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One of my favourite films is Clockwise starring John Cleese. It tells the story of a desperate headteacher attempting to reach the national conference which he is supposed to lead. He faces one calamity after another and almost gives up on several occasions. Eventually he comes out with the immortal words, “It’s not the despair….

A few days ago, I lost a dear friend to cancer. I had not seen him for fifteen years and yet, when we chatted on his final day, all those years disappeared. We chuckled over shared experiences, often embarrassing, when things hadn’t quite gone to plan – slipping down the stairs and losing one’s dignity…

My father saw action in World War Two as an 18-year-old tank driver. He very rarely spoke about his experiences, but I know they scarred him deeply. He suffered with poor mental health for the rest of his life, living to the grand age of 94. As a parent, I have hoped my children would…

I believe we are all gifted, in one way or another. Our gifts are intended to be a blessing to others and to bless us. There have been occasions when I have witnessed people using their gifts and it has almost taken my breath away, whether they were a Premier League footballer, an award-winning musician,…

When I was a primary school head teacher, the build up to Christmas seemed to go on for ever. Preparations usually began in October, immediately after half-term, when the children started learning carols and auditioning for parts in the play. By the end of term, I had sung endless carols, attended numerous plays and met…

At the moment, I am waiting for my Booster jab. I feel very fortunate to be offered this additional protection, especially when many people across the world are still awaiting their first dose. As well as being a vaccination, a ‘Booster’ can take many other forms. One of the most powerful boosters can come in…

There was once a man made entirely of rags. His head was a dishcloth; his clothes a waterfall of fabric; his eyes cracks of blue silk and his mouth a crescent of scarlet velvet. When the rag man arrived, children threw things at him, and parents, who thought nothing mattered more than being clean and…

Queuing up and down the ‘Acle straight’ repeatedly for the school run over the last few months has been wearisome at times. However the tedium has been frequently eclipsed by the wonderful natural displays of birds on the marshes: the breath-taking phenomenon of starling murmurations, the exotic splendour of white egrets and glimpses of long-beaked waders which I don’t have the skills to identify!

I recently read two short booklets (each is fewer than 40 pages) which I found really helpful in helping my understanding of how to share faith in a loving and appropriate way with people who are vulnerable or hurting.

Approximately 136,00 people are trapped in slavery across the UK. This hidden but terrible crime is taking place in every community, including our own.

Glitterballs, Treat, schools ministry, New Day, prayer, hot chocolate, games, Taste, testimonies: I’m sure many of you, like me have a multitude of good memories from the 15+ years which East Norfolk Youth for Christ (previously known as Unite) has been serving the young people of Great Yarmouth.

On entering the church, I was confronted by a gallery of artworks hung from the walls of a modern cafe. St Stephen’s, a beautiful city centre church, steeped in history, had been transformed. The exhibition, ‘After the Storm’ presented a collection of two and three-dimensional pieces that both challenged and comforted. They resurrected forgotten memories…