Most holy Mary, to thy faithful care and particular protection and to the bosom of thy mercy, to-day and every day, and particularly at the hour of my death, I commend my soul and my body. All my hope and consolation, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life, I commit to thee, that through thy most holy intercessions and by thy merits all my actions may be directed and ordered according to thy will and that of thy divine Son. Amen.
Punt. 1. A flat-bottomed shallow boat, square at both ends; (now chiefly)spec. a long narrow boat of this kind propelled by means of a long pole thrust against the bed of a waterway, and used on inland waters, esp. as a pleasure boat, as a ferry over short distances, or for fishing.1
The Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson, has invited businesses to put forward plans to operate punts and canoes on the Great Ouse in Bedford. Apparently this is dangerous according to the rowing community.
Having lived in Oxford, I can vouch that I have seen punts and rowers operating on the Isis at the same time. All it seemed to take was a little caution on both sides. Of course those who are punting must also exercise care in how they punt. Will there be a difference in Bedford punts? After all, there is a right end and a wrong end from which to punt depending on whether you are in Oxford or ‘the other place’.2
At some point in every punter’s career, there comes a moment when a particularly enthusiastic thrust has sent the punt whizzing (well, gliding) off in one direction while the pole, due to mud, weeds or malicious scuba divers, remains behind. You must resign yourself to either leaving the pole, or leaving with it. Always choose the former! You’ve been provided with a paddle for a reason, and the pole will remain rooted in place until you can return. The alternative does not bear contemplating; you will stay hanging over the water while the punt floats off without you.3
No one wants to end up looking like the dragon from Daily Info.
A dragon punting, courtesy of Daily Info
Whilst it is rather pleasant to watch rowers in action on any river, they are not the only river users that should be allowed or indeed encouraged. Canoeing and punting can be enjoyed by many more than those who can row. So, by opening up the Great Ouse to these facilities, I can safely say that, for once, I approve of the Mayor of Bedford’s plans. Unlike when I disagreed with his closing of Bedford’s Civic Theatre.
1. “punt, n.1″. OED Online. December 2011. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/view/Entry/154714?rskey=nd3wkW&result=1&isAdvanced=false (accessed February 13, 2012).
2. I’d better watch out when I get home or Andrew will have my guts for garters…
3. “A Guide to Punting in Oxford”. Daily Info, Oxford. Daily Information Ltd. http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/guide/punting.htm (accessed February 13, 2012).
I’ve a number of tshirts that proclaim all sorts of things about myself on the front or on the back. I was looking for others and came across this one.
Could this be a t shirt for me and my friends in Oxford?
It is quite appropriate – although some of us have had the image of us paddling across the Tiber with our breviaries held above our heads, and then sitting saying the Office on the other side, with a pile of books to supply everyone with, and a pile of towels for everyone to be dried off.
I wonder will John Whitehead be seen wearing one soon?
Back in 1844 those who founded the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers would probably be surprised at how wide their ideas have spread. Within ten years of the opening of that first Co-operative shop which sold
a very meagre selection of butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and a few candles and later tea and tobacco
there were nearly a thousand co-operatives operating in the Britain.
The Rochdale Pioneers produced the Rochdale Principles which the Co-operative Society continues to uphold.
As a resident of Oxford for a number of years, I know the number of bicycles left abandoned in and around the city and university. Whilst the city of the dreaming spires is not quite as suited to cycling as the other place in the Fens, there are many cycle routes, and it is usually quicker to get from one side of the city to the other on bicycle rather than even using the bus let alone driving in a private car.
The Oxford Cycle Workshop is a co-operative working in Oxford with the central aim of making cycling accessible to everyone in the city. They work with schools, community centres, and the Youth Offending Team and their own Training Centre to provide training in cycle skills and have tailored maintenance programmes.
Having had support and advice from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub to enable the founders to move forward and achieve their long-term goals of helping the local community, OCW is now much more than just another cycle repair shop.
You too can Join the revolution and Get involved to make your area a better place.
Alternative ways of Joining the Revolution include:
Getting Political: contact your MP and call for mandatory carbon reporting by 2012
Saving the Bee: Join the Plan Bee campaign on Facebook
Recently a friend from Oxford noticed a bag that I was carrying my stuff in. He said that he liked the design. As many will know, I have been going with Andrew to All Souls’ Church in Belfast for some time now. The original bag is shown below.
The new design with a phrase that is often used by the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church from 2 Cor. 3.17. Hopefully some friends will buy the bag – and start using it to help us all promote the ideas of Freedom, Liberty, and Conscience.
