Martha's Marvellous Munchies

This walk on the Limestone Way takes me to three villages starting with B: Ballidon, Brassington, and Bradbourne.   Parwich to Brassington The weather forecast says it's fine, but as I walk out of Parwich some light rain starts, which persists for most of the walk. It's not enough to make me properly wet. Parwich sits in a large bowl; the kind of landscape where you can see where you're heading, where you came from, and the next hill you are going to have to climb. The area has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years .  A short climb up a field takes me to Highway Lane, which I follow down again, and then bear left across the fields to Ballidon. I can see the chimney of Ballidon Quarry, and a building which looks like an old chapel. I assume it must now be a private house, but when I get there, I discover that this is All Saints church, now in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches. What a nice surprise! I'm intrigued by the Creed and Ten Com...

After my unscheduled but enjoyable detour along the Churnet Way , I have started 2025 by picking up the Limestone Way where I left it, at Thorpe. My next walk takes me through Tissington to Parwich.   Thorpe to Parwich This time last year was wellies all the way - we'd had so much rain. It's been a lot drier this winter, and everything is still half frozen after a cold snap. I'm hoping walking boots will do the job. There is only one other vehicle in the Narlows car park in Thorpe when I pull in. A bit of sunshine greets me as I walk down the road, and casts a long shadow through the gate where I join the Limestone Way. It's an easy walk across the fields to Tissington. A red kite circles overhead, and a small pond is still solidly frozen. I've been to Tissington a few times - it's famous for its well dressings - but I don't think I've ever been in the church. There is a welcoming sign outside, and a nice avenue of trees leading up to the door. Inside i...

Some while ago I heard a sermon on the story of Zacchaeus. I forget what the point of the sermon was - usually for this Bible passage it's something about Jesus saving everyone, even the unlikely people. But I remember wondering, did Zacchaeus really give all that money away? Image by Alexa from Pixabay You may remember the tale: Zacchaeus is a corrupt government official who is rather short. When Jesus arrives in town, Zacchaeus wants to get a look at him. So he climbs a tree to see over other people's heads. However, Jesus spots him and tells him to get out of the tree and go cook Jesus some dinner. I assume Jesus phrased it a little more nicely than that, because Zacchaeus is delighted, and moreover, promises to change his entire lifestyle. "Half of my possessions I give to the poor," he declares with the enthusiasm of the instant convert, "and anyone I've defrauded, I'll pay back four times over." The surrounding crowd are the cynics: Jesus, th...