Reflections

​I’m eagerly waiting to greet the first day of Spring on Thursday, March 20th.  Fun fact: In 2024, the first day of Spring fell on March 19th, the earliest first day of Spring in 128 years.  (Farmers Almanac)  Spring is my favourite season when l can begin to shed some extra layers of comfortable, cosy and … Read more

You can’t have missed being bombarded by holiday adverts post-Christmas on TV.  Of course, as I was reminded, this is the time of year when people’s attention turns to planning and booking vacations or day trips.   Is it the depths of the darkest winter with the lure of the summer sun, having something special to look … Read more

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:18, 19a Isaiah could have been writing these verses specifically for this time of year – the end of one year and the beginning of a new year.  If you’re like … Read more

Hoping you enjoyed a blessed and peaceful Christmas.  There has been so much to be thankful for in the life of our parish church, some of which you may well have been involved with or been a part of.  This includes the plethora of children’s/family events, All Age Christingles, along with vibrant and exciting school services in … Read more

As I write, Advent is just a week away, and I’m looking forward to all that we share together during this season at All Saints and Christ Church. This includes decorating our own Christmas tree, which takes pride of place in the lounge window, along with our unusual nativity set.   It’s an African baked clay … Read more

Our news tells us day after day of war zones, retaliatory action, suffering people groups, political bargaining, changing weather patterns and disasters, and uncertain futures, to name a few examples.   All these things cause us to be understandably fearful and uneasy if we’re not careful.  Equally, though, we do also need to hear and be assured … Read more

Can I echo others’ thanks for the support so many gave during the recent successful Heritage weekend centred around All Saints Church in the heart of your community? Thank you! This kind of broad, welcoming series of events does, of course, take massive coordination and group effort, and it humbles me to see how so … Read more

So many sights, smells, sounds and images can help us remember past times or bring memories of our childhood to mind.  This happened to me today as I sat outside listening to the sounds around me.   Yes, there were birds chirping and a distant aeroplane, but gladly, there was no noise of cars or motorbikes on … Read more

Don’t you just love this time of year (June)? We are now, at the time of writing, on the longest day of the year, which I always remember as my late paternal grandmother’s birthday. This year, I have a growing sense of interest in the idea of ‘rewilding’.  Why do I mention this now…well in three … Read more

What would you consider a great find?  Perhaps you’re into metal detecting or going along to auctions/car boot sales in the hope of stumbling across something unique and collectable.   Many things we may see as having great worth, however, might also be someone else’s cast-offs.  I suppose the overall benefit here is that items get re-used or … Read more