A woman with a flag is explaining Durham Market Place to a tourist group. A few yards away the last of the banners and the bands of the Miners’ Gala are passing. I wonder what the tourists make of “sweet Caroline” being belted out with participation from 100s

Am sitting in an armchair in an air conditioned cinema. My bottle of fizzy water will be delivered to my seat. It’s early, even the ads haven’t started yet. Going to watch Disclosure Day.

Am glad to be out of London heat and back in north. Waiting for train at Kings X y’day, 8 of 18 trains on departure board cancelled. And then my train 1700 Grand Central also cancelled. had to cancel ticket and buy one for @lner.co.uk 1703 at more than 2x the price, and be in standard not 1st.

My prayer for the World Cup has been broadcast on Premier Plus www.premier.plus/prayers-of-h... About 6 minutes or so in. You need to set up a Premier plus account to hear it.

Birthday present books. Top 2 finished already.

At Re-f-use today, I got a big bag of radishes, so I am making Japanese pickled radish from a recipe in Tim Spector’s Ferment. I have made it several times before. I don’t much care for radish, but this is delicious. And very good for you. Made with miso, mirin, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes.

Alt prayer for World Cup: Bless them Lord, All those who play football, From the kids in the street To the professionals on the pitch. Bless all those involved in the World Cup As player, referees, coaches, managers, And be with those who have been turned away 1/2

Sitting in the garden with tea and roses.

Stunning cloud from my gran cave.

This is where I am today: St Aidans Framwellgate Moor. You’ve got 4 minutes to get here. The bell is ringing. @countydurham.bsky.social

Much as I wd like to claim Margaret Askew/Fell/Fox, mr of the Quakers, as my direct ancestress, I really don’t think that she was the mr of my ancestor John Augustine Fell b 1626, 6yrs before her marriage to Judge Thomas Fell. But I wd love to know JAF’s connection to the Quaker Fells.

Am looking for prayers / orders of service for rededication of a restored grave stone of a couple who died 1917 and 1933. Any suggestions? Pointers? Friendly assistance?

Connections.

Where is Moldova?

Gathering my Eurovision snackies. What else?

This is the day when I remember how much I miss Terry Wogan.

I love the weeds that grow on my street, all #smallbeauties

I got yellow sticker radishes at Re-f-use on Saturday, so am using them to make Japanese pickled veg. I have done this before, and it’s delicious. Recipe from Tim Spector ‘s Ferment.

My G’fr Arnold’s cousin Joseph Foster Stackhouse was an adventurer and explorer planning an expedition to the Antarctic, but WW1 intervened. In May 1915 he was travelling on the ship Lusitania when it was torpedoed. He gave up his life jacket to save a child and went down with the ship.

Rejoice! Faculty (legal permission) granted to restore the headstone of John & Elizabeth Coward in St Cuthbert’s churchyard. They built our house, no direct descendants, and we felt an obligation to them, having lived here for 40 years. In pic, the headstone is lying flat above wall, under tree.

The flowers in the garden are lovely and lift the heart.

I stayed in bed thus morning to finish this. The old SciFi dilemma of changing an incident in the past to make a difference in the present, but with consequences. And Angels. It ends “To Be Continued”. How long to wait for another book ?

Alleluia!

Dave is rampaging outside. Rough out there. That’s enough Dave. Go to sleep now.

Started work on sermon for Easter 2, on Jesus’ command to forgive, and exploring how to live with forgiveness. Going to quote excerpt from p. 276

Today = liturgical anniversary of being told I had cancer. Maundy Thursday 2006: listened to In Our Time on BBC Radio 4 (spouse on Oxford Movement), went to hospital “you’ve got cancer “, got to Chrism Mass in time for Peace “peace be with you, I’ve got cancer”.

The Easter story sermon about the Easter eggs John plants in the story of the resurrection is written. I can email it to friends who let me have an email address if I don’t already have it. And even if you think I have it, make sure it’s the right one.

So I’m going to write an Easter sermon about Easter eggs. Not chocolate ones, not beautiful paste eggs, not faberge eggs, but the eggs John lays throughout the gospel and particularly in John 20: holy of holies, angels from the ark, etc. And it will be a story sermon.

What is the word when in a film or drama, little signs / hints / meanings are inserted to give clues. There is a word. I just can’t remember it. Remind me folks. (Needed for Easter sermon)

I have been researching my Thompson ancestors: Yorkshire solicitors (York, Saltburn, Knaresborough). No clerics so far. Getting to know them, acknowledging them, claiming them, recognising their part in me. (Mother’s mother’s family)

Luke Thompson, my 3x gt g’fr, solicitor at Judges Court Coney St York, was my gt gt gt g’fr twice over because his grandson Luke married his g’dr Florence Mary, a cousin marriage. Their daughter Dora was my maternal g’mr. Families are complicated.

Day out in Saltburn today, which was lovely. Gt g’fr Stackhouse was bank manager there; gt gt g’fr Luke Thompson was a solicitor there; gt granny Florence was born there 1844. So strong roots. It has a station, a pier, a funicular, sea views.

I scorch ends of ribbon markers I make for Bibles and prayer books, to prevent them fraying. 6 ribbons, 30cm, machine sewn, button or bead for grip. I sell them for £2.50 each + 2nd class large letter postage (£1.55 at the moment). Money raised used to buy lg print BCPs and hymn books.

Daughter has borrowed all my Ben Aaronovitch books that she hasn’t read yet, and helped me work out which books I haven’t got yet.

Mothering Sunday gift from son. Oooh! Looking forward forward to reading this.

Sister Monica Jones enjoys a G&T on her deathbed. Must remember that when my time comes. #CalltheMidwives

Awake 3am, so started reading MacKenzie Crook’s* Windvale Sprites, which just arrived. starts with Michael Fish’s big storm of 1987, so rooted in reality before drifting into fantasy. The Hartlepool monkey story appears, transferred to “Inglesea” (p 36) * writer of Small Prophets and Detectorists.

Listening to BBC Radio 3 . They just announced the “next episode” in our current series of Lent. Next episode? really?

When’s the next series of Small Prophets @BBCtv? I need it now.

Our favourite gin. Haven’t discovered anything better so far. You may know different!

Am looking for accounts of conversations that changed you. Anything?

Our pancakes tonight: spinach wraps with roasted red pepper and kimchi sauce, from Tim Dpector, Food for Life Cookbook.

I wish I could google Ash Wednesday services near me (Durham city). Family arriving 11am, so I need a service no later than 10am. And the Durham Cathedral service at 7.30am is too early.

I have been sorting out my teas. Some packets I’ve had for years. Decided I really needed to drink what I could, and compost what I didn’t like. Some teas I tried and just didn’t take to. Basically, I don’t like flavoured teas, tho I take Earl Grey occasionally when I’m out.

The Transfiguration window @ St Philip & St James Witton le Wear, where I was presiding and preaching this morning.

This morning I am taking the service at Witton le Wear where John Stackhouse, 7x gt g’fr, was curate 350 years ago.

I have discovered my new favourite tea bag tea: Cartwright & Butler English Breakfast. Given some for Xmas. just ordered more. I drink loose tea in the evening / night / when I take tea with me to an event. But I start the day with t-bags. PM: green / white / oolong / herbal tea bags.

That was a lovely sermon on BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship on waiting, the kind of sermon I wish I had given.

St Mary le Bow Durham is up for sale. My 6x gt g’fr’s younger half brother’s wife was baptised there 1695. Her fr Peter Burrell = Deputy Registrar of Durham Diocese, buried in churchyard 1720. Her g’fr, mother’s fr, Lancelot Hilton, also buried there, tho born in Hilton Sunderland (Hylton Castle).

What spiritual/ devotional podcasts would you recommend for someone to listen to during lent?