Have Tesco got it right?

But first a Risk conversation

The Corona Virus has involved all of us in risk assessments.

How often should I go to the shops? Weekly shops are more common than monthly now.

Should I go for a paper every day?

How much distance should I give for runners and cyclist? More than 2 metres?

I remember the first time I had the opportunity to stand behind a shop till. It was a newsagent. I was a paper boy. An emergency took place and the shop manager said, "you cover the counter while I deal with this situation." Apart from the buzz for a child to be in control of a shop, I had never dealt with cash before, I was terrified.

But what of the lasting impression about that situation as I saw the shop from a different viewpoint.

Years of paper rounds delivering in the local village, leaning on the counter, several visits each day I had got used to seeing the shop from one side the customer side.

Now I was seeing the other side. It was strange.

If you have lived in the same house for a long time and you haven't been in the garden of next door then when you do go and visit -Its strange because you are seeing it from a different eye, a different perspective!

Looking at risks is to some extent looking from a different angle.

While you might have an insight the rest of the street or community might not!
To move forward in risk management there is a need to have everyone increase their awareness.

With change, like behaviour, it might take time, but as you carry on others will see this new perspective and what a benefit it could be. A disaster missed, a more efficient home or workplace, no loss or a catastrophe averted.  This virus still has the potential to be more than a Catastrophe if we do not act wisely.

So, what are risks?

Risk is the possibility of something bad happening.

Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environment), often focusing on negative, undesirable consequences. Many different definitions have been proposed. The international standard definition of risk for common understanding in different applications is “effect of uncertainty on objectives”.

How do we deal with risks?

We can try and reduce the risk, minimise the risk, eliminate the risk, insure against the risk.

One way to reduce risk is to put controls in place.

Examples might be :

Locks on doors!

£45.00 limit on card transactions without a PIN!

Eat your main course before you get sweet.

Wear protective clothing.

Safe distancing, “Social distancing” or as Radio four tried to adopt the term “Physical distancing”.

Other controls might be documented to help reduce the risk and formulate thinking and practice. A policy or procedure.

Examples:

Child protection policy

Fire procedures

Tesco

One of the first retail outlets to re shape the shopping experience was Tesco. They implemented restricted times. Times for care workers etc , a one-way system  2-metre markers and the use of a separate exit for customers who had completed their transactions. There installed splash screen to protect the staff. Trolleys being wiped down.

All these were controls to reduce the likely hood of virus spread.

But here is an observation.

The staff making up the customer orders on the face of it do not act with distancing aspects to themselves or customers.

Is this a weakness?

Then we have the pleasant door person holding the door, nice touch,  to let customers out the fire exit. No handles to touch. Good control.

But he is less than 2 meters, and he is near every person leaving the shop!

Is this a weakness?

As we all take stock and consider more so in the subconscious our responsibility in this period of Corona 19 virus we all need to take recognition of good controls.

If we feel 2 metres is not enough control we could implement our own control of 3 metres.

As we have seen in walking the streets as part of exercise people do change behaviour and are influenced by others’ actions. Those who are unaware or lack risk awareness or have a larger threshhold for what is acceptable risk will see hopefully why we act in a particular manner.

With all risks this is not static. Reviews need to be held regularly and be part of on-going practice.

I think Nicola Sturgeon was right to leave lock down in Scotland for a further period as the information was showing we had not reached the peak of the “first wave” of the virus.

I am sure she has had lots of risk conversations over the last two months.

Please Share from here or from where you game from. Thank you. 

Lockdown changes

Well over six weeks of lockdown and what have we been doing.
I for one have managed various outside painting jobs and a few house maintance things.

I have continued to speak by skype and Zoom to my fellow director about the Message Works Trust a Charity helping pastors and leaders on an ongoing basis in addition to fraterals and denomination leaders meetings. We are a strictly confidential "ear" for those who want to speak and share about their work and ministry and use us as a sounding board or even to get it off their chest moment. one of our activities is to pray with those we meet.

We hope to set up a few meetings in the furure to invite pastors to, in private an open discussion.

Maybe I will come back about this later. In the meantime if you  or others you are aware of might be helped or appreciate this ministry you could get in contact. We cover the whole of the UK.

View near Inveralmond take while on a  recent walk.

I have been looking in to family history over the last few weeks. I discovered my cousin 27 times removed is William the Conquorer. That was a blow. So now I am supposely related to Robert the(de) Bruce and William both from France so I am not as Viking as I thought.

Family history can be gripping and time consuming. Like most activities that can be all consuming, one should focus on key objectives.

One of my busiest posts was Barter books! So does this mean people are still reading as well as all the electronic viewing that is taking place? 

"I dont update my Apple or Windows software"

"I dont update my Apple and Windows Software" they said.

Update your versions not just for security -Apple and Windows

Its easy to forget that our software is by default on automatic update and not realise that the updates are not all at the same time. Versions or updated by the providers is on a rolling basis.

If you have an I phone or Pad the current operating version is 13.4.1

To check you simply press settings, then general, then software update.After a few moments it will tell you on the screen which version you are on.

if updating, say over night, the unit should be left plugged in to the mains for charging. Apple has a default not to update if not plugged in.

Windows operating system for 10 is 1909 with a build number in the uk of 18363.815.

By updating the software you, as well as having maximum security, will have access to the latest apps and services available through the software.

Old Gallows Road near Southton. Spring lambs.

Short Video near Old Gallows Road  Perth.

Walk Old Gallows Road a view to help you if you are in lock down.

Here is a view of part of a walk down at the end of Old Gallows Road Perth. It is near where the Battle of Tibbermore took place.

Please subscribe and share with those who might like a Spring view.

Cap outs Lifters and Perth congregationalists

Cap outs, Lifters and Perth congregationalists The Congregational Church in Perth has few written documents on its early history, yet their claim is that some thinking men became Congregationalists as early as 1794. They purchased Paul Street Chapel about that time. Having called the preacher James Garie to their Church in that year, they were forced into a situation which they would have preferred to avoid. Garie wished to make the Chapel a Place of Ease * for those in the Church of Scotland. This was not acceptable to the trustees of the building and, after 18 months, Garie left to take up ministry with the Church of Scotland. This, however, was also unsuccessful. The chapel was put up for sale and was then repurchased by some of the Church and was advertised for use with the "returned Mr Garie and the congregation of Christian people" in 1798. They and the proprietors of the building not Garie, were keen to have an independent church. Garie tried to be admitted to the Church of Scotland but was refused. Shortly before this, in 1790, a schism arose among other Seceders. It was based around the dispensing of the elements at the Lord's Supper. The new group were called "Cap outs" and they built a chapel at Thimblerow. Their numbers reduced quickly, and the building was offered to the Presbytery as a Chapel of Ease. This offer was rejected but the Missionaries (Congregationalists) bought it. (Who are they?) The next minister of the “Garie’s church “was James Colquhoun, minister of the Relief Church Campsie. He had been invited 9 years earlier to minister in Perth at the East (Relief) Church and had declined.  The Church had grown and on “the better of the break-up of the “lifters” in 1793”. This was in connection with the Communion where the lifters required the minister to lift the bread and wine before serving to the congregation. Colquhoun ministered till around October 1801 when he left to take up a dissenting Presbyterian congregation in North Shields. At some point some of the congregation of Colquhoun’s Church (Old friends of Garie!)invite Garie back to Perth. They bought Paul Street. We do not know much about the Congregational church post Garie indeed we do not know where they worshipped but Garie’s friends were able to buy their former building. 1798 the now Garie group worshipping in the former Congregational church now owned by “the friends” join the group in South Street at the tabernacle supported by Robert Haldane.

This period was one of growth for the Congregational Church with many new Churches developing from the work of the Haldane brothers. The Perth Congregational Church has a plate with the inscription "Perth Union Church, 1798", but whether this was the original name or not is unclear. (Uncertainty exists also regarding the matter of the parties who became the "Union"). The title Congregational Church, Perth, was the new name taken in that same year. Shortly before Garie's death he wrote to a prominent lady and in this letter, he stated that "within two weeks back, I have received 17 out of 21 applicants for Church membership. Mostly young people and recently awakened". He added "Last week a young man received his first impressions under a sermon preached by James Haldane, in the mill at Inver". Robert Haldane built a "tabernacle" in South Street, where the Congregational Church met after they sold the Paul Street building around 1799/1800. William Orme, along with two other pastors led the Church for some time until the Haldanes adopted Baptist principles around 1809. The two pastors followed in the way of the Haldanes. Orme and those who did not adopt this new principle on Believers Baptism were evicted by Robert Haldane. The evicted members of the Congregational Church spent a considerable time finding a suitable place in which to worship. By 1810 they were meeting in a hired hall but still wished to build a new chapel. The upper part of a tenement in Canal Crescent became home to them for some time and as numbers grew, they, by 1824, were worshipping in Mill Street. Many years later in 1851, the Mill Street congregation transferred to a new place of worship in Canal Crescent. It closed 21 years later. The year 1855 saw a Morisonian gathering, which at some time met in High Street where Perth Theatre is now situated. They were followers of James Morison of Kilmarnock who was deposed from his place in the United Secession Church by the Synod (New Lights). The reason for this action was that he taught the doctrine of "The Universal love of God" which was shunned by the Church. Unsolved questions 1 Where did the Congregational Church worship before they joined others in the “Union” and after the old friends bought their church? South Street? 2 Was the Congregational Church the same group that bought Thimblerow from Seceders? (the cap-outs) 3 What groups were joined in the Union of 1798? The church had a pewter plate inscribed “Perth Union Chapel 1798” and another “Perth Congregational Church 1798” 4 Is the Perth Union Chapel the Garie group? As we know that the new combined Church was called Perth Congregational Church from 1798.

* Places of Ease were commonplace throughout the country currently. By 1784 there were places in Perth. They were buildings designated for meetings by Christians from different Churches and were originally instigated through the Church of Scotland for the poor and needy. These buildings were used for accommodation as well as for worship.

Peat and Diesel

Peat and Diesel... smile too

What is the connection with Oswald Chambers and Perth Baptist Church?

"My utmost to his highest" is the phrase most quoted from Oswald Chambers  or his linked information on his writing, who died, in 1917 in Cairo. (15 November 1917.)

He had been ministering to soldiers during the War and took appendicitis. Not wanting to take up a bed he delayed treatment but then was forced to have surgery and died within weeks. Having spent several years in America he had previously been a student of Royal Academy of Art and Dunoon Theological College. Prior to this he had studied at The university of Edinburgh. it was at that point he had his second spiritual challenge between a vocation in Art and training for ministry.

In his post studies life he promoted Holiness and the League of Prayer and while he never specifically published he had several writings with some taken in shorthand by his wife "Biddy". She Gertrude Hobbs, shortened to Biddy, would later have these writings published.

It was as a teenager in London that he was awakened in his spiritual life after hearing a famous preacher. His father praying with him on the road home from a preaching time. He was at Ryeland Baptist Church London. Oswald was a man who promoted the life of holiness.

Oswald's mother was Hannah, and his father Clarence Chambers a "stern" Baptist minister.
Oswald was born in Aberdeen in 1874 and spent some of his youth in Perth as his father was the Baptist minister in Perth from 1881 to 1888.

Perth Baptist Church took over the Opera house in 1891 so by that time the Chambers were in London so did not spent time in this Scots baronial style building on the corner of Tay Street and Canal Street when it was a Church.

Opera House then PBC Church 1984 ablaze,

The link from Church to Building seems to be Sir Robert Pullar who was a member of the public hall company, Perth Ltd the entity building the opera house. It opened as an opera house in 1881.

PBC Centre

So there you have it Oswald Chambers was in Perth Baptist Church and his father was the Pastor.!

 

“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defence. We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.

Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don't want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of 'good time' is seldom in sync with ours.”  ― Oswald Chambers 

Oswald Chambers 

Perth Baptist Church 

 

Where will the Investment market go now.?

The latest trend this week has been down with a few days of lower prices and indices.
Investors will be asking 
What will happen after the election next Friday?
Will the market pick up before the election during or after?
Will it go up simply because there is a solution no matter who gets in with a majority?

One investment firm recons investors are holding around 43% of funds in cash allowing them the opportunity to buy in to investment in the near future. 

At the end of the day we do not know what could happen. look what happened this week after a Trump speech.

Happy investing if you are able to.