Advertise on podcast: St Albans Podcast: One To One With Elspeth

This last week Elspeth took the offer of a coach trip to Highfield, and in fact to its Cemetery. which is divided into East and West, and is famous in itself. It’s fascinating to see the ways that people choose to remember their dead… those that have “passed on”. We might think nothing today of “burning the evidence of the life of a body”, but over the last few centuries those with a load of money to spare have erected all sort of buildings, like the elephant, a bear. items like caskets, furniture, and of course, tombs! From her point of view, creating sculptures on tombs is such a static way of remembering, but maybe modern views are different on this, and after all, we do have very modern approaches to re-enacting someone who has “gone before”, as in AI.

This is news that a new member of staff is joining STEP, the organisation, like no other, that is really welcome in schools in Harpenden and St.Albans providing stimulating times with teenagers, enabling them to see what some call religion, in a very new way. Her name is Mary Purkiss, who. with her husband has recently moved house. to live locally, and is really excited by how she can continue doing what she likes best.

“It’s catching on” he tells me. the “He ” in question is Terry, who had started a new business of clearing gutters. New to him, but also new in how he does it, as Terry uses suction to pull out the muck and old leaves! So no ladders mean no 2nd person to help, and much less risk of an accident. He works in St Albans, and in parts of Hertfordshire and his number is 07821 655203.

Elspeth has been in broadcasting for quite a time now, and tells stories of various things that happened to her as she has progressed, She also reads poems (written later) which tie in to what she talks about. The music is chosen from Keith Green’s volumes, probably early 80’s and she chats about the different work, writing books, in radio, in piano teaching, and in pre-school music, for which at one time, she ran 39 different groups for these children 18th months to 4 yrs old. i.e. nearly 500 children.

St Albans houses the wealthy, it seems, when you look at the wonderful spacious new homes being built here, and the fact that I’ve seen several occurrences of house owners being offered a high price for their house, only to see it being knocked down with two houses built in its place. I’ve linked this with the needs of refugees, here and now in St Albans.

“Oh for Heaven’s sake, stop that noise!”…  “Heavens! is that the time?” and “Is she ready for the Departure Lounge?!” Such phrases slip easily off our tongues and Elspeth explores the topic, although no-one can actually give her a definitive explanation of the word. There’s all sorts of questions to ask…” If there is a Heaven, does there have to be a Hell?” for instance. However, the word HEAVEN is by no means  only used in a religious sense, but more to express some strong feeling, good or bad.

Janet Frost is the secretary of the folk dancing group held fortnightly at St. Paul’s church in Fleetville. This is especially for those who prefer to dance in the afternoon. She tells us of the good time they have together, chatting etc. and the age range goes up to one lady in her nineties (who always gets the steps correct). The group would be delighted to meet new members.

Elspeth enjoys meeting a South African grandma who lives locally, within Hatfield, and has done for many many years. And what was the biggest difference to start with? Yes, you’ve guessed it, the weather! She didn’t leave her strong faith in Jesus, behind however, and Mandy tells us how this has grown stronger year by year.

“Rhymes for the times.” That’s what I’m handing over to your imagination for the next two weeks. In fact poetry can cover – not “a multitude of sins!” but every moment of joy or anxiety or trepidation. Each of us may not wish to share our feelings with another, but seeing a poem which centres on just your own particular anxiety, or your own private joys, enlarges your own horizons so that you take a break from the conventional and are led on to a different world. Every poem is really different from each other, and one might just touch that feeling in you that wants a lift!

Elspeth today discovers that there’s more to angels than just the Christmas story as Christians know it. You can find these supernatural beings in Islam, in Buddhism and of course, in Christianity. However, less well known are the appearances of angels,.. usually in a helping capacity, today, where Christians have discovered that there was no other explanation to the sudden turn of events to the presence of angelic beings.

Peter Berners Lee draws together anyone is St Albans who wants to pray….. Pray for what? you might ask. Well you could start with Britain – to pray for an understanding attitude when one side tries to be fair, and the other side cannot agree in all the union disputes. You could pray for Ukraine and the many other towns and cities decimated under the will of one foreign dictator. You could pray even more unity between the many different churches in St Albans and around the locality. And you can pray that Christians in this area do come to pray together and make it an important part of their day. This usual happens on Zoom!

At this Christmas time, our thoughts turn to those who are in need, including those who sleep rough in St Albans. One of the caring Christian groups is the Salvation Army, but they don’t do brass bands so much as they did in the nineteenth century. Elspeth has been talking to Wan Gi Lee about caring for those in need, encouraging those who feel that society has left them behind, providing for them both spiritually and practically. This is what the modern day Salvation Army is all about.