An oil painting depicting the downstream scene at Wouldham is included an exhibition at the Russell-Côtes Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth. It is the work of Geoffrey Baker (1881–1959) who may have painted the scene, featuring a steam tug and Thames barge, before the Second World War. The artist was a founder member of […]
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David Meara’s book on John Betjeman appeared towards the end of last year as we faced renewed Covid restrictions. A Passion For Places: England Through The eyes of John Betjeman is a book which makes one want to go out and ‘church crawl’ as Betjeman would have described his explorations. In the foreword Simon Jenkins […]
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Today Wednesday 29 December is the Martyrdom of St Thomas of Canterbury. Evensong from Canterbury cathedral at 3pm today can be joined online.
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‘We have the added worship of the Feast of St Thomas of Canterbury on 29 December which gives a special Canterbury climax to our worship before 2022 begins,’ says Dean of Canterbury Robert Willis. Canterbury Cathedral has announced services for the Feast of St Thomas Becket on Wednesday 29 December. The 8am Eucharist will be […]
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‘In the shadow of a tall, nine-arched, red brick railway viaduct, a long, thin, green valley extends besides the River Darent in Kent,’ writes Peter Stanford in his new book If These Stones Could Talk. He is describing the Pilgrims’ Way as it runs south from Dartford to Otford. Thomas Becket came this way in […]
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The cathedrals at the start and end of the long Pilgrims’ Way are included in the new book Europe’s 100 Best Cathedralsby Simon Jenkins. Winchester and Canterbury are awarded four stars. We are told that Winchester, begun by William the Conqueror, ‘was to be twice the length of the abbeys of Normandy’. The chantry chapels […]
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Today Tuesday 30 November is St Andrew’s Day. It’s special in Scotland, Greece, Barbados, Amalfi and many other places. It was once a special day at Boxley Abbey which possessed a St Andrew relic, a finger encased in silver, which was in the freestanding St Andrew’s Chapel built in 1484 about a quarter of a […]
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If you are on the Pilgrims’ Way walking through Aylesford this weekend it may be cold but you will find mulled wine and refreshment at Aylesford Priory’s Christmas Fair. The medieval priory offers bed and breakfast at its large guesthouse all year.
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Ken Haigh, resident in Canada, has written an account of his walk from Winchester to Canterbury. Those who have walked the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester will find this book an enjoyable account. So might those who come from London joining the converged way at Otford. It is interesting that at Otford Ken chooses to take […]
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For many 3 November is the day after All Souls’ Day or maybe Martin de Porres Day. However, in some calendars it is St Rumwold’s Day. Alternative spellings include Rumwald, Rumbald and Rumbold. Rumwold is favoured by churches in Kent. St Rumwold was born into the Mercian royal family in the 650s. The birth took […]
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