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www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE September 2021 7
‘Legend around town’ is sadly missed

‘Carol thought about others rather than herself’ BY ROD MALCOLM

generous Ilkeston pension- Carol never married and looked was very independent.” Carol’s funeral took place at St
A er is being mourned as a after her mother Olive at their home And Carol’s nephew Stephen John’s church, Ilkeston on Thursday
thrifty shopper who gave away in Nottingham Road, Ilkeston. Butler, 49, added: “She was full 19th August.
her best buys. When her parent died, Carol moved of generosity and a legend around About 80 people attended the
into the Hargreaves Court block of
town.”
service which began with Elvis
Carol Ogden died from cancer flats nearby. Carol often used to eat in the Mor- Presley’s version of “Amazing
aged 71 after becoming a regular One sister Lorraine Duncan, 69, risons cafe as well as shopping in Grace” and ended with Gerry and
figure in charity shops and the said: “Everybody knew her in the store. the Pacemakers singing “You’ll
Morrison’s store. Ilkeston. She was funny, very genu- Manager Diane Mcgarva said: Never Walk Alone.”
She often loaded her shopping ine and humble. “Carol was a great character and The Reverend Andrew Baguley told
trolley with food reduced on its “She liked to go to Nottingham on will be dearly missed by us all. the congregation: “If she could help
sell-by date, then took it home to the bus to visit our mother’s grave “There is not one colleague who someone, she would help them.
dish it out. in Carlton. She would go round the doesn’t have or can share a thought- “Carol was humble and genuine
Friend and neighbour Brian King charity shops and then come back ful memory of her, she was really through and through and there will
regularly saw Carol going round on the bus with lots of things.” like one of the team. “Colleagues never be another Carol. She is
Ilkeston market and said: “She was Carol was born in Kirk Hallam, remember how generous and giving unique.
a gem. went to Cavendish Girls’ School she was to the wider community, “We all loved her kindness and
“One of the stallholders said she and spent 15 years as a machinist buying all the reduced food on one willingness to help. She brought
was a diamond with a heart of gold at Beauvale Furnishings. She later of the evenings and then donating laughter, love and joy.”
and that’s right. stopped working to care for her this to families that needed it.” Carol was buried with her mother at
“I’ve known her for years and mum. Carol was also well known at local Carlton Cemetery.
years and she has always been a At the age of 40, she learnt to swim. church functions.
good friend. She has always been a Soon after, she raised £200 for a
character. cancer charity with a long distance A comic strip about forgiveness by Jonathan Lam
“On the market she would buy effort at Ilkeston swimming pool.
Carol Ogden, known to hundreds sweets and cakes, things like that, Her other sister Dianne Scott, 67,
of people in Ilkeston, always had and give them away. At Morrisons, added: “She used to think about
something to give. she would do the same.” other people rather than herself. She

Calder’s Corner age, many of our physical problems remember that one of the first
A Serious Look seem to arise from the body drying sermons Jesus ever gave was The
up! But that Bible verse in
Beatitudes, and the Beatitudes
at Humour Proverbs indicates that, somehow, are all about happiness and being
blessed. When school children
mirth and cheerfulness help keep
the body supple! were asked, “What is a Beatitude?”
Hello! It is said that a dog smiles Now, regrettably, religion is not one little lad answered, “The atti-
with its tail – while humans smile usually noted for these qualities. tude we ought to be in!”
with their face! Admittedly, in to- On the contrary, many people often In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus
day’s world, there does not seem a associate Christianity with black prefaced every comment with
great deal to smile about. Yet, a clothing, a black book and even happiness: “Happy are the poor in
cheerful and optimistic approach black looks! So, it may surprise spirit. Happy are those who mourn.
to life can be so beneficial to our some to be informed that Jesus ac- Happy are the meek. Happy are
well-being. tually used humour in his teaching; those who hunger and thirst after
A few years back it was quite com- a kind of derisive humour in order righteousness. Happy are the mer-
mon for trades-people to smile, to lampoon religious hypocrisy. ciful. Happy are the pure in heart.
whistle, and laugh as they followed In Matthew ch 7. vs 1-5 we have Happy are the peacemakers. Happy
their occupation, but not so much what has been described, in every- are the persecuted.” But then, note
now. Bursts of wholesome and day language, as the `Toothpick the important words that follow,
spontaneous laughter seem to be and Telegraph Pole Syndrome`. Je- `for they shall be comforted, `for
rare in society. sus tells the comical story of a man they shall be filled`, `for they will
However, laughter is good for your walking along with a `builder’s be shown mercy` etc.
health. Nothing cleanses the body plank` sticking out of one eye. He Jesus taught that, whatever our
quite like an explosion of side- then meets up with someone who circumstances, we should not dwell
splitting mirth. When we laugh has a tiny speck of sawdust in one on present difficulties but look to
heartily, we take in huge amounts of his eyes. Without any thought future blessings. Someone once
of oxygen that create an energy about his own glaring predicament, said; “Christian happiness is not
surge; which in turn releases natu- our `thick-as-two-short-planks` determined by happenings, and
ral painkillers to make the body type decides to extract the sawdust happenings should not determine
more stress-resistant. Regular from the other man’s eye. our Christian happiness!” That fits
laughter is said to boost most of our “Hello, what do we have here”, he so perfectly with the Beatitudes.
body’s important systems: the says, “You do have a problem; that So, with a positive future in mind,
immune, the nervous, and the sawdust must come out immedi- and in the face of every
cardiovascular. ately! I’m surprised you haven’t difficulty, we smile! We smile
Laughter can be like a healing shown concern much earlier. You because we are valuable to the God
balm, enhancing general health. So seem to have a very cavalier atti- who loves us - the God who would
much so that in numerous countries tude toward your eyesight.” do anything for us, and already has,
today, ‘Humour Centres’ are He rambles on like this, divert- in so many ways.
springing up to actually teach peo- ing attention away from his own This is the God who, incredibly,
ple to laugh - a sad indictment on glaring predicament to the minus- has made you unique from all other
modern life! cule faults of someone else; an all persons on earth. Of the billions of
Long before ‘laughter clinics’ were too common trait in human nature. people alive today no one else
thought of, King Solomon wrote in So, you see, Jesus did engage in has exactly your personality, sense
Proverbs 17. 22: “A merry heart humour, albeit for very serious of humour, or rib-tickling,
does good, like medicine, but a bro- reasons. `laughing gear`. So, smile, God
ken spirit dries up the bones”. One In spite of the mournful caricature loves you! And do join me again
Bible translation puts that verse of Christianity often projected in next month for another dip into the
like this: “A cheerful disposition is films and media, happiness and ocean of God’s love.
good for your health but gloom and ebullience is an integral part of a Ken Calder
doom leave you bone tired”. As we robust Christian faith. We should