October 21, 2009 • 4:23 pm
Our Director of Education, Canon Tim Elbourne, is the author of the very first Grove Education booklet, called “Church Schools: A Mission-Shaped Vision”. Read all about it in the bulletin below, which you can also download here. Tim has been much involved in the genesis of this new Grove venture and we wish it very well indeed – and are chuffed to bits at his work being picked as its launch volume (in the House of Lords no less) – just as we’re pretty seriously chuffed about all he does to lead and serve us anyway. I’d better be careful or I’ll be throwing my hat in the air again …
There’s a pic of me in the bulletin too being the Education/Children’s Bishop, which is one of the very best bits of a very varied and interesting job.
Filed under: Schools , Diocese of Ely
September 30, 2009 • 4:26 pm
September 11, 2009 • 9:22 am
I’m just back from a great morning at St Peter’s School, Wisbech. 2000 or so kids and helpers gathered for an Our World Festival. I’d been asked to lead the procession, with the Dance Khalli Bhangra Dancers, and then I would speak and open proceedings and they would dance. I have to say that we all had a wonderful time!
There were lots of acitvities including a circus, Peter the eel-catcher weaving willow, drums, crafts … Kevin and Anita Baldwin of Crowns 
Trust were there with their puppets, and a real highlight was the Molly Dance troupe of St Peter’s School itself dancing a spectacular routine, so hard that it’s the only time children are known to have taken it on!
So full marks to headteacher Judith Skelton, who came to the school 3 years ago and has really turned it round. That’s good news for the kids, and for all of Wisbech, where a lift is really welcome. Here she is with Jean in their new school garden that also helped Wisbech win an In Bloom award, Blooming wonderful I say!
PS There’s a YouTube video of the Molly Dancers (at Ramsey, not today) if you scroll down and look).
Filed under: Events, Schools , Wisbech
Barton Primary School has a striking new cross on the wall of its hall. made in ash by former pupil Quin Hollick
The top part uses a sunburst-on-cross motif that Quin has devised and which also appears on a reredos of his, and then at the bottom of the cross are three inscribed symbols: barley (for the School), crossed keys (for St Peter’s Barton), and lilies on a saltire (for St Andrew and St Mary’s Grantchester – the school also serves that parish).
It was my privilege to dedicate the cross in an assembly today – and in fact all the children joined me in some of the words and actions too. The school has a San Salvadorean cross on each of its classroom walls, and I talked with some of the children about how just as on those crosses there are scenes of their local life, so on their own cross were symbols of their own life, indicating our placing of our life in Christ’s, and our desire to live withhis life in ours.
A splendidly-named article in the Independent Garden ornaments: Art for the avant-gardener tells us that Quin
was trained by a pupil of Eric Gill at Bryanston. He works to commission, making striking sundials incorporating details about the buyer. His portable Split Equatorial sundials, made of slate, can be tilted to the latitude of any country around the world. Also works in marble. Prices between £500 and £5,000.
He can be contacted at Brock’s Close, Swayne’s Lane, Comberton, Cambridgeshire CB3 7EF.
Filed under: Art, Schools
