John Birch

Llawhaden Castle in Pembrokeshire. The present structure was built by the bishops of the Diocese of St David in the 13th century.
#castle #Wales

I lay my head to rest,
and in doing so,
lay at your feet
the faces I have seen,
the voices I have heard,
the words I have spoken,
the hands I have shaken,
the service I have given,
the joys I have shared,
the sorrows revealed,
I lay them at your feet,
and in doing so
lay my head to rest.

REFORM UK WELSH MANIFESTO COSTED

It's another Reform UK manifesto that's all about promises and claims to be cost-neutral, but the numbers in here suggest a £200–250m annual deficit plus large infrastructure costs.

‘If they don’t stop, Tehran will turn into Gaza’: Iranians describe night of terror People tell of scenes of panic during airstrikes on Iran’s capital, with several saying they feared they would die

I think that’s what Israel will be wanting sadly - and what happens then as Trump shrugs his shoulders, or maybe suggests a holiday resort?

Like clockwork.

Pope's March prayer intention: 'for disarmament and peace' - Vatican News Pope Leo XIV releases his prayer intention for the month of March, inviting Catholics to pray with him for 'disarmament and peace,' and praying that ...

"We lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy." #PopeLeoXIV #PrayForPeace www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...

Exclusive: US investigation points to likely US responsibility in Iran school strike, sources say U.S. military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent ​strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reach...

Wonder how Trump will explain this tragedy away?

Bless the work we do,
the words we say,
the love we share
and the grace we show,
on our daily walk
through this beautiful
and precious world.
.
.
(more prayers at buff.ly/7rNylSc)

That should read Clacton of course!

Spring is gradually unfolding! Magnolia at Aberglasney Garden in Carmarthenshire
#photo

Nigel Farage to discuss Chagos Islands deal at Mar-a-Lago dinner with Donald Trump tonight - UK politics live Reform UK leader told a ‘Save Chagos Boat Party’ yesterday he would be raising the issue in his meeting with the president

I hope the people of Clayton are happy with their ‘hardworking’ MP they voted in. He seems to have grander aims than their concerns

Bright and beautiful? The man causing millennial rapture with his school hymn singalongs Primary School Bangers caused a sensation on TikTok, then at Glastonbury, and now it’s gone nationwide. Is it harmless nostalgia – or a symptom of an increasingly conservative culture?

Bright and beautiful? The man causing millennial rapture with his school hymn singalongs

EU agrees to chop meaty names from vegetarian and vegan food products Lawmakers will ban use of 31 meat-related names as part of efforts to help livestock farmers in food supply markets

EU agrees to chop meaty names from vegetarian and vegan food products!

Israel orders more than 500,000 people to evacuate Beirut’s southern suburbs Order comes as Israel continues to bomb Lebanon and Iran, while Tehran launches retaliatory strikes

This is just going from bad to worse at a rate of knots. And should never have started

First Peacock butterfly I’ve seen this year
#butterfly #nature

Israel flagged Hezbollah threat before launching air attacks, leaked memo shows US embassy cable said Israeli officials did not trust Lebanon or Syria to contain the group’s fighters

So it’s always been Israel in charge of this stupidness, and the war-crazy Trumpers following

'She loved painting people living life out loud': Why critics scorned Beryl Cook's 'saucy' paintings Beryl Cook's paintings were loved by the British public but derided by the art establishment. One hundred years after her birth, a new exhibition argues for a reassessment of her work.

Beryl Cook was a brilliant artist, each painting has something to say, and brings a smile to the face of those looking at them - what can be wrong with that?!

Gracious God, speak to us
through the unfolding day…
#prayer

An old time favourite of mine, for giving hope when times feel dark 👇
#Tolkien

Protect caterpillars as UK’s moth population plummets, urge charities Instead of removing plant-munching caterpillars, gardeners asked to take relaxed attitude to support the moths many of them grow into

Protect caterpillars as UK’s moth population plummets, urge charities

US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges Religious freedom group says 200 troops sent complaints of superiors using extremist Christian rhetoric to justify war

US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’…
If it was, then it certainly isn’t going to end well for Trump and Co

Iran war heralds era of AI-powered bombing quicker than ‘speed of thought’ Speed and scale of US military’s AI war planning raises fears human decision-making may be sidelined

Iran war heralds era of AI-powered bombing quicker than ‘speed of thought’
Fascinating and scary article, but what it boils down to is that AI doesn’t worry about bombing a kids school as it has no in-built conscience

I very rarely agree with Corbyn but he’s right on this one

US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reports that 742 civilians have died, including 176 children.
‘Civilians’ - that’s people like you and I, not militants…..
Israel now pulls the strings, so just picture Gaza and imagine how Tehran might look in a week or two

Blow gently, loving God…
#prayer

‘We’ll run out of food this week’: attacks on Iran have left Gaza under siege Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, threatening to plunge 2 million people into a new hunger crisis

The forgotten people of Gaza

Trump's Iran endgame unclear after mixed messaging on war aims The US president laid out some of his objectives on Monday, but made no mention of what Iran's future might look like after the war.

Trump's Iran endgame unclear after mixed messaging on war aims

This world needs more people who are willing to speak out against injustice and the suffering it causes around the world. Let’s face it, even Jesus overturned the tables…