Happy City

From New Album 06/05/2009 08:13

Bristol in the summer

I went to an new initiative in Bristol this week called Happy City, which seemed like a good idea. It is basically a networking idea that puts people who are trying to do good things in their community in touch with others doing the same thing or those who would like to have a go. It is also trying to change our perceptions of what is happy, I'm not a great one for leadership games, I get embarrassed and try to hide, but there were some interesting ideas. One thing we had to do was go up to a stranger in the room and ask them about something that had made them thoughtful that week - I asked a man in his 40s I guess. He said he was walking with a friend in the Mendips and she had said she thought cities needed more uneven surfaces to walk on - nothing in nature is dead flat, walking on uneven ground is natural and makes us feel more connected to the surface of the earth. I can see what she means - stand by Bristol City Council for some humongous accident claims though.

He also said he was about to become a father for the first time - quite late in life - and he is terrified about the effect it will have on his life - so he prayed and he said something definitely "shifted". Amazing the conversations you can have with strangers.

I gave a talk last night at a musical evening for Catholic primary schools focusing on caring for the earth. it was lovely - really uplifting. I showed a couple of clips - including this one - some pictures set to Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. David Ogden is conducting. The children sang some lovely songs - What a Wonderful World, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, Let All Creation Sing, Sent By the Lord Am I, Consider Yourself At Home and others - great.

St Bedes 4.mp4

Good for schools, they are really taking this on board.

Just Around the Corner

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Peter Connolley was 17 months old when he died after months of sustained abuse at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger. I was deeply distressed by this case. If I was so disturbed what must it be like to live just around the corner? Here is my programme on the experience of living right next to terrible crimes like this.

Mandy is a single mother, her daughter T'shan is 16 and her son Junior is 12 - they live down the road. Helen lives near Bristol and next door to people who are often investigated for the treatment of their children. Miles Chambers is a poet who's brother lives near the house where Peter died and who wrote a beautiful and moving poem called I had A Dream the Other Night. Fr Luke Miller is the Anglican parish priest of Tottenham. The programme is 27 mins long.

The Months of January and February

Its been a strange and busy couple of months - including one of my sons getting appendicitis! - hence no posts for a while. But here are some of the things worth noting.

I went with my sister to see an amazing ballet - I still don't quite know what I make of it, but it was certainly beautiful, entertaining and powerful. Matthew Bourne's Swan lake. It is famous for its all male troupe of swans and the captivating relationship between the main male lead swan and the prince. Really beautiful piece of theatre.

As a ballet to see if you think you might not like ballet - it is amazing. Even the ballet experts must agree it has a power and beauty that is often missing from the traditional tutus - love that as I do.

I've also started working on a major series for BBC Radio 4 on biodiversity. It is fascinating and I hope you'll catch some of the series which starts in the first week of April. Its called Saving Species.

My husband went to N Japan, to the island of Hokkaido, to record whooper swans, sea eagles and red-crowned cranes and bought back some beautiful pictures. The squirrel is delightful.

Last week I won Gold and Silver at the Christian Broadcasting Council Awards for Best Internet programmes - which was great. prisoner and the Budgerigar got Gold and A Christmas Robin got Silver. Judges comments:

Gold: ‘The Budgerigar and the Prisoner’

I loved the way this feature took people who are usually marginalised by society (a prison inmate), and humanised him by simply letting him speak for himself: Simple but effective, and very moving.

Silver: A Christmas Robin

A pleasant, easy listen, with great use of sound effects and outdoor recording that made you feel as if you were out in a field bird-watching. The way in which it combined a natural history lesson with the Christmas message and spiritual reflection is also commendable. Nice music too.

Barnoness Caroline Cox giving awards

I have an article in this edition of Justice Magazine - Haiti and the Earthquake.

This coming week I'm finishing the long over-due podcast on Baby P, I'll post it when I can. harrowing to make but I'm glad I did it.