My first article on my new Substack: Over the field. In this piece I explore the theme of limits - especially how they relate to farms and sustainability. Perhaps this illustrates my thoughts on the benefits of small churches as well.

North Wales has been fun to explore.

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Wild Welsh Mountain Goat - in a derelict carpark

The colour of the heather is superb at the moment, complemented by the rich yellow of dwarf gorse. This patch was on top of a cliff in Anglesey, North Wales

"The dominant faith of the world in our time is rationality. That in an age of reason, the human race, or most wealthy and powerful parts of it, should be behaving with colossal irrationality ought to make us wonder whether reason alone can lead us to do what is right." - W.Berry.

A splendid village green. Beddgelert, Wales

RT @ssimonnin: A curious idea from Calvin: preachers renovate the world:. "Heaven & earth are said to be restored by the doctrine of salvat….

I love half-timbered buildings and I love old churches. So when you put the two together, I am absolutely in love with the result. St James & St Paul, Marton. Cheshire. For more on old churches see:

And the paint job continues inside!. All Saints, Siddington. A deceptive little church. But fascinating none the less.

Though round the back I did find some authentic half-timbering.

The cheek! They have painted the beams on.

Is this another half-timbered church that I spy?. Let us take a closer look, as something seems off.

I spoke too soon. Stunning old church. St James & St Paul, Marton

Common Tern, Heybridge Basin, Essex. One of my favourite birds.

Not everyday you see a church that incorporates half-timbered elements. Great little building. St Margaret, Betley, Staffordshire.

(hundreds of these kilns were to be found all over the city). It is a conundrum I have wrestled with before in this post:.

The iconic bottle kilns at Gladstone pottery, Stoke-on-Trent. It is worth reflecting on though we today find these buildings intriguing and beautiful, they were the source of so much misery (smog and toxic air pollution) to the folk who worked there and lived in the city

I have had two mentoring sessions with those wanting to improve their current set up and strategy on Substack. Both have gone really well. I have more mentoring slots available. Message me if interested. I am also available to help mentor folks looking to set up a substack.

If you need encouragement that your place is special and worth investing in, let this quote from Wendell Berry do its work. Some places may well be more lovable than others, but no place is devoid of things to love.

"No life and no place is destitute; all have possibilities of productivity and pleasure, rest and work, solitude and conviviality that belong particularly to themselves." .- Wendell Berry, Family Work.

This is the first time something of mine on this perplexing site has become mildly popular. If this means there are 400 more readers of Rebanks, Berry, Kingsnorth, Smaje and co. then I am very happy. Perhaps there is an agrarian desire latent in the population!