Bee-eaters are nesting in Norfolk, and black-winged stilts at Potteric Carr in South Yorkshire. “These bee-eaters are certainly the most colourful and exciting birds you can see in the UK right now,” said Mark Thomas of the RSPB. “While an incredible sight, we mustn’t forget that the arrival of these birds to our shores is due to changes to our climate and subsequent pressures on wildlife both here and across the globe”…
The Church of England used money made from the “abominable” slave trade to help pay the incomes of poor clergy in the 18th century. Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, said today that he was “deeply sorry for the links with transatlantic chattel slavery”. Church leaders are becoming quite adept at apologising, as well they should. Unfortunately, nowhere in the Bible is slavery condemned. The creator of the universe evidently saw nothing wrong with buying, selling, owning and chastising slaves.
When slavery is mentioned in the Old Testament, it’s generally to offer advice to masters about the practicalities of slave-ownership. “You may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way” (Leviticus 25:44-46).
Licenced today: a dog’s-eye view of Windermere from Brant Fell. It’s one of the first pix I uploaded to Alamy, and one of the first to make a sale. That editorial sale, back in 2008, was for $554.39. Today, in contrast, I’m ‘benefitting’ to the tune of just $10.04…
Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser, Lord Geidt, has dramatically resigned after being grilled by MSs earlier this week about whether the prime minister broke the ministerial code over Partygate. The resignation came as quite a surprise to me. I mean, who knew the PM had an ethics adviser?
Licensed today: an Iceland delivery van full of Turkey Twizzlers...
There’s a wise old saying, “never drink in a flat-roofed pub”: advice which I foolishly ignored yesterday. I had a beer at the Vikings, part of the Hungry Horse chain of crap pubs, in the suburbs of Goole. It was the only place open on a Monday which would be showing the cricket, so I watched the only boring session of a very exciting match. My foolishness extended to ordering a plate of nachos, slathered in glutinous sauces, which, in due course, my stomach rejected with the speed and ferocity of a scathing, one-star review on TripAdvisor.
Licenced today: not a Hungry Horse... but the Wild Boar Inn, near Bowness…
Narrowboats moored on the Springs Branch of the canal, which continues beneath the ramparts of Skipton Castle...
A hired narrowboat on its return, yesterday, to the canal basin in Skipton...
Licenced today: the ferry from Ardrossan, approaching the quay at Brodick, Isle of Arran… and passengers on the CalMac ferry between Ullapool and Stornoway…
