New Toy...

Haha!! So I was blessed today with a new toy. A new camera no-less... Ha! Here are some pics from a nice wee day at home...

Ahhh... Nice.

Sefton Sun...

I've had an interesting day today. I somehow dragged myself out of bed at 7 54 am (i made an agreement with a rather spiffing friend of mine that i'd try and get up at 8 am every day for a week) even though my body wasn't a big fan of the idea. Anyway, having sat zombie like for about an hour - not kidding - I had some breakfast, generally got up, and then headed out into the beautiful sunshine to meet up with my rather spiffing friend.

Me and said friend, who is a pretty amazing individual, then headed down to Sefton Park for a very enjoyable few hours. Ice cream, fantastic company, beautiful weather, nice surrounds - splendid. So very splendid.

After that I headed home to look at a presentation i have to prepare for Saturday 20th May, which isn't particularly enthralling me at the moment. Its an interesting task that lies ahead - presenting to my department for 20-25 mins, followed by a time of Q&A - but its also difficult to see the relevance in some respects as the task isn't assessed and I know that I need to work hard on my thesis as a whole. However, the task needs to be completed and it will be a good experience in terms of public speaking and presenting - something I haven't done for a while now. So yeah... Work. Ha!

And this evening I have just been to CU which was good. An interesting talk on the fall of man, the absolute importance of God's word and a reminder of Jesus salvation for all those who obey the Gospel. Marvellous.

Bonjour..

This is a cool pic so I thought i'd post it. Life is good, I am blessed. I also have some recommendations for ye.

Firstly go and read The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. It is a cracking book.

Secondly check out www.caradillon.co.uk. Cara is an Irish folk singer (hold your amusement for a second folks) that my mate Joe introduced me to a while back and she's just brought out a new album. I think she's pretty cool and has an amazing voice. As someone who tends towards the indie and the rock i think she's well worth taking a look at.

Ok folks I hope you are all well..

An American theme...

I'm blogging for two reasons really. Firstly I just managed to throw two pieces of rubbish into my bin from across my room. YAY!!! As a person with limited athletic ability this is a wonderful thing.

Secondly, I just finished Made in America by Bill Bryson. And it was great, right up to the last page. I've actually read quite a few good books this year now, all of them with a distinct theme (see if you can work out what it is):



1776 by David McCullough
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke
Made in America by Bill Bryson

and last but most certainly not least,

Band of Brothers by Stephen E Ambrose, which i absolutley flippin loved. Amazingly good book to read. Thanks again Steph. Much appreciated... :-)

Is the end of the blog nigh?

So, over the last few months i've noticed that the blogging world appears to be running out of steam. Fewer and fewer blogs are being updated, while those that are updated are updated less frequently. Even I will confess that I am considering bring this blog to a halt once i've reached the (rather worryingly) landmark of having been a blogger for a year. ONE YEAR! Yikes...

So I ask you folks? Is the end of the blog nigh? Or is it just a lull before the return of bloggin en mass. Who knows, who knows...

I know, I know...

I know, I know. No post for a wee while. Things are a little busy right now. But hey, I hope you are all well. (I nicked this picture off that DK, as he's so hot right now... http://dkwonsh.blogspot.com/ Thanks DK)

So what have I been up to? Well i've been busily working away on a large essay which currently stands at 7,000 words thereabouts, which kind of sounds good but it should be closer to 10,000 words. Ne'the'mind.

I've also been planning a wee trip to Dublin to research for my thesis. And sadly its a bit complicated trying to gain access to various libraries and the like. Still its good to be planning.

This week has also consisted of a short trip home which was great. Good food, time spent with my parents, and some amazing countryside to enjoy. I even went for another thing called a 'run' or something. It was actually really good fun this time round. Nice.

Oh, and I have taken the plunge and bought myself a new toy which takes nice pictures. Hopefully it'll be in my possession sooner rather than later so I can start bombarding you with photographs again. Ha!!

And finally today was a fantastic day. So, so nice. Beautiful sunshine, warm temperatures, and the trees, flowers etc, are all coming to life. Spring is awesome guys.

This Beauty Of This World

'God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' Genesis 1:31... Hmm, just been trawling through my photos and put together some pictures that I think show just how amazing this world is... Oh and show how cool and diverse this little island I call home is. Enjoy.

That DK...

That SoonHyung Danny Kwon… He’s so HOT right now! The man known as DK cannot easily be described in mere words. For this is a man with his own sun – his own fully-operational SUN - who else can lay claim to such a thing? He is man of many unique interests, the music of Kelly Clarkson being the best known, and when he performs his own unique take on ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’, then…well, let’s just say that it brings a tear to the eye… DK also combines a number of other talents in his every day life: He is capable of sleeping at almost any time and in any place; he has a tremendous modelling versatility with looks ranging from ‘Squirrel’ to the ‘Rock’ and is being touted as the next Derek Zoolander; when combined with the great Danny T he becomes the fearsome, nigh-on unstoppable ‘Danny Monster’… FEAR FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

Lyme Park

Hello. Whats the craic with ye? So I went to the Peak District today with Andy Moll, KC Clark and Sarah Toth, mostly to check out the rather large house in the picture (though it didn't look like that today - big green plastic sheets and scaffolding along half of the building. Bummer!!), which is a place called Lyme Park and is perhaps best known for being used as Mr Darcy's house in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. So there you go...

Its a pretty cool place in its own right and it was fun to get out of Liverpool and into the countryside, especially as we got to go for a wee drive into the Peak District itself (its one of Britain's National Parks) which was nice. Right now i'm feeling pretty tired, but alas my room needs a bit of a tidy and then i'm off to the pub for the first time in a long, LONG time for a solitary pint and some good company. Marvellous. Hope you are all well folks.

Ok... I have just returned from the pub. And it was cool - the pint was nice as was the conversation. Infact if it wasn't for the fact that I now feel as if I've swallowed half and ash tray and had the other half poured over my head, then it would have been a really cool evening.

One unusual point though. I was in Dovedale Towers on Penny Lane, which is a pub with character. But tonight this was even more so with live jazz thrown into the mix no-less. Indeed the jazz theme seemed to be running throughout the night and we were even given a leaflet inviting us to more live jazz in the Palm House on Sunday evening. However in reading that leaflet I am now a little confused as to what it is talking about.

You see, the star attraction on sunday - a band who will remain un-named here - are described as a band that '...mixes Post Bop, Fusion, Klezmer and the folk music of Eastern Europe and beyond.'

What, may I ask is Post Bop, Fusion and Klezmer? Any ideas folks?

Sweet Home Alaba...er.. St Helens...

So i'm back in Liverpool after a good little week at home. Managed to find time for a bit of everything really - work, reading, running, relaxing, met up with a good friend from home, spent some time with the folks. But the creme-de-la-creme was Easter Sunday itself when three members of the Agape team and a mutual friend came over for the day - marvellous. :-)

It was a really good day and the guys got to spend some time with my family, at my home church, plus it was actually sunny so there was plenty of opportunities to sit down on the grass and enjoy the weather. Splendid.

So yeah... I'm back having had a nice week, and a great weekend, though sans camera. I've seen one I like that isn't too pricey (factoring in my parents immense generosity) but its so good that its out of stock, both in store and on the net. Patience Richard, patience....

In the mean time heres some more Formby pics given that they are effectively the last ones I was able to take. Enjoy and I hope you are having a great day.

A few more words...

A few more words for my Ohio based readership this time. These are all still taken from Bill Bryson's Made In America.

Cleveland is named after a chap called Moses Cleaveland, a Connecticut lawyer, who owned the land on which the city stands but never bothered to go there. It used to be spelt Cleaveland incidentally.

Cincinnati used to be called Fort Washington.

Ok... That should be the last of the word related posts. Enjoy.

Words, words, words...

Rather appropriately (with my camera out of action) i've been reading a book this week that i've had on my shelf for oh, say about 10 years, but never got round to reading. Its called Made In America (written by one of my favourite authors, a chap called Bill Bryson) and is a book documenting the development of American English, with a bit of American history and cultural origins, thrown into the mix.

And its really, really, really good. Having the immense blessing to live in something of a cross-cultural world in Allerton, reading this book makes all those little Anglo-American oddities make a lot more sense. I could quite happily quote any number of things from the hundred or so pages i've read already but here a some things that caught my eye...

1. For all those Americans from the southern states out there in Italy, or indeed wherever, the phrase 'y'all' has '...been a distinguishing feature of southern speech since the 1600s.' I haven't come across the phrase 'That Dog'll Hunt' yet but theres time...

2. A phrase that sounds so, so British in almost every way, that of 'keep a stiff upper lip' is infact not British but was first coined in the US in 1815. My reaction to that goes something along the lines of 'Good grief old fruit, thats jolly un-spiff, what.'

3. The term 'good-bye' dervies from the seventeenth century expression 'God be with you' which was commonly written 'Godbwye'. Marvellous.

Anyway its a really good little book, and its following on from another really good, slightly bigger, book called Letter from America which I've quoted on here before, and I finally finished this week. So, so good and a very enjoyable read.

Other than reading then i've been enjoying being at home in sunny St Helens (it actually was really sunny today - I had a great run/walk over the fields), trying to get a good balance of relaxation and work. So far, so good. Bits and bobs of reading done, a better focus on my work as a whole, and time spent enjoying the countryside, including going for a few runs. Baring in mind that I haven't been running for about a year my lungs, and infact most of my body, rebelled mightly but its been good fun to get some excercise in a beautiful surrounds.

Its also been something of a challenging week as I finally got around to signing the acceptance form for Relay, realising as I did that some of the challenges that are ahead... Its also been a week away from people which has been hard, but also great for reminding me of just how blessed I am to have great friends around me in Liverpool. A great coffee with Stephanie Gillette was a particularly good reminder of that. Anyway thanks guys you are all great..

And now its time for a coffee and my essay again. Have a great day people whereever you may be.

R.I.P. Canon Ixus 400

So... My camera has died. The mighty sand of Formby beach has defeated my faithful camera. But... its not too bad I guess. For the last two years and a few months I reckon my camera has taken 4,000 pictures, which isn't too shabby. Plus its been a lot of fun and a real blessing to be able to mess around with it. And... I think i'll be replacing it too which is equally a real blessing. Right. I shall leave this here to go and look at how much nice little digi cameras are these days.

And finally... well kind of.

And while i'm going home for a week starting tomorrow and am therefore unlikely to post, i'll leave you with the news that I have been accepted onto the UCCF (Universties and Colleges Christian Fellowship) Relay scheme which means that I will be working in Liverpool with the Christian Union movement next year. Marvellous. Your prayers would be appreciated as I firstly have a lot of work to do before I start the job, and secondly I have a lot of things to get in order regarding the job itself, not least support raising. Thanks guys.. Have a marvellous Easter...

R

The Beach

So I went to the beach yesterday and it was fun. Cold, windy, empty - but fun. It was one of those days which more than most deserves the description 'character building'. In the space of 3 hours we were hit by strong winds, driving sand (we were literallybeing blasted with sand), a wee bit of hail and some sun too.

It was a good day for arty photos, though a bad day for my camera and my phone - both these modern impliments of technology appear to have been severely damaged by a few tiny grains of sand. How ironic. My cameras lens cap will no longer close, whilst my phone appears to be developing new ailments as time goes by. Think i might go and get an upgrade phone wise, given that it was something i was thinking of doing anyway, whilst my camera seems to be working ok aside from the lens is now unprotected. Maybe a new one for my 24th this year mum and dad? Ha! (I am being cheeky but they don't read this as far as i know so its not too bad).

However it was a fun day - like being a little kid for a few hours. Running up big sand dunes and watching your feet and legs start to disappear in wee avalanches of sand; nearly getting to the top of big sand dunes and running out of steam and just falling on your face and sliding down them; building some random sandcastlymoundthingy. All marvellous. Oh and time for an ice cream too. Plus lots of fresh air, and the fact that it isn't Liverpool. Bonus. Here are some pics...




Hmm... My feet appear to have disappeared...



This rather embarrasing picture, showing why long hair ain't always a good idea, was taken when i was in a lot of pain - strong wind and sand. Not a good combination...


Character building situations require numerous naps...



Cold, windy, about to hail a few minutes after this - time for an ice cream if your British...

A Close Shave...

This may, or may not, be of interest to you dearest reader, but for the first time since August I treated my ugly mug to a proper shave the other night, removing the 'fluff' that has generally recieved only a trim of late. Marvellous. The difference can be seen in a recent picture with 'fluff'...


...and one taken today without 'fluff', though i was cold and facing directly into a very strong wind when the last one was taken. Splendid.

Carnatic Halls

Ok. So it appears that the 'Which halls of residence is the best?' debate has reached the confines of my blog, and having lived in Carnatic for a year, as well as being involved in Carnatic hall groups with the CU for about four years, I'd have to say that my allegience lies firmly with the Carnie. Here is a pic of beautiful Carnie out of the window of my first year room...


But that doesen't mean that Carnatic is the best of course. From what I have observed and heard, the Greenbank halls are very nice places to live, whilst Carnatic probably wouldn't go down as one of the nicest places I've lived in my life. My hall in particular, Rankin, kind of lived up to its name - it had a certain prison block feel about it. Ha! Plus the food was a little, erm, wrong. Yeah thats a good word to describe it really - wrong.

The architectural beauty of Rankin Hall...


However Carnie does have one thing going for it. And thats got everything to do with how it got its name...

Carnatic Halls are built on the original site of Mosley or Mossley Hall, which came under the ownership of a Liverpool based shipbuilding in 1779. Like other Liverpool businessmen and traders of the time the owner of Mosley, or Mossely Hall, entered into the business of 'privateering' (basically a 'privateer' ship was an armed ship of civilians authorised by the government for use in war), to compensate for the loss of trade due to the American Revolutionary Wars. During the course of his 'privateering' our shipbuilding friend captured a French vessel called the Carnatic and...

'...returned with the richest prize ever brought into port by a Liverpool privateer, having on board a cargo of spices and "...a box of diamonds of an immense value" estimated at between £135,000 and £400,000.'

The blokes shipyard prospered, he became Mayor of Liverpool and died in office in 1796. And the locals referred to Mossley Hall as Carnatic Hall because of the source of his fortune.

And for that reason Carnatic Halls are better ;-). Here are a few more pic of my room from first year.




All info re Carnatic was written by Naomi Evetts and was sourced from the Old Ordnance Survey Map of Mossley Hill, 1905.

Penny Lane

Another blog, and another blog about walking around Liverpool. I do actually have plans to follow up the Sarah Toth blog with a whole series on the Agape STINT team, but for the moment lets look at Penny Lane.

So, Penny Lane. Probably the most famous road in Liverpool, and certainly well known around the globe thanks to the Beatles song. And also less than 5 minutes walk from my house, and a road that I have walked the length of so, so many times in the last five years. But if you are a tourist then all you ever see really is this sign...


...and if you've never been to Liverpool, or this part of the city, then your ideas of how it will look are probably going to be either based entirely on the song (so a banker with a motor car etc - a busy little commercial street), or will relate to the name of the road, which probably suggests a quiet and quaint English road.

On the contrary, Penny Lane in reality is not the street descibed in the song (thats either nearby Smithdown Road, or Allerton High Street depending on who you believe), nor is it a quiet and quaint English road. Rather it is a long, pretty standard Victorian road with houses along one part and then after a railway bridge, a long almost treelined stretch with a school and a private hospital on either side, with a Liverpool University hall of residence at the end.

So in otherwords not what you might expect, but I like it for that reason. Here are some pics of Penny Lane, and of the Dovedale Towers, the pub with character that sits about half way along Penny Lane.