BBB/Faith4Change Cruise on the
Leeds & Liverpool Canal
Monday 16 November 2009
Words by Martyn Smith, Burnley U R Church
This was organised by Building Bridges in Burnley and invitations were extended to a number of people from Burnley URC. The day dawned very wet and windy.
Five of us eventually arrived at BBB in Elm Street where we were to transfer to a coach taking us to Foulridge (not Fulwood, as some thought). We set sail from Foulridge at about 10.45 on the Marton Emperor, being advised that our cruise would last until 13.00. By this time, the weather was relenting a little, and by , we would see the sun.
There were about 25 in the party, and everyone had to introduce themselves. There were three men from Oman on a global exchange visit and they gave their impressions of Lancashire in contrast with their lives in Oman. There was then a presentation from Faz explaining his role within Lancashire Fire Service. This was very interesting as he informed us that free home visits could be arranged to advise people about fire safety. We were very surprised to learn that places like Burnley, Preston and Blackpool only had 2 fire engines apiece. We then heard from a young Asian lady from Leicester who was staying with a friend in Burnley. They had met on a Muslim retreat. Another young man talked about his involvement with the Community Garden in the Cog Lane area.
Tea, coffee & biscuits were served as we mingled and got to know each other better. Later, we learned about the origins of Eid ul Adha. These go back to Abraham, and the thanks offered to God for the deliverance of his son Isaac from sacrifice. This made us realise that there are a lot of similarities between our two faiths.
By now, we were making our way through Foulridge tunnel. This is just under a mile long and it takes approx 20 minutes to pass through. We arrived back at Foulridge at 13.00 and boarded the coach to take us back to Burnley where we were entertained to a splendid lunch. There was plenty of conversation, and the ladies learned the difference between ‘arranged’ and ‘forced’ marriages.
We finally went to our respective homes at 14.30, reflecting on a very interesting day and the benefit of talking to one another. Grateful thanks to Building Bridges for their warm hospitality