Americans In The Village



 The American was the descendent of Thomas Parry, the builder who rebuilt my cottage in the 1860s and the man responsible for the refurbishment of the old Church into its present state. Him and his wife had already photographed the Church and my cottage door over which is a inscription detailing the deed.

Islwyn had already met them in the graveyard and had pointed them in my direction, being the “ unofficial historian of Trelawnyd”
I suddenly remembered that I had a key to the Church.
Now I know that the Church officially closed a while ago, but I thought I’d see if the locks had been changed .
Surprisingly they hadn’t and I showed the American into the Church his ancestor built so long ago

It was much more moving a moment that I expected 

Unfortunately moments later, and out of nowhere the vicar turned up like Batman and gave us a brief lecture on health and safety and insurance and the like. He also told me the locks would be changed shortly.

Of course I apologised , and so did the Americans

And Of course I was in the wrong, 

But I was secretly happy that the great great great grandson of Thomas Parry had stood inside the Church he had built when Trelawnyd was known as Newmarket and when the village population was double its present size.

I emailed the vicar apologising again for entering the church without permission and voiced my concerns that several artefacts inside the church are of historic value and interest to the village and should be kept there. He’s kindly forwarded me onto someone else in the diocese who may be able to help.
I know for a fact  a few interested people in the village will join me as will my contact at the Daily Post 

Hey ho

52 comments:

  1. Still, I’m so glad you did what you did. An opportunity not to be missed... and an opportunity for you to mention your concerns to the vicar.

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    1. I think I’m a bit of a thorn in the church’ side

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    2. Good, who do they thing they are "God" ?

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    3. Well, John, you were a rose in their garden for years.

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  2. You did Good! I was disapointed that the church my great grandmother was christened in the late 1800's in Swansea was not able to be opened on the day we were there.

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    1. One of the former stand in vicars has just messaged me and said I did the right thing

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    2. You certainly did

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  3. I saw your title "Americans in the Village" and was going to tell you to RUN! But the sound nice, so carry on.

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    1. They were lovely ….every year a group of Mormons visit their ancestors birthplace every year

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  4. Barbara Anne7:32 pm

    I agree with Mitchell. You did the right thing considering the link the Americans had with the church and the village and that you had the key. Perfect when it all comes together and I think your apology was unnecessary. Well done!

    Hugs!

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    1. Health and safety Babs , health and safety xx

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  5. I agree, you did the right thing. It must have been such a thrilling experience for the Americans to see the inside of the church, not just the outside and the graveyard. I'm sure the vicar would have opened the doors for them if he'd been asked. The artefacts inside the church should be rescued, before they deteriorate or get stolen. I hope your contact can help. xx

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    1. A midnight run perhaps. Vicars surely sleep soundly , even if living close.

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  6. I'm sorry to read that "he wouldn't" help! I wonder why in the world not??

    As to your making it possible for the people to see the inside of the church--- that takes me back to the saying that it's better to apologize afterward than to ask permission before! Several times in my life, I've followed that. I'm glad I did, and glad that you did. I'm sure those visitors really appreciate what you did.

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    1. I came on to say the same thing - in that situation it is better to apologise afterwards than to ask permission. Especially if you knew the vicar would say no.

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    2. To be fair he has the corporate message to share

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    3. Barbara Anne9:01 pm

      Sad when a corporate message is more important than a welcome to a church.

      Hugs!

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  7. I am sure this is old grounds, but it irks me that the church shows complete ownership of the building and facilities that has effectively been funded by a community for decades. Maybe recently they have had to subsidise, but what happened to all of that investment in the past? It's like a rather sad ponzi scheme. And as for a lecture on health and safety, for goodness sake, if it were here in NZ with the seismic issues maybe, but it's the same bloody church people have been going in and out of for nearly 200 years. It feels like the church has lost its heart. I'm surprised the vicar still even lives in Trelawnyd btw, since the church there is mothballed.

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    1. You have a lot of points the community agrees with x

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  8. I would have been upset and possibly said to him"This is a House of God "x

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  9. I'm glad you showed them round before the Vicar turned up - he would likely have refused permission by the sound of it.

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  10. Sometimes rules are made to be bent a little.

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  11. The vicar sounds like a jobsworth. Given the circumstances, some sort of leniency could have been shown - but obviously not! No need for you to apologise, you did the right thing.

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  12. I hate officious people being officious for the sake of it. The Vicar was wrong.... what ever happened to welcoming the flock. Glad you did what you did and the "Americans" got to connect with their roots. That there is the most important thing. Not Health and Safety being used in a situation that was clearly a ficticious reason; said Vicar clearly is just abdicating his duty.

    Jo in Auckland

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  13. Anonymous10:51 pm

    What a pain!You are such a generous man.Ignore the negative comments,I might even come and have a cup of coffee with you at at Jackson’s.Barbarax

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  14. Anonymous10:53 pm

    I am not anonymous.I am busy busy beejay.blogspot.com

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  15. Anonymous11:26 pm

    I'm another one who thinks it is better to apologize than to ask permission, especially when you suspect permission would be refused. Sounds like someone slipped up badly in not changing the locks before this, if "health and safety" is a real concern. Over here the powers that be would be fearing a lawsuit if someone stubbed a toe; this has something of the same ring.

    ceci

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  16. Would it be improper to say to hell with the vicar?

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    1. He’s a nice bloke caught inside rules

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    2. As is every other vicar you are likely to meet.

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  17. No harm was done providing access to the church to a relative of the builder. The Vicar could have seen it this way without the lecture. You apologized and smoothed everything over. The Vicar needs to move to a new church where he can uphold health and safety.

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  18. Sounds as if you did the wrong thing for all the right reasons.

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  19. Some days we are right ,even when someone scolds us.
    Grateful for the help then from the scolder now.
    Keep speaking up. You aren't wrong.

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  20. I don't think the vicar should have admonished you. The church doesn't belong to him, in fact morally I would say it belongs more to the ancestor of Thomas Parry. When he changes the lock, ask him for a key!!!

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  21. That was lovely of you to take the visitors into the church especially since they had come to far to see what their relative built. I do hope something can be worked out for the church and the items inside it.

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  22. I am glad the Americans were able to see inside the church. Would be interested to see who actually owns and decides what happens to the artefacts as surely the village has some claim on them historically even if the church owns the actual building? I hope they can be retained somehow.

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  23. Shelley5:00 am

    Well done John, behaving badly for the right reasons! I think I would have been a bit angry if you hadn't😬 keep on. Wonder who the nosey spy with a big mouth was who rang the vicar!?

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    1. Exactly-They should have just wandered over and said hello first if they Were really so concerned x

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  24. I hope the village artefacts are kept safe for the village

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  25. See? Us Yanks don't just build McDonalds everywhere, we sometimes do churches and cottages as well.

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  26. Can you imagine travelling all the way from America to see the church your ancestor built only to be turned away for 'health and safety' reasons? Thank goodness you were there. Who squealed on you to the vicar? Or is he always nearby?

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  27. Sod H&S, you did the right thing......

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  28. Good heavens! Letting Americans into the old church! Whatever next? Lepers? AIDS sufferers? Homosexuals? Health and safety officers? Rape victims seeking abortions? God would never want them in his holy house would he?

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    1. It wasn't meant to be funny.

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    2. We had a health and safety person checking our jams and chutney in the Church-questions,questions x

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  29. I am so glad that you you let people into the Church. I bet God (if there is one) was looking down on you favourably for doing 'the right' thing. With the falling numbers of church goers I would think any opportunity to let people inside is a good thing. What H & S issues are there inside the church?

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  30. Well done, you were thoughtful, helpful and kind......perhaps some attributes that the Vicar could improve on and didn't Jesus welcome all people into the house of the Lord.
    It must have been quite touching watching a stranger reconnecting with an ancestor too. Xxx

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  31. I can't imagine why the vicar would mind. It's not like you were burglarizing the place. Some people are just so officious.

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  32. Oh John, don't your remember Jesus' sermon on H&S just after he hit a Pharisee after overturning the money lenders tables at the temple. :-)

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