War Cry 25 February

WAR CRY

An unforgettable experience

New colleagues must learn to work together in TV’s Unforgotten

‘Deafness shouldn’t make you second-class’

What is The Salvation Army?

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.

What is the War Cry?

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.

WAR CRY

Issue No 7616

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: Brian Peddle

Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn

WITH its famous dome, St Paul’s Cathedral is an iconic part of London’s skyline. Since officially being declared complete in 1711, the current building has been a constant presence in the life of the capital and a venue for national services of thanksgiving, state funerals and even a royal wedding.

It was Sir Christopher Wren who designed St Paul’s, and, as the 300th anniversary of the architect’s death is marked today (Saturday 25 February), the War Cry looks back on his career. We speak to his biographer Adrian Tinniswood, who is keen to point out that Sir Christopher was not just an architect.

‘Wren was a genius,’ he tells us. ‘By the 1650s, he was internationally famous as a mathematician, an astronomer and an anatomist.’

However, it is for his work designing churches that Wren is often best remembered – and St Paul’s Cathedral in particular.

‘There are all kinds of social and cultural reasons we treasure St Paul’s,’ Adrian enthuses. ‘But the other reason for treasuring it is that it is so beautiful and an astonishing piece of work. I’ve been to St Paul’s hundreds of times, and never set foot in there without my heart doing a little somersault.’

Last year another social and cultural milestone in the history of the cathedral was reached when it hosted what is believed to be its first sermon delivered entirely in British Sign Language. It was given by minister-intraining Sue Whalley. In this week’s issue, Sue tells us about that experience and why she felt it was an important moment.

‘Seeing a sermon delivered in BSL first-hand reinforces Christ’s message that deaf people are also a part of God’s people and not in any way less included,’ she says.

Sue is right. It is important that deaf people are reminded of their value to God, because all people are equally loved by him – and that’s a truth everyone needs to know.

INFO INFO

Front-page picture: ITV

Grief detected

New boss takes over mourning team in ITV drama

TV preview by Claire Brine

DETECTIVE Chief Inspector Cassie

Stuart will never be forgotten. But a number of her colleagues are still struggling to come to terms with her death. As they go about their days, processing their grief while cracking on with solving serious crimes, a new boss is about to enter the scene.

It’s a tough first day in the job for DCI Jessica James (Sinéad Keenan) in the new series of Unforgotten, which begins on ITV1 next Monday (27 February). She knows that Cassie was highly respected and, consequently, will be a hard act to follow. She is aware that Cassie’s colleagues miss their old boss and don’t want a replacement. She is also reeling from some devastating news that she received on her journey into work. As the problems stack up around her, Jessica can’t help but wonder if she is capable of inspiring an already fragile team.

Witnessing her rocky start to the job is Detective Inspector Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), who was one

of Cassie’s most trusted colleagues. For years the pair worked closely together on some of the most harrowing crimes. Now his friend is gone, Sunny is feeling lost. He can’t get used to Jessica or her way of working. Nor can he understand why, when a severed leg is found in a bricked-up chimney in an old house in west London, she doesn’t intend to investigate it.

‘They have no idea how old this body is, or who it is,’ explains actor Sanjeev. ‘Initially, Jess comes in and says, “Look we’re not going to do these old cases unless there’s some sort of present impact, because it takes up resources”, so Sunny has to convince her otherwise.’

Once Sunny and Jessica agree to tackle the case, the questions come thick and fast. Are they dealing with a murder dating back to the 1930s? Or have the human remains been disposed of more recently? As the investigation deepens, several suspects are identified. But, all the while, Sunny’s grief haunts him.

‘It’s such a mixture of different emotions,’ explains Sanjeev. ‘There’s loss, there’s regret. And Sunny is finding it

difficult to recalibrate his life.’

As viewers watch Sunny struggling through each day, they may find that they can identify with how he feels. After all, many of us know the heartbreaking pain of bereavement or go through experiences that leave us feeling lost. At such times it’s only natural to question if life will ever get better again.

The good news is, it can.

Finding direction, purpose and joy through the most difficult moments of our life is possible when we know Jesus. Though following him doesn’t guarantee us a problem-free existence, it does mean that we have a friend to support us through tough times and to guide our future steps. His death, resurrection and offer of eternal life are evidence that hope can follow the darkest despair.

‘Here on Earth you will have many trials and sorrows,’ Jesus told his followers. ‘But take heart, because I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33 New Living Translation).

However bleak life may feel, our story doesn’t have to end in sorrow. When we put our trust in Jesus, we can find courage for each new day and strength to face the world again. In all cases, the power of his love is waiting to be discovered.

Many of us know the heartbreaking pain of bereavement

Detectives Jessica and Sunny are finding it hard to work together

j TEA M TALK

Is cheating all fun and games?

Sarah Olowofoyeku gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

‘IT pays to cheat’ is the tagline of a new Netflix game show being broadcast on the streaming platform next Wednesday (1 March). The concept of Cheat, hosted by Danny Dyer and Ellie Taylor, is that contestants must correctly answer a series of questions to win money. Seems innocent enough. But the twist is that, to go home with up to £50,000, they can cheat.

If players don’t know the answer to a question, they can discreetly touch a button, visible only to them, and see the correct response. Once they have given the right answer to the presenters, other players who suspect they have cheated can call their bluff. If they are caught, they will be out.

It’s a test of people’s poker faces – and their willingness to be dishonest to get ahead. It’s also a light-hearted show that seems like harmless fun. And, in such challenging times, I wouldn’t judge any of the contestants for cheating their way to some financial freebies either. But it does make me think about the role of honesty in our society.

It can be easy to condemn

I don’t think it is always valued very highly. In the past few years especially, some people in the public eye have not given us the best example of the quality. And sometimes their dishonesty has had serious repercussions.

When we see news stories of well-known figures being less than honest, it can be easy to want to join the chorus of people condemning them. But, if we’re honest, aren’t we all prone to telling lies or cutting corners at times? After all, we’re only human. I’m aware that no one, including me, can ever be perfect, even when we try.

But there is someone I can look to as a shining example. Jesus was fully human and also fully God. He had integrity, and when he had the chance to be dishonest, he chose not to be.

Because he was perfect, he was also able to pay the price for everything we’ve done wrong so that we don’t have to. In some ways, it feels like a cheat code, but it’s actually the amazing and loving plan God made so that we could all win.

Rough sleeping numbers increase

THE number of first-time rough sleepers in London has increased by almost a third in one year, according to a report on homelessness – and The Salvation Army is concerned that the figure will rise further. Of the 3,570 people recorded as sleeping rough in London between October and December 2022, 1,700 were doing so for the first time – an increase of 29 per cent compared with the same time the previous year – according to the quarterly statistics from Chain (Combined Homelessness and Information Network).

Nick Redmore, the director of The Salvation Army’s homelessness services unit, said: ‘These figures suggest rising costs are pushing people on to the streets, and we fear the number who are homeless will grow unless the government takes urgent action.

‘The government should be extremely concerned about the huge impact that increased demand coupled with rising costs is having on the already stretched homelessness services.’

The Salvation Army says that government funding for homelessness and rough sleeping needs to rise in line with inflation.

WAR CRYWnRLD

Archbishop’s book ‘full of hope’

THE Archbishop of York has published a new book, Godforsaken, which highlights the power of the Crucifixion and the Easter story.

Speaking to the War Cry at a launch at Church House Bookshop in London, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell (pictured) said: ‘The book is an extended meditation upon those words of Jesus from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We have to face the fact that Jesus on the cross isn’t just suffering physically, but suffering emotionally, spiritually, mentally.

‘But paradoxically, the subtitle of the book is “The Cross – the Greatest Hope of All”. It brings us to a place where we discover that Jesus did share even the darkest things in our lives, including the feeling that we sometimes feel forsaken and isolated. God, in Jesus, became us so we could become like him. The book faces the darkest realities of our lives, but is also full of hope.’

Praises sung for choir leader

Paratrooper’s Prayer author honoured

FRANCE is honouring a Second World War hero who is known for writing ‘The Paratrooper’s Prayer’, according to The Times.

Paris City Council plans to put up a plaque outside the birthplace of André Zirnheld, a philosophy teacher who signed up for the Free French forces and was among several dozen French volunteer paratroopers to be incorporated into the SAS.

He participated in FrancoBritish raids on German bases in Libya and Egypt in 1942, destroying dozens of enemy aircraft, before he was killed by the Luftwaffe four months after joining up.

After his death, his notebook was discovered, in which he’d written a prayer: ‘I don’t ask you for rest, or quiet… I don’t ask you for wealth, nor for success … nor even health perhaps… I want insecurity, strife, and I want you to give me these once and for all. So that I can be sure of having them always, since I shall not always have the courage to ask you for them.’

The prayer was set to music and is still sung by French parachute regiments and units today.

A CHURCH choir director and organist has been honoured for his lockdown recordings of the choir, reports the BBC.

Paul Garrett’s videos of St Anne’s Church Choir in Great Eccleston, Lancashire, have now been viewed 40,000 times. The archdeacon of Lancaster, the Ven David Picken, said the videos had been ‘vital in keeping worship going in the days of the pandemic’ and that ‘across our diocese, organists like Paul work

hard behind the scenes to ensure services each week are accompanied by music that stirs the soul’.

Paul has been made an honorary member of the Royal School of Church Music.

He said people from around the world have asked if they can use the videos in their services.

‘It’s humbling in a way – we’re just a little church choir in the middle of Lancashire doing our job but the whole world can see it.’

£1m project reopens church

A CHURCH in Bristol that was bombed in the Blitz is reopening to the public, reports news website Bristol24/7.

After a £1 million conservation project, Temple Church hosted an art installation this month as part of the Bristol Light Festival. The church will be opened to the public in April as a free site for people to enter.

Experts from English Heritage have been working on the structure for two years, repairing and restoring the church building, which has a distinctive leaning tower.

Rob Woodside, English Heritage estates director, said that Temple Church ‘is a striking local landmark and an important example of a medieval church in the heart of the city’.

Grand designs

To mark the 300th anniversary of the death of St Paul’s Cathedral architect Sir Christopher Wren, churches designed by him are taking part in the Wren 300 festival. Biographer ADRIAN

and director of parish property support for the Diocese of London KEVIN ROGERS

why Wren’s churches are

‘WREN was a genius,’ says Adrian Tinniswood, author of His Invention So Fertile, a biography of architect Sir Christopher Wren, who was born in 1632 and died in 1723. ‘By the 1650s he was internationally famous as a mathematician, an astronomer and an anatomist. In the mid-1660s he began to dabble in architecture. By 1669 he was given the job of surveyor-general of the King’s works, the chief architect in Britain.’

Today (Saturday 25 February) is the 300th anniversary of Wren’s death, which will be marked over the next few months through Wren 300. The festival will act as a celebration of his achievements and the churches he designed, including his most famous project, St Paul’s Cathedral.

Adrian explains how Wren came to work on St Paul’s.

‘Initially, he was involved with a royal commission in August 1666 to repair the old medieval St Paul’s, which was very rickety. The steeple had been knocked off by lightning decades before. The building itself was leaning a bit. It needed some work.

‘A week later St Paul’s burnt down in the Great Fire of London. Because of his family connections to the Church, Wren was given the task of patching it up. But in the process, workmen were killed. The building was clearly unstable. Eventually the dean of St Paul’s suggested that it was time to pull the whole thing down and

start again.’ Wren set to work on ambitious designs for rebuilding St Paul’s Cathedral.

‘His best scheme, called the Great Model, was not the one that was built,’ says Adrian. ‘It was a fantastic cross design with a huge dome on top of it. But the dean and chapter didn’t like it very much, because they couldn’t bring the cathedral into use until the whole thing was finished. They told Wren to think again. Wren wept, he went down on his knees and begged the King to intervene. The King wasn’t that bothered.

‘In the end, Wren decided that if the dean and chapter wanted something ordinary and conventional, he’d give it to them. And he produced this absurd design which looks like a Chinese pagoda or a flat dome. It was wonderfully ridiculous.’

Thankfully, though, Wren’s fit of pique passed and he began to rethink his strange design.

‘King Charles II gave him permission to alter the design as he saw fit,’ says Adrian. ‘What Wren did, with another two or three incarnations, was to adapt

TINNISWOOD

explain

so significant

Interview by Emily Bright

Sir Christopher Wren

ALAMY

the cathedral’s original design until he reached the masterpiece that we’ve got today. He was constantly worrying over it, adapting and developing it over a period of 15 years or more.’

Despite all the stress it caused Wren, St Paul’s came to define the London skyline for generations and shape Britain’s cultural history.

Adrian says: ‘St Paul’s has become the pivot around which the vast British Empire evolved. In the late 18th and into the 19th century it became a focus of ceremony. Nelson and the Duke of Wellington are both buried there.

‘It has acquired almost a mythic status associated with the public mind, such as the famous photograph of St Paul’s in the Blitz. Even though it was “Photoshopped” before Photoshop was invented, the image of St Paul’s surrounded by fires and smoke was a symbol that God was on our side.

‘When King George VI launched the Festival of Britain in 1951, he did it from the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral. When Charles and Diana had their fairytale wedding, they had it at St Paul’s. It has

become a symbol, I think, of Britishness.’ But, while Adrian thinks that the symbolism of Wren’s churches carries great cultural weight, it is the architecture that continues to amaze him.

‘There are all kinds of social and cultural reasons why we treasure St Paul’s. But the other reason for treasuring it is that it is so beautiful and an astonishing piece of work. I’ve been to St Paul’s hundreds of times, and never set foot in there without my heart doing a little somersault. It takes your breath away.’

Adrian adds that Wren’s architectural feat with the cathedral was even more astonishing because he was an innovator who ‘wanted to produce a building type that had not been attempted in this country. Nobody would let him today.’

While St Paul’s is impressive on its own, Wren also designed 51 other churches, more than half of which survive to this day.

‘You still can’t walk around the City of London without tripping over a beautiful church,’ says Adrian.

‘There are 24 remaining of those that

Turn to page 8 f

St Andrew Holborn, the largest of all Wren’s parish churches

© ANGELO HORNAK

St Paul’s has become a symbol of Britishness

St Paul’s Cathedral

From page 7

Wren and his team designed, which define the City. We often forget that, although Wren was the supervising architect for the City churches, he had a team of designers working with him, and he also signed off the designs of others in some of the smaller churches.’

Each church has its own distinctive character, as Kevin Rogers, director of parish property support at the Diocese of London, explains: ‘There’s infinite variety, all fitting under this extraordinary umbrella, the Church of England. The church building is a constantly changing thing – the ones we have now are almost a repository of goods of other churches.’

The churches continue to evolve to adapt to the needs of congregations and communities today. And to celebrate the buildings and the architectural contributions of Sir Christopher Wren, the Square Mile churches – as well as other venues across London – are hosting the Wren 300 festival, which includes lectures, church services, workshops, tours and

concerts celebrating his life and the churches that he built.

Kevin explains more about activities arranged for the festival, with events running until the end of the year.

‘We’ll have a social history project working with the population in and around the Square Mile, which will look at the different voices that are feeding into the design process of the City churches.

‘With the Royal Society of Engineers, we’ll have an educational programme which will allow young people from outer London to work with architects and engineers to build a dome, helping them to understand how it works and introducing them to types of job they may not otherwise see.

‘Another strand is the Wrenathon, which will celebrate the buildings and their acoustics by bringing together community choirs that exist within the offices and social groups of the Square Mile and communities adjacent to it.’

Adrian says that it’s important to acknowledge Wren’s lasting contribution to the London skyline and British architecture.

‘The majority of Wren’s work is still there today,’ he says. ‘He is one of the few architects that people recognise. They might not know much about him – although I’m hoping they’ll know a lot more after Wren 300 – but they know who he was. That’s a mark of his significance.

‘There’s that great epitaph given to him: “If you seek his monument, look around you.” You can still do that, 300 years later, because London is still Wren’s London. That’s quite an achievement.’

l For more information visit wren300.org

The majority of Wren’s work is still there today

St Andrew by the Wardrobe was the last City church rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London

AH?

SIG AND WONDERS

Last September, minister-in-training SUE WHALLEY preached what is believed to be the first sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral delivered entirely in British Sign Language (BSL). She recalls that groundbreaking occasion, reflects on her experience of churchgoing as someone who is profoundly deaf and shares her thoughts on how to encourage inclusion

Interview by Emily Bright

Sue, could you explain a little about what it means to be profoundly deaf and how that has shaped your experience

I was born partially deaf and became profoundly deaf at about seven or eight years old. Although raised orally, I started to learn British Sign Language in my 20s when I was inspired to set up a deaf youth club. The use of a post-aural aid gives me some access to environmental sound but not speech. I can lip-read, but this depends largely on the clarity of the speaker, their accent, facial hair, speed etc. But not all deaf people who are profoundly deaf

I was taken to church by my mother and, although I could not follow services well, the use of a common prayer book helped. However, there was still much that I did not know or understand. Visits to the Sunday school were boring and inaccessible for me, but attending church gave me a sense of awe and wonder, and I experienced something of God’s love for me.

How did you come to work with a partnership of churches in London that aim to make worship more accessible?

When I started training as a minister at Northern Baptist College in Manchester, I was offered placement work with the London Deaf Church, which enabled me to work at deaf churches in Enfield and Hayes. This included preparing services for deaf and deafblind members who were unable to access mainstream church. During lockdown, services and reflections were put online for deaf people to access.

I finished my ministry training and placement with London Deaf Church as part of the Church of England in June and have not yet been called so am not actively working anywhere at the moment but continue to support churches where I can. For example, I have been invited as a guest preacher.

What was it like to deliver the first sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral preached entirely in BSL?

I usually preach in deaf churches in a small hall with a music stand,

Sue Whalley

From page 9

so being in a hearing church and one of that size and prestige was somewhat daunting. At the same time, it was a privilege to put the Deaf Church on the radar and allow hearing people to see the beauty and creativity of sign language in a church setting.

Why do you think that delivering a sermon in BSL, rather than it being translated afterwards, is so important for improving church inclusion?

Deaf people are used to being secondclass, finding out information after the event. Imagine asking for information and being told regularly, ‘I will tell you later.’ Seeing a sermon delivered in BSL first-hand reinforces Christ’s message that deaf people are also a part of God’s people and not in any way less included.

How did you become a Christian?

My journey was a gradual one and, while at a residential school, I started to backslide and avoided all contact with church activities. One day I was invited to St Aldates Church in Oxford by a very insistent housemistress to hear David Watson preach. Amazingly, we had seats at the front and I was able to lip-read clearly.

I cannot remember the sermon content, but clearly remember the vision I had of a gravel path full of different-sized coloured stones that represented the diversity of people in the world. By the path were a pair of wellington boots, which I seemed to know belonged to God, who was a gardener in this picture. A hand would pick up a stone and polish it on a sleeve and then hold it up to the sunlight to enjoy its unique shape and colour. I understood then that we are all special to God and how much he enjoys a relationship with us. I was also bowled over by God’s love for each of us. This was a turning point for me, and I have not looked back since.

Sue is a minister-in-training

You’ve said that you want to find a hub where deaf people can worship, learn and grow, not just spiritually, but mentally and physically. What does that look like in practice?

Usually, in a hearing church where interpreted services are provided, deaf people are not included in the wider church life. This gives the message that deaf people are not important or indeed valued. My vision is that all deaf people are able to see their value and worth in the Kingdom of God and be included in all aspects of church life – the Bible study, the coffee morning and social activities – which would enable them to grow and develop a sense of belonging and help them find their role in the church.

Are there any Scriptures that have particularly inspired you in your ministry?

‘Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it’ (1 Corinthians 12:27 New International Version). We are all called to be a part of the body of Christ, which is the Church, but some people find it harder than others and need to be and feel included. This was the underlying verse behind my dissertation on inclusion of deaf people in worship.

In addition to that, Exodus 4:10–17, where God addresses Moses’ concerns about public speaking, was instrumental in showing me that I should not let my deafness get in the way of either training or carrying out ministry, particularly in a hearing setting where I can feel out of my comfort zone.

Who is Jesus to you?

A friend and supporter of the marginalised, my saviour and redeemer, who gives me purpose to life. His suffering and sacrifice have helped me understand that we do not suffer alone, but he walks with us, fully understanding of difficulties we face.

How to improve communication with deaf people

l Get their attention by waving or giving a gentle tap, so they can face you and focus on you.

l Speak visibly and clearly – continue to speak as you normally do but remember to speak clearly with appropriate facial expressions so they can lip-read you.

l Repetition is key – the deaf person may not be able to lip-read every bit of the conversation, so be patient, repeat if required and don’t give up. In online conversations, be prepared to write words down and show them on screen or use the chat facility.

l Be welcoming and smile – it helps them to relax, knowing that you’re wanting to communicate with them.

l Learn British Sign Language (BSL) – knowing a few BSL signs will make it easier to communicate with deaf people.

l Use captions in online Zoom and Microsoft Teams presentations. Use basic words and sentence formats, as their first language may be BSL rather than English.

l Text and email rather than call those that are hard of hearing.

Adapted with permission from bid.org.uk. Bid Services is a charity that provides specialist support services for those with sensory loss

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’.

jBecoming a Christian

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

a thou

Now, ther NO W, THERE’S A THOUGHT!

by Omolara Olusola

Sweets leave a sour taste for the soul

LENT is the time of year when Christians prepare themselves for Easter. It is also the 40-day period when some people decide to give something up to help them reflect on what is important and possibly make changes to their lives. So, since Lent began on Wednesday (22 February), I have given up processed sugar for 40 days.

To say that I have a sweet tooth is an understatement. I have a sugar obsession. Whether it is the pull of fresh juice when I first wake up or the midday promise of some Sour Skittles to get me through the afternoon slump, sugar has become a ‘god’ of some sort in my life.

By that, I mean I have come to rely on it in a way. I turn to something sweet whenever I am bored or anxious or stressed as well as when I’m happy. Sugar has become a comfort and a crutch for me. Unfortunately, the relationship between sugar and me has become unhealthy, and it must come to an end.

I’m aware of the physical benefits of reducing my sugar intake: weight loss, better skin, better blood sugar levels and no brain fog. However, I am more interested in the emotional and spiritual opportunities that this fast will bring.

I hope it will allow me to pause and ground myself in the reality that I am known and loved by God. I hope it will offer me a way to exercise my trust in God. I realise that when I am upset and I reach for sugar, I rob myself of an opportunity to connect with God, an opportunity to go deeper and experience a level of intimacy that can’t truly be replaced by a short-term sugar high. I hope that giving up sugar will encourage me to turn to the ultimate source of comfort.

So, as I put the Skittles down, I am expecting to experience a different kind of sweetness in my soul.

Sugar has become a crutch

QUICK QUIZ

1 2 3 4 5 6

Which football club plays its home games at the Bernabéu?

Which metal is denoted by Ti on the periodic table?

Which film last year starred Emma Thompson as head teacher Miss Trunchbull?

Who wrote the novels Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus?

In the First World War song, where were you encouraged to pack up your troubles?

Which British street artist is known for his works such as Girl with Balloon?

A DAY FOR THE BOOKS

The annual celebration of reading promises to inspire

Feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

READ all about it! Next Thursday (2 March) is World Book Day. Created by Unesco in 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, it was held in the UK and Republic of Ireland for the first time in 1997.

Baroness Rebuck, the World Book Day charity founder, said: ‘We wanted to do something to reposition reading, and our message is the same today as it was then – that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting and has the power to transform lives.’

The day is focused on children, and one of its aims is to inspire a love of reading. Its website offers resources to help parents fire up their children’s love of literature, and a line-up of books that are sold for just £1 ensures that any child can get their hands on something to read. On the list this year is Billy’s Bravery by Tom Percival, Bedtime for the Burpee Bears by Joe Wicks and Lenny Henry’s The Boy with Wings

Once discovered – whether in childhood or later – the pleasure of settling down with a good book can last a lifetime. During the first year of the Covid pandemic, book sales surged past the 200 million mark in the UK alone. Among those books whose sales increased was the bestselling book of all time, the Bible.

John Barton, who has himself written a book on the history of the Bible, commented on its popularity in a lockdown article for the website of publishing company Penguin.

‘In crises there is a tendency to go back to such a venerable source of illumination,’ he said, adding that, while the Bible is challenging, it also offers comfort and ‘a vivid picture of how Christians regarded the current state of the world, a place of suffering but also of hope’.

The Bible offers comfort to anyone who reads it, through its inspirational stories of people, many of whom lived through extremely difficult times but knew that God was with them.

The message it offers has remained the same. If we choose to trust in God, we have his promise that he will never leave us, but remain a part of our story for ever.

During the first year of Covid book sales surged

PUZZLES

9. Cherished (9)

12. Wealthy (8)

15. Precisely (7)

16. Funeral car (6)

18. Feather (5)

20. Alack (4)

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words associated with poetry

Mushroom soup

EQUIPMENT

Measuring

Medium pan

Chopping

Sharp knife

Large soup

MONEY WISE MEALS

INGREDIENTS

4 pints whole milk

2kg mixed mushrooms of your choice

500g butter

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

½ tsp dried thyme

250g plain flour

Salt and black pepper

METHOD

Pour the milk into a medium pan and put on a low heat to keep warm. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a soup pot, chop half the mushrooms finely and add to the melted butter, then cook until softened well. Add the garlic and thyme.

After 5 minutes, add the flour and stir to make a thick paste on a medium heat.

When combined well, add the milk 2 ladles at a time and keep mixing well. The colour and the consistency will change. Keep adding the milk a little at a time and continue stirring until the soup thins out to a nice consistency.

Slice the remaining mushrooms and add to the pan. This will also thin the soup because of the water content of the mushrooms. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Once cooked, the soup can be frozen in batches to be reheated later.

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