Never Stumped for a Fruitful Idea: John Williams, Suffolk Wood Carver

 

John Williams at work on his current masterpiece

During April’s early morning walks, normally incorporating a wander through the beauties of the Abbey Gardens, I noticed that the cherry tree adjacent to a young olive tree, in the Gardens, close to the Cathedral, had presumably died and its main branches had been axed though the tall slender trunk was left standing. Intrigued, I returned from time to time, to check why it hadn’t been entirely chopped

Photo taken in early March as the carving
begins to emerge.

down, but merely emasculated as it were. One morning I could see why; someone had begun to carve it. Brilliant idea I thought, not then knowing, as a newcomer, that carvings by Suffolk wood carver, John Williams, were not entirely unknown in Bury!

Since then I have checked, several times a week, to marvel at the emerging carving, as fluidity and form grew from solid, static wood. I love wood in all its many forms and adaptations so here was a wonderful opportunity to watch the magic of a wood carving taking shape. I think it is now finished [July 18]; the protective railings have been removed, the awning has gone and much of the surplus slivers and slices from the carving, swept away. The carving itself is a celebration of Suffolk’s county flower, the Oxlip, a cousin I think to the cowslip though rather more aristocratic and certainly rare outside Suffolk. In fact the Oxlip is classed as near-threatened in Britain, and is rarely found outside of Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

The Oxlip growing from
the cherry tree stump

The wood sculptor is 83 year old John Williams and his current design includes the profile of a Green Man, an environmental guardian, presenting the Oxlip in cupped hands in a nod to Nathaniel Hudson who, in 1831, founded Bury’s Botanic Gardens, now known as the Abbey Gardens. This award-winning 14 acre park is on the site of a former Benedictine Abbey, once a power house of mediaeval England. The many beautiful Abbey ruins scattered in areas of the park are around 1000 years old so these two hundred year old gardens are set in a truly ancient landscape.

Mr Williams, who has been practising wood carving for a mere ten years, says: “I first came to the Abbey Gardens when I was eight years old and I really love the place. It is absolutely crucial to Bury. So the fact that I’m contributing something to a place I enjoy and appreciate is amazing and gives me a really lovely feeling.”

John Williams also produced a widely-admired wood sculpture in 2021 as part of the celebrations to mark the 1000 years of the Abbey of St Edmunds in Bury St Edmunds. It shows a variety of mediaeval pilgrims who came, through the centuries, to visit the shrine of St Edmund in the Abbey. John carved that sculpture [from pine donated by Nowton Park] in the Gardens opposite the Aviary, during six months of the Covid pandemic watched by many lone passers-by!

Nearly there! Early July, finishing to coincide with 
Bury in Bloom.

Mediaeval Pilgrims' carving 2021

 

h 

The Pilgrims’ sculpture reflected the contours of the ruins around it, particularly apt when the finished article was displayed on a plinth in the crypt of the ruins of the Abbey.

The Herbalist, an earlier work 
placed near the entrance to the herb garden
in the Abbey grounds near Angel Hill.

Gareth Southgate: An Appreciation

Recent shot of Gareth Southgate

The divine David!

SO, Gareth Southgate has resigned as England’s football manager and suddenly, after a life of total disinterest in any sport, I am interested! My view of football at national or international level, has always been that of aforementioned disinterest, distaste and prejudice! I see football as full of under-educated, intellectually limited, working class boys with a great talent for kicking a ball around, for which they are paid, sometimes, obscene amounts of money which they never, ever seem to use even tangentially, on say, improving life for their communities. There ARE honourable exceptions like the wonderful David Beckham and the thoughtful Marcus Rashford who have obviously not forgotten

Magic Marcus

whence they came and who do things to improve the lived life of others.

In spite of my jaundiced view of the world of football, my own family members demonstrate to me the sheer power and fascination of the Game as an example of that experienced by a large proportion of the English/ British nation. My family What’s App is emblematic of this Ingerland adoration with prolonged triumphant/dejected chat during important Euro-type activity and quotes such as, “best fucking day ever!” giving a flavour of How National Football Matters. And How Much!

Southgate quote.

And so to Gareth whose calm civilised manner in lieu of the usual frantic machismo on display, had impressed me already but whose eloquent Dear England letter in June, totally, bowled me over! I have discovered a new-found respect for football, not a sentence I ever anticipated writing. His letter was written originally in response to the booing by fans when players were taking the knee in tribute to Black Lives Matter. It is worth noting that, in spite of decades of powerful awareness campaigns, education initiatives, gestures and symbols, sport still has a Big Racist Problem. Dear England shows us an intellectually philosophical man, brave, honest, pragmatic and a gifted writer. I was stunned to read it as my firm prejudices took a fatal battering and below, I supply one or two sentences/paragraphs of Southgate prose which particularly impresses as he calmly tackles nationalism, racism, inequality, community, responsibility, cross-generational inclusion.

"I tell them [team members] when you go out there, in this shirt, you have the opportunity to produce moments that people will remember forever. … You are part of an experience that lasts in the collective consciousness of our country.”

Gareth with Cole Palmer of the England team.

“You remember where you were watching England games. And who you were watching with. And who you were at the time."

“For me personally, my sense of identity and values is closely tied to my family and particularly my grandad. He was a fierce patriot and a proud military man who served during World War 11…. The idea of representing “Queen and country” has always been important to me.”

“I have a responsibility to the wider community to use my voice, and so do the players. It’s their duty to continue to interact with the public on matters such as equality, inclusivity, and racial injustice, while using the power of their voices to help put debates on the table, raise awareness and educate.”

“For many of that younger generation, your notion of Englishness is quite different from my own. I understand that, too. I understand that on this island, we have a desire to protect our values and traditions – as we should – but that shouldn’t come at the expense of introspection and progress.”

Southgate with Jadon Sancho of England.

“However, there are things I will never understand. Why would you tag someone in on a conversation that is abusive? Why would you choose to insult somebody for something as ridiculous as the colour of their skin? Why?

“Unfortunately for those people that engage in that kind of behaviour, I have some bad news. You’re on the losing side. It’s clear to me that we are heading for a much more tolerant and understanding society, and I know our lads will be a big part of that.”

There is such a personal feeling to Southgate’s letter; he has clearly thought through his own philosophy. Here are his dearly-held opinions and feelings and he is really telling us his story from humble beginnings to reflective father-figure and national football manager who cares deeply about ‘his lads’, his patriotism and values, his standards and honesty. From this letter, we know he is a man proud to represent his country and our country. There is so much about Gareth’s character, capabilities and example one might extol, but a quote from Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis on X seems to sum up his achievements rather well:

Prince William paying tribute as Gareth dutifully
clasps his hands in thanks.

“Gareth Southgate’s greatest achievement was not on the pitch, but in the standard that he has set for how a role-model and representative of our county should conduct themselves. In a job which has subjected him to a degree of national scrutiny and criticism that most people will never appreciate, he has been a real mensch ***, remaining dignified, respectful and considerate throughout. His legacy will be a generation of young people who have learned from him that leadership is primarily about decency, integrity and bringing honour to others. That is worth more to our country than any trophy. The crown of a good name supersedes all. Thank you, Gareth.” 

***In Yiddish, mensch means 'a good person.' The word has become part of American English where  it signifies a particularly good person, a person with the qualities one would hope for in a friend or trusted colleague. A person of honour and integrity.

 

Farewell Ingerland

 

Thoughts on Approaching Ninety.

 

Perhaps being old is having lighted rooms

Inside your head, and people in them, acting.

People you know yet can’t quite name; each looms

Like a deep loss restored, from known doors turning,

Setting down a lamp, smiling from a stair, extracting

A known book from the shelves; or sometimes only

The rooms themselves, chairs and a fire burning,

The blown bush at the window, or the sun’s

Faint friendliness on the wall some lonely

Rain-ceased midsummer evening. That is where they live:

Not here and now, but where all happened once.

Extract from

The Old Fools

Philip Larkin

Although Larkin in his typically sardonic way, refers contemptuously to old age as “the whole hideous inverted childhood”, one he was yet to experience himself when he was composing his rather cruel observations, I am experiencing a much more tolerable rounding off of a life while acknowledging the

familiarity of the above stanza. It is true now that I experience flashes of images of childhood, often remembering more of the sunlit days than the darker greys of anxiety with a parent. I remember now, unbidden, snatches of conversations, glimpses of interactions long forgotten, reactions to domestic events and almost-submerged earlier fears and hopes. I sometimes catch inner sight of previously known neighbours, friends, teachers, people whom I can’t quite name now but did know once.

My sister and I visiting the wood where
we had played as girls. 2017.

But Larkin is wrong to suggest that the old live “where all happened once.” I read that “memory consolidation” happens when memories that are significant, or emotionally charged earlier in life, tend to be more strongly consolidated or reinforced in the brain so that the older brain prefers to recall the older, more strongly delineated images which may well be more accessible. Simply put, from one aspect, it is easier and quicker so to do. In almost every conscious way now, I always choose the easier path in deference to my fading powers. When I forget a name, it often pops up a few minutes later and one wonders if a cell in that part of the memory circuit has died and a search elsewhere in an adjacent circuit has been necessary to nail the apposite word! If the sought-after word/name does not appear quite quickly, I let it go; it is worth no further effort. But these half-remembered days or people, through albeit imperfect memories, do bring a fleeting joy of familiarity and recognition which is comfortable and often amusing.

Attitudes to events, anniversaries, celebrations are often coloured and shaped by the view the individual has to a particular occurrence before or after it has occurred. A growing body of research suggests, for instance, that a person's mindset -- how they feel about growing old --may predict how much longer and how well they live.  Several studies over the past 20 years suggest people with more positive viewson ageing, live longer, healthier lives than those with negative perceptions of the ageing process. Recently, a large nationwide study of nearly 14,000 adults over the age of 50 took an even deeper look into the ways in which positive thinking about ageing could impact a person's physical health, health behaviours and psychological well-being.

Age 82

Published in J.A.M.A. Network Open, the study found those with the highest satisfaction with ageing had a 43% lower risk of dying from any cause during four years of follow-up compared to those with the lowest satisfaction. People with higher satisfaction also had a reduced risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease, as well as better cognitive functioning. People with a more positive attitude about growing old also were more likely to engage in frequent physical activity and less likely to have trouble sleeping than their less-satisfied peers. They also were less lonely, less likely to be depressed, more optimistic and had a stronger sense of purpose. "There's a connection
between mindsets and health behaviours," says Eric Kim, the study's senior investigator and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. "One leads to the other." For instance, as Kim wrote in the journal Preventive Medicine, the more satisfied people over 50 are with HOW they are ageing, the more likely they are to have their cholesterol tested or be screened for breast, cervical or prostate cancer.

But it cuts both ways. While having a positive attitude can lead to behaviours that promote good health, "If people believe poor health is inevitable with age, this can be a self-fulfilling prophecy that keeps them from behaviours that will help with ageing," said Kim, who is also a researcher at the Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. "The good news is, these views we hold about ageing are changeable. We can shift our mindset," says Hannah Giasson, who co-wrote the Preventive Medicine study with Kim. She is an assistant professor at the Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation in Phoenic and specialises in the relationship between people's views on ageing and their health and well-being. The same two researchers extrapolate from their studies, to suggest several useful attitudes which enable people to maintain a healthy optimism while ageing.

1. Maintain a sense of purpose

"Some people aren't sure what to do with themselves after they retire", said Kim. He suggests finding projects that align with a person's values. "If family is a high priority, find things to do that contribute to the family, such as helping to care for grandchildren. If conservation is a strong value, find projects that

contribute to the health of the environment. Volunteer work is a great way to do this," he said.

2. Recognize negative messages about ageing. Research shows negative stereotypes about ageing are internalized over a person's life span and can harm physical and cognitive health as a person grows older. "Develop an awareness of these messages," suggests Giasson. " Understand how they influence us." For example, a person may believe poor physical health is inevitable for older adults so there is no use in trying to stay active. But according to the National Institute on Ageing, exercise can lower the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. and can improve sleep and reduce the risk of falls. "Recognise that practising healthy behaviours can support health at any age," Giasson says.

3. Stay socially active.

All, including camera-woman, born in 1934 and celebrating that fact in 2016

As people age, they may lose loved ones such as spouses, family members or friends. If a spouse was responsible for maintaining social networks and that person dies, the remaining spouse may grow lonely and more socially isolated. Social isolation and loneliness are risk factors for poor physical and mentalhealth, increasing the risk for heart attacks and strokes and contributing to poor life satisfaction,

depression, low self-esteem and difficulty with daily life activities. But research shows maintaining social connections can have a positive effect on health. Kim said it's important to make new connections to replace those you've lost. "What typically happens is people stop making new friends. Re-engage mechanisms for meeting people that were there earlier in life," he advises, such as joining a club or taking part in community organizations.

4. Try something new

I was introduced to Mah Jong when I was 81. it
continues to provide pleasure, intellectual
activity and regular social contact.

Sometimes people lose mobility as they age and may not be able to engage in the activities that brought them joy when they were younger. Kim suggests trying to "redeploy that energy in a new way, such as teaching a skill or craft instead of practising it. Or learn something new that is less physically demanding."  Research suggests that older adults who learn new skills can improve memory, self-esteem and overall quality of life. "Don't fall into the mindset that it's too late to try something new" she says. "It's never too late and you're never too old to explore new interests."

Although this blog began with my meandering thoughts on ageing as I near my 90^th, it developed into a mini-manual on research findings to cheer up the ageing! So, to finish, another quote, but this time from a super little book given to me by a friend in Bruges; its sub-title is Lyrics and Legends of the American Indian and its title comes from the last two lines of the quote below, taken from the wisdom of a Navajo Benedictory Chant:

Beauty is before me

And beauty behind me,

Above and below me hovers the beautiful,

I am surrounded by it,

I am immersed in it.

In my youth I am aware of it

And in old age

I shall walk quietly

The beautiful trail.

Walk quietly the beautiful trail

Navajo American Indian

 something new," she said. "It's never too late, and you're never too old to explore new interests."

Proportional Representation

This is the result popularly regarded as, roughly,
what happens with P.R.

The recent British election has forcefully reminded me of how very unfair our ‘First Past The Post’ electoral system is Indeed, "this election has thrown the spotlight on to the electoral system as the result was the most disproportional on record,” said Darren Hughes, the chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society." The Labour Party has won the election and is now in Government, with about 34% of the vote but has 65% of the total seats. The Reform Party and the Greens, won nine seats between them (just over 1%), with a combined vote share of about 21%. Twenty-four thousand votes would get you a Labour seat; a Reform candidate would need one million; a Green, 485,000; a Conservative, 56,000. It is an interesting paradox that the Liberal Democrats, the longest-serving proponents of proportional representation, are the only party that, had it been implemented for this election, would have ended up with about the same number of seats.  

 I don’t begin to understand how the P.R. System actually arrives at these figures but it does seem generally Not Right or Fair! With this in mind I have searched online as to exactly what Proportional Representation actually means in practical terms. I will summarise the results of my little investigation which are altogether so much more complicated than I ever imagined!

1. First Past The Post. F.P.T.P.

Voters select preferred candidate; candidate with most votes wins. A perfect First-Past-The-Post would mean that if a Party gained 40% of the votes, it would gain 40% of the seats.

2. Alternative Vote. A.V.

Nigel Farage, Chair of Reform.
Elected as M.P. 2024 at his 8th attempt.
He benefitted from proportional representation
from Tony Blair's introduction of P.R. for the 1999
U.K.'s European elections that year. 
His previous style in E.U. Govt or in campaigning
 has always been disruptive. 

Voters rank candidates 1,2,3 etc.  Voters can choose one or as many candidates as they wish. First preference votes are counted first and the candidate with 50% or more of the votes, is elected. If no candidate receives 50% of first preference votes, candidate with fewest first preference votes is eliminated and their votes reallocated to remaining candidates. Winner is the one with the most first preference votes.

3. Supplementary Vote. S.V.

Very similar to A.V. though voters are limited to a first and second preference choices.

4. Single Transferable Vote. S.T.V.

Voters rank candidates 1,2,3, etc. Voters can choose one or as many as preferred, from list. Each candidate needs to reach a quota based on minimum number of votes calculated according to the number of seats and votes cast. First preference votes are added up, with candidates achieving the quota, elected. Candidates with fewest first preference votes are eliminated and their votes reassigned to second preference indications.

5. Additional Member System. A.M.S.

Liberal Democrats' 2024 intake; a record number.

AMS is used by the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments and the London Assembly. Voters have one vote on a separate ballot paper for a constituency member and one vote for a Party list. Constituency votes are counted first and the members for each constituency are elected using First Past The Post method. 

I have omitted many details from each brief summary on the grounds of readers’ sanity but frankly one can see the various strands in the different electoral processes and the intended impartiality of each system. In spite of my previous sneering about the present British system, one can see the difficulties of deciding on a fairer process and the convenience and ease of First-Past-The- Post. If only it were fairer!                                                                                        

It is unlikely that Sir Keir Starmer will choose to reform
the electoral system which has just given him a huge
Parliamentary majority.
It would be rather akin to turkeys voting for Christmas.

 with about the same number of seats. Zoe Williams. Guardian

Unravelling Textile Connections

Textile Connections is a new group of textile artists with members from Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. The group was formed by students who completed the Creative Stitch Advanced Stitched Textiles course with tutor Mary McIntosh and include Anna Ladds, Christine Speller, Mary McIntosh, Nicola Wrigley, Rosemary Tyler, Sarah Moran and Virginia Ashberry. 

This is their first major exhibition. The theme of ‘Textile Connections’ was chosen as the title for the exhibition with each member interpreting it in her own unique style. Within both individual artists’ and group exhibits, there is a wide range of stitched and quilted wall hangings and innovative 3D work. One features a series of 6″ squares, each with a touch of turquoise, and connected in some way. Another is a display of tactile ‘spheres’ with a wide range of themes which visitors are invited to handle and there is a wonderfully inventive series of textile ‘boxes’. Plus, of course, artistic tote bags.

One of my mother's tapestries showing an 
18th century Dutch interior

I had seen a flyer in the Apex which simply announced the display in the Guildhall from July 2^nd to 6^th and although I am interested in all branches of art, the idea of textile art brought to instant mind my Suffolk sister, Heather, who was a past mistress in the various branches of textile art following on, she and I always imagined, from our mother’s talents which had created masses of crochet and tatting in her youth. My mother became a devotee of tapestry-making in her older years; in fact, her tapestry art became her passion, fulfilling much of her leisure time from her sixties on.

Once seen as a creative backwater probably because of the mundane association with domestic chores and diurnal family demands, textile art is increasingly emerging as Real Art, as individually striking, artistic and gifted as that produced by pen, pencil, paint, pot. The Guildhall Exhibition bears that message multiplied many times in a variety of interesting forms though an observation by one exhibitor underlines the popular conception that textile art is “women’s work.”! She said that male visitors in Bury chiefly tended to be the captive husbands of those exhibiting.

A soft, cloth 'vase' in the exhibition

One tapestry side of a screen containing
two tapestries. Shows a female artist.

ale visitors in Bury tended to be just the  occasional captive husband of someone exhibiting.

Collective Act of Worship

 

Separation of Church and State. America.

In Saturday’s Guardian, [29/06/2024] I noticed a short piece headed, “All Oklahoma schools ordered to teach Ten Commandments.” Apparently the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction has announced that all State schools are now required to teach the Bible and the Ten Commandments to students from Grades 5-12”, adding, rather grandly, that Bible study would enable “a complete understanding of  western civilisation ... and an understanding of the basis of our legal system."

Ryan Walters, Oklahoma Superintendent

 So, a Bible in every classroom in Oklahoma is ordained, which seems to fit the concept of a Christian nation despite the wide range of religions studied or followed in the U.S. Recent research shows that 65% of the American population believe religion is important and that figure seems a little low given the impression one gains from films and public discussions in the U.S. Mercifully, such religious fervour does not appear in the U.K. but there does appear to be a growing movement across the U.S. to push Christianity in public education.

Louisiana Governor signs Ten
Commandments Law

Louisiana for instance became the first State to pass a law requiring classrooms to display the Ten Commandments though hearteningly, parental, and civil rights groups are suing the State arguing that the law is unconstitutional. A similar fate awaits the impetus to establish new religious U.S. Charter Schools which would be state-funded. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has since ruled that the idea of a religious Charter School was unconstitutional; Charter Schools must be non-sectarian.

Approaching the subject
from a different direction

In the U.K., the most recent legislation we have is the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, although the original legislation on collective worship was passed in 1944 stipulating that pupils of community, foundation or voluntary schools must take part in a daily act of Collective Worship, broadly Christian, unless they have been explicitly withdrawn by parents. It was such a requirement which caused me considerable irritation when I was Head of a High School. A daily school assembly is a useful tool but the religious legal requirement had become unnecessary and indeed insensitive in view of students’ varied religious beliefs or lack thereof, rather than principally Christianity. I am a happy atheist and not at all the person to conduct a Christian service; nor would a person who happened to be a Buddhist for example or a Muslim. The view of Humanists U.K. is that worship is out of place in schools and that repeated demands for collective worship are unworkable, hypocritical, counter-productive and divisive. This uncomfortable but continuing legal requirement does have echoes of a bygone era when national Christianity was the norm.

And interestingly, a spot of online research shows that modern developments in this field, are moving in the right direction. Nikki McGee, lead teacher on religious education for the Inspiration Trust, which runs 18 schools in Norfolk, said: “Collective worship is pretty much meaningless in schools that are not faith-based. The census results show it is archaic.”                Many heads admit privately they no longer stick to this, preferring to run non-religious assemblies more relevant to their diverse student bodies. Mark Shepstone, assistant head at Bungay High School in Suffolk, said the requirement for collective worship is “simply ignored” in a lot of schools, and called for the government to drop it completely. “In the schools I have worked in

         

since 2007, there’s never been a daily act of collective  worship"

Bungay High School

 he said. “We still do assemblies and they will often have a moral message, but they aren’t daily. We all dance around it, but in truth it’s not collective worship. It’s more like group pastoral messaging.                                                                                                                              Post Script

1960 John F. Kennedy, R.C. Presidential hopeful articulated the liberal ideal:

".... an ideal America where the separation of church and state is absolute."

2012 Rick Santorum, R.C. Presidential hopeful presented a more traditional view.

"The idea that the Church can have no influence .... in the operation of the state is

absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country."

                                                         As ever, religion divides.