Xmas Critique. By Uncle Monty.

Xmas Critique. By Uncle Monty.

YouTube Video By

Richard van den Boogaard.

Xmas Photos By Alex Albion.
...
Richard van den Boogaard's "Merry Christmas London

2009" appears via his YouTube video, on this Christmas

Morn, with myself finally getting 15 seconds of "fame"

of some sorts for all the world to see me on ...
.
YouTube:

www.youtube.com/brandedchannels

...

I must say that Richard van den Boogaard's YouTube

presentation of Christmas in London 2009 is a "jingle bells"

kind of piece that he has done rather nicely,videographic-

ally and, of course, with much of a xmasy dose.

...
London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields Carollers.

...
Lone Scotsman outside London's Charing Cross Station.

While on my way to London's Charing Cross underground

to participate in the annual carol singing to raise funds for the
Connections homeless centre at St Martin-in-the-Fields, I
saw the lone pictured Scotsman playing somewhat plaintive-
ly at the outside of the CX station. I couldn't resist giving him

a quid or two as I listened to his bagpipe music of Yuletide.
Inside the station there was the St. Martin's carol singers
with Roger Shaljean in charge. I got a charity bucket to

collect whatever I could for the homeless centre, which is

quietly Anglican without public fanfare. Roger seemed rather
aloof, I must say. When I went to shake his hand to say
"goodbye" at the end of the carol singing he failed to
look and to shake my hand as if I wasn't even there.

...
Then there was dear "Pooh," who for years has sang at St. Martin's

and who plays the Xmas tambourine, telling me her vexing story of

how she'd bought from a Big Issue vendor the current Paul Mc-

Cartney Christmas issue only to later find the female vendor had

cunning slipped in her shopping bag an outdated copy of an August

back issue instead of the Xmas one she'd happily paid for. The same

vendor had also demanded 10 quid from "Pooh," a retired lady

and devout Anglican, telling her she needed the money to help

feed her baby or something like that. Big Issue's Paul Joseph

called Pooh back and she said he apologised and was so nice.

I asked Pooh, if she thought the vendor was a Romanian

or an Eastern European foreigner?

"Probably so," answered Pooh.
...
Uncle Monty with a lovely St. Martin carol singer.

...
Richard is a regular St. Martin's carol

singer who shows his old fashioned love
for Father Christmas, too! Bravo!!

...
Two of Uncle Monty's Café Nero buddies - Robin and

Nicola - on Christmas Eve as they enscribed their Xmas

messages to him on the large cup of piping Hot Chocolate!!

So nice of them, I say ...

...

Fabulous was Xmas Eve for me with last minute Xmas folkz stopping to buy my Big Issue that totalled around 120 sold copies of mine. My big green jacket pockets were almost full of 1 and 2 quid coins, although I had my wheelie bag ready to also fill up with whatever coins the Covent Garden shoppers may have decided to give me more. On the whole, however, it was the quietest Xmas Eve I have ever seen in my past five there. When I counted all my change - with also a few but rare big quid banknotes - I tallied almost £350 for my Xmas Eve! Bravo! I manned my pitch from 7.00am to 6.00pm despite the earlier rain and the all day gray overcast sky that always makes London so dreary and especially on times like Xmas Eve. Yet even though I did okay, many Big Issue vendors didn't see much of a Christmas for them with poor sales and even poorer giving by the shoppers and visitors to Covent Garden over the past week leading up to Christmas Day, 2oo9. When I tallied what I had taken over my 28-day period of Xmas sales, I had taken £1,781 in all. That's stated not to brag but to tell you of what took place. While that is pretty good, it was poor compared to pervious Xmas takings I have at my Big Issue pitch. This year I didn't see the huge single donations - except for Jan Mol's usual and kind £150.00 donation to me - but rather alot more quids of small 1's and 2's. Of course, if one gets the volume of such, then it can soon amount to a tidy bit of welcome cash. Such helped to save my Christmas, if not my spirit or our Broken Christmas at Broken Britain of today ...
...
While overall, I still saw thousands upon thousands of
folks in London who refused to even give a dime at
Christmastide to Big Issue vendors. I also saw foreign
visitors galore, those cagy Orientals - Japanese,
Chinese, Koreans - by the busloads; along with those
god damn imposed Africans and menacing Muslims
upon us, who will not give a red cent let alone a word
of good cheer to those vendors trying to make a little
something over the Xmas period. For many vendors,
they just quit trying to do Christmas on the streets of
London. Many more head to CRISIS to spend Xmas
there with their fellow homeless and the vunerable.
Christmas is a cruel time for all too many people.

.

Out of luck, on the streets ...

By Steve Bird.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article6966905.ece

...
Yes, Richard van den Boogaard's Christmas "jingle

bells" on YouTube is all fine and dandy, but the reality

of Christmas in London isn't music to the ears of the
elderly, the lonely, the sick, the poor, the rejected, the
unloved, the homeless, the disrespected, the redundant,
the bereaved, the abused, the familyless, the marginal-
ized, and society's castoffs. Christmas for them isn't jingle

bells, it's simply living hell on earth!! The immaculate birth

of Christ Jesus is as remote to them as flying to the moon.

Sad, but true ... But if they embrace Him, then humankind's

earthly "Christmas" is basically trivial and nothing to have

missed or even to fret about with all the shopping bags and

obligatory Xmas gifts that amount to human gratification

and not the glorification to or for Him. That's why Christ-

mas is a kind of hell for many because we've grafted

commercialism and consumerism on humans among the

jingle bells of modern and meaningless Christmas. Once

things become less important in one's life, then the

celebration of the The Prince of Peace and The King of

Kings transcends our plastic ideal of Christmas that has

become more and more Christless in Broken Britain

with non-believers of every kinds now killing all that is

good and great about Christianity and The Nativitiy

of Him. Nobody, and no thing, comes close to the

holy birth of Our Only Lord and Saviour. Amen.
...

Some folks pray to see the end of Xmas for it brings no

joy, but pure pain, deep sadness and sheer emptiness.

It shouldn't be like that! Therefore, embrace Him.
...
Inside Café Nero with a bunch of Spanish
kidz visiting London at Christmas Eve, 2oo9.

...
Videographer Richard van den Boogaard at
Uncle Monty's Big Issue pitch a week or
so before Christmas Eve, 2oo9.

http://www.youtube.com/brandedchannels
...

:: Feedback From America ::
Dear Monty, So good to hear from you, and to see your smiling face on YouTube. You look very well! Thank you for the Christmas greetings. Here in Northern California, in the mountains, we had a beautiful day. We spent it with family and friends, definitely the way to go. Had dinner with Heidi and Jim (Johnson) - you remember our Heidi? - the other evening. Hope you stay cozy and warm, and that the Nero folks keep you well-supplied with Orangina and coffee. Best wishes, Susan (Prince) . Re: UNCLE MONTY on Youtube this Xmas Day ... Date: Sat 12/26/09 04:38 PM.

...
The story caption photo is of Uncle Monty at his pitch with old friend Jan Mol's 7 lovely grandchildren visiting London from The Netherlands for Christmas while staying with their grand dad at Theatreland.

What else can I say, except "A MERRY CHRISTMAS" TO YOU!!

Uncle Monty. +Christmas Day, 2oo9.

.

~ Click on any image to Enlarge ~

.

Season's Greetings From Shambani. By Harry Atkins.

Season's Greetings From Shambani.

By Harry Atkins.
.+.
Dear Monty,

What is the collective noun for Kangaroos? I wonder.

I suggest a thump of kangaroos. I/We all hope that life

is going well for you. I'm not much good on my lap top

so I do not follow your colourful blogs.

.+.

Summer has come but we have a fair amount of water

stored. I wonder if you have been on any adventure

since we last saw you (in London last September).

.+.

Advent - how I loved that season as a child.

Perhaps you will be carol-singing at this season.

We hope that Christmas is cosy and peaceful.

.+.

Best wishes, Myrna, Harry, Rosalind and Perry.

Shambani, Mt. Barker, South Australia.

Dec. 11. 2009.

.+.

I received the above Christmas card message from my

dear friend and author Harry Atkins and his lovely wife

Myrna along with their family at Shambani, via Australian

Mail, on the Eve Before Christmas Eve at London, UK.

.+.

Harry is a devout Welsh Anglican and retired Kenya

schoolmaster and delightful Myrna is a Welsh Presbyterian.

Their daughter Rosalind is a registered nurse and her fine

husband Perry is a gym instructor. Shambani is located at

remote Mt. Barker in the wonderful Adelaide Hills at where

nature and animal-loving - horses, dogs, sheep, cats, and

of course, visiting kangaroos - are held in supreme respect

at the hobby farm of Shambani.

.+.

I shall always remember my stay there and hope that

one day I may return to such an earthly paradise that it

resembles so much for me in so many charming ways!

I happily send my best Christmas greetings to all at

Shambani and to all those good folkz and the eye-catching

kangaroos among South Australia's Adelaide Hills ...

Very truly, Uncle Monty.

+Eve Before Christmas Eve, 2oo9.
.

The above caption image of the Kangaroos is taken from the

actual Australian Xmas card sent to me by the Shambani folkz!

.
Some Xmas Gifts For Uncle Monty ...

and some nice cash inside Xmas cards!!

.+.

Shambani.

http://www.wiewerdeich.info/shambani

.

SHAMBANI REVISITED.

By Uncle Monty.

http://thebiggerissueorg.blogspot.com/2008/12/shambani-revisited-by-uncle-monty.html

.

.

{Click on any image to Enlarge}

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Broken Christmas At Broken Britain. By Uncle Monty.

Broken Christmas At Broken Britain.

By Uncle Monty.

Rudolph Photo By Alex Albion.
***
For many older folkz like me, the English Christmas of
today has become close to empty and almost meaningless
for many of us. We can hardly even say “Merry Christmas”
thesedays without the fear of being corrected and told to
say “Festive” or "Mid-Winter Celebration,” instead of
saying, like we always have of old, “A Merry Christmas.”
Nor can we decorate our Christmases like the past with-
out the mindless ranters of those who care more for the
religious or non-religious feelings of others, than

for Christian folks like us.
***

Tinsel Taliban strikes as Court Service
ban staff from decorations to avoid offence.
By Daniel Martin.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1236989/Tinsel-Taliban-strikes-Court-Service-ban-staff-decorations-avoid-offence.html

[The UK Court Service, by the way, is now packed with
immigrant-born and foreign-born court judges and employees,
just like is H.M. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) with their huge
legal staff that New Labour has deliberately installed at all levels
of the British legal system over the past decade or so. Thus, such
helps to explain the reason behind the ban of English Christmas
decorations at where such non-believers, immigrant-born and

foreign-born staffers overwhelmingly tread!! They're another

reason why "Broken Christmas At Broken Britain" has become

so evident thesedays. We must always say "Ramadan," but

we're almost castigated for say "Christmas" as Christians now

in our own growing darkey and broken British society ...]
***

What we also see is how the secular, commercial, and
consumer forces have deliberately diluted the religious
meaning and the traditonal essense of Christmas forever
and, of course, for the worse. Many older people feel
Christmas has been hijacked in Britain for the sake
of greedy profits by godless profiteers and
anti-Christian heathens.

***
Late-19th Century English Family Christmas.

***

A clear sign of the broken times we're living in is

seen inside Broken Britain at this Christmastide

by the demand for special ambulances to treat ex-

treme binge-drinking by pre-teens to regular drunks

of the age forty something. Making merry was once

harmless fun with a drink or two here and there, but

no longer. Broken Christmas cries out loud with broken

people who wreak havoc where ever they go with their

dizzy hours of compulsive binge-drinking of just about

any kind of booze they can afford to lay their hands on.

Britian's "Nanny State" insists then on treating such people

at no cost to such bingers and drunks with free treatment

given of such foul people on the streets of London, and

around the country, at all hours of the day and night,

but most especially during the Christmas and New Year

period. Street violence and random muggings are now

part of the fallout from the binge-drinking culture of

Broken Britain. Bingers and drunks become easy prey

for the vile street muggers, roadside criminals, and

animalistic thugs that openly prowl without fear of

being caught or punished.

***

Look also at the London store windows and see the

tacky and piecemeal Christmas decorations that seem

almost done as a token rather than any desire to expr-

ess Christmas joy and goodwill. Covent Garden and the

West End brand name stores were once truly tasteful

and elaborate with Christmas decorations, and even

Christmas scenes, proudly displayed for all to see.

Now, the quicker they can get the cheap decorations

up and taken down, the better for the stores that no

longer want to spend time or money on doing fine

Christmas decorations. Plus, even the street Xmas

decorations border more and more on the secular and

non-religious depiction of Christmas that are almost

meaningless to the eye or mind. Such again symboli-

zes "Broken Christmas at Broken Britain," yet again.

***

English Xmas Postcard of 1950's.

***
And while news reports of this year's emerging
vogue of so-called traditional or "Heritage Christmas"
having come into play with recreating some of the old
Yudetide events of the past around the UK, the fact
still remains that all around us we see little more than
"Broken Christmas at Broken Britain" of today compared
certainly to Christmases now past of our present lifetime.
Indeed, the heritage Christmas is a direct result of
today's modern broken Christmas.
***
"Traditional Christmas is back in style. Past trumps
the present as Britons revive old celebrations."

By Vanessa Thorpe and Jamie Doward.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/20/traditions-christmas-religion

***

Aside from that, what makes Christmas broken is the

prevailing broken spirit and broken message of

Christmas for millions who claim to be Christians and

who seem to have forgotten that Christmas wouldn't

exist without the extraordinary birth of Jesus!! They

deny His magical presence and the reason why we first

celebrate Christmastide because of His Holy Name.

Instead, many have gotten caught-up in the secular and

consumer mechanics of Christmas over the spiritual and

emotional faith that has died in the souls and minds of

the people at this "Broken Christmas at Broken Britain."

***

'Sharp decline' in faith as number of Christians

in Britain falls to half.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1236267/Sharp-decline-faith-number-Christians-Britain-falls-half.html

***
Victoriana Christmas Magazine Cover of 1860's.

***

Standing on the freezing streets of London best gives

insight in the modern Broken Christmas as masses go

by and completely ignore Big Issue street vendors

trying to make alittle bit extra at this Christmastide.

The more Xmas shopping bags the individual has, the

more likely he or she will not stop and give alittle of

their riches to the homeless vendor. As the masses

walk on by, look at their hearts of concrete, their

eyes blind, their mouths sealed, their humanity

shuttered, their minds closed, their spirit dead,

and their souls lost. And brutally cold and im-

personal are they that have not been taught the

lesson of giving, especially at Christmas to those

who have the least. Lack of compassion for others

is what also produces today's "Broken

Christmas at Broken Britain."

***

Classic English Christmas Card of 1920's.

***

American Christmas Card of 1910's.

***

My Christmas Greetings, Uncle Monty.
+Last Sunday in Advent, 2oo9.

+Vigil of St. Thomas The Apostle, 2oo9.

Five Days To Christmas, 2oo9.

Eve of the Shortest Day of the Year, 2oo9.

.

Here's more of what I have to say about our

"Broken Christmas at Broken Britain" :-

Many London Councils, like the vicious Westminster Council,

now refuse to even recognise Boxing Day – the day after

Christmas Day in the UK – in order to impose traffic tickets

and fines on unsuspecting Christmas folks who park to visit

and shop at Covent Garden and the West End still thinking

it's free parking on Boxing Day. Such councils are close to

mafioso -in their lawless greed to extract every penny

they can by means of their tyrannical enforcement against

motorists who fall foul of their wicked parking rules that

are primarily designed with only one thing in mind - to

get more money from the motoring public by almost

any dirty trick or cunning means. To such councils,

they're saying to "hell with goodwill at Christmas!"

Godless greed is their motto and their vicious existence

inside Broken Britain ... How horrid!! They always im-

pose grief on the public with their mindless traffic

wardens who are basically the dregs of society.

.

Parking Goldmine lures fat cat enforcers

to Westminister. By Simon English.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23777530-parking-goldmine-lures-fat-cat-enforcer-to-westminster.do

***

Another sad example of "Broken Christmas at Broken Britain"
is the cold 600-word Big Issue piece entitled “Don’t screw us in

2010” by the one and only editor-in-chief John Bird. What a cold

unChristmas -message he wrote and published with only one

word of his that used the word “Christmas,” and only once, in

the last of the 2009 so-called Festive Issues of his with Paul

McCartney headlining the mag’s Christmas Interview. To

read John Bird’s utterly self-centred piece was like Christ-

mas doesn't even exist in his own unfeeling “Bird’s Eye

View.” How pathetic and how pitiful was his own empty

"Xmas" message!! Screw the messenger next, yep?
***

Irish Christmas Postcard, circa 1900.

***

Christmas: A Brief History.
It's Christmas time again, with trees, gifts and Santa

Claus. But how did we come to celebrate the birth of Jesus

Christ how and when we do? We take a look at some

key points in the history of Yuletide.
By Tom Chivers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/6811346/Christmas-a-brief-history.html?utm_source=tmg&utm_medium=TD_history&utm_campaign=christmas1612am
***

.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! From Uncle Monty.

:: MERRY CHRISTMAS ::

From Uncle Monty

&

thebiggerissue.org
...
Tony Robinson, 63, pictured, is the British actor

and broadcaster of note. He remembers those

Christmases now past, I am sure. I encountered

him yesterday at his film location off London's

Drury Lane. Nice guy, I must say ... Although

one of my lady friends promptly described

him as an "irritating little man!"

...

But best of all from yesterday was Little

Arabella at age 2. She sparked Christmas joy

in me for one brief shining moment. When

she was gone, my sense of Christmas

faded all so rapidly, I must say ...

...

.

.

(Click on any image to Enlarge)

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TIGER WOODS: The Rise & Fall of The One & Only Cablinasian. By Uncle Monty.

TIGER WOODS:

The Rise & Fall of The

One & Only Cablinasian.

By Uncle Monty.

Graphics By Alex Albion.

---
Born out of interracial wedlock of an African-American
male and an Asian female, world golfer Tiger Woods, 33,

was hailed as a model of lily cleanliness and capitalistic

success, both on and off the world’s golf courses, until

his hitherto unpublicized sexual philanderings and con-

suming fornification was recently exposed and laid bare

for all the world to see him for what he really is. For he

is little more than a sex fiend at the drop of a hat and

who doesn't seem to know how to keep his filthy hands

to himself when it comes to casual sex with at least 12

slobbering white women outside of his marriage.

---

Married to a white female European, Tiger Woods has

produced two kids from his 2004 marriage that is also

the product of yet another strain and mix of interracial

wedlock. Now his marriage looks like it’s on the rocks,

or between a rock and a hard place, after those white

women have variously offered their kiss and tell

stories about Woods' sex life to the world's tabloids

like America's "National Enquirer" and the

UK's "News of the World."
---
It's All Finished, Baby!!

---
Aside from being a sex fiend, Tiger Woods says he's

a "Cablinasian.” What? Did he say "Cablinasian" for

real? ? Yes, he most certainly did! So what’s this new

word and thing called “Cablinasian,” you may well ask!

Well, it’s what Tiger Woods repeatedly calls himself!

It means according to him he comes from a racial mix-

ture of “Caucasian, Black, American Indian and Asian,”

to quote columnist Ephraim Hardcastle's succinct

definition of Wood’s claim of being a Cablinasian.

Oh, Tiger Woods is also the world's one and only

Cablinasian Billionaire. And the first of its kind! But,

even that odd status he may very well soon lose ...

---
And what about his kids?

Are they then "Euro-Cablinasians," simply because

their mom is a Swede married to a Cablinasian? And what

if those kids of their’s eventually marry yet another racial

strain of perhaps say pygmy or latino or aboriginal? I

dread to think! Like Tiger Woods, Barrack Obama is also a

product of interracial wedlock of a black African father and

a white Kansian mother in Obama's case. I see interracial

wedlock is now ripe and rife in such Caucasian countries as

the USA and, most especially, in today's hideous multiracial

dictates of the UK. Mixed race marriages are ruining the

English race from almost recognition as Anglo-Saxons.

---
Although I personally think such should be outlawed or

curtained at the very least, I loathe seeing interracial
couples producing kids that don't know if they're white

or black or yellow or red or brown or something in bet-

ween. Nor do such mixed race kids know if say they’re

Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim or again something

in between. Interracial pairing produces mongrels, much

like dogs do, between themselves and so being pure bred

is becoming rarer by the day. The more sexually decadent

is a society, much like England, the more interracial dating

and courting goes on unabatedly and sickeningly thrives

with or without eventual wedlock. There won’t be a white

Briton left at the rate the country is producing mixed race

off-spings like ravishing rabbits with one in ten families in

the UK now of mixed race progeny. Furthermore, the

British state school system, especially in urban London,

is overwhelmed by mixed race infant and primary

school male and female pupils of the like never before

seen in the British Isles until vile New Labour began

its deliberate onslaught of mass immigration from the

Third World to Caucasian England at the behest of

Labour's abusive and socialist power of the past dec-

ade. Sex crazy Africans by nature will have sex with

almost any other race and such is evidenced by the

huge number of 21st century kids in Britain who dis-

play their half-mixed race and breed due entirely

to having an African male father or an African

female mother.

---

As for so-called Cablinasains of Tiger Woods' blood-

line, I suspect few if any exist other than him and his

kids. Thank God!! Although one bogus college in Lon-

don just bragged that it had foreign and immigrant

students from 85 nations on its class rolls. So maybe

there is a Cablinasian among them? Other than that,

how awful to have 85 nationalities in just one college

which shows how multiculturalism and multiracialism

has now gone completely mad inside the UK! Such is

beyond all good reason, except for the political and

leftist agenda of Britain's foul Labour Party that at

present holds its "red stranglehold" on Broken Britain.

Something needs to also be done to help stop the

interracial subculture from becoming more and

more the majority culture inside England and

else where across Europe and even in certain

race enclaves of America.
---

---
As for the sex problem of Tiger Woods', he has now lost

his resounding status as a wholesome and international

sports figure to millions of his golf fans of both the young

and the old. His commercial endorsements also seem

pretty shaky after all that has been revealed about his

extramarital sex flings. Worse still for him, he stands to

lose huge millions of dollars has the fallout of his moral

depravity still comes crashing down relentlessly upon

him. He's now a forever fallen golf sports hero. He is

unlikely to fully recover both on and off the fairway.

He's lost his best shot of his good life all because of his

sex flings being of his own heterosexual undoings and

not because of any flaws with his superb talent

and mastery of top pro golf.

---

So I rudely show the woman below as a white female

for a Cablinasian sex fiend like is Tiger Woods to have

perhaps another quick sex fling before he is rightly

divorced outright by his own ex-loving wife. She has

every right to tell him to go to hell and back as she

prepares to find a new life outside of her crumbling

marriage to the world's No. 1 golfer, who isn't such a

nice, clean, guy after all. No wonder our kids scoff at

what they see so many of their grownups do!! And

thus - "TIGER WOODS: The Rise & Fall of The

One & Only Cablinasian" - has now come to pass

so ungloriously for him at no matter what may

personally happen next for him ...

---

TigerCrashGate.

Tiger Woods in the news: tabloid revelations and blind eyes
By Jay Busbee.

---

Child protection team visit Tiger Woods's home as spon-

sors abandon scandal-plagued golfer. By David Gardner.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1235448/Tiger-Woods-wife-end-marriage-Christmas.html#ixzz0ZdmIC2Ts
---

How About Her For A

Nice Sex Fling, Mr. Woods?

---
Disgusted with Tiger, Uncle Monty.

3rd Sunday in Advent, 2oo9.

.

NB. Tiger's surname is given both as Woods

and Wood in news reports by the world news

media. I've mainly used Woods as his surname,

and sometimes Wood in photographic write

overs, for this blog story of mine about him.

---

And, Here's Yet Another New Labour Shocker ...

"Single mother of eight living in a £2.6m mansion -

so much for Labour's housing benefit crackdown."
By Emily Andrews.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1235604/Single-mother-living-2-6m-mansion--Labours-housing-benefit-crackdown.html#ixzz0ZdnUjlN6
.

.
(Click on any image to Enlarge)

.

TCWNN's Homeless Xmas Special. By Uncle Monty.

TCWNN's Homeless Xmas Special.

By Uncle Monty.

TCWNN Photos By Alex Albion.
**
Packed from wall-to-wall at London’s Only Connect
Theatre, the paying and supportive audience either sat

or stood in open awe and wrapt attention at the Xmas

Special of The Choir With No Name (TCWNN). Such

brought so much good tidings and great joy to one and

all of those so lucky enough to be present at the very

special homeless and seasonal event that was solidly

sold out long before last night's prime performance.
**

TCWNN's Duet & Full Choir.

**

And, for one brief shining moment there was

CHRISTMAS like it should always be as the 30-strong

homeless members of The Choir With No Name, or

TCWNN, gave their best renditions of traditional and

modern Christmas songs and seasonal musical fayre.

**
No Name Choir Member!

**

"I wish it could be Christmas every day," they

sang in pure harmony as the audience hummed

along in sheer Christmas delight! "Well I wish it

could be Christmas every day. When the kids start

singing and the band begins to play. Oh, I wish it could

be Christmas every day. Let the bells ring out for

Christmas," so the good choir sang so joyously

and out loud for us all to hear so proudly!!

**

TCWNN's Richard, 61.

**

Oh yes, with The Choir With No Name was

also The Band With No Name (TBWNN) that

saw talented keyboard player Adam Gray

(shown below) give of his best along with

his band mates Ben Reed, bass guitar; and

Jamie Crawford on drums. The combination of

the choir and band was like "sugar and spice and

all things nice" despite their insistence of having

"no names." Of course, their names are by

simply calling themselves "no names."

**

Thank goodness, however, Christmas does have a

beloved name. Although for some, "Christmas With

No Name" is how they want to treat such. But not so

by the all the guyz and galz present at the TCWNN

and TBWNN Xmas Special held at King's Cross.

They all seemed to love Christmas they did,

with or without a given name ...

**

At TBWNN's keyboard is talented Adam Gray.

**

She founded TCWNN did Marie Benton just 18 months

ago while she was also working in "the role of campaigns

and communications manager at the London-based home-

lessness charity of St Mungo's." Earlier, she had worked with

national Down's Syndrome Association. The rationale behind

Marie's concept of starting a homeless choir was simple - to

offer a positive distraction for homeless people from their life

on the edge of society. She's be very successful at doing that

in a very short time of the choir's existence with the name

"The Choir With No Name" coming about by accident has she

stated the choir had no name. A few weeks later, the choir

members voted overwhelmingly to stay with the unintended

name and so TCWNN was officially its name. The choir's

odd name has now struck, too.

**

Every Monday night, Marie and her devout and loyal

choir members gather for rehearsals at the Only Connect

Theatre and there they are fed a good, wholesome meal,

after they have rehearsed. "They sing pop, rock, soul,

gospel, reggae, musicals ... you name it, they'll give it a

go," stated the 8-page 2009 Christmas programme. It

should now add, too, that TCWNN also sings Xmas

songs and melodies as part of its growing repertoire.

To pay just 10 quid to hear and see them was the best

Christmas bargain in Olde London Towne! For me, I

was delighted that Marie issued me a complimentary

ticket to attend the wonderful event that I personally

was made so overjoyed by what I saw and heard at

last night's Xmas Special. One other thing about Marie

is her demonstrative conducting of the choir that adds

zest and character to the whole performance from be-

ginning to end. The way she twirls, twists and turns,

is something to behold for the roundly rythmetic

and hypnotic style that she candidly displays.

http://choirwithnoname.org/

**

Two Lovelies Before TCWNN's Xmas Special.

**
But above all, last night's TCWNN's Homeless Xmas

Special was so worthy of being given an outstanding

prize for its great performance that hopefully will

come one day soon to The Choir With No Name.

Christmas wishes and kudos then to all who are in-

volved with TCWNN. They each deserve an award

of merit for what they have already done and

achieved as England's premier homeless choir.

BRAVO!!!

**
Happily, Uncle Monty.

+Happy Hanukkah, 2009.

:: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah#Hanukkah_rituals ::
..

.
(Click on any image to Enlarge)
.

Then Came Billie. By Uncle Monty.

Then Came Billie.

Life With Big Issue Folkz.
By Uncle Monty.

Photos & Graphics By Alex Albion.
.@.

Every other word from out of Billie’s foul mouth was “fuck.”
Openly gay and lesbian, Billie even spent time with Gordon

Brown at No. 10, where she induced him to buy The Big

Issue that she has flogged on the city streets of London

as a badged Big Issue vendor for some years now.

.@.
Billie has also met Diana, Princess of Wales. She was on a

TV documentary series about homelessness, too. On top of

that, The Big Issue "big wigs" seem to think the world of

her. Billie is after all a great publicity prop for John Bird’s

money-making world of homelessness as the self-made

guru (and sometimes, "jackass") of The Big Issue.
.@.
So there I was today at the Big Issue's Covent Garden

distribution spot at where long-time distributor Sam

Woodlock seemed to be in a reclusive and bad mood

as she asked me mechanically what I wanted for

more copies of The Big Issue. She then wrote down

my badge No. 115 and my purchased number of

magz. She then further ignored me to delve back

into reading her copy of "The Sun" newspaper.

Sam had no time to speak to me beyond that.

.@.

Big Issue distributor Steve – or more correctly called

Stephen Farrell Wood (spelled with or without an hyphen

in his surname) - then served me. He’s becoming some-

thing of an unofficial resident poet, if you will, with

one of his latest pieces of poetry appearing again

in this week’s Festive Issue:

Tulse Hill SW2
By Stephen Farrell Woods

.
Sitting under a weeping willow
I do not pay for Apples
Ivy rampant adorns the walls
of my home.
I see faces in the leaves of
the trees.
Foxes parade up and down
Lanercost Rd, I
(and I suspect many more
Leave a little something under the
cover of dusk or darkness)
.
Squirrels do their squirrelly thing
in the back garden throughout
The autumn and winter months.
With 3 (or is it 4) canvasses
awaiting more, I go inside.
Inside I read, think, and with
a pondering reluctance paint.

.
Pages 48-49. Christmas 2009. No.

875. Nov. 30th-Dec. 6th, 2oo9.

.

No sooner had I almost finished with Steve and

Sam, then came Billie with her little black and white

dog. He's so intelligent and lovable he almost speak

does he. And like a Kansas tornado coming at you,

Billie is so hypo one could almost say the weather

drastically changes once she arrives on the scene.

She’s Hypo No. 1.

.@.

With her torrent of mouthy words laced with her

usual and unilateral conversation of “fuck” this

and “fuck” that,” Billie is far from bland like are

so many Big Issue vendors. She's got gusto and

determination that few of her fellow vendors can

compete with her. Billie is also becoming more of a

rarer breed thesedays of youngish female Big Issue

vendors seen selling on the callous streets of London.

Except, may I say, for the oldish and unpretty (dare

I say “ugly”) gypsies women selling The Big Issue at

London’s Kingsway, there seems to be fewer and

fewer sexy female Big Issue vendors on the

streets from what I can see.
.@.
Was He/She An Hermaphrodite Vendor?

.@.

While I was at the Big Issue’s Covent Garden

distribution spot, it was about as "unChristmas" as you

could get along with the disappointing front cover of this

week's Festive Issue with the five Nutty Boys, who are a

nutty selection for Christmas at the best of times. After

last week's sensational Bob Dylan interview and the front

cover of him that sold like hot cakes last week, the Nutty

Boys are about as bad as selection as you could get for a

so-called "Festive" issue. Next week, however, we have

George Michael making it back again, after he appeared

on the Christmas issue of two years ago, if I remember

correctly. George is usually a good seller for the Big

Issue vendors, but also especially profitable for The

Big Issue money makers who swim in big bucks and

plentiful Christmases at the expense of their poor and

under-rewarded street vendors. After George, we get

the Sir Paul McCarthy issue to round out vendor sales

at this Xmas season. Come New Year, everything then

tends to go dead for most of The Big Issue vendors. Plus,

it becomes colder and more wintery on the streets. That,

too, doesn't help and only compounds the problem of

poor sales and even poorer profit for the street vendors

all across the UK. So they need to make it during the

weeks climaxing in the celebration of the birth of Our

Lord Jesus. After that, they might as well go home,

but sadly all too many don't have that choice since

they are, of course, homeless no matter the seasons.

It's just too sad when you stop and think about it ...

.@.
After encountering hypo Billie, moody Sam, and poet

Steve, I then went back to my Big Issue pitch at Long

Acre with my extra purchase of 20 copies to sell to the

rather cold crowd that walked right on by and refused
to offer even the slightest smile or to utter a “Merry

Christmas” to me or to donate even a red cent. Of the

few that did, they were mainly those folkz who have

been customers-cum-friends of mine for almost 5

years now. It is those old customers for the most

part who make a vendor's Christmas come true.

Without them, the vendor can expect a bleak

Christmas at best and at worst a depressing

Yuletide ... And life with other Big Issue folkz

can also be grim for they themselves cannot al-

ways count on a good Christmas and, therefore,

they rarely give a damn for anybody else. In fact,

to witness modern Broken Britain is best seen from

the crude vantage point of the vendor on the street.

All that Christmas does, is to simply highlight and

exasperate all that is wrong and dreadful with multi-

cultural and multiracial England under vile New

Labour. Today's UK homeless are neither second

nor third class citizens, but rather fourth class un-

less, of course, they're anything but White English.

.@.

“Did you see, Monty, the new vendor outside at 90

(Long Acre)?,” I was suddenly asked by one of my

long-time customers as I settled into my usual pitch.

I then looked and saw a young fellow who I’d never

seen before with his green Big Issue badge dangling

on the back of his shoulder instead of on the front

of his jacket. I was none too pleased to see him.

.@.
Perhaps in his late 20’s with specs, I approached the

short Caucasian fellow with his high badge number of

5000 – yes, No. 5000 – and told him to stop badgering

the public into buying his copies of The Big Issue. I also

told him it was not a pitch at 90 and therefore it was

illegal for him to be standing there hawking his wares,

so to speak, at the huge office block of lawyers, business

people, diplomats, bankers, corporate personnel, and

noted stockbrokers, of which many I personally know

and who buy The Big Issue from me more

often than not.

.@.

He said he was told to set up at Pret’s that was on the

opposite side of the street. “No, mate, you’ve got it

wrong,” I told him politely but firmly. “That’s also an

illegal pitch at Pret’s,” I informed him and I then told

him that as a trainee vendor he was supposed to be

further down past the Covent Garden tube station.

He lingered on until two of my regular customers

confronted him with one saying that I'd been there

for years and he was unwelcomed to pitch his pitch

where I was just yards away from my own long-

standing pitch at Nero’s. I was going to go back to

Sam Woodlock to complain to her, but I realised

Sam wasn't in a good mood toward me for some

reason and so I didn't want us to have bad words

between us by complaining about the brand spank-

ing new vendor that was No. 5000. But after my

buddy John Annetts also spoke with the new bugger

No. 5000, he soon headed off else where to perhaps

learn by pain and pitfalls what life is like with

the other Big Issue folkz.

.@.

Perhaps he found greener pastures selling outside of

dead Dame Anita Roddick's famous invention called

"The Body Shop." Who knows or who cares? I sure

don't! I cannot stand these new son-of-a-bitches that

always popup near Christmastide to show their pretty

asses thinking they're entitled to something when they

are not ... A way and stray dog or cat is far more entitled

than them, so I think! Now if she's a pretty vendor,

okay! I don't mind her ... she can come at anytime!

And if you now wish, also read Anita Roddick quotes.

.@.

Then came Billie. But now she was gone or still

bugging someone with her usual "fuck" you ...

.@.

Excuse the language please, Uncle Monty.

+John of Damascus, 2oo9.

.@.

Above Caption Photo:

Billie Herself Dressed as Santa!

.

:: Story Update ::

After yesterday, I went back to the distribution

spot this morning to get more magz and to see

how Sam was. She was all fine and dandy unlike

yesterday!! I also told her about the new vendor

with badge No. 5000. She said to send anybody like

that to her, if they have a green (trainee) badge and

are in the wrong place or at some mispitch. That's

okay with me and glad Sam and I are in good

shapes like we should be. And like yesterday, I

sold out all my magazine stock again at my old

and own pitch at London's Covent Garden. Now

looking forward to the upcoming George Micheal

and Paul McCarthy issues set for sale during the

Christmas period for vendors to sell and hope-

fully make some decent money for a change. Oh,

I also didn't see sight or sound of Billie again

come this Saturday and Adventide morning ...

Kudos, Uncle Monty. Dec. 5th, 2oo9. pm.

.@.

:: P-O-S-T-S-C-R-I-P-T ::

Billy's Own Confessional Story.

By Uncle Monty.

Billy - whose name I purposely Americanised as "Billie" in

my own above story about her of 3 or 4 days ago - now

appears in the latest George Micheal edition of The Big

Issue (No. 876) that was released this Monday morning,

Dec. 7th, 2oo9, in the UK. Under the storyline of "Big

Changes," Billy proudly declares her own count of 96

criminal convictions to her British name!! Her story seems

to revel in sordid bravado and unashamed glorification of

her past life that resulted in her getting thrown out of her

home by her own mother at age 14, then stealing at every

turn to feed her drug addiction of crack and herion, and to

ultimately become an institutionalised homeless person

for years, there after, in London. Billy started to sell The

Big Issue 10 years ago and now attributes her "social

redemption," if you will, to the glory of the one and only

street publication that is TBI. Woooooow! On the next

page, Billy is then shown again with a donation plea from

The Big Issue Foundation - with its full page spread - to

get the public to make donations to it to help support

vendors like reformed Billy. Oh, boy!!

.

Aside from the two-year old regurgitated and identical

Xmas front cover of George Michael that's used and re-

printed again by The Big Issue for its present 2009

Christmas Bumper Issue, the story of Billy raises questions

of what is the real aim thesedays behind TBI? Is it to help

ex-prisoners and jailbirds first or to help those who are

purely homeless and not merely criminals? The fact that

a third of all Big Issue vendors are said to come from a

criminal background - or 1,000 out of say 3,000 vendors

- makes for depressing reading and public stigma, I think.

Also, does criminal and anti-social behaviour lead directly

to homelessness or does homelessness lead to criminal

and anti-social behaviour? In other words, which of

them comes first? You take a good guess, okay?

.

On reading Billie's or Billy's own confessional story, I was

amazed at the remarkable similarities between her's and

John Bird's own story of his past criminality, his past

Borstal incarceration, his past illicit drug use, and his

own later redemption to become a modern-day and

classic "Champagne Socialist" or a larger-than-life

capitalist that he actively portrays of himself today.

And like AJB has already done, Billy now plans to

write her own life story with the help of some ghost

writer. The exception to him is that I doubt Billy-The-

Vendor will ever become a swaggering money-grabber

like is Old Birdie. So, so much for Billie's or Billy's

confessional story of her's for now ... Excuse me,

but I might also just want to puke the next time!!

.@.

Coming in the New Year, 2010:
Dead Bird Walking. By Graham Walker.
Edited By Uncle Monty.
Photos & Graphics By Alex Albion.

Next: World Homeless Events for 2010.

Compiled By Uncle Monty.

...

Breaking New Labour's Stranglehold

on Broken Britain. By Alex Albion.

Also coming in the New Year, 2010.

.

(Click on any image to Enlarge)

.

2010 World Faith And Church Events. By Uncle Monty.

2010 World Faith And Church Events.
Compiled By Uncle Monty.
+
My indepth and select 2010 Calendar of World Faith

and Church Events is now uploaded and ready online.
Due to some earlier technical difficulties beyond my

personal control, such did result in an unfortunate

delay in posting the full list of religious conferences,

church conventions, interfaith symposiums, and
pastoral gatherings, from around the world,

for the upcoming year of 2010.
+

However, I am now able to post events already started

and for those now set for January, February, March,

April, May, June, July, August, September, October,

and November, 2010. Listings for December will be

posted once information is available for me to publish.

.

:: January ::

.
Sakyadhita 11th International Conference on

Buddhist Women. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

December 28, 2009 to January 3, 2010
http://www.sakyadhita.org/pages/events.html

+
'Year for Priests' - Clergy Conference Rome 2010.
January 4 -8th , 2010. Rome, Italy.
http://www.yearforpriests-clergyconferencerome2010.org/programme.htm

+

THE LITURGICAL INSTITUTE
Treasures of the Triduum 2010:
Conversion and the Rites of Initiation.
Friday, January 22, 2010 Conference Center,

University of Saint Mary of the Lake Mundelein, Illinois.

http://www.usml.edu/liturgicalinstitute/conferences/treasures%20of%20the%20triduum%202010/triduum%20home%202010.htm
+
Building An Ethical Economy – Theology and The Market Place.
Guest speakers are His Grace, The Archbishop of Canterbury, and

Sir Partha Dasgupta. January 27-29th, 2010. New York, 2010.

http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/faith/institute/2010/

.

:: February ::
.
The 6th Hindu International Dyke Conference,
4th-7th February, 2010 at Varanasi, India.

http://varanasi.nic.in/culture/fair.html
+
World Christian Conference 2010
Redwood Christian Park, Boulder Creek, CA.

U.S. President's Day, February 12-15th, 2010.
http://www.wcfellowship.org/wcc/2010/

+

Messianic Jewish Alliance of America

2010 Messiah Conference. February 12- 14th,

2010. Hyatt Regency, Irvine, CA.

http://www.mjaa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Spg_Conf_and_Events_Home

+
Global Deaf Muslim Conference 2010.

The Spirit of Islam: Inclusiveness and

Religious Equality, 14–16th February,

2010. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

http://globaldeafmuslim.org/conference/
+
African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E) Church’s
Global Development Executive Board Meeting.

February 24-26th, 2010. Lyon, France.

Host: Novelle Alliance AMEC.

http://www.ame-church.com/news-and-events/conference-schedule.php
.
:: March ::

.
Christian Science Global Lectures:
DIEU A CREE L'HOMME POUR MANIFESTER LE

BIEN IN FINE. March 4th, 2010. Mabiala Mavungu,

SOC ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST. Eglise Salle des

Mariages de la Mairie de Yopougon.

http://christianscience.com/christian-science-lecture-schedule.html#Cote+D'Ivoire
+
International Church of the Nazarene. 2010 ANSR

Conference. March 25-27th, 2010. Kansas City, Missouri.
http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/administration/ansr/conference/display.aspx
.

:: April ::

.

47th Australian Christadelphian Conference.
Brisbane, Australia. 3rd-11th April, 2010.
http://www.brisbane2010.com.au/aboutConference/default.asp

+
Religion Communication Congress, 2010.
Chicago, Ill. April 7th-10th, 2010.
http://www.rccongress2010.net/
+
Community of Christ World Conference.

(Latter-Day Saints/Mormon)
April 10-17th, 2010. Independence, MO
http://www.cofchrist.org/wc2010/default.asp

+
International Order of Gnostic Templars.
World Congress of Secret Initiatic Societies.

Macerata-Osimo, Italy, April 17-18th, 2010.
http://www.iogtconferences.com/
http://modernknighttemplar.blogspot.com/2009/08/world-congress-of-secret-societies.html
+
L’Eglise Anglicane du Canada.
2010 National Episcopal Preaching Conference.
Hendersonville, NC, USA. April 19th-22nd, 2010.
Sponsored by: The Episcopal Preaching Foundation.

http://cep.anglican.ca/search_courses.php?action=submit&id=5633
+
The Wrongfulness of Terrorist Actions:
An Interfaith Perspective. April 29-30th, 2010

Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada.
http://www.ustpaul.ca/Philosophy/Documents/TheWrongfulnessofTerroristActions-AnInterfaithPerspect-June09.pdf

.
:: May ::

.
Tokyo 2010 to Model After

First Global Missions Conference.

May 11-14th, 2010. Tokyo, Japan.
http://www.tokyo2010.org/conference/
+
The Foursquare Church Convention.
Atlanta, Ga. May 31st-June 3nd, 2010.

http://www.foursquare.org/events/display.sd?iid=346&loc=show&catid=14
.
:: June ::

.

The Royal School of Church Music
Music Sunday, June 13th, 2010.
http://www.rscm.com/assets/info_resources/media/Music_Sunday_2010.pdf

+
The Irish School of Ecumenics 2010 Conference.

From World Mission to Interreligious Witness:

Visioning Ecumenics in the 21st Century.

June 16-18th, 2010. Trinity College, Dublin, Eire.
http://www.ecumenics.ie/research/visioning-21st-century-ecumenism/2010-conference/
+

Association of Classical & Christian Schools
2010 ACCS Annual Conference.

”Sine doctina vita est quasi mortis imago.”
June 17–19th, 2010 • Durham, North Carolina.

http://www.accsedu.org/Annual%20Conference.ihtml?id=111716

+

Association of Anglican Musicians.

2010 National AAM Conference.

Hartford, CT. June 20-24th. 2010.
Musicians is an organization of Musicians

& Clergy in the U.S. Episcopal Church and

throughout the Anglican Communion.

http://aamhartford2010.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/AAMHartford2010-AdvertisingInfo.pdf

+
2010 World Religions Summit.
Interfaith Leaders in the G8 Nations.
University of Winnipeg, Canada.
June 21st – 23rd, 2010.
http://www.faithchallengeg8.com/home.html
+
International Conference of the Order of St. Luke.
UBC Okanagan, Kelowna, BC. Canada.
June 21st-June 25th, 2010.
http://www.orderofstluke.org/

.
:: July ::
.
XIV World Congress ICMDA

2010 International Christian Medical and Dental Association.

4-11 de July, 2010. Punta del Este - Uruguay, South America.

http://www.icmda2010.org/index.php?Idioma=IN

+
UU Ministers Conference. Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

July 9-13th, 2010. Details forthcoming from International

Council of Unitarians and Universalists. (ICUU) website)
+
World Methodist Evangelism.

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN YOUTH

CONFERENCE ON EVANGELISM. July 14th-21st,

2010. Kwang Lim Vision Land, Seoul, Korea.
http://www.worldmethodist.org/ICYC9BROCHURE.pdf
+

20th Baptist World Congress July 28th-August 1st,

2010. Honolulu, Hawaii.
http://bwacongress2010.org/Register-Now.htm

.
:: August ::
.
International Christian Chamber of Commerce’s
Youth Conference. August 7-14th, Vaasa, Finland.
http://www.iccc.net/calendar_view.asp?scheduleid=141232
+
30th International Old Catholic Congress.

9-13th August, 2010. Zurich, Switzerland.

Internationaler Anglikanisch/Alt-Katholischer

Koordinierender Rat. More info: Rev’d

Dr Angela Berlis, tel +41 (0)31 631 4193,

E-mail: aocicc@alt-katholisch.de.
+
The Pentecostal World Conference (PWC)
August 24-27th, 2010. Stockholm, Sweden.
http://www.pwc2010.se/bilder/PWC2010_brochure.pdf
+
The Presbyterian Church, USA.
2010 Peacemaking Seminar. August 25-29th, 2010.
Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico.
http://www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/conferences/conferences.htm

.
:: September ::
.
33rd Congress of the International Association of

Religious Freedom. Sept. 1st-4th, 2010. Kochi, India.
http://iarf2010.blog126.fc2.com/
.
http://home.iarfus.org/home/33rd-congress-of-the-iarf-2/
+
61st Annual Catholic Cemetery Convention & Exposition.

Sept. 14 - 17th, 2010. Omaha, NE.
Since 1949, the Catholic Cemetery Conference helps Catholic

Cemeterians and their staff enhance their skills in caring for

the deceased and comforting their loved ones through ministry,

education, networking, and outreach opportunities.
http://www.ntriplec.com/MenuItems/Programs/convention.html

.
:: October ::

.
2010 Mainz International Organ Competition.

Prizes: Euro 8.000, 4,000, 2,000. and 1,000. Jury: Bovet,

Boysen, Divellec, Fagius, Gnann, Kaiser, Oortmerssen,

Schnorr, Serafin. Deadline for applications: 28th February,

2010. Age limit: 34 years. Organisers: Hochschule für

Musik - Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz.

Oct. 11th, 12th and 14th, 2010.
http://www.musik.uni-mainz.de/Dateien/2009_07_01_Flyer_Orgel-e-www.pdf
+
The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization.
October 16-25th, 2010. Cape Town, South Africa.
The Congress, held in collaboration with the World Evangelical

Alliance, will bring together 4,000 leaders from more than 200

countries to confront the critical issues of our time – other world

faiths, poverty, HIV/AIDS, persecution, among others - as they

relate to the future of the Church and world evangelization.

http://www.lausanne.org/cape-town-2010/about.html

+
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. The Zion

XIV Conference. Oct. 21st-24th, 2010. Atlanta, Georgia.
http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=14363
.
:: November ::

.
Church of God. 103rd Holy Convention,

Nov. 8-16th, 2010. St. Louis, . MO.
http://cogic.net/cogiccms/default/
+
The Scottish Episcopal Church’s Edinburgh

Diocesan Stipendiary Clergy Conference.
Nov. 9-11th, 2010. Edinburgh, Scotland.
http://www.edinburgh.anglican.org/

.
:: December ::

.

Listing for December, 2010, will be posted when

details are available for the 2010 World Faith

& Church Events.

.

If your organisation is holding a major religious/interfaith/church

event during 2010, or beyond in 2011 and 2012, and would like

to list such herein at thebiggerissue.org, then please send full

details ASAP to: newsscope@k.st.

.

The primary aim of listing the 2010 World Faith & Church

Events is to provide quality over quantity. Just to simply list

all and sundry doesn't make for much more than cluttered

and packed dates and venues of religion and faith going on

here, there and everywhere. Hence, the list herein is

limited to perhaps the more unusual and striking
gatherings around the world for the 2nd Decade

of the 21st century.

.

Faithfully, Uncle Monty.
+Advent, 2oo9.
+Eve of St. Andrew's.
+
His Grace, The Archbishop of
Canterbury and His Holiness, The Pope.

+

:: Of Religious Interest ::

.

The Church Year, 2010.

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:http://www.crivoice.org/cydatesC.html
+
The Orthodox Christian Church
http://www.theorthodoxchurch.info/
+
2010 Passionsspiele/Oberammergau Passion

Play. Located at Oberammergau. Germany.
From May 15th to October 3rd, 1010
http://www.passionsspiele2010.de/
+
International Christian University,
Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, Japan .
http://www.icu.ac.jp/english/info/facilities.html
+
The World Congress of Faiths.
http://www.worldfaiths.org/about.php

+
Worldwide Poll Finds Strong Support for Right to Criticize

Religion. By Brian Hutt Christian Today Reporter.
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20091123/poll-finds-strong-support-for-right-to-criticise-religion/index.html
+
Scientology a criminal organisation says Australian senator.

Melbourne, Australia (ENI). An Australian lawmaker has launched a

scathing attack on the Church of Scientology saying, "Scientology is not

a religious organization but a criminal organization that hides behind

its so called religious beliefs." In a speech to the Australian Senate on

17 November, Senator Nick Xenophon said the Church of Scientology

had a "worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality". The Church of

Scientology responded in a statement saying that the senator had

presented unsubstantiated allegations as if they were factual evidence

and by speaking under parliamentary privilege he had abused the

powers granted to him as lawmaker. Ecumenical News

International. 23 Nov. 2009.

+

Blogger Frank James for National Public Radio said "the so-called

war on Christmas appears to be escalating this year" in the United

States with the start of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season

marked by a national advertising campaign based on the slogan,

"No God?... No Problem!" The campaign by the Washington-based

American Humanist Association features a pictorial advertisement

with several smiling people wearing Santa hats. Emblazoned on the

advert is the slogan, which believers in non-theism say hinges on

the axiom that people do not need God in order to be, and to do,

good. Thanksgiving like Christmas stems from a religious feast

and many believe it began as a harvest festival celebrated by

Christian puritans who fled to America from religious persecution

in Europe. Ecumenical News International. 25 Nov. 2009.

+

Irish Bishops covered up priests' child abuse.

By Shawn Pogatchni, Associated Press Writer.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091126ap_on_re_eu/eu_ireland_catholic_abuse

.
Now Read Uncle Monty’s: Letterfrack: The Irish Gulag.

LETTERFRACK: The Irish Gulag. By Uncle Monty -
22 Apr 2009 ... By Uncle Monty. LETTERFRACK: The Irish Gulag.

Letterfrack Story By Uncle Monty. Letterfrack Photos By Alex Albion.

Part One of Two. thebiggerissueorg.blogspot.com/

letterfrack-irish-gulag-by-uncle-monty.html -

.
Swiss minaret vote (to ban) unlikely to be copied in Europe.
By Tom Heneghanm, Reuter’s Religion Editor.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5AT4Y720091130

.

NB. Known Atheistic/Scientology/New Age/Humanistic

groups will not knowingly be listed and will, therefore,

be refused a listing - period!!

+

Next: WORLD HOMELESS EVENTS for 2010.

By Uncle Monty.

.

Nibbling on Homelessness. By Uncle Monty.

Bob Dylan Brings Christmas Cheer To Those Without Homes

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5AP1X120091126

By Angus MacSwan.
.

Nibbling on Homelessness.

By Uncle Monty.

Photos By Alex Albion.
.-.

Everybody was still waiting for the arrival of the mayor
as some 260 delegates sipped on white wine and tast-

ing Hors d'Oeuvres at last night’s sponsored meeting

on “Tackling Homelessness, Changing Lives” that was

held at London’s renowned Westminster Central Hall.

They, the delegates, were also and ironically, "nibbling

on homelessness" as they filled their bellies with delight-

ful and free light refreshments at The Aldergate Room.

.-.
While such a meeting is well-intented, the major

drawback was that the vast majority of delegates at the

CRISIS/Housing Justice event had neither experienced

homelessness nor actually been at anytime homeless

on the grim city streets of the British capital.

.-.

For the cynic, all one sees is the ever-growing "homeless

cottage industry," despite all the public rhetoric to elimi-

nate national homelesssness and city rough sleeping. Such

is much like what London’s dapper and talented Tory

Mayor Boris Johnson stated when he finally arrived late

before the assembled delegates – “By 2012, the aim is to

bring an end to rough sleeping in London,” he sincerely

declared and to which was greeted with a solid round of

applause from most of the gleeful delegates. Of course,

there were no rough sleepers there to hear the de-
bonair mayor’s open declaration at Central Hall.
.-.
Standing Room Only To Hear & See The Mayor!

.-.
One thing, however, that Boris Johnson has is a keen

understanding and appreciation for the volunteer. No

politician of his standing could fail to do so since volunteers

of whatever kind are oftentimes the lifeblood for such liv-

ing politicians of his political success. The same principle is

applied to volunteers who help and work with the homeless.
And the mayor reinforced that with his unequivocal stand

to do whatever he can to actively support such volunteers

among the network of homeless charities and street agencies.

Indeed, Boris Joihnson is pro-homeless people and who sees

it to be his moral and mayoral duty to do whatever he can

to reduce and eliminate the scourge of homelessness
inside London. Good for him and good for us!
.-.
Susan Simmonds & Canon Bruce Saunders.

.-.

Among the delegates were Habitat for Humanity’s

Susan Simmonds with Anglican Southwark Cathedral’s Canon

Bruce Saunders, who came over as rather aloof and almost
punctilious in his glaring manners. When asked his age, he re-

fused to give it!! Later, however, he was found to be age 62

and rapidly graying. He also came over much like the Cath-

edral’s Dean Colin Slee, who ban the beloved British hymn

“Jerusalem” that rightly created a uproar against him.

What an Anglican clergy bitch, was he, called Slee!!

Ban The Dean Who Banned Jerusalem -
.-.
Good Grief, He's Francois Greeff.

.-.

Not listed as a delegate at the meeting, Francois

Andre Greeff, a disgruntled ex-Big Issue vendor,

was there to represent himself and his registered

charity called "Good4you."

.-.
Francois Greeff's website is parked at bluehost.com

that displays no webpages or front page regarding, if

you will, his perhaps elusive charity, although his listing

at the GuideStar shows some fancy footwork that also

lands-up at bluehost.com with no stated information

whatsoever presented from the good4you charity or

what it is actually doing on a day-to-day basis. Some-

thing strange is going on or something seems amiss,

so one sense's with Francois Andre Greeff's

"managing directorship" of his registered

charity with the UK Charity Commission:
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/ContactAndTrustees.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1123820&SubsidiaryNumber=0

.-.

Thus the following is stated by "Good4you."
3.1 "TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF DISABLED PEOPLE WHO

ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS

IN PARTICULAR BY THE PROVISION OF ADVICE AND

INFORMATION; 3.2 TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE

PUBLIC AT LARGE AND IN PARTICULAR, ORGANISATIONS

ASSISTING HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE ISSUES FACED BY

HOMELESS DISABLED PEOPLE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO

PROVIDE SERVICES SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR NEEDS."
ttp://www.guidestar.org.uk/gs_summary.aspx?CCReg=1123820
.-.
The only trustee listed for good4you was a Mr. David John Devine,
LL.B., (Hons) MA, ACIS. A google web search found no mention of

him or his name. Perhaps, he’s a retired lawyer or solicitor? As for

the letters "ACIS," that both him and Francois carry after their

names, another google web search resulted in ACIS as an asso-

ciate degree title in "Accounting and Information Systems."

Plus, Francios Greeff also carries an M.A. after his name.

Is that a “legit” Master’s degree or what? Whatever,

he didn't have any kind words for Big Issue co-founder

A. John Bird or for The Big Issue itself as the dis-

gruntled ex-Big Issue vendor that Francois is. He's

best summed-up as ADEBIV, so some would say!

.

A Life in the Day: Francois Greeff,

with bipolar disorder and homeless.

By Ria Higgins.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article1159233.ece

.

Francois Greeff.

http://www.stellenboschwriters.com/greeff.html

.

Francois Greeff Author of

The Hidden Code of Cryptic Crosswords

.

Now back to more of the meeting ... that saw the

classy lady Leslie Morphy (who is shown above in the

story caption photo with Boris Johnson) officially open-

ing the meeting of delegates as the Chief Executive of

CRISIS. Housing Justice's Alastair Murray was also a

keynote speaker at Westminster Central Hall. While

Terry Drummond represented the Bishop of Southwark,

Allison Curcio represented the Medicins de Monde.

They were among so many others at the CRISIS/

Housing Justice meeting with a few more listed ...

.-.
Some of the 260 delegates listening to

London Mayor Boris Johnson last night.

.-.

The lengthy list of delegates was truly diverse has
seen with the presence of The Church Army's Maria
Hagi-Pavli, Cardinal Hume Centre's Emily Hynes,
Jacqueline Mair of CARIS, Lucy Martin of Cardborad
Citizens, Ellie Raymont of The Streetwise Opera, Nadia
Nadia of The Methodist Church, Lorna Hawthorne of
Emmaus, Jessica Veltman of Foodworks, Kate Gunn of
St. Mungo's, Carlita McKnight of Drugscope, and Lucy
Fraser-MacNamara of The Big Issue Foundation. They
are only a small sampling of names and charities that
are "nibbling on homelessness," if the truth be known.
Though "Tackling Homelessness, Changing Lives"
sounds wonderful, mind you.

.-.
Nameless Homeless Man Getting Mayor's Autograph.

.-.

I may add more comments later and any feedback

on the CRISIS/Housing Justice Meeting of last night.

I am tied-up today with a couple of other invitations

and so I'm rounding out my story right now called:

"Nibbling on Homelessness."

-.-

Whatever stay tuned, Uncle Monty.

Wednesday before Advent, 2oo9.

Eve of America's Thanksgiving.

.-.

Another photoshot of Uncle Monty with Boris Johnson.

:: BORIS JOHNSON ::

http://www.speakerscorner.co.uk/file/98dc57837929abd61e3bae2e3625b64e/boris-johnson-spectator-politics-columnist-journalist-tv-celebrity-london-mayor.html

.
What I saw of Westminster Abbey just last night

as I left the CRISIS/Housing Justice Meeting

at Westminster Central Hall that is a just a

stone's throw from the world-famous abbey.

.

.

{Click on any image to Enlarge}

.

Two Nobodies. By Uncle Monty.

Two Nobodies.

By Uncle Monty.

Graphics By Alex Albion.
::

The European Union's Insult &

Farce To The People of Europe.
::

Nobody said it in actual spoken words, but Britain’s

money-crazy and self-promoting ex-PM Anthony Blair

was more or less told “to go jump in the lake” in his

failed attempt to become the first president of the

all-devouring European Union (EU). He's walking

and talking now with his tail between his two legs.

::
In place of the self-conceited and useless ding-dong that

Anthony Blair truly is, the EU elite had the strange notion

to then pick a Belgium guy that few, if any, of the forced and

captive 500 million EU “citizens” had ever heard of until he

was picked, behind-closed door, last week as the unelected

first president of the EU.

::

He’ll also now get himself a grand salary of almost half

million US dollars per annum. I call him "The Belgium

Chocolate Man,” I do, although his legal name is

Herman Van Rompuy. Some bloggers are declaring

that he is a European Jew, too!! That will matter to

some people, but not to me. As long as he’s not a

jihad Muslim - like is found in the murderous U.S.

Major Nidal Hasan, M.D. of Fort Hood, as shown

about - then that’s okay with me personally whether

or not Van Rompuy is a Jew or not! As for him, being

the first EU president, however, I'm not impressed

with him nor the EU one little bit. He comes over

as a little nobody for most of the people of Europe.

Aside from that, I am ecstatic that Anthony Blair

was stopped dead in his self-centred tracks and

his all-consuming ambition to be seen on the

world stage that is largely to blame for him

being who he is and who he shouldn't be.
::
But even still worse was the last-minute pick by the EU

elite of British New Labour's Cathy Ashton for the post

of the tongue twisting title of High Representative of the

EU. She, like Van Rompuy, is yet again another unelected

EU politico, who jackass Labour PM Gordon Brown

peddled in place of hideous Anthony Blair. Two wrongs

don't make a right, right? But they do make a good

left for New Labour, right?

Yeeeeeeeeeeep!!

::

Tragically for the UK, New Labour will still now have a

socialist foothold with their Cathy Ashton now fixed in

Europe, even when Labour will probably be given the

big boot by the British people come the next 2010

General Election that will hopefully end the leftist

political and mass immigration tyranny and socialist

nightmare of New Labour for at least the next couple

of decades after they're finally ousted out of power

in upcoming 2010. My major worry for 2010 is

wondering who will be in charge of counting the

vote, especially if New Labour should get in for

a fourth term or we're told we suddenly have

an hung parliament. Hell, no!!
::

If Time Magazine called the new EU pair "the
bland leading the bland,” I would prefer to call

the bland pair “Two Nobodies,” who Europe is now

stuck with for the next 2½ years in their unelected
position of power that they and we neither deserve.
Nor whether we like it or not. For an avowed euro-

spectics like me, it is evidence yet again of the

mindless panoply of the EU that needs to be

stopped dead in its self-serving tracks and

emerging ultafederalist yoke of the kind never

before seen in all the history of all Europe.
::
While Obama's US welcomed Van Rompuy and

Ashton, the all but quasi-disenfanchised people of

Europe mostly didn't since they had no vote in the

oddball selection of Van Rompuy and Ashton nor did

the elected members of the European Parliament. In fact,

picking the two nobodies that they are, is just another one
of the EU’s typical insults and farces that it has already in-

flicted on the European people. The political and judicial

yoke of the EU will surely grow to poison the people even

more as the years go by to openly dictate, without elected

mandate from the masses, like a re-born Sovietique hege-

mony in Europe. And, the economic gravy train of the

European Union will find the feeding troughs getting bigger

and bigger for all Members of the European Parliament

(MEPs) to feed on like ever growing fat pigs. So,

I say "NO" to the two nobodies and the EU!

So then, what about you?
::

Down With The EU, Uncle Monty.

+Sunday before Advent, 2oo9.

::

New EU President Confirms New World Order.

http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhXWeOa-FuyM

::
The E.U.'s New Top Leaders: Bland Leading the Bland.
By Leo Cendrowicz in Brussels.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1941155,00.html?xid=yahoo-feat
::
Khaleej Times Editorial:
Europe’s Face-lifting.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/editorial/2009/November/editorial_November43.xml&section=editorial&col
::
Herman Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton:

the EU's perfect couple of nobodies.
By William Langley.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/6623928/Herman-Van-Rompuy-and-Baroness-Ashton-the-EUs-perfect-couple-of-nobodies.html

.
::

2010 World Faith & Church Events.
Compiled By Uncle Monty.
Coming shortly ...

::
$350,000 for a glove from yet another nobody? By Chris Michaud.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5AL02A20091122.

.
{Click on any image to Enlarge}

.

Strictly, Romantic Ballet. By Uncle Monty.

Strictly, Romantic Ballet.
By Uncle Monty.
Cuba Photos By Alex Albion.
***
Browsing thru a rundown old bookshop while visiting Cuba’s

Old Havana last May, I came by accident across Sacheverell

Sitwell’s 1948 book entitled “The Romantic Ballet” with 16

beautiful coloured 8” x 11” engraved plates of noted ballet

dancers and famous ballets. I wasn’t looking particularly for

old ballet books, but when I flipped thru Sitwell’s classy book

I just couldn’t turn it down for the equlivent of one US dollar

or about 85 English pence! So I bought the book, of course.
***
My lovely and dear friend Bronwyn Curry, a former English

ballerina herself at The Royal Ballet, also thought the book was

lovely when I showed it her during her last visit in September

to London with her Italian artist partner Franco Benini.

Please don’t tell her, I now plan to give the book

to Bronwyn for this Christmas.
***
But in the meantime, I thought it would be nice to present

just a few of the magnificent plates I found in “The Romantic

Ballet” published - and now long out of print - by B. T.

Batsford Ltd of Malvern Wells, and printed in The Netherlands

by L. van Leer & Co. Bronwyn also told me that classical ballet

has always been fondly supported in Cuba for donkeys' ages

despite the 50 year-old Castro Revolution and its communist

tyranny it then replaced of the old rightist Fulgencio Batista

regime. I suspect Sitwell's gem was brought to Cuba either

from England or America by some Anglo affectionado -of

European ballet after perhaps the Second War World.
***

Plate 15.

Madame Celeste as The Arab Boy.

***
Plate 7.

Carlotta Grisi and Jules Perrot in La Polka.

***
Plate 14.

Flora Fabbri in Le Diable A Quatre.

***
There is nothing like abit of culture, now and again,

that something like ballet can bring to us all even to

those of us who aren’t particularly into ballet per se

or professional dance. Years ago, when I worked as

a teenager as the scullery boy after school for the

wonderful English baritone Francis Loring and his

endearing wife Gloria at their cultured-filled St.

John's Wood mansion house, I can recall how I was

taken to The Royal Ballet by them. Years later, I

was to also meet British choreographer Sir Frederick

Ashton; the Queen's gay dress designer Hardy Amies;

the prima ballerina herself Margot Fonteyn and her

wheelchair-bound Panamanian husband and diplomat

Roberto de Arias. And with Dame Margot, I also met

Rudolf Nureyev twice, who later blamed his own co-

dancers when he himself had made dance missteps

or key mistakes as he grew older and became less

agile and more clumsy as the world's foremost male

ballet dancer of the 20th century. He had earlier sought

political exile in England after he fled from the rigid and

cruel communist rule of the USSR. Rudolf Nureyev

came over to me as a prig, quite frankly!!

***

British Baritone Sir Francis Loring.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-francis-loring-1405084.html*

.
Sir Sacheverell Sitwell Dies at 90,

Last of Trio of Literary Eccentrics.
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/03/obituaries/sir-sacheverell-sitwell-dies-at-90-last-of-trio-of-literary-eccentrics.html
.
Prima Ballerina Absoluta -Dame Margot Fonteyn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_Fonteyn
Her husband Roberto de Arias and her famous

dance partner Russian exile Rudolf Nureyev.
.
Plate 5.

Shown above, as my story caption image,

is that of Carlotta Grisi and Jules Perrot in

La Esmeralda. Sitwell's book also include plates

showing ballerinas Fanny Elssler, Marie Taglioni,

Fanny Cerrito, Lucile Grahn, Marie Guy

Stephan, and Anne Fairbrother Hill.
***
Do have yourself a good day, Uncle Monty.

+Eve of St. Edmund, 2oo9.
.
Uncle Monty with some "Cuban fans" of his!!

.

{Click on any image to Enlarge}

.

Foreigners Galore Among London Homeless Dead Named At St. Martin's Service. Blog Edited By Uncle Monty.

Foreigners Galore Among

London Homeless Dead Named

At St. Martin's Service.

+
News Report By Independent

Catholic News - ICN.

+

Blog Edited By Uncle Monty.

Page Design By Alex Albion.
+
Many of the homeless people who died on the streets of London over the past year came from Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe. Their names were among more than 200 read out at the Annual Service of Commemoration at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields on Thursday, 12th November. The service is organised by the Connection at St. Martins and Housing Justice annually during Remembrance Week.

It brings together the agencies and churches working to assist people who are homeless and vulnerable, as well as homeless people themselves, to remember those who have died over the year, whether still on the streets, in hostels or in their own accommodation. Volunteers and staff who have died are also commemorated. Rev'd Richard Carter of St Martin's-in-the-Fields led the service and read out the first set of names. Also reading out names were Jo Nurse of the Simon Community, Bandi Mbubi of the Manna Centre and Kaz Mayes of the Connection at St Martins. Following the names each reader gave a short personal reflection on the life of someone they knew who had died, remembering and paying respect to people with often troubled and shortened lives. All who were present were then invited to write a name on leaves to attach to a hand painted vine, representing the scripture 'I am the vine you are the branches'. The vine with all the names was then lifted up in front of the altar. The vine was painted by artistic director Rosemary Cockayne and a team of volunteers from her art group at Chelsea Methodist Church. Musical contributions were made by "The Choir with No Name" and "Streetwise Opera", including the hymn 'Dear Lord and Father of mankind', 'Bridge over Troubled Water' and "There's a place for us" from West Side story. Other music was provided by a trio leading the congregation in Taize singing, and during the symbolic lifting up of the vine. Poems, prayers and the Gospel reading were given by people representing many of the different churches and agencies working to help homeless people in London, including Major Valerie Mercer of the Salvation Army. The Right Rev'd David Walker, Anglican Bishop of Dudley and former Chair of Housing Justice, gave a reflection. He said: "Today is about remembering those who have died without a home or on the edges of our society. We remember and give thanks to God for their lives and for the ways in which they have touched and enriched our lives. In life many may have passed them by, but today their names ring out across this city". Rev'd Richard Carter of St Martin's-in-the-Fields commented: "This is one of the most moving and important services which takes place in this church each year. It is also one of the most disturbing. This year the list of those who have died is longer than ever and today we remembered 200 people who have died in the last year. The theme "I am the vine, you are the branches," recognises that we belong to one another and belong to God, each person deserving human dignity love and respect. " Recognising that if one part of our society suffers we all must feel it and that a society will be judged by the way it treats it's most vulnerable members. Today's list of names includes those who came from overseas seeking sanctuary, work and hope, the fact that we are reading out their names today and the names of many others shows that they did not find it and it confronts us with the urgency of the need which exists for those living on our streets who are often treated with suspicion and intolerance and even hate. " Alastair Murray of Christian campaigning charity Housing Justice said: "The service is always an attempt to solemnly remember those who have died, but also to celebrate people who have lived life on their own terms. When the hand painted vine with all the names was raised up in front of the altar it was a powerful symbol of shared hope, even in the midst of struggle and suffering".
+
Homeless!

:: UPDATE ::

Peggy Marshall, R.N. said...
"I have a serious query for you. Who counts the homeless people that have died since the last service to them at St. Martin in the Fields? The numbers are reported to be "more than 200" this year. According to those numbers one homeless person has died at least every other day in London during the past 1 year. I am sure that too many homeless people die for one reason or another on the streets. But 200 or more of them seems a wild figure to me to be honest about it. If another group of people were dying at the rate of 200 or more each year then there would be alarm bells going off all over the place. I seriously suspect that reporting a homeless person to be dead is not verified by public death records. I wonder if the organisers of the service includes the name of whoever it is that is given to them without wondering if the death in question is real or bogus or just made up or simply surmised? Can you or someone answer my query? I have been only to one service a few years ago. It was sad to hear those names being read out. I think the number of homeless dead was about 75 read out then. It seemed alot to me even then. But now more than 200 people in the year have died as homeless. That I find so hard to believe.

Are the death figures true? Some how I doubt it."

Peggy Marshall, R.N. 11/14/2009 09:03:00 AM.

.

Response From Jo Siedlecka of

Independent Catholic News - ICN.

Re: was there really 200 or more homeless dead?

Hi - The number has been around 200 plus for several years now.

I think that is homeless people who have died around the country -

although a high number of those are in London. You can check

with the Simon Community who do a regular street count.
Jo Siedlecka ICN. 16 Nov 2009 05:20:33 -0000 (GMT).
.

Then, St. Martin's Roger Shaljean states:

Dear Monty,
Thanks for this. I'm not sure who Peggy Marshall is nor why

she thinks our figure is 'wild'. The names represent individual

people who had been homeless and were known personally to any

one of the thirty agencies who responded from the Housing Justice

network. If anyone chose to fabricate a name we may not have

noticed but at such a juncture that seems unlikely. The service is

what it says.....a Commemoration. It does not pretend to contribute

to social policy nor to collect statistics....... though as the numbers

involved and our concern for the human beings who died often

sadly and the encouragement given to homeless performers

speaks volumes. As the Bishop of Dudley said in spite of

their suffering..... they have enriched our lives.
.
Could I ask, Monty where the photographs came from that

were attached to the report on our service? They appeared

to be stereotyped individuals and not too representative

of folk who came to our service!
Roger Shaljean. 16 Nov 2009 16:37:48 -0000.

.

Uncle Monty Replies ...
no fabrication, roger!!!
hello dear roger: so good to hear from you as usual. i

don't think peggy marshall is suggesting in any way that

the names may have been fabricated. i think she was so

shocked to read so many names of the homeless dead that
she wondered if there had been an error in the numbers

or the names given. i myself was shocked, too, at the

huge numbers when i first read the independent

catholic news report for this year's service.

.

i agree wholeheartedly with bishop david walker that such

lives have indeed enriched us all. when peggy raised the

fact that based on the 200+ numbers that had been listed as

the homeless dead for 2oo9, she figured that by those numbers

alone some homeless person had died every other day. certainly,

200 dead homeless persons over a span of 365 days, is truly stag-

gering, roger, by any account!! you are right to state that the ser-

vice is not in the business of collecting statistics of whatever kind.

.

as for the photos used of homeless persons in my blog piece

on st. martin's, they are from my own archives of photos of the

homeless spanning the world. i did not, however, include any

of my own images of the many homeless i have photographed

around the globe. after your insightful comment on the photos

used, i regret to say that you're right since they are stereotypical

images that do not represent those persons seen at st. martin's

commemoration services, that like you, i have also attended. in

future, i will use my own homeless images in such a future report

on st. martin's. sadly, i was unable again to attend this year since

i was on call as a sworn court witness at blackfrairs crown court

after being robbed by four thugz on the bus of almost two years

ago. ironically, i was then on my way to attend the interfaith ser-

vice at st. andrew's that saw there bishops christopher chessun,

bernard longley and augustus basil. and last year, i was unable

again to attend since i was personally invited to st. clement

danes royal air force service that saw, among others,

general sir richard and lady pippa dannett in

attendence as important military guests.

.

as you know roger, i have quite a busy schedule of things

planned months ahead, so if i'm not invited to attend some

other event beforehand then it is likely i'll be unable to attend

something else like the worthy commemoration service.

.
i should point out, too, that i have not yet heard back from

alastair murray himself on the peggy marshall matter ...

in any event, i do hope my reply here to you is cogent

and proper! incidentally, i'm off next to vancouver ...
.
{this just in} peggy marshall tells me she is now just so sorry

for being perhaps blunt and suspecting of the numbers. she

tells me, too, she'll make an extra donation this christmastide

to one of the charities involved with the service. i think that is

quite decent of her. i am not privy to tell you much about her

since i have only met her briefly about five years ago.

faithfully, monty. +margaret, queen of scotland (bcp), 2oo9.

11/16/09 10:53 PM EST.

.

Alastair Murray Now Further Explains:

Dear Monty
I could not reply as I have not been in the office between

Friday and lunchtime today, and my blackberry is not

yet in synch with our new server.
.
The press release I prepared, which you copied onto your

blog, makes clear that the names that were read were not

just those people who had died homeless on the street, but

also includes people in hostels and those in their own

accommodation.

.

The post from Peggy indicates that she has misunderstood this.

All the different agencies - hostels, churches, day centres, outreach

teams, health services – send the names of those known to them who

have died over the year, as even when formerly homeless people have

been housed many often continue to use homelessness services. This

is the rationale for the inclusion of their names in this service.
.
I did receive names from other parts of the country, but did not

include them. I hope however to compile a list which will include

those names, to post on our website, when I can.
.
I’m copying this to all on your Cc list for info, and hope this

helps clarify the misunderstanding. Best wishes Alastair
http://www.housingjustice.org.uk/
17 Nov 2009 13:58:19 +0000.

.

Uncle Monty's Reply To Alastair:

and now the death count includes the ex-homeless, right?

while you certainly did state such in your press release, i didn’t

understand it to mean you were also including and counting

the ex-homeless dead among this year’s commemoration

service. of the half-dozen or so online news reports i read, a
day or so after the service itself, there was no mention in such
news reports of the ex-homeless dead among the count of

200 or more listed names for 2oo9.
.
Such then is a new dimension, it seems to me, for the annual

st. martin’s service, if it now includes the ex-homeless dead,

too. the problem with that is that someone like say the big

issue co-founder john bird could be listed as an ex-homeless

dead person upon his death even though he hasn’t actually

been homeless for 30 years or more! what this also means is

once you start including the ex-homeless among the annual

dead, then the figures soon become almost mind-boggling in

sheer numbers that could include thousands of ex-homeless

from both the present and the long past. also, if you have say

thirty different agencies giving out names or nicknames of

the dead at what point is the person then listed as home-

less or ex-homeless dead by one or more agencies?

.

one agency may declare the person is “homeless dead”

under one name, while another may declare the person is

“ex-homelesss dead” under say a known nickname. thus,

the death figures can soon become horribly distorted

instead of a true figure of strictly the homeless dead.

.

so if you are planning in future to formally include the

deaths of the ex-homeless, then the st. martin’s service

should clearly state that – “the commemoration service

is both to the homeless and ex-homeless dead.” That will

then, alastair, help to openly explain to the good and car-

ing folkz like peggy marshall, and others, why the home-

less death numbers seem so terribly high. and, also
why such is getting sadder by each passing year ...
.
out of all of this, however, i think it is right and proper to

also publicly express our many humble thankz to such fine

and shining Christian folkz like you, and our beloved roger

shaljean of anglican st. martin’s, for bringing the annual

commemoration service that marks one of the best of the

English Church’s ecumenical endeavours of today. Bravo!!
truly, monty. +lord, hide me in the shadow of your

wings, 2oo9. cc: peggy marshall, et al.
11-18-2009 02.02.34.07 EST

.

Re: and now the death count includes the ex-homeless, right?

Monty - Why write such a sarcastic note? With what authority?

The service was for homeless people who have died. Some of

them died in hostels, or even hospital, so technically they had a

roof over theirheads but not a home. As a journalist who has

worked on London papers for more than 20 years I find the figure

of 200 totally believable. Often on a Monday morning police call we

are told about people found dead - either on the street, in parks or

in a homeless shelter. Many more die in hospital. Police determine

that they are homeless from the state of their clothes - shoes

particularly, and the fact that they have no address - except

perhaps details of a night shelter. Unfortunately some aren't

discovered for along time. It is so common it is not 'news'.

Jo Siedlecka editor Independent Catholic News.

www.indcatholicnews.com/

18 Nov 2009 10:06:41 -0000 (GMT)

.

To Jo Siedlecka From Uncle Monty.

hardly sarcastic, jo!!
hello jo: my intention wasn't to write a sarcastic note, but

rather to ask (pragmatically) if the death count now includes

the ex-homeless and not just the current homeless dead.

i feel this whole matter is getting me cross! i still think the

death figure of 200+ is a staggering number no matter what.

i think, too, that peggy marshall was right to first raise the

issue of the numbers listed as dead for 2oo9. i am aware,

along with you, that the appalling homeless circumstances

of many found dead is not news worthy since

"it is so common it is not 'news'."

.

when i myself was homeless on the streets of washington, d.c.,

it was not uncommon to find homeless men and women literally

frozen to death at dupont circle with the city copz and morticians

collecting such human bodies right next to me!! in one instance,

george bush himself rode by in his bullet-proof presidential limo
just moments after they'd collected yet another homeless

dead body (in the bleak american mid-winter)! so there!!

.

while i was at melbourne, australia, last year for the sixth homeless

world cup, i happened upon a rubbish heap that i had been told was

where some of the local homeless folk sometimes slept. there i found
one dead homeless man in his late 30's just left there like he was
garbage. i cried inside! it was not news reported, either. nor did i
report such on my oz story nor publish the photos i took of the grisly
scene. as a news photographer by profession, and now retired, death
always knocks at the most unlikely place and many are oftentimes

those folkz who are homeless and marginalized. i was also later told

that the local australian had been there dead for perhaps 10 days

or more. the body strench was what made me first discover him.

.

after such first-hand and upfront experiences, jo, i could

hardly be "sarcastic," despite what you say of me!!

truthly, monty. +do not be afriad of those

who kill the body, 2oo9.

11-18-2009 10:51 59.00 AM CST.
_________________________
.

{Click on any image to Enlarge}

...

Muslim Mosques Seized In USA. By Adam Goldman. Edited By Uncle Monty.

Muslim Mosques Seized In USA.

By Adam Goldman, AP news writer.

Edited By Uncle Monty.

Caption Graphic By Alex Albion.
...
NEW YORK – Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday

to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper

owned by a non-profit Muslim organization long suspected

of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government.

...
In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism

seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in

federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the

forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets.
...
The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of

schools and mosques in New York City, Maryland, California

and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story

glass office tower in New York.
...
John D. Winter, the Alavi Foundation's lawyer, said it intends

to litigate the case and prevail. He said the foundation has been

cooperating with the government's investigation for the better

part of a year. "Obviously the foundation is disappointed that

the (U.S) government has decided to bring this action,"

Winter told The Associated Press.
...
It is extremely rare for U.S. law enforcement authorities to seize

a house of worship, a step fraught with questions about the First

Amendment right to freedom of religion. The action against the

Shiite Muslim mosques is sure to inflame relations between the

U.S. government and American Muslims, many of whom are fear-

ful of a backlash after last week's Fort Hood shooting rampage,

blamed on a Muslim American major.

...
"Whatever the details of the government's case against the

owners of the mosques, as a civil rights organization we are

concerned that the seizure of American houses of worship could

have a chilling effect on the religious freedom of citizens of all

faiths and may send a negative message to Muslims world-

wide," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on

American-Islamic Relations.

...
The mosques and the skyscraper will remain open while the

forfeiture case works its way through court in what could be

a long process. What will happen to them if the government

ultimately prevails is unclear. But the government typically sells

properties it has seized through forfeiture, and the proceeds

are sometimes distributed to crime victims.

...
"No action has been taken against any tenants or occupants of those

properties," U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman Yusill Scribner said.

"The tenants and occupants remain free to use the properties as

they have before today's filing. There are no allegations of any

wrongdoing on the part of any of these tenants or occupants."

...
Prosecutors said the Alavi Foundation managed the office

tower on behalf of the Iranian government and, working with a

front company known as Assa Corp., illegally funneled millions

in rental income to Iran's state-owned Bank Melli. Bank Melli

has been accused by a U.S. Treasury official of providing support

for Iran's nuclear program, and it is illegal in the United States

to do business with the bank.
...
The U.S. has long suspected the foundation was an arm of the

Iranian government; a 97-page complaint details involvement in

foundation business by several top Iranian officials, including the

deputy prime minister and ambassadors to the United Nations.
"For two decades, the Alavi Foundation's affairs have been directed

by various Iranian officials, including Iranian ambassadors to the

United Nations, in violation of a series of American laws," U.S.

Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. There were no raids

Thursday as part of the forfeiture action. The government is simply

required to post notices of the civil complaint on the property.

...
As prosecutors outlined their allegations against Alavi, the Islamic

centers and the schools they run carried on with normal activity.

The mosques' leaders had no immediate comment. Parents

lined up in their cars to pick up their children at the schools

within the Islamic Education Center of Greater Houston and

the Islamic Education Center in Rockville, Md. No notices of

the forfeiture action were posted at either place as of late

Thursday.

...

At the Islamic Institute of New York, a mosque and school

in Queens, two U.S. marshals came to the door and rang the

bell repeatedly. The marshals taped a forfeiture notice to the

window and left a large document sitting on the ground. After

they left a group of men came out of the building and took the

document. The fourth Islamic center marked for seizure

is in Carmichael, Calif.

The skyscraper, known as the Piaget building, was erected in the

1970s under the shah of Iran, who was overthrown in 1979. The

tenants include law and investment firms and other businesses.
The sleek, modern building, last valued at $570 million to $650

million in 2007, has served as an important source of income

for the foundation over the past 36 years. The most recent tax

records show the foundation earned $4.5 million from rents in

2007. Rents collected from the building help fund the centers

and other ventures, such as sending educational literature

to imprisoned Muslims in the U.S. The foundation has also

invested in dozens of mosques around the country and

supported Iranian academics at prominent universities.

...
If federal prosecutors seize the skyscraper, the Alavi Foundation

would have almost no way to continue supporting the Islamic

centers, which house schools and mosques. That could leave a

major void in Shiite communities, and hard feelings toward

the FBI, which played a big role in the investigation.

...
The forfeiture action comes at a tense moment in U.S.-Iranian

relations, with the two sides at odds over Iran's nuclear program

and its arrest of three American hikers. But Michael Rubin, an

expert on Iran at the American Enterprise Institute, said the

timing of the forfeiture action was probably a coincidence, not an

effort to influence Iran on those issues. "Suspicion about the Alavi

Foundation transcends three administrations," Rubin said. "It's

taken ages dealing with the nuts and bolts of the investigation. It's

not the type of investigation which is part of any larger strategy."

...
Legal scholars said they know of only a few cases in U.S. history in

which law enforcement authorities have seized a house of worship.

Marc Stern, a religious-liberty expert with the American Jewish

Congress, called such cases extremely rare.

...
The Alavi Foundation is the successor organization to the Pahlavi

Foundation, a non-profit group used by the shah to advance Iran's

charitable interests in America. But authorities said its agenda

changed after the fall of the shah. In 2007, the United States

accused Bank Melli of providing services to Iran's nuclear and

ballistic missile programs and put the bank on its list of com-

panies whose assets must be frozen. Washington has imposed

sanctions against various other Iranian businesses.
___
Associated Press writers Samantha Gross in New York City,

Juan A. Lozano in Houston, investigative researcher Randy

Herschaft in New York City and AP photographer Jacquelyn

Martin in Maryland contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
http://www.alavifoundation.org/

...

Zionistgoldreport:

http://zionistgoldreport.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/zionist-war-rhetoric-usa-violates-separation-of-church-and-state-seize-and-banks-4-mosques-and/

...

Previous stories on Iran By Uncle Monty:

Iran's Strange Foothold In UK

http://thebiggerissueorg.blogspot.com/2009/10/irans-strange-foothold-in-uk-by-uncle.html

...

America's Iranophobia.

http://thebiggerissueorg.blogspot.com/2008_04_27_archive.html

...
Islamic Jihad Fighter

{Click on any image to Enlarge}

...

Remembrance Day. By Uncle Monty.

Remembrance Day.
By Uncle Monty.
Swansea Photos By Alex Albion.
::
On this Remembrance Day, I just want to say I was
so happy to see the young boyz and young girlz in
their cadet uniforms on the downtown streets of the
Welsh city and port of Swansea. There they were
volunteering their free time to raise needed funds
for the Swansea Branch of the Royal British Legion
Poppy Appeal on what was a very busy Saturday
morning of shoppers and city visitors
of two Saturdays ago.
::
Good Girlz, I say!!
::
The local ladz and galz were everywhere to be seen
neatly and proudly dressed in their good Royal Air Force
cadet uniforms. To photograph them with their consent
was fine with me, but I soon realised it wasn’t just two
or three of them that I had first seen to need to then
photograph all of them. No, I was about to see alot more
of them as I left the Singleton Hotel at where I was
staying before heading back to my London homebase
after more than a week or so visiting all
over West and South Wales.
::
Good Boyz, I say!!
::
At last count at Swansea, I must have counted between
18 to 20 of the young RAF cadets positioned so strategically
outside the largest and crowded city stores and shopping
malls. They were doing a brisk business of the charitable

kind were those ladz and lasses as the shopping folkz eagerly
bought poppies from them and kindly donated their money
in the red plastic poppy canisters. I was impressed by their
sheer awareness and sense of duty of what they were doing
as city youngsters for Remembrance Day. Bravo!!!
::
Swansea War Memorial.
::
And so today is Remembrance Day and it should be
noted that the four days since marking last Sunday’s
National and Anglican Remembrance Sunday that we
now arrive at November 11th that is vividly symbolised
as the 11th Hour, of the 11 Day, of the 11th Month.
We also stand quietly with a two-minute silence to
remember those men and women who gave their
own lives so that we maybe free ... Bravo!!!
::
:: The Anglican Remembrance Day Collect ::
.
Almighty and eternal Good,
from whose love in Christ we cannot be parted,
either by death or life:
Hear our prayers and thanksgiving for all whom
we remember this day;
fulfil in them the purpose of your love;
and bring us all, with them, to your eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
.
From The Canterbury Church Book, 315th Day.
::
Today is also known as The Armistice of Europe.

In America, it’s Veterans’ Day. While else where

around the world, November 11th also marks

Armed Forces Day, Lāčplēsis Day, Victory Day,

Day of Valour, Republic Day, War Memorial Day,

Courageous Day, Military Service Day, National

Soldiers' & Sailors' Day, and St. Martin’s Day.
::
In Silence, Uncle Monty.
Remembrance Day, 2oo9.
::

:: UPDATE ::

Scouts' shame over Remembrance Day 'death threats'

By Benedict Moore-Bridger.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23769127-scouts-shouted-death-threats-at-jewish-remembrance-service.do

13.11.2oo9

::
Swansea's Famed Dylan Thomas.

::
Swansea's Down & Out!!
::
Mumbling Muslims At Swansea Islamic Centre.
::
Coming Soon By Uncle Monty:
"Murderous America After
The Fort Hood Massacre."


{Click on any image to Enlarge}
.

Come Now With Me To The Field of Remembrance. By Uncle Monty.

Come Now With Me To

The Field of Remembrance.

By Uncle Monty.

Field of Remembrance

Photos By Alex Albion.
+
Before you try to start counting the number of crosses
planted to every fallen British soldier at Westminster
Abbey, I can tell you the staggering number there is

some 60,000 at the honourable and remarkable

"Field of Remembrance" that I visited myself on

the eve of Britain’s Remembrance Sunday.
+

"They Did Not Die In Vain," He Solemnly

Declared at The Field of Remembrance.

+

Among the red poppy-marked crosses were two to my

own family¹. They were to my eldest brother Andrew,
who was slaughtered at the 1982 Falklands War that

lasted 74 days and killed 225 British service members

and 649 Argentine military men and women. And, the

second cross I saw was to my own grandfather Henry

Elroy who was cut down at the Dardanelles in

1915 at the First World War of 1914-1918.

+
At their Anglican deaths, Andrew was age 39 and Henry

Elroy was age 25. I never knew my brave grand dad,

but I sure did know my brave eldest brother who was

always so soldier happy. They loved God, King, Queen,

and Country, they undoubtedly did. For that, they

gave their precious lives while we still yet live.
+

An Officer And A Gentleman At The Abbey.

+

In her London Times -article Beside the Thames ‘the poppies

blow’, Melissa van der Klugt tells us the story of how the red poppy

of today first appeared in Britain on Nov. 11th, 1921, as a charitable

emblem to help support ex-service men and women and their families.

This year, and almost 80 years after the first poppy was sold, a total

“of 41 million poppies, 100,000 wreaths, and 900,000 crosses”
have been made to help raise “£31 million to go towards the

(British) legion’s work ...” writes van der Klugt. Read more:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6906840.ece

+

Checking The Family Names of the War Dead.

+

In the meantime at the street level, there are those in

the UK who are anti-poppy, anti-soldier and/or anti-British

as seen this year by the local Derbyshire council libraries,

and at least a dozen shopping centres, taking steps to try

to ban the Poppy Appeal under one pretext or another.

.

Derbyshire Libraries Ban British Poppy.

http://centurean2.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/spitting-on-british-war-dead_-no-poppy-sales-here-libraries-cant-favour-dead-soldiers/

+

Army veteran banned from selling poppies in shopping

centre over health and safety rules. By Steve Doughty.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1224997/Army-veteran-banned-selling-poppies-shopping-centre-health-safety-rules.html#ixzz0VqhEcMEa

+

Not to mention the British-reared, binge-drinking, moron who

urinated on the town's War Memorial at Remembrancetide. If

I had my way, I'd bare ass him and apply a good caning on his

smelly buttocks until he couldn't sit down for a day or two!!

.

War memorial shame student may face jail term as he tells judge

of his self-disgust (and wears a poppy to court). By Chris Brooke.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1225168/Carnage-Uk-blamed.html#ixzz0Vxm8M8QV

+
While last year, the big mouth jackass Jonathan Ross declared a frontal

attack on what he insanely and provocatively called "Poppy Fascism."

.

Remembering the dead - or “poppy fascism”?
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=191771950134&ref=mf

+
Massive Crowds At Field of Remembrance.

+

The Royal Air Force Red Poppy Wreath.

+

Three More Good For Nothing Foreign

Scumbags Seen Here Street Boozing Close To

The Abbey's "Field of Remembrance." Surely

Our British Soldiers Didn't Die For Such Street

Scum To Now Come And Live In Britain?

Above Photo By Alex Albion / Copyright 2oo9.
+
My own personal observation of those most likely NOT

to buy and wear the red poppy from the Royal British

Legion Annual Poppy Appeal are some of the following

types: Folkz who refuse to wear the red poppy are

mostly pigsty-reared Africans, Alcoran Asians, jihad

Muslims, closed-minded Orientals, gangstra-types,

under age 25 college whites, male homosexual couples,

fake asylum seekers, mixed race folk, and along with the

peculiar assortment of frowzy foreigners now living in

the UK thanks, of course, to bloody New Labour. Such

types are known to say that wearing the red poppy is

a form of "Racism," too. What absolute poppycock!!

Every other word in Britain today seems to be the

catch-word "racism" that is rammed down our th-

roats by every black bugger who isn't English at all.

+

The other day, I observed the crowd on packed No 12

bendy bus of about 65 or so passengers. Only 7 white

people wore a poppy with the rest being blacks, immi-

grants, and foreigners, displaying their "poppylessness."

+

They came to the UK to get every kind of freebie they can,

but despise for the most part all things to do with the red

poppy and our national Remembrance Day. Yet, hideous

Tony Blair and his New Labour Party ilk have opened the

floodgates for such ugly vemon to trample upon us from

all over the world to satisfy the gross and secret need of

Britian's vile Labour Party to create today’s hellhole that

is "Broken New Britain." Some of those new comers have

now even claimed their utter hatred for the country that

they have been welcomed to by the open arms of those

who they might want later to kill!! And without sounding

alarmist, I can see the making of a protracted "Race War"

inside Britain and/or guerrilla warfare on the urban

streets of England long after the political demise and

last tyranny of today's detestable mass immigration

policy of New Labour. They have sowed the seeds of

destroying the homeland of the true British people!!

Civil War is also a grave possibility, I really do think.

+

Your's truly, Uncle Monty.

+Remembrance Sunday, 2oo9.

¹ I have changed the names of my relatives for reasons

of family privacy and to help prevent possible ID theft.
.

:: UPDATE ::

(Nu Labour's) Gordon Brown and (Tory's) David Cameron

apologise for Poppy Day stunts: Abbey's fury at BOTH

leaders over Remembrance Day photo-shoots.
By Simon Walters & Jonathan Petre.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1229917/Brown-Cameron-apologise-Abbey-turning-Poppy-Day-contest-photo-ops.html#ixzz0XYUBteOl

Latest update: 22nd November 2009.

.

Just For The Public Record.

By Uncle Monty.

After almost two years since I was robbed on London's

bendy bus No. 25, I finally get to hopefully testify this

week as a crime victim at the Blackfriars Crown Court

against my alleged immigrant robbers!! This comes after

5 previous court adjournments or defense delays to re-

solve the criminal case against Delroy Thomas, et el.

The trouble with such types is they come to this country

and the first thing they seem to want to do is to then

rob us of whatever they can get away with, like they

did to me! I'm now keeping my fingers crossed in the

hope that the case will finally be resolved one way or

another. I don't know the name of which resident

judge will try the case, but I do know I am well pre-

pared to openly testify before whoever is the judge

or the jury members so empanelled at the Royal

Crown Court. I'll also probably write one of my

short stories about the court outcome for my

blog readership at some point. But, we'll see ...

.

.
{Click on any image to Enlarge}

.

From The Celtic Sea At Caldey Island. By Uncle Monty.

From The Celtic Sea At Caldey Island.

By Uncle Monty.

Caldey Island Photos By Alex Albion
.-.
Severe and rough seas initially prevented me for two full days

from getting a boat ride from the Celtic Sea directly to the quaint,

isolated and monastic Caldey Island, but I finally made it there

at where for centuries since the Stone Age it has been a living

community of early Gaelic Christians, Benedictine monks,

Anglican religious brothers and, now today, mature males

of the Catholic Order of Reformed Cistercians.

.-.

With winter beckoning, I had only a few days left before Caldey

was to be shut to outside visitors like me until next Springtide,

2010, at the earliest. So I was anxious that the weather wouldn’t

hinder me further from visiting and seeing Caldey Island for the

first time within the present time frame of things. And also, to be

sure I could get off the island before more rough seas prevented

me from getting a boat ride back to the mainland at some miles

away at Carmarthen Bay.
.-.
A Classic Dwelling At Caldey Isalnd!

.-.

Stepping on dry land at Caldey from my boat

ride, the first thing I needed to understand was

the only means of transport were my own feet!

Although the island is only about 3 miles wide, I

believe, it doesn't take long before you've walked

untold miles and miles going here and there on

Caldey's monastic land. Walking say from the Old

Priory to The Lighthouse then to the spot called

The Calvary and then back to Caldey Abbey it-

self is a good 5-mile round walk and you haven't

yet seen everything there is still to see!!

.-.
Caldey Island Lighthouse.

.-.

To see the sight of Caldey Island monks - only

about 20 are living there nowadays - is a rare

feat since they're hidden away from public view.

I didn't get to see a one of them! No, sireee ...

I did get, however, to meet two such monks,

but not on the island itself or at Caldey Abbey

where they live. The Cistercians abide under

the Rite of St. Benedict or The Benedictine Rule.

At one time, so Brother Michael Strode, 86, told

me, the monks were not allowed to speak or

talk!! They used their own sign language instead

to communicate with each other. Today, under

a much more liberalised rule, the monks can

speak and talk to each other without the use of

their "in-house" sign language. Thank goodness!

If you were a constant chatterbox, I assume, you

must have been doomed to purgatory for daring to

open one's filthy mouth at the abbey. Poor devil!
.-.

The Tree Grove at Caldey Island.

.-.

Caldey Island was essentially Anglican at the turn

of the 20th century, but that soon changed after

1916 when the Anglican religious Brothers opted

out and joined the Roman Church and such soon

resulted in the Cistercians then buying the island

from those Anglican monks who had converted

to the pope. So for the past 90 years or so, the

island of Caldey has been Roman Catholic with

no traces of Anglicanism to be found today save

for Caldey Abbey itself, which was Anglican-built.

.-.
Caldey Abbey. Anglican-Built, 1910.

.-.

Historically and religiously, Caldey Island goes

back centuries as a monastic place of living and

devout Christianity. Monks and hermits of one

kind or another have lived, prayed, and died,

on the island for many, many, generations.

.-.

The Monks' Graveyard is one spot to visit for

such gives light to the fact of the deep religious

nature of Caldey. Today, there are about 20

civilian tenants, too, aside from the actual

Cistercian monks. The lady I met who runs the

Caldey Post Office - where you can buy Caldey

Island stamps along with special postmark

stampings on letters and postcards sent

directly from the island - told me that she

had lived on the island since 1971. She has

no plans to ever leave, she added!

Good for her ...

.-.
Arrival & Departure At Caldey Island.

.-.

Somethings that make Caldey Island unique are these: It
is police-free and presumably crime-free. It is also alcohol-

free, billboard-free, traffic light-free, foodstore-free, pet-free,

school-free, bingo-free, hospital-free, and rush hour-free.

But best of all, it's a drug-free zone for all. So is it paradise

on earth? I don't think so, but perhaps it is for some of

the monks and residents of Caldey Island.

..

There is also the Monastery Guest House for those wish-

ing to stay overnight or forced to stay due to sudden bad

sailing conditions based on emerging and forcasted rough

and dangerous ocean weather. You pay by donation

only at the guest house. There is no set charge

for staying as a monastery guest ...

.-.
Monks' Graveyard At Caldey Island.

.-.

About a couple of hundred or so outside visitors arrive

daily via boats at peak summertime. You must sail across

water no matter what since there is no other way of getting

there unless you have a private helicoper to land somewhere

on Caldey Island, that also has its own beaches and lush

verdure greenery.

.-.
Caldey Island's Cistercian Monk,

Brother Michael Strode, 86.

.-.

But primarily, Caldey Island is a Christian beacon and

oasis for those that seek quiet prayer and a sense of

peace all around them, if only momentarily, against the

ongoing onslaught of modern Broken Britain with all its

growing crime and violence and its decaying social values

and its blatant political bankruptcy under "The Socialist

Nanny State" that is represented so ugly by the vile and

tiresome radical leftist loonies of decrept New Labour!!

,-,
My Visit To The Grey Seals Habitat Off

St. Margaret Island, Was Also Wonderful!!

.-.

But above all, Caldey Island is a law unto itself.

It doesn't need to justify its existence and pur-

pose to anybody but itself. It is a mystic place in

the minds of some and it carries a magical air all

about itself, too. Is it worth visiting? You bet, if

you're a professing Christian and say YES!! If not,

there is always the option of taking a Seal Safari

off St. Margaret Island to witness the wonderful

grey seals habitats upclose (as shown above) in a

jet speed boat that I also took aside from setting

foot on monastic Caldey Island. Such was a worthy

encounter for me and I suspect for thousands of

others who have visited over the course of many

years both Caldey and the home of the grey seals!

.-.

So let me leave you then in peace with the above few,

of many, images I took while both at Caldey Island

and at St. Margaret Island. I do hope you enjoy!!

-.-

For now, Uncle Monty.
+ABC William Temple, 2oo9.

.

"Remembrance Day" is my next story ...
.

Also Coming Soon:

"World Homeless Events For 2010."

Compiled By Uncle Monty.
.

{Click on any image to Enlarge}

.

All Saints' Day At St. David's. By Uncle Monty.

All Saints' Day At St. David's.
By Uncle Monty.

Welsh Photos By Alex Albion.
+
Listed as the smallest city at the Principality of Wales,

St. David’s is not only a truly mediaeval Welsh cathedral

city but it also bears the name of the Patron Saint of

Wales. March 1st is the Feast Day of St. David’s.

While on this day as I write - November 1st -

it is All Saints’ Day.
+
Colours of brick red, light yellow, and deep brown autumn

leaves, or fall foliage, was ablaze all across West Wales at

where, for the past week and abit, I have been on the Celtic

Sea at monastic Caldey Island; taking a seal safari to see and

photograph the grey seal habitats off St. Margaret’s Island;

and later watching glimpses elsewhere of dolphins at Ramsey

Island. And thus, having now also journeyed across much of

the westward enclaves of the royal Welsh principality, I finally

landed-up here at tiny Dinas Tyddewi or St. David’s City.
+

Tomb of Welsh Mediaeval Knight At St. David's.

+
Oddly enough, I didn’t see mention anywhere of St.

David’s Day at St. David’s!! Maybe I have missed some-

thing, but I didn’t even see a statue to the Patron Saint

of Wales that St. David so historically represents. Again,

I may have missed something. Even the literature and

guidebook I read about St. David's city contained no

mention of a statue to his sainthood and patronage of

Wales. Perhaps, I wasn’t reading the right stuff or not

looking in the right place to find a statue or memorial to

the renowned Welsh saint and archbishop called St. David

in the city so named after his saintly name. Admittedly,

St. David's relics are enshrined here and thus such is

considered the holiest site in all of Wales. During the

Middle Ages, pilgrimages here carried much religious

significance due to the saint's relics, especially

for the Welsh folk and their own Cymru.

http://sucs.org/~rhys/stdavid.html

+
All Saints Day is, of course, the day in which all the

Christian Saints are remembered and such is then

followed the next day by All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2nd.

http://www.churchyear.net/allsaints.html

www.churchyear.net/allsouls.html
+
View of the ruins of the Bishop's Palace at St. David's.

+

A three mile stroll around the whole of St. David’s city

sums up the length that one can actually walk at the city’s

maximum parameter. In Welsh one can read all about this:

“Tyddewi – Ar droed yn y ddinas. 3 milltir. Mae dinas leiaf

Prydain yn lle hudolus ac mea’r daith gylch hon yn eich

tywys o amgylch ei huchafbwntiau. Mae’r eglwys gadeiriol

drawiadol, a Llys yr Esgob o’r 14eg ganrif, ynghudd yn y

cwm – galwch i mewn i olrhain yr eglwys gadeiriol o’r

1100au hyd heddiw.” It goes on to further say in English

that the small crag above the valley here is called Clegyr

Boia, an outcrop of old volcanic rock. It is said to have been a

stronghold of St. David’s adversary Boia, an Irish chieftain.

+
Eglwys Gadeiriol Twddewi - St. David's Cathedral.

http://www.stdavidscathedral.org.uk/

+

The focal point, the historic depth and the religious

standing of St. David’s is, of course, the Cathedral itself

that marks the local Welsh Anglican diocese of which it is

one of six such dioceses under the Archepiscopal See

of The Province of the Church in Wales:

Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru The Church in Wales

+

Without the cathedral, this tiny city would be obviously

dead and of little interest to the modern pilgrim or an

independent travellor much like me. Two of my friends

tell me of how they loved St. David’s, but I cannot say

I loved the place per se. There is so little else here to

attract my interest other than again the cathedral

itself as an affirming Anglican myself.

+

I was struck at first that such a small place should have such a

large cathedral with a population of less than 1,600 residents. The

answer, clearly, is St. David as the patron saint of Wales. That’s what

makes the city an important place to visit due entirely to him!! Thus,

naturally, the cathedral goes hand-in-hand with St. David's city.

+

Inside St. David's Mediaeval Cathedral.

+
Canvas Painting of Welsh Knight at Cathedral.

+
14th Century Cathedral Slab Floor, 1328-1347.

+
I have now arrive back at homebase very late this

evening from West Wales. I have now written briefly

about "All Saints' Day at St. David's." In the meantime,

my other planned story "From The Celtic Sea At

Caldey Island," will appear later this week after

now recording my encounters first of St. David's.

+

Faithfully, Uncle Monty.

All Saints' Day, 2oo9.
+

Secular Reality Check At St. David's.

By Uncle Monty.

.
Trying to find a guesthouse that didn’t want to charge you

an arm and leg for overnight accommodation, needed all

the patience of a saint at St. David's, so I'm sorry to say!! At

one place, when I politely asked the owner of one guesthouse

if he could do better on his price, he simply yelled “NO” at me
and suddenly turned on his heels and then literally slammed

the door right in my face. He also promptly switched off

the outside porch lights so that I couldn’t hardly see the

steep steps I needed to take ... What a cad, he was?

“Welcome then to St. David’s ...”

I said sarcastically to myself.

.

I was also told to go to the local City Inn, since it was the

cheapest in town! I was in for a quick rude awakening

by the bad attitude of the two cold guyz running the

City Inn. They were as cold as ice. The price for an

overnight bed was the most expensive and not the

cheapest by far. I left the City Inn at St. David's

with utter disgust at the price and the lousey yobz

running it of what seemed to me to be little more

than a frigid and impersonal tourist trap ...

.

Luckily, a little later, I found Dylan O. Richards’ Pen-Albro

B+B on Goat Street at St. David’s. Not only did he charge a

fair price for a clean bed, but the morning Welsh breakfast

was so big I asked him to please put what I couldn’t eat in

a “doggy bag” so that I could eat it later for lunch. Dylan

Richards was a nice old bloke who ran his comfy B+B in

his own home with plenty of books and CD's to entertain

his welcomed guests. Plus, he had free internet access -

setup by his son Andrew - that was the first place I

found with internet access while travelling the whole

of West Wales since before arriving at Caldey

Island via the Celtic Sea prior to St. David's ...

.

On the whole, I found the hotel and guesthouse owners at

St. David's to be a greedy bunch of rip-off artists. The ex-

ception by far was the local gentlemen Dylan O. Richards!

Bravo, dear sir ...

+
Uncle Monty At Caldey Island's Statue of its own

Patron Saint Called St. Samson, c. 485 - c. 565.

http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/samson.html

+

.
(Click on any image to Enlarge)

.

Holy, Holy Relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. By Uncle Monty.

Holy, Holy Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux.
Story By Uncle Monty.
Photos By Alex Albion.
+
It marked Britain’s outstanding religious event of the
decade, I do believe, when the arrival and tour of the
Holy, Holy Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux, the famous
French Carmelite nun, took place with great fanfare and
open excitement among hundreds of thousands of faithful
people of both Catholic and non-Catholic dispensation.
+

With the last day at hand to actually view the reliquary

itself at London's Westminster Cathedral, I hurried quite

early in the morning to get in line to see and hear for

myself what all the religious excitement was all about.

People had already visited the holy, holy relics through-

out the previous night and at the very rise of another

blessed new daylight. As I stood in line, there was a calm

and quietude and devotion all around me, even with the

arrival of more and more people gathering in the line of

hundreds to enter the Catholic cathedral to pay homage,

prayer, and even curiosity, at the holy, holy relics.
I was moved by the scene I saw and by what I

witnessed of the reliquary even as an English

Anglican by long and avid faith.

+
But in order to add some flesh and blood, if you will,
to such a saintly person, it is appropriate to read here
some of the condensed reference to the life and times
of St Thérèse of Lisieux, that is so ably presented by
Professor F. L. Cross in the 1961 edition of The Diction-
ary of the Christian Church. I have, therefore, included
the professor’s own words to best illustrate her religious
background and conviction that was long well-known
before the first eventual arrival of her holy, holy relics
to the British Isles at this 2oo9 autumn of our’s.
+
The Exquisite Reliquary of St. Thérèse.
+
St. Thérèse Herself.
+
TERESA OF LISIEAX, (1873-97) St. Carmelite nun.
The youngest daughter of Louis Martin, a devout watchmaker
of Alençon, she was drawn towards religious perfection at an
early age. In spite of opposition, she obtained permission
to enter the Carmelite convent at Lisieux at the age of 15.
She was professed in 1890, and was assistant novice-mistress
from 1893. In 1896 she was prevented from joining the
Carmelites in China by a series of haemorrhages.
She died of tuberculosis on 30 Sept, 1897.
+
Officiating At The Holy Relics:
Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster.
+
At the command of her superiors she wrote her autobiography,
L’Historìre d’une âme. The spread of her fame was largely due
to the decision of the prioress to circulate a revised edition of
this, together with details of her death, to all Carmelite houses.
Miracles of healing and prophecy were soon reported in suffi-
cient number to realize her promise, ‘Je vais faire tomber un
torrent de roses’. By 1907 an account of them was appended
to her biography, notes Professor Cross.
+
Proceeding for her beatification was initiated in the court of
Bayeax in 1910 and moved to Rome in 1918, her cause being
exempted from the fifty years’ delay imposed by Canon Law.
+
Some Carmelmite Nuns of today's 21st Century.
+
On 25 April, 1923, her beatification was porclaimed by
Pius XI and her bones solemnly translated to the convent.
On 17 May, 1925, she was canonized under the name of
‘Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face’.
Her feast is kept 3 Oct.
+
The professor's reference adds: Owing to the continued
increase in the number of pilgrims of all nations, it was
decided in 1926 to erect a large basilica at Lisieux. The
popularity of her cult was largely due to her appeal to the
ordinary people of her age, to whom her life showed that
the attainment of sanctity was practicable, not only
through extreme mortification, but through
continual renunciation in small matters.
+
She (St. St Thérèse) is popularly known in England as
‘The Little Flower from the subtitle of her autobiography.
+
In 1929, Pius XI named her patroness of foreign missions
and all works directed to Russia. In1947 she joined with
Joan of Arc as patroness of France.
+
Visitors of the Relics Inside Westminster Cathedral.
+
The late Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity F. L.
Cross additionally provides the following detailed and
fascinating bibliography regarding St. Thérèse,
whose given religious name is spelled both
with and without the letter “h."
+
Her autobiography was first publd. at Lisieux in 1890;
many sunsequent edd.; Eng. tr., 1901; more recent tr. by
T. N. Taylor, 1927. Letters ed. A. Combes, Lisieux, 1948;
Eng. tr. New York, 1948, Pulies des roses (6 vols. Lisieux,
1913-25). A P. Laveille, Sainte Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus
(1873-1897), d’après les documents officiels du Carmel
de Lisieux (1925; Eng. tr., 1928). The lage number of
other lives include studies by H. Petitot, O.P. (1922; Eng.
tr., 1927), H. Ghèon (Paris, 1934; Eng. tr., 1934, H. U. von
Balthasar (Olten, 1950; id. Sainte Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus.
Contemplation et apostolat (1949). Id., La Problème de
L’Hostoire de’une et des œuvres complètes de S Thérèse
de Lisieux (1950), and other works by this author.
(My Source: F. L. Cross, Oxford Dictionary of the

Christian Church, pp. 1332-1333, 1961).
+
Bidding Their Farewell To The Holy, Holy Relics.

+

As for the tour of the Holy, Holy Relics around the UK, I was most struck by their arrival at London's dismal Wormwood Scrubs Prison at where the reliquary of St. Thérèse of Lisieux was adored by more than 100 prisoners at the prison's Anglican Chapel. I think it was wondeful to bring such relics to those imprisoned and I suspect it was the first time ever that a British penal institution had hosted the relics of any known saint like those of St. Thérèse's. I do hope that her relics will work modern miracles to impact change in the lives of those prisoners for the better upon their release and/or parole back into normal and regular society.

+
The White Padres. +
English Nun, Circa 1910.
From Uncle Monty's Photo Collection.

+
While visiting the Holy, Holy Relics, I happened upon the new
Archbishop of Westminster, The Most Rev'd Vincent Nichols,
who kindly spent some time chatting with me on the steps
of the Cathedral. Later, I also saw Auxiliary Bishop Bernard
Longley, who has been named by the Holy Father as the next
Archbishop of Birmingham and will be installed there on Dec.
8th. He now replaces then presiding Archbishop Vincent
Nichols of the Brum archdiocese. Pity, I was unable to get
to the good Bishop Longley to personally greet him. Nor
could I get to say "hello" to Father Alexander Sherbrooke
at the Farewell Mass to the Holy, Holy Relics. Perhaps
about 100 Catholic clergy took part in the rare farewell
ceremony. Lousie Chappell, George Errington, Micheal
Burr, and Jennifer Walton, I also saw there even though
they apparently did not see me among the ever growing
crowd as the last day of the relics in Britain
came rapidly to a close.
+
Waiting In Line To Visit The Reliquary of St. Thérèse. +
Missionary Sisters of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
+
This then is a brief story of what I experienced at visiting
the Holy, Holy Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux. I was glad,
I did. Although, frankly, I would have liked to have seen
the actual bones or relics thru bevelled glass, perhaps.
Dare I say, I would have also wanted to touch such bones,
if made possible, even though such may be seen as impro-
per under any circumstances if not religiously approved.
+
Now more than 110 years later after her death, St. Thérèse
is being hailed as a saint for our modern times that is a far cry
from her real life and her real death at a small French village
that is so far away from the minds and lives of the ordinary
English folks of today's 21st century. Yet, despite that, to
know that over quarter of million people in the UK
visited the reliquary of St Thérèse is true testimony of
her real and enduring presence as a saint well worthy of
her sainthood, even if the digital highway and globalism
decries much of personal faith and belief among the
world's people that she still beckons beyond the
present day secular and anti-religion reach.
+
Faithfully, Uncle Monty.
Sts. Crispin & Crispinian, Martyrs (BCP).
+

Religious Notes on Pope Benedict XVI’s Offer
To Thousands of Unhappy Anglicans.
By Uncle Monty.
.
As an avid and avowed Anglican, I want to stay Anglican even though I strongly object to women priests, gay clergy, calls for female bishops, the dilution of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), the continuing Africanization of the pews, and the political leftwing intent of the modern Church of England (CofE). I don't buy so-called "Liberation Theology" nor the appeasement toward Islam by the interfaith and politically-correct mindset of those official Anglican doctrinarians.
.
I am religiously and politically conservative and unashamedly
old fashioned, but I do not want to join the Holy Catholic Church
as an English protestant by character and upbringing. While I have
much respect for much of Catholicism, and for such popes as the
Great John-Paul ll and the present Benedict XVI, I would find it
strange to become a Roman Catholic per se in order to protest so
much that is simply so dreadful in today's all too liberal-minded CofE.
The last thing, however, I want to do as an Anglican is to become
some kind of fake or dodgy Catholic for the sake of conversion.
.
When one of my many Catholic friends says she must be Protestant
to stay truly Catholic, I counter that perhaps I will need one day to
become Catholic in order to stay truly Protestant! Strange, but true.
As for our present Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace, Dr. Rowan
Douglas Williams, we seem to find him in a situation that renders
the worldwide Anglican Communion even more against Historic
Anglicanism than at anytime since before Archbishop Robert
Runcie's episcopal day of the early 1980's. As for whatever
numbers of Anglicans actually desert Anglicanism to join The
Catholic Church, it will only be a drop in the bucket, so speak,
against the already overwhelming number of Catholics at 1.3
Billion around the world against a mere 80 Million Anglicans.
.
Whatever, both the Anglican and Catholic Churches of the world
face the gravest threat and onslaught from the inimical rise and
spread of extreme and radical Islam. While Christians globally
represent 2.2 Billion adherents, the Muslims are quickly catching
up at now 1.9 billion believers around the world with their en-
croaching and dangerous Islam being rammed down our throats
under the guise and enforcement of multiculturism and
multiracialism, especially in the UK under the vile political
and social agenda of New Labour's hideous Tony Blair and his
crafty Labourite conspirator now Justice Secretary Jack Straw.
.
As for my fellow disaffected and alienated Anglicans, I wish
them god speed in finding their new religious home inside the
parameters and traditions of Holy Catholicism. Perhaps one
day they may also wish to return to the bedrock Anglican
faith of their fathers. Then so be it, i say.
.
But for me, I was born an Anglican and I shall presumably die
as an avowed Anglican, who grieves constantly at the demise
of our faith due to the self-centred and foolishness of both past
and present Anglican Church leaders who have done more
to destroy Historic Anglicanism than all the secular forces
against modern religion in today’s unchurched world.
.
In many ways, the Anglican Chuirch has been rejected by millions
of traditional Anglicans, and likewise, the Church itself has pretty
much rejected them now at the Church's own peril and future
survival as a religious enity that is constantly losing its foothold
on the hilltop of Anglican and Protestant Christianity.
.
I think, Pope Benedict is pretty smart to finally accommodate those unhappy Anglicans, who he had seemed earlier to provide no such comfort or sanctuary or escape for such Protestant folks
that he now does and to the dismay of the sorrowful and tiresome bishops and clergy of the CofE. The pope is yet to fully outline the Vatican requirements for those Anglicans - both clergy and laity - who may seek to enter the Roman Catholic Church. I shall want to read whatever those rules will be. Beyond that, I am still an avid and avowed Anglican despite everything else that I find to vex me. I guess, I could say I am a diehard and hardhead Protestant at heart. And, as an lifelong Anglican who doesn’t see the need to apologize for who and what I am. No, sir, I do not!!
.
But above, I simply love the Univeral Church and her
abiding presence at no end. Truly, Uncle Monty.
.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1221750/Pope-Benedict-XVI-paves-way-thousands-disaffected-Anglicans-join-Catholic-Church-Rome-Anglicans.html#ixzz0UXXHD5RF
.
I won't rule out converting to Catholicism, says Bishop
(former Anglican Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1222819/I-wont-rule-converting-Catholicism-says-Bishop.html#ixzz0UvLqfcE
.

Next Story: "From The Celtic Sea At Caldey Island."
By Uncle Monty.
.
(Click on any image to Enlarge)
.