John Edward Cooper’s Notes
Holiday in Scarborough — Day Seven
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1965, the year that changed my life Holiday in Scarborough — Day Six Perhaps Friday 23rd July 1965 1. A Waiting Meeting[more] was held in the latter part of the week, perhaps on Friday. I remember that I sat near the back, to the left, on the chair next to the aisle; and opposite me, to the right, sat Tom Heaney. I had got acquainted with him during the week. He was one of those who expressed a wish to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Uncle Tom, Pastor Oldershaw, and perhaps other guests who were ministers, were laying hands on those seeking “the Baptism”. And I went over and laid hands on my new-found friend Tom, and prayed that he would receive the Spirit. The next I knew, though, was Uncle Tom touching me on the shoulder, gently requesting that I leave the laying-on of hands to the ministers. He was very polite and tactful about it, and didn’t offend me in any way. I suppose I had in mind the Waiting Meeting at Fleetwood Full Gospel Church, where anybody who had “received” laid hands on anybody who hadn’t. But I guess Uncle Tom was fearful that the meeting would become disorderly if everybody started doing it. When Tom Heaney “received”, it wasn’t the explosive experience I had in the Waiting Meeting at Fleetwood, (if indeed, strictly speaking, I “received” then). All that was obvious about Tom was that his feet in their winkle-pickers were tapping and twitching, and that his lips kept moving as he gently babbled his new “tongue”. That was all that was obvious — until both he, with his feet still twitching and his mouth still moving, and his chair started to topple over to the side, and someone, or a couple of people, just in time, reached out and righted them. Friday 23rd July 1965 2. The time came, on Friday evening, for us to begin packing our suitcases. At some point, I walked down the path from our chalet, and passing Ann and Naomi’s, I looked in their open door. Within I saw Ann, bending down, perhaps attending to the packing of her case. The bodice of her dress, which was fairly loose-fitting, appeared to have fallen forward. And I was suitably impressed that when she stood erect again, the material of the dress didn’t seem to fall back very much at all; it was held out by her well-proportioned bust. I thought the boys she was with the previous evening would be there to claim their prize this evening; but no, it was I who was privileged to kiss Ann goodnight outside her chalet door. The dress she was wearing was bronze-coloured, patterned, with a slight sheen, and her long blonde curls cascaded over the shoulders of it. So I returned to my chalet and to my bed with a feeling of triumph and joy. Falling asleep with thoughts of Ann Fenton,[1] I forgot the pain of parting from Pamela. [1] Ann Fenton: See Johannine Writings XI.6, Holiday in Scarborough — Day One, Holiday in Scarborough — Day Six, Holiday in Scarborough — Day Eight, The Free Trade Hall, Friday 7th January 1966, Friday 8th April 1966.Holiday in Scarborough — Day Eight |
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