15th December 2014

•There's a new entry in the APPEALS section: Mike Ellis is raising awareness of his Roatary Club's efforts to help with the ebola crisis in Liberia.

• Maurice Billingsley has drawn attention to a further biography of Fr James (Seamus) Browne MAfr in the White Fathers' international website. Ths has been added to the tribute in the OBITURIES section (Page 210).

10th September 2014

• Fr David Cullen's recent letter to Robbie Dempsey can be read by going to the APPEALS secton. If his medial tratment in London has been successful, Fr Cullen should be back in Zambia by now.

• John and Carole Fowles will be travelling from their home in Pickering, Canada, to spend a few days in Ireland, followed by a short visit to Scotland. On 27th Spetember they will be spending 4 days in the London area before flying back on October 4th.

• Eric Creaney kindly sent me this ink to a YouTube video which features Fr Richard Baawobr, Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).

20th July 2014

• Bill Nimmo-Scott is the most recent contributer on the PAGE 2 of the OBSERVATIONS section.

He writes: "I hope I am not too radical for The Pelicans. I tend to have some strong views these days."

Bill: join the ever-expanding club of people who regularly throw things at the TV.

• Patricia Hawkins de Medina recently sent me news that will upset those of you who know Belcoo:





"Paul: it is beyond belief that fracking could be allowed just a couple of miles beyond Belcoo village,
but that is exactly what is happening. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-28613047

Everyone in the area is united and a vigorous campaign is under way to save this beautiful area
from the horrors of fracking. Patricia"

17th July 2014

• Kenneth's intriguing biography is now displayed int the HISTORIES section (Page 61).

• Mauricce Billingsley's latest observation entitled "Osservattore Cantauro"
starts with the sentence " I've intention here of prolonging a discussion into a dispute, but . . . "

To read it, go to Page 2 of the OBSERVATIONS section, where you will find each item in chronological order.

16th July 2014

• The rest of Ken's photos are now displayed on GALLERY Pae 421.
He also attached a short biography — soon to feature in the HISTORIES section.

Many thanks to Ken for this contribution. http://frack-off.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BtVZ77mIAAA2Lft.jpg

15th July 2014

• The first page of Kenneth Mortimer's very interesting photos are now on display at GALLERY PAGE 420.
More to come.

• Yesterday I was very happy to hear from Peter (Prof) McMurray that he has been in touch with Nicholas Muller.

Understandably, Nick is a bit overwhelmed at present but when he catches his breath I hope he'll let me add his email address etc to the CONTACTS section.

10th July 2014

• If you are following the to and fro of the OBSERVATIONS section, you'll want to go to PAGE 2 to read Jim Connelly's contribution (at the bottom).

• Kenneth Mortimer has recently sent me a lot of phtos. These will appear on  the site within the next few days.

• THE QUICK SEARCH FACILITY IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

We are most grateful to Picosearch.com for their generous support over the past 13 years.

Hopefully, a replacement facility will be found shortly — and notificantion of this will be posted in this UPDATES section.

In the meantime, please HELP to improve future seach results by identifying faces and places that are not labelled.

(Contact us).

1st July 2014

• Patricia 'liked' Maurice's entry. Read her response on PAGE 2 of the OBSERVATIONS section.

1st July 2014

• You'll certainly want to read the latest response by Maurice Billingsley on PAGE 2 of the OBSERVATIONS section . I'm delighted that people are responding so well to this initiative.

This is an appropriate time to remind you that I apply a very light touch to the job of editor. Consequently, you may come across views with which you heartily disagree, though nothing is likely to be highly offensive.

Some words might be misspelt, however.

29th June 2014

• More interesting contributions to read on PAGE 2 of the OBSERVATIONS section — from Michael Goodstadt and Kerry Bagshaw, for which many thanks.

For the present, I am going to display all contributions in chronological order, though eventually I want to make access to specific items less wieldy.

Please send me your contribtion or response by email.

27th June 2014

• If you 'did time' at The Priory you may remember Betty Mundy — "a wooded valley . . .  about half a mile north of St. Clairs Farm" ? Or do you recognise it as "Beati Mundae" ? Maurice Billingsley sent me an article that might jog your memory. You can read it at PAGE 61 of the Histories section. (It is signed by 'Ron of Andover' )

Thank you, Maurice

•There's an up-to-date photo of Fr Pierre Aucoin on GALLERY PAGE 420 .

• If you are waiting patiently for your contribution to appear, PLEASE KEEP THE FAITH. I've been slowing down a bit lately / lazily and have been taking a shotgun approach to my in-tray.
More soon.

23rd June 2014

• Eric Creaney sent me an inspiring video of Fr Pat Shanahan talking to the United Nations in Geneva on The Rights of the Child

To quote from the video:
"Fr Shanahan, co-founder of StreetInvest, presents to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva on the 28th May 2014, as part of the Consortium for Street Children's panel requesting a General Comment to support the 2011 Resolution on Children in Street Situations.

Any decision that the Committee will reach in the next few weeks will have a huge impact on government policies and on-the-ground work all around the World.
Their support can completely change the way local authorities (police and community chiefs) view and act towards street children, and provide a large increase of legitimacy to NGO practitioners and local organisations helping street children".

Download it from YouTube using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbO-nYWbsDw

19th June 2014

• John Brighouse also sent some class-photos of Priorians who studied for their A Levels St John's College(see GALLERY Page 418) and some of "The Lark" , performed at The Priory in 1964 (see GALLERY Page 419.

Many thanks, John.

• An email from Hugo F. Hinfelaar. M.Afr.

"First of all, many thanks for the beautiful l way you have written in the White Fathers magazine about the late Brian Garvey, our clasmate of the 1953 novitiate.

This encourages me to write about Patrick Menzies ,another member of our group. His wife Pauline has been diagnosed to suffer from a virulent form of cancer in the intestines and has recently started a long chemo treatment in Liverpool hospital This might well take more than three months.

Please, could you contact him, mention this in your publication, and ask the other members of the Pelicans for their prayers.

Yours sincerely
Hugo F. Hinfelaar. M.Afr.
Mgr Nolenslaan 6-E
2555 XZ Den Haag
Holland

email: hhinfelaar@gmail.com"

12th June 2014

• For those of you who attended The Priory, go to GALLERY Page 417 for a very sad collection of photos from John Brighouse.

11th June 2014

• John Brighouse wrote:

"Please find attached some photographs relating to Oak Lodge and Danby Hall.

After the fire at St Columbas, I was one of those who spent some weeks towards the end of 1963 at Oak Lodge in Totteridge. The attached photos relate to Christmas Day.

The second batch record a passion play performed at Danby Hall at Easter 1965. John Corrigan took the lead role.

I am sure they are of interest, not only to those who appear in them."

These photos are now on display in the website's GALLERY Page 416.
John sent many more photos which I hope to feature soon. In the meantime, our thanks to John for this interesting collection.

• John Connelly wrote another interesting response to Michael Goodstadt — now featuring in the OBSERVATIONS section. (Dated 10th June 2014).

7th June 2014

• Michael Goodstadt, Jim Connelly and Robbie Dempsey have sent me contributions which are now posted in the OBSERVATIONS section.

As mentioned before, I have yet to come up with an improved / logical layout that provides easy access to each item. Please bear with me for a while and keep the observations coming (by email).

2nd June 2014

• I was very pleased to receive another response for the OBSERVATIONS section from Jim Connelly — entitled "Senior Seminaries". You will find it attached to Michael Goodstadt's observations.

It prompted me to copy over some related items from the Message Board : John Larkins' and Peter McMurray's recent postings.

I've yet to get int my stride with this section. I think that it will provide a useful focus for many people but it might take me a little while to devise an efficient format. Naturally, it will be a section that will be 'wordy' but I don't want people having to wade through acres of text to find items of interest.

My thanks to Michael, John and Peter for initiating this first subject.

• When I was in my prime (roughly aged 7) I scoffed at peole who couldn't spell. It has come back to haunt me. I miss out letters, reverse pairs of letters in a wrod and struggle to believe the spelling of wrosd that once I could write with my eyes shut. Needles to say, this very entry has had to be re-sent to the server because of mistakes that I hope you didn't notice. 

Am I alone in this? No need to shout.

26th May 2014

• May I draw your attention to the newly-opened "OBSERVATIONS" section — introduced as an alternative to the Message Board for people who need more space to pass on their experiences or opinions.

It starts with an interesting article by Dr Michael Goodstadt, charting the rise and fall of Minor Seminaries such as The Priory. The second item is a slightly adapted version of the poem "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple".

2nd May 2014

• Access to the entries in the OBITUARIES section has been improved.

1st May 2014

• I live alone with my wife Janet in the house where we raised our children all those years ago.

Yesterday, the dishwasher broke down. My wife stuck a large notice on its door which read "D O  N O T  U S E."

Is it that time already?

24th April 2014

• On the very day that I drew your attention to the Africa Medical Aid Project (AMAP), Mike Ellis rang to let me know that he was sending me the latest Report (Number 2). Synchronisity or just spooky?

So, get up-to-date with this very successful project by going to the APPEALS section.

24th April 2014

• The latest letter from Fr David Cullen is on display in the APPEALS section. It is sent to Robbie Dempsey, but intended to be read by us all. Fr Cullen takes up precious time to provide this monthly update; he is forever grateful to those who help support the lives of his desperately needy parishioners.

• And have you seen the report from Mike Ellis and John Joyce regarding the Africa Medical Aid Project (AMAP) that they established last year? Go to the APPEALS section to see what an excellent job they have done with raising funds for this project.

It makes you wonder how many lives they have already improved or even saved so far.  Are you in a position to help them?

23rd April 2014

• Maurice Billingsley has found another item from The Tablet's archive which may interest you: the Blessing of The Priory in December 1913.

Go to PAGE 60 of the HISTORIES section to read this account. (It is also added to the website's TIMELINE Appendix}.

Thank you, Maurice.

7th April 2014

• An obituary for Fr Jim (Seamus) Browne can be seen on Page 21 of the OBITUARIES section. As always, please email me with any further comments, reminiscences and / or photos that you would like to add.

29th March 2014
• Maurice Billingsley has found 3 items from The Tablet's archive which may interest you:

• Fr Bernard Duffy's appointment as UK Provincial (added to his obituary on Page 3 of the OBITUARIES section)
  
  
• The Whire Fathers' Centenary in 1968 (see Page 60 of the HISTORIES section)
  
  
• Cardinal Archbishop Manning's inauguration ceremony at Totteridge to mark the start of its life as an orphanage in 1886. (see Page 60 of the HISTORIES section again)
  

Our thanks, again, to Maurice for these valuable additions.

28th March 2014
• Go to Page 21 of the OBITUARIES section to view the obituary of the late-lamented Brian Garvey. Please send me an email if you wish to add a comment yourself.

I am grateful to Robbie Dempsey for sending me photos and other material, to Pat Menzies who will soon be sending a eulogy written by Fr Frank Nolan, to Michael Gallagher and Pat Gritton—all of whom have very fond memories of Brian.

21st March 2014 (for ye who live in warmer climes)

• On Page 20 of the Obituaries sectionI I have added Mike Mearns' fond memories of Andy Mooney RIP.

• Recent times have been rather sad. The latest sent by Charlie McCarthy tells of of the recent passing of Fr James (Seamus) Browne WF.  Please see the Message Board for more information.

If you would like to add to Fr James' tribute, please send it to me.

• People are experiencing occasional blips with the Message Board — mostly because of the loss of layout features. Some Apple iPad users cannot even access the Message Board. Simple suggestion: send your messages to me as part of an email (not as an attachment) and I will post them for you.

With my magic wand.

20th March 2014

• Richard Collins was an altar server at Heston Parish in the late fifties and beyond (when the WFs ran the parish). He is now a prolific blogger, fighting the good fight for Catholics who would hold on to life in the Church as it was in those days.

Richard has generously allowed me to transcribe material from his blog, the first item of which now appears in the REMINISCENCES Archive, entitled "A Snapshot of Catholic England in the 1950s".

I have included a link to his blog so that you can send him a comment if you so wish. Careful how you approach him, though: he might start snapping at your ankles if he thinks that you have gone all soft over the years!

• For many years now we have relied on free sofware for running our QUICK SEARCH and Message Board facilities. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end — so I will be looking for new providers asap. I will give you plenty of advance warning if the site has to close while new software is installed and tested.

15th March 2014

•Go to GALLERY PAGE 414 to view Tom Dooley's collection of photos from his time at St Columba's, The Priory, Blacklion etc.

14th March 2014

• Peter McMurray (Prof) has given me permission to transcribe the piece that he recently wrote on the Message Board in response to the entries left by Michael Goodstadt and John Larkins. I felt that it was an important account that should be shared in the REMINISCENCES Archive.

Click here to find it, under the title of "The Truth Is Out There ".

I'm hoping that Michael and John will allow me to do the same with their contributions.

10th March 2014

• Many apologies to Maurice Billingsley: he sent me "Big Brown Enamel Teapots"  last month and I forgot all about it. It is now on display in the REMINICENCES Archive. Click here to go directly to it.

(They used to shoot people of my age at one time—can't remember why they stopped).

9th March 2014

•Eric Creaney has sent me a scanned copy of the Order of Service given out at the funeral of Andy Mooney. Go to the Page 20 of the OBITUARIES section to view the material gathered so far. Please send me anything that you might wish to add to Andy's eulogy.

7th March 2014

•Maurice reminded me that there is an obituary for the much-admired Fr Hans Schrenck on the White Fahers' international website. It is now on display in our OBITUARIES section, with the webmaster's permission, as always.

Some of you who knew Hans (at Totteridge, for example) may wish to add to this eulogy. (Email me).

5th March 2014

• Fr David Cullen has written aother engaging letter from Chipata, Zambia, via Robbie Dempsey. Go to the Appeals section to read this.

Our thanks are due to them both for regularly keeping us aware of the grinding poverty that large numbers of people suffer on a daily basis.

If you feel able to help Fr Cullen, you will find his contact details included in the letter — or you could get in touch with our Treasurer.

1st March 2014

• Peter Finn has written brief biographies of three names from the past: Fr John Miller, Sister Mildred WS (Myra Spur) and Fr Aidan Erlington OP. These are now included in our OBITUARIES section.

• You have probably read Daniel O'Hagan's entry on the MESSAGE BOARD this week, informing us of the untimely death of Andy Mooney. I have reproduced Daniel's message on PAGE 20 of the OBITUARIES section and would be grateful for information and reminiscences you might be able to contribute.

25th February 2014

• Have you visited the Message Board lately? There are some interesting insights by John Larkins and Michael Goodstadt that you might like to read (or comment upon).

11th February 2014

• Robbie (Dempsey) writes on the Messageboard: "Hi Owen - just in connection with St Columba's 1937 - see the photos on Page 180 in the Gallery".

• Pat Menzies rang to let me know of the passing of Brian Garvey — and Michael Gallagher relayed this email message that originated from Fr Frank Nolan:

"Brian Garvey died peacefully at his home in Leeds today Saturday at a quarter past eleven this morning. He had cancer."

You will find the following two items in the APPEALS section:

• Fr David Cullen has sent us an update on his work in Chipata, Zambia, via Robbie Dempsey. He writes on a regular basis, taking time out from his very busy schedule to let us know how things are progressing.

• Fr Mike Targett sent us a Christmas Letter via John and Margaret Morton— not directly asking for financial help but on reading about about the dire re-roofing problems you are left in no doubt that assistance is urgently needed.

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