Blog from Diocesan Visit to Diocese of Calcutta 2018
An exciting time before we finally arrived about 12 hours late in Kolkata. Our flight from Glasgow had a series of hold ups on the runway, 3 in fact, not sure what the first one was, but no 2 was a sick passenger who had to be removed then the flight plan was lost. So we took off about an hour late for Dubai, we arrived in what we hoped was in time, but were told( but only after hiking what felt like miles at power walking speed) that we were now booked on the next flight at 13.15pm (by now it was almost 2.00am. Tired and weary off we went to the Emirates Hotel. At least we now have stamped passports.
Finally arriving in Kolkata at 7.15 in the evening, we spent the next hour+ driving to the Oxford Mission where we had a lovely supper and listened as the boys played music and danced for us, a traditional Punjabi dance and the a tribal dance about a bear hunt.
Today 5th April we have been at the Sr Florence Nursing College, St Pauls Cathedral ( and their Cathedral Fellowship Programme) and at rehearsals for the Youth Music Festival on Saturday, we are pleased to announce that in the production James is to play Jesus
Now handing over to everyone to write their impressions from the last few days.
Liz
It has certainly been a non stop day, with all the visits and getting used to the 35 degrees heat, after leaving Scotland in snow. Everywhere we have been the hospitality has been amazing. The nursing college started the day, with a guided tour of the campus and a programme of entertainment inside a tent, followed by lunch. This after we visited the Cathedral and their youth fellowship programme, where we found out more about the project, then it was into the Cathedral itself for the rehearsal for an musical living the last supper. I knew I had a part to play, but wasn’t expecting to be Jesus.
James
It has been a busy day today. Going to all different places which I extremely enjoyed. I went to the nursing college and they parented a wonderful presentation to all of us, followed by a lovely lunch. After we found out about more of the project they do by going to Cathedral. In the afternoon we went to the Cathedral building to rehearse for a musical which I will be part of.
Leeanne
After our very short stay in Dubai, we finally arrived inKolkata seeing its night life, decorated beautifully with all the lights. We got greeted at the Oxford Mission by a bunch of. Er talented boys who gave an amazing performance while we dug into our first Indian meal of the trip.
Hannah
We arrived in Kolkata after dark, which meant that we saw the recently decorated lamps, with blue and white glowing rings – designed to make Kolkata even more beautiful than it already is. Keeping up my tradition of floral elegance I asked the duty manager at the Kenilworth where I could get a flower for my button hole and she presented me with a rose.
All the best from Bob.
Perhaps we can all say that we have been welcomed with amazing hospitality and some wonderful insights into the working and the thinking and the work of the Diocese of Calcutta.
Calling it a night now, best wishes from us all.
5th April 2018
