Aspire, swimming and me: Sue’s story May 17, 2022
Posted by Phil Groom in Appeals, Fundraising.Tags: Archdeacon of Wilts, Aspire Charity, Cotswold Water Park, Lake 32, Lake 86, South West Swim, Spinal Injury, Sponsored Swim, Sue Groom, Swimming
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SIX YEARS AGO, in 2016, Sue started a series of sponsored swims for Aspire, the spinal injuries charity. Lots of people have asked why — what’s the connection with Aspire? In this post, Sue explains how she got involved with the charity, what she’s hoping to achieve this year, and invites you to become part of it with her. Read on to find out how…
I first came across Aspire back in 2016. My attention was caught by a poster in the changing rooms at my local swimming pool in Devizes. It was advertising the Aspire Channel Swim Challenge – swim 22 miles over twelve weeks in your local pool – to raise funds for Aspire and support people with spinal cord injury.
I have swum regularly since I was advised to do so by an orthopaedic surgeon when I was twenty, although as the years have gone by I seem to have become more and more addicted to it!
Aspire is a national charity based at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. It provides practical help – supporting people with spinal cord injury to live as full and independent lives as possible. My own history of chronic pain and multiple hip operations has given me a particular affinity for anyone struggling with pain and disability so Aspire seemed an obvious charity for me to raise money for by swimming.
But there are even more connections: when I was a young child, being treated for complications around congenital dislocation of the hip, my parents were given the choice between me being referred for specialist treatment to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore or to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford. In the end they chose Oxford because they thought it would be easier to get to from our home in Bracknell. Furthermore, when I was a parish priest in London I knew the chaplain at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and I covered for her when she went on holiday so I had actually been there.
Aspire do amazing work at the hospital but the charity has developed nationwide. Aspire staff and volunteers work in spinal injuries centres across the UK. The charity provides accessible houses for people to live in whilst their own accommodation is being adapted, or until they find a suitable alternative home. Aspire has Independent Living Advisors who support those who have suffered spinal cord injuries. Aspire provides Assistive Technology, a Welfare Benefits Advice Service, a Money Matters Service, and grants to people. Aspire uses swimming and other sports to rehabilitate those who have suffered spinal cord injuries. They provide practical help and emotional support.
I was shocked to discover that every four hours someone is paralysed by a spinal cord injury. Aspire exists because there is currently no cure. It can happen to anyone at any time and the effects are life changing. Disability is expensive: voice recognition software costs £150; a light wheelchair costs upwards of £3,000 and to adapt and furnish an Aspire house costs £30,000. Life is more expensive for those with spinal cord injuries – they may need a carer to accompany them when they go out, or to travel by taxi because public transport is not accessible.
Once I learnt more about Aspire, I was determined to use my regular swim to raise funds for this amazing charity. I swam the Aspire Channel Challenge (22 miles over twelve weeks) in 2016 and 2017. Then, in the summer of 2018, I began swimming in Lake 86 in the Cotswold Water Park near Cirencester. The fresh air made a pleasant change from always smelling of chlorine! In February 2019 I had a hip replacement and that autumn I swam not just 22 miles but 100 miles over the twelve weeks, in pools and the lake.
In 2020, after the first lockdown, I wanted to try something different so I swam along the River Arun in Sussex – that was nearly four times my longest swim the previous year.
Last year I swam across the Solent from Stokes Bay to Ryde Sands. I had hardly ever swum in the sea, apart from paddling as a child on holiday! There were large boats and small boats, fast boats and slow boats, kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, you name it but I managed to swim safely across.
This year I am doing two swims to raise funds for Aspire: the first is across Lake Bala in the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. Llyn Tegid, to give the lake its proper name, is a beautiful deep dark lake which tends to be quite cool, around 16°C, and subject to windy, choppy conditions!
With that in mind I kept my open water swimming going through last winter for the first time, twice a week at Lake 32 (also in the Cotswold Water Park) – the temperature got down to 2.5°C, so 16°C in June seems like a luxury! The swim across Lake Bala should be about three miles.
The swim across Lake Bala has been arranged by my swimming coach, Jason Tait of South West Swim, and I am very grateful to Jason for all his encouragement and support as well as for his expertise, which has helped me tremendously with my development as a swimmer.
My second swim this year will be in July at the Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival where I aim to swim four miles, my longest swim yet, one mile at a time, the full length of the course. I suspect that I may find the clambering out and walking back to the start after each mile more tiring than the actual swimming. We will see!
My experience of swimming for Aspire has certainly kept me fit and healthy, given me a new challenge to rise to each year, and made me appreciate more than ever my own ability to feel the tips of my fingers and the tingle in my toes, something that can be forever lost to people with spinal cord injuries.
That’s my story and I would be absolutely delighted if you would like to make it part of your story too by sponsoring me for this year’s swims: you can do that through my latest JustGiving page.
I know that many of you have already sponsored me over the last few years and I am very grateful for your generosity. On behalf of Aspire, a big, big thank you for that, but there’s always more work for Aspire to do so if you can, please do sponsor me again this year. Even if you can’t, you can still help by sharing this story with other people, with your family and friends and anyone else in your social media networks.
Many of you will probably know that I’m a Church of England Archdeacon in the Diocese of Salisbury, affectionately known there as the Aquadeacon because of my swimming.
My hope and prayer is that in raising funds for Aspire to support people with spinal injuries in some small way I am helping to bring good news to those who are suffering and to bind up their broken hearts, to show them that people do care. I feel very strongly that it is important that those of us within the church who are commissioned and licensed to a particular ministry do not restrict our ministry to those we know within the church or within our local communities but that we reach out in love and service to people we may never even meet.
That’s what my sponsored swims are about and that’s why I’m appealing to you, please, to sponsor me if you can. Thank you very much.
This post is adapted from a talk given at St Mary’s Church, Calne, on Saturday 14 May 2022 for a Service of Celebration of Lay Ministers.
GroomNews Christmas 2020: the strangest of years… December 3, 2020
Posted by Phil Groom in Advent and Christmas, Death, Family, Life, News.Tags: 2020, Christmas 2020, GroomNews, NB Almost, Phil & Sue Groom, Phil Groom, Sue Groom
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2020: it’s a year none of us is likely to forget, no matter how much we’d like to, full of words like pandemic, unprecedented, furlough, shielding, lockdown and tiers. For many it’s been a year of grief (we’ve had some of that) but it’s also been a year of hope and transformation as people have discovered new ways of working and doing things differently under lockdown.
We’ll start with the grief: as the year wore on, Phil’s Dad’s health took a turn for the worse and, sadly, he died in October. Here he is sitting in his favourite armchair. Now he’s with his Lord in glory, probably discussing the finer details of theology, biblical interpretation, carpentry and how to build model windmills…
Life under lockdown
How have you dealt with lockdown and tiers? For us it began with working from home, then Phil was furloughed and told to shield (due to COPD), church buildings were closed and Sue — along with all other clergy — had to learn how to lead worship from home: zoom zoom! Then came the challenge of keeping fit…
Enter the world of bungee-cord swimming: Sue took to it, if not like a duck to water, certainly like a pro-swimmer. The biggest problem was the neighbourhood cats, who took great delight in getting their claws into the air-ring around the pool. Thankfully strategic patching and fencing helped it last until Sue’s favourite lake in the Cotswold Water Park reopened, after which it was swim, swim, swim until she was ready for this year’s sponsored swim for Aspire, 6.5km along the River Arun.
Other News…
🌟 Sue passed her LLM in Canon Law with flying colours, achieving a distinction and an award for the best Masters in Law thesis.
🎾 Phil set up an improvised tennis court in the back yard which helped keep both of us moving during lockdown.
🏊♀️ Sue swam the Henley Mile in August as part of her preparation for her River Arun swim.
🪵 Phil has sawn, split and chopped more firewood than ever to keep us going through the winter.
✅ Sue’s Mum is still living contentedly in her own home with a full-time live-in carer.
🥕 Phil’s also been keeping himself busy in the garden growing carrots, potatoes and leeks.
👍 Sue has had a wonderfully pain-free year!
🧁 Phil has done lots of lovely lockdown baking, including chocolate brownies & Ovaltine cookies using a recipe from his Mum — thanks Mum!
Holidays!
We’ve been very fortunate with holidays this year: a week in Hayle, Cornwall, with Sue’s sister Alison, which included sailing with dolphins and visits to the Seal Sanctuary & Land’s End; and a week’s retreat with the Sheldon Community in Devon, stopping off at Sidmouth en route in both directions. Saving the best till last, an undoubted highlight of our year was a SwimQuest holiday at Club La Santa, Lanzarote, way back in February, with Olympic swimmer James Goddard and a group of other enthusiastic swimmers from around the UK.
Finally a huge thank you to everyone who has cheered us on and encouraged us through what has been a very bleak year for so many: without that support this would have been a very different year. With our love & prayers for Christmas and hoping with you for the best possible year ahead,
GroomNews Christmas 2019 – A Rollercoaster of a year! December 13, 2019
Posted by Phil Groom in Advent and Christmas, Family, Life, News.Tags: Archdeacon of Wilts, GroomNews, Phil & Sue Groom, Phil Groom, Sue Groom
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Last year we wrote about some of the surprises life had thrown our way. This year the surprises have continued and it’s been a real rollercoaster ride of ups and downs…
⬆️ Hip hip hooray for Sue’s new hip! Yes, it’s corny but never mind: she had the op in February and it was as if she’d been given a new lease of life, both legs the same length at last and free from pain. We celebrated by buying new bikes and began cycling up and down the towpaths, discovered other local cycle routes and even began to play tennis again…
⬇️ Then suddenly in the summer Sue’s back objected and a protracted episode — about 4 months! — of sciatica kicked in: the pain and discomfort was worse than ever! She pushed on through, kept on swimming and happily that episode is now over: thank you for all your prayers and encouragement.
⬆️ Having kept the swimming going, Sue decided to go for it and entered this year’s Aspire Channel Swim: thanks to your support, as we write she’s at No.7 on the national leaderboard having raised over £1,300 and swum more than 80 miles!
⬅️ This is Sue’s Aspire Channel Swim page on JustGiving – there’s still time to sponsor her if you’d like to show your support!
⬆️ Sue is now a member of Salisbury Cathedral Chapter. No, I don’t really know what that means either: you’ll have to ask her to explain!
⬆️ Phil’s Dad is still with us, battling on with the support of friends and family, most of all from Phil’s Mum. Amazingly, the stomach cancer hasn’t spread and the meds he’s on seem to be keeping his pain levels under control.
⬇️ Various trips to hospital for Phil’s Dad as other health issues have arisen.
⬆️ Phil survived the restructuring of Canal & River Trust and now has a much bigger fundraising region, Wales & South West. Look out for members of his team on a waterway near you, stop for a friendly chat — even better, he says: sign up and become a Friend!
⬇️ Sadly it’s been a steady downhill slide for Sue’s Mum as she becomes increasingly lost in dementia, plus hospital trips for her too.
⬆️ Phil passed his driving test in March, which means we can now share the driving when visiting friends & family.
⬆️ Discovering Sidmouth
No doubt about it, one of the best ups in our rollercoaster ride was discovering Sidmouth, first taking a short break there by ourselves, then another break with Alison, Sue’s sister. The people were friendly, the weather was kind and both Sue and Alison went swimming in the sea. We also fitted in a cruise along the Jurassic Coast: highly recommended!
⬅️ Here’s Almost on the K&A during this year’s summer holiday.
Watch this space: she’s about to grow longer in 2020!
All in all it’s been another interesting year with the various ups and downs, but we’ve been aware of many people praying for us through the rough patches: if you’re one of those people, thank you – we’d be grateful for your continued prayers, especially for our parents with the ongoing challenges they’re facing.
As always, this comes to you with our love, prayers and very best wishes for Christmas and the year ahead,
Swimming to save the world August 28, 2019
Posted by Phil Groom in Appeals, Campaigns, Life.Tags: Aspire, Aspire Channel Swim, Hope, Sue Groom, Swimming, Your help needed
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Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration: what Sue is actually doing is swimming to help people with spinal injuries, raising funds for Aspire, the charity that, in its own words, “provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury, supporting them from injury to independence.”
It’s something that means a lot to Sue, even more so recently as she herself has been suffering with debilitating back pain and sciatica for several weeks, giving her a glimpse, albeit a small one, into that world. Sue’s personal history of chronic pain caused by CDH (Congenital Dislocation of the Hip) and a whole raft of operations to deal with that – culminating in a hip replacement in February this year – has given her a particular affinity for anyone struggling with pain and disability.
One thing that’s kept her going down the years, down the decades in fact, is swimming. Swimming quite literally takes the weight off your feet, relieves the stress on your joints and gives you a sense of freedom that’s difficult to find in any other activity. Starting the day with a swim is like pressing a reset button on your mind as you enter the rhythm of the strokes, stretching out and reaching for the pool’s far end, then repeat, occasionally changing stroke until, suddenly, you find that you’ve swum 40, 50 or even 60 lengths: where did the time go? But as the time flies by, your mind settles, ideas coalesce and new possibilities take shape.
New possibilities. That’s what Aspire offers to people with spinal injuries. Hope where there was no hope, a future where there was no future. And that’s why I, as Sue’s husband, am proud to support what she’s doing here and want to invite you to become a part of it with her by sponsoring her swim this year.
She’s really going for it this time around, out of the pool and into open water, swimming in lakes and in the sea, stretching out, recharging her batteries and, with your support and mine, saving someone else’s world.
Whether it’s as little as a fiver – less than the price of a coffee and a cake in most cafés these days – or something more, whatever you can afford, every contribution counts.
Thank you for your support.
GroomNews Christmas 2018: A Year of Surprises December 13, 2018
Posted by Phil Groom in Advent and Christmas, Family, Life, Watching and Waiting.Tags: Archdeacon of Wilts, GroomNews, Phil & Sue Groom, Phil Groom, Sue Groom
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One of the best things about life is its endless capacity to take you by surprise. I think it’s safe to say that certain shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night understood that…
Knitivity, by Phil’s Mum
Sometimes those surprises are good. In no particular order, as they say on Strictly:
- The arrival of a new great-nephew, Adley. Okay, not a complete surprise, his parents, Sam & Darren, did tell us that he was on the way: congratulations, Sam & Darren!
- Family get-togethers, including a wedding for one of Sue’s cousins and Phil’s Mum’s 80th birthday party…
- Phil landing his dream job with Canal & River Trust in April…
- Visiting lots of lovely coffee shops – and discovering their magnificent cakes – whilst on retreat at Alnmouth Friary…
The Village Tearooms, Alnmouth: without a doubt, one of the best cafés in Alnmouth!
- A Special Appreciation Award for Phil at this year’s Christian Resources Together Authors, Booksellers and Publishers retreat…
- The opportunity for Sue to take a holiday in Cornwall and explore Land’s End with her sister, Alison…
- Catching up with friends we hadn’t seen for years…
- Discovering the free public tennis courts at Bradford-on-Avon during our summer holiday on Almost…
Sometimes those surprises are not so good:
- Getting back from that summer holiday only for Sue to wake up in excruciating pain one day the following week, leading to various tests and investigations and – eventually – a diagnosis of a prolapsed disc, a consequence of her long-term hip problems. The good news, however, is that her back is now much better, the pain is under control and she is on the waiting list for a hip replacement…
- Phil being told in November that his wonderful new job is one of around 240 roles at risk of redundancy within Canal & River Trust as the organisation undergoes a major restructuring…
- Phil’s Dad collapsing, being rushed into hospital and being diagnosed with stomach cancer…
Meanwhile many other things in life continue as normal:
- The joys and challenges of being an Archdeacon, which include taking services and supporting parishes through clergy vacancies, meaning that most weeks we attend a different church, always good fun; sitting on various committees; licensing new clergy and other church workers; sitting on various committees; helping to resolve conflict; sitting on various committees; doing radio interviews; sitting on various committees…
- Sue’s studies in Ecclesiastical Law in Cardiff. It’s a two year course, so this is her final year already!
- Sue’s swimming, 50 or 60 lengths most mornings, interspersed with Pilates classes, physiotherapy sessions and walks along the towpath, all of which combine to help keep her fit.
- Sue’s Mum, still living in her own home with the support of a live-in carer.
- Phil’s driving lessons, the end of which are hopefully in sight as his driving test comes up just before Christmas! Clear those roads!!
All in all it’s been an interesting year with plenty of ups and downs, but we’ve been aware of many people praying for us through the rough patches: if you’re one of those people, thank you – we’d be grateful for your continued prayers, especially for our parents with the challenges they’re facing.
As always, this comes to you with our love, prayers and very best wishes for Christmas and the year ahead,
GroomNews Christmas 2017 December 9, 2017
Posted by Phil Groom in Advent and Christmas, Life, News.Tags: Archdeacon of Wilts, Caen Hill, Darton Longman and Todd, DLT Books, GroomNews, Hurtigruten, Kennet & Avon Canal, Phil & Sue Groom, Phil Groom, Sue Groom
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GroomNews Christmas 2017: download and fold in 4 to make a Christmas card (pdf, 254kb)
WELCOME to GroomNews Christmas 2017 as another remarkable year draws to an end. Thank you, first of all, to everyone who has been in touch—or even visited—during the year. We apologise where we haven’t kept in touch as well as we should.
Cruising the Norwegian Fjords
The year’s highlight came early on, a cruise around the Norwegian Fjords on Hurtigruten’s MS Finnmarken at the end of March. It’s a holiday we promised ourselves many years ago and this year, with Sue’s doctorate completed, we finally managed it.
Some of the trip’s highlights were meeting the husky puppies after going on a husky sleigh ride; crossing the Arctic Circle; a midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral; and a visit to Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, pictured above.
Meeting the Husky Puppies
Celebrating 30 Years
Yes, that’s right: it’s hard to believe that three decades have passed since that day in 1987 when we said, “I will!” We celebrated with a day out in Bath (and bought each other presents, of course!). Thank you to all those who have supported us down the years and to everyone who sent us cards and/or greetings on facebook.
Being an Archdeacon
Sue is as busy as ever in her work as Archdeacon of Wilts and—perhaps most importantly—still enjoying the role and the various challenges it brings. Keep an eye on the Diocese of Salisbury facebook and twitter pages for updates on what’s happening in the diocese, including some of Sue’s activities.
Swimming the Channel—again!
A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored Sue in this year’s Aspire Channel Swim Challenge: in the 12 weeks Sue swam over 50 miles—more than double the distance—and raised more than £724 (plus Gift Aid) to support people with spinal injuries. Although the swim is officially over you can still sponsor her via her JustGiving page >> go on, you know you want to!
Beyond Caen Hill…
For this year’s summer holiday we took Almost down the world-famous flight of Caen Hill Locks, through Bradford-on-Avon and Bath, to Hanham on the River Avon—then back again, of course. If you’ve never visited Caen Hill, you should: it’s one of the Wonders of the Waterways. Look out for Phil and his colleagues fundraising for Canal & River Trust at the Welcome Station outside the café. Please don’t just walk on by: stop and say hi—we don’t bite!
DLT Books Christmas Sale 2017
DLT Advocate
Phil is still working freelance on a part-time basis for DLT Books (Darton, Longman & Todd), looking after several twitter accounts and helping with publicity & promotions. If you follow him on twitter or facebook you’ll often see him giving shout outs for new titles or special offers. Right now the Christmas Sale is in full swing with 1/3 off the entire gift book range: use discount code xmas17 at the online checkout. Some great stocking fillers there but you’ll need to move fast now to get your orders in for Christmas!
Follow @DLT_Advocate Follow @AmazingLove_DLT Follow @Vote4CommonGood
Learning…
Both of us are on a steep learning curve at the moment: for Phil, the L-plates are out as he—at long last!—learns to drive, chivvied along by John, one of his colleagues on the CRT fundraising team; and for Sue, it’s getting to grips with Canon (aka Ecclesiastical) Law. Ooo-er…
With our love, prayers and very best wishes for Christmas and the coming year,
GroomNews Christmas 2016 December 10, 2016
Posted by Phil Groom in Advent and Christmas, Life, News.Tags: Archdeacon of Wilts, Darton Longman and Todd, Devizes, DLT Books, GroomNews, Phil & Sue Groom, Phil Groom, Sue Groom
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WELCOME to GroomNews Christmas 2016 — and what a year it’s been! We’ve moved home, moved boat, both started new jobs, met lots of new people, lost and found the Christmas wrapping paper… but that’s getting ahead of ourselves: back to the beginning.
Farewell to Henlow & Langford
A huge thank you, first of all, to the wonderful people of Henlow and Langford, not only for giving us a very generous send-off but also for taking the time to travel to Devizes and join us for Sue’s collation and official welcome as Archdeacon of Wilts back in February.
Discovering the Archdeaconry of Wilts
Sue is thoroughly enjoying exploring Wiltshire, visiting the 123 churches in the archdeaconry and getting to know so many different people. Much of her time is spent on appointments: it’s vital to find the right priest for each post. She’s also now making a point of visiting the area’s 53 church schools, where she loves leading collective worship and meeting pupils, staff and governors. Other responsibilities include taking the lead on Safeguarding within the diocese and attending various regular meetings about finance and buildings.
Forget Doctor Who: Here’s Doctor Sue!
Sue submitted her DThM thesis in January before we moved, then came the viva in May and—yes!—she passed with flying colours, not even minor corrections required. The graduation ceremony followed in Durham in July and Sue now enjoys the title of Venerable Doctor. A chapter from the thesis is due to be published in the Anglican Theological Review in Spring 2017. What comes next? If the plan comes together, an LLM in Canon Law at Cardiff, studies commencing next autumn.
Swimming the Channel…
Virtually, that is, 22 miles length by length in our local pool! Sue took up the Aspire Channel Swim Challenge in September, swam the width of the Channel twice, and raised over £1,200 in the process to support people with spinal injuries. A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored her.
Onto the Kennet & Avon
We moved Almost onto the K&A in the summer, cruising up the Thames to Reading and across to Devizes, where Almost is now moored, just a short walk from home. It’s a lovely 87 mile long waterway that stretches across the south of the country to Bath. Phil is getting to know the canal well as he now works part time for CRT, the Canal & River Trust: look out for him at the Caen Hill welcome station if ever you’re out on the towpath!
Moored at Kingston upon Thames, en route to Devizes
Back into the Book Trade, and still baking!
Phil is also working part time with DLT Books (Darton, Longman & Todd), helping with publicity and promotions to raise awareness and reach out to people and groups that traditional trade routes aren’t reaching as well as they might. You can find out more and read excerpts from lots of books on the DLT Books Blog, and right now the entire backlist—everything published in 2015 or earlier—is half-price in the Christmas Sale: simply use the discount code xmas in the online shopping basket to activate the discount!
… and yes, Phil is still head chef, baker, bottle washer and gardener, as well as collector of firewood for our lovely open fireplaces!
With our love, prayers and very best wishes for Christmas and the coming year,
— Phil & Sue
Keeping us cosy: our lounge fireplace (December 2016)
GroomNews Christmas 2015 December 14, 2015
Posted by Phil Groom in Advent and Christmas, Life, News.Tags: Almost, Archdeacon of Wilts, Christmas, Christmas Greetings, GroomNews, Phil & Sue Groom, Phil Groom, Preparing to move, Sue Groom
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The Visit of the Magi, from one of many Crib Sets featured in the St Mary’s Henlow Family Crib Festival this year. Click through the picture to find out more…
WELCOME to GroomNews Christmas 2015! Another year almost over as we wonder where the time went as we prepare to celebrate the wonder of God With Us as we prepare to move home and boat as we — phew: got all that? Exciting times here on Planet Groomsville!
Introducing the Next Archdeacon of Wilts
If you saw the announcements in November, you can skip this; but for those who missed it, we’re delighted to announce that Sue has been appointed as the next Archdeacon of Wilts in the Diocese of Salisbury.
So what, you may wonder, is an Archdeacon? Think of it as the Church of England’s equivalent of an Area Manager: instead of looking after her own parish, Sue will be working with lots of parishes, supporting their mission and ministry and helping clergy and PCCs as they deal with various administrative, legal and other issues. Want to know more? See the press release on the Salisbury diocesan website: A New Archdeacon for Wilts
What about Phil?
Good question! He’s handing in his notice at Sainsbury’s with a transfer request to Devizes, where we’ll be based (our new home is only 100 yards or so from the Kennet & Avon Canal) but there are no vacancies there right now so we’re looking at a period (hopefully brief) where he’ll be Archdeacon’s Estate Manager. In other words, baking cakes and looking after house & garden until he finds paid work. Baking cakes? Yes indeed: his new hobby — here’s his latest, this year’s Christmas cake:
This year’s Christmas Cake (recipe adapted from Mary Berry; mixed, baked, iced and decorated by Phil)
His other creations (or concoctions, depending on your point of view) this year have included cheese scones, apple cinnamon cakes, apple & apricot cakes and a cherry-lemon loaf.
In the meantime, he’s as busy as ever with various other projects including 5 Quid for Life, the UK Christian Bookshops Directory and a miscellany of church and community websites: paid work or otherwise, he’s not about to run out of things to do!
Research News: almost there!
The end is in sight for Sue’s research as she works on her final chapter (the conclusion, of course) and pulls everything together before submission next year—gulp!
Almost waiting for a lock on the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union (July 2015)
Almost Update
No edition of GroomNews would be complete without an Almost update, so here it is: our fridge died. Sob! After 25 years loyal service, no less, on the first night of this year’s holiday! Boat fridges don’t come cheap, alas: a replacement would have cost at least £600; but after much asking around, we found someone who could fix it and it’s back in action, cool as ever, for only £60.
And finally…
Finally, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has encouraged and supported us along the way, with special thanks to the people of Henlow and Langford. It’s been wonderful to see the two churches grow in confidence, faith and love: long may that continue! If you’d like to know more about either or both churches, visit their websites or facebook pages — or even better, visit in person: you can be sure of a warm welcome!
- St Mary’s: henlowchurch.org.uk | facebook.com/StMarysHenlow
- St Andrew’s: langfordchurch.org.uk | facebook.com/StAndrewsLangford
With our love, prayers and very best wishes,
PS: Want to keep up with us in between issues of GroomNews? Connect with Phil on facebook and twitter:
Introducing the next Archdeacon of Wilts November 3, 2015
Posted by Phil Groom in Church, Life, News.Tags: Archdeacon of Wilts, Church of England, Devizes, Diocese of Salisbury, Good News, Henlow and Langford, St Andrew's Langford, Sue Groom
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The Revd Canon Sue Groom, next Archdeacon of Wilts
TODAY it gives me immense pleasure to introduce the next Archdeacon of Wilts, someone most readers of this blog will already know: none other than my wonderful wife, the Revd Canon soon-to-be-Venerable Sue Groom.
Sue’s present dual-role post as Priest-in-Charge of Henlow & Langford and St Albans Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO) requires her to give three months notice, so the lovely people of Henlow and Langford haven’t seen the last of us yet: we don’t leave until the end of January 2016; but both of us would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has welcomed us and made our 6+ years here in Bedfordshire so enjoyable and worthwhile — it’s been a genuine privilege to share this part of our lives with you.
Sue’s last service in the Benefice is scheduled for Sunday 31st January, a combined service with the two parishes together at St Andrew’s, Langford, and we’d love to see as many people there as possible: please do join us if you’re in the area. Her licensing as Archdeacon of Wilts is scheduled for Monday 22nd February at St John’s, Devizes — close to where we’ll be living, a superb location on the Kennet & Avon Canal — followed on Thursday 25th February by a diocesan welcome service for both Sue and the new Bishop of Sherborne at Salisbury Cathedral: look out for more details of these services nearer the time.
The news was announced in both parishes on Sunday 1st November 2015, and further announcements and a press release are being issued today via the official St Albans and Salisbury diocesan news channels; all that remains for me to say now is:
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Official Announcements
- St Albans: DDO to be New Archdeacon for Wilts | Archdeacons Abound
- Salisbury: A New Archdeacon for Wilts
Articles/Reports Elsewhere
- BBC News Wiltshire: Reverend Canon Sue Groom to be Archdeacon of Wiltshire
- Salisbury Journal: New Archdeacon of Wiltshire named
- Swindon Advertiser: New Archdeacon of Wiltshire named
- Wikipedia: Archdeacon of Wilts
GroomNews Christmas 2014 December 20, 2014
Posted by Phil Groom in Advent and Christmas, Family, Life.Tags: Christmas, GroomNews, Phil & Sue Groom, Phil Groom, Sue Groom
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GroomNews Christmas 2014: Printer friendly version – fold in 4 to make a Christmas card (pdf, 3.1mb)
WELCOME to another edition of our infamous annual newsletter, in which we shall attempt to entertain, inform and perhaps even enlighten you rather than bore you too much with the minutiae of our lives…
Don’t Shoot: Sue made a Canon!
That, beloved reader, is Canon spelt with a single ‘n’ in the middle and it’s essentially the Church of England’s equivalent of a New Year’s Honour, which Sue received from the Bishop of St Albans in March this year. Read the churchwardens’ announcement here: Revd Sue to become an Honorary Canon
Research Update: Paper delivered in Durham
Sue’s write-up of her research is proceeding in fits and starts as she struggles to balance it with the demands of her work as a parish priest and DDO (Diocesan Director of Ordinands). In June, however, she was able to give a paper at a research conference in Durham outlining some of her findings. It’s all about the use of the language of formation in ordination training: feel free to ask her if you want the details!
Almost passes Hull Survey
Last year it was the cabin sides and roof that received lots of TLC; this year it was the hull — and we’re delighted to report that after 25 years the deepest pitting in Almost’s 6mm steel plate proved to be only 0.6mm, so at this rate she should easily outlast us. Here she is in dry dock:
The weather was much kinder to us this year for yet another cruise along the Nene to Peterborough and back — and we even managed to fit in a day-trip on the Nene Valley Steam Railway: whoooo-whooooooooooo! Here’s Phil’s video:
Groom Family Weddings
It’s been another year of wedding bells ringing amongst our nephews and nieces: congratulations to Ben & Laura, Catherine & Pete and Andrew & Cheryl.
Online and Interactive
In between stacking the supermarket shelves, Phil’s been as busy as ever with his various online projects, including revamping our own church website (links below) and keeping the UK Christian Bookshops Directory updated, christianbookshops.org.uk. Find him on twitter @notbovvered or on facebook at facebook.com/philgroom if you’re incurably curious.
With our love, best wishes for Christmas and prayers for peace in the coming year,
www.langfordchurch.org.uk | www.henlowchurch.org.uk
Phil's Boring Blog 