Well folks I have been back from Glasgow a couple of days now and we had a marvellous time. The event at the SECC with the Gaithers was well worth the journey and the cost of travelling up there.
The final song of the evening was a combination of a great piece of classical music by Sibelius and words by Bill and Gloria Gaither and you can hear it here. Hope you enjoy it - the audience at SECC certainly did!
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
No post!
I have just heard the postal strike is on from tomorrow and this blog will be taking a few days off as I am going up to Glasgow for some good Southern Gospel music on Saturday from the Gaither Vocal Band, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, Janet Paschal, Buddy Greene, Gordon Mote, Kevin Williams and Greg Richie. Will be back on Tuesday next week.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Preacher and Prophet meet!
Well it's happened the Preacher and the Prophet have met and both lived to tell the tale.
I had to go into Birmingham on Saturday to take my wife to Symphony Hall where she was singing in Prom Praise and as Methodist Preacher had very kindly expressed a wish to purchase a copy of my new book (A Bang or a Whimper) I thought I could deliver it rather than post it to him. It only meant a very slight detour on my homeward journey and took me past City Road Methodist Church where I saw the poster about Jesus caring for Rotton Park.
I arrived near the Preacher's house and saw this man walking down the road who I thought was him so stopped the car and got out and said questioningly 'David' to which his response was 'Fat Prophet'followed by a query about what I was doing there and an invitation to come and have a cup of tea. I explained I had come to deliver the book as I was not far away taking my wife.
I spent a very pleasant hour chatting about a range of things and hearing some of the exciting activities that are going on at City Road in an attempt to bring in some new people. I wish them well in their endeavours.
I have left a copy of my book with David and now eagerly await the review on his blog.
I had to go into Birmingham on Saturday to take my wife to Symphony Hall where she was singing in Prom Praise and as Methodist Preacher had very kindly expressed a wish to purchase a copy of my new book (A Bang or a Whimper) I thought I could deliver it rather than post it to him. It only meant a very slight detour on my homeward journey and took me past City Road Methodist Church where I saw the poster about Jesus caring for Rotton Park.
I arrived near the Preacher's house and saw this man walking down the road who I thought was him so stopped the car and got out and said questioningly 'David' to which his response was 'Fat Prophet'followed by a query about what I was doing there and an invitation to come and have a cup of tea. I explained I had come to deliver the book as I was not far away taking my wife.
I spent a very pleasant hour chatting about a range of things and hearing some of the exciting activities that are going on at City Road in an attempt to bring in some new people. I wish them well in their endeavours.
I have left a copy of my book with David and now eagerly await the review on his blog.
Friday, 16 October 2009
More Lego
I posted a little fun thing that my daughter showed me the other day that involved Lego people and a song called 'The Gas Man Cometh' I did a little more searching and here's that great hit by Queen performed in Lego 'Bohemian Rhapsody'Hope you enjoy it - I particularly liked the piano player!
Thursday, 15 October 2009
New Book now available!
Some of my readers may be interested to know that my new book is now available. It is called 'A bang or a Whimper' and is a trip down memory lane (my memory) and will take you back to the sixties in the area of the Black Country where I grew up. My son who has read it five times says he thinks it is a good read and that I should sell a least two copies. The book is available for £6 plus post and packing and if you would like a copy drop me an email at ipsouthall@supanet.com and I will send you full details of how to contact me etc.
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
A little light relief
My daughter sent me this via facebook and I thought I would share it with my readers - hope you enjoy it!
Friday, 9 October 2009
Nearly the last post
I know I said I might not be posting much but I have just received the email I have copied below from the Christian Legeal Centre and thought it needed to be shared:
Church may be Forced to Close over Muslim Neighbour Singing Complaint
A LONDON Church was effectively ‘silenced’ by a Court after a decision by Magistrates to uphold a noise abatement notice, not to play excessive sound, after just one Muslim neighbour complained about noise levels of worship in a church which was next door to the house he purchased.
Singing Songs of Praise on a Sunday is normal Church activity. Using amplification is a normal part of Church life and it was argued at the Court hearing that the normal use of a Church building entails worship and cannot constitute noise nuisance.
Immanuel House of Worship Church has been meeting at 89 Vallentin Road in Walthamstow since it bought the premises in 2006. The Church was built in 1894 and was formerly used by the United Reformed Church, when the Church owned all the land on which the current properties are now built.
The property next door to the church, No 87, was formerly the Manse (vicarage) until 1989, when it was then sold by the United Reformed Church. In 2005, No 87 was sold to the current occupants. Mr and Mrs Baha Uddin. From 2005 – 2006, the property was empty and vagrants frequently hung around church. Currently, the IHOW church offers a nursery to serve the whole neighbourhood and has an impressive list of neighbours who welcome the church and who do not regard their worship as a problem.
However, Mr and Mrs Uddin complained about the level of noise of worship coming from the church for just 40 minutes a week and an Abatement Notice was served on the Church Trustees on 6 May 2009 under Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 79(1) (g). The church appealed to the magistrate court and the hearing took place on 5 and 6 October at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court.
Mr Ade Ajike, a Trustee of the church said: “When we moved into Valentinn Road in 2007, we had renovated the property and bricked up the three windows facing house No 87. We also double glazed all the windows, except one stained glass window, and spent £10,000 to carry out sound-reducing. In fact, the Council’s environmental department at the time said it would be enough just to brick up the windows.
“After moving in we invited Environmental Officers to visit the premises and we got the OK. We also visited neighbours and took them potted plants , and had no problem until Mr Uddin made his official complaint in August 2008.
“Gary Vickers, an Environmental health enforcement officer visited Mr Uddin’s house on 10th August (Sunday worship service time) and on 12 August issued a letter to us saying that in his opinion, the volume from the music was of statutory noise nuisance level throughout the neighbours’ property. He suggested to deal with matter through sensible negotiation, informing our Pastor that ‘the church had to keep the noise down so as not to offend the Muslims living in the area’. He told us ‘this is a Muslim borough, you have to tread carefully’.”
During August, IHOW took action. They reduced hours of Sunday worship from 4 hours to 2 hours 30 mins, of which music is played for about 45 minutes. They reduced their weekly services to one service on Sunday, and all mid-week services held are skeletal services without music. Sunday evening services were reduced to once a month. The Trustees also took the decision not to hire out the premises in case noise would aggravate Mr Uddin, a move which has cost the church additional revenue. However, the visiting officer changed and questioning got more hostile.
Mr Ajike said: “Officers questioned the church why they needed amplifiers when 50 years ago the Church would not have used drums and amplified music. On 6 May 2009, an Abatement Notice was issued against the church alleging an unreasonable level of noise nuisance caused by excessive loud amplified music and drums.
“Since then we have stopped using drums and further reduced our worship time to 20 minutes beginning from 11.30am on a Sunday morning. We have also restricted church services to once a week. Despite all our action, Mr Uddin, who actually lives in what was the former Manse (vicarage) to the church, would stand at church’s main entrance door and shout his complaints and demand our Pastor come out to speak to him during his sermon.”
The IHOW has sought the advice of the Christian Legal Centre over their plight and to appeal this week’s decision. CLC has instructed leading Human Right’s expert Paul Diamond to represent the church at the Appeal.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, barrister and director of the CLC said:
“The charge of nuisance in law must involve proving there is a substantial interference with comfort. Surely, any reasonable person would think that singing for 40 minutes or so once or twice a week would not cross this threshold. Worship in a Church is to be expected. The Environmental Health Officers do not seem to have taken this fact into account. This is a vibrant Afro Caribbean community of Christian believers whose worship of God is fundamental to the expression of their faith. The richness and vibrancy of groups like the London Gospel Community Choir is based on the Afro Caribbean expression of faith through music. ’
If you would like to donate to support the Christian Legal Centre in this case we would be very grateful. To do so, please click the button below.
Church may be Forced to Close over Muslim Neighbour Singing Complaint
A LONDON Church was effectively ‘silenced’ by a Court after a decision by Magistrates to uphold a noise abatement notice, not to play excessive sound, after just one Muslim neighbour complained about noise levels of worship in a church which was next door to the house he purchased.
Singing Songs of Praise on a Sunday is normal Church activity. Using amplification is a normal part of Church life and it was argued at the Court hearing that the normal use of a Church building entails worship and cannot constitute noise nuisance.
Immanuel House of Worship Church has been meeting at 89 Vallentin Road in Walthamstow since it bought the premises in 2006. The Church was built in 1894 and was formerly used by the United Reformed Church, when the Church owned all the land on which the current properties are now built.
The property next door to the church, No 87, was formerly the Manse (vicarage) until 1989, when it was then sold by the United Reformed Church. In 2005, No 87 was sold to the current occupants. Mr and Mrs Baha Uddin. From 2005 – 2006, the property was empty and vagrants frequently hung around church. Currently, the IHOW church offers a nursery to serve the whole neighbourhood and has an impressive list of neighbours who welcome the church and who do not regard their worship as a problem.
However, Mr and Mrs Uddin complained about the level of noise of worship coming from the church for just 40 minutes a week and an Abatement Notice was served on the Church Trustees on 6 May 2009 under Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 79(1) (g). The church appealed to the magistrate court and the hearing took place on 5 and 6 October at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court.
Mr Ade Ajike, a Trustee of the church said: “When we moved into Valentinn Road in 2007, we had renovated the property and bricked up the three windows facing house No 87. We also double glazed all the windows, except one stained glass window, and spent £10,000 to carry out sound-reducing. In fact, the Council’s environmental department at the time said it would be enough just to brick up the windows.
“After moving in we invited Environmental Officers to visit the premises and we got the OK. We also visited neighbours and took them potted plants , and had no problem until Mr Uddin made his official complaint in August 2008.
“Gary Vickers, an Environmental health enforcement officer visited Mr Uddin’s house on 10th August (Sunday worship service time) and on 12 August issued a letter to us saying that in his opinion, the volume from the music was of statutory noise nuisance level throughout the neighbours’ property. He suggested to deal with matter through sensible negotiation, informing our Pastor that ‘the church had to keep the noise down so as not to offend the Muslims living in the area’. He told us ‘this is a Muslim borough, you have to tread carefully’.”
During August, IHOW took action. They reduced hours of Sunday worship from 4 hours to 2 hours 30 mins, of which music is played for about 45 minutes. They reduced their weekly services to one service on Sunday, and all mid-week services held are skeletal services without music. Sunday evening services were reduced to once a month. The Trustees also took the decision not to hire out the premises in case noise would aggravate Mr Uddin, a move which has cost the church additional revenue. However, the visiting officer changed and questioning got more hostile.
Mr Ajike said: “Officers questioned the church why they needed amplifiers when 50 years ago the Church would not have used drums and amplified music. On 6 May 2009, an Abatement Notice was issued against the church alleging an unreasonable level of noise nuisance caused by excessive loud amplified music and drums.
“Since then we have stopped using drums and further reduced our worship time to 20 minutes beginning from 11.30am on a Sunday morning. We have also restricted church services to once a week. Despite all our action, Mr Uddin, who actually lives in what was the former Manse (vicarage) to the church, would stand at church’s main entrance door and shout his complaints and demand our Pastor come out to speak to him during his sermon.”
The IHOW has sought the advice of the Christian Legal Centre over their plight and to appeal this week’s decision. CLC has instructed leading Human Right’s expert Paul Diamond to represent the church at the Appeal.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, barrister and director of the CLC said:
“The charge of nuisance in law must involve proving there is a substantial interference with comfort. Surely, any reasonable person would think that singing for 40 minutes or so once or twice a week would not cross this threshold. Worship in a Church is to be expected. The Environmental Health Officers do not seem to have taken this fact into account. This is a vibrant Afro Caribbean community of Christian believers whose worship of God is fundamental to the expression of their faith. The richness and vibrancy of groups like the London Gospel Community Choir is based on the Afro Caribbean expression of faith through music. ’
If you would like to donate to support the Christian Legal Centre in this case we would be very grateful. To do so, please click the button below.
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