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Odd Day in Norfolk

On Friday 26th January, I was woken up ahead of my normal 530am time by what appeared to be a chicken celebrating an early morning egg. When doing the rounds  of letting dogs out, feeding the chickens etc, I noticed one of the chickens was a bit bedraggled. Mavis appeared she had gone for a swim in the river, which is a bit odd. The penny dropped, foxes had made a visit and despite getting away with nothing, had spooked one of the girls into the river. That at least, was how it seemed. Read more

Of Marbles and Men

Remember marble runs when you were little? There was something so wonderful about putting them together and seeing a marble end up  where it should. That fascination never ends – even at 48 I was equally fascinated by how the Moors in the 9th century channelled water from one place to the other. In this case, the old waterways feeding the pool in the Andalucian shack I was staying in. Read more

Homelessness

When you are distant from homelessness, i.e. your only experience of  ‘homeless’  people are the people you walk past from time to time with a Staffordshire Terrier and a begging bowl, it’s easy to feel pity and think it is no fault or choice of their own to be there.The reality of why people are on the streets, whether they live there or not, is more complex than most people imagine. Read more

Darwin’s Theory is Dying

Darwin’s Evolutionary Theory is Dying..

And it’s because of what science is discovering that finally, Darwin’s greatest doubt is being realised.

“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” – Charles Darwin, 1859. Read more

Are we going mad?

This was a question I rather naively posed to a leading consultant psychiatrist a while back when visiting my home (on a social thing in case you wonder!). I thought perhaps I should have presented it in more politically correct terms, but alas, I didn’t know how to.

The response was interesting “That is a very good question, and the simple answer is Yes’. So according to an ‘expert’, we are going madder after all! Read more

Meet my ancestors

According to the widely accepted evolutionary theory, I came from inorganic matter combining to form the most basic form of life, and then over loads of time that simple life got more complicated until I arrived. Must add, my real Mum and Dad had a big part to play. However, according to a recent article my eldest ‘living’ ancestor looked like this…

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The surprising beauty of where you are!

A few years ago I was in the Gobi desert stunned by the beauty of the Mongolian desert. A boy on a horse walked by, nodded, probably wondering why on Earth I travelled across such a place in an English ambulance. Whilst this Earth is an amazing place of beauty, and so much to be discovered and explored, every now and then where I spend most of my time reveals a equally stunning beauty.  Even the people around you so often reveal something that refreshes your belief in a human beings capacity for incredible beauty. Read more

Loving the Light show!

Dear  Council.

I know many people have complained about the various road schemes in Norwich but wanted to write a complimentary letter to say thank you for the increasing abundance of traffic lights you have so wonderfully installed. I am convinced there must be a Mr Traffic Light working for you, he’s doing an amazing job of calming traffic (if not the drivers). In fact, I’d say he is doing an amazing job of not just calming things, but bringing traffic to a complete halt. Read more

going off grid

About 25 years ago, the term ‘going off grid’ was first used to signify disconnecting from some future  network that connected everything to everything, before the internet was what it now is. Almost like a prophecy, it signified people breaking their 24/7 global connection, becoming more local, more connected with what was around you at any given time and less connected to what wasn’t.

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Photos, Pylons, Wood and Misty Mornings

Well, things aren’t here for ever so I took some photos of pylons and wood from an old staithe in Trowse. Taking photos of pylons is quite easy, you are on dry land and they don’t move. Taking pictures of wood in a river that you can only see at low tide, when the sun is in a particular position, and the river isn’t moving too much so the canoe doesn’t whizz off, well, that’s a challenge! The webs were from some photos I took on a warm, misty morning in front of the house.

Enjoy the pics.. Read more

Trowse Research Ship Launched: Boaty McBoatface II

Well despite the popular vote, it  always looked  unlikely that the people at Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) would take the name ‘Boaty McBoatface’ to name their new £200m polar research vessel, so I thought I would  TRS Boaty McBoatface II is the name of the new ebay-sourced Trowse Research Ship, who’s purpose is to explore Norfolk and discover and discover the wilds of Norfolk  via the waterways.  Read more

Beef Burger as you Like it!

If there is one thing that really annoys me about the UK is its health and safety nannying. For years, I’ve been going into gastro pubs and restaurants, ordered a burger and asked it to be cook rare or even blue. Time after time I am told the same thing “We can only do it medium, due to health and safety.”  Many a time I’ve suggested I could write and sign a disclaimer to say I am prepared to take responsibility for my own risky living, but alas, never has anyone been willing me to take my chances with food that I ask to be cooked in a certain way. Until now..

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The Joy of Not Having Much

A few days ago my vicar came back from Sierra Leone and gave a moving talk on what he saw. Whilst the poverty was mind blowing, there was something else that touched me profoundly. That was the abundance of joy and the strong sense of community. Whilst us in the UK have an abundance of material things, it seems to me that we’re very poor when it comes to joy.. Read more

St Albans Norwich – Some Historical Photos

St Thomas in Norwich has seen a massive growth, so as a result has been given a new church to look after, St Albans in Grove Walk Norwich. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of a team that is helping bring life back to the old building, and along the way came across some photos. Built pre-second world war, the building has an interesting history until it’s closure just a few years ago. But Rev Dave Lloyd has some amazing vision for transforming St Albans back to what it once was, a heart of the vibrant community. Here’s some photos from the last 80 or so years. Read more