Day Off Week 29

Nice day off Tuesday. There was some cofee, a little walking and some TV but the main thing was reading this excellent book by Dan Peters on distinct communion with the different persons of the Trinity.

Day Off Week 27 2026

Slighty odd day in some ways. I had hay fever all day, which can happen even though I take an antihistamine every day throughout the season. I spent the morning cataloguing books in LibraryThing (I took loadsto the Evangelical Library on Monday). Eleri was home until lunch time then going out so we had our main meal at lunch time (salmon). Because of the hay fever I didn't feel like walking the Thames and then two books I ordered weeks back arrived so I decided to go to Caffe Nero, West Hampstead, and sit in the air conditioning, reading them both which I did (only 60 pages each). Very helpful but I got quite depressed after and so after watching the news I headed for bed.

Day Off Week 26 2026

I carried on with my Thames walk on Tuesday, although things didn't turn out quite the way I planned. I got the Jubilee line down to Canary Wharf, where I had a coffee in a Black Sheep cafe. I then headed for the path but at that point the Thames makes a big loop and so you can get to it in three directions. I'm not sure what I did but by the time I eventually got to the path I was quite a way on and so I walked back, eventually getting to Island Gardens DLR, where I headed home. I notice that at a certain point references to the Thames Path are replaced by ones for Riverside Walk. By then I had walked well over 12,000 steps in the heat (although there were breezes to be fair). As for the rest of my day off, I did some reading (a book on Spurgeon and the Sabbath which I'd almost completed the day before and a chunk of Owen on Gospel Evidences of Saving Faith). I also had a nap so I was awake for the England game against Ghana - a rather boring nil-nil draw.

Day Off Week 25 2026

Yesterday I started back on my walk along the Thames Path. I went down to Wapping overground station to get near the start of my next section and had a coffee in the Urban Baristas coffee shop there. I then walked over old ground and onto new as far as Canary Wharf where I managed to find a Jubilee station thanks to the help of two young ladies bent onthe same quest. One was a Nigerian Brit student and the other an Iraqi German visiting her. Nice chat. During the day I sarted reading The Voices of Pompeii on kindle and in the evening watched lots of TV. Lovely weather.

Day Off Week 20 2026

There were a few thigs to be done first thing but once they were sorted I could focus on reading. There was time too for a coffee out and a bt of TV but it was mostly reading.

Day Off Week 18 2026

We haven't had a formal day off for a while but we tried to have one last Tuesday. There were a few things that needed to be dealt with but otherwise there was time for reading, coffee and to receive a parcel of books by Benjamin Beddome, vry kindly sent by someon eno longer needing them. In the evening I drove up to The Stables, Milton Keynes, to catch Focus on their latest tour. Bed by midnight.

Day Off Week 9 2026

On my day off last Tuesday I headed down to Westminster and walked another two sections of the Thames path. It was all very interesting and included New Scotand Yard, the Savoy, Cleoatra's needle, Tyndale, Raikes, etc. I ended near the Savoy and walked upfrom there to the STrand where I hada coffee in Caffe Nero, reading this new biography of Pascal that I have agreed to introduce at the enxt Theological Study Group at the Pastors Academy. In the evening we watched a recording of last week's The Apprentice.

Day Off Week 4 2026

It was a typical reading day yesterday. I carried on reading Nick Wallis's book on the Post Office scandal on my kindle and, over coffee, completed Ian Shaw's excellent on book on Christians and slavery which is highly recommended (more on that later). (I did have a day off the Tuesday before too when I finished Caleb Morrell's A light on the hill - more about that anon). In the evening we went to the cinema to see Hamnet. The film is about Shakespeare's family life. The first part of the film, set almost exclusively in Stratford, is okay but nothing special. (It also includes an unhelpful and unnecessary scene be warned). It is in the latter part of the film when the focus switches to London and the famous play that things take off and we are presented with a very moving and interesting sidelight on things. While taking the bare facts Maggie O'Farrell has used a her imagination to well to present a compelling drama. Ended the day with a bit of TV including the News.

Day Off Week 38 2025

I

t was back to the more traditional day off on Tuesday as my wife had to work. In the evening I had a church officers meeting so the length of the day was truncated. I sill had time to read a little book o the fascinating Josiah Wedgwood, most of an art book on Seascapes and a little book on Lust by Flavel. I also did some work on this blog and my sermon blog and had a coffee out.

Day Off Week 37 2025

This week was a bit different as my wife, Eleri, has a new regime where she doesn't usually work on Tuesdays and so the first half of the day I was with her. We drove over to Highgate but were unable to park there at first and so we went to Kenwood House for a cuppa and them went to see the current art exhibition called double vision. Kenwood has a Vermeer, the Guitar Player. It turns out there is a copy of this in Philadelphia and they are currently showing the two together. Quite interesting. In Highgate later we had a little look at the shops and I left a pile of books at Oxfam, which I was also able to do last week in West Hampstead. The rest of the day was mopstly reading (a book on Landscapes, a short biography of James Brindley, a travelogue by Shackleton, a book on the Irish famine and a little book onanger byRichard Baxter) and TV and some episodes of the Likely Lads. Good day.

It's back!

Little known fact - my coffee machine has been bust for some time and I have been relying on the aeropresse. However, my third son had the vision to get a repair organised and rallied the troops to sort it. We found a place in Bridgend (Cortile) who dealt with it (at a price it must be said) and yesterday my wife brought it back from there. Good to have it back.

Day Off Week 36 2025

I haven't had a formal day off in a while as I've been holidaying and spending time with family and so it hasn't been necessary. OnTuesday, however, I put in my jeans and trainers and had a typical day off reading, buying cheese (Normandy Tomme) and drinking coffee. Should have done more walking. Had lunch in Pret a manger. There were one or two othe things too. I read most of John Mark Comer's disappointing book Practicing the way as that is the book chosen for the next Pastors Academy Reading Group. More on that some other time.

Day Off Week 28 2025

Another day off last Tuesday. Main things was reading the Tim Dieppe book, very interesting, and one or two other things. I also listened to some editions of More or Less from the Radio 4 archive, something I haven't done in a while. Also had a chipotle and a coffee.

Day Off Week 27 2025

Most of yesterday's day off went on reading this lovely book about maps by Simon Garfield. I read half of it. Got out for a coffee and a bite to eat too. Very hot. We have someone staying and we had a nice meal with them in the garden. Also took some more books to a charity shop and bought a new notebook and pen from Rymans.

Two Days Off Week 26 2025

It's rare but I went for the two days off the beginning of this week and I think that was wise. I did have my regular meeting with my assistant and an hour with one of my deacons and looked over my sermons for next Sunday but it was mostly just reading. I finished the nice Wind in the Willows I had for my birthday and the book on encyclopedias I had for Father's Day plus one of my art books on Arcimboldo ) a re=read) and a little bit of another Hugh Martin book. We had a visitor here on Monday night and I watched some cricket with him (something I almost never do) on Tuesday night Eleri and I watched a bit of TV. I went out for a coffee at some point but didn't do the walking I should have.

Day Off Week 25 2025

Back to something more regular yesterday. It was very sunny. I did a bit of walking first and had a coffee. I am still reading Hugh Martin's The abdubg presence icked up at the conference and finding it brilliant. I also read a good chunk of the Simon Garfield book which I bought with my Waterstone's token up on Finchley Road. Also bought some cheese to mention on my cheese blog (brunost, which I'd never heard of- also bought some cambozola, which I like). Watched some tv in the eveening.

Day Off Week 20 2025

Much more of a traditional day off this week. It was very sunny so I put on my summer t-shirt and enjoyed myself. Oddly I didn't do much walking but I did go out for a coffee and did some tidying up here. I also read a good chunk of Mere Christianity which I've never read. Also two more amazing chapters of David Copperfield. Almost at the end now. There was also some work on the computer getting ready for Sunday, etc.

Day Off Week 14 2025

It's a week ago now but I did have a nice day off on April 1 not caught out by any pranks. I've now reached page 745 of David Copperfield so the end is in sight. Also had a nice walk and a coffee and watched Univeristy Challenge from the day before which I had missed because of a meeting with the architect. We also watched the last of the interesting drama based on the story of Ruth Ellis. Also a bit of research for apaper I have to give next month.

Day Off Week 11 2025

I began my walk but once again deviated after havinga  coffee and found it hard to do all my steps but got there eventually. till very slowly reading David Copperfield. I am enjoying it but it is so long. I also started watchinga  Swedish TV drama. In the evening my niece Charlie was with us. She is doing the Flourish course at the seminary. I ended up serving the evening meal as Eleri was late home. We have had someone else staying here but justin and out. God day.

Day Off Week 9 2025

We travelled last week to South Wales but this week it was back to a more traditional day off. I did my walk in the rain, although I again deviated from the indtended path. I ready a large chunk of David Copperfield - still a long way to go. I caught up on the Univeristy Challenge from the day before and in the evening we watched the final two episodes of the latest Unforgotten. There was also work on a project for next week.