Author: TonyGosling
Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 11:47 am (GMT 0)
Colston, the Cathedral and Bristol’s School Children – An Ongoing Saga
https://counteringcolston.wordpress.com/commemoration-events/
Charter Day Nov 2014
Bishop of Bristol Mike Hall talks of ‘speculation’ surrounding Edward Colston’s business roots to hundreds of school children at the annual private ‘Charter Day’ ceremony held in Bristol Cathedral. After this Christian religious ceremony, the Merchant Venturers make their way to Merchants Hall in Clifton for their annual dinner where they appoint their new master for the coming year.
This video was captured by independent journalist Tony Gosling host of the Politics Show on BCFM radio during this private ceremony.
Once the video was shared on social media it gained local press coverage and the Bishop wrote a blog where he says his words were ‘seized upon’.
Local coverage of the Bishop’s words can be viewed here, here and here.
Bishop Mike was invited to appear on the BCFM One Love Breakfast Show, not only did he not appear on the show, he did not respond to the invitation.
November 2015
The following year a small group of like-minded locals staged a protest outside of the Cathedral, handing out leaflets providing historical information regarding Colston’s ‘business roots’.
This time the event made the national newspapers: The Daily Mail, The Times, The Guardian and The Sun. The local press covered it too.
Headteacher of Colston’s Girls’ School, Alistair Perry, wrote a letter to parents about how ‘celebrations and events commemorating the life of Edward Colston sometimes provoke strong reactions from some members of the community of Bristol’.
A couple of the protesters responded to this spin.
“The Bristolian” commented on the actions of Alistair Perry and published a copy of the leaflet protestors handed out.
2016
Open democracy published an article by Christine Townsend regarding the ‘celebrations and events commemorating the life of Edward Colston’.
Several individuals attempted to arrange a meeting with representatives of CGS and the Cathedral to discuss the ceremonies. This was declined, so they sent an open letter to the Dean of Bristol Cathedral.
Bishop Michael Hill: Merchant Venturer Edward Colston profiting from slave trade is 'speculation'
Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNHBdpvGYHc
Dr David Hoyle
The Dean
Bristol Cathedral
College Green Bristol
BS1 5TJ
e-mail: counteringcolston@gmail.com
5th October 2016
c/o BRHG
Hydra Bookshop
34 Old Market St
Bristol BS2 0EZ
Dear Dr David Hoyle,
Thank you very much for your letter dated 2nd September.
As you might imagine, we were disappointed that you declined to meet, as we feel that this matter would be much easier to resolve amicably in person. For the time being, we would like to leave the invitation open to you, should you change your mind.
Nevertheless, we welcome your letter as being a step in the right direction. If you do carry out your stated undertakings in an exemplary way, then this will constitute an improvement over the services of previous years.
However, we regret to observe that there are several points of detail and ambiguities in your wording that leave us concerned that the improvements may end up being less than adequate given the gravity of the issue.
As you are surely aware, Edward Colston was the deputy governor of the Royal African Company which had the monopoly of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Slavery is an atrocious crime against humanity, which can never be balanced out by charitable donations. As such, it is vital that this should be treated with the utmost of seriousness.
Your most recent communication with us states:
We acknowledge Edward Colstons involvement in the slave trade and recognise that it is entirely inappropriate to celebrate his life.
However, this is not a view held by Alistair Perry, the CEO of the Colston Girls Trust, nor that of the academy sponsor, the Merchant Venturers, on whose behalf Mr Perry writes by virtue of his position of a director of the trust. In a letter sent to parents last year he stated:
At this time of year, celebrations and events commemorating the life of Edward Colston sometimes provoke strong reactions from some members of the community of Bristol.
It is a matter of record that the buns distributed at Charter day are in memory of Edward Colston - simply not referring to them as Colston buns is neither here nor there, and similarly the chrysanthemums worn by the girls on Commemoration Day are dedicated to Colstons memory.
We would draw your attention to the movement for Pan-Afrikan Reparations, and Black Lives Matter, as two examples that show how people are ever more concerned to stand up against injustices, both historical and contemporary. There will almost certainly be protests outside the Cathedral this year if people feel that the problem of Edward Colston is not being handled with the full gravity that it demands, and at this point we cannot rule out participating in such demonstrations ourselves.
In order to avoid such an outcome, we would strongly urge you to take the following steps:
1) Publish the acknowledgements and proposed changes that you outlined in your letter to us. We would be glad to advise on these aspects should you require it.
2) Publish the service plans, sermon texts and prayers at least two weeks in advance, so that they may be publicly scrutinised.
3) Permit independent witnesses to observe the ceremonies and see that the plans and texts are closely followed.
We trust that you will recognise the moral legitimacy of these suggestions, which may move towards allaying public concerns. Carrying them through would hopefully show that the Cathedral has listened, reflected, understood, and is sensitive to the strong feelings within a large and growing section of the population.
Please be advised that it is our intention to publish this letter and any response we receive from you.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Roger Ball
Katie Finnegan-Clarke
Cllr Cleo Lake
Rosalind Martin
Dr Ben Pritchett
Mark Steeds
Christine Townsend
_________________
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www.thisweek.org.uk
www.abolishwar.org.uk
www.elementary.org.uk
www.radio4all.net/index.php/contributor/2149
http://utangente.free.fr/2003/media2003.pdf
"The maintenance of secrets acts like a psychic poison which alienates the possessor from the community" Carl Jung
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