A MONTH OF TWO HALVES
Lost?
YORKSHIRE
The first half of September was wonderful. Linda and I spent five days in a delightful and comfortable cottage in the Yorkshire Dales, with fields and woods all around and the beautiful Aysgarth Falls a short walk away. The standout visit was a walk to Bolton Castle, which has been in the same family since 1378. Then we spent a week on the North York Moors, in another isolated cottage halfway up the Chimney Bank of Rosedale Abbey. That’s where we learnt that in Yorkshire ‘bank’ means very steep hill, in our case 1 in 3. But the main danger on the roads were the sheep, who would not budge and tried to stare you down when you wanted to drive past. We had a wonderfully peaceful time and definitely want to go back.
One problem about being relaxed is that I tend to get idea for books, and true enough, I did. A Lent book based on ‘Jesus the Troublemaker’. But because it is for Lent next year. I hope to finish it by November. One and a half months of hard work!
BACK IN LONDON
There are great things about London: music, like Haydn’s Trio in G for piano, cella and flute in St Olave’s – delightful; films – ‘Herself’ – very affecting story of the impact of domestic abuse; history – like the Great Painted Hall of Greenwich Hospital which I visited with the clergy dining club of Sion College.
Very sadly a friend of ours, June, died shortly after she retired – she died of Covid because she did not want to be vaccinated. So sad because she had planned to do a lot of writing and social media stuff to help women with pain in their past. We had known her for twenty years, back in All Saints Hackbridge. I took her funeral on 24th – the normal warm but chaotic Caribbean funeral, but not helped by the traffic jams caused by panic buying of petrol that afternoon.
The next day we had Philbeach Gardens street festival ‘Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn’. Linda made tons of cakes and there were vibrant groups chatting both by our house and by David and Sybille’s at the other end of the street. One comment was that it was ‘just like a village fete’.
On Tuesday 28th I not only had a tooth out, but I also collected our car from Sutton where its starter motor had been replaced, and then had to find some diesel before the tank went dry – and just managed it!
A NEW BOOK
I started writing my new book, ‘Journey through Lent with Jesus’ on Thursday 16th at Caffe Nero (where else?). So far I have completed fourteen days so have another thirty five to go. (The 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays or the time from Maundy Thursday to Easter, but need to be included in the book). I am enjoying it, but it is proper work to keep to this schedule.
I keep discovering new things. For instance, when he was confronted by an angry crowd after he had chucked out the traders, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it.” (John 2.19) Except that he didn’t. His actual words, in Greek, were “Destroy this shrine…”. Not the open sunlit expanse of the main temple area, but the dark, secret, windowless room which was the spiritual powerhouse of all ancient temples, including Indian temples today, the Holy of Holies.
Does it make a difference? You decide.
STOP PRESS
The audiobook ‘Jesus the Troublemaker is OUT!
On multiple platforms, including Audible, Amazon and play.google and many smaller platforms in the UK and US.
You need to shop around for the best price.
LOOKING TO OCTOBER
I am taking part in two major (for me) events.
Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th
the Christian Resources Exhibition takes place in Sandown Park racecourse, Esher, Surrey. I will be there this year with my publisher Chris, where we will promote my books, as well as other Christian books that Filament publishes. That has meant designing fliers, ordering lighting, getting books printed etc.
7.30 pm. Wednesday 20th.
Public launch of the colour edition of ‘Jesus the Troublemaker’ – larger format with 24 of my photos of Jerusalem. A good book to give as a present at Christmas. The launch will include two interviews: with Jo Simister who lived for twelve years in Jerusalem, and (I hope) Giles Fraser, who resigned from St Paul’s Cathedral over the decision to evict the Occupy! demonstrators. Afterwards there will be wine with bread and za’atar, a typical Palestinian snack. It will be so lovely to have a public in-person event with chatting over wine and nibbles – hasn’t happened for two years! Do come! I am getting the publicity sorted now!
God bless