KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU “Knowing Me, Knowing You…” is a way of sharing with each other and finding out more about our church family. Mike Cosser is our interviewer/researcher and editor, and this time he has searched out and probed into John Kirby’s life..... John Kirby and I met on a glorious spring afternoon at our place, and chatted over a cooling orange drink. There was much laughter, as John is great fun. John was born and went to school in London. He told me that he suffered with his nerves as a child, and that lead to him being hospitalised away from his family. He then went to Boarding School in Cambridgeshire, before joining the RAF in 1954. He served as a Nursing Attendant for 36 months before having to be medically discharged with sinusitis in late 1956. Between then and 1968, he had a variety of jobs; payroll clerk, book ledger, sales ledger, banking, making plastics, in a bakery, and managing a coffee bar. In the early 60’s he was Soho based, working as a professional ballet and stage dancer. This took him to as far a field as Belgium, Germany, Italy and Greece. His bohemian fringe lifestyle with artists, writers, painters, musicians and gangsters means that he can empathise with those on the edge of society. John decided in late ’68 to get a steady job, and he joined the Rootes Company, which became Chrysler a week later. The Company moved out of Central London to Dunstable, and shortly afterwards to Coventry, and John went with it. He left in 1974, and set up his own motor accessories shop, “Spares ‘n Repairs”, in Far Gosford Street. The shop ran for 5 years, but then had to close because John developed heart problems. That resulted in John going into a form of early retirement. He worked as a volunteer driver, both for Community Transport, and Walsgrave Hospital. John was on the waiting list for a heart bypass for many years, and as a consequence became depressed. However, ultimately he had his operation in the mid 80’s. John’s spiritual journey has been a long one, but it began in earnest when he met Jean in 1970, this culminated in them getting married at Queen’s Road in spring 1973. Following regular attendance, John and Jean were jointly baptised at Queens Road in the summer of 1973, by Richard Hamper. John got involved in a small practical ministry at Queens Road, but left there in about 1990. Jean discovered she had diabetes, which she kept under control with tablets, at first, but later she had to inject insulin. Ultimately she had a hyper event, which led to kidney failure, and she died in 1997 or so. John married his second wife Peggy in September 1999, following a whirlwind courtship, during which the two of them got on really well. The couple went to live in Tile Hill, and commuted to Church at Quinton Park, but unfortunately, six months after the wedding, Peggy died. John moved back to Ebbw Vale Terrace, where he still lives, in 2003. In terms of his Ministry at Quinton Park, John is a deacon, a leading light in Twirleys, helps with transport for the Luncheon Club, and helps Andrew Weir with the computerised morning service productions. He tries to raise awareness of the Mission potential in Cheylesmore, as well as the rest of the World. He likes to show people the love of Jesus, and see if that makes them curious about our Lord. John has been on retreat twice, most recently at Launde Abbey, an Anglican resource in Leicestershire. His health improved markedly, as a result of the last retreat, for which he praises God. He is shortly to go to Launde Abbey again, and commends retreats to us. Next month John has to have a throat operation to remove an obstruction that is making his swallowing and eating problematic. He would ask for our prayers for that, and for being fit enough to have the procedure. John commented that he is astounded that people think he is spiritual, and someone to look up to, because in some ways he is still questioning God, and himself. What is it all about? Where is it all going? I, for one, am not astounded. I admire and love John for what he is, and what he brings, and I’m sure that a lot of us at Quinton Park would concur. I imagine the “Lord of the Dance” feels pretty much the same way!