I’ve been working on a bit about the beautiful little church of St Gregory’s Minster in Kirkdale, N. Yorkshire. Situated at the bottom of a valley, with a beck running around the churchyard, this building dates from around 1060. We know that, because the man who rebuilt it, Orm Gamalson, had a sundial made which you can still see in the porch. The inscription is in Old English and reads: ‘Orm Gamal’s son bought St.
Justine Toh:The world is burning. Who can convince the comfortable classes of the radical sacrifices needed? From the Guardian, an article on the importance of Simone Weil and how her example could help us all to live a more sacrificial life. It’s a well-written article, which strangely manages to almost entirely avoid mentioning her faith. It’s written by someone from the Centre for Public Christianity, so it’s a bit surprising that it doesn’t make Weil’s faith a bit more… er… public.
Sam Kriss, The internet is already over Not sure I entirely agree, but the power of the writing is irresistible at times. Like this nugget: Online is not where people meaningfully express themselves; that still happens in the remaining scraps of the nonnetworked world. It’s a parcel of time you give over to the machine. Make the motions, chant its dusty liturgy. The newest apps even literalise this: everyone has to post a selfie at exactly the same time, an inaudible call to prayer ringing out across the world.
And last week another on my ‘must do’ train trip lists: the train from Fort William to Mallaig. Starting early on a misty, cloudy morning and travelling through into bright sunlight. This, I think, is the most beautiful trainline I have ever travelled. It runs through mountain passes, across wide river valleys, along the side of lochs and eventually along the coast to the small port of Mallaig.1 Utterly stunning.
A few days ago we made a trip on the Settle to Carlisle railway line, a journey I’ve been wanting to travel on for years. It doesn’t disappoint, taking you across the famous Ribblehead viaduct and through some glorious North Yorkshire and Cumberland countryside. The station at Settle, like many others along the way, was almost like a stage set; a perfect vintage station, painted cream and black-cherry crimson. And in the background, the glorious dales.
I’ve been writing a chapter on the wonderful micro-cathedral of St Michael with St Mary, Melbourne, Derbyshire. It’s like they took Durham Cathedral and miniaturised it. And also revising a chapter on the very ancient church of St Martin, Canterbury. And I paid a visit to Southwark Cathedral.
I’m currently writing – or trying to write – a book about old British churches. Who built them, how they built them and why people should go and see them. This week I finished chapters on three churches: Earls Barton with its amazing tower, and the two churches in Deerhurst, Gloucestershire, St Mary’s and Odda’s Chapel. The problem I have is that it’s hard to find the words to do them justice.
Well, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Nick Page and I’m a writer based in Oxfordshire, England. I’ve written quite a lot of books. I’m here for a number of reasons. First, for some time I’ve been disinvesting in the mainstream social media. I deleted my Facebook account years ago, and I gave up Twitter before it was fashionable. (Heavily influenced by Jaron Lanier.) Second, for a writer and podcaster it helps to have some form of online presence.