Creative Writing
This section includes a variety of types of my less academic writing:
The Other Diagonal - with pictures text only
In 2014 I cycled from Cape Wrath in Sutherland to Broadstairs in Kent – this is the length of the island of Britain from north-west to south-east – the “other diagonal” in contrast to the more popular John O’ Groats to Lands End diagonal. I kept a diary and took photographs and you can download as the resulting travelogue with and without pictures.
A Memoir of my first visit to St Petersburg in 1992 and the return visit of two Russian doctors the next year. This describes one person's experience of an extraordinary time in history as well as the start of a partnership which was active for 15 years and whose participants are still in touch (for which reason this text although unpublished also appears in my academic works)
Personal Pleasures
Inspired by the book with that title by the late Dame Rose Macaulay this is a collection of short reflections on the pleasures of life, as explained in the Introduction
1.Gardening 2. Being in a Garden 3. Sunflowers 4. Knitting
5. Blackberrrying 6 Churchgoing 7. Having a Dog 8. Cycling
9. Markets 10. Boating 11. Singing 12, Clouds
13. Musical Theatre 14. Potting 15. Silence 16. Cooking
17 Harping 18 Christmas Decorations
Life in Avignon
Since 2012 we have spent a third of year year in Avignon, and I have written accounts of various aspects of the life and culture of that part of France. Ultimately this may make a book, but meanwhile here are the chapters written so far:
Christmas in Provence Easter in Provence Summer in Provence Owning a flat (and garage) in Avignon
Diary of an involuntary anchorite
A diary kept during Covid lockdown, musing on our experience in the light of the life of medieval anchorites. This is the third edition and includes a sermon on responding to plague given just before lockdown, some pieces written afterwards. and other additional material .
Another output from this was a talk for Loretta's anniversary 2023 on "Travelling out and travelling in"
A short story inspired by finding a rather sad daffodil one cold March day - illustrated by my friend Nicky Lord
A reflection on the war in Ukraine written for the newsletter of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in 2023
Coming Soon
Lent at St Anselm’s - A tale of music, mystery, and vegetarian cookery in a cathedral city.
My first attempt at a full length work of fiction
Meatless meals for Lent
Edited by me but including contributions from a large number of people