Vicars Eating Chips for a short time only invites vicars to Quay Arts Centre Newport, Isle of Wight. In the Rope Store Gallery find food for thought in the exhibition by Liz Jones, Conjunction: Eccentrics and Radicals. That can be the chips - could be an interesting taste. You can always leave your chip chat comments in the comments book in the gallery.

we have welcomed chip chat from far afield: Sweden, Uganda and Cheltenham! Isle of Wight chipchat we happily anticpate. What are chips like on the Isle of Wight? I hear you can get a good battenburg cake in Newport.

And vicars eating chips still invites you to make your own date with your chosen vicar at or near to your chosen chippy. Remember to go dressed for the occassion (?) as the vicar/ nun/ priest etc wears their dog collar / habit etc... we are happy to join you if we can. or just post/ send a picture or account of the occassion.

una porcion de papas fritas por favor - s wales chippies importing spuds from s spain cos of wet uk weather - news from our cardiff chip fan - gracias

ADVERTISEMENT on the bar in the beer tent. Please note this number may no longer be valid, dog collar or not.

Make your own chip-chat, make a date with a vicar. Upload your photos, stories etc. -  maybe more chat than chip or just a chippy snack snap. 

Comfort food/listen to us sizzle.

(i'm sorry, i have left this rather a long time before telling you about. But here it is, some mid winter warmth.)

It was a shorts weather day but she carried her dog collar and shirt with her ready for chip eating. Sheltering from the heat in the beer tent with Val, artist and pastor from Gloucestershire, 

we heard something of her way into becoming a vicar and it sounded not easy. We heard about her role pastoring and comforting others with 'the comfort with which we are comforted.' There was a furnace analogy about going through it and coming out tasty. There is a basic nourishment available in stopping and listening, Val was saying.

Chips are basic. Making time to stop and listen is good. So, that might mean that chip-chat can intensifry / speed up the cooking of a one off exchange between a bunch of hungry people?.. if you get this drift. Chips, comfort food maybe, but if only chips as comfort given was the kind of comfort required. (80p a bag) 

Meanwhile, if we sizzle on we might turn out tasty. 

Becoming Family - Sharing Chips

Here chip-chat reached another level, chips received as a shared meal and with conversation gave us a taste of Northern Uganda.

 

We saw Willy walk by and well, here was a vicar. we wanted him to eat chips as vicars eating chips is the basic thing of vicars eating chips. Hastily clumsily we popped the question - could we get him chips? He so graciously accepted the invitation to eat together.

 

Chips - Les and Lizzie, Chipfork - Helen, Fanta - Barry. And a notebook. Once everything was in place all seated and settled we were given a window into life in Northern Uganda by Rev. Willy Akena... and the 20 years of war.

Willy sketched out maps of people displaced, refuges sought, children abducted and made to fight, child mothers judged harshly by an improper court system, HIV/AIDS... Over 30,000 people have been abducted and over 1,000,000 killed... very sobreing - and here we are eating chips... As people are able to return to their villages, the basics need to be in place; wood for building houses, education and food - seeds -maize is the staple crop and peace. Other people must be in place, the presence of others offering support and provision, an extended family. 

 

"Life is a treasure. If you're alive you can do many things. We believe in working together. If you are in pain your brother can support you. If you are in prison and no one supports you, you are in real trouble. If you are in hospital just the presence of others, a  visit, will give you hope. If you eat with someone, that person stops to be your enemy. You become family. If you refuse food, you may be an enemy. We believe that when you give someone food you can get to know their inner heart."

We thought we wanted chip-chat but as Willy opened up to us the situation in northern Ugandan, we can but have deep appreciation for our chips... We have the basics - seeds, soil, potatoes, peace- - -and more, we have family...

See Rev. Willy Akena's news of the situation in Northern Uganda: www.dioceseofnorthernuganda.blogspot.com 

From Court to the Cafe

We ate chips with beans and Bengt wore his dog collar throughout. A sign of integrity and respect (perthaps) in court and in the cafe also - (a very fine cafe). We were certainly graced with his presence and blessing from the Swedish Lutheran church. Bengt and friends came to support and celebrate with the vine and fig tree planters at their trial. The court-gig filled us up on fruity talk (of vines and figs) and left us hungry for chips. In court we had spades and watering cans, police evidence to the tree plantings and our tools for getting on with visions work of all being able to sit under their own vine and fig tree without fear. Perhaps the plot could be expanded where all can dig and cook their potatoes in peace. Anyway we continued to celebrate with beans and talk about these things as we sat in the shelter of the cafe, fears no longer on the menu. Here is a quick painting based on Bengt eating golden chips.

still floating

a lot of time has passed but the ship didn't sink yet. 2 dates to note - to remarkable chip-chats (with pics) soon to be rescued from the deep fat frier of memory.  

in the beginning

like the mary celeste right now..
this empty site awaits jaunty photos & chitchat..
the smells of salt n vinegar, pickled egg & mushy pees
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