Monthly Archives: June 2019

More than a dinner lady

Posted on 30th June 2019 by Ian

Sometimes you turn your back for a moment and, when you turn back, you find someone has gone. Walking among the familiar faces in the village cemetery, I met Mrs Cullen. I had never thought about Mrs Cullen having died, … Continue reading →

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Summer land people

Posted on 25th June 2019 by Ian

No-one is certain of the origin of the county name of Somerset. It seems old English, perhaps meaning the people who lived around Somerton. The meaning of Somerton is equally uncertain, perhaps the summer farmstead. Convention that the county name … Continue reading →

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Conversations with ten year olds

Posted on 21st June 2019 by Ian

Ninety Year 5 students came to visit the school today, with all the cheer and enthusiasm for life that only ten year olds can have. They talked about all sorts, telling me about their school and their summer holidays. One … Continue reading →

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Awaiting a Church of England resurrection

Posted on 17th June 2019 by Ian

Walking in the village churchyard of our Somerset village, lines of John Betjeman surfaced in the consciousness. A holiday in Ireland prompted Betjeman to reflect on his experiences of the Church of Ireland.  In his poem Ireland with Emily, he … Continue reading →

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Misty mornings

Posted on 12th June 2019 by Ian

Wisps of mist lay across the fields this morning. To have descended from the hill at half past five would have meant being engulfed in a thick greyness. On Sedgemoor, there is a dampness that never quite retreats, those who … Continue reading →

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