VE Day (Victory in Europe) celebrates the day, seventy five years ago, that Europe crawled out of the Second World War, as Germany unconditionally surrendered, following Adolf Hitler’s suicide in a Berlin bunker days earlier. We will celebrate the occasion, May 8th, this Friday with a bank holiday. Will it feel any different to Thursday…
Easter Day – St Giles Oxford
Welcome everyone to a very sunny Easter in lockdown. I thought a modern painting might be appropriate. I have always recommended to people to see The Menorah if they are visiting Oxford. Roger Wagner, like Giotto seven hundred years earlier, chose to represent this most Christian of images using contemporary language. The cooling towers, which…
Luke (1980-2020)
This morning was the funeral of my lovely nephew, Luke, after a long battle with cancer. The occasion was sad enough anyway, without the awfulness of not being able to join the family to share our goodbyes. We lit a candle in the front window and it has burnt brightly all day. We miss you…
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday and the sun is shining brightly. We were to have a parade in our village this morning with donkeys and a congregation singing hymns in the streets. It will now be an online service on our own. But the message of peace and hope still reign supremely as we enter Holy Week. As…
Thinking of Venice
It seems a long long time ago that we were in Venice enjoying the streets packed with tourists and the Aperols, ciccetti and pasta – not to mention the study in the wonderful libraries. My thoughts are with the people of Venice and hope to return as soon as possible. I most miss the amazing…
