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A year ago, our vicarage Wi-Fi started failing. The router had grown tired, and the signal wouldn’t reach my study. I just needed a new router. Simple, right? Not at all. Vodafone told me I had to switch to “full fibre” to get one — something I didn’t need. Then they said full fibre wasn’t available. Could I just get a new router for my current connection? No. Could I buy one? No. In the end, I had to switch providers. The new router worked perfectly on the same line, but onl

If you were around in 1983, you might remember some of the must-have gadgets of the day: the fax machine, the Betamax video recorder, the Commodore 64. Most of them now gather dust in lofts and charity shops, long out of date. But not everything ages badly. Some things remain as sharp today as when they first appeared. One of those, oddly enough, is the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” It’s a global hit now, but it was written from a place of pain. Annie Lennox

I was tempted to begin with a spoiler warning, but honestly… Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade . came out on 1989, if you haven't seen it by now, that’s on you. At the film’s climax, Indy and the films baddies Elsa and Walter Donovan finally reach the Holy Grail. Before him: a long stone table covered with dazzling cups — golden chalices, jewelled goblets, ornate vessels of every kind. And among them, almost hidden, sits a simple wooden cup. Elsa and Walter , dazzled by the

As you probably know, I like to preach from the Bible, but today I want to start somewhere a bit different: a song that doesn’t always get the theological attention it deserves — Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne. He was a boy, She was a girl, Can I make it any more obvious? He was a punk, She did ballet, What more can I say? …He was a skater boy, She said, "See you later, boy", He wasn't good enough for her For me, this song is pure nostalgia — the soundtrack to the end of my sixt

There’s a song I’ve always found myself coming back to when I’ve wandered off spiritually — Bryan Adams’ Back to You . There’s a line in it that’s always stuck with me: “Like a star that guides a ship across the ocean.” It’s a beautiful image. When sailors were far from land, surrounded by shifting waves and unpredictable winds, they didn’t rely on their own instincts to get home. They looked up. The stars gave them something fixed — something trustworthy — to steer by. I thi

I wonder if you have ever read Emma by Jane Austen, or seen one of the TV adaptations. I haven’t — but I have seen Clueless , which...

London is quite busy. That was one of the first things I noticed when I got off the train at Euston Station at 8:20am on my first day as...

There’s a famous scene in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). The Joker bursts into Bruce Wayne’s home, threatens his guests, and Bruce suddenly...

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding…She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with...

I haven’t watched Snakes on a Plane , but the title gives the plot away. Imagine venomous snakes slithering into the cockpit: the pilot’s...

There are some things in life you can dip in and out of without much thought. Take streaming subscriptions. During Covid I signed up to...

One of my favourite films is Hot Fuzz . If you haven’t seen it, it’s a spoof cop buddy film. A super-serious London police officer,...

Leamington Hastings is more than just a collection of stone, stained glass, and memorials. It is a place where history, human tension,...

A Legend with a Deeper Echo I’ve been rewatching the 2006 adaptation of Robin Hood lately — yes, I know it’s not exactly new anymore —...

Based on a sermon Karen Hatch , Licensed Lay Minister for the Draycote and Leam Valley Benefice preached at St Leonards Birdingbury and...

What Flecknoe and Grandborough Taught Me About Church There’s a story I love. A young girl is learning to cook a ham with her mum. Her...

As we begin our journey through the histories of the eight parishes that make up the Draycote and Leam Valley Benefice, I want to...

I wonder if you’ve ever had that experience of being served in a shop by someone who’s taking your money while also having an in-depth...

A few years ago, I came across a book that still makes me smile whenever I dip back into it. It’s called Watching the English by...

A blog post based on our Lay Reader, Karen Hatch's sermon on 6/07/2025 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we...