An article I wrote, based on my doctoral research, kindly published in 'Faith & Worship', Trinity 2018. It's about the birth of English Protestantism, and the relationship between a Reformed liturgy, almsgiving, & the deep foundations of our Welfare State: scribd.com/document/40057963…

Visiting friends in Hong Kong - Sunday hike up High Junk Peak, overlooking the city and harbour. Evensong at St John's Cathedral later.

Today the church architect made his Quinquennial Inspection of @LiverpoolParish, a great excuse to climb the tower spiral staircase, up to some glorious views of the Mersey.

I've prayed for years for a new settlement for Adult Social Care, which is eating up local government budgets; and an end to the precarious young paying for Triple Locked pensions. Maybe, just maybe, it was in my Liverpool parish that a tide turned, today: nursingtimes.net/policies-an…

Fairford Church has some of the best and most complete medieval stained glass in the country, including a Last Judgement. Perhaps the arrested men will turn out to be Betjeman fans, touring churches - like those Russians who went to Salisbury to admire the famous Cathedral spire.

My dad's 80th Memento Mori

Today's inaugural voyage of the new Mersey Ferry, built in our local shipyard,was heralded as a triumph of devolution as a policy. I was delighted to bless her. As a frequent visitor to the Hebrides, I couldn't help but recall Scotland's ferries' troubles: lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n18/…

Great to be at the launch today of Merseyside’s new ferry, The Royal Daffodil. Over 50 years since my first ferry ’cross the Mersey from Liverpool to Wallasey. Great speeches included those from the shipbuilders at Birkenhead’s Cammell Lairds (Balaena) - which I visited while the ship was being built - Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham @MetroMayorSteve whose team have excelled themselves, and a beautiful traditional blessing from Dr.Philip Anderson, the Rector of Liverpool Parish and seafarers church, Our Lady’s and St. Nick’s @P_G_Anderson Good to be with my @UKHouseofLords colleagues, Michael Heseltine, Patrick McLoughlin and Simon Stevens - Chair of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Full Report from @marcgaier BBC @merseyside41958 bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c38x… The Royal Daffodil launch comes after the Royal Iris, which featured in the 1965 Ferry Cross the Mersey film, was decommissioned earlier this year after 66 years. Maritime Minister and Hull MP @KeirMathermp said today : "Gerry and the Pacemakers made the Mersey Ferry famous around the world, generations of dockyard workers made it part of Liverpool's story, and today the Liverpool City Region is writing the next chapter." The ferries are an indelible part of the city’s story with Benedictine monks operating the first regular ferry from Birkenhead to Liverpool, rowing across the river on market days. Listen again to the iconic song from Gerry Marsden and the Pacemakers piped.video/08083BNaYcA sung again today by local children as fireworks were launched to herald a joyful new chapter in a great city’s story.

As a descendent of a Cammel Lairds shipwright it was a particular honour to be asked to bless MV Royal Daffodil, built in Birkenhead, for @MerseyFerries, today, before her inaugural voyage on the Mersey. I offered the traditional reading - Mark 4.35-41 - Christ calming the storm.

Gerard Manley Hopkins is still so vivid a poet. And as all true Liverpolitans know, one of ours, from his days as a young Jesuit in the melee of Victorian Everton, post-Famine. Down on sourdough, obviously, as a man of taste.

After the crowds have left the Sunday liturgy, having filled the body of the church, this quiet side chapel of @LiverpoolParish is where the rhythm of prayer is sustained, and through the week Morning and Evening Prayer are offered, in the name of God, from the heart of the city.

On Monday elections to the General Synod open. This year, for the first time, I'm standing, as a candidate for the Convocation of York - The House of Clergy. Friends of different stripes are standing too. "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart" liverpoolcofe.org/about-our-…

999 Day A Cocker Spaniel was honoured this morning, as we gave thanks for Merseyside's Emergency Services. Scout was sent by Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service to Venezuela in June, looking for survivors of terrible earthquake. The small hound ventured deep into gaps in the rubble.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary At a solemn Evensong in honour of the patron of @LiverpoolParish , Fr Steven Shakespeare preached a rich and moving sermon, urging us to a deep devotion to our Lady, from the best Anglican authority, the Scriptures. livpc.co.uk/wp-content/uploa…

Accession Day 2026 On the fourth anniversary of the King's Accession, and the demise of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the banner of the Duchy of Lancaster flies at Liverpool's Pierhead.

Things overheard at the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance "I'm still Christian. I'm Church of England... but I dabble in the occult"

Abbots Bromley 2026 50 people gathered in the parish church at 7am to pray for the village and give thanks for the annual tradition of the ancient folk dance around the parish, carrying the 1000 year old reindeer antlers kept safe in S. Nicholas's Church the rest of the year.

Early start, for today is the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. I'm going to observe an old tradition in an otherwise unremarkable Staffordshire village - Morrismen dance carrying 1000 yr old reindeer antlers, from the church, all day, fortified by Holy Communion at 7am, and later, ale.

My dad turns 80 in a few weeks, so this weekend my siblings gathered with him and others, in a house in the Dales to celebrate. Having read the changeable weather forecast someone decided we'd be playing Traitors - cue much hilarity, modelling the Winkelman wig. #HappyBirthdayDad

Church Brough, Westmorland The parish church of St Michael has walls that date back 900 years, but the most moving monument today is heart breakingly new - the simple grave of Baby Summer Grace, "born sleeping", buried this week. Take her, earth, for cherishing.

As Norway mourns her king, the significance of Nidros Cathedral, Trondheim, comes to the fore. An austere mediaeval gothic masterpiece, turned High Church Lutheran, it was restored in the nineteenth century as Norway sought to regain her independence - a Nordic Westminster Abbey.