GREG'S FIENDISHLY DIFFICULT CRYPTIC CHRISTMAS QUIZ

No Cribs or Yule Log tables allowed... Write on one side of the wrapping paper only; answers by Twelfth Night please. Will be posted on my blog then:

Section 1 Seasonal Transport

1. Sounds vulgar but wet and expensive way to kill.
2. Destination Cairo airport
3. Spanish writer rode one called "oatie".
4. Fore (-1)noon floaters
5. Rev Awdrey's No.1 annually pulls this.

Section 2 Famous Names and People

1. Seasonally fearful actor / playwright
2. Second generation old fashioned roofing worker
3. Mr. Blobby's Christmas companion
4. One out of Matthew 2 and the other out of North Lancashire
5. An old Ambridge family - archer than the others in Luke.

Section 3 Food and Drink

1. One country is useful for basting another
2. Shoplifter takes German cake
3. Espionage in the polo factory coins a fortune
4. Thought at length about an unpleasant noise
5. Thankfully there are few of these famous Belgians.

Section 4 Christmas Songs

1. includes numeorus jumping peers and a twitchers list
2. Kelloggs cereals may melt in the mouth
3. Royal Boxing Day expedition
4. Seasonal night visions about needles, cowes to ride and new port
5. Leyton Triple Crown

Section 5 Christmas Traditions.

1. thrush on the foot may be embarrassing to some
2. a card game without any birthdays
3. sounds like a prison made of Cornish metal
4. two evergreen female names
5. tinkerbelle ain't heavy
6. circular avian letter
7. Officers dine upstairs because of their elevated status, while the composer is on the way out
8. Liturgical name of indeterminate gender causes extremities to do this when snowballing
9. Northern trousers play without words but still lose their voice
10. Measure in kg in a stable environment

Charles Wesley born 300 years ago : A seasonal Hymn

 

1 LET earth and heaven combine, Angels and men agree, To praise in songs divine The incarnate Deity, Our God contracted to a span, Incomprehensibly made man.

2 He laid his glory by, He wrapped him in our clay; Unmarked by human eye, The latent Godhead lay; Infant of days he here became, And bore the mild Immanuel's name.

3 Unsearchable the love That hath the Saviour brought; The grace is far above Or man or angels thought; Suffice for us that God, we know, Our God, is manifest below.

4 He deigns in flesh to appear, Widest extremes to join; To bring our vileness near, And make us all divine: And we the life of God shall know, For God is manifest below.

5 Made perfect first in love, And sanctified by grace, We shall from earth remove, And see his glorious face: Then shall his love be fully showed, And man shall then be lost in God.

---

 

I'm protected by SpamBrave

PRESTON CITY COUNCIL ASKED THESE QUESTIONS FOR PCN MEMBERS TO CONSIDER.....

This is my response

 

You asked for responses to the questions below... Sorry to sound so negative and politically critical but at Christmas as a follower of one who was born homeless and soon became a refugee and in the words of the Bible

 

2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich

I have to say in response...(on the basis that I take equality to be primarily about economics and power, while I recognise there are structural inequalities correlated with gender, ethnicity, faith, disability etc....)

 

      1.              Can you identify any barriers to access to the groups you work with, to Preston City Council services?

The biggest barrier is the huge gap between people facing homelessness, poverty worklessness and lack of education and the official world with its commuting high paid professionals, administrative gobbledegook and procedures, and its buying in to the punitive and controlling culture of the present government. With the little chance of real help the Council can offer and the risk of losing what little resources, freedom and dignity poor people possess, it's not surprising many of them are very reluctant to approach any officialdom.

 

 

 2.                   How can the services and functions of Preston City Council better promote equality? 

 

They can't unless there is a huge political change at the national and local level which stops the obscene and growing gap between the super rich and the poor.

3.                   Can you identify any area of existing good practice within Preston City Council's services? 

 

Not really...   though there must be some as there are some genuinely committed and caring people among the staff and members of the Council...   who make genuine efforts to help and empower local people.. eg. through some of the processes of neighbourhood management...

 

4.                   What else do you think Preston City Council can do to promote equality, both in service provision, and more widely? 

 

Spend less time doing deals with the Duke of Westminster and his sort of capitalists and devote its resources to justice and equality for the poor who live in our community.

 

I'm protected by SpamBrave

My Christmas Card

Annual Report to Stakeholders for 2007 from the Smith Family In Preston

2007 has proved a reasonably successful year for our company, though it is as well that we are a strictly not for profit social enterprise, as takings have been slightly less than outgoings, and belts have become tighter all round. Some analysts suggest this might be due to rapid expansion, fuelled by over eager consumption of high value calorific items, even prior to the Yuletide season. Forecasts for the New Year suggest there will need to be investment in Boots (made for walking), a new turn in the economic cycle, and trading in Rosemary Conley derivative products.

 

Nonetheless our board members and principal shareholders all remain in good heart, robust health a general contentment. Our senior partners have been in the firm now for about 18 years. Greg still manages the IT department, and the vegetable production section, while Jane continues to serve as director of finance, and domestic engineering. Outside the corporate HQ Jane has moved to a new post as a group worker for Lancashire Probation Service, while Greg is paid to do community work by The Salvation Army in Preston, but does much else besides.

 

Our first junior partner Marcus, after achieving  some creditable results in recent tests has become an advanced level instructee at Runshaw college, and undertakes occasional lucrative external consultancies with a catering firm. The second junior partner Martha is worthy of her post as creative director, deeply involved in external networking, though the management sometimes question her understanding of cost control and gasp with incredulity at the monthly expense claims she submits. Finally there is our non-executive director, and mostly sleeping partner Pawz, who despite being three years old continues to act like a puppy and eat like a voracious tyrannosaurous.

 

Our coporate commitment to our local parish church remains strong, with a portfolio of directorships, responsibilities and (ethical) investments which are rewarding and encouraging.

 

For an illustrated guide to some of the things we have been up to  (especially Greg) and some of the places we have been, Please explore this blog and the following web links:

 

http://prestonsa.redshieldnet.com/

 

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith

 

 

http://prestonchristianactionnetwork.blogspot.com/

 

http://www.homelessinpreston.btik.com/

 

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/credoconsultancy/fishergatebaptist_files/frame.htm

 

 

 

 

I'm protected by SpamBrave

RECENT PHOTOS FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

 

At http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith   you'll find some of my best recent photos in the following almums

 

Reflections on autumn... http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith/ReflectionsOnAutumn

 

 

October 20th Steam Trains   http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith/SteamTrainsOctober202007

 

Lake district / Coniston    http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith/LakeDistrict  (at bottom of album)

 

Nature   http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith/Nature02    the dragonfly at http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith/Nature02/photo#5118573245994879522  is a favourite.

 

 

Blackpool Iluminations   http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith/Blackpool  (at bottom of album)

I'm protected by SpamBrave

Ribble Barrage .. an alternative plan

In view of the news that the daft plan for a barrage on the Ribble has been "put on ice" see



http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Barrage-plan-put-on-ice.3451802.jp



I've written to the leader of the city council thus:




Dear Cllr. Hudson,

I was pleased to read in the LEP yesterday that plans for a proposed river barrage have at least been put on the back burner, and I would hope that it is indeed sunk without trace.

As a local resident with some experience in the world of regeneration and an interest in a sustainable environment I would suggest this decision offers the city a golden opportunity to develop a plan for the whole of the Ribble flood plain that could bring huge benefits to local people, wildlife and the economy. In the context of wider strategic plans why not seek to get the whole of the undeveloped / green part of the flood plain from the Tickled Trout, downstream to Longton marsh to be designated as a Country park / nature reserve / green corridor at the heart of Central Lancashire?

The arguments for this are environmental and recreational. Even though the area should essentially remain greenbelt, there could be some minimal development like improving pathways for walkers and cyclists, more interpretation boards or a field studies centre and more marketing so that the area is used more by local people and attracts visitors. I’m sure it would be worthwhile developing partnerships involving not only Preston and South Ribble Councils, but sports associations (football, canoeing, cycling etc.), the wildlife trust, the RSPB and even the cafes and pubs along the way. Sounds like a great opportunity waiting to be grasped, and the tidal flowing Ribble would be the central feature. There are similar models of riverside country parks which are worth looking at, for example the Nene Valley in Peterborough and the Mersey Valley Park nearer to home. I’d be interested to hear what you think of such an idea, and delighted if you could get your officers looking into it.


Yours sincerely


Greg Smith



For some of my latest photos of the river and surroundin area go to



http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith/RibbleThroughPreston



You'll find the new ones at the bottom of the album