We love listing “The 50 Top … Films, Books, Magic Tricks, Comedians”, etc. etc. And a list of the top films will always change from year to year. But to my mind, The Shawshank Redemption makes the top of the list. And I saw it again very recently on TV. I watched it for the first timeContinue reading “Loyalty, Hope and Keeping Faith, in the Greatest Film I’ve Ever Seen: The Shawshank Redemption”
Category Archives: people of inspiration
A Vision of Healing Through The Power of Prayer in Leamington Spa
Over the last few weeks I’ve been taking a few hours of time out from revising my novel, to do voluntary work for our local Christian Healing Centre, The Well. I help to update the website, assist the Director of The Well, Rev. Anne Hibbert, with her blog, proofread publicity material and prepare leaflets advertising forthcoming events.Continue reading “A Vision of Healing Through The Power of Prayer in Leamington Spa”
A Fresh Insight Into One of History’s Villains, With the Help of Shakespeare and David Tennant
The highlight of our Christmas was a visit to the Barbican Theatre, London, on Saturday 21 December 2013, to see David Tennant performing in the role of Shakespeare’s Richard II. Richard II is one of English history’s villains. So who better to play him on stage and change our view of him than one ofContinue reading “A Fresh Insight Into One of History’s Villains, With the Help of Shakespeare and David Tennant”
Standing Ovations and Encores for Songlines Community Choir in Leamington Spa
On Saturday night 7 December 2013 our local community choir, Songlines, conducted by Bruce Knight, gave a concert at St Mary’s Church, in Leamington Spa, to raise money for Water Aid. It was a night where we saw and felt the power of music to bring joy and to uplift. A standing ovation and callsContinue reading “Standing Ovations and Encores for Songlines Community Choir in Leamington Spa”
Why So Many of Us Love Doctor Who
So many children’s bedrooms up and down the UK and around the world must look similar to this one, in our home. In the recent celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the BBC drama series Doctor Who, the question has been posed: why do you think Doctor Who is so popular? Since everyone in ourContinue reading “Why So Many of Us Love Doctor Who”
Challenging False Ideas of God: The Judge-Who-Could-Never-Be-Pleased, or Perfect Love and Limitless Goodness?
‘”These things are sent to try us.” This is just one among many cliches in the English language that we use without thinking. Yet how often do we stop to realise they are meaningless? Who sends these hard things to ‘try’ us? An almighty sadist in the sky? This stands as one of the most popularContinue reading “Challenging False Ideas of God: The Judge-Who-Could-Never-Be-Pleased, or Perfect Love and Limitless Goodness?”
What Do We Do About Art? There’s Always a Little Shop At The End
What do we do about art when we wander around great art galleries and museums? We see wonderful things on the walls and maybe we’re overwhelmed. These great art works are distanced from us, somehow, by the awesome spaces and dimensions of the gallery. We could never have these original art works on the wallsContinue reading “What Do We Do About Art? There’s Always a Little Shop At The End”
The Dream of William Morris at Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds
My dream, wrote the designer William Morris, is a dream of what has never been… and therefore, since, the world is alive, and moving yet, my hope is the greater that it one day will be… dreams have before now come about of things so good… we scarcely think of them more than the daylight,Continue reading “The Dream of William Morris at Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds”
Passion, Obsession and Curiosity at the Alternative Guide to the Universe, Hayward Gallery, London
What makes art? A listener posed this question to our tour guide as we stood looking at two art gallery walls covered with self-portraits of a bag lady, taken in various public photo booths. And this was the question I pondered as I , with my two teenage children, looked round an exhibition of wondersContinue reading “Passion, Obsession and Curiosity at the Alternative Guide to the Universe, Hayward Gallery, London”
Flowers for John Clare, Poet of Rural England: ‘The Peasant Poet’
This weekend my daughter and I visited family members in Northborough and attended the John Clare Festival in Helpston, Northamptonshire. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing in the community celebrations of John Clare (1793-1864), their local poet. JOHN CLARE was born in Helpston in 1793 and deeply loved the natural world. During his life he wrote bothContinue reading “Flowers for John Clare, Poet of Rural England: ‘The Peasant Poet’”
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