My wife, Sue and I have spent a few days up in Scarborough this week. Despite my promises to Sue that the sun always shines in Scarborough, for much of our stay there was a cold, wet mist pervading the town. Whenever I visit Scarborough I love to look out over the South bay, with the castle standing proudly on the headland. Surely there can't be many better views in Britain. Sadly, the mist prevented me enjoying my favourite view!A few years ago, Sue and I were able to buy a little flat just off the Esplanade in Scarborough. It has been a wonderful place to escape to over the years, though we don't seem to be able to get there as much as we would like these days. It took me a while to persuade Sue that Scarborough would be a good place to buy a flat. For me there was no argument - Scarborough is my favourite place on earth!
I have been reflecting on why that should be. Certainly there are some tatty parts of the town, and a number of the quaint old shops, around which I used to love to browse, have disappeared. So why does Scarborough still have such a strong pull on my emotions? On reflection, I think it must be much to do with my childhood memories. As a youngster I spent many happy holidays at Scarborough with my Mum, Dad and brother (my four elder sisters must have left home by then). My childhood memories are very precious. I was blessed to grow up in a loving family, and family life has always been so important to me. I was, therefore, greatly saddened to read this week that some newly published government statistics have prompted a leading family expert to say ‘the traditional nuclear family … has become a museum piece’
I have no doubt that if, as the report suggests, family life is breaking down, then our society will pay the consequences. I thank God for organisations like Care for The Family (to visit their website click here). I thank God also for my own family, and for the love and encouragement they have given me over the years. And I thank God for Scarborough!
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