The Flock That Christendom Forgot:
An Animal's Padre Uphill Pilgrimage
Episode 10 - An All Embracing Compassion
Indeed, not only was fifty percent of my time occupied with the new
hospital complex but my eldest son was reaping the nursing awards both
in the general and psychiatric nursing centres of those 1970s. Yes, and
soon to be singled out and put forward for nurse of the year. Rightly or
wrongly, he felt that his sex went against him. Nevertheless, he still
came third! Meanwhile our middle son was involved both in animal
activism and the work of the hunt saboteurs. That is, whenever he was
free of time from working for the Samaritans as well as doing soup
rounds at night for the Cyrenians.
One’s very first animal blessing service. Circa 1971
Yes, one had just cause to be proud of one's offspring – and even
when they let our mongrel into church in the midst of Sunday morning
worship! One time she barked all the way up the isle, fussing
round everyone, wagging her tail, and then on reaching the altar gave my
face a great wash at the Eucharist. Indeed, on the other occasion she
trotted up to the balcony, scuttled along to the front, and as I
preached from the pulpit, she looked down from the gallery edge, barking
and wagging her tail towards me. Yes, while, like Queen Victoria,
several of the more sedate and ‘poker faced’ members of the congregation
'were not amused!'
Perhaps even more memorable was Huddersfield's annual carnival, when
in a focal point of its route we’d erected a peaceable animal activist
stand. Here it was that the founders of Chickens Lib (later to be called
FAWN), a Violet Spalding with her daughter Clare Druce, joined us. As
so, indeed, did a veterinary surgeon's young wife from Brighouse. Later
she founded a prominent Pet Watch movement of great influence. Yes, such
fellow activists were the very salt of the earth, and not forgetting the
late Lady Dowding who immensely encouraged me from so many miles away
down south.
The grounds of the weird Victorian vicarage – adjacent to the church
- with a derelict mill dam whose waters frequently seeped over on to its
grounds - was nevertheless quite ideal for fowl that had been rescued by
animal liberationists. As for some Bantams which appeared to have come
out of Belsen, within a few weeks they were cackling all over the
place, while Fluffy the mongrel and Daphne the goat looked on with
a willing acceptance. Indeed, the latter kept the grass down around the
graves and only disgraced herself when she broke away and ate prize
cabbages being cultivated by a parishioner for an exhibition. Quite an
embarrassing situation, to say the very least!
to be continued...Episode
11 - Darkening Clouds Gather
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