YO HEAVE HO! SANTA'S PIRATE SHIP
Santa's train, full of toys and goodies, a bit more reliable than British Rail &co....I hope
The driver is mechanical, something from Herr Drosselmeyer's Emporium, I imagine?
This is Festive Basingstoke, We had great fun, if not slightly confusing messages, what with fantastic pirate galleons and trains, though perhaps this is Santa for the 21st century? At least we haven't yet bastardised the myth so much that Santa just delivers via the internet.
Imagine, kids, log on , post your list on line at www.The North Pole.com and Santa will deliver via UPS on 24th Dec, all major credit cards and paypal accepted.
It was wonderful to hear a few stores, Laura Ashley Thank you, Cafe Nero, you too, playing opera and jazz versions of TRADITIONAL CAROLS. The archaic words juxtaposed (if ever she reads it Ella M that is for you) with funky jazz , husky tones, and operatic grandeur.
If Bishop of Croydon (Re the weekend Telegraph article) ever logs on here, you my dear friend, and clergy like you, are what is driving folks away at Xmas. 40% of Brits attend Church at Xmas, and how many on other Sundays? about 2%??? Yet you say carols which are archaic, unrealistic and Victorian put us off. My good man you have it in reverse, the soppy 1980's "love songs to the lord" are what put me off, I can't bear to sit week after week listening to creepy loved up jesus guitarists, simpering their stuff before the altar, sitting through inane sermons and listening to almost irreverent renditions of the service by smarmy vicars who clearly believe that they "know what the people want" and cringe their way, or sneer their way through the Anglican Catechism etc.
I and a significant number more of us, love the traditions, the Latin, the incense, the saints, rituals, mysticism, romanticism. Some of it I believe is just story telling, explaining to the uneducated, a bunch of possibilities to help them understand the mysteries of the Universe. But for years the Church was the foundation of Values, Ethics and Moral Code, especially the Anglican Church. Now things, oh how they have changed, the rule book stands on its head, you have reneged on all your beliefs and left us all confused. not only are the Clergy tempted back to the Pope, the flock are heading that way too. I do not go to Church because I can't find one that offers me Catholicism without the Pope "ie Good Old Fashioned Anglican".
I turned to Buddhism (SGI) and chant in Sanskrit instead of Latin, light my incense and pray to my shrine, which is an image of the universe in mankind. I follow a code, that requires me to seek the good in others, to strive to be good myself, to protect my planet and my family, to live honestly and with integrity. Sound familiar? It should do. I am doing exactly what I did as a Child when Anglicanism was still about God his desires, and the Trinity instead of being about MAN desires, Woman and her Ambitions.
And yes it is true that Baby Jesus cried, that we know nothing of his childhood, if he were really meek and mild or if that is a Victorian imposition, and nativity plays are naff, what do you want BofC, some screaming naked woman giving birth on stage for the wee children to watch, pass the placenta (Have you witnessed a birth?) round the audience with the bread and wine? Do you want an child Jesus as a hoodie, dealing drugs with the disciples and nicking mobile phones from the audience?
I think we will stick to the kiddies performing their annual traditional Nativity, for their grannies and parents, however naff you find it sir, however unreal, it is preferable and more tasteful than the alternative!!
The crazy inclusion of snakes and polar bears etc to which you refer, is Political Correctness gone bonkers, as schools are not "allowed" anymore to chose the best actors & actresses for their nativity, oh no, everyone must be included and given a part, incase being left out damages their tiny psyche. As Music is no longer taught in state schools, there can be no orchestral role for the non theatrical wee ones, not even percussion, so they have to be included on stage as trees, clouds, snowflakes, snakes, octapus, the entire night sky, or jungle, whatever gets them on stage.
Personally I would rather my son sat in the audience and watched the chosen few do a good job, if he were dramatically challenged. Abstaining and maintaining dignity surely is less damaging than being made a fool of in order to participate?
