FROM THE REGISTERS

Baptism
July 1st. St.Mary, Leake. Zachary, infant son of Moray and Carol Finch, of Borrowby.
July 8th. St.Mary, Leake. Isabel, infant daughter of Alan and Julie Rayner-Lawton, of Borrowby.
July 15th. St.Felix, Felixkirk. Harry, infant son of Gary and Gillian Hunter of Thirlby.
July 22nd. St.Mary, Leake. Jamie Hogg, infant son of Stephen and Angela Hogg of Borrowby (by Rev.Liz Hoare).
July 29th. Holy Trinity, Boltby. Beatrice, infant daughter of Stefan and Alison LeBlaine of Thirlby (by Rev.Liz Hoare).

Funerals

Friday 29th June. Darlington Crematorium, and Holy Trinity, Boltby. Joe Stephenson, 79. Quite suddenly, even though there had been recent underlying health problems. Joe had had an interesting career in atomic energy, after release as a P.O.W. We much appreciated his input as par-ish secretary. Much missed by his wife Audrey, of High Paradise, and their four children - to whom we offer our best wishes.

Tuesday 10th July. St.Mary, Leake. Gwenda Curson, 63. After a courageous 8-year battle with cancer, Gwenda died at home with her family around her. All appreciated her humour and involvement in many of the activities of the church, community and parish - not least the M.U. (as enrolling member), the choir and P.C.C. of Leake, and Borrowby Show. Our very best wishes to Tony, and Alistair and Debbie, who supported her so well.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Luke 12 v.34.

As I write this, many of the farmers and stockmen and their families will be grieving the loss of their flocks and beasts. These have been the apple of their eyes, their treasure. Our hearts go out to them.

The situation leaves many questions unanswered, both as to the methods and ways of decision-making and to the political expediency and implications behind that situation. Having been an army man myself, and seen "kill force" squatting on the verge of the crossroads, at the bottom of the village, I feel a greater presence of Army redhats marshalling them should have been a pre-requisite. I suppose such discipline is unavailable because the redhats are in Kosovo or somewhere .................. 

Politically farmers are worth no votes to the present Government. Nor are they particularly interested, in Europe, when word has it that the culling will continue until national stocks are reduced by 5 million because Europe tells us so. As an island, we need to be self-sufficient in food and produce as much as possible. The bottom line for this is our own agri-business and other manufacturing industries. We cannot exist on just being a service industry and a theme park. We do not wish to be dictated to by other nations, nor import their infected meat at the cost of our own livelihoods and the safety of our own stock. We have a good reputation for stock, and that in the parish is raised and cherished to as high a standard as anywhere. Indeed, the quality and condition of the stock in our own parish had been a pleasure to behold - until July 6th.

Sadly our ethical farming and high standards count against us because it costs more to produce food. Supermarkets need to support British farming, boycott foreign meat and encourage the buyers to better appreciate our home produce. It is a pity that Tony Blair gave in to pressure from the tourist industry and opened up the countryside at Easter. In view of the nature of FMD and the knowledge that it was present as early as even in October 2000, the countryside should have been in total quarantine until the outbreak was truly contained ......... only by those means would our farming heritage have been preserved.

But enough of armchair politics! We need to see our present situation within Creation and before God. A friend drew my attention to a letter from a past president of an agricultural society in the 1880s. Foot & Mouth Disease was endemic. That letter could have been written yesterday. Farmers have always lived on a knife-edge with stock. My neighbour tells me that sheep are as soon dead as better when ill. That just reminds us that there is a certain frailty about Life. The Psalms and scriptures often express concern with flocks and herds multiplying. They lead us into not only the idiom of Christ as the Good Shepherd but also the whole calendar of church worship that relates directly to seasons and harvests. Currently we face a grim harvest of our stock. How can we read it? Ironically numbers of stock have not yielded greater wealth recently because of other political factors. Stock no longer represent wealth, but they do represent the fruits of love and the work of a lifetime or more .......................................... 

We are all dependent on God's provision and bounty. I'm not sure I yet see it in a different global context when it comes to farming because traditionally and historically our surplus stocks make up another's shortfall, and because this is the benchmark of stewardship. We are an island but part of a bigger whole. The fact that we produce good stock in plenty is certainly a sign of God's providence and blessing. In that light alone, we should play to our strengths and be thankful.
Best wishes. Toddy

FARMER'S FUND We have a fund for farmers in the parish. If anyone would like to make any contributions please let me have them. Hope-fully the Studio Preview on either August 2nd or 3rd will add to it! (This anticipates that incubation period to further infection will have passed.) Application for help from the same fund - please apply to me. Toddy. 

FARMERS, FARMERS, FARMERS , FARMERS - late notice! I understand that those of you who have had stock culled are enti-tled to five days free advice, which you can upgrade. I have spoken to the Y.A.S., who would prefer to sponsor smaller local/parish initiatives. Can I help in some way? I would propose a day when we meet at Leake Vicarage, or in a village hall (perhaps with one of Janet's lunches!!). I am open to suggestions of topics, or speakers, and a date. The possible fruit of such meetings would be closer co-operation, a consideration of the future direction of farming and local response, pooling of resources and any feedback for a future enquiry whether publicly or privately initiated. Toddy (01845 537277).