Category: Life

The sign

ForburyRainbowMedium.jpgI don’t know if I’ve mentioned it here before, but I’ve recently felt God calling me to start praying again down at the Abbey ruins here in Reading.  So, right near the spot where we opened the Reading Boiler Room back in 2001, I’ve been lifting the people of my town to God, in prayer.

At first sight yesterday was not the day to be out in the open praying.  Rain was pouring out of the sky as rapidly as it could, but as Shirley and I stood praying, we were party to a magnificent rainbow.

I’d been reading Noah’s story in Genesis that morning, and as we prayed, it was wonderful to be reminded of God’s covenant with all living things.  We thanked Him, and prayed He would look on the people of Reading with a merciful heart.

Millais

millaisExhib.jpgShirls and I popped up to London at the weekend to check out Tate Britain’s Millais Exhibition.  I was amazed!  Millais is my favourite artist, and I was expecting to see a few new pictures, thinking that I had seen most, if not all of the ones I really wanted to see.

glenBirnam.jpgBut as we wandered from room to room, I marvelled at as yet undiscoved masterpeices (to me at least) such as Glen Birnam and Esther, as well as staring for as long as I was able at old favourites Ophelia, Mariana and Christ in the House of His Parents.

Truly stunning.  But as you might see from the banner at the top of the page, you need to hurry if you’d like to follow in our footsteps – the exhibition closes a week Sunday!

I may be some time…

lakesSign.jpgWell, it’s been a while since the last post on my trip to the States in August, but I’m still enjoying sorting through the several hundred pictures I took while I was there.  So, it’s time for the sequel to ‘Great Scott’!

Having had such an amazing time at Crater Lake, Shirls and I decided that we needed to head back towards Portland via the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.  Yet again, the scenery of Oregon County did not disappoint…

Continue reading I may be some time…

A fine end

interpol.pngThe evening of Nov 30th was a fine end to the month of gigs.  Shirley, Andy and I found a considerably more convenient (and drier!) route to Alexandra Palace, where we were to see another one of my favourite bands of the past 5 years or so, Interpol.

I first heard of Interpol when I popped into an alternative music store in New York, before rushing up the Twin Towers just months before 9/11.  I’ve not been back to New York since, and it’ll be strange to see the city without the two imposing landmarks.  Anyway, off topic…

Check out Interpol’s fine rendition of my favourite track of their’s, Hands Away, filmed by some enterprising young thing at the gig, by clicking here.  Good times!

Jack Frost

IMG_0806.JPGI got up and left the house in a hurry this morning.

For the last couple of days we have had beautiful frosty mornings here in Reading, with the wonderful amber sunlight that only appears in the wintertime.  I was determined to get some good camera shots, and my time was well spent, as you can see in the album here.

As well as enjoying the pure artistry of it all, I was trying to get this year’s Christmas Card shot.  The problem is, I can’t really decide which one to go for.  I’m inclined to go for 814 or or 789, but some of the others are fun too…

What do you think?!

Road Tripping


And so we return to tales of North American adventures…
Having crossed Portland’s biggest bridge on foot, Shirley and I were ready to speed over it again by car, this time heading south for the first stage of our Road Trip through Oregon. It wasn’t long before we’d turned off Interstate 5 onto Highway 58, as we headed into the Cascade Mountain Range. The multi-lane views of the interstate were replaced by tree covered mountains, and beautifully clear dark blue lakes. We drove through many miles of breathtaking wilderness with only occasional stops, as I was determined to get to our goal – Crater Lake.

Continue reading Road Tripping