Welcome to 2024 … Anno Domini! After the usual cluster of Bank Holidays, the tail-end of school holidays, and the travel chaos of all other holidays, AD2024 is under way. I would like to think that this year will be a year of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love for all…

Remember the past … look to the future! Tatty picking is over … it’s time to look ahead as the year draws to an end. And we start by looking backwards! REMEMBRANCE comes as we once again face a world at war – Ukraine, the Middle East, and so many…

Autumn arrives – let’s celebrate!? Whenever you think Autumn normally begins – 1st August (Lammas Day) with the start of harvest, or when the schools go back, or 1st September (meteorologically speaking), or the Autumn Equinox (21st September) astronomically speaking – it feels like it’s been with us for a…

A Summer to Join in with … Summer is peaking early this year! After the rain and cloud and cold winds, we’re in a heatwave! With the lighter evenings and school holidays looming, we love to feel the warmth of the sun, the grass beneath our feet, the gentle warm…

Hosanna to Hallelujah … and beyond! Spring has sprung! By the time you read this, we will have passed the Vernal Equinox, changed our clocks to British Summer Time, and be enjoying the flowers appearing in the fields, verges, and gardens. Signs of new life everywhere! From ancient times, people…

From the Manse … Tuesday 21st Feb is Shrove Tuesday – some times called Pancake Day, sometimes, Mardi Gras – the last day before the period leading up to Easter … Lent! Before stuffing yourselves with pancakes and emptying the larder in preparation for the fast, it’s good to think…