In an attempt to get us eating more healthily the British Nutrition Foundation has devised a new way for us to measure out our food. Rather than using scales or just guessing, they suggest that we measure portion sizes by using our hands, thumbs and fists.   In a famous episode from the Gospels Jesus was confronted with a hungry … Read More

Some years ago I went through a very difficult time. I felt as if the very foundations on which I had built my security and identity were crumbling away. In my desperation I reached out to things that I thought would help me, only to find that they sank with me. In the end I discovered the truth of some … Read More

Some years ago, I was TV channel-hopping, when I came across a programme in which three middle-aged men were attempting to crush a caravan by firing old cars into a quarry. It was, of course, Top Gear, and the show went on to bring its presenters fame and fortune. But what will be their legacy?   In a recent interview … Read More

Standing in the rubble of his ruined nation, the ancient scribe Ezra, read aloud the Book of God’s laws. Too late they had discovered that abandoning God’s laws doesn’t lead to the freedom we hope it will.   We would do well to remember this as we survey the chaos and confusion of our current 21stcentury culture. Like removing the … Read More

‘It’s going to be so much fun giving it away.’ So said Frances Connolly reflecting on the £115m fortune she has just won on the EuroMillions lottery. Her husband added, ‘Money doesn’t bring you happiness. We already had happiness and were very blessed in life.’ The couple have already drawn up a list of 50 people with whom they want … Read More

NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft is the size of a grand piano. On a mission to unlock the secrets of how our solar system was formed it has travelled 6.5 billion kilometres from earth. This week it flew by its latest objective Ultima Thule, a frozen lump of rock just 21 miles long. It’s a stunning achievement for human ingenuity and … Read More

Celebrities who travel the world often send ahead a long list of ‘riders’ – detailed instructions on how they expect to be treated on arrival. For example, it’s reported that Cher once insisted on a separate dressing room for her wigs, and Christina Aguilera asked for vitamin-C tablets in the shape of characters from TV show The Flintstones.   These … Read More

The story is told of a poor widow who lived on the Balmoral Estate during the time of Queen Victoria. Falling into poverty after the death of her husband she found herself struggling to survive and fell behind with her rent. One evening there was a knock at her door, and fearing it was the debt collectors she didn’t answer. … Read More

Without a hint of irony, the president of the Sark Chamber of Commerce heaped praise in his island’s electricity company. He said that they had been ‘nothing but generous especially in the light of what has been going on in the last few weeks.’ He was referring to the fact that the island had come within days of having no … Read More

It’s that time of year when millions of us are planning journeys to be with the people we love at Christmas. But just how far would you be willing to go to be with your loved ones?   In 1965 Australian Reg Spiers, penniless and desperate to return home from London in time for his daughter’s birthday, had a friend … Read More