Stuff Michael Meeks is doing

Up early, set off for The Holy Island of Lindesfarne in good time to get across the causeway that floods at high tide. Parked, admired the multitude of clear signs with pictures of sinking cars, and the tide tables at many prominent points.
Wandered the town, admired some new timber framed buildings built on piles (to avoid destroying the archaeology beneath by digging foundations), with some massive ply beams to hold them up. On to the post office, and church; into the ruins of the abbey.
Had fun admiring, and clambering over the architecture of the ruined monastry and playing with babes of all sizes - E. finally starting to stand alone for long periods apparently without much noticing she is doing it. Place scattered with interesting fiducials - presumably to calculate geometry / movement of the stones from photographs. Some incredible wind / weather erosion - some stones seem disproportionatly affected.
Breakfast lunch at the cafe; and back to the car to collect bits we had left. Marvelled at the Sea-King helicopter hovering over the causeway rescuing the latest hapless, clueless non-believer; hard to see, but apparently deposited in the car-park at some considerable expense - minus car (passed in a somewhat wet condition on the way back).
Payed a fortune for a somewhat under-matured maize-maze - which was nonetheless fun enough, while E. and M. slept in the car with the grandparents.
On to the museum; pleasant, clean display, friendly staff - and a total aspiritualised tragedy of a display. English Heritage - appear to rejoice in dates, geography, orthography, illumination - but totally at a loss to provide a view of the spiritual depth of the amazing men who followed their God to a land of pagans, and converted them en-masse - what did they believe ? what did the people believe beforhand ? what was their social impact ? why did they do it ? what was their theology ? no information. Saint Cuthbert would presumably vomit on the threshold to discover the display was more interested in the exact route & chronology of movements of his coffin - rather than the crucified carpenter, risen and victorious in whose name darkness and superstition were pushed back. Very occasional glimpses of their theology show through - that they deliberately walked through the area rather than riding, to be on the level of people; and that the regional King, having been converted gave his entire silver service to the poor - but far, far too little; depressing.
Out for a drink with J. in the evening, at the hotel across the road - discovered that our cottage is let to us by a chap with a fairground attraction. Sounds like an ideal synergy - in winter, when no-one wants to be there - a nice house to live in, and in summer being on the road anyway can earn from it.

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In case it's not painfully obvious: the reflections reflected here are my own; mine, all mine ! and don't reflect the views of Collabora, SUSE, Novell, The Document Foundation, Spaghetti Hurlers (International), or anyone else. It's also important to realise that I'm not in on the Swedish Conspiracy. Occasionally people ask for formal photos for conferences or fun.

Stuff Michael Meeks is doing

2009-07-20: Monday.