David Clavey

The beginning of my Story

2008-10-09T04:31:00.001-07:00

“It was a cold misty evening in the sleepy village of Ambleside nestling at the feet of Laughrig and Helvellyn. There seemed to be a slight drizzle in the air as Dimmy, Rocky and I came to the gate house of the Parish Church. The ancient church building loomed out of the mist and as we looked closer we could see it was surrounded by graves. The scene looked perfect for the plot of one of those B horror movies I was always watching on a Friday night at the Ambles Flicks.

All three of us stood rigid with fear as we looked at each other, no one moving. Rocky said “Smiler, go on in then, it was your idea to go on a church crawl”. “No fear” I said “It’s scary in there and besides I can’t see any lights on in the Church”, “Looks dead quiet to me”. We looked at each other, daring each other to make the first move.

How did we come to this, standing outside these ancient gates? Well the three of us were students at Wray Castle college. A Victorian mock castle four miles south of Ambleside, high above the west bank of Lake Windermere in Cumbria. The college only had sixty odd students and was training us boys to become Radio Officers in the Merchant Navy. Teaching us skills such as electronics, radio operating procedure with sending and receiving morse code at over twenty words a minute. In the classes we would listen to or send morse code for hours at a time, until our hands ached with fatigue. We were taught to do this automatically so our pen holding hand would write the morse our ears heard, but our minds would be far far away, thinking all sorts of thoughts. Such as hill walking, canoeing or sailing on the lake, which were all visible from our training room.

Thoughts drifted to Friday nights at the Salli, drinking and looking at the Girls dancing around their handbags. Wishing I could dance, but not daring to ask any of the girls out. Anyway these were all painted girls, and far from my vision of what girl friend looked like, she would not be seen dead in the Salli. In my thoughts she would have long hair and wear long dresses, and have a zest for life, laughing, walking, running, climbing, sailing. As you can gather I was going though a bit of a hippy phase at the time. It started after buying my first pair of Levi’s in the summer and was cemented with my introduction to various heavy rock bands. I was a living the 60’s in the 70’s! However at the college we had to wear full cadet Uniform, it was a relief when outside the castle to wear some comfortable cool hip jeans, although the Uniform came in dead handy when hitching around during the Holidays. I visited Wales, Newcastle and Devon all at no expense to myself.

So why were the three of us on a Church crawl? Well I was very religious and went to the Roman Catholic service every Sunday evening without fail. And at college I would always take God’s side in the frequent God vs Communism discussions that were typical of that era. I would always defend God even though to me he lived in a far far away place. I tried to get close, to feel something, but nothing happened. For instance I carved a cross into a tree on a secret hill in the grounds of the castle. And visited it once a week saying a whole rosary of “Our Fathers” and “Hail Mary’s” expecting to see a Vision of the Virgin. Appearing as she does in all those stories I had heard told by the nuns and Holy Brothers when I was a small kid. But as I said nothing happened. But that did not sway my simple blind faith, which is typical of so many religious people.

Anyway a week before the Church crawl, I was just coming out of the Roman Catholic Church in Ambles when I saw a small poster on the Church notice board. It called for young Christians to come to a Sunday evening coffee bar called “Ark” held at the YMCA. I assumed this must be some kind of Disco for Teen Christians and that sounded fun. During the week I told my friends about it and two of them decided to come with me the next week and check it out. However I could not remember the time of the meeting and when we walked into town that night, the YMCA was shut up and all dark. We decided we had come too early and then Dimmy said “Lets go on a church crawl”. After some laughter, both Rocky and I decided that would be an amusing thing to do.

“Lets give up” said Dimmy outside the ancient gates, “Lets try the Methodist in town instead”. So we abandoned all attempts of going to the scary C of E Church and walked into town. What is a Methodist Church I wondered? Its doors were open and we wandered in and were ushered into a uncomfortable wooden pew by an ancient slightly bowed man. We sat and looked around, there were twenty other ancient people sitting around us but none of them sitting next to each other. We wondered if this was a religious service or some old peoples outing we had wandered into. Anyway the preacher (is that what he was?) continued talking, and he talked about how Walter Scott walked to the South pole. Not only did he talk in a very boring way, but I wondered was he really talking about God. I was getting bored, even more bored than when I went to a Catholic service. And anyway where was the cross and candles and coloured windows. When would this boring man stop talking and the Priest get up? After what seemed an eternity but was probably only fifteen minutes and with much smirking and nudging between my friends we got up and left. Outside we Ran. Then we stopped and laughed and laughed until our sides felt like splitting. Rocky then said “Must be time for the YMCA diso thing, lets give up on this church crawl and go and have a look”

As we approached the dark walls of the YMCA the stead drizzle was turning more into rain. We could hear guitars twanging and people singing folksy type music. “Sounds like a live Gig” said Dimmy. I smiled, “Yeah sounds good, hope it doesn’t cost too much” As a student I was always skint. Again at the door, we dared each other with our eyes to go in. In the end, as it was my idea originally, I went in. I pushed open the dirty, paint pealed, green door and saw a small hall with a second door further on. I walked quietly up to the second door and stood listening to the fabulous music which was clearly being played on the other side of the door. My two friends waited by the first door watching to see what happened next.

Meanwhile in the upper rooms of the YMCA, four lasses were on their knees praying, they had been doing this every week for a two months now. They were all student junior school teachers training at the local teacher training college called Lotties (Charlotte Mason College). Why were they praying? They were praying that more young people, would see the light and follow Jesus. In particular they were praying for more lads, because the regulars at the Christian coffee bar were at that time mainly lasses.

My courage was just about to give up at the second door, when I was surprised by four pretty girls suddenly appearing in the hall behind me blocking my exit. I had not observed a staircase going up to the second floor half way down the hall. They smiled, I stammered “hello” and my mates at the first door bolted, I could hear their laughter gradually fading away. The first girl, Alison, invited me with a smile in to a large room filled with young people. The chairs and armchairs in the room were arranged in a circle of two rows. They sat me down in a comfortable chair, next to one of the guitarist, with a bicky and coffee. Everyone sang, the guitars twanged and everyone smiled at me wherever I looked. I was scared, but also happy, this was good crack. After a few songs, none of which I had heard before, were sung. One of the lads on the other side of the room told a story of how he had come to know Jesus. He was a cook, a rough tattoo painted guy, from one of the local Hotels. But his story was interesting; he was talking about Jesus in a way I had not heard before. As a friend, as personal, as involved, as real. Not like my God who was a million miles away.

After the meeting has finished I got chatting to the guy who had been playing one of the Guitar next to me and told him all about my church crawl. We laughed together. He told me his the surprising story of his guitar. Basically he was a good guitar player, but was continually borrowing other people’s instruments because he did not own one himself and they were too expensive for a student to buy. So he prayed and asked the Lord for a guitar. And a couple of weeks later, a good Christian friend of his, who did not know that he had been praying, suddenly came up to him and said. “I am going away to university next week and wondered if you would like my guitar to keep, you’re a much better player than me and I know you would make good use of it”.

I was stunned. Not only was this a group of friends who gave expensive things to each other freely. But they knew a God who gave guitars. I did not know a God who gave anything.

My new guitar playing friend then went on to explain how God had given something else far more precious than a guitar - his Son Jesus.

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It was a one hour walk back to the college in pitch black along narrow twisty lanes that night. But it was long enough. I had thought I knew God, but my previous behavior with alcohol and swearing clearly showed my heart was rotten at the core. I was still living a life of rebellion from God regardless of my religious behavior and faultless church going. But now everything was new, Jesus had met me, showed me my rebellion and clearly pointed to what I needed to do, turn around and go the other way.

Later that evening back at the college I told anyone who would listen about the coffee bar, and how to get to know Jesus. I sat on my bunk, sewing “Jesus is Lord” on the back of my jeans and nattered and nattered even after the lights had gone out. The rest of the Lads were stunned, some thought I was crazy, some just got annoyed, but they all knew I had changed.

That first week was a completely crazy week, I would not shut up! The guys at Ark had given me a Good News New Testament Bible and I read it like a novel that you can’t put down. And as I discovered things in it I would share them with everyone around me who would listen. Everything was new, previously as a Roman Catholic I had not been encouraged to read the Bible, But here it all was … the Good News.

One of the students called nick had crashed his motor bike the previous weekend and was lying in bed with a broken leg in plaster. He said to me “Smiler I am so bored”. So I lent him my Good News Bible and he read it from cover to cover in a few days. Calling me back midweek he said “Smiler I have become a Christian” and now I was not alone.

The next weekend, which was the last one before Christmas holidays, I took lots of students with me in the evening to the Ark Christian Coffee bar. They all had a good time, but no one else became a Christian that night. Nick unfortunately was unable to come as he was still confined to bed. However several lads and lasses from Ark came back to the college after the coffee bar meeting that evening to see him so he was very happy. The college rocked with Christians singing and was buzzing with discussions on Jesus.

Later in the week I hitched home to Dunstable from Ambleside, slightly fearful of what my Mum and Dad would say. They were predictable presuming I had fallen into the hands
of some cult. So to placate them I went to the Roman Catholic mass on Sunday morning to play the organ as usual. It was so so dull, strange and life less compared with what had been happening in Ambleside.

So I prayed “Lord where do you want me, surely not here?” and to my surprise I felt him say “step out of the building and go to the end of the road and turn left.” I obeyed and as I walked down west street towards the centre I felt him say “stop”. I looked around and saw an old building on my left called “West Street Baptist church” – What is a Baptist church I wondered, do they follow John the Baptist or something? “Are you sure lord” I prayed as I read the notice board, I felt peace. Apparently the evening meeting was to be in the boys club, because the building was being repaired after a basement fire.

So in the evening I went to the boys club meeting rooms and with fear in my voice I shook the person at the doors hand said “Is this a Christian church?”. The friendly chap laughed and chatted to me, I told him my story as he showed me to a chair. The boy club was full of people, then to my surprise the guy who had shook my hand stood up and started preaching. Turned out he was Dr Stanley Jebb the pastor. The teaching was fantastic, I had never heard the Bible explained so clearly. Afterwards he invited me back to his house for a sing song and I told my story to a small group of young people.

Over Christmas I grew stronger and stronger as a Christian and lapped up all the teaching preached. Come January it was time to go back to college and on arriving I discovered that we had another new Christian - Tim.

His story is that over Christmas he had driven out into the country side and parked in a lay by looking out over the surrey fields. His thoughts turned to his life, he had everything, he was a good cricketer, had a beautiful girl friend that he imagined he would marry soon and live in a grand house where he would live contented smoking his pipe and walking his dog. But he was discontented. He realized the foolishness of processions compared to the message of Jesus. So he stopped his rebellion and turned to God. Now there were three of us talking about Jesus.

The next Ark meeting three more students became Christians and the next week three more and the next week three more. Then the persecution started. Some of it was quite vicious, being kicked and punched to see if we would retaliate. During that time three who had become Christians in the previous weeks, including Dimmy and Rocky, fell away. But the remaining twelve were strong. We started our own CU (Christian Union) meeting and I taught them everything I had learned over the Christmas holidays from West Street.

The Ark coffee bar group soon realized their prayers had been answered and needed quickly to setup additional mid week teaching meetings. And even weekends away at Kestrel lodge, a new Christian retreat, near Bassenthwaite lake.

My lasting memory is of the twelve of use, walking on the narrow twisty road to ambles, early on a Sunday morning, singing "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound".

Christianity Explored

2008-09-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

Alpha Course

2008-09-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Who am I

2008-08-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Clovelly lakes

2008-07-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

Looking out the window,
the powder blue morning sky is occasionally obscured
by the puffy cotton wool clouds
as they scurry across the sky.

The weather is going to be changeable
the TV says.

But the ducks and geese floating on the lake
do not seem bothered by the showers of rain.

They honk and quack with delight
as its a new morning.

I sit on the wooden veranda
watching the dark green lake ripple
at the touch of the breeze.

The sun, the sun has at last come out,
late this morning,
but wrapping my face in its warm rays,
as I sip my coffee.

The lake fills with thousands of small circles,
as the fishermen around the lake reach for their waterproofs.

Then again the gentle rain stops
and the breeze quietens
and the lake returns to its dark green void.

And the birds begin to sing again.

All is well on the earth,
we have a brand new day the angles sing.

What shall we do today?

Finding old Friends

2008-03-10T02:55:00.000-07:00

I have recently been contacting lots of old friends (Because I turned 50), some that I have not spoken to for 25 years. And its been fun to catch up on old times.

Some are happily married with lots of kiddies, some have had lots of troubles in life but are coping well and one lives on a canal boat in Amsterdam!

Makes me feel humble because of all the blessings I have had.

Here is a golden oldie for all my friends, its the way I feel:

Mars Hill Videos

2008-02-28T05:29:00.000-08:00

I might be the last Christian on earth to discover Mark Driscoll's web site and watch his Video's. He is a very good speaker, its clearly coming from the Heart. But his church - Mars Hill (Called after the way that Paul preached to the Greeks in Acts) clearly have a very good media team.

Anyway enjoy his Video's on Mars Hill Church

His series on Ruth has outstanding Video Introductions: Click on one two three etc, then move mouse across the picture and press play You will however need a spare six hours to watch this series. Or you could just watch all the introductions.

He also publishes on YouTube:

The dating bubble suit:

Once

2008-01-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

I was really looking forward to this Film, but I could not understand why it had a 15 rating. Once I heard it I found out why - swearing, and for no good reason!

Take away the swearing and this story is really lovely, a musical love story. They sing for 60% of the movie.

Its set in Dublin and has two central characters a Dublin busker and an unnamed young Czech immigrant flower seller / cleaner.

Music site: Click on song The Hill

It has a surprise ending, but is very well shot and considering the main two actors are not actors at all but musicians it works very well.

Martha Tilston - Bristol

2007-01-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Working from Bristol over the Winter, so decided to go and see Folk Singer / Songwriter Martha Tilston in concert at St Georges.

I first heard Martha in a Radio 4 interview. Click here

She was very good, playing with her Father Steve Tilston on this occasion.

I love the warble in her voice. here is a sample of her singing from later in the year:

Great South Run

2006-10-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

When we arrived in morning, Julie, Philip, Rachael and I. It was a bright sunny morning with great sea views, and we watched the various ferries come in and out and went for a lovely walk on the sea wall.

At warm up time, I was near enough to the front to see the instructor and do all the exercises, great fun.

Then it started raining as we were held in our starting lines. I retreated to a tree.

Then we were off and it poured so that by 1/2 mile I was completely soaked, except for my socks and shoes. Socks and shoes were soaked by 2 miles!

The race had three starting waves. I was in the middle wave. I was flagging at 2 miles (passing the Spinnaker tower and HMS victory) when the next wave began to overtake me. This was fun because I was tempted to run with them and they pulled me along and gave me a good (for me) 10K time.

The weather got worse and worse, indeed I went under the shower for fun and it was dryer than on the road! The last two miles you can again see the sea and this time there was only 100 yards visibility with crashing waves and a mighty wind!

My feet got heavier and heavier as I became water logged! And instead of the Pound pound you usually hear, there was squashing sounds all around! Still everyone kept running because there was nothing else to be done and no quicker way of getting to the finishing post.

Julie and the kids had retreated to the car and then to a cafe. But when they came out to see me come in they got soaked to the bone even with waterproofs and umbrellas.

Afterwards we sat soaked in a cafe on the front and watch the hovercraft struggle out into heavy seas.

It was an interesting day!

Jane Eyre

2006-10-19T01:34:00.000-07:00

Loved the new Jane Eyre series on BBC, Ok Ok there were some bits missing from the book.

But by far this is the best Jane Eyre I have seen on TV.

When she did not smile, she looked like a Duck Face!

When she smiled - she was great. Fab actress.

Clavey Helmet Cam

2006-06-29T02:43:00.000-07:00


Going down the Clavey River Crazy!

Bridgwater

2005-10-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

On Friday, on my way back from Shrewsbury after visiting a Bird Food manufacturer (but thats another story)

I decided to go via Bridgwater as I had heard it might be quite a pretty town. I first heard it mentioned on a Folk music radio program as their is a festival there once a year.

http://www.bridgnorthfolkfest.co.uk/

They also mentioned a venicular railway so I had to check it out.
Imagine my delight on arriving and finding its a lovely little town divided in three. One part on top of a cliff hill, another at the bottom. Then on crossing the river severn you come to the third part of the town. Very old very cute! And then between the upper and lower town you can either go on numerious walks and paths or go on the cliff railway.

http://www.bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk/

Then imagine my treble delight at finding that it is also the northern terminus of the Severn Valley Railway a GWR (Gods wonderful railway) line. Wow wow wow.

http://www.svr.co.uk/history.php

Had a good look around the station and goods yard. Six small steam engines lying cold and a 4-6-2 tender in steam. Not sure why as no scheduled train services were due that day.
How many towns can boast to two railways, one horizontal and one verticle.
Looks like a lovely line and runs between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster.
Only had an hour and half to spare so mainly took time walking around the whole town (on the cliff side). Made mental note to go back soon with wife a kiddies.

Kate Rusby at Warwick

2005-09-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Went to see Kate Rusby playing at Warwick University yesterday (29th Sept)

Despite suffering from a cold and drinking lots of lemon and ginger, she was as ever fantastic.

She is almost a stand up comic with her intro's to the songs. I laughed and laughed.

Got lots of goodies after the show, her latest CD "The girl who could not fly", a Mug and her song book. The only thing I did not buy was the badger, too big.

Anyway I now know how to cook a great potatoe (you had to be there).

Pride and Prejudice

2005-09-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Went to see the film Pride and Prejudice tonight.

It was very good, especially as I had listen to the second half of the book being read (from CD) while in the car driving down from Lancaster.

Jane was very good, better than the BBC character.

Eliz was very good and so was Mr Collins. The entire film worked for me, be it a bit short and thus cutting out a lot of the dialog.

A very moving film, I was either in fits of laughter or crying with joy.

London Marathon

2004-04-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Training had gone very well through the Winter months, but on the day before I was hit by some kind of strange bug - full system clear!

So when I got up early on Sunday and caught the early train to London, I was feeling in two minds whether to race. But having waited three year to get this place I did not want to waste it. The nearer I got to Greenwich the more runners on the trains, on the last Tube the train was totally packed with Guards squashing us on!

Arrived half an hour early and decided to do some warm ups - felt fine.

And then we were off, mind you it took 15 mins to pass the start line. A lovely run downhill from Greenwich, the last time I was in the Park I was walking in the Rose Gardens, a bit different now with tons of bodies all around me.

We were met with other streams of runners, shouting the traditional Oggy Oggy Oggy Hoy Hoy Hoy at each other.

After an hours running I passed the Cutty Sark, actually ran the whole 10K Wow.

The next 10K to the Tower bridge was quite fast as well, but I began to Run with occasional stops for walking. I recognised most of the route between the boat and the bridge, some of my stomping grounds of old. Crossing the Bridge was fantastic with both sides lined with big crowds who were cheering. So far so good, I had done a half marathon before. However on the far side of the Bridge you meet the really fast runners on their return run. Most discouraging.

The next 20K is the hardest as you head out and run round the bleak docklands. The crowds were great, but the road was merciless, especially the cobbles. I was now walking and running in equal time. My Asthma was under control, I was a bit hungry, but taking on fluids no problem.

It then began to rain, I was glad of my running coat (most people had nothing), Went past the Tower of London and the famous tunnel were everyone hits the wall. No Problem. Getting tired now.

However on passing Big Ben, new strength came in me I knew it must be only 2 or 3 miles now and I started running all the time with no breaks.

Passed Julie near Buckingham palace. Then ran for the finish.

Lots of fun, picking up medal and goodie bag.

Then home on the tube and train, unable to sit down and straight in a nice hot bath.

Great North Run

2002-06-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

I ran the Great North Half Marathon in 2002, it was the first time I had run further than 8 miles.

Paddy Prior - Dunstable

2001-08-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Listened to Maddy Prior perform at Dunstable Free Folk Festival live.

It was very cold that night, I nearly froze to death watching, but worth listening.

Here is her signing with Steeleye Span - The Lark in the Morning:

Driving my VW kombi

1982-12-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

Wet, dark and the steady click clock of wipers.
The howling wind rocks the kombi van.
A glow on the horizon struggling in the black
Cats eyes, guiding, shine the path ahead.

I am driving, I'm sure the right way,
directed by man and map, I'm sure the right way,
At times its cold and desperate and lonely,
Driving in a van all alone.

A Service station, I'll pull in. lights, people, warmth,
The engine rumble fades and the rain pitter patter takes over,
Door open, a dash through the wet, to the room,
Its good to be with people.

Back on the road and pressing on,
Thoughts wonder to better times,
Of roses, and strawberries, laughter and fun,
will I see her again, maybe, maybe not.

The glow on the horizon, steadily turns to light,
The stars in the sky seem to echo the times,
But I must pass on, and find her again,
The wind howling rocks the Van.

Driving my VW kombi. 1st Dec 1982

Paradise

1982-11-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

It was a really cold, crisp day with a vibrant yellow sun just risen over the horizon silhouetting the tall buildings and trees.

Its light enhanced the gold’s and rusts of the fallen leaves and seemed almost to bring them to life in their profusion across the grass.

The park was quiet, a haven amidst the rush-hour traffic. I went to the pond, the one you discovered before I did and the ducks and pigeons were there before me.

There were some roses still in bloom - reds and Whites that seem strange on such a frosty morning.

As a flock of pigeons flew overhead, paradise came into my mind and I wondered if this was how it was ...

Ann 20th Nov 1982

Mossy rock in Cumbria

1982-04-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

I sit on this mossy rock
And watch the world from above.
The noisy wind blowing my hair
But I’m warm from the setting sun.
Up here I can think so much easier
Nearer to heaven, maybe?
The grass folds and ripples
With the moods of the wind.
My life lord is yours
For the touch of your spirit.

David Clavey

1970-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

David Gerard Clavey was Born on 14th January 1958