St John's Ambulance in Harlow gets two new vehicles and a blessing

What is the difference between a society that is civilised and one that is ruled by barbarians? I thought of the answer to this question yesterday, as I attended a special event organised by the Harlow Branch of St John's Ambulance. We were assembled to bless two new ambulances, that local members and volunteers had spent months, raising thousands of pounds in order to pay for them. A local priest, blessed the vehicles and the St Johns Branch - in what I found to be a very moving event. The very act of blessing the St John's new ambulances, showed that they were more than just machines, but vehicles in which dedicated people would look after the sick and vulnerable. In other words, they were the purest emblem of everything that is good about a civilised society.

Afterwards, we went into the garden, behind the St John Ambulance Home in Old Harlow, to eat the most wonderful food - as a means of celebration - prepared by none other than the Chef of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I look forward to visiting St John Ambulance at a future date,to see some training sessions. It truly is a wonderful institution.

The pictures show St John Ambulance member, Stephen Hines by the new vehicles, and me with Emma inside the Ambulance.