How proud was my valley

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I last visited Wales in 1996. While there I drove to Llantwit Major (if you want to pronounce that, you have to be able to spit from both sides of your mouth simultaneously), not far from where I used to live. It was a pretty, sleepy little village on the coast of the Bristol Channel.

Here are a few photos I took in 1995:

Here is St. Illtud’s Church, one of the oldest churches in Wales, built in the 11th Century. Parts were rebuilt in the 13th and 15th centuries. If you climb up the bell tower, you can see the steps were replaced by headstones from the graveyard.

Time marches on, I fear. My grandchildren tell me, with a slight hint of condescension, that we are making progress; nothing will convince them otherwise.

Here we have, from the BBC, the latest manifestations of progress to be found in Llantwit Major:

The people of the Vale of Glamorgan gathered in Llantwit Major for the town’s inaugural Pride event on Saturday.

The rural town of about 9,500 people saw the streets adorned with rainbow flags as a parade marched through the streets.

St. Illtud’s Church did not escape the ravages of progress: it flew a rainbow flag:

Life is full of little ironies. Here is another photo of mine from 1995 of the church sign. Note the name of the rector (not me, I should add):

12 thoughts on “How proud was my valley”

  3. This is simply another confirmation that society seems ready to adopt anything and in many cases such as the attitude of the ACoC, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (what a deceptive name for a so-called church that has abandoned the Gospel), and other so-called Christian churches that have abandoned the Gospel and worship that detestable “god of political expediency”. Our politicians are quick to adopt their false gospel.

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  6. Wherever that anti-Scriptural pennant flies, it dares ceasing to be The Interpreters’s House, and instead has chosen to remain in The City of Destruction:
    Man in iron cage of Despair:
    “…I left off to watch and be sober; I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts; I sinned against The Light of The WORD, and the Goodness of GOD; I have grieved The Spirit, and His is gone; I tempted the devil, and he is come to me; I have provoked GOD to anger, and He has left me; I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent…I have ‘Crucified Him to myself afresh’, I have despised His Person, I have despised His Righteousness, I have counted His Blood an unholy thing, I have done despite to The Spirit of Grace; therefore I have shut myself out of all the Promises; and there now remains to me nothing but threatenings, dreadful threatenings, fearful threatenings of certain Judgment which shall devour me as an adversary.”
    ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ (p.38), +John Bunyan

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  8. Not that it matters anymore- its done- dead-as there is no light on the horizon for our “c”hurch…but seeing the defacing of beautiful old Churches with such symbols-just reminds me of the hurt caused by church leaders to the faithful Anglicans out there- just so they can remain relevant-in particular the elderly that have been abandoned-ignored or just emotionally locked out of the building that they worked so hard to build and pay for. I’m just so sad over this.

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    • Hello Glen,
      I hear exactly what you are saying. Church used to be such a big and important part of my parent’s lives. Mom was on the Altar Guild and Dad was on the Parish Council. Both were involved in other parts of Parish life such as the annual Bizarre. But now they no longer attend the Sunday Worship Services. They could not continue to be part of a group that was no longer a Faithful Christian Church.

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      • so sorry for us all- so much loss-many families in my former Church dont need to choose to attend or not- our Bishop Jane Alexander (Edmonton) made it a point (during a vestry meeting no less) to name names of families that didnt comply with the new church…..some families who were 60 yr+ members….

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