I was particularly struck one day by two pieces of news. One was about the Speaker of the House of Commons – or more particularly about his wife’s exorbitant taxi bills claimed by her husband as a justifiable expense. On the lunchtime news that day a ‘friend’ speaking on their behalf said ‘Well, she is the wife of the Speaker; she has a position to maintain. Do you expect her to go along the road and catch the number 17 bus to do her shopping?’ Well yes, perhaps I do expect that, or at least I expect her to pay her own taxi fare if the shopping is too heavy for her to carry. I was not altogether sure what position she has to maintain either. It seems to me that her husband has a position – as an elected servant of the people – I am not sure how that precludes his wife from catching a bus, unless of course there are security issues but that did not seem to be the case.

The other was an article about Mr Magabe in Zimbabwe and about his future. About how he should be able to find a way of leaving office that allowed him to keep his dignity. I wonder how he has regarded the dignity of those innocent people, black and white, who have endured beatings and murder simply for opposing his political ideas? Or where is the dignity in bringing his country to the edge of ruin? One is, of course, infinitely more serious than the other, but both seem to me to be indicative of the fact that some of those who seek political power in this country and in the world lose sight of the fact that they are just servants of those who place them in power.

Of course, the word servant is a loaded word – it tends to mean those who are at the bottom of the social pile, slightly better than a slave, of course, but certainly not to be regarded with any importance. Yet those of us who choose to spend our lives in the service of others are just that, servants.

Another title for the Pope, the Head of the Roman Catholic Church and a man of considerable world influence is ‘The Servant of the servants of Christ.’ I found myself wondering how Jesus would have done his shopping; I am pretty certain it would have been the bus, if he had not had the time to walk.

The most beautiful, the most effective people in the world are those who have no time to consider their own ‘dignity’, they are those who live as Christ lived, they are those who are willing to get their hands dirty, to love the people that they serve – amongst them, to set the record straight, are some notable British and world politicians. But the implications for us are quite serious too. If we are afraid to get our hands dirty, if we are afraid to take our role as electors seriously, if we fail to cast our vote, then we can expect to get the sort of politicians we deserve – those who are more interested in their own position than in the good of the majority whom they are elected to serve.

It is often claimed that religion and politics don’t mix but I am sure that if we are serious about living a truly Christian life we must accept and take seriously our political role too.

Yours in Christ

Jo

The situation in Zimbabwe

Our own government and members of the opposition parties

All elected to serve in the recent local elections.

Thank you to all of you who sent such lovely cards and gifts during my recent ‘incapacity’! They were hugely encouraging and very much appreciated - as was your kindness in giving me space to recuperate properly. I was amazed to find just how tired and stupid I became. I have a theory that my brain must be in my knee! I should also like to thank the Churchwardens and all who kept the services going so smoothly during my absence. I have tried to write thank you letters to all of you who left gifts, but one day I received some sweets through the door together with several cards, so I have no idea who to thank for the sweets – they were jolly good anyway!

Thank you all

Jo Spray

Don’t miss the exhibition in the Village Hall on Saturday 31st May, 10:00 am to 4:00pm entitled "Turvey through the Eye of the Camera". This will be a display of Alan Richardson’s photographs and pictures from 1800 onwards. Details are on the posters. Alan will be donating half of the proceeds to All Saints’ Church. Please support this event.

The next coffee morning will be at 10:15 on Saturday 10th May at 7, Elmcroft, Turvey, by kind invitation of Dawn Riddle. There will be a raffle and bring-and-buy stall for which contributions would be very welcome. Last months coffee morning at Sinclair Fabrics was much enjoyed by everyone and raised £272 towards church funds. Many thanks to the Alderman family for their hospitality and to everyone who helped with and supported the event.

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Robert H. Schuller

Former Christian Aid worker, Peter West, will be giving a talk at the 11am service on Sunday 18th May. This will be followed by a Frugal lunch in church as a fund raising event for Christian Aid. We are suggesting a minimum voluntary donation of £3 per person or £8 per family. If you are able to attend please sign up on the sheet at the back of the church. If you could help by providing food or serving on the day, please speak to Sarah Beecham (881688). We hope you will be able to come along and learn more about this most worthy charity from Peter and join us for a simple but hearty lunch.

Profile by Cindy Woods

Sandra was born in Bedford (a month early) in the days before incubators and was place in a cot next to a warm radiator. When her dad came in to visit he quickly picked her out in the nursery as his new daughter. She was born on Cup Final day and her dad’s team won!

She went to school locally in Bedford and passed her 11+ but there was no room at the Grammar school for all those who had passed so she along with about 120 others went to the newly opened Kempston Upper School (now Hastingsbury) in 1970. This meant that Sandra had to go into Bedford on one bus and then change to another to get to Kempston, all at eleven years old. Sandra has one sister who now lives in New Zealand and she and David are planning to visit this summer, lucky things. Her mum stayed at home but worked part time, when Sandra and her sister were older at a local family run supermarket just down the road from where they lived. Her dad was a draughtsman and worked at the Igranic in Bedford, along with Nancy Waters, and her Granddad George. Sadly the factory has now been pulled down to make way for housing. George apparently was a bit of a comedian and when word got around he was going to do a "turn" everyone suddenly made an excuse to go to the stores (where he worked) to watch and listen to his act.

Sandra went to Sunday school as a young child and then to Pathfinders at St. Johns in Bedford but when a teenager she discovered swimming and classes were on a Sunday, so guess what, she preferred swimming to Sunday school so quit as most teenagers do! Sandra stayed on at school to do ‘A’ levels and went to Hatfield Polytechnic to do a foundation degree in accountancy. After leaving she got a job as a bookkeeper for T.H. Smith and Son in Lurke Street, Bedford and her boss, Bill Knight is stepfather to our last organist Paul Edwards. Sandra says she has known Paul and his brother Nick longer than she has known David.

When Sandra met David (a Bedford boy as well), he was already living in Turvey (his mum and Sandra’s auntie went to school together) and she started coming to All Saints. David was already a bell ringer and Sandra joined him, taught by Peter Jeffery. They married here in May 1981 and started married life at 2, May Cottages and moved to Barncroft in 1982 when they were both working at Cranfield. They had Tim in 1984 and Lucy in 1987 and in 1989 Sandra started working part time at Cargills (now closed) with Nancy Waters. Sandra has been lucky to work locally while her children were growing up.

In 1982 Sandra joined the choir, her first practice only lasted half an hour because it was the night of the choir supper party at Enid’s, so after half an hour all the choir went to Enid’s house for a party. Sandra says she has always liked singing and being in choirs, she says this comes from her dad who was a singer locally with the Elizabethan singers and he also once sang on the BBC. When at school she sang with the County Youth choir and when they performed once at the Albert Hall, David was in the audience as his sister was playing with the County Youth Orchestra, what a coincidence.

Tim (also a bell ringer) and Lucy both joined the choir when they were seven, David being the last member of the family to join the choir. Sandra now teaches others to bell ring ( and good she is too supporting all our newcomers) and hopes that by doing this and supporting the choir she is giving something back to the community. Sandra used to make sugar flowers as a hobby but does not have time now that she works full time, she loves cooking and entertaining and also does needlework when time allows. They also as a family enjoyed caravanning for many years and now she and David go on their own and visit other villages and churches on their travels. Sandra says that she and David have always enjoyed similar interests and love village life. Sandra says that the church and community are very important to her, especially stemming from when Tim was only four and half and went into to hospital for surgery. Friends from both the village and the church supported the family and had a rota to visit Tim as Lucy was only a baby, she says everyone rallied round and even did the washing as her machine had broken. As Sandra says true village spirit.

We have a new published author in our midst! Len Savage has produced a splendid booklet about life in Turvey between the wars. He says it is a personal reminiscence, but it is much more than that. It is an excellent account of the village between the wars – and the way of life of those who lived here. There are also some very good photographs. At my suggestion, Len has had a number of these printed and is selling them at a cost of £2.50p each – they are well worth the outlay! NOT at my suggestion but because of his generosity towards the church, the money raised is to go to church funds. If you are interested in buying a copy, please let Len know or tell me and I will pass your name to him

Jo Spray

Through the magazine, may I say a very warm THANK YOU for the extremely generous leaving presents, cards, and other messages which I received on my departure from Turvey. In particular, the Book Tokens, and the magnificent and amazing gift from the Choir of the complete works of J. S. Bach on CD are very greatly appreciated, and I cannot say adequately how grateful I am, and how much these will be treasured and enjoyed thanks to your great generosity.

I would also like to say an equally warm thank-you to all those whose generous giving enabled me to receive my salary as Organist and Choir Master. Thank you also to Jo, and all members of the church community, for their support, encouragement, and kind words about my attempts at organ-playing! Last, but far from least, especial thanks to two David's – David Betts, whose unique expertise and ever-present helpfulness, care, and concern, looked after the organ and gave countless hours to its maintenance and tuning, and David Nightingale, whose time and kindness in preparing, with superb accuracy, the weekly music lists, has been such an enormous help to me week-by-week.

I do hope to be returning to Turvey on occasions in the future, and I am particularly pleased that my successor is Mr Tim Brewster, who knows the choir and the church extremely well, and whose readiness to take over the post immediately after my move to my new job has ensured continuity and stability in the music of this fine Church.

With renewed and very many thanks and best wishes,

Paul Edwards.

A big thank you to all of you who donated flowers for Easter in memory of loved ones, and to everyone who arranged and looked after the flowers.

Anne

Father,

We have seen with our eyes

And touched with our hands

The bread of life.

Strengthen our faith

That we may grow in love for you and for each other; through Jesus Christ the risen Lord.

Amen.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

Follow the three R’s

Respect for self

Respect for others and

Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them.

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

When you realize that you have made a mistake, take immediate action to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good honourable life, then when you get older and think back you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation, don’t bring up the past.

Share your knowledge, it is a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year go someplace you have never been.

Remember the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach cooking and love with reckless abandon.

Love thy neighbour as thyself.

Have you seen the dawn come up,

Seen the light between the trees,

Have you given thanks to God,

Have you been upon your knees?

Have you seen the golden sunset,

Have you had a busy day,

Did you find the time to be with

God…, and just what did He say?

Did he tell you that He loves you,

Did He tell you that He cares,

And did you say the same to Him

When kneeling at your prayers?

And if tomorrow’s not too bright

Remember He’s still there

To watch and guide you through the day

So why not say a prayer.