This is the first E mail I've fired off. Any answer's will be posted here
I am also putting it on the Derbyshire and Nottingham News groups to ask for
comments
Sir
I am addressing this to you because your Bishop does not seem to have an e
mail address.
The Old Glossop's Resident's Association would like him to answer the
following questions
1)How can a Southern born man who has not visited Old Glossop, only been in
his present job for a year and a half, and who lives in Nottingham have the
power or right to close an Ancient Village School?
2)Can you confirm that the shortage of priests is the reason for closure
3)If not would you tell us how much you or the Catholic Church has been
promised when you sell the school land ( we do realize that with the school
shut building will be able to commence on the land)
4) Do you intend to visit the school and tell parents, governors, teachers
and pupils why you are shutting the school and disrupting village life.( You
could cut short your visit to the Buxton School on the 29 th April to do
this)
5)Finally how many schools have you already shut and how many more do you
intend to shut.
This e-mail and any answers will be posted on the Save the School website at
Cheers
Ivan Bell
Old Glossop's Residents Association.
If you would like to E mail Malcolm McMahon click here.
I am pleased to say the Bishop has decided to reply without giving any answer's to my Questions
----- Original Message -----
From: "bishopsec" <bishop.secretary@nottinghamdiocese.org.uk>
To: <ivan_bell@ntlworld.com>
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 9:16 AM
Subject: All Saints Catholic Primary School, Glos
> Dear Mr. Bell,
>
> Thank you for your e-mail of 3 April in which you express your concerns
> about the Diocesan proposal to close All Saints School. I am aware that
> the school has a long history, and that it is achieving high academic
> standards.
>
> I can full understand your distress and anger, since the possible closure
> of any school is always a traumatic event for those who have a close
> connection with it. You will no doubt be aware that any proposal to close
> or alter a church school of any denomination has to come before the
> School Organisation Committee, whose members will consider all of the
> issues including the concerns expressed by governors, staff and parents
> before making a decision.
>
> In May you will be able to study the first consultative document, which
> will set out clearly my reasons for making the proposal, and at that
> stage you will have a formal right to express your detailed concerns.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
>
> Right Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP
> Bishop of Nottingham
This is my reply which is also posted on the news groups
>
12th April
Dear Bishop.
Thank You for your reply.
I am pleased to say that I will be seeing you and expressing my right by the
law of this land to protest at this closure to you when you visit a school
in Buxton on the 29th of April
I am of the Old Faith so I do not have any modern religious hang-ups about
to whom I protest too.
I can understand the delay in informing the public what is happening. It
gives you more time to get your plans approved.
This action smells of the Church's rape and pillage of South America, but
because in Old Glossop we do not have gold
you have decided to sell our most valuable asset Land.
I will not say how I think you will spend your ill gotten gains but I do know
it will not be for the benefit of your Old Glossop parishioners
Cheers
Ivan Bell
www.old-glossop.com
This is the first letter on obtaining listed building status
OLD GLOSSOP RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
Secretary - Mr. Brian Parker.Chairman - Mr. Ken Britain.Vice Chairman - Mr.Ivan
Bell,Treasurer -
, 02 April 2002
Richard Tuffrey (Conservation Manager)
High Peak Borough CouncilGlossop
Formal Request for All Saints (RC) School to be Listed
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you to ask that a formal request for listing of the Old Glossop
All Saints (RC) School be submitted at the earliest to the Department of Culture,
Media and Sport.
Since I realize that time and manpower recourses in your department are very stretched any supporting information that you require would be provide by the school and ourselves.
I think you must realize that there is some urgency about this matter, since the School is being closed and the land sold to the developers for 70 houses to be built in the area.
The closure and demolition of this building would be a further disaster for Old Glossop and your reply is eagerly awaited copy of this letter can be seen on the Save Our School pages on the www.old-glossop.com website
Yours Faithfully
I. Bell
This is a email to the Nottingham Bishops Boss.
Sir
I am a resident of Old Glossop a pleasant village in Derbyshire which unfortunately
comes under the Nottingham Bishops control.
All Saints School, formally St Mary's was set up for the parishioners of Old
Glossop by the late 13th Earl of Norfolk
Your recent appointment of a southern Dominican bishop is a disaster for the
whole of our community not only the Catholics but the others of differing religions.
His proposal to shut the school in order to sell the school and lands to developers
will rip the heart out of our community.
I note in a recent speech at Liverpool you said .Quote; "And that incidentally
would be my response to those who would equate faith schools, and even faith
in schools, with intolerance, sectarianism and bigotry. They are wholly wrong
in the context of England and Wales. Our faith is about tolerance, community
and compassion. And, what's more, Catholic parents have,
and should retain, the right to choose a Catholic education for their children
where it is on offer. "
If what you said is true, cannot you as his immediate boss tell him to stop
this nonsense, get on with his proper job i.e. preaching and desist from trying
to make money out of a small community.
I would have thought in the present climate he should be trying to open schools
not shut down the ones he already has.
I have it on good authority from Derbyshire County Council that providing he
withdraws his plans to shut the school no further action will be taken and the
school will continue as before, being wholly funded by the Education Authority
with no cost to the Catholic Church.
The only money the Church is under obligation to provide is 15% of any capital
expenditure i.e., for new classrooms etc. and I am sure that the residents of
Old Glossop would be only to pleased to make this up by fund raising if the
church is too poor to look after its own.
I am also disappointed (but not surprised) at his cowardice in not meeting with
the Old Glossop residents and answering their questions about his proposals
for the school, as any man with any guts would do. I hope you will take this
into account in any future job promotions that may come his way.
I look forward to your reply and hope it is a positive one.
I am sending copies of this Email to Nottingham and other interested parties.
Cheers
Ivan Bell
Old Glossop Residents Association
www.old-glossop.com
This is the address if you want to E
Mail Bishop of Westminster
Since this email was not answered I posted the following
Sir
I am sorry but not surprised you did not have the common decently to answer
my e mail of the 17/05/2002 ( a copy of which is made at the end of this
email)
I wondered if you could answer this question that I overheard a child of Old
Glossop ( about 5 years old.) ask his mother during the Bishop of
Nottingham's recent visit to a Hadfield school
"Mum is this the man who is going to close our school?.I thought Bishops
were good men?
I did not hear her answer but until your Church starts to get better
publicity I can understand its inevitable decline in this country.
This letter will be published with any answer you care to make.
Cheers
Ivan bell
Old Glossop Residents Association
www.old-glossop.com
Finally I got a totaly useless reply
Dear Mr. Bell,
Thank you for your e-mails concerning the potential closure of All Saints
Roman Catholic Primary School, Glossop.
Although the Cardinal is President of the Bishops' Conference and
Metropolitan, he is in no sense a Primate and does not have jurisdiction to
intervene in this particular matter. The matter of the school is rightly
the concern of the Board of Governors and the Local Diocesan Authority.
I know this will be a disappointing response to your letter but am sure you
understand the Cardinal's dilemma.
With kind wishes,
Yours sincerely
Rev. Mgr. James Curry
Private Secretary
To which I replied
Thank you for your response.
Since you state that the Cardinal is not Bishop's McMahon's boss then who is
his boss?
I would appreciate knowing so I could write to him or her and plead for an
intervention to stop this nonsense
I also note you did not answered the little boys question that I put to you
in the previous letter.
Cheers
Ivan Bell
www.old-glossop.com