Message Board

A system to submit messages to us is currently under development. In the mean-time, below are some messages we have received from school groups.

Here are some words from pupils at Staindrop CE Primary written as though by Bede at the end of his life.

St. Bede

I lie down in my bed waiting for my life to end. In my early days I lived in a monastery when I was only seven years of age. A few years later I was moved to live in another monastery in Jarrow in North-East England for the rest of my life. While I was at this monastery to learn to read and write in Latin and I also study a lot. During my young life I learned about Jesus and how he taught the people around him. When I was older I wrote the bible in Latin and then I realised that not everyone could understand Latin so I translated it into English so people could understand the bible. When I translated the bible it took me years and a few months just to write one single chapter. When I was at school there were 600 pupils in the school. While we were there we had to go to bed at sunset and wake up at sunrise. When a man called the Abbot brought souvenirs back from the places he travelled to I treasured them.

Andrew

St. Bede

Here I am, in my cell, lying on my cold and raggy bed, knowing that my last few hours with my dear friend will be over.

I can clearly remember when I was seven years old, because that was my first time in a monastery. The wonderful monastery I went to was in a place called Monkwearmouth, which only boys and men could enter in.

The second monastery I went to was in Jarrow when I was only nine years old. I had always loved to write and study

in English and also in Latin and Greek. I thoroughly enjoyed the choir which had holy songs for us to sing. I loved our dormitory because it was one of the only peaceful place.

I love to remember writing nearly fifty books when I was older, to help others, not just for myself.

But I have also been writing up the Bible in English which Wilbert is writing up right now.

Emma

St. Bede

Now, as I live in my cell in deep pain because I'm going to die in a few hours or minutes.

When I was seven I moved into a monastery in Wearmouth, also when I was nine I again moved into a monastery in Jarrow Northern England and I stayed there for the rest of my life.

I used to love to write and study. I also wrote a wonderful story about Jesus.

When I wrote stories about Jesus and God I wanted to pass them on to other English people.

I never walked more than seven miles to get to Wearmouth; I worked so hard that when I get home my back aches. When I was quite a young man I found out that I was the greatest English man in history. I was taught to read and write Latin and Greek but I was never taught English. I also was in the choir and loved music. In my cell it is a very peaceful place to be because there is no-one shouting or screaming. Nowadays we have to write our very own books. I also was a head master over six hundred boys heads. My school was also very big but now I'm all alone in my cell as cold as a person throwing me into a bath of icy water. Dying slowly.

Elli

St. Bede

I am lying in my bed soon I am going to die but I know I have had a happy life.

When I was young I lived in a monastery when I was only 7 years old.

A few years later I went to live in a different monastery in Jarrow the north of England and I lived there for the rest of my life.

When I was older I was writing the bible in English so the people who didn't know Latin could read the bible. I worked so hard I was one of the best English men. I sang in a choir at the church. I enjoy music.

When I was young we slept in a dormitory in a large school I went to bed at sunset and woke up at sun rise. I learnt Greek.

When I was older I said "It has always been my delight to learn, teach and to write I wrote nearly 50 books". I also said "I must turn the bible into the language of the people because they don't know Latin".

Christopher

St. Bede

Now, my life will end very soon. In this old cell these last few

hours will be going fast but they will the best ever. In these few hours I have left, l will look at my long gone past.

I was born in 673 and I was so proud for when I was 7 I went to the monastery for monks in Wearmouth. I didn't stay there long for I went to another one in Jarrow when I was about 9 or 10 and I planned to stay there all my life.

I loved to learn, read and write so I kept up my work in the garden, cooking, cleaning and my learning. I grew older and started to learn Latin and a bit of Greek.

When I was learning Latin I wanted to write the bible in English and did for many years. After I had been writing the monks made me priest. It was amazing how I moved from the dormitory to a peaceful cell.

I grew old and asked Wilbert to write the last chapter of the bible and we finished.

I must agree that my life has been worth living but I must go to my god and king. Thank you.

Laura

St Bede

Here I am, lying in my own empty cell only able to be watching Wilbert finish of the remain of the bible in English, in which I was unable to finish because of my oId age and illness.

Whilst I am unable to walk, pretty much all I do is lie in bed, and as the hours pass by quickly so do my chances of living.

Now that my time is almost up I reflect on my life.

When I was seven years of age I was sent to live in a monastery, there I found only men, for women did not recive any permission to enter.

Inside of the monastery I remember that there was two libraries instead of one, of course I was happy enough for books are half of my life and god is the other.

Lois

St.Bede

Here I am thinking about my life when I was a young boy before I was sick and ill, I know that I am going to die very soon.  When I was seven years old I was sent to a monastery by my parents so I could become a monk. I stayed there two years.

Then I was moved out of the nice monastery to a different monastery in Jarrow North East England. I moved there when I was nine years old and I stayed there for the rest of my life.

When I was older I traveled to York and Lindisfarne.

When I was at the monastery I learnt how to write and speak in Greek and Latin. I joined the choir and I became a priest.I got older and I got weaker but at the same time I created a bible in English so the monks could read it. I grew so weak I couldn't write any more and Wilbert finished the book for me. I stopped thinking of my life and I said," I thank you for helping me Wilbert."

Laura

ST. Bede

I'm Bede and I know my time will be over soon. So I'm going to tell you what I was doing before now. I was taken seriously ill a fortnight before Easter Sunday but I continued my work on translating ST.John's gospel from Latin in to Anglo Saxon We use quill pen dipped in an ink well to write books. I have written about fifty books including translating ST.Johns gospel. I have lots of things that are valuable in my chest at the bottom of my bed. I couldn't finish the gospel by myself because I was in so much pain so another monk called Wilbert came to help me finish ST. John's gospel.

Oliver

St.Bede

Here I am thinking about my life when I was younger before I got ill, and I know I am going to die, in a peaceful place.

When I was a little boy about ten years old I was placed to a monastery called Jarrow in north east England, in that monastery I learnt how to write, read and speak Latin and I also leant how to speak Greek. When I was at the middle of the monastery I prayed about Jesus. But then there came a man and he said that it will be good if I became a monk, so I did become a monk and I started to make my own bible in English about Jesus. Then I began to be old weak, I wanted everyone to read my bible. I couldn't walk anymore so I had to say to my boy Wilbert to finish it for me. I only need one more chapter I told Wilbert and I told him that he should sharpen his pencil and do it for me. Wilbert did it and I am so happy that it is done so I told him that he should lift me up so I could see it, you are right my boy you are done Wilbert. Before I die you have to pray for me.

made by Rikke

St. Bede

Well, here I am dying in my cell but peacefully. I have remembered most of my past, when I was young and healthy but now I am old and weak. I thought I should write down the whole experiences of my great life.

When I was seven I went to a monastery in Wearmouth but when I reached the age of nine or ten I was moved to another monastery in Jarrow where I was going to live.

I wrote my own books by hand and a great book about Jesus.

In the monastery I did cooking, cleaning and Farm Work. I also learned Latin. One of my greatest things doing was writing but also studying

was another great thing I liked doing. We all slept in the dormitory. We went to bed at sunset and woke at sunrise. The dormitory was peaceful.

I never learned just for myself for other people really. I had fifty books altogether. I had to translate Latin into English. My assistant, Wilbert, finished off the bible for me while I was in bed ill. I was born in 673. I wrote about St. Cuthbert. I am now sixty two or sixty three.

Maddison

St. Bede

These are the last few minutes of my life. As my heart slows and the angels come, I will remember my years gone past. This dark cell and soft bed and the Monastery will soon be my home no longer, I will rest in peace.

I was born in 673. At the age of 7 I moved to a Monastery in Wearmouth near the beach. I enjoyed reading and writing, we wrote in Latin.

When I was 9 or 10 I moved again to another Monastery. It was near Jarrow in the North of England. Here I learned Greek and sang in the choir.

Although we get up at dawn and go to bed at dusk we continue to serve our lord. I used to sleep in the Dormitory with all the other boys. We prayed several times a day. It was a delight to learn, teach and write. After my years as a child, I became a priest.

Because very few people read in Latin, I began to write an English bible but I haven't finished it yet. As I tell Wilbert the last sentence I cry inside as I'm too weak to show it. Now the bible is finished I will say my last ever prayer.

"Glory be to the father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, Amen."

Ellie

 St Bede

Well, here I am dying peacefully in my cell. I have remembered the times when I lived in a monastery. So I thought I would tell you.

When I was seven years old I was taken to a monastery to live but at nine years old I was moved to another. The place was in Durham. The monastery was near the sea, north east in England. At nine I was moved to Jarrow.

Most of my time I spend writing and studying. I wrote a great story about England. When I became old I wrote a bible in English. I had to stay in bed ............. and I somehow had to finish. So Wilbert wrote and finished for me.

When I wrote St Johns gospel I grew weak and tired. It was so hard working in a monastery I was taught by monks to read and write in Latin.

I become a fine scholar, learned Greek and was in a choir for the monastery. I also helped on the farm.

We all slept in a big bedroom called a dormitory. We went to bed at sunset and woke up at sunrise and the dormitory was peaceful.

I never learned for my own sake. I studied for teaching others. My history book said "It has always been my delight to learn, teach or write". I had to transform Latin into the way people could read. It took many years to do that.

Shannon

St. Bede

My name is Bede here I am not long before death, so I write this story about my life. When I was seven I was moved to live in a monastery. I studied there and loved it. I always wanted to teach other people and when I was nine I was moved again to a monastery in the North-East of England. I lived there for the rest of my life. Years went by and I grew smarter and more religious. I cooked and did the gardening. I was so connected to the monastery that I never went further than 7 miles away from it. I had always loved books and read a lot of them. Then I decided to make some. I made about 50 and it took a very long time. The bible was in Latin and I could speak Latin very well so I devoted my life to writing the bible in English because not a lot of people knew how to speak Latin. Many years have passed and I am still writing it, it has been about 5 years and I am half way through the bible. At night I sit in my cell that has a lovely view of the church. I have helped lots of people in their work and with their religion. I am now three quarters of the way through and still a long way to go. I was so caught up in my work I almost forgot to tell you that there are only men and boys in this monastery and I am also a priest. Eventually I got too old and too weak to go to church. Wilbert said "you must stay and rest father." No I must go to the angels and God will make me stronger". So the next day, still weak and now I'm here on my death bed and still have one more chapter to go. Lift me up so I can see the church for the last time.

James

St Bede

Here I am dying a peaceful death. When I was 7 I was moved to a monastery. I went to another monastery in Jarrow when I was 10. We went to bed at sunset and got up at sunrise. We had dormitory to sleep in.We cooked and sang in the monastery. I wrote more than 50 books. I taught 600 people. I wanted to read and write in Latin and write the bible but Willbert finished it for me. I write in English so everyone can read it.

CHARLIE

St.Bede

I'm Bede and I am not going to live much longer so I tell you the story of my life up to now.

When I was seven I went to a monastery in Wearmouth . I studied hard so I could be a monk. Only boys were allowed to go to a monastery.

When I was nine I moved to a different monastery, it was in a place called Jarrow.  All of the boys who were being taught in the monastery slept in one big room called a dormitory. At the monastery I was taught how to speak Greek, how to read and write Latin. I was also in a choir.

It has always been my dream to teach other children. I wrote fifty books altogether.

I love God and Jesus.

I started to write the bible in English but I got to the stage where all I could do is lay waiting for my death. So I had my helper Wilbert finish it for me.

 Marcus