Turn the Page: Recent Episodes
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While he may have jumped before he was pushed it was refreshing to hear Humza Yousaf’s speech as he stepped down as First Minister of Scotland. Firstly, he admitted that he had made a mistake and secondly, he said he wasn’t willing to trade his values or principles simply to stay in power. He also told his political opponents he bore them no ill will and wished them well.
It’s not often that political leaders step down with such grace. I’m reminded of Willie Whitelaw who stepped down as British Foreign Secretary in 1982 over his failure to foresee the invasion of the Falkland Islands and General Eisenhower who wrote a press release on 6th June 1944 in which he took sole responsibility for the failure of the D-Day landings. (Obviously it was never sent but he wrote it just in case).
I’m also reminded of the example of Jesus. St Paul said of him that he ‘did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant*’. To have such an attitude when called to high office is not natural given the tendency of our ego to seek self-promotion. But if it was good enough for the Son of God…
(*Philippians 2:6)
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How on earth did St George end up as the patron saint of England? Legend has it that he was born in the third century to Greek Christian parents. A soldier in the Roman army he rose to become a member of the Praetorian guard under Emperor Diocletian but was then martyred for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. He was, apparently, decapitated on 23rd April AD303. So, he never set foot in Britannia and could hardly claim to be British. It was only his reputation for being a warrior saint that led Edward III to give him more prominence and thus it was that Shakespeare had Henry V famously say, “Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’”
All of which just goes to show that it doesn’t really matter where you begin in life, it’s how you end that really counts. George had no inkling when he lost his head that his faith in Christ would one day lead to him being named as the patron saint of a nation that took his faith around the world. For those who follow Jesus the lesson is clear – stay faithful to Christ and see what he will do!
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At the beginning of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies a party of school children are stranded on a desert island without any adults. For the first time in their lives, they can do as they please. The prospect of being able to indulge in unbridled freedom brings a previously unknown joy. Sadly, their attempt to build utopia quickly descends into chaos as the selfishness of their human hearts and lack of any accountability create a violent and disordered world. By the end of the book Ralph, who was the first to celebrate the lack of adult supervision, is running for his life and moments from being murdered when his life is saved by the arrival of an adult. Not having grown-ups on the island wasn’t such a good thing after all.
The book mirrors something of our human experience. Created to thrive in submission to God we constantly fall for the deceit that we would have more fun in a world without him. But history demonstrates that left to our own devices our selfish human hearts destroy rather than create freedom. Like the boys in Golding’s book the fulness of life that we crave is not suffocated by belief in God, but rather made possible by him.
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Being in the right place at the right time is all it takes to lift someone from obscurity to fame. Take for example Wyckoff van Derhoef. He happened to be in Belfast and needing passage home to New York at the same time the RMS Titanic was preparing to leave for Southampton. Setting sail on 2nd April 1912 the Titanic carried a skeleton crew, a snagging team from Harland and Wolff and a single fare-paying passenger – Wyckoff van Derhoef. He had no idea that his decision to board ‘the unsinkable ship’ would be the one that would cost him his life and put his name in the history books. But it did.
Such was the experience of Mary a young woman who happened to cross paths with Jesus. He healed her and she decided to follow him. So it was that she found herself standing at the foot of the cross and then wondering who had moved the stone from his tomb. As with Wyckoff van Derhoef, it was Mary’s association with a more famous name that guaranteed she would be remembered forever. We may not be able to follow in Wyckoff’s footsteps, but the resurrection of Jesus assures us that we can follow in Mary’s!
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On the morning of 16th March 1912, Captain Lawrence Oates walked out of his tent in the Antarctic and into temperatures of -400C. He was suffering from frostbite and gangrene and was slowing the expedition down. His parting words were “I may be some time”, but he knew he was going to die, and this act of self-sacrifice was an effort to save his companions. Writing afterwards in his diary Captain Scott recorded, “We knew that poor Oates was walking to his death, but though we tried to dissuade him, we knew it was the act of a brave man and an English gentleman.” Sadly, Oates’ sacrifice was in vain as his fellow adventurers became trapped in a storm and died from illness and malnutrition just 11 miles short of their objective.
Jesus too knew that he was going to die as he made his way into Jerusalem one last time, and he knew too that the sacrifice He was about to make was to save others. He told his friends, “I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
As with Captain Oates Jesus’ friends found his plan of self-sacrifice hard to comprehend and were reluctant to go along with it. But unlike Oates Jesus knew for certain that His death would not be in vain, and that those He died for would be saved for eternal life.
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Made famous by Kevin Costner’s film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, the Sycamore Gap tree stood for 300 years. That was until persons unknown decided to cut it down. Over the years thousands had made the journey to Hadrian’s Wall to take its photo and to have their photo taken with it. So, the shock and dismay at this mindless act of vandalism was felt around the world. Seemingly the tree was gone forever. Well not quite. Within hours of its felling seeds, twigs and leaves from the tree had arrived at a secret greenhouse in Devon where they have been lovingly nurtured into life. The stump itself may sprout new growth but if it doesn’t dozens of new saplings are waiting in the wings.
The people of God in the Old Testament were similarly shocked and dismayed when their land was invaded, and their Temple destroyed. It seemed as if all hope had gone. But God wasn’t finished with them yet. In Isaiah 11 God makes a promise that ‘a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit’ That shoot was Jesus the Saviour of the world whose death and resurrection we will remember and celebrate next week.
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Where I live I am surrounded by beautiful countryside and there are lots of walks to choose from. So over the years my family and I have developed a short hand way of referring to them. If I return from a walk and say that I have been ‘Under the A23’, or that I did ‘Big Swing’, ‘Short Vineyard’ or ‘Mill Ponds’, the rest of my family will know exactly where I’ve been. Of course for anyone outside our village the terms are meaningless.
Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man, and like the names we’ve given our walks, it was meaningless unless you knew what it referred to. His Jewish listeners would have immediately picked up on a reference to the Old Testament book of Daniel. In the book one like a son of man is described as someone who ‘was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed’ Either Jesus was getting above his station, or he knew exactly who he was. Not your average carpenter then!
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With depressing regularity, we discover the devastating impact of our failure to look after God’s creation. With our backs turned toward God and His image in us faded, we exploit rather than steward His wonderful world. This time it is the turn of the humble donkey. First domesticated in Kenya and the Horn of Africa over 7,000 years ago this beast of burden transformed the world by carrying heavy loads over long distances. In some parts of the world they still do.
But now they are being slaughtered in their millions to provide a medicinal remedy of dubious value, and, as a result, depriving those who depend on them from their means of livelihood. We may hope that a new ban by the African Union will stall this dreadful trade.
Despite their humble state donkeys have been discovered buried with kings and rulers and sometimes even on their own. It was on a donkey some two thousand years ago that the King of Kings rode into Jerusalem. Like the donkey that carried him Jesus lived a life characterised by humility, and while the donkey bore Him, He was on His way to bear our sins on the cross.
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This week Dr Georgia Carroll is preparing to deliver the keynote address at a conference in Melbourne, Australia. The conference has attracted global interest from academic institutions across the globe. The subject of this symposium? The stunning popularity and influence of the pop star Taylor Swift. With world leaders begging her to tour their countries to boost their economies, experts using her bops to train young people in CPR, and her romance with Travis Kelce helping girls feel at home in male-dominated sports her influence is certainly far-reaching. Another keynote speaker has gone so far as to say that Swift ‘has somehow become the most godlike superstar on the planet’.
But how godlike is she really? I’m left wondering whether she has managed to create anything that wasn’t there before; or fundamentally helped transform someone’s life; or give hope and the promise of eternal life to those in despair; and how long will her influence really last? I suspect that in a hundred years her legacy may be little more than a few catchy tunes.
All a far cry from the man Jesus Christ who actually is God. He may not have filled any stadiums but 2,000 years on his legacy continues to grow as he changes lives around the world.
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Last week a lawsuit was lodged in the Delhi High Court. The case in question concerns a dispute over which family can lay claim to direct lineage to the creator of one of India’s most popular dishes – butter chicken!
Over seventy years ago the owner of an open-air diner needed to use up leftover tikkas and hit upon the idea of adding tomato gravy and dollops of butter. Fast forward to today and descendants of the original restaurant owners are fighting for the right to claim the dish as theirs.
In the end though does it really matter? If the dish tastes delicious wherever it is cooked, does it really matter who took the lead in its invention all those years ago?
As I reflect on all of this, I think of the church which seems to tie itself up in knots arguing over issues which are not very essential. In doing so we lose sight of the only thing that really matters which is that God so loved the world he sent his Son to die for us, so that whoever believes in him need not perish but have eternal life. No wonder the Psalmist says, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good!’ (Ps 34:8)
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For prospective homeowners nothing beats the sight of watching a new-build house rise from the ground. Rather less exciting is watching it disappear again. Such was the experience for many of those buying houses on the Darwin Green estate on the outskirts of Cambridge. Of dozens of houses that were built 83 were found to have ‘issues’ with their foundations. Thirty-six had to be demolished and another 47 given remedial work. With some understatement the developer apologised for the ‘negative impact’ the situation was having on those affected. Hard to think of anything more negative that having your home demolished.
In the Bible one of the Psalms asks this question, ‘When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ and then answers it with this assertion, ‘The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord is on his heavenly throne’.
The Psalmist acknowledges that sometimes it can feel as if the bottom has fallen out of our world. That would lead many to the conclusion that there can’t be a God, but not the Psalmist. He understands that this life can be messy and painful, but he knows also that ultimately things will be OK precisely because there is a God who reigns over all.
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With freezing temperatures I’m wondering whether I might wake up one morning to a blanket of snow outside. Only it wouldn’t be a blanket but billions of individual ice crystals lying together. And while they might all look the same each one would in fact be unique. The atmospheric conditions through which they had fallen […]
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Most of us wake up each morning confident that we will see the end of the day. But sometimes something happens to remind us that that might not always be the case. Still reeling from the recent earthquake Japan is now confronted with another tragedy. A coastguard plane carrying aid has collided with a passenger […]
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When it comes to wrapping presents there are different schools of thought. Some opt for a plain and simple approach with nice paper, neatly wrapped; some like to add ribbons and bows that look very pretty; and some dispense with wrapping altogether and just pop the gift in a pretty bag. In the end, of […]
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Despite its stirring theme tune one of our favourite Christmas movies, The Great Escape, is a tragic tale. It tells the story of Allied airmen who tunnelled their way out of Stalag Luft III during World War Two. Of the 76 who escaped only three made it back to England and of the rest fifty […]
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Many years ago, my brother and sister were at Victoria station waiting for a train to Brighton. They sat on a bench watching a train on the platform and as it began to pull out my sister turned to my brother and said, ‘I think we could have got that one.’ History doesn’t record my […]
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With our Black Friday deals in the bag and Advent calendars ready to be opened we’re all set for the final push to Christmas. But while the days may be getting shorter that can’t be said for our to-do lists. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be writing cards, buying and wrapping gifts and stocking […]
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By the spring of 1621 only half of the Pilgrims who had arrived aboard the Mayflower were still alive, and their chances of survival seemed slim. But providence was on their side. Seemingly by chance they happened upon an Abenaki Indian by the name of Squanto. To their surprise he not only spoke English but […]
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When King Charles was born on 14th November 1948 post-war food rationing was still in place. So, very fitting that he should mark his 75th birthday with the launch of a new project aimed at alleviating hunger in the 21stcentury. The issue now is not a lack of food overall but it being in the wrong place […]
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After being stranded at the bottom of a cliff for two years Britain’s ‘loneliest sheep’ Fiona has been rescued from Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands and is now settling into her ‘forever home’ on a farm near Dumfries. Her prolonged isolation lay in the fact that the cliffs rose 250m and there seemed no […]
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It’s the naturalist’s rule of thumb when observing nature not to interfere. Ecosystems are finely balanced, and nature should be allowed to take its course. But there are exceptions especially when a species is at risk. This week Planet Earth returned to our screens and featured the plight of the green turtle on Raine Island […]
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As once again conflict erupts in the Middle East, I’m reminded of a poem written by Steve Turner: History repeats itself. Has to. No one listens. While it may be true that wars are sometimes fought to defeat evil and defend freedom, the reality is that thousands will pay the highest price. Families are torn […]
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As a child I was fascinated by the Insect-O-Cutor fly killer that hung at the back of the little café, where we would often go for an ice cream. On a hot day a constant stream of flies would be attracted to the warm purple glow and realise too late that when they landed they […]
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As snooker player Ding Junhui has discovered, wearing the wrong clothes can be costly. He turned up for his opening match at the England Open Snooker tournament in brown trousers. But the dress code explicitly states that players must be dressed in black. Realising his mistake Ding sent a friend to buy the correct colour […]
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On 4th January the British Prime Minister made five bold promises. He pledged to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut NHS waiting lists and stop small boats crossing the channel. He said, ‘I fully expect you to hold my government and I to account on delivering those goals.’ As the months have rolled by […]
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Being acquitted of a crime would normally be a cause for celebration. But not so for one inmate who was acquitted of all the charges laid against him in 2013 at the Owerri High Court in Nigeria. Instead of embracing his new freedom he looked downhearted and begged to be returned to prison. In the […]
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While Barbie and Oppenheimer were this summer’s blockbusters, Sound of Freedom has been the unexpected box-office hit of 2023. It tells the fictionalised story of Tim Ballard, a US agent for Homeland Security tasked with taking down those involved in child pornography. But haunted by the children who are left undiscovered he sets out to […]
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Following a problem with air traffic control on Bank Holiday Monday thousands of travellers are now stranded far from home. The issue has been no respecter of persons with businessmen and holidaymakers affected the same and many being told they could be stuck for days. Airlines are not obliged to help but some are suggesting […]
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To the amazement of its owners a single house remains intact in what was once the thriving town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. As wildfires swept down the mountains and burned to the ground every other house, for some reason this one survived. The fact that it did so may be down […]
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For one week each year I tolerate the deprivations that come with camping so that we can attend a Christian festival. Over the years we’ve added numerous bits of kit to make the experience as enjoyable as it can be, and one of the first was a kettle. Its most useful feature was a loud […]
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But for an accident of history the Orkney Islands might still be part of Norway and ruled by men with names such as Erik Bloodaxe and Thorfinn the Skull-splitter. Only a failure by King Christian I to pay his wedding dowry in the fifteenth century led to the Scots taking the islands for themselves. Fast […]
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It would seem that Vladimir Putin is unfamiliar with the saying that harbouring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die. He’s clearly not the forgiving type and when he holds a grudge you can be sure it won’t be him drinking the poison! When asked what behaviour he could never […]
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As I write the eyes of the world are focussed on the desperate search to find a tiny submarine lost in the North Atlantic. Last seen on Sunday the vessel and its five occupants were diving to see the wreck of the Titanic, but contact was lost, and nothing has been heard since. The challenge […]
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Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant tells the story of an American soldier, John Kinley, and his Afghan interpreter, Ahmed. The sole survivors of an ambush deep inside Taliban territory they must run for their lives, and when Kinley is wounded Ahmed faces a gruelling and perilous journey to get him to safety. But with Kinley now […]
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Why are we always so surprised when those we idolise disappoint us? Billy Graham lived a virtuous life but made no pretence that he was perfect. He would sometimes observe that there was not a single sin he was not capable of committing within 30 minutes of leaving a stadium. He was making the point […]
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Pitching to the Dragons Den in 2006, the inventor of the Trunki ride-on suitcase for children was told his idea was worthless. It was one of their more famous misses. Five million suitcases later he sold the business for £12m. His success was built on our desire for an easy journey. Long gone are the days of hauling heavy suitcases by the handle with frequent stops to rest our weary arms. Now we’re all wheels and telescopic handles. As with all things nowadays ease and comfort have become our watchwords.
It’s all a far cry from the one-way missionaries of the early 19th century. Setting off for far off lands with little prospect of a safe return they would book a one-way ticket and pack their belongings in a coffin. Nothing quite speaks less of comfort and ease than that.
Perhaps this explains the current weakness of so much western Christianity. We want our journey to be one of comfort and ease rather than pain and sacrifice. But Jesus was quite explicit in telling his friends that if they wanted to follow him then they must take up their cross. This was not an invitation to bear with some minor discomforts but to die to self. More coffin than Trunki!
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‘Adoption is the greatest expression of love I can think of’. So said Brent, a Canadian who was giving a lift to Zainab and Mobeen in the last latest series of Race Across the World. The couple had shared with him their sadness at not having been able to conceive a child after six years of trying. This prompted Brent to share his own story of having been adopted. He said that as a child he hadn’t realised what that really meant, but only that he knew he was incredibly special.
The New Testament is rich with the language of adoption as through Jesus we are invited to become part of God’s family. St Paul writes to the church in Rome that in coming to Christ they did not receive a spirit of fear but rather ‘the Spirit of adoption’ that enabled them to call God their ‘Abba, Father’. Under Roman law an adopted child took on all the same rights and privileges as a natural born child. St Paul is saying that in God’s eyes we become like Jesus his son.
It is an extraordinary gift of God and as Brent so eloquently put it, ‘the greatest expression of love he could think of.’
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Charles Darwin was troubled by the life cycle of the parasitic wasp. As the name implies the wasp lays its eggs inside a caterpillar which it then consumes and kills to ensure its own survival. Darwin wondered how a beneficent God could create something so cruel. Surely natural selection divorced from the idea of a Creator made more sense. His wife Emma was concerned about where this might all lead and not without good cause. Within a few short years his ideas of a purely material existence would be used by communists and Nazis to justify to slaughter of millions for the ‘greater good’ of others.
Fortunately (and while most of us don’t like to admit it) the Bible’s view that every human is created in the image of God and therefore has intrinsic value has prevailed. For Christians this means seeing each person not only as Jesus would see them, but also with eyes that see the Jesus within them. To a greater or lesser extent, we all reflect something of the image of God in which we are made. So it turns out that we become the best version of ourselves not by weeding out the weakest but rather by bringing out the glory of God contained within.
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In the BBC series Sort Your Life Out families, whose homes have become so filled with possessions and clutter, that they feel overwhelmed, are helped to sort things out. Everything is removed and laid out in a huge warehouse where they are guided through the process of deciding what to keep and what to give up. It’s astonishing to see quite how much one family can accumulate, from thousands of toys to dozens of pairs of shoes and, in one case, 521 odd socks.
It strikes me that we might think of Lent as an opportunity to sort our lives out but in a different way. Over the course of time our lives fill up with clutter – bad habits, resentments, grievances, losses, and despair. If we’re not careful we may find ourselves feeling overwhelmed. Used rightly Lent is a season for self-examination, an opportunity to lay everything out before God and seek his help to sort through the clutter. In the TV series Stacey Dooley is the kindest of guides through what can be a very painful process. If we will allow him Jesus will be our guide as we look honestly at our lives and decide what we may keep and what must go.
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If the Bible is correct in its assertion that ‘In the beginning God’, then perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised when we find his fingerprints in creation. In recent years medical scientists have discovered that when a male sperm fertilizes a female egg light is produced. The action of the sperm piercing the egg releases millions of zinc molecules which quite literally put on a magnificent firework display which can last for hours. Scientists have also discovered that the greater the light the healthier the egg.
So, no surprise that the opening verses of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, reveal the very same thing. In the English we miss it but, in the Hebrew, the ‘in the beginning God’ is masculine while the ‘Spirit of God hovering over the waters’ is feminine. And guess what? The action of male of female within the Godhead produced light, and at each stage of the creation that followed God saw that it was good. The greatest of lights producing the healthiest of worlds.
Now, of course, Genesis wasn’t written as a science textbook but as a book about the beginning of things. But how lovely, then, to see that science reveals and confirms what the original writers could not possibly have known.
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In 1989 I led a team of students to visit churches in Poland. The Iron Curtain had not yet fallen, none of us spoke either German or Polish, and we had no satnav or mobile phones. Despite these challenges we somehow made it to our hosts in Krakow.
On a rest day they took us to the town of Oświęcim. The name meant nothing, and it was only as we drew near that we realised we were going to Auschwitz, the concentration camp synonymous with the Nazi genocide. During the tour I remember feeling overwhelmed at the scale of the atrocity that had happened there – the millions slaughtered, the thousands gassed and cremated every day, the piles of left behind suitcases, glasses, and shoes.
But amid the remembrance of such horror was a beacon of hope. A cell occupied by a Roman Catholic priest Maximilian Kolbe. A fellow prisoner, Franciszek Gajowniczek, had been chosen at random for execution when Kolbe stepped forward and offered his own life instead. The substitution was accepted. Kolbe was killed and Francis survived. It was an act of self-sacrifice reminiscent of that of Jesus who willingly gave his life to save us all. As John’s Gospel reminds us, ‘The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.’
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There is something very tragic about Prince Harry’s autobiography. In just three words the front cover summarizes the 400 pages that lie within: Prince Harry – Spare. Clearly Harry is a man traumatised by the death of his mother, resentful of an institution which he feels has let him down, and bitterly opposed to the press which has so often vilified him and his wife. But underneath it all is the search for identity and meaning. As the spare and not the heir he was born to ever live in the shadow of his older brother.
We might not all get to write a book but the search for meaning and purpose is common to us all. We all want to be loved and feel that our lives are significant in some way. But we’re nagged by the thought that we might always be overlooked and seen as spare.
What a joy, then, to discover that Jesus invites us to become his co-heir and call God our Father. On the cross he takes our failure and invites us into his family. As St Paul once famously put it, ‘we are God’s children… we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ’. In Jesus we are never the spare and always the heir!
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Movies don’t always end as the credits start to roll. With series such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe the credits contain extra scenes with important clues as to what will happen next. Who can forget the menace at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron? Part way through the credits, the evil Thanos appears and declares that he will collect the Infinity Stones and gain ultimate power over the universe. A dark shadow suddenly falls over the happy ending we’ve just watched.
And so it is with the Christmas story. With Jesus safely born and the stable filled with angels, shepherds, and wise men we walk away and let the credits roll. But watch just a little while longer and the story takes a darker turn. Feeling threatened King Herod orders the slaughter of every boy in Bethlehem under the age of two. Our cosy nativity scene is suddenly disrupted with brutality and grief as Mary and Joseph flee for their lives.
The whole Christmas story reminds us that Jesus didn’t come as a light to shine in the lightness but as a light to shine in the darkness. Darkness touches all our lives one way or another. The good news is that if we turn to Jesus his light will overcome it.
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In 1942 the Maltese harbour of Valetta was the most heavily bombed place on earth. Occupying a strategic position between Italy and Libya on the one hand, and Gibraltar and ... Read More
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It’s not every day that a secret about the origins of our planet land on someone’s driveway. But that’s precisely what happened in March 2021 when a meteorite landed outside ... Read More
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Purifying silver takes skill. To remove the impurities, it must be held in the middle of the fire where the flames are the hottest. But timing is everything and close ... Read More
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As the people of Seoul mourn the loss of so many of their young people at Halloween questions are being asked. How could it have happened? Where were those in ... Read More
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In 1975 Britain’s economy was in trouble with inflation running at 20% and many major businesses struggling to stay afloat. An unpopular Conservative Prime Minister had lost the confidence of ... Read More
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These days we’re all on the lookout for ways to save money. No wonder then that the big supermarkets are each out to convince us that only they have the ... Read More
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Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as one of the most famous monarchs in history. Her long reign was characterised by duty and service and touched the lives of millions. ... Read More
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On 18th August refuse workers in the City of Edinburgh walked out in a dispute over pay. At a stroke all the rubbish being produced by 140,000 households across the city ... Read More
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Born amidst the horror of the 18th century slave trade Joseph Bologne’s life chances were not promising. Destined for a life of servitude on a plantation in Guadaloupe he instead grew ... Read More
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It has always been my opinion that the words ‘camping’ and ‘holiday’ don’t belong together in the same sentence. It was for this reason that many years ago when we ... Read More
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Since 1969 millions of passengers on London’s underground have heard the regular announcement that they should ‘mind the gap between the platform and the train.’ But for Margaret McCollum, this ... Read More
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It’s often said that football is like a religion and if we know anything about religion it’s that it stirs deep and passionate emotions. So, imagine the dismay that was ... Read More
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Queen Elizabeth once said this about the parable of the Good Samaritan: ‘The implication is clear. Everyone is our neighbour, no matter what race, creed or colour. The need to ... Read More
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The idea of Queen Elizabeth having tea with a cartoon bear might have been considered rather frivolous. Was it really appropriate for the nation’s sovereign to be seen pulling a ... Read More
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This weekend the nation will gather to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. While the world has changed out of all recognition, she has remained steadfast and consistent. ... Read More
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Regime change from the outside in doesn’t seem to have much to commend it. Western attempts to force such change in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya led to long drawn-out conflicts ... Read More
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For those of us who pray the Eurovision Song Contest is a lesson in perseverance. Since the beginning of the century the UK have begun each year with high hopes ... Read More
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For decades Russia’s biggest annual parade was the November 7th celebration of the October Revolution. In 1935 one of the invited guests was a 71-year-old textile worker. Sadly, she was too ... Read More
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The British film Operation Mincemeat tells the incredible true story of perhaps the greatest deception of the Second World War. In 1943 the Allies were planning to invade Sicily but ... Read More
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Drowning in debt and too proud to declare bankruptcy John Darwin decided there was only one thing left to do. He faked his own death and had his wife claim ... Read More
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Once again, the Oscars ceremony in 2022 will be remembered for something that shouldn’t have happened. Presenter Chris Rock made a joke at the expense of actor Will Smith’s wife. ... Read More
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One of the most distressing aspects of the war in Ukraine is the apparent blessing being given to it by some in the Russian Orthodox Church. When our religious beliefs ... Read More
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My first mobile phone was a Phillips Savvy. It had an aerial poking out of the top, a tiny screen and could store up to ten text messages. These days ... Read More
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If suffering is seen as the Achilles’ heel of Christianity, then justice poses a similar problem for atheism. Let me explain. Human beings have an innate sense of justice and ... Read More
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In his first response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine the Pope tweeted, ‘War is a failure of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil’. ... Read More
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As Vladimir Putin’s intentions towards Ukraine become ever clearer Russia has been accused of false flag attacks. These are when an aggressor stages an attack on its own soil which it ... Read More
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Jesus once explained that while “foxes have holes and birds have nests” he didn’t have a bed to sleep in. Well foxes still have holes, but human interference means that ... Read More
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On 2nd April 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. Three days later the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, resigned taking full responsibility for ... Read More
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In December 1934 an American missionary in China was on the verge of giving up. Just twenty-one years old he was living in poverty and feeling desperately lonely and isolated; ... Read More
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Recent research reveals that the grunts, bellows, squeals and “wheeze honks” made by hippos are not meaningless noises but the language they use to communicate. Scientists recorded the sounds and ... Read More
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The British Government is currently trying to pass a controversial piece of legislation: the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. In the latest instalment the bill has suffered several defeats ... Read More
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This week the Marble Arch Mound closed for the last time. Built to draw visitors back to a post-Covid London it never quite lived up to expectations. Costs spiralled from ... Read More
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I wonder how your New Year resolutions are going. As far as I can remember I’ve only ever made two. The first was when I was a child and my ... Read More
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“I was not lost and did not need to be rescued.” So said British adventurer Benedict Allen after being rescued from the jungle of Papua New Guinea. He had missed ... Read More
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By the Spring of 1621 only half of the Pilgrims who had arrived aboard the Mayflower were still alive, and their chances of survival seemed slim. But providence was on their ... Read More
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Writing in the 2nd century the physician Soranos lists the features of a new born child that determine whether it should live. Vigorous crying, sound limbs and organs, open orifices, and lively ... Read More
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COP26 has been billed as the last chance to make the decisions that will be necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change. From around the world twenty-five thousand world leaders and ... Read More
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In 1895 Annie Smith Peck succeeded in climbing the Matterhorn. This was a remarkable achievement. One of the highest and deadliest mountains in the Alps the Matterhorn hadn’t been conquered ... Read More
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When the gates of Chris Packham’s home were burnt down by masked men, he responded by saying ‘whoever you are, you burnt down the wrong gates. I cannot and will ... Read More
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‘Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage’. That’s the advice that single dad Benjamin gives to his son Dylan in the 2011 film We bought a Zoo. Struggling ... Read More
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It is often remarked that ‘God moves in mysterious ways’. The phrase originated in a famous 1773 poem by William Cowper entitled ‘Light Shining out of Darkness’. It was inspired ... Read More
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This week consumers in the UK are nervously holding their breath, waiting to see whether their power company goes bankrupt and their favourite fizzy drink disappears from the shelves. The ... Read More
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When Christian Eriksen walked out onto the pitch for Denmark’s game against Finland he was in the prime of his life. Or so he thought. But five minutes before half ... Read More
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David Attenborough has warned world leaders that we are “on the verge of destabilising the entire planet” unless urgent action is taken to limit climate change. Now like many people I take ... Read More
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It’s unlikely that anyone in the Cornish village of Carbis Bay missed preparations for the G7 summit in June 2021. With a population of slightly over 3,500 the village normally ... Read More
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The last words we say can leave a lasting legacy for those who follow. In Stephen Spielberg’s famous film ‘Saving Private Ryan’, Captain John Miller sacrifices his own life to rescue ... Read More
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I’ve sometimes wondered why the Very Hungry Caterpillar wasn’t given a name. Born on a Sunday he spends the first week of his life eating his way through everything he ... Read More
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In despair Viki Patel watched helplessly as the bespoke engagement ring slipped from his fiancée’s finger and sank to the bottom of Lake Windemere. After many postponements due to Covid ... Read More
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The story is told of a man who collected water each day from the local stream. He carried the water in two clay pots hung on a pole resting across ... Read More
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Many may question the wisdom of Prince Harry’s very public baring of his soul in recent weeks. But no one can deny the emotional agony he’s been through. In his ... Read More
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Michelangelo’s final sculpture remains unfinished. It depicts the moment when Jesus’s body is taken down from the cross and falls into the arms of his mother. At some point, however, ... Read More
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As Gary Lineker knows only too well sometimes its best just to wait and see. In 2015 his beloved Leicester City Football Club began their season with no one expecting ... Read More
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Forty days after His resurrection the Gospels record that Jesus ‘ascended into heaven’. But where exactly did he go? In the early 1960’s it was widely, but inaccurately, reported that the ... Read More
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When Halima Cissé fell pregnant she and her husband Kader were delighted at the prospect of another child as a brother or sister for their existing daughter. So, imagine their ... Read More
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There are some things in life which seem terribly unimportant… until they aren’t. Like the bolts I found at the back of a cupboard when we were moving house and ... Read More
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Where would we be without people like Superintendent Ted Hastings and his single-minded devotion to the law? Over six compelling seasons of the BBC drama, Line of Duty, we’ve become ... Read More
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For most of us parking at the supermarket is a means to an end. We need to get our food shop home and putting it in the car is the ... Read More
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Graffiti artist JonOne was upset to discover that his work of art had been vandalised. Painted before a live audience in Seoul in 2016 the piece covers a large wall ... Read More
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It has often been observed that football is like a religion. Fans follow clubs with adoration verging on worship and make great sacrifices of time and money to do so. ... Read More
The post It’s more than a game appeared first on Turn the Page.
With head bowed and heart broken the Queen cut a lonely figure at the funeral of her beloved husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. On a similar occasion the Bible tells ... Read More
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In his latest documentary David Attenborough gives a sobering assessment of our impact on the natural world. Human beings, he says, are ‘intruders’ and that the natural world would do ... Read More
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Following the death of His Royal Highness, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the UK and the nations of the Commonwealth are in a period of mourning. The focus for this sense ... Read More
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Sitting in the comfort of my home while I fill out the 2011 census, I’m feeling very grateful not to have lived two thousand years ago and conscious that the ... Read More
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The UK has recently passed the grim milestone of 125,000 deaths from Covid19. Every life lost was sacred and precious and each passing has been mourned. But during the same ... Read More
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On 13th October 2020 Dr Fabio Grandas was flying from St Marta to Guaymaral airport in Colombia. On board the light aircraft were his wife Mayerly, their baby Martin and his ... Read More
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This week nineteen-year-old ‘Angel’ was shot dead on the streets of Mandalay. She had been protesting against the military coup that has once again plunged the nation of Myanmar into ... Read More
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First there was Mr Potato Head. Then Mrs Potato Head. And now gender-neutral Potato Head! It’s a sure sign that we no longer think of our identity as something that ... Read More
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The story is told of a father who gave his daughter an old car as a graduation present. Before handing over the keys for good he instructed her to have ... Read More
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In an iconic scene from the film, Crocodile Dundee is walking through New York city with his girlfriend. Suddenly a mugger steps out with a knife demanding his wallet. Dundee ... Read More
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Here’s a thought for those of you who celebrated Valentine’s Day with a loved one – do the cards and gifts you received prove that you are loved? The short ... Read More
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A survey of 18 – 24-year olds revealed that a quarter thought marriage should be a temporary arrangement much like a mobile phone contract. It shows that like so many ... Read More
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Captivated by the personality of a lady he knew only from the comments she had written in the margin of a book, John Blanchard tracked her down and asked to ... Read More
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In the 1940s a professor of theology took his students on a tour of English sites of theological significance. Included on the tour was the home of John Wesley the ... Read More
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For decades the border between the Republic of Ireland and the North was the focus for a bitterly divided community. All that came to end with the signing of the ... Read More
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Some years ago a famous Christian speaker was invited to preach at a Baptist Church in northern China. For seventy years the church had endured unrelenting discrimination and persecution. They ... Read More
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This week a lost sheep walked down the lane past my house. I knew it was lost because it was on its own and I knew that wasn’t right – ... Read More
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Right about now James Howells must be wishing he could buy Newport Council’s landfill site. In 2009 he bought some bitcoins and stored them on his laptop’s hard drive. The ... Read More
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As Covid infections in the UK start to show a slight fall, government scientists have warned that deaths will continue to rise as they are already ‘baked in’. The coming ... Read More
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Like many others I’m enjoying David Attenborough’s new series ‘Perfect Planet’. Once again, I’m in wonder at the natural world and how finely balanced are the conditions that allow life ... Read More
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According to the ancient Greek myth, a curious Pandora opened a box letting out turmoil, strife, hatred and other evils. Too late she realises that there’s no way to put ... Read More
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Together with pandemic, lockdown and unprecedented, ‘you’re on mute’ is one of many words and phrases with which we’re now all too familiar. A year ago most of us had ... Read More
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In 2014 George Clooney wanted to give a gift to 14 of his closest friends who had supported him over the years. So he decided to invite them to dinner ... Read More
The post A Very Generous Gift appeared first on Turn the Page.
Unlike his predecessors Donald Trump is finding it rather difficult to concede defeat. On election night itself he declared himself the victor when that was still far from certain and ... Read More
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In the spring of 1994 Teresa Salvato took her violin to the music store to have it tuned. The violin had been given to her by her husband whose aunt ... Read More
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As the number of first-hand witnesses grows smaller with each passing year, we do well to remember the words of the poet Steve Turner: History repeats itself. Has to. No ... Read More
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In a move that will come as a huge relief to many the UK government has relented on its decision to ban the sale of take-away alcohol during lockdown. A ... Read More
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Once again France is reeling from terrorist attacks and the tragic loss of yet more lives. And once again President Macron has asserted that the values of the Republic, including ... Read More
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It’s easy to think that being a follower of Jesus is a serious business. I well remember as a child my mum warning me that the new vicar might ask ... Read More
The post Rock on Tommy! appeared first on Turn the Page.
Researching your family history can be a fascinating, if sometimes unsettling, experience. We love to discover where we’ve come from, hence the success of the TV series ‘Who do you ... Read More
The post Who do you think you are? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Running a marathon is gruelling enough at the best of times. So, spare a thought for Sally Orange who ran one 1000 feet below ground in a North Yorkshire mine. ... Read More
The post Beneath the Surface appeared first on Turn the Page.
As a second wave of Covid19 sweeps across the UK despair and frustration for many is growing. It can feel as if the very foundations on which we’ve built our ... Read More
The post Who will help? appeared first on Turn the Page.
I am praying for Donald Trump. Politics aside he is a precious human being made in the image of God. He has family and friends who love him dearly and ... Read More
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With the US Presidential election nearly upon us, Donald Trump’s tax returns have finally seen the light of day. On the surface it would appear that he hasn’t paid quite ... Read More
The post Paying what we owe appeared first on Turn the Page.
Being a university student in 2020 isn’t turning out to be much fun. With thousands already in lockdown and the spectre of not being able to return home for Christmas, ... Read More
The post Being a student appeared first on Turn the Page.
According to St Paul Jesus once said that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’. Without doubt they are words taken to heart by philanthropist Chuck Feeney. This ... Read More
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In the last week my two youngest kids have moved away from home. So, I’m feeling again the pain and loss that comes with being separated from those we love. ... Read More
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Driving home from dropping my son in Manchester I was expecting an easy journey home. But then I drove past a sign that read ‘M25 closed at Junction 15’. Since ... Read More
The post Unexpected Detours appeared first on Turn the Page.
Lots of people assume that the God of the Bible is always angry and vengeful. No wonder they don’t believe in him. The problem is that we think he gets ... Read More
The post Why does God get angry? appeared first on Turn the Page.
I recently sent a gift to a friend. I was able to track the delivery as the van made it way around the town where my friend lives. But while ... Read More
The post Tracking my delivery appeared first on Turn the Page.
This summer I was invited to attend a Speed Awareness Course! With some irony this was the result of lockdown. As the world slowed and the roads emptied a unique ... Read More
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During the summer months moths and bees are regular visitors to my bedroom. The moths are drawn to the brightness of my bedside light and bees have made a nest ... Read More
The post Are you a moth or a bee? appeared first on Turn the Page.
For two thousand years Christians have prayed ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’. But hang on a minute. Doesn’t that imply that ... Read More
The post Weak-willed God? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Johnny Depp’s current libel case reminds us how unpleasant it is when someone’s character and behaviour are misrepresented. Not many of us need a jury to decide the merits of ... Read More
The post That’s not me! appeared first on Turn the Page.
Fans of the Shakespearean-inspired comedy ‘Upstart Crow’ will be familiar with the exclamation ‘hang the futtock on’. It often comes at a moment when the playwright is struggling to find ... Read More
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It’s often supposed that the Bible is rather old-fashioned and irrelevant. So quite a surprise to discover that St Paul seemed more than familiar with Zoom calls. Speaking to a ... Read More
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A few years ago, a damp patch suddenly appeared in the middle of our lawn. Being me, I didn’t do anything about it and just hoped it would go away. ... Read More
The post A Stinky Problem appeared first on Turn the Page.
The reopening of hairdressers in England will come as a huge relief to many. Worrying about what to do with our hair has been one of the pressing issues of ... Read More
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It’s the oldest objection to God in the world, most recently expressed to me as follows: ‘God has watched while thousands have died during the pandemic; exactly as he did ... Read More
The post Why doesn’t God do something? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Since the beginning of lockdown, the UK government has racked up £300 billion in debt, providing extra resources for the NHS and furloughing millions of workers. I’m told that the ... Read More
The post Paying off debt appeared first on Turn the Page.
My father died from cancer when I was just a year old. I have no memory of him whatsoever, although for a year I must have heard his voice and ... Read More
The post Father’s Day appeared first on Turn the Page.
When Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in June 1944, they didn’t expect to meet much in the way of resistance. The biggest naval bombardment in history had been ... Read More
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Some years ago I found myself caught up in the aftermath of a bombing and subsequent rioting. Mindful of my safety my hosts wisely insisted that I should remain ‘locked ... Read More
The post Emerging from lockdown appeared first on Turn the Page.
I regularly see this picture with words, ‘There are 5,000 gods worshipped by humanity…. but only yours is right’. The accusation is that any religion that makes an exclusive claim ... Read More
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Divisions in society are probably as old as time itself. In the time of Jesus there were three fault lines that divided people from one another: Jew and Gentile, male ... Read More
The post All lives matter appeared first on Turn the Page.
As recent events in the UK have shown it can be one thing to pass a law and quite another to work out how it applies. This is not a ... Read More
The post The letter or the spirit appeared first on Turn the Page.
A British missionary arrived in Africa keen to share the Good News of Jesus. He hired local porters to carry his gear and set off into the jungle. After a ... Read More
The post Time to slow down appeared first on Turn the Page.
Internet speeds in my village are pretty glacial, so a free upgrade to Superfast Fibre Broadband just before lockdown seemed like good news. Sadly, the day arrived and the internet ... Read More
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At 11.01pm on 8th May 1945 the German surrender was signed, and Victory in Europe declared. People poured onto the streets, and from the balcony of Buckingham Palace the King and ... Read More
The post Securing the Peace appeared first on Turn the Page.
I keep seeing social media posts implying that Covid-19 demonstrates either God’s unwillingness or inability to deal with the current pandemic. Well the story of the Prodigal Son says otherwise. ... Read More
The post Who’s to blame? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Air travel in the 1960’s was a bit more exciting than it is now. Exciting if you didn’t mind being hijacked that is. Reluctant to cause hold-ups with check-in security, ... Read More
The post A Life Transformed appeared first on Turn the Page.
In 2007 Andrew Lloyd Webber was busily writing the score for a new musical. He recorded the music on his piano’s built-in computer. It was the only copy. So, quite ... Read More
The post (God’s) Love Never Dies appeared first on Turn the Page.
Heathrow Airport is rather quieter at the moment than it used to be. Probably rather like it was when it started life as the Great West Aerodrome in 1929 fourteen ... Read More
The post I wish I could start again appeared first on Turn the Page.
Growing up in Sussex I spent a lot of time at my aunt’s house. She liked to think she was quite posh and never missed an opportunity to teach us good ... Read More
The post Table Manners appeared first on Turn the Page.
It’s sometimes suggested that belief in Jesus and the resurrection is the same as belief in Father Christmas, or the Tooth Fairy. All are figments of human imagination, childish ideas ... Read More
The post Faith and Fairy Tales appeared first on Turn the Page.
Some years ago my daughter dropped her brand new iPhone down the toilet. At the time she was away at a concert in London. It was some time before she could ... Read More
The post I wish appeared first on Turn the Page.
Charting the lives of three thirty-something couples the ITV drama, Cold Feet quickly became a hit. Towards the end of series five all was finally coming together for the youngest ... Read More
The post It is finished appeared first on Turn the Page.
In about 1913 two politicians met at the Central Café in Vienna. They were discussing the likelihood of a Russian revolution. One looked across the room and said dismissively, “And ... Read More
The post An Unlikely Revolutionary appeared first on Turn the Page.
The Bible says that ‘God has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble’. Something rather extraordinary seems to have happened. Not so long ago our ... Read More
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In these days of lock-down we’re getting used to only making essential journeys. In order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus it has become essential that we stay in our ... Read More
The post Essential Travel appeared first on Turn the Page.
Mark’s Gospel introduces the life of Jesus with these words, ‘At that time’. But why that time? Why not a century earlier or later? Well Jesus was Good News and ... Read More
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Having nearly died from smallpox at the age of eight Edward Jenner went on to become a doctor. Smallpox was the scourge of the age in which he lived accounting ... Read More
The post We need a cow! appeared first on Turn the Page.
First performed in 1808, Beethoven’s 5th Symphony in C Minor is instantly recognisable from its iconic first four notes. It’s been copied in popular culture and repeated in disco versions, rock ... Read More
The post Don’t waste your isolation appeared first on Turn the Page.
This week I was one of the lucky ones. My visit to the supermarket happened to coincide with a fresh delivery of toilet rolls and my timing was perfect. Like ... Read More
The post Our selfish genes appeared first on Turn the Page.
We live in interesting times. Coronavirus is sweeping the world and for a short season at least changing the way we live. At the heart of our response is the ... Read More
The post Keep away! appeared first on Turn the Page.
Elected to office on 26th August 1978 Pope John Paul I suffered a heart-attack and died just 33 days later. At first the Vatican reported that his body had been discovered ... Read More
The post Ladies First appeared first on Turn the Page.
Until now James Bond’s smallest nemesis was probably Nick Nack in The Man with the Golden Gun. But now Coronavirus has got him. Well to be more precise his latest ... Read More
The post A Deadly Disease appeared first on Turn the Page.
Apart from election day itself, there’s no bigger date in the American electoral cycle than Super Tuesday. Across 14 states Americans go to the polls to vote for the candidate ... Read More
The post Super Tuesday appeared first on Turn the Page.
Viewed straight on the painting of Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Dominic doesn’t look quite right. The picture shows the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus on her knee, ... Read More
The post Proper Perspective appeared first on Turn the Page.
By rights Edward Bransfield ought to be a household name. Pressganged into the navy at the age of 18 he quickly rose to become a skilful navigator. So when merchant ... Read More
The post You discovered what? appeared first on Turn the Page.
The Biblical account of creation includes these lines, God said “Let us make mankind in our image, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and over all the creatures ... Read More
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A famous Christian of the 19th Century John Henry Newman, spoke of the journey of faith as an accumulation of probabilities that in the end led to certainty in the heart ... Read More
The post Prove that you love me appeared first on Turn the Page.
As storm Ciara clears the British Isles and the clean up begins, at least we can say we weren’t taken by surprise. She had a name and we were tracked ... Read More
The post We knew you were coming appeared first on Turn the Page.
Donald Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address was a lively affair. Addressing Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives, he began by ignoring the handshake offered by ... Read More
The post Designated Survivor appeared first on Turn the Page.
‘Breaking up is never easy I know, but this time I have to go!’ So sang ABBA in their hit song Knowing Me, Knowing You. Anyone who has ever been ... Read More
The post Breaking up is never easy appeared first on Turn the Page.
On 26th January 1982, at the age of 17, I decided to follow Jesus. Although I’d attended Church all my life, I found it all pretty boring and irrelevant. I took ... Read More
The post Born again appeared first on Turn the Page.
Donald Trump’s speech at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos left many observers stunned and despairing. In the face of compelling scientific evidence, he labelled climate change activists as ... Read More
The post Prophets of Doom appeared first on Turn the Page.
The mainstream media likes nothing more than to trumpet a story about the continuing decline of the church in Great Britain. To read such reports you would assume that a ... Read More
The post Terminal Decline? appeared first on Turn the Page.
In a letter written to the church at Thessalonica St Paul wrote these words, ‘Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so ... Read More
The post Hopeful grief appeared first on Turn the Page.
As usual the diplomatic language of the Palace was muted. The Queen was ‘hurt’ and ‘disappointed’ at the announcement from Prince Harry and Megan that they were stepping back as ... Read More
The post A Right Royal Dilemma appeared first on Turn the Page.
Henry Morrison and his wife were thrilled to see huge crowds and a band playing on the New York Harbour quayside. After 40 years of service on the mission field ... Read More
The post Welcome home! appeared first on Turn the Page.
To lose a child is every parent’s worse nightmare. Such was the experience of Nadim Ednan-Laperouse in 2016. He was flying to Nice on holiday with his daughter Natasha when ... Read More
The post From the realms of glory appeared first on Turn the Page.
Well I’m sorry to spoil all those lovely nativity plays but it turns out much of the story we tell is based on fake news. It’s more than likely that ... Read More
The post Fake News! appeared first on Turn the Page.
My sister-in-law, a professional musician, was married three days after Christmas. The Church was still beautifully decorated including a crib scene with real straw and knitted figures. But shortly before ... Read More
The post Jesus – the perfect fit appeared first on Turn the Page.
Speaking with remarkable foresight the President of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraphy Company, Mark Sullivan, gave this prophecy in 1953: ‘In its final development, the telephone will be carried about ... Read More
The post When predictions come true appeared first on Turn the Page.
Many years ago, my brother and sister were at Victoria station in London waiting for a train to Brighton. They sat on a bench watching the train on the platform ... Read More
The post Don’t get left behind appeared first on Turn the Page.
It’s thirty years since British engineer and scientist Tim Berners-Lee created the world wide web. Marking the anniversary, he’s called for a mid-course correction. In a telling indictment of human ... Read More
The post Mid-course correction appeared first on Turn the Page.
In May 2019 four drunk schoolboys went on a rampage and destroyed the life’s work of the Market Deeping Model Railway Club. In just a few minutes the £30,000 display ... Read More
The post Love that won’t let go appeared first on Turn the Page.
The next time you flush your loo spare a thought for the billions around the world who have don’t have that luxury. It’s a big problem leading to the deaths ... Read More
The post The problem of our waste appeared first on Turn the Page.
When I was growing up in the 1970’s there were essentially only two ways to contact someone you weren’t actually sitting next to. You could either write a letter and ... Read More
The post Making contact appeared first on Turn the Page.
The UK has just embarked on yet another general election. Once again, the airwaves are full of promises with political parties pledging to spend billions on education, healthcare, and housing. ... Read More
The post Those election promises appeared first on Turn the Page.
On 6th June 1964 General Eisenhower returned to Omaha Beach in Normandy. Twenty years earlier 2,000 men had lost their lives on the same beach securing it for the Allied ... Read More
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One of the loveliest things you notice about the life of Jesus, is how often he would stop a whole crowd of people to focus on just one person. Nearly ... Read More
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Aside from the fact that it’s a commercially driven enterprise earning millions of pounds for big business, it strikes me that there’s something deeper going on in our culture’s ever-expanding ... Read More
The post Living in the Shadows appeared first on Turn the Page.
Driving in Lahore is an experience not to be missed! The roads are crowded with cars, motorbikes, donkeys, tractors, tuk-tuks, trucks and buses, some of them roadworthy. Lines on roads ... Read More
The post Going against the flow appeared first on Turn the Page.
On 12th October 2019 yet another milestone in human achievement was passed as Eliud Kipchoge became the first person in the world to run a marathon in under two hours. Before ... Read More
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As with all the best stories it’s often the very moment when all hope seems to be lost when the clouds part and the sun breaks through once more. With ... Read More
The post Will they or won’t they? appeared first on Turn the Page.
A few weeks ago I injured my back lifting Jesus onto the cross. Clearly this wasn’t the real thing but a dramatized re-enactment. Somehow with just a director, a cast ... Read More
The post Strength in weakness appeared first on Turn the Page.
I’m ending the month of September by paying a speeding fine incurred while on holiday in France over the summer. Up until 6th May 2017 I could have left this particular ... Read More
The post Leaving sins behind appeared first on Turn the Page.
This week Chinese social media influencer Lisa Li has been called out by her landlord for the contrast between her online life how she actually lives at home. With over ... Read More
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These days there’s no excuse for oversleeping. You can set an alarm on your phone or bedside clock or even arrange for the phone to ring with a wakeup call. ... Read More
The post Why we still needs ‘knocker uppers’ appeared first on Turn the Page.
I remember many years ago the agonising pain of being in a relationship that had broken down. There was nothing I could do to restore it. Then one day I ... Read More
The post And Peter appeared first on Turn the Page.
Speaking about the security arrangements for the latest artwork installation at Blenhiem Place, Edward Spencer-Churchill declared, ‘It’s not going to be the easiest thing to nick.’ Sadly, he was proved ... Read More
The post Working for a cleaner world appeared first on Turn the Page.
Police Scotland recently tweeted, “September is preparedness month. Emergencies can happen at any time and it’s recommended to have a #GrabBag ready containing essential items including medication, copies of important documents, ... Read More
The post Jesus is my GrabBag appeared first on Turn the Page.
In a famous parable explaining God’s love for the world, Jesus told a story about two brothers, the younger of whom rejects his father, demands his inheritance early and then ... Read More
The post Prodigal Son or Prodigal God? appeared first on Turn the Page.
This week I bought a rice cooker in preparation for my youngest daughter leaving home to begin her gap year in London. The outside of the box boasts about the ... Read More
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I’ve never been a huge fan of visiting the dentist. Ten years at boarding school eating too many sweets took their toll. My teenage years were spent having countless fillings, ... Read More
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Sooner or later every loving parent discovers that caring for children leads to backache. This is for the simple reason that our children are smaller than we are and that ... Read More
The post Signs of love – backache appeared first on Turn the Page.
My son and I were playing Monopoly on the decking outside our holiday home, when a gust of wind picked up The Strand property card and dropped it neatly through ... Read More
The post Worth saving? appeared first on Turn the Page.
As a child I fancied myself as a bit of an escape artist, but sadly with not much success. My brother records one occasion on which I asked to be ... Read More
The post Not so Harry Houdini appeared first on Turn the Page.
“We choose to go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that challenge is one that we are ... Read More
The post The cost of communication appeared first on Turn the Page.
On 6thJuly 2019 seven female students were awarded their degrees in medicine by the University of Edinburgh. Nothing unremarkable about that you might think, but the degrees were posthumous and ... Read More
The post The power of vocation appeared first on Turn the Page.
The English crowd roared with delight as Ellen White tapped in the pass from Beth Mead that levelled the score against their world cup semi-final opponents the USA. But the ... Read More
The post That offside rule appeared first on Turn the Page.
For those of us who can’t wait to find out what happens next, the advent of streaming and the ability to binge watch our favourite TV series, has been a ... Read More
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When I was a child accessing information generally meant either a visit to the library, and several hours spent trawling through an assortment of books, or finding someone who knew ... Read More
The post Forget Siri and Alexa appeared first on Turn the Page.
Of all the bromances that might be imagined, there is perhaps none so unlikely as the one that seems to be growing between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. This week ... Read More
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I thought I’d impress my new friend with one of my travel stories. I told him of the time I flew into Cali, Colombia only to discover that my suitcase ... Read More
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Following the successful D-Day landings the British 22ndArmoured Brigade were racing to take the town of Caen. Pausing before the final push, they got out of their tanks to brew ... Read More
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While General Eisenhower masterminded the D-Day landings, he himself gave the credit for their success to someone you’ve probably never hear of, Andrew Higgins. Higgins wasn’t a soldier but a ... Read More
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Following his conversion in 1888 a young William Leslie felt called to become a medical missionary. He went first to Angola and then in 1912 moved to Vanga in a ... Read More
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Published in Philadelphia in 1810 The Mirror of Taste magazine carried the following report,‘A young fellow threw his hat into the ring and followed, when the lame umpire called out ... Read More
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One day Jordan Rogers was a care worker living in a council house and struggling to make ends meet. The next day he was Lord of the Manor having unexpectedly ... Read More
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In the mid-1990’s Christie’s auction house in London sent out their latest recruit to undertake his first valuation. Smartly dressed in a three-piece suit and carrying a leather briefcase he ... Read More
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Some lucky customers at the Hawksmoor restaurant in Manchester had an unexpected surprise when the waiter accidentally served them the wrong wine. They had ordered a bottle of Bordeaux for ... Read More
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‘I genuinely think that science does not rule out the existence of a creator.’ So said renowned British physicist Brian Cox in a recent interview with Russell Brand. He went ... Read More
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You might want to celebrate with your friends If you ever find a 20p dated 2017. While in a normal year the Royal Mint produces millions of them, in that ... Read More
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During the Russian communist era an attempt was made to improve workers’ productivity by abandoning the Biblical ideal of working for six days and resting on the seventh. The assumption ... Read More
The post All play and no rest… appeared first on Turn the Page.
In about 1913 two politicians met at the Central Café in Vienna. Discussing the likelihood of a Russian revolution one looked across the room and said, “And who’s going to ... Read More
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As many a president and prime minister will attest, a career that begins on a wave of popular support doesn’t always end that way. In 1979 Margaret Thatcher was swept ... Read More
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Sandwiched between a coffee shop and a pub near St James’s Park tube station in London, stands an unremarkable looking building. With a plain black door and frosted glass windows ... Read More
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Some weeks ago my email account was hacked. The hacker sent dozens of emails from my account all of which bounced and rapidly filled up my inbox. In the course ... Read More
The post Spam filter for the mind appeared first on Turn the Page.
Marking two weeks since the shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation. Thrust into the global spotlight she has shown herself to be a remarkable leader, combining ... Read More
The post Why the world needs more extremists appeared first on Turn the Page.
On the day that the UK was meant to be securing its freedom from the EU, chaos and confusion continue to reign. This week one newspaper seemed to plumb new ... Read More
The post Finding the freedom that matters appeared first on Turn the Page.
As a nine-year-old boy the future Archbishop of Cape Down, Desmond Tutu, had an experience that changed his life forever. He was walking along the street with his mother when ... Read More
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While most of us will be familiar with the phrase ‘going the extra mile’, it seems to be one that has passed by our local water company. They recently came ... Read More
The post Going the extra mile appeared first on Turn the Page.
Once again, the world is stunned by the horrific events that unfolded in Christchurch, New Zealand, last week; and once again I’m reminded of the wise words spoken by a ... Read More
The post My brother’s keeper appeared first on Turn the Page.
A few years ago some friends of mine travelled to Colombia to help with the refurbishment of a children’s centre in one of the poorest districts in the city. But ... Read More
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There are many reasons why I could never be an atheist. Here’s one of them. Imagine if you will two laptops advertised for sale. They’re identical in every respect apart ... Read More
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A few years ago I was treated to membership at a local country club. Entering reception for the first time I remember being warmly greeted by the receptionist, and shown ... Read More
The post No pain no gain appeared first on Turn the Page.
I’ll never forget the day my school celebrated it’s 125thanniversary. There was much excitement because in honour of the occasion we were to be visited by the Duke and Duchess ... Read More
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I once went to visit a friend at university. At the time she was sharing a house with four male students. I’ll never forget walking into the kitchen and being greeted by ... Read More
The post Does anyone care about the mess? appeared first on Turn the Page.
I sometimes come across the view that religion is damaging for human beings and should be removed from the world. There are some who would go so far as to ... Read More
The post Is religion good for your health? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Beloved of car owners around the world the very first Haynes Manual was published in 1966. Its author John Haynes had developed an early passion for cars, missing rugby at ... Read More
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Valentine’s Day is big business. In 2017 the UK alone splashed out nearly £1 billion on celebrating love. As humans we long to love and be loved. Sadly, our longing ... Read More
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This week Donald Tusk caused a storm by wondering aloud about the special place in hell reserved for those who campaigned for Brexit. Now while Donald may be relishing the ... Read More
The post A special place in hell? appeared first on Turn the Page.
It’s a commonly held assumption that all religions are just different ways to God. After all, why should the claims of one religion take precedence over all the others? ... Read More
The post The way, the truth and the life appeared first on Turn the Page.
The British adventurer Ernest Shackleton once placed the following newspaper advert: ‘Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and ... Read More
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For several years my family and I took our summer holiday in the small village of Nethy Bridge in the Scottish Highlands. We would often drive through the forest and ... Read More
The post Making sense of our lives appeared first on Turn the Page.
Lying mortally wounded on an Afghan battlefield, Lance Corporal John List felt his life ebbing away. But he had reckoned without the courage and dedication of Able Seaman Kate Nesbitt, ... Read More
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In an attempt to get us eating more healthily the British Nutrition Foundation has devised a new way for us to measure out our food. Rather than using scales or ... Read More
The post The food in our hands appeared first on Turn the Page.
Some years ago I went through a very difficult time. I felt as if the very foundations on which I had built my security and identity were crumbling away. In ... Read More
The post When the foundations crumble appeared first on Turn the Page.
Some years ago, I was TV channel-hopping, when I came across a programme in which three middle-aged men were attempting to crush a caravan by firing old cars into a ... Read More
The post Are we really running out of time? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Standing in the rubble of his ruined nation, the ancient scribe Ezra, read aloud the Book of God’s laws. Too late they had discovered that abandoning God’s laws doesn’t lead ... Read More
The post The laws that lead to our freedom appeared first on Turn the Page.
‘It’s going to be so much fun giving it away.’ So said Frances Connolly reflecting on the £115m fortune she has just won on the EuroMillions lottery. Her husband added, ... Read More
The post Giving is so much fun! appeared first on Turn the Page.
NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft is the size of a grand piano. On a mission to unlock the secrets of how our solar system was formed it has travelled 6.5 billion ... Read More
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Celebrities who travel the world often send ahead a long list of ‘riders’ – detailed instructions on how they expect to be treated on arrival. For example, it’s reported that ... Read More
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The story is told of a poor widow who lived on the Balmoral Estate during the time of Queen Victoria. Falling into poverty after the death of her husband she ... Read More
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Without a hint of irony, the president of the Sark Chamber of Commerce heaped praise in his island’s electricity company. He said that they had been ‘nothing but generous especially ... Read More
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It’s that time of year when millions of us are planning journeys to be with the people we love at Christmas. But just how far would you be willing to ... Read More
The post The things we do for love appeared first on Turn the Page.
Well I’ll say this for my satnav – it’s taken me to places I’d never have seen without it. In the old days if I wanted to get from A ... Read More
The post Following where my satnav leads appeared first on Turn the Page.
At a recent climate change conference David Attenborough told world leaders, ‘Time is running out. The continuation of civilisations and the natural world is in your hands.’ Now like ... Read More
The post A climate of despair? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Had Thomas Brinley renewed a patent he might have become very rich and very famous. It was 1961 and he had invented the world’s first digital timepiece. He took out ... Read More
The post The danger of giving up too soon appeared first on Turn the Page.
Given my fear of heights the last place I’d ever be found is walking along the latest Chinese tourist attraction – a skywalk in East Taihang province. Perched over a ... Read More
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It appears that John Allen Chau lost his life attempting to bring the Good News of Jesus to a remote tribe on North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean. Why ... Read More
The post In memory of John Allen Chau appeared first on Turn the Page.
No doubt your inbox has been as full as mine has this week with exciting Black Friday deals from every retailer you’ve ever placed an order with, as well as ... Read More
The post Black Friday Bargains appeared first on Turn the Page.
You probably won’t have noticed but the kilogram isn’t quite what it used to be. Since 1889 the perfect platinum-based kilogram, known as Le Grand K, has been held in ... Read More
The post When a kilo isn’t a kilo appeared first on Turn the Page.
Sometimes being rich doesn’t guarantee you everything you want. Sometimes you need to be tall as well. Tom Cruise is famous for playing the action hero in the Mission Impossible ... Read More
The post When being small isn’t a problem appeared first on Turn the Page.
The poet Steve Turner once penned these lines: History repeats itself. Has to. No one listens. One hundred years ago the guns finally fell silent on the Western ... Read More
The post A war to end all wars? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Near the main entrance of Westminster Abbey lies The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Brought from the battlefield of the Western Front and buried ‘amongst the kings’ this unknown soldier ... Read More
The post Greater love hath no man than this appeared first on Turn the Page.
As a parent I’ve discovered over the years that there’s no surer way of provoking cries of ‘It’s not fair!’ from my children, than when I appear to favour one ... Read More
The post Does God show favouritism? appeared first on Turn the Page.
On 1stNovember 1995 my wife and I went to bed secure in the knowledge that the due date for the birth of our first child was not for another 12 ... Read More
The post Taken by surprise appeared first on Turn the Page.
A recent survey revealed that a quarter of 18 – 24-year olds think that marriage should be a temporary contract much like the ones we have for our mobile phones. ... Read More
The post Till death us do part? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Named after the flag flown by ships preparing to set sail, the British children’s TV programme Blue Peter has certainly lived up to its name, taking generations of children on ... Read More
The post And now for something completely different appeared first on Turn the Page.
About a year after the financial crash of 2008 a friend sent me a cheque for £1,000. They had very nearly lost the money in a bank that came close ... Read More
The post Investing in eternity appeared first on Turn the Page.
This week the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Ashers’ Bakery in Northern Ireland. Responding to the judgement Gareth Lee, who originally sued the company on grounds of discrimination, ... Read More
The post No Mr Lee, you’re a first-class citizen appeared first on Turn the Page.
On 19thSeptember 1970 some 1500 people gathered in a field near Shepton Mallet in Somerset for a new music festival called ‘Pop, Folk and Blues’. They had paid the grand ... Read More
The post From small beginnings appeared first on Turn the Page.
Defying the urge for self-preservation history records the names of those ordinary people who sacrificed their own lives in order to save others: #aliceayres #johnrobertfox #vincentcoleman #arlandwilliams #elizabethcoghlam and #richardrescorla ... Read More
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Think of Japan and it’s hard not to think of numerous inventions that have spread across the world: from the Sony Walkman, to the bullet train, to laptops and karaoke, ... Read More
The post The nourishing power of instant noodles appeared first on Turn the Page.
New research in 2018 has discovered that bombs dropped during the Second World War were so large that they had an impact in the upper atmosphere up to 1,000km above ... Read More
The post Shockwaves in heavenly places appeared first on Turn the Page.
In an attempt to prove that ‘normal people can do unusual things’ amateur rower, Duncan Hutchinson, decided to row across the Atlantic from New York to his home town of ... Read More
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The family had spent 9 months planning a trip to Barcelona. It had been a complicated business because their foster children were refugees from a war-torn North African nation and endless ... Read More
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On-line comments sometimes make for interesting reading. Take for example the comment posted by one Dr Montague underneath a YouTube video of a famous evangelist speaking on the subject ‘What is ... Read More
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This week on the Great British Bake Off it was bread week, and contestant Karen proudly presented her showstopper to the judges. It looked like a triumph with Paul Hollywood ... Read More
The post The proof of the pudding appeared first on Turn the Page.
‘You are a liar. You will never be on a court of mine as long as you live. When are you going to give me my apology? Say you are ... Read More
The post Outbursts in Court appeared first on Turn the Page.
Having once broken my glasses by walking into a pillar while reading a text, I was interested to read that a government transport advisor has suggested placing road signs at ... Read More
The post Lift up your eyes appeared first on Turn the Page.
I recently returned to the village where I lived when I bought my first mobile phone nearly 20 years ago. A lot has changed in the world of communication since ... Read More
The post Advances in communication? appeared first on Turn the Page.
In an iconic scene from the film ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’, travelling companions Neal Page and Del Griffith are attempting to drive from St Louis to Chicago, when Del spins ... Read More
The post You’re going the wrong way! appeared first on Turn the Page.
Think of British Motor racing and the names of famous racing drivers quickly come to mind: Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, James Hunt and Lewis Hamilton to name but ... Read More
The post Unlikely birthplaces appeared first on Turn the Page.
When my children were younger they would often begin a conversation with the following question, ‘How much do you love me?’ I quickly learned that this enquiry was not a ... Read More
The post How much do you love me? appeared first on Turn the Page.
It turns out that in the world of emojis there are winners and losers. Of the nearly 3,000 to choose from, amongst the winners are those that feature hearts or ... Read More
The post Love your emoji as yourself appeared first on Turn the Page.
On 26thJuly 2018 pioneering aviator Mary Ellis passed away at her home on the Isle of Wight at the age of 101. Speaking on her 100thbirthday she declared that of ... Read More
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In moments of despair and desperation words of hope can make the difference between life and death. Recognising this simple truth led teenager Paige Hunter to attach messages of hope ... Read More
The post Hope in times of despair appeared first on Turn the Page.
It’s a curious thing but the most successful music compilation album in the world, now in its 35thyear, took its name from a 1930’s advert for Danish eggs and bacon. ... Read More
The post Now That’s What I Call Music! appeared first on Turn the Page.
For Novak Djokovic yesterday’s win at the Wimbledon Men’s Singles final was the sweetest of victories. But that wasn’t because he’d earned himself another £2.25m in prize money, nor because ... Read More
The post The Father’s Heart appeared first on Turn the Page.
Given everything else going on the world the rise of a new President of Ethiopia in January 2018 went largely unnoticed. But under his leadership a country, once synonymous with ... Read More
The post Loving our neighbours appeared first on Turn the Page.
With the England football team through to the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, it seems that their manager can do no wrong. In ... Read More
The post What Would Southgate Do? appeared first on Turn the Page.
I’m not sure that the National Health Service has a strapline, but if it did it might well be, ‘We Welcome Strangers’, because while we think of ourselves as ‘patients’ ... Read More
The post Happy Birthday National Health Service! appeared first on Turn the Page.
On the 23rdMay 2014 the Glasgow School of Art was devasted by a fire started by a small canister of expanding foam. Opened in 1909 and regarded as the masterwork ... Read More
The post Love that will not let go appeared first on Turn the Page.
‘We cannot tolerate more attacks on our cultural heritage.’ So said a despairing official from Spain’s art conservation association, following yet another botched attempt by an amateur to restore a ... Read More
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They say that if it seems too good to be true then it probably is. But that didn’t stop hundreds of people in Florida paying almost a hundred dollars a ... Read More
The post Too good to be true appeared first on Turn the Page.
The incredible true story is told of a woman who was put up for adoption as a baby, and then spent years in later life trying to trace her father ... Read More
The post Nearer home than you might imagine appeared first on Turn the Page.
Given Russia’s recent Communist past I suppose that it’s entirely possible that the planners behind one of the stadiums hosting World Cup matches in 2018, were unaware of a parable ... Read More
The post That sinking feeling appeared first on Turn the Page.
We sometimes begin a journey quite sure of our destination, only to have something throw us off course and lead us in a completely different direction. Take Dorothy for example ... Read More
The post Not what we expected appeared first on Turn the Page.
The last words we say can leave a lasting legacy for those who follow. In Stephen Spielberg’s famous film ‘Saving Private Ryan’, Captain John Miller sacrifices his own life to ... Read More
The post The legacy of last words appeared first on Turn the Page.
It turns out that we’re really not as good as we think we are. Ask most people if they think that they’re a ‘good person’ and the majority are likely ... Read More
The post The Great Veggie Heist appeared first on Turn the Page.
Now dubbed the ‘Spiderman of the 18th’ Mamoudou Gassama was a passer-by when he noticed from a 4thfloor Paris balcony a child dangling by his fingertips, poised to drop to ... Read More
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Some words of comfort from the prophet Jonah, for goalkeeper Loris Karius, after the catastrophic errors that led to Liverpool’s defeat in the Champions League final on 26thMay 2018. No ... Read More
The post No way back? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Setting out from Independence, Missouri in the mid-nineteenth century, early American settlers faced a 700-mile journey, fraught with danger and uncertainty, before they could reach the new life they longed ... Read More
The post Don’t settle too soon appeared first on Turn the Page.
It’s estimated that nearly 2 billion people watched the marriage of Prince Harry and Megan Markle on Saturday 19thMay 2018. Over 100,000 gathered in the streets of Windsor to watch the ... Read More
The post The Great Invitation appeared first on Turn the Page.
Tomorrow millions of people around the world will be watching as Prince Harry and Megan Markle marry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. But while we rejoice in their marriage, the ... Read More
The post Why it won’t last forever appeared first on Turn the Page.
While she may not have scored many points, the British entry to the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest will be forever remembered as the singer who was interrupted half way through ... Read More
The post Unwelcome interruptions appeared first on Turn the Page.
Forty days after His resurrection the Gospels record that Jesus ‘ascended into heaven’. But where exactly did he go? In the early 1960’s it was widely, but inaccurately, reported ... Read More
The post Where did he go? appeared first on Turn the Page.
No matter how good or long the story there comes a point in every show when the curtains close for the last time. The actors have taken their final bow ... Read More
The post Never Ending Story appeared first on Turn the Page.
‘It is monstrous to be told that you have a heart as sinful as the common wretches that crawl on the earth. This is highly offensive and insulting; and I ... Read More
The post Outraged of Buckingham appeared first on Turn the Page.
In the 2018 semi-final of the BBC series Masterchef, one of the judges, John Torode, was moved to tears over the apple crumble produced by contestant David Crichton. Welling up ... Read More
The post Moved to tears appeared first on Turn the Page.
In a move that rather took students by surprise the authorities at Pennsylvania State University decreed that the 98-year old Outing Club, which organised outdoor activities for students, was to ... Read More
The post Health and Safety appeared first on Turn the Page.
Lost in the crowds at yesterday’s London Marathon was one Kathrine Switzer. Unnoticed today that wasn’t the case when she ran the Boston Marathon in 1967. At the time it ... Read More
The post Breaking through barriers appeared first on Turn the Page.
There’s no real doubt that Jesus lived 2.000 years ago – even celebrated atheist Richard Dawkins is happy to concede as much. So, the question is not so much ‘Did ... Read More
The post Who moved the stone? appeared first on Turn the Page.
Elected to office on 26th August 1978 Pope John Paul I suffered a heart-attack and died just 33 days later. It was initially reported by the Vatican that his body ... Read More
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Growing up in Sussex I spent a lot of time at my aunt and uncle’s house. My aunt liked to think she was quite posh and never missed an opportunity ... Read More
The post Table Manners appeared first on Turn the Page.
During a rather misspent childhood I have to confess to a period of my life when I regularly stole things that were not mine, sometimes from friends and sometimes from ... Read More
The post Fearless thieves? appeared first on Turn the Page.
In 1919 the Commonwealth Government of Australia offered a prize for the first person to fly from Great Britain to Australia. The prize could only be claimed if the journey ... Read More
The post Seventeen Hours appeared first on Turn the Page.
“He gave his life for strangers. He must have known that he didn’t really have a chance.” So said the brother of Arnaud Beltrame, the French police officer who helped ... Read More
The post Greater Love appeared first on Turn the Page.
The 1999 book ‘First, Break All the Rules’ with the catchy subtitle ‘What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently’ explored how to stop good employees from leaving a company. Based ... Read More
The post Employee satisfaction appeared first on Turn the Page.
I’ll always remember the day of my daughter’s first solo walk to primary school. She had been asking for weeks, but we, imagining all sorts of terrible dangers along the ... Read More
The post Independence Day appeared first on Turn the Page.
Disappointing news this week for lovers of Chinese takeaway food, as in the UK the campaign group Action on Salt announced that its survey of 150 dishes revealed that most ... Read More
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‘You could be the greatest, you could be the best, you can be the King Kong banging on your chest.’ With those whispered words from the Irish band The Script, ... Read More
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Until recently ‘cherry-picking’ was a phrase I only ever heard occasionally. But since the UK started negotiating its exit from the European Union it’s become a phrase in almost daily ... Read More
The post Cherry-picking appeared first on Turn the Page.
On the first day of Spring 2018 some 13,000 claims were made to one UK car insurer following a spate of accidents. Unseasonably cold weather had gripped the country, much ... Read More
The post Don’t worry, I’ll be OK appeared first on Turn the Page.
On a typical day there are some 76,000 flights across the United States of America. But on 14th September 2001 there was just one aircraft in the air. All other ... Read More
The post When hope is required appeared first on Turn the Page.
Flemish artist Sir Peter Paul Rubens wasn’t joking when he wrote in 1621, ‘I confess that I am better fitted to execute very large works than small curiosities.’ There is ... Read More
The post A pain in the neck appeared first on Turn the Page.
On Wednesday 21st February 2018 and at the wonderful age of 99 years, the great American evangelist Billy Graham died. Within hours the following quote of his went viral on ... Read More
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It’s a long way to go between drinks but on 12th February 2018 motoring adventurer Ben Coombs pulled up for a pint of beer at a bar in Tierra del ... Read More
The post The Journey and the Destination appeared first on Turn the Page.
‘You were running a good race. Who cut in on you?’ This could well have been the question asked of Elise Christie following her heart-breaking exit from the 2018 Olympic ... Read More
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With depressing regularity I watch TV adverts from companies promising superfast Broadband, only to discover that the service is not yet available in our area. It’s one of the few ... Read More
The post Delivering on a Promise appeared first on Turn the Page.
So that we could get our Christmas Tree into the lounge this year, I had to move an armchair into my study. Since it was there I started to use ... Read More
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In November 2017 Belgian performance artist Mikes Poppe attached himself to a chain buried deep inside an enormous block of marble and set about chiselling himself free. For Poppe the ... Read More
The post Failure to Escape appeared first on Turn the Page.
Modern living can sometimes seem like a long succession of races in which we are always trying to beat our neighbour to some goal or other – whether it be ... Read More
The post Race to the Son appeared first on Turn the Page.
Growing up in the 1940’s Ingvar Kamprad struggled with dyslexia. As a reward for trying hard at school his father gave him a gift of money and he used it ... Read More
The post Carpenters who changed the world appeared first on Turn the Page.
The story is told of two soldiers who decided as a prank to smuggle a goat into their barracks. Foreseeing a potential flaw in the plan one of the soldiers ... Read More
The post Missing the point appeared first on Turn the Page.
As the boat pulled away from the harbour, the guide turned to the guests on deck and said, ‘If you want to see what you’ve come to see, then look ... Read More
The post Look for the disturbance appeared first on Turn the Page.
There’s nothing my daughter and I enjoy more than watching a good detective story on TV. The only problem is she can’t wait until the end to discover who committed ... Read More
The post How does it end? appeared first on Turn the Page.
In recent years lists of the people “Most likely to…’ have become very popular. It’s now an established feature for high school students approaching the end of their courses to ... Read More
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In a bid to accelerate the take up of credit cards in the 1950’s the Bank of America hit upon the idea of sending an unsolicited card to every one ... Read More
The post Dumping Credit appeared first on Turn the Page.
Over the last few weeks most of will have heard the Christmas carol, Silent Night, which includes the repeated line ‘Sleep in heavenly peace’. So, it’s ironic that it’s at ... Read More
The post I need to sleep appeared first on Turn the Page.
Prince Charles was born on 14th November 1948. At birth his official title was His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh, a title that changed on 26th July 1968 to ... Read More
The post Born a King appeared first on Turn the Page.
‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ is one of the warnings I remember from childhood. It was something about not getting too friendly with staff at my boarding school and thereby losing respect ... Read More
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Many of us will have spent the past few weeks deciding what to give as gifts this Christmas. Undoubtedly the most thought will have been given to those that we ... Read More
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In the UK, its’ widely known that everyone hates Brussels sprouts. Many of us have childhood memories of forcing down the over-cooked and bitter-tasting vegetables at Christmas – an unwelcome ... Read More
The post We all hate Brussels sprouts appeared first on Turn the Page.
In the UK cars over three years old must pass an annual test to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy. The test covers 20 different aspects of the car and ... Read More
The post The Problem with Self-assessment appeared first on Turn the Page.
It was 10pm and my youngest daughter called me to say that she was on her way home from a party in London. The only problem was that, like Cinderella, ... Read More
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In CS Lewis’s famous tale. ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to live with an eccentric professor in order to ... Read More
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“I was not lost and did not need to be rescued.” So said British adventurer Benedict Allen after being rescued from the jungle of Papua New Guinea. He had missed ... Read More
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In a few weeks’ time the top of our dining table will once again emerge to serve it’s intended purpose as a place to eat. This only happens on Christmas ... Read More
The post Filling the Void appeared first on Turn the Page.
Writing in the 2nd century the physician Soranos lists the features of a new born child that determine whether it should live. Vigorous crying, sound limbs and organs, open orifices, ... Read More
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Five hundred years ago the world was a very different place. Much of it was ruled by the Holy Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church, monoliths of power and ... Read More
The post The courage of conviction appeared first on Turn the Page.
I sometimes suspect that the Christians I meet are more like estate agents than they are homeowners. Like a good estate agent, they know everything there is to know about ... Read More
The post It’s time to move in appeared first on Turn the Page.
9-11 After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared early on Sunday morning to Mary Magdalene, whom he had delivered from seven demons. She went to his former companions, now weeping and ... Read More
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