Detention of children for immigration purposes to end

The new UK coalition Government has pledged to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. This is brilliant news.

“Fair go” politics?

Some people are suggesting that we should give Cameron a “fair go” as PM and judge him on results. Butpoliticians are also judged on their values, policies and plans. And 64% of the voters did not choose Cameron’s party. Which is why rightly they cannot govern alone. But I say let’s give him a hard time from day one on his Tory policies and plans because most of us didn’t want the Tories there in the first place!

Election

Have the Conservatives won the general election? I don’t think so – no party has “won” – the Conservatives have lost less badly than others; but there is no sense to me that the British people have given a clear mandate to any party to form the government on its own.

Bluebells in 2010

Bluebells in 2010, originally uploaded by areadeandavid.

Made my pilgrimage to a bluebell wood today and managed to hit just the right day to see them in all their glory. This one is at Cliveden, the National Trust property on the River Thames near Taplow. The contrast between the bluebells and the bright fresh green of the new beech tree leaves is stunning.

Transplant technology

I’ve hooked up my laptop to my desktop PC’s screen, printer and external hard drive. Here it is at the heart of the system like a temporary transplant whilst my desktop PC’s tower unit is away being repaired.

Sweet chestnuts

Sweet chestnuts, originally uploaded by areadeandavid.

Suddenly it feels like Autumn today after a final flourish of summer with strong sunshine yesterday afternoon. Today we went for a walk in a local woods and collected sweet chestnuts.

Beans

Just picked beans for today’s dinner from here.

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Crocosmia

Crocosmia

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New style TV vicar

Refreshingly different portrayal of a vicar on BBC TV in the episode of New Tricks last night. This is the series about a team of semi-retired detectives who investigate cold cases when new evidence comes to light. Last night’s story involved the vicar of an urban parish who, with his wife and own daughter, had taken in the stroppy teenage girl whose mother, an illegal immigrant slated for removal to her country of origin, had unaccountably disappeared. The plot’s more complicated than that and definitely worth a watch!

The Vicar was played by comedian-actor Hugh Dennis. (His father was a bishop and ordained me deacon in 1983!). But this was not the usual stereotypical TV vicar. There was no “dog collar” in sight. He wore jeans and a red top; spoke like other people, had a wife and daughter, was a gentle person trying to put his faith into practice; gave a good party, could relate to people of different origins and backgrounds, and was not goody-goody or “holier than thou”. When the team first met him he was on his knees in front of the altar – praying? – no, trying to get candle-wax off the carpet!

Hopefully here’s a sign there are at least some of those writing and producing for the BBC who see the Church of England with open eyes.

Sunlight on bean tree

Sunlight on bean tree

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