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the Friend - Independent Quaker journalism since 1843
July 26, 2007
Potter and Penn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Bookshops everywhere RRP £17.99
This book is the predictable, yet gripping finale to a series of seven books, that have increasingly held much of the world enthralled. As would be expected in a story about a boy wizard, and a lot of dark magic, there have been some bad reactions to it from strongly religious communities, but despite that, Harry Potter is number nine on the list of bestselling books of all time.
Surprisingly, if you consider how some religions have reacted to it, the book opens with two quotes, one of which jumped out at me as a William Penn quote. None other than our very own Quaker William Penn.
This led me to considering how early Quakers would have reacted to Harry Potter, my theory being that they wouldn't have joined the death-eaters, negative characters with strong 'racist' influence, but would instead have tried to minimize the violence by attempting to protect Harry and his friends.
The book can in fact be drawn parallel with the times of earlier Quakers, with slavery, witch-hunts and outright murder. Quakers did their best to protect from these torrents of evil. In fact with a stretch of imagination, we could become the persecuted, as many religious groups can claim. So how would we, as Quakers, react to these situations today? Would we be strong enough as a group to try and protect the remnants of good, or would we fall by the wayside?
I ask myself.
Eye is grateful to Miranda Chadkirk for this review.
It has been reported to eye by Ute Caspars, German YM, that our 'dear ancestor William Penn appears with a kind of foreword to the new Harry Potter? Even in a bookshop in Northern Germany (run by a Friend) this was noticed. Unfortunately, although we surely understood the sense of it, with our limited English we would not be able to translate the whole of it. The second sentence goes in two parts against the grammar we have been taught. Or should there be a printing error? Here I copy the quote exactly as we found it in the book':
Death is but crossing the world as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be sad to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal. William Penn, More Fruits of Solitude
While we have been chasing our tails in the office to ensure our theatrical debut at the Edinburgh Fringe on Wednesday 8 August goes without hitch, the Friends in Edinburgh Central have been working with numerous companies who will be appearing at the Meeting House during the festival. We are not cut out for this at The Friend, but Phil and Pat Lucas, who are managing the MH venue (it may be their last time) are impressively cool about hitches.
Phil tells us that a company booked for the venue pulled out at the last minute as the programme was going to press, leaving the managers with a two-week hole to fill. But don't despair! Very soon a Japanese dance company was pleading to take the place as their own venue had pulled the plug on them. Hearing this made us slightly less anxious about our own tribulations.
Venue 40, the MH fringe stage, is hosting eleven shows during the festival between Monday 6 and Saturday 25 August. These span quite a range, from The Elves and the Shoemaker to Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. And there is the famous Quaker Parrot cafe serving delicious vegetarian food, although the Friend team will no doubt be too nervous to eat on our performance day (Wednesday 8 August, 1pm). You can check out all the fringe festival events on edfringe.com We hope to see you!
The Friend Publications presents a special reading of Two Caravans, the novel by Marina Lewycka, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on Wednesday 8 August 2007 at 1pm.
Three parts of the book are being read, directed and narrated by Colin George with voices by Basia Forrest, Martin Trent and Daniel Jarvis.
Those Nantucket Quaker whalers are still of interest to readers. Kay Allen in Pembrokeshire has more on them. She tells us: 'The moving spirit among the Quakers of Nantucket was William Rotch and when the Quaker whalers lost so much, William Rotch tried to establish a base in Britain for a new beginning for the whalers. Being unsuccessful in Britain, he managed to arrange a successful start for his son Benjamin at Dunkirk, but when the French Revolution began in 1789 Benjamin Rotch felt insecure and he left for London soon afterwards. 'Meanwhile, the group of whalers from Nantucket were invited to come to Wales by Charles Greville, nephew of Sir William Hamilton, who owned the land and had been granted in 1790 a charter to found a harbour and town at Milford Haven. The Nantucket whalers came in 1792 and in 1794 Benjamin Rotch and his family joined them. They made a substantial contribution to the building of Milford Haven and the Meeting house. The whaling industry came to an end by 1820 and the Rotches went to London. They are buried in Kensal Green cemetery.' Kay reminds us that Milford Haven Preparative Meeting published a booklet on the history of Quakers in Pembrokeshire. You can get it from the MH in Priory Road, or online at www.Quakers-in-Pembrokeshire.org.uk
The newly-formed Schizophrenia Fellowship of Great Britain has called on Quakers to support its call for mental health reform. Martyn Stevens, the fellowship's secretary, says the campaign is seeking a more compassionate approach to the treatment of mentally ill people. 'It was Quakers who took up our cause when they used to chain us up and beat us, supposedly to beat the demons out of us,' recalls Martyn. The fellowship is at 8 Samuel Close, Woolwich, London SE18 5LR.
Three weeks ago, on the middle weekend of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, there was outcry when the officials chose not to schedule matches on the middle Sunday, after many matches had been delayed by rain. There were no such qualms for Mel Nash of Jordans Meeting. Mel organised a tennis tournament in her garden on that day to raise funds for the restoration of the Jordans Meeting House. Eight sets of doubles partners took part, from married couples to teenagers and septuagenarians, Friends or otherwise. Mel passed over organisational responsibilities to the praiseworthy Nick Butterfield, who set the couples into two teams competing for a prize. The pairs played everyone from the opposing teams, with sixteen short matches over the afternoon. Mel's enterprise raised £120 for the fund for the restoration of Jordans Meeting House. Meanwhile, villagers were holding an afternoon of open gardens, which separately raised over £600 for the fund.
Do any Eye readers frequent dodgy antique dealers? If so, they might help Friends at Manchester Mount Street Meeting House locate their faded Quaker travelling map. Co-clerk Rob Phillips tells us that the map has been on display for many years on the wall of the library, a room kept locked for most of the time, but unlocked on Sundays - 'and at other times when people express a plausible desire to consult the books or spend some time in silence,' says Rob. The map is of the British Isles (with the North of Scotland drawn as an inset). It gives the location of Quaker meetings, with a key to show when Meeting for Worship is held. It also shows the principle roads between meetings and market towns. It is printed in black on yellowed paper. It has been folded earlier in its life and when last seen was in a black wooden frame. Manchester Friends do not know the historical or financial value of the map, nor whether there are surviving copies elsewhere. While it is no longer of any practical use (Friends prefer to use trains or SatNav), it would be good to see it back on the wall in Mount Street's library where it would again satisfy the curious. Would be sleuths are invited to contact the Mount Street wardens. We’ll ask our last editor Harry Albright, who was a map aficionado, to keep an Eye out for it.
A long time ago, the young Friends of Pontefract PM children's meeting planted acorns which grew into seedlings. The Meeting sought permission to plant the little trees in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, near Wakefield. The children of the MM then took over and cared for the trees. They are now bigger than the children who planted them, and a Friend from the Meeting reports that one of the young planters, now a big chap, with his niece who is the same age he was when the tree project begun have visited the trees. It is nice to see something right through...
The Tour de France streamed past Rochester Quaker Meeting House on Sunday 8 July 2007, as the cycle race started in Britain for the first time. Rochester and Tunbridge Wells Meetings were forced to close for the day because of the competition.
Death is but crossing the world as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be sad to die, yet their friendship and society are, in thebest sense, ever present, because immortal.
William Penn, More Fruits of Solitude
All it takes is for this text to be quoted in a book and suddenly the whole Quaker community goes bonkers! Every one is excited - a Quaker quoted in a really popular tome.
You can also read this quote in the new Harry Potter novel, as well as Quaker Faith and Practice, which is where, no doubt, you were thinking that you had read it before.
School mottos have been in the news. Our new prime minister has revived interest in them with a promise to 'try my utmost', as he was urged by his school in Kircaldy. The school itself has revised this since to something more modern - 'working together to improve.' Eye asked some Quaker schools what their mottos were, if indeed they had them. Ackworth: non sibi sed omnibus, which we believe translates to 'not for oneself, but for others.' Bootham: membra sumus corporis magni. 'We are all members of one great body.' The Mount: qui fidelis est in parvo in multo quoque est fidelis.'Someone who is trustworthy in little things can be trusted also in great matters.' Sibford: Truth, honour, freedom and courtesy. And Eye asked around the office. Could staff even remember? Sadly, no. But the editor remembered hers as it annoyed her so much. As a secondary modern pupil she felt patronised. We can see why. 'The woods would indeed be silent if only those birds sang who could sing the best.' One has to be careful with mottos where children are concerned.
Now here's a chance for Friends with a flair for the visual to instil themselves in the national consciousness. The TV programme Heaven and Earth is looking for films which show the most inspirational places in Britain, and the challenge is going out to viewers. If you watch this programme on Sunday mornings (BBC 1) you'll know that the presenter is Gloria Hunniford and she will be introducing the project on the combined Heaven and Earth and YouTube websites (www.bbc.co.uk/heaven and www.youtube.com). There will also be advice from BBC cameramen on filming and editing. Four films will be chosen by a panel at the end of July for screening in August. Which location would Friends choose? Swarthmoor? Brigflatts? According to producer Oliver File 'we're expecting a range of places to be featured - from classic cathedrals to stunning countryside locations or sites of ancient stone circles. And I'm sure someone will be choosing Old Trafford or Lords Cricket Ground as their most inspirational place!\
Eye was delighted to see the 'No Smoking' signs put up in the courtyard and first floor balconies of Friends House last week. The offices of the Friend have long been blighted by the smell of smoke rising up from puffers down below, so the ban is most welcome by staff at the Friend who like to keep their windows open.
Although the courtyard is not an 'enclosed space', it was decided that banning smoking there would prevent Friends House restaurant from becoming an attraction to smokers in search of a place to eat and smoke outside. There are, apparently, a shortage of such places in the Bloomsbury area and the fear was that Friends House might have become a smokers' haven.
The other consequence of the smoking ban is that Meeting Houses across the land are now adorned with bright red, white and black 'No Smoking' signs, where before smoking simply didn't happen inside. Of course, while the ban in England is new, it was introduced in April in Wales and in March 2006 in Scotland.
Tom Nisbet of Edinburgh Friends Meeting House assures Eye that the ban makes little difference in practice, but he does have words of caution for us: 'Looking outside my window I see too many cigarette butts on the floor outside. People congregate on the street outside the Meeting House because it has arches which people use to shelter from the wind and rain,' he says.
We noticed that the editor put the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the wrong month last week (Comment). Tut tut! It's August of course, not September. This confusion arises because National Quaker Week in September is much on her mind and an exhibition is being prepared by her Meeting (more later on that). But we must remind you - the August date for your diaries is the Friend presentation of Two Caravans at the Edinburgh Central Meeting House fringe venue on Wednesday, 8 August, at 1pm. It promises to be something special.
We have floated the idea of a green 'helpline' for readers which would attempt to answer some of your questions about sustainable living.
Eye knows what a trial it all is. Myriad instructions from various officials about recycling; frantic searches for 'right on' manufacturers of products and providers of services. And we have to take ethics into account as well! Being an authentic sustainable consumer will soon be requiring its own degree course.
So we at The Friend want to help. Our environment editor Laurie has knowledge of, and access to, experts with experience of finding the right equipment, gadgets and services. He can also outline what the Quaker response is in these matters - but helpfully. To give a little taster of how this helpline would work, here is a - genuine - query from a reader and how Laurie dealt with it.
Who would you suggest as the greenest provider of gas? I have changed my electricity to ecotricity, have tried FOE but got no recommendations so I hope you can help. Friend reader
'There is no 'sustainable' or 'renewable' source of gas in the UK at present. In the long term we could use biogas in our homes but we first need to get a lot more efficient so that renewable supplies could meet demand.
Most of the suppliers offer the opportunity to buy 'carbon offsets' either as a standard part of their gas tariff or as an add-on. I'm afraid I tend to call these 'guilt offsets' as I don't believe that either planting trees or paying somebody else to reduce their emissions can justify our continuing fossil fuels. The most important thing you can do is to find ways of reducing your consumption. This is not just about your own direct climate impact – it's also about us in the affluent world recognising that our lifestyles are others’ aspirations, and seeking to be patterns for a sustainable society.
While the suppliers use essentially the same sources of gas, and bring it to you through the same pipelines, there are major differences in the way they do business. Ethical Consumer magazine rates companies on a broad range of ethical measures and its current (July/Aug) issue looks at gas. The top rated of the major suppliers is Scottish and Southern. By the way, this company is also in the Friends Provident Stewardship portfolio.
The two best-rated suppliers are Utilita - which promotes energy saving and 'offsets' more strongly than the others; and Equigas, which has a similar ethical stance and offers gas and electricity in partnership with Scottish and Southern. Both of these have a commitment to equity in that they have the same tariffs however you pay, including customers on prepayment meters.' Laurie Michaelis
That was a fairly straightforward enquiry, of course. We are prepared to tackle more complicated questions and point you in the right direction. We will publish some of the more interesting dilemmas which will help readers in similar situations. Send your queries to Green Help at editorial [at] thefriend.org or write to us at the office.
Still looking for sporty quakers, our production manager has spotted this appeal in The Friend of 23 June 1944:
'Charles Haworth, warden of the Barnet Grove branch of the Bedford Institute (36 Barnet Grove, London E2) would be very grateful for any swimming caps which readers could spare. Owing to the rubber shortage, the girls cannot always get caps and sometimes have to miss swimming for that reason.' An advertisement in the same issue asks for help - 'SWIMMING CAPS, tennis balls, rubber shoes and sports shoes are in great demand for summer activities – please send your old, unused ones to Charles Haworth, Friends Hall, Barnet Grove, E2)'. Wasn't hair sometimes called a Barnet in the Bedford Institute's part of London? It's rhyming slang. Barnet Fair - hair - Ed.
The collaborative online diary of The Friend: independent Quaker journalism from the UK since 1843. Currently in test stage, featuring items from the magazine and other bloggable snippets
