1182 days ago
As always when there is a migrant crisis, loads of folk virtue signal and offer to take one in. Folks like Britain’s richest crisp salesman Gary Lineker, Yvette Cooper MP and Lilly Allen never actually quite got around to taking in a Syrian but the important thing is that we all know that they wanted to because they said so on twitter so many times. So they are all wonderful tolerant folk while anyone not offering to take in a refugee is a knuckle dragging alt-right racist. I get it. I understand the rules here in Airstrip One in 2021. No doubt Gary, Yvette and Lilly will very soon all be offering an Afghan a home too but then not actually getting round to it.
1329 days ago
I have just finished my third training walk for Woodlarks, which was 16 miles. This is the photo record of walk two, 13 miles along the same route. I start walking along our fields by the Dee here in Wales. This is the view up across the second, smaller, field up to the Church whose doors I am no longer darkening. This field has a bog in the centre for about eight or nine months a year and is thus a bit of a wildlife haven.
1440 days ago
Other than for my father’s funeral, I have not been to church since the start of the ludicrous lockdowns in March. For a while our Church here in the last village in Wales was closed but in September it sort of re-opened, though this family did not go.
1549 days ago
As I wander down to the bridge to go and pick up my car from the garage in England where it is failing its MOT, I am accosted by a stalwart of our local Church here in the last village in Wales. “We’re going back,” he says. I stare blankly. “Back to Church, services start in a few weeks.” The devil is in the detail.
2262 days ago
The irony referred to has nothing to do with the new Head Master of Warwick, Dr Smith but is at the foot of this article. Following lunch with my father in Shipston, Joshua and I headed back to my alma mater to discuss the sadistic abuser Geoffrey Eve and other matters.
2455 days ago
It was my penultimate day in Kambos, the nearest village to the Greek Hovel. I had parked in the small side street that leads off the main road up and past the newest and biggest of the, at least, five churches in out settlement with a population of 537 (when I am there). I enjoyed a lunch at Miranda's - pork in a wine sauce, oven cooked potatoes and an ouzo for seven Euro. I left eight, headed back to my car and drove up to the turning square opposite the Church.
2466 days ago
There are at least five churches in the village of Kambos, the closest settlement to the Greek Hovel and a place with a population of 537. There might be more small churches hidden away somewhere that I have yet to find or have found but forgotten about. But the largest of the lot is the most modern and without a shadow of doubt the least pleasing to the eye.
3033 days ago
Hashtag praying & a City. Yes it is another terror attack carried out by a person of faith. The response from the latte sipping Metropolitan liberals is at once to rush to twitter and show solidarity.
First up append whatever national flag is appropriate to your avatar. Oh Hells teeth you can hear them shrieking from Islington all the way to Stoke Newington and up in Central Manchester, we can't have the flag of St George, that is for white van driving common people. Its so racist and 20th century. Whatever.
Ok send out a tweet #prayforLondon
3064 days ago
Sorry it is a poor quality video and yes that is Abba in the background. I shot it on the penepenultimate evening at the Greek Hovel. I was travelling down from Kambos to the sea at Kitries for a last meal of octopus. About two miles from where, just outside my home village, one leaves the main Kambos to Kalamata road, there is a small hamlet.
I stood above this hamlet looking down on its church in the sunset. Then I panned the camera around. I hope you can make out the 180 degree view starting at the Frankish castle above Kambos, moving down to the bay at Kitries and onwards to the church. And so why would one live anywhere else?
3070 days ago
The meeting with the most amazing woman from last week is still something I am thinking about almost daily. Prompted by a couple of let-downs, I almost sent an email firing nearly all of those working with me today. That was a direct result of that meeting.
I have known for a while
3194 days ago
One of the most honest and decent Nomads in town emails me after a visit to his local Chrurch where he reflects on his service of Mammon. He writes:
I was sat in Church (I try to be a good person, even if I don't always succeed) thinking about how little of my efforts at work result in positive outcomes (useful new products, jobs created etc.) and a descriptive phrase regarding AIM came to me - call it divine inspiration:
4175 days ago
Nope, the BB morons have no reason to celebrate. I was not assisting the Old Bill with their enquiries. Nor was I being questioned for revealing who was shagging who in the Downing Street Affair. Instead…. Well it is a long story but it started mid-afternoon. I am starting to worry that I am not a complete bastard after all and can actually be a good guy on occasion. I may have to seek counselling from someone really bad and immoral. Where’s Colourful James when you need him most?
Mid-afternoon two ladies from Informa popped in to Real Man Pizza Company seeking prizes from local businesses for a charity raffle. Since I only support one charity (Woodlarks) my standard answer to such requests is No! But I found myself offering a prize of a meal for four. I clearly was on a slippery slope towards virtue.
And so after an evening of being exceptionally nice to everyone, sending staff home early so I could tend to the last few customers (two of whom hung around forever) I sat down fully intending to spend the whole night writing. But at midnight I heard the sound of banging on the shutters. I peered out and there was an Indian bird in obvious distress. So I opened the door and through the shutter she said she needed to find a church to pray at, a priest to speak to and that the Catholic Church would put her up for the night as she was homeless but needed directions. Hmmm “We are a catholic restaurant hang on while I get an A-Z”
Before I knew it she was sitting inside Real Man and had made me turn off my music (AC DC by Joan Jett was playing at the time) and from my laptop she was playing her favourite hymn. She then explained
