small things like these…

I went to the Watershed again this afternoon (although I seem to have gone to the cinema far less during 2024), this time to see an interpretation of Claire Keegan’s book ‘Small Things Like These’ – adapted by Eileen Walsh and directed by Tim Mielants. Keegan is one of my very favourite authors and I read this novella almost two years ago (I’ve read six of her books to date). It was certainly in my top five books of 2023. Quite brilliant.
Cillian Murphy plays the part of Bill Furlong (quite wonderfully) - born out of wedlock, born into shame, but now has a home and a family and a job hauling truckloads of coal around town in County Wexford. Life is tough, but bearable. The church is a dominant force within the town and, in due course, his daughters will be receiving their education courtesy of the church.
It’s a tale of hardship, self-sacrifice and decency.
Delivering coal to the church laundry (one of Ireland’s notorious Magdalene Laundries: the church’s homes for unwed mothers who were made to work in an atmosphere of wretchedness and shame and had their babies taken away and sold to foster parents), he walks straight in and sees the terrified girls for himself. He realises that the scene probably resembles his own poor unmarried mother’s experience (she was fortunate to have been taken in by a wealthy local woman). The church sister is aware that Bill is witness to scenes that could damage her/the church, but she has his daughters’ educational future in her hands…
Like the book, the film is a powerful, haunting and sobering depiction of the utterly shameful time for the Catholic Church and all those who suffered through its actions.
I urge you to see this excellent film (AND, particularly, read Keegan’s brilliantly impressive novella).
PS: Today was the Watershed’s first screening of the film and it had originally been scheduled to be shown in the small/tiny Cinema 2. Fortunately, the powers-that-be recognised that advanced ticket sales were such as to require the screening to be relocated in Cinema 1 (which was virtually a capacity audience this afternoon). Well done them!

sketching in the cathedral garden…

I’ve really been enjoying the summer weather of recent days/weeks and one of the activities I’ve particularly been appreciating is sketching in the wonderful Bristol Cathedral garden.
It’s located on the south side of the Chapter House and accessed through the cloisters. It’s not particularly big, but it’s the kind of space in which you can just hunker down on a comfortable bench (I haven’t counted them, but there must be perhaps two dozen?), amid the flowers, the shrubs and the greenery and enjoy the stillness and the beauty.
This magical space seems to be something of a secret garden – despite all the summer sunshine. With the cathedral café currently closed, people seem reluctant to venture through the cloisters (which suits me fine!).
I’ve sketched in the cathedral and garden several times over the years (I’ve probably got perhaps 30 drawings?) but, this year (and with us living less than 200m from the cathedral), I’ve been dropping into the garden on a regular basis. My scribbles aren’t particularly good or technically proficient - and, clearly, there are only a limited number of sketches you can do of the cathedral’s southern façade(!)… but the major benefit is simply being ‘in the garden’ and enjoying all that it offers.
The bonus, of course (and my brother will acknowledge this!), is that someone else manages the space and I simply turn up to enjoy it!
Image: a mishmash of my cathedral garden scribbles (all but one, done over the past 2 or 3 weeks).

benefit concert for keith tippett…

Last night I went along to a benefit concert at Saint Stephen’s for the hugely-talented, highly-acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, Keith Tippett, born in Southmead, Bristol (he suffered a heart attack, followed by complications from pneumonia, earlier this year). Sadly, there were a disappointing number of people in attendance but the concert, given in two parts by Blazing Flame Six (featuring trumpet, double bass, saxophone, drums and five-string electric violin and vocals) and pianist Stephen Grew, was quite extraordinary.
Grew played for 35 minutes… completely improvised… a truly mesmerising, energetic, compelling performance. I can honestly say that I’ve never heard so many notes played on a piano in such a comparatively short time! Very difficult to convey Grew’s music style, but this YouTube link will give an idea.
For me, the evening had a number of other, rather odd (in a lovely sense!), connections. Firstly, Keith Tippett is the brother of a very good friend of mine, Tom (another fine musician and general good egg!). Secondly, Keith is married to Julie Driscoll – whose “Wheels on Fire” record with Brian Auger and the Trinity is one of those iconic songs from my second year at university in 1968 (just 50 years ago!)(You definitely need to check on this link to see them in action!). I think it was my housemates and me who started a rumour that she was coming to an impromptu gig in Oxford at the time… and lots of people believed us!
Photos: I’m afraid my pics are a bit rubbish, especially those of Stephen Grew (I’m useless at taking photographs in dim light!)… but they give a ‘feel’ of the evening.

la nativité du seigneur in bristol cathedral…

I’d be the first to admit that organ music is not a particular passion of mine.
However, last night, a small group of us went along to Bristol cathedral to hear Oliver Messiaen’s “La Nativité du Seigneur” (The Birth of the Lord: nine meditations for organ), played by Paul Walton and David Bednall. … and it was rather lovely.
The cathedral lights were dimmed, candles were lit, there was incense in the air… (you get the general idea).
The work - written by Messiaen at the age of 27 (in 1935) whilst he was in residence at Grenoble near the French Alps - lasted for just over an hour… and it was an excellent opportunity to hear this significant work. Something of a meditative alternative to the flurry of carols at this time of year. The piece is considered to be one of the great organ works of all time… and, certainly, best heard in a large cathedral with a suitable organ and acoustics.

We sat in the choir stalls – immediately below the cathedral organ – and, believe me, I don’t think I’ve ever FELT music in such a profound way before in my entire life! The volume of sound filling the huge, soaring spaces of the cathedral and, literally, ‘feeling’ the sound vibrate through one’s body.

Quite an experience and a lovely, hugely impressive, evening.
Photo: looking east from the Choir.

world turned upside down exhibition…

I blogged about this exhibition a few days ago… but have since been up to Leeds to attend the preview night and have seen this hugely impressive group exhibition for myself. It’s curated by my great mate Si Smith and features the work of some 17 artists, responding to the Beatitudes.
The exhibition runs from Friday 20 October until Wednesday 15 November in St Edmund’s Church (Lidgett Park Road, Roundhay, Leeds LS8 1JN).

Well, it’s a pretty stunning exhibition… humbling to see some of the work from the other artists… and so beautifully put together. I particularly appreciated the ‘blurb’ from each of the artists about their work for the exhibition.
I definitely think it’s one of those exhibitions that people will choose to visit a number of times – there is so much thought-provoking work on display that having time to sit and ponder each of the pieces would be well worthwhile.
The exhibition is simply brilliant… please see it if you can.
Photo: a very rapidly put together collage of photographs of the work on display (hopefully, I’ve included work from all of the participating artists!?).
PS: The beautiful poetry of my great friend Ian Adams was also featured – in conjunction with powerful artwork from Ric Stott.

drawing group exhibitions

If you live in or around Bristol, then I strongly recommend that you check out these two exhibitions at the historic city churches of St John on the Wall (in the crypt) in Broad Street and Saint Stephen’s in St Stephen’s Street:

St John on the Wall:

Wednesday 30 August-Monday 11 September (11.30am-2pm, Monday- Sunday). Preview/Open evening: Thursday 31 August 5.30-7.30pm.

Saint Stephen’s:

Thursday 7 September-Wednesday 20 September (9.30am-3.30pm Monday-Friday). Preview/Open evening: Thursday 7 September 5.30-7.30pm.

They will be exhibitions with a difference…

For the past 16 months or so, I’ve belonged to an amazing Drawing Group, which meets from 10.30am-12.30pm every Tuesday in either Saint Stephen’s Church (first Tuesdays in the month) or St John-on-the-Wall Church in Broad St (all other Tuesdays) to draw or write poetry or take photographs.
It’s a very lovely, welcoming and diverse collection of individuals with a wide range of artistic abilities, experience and backgrounds… led by the brilliant Charlotte and Alice Pain, wonderful artists in their own right. The exhibitions consist of sketches that group members have undertaken over the past year (we had a similar exhibition in St John’s Crypt last July/August). Some people have some drawing or photographic experience behind them (but, perhaps, have let the habit lapse?). Others have hardly previously drawn at all. For some, it’s an opportunity to experiment. For some, the group’s principal benefit is the group’s sociability.
Anyone/everyone is welcome to join and I’ve been incredibly impressed by the warmth of the welcome and its non-judgemental approach to art and creativity.
This is what Charlotte has previously written about the project and the group:
“This project is about helping the public connect to buildings and locations. It is about breathing a new breath of life into churches, bringing community back within them and exploring their uses. It’s about getting people drawing and making. It’s about a belief that creativity can help us to strengthen our voices, nurture our mental health and help us connect to each other.
From a core group of people who rarely miss a session to random visitors to the city who have long left Bristol behind them, each drawing is a moment in the life of St John’s/Saint and of the people who have walked through the doors. With the support and open-mindedness of The Churches Conservation Trust the project has flourished.
We are a diverse group of people who have developed a passion for St John’s/ Stephen’s and have spent many hours drawing, photographing and admiring these special buildings. This is not only a celebration, but an invitation to the rest of Bristol to join us”.
As you might realise, Charlotte and Alice are a bit special!

I don’t want to embarrass people by highlighting their individual talents or what they bring to the group but, hopefully, this will provide a flavour: Mike has produced more than 100 sketches over the past couple of years and his friendliness encapsulates all that the group stands for; Brian is another of those gentle, generous, welcoming people and his photographs of the churches are an inspiration; David is a simply brilliant artist (especially his watercolours!) who can draw beautifully and chat amusingly at the same time(!); Betty has been something of a revelation for me – every week, she produces her simple, intricate, beautiful sketches; Jonathan loves coming to the group – he’s industrious, friendly and with a passion for art; Jaki simply draws beautifully… and then there’s also Christine, Chris, Frances, Anne-Marie, DaveP, CharlotteM, DaveW, Justin, Jeff, Jean, Alex, Helen, Marc, Aran, Ed etc etc.     
Membership of the group is completely free so, if you fancy having an excuse to do some drawing, then why not give it a try?
Please take an opportunity to pop into the exhibitions to see examples of the work the group has produced over the past twelve months (and also to see these two beautiful Grade I Listed churches).
Photo: Artwork set out on the floor of the Crypt at St John's... selecting from the huge wealth of work produced over the past year wasn't easy!! 

question mark at bristol cathedral…

This morning, I went along to Bristol cathedral to see/hear Stefan Smart perform/recite St Mark’s Gospel. I hadn’t heard anything about this until my good friend Stuart (from our old days in Thame) sent me a facebook message.
Who’s Stefan Smart? Well, sadly, I’d never heard of him before Stuart contacted me… he’s a Christian, but he’s also an English teacher who works alongside Stuart (a Language teacher).
Stefan performed in the cathedral Nave in front of a good-sized audience (and to the amazement of some of the ‘usual’ cathedral visitors as they shuffled down the side aisles!).
It was a stunningly good morning.

I know St Mark’s Gospel pretty well, but I found the experience completely captivating… almost mesmerising (it lasted just over 90 minutes). The cathedral acoustics were perfect for Stefan’s rich tones and I found his ‘performance’ perfectly pitched – very well dramatised, but not over-acted (as I slightly feared!) and with imaginative, simple use of the single ‘prop’ (a set of steps) and the space available. A really impressive, stimulating and thought-provoking performance.

A pretty amazing feat and a wonderfully effective and appropriate prologue to Holy Week. So pleased I went!
PS: Although Stuart had sent me a message letting me know that Stefan was happy for me to take photographs of the performance, the cathedral has a large notice forbidding people to take photographs within the cathedral… at any time (which I think is absolutely barmy). In the circumstances, I didn’t want to cause any disruption, so decided to leave my camera in my bag. However, I did do a few VERY rapid scribbled sketchbook doodles (not really looking at the paper at all) – so, I’m afraid, that’s the best I can offer (see above)!!
PPS: On my way home, I was reflecting on Stefan Smart’s incredible achievement of memorising the entire Gospel of St Mark… and then remembered being in a nativity play at St Mary’s church, Thame (I had ‘volunteered’ to play one of the Kings and Stuart’s wife, Mary, somewhat predictably played the part of Mary)… I had six lines to learn (or was it four? I can’t remember!). My moment duly came and I began: “Oh Mary”… this was followed by one of the longest dramatic pauses in the entire history of nativity plays (possibly more than 30 seconds?) as I desperately tried to remember what came next…
Oh, how we laughed (eventually)! Needless to say, Stefan didn’t have ANY such moments. Oh the irony!

within the wall exhibition…

If you live in or around Bristol, then I strongly recommend that you check out this exhibition at the historic St John on the Wall church (in the crypt) in Broad Street. It runs from 27 July until 11 August 11am-2pm daily (why not come along to the preview at 6pm this Friday 29 July?).
It’s an exhibition with a difference…
Over the past 12 months, a group of people have met in the church and/or the crypt at 11.30am-1.30pm every Tuesday… to draw or write poetry or take photographs. It’s a very lovely, welcoming and diverse collection of individuals with a wide range of artistic abilities, experience and backgrounds… led by the brilliant Charlotte Pain, a wonderful artist in her own right (she would laugh at the description of her “leading” the group!).
The exhibition consists of sketches that group members have undertaken over the past year. Some people have some drawing or photographic experience behind them (but, perhaps, have let the habit lapse?). Others have hardly previously drawn at all. For some, it’s an opportunity to experiment. For some, the group’s principal benefit is the group’s sociability.
I joined this lovely group a couple of months ago – anyone/everyone is welcome to join – and have been incredibly impressed by the warmth of the welcome and its non-judgemental approach to art and creativity.
This is what Charlotte wrote about the project and the group:
“This project is about helping the public connect to buildings and locations. It is about breathing a new breath of life into churches, bringing community back within them and exploring their uses. It’s about getting people drawing and making. It’s about a belief that creativity can help us to strengthen our voices, nurture our mental health and help us connect to each other.
From a core group of people who rarely miss a session to random visitors to the city who have long left Bristol behind them, each drawing is a moment in the life of St John’s and of the people who have walked through the doors. With the support and open-mindedness of The Churches Conservation Trust the project has flourished.
We are a diverse group of people who have developed a passion for St John’s and have spent many hours drawing, photographing and admiring this special building. This is not only a celebration, but an invitation to the rest of Bristol to join us”.
As you might realise, Charlotte is a bit special!
I don’t want to embarrass people by highlighting their individual talents or what they bring to the group but, hopefully, this will provide a flavour: Mike has produced over 60 sketches over the past 12 months and his friendliness encapsulates all that group stands for; Brian is another of those gentle, generous, welcoming people and his photographs of the church are an inspiration; David is a brilliant artist (especially his watercolours!) who can draw beautifully and chat amusingly at the same time(!); Betty has been something of a revelation for me – every week, she produces her simple, intricate, pencil sketches (which remind me in some ways of Alfred Wallis’s naïve artwork from St Ives)(I suspect this is the first time she’s drawn since leaving school?); Jonathan loves coming to the group – he’s industrious, friendly and enthusiastic; Chris is always smiling, chatty and an inveterate photographer and drawer; Aran is one of the lovely church volunteers who has been “drawn” into the group… and then there’s also Christine, Anne-Marie and Dave etc etc.     
Membership of the group is completely free so, if you fancy having an excuse to do some drawing, then why not give it a try?
Please take an opportunity to pop into the exhibition (and also to see the fascinating, 14^th century church itself).
Photo: some of the group working on the exhibition installation.

yes… women bishops at last

The Church of England Synod’s vote in November 2012 against women bishops marked the end of my time worshipping in the Anglican Church. At that time, I posted this blog and said that, following the vote, my "separate, personal, lonely journey starts today”.
So, you can perhaps imagine my enthusiastic response to today’s news that Synod has overwhelmingly voted to allow women bishops (only 45 lay members of the synod voted against it and 152 in favour. The majorities among bishops and clergy were even greater).

I’m absolutely delighted and relieved by today’s outcome… and delighted for so many of my Anglican/Christian friends.
So today’s decision means that I can abandon my futile(?) protest against the institution that calls itself the Church of England… well, actually, I’m afraid not.
Yes, for the past 18 months or so I HAVE been on a separate, personal, lonely spiritual journey… but, in that time, I’ve found myself reeling against the institutional church on so many things and I certainly don’t think I’m currently anywhere near returning to the Anglican Church fold - I won’t rule it out at some time in the future but, for now, I’m continuing in my spiritual wilderness.
Since November 2012, I’ve read many books that I’ve found helpful (and, indeed, I’ve re-read books that I’d previously been encouraged by). Books by Richard Holloway, Ian Adams, Basil Hume, Jonathan Sacks, John O’Donohue, Peter Millar, Kathy Galloway, Mourid Barghouti, Kader Abdolah, Dave Broom, Billy Collins, Tony Benn, Martyn Percy, Sara Maitland, Alice Munro, Jane Bentley+Neil Paynter have all proved invaluable… and I’m sure there will be others in the future.
Yes, I’m sure there will be people who read this post and want to shake some sense into me… and give me any number of reasons to return to the Church of England. The fact remains that, while I’m still unsure about my own faith journey, it’s far better for me to remain in “exile” than to return still an angry man (perhaps a little over dramatic, but I was certainly finding myself coming out of church after a service regularly feeling angry and frustrated… and, despite today’s good news, I don’t think the frustration (and the anger?) will have subsided sufficiently.
So, I'm still wondering and wandering...

meeting up…

Life is full of coincidences. When I was volunteering with the Iona Community last summer, Becki Cox was the resident staff member “in charge” of all the volunteers (I think “staffing administrator” was her job title?). She’d noticed that I’d made reference to St Mary’s church, Thame in my application form. Her family had been church members there for a short time when she was “very young”(!) and so mentioned this in our first conversation on Iona. Well, of course, memories came rushing back… her parents, Sheila (singing group plus much, much more) and Stephen (star member of the church cricket team etc) and their twins, Andy and Chris (even smaller than Becki!).

At long last – and entirely due to Becki’s determination and organising capabilities - Moira+I met Sheila, Becki and Stephen for lunch at Bordeaux Quay, Bristol yesterday. We hadn’t seen Becki for 10 months, but it had been TWENTY years since we’d seen Sheila and Stephen!! And yet, strangely, thanks to the wonders of facebook (Stephen and Becki have been our FB friends since last summer – Sheila has decided to resist such social media temptations!), it didn’t seem like 20 years at all.
And the other (quite amazing) coincidence is that one of our old college friends, John Tremlett – he and I shared a house together for two years – is also a very good friend of the Cox family (he taught Becki to drive and his daughter and Becki were great school friends etc)… again, it was only through facebook that this fact “emerged”!
Anyway, Moira+I had an absolutely lovely time meeting up with them yesterday and, hopefully, it’ll be much less than twenty years before we get together again!
Photo: Sheila, Moira, Stephen, Becki and me in the Bristol sunshine (in front of Hannah’s harbourside banner).

exultate singers: carols by candlelight

From time to time this week, I’ve been listening to my Christmas playlist. You know, the usual stuff: Nat King Cole, KIrsty MacColl and the Pogues, Waitresses, Joni Mitchell, Chris Rea, Pretenders, Steeleye Span, John Tavener and the like. As a result, in the words of another classic, “it’s started to feel a lot like Christmas”.

But, last night, Gareth, Alan, Moira+I went to hear the brilliant Exultate Singers perform “Carols by Candlelight” in the stunning St James Priory, Bristol… and captured the REAL spirit of Christmas. This was the second time we’ve seen/heard them perform at St James Priory and they are simply quite, quite brilliant. For me, the highlight of the evening was their rendering of Morten Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium” (see PS). Imagine the choir members standing around the edges of the packed, candlelit church at perhaps 1.5m intervals and singing this beautiful piece of music. Although the choir were performing in complete unity, the fact that they were standing apart meant that it was possible to pick out individual voices – and this only emphasised just how brilliantly talented they all were.
This was their second (and final) sell-out “Candles in Candlelight” performance of 2012 and I’m certain that we’ll be back next year to capture the Christmas spirit all over again, in what will no doubt become a new annual tradition for us.
Absolutely exquisite.
Photo: Exultate Singers (courtesy of their website).
PS: Listen to a clip from Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium” here from their “Visions of Peace” CD.

 

women bishops

So, the Church of England has voted against allowing women Bishops.

It took over 7 hours of debate and, predictably, there were vigorous arguments from both sides before the decision was finally made… but I really can’t quite believe it. It was passed by the Bishops and the Clergy, but rejected by the Laity (more “yesses” but failing to obtain the necessary 2/3rds majority).
It seems that the evangelical and catholic wings of the church have “won”.
I can’t quite believe that it’s been 20 years since the Church of England agreed to authorise women priests (it took another two years before the first women priests were actually ordained). I was a Churchwarden at St Michael and All Angels church in Summertown, Oxford in the mid-1970s and can certainly remember a church parochial church council (PCC) meeting when we voted, as a parish church, in favour of women priests… that was some 37 years ago(?)!
I’m afraid today’s vote has left me feeling saddened, annoyed and frustrated… words almost fail me.
No doubt, there will some friends (not many!) who will vigorously defend the decision. Others will tell that, whichever way the vote went, a split in the Anglican Church was inevitable (I agree!).
As for me, I think this marks the end of my time worshipping in the Anglican Church.
A separate, personal, lonely journey starts today.
I don’t think I’ll be alone.

goodbye rowan, hello uncertainty…

Very sad to see that Rowan Williams is standing down as Archbishop of Canterbury (no, that's NOT him in the photograph). I think he’s been an excellent archbishop whose quiet humility, intellect and leadership have been an important anchor for the Anglican Church in these difficult times – with the growing schism in the worldwide Anglican Church on issues such as homosexuality and women bishops. In many ways, it’s a thankless and very difficult job and, sadly, I fear that the coming years will deepen the divisions within the Anglican communion and, ultimately, split the Church of England (in the same way the Episcopal Church has in the US). There is much to be fought for over the intervening years leading up to the next Lambeth Conference (worldwide gathering of Anglican bishops) in 2018.

I have to say, I worry about the massive task his replacement (whoever he is)(and, of course, it HAS to be a bloke!) faces. I’ve been checking through the list of contenders and, frankly, no one stands out (for me) – although some do rather worry me.  
Personally, I just hope that we don’t see a future Archbishop of Canterbury backed by the Evangelical Alliance (although one or two friends have suggested that it’s the “evangelicals’ turn” after what they see as Williams’s “liberal” reign!).
I tried out The Guardian’s “Interactive Guide – Pick your own Archbishop” and it seems that Stephen Cottrell, aged 54 (current Bishop of Chelmsford)(betting anything between 16-1 and 50-1), is my preferred candidate – although I know virtually nothing about him. However, he doesn’t feature on the BBC website of runners and riders! Apparently, he is sympathetic towards gay people; opposes the renewal of Trident; has specific plans for re-organising the church financially; and really cares about falling church attendances… but he probably also has views that might quite frighten me, for all I know!
Obviously, it stands to reason that “my man” won’t feature at all.
Photo: Stephen Cottrell, current Bishop of Chelmsford.   

fasting+spiritual reflection

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going to experiment with the so-called 5:2 diet – which involved eating normally 5 days a week, then two days a week limiting one’s food intake to 600 calories. I’ll no doubt post some observations on this in due course.

However, I was also keen to use some of my fasting days for spiritual reflection. I’m very much a novice at this (advice VERY welcome, please!) and so yesterday was my first “proper” day of combining the two.
Frankly, I didn’t think I would have sufficient will-power to hide myself away, essentially without food, for a day of quiet contemplation. Instead, I decided to use my “fasting day” for a walk around the city (of Bristol).
Strange as this may seem, but I actually used Jane Bentley+Neil Paynter’s excellent book “Around a Thin Place – an Iona pilgrimage guide” as a resource for my “journey” (as well as references to places of spiritual and historical significance, it also has some excellent readings, reflections, poems and prayers).
Essentially, I decided to break my walk around the city into twelve sections or stops – and had duly highlighted twelve reflections/readings, in advance, that I would be using at my stopping points. I didn’t plan my “Bristol route” in advance – but I did know I wanted it to include both quiet+noisy places and both urban+rural(ish!) locations.
Well, I have to say, the experience very enjoyable (and rewarding)(and it was sunny!) … and I even started relating many of my stopping points with pilgrimage stops on Iona! The Nunnery equated to the old Bristol docks (I sat on a harbourside bench); On the Way/High Point was Brandon Hill; Columba’s Bay was St James Priory; I found Loch Staonaig in the heart of Cabot Circus shopping centre(!); the Hermit’s Cell was some paving beside the Benjamin Perry Boathouse; and St Oran’s Chapel was the Mud Dock Deli building…
This all sounds a little silly, but it actually worked rather beautifully!
I certainly intend to use a similar format for some of my future fasting days and have already identified some other books that I think would work equally well (eg. Ian Adams’ “Cave Refectory Road: monastic rhythms for contemporary living” and Peter Owen Jones’ “Letters from an Extreme Pilgrim”) – but I would certainly welcome other suggestions.
Photo: spiritual reflection at Cabot’s Circus, Bristol!
PS: I scribbled down a few one-line observations at each stopping point and found some of the book’s poems particularly insightful and helpful (and will certainly use them again in other circumstances).

fairy slipper island

As some of you will be aware(!), I’m about to spend 8 weeks on the beautiful Isle of Iona (voluntary work with the Iona Community). I’m excited, but it’s going to be very difficult spending so much time away from the family – especially those living in Bristol whom I see on a very regular basis. It’s difficult enough for adults (me included) to get their heads around the prospect of me being away from home for such a period but, as you might imagine, it’s going to be even harder for our grandchildren, especially for 5 year-old Iris and (nearly) 3 year-old Rosa - who I see at least a couple of times every week.
I chatted with Iris yesterday about my impending trip and, thanks to the wonders of Google maps/satellite images, located the diminutive island on my computer screen (having first showed her images of her house/street in Bristol). Iona is just 3 miles long x 1 mile wide. Tiny. Really tiny. It even makes the small neighbouring island of Mull look pretty big!
We panned down so I could show her the sea and the white sandy beaches, together with the Abbey and the place where I’ll be working during my stay.
She seemed absolutely captivated by it all (although I’m sure she found it hard to fully comprehend)… and then announced that I was going to be living on “fairy slipper island” (because that’s how its shape appeared to her on the satellite image)!
I like that.
From now on, in her eyes, it IS fairy slipper island and, hopefully, she’ll be able to use this image while I’m away.
Photo: map of Iona (bottom left hand corner!) and (part) Mull.

more books

You might recall (but probably not!) that I made a vague resolution at the end of August to try to read more over the coming year – after reading some seven books over the summer. Well, thus far, I’ve done a little better than usual. I’ve previously blogged about the following books: The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks), Goodbye Mr Chips (James Hilton), 31 Songs (Nick Hornby), Fugitive Pieces (Anne Michaels) and The Road (Cormac McCarthy) and I’ve now just finished* the following:
Anamcara (John O’Donohue): I just love the way he writes and know that this will be a book I’ll refer to again and again over the coming years.
Ten Things They Never Told Me About Jesus (John L Bell): We’ve been reading this book in our Ithaca group. Very accessible and challenging. John Bell is always very good value.
Letters From An Extreme Pilgrim (Peter Owen Jones): He’s my kind of vicar! Although I could easily finish* this book in a couple of hours, I’m only reading a letter-a-day as part of my Lenten routine/discipline.
The Shipping News (E Annie Proulx): I picked this up at a second-hand book stall and really enjoyed it; beautifully written. Think it’s time I bought the DVD!
The Shack (William P Young): I’m not a great lover of “Christian Fiction” but, despite it’s “american-folksey-schmaltz”(?), actually found it quite thought-provoking.
The fact that four of these five books are vaguely spiritual in content seems a little strange for me – but perhaps it does reflect a little of the way I’m feeling just now (in a self-examination sort of way I suppose – but not in a bad, beat-yourself-up manner!).

still awaiting first female uk bishop

I know absolutely nothing about the Revd Canon Dr Alison Peden, but I had hoped that she might have become the first female bishop of a major UK church yesterday. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. The Very Revd Dr Gregor Duncan, aged 59, (pictured) was elected the new bishop of Glasgow and Galloway.
As it happens, Gregor was a trainee priest(?) when I was a churchwarden of St Michael and All Angels, Summertown, Oxford (in about 1978?). Ironically, at the time, I seem to remember him being him being staunchly opposed to women priests (I’m happy to say that the parochial church council voted strongly in favour nevertheless)!
PS: strangely, Duncan is the third curate/trainee priest during our relatively brief “church life” in Oxford (say 1972-82) to have subsequently been elected bishop. The other two were: Rt Revd Lord Colin Bennetts, Bishop of Coventry (retired 2007) and Rt Revd Sir David Conner KCVO, Dean of Windsor (former Bishop to HM Forces).
Some people clearly have influence… Tanya better prepare herself!