Category: Blog

So the rain pours (and pours) in Salisbury and what better escape than to read the fabulous writer Rachel Mann. Two declared spoilers as I offer this review - first I am a great admirer of Rachel. She is a wonderful writer and teacher and at Sarum College we are delighted th

In lockdown 2 work at Sarum College continues with online teaching and preparing for the coming months of recovery but I am determined to catch up on some reading. Do you have a pile of books by your bedside that you have dipped into, put down and picked up again? Perhap

So - tasked with the opportunity of exploring and writing history - which period would most capture your imagination ? In the execution of this (perhaps labour of love) what would your choice be - broad and long or short and deep? The mastery of primary and secondary information

We are touched by many lives that enrich, challenge and enlarge us. My own time in Birmingham (1990 through to 2008) with the privilege of ministries across the conurbation brought me into contact with many and varied people. Rachel Waterhouse was a towering spirit - a p

What makes for a good politician ? What might the history of politics and politicians show those seek power? Andrew Adonis has produced masterful biography of Ernest Bevin who he describes as Labour’s Churchill. I was glad to be reminded of both the man, the story and th

Where do you come from? Where is home and where do you feel most alive? What places have shaped your growing, your choices and held the ups and downs of your journey? Do we really know where we live and what has shaped the soil, its history and buildings? These are some

I have been reading political biographies for longer than I care to remember––and although they are entertaining, sometimes psychologically fascinating– there persists in the world politics an extraordinary mixture of of light and darkness, of naked ambition and human

I am listening to the BBC News as I share this post - and aware of how uncertain and fragile our life continues to be. Changes in infection rates, uncertainty in the jobs market and chaos with our holiday plans continue. Here are some thoughts on recent months: I wond

Beethoven : A Life in Nine Pieces by Laura Tunbridge Viking 2020 I have steered away from musical biography - often impenetrable, for insiders who know the language, the history and the details of the music. These 230 pages are quite different from the pen of the Oxford Uni

I first met David Sheppard sometime in the early 80s just after my ordination. He was present with his wife Grace at an opening of an exhibition in Liverpool city centre. It was held at the Diocesan Church House - now a popular Tapas bar ! The artist had completed some of t

We can often feel most alone when we in the noise of activity of others So what is loneliness? Loneliness has been defined in different ways. A common definition is “A state of solitude or being alone”. The other definition is “Loneliness is not necessarily about bei

As a young man in my early 20s I wanted to change the world!   Becoming a priest was part of a passion of aspiring to build a better world by nurturing communities and people where all flourish. That we should be happy and enjoy ourselves – is deep within God’s

While the physical buildings of Sarum College have been closed for some few weeks our life and work goes on. We are continuing to teach and support ministry students in their formation. The work of our postgraduate theological study through our MA offer also continues online rat

While the physical buildings of Sarum College have been closed for some few weeks our life and work goes on. We are continuing to teach and support ministry students in their formation. The work of our postgraduate theological study through our MA offer also conti

The forty days of Easter: 12th April (Easter Day) through 21st May (Ascension Day ) 2020 I don’t know about you but these early days of Covid 19 have been some of the busiest hours I can remember in recent years. Amidst the challenges of lockdown, working with

How much sleep do you need? Do you instinctively know when you wake whether you have had a restful night? Perhaps you Fitbit reveals your patterns of sleep ( REM, Light, Deep) ? And for those who us who wake in the middle of the night – what races through our minds? Do we

On Reading the Authorised Biography of John Habgood, Archbishop of York,1983 -1995. (David Wilbourne SPCK 2020) The wonderful thing about Sarum College Bookshop is the unexpected discovery or something that you just can't resist buying! This biography was one of those e