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Friends'
School Saffron Walden
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The
Quaker Pilgrimage
September 2000 |
 |
|
Friends'
School Saffron Walden
|
The
Quaker Pilgrimage
September 2000 |
|
On Pendle Hill
An account by Lily Dryburgh-Smith
Anyone here when they hear us say pilgrimage must think that we went away on some kind of serious hippy weekend where we went to find ourselves and put flowers in our hair. You could do this although I have to say that the majority didn't. This is not to say that it turned into just a simple school trip. We learnt a lot about the origins of the Quaker religion and their form of worship. And this I don't think anyone found that boring!
However it seemed that the early Quakers were fond of climbing hills, and there are a lot of them in the Lake District. This meant we also had to climb them. And for anyone that hasn't climbed hills before, it isn't easy. And I remember Kenneth taking much amusement when I had an asthma attack half way up the first one we climbed.
Self catering
Nevermind, I got my own back when I had to break his heart by pointing out to him that the lovely blond girl he had a crush on was actually a bloke called Ben. But I think I'll change the subject now as I want to walk out alive.
If any of you do have the chance to go, take it is definitely my advice, even if you aren't religious. It doesn't matter if you don't come back a convert that is not what the Quakers are trying to get you to do. And I think that it was this kind of personal free thinking which made the weekend so great. There was none of the usual embarrassment of talking to those that you did not know very well, we just all got on as a group. We still keep in contact through e-mail as well although this mostly entails ripping it out of Kenneth and Ben!
Account by Rufus Impey
The Quaker Pilgrimage started with Kenneth over-sleeping, Stephen having not wanted to disturb him. Kenneth was woken up around ten minutes before we were due to leave. So with some more tired than others, we set off.
I think that the main reasons why I went was that firstly I was interested to meet people from other Quaker schools out of curiosity to find out whether the Quaker schools and the people who attend them are similar to our school. I was also interested to discover more about Quakerism and the people who founded it.
The people who we meet up with first were from Leighton Park who we picked up from Birmingham station. From there our mini bus, labouring noisily along the motorway and with great difficulty up even the slightest hill, delivered us to Lancashire.
Having arrived and met the other two schools, Sibford and Sidcot, we got our first taste of walking up hills which saw plenty of over the weekend. At first everyone remained in their school groups but by the second day these groups had broken down and we formed one group.
Our hostel in Yealand Conyers
Sleeping arrangements were comfortable but minimal. When we arrived at the converted school house of Yealand Conyers we discovered that while we would be sleeping on mattresses on the floor, Mrs Lockyer and the staff from the other school on the trip would be getting to sleep down stairs in proper beds!
The trip was hectic and we certainly saw many of the Quaker sites in the time that we had. The trip gave me a clearer idea of what Quakerism is and who the incredible people were who started the movement. As to the people from the other schools I found that they and their schools did appear to share a certain amount in common with our school and the people who go to it. It was certainly a worth while and enjoyable trip that I am glad that I had the opportunity to have gone on.
Account by Kenneth Cheung
We've indeed learnt a great deal more about the origin and philosophy of Quakerism. As the introduction of the trip we walked up the Pendle Hill, following the footsteps of George Fox, the founder of Quakerism. Hiking half asleep and with no breakfast in your stomach is never a pleasant experience, especially when your walking boots keep encountering local sheep contribution to the fertilisation of the soil. Despite all that, the view at the top of the hill was totally worth the effort. We walked up another 2 hills during the weekend, each with their own characteristics; and the feelings we got at the top of those hills were quite simply - quite and peaceful.
On the second day we had the chance to visit Kendal, the town where the famous Quaker Tapestry is normally displayed while it is off-tour. Although the visit was fairly brief, we did receive a well-presented introduction to the tapestry, and were able to see the complete set of panels. As the sun set in the west, we made our way back to Yealand Conyer. While we were all dreaming about some 12oz sirloin steaks complete with appetiser and dessert for dinner, shock horror struck as the minibus in front missed a turn. The driver decided to make a sharp U-turn with a T-junction only 20 yards ahead in a Michael Schumacher style at about 40mph. We followed, but in a more ordinary manner, turning at the T-junction. That driver later claimed that it was all due to hunger. By the way, we were all shattered when we discovered that all those sirloin steaks turned out to be vegetarian lasagne…
We joined other local Friends on Sunday for a Meeting for Worship. It was a full length Meeting that lasted about an hour. The whole occasion was peaceful and relaxing, with various members standing up at times to share their thoughts on some particular topics, like the conflict in the Middle East. That evening two Quaker ladies joined us for dinner. Later we held a very informal yet in-depth discussion about our views on the existence of God. It was quite an inspiring discussion in which we all shared our views. No conclusion was reached, simply because it was not necessary. However most people respected the point raised by one lady, in which she said "God exists in different forms in different people, and these differences result in different effects"
I certainly haven't been on any trip like this before, and I do think it's not only a great opportunity to learn more about Quakerism, but also to meet people who are from similar school backgrounds as yourselves. All of us who took part are still in touch, and with the combination of Lily and the Internet, poor jokes (i.e. Ben and I) sure get spread around via emails! Seriously, it was fun; so… don't get put off by the name "Pilgrimage"!!!
