Europe on 5-10 Nervous Breakdowns a Day (31)
DAYS 30–33 – SATURDAY–TUESDAY, MAY 25–28, 1974 – THEY SPEAK ENGLISH!
At 6:00 a.m., the ferry was nearing Harwich, England, and we were about to start the next part of our adventure. The plan was to go to Corby, England, for a Sunday–Tuesday Bible Lectureship (over a bank holiday), then head north.
About 7:00 a.m. we left the ship, went through customs, ending up at the train station. I got our Britrail passes validated. (In the picture below, Debbie is holding our Britrail passes which are interspersed with our “Open to View” passes to several British museums, castles, etc.)
From here on, there would be no train reservations and we would be traveling 2nd class. (Yes, we had been spoiled traveling in 1st class compartments with our Eurail pass.)
We took several trains, then a bus, and arrived at the bus station in Corby about 1:00. Eventually we made it to the home of Frank and Isabel Worgan where we would spend the next few days. Frank is the preacher at Corby.
Frank informed me that he had been contacted by Joe Nisbett from Northern Ireland. Joe wouldn’t be coming to the lectureship and he said to tell me that it was not safe for me to come teach in the Northern Ireland Bible School. On May 17 (two weeks earlier), the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) had exploded four bombs in Ireland, killing thirty-three civilians and wounding three hundred more. Joe Nisbett had sent his two boys to kinfolks in Scotland, but his wife refused to leave, so he was staying with her. Teaching in training schools in Vienna and Ireland was supposed to be a major part of our trip and both had fallen through!
The lectureship started Saturday night (I had not known that). I filled in for Joe Nesbitt on Sunday night. I preached “When the Books Were Opened.” “Ed and Edith” came forward (if you remember my tract on “When the Books Were Opened”)—an unfaithful couple with a young child whom the congregation had been very concerned about. Another man asked for prayers. I also did a magic show for the young people after the service Sunday night and filled in for another preacher on Tuesday eve. Everyone was extremely responsive—no “English reserve” in sight!
A note on their building: In front of the front pews, they have moveable panels about waist high (waist high when seated). Frank called them “modesty boards.”
Judy Barker, our friend from Australia who had been with us in London, showed up for the lectureship. Judy told me, “I went halfway around the globe to see the rest of the world—and I still have to listen to you preach!”
There were over 200 people at the lectureship. (The picture below is of the crowd present during the day. You get extra credit if you can spot any of our family.)
I might mention that Corby is located in what used to be part of the Sherwood Forest, so I snapped a picture of some of the remaining trees. I thus got a picture of Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest even before getting to Nottingham.
