It's Monday and we become the owners of our new home on Wednesday at 2 p.m. I got confirmation from our solicitor today that all of the money was sitting in his account just waiting for him to press the button and it will transfer to the present owners. I understand that happens sometime tomorrow to enable them to complete their purchase in England.
Today we continued to put things in boxes -- well Rachel did, as I was kept busy dealing with the telephone and with all kinds of people who needed to speak to me. We managed to get my mother's telephone transferred to the new house and my sister and her husband also have a telephone line; we shall make do with our mobiles until we get settled.
The picture at the top of this entry is of the farm complex from a distance. In front you see the farmhouse itself where my mother, my sister and my brother-in-law will live. The building to the right (you only see the end of it) is our granary. That's what it is, a former granary now converted into a lovely little house just right for the two of us. Mind you, we also have the rest of the barns which will be used for storage (although we have some grandiose plans as well). The small-holding area is behind the barns and belongs to Olive's husband -- he has promised us that we won't have to buy vegetables ever again: we'll see.
Back in Luss I am still coping with the good-byes. Not just the good-byes to folk I know but also through the newspapers. The Lennox Herald printed a kind good-bye to me. I quote it here:
Luss minister Rev Dane Sherrard announces retirement
Aug 30 2013 by Jenny Foulds, Lennox Herald
A popular minister — who has married more than 1,000 couples at his quaint church — has announced his retirement.
Rev Dane Sherrard will conduct his last service at Luss Parish Church at the end of next month after 42 years as a Church of Scotland minister and nearly 15 years leading the congregations of Luss and Arrochar.
The 67-year-old told the Lennox Herald of his joy at being part of the community — which he calls the best days of his life — and sadness at leaving it all behind for a new life in the Scottish Borders.
Speaking from his home before announcing his retirement to his congregations on Sunday, he said: “I am going to write a letter and give it to each person in the church because I won’t be able to stand up and talk about it — this has been my life and it will be difficult to leave behind.
“It has been an adventure and if there was any way of me not having to retire, I would do it.
“However, we are moving to a farm steading with my mother and sister and I need to pay the sum required now to buy the property which means I have to retire.
“I am going to miss many, many aspects of life at Luss. The weddings have been very special and every day I get messages from the people I have married.”
He added with a smile: “But I am not going to miss brides who are late. Last year, I spent the equivalent of two working weeks waiting for them to arrive.”
Now he fears what the future may hold for Luss and the businesses which rely on weddings at the church as he predicts these nuptials in the village may come to an end once he leaves.
He said: “The new minister will take on the congregations of Luss, Arrochar and Kilmaronock which is a big task and means a lot of things are going to have to stop.
“I doubt it will be possible for a minister to look after another church and conduct weddings. If that disappears I will be sorry.
“I am also sorry for the local businesses which will lose out. People come here from all over the world.
“This afternoon, half of the visitors at a wedding I conducted were from Greece and they will stay for a few nights, eat at the local restaurants, go for a ride on the seaplane and go home with souvenirs, wearing their kilts.
“I know that’s not church business but the task of the church is to help to create the kingdom of God where it is and that’s all about people having jobs and in a rural economy, that is desperately important.”
As well as the weddings, Dane has been an influential and integral part of the community, helping to shape Luss as a tourist and pilgrimage destination. The story began on a rare day trip to Inveraray in 1998, whilst a busy minister in Bishopbriggs.
The outing changed his and wife Rachel’s life forever. The couple made a stop in Arrochar and Dane was drawn to the once dilapidated parish church.
He said: “The closer we got to the church, the more run down it was until we were able to see holes the size of footballs in the windows.
“The pews were piled on top of each other and the organ was covered in a plastic bag.
“We bumped into a woman walking her dog and she mentioned there wasn’t a minister at the church and the presbytery was considering knocking the church down.
“When we got into the car, Rachel said, ‘we will be here by Christmas won’t we?’”
Dane took up his post months later and never looked back.
He reflected: “I have seen an enormous amount of change I have been lucky to be part of. It has been wonderful here.”
Dane has helped put Luss on the world map and, amongst other projects, he shaped the celebrations in 2010 for the 1,500 year anniversary to mark St Kessog bringing Christianity to Luss and has welcomed thousands of pilgrims from across the world.
He also set up an internet broadcasting service at the church allowing people from across the globe tune into Sunday services.
Now he is looking forward to taking a back seat and intends to write a book as well as indulging in his love of sport and opera.
He added: “I am going to watch cricket. I’m a member of Durham Cricket Club so it’s no accident we are moving closer!
“I hope to do some sailing and I am a Gilbert and Sullivan fanatic too so hope to find more time for that."
The Sunday Post concentrated more on the future of weddings at Luss:
Threat to weddings on the bonnie banks
BY BILL GIBB, 1 SEPTEMBER 2013
Reverend Dane Sherrard, of Luss Church, who is about to retire. He fears for the future of the church, as there are fewer vicars nowadays.
More than 100 couples a year tie the knot at scenic Luss Parish Church on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
Celebrity marriages in the past have included Deal Or No Deal presenter Noel Edmonds, Scots supermodel Kirsty Hume and former STV presenter Sarah Heaney.
But the retirement of the parish minister may pose a threat to the future of weddings at the scenic kirk.
Pension rules mean Rev Dane Sherrard, 67, is having to quit his job at the end of this month.
He fears a shortage of ministers will mean his successor will have to take on an extra parish, slashing the time available for marriage ceremonies at Scotland’s most popular wedding venue.
“I’ve had two churches to look after — Arrochar and Luss,” said Rev Sherrard.
“If they are linked to a church in another parish then that’s going to make it very difficult for the weddings to continue.
“I would certainly be very sad about that.
“When I came here we were only allowed to marry people who came from the parish. But so many people from all over wanted to wed here we persuaded the Presbytery.
“Now it’s not unusual to have three weddings a day and 40% of the parties come from abroad.”
Such is the scenic beauty, two years ago Rev Sherrard banned “cuckoo” newlyweds who were disrupting ceremonies by showing up outside to have their wedding photos taken.
The village, formerly location for STV’s Take The High Road, attracts 750,000 visitors a year.
“The economic impact of the things the church does, in terms of welcoming visitors and pilgrimage as well as weddings, runs into millions of pounds,” said Rev Sherrard.
“All of the accommodation in the village and round about is involved in big weddings, as well as restaurants, kilt hire, photographers, florists and much more.”
The church is so famous Scottish Enterprise helped fund its own TV system to broadcast weddings to viewers abroad.
People in more than 50 countries now tune in for the regular Sunday services.
“I would have been happy to carry on working, my congregation would have been happy to have me and there’s a shortage of ministers in the Church of Scotland,” added Rev Sherrard.
“But I chose to save through the pension fund and the rules are that I have to retire to get my savings.
“It will be a wrench, although I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”
Wedding photographers would be among those hard hit by any major cutback in numbers.
“The weddings have done a great deal of good for the area,” said photographer Graham Wilson, who was himself married at Luss Parish Church.
“I don’t think for one minute there will be the same number of weddings.
“A survey a few years back said the average wedding brought £34,000 to the area so there is a lot of money to be lost.
“It would be much missed.”
A Church of Scotland spokesperson said: “We are committed to providing a minister at Luss and our forward plan indicates that it may be linked with another congregation.
“It will be for the Interim Moderator to make the necessary arrangements to conduct those weddings which are currently scheduled for Luss Parish Church and to develop a policy for handling new enquiries.”
Again it was kind, but I doubt that it will endear me to the Presbytery! Both of the papers published rather nice photos of me -- I mention it here because normally Rachel says that I take a very bad photo because I haven't yet learned how to smile at a camera (when she is feeling more generous she says that it is because my beard makes me look glum)!
Anyway, Olive and Digger have arrived back at the manse where they are staying until Wednesday morning. Tomorrow I expect to drive over to my mother's to ensure that her packing goes smoothly and the next day is Wednesday. What an adventure -- but the newspaper articles got it right: I wish I was having this adventure but was still able to return to my vocation here in Arrochar and Luss; that would be to have everything and I suppose that folk are seldom so lucky as that.
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