Keeping up

I have been lulled into a false sense of security over the winter. What with there being so few birds around, I could get to know most of them. So, if there were a flock of small birds, they were probably linnets, and if of larger birds, they were probably fieldfares. But now spring is here, there are migrants passing over, and new arrivals from north and south, and I'm not going to be able to keep up with all the new birds. There are lots of new calls in the hedges, and Anthony has seen snipe, golden plover, green-something-I-forget-probably-finch, chiff chaff, house martin and swallow. The last two I'd know, but I wouldn't recognise the others if I saw or heard them. Back to school.

Malvern Priory has a prayer candlestand, with a design inspired by the astrolabe. According to the tourist leaflet, the astrolabe was introduced to Britain in the 11th century by Walcher, the second Prior of Malvern. It was in wide use in the Islamic world, and Walcher had translated information about its use from Arabic while living in Lorraine. Walcher's tombstone "records his abilities as 'an able astrologer and mathematician'... [He] was also noted for his great piety... Thus he brought together, in Malvern Priory in the 12th century, scientific skills and spirituality; an enquiring mind and faith... Our candlestand symbolises this coming together of:

• science - the astrolabe, a precursoe of modern scientific technology, and
• faith - candles, which represent, and gather up before God, our prayers and hopes, the often unspoken and deep longings of our hearts, the faith that God loves and cares about us."