In my second parish I came across a bunch of very talented and skilled young musicians, very keen to form a band and get involved in the Sunday liturgy. As individual musicians, each and every one of them was brilliant; as a band, they were able to produce a lot of noise but very little music. Everyone was playing everything,…
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What a festive season we’ve had! Heavy and persistent rain, blustery winds and floods, now topped off by snow and ice. It was supposed to be a relaxing time of rest and joy; instead many people have battled for survival against the unbridled power of the elements. Sometimes their fight was unfortunately given over to damage limitation. Excuse the pun,…
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It’s been a frustrating summer. Since my last hike back in April (which was incidentally the first one this year) I haven’t managed to climb any Munros. Every day-off has been affected by unfavourable weather. So when the forecast this time round was genuinely promising I got really excited. The best day was to be in the Far North and…
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A couple of years ago I signed up for a computer game, which was rather unusual as I’ve always considered that kind of entertainment utterly pointless and dull. But this one was unlike any other. It involved going out and visiting local landmarks, monuments, places of cultural or historical significance, and so on. In the game, an imaginary mysterious energy…
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He was a man unshakable in his beliefs who followed what he believed to be just and right. He was actively and passionately against the political establishment, genuinely hated by the powerful and the influential, but loved by the masses. He strongly believed that his home country had gone to the dogs, and that the only way forward was by…