a visit

 

 

it was only a training session

 

 

 

It was only a training session. A last minute change for a pre-season friendly cancelled for Covid-19 , but how good did it feel to be back amongst our Villa family!

 

So many lives have been lost to this horrible virus. We mourn for those bereft. We salute the workers of the NHS for their enduring courage, compassion and dedication. We salute those who kept our country running in the worst health crisis in living memory - the shop-workers, the tradesmen, the taxi-drivers, the bin-men and so many more. And we salute the brilliant scientists who have delivered in record time the vaccine that provides us all with a life-line.

 

And now, for one brief moment we come together. It was only a training session. But we embraced life and the hope of normality to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the story of a tree

 

Once there was a tree, planted to commemorate the arrival of a new life to this world. And it grew and it grew.

It grew so big it went over the wall to the churchyard next door. Each year it blossomed. Then the rain poured down and the wind whipped a gale. The tree split. Its roots began to rise from the ground.

  

Poor tree. It had to come down before it fell. One man climbed up, higher and higher into the branches. Ropes were attached and the chain-saw ripped into life.

 

 

 

The team of men sweated in the blistering heat as they worked on. Branches were cut, slender boughs shredded.

They worked until the tree was down and the next day we lifted heavy trunk rings across the churchyard wall. The stump-grinder came . We dug out the roots and planted another tree.

The old wood will not be wasted. A young man came round to chop it into logs. It will keep us warm as we wait for the new tree to grow.

easter reflections

The daffodils are dying as the primroses come to full bloom. And so the world turns again. Except this Easter it feels very different. The roads are deserted, the fields are quiet and empty. Silent but for the chirping of birds.

For many of us Easter is a time for reflection and this year more so than ever. There are many unanswered questions ...

Is there a God?

If so, where is God in all this?

Why am I here?

What happens when I die?

There are no easy answers, whether or not you are a person of faith. It is, however, an opportunity to pause and reflect on the meaning of life.


This post is dedicated to the memory of my friend and former work colleague, Philip Tillman. He died on 8th April of Covid-19, just short of the retirement he was so looking forward to.