I make no claim to be a prophet, but this time last year I made a prediction that, within days, was to become chillingly true. On Facebook and Twitter, I wrote: “2017: If you thought 2016 was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” This was a sentence that haunted me all year: three days later, […]
Tag: Archive
Did you hear about the vicar who banned “Onward Christian Soldiers”?
Did you hear about the vicar who banned “Onward Christian Soldiers”? The chances are that you have: the story that the Revd Steve Bailey, team rector-designate of St Peter’s Church in Oadby, Leicestershire, has banned the Victorian hymn from this year’s Remembrance Sunday service has been reported widely, including in the Leicester Mercury, Daily Mail, […]
If Theresa May really wants to tackle abuse in Westminster, Michael Gove will be sacked today
I don’t like calling for people to be sacked. It isn’t nice when people lose their jobs; and in any normal walk of life due process and fair practice should be followed. But cabinet ministers are not in normal jobs. Their “job” is that of a Member of Parliament – and it is for the […]
My reflections at Jill Saward’s memorial service
Yesterday lunchtime, I cast my wife’s ashes into the sea off Nefyn Beach on the Llyn peninsula, as she had asked me to do. Earlier, a memorial service was held at the town’s Eglwys Dewi Sant (Saint David’s Church). This is what I said during that service. Actually, it is the best recollection of what […]
Rape and sexual violence support: Time to stick my oar in
When Jill Saward died in January, I lost my wife; my sons lost their mother; her siblings lost a sister; her nephews and nieces lost an aunt. That loss is real. And it is palpable. But another group of people lost something too: some members of this group met her; many didn’t. And the group […]
Now we’re fact-checking opinions
The Gurdian journalist Owen Jones shared a message he received from a member of the public in an election news report. And his image has been shared multiple times on social media. This incident is yet another being used to decry ‘fake news’. I don’t know the source of the original clip; I don’t know […]
Soldiers do not go to war against eight-year-old girls
I can’t stop thinking about the victims of last night’s terrorist attack in Manchester. And I can’t begin to imagine what the parents are going through (even though I have had a rude introduction to real debilitating grief myself this year). And while there are many victims – each of whom is precious and deeply […]
Goodbye Jilly
I don’t know what to say. I really don’t. And those of you reading this who know me will know that this is very unusual. There are some things that I want to get across; but I can’t find the words. Any editor who has commissioned me will know that is also unusual. Why settle […]
So when is 12th Night?
Last night’s post about Christmas continuing until 5 January has led to a few questions about when, exactly is 12th Night. The answer is simple – but with a small twist that provides sufficient doubt as to cause confusion. Traditionally, people would leave their Christmas decorations up until 12th Night. Those of a superstitious bent […]
Happy Christmas (No – I’m not late)
When out and about shopping this week, I’ve noticed that supermarkets have stopped playing Christmas music – I would say carols, but it’s mainly the pop-style Christmas music that they have been blaring out of their PA systems for the past two months. Why shouldn’t they? After all, Christmas is over, right? Well, no. Christmas […]