Safeguarding

We are very big on KCSiE at school, as we should be. Reflecting on my life, I feel I was lucky that such regulations and concerns were not a bother or hindrance to adults with whom I came into contact.

I was lucky to be taken, by adults - without any paperwork, risk assessment or regulations - to:

• Bellringing outings
• Bellringing meetings
• Concerts (by the Head of Music to Oxford to see "Orfeo", for example)
• Organ Crawls (for the uninitiated these occur when a church organ society visits a number of instruments during a day, a bit like a bellringing outing.

As I consider planning a bellringing outing myself for the local branch of the Guild, it occurs to me that I need to have some sort of Child Protection Policy in place; or to refer to the Guild version.

KCSiE, GDPR and all the other host of regulations which bombard us these days are all very well, but they make volunteering and getting things done much harder. I am glad I do not run a church choir (except at school).

What amuses me these days is the change to the Bird's Eye Fish Finger advertisements. In the old adverts of years ago, the Captain had a crew of children and everything was innocent. (see below).

In the current climate, the narrator has to stress that the few children with the Captain are related to him and that he enjoys "swimming with his grandson".

By the way - I do not eat fish, so it is all of no consequence to me!