Sailing the Gannetsway: Across the Water

At last I have time to post another blog; Fiona and I are a few nights together again in the one place, with our Mary Emma and Ross in Cheshire.

Mary Emma

The huge flocks of Greylag geese, which I saw when I was last here in January, seem to have left the broad fields towards the River Dee and Wales. Across the marshes of the Dee estuary and the Irish Sea, the Minches with their wild islands, and the bitter ocean, they are probably in Iceland by now.....

The Dee estuary from Neston.

Some of the Greylag geese however seem to have been tempted to stay behind with the Canada geese on the quiet pond across the road -

There is a monument beside the pond to the two sons of the squire, who died in the First World War. The plaque to the two young men, who bore the name of this village, is inscribed -

O God to us may grace be given
To follow in their train.

To contemporary minds, the idea that it is glorious to thus depart a fine old way of life sounds odd. Indeed it is surely not the will of the God of life to bring young men to such deaths. However, how does He give the wild geese the grace to leave comfort and security to find their wild northern breeding grounds? And what of those who are left at home? Will they ever be able to settle for the quiet life again? That family has left their Manor House, the heir is in Australia.

The willows weep at Aldersey Manor

Here we have a crisis of meaning in terms typical of our times. We have come to the point where people shun the very notion of meaning. It is very easy to understand how our atheist friends come to hate the very idea of that God! But what have they to offer when it comes to the serious business of building families and communities, of educating our young and establishing priorities, all of which depend on an effective framework of meaning?

Donald Clarke, an atheist columnist in the Irish Times, went as far as to state recently (April 4th) that the idea of an “atheist community” is ‘preposterous’. Indeed it is, for as he said himself, one cannot base a community on disbelief. Yet still he goes on to insist that he is far from wishing to ‘suggest that the campaign against religious domination of Irish schools or Catholic doctrine in health practice should not be fervently redoubled.' 'These remnants of Bronze Age superstition are an outrage.' Heaven knows what kind of history he proposes to teach, confusing the Christian heritage with the Bronze Age! But then we have plenty of examples of the kind of society you are likely to end up with, working on such principles....

I see it as the most important job and privilege of old boys like myself to confront such issues of meaning, and to find the bridges, the ways across the water. We have been busy crossing them, here in Cheshire, in Scotland and south to Bristol. It is the chat with family and friends that I specially value. However it's not always appreciated, and it's no good if you just stick around honking too much.

It will be good to be back aboard the Anna M soon. I don't reckon to be in the same league as the Greylags anyway, but it's surprising how going through the motions does help to train one up. I shall enjoy the good life down on the Guadiana again, but may the grace be given me to avoid too much shilly-shallying, to get the old raft and myself together for another bash round Cape St Vincent and Finisterre and on north to Sherkin.

It may yet help me to acquire a better touch when I fly into the head-winds in my conversations! Take them obliquely if at all possible! Broad reach much better, when conversation comes together! Only power into the wind if it is unavoidable to stay off a lee shore! Respect, avoid if possible, but do not fear those sharp head-winds! There's a lot to be said for the quiet life, but I won't merely settle for it yet; I would still rather follow in the train of the great flocks heading north!