Tag: Summer

17th Century Safe - Old Wooden Safe - Built In2o Bedroom Wall!

Market Overton: 17th Century Wooden Safe – Built into Bedroom Wall! (26.10.2025)

Anyway, I digress. This morning, and for the first-time in decades, I heard a local Parish Church ring the church-bells – summoning the faithful to worship on this crisp Sunday-morning! I am literally sat in the epicentre of history! Probably far more so than usual. As you can see above – in the bedroom I am frequenting – there is a wooden safe built into the wall. The wood does not seem that secure to me – and I know I could easily place my fist through the door – it seems that thin (not that I would do such a thing). Years ago (in Hong Kong) when I had to punch objects whilst holding an egg in the palm (which had to remain “unbroken”) – the objects I had to hit were far more “stout” than this structure. I cannot not discern any writing on the casing of the safe – but such a craftsman’s signature might be immediately adjacent to the inner wall structure.

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A Saturday Morning Trip to the Honey-Shop!

The Galmpton “Honour System” – Walking to the Honey-Shop on a Saturday Morning! (30.8.2025)

Having stayed in Galampton a number of times now – my parent’s house is full of various medical paraphernalia – we noticed a sign (one of many) outside a beautiful brick-work #(chocolate-box) cottage – advertising local honey. Although this sign is a permanent fixture, we were never quite sure if the honey is available all year round – and we did not want to bother the owners. I could just imagine a startled villager as their sedate and isolated cottage is over-ran by a loud South London family – and their two-dogs!

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Adrian the Monk - 2025

Report: Ghost Hunting in North Devon! (29.8.2025)

With most of the lights off by 11pm, I sat on my religious chair (the Church dates back to the 14th century – and so does the chair). I cleared my mind and immersed myself into the ancient nature of the stone-work. The stone was cool to the touch – I went bare-foot to ground myself – and felt the calm structure of the place. No fear, no deception, and nothing to worry about, Although I neither support or oppose theology – I sensed the spiritual feel that all the attendees developed and projected into rge physical structure of the place. In many places in the UK, the Christians deliberately built their Churches on already existing Pagan sites of ancient spirituality – with nothing to do with a Christian god. The mistake that Christians make is that their own mind creates the religion they believe in – but they mistakenly believe that their religion exists “outside” their heads, independent of the mind that generates it. The perception is inverted and the wrong way around.

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Respect for God!

North Devon: St Peter’s Church – Bratton Fleming! (26.8.2025)

This must be the most spectacular integration of religion and secularism. I never thought I would live to see the Church of England finally give-up their last line of sanctity and allow all and sundry to stay as many nights as they can afford – and do whatever they like during their stay – providing the interior of the Church is not damaged. As an academic who uses the average Church as an early form of a search-engine – I find this a fascinating opportunity – albeit slightly disturbing and a little bizarre. Theravada Buddhist Temples, of course, allow practitioners to stay within their interiors – being fed and cared for free – providing there is space. Absolutely NO money is asked for or required (a Buddhist monastic must not touch money of any type). Not all Buddhist Temples follow this idea outside of Thailand, Sri Lanka, or Laos, etc, but they should do.

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Galmpton Art Exhibition! (24.8.2025)

The local people are polite and inquisitive as the place is linked to Agatha Christie and during the Summer months they get hundreds of international visitors. The place is old, pretty and quaint. As this was the last day of the Exhibition – we thought we should go! The following videos allow you to experience our journey as if you are part of group! This a more conventional art exhibition – avoiding the modern variety – which tries to convince us that a White square on a white background constitutes “art”! Luckily, this type of of nonsense has not yet permeated it’s way to Galmpton!

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Zen of Galmpton! (24.8.2035)

Here we are. Zen is Ch’an in reverse – which is good as perception is the wrong way around. Turn it the right way around – and Zen becomes Ch’an the right way around. Not always an easy task – like catching a steam train whilst it is obscured by it’s own smoke. What a joy such contradictions are. They exist to test our perception and determination. As such, nothing else matters. We all look up – and we all look down – just like every koan (gong-an) you may have viewed. Still, none of it matters if you cannot lay it all down. None of it matters at all.

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