Lights of the World

Yesterday, I was at my cell group (for those out of the Christian Lingo these are not terrorist groups but small gatherings of Christians) and at one point we lit a candle. In the deeper recesses of my mind came a divine question… Why do we use wax in candles?
That’s right! Take a deep breath! I’m not [...]

Toilet troubles

Recently, I had one of those horrible experiences that you just want to forget as soon as they happen. I arrived at a seminar on time, but I needed to go to the toilet. So I left the room and went down the corridor to find a single empty cubicle and alongside it’s female equivalent. Unusually, the toilet wasn’t a room full [...]

Just what you didn’t want to see: a reflection on the failure of a nation

So the hopes of a nation are ended. I watched the game at a youth club last night and I remember initially my mystification on seeing the formation and personel in the side: 4-5-1? Scott Carson in goal? Wayne Bridge at left back? Lampard and Gerrard together in midfield? Crouch on his own up front? As the poet [...]

Aspirations of a Creative Writer

I’m sorry to point out the red-nosed obvious this week, but it’s occured to me that I’m not going to be a student forever. I’m getting married next summer and I need a job, so careers have been at the very entrance of my mind. But what can you do with an English degree? It feels as [...]

Fill in the blanks…

It’s been a while since I did anything remotely fun on my blog.   So maybe I should, as a reward for the many millions of you who consider reading this a worthy use of your time.   I am going to write down a series of lines and you have to comment by filling in the [...]

Remember the Heroes?

Remembrance day (that’s yesterday) got me thinking about war (particularly the First World War) and conscription.   Recently, by coincidence I just finished reading How Many Miles to Babylon.   Add Wilfred Owen to the cocktail and my head was swelling up into a purple lemon.   In honesty, I couldn’t help but think, as I was reflecting on those people who sacrificed [...]

Spreading the Word?

I was at my fiancee’s house yesterday, as I usually am, and I was happy to find she had some sweets left over from Halloween yesterday.   I know that sounds really contradictory to a couple of blogs ago, and it is (we all have our hypocrisies, especially when food is involved!) but let me explain regardless.   [...]

Carmen off it!

Last weekend, I went to see the Opera Carmen at the Coloseum put on by the ENO with my fiancee and, I have to say, having mulled over it for the past week, that I really enjoyed the experience.   It was an Opera-comique written in Paris by Georges Bizet in the mid 1800s.   It was very badly reviewed at [...]

Dawn of A Clockwork Orange

The Three Little Monster
So another year, another Halloween.   This Halloween article to go with the many other millions of Halloween articles already written.   Pretty pointless really, but still.   I feel I should say, on reflection, that I hate Halloween.
This isn’t because of my spiritual beliefs by any means.   I just feel like it’s a day devoted [...]