Shine, Jesus, Shine

Anyway, please enjoy this auto-Mary changing Jesus' nappy.

purple velvet jacket: now my female cat’s latest obsession, after I set it down, being too lazy to hang it up right away …

Thursday in The #Taxi: two street level outdoor #Nativity sets in #Oxford: (L) Corpus Christi Catholic #Headington (R) St Nic’s Russian Orthodox #Marston Joseph’s hands: it’s like he’s saying “behold, my Son” Or something. Yeah.

Employed and Self Employed In the world, not of it

#ChristmasLights #11 New #Marston, #Oxford 1836 GMT

The #Church Staff #Christmas Meal: I have worn my best Loake shoes and purple velvet jacket in honour of the occasion. still find these kinds of rituals of employment quite difficult, after more than half my entire lifetime in self employment now.

It's also a tradition for people to have nativity scenes at home, and add a new piece each year. These are currently being sold on stalls outside the cathedral. Prices range from 50c to >€150 for a figure. I couldn't find a price for these figures...

Went to 2 churches and suddenly my number of quasi-serious photos has increased. As has my interest in the use of manuscript on parchment for liturgical texts into the 18th century

The Jolly Farmers - somewhere between Cockfosters and Enfield. #EN2 postcode

recently refurbished epitome of a London suburban pub. Sat on my own in the room with the open fire, while the Wake continued apace in the Function Room. Very difficult to find the way in / out, but nonetheless found it pretty homely, after an hour’s work on the laptop in there.

Blue Star Saint Andrew’s Church, Old #Headington, #Oxford 1136 GMT >> they’ve got this little blue star on their #church tower, which is pretty cool

WELCOME TO #ENFiELD 1407 GMT

Faith and Hope #Enfield 1430 GMT

1007 GMT: back in the Lord’s house, for Rehearsal for School Christmas Concert tomorrow “You have really neat handwriting, Miss,” I say. The kids have brought two bass guitars, a keyboard player and numerous percussion instruments.

fare to funeral at #Enfield Crematorium: 1410 GMT: there’s a large sign on the side of a bank in the car park saying WELCOME TO ENFiELD CREMATORiUM

😂 From the Carmelite church in Kildare, Ireland. (Apologies, I have no video credit, as it was a WhatsApp forward). #SpeirGorm

Seville Airport made everyone with biometric passports queue up for 20 minutes to use automated passport machines which haven't accepted a single passport and sent every person to the manned desk.

A large number of people came in, in the last five minutes

One more pace around the #Church, before curtain up at 1830

“MORE PURPLE, MATE,” as I shout from the back of #church this time every year. All set. Come and hear The Good News, if you’re in OX4 / OX3. Curtain up 1830 GMT.

almost done for tonight’s #Carols by Candlelight service: now setting up purple uplighting, in the sanctuary #Oxford 1326 GMT

The Preacher has departed from the script!

it’s always been a close run thing for me as to whether Hark! the Herald Angels Sing or O Little Town of Bethlehem are my favourite Christmas numbers

on the set list tomorrow, #Advent 3 in the Lord’s house: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus All Hail the Lamb All Who are Thirsty We are Waiting Be Still for the Presence of the Lord Holy Spirit Immanuel, O Immanuel Let it Be to Me* closing number: O Little Town of Bethlehem *[Mary]

Dick Van Dyke made it to 100.

See also: how is there no event from the 1980s known as ‘The Christingle Disaster’.

Helping @margueritek.bsky.social with the Visuals for Isaiah 35. in the Lord’s house tomorrow, #Advent 3.

#ChristmasLights #11 Woolgate Centre #Witney Friday 2211 GMT

look, the silver birch : it has *still* got its leaves, clinging on; reached up and touched them on my way past, back to my #taxi #Withey 2210 GMT #ChristmasLights #10

#Witney #Taxi Rank Friday 2207 GMT #ChristmasLights #9

this is such a great idea: #Witney Market Place, tomorrow morning 1100 and 1145

the #ChristmasLights in #Witney: they change colour and they are co-ordinated with the lights on the #ChristmasTree #8 2209 GMT Friday

Forgive the baseball analogy, but the CofE hit it out of the park.

this is quite interesting @sjpat3.bsky.social if a true thing …

Could maybe also stretch the logistics to The Middle of Nowhere in the Vale of White Horse - A420 and nearby villages #KingstonBagpuize / #HintonWaldrist / #Goosey / #StanfordintheVale etc. but not as far as Swindon.

Now got some #taxi availability left for #ChristmasDay between 1900 and 2030. #Oxford / #Abingdon / #Wantage areas. Otherwise, fully booked all day and running the Sound in the Lord’s house, so my mate, The Sound Man, can go off and be with his extensive family.

Police: "Sadly we are aware of other similar cases across the country. We need new legislation rather than relying on common law.  We also need better regulation" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Evri, Everyone: Falsely claimed to have attempted to deliver on 09 December parcel for #church #Christmas function, then "Delivery on hold" for 3 days, with no effective way of contacing them, just stuck in a dystopian chatbot nightmare. Crossed out reviews are all those of us who asked for a refund

Cooking with #Pumpkins: Recipe 36: "Jack O'Lanterns on Horseback" (My name for it: Served here with Devils on Horseback, asparagus and orange)

Workers at Vue cinema in Glasgow are on strike today! They’ve got that good Mamdani font on their banner. Solidarity! ✊ @unitetheunion.bsky.social

I do not understand his relationship with this sock. He wanders around with it meowing. He doesn't do that with any other toy.

So yesterday, after years of living here, I became a British citizen. It was weirdly emotional. I didn’t realise how much I thought of myself as a foreigner in someone else’s country.

at The Berkshire Arms Wreath Making Workshop, I am the only fella. “I prefer a more minimalist approach,” I say “and I really love lime.”

Eight #Henley on #Thames 0908 GMT

Shop Window #Henley on Thames 0918 GMT

yeah, it’s JBap!!!

A nice walk around #Henley Market: I bought #cheese from The #Marlow Cheese Co.: it is a truffled cheese, Brie like in texture, with a lingering aftertaste. Happy days.

Self Portrait #Henley on Thames 1207 GMT

Behold The Sun #Henley Bridge 0912 GMT