Prices’ Christmas Letter 2009

2009 has been a funny old year, a grim one for many people. It beats me how we have mostly lived acquiescently through it and taken it in our stride, instead of rising up in fury against the financiers whose greed and irresponsibility caused the worldwide crisis, and the craven politicians who were happy to claim for themselves the credit of the boom years while they lasted, and now haven’t a clue about how to put things right or prevent the bankers from doing it all again, next time round. Meanwhile the FSA, the alleged regulators of the system, continue to make trustees and signatories of church and small parish charity accounts jump through hoops to prove their identity, ostensibly to prevent the major problem of money laundering which used to go on through such bank accounts. (?!) I suppose, come to think of it, that is a whole lot easier than doing anything to bring the bankers under control.

It’s all going to make voting a difficult decision when That Election finally happens. More to the point, it makes it clear how much we need modern prophets to speak the truth, and how desperately our world needs to turn back to God’s ways.

I thought I’d start with the rant to prove that I really am, officially, entitled to be a grumpy old man, having turned 60 this year. Alison says that only explains the ‘old’ bit - the grumpiness is without excuse, and anyway, what’s new about it? But we’ve been sorry to receive various pieces of sad news this year, and in Christmas letters, including news of friends or their relations made redundant, suffering other collateral damage from the recession, or having the anxiety of caring for ageing or sick relatives or spouses. One of Alison’s university friends sadly and unexpectedly died earlier in the year, and that always makes you have thoughts of mortality.

But mostly, lots of contemporaries turning 60. (Q. Why do they say 60 is the new 40? A. Because you’ll still have to work another 20 years to get your pension.) But no, being 60 is great, really. I get a free bus pass, while Alison still has to pay! And free prescriptions! The last time I went to see my GP, she kept plying me with extra medications, even when I didn’t need them... We celebrated the day with a quiet family lunch - well, not so quiet really, with eight excited children-and-spouses - and a bring-and-share lunch at church the next day. The parish were very kind, and claim they are quite happy to keep me for a few more years. That will be till I retire, as I’m some way past that magic age of 35-with-20-years’-experience, that most parishes want new vicars to be.

Alison was priested at the beginning of October by Bishop Colin, in Blackbird Leys Church. It was a really happy day and a joyful service which lots of our congregation were able to attend. Her first Eucharist the following Sunday was also a great occasion for us all, and all the family were able to get there to share in it. Working together as the ‘parish clergy team’ has really been one of the best things for us. Even though it all came as a surprise when Alison first started exploring her vocation, it now seems so very natural and right, and it is great that Bishop John agreed she could be licensed here in Marston and Elsfield, and that the parishes have been so very welcoming.

And next, she is going to be 60. On January 9th: all birthday cards etc. to the above address, please. The plan is that she will reduce her hours at Oxford Brookes to 0.5 for the rest of the academic year. For the last term she has been teaching religion education as well as mathematics, which has been an interesting and stretching experience. No doubt she will find plenty to do with the extra time she has. The vicar’s plans for her to run the parish while he retires to his hammock or writes his book look less likely to materialize, however, as she has embarked (surprise!) on an RSCM distance learning course on church music, wants some time for herself, AND - is going to become a grandmother in February.

Other family news:

Tom and Annie have been renting a flat in Beaconsfield for the last year or more, having sold their flat in Bow, while Tom continues to work for the same firm in London, and Annie drives to Oxford each day to her new job in the new Cancer Centre here. They have just had an offer accepted on a house in Beaconsfield, but won’t have moved in time to entertain us all for Christmas.

Martha and Paul are living in Wimbledon. It’s not always easy to know what they’re up to, especially if you look at her Facebook page; and she doesn’t phone home, probably because she’s busy posting cryptic comments on Facebook. (Hint, Martha!)

Naomi and Alex are closest to us geographically, living in Haddenham in Bucks (just). Alex has been working away a lot the past year, commuting weekly to Durham for his firm. It’s these two who are about to make us Granny and Grumps. (No, I can be that all by myself: Granddad will do fine, thanks.) Naomi has been really excited all the way through, and at her 20-week scan was definitely not going to be able to resist being told what sex the baby was, or sharing the information with the more old-fashioned members of the family who would have been content to wait. That’s how we can tell you that the grandchild is a - well, no, YOU can wait for this news, even if we weren’t allowed to.

Esther and David are living in West Bridgford, Nottingham, where Esther is in her first permanent job as a classroom teacher of 5 and 6 year-olds, while David is in his second year as a fully qualified NHS hospital doctor. They are hoping to stay in Nottingham when it comes to applying for a permanent appointment, but if his career does take him away from there, they hope it will be relatively easy for Esther to get a teaching job wherever they may end up.

Alison’s Mum is still fit and independent, and enjoying living in Sherborne. She doesn’t drive as much as she used to, but is kept busy keeping up with her 5 children, 13 grandchildren and 9 (soon to be 10) great-grandchildren. Tony’s Mum is rather more frail, and being looked after in a care home in Tregaron in deepest Welsh Wales, but she keeps mentally alert and is looking forward to her first great-grandchild. She has just celebrated her 89th birthday.

Tony hasn’t been blogging or internetting quite as much this year, chiefly because he wanted to spend more time on proper reading. He’s been trying to catch up on some New Testament topics, reading various books by those indefatigable Wright Brothers (Tom, and N. T.) and is currently enjoying what could turn out to be a lengthy weight-training schedule with Diarmaid MacCulloch’s History of Christianity. If you haven’t been following the TV series on BBC4, don’t miss it when it comes on BBC2 in the New Year - it’s great! Really makes you thank God you’re a Protestant / Anglican / semi-Methodist with Moravian sympathies. (Or maybe others will fill the gap with Catholic, Orthodox, Miaphysite (who?), etc.)

For all 2009’s grimness at times, we have lots to be really thankful for, and to look forward to in Twenty-Ten, if that’s what it’s going to be called. We pray that you will all be richly blessed this Christmas and in the New Year. Keep in touch!