AND FINALLY ... !!

Also took in Westminster Abby. In amongst the famous people There was this. I thought it was an interesting reflection... 

"Mrs MARY KENDALL daughter of Thomas Kendall Esqr. and of Mrs Mary Hallet, his wife, of Killigarth in Cornwall, was born at Westmr.[Westminster] Nov.8 1677 and dy'd at Epsome March 4 1709/10, having reach'd the full term of her blessed Saviour's life; and study'd to imitate his spotless example. She had great virtues, and as great a desire of concealing them: was of a severe life, but of an easy conversation; courteous to all, yet strictly sincere; humble, without meanness; beneficient, without ostentation; devout, without superstition. ...."

Interesting portrait of humility: "She had great virtues, and as great a desire of concealing them."

Another interesting gravestone on the floor which I spied:

LONDON TOWN

She's still not amused!

JUNE 28 2013 UPDATE

3DM European Senior Leaders Retreat at Horsey Green. Over a hundred people with a great diversity of stories. Diversity yet shared passion and purpose and perseverance. The mark of an emerging movement.

27 JUNE UPDATE

Arriving in Oxford, we spent ages driving around looking for a place to park. It was 'open week' or something like that, and the place was swarming with prospective students, in orientation groups being shown round the town. Is it me or do uni students look younger each year? Anyway. At the last moment we found a place to park, looked up and discovered we were across from the Eagle and Child. 

As the sign says, this is where the Inklings met for many years. The more regular members of the Inklings included J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. "Jack" Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, Tolkien's son, Christopher, Lewis's elder brother Warren, Roger Lancelyn Green, Adam Fox, Hugo Dyson, Nevill Coghill amongst others. Guests included Dorothy Sayers.

On the way out we drove through the Oxford suburbs past 20 Northmoor Road. During his time at Pembroke College Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings, whilst living at 20 Northmoor Road inNorth Oxford (where a blue plaque was placed in 2002).

Librarian heaven! The Bodleian Library,  the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, 1602 in its current form.

YET MORE PICS

Warwick: St. Mary's CatholicChurch: On his 21st birthday, JRR Tolkien wrote to Edith Bratt a declaration of his love and asked her to marry him. Edith replied saying that she had already agreed to marry another man, but that she had done so because she had believed Tolkien had forgotten her. The two met beneath a railway viaduct and renewed their love; Edith returned her engagement ring and announced that she was marrying Tolkien instead. Following their engagement Edith reluctantly announced that she was converting to Catholicism at Tolkien's insistence. Her landlord, a staunch Protestant, was infuriated and evicted her as soon as she was able to find other lodgings. Edith and Ronald were  married here in 1916.

Warwick: Eastgate... part of what was the wall around the old city

Some More Pictures ....

Glasgow: A civilised city! : )

SOME PICS

View from the top of Durham Cathedral. Don't know how often NT sat up here.

Hadrian's Wall - Amazing to imagine the extend of Roman influence on history

Two wild Picts attempting to invade Rome!

Edinburgh Castle - You can see where the idea of a 'fortress' mindset comes from!

View from Edinburgh Castle

Blair Castle, Scotland. They just love their antlers, and swords, and rifles.

Blair Castle, Scotland. That's Esmae and Caitlyn Blair, just reclaiming her heritage.

Blair Castle - They love their antlers, and swords and blunderbusi

The Highlands

Stark ...

... Yet inspiring 

On the Road

Isle of Skye - Portree

Isle of Skye - Portree

Isle of Skye - Portree

Isle of Skye - Portree

Armadale to Mallaig ferry 

Armadale to Mallaig ferry

Flowers in Erbusaig

Fort William - named after Prince William, the 'butcher' of Cumberland. Nice to name a town after him!

Fort William - 

Vandal proof mail-box!

A Summary

Well, it's been a while since the Pilgrimage Conference finished up, and I've been thinking about the principles I've heard and observed. Meanwhile the three of us have headed up north into Scotland, through Edinburgh, up past Perth and to the Isle of Skye. Beautiful, stark, dark and rugged countryside. More about that later.

As a first go at drafting a summary list: