Cathy Le Feuvre

Christmas Without Christ

Christmas!

 

It's a lovely time, isn't it? Some would say the 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year'.

 

How much fun to be had, family to be surrounded by, presents to be unwrapped, food to be consumed, songs to be sung very loudly, alcohol to be consumed in vast quantities.

 

It's part of our culture, at least for many in the 'modern', 'western' and developed and entitled world where Christmas is often seen just as a time for partying, excess and overindulgence. Yes, a time for getting together with family, which is important, but also for giving in to the commercial pressures of ... oh ... so ... many needs and wants.

 

I'm not going to talk here about the over commercialisation of the season ... numerous people cleverer than I have spent many words doing that before me.

 

But I am going to address the 'elephant in the room' ... something which isn't new but which has become uppermost in my mind in the past weeks.

 

Let me explain.

 

A friend of mine who does PR and communications, especially on behalf of Christian organizations and charities, posted something in the run up to this festive season which really challenged me ….

 

He wrote …

 

‘Spoken to a journalist in the last hour: I asked who their main Christian guest was this year. The journalist said no-one - we are doing Christmas differently this year!

I'm sure Christmas starts with Christ...’

 

“We are doing Christmas differently this year’!!

 

Ah ….. No ….!

 

As my friend points out … it’s in the name!

 

‘Christ mas’ …

 

Of course, it saddens me that there are journalists out there who, when thinking of their Christmas coverage, decide to ignore the reason we celebrate in the first place! It's not surprising, I guess, given the culture we live in ... but it shows just how far removed that culture has become from the 'real' Christmas. And how much the commercialisation and myths of the 'happy Christmas time' have increasingly shaped our perception of this mid winter festival.

 

This also reminds me that, without being too heavy handed, us Christian folk … the people who follow and believe in the Christ whose birth we celebrate at Christmastime … need to gently remind people that it’s more than drinking, eating, tinsel and pressies, or even all the wonderful charitable kindnesses that happen especially at this time!

 

All this put me in mind of a poem I wrote some years ago … it has featured in a couple of BBC local carol services when I needed a poem - if I can’t find the words I need, I’ll write them myself.

 

But here …as we move through this Christmas season  … I share it with you my friends… and pray that in all the partying and stuff we choose to surround ourselves, we may all take some time to remember the Reason for the Season!

 

Christmas Blessings on you all!

 

The Gift of Kindness - on World Kindness Day

Today is World Kindness Day, so it's an opportunity for me to share some extracts from the book I wrote, with my friend and sometimes writing buddy - Debbie Duncan - on the subject ... of Kindness!

We were writing 'The Gift of Kindness' in 2021,  when the world was still impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic but there were some hopes that soon we would be out of lockdowns and strict restrictions.

We looked back at what seemed to be an explosion of kindness during those pandemic days. The kind things that people were doing for neighbours under house detention, kindnesses even shown on social media.

Writing 'The Gift of Kindness' was an opportunity to tell some stories of kindnesses from the pandemic, and other times, as well as to unpack what kindness is - from many different angles including science, anthropology, literature, popular culture and faith, including the Christian faith which is the perspective from which this book was conceived.

Some of the sentiments expressed and stories of kindnesses extended were personal ... it was real joy to gather information from friends and further afield, and to bring it all together in a book which helps us all to really explore what kindness is, and our own attitudes and actions - kind or otherwise.

Debbie and I really wanted to challenge ourselves in the writing, and this we did. We also wanted people to think about what kindness might look like in our world and culture. Kindness in the workplace, commerce and industry, Kindness in education, Kindness in the health and care sectors, Kindness in politics, Kindness in the media. You get my drift, I'm sure. Kindness in EVERY aspect of life! 

Yes, you might think it's all a bit 'pie in the sky' ... but we can but dream, can't we?

And it's not just about the occasional Random Act of Kindness ... it's about being intentionally kind, as well as developing kindness in our lives to the extent that, eventually, we may not even have to plan being kind but it will come naturally. As naturally as breathing! If kindness was just embedded into every aspect of our being then it would, I believe, begin to manifest in all the things we do ... including all those sectors mentioned above.

A year and a bit on from publication by Authentic Media UK in August 2022, and it does feel that the world seems to have reverted to it's pre-pandemic nature ... and kindness seems to have taken a back seat. Again.

'The Gift of Kindness', we hope, is evidence that once the world managed to survive a global pandemic and kindness had a great deal to do with that.

I mentioned that today is World Kindness Day, and we explain in the book that this day was launched by the World Kindness Movement in 1998. On this day ...  13 November ... we are encouraged to make the world a better place through good deeds (although of course, being kind is for every day ... and not just for today or even for a pandemic). The World Kindness Movement is a coalition of nations’ kindness NGOs and was celebrated across the world, and it’s captured the imagination of people and governments. Many many countries now recognise World Kindness Day.

Maybe today, or tomorrow, you might like to consider what kindness means to you and whether you are a 'kind' person. The book isn't just narrative. At the end of every chapter there's a summary, and a prayer and some 'practical pointers' that you might like to give thought to as you look at kindness in your own relationships, interactions and life.

If you fancy exploring the subject, you might like to buy our book... it's on lots of sites online, including the publisher - Authentic Media (UK) and Amazon, of course. 

And just to whet your appetite... here's an extract from my part of the 'introduction' to the book ... just a little something to show how 'personal' kindness is to me.

The importance of kindness in the world

Throughout my life I’ve witnessed and experienced kindness on many occasions, and in many people. Living as a child of Christian leaders in The Salvation Army, who then moved to Africa when I was quite young, I was aware of the kindnesses of others. I learned the importance of kindness and the implications of my behaviour and actions.

Our family had little in the way of money and resources most of the time, but often we benefited from the generosity of others, and I also saw the way my parents shared what little they had with others. Before we left for Africa and my parents were church leaders, I remember going down to breakfast and finding a ‘gentleman of the road’ at our table, my dad having met him the previous evening and brought him in from the rain and cold, with an invitation to sleep on a mattress in the garage to prevent him freezing on the streets. In Africa, a Boxing Day picnic and barbecue was held on our remote farm where many local Salvation Army and other friends gathered with our family, everyone bringing something to the table to share.

If you’ve ever got involved with one of those ‘sharing’ lunches or suppers, you’ve seen kindness in action because there will always be those who are unable to bring food to the table, but are welcome to sit down to eat anyway.

Throughout my life I’ve witnessed people spending hours delivering food parcels and reaching out to others who they don’t even know. In fact, on the day my dad passed away, or as we say in The Salvation Army, was ‘promoted to glory’, he had spent the afternoon picking up food from the Marks & Spencer’s supermarket which was still in date but could not be sold in the store, so it could be packed up and delivered to those in need.

As a journalist and broadcaster, I’ve been privileged to witness so many kindnesses down the years and especially in my time as a ‘faith’ producer and presenter, working in programming which reflects faith and Christian communities, I have been humbled by what I have seen and reported on. The churches and individuals running foodbanks, looking after homeless people, caring for victims of trafficking and domestic violence, and families in crisis. Not to mention those just making themselves available to offer a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on.

Of course, we know that good deeds are not confined to people of faith, but as Christians these sorts of kind actions are what Christ calls us to do, and while some may see it as their ‘duty’ or even their job to do this work, I would say that when we have Jesus in our lives this is something that could begin to come naturally. It’s an example of that kindness imperative that Jesus empowers us to live out. When we ask ourselves ‘what would Jesus do?’ then the answer has to be – be kind, compassionate and loving, not to draw attention to ourselves but just because it’s what we are called to be and because it feels natural to do it, even if it means a sacrifice for ourselves.

And what we do doesn’t have to be ground-breaking. Acts of kindness and compassion come in all shapes and sizes.

Making a difference

During the coronavirus pandemic it was part of my job, then working for BBC Radio Jersey, the local BBC radio station in the Channel Islands, to help share ‘Make a Difference’ stories. This campaign was quite simple, really; it just gathered stories of people who were reaching out to others, mostly for little or no reward or recognition. We shared those stories on the radio to inspire others and, sometimes when appropriate, to gather support for those causes.

No sooner had the first lockdown begun in March 2020 than we saw the setting up of a special Facebook page – ‘Coronavirus Jersey – Acts of Kindness’ – a grassroots campaign to connect islanders and share resources and messages of support. It also helped people to share their needs without feeling ashamed, and this resulted in the most tremendous outpouring of kindness. All over our lovely little island of Jersey, rainbows appeared in windows, a sign of hope. Children painted little pebbles which you would come across in random spots around the island as a reminder of love and kindness and friendship. People stepped up to deliver goods to those shut in at home, to volunteer, to share what they had with those who had less.

At the invitation of the government of Jersey, The Salvation Army church and charity movement locally established and ran the island’s foodbank and what resulted was an outpouring of support and love – they were inundated with not just messages of support but donations of food and cash and manpower. The hairdresser who couldn’t open his shop instead spent his time working in the foodbank. There were many volunteers, most with no connection to the church, who stepped up to fill food bags and drive around delivering them safely to those who could not leave home. It was a real community effort!

One story from the pandemic that sticks in my mind is the ice-cream van man who, in May 2020, parked his vehicle in front of the hospital and gave free ice creams to all those health professionals and others working in that building to keep us healthy and safe. And he did this on his own birthday! What a joy-bringer! We will read more about this later in the book.

It is easy to be cynical about the world, to seek out the negative in people and situations. But we don’t have to look far to see the good that others do every day and, especially for those of us who aspire or claim to be Christians, if only a little of that inspires us to go do the same, then we will be truly living the Jesus way.

I'm Not A Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here!

Remember back in the early days of the Coronavirus Pandemic when millions of us took a couple of minutes out at 8pm every Thursday to 'Clap for Carers'?

Well, that's what happened across the UK anyway, including here in the lovely island of Jersey in the Channel Islands!

We were clapping, whistling, playing musical instruments, banging saucepans and generally making a big noise to say 'thank you' to all the people who looking after us. All those 'caring' for us at the height of the pandemic when people were getting sick with Covid19, being hospitalised, even dying from this illness that struck the world so quickly at the start of 2020.

We were showing our gratitude to those who were keeping our world going, supporting us to allow most of us to stay home and stay safe. All the health professionals who were (and still are actually) at the front line, by the bedside, wrapped in PPE, on the wards and in the emergency services. All the public servants keeping our streets and roads clean and safe, our rubbish collected, our streets safely policed and our homes safe from fire and other dangers. All the volunteers manning the food banks which were desperately needed by those who were unable to work to support their families. All those driving our buses, keeping our stores stocked and those serving us in so many ways.

When we clapped on those Thursdays for more than two months, we understood that all these people were putting their own safety on the line to keep our worlds going, to ensure WE could stay safe. These were moving, magical moments!

We truly understood the value of people who, let's face it, in the past have just been in the background, rather unappreciated for what they bring to our communities.

For a while, we began to understand that THEY were and are the Heroes of our society without whom we could not survive.

For a few months, the obsession with Celebrity we have developed over the years faded somewhat into the background. Although so-called, often self-identified 'celebrities' pounded us with images, videos and comments on social media, attempting to keep their profile high (it is, after all, how they make a living, promoting themselves and it was perhaps difficult being a TV or sporting celebrity when there were no live sports and no new celebrity TV shows being made) it seemed as if, for a while at least, the world wasn't paying that much attention.

Despite their attempts at pushing their self-proclaimed importance, even when the world was in dire straits, for a bit lots of us seemed to realise just how unimportant these 'celebrities' are to the real world.

There were even suggestions and dreams that, going forward, maybe the world and the media in particular, would move away from the constant pandering to 'celebrities', the never ending celebrity-led TV shows, the shoving-in-our-faces of people who, generally, are rather overpaid for what they do and are, and often appear to have lost sight of the 'real world' where people can't afford posh holidays, designer clothes and footwear, plastic surgery and huge homes and shockingly expensive vehicles. Some of us hoped that we would begin to see a reduction in the promotion of the celebrity culture!

Some of us hoped that, as we came out of the pandemic, we would still remember the 'real heroes', stop obsessing about what we don't have in comparison to the celebrities who are promoted through our media and through their own social media platforms, and begin to just appreciate what we do have and those who really make our world a better place. Some of us hoped that the so-called 'celebrity culture' where we're all apparently encouraged to emulate the lives of people who invariably do little to enhance our world, would start to be seen for what it is - all silly nonsense! 

Some of us hoped that even if the 'celebrity' stuff came back onto our screens maybe people wouldn't watch it anymore, and wouldn't be sucked in to the old pre-pandemic world. 

Six months on from the start of the pandemic and I've just seen an advert on the TV. It's promoting something called 'Celebrity Karaoke Club', The strapline goes something like  'Who wouldn't want to see a bunch of celebrities twerking?' 

WELL - ME FOR ONE!!!

I can't actually think of anything worse that watching seven ... yes seven ... so-called 'celebrities', most of whom from the line up appear to be just famous for thinking they are famous, doing a sing-off and then criticising and making fun of the others. For six weeks! For me this is not 'entertainment'.  Neither are all the shows which are popping up again now featuring would be celebs - including dating and game shows and ridiculous staged managed reality 'real lives' programmes. 

Have we learned nothing from the pandemic? Have the media companies learned nothing? That actually we're not all 'buzzing for the latest fix of TOWIE!' and some of us would rather watch paint dry than watch rich, pampered individuals trying to outdo other celebrities, often not with any sort of kindness. 

It remains to be seen if these shows will be as popular. My fear is that because we're not generally offered much of an alternative, they may well get lots of viewers, even if most of us now realise how shallow it all is. Time will tell. 

I'm not a celebrity and I guess about 99.9% of the world's population are not celebrities so we're out of here.

We're back in the background. Many of us just living and trying to get by, and many millions still being complete heroes, not worrying about how their hair looks under their Personal Protective Equipment, and realising that when you're caring for a dying patient, or a family struggling to put food on the table because, after the 'furlough' schemes which have kept them paid during the worst of the pandemic is cancelled and their jobs are gone, after all ... it really doesn't matter if you are wearing a designer outfit, or have spent hours with a makeup artist ensuring your lashes are thick and long and your lips are plumped having being injected with something nasty to ensure you look like the celebrity next to you with similarly ridiculous pouty lips.

If we've learnt nothing from 2020, I for one hope it is that what matters is that we care for each, that we all go the extra mile to make our society and our world, a better and kinder place.  What matters is not what we look like, or how much money we have in the bank or the glamourous house we live in, or the number of social media followers. 

What matters is that we love! Not just ourselves, but others!

 

 

Missing the Man on the Moon

July 20 1969 !

50 years ago today -  Man Walked on the Moon!

What an amazing, astonishing feat of science, technology, human bravery and determination.

Man actually walked on the surface of another celestial body!

Two men - Neil Armstrong and then Buzz Aldrin - placed their feet on the powdery, barren lunar surface. A third astronaut  - their Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins - shared their historic journey, watched by millions upon millions of people across the globe via TV.

And today, millions of people are remembering where they were when they sat mesmerised by those grainy black and white images from the moon, and heard Armstrong's immortal words ...

'It's one small step for (a) man. One giant Leap for Mankind'

But not me.

You see - while everyone who is anyone has a memory of that day - even those really too young to remember ... I admit ... I missed it.

I Missed the First Man on the Moon!

Sorry, but it's true.

I AM old enough to have memories of July 20 1969. But at the time when Armstrong placed his foot on the dusty surface of the moon, I was tucked up in bed in a boarding school dormitory in Kenya, in East Africa. Probably dreaming of the soon-to-come school holidays when I'd be back home on a farm in the African bush, and later on the beach in Mombasa with my family. Even at 10 I was good at dreaming.

My brother Steve did enjoy listening to a recording of the moon landing the next day thanks to a brilliant teacher, but I have no memory of even being told about it.

Later, of course, I would learn all about that momentous day, and what it meant for mankind, for science, for our understanding of what being 'human' is about.

But on the day itself ... nothing. Nothing to report. Didn't see the TV pictures, don't recall it making an impact on my life at all.

As a budding writer, you'd maybe expect me to have a diary note ... 'Today Man walked on the Moon. The World is Forever Changed!' But ... unfortunately not.

Don't get me wrong, this lack of Moon Landing Experience hasn't stopped me from being a little obsessed with All Things Space.

On several occasions, I've visited Cape Canaveral - the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida where Apollo 11 launched on July 16 1969. I'm intrigued by space, love all the space movies, and am in awe of those men and women who have ventured into the atmosphere and beyond. I loved seeing the mock up of the Houston control room ... etc etc

But while others today flood social media and tell the world what they were up to on that day in 1969 ... this is all I have to offer.

Yet even this lack of experience reminds me of something profound.

Life isn't, I think, about the Big Stuff that happens. Not really.

Rather, life is about the small events - the day to day waking up, going to school or work, looking after the kids, coping with illness, shopping, cooking the dinner, having an argument and making up, reading a book under a tree in the garden, going for a walk, sleeping and loving and laughing and crying.

Yes, occasionally a Huge Occurrence breaks into the routine of life. And sometimes we DO remember where we were when it happened. And sometimes we don't.

So - if like me - you don't have a memory of that day when Man Walked on the Moon ... don't worry. Life is not all about what has become known as 'Selfie Moments'. We don't have to remember absolutely everything that happens in the world, although if we do have a memory or two tucked away that relates to the Big Stuff, that's ok.

Sometimes it's just about living our lives ... regardless of what's happening around us.

 

Monday Blog Hop - Bex Lewis on Writing

SO... The Monday Blog Hop continues....and the multi-talented Bex Lewis, who I first met at a Church and Media Network (formerly Churches Media Council) Conference some years ago, is my first guest on this blog.

Bex is, among other things, a polymath (yes, I needed to look it up too!) and a Research Fellow in Social Media and Online Learning at the University of Durham's CODEC. She's also posted her Monday Blog on her own website. Welcome Bex! It's over to you....

 

I haven’t had time to look at what others have written for this, if there’s a particular style, and I’ve been working hard on getting to bed early – so – on a Sunday evening – let me do my usual writing style of whatever comes out of my fingers …

What am I working on?

Well, nearly 4 months ago Raising Child in a Digital Age: Enjoying the Best, Avoiding the Worst came out, sold 2000 copies in its first 10 weeks, and I’m still doing articles, etc. related to that…

I still have a number of half-planned articles, etc. sketched out/part-written, but in the past week I have finally been putting into place plans that have been swirling around my head for 10 years, when I finished my PhD, which I am now planning on turning into a book. There’s several hoops with image rights, etc. to jump through, but finally I have done a version of the book proposal, had an hour long Skype with my PhD supervisor, which has left me with about 40 things to action…

For CODEC, aside from blogs for BIGBible, I’m working on a book review of Digital Religion (eds, Heidi Campbell), and starting to think about how to structure research around digital culture, specifically discipleship in a digital age, with ideas for a ‘big data’ project built around ‘photoshopped selves’ and self-representation of religious types on social media platforms … and I’d love to put my history skills to use taking a more longitudinal look at digital engagement in/by the church.

Why do I write what I do?

The best material I write is the stuff that I find interesting, or I passionately believe that it will help others. Occasionally I’ll write stuff to get it out of my head (especially if I haven’t got anyone to talk it over with) – but that stuff is rarely for public consumption. I self-describe as a polymath (but people aren’t surprised once they find out what one of these is – a person who’s expertise spans many different subject areas… sometimes known as renaissance woman – it considers all areas of knowledge as important - intellectual, artistic, social and physical … and polymaths are often quickly bored!!)… so cover a wide range of topics. My blogs can therefore feel a bit ‘scrapbooky’ as I collect different things, and my mind weaves them together in strange ways!!!

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Well, that’s a big question, and assumes that I work within a particular genre! As we have just said … that’s not quite true for me! Fundamentally, I can see my academic/historian roots coming through in every piece of writing that I do … especially in looking for the source for things. I was disparagingly told that I was “doing meedja studies” whilst I was doing my PhD – I took that and went on to teach it, and that now affects the kind of stuff I’m involved in now. My work typically works more at the ‘public engagement’ level, which is still not that well valued in academia … but paid off with my book. And, on that note…. most books aimed re: children/the internet flash “danger, danger, danger”, whereas mine says ‘respect the space, but embrace the opportunities’!

How does my writing process work?

When I was doing my undergraduate thesis, I would get up around midday, do shopping/gym/socialising, then settle down to work sometime between 6pm and midnight and work through til about 4-5am… Doesn’t really work so much any more, but I still do my best writing on days where I have had the day before off (and got all the household tasks, etc. done), then sleep in without an alarm, do a few tasks in the PJs, maybe go for a swim, then finally get going around 2pm…

As an overall process, let’s talk about the book. I tracked down book titles on Amazon/university library, then sketched out ideas of the kind of topics that I thought I wanted to write about, asked around what others thought was important, focused in on particular books – read my way through those making a lot of notes, and continuing to scribble new ideas. I then dump all the notes into a word file (I played around with Scrivener, but didn’t really get the hang of it in time) – which is usually excruciatingly long. Print off 2 pages to a page … ID what each section focuses all, coming up with what tends to become my subheadings. Move everything around in a file under those subheadings and start to shape out each section at a time, so I can feel a sense of achievement. I will always start with the bit I feel most inspired to work on – as this gets me going, and soon have the pleasing look that there’s a pile of writing in front of me, and it encourages me to keep going. Introduction/conclusions always written last and together. Always bear in mind what I learned from my PhD – what is the job of this section, being ruthless – treating each word as a bar of gold, but also treating each version as a ‘draft’ so the pressure to ‘produce perfection’ is lifted … As I’m more of a starter-chasing after new things, I then have to grit my teeth to finish things … and am seeking rewards that aren’t food for doing this… much of my reward in the past has been to get on with another piece of work, but I’m trying to learn to focus, clap myself, and do something other than work, before starting the next thing…. One day I’m sure I’ll actually manage that properly!

Now – I need 2 other people who write to answer the same questions next Monday – any takers (maybe a couple of #digidisciple(s)? I’ll link from this blogpost once agreed…

*If you want to get hold of Bex the best way is through Twitter - @drbexl

Lockerbie Memories - 25 years on

Today we mark a very sad moment in our world's history. Twenty five years ago 270 people lost their lives when a 747 aeroplane en route from London to the USA exploded over the little town of Lockerbie on the Scottish borders.

Memorials are planned here in the UK and in the USA, where so many people lost loved ones. No matter the passage of the years the pain will still be as raw as they think back on those they lost that day, and the human potential which came so abruptly to an end that evening. So many of the travellers that Christmas were young people returning home to the US, or visiting friends across the pond.

I always remember this day - but for a different reason.

Wednesday December 21st 1988 was my 30th birthday and I awoke feeling rather traumatised. Other 'big' birthdays have come and gone since but the Big 30 seemed like a very large milestone at the time. I knew it was irrational but I could not shake myself out of self pity. I had told no one that it was my birthday and for the first time ever I had chosen not to take the day off work.

At the time I worked as a reporter/producer/newsreader for BBC Jersey - a local radio station in the Channel Islands (Great Britain) - and I was on the 'late shift'. I started at lunchtime and would work through the afternoon, and then when everyone else left around 6pm I would be on my own.

For someone who was already feeling a little down, being alone on birthday night was not a great decision. But it was a busy shift -  while BBC Jersey broadcast the evening 'shared' show transmitted from our sister stations on the British mainland, my tasks would include completing the production for the local early show for the following morning, a Thursday. This might involve some recorded local interviews, telephone conversations and writing up of stories, as well as monitoring the national feeds and ensuring that stories for the next day which came through on the BBC nationwide 'circuit' system were recorded and available for my colleagues.

My final job of the day would be to compile and read the news headlines (national/international/regional/local) and local weather forecast at 10pm.

In the days before internet, we received all national and wider regional news through a large telex machine which constantly spewed out reams of paper. Although we had no locally-initiated news bulletins between 6 and 10pm other stations around the country would have, and so the news stories kept coming, as well as cues for stories and features which could be picked up via the aforementioned BBC 'circuit' recording system. The television was on in the corner of the toom, tuned to BBC 1, just for company. 

Mid-evening, probably around 7.30pm the telex machine suddenly sprang into action. I recall walking to the machine and reading a headline 'Air Crash over Scottish borders'. If I remember rightly, at first it was thought that two fighter planes may have collided mid-air. However, over the next few hours the sheer horror of what had occurred became clear. The telex machine told the story as my BBC colleagues in Newsgathering in London, Scotland and across the world put together the bones of what had happened. Within an hour or so BBC and ITV national networks were running newsflashes. Remember this was in the day before digital TV ... there were just a few terrestrial channels available.

The information was sparse - the time that PanAm flight 103 left London Heathrow (18:25) en route for New York JFK ; the time that the aircraft disappeared from radar over the Scottish borders (just a few minutes after 19:00); reports of a huge explosion in the small rural town of Lockerbie. Then there were the growing numbers of feared victims - more than 250 on board the flight itself, and lives lost on the ground. The news story developed as the evening progressed and the enormity of the tragedy that was unfolding all those miles away in Scotland became clear to me.

I turned to the BBC 9 O'clock television news and the story was, of course, headlining, although the details which we would learn over the ensuing days were yet not there. We didn't know yet that it was a bomb on board the aircraft, in an unaccompanied suitcase, which has exploded mid-air. We were yet to learn the names of the individuals - young, old, families, business people and dignitaries, those headed home for the holidays - whose lives were ripped from them that night, including 11 residents of Lockerbie who were killed when parts of an aircraft dropped from the sky onto their quiet little hamlet.

At 10pm I had the sombre duty of reading the news to the world that was Jersey. I can't remember what local headlines were in that bulletin, or indeed if there was any other national or regional news other than brief headlines. As the duty producer it was down to me to decide how much time was given over to the PanAm 103 story and I guess most of that short bulletin would have been taken up by that news. 

I do remember the immense sense of responsibility that overwhelmed me as the BBC Jersey news jingle played and I pressed the 'live mic' button. 

As I've said, this was in the unsophisticated media days, before internet and mobile technology, before digital television platforms and 'rolling news' channels. This was in the day when many people still got their news from their daily papers, some would have watched the TV news but many more would still have relied on their 'wirelesses' for their evening headlines. On a personal level, I had several aunts who didn't even own a TV and I knew always listened to the BBC Jersey 10 0'clock news before they retired to bed.

I was aware that for them, the first they would hear of the Lockerbie Air Disaster would come from me - their local newsreader. I was aware that I was delivering news that would shock and appall. And how I delivered that news was important.

We are trained to read news without too much emotion. I don't know whether I achieved that on that particular evening. I remember my heart beat very fast through the length of that bulletin. As I read out the telephone number for people to contact, in case they believed they had relatives on board the ill-fated flight, and repeated that number ... I became acutely aware that for many people the night would be highly personal and would change their world forever.

Of course, we now know that Lockerbie changed all our lives. We lived in a world where hijackings of aeroplanes was common. We were living through turbulent times where terrorism was an everyday fact of life. But this vile act was something different. Apart from anything else it fundamentally changed the way we travelled - no more unaccompanied luggage, much greater security at airports, more anxiety for travellers. It truly was a turning point and the next would be post 9-11 when once again we would scrutinise and improve air safety.  But of course, for the relatives and friends of those who had lost their lives, that night was so much more significant.

After the 10pm bulletin, I ensured the 'handover' for my colleagues was in order, knowing that what I had left in the 'Morning Show' tray would probably not be used. News from Lockerbie, from London and from New York would continue to develop overnight and the next day's bulletins and radio shows would be dominated by the PanAm 103 story.

I would usually have discarded all the paper from the evening, but on that day I left the piles of telex alerts for my colleagues who would pick up the story the following morning. It was a sort of testament to the evening's events and I didn't want to just consign it to the bin. However, BBC Jersey was off air and would not be back in action until around 7am the following morning. There was no more I could do. 

I locked the office, turned on the security systems and walked the short distance home. I was very sad, but in a strange way, no longer depressed at being one year older. I thanked God that I was alive. And I went to bed thinking of all those who had been lost that evening, and their families and friends who would soon be receiving the worst news of their lives.

Today - 25 years on - I think and pray again for those on both sides of the Atlantic for whom December 21st is annually a reminder of their loss, a day when sadness is relived but life is celebrated.

Just About Sales?

You might think this is a trivial issue -  but something is bothering me!

If I'm perfectly honest, it's been lurking in the back of my head for a little while, but only in recent weeks have I started to articulate my thoughts.

SO why haven't I come out and spoken about it before? Well for one thing, I don't want to appear thick. Is this, I ask myself, something about which I should KNOW, instinctively?

Secondly, I don't want to seem ungrateful at what is being provided for me. And I certainly don't want people to think I don't want to look after myself, because - of course - I do!

What is it occupying my time and thoughts?

Well.... it's the HUGE range of TOOTHPASTE which is on the market!

Just watching the TV I've become aware of this phenomenon. There's...

• Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth
• Toothpaste which Whitens your Teeth
• Toothpaste which is designed to ensure the gaps in between your teeth are clean, as well as the parts of the teeth which can be seen by the world
• Toothpaste to combat tooth DECAY!
• Toothpaste which stops GUM DISEASE!
• Toothpaste which ensures the enamel on our teeth doesn't disappear
• Toothpaste which gets rid of that scourge of us all - PLAQUE!
• Toothpaste which irradicates that other source of terrible shame - TARTAR!

That's just for starters. I'm sure you can add more.

Just strolling down the aisle of my local supermarket today, I was once again reminded of all the different types of toothpaste available to me. White, green, pink, striped. Minty and unflavoured. There are gels, and pastes, and even powders! It's all so confusing!

Returning home, I was determined to do more than just be competely baffled. So I turned to that trusty aide - my computer. Here's where my problems really started. There are literally hundreds (if not more) websites devoted to teeth, toothpaste and all things orally hygenic!

Some are just informational, others more educational. There are those which are designed for younger teeth, some are historical and just plain scary,  others just a bit of fun. Toothpaste, it appears,  can be used for much more than whitening/saving/cleaning your teeth!

I know that the arrival of toothpaste in our world means that, generally speaking, the dental health of the globe has improved considerably. No longer, as in the past, do people need to devise wooden pegs for false teeth which were, apparently, available and in use (in Japan at least) until the early part of the 20th century. Now THAT's scary!

But really - do we have to have QUITE such a range of options on the toothpaste front? Is the vast numbers of pastes, gels and more on the Toothpaste shelves at the supermarket more to do with sales and advertising than anything else?

AND SO WE COME TO THE QUESTION WHICH HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME FOR A WHILE ....

Why can't we have a toothpaste which Whitens, ensures Good Sensitivity, protects Gums, fights Tooth Decay, Plaque and Tartar, cleans the secret and hidden parts of our mouths as well as the bits on public display, freshens our breath and does everything we want it to do - all in ONE PRODUCT?

It is, I'm guessing, not entirely because the producers of dental products are committed to the general improvement of the dental world. I'm GUESSING that there may be something in it for the conglomerates who sell the products. I know - I'm such a cynic!

I'm also guessing that if ... if .... someone was to produce that ONE SINGLE PRODUCT which did everything we'd ever want and need in a toothpaste, there would be no requirement for the plethora of expensive dental product advertisements. We would all be happy with our little tube of DO IT ALL TOOTHPASTE and the advertising industry wouldn't have to spend endless hours coming up with slogans and jingles, sourcing people with already perfect teeth to show us how our teeth should really be, and dentists happy to promote one particular brand.

Yes, I guess with the development of that one perfect toothpaste there would be a lot of people out of work! That's the way of the world!

I've nothing (much) against the worlds of product development and advertising....but sometimes it all seems a bit pointless, doesn't it?

I am sure there will be those out there who will want to comment on why (scientifically) we need all the different pastes and gels and liquids, and powders. There may be some wanting to defend the members of the advertising industry who spend days, weeks and even months in a room devising new ways of selling another new product to the unsuspecting general public. And, of course, there will be those who will wish to champion the different manufacturers of toothpaste who need to keep producing new products to keep us all happy.

You can see why I've been loathe to come out on the subject before.

It's not that I don't care about my teeth - I am actually a fantatical brusher! It's not that I'm unintelligent, but really the science behind toothpaste is beyond me, I'm not ashamed to admit it!

And, of course, I'm very very grateful for toothpaste. In previous centuries I might already be toothless and having to gum all my food to death, or having to use bits of stick to scrape the nasties off my nashers. I might have had to turn to the kitchen where baking soda on a rag would have had  to suffice for teeth scrubbing, or I might have had to clean out the fireplace to get some woodash to smear on - actually, I've discovered, some still swear by those remedies. If I was not so fortunate as to be able to afford toothpaste I might be with the many millions in the world today who still use sugar cane and other twigs to clean their teeth, or just don't bother with oral hygeine because it's more important to eat and ensure their children eat!

But - and this is where I enter the world of imagination and fantasy and my mind begins to roam once again.  I wonder if we might ever return to a more simple time when toothpaste was just for cleaning teeth - nothing more, nothing less? No hype, no complicated science, no guilt. Just toothpaste!