Just back from a wonderful time away walking Hadrian's Wall and catching up with friends.  The scenery was spectacular, the weather superb (only rained for the last half hour) and my walking companion as long suffering as ever.  Five days with an average of 18 miles a day is a good walk.  Add backpacks and hills and it's a very good walk!!

As with all of these adventures parts were interesting and parts were "interesting" - like one of the places we stayed, a youth hostel mascerading as a B&B which served the smallest steak (one chunk) and ale (ale? what ale!) pie you ever did see.  Still, it was a good talking point.  The warden asked us what we did for a living - and the reply 'I'm a Baptist minister' had its usual conversation ending effects; after that we refered to ourselves as Rev and Irrev, though I think I'm more the latter than the former!

Best stay was definitely at Willowford Farm run by a young couple, Liam and Lauren, who combine a working sheep farm with organic/Fairtrade B&B.  A three course evening meal was available and more than made up for the steak-less ale-less pie... delicious feta cheese salad; succulent happy pig with fresh veg, and (I'm fairly certain) John Tovey's recipe sticky toffee pudding with real vanilla icecream, then hand made chocs with the tea/coffee.... bliss!  Good place for a country break even if you don't like walking.  (Apologies here to Andy A for waffling about 'what I had for tea')

We liked Henry Stedman's Trailblazer Guide better than the national trails version - his sketch maps were helpful, his commentary the right balance of info and humour and his walking times right for us.  (I now know what a shlep is, as well as where the pubs, cafes, drinks facilities and loos are located!)

Some stunning views along the way and this time the worst injury was a broken lid on a water bottle!  Next year.... well maybe Offas' Dike in two weeks.  But for now, a couple of days to finish unwinding before I get back to routine.

Oh, by the way, does my bum look big in this backpack?!  (Thanks Jean for walking and taking photos)

If you visit You Tube now and then you may have come accross the 'Christian vs Christ Follower' parody (or are they...) films.

Here are a couple for you to enjoy while I'm safely out of your way: here and here

Last night I went with a couple of folk from church to see Amazing Grace at the 'Century Theatre' which is part of the local mining heritage centre where it functions primarily as an historical artefact.  Once a month they put on second-run and other 'worthy' films at the princely price of £2.50 all seats.  As it only seats 210, even a full house is not going to make a mint.

The programme we saw proved a hilarious combination...

Firstly from you tube, a humourous little offering here along with a reminder that it is dangerous to play on railways!!

Then a 1959 short called An Artist Looks at Churches (colour!) here I have to conclude that either life was very dull in the late 1950's or boring commentary was a sign of worth.  The churches themselves and the selection of examples shown were quite interesting but the commentator was soooo dull.

The main feature  Amazing Grace which was worth seeing, if inaccurate in places (e.g the tune used for the hymn) and quite challenging when we realise how little as really changed in all that time.  The forerunner of Fairtrade with sugar suppliers, people being trafficked, complex queastions about balance of justice for other nations with the needs of the poorer in our own land, or of those employed by oppressive or ethically questionable industries, the consequences for military persons sent overseas to fight in political wars...  How much of this was screen play writing in and how much was historically based I don't know but it made me think.

All in all a fascinating, and in expensive, evening out that seemed to speak to me on many levels about anachronisms, timelessness and determination.

Now I'm off (from Monday) to stroll along Hadrian's Wall, so it will be peace and quiet in this corner of blogland.

Yestersday the Baptist e-sweep sent unsuspecting people to my corner of the 'Food Court' and having looked at the stats for yesterday, I guess quite a few came for a peep.  Special thanks to Anne for her generous and encouraging comments.  It made me think a bit about blogging (I do from time to time, when I'm not just writing reams of stuff) and what I might want to say to someone setting out into this way of reflecting and sharing.

The first and foremost thing has to be that you own the blog, it doesn't own you.  It sounds obvious but lots of people end up feeling guilty because what they write is not ever so erudite or because they get 'bloggers block' or they just get fed up and want to do something else.  I suspect blogging has a natural lifetime and I'm quite surprised after almost two years that I haven't got bored of it, but maybe that's because, at least most of the time, I feel I do own it.

Be respectful - a bit careful not only what you say but how you say it. it sounds obvious, but once the 'save' or 'send' button has been pressed it's gone and out of your control.  I try to avoid using names of people or churches and usually disguise them when I do.  Now and then I regret the comments I leave - we're all fallible, and blogging reflects that.  So if you later regret something, well don't beat yourself up over it.

Be careful with pictures pinched from the web - we all do it, but there are some money-hungry folk out there who use software to track down their images and send you bills.  I have no problem paying for things that are for sale but it's easy to get caught out.  That said, most people are lovely, would work out you are not costing them any money, are maybe giving them free advertising (e.g. images of book covers) and an acknowledgement of sources goes a long way. there are also some good sources of free or cheap stockphotos (see Tim Hyde's blog for details)

Comments can be wonderful - a great way to have a discussion with other people - and most people are incredibly generous and gracious.  Now and then we all get abusive or spam comments; I delete these, other people find that the frequency and nature causes them to restrict or close commenting.  Some blog platforms have security features to guard against spam.

Have fun!  Don't feel that this has to be "a blog about deadly serious theology" (or whatever) all the time (or any of it).  Share jokes, holiday photos, children's antics, pet's foibles, even what you had for tea!  Take a few risks now and then - but stay in control, and always try to be respectful.  Just like our preaching, our blogging is a 'face of Jesus' that people see.  I'd like to hope that we present a tolerant, respectful, generous, engaging, humourous, risk-taking, issue-contemplating, not taking itself too seriously, generally loving (ever getting cool fizzing)* image.

* Giving my age away there!!

Saw this on Jim Gordon's blog and had to pinch it! 

Lord grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference