10 April: The Salvation Army

10 April is Salvation Army Founders Day. On the birthday of William Booth, 10 things you didn't know about the Salvation Army.

1. It began in 1865 when William Booth and his wife Catherine started preaching the gospel to poor and destitute people in East London. They didn't just preach, however. It was Christianity in action as they helped people in practical ways such as soup kitchens, refuges for women fleeing domestic violence and a free labour exchange.
2. The Salvation Army operates anywhere it is needed. They were there on the front lines in both world wars offering comfort and guidance to the troops, and feeding them at times too – they'd cook Doughnuts in battle helmets for the soldiers to eat, and it's often said it was the Salvation Army which made the sweet treats popular in America. National Doughnut Day, on the first Friday in June is a day set up to commemorate those who served the doughnuts during the first world war.
3. In its early years the movement was known as the Christian Mission. It changed its name to The Salvation Army in 1878. This came about when William Booth read the statement, "The Christian Mission is a volunteer army" on a printer's proof of the organisation's annual report. He decided “salvation” was a better word than “volunteer” since salvation was what they were all about.
4. Despite the good work they did, the Salvation Army wasn't always welcomed. Lord Shaftesbury even went so far as to suggest they were agents of the devil. Since one of the requirements of its members was to be teetotal, the brewing industry didn't take kindly to them and organised a rabble known as the Skeleton Army to disrupt the Salvation Army's work. This included paying members of the mob a shilling (5p) for every Salvation Army ladies' bonnet they could capture.
5. The Beatles' song, Strawberry Fields Forever is about a Salvation Army orphanage near Liverpool. John Lennon and his school friends used to play in the woods behind it. The Christmas favourite Silver Bells was inspired by Salvation Army bell ringers, too.
6. There are about 2,500 Salvation Army bands around the world. The bands came about when Charles Frye and his sons offered to act as bodyguards for the Salvation Army as they preached. The street preachers perhaps weren't attacked as often as Frye had thought they might be, and they needed something to amuse themselves – so they got out their brass instruments and started playing Music.
7. The Salvation Army's Flag features a Yellow star on a Red background. The words “Blood and Fire” are written on the star in red. The red on the flag symbolises the Holy Spirit and the yellow represents the fire of the Holy Spirit. The blue border represents the purity of God the Father. In Scotland, the Salvation Army has its own Tartan, designed by Captain Harry Cooper in 1983.
8. William and Catherine Booth were both strict vegetarians.
9. At time of writing the leader of the Salvation Army worldwide is Canadian General Brian Peddle, elected in 2018.
10. It was the Salvation Army which received the largest ever charity donation - $1.6 billion from the estate of Joan B. Croc, widow of the founder of McDonalds.

My Books 

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The Ultraheroes series

Several new groups of superheroes, mostly British, living and working (mostly) in British cities like London and Birmingham. People discovering they have, and learning to live with, superpowers. Each book is complete in itself although there is some overlap of characters.

The Raiders series

A tale of two dimensions, and worm hole travel between the two. People displaced in both time and space, learning to get along and work together to find a way home while getting used to the superpowers wormhole travel gave them. A trilogy.

Golden Thread

A superhero tale with a difference. Five heroes from another dimension keep returning - whenever they return, they have a job to do and are a well-meshed team in order to do it. Until one time, something goes wrong...

Tabitha Drake series

A different kind of power - the ability to talk to dead people. Tabitha has it, and murder victims seek her out to make sure justice is done. Tabitha has this and a disastrous love life to cope with.

Short story collections

Some feature characters from the above novels, others don't. They're not all about superheroes. Some are creepy, romantic, funny.