A View from the Foothills: Diaries of Chris Mullen, Profile Books I thought twice about purchasing this book, but two things clinched the deal with Waterstones – you hardly need any more of my money! The first was the inevitable tease of £5 off the retail price and the second was that Chris […]
Good
Posted on by James Woodward
The old man comes out on the hill and looks down to recall earlier days in the valley. He sees the stream shine, the church stand, hears the litter of children’s voices. A chill in the flesh tells him that death is not far off now: it is the shadow under the great boughs […]
Blessing or Curse? You decide!
Posted on by James Woodward
1 million spams and a virus bring down Bishop of Manchester & Church of England email systems. The central offices of the Diocese of Manchester were without email from 3-13 March (10 days) following a virus infecting its servers and an unprecedented amount of spam. The problems have also affected the Bishops of […]
Be Free
Posted on by James Woodward
Rumi has written some of the most astonishing poetry – read on In the end you disappeared, gone beyond sight Strange, the path you took, leaving this world Strange how the beat of your wings destroyed the cage And you flew to the world of the soul. You were a nightingale, drunk amidst the […]
Memory Lingers Here
Posted on by James Woodward
I sat in Newcastle City Centre on a Friday morning amidst the great cathedrals of that place – the shops and cafes full of worshippers and looking quite satisfied with their commitments to these rituals. I picked up my mug of fair-trade coffee and sat outside in the square watching the world go by. […]
Clementine Churchill
Posted on by James Woodward
Clementine Churchill by Mary Soames (Doubleday 2002) One of the great wonders and advantages of second-hand book shops is the real sense of getting a bargain! Don’t you love buying something at a fraction of its original price and somehow feeling that you are pounds in – only to realise, of course, later that […]
The Art Gallery Walsall
Posted on by James Woodward
I blogged about the Black Country on Saturday 6th of March. One of the best developments there is the spectacular Art Gallery built in Walsall. Here is a taster to tempt you! The New Art Gallery is sited in the centre of the Walsall. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 […]
Forgiveness??
Posted on by James Woodward
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The TRC was created by Nelson Mandela’s Government of National Unity in 1995 to help South Africans come to terms with their extremely troubled past. It was established to investigate the violations that took place between 1960 and 1994, to provide […]
The Black Country
Posted on by James Woodward
I have lived in the Midlands as long as I have lived anywhere – and the roads, its districts and scenery are like familiar friends. I hardly need a map – and can sometimes even anticipate possible hold ups on the ever conjested roads. It seems strange to feel that I shall soon be leaving […]
Creationism?
Posted on by James Woodward
Theos has announced Biggest evolution and God survey ever launched today. Among its key findings, the report reveals that: Only 54% of people know that Charles Darwin wrote The Origin of Species (3% believe he wrote The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and 1% think he wrote The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver). Only 15% […]
Chagall and his brilliance
Posted on by James Woodward
Chagall: Love and Exile by Jackie Wullschlager, Allen Lane 2008. £30 580pp This book must rank as one of the best pieces of writing that I have come across for many a year…. And regular readers to my blog will know that I have a certain enthusiasm for books! It really is a remarkable […]
Valuing Age
Posted on by James Woodward
Authors are vain creatures – and reviews of their own books are anticipated with some interest – here is a review from the Church Times. Valuing Age: Pastoral ministry with older people James Woodward SPCK £12.99 (978-0-281-05779-5) SAUDI ARABIA has an extremely young population. In 2003, of the country’s 24 million people, 43 […]
O Greening Branch
Posted on by James Woodward
O greening branch! You stand in your nobility Like the rising dawn. Rejoice now and exult And deign to free the fools we are From our long slavery to ignorance And hold out your hand To raise us up. Hildegard of Bingen
David Jones
Posted on by James Woodward
After the war, Jones entered the Westminster School of Art, where he developed an interest in Post-Impressionism and studied under the English artist Walter Sickert, among other influential teachers. He also became increasingly attracted by Roman Catholicism, and in 1921 he converted, choosing “Michael” as his confirmation name. It was probably the priest who […]
Time Out
Posted on by James Woodward
I remember as a student in London buying the weekly magazine Time Out to catch up on films and see where cheap theatre tickets could be bought. Always a mine of information and very candid and illuminating reviews. I wonder of it is still in print? I am back in Temple Balsall after some […]
Forgiveness??
Posted on by James Woodward
Looking down on my father’s dead face for the last time my mother said without tears, without smiles without regrets but with civility “Good night Willie Lee, I’ll see you in the morning.” And it was then I knew that the healing of all our wounds is forgiveness that permits a promise of our […]
Greenness
Posted on by James Woodward
Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee, Whether the summer clothe the general earth With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall Heard only in the trances of […]
University Challenge
Posted on by James Woodward
Sad – perhaps – but a day away from Temple Balsall and two rather problematic journeys down the M40 – rain and snow – ice and fog sent me to the TV for relaxation! I was gald to watch University Challenge. I failed to get into the Kings College team in 1980 and […]
Speak in poetry not prose please?
Posted on by James Woodward
‘Listen, now, verse should be as natural As the small tuber that feeds on muck And grows slowly from obtuse soil To the white flower of immortal beauty.’ ‘Natural, hell! What was it Chaucer Said once about the long toil That goes like blood to the poem’s making? Leave it to nature and the […]