Page 20 - tmp

www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE October 2021 20

Anthony Opiah meets Revd Christine French

Where was she born? was furloughed for months and attended Kirk Hallam Community
Christine French was born in months, who was a manager at a Centre in November to do a fayre
Skegness, Lincolnshire, and she local shop in Ilkeston. Christine in aid of All Saints Church - of
lived there until she was 18 years has been there many times and was which Rev Christine is Vicar. We
old. Her family were fairground just praying that her shop would were made to feel very welcome,
people, and they settled down reopen and fortunately her shop and she was very helpful and
when the first Butlins holiday has reopened now. supportive. We had visited one or
camp opened at Skegness. Chris- What is the biggest two different churches to find one
tine’s grandparents were there and challenge she’s faced? we would like to worship at - and
when she was a child; her father The biggest challenge is not decided to give Kirk Hallam a trial
had the rifle range at Bottom’s meeting people’s expectations. She run. We were met at the door by
fairground and her grandma had loves spending time with people, Revd Christine, who was so very
the café next to it. but time is limited, so her frus- welcoming. After a few weeks I
As a child, Christine actually tration is she never ever finishes had a very nasty fall breaking my
wanted to be a teacher, but she was her to-do list or who to visit list. ankle and wrist. I later e-mailed
told that her spelling wasn’t good The benefits of actually being part Rev Christine and said I would not
enough so she should learn to type of a fabulous community across all be able to do any more fundraising
and maybe be a secretary. of Erewash is coming uptown and for the foreseeable future because
What were people’s people stopping and talking to her. of my injuries. I received an im-
mediate reply saying, “please let
reactions to her current She’s had many amazing conversa- me have your phone number and
occupation? tions in Morrisons and other plac- I’ll be in touch.” Needless to say,
When she told her father about es, so the benefits far outweigh the I received a call that evening. We
her wanting become a vicar, she frustrations and the annoyances. continued attending church, which
had originally expected him to be How has Mr French had a was the best decision we could
quite hostile because he couldn’t big impact on her life? have made. Rev Christine does a
read and write, and the first thing Christine French and Mr French tremendous amount of work for
you are given when you enter a got married 10 weeks before she the community, which is so much
church is a book - and he wasn’t got ordained back in 2009 and she appreciated. She is an unsung
very religious! But she was quite says she couldn’t do the minis- hero and deserves much praise for
surprised that they were both try she does without his support. this. Nothing is too much trouble,
really proud. When she shared He’s not a church-going Chris- and so many people are so grate-
with some of her friends that she Revd Christine French with fellow tian, but he’s so practical and so ful of what she does. This school
felt a calling to be ordained in the Every One Eats worker Lindsey Rice; handy. He’s a huge blessing to holiday she has helped with Kirk
Church of England, some people Florence, Christine’s deaf cat whose her from things like changing the Hallam Holiday Club, the Food-
stopped talking to her. Christine monthly cloumn in Ilkeston Life was light bulbs which are high in the bank. Every One Eats, etc, as well
said looking back: “It’s quite sad, enjoyed for many years; Christine pre- church to cleaning out the gut- as having a weekly radio show on
but they didn’t like the institu- senting her weeking show on Erewash ters on top of the church and, of Erewash Sound. Long may she
tionalised church, and they were Sound. course, abseiling down Derby Ca- reign. Thank you Revd Christine.
just shocked and didn’t expect it thedral’s tower to raise some mon- Dave and Norma Wild.
because very few women were as a minister for 12 years. Re- They’re all volunteers and through ey for charity. He really is a star, * * *
able to get ordained at the time. cently, she has been doing a the pandemic when so many things and she’s very grateful for him. The Rev.Christine French’s influ-
For some people of different be- lot of weddings and baptisms, have changed, it’s just been nice to What is her most ence stretches over the town of
liefs, they saw the church as a very especially this summer now that have the constant positive infor- unforgettable memory? Ilkeston, far beyond the work she
negative environment, and they they’re finally able to do them. mation and support from our local has done in her own parish of All
were worried about me going into She spends time with communi- radio station - although sometimes The most unforgettable memory Saints, Kirk Hallam. One large
what they thought would be a very ty activities especially for those the technical equipment confused is when Pippin the cat moved in project she organised, having col-
harsh and negative place.” people who are struggling either me!” with them when they moved into lected a dedicated band of helpers,
What is a typical day like? financially or with mental health What volunteer work has Kirk Hallam Vicarage and how she was Every One Eats, a scheme to

was keeping the straw warm for
Christine said there’s no such issues. Every One Eats with their she done? baby Jesus in between the nativity cheer people up when they felt
thing as a typical day. Every food parcels and their food bank As a child, they had cats and she plays from Ladywood School. Her alone during the months of lock-
day is different, so is every week. has helped many people who had has always grown up with cats. friend Reverend Kate Bottley of down because of Covid.
During the pandemic, many things to isolated during the pandemic. Christine can’t begin to imagine BBC radio and TV fame, posted It was a lovely surprise one Satur-
couldn’t happen like weddings She is very proud of working with how many cats she’s looked after. it on the Internet that Pippin the day morning when I, living alone,
and baptisms and even services on Lindsey Rice and others, setting She does pet fostering for several church cat had evicted baby Jesus was particularly fed up at not
Sunday for a while. But funerals up a new charity called Every charities in Nottingham including from the Manger. It went viral, being able to meet with friends or
did still happen, and sadly there One Eats. Christine remembers Millwood Cat Rescue and REF- and it was viewed by millions of even relatives, found a yellow bag
were more funerals during the Bob Attewell contacting her to get S4PETS at Women’s Aid, so cats people to the point that even Fox on the door step filled with a picnic
pandemic than we would have in a involved with Ilkeston Life, and it have been a constant in her life. News in America, Hello Magazine, tea and an invitation to eat it that
normal year, but even those were was so positive. It was something They are part of her family, and BuzzFeed, and other places were afternoon to the accompaniment of
different. In April last year 2020, she knew she had to get involved they never cease to amaze her with contacting them, all wanting the songs on Erewash Sound, who had
they could only do online services with, but she wasn’t very good the antics they get up to, although story of Pippin who was a naughty been happy to join in with the idea.
and the people couldn’t even have at writing. However, her little she’d rather they didn’t bring her cat at Christmas. Throughout the year there were
a service in the church. She told us deaf cat Florence turned out to be presents like little mice and other What others say several more – my favourite was
that in one way it was very hard rather good at using the computer things they’ve hunted. the Harvest picnic, with a little toy
to meet people or socialise with when she wasn’t around. She’s so Christine told us that having the We first met Rev Christine at a mouse that someone had lovingly
people, but it made us realise what thrilled that people have enjoyed community pantry at the Kirk Good Companions meeting at Sta- made. On Christmas and Easter
was important. “It took us back to her monthly column in the paper Hallam community centre was pleford Salvation Army, where we Day talented cooks gave their time
the basics of life and at the centre from a little deaf cat’s perspec- not only important for the people sometimes used to attend afternoon and skills to produce delicious
of my life was God and God’s tive of all the things going on at who came and used it but dur- talks. She was speaking about festive meals for any who were
presence was still very evident to church and also in the Vicarage ing lockdown she really enjoyed her recent visit to the Holy Land. forced to eat alone because of the
me in the darkest of times.” — revealing some secrets from the volunteering. It gave her a chance Afterwards people had a chance to pandemic, delivered to the door in
every week to talk with the regular chat and ask questions. As a read-
time for lunch.
Vicarage too. She says the news-

What has she been doing? paper brings so much joy to so customers and see what issues er of Ilkeston Life, we had always I cannot believe that any town of
Christine French is currently the many people, and it’s great to be or concerns they had in their life looked forward to reading Diary of similar size to Ilkeston has been so
priest in charge at All Saints’ part of it. Christine is also really and learn what was happening a Vicarage Cat, and it was lovely well treated. God Bless you, Rev.
Church in Kirk Hallam and has thrilled to be presenter on Erewash in the local community and hold to meet Florence’s “beloved guard- Christine.
been there for nearly seven years. Sound Community Radio Station. them in her prayers. She’ll always ian” or “jailer”. As we travelled Joyce Rich
However, she has been ordained She told us “It’s a lovely team. remember one customer who around doing Craft Fayres, we * * *