Sunday's spotlight - Easter Surprise

By guest blogger Pete.

It may very well never materialise.  I'm writing about "T.T.", which, by the way, stands for "Teenage Talk".  I still can't find the list that my grandson, Peter, made out for me and he is, as I write, on holiday with the family in French France.  If and when I get it then rest assured that you'll be the first I bore with its contents.

Easter has come and gone; well Easter Day has.  The weather forecaster (local variety) promised us a pretty dreadful weekend with plenty of rain.  Fortunately the rain missed the bus and so didn't arrive.  It was bitterly cold at times but, at least, the sun shone.  If there is reincarnation I'm going to put myself down as a weather forecaster for the next time round.  It's not that I have unfulfilled talents in this field but it strikes me that you just write what you fancy; i.e. "Chance of rain, could be snow, possibly strong wind maybe gale forces, might get a bit of sun and I've heard there could be some snow."  See!  That covers most eventualities and no one can expect you to be right every time.

Another more accurate thing the weather forecaster told us was that we have had more snowy Easter Days than we have had snowy Christmas Days.

That previously unrealised fact immediately reminded me of an event that took place when I was Chaplain/teacher at a boarding school in Warminster.  It was, probably,a couple of Sundays before Easter but we had had quite a bit of snow - in fact inches of the stuff.  Two of the pupils decided that it would be fun to throw  snowballs at Pam and me, which they did and then beat a hasty retreat into the near bye Parish Church.  About the time the service finished Pam began to keep an eye out for the two of them and when they came out she slipped - not literally -  out into the garden.  The garden was surrounded by a high wall and listening for footsteps she pushed all the snow on top of the wall onto the walkers outside.  Image he surprise when she went outside to gloat at  two snow covered pupils only to find that she was faced by two snow covered elderly nuns.  The two girl pupils were in danger of harming themselves with hysterics but, fortunately, the two nuns thought it quite funny as well.

Regular readers of this blog will remember that some time ago I recalled for you the adventures associated with my buying a Christmas tree.  Just to keep you up to day, you may be pleased to know (or perhaps you couldn't care less) but the Christmas tree remains a healthy specimen and has seen through the cold winter with no ill effects.

The new plum tree that we have is now showing buds.  There'll be some plums on it this year - even if we have to buy some and tie them on!

This week's photos are not of snow covered nuns but rather are kaleidoscopes of some of the photos of the Church - St Augustine, Kilburn - that I wrote about last week.

Watch out for the snow!  Scotland has quite a lot last week.

Sunday's spotlight - One of London's Hidden Secrets

By guest blogger Pete.

As I get older I find that my forgetfulness increases.  Just before Pam and I left our elder daughter, after a recent visit to her, my younger grandson gave me a list of "T.T."s for me to use in this blog.  When I arrived home I put that list in a safe place.  MISTAKE - BIGBIGBIGMISTAKE.  I can't find it now because I've forgotten where that "safe location" is. Sorry, Peter.  If you will email me another list of "T.T."s then I'll be able to use it next week.  In the meantime; "T.T."means..............  Well, I'll tell you next week.

Some of you have probably come to realise that I am a photography nut. (John knew this years ago).  A couple of years ago I spent a day in London and roamed around the old city area surrounding St Paul's Cathedral.  I managed to get some great shots of interiors from some of the very old churches there.  A few weeks ago, whilst on that visit to Mary, I decided to investigate some of the churches in the city of Westminster.

As one does - why do folk never say "As two do"? - I googled "City of Westminster churches" and this produced a whole list of places for me.  Thus it was that I came across one of the most beautiful churches that I've ever visited.  It's not on any tourist map and it's a few miles away from the city centre.  You could well say that this is one of London's hidden treasures.

The church I am referring to is St Augustine, Kilburn.  It is an easy church to find if you approach it from the London Underground.  Kilburn has two underground stations - the one I used was Kilburn Park.  As you leave the station you can see the tower of the church quite clearly - terra cotta red in colour - and it is about 5 minutes walk away.

The interior of the church is a Biblical art treasure.  There are wonderful wall paintings, mosaics, tiling, colour, stained glass - you name it this place has got it.  St Augustine's Church is an Anglo-Catholic COE Church built, I think, in early Victorian times. 

The whole of the interior - wall space and floor space - is a continuous work of art.  I haven't finished the photos that I took when I visited  but I'll post some with this blog to give you an idea of what the interior of the building is like.

The Vicar, a really helpful and friendly man, dare not leave the church open and unattended.  The last time he did this two very valuable paintings were stolen.  The building stands in a deprived area of the city and its exterior is showing signs of vandalism and damage.  The Vicar is willing to arrange access to the church at mutually convenient times (the Vicarage is in the Church grounds).  If you're a tourist visiting London or someone who likes photographing churches then contact me through the "comments" section of this blog and I'll let you have his name and contact number.

Have a great Easter.  This is the most triumphant festival of the Christian year so "ENJOY"!