Apologies for the lack of posts in the last couple of weeks. We have been blessed with a glut of fruit and veg, which has needed to be picked and, in some cases, chopped and frozen. Katherine & I have also had a few days' holiday. Anyway, hopefully back to normal now.
We didn't go away for a break, but took a number of days out from home. We're still pretty new to this area, and there's so much to see on our doorstep. Here is a view of Tintern Abbey, one of the places we visited. It's situated in a beautiful spot, on the banks of the River Wye. Equally stunning, albeit a bit further away, is Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, which we also visited, returning - inevitably - with some of the cheese which has brought such fame to this little village.
Gloucester Cathedral was another destination - a short bus ride away. It is a truly magnificent building, and well worth a visit. Just outside its gates is a memorial to its most celebrated bishop. John Hooper, who was burned at the stake for his Christian faith in 1555.
These days out have brought home to me what a marvellous country we live in - blessed with so much beautiful scenery and steeped in history. It is such a shame that such a great country has had to suffer such lousy politicians these days. One tries to forget politics during a holiday, but it is hard to contemplate our national heritage without being reminded of how it has been eroded in recent years. It seems that politicians in all three main parties are ashamed of what has made us great. As I contemplated some of these ancient monuments and our glorious countryside, I could not but hope and pray that before long a new generation will arise with a greater sense of pride in what our nation once was and a determination that we can once again stand tall - free from the clutches of the EU, the inefficiency of the bloated state and the horrors of political correctness.
Thanks to the Reformation, Tintern Abbey has outlived its use, and now only survives as a picturesque ruin. However, the nation state, along with the Anglo-American tradition of limited accountable government, is nowhere near its sell-by date, being as relevant today as it ever was.
We didn't go away for a break, but took a number of days out from home. We're still pretty new to this area, and there's so much to see on our doorstep. Here is a view of Tintern Abbey, one of the places we visited. It's situated in a beautiful spot, on the banks of the River Wye. Equally stunning, albeit a bit further away, is Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, which we also visited, returning - inevitably - with some of the cheese which has brought such fame to this little village.
Gloucester Cathedral was another destination - a short bus ride away. It is a truly magnificent building, and well worth a visit. Just outside its gates is a memorial to its most celebrated bishop. John Hooper, who was burned at the stake for his Christian faith in 1555.
These days out have brought home to me what a marvellous country we live in - blessed with so much beautiful scenery and steeped in history. It is such a shame that such a great country has had to suffer such lousy politicians these days. One tries to forget politics during a holiday, but it is hard to contemplate our national heritage without being reminded of how it has been eroded in recent years. It seems that politicians in all three main parties are ashamed of what has made us great. As I contemplated some of these ancient monuments and our glorious countryside, I could not but hope and pray that before long a new generation will arise with a greater sense of pride in what our nation once was and a determination that we can once again stand tall - free from the clutches of the EU, the inefficiency of the bloated state and the horrors of political correctness.
Thanks to the Reformation, Tintern Abbey has outlived its use, and now only survives as a picturesque ruin. However, the nation state, along with the Anglo-American tradition of limited accountable government, is nowhere near its sell-by date, being as relevant today as it ever was.