Where has this year gone?  It doesn't seem like 5 minutes ago we were seeing 2020 in, and now here we are, nearly into 2021.  I think most of us will be glad to see the back of this year!  Whilst I was in town earlier, I thought how pretty the Christmas lights look, especially with the light up walkway you can walk through.  I saw families walking through with their children taking pictures.  That was really nice to see.

Christmas will, indeed, be very different for a lot of people this year, won't it?  I for one, won't be going far.  Now that people have started having the vaccines, let's hope that there is a glimmer of hope for the future.  Well, I hope you all have a lovely Christmas, whatever it is you've got planned.  It can only get better,  hey?

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Online Church services continue.

We are now halfway through our second national lockdown here in England.  It's a little less restrictive than the first one though.  So with that in mind, many churches across England are posting their services online, either live through mediums such as Facebook or You Tube, or pre-recording the sermons and posting them.  Here is the sermon from Park Baptist Church for 22 November 2020.  I hope you enjoy it. 

Covid19 and keeping safe in Gt Yarmouth

With Covid infections on the rise in the town, it is down to us to be all the more careful with our daily lives.  The mantra from the Government  is hands - face - space.  We are all aware of this, but how many people actually pay any attention to this?  I know the majority of people do, but there are many people that, sadly, do not.  When I go out to shops, I very often see people not wearing masks and close together in groups, and quite often with more than 6 people.  

If you look on the Gt Yarmouth Borough Council Official Website, you will see that there is plenty of advice for residents, businesses and visitors.  There's also plenty of support for people who have lost their jobs due to covid and for people who are on low incomes.  It's worth a look, believe me.  As we have been hearing a lot over the past few months, stay safe!  And it really is worth checking the Gt Yarmouth website for all the latest information, help and resources for people.

Blessed are those that mourn

With restrictions still in places in England, many Churches are still holding services online, either via Zoom or posting their services on platforms such as You Tube.  This is no different from my Church.  My Pastor has been posting weekly services on You Tube, and we meet on Zoom afterwards for a coffee and a chat.  As you can imagine, many of the congregation are missing Church and being around other people.  But it's such a good thing that we have the internet during this pandemic.  So, here is this weeks service which is titled Blessed are those that mourn.  I hope you enjoy the service.

Palm Sunday Reflections

This is the Palm Sunday Reflections from Park Baptist Church in Great Yarmouth.  Pastor Peter Timothy is streaming live on You Tube each Sunday whilst the Churches are all closed. 

Streamed on 5 April 2020.

The Jetty

The Jetty which once stood in between Wellington Pier and Britannia Pier was demolished in 2012.  There now stands a plaque where the jetty once stood giving people a short history of the jetty.  The reason this was demolished is because it would of cost the local council too much money to maintain - an estimated £300,000.  I remember at the time though that many local people were saddened at the fact that the jetty was going to be taken apart, mainly because of the historical factor.

As you can see from the photo above, the jetty wasn't very long, but nevertheless, it was popular with locals and visitors alike.  Built in the 16th century, this was built as a landing fish and also for the export and import of goods.  During the Napoleonic Wars this was used the fleet often assembled here.  And it is known that Lord Horatio Nelson visited here twice.  Firstly in 1800 after the Battle of the Nile and again in 1801 after the Battle of Copenhagen.

There was a campaign at the time to try and stop the demolition, but to no avail.  Sadly the Council thought the jetty was too unsafe to keep and thought it was too expensive to maintain.  As I said, there now stands a plaque where the jetty once stood.  But even so, it is sad to see this bare piece of beach where the jetty once stood.