‘JDMC Points’ … are shorter and less systematic, they are not extracts from a larger document, but stand alone and are self-contained ideas that I wanted to expand.
Image from ‘We are all priests’
Image from the latest post
This is the index for short articles on specific points from the longer and more detailed series on JDMC.JDMC stands for Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church, and is intended to help small groups of up to fifteen people make progress in obedience to Christ. That is, if you like, the full version.
‘JDMC Points’ on the other hand are shorter and less systematic, they are not extracts from a larger document, but stand alone and are self-contained ideas that I wanted to expand.
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On the way around I visited the single remaining Neolithic barrow that seems untouched and is topped by some trees. The photo shows the barrow and there were some good views of Cirencester to enjoy as well.
Debbie, Sara, and Aidan drove down from Thorganby to visit us. It’s a long journey for them, they arrived in the evening of 5th April, and just as it was getting dark we had a power cut so had to get out battery powered lamps and some candles. Eventually the power returned, but went off again for shorter periods twice more before bedtime. On 6th we walked to the town centre and had lunch in Jacks courtyard garden. Debbie wanted to see the Masonic Hall and flats and Minerva Villa so we took a look at those old family places on 7th, also taking in 10 Tower Street where my grandfather was born. In the afternoon we walked out along the Thames and Severn Canal to the North Wilts Canal junction and the rebuilt bridge. Then in the evening they were heading back north for the long trek home. Lovely to see them, though.
Meredith turns twenty in May, a major landmark with Aidan to follow soon after. Twenty-one was the big birthday when I was their age, but today eighteen is the bigger celebration of becoming an adult so twenty seems a bit betwixt and between.
Edward’s house
In March I discovered where my great-grandfather, Edward Jefferies, had lived. And in April I took this photo of the front door – 10 Tower Street. Here it is, the door has clearly dropped over the decades and been trimmed repeatedly at the bottom to fit. Looking at this view I can imagine Edward knew the door and the pattern of the stonework really well. My grandfather lived here for a while as a child so he’d have recognised it from this photo too. What a strange thought!
Tumulus
I discovered a footpath across the north-eastern side of Tar Barrow Field and as I’d never walked it before I felt it was time to put that right. On the way around I visited the single remaining Neolithic barrow that seems untouched and is topped by some trees. The photo shows the barrow and there were some good views of Cirencester to enjoy as well.
If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!
Tower Street is where my great grandfather Edward lived, and later, my Uncle John. The building just visible on the right hand edge of the photo is now flats, though built originally as John Jefferies & Sons’ horticultural warehouse on the site of Tower Street Nursery, still in use until around 1980.
We had some foggy weather in March, by no means all the time, but the main photo shows part of Baunton Lane in Stratton, looking west. It was the lowest visibiity we saw during the month, on 4th March, Other days varied from a lighter kind of mistiness to completely clear.
The world is a different place on days like these, even sounds seem more muffled though I suspect that’s a mental impression rather than a real experienced difference.
River Churn
Meanwhile, after a long, dry summer in 2025, we’d had sufficient winter rain that the water levels in the Churn were back to normal. The photo on the left shows a section of the river running south towards the camera, more or less parallel with Gloucester Street and Abbey Way.
Tower Street
Tower Street is where my great grandfather Edward lived, and later, my Uncle John. The building just visible on the right hand edge of the photo is now flats, though built originally as John Jefferies & Sons’ horticultural warehouse on the site of Tower Street Nursery, still in use until around 1980.
Basildon Park
On 21st March Donna and I drove out to visit Basildon Park in Berkshire, a lovely National Trust property that was lovingly restored after the Second World War from derelict condition. Both the interior and exterior of this old house are stunning and very interesting to visit.
If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!
We visited one of our favourite places during the month, Batsford Arboretum near Moreton-in-Marsh. The daffodils were out and we enjoyed a look around this familiar place. Our Westonbirt membership card gets us free access at Batsford as well.
Donna’s Dad, Tony, would have been 88 on 1st February, he was a bit of a star in terms of DIY (unlike me). The photo shows the western sky on 6th February, the remaining light has not faded completely, even at 20:47 when I took the photo on my phone. The bright ‘star’ in the upper-left is actually the planet Jupiter, and the dog star (Sirius) is just above the trees. Orion is in the centre with his belt of three stars, and the little triangle above and to the right of Orion is the Hyades star cluster.
Broken jars
Donna ordered jars of stewed apple pulp but it was badly packed and mishandled and arrived as a messy box full of broken glass, soggy labels, and unusable pulp. Four jars had survived. She’d ordered these several times before and they’d been just fine. Amazon replaced the goods but the replacement arrived in the same condition. The third attempt was in good shape, however.
Batsford Arboretum
We visited one of our favourite places during the month, Batsford Arboretum near Moreton-in-Marsh. The daffodils were out and we enjoyed a look around this familiar place. Our Westonbirt membership card gets us free access at Batsford as well.
Natural History Museum
We also travelled to Oxford for a day later in the month and looked around the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. They were both very crowded because it was half-term and there were a great many families exploring both the town and the museums.
If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!
Rendcomb College was coping with a lot of change due to wartime needs and restriction, some staff were called up to serve in the Army, Navy or Air Force and some newcomers arrived to fill the gaps where possible.
Mike was 14 at this time, turning 15 in June 1941. He would still have been at school at this time, at Rendcomb College about four miles north of Cirencester on the Cheltenham Road. Sometimes he cycled home for a visit at weekends, even during term time. One of his least favourite subjects was maths and, in particular, algebra. When I was at Cirencester Grammar School, also about fourteen, I remember him saying you could add and multiply numbers, but it was quite unreasonable to do the same with letters of the alphabet! Somewhere along the way he had not understood that the letters in algebra represent numbers. Often numbers with values you don’t know.
General meeting
Mike had a mention as a ‘Cycle Man’ in the Rendcomb General Meeting for the Summer Term of 1941. I’m not sure what this duty entailed, but he was one of three pupils appointed to the task. Rendcomb College was coping with a lot of change due to wartime needs and restrictions, some staff were called up to serve in the Army, Navy or Air Force and some newcomers arrived to fill the gaps where possible. Disruption of this kind was affecting schools and businesses all over the UK, of course. Copies of the school magazine are available online.
World events: Germany, Italy and Hungary invaded Yugoslavia; and Axis forces reached Halfaya Pass, on the Libyan-Egyptian frontier.
From the beginning, Blast from the Past articles have been rather long and have become hard for me to write and publish. I need to simplify the process if I’m to continue with it.
From now on I’ll post much shorter, more manageable articles each covering a single month, this one, for example, covers April 1941. I should be able to complete one of these every week or so. I’ll provide links at the bottom of each one so readers can jump backwards and forwards a month at a time and these links will integrate with those in the existing Blast from the past articles. I’ll also add links to jump from year to year.
We’ll see how it goes for a while and I’ll make further changes if necessary.
Useful? Interesting?
If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!
