Arts
In The Bleak Midwinter
This is a poem written by Christina Rossetti, set to music first by Gustav Holst in 1906 and then by Harold Darke in 1911. This is by Darke : Swiss Bob 2025
Philosophy
Christianity
Christmas at Christmas With Christmas
Spending Christmas at Christmas with Christmas sounds a very Puffin thing to do. First of all, we’ll have to decide when to meet. The eagle-eyed among you may point out that we’ve missed our chance, [more…]
Arts
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Painted in about 1470/75, it is in the National Gallery. In memory of Caroline Catherine McNicholas 2nd October 1957 – 3rd January 2022 OldTrout
Arts
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Rod of [more…]
Christianity
Christianity
A Trip to the Temple
London, despite its many many issues, is still a nice place to visit, to wonder at the beautiful architecture and to explore its history. Of course you no longer expect to see many English people [more…]
Authoritarianism
Why Courage — Not Convenience — Is the Foundation of Free Speech
In an age obsessed with stability, optimisation, and institutional authority, we are losing sight of the simplest truth: freedom of speech is the core condition for national and international security. Not because speech itself is [more…]
Biography
Shabana Mahmood. Avoid.
As only the third female Lord Chancellor since Eleanor of Provence in 1253, upon being elevated to the role 771 years later present Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, eulogised during her acceptance speech. “I must say [more…]
Philosophy
Dog-walking Thoughts No 4 – There Is A Natural Order To All Things
Nature is the great repairer. This, I know, is not a Nobel-prize winning discovery. We see it everywhere every year and certainly where man has moved on and abandoned anywhere to the ‘elements’. Nature cleans [more…]