For people of a certain age and interest, The Royal Yacht Britannia was instantly recognisable, and we may not ever have realised that she did not have her name painted on her hull as is the case with most ships. There is a reason for this buried in the past. The ship’s name was a…

What a wonderful world…. with a nod to Louis Armstrong The following is the 2nd part of what they wrote after a holiday in northern Scotland. I wandered on mountains for many long hours And found primroses, bluebells and hosts of wild flowers I climbed higher and higher to get to the top The view…

Have you ever travelled along an unfamiliar road and missed the sign telling you which direction to take? We recently spent a few days in Northumberland. Our host at the B&B we were staying in suggested a walk to a place called Cateran hole where there is a small opening in the ground with steps,…

Community gardening projects can be an effective part of missional work, fostering partnerships between the church and the communities. The participants grow their own vegetables and fruits, enhancing their access to healthy food. Regular gardening activities foster connections and address social isolation. Gardens contribute to local biodiversity, improve air quality, and promote sustainable practices. Individuals…

I received an email today from Google telling me that my account is half full so I decided that I would really need to delete some of my thousands of emails. This might seem like a simple job to many but for me there is a problem. I start to read all the emails before I delete…

We’ve just returned from spending a few days in Cornwall. While we were there, we visited the Merry Maidens Stone Circle which dates from 2500-1500 BC. It consists of 19 stones equally spaced except for a gap that was probably the entrance. The stones vary in height from 0.9m to 1.4m, graded so that the…

In 2010, for the first time, World Homeless Day was held. Unusually for special days, this one does not have a theme although it could be argued that its very name is its theme. The website gives a simple overview and can be found at www.worldhomelessday.org – it states the purpose of the day. “This…

Today’s contributor prefers to remain anonymous. The following was written after a holiday in northern Scotland. What a wonderful world…. With a nod to Louis Armstrong I’ve seen eagles soar, heard a cuckoo call Saw a Dipper dance in a waterfall I’ve seen mountains high, and valleys s deep And a rushing river that can…

This brief extract from the well-known hymn, “Abide with me”, came to mind following a short news item recently and made me reflect on a comment heard at a Bible conference, “We all want progress but we do not like change”, Something in the news comment made me reflect on the changes, especially for those…

I was recently dead heading a rose bush and noticed how a branch had grown across the top of a brick wall and had in fact eroded part of the brick. Admittedly the bricks are soft red bricks, but it seemed surprising that a plant with supple green branches could “overcome” the inanimate hard brick.…