the northern light 030 - priorykmht.org

The Northern LightThe Northern LightThe Northern LightThe Northern Light Issue 30 – April 2020

Confraternity of the Knights of the Most Holy Trinity (Priory of Scotland)

Message from the Grand Master

The Grand Master has been in touch with the Grand Prior and wants to pass on his thoughts and goodwill to all members and their families. He is conscious that this is a difficult time for everyone requesting that the following prayer be shared with all members. +In the name of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, Lord of the universe, hear our prayer for all those afflicted with coronavirus and other maladies: ease their suffering, calm the fears of their loved ones, guide the doctors in saving their lives and give to all of us the wisdom to protect our loved ones and ourselves. Send your All-Holy Spirit upon this world to heal our bodies and our minds which may turn to You in these times of trouble. We ask this of You, O Heavenly Father, in the blessed Name of Your Only-begotten Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who, when He was on this earth, knew our human suffering in His own body as He suffered and died for us and Who, in His resurrection, gave us comfort and hope of healing and eternal life Who, with You and the Holy Spirit are One God, now and ever and forever. Amen!

COVID-19 Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Active

Confraternity of the Knights of the Most Holy Trinity 2

Greetings: Chevalier Dr Dr Rűdiger Marcus Flaig in Hungary (Dr Dr Flaig joined the Confraternity 1996 and is one of a number of members in Germany. His photograph shows him in his St Lazarus finery) Dear All Cordial greetings from Hungary, where the days are currently sweltering and the nights well below zero! My family and myself are currently doing fine, and as we are all capable of taking shelter (We have been handling our business exclusively via the internet for years anyway), I hope that we will emerge from this nuisance unscathed. We have our grievances, though, the first being that the state of emergency has caught us right in the midst of our usual flitting to and fro through Europe; now my wife Irén and my son Gary are stuck in Bavaria and my parents in Baden, while my daughter Yvonne is with her boyfriend's family in Bulgaria (who insist that she stay "at least till the epidemic is over"... sounds like something serious in the making) and I am at our HQ in the Kisalföld, alone with Yvonne's two love-hungry cats -- the situation bears an uncanny likeness to Asimov's celebrated novel "The Naked Sun", where the author envisions a dead-end society of recluses in which even spouses communicate exclusively by videophony. So I hope very much that we will return to normalcy asap, also on behalf of Irén and Gary -- with her being primarily an interpreter and him an actor, both of them are currently relegated to a state of non-tanto-dolce far niente (not-so-sweet to do nothing). Personally, I am also quite chagrined that after all those years since I left research, nobody ever seems to simply take a look at my 1997 thesis, which is actually about papovaviruses rather than coronaviruses but basically describes what to do. Just delete the "E" gene of your coronavirus and grow it in a cell line genetically engineered to independently provide the product of "E" (which is a bit tricky, since the "E" product is cytotoxic, but feasible enough in capable hands), and you get the base for a vaccine in the form of a crippled virus strain that has only 1% of the pathogenicity of wild-type coronavirus (even that has been experimentally confirmed!) but should provide some 95% immunogenicity. At any rate, right now I am handling communications between people, which is essential to the persistence of the fabric of society, so morally I am still not an idle drone. Or at least that is what I hope. May the future judge our actions. Around here, people are generally calm and trying to cope with the situation as best as they can, and not to turn into olms in their houses meanwhile. Yes, the Prime Minister has taken a lot of flak from Western media recently, but currently most Hungarians actually see him as the get-out-of-jail card for the country, and even some of his political enemies do, naturally willy-nilly, support his anti-covid measures by now.


I should point out that there is a remarkable feature in the Hungarian language, namely a clear distinction made in each sentence between essential and supplementary information, and anybody who has dealings with Hungarians will soon find that they have an accordingly acute sense of what is indispensable and what is not, very much unlike the Germans to whom everything immediately becomes a fundamental question of high ethics. So now I wish you all the very best. My prayers are with you, as they are with all who are currently going to their limits to either combat the disease or to maintain society and economy in working order. May God keep you and your loved ones safe from harm. Fraternally and sincerely yours, RMF

Greetings: Chevalier Charly Ross, Baron of Biggar, in Germany We have now been almost three weeks in voluntary quarantine. We are lucky to have a garden and a terrace to sit on when the cold weather allows - the last week has been very cold but sunny. Germany is in complete lockdown: 500,000 (!) businesses have applied for Government financial help as their employees are on half-time. The self-employed will also get help. Our son-in-law works completely from home; he is a cancer research scientist. My eldest son Olly and his elder boy in Richmond had mildish CoVid symptoms but seem to have recovered. They were not tested so we don't know for sure, but they quarantined themselves so as not to risk a spread.

Arms of Charles Ross, Baron of Biggar

My second son Alan is more or less completely working from home but has to go into the firm occasionally (but is alone in his office). The youngest, Ninian, will be on half-time from mid-April (and half pay - but the Employment Agency supplies a certain top-up figure). Alan and Ninian live near us and do the shopping for us which they bring into the garden. Today (31 March) deaths were up to 680 total and the figures of infected double every 6 days - they reckon if they can reduce the doubling rate to every ten days that will be a good step forward. We get the figures from UK also and UK has more deaths from a smaller population. A 16-year-old in France died and a 101-year-old man here was released, cured, so the virus is hitting everywhere. Our state finance minister was so stressed that he committed suicide on Saturday: the authorities here reckon suicides, depression and household violence will increase as people go crazy being cooped up in small flats in high-rise blocks. We don't go anywhere at all but we live in a house with quite a lot of space and loads of books that we haven't read yet! Stay at home, stay healthy! Charly Ross


New Member – Chevalier Dr Kevin Jones Hot off the Press – The Grand Master has just approved our newest member, Chevalier Dr Kevin Jones, well known among a number of our members. Although Dr Jones resides in the north of England, his connections are in Scotland and he is a member of the Grand Bailiwick of Scotland in the Order of St Lazarus, where he is Hospitaller. His request to become a member of the Priory of Scotland was approved by the Grand Master. A qualified Doctor of Medicine, Kevin obtained degrees at the Universities of Southampton, Cambridge and London. He is a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Kevin worked in general surgery in Cumbria and in gastroenterology in London in 1980 before attending military courses at Aldershot, Sandhurst and London. This led to temporary postings in Northern Ireland. Between 1981 and 1983 he was Regimental Medical Officer, 1st Battalion, the Royal Scots, before transferring to the Royal Army Medical Corps in London, finishing a Registrar (Medicine). On leaving the army, Kevin was senior house officer in obstetrics and gynaecology in Cumbria before taking on a similar post in paediatrics. In 1988 he became a research fellow in Primary Medical Care at the University of Southampton, being appointed senior lecturer in 1991. In 1993 he moved into general practice in the north of England and the Western Isles before retirement. Kevin also pursued research interests primarily in the organisation and delivery of care for patients with respiratory conditions in the community from 1987 to 2005. This led to over 40 peer-reviewed original research papers as well as numerous other publications. His most important published work concerned what became known as the ‘Jones asthma morbidity index’ and is now in common usage in a modified form throughout the UK. He also refereed papers concerning asthma for British Medical Journal, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, British Journal of General Practice, Thorax, Quality in Health Care, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Family Practice and the Journal of Family Practice.

Kevin enjoys jogging and walking, and in 2016 completed his first half-marathon in the Great North Run. More recently, he has been singing and playing the ukulele and Irish bodhran with a ukulele band, as well as learning the tin whistle, folk fiddle, flute, and concertina. Chevalier Dr Jones - welcome to our growing sister- and brotherhood!


Meet the Member – Chevalier Dr Tom Tait Chevalier Tom Tait is a Scot from Kirkintilloch who lives in North Derbyshire. He took early retirement from a career in higher education to spend more time engaged in his favourite hobby which he describes as, “all things heritage railway.” Tom is a qualified driver and guard as well as deputy managing director at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway e-v-r.com. He is currently heavily involved in implementing a range of fundraising strategies to try to keep the railway afloat during its closure due to the Covid-19 virus. The railway is the longest and most scenic line in Derbyshire, and attracts many visitors from near and far including some famous ones! (right: Tom with HRH Prince Charles) Carole, Tom’s wife, jointly hosts a video blog every few days as a means of keeping in touch with friends. If you are on Facebook, you’ll be able to see it live or catch a recording of it later. In this very worrying time just now, Tom emphasises it is important to stay in touch with friends. Note: Tom is also armigerous (owner of a coat-of-arms), and he has even gone as far as having his arms displayed on his train!


Charlie Abel ‘A Celtic Voice’ - 16 tracks, 66 minutes of music including seven original tracks, some dedicated to members of the Confraternity.

Available on CD from www.CharlieAbel.scot and all good retailers. Can also be downloaded on Amazon, iTunes (mastered for iTunes high def 24bit).

Chevalier Charlie Abel is a full-time musician and his life has been turned upside down with all his engagements and events cancelled or postponed. Charlie and his wife Barbara are home schooling their two boys and he is working on some new ideas online. At the moment Charlie is getting no help from the government as he is a limited company director and cannot count himself as self employed. Luckily Barbara has still got a job despite the University of Aberdeen being closed till “at least August”. It is worth pointing out to members that Charlie takes commissions for writing music. If you have a special event coming up in the future and would like your own music to mark the occasion or your very own tune, then get in touch with Charlie while he has some more time on his hands.


Unusual or Favourite Items at Home It is appropriate, in the current climate that the first item in this section is on display at the home of the Grand Prior in Inverurie, Scotland. Albert is the proud owner of a letter signed by one of his heroines, Florence Nightingale. Purchased some 40 years ago at an antique shop in Aberdeen, the letter is framed and has pride of place in the toilet, now known as the Nightingale Room. Dated Oct 25 1887, the letter is addressed to the Inspector in charge of Police, Grosvenor Gate. It continues: ”Sir, May we send some refreshments today for your men? And if so at what hour? And for how many? The letter ends “Faithfully yours, Florence Nightingale”.

The content relates to a police detail posted at Grosvenor Gate, Hyde Park, London, for the purpose of containing a demonstration by the unemployed. During the Metropolitan Police Regulations 1867, no permission was required to meet in the park. In 1872, the Commissioner of the Office of Works ruled that no procession, as such, would enter within the Park except by Grosvenor Gate and under police escort. The address, 10 South Street, is near Grosvenor Gate, and was the residence of Florence Nightingale. The house, as it was then, no longer stands, but the site is marked as being the place where Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) lived and died.


Updates Dame Mary McPherson advised us that Chevalier Norman is much the same and still on oxygen at home. Norman has been on different medication and once that is finished, hopes to be on new medication from the beginning of next week. The Grand Prior advised Mary that everyone has been asking for Norman and that we are thinking of them both. Dame Yvonne Morton recently required an operation to her foot. The foot did not heal as quickly as Yvonne had hoped but after a hospital visit this week, there seems to be some improvement. Chevalier Duncan Cameron managed to move home to Huntly before any restriction were introduced and is now trying to settle in. He is currently without internet, but this should be resolved shortly.

Note from Ireland A woman went into the supermarket to purchase vital items. While doing so, she saw a man with a trolley overladen with goods. She thought about the instruction regarding shopping sensibly during the current coronavirus outbreak. Lo and behold - she accosted him and at the top of her voice berated him. ”How dare you take more than you need. No wonder the shelves are empty. You are hoarding.” She continued “You are a disgrace to the community and the police should have powers to penalise the likes of you; that your school produced such a selfish brat and your family should be ashamed of you”. She eventually stopped for a breath. The man said "Are you finished, madam? “No, I am just getting started” He replied: “Then hurry up please, madam, so I can finish stocking the shelves". From Chevalier Jim Dorgan (Ireland)

Note from the Grand Prior This issue has become a truly international edition, and the Grand Prior intends to try to keep members updated and share information and interesting stories. Self-isolation can be difficult, and we need to support one another during the current lockdown. So you can help the Grand Prior to keep the newsletter going at this time with your news. Email Albert (address below) with updates on what you’re doing. Send in stories and photographs about the most unusual or favourite item(s) you have on display in your house or garden. Or what you’re up to in lockdown. Or anything that you think would be of interest to our members worldwide. [email protected]


Dates for your diary TBC – Priory of Scotland Annual Dinner at Trinity Hall, Aberdeen. TBC 16th August 2020 – Glenbuchat Auld Kirk Annual service & picnic. TBC November 2020 – Priory of Scotland Luncheon with speaker Professor Neil McLennan on the People’s History of the Declaration of Arbroath – Aberdeenshire Cricket Club, Aberdeen.

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The Northern Light is the regular newsletter of the Priory of Scotland of the Confraternity of the Knights of the Most Holy Trinity. Editors are welcome to use any or all material. For further information, contact Prior Albert Thomson, 0044 (0)1467 620815 – Email [email protected].

http://www.priorykmht.org/.

the northern light 030 - priorykmht.org

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