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3 miles an hour is a proper pace of life.  It gives time for conversation, time to get to know people.  It is a very human pace, and it is God’s pace.  It is also the top speed for a narrowboat on the Kennet and Avon Canal.  And the 22 locks of the Caen Flight slows things down even more.  So there was plenty of time today to meet people and to talk as Believing in Devizes spent the day on the Canal.  Canalside Ministries ably supported us with their boat Kairos providing a base.  The Canalside Cafe provided a good source of refreshment.  The rainbow T shirts certainly stood out on the bank.  Bishop Stephen hitched a lift down the flight; deftly shooting the locks on Snowgoose, and was inveigled into helping with towpath maintenance on his way back up the flight.  Thank you to everyone who made it a great day.

We are sure Alan is simply too modest to publish this fine portrait on the blog

Friday morning dawns, and the team gathers in St Peter’s Church for prayer, according to the Book of Common Prayer, and many good conversations over breakfast.  Then Bishop Stephen, Becky [Childrens and Families Worker] John and I went to St Peter’s school next door for collective worship.  The theme – Staying Healthy – was well demonstrated by the team being asked by the Bishop to take exercises in sprinting, egg and spoon racing, and careful use of  dieting – especially avoiding sugary foods.  The children were engaging and we spent a happy time there – especially when they showed us some of their X-Factor acts, as part of their Wake and Shake activity.

Afterwards we headed out to Hayden’s Bakery where we had been invited to tour the factory, and see how millions of pies, tarts and cakes were produced, and most importantly meet the staff and managers.  We could blog this even for weeks to come – with photos, and text about the amazing facts and products we were confronted with.  Facts such as 19 nationalities are represented on the workforce; 1.5 million mince pies will be made there before Christmas; when we visited the “high risk” dairy product department, we wore two layers of protective clothing, and washed our hand four times before we could enter the inner sanctum, where cream and other delicious desserts were assembled.  It was very impressive!!

As the photos showed, my beard was considered a risk, and the hospitality extended by all we met was just wonderful, and we listened to a vision for developing the workplace into a healthy and happy environment, where the football team analogy, was well understood, and every member of the team strives to be “match fit”.  +Stephen’s interest in doughnuts and jam seemed to be matched by Justin Bradbury’s weakness for custard tarts!

One of the on-going events at the Believing in Devizes week, has been the Labyrinth at Southbroom House.  A maze has been carefully mown into the lawns, and a number of reflections have been placed within the route.  It has been great to see people just spend some time exploring the journey of their lives, and many have written comments in the visitors book, such as “a wonderful time to pause and reflect on the day”, “a spiritual oasis in a busy week – thank you”.

The idea is an easy one to copy, and it could well be used inside a church, hall, as well as any garden.  The route is about a third of a mile, and people say they can spend an hour working around the labyrinth.  Contact the Ramsbury office to get details.

Today’s post sleep-out activity has been mostly around spending time and listening and talking to Devizes folk.  The other team members will tell you what they’ve been up to, and I’d like to share where my time has been spent. 

It was pure bliss to get into the shower and shave off the surplus stubble this morning!  Then on to St John’s for morning prayer [Common Worship] and some really good reflective prayer following yesterday’s work.  The t-shirts are really making an impact on the town, and as I walk down the streets I can see people reading the “Believing in Devizes” logo, with the blog address, and some people saying, “There is another Believing in Devizes t-shirt!”  The prayer gave thanks for this impression, and I trust that the shirts will be used [after a good wash of course] well into the future.

Breakfast at St John’s included the bacon butty, alongside toast and cereals, and was so appreciated.  There is a great ministry in extending hospitality to all people, for in doing so, we entertain angels!  That ministry of hospitality extended further for me, as I joined the St Andrew’s Foodbank Coffee morning, and met up with Sue and the staff of the Foodbank, and a bevy of people from Devizes and beyond who wanted Market day coffee before heading back home – so people as far as Swindon.

The feeding frenzy continued as the team gathered at the Crown Centre [a former coaching inn called the Crown] now converted into a café, dining rooms and assorted meeting and office spaces.  They offer a really nice two course lunch for around 50 people, for a reasonable £3.50, and anyone over 18 can ask to join the club, although most people were from the post-employment era.  Afterwards we were treated to a tour of the premises and a good chance to listen to the staff and their perceptions about the facility and the Town.  With a supper at the Hour Glass pub tonight before Bishop’s Question time, I’m going to have to watch those scales at the end of the week! 

More later …

As Rachel left us last night we were indeed settling down for who knows what!  The bedding consisted of a polythene sheet on the pavement, and then a layer of cardboard, and we used our own roll mats, sleeping bags and other assorted clothing.  It had rained heavily about an hour before, but now the clouds had lightened and we looked forward to a warm and cosy sleep. 

The first thing that we felt, was that we were very exposed to the passing traffic, both vehicles and pedestrians.  We were opposite a busy hotel, where a free concert was being given by a funk group, and we expected “passing trade”.  I was assigned first watch, and all the others made a good impression of sleeping.  I was immediately struck by the interest we were attracting from all those in the Market Place.  Soon people  wandered across and chatted to me – who were we, what were we doing, and why?  I answered them all, and was really struck by the generosity of spirit and kind.  Good for you! Can we make a donation to the Alabaré charity? Here, I’ve brought you some cake.  Can I take a photo?  You might like this soup in the early hours.  People holding glasses of wine, people on their way home from events, people just whiling away some time.

The local Police car drifts pass, and the officers ask if all is OK, and assure us they will come and check from time to time.  Local young people, proudly displaying their older but beautifully cared for small cars, drive into the car park and chat to each other through open car windows. 

The night draws on, each quarter hour marked by the striking of the church clock, and we notice dew or condensation forming on the sleeping bags of the sleeping figures surrounding the Market Cross.  It is midnight now, and the concert goers, and the evening staff are all making their way home, and the night belongs to the young drivers, and a few cyclists who seem to ride up to the hole-in-the-wall cash points and then cycle off – one cyclist appearing three times during the evening.  What is this all about?

Between midnight and 0200, there are a steady flow of young people who break the silence with their chatter, which cannons off the elegant architecture, echoing into the blackness of the night sky.  It is actually very bright in the Market Place -  shop window lights flooding the pavements; street lights helping the CCTV identify the citizens [we wave at the cameras - but who knows if anyone is actually watching?]  Cars pass, and toot their horns and people shout unhelpful choruses, creating not anxiety, but restlessness.

My colleagues sleep on, gently snoring in a orchestrated lullaby, pierced by a elegant descant.  At 0200 I gently wake  John, who has been assigned the 0200 – 0400 watch. As he sits up, and opens his reading material, I pull off my trainers, put on a second pair of socks, and climb into a dew covered sleeping bag, pull my hat over my eyes, and fast fall asleep. 

Seconds later in my mind’s eye, it is 0400, and the market traders’ white vans are corralling in the Market Place, and voices shout as stalls are snapped into position and the day’s fruit and veg are assembled to feed the citizens of Devizes.  A barrow-lady comes across to us, and saying that we are doing something special, gifts us two large punnets of strawberries for breakfast.  We roll up our mats, stow our sleeping bags, fold the cardboard and swig a welcome mug of butternut squash and sweet potato soup, which has kept piping hot in the donated thermos flasks, and we head off for a shower, brush our teeth, and coffee before our day begins.

What must it be like to do this day after day?  Street homeless need washing  facilities, somewhere sheltered and safe to rest, without being disrupted, some company to break the isolation, but above all, to know that people care about them, and that as God’s children, the church cares and will provide for them too.

It is now 2230hrs on Wednesday night, I am warm and comfortably set up for the night but I have left the three men of the team with Jenny, Paul and David in the Market Place preparing to sleep out tonight in order to highlight the needs of the homeless. Are they warm and comfortable? They say that they are, there are sleeping bags, cardboard and various other things to help keep the warm in and the elements out and a supper of fish and chips eaten. The fashion style is for comfort rather than elegance (I expect photos will abound in the days to come). My hope is that some sleep is gained in the Market Place tonight

I will next see them in St John’s church for breakfast, although I have a suspicion that food will have been eaten earlier with the market traders – and so day five will begin.

The days have been filled with so many contrasts that  it is no surprise that tomorrow is no different.

Tuesday saw Bishop Stephen and I meeting people representing the spectrum of ages in the community. We began in the Nursteed Centre having lunch with those who care for friends or relatives in the community, because of the time of day it was those over school age. Although young carers were very much in our minds.

Bishop Stephen led us in worship and talked about the value of touch and how God surrounds us with his love. The lunch was simple but wonderfully tasteful as has been all the food thus far -(waists may become larger this week!). The discussion was lively and we heard many different stories and met people who give of their time in the care of others.

Two hours later Bishop Stephen and I walked over to Southbroom Junior school, here we first met the school council. We were told what happens in a council meeting and the many things with which the council had been involved – ranging from an anti-bullying policy to water features and the bacon roll. Now before you think that we were eating again I have to tell you that the latter is a pink pig shaped compost bin which has to be rolled now and again – it has now been rolled by a bishop. We were then given a tour of the school and saw murals, the bacon roll and a lovely water feature near a boat with flowers planted in it. The school council were our guides and very ably told us the story of everything we saw.

Then the school had assembly which was taken by three adults who encouraged us to say ’sorry’ and for the other person to say ‘that’s OK’. It is hard to describe the outfits and how rubbish came into it, if you know any children at the school I suggest you ask them.

The school’s motto was to be the best we can be and both groups had shown us how this can be lived out within the community.

Thank You too all who made us feel so welcomed.

For the last two days I have been in The Brittox at the prayer station. Not only do we hand out leaflets but also talk to people some of whom wanted us to pray for them. Most of the time people didn’t want to stay for the prayers but relied on us to pray for them. On one occassion someone was in a hurry and called to us to pray for him on another we talked to a Muslim about the similarities of our faiths. Others return later in the day.

It is (for I’m back out later this week) a good experience and I have met some lovely people. What does interest me is that many thought we were selling something and were quite taken aback when we said that it was all free. I hope this week shows people that churches can work together and that there are times when we do give freely.

if you have the time come and visit the prayer station, it’s outside Haynes and Smith, you woudl be very welcomed. You recognise us by the brightly coloured tee shirts we wear.