The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
Issue No 7639
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major
Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow
Production Editor: Ivan Radford
Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku
Staff Writer: Emily Bright
Staff Writer: Claire Brine
Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk
Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston
Graphic Designer: Mark Knight
Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk
The Salvation Army
United Kingdom and Ireland Territory
101 Newington Causeway
London SE1 6BN
Tel: 0845 634 0101
Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org
Founder: William Booth
General: Lyndon Buckingham
Territorial Commander:
Commissioner Anthony Cotterill
Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn
WHEN father and family man Rich Wilson says ‘there is something very wrong with a child dying’, there will be few people, if any, who disagree with him. And yet Rich lost a son and a daughter to two different health issues.
In this week’s War Cry, Rich tells us his story. But, while it is one of heartbreak, it demonstrates how support given to people who are suffering makes a difference to them.
‘When I did experience comfort, it was through church and through friendships,’ says Rich. ‘We mustn’t underestimate how much comfort we can bring to others when we choose to enter into their brokenness and pain.’
When people are going through hard times – whether because of bereavement, sickness or challenges in a relationship – it is good if they can receive support from others.
This week the new football season kicks off in the EFL. While footballers may live a life very different from their supporters, in this week’s issue Leyton Orient footballer Omar Beckles reminds us that they are ‘just human beings’.
‘We have families, we go through bereavements, we suffer setbacks, just like everyone else,’ he says. ‘We have to deal with these things and yet still have to operate in a very competitive environment.’
Omar is the chair of the Professional Footballers’ Association, a union that supports players in and out of the game. In his interview Omar explains the way the association works.
He also talks about the support he found from his church when he suffered a family bereavement.
‘The love that came from God was one thing, and there was also the love shown to me by the community of believers,’ he says.
Both Omar and Rich found the support of other believers to be vital as they faced tough situations. That’s why, when it is possible, belonging to a church community can benefit us all.
Feature by Emily Bright
IT’S time for competitors to get in gear for the Cycling World Championships in Glasgow – billed as ‘the single biggest cycling event in history’. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) event runs until next Sunday (13 August) and British cycling stars Dame Sarah Storey, Lizzie Deignan and Geraint Thomas are among those taking part.
For the first time,13 UCI World Championships categories will be held in the same city, with para-cycling events making their debut in the competition schedule. The BBC is broadcasting the championships across its TV channels, online and on its social media platforms.
Disciplines include the speedy and strategic para-road racing, track events requiring stamina and sprinting ability, and the endurance-testing mountain biking, where competitors will cross Scotland’s toughest terrain.
In addition, there are also choreographed performances on display with BMX freestyle flatland, where athletes perform a tricks routine in a test of stability, control and balance. In indoor cycling, there is an opportunity for cyclists to showcase gymnastic-style versatility by riding their saddles like surfboards and doing
handstands on their handlebars.
The chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, Paul Bush, said ahead of the competition: ‘We are thrilled BBC Sport shall cover the single biggest cycling event in history, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
‘We look forward to working with them to showcase the breadth of cycling disciplines on offer in Glasgow and across Scotland as we bring together 13 existing UCI World Championships into one mega event for the very first time.’
All the cyclists preparing to perform at a world-class standard have a couple of things in common: devotion to rigorous training and a relentless determination to win. Yet, no matter how hard the competitors work, it all comes down to how the contest plays out that day –the chance of injuries, collisions or other unforeseen events adds to the tension. Split-second decisions, by the cyclists or their competitors, can be all that lie between being crowned champions and tasting defeat.
Life can play out in the same way. Even though we may try our best, events
beyond our control or decisions we make in the heat of the moment can define our lives and relationships. But there is hope and redemption to be found when we fall short of who we want to be.
Someone who knew all about redemption was a man called Paul, whose story is told in the Bible. After years of going down the wrong track, an encounter with God radically transformed his life for the better.
He admitted to fellow Christians that ‘we all fall short’ of who we are meant to be, ‘yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight’ (Romans 3:23 and 24 New Living Translation). By saying this, Paul highlighted how we are no longer defined by our mistakes, personal struggles or failures.
Instead, our identity comes from being members of God’s family, fully forgiven, accepted and loved. If we follow his direction for our lives, God will give us countless chances to start again, helping us get a handle on whatever we are struggling with, and sticking with us.
With God by our side, we can get back on track.
There is hope and redemption to be found
DANIEL ROWDEN says that God played a part in his success at the UK Athletics Championships.
The Olympian, who is open about his Christian faith, celebrated his victory in the 800m in Manchester with a post on Instagram, saying: ‘This one meant a lot. Couldn’t have made it to the finish line without the constant support of my coach, my team, my family and most of all, my God.’
THE pastor whose story is told in a Hollywood film about the Jesus Movement of the 1970s has baptised thousands on the beach, according to US-based CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network).
Greg Laurie, who was portrayed in the film Jesus Revolution, held a baptism event at Pirates Cove in Newport Beach, California. He said on Twitter that the cove was the site of the Jesus Movement baptisms and where he was baptised 50 years ago with his wife. He baptised 4,500 people at the event. He told the thousands gathered what baptism means: ‘You’re saying goodbye to the old you, buried with Christ in baptism so you might walk in newness of life … and you’re doing it publicly in front of friends and family.’
MORE than 200 items – including some dating back to medieval times – have been sold by two churches in East Yorkshire at auction, fetching just under £39,000.
According to a BBC News article, church pinnacles dating back to the 13th century, ancient pews and roof timbers from Beverley Minster and the town’s St Mary’s Church ‘were sold to help pay for repairs costing £20 million’.
The BBC Bargain Hunt presenter Caroline Hawley, who ran the auction at the minster, said: ‘It’s very hard to predict what these types of lots will raise, especially rare ancient artefacts, but I must say the response was fantastic, with some great results.’
Further items under the hammer included 19th-century oak pews from St Mary’s Church, which featured ‘a floral roundel designed by architect Sir George Gilbert Scott’ and a 19th-century wooden handcart, originally used to transport scaffold and stone at Beverley Minster.
nRESEARCHERS are developing artificial intelligence tools to enhance Bible translation work and bring the text to languages that do not have their own version, reported the US Christian website Relevant.
According to an article on the site, the project, called the Greek Room, is led by senior research scientist Ulf Hermjakob and research engineer Joel Mathew from the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute. They aim to develop tools that will enhance the efficiency of Bible translation work, which can often take over a decade to complete.
Currently less than 10 per cent of the world’s 7,100 languages have a complete Bible. The team want to focus on low-resource languages that are not within the top 500 languages in the world.
Joel, whose parents were involved in Bible translation in their home country of India, said: ‘There were a lot of areas where I felt software technology could really speed up, improve, support and help them.’
Interview by Emily Bright
AS the due date approached for the birth of their baby, Rich Wilson and his wife Ness were dreaming of what having a son – and brother for their daughter Amelie – would be like. All seemed well during the pregnancy, but when Josiah was born in 2005 he was raced away to the intensive care unit. Exhausted and fearful, Rich and Ness then had an agonising wait for news.
Then doctors told them that Josiah had a heart defect. Wired up and on a ventilator, he was in a critical condition. The consultant explained that Josiah’s heart defect was incurable, and the couple braced themselves for the reality that they would have to say goodbye to
their baby boy. They wept, prayed and told him how much they loved him, treasuring every second before he passed away.
Three years ago Rich described this heartbreaking experience in A Call Less Ordinary, his book in which he talked about how he set up a Christian ministry to support students, and he encouraged readers to discover God's purpose for their lives.
‘I talked honestly about the grief journey of losing our son, who was with us for just 24 hours,’ he tells me. ‘I felt it was important to speak about that, because, while
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most people will never experience something like that, they will experience loss and grief.'
In the book, Rich also wrote about how, while travelling from Loughborough to Leicester to register his son's birth and death, he had a remarkable vision of Josiah in Heaven.
‘I don’t remember the journey. I was caught up in an experience of meeting Josiah. But what was so surprising was that I wasn’t meeting him as a little baby; I was meeting him as a grown man in his prime, which was outside my imagination.’
Eight months later Rich received a letter from a woman who had dreamt of Josiah leading her through a field of ripe corn. In the dream, an adult Josiah told her to encourage Rich that God would help him in his ministry among students.
‘God has more in store for us than we can ask or imagine,’ says Rich. ‘And then he promises to make all things new. Because Jesus got resurrected, we know that we will get resurrected. There are lots of things I don’t pretend to know. All I can do is share the experiences.’
Just a few years after Josiah's death, Rich’s life would take another tragic turn. His youngest child, Lauren, was diagnosed with cancer when she was only 18 months old. Rich found himself on his knees, begging God to heal Lauren. Thankfully, she made a good recovery. But everything changed in March 2021.
‘A couple of weeks before her 13th birthday, Lauren started having headaches, which turned out to be the result of a tumour,’ Rich recalls. ‘When she had the diagnosis, I had to fight fear and dread, and it was very difficult to find peace. But it was about surrender. The situation wasn’t in my hands, I had to surrender it to God.’
Lauren underwent surgery, but, even then, the prognosis was terminal.
‘She recovered well from surgery, but the tests on the tumour were not good, and the diagnosis was brutal. We didn’t want to believe it, but we recognised that it was a possibility she might die. We spent the next few months praying for an alternative outcome.’
To save her the emotional turmoil, Rich and Ness decided not to tell Lauren about her terminal diagnosis but instead to help her enjoy her last days to the full.
‘We didn’t let her know the severity,’ Rich says. ‘Then she started having neck and back pain. The cancer had spread all over her body. She went downhill very quickly. From the diagnosis, we had seven great months as a family.
‘We spent the last 10 days in a hospice with her. She was very courageous. I think the miracle was that she was never afraid. For a 13-year-old to go through that and never be afraid is something I don’t understand; but I was grateful for it.’
As Rich mourned the loss of his daughter, he relied on his faith and church community to see him through.
The prognosis was terminal
After Lauren’s diagnosis, the family enjoyed her last days to the full
‘After she died, there was a new level of pain and it was very difficult to feel God’s comfort,’ he says. ‘But when I did experience comfort, it was through church and through friendships. We mustn’t underestimate how much comfort we can bring to others when we choose to enter into their brokenness and pain.’
‘We had a wonderful thirteen and a half years with her. She was an absolute delight. I miss everything about her. Life’s not fair, but we got to look after Lauren. She enriched our lives enormously. She was so full of joy.’
For Rich, the grief has remained in the background of his life since Lauren’s death in November 2021.
Rich’s relationship with God became strained after the loss of his daughter, and he says that grieving for her was a different experience to that of grieving for Josiah.
‘When Josiah died, I maybe wasn’t in that place where I felt like I needed to forgive God,’ he said. ‘But when Lauren died, I really did feel that – not because I think God had done anything wrong, but because, from my vantage point, he could have prevented it. Yet I know my understanding is incomplete and that God is always good, always faithful.
‘But it was helpful for me to forgive God. There is something very wrong with a child dying. We’re not made for death, we’re not made for separation. It was like a crime had been committed against the universe. That brokenness is ultimately why Jesus came, because he knows how wrong things have got, and every now and again we experience how wrong things are.’
Although Rich’s grief and pain remain, he emphasises to me how grateful he is to have been Lauren’s dad.
‘The deeper the love, the harder the journey and the more support people need around them. It is helpful for others to know that still in the background of my emotions and my life, grief is there. I think about Lauren all the time.’
Rich offers guidance to those who may be going through similar grief: ‘Lots of us don’t grieve fully or well. We carry our pain and sometimes we call it grief but we’re just holding on to it and pushing it around. What God wants us to do is to face it.
‘It’s better to take that pain to God, who can handle our anger, than to try to numb it with some other things. Surround yourself with good friends who will be kind enough to not let you get away with things that are going to damage you.
‘One of the analogies that I found helpful is to be prepared to travel into the darkness of loss and grief, trusting that God is with us. As we keep moving, eventually the sun will rise again. By the grace of God, we find a way through and adjust slowly.’
Eventually the sun will rise again
ONLY a few weeks after the end of a season that Omar Beckles will ‘cherish for ever’, the defender and his team-mates at newly promoted Leyton Orient were back together preparing for the next, which kicks off this weekend.
When we meet in east London at the beginning of July, Omar explains that the players have been pushing hard during the early days of pre-season to get back up to speed for the campaign to come.
But Omar’s mind is not only on what will happen to Orient on the pitch as they face League One opposition over the coming weeks and months. Checking his phone, he sees that there is shortly going to be a meeting.
‘They do this thing at the club, which is really good of them to be fair,’ he says. ‘They hold like a board meeting where players can be present to voice anything that they need to voice. You don’t always
see that level of transparency of clubs talking about what they’re doing behind the scenes. Something special is going on at this team, just in the way they want to operate.’
Omar is interested in the way football operates even beyond Brisbane Road, which became apparent earlier this year when he was elected chair of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
‘The PFA is the union that makes sure the rights of players are in place – it is there to protect players, and its support goes far and wide,’ he says. ‘It could be dealing with discrimination or racism. It could be to ensure that a contract is in place. It could be down to players being out of contract and falling on hard times. The PFA has a statement that once you’re a
member, you’re always a member. So even if you were simply a scholar at a football academy and a member of the PFA, you still get access to benefits.
‘If a player has had an injury, they can go to the FA’s St George’s Park for a time. We contribute towards people’s operations.
‘My role is to be an ambassador and I represent every professional player up and down the country. That means it is my responsibility to try to be across all the matters that are concerning players and to speak up on them. I get to set the agenda for meetings and communicate what’s going on so that people who are engaging with other stakeholders in the game understand what the priorities for players are.’
Managers and coaches often talk about the importance of ‘transitions’ during
Last season footballer OMAR BECKLES not only helped Leyton Orient win League Two, but also took on the role of chair of the Professional Footballers’ Association. He identifies some of the key challenges faced by players and talks about what has shaped his outlook on and off the pitch
Interview by Philip Halcrow
As chair, I represent every professional player
matches. Omar uses the word several times during our conversation – but he has something in mind other than what happens in the vital moments when a team loses and regains possession.
‘Most people in the wider world have a career that can last them until their retirement,’ he says. ‘We have to think that our days as players are numbered. We have this midway point where we have to redefine ourselves and find what we’re passionate about, after having invested so much into one thing. We have to think of what will happen come 35, which is the average age of retirement.
‘A lot of people go down the coaching route, but it doesn’t always mean they’re going to end up there. There are only so many coaching jobs to go round. So a lot
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of people have to redefine themselves, and that can be difficult. There’s also the factor that as a player you get put on a bit of a pedestal. When you stop playing you stop being regarded in the same way, and it can be difficult not to have that public attention any more.
‘There is a culmination of things that can make it difficult for players in transition, and we’re trying to improve things for them.’
Omar cites how the PFA can contribute money if its members decide they want to pursue educational opportunities and gain qualifications and how it supports players in areas such as dealing with their finances when they are stepping away from ‘a certain level of income’.
He says: ‘We want to better equip players to be more rounded individuals, so when they transition outside of the game it’s a smoother process.’
Behind some of the challenges faced by professional footballers, says Omar, is a basic error.
‘As much as people may be getting more access to players, through social media and so on, there’s this detachment from the fact that we’re just human beings.
‘We have families, we go through bereavements, we suffer setbacks, just like everyone else. We have to deal with these things and yet still have to operate in a very competitive environment. But, for instance, some people would add more fixtures to the list, as if to say that you have just got to be OK with even more games and you may have to go away as an international player and not see your family for a long time. These are all factors that could affect a player’s wellbeing, which does get neglected. There is definitely a subtle dehumanisation that takes place.
‘As a player, you spend your whole life being a specialist, but at the end of the day the game is also a space where you’re a bit of a number. You’re here one day, and when you’re gone you’re simply replaced, and the game goes on without you.
‘So where we can, we fight on players’ behalf for their rights so that there is not too much fixture congestion and so on.’
Omar feels he has been influenced in having a broad perspective by arriving into football quite late. Whereas some players make a smooth transition from an academy into the professional game, he says he came through ‘the school of hard knocks’.
A scholarship at Millwall did not result in the offer of a professional contract.
‘I was out in Spain for a year and a half,’ he says, ‘then came back and was in non-league football for about six years. I was still chasing the dream of being a full-time footballer, but I had nothing to show for it. Eventually by the grace of God, I found myself in a local team, did well and climbed up the ladder. It was a hard process, and there was a lot of persevering and dealing with setbacks and rejections. But I guess it gave me a well-rounded perspective, which helps inform me in my PFA work.’
His whole outlook was shaped by another development that occurred as he struggled to make his way in the game.
‘I was born into a churchgoing family,’ he says, ‘but I went to church because
I had to, not because I really wanted to. Nonetheless those times in church still enabled me to have an understanding that there was something powerful outside of the world. I’ve always believed that there was a God, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with him.
‘Like other kids, I had all these other distractions and went off into the world. I thought God had plans for me, but my life wasn’t going down that route.
‘It wasn’t until I was dealing with setbacks that I truly started to take my faith seriously. I began asking questions about what was the purpose of life. My father was a pastor, and I was able to take those questions to him. He really helped me at that moment.
‘I was at a non-league club where they couldn’t pay our wages. I moved to another and then on to another, who were doing well and were selling the dream of becoming a semi-full-time team, but then they cut the budget. I felt like I was getting setback after setback and not seeing any fruits from all this hard work.
We suffer setbacks, like everyoneOmar playing for Hornchurch during his non-league days
‘At that point, I came back to live locally. I began attending my father’s church on a consistent basis, reading the word of God and devoting myself to what I said I believed in. It was through that moment that I got to encounter the love of God and to truly understand what Jesus did for me on the cross. I came to a greater understanding of the hope that I should have – not just hope here on Earth, but an eternal hope, which empowered me to have a level of freedom that has played a massive part in shaping how I function in the world of football.’
Omar was making progress in his faith and in football – joining Conference South side St Albans City – when he lost his father. It was a pivotal moment.
‘I’d now lost the one man that I truly looked up to, who had guided me and discipled me. But also in that moment I encountered a peace which surpassed all understanding and which helped me to put my trust in God. The love that came from God was one thing, and there
was also the love shown to me by the community of believers.
‘When someone loses a loved one through bereavement, it is never easy, but the peace I felt enabled me not only to function but also to flourish. I saw how God was showing up for me, and I trusted that he had a plan to prosper me.’
Omar’s faith, which is shared by a number of other players at Leyton Orient, is a game-changer, affecting the way he sees his playing career and the wider world.
‘If you put your trust in the things of this world, they will lift you up and bring you down,’ he says. ‘If I live by people’s acceptance, I’m going to die by their rejections. If I put my faith in football, it’s going to disappoint me, because it won’t last. But when I put my faith and trust in God, I find unconditional love.
‘Football is a results business. If you win, you are good. If you lose, you are
bad. Even in the dressing room it can be difficult to navigate. In some teams, if you lose a game, the manager won’t look you in the eye. But in my relationship with God, I know I’m loved whether I win, lose or draw.
‘So now I don’t have to function in a way to gain people’s approval. I just give my best to honour God and the gift he has given me to play football at the level I do.’
And Omar feels the motivation of his faith in his role at the PFA. He says: ‘Jesus’ command is that we love God and love our neighbours as we love ourself. We’re not to be consumed by thinking of only me, me, me and serving our ambition. I’m called to look out for other people and to work out how I can meet their needs and take care of them. This is what Jesus has empowered me to do.
‘I love football. I love doing what I do. But I also want to use my platform to serve and help others.’
I give my best to honour God
THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.
There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God
Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.
Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.
Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen
MOVING house is said to be one of life’s more stressful experiences. And the stress of moving is something I have probably experienced more than most. During my 40-plus years working as a Salvation Army minister in various appointments, I upped sticks many times. My husband – who moved home a lot as a child – loves to boast how many more times he has moved than me, and then recite every place.
So, when we first retired, we chose a lovely new-build home in Norwich, and vowed never to move again.
But never say never! Sixteen years later, and faced with changing family circumstances and the onset of health problems, we reluctantly said goodbye to our home and good friends in Norfolk and headed to the very different landscape of Cornwall.
Lockdown and getting older certainly didn’t make the move easy. Once more we vowed fervently, ‘Never again!’ But two years later circumstances again forced us to think about the future. So once more we found ourselves surrounded by boxes, planning a move to a retirement flat in Truro in February this year. This also brought challenges. Facing the prospect of no spare rooms, no garage and no loft, we had to evaluate every single belonging. At first I despaired of how we were going to dispose of it all – especially the furniture – but I hadn’t reckoned on the wonderful help of two local charity shops.
Although we have had to deal with the unknowns of a new area, this move has brought the benefits of family nearby, no stairs, a bus stop right outside and easier access to shops.
Whatever the location, though, through the years I have learnt to be sure of one thing. We don’t need to fear. Jesus knows exactly where we are, what the future holds and the help we need at any given time.
He promises his followers: ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the world’ (Matthew 28:20 The Living Bible).
Knowing that Jesus is with us can give us comfort and strength whatever the stresses of life may bring.
Address
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In which year did rock band Bon Jovi release the hit single ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’?
What is the capital city of Cyprus?
What is a baby hedgehog called?
In the film Toy Story, what is the name of the little boy who owns the cowboy doll, Woody?
What chemical element is represented by the letters ‘Au’?
According to TS Eliot in his poem The Waste Land, what is the cruellest month?
WHEN the sun is shining, it’s the perfect time to head to the park – for a walk, a run-around with the kids or a relaxing sit-down with a good book. The opportunities that green spaces can offer our communities are endless, and that is why they are being celebrated in Love Parks Week, which runs until Sunday (6 August).
As well as encouraging people of all ages to make the most of their local park, the organisers of the annual campaign are keen to ensure that these wide open spaces remain accessible to anyone. This year, they have supported researchers at Leeds University, who have produced guidance on how to make parks safer for women and girls. Aimed at park managers and landscape architects, the guidelines suggest positioning cafés and social seating in areas of high footfall, so that women feel comfortable using them, and installing circular running and walking tracks.
Allison Ogden-Newton of Keep Britain Tidy, the organisation behind Love Parks Week, emphasises that understanding what makes women and girls feel safe (or unsafe) is critical.
‘Our own research already shows that 70 per cent of people in urban areas do not have access to good-quality green space, rising to 75.8 per cent in the most deprived areas,’ she says. ‘When coupled with women’s concerns about using those few green spaces they have access to, it means there is a real inequality.’
In parks, in towns and at home, physical safety matters. But it’s also important to feel secure in who we are as individuals. When we lack confidence in terms of our worth or are unsure of our next steps in life, we need to know that someone cares and is looking out for us. We can find such assurance in Jesus.
One Bible writer urges us to try to grasp ‘how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ’ for us (Ephesians 3:18 New International Version). He points out that such love is strong and never-ending. It’s available to everyone. And if we let it, it can reach into every corner of our lives.
It’s important to feel secure in who we are
Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number
SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS
2tsp Dijon mustard
2tsp runny honey
2tbsp white wine vinegar
4tbsp walnut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cooked beetroots, diced
40g dried cranberries
100g baby spinach
75g walnuts
150g Comté cheese, cubed
To make a dressing, whisk together the mustard, honey and vinegar, followed by the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer half the dressing to a separate bowl and stir in the beetroots and cranberries. Leave to macerate for 10 minutes.
Divide the spinach, walnuts and cheese between plates. Spoon over the macerated beetroot and cranberries. Drizzle the salad with the rest of the dressing and season with pepper, to serve.
INGREDIENTS
1kg apples, peeled, cored and diced
300g blackberries
7tbsp caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
225g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. For the filling, combine the apples, blackberries, 3tbsp caster sugar, and 1tsp vanilla extract with 3tbsp water in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the fruit is soft. Set aside.
To make the crumble mixture, combine the flour, remaining sugar, salt and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. It should retain some texture.
Spoon the fruit filling into a rectangular baking dish and top with the crumble mixture.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on top. Remove from the oven and stand for
Bishop Graham Tomlin