The story of JJ & Monty

For those of you who do not know our Monty, he is a gentle calm 11 year old Black Labrador who will be 12 in June. He went through major surgery last August as he had a Mast Cell Tumour removed in this throat followed by 12 weeks of chemotherapy and to date he is making a good recovery. He has been coming to St Marks & St Cuthbert’s church for over 3 years since lock down and is part of the church family and well loved by all. He lies down on the carpet at the back of the church and joins in the communion service.

JJ is a lovely 7 year old boy who has been coming to church with his grandad Marshall for the past 3 years too and JJ was very frightened of dogs.

This is the amazing story of how JJ and Monty have bonded.

During lock down the heating went off in St Marks & St Cuthbert’s church so the services were held in the church hall. JJ was there for the first time with his grandad Marshall and when I walked in with Monty, Marshall said would I keep Monty away from JJ as he was terrified of dogs. I obviously said no problem as Marshall did not know Monty and we sat the other side of the hall.

Slowly over the years JJ seeing more of Monty, he became more interested in him and his confidence grew and grew so he would come up to Monty and stroke his back while I held his head, and then JJ would shoot off in case Monty turned round!

Then on Sunday March 5th of this year I walked into church with Monty and to my utter amazement JJ came up to Monty holding his hand out saying “ Will Monty lick my hand” Wow this was a turn up for the books. I said I am sure he will and Monty licked JJ’s hand.

During the service JJ and his little sister Tilly sat down next to Monty who was lying on the carpet at the back of the church, JJ was stroking Monty’s head and Tilly was stroking Monty’s back!! I could not believe my eyes that JJ was finally bonding with Monty. Then after the service Monty stood up JJ bent down and while stroking Monty’s head, Monty licked JJ on the cheek. I was filled with tears as it was so heart warming to see.

Then JJ asked me if he could hold Monty’s lead and have him sit with him at the back of the church while he had his drink. He even asked if he could take Monty home with him or back to his grandad’s house! What a Red Letter Day for JJ.

I am sure from now on a great friendship will bloom between JJ & Monty.

Diane Lee

Bahookie Puddock Eejit Blether

After the main meal, the traditional toasts were given as Cameron toasted the lassies and Diane Lee replied with a toast to the laddies.

Both toasts cheekily celebrated the lassies and laddies, with many laughs being shared on both sides.

Either scan the QR code above or visit https://www.sja.org.uk/getinvolved/volunteer-opportunities/badgers-cadets-youth-teamvolunteers/ to register your interest.

Training will be in the Salvation Army building in South Shields: 19.00 - 20.30 on Friday evenings. Dates to be confirmed.

SNIPPETS, SOUNDBITES AND STORIES

I thought it most cheerfully appropriate to write something in this current issue regarding the forthcoming Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, and as I referred to the Chapel Royal at the Palace of St James in the previous issue, it called to mind another anecdote.

Some years ago, Stan was visiting the Chapel with the then Area Dean (Canon) Eric Stephenson, himself a Queen’s Chaplain. They were in conversation with the Queen’s Senior Chaplain who was looking decidedly agitated and kept looking out of the window. Eventually he said, “Ah! I can relax now, she is home. I worry about, and pray for Her Majesty, when she is away from the palace, so I am always relieved when she returns”. (His signal was the raising of the Royal Standard on Buckingham Palace). This is just a tiny insight into our late Queen’s relationship with her personal clergy, and their love and concern for her, in the church of which she was supreme head and of the faith and service she demonstrated in her lifetime.

This faith and service demonstrated by his mother appears to be manifesting itself in our new king. It is many years since he declared that he himself would wish to be a defender of faiths, (referring to the MONARCH’S title of Defender of the Faith). Now we are seeing a growth in interfaith dialogue, demonstrating one of the many aspects of Prince, now King Charles’ vision.

During the Coronation service, the act, deemed to be the most sacred part is the anointing of the new monarch with Chrism or Holy Oil and is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury out of the sight of anyone else in the abbey. This act originates from God’s instruction to Samuel, the Old Testament Priest of the Temple, to select the shepherd boy David as King, and to anoint him with Holy Oil to be God’s envoy. This is continued in the anointing of all Christian monarchs today.

Anyone who has had the great privilege of visiting the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives will have experienced the sensation of treading on the olives fallen from the trees, grown from olives fallen in Jesus’ time. It is from these trees growing in the nearby Greek Orthodox

Monastery of Mary Magdalene that the oil is pressed and perfumed with essential oils using a centuries old formula. The monastery church is the burial place of His Majesty’s paternal grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece. The Oil of Chrism has been consecrated in a special ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. These places were visited by King Charles about two years ago while still Prince of Wales.

And on a lighter note: - Writing this has jogged my memory; I must dig out (hoarder that I am) my 1953 Coronation scrap book and finish sticking in the remaining cuttings. (I’d better not start another one!)

Activities at St Peter’s Church Hall

Weekly Social Activities & Uniformed Organisations

Monday • Twinkle Tots • 9.30 am to 11.30 am

• U3A Art • 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm

• Brownies

• Guides

Tuesday • Pilates (Judith Briggs)

6.00 pm to 7.15 pm

7.30 pm to 8.45 pm

9.30 am to 10.50 am

• Yoga (Pat Uttridge) • 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm

• Yoga (Jill Glozier) • 7.30 pm to 8.45 pm

Wednesday • Art & Craft Club (Carol White)

• Line Dancing - Beginner (Ethel Ramsey)

9.30 am to 12 noon

1.00 pm to 2.00 pm

• Line Dancing - Improver (Ethel Ramsey) • 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm

• T’ai Chi (Martin Thorogood) • 5.15 pm to 6.15 pm

• Yoga (Carrie Kirston) • 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm

Thursday • 50+ Exercise to music (Ethel Ramsey)

• Cubs

• Scouts

Friday • Exercise (Caroline Maidment)

12.30 pm to 1.30 pm

5.45 pm to 7.15 pm

7.15 pm to 9.00 pm

10.00 am to 11.00 am

• Beavers • 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm Helpers needed

Saturday • Irish Dance (Stokes & Collins Dance) • 9.30 am to 1.00 pm

Activities at St Mark & St Cuthbert’s

Church Hall

Monday • Your Voice Counts Cooking

• Karate

Tuesday • Bertie’s Toddler Group

• ‘Crafternoon’

• Brownies

Wednesday • Friends Together (1st and 3rd Wed every month in church)

• Rainbows

Thursday • Bertie’s Toddler Group

• Ballet & Tap

Friday • Line Dancing

Sunday • Coffee

HARTON GARAGE for all your new and used cars

(plus all your servicing and MOTs)

183 Sunderland Road, South Shields

Tel: 0191 427 7070

Fax: 0191 427 9272

• 9 am to 3 pm

• 6 pm to 7 pm

• 9.15 am to 11.15 am

(not held in August)

• 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm

• 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm

• 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm

• 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm

• 12.45 pm to 2.45 pm

• 4 00 pm to 7.00 pm

• 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm

• after 10.30 am Parish Eucharist

J M & W DARLING LTD Chemist

88 Dean Road, South Shields Tel: 0191 454 3841

1 Stanhope Parade, South Shields, Tel: 0191 455 4551

Rev Kate Boardman revkateboardman@gmail.com

Vicarage:3 Page Avenue, South Shields, NE34 0SY * 0191 4554682

Rev Cameron Abernethy revdcam@gmail.com * 07725 314995

CHURCH PERSONNEL ST MARK & ST CUTHBERT’S

PCC Members Ms Liza Dorothy; Mrs Diane Lee; Ms Sarah Lysaght; Miss Jean Smith; Mrs Eileen Wraith

Mr Colin Brown; Mrs Angela Clark; Mr Jamie Hughes; Mr Ernie Russell; Mr Melvin Paterson; Ms Amanda Lenney; Mr James Scott; Dr Mark Sinclair; Mrs Linda Smithson

Mrs Angela Clark; Mrs Jean Roberts; Mrs Joanne Tunnadine

HARTON CHURCHES TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES