Here’s a rundown of the latest notices on my parish noticeboard…

To Absent Neighbours…

It’s no exaggeration to say that there was a point in my life where nearly everything I knew about Australia, I’d learned from ‘Neighbours’. For my first fourteen years, Australia had always seemed unobtainably exotic, otherworldly. An upside-down place where our night was their day and our winter was their summer, literally half a world away… <more>

If It’s Not All Right, It’s Not The End

Dear “Goodnight From Me” and “Goodnight From Him”,

I like to think of myself as a LTL (approx. 13 years) but, this being a church, I’m aware that there will always be those, ‘holier-than-thou’ sorts in the front pews… <more>

To Russia, With Love

31 years ago today, I boarded an Aeroflot plane to Moscow, which was then still the capital city of the USSR. Over the next two weeks, I came to understand Russia, her people, history, culture & politics, far beyond the constraints of my Cold War-era preconceptions… <more>

Сообщение для русских друзей

Привет,

Надеюсь, вы понимаете это. Одна из немногих фраз на русском языке, которую я помню из своего визита в Москву и Санкт-Петербург в 1991 году, это «Мой русский очень плохой». Сегодня мой русский так же плох, но у меня есть Google, чтобы помочь мне перевести… <more>

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Photo of the Week

Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, UK – 2nd August 2012
A summer holiday grand day out with Charlie, to watch England v South Africa from the legendary Western Terrace at Headingley. This was only my second time at the Yorkshire Test venue, having watched an Ashes Test during the one-sided 1993 series – that heralded the rise of some strutting spinner called Shane Warne. We had a great day at the Test and even nipped next door to the rugby ground during a rain delay.

Next Week’s Photo of the Week…

Mas Bernad, Vilademuls, Spain – 14th August 2017
Five years ago, we discovered this haven in Catalunya, northern Spain. Owned by the charming Ignacio (we get to call him “Iggy”), it has become our home from home. We’ve been back there twice since 2017 and we were particularly sad not to be able to visit in 2020, due to Spanish quarantine laws. This picture was taken during our first visit: with Ursa Major shining brightly in the pitch-black night sky.

The Week After Next’s Photo of the Week…

Orléans Cathedral, Orléans, France – 17th August 2012
It’s exactly 10 years since we decided to drive into France for our main holiday and Orléans was the stopping point at the end of our first day on the road, en route to Bourg-sur-Gironde, north of Bordeaux. We went inside and viewed the tapestry of Joan of Arc, forever linked with the city. In the decade since then, we’ve ventured further: to Avignon, to Catalunya and, one year, into Italy. We’ve seen so much of these countries that we would otherwise have just flown over. Driving to holiday locations is one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

The Week After The Week After Next’s Photo of the Week…

Monsters of Rock, Castle Donington, UK – 22nd August 1992
Two days before this, I’d got my A-Level results and learned that my offer to go to Lancaster University had been confirmed. I celebrated by standing up all day with 70-odd thousand rock fans at a race circuit in Leicestershire. From memory, the bill included The Almighty, W.A.S.P., Slayer, Thunder, Skid Row and the mighty Iron Maiden. During Freshers’ Week at Lancaster, I managed to get hold of a bootleg cassette of this concert, although it’s since been released as an official Maiden live album. Whenever one of the tracks comes up on rotation, I’m compelled to remark “Oh, I’m on this album”…

The Week After The Week After The Week After Next’s Photo of the Week…

The Week After The Week After The Week After The Week After Next’s Photo of the Week…

The Week After The Week After The Week After The Week After The Week After Next’s Photo of the Week…