The rollercoaster life of a travelling minister
Travelling in the ministry has it's up and downs but for Emily Provance, life in the last week has actually been a rollercoaster.
Emily has been able to cross out two activities on her bucket list after being invited to Lancashire and Cumbria by the local development workers (LDWs) for North West England and Cumbria and the North East.
"We decided Emily had been far too busy travelling the country, chatting to Friends in more depth about some of her Swarthmoor Lecture themes," said Ellie McCarthy, LDW for Cumbria and the North East. "We thought perhaps she might welcome a day off and a change of scene."
"When Emily accepted our invitation to come to Lancashire, it seemed only right that we should find out if she'd ever been to Blackpool," added Alison Tarpey-Black, LDW for North West England. "Unexpectedly her eyes lit up and we discovered that not only had she never been to Blackpool, but the Steeplechase ride at the Pleasure Beach was on her bucket list."
A small yet hardy bunch of excitable Quakers in Britain staff gathered on a day off to accompany a very excitable Emily, under the grumpy grey skies of the fun capital of the north. As well as the thrill of riding the rickety Steeplechase - the last roller coaster of its kind left in the world - they also braved the Grand National, Avalanche, Avatar Airbender and rounded the day off with an all-over soaking on Valhalla. Everyone was very grateful to Sophie who had remembered to bring some ponchos.
"It was a memorable day!" said Emily. "Not only did I get to ride the iconic Steeplechase – but I also got to try Blackpool rock and candyfloss which is so much nicer than the equivalent we have in the US!"
Emily also had the opportunity to tick other things off her bucket list when she visited Swarthmoor Meeting House and Swarthmoor Hall for the first time. She shared a midweek meeting for worship at the meeting house – gifted to Friends by George Fox – before heading off to the hall. If you're on Facebook, check out Emily's posts for her reflections of her visit.
"I was fortunate to stay over at Swarthmoor Hall in the beautiful rooms converted for overnight stays," said Emily. “It's such a special place and I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to understand more about Margaret Fell's life and her important contribution to strategically helping the Quaker movement to grow and thrive."