Piddingworth Greg Benton |
pidd.net |
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| 'Piddingworth...where St. George's Cross is not yet banned.' --Mark Steyn |
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| Piddingworth is my home located east of Toronto, Canada on a small farm near Hampton and Oshawa, Ontario. The farm was built by the Haass family who came here from Bavaria, Germany about 1930. Originally farming with Holstein dairy cattle and swine, the fields now produce oats, barley or corn for two other local farmers. High on a hill, looking south, one can see over Lake Ontario to Rochester, New York. To the southwest, the skyline of Toronto is visible on a clear day. To the north are the fields and hills. To the east is the original farmhouse, built circa 1880, which was sold. I took the name "Piddingworth" from my grandmother's house in Sussex, England. Located on a farm in Stanmer, near Brighton, it was shelled during the second world war and remains now an empty ruin. My "nana" Rose West lived there with her parents, George Ambrose and Sarah West and their family until she came to Canada with her husband, (my Grandad Ernest Leonard from Plymouth, Devon) at the end of the first world war. The Wests were tenant farmers who farmed land remarkably similar to this. They lived a hard life where there was much illness and tragedy. George Ambrose went blind in a farming accident; compounding the hardship they already faced and Sarah Ann died in 1915 at the age of 51. Nana Rose and her sisters and brothers walked several miles from Piddingworth to the village of Falmer for school every day. I took a piligrimage there in 1991 to honour my grandmother and family and celebrate the legacy I received from her. Through the contributions of my brothers and cousins, memorials were given to the parish of Stanmer and Falmer, St. Laurence Church and the Chapel at Stanmer where Rose was confirmed. George and Sarah are buried in the Chapel's graveyard. A carved wooden crucifix was dedicated in their name in the chapel and £360 purchased a cibiorium (a vessel for the consecrated hosts at the eucharist) for St. Laurence, where I had the privilege to con-celebrate the Holy Eucharist and preached to a full congregation. While there, I one day made the distance from the village to the middle of Stanmer Farm where the ruins of Piddingworth remain by an old oak tree. One is still able to see the front entrance to the house, though it's walls were all that remained. It was an unusual and exceptional moment as I stood there amidst the rubble and thought of my West family and especially my dear grandmother! It really was quite "other-worldly". For some reason, I felt moved to pick up several large stones from the house and stuffed them into the very handy large pockets of my Burberry coat. When I returned to Canada, I had a jeweller create several crosses and pendants from the stone (which was flint) set them in gold and gave them to my mother, her sisters, my brothers and cousins...and with the recent discovery of more West cousins in England, have also created little pieces for them. These remain, a tangible memorial of that day and special place and of our West family. Thus, this new "Piddingworth" is something of a symbol of the continued blessings that I have received from my gentle, strong, soft and loving grandmother and her legacy of faith, family and virtue. It is a home that rejoices in the English spirit celebrated, not in and of hardship or of the remnants of war, but by the simple comforts, loving friendships, prayer and enjoyment of life's good things. Following the events of 11 September, I raised a flag pole at the front of the house, and placed a little piece of stone from Piddingworth, Sussex into the foundation. It's a lovely thought to me that a piece of that old home in England, always in me, shall also always be here and perhaps touch others. |
| ...he maketh me to lie down in green pastures... he restoreth my soul.... 23rd Psalm |
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| Rose West |
| Great and glorious God, my Lord, Jesus Christ! I implore Thee to enlighten me, and to disperse the darkness of my soul. Give me true faith, firm hope, and perfect charity. Grant me, O Lord, to know Thee so well, that in all things I may act by Thy Light, and in accordance with Thy Holy Will. Amen. |
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