Barton in the Beans

 

Barton in the Beans

by Joanne Limburg

For comfort on bad nights

open out a map of Middle England

and sing yourself to sleep

with a lullaby of English names:

Shouldham Thorpe, in gentle sunshine,

Swadlincote, in a Laura Ashley frock,

Little Cubley, veins running with weak tea'

Kibworth Beauchamp, praying on protestant knees,

Ashby-de-la-Zouch, saying 'Morning',

Wigston Parva, smiling - but not too widely,

Ramsey Mereside, raising an eyebrow,

Eye Kettleby, where they'd rather not talk about it,

Market Overton, echoing with the slamming doors

of Cold Overton, where teenagers flee every night to their rooms,

screaming that from Appleby Magna to Stubbers Green

they never met a soul who understood.

They never met a soul.

At Barton in the Beans, the rain says Ssssshhhhh...

I was reminded of this poem, which I have loved for many years, because of the names of the two roads I have been given to work. I have to do my preaching work by letter these days, as I can no longer walk well enough to go door to door. They are new roads, on a new estate, and one is a "Chase", the other is a "Grove".

Was there ever a hunting party that regularly hunted on that "Chase"? Was there ever a grove of trees where this "Grove" now stands?

Didn't those terms mean something once, as the name Barton in the Beans did?

I was thinking for instance of Ramsbottom - a numinous name from my childhood as it was close to my Granny's - and a name that has nothing to do with sheep and their rear ends, but means a valley of wild garlic. See Col's photo of Ramsons Wild Garlic above.

It is not a name that is likely to be poached for some new road on some new estate though - not upmarket enough.

Words, which should be full of import, are being drained of their meaning it seems. And is that all helping to cut us off from our past, leaving us adrift in a meaningless present?

In contrast, Jehovah uses words with great care - and we need to pay attention to everything he has told us in the Inspired Scriptures. Every word is important - vitally important. We are so close to the moment described at Daniel 2:44. Please look it up, and think about it. And if and when you do, bear in mind that the Seventy Weeks prophecy in Daniel not only told the Jews the exact year the Messiah would appear as he did - but warned them what would happen afterwards - as it did.

We can be sure of the rescue Jehovah has promised. But we do need to take hold of it.

We had a visitor on Saturday afternoon. One of the old boys from Col's recent School reunion. "Old" being the operative word these days. When we had all caught up on each other's health issues over tea and biscuits, we plan to meet up in a year or so when he and his wife have sold up in the Philippines and moved back to the South of England.