After the very changeable weather of April, we are all I’m sure looking forward to a sunnier, calmer May, though the newly planted crops and our gardens do need rain and of course we do well to “not cast a clout till May is out!” In relation to the weather and farming, it is no coincidence that a number of agricultural festivals occur in this coming month, especially Rogationtide, when traditionally prayers have been asked (which is where the term comes from) for the growing crops, and where the Parish boundaries were reinforced and emphasized in the traditional “beating of the bounds”. We will, I hope, be combining these two very old traditions in our annual Rogation Service on 25th May, which usually includes a very short walk around the Church and Churchyard, and that afternoon the Bishop of Chester will be visiting us for the monthly Forest Church Service, which will be taking place at Guide Post Farm.
Earlier in the month I will be leading the annual Boyd Walk, from St Mark’s Church in Antrobus, in memory and celebration of the noted naturalist and author A.W. Boyd who lived in Antrobus and who wrote about Great Budworth and Antrobus Parishes in his classic book “A Country Parish” which was one of the earliest of the works of the New Naturalist series of books to be published in the late 1940/50s. It isn’t a very demanding walk, but is a chance for us to celebrate both our countryside and the talent and enthusiasm of a local writer and gifted observer of all the things around him, both in the natural world and in the culture and customs of the inhabitants of that world.
As with some of yourselves, Boyd was alive at the ending of the Second World War, and we will be remembering and giving thanks for victory in Europe, and Japan, on Thursday 8th May, in much the same way as we did last year for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Many of us I’m sure will have, or will have had, family members who were alive then and who perhaps took part in World War 11 – two of my paternal uncles from Southern Rhodesia (as it was then) were in the North African and Italian campaigns, and one was killed in North Africa, and my mother and her family lived through the War on the eastern edge of London, though my mother was evacuated to Gloucestershire for part of that time. My surviving uncle never really spoke about his time in North Africa and Italy – apart from telling me often how much he had loved Rome, when they eventually got there! It will be a very special day, and at the end of the Service in Church we’ll be gathering outside with lighted Candle and forming a circle in the Churchyard, at around the time that beacons will be lit across the country in memory of peace in Europe.
We continue to pray of course for peace in Europe in this 21st Century, as well as in a number of other countries across our world, and in these post-Easter weeks of May, as we progress towards Ascension and Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can I think all take much comfort, and hope, from the events we celebrated a few weeks ago – the resurrection victory of life over death.
May God’s blessing be upon us all in this coming month.
The Revd Alec Brown
Vicar of Great Budworth and Antrobus.