10 UK Products and the towns that traditionally manufactured them

1. Carpets - Kidderminster
2. Men's shoes and boots - Northampton
3. Hosiery - Hinckley and Loughborough
4. Lace - Nottingham
5. Hats - Luton
6. Pottery - Stoke
7. Brushes - Wymondham
8. Liquorice products - Pontefract
9. Mustard - Norwich
10. Ale - Burton on Trent

Saturday Night and Lord's Day, October 7/8 2017

It was my privilege over the weekend in the Railway Mission in Norwich. On the Saturday night I preached for the East Anglia Bible Rally on the first part of Galatians 3. Simon Gay chaired. The place was pretty full and it was good to meet some old friends such as Hugh and Lois Collier and others. The rally is arranged among seven or so evangelical churches in the Norwich area and has been going for over twenty years. I was last there in November 2008.

The next day I preached morning and afternoon in the same place at the regular services of the Evangelical Church. Again there was a good though smaller attendance. It was encouraging to see such a varied congregation and goodlistening. I tackled Matthew 11:29 in the morning and Stephen - a hero for our times in the afternoon, from Acts 6.

It was nice to chat over lunch with Luther Chaplin and with other folk at the church on the Sunday and to be looked after otherwise by Mr and Mrs Gilbert in their new location.

It all served to confirm my conviction that if we stay calm and faithfully preach the Word progress can be made in God's goodness.
I made my way up to Norwich via Peasenhall and Denton. I wanted to see those places because they are the villages where the preacher John Hurrion (d 1735) served.

Last weekend

Had a pretty full weekend, preaching four times up in Norfolk. I have hardly been to that county before so most of the people I met were new to me. As you enter Norfolk it reminds you this is Nelson's county. As for Norwich I knew they had a football team but not that the cathedral spire is England's second tallest.
Since returning this rhyme learned as a child has risen to the surface of my mind

The man in the moon

came tumbling down

and asked his way to Norwich;

The man in the South,

he burnt his mouth

With eating burning hot porridge.

I went up via Haverhill as I hope to hear Jan Akkerman and Gareth Pearson there Saturday. As I went on and it began to get dark the rain seemed to come down heavier and heavier. It got a bit late and so in a change of plan I went straight to the church in Norwich where I was to preach.

On the Saturday night I was preaching at a Bible rally in Prince of Wales Road Evangelical Church which is a Railway Mission Hall (very nice art nouveau fronted building with modern well kept interior). It's opposite a night club called MERCY (if you're looking for the church just ask for mercy!). About 6 or 7 local churches were represented, including the one I was in, Norwich Reformed, Cromer Baptist, Great Ellingham RB, Diss Baptist, etc. Also Surrey Chapel. Despite the rain about 40 or so were present. The chairman was Joe Hart from Diss and I preached on Hebrews 6. It was good to be there. It was nice to see again the new minister at Cromer Jon Davis and his wife Lisa, who was with us some years ago. I also bumped into the Foleys, originally from Cwmbran, who are now working with rural ministries at Great Moulton.

I was staying with Bob Gilbert and his family in Brooke and very welcome I was made. Bob is the elder at the Norwich church and I have come to know the family through a college friend who married a Gilbert. They are at Pains Hill Chapel in Surrey. Part of the Railway Mission heritage is an afternoon service. The morning service only started in more recent years. So I preached there at 10.30 am (following communion led by Bob) and 3 pm with a very nice roast in between. We were joined for this by two men from the church - one of who has come to Norwich fairly recently from Knaphill.

In the evening we had tea and some nice chats at Great Ellingham Reformed Baptist where Hugh Collier is the minister. A nice old building and a decent congregation, it was good to be there. I preached on Luke 18:13 (the Pharisee and the tax collector).

I headed off around 8 pm and was able to be home in pretty good time. Very chatty when I got in but not too tired. They'd had a good day here with visiting preachers.