Hills of the North, Rejoice!

King George VI - 2

2012-02-03T00:01:00.001Z

On 20 January 1936, King George V died and Prince Edward ascended the throne as Edward VIII. In the Vigil of the Princes, Prince Albert and his three brothers took a shift standing guard over their father's body as it lay in state, in a closed casket, in Westminster Hall.

As Edward was unmarried and had no children, Albert was the heir presumptive to the throne. George V had severe reservations about Edward, saying, "I pray God that my eldest son will never marry and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne." Less than a year later, on 11 December 1936, Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to marry his mistress, Wallis Simpson, who was divorced from her first husband and divorcing her second. Edward had been advised by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that he could not remain King and marry a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands. Edward chose abdication in preference to abandoning his marriage plans. Thus Albert became king, a position he was reluctant to accept. The day before the abdication, he went to London to see his mother, Queen Mary. He wrote in his diary, "When I told her what had happened, I broke down and sobbed like a child."

On the day of the abdication, the parliament of the Irish Free State removed all mention of the monarch from the Irish constitution. The next day, it passed the External Relations Act, which appointed the monarch only as its representative in foreign affairs. The two acts essentially made the Irish Free State a republic without removing its links to the Commonwealth.

Courtier and journalist Dermot Morrah alleged that there was brief speculation as to the desirability of bypassing Albert (and his children) and his brother, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, in favour of their younger brother Prince George, Duke of Kent. This seems to have been suggested on the grounds that Prince George was at that time the only brother with a son.

Albert assumed the regnal name "George VI" to emphasise continuity with his father and restore confidence in the monarchy.The beginning of George VI's reign was taken up by questions surrounding his predecessor and brother, whose titles, style and position were uncertain. He had been introduced as "His Royal Highness Prince Edward" for the Abdication broadcast, but George VI felt that by abdicating and renouncing the succession Edward had lost the right to bear Royal titles, including "Royal Highness".

In settling the issue, George's first act as King was to confer upon his brother the title HRH The Duke of Windsor, but the Letters Patent creating the dukedom prevented any wife or children from bearing royal styles. George VI was also forced to buy from Edward the royal residences of Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, as these were private properties and did not pass to George VI automatically. Three days after his accession, on his 41st birthday, he invested his wife, the new queen consort, with the Order of the Garter.

George VI's coronation took place on 12 May 1937, the date previously intended for Edward's coronation. In a break with tradition, Queen Mary attended the ceremony as a show of support for her son.

In the middle of the photograph we see the 11 year old Princess Elizabeth.

Candlemas

2012-02-02T00:01:00.005Z

Today is 40 days since Christmas Day, and so we celebrate the day on which Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple.

When to the temple Mary went,
And brought the holy child,
Him did the aged Simeon see,
As it had been revealed.
He took up Jesus in his arms
And blessing God he said:
In peace I now depart, my Saviour having seen,
The hope of Israel, the light of men.

Help now thy servants, gracious Lord,
That we may ever be
As once the faithful Simeon was,
Rejoicing but in thee;
And when we must from earth departure take,
May gently fall asleep and with thee wake.

This year,
on 2 February,
Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple
Fr Michael Mary celebrates the
40th anniversary
of his entry into Religion and the service of God.

Fr Michael Mary is the Superior of the Transalpine Redemptorists who live on Papa Stronsay (Orkney Islands) Scotland.

Below is Fr Michael's New Year message. How interesting that he refers to King George VI in this video.

This blog sends warm greetings to Fr Michael Mary on the occasion of his Ruby Jubilee and asks for the prayers of all visitors for his future ministry.

Happy Feast!

King George VI - 1

2012-02-01T00:01:00.001Z

Next Monday will be the 60th Anniversary of the death of King George VI.

Name: King George VI
Full Name: Albert Frederick Arthur George
Born: December 14, 1895 at Sandringham, Norfolk
Parents: George V and Mary of Teck
Relation to Elizabeth II: father
House of: Windsor
Ascended to the throne: Dec 11, 1936 aged 40 years
Crowned: May 12, 1937 at Westminster Abbey
Married: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Children: Two daughters Elizabeth and Margaret
Died: February 6, 1952 at Sandringham, Norfolk, aged 56 years, 1 month, and 22 days
Buried at: Windsor
Reigned for: 15 years, 1 month, and 25 days
Succeeded by: his daughter Elizabeth II

Taste of Scotland - 14

2012-01-31T00:01:00.004Z

I am pleased to report that the rebranding of Diet Irn-Bru as Irn-Bru Sugar Free has been successful.

Tomorrow I shall start a short series on King George VI.

Taste of Scotland - 13

2012-01-30T00:01:00.005Z

Here we see the official launch of Fiery Irn-Bru by Robin Barr - the grandson of A G Barr. The limited edition Irn Bru was released in Autumn 2011. Packaged with a black and orange design, and with the signature man icon with an added image of a fire, Fiery Irn Bru, had a warm, tingly feeling in the mouth once drunk. The after taste to it is similar to ginger but still has the iconic Irn Bru flavour.

Robin Barr must be disappointed by the lack of support for the new product. Recently I visited a large branch of Tesco in Inverness, and they said they had stopped stocking the product. I will leave you to assess the information shown below on the market price of shares in A G Barr.

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

2012-01-29T00:01:00.003Z

In the gospel today we hear about Jesus casting out an unclean spirit.

Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise,
manifested by the star
to the sages from afar;
branch of royal David's stem
in thy birth at Bethlehem;
anthems be to thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest and King supreme;
and at Cana, wedding guest,
in thy Godhead manifest;
manifest in power divine,
changing water into wine;
anthems be to thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest in making whole
palsied limbs and fainting soul;
manifest in valiant fight,
quelling all the devil's might;
manifest in gracious will,
ever bringing good from ill;
anthems be to thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,
stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
all will see his glorious sign;
all will then the trumpet hear,
all will see the Judge appear;
thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see thee, Lord,
mirrored in thy holy Word;
may we imitate thee now,
and be pure, as pure art thou;
that we like to thee may be
at thy great Epiphany;
and may praise thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.

Happy Sunday!

Taste of Scotland - 12

2012-01-28T00:01:00.014Z

Well today it is the turn of the 5 male OAP's.

Sadly the new product does not appeal to the older generation. Perhaps youngsters will like it, but at my stage of life I will be staying well clear of Fiery Irn-Bru, and sticking with ordinary Irn-Bru.

Once more, I need to offer some support to the final OAP to sample the Fiery Irn-Bru. I think a Susan Boyle song should do the trick. Sorry I couldn't find any rap for our third pensioner to enjoy!

We conclude with Daniel O'Donnell and Susan Boyle singing a duet of Our Lady of Knock.

There were people of all ages
gathered ‘round the gable wall
poor and humble men and women,
little children that you called

We are gathered here before you,
and our hearts are just the same
filled with joy at such a vision,
as we praise your name

Refrain:
Golden Rose, Queen of Ireland,
all my cares and troubles cease
as we kneel with love before you,
Lady of Knock, my Queen of Peace

Though your message was unspoken,
still the truth in silence lies
as we gaze upon your vision,
and the truth I try to find

here I stand with John the teacher,
and with Joseph at your side
and I see the Lamb of God,
on the Altar glorified

Refrain

And the Lamb will conquer
and the woman clothed in the sun
will shine Her light on everyone

and the lamb will conquer
and the woman clothed in the sun,
will shine Her light on everyone

Refrain:

I'm not sure which is worse - this song or Fiery Irn-Bru! Fear not, we'll have a descent hymn tomorrow.

Taste of Scotland - 11

2012-01-27T00:01:00.008Z

Some market researchers asked a sample of 10 Senior Citizens (OAP's) - 5 male and 5 female, to try the new Fiery Irn-Bru. Here is the reaction of the ladies.

Not very favourable! We'll have to wait until tomorrow to see whether the gentleman were more complimentary.

Sadly, the last lady to try the Fiery Irn-Bru was obviously in a state of shock, so I am featuring a Daniel O'Donnell song to help calm her nerves.

1. I watch the sunrise lighting the sky,
casting it's shadows near
And on this morning, bright though it be,
I feel those shadows near me.

But you are always close to me
Following all my ways.
May I be always close to you
following all your ways, Lord.

2. I watch the sunlight shine through the clouds,
warming the earth below.
And at the mid-day, life seems to say:
"I feel your brightness near me."

For you are always .....

3. I watch the sunset fading away,
lighting the clouds with sleep.
And as the evening closes it's eyes,
I feel your presence near me.

Yes you are always .....

4. I watch the moonlight guarding the night,
waiting till morning comes.
The air is silent, earth is at rest -
only your peace is near me.

For you are always .....

Taste of Scotland - 10

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000Z

A G Barr recently introduced a new product FIERY IRN-BRU. Here we see the Master Taster at Whyte and Mackay (whisky producers) assessing the new product.

He was most impressed - but what will the general public think? Market research suggests that the new product does not appeal to older people, who find it too fiery!

Taste of Scotland - 9

2012-01-25T00:01:00.003Z

Well, the great day has arrived! We now turn to Mr James Macsween to guide us through the ritual.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn,
they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit!" 'hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!

I dread to think what the Holy Father must have thought when Cardinal Keith O'Brien addressed the haggis on St Ninian's Day 2010. I trust his Personal Secretary (Monsignor Georg Gänswein) had warned him of what to expect!

Happy Feast!

Taste of Scotland - 8

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000Z

Well, it's time for your 'A' level practical! First you need to think about peeling and chopping the potatoes and turnips for your neeps and tatties.

Now, it's time to think about sauces and drink.

Now it's time to mash your neeps and tatties.

Now it's time to plate up.

Now it's time to sample the dish.

Tom scored 10/10. What did you score?

Taste of Scotland - 7

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000Z

In these two videos Jo Macsween shows us how to cook our haggis. It is not difficult!

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

2012-01-22T00:01:00.001Z

In the gospel today we hear about Jesus calling Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to leave their nets and follow him.

Jesus calls us over the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

As of old Saint Andrew heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred,
Leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Saviour may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.

Happy Sunday!

Taste of Scotland - 6

2012-01-21T00:01:00.004Z

I can now reveal to you that the Holy Father was served Macsweens haggis at his lunch in Edinburgh on 16 September 2010. Macsweens are the Guardians of Scotland's National Dish. You may purchase this excellent product at any of the following supermarkets.

I will leave it to Mrs Jo Macsween to help you decide what type of haggis to buy.

Perhaps you were expecting me to recommend you purchase your haggis from Donald Russell - suppliers to Her Majesty The Queen of Meat and Poultry, but in fact they will simply supply you with Macsweens haggis! So, just go to Tesco or whichever supermarket you find most convenient.

Taste of Scotland - 5

2012-01-20T00:01:00.002Z

It is time to make preparations for Burns Night, which we shall be celebrating on Wednesday 25 January. You will want to eat haggis, neeps and tatties for your main course at supper.

Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.

As a kind of savoury pudding, the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique puts it, "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour".

The haggis is a traditional Scottish dish memorialised as the national dish of Scotland by Robert Burns' poem Address to a Haggis in 1787. Haggis is traditionally served with "neeps and tatties" (Scots: Swedish turnip and potato, boiled and mashed separately) and a "dram" (i.e. a glass of Scotch whisky), especially as the main course of a Burns supper.

You will be in good company feasting on this dish! Pope Benedict XVI tucked into haggis, neeps and tatties as part of a Scottish lunch prepared for him by Cardinal Keith O'Brien's housekeeper on Thursday 16 September 2010.

The lunch for the Pope - and 14 other guests, including the Scottish Catholic bishops - was cooked by Theresa Muldoon at the Cardinal's official residence in the Grange, Edinburgh.

The menu also featured roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and seasonal vegetables, followed by cranachan, and finally coffee, shortbread and mints.

Whisky is as much a part of Burns Night as haggis, but it doesn't have to be the only drink quaffed with the meal. In fact, beer and wine can be better at bringing out the full flavour of the haggis. Robust reds, dry whites and stronger, richer beers really hit the spot. For non drinkers, try serving a crisp, sharp apple juice - or you could even give them Scotland's other national drink, Irn-Bru.

Taste of Scotland - 4

2012-01-19T00:01:00.001Z

Sadly, you cannot trust everyone who drinks Irn-Bru!

Although most Scottish people are kind to animals, there are exceptions.

Tomorrow sees the start of our preparations for Burns Night.

Taste of Scotland - 3

2012-01-18T00:01:00.004Z

The following advertisement contains an important message - be sure to share your Irn-Bru! The 750 ml glass bottle is perfect for sharing.

Please remember - today we start the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Taste of Scotland - 2

2012-01-17T00:01:00.002Z

Demand for IRN-BRU is going to be a wee bit heavier this year. Sorry for the small size of the photo - but A G Barr are not allowing me to make it any larger!

Q: What is the secret recipe for IRN-BRU?

A: The recipe for IRN-BRU is known by only two people in the world, former Chairman Robin Barr and one other A.G.Barr p.l.c board director whose identity remains confidential. The secret recipe has been passed down from one generation of the Barr family to another since 1901 when BARRS IRON BREW (as it was then spelt) was launched by Robert Barr and his son Andrew Greg Barr. On the announcement of his retirement from the role of Chairman in 2009, Robin Barr confirmed that he will continue to mix the secret recipe for IRN-BRU at the company's headquarters in Cumbernauld. In true Barr tradition, he will eventually pass it on to his daughter, the company's lawyer, Julie Barr – who will keep the recipe a secret for generations of IRN-BRU drinkers to come. Beyond confirming that BARRS IRON-BREW was launched in 1901 containing 32 ingredients I am afraid we can tell you no more.

Q: Is there iron in IRN-BRU?

A: Yes there is a iron in IRN-BRU. Since Barrs original recipe IRON BREW (as it was then spelt) was launched in 1901 the recipe has always contained a very small amount of iron.

Taste of Scotland - 1

2012-01-16T00:01:00.001Z

One of the great tastes of Scotland is Irn-Bru - which is produced by A G Barr plc.

A.G. Barr plc is a British soft drinks manufacturer, based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is particularly notable for the manufacture of the popular Scottish drink, Irn-Bru. A.G. Barr is the largest manufacturer of soft drinks in the United Kingdom. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Irn-Bru is known for its bright orange colour. As of 1999 it contained 0.002% of ammonium ferric citrate, sugar, 32 flavouring agents (including caffeine and quinine) and two controversial colourings (E110, E124). On 27 January 2010, A.G. Barr agreed to a Food Standards Agency voluntary ban on these two colourings although no date has been set for their replacement. The beverage is advertised as having a slight citrus flavour.

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

2012-01-15T00:01:00.001Z

As we start Ordinary Time during winter, here is lovely photo of some winter foliage. The winter foliage should be kept in place until Candlemas (2 February).

In the gospel today we are invited to come and see Jesus.

Hail to the Lord's Anointed,
great David's greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free,
to take away transgression,
and rule in equity.

He comes, with succour speedy,
to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
were precious in his sight.

He shall come down like showers
upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
spring in his path to birth;
before him, on the mountains,
shall peace the herald go;
and righteousness, in fountains,
from hill to valley flow.

Kings shall fall down before him,
and gold and incense bring;
all nations shall adore him,
his praise all people sing;
to him shall prayer unceasing
and daily vows ascend,
his kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.

O'er every foe victorious,
he on his throne shall rest;
from age to age more glorious,
all-blessing and all-blest.
the tide of time shall never
his covenant remove;
his name shall stand for ever,
his changeless Name of love.

Happy Sunday!

Come to Bethlehem - 21

2012-01-14T00:01:00.005Z

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.

No, this is a photo of an almost deserted Oxford Street in London - a very rare sight!

What sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!

Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honour to this day
That sees December turned to May.

Why does the chilling winter's morn
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell like a meadow newly shorn
Thus on the sudden? Come and see
The cause, why things thus fragrant be:

'Tis he is born. whose quickening birth
Gives life and lustre, public mirth,
To heaven and the under-earth.

We see him come, and know him ours,
Who, with his sunshine and his showers,
Turns all the patient ground to flowers.

The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome him, to welcome him.

The nobler part of all the house here, is the heart.
Which we will give him: and bequeath
This holly, and this ivy wreath.
To do him honour. who's our King,
And Lord of all this revelling.

This concludes our slightly extended Christmas celebration.

Come to Bethlehem - 20

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000Z

1. Rejoice and be merry
in songs and in mirth!
O praise our Redeemer;
all mortals on earth!
For this is the birthday
of Jesus our King,
Who brought us salvation,
His praises we'll sing!

2. A heavenly vision
Appeared in the sky;
Vast numbers of angels
The shepherds did spy,
Proclaiming the birthday of
Jesus our King,
Who brought us salvation,
His praises we'll sing!

3. Likewise a bright star
In the sky did appear,
Which led the wise men
From the East to draw near;
They found the Messiah,
Sweet Jesus our King,
Who brought us salvation,
His praises we'll sing!

4. And when they were come,
they their treasures unfold,
And unto him offered
Myrrh, incense and gold.
So blessed for ever
Be Jesus our King,
Who brought us salvation,
His praises we'll sing!

Come to Bethlehem - 19

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000Z

The first Nowell the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
in fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
on a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Refrain:
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
born is the King of Israel.

They looked up and saw a star
shining in the east beyond them far,
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night. Refrain

And by the light of that same star
three wise men came from country far;
to seek for a king was their intent,
and to follow the star wherever it went. Refrain

This star drew nigh to the northwest,
o'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
and there it did both stop and stay
right over the place where Jesus lay. Refrain

Then entered in those wise men three
full reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence
their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense. Refrain

Then let us all with one accord
sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
that hath made heaven and earth of nought,
and with his blood mankind hath bought. Refrain

Come to Bethlehem - 18

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000Z

1. Lo! the pilgrim magi
Leave their royal halls,
And with eager footsteps
Speed to Bethlehem's walls;
As they onward journey,
Faith, which firmly rests,
Built on hope unswerving,
Triumphs in their breasts.

2. O what joy and gladness
Filled each heart, from far
When, to guide their footsteps,
Shone that radiant star;
O'er that home so holy,
Pouring down its ray,
Where the cradled infant
With his mother lay.

3. Costly pomp and splendour
Earthly kings array;
He, a mightier Monarch,
Hath a nobler sway;
Straw may be his pallet,
Mean his garb may be,
Yet with power transcendent
He all hearts can free.

4. At his crib they worship,
Kneeling on the floor,
And their God there present,
In that Babe adore;
To our God and Saviour
We, as Gentiles true,
Give our heart o'er flowing,
Give our tribute due.

5. Bringing of our substance,
Gold unto our King;
Pure and chastened bodies
To our Christ we bring;
Unto him, like incense,
Vow and prayer address;
So with meetest offerings,
Him our God confess.

6. Glory to the Father,
Fount of Life alone;
Who unto the Gentiles,
Made his glory known.
Equal praise and glory,
Blessèd Son, to thee,
And to thee, Blest Spirit,
Evermore shall be. Amen.

Come to Bethlehem - 17

2012-01-10T00:01:00.002Z

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining,
low lies his head with the beasts of the stall;
angels adore him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all.

Shall we then yield him, in costly devotion,
odors of Edom, and offerings divine,
gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean,
myrrh from the forest, and gold from the mine?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
vainly with gifts would his favor secure,
richer by far is the heart's adoration,
dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

Come to Bethlehem - 16

2012-01-09T00:01:00.001Z

Past three a clock,
And a cold frosty morning,
Past three a clock;
Good morrow, masters all!

1. Born is a Baby,
Gentle as may be,
Son of the eternal
Father supernal.
Refrain.

2. Seraph quire singeth,
Angel bell ringeth;
Hark how they rime it,
Time it and chime it.
Refrain.

3. Mid earth rejoices
Hearing such voices
e'ertofore so well
Carolling Nowell.
Refrain.

4. Hinds o'er the pearly,
Dewy lawn early
Seek the high Stranger
Laid in the manger.
Refrain.

5. Cheese from the dairy
Bring they for Mary
And, not for money,
Butter and honey.
Refrain.

6. Light out of star-land
Leadeth from far land
Princes, to meet him,
Worship and greet him.
Refrain.

7. Myrrh from full coffer,
Incense they offer;
Nor is the golden
Nugget withholden.
Refrain.

8. Thus they: I pray you,
Up, sirs, nor stay you
Till ye confess him
Likewise and bless him.
Refrain.

Come to Bethlehem - 15

2012-01-08T00:01:00.001Z

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

Refrain

O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Refrain

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Refrain

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.

Refrain

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Refrain

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.

Refrain

Happy Feast!

Come to Bethlehem - 14

2012-01-07T00:01:00.003Z

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Come to Bethlehem - 13

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000Z

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.

"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.

"To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:

"The heavenly Babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:

"All glory be to God on high
and on earth be peace;
good will henceforth from heaven to me
begin and never cease."

Come to Bethlehem - 12

2012-01-05T00:01:00.002Z

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
Was born upon this day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
Refrain:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!

In Bethlehem in Jewry
This blessed Babe was born,
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn;
The which his mother Mary
Nothing did take in scorn. Refrain

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name. Refrain

The shepherds at these tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway
This blessed Babe to find. Refrain

But when to Bethlehem they came,
Whereat this Infant lay,
They found him in a manger
Where oxen fed on hay;
His mother Mary, kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray. Refrain

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace.
The holy tide of Christmas
All others doth efface. Refrain

Come to Bethlehem - 11

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000Z

On Christmas night all Christians sing,
To hear the news the angels bring;
On Christmas night all Christians sing,
To hear the news the angels bring:
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King’s birth.

Then why should men on earth be sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad:
Then why should we on earth be sad,
Since our Redeemer made us glad:
When from our sin He set us free,
All for to gain our liberty.

When sin departs before Your grace,
Then life and health come in its place;
When sin departs before Your grace,
Then life and health come in its place;
Angels and men with joy may sing,
All for to see the newborn King.

All out of darkness we have light
Which made the angels sing this night;
All out of darkness we have light
Which made the angels sing this night:
“Glory to God and peace to men,
Now and forevermore. Amen.”

Come to Bethlehem - 10

2012-01-03T00:01:00.001Z

Once in royal David's city
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor, and mean, and lowly,
lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And, through all his wondrous childhood,
he would honour and obey,
love and watch the lowly maiden
in whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be
mild, obedient, good as he.

For he is our childhood's pattern,
day by day like us he grew;
he was little, weak and helpless,
tears and smiles like us he knew.
and he feeleth for our sadness,
and he shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love;
for that Child who seemed so helpless
is our Lord in heaven above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing round,
we shall see him; but in heaven,
set at God's right hand on high;
when like stars his children crowned,
all in white shall wait around.

Come to Bethlehem - 9

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000Z

Now the holly bears a berry as white as the milk
And Mary bore Jesus, who was wrapped up in silk.

Refrain: And Mary bore Jesus Christ our Saviour for to be
And the first tree in the greenwood, it was the holly.
And the first tree in the greenwood it was the holly.

Now the holly bears a berry as green as the grass
And Mary bore Jesus, who died on the cross.

Refrain

Now the holly bears a berry as black as the coal
And Mary bore Jesus, who died for us all.

Refrain

Now the holly bears a berry as blood is it red
Then trust we our Saviour who rose from the dead.

Refrain

Come to Bethlehem - 8

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000Z

See amid the winter’s snow,
Born for us on earth below,
See, the tender Lamb appears,
Promised from eternal years.

Refrain

Hail that ever blessèd morn,
Hail redemption’s happy dawn,
Sing through all Jerusalem:
Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Lo, within a manger lies
He Who built the starry skies;
He Who, thronèd in height sublime,
Sits amid the cherubim.

Refrain

Say, you holy shepherds, say,
Tell your joyful news today.
Why have you now left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep?

Refrain

“As we watched at dead of night,
Lo, we saw a wondrous light;
Angels singing ‘Peace on earth’
Told us of the Saviour’s birth.”

Refrain

Sacred Infant, all divine,
What a tender love was Thine,
Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this.

Refrain

Teach, O teach us, holy Child,
By Thy face so meek and mild,
Teach us to resemble Thee,
In Thy sweet humility.

Refrain

Happy New Year!

Come to Bethlehem - 7

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000Z

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown;
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

O the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer;
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour.

O the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer;
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.

O the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer;
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.

O the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer;
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.

O the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer;
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

O the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer;
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

Come to Bethlehem - 6

2011-12-30T00:01:00.001Z

Come to Bethlehem - 5

2011-12-29T00:01:00.001Z

Away in a manger,
no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus
lay down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky
looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus,
asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing,
the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus,
look down from the sky
And stay by my bedside
till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay,
Close by me forever,
and love me, I pray!
Bless all the dear children
in Thy tender care
And fit us for heaven,
to live with Thee there.

Come to Bethlehem - 4

2011-12-28T00:01:00.001Z

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

It is worth recording that Her Majesty The Queen quoted from the final verse of this lovely hymn at the end of her Christmas Broadcast this year.

Come to Bethlehem - 3

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000Z

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come to Bethlehem - 2

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000Z

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of angels;

Refrain

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God,
Begotten, not created;

Refrain

See how the shepherds,
Summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear;
We too will thither
Bend our joyful footsteps;

Refrain

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God,
In the highest;

Refrain

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing.

Refrain

Come to Bethlehem - 1

2011-12-25T00:01:00.003Z

O Holy Night! The stars, their gleams prolonging,
Watch o'er the eve of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error, longing
For His appearance, then the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hears the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was Born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts we stand by the Babe adored.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
And come now, Shepherds, from your flocks unboard.
The Son of God lay thus within lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our Lord.
He knows our need, our weakness never lasting,
Behold your King! By Him, let Earth accord!
Behold your King! By Him, let Earth accord!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Long live His truth, and may it last forever,
For in His name all discordant noise shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise us,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!

A highpoint of Christmas Day for many people is the Christmas Message of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - which is broadcast at 3.00 pm. For the benefit of those readers who do not receive this broadcast, I am enabling you to watch it now. It is marvellous having a leader who is not afraid to declare their Christian faith so openly. Her Majesty thanks God for sending us a Saviour, and so I pray - God save our gracious Queen!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

O come, O come, Emmanuel - 7

2011-12-24T00:01:00.004Z

Just one more day of purple!

Come, Thou Redeemer of the earth,
And manifest Thy virgin birth:
Let every age adoring fall;
Such birth befits the God of all.

Begotten of no human will,
But of the Spirit, Thou art still
The Word of God in flesh arrayed,
The promised Fruit to man displayed.

The virgin womb that burden gained
With virgin honour all unstained;
The banners there of virtue glow;
God in His temple dwells below.

Forth from His chamber goeth He,
That royal home of purity,
A giant in twofold substance one,
Rejoicing now His course to run.

From God the Father He proceeds,
To God the Father back He speeds;
His course He runs to death and hell,
Returning on God’s throne to dwell.

O equal to the Father, Thou!
Gird on Thy fleshly mantle now;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.

Thy cradle here shall glitter bright,
And darkness breathe a newer light,
Where endless faith shall shine serene,
And twilight never intervene.

All laud to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete.

O come, O come, Emmanuel - 6

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000Z

One can never go wrong with a hymn by Charles Wesley!

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

O come, O come, Emmanuel - 5

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000Z

Today's Advent hymn focusses on John the Baptist.

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
awake and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings.

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
make straight the way for God within,
prepare we in our hearts a home
where such a mighty Guest may come.

For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.

To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,
and bid the fallen sinner stand;
shine forth and let thy light restore
earth's own true loveliness once more.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent doth thy people free;
whom with the Father we adore
and Holy Ghost for evermore.

O come, O come, Emmanuel - 4

2011-12-21T00:01:00.001Z

Today is the shortest day of the year. We pray for Christ the Light of the World to come and shatter the darkness of sin.

Creator of the stars of night,
thy people's everlasting light,
Jesus, Redeemer, save us all,
hear thou thy servants when they call.

Thou, sorrowing at the helpless cry
of all creation doomed to die,
didst save our lost and guilty race
by healing gifts of heavenly grace.

Thou cam'st, the Bridegroom of the bride,
as drew the world to eventide;
proceeding from a virgin shrine,
the spotless Victim all divine.

At thy great Name, exalted now,
all knees in lowly homage bow;
al things in heaven and earth adore,
and own thee King for evermore.

To thee, O Holy One, we pray,
our Judge in that tremendous day,
ward off, while yet we dwell below,
the weapons of our crafty foe.

To God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Spirit, Three in One,
laud, honor, might and glory be
from age to age eternally.

O come, O come, Emmanuel - 3

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000Z

Let's focus today on the Second Coming - a good excuse for us to sing my favourite Advent hymn!

Lo! he comes, with clouds descending,
once for our salvation slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
Christ the King returns to reign.

Every eye shall now behold him,
robed in dreadful majesty;
those who set at nought and sold him,
pierced, and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall the true Messiah see.

Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears,
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshipers;
with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars!

Now redemption, long expected,
see in solemn pomp appear;
all his saints, by man rejected,
now shall meet him in the air:
Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
See the day of God appear!

Yea, amen! let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory;
claim the kingdom for thine own:
Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.

O come, O come, Emmanuel - 2

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000Z

Drop down ye heavens, from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness:

Be not wroth very sore, O Lord,
neither remember iniquity for ever:
the holy cities are a wilderness,
Sion is a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation:
our holy and our beautiful house,
where our fathers praised thee.

Drop down ye heavens, from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness:

We have sinned, and are as an unclean thing,
and we all do fade as a leaf:
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away;
thou hast hid thy face from us:
and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

Drop down ye heavens, from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness:

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen;
that ye may know me and believe me:
I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour:
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

Drop down ye heavens, from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness:

Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people,
my salvation shall not tarry:
why wilt thou waste away in sadness?
why hath sorrow seized thee?
Fear not, for I will save thee:
for I am the Lord thy God,
the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.

Drop down ye heavens, from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness.

4th Sunday of Advent

2011-12-18T00:01:00.000Z

Today we focus on Mary, the Mother of Our Lord.

My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

Happy Sunday!

O come, O come, Emmanuel - 1

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000Z

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

C S Lewis - 11

2011-12-16T00:01:00.001Z

"There was a real railway accident," said Aslan softly. "Your father and mother and all of you are — as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands — dead. The term is over; the holidays have begun. The dream is ended; this is the morning." (C S Lewis)

Well, the 12 week teaching term at The Queen's University of Belfast finishes today. The students will not return until Monday 9 January 2012 when they will face 3 weeks of assessment. Our hymn is a traditional one for the end of term.

Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing,
thanks for mercies past receive;
pardon all, their faults confessing;
time that's lost may all retrieve;
may thy children,
ne'er again thy Spirit grieve.

Bless thou all our days of leisure;
help us selfish lures to flee;
sanctify our every pleasure;
pure and blameless may it be;
may our gladness
draw us evermore to thee.

By thy kindly influence cherish
all the good we have gained;
may all taint of evil perish
by thy mightier power restrained;
seek we ever
knowledge pure and love unfeigned.

Let thy father-hand be shielding
all who here shall meet no more;
may their seed-time past be yielding
year by year a richer store;
those returning,
make more faithful than before.

Eight days on intense preparation for Christmas will begin tomorrow!

C S Lewis - 10

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000Z

During the Battle of Britain, in the suburb of Finchley near London, Great Britain, the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are endangered by an attack of numerous German Heinkel He 111 bombers. They are evacuated to the country home of Professor Digory Kirke.

While they are getting used to the house, Lucy discovers a wardrobe and enters a wintry fantasy world called Narnia. She spends a few hours in the home of the faun, Mr. Tumnus, who explains that Jadis, the White Witch, cursed Narnia, and it has been winter for one hundred years. If a human is ever encountered, they were to be brought to her. Tumnus likes Lucy and cannot bring himself to kidnap her, so he sends her home. When she returns hardly any time has passed in the normal world, and nobody believes her story since that when they look in the wardrobe, it has a normal wooden back.

Adam lay ybounden,
Bounden in a bond;
Four thousand winter
Thought he not too long.

And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took,
As clerkës finden written
In their book.

Nor had one apple taken been,
The apple taken been,
Then had never Our Lady
A-been heaven's queen.

Blessed be the time
That apple taken was.
Therefore we may singen
Deo gratias!

C S Lewis - 9

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000Z

“But do you really mean, Sir," said Peter, "that there could be other worlds-all over the place, just round the corner-like that?"

"Nothing is more probable," said the Profesor, taking off his spectacles and beginning to polish them, while he muttered to himself, "I wonder what they do teach them at these schools.”

― C.S. Lewis

There is a land of pure delight,
where saints immortal reign,
infinite day excludes the night,
and pleasures banish pain.

There everlasting spring abides,
and never-withering flowers:
death, like a narrow sea, divides
this heavenly land from ours.

Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
stand dressed in living green:
so to the Jews old Canaan stood,
while Jordan rolled between.

But timorous mortals start and shrink
to cross this narrow sea;
and linger, shivering on the brink,
and fear to launch away.

O could we make our doubts remove,
those gloomy thoughts that rise,
and see the Canaan that we love
with unbeclouded eyes!

Could we but climb where Moses stood,
and view the landscape o'er,
not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood,
should fright us from the shore.

Smashing! Obviously some schools teach the right stuff!

C S Lewis - 8

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000Z

The central table in the reading room depicts a map of Narnia.

A total of eleven named humans from Earth have entered Narnia, four boys, two men, four girls, and a woman.

The four Pevensie children are the best known: Peter Pevensie (High King Peter the Magnificent), Susan Pevensie (Queen Susan the Gentle), Edmund Pevensie (King Edmund the Just), and Lucy Pevensie (Queen Lucy the Valiant). All of them appear in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and in Prince Caspian. Edmund and Lucy appear in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and all of them appear (but Peter, who is out fighting giants on the northern frontier) as adults in The Horse and his Boy.

Others from our world include King Frank (who had been a cabman in London) and his wife Queen Helen, who were the first King and Queen of Narnia and whose descendants lived in Narnia for many generations. They, together with Uncle Andrew Ketterley, Digory Kirke, and Polly Plummer appear in The Magician's Nephew. Eustace Scrubb, a cousin of the Pevensies, appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair, and Jill Pole, a schoolmate of Scrubb's, also appears in The Silver Chair. All of these except for Susan Pevensie and Uncle Andrew appear in The Last Battle.

There were also about a dozen unnamed humans from our world (six pirates and their women) who repopulated the unpeopled land of Telmar and founded the race of the Telmarines. As Aslan says in Prince Caspian, they accidentally found in a cave "one of the chinks or chasms between that world and this" (i.e. between our world and Narnia), and he adds, "There were many chinks or chasms between worlds in old times, but they have grown rarer. This was one of the last: I do not say the last." So quite possibly others came to Narnia from our world as well, but Lewis did not record their histories for us.

Humans from Earth are sometimes referred to as Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve by Narnians, a reference to C. S. Lewis' Christian worldview.

Although he is not a human, Strawberry, the cabman's horse, also entered Narnia from our world and there was chosen to be a talking beast and transformed into the winged horse Fledge.

During this Advent Season, we are preparing for Christ to enter our world.

When came in flesh the incarnate Word,
the heedless world slept on,
and only simple shepherds heard
that God had sent his Son.

When comes the Saviour at the last,
from east to west shall shine
the awful pomp, and earth aghast
shall tremble at the sign.

Then shall the pure of heart be blest;
as mild he comes to them,
as when upon the virgin's breast
he lay at Bethlehem.

As mild to meek eyed love and faith,
only more strong to save;
strengthened by having bowed to death,
by having burst the grave.

Lord, who could dare see thee descend
in state, unless he knew
thou art the sorrowing sinner's Friend,
the gracious and the true?

Dwell in our hearts, O Saviour blest;
so shall thine advent's dawn
'twixt us and thee, our bosom-guest,
be but the veil withdrawn.

C S Lewis - 7

2011-12-12T00:01:00.001Z

The magnificent C S Lewis Reading Room didn't come cheap - but generous gifts were given towards the cost.

An important part of the Archbishop of Canterbury's public engagement is through his relationship as patron or president to over 300 organisations.

In addition to national charities and institutions, he is involved in a wide range of interests and good causes within the Church of England, the worldwide Anglican Communion and in secular and civic life.

In this way the Archbishop is able to support public and voluntary service and to affirm the work and achievements of these organisations. A substantial proportion reflects the Archbishop's particular interest in environmental issues, in education, medical and spiritual healing, homelessness, music, poetry and the links between art and religion.

3rd Sunday of Advent

2011-12-11T00:01:00.006Z

John the Baptist may have a stern message, but today is a day for clapping hands and jumping for joy!

I will sing, I will sing a song unto the Lord
Alleluia, Glory to the Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to the Lord,
Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

We will come, we will come as one before the Lord.
Alleluia, Glory to the Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to the Lord,
Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

If the Son if the Son shall make you free
You shall be free indeed.

Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to the Lord,
Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Thy that sow in tears will reap in joy
Alleluia, Glory to the Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to the Lord,
Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess,
That Jesus Christ is Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to the Lord,
Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

In his name in his name we have the victory
Alleluia, Glory to the Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to the Lord,
Alleluia, glory to the Lord.

Happy Gaudete Sunday!

C S Lewis - 6

2011-12-10T00:01:00.003Z

Well, what did you expect to find - Aslan or something?

Just one word comes to mind as I look at this lovely photo.

C S Lewis - 5

2011-12-09T00:01:00.004Z

Please watch this short video clip first!

Yes, we are invited to open this door on the first floor of the new library - what will we find inside? Come back to this blog tomorrow, for I can promise you a wonderful surprise.

Advent is a time for us to open the door to Christ - a theme taken up in our hymn for today.

Hark! the glad sound! the Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long:
let every heart prepare a throne,
and every voice a song.

He comes the prisoners to release
in Satan's bondage held;
the gates of brass before him burst,
the iron fetters yield.

He comes, the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure;
and with the treasures of his grace
to enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heaven's eternal arches ring
with thy beloved Name.

C S Lewis - 4

2011-12-08T00:01:00.002Z

Well we are now back at Queen's and are standing outside the new library building.

We are about to go inside and visit a room on the first floor of the tower - we are in for a surprise!

The McClay Library brings together wide-ranging library, computing and media services in a single location, blending the best features of a traditional library with the latest technology.

Study facilities inlcude both places for quiet study and significant provision for group work, allowing students to follow their own individual learning style. Training provided by Information Services is also based in the building.

The library's extensive book and journal collections support teaching and research in the arts and humanities, science and engineering, the social sciences and law.

C S Lewis - 3

2011-12-07T00:01:00.001Z

Not far from Queen's is this beautiful statue of C S Lewis.

Sculpted by Ross Wilson, the statue is a life-sized figure of C S Lewis opening a Victorian wardrobe, a gateway to Narnia. The statue was unveiled in November 1998, the centenary of the birth of C S Lewis.

Charles Staples, or 'Jack', Lewis was born in Ballyhackamore, east Belfast, in 1898 and spent his formative years in the city. Living on the city’s Circular Road he attended nearby Campbell College, but was sent to boarding school in England after the death of his mother.

After serving in the First World War, where he was injured, he settled at Oxford University where he was to tutor medieval and renaissance English literature.

Here he wrote the six-book Chronicles of Narnia, which have gone on to sell some 65 million copies worldwide. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is the second in the series and traces the fortunes of a group of Second World War evacuees who discover a fantastical world through a wardrobe in their new home.

When the Pevensie family are evacuated out to the country, they are unaware of the adventure they will encounter. During a game of hide and seek, the youngest daughter, Lucy discovers a wardrobe which transports her to the land of Narnia. Covered in snow, Narnia is full of weird and wonderful creatures, but is watched over by the evil White Witch, Jadis. When all four Pevensie children end up through the wardrobe, they discover that it was meant to be, as two daughters of Eve and two sons of Adam must join with the mighty lion, Aslan to defeat the evil White Witch.

Tomorrow, we shall be back to Queen's University.

C S Lewis - 2

2011-12-06T00:01:00.004Z

I had been Lecturer in Economics at Queen's between 1979 and 1990, and many things have changed since I left.

In 1990 there was no organ in the Great Hall - so I was pleased to see the addition of the instrument on the South Gallery. Nevertheless, I wasn't all that impressed with the instrument. I rather like a fanfare on the tuba when I arrive and there seemed little chance of that!

For future reference, I provide the following example of the sort of thing I expect.

Fantastic! Well, tomorrow we are out on the streets of East Belfast!

C S Lewis - 1

2011-12-05T00:01:00.004Z

On Friday 2 December I paid an official visit to The Queen's University of Belfast where I was received by Dr John Stannard. One of the highlights of the tour was a visit to the magnificent Great Hall. The hall was laid out ready for a banquet, presumably in my honour. I had my speech all ready.

Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB. The university was chartered in 1845, and opened in 1849 as "Queen's College, Belfast", but has roots going back to 1810 and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

Queen's is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the European University Association, Universities Ireland and Universities UK. The university offers academic degrees at various levels and across a broad subject range, with over 300 degree programmes available. The university's current President and Vice-Chancellor is Professor Sir Peter Gregson, and its Chancellor is the current Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Kamalesh Sharma.

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the death of my Father, Ronnie Simpson. When my Mother came to my Primary School to tell me the sad news, my first words were 'Oh dear! Will we still be able to have a turkey for Christmas dinner?' Fortunately my Father had a sense of humour, so our reunion in heaven should not be too embarrassing!

I am pleased to record that I was served turkey for my dinner both on 25 December 1961 and on 2 December 2011.

2nd Sunday of Advent

2011-12-04T00:01:00.004Z

Unfortunately, this blog has just received a complaint. A certain John the Baptist has sent a message saying that although he has no objections to wild honey, he wants no more references to Scotch whisky! It is time to sober up.

1. Hark! a herald voice is calling:
'Christ is nigh,' it seems to say;
'Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!'

2. Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.

3. Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven;

4. So when next he comes with glory,
Wrapping all the earth in fear,
May he then as our defender
On the clouds of heaven appear.

5. Honour, glory, virtue, merit,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit,
While unending ages run. Amen.

Happy Sunday!

Hot Toddy

2011-12-03T00:01:00.000Z

Traditional Scottish preparation of a hot toddy involves the mixture of whisky, boiling water, and sugar or honey. Additional ingredients such as cloves, a lemon slice or cinnamon (in stick or ground form) may be added.

Depending on preference, the cloves and cinnamon stick can be removed before drinking, although leaving them in is often said to make a toddy even better for clearing a blocked nose and relieving a head cold.

Gaelic Coffee

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000Z

A wonderful way to end a meal!

Black coffee; freshly made
Scotch whisky
Demerara (raw brown) sugar
Double (heavy) cream; whipped until slightly thick

Pour the coffee into a warmed glass.
Add the whisky and the sugar to taste.
Stir well.
Pour some lightly whipped cream into the glass over the back of a teaspoon.

Cranachan

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000Z

Cranachan is a fantastic Scottish dessert. Originally a celebration of harvest, there are many versions of this traditional Scottish pudding, the simplest being a stir-up of toasted pinhead oatmeal, whisky, honey and cream. Modern versions make the most of Scottish raspberries by folding them in at the last minute.

The recipe

40g medium or coarse oatmeal
200g raspberries
400ml double cream
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp malt whisky

Scatter 40g medium or coarse oatmeal on a baking sheet then toast it under a hot grill for a couple of minutes until it smells warm and nutty (some prefer slow toasting in the oven). Crush 100g of raspberries with a fork. Whip 400ml of double cream until thick, then stir in 2 tbsp each of runny honey and malt whisky. Add the crushed raspberries, stirring gently, then the same weight of whole raspberries. Lastly, fold in the toasted oatmeal and spoon into small glasses. Serves 4.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 17

2011-11-30T00:01:00.002Z

What a lovely sight on this St Andrew's Day - bottles of Dallas Dhu whisky!

A hundred years of whisky making at Dallas Dhu came to an end in 1983, but that was not the end of Dallas Dhu.

Thanks to the generosity of Scottish Malt Distillers, and its parent company, the Distillers Company Ltd, the pretty distillery complex on the southern fringe of the town of Forres came into Historic Scotland's care - a perfectly preserved time-capsule of the distiller's art.

Over the next three days we shall look at some recipes which make good use of Scotch whisky.

Jesus calls us over the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

As of old Saint Andrew heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred,
Leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Saviour may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.

Happy Feast!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 16

2011-11-29T00:01:00.003Z

The new barrels of whisky were rolled from the filling store along the iron rails at the end of the bonds. When stacking the barrels, the warehouseman took pride in getting each barrel positioned with the lettering the right way up.

The different colours on the ends of the barrels indicated how many times the barrels had been used for whisky. Whisky from a barrel that had only been used for sherry before would be more stongly flavoured than whisky matured in a barrel that was being used for the third time. Knowing the history of each barrel was therefore vitally important when it came to blending the whisky before bottling.

The bonds are built with an earthen floor to keep the space cool. the spacing of the roof slates allows for plenty of ventilation because the barrels gradually sweated out a small amount of whisky, known in the trade as 'the angels' share'. Now you know why the angels sing so well!

Our hymn today is sung for us by Brother Alphonsus Mary.

Ye holy angels bright,
who wait at God's right hand,
or through the realms of light
fly at your Lord's command,
assist our song,
for else the theme
too high doth seem
for mortal tongue.

Ye blessed souls at rest,
who ran this earthly race
and now, from sin released,
behold your Saviour's face,
his praises sound,
as in his sight
with sweet delight
ye do abound.

Ye saints, who toil below,
adore your heavenly King,
and onward as ye go
some joyful anthem sing;
take what he gives
and praise him still,
through good or ill,
who ever lives!

My soul, bear thou thy part,
triumph in God above:
and with a well-tuned heart
sing thou the songs of love!
Let all thy days
till life shall end,
whate'er he send,
be filled with praise!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 15

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000Z

In the filling store the barrels were filled from the main store, the entire operation overseen by the exciseman.

Each barrel was weighed empty and full and a sample of the whisky measured to check it alcohol content (normally about 60 per cent by volume). These measurements allowed the exciseman, working from his little booth in the corner, to calculate how much alcohol had been produced by the distillery.

The warehouses, or bonds, were strictly controlled by the exiseman. Until the tax was paid on a barrel of whisky (normally when it was bottled), it was the exciseman's job to ensure that none of it left his control; if it wasn't under lock and key in the bond, then he had to accompany it at all times.

1st Sunday of Advent

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000Z

We get a real wake up call at the Eucharist this morning - no fewer than three times does the Gospel tell us to 'stay awake'!

Nevertheless, for our hymn today we shall sing a lovely evening hymn!

The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy church, unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ’neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth’s proud empires, pass away:
Thy kingdom stands, and grows forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

It is interesting to note that Queen Victoria chose this hymn to be sung at the 60th anniversary of her reign in 1897. I wonder whether Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will do likewise in 2012?

Happy New Year!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 14

2011-11-26T00:01:00.001Z

We now move to the fourth and last stage in the whisky-making process.

The spirit is matured in oak barrels to creature the flavours of the whisky.

The spirit is put into oak barrels to age for at least three years, maybe far more. The barrels give the whisky its colour and much of its flavour.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 13

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000Z

PLEASE NOTE! THIS POST CONTAINS MUCH IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

We are now gazing at the spirit safe.

The spirit safe was invented in 1825 to make sure that the distillery workers never got their hands on the spirit! They were prevented from tampering with the spirit by the two locks, the keys for which were held by the exciseman.

The products of each still poured through the spirit safe, enabling the still man to test the spirit as it came out to see if he wanted to keep it or not. At the left-hand end, the still man checked to see when the low wines were complete and the wash still was just producing water so that he could end the distillation.

On the right-hand side, he watched the output from the spirit still. The first liquid out of the spirit still was called the 'fore shots'; considered too volatile for whisky - it was run back in with the low wines for redistillation.

When the still man judged that the still was producing the right quality of alcohol, the 'middle cut', he turned the handle on the top of the spirit safe to run it into the oak vat called the spirit receiver.

Towards the end of the distillation he watched again to divert the 'feints', the spirit too heavy for whisky, back in with the low wines.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 12

2011-11-24T00:01:00.001Z

PLEASE NOTE! THIS POST CONTAINS MUCH IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

Here we see one of the two great stills - each with a capacity of 2,295 gallons.

Dallas Dhu has two stills - the wash still and the spirit still.

The stillman's job was carefully to control the heat of the stills. He also had to make sure that the wash still, containing the yeasty brew, did not overflow. The neck of the wash still contains two glass windows so that the height of the froth in the still could be monitored; if the still man saw froth in the top windows, the heat was too high.

The shape of thee still is is very important, because it is the shape that affects the character of the spirit produced; any change in shape would change the final flavour of the whisky.

The still man opened a valve to fill the wash still with wash. He gradually raised the temperature of the still while the vapour rose up the neck and out of the worm outside. The still relied on the different ingredients of the wash evaporating at different rates, allowing the alcohol and other chemicals in the wash to be separated from the water. The product from the wash still, was called 'low wines'. What remained in the still (mainly water and yeast) was called 'pot ale' and was run into the sewers!

The low wines were then distilled again in the spirit still. This produced a cleaner spirit which the brewer drew off into the spirit safe.

Just a word about the worm tubs. There were two worms - the low wine worm and there spirit worm. Two tubs held the worms, long spirals of copper pipe attached to the stills. When the stills were working, cool water was kept flowing into the tubs. As the hot vapours coming from the stills entered the worm, the cooling water condensed them so that they could flow back to the still house.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 11

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000Z

The third stage of the whisky making process is that of distillation. The brew is distilled to extract the alcoholic spirit.

The wash is distilled first in the wash still, and then again, for the sake of purity, in the spirit still, to extract just the right strength of spirit for the whisky - nothing too light, nothing too heavy.

The still house is very much the spiritual heart of the distillery, for it is here that the weak brew from the wash backs was transformed into fiery spirit!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 10

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000Z

The tun room houses the six great wash backs, or brewing vats.

The wort and yeast were piped into the vats where the yeast fermented the sugars into alcohol, called wash. This produced a fair amount of heat and a high froth on the top of the vats. When Dallas Dhu first opened, the mash men would keep the froth down with heather brooms.

The froth was made up of carbon dioxide produced by the yeast. Being heavier than air, this used to fill the ground floor of the tun room, making it impossible to breathe down there. For this reason a lifeline and breathing equipment were kept in a locker nearby in case of emergencies.

After a couple of days, when the wash had reached a level of between 5 and 10 per cent alcohol by volume, it was passed through to the still house.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 9

2011-11-21T00:01:00.001Z

Here we see the inside of the mash tun in the mash house.

The mash tun has a perforated base, allowing the sugary liquid, or wort, to be drained off for brewing. One load of grist was drained several times to get all the sugars out. the remaining mushy husks, or draft, were removed on the draft conveyor and sold as cattle feed.

When the wort came from the mash tun, it was too hot for brewing; the heat would kill the yeast. so the wort went into a cooler room before moving to the tun room.

Feast of Christ the King (34th Week of Ordinary Time)

2011-11-20T00:01:00.004Z

Today we hear the familiar parable of the sheep and the goats. Well, which are you? I rather like the goat - only kidding!

Christ is the King! O friends rejoice;
brothers and sisters with one voice
tell the whole world he is your choice.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

O magnify the Lord, and raise
anthems of joy and holy praise
for Christ’s brave saints of ancient days.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

O Christian women, Christian men,
all the world over, seek again
the Way disciples followed then.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Christ through all ages is the same:
place the same hope in his great name,
with the same faith his word proclaim.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

So shall God’s will on earth be done,
new lamps be lit, new tasks begun,
and the whole church at last be one.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

I love hymns with lots of alleluias!

Happy Sunday!

St Delia's Day

2011-11-19T00:01:00.004Z

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Delia!

She has been credited with changing the cooking - and shopping - habits of a nation, and the Delia effect has become accepted as common parlance.

And now, Delia Smith's efforts to culinary greatness are to be recognised with a day specially dedicated to her this weekend.

Following a huge surge in sales of a packaged Christmas cake ingredients box devised by Delia, Waitrose is declaring this Sunday to be Delia Day.

Sales of the cake are up almost 97 per cent on this time last year, with customers coming into the store to buy the product, which includes fruit soaked in brandy, buying the equivalent of 56 tonnes of fruit.

Delia Day is timed to tie in with Stir Up Sunday, traditionally the last Sunday before Advent when Britons prepare Christmas cakes and puddings.

Delia's much-loved Christmas cake recipe has been used by British cooks for over 40 years - but until now, they had to pound the aisles of the supermarkets to collect up the ingredients themselves.

The £10 prepared box contains all the dry ingredients needed to make Delia's Classic Christmas cake - and all have been prepared and weighed out in advance.

Waitrose launched the Delia prepared cake boxes into branches earlier than last year, and due to increased demand has ordered almost three times as many.

The box contains dried fruit mix pre-soaked in brandy, soft dark brown sugar, flour, chopped almonds, black treacle and mixed spice with nutmeg plus instructions penned by Delia. Home cooks simply add their own eggs, butter, orange and lemon zests to the dry ingredients then mix everything together and bake.

Not only is it simpler, but on average the box ensures a saving of around £10 on buying the individual ingredients as full packs.

Waitrose home baking buyer Jo Maclaine said: 'The Delia Christmas cake boxes have proved to be incredibly successful, with a huge rise in sales this week.

Delia says: 'This, my original classic Christmas cake, is possibly the most popular recipe I've ever done.

Let us pray:

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people:
that, richly bearing the fruit of good works,
they may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

On second thoughts, if the Vatican sees the following video, Delia may have to wait a very long time after her death before she is canonised.

It looks to me as if most of the brandy has gone into her glass - not into soaking the fruit for the Christmas cake!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 8

2011-11-18T00:01:00.001Z

The mash house is dominated by the mash tun, a great cooking vat.

The mash man mixed the grist with hot water to form a mash which was stirred slowly in the mash tun to release the sugars and starch from the first. This was hot and potentially dangerous work with the mash heated to around 65 degrees centigrade.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 7

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000Z

The second stage of whisky-making is basically a brewing process. In brief, the malt is brewed to turn the sugar into alcohol.

The grist is mixed with hot water in the mash tun to dissolve the sugar. This sugary liquid (wort) is the piped into wooden vats called wash backs. The wort in the wash backs is mixed with yeast to turn the sugar into alcohol. This produces a weak beer (wash) which is then taken to the stills.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 6

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000Z

Here we see the malt kiln with its pagoda-shaped roof.

The malt kiln worked by drawing the heat from the fire in the base up through the perforated floor on which the damp malt was spread and out through the vent in the roof. One malt man stoked the fire with coal or coke and a little peat - to give that slightly smoky flavour to the malt. To avoid scorching the malt, he regulated the heat and air flow with the iron shutters around the hearth.

Other malt men worked up above on the perforated steel floor in the heat of the kiln, turning the malt to ensure that it dried evenly. When the malt was completely dry, the malt men shovelled it into wooden bins, called the malt deposit.

Once the dried malt had rested in the malt deposit for a few weeks, the brewer's team took over. The mash-man let the malt fall into the mill where it was cracked between steel rollers. He had to adjust the rollers precisely to ensure that the crushed malt, or grist, was neither too fine more too coarse.

This concludes the first stage of whisky-making - there are three more stages to come!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 5

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000Z

The barley is soaked in water and allowed to start sprouting (malting).

When the malt-man judges that the sprouting has produced enough sugar in the grain, he transfers the malted barley (or malt) to the kiln. The heat in the kiln dries the malt and stops is sprouting further. The malt is then passed through a mill to break it up into grist, a very course flour.

The proverb "all is grist for the mill" means "everything can be made useful, or be a source of profit." This is very much in keeping with the parable of the talents which we heard on Sunday.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 4

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000Z

Barley is a grass with a swollen grain that is similar to wheat that can be ground to produce a flour suitable for the production of bread. However unlike wheat, barley has always been particularly important in the production of beers and ales. Barley is the second most widely grown arable crop in the UK with around 1.1 million hectares under cultivation and today's varieties trace their origins back over 10,000 years to the first farmers.

Barley has remained a successful cereal crop because of its short growing time and ability to survive in poor conditions. Although it is grown throughout most of the UK it is often the dominant arable crop in the north and west of Britain where growing conditions are most difficult and less favourable for wheat.

Each year the UK produces around 6.5 million tonnes of barley. Roughly 1.5 million tonnes are exported, 2 million tonnes are used in the brewing and distilling trades with 3 million tonnes being used for animal feed.

Barley is striking because of the long spikes that emerge from the end of each grain. These are known as awns. Barley is also easily identifiable on breezy days in the early summer when "waves" blow through the crop.

Although barley is versatile and tolerant it is not as productive as wheat. As a result it is often grown as the second cereal in a rotation where potential yields are lower; for example a field might first grow wheat, then barley, then a break crop like sugar beet or peas before returning to wheat. Barley can also be grown continually in the same field, a process known as continuous cropping. This was relatively common in the 1970s and 1980s but is rarely if ever practiced now.

Barley can be sown in either the autumn (this is known as winter barley) or in the spring. The proportion of each varies from year to year but is generally around 50:50. Winter barleys are higher yielding but of poorer quality and are mostly used in animal feeds whereas the spring varieties are often used for malting. The winter crop is normally harvested in July with those spring sown following about a month later.

33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

2011-11-13T00:01:00.003Z

Today we year the familiar parable of the talents.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Thy precious time misspent, redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem,
Improve thy talent with due care;
For the great day thyself prepare.

By influence of the Light divine
Let thy own light to others shine.
Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways
In ardent love, and cheerful praise.

In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Happy Sunday!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 3

2011-11-12T00:01:00.000Z

There are four main stages involved in whisky making. Stage 1 - the barley is malted to release its sugar.

I believe that Simpson's Barley makes the finest whisky!

Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods. It is used in soups and stews, and in barley bread of various cultures.

Armistice Day - 2011

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000Z

Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. This year is rather special - as it is of course the eleventh year of the century.

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:

Under the shadow of thy throne,
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.

A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all its sons away;
they fly, forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guide while troubles last,
and our eternal home!

Almighty God,
from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed:
Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all men
the true love of peace;
and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth;
that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward,
till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Princess Royal

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000Z

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal (Princess Ann) has graciously consented to become the first Chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands.

The Chancellor is the titular head of the University and The Princess Royal’s role will be both ceremonial and ambassadorial, participating in conferring degrees at graduations as well representing the University in the UK and overseas.

“We are delighted The Princess Royal has accepted our invitation to be our first ever Chancellor,” said James Fraser, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands. “We welcome her to the university. The Princess Royal has been a longtime supporter and has already visited many of our campuses. She joins us as we seek to develop a university which will have a transformational effect on the Highlands and Islands and attract national and international interest.” (James Fraser can be seen in the photo wearing a white shirt and blue tie.)

Professor Matthew MacIver, Chair of the University court added: “This is a great honour for the Highlands and Islands and I’m certain that the patronage of The Princess Royal will be a tremendous boon to all involved in the creation of our new University.”

A date for the formal installation of the new Chancellor is expected to be set for 2012. I hope to be there myself!

The Princess Royal is the only daughter of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Christmas Stamps 2011

2011-11-09T00:01:00.005Z

On Tuesday 8 November the Royal Mail issued their Christmas Stamps for 2011 - and what a surprise - they are really beautiful!

No Santa Claus or robins, but scenes from the gospels - Joseph's dream; the Virgin Mary bears a Son; Baby Jesus is laid in a manger; an angel appears to the shepherds; the wise men rejoice at the sight of the star. We are even given Scripture references on the stamps.

Well done Royal Mail - you will be helping to spread the true meaning of Christmas. Will all UK readers of this blog please make sure that they use these stamps - I have just purchased £48 worth! I suggest using them on your Christmas Cards, and then for all your mail between Christmas Day and Candlemas.

1st Class books of stamps cost £5.52 each, and 2nd Class books of stamps cost £4.32 each. Each book of stamps contains 12 stamps.

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 2

2011-11-08T00:01:00.001Z

Sadly, the distillery no longer produces whisky, but it is still open to the public thanks to the heroic efforts of Historic Scotland.

The distillery rarely had an easy time, but it was Dallas Dhu's unreliable water supply that finally saw its demise; the supply even dried up entirely for a while during the drought of 1976. The works limped on, thanks to its use as a testing station for new variations in the production process, but the end finally came in 1983. The last barrel was filled on 16 March 1983, an event recorded on the filling store wall.

The whisky that you taste at the end of the tour is around 30 years old - but the supply will not last for ever. It is becoming a very rare whisky!

Dallas Dhu Distillery - 1

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000Z

I recently visited the Dallas Dhu Distillery near Forres. The purpose of my visit was simply to get photos for the blog - it was nothing to do with the free tasting!

Work on building the distillery started in 1898, and production began on 29 May 1899. The first barrel was filled with whisky on 3 June.

Forres is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions. There are many geographical and historical attractions nearby such as the River Findhorn, and there are many historical artifacts and monuments within the town itself.

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

2011-11-06T00:01:00.001Z

In the gospel today we hear the familiar parable about the wise and foolish virgins.

Wake, o wake! with tidings thrilling
the watchmen all the air are filling,
arise, Jerusalem, arise!
Midnight strikes! no more delaying,
"The hour has come!" we hear them saying.
Where are ye all, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes in sight,
raise high your torches bright!
Alleluia! The wedding song
swells long and strong:
go forth and join the festal throng.

Zion hears the watchmen shouting,
her heart leaps with joy undoubting,
she stands and waits with eager eyes;
adorned with truth and grace unending!
Her light burns clear, her star doth rise.
Now come, thou precious Crown,
Lord Jesus, God's own Son!
Hosanna! Let us prepare
to follow there,
where in thy supper we may share.

Every soul in thee rejoices;
from men and angelic voices
be glory given to thee alone!
Thy presence never more shall leave us,
we stand with angels round thy throne.
Earth cannot give below
the bliss thou dost bestow.
Alleluia! Grant us to raise
to length of days,
the triumph-chorus of thy praise.

Advent must be getting close - yet it feels more like midsummer here in the Highlands!

Happy Sunday!

Fireworks!

2011-11-05T00:01:00.001Z

November is sometimes regarded as rather a solemn month - so let's brighten things up with a firework display.

Let's have some organ fireworks - enjoy the Radeztky March!

Happy Guy Fawkes Night!

Te Deum laudamus

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001Z

One canticle I love to hear at All Saints-tide is the Te Deum.

We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubin and Seraphin: continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty: of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs: praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge thee;
The Father: of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true: and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son: of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death: thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come: to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants: whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints: in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people: and bless thine heritage.
Govern them: and lift them up for ever.
Day by day: we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name: ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord: to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

For the beauty of the earth

2011-11-03T00:01:00.002Z

My Mother was very pleased that I visited John's grave on All Souls' Day, and she asked me to take a photo of the flowers that I placed in 'her vase'. Well here they are!

However, let me also post a photo that I took last month of my Mother on her 91st birthday. I note she is proudly displaying a photo of Ludo - my Sister's dog, not a photo of me - on her sideboard. I wonder why?!

One hymn comes to mind. Let us listen as the words are sung in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen as she attends worship in St Paul's Cathedral, London. Let us pray for all those involved in the protest there at this present time.

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Refrain

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Refrain

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.

Refrain

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Refrain

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

Refrain

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.

Refrain

All Souls' Day

2011-11-02T00:01:00.003Z

We do not know how long it is before a soul expectant becomes a saint triumphant - my reading of the gospels leads me to suspect rather less time than we think!

I remember being deacon at Westminster Cathedral in June 2003 at a Requiem Mass for Cardinal Vaughan - who had died in June 1903. I found the whole service in purple vestments rather depressing. If Cardinal Vaughan (who had been responsible for the building of the Cathedral) had not already got into heaven, I dreaded to think how long I will have to wait when I die!

On this All Soul's Day I will be praying especially for the repose of the soul of John Holdsworth, my dear late step-father, who died on 20 March 2011. I conducted his funeral at Harrogate Crematorium on 31 March, and presided at the burial of his ashes at Kilvean Cemetery (just outside Inverness) on 20 September. I shall visit his grave later today and put some flowers there. One day this grave will no doubt be the resting place for my earthly remains.

Jesus lives! thy terrors now
can no longer, death, appall us;
Jesus lives! by this we know
thou, O grave, canst not enthrall us.
Alleluia!

Jesus lives! henceforth is death
but the gate of life immortal;
this shall calm our trembling breath
when we pass its gloomy portal.
Alleluia!

Jesus lives! for us he died;
then, alone to Jesus living,
pure in heart may we abide,
glory to our Saviour giving.
Alleluia!

Jesus lives! our hearts know well
nought from us his love shall sever;
life, nor death, nor powers of hell
tear us from his keeping ever.
Alleluia!

Jesus lives! to him the throne
over all the world is given:
may we go where he has gone,
rest and reign with him in heaven.
Alleluia!

Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord.
And may light perpetual shine upon him.

May he rest in peace,
And rise in glory. Amen.

All Saints' Day

2011-11-01T00:01:00.002Z

There are some nice things about growing older. I now find myself rejoicing on All Saints' Day with people I used to pray for on All Souls' Day! I have plenty of good friends in heaven and I ask them to join their praises with mine on this day of jubilation. I look forward to joining their number.

For all the saints, who from their labours rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Happy Festival!

Ballater Railway Station - 13

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000Z

Here we see Queen Victoria, her lady in waiting, and the dog inside the carriage on route from Ballater Railway Station to Aberdeen where they will board a train to London. How sad all three must have been as they left the hills of the north!

The least I can do is to provide some bagpipe music to cheer them up on their journey!

Will ye no come back again?

31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000+01:00

In the gospel today we hear the words: 'the greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.'

Teach me, my God and King,
in all things thee to see,
and what I do in anything
to do it as for thee.

A man that looks on glass,
on it may stay his eye;
or if he pleaseth, through it pass,
and then the heaven espy.

All may of thee partake;
nothing can be so mean,
which with this tincture, "for thy sake,"
will not grow bright and clean.

A servant with this clause
makes drudgery divine:
who sweeps a room, as for thy laws,
makes that and the action fine.

This is the famous stone
that turneth all to gold;
for that which God doth touch and own
cannot for less be told.

Happy Sunday!

Ballater Railway Station - 12

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000+01:00

Well, the Royal Train has arrived at the platform and awaits Her Majesty.

How sad the line is no longer open. It was part of the Beeching Cuts.

The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard Beeching. Although this report also proposed new modes of freight service and the modernisation of trunk passenger routes, it is remembered for recommending wholesale closure of what it considered little-used and unprofitable railway lines, the removal of stopping passenger trains and closure of local stations on other lines that remained open.

The report was a reaction to significant losses that had begun in the 1950s as the expansion in road transport began to attract passengers and goods from the railways; losses which continued to bedevil British Railways despite the introduction of the railway Modernisation Plan of 1955. Beeching proposed that only drastic action would save the railways from increasing losses in the future.

Successive governments were more keen on the cost-saving elements of the report rather than those requiring investment. More than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) of railway and 3,000 stations closed in the decade following the report, a reduction of 25 per cent of route miles and 50 per cent of stations. To this day, Beeching's name is unfavourably synonymous with mass closure of railways and loss of many local services. This is particularly so in parts of the country that suffered most from cuts.

Ballater Railway Station - 11

2011-10-28T00:01:00.006+01:00

Not exactly the Royal Throne, but not surprisingly there was a private lavatory for the Queen built into the Royal Waiting Area.

Here we see the wash hand basin.

Note the beautiful stained glass in the windows - necessary of course for the privacy for Queen Victoria.

Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown,
when thou camest to earth for me;
but in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
for thy holy nativity.
Refrain:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
proclaiming thy royal degree;
but of lowly birth didst thou come to earth,
and in great humility. Refrain

The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
in the shade of the forest tree;
but thy couch was the sod, O thou Son of God,
in the deserts of Galilee. Refrain

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word
that should set thy children free;
but with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
they bore thee to Calvary. Refrain

When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,
at thy coming to victory,
let thy voice call me home, saying "Yet there is room,
there is room at my side for thee." Refrain

Happy Feast!

Ballater Railway Station - 10

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000+01:00

Obviously, if Queen Victoria wanted a cup of tea whilst waiting for the train she did not have the queue up at the station buffet!

Here we see a tray with china cups etc laid out in the Royal Waiting Room. I'm not sure what Queen Elizabeth does when she travels by scheduled train - I hope she carries her 'Bite Card' which gets you 20% off at the Pumpkin Buffets located at various mainline railway stations.