Rugby World Cup 2023 Week 3

Wales have been the first to qualify for the quarter finals with their brilliant win over Australia last week, an amazing 40-6 win. They haven't really put a foot wrong so far and like the other home nations are looking good too. There is one more group game (v Georgia) on October 7. We are likely to play Argentina after that.

10 desserts

1. Apple crumble
2. Bakewell tart
3. Banoffee pie
4. Eccles cakes
5. Eton Mess
6. Eve's pudding
7. Rice pudding
8. Spotted dick
9. Trifle
10. Victoria sponge

10 deserts

1 Sahara (Subtropical; N W Africa)

2 Great Australian (Subtropical; Australia)

3 Arabian Desert (Subtropical; W Asia)

4 Gobi (Cold winter; E Asia in China and Mongolia)

5 Kalahari (Subtropical;S Africa, Botswana, Namibia)

6 Patagonian (Cold winter;S America, Argentina)

7 Chihuahuan (Subtropical; Mexico and USA)

8 Namib (Cool coastal; Africa, Angola, Namibia and South Africa)

9 Atacama (Mild coastal; S, America, Chile and Peru)

10 Mojave (Subtropical; USA)

Calvin's Sermons on Titus

Up at the Pastors Academy on Monday for the reading group. The book this time was the recent translation of Calvin's sermons on Titus, published by Banner (by Robert White). About ten of us met to discuss the book, led by Phil Heaps. We agreed that these were excellent and apposite sermons for their time though not without their flaws and idiosyncracies. Next time (January) we plan to look at Matthew Robertson's book Pride.

Lord's Day September 24 2023

It was quite an unusual day in Childs Hill last Loed's Day. First I was not preaching in the morning. My assistant Eddie Webster preached on Haggai 1, the beginning of a new series. God stuff. Then in the afternoon the Korean church that meets in our building in the afternoons had arranged a concert featuring the flautist Michelle Choi. We were warmly invited and so a number of us went. I love the flute and this was music of the highest quality. She is a very sincere Christian and she took opportunity to speak of Robert Jermain Thomas and faith in Christ before playing (disarmed me rather as I'm ambivalent about Sunday afternoon concerts). We were sumptuously fed afterwards with good Korean food. Then in the evening I preached on 1 John 2:12-14. We just crept up to double figures in the evening and we were around 40 in the morning. Good day.

Midweek Meeting September 20 2023

Our numbes were slightly down last Wednesday with eight present (plus three or four online). We looked at another psalm - 87. Great stuff. We had a good period of prayer. Nearly everyone in the room prayed

Rugby World Cup 2023 Week 2

Rather late with this but just to note that Wales have won their second game, this time against Portugal. Good score (28-8) though not an easy watch. I also saw New Zealand thrash Namibia (71-3). England beat Japan and Fiji beat Australia, a good omen for Wales perhaps.

Day Off Week 38 2023

Nice day off this week. Fairly typical in its make up, although there was some blogging and one or two other things as well as a trip to the dentist for a check up but I read a large chunk of R C Sproul's Hard Sayings and an art book featuring the unique Arcimboldo, a sort of surrealist before his time. I also spent some time in West Hampstead. I checked out the butcher and delicatessen and got a present for my son's birthday and some fancy cheese for the cheese blog (Aarewasser). Also went to Chipotle for lunch and picked up a second hand book (a book of essays by Primo Levi Other people's trades).

Lord's Day September 17 2023

What a full day it was last Lord's Day!  We haptised two people in the morning service and that was followed by a lovely fellowship meal together. It was Eleri's birthday and someon had made an aamzing cake for her. We all sang happy birthday. I preached on Acts 22:16. In the evening there was communion and we welcomed oour newly baptised friends into membership. Then Eddie Webster, our new assistant, preached an excellent sermon on Mephibosheth from 2 Samuel 9. Great day.

West Kilburn Baptist Induction

The deacons ask their new pastor vital questions (Can you spot the back of my head?)

It was great to be at West Kilburn Baptist Church recently for the induction of their new pastor, Steve Palframan. WKBC is an FIEC church now but CHBC would have been in the same NW grop of LBA churches back in the day. I have known the previous two pastors (Peter Law and especially Paul Pease before him). The induction included a church rededication. Also taking part were Paul Wells, who Steve knows from his previous church in Liverpool and Bob Cain from Flitwick who served as moderator when WKBC were without a pastor. The preacher was Yannick Christos-Wahab of Stockwell Baptist Church who preached well from Psalm 96. It was good to see a few familiar faces, including Welshman James Sercombe. Tasty African style food to follow. We wish the church well as this new chapter begins.

10 Bute Park Animal Sculptures

Click to enlarge

One of the features of Cardiff City Centre is a series of animal sculptures on the wall of Bute Park. There are 15 altogether (a lioness, two lions, raccoons and baboons are the others). It now stands to the west of the entrance to Cardiff Castle, having been moved from its original position in front of the castle in 1922 when the road was widened. The design for the wall was conceived by William Burges, architect to the third Marquess of Bute, during Burges's reconstruction of the castle in the 1860s, but it was not executed until the late 1880s/early 1890s. This work, which included the original nine animal sculptures, all undertaken by Burges's favourite sculptor, Thomas Nicholls, was carried out under the direction of William Frame, who had previously assisted Burges at both Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch. When the wall was moved, the fourth Marquess commissioned Alexander Carrick to carve a further six sculptures to sit on the extended wall which now fronted Bute Park in 1931. The Animal Wall is a Grade I listed structure. Above the top five are by Nicholls, the bottom five by Carrick. The animals were originally painted in naturalistic colours, although this paintwork deteriorated rapidly, and was subsequently removed.

Midweek Meeting September 13 2023

We had our second in person midweek meeting on Wednesday. The numbers were very similar. We've bought an omnidirectional mic, which helps those online. We didn't project on to the wall this time. Of course, switching things on is important with any electrical gear, which we eventually did. We were looking at Psam 63. A good prayer time followed. Previous to the meeting there had been a funeral in the chapel. One of our oldest members died recently. He was patriarch of a large London Nigerian family. I preached on Psalm 23.

Day Off Week 37

Lots of traditional elements in the latest day off - reading (read most of a book on Welsh wonders that I bought in the summer - fascinating), looking at an art book (Alfred Sisley this time; interesting but how many landscapes can you do?), bought some Manchego cheese as I explore that world (turns out it is made with sheep's milk), a coffee in Costa, a bit of TV in the evening (Inheritance on Channel 5). However, my first tasks of the day were letting of a mini-fumigator in our bedroom (we have a dog) and getting some keys cut as I have lost the ones I had. There is a completley automated key cutter nearby. I just thought I'm sure it was on the same day that I read the obituary of Mike Yarwood in The Times (two impressionists then, with Sisley!).

10 British Kings Not Born In England

Henries, National Portrait Gallery; George, Workshop of Godfrey Kneller,
All Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

1. William I (and II) - Falaise, Normandy
2. Henry II - Le Mans, Maine
3. Richard II - Bordeaux, Aquitaine
4. Edward II - Caernarfon, Gwynedd
5. Henry V - Monmouth
6. Henry VII - Pembroke
7. James I - Edinburgh
8. Charles I - Dunfermline
9. William III - The Hague, Holland
10. George I (and II) - Hanover, HRE

(Also, Stephen - Blois, Edward IV - Rouen, Normandy)

Rugby World Cup 2023 Week 1

So the rugby world cup is off to a flying start. For various reasosn I haven't seen much of ot. However, hats off to England for a perfectly handled opening match against Argentina and well done Wales for beating Fiji, currently ranked above us. It looks unlikely that Wales will prgress beyond the quarters but with strength in depth who knows. Good to hear that the soccer team is back to winning ways too with a 2-0 victory over Latvia.