IN THE FO0TSTEPS OF ST RICHARD

or Pilgrimage Newsletter No 33, July 1989

EIGHTY PILGRIMS SIGN ON

As I write this, one week after the closing data for bookings, eighty applications have been received for this year’s pilgrimage. 57 of these are intending to complete the whole pilgrimage. On any one night there will be at least 60 pilgrims, rising to 70 during the middle weekend. We look forward to welcoming 20 new names to our pilgrimage family. In all probability last minute grovelling applications and sorrowful cancellations will confuse this careful analysis of the statistics! The daily route finders have all put a lot of work into their respective days, and we look like having a super pilgrimage through lovely countryside. And if the hot weather continues we will be more than grateful to John Meerwald, a parishioner from here in Rydes Hill who has volunteered to be drink stop man this year.

NEW DIOCESAN YOUTH OFFICER

Patrick Harrison (Evesham) has been appointed as our new Diocesan Youth Officer. Congratulations Patrick, and it will be good to have a seasoned pilgrim at Maryvale. We will expect you to lead a big youth contingent on future walking pilgrimages! At this time we are saying good-bye to both Karen Goldsmith and Brendan Conway. Many thanks to you both for all the help and support you have given the pilgrimages over the years. We got Karen to join us for a day once, on the Sussex Pilgrimage, but the silly girl came on her birthday with the obvious bumpy results.

NEWS GLEANINGS

• Jenny Walker (Glastonbury, Canterbury 2, and Buckfast 1) is now studying for a Post-Graduate degree in English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
• Also in Oxford is Jo Hennessy (Birthdays, Wessex, and Walsingham 2) studying Psychology.
• Pamela Gill (Buckfast 2, Birthdays and Wessex) is now feeling much better and is back to work. She wishes us well on the St Richard’s Pilgrimage, end hopes to join us at some stage.
• Alwyn Hartley (Canterbury 1 and Walsingham 1) reports that he his wife has just had a replacement hip, and so hopes they will be walking together again soon, although he doubts whether he will ever make another pilgrimage!
• Sr Marie Clare (Sussex, Buckfast 2 and Evesham) is now working in Zambia.
• Chris O’Leary has got a new job as full time pastoral worker in the parish of St Augustine's in Hammersmith.
• Elaine Rawlins (Sussex) is now a member of the lay community at Worth Abbey, and is shortly going to study pastoral theology at Heythrop College, University of London. She hopes to join this year’s pilgrimage for a day.
• John and Fern White are involved in a different sort of evangelism, having joined the crew of Logos II mission ship, which is currently being repaired in Amsterdam Harbour.
• Gabe Stewart (Holy Year, Canterbury 1 and Walsingham 1) is still editing a staff magazine for John Lewis in Edinburgh, and Malcolm is working in the same store as a stock keeper. Their son Calum is now 2½ years old.
• Jane Marshall has returned from the Isle of Wight to Dorking, and is still looking for pets to paint.
• Jean Nicholls has a new job as a Planning Officer for Woking Borough Council where she is the local expert on toilet block extensions.
• David Foord-Brown (Holy Year Pilgrimage) has just opened an antiques shop in the High Street at Cuckfield. The shop, he says, would always have a cup of coffee for any passing pilgrim!
• Dawn Willson, on diplomatic service in Kenya, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in February. She has sent a most graphic account of the adventure - photocopies available! Well done Dawn!
• This September, Lucy Birkenshaw begins her first year as a student at New England College, Tortington, near Arundel.

LOST PILGRIMS

Several pilgrims had their last mailing, returned marked gone away, address unknown. Can anyone help relocate the following:

• Sarah Wood (Wee—bag of the Lindisfarne Pilgrimage who used to live in Worthing.
• Mark Vine (Papal and Buckfast 2) once of Dormans Park, East Grinstead.
• Hilary Ratcliffe ("H" of Buckfast 2 and Evesham) who used to live in Withdean, Brighton.
• Paul Cawthron (Holy Year, Canterbury 1 and Walsingham 1) who is now, I think, a medical doctor, and who used to live in Walton on Thames.
• Lucy Carrington (Brecon Beacons and Canterbury 1) who until recently was living in Hove.
• James Burgess (Buckfast 2 and Evesham) who used to live in Epsom.

HATCHING AND MATCHING

• Karen (nee Slaughter) and George Evans are expecting their second child.
• Julian Martin was engaged to Dorothy Jones on 28th April, and they are planning to marry in July 1990.
• Sarah de flip flop Birch (Buckfast 1 & 2, Sussex, Evesham, Birthdays) was married in September 1988 to Neil Kendrick. They are now living at 15, Alderton Road, Croydon, CR0 6HH, and say all visitors are welcome!
• Dean Gallagher (Buckfast 2 and Evesham) is engaged to one Melanie - no further details!
• Aid and Meld Simons have (for some long time now) had a baby daughter, Roisín Mary, born 17th December 1988.
• On 6th May, Katrina Doran and Chris Dobbe were married in Bognor Regis, with yours truly as the officiating priest, and lots of pilgrims in attendance. Katrina was surprised to see me waiting to welcome her as she walked down the aisle, because she had expected Jim Bisgrove to be there to marry them, but he had got sunstroke walking without a hat in Yorkshire! Anyway at least the right groom was waiting for her at the front of the church. But what happened to all those other weddings previously reported? Two are due to take ‘place on the first day of our pilgrimage: Elaine Kelly and David McMahon, and Clare de Normanville and Jim Turner. Vivid details please for, the next newsletter!

 EASTER BOAT TRIP

Patrick Reeve’s Easter boat trip on the Thames seems to have become an annual event. From their boat this year they surveyed the pilgrimage route at Oxford and Abingdon. After seeing the Avon this summer, maybe they will take a boat trip there next year? Among the 20 navigators on 3 boats were several well known pilgrim names: Patrick Reeve, Julian Martin, Jean Nicholls, Margaret Nicholls, Stephen O’Shea, Jo Cleary, Stephanie Howes, Paul Anson and Linda Green.

 AND THAT’S IT