Pendle Hill and ‘Radical Hospitality’

radical 

late 14c. (adj.), in a medieval philosophical sense, from L.L. radicalis "of or having roots," from L. radix (gen. radicis) "root" (see radish). Meaning "going to the origin, essential" is from 1650s. Political sense of "reformist" (via notion of "change from the roots") is first recorded 1802 (n.), 1820 (adj.), of the extreme section of the British Liberal party (radical reform had been a current phrase since 1786); meaning "unconventional" is from 1921. U.S. youth slang use is from 1983, from 1970s surfer slang meaning "at the limits of control." Radical chic is attested from 1970; popularized, if not coined, by Tom Wolfe.
(Online Etymological Deictionary)

As I indicated last week, Pendle Hill offers a deep rooted hospitality.  Also as I indicated last week, we ourselves are both recipients of, and extenders of, this hospitality. 

This hospitality has been generously extended to the students this week.  Twelve people, of varying ages and backgrounds, arrived this week to start their course of study at Pendle Hill. Two sets of families have been on campus already, so the basic set up was not new to them, but for everyone else, it was a huge learning curve of being initiated and welcomed into the Pendle Hill Community, where they will live, study, and reflect for lengths of time varying from a term to a year.  Part of our work during this term will be to act as support for this fledgling community, and specifically act as ‘Spiritual Nurturers’ (yes, and unsatisfactory term, but as yet no other has been forthcoming) to two specific students who will be assigned to us throughout the term.  We will meet each of our students throughout the term, for an hour each week, and hope we can accompany them on their path.

We have been sampling classes this week, simultaneously accompanying the students and testing them ourselves, for we are encouraged to take up to two classes ourselves for our own nurture and enrichment.  Both of us feel powerfully moved, for different reasons, to take up Spirit taking form, a class in clay work.  I am also drawn to Beyond Diversity 101 – Beyond Justice to Wholensess, which Gwyneth is going to sample at least once more before deciding whether to continue. Doug Gwyn’s course on the History of Quakerism will be, as always, excellent, but I feel I have undertaken as much study in this area as is required of me at this stage.     Since I sense these classes will provide me with much food for quiet reflection and inner change, I will not comment at greater length at this stage.

A significant part of the welcome extended to all students this week has been the Afternoon Tea .

The driving source of inspiration for this has been John, a member of the maintenance staff, who clearly loves Britain and things British, and who has extended the concept of Afternoon Tea to all new students and the FiRs at Pendle Hill at this time of year.  He baked the cakes available, and served tea - the Lapsang Souchong being sent back to us by a sojourner from her home in Woodstock, after a wonderful conversation about the nature of Lapsang. He was superbly assisted by the kitchen staff,


who produced an American version of scones, made with either cranberries, blueberries of chocolate chip.  The tea was completed by the addition of tiny sandwiches (made by Gwyneth, with crusts removed!) and Strawberries and clotted cream.

This week has been rounded off for us by a visit to the Brandywine River Museum at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania:

“Exhibiting American art in a 19th-century grist mill, the Brandywine River Museum is internationally known for its unparalleled collection of works by three generations of Wyeths and its fine collection of American illustration, still life and landscape painting.” http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/.

This transpired to be a fascinating visit at several levels.  It allowed us to get to know Larry and Carol better – Larry being the Librarian and Registrar, and Carol being a sculptor and the teacher of the Spirit Taking Form class;

it allowed us to visit the Brandywine River, which really is not far, and is a lovely landscape; and opened up the possibility of visiting the historic Battle of Brandywine site, the site of a famous battle in the War of Independence; it also opened up a fragment of American art to us.

 NC Wyeth is not a name well known, just at Tunnicliffe is not known outside Anglesey.  However when people of a certain age visit Tunncilffe’s bird paintings, they immediately remember their childhood, and collecting the beautiful birds painted on little cards and given away in Brooke Bond tea.  Similarly, with N C Wyeth – except in his case one is immediately projected back into one’s childhood and the fierce pictures of pirates which accompanied their reading of Treasure Island.   N C Wyeth’s paintings were the ones which illustrated a famous edition of this famous book, allowed him a comfortable income, and the opportunity to buy a mill which became his home and studio, and in turn the home and studio of his son, Andrew Wyeth, who went on to become a significant painter in his own right.

 Few who have read   Treasure Island can forget its fierce , even frightening, energy.  Rather like Grimm's Fairy Stories for younger children,  and the stories of Charles Dickens, Treasure Island  creates a childhood world full of  terror - the fierce Long John Silver is not only attractive, but evil; and once read,  the figures of Blind Pew and Benn Gunn ("Ye wouldn't have a piece of cheese would ye lad - at nights I dreams of cheese") lurk deep in the subconscious. Wyeth's work brings them startlingly alive on the page of a book - I can remember it did as a child,  and and seeing them in in their original size simply reminded me of their strength and power.  Of course, the reason why such books create a terrifying world for children is to enable them to explore strong emotions in a safe context,and it is vital to our imaginations that we can do this.

The musuem is housed in a mill further down the river from the Wyeth's family home.  Once threatened by developers, it  was saved from certain destruction by a community group, who made it into a most delgithful museum and a  host to arts and crafts in what was once the stable.  A short walk along the river took us under Route 1, the huge eastern highway which we had encountgered on holdiays in Florida, and runs north right up to Maine.  It also showed us the still extant destruction of Irene.