Pleased to be able to help old friends who stuck by me through thick and thin in past elections. These outstanding @conservatives.bsky.social Cllrs for Swindon Borough & Parish elections 7th May are Barbara Parry, Kevin Parry, Carol Sydney-Smith, Keith Williams, Nandini Singh and Suresh Gattapur.

A striking and powerful Lucien Freud exhibition is currently running at the National Portrait Gallery - the truth is not avoided here. Here is one of his self-portraits, with portraits of restaurateur Jeremy King, David Hockney & the late Queen.

Terrific end to what’s been a great season of BBCFreeThinking. Proving again how academics can contribute to these baseline ethical questions. @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social with Lamorna Ash, @robertbuckland.bsky.social, @aaronreeves.bsky.social, Ceri Sullivan, Dan Taylor www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

There is so much to take in at St Mary’s Lydiard that several visits are necessary. You can see the St John Family Polyptych of 1615, with their family tree on the shutters.The stained glass is 17th century and survived the Civil War. A James I Royal Coat of Arms & 16th C wall painting of Christ.

A stimulating hour of panel discussion on the Free Thinking programme on BBC Radio 4 last night. Am much more used to the 8pm Any Questions slot so this was a real change-pleased to reflect on aspects of my time in politics and government and to discuss humility, pride and human imperfection

A welcome return to St Mary’s Lydiard for Palm Sunday-great to see Rev Clive Deverell and the team and to have a much closer look at the treasures that lie inside. Another post to come with some of the incredible features of this truly historic church @churchofengland.org @bristoldiocese.org

A joyful day at Canterbury Cathedral for the Enthronement of Most Rev & Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury - reflecting ancient and modern, the Anglican Communion and Canterbury Diocese as Sarah took her place on the Seat of Augustine @churchofengland.org

Some more shots of magnificent @Westminster abbey; the nave from the cloister, the Battle of Britain window at the eastern end of the Henry VII Chapel, an unusual view of the Sanctuary from the Diamond Jubilee gallery & a memorable invocation of our late Queen where she was crowned in 1953.

Another @lego moment - this time, finishing the splendid Tudor Corner. This set has a pub, haberdashers, horologist (clock repairer) and a host of crazy characters. A gentle way to unwind and enjoy the intricacies of construction #lego

What a privilege last week to visit @westminsterabbey Library to see the first Welsh Bible of 1588, which has been on display at St David’s Cathedral but which is now back. Great to see Rt Rev Dorrien Davies, Bishop of St David’s, and the Library team for Communion and a visit to Henry VII Chapel

A dreamy Sunday in glorious Paris-Notre Dame Des Victoires, Place Des Victoires and a stroll to the Louvre, past the Centre Pompidou (never my favourite, frankly) and the Champs Elysee. The victories being celebrated are the defeat of the Huguenots at La Rochelle! This was a weekend to remember.

One of the great buildings of Western Christian civilisation, Notre Dame has seen triumph, defeat and fire and has now emerged lighter and brighter than has been seen for centuries. A symbol of France and of our shared heritage, this place of sacred grandeur continues to inspire.

What a delightful evening of music, prose and poetry as we celebrated St David’s Day at the Club for Act and Actors - lovely to see our President, Su Pollard, give us encouragement and support. It was a delight to sing more Novello, Mafanwy and Ar Hyd Y Nos to a full house! #stdavidsday 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🌼

At last! I got to the beguiling Church of Saint-Sulpice & enjoyed listening to a young people’s choir - the acoustics were a challenge but the setting oh so grand. The building of this, the largest church in the city, spans over 200 years from 1648 to 1870. It has the Great Organ, played by Widor!

Really looking forward to some wonderful music, poetry and prose in this year’s St David’s Day Concert at the Club for Acts and Actors at 7.30pm on Monday 2nd March with fellow Welsh musicians and star performers. It is going to be sublime! #saintdavidsday #dyddgwyldewi #wales #cymru

Another happy weekend with friends and family in #wroughton-lunch whitehartwroughton - one of the remaining great pubs in our village! #eastwiltshire

Back in wonderful @westminsterabbey.bsky.social Abbey for a very busy Ash Wednesday service as we embark upon #lent. A time to reflect and prepare for the wonder that is to come #easter #lentenseason #ashwednesday✝️ westminsterabbeychoir @churchofengland.org

Great to hear the work of the Church of England's Neurodiversity Working Group highlighted during #synod questions [Not just because I'm on it!] Find out more at www.churchofengland.org/resources/ba... #GeneralSynod

Great to be back out in #chiseldon on a cold but sunny day speaking to residents with our excellent @conservatives.bsky.social Cllrs Gary Sumner and Matt Hinton plus Cllr Gayle Cook & members of the #eastwiltshire team. Great to see some old friends and to celebrate my time as Chiseldon’s MP too!

Pleased to have received this letter from Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Justice about the valuable work done since I commissioned the Call For Evidence into Neurodiversity in the Criminal Justice System when I was SofS. Next steps must include more comprehensive screening for neurodivergence.

Find out what's happening today on the second day of General Synod. ⬇️ 📺 You can also tune in live to all the events this week at cofe.io/SynodLiveStream. #GeneralSynod

A lovely few hours @tate.bsky.social to see the Constable & Turner exhibition. Born within a few months of each other, both represent a contrast in careers & approaches, but left an incredible legacy of Enlightenment. Couldn’t resist posting Constable’s Salisbury Cathedral with cloud and rainbows

Third Church Estates Commissioner @robertbuckland.bsky.social highlights how parliamentarians are taking a very keen interest in the life & workings of our church as #synod considers the Clergy Conduct Measure as it comes back to us from the Ecclesiastical Committee #GeneralSynod

Facing the music at Twickenham for the @sixnations-rugby.bsky.social opener #englandvwales. A deeply depressing first half and only a few glimpses of sunlight for @walesrugbyunion.bsky.social It was so bad that @englandrugby.bsky.social fans were being kind to me 😬. Much to do for Welsh Rugby.

@robertbuckland.bsky.social on why he supports our efforts to defend the right to jury trial. As a former Crown Court judge and Lord Chancellor, he is clear: juries are not the cause of court delays. They are essential to fair justice. Donate now: crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-our-j...

A quick return to @stpaulscathedrallondon, this time for the Confirmation of Election of Rt Rev & Rt Hon Dame Sarah Sarah Mullally DBE as 106th Archbishop of Canterbury - wonderful to hear and see so many young people. Uplifting and inspiring @churchofengland.org

Looking a bit haggard but 5km in 32 minutes so getting faster! #5km #running

A warm welcome from Dean Andrew and the team at St Paul’s Cathedral as I continue my visits to our amazing cathedrals and their dedicated staff and volunteers. Great to hear about plans for the Wren Centre of Excellence,supporting the traditional crafts that made & now maintain our church buildings.

Better today! 5k in 34 minutes in lovely foggy and damp conditions- perfect for a good run! #sunday #runday #wroughton #running

St Stephen Walbrook, a Wren masterpiece from the 1670s with its superb dome and interior, complimented by the Henry Moore central altar. The phone was the original Mansion House 9000 line set up by the legendary Rector, Chad Varah which developed into @samaritans.bsky.social @churchofengland.org

Elegant Palermo at New Year. The stunning cathedral and delightful streets make this an underrated but classy Mediterranean city. The warmth of the afternoon sun helped too!

Belated New Year greetings from glorious Cefalu - an enchanting town and amazing cathedral with the awe-inspiring mosaic of Christ Pantocrator- surely the greatest example of Norman/Byzantine art-late 12th century #normans #byzantine #cefalu #sicily #newyear2026

Enchanting Pollina-a hill town with charm and the narrowest of streets - brought alive by a very friendly villagers who made us feel most welcome. Christmas was marked with music, a packed Tombola evening (Bingo, really 🤣) & a Nativity festival. Some great bars here & the finest local food produce.

Magnificent Mount Etna. The first picture was taken only a few miles east of the smoking and active volcano but the second one is a zoom shot from about 45 miles away - taken from the balcony of my friends’ lovely home in beautiful Pollina-more shots of the village later in the week.

The Benedictine cloister and immense mosaics in the glorious cathedral at Monreale moved me beyond words. The relics of Saint Louis IX are here as well as some of the most stunning Norman architecture in Europe. Sicily is the perfect place to end a very mixed year!

A cold late December day back in Aldbourne-lunch at the lovely Blue Boar where Easy Company of the 101st Airborne often drank from 1943 to Operation Overlord, and the magnificent St Michael’s Church, with Saxon roots, Norman arches and a mix of gothic styles. @churchofengland.org

Christmas was different this year, but so glad to have some Christmas Day Morning Prayer at ChristChurch Swindon and reflecting on bereavement and family loss. Thanks to friends and family for helping to make this season bright and praying for Canon Simon Stevenette as he continues his recovery.

Happy Christmas! Join us today to celebrate the birth of Jesus, with a service from St Dionis, Parsons Green. Rev Chris Russell and Rev Tom Clark lead a service inviting us to reflect on the risk that God took for us by sending us his son. Join us at cofe.io/ChristmasDayService.

A very Happy Christmas to everyone! Why not have a listen to my latest Dictators podcast with iaindale on Napoleon III - listen on Spotify or your chosen feed #Dictators #NapoleonIII open.spotify.com/episode/4rCd...

Some interesting angles @southwarkcathedral.bsky.social - a view of the Shard amidst the pinnacles of the central tower and the nave and choir from the central tower arcade. The harvard flag is in the memorial chapel to its founder, John Harvard. @churchofengland.org

An Advent visit to @southwarkcathedral.bsky.social to see Dean Mark, Canons, members of Chapter and staff team members-a beautiful place of worship for centuries. Visited everything from the top of the tower to the John Harvard chapel harvard @churchofengland.org

The Third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday. 'Gaudete' means 'rejoice' and today, the rose candle that many churches have in their Advent wreath is lit, focusing on our joyous anticipation of Jesus' coming. You might also see clergy wearing rose vestments.

Lovely St Mark’s Kennington-opposite Oval Tube Station. Built in 1824, it is a Commissioners’ Church-one of many built to reflect the population expansion of our cities and towns after the Napoleonic Wars. Badly bombed in WWII but restored in the late 1940s @churchofengland.org

Join with us in prayer. 🙏 Today's prayer is available in plain text and audio formats at https://cofe.io/TodaysPrayer.

Justice needs juries. Write to your MP to oppose the restriction of jury trials. Download the template ➡️ https://bit.ly/4pnfz4o #JusticeNeedsJuries #WriteToYourMP

The tree is up and it is being dressed by resident expert M after having been lit by resident expert G. Thinking of mum today and many distant Christmases past. This season gets more bittersweet by the year but Advent & Christmas are our preparation for and celebration of the Birth of Christ.

Some photos from last week’s memorable visit to Guildford Cathedral. Such a simple and elegant nave and choir, with a peaceful Lady Chapel at the east end and a massive golden angel as the weather vane on top of the tower, with bells. My thanks to Dean Bob and Chapter, plus the lovely volunteers.

Last night, we were invited by @samfowles.bsky.social to celebrate ECHR75 @ukhouseoflords.bsky.social. As members of the family of its British artisan, it was good to hear supportive speeches across party lines - Baronesses Hale & Chakrabarti @robertbuckland.bsky.social @compinpolitics.bsky.social

Some great scenes from wonderful Sussex today-the South Downs at Devil’s Dyke, Brighton Pavilion, St Peter’s Church and the Palace Pier. I never tire of this beautiful part of the world, and on a sunny day like today it is truly glorious.

My first visit to Guildford Cathedral and it was a huge pleasure to meet Dean Bob, members of Chapter, the Director of music and the dedicated volunteers who make this 20th century cathedral tick. If you haven’t been, you really must come and enjoy. I think it is inspiring and beautiful.