Andrew Avramenko

The Vigeland Park have over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland The Vigeland Museum is just south of the Vigeland Park

Beautiful place but terrible coffee, although maybe I was serially unlucky! Still sliding between peaks of a mountain beside a fjord made up for it.

If you go and like art sculptures you should check out Vigeland Park in Oslo - some amazing and powerful pieces.

vigeland.museum.no/en/vigelandp...

Of the most unexpected, coolest and/or weirdest places I’ve been would include Lenin’s tomb in Moscow, stumbling upon & Anglican Churches in Geneva, walking through an ice tunnel in Norway, walking through a tarn in the Upper Wilkin Valley in S. New Zealand and amazing Iona.

N: Sognefjord, Norway
E: Hahei, Corromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
S: almost equal between Florida Everglades, Gran Canaria and border between Morocco & Western Sahara
W: Los Angeles

A field of wheat under blue skies, reflecting the colours of the Ukrainian flag

A poppy in a field of wheat

The fields and skies around me stand in solidarity with Ukraine, the poppies praying silently for the fallen and those waiting to be gathered into a lasting peace.

Macron to the UK:

"Never cede to the temptation of populism which is the denial of science or a travesty of the facts. Populists sold you a response which is through nationalist withdrawal. Budgetary, immigration, growth problems from 9 years ago. Were they solved by Brexit? No."

A new mural has been unveiled in the French city of Roubaix to mark #July4th.

(🎨 Judith de Leeuw)

Afghan resettlement schemes to the UK suddenly closed by government Ministers close ‘lifeline’ sanctuary routes for Afghans who worked with British troops and who fought for democracy and womens’ rights

🚨The Government has quietly and suddenly closed the Afghan resettlement scheme, buried in an 138 page document.

This scheme - though not without limitations - was a vital lifeline for thousands of Afghans, including women targeted by the Taliban.

1/🧵

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Liam Ó Maonlai and Martin Brunsden

Fiachna Ó Braonáin

Hothouse Flowers with Lorraine Nash

Hothouse Flowers at the end of the concert

I saw Hothouse Flowers last night in Bath and they were just as good as the first time when I saw them get 80,000 people jumping up and down in joy at the Summer XS concert in Wembley Stadium in 1991. They’re still on tour, including heading to Glastonbury, and well worth checking out. Top band.

Nuclear is not the answer and spending tens of billions on Sizewell is a terrible waste of money.

Nukes are always late and over budget - and make the most expensive electricity we’ve ever known. If we want to get bills down then nuclear is the last thing we need.

1/6

Sad news… the line-up for the Heaven Music Festival just got richer and Earth’s got poorer.

Gazan children in hospital ‘like a conveyor belt’, says surgeon We spoke to Dr Victoria Rose who's just returned from three and a half weeks working in Gaza.

“I was running an operating list with 10 people on it and every day at least half were under the age of 11 - it's barbaric.”

Dr Victoria Rose, who has just returned from working in Gaza, tells @cathynewman.bsky.social what it was like.

Read and watch:

www.channel4.com/news/gazan-c...

A question for clergy (and possibly others!): in weddings what do you call/title ‘The signing of the registers’ in service booklets since the system changed a few years ago?

I’ve heard:
- signing of the marriage
- signing of the marriage document
- registration of the marriage

I’m curious!

Beware of Duolingo’s promise to warn you before charging you if you sign up for a free trial - they often don’t.

In the UK at least there’s a 14 day withdrawal period law for online purchases so there’s a route to a refund if timing gets the better of you & you miss the chargeable moment/deadline

Sad news… 🙏🏻

Happy Easter!

It was great of see crowds of people gathering at the three churches in the village I was in today.

We celebrated Jesus’s resurrection in my church using a Ukrainian Paska bread for Holy Communion, another link of solidarity with our Ukrainian members & another prayer for peace.

Friends,

For Christians, today is Good Friday.

I guess it is a symbol of the words "it is always darkest before dawn".

We in Ukraine are waiting for our dawn to come - we are exhausted and fragile, we continue fighting and living, but over three years of full-scale war are taking their toll.

Gaza trauma surgeon: ‘You don’t bomb healthcare facilities’ We spoke to Irish trauma surgeon Dr Morgan McMonagle who recently got back from a six-week humanitarian mission working in Gaza's Nasser hospital.

"The bombing is absolutely massive."

Morgan McMonagle, an Irish trauma surgeon who worked in Gaza, tells @krishgm.bsky.social that bombing hospitals "goes against all international and humanitarian law".

Read and watch:
www.channel4.com/news/gaza-tr...

Looks interesting and helpful…

www.turveyabbey.org.uk/pilgrimage/l...

A pic of the statement

Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum, issued a statement about the missile attack on the Anglican run Al Ahli Hospital: “An urgent appeal resonates for the international community to fulfil its duty in protecting civilians and ensuring that such inhumane horrific acts are not replicated.”

The Diocese of Jerusalem appalled at the bombing of the Anglican hospital in Gaza this Palm Sunday... the 5th time since 2023.

What kind of a state bombs hospitals again & again?
🇮🇱 ISRAEL!

#Gaza #Palestine #Israel #WarCrimes

For the elimination of any misunderstanding: Al Ahli hospital is a Christian organisation run by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem. We receive no funding from Hamas and are entirely and totally independent.We are solely focused on saving lives and tending the wounded. Attacking hospitals is wrong.

Gaza hospital hit by Israeli strike, Hamas says The group called the alleged attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital a "horrific crime" committed by Israel, which said it was looking into the reports.

Just waking to the appalling news of the evil attack on our Anglican Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. A short IDF warning avoided more deaths but it’s unconscionable to attack medical facilities. The impact on Gaza’s ability to tend the sick and save lives is devastating.
www.bbc.com/news/article...

This part

Sad news, the former double agent Oleg Gordievsky has died.

His autobiography “Next Stop Execution” is well worth a read - it shows how the numerous fictional films and the series about spies are less outlandish and more true than we might realise.

Front cover of the Beano comic showing their character Jonah

I think we often underestimate the importance of sowing seeds of faith, or the unlikely things that play an important role.

1 of the key seeds in my journey to becoming a Christian was a character in the Beano comic inspired by and named after Jonah from the Bible possibly not their intention!

I’m at The Beacon in Bristol listening to the students and bands from St Brendan’s tonight, and one thing is clear: reports rock’s demise are false, rock is certainly alive and well and has a bright future. 🎸🎧

Whilst I think banning it would be worthwhile I can’t see it happening given the lack of action after the known interference and misinformation on it and Facebook, to name but two, that’s affected elections in the UK and elsewhere in the past.

I hope my cynicism will be proved to be misplaced.

With friends like these, who needs enemies

Hopefully the democratic world can unite, resist and respond against ignorant, narcissistic, hypocritical despots until those who appreciate the help and sacrifice of others can themselves respond, educate & return their country to the world of democracy.

London

Woke up with the anticipation of watching some of the new season of Drive to Survive before work & it’s not out yet… still something to look forward to for after work?

Back to Channel 4 highlights for the races this season though, Sky & Now just too expensive, and Netflix prices rising too #F1