It Started Small.

On yesterday’s news…

In 1978 Avril and Christopher Rowlands drove home with their first ever £6 Christmas tree on the top of their Mini Cooper. After Christmas they planted it in the front garden of their new Inkberrow, Worcestershire house.

Now, 46 years on, the couple, are both around 80-years-old. That same tree stands 50ft tall, Each year they decorate the tree with thousands of festive lights. It’s a tourist attraction, that’s raised £25,000 for charity.

One young couple… a small tree… passing years… growth… positive influence… national recognition.

Yesterday, 9^th December, was the day that Clarence Birdseye was born in 1886 in New York City. Working for the United States Department of Agriculture Birdseye went to Newfoundland from 1912 to 1915. He was taught by the Inuit how to fish under very thick ice and became interested in food preservation by freezing, especially fast freezing.

Birdseye founded the frozen food company Birds Eye…

In 1949 they started building the Lowestoft Birds Eye factory, to create what became a 26 acre site, a major employer in the town, producing frozen peas, fish, burgers, fish, poultry, waffles… A number of friends have worked there. I shall drive past it later today

A New York scientist… a small food company… passing years… growth… positive influence… international recognition… major importance here in Lowestoft.

Yesterday I read about Zahara, a woman in Chad who’s had twelve pregnancies… three ended in miscarriages, three babies passed away in infancy, six survived. The infant mortality rate in Chad is fourth worst in the world. Zahara is a picture of the many anonymous mothers whose pregnancies and births are uncelebrated.

Musing again on the Christmas story… the angel visits teenage Mary… an unexpected pregnancy… a journey to Bethlehem… no room in the inn… baby born… wrapped in cloths… placed in a manger….

One young couple… uncelebrated birth… small family… group of followers… passing years… growth… positive influence… international recognition. But positive influence and major importance here in Lowestoft…?