be prevented ? "It's not natural" is a similar term: little on this Earth now is natural in human terms and most of us would find it hard to survive without the accoutrements of modern civilisation. God gave us free will and (as far as I can see) does not interfere on a daily basis.

My position is perhaps somewhat utilitarian (Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill): I believe that those children who are born healthy and lead long, healthy, happy lives as a result of this technology - and do not pass on faulty genes to their offspring -

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will thank us for it as will their parents. They will not, of course be loved any more or any less than those born severely disabled and destined to die early, but their parents may have to bear much less pain and heartbreak. And that counts too.

Modern technology raises difficult issues: many of those were raised against the first heart transplants (50 years) and in-vitro fertilisation (35 years). But there are some 5 million IVF babies and the sum of human happiness is much increased. I think that matters a lot.

Peter Baker 69

Vegetarianism in the Far East

Some years ago we went from the office I worked in, in leafy Greenford, down to Northfields for an office Christmas Dinner in Maxim's. Now I am not advertising as much as warning although I believe they have made changes in the meantime. Two of our party of around 20 were vegetarians. We had given the restaurant a budget and mentioned the two vegetarians and on our arrival enquired about their being catered for. The restaurant was quite prepared and had produced - a ton (maybe not that much, but a lot) of bean sprouts and a small portion of vegetables for our two ‘oddities’. They were not best pleased.

Out east of the Indian subcontinent there seems still to be little understanding, at least in some quarters, of vegetarianism. When booking at the local top Chinese restaurant for a meal with the team out here in deepest South Korea I asked for a vegetarian option for one of our Indian colleagues (actually he has a UK passport, but cleaves to all things Indian, including his vegetarianism). The manager proudly announced that he would substitute for the pork - with some fish. On being advised that fish did not feature in vegetarian cuisine he moved on to shellfish and then more general, and less classified, seafood, all of which included things that were not plants (sea cucumbers are a delicacy here, but few of us would welcome them in a salad). It took quite a bit for him to get his head around not having a cooked dead-something-or-other in the meal and it still being a meal. Eventually we succeeded, but it is a bit of a problem here.

The only way that we have been able to accommodate this vegetarianism for group meals had been to go to Indian restaurants, where this approach to eating is well understood and catered for. More recently, in our quest to get away from Indian restaurants, we have found that there are items on the menu in Italian restaurants (vegetarian pizzas and lasagne) and Mexican restaurants (where refried beans are sometimes offered instead of meat) where we can get away from curries, which are hardly representative of the local culture. Most of my colleagues want to experience Korean restaurants, especially if the company is paying for it, but Korean, and Chinese chefs, and more importantly their clientele, it seems, are not readily conversant with the non-meat eating approach to life.

Lee

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Classic Cinema Club Ealing June 2015

The theme this month is - Film Noir

In the dark days that clouded the 1940s, French critics began to note a pervading mood in Hollywood crime cinema – they called it noir. The name stuck and soon everyone wanted a cut. Already born from an uneasy marriage between American literature and European visual style, we show how it went international with these dynamic movies that boast the sharp style, fraught feeling and bleak outlook of this ever thrilling tone of filmmaking

Friday June 5

The Killers 1946 103 minutes USADirected by Robert Siodmak Starring Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien

Two hit-men hunt down a boxer-turned-criminal in one of classic Hollywood’s essential and existential film noirs, with the tense opening scene based on Ernest Hemingway’s short story.

Ava Gardner practising her best 'noir' pose

The Killers

Friday June 12Stray Dog 1949 117 minutes JapanDirected by Akira Kurosawa Starring Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura

A rookie officer searches for his stolen gun in Tokyo’s post-war slums and criminal underworld, with the professional and moral guidance of a veteran detective. This early film from Kurosawa features his two favourite actors and a blend of police procedure, cop camaraderie and neorealism.

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Friday June 19Night and the City 1950 92 minutes UKDirected by Jules Dassin Starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Herbert Lom

A petty con-artist pounces from scheme to scheme, certain that the next one will win big. When he becomes a wrestling promoter, his ambition is brought down by fear and desperation. Shot all over central London, filmed as an urban hell, it is “one of Dassin’s crowning achievements.”

Friday June 26Rififi 1955 118 minutes FranceDirected by Jules Dassin Starring Jean Servais, Carl Möhner, Robert Manuel

A band of burglars plans their biggest robbery, targeting a Parisian jewellery store. Their skill and precision is depicted in the famous heist sequence, shot in near silence. François Truffaut called it “the best crime film I’ve ever seen.” Winner of the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

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I published a letter from Roy Samo (see picture) last month, which I have taken the liberty of part reprinting below. He is one of the moving forces behind the Kanawegi children’s home in Kenya.

There is currently a shortfall in funds to provide school uniforms, school, college and university fees.

Part of Roy’s letter:

From: Roy SamoGreetings my dear friends. I want to believe you are all doing well.

On wed 25th last month nearly 3 weeks ago, I was carjacked and was robbed of all my valuables including my laptop, phones, money, several files and books and electronics. All these were not as bad as the thorough beatings on me. It was a group of 7 armed robbers with 3 guns, machetes and knives. Nothing as terrifying as this has ever happened to me in my life. To make it sad, I'm never a late night person and the latest I do get back to the house unless involved in a serious late night meetings or church functions is always 7pm. I'm now recovering well and have been to the hospital. The wounds and cuts I had on my left jaw are healing though I still can't chew hard food using my right jaw. My right ear has been bleeding a lot even after medication and severe pain are there every night. But I want to thank God very much coz I'm alive. A number of people have lost their lives in Kisumu due to ever increasing insecurity in the city. It becomes worse during rainy seasons like this since they use the rains at night to robbers people and even kill them. Hardly a week before that, I did loose a friend called Mr David were who was killed by armed robbers at his gate as he waited for his watchman to open the gate. Lately, robberies, carjackings, assaults on roads and many more have been common. But we are disturbed that the police are doing little and they seems to be overwhelmed. Whenever you report, you find out that hundreds are also reporting daily and nothing seems to be happening in terms of response or a plan by the police to effectively deal with this.

May the good Lord continue blessing and protecting you.Every blessingRoy

Please give generously for Roy’s work in this difficult time.

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June Rotas

June Preacher Reader PrayersCommunion

Stewards

7th 11.00 am Rebecca Catford Christine Edwards Colin Hatherall

14th 11.00 am Jennifer Smith Elspeth Singleton Vera Marston DL, NG, VJ, HC

21st 11.00 am David Richards Pat Sucher Ron Honor

28th 11.00 am Richard Goldstraw Fleur Hatherall Peter Chadburn

Note: Could we have some volunteers for the Coffee Rota. All help is welcome - and it would be nice to see other faces behind the counter (no offence to those who already volunteer).

July Readers August Readers5th Yvonne Moyo 2nd Charles Kenny

12th Louise Singleton 9th Louise Singleton19th Janette Pender 16th Hazel Humphries

26th Christine Edwards 23rd Ron Honor

30th Helen Harper

Anyone afraid of what he thinks television is doing to the world is probably just afraid of the world.

Clive James