www.curve.org.uk/blog

Brighton Rock

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:18:03 +0000

OK, so its been a long blogging break for me, but I couldn't remain away from the bloggosphere after the weekend Andrea and I have just had.

On Friday we went rock shopping! We've been engaged about a month, but we only managed to get enough time together to get the ring this week. Having been recommended that we look in Brighton, we trekked down on a lovely warm day to the south coast.

The experience couldn't have been better. We headed straight for Exclusive Jewellery, owned and run by Sam New, brother of Charlotte, who until recently was working for me. Sam took us through all the things we could have wished to know about, right from all the different metal options for the mount, to stone settings, and all of the factors going into the grading of diamonds. I'll never look at a diamond again in the same light!

After a couple of hours (literally!) we stumbled upon a ring that looked really good on Andrea's finger, and were excited about the 'peach' of a diamond as Sam called it that he'd just brought up from the shop store; a very bright white 50 point 1/2 carat round diamond.

Usually time would have been required for a deliberation on whether or not this was the right purchase, but we were both so happy with the experience and the look of the diamond ring now sparling on Andrea's finger that we made the decision there and then. 15 minutes later the ring had been resized and the diamond set, and we were cracking a bottle of bubbly in celebration with Sam. We left the shop with big grins on our faces, very happy with the new sparkler on Andrea's hand.

Multnoma Falls

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:35:09 +0000

Just saw this on the bbc website - somewhat different to the last time I saw them!

Looks like the US is having some snowy fun!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/8407256.stm

Pete's Advice of the Day #2

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:20:33 +0000

Make sure that you have a decent backup regime in place in case you don't heed Advice #1

Thankfully I think the laptop is going to survive long enough for me to get everything off it...

Pete's Advice of the Day #1

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:19:01 +0000

Don't spill a whole mug of tea over your laptop, it can seriously mess up your day.

Finally, some (un)common sense being applied

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:53 +0000

Not too long ago the Met were issuing some ludicrous publicity, calling upon the general public to phone the terrorist hotline if they saw people taking photos or using two mobile phones. The campaign really made me see red, but after trying to complain on the Met's website, and getting nowhere with 'Liberty', I gave up.

Thankfully, common sense has prevailed with some new guidance from the Home Office.

I think I'll be printing this out and keeping it in my camera bag :-)

The Lakes

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:46:51 +0000

Hopefully I'll soon have a little more time to blog about my recent trip to the Lakes, although you might not be able to deal with the levels of smuggness involved!

While most of the rest of the country was in cloud, Amo and I were having a wonderful sun-filled holiday in the Buttermere and Ennerdale valleys of the Lake District.

I even have a tan!

I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of me and my new friends from this trip - red squirrels and a couple of nuthatch. More soon on some of the wonderful walks and mountain views I experienced this time around. I truly love the Lake District...

Fun in the Garden

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:50:25 +0000

Well, gardens actually! A whole group of us from Reading took advantage of the nice weather this weekend to trek down to Kew Gardens for Dave Green's (cough-)th birthday celebration.

A good time was had by all, and we just about survived the onslaught of the limitless energy young children seem to have ;-)

The pictures can be found here on my gallery (or via my blog if you're viewing this on facebook)!

24-7 UK and Int'l have some new office space!

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:30:47 +0000

OK, so working around a dining room table can be fun for a short while, but its not sustainable!

We've been praying for a new office in central London so that out teams can get together and work in an office environment - yes, us 24-7'ers do like working in an office environment - even if it is one with a particular 24-7 vibe...

Check out the vid for a tour.

Enjoying the Perseid meteor shower

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:43:03 +0000

Got up a little late last night. I don't usually say that when I get up at 4am, but do you know it starts getting light at 4:30 at the moment? Crazy.

The reason for this was the annual Perseid meteor shower. Although the sky was getting too light for any decent photography, I did see a couple of very bright meteors and many lesser ones. It was quite fun! I'd try the photography again tonight, but it doesn't look like we're going to get cloudless skies. It'll just have to have been one of those enjoyable moments in life you can't capture ;-)

Remaining Prayercasts

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:02:10 +0000

I kinda got distracted! I find blogging gets a bit like that. I'm not as disciplined as the delightful Mrs Harding.

However... In case you were following any of my posts on the prayercasts, don't forget to head on over to 24-7 Prayer's international website to catch the remaining ones in our series on Europe...

24-7 PrayerCast: End People Trafficking!

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Peter Stanley leads us in prayer against the current and unprecedented levels of people trafficking going on across Europe and the rest of the globe. Did you know that today there are more than double the number of people being trafficked than in the days of legalised slavery?!

Join us in praying that Jesus would bring this trade out of the darkness, and reveal to law enforcement agencies that which the devil would keep hidden.

24-7 PrayerCast: The European Church

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:46:16 +0000

Europe is often described as the darkest continent on earth and is the only continent where the church is in decline. The ever enthusiastic Carla Harding leads us in prayer for the continent of Europe.

I had the privilege of praying from the vantage point of a meeting room in Portcullis House, overlooking the Palace of Westminster with fellow 24-7'ers Phil Togwell, Andrea Percy and Sheena Littlehale, and staff from Parliament on Wednesday. This truly has been a surprising and awesome week of prayer for Parliament and Government. You can see more of what God has been speaking into on Phil Togwell's blog.

24-7 PrayerCast: Parliament in Crisis

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:03:45 +0000

Today's 24-7 Prayercast comes from the very heart of the UK Government, just over the road from Big Ben.

Join David Landrum as he leads us in prayer for parliament in crisis.

24-7 Prayercast: The Governance of Europe

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:09:21 +0000

Today’s 24-7 PrayerCast by Andy Freeman, author of Punk Monk, is now live. Andy comments on the European election results and how we as Christians can pray and engage with the new continental Government.

You can today's 24-7 Prayercast here.

Prayer for Europe

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:57:58 +0000

Throughout this week, 24-7 are calling us to pray for this pivotal time for Europe. Through a series of video blogs 24-7 Prayer activists like Pete Greig and Andy Freeman will be releasing daily video Podcasts asking us to pray for key issues facing the European continent.

The next few weeks are pivotal for Europe. As the results of the European election are announced, as millions listen to President Obama’s speech in Cairo and as Christians pray at the British Houses of Parliament, the 24-7 movement aims to drench these events and others like them in prayer.

Will you join in the prayer?

Pete Greig starts off the week with his thoughts on the seismic shifts shaking Europe at this time.