In my village an outdoor carol event is held each year at 7pm on Christmas Eve. Carols, Bible readings and a large crib are organised by the 4 local congregations and a clergy or congregation member gives a very short address. Although laid on by the churches it is very much a village event and…
Christmas is not an easy time for people with disabilities or age related health problems. The Alzheimers Society warn people annually that Christmas festivities may adversely affect those living with dementia. Family parties, where people gather who have not met for some time, can create confusion and even distress for the person who has cognitive…
In the Northern hemisphere the seasons fit well into the churches calendar. As we descend into a time of limited daylight hours, dark mornings and evenings and cold conditions we remember in our churches the time of darkness that the Jews went through in the two centuries before Jesus’ birth. They came through a period…
I was in the process of writing this reflection, on the subject of train travel, when I heard about the horrific stabbings on the train on Saturday November 1st. In recognition of that significant event, I will pray for the victims as I close. My love of train travel goes back to childhood. Once I…
The nation has been gripped by Traitors fever, and reactions to the programme vary from “love it” or “hate it” to total disinterest. I got into “The Traitors” last Christmas time when visiting my daughter and son in law in Australia, and then started to watch the recent Celebrity version, quickly becoming hooked. You may ask “Is this…
Last week I wrote about travelling on my local bus, contrasting it to my experiences on the London Underground. I travel to London quite frequently to see family and count myself as reasonably proficient at navigating the various lines. This is normally in the daytime, and a recent experience in the late evening showed me…
I have been preparing some “thoughts” about travelling on public transport and the things that happen to us as we journey from A to B among other people.This week is a little different as I wanted to think about some transport that was used in wartime for this special week of Remembrance. The first vehicle…
I sometimes make use of my free bus pass and go by bus from my village into Ipswich. The behaviour of bus passengers varies from the straight ahead stare conveying a wish to remain silent and apart, to the smile, which starts things off, often at the bus stop, and progresses to conversation that may or may…
I don’t think any of us would choose to have a dose of covid, even though the illness is not generally as severe now. I recently isolated for 11 days with it, and in some ways the enforced rest did me good. I was able to spend more time reading and one of the things…
At the end of September Sir John Rutter featured in the news as he celebrated his 80th birthday. As a highly acclaimed composer of choral music over more than 60 years it was right that his special birthday should be celebrated. In East Anglia we can be justly proud of his strong links to Cambridgeshire, as…